June features six major MMA cards, and we have already seen one of those pass. If UFC Fight Night 68 is any indication, we may be in for a wild ride this month.
Ten of the 12 bouts from UFC Fight Night 68 were finished, and many in spectacular fashion….
June features six major MMA cards, and we have already seen one of those pass. If UFC Fight Night 68 is any indication, we may be in for a wild ride this month.
Ten of the 12 bouts from UFC Fight Night 68 were finished, and many in spectacular fashion. Joe Proctor had a slick guillotine over Justin Edwards, Shawn Jordan pulled out a hook kick on Derrick Lewis and Francisco Rivera flattened Alex Caceres in 21 seconds. And the night was just half over by that time.
Anthony Birchak, Brian Ortega and Dustin Poirier all still had incredible KO/TKO performances remaining, and if you thought the action was over, you were wrong. Ben Rothwell surprised in more ways than one with an entertaining promo following his win to lead into the main event—a main event where Dan Henderson finished Tim Boetsch in just 28 seconds.
June started off on the right foot for fight fans.
The UFC still has three events to go this month, and Bellator chimes in with two of their own. There is to be a lot of televised fisticuffs in the sixth month of 2015. And plenty of gold is up for grabs as well.
Here are your can’t-miss scraps for the remainder of June.
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 has certainly been an odd season of the long-running reality series, and the Finale is not looking to buck that trend.
According to a report from Adriano Albuquerque and Raphael Marinho at Combate (which was confirmed by&…
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 has certainly been an odd season of the long-running reality series, and the Finale is not looking to buck that trend.
According to a report from Adriano Albuquerque and Raphael Marinho at Combate (which was confirmed by MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz), the event will take place in Miami, Florida, and will be headlined by a middleweight bout between LyotoMachida and Yoel Romero.
The event was initially slated to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but has been moved for unknown reasons. The card’s original headline bout, a welterweight tilt between Rick Story and Erick Silva, has been downgraded to the co-main event. Romero vs. Machida is a critical middleweight bout between two top-tier talents heading in different directions.
The Dragon is set to make one of the fastest turnarounds of his UFC career. Fresh off a two-round thrashing at the hands of Luke Rockhold in April, the former light heavyweight champ desperately needs a win in order to reassert himself as a top 185-pound talent.
Romero, an Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling, is no easy out. Since joining the UFC, Romero is a perfect 5-0 (9-1 in his career), with his most recent win being his controversial third-round knockout of Tim Kennedy. Romero has struggled to return to the cage, twice having bouts with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza fall apart (once due to Souza coming down with pneumonia, the other due to Romero suffering a knee injury). Still, with his heavy hands and powerful wrestling, he can’t be counted out of any fight.
In addition to Machida vs. Romero and Story vs. Silva, the card will also feature the season’s lightweight and bantamweight finals, a light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Marcos Rogerio de Lima, and a welterweight fight between Lorenz Larkin and Santiago Ponzinibbio.
So who takes this one, MMA fans? Will Machida return to form or will Romero climb his way into the title picture?
If nothing else, Saturday night’s loss to Luke Rockhold at UFC on Fox 15 signaled another sharp downturn for Lyoto Machida.
During the first one minute, 15 seconds of their main event fight, we got to see Machida at his best. He came out of his c…
If nothing else, Saturday night’s loss to Luke Rockhold at UFC on Fox 15 signaled another sharp downturn for LyotoMachida.
During the first one minute, 15 seconds of their main event fight, we got to see Machida at his best. He came out of his corner bouncing on his toes, firing off combinations and circling away as Rockhold plodded forward. He connected with a hard right, made the American miss and landed another pair of punches that drew a characteristic “Oh! Oh!” from color commentator Joe Rogan.
For a few fleeting moments it seemed like this could be Machida’s fight. Then came Rockhold’s sweeping, off-target right and the slip/knockdown/stumble that put the former light heavyweight champion down on the canvas.
He never really recovered. Badly hurt by an elbow to the side of the head at the end of the first, he began the second looking like a bad carbon copy of himself. From there, he was easy pickings, and the end result was an impressive, statement victory by Rockhold.
After it was over, and the American stood discussing the particulars of his submission win with Rogan, Machida stayed in the shot. He hadn’t left the cage, and you could see him pacing around in the background, gloves off, his hands on his hips. One brief look at the expression on his face and it crossed our minds that a retirement announcement could be imminent.
