A thrilling night of action at BKFC 22 is in the books as Miami, Florida, hosted the heated rivalry between MMA veteran Hector Lombard and Lorenzo Hunt, which was warmed up by the ten previous fights that went down beforehand. It was always destined that Lombard and Hunt would meet inside the ropes and trade […]
It was always destined that Lombard and Hunt would meet inside the ropes and trade leather after their viral confrontation at BKFC 18. Following Hector Lombard’s victory over Joe Riggs, Lorenzo Hunt proceeded to bull-rush into the ring. He confronted Lombard, which resulted in the former Bellator MMA champion throwing a combination at Hunt.
The bad blood spilled into the BKFC 22 main event, giving Bare Knuckle boxing enthusiasts the entertainment they paid for.
Lombard and Hunt got after it right from the off-set, throwing with bad intentions, giving each other no time to settle into the fight.
After the chaos calmed, Hunt was able to download the data of Lombard, utilizing his lead hand to gauge the distance and capitalise on his reach advantage. Which lead to the thirty-nine-year-old wearing on the scar tissue of Lombard, landing multiple clean shots resulting in several cuts. Hector Lombard’s experience was on display as he stayed in the fight, continued to walk forward, and landed heavy shots of his own. In the end, it wasn’t enough as the judges settled the bad blood crediting Lorenzo Hunt with a unanimous decision victory, recording his sixth win as a Bare Knuckle boxer, and capturing the BKFC cruiserweight championship.
"I was able to weather the storm with pure perseverance and heart that my mother & father gave me. Two crazy people, they put 'em together and made a third crazy motherfucka!" -Lorenzo Hunt pic.twitter.com/hMpD2UEmIZ
It’s no secret that UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is the biggest star in MMA these days. Even though he’s currently chasing his long-rumored boxing super fight with Floyd Mayweather, “The Notorious” has undoubtedly changed the face of MMA since debuting with the promotion. After all, the Irish megastar is the only UFC competitor to […]
It’s no secret that UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is the biggest star in MMA these days. Even though he’s currently chasing his long-rumored boxing super fight with Floyd Mayweather, “The Notorious” has undoubtedly changed the face of MMA since debuting with the promotion.
After all, the Irish megastar is the only UFC competitor to hold two titles in two weight classes simultaneously, a feat he accomplished by dominating former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez via second-round TKO in the main event of last November’s UFC 205. McGregor has won nine of his 10 fights in the octagon, finishing his opponent in eight of those, with his only decision win coming against Nate Diaz in a record-setting rematch to avenge his only UFC loss at last August’s UFC 202.
Things are obviously beyond great for “The Notorious” right now, as he holds the balance of the MMA world in his hands. But it wasn’t always like that, however, as the former plumber was once on welfare and considering whether or not he should even continue his MMA career at one point. That all changed when he made what turned out to be a historic UFC debut at UFC on Fuel 9 against TUF veteran Marcus Brimage back in April 2013.
History – although it wasn’t known at the time – would be made when McGregor finished off Brimage with shocking ease, using his pinpoint power striking to send “The Bama Beast” packing only 1:07 into the first round. It would turn out to be one of if not the most pivotal debuts in MMA history. Relive his historic debut knockout here:
“The Notorious” would go on to face current UFC interim featherweight champion Max Holloway, who will face champion Jose Aldo in the main event of this weekend’s UFC 212 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in his next bout, winning a one-sided unanimous decision but tearing his ACL in the process.
When he returned almost a year later, history was about to made when McGregor reeled off consecutive KO wins over Diego Brandao, Dustin Poirier, and Dennis Siver to lock up a title shot versus then-champion Jose Aldo at July 2015’s UFC 189. Aldo was forced out with a rib injury following an exhausting 10-city world tour to promote the fight, but McGregor secured his first UFC belt nonetheless when he met former title challenger Chad Mendes on the massive card.
From there, McGregor finally faced rival Aldo at UFC 194, knocking out the dominant longtime champion with a jaw-dropping shot in 13 seconds. The win cemented his status as MMA’s biggest star (perhaps alongside then-women’s bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey), and he attempted to make more history when he was booked against former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in his next bout.
