For one night in Belem, Brazil, Lyoto Machida showed enough glimpses of “The Dragon” to hand highly touted prospect Eryk Anders (10-1) his first loss. The Brazilian defeated the former Alabama Crimson Tide football player via split decision.
Machida took the early lead with a steady barrage of leg kicks. The Dragon continued to chip away at his opponent’s leg even after he put him on the ground with the leg kick. Bloody Elbow noted the lack of experience Anders showed in the first round:
UFC Canada provided a look at the highlight leg kick:
The second round saw Anders find a little more comfort. He landed a scoring left hand early but couldn’t rediscover that kind of success for the rest of the round. Machida stayed on his horse and forced Anders to track him down:
Sherdog scored the round for Anders as the fight moved on at a glacial pace:
Anders kept landing the more powerful strikes in the third frame’s early going. The 30-year-old middleweight opened the round with a successful takedown and bloodied The Dragon’s eye with a knee as he got to his feet from the takedown.
Aaron Bronsteter of TSN scored the round for Anders, but it once again came down to Machida’s volume against the damage Anders caused:
Heading into the fifth, the scoring didn’t get any clearer. Anders had his moments in the fourth, scoring a takedown and controlling the Dragon along the cage. But previous frames made it hard to score, as MMA writer Adam Hill noted:
The fifth and final round looked much like the rest of the fight. Anders was the aggressor, but Machida’s counterstriking was more effective. Ultimately, The Dragon did enough to get the nod on two of the judges’ scorecards.
It’s a big win for Machida, as it snaps a three-fight losing streak. The Dragon utilized the opportunity to call out Michael Bisping in what would be a battle of fighters who have to be mulling retirement after every bout:
For Anders, the decision is disappointing, but this is not the end of the line. As E. Spencer Kyte notes, this will be a launching pad for the rest of his career:
It was a night heavy on Brazilian prospects. Thiago Santos and Douglas Silva de Andrade highlighted those who came out on top while representing the home country. Here’s a look at the complete results along with a closer look at all the main-card action:
Main card
- Lyoto Machida def. Eryk Anders via split decision
- Valentina Shevchenko def. Priscila Cachoeira via sub (RNC) (R2, 4:25)
- Michel Prazeres def. Desmond Green via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
- Tim Johnson def. Marcelo Golm via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
- Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Thiago Santos def. Anthony Smith via second-round TKO (1:03)
Undercard
- Sergio Moraes def. Tim Means via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
- Alan Patrick def. Damir Hadzovic via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27 x2)
- Polyana Viana def. Maia Stevenson via submission (RNC) (R1, 3:50)
- Iuri Alcantra def. Joe Soto via first-round KO (1:06)
- Deiveson Figueiredo def. Joseph Morales via second-round TKO (4:34)
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Priscila Cachoeira
The co-main event provided an opportunity for Valentina Shevchenko to bounce back from her failed bid at the women’s bantamweight championship as a flyweight. She took full advantage by defeating UFC newcomer Priscila Cachoeira via second-round rear-naked-choke in a lopsided fight.
Shevchenko dominated the early striking exchanges before taking down her opponent and bludgeoning her with an array of elbows and strikes on the ground. Although Cachoeira survived the round, she had nothing to offer the former title contender.
The second round was more of the same, but she eventually sunk in a rear-naked choke that forced the fight to end. The UFC summed up the whole bout in a 30-second clip:
It was a reminder that even though Shevchenko is a decorated kickboxer and Muay Thai player, she is also more than capable of handling herself on the ground.
This was an interesting piece of booking for the UFC, as Shevchenko essentially got a fight to show off her skills against a Brazilian in Brazil.
However, looked phenomenal at 125 pounds. Looks like the UFC’s newest division has a legitimate title contender in Shevchenko, and she declared her interest in competing for the belt in her post-fight interview:
Michel Prazeres vs. Desmond Green
Desmond Green took a risk when he agreed to take the fight even though his opponent, Michel Prazeres, failed to make weight. He attempted to outwrestle a larger man, and it didn’t work out as “Tractor” took the unanimous decision.
The fight, which was contested at 161 pounds instead of the 155-pound limit, was decided by Prazeres’ grappling ability. He was able to more consistently get Green onto the mat and threaten to end the fight with submission attempts.
Prazeres is an interesting fighter. He obviously has skills, as the win was his sixth straight inside the Octagon after losing to Kevin Lee in 2015.
However, he’s also missed weight in three of his last four fights.
That means that he likely will be headed to welterweight as the UFC doesn’t look kindly upon fighters who can’t make weight.
What could have been a great display of Prazeres’ talent was overshadowed by yet another mishap on the scale. If Prazeres can continue to be a dangerous grappler at welterweight, he could be dangerous.
Tim Johnson vs. Marcelo Golm
Tim Johnson wasn’t about watching Brazilian fighters have a perfect night. The home fighters were undefeated up to the eighth bout on the card, but Johnson ended the streak with a decision win over Marcelo Golm
Golm’s undefeated record wasn’t a problem for Johnson. The No. 15 heavyweight chipped away at his opponent with strong boxing and his clinch game. He even landed a spinning elbow while Golm was pinned against the fence:
While Johnson was unable to draw the finish, he did win the fight on all three judges’ scorecards, taking all three rounds on one of the cards.
All of Golm’s previous fights ended in the first round leading up to this bout. Just two fights into his UFC career, it turned out that Johnson was too much too soon.
The Brazilian’s ability to rebound from this setback should be interesting to watch, as he’s only 25 in a division that is seriously lacking youth.
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Marlon Vera
Douglas Silva de Andrade got back on the right track after a loss to Rob Font last time out. The Brazilian outscored Marlon “Chito” Vera at every turn to take a unanimous decision.
The fight played out like a kickboxing battle. Vera made it competitive within the rounds, but Silva de Andrade’s aggression and footwork made it hard for Vera to come out on top.
The two fought to the end, with the final exchange highlighting the fight:
The win makes Silva de Andrade 3-2 in the UFC. His next fight will go a long way in determining whether he’s a prospect with true potential or simply a strong fighter who can boost a card in Brazil.
For now, he proved he’s better than Vera, who came into the bout unranked off a loss to John Lineker.
Thiago Santos vs. Anthony Smith
Who doesn’t love a middleweight brawl?
Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith started off the main card right for the Brazilian crowd. Santos scored the second-round TKO finish, but not before a violent fight that was sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Santos scored some knockdowns in the first round, including this nifty head kick that the UFC passed along:
In the end, Santos scored an emphatic win in his home country and solidified his status as a Top 15 middleweight. He now has four finishes in a row. Smith, meanwhile, showed a lot of toughness but had a three-fight win streak snapped.
That’s a bad development for someone who just defeated Hector Lombard his last time out.
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