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UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold — Live Results and Commentary

(And remember folks, this is a UFC main event, so the fight will be scheduled for five rounds, and both fighters will be allowed to receive injections of synthetic testosterone during training. Wait, what’s that? Only *one* of them can do that? Well how the fuck does that make any sense? / Photo via Getty Images)

Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to go live from Jaraguá do Sul — known to many* as the Kansas City of Brazil — for UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold. Once again, the Phenom has home-country advantage and the Lord’s blessing. Will that be enough to stave off the invasion of a young, hungry, and very amped-up former Strikeforce champ? Plus: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza makes his UFC debut against Chris Camozzi, and Rafael Dos Anjos clashes with Evan Dunham in the lightweight division.

Taking us through the play-by-play tonight will be Matt Kaplan, who will be stacking live results after the jump beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and toss in your own thoughts in the comments section — or just holler at us on twitter @CagePotatoMMA.

* Or perhaps, nobody?

MK here, live in Jaraguá do Sul and very excited for tonight’s Belfort-Rockhold main event. If Belfort is nearly as fired up by his countrymen tonight as he was at the weigh-ins yesterday, this fight will be the mutt’s nuts.

Man, I forgot how good watching Belfort drop Bisping felt. Great highlight. I also liked when Hendo dropped Bisping. And when Wanderlei dropped Bisping.

Rafael Natal vs. Joao Zeferino

Rd. 1 – Both men test the waters early, and Zeferino opens things up with a bight right overhand that connects. Zeferino kicks Natal in the right cheek. Wow, that was fast. Natal seems less sure with his striking than Zeferino and is feeling the pressure of Zeferino’s straight-ahead charge. Zeferino lands on top of Natal after a clinch against the fence. 50/50 guard, and Zeferino is working on a heel. Natal is chopping away on Zeferino’s left arm with his heel, but nah. The crowd is starting to boo as both men fight for position in 50-50 guard. Again Natal kicks at Zeferino’s left arm. Zeferino still wants that heel, dammit. The ref stands them up with 20 seconds left, but the crowd is still annoyed. I’d give that round to Zeferino, I guess.

Rd. 2 -Zeferino ignores Natal’s jabs and wings another overhand right. Natal stuffs a double, but Zeferino scores a takedown. Natal is right back up, though, and has Zeferino pressed against the cage. Zeferino reverses and has Natal against the fence. Both men separate and are back in the center of the cage. Things have slowed. The crowd again boos. Zeferino’s double is stuffed, and Natal has a front headlock on a downed Zeferino. Zeferino’s hands are real low. Natal charges in with a 1-2, but Zeferino counters. He looks gassed. Natal is producing at a higher rate now. Zeferino drops to his back, and Natal enters it behind a flying right hand. Natal finishes the round by dropping shots from Zeferino’s half guard.

Rd. 3 -Oh boy, they’re hugging. Natal is fresher and letting his hands and feet go. Natal slugs away at Zeferino against the fence, but Zeferino escapes and lands a big right that got Natal’s attention. Close fight. Zeferino just threw a slow motion right cross and then another looping right overhand. Zeferino nearly catches the side kick from Natal, but is taken down in the ensuing scramble. Natal is in half guard now. Natal is droping punches and is back in full guard with 1:30 to go. Zeferino is stopping the submission attempt, but is eating forearms to the ribs. And now he’s mounted. Natal is slamming away from the mount. Zeferino is survivng, but not much else. Strong finish from Natal.

Natal earns the unanimous decision victory.

Anyone ever try this Sailor Jerry spiced rum? The commercial features a bunch of people who look a lot like me, so I feel like I should maybe get on this.

I think Bigfoot is gonna get that work from Cain Velazquez.

Evan Dunham vs. Rafael Dos Anjos

Rd. 1 -Dunham has not been tanning down in Brazil. Huge leg kick from Dos Anjos. DosAnjos kicks upstairs now, but Dunham blocks. Dos Anjos is firing punch-kick combos fast and hard, while Dunham is sluggis out the gate. Dos Anjos is kicking and avoiding the counter punches from the pasty American. Good head movement too. Dos Anjos keeps firing, but Dunham is picking things up. Dunham counters a Dos Anjos kick and lands a takedown. Dunham in full guard and going to work with his closed fists. Ref stands them up with 13 seconds left, and Dos Anjos lands a wide left after missing with a right uppercut.

