Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida scored a unanimous decision over Gegard Mousasi for his second straight victory as a middleweight in UFC Fight Night 36.
Judges saw it 49-46, 50-45, and 5-45 for Machida, who made a strong case for a shot at the middleweight title.
The Dragon was sharp during the opening round, tagging Mousasi with well-time kicks. Mousasi came back strong in the second round, but failed to sustain his pace in the next four frames.
In the fifth, Machida got close to submitting the Armenian, who managed to survive and reach the final bell.
“He's a great fight. I'd like the crowd to give him a round of applause ‘cause he's a real champ,” said Machida during the post-fight interview. “I want to finish him in a different way but I couldn't, but I was able to get the points.”
As to the possible shot at the middleweight crown, he said it is up to the UFC to decide on his next opponent.
“I obviously would like to get the chance but it's up to the UFC, the president of the UFC (Dana White) has to decide who I'm gonna get,” said Machida.
Chris Weidman, the current UFC middleweight champion, will defend his title against Vitor Belfort on May 24.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones retained his title in dominant fashion, routing challenger "Suga" Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 145 Saturday in Atlanta (Sunday morning in Manila).
In what was an emotionally charged fight, Jones remained cool as he systematically broke down Evans with precise and powerful striking for five rounds, while at the same time using his considerable reach advantage to keep Evans at bay.
Jones was declared the winner via unanimous decision, with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45. He has now defended the UFC light heavyweight title three times, with all of three title defenses coming against former champions.
"Definitely (it was) my most satisfying victory... It was who I beat that was very important to me," Jones said.
Evans was expected to give Jones the toughest test as the two fighters were former training partners and frequently sparred together during their time at Jackson's MMA.
But like many of Jones's opponents, Evans found himself frustrated by the champion's long reach. "Suga" tried numerous times to push forward and attack the champion, only to be kept away by a stiff jab.
Evans had some success late in the first round and again in the second round with his overhand rights, but for the most part he was unable to rattle the champion.
Jones took control of the bout for good in the third round, when he hurt Evans with elbows to the head and the body. By the fourth round, Evans had a noticeable welt on his forehead.
"He had those sneaky elbows that he got in there," Evans acknowledged after the fight. "He is pretty crafty... He is creative and he kept me on my toes."
"Give him props," Evans added.
It was the first time that Jones had ever been taken to five rounds in his career, and he admitted that he was surprised that he was not able to finish off Evans.
"I had a goal to finish this fight, but what a great competition," he said.
The build-up to the fight saw Evans and Jones exchange harsh words and accusations. The two fighters had a bitter falling out that led Evans to leave their gym at Jackson's MMA, and the former champion had waited for over a year to challenge Jones for the belt.
But Evans's offensive attack and wrestling game was completely taken apart by Jones, and he suffered only his second loss in his career.
"I have to get better and build my way up to the top again," Evans said.
Jones has now defeated four former UFC light heavyweight champions. He won the title by defeating Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and defended the belt against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Evans.
MacDonald TKOs Mills; Filipino Phenom wins
In the main under-card bout, welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald sent a strong message to the rest of the division with a dominant technical knockout victory over Che Mills.
The young MacDonald continued his ascent in the welterweight division as he showcased a vicious ground-and-pound game. He took control of the bout late in the first round, when he was able to take Mills to the mat and unleashed heavy punches.
Mills was able to survive the first round, but MacDonald was at it again in the second, hurting Mills with strong punches to the head. The referee stopped the bout when Mills was unable to defend himself from MacDonald's assault.
"I could tell I was landing big shots. When I hit guys on the ground, I know they’ll be hurt, so I just stayed on him," MacDonald said.
Despite the impressive victory, MacDonald believes that he is not yet ready to challenge for the welterweight title.
"I want to be champion one day, but I'm still very young. One thing I lack is experience, and I'm aware of that. I need to get a lot more fights," MacDonald said.
In the curtain raiser, Eddie "The Filipino Phenom" Yagin won the first fight of his UFC career with a split decision victory over Mark Hominick.
After going back-and-forth for three bloody rounds, Yagin was given the decision 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.
Yagin dropped Hominick in the first and second rounds, but could not finish him on both occassions. Despite being hurt, Hominick was able to do damage especially in the latter part of the second round, when Yagin was looking tired.
The two fighters exchanged punches all the way to the final bell, with both Hominick and Yagin bleeding profusely by the end of the match.
In the other undercard bout, Michael McDonald knocked out Miguel Torres in a bantamweight match-up, while Ben Rothwell also knocked out Brendan Schaub in the first-round of their heavyweight encounter.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 146 heavyweight title bout between defending champion Junior Dos Santos and No. 1 contender Alistair Overeem is in jeopardy after Overeem failed a drug test.
