UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey–Behind the Numbers
The year 2016 has been one of the most memorable years in UFC history. UFC 207 was the final event of a year that showed us that anything is possible in this sport. We saw a new champion emerge and quite possibly the end of an era. Let’s go behind the numbers collected from Verdict.
Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey
When this bout was first announced, there were many questions regarding Ronda Rousey’s return. Could she make a successful return after a knockout loss? Was she able to improve her striking in the one year layoff after the Holly Holm loss? On December 30th, Amanda Nunes answered these questions with an emphatic “no”. Amanda Nunes spoiled the UFC return of Ronda Rousey, by knocking her out in 48 seconds of the 1st round. Many expected this bout to end early, as 98% of Verdict predicted this fight would be finished by stoppage. Of those that predicted Amanda Nunes to win, 40% predicted she would do it by knockout, and 16% predicted the knockout would come in the 1st round.
Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt
Coming into UFC 207, Dominick Cruz had never lost a fight by decision in his eleven year career. Cruz had won 14 out of his 22 wins by decision, so it was no surprise that 62% of Verdict predicted Dominick Cruz to defeat Cody Garabrandt by decision. However, it was Cody Garbrandt who flipped the script on Dominick Cruz, as he won the fight by unanimous decision to become the new UFC Bantamweight Champion.
This came as a surprise to many, as only 1% of Verdict beleived that Garbrandt would defeat Cruz by decision.
T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Lineker
This was a bout between two of the top contenders in the Bantamweight division. Coming into his bout with T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 207, John Lineker had won 6 consecutive fights. However, Dillashaw put an end to Lineker’s winning streak with a dominant performance. Dillashaw defeated Lineker by unanimous decision, which is what 56% of Verdict predicted to happen.
The scorecards of the ringside judges and the Verdict global scorecard were identical. The 2nd round seemed to be the most dominant, as the judges scored it 10–8 in favor of Dillashaw.
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Kim was the favorite heading into this bout, with 29% of Verdict predicting him to win the contest. Kim went on to win the bout by split decision, but it came with some controversy.
The two ringside judges that scored the bout 29–28 in favor of Kim, had the same scores as Verdict’s global scorecard. However, Judge Glenn Trowbridge scored every round for Tarec Saffiedine, as his final score read 30–27. There is a large discrepancy between Judge Glenn Trowbridge’s scorecard and the scorecards of Judges Jeff Mullen and Derek Cleary.
Louis Smolka vs. Ray Borg
The main card opened up with a Flyweight bout. Ray Borg was the underdog coming into this fight, as only 27% of Verdict predicted him to win. Verdict’s global scorecard and the scorecards of the ringside judges had Borg winning every round, as he was awarded a unanimous decision victory.
Global Leaderboard
The global leaderboard had a dramatic shift after Cody Garbrandt’s unanimous decision victory against Dominick Cruz. The 1% that predicted Garabrandt to win by decision, catapulted up the global leaderboard.
Next Event
On Sunday, January 15th, UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn will emanate from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. BJ Penn is stepping out of retirement, to face rising contender Yair Rodríguez. We will see you on Verdict!
