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The Good, Bad and Strange from UFC Fight Night 36

One year ago, the UFC’s middleweight division appeared to be a conquered land. Long-reigning king Anderson Silva had made highlight-reel material out of every major contender and was seemingly without competition at 185 pounds.
In light of that situati…

In light of that situation, the pound-for-pound great appeared to be shifting his focus to a superfight with welterweight machine Georges St-Pierre, in a fight that fans had been eager to see for years.

Fast forward one year, and the landscape is completely different. The former champion fell not once but twice to prospect-turned-champion Chris Weidman in 2013, and a host of potential title challengers emerged in a hectic year for the middleweight division.

On Saturday night in Brazil, a collection of top middleweights stepped into the Octagon to make their bid for the next title shot. In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida squared off with former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi. It was touted as a matchup between two of the elite strikers in mixed martial arts, and a technical chess match is exactly what went down.

“The Dragon” used his speed advantage to score points on the former DREAM champion throughout the 25-minute affair. While Mousasi had his moments throughout the fight, the majority of his time inside the cage was spent chasing the always elusive Machida. When the final bell sounded, Machida picked up the unanimous-decision victory and made a great case for a shot at the middleweight title.

Another fighter on the card who has been making a serious case for contention was Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. The Brazilian grappling beast had been a nightmare since coming over from Strikeforce as he made short work of his two previous opponents under the UFC banner.

On Saturday night, “The Alligator” locked up with surging contender Francis Carmont in the co-main event. The Team Tristar fighter had won 11 consecutive bouts coming into his fight with Jacare, including six straight inside the Octagon.

There weren’t many fighters who were lining up to face Souza, and Carmont proved to be a game opponent. While Souza didn’t add the Frenchman to his growing highlight reel, the former Strikeforce champion was able to control the action and take the unanimous-decision victory.

Outside of the two high-profile middleweight tilts on the card, plenty of solid action went down in Brazil on Saturday night. A pair of Brazilian brothers found victory at the end of their individual three-round battles, and two prospects made good in make-or-break fights.

Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC Fight Night 36.

The Good

Machida became a major player in the middleweight division’s title picture when he knocked out Mark Munoz in his debut at 185 pounds last October. In the time since, The Dragon has attempted to hit the fast track to a championship opportunity, and his bout with Mousasi fit that criteria.

Despite the fight being “The Armenian Assassin’s” first showing in the weight class since 2008, Mousasi was recognized as one of the elite strikers in all of mixed martial arts. Their respective styles figured to make for an interesting and technical clash, and that’s what transpired in the main event at UFC Fight Night 36.

Throughout the five-round affair, Machida‘s speed was the biggest factor. The Brazilian karate master has built a reputation for being elusive, but he was on a different level on Saturday night. He stuck Mousasi on the counter and uncharacteristically went on the attack on several occasions.

While Mousasi had his moments, the fight was a showcase of Machida‘s skills.

The interesting thing will be to see what comes next. With Anderson Silva out of the way atop the 185-pound collective, Machida has made no secret of his wish to fight for the title. With Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort set to do battle this summer, the Team Black House fighter might have earned his place in the “next” spot on Saturday night.

Since dropping the Strikeforce middleweight title back in 2011, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has been on a tear. The Brazilian powerhouse picked up three consecutive victories to finish his run with the now defunct San Jose-based promotion and then notched two more wins in his new home under the UFC banner.

With all five victories coming by way of finish—and often times in brutal fashion—talk began to circulate for Souza to get a shot at the middleweight title. With the state of things at 185 pounds, the opportunity to fight for gold could be in his near future, but The Alligator first had to defeat Francis Carmont at UFC Fight Night 36.

While Souza picked up the win over the Tristar trained fighter, Carmont made it a closer fight than many imagined he could. Nevertheless, Souza earned the unanimous-decision victory and raised his winning streak to six consecutive fights.

