While they executed their goals in dramatically different fashions, both Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey left the Mandalay Bay Events Center with their heads held high and those gleaming golden belts wrapped around their waists on Saturday night, victorious once more as the featured attractions of UFC 175.
Weidman was forcibly dragged into deep waters for the first time of his young career, as former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida danced and feinted, dipped and swarmed, but ultimately fell short on the scorecards to the American after an electric 25-minute battle of attrition.
Rousey though, well… she did what Ronda Rousey tends to do. One good shot, one judo throw. 16 seconds gone and another title defense in the books. Just ridiculous. And of course, the pros were loving every bit of it.
@ChrisWeidmanUFC is the man
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) July 6, 2014
This is why Chris is the champ. What a great fight!!! #UFC175
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) July 6, 2014
Amazing fight! The energy in the arena was insane! Thank you @ChrisWeidmanUFC @lyotomachidafw
— Krzysztof Soszynski (@KSOSufc) July 6, 2014
PHENOMENAL!! Weidman is a beast. Lyoto is a warrior. And Rousey can throw you so hard your bones escape your body. I need sleep #UFC175
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 6, 2014
Que luta maravilhosa de se assistir. @lyotomachidafw vc é um guerreiro e um orgulho para nosso Brasil. “Mito”.. #Respect #lyotomachida
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) July 6, 2014
#UFC175 Main Event.. Both fighters tough as nails but @ChrisWeidmanUFC is a Stud! Congrats Champ! #WellDeserved #UFCMiddleWeightChamp
— JackMayUFC (@JackMayUFC) July 6, 2014
Much respect for @lyotomachidafw
— James Moontasri (@jmoontasri) July 6, 2014
#chrisweidman has shown he can handle the top strikers in division… He looks pretty hard to beat. #UFC175 #MiddleWeight #Champion
— Michael Guymon (@JokerGuymon) July 6, 2014
Great fight… Maybe @ChrisWeidmanUFC will get his respect as champ now…
— Raphael Butler (@RealThaSilencer) July 6, 2014
#andstill http://t.co/kEZVBahIeC
— Gian Villante (@GPVillante) July 6, 2014
God damn I love this sport … Well done boys!
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) July 6, 2014
Both men represent their countries and gym like good, solid men! Those are role models! #UFC175
— Samuel Sicilia (@SamSiciliaMMA) July 6, 2014
Awesome fight. I’d pay to see that again. @ufc @ChrisWeidmanUFC @lyotomachidafw
— Todd Duffee (@ToddDuffee) July 6, 2014
Man somebody tag me in!!!! I wanna play too
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) July 6, 2014
That fight was sick! The energy in the arena was intense. #UFC175 Congrats @ChrisWeidmanUFC
— Chris Holdsworth (@holdsworth135) July 6, 2014
Very good fight…two very high level guys that actually brought it & went after it! you don’t see many guys in their shoes really bring it!
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) July 6, 2014
What a fight! Congrats to both! I think Weidman got the edge.
— Douglas Lima (@PhenomLima) July 6, 2014
Lyoto lands his best punch of the fight and Weidman says “Bring It”. That’s the definition of a gangster, folks. #UFC175
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) July 6, 2014
Now that’s was one hell of a fight #UFC175
— Brad Pickett (@One_Punch) July 6, 2014
Congrats to #ChrisWeidman for defending his title tonight! #UFC175 @ufc
— Mark Muñoz (@mark_munoz) July 6, 2014
Wow @ChrisWeidmanUFC is the man!!! #UFC175
— Mark Bocek (@MarkBocek) July 6, 2014
What a fight!!!! Weidman is really the champion. He deserve . Lyoto is a monster . Oss
— THALES LEITES (@thalesleites) July 6, 2014
Weidman sponsored by Monster milk is quite fitting. He is an absolute monster! What a fighter @ufc
— Thomas E Watson (@TomKongWatson) July 6, 2014
Unbelievable #ufc175
— Bigslow (@LukeBarnatt) July 6, 2014
What a fight!
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) July 6, 2014
Now I want what I deserve, MY TITIE SHOT!!! Don’t run away!! No excuses!! Agora eu quero o q eu… http://t.co/wZYj8OBVAT
— Vitor Belfort (@vitorbelfort) July 6, 2014
Leave @vitorbelfort out of title contender discussions. He hasn’t fought clean in a decade or in the US in 3 years. #PED #TRT #UFC175
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) July 6, 2014
NOT EVEN CLOSE
The GREATEST female Martial Artist to ever walk this earth!! ‘ROWDY’ @RondaRousey!!! #UNBELIEVABLE #RunningTheGAME #UFC175
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 6, 2014
Damn that looks waaaay easier than going 5 rounds! #TakingNotes
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) July 6, 2014
Every guy in the universe now officially afraid to hug @RondaRousey #UFC175
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) July 6, 2014
Holy shit @RondaRousey !!! They showed ur fight 5 times because it was so fast
— Louis Gaudinot (@LouGaudinotUFC) July 6, 2014
Little upset @RondaRousey wanted to see another armbar lol CONGRATS. 🙂 http://t.co/UMq4PJUPe7
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) July 6, 2014
Dazzzzzam! @RondaRousey vs @TJDillashaw cause she has this division shook! @danawhite pissed at @joerogan
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) July 6, 2014
Congrats @UrijahFaber @RondaRousey #hellyeah #calistyle
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) July 6, 2014
And Ronda is a boss ass…
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) July 6, 2014
That right hand, and headlock really did the most damage. Tough to recover when all of someones weight drops on your head, sucks man #UFC175
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) July 6, 2014
Wow what a beast @RondaRousey is! What’s next a spin kick KO for her!
