Luke Rockhold has a thing about challenges. Which is why one night he found himself in a Costa Rica arena, running full speed, middle fingers extended, at a one-ton bull.
Rockhold had just won his sixth straight fight under the Strikeforce banner and headed south for a surfing getaway to, in his words, “relax and decompress.” That lasted as long as it took his friends to attend a bull-riding festival, during which audience members jumped into the ring. “By the end of the night, I was like ‘I gotta do this. It’s my only chance,’” he says.
So Rockhold hurled himself over the fence, only to land and realize he was the only one inside the pen. “Turns out it was the last bull of the night—the featured bull,” he says. With no game plan, he did what anyone would do: he ran straight at the thing. “I was seriously in Vans with no socks, running at the bull like a football player,” he remembers. “The bull just put its head down and started coming for me. Somehow I hit my turn, and I felt the wind from it rushing by me. It was inches away from my legs.”
Realizing he’d emerged un-gored, Rockhold did a victory dance and returned to his friends, who he thought would share in his excitement. “They just yanked me out of the pen and told me to never do that again. They were freaking out,” he says. His biggest disappointment? “My buddy was so scared for me that he didn’t even get a good picture of me in there. I like to try everything once,” he explains.
Rockhold it turns out, has tried a lot of “everythings” once, and his travel history sounds like a location list for an international blockbuster: Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico. Hanging off a cliff after a streetfight in Santa Cruz. Cornering a friend in a last-minute trip to India. Eating raw horsemeat and filming subway fights in Tokyo. Winning the Strikeforce belt in the wilds of… Columbus, Ohio. Now he’s got his eyes on Jaragua del Sol, Brazil, where he’ll face former champion Vitor Belfort in the main event.
A Journey to MMA In 2006, at the age of 22, a friend took Rockhold to American Kickboxing Academy. It’s a scene that plays out dozens of times a day in top gyms with MMA tourists and wannabes, most of whom quickly have their dreams of MMA stardom beaten out of them with the first sparring session. But as usual with stories involving Rockhold, he turned out to be the exception. When told he’d need a mouthpiece, Rockhold ran out to buy one, then fitted it using boiling water from the sushi joint next door.
“He wasn’t going to accept ‘no,’ and that impressed me a whole lot,” head coach Javier Mendez says. “A lot of guys will come in and just talk or say ‘Oh, I’ll do it next time,’ but he was so excited to spar.” So Mendez put Rockhold, who had no previous striking experience, into the ring with heavyweight Christian Wellisch, who was training for an upcoming UFC bout.
“I kicked him in the head and we got in a wrestling scramble, and I did real good,” Rockhold says, as if that’s how most people perform in their first try at a new sport. “So then they put me in with Mike Swick and Bobby Southworth, and I did real well with all the guys going for it. Javier pulled me aside and told me he thought I could go very far in the sport.”
The short audition process earned Rockhold an invitation to the team. AKA’s newest rookie immediately reshaped his life in order to train. That meant taking fewer classes at college, switching jobs so he could get to practice more easily, even living in the gym’s loft for a while. Rockhold’s evolution was, for lack of a better term, Rockholdian. In July of 2007, he had his first pro fight. His third fight, just seven months after his pro debut, landed him on his first Strikeforce card, where he spent the rest of his professional career until the promotion was absorbed by the UFC in January.
Gifted and Talented “I remember meeting Luke for the first time at the AKA gym before he’d had any MMA competition,” says Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker. “He was basically a jiu-jitsu guy that they told me was going to be the next Strikeforce middleweight champion. I looked at him and knew he was extremely marketable.” After watching Rockhold’s pro debut, Coker signed him.
“The kid can do anything,” Cormier says. “He’s a great volleyball
player, he can play basketball, he can surf, he’s unbelievable at
baseball. We have team picnics and I’m like, ‘Damn, I’m used to being
the best athlete.’”
A look at Rockhold’s family tree might help
explain that physical prowess and competitive nature. His father played
pro basketball; his mom is a tennis coach. There’s one pro surfer
brother and a jiu-jitsu champ sister. Rockhold’s own athletic path
started with a love of judo, which served him as a high-school wrestler.
Less than thrilled with the prospects for a college grappler, Rockhold
turned his focus to jiu-jitsu after high school. He quickly found his
long limbs and analytical mind were perfectly equipped for the chess
game of BJJ, and he became a world champion as a blue belt and purple
belt.
Rockhold fought for Strikeforce twice in 2009 and three times in 2010, in those days limited only by his adventurous travel schedule. “I’d call Bob and ask when Luke could fight again,” Coker says. “He’d tell me, ‘I dunno, he’s off in Mexico or Costa Rica surfing.’ I’d never heard of a fighter being a surfer, so I researched his background and realized he comes from a legacy of great athletes.” Next Stop: Octagon When he is on American soil, Rockhold’s schedule revolves around AKA: sparring three days a week, wrestling on Tuesdays, jiu-jitsu on Thursdays, plus cardio and night practices. His team is a who’s who of Zuffa stalwarts: Velasquez, Swick, Kyle Kingsbury. And he’s particularly invested in helping Cormier. “He helped me, and I’m helping him,” Rockhold says. “We’re trying to push each other to the top.”
Rockhold is also excited to finally test his skills against the stars of the UFC. “It’s a whole other thing to start fighting guys you’ve watched on the top shows. I respect them, but I want to be the best, so you’ve got to fight those guys.”
No matter how big the name or how high the ranking, Rockhold is confident he can hold his own. After all, it’s not like he’s going in there against a bull. “I’m not too worried about fighting these days,” he says of his stint in the bullpen. “After you’ve done that, what is there left to be scared of?”
A version of this article originally appeard in UFC 360, the official magazine of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Click here to subscribe to the print or digital editions. Photos Jody Morris and Tony Roberts
Luke Rockhold has a thing about challenges. Which is why one night he found himself in a Costa Rica arena, running full speed, middle fingers extended, at a one-ton bull.
Rockhold had just won his sixth straight fight under the Strikeforce banner and headed south for a surfing getaway to, in his words, “relax and decompress.” That lasted as long as it took his friends to attend a bull-riding festival, during which audience members jumped into the ring. “By the end of the night, I was like ‘I gotta do this. It’s my only chance,’” he says.
So Rockhold hurled himself over the fence, only to land and realize he was the only one inside the pen. “Turns out it was the last bull of the night—the featured bull,” he says. With no game plan, he did what anyone would do: he ran straight at the thing. “I was seriously in Vans with no socks, running at the bull like a football player,” he remembers. “The bull just put its head down and started coming for me. Somehow I hit my turn, and I felt the wind from it rushing by me. It was inches away from my legs.”
Realizing he’d emerged un-gored, Rockhold did a victory dance and returned to his friends, who he thought would share in his excitement. “They just yanked me out of the pen and told me to never do that again. They were freaking out,” he says. His biggest disappointment? “My buddy was so scared for me that he didn’t even get a good picture of me in there. I like to try everything once,” he explains.
Rockhold it turns out, has tried a lot of “everythings” once, and his travel history sounds like a location list for an international blockbuster: Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico. Hanging off a cliff after a streetfight in Santa Cruz. Cornering a friend in a last-minute trip to India. Eating raw horsemeat and filming subway fights in Tokyo. Winning the Strikeforce belt in the wilds of… Columbus, Ohio. Now he’s got his eyes on Jaragua del Sol, Brazil, where he’ll face former champion Vitor Belfort in the main event.
A Journey to MMA In 2006, at the age of 22, a friend took Rockhold to American Kickboxing Academy. It’s a scene that plays out dozens of times a day in top gyms with MMA tourists and wannabes, most of whom quickly have their dreams of MMA stardom beaten out of them with the first sparring session. But as usual with stories involving Rockhold, he turned out to be the exception. When told he’d need a mouthpiece, Rockhold ran out to buy one, then fitted it using boiling water from the sushi joint next door.
“He wasn’t going to accept ‘no,’ and that impressed me a whole lot,” head coach Javier Mendez says. “A lot of guys will come in and just talk or say ‘Oh, I’ll do it next time,’ but he was so excited to spar.” So Mendez put Rockhold, who had no previous striking experience, into the ring with heavyweight Christian Wellisch, who was training for an upcoming UFC bout.
“I kicked him in the head and we got in a wrestling scramble, and I did real good,” Rockhold says, as if that’s how most people perform in their first try at a new sport. “So then they put me in with Mike Swick and Bobby Southworth, and I did real well with all the guys going for it. Javier pulled me aside and told me he thought I could go very far in the sport.”
The short audition process earned Rockhold an invitation to the team. AKA’s newest rookie immediately reshaped his life in order to train. That meant taking fewer classes at college, switching jobs so he could get to practice more easily, even living in the gym’s loft for a while. Rockhold’s evolution was, for lack of a better term, Rockholdian. In July of 2007, he had his first pro fight. His third fight, just seven months after his pro debut, landed him on his first Strikeforce card, where he spent the rest of his professional career until the promotion was absorbed by the UFC in January.
Gifted and Talented “I remember meeting Luke for the first time at the AKA gym before he’d had any MMA competition,” says Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker. “He was basically a jiu-jitsu guy that they told me was going to be the next Strikeforce middleweight champion. I looked at him and knew he was extremely marketable.” After watching Rockhold’s pro debut, Coker signed him.
“The kid can do anything,” Cormier says. “He’s a great volleyball
player, he can play basketball, he can surf, he’s unbelievable at
baseball. We have team picnics and I’m like, ‘Damn, I’m used to being
the best athlete.’”
A look at Rockhold’s family tree might help
explain that physical prowess and competitive nature. His father played
pro basketball; his mom is a tennis coach. There’s one pro surfer
brother and a jiu-jitsu champ sister. Rockhold’s own athletic path
started with a love of judo, which served him as a high-school wrestler.
Less than thrilled with the prospects for a college grappler, Rockhold
turned his focus to jiu-jitsu after high school. He quickly found his
long limbs and analytical mind were perfectly equipped for the chess
game of BJJ, and he became a world champion as a blue belt and purple
belt.
Rockhold fought for Strikeforce twice in 2009 and three times in 2010, in those days limited only by his adventurous travel schedule. “I’d call Bob and ask when Luke could fight again,” Coker says. “He’d tell me, ‘I dunno, he’s off in Mexico or Costa Rica surfing.’ I’d never heard of a fighter being a surfer, so I researched his background and realized he comes from a legacy of great athletes.” Next Stop: Octagon When he is on American soil, Rockhold’s schedule revolves around AKA: sparring three days a week, wrestling on Tuesdays, jiu-jitsu on Thursdays, plus cardio and night practices. His team is a who’s who of Zuffa stalwarts: Velasquez, Swick, Kyle Kingsbury. And he’s particularly invested in helping Cormier. “He helped me, and I’m helping him,” Rockhold says. “We’re trying to push each other to the top.”
Rockhold is also excited to finally test his skills against the stars of the UFC. “It’s a whole other thing to start fighting guys you’ve watched on the top shows. I respect them, but I want to be the best, so you’ve got to fight those guys.”
No matter how big the name or how high the ranking, Rockhold is confident he can hold his own. After all, it’s not like he’s going in there against a bull. “I’m not too worried about fighting these days,” he says of his stint in the bullpen. “After you’ve done that, what is there left to be scared of?”
A version of this article originally appeard in UFC 360, the official magazine of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Click here to subscribe to the print or digital editions. Photos Jody Morris and Tony Roberts
The UFC celebrated a major milestone inside Anaheim’s Honda Center Saturday night, as women entered the Octagon for the first time, with Strikeforce’s Ronda Rousey defending her bantamweight belt against Liz Carmouche. The bout packed the house and garnered major mainstream media attention, but in the end – as always – it all comes down to sport, and after a competitive start, Rousey showed on her biggest stage to date why she’s the best in the world. Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche All six of Ronda Rousey’s pro and three amateur fights to date had gone the same way: The Olympic-medaling judoka rushed across the cage, tripped her foes to the mat, then slapped on a game-ending armbar. In fact, Miesha Tate is the only woman to have made it out of the first minute with Rousey.
Ultra-tough competitor and Marine Corps veteran Liz Carmouche changed things up in the main event and made Rousey fight, but in the end, Rousey defended her belt, earning a submission win at 4:49 of the first round – by armbar.
Carmouche defended the charging Rousey takedown attempt with punches and a sprawl. When Rousey finally dragged things to the mat, Carmouche used wrestling to get back to her feet, taking Rousey’s back along the way. Carmouche had both hooks in on a standing Rousey, and worked for a rear-naked choke that turned into an ugly neck crank. Rousey looked to be in danger, but finally shook Carmouche off over her head. Carmouche upkicked but stayed on the mat, and from then the fight was squarely back in Rousey’s world.
Rousey punched through and dropped into a high side control, hooking Carmouche’s head into place with her right arm while punching with her left. As Carmouche tried to kick upward and make space with her legs, she wound up setting Rousey up for her signature move. Though Carmouche defended well, holding on to her own arms and pushing Rousey back with her legs, eventually Rousey got both arms under one of Carmouche’s, leaned back, and got the tap.
The 7-0 Rousey now holds the honor of being the first female to win inside the UFC Octagon. Carmouche drops to 7-3 – her only losses coming in Strikeforce and the UFC – but holds a no less crucial place in UFC history.
Rousey sent two important messages to female competitors in her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. First, that no amount of media would keep her from winning. And second: “Next time, bigger bra,” she said, referring to the near-wardrobe malfunctions she underwent during some of the scrambles with Carmouche.
