UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington main card live results, discussion, play by play

Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 224 goes down in Rio de Janeiro.

The main event will see UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes defend her title on home soil for the first time when she faces off with Raquel Pennington. The co-main is an important middleweight contender fight between Ronaldo Souza and Kelvin Gastelum.

Also featured on the main card is a matchup between Amanda Cooper and vaunted prospect Mackenzie Dern, who missed weight by seven pounds for the bout.

This post will cover the main PPV card, which kicks off at 10pm ET/7pm PT and will feature five fights. The full lineup and schedule follows. The preliminary card will be covered in a separate post.

Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each matchup.

Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pennington

Round 1 - The first strike Nunes lands sents Pennington to the mat! It was a leg kick. She’s up right away though. A leg kick stumbles Pennington again. They brawl a bit in close. Nunes scores wit ha right. Pennington can’t find her rhythm. She’s got her back to the cage. Nunes is eating up her leg with kicks. Nunes clinches and lands a knee. Another low leg kick. Pennington lands a counter. Pennington with a knee in a brief clinch. Nunes with a low kick again. Inside leg kick from Pennington. Nunes stuffs a Pennington takedown attempt. Nunes with a hard right. 10-9 Nunes.

Round 2 - Pennington with a nice uppercut in the clinch. Nunes backs her up to the cage again though. Front kick from Nunes. Pennington with a jab. More front kicks from Nunes. Pennington can’t get a takedown. Nunes with a spinning back kick to the body. Nunes with a right and two knees. Pennington tries to catch the knee, but just pins Nunes against the fence. She does spin her around and take her down though. She’s in side control with 40 seconds to go. Nunes gets up and they flurry to end the round. 10-9 Nunes.

Round 3 - Front kick from Nunes. Nunes with a low leg kick and a hard left hjook. Pennington presses forward with a couple of punches. She lands another long right. Nunes goes back to the leg kick. She slams Pennington to the mat. Nunes working in half guard, now full guard. Pennington locks her down. Two referee warnings for inactivity. He stands them up with 1:45 to go. Pennington looking for a takedown now. Nunes with a leg kick and a right. Pennington with a right over the top and a straight left. Nunes cracks her with a right. Couple of knees in the clinch. 10-9 Nunes.

Round 4 - Pennington with a counter right. Nunes with the outside leg kick. Another again, and she follows it up with a right cross. Pennington with a right. Nunes with a beautiful outside trip takedown. Once again, she isn’t doing much on top. Pennington up and they trade knees in the clinch. Counter right scores for Pennington. Pennington looking for a takedown but Nunes rebuffs her. Nunes with a couple of hard knees to the body. Elbow and outside leg kick from Nunes. She’s ating Pennington up against the cage. Big knee with the Thai clinch. Pennington grabs a leg. 10-9 Nunes.

Round 5 - Pennington’s nose appears to be broken. Nunes with a big combo against the cage. Lots of blood now. Pennington has her back against the cage. Nunes with a takedown. She beats Pennington down and there’s a ton of blood. She turtles up. Nunes takes the back and continues to pound away. The ref steps in and stops it.

Amanda Nunes defeated Raquel Pennington via TKO (strikes), 2:36 of round 5

Ronaldo Souza vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Round 1 - Jacare dives in for a takedown but Gastelum blocks it. It did allow Jacare to get the clinch though. He gets Gastelum against the fence and works the body with punches. Jacare scoops a leg. Gastelum shows off some great balance and even lands some punches, but Souza drops to the ground with a leg attack, then sweeps to the top. Beautiful. He passes to mount with 2:15 to go. Gastelum gets half guard back. Back to mount. He lands a few punches and threatens an arm-triangle. He then pops out for an armbar, giving up position. Gastelum is defending. Hammerfists from Jacare. He’s still trying to secure the arm. He’s extending, but he’s running out of time. Gastelum escapes at the horn. 10-9 Jacare.

