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UFC 163 Results: Lyoto Machida Rematch Demands Are a Clear Act of Desperation

Unhappy with the results of his UFC 163 bout, Lyoto Machida has reportedly demanded an immediate rematch against Phil Davis, according to FUEL TV’s Ariel Helwani.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t believe Machida dese…

Unhappy with the results of his UFC 163 bout, Lyoto Machida has reportedly demanded an immediate rematch against Phil Davis, according to FUEL TV’s Ariel Helwani.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn’t believe Machida deserves another shot after a questionable judges’ decision scored the fight in his opponent’s favor.

Promotion president Dana White scored the fight completely in the former light heavyweight champion’s favor.

The judges’ decision is final, though, no matter how controversial it was. That’s why, as a fighter in a sport like this, you can’t leave it up another human being’s interpretation of your work; however, those three individuals may be in some very minimal company with their decision.

From here, the aging 35-year-old Machida isn’t getting any younger. His opportunities for a title shot are slowly going to dissipate over the next couple of years.

That, then, begs the question: What’s the point of stepping back into the Octagon with Davis?

His ability was fully on display during the three hard-fought rounds of that puzzling loss. What else is there to prove by fighting him again to a near-stalemate?

Machida isn’t going anywhere despite the loss. He’ll likely be plugged into another headliner bout in order to build him back up for an eventual title shot.

Or will he?

After missing out on two title shots already this year, and a rematch against Jon Jones, Machida may not be in the discussion any longer to recapture the title.

Grasping at a rematch against Davis may be the end result of frustration beginning to set in for The Dragon. It reeks of desperation for a fighter that may not have too many better options ahead of him.

As the top fighter in the light heavyweight rankings not named Jon Jones, at least before this recent loss, Machida shouldn’t be so quick to make demands after a decision loss.

If he had gotten knocked out, maybe there would be a need for him to come out and demand another shot.

At the end of the day, Machida’s own style betrayed him on the scorecard. If he’s not going to be aggressive enough offensively to finish fights, he needs to live with the consequences of decisions falling against him.

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Silva vs. Weidman: The Spider Will Regain UFC Middleweight Title After Rematch

Everyone loses eventually. Sometimes a fighter is beaten by a truly better and more skilled competitor. Young and promising talents rise through the ranks every day to challenge the best in the world, That wasn’t what happened at UFC 162, t…

Everyone loses eventually.

Sometimes a fighter is beaten by a truly better and more skilled competitor. Young and promising talents rise through the ranks every day to challenge the best in the world,

That wasn’t what happened at UFC 162, though, when Chris Weidman dethroned middleweight champion and UFC legend Anderson Silva by way of second-round knockout.

Weidman, while an undefeated and fierce competitor, capitalized on the antics of the reigning champion who hadn’t lost a bout in over seven years.

He seized the opportunity and caught the taunting champion with a combination of blows that sent the champ to the mat and the nation into an uproar.

“Down goes Silva” were the headlines during the aftermath of the surprising turn of events on Saturday.

No matter how you look at it, it was truly a shocking outcome, one that prompted Silva to mull his future pursuits of the title.

“My legacy for the belt is finished tonight,” Silva said during the post-fight press conference, per MMA Fighting.

Promotion president Dana White believes the former champ will cool on his initial post-fight comments and accept a future rematch against Weidman.

“Regardless of what he says, I guarantee you there’s nothing on earth he wants more than that rematch with Chris Weidman,” White said in a post-fight interview with FuelTV’s Ariel Helwani.

White continued by calling a potential rematch between the two fighters as the “biggest fight in UFC history.”

Weidman is on-board too, according to Mike Whitman of Sherdog.com:

I’m holding onto this belt for as long as I possibly can. I don’t care who they bring up to fight me. I’d rather have a rematch with Anderson Silva. That’s the first thing I said to Anderson right after the fight. I said, “Let’s rematch. You got cocky and put your hands down. Let’s do this again.”

While nothing is certain yet, pending Silva’s acceptance, the potential rematch is already boiling over with anticipation.

A motivated and re-focused Silva will make him like a wild animal to tame the next time Weidman steps into the Octagon with him. Will the new champion be up to the challenge to again get the better of a UFC legend?

Despite his first triumph, Weidman would take a mammoth leap towards writing his own legend by knocking off Silva again—silencing any remaining doubters in the process.

But defending a title is a little bit more problematic than reaching that precipice. He will have to maintain his intensity and drive that it took to get him to this point, which is much easier said than done.

This isn’t about Weidman, though. It’s about Silva’s will and determination to regain his standing among the best of the mixed martial arts world.

Chances are that his taunting will be kept to a minimum and the former champion will give Weidman the fight he should have at UFC 162.