Rd. 2 – Dos Anjos lands an early left jab. Dunham lands the double. Dos Anjos is back up, then down, then back up again.Dunham is looking to clinch. Dos Anjos lands a hard right to the body. Dos Anjos looks for a single against the fence, but settles for a right hand to the side of Dunham’s head as both men retreat to the center of the cage. Dunham is finding his range, but Don Anjos is landing the harder, faster punches. Borth men are working, and Dos Anjos has blood from his right eye. Dos Anjos is starting to throw wildly, whereas Dunham is picking up the pace and punching with more accuracy. Dos Anjos unleashes the power with a kick-punch combo, and Dunham ends the round with a last-second takedown. Close fight so far.

Rd. 3 – Both men are letting the hands fly. Don Anjos has blood from hisn nose and right eye brow, and Dunham looks very sure of himself. Dos Anjos stuffs a double against the cage and lands a knee. Back in the center of the cage, Dunham eats a thunderous kick to his left side and a hook to the same side of his head. Both are bloody, both are firing away with straight punches and baaaad intentions. Dunham goes in for the single, but Dos Anjos keeps hismelf up. Dunham wants to do work in the clinch, but it’s Dos Anjos who locks in the Thai clinch for a bit. 30 seconds left and we’re swinging away in the center of the octagon. Hooks to the body and head until the final bell. Great final frame.

Rafael Dos Anjos takes the unanimous decision.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Chris Camozzi

Rd. 1 – Camozzi isn’t afraid. He’s come out with 1-2s and kicks, but now Jacare’s got him against the cage. Biiig overhand right from Jacare. A trip from Jacare. Camozzi upkicks as Jacare descends into his guard. Over to half guard. Jacare is punching the body of Camozzi, who lands an upkick to Jarace’s face. And Jacare gets side control. Scramble. Omaplata? Yup. Camozzi is safe, but Jacare is back in side control. Make that a full mount. Head and arm choke time. Got it. Night night.

Jacare wins by Rd. 1 sub.

Luke Rockhold vs. Vitor Belfort

Rd. 1 – Referee Leon Roberts gives the instructions and we’re under way. Rockhold misses a head kick and falls, but Vitor lets him up. Vitor fires a spin kick – just off. Rockhold shoots. Vitor hits Rockhold with a fast right, but Rockhold ties him up. In the center of the cage, Vitor shows his hand speed, just missing with punches, but scoring with low kicks that delight the crowd. Rockhold lands a left. Spinning heel kick. Rockhold is down. He’s out. Shit. I just saw the replay: wow. It was a tight, precise, spinning heel kick to the left side of Rockhold’s jaw that dropped him, and then Vitor connected with four monster punches to an already dazed young former Strikeforce champion.

Vitor Belfort wins via first-round KO.

That was unreal. So who gets “The Phenom” next?

Chris Camozzi Not Feeling “Any Pressure” vs. Jacare Souza on UFC on FX 8

Sometimes when you prepare for a huge opportunity before it comes, it’s almost as if you created it for yourself. That is what Chris Camozzi did, in order to land his latest fight on the UFC on FX 8 card vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Sou…

“After we left my last fight, I let my management know to tell Joe Silva that I’ll keep training and I’ll stay ready and see if I can get another fight,” Camozzi said recently as a guest on Darce Side Radio. “I actually told them if there was anything short notice, I was willing to step in before this fight was even offered.”

When the fight was offered, it was only a matter of moments before he said yes.

“It took about two seconds,” Camozzi said. I think my manager was even willing to give the answer for me, because he knew what my answer would be for fighting Jacare.”

After his split decision victory over Nick Ring at UFC 158 on March 16, Camozzi said he “got right back to the gym and stayed on it.” Many fighters struggle to cut weight or get back into gear for a short-notice fight; Camozzi avoided that before earning his first fight against a top-ten opponent.

My weight never went up too high. I stayed pretty low. I actually started dieting a little bit better. This camp I got a nutritionist and everything. All the pieces fit together pretty well, and that had a big part in taking this fight. I was already ready. I was already in shape. Normally in short notice fights, guys come in out of shape or worry about getting in shape in a short amount of time. I was already ready to go. I wasn’t injured in my last fight, so we just kept rolling.

Camozzi is indeed on a roll. The Factory X Muay Thai fighter takes a four-fight win streak with him into Jaragua do Sul, Brazil on Saturday night vs. Souza. He has stated he is physically prepared, but is he ready mentally for the biggest challenge of his career?

“I’m not trying to put too much pressure on myself. To be honest, I don’t feel like I have any pressure, Camozzi said. “Jacare is ranked higher than me so I think I have everything to gain in this fight, nothing to lose. I’ve been on a good win streak. I’ve had a lot of experience in the UFC now. I’m looking at it like any other fight, any other day.”