— Cung Le (@CungLe185) July 6, 2014
Im gonna Best @danawhite @ufc @ufc_brasil @seanshelby this bealt is gonna be My
— Bethe (@bethecorreia) July 6, 2014
I’m not a big Rhonda Rousey fan, but that was about as impressive as it gets…#UFC175
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) July 6, 2014
Threw her through the floor. #UFC175
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) July 6, 2014
I Want @RondaRouseyUFC @RondaRousey (which ever it is) To Know I’d Like To Have Her Babies. Yes, I’ll be bearing them…. #UFC175 @ufc
— Bubba McDaniel (@BubbaTheMenace) July 6, 2014
Damn!!!!!!! Ronda is a beast!!!!!!
— Douglas Lima (@PhenomLima) July 6, 2014
My belt
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 6, 2014
Rhonda needs to start fighting guys…… This just doesn’t seem fair
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) July 6, 2014
HOLY HELL!!!! @RondaRousey @ufc #UFC175
— Travis Browne (@travisbrowneMMA) July 6, 2014
I think Davis was out before she got thrown. That was a huge right hand.
— Josh Rettinghouse ? (@JRettinghouse) July 6, 2014
@colemillerATT @RondaRousey cole you’re a genius
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) July 6, 2014
Is it me or Does anyone else think UFC is gonna get a girl killed by letting ronda throw girls. Hahaha #omg
— Eric Del Fierro (@EricDelFierro) July 6, 2014
Davis went out and then woke back up…
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) July 6, 2014
@RondaRousey is a beast… Wowwwwwwwwwww….
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) July 6, 2014
Insane how far ahead @RondaRousey is… #DifferentLeague #ufc175
— Bigslow (@LukeBarnatt) July 6, 2014
That. Was. Amazing. #UFC175
— Jessamyn Duke (@jessamynduke) July 6, 2014
So…. Any women 135lbs wanna fight in 4 wks? Against someone pretty good lol….
— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) July 6, 2014
Theres a @ufc production job open if anyone wants to apply.
— Charlie Brenneman (@SpaniardMMA) July 6, 2014
Wait….does this mean me and @RondaRousey r fighting aug 2!??
— chad mendes (@chadmendes) July 6, 2014
Hahaha ur prob right RT @TrillSouth: @chadmendes you don’t want that fight lol
— chad mendes (@chadmendes) July 6, 2014
#UFC175 pic.twitter.com/V63oGMlugl
— The Black Beast (@Thebeast_ufc) July 6, 2014
TOES? WHERE WE’RE GOING, WE DON’T NEED TOES
Great job @UriahHallMMA ! Persevering under adversity!! #UFC175 @ufc
— Mark Muñoz (@mark_munoz) July 6, 2014
Woooo! Congrats @UriahHallMMA on the victory. Way to fight through a gnarly toe injury. #inspired #toughasnails #UFC175
— Jessamyn Duke (@jessamynduke) July 6, 2014
That toe!!! How about some heart http://t.co/rX4ggiVSeY
— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) July 6, 2014
Toe or no toe – @UriahHallMMA showed a confidence that was unJAMable! #UFC175
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) July 6, 2014
@UriahHallMMA is Toetally awesome right now #ToeMuchToHandle #UFC175
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) July 6, 2014
Call me sentimental, but that @UriahHallMMA after-fight speech just have me chills! #youhitlikeaB
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) July 6, 2014
Even with a jacked joe!!!! @UriahHallMMA is a pimp!!! @ufc #UFCFightWeek #UFC175
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) July 6, 2014
Somebody call a toe-truck… Uriah Hall needs some help!! #ufc
— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) July 6, 2014
Uriah has too tough of a name to give up on a broken toe! @UriahHallMMA @ufc
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) July 6, 2014
If u having toe problems I feel bad for u son, I got 99 problems and a toe is one – Jay T
— Jon SuperSaiyan Tuck (@JonCruzTuck) July 6, 2014
#footstomp!!!!
— Chris Leben (@cripplerufc) July 6, 2014
This fight is toetally confusing! #UFC175
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) July 6, 2014
Hall is a warrior. Awesome fight, plus one win, minus one toe. Hehe heal quick bud.
— Amir Sadollah (@amirMMA) July 6, 2014
Ouch. RT @MMANewsdotcom: @MMAFighting pic.twitter.com/FyVZgfTHGy
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) July 6, 2014
FABER STAYS PERFECT IN NON-TITLES
Congrats to the man @UrijahFaber tonight! Sick RNC in the 3rd #UFC175
— Chris Holdsworth (@holdsworth135) July 6, 2014
Yet again a Stella Performance by the one & only @urijahfaber congratz #CaliforniaKid
— Bigslow (@LukeBarnatt) July 6, 2014
Bruce Leeroy always makes fights interesting. Making Faber earn this win for sure. #UFC175
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) July 6, 2014
Faber earns the win by Rnc in rd 3 after a tougher fight than I expected #ufc175
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) July 6, 2014
Still proud of my boy @BruceLeeroyGlow only part of the #evolution #UFC175
— Jon SuperSaiyan Tuck (@JonCruzTuck) July 6, 2014
Congrats @UrijahFaber another sub, one step closer http://t.co/XHNUD43TVk
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) July 6, 2014
Hell ya @UrijahFaber took care of business ! #Legend #UFC175
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) July 6, 2014
Awesome fight! Congrats @UrijahFaber
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) July 6, 2014
Wooooooooo!!!!@UrijahFaber
— Paige Vanzant (@PAIGEVANZANT) July 6, 2014
Good scrap by my lil brotha @BruceLeeroyGlow, hats off to @UrijahFaber, all class n relentlessness…
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) July 6, 2014