For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.
Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?
Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).
Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.
In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.
For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.
Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?
Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).
Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.
In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.
The once-much-better main card began with a mismatch (though it was fun to watch). Joe Lauzon brutalized the hopelessly outmatched Mac Danzig for 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision victory. It was a bloody affair. Lauzon tempered his intensity with caution, not over-pursuing any finishes. Instead, he remained content with control and moderate amounts of damage that snowballed into the end result: Danzig’s face looking like it had gone through a wood chipper.
Chad Mendes and Nik Lentz faced off next. Mendes was his normal studly self early on, but succumbed to the fight’s pace. He won the fight via UD. It wasn’t the prettiest performance though. During a post-fight news blurb on FOX, Ariel Helwani claimed Mendes had a sinus infection (I think that’s the first time we’ve heard that excuse), so maybe that explains it.
The co-main event of the evening pitted Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald. The 22-year-old McDonald was out of his depth. Faber took the first round easily enough. In the second, “The California Kid” stunned McDonald and swarmed him. After a few punches against the staggered McDonald, Faber scored a guillotine finish. It was an excellent display of killer instinct. Faber became an animal when he saw McDonald was hurt.
The main event ended in unbelievable fashion. Demetrious Johnson landed a right hook that lawnchair’dJoseph Benavidez in the first round. It’s undoubtedly the most incredible KO in flyweight history and will likely stay that way for quite some time.
TL;DR – UFC on FOX 9 was supposed to be an incredible free card that demanded our attention. It was still fun due to the performances on the main card, but it could’ve been so much more had the plague of injuries never happened.
Complete Results:
Main Card
Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez via KO (punch), 2:08 of Round 1
Urijah Faber def. Michael McDonald via submission (guillotine), 3:22 of Round 2
Chad Mendes def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Joe Lauzon def. Mac Danzig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Edson Barboza def. Danny Castillo via majority decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Bobby Green def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling via TKO (strikes), 1:35 of Round 2
Alptekin Ozkilic def. Daren Uyenoyama via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Challenger Joseph Benavidez (19-4) and champion Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1) both loaded up big right hands about two minutes through the first round of their flyweight title fight.
Only one connected.
Johnson hit his opponent squarely. Benavidez o…
Challenger Joseph Benavidez (19-4) and champion Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1) both loaded up big right hands about two minutes through the first round of their flyweight title fight.
Only one connected.
Johnson hit his opponent squarely. Benavidez only hit air. Then he hit the mat, awakening to find officials surrounding him—a bitter way to learn he failed in a second attempt to win UFC gold.
The challenger, in truth, never saw it coming. Eyes closed, he had only his own right hook on his mind. After all, it’s one of his best weapons—a shot that can finish a fight if it lands.
Power was thought to be Benavidez’s big advantage in this bout. If anyone was ending the fight with one punch, it was going to be Benavidez. Johnson, conventional wisdom proclaimed, had to be perfect for 25 minutes on his way to a decision.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
One wrong for each of the punches that Johnson landed on the ground. He delivered them with lighting speed and efficiency in the heartbeat between knocking Benavidez to the floor and referee John McCarthy arriving on the scene to remove the challenger from harm’s way.
So much for Johnson not being a finisher.
In fairness, it was a reputation that he earned in the cage. Seven consecutive Johnson fights between 2011 and 2013 went to the judges’ scorecards. But after he has now finished two in a row, perhaps it’s time to rewrite the book on the flyweight kingpin.
They say speed kills. If that’s true, Johnson may just be the most dangerous man in UFC history. Beating his opponent to the punch has been a way of life for him. But he’s done it while maintaining constant motion, often landing punches that were more for the judges than to end the fight.
Sitting down on his punches for the first time in his career and looking to generate more power, Johnson looked like a new man. This was a different approach, but one that makes sense in today’s mixed martial arts.
“Tonight was a great moment for my career, but in reality it’s just another fight,” Johnson said. ”My goal is to keep evolving and displaying my skill set to fans and having them enjoy my fights.”
The question surrounding Johnson, at this point, is the talent of the division that is slowly being built around him. Benavidez was widely considered the top contender. Johnson has now beaten him twice. While the UFC could throw other guys in with him, no one else in the division generates much interest.