Although Belfort is slated for the next shot at Weidman‘s middleweight strap, the Brazilian grappling phenom’s win at UFC Fight Night 36 kept him at the contender’s table in the 185-pound division.

There was a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Charles Oliveira coming into UFC Fight Night 36. The 24-year-old had already run the course of being a high-potential prospect as a lightweight, only to be turned back. The hype flared up when he found success in his first two showings as a featherweight, but losses in his next two outings once again put things in jeopardy.

On Saturday night, he was in a must-win situation against Andy Ogle, and “Do Bronx” was game for the challenge. He spent the majority of the first round on the The Ultimate Fighter alum’s back but was unable to secure the submission.

The window of opportunity opened once again in the third, and Oliveira took full advantage as he locked in a fight-ending triangle choke. While a victory over Ogle won’t do much to build momentum, it keeps Oliveira from falling into irrelevancy in the stacked featherweight division.

Another fighter on the card who felt a similar pressure was Brazilian striker Erick Silva. The Team Nogueira standout has been touted in the past as the “next big thing” in the welterweight division, but a pair of setbacks threatened to erase the hype.

The 29-year-old came out on the losing end of a back-and-forth scramble fest against Jon Fitch at UFC 153 in October 2012, but his stock did not suffer a tremendous amount of damage, and he was able to rebuild momentum by earning a victory in his next showing. Yet, whatever he gained by defeating Jason High at UFC on Fuel TV 10 was lost when Dong Hyun Kim knocked him out at UFC Fight Night 29.

Coming into his bout on Saturday night against Takenori Sato, Silva needed an impressive win if he hoped to remain a player in the top half of the welterweight division. That said, he delivered by smashing the promotional newcomer in quick fashion to earn the first-round knockout.

While the victory won’t launch him up into title contention, it keeps his pulse alive in a division that is opening up in the absence of former champion St-Pierre.

The Brazilian crowd loves a good scrap, and that’s what Ildemar Alcantara and Albert Tumenov provided in the second bout on the card. It was a solid back-and-forth battle throughout the 15-minute affair, with each man having his fair share of moments.

When the final bell sounded, the older Alcantara brother emerged victorious via split decision. He has now been successful in three of his four showings in the UFC.

Another bout on the preliminary portion of the card turned out to be an action-packed affair. Iuri Alcantara and Wilson Reis came out of the gates at a fast and furious pace and sustained it until the final bell. Exciting transitions were aplenty on the canvas as both gave their all, but Alcantara picked up the split-decision victory. He has now won two of his three showings at 135 pounds and will remain a major player in the bantamweight fold.

Joe Proctor was looking to make a triumphant return after a lengthy layoff, and he accomplished that task by defeating Cristiano Marcello in the final preliminary bout. The Massachusetts-based fighter put on a solid performance as he outworked the Brazilian grappling ace to pick up the unanimous-decision victory. Joe Lauzon’s friend and training partner has now had his hand raised in two of his three showings since competing on the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The Bad

It is a well-known fact in MMA that you fight until the referee stops the action. As cliche as it sounds, it is a truth inside the cage that things aren’t over until they are over. Viscardi Andrade learned this painful lesson when he squared off with Nicholas Musoke on Saturday night.

The Brazilian laced Musoke with an overhand right in the opening round that crumbled the Swede to the canvas. Rather than pounce on his wounded opponent and pound out the finish, Andrade threw his hands in the air and began to celebrate the victory. After a brief moment, Andrade realized the fight was still going and jumped on top of Musoke, but the 27-year-old had already regained his senses.

Unfortunately for Andrade, the mental mistake would prove costly. Musoke bounced back to win the next two rounds by controlling the action and walked away with the unanimous decision.

While there is no guarantee The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil alum would have secured the stoppage after landing the huge right hand, it was a possibility. That said, Andrade stumbled in the moment and made a mistake that was the catalyst to his seven-fight winning streak coming to an end.

The Strange

The affinity for MMA in Brazil is no secret. The country that is considered to be the birthplace of the sport always turns out when the UFC rolls through. And Saturday night was no different.