When “RDA” pulled out with a foot injury, even more history was made when McGregor faced late replacement Nate Diaz at March 2016’s UFC 196, losing his first UFC bout by submission in a massive upset. But the loss re-motivated McGregor to avenge the defeat, which he did at the aforementioned UFC 202 last summer.
The rest is history, they say, as McGregor stopped Alvarez to win his second title and now stands as the UFC’s most important star – even if his next fight will transpire in a boxing ring.
“The Next Jon Jones” he may not be, but undefeated bantamweight Cody “No Love” Garbrandt is one of the more promising prospects to be scooped up by the UFC in recent years. On Saturday, it was announced that the Team Alpha Male standout had signed with promotion and would face Marcus Brimage at UFC 182 in January, which is not exactly a cakewalk for any up-an-comer (not named Conor McGregor).
Despite holding a professional record of just 5-0, Garbrandt will bring a ton of experience into his UFC debut. A boxer since the age of 14 with a 32-1 record, Garbrandt also made waves on the mat while in high school, eventually earning an invite to wrestle at the University of Michigan. After transitioning to MMA in 2009, “No Love” racked up a 4-2 amateur record before turning pro just two years ago and has stopped all five of his opponents with strikes in the time since (four of those in the first round).
BloodyElbow’s Zane Simon has done a great little writeup on Garbrandt that we’d highly recommend you check out, but in the meantime, join us after the jump to see his most recent fight against Charles Stanford.
(via Met Con Photos.)
“The Next Jon Jones” he may not be, but undefeated bantamweight Cody “No Love” Garbrandt is one of the more promising prospects to be scooped up by the UFC in recent years. On Saturday, it was announced that the Team Alpha Male standout had signed with promotion and would face Marcus Brimage at UFC 182 in January, which is not exactly a cakewalk for any up-an-comer (not named Conor McGregor).
Despite holding a professional record of just 5-0, Garbrandt will bring a ton of experience into his UFC debut. A boxer since the age of 14 with a 32-1 record, Garbrandt also made waves on the mat while in high school, eventually earning an invite to wrestle at the University of Michigan. After transitioning to MMA in 2009, “No Love” racked up a 4-2 amateur record before turning pro just two years ago and has stopped all five of his opponents with strikes in the time since (four of those in the first round).
BloodyElbow’s Zane Simon has done a great little writeup on Garbrandt that we’d highly recommend you check out, but in the meantime, join us after the jump to see his most recent fight against Charles Stanford.
So yeah, the kid can bang.
Then again, Marcus Brimage is no stranger to playing the role of spoiler. In back-to-back appearances in 2012, “The Bama Beast” derailed the Jimy Hettes and Maximo Blanco hype trains via hard fought decisions despite being a massive underdog heading into both contests. His most recent appearance – a first round head kick KO over Jumabieke Tuerxun at Fight Night 55 — also proved that he is the kind of fighter who will throw caution to the wind in pursuit of a finish. So tell me, Nation, will Brimage put a damper on yet another prospects title hopes, or do you think Garbrandt is the real deal?
With some of the promotion’s most crowd-pleasing stars returning to action in the near future, the UFC has released a bunch of classic fights to hype up their appearances.
First up: Donald Cerrone‘s comeback knockout of Melvin Guillard at UFC 150 in August 2012, in which Cowboy gets battered around the cage for a minute before stunning Guillard with a head-kick and finishing the job with a right cross. The 76-second performance earned Cerrone an extra $120,000 in Fight of the Night/Knockout of the Night bonuses. He returns to the cage this Wednesday against Jim Miller at UFC Fight Night 45 in Atlantic City. Set your DVRs, folks.
With some of the promotion’s most crowd-pleasing stars returning to action in the near future, the UFC has released a bunch of classic fights to hype up their appearances.