Perhaps after this highlight-reel knockout, Johnson can provide a little box-office juice of his own. As pre-fight host Curt Menefee mentioned, the champion has fought his last three bouts on Fox.
That’s not a good thing for Johnson.
While it has exposed him to millions of fans, it also means the UFC doesn’t quite trust him to headline a successful pay-per-view. And the promotion was probably correct—Johnson wasn’t ready. But with a few more right hands, it’s not too hard to see him standing tall alongside his fellow champions.
The card was officially billed as UFC on Fox 9, but it very well could have passed as “Team Alpha Male vs. Everybody.” The Sacramento-based contingent had four representatives on Saturday night’s card when the UFC returned to their hometown, with …
The card was officially billed as UFC on Fox 9, but it very well could have passed as “Team Alpha Male vs. Everybody.” The Sacramento-based contingent had four representatives on Saturday night’s card when the UFC returned to their hometown, with each being slated in a high-profile tilt.
While his teammates had important fights on Saturday night, there is no doubt the biggest bout for the team came on the shoulders of No. 1 flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez.
“Jobe” stepped in for his second attempt at the 125-pound strap when he met champion Demetrious Johnson in their highly anticipated rematch. “Mighty Mouse” edged out the New Mexico native in their first tilt at UFC 152 in September 2012, and Benavidez was looking to make good on his second attempt in front of lively Sacramento crowd at UFC on Fox 9.
Unfortunately for the New Mexico native, Johnson would have none of it. The reigning champion kept his flyweight title intact by pulling off a devastating knockout victory in the first round of the tilt.
Both fighters stepped in to throw a big shot, but it was Johnson who landed, and Benavidez crumbled to the canvas. With the win, Johnson picked up his third consecutive title defense and put a large gap between himself and the rest of the pack at 125-pounds.
The squad’s leader Urijah Faber stepped in to trade leather with surging young upstart Michael McDonald in a co-main event that carried heavy title implications in the bantamweight division. The fighter who emerged victorious would most likely earn a title shot, where the loser would be bumped out of that picture for the immediate future.
Where there was talk of “old school” versus “new school” coming into the bout, Faber proved he’s very much a part of the future wave of MMA as he put a drubbing on McDonald.
“The California Kid” had a solid opening round but turned it up in the second as he worked “Mayday” in brutal fashion en route to earning a submission finish via guillotine choke. The win is Faber’s fourth consecutive victory and should put him on the doorstep of another title shot.
Another Team Alpha Male fighter who would be looking to further his championship ambitions at UFC on Fox 9 was Chad Mendes.
The perennial featherweight contender brought a four-fight winning streak, all coming by way of knockout, into his scrap with Nik Lentz. Where “Money” was the heavy favorite going into the fight, the scrappy American Top Team fighter got under his skin with trash-talk in the pre-fight buildup, and their tilt was dubbed “the people’s main event” on the card.
While Mendes had the table set to earn another shot at the featherweight strap, things may not have worked out in his favor even though he earned the unanimous-decision victory over Lentz.
The former title challenger got out to a hot start in the first by dropping “The Carny” but seemed to gas-out in the process. He reverted back to his wrestle-heavy style in the final two rounds, and while he earned the victory, his stock could have very well taken a hit in a heated 145-pound title picture.
In addition to the “Team Alpha Male Exhibition,” there was plenty of action to be had at the Sleep Train Arena. With no fight on the card coming north of the 170-pound weight class, the lighter-weight fighters took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their skills as high-paced tilts were hitting the Octagon left and right. Of course, what would a UFC event be without a few curious occurrences mixed in?
Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC on Fox 9.
The Good
In an era of dominant champions, Johnson often gets overlooked. While he doesn’t carry the name value as some of his peers, the level of performance he’s been displaying inside the Octagon is certainly on par with the rest of the title holders.
“Mighty Mouse” had two successful title defenses heading into his rematch with Benavidez, and it only took him half-a-round to pick up his third as he knocked out the Team Alpha Male fighter midway through the opening round. While Johnson isn’t heralded for his power, he dropped a perfectly timed right hand that put Benavidez on his back staring up at the lights in the Sleep Train Arena.
