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UFC 188: Video Highlights from Velasquez vs. Werdum, Melendez vs. Alvarez

UFC 188 raided Mexico City with an action-packed and star-stacked fight card that delivered on every level.
At the top of the card, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez made his much anticipated return to the UFC Octagon against interim heavyw…

UFC 188 raided Mexico City with an action-packed and star-stacked fight card that delivered on every level.

At the top of the card, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez made his much anticipated return to the UFC Octagon against interim heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum.

Velasquez missed significant time due to injury, last competing at UFC 166 in October 2013, where he defended his heavyweight title for the second time.

At UFC 188, Werdum crushed any hopes of a third title defense for Velasquez, submitting the American Kickboxing Academy product with a guillotine choke midway through Round 3 of their main event spotlight.

A world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with ever-evolving standup, Werdum was somehow able to outpace and outwork Velasquez, putting it on the former champ with a variety of punches, kicks and knees before securing the submission and ending the bout.

You can see the video highlights from this champion vs. champion clash below, courtesy of UFC on Fox’s YouTube channel.

In the night’s co-main event, lightweights Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez fought to a razor-thin decision, with Alvarez taking the fight on two out of three of the judges’ cards.

This split-decision victory for the former Bellator champ sparked some controversy, as Melendez’s friend and teammate, UFC lightweight Nate Diaz, was seen after the fight speaking with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.

He was not happy.

To be fair to Diaz and the Melendez camp, the fight was as close as they come. Each man had his moments, with Melendez mostly controlling the stand-up action and Alvarez peppering in some takedowns and solid shots of his own.

Using statistics, the fight doesn’t get much easier to call. Check out the video highlights above, courtesy of the UFC’s official YouTube channel and ESPN.com respectively, and decide for yourself which fighter deserved to walk out of the Mexico City Arena with the victory.

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UFC 188 Results: Winners Who Put on Most Impressive Performances

Saturday night was a historic one for the UFC in Mexico City. It was just the second time the promotion has put on a show there, and the atmosphere was great for the sport. The altitude wasn’t exactly ideal for all of the fighters at UFC 188, though.
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Per Fox Sports UFC on Twitter, UFC head man Dana White said that a number of the fighters felt the effects of fighting 7,000-plus feet above sea level:

Only the strong were able to come out victorious under the conditions. Here’s a look at all of the results from UFC 188:

Top Performances

Per the UFC on Twitter, Fabricio Werdum and Patrick Williams earned Performance of the Night bonuses. Charles Rosa and Yair Rodriguez won bonuses for Fight of the Night.

Quite honestly, the Rosa vs. Rodriguez fight won the bonus by default. There really weren’t any great scraps on this card.

Of all the fights, that one had the most action, as the 23-year-old Rodriguez used better striking to win a decision over the grappling-minded Rosa. Those two lucked out as they didn’t have a ton of competition for the event’s Fight of the Night bonus.

Werdum

Discussion about the top performances from the evening has to begin with Werdum’s improbable win over Cain Velasquez to win the undisputed UFC heavyweight title. Most expected Velasquez to dominate upon his return to the Octagon, but Werdum scored a relatively easy win.

Velasquez came out aggressive and may have actually won the first round, but toward the end of the opening frame, he began to slow down. The altitude and Werdum’s sturdiness seemed to be sapping his energy.

By the middle of the second round, Werdum was teeing off with jabs, uppercuts and knees. Velasquez’s face was a bloody mess, and he looked exhausted.

In the third round, Werdum continued the onslaught and took advantage of a desperate and sloppy takedown attempt from Velasquez. Werdum sunk in a guillotine choke deep, and Velasquez tapped quickly. Unless Bethe Correia finds a way to knock off Ronda Rousey at UFC 190, MMA fans aren’t likely to see a more shocking result this year.

Williams

The altitude didn’t get a chance to bother Williams. He only needed 23 seconds to submit Alejandro Perez. The speedy finish set a bantamweight record for fastest submission victory.

Williams landed two hard rights that dropped Perez, and he quickly locked on the signature move of the event. The guillotine choke put Perez to sleep.

Williams’ performance after the fight was just as impressive as his work during the bout.

The crowd booed him loudly before the fight and during his post-fight interview, but when he began to speak fluent Spanish to the Mexican crowd, he turned the boos to cheers. Williams talked about his win and that moment in the video below from UFC.com:

This could be a star-making performance for Williams. Keep an eye on him moving forward.

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Velasquez vs. Werdum: Result and Post-Fight Comments from UFC 188

Fabricio Werdum’s nickname is Vai Cavalo, but perhaps it should be “The Legend Killer.” On Saturday night at UFC 188, the 37-year-old knocked off another seemingly indestructible opponent and became the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion. Werdum sub…

Fabricio Werdum‘s nickname is Vai Cavalo, but perhaps it should be “The Legend Killer.” On Saturday night at UFC 188, the 37-year-old knocked off another seemingly indestructible opponent and became the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion. Werdum submitted Cain Velasquez in the third round in Mexico City in what will go down as one of the biggest wins in UFC history.