Round 2 - Body kick from Jacare. Gastelum lands a left. Jacare with a right and he dives for a takedown. Can’t get it. Gastelum with a right that cuts Jacare. Souza with a hard right over the top. Jacare wades into the clinch. Gastelum backs off. Jacare with a right. They both miss with rights. Gastelum stuffs a shot but they clash heads. Jacare with a body kick. Body shot from Gastelum. Gastelum drops Jacare with a combo! He won’t engage him on the ground though. Jacare slowly gets up. Body kick from Jacare. He lands a knee too. Inside leg kick from Gastelum. Gastelum presses forward. They bump herads again. Souza with a big left now. Gastelum goes to the body. A right scores from Souza. Huge left from Gastelum. 10-9 Gastelum.

Round 3 - Jacare with a counter right. Gastelum with a couple of short shots while Jacare tries to clinch. Jacare lands anther right. Right and an uppercut. Jacare looks for a takedown, but Gastelum stops him with a front headlock. He releases it quickly. Another right lands for Souza. Jacare looks very fatigued, but he’s landing the right. He’s in on a leg. He gets Gastelum down briefly, but he squirms away. Head kick from Jacare. Counter right from Jacare. Gastelum connects glancingly. One-two opos Jacare’s head back. Jab from Gastelum. Hard body kick from Jacare. Hard elbow from Gastelum. Jacare scores right back with a shot. Jaare shoots in, but Gastelum stays on his feet. He trips Gastelum briefly but he’s up right away. Hard right from Gastelum before the horn. I’ll go 10-9 and 29-28 Jacare.

Kelvin Gastelum defeated Jacare Souza via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Cooper

Round 1 - They both miss with punches. Overhand right scores for Dern. Cooper lands a counter. Cooper sticks a jab in her face. Dern feinting a lot. Cooper with a left and a leg kick. Dern with a huge overhand right that drops Cooper! Dern takes mount, then the back. She has a choke secured. Night night.

Mackenzie Dern defeated Amanda Cooper via submission (rear naked choke), 2:27 of round 1

John Lineker vs. Brian Kelleher

Round 1 - Kelleher with a leg kick, Lineker lands a combo in return. Leg kick from Kelleher again. Lineker with his own hard leg kick. Lineker goes to the body. Kelleher lands a hard left hook that wobbles Lineker for a second. Kelleher has a takedown stuffed but scores with an uppercut. Lineker goes body/head. He drops him with a left. Kelleher may have just tripped. Regardless, Lineker jumped into his guard. They’re back on the feet. Kelleher lands a spinning back fist as he runs by Lineker, off balance. Lineker misses with a spinning back kick. Kelleher lands one of his own. Lineker charges forward and scores with three left hooks in succession. They tie up on the fence briefly. Lineker with a right to the body again. Another left hook. 10-9 Lineker.

Round 2 - Lineker goes body-head. The left hook really connected to the chin. Lineker lands again, but Kelleher decides to bite down on the mouthpiece and throw back. They both connect with hard shots. Kelleher seems off balance a lot. Another big combo from Lineker. Kelleher retreats. Body kick from Lineker is blocked. Big right hook from Lineker. Kelleher tried to catch a kick, but Lineker pulls his foot away. More body work. Kelleher with a left hook. Kelleher spins and misses, and Lineker holds onto his back briefly. 10-9 Lineker.

Round 3 - Lineker looks for a takedown. Lineker trying to secure a guillotine. Kelleher adjusts and works from the top. He ends up going for a guillotine, which goes nowhere, and they return to the feet. Lineker’s pace has slowed. Kelleher with a right hook. Lineker with the patented left ook. Lineke chasing him down and landing bunches of punches! Kelleher survives. Lineker goes body, then a left hook KNOCKS KELLEHER OUT COLD! WOW!

John Linkeker defeated Brian Kelleher via knockout (left hook), 3:45 of round 3

Vitor Belfort vs. Lyoto Machida

Round 1 - Staring contest for the first ninety seconds. Finally Machida lands a leg kick. The crowd is unamused at the lack of action. Vitor charges in and misses with a left. Machida with a head kick. More staring. Another head kick from Machida, but it was blocked. Outside leg kick from Machida. Body kick from Machida. Belfort chases and lands a left. Inside leg kick from Machida. Head kick blocked. Head kick lands. Belfort catches a kick but the horn goes. 10-9 Machida.

Round 2 - Machida opens with kicks. Belfort lands to the body. Machida with a front kick and Belfort is out cold!!!

Lyoto Machida defeated Vitor Belfort via KO (front kick), 1:00 of round 2

Main card (10pm ET)