First up: Donald Cerrone‘s comeback knockout of Melvin Guillard at UFC 150 in August 2012, in which Cowboy gets battered around the cage for a minute before stunning Guillard with a head-kick and finishing the job with a right cross. The 76-second performance earned Cerrone an extra $120,000 in Fight of the Night/Knockout of the Night bonuses. He returns to the cage this Wednesday against Jim Miller at UFC Fight Night 45 in Atlantic City. Set your DVRs, folks.
In honor of Conor McGregor‘s long-awaited return to the Octagon this Saturday in Dublin against Diego Brandao, here’s his UFC debut last April, in which he smoked Marcus Brimage in just over a minute.
(Alistair Overeem wielding Mjolnir / Photo via Getty)
Sometimes fans need more to remember a fighter by than just a performance or a gimmick. They need an accessory to associate that fighter with–and the very best fighters understand this and know how to accessorize.
We brainstormed at Castle CagePotato as to what accessory was the greatest of all time. After several thought-sessions ended in magic ice cream binges and Martin Luther cosplay sessions, we decided to just list off all the best ones rather than just decide which one among them was the best:
(Alistair Overeem wielding Mjolnir / Photo via Getty)
By the CagePotato Staff
Sometimes fans need more to remember a fighter by than just a performance or a gimmick. They need an accessory to associate that fighter with–and the very best fighters understand this and know how to accessorize.
We brainstormed at Castle CagePotato as to what accessory was the greatest of all time. After several thought-sessions ended in magic ice cream binges and Martin Luther cosplay sessions, we decided to just list off all the best ones rather than just decide which one among them was the best:
(This 4th of July weekend, let’s declare our independence from “Machida drinks pee-pee” jokes. #cagepotatoban / Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting.com)
When UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva last July, fans called it a fluke. When Weidman snapped Silva’s leg by checking a kick in their rematch, fans called it a fluke again. Tonight at UFC 175 in Las Vegas, Weidman has the opportunity to prove that his title reign is the real deal when he takes on Lyoto Machida, who could become just the third fighter in UFC history to win a belt in two different weight classes.
Fresh off his liveblog of the last UFC PPV (sorry about that, dude), our friend Barry “Bear” Siragusa is BACK in the saddle agaaaain, and will be posting round-by-round results from the “Weidman vs. Machida” pay-per-view broadcast after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma. Thanks for coming.
(This 4th of July weekend, let’s declare our independence from “Machida drinks pee-pee” jokes. #cagepotatoban / Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting.com)
When UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva last July, fans called it a fluke. When Weidman snapped Silva’s leg by checking a kick in their rematch, fans called it a fluke again. Tonight at UFC 175 in Las Vegas, Weidman has the opportunity to prove that his title reign is the real deal when he takes on Lyoto Machida, who could become just the third fighter in UFC history to win a belt in two different weight classes.
Fresh off his liveblog of the last UFC PPV (sorry about that, dude), our friend Barry “Bear” Siragusa is BACK in the saddle agaaaain, and will be posting round-by-round results from the “Weidman vs. Machida” pay-per-view broadcast after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma. Thanks for coming.
UFC 175 preliminary card results
– Kenny Robertson def. Ildemar Alcantara via unanimous decisions (30-26 x 3)
– Bruno Santos def. Chris Camozzi via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
– Rob Font def. George Roop via KO (Punch) at 2:19 of round one.
– Luke Zachrich def. Guilherme Vasconcelos via unanimous decision (30-27×2 29-28).
– Kevin Casey Def. William “Bubba” Bush via KO (elbows) at 1:01 of round one.
Please stand by…
Hi again folks. “Back in the saddle” is right and boy was I Saddle Sore after that last one. I haven’t seen that many decisions since… well… ever. As much fun as UFC 174 was, let’s move on and try and forget the soul crushing decision-i-ness of that card and look forward to UFC 175. Weidman vs. Machida just may be the best fight this year (We’ll see what Hunt vs. Nelson and Brown vs. Lawler look like). Rousey vs. Davis will either be the biggest upset since the beginning of time if Davis wins, or a “makes you uncomfortable but you can’t look away” mauling. The sort that Rousey fans have come to love. I’m banking on the latter.
