Chael Sonnen will prove he deserves another shot at the middleweight crown by destroying Michael Bisping tonight. Sonnen almost beat current title-holder Anderson Silva in 2010, and then called him out after punishing Brian Stann in October. If he can …
Chael Sonnen will prove he deserves another shot at the middleweight crown by destroying Michael Bisping tonight. Sonnen almost beat current title-holder Anderson Silva in 2010, and then called him out after punishing Brian Stann in October. If he can dispose of Bisping at UFC on FOX 2, he’ll get another crack at the middleweight […]
After three rounds of lightweight action, Michael Johnson (10-6) earned a unanimous decision victory over former WEC fighter Shane Roller (10-6) on the UFC on Fox 2 preliminary card.Johnson improves to 3-2 in the UFC while Roller falls to 1-3 in his la…
After three rounds of lightweight action, Michael Johnson (10-6) earned a unanimous decision victory over former WEC fighter Shane Roller (10-6) on the UFC on Fox 2 preliminary card.
Johnson improves to 3-2 in the UFC while Roller falls to 1-3 in his last four, which have all taken place inside the Octagon.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
Johnson used his striking and takedown defense to win the first two rounds clearly. The third round featured the wildest action of the fight, as Roller got his opponent down and was warned for hitting Johnson to the back of the head by referee Herb Dean. With a break in the action, Dean let Roller obtain his dominant position with a body triangle.
A point-deduction may have be warranted after 10-15 strikes landed to the back of Johnson’s head. If not a deduction, a stand-up could have been issued.
What we learned about Michael Johnson:
Roller came in as the favorite, but Johnson showed improvement in his takedown defense and was able to avoid any takedowns in the first two rounds. He was able to survive for the better part of four minutes in the fourth with Roller, a former NCAA Division I wrestler, on his back.
“That was a big key to victory,” Johnson said in regards to his takedown defense in the post-fight interview.
What we learned about Shane Roller:
Roller didn’t establish an attack till late in the fight, and it cost him the decision with the scores 29-28 across the board. It has been the case with many of Roller’s UFC bouts, and it almost cost him in his only UFC victory as well.
What’s next for Johnson:
A fight versus Fabricio Camoes, who was victorious on the first UFC on FX card, would serve as a decent opponent for Johnson’s next fight.
What’s next for Roller:
With only one victory in the UFC, Roller had to not only win this fight but do so in impressive fashion. With another loss on his record, he now might find himself getting cut from the UFC and its most stacked division.
If the UFC keeps him around, he will have to face someone who is also on a losing streak. That could come against Yves Edwards.
UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones will defend his belt at UFC 145 in Atlanta, the UFC confirmed during Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 2 event.
Barring any unforeseen issues, it will be against his former friend and current rival Rashad Evans.
By virtue of his unanimous decision win over Phil Davis on Saturday, Evans (17-1-1) held on to his No. 1 contender status, but after a fairly grueling five-rounder, he’d have only 12 weeks to heal up any injuries he suffered during the fight and prepare for a title bout. In the post-fight press conference, Evans didn’t mention any physical issues stemming from the fight, saying that he was looking forward to the long-awaited grudge match and title bout with Jones.
“Yeah I’m ready to fight in April or whenever,” he said. “There’s a couple of things I need to work on. I look forward to going into camp and working on things, but I’m looking forward to fighting Jon and giving the fans the fight they want to see.”
Evans admitted that it was difficult to prepare for Davis with the possibility of fighting Jones lurking in the background.
“This is the monkey on my back I had to get over,” he said. “It was hard to get ready for this fight because everybody kept talking about that fight [with Jones]. It was hard to get excited for a fight like this, but Phil Davis definitely brought it, and now that I won, I get the opportunity to fight Jon, and I’m very excited about it.”
Atlanta is the site of Evans’ star-making win, as he knocked out Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 at the same arena that will host UFC 145.
Jones, who was in Chicago as a member of the FOX broadcast team, was beaming after Evans’ win, saying that he was happy to finally face his former teammate in the cage.
“I can’t wait to get past this chapter in my career,” he said. “I’ve been calling him my antagonist because of all the hype and drama. So I’m a happy man. I’m looking forward to retaining my title on April 21st in the ATL.”
It’s not a lock yet though, as Evans will have to pass a post-fight physical and hope to avoid any lengthy medical suspensions.
If Evans can’t make the quick turnaround, former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Dan Henderson is likely to get the headlining slot opposite Jones.
The 41-year-old Henderson (29-8) is coming off his thrilling unanimous decision win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139, a scrap that many have called the greatest MMA fight of all time.
Jones originally won the belt at UFC 128, battering Rua en route to a fourth-round TKO. He then successfully defended it twice, beating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida to cap a banner 2011.