“That was the most vulnerable a position I’ve been in so far in my career,” she said. “That was pretty tight, that neck crank, and I was very happy to get out of it. This was a wild ride and I can’t wait to get back in the Octagon.”
Carmouche praised her fellow pioneer. “It was an honor to fight here tonight. I thought I had her for a minute there, but she’s the champion for a reason. I had that neck crank very tight, but I had the choke across her mouth and couldn’t get it to her neck. I actually have her teeth marks all over my arm. Sorry, Ronda, I didn’t mean to do that!”
Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson Two former champions – one from UFC, one from Strikeforce and PRIDE… Two Californians – one by way of Salvador, Brazil… Two knockout artists with wildly different styles – one a karate expert, the other an Olympic-caliber wrestler… The light heavyweight matchup between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Dan Henderson had all of the makings of an epic clash, if not a fairly successful Hollywood buddy comedy. In the end, it was more of an understated, international art house film that closed with Machida getting the split decision win after three rounds of evasive footwork – in other words, the type of ending that sent audiences home debating who really did what.
“Hendo” wound up and Machida swatted, keeping his distance with his unique karate-inspired style. This configuration varied little throughout the round, as each time Henderson swung, Machida backed off and stayed out of danger. The two traded more leg kicks than strikes, with Henderson landing more of the low kicks while Machida scored a kick square to Henderson’s mid-section. When Henderson did connect, Machida quickly clinched, then separated again. Henderson tied up in the center of the cage in search of a takedown, but it was Machida who completed it, landing ground-and-pound from mount at the end of the round.
The standoff continued in two, with Hendo stalking and Machida evading. Machida made it inside for a few punches, and landed a couple of knees, a high kick and a spinning back kick. Hendo pointed mostly with leg kicks, and as he grew increasingly frustrated, he chased Machida from end-to-end of the Octagon, throwing his signature right hands, all of which Machida blocked with an almost-smile.
After more defused H-bombs and eating a body kick, Hendo finally got things to the ground about 90 seconds into the third. But Machida tied up easily inside a powerful guard that gave Henderson little room to work. Eventually Machida made his way back to the feet, then landed leg kicks as he seemingly taunted Henderson Diaz-style.
Scores for the resoundingly-booed Machida were 29-28 twice and 28-29. The victory bumps him to 19-3 and, in all likelihood, a title shot against the winner of UFC 159’s Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen. Henderson slips to 29-9.
“I’m sorry the fight wasn’t as good as the fans wanted,” said Machida. My strategy was to keep away from the right hand. I frustrated him and kept the fight where I wanted it.”
Henderson was less diplomatic: “I won the fight, but not officially. I hit him whenever he wanted to fight. He ran away most of the time.”
Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar Urijah Faber stopped Canadian veteran Ivan Menjivar in front of “The California Kid’s” ecstatic and screaming home-turf crowd. The featherweight fight was the second (though not the last) on the main card to last less than a round.
Menjivar threw Faber to the ground early on, but Faber easily reversed then moved to side control and guard. Faber got through with big hellbows as Menjivar worked for a submission from the bottom. Menjivar tried to shrimp out but Faber was still halfway on his back. As Menjivar stood, Faber hung off of him sideways, then swung one leg around and got one hook in, then the other. As the crowd screamed for his acrobatics, Faber locked in the rear-naked choke with Menjivar still standing, earning the tap at 4:31.
The former WEC champion improves his record to 27-6; all five of his UFC and WEC losses have come in title fights. Menjivar’s numbers settle at 25-10. “That was a good, solid win over a very good opponent who hardcore fans know is one of the best in the world,” said Faber. “I still think I will get the UFC belt, and tonight was about proving that’s still in my future.”
Court McGee vs. Josh Neer Court McGee was always tough at middleweight, but in his welterweight debut against Josh Neer, “The Crusher” looked more like a killer than a grinder, staying busy for a 15-minute decision over “The Dentist.”
The bout started a straight boxing match between two solid strikers. McGee scored with volume punches, and Neer just goaded him forward. Neer countered with powerful shots, but McGee kept piling it on as Neer slowed under the pressure. Toward the end of the round, Neer was clearly hurt from body blows, so McGee followed with dozens more that sent Neer to the fence and then to the mat where McGee attempted a submission as the round ended.
Still smelling blood, McGee bullied Neer from the start of round two, battering him with leg kicks and body kicks, then knocking him to the mat with a shot. McGee continued his assault of punches, but Neer began to recover and rally back a few times, finishing combinations with power shots and taking on the aggressor role.
With round three still anyone’s fight and Neer rallying, McGee changed tactics with a tie-up on the cage and a pair of takedowns. Neer’s bottom game neutralized much of McGee’s attempted ground-and-pound, but he still ended the fight raining hammerfists and elbows from top.
“I felt great at 170 pounds,” said McGee.”This was a great move for me. I felt stronger, faster and had a lot more gas. I was told by FightMetric that I broke the record for most significant strikes ever in a welterweight fight and feel great.” Scores were 30-27 across the board for a win that took McGee’s career record to 14-3; Neer drops to 33-13-1. Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler Josh Koscheck returned to the Octagon after a nine-month layoff to meet Strikeforce stalwart “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, making his first trip to the UFC (and welterweight) in nine years. The four-minute fight, like the matchup, came down to striking vs. wrestling, and in the end it was Lawler’s hands that reigned supreme.
Koscheck got two takedowns in the first two minutes, then spent a few minutes working for another against the cage. When Koscheck changed levels, Lawler sprawled and positioned as if for a guillotine. Instead, he used one hand to push Koscheck’s head down and the other to unleash his signature strikes, one after another, until Koscheck was curled up and Herb Dean was waving things off.
The win over notorious black hat Koscheck came 3:57 in and was cheered wildly by the fans. It also moved Lawler’s record to 20-9 (1 NC) while Koscheck drops his second in a row and now stands at 19-7. “The referee was right to stop it,” said Lawler. “I whacked him, man. Hard! He was doing nothing but laying down taking big shots.”
The UFC celebrated a major milestone inside Anaheim’s Honda Center Saturday night, as women entered the Octagon for the first time, with Strikeforce’s Ronda Rousey defending her bantamweight belt against Liz Carmouche. The bout packed the house and garnered major mainstream media attention, but in the end – as always – it all comes down to sport, and after a competitive start, Rousey showed on her biggest stage to date why she’s the best in the world. Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche All six of Ronda Rousey’s pro and three amateur fights to date had gone the same way: The Olympic-medaling judoka rushed across the cage, tripped her foes to the mat, then slapped on a game-ending armbar. In fact, Miesha Tate is the only woman to have made it out of the first minute with Rousey.
Ultra-tough competitor and Marine Corps veteran Liz Carmouche changed things up in the main event and made Rousey fight, but in the end, Rousey defended her belt, earning a submission win at 4:49 of the first round – by armbar.
Carmouche defended the charging Rousey takedown attempt with punches and a sprawl. When Rousey finally dragged things to the mat, Carmouche used wrestling to get back to her feet, taking Rousey’s back along the way. Carmouche had both hooks in on a standing Rousey, and worked for a rear-naked choke that turned into an ugly neck crank. Rousey looked to be in danger, but finally shook Carmouche off over her head. Carmouche upkicked but stayed on the mat, and from then the fight was squarely back in Rousey’s world.
Rousey punched through and dropped into a high side control, hooking Carmouche’s head into place with her right arm while punching with her left. As Carmouche tried to kick upward and make space with her legs, she wound up setting Rousey up for her signature move. Though Carmouche defended well, holding on to her own arms and pushing Rousey back with her legs, eventually Rousey got both arms under one of Carmouche’s, leaned back, and got the tap.
The 7-0 Rousey now holds the honor of being the first female to win inside the UFC Octagon. Carmouche drops to 7-3 – her only losses coming in Strikeforce and the UFC – but holds a no less crucial place in UFC history.
Rousey sent two important messages to female competitors in her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. First, that no amount of media would keep her from winning. And second: “Next time, bigger bra,” she said, referring to the near-wardrobe malfunctions she underwent during some of the scrambles with Carmouche.
“That was the most vulnerable a position I’ve been in so far in my career,” she said. “That was pretty tight, that neck crank, and I was very happy to get out of it. This was a wild ride and I can’t wait to get back in the Octagon.”
Carmouche praised her fellow pioneer. “It was an honor to fight here tonight. I thought I had her for a minute there, but she’s the champion for a reason. I had that neck crank very tight, but I had the choke across her mouth and couldn’t get it to her neck. I actually have her teeth marks all over my arm. Sorry, Ronda, I didn’t mean to do that!”
Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson Two former champions – one from UFC, one from Strikeforce and PRIDE… Two Californians – one by way of Salvador, Brazil… Two knockout artists with wildly different styles – one a karate expert, the other an Olympic-caliber wrestler… The light heavyweight matchup between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Dan Henderson had all of the makings of an epic clash, if not a fairly successful Hollywood buddy comedy. In the end, it was more of an understated, international art house film that closed with Machida getting the split decision win after three rounds of evasive footwork – in other words, the type of ending that sent audiences home debating who really did what.
“Hendo” wound up and Machida swatted, keeping his distance with his unique karate-inspired style. This configuration varied little throughout the round, as each time Henderson swung, Machida backed off and stayed out of danger. The two traded more leg kicks than strikes, with Henderson landing more of the low kicks while Machida scored a kick square to Henderson’s mid-section. When Henderson did connect, Machida quickly clinched, then separated again. Henderson tied up in the center of the cage in search of a takedown, but it was Machida who completed it, landing ground-and-pound from mount at the end of the round.
The standoff continued in two, with Hendo stalking and Machida evading. Machida made it inside for a few punches, and landed a couple of knees, a high kick and a spinning back kick. Hendo pointed mostly with leg kicks, and as he grew increasingly frustrated, he chased Machida from end-to-end of the Octagon, throwing his signature right hands, all of which Machida blocked with an almost-smile.
After more defused H-bombs and eating a body kick, Hendo finally got things to the ground about 90 seconds into the third. But Machida tied up easily inside a powerful guard that gave Henderson little room to work. Eventually Machida made his way back to the feet, then landed leg kicks as he seemingly taunted Henderson Diaz-style.
Scores for the resoundingly-booed Machida were 29-28 twice and 28-29. The victory bumps him to 19-3 and, in all likelihood, a title shot against the winner of UFC 159’s Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen. Henderson slips to 29-9.
“I’m sorry the fight wasn’t as good as the fans wanted,” said Machida. My strategy was to keep away from the right hand. I frustrated him and kept the fight where I wanted it.”
Henderson was less diplomatic: “I won the fight, but not officially. I hit him whenever he wanted to fight. He ran away most of the time.”
Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar Urijah Faber stopped Canadian veteran Ivan Menjivar in front of “The California Kid’s” ecstatic and screaming home-turf crowd. The featherweight fight was the second (though not the last) on the main card to last less than a round.
Menjivar threw Faber to the ground early on, but Faber easily reversed then moved to side control and guard. Faber got through with big hellbows as Menjivar worked for a submission from the bottom. Menjivar tried to shrimp out but Faber was still halfway on his back. As Menjivar stood, Faber hung off of him sideways, then swung one leg around and got one hook in, then the other. As the crowd screamed for his acrobatics, Faber locked in the rear-naked choke with Menjivar still standing, earning the tap at 4:31.
The former WEC champion improves his record to 27-6; all five of his UFC and WEC losses have come in title fights. Menjivar’s numbers settle at 25-10. “That was a good, solid win over a very good opponent who hardcore fans know is one of the best in the world,” said Faber. “I still think I will get the UFC belt, and tonight was about proving that’s still in my future.”
Court McGee vs. Josh Neer Court McGee was always tough at middleweight, but in his welterweight debut against Josh Neer, “The Crusher” looked more like a killer than a grinder, staying busy for a 15-minute decision over “The Dentist.”
The bout started a straight boxing match between two solid strikers. McGee scored with volume punches, and Neer just goaded him forward. Neer countered with powerful shots, but McGee kept piling it on as Neer slowed under the pressure. Toward the end of the round, Neer was clearly hurt from body blows, so McGee followed with dozens more that sent Neer to the fence and then to the mat where McGee attempted a submission as the round ended.
Still smelling blood, McGee bullied Neer from the start of round two, battering him with leg kicks and body kicks, then knocking him to the mat with a shot. McGee continued his assault of punches, but Neer began to recover and rally back a few times, finishing combinations with power shots and taking on the aggressor role.
With round three still anyone’s fight and Neer rallying, McGee changed tactics with a tie-up on the cage and a pair of takedowns. Neer’s bottom game neutralized much of McGee’s attempted ground-and-pound, but he still ended the fight raining hammerfists and elbows from top.
“I felt great at 170 pounds,” said McGee.”This was a great move for me. I felt stronger, faster and had a lot more gas. I was told by FightMetric that I broke the record for most significant strikes ever in a welterweight fight and feel great.” Scores were 30-27 across the board for a win that took McGee’s career record to 14-3; Neer drops to 33-13-1. Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler Josh Koscheck returned to the Octagon after a nine-month layoff to meet Strikeforce stalwart “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, making his first trip to the UFC (and welterweight) in nine years. The four-minute fight, like the matchup, came down to striking vs. wrestling, and in the end it was Lawler’s hands that reigned supreme.