While American crowds are prone to showing up in mass by the time the main card kicks off, the Brazilians were already rocking when the prelims got under way. During the first two fights on the card, the Brazilian fighting faithful made their presence known as they rolled through chants and foot stomps that came across loudly on the live stream.

Names are the draw in the U.S., whereas the fans in Brazil come out for any two men who are face-punching inside a cage. While their passionate support doesn’t quite constitute as “strange,” it deserves to be noted somewhere in this column.

The slurs, on the other hand, are not very flattering.

Another issue at UFC Fight Night 36 that was difficult to categorize came in all seven prelim bouts ending in decisions. While I’m not of the “fights have to be finished to be exciting” variety, it is strange to see so many hectic battles play out on the judges’ scorecards.

The decision-heavy trend that the UFC president lambasted immediately following UFC 169 earlier in the month carried over to the first half of UFC Fight Night 36. It took the always submission-savvy Charles Oliveira to provide the first finish of the night on the main card.

Nevertheless, three of the next four bouts on the card went to the judges, which made UFC Fight Night 36 the second consecutive card where at least 10 of the bouts ended in decisions.

On a final note, there needs to be an acknowledgment made on my behalf for Mousasi. I have ribbed the former DREAM champion in the past for his refusal to show emotion, but on Saturday night, he emerged from the walkout tunnel with a smile. Not only that, but he actually interacted with the hostile Brazilian crowd on his way to the cage.

That’s newsworthy action any way you cut it. It was the most curious happening to take place at UFC Fight Night 36.

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

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Machida vs. Mousasi Results: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis from UFC Fight Night

In a packed house and a crazy environment in Arena Jaragua in Brazil, Lyoto Machida defeated Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision to stay perfect in the middleweight division Saturday night during UFC Fight Night 36.
UFC recapped Ma…

UFC recapped Machida‘s dominant win on Twitter:

With two fighters who combined for a 54-7-2 record heading into the contest, you knew a lot of pride would be on the line. That was evident early on, as both fighters came out looking to get into their own very different respective rhythms.

Both fighters distanced themselves from each other in the early goings, as Round 1 was slow. Machida danced around and was able to control the pace, landing a number of punches on the outmatched Mousasi, who looked more interested in keeping up.

Machida landed a huge kick to Mousasi‘s neck and jaw area midway through the second round, and although Mousasi was eventually able to answer, it wasn’t enough to make up for that early blow.

Both fighters never truly settled in until the third round, when Machida was still able to control things with his pacesetting. Mousasi began bleeding heavily from his nose, as Machida was beating him up profusely and running circles around him.

Boiled-over tensions after a slow start to the fight led to Machida attacking Mousasi, taking him down to the canvas. It turned out to be a bad idea for him—Mousasi controlled the battle on the canvas until the end of the period.

In the fifth and final round, Machida looked spent, and constant jabs had his nose bleeding. Mousasi was able to control the pace and bloody up Machida‘s face a bit more down the stretch.

As Fox Sports’ Mike Chiappetta noted, that’s not something that happens often:

But Mousasi‘s resurgence in the final stretches of the bout wasn’t enough to make up for Machida controlling the vast majority of the fight.

There was little question during most of the match that Machida was the man on top, and if there was, it was quelled when he laid a number of punches onto Mousasi in the final seconds. Mousasi may have been able to rebound in the fourth round, but for the four other rounds, it was all Machida.

In the end, there was little doubt when Machida was named the unanimous victor after his lopsided win.

The fight went a full 25 minutes, not all of which were exciting but certainly included a number of hard-hitting, violent moments that left each fighter badly beaten, cut and bruised.

Machida didn’t look dominant for the entire fight. Mousasi certainly battled and brought his best, but Machida simply looked to be controlling the energy and was on the attack for much of the bout.

Saturday’s fight was an unorthodox moment for UFC marketing-wise, putting on a free program for standard cable viewers on Fox Sports 1. Machida-Mousasi was a rare marquee bout on cable TV.