While his victory over Benavidez was undoubtedly his most impressive win to date, it also showed the flyweight champion is still evolving as a fighter. Three years ago, he was a talented wrestler with great speed, now he is one of the most complete mixed martial artists in the world. His leveling of Benavidez also proved there is a large gap between him and the next best fighter in the 125-pound collective.
Staying with remarkable performances, how impressive is Faber? The Team Alpha Male leader continues to prove he’s one of top bantamweight fighters on the planet, putting another huge feather in his cap by steamrolling Michael McDonald at UFC on Fox 9.
“The California Kid” had been on an impressive run since losing to Renan Barao at UFC 149 in 2012 as he had picked up three consecutive victories, all coming as the result of solid showings.
That level of success would typically be enough to earn another championship opportunity, but with the bantamweight title picture in disarray between champion Dominick Cruz’s layoff due to injury and interim champion Renan Barao waiting to unify the titles, Faber’s the choice to keep things rolling.
Coming into his fight on Saturday night with McDonald, there was plenty at stake, and in typical Faber style, he showed up under the bright lights.
In what was arguably his best performance to date, the 34-year-old put a beating on the 22-year-old former title challenger. After winning the opening round, Faber turned up the heat on McDonald in the second, and the Modesto-based fighter broke under the pressure. The former WEC featherweight champion hurt McDonald with strikes before locking a fight-ending guillotine.
With the victory Faber now makes a case for title contention that is difficult to argue. He will have to wait for Cruz and Barao to settle their business at UFC 169 in February, but his next outing should come with championship gold on the line.
*** Joe Lauzon needed a win in a big way, and he got it at the expense of Mac Danzig. The Ultimate Fighter alums locked up to kick off the Fox portion of the card, and it was all “J-Lau” once the cage door closed in Sacramento.
Coming into the bout, the Massachusetts native had dropped three of his last four showings, and the victory over Danzig brought an end to what had been a tough run in 2013 for the avid fight-night bonus winner.
*** While I will address the decision in the next category, both Danny Castillo and Edson Barboza deserve props for putting on a fantastic fight. “Last Call” took the momentum in the first round as he dropped and nearly finished the Brazilian striker in the opening frame. Barboza regained his footing and bounced back to take the second and third rounds in exciting fashion.
The Renzo Gracie-trained fighter ultimately won the unanimous decision, but the outcome is certainly questionable with only one of the three cageside judges scoring the first round a 10-8 in Castillo’s favor. That said, it was a fantastic scrap and both fighters showed out in Sacramento.
*** Bobby Green kept his hot streak alive by defeating Pat Healy in a grueling three-round affair on the preliminary portion of the card.
The 27-year-old Californian outlasted the gritty veteran to earn the unanimous-decision victory and moves to a perfect 3-0 in the UFC since coming over from Strikeforce. The bout was Green’s second in just north of a month and defeating Healy will move him up a couple rungs on the lightweight ladder.
*** Taking his first fight in the UFC on short notice against one of the flyweight division’s top-ranked fighters was apparently of little concern to Zach Makovsky.
The former Bellator champion squared-off with Scott Jorgensen on the preliminary portion of the card and worked an effective game plan to earn the unanimous-decision victory. The win was his third consecutive overall. Defeating a fighter of Jorgensen’s status will certainly guarantee his next opponent comes from higher up the 125-pound ladder.
*** Another fighter who capitalized on a short-notice opportunity was Ryan LaFlare. The 30-year-old New Yorker just defeated Santiago Ponzinibbio at Fight Night 32 on Nov. 9. He then turned around and picked up a unanimous-decision victory over Court McGee on Saturday night. It was a gritty battle, but LaFlare outworked the TUF alum to pick up the win in Sacramento.
*** Their first meeting may have ended in controversial fashion, but Abel Trujillo left zero doubt on the table in his rematch with Roger Bowling on Saturday night.
The Blackzilian’s-trained fighter absolutely trucked the Cincinnati native as he delivered a brutal beating which forced referee John McCarthy to step in and end the onslaught the second round. His performance at UFC on Fox 9 was easily Trujillo’s most impressive showing out of his four bouts under the UFC banner.