Koscheck got two takedowns in the first two minutes, then spent a few minutes working for another against the cage. When Koscheck changed levels, Lawler sprawled and positioned as if for a guillotine. Instead, he used one hand to push Koscheck’s head down and the other to unleash his signature strikes, one after another, until Koscheck was curled up and Herb Dean was waving things off.
The win over notorious black hat Koscheck came 3:57 in and was cheered wildly by the fans. It also moved Lawler’s record to 20-9 (1 NC) while Koscheck drops his second in a row and now stands at 19-7. “The referee was right to stop it,” said Lawler. “I whacked him, man. Hard! He was doing nothing but laying down taking big shots.”
Fans inside Honda Center were numerous and vocal during the preliminary action on a historic card. Despite two submissions and a matchup of heavyweight knockout kings, it was an all-out scrap between two under-the-radar featherweight wrestlers, Dennis Bermudez and Matt Grice, that electrified the crowd. Brendan Schaub vs. Lavar Johnson Heavyweight Lavar Johnson has his first fight ever go to the judges’ scorecards; unfortunately, he spent the bulk of those 15 minutes underneath the equally massive Brendan Schaub. Schaub earned an easy 30-27 win but no fans inside the Honda Center that had earlier been on its feet for a featherweight scrap.
Schaub – who lost his last two fights by KO and was facing a fellow lights-out artist — took things to the mat about 20 seconds in. As Johnson worked to his feet from half-guard, Schaub locked in a modified anaconda. Though his hands were secured, his legs were free, and Johnson spun around, punching with his free hand as the two spun in an absurd-looking quarter-ton of fighter. Eventually Johnson got free and stood as Schaub tried to take his back. But after a quick clinch, Johnson got a trip takedown of his own and punched away from top position. Schaub used a kneebar to sweep, stood, and got a takedown of his own to end the round.
Schaub raced to close the distance against the dangerous Johnson again in the second, and though Johnson threw body shots from clinch, Schaub quickly took him down again and recovered in half-guard until a referee standup. Johnson winged uppercuts, Schaub closed the distance and went back to the mat. This time Schaub managed to advance from guard to half-guard, but that was about all of note and the crowd voiced its displeasure at the bell.
Schaub’s record now stands at 10-3 while Johnson slips to 17-7.
Michael Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen TUF 15 winner Michael Chiesa won his second UFC fight and his second by submission with a second-round rear-naked choke over Finland’s Anton Kuivanen.
The first round was mainly a range-testing mission between the lightweights, with first Chiesa and then Kuivanen pressing the action. The taller Chiesa worked his jab and Kuivanen powered into a center-of-cage clinch, but the real action came with under a minute left, when Chiesa caught a flying Kuivanen knee and turned it into a takedown. Kuivanen then scrambled through mount and back to his feet before another flash trip takedown by Chiesa.
Chiesa dove for a single-leg early in the second, and Kuivanen defended over the course of a prolonged struggle against the fence. With Kuivanen cornered, Chiesa worked his way behind him, climbed the fence and sank his hooks in for a takedown. Kuivanen fended off the first two rear-naked choke attempts, but the third one was good and he was forced to tap at 2:29.
The win keeps Chiesa’s record perfect at 9-0; Kuivanen departs 17-6. “Before we came out we said the only round he can win is the first,” said Chiesa. “We knew he’d go for the KO early and then we’d take over in the second and that’s what happened. Everyone has a ‘go-to’ move and I’m just good at taking backs.”
Schaub ate a punch and dove for a single leg but again got the takedown. This time he stayed in guard until the referee standup. On the feet, Johnson charged so hard with his right hand that when he missed, he flung himself down, and Schaub pounced, briefly getting mount and trying an arm-triangle choke before landing back to half guard. Schaub backed off and dove with a punch, then tried for another anaconda, but Johnson whiled away the remaining minute on the bottom.
Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice In a crowd-pleasing featherweight show of striking, stamina and steel chins, TUF 14 runner-up Dennis Bermudez scored his third Octagon win via razor-thin split decision over fellow college wrestler Matt Grice in a thrilling frontrunner for Fight of the Night.
Grice, who wrestled for the University of Oklahoma, started the fight by hunting for a takedown, Bermudez generally defended and threatened with guillotines. Add in the fact that Grice’s one completed takedown ended with Bermudez in mount, raining down punches, and it was enough to shut down that gameplan. It turned out to be the athletes’ striking that provided the bout’s biggest drama – and while it was Bermudez who connected first, the impending explosion was first suggested in the round-one left hook that dropped Bermudez flat on his face.
Bermudez was the aggressor throughout the later rounds and landed right hands particularly well, but Grice’s punches had power. The third round was one of the most entertaining in memory, as Bermudez surged forward, backing Grice against the fence. He dropped Grice with an uppercut, then followed to the ground with blows from half-guard, applying heavy cross-face pressure while punching from the top. Somehow Grice made it back to his feet, as the crowd erupted halfway through the first. Bermudez then hurt him again – repeatedly – alternating between heavy punches that looked to have Grice out on his feet and knees to the body that would buckle him back down. But each time Grice seemed to be out, he would fight back with a kick, knee or takedown attempt, even as he held on to the fence to simply keep himself up at one point.
Bermudez got the judges’ nods with two scores of 29-28 and one 28-29; his record is now 11-3 while Grice slides to 15-5. “That was insane,” said Bermudez. “I had that battle inside me where I maybe could have quit but I won that battle and from there got back into the fight. I had him badly hurt but he just kept throwing big hooks as if I hadn’t spent the last thirty seconds beating on him. He’s crazy. It was an honor to fight that guy.” Grice returned the praise for his opponent: “I’ve got so much respect for Dennis as a person and a fighter after that. God blessed me with a hard head, but he blessed Dennis with a hard head, too.”
Sam Stout vs. Caros Fodor Two lightweights with lightning-fast hand speed met in UFC 157’s first televised matchup, as Canadian veteran Sam Stout outpointed Strikeforce import Caros Fodor for a split-decision victory.
The takedown skills that Stout used to win last summer’s fight against Spencer Fisher were back at work in round one, and this time he got to show more of his ground technique as well. With Fodor coming forward and landing fast fists, Stout quickly looked to undo that danger by slowing things down against the fence. The two dueled against the links for much of the round with Stout on the inside. But a backward trip finally landed him in Fodor’s guard, and he gradually passed into half-guard and then mount. He threw a solid elbow from top, then pushed into S-mount and finished the round working for an armbar on Fodor.
For the next two rounds, the two alternated between brief exchanges on the feet and extended tie-ups on the fence. Stout generally applied pressure from the outside position, though Fodor did work valiantly (if in vain) there for a takedown in the final minutes of the fight. Bursts of dirty boxing featured elbows from Stout and knees from Fodor, but by and large it was a battle of attrition.
It was the boxing exchanges that won Stout the fight, as he seemed to accelerate throughout the fight. Both men clipped one another early on, but Stout’s combinations evolved throughout the fight and he scored repeatedly with body shots in addition to clean head shots.
Post-fight, both men said they believed they won rounds two and three. “I thought I won but it was close,” said Stout. “I’ve been training BJJ for 10 years but never show it and I wanted to show I’m a total MMA fighter.” Stout’s win – the 20th of his career (to 8 losses and one draw) – came via scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29. Fodor drops to 7-3.
Kenny Robertson vs. Brock Jardine Kenny Robertson earned his first UFC win in three tries with an innovative first-round submission of Brock Jardine in the third of three welterweight prelims aired online.
The bout started with a quick trip to the mat and Robertson stuck in a guillotine. Robertson escaped, then speedily rolled from half guard to Jardine’s back with two hooks in. He sunk in a rear-naked choke twice as the two rolled and punched Jardine’s head when he didn’t have the choke. Then, with the two basically on their sides, Robertson riding high on Jardine’s back, Robertson reached through and pulled Jardine’s leg forward and straight. The pressure plus the stretch on the hamstring was enough to earn the tapout at 2:57.
“Sometime you gotta go with what you are handed,” said Robertson, who told Joe Rogan post-fight that he’d once torn someone’s hamstring with the unique move. “He was on top of me but didn’t have a great posture. I saw the opening, so I grabbed his leg and hyper-extended it, and he verbally submitted.” Robertson’s return to the win column moves him to 12-2, while Jardine drops to 9-3 in his sophomore UFC outing.
Jon Manley vs. Neil Magny Jon Manley and Neil Magny, two lanky welterweights from season 16 of TUF, made their UFC debuts in Anaheim. Evenly matched on paper, it was Magny’s striking and takedown defense that outpointed Manley’s heavy wrestling in a three-round bout.
Manley looked to neutralize his opponent’s 80-inch reach by rushing in for a takedown and pinning Magny against the fence. He efforted for a takedown for a good three minutes straight, briefly getting things to the mat twice but unable to keep them there. Things finally returned to the feet in the center of the cage, where Magny scored with a couple of straights, then took his turn controlling the tie-up, moving things back to the fence. When Manley tried to return to his takedown attempts, Magny broke again.
Manley applied more of his Octagon pressure in the second, but Magny took more control, getting two takedowns of his own and reversing from Manley’s into side control. Magny was also successful on the feet, chasing Manley with straights when he finally got space and punishing him with strikes and elbows as Manley stood after one ground exchange.
Manley came closest to a finish in the second round, when he locked in an armbar on one of Magny’s long limbs. But Magny freed himself and went back to hailing punches from his postured-up position against the cage. Manley worked to his feet, and this time it was Magny who stayed heavy on the outside of a tie-up, throwing elbows and punches from a quasi-headlock top position. The ref broke up the clinch on the cage with under thirty seconds left, and Magny continued to rack up points and a final-second takedown to which Manley seemed resigned.
“The UFC jitters are for real,” said Magny. “My team had tried to warn me about getting nervous but nothing gets you ready for that. But as soon as I started hitting him, it was just another fight. He tried to press me up against the fence a lot but I got my striking going and that got me the win.” Now 8-2, Magny got that win with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28; Manley slips to 7-3. Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Yuri Villefort Nah-Shon Burrell missed the welterweight limit by five pounds in his promotional debut, but he made the most of his Octagon introduction, punishing fellow Strikeforce import Yuri Villefort en route to a unanimous decision win in an exciting event opener.
Villefort looked like he was going to make it a quick night, taking Burrell down and sinking in a rear-naked choke inside the first minute, but Burrell survived and hopped back up to his feet. The Brazilian tried to goad Burrell into his guard, but Burrell was having none of it. From then, the story was Burrell’s boxing – particularly his big left hand – doing more damage than Villefort’s leg kicks. Villefort was knocked down with under two minutes left, and Burrell pounced with ground and pound, but Villefort twisted with a dangerous-looking kneebar. Burrell rolled out of danger and then out of bottom position and back to his feet. Villefort rushed Burrell when he turned away to let Villefort stand, and Burrell spun back around, punishing Villefort with punches and an elbow against the fence.
The men stood for all of the second, Villefort’s main weapon being a leg kick and Burrell’s a left hand. Two nasty short right hands of Burrell’s also landed as he hunted for an uppercut KO, bloodying Villefort’s face. Villefort got some momentum in a close-quarters exchange after dazing Burrell with a high kick, scoring with elbows and punches. But it was Burrell who again outboxed his foe, varying his combinations and earning one knockdown.
In the third, Villefort answered Burrell’s left hand with a double-leg takedown. He tried to isolate an arm from Burrell’s back, but Burrell reversed and got back to his feet. Villefort got another takedown, this time positioning for a toehold as Burrell stood. He hung on to the sub attempt, which allowed Burrell to throw a dozen-plus left hands from top position, further bloodying Villefort’s face. Villefort eventually let go, and Burrell worked to his feet with Villefort in a headlock. Villefort shot one more time, but Burrell quickly stood and teed off on his bloodied opponent.
Judges’ scores were 30-27, 29-28 twice for 23-year-old Burrell, the seventh youngest fighter on the roster, who moves to 9-2 professionally. Villefort, the second-youngest fighter, at 21 years old now stands 6-2. “I took the fight at short notice and made mistakes cutting weight, but I was determined to get the win no matter what,” said Burrell. “He was close a couple of times with his submissions but I wasn’t going to lose this. I fought my ass off, man.”
Fans inside Honda Center were numerous and vocal during the preliminary action on a historic card. Despite two submissions and a matchup of heavyweight knockout kings, it was an all-out scrap between two under-the-radar featherweight wrestlers, Dennis Bermudez and Matt Grice, that electrified the crowd. Brendan Schaub vs. Lavar Johnson Heavyweight Lavar Johnson has his first fight ever go to the judges’ scorecards; unfortunately, he spent the bulk of those 15 minutes underneath the equally massive Brendan Schaub. Schaub earned an easy 30-27 win but no fans inside the Honda Center that had earlier been on its feet for a featherweight scrap.
Schaub – who lost his last two fights by KO and was facing a fellow lights-out artist — took things to the mat about 20 seconds in. As Johnson worked to his feet from half-guard, Schaub locked in a modified anaconda. Though his hands were secured, his legs were free, and Johnson spun around, punching with his free hand as the two spun in an absurd-looking quarter-ton of fighter. Eventually Johnson got free and stood as Schaub tried to take his back. But after a quick clinch, Johnson got a trip takedown of his own and punched away from top position. Schaub used a kneebar to sweep, stood, and got a takedown of his own to end the round.