P.S. I know the Urijah Faber vs. Alex Caceres fight is part of the prelims but, I don’t care. It’s a main card caliber fight.
Let’s do this.
First up:
Urijah Faber vs. Alex Caceres
Alex Caceres (10-5-1 MMA) Was a contestant on season 12 of TUF. He is currently the #13 ranked Bantamweight. His most recent fight was a win, FOTN, and Submission of the Night against Sergio Pettis. Faber will be the first top 10 opponent Caceres has faced.
Urijah Faber (30-7 MMA) is currently the #2 Bantamweight fighter in the world and founder of Team Alfa Male (home of current Bantamweight champ. T.J. Dillashaw). Former WEC featherweight Champ and KOTC Bantamweight Champ. Faber lost to Renan Barao at UFC 169 in a fight for the UFC Bantamweight Championship in what many consider a early stoppage by referee Herb Dean.
Round 1:
Caceres looking confident during the walkout. Goldie agrees, says “confident” 5 times. Faber looks relaxed and pumped up. T.J. Dillashaw in the background looking on. Caceres has a huge reach advantage.
Faber gets a takedown almost immediately. Caceres back up instantly. They grapple and spin around the octagon before coming to rest against the fence with Faber on the outside. A nice right hand by Caceres, Faber goes after him and Caceres shoulder rolls away. Faber chases and gets the takedown. Faber with some brutal rights to the body. Faber dropping elbows into Caceres ribs. A nice elbow to Caceres’s face. Big right over the top from inside the guard by Faber. Caceres is defending but eating some nasty elbows. Caceres gets his feet against the fence. Faber picks him up and slams him down. Faber still on top. Caceres is not panicing but doesn’t seem to have an answer, Faber is just putting on a G&P demo. Careres connects with an ax kick from his back and gets his feet as the buzzer sounds.
Round 2:
Faber connects with a big overhand right to start the round and follows up with a takedown in the middle of the cage. Careres has control of Fabers hand and gets to his feet. Caceres attacks and pushes Faber against the fence. Caceres backs off and connects with a solid punch that rocks Faber. Faber rushes him and takes him down but Caceres is quickly back up on his feet. They clinch against the fence and Caceres gets the reversal still against the fence. They rest briefly and Faber takes Caceres down, Caceres pops right back up. Amazing resilience… High kick attempt by Careres. Faber throws a sloppy overhand right. Caceres attempts a spinning round kick and Faber pins him against the fence. They stall there. Faber explodes and hip throws Caceres who pops right back up again. They stalk each other in the center of the octagon. They clinch and Faber pushers Caceres against the fence. Careres connects with a knee but can’t push him off.
Round 3:
Faber fakes a shot. Caceres misses with a super-man punch attempt. They clinch and whip each other around. They clinch against the fence and break apart. They clinch, flurry, and Faber gets the takedown. Faber gets Caceres’s back and gets sinks in the RNC. Caceres taps! It’s over.
Urijah Faber def. Alex Caceres via Submission (RNC) at 1:09 of round 3.
Next up:
Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane
Marcus Brimage was a competitor on Season 14 of TUF. Brimage has gone 3-1 in the UFC with his sole loss coming at the hands of Conor McGregor.
Hawaiian fighter Russell Doane (13-3 MMA) will enter the octagon for only the second time tonight. His previous fight was a win via Triangle Choke against Leandro Issa at UFC Fight Night Saffiedine vs. Lim.
Round 1:
Doane is looking angry and ready. Brimage is looking pretty relaxed.
Brimage immediately starts jabbing to find his range. Hard inside leg kick from Brimage, answered by a head-kick attempt by Doane. Doane goes for the double leg and gets the takedown. Doane quickly gets side control. Doane gets Brimage’s back. Brimage shifts and is on the bottom but now on his side. Doane is pounding him, Doane only has one hook in, he still needs to get the left in. Doane gets both hooks in. Doane flattens Brimage out, Brimage is defending the RNC attempt from Doane. Doane has both hooks in DEEP. Brimage is defending well but is using a ton of energy. Brimage explodes and breaks free. Brimage is on his feet and starts throwing leg kicks and big punches to keep Doane at a distance. Doane with a straight kick. Brimage answers with a leg kick and a right hand.