The Bad
While Benavidez is undoubtedly one of the best flyweight fighters on the planet, his loss to Demetrious Johnson was certainly a devastating blow for the No. 1 contender. It was just north of a year since their first championship go-around in which Benavidez was edged out, and then on Saturday night, he suffered his second loss to Johnson in 15 months.
Where Benavidez was defeated via split decision in their first bout at UFC 152 in 2012, on Saturday night, he was at the receiving end of a violent knockout to the reigning champion. While Benavidez will undoubtedly rebound from the loss, two failed title shots in such a short amount of time will certainly serve to keep him out of the title picture in the flyweight division for some time.
No fighter on the card for UFC on Fox 9 needed a victory more than Danzig. The former Season 6 TUF winner had dropped three of his four most recent showings and had his back firmly placed up against the wall going into his bout with Lauzon. The lightweight scrap kicked off the Fox portion of the card, and after some early success from Danzig, the bout was all Lauzon.
The Bridgewater native used his grappling to take dominant positions when the fight hit the canvas, and from there, he proceeded to punish the 33-year-old with a brutal barrage of elbows. By the end of the second round, Danzig’s face was crimson, and “J-Lau” cruised to the unanimous-decision victory.
With the loss, Danzig has now been defeated in back-to-back outings and suffered setbacks in four of his last five. While the Ohio native has been with the organization since 2007 and has competed inside the Octagon on 13 occasions, he will be forced to take a long, hard look at his career following his performance on Saturday night.
While there is no doubt Danzig still has plenty of fight left in him, the lightweight division is a shark tank, and he very well may have run out of room with the loss to Lauzon.
Another fighter in desperate need of a win at UFC on Fox 9 was Jorgensen, and he was hoping a drop down to flyweight would help him get things back on track.
Where “Young Guns” had once been a staple in the upper tier of the bantamweight division, a rough patch where he lost three of four outings pushed him off the 135-pound title radar for the foreseeable future. That said, by dropping down into the 125-pound fold, Jorgensen automatically became a top-ranked fighter by entering the division.
Coming into Saturday night, the Idaho-based fighter needed to get off to a big start in his flyweight run, and that just didn’t happen. The veteran was outworked by promotional newcomer Zach Makovsky in a bout the 30-year-old took on short notice.
Where Jorgensen seemed to have the edge in the early goings, an uppercut from “Fun Size” stopped the former WEC title challenger in his tracks and seemed to tip the balance for the next two rounds.
With Makovsky taking the unanimous-decision victory, Jorgensen has now been defeated in back-to-back outings and has found himself in the loss column in four of his last five outings. Where the loss on Saturday night likely won’t cost him his job, it will reshuffle him to the back of the deck in a growing 125-pound collective.
*** While Pat Healy appeared to be on his way to making 2013 a year to remember, things have taken a drastic turn over his most recent outings. “Bam Bam” scored a huge win over former contender Jim Miller in his return to the UFC back in April only to have it overturned to a no-contest as the result of a failed post-fight drug test.
Healy has lost both of his bouts since and has gone from being on the verge of breaking through to the upper tier at 155 to heading to the back of the line after Saturday night.
*** It wasn’t all too long ago that Roger Bowling had a solid buzz surrounding him. The Ohio native was crumbling the opposition with his big power and appeared to be on the verge of bigger things. Unfortunately for Bowling, things have gone drastically downhill as of late.
After his one-sided drubbing at the hands of Abel Trujillo at UFC on Fox 9, the 31-year-old is now 0-3 with one no-contest in his last four outings—two of which came as the result of brutal knockouts. His current slump and a poor performance on Saturday night will make it difficult for Bowling to keep his roster spot with the UFC.
*** Every time I write this column, I stress there is no point complaining about judging in MMA, but that doesn’t stop me from writing about it.
Edson Barboza defeated Danny Castillo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) in a bout that very well should have been a draw based on the opening round. The often-discussed and hardly ever used correctly 10-8 round was only scored by one judge in the opening frame in a round that certainly deserved that score.
Castillo dropped Barboza and had him in danger for the final few minutes of the round and nearly finished the Brazilian. The 27-year-old went on to win the last two rounds in 10-9 fashion which should have resulted in a draw.