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UFC Fight Night 36: What We Learned from Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi

On a night when the judges earned their pay at UFC Fight Night 36, Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi were tasked with bringing the MMA world back to life after a largely tepid card from Brazil.
With a likely shot at middleweight gold hanging in the bala…

On a night when the judges earned their pay at UFC Fight Night 36, Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi were tasked with bringing the MMA world back to life after a largely tepid card from Brazil.

With a likely shot at middleweight gold hanging in the balance, both men came to do their thing with Machida coming out on top in a tactical delight between two seasoned veterans on Saturday.

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

How it showed the world that the 185-pound edition of Machida is very much for real. Everyone kind of suspected it even before he ever made the weight and his demolition of Mark Munoz did nothing to slow the hype, but beating Mousasi really drove it home.

It’s amazing that he’s still doing it after so many years in the UFC and with his 36th birthday coming up this year, but he is. He might be better than ever.

What We Learned About Lyoto Machida

That he should be next in line for a crack at middleweight gold.

Excluding a highly dubious decision loss to Phil Davis last year, Machida hasn’t lost since 2011, and his performances at middleweight have been both explosive and engaging. He’s fighting a little more aggressive since the Davis loss, and it’s providing more entertaining bouts.

He should be rewarded for that with a chance at the title.

What We Learned About Gegard Mousasi

That he has a ways to go before he’s going to beat the elite of the elite in the UFC.

He’s highly skilled in all facets of the game, but inactivity and questionable training habits have plagued the 28-year-old and it’s a mighty leap to expect him to jump into the fray against former champions and have success.

With his talent and experience the sky is the limit, especially considering that he’s still a ways off from 30, but there’s work to be done.

What’s Next for Machida

Set him up with the winner of Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort in May. Even if he doesn’t want to wait around that long there aren’t many choices out there for him, so it works for everyone to make him the next contender.

What’s Next for Mousasi

If he stays at 185, it would seem logical to pair him with Francis Carmont, UFC Fight Night 36’s other high-profile loser. He’s pretty open to fights at 185 or 205, though, so a scrap with the winner of next month’s Dan Henderson/Shogun Rua rematch might be interesting as a light heavyweight offering.

Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder!

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UFC Fight Night 36 Results: Machida Outpoints Mousasi, Jacare Edges Carmont

(If you squint and look at Machida’s torso, you will see the face of the old wizard who taught his dad karate. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

I’m a glutton for punishment. After being stranded in North Carolina for most of this week due to snowstorms, I finally got back to Michigan yesterday, exhausted and displaying possible flu-like symptoms. I feel jet-lagged even though I never left the Eastern time-zone. That’s what four straight meals at a Marriott bar will do to you.

So it’s Saturday night and I figured, instead of catching up on sleep, why don’t I liveblog a low-level international UFC show with a main card that could drag on well past 1 a.m. ET? I don’t know, man. In another time, I’d probably be self-flagellating.

At least the headliner is a good one; we’ve got Lyoto Machida fighting for a possible middleweight title shot against Gegard Mousasi. Also on the card: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Erick Silva, and Charles Oliveira, all fighting guys you probably don’t care much about. Plus, a fight between Viscardi Andrade and Nicholas Musoke that I won’t even be liveblogging because seriously, who the hell are those guys?

I, BG, will be putting live results from the FOX Sports 1 main card after the jump beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section or via twitter.

(If you squint and look at Machida’s torso, you will see the face of the old wizard who taught his dad karate. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Preliminary card results:
– Joe Proctor def. Cristiano Marcello via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Rodrigo Damm def. Ivan Jorge via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Francisco Trinaldo def. Jesse Ronson via split-decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
– Yuri Alcantara def. Wilson Reis via split-decision (30-27 x 2, 28-29)
– Felipe Arantes def. Maximo Blanco via unanimous decision (29-27 x 3. Blanco was docked a point in round 3 for a groin-kick)
– Ildemar Alcantara def. Albert Tumenov via split-decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
– Zubaira Tukhugov def. Douglas Silva De Andrade via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

I’m praying for a night of first-round knockouts. There’s no way I’ll last to the end, if the broadcast is loaded with video game commercials and the main event goes five rounds. I’m giving myself a hard out at 1:30 a.m. Seriously, even if we’re in the middle of the last round of Machida/Mousasi, I’m going to bed.