Round 2:
Brimages corner tells him he is down a round. Doane with a front kick to start things off in the second. NASTY inside leg kicks from Brimage. Brimage connects with a big right hook and knocks Doane down. Brimage goes for the guard but Doane shifts and sprawls. Brimage connects with another inside leg kick and Doane’s leg gives out. He is limping now. Doane switches stances but quickly switches back. Another inside leg kick from Brimage. Doane goes for the takedown and gets it. Doane quickly gets Brimages back. He has neither of the hooks. Brimage shrugs him off and is on his feet. Doane is much more cautious of Brimage now. They flurry and clinch. Doane connects with a knee to the body from the clinch. Doane pushes Brimage up against the fence. Doane gets Brimages back while they were standing but Brimage rolls over when Doane attempts a takedown. Brimage is on his feet. Doane is looking like he is hurting after all the leg kicks. Brimage ends the round with an outside leg kick.
Round 3
Last round. Brimage still jabbing. Doane attempts a high kick and Brimage grabs it and throws Doane to the ground. Doane goes for the amaplata but doesn’t get it. Brimage disengages and they are on their feet. Doane has slowed way down. He is hurting. Brimage connects with another inside leg kick and Doane goes down but quickly gets up. Brimage connects again with the outside leg kick on that injured leg. Doane tries for a high kick which is blocked by Brimage who answers with another inside leg kick. Doane attempts to drag Brimage down and goes for a guillotine but loses it. Brimage gets back up. Brimage connects with an outside looping right. Doane working hard to protect that leg. Brimage kicks that leg again. Doane goes for the double, but Brimage sprawls and avoids the takedown. Doane connects with a right hand. Brimage eats a high-kick. Doane is really trying to put the pressure on in these final seconds. There is the buzzer.
Russell Doane def. Marcus Brimage via Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Breaking news: Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione is cancelled due to health concerns for Stefan Struve. According to the UFC doctor Struve experience heart palpitations and felt as if he would faint. Based on Struve’s pre-existing heart condition the decision was made to cancel the fight in the name of fighter safety.
Next up:
Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos
Uriah Hall (8-4 MMA) was the runner-up during season 17 of TUF. Despite showing a well rounded game with excellent striking skills during TUF, Hall has met with mixed results since signing with the UFC, loosing his first two fights in the promotion. His last fight was a TKO win over Chris Leben, saving his career and ending Leben’s.
Thiago Santos (11-2 MMA) was a contestant on TUF Brazil 2. Santos trained in Capoeira before starting his MMA career. This will be Santos’s third fight in the UFC.
Round 1:
Santos is looking hungry. He is pacing like a caged lion. Hall is looking focused.
Hall with a jab and spinning back fist attempts to start things off. Santos attempts a spinning back kick. Some HARD leg kicks from Santos. Santos with another spinning kick. Solid jab from Hall. Another solid jab by Hall, answered by two consecutive leg kick by Santos. Santos attempts a head kick. Santos connects with another inside leg kick but eats a straight right from Hall. Hall with a low kick and a straight kick. Another huge leg kick from Santos. He attempts a head kick and Hall catches it and throws Santos down. Santos is quickly on his feet again. Another spinning kick and leg kick from Santos. Hall is starting to limp. A solid left hook from Hall. Hall is moving forward really pushing forward, he has his hands down and is taunting Santos. Santos is not taking the bait. Hall attempts a spinning heel kick to end the round. Hall has clearly broken his foot.