The Strange
It typically takes a loss for a fighter to lose their place in a title hunt, but Mendes may have very well lost his spot at the front of the line in the featherweight race with his performance on Saturday night. In his lead up to UFC on Fox 9, “Money” had been obliterating the competition as he knocked out four consecutive opponents in brutal fashion.
He appeared to be well on his way to earning his fifth consecutive stoppage as he stunned Lentz in the opening frame, but the proverbial wheels started to come off as the fight went on.
A noticeably gassed Mendes struggled to strike with Lentz and reverted back to his early days of takedowns and top control. Where the Team Alpha Male staple has made a career out of pounding out the opposition from top position, he wasn’t active when he had Lentz on the mat.
While his fighting was still effective enough to get the victory, it will be difficult to clearly say Mendes is the top contender in a crowded featherweight upper tier. Resurgent veteran Cub Swanson has been steamrolling the competition as of late and has also won five consecutive bouts.
Fighter fashion is a thing that varies on an individual basis, but Cody McKenzie took a hard left into the failure department for his choice of apparel in his fight with Sam Stout.
Where we’ve seen fighters in the past shuck the heavily clad sponsor shorts in favor of the simple route, the TUF alum took things to a new level of strange by donning a pair of white athletic shorts—complete with pockets—for his tilt with “Hands of Stone.”
To make matters worse, in addition to a sharpie scrawled “907” insignia on his left leg, McKenzie also rocked a price tag in the opening round of the bout. It’s one thing to wear a goofy pair of shorts, but it’s another to forget to take the tag off said goofy pair of shorts when you are fighting on national television.
The Alaskan ultimately came out on the losing end of a unanimous decision in the fight which makes him unsuccessful in four his his last six outings.
Following the bout, Kevin Iole got an explanation of the shorts situation from California State Athletic Commission’s Andy Foster, and it appears McKenzie forget his fight shorts at the hotel and was forced to run across the street and buy a new pair.
All fashion jokes aside, McKenzie is certainly facing a difficult position in light of his loss to the Canadian veteran. He dabbled in featherweight waters for a stint, going 1-1 before returning to lightweight to face Stout at UFC on Fox 9. With both divisions becoming increasingly more competitive, roster spots are difficult to come by, and McKenzie could very well be holding on to his by a thread.
Another element of strange that needs to be noted is how many high-profile bouts the card at UFC on Fox 9 yet still produced an exciting slate of tilts. The event was originally scheduled to be headlined with a lightweight title bout between Anthony Pettis and Josh Thomson before “Showtime” was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.
In addition to 155-pound title action, the card also lost what was potentially the most anticipated matchup on the bill when the guaranteed violence between Carlos Condit and Matt Brown was scratched due to “The Immortal” suffering herniated discs and being forced to step out of the fight.
Losing fights of that caliber certainly could have steam out of the event, but the bouts on the card certainly delivered the goods on Saturday night.
On a final note, where so much has been made of the “Bang Effect” and the impact Duane Ludwig has had on Team Alpha Male, the squad went 2-2 on the night.
Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes found victory—albeit in much different fashion—while Danny Castillo and Joseph Benavidez ended up in the loss column. With Benavidez failing to claim a UFC title and Mendes having a lackluster showing, it will still be a while before one of the best collectives in MMA shake their stigma.
Duane Finley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
In a flash, the rematch was over. UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson made sure Joseph Benavidez caught some Zs at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday night. A mammoth counter right hand left no doubt who the …
In a flash, the rematch was over. UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson made sure Joseph Benavidez caught some Zs at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday night. A mammoth counter right hand left no doubt who the king of the UFC flyweight division is.
The official word wasn’t released just yet, but it is safe to say the champion earned himself KO of the Night honors with this one.
The two had battled back in September 2012 at UFC 152. Johnson won that bout by a split decision to become the first-ever flyweight champion. This time, he didn’t want to wait five rounds for the result, so he finished it early.
Speed is always the key for Johnson, but on Saturday night, he mixed in a little bit of pop and gave fans what they may have been missing from the flyweight champion.