Fun fact: The last 14 UFC prelim matches have gone to decision.

Charles Oliveira vs. Andy Ogle

Oliveira is a -650 favorite in this fight? Thank God, we might actually see a stoppage here.

Round 1: Ogle marches forward throwing punches right away. Oliveira clinches and stuffs a knee into Ogle’s ribs, stopping his momentum. Oliveira scores a takedown without much difficulty. Oliveira looks for a head-and-arm choke, but can’t get it. Oliveira takes Ogle’s back. Ogle stands up while backpacked. Oliveira secures a body triangle and works hard for the rear-naked choke. Ogle flips backwards and they’re back on the mat. Oliveira with some punches to Ogle’s temple. Ogle sits up, trying to twist out of the position. Oliveira is undeterred. Oliveira stays active looking for the choke. Ogle has had to play defense for the majority of this round. Ogle tries to escape, Oliveira drags him right back down. Oliveira with an elbow to Ogle’s ribs as the round ends. Easy 10-9 for Oliveira.

Round 2: Ogle strikes first once again, the crowd boos because it seems like Oliveira was trying to touch gloves. Oliveira shoots and misses, shoots again and Ogle winds up in top position after a reversal. Oliveira stands up and gets punched on the way out. Oliveira dashes in and takes Ogle down as the Brit tries to throw leather. Now Ogle stands up. Ogle defends a takedown but Oliveira snatches a guillotine and drops to the mat. Ogle gets out and briefly threatens with a guillotine of his own before Oliveira gets to his feet. The crowd boos a brief stalemate against the cage. Ogle responds by body-slamming Oliveira. Ogle gets on top and fires down an elbow. Oliveira looking for a triangle off his back. Ogle moves to side control, Oliveira stands up, fires a knee to Ogle’s head and takes his back, falling to the mat. There’s the bell. Much closer round. I don’t know, 10-10? Maybe a slight edge to Ogle?

Round 3: Ogle comes in swinging as usual, but Oliveira is ready this time, knocking Ogle down with a punch and following him down to try to finish with a choke. Ogle gets up, and takes Oliveira down from a clinch. Oliveira gets up and they trade punches. Ogle scores with a solid leg kick. Oliveira tries for a takedown but botches it and Ogle gets on top. Oliveira throws some upkicks that seem rather illegal, but there’s no call. Then, he snatches a triangle with Ogle’s arm trapped and Ogle taps immediately. Boom. The no-finish streak is over.

Charles Oliveira def. Andy Ogle via submission (triangle choke), 2:40 of round 3. No time for a post-fight interview — we have a Cormier vs. Cummins hype-segment to get through.

Viscardi Andrade vs. Nicholas “Nico” Musoke

Yeah, this is the fight I’m not liveblogging. I will post the result as soon as it’s over, and if there’s a finish, I’ll link to the GIF or something.

It’s actually not a bad fight. Andrade dropped Musoke in round one, then tried to walk off in a boneheaded display of premature celebration. Musoke almost caught him in a submission like ten seconds later. Oh man, if Musoke pulled it off, the 2014 Fail of the Year Potato Award would have gone to Andrade, guaranteed. The fight had decent moments of brawliness in rounds 2 and 3, but obviously, it went to decision.

Niko Musoke def. Viscardi Andrade via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3).