He may be looking at it as any other fight, but it is in fact the biggest fight of his career. These top of opportunities do not come along often. This is just his fifth fight in the UFC, and he needs to seize the moment if he wants to separate himself from the rest of the pack in the middleweight division.

Currently ranked No. 8, Souza is a highly-decorated grappler, and has medaled in the ADCC and World Jiu-Jitsu championships. Nicknamed “Jacare,” which is Portuguese for alligator, he is a dangerous opponent on the ground for any middleweight.

Camozzi explained how he geared some of his training for the grappling prowess of Souza:

“As far as preparing for such a good grappler like him, I train with other black belts and guys that are better than me as well. It’s not like I’m in the gym and I’m the best guy there. I’ve had guys coming in to help me train, and putting me in bad positions and working out of them and breaking things down for me. I’ve had a good camp as far as working a lot of ground stuff and polishing my striking as well. So overall I was working my game. Focusing on me, not what he is going to do.”

Camozzi explained that he needs to be more proactive, then reactive.

“I need to keep the pressure on him and stay in his face and bring the fight to him. Show that I’m there to fight, not just there to get a paycheck, I’m there to win.”

Camozzi is a sizable +400 underdog (according to Bovada) in this fight. The odds makers feel like he doesn’t have much of a chance, but he feels if he executes his game plan it will lead him to victory.

“I think if I go out there and perform and do my job, I think I can walk away with the win,” Camozzi said.

It would be a career defining moment for Camozzi, and in his mind it would “definitely” put him in the Top 10.

With a fifth-straight win over the No. 8 ranked UFC middleweight, it would be hard to argue with him.

Michael Stets is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained first hand unless otherwise noted.

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UFC on FX 8 Live Results, Play-by-Play and Fight Card Highlights

Quick Results:Vitor Belfort defeats Luke Rockhold by KO at 2:32 of the first roundRafael Dos Anjos defeats Evan Dunham by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Rafael Natal defeats Joao Zeferino by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Nik Lentz de…

Quick Results:

Vitor Belfort defeats Luke Rockhold by KO at 2:32 of the first round

Rafael Dos Anjos defeats Evan Dunham by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Rafael Natal defeats Joao Zeferino by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Nik Lentz defeats Hacran Dias by unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Francisco Trinaldo defeats Mike Rio via submission (arm-triangle) at 3:08 of the first round

Gleison Tibau defeats John Cholish via submission (guillotine) at 2:34 of the second round

Paulo Thiago defeats Michel Prazeres by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Yuri Alcantara defeats Iliarde Santos by TKO at 2:31 of the first round.

Fabio Maldonado defeats Roger Hollett by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-27)

John Lineker defeats Asamat Gashimov by TKO at 1:07 of the second round

Jussier Formiga defeats Chris Cariaso by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Lucas Martins defeats Jeremy Larsen by KO at 0:13 of the third round

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UFC on FX 8: Which Fighter Has the Most to Lose?

Vitor BelfortIn the year 2013, Vitor Belfort is still relevant in the UFC title scene. “The Phenom” knocked out perennial contender Michael Bisping in January, and looks to be one major win away from a much-desired title fight.Belfort feels that the Bi…

Vitor Belfort

In the year 2013, Vitor Belfort is still relevant in the UFC title scene. “The Phenom” knocked out perennial contender Michael Bisping in January, and looks to be one major win away from a much-desired title fight.

Belfort feels that the Bisping KO was enough to get back into a title fight, despite coming up short in a championship bout against Jon Jones only three months prior.

However, at the age of 36, it’s unlikely that the title aspirations of Vitor Belfort could recover from a third loss in a six-fight span.

Luke Rockhold

Team AKA’s Luke Rockhold may not walk out to the Octagon holding a title, but let’s not forget that the kickboxer twice defended the Strikeforce middleweight championship before the organization folded earlier this year.

Currently, Rockhold sits at No. 4 in the official UFC rankings and is likely to get a crack at UFC gold should he be successful at UFC on FX 8.

In the world of mixed martial arts, highly touted champions come over to the Octagon and perform below expectations. When that happens, their careers have a tough time recovering. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the current status of Hector Lombard, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields.

However, at 28 years old, Rockhold has time on his side. A loss at this stage of the game wouldn’t condemn his future as much as postpone his inevitable success.

Ronaldo Souza

In the evening’s co-main event, Ronaldo Souza was originally scheduled to face No. 6 middleweight Costa Philippou. Unfortunately, Philippou was injured during training and will be unable to compete. Taking his place is Ultimate Fighter alumni Chris Camozzi.