Round 2:
Hall starts this round with some intense energy. Trying to end it quickly. Hall is still dancing in front of Santos with his hands down. Santos is not taking the bait. Hall with a nice jab. Big overhand right from Santos. A quick leg kick/left hook combo from Santos that connects hard. Some front kicks from Santos. Hall throws a spinning body kick with his injured foot. Hall throws a big hand over the top. Santos attempts a high kick and Hall throws him down again. Santos gets back on his feet and connects with a inside leg kick. Hall with some big swings and misses. A BIG spinning back kick from Hall that misses and knocks him off balance. Santos connects with another inside leg, followed by a body kick. Both men seem afraid to clash. Hall attempts a spinning head kick but misses and falls. Santos doesn’t rush him. Santos with a spinning round house kick. Hall with a rolling kick to end.
Round 3:
Wow, the bone is sticking out of Halls toe.
Hall still wants to fight. The doctors will allow it. Hall and Santos meet in the middle of the octagon but neither man willing to close the distance and get in close. Santos with some straight kicks. Hall blocks a body kick and connects with a left. Hall is really going for the kill. Santos pushes him back and connects with a solid body kick. Inside leg kick from Santos. Hall connects with a overhand right. Now it’s Hall with the inside leg kick. Hall checks a leg kick. Hall connects with a solid right hand. Santos almost connects with a high kick. Hall hits Santos in the body with a spinning kick. Ouch! Santos jump kicks Hall in the groin. Hall is working it out. He takes a minute and signals that he is ready to roll. Santons gets the single and almost gets the takedown. Santos pushes Hall against the cage and starts smashing Halls legs and thighs with knees. Hall goes for the Kimura but looses it. Santos knocks him down and rains down elbows from the top. The buzzer sounds with Santos on top of Hall. That was a brawl. I have no feeling for who will get the decision.
Uriah Hall def. Thiago Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
A replay of the Rob Font vs. George Roop fight from earlier tonight will fill in for Struve vs. Mitrione fight as Ronda Rousey and Alexis Davis prepare for their title fight next.
Rob Font def. George Roop via KO (Punch) at 2:19 of round one.
Next up:
Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis for the Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Former Olympic Bronze medalist in Judo, Ronda Rousey (9-0 MMA) is the current and first UFC Bantamweight Women’s Champ. Rousey has won all of her fights except one via armbar.
Alexis Davis (16-5 MMA) is on a 5 fight win streak. Having gone undefeated in the last two organizations she has fought in (Invicta and UFC). She is a jiu-jitsu fighter with a mean stand-up game.
Round 1:
Remember we are looking at a possible 5 rounds. Alexis Davis is looking like she is shopping for bread… So relaxed. Rousey looks angry as usual. Ronda with the jabs to open it up. Davis with a solid jab and the clash, Rousey catches Davis with knee to the face, hip throws Davis and starts to punch Davis in the face. IT’S OVER! WOW! Rousey with the KO. Unbelievable. Davis is still fighting the ref. She has no clue what is happening. That is the second fastest KO in a Championship match in UFC history (according to Joe Rogan).
Ronda Rousey defeats Alexis Davis via KO (punches) at 00:16 of the first round.
Next up:
Weidman vs. Machida for the Middleweight Championship
These two need no introduction but, I will do a quick one anyway.
Weidman (11-0 MMA) is the current UFC Middleweight Champ and the only man in UFC to ever defeat Anderson Silva (Weidman has done it twice).
Machida (21-4 MMA) is the former Light Heavyweight champ. Has gone undefeated since moving down to middleweight with wins over Gegard Mousasi and Mark Munoz.
Round 1:
This is it! For the Middleweight Belt. Weidman with a kick to start us off. Weidman is going for leg kicks. Something I am sure no one expected. Straight kick from Weidman. Nothing so far from Machida. Front kick from Weidman. Machida kicks and Weidman catches the leg and goes for the takedown. Machida defends and gets back up. Weidman clips the chin of Machida. Follows up with a quick flurry. Constant pressure from Weidman. Lyoto has not answered in any way yet. Machida absorbs a kick but hits Weidman with a straight right. Machida is starting to move. Weidman continuing with the kicks. Machida throws a body kick, Weidman catches it and attempts a takedown. Machida spins away and avoids the takedown. Machida has no answer for Weidmans pressure yet. There is the bell.