Schaub raced to close the distance against the dangerous Johnson again in the second, and though Johnson threw body shots from clinch, Schaub quickly took him down again and recovered in half-guard until a referee standup. Johnson winged uppercuts, Schaub closed the distance and went back to the mat. This time Schaub managed to advance from guard to half-guard, but that was about all of note and the crowd voiced its displeasure at the bell.
Schaub’s record now stands at 10-3 while Johnson slips to 17-7.
Michael Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen TUF 15 winner Michael Chiesa won his second UFC fight and his second by submission with a second-round rear-naked choke over Finland’s Anton Kuivanen.
The first round was mainly a range-testing mission between the lightweights, with first Chiesa and then Kuivanen pressing the action. The taller Chiesa worked his jab and Kuivanen powered into a center-of-cage clinch, but the real action came with under a minute left, when Chiesa caught a flying Kuivanen knee and turned it into a takedown. Kuivanen then scrambled through mount and back to his feet before another flash trip takedown by Chiesa.
Chiesa dove for a single-leg early in the second, and Kuivanen defended over the course of a prolonged struggle against the fence. With Kuivanen cornered, Chiesa worked his way behind him, climbed the fence and sank his hooks in for a takedown. Kuivanen fended off the first two rear-naked choke attempts, but the third one was good and he was forced to tap at 2:29.
The win keeps Chiesa’s record perfect at 9-0; Kuivanen departs 17-6. “Before we came out we said the only round he can win is the first,” said Chiesa. “We knew he’d go for the KO early and then we’d take over in the second and that’s what happened. Everyone has a ‘go-to’ move and I’m just good at taking backs.”
Schaub ate a punch and dove for a single leg but again got the takedown. This time he stayed in guard until the referee standup. On the feet, Johnson charged so hard with his right hand that when he missed, he flung himself down, and Schaub pounced, briefly getting mount and trying an arm-triangle choke before landing back to half guard. Schaub backed off and dove with a punch, then tried for another anaconda, but Johnson whiled away the remaining minute on the bottom.
Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice In a crowd-pleasing featherweight show of striking, stamina and steel chins, TUF 14 runner-up Dennis Bermudez scored his third Octagon win via razor-thin split decision over fellow college wrestler Matt Grice in a thrilling frontrunner for Fight of the Night.
Grice, who wrestled for the University of Oklahoma, started the fight by hunting for a takedown, Bermudez generally defended and threatened with guillotines. Add in the fact that Grice’s one completed takedown ended with Bermudez in mount, raining down punches, and it was enough to shut down that gameplan. It turned out to be the athletes’ striking that provided the bout’s biggest drama – and while it was Bermudez who connected first, the impending explosion was first suggested in the round-one left hook that dropped Bermudez flat on his face.
Bermudez was the aggressor throughout the later rounds and landed right hands particularly well, but Grice’s punches had power. The third round was one of the most entertaining in memory, as Bermudez surged forward, backing Grice against the fence. He dropped Grice with an uppercut, then followed to the ground with blows from half-guard, applying heavy cross-face pressure while punching from the top. Somehow Grice made it back to his feet, as the crowd erupted halfway through the first. Bermudez then hurt him again – repeatedly – alternating between heavy punches that looked to have Grice out on his feet and knees to the body that would buckle him back down. But each time Grice seemed to be out, he would fight back with a kick, knee or takedown attempt, even as he held on to the fence to simply keep himself up at one point.
Bermudez got the judges’ nods with two scores of 29-28 and one 28-29; his record is now 11-3 while Grice slides to 15-5. “That was insane,” said Bermudez. “I had that battle inside me where I maybe could have quit but I won that battle and from there got back into the fight. I had him badly hurt but he just kept throwing big hooks as if I hadn’t spent the last thirty seconds beating on him. He’s crazy. It was an honor to fight that guy.” Grice returned the praise for his opponent: “I’ve got so much respect for Dennis as a person and a fighter after that. God blessed me with a hard head, but he blessed Dennis with a hard head, too.”
Sam Stout vs. Caros Fodor Two lightweights with lightning-fast hand speed met in UFC 157’s first televised matchup, as Canadian veteran Sam Stout outpointed Strikeforce import Caros Fodor for a split-decision victory.
The takedown skills that Stout used to win last summer’s fight against Spencer Fisher were back at work in round one, and this time he got to show more of his ground technique as well. With Fodor coming forward and landing fast fists, Stout quickly looked to undo that danger by slowing things down against the fence. The two dueled against the links for much of the round with Stout on the inside. But a backward trip finally landed him in Fodor’s guard, and he gradually passed into half-guard and then mount. He threw a solid elbow from top, then pushed into S-mount and finished the round working for an armbar on Fodor.
For the next two rounds, the two alternated between brief exchanges on the feet and extended tie-ups on the fence. Stout generally applied pressure from the outside position, though Fodor did work valiantly (if in vain) there for a takedown in the final minutes of the fight. Bursts of dirty boxing featured elbows from Stout and knees from Fodor, but by and large it was a battle of attrition.
It was the boxing exchanges that won Stout the fight, as he seemed to accelerate throughout the fight. Both men clipped one another early on, but Stout’s combinations evolved throughout the fight and he scored repeatedly with body shots in addition to clean head shots.
Post-fight, both men said they believed they won rounds two and three. “I thought I won but it was close,” said Stout. “I’ve been training BJJ for 10 years but never show it and I wanted to show I’m a total MMA fighter.” Stout’s win – the 20th of his career (to 8 losses and one draw) – came via scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29. Fodor drops to 7-3.
Kenny Robertson vs. Brock Jardine Kenny Robertson earned his first UFC win in three tries with an innovative first-round submission of Brock Jardine in the third of three welterweight prelims aired online.
The bout started with a quick trip to the mat and Robertson stuck in a guillotine. Robertson escaped, then speedily rolled from half guard to Jardine’s back with two hooks in. He sunk in a rear-naked choke twice as the two rolled and punched Jardine’s head when he didn’t have the choke. Then, with the two basically on their sides, Robertson riding high on Jardine’s back, Robertson reached through and pulled Jardine’s leg forward and straight. The pressure plus the stretch on the hamstring was enough to earn the tapout at 2:57.
“Sometime you gotta go with what you are handed,” said Robertson, who told Joe Rogan post-fight that he’d once torn someone’s hamstring with the unique move. “He was on top of me but didn’t have a great posture. I saw the opening, so I grabbed his leg and hyper-extended it, and he verbally submitted.” Robertson’s return to the win column moves him to 12-2, while Jardine drops to 9-3 in his sophomore UFC outing.
Jon Manley vs. Neil Magny Jon Manley and Neil Magny, two lanky welterweights from season 16 of TUF, made their UFC debuts in Anaheim. Evenly matched on paper, it was Magny’s striking and takedown defense that outpointed Manley’s heavy wrestling in a three-round bout.
Manley looked to neutralize his opponent’s 80-inch reach by rushing in for a takedown and pinning Magny against the fence. He efforted for a takedown for a good three minutes straight, briefly getting things to the mat twice but unable to keep them there. Things finally returned to the feet in the center of the cage, where Magny scored with a couple of straights, then took his turn controlling the tie-up, moving things back to the fence. When Manley tried to return to his takedown attempts, Magny broke again.
Manley applied more of his Octagon pressure in the second, but Magny took more control, getting two takedowns of his own and reversing from Manley’s into side control. Magny was also successful on the feet, chasing Manley with straights when he finally got space and punishing him with strikes and elbows as Manley stood after one ground exchange.
Manley came closest to a finish in the second round, when he locked in an armbar on one of Magny’s long limbs. But Magny freed himself and went back to hailing punches from his postured-up position against the cage. Manley worked to his feet, and this time it was Magny who stayed heavy on the outside of a tie-up, throwing elbows and punches from a quasi-headlock top position. The ref broke up the clinch on the cage with under thirty seconds left, and Magny continued to rack up points and a final-second takedown to which Manley seemed resigned.
“The UFC jitters are for real,” said Magny. “My team had tried to warn me about getting nervous but nothing gets you ready for that. But as soon as I started hitting him, it was just another fight. He tried to press me up against the fence a lot but I got my striking going and that got me the win.” Now 8-2, Magny got that win with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28; Manley slips to 7-3. Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Yuri Villefort Nah-Shon Burrell missed the welterweight limit by five pounds in his promotional debut, but he made the most of his Octagon introduction, punishing fellow Strikeforce import Yuri Villefort en route to a unanimous decision win in an exciting event opener.
Villefort looked like he was going to make it a quick night, taking Burrell down and sinking in a rear-naked choke inside the first minute, but Burrell survived and hopped back up to his feet. The Brazilian tried to goad Burrell into his guard, but Burrell was having none of it. From then, the story was Burrell’s boxing – particularly his big left hand – doing more damage than Villefort’s leg kicks. Villefort was knocked down with under two minutes left, and Burrell pounced with ground and pound, but Villefort twisted with a dangerous-looking kneebar. Burrell rolled out of danger and then out of bottom position and back to his feet. Villefort rushed Burrell when he turned away to let Villefort stand, and Burrell spun back around, punishing Villefort with punches and an elbow against the fence.
The men stood for all of the second, Villefort’s main weapon being a leg kick and Burrell’s a left hand. Two nasty short right hands of Burrell’s also landed as he hunted for an uppercut KO, bloodying Villefort’s face. Villefort got some momentum in a close-quarters exchange after dazing Burrell with a high kick, scoring with elbows and punches. But it was Burrell who again outboxed his foe, varying his combinations and earning one knockdown.
In the third, Villefort answered Burrell’s left hand with a double-leg takedown. He tried to isolate an arm from Burrell’s back, but Burrell reversed and got back to his feet. Villefort got another takedown, this time positioning for a toehold as Burrell stood. He hung on to the sub attempt, which allowed Burrell to throw a dozen-plus left hands from top position, further bloodying Villefort’s face. Villefort eventually let go, and Burrell worked to his feet with Villefort in a headlock. Villefort shot one more time, but Burrell quickly stood and teed off on his bloodied opponent.
Judges’ scores were 30-27, 29-28 twice for 23-year-old Burrell, the seventh youngest fighter on the roster, who moves to 9-2 professionally. Villefort, the second-youngest fighter, at 21 years old now stands 6-2. “I took the fight at short notice and made mistakes cutting weight, but I was determined to get the win no matter what,” said Burrell. “He was close a couple of times with his submissions but I wasn’t going to lose this. I fought my ass off, man.”
Four Brazilian athletes – plus one New Mexican flyweight fighting out of Sac-town – swept the main card in a night of surprising game plans and unexpected outcomes inside Mandalay Bay. Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar The crowd chants alternated between “Fran-kie!” and “Al-do!” but the main event featherweight fight was all Jose Aldo as he defended his championship with a five round war against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
Edgar’s boxing was fast, but Aldo’s head and body movement was faster and he generally avoided contact early on. Aldo, on the other hand, landed left jabs and right hands throughout the first round, and the damage showed early with Edgar’s face reddened and his nose bleeding by the end of the frame.
Edgar charged forward harder in the second and increased his output of leg kicks, but still ate plenty of punches on the exits and had two takedown attempts rebuffed. One Aldo leg kick nearly felled Edgar, and another one seconds later did so. Edgar answered a flying knee with a tie-up on the fence, but Aldo again pushed away before being taken down. Edgar then turned an Aldo kick into a takedown, but both men sprang back up.
It was Edgar who moved forward in the third, but still Aldo who got the better of exchanges with a two-inch reach advantage that seemed much greater when combined with his speed. Edgar’s best moments came when he was able to catch Aldo’s leg attacks: He scored a body kick off a caught knee and a takedown from a kick early in the round.
Come the championship rounds, Edgar was more active and did better with a variety of kicks and a couple of right hands. But instead of fading, Aldo merely staked out the center of the cage, evaded most of the attacks and held his own. After being rebuffed once, Edgar finally scored a signature takedown with a huge slam in the fourth as the crowd erupted. Aldo bounced back up as Edgar pressured from behind on the fence, and then the two returned to the foot war. Aldo’s combinations came less often as he slowed, but he seemed to have plenty of energy to stay out of harm’s way – not to mention push himself off the cage for a nasty Superman punch at the end of the fight.
Aldo’s scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Aldo, who is now 22-1 with four title defenses in the UFC alone. Edgar’s featherweight debut left him at 14-4. Rashad Evans vs. Rogerio Nogueira In UFC 156’s two-bout series between the heavily-favored members of the Blackzilian team and plain old Brazilian fighters, Brazil went 2-0 as light heavyweight Rogerio Nogueira outboxed and outfoxed Rashad Evans.
Round one was subdued – Evans circled, throwing an occasional kick and eating the occasional left hand from the southpaw Nogueira. With a couple of minutes left, he exploded with a flurry, then got a takedown, but Nogueira stood and they returned to the center of the cage. Round two was more of the same. Evans did better with his right hand but continued to be tagged by Nogueira’s lefts. Nogueira sprawled out of one takedown attempt, and Evans landed a flashy head kick in the final seconds, but save one exciting exchange, both men mostly remained measured in their offense.
Evans’ punches were faster in the third, but not really any more frequent. An accidental eye poke to Nogueira halted the action, as it were, mid-round, but things soon resumed. Nogueira fended off two more takedown attempts and landed a knee to the body, but there was little else new brought to the Octagon.
Nogueira scooped up the third underdog win for Brazilians on the main card (after Demian Maia and Antonio Silva), earning three scores of 29-28 in his first bout since December 2011. “I didn’t want to talk a lot in the lead-up to the fight,” said Nogueira. “I just trained very hard and I came with good boxing and great wrestling and I was able to make it hard for him to take me down.” Lil’ Nog now stands at 21-5; Evans slides to 22-3-1.
