De Randamie crowned 1st featherweight champ at UFC 208

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Germaine de Randamie, of the Netherlands, reacts as the championship belt is placed on her after her women’s featherweight championship mixed martial arts bout against Holly Holm at UFC 208 early Sunday in New York. De Randamie won the fight. (AP)

NEW YORK: Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision in a clinch-filled bout at UFC 208 to become the first featherweight champion in the woman’s division.
The 32-year-old de Randamie (7-3) dropped to her knees in celebration as the Barclays Center crowd booed the end of a lackluster bout Saturday night.
UFC created the new 145-pound division in part as a showcase for Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. Justino was the lone fan standing in the front row toward the end of the five-round bout. Justino’s UFC fate is in limbo because of a doping violation that knocked her off the New York card.
A fight may not be on the immediate horizon.
De Randamie, a Dutch kickboxer who also fought in Strikeforce, said she needed surgery on one of her hands.
Holm (10-3) has lost three straight bouts since she became the first fighter to defeat Ronda Rousey in December 2015.
In the main co-event, Anderson Silva showed he had one more big win left in his MMA career, an effective performance to beat Derek Brunson.
Silva had the Brooklyn crowd clearly on his side, and his familiar dose of swagger and showmanship were on full display at the Barclays Center in a 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 victory.
Silva crouched in his yellow trunks, the crowd going wild for “The Spider,” all hoping he could recreate the greatness of his prime. He landed a spin kick to the body in the first round that rattled Brunson but otherwise never came close to dominating the middleweight bout.
Silva dropped his longtime entrance song, DMX’s “Ain’t No Sunshine,” for an original tune called “Doom” by his teenage son Kalyl.
“I’m the best ever,” repeated one of the lyrics.
The 41-year-old Silva is certainly on the short list of all-time great MMA fighters.
Holly Holm (10-2) was set to fight for her slice of UFC history against Germaine de Randamie (6-3) in the main event. Holm, the first fighter to defeat Ronda Rousey, could become the first two-division women’s champion with a victory.