How impressive and unexpected was the early KO? Johnson hadn’t ever stopped an opponent in the first round in the UFC, and it was the first time he’d scored a KO win in three years. In addition to that, it was the first time Benavidez had ever been stopped in his career.
For the early portions of the round, Johnson was content to dash out of the way of Benavidez’s attempts to strike. The champion mixed in a few takedown attempts that the challenger thwarted. In retrospect, Benavidez will probably wish he had allowed himself to be taken down on one of those attempts.
His fate could have been a lot better—or at least the loss would have taken a bit longer to materialize.
Early on, it looked as if Johnson would be able to use his speed and impeccable technique to outwork Benavidez, but he ultimately decided to show us that there is indeed some mighty in that mouse.
Johnson has effectively cleaned out the top portion of the division by beating Benavidez twice, knocking off John Dodson and Ian McCall. Those three fighters are the highest-rated challengers listed at UFC.com.
It will be interesting to see who challenges Johnson next.
As for Benavidez, he has to be at a loss. Where does he go from here having had two shots at the champion and failed in both attempts? He’ll have to go to the end of the line as others rise and try their hand at catching one fast—and apparently strong mouse.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has found a home for the flyweight championship on Fox network television. They won’t call it the flyweight championship, of course, because there exists some sort of existential hang-up with red-blooded American men …
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has found a home for the flyweight championship on Fox network television. They won’t call it the flyweight championship, of course, because there exists some sort of existential hang-up with red-blooded American men viewing guys who are generally smaller than them as inferior.
This is not actually the case 99.99 percent of the time, of course, as the next time a meathead mixed martial arts fan sporting an Affliction shirt actually has the bravery to challenge a 125-pound fighter to a contest of wills will be the first time.
But the Internet makes everyone brave, and perhaps Fox was scared that the football-watching, Bud Light-swigging public wouldn’t dare tune in to see excellent fighters simply because they were smaller. I’ll never understand it, but I don’t have to.
Regardless, the unbelievers among you should be happy with the main event performance from Demetrious Johnson, who turned back Joseph Benavidez with a brutal first-round knockout (followed by at least five or six unneeded punches). It was pure violence, even if it came in a pint-sized XBox One package.
With the loss from Benavidez, I’m left with but one question to ponder: Who is left for Johnson?
As far as I can see, no real contenders remain for the flyweight champion. Benavidez was the last contender—the man whom many once assumed would ascend to the throne when the UFC instituted the new division over a year ago.
Johnson has already vanquished Benavidez twice, John Dodson and John Moraga. The only remaining contenders are Ian McCall and Jussier Formiga. McCall has already lost to Johnson, and Formiga is coming off a loss.
My guess? Former Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky, despite having just one fight in the UFC (a win over Scott Jorgensen), will fight for the title next.
But if we’re being honest with each other—and I hope that we are—I don’t see anyone left in the division right now who can beat Johnson. He is the best flyweight in the world, and unless a fighter moves down from 135 and instantly makes an impact at 125 pounds, he will remain the best for the foreseeable future.
(It was then that Demetrious realized his own head was chilly, and the envy built up inside him, poisonous and overwhelming. / Photo via MMAJunkie)
The UFC is setting up shop at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento this evening, and while injuries have hacked this card down to a hobbling shell of its former self, we’ll still happily tune in to watch the Team Alpha Male crew defend its home turf on network television. On the docket for this evening: Joseph Benavidez takes another crack at reigning flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, local legend Urijah Faber takes on 22-year-old bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald, and Chad Mendes looks for his fifth-straight KO/TKO in the featherweight division against Nik Lentz. Plus, Joe Lauzon and Mac Danzig kick off the broadcast in a battle between a guy who collects a lot of bonus money and a guy with no sponsors.
Handling our liveblog for this evening is Aaron Mandel, who will be banging out round-by-round results from the UFC on FOX 9 main card after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you’re feeling in the comments section.