Watch Lil’ Nog’s post-fight interview Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva After warning a disdainful Alistair Overeem that he would make him respect his power, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva did just that, earning a TKO over the fellow monster-sized heavyweight at 25 seconds of the third round. Overeem entered the Octagon with a dance-party walk-in that could have been a main event itself, then went ahead and fought Silva, losing an unpredictable fight in predictable heavyweight knockout style.
Standing in the center of the cage for most of the opening round, Overeem looked relaxed in his first bout in over a year — smiling, switching stances, keeping his hands down, teasing with jabs and even clapping his hands at Silva. Though they traded leg kicks and Overeem landed one overhand right, the first round was by and large a show of power, as Overeem backed or bullied Silva against the fence for a half-dozen tie-ups.
Overeem at least had the courtesy to come out in a fighting stance for the second round. After two low kicks from Silva, Overeem got a big takedown and laned in side control. Silva punched from the bottom and wound up with “The Reem” in his guard. Overeem crashed through with elbows to the face and one big punch to the chest before being kicked backward. He pursued Silva back on the mat and wound up in Silva’s guard, then half-guard, before the fight was eventually stood up. This time they wasted no time, both exchanging blows, knees from the clinch, and a “Come at me bro” glare at the bell.
The sparring session was over at the end of the second: Overeem pushed forward with underhooks, but Silva pushed his way out. He hit Overeem with a right hand, stunned him with a head kick, then used his massive fists to land an uppercut and a right that pushed Overeem back to the fence. From there, he unloaded rights and uppercuts until Overeem was out on his feet and then the mat, just 25 seconds in.
“After I knocked him out I was yelling at him ‘Let’s go! I want more… come fight!’” said Silva, who had to be physically restrained by referee Herb Dean. “It really bothered me that he hasn’t respected me in interviews leading up to the fight. He talked a lot of trash and I told him that I’d make him respect me tonight.”
Overeem, who had been expected to face champion Cain Velasquez if he won this bout, is now back in the thick of the heavyweight division and 36-12 (1 NC) in his career: Silva is 18-4 with his only losses since 2010 coming at the hands of Velasquez and Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier.
Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia In his third fight, third win and first decision at welterweight, BJJ black belt Demian Maia beat power wrestler Jon Fitch at his own game, controlling him on the ground for 15 grueling minutes.
Maia wasted no time and immediately charged for a takedown and got it. After a struggle on the fence, he scored the outside trip takedown and got Fitch’s back with his hooks in – with 4:30 left in the round. Fitch managed to stand, but had Maia on his back the entire time, his legs locked and arms punching to create space under Fitch’s chin. He got his arm under a couple of times, but didn’t sink the arm under the chin. Eventually Fitch worked out, but Maia got another takedown and maintained top position, kneeing Fitch’s body as Fitch turtled. Fitch made it to his knees, but Maia never gave him space, keeping his legs in a body triangle from behind and punching.
Fitch tried to make space in the second with jabs and low kicks, but again Maia got two takedowns and controlled things on the ground, working from Fitch’s back and striking every second that he wasn’t angling for a rear-naked choke. Fitch opened wildly with a high kick in the third, and Maia slipped under, grabbed the back and gave Fitch more of the same: Nonstop takedowns, lead blanket-like control from the back and submission attempts galore.
The decision was an easy one for the judges, who all awarded the bout to Maia 30-27. “The game plan was to control him,” said Maia. “I think when I went for the takedown he was surprised. I kept him off his game and that’s what won me that fight.” The Brazilian is now 18-4 overall and 3-0 since dropping to welterweight; Fitch is now 27-5-1 with one no contest.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall Two of the original four participants in the UFC’s inaugural flyweight tournament finally met, as Joseph Benavidez used dynamic standup and athleticism to outpoint Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall over three rounds.
The entire fight took place at the high-speed, pop-and-tumble, fast-motion pace that has come to characterize the emerging 125-pound division. Throughout the first round, Benavidez would eat a low kick in order to land some punches, and he landed multiple solid hooks in the combinations. Though there were multiple tie-ups on the fence, the round was characterized more by the frequent lightning-fast flurries between the men. Though both men landed tens of strikes, Benavidez knocked McCall back with a few of his, while McCall opened a cut on Benavidez’ forehead during one of his own pushes. Benavidez slowed his low kicks after a couple of accidental low grazes on McCall and traded them for push kicks, while McCall continued to use leg kicks throughout.
The action continued in the second. Though they took turns coming forward, Benavidez was usually the one to move in for exchanges. McCall ducked in to move in, and Benavidez – alternating between orthodox and southpaw – lanched counterassaults, Both guys launched haymakers, and Benavidez landed two of them in the form of his right hand. Benavidez initiated a clinch off a takedown attempt from McCall, using it to push McCall to the fence. But back in the center, Benavidez shot for a takedown attempt and missed, and McCall pounced with hammerfists throughout the ensuing scramble. Eventually Benavidez powered to his feet, but ended the round with McCall clinging to his back and throwing knees against the fence.
Benavidez opened the third by backup up McCall and unloading in a flurry. McCall answered with a takedown attempt, and another later in the round that he completed. McCall slipped off a kick and Benavidez used it to take control and push him against the fence. Benavidez continued his standup mix with jabs and body kicks.
Judges gave Benavidez the fight 29-28 across the board –his 17th career win (with 3 losses) and fourth in the UFC. McCall slides to 11-4-1, with two losses and one draw inside the Octagon. Benavidez praised McCall’s toughness and said “My corners didn’t sugarcoat it: They told me very clearly that I had to get the third round. It was one to one going into the final five minutes and I had to go out there and take it.”
Four Brazilian athletes – plus one New Mexican flyweight fighting out of Sac-town – swept the main card in a night of surprising game plans and unexpected outcomes inside Mandalay Bay. Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar The crowd chants alternated between “Fran-kie!” and “Al-do!” but the main event featherweight fight was all Jose Aldo as he defended his championship with a five round war against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.
Edgar’s boxing was fast, but Aldo’s head and body movement was faster and he generally avoided contact early on. Aldo, on the other hand, landed left jabs and right hands throughout the first round, and the damage showed early with Edgar’s face reddened and his nose bleeding by the end of the frame.
Edgar charged forward harder in the second and increased his output of leg kicks, but still ate plenty of punches on the exits and had two takedown attempts rebuffed. One Aldo leg kick nearly felled Edgar, and another one seconds later did so. Edgar answered a flying knee with a tie-up on the fence, but Aldo again pushed away before being taken down. Edgar then turned an Aldo kick into a takedown, but both men sprang back up.
It was Edgar who moved forward in the third, but still Aldo who got the better of exchanges with a two-inch reach advantage that seemed much greater when combined with his speed. Edgar’s best moments came when he was able to catch Aldo’s leg attacks: He scored a body kick off a caught knee and a takedown from a kick early in the round.
Come the championship rounds, Edgar was more active and did better with a variety of kicks and a couple of right hands. But instead of fading, Aldo merely staked out the center of the cage, evaded most of the attacks and held his own. After being rebuffed once, Edgar finally scored a signature takedown with a huge slam in the fourth as the crowd erupted. Aldo bounced back up as Edgar pressured from behind on the fence, and then the two returned to the foot war. Aldo’s combinations came less often as he slowed, but he seemed to have plenty of energy to stay out of harm’s way – not to mention push himself off the cage for a nasty Superman punch at the end of the fight.
Aldo’s scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for Aldo, who is now 22-1 with four title defenses in the UFC alone. Edgar’s featherweight debut left him at 14-4. Rashad Evans vs. Rogerio Nogueira In UFC 156’s two-bout series between the heavily-favored members of the Blackzilian team and plain old Brazilian fighters, Brazil went 2-0 as light heavyweight Rogerio Nogueira outboxed and outfoxed Rashad Evans.
Round one was subdued – Evans circled, throwing an occasional kick and eating the occasional left hand from the southpaw Nogueira. With a couple of minutes left, he exploded with a flurry, then got a takedown, but Nogueira stood and they returned to the center of the cage. Round two was more of the same. Evans did better with his right hand but continued to be tagged by Nogueira’s lefts. Nogueira sprawled out of one takedown attempt, and Evans landed a flashy head kick in the final seconds, but save one exciting exchange, both men mostly remained measured in their offense.
Evans’ punches were faster in the third, but not really any more frequent. An accidental eye poke to Nogueira halted the action, as it were, mid-round, but things soon resumed. Nogueira fended off two more takedown attempts and landed a knee to the body, but there was little else new brought to the Octagon.
Nogueira scooped up the third underdog win for Brazilians on the main card (after Demian Maia and Antonio Silva), earning three scores of 29-28 in his first bout since December 2011. “I didn’t want to talk a lot in the lead-up to the fight,” said Nogueira. “I just trained very hard and I came with good boxing and great wrestling and I was able to make it hard for him to take me down.” Lil’ Nog now stands at 21-5; Evans slides to 22-3-1.
Watch Lil’ Nog’s post-fight interview Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva After warning a disdainful Alistair Overeem that he would make him respect his power, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva did just that, earning a TKO over the fellow monster-sized heavyweight at 25 seconds of the third round. Overeem entered the Octagon with a dance-party walk-in that could have been a main event itself, then went ahead and fought Silva, losing an unpredictable fight in predictable heavyweight knockout style.
Standing in the center of the cage for most of the opening round, Overeem looked relaxed in his first bout in over a year — smiling, switching stances, keeping his hands down, teasing with jabs and even clapping his hands at Silva. Though they traded leg kicks and Overeem landed one overhand right, the first round was by and large a show of power, as Overeem backed or bullied Silva against the fence for a half-dozen tie-ups.
Overeem at least had the courtesy to come out in a fighting stance for the second round. After two low kicks from Silva, Overeem got a big takedown and laned in side control. Silva punched from the bottom and wound up with “The Reem” in his guard. Overeem crashed through with elbows to the face and one big punch to the chest before being kicked backward. He pursued Silva back on the mat and wound up in Silva’s guard, then half-guard, before the fight was eventually stood up. This time they wasted no time, both exchanging blows, knees from the clinch, and a “Come at me bro” glare at the bell.
The sparring session was over at the end of the second: Overeem pushed forward with underhooks, but Silva pushed his way out. He hit Overeem with a right hand, stunned him with a head kick, then used his massive fists to land an uppercut and a right that pushed Overeem back to the fence. From there, he unloaded rights and uppercuts until Overeem was out on his feet and then the mat, just 25 seconds in.
“After I knocked him out I was yelling at him ‘Let’s go! I want more… come fight!’” said Silva, who had to be physically restrained by referee Herb Dean. “It really bothered me that he hasn’t respected me in interviews leading up to the fight. He talked a lot of trash and I told him that I’d make him respect me tonight.”
Overeem, who had been expected to face champion Cain Velasquez if he won this bout, is now back in the thick of the heavyweight division and 36-12 (1 NC) in his career: Silva is 18-4 with his only losses since 2010 coming at the hands of Velasquez and Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier.
Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia In his third fight, third win and first decision at welterweight, BJJ black belt Demian Maia beat power wrestler Jon Fitch at his own game, controlling him on the ground for 15 grueling minutes.
Maia wasted no time and immediately charged for a takedown and got it. After a struggle on the fence, he scored the outside trip takedown and got Fitch’s back with his hooks in – with 4:30 left in the round. Fitch managed to stand, but had Maia on his back the entire time, his legs locked and arms punching to create space under Fitch’s chin. He got his arm under a couple of times, but didn’t sink the arm under the chin. Eventually Fitch worked out, but Maia got another takedown and maintained top position, kneeing Fitch’s body as Fitch turtled. Fitch made it to his knees, but Maia never gave him space, keeping his legs in a body triangle from behind and punching.
Fitch tried to make space in the second with jabs and low kicks, but again Maia got two takedowns and controlled things on the ground, working from Fitch’s back and striking every second that he wasn’t angling for a rear-naked choke. Fitch opened wildly with a high kick in the third, and Maia slipped under, grabbed the back and gave Fitch more of the same: Nonstop takedowns, lead blanket-like control from the back and submission attempts galore.
The decision was an easy one for the judges, who all awarded the bout to Maia 30-27. “The game plan was to control him,” said Maia. “I think when I went for the takedown he was surprised. I kept him off his game and that’s what won me that fight.” The Brazilian is now 18-4 overall and 3-0 since dropping to welterweight; Fitch is now 27-5-1 with one no contest.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall Two of the original four participants in the UFC’s inaugural flyweight tournament finally met, as Joseph Benavidez used dynamic standup and athleticism to outpoint Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall over three rounds.
The entire fight took place at the high-speed, pop-and-tumble, fast-motion pace that has come to characterize the emerging 125-pound division. Throughout the first round, Benavidez would eat a low kick in order to land some punches, and he landed multiple solid hooks in the combinations. Though there were multiple tie-ups on the fence, the round was characterized more by the frequent lightning-fast flurries between the men. Though both men landed tens of strikes, Benavidez knocked McCall back with a few of his, while McCall opened a cut on Benavidez’ forehead during one of his own pushes. Benavidez slowed his low kicks after a couple of accidental low grazes on McCall and traded them for push kicks, while McCall continued to use leg kicks throughout.