But that announcement never came.
Machidadidn’t get the chance to get on the mic. The UFC on Fox 15 broadcast was already running late, so only Rockhold got to speak his mind. Afterward, Machida skipped the postfight press conference in favor of a trip to the hospital. As of this writing, we still don’t know what is in his head or in his heart.
Two things seem obvious, though.
First, a month or so shy of turning 37 he’s probably never going to be UFC champion again. Barring injury to a slew of top challengers—Rockhold, JacareSouza, Yoel Romero—it appears unlikely he’ll ever even get another chance to be No. 1 contender.
Second, and despite that bad news, he’s still a very good fighter. He could still probably beat many Top 10 opponents in either the middleweight or light heavyweight divisions.
The question is, is that good enough to keep him going?
It was just four months ago that he polished off CB Dollaway via 62-second TKO at UFC Fight Night 58. That victory seemed to establish a clear line of demarcation in the 185-pound class and place Machida squarely on the elite side of things.
Of his six career losses, four of them came against current, former or ascendant UFC champions. The other two were to former Strikeforce champ Rockhold—who’s about to get his chance to claim UFC gold—and Phil Davis, who is a shoo-in now to become Bellator 205-pound champ after crossing the aisle to the smaller company last week.
All in all, not too shabby of a resume.
Regardless of what happens during Chris Weidman’s upcoming title defense against VitorBelfort at UFC 187, Machida will have no shortage of big future fight opportunities.
Rockhold is waiting in the wings to get the winner, but somebody has to lose that championship bout too. The Dragon could very easily be around to scoop up the scraps. Very few fans would argue with Machida vs. Belfort, or a rematch with Weidman, if that’s how things shake out.
He’d also make a compelling next opponent for Michael Bisping, no matter what happens during Bisping’s fight against Dollaway on Saturday at UFC 186.
He could even fight Souza, assuming the UFC makes it official that Rockhold will nab the next shot at the 185-pound strap.
But any way it goes down, we’ve reached a point in Machida’s career where we must expect some sort of diminishing returns. For years, his fighting strategy has been dependent on mobility, elusiveness and his own cat-like quickness. He hasn’t taken a ton of damage en route to a 22-6 career record, but his doesn’t seem like a style that’s going to age particularly well.
His drop to middleweight invigorated him during 2013-14, when he won back-to-back fights over Mark Munoz and GegardMousasi in convincing fashion. But in his last two losses—to Weidman and Rockhold—he’s been up against foes who were able to handle what he dished out on the feet and took him to the ground when they needed to do it.
Against Weidman, Machida found his legs late and mustered a strong challenge during the final two rounds but came up short on all three judges’ scorecards.
At this point, we’re left with a view of him as a once-great fighter in decline. He’s probably slipped a step behind the true top challengers in the division, and it seems as though things will get no better for him the longer he pushes on.
He’s still clearly got a lot to give, but until we hear from him, we won’t know how long he’s willing to go on. Or how much we want him to sacrifice.
UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold always looked incredible on paper, but few would have expected its impact on three separate divisions. Yes, three out of the four favourites on the main card won, but the manner in which they dominated their opponents was completely unexpected. There’s a new pecking order laid out and more entries in Dana White’s proverbial mix than a Girl Talk setlist (Is he still cool? No? OK, that’s what I thought).
With so much fresh blood in the water, let’s take a look at the most logical next fights for our main card competitors.
UFC on FOX: Machida vs. Rockhold always looked incredible on paper, but few would have expected its impact on three separate divisions. Yes, three out of the four favourites on the main card won, but the manner in which they dominated their opponents was completely unexpected. There’s a new pecking order laid out and more entries in Dana White’s proverbial mix than a Girl Talk setlist (Is he still cool? No? OK, that’s what I thought).
With so much fresh blood in the water, let’s take a look at the most logical next fights for our main card competitors.
Luke Rockhold – Should fight: Weidman-Belfort winner
Does “Jacare” deserve a title shot? Absolutely. But when you stack up his last 4 wins (Camozzi, Mousasi, Carmont, Okami) against Rockhold’s (Machida, Bisping, Boetsch, Philippou) it’s obvious who is more deserving. Even beyond strength of record, no one has crushed Machida like that other than Jon Jones. Not even Weidman. Luke Rockhold against either Weidman or Belfort is a compelling matchup and one that will have fight fans frothing.