Back in 2010, Werdum also submitted mixed martial arts legend Fedor Emelianenko. Even with that huge win from his past, per Fox Sports: UFC on Twitter, Werdum acknowledged Saturday’s victory was the pinnacle for him:

Everyone knew Werdum was a superior Brazilian jiu-jitsu artist. Most also knew how much his striking had improved, but few figured he’d be as good as he was on his feet or have more stamina than Velasquez.

Coming into the bout, Velasquez was lauded for his cardio and pace, but by the second round, he was clearly gassed. Werdum, who had been in Mexico for three months, had seemingly become more acclimated to the altitude. His preparation looked to be a factor.

When it was over, Velasquez was gracious in defeat and offered no excuses:

UFC President Dana White talked about the impact the altitude had on several of the fighters on the card:

It introduces an interesting dynamic for upcoming cards in Mexico. Fighting at altitude creates a need to alter training, and it’s a factor fighters will have to respect moving forward.

Afterward, several members of the MMA community were still in awe of Werdum’s performance hours after the event had ended. Fox Sports’ Ariel Helwani, MMA legend Bas Rutten and FightHub’s Marcos Villegas shared their impressions:

If you take a hard look at Werdum’s career, it seems impossible not to consider him one of the best of all time. Every loss he’s suffered in his career has been to a respectable opponent—and there have only been five in 13 years: Alistair Overeem (Werdum won their first meeting), Junior dos Santos, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (avenged), Sergei Kharitonov and Andrei Arlovski.

If he wants to, he has a chance to avenge every one of those losses. Dos Santos is probably next for the champion. If he beats him, it’s feasible he could face Arlovski, who is now a Top Five heavyweight. Also, Overeem looked great in his win over Roy Nelson and could climb back into the title picture in the next year or so.

That’s looking far ahead, but it’s worth noting because of what it could mean for Werdum’s legacy. As for right now, he stands alone on the mountaintop of the heavyweight MMA landscape.

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UFC 188: Results and Reactions from Saturday’s Biggest Fights

Fabricio Werdum shocked the world with his third-round submission win over Cain Velasquez on Saturday night. With the victory, Werdum became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. The 37-year-old Brazilian was expected by many to be dominate…

Velasquez came out strong early looking to push the pace, but it looked as if the altitude in Mexico City got the best of him. By the second round, a combination of Werdum’s striking and Velasquez’s fatigue led to a bloody face for the latter.

In the third round, Velasquez was totally gassed. Werdum again peppered him with shots. Velasquez went for the takedown and fell right into Werdum’s guillotine. It didn’t take long for Velasquez to tap out.

It was a stellar performance from Werdum and well worth the Performance of the Night bonus he earned, per the UFC’s official Twitter account:

Per Ariel Helwani of Fox Sports UFC, during the post-fight press conference, Werdum was still floating on cloud nine after his accomplishment:

Fox Sports’ Damon Martin believes Werdum could ultimately be the greatest heavyweight of all time:

It’s hard to argue with that statement. With Saturday’s win, Werdum has beaten two fighters widely considered to be the best heavyweights in the history of the sport. This win has to at least put him in the conversation.

In the co-main event, Eddie Alvarez edged Gilbert Melendez via split decision in a close and hard-fought battle. After losing the first round and eating a vicious elbow that caused heavy swelling above his left eye, Alvarez showed his mettle in the second and third frames.

He secured three takedowns and landed two spinning elbows that opened cuts on Melendez’s head. The shots clearly held a lot of weight with the judges as well.

It was an impressive comeback for Alvarez. He was legit stunned by Melendez’s elbow in the first round. It seemed he was headed for his second straight loss in the UFC after losing to Donald Cerrone in his debut with the promotion.

Instead, he fought through the adversity and earned a win over one of the best fighters in the division.

To close out the preliminary scraps, flyweight contender Henry Cejudo won a unanimous decision over Chico Camus. Cejudo was expected to dominate Camus, but that wasn’t the case. Camus showed some nice striking and excellent takedown defense.

Camus stuffed 14 of the 15 takedown attempts from the Olympic gold medalist. While Cejudo was unable to have his way, he was still the man pressing the pace and controlling the Octagon. Because of that, he did earn the decision.

Cejudo might have been slowed by the effects of a “bad taco” he ate during fight week. During the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Cejudo mentioned he considered bowing out of the fight but chose to push through. The question now is: Has Cejudo earned a shot at flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson?

With Johnson having beaten everyone else in the division, no one should complain if Cejudo is the man next in line for Johnson. Mighty Mouse needs a formidable opponent. It just might be an exciting bout that helps endear the division to a larger audience.

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Nate Diaz Cusses Up a Storm over Eddie Alvarez, Calls out Pettis at UFC 188

Nate Diaz might not have a fight lined up right now, but the man is always working. Speaking with Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com at UFC 188, Stockton’s finest ripped into two of the lightweight division’s best fighters in one epic interview&nbsp…

“I think Gilbert Melendez won Rounds 1 and 2, and I don’t think [Eddie] Alvarez did much of anything,” he said, discussing the UFC 188 co-main event where Melendez, his longtime friend and teammate, dropped a narrow split decision to Alvarez. “[Alvarez] broke his whole [expletive] and his whole face is broken. Gilbert hopped on the bus…they’re sending him home…and I think Eddie Alvarez went to the hospital. You tell me who won.”