The action continued in the second. Though they took turns coming forward, Benavidez was usually the one to move in for exchanges. McCall ducked in to move in, and Benavidez – alternating between orthodox and southpaw – lanched counterassaults, Both guys launched haymakers, and Benavidez landed two of them in the form of his right hand. Benavidez initiated a clinch off a takedown attempt from McCall, using it to push McCall to the fence. But back in the center, Benavidez shot for a takedown attempt and missed, and McCall pounced with hammerfists throughout the ensuing scramble. Eventually Benavidez powered to his feet, but ended the round with McCall clinging to his back and throwing knees against the fence.
Benavidez opened the third by backup up McCall and unloading in a flurry. McCall answered with a takedown attempt, and another later in the round that he completed. McCall slipped off a kick and Benavidez used it to take control and push him against the fence. Benavidez continued his standup mix with jabs and body kicks.
Judges gave Benavidez the fight 29-28 across the board –his 17th career win (with 3 losses) and fourth in the UFC. McCall slides to 11-4-1, with two losses and one draw inside the Octagon. Benavidez praised McCall’s toughness and said “My corners didn’t sugarcoat it: They told me very clearly that I had to get the third round. It was one to one going into the final five minutes and I had to go out there and take it.”
A week after WEC veterans won in every bout on the main card of UFC on FOX, three Strikeforce alumni – two of them oddsmakers’ underdogs — showed their own pedigrees. All three debuting fighters from the recently-absorbed organization delivered, giving fans one hard-fought decision win, a gritty submission and a blistering knockout. Gleison Tibau vs. Evan Dunham In the night’s featured prelim televised bout, lightweight BJJ black belts Gleison Tibau and Evan Dunham stood and traded in a close bout that eventually went via split decision to Vegas’ own Dunham.
The fight started with big punches, Tibau connecting with powerful hooks and Dunham sneaking in long jabs. Tibau got one quick takedown, and when Dunham popped up, Tibau positioned for a guillotine and pulled guard. Dunham rolled and survived, making his way back to the feet. When Dunham went for a takedown of his own, Tibau stuffed it, and the two spent the round from there on struggling mightily against the fence. Though they broke as the round wore on, they stayed in the clinch and traded knees.
Round two was more standup from the ground specialists, with both men generally standing outside the pocket and darting in for strikes (plus carried kickes from . This produced both exciting exchanges – many successfully capped by Tibau’s left hand — as well as frequent lulls. Dunham came forward throughout, trying for two takedowns — one was successful, and this round Dunham was on the outside of the struggle on the fence.
The pace picked up in the third, with both men throwing more of the in-and-out punches, Tibau using more and more of his body each time. They also both heaved for big takedowns, with Tibau landing one and Dunham unable to take down the massive Tibau. Dunham landed high kicks and a knee in the last few seconds, and the two stood and traded as the bell sounded and the crowd cheered.
Dunham got the judges’ nod with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 and sees his record move to 14-3; Tibau is now 35-9. “Gleison was very strong,” said Dunham. “It took me a few shots before I really started getting into a rhythm out there. He’s a very muscled guy and it takes a lot to feed those muscles. Going into the third I think he tired a lot and I was pretty sure I had him.”
Tibau agreed, saying, “I think he was able to edge out the end of the rounds and that’s what cost me the fight. I could’ve performed better in the last minute and a half of each round but I got a little lazy and thought I had the rounds.“
Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron Powerhouse welterweight Tyron Woodley made a short and not-at-all sweet statement in his UFC debut, dropping and finishing the experienced Jay Hieron in 36 seconds.
The former Strikeforce title contender landed an overhand right that dropped Hieron. Hieron fell and turtled, with Woodley hailing down blows from the back. As Hieron rolled to his back, Woodley was merciless with ground-and-pound, rocking and then knocking out “The Thoroughbred.”
Woodley improves to 11-1 with the win; his only loss coming at the hands of Nate Marquardt in their Strikeforce welterweight title fight. “I’m declaring war on the division,” he said. “People in the welterweight division need to know that I’m here. My last few fights have been wars so I was due for a knockout.” Hieron, who has fought for every major MMA organization, is now 23-7 and has yet to taste an Octagon victory in his two UFC stints and four fights. Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green After Isaac Vallie-Flagg’s long-odds win, fellow Strikeforce adoptee “King” Bobby Green followed up with his own huge underdog victory over relentless grappler Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann. After two rounds that ended with Volkmann trying to sink a rear-naked choke, lightweight Green reversed the roles in the third and finished his at 4:25.
Volkmann started in a wide stance and threw kicks, but Green scored first with a body kick. Soon after, Volkmann went for a single-leg, got the backward trip, and wound up in top position. He ground away, posturing up and stacking Green, who briefly kicked his way free, only to be dragged back down with Volkmann on his back. Volkmann had his hooks in and spent over a minute working for the rear-naked, but was unsuccessful as the round ended.
Early leg kicks from Green were rewarded by Volkmann shooting in. Green bounced back up but Volkmann shot again, this time getting things against the fence. Volkmann dove yet again for a takedown and wound up on his back, goading Green into his guard. Green obliged by diving in with a giant fist to Volkmann’s head. He then scored consistent ground-and-pound from Volkmann’s guard until a seemingly inexplicable standup from referee Kim Winslow. Volkmann was intent on getting a takedown, eventually getting a bodylock from behind and dragging Green down to work again for the rear-naked as the round finished.
Green shook off a number of takedown attempts in the third round, and got a brief break to recover from an accidental low blow. Green got an outside trip of his own and wound up back in top position, where he threw more elbows from top position. Volkmann made his way up and caught a Green kick for a takedown, but Green rolled through and again wound up in top position. As they scrambled back to the feet, Volkmann got his beloved bodylock from the back and dragged Green down, but this time Green twisted away and wound up in mount. He threw heavy punches and elbows, then shoulder shots when Volkmann tried to control him. As Volkmann tried to escape, it was Green who took the back and locked in a rear-naked so deep that Volkmann tapped emphatically with both hands.
“Jacob is tough and he has great wrestling and control so I knew I would have to make my shots count,” said Green. “I knew he’d tire trying to hold me down and it would get easier to slip those shots in. Just very glad to get the finish.” Green’s UFC debut extends his win streak to five with a total record of 20-5; Volkmann is now 15-4; 6-4 in the UFC.
Bobby Green talks about “poetry in motion” post-fight. Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg Strikeforce import Isaac Vallie-Flagg got a big step up in competition against dangerous veteran Yves Edwards, but the lightweight workhorse showed he was up to the task, earning a split decision win.
Vallie-Flagg was the aggressor in the first, coming forward with body kicks and left jabs. Edwards fired back as expected, as the two traded body kicks throughout. Throughout the round, Vallie-Flagg utilized the clinch – both on the fence and in the center — to wear down Edwards, keep himself out of opponent’s dangerous pocket and do short-distance damage. Edwards’ kicks were effective, with punctuating head kicks and one low kick that took Vallie-Flagg’s legs out from under him. Edwards also scored with the crowd with an Anthony-Pettis style improvisation: When Vallie-Flagg caught one of his legs off a kick, Edwards jumped up to kick Vallie-Flagg in the head with his free knee.
Vallie-Flagg again came forward in the second, caught an Edwards kick and pushed things to the fence. He issued body shots in the clinch there and again in the center of the cage. About two minutes in, Edwards began putting together punches and backed Vallie-Flagg up, then got a single-leg and passed from half-guard to side control to mount. He tried and lost two arm triangles, then took Vallie-Flagg’s back with both hooks in and worked for nearly a minute for the rear-naked choke.
Edwards turned it up with shots and a high kick in the third. His shots, particularly a high kick and some uppercuts, were crisper, but Vallie-Flagg refused to let Edwards breathe, coming forward over and over with messy punches that stuck Edward on the cage, where Vallie-Flagg unloaded body shots with elbows thrown in. The tiring Edwards went for a single-leg but couldn’t complete it, and Vallie-Flagg stayed on him.
Judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for the underdog, who rises to 14-3-1 in his Octagon debut and remains unbeaten in his last 12 bouts; Edwards departs 42-19-1.
Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura With a name like Dustin Kimura, there’s pressure to perform in the armbar department, but it was actually a choke that ended the night’s second fight and earned Kimura a win in his UFC debut. The bout between Kimura and Chico “The King” Camus – booked at bantamweight — lasted into the third round and featured a wide array of submission attempts.
After some feinting from both men, a fast right from Camus dropped Kimura 30 seconds in. Kimura answered with one of his own, and after another swing and a miss, Camus used the opening to earn a takedown. The rest of the round was spent on the mat, with Kimura staying busy with triangle attempts, a convincing omoplata setup and several armbar attempts. Only in the last minute or so did Camus open up with hammerfists to the body and face. Round two was mostly spent standing, with Camus scoring consistently with low kicks. Camus got a bodylock and used it to tie things up on the cage, but Kimura weathered the pressure and moved things back to the center of the cage. His guard down, though, he was taken down by an effortless single-leg from Camus in the final moment. Kimura again showed his danger on the ground, transitioning from an omoplata to an armbar to a triangle attempt, which he held until the buzzer sounded.
Judges had the bout scored 20-18, 18-20 and 19-19 after two, but there would be no tiebreaker needed, as the third round was the charm for Kimura. Camus started by dropping for a single leg, but Kimura defended. Camus scored the second takedown he tried, but in doing so, found himself mounted. Kimura hailed down punches, and as Camus spun away, Kimura took the back with both hooks in. He quickly secured the rear-naked choke and the tap 1:50 in.
“I’m on cloud nine — I’ve been dreaming about this since the first day I started training in mixed martial arts,” said the 23-year-old prospect. “I’ve never been nervous for a fight but those UFC jitters are for real because I was shaking out there. My first round was terrible and by the second I thought I was behind two rounds and needed to get a finish.” Kimura keeps his undefeated record with the win, as he now stands at 11-0, but he will have to share his win bonus since he was fined 20% of his purse for missing weight. Camus drops to 12-4, 1-1 in the UFC.
Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera In a battle between two bantamwmeights with big right hands, Francisco “Cisco” Rivera continued his run of KOs with a finish of Edwin Figueroa in the second round.
Round one was a fast-paced, crowd-pleasing duel. Rivera started out with low kicks while Figueroa came forward with fast combinations. Both men connected early and often, and a short left following a big right from Figueroa dropped Rivera straight. (“I didn’t know what happened, I just woke up on the ground,” said Rivera post-fight.) But Rivera survived and tried to secure a triangle. Figueroa pushed him over and as the two made their way back to their feet, the crowd erupted. The two continued their fistic fireworks for the rest of the round, with Rivera starting to gain momentum as he mixed in body shots and body kicks with his hand assaults. Rivera then scored with a trip takedown, and wound up in top position twice before the end of the round.
In the second, it was Figueroa who came out with leg kicks, then a big right-left-right. He charged forward and the grounded Rivera again went for a triangle. This time Figueroa remained in top position as Rivera slowly worked his way back to his feet. Once he did, however, it was all downhill, as Figueroa telegraphed his tiredness with low hands and slower shots. Rivera hurt “El Feroz” against the cage, then poured it on with body shots and more nasty rights. As Figueora covered and then tried to ran, Rivera chased him with a winging backfist, then two more rights, the last of which finally dropped Figueroa and ended the fight at 4:20 of the round. After the stoppage, Figueroa stayed down to be checked on by physicians, and Rivera dropped from exhaustion and relief.
Rivera is now undefeated in his current stint in the UFC and boasts a 9-2 (1 NC) record; Figueroa is now 9-2 as well, with his only losses being this and a March 2011 Fight of the Night-winning scrap with current bantamweight contender Michael McDonald.
A week after WEC veterans won in every bout on the main card of UFC on FOX, three Strikeforce alumni – two of them oddsmakers’ underdogs — showed their own pedigrees. All three debuting fighters from the recently-absorbed organization delivered, giving fans one hard-fought decision win, a gritty submission and a blistering knockout. Gleison Tibau vs. Evan Dunham In the night’s featured prelim televised bout, lightweight BJJ black belts Gleison Tibau and Evan Dunham stood and traded in a close bout that eventually went via split decision to Vegas’ own Dunham.
The fight started with big punches, Tibau connecting with powerful hooks and Dunham sneaking in long jabs. Tibau got one quick takedown, and when Dunham popped up, Tibau positioned for a guillotine and pulled guard. Dunham rolled and survived, making his way back to the feet. When Dunham went for a takedown of his own, Tibau stuffed it, and the two spent the round from there on struggling mightily against the fence. Though they broke as the round wore on, they stayed in the clinch and traded knees.
Round two was more standup from the ground specialists, with both men generally standing outside the pocket and darting in for strikes (plus carried kickes from . This produced both exciting exchanges – many successfully capped by Tibau’s left hand — as well as frequent lulls. Dunham came forward throughout, trying for two takedowns — one was successful, and this round Dunham was on the outside of the struggle on the fence.
The pace picked up in the third, with both men throwing more of the in-and-out punches, Tibau using more and more of his body each time. They also both heaved for big takedowns, with Tibau landing one and Dunham unable to take down the massive Tibau. Dunham landed high kicks and a knee in the last few seconds, and the two stood and traded as the bell sounded and the crowd cheered.
Dunham got the judges’ nod with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 and sees his record move to 14-3; Tibau is now 35-9. “Gleison was very strong,” said Dunham. “It took me a few shots before I really started getting into a rhythm out there. He’s a very muscled guy and it takes a lot to feed those muscles. Going into the third I think he tired a lot and I was pretty sure I had him.”
