UFC 228 Results: Tyron Woodley, Jessica Andrade Highlight Card’s Winners

UFC 228 didn’t have the most hype surrounding it, but it’s safe to say it exceeded expectations. 

Tyron Woodley—often panned for boring performances as champion—turned in a dominating second-round submission victory over Darren Till to close out the night, marking T-Wood’s third title defense. 

Woodley established his wrestling early, threatening with takedown attempts and neutralizing a slow-starting Till with the clinch. 

Then Woodley turned things on in the second round, landing a crushing right hand that floored Till and started the ending sequence:

After an extended sequence on the ground, the champion worked his way to a D’Arce choke and forced the tap from the challenger. Michael Carroll of FightMetric provided the statistical context for the one-sided beatdown. 

After more than one lackluster defense of the title, this was the kind of performance Woodley needed to gain respect as a champion that can carry a pay-per-view. It’s hard to argue that he isn’t working on shedding the label:

Much like Woodley, the card surprised fans with a lineup of fights that were well worth watching. Here’s a look at the complete results from the evening and a closer look at each of the main card bouts. 

Main card 

• Tyron Woodley def. Darren Till via submission (R2, 4:19)
• Jessica Andrade def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via first-round KO (1:57) 
• Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Brandon Davis via submission (kneebar) (R2, 3:46) 
• Jimmie Rivera def. John Dodson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Niko Price via first-round KO (0:43)

Undercard

• Tatiana Suarez def. Carla Esparza via third-round TKO (4:33)
• Aljamain Sterling def. Cody Stamann via submission (kneebar) (R2, 3:42)
• Geoff Neal def. Frank Camacho via second-round KO (1:23)
• Darren Stewart def. Charles Byrd via second-round TKO (2:17)
• Diego Sanchez def. Craig White via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Jim Miller def. Alex White via submission (RNC) (R1, 1:29)
• Irene Aldana def. Lucie Pudilova via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Jarred Brooks def. Roberto Sanchez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Jessica Andrade vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

The women’s strawweight title picture is fairly crowded right now, but Jessica Andrade did her best to make it much more clear against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. The Brazilian landed an impressive one-punch knockout to win the co-main event. 

Andrade set the tone early, wobbling the Polish kickboxer from the opening bell, but Kowalkiewicz fought back and landed clean shots of her own. 

Trading punches with Andrade at strawweight has proved to be a recipe for disaster, though. Kowalkiewicz found that out when an Andrade looping hook brought the bout to an end. 

After the fight, Andrade did her best to plead for a card that already has a heavy Brazilian presence:

Andrade has been deadly since moving to women’s strawweight. She’s won six of seven fights in the weight class, and her only loss was against former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. With Rose Namajunas now holding the belt, Andrade is the no-brainer next fighter up to challenge. 

If this performance is any indication, she might be the favorite in that matchup. 

Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Brandon Davis 

One day, Zabit Magomedsharipov will finally get a ranked opponent. Until then, fans are just going to have to enjoy the beatdowns that he puts on inferior competition. Brandon Davis came in on short notice and survived one-and-a-half rounds before being submitted with a slick kneebar. 

Magomedsharipov was patient in the first round, gauging Davis and allowing him to get off to a good start. As the round progressed, the Russian was able to open up with some violent takedowns:

In the second phase of the fight, the winner got a little more aggressive on the ground and ultimately sunk in a funky kneebar that drew the tap and added even more momentum to his hype train. 

Magomedsharipov is clearly a cut above anyone who doesn’t have a number beside his name, so the time is now to get him a ranked opponent so that he can prove where he belongs in the featherweight hierarchy. 

Jimmie Rivera vs. John Dodson

The air might have taken the biggest beating in the bantamweight bout between Jimmie Rivera and John Dodson. That’s what most strikes in the fight hit as Rivera picked up a unanimous decision victory. 

Rivera was the aggressor for most of the three rounds, however, Dodson’s usual athleticism and movement made him an elusive target.

Still, there were moments in which Rivera’s strikes found their target:

This wasn’t the most memorable performance. It won’t win Rivera or Dodson any fans, but it is a much needed return to the winner’s circle for Rivera. He suffered his first UFC loss at the hands of Marlon Moraes last time out. 

For Dodson this just continues a trend of inconsistency. He’s alternated wins and losses over his last seven fights and simply doesn’t appear to be the contender he once was. 

Niko Price  vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan 

Don’t be fooled by the Disney music. You don’t want to stand with Abdul Razak Alhassan. 

The Fort Worth, Texas, native came into the Dallas arena to a frenzied crowd with Elton John’s “Circle of Life” blaring through the speakers. A unique sight to be sure, but it preceded a display of violence that should be scary for others in the welterweight division. 

He took just 43 seconds to melt Niko Price. With Price looking to stand and exchange rather than take down the powerful striker, Alhassan buried his opponent under a barrage of punches. 

Jordan Breen of Sherdog praised the 33-year-old’s power:

With three straight first-round knockouts, its safe to say Alhassan is a fighter fans will see on more pay-per-view cards.