In retrospect, it was only fitting that the injuries plaguing the original UFC 163 fight card carried into the actual fights that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UFC flyweight champion Jose Aldo injured his foot in a title defense that resul…
In retrospect, it was only fitting that the injuries plaguing the original UFC 163 fight card carried into the actual fights that took place in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil. UFC flyweight champion Jose Aldo injured his foot in a title defense that resulted in challenger Chan-Sung Jung dislocating his shoulder mid-fight.
Bizarre indeed.
Arguably as troublesome, not a single bonus was awarded to a main card fighter—the best knockout, submission and overall fight took place during the preliminary fight card. It’s no surprise, then, that two of the five main card fights went to decision.
Nevertheless, there were a few memorable moments tucked away inside the pay-per-view fights of UFC 163.
Let’s get the core of things by ranking the main card fights in terms of explosive energy that resulted in moments you won’t soon forget.
Phil Davis (12-1-0) certainly knows how to stir up controversy in Brazil—his hotly debated decision victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 163 nearly resulted in Rio de Janeiro’s fans collectively forgetting that he had once submitted hometown favorit…
Phil Davis (12-1-0) certainly knows how to stir up controversy in Brazil—his hotly debated decision victory over LyotoMachida at UFC 163 nearly resulted in Rio de Janeiro’s fans collectively forgetting that he had once submitted hometown favorite Wagner Prado in his own native Brazil.
At almost the very instant that Bruce Buffer announced Phil Davis’ 29-28 unanimous-decision victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 163, a cacophony of overwhelming boos erupted from the audience in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In fact, both winner and los…
At almost the very instant that Bruce Buffer announced Phil Davis’ 29-28 unanimous-decision victory over LyotoMachida at UFC 163, a cacophony of overwhelming boos erupted from the audience in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil.
In fact, both winner and loser struggled to make it through their respective post-fight interviews as the uproar grew louder and louder.
Were the fans in attendance—not to mention the MMA media and fighters elsewhere—justified for being so outraged?
Take a look at the official scorecard procured shortly after the fight came to a close:
Well, if the calculated analysis offered by FightMetric carries any respectable weight, the controversy was justified—according to its statistical analysis, Machida should have walked away with a 30-27 victory over Davis.
Let’s briefly examine what took place on a round-by-round basis.
Round 1
Key takeaways for Davis: more total strikes, more strikes to the body, two attempted takedowns and one successful takedown.
Key takeaways for Machida: more significant strikes, more strikes to the head and a definitive salvo of strikes that dropped Davis to his knee.
FightMetric total effectiveness score: Davis with 20, Machida with 34.
Round 2
Key takeaways for Davis: more significant strikes, more total strikes, more strikes to the body, more strikes to the legs, four attempted takedowns and one successful takedown.
Key takeaways for Machida: more strikes to the head.
FightMetric total effectiveness score: Davis with 26, Machida with 41.
Round 3
Key takeaways for Davis: more strikes to the legs and four attempted takedowns with none successfully landing.
Key takeaways for Machida: more significant strikes, more total strikes, more strikes to the head and more strikes to the body.
FightMetric total effectiveness score: Davis with 2, Machida with 32.
Summary
The judges at UFC 163 unanimously declared Davis to be a 29-28 winner in his efforts against Machida.
Perhaps they were heavily influenced by the two successful takedowns, or perhaps they were indifferent to Machida‘s dominant use of the center of the Octagon to maintain cage control. According FightMetric, Davis landed more total strikes (29 vs. 27) but failed to land as many that proved to be significant (21 vs. 27).
Machida was clearly traumatized by how the decision unfolded—he lamented that “he didn’t know what they were judging.” Davis used the post-fight press conference to reveal an even-keel, though certainly indecisive, outlook on the fight:
Fighting is an emotional thing. If I had lost this fight, I would be like, “I didn’t lose that fight, and they know it.” That’s how it is. You put all you have into it. So everyone who was a Lyoto fan, I understand where you’re coming from. It’s an emotional thing. You’re cheering for your guy. He’s a Brazilian. I can imagine how that feels…I know how this works. Anytime it goes to the judges, you forfeit your right to be upset. You’ve just got to give it to the judges, and whatever they say is what they say.
Perhaps there’s much to be garnered from Davis’ critique—MMA fans seem to have decisively sided with FightMetric‘s breakdown but, when all is said and done, the judges determine who walks away with another digit in the win column.
Prior to his UFC 163 loss to Phil Davis, UFC light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida was no stranger to controversial decisions—he had, after all, experienced both ends of the spectrum with a questionable decision victory in his title fight aga…
Prior to his UFC 163 loss to Phil Davis, UFC light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida was no stranger to controversial decisions—he had, after all, experienced both ends of the spectrum with a questionable decision victory in his title fight against Shogun Rua and an equally odd decision loss to Rampage Jackson not long thereafter.
Sure, neither of those bouts delivered a FightMetric analysis so directly opposed to what the on-site judges had scored on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, but they granted the opportunity for questions to arise of Machida’s possible transition to the UFC’s middleweight roster.