If he takes a step back and decides this rematch and title are paramount to his goals, there is no one that can stop Silva from regaining his place as the best middleweight fighter in the world.

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UFC 161: Most Disappointing Performances of Main Event Card

There wasn’t a lot to get excited about prior to UFC 161. Looking back and allowing the results to set in overnight, there isn’t much to look back at to dispel those early preconceptions. UFC 161 was what it was—a lackluster card piec…

There wasn’t a lot to get excited about prior to UFC 161.

Looking back and allowing the results to set in overnight, there isn’t much to look back at to dispel those early preconceptions.

UFC 161 was what it was—a lackluster card pieced together with replacement additions to the co-main events and underwhelming storylines.

In the Octagon, there were several competitors who were especially disappointing. We’ll take a look at a few whose performances left something to be desired in Winnipeg.

Dan Henderson (Loss via split decision: 28-29, 29-28, 28-29)

There’s no getting around it. Dan Henderson is a legend in the Octagon. But that doesn’t put the 42-year-old above scrutiny.

He wasn’t necessarily outclassed by “Suga” Rashad Evans during his split-decision loss at UFC 161. It was a close, hard-fought bout that ended with the former champion on the wrong side of a very close decision.

However, it was disappointing to see his performance in the third and final round. His one-dimensional striking nearly earned him the victory early in the action, but he could muster little to keep the pace with Evans throughout.

Questions about Henderson’s future with the UFC are certainly valid after the outcome of this one.

Roy Nelson (Loss via unanimous decision: 27-30, 27-30, 27-30)

Roy “Big Country” Nelson was propelled into co-main event status with a chance to increase his bargaining power with the UFC by winning a fourth consecutive bout.

Things didn’t go as planned.

Nelson, who is 1-4 lifetime in the UFC in matches that go past the first round, was spent even before the end of the first round. He absorbed 137 strikes—the most anyone has ever taken in the Octagon without being knocked out, according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

After his poor showing in Winnipeg, though, you have to wonder whether or not Dana White will extend the contract offer—or any—like the one he made prior to the bout.

“We offered him a deal for more money,” White said, according to Okamoto, “..and Roy said, ‘That’s not enough.’”

After looking out of shape and unprepared to take on Stipe Miocic, he may have sealed his own fate with the promotion.

Pat Barry (Loss via Round 1 TKO)

Getting knocked out in the first round by a wrestler is never a good thing for a heavyweight. Barry is an exciting and explosive striker in his own right, but he was outgunned by Shawn Jordan in a fight that was never close at UFC 161.

This latest setback, Barry’s sixth UFC loss, was the third time the heavyweight has been defeated in such fashion.

Questions about his toughness and ability to take a punch against the heavy punchers in the heavyweight division are certainly valid. Those will disappear if he can prove he can stand toe-to-toe and go blow-for-blow with the competition.

He didn’t do that, again, at UFC 161. It’s too bad, too, because Barry is a pretty exciting fighter to watch.

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UFC 160: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos 3 Will Be Epic Final Bout

Cain Velasquez successfully retained his heavyweight title at UFC 160. It was the first time back in the Octagon since he took the championship from Junior dos Santos, who also made a statement Saturday night with a devastating third-round spinning-kic…

Obviously another rematch is in order for the top two heavyweights in the organization. UFC president Dana White wholeheartedly agrees.

Via USA Today on Twitter:

White didn’t hesitate to decide on the third fight between the two immediately after the conclusion of UFC 160, according to Mike Whitman of Sherdog.com.

“[It’s a] no-brainer,” White said. “If there was ever a trilogy, that’s it right there. They’re the two best heavyweights in the world.”

This third installment between Velasquez and dos Santos is certainly compelling and has the potential to match the allure of former light heavyweight legends Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture. Those two helped build the UFC brand with their epic encounters.

While Velasquez is certainly a dominant figure, there is no telling what dos Santos will throw at him in their next bout. His spinning-heel kick KO was highly uncharacteristic and shocked us as much as it did Hunt.

Does he have more of that innovation within to recapture the UFC heavyweight championship?

Well, dos Santos did win the first of the two previous matchups between the two fighters. He didn’t just win it, though. The 28-year-old Brazilian fighter knocked out the current champion just 64 seconds into the first round to capture the title.

It was his opponent who struck first in their next encounter.

Velasquez rebounded from his first MMA loss (to dos Santos) to steal the championship back at UFC 155. He scored a unanimous decision after a dominant five-round performance (50-45, 50-43, 50-44). Velasquez set the tone with an early right hand that caught the champ. From there, it was his fight to lose as he was relentless with repeated takedowns, effective grappling and imposing ring-control ability.