Machida had a terrible night. Maybe age has finally caught up to him, or perhaps Rockhold is just that good. Either way Lyoto deserves another reset fight similar to his bout against Dollaway. Tim Kennedy might be tempted out of his self-imposed exile for a bout against a former champ and if Bisping knocks himself out somehow and loses to Dollaway, that matchup could still headline an event despite the losing streaks.
Souza is a deserving contender with a lengthy win streak, but he still needs another marquee name to really make his case. A fight against the #6 ranked Yoel Romero isn’t dangerous enough to risk his spot in line but a win would put the cherry on top of an assured title shot. Third times the charm right?
You have to admit, the guy’s got balls. What he doesn’t have, is much of a chance against anybody but the lower tier of the middleweight division. Tom Watson is in a similar place with a 3-3 UFC record and shaky standing in the weight class. A loser leaves town fight should bring the best out of both of them.
Max Holloway – Should Fight: Winner of Lentz-Oliveira
Perhaps the most surprising performance of UFC on FOX 15 came from the young Hawaiian Holloway. Not only did he upset the #5 ranked Swanson, but he destroyed him. Max has always been a developing prospect, but appears to have turned the corner towards contention. A bout against Mendes seems rushed, but he should definitely be fighting top 10 opponents from here on out. Lentz and Oliveira are expected to fight at the end of May. The winner should face Holloway.
Cub Swanson – Should Fight: No one. (broken jaw/hand)
Not only did Cub leave Jersey with a broken jaw and hand, but he may have shattered his fighting spirit too. Two lop-sided drubbings in a row can really mess with your psyche. Some time off to heal and grow would be beneficial.
It wasn’t long ago that pundits were calling Rose Namajunas the ‘strawweight Ronda Rousey’, perhaps they picked the wrong young, attractive woman. Van Zant isn’t the next Rousey, but what she does have in common with the bantamweight champ is a ferocious intensity that has carried her into the top ten in just two UFC fights. A bout against the 23 year-old Maryna Moroz, who just upset Joanne Calderwood would be a hell of a lot of fun and create an instant contender.
Speaking of Calderwood, Jo-Jo would make a great next opponent for Felice Herrig. Both women suffered bad losses to young rookies and desperately need a win to stay in the elite class. They haven’t fought before (either on TUF or in competition), which is a rarity in this division, and it’s a great stylistic matchup and easy main card fight.
Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.
UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.
Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.
UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.
Souza vs. Camozzi
If you were a fan of Souza vs. Camozzi 1, then boy would you have loved the second! Why? IT WAS THE EXACT SAME THING. “Jacare” peppered Camozzi on the feet, took him down, and submitted with an armbar in a minute less than it took him the first time. It was…upsetting to watch — like seeing a turtle struggling to flip itself over in the Nevada sun. Though hearing Dana White go from “Camozzi is a warrior!” to “K bro I’m out” in under 3 minutes almost made this slaughter worth watching.
Holloway vs. Swanson
Perhaps the most surprising performance of the night went to Max Holloway, a gifted prospect who many thought was just a year or so behind being able to hang with a veteran like Cub Swanson. They were wrong. Holloway appeared to be at least 2 steps ahead of Swanson from the very start, battering the former WEC star with a diverse offensive attack that Swanson simply could not compare with. After punishing Swanson with a series of body shots in the third, Holloway snatched onto a lightning quick mounted guillotine that forced Swanson to tap. The beauty of Holloway’s performance was only overshadowed by Swanson’s litany of injuries.
VanZant vs. Herrig
Speaking of dominant showings, Paige VanZant, everybody. At 21 years old, “12 Gauge” has already been dubbed as the future of the women’s strawweight division by some, and Saturday night’s performance proved that it isn’t only because of her looks. After an early misstep (WHY WITH THE HEAD & ARM THROW, LADIES. WHY?!!!), Van Zant looked damn near flawless against the always tough Felice Herrig, brutalizing her in the clinch and on the ground from bell to bell. VanZant has the world in her hands, it seems, but let’s hope the UFC doesn’t drink too much of the Kool-Aid for now. As good as she is, it’ll be awhile before Van Zant will be able to handle the likes of Joanna Champion.