Diaz didn’t stop there, though. He also had some pointed words for former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who was in attendance for the event.

“Pettis around here, acting like he’s all tight but all these [expletive] are scared to look in my face,” he said, referring to an apparent off-camera exchange of words between the two (which was discussed on Twitter, with more NSFW language). “Everyone acts like they want to fight somebody, but they’re gonna look at the ground when they walk by me and act tight in the corner.”

Needless to say, this is par for the course with Diaz. The former lightweight contender has made a career of amplifying the visibility and excitement of his bouts using ruthless smack talk and occasional pushing and shoving. Despite that brashness, he has always been quick to come to the defense of his fellow Skrap Pack members: Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz.

Unfortunately, Diaz is on an ugly skid right now and is a humble 1-3 over his last four fights. His most recent bout was an ugly showing opposite Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13, where he came in overweight and was visibly sluggish opposite the soon-to-be lightweight champion. Before that, he spent a full 12 months out of the cage due to a lengthy contract dispute (more NSFW language, can you believe it?) and suffered an ugly knockout loss to Josh Thomson.

His most recent win came opposite Gray Maynard, whom he brutally finished via punches, but that win looks substantially less impressive given Maynard’s terrible decline over recent years.

Nevertheless, Diaz has set the stage for a number of potential high-profile bouts, courtesy of his deceptively (or perhaps coincidentally) brilliant promotional skills.

Diaz does not have a fight scheduled but called out both Pettis and Alvarez: “Anthony Pettis or [expletive] Eddie Alvarez…if any of you wants to man up and fight the real fighters, we can go get it.”

Even so, Diaz made it clear he believes the score between Alvarez and Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is currently favoring the latter: “Gilbert won, so [expletive] you, Eddie.”

Both of those fights would be amazing spectacles before, during and after fight night. Here is hoping one or both of them can come to fruition.

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UFC 188 Results: Who Should Fabricio Werdum Defend His Belt Against 1st?

At UFC 188, Fabricio Werdum was crowned the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion by defeating Cain Velasquez. It was a surprisingly strong performance by the ever-improving Brazilian that resulted in a third-round submission win via guillotine choke.&nb…

Now, the UFC finds itself in a wholly unfamiliar position, having to make sense of a jumbled, cluttered heavyweight title picture.

For the first time in forever, there are not one, not two, but three strong options for its heavyweight champ, with a couple of wild cards in play as well. It’s a surprising but welcome change for the historically shallow division.

Figuring out who should challenge Werdum for the belt is a tough endeavor, but here are the top options.

Andrei Arlovski

Andrei Arlovski’s resurgence is one of the most absurd stories in recent MMA history. The former UFC champ seemed like he was completely, utterly done after suffering a four-fight losing streak that featured numerous chilling knockouts. Somehow, he worked his way back to the UFC after six years and rattled off three straight wins to force his way back into the Top 10.

A talented finisher flanked by the Jackson-Winkeljohn coaching staff, Arlovski would be a unique test for Werdum. He has the skills and game-planning to contend with Werdum all over the cage and has the tools to end the fight on a moment’s notice. Oh, and the fact that he owns a win over Werdum (albeit one from 2007) doesn’t hurt.

The trouble with Arlovski is that while he has the talent, he isn’t necessarily an especially strong draw, and his resume does not demand a title fight just yet. While he would likely get a shot at the belt under normal circumstances, he is a distant third on the list these days.

Cain Velasquez

While Werdum finished Velasquez in the third round, this was no blowout. Velasquez got in plenty of offense before the fight ended and had Werdum on wobbly legs on a couple of occasions. Couple that with the fact that Velasquez was clearly in less-than-peak physical condition, and it isn’t hard to sell fans on a rematch.

The trouble with giving Velasquez an immediate rematch? The guy is a physical wreck. He has only posted three fights in a calendar year once (in 2009) and spent the vast majority of his 896-day title reign nursing injuries.

Is Velasquez deserving of an immediate rematch? One could argue for or against that. Either way, the UFC’s business interests likely wouldn’t be well-served by having its heavyweight belt on a chair in a physical therapist’s office.

Junior dos Santos

It took some doing, but former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos finds himself with a surprising opportunity to take back the strap. For those who repressed the memories, JDS took the heavyweight title from Velasquez in 2011 but was absolutely mauled in their 2012 rematch. The rubber match in 2013 was a similarly brutal affair to the point where it was impossible to get enthused about Dos Santos’ future as a contender.

With Velasquez out of the way, however, Dos Santos is in prime position for a return.

He is coming off a win over fellow would-be contender Stipe Miocic. He sent Werdum packing for Strikeforce back in 2008. Oh, and he’s still hugely popular, even without the belt.

A Werdum vs. Dos Santos title fight makes sense on paper and could work as the main event to the UFC’s long-awaited soccer stadium show in Brazil. This is the fight to make.

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