(It was then that Demetrious realized his own head was chilly, and the envy built up inside him, poisonous and overwhelming. / Photo via MMAJunkie)
The UFC is setting up shop at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento this evening, and while injuries have hacked this card down to a hobbling shell of its former self, we’ll still happily tune in to watch the Team Alpha Male crew defend its home turf on network television. On the docket for this evening: Joseph Benavidez takes another crack at reigning flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, local legend Urijah Faber takes on 22-year-old bantamweight phenom Michael McDonald, and Chad Mendes looks for his fifth-straight KO/TKO in the featherweight division against Nik Lentz. Plus, Joe Lauzon and Mac Danzig kick off the broadcast in a battle between a guy who collects a lot of bonus money and a guy with no sponsors.
Handling our liveblog for this evening is Aaron Mandel, who will be banging out round-by-round results from the UFC on FOX 9 main card after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you’re feeling in the comments section.
Preliminary card results
– Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Edson Barboza def. Danny Castillo via majority decision (29-28 x2, 28-28)
– Bobby Green def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling via TKO, 1:35 of round 2
– Alptekin Ozkilic def. Darren Uyenoyama via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Main Card
We’ve got FOX robots, very small men and 3 guys trying to do it on home turf. Refresh early and often for round-by-round action and leave your comments below.
Joe Lauzon vs. Mac Danzig
Both these lightweights are coming of losses so it’s an important fight for both of their UFC careers.
Round 1- Touch of the gloves to start. Lauzon throwing a few strikes early. Lauzon clinches Danzig and drags him to the ground into half guard. Lauzon working some ground and pound from half guard. Moves to mount and rains down strikes. Lauzon rolls for armbar and goes belly down but Danzig escapes and lands on top in Lauzon’s guard. Butterfly guard from Lauzon working for a sweep, Danzig not doing much. Lauzon throws his legs up for an armbar that is not there but he switches to omoplata and then triangle, well defended by Danzig and they rise to the feet. Good knees and elbows from Danzig in the Thai clinch. Lauzon muscles Danzig down from the clinch and lands in guard. Round ends with Lauzon on top and probably 10-9 Lauzon.
Round 2- Danzig winning the standup in the early going with punches and kicks. They clinch and exchange strikes but not much action. Good body shot and jab from Danzig. Right hand lands for Danzig. Danzig works strikes again from the clinch, some knees from Lauzon. A trip attempt fails for Danzig and Lauzon ends up on top in guard. Large cut on Danzig with blood getting in the eyes from a Lauzon elbow. Lauzon working strikes from on top in guard, being patient. Danzig’s face is entirely covered in blood. Lauzon moves to half guard and works knees into Danzig’s body. Danzig recovers butterfly guard and Lauzon postures up and rains down a large strike and falls into side control and then mount. With ten seconds left he spins for an armbar but Danzig defends. 10-9 Lauzon.
Round 3- Danzig comes out with a flurry of strikes but nothing major lands. Head collision briefly stops the fight, I did not realize that was a thing. Danzig initiating clinches more than I’ve ever seen, they separate and throw strikes, Danzig throwing heavier and landing more. Big elbow and knee from Lauzon and he trips Danzig to the ground. Lauzon in full guard working ground and pound as he moves to half guard. Side control for Lauzon with a crucifix on Danzig’s right arm. Heavy strikes from Lauzon and Danzig is bleeding bad. Elbows from Lauzon as he mounts. Huge elbows from mount for Lauzon as he spins for an arm. He pauses on the arm to rip elbows into Danzig’s body. Lauzon spins too soon and Danzig ends up on top. Lauzon turtles, stands and drives Danzig back down. Lauzon moves to half guard and works knees into side control, some top level top game grappling from Lauzon with big elbows as the fight ends. 10-9 Lauzon and should be his fight.
Joe Lauzon defeats Mac Danzig via unanimous decision, 30-27 x 3
Nik Lentz vs. Chad Mendes
Big cheers for hometowner Mendes, apparently Lentz is huge at 145…
Round 1- Lentz throws first but Mendes blocks. Mendes cracks Lentz with a right that rocks Lentz but he survives the flurry and they get back to striking range. Lentz may have hurt Mendes with a body kick. Lentz gets wobbled again and his knows is bloodied. Lentz whiffs on an uppercut and Mendes takes him down. Lentz escapes back to the feet. Speed of Mendes is apparent as he keeps landing. Lentz comes forward with strikes but Mendes perfectly times a takedown. Lentz successfully defending on the bottom and they are back on the feet. Mendes with another takedown but he has not been able to work any ground and pound. 10-9 Mendes.
