UFC 248 results: Adesanya retains middleweight title, Zhang defends strawweight belt

Las Vegas, March 8: Israel Adesanya successfully defended his UFC middleweight championship with a unanimous-decision win over Yoel Romero at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday (March 7).

Adesanya improved to 19-0 after getting the better of Romero as the judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 in the Last Style Bender's favour.

After few exchanges between the fighters in the opening two rounds, Adesanya landed the more decisive blows thereafter in the main event.

Still the champ. 🏆

🇳🇬 @Stylebender stays sharp to get the job done! #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/6r8k73zcVf

— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020

Romero (13-5) has now lost four of his past five fights, including the previous three. Adesanya is now expected to face the second-ranked Paulo Costa next.

Earlier in the co-main event, Zhang Weili retained the women's strawweight title with a split-decision win against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a classic.

Also on the main card, Beneil Dariush, who was on the receiving end of some strikes, stunned Drakkar Klose to earn a secon round KO. Meanwhile, the welterweights on the card, Neil Magny and Alex Oliveira picked up decision wins.

In the preliminary card, there were stoppage wins for Sean O'Malley, Rodolfo Vieira, Gerald Meerschaert and Danaa Batgerel, while Mark Madsen and Giga Chikadze earned decision wins.

UFC 248 results:

Main Card

1. Middleweight title bout: Israel Adesanya defeated Yoel Romero by unanimous decision (48-47 x2, 49-46)

2. Women's Strawweight title bout: Weili Zhang defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk by split decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)

3. Lightweight bout: Beneil Dariush defeated Drakkar Klose by KO at 1:00 of Round 2

4. Welterweight bout: Neil Magny defeated Li Jingliang by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

5. Welterweight bout: Alex Oliveira defeated Max Griffin by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

Preliminary Card

1. Bantamweight bout: Sean O'Malley defeated Jose Alberto Quinonez by TKO (punches) at 2:02 of Round 1

2. Lightweight bout: Mark Madsen defeated Austin Hubbard by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

3. Middleweight bout: Rodolfo Vieira defeated Saparbek Safarov by submission (arm-triangle) at 2:58 of Round 1

4. Middleweight bout: Gerald Meerschaert defeated Deron Winn by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:13 of Round 3

5. Featherweight bout: Giga Chikadze defeated Jamall Emmers by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

6. Bantamweight bout: Danaa Batgerel defeated Guido Cannetti by KO (punches) at 3:01 of Round 1

(With OPTA inputs)