Erick Silva vs. Takenori Sato

Round 1: Silva apparently has the shortest active fight time among active UFC fighters. Silva lands a hard body kick right away that makes Sato wince. Sato shoots and grabs Silva’s leg in apparent desperation/agony, and Silva slugs him in the head, then jumps up and kicks Sato behind his back with his heel, like a soccer ball. It’s hard to explain, hopefully I’ll find a GIF. Anyway, Sato drags him down, but Silva gets up and jackhammers Sato in the head with punches until Sato goes limp. Silva’s shortest-fight stat is definitely intact.

Erick Silva def. Takenori Sato via KO, 0:52 of round 1.

Oh, and here’s the GIF of Silva’s “hackey-sack” heel-kicks.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Francis Carmont

Round 1: Carmont throws out a very fast front-leg roundhouse. He tries it again and whiffs. Jacare trying hard to get inside. He fires a big overhand right, then lands a spinning back kick. Jacare storms forward and takes Carmont down, then takes his back. Jacare sinks the body-triangle. Jacare working to set up the rear-naked choke, but Carmont defends well. Jacare whips his left arm under Carmont’s neck. Carmont is in huge trouble but he grits it out and escapes. Jacare tries to isolate a wrist. Carmont fires punches behind his head, Jacare’s double-slaps Carmont in the ears. The round ends, 10-9 Souza.

Round 2: Carmont tries a low kick. Souza returns one, then fires a kick high and shoots to clinch. Carmont defends. Jacare slugging now, landing hard to the body and head, and he follows it up with a another spinning heel-kick. Jacare fires his big overhand right. Carmont returns fire and Jacare slips to the mat but pops back up. Carmont with a front kick to the body. Jacare shoots from long range, Carmont defends. They trade punches. Carmont lands a punch combo. Jacare misses a high kick. Carmont lands a jab, a follow-up straight, another jab. Souza lands twice to the body. Carmont throws his arms up, Diaz style.They clinch, Souza gets in a knee and a hook, Carmont lands on the way out. There’s the bell.

Round 3: Nice leg kick from Carmont. Switch kick to the body from Carmont. Jacare fires a right and a left to the body. Carmont swings, Jacare slips under and takes him down. Jacare takes his back and fires down some shots to the side of Carmont’s head. Jacare threatens with a choke, Carmont rolls away. Jacare is smothering Carmont against the fence. Jacare looks for the choke again, can’t find it. Carmont fires punches behind him at Jacare. Jacare is on Carmont’s back and he isn’t going anywhere. Jacare trying once again to finish with a choke, but Carmont defends. They scramble to a sitting position. Carmont still throwing those punches behind his head. Jacare stays on his back to the bell.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Francis Carmont via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)

Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi

Round 1: Mousasi makes first contact with an outside leg kick. Machida gives an inside leg kick back. Machida tries it again and whiffs. Machida lands a solid body kick as Mousasi stalks toward him. Mousasi lands a leg kick, Machida fires some punches in return but doesn’t land. Mousasi tags the leg again. Machida sticks and moves with a left straight. Mousasi dashes in to land a leg kick. Machida nails a counter-punch. Machida throws punches that don’t hand but scores with a body kick. The bell rings. As with most Machida fights, there wasn’t a ton of action in round 1 and it was kind of hard to score.

Round 2: Machida throws a reverse kick. Mousasi with a leg kick. Sharp inside leg kick from Machida. Mousasi with a leg kick. Body kick from Machida. They both fire punches in close. Outside leg kick from Mousasi. Head kick Machida, but Mousasi shrugs it off. Both guys land in a flurry. Mousasi swings and misses. Mousasi lands a body kick. Machida with a quick turning side kick. Mousasi lands a very solid right during a striking exchange. Leg kick Mousasi. Inside leg kick Machida. Mousasi with one more leg kick at the bell.

Round 3: Mousasi lands a left hook. Mousasi shoots, Machida defends and they clinch. Mousasi with a knee to the body. Machida lands a big left straight, and follows it up with a front kick to the body. Machida with that turning side kick again. Machida throws the high left kick again with Mousasi takes on his glove. Machida lands it again. Machida finding his momentum here. Step-in knee from Machida. Mousasi fires punches that mostly miss. Counterpunch from Machida. Machida tries a right elbow. He tries a takedown and is rebuffed. There’s the bell. 10-9 Machida…the clearest round of the fight, so far.