Round 2:
Machida kicks first with an inside leg. Weidman fires back. Weidman still pouring on the pressure. Machida just can’t set up for anything. Weidman is forcing Machida to fight reactively. Weidman lands some left jabs. Weidman connects with a solid inside leg kick. Weidman is completely controlling where this fight is happening. Machida connects with a kick to the body. Weidman with a front kick. Machida with an inside leg kick. Weidman is just pressuring Machida. He has a hand in Machida’s face all day. Weidman with a jumping front kick. Machida can’t get his back away from the cage. Some jabs from Weidman followed by a big high kick attempt from Machida. Machida connects with a left. Weidman gets Machida’s legs and takes Machida down. Machida defends, but Weidman is grounding and pounding Machida. Machida has no answer. Weidman lifts him up and connects with some good knees to the head to end the round.
Round 3:
Machida looking nervous headed into the 3rd. Weidman still has a hand constantly in Machida’s face. Machida kicks high, Weidman blocks and goes for the takedown. Machida spins away. A big head kick attempt from Machida. Machida more active this round. Weidman goes for the legs and Machida sprawls. Weidman lets him up and gets both his legs. Weidman lifts Machida up and slams him down. Weidman is in Machida’s guard, punishing Machida’s face with elbows. Machida scrambles almost to his feet. Weidman attempts to take Machida’s back. Weidman connects with some big punches. Machida is bleeding. Weidman connects with an overhand right. Machida is hurt. Machida kicks Weidman in the body, and Weidman gets the takedown. Weidman has Machida’s back and is just punishing him with punches and hammer strikes. Weidman lifts him up and slams him down. Weidman says to Herb Dean that Machida has his fingers in Weidmans gloves. Machida gains his feet and attempts a kick just at the horn. I have this three rounds to nothing for Weidman
Round 4:
Machida opens with a leg kick. Weidman blocks the kick and instantly pours on the pressure. Nice body kick by Machida. Weidman still dictating the pace. Weidman connects with a knee to the body. Weidman connects with a left hand jab. Machida attempts a knee to the body, Weidman catches the knee and gets the take down. Machida fights out of it and gains his feet. Machida connects with a left hook that rocks Weidman. Machida connects again with a left hook. Weidman is hurt. Machida smells blood. Weidman pushes back into the center of the octagon. Weidman is starting to back up. Machida is landing some hard kicks to the body. Now Machida is pouring on the pressure. Weidman is looking a little tired. He has never been out of the second round before. Weidman goes for the takedown and eats a punch for his troubles. Weidman still connecting with the jab. Weidman gaining his momentum again. Machida has more momentum than he has before. Machida taunts Weidman, Weidman attacks and Weidman eats a punch to end the round.
Round 5:
Machida starts again with the inside leg kick. Weidman is just in survival mode right now. Still moving forward, but Machida is avoiding his kicks and jabs now. Machida connects with another left hand overhand. Weidman wants another takedown. Machida defends and is all over him. Weidman defends with an elbow. Weidman connects with an overhand right. Machida is hurt. Both men are tired now. Weidman connects with a kick. Mahcida moves forward and tries for a clinch. Weidman throws a knee. Weidman connects with a leg kick. Weidman connects with a knee and an elbow. He connects again with a left hand. Machida is not giving up. Wiedman goes for the double and gets the takedown. Machida is on his back eating elbows to the face and shoulder punches. Nothing seems to be hurting Machida too much. Weidman has Machida’s back. Weidman has both hooks in and flattens Machida out! Machida somehow escapes and gets to his feet and Weidman lets go of his back. Machida tries to finish with a flurry. He has Weidman rocked! Weidman pushes Machida away, takes a step out towards the middle of the octagon and motions Machida forward. There is the buzzer! What a brawl! Weidman looks satisfied.
Chris Weidman defeats Lyoto Machida via Unanimous Decision (49-45, 48-47, 49- 46) and remains the Middleweight Champion
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