Tibau agreed, saying, “I think he was able to edge out the end of the rounds and that’s what cost me the fight. I could’ve performed better in the last minute and a half of each round but I got a little lazy and thought I had the rounds.“
Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron Powerhouse welterweight Tyron Woodley made a short and not-at-all sweet statement in his UFC debut, dropping and finishing the experienced Jay Hieron in 36 seconds.
The former Strikeforce title contender landed an overhand right that dropped Hieron. Hieron fell and turtled, with Woodley hailing down blows from the back. As Hieron rolled to his back, Woodley was merciless with ground-and-pound, rocking and then knocking out “The Thoroughbred.”
Woodley improves to 11-1 with the win; his only loss coming at the hands of Nate Marquardt in their Strikeforce welterweight title fight. “I’m declaring war on the division,” he said. “People in the welterweight division need to know that I’m here. My last few fights have been wars so I was due for a knockout.” Hieron, who has fought for every major MMA organization, is now 23-7 and has yet to taste an Octagon victory in his two UFC stints and four fights. Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green After Isaac Vallie-Flagg’s long-odds win, fellow Strikeforce adoptee “King” Bobby Green followed up with his own huge underdog victory over relentless grappler Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann. After two rounds that ended with Volkmann trying to sink a rear-naked choke, lightweight Green reversed the roles in the third and finished his at 4:25.
Volkmann started in a wide stance and threw kicks, but Green scored first with a body kick. Soon after, Volkmann went for a single-leg, got the backward trip, and wound up in top position. He ground away, posturing up and stacking Green, who briefly kicked his way free, only to be dragged back down with Volkmann on his back. Volkmann had his hooks in and spent over a minute working for the rear-naked, but was unsuccessful as the round ended.
Early leg kicks from Green were rewarded by Volkmann shooting in. Green bounced back up but Volkmann shot again, this time getting things against the fence. Volkmann dove yet again for a takedown and wound up on his back, goading Green into his guard. Green obliged by diving in with a giant fist to Volkmann’s head. He then scored consistent ground-and-pound from Volkmann’s guard until a seemingly inexplicable standup from referee Kim Winslow. Volkmann was intent on getting a takedown, eventually getting a bodylock from behind and dragging Green down to work again for the rear-naked as the round finished.
Green shook off a number of takedown attempts in the third round, and got a brief break to recover from an accidental low blow. Green got an outside trip of his own and wound up back in top position, where he threw more elbows from top position. Volkmann made his way up and caught a Green kick for a takedown, but Green rolled through and again wound up in top position. As they scrambled back to the feet, Volkmann got his beloved bodylock from the back and dragged Green down, but this time Green twisted away and wound up in mount. He threw heavy punches and elbows, then shoulder shots when Volkmann tried to control him. As Volkmann tried to escape, it was Green who took the back and locked in a rear-naked so deep that Volkmann tapped emphatically with both hands.
“Jacob is tough and he has great wrestling and control so I knew I would have to make my shots count,” said Green. “I knew he’d tire trying to hold me down and it would get easier to slip those shots in. Just very glad to get the finish.” Green’s UFC debut extends his win streak to five with a total record of 20-5; Volkmann is now 15-4; 6-4 in the UFC.
Bobby Green talks about “poetry in motion” post-fight. Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg Strikeforce import Isaac Vallie-Flagg got a big step up in competition against dangerous veteran Yves Edwards, but the lightweight workhorse showed he was up to the task, earning a split decision win.
Vallie-Flagg was the aggressor in the first, coming forward with body kicks and left jabs. Edwards fired back as expected, as the two traded body kicks throughout. Throughout the round, Vallie-Flagg utilized the clinch – both on the fence and in the center — to wear down Edwards, keep himself out of opponent’s dangerous pocket and do short-distance damage. Edwards’ kicks were effective, with punctuating head kicks and one low kick that took Vallie-Flagg’s legs out from under him. Edwards also scored with the crowd with an Anthony-Pettis style improvisation: When Vallie-Flagg caught one of his legs off a kick, Edwards jumped up to kick Vallie-Flagg in the head with his free knee.
Vallie-Flagg again came forward in the second, caught an Edwards kick and pushed things to the fence. He issued body shots in the clinch there and again in the center of the cage. About two minutes in, Edwards began putting together punches and backed Vallie-Flagg up, then got a single-leg and passed from half-guard to side control to mount. He tried and lost two arm triangles, then took Vallie-Flagg’s back with both hooks in and worked for nearly a minute for the rear-naked choke.
Edwards turned it up with shots and a high kick in the third. His shots, particularly a high kick and some uppercuts, were crisper, but Vallie-Flagg refused to let Edwards breathe, coming forward over and over with messy punches that stuck Edward on the cage, where Vallie-Flagg unloaded body shots with elbows thrown in. The tiring Edwards went for a single-leg but couldn’t complete it, and Vallie-Flagg stayed on him.
Judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 for the underdog, who rises to 14-3-1 in his Octagon debut and remains unbeaten in his last 12 bouts; Edwards departs 42-19-1.
Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura With a name like Dustin Kimura, there’s pressure to perform in the armbar department, but it was actually a choke that ended the night’s second fight and earned Kimura a win in his UFC debut. The bout between Kimura and Chico “The King” Camus – booked at bantamweight — lasted into the third round and featured a wide array of submission attempts.
After some feinting from both men, a fast right from Camus dropped Kimura 30 seconds in. Kimura answered with one of his own, and after another swing and a miss, Camus used the opening to earn a takedown. The rest of the round was spent on the mat, with Kimura staying busy with triangle attempts, a convincing omoplata setup and several armbar attempts. Only in the last minute or so did Camus open up with hammerfists to the body and face. Round two was mostly spent standing, with Camus scoring consistently with low kicks. Camus got a bodylock and used it to tie things up on the cage, but Kimura weathered the pressure and moved things back to the center of the cage. His guard down, though, he was taken down by an effortless single-leg from Camus in the final moment. Kimura again showed his danger on the ground, transitioning from an omoplata to an armbar to a triangle attempt, which he held until the buzzer sounded.
Judges had the bout scored 20-18, 18-20 and 19-19 after two, but there would be no tiebreaker needed, as the third round was the charm for Kimura. Camus started by dropping for a single leg, but Kimura defended. Camus scored the second takedown he tried, but in doing so, found himself mounted. Kimura hailed down punches, and as Camus spun away, Kimura took the back with both hooks in. He quickly secured the rear-naked choke and the tap 1:50 in.
“I’m on cloud nine — I’ve been dreaming about this since the first day I started training in mixed martial arts,” said the 23-year-old prospect. “I’ve never been nervous for a fight but those UFC jitters are for real because I was shaking out there. My first round was terrible and by the second I thought I was behind two rounds and needed to get a finish.” Kimura keeps his undefeated record with the win, as he now stands at 11-0, but he will have to share his win bonus since he was fined 20% of his purse for missing weight. Camus drops to 12-4, 1-1 in the UFC.
Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera In a battle between two bantamwmeights with big right hands, Francisco “Cisco” Rivera continued his run of KOs with a finish of Edwin Figueroa in the second round.
Round one was a fast-paced, crowd-pleasing duel. Rivera started out with low kicks while Figueroa came forward with fast combinations. Both men connected early and often, and a short left following a big right from Figueroa dropped Rivera straight. (“I didn’t know what happened, I just woke up on the ground,” said Rivera post-fight.) But Rivera survived and tried to secure a triangle. Figueroa pushed him over and as the two made their way back to their feet, the crowd erupted. The two continued their fistic fireworks for the rest of the round, with Rivera starting to gain momentum as he mixed in body shots and body kicks with his hand assaults. Rivera then scored with a trip takedown, and wound up in top position twice before the end of the round.
In the second, it was Figueroa who came out with leg kicks, then a big right-left-right. He charged forward and the grounded Rivera again went for a triangle. This time Figueroa remained in top position as Rivera slowly worked his way back to his feet. Once he did, however, it was all downhill, as Figueroa telegraphed his tiredness with low hands and slower shots. Rivera hurt “El Feroz” against the cage, then poured it on with body shots and more nasty rights. As Figueora covered and then tried to ran, Rivera chased him with a winging backfist, then two more rights, the last of which finally dropped Figueroa and ended the fight at 4:20 of the round. After the stoppage, Figueroa stayed down to be checked on by physicians, and Rivera dropped from exhaustion and relief.
Rivera is now undefeated in his current stint in the UFC and boasts a 9-2 (1 NC) record; Figueroa is now 9-2 as well, with his only losses being this and a March 2011 Fight of the Night-winning scrap with current bantamweight contender Michael McDonald.
In a high-profile main card, four WEC veterans emerged victorious, as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defended his flyweight title and three more rising stars made solid cases for title contention. Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson What would happen when two of the fastest men in the UFC met inside the Octagon? Though neither man was short on endurance, it was Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson who endured, defending his flyweight title against John Dodson’s attempts over five fast-paced rounds.
Johnson approached the fight in signature Mouse style: moving forward at a seemingly impossible rate, attacking with kicks and single shots while looking for the power double.
Early in the fight, Dodson’s power seemed to be getting the better of Johnson. Though Johnson managed to get takedowns against the fence in the early frames, Dodson sprawled and defended in the center of the Octagon. Yet Dodson’s left hand had even more dramatic results, dropping Johnson four times in the first two rounds.
But Johnson’s striking started to pick up at the end of the second, and he started to trade with Dodson on a more tit-for-tat basis. Dodson continued to impress with high-energy moves – including a flying knee that he bounced off the cage to deliver – but Johnson’s pressure was relentless, and Dodson eventually slowed, and he absorbed more and more body shots and short strikes, particularly against the fence.
Frequent tie-ups on the fence turned out to tilt the momentum in Johnson’s direction, as he began landing knees from the clinch with increasing accuracy. Despite one break early in the fourth for a knee to Dodson while he was downed, the clinch became the story of the fight in late rounds. Dodson tried for takedowns of his own, but Johnson controlled the fight, at one point palming Dodson’s head to keep it in place as he threw knee after knee. In the fifth, Johnson poured it on, hurting Dodson with knees, uppercuts
and a body shot against the fence and following up with still more Muay
Thai knees.
Scores came in 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 for Johnson in his first title defense, with all three judges giving Dodson the second round and two of them the first. Johnson remains unfinished in his MMA career, and the latest win bumps his record to 17-2-1; Dodson’s defeat is his first at flyweight and in the UFC, and he’s now 15-6.
“He hit me pretty good a couple of times,” said the 125-pound champion.
“I was stunned but my head cleared very quick. I hit him with a lot of
knees late on but he’s very tough. That was a great fight and great
first defense.”
Dodson was as gracious in defeat as his opponent was in victory, saying: “I don’t think I won. I think it was close, and there was one round in it — but you got to win those one rounds. I will be back in the title picture soon. I should have got out of that clinch better, but when I come back I will be better.”
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira After mowing through his last 17 opponents, light heavyweight Glover Teixeira faced his most dangerous and high-profile opponent yet: a motivated and angry Rampage Jackson. But for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision win, Teixeira proved what his mentor Chuck Liddell said: “He hits really hard and can take a punch.”
The big guys traded heavy leather on the feet for much of the fight. What started out slowly would explode into mad flurries. As if to tilt the scales in otherwise even exchanges, Teixeira easily scored a takedown during each of the three rounds, and also got style points by touching Jackson with a few high kicks.
Jackson’s boxing did look sharp, particularly in the second round, when he would meet Teixeira’s long jabs with incredibly fast counter combinations. And even as he started to fade and spend long stretches with hands down, he would explode back with hooks that kept Teixeira at bay even when Jackson appeared wounded. Teixeira landed all manner of punches to the body and head, and wobbled Rampage near the end of the first round with a left hook followed by a high kick. But when Teixeria’s overhand rights would whiff, Rampage was particularly dangerous with his counters. Rampage connected throughout, and it was his giant hooks that had the most impact.
But both men took the best the other had to offer, with Rampage goading Glover to come forward in the second and Glover returning the gesture in the third. Though Teixeira – who’s tapped six of his opponents – toyed with submission attempts and ground-and-pound, each time he got things to the mat, he appeared to back off and let Rampage back to his feet.
In the final few minutes of the fight, Jackson was clearly exhausted, walking slowly around the cage with his arms down. Teixeira used almost no energy or defense in picking up his second single-leg takedown of the third round (to the resounding boos of the crowd), then landed some elbows and allowed Rampage back up. He followed Jackson around the cage until there were thirty seconds left, then got another easy single-leg, hopped into mount and dropped elbows and hammerfists until the bell.
Judges gave the bout to Teixeira 30-27 twice and 29-28 once (with one judge giving Rampage the third frame). Teixeira, who made his UFC debut in May of 2012 after a lengthy delay due to visa issues, is now 20-2 in his career, 3-0 in the UFC, and determined to fight for a title in the next two years.
“That was a tough fight, he hits very hard,” said Texieria. “Jon Jones just came by and said ‘Great fight, you and me will have a great fight.’ After all those years I couldn’t fight the big names because of my visa issues, it is great to fight the biggest names in the sport. I want to be UFC champion, but there are other guys there who are at the same level as me. I want to fight them and prove I deserve a title shot.”
The loss is Rampage’s third in a row, and whether or not the bout turns out to be his last in the UFC, he departs with a record of 32-11 and a performance he’s proud of. “I really wanted to win. I always said I would rather lose a good fight than win a boring-ass one, and the fans are telling me that was an exciting fight. So I guess I’m sad but not so sad. I fought like Rampage tonight. He came to fight and I respect that dude. I can’t believe he took me down so easy, he’s very talented.”
