Saturday’s UFC 237 card in Rio de Janeiro did not go well for the country of Brazil — until the championship main event.
Brazilian strawweight Jessica Andrade (20-6) claimed the UFC’s 115-pound title with a stunning knockout of Rose Namajunas at 2 minutes, 58 seconds of the second round.
The finish came when Andrade lifted Namajunas (8-4) into the air and slammed her on the back of her head. The bout was quickly waved off. Namajunas would recover and exit the cage unassisted.
Andrade scored the 11th slam knockout in UFC history, and just the fourth in a title fight.
It was a massive win for the 27-year-old Brazilian, as well as her native country. Earlier in the night, the Brazilian crowd watched several of its legends lost on Saturday, including Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Silva’s loss was especially demoralizing, as he suffered a knee injury in the opening round.
“I was certain of what I had to do in the second round,” Andrade said. “I never did that move before in the UFC. The pile driver. That’s what I do. It’s my nickname.”
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