“Jacare” is currently a 6-to-1 favorite according to sports betting website Bovada. Considering that his opponent has four consecutive wins inside the Octagon, this betting line illustrates the incredible skills possessed by Souza.

However, upsets happen more often than you’d think, and stranger things have certainly happened. A loss for Souza would result in the jiu-jitsu wizard falling from the ranks and fading entirely from the title picture.

Don’t misunderstand. We are not suggesting that Souza is likely to lose on Saturday night. However, should the former Strikeforce champion be upset in his promotional debut, it will be hard to overcome this sort of setback.

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Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC on FX 8, including live results and post-fight analysis.

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UFC on FX 8: Which Fighter Has the Most to Gain?

With the UFC returning on Saturday night, there is a plethora of fighters looking to have their arm raised in Brazil. As is to be expected, the stakes are higher for some members of the roster than others.The headlining scrap sees former UFC champion V…

The headlining scrap sees former UFC champion Vitor Belfort welcoming final Strikeforce middleweight kingpin Luke Rockhold into the Octagon.

But who has the most to gain at UFC on FX 8?

Vitor Belfort

Belfort has been vocal about wanting another crack at a UFC championship in either the light heavyweight or middleweight division, he speaks of his desire in this interview with Adam Silvers of Complex.com. After defeating Michael Bisping in January, a win over a top contender like Rockhold would put “The Phenom” on the short list of contenders.

That being said, Belfort has had two title opportunities in his last five fights. In both matchups, the Brazilian was stopped before the fight could reach the scorecards. Unless he scores a monumental stoppage, giving Vitor another crack at the title feels premature.

Luke Rockhold

Considering that Rockhold never lost his belt before Strikeforce folded, a win on Saturday over a respected veteran such as Belfort is essentially a ticket to fight for UFC gold.

Some would suggest that Rockhold doesn’t have anything to gain from defeating Belfort. After all, the Team AKA fighter was named by Anderson Silva‘s management nearly one year ago as the man most deserving of a title opportunity.

In other words, to those who believe that Rockhold is deservedly the man at the front of the line, this fight with Belfort is little more than a stiff challenge to see if he is worthy of keeping his place in line.

Chris Camozzi

Let’s be honest here. With the cancellation of Ronaldo Souza vs. Costa Philippou, there aren’t any fights outside of the main event that have much impact on their respective title picture. However, one man’s trouble is another man’s opportunity, and that is exactly the case for Chris Camozzi.

Camozzi was scheduled to compete against Rafael Natal on the main card, but with Philippou’s inability to fight on Saturday, the TUF cast member was bumped into the co-main event.

Instead of facing an unranked middleweight, Camozzi now has the opportunity to pull off a major upset against former champion “Jacare” Souza. With a high-profile victory on Saturday, Camozzi’s stock in the UFC would skyrocket overnight.

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Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC on FX 8, including live results and post-fight analysis.

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Vitor Belfort and Luke Rockhold Got a Little Shovey at Today’s UFC on FX 8 Weigh-Ins [VIDEO + RESULTS]

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

During Thursday’s UFC on FX 8 pre-fight press conference, Vitor Belfort did that thing he loves to do where he held his right fist out to Luke Rockhold‘s chin during their photo-op staredown. Luke was not amused. So, after the two headliners weighed in today at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, Rockhold just walked straight through Belfort’s fist-pose, making body contact with the Brazilian fighter. Belfort shoved Rockhold, and Bootleg Dana had to separate them.

Video of that incident is above, and the full “Belfort vs. Rockhold” weigh-in results are after the jump. Be sure to come back to CagePotato.com tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET for our liveblog of the main card!

(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

Main Card (FX, 9 p.m. ET)
Vitor Belfort (186) vs. Luke Rockhold (186)
Ronaldo Souza (186) vs. Chris Camozzi (186)
Evan Dunham (156) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (156)
Rafael Natal (186) vs. Joao Zeferino (185)

Preliminary Card (FUEL TV, 6 p.m. ET)
Nik Lentz (146) vs. Hacran Dias (146)
Francisco Trinaldo (154) vs. Mike Rio (156)
Gleison Tibau (156) vs. John Cholish (156)*
Paulo Thiago (170) vs. Michel Richard dos Prazeres (171)
Iuri Alcantara (136) vs. Iliarde Santos (134)
Fabio Maldonado (205) vs. Roger Hollett (204)

Preliminary Card (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)
John Lineker (126) vs. Azamat Gashimov (126)
Jussier da Silva (126) vs. Chris Cariaso (126)
Lucas Martins (153) vs. Jeremy Larsen (155)

* Cholish was originally .2 pounds over his limit, but made weight shortly after.