UFC 259 Results: Amanda Nunes Stuns, Submits Megan Anderson

Megan Anderson and Amanda Nunes, UFC 259
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 06: (R-L) Amanda Nunes of Brazil punches Megan Anderson of Australia in their UFC featherweight championship fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

In terms of the odds, Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson was a massive mismatch, with champ Nunes at times as much as a -1250 favorite. The UFC 259 co-main event had few siding with Anderson, despite the former Invicta FC featherweight champion’s physical gifts.

Nunes, as a double champ on an incredible run over the past several years, has established her legacy as the best female fighter in MMA history. So those odds, perhaps, were well deserved — and it looked that way on Saturday night.

The first strike thrown in Saturday’s co-main event was a leg kick, fired off by Nunes. It hit home, shortly after, the champ changed levels for a takedown. It wasn’t there, but Anderson had to eat a follow-up blow. Nunes then rocked Anderson with a right hand; Anderson, wobbled, answered with a spinning back fist, but that was well short. Anderson looked out of sorts, easily falling to the floor when Nunes went to take things down. Of course, that was off another right hand that had glanced off the Australian’s had. Once down, Nunes locked in a triangle arm-bar, both the triangle side and arm-bar side of which were tight. Anderson had two choices, tap or go to sleep. She tapped, and Amanda Nunes had the win — and had cleaned out the women’s 145lb division.

Official Result: Amanda Nunes def. Megan Anderson by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:03