According to MMA Fighting, Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. The drug testing was conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) last week.
Overeem will need to appear before the NSAC to get a license to fight Dos Santos at UFC 146, which will be held on May 26 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In a separate MMA Fighting report, it was revealed that Overeem's testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was 14:1. The NSAC's acceptable limit is 6:1.
Overeem was granted a conditional license to fight Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas for UFC 141, but it is unlikely that he will be given another license after the failed drug test. The Dutch kickboxer defeated Lesnar in their bout, sending Lesnar into retirement and cementing his status as No. 1 contender.
Overeem has gotten into trouble before regarding drug tests. Prior to his fight against Lesnar, he had to appear before the Nevada commission due to a mix-up of samples for drug testing. He was eventually granted a conditional license for UFC 141.
'Beyond belief'
UFC president Dana White lashed out at Overeem after finding out the result of the drug test, saying that he was "beyond pissed" at the fighter.
"The worst part is that he sat in front of us and lied to us. How (expletive) stupid do you have to be? Seriously dumb. Anybody who's using (performance enhancing drugs) right now is an absolute (expletive) moron," White said, as quoted by Bloody Elbow.
"It's beyond belief. It's beyond comprehension. You're an absolute moron, a brain-dead (expletive) dummy," he said.
White admitted that he has no “Plan B” yet for the UFC 146 card, but confirmed that Dos Santos will still be defending his title at the main event of the show.
The UFC has not announced who Overeem's official replacement will be, although fans are speculating that Frank Mir, Fabricio Werdum or Mark Hunt are likely opponents for Dos Santos.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light-heavyweight champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell believes the much-awaited match-up between reigning champion Jon “Bones” Jones and challenger “Suga” Rashad Evans is anybody’s game.
“I think it’s gonna be a good fight and I think it can go either way,” Liddell said in an MMA Weekly interview.
Jones will make the third defense of his light heavyweight title at UFC 145 against Evans, who used to be his training partner before the two fighters had a bitter falling out.
Evans is considered the underdog, especially since Jones has dominated most of his opponents and won all four of his bouts last year.
“If you’re a betting man, you’ve got to take Rashad at those odds (6 to 1),” Liddell said. “Rashad poses problems that other fighters haven’t to Jones.”
“As long as both guys come in shape, it’s gonna be fun to watch,” Liddell added.
Liddell retired from the UFC in 2010 after suffering his third consecutive knockout loss. He was a former UFC light heavyweight champion and compiled a mixed martial arts record of 21-8.
UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans is scheduled on April 21, 2012.
Source: ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines - New Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos expects to make his first title defense against former champion Brock Lesnar.
Dos Santos won the heavyweight belt when he fought Cain Velasquez last Saturday via a stunning 64-second knockout, in what was UFC's debut on FOX network.
Lesnar, meanwhile, will battle Alistair Overeem for the right to face Dos Santos at UFC 141.
"I will be watching the fight. I don't know who will win, but I'll think I'll go with Brock," Dos Santos said in an ESPN interview.
He added, however, that he is not the one who chooses his opponent.
"I'm not thinking about that now. I want to go back to Brazil and make a big BBQ for all my friends and training partners," he added.
Dos Santos' first title defense may not be for a while, however, as he suffered from a torn meniscus and may have to undergo surgery.
Source: ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines – Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Rua” Shogun said his rematch against Forrest Griffin in UFC Rio isn’t just about vindication.
He said it is a key to get him closer to another title shot.
“Getting the record even is a big motivation,” said Rua, a former PRIDE middleweight title holder.
“But more importantly, Forrest is a great fighter and my dream is to get the belt again. I know that beating Forrest will get me closer to a title shot,” he added in an interview with UFC.com.
Rua lost to Griffin via rear naked choke in UFC 76.
“I think about it a lot,” admitted Shogun.
Rua wanted to make sure he won’t make the same mistake against Griffin.
“I'm training hard and doing as much as I can so I don't get tired. That was my biggest mistake in the first fight,” said the 29-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Filipino-American Brandon “The Truth” Vera suffered his 5th career loss at the hands of Jon “Bones” Jones in UFC Live in Colorado Sunday (Monday in Manila).
According to UFC.com, Jones scored a technical knockout victory (TKO) at 3:19 of Round 1 at the 1st Bank Center (formerly Odeum Colorado) in Broomfield.
Jones now has a record of 10-1 while Vera is now at 11-5.
Vera tipped the scales at 204 lbs. during the official weigh-in on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) while Jones weighed 206 lbs.
Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos, meantime, beat Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga in their heavyweight clash. Dos Santos (11-1) won over Gonzaga (11-5) with a knockout at 3:53 of Round 1.
Cheick Kongo defeated Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello by submission (other) at 1:16 of Round 3. Kongo now has 25 wins, 6 losses and 1 draw while Buentello has 25 wins and 12 defeats.
Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara, meantime, clinched a TKO victory over James “The Sandman” Irvin at 3:01 of Round 1. Sakara’s record is now at 19 wins, 7 losses and 1 no contest (NC) while Irvin has 14 wins, 6 losses and 1 NC.
In other matches, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida beat Shannon Gugerty by submission (choke) at 3:40 of Round 2 while Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko defeated Eliot “The Fire” Marshall via split decision.
Darren “The Damage” Elkins scored a TKO stoppage (referee) win at 0:44 of Round 1 over Duane “Bang” Ludwig and John “Doomsday” Howard knocked out Daniel “Ninja” Roberts at 2:01 of Round 1.
Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub, on the other hand, prevailed over Chase Gormley by TKO at 0:47 of Round 1.
Mike Pierce and Jason “Hitman” Brilz both won via unanimous decision over Julio “The Dominican Demon” Paulino and Eric “Ravishing Red” Schafer, respectively.
Source:
-- Mixed martial artist Frank Mir expressed regret over the comments he made in a radio interview about reigning UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
“I would like to apologize to Brock Lesnar, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks,” said the former UFC heavyweight champion in a UFC statement.
“I respect Brock, all the other fighters, and the sport of mixed martial arts. I’m sorry that I stepped out of line."
UFC.com reported that Mir said over WXDX-FM that he wanted Lesnar “to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries.”
UFC President Dana White also reacted to Mir’s comments.
“I was disappointed by Frank Mir’s comments,” he stated, noting that Mir has been with the UFC for a long time. The two-time heavyweight champion is even a commentator for the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).
“I think his emotions are running high right now. He has a big fight coming up next month and he’s still upset about his loss to Lesnar,” he continued.
The 30-year-old Mir lost to the UFC heavyweight champ via technical knockout at 1:48 of Round 2 in UFC 100 last July 11.
“He’s been talked to, he regrets what he said, and he won’t be saying anything like that again,” assured White.
Mir is slated to fight Shane Carwin in UFC 111: St-Pierre vs Hardy on March 27 in Newark, New Jersey. His most recent result is a victory over Cheick Kongo by submission (choke) in UFC: 107 Penn vs Sanchez last December 12.
Source: AP
-- Unbeaten Texan Cain Velasquez knocked out veteran Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira of Brazil at 2:20 of the first round Sunday to claim the featured heavyweight bout at the MMA's UFC 110.
The 27-year-old Velasquez unleashed a flurry of punches at Nogueira to knock the Brazilian down, then began another set of combinations to his head before the referee stopped the fight.
Velasquez improved to 8-0 in the UFC and has beaten all but one of his opponents inside the distance. Former UFC heavyweight champion Nogueira dropped to 32-6-1.
"The plan was push the pace whenever we could, and then when the takedown was there, take it," Velasquez said. "I tried to stay focused, and when I got in a good position, I beat him to the punch."
Nogueira said he was disappointed with himself, but was outclassed.
"He had the fast hands tonight," he said. "He's a very good up-and-coming guy, one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division."
Earlier, veteran Brazilian Wanderlei Silva knocked down England's Michael Bisping in the final 10 seconds and went on to claim a unanimous decision.
Before a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Acer Arena in UFC's first foray into Australia, Silva, nicknamed "The Axe Murderer," staged a late flurry to claim the fight.
Silva, with a record of 33-10-1, won the PRIDE world championship in Japan for five years in a row. Bisping, of England, 19-3, was the UFC's winner in its third season.
Silva recently had nose surgery which enables him to breathe better.
"Everybody has bad moments, but if you work hard the good moments will come," Silva said.
Bisping apologized to his fans for the late lapse.
"I grew up in the sport watching him fight," Bisping said of Silva. "I have a lot of respect for the guy. I think the reason he got the decision was the knockdown at the end. Sorry England. Sorry Australia."
Earlier, Australian George Sotiropoulos thrilled the crowd when he beat Joe "Daddy" Stevenson in a unanimous decision. Ryan "Darth" Bader won his fourth consecutive fight, beating light heavyweight Keith Jardine by knockout at 2:10 of the third round.
It was the fifth loss in his last seven MMA fights for Jardine, from Butte, Montana.
Bader, from Reno, Nev., finished Jardine off with a flying knee and big left hook.