Round 2- A few leg kicks from Mendes and Lentz answers. Good jab from Mendes. Right hook and leg kick from Mendes. Rogan thinks Mendes is tired or maybe hurt from round 1 body kick and he is only one strike at a time. Takedown from Mendes again but it is short lived and Lentz works back to the feet. Jab and hook land from Lentz. Takedown from Mendes yet again but Mendes is not doing much much. Lentz elevates and they are back to the feet. Lentz stuffs a takedown but Mendes comes back and hits another one, back on top in guard doing nothing. 10-9 Mendes.
Round 3- Kicks from both fighters to start, nice to the body from Lentz. Lentz clips Mendes and he either slipped or briefly goes down but back to the feet. Mendes shoots in but is stuffed and momentum building for Lentz. Headkick blocked from Mendes and Lentz flurries. Eye poke on Lentz with only a brief pause in the action. Good right hand from Lentz. Mendes briefly gets a takedown but Lentz comes right back up and drills a kick into the body of Mendes. Two more takedowns from Mendes but they are shortlived. Left hand lands from Lentz. Flying knee from Mendes clips Lentz and he goes down and Mendes dives in for a guillotine on top but Lentz is defending. They rise to the feet and the round ends. 10-9 Lentz?
Chad Mendes defeats Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
Apparently Mendes had the cold/flu according to a Dana White tweet which might explain his slightly flat performance. I wouldn’t take much away from Lentz though, he was a game opponent.
Michael McDonald vs. Urijah Faber
This is a good battle between a young stud in McDonald who has already had great early-career success and a fighter in Faber who is into the second half of his career. It should prove a lot about where the bantamweight division is headed, if McDonald is ready for another climb to the top or whether Faber will make a final run.
Round 1- Crowd is seriously pumped for Faber and boos McDonald who has one punch power at 135. Touch of gloves to start. Headkick from Faber into a takedown in first 15 seconds. Faber working strikes while Rogan salivates over McDonald’s guard. McDonald working rubber guard with Faber’s left arm stuck, Faber still working strikes. Good shots from the top from Faber. McDonald tying Faber up and searching for submissions with his legs. Some body shots from Faber and Herb Dean stands them up. Faber dancing around with kicks and shrugs of a clinch takedown from McDonald. Head kick misses from Faber. Big knee from McDonald to the body of Faber. Faber misses with a big windmill right. Good right hand from Faber lands as the round ends followed by a left. 10-9 Faber.
Round 2- Faber dances and fakes but can’t get an early takedown. Left hooks land from both fighters. Faber hits McDonald with a low blow and the action stops. Restart and Faber nails McDonald with a right hand that has him wobbled. McDonald fires back off a Faber head kick and hits Faber pretty hard which makes him reconsider his frenzy. McDonald still unsteady but firing back and lands a good low kick. Headkick grazes Faber but he cracks McDonald with a right and has him in trouble stumbling all over the Octagon. Faber pursues like a wild hyena smelling blood and drops McDonald with more strikes, throws a guillotine on and McDonald taps out. The crowd goes nuts, Rogan goes nuts and McDonald raises the hometown boy’s hand.
Urijah Faber defeats Michael McDonald via guillotine choke, round 2
Champion Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez
It’s time for the rematch of the first flyweight title fight in UFC history which Johnson eeked out in a decision. Benavidez has been on a tear and is fighting at home, should be a great fight and a great test of my touch typing speed skills.
Round 1- Leg kick from Benavidez, and yep, they are both fast as shit! Johnson goes down for a quick breakdancing move and then fails on a takedown attempt. Punches and headkick miss from Benavidez who is more active early with punches and a high amount of kicks. Johnson darting in and out quickly and loads up on a right hand that catches Benavidez flush and puts him out cold. Johnson holds onto his title with his most dominant performance yet.
Champion Demetrious Johnson defeats Joseph Benavidez via KO, round 1
Good nights of fights, capped by the main and co-main events, as it should be. Good night PotatoHeads.
Challenger Joseph Benavidez (19-4) and champion 