Overview and Main Event Storyline
UFC 224, held on May 12, 2018 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena, served as the promotion’s first return to Brazil in over a year. The event featured a women’s bantamweight championship fight between then champion Amanda Nunes and top contender Megan Anderson. Nunes won by second-round TKO, solidifying her dominant reign. The co-main event saw former featherweight champion José Aldo move to lightweight, losing a unanimous decision to Ricardo Lamas. This walkthrough organizes the card fight by fight, describing key sequences and finish types for each bout.
Card Structure and Fight Order
UFC 224 was structured across three segments—Prelims, Main Card, and the Main Event—with fights typically separated by several minutes to allow for introductions, analysis, and recovery. Early undercard bouts set the tone with grappling-centric contests, while the later rounds featured striking battles and submission attempts. Understanding the sequence and rest periods helps contextualize performance pacing, freshness, and the momentum shifts that defined the event. Below is a table summarizing each fight’s result and method.
Fight-by-Fight Results Table
| Fight | Competitors | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelims 1 | Godofredo Pepey vs Hacran Dias | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Prelims 2 | Carlos Diego Ferreira vs Olivier Aubin-Mercier | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Prelims 3 | Makwan Amirkhani vs Darren Elkins | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Prelims 4 | Marcos Rogério de Lima vs Ben Rothwell | TKO (punches) | 2 | 3:55 |
| Prelims 5 | Miranda Maverick vs Maryna Moroz | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Prelims 6 | Glaico França vs Pedro Munhoz | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Main Card Early | Godofredo vs Alex Perez | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Main Card Middle | Marlon Vera vs1 Raphael Assunção | Decision (split) | 3 | 5:02 |
| Main Card Late | Amanda Nunes vs Megan Anderson | TKO (punches) | 2 | 4:27 |
| Main Event | José Aldo vs Ricardo Lamas | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Early Undercard: Grappling and Decision Battles
The early portion of the card emphasized control and positional warfare. Godofredo Pepey and Hacran Dias engaged in a grappling-heavy affair, with Dias frequently taking Pepey down and securing points in the clinch. Despite spending much time on the canvas, Pepey remained active off his back and landed short counters, earning a unanimous decision victory. In the next bout, Carlos Diego Ferreira showcased volume striking against Olivier Aubin-Mercier, though he failed to fully capitalize on a brief early knockdown. The fight went the distance and split in favor of Ferreira, highlighting how activity can sometimes outweigh clean shot accuracy on the judges’ scorecards.
Prelims: Methodical Pacing and Clinch Work
Subsequent preliminaries leaned heavily on wrestling and cage work. Makwan Amirkhani versus Darren Elkins exemplified this, as Amirkhani’s wrestling and body work contrasted with Elkins’s desperate scrambles and last-ditch submissions. Amirkhani’s ability to dictate where the fight took place translated into a unanimous decision. Marcos Rogério de Lima delivered a highlight-reel right hand followed by ground-and-pound to secure a TKO over Ben Rothwell, a reminder of explosive one-punch potential in the heavyweight division. In the women’s flyweight matchup, Miranda Maverick used lateral movement to offset Maryna Moroz’s pressure, closing the distance to smother and secure a decision win. Each of these bouts illustrated the importance of grappling fundamentals and stamina over a full fifteen minutes.
Main Card: Striking Exchanges and Card Raises
As the event progressed into the main card, striking tempo increased. Godofredo faced Alex Perez in an action-packed bout that saw multiple clinch exchanges and body shots. Godofredo’s pressure and varied attack earned him the nod, though Perez’s output kept the round count competitive. Marlon Vera’s matchup against Raphael Assunção represented a stylistic clash between a brawler and a skilled technician. Vera’s forward pressure contrasted with Assunção’s slick footwork and counter hooks, resulting in a tightly contested split decision that exemplified a quality, evenly matched bantamweight bout.