With four of his last eight bouts going to decision, Machida is at an odd crossroads where blowout victories at light heavyweight are no longer prime for the taking. It’s no surprise, then, that fans and media alike began to whisper of his possible middleweight relocation not long after Chris Weidman dethroned Anderson Silva at UFC 162.
But perhaps it’s not so simple.
Convenience and logic would certainly play into Machida’s willingness to move. Silva is, after all, no longer the residing kingpin at 185. With his ousting, Machida has a window of opportunity to pursue the middleweight belt.
For all intents and purposes, a 20-pound weight cut would serve him admirably—he would be taking his lethal ensemble of karate-based strikes and evasive maneuvers to a division that hadn’t yet experienced them.
But before even leaving the HSBC Arena shortly after the disappointing decision loss, Machida shed light on a rather obvious fight to take after Saturday night’s defeat: a rematch against Davis to firmly avenge the controversial decision.
When asked about the possible second attempt during an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani, Machida boldly exclaimed, “Yes, I have no doubt. I want to rematch with Phil Davis because I want to prove that I can beat him.”
Even if the UFC were hesitant to present another go at Davis-Machida, the “Dragon” isn’t heavily impacted by this loss. He entered the bout with an official No. 1 contender slot in the UFC light heavyweight rankings, whereas Davis barely broke the Top 10 cutoff. It stands to reasons that such a controversial decision won’t send Machida plummeting downward.
Moving to a fresh weight class could potentially sacrifice some of the momentum he’s built at 205. Fresh faces might present fresh opportunities for a calamitous defeat. Would it be wise for Machida to leave the division on such an odd note, only to risk the uncharted waters of 185?
Worse yet, he can’t underestimate the consequences of his bond with Silva. In an interview with ESPN, the “Spider” illuminated how close his relationship is with Machida:
We spend more time together than with our own families. We share the pains, the frustrations, and just because [Dana White] wants to sell a fight that [Dana White] thinks it would be cool and that the public would like to see two companions fighting. [Dana White] wants to match a fight with two friends? That’s impossible, it only happens with people who aren’t real friends.
If Silva is triumphant in his December rematch against Weidman, Machida would be left as the odd man out—plenty of middleweight matchups with no willingness to actually challenge for the middleweight belt.
Is that a risk worth taking, or would he be better served with some more time at light heavyweight as the year draws to a close?
During the post-fight interview at UFC 163, Machida despondently looked into the crowd and voiced his dismay: “I don’t know what they’re judging—just listen to the crowd and they’ll tell you what happened. (My corner) told me to go in hard, and that’s what I tried to do. I don’t know what happened.”
The reality of the case is that many in the MMA community felt much the same way.
Machida will need to take some time to collect and compose—scampering away to middleweight leaves behind the viable rematch against Davis, not to mention a bevy of fights made possible by his top-tier rank within the division. A trilogy fight against Shogun Rua certainly comes to mind. Keep in mind that—unlike a title fight against Silva—he has no reservations about a second attempt to solve the Jon Jones puzzle.
If the year draws to a close and Machida still feels disheartened by his efforts at light heavyweight, a drop to the lower weight class would be reasonable enough.
In the interim, he’s best served by maximizing his efforts in a division he’s long called home. Considering his library of highlight reel finishes at light heavyweight, there’s no reason to doubt that Machida’s return to form is only one flashy knockout away.
Sure, UFC 163 underwent some unexpected changes and fans are now left concerned about the quality of the overall pay-per-view card. But in spite of the shuffle, there are still several exciting bouts to be had Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.
The spot…
Sure, UFC 163underwent some unexpected changes and fans are now left concerned about the quality of the overall pay-per-view card. But in spite of the shuffle, there are still several exciting bouts to be had Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.
The spotlight will, of course, be focused on national hero Jose Aldo as he attempts to keep the “Korean Zombie,” Chan-Sung Jung, at bay in front of thousands of Brazilians crowding the HSBC Arena. Few can forget Aldo’s last appearance in his native Brazil—fans embraced the overjoyed champion as he rushed into the stands in celebration of his knockout victory over Chad Mendes.
Will he deliver another riveting performance or will the Korean Zombie’s tenacity be too much for him to handle?
Before that question is answered, UFC 163 presents a few other fights of noteworthy mention.
Let’s examine the most prominent, can’t-miss fights going down tomorrow night.
Heading into his title shot against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 163, Chan-Sung Jung has described his nickname as both a “blessing and a curse.” Well, on Saturday night, the “Korean Zombie” will be moving forward straight into the line …
Heading into his title shot against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 163, Chan-Sung Jung has described his nickname as both a “blessing and a curse.” Well, on Saturday night, the “Korean Zombie” will be moving forward straight into the line of fire—don’t expect Aldo to leave him standing.
We should all come to terms with that before the fight even gets underway.
Jung is as equally surprised with the unexpected title shot as is the rest of the MMA community; featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas was running an impressive four-fight win streak when Aldo’s original opponent, Anthony Pettis, was injured and pulled from the highly anticipated title bout.