UFC 145 takes place on April 21 from Philips Arena.
UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones will defend his belt at UFC 145 in Atlanta, the UFC confirmed during Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 2 event.
Barring any unforeseen issues, it will be against his former friend and current rival Rashad Evans.
By virtue of his unanimous decision win over Phil Davis on Saturday, Evans (17-1-1) held on to his No. 1 contender status, but after a fairly grueling five-rounder, he’d have only 12 weeks to heal up any injuries he suffered during the fight and prepare for a title bout. In the post-fight press conference, Evans didn’t mention any physical issues stemming from the fight, saying that he was looking forward to the long-awaited grudge match and title bout with Jones.
“Yeah I’m ready to fight in April or whenever,” he said. “There’s a couple of things I need to work on. I look forward to going into camp and working on things, but I’m looking forward to fighting Jon and giving the fans the fight they want to see.”
Evans admitted that it was difficult to prepare for Davis with the possibility of fighting Jones lurking in the background.
“This is the monkey on my back I had to get over,” he said. “It was hard to get ready for this fight because everybody kept talking about that fight [with Jones]. It was hard to get excited for a fight like this, but Phil Davis definitely brought it, and now that I won, I get the opportunity to fight Jon, and I’m very excited about it.”
Atlanta is the site of Evans’ star-making win, as he knocked out Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 at the same arena that will host UFC 145.
Jones, who was in Chicago as a member of the FOX broadcast team, was beaming after Evans’ win, saying that he was happy to finally face his former teammate in the cage.
“I can’t wait to get past this chapter in my career,” he said. “I’ve been calling him my antagonist because of all the hype and drama. So I’m a happy man. I’m looking forward to retaining my title on April 21st in the ATL.”
It’s not a lock yet though, as Evans will have to pass a post-fight physical and hope to avoid any lengthy medical suspensions.
If Evans can’t make the quick turnaround, former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Dan Henderson is likely to get the headlining slot opposite Jones.
The 41-year-old Henderson (29-8) is coming off his thrilling unanimous decision win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139, a scrap that many have called the greatest MMA fight of all time.
Jones originally won the belt at UFC 128, battering Rua en route to a fourth-round TKO. He then successfully defended it twice, beating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida to cap a banner 2011.
UFC 145 takes place on April 21 from Philips Arena.
Despite high expectations for the three UFC fights on FOX, it was the undercard bouts that delivered on Saturday night, with all three $65,000 post-fight bonus awards going to prelim fighters from the UFC on FOX 2 event.
Heavyweight Lavar Johnson became the first man to knock out Joey Beltran, and in the process earned himself a bonus award for Knockout of the Night in his UFC debut.
Elsewhere on the prelims, Charles Oliveira took the Submission of the Night award for his first-round calf-slicer submission of Eric Wisely. Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz took the bonus for Fight of the Night after a back-and-forth battle that ended when Lentz couldn’t continue following the second round.
All four fighters pocketed $65,000 bonuses for their performances at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night.
Despite high expectations for the three UFC fights on FOX, it was the undercard bouts that delivered on Saturday night, with all three $65,000 post-fight bonus awards going to prelim fighters from the UFC on FOX 2 event.
Heavyweight Lavar Johnson became the first man to knock out Joey Beltran, and in the process earned himself a bonus award for Knockout of the Night in his UFC debut.
Elsewhere on the prelims, Charles Oliveira took the Submission of the Night award for his first-round calf-slicer submission of Eric Wisely. Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz took the bonus for Fight of the Night after a back-and-forth battle that ended when Lentz couldn’t continue following the second round.
All four fighters pocketed $65,000 bonuses for their performances at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night.
The UFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference is the last piece of business to take care of after the action is over in the Octagon, and we have the live video below at MMAFighting.com.
UFC President Dana White will announce the winners of the Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses, and winning fighters will answer questions from the media.
The post-fight press conference will begin about half an hour after the main event ends, likely around 10:30 PM ET, and the video is below. (Editor’s note: The presser has been pulled, but you can watch it all here. Check out the highlights below.)
The UFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference is the last piece of business to take care of after the action is over in the Octagon, and we have the live video below at MMAFighting.com.
UFC President Dana White will announce the winners of the Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses, and winning fighters will answer questions from the media.
The post-fight press conference will begin about half an hour after the main event ends, likely around 10:30 PM ET, and the video is below. (Editor’s note: The presser has been pulled, but you can watch it all here. Check out the highlights below.)
CHICAGO — Rashad Evans out-slugged Phil Davis for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC on Fox 2 show.
With the win, Evans will earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, and Evans said afterward that he is uninjured and will be ready for that fight in April.