Check out the full UFC on FOX 15 results below.
Main card
Luke Rockhold def. Lyoto Machida via submission (rear-naked choke)
Jacare Souza def. Chris Camozzi via submission (armbar)
Max Holloway def. Cub Swanson via submission (guillotine)
Paige VanZant def. Felice Herrig via unanimous decision
Undercard
Beneil Dariush def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision
Ovince St. Preux def. Patrick Cummins via first-round TKO
Gian Villante def. Corey Anderson via third-round TKO
Aljamain Sterling def. Takeya Mizugaki via submission (arm triangle)
Tim Means def. George Sullivan via submission (arm triangle)
Diego Brandao def. Jimy Hettes via first-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage)
Chris Dempsey def. Eddie Gordon via split decision
Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.
UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.
Heading into last weekend’s stacked UFC on FOX 15 card, headliners Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold were being given little more than a coin flip’s chance against one another in their middleweight #1 contender match. But once the cage door closed, it was another story entirely. Rockhold dominated Machida — a guy who had looked nearly untouchable himself since dropping to 185 lbs — in every aspect of the game (but especially on the ground) en route to a second round submission. Physically, Rockhold appeared as if he was fighting down a weight class, a facet made all the more confounding when you consider that he was facing a former light-heavyweight champion.
UFC on FOX 15 was a “changing of the guard” card in many respects, with the biggest prospects (Sterling, Holloway, VanZant) going a perfect 3-0 over veterans of the game. It was also a night that finally closed the book on whether or not we should permanently erase TUF 19 from our memories. (Hint: Yes, yes we should.). So join us after the jump for all the highlights and a full list of results.
Souza vs. Camozzi
If you were a fan of Souza vs. Camozzi 1, then boy would you have loved the second! Why? IT WAS THE EXACT SAME THING. “Jacare” peppered Camozzi on the feet, took him down, and submitted with an armbar in a minute less than it took him the first time. It was…upsetting to watch — like seeing a turtle struggling to flip itself over in the Nevada sun. Though hearing Dana White go from “Camozzi is a warrior!” to “K bro I’m out” in under 3 minutes almost made this slaughter worth watching.
Holloway vs. Swanson
Perhaps the most surprising performance of the night went to Max Holloway, a gifted prospect who many thought was just a year or so behind being able to hang with a veteran like Cub Swanson. They were wrong. Holloway appeared to be at least 2 steps ahead of Swanson from the very start, battering the former WEC star with a diverse offensive attack that Swanson simply could not compare with. After punishing Swanson with a series of body shots in the third, Holloway snatched onto a lightning quick mounted guillotine that forced Swanson to tap. The beauty of Holloway’s performance was only overshadowed by Swanson’s litany of injuries.
VanZant vs. Herrig
Speaking of dominant showings, Paige VanZant, everybody. At 21 years old, “12 Gauge” has already been dubbed as the future of the women’s strawweight division by some, and Saturday night’s performance proved that it isn’t only because of her looks. After an early misstep (WHY WITH THE HEAD & ARM THROW, LADIES. WHY?!!!), Van Zant looked damn near flawless against the always tough Felice Herrig, brutalizing her in the clinch and on the ground from bell to bell. VanZant has the world in her hands, it seems, but let’s hope the UFC doesn’t drink too much of the Kool-Aid for now. As good as she is, it’ll be awhile before Van Zant will be able to handle the likes of Joanna Champion.
Check out the full UFC on FOX 15 results below.
Main card
Luke Rockhold def. Lyoto Machida via submission (rear-naked choke)
Jacare Souza def. Chris Camozzi via submission (armbar)
Max Holloway def. Cub Swanson via submission (guillotine)
Paige VanZant def. Felice Herrig via unanimous decision
Undercard
Beneil Dariush def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision
Ovince St. Preux def. Patrick Cummins via first-round TKO
Gian Villante def. Corey Anderson via third-round TKO
Aljamain Sterling def. Takeya Mizugaki via submission (arm triangle)
Tim Means def. George Sullivan via submission (arm triangle)
Diego Brandao def. Jimy Hettes via first-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage)
Chris Dempsey def. Eddie Gordon via split decision
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 has certainly been an odd season of the long-running reality series, and the Finale is not looking to buck that trend.