Yet for reasons unclear, here we are with the Korean Zombie’s gifted title shot.
To be unequivocally clear, I should clarify that Jung is a perennial fan favorite for good reason—his nickname finds its origin in his constantly forward-moving style. Regardless of how hard he’s blasted, the Zombie rarely goes down. An admirable trait—to be sure—and certainly one that leads to memorable Octagon outings. Few can forget Jung’s first bout with Leonard Garcia, a fight riveting enough for UFC commentator Joe Rogan to deem it the “Fight of the Decade.”
Looking back, though, it was a nightmare of a fight style to ever present against a tactician like Aldo. Garcia and Jung duked it out recklessly over the course of three rounds at WEC 48—neither man was willing to disengage from the multitude of exchanges. Haymakers were thrown endlessly and without much concern for accuracy.
Exciting stuff, to be sure.
But when the rematch was announced for UFC Fight Night 24, MMA analysts questioned whether either fighter had patched up the sloppier deficiencies in their fight games. Korean Zombie would infamously walk away with the UFC’s one-and-only twister submission, but—far more relevant to his title shot against Aldo on Saturday night—he also revealed that he wasn’t concerned with a controlled approach to fighting.
Let’s take a look at the exchanges leading up to the eventual submission win:
Notice how heavily Jung distributes weight on his lead leg—a frightening proposition when you consider Aldo’s track record of shredding thighs to pieces. Just ask Urijah Faber. Worse yet, once Garcia started to fall back into his tried-and-true method of swinging haymakers like windmills, he also started catching Jung with surprising consistency. By the time the first round came to a close, Jung was already cut under the eye.
When all is said and done, Jung went through two wars with Garcia, a fighter who was booted out of the UFC after five consecutive losses and the same fighter who showed a pathological disregard for proper striking offense and defense.
There’s also a telling loss on Korean Zombie’s record that took place between the Garcia fights—Jung was absolutely starched by George Roop. And don’t even dare to label that defeat as an “innocent mistake.” Roop began to initiate the footwork necessary for a high kick, whereas Jung opted to plant both feet and lazily wing a left hook. Fractions of a moment later, a left high kick acted as the headshot needed to down the zombie.
But perhaps it’s those very same issues that have won over droves of fans in his favor.
He presses forward with seemingly unrelenting cardio and the knowledge that his ground game is to be feared. In that regard, even the most dominant featherweights should respect his unusual fight style.
But Aldo is a considerable step above the normal standard of measure for a UFC featherweight.
His lethal uppercuts are tailor-made for Jung’s tendency to weave and dodge while tilting at the hips. Remember how I mentioned Korean Zombie’s flat-footed style that results in an emphasis on the lead leg? Yeah, Aldo will likely capitalize on that weakness inside of one round.
All of the minutiae add up to the perfect recipe for Aldo’s success. Even the stats, courtesy of Reed Kuhn, reveal the likely conclusion on Saturday night.
Bleacher Report’s own Jack Slack provided a brilliant technical breakdown of the bout. Even when speaking of Jung’s admirable head movement, he couldn’t help but mention his tendency to get hit:
The unfortunate side effect of owning good head movement is it encourages a fighter to commit to exchanges far more often. Consequently, their opponent misses plenty of punches, but even connecting at a low percentage, the strikes rapidly add up. Leonard Garcia would hit Jung clean with the fourth or fifth punches of his salvos as Jung got sloppy late in exchanges.
Regardless of his exact method, Jung notoriously gets hit. Historically speaking, Aldo doesn’t necessarily hit often, but when he does, he makes sure it counts.
Perfect performances are few and far between in the UFC. Even the most premier fighters misstep over the course of any given contest. Add in the extra ten minutes afforded by the championship rounds and you’re left with an overwhelming amount of time to execute with flawless precision.
Though he’s shown marked improvement over the course of his recent, three-fight win streak, Korean Zombie isn’t the archetype for what I’d confidently describe as a precision fighter. And that realization, in and of itself, seals his fate on Saturday night.
He’ll be squaring off against a fearsome featherweight champion, one who’ll engage him with the added confidence of a 15-fight unbeaten streak. Aldo is the manifestation of Zombie’s nightmare—he’s not a volume striker but, instead, a multifaceted combatant who attacks with near-surgical precision.
Four-ounce gloves have always been MMA’s great equalizer, so, of course, the main event at UFC 163 could prospectively end in favor of either of these great fighters. In theory, the Korean Zombie could be fueled by another fight that sees him as the underdog. He could even wear down the champion over the course of several rounds.
Don’t hold your breath, though.
The UFC featherweight championship fight at UFC 163 is worth your time and money not as an evenly matched contest but, instead, as another devastating display of Aldo’s arsenal. It’s not a matter of if but more a matter of how.
I’m tuning in to see the champion put the Korean Zombie out of his misery. Trust me when I say that you should do the same.
At almost the very instant that Bruce Buffer announced Phil Davis’ 29-28 unanimous-decision victory over 