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone A long-anticipated match between WEC-turned-UFC lightweight stars Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Anthony “Showtime” Pettis turned out to be a shorter affair than anticipated. After some brief feeling out, Pettis landed several kicks to the body of Cerrone, dropping him and ending the fight with the fourth.
A quick exchange right off the bell knocked Pettis backward, and he circled cautiously at first, zooming in to deliver lightning-fast fistic combinations from the inside. Cerrone stalked forward mainly with kicks, but it’s when he backed Pettis against the fence that Pettis unleashed a signature flashy move that let fans know it was, in fact, Showtime. In a move he claims to have never even landed in practice, Pettis jumped into the air, using his foot to push off the cage and land a knee to Cerrone’s face, punctuating it with a left hook. Two more body kicks to Cerrone followed, and then Pettis – who’d switched to southpaw – swung the finishing blow, a liver kick that dropped Cerrone and left him unable to defend the ensuing hammerfists.
Pettis’ stoppage – his second in a row via kick – clocked in at 2:35. The 14-2 fighter, who was the final WEC 155-pound champion in 2010, lobbied for a better-late-than-never title shot in his post-fight interview. The loss bumps Cerrone to a 19-5 (1 NC) record, with his only other loss in his last ten outings coming at the hands of title contender Nate Diaz.
The normally mild-mannered Pettis had plenty to say after the win: ““Knocking his ass out in the first round was great,” he said. “He’s talked nothing but sh*t for a year while I’ve been out hurt, he’s said I’m scared of him. I had to sit there and listen to that for a year. And to wreck him in the first couple minutes like that was more important than anything else. Now I never need to hear about that guy again. I want my title shot. I should have had it years ago.
Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas With injuries taking him out of action and top-contender status in 2012, Erik Koch made his return to the Octagon Saturday night, only to be stopped — for the first time in his career — by Chicago’s own surging featherweight Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas.
After a feeling-out process with both men landing leg shots and attempting high kicks, the first round played out largely on the cage with Lamas working for takedowns and Koch sprawling and fighting to defend. Lamas did use a Koch limb to drag things to the mat twice, but both times, Koch popped right back up.
Round two went much the same was as round one, until Lamas slipped as he came forward. Koch pounced for a guillotine, and Lamas quickly secured top position. Lamas postured up and got some big body and head shots through, so Koch used his legs to pull Lamas deeper into his guard. Unable to find his reach on the feet against the lankier Koch, the ground proved to be a different story altogether – and a bloody one at that. From Koch’s open guard, Lamas landed giant fists and two massive elbows that opened up Koch’s face and triggered a stoppage at 2:32 of the round.
Both WEC imports boast records of 13-2 after the fight; Lamas now holds four wins and no losses in the UFC. “Fighting at home in Chicago, sleeping in my own bed, having my friends and family with me all week, I’ve never felt so relaxed going into a fight. The crowd were amazing, they were in my corner,” said Lamas. “. I’ve beat Cub Swanson, I’ve beat [Hatsu] Hioki and now I’ve beat Koch. All those guys were supposed to be fighting for the title at one point. I beat them all. I want the winner of Aldo vs Edgar next week.”
In a high-profile main card, four WEC veterans emerged victorious, as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defended his flyweight title and three more rising stars made solid cases for title contention. Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson What would happen when two of the fastest men in the UFC met inside the Octagon? Though neither man was short on endurance, it was Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson who endured, defending his flyweight title against John Dodson’s attempts over five fast-paced rounds.
Johnson approached the fight in signature Mouse style: moving forward at a seemingly impossible rate, attacking with kicks and single shots while looking for the power double.
Early in the fight, Dodson’s power seemed to be getting the better of Johnson. Though Johnson managed to get takedowns against the fence in the early frames, Dodson sprawled and defended in the center of the Octagon. Yet Dodson’s left hand had even more dramatic results, dropping Johnson four times in the first two rounds.
But Johnson’s striking started to pick up at the end of the second, and he started to trade with Dodson on a more tit-for-tat basis. Dodson continued to impress with high-energy moves – including a flying knee that he bounced off the cage to deliver – but Johnson’s pressure was relentless, and Dodson eventually slowed, and he absorbed more and more body shots and short strikes, particularly against the fence.
Frequent tie-ups on the fence turned out to tilt the momentum in Johnson’s direction, as he began landing knees from the clinch with increasing accuracy. Despite one break early in the fourth for a knee to Dodson while he was downed, the clinch became the story of the fight in late rounds. Dodson tried for takedowns of his own, but Johnson controlled the fight, at one point palming Dodson’s head to keep it in place as he threw knee after knee. In the fifth, Johnson poured it on, hurting Dodson with knees, uppercuts
and a body shot against the fence and following up with still more Muay
Thai knees.
Scores came in 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 for Johnson in his first title defense, with all three judges giving Dodson the second round and two of them the first. Johnson remains unfinished in his MMA career, and the latest win bumps his record to 17-2-1; Dodson’s defeat is his first at flyweight and in the UFC, and he’s now 15-6.
“He hit me pretty good a couple of times,” said the 125-pound champion.
“I was stunned but my head cleared very quick. I hit him with a lot of
knees late on but he’s very tough. That was a great fight and great
first defense.”
Dodson was as gracious in defeat as his opponent was in victory, saying: “I don’t think I won. I think it was close, and there was one round in it — but you got to win those one rounds. I will be back in the title picture soon. I should have got out of that clinch better, but when I come back I will be better.”
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira After mowing through his last 17 opponents, light heavyweight Glover Teixeira faced his most dangerous and high-profile opponent yet: a motivated and angry Rampage Jackson. But for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision win, Teixeira proved what his mentor Chuck Liddell said: “He hits really hard and can take a punch.”
The big guys traded heavy leather on the feet for much of the fight. What started out slowly would explode into mad flurries. As if to tilt the scales in otherwise even exchanges, Teixeira easily scored a takedown during each of the three rounds, and also got style points by touching Jackson with a few high kicks.
Jackson’s boxing did look sharp, particularly in the second round, when he would meet Teixeira’s long jabs with incredibly fast counter combinations. And even as he started to fade and spend long stretches with hands down, he would explode back with hooks that kept Teixeira at bay even when Jackson appeared wounded. Teixeira landed all manner of punches to the body and head, and wobbled Rampage near the end of the first round with a left hook followed by a high kick. But when Teixeria’s overhand rights would whiff, Rampage was particularly dangerous with his counters. Rampage connected throughout, and it was his giant hooks that had the most impact.
But both men took the best the other had to offer, with Rampage goading Glover to come forward in the second and Glover returning the gesture in the third. Though Teixeira – who’s tapped six of his opponents – toyed with submission attempts and ground-and-pound, each time he got things to the mat, he appeared to back off and let Rampage back to his feet.
In the final few minutes of the fight, Jackson was clearly exhausted, walking slowly around the cage with his arms down. Teixeira used almost no energy or defense in picking up his second single-leg takedown of the third round (to the resounding boos of the crowd), then landed some elbows and allowed Rampage back up. He followed Jackson around the cage until there were thirty seconds left, then got another easy single-leg, hopped into mount and dropped elbows and hammerfists until the bell.
Judges gave the bout to Teixeira 30-27 twice and 29-28 once (with one judge giving Rampage the third frame). Teixeira, who made his UFC debut in May of 2012 after a lengthy delay due to visa issues, is now 20-2 in his career, 3-0 in the UFC, and determined to fight for a title in the next two years.
“That was a tough fight, he hits very hard,” said Texieria. “Jon Jones just came by and said ‘Great fight, you and me will have a great fight.’ After all those years I couldn’t fight the big names because of my visa issues, it is great to fight the biggest names in the sport. I want to be UFC champion, but there are other guys there who are at the same level as me. I want to fight them and prove I deserve a title shot.”
The loss is Rampage’s third in a row, and whether or not the bout turns out to be his last in the UFC, he departs with a record of 32-11 and a performance he’s proud of. “I really wanted to win. I always said I would rather lose a good fight than win a boring-ass one, and the fans are telling me that was an exciting fight. So I guess I’m sad but not so sad. I fought like Rampage tonight. He came to fight and I respect that dude. I can’t believe he took me down so easy, he’s very talented.”
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone A long-anticipated match between WEC-turned-UFC lightweight stars Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Anthony “Showtime” Pettis turned out to be a shorter affair than anticipated. After some brief feeling out, Pettis landed several kicks to the body of Cerrone, dropping him and ending the fight with the fourth.
A quick exchange right off the bell knocked Pettis backward, and he circled cautiously at first, zooming in to deliver lightning-fast fistic combinations from the inside. Cerrone stalked forward mainly with kicks, but it’s when he backed Pettis against the fence that Pettis unleashed a signature flashy move that let fans know it was, in fact, Showtime. In a move he claims to have never even landed in practice, Pettis jumped into the air, using his foot to push off the cage and land a knee to Cerrone’s face, punctuating it with a left hook. Two more body kicks to Cerrone followed, and then Pettis – who’d switched to southpaw – swung the finishing blow, a liver kick that dropped Cerrone and left him unable to defend the ensuing hammerfists.
Pettis’ stoppage – his second in a row via kick – clocked in at 2:35. The 14-2 fighter, who was the final WEC 155-pound champion in 2010, lobbied for a better-late-than-never title shot in his post-fight interview. The loss bumps Cerrone to a 19-5 (1 NC) record, with his only other loss in his last ten outings coming at the hands of title contender Nate Diaz.
The normally mild-mannered Pettis had plenty to say after the win: ““Knocking his ass out in the first round was great,” he said. “He’s talked nothing but sh*t for a year while I’ve been out hurt, he’s said I’m scared of him. I had to sit there and listen to that for a year. And to wreck him in the first couple minutes like that was more important than anything else. Now I never need to hear about that guy again. I want my title shot. I should have had it years ago.
Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas With injuries taking him out of action and top-contender status in 2012, Erik Koch made his return to the Octagon Saturday night, only to be stopped — for the first time in his career — by Chicago’s own surging featherweight Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas.
After a feeling-out process with both men landing leg shots and attempting high kicks, the first round played out largely on the cage with Lamas working for takedowns and Koch sprawling and fighting to defend. Lamas did use a Koch limb to drag things to the mat twice, but both times, Koch popped right back up.
Round two went much the same was as round one, until Lamas slipped as he came forward. Koch pounced for a guillotine, and Lamas quickly secured top position. Lamas postured up and got some big body and head shots through, so Koch used his legs to pull Lamas deeper into his guard. Unable to find his reach on the feet against the lankier Koch, the ground proved to be a different story altogether – and a bloody one at that. From Koch’s open guard, Lamas landed giant fists and two massive elbows that opened up Koch’s face and triggered a stoppage at 2:32 of the round.
Both WEC imports boast records of 13-2 after the fight; Lamas now holds four wins and no losses in the UFC. “Fighting at home in Chicago, sleeping in my own bed, having my friends and family with me all week, I’ve never felt so relaxed going into a fight. The crowd were amazing, they were in my corner,” said Lamas. “. I’ve beat Cub Swanson, I’ve beat [Hatsu] Hioki and now I’ve beat Koch. All those guys were supposed to be fighting for the title at one point. I beat them all. I want the winner of Aldo vs Edgar next week.”
Luke Rockhold has a thing about challenges. Which is why one night he found himself in a Costa Rica arena, running full speed, middle fingers extended, at a one-ton bull. 
Realizing he’d emerged un-gored, Rockhold did a victory dance and returned to his friends, who he thought would share in his excitement. “They just yanked me out of the pen and told me to never do that again. They were freaking out,” he says. His biggest disappointment? “My buddy was so scared for me that he didn’t even get a good picture of me in there. I like to try everything once,” he explains. 
In 2006, at the age of 22, a friend took Rockhold to American Kickboxing Academy. It’s a scene that plays out dozens of times a day in top gyms with MMA tourists and wannabes, most of whom quickly have their dreams of MMA stardom beaten out of them with the first sparring session. But as usual with stories involving Rockhold, he turned out to be the exception. When told he’d need a mouthpiece, Rockhold ran out to buy one, then fitted it using boiling water from the sushi joint next door. 
“I kicked him in the head and we got in a wrestling scramble, and I did real good,” Rockhold says, as if that’s how most people perform in their first try at a new sport. “So then they put me in with Mike Swick and Bobby Southworth, and I did real well with all the guys going for it. Javier pulled me aside and told me he thought I could go very far in the sport.” 
“I remember meeting Luke for the first time at the AKA gym before he’d had any MMA competition,” says Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker. “He was basically a jiu-jitsu guy that they told me was going to be the next Strikeforce middleweight champion. I looked at him and knew he was extremely marketable.” After watching Rockhold’s pro debut, Coker signed him. 
When he is on American soil, Rockhold’s schedule revolves around AKA: sparring three days a week, wrestling on Tuesdays, jiu-jitsu on Thursdays, plus cardio and night practices. His team is a who’s who of Zuffa stalwarts: Velasquez, Swick, Kyle Kingsbury. And he’s particularly invested in helping Cormier. “He helped me, and I’m helping him,” Rockhold says. “We’re trying to push each other to the top.” 
A version of this article originally appeard in UFC 360, the official magazine of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Click here to subscribe to the print or digital editions. Photos Jody Morris and Tony Roberts