Amanda Nunes vs Megan Anderson: The Main Event Narrative
Amanda Nunes versus Megan Anderson served as the evening’s marquee contest, with Nunes’ championship on the line. Early exchanges showcased Nunes’ reach advantage and ability to manage distance, while Anderson’s aggression led to wild swings that left her briefly off-balance. Midway through the second round, Nunes pinned Anderson against the cage and unloaded a combination that prompted the referee to halt the contest. The TKO finish reaffirmed Nunes’ status as a dominant champion and provided a clear demonstration of fight-ending power from top-level competition.
José Aldo’s Lightweight Transition and the Co-Main Event
In a career-defining shift, José Aldo moved up to lightweight to face Ricardo Lamas. Aldo, renowned for his precision and cardio, found Lamas’ pressure and southpaw stance difficult to navigate. Lamas consistently landed low kicks and straight rights, visibly affecting Aldo’s movement over three rounds. The decision rendered marked Aldo’s first loss in what was widely anticipated to be a farewell division experiment. The co-main event underscored the risks of changing weight classes mid-career, even for seasoned veterans.
Key Fight Metrics and Outcomes at a Glance
The following table highlights primary finishes and methods, emphasizing how contests were decided and the dominant performance types on display. Outcomes reflect both finishing ability and judges’ evaluations, useful for comparing styles and success rates.
UFC 224 Results Snapshot
| Fight | Winner | Method | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Nunes def. Megan Anderson | Amanda Nunes | TKO (punches) | Retained women’s bantamweight title |
| José Aldo def. Ricardo Lamas | Ricardo Lamas | Decision (unanimous) | Aldo’s lightweight debut |
| Marlon Vera def. Raphael Assunção | Decision (split) | Bantamweight contender fight | |
| Marcos Rogério de Lima def. Ben Rothwell | TKO (punches) | Late-round finish | |
| Godofredo Pepey def. Hacran Dias | Decision (unanimous) | Welterweight division |
Event Takeaways and Long-Term Implications
UFC 224 reinforced the importance of diverse skill sets on a single card, pairing wrestling-heavy preliminaries with high-paced striking main events. Nunes’ dominant finish preserved an aura of invincibility, while Aldo’s transition highlighted the challenges of moving between weight classes. For fighters, the card demonstrated how preparation, fight IQ, and in-camp adjustments can influence outcomes across very different stylistic landscapes. The event remains a useful case study for analyzing pacing, finish types, and strategic risks in contemporary MMA.
How to Analyze Fight Cards Like a Pro
To get more from future events, structure your viewing by segment: prelims for grappling and volume, main card for stylistic clashes, and main event for championship narratives. Track metrics such as significant strikes, takedown accuracy, and cage control to deepen your understanding beyond outcomes. Relating each fight to broader trends—such as divisions in transition or matchmaking logic—turns passive watching into active analysis.
tags:
- ufc-224
- play-by-play
- fight-card-breakdown
FAQ
Reader questions
What was the main event of UFC 224?
The main event was Amanda Nunes versus Megan Anderson for the women’s bantamweight championship, won by Nunes via second-round TKO.
Did José Aldo win his UFC 224 fight?
No, José Aldo lost his lightweight debut to Ricardo Lamas by unanimous decision.
Which fights ended by submission at UFC 224?
No fights on the official card finished by submission; all finishes were either decision or stoppage (TKO/KO).
How many rounds did the longest fight on the card go?
The longest fight was the Marlon Vera vs Raphael Assunção bout, which went the full three rounds to a split decision.
Is the fight card available to watch on demand after the event?
Yes, UFC 224 is typically available on the UFC Fight Pass or participating providers for on-demand viewing after the live event.
What is the significance of the Marcos Rogério de Lima finish?
The TKO over Ben Rothwell highlighted how compact, high-impact striking can end heavyweight fights quickly, even on a card dominated by decision-based outcomes.
Why does fight order matter in analyzing UFC events?
Fight order affects fighter freshness, matchups, and narrative pacing. Earlier bouts often serve as stylistic contrasts to later main events, helping contextualize performance approaches.