That sets us up for the ensuing finale to this exciting trilogy. And it’s sure to live up to expectations. No matter what happens in Velasquez-dos Santos 3, one of these two top heavyweights will etch himself in stone as one of the best the UFC has ever offered.

Seeing that drama unfold and crowning a winner between these two heavyweights is more than enough to draw even the most casual spectator to the sport.

Get ready for fireworks.

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Faber vs. Jorgensen: The California Kid Will Continue Non-Title Fight Dominance

Urijah Faber’s non-title fight dominance will continue after he beats friend Scott Jorgensen at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. The two competitors are familiar with each other and are even friends. They know each other well and party together, b…

Urijah Faber’s non-title fight dominance will continue after he beats friend Scott Jorgensen at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.

The two competitors are familiar with each other and are even friends. They know each other well and party together, but both men are both vying for the same goal on Saturday night.

Once they step into the Octagon during the main event of the TUF 17 Finale, their camaraderie will go out the window. No friendship is strong enough to put doubt in a man’s mind when he is confronted with a threat to his ambition. That’s especially true for a seasoned fighter like Faber, who is quickly rising back to the top and has a championship on his mind.

It’s all business once the opening bell is rung.

On the surface, the odds appear to be stacked against Jorgensen. Having an inside track into Faber’s mindset and technique may give him a better shot than he would have had otherwise, but that theory works both ways.

If anything, their familiarity with each other will mostly benefit Faber as he continues his quest for UFC gold.

Jorgensen is a one-dimensional fighter who brings little to the table in the form of striking. His biggest strength is his wrestling ability on the mat. When he uses his wrestling, he is among the best in the bantamweight division.

What he does do well, though, Faber will be ready for.

“The California Kid” needs to use his knowledge of Jorgensen’s technique to position himself away from takedown attempts. He can also set up his own submissions based on his familiarity of Jorgensen’s approaches and points of attack.

Faber also boasts a three-inch reach advantage, excellent ring speed and presence, quick hands and some excellent submissions, which should keep Jorgensen mindful when he’s attempting to bring Faber down.

Jorgensen needs to control the tempo by keeping Faber contained and locked up, but that is easier said than done.

It will be an interesting bout considering the different approaches of these top bantamweights. But it’s likely going to end the way we all expect it to—Faber victorious in yet another non-title fight.

The next question is probably the biggest of all: Can Faber ride the momentum of three consecutive wins to shake his title-fight woes and become a UFC champion?

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Liz Carmouche: What’s Next for Competitor After Disappointing UFC 157 Loss

Given another shot, Liz Carmouche might be able to beat Ronda Rousey. Dana White has put all of his eggs in the Rousey basket for his new women’s bantamweight division. That doesn’t mean she will succeed as a lengthy champion, despite being…

Given another shot, Liz Carmouche might be able to beat Ronda Rousey.

Dana White has put all of his eggs in the Rousey basket for his new women’s bantamweight division. That doesn’t mean she will succeed as a lengthy champion, despite being the inaugural title holder.

Who better to get another shot at her down the road if she can keep her title than the woman who nearly put a hamper on her coming out party in Anaheim?

Carmouche’s efforts at UFC 157 proved that Rousey is susceptible to a well-executed counterattack. She fought hard, repeatedly resisting Rousey’s attempts to submit her on her way to her first title defense.

It isn’t easy, though, because the champ has her own ideas of what should happen when both women are on the mat. Her eighth-straight first-round armbar submission MMA victory supports that.

Nearly submitting the champ doesn’t count as a win, by any means, but it was a sign that maybe Rousey is able to be beaten after all. Upon coming into the promotion, she looked invincible.

Was her near-tapout a testament to Carmouche’s resilience and own talents or a sign that Rousey may be more hype than substance?

The former seems more likely.

Had she held on for a mere moment longer, the pale-faced champion may have ceded from a loss of oxygen. She looked shocked, scared and confused but somehow fought her way out of it.

Next time, she might not be so lucky.

That’s why we need to see this rematch. We have to make sure this wasn’t a fluke and that the promotion’s biggest new star is ready for the eventual challenges from an up-and-coming women’s UFC division.

Besides, it’s not like there are challengers lined up and down the street for their shots at Rousey.

Carmouche was the only one willing to step into the Octagon with Rousey, according to UFC president Dana White (via Yahoo! Sports’ MMA Weekly).

Maybe this glimpse at vulnerability will encourage others to step up to the plate. But we’d like to see the former Marine give it another shot.

Who knows—maybe she’ll walk away with the title. That could set up a long-standing rivalry, like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture and all of those who helped shape the men’s division during its infancy.

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