Round 4: Mousasi ducks under a front kick from Machida and takes him down. Machida pops back up immediately. Machida pops in a left hand and dodges the big counter from Mousasi. Machida tries a foot-sweep. Machida trips Mousasi to the mat with authority. Mousasi on top in side control but Mousasi works back into full guard. Mousasi sweeps, and winds up on top in Machida’s guard. Machida tries to set up an omoplata, Mousasi shakes out and fires down an elbow. Machida stands up and Mousasi throws some upkicks, the second of which lands while Machida clearly had his knee down. Mario Yamasaki lets Mousasi off with a warning. The round ends.

Round 5: Inside leg kick Mousasi. Machida storms forward with jabs and a left high kick. Mousasi pops Machida in the face but Machida does a little handstand Capoeira kick that lands to the body. Hard step-in knee from Machida. Mousasi walking forward and swinging. Machida tries a foot-sweep while Mousasi shoots, Machida defends the shot and wins up on top. Machida in guard. Machida jumps to Mousasi’s back. Mousasi rolls out and Machida jumps to his feet then slugs Mousasi in the grill as the round ends.

Lyoto Machida def. Gegard Mousasi via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45 x 2)

By the way, that’s two UFC events in a row featuring 10 decisions.

Machida didn’t have enough time to find the kill shot tonight, but he could find himself with the next middleweight title shot anyway. Do you like his chances against the winner of Weidman vs. Belfort?

G’night Potato Nation, we’ll talk tomorrow…

UFC Fight Night 36: Machida vs. Mousasi Round-by-Round Recap and Analysis

The UFC Fight Night 36 main event is over and done with. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida made good on his status as favorite and took a handy decision over the former Strikeforce champion.
It was a technically marvelous performance by Machida, who subjected…

The UFC Fight Night 36 main event is over and done with. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida made good on his status as favorite and took a handy decision over the former Strikeforce champion.

It was a technically marvelous performance by Machida, who subjected Mousasi to the sort of torment he usually inflicts on his opponents, keeping them permanently out of range and counterstriking them without answer.

While it didn’t have as many spectacular moments as some fights, it was still an excellent performance by Machida, who might just have himself a title shot.

So how did he pull it off? Find out right here!

Begin Slideshow

UFC Fight Night 36: Machida vs. Mousasi Analysis (feat. Roni Taylor)

The UFC’s middleweight division has never been more compelling than it is now. Chris Weidman taking over the throne from longtime champion Anderson Silva has brought forth new light to a division that was previously dominated by one extraordinary…

At UFC 173, Weidman will square off with Vitor Belfort in the New Yorker’s first “post-Silva” title defense, but the next contender could be decided Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 36 in Brazil.

Former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida is all but guaranteed the next title shot if he can get past Gegard Mousasi in the main event.

However, former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza could steal it from the karate specialist in the night’s co-main event if he is victorious. Souza will meet Tristar product Francis Carmont, and it would be tough to deny the Brazilian if he puts the GSP-pupil away.

To help me break down this card, I’ve brought back RedHotVegas.com’s Roni Taylor.

Ciccarelli: Since Chris Weidman dethroned Anderson Silva, the middleweight division has—essentially—been cracked wide open. Weidman will defend his crown against Vitor Belfort at UFC 173 in May in his first post-Silva title defense.

In the meantime, the next No. 1 contender could be crowned this Saturday night in Brazil.

In the main event, No. 4-ranked Lyoto Machida will fight former DREAM and Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi, and in the co-main event, No. 3-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will meet No. 8-ranked Francis Carmont. In your opinion, who do you feel would be most deserving of a title shot, between those four, with a victory on Saturday night?

