UFC 240: Holloway Keeps Featherweight Gold

UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway is back to winning ways after coming up short in an interim lightweight title bid, as he defeated Frankie Edgar by a decision to retain the UFC Featherweight Championship in the main event of UFC 240 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

.@BlessedMMA earns his 16th featherweight win, 2nd most in @UFC /WEC featherweight history (Aldo, 18). #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/fzUtPpRu6K

— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 28, 2019

After some feeling out in the opening round, Edgar started to control the action from distance and landed several shots on Holloway. Holloway eventually did get into a groove though, and he shook Edgar up with a couple of straights and a spinning back kick before the horn.

Masterful way to end the round 👏 #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/23zh3cyTJU

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2019

Holloway turns up the heat 🔥@BlessedMMA #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/VgX5G3fHRQ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 28, 2019

The second round also marked the beginning of a theme of Holloway stuffing Edgar’s takedown attempts. At one point in the middle of the fight, Edgar was just 1-for-13 in takedown attempts. Edgar did score a takedown late in the third and started to pick his striking pace up in the fourth, but Holloway rocked him late once again.

Finally notches takedown number 1️⃣! #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/AQkfawtpm0

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2019

And in the fifth, Holloway continued to stuff takedowns and landed his jab at will en route to a victory. Two judges scored the bout 50-45 in Holloway’s favor, while one had it a much closer 48-47.

In the UFC 240 co-main event, Cris Cyborg rebounded from her UFC 232 loss of the UFC Women’s Featherweight Title by besting Felicia Spencer.

Cyborg was in complete control from the opening minute of the fight, preventing Spencer from taking the fight to the ground and overwhelming her with powerful shots. To Spencer’s credit, however, she took them well throughout the fight and made Cyborg work, tiring her out and even splitting her open with an elbow.

🇧🇷 Cyborg is wasting no time! #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/6hRPXE1UDW

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2019

HUGE elbow by @FeeNom479 lands and @criscyborg returns fire #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/UBf2OZFmJZ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 28, 2019

She caught the kick 👀@FeeNom479 is showing her toughness round 2️⃣! #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/XdKk3geect

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2019

Tough as nails. pic.twitter.com/bK0ALA570R

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2019

Nonetheless, Cyborg swept the scorecards.

The lone finish from the main card came from Geoff Neal, who stopped Niko Price in the second round of their welterweight slugfest.

DOUBLE KNOCKDOWN 🤯 #UFC240@handzofsteelmma and @Nikohybridprice are throwin' pic.twitter.com/Mo83O2QU3z

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 28, 2019

We've got ourselves a brawl, ladies and gents! #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/P7EsvJDsgu

— UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2019

When "I hate you," but it's all love…@Nikohybridprice embraces @handzofsteelmma after a wild finish at #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/1dxDDO7FkK

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 28, 2019

UFC 240 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV (10 p.m. ET):
145 lbs.: UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway def. Frankie Edgar via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 48-47)
145 lbs.: Cris Cyborg def. Felicia Spencer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
170 lbs.: Geoff Neal def. Niko Price via TKO (Rd. 2, 2:39)
155 lbs.: Arman Tsarukyan def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
185 lbs.: Krzysztof Jotko def. Marc-Andre Barriault via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

UFC 240 Prelims Card On ESPN (8 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Viviane Araujo def. Alexis Davis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
145 lbs.: Hakeem Dawodu def. Yoshinori Horie via TKO (Rd. 3, 4:09)
145 lbs.: Gavin Tucker def. Seung Woo Choi via submission (rear-naked choke) (Rd. 3, 3:17)
125 lbs.: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

UFC 240 Prelims Card On UFC Fight Pass (7 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Gillian Robertson def. Sarah Frota via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:13)
170 lbs.: Erik Koch def. Kyle Stewart via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)