The fight wasn’t the kind of barn-burner that the UFC and Fox were surely hoping for, and many in the crowd at the United Center booed as the event drew to a close. But it was the win Evans needed to get another crack at the title. All three judges gave all five rounds to Evans.
“I fought at a pretty high pace but I felt like I wanted to put it away and just didn’t get the chance,” Evans said. “I’m kind of disappointed by that.”
Evans said the fight with Jones is the fight he’s focused on.
“It was hard to focus on this fight because everybody kept talking about that fight,” Evans said. “Now I get an opportunity to fight Jon and I’m very excited about that.”
Davis said at the post-fight press conference that he was disappointed he failed in the biggest fight of his career.
“He’s a good fighter,” Davis said of Evans. “I just couldn’t score the points I needed to in the clutch positions.”
Davis employed some powerful leg kicks in the early going and seemed to be using his reach to get the better of the stand-up exchanges. However, with a little over a minute to go in the round, Evans took Davis down and then transitioned into side control, where he battered Davis’s head on the ground. That was enough to win the first round for Evans.
The second round was slow most of the way until, with only 30 seconds left, Davis threw a kick that Evans caught, and Evans once again took Davis down and got into side control. Evans didn’t do as much on the ground at the end of the second as he had at the end of the first, but given how little action there was before that, it was probably enough for Evans to win the round again.
Early in the third Davis attempted a takedown, but Evans sprawled and managed to end up on top of Davis, and even briefly took his back before they stood back up. Evans then got the better of an exchange of punches, and although Davis was finally able to get Evans back down after that, he couldn’t do anything on the ground, and Evans won yet another round.
Davis landed a hard body kick that made a sound like the crack of a bat early in the fourth round, but there wasn’t much significant striking in the round after that. Both Evans and Davis were tiring out and not getting much done as the fourth went on.
Early in the fifth Davis threw a kick that Evans caught with one hand while hitting Davis with the other, and he knocked Davis down and got on top of him. Evans played it safe for the rest of the round, knowing he had won. And knowing he’s got Jones next.
CHICAGO — Rashad Evans out-slugged Phil Davis for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC on Fox 2 show.
With the win, Evans will earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, and Evans said afterward that he is uninjured and will be ready for that fight in April.
The fight wasn’t the kind of barn-burner that the UFC and Fox were surely hoping for, and many in the crowd at the United Center booed as the event drew to a close. But it was the win Evans needed to get another crack at the title. All three judges gave all five rounds to Evans.
“I fought at a pretty high pace but I felt like I wanted to put it away and just didn’t get the chance,” Evans said. “I’m kind of disappointed by that.”
Evans said the fight with Jones is the fight he’s focused on.
“It was hard to focus on this fight because everybody kept talking about that fight,” Evans said. “Now I get an opportunity to fight Jon and I’m very excited about that.”
Davis said at the post-fight press conference that he was disappointed he failed in the biggest fight of his career.
“He’s a good fighter,” Davis said of Evans. “I just couldn’t score the points I needed to in the clutch positions.”
Davis employed some powerful leg kicks in the early going and seemed to be using his reach to get the better of the stand-up exchanges. However, with a little over a minute to go in the round, Evans took Davis down and then transitioned into side control, where he battered Davis’s head on the ground. That was enough to win the first round for Evans.
The second round was slow most of the way until, with only 30 seconds left, Davis threw a kick that Evans caught, and Evans once again took Davis down and got into side control. Evans didn’t do as much on the ground at the end of the second as he had at the end of the first, but given how little action there was before that, it was probably enough for Evans to win the round again.
Early in the third Davis attempted a takedown, but Evans sprawled and managed to end up on top of Davis, and even briefly took his back before they stood back up. Evans then got the better of an exchange of punches, and although Davis was finally able to get Evans back down after that, he couldn’t do anything on the ground, and Evans won yet another round.
Davis landed a hard body kick that made a sound like the crack of a bat early in the fourth round, but there wasn’t much significant striking in the round after that. Both Evans and Davis were tiring out and not getting much done as the fourth went on.
Early in the fifth Davis threw a kick that Evans caught with one hand while hitting Davis with the other, and he knocked Davis down and got on top of him. Evans played it safe for the rest of the round, knowing he had won. And knowing he’s got Jones next.
After three rounds of lightweight action, Michael Johnson (10-6) earned a unanimous decision victory over former WEC fighter Shane Roller (10-6) on the 
UFC light-heavyweight champion 
Despite high expectations for the three 
The UFC on FOX 2 post-fight press conference is the last piece of business to take care of after the action is over in the Octagon, and we have the live video below at MMAFighting.com.
CHICAGO —