BARUERI, Brazil — Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao returned to the win column with a submission victory over Mitch Gagnon, but the fight lasted longer than many expected.
Gagnon, who entered the bout in a four-fight winning streak, was able to survive after getting knocked down in the first round, and won the second round on two of the three judges’ scorecards, but ended up submitted by the Brazilian 135-pounder in the third.
“I was happy to be fighting in front of the Brazilians,” Barao said at the post-fight press conference in Brazil.
“I don’t think the fight was that hard,” he continued. “I knocked him down in the first round, he basically just held me in the second, and I was able to submit him in the third. Gagnon is a tough guy, I told that before the fight in interviews, and it was a great fight.”
Barao, who had a rough year in 2014, losing his belt and passing out moments before the UFC 177 weigh-ins in August, is willing to be back in action as soon as possible if the UFC needs.
“I will rest now, enjoy the end of the year with my family, and talk to (Andre Pederneiras) and Jair Lourenco,” he said. “If I have the opportunity to fight soon or wait a bit, I’m here. I love to fight and I love to be inside the Octagon. My goal is always to fight.”
Now at 8-1 under the UFC banner with another finish added to his record, Barao has one goal in his mind:
“I will bring this belt back to Brazil.”
BARUERI, Brazil — Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao returned to the win column with a submission victory over Mitch Gagnon, but the fight lasted longer than many expected.
Gagnon, who entered the bout in a four-fight winning streak, was able to survive after getting knocked down in the first round, and won the second round on two of the three judges’ scorecards, but ended up submitted by the Brazilian 135-pounder in the third.
“I was happy to be fighting in front of the Brazilians,” Barao said at the post-fight press conference in Brazil.
“I don’t think the fight was that hard,” he continued. “I knocked him down in the first round, he basically just held me in the second, and I was able to submit him in the third. Gagnon is a tough guy, I told that before the fight in interviews, and it was a great fight.”
Barao, who had a rough year in 2014, losing his belt and passing out moments before the UFC 177 weigh-ins in August, is willing to be back in action as soon as possible if the UFC needs.
“I will rest now, enjoy the end of the year with my family, and talk to (Andre Pederneiras) and Jair Lourenco,” he said. “If I have the opportunity to fight soon or wait a bit, I’m here. I love to fight and I love to be inside the Octagon. My goal is always to fight.”
Now at 8-1 under the UFC banner with another finish added to his record, Barao has one goal in his mind:
BARUERI, Brazil — Patrick Cummins discusses his dominating win over Antonio Carlos Junior, his recent win streak, why he missed weight, the haters, and more at UFC Fight Night 58.
BARUERI, Brazil — Patrick Cummins discusses his dominating win over Antonio Carlos Junior, his recent win streak, why he missed weight, the haters, and more at UFC Fight Night 58.
BARUERI, Brazil — C.B. Dollaway was looking to make a statement in his UFC Fight Night 58 main event against Lyoto Machida in Brazil, but he came up short against “The Dragon”.
Machida finished Dollaway after landing a hard left kick to the liver a minute into the middleweight bout, and “The Dobberman” felt “paralyzed” after the kick.
“I thought it was going to go to my head and he slipped it under my elbow,” Dollaway said in the post-fight press conference in Brazil. “I thought I had it covered and took a step back, tried to take a breath and was basically paralyzed. It’s a disappointing loss.”
Dollaway, who held a bag of ice close to his ribs during the entire press conference, doesn’t know yet if he suffered any fractures during the 62-second bout.
“I think it’s just a liver kick, but it’s starting to feel a little worse now that the adrenaline is wearing off,” he said, “but hopefully it’s just a liver kick and I’ll be back in training soon and be ready to fight again.”
Machida bounced back to the win column in impressive fashion in Brazil, and he expected Dollaway to last longer.
“I train this type of kick a lot, and I felt it was the right moment to throw it and I was happy enough to connect,” Machida said. “C.B. is a tough guy and I wasn’t expecting to end this so quickly, but that’s how things are in this division. When the kick connects hard, it might be it.”
BARUERI, Brazil — C.B. Dollaway was looking to make a statement in his UFC Fight Night 58 main event against Lyoto Machida in Brazil, but he came up short against “The Dragon”.
Machida finished Dollaway after landing a hard left kick to the liver a minute into the middleweight bout, and “The Dobberman” felt “paralyzed” after the kick.
“I thought it was going to go to my head and he slipped it under my elbow,” Dollaway said in the post-fight press conference in Brazil. “I thought I had it covered and took a step back, tried to take a breath and was basically paralyzed. It’s a disappointing loss.”
Dollaway, who held a bag of ice close to his ribs during the entire press conference, doesn’t know yet if he suffered any fractures during the 62-second bout.
“I think it’s just a liver kick, but it’s starting to feel a little worse now that the adrenaline is wearing off,” he said, “but hopefully it’s just a liver kick and I’ll be back in training soon and be ready to fight again.”
Machida bounced back to the win column in impressive fashion in Brazil, and he expected Dollaway to last longer.
“I train this type of kick a lot, and I felt it was the right moment to throw it and I was happy enough to connect,” Machida said. “C.B. is a tough guy and I wasn’t expecting to end this so quickly, but that’s how things are in this division. When the kick connects hard, it might be it.”
BARUERI, Brazil — Lyoto Machida made quick work of C.B. Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 58 in Brazil, and he wants to be back in action as soon as possible.
The former UFC light heavyweight, who dispatched Dollaway with a kick to the body in 62 seconds in the main event in Barueri, Brazil, wants to stay active, and a bout with Luke Rockhold, who called him out on Twitter right after the finish, is on his radar.
“Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends,” Machida said of a fight with Rockhold in the post-fight press conference. “Rockhold is also in the line, so maybe a fight against him is an excellent fight.”
Asked if he would be down to fight Rockhold at UFC 184 on Feb. 28, “The Dragon” said he wants to fight at least three times in 2015.
“I think it’s too soon to talk about it, but I want to fight more,” he said. “I told the UFC I want to fight more throughout the year. It could happen, but it’s too soon to talk. I want to fight three or four times a year, though.”
BARUERI, Brazil — Lyoto Machida made quick work of C.B. Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 58 in Brazil, and he wants to be back in action as soon as possible.
The former UFC light heavyweight, who dispatched Dollaway with a kick to the body in 62 seconds in the main event in Barueri, Brazil, wants to stay active, and a bout with Luke Rockhold, who called him out on Twitter right after the finish, is on his radar.
“Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends,” Machida said of a fight with Rockhold in the post-fight press conference. “Rockhold is also in the line, so maybe a fight against him is an excellent fight.”
Asked if he would be down to fight Rockhold at UFC 184 on Feb. 28, “The Dragon” said he wants to fight at least three times in 2015.
“I think it’s too soon to talk about it, but I want to fight more,” he said. “I told the UFC I want to fight more throughout the year. It could happen, but it’s too soon to talk. I want to fight three or four times a year, though.”
BARUERI, Brazil — Tim Means discusses his controversial knee strike at UFC Fight Night 58, if they need to change the rule, the split decision win, his reaction to the fans, and more.
BARUERI, Brazil — Tim Means discusses his controversial knee strike at UFC Fight Night 58, if they need to change the rule, the split decision win, his reaction to the fans, and more.