Taylor: That’s an easy one for me: Gegard Mousasi. I feel that he is one of, if not the most underrated fighter in all of the UFC today. Mousasi is as decorated a fighter as they come as both a former Dream middleweight and light heavyweight champion and also a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.

I mean, have you taken a look at his record? This guy has hammered out 29 of his 34 wins with a finish. Gegard isn’t a man who goes into a fight looking to not lose.

Every fight Mousasi engages in, he brings his deadly Dutch-based kickboxing skills into the cage looking to add to his 18 wins by KO. I personally would love to see him face off with Chris Weidman for the belt.

MC: Besides Weidman, the middleweight division has also seen a breath of fresh air with the emergence of former light heavyweight champion Machida. “The Dragon” made it look easy with his destruction of Mark Munoz this past October in his debut at 185 pounds.

Many analysts are looking at Machida as potentially Weidman’s biggest threat, but he has to get past Mousasi first. How do you see this fight playing out? Do you see Machida scoring another highlight-reel finish on his road to the title, or will we see an upset here?

RT: Look, no disrespect to Mark Munoz, but I don’t think beating him is any indication of Machida’s ability to dethrone Weidman. Lyoto hasn’t exactly been stellar over his last eight fights, dropping half of them with a loss on his record.

While he does offer up a unique challenge for anyone who can’t figure out how to get inside of his karate striking stance, I don’t think Machida has faced a skilled kickboxer like Mousasi so far in his career. Mousasi pulls the upset by out striking the karate kid and notches another TKO on his way to a title fight in 2014.

MC: That’s a bold prediction right there. I think you may be the first person I’ve seen that’s picking Mousasi in this fight. If you’re right and Machida does lose, the next title shot could go to Jacare Souza if he gets by Carmont. Souza has looked like a man possessed ever since coming over to the UFC from Strikeforce.

We already knew that he was an assassin on the ground, but after knocking out Yushin Okami in September, we can see that he has some grenades in his hands as well. Carmont won’t be an easy fight for him, though. The Tristar product is 6-0 in the Octagon and hungry to break the glass ceiling. Who takes the co-main event?

RT: This is a tough one. Yes, Jacare has been very impressive as of late, but Carmont is a dark horse for sure. Keep in mind that 6-0 is only in the UFC, with an actual total of 11 straight wins.

Carmont has the size and reach advantage, and if he can keep Souza at a distance and pick him apart with a stiff jab, I think Francis has a good chance of winning a decision. If, on the other hand, Carmont can’t manage to stay off the ground, the alligator might just take another victim.

MC: Regardless of how the fights play out, out of the four middleweights in the two main events, who do you feel would have the best chance of stopping the new middleweight champion? Obviously we can’t look past Belfort, but assuming Weidman beats him, do you think one of these fighters could do any better?

RT: No need to think about this one: Mousasi. His incredible striking coupled with his high-level judo skills pose a nasty combination for anyone, including the current champion, Weidman. I’ll say it again, I really think Gegard is underrated, and he is going to prove as much when he steps into the Octagon on Saturday.

MC: Besides the two main events, does anything else stand out to you about this card? There’s not a whole lot of big names, but there are a few notables. Guys like Erick Silva, Charles Oliveira, Iuri Alcantara and Maximo Blanco are always fun to watch. Which undercard fight are you most looking forward to?

RT: To tell you the truth, I am not too knowledgeable about a lot of the guys on the card, with the focus obviously being on Brazilians. I definitely need to do my research and get to know these amazing fighters a little better so I can speak to them.

Of the ones that I do know, I am most looking forward to Erick Silva fighting again. He is the biggest betting favorite on the whole card and a super-exciting fighter to watch. I don’t see this one making it out of the first round. I suppose the only thing we don’t know is whether Erick wins by submission or KO in the first.

For more of Roni Taylor’s MMA insight, follow her on Twitter @RoniTaylor and @RedHotVegas1

Mitch Ciccarelli is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and co-host of Alchemist Radio. He is also a United States Airman. Follow him on Twitter @MitchCiccarelli.

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