"I tried to stick to my game plan, stand up and let him do his stuff," Bader said. "I've been working on my boxing, and it paid off."
In other bouts, Mirko Cro Cop won by technical knockout over Anthony Perosh, a stoppage due to a cut at 5 minutes of the first round of the heavyweight fight. Krzysztof Soszynski beat Stephan Bonnar, also by technical knockout due to a cut at 1:04 of the third round.
Chris Lytle beat Brian Foster by submission (leg lock) at 1:41 in the first round by kneebar and C.B. Dollaway beat Goran Reljic by unanimous decision.
The Sydney show sold out within four hours in December, despite the card not having been announced. UFC president Dana White told local media last week that Australia could become an annual stop on the UFC tour.
The only venue to sell out faster, according to the UFC, was UFC 83 in Montreal in April 2008, when 21,390 attended the Bell Centre.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine and Joe “Daddy” Stevenson said they are up for the challenge on Sunday in Sydney, Australia when they take on their opponents in UFC 110: Nogueira vs Silva.
Jardine, 34, will face the undefeated 26-year-old Ryan “Darth” Bader of the United States while Stevenson, 27, will take on 32-year-old George Sotiropoulos of Australia.
Bader (11-0) said he will definitely step up in his clash against his fellow American.
“This is my first genuine challenge at the top level and I’m in against a top-tier guy. This is a welcome move for me and I feel I’m ready for this next step,” he told UFC.com.
“Jardine’s been in the Octagon with guys like ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Forrest Griffin and Wanderlei Silva. He’s a good guy to face. This will show me just where I’m at in my career.”
Jardine (14-7-1), meantime, thinks that his match-up against Bader is a “good fight” for him.
“Bader’s a great up-and-coming fighter with impressive wrestling and some very heavy punches. I think he’s going to make a fight of it and that can only mean excitement for the fans,” stated the mixed martial artist fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“The Dean of Mean” lost his 2 previous fights to Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson. Silva knocked him out in Round 1 of their UFC 102: Couture vs Nogueira bout last August while Jackson won via unanimous decision in their UFC 96: Jackson vs Jardine clash last March.
His last victory was a split decision triumph over Filipino-American Brandon Vera in UFC 89: Bisping vs Leben in October 2008.
Bader, meanwhile, won over Eric Schafer in UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun by unanimous decision (UD) last October. He also scored a UD win over Carmelo Marrero in UFC Fight Night: Condit vs Kampmann last April.
Difficult match
Australian Sotiropoulos, meantime, will have the home court advantage as UFC 110 will take place at the Acer Arena in Sydney.
“He’s very difficult for me,” American Stevenson (36-10) said of his Australian foe.
“He’s very dangerous on the ground, so I’ve got to take him very serious, and he’s got the reach on the feet and has been focusing on his standup.”
Sotiropoulos (11-2) also pointed out the strengths of his UFC 110 opponent.
“Joe Stevenson is a well rounded and durable fighter, with strengths in wrestling and jiu-jitsu,” he noted. Both Sotiropoulos and Stevenson are coming off back-to-back wins in 2009.
The Australian won by submission (arm lock) over Jason Dent in UFC 106: Ortiz vs Griffin 2 last November and George Roop in UFC 101: Declaration in August.
Stevenson prevailed in his UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun bout against Spencer Fisher by submission (other) last October. He also clinched a UD victory over Nate Diaz in The Ultimate Fighter: Team US vs Team UK Finale last June.
The American, however, lost to Diego Sanchez by UD in UFC 95: Sanchez vs Stevenson.
UFC 110 is headlined by Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. Its co-feature pits British superstar Michael “The Count” Bisping against Wanderlei “the Axe Murderer” Silva.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famers Mark “The Hammer” Coleman and Randy “The Natural” Couture will finally clash in UFC 109: Relentless on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Couture and Coleman headline the pay-per-view event which UFC calls “the biggest sports weekend of the year,” according to its website.
“It’s the clash of legends UFC fans have waited ten years for,” a website post noted of the Couture vs Coleman match.
UFC 109 will take place in the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nate “The Great” Marquardt and Chael Sonnen will also face off while Mike “Quick” Swick will take on Paulo Thiago.
Demian Maia will tackle Dan Miller and Matt “The Terror” Serra will fight Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg.
Mac Danzig, meanwhile, will face Justin Buchholz while Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard will battle Ronys “Jungle Boy” Torres.
Another Filipino-American mixed martial artist, Phillipe Nover, will take on Rob “The Saint” Emerson. Nover is known as “The Filipino Assassin.”
Other matches included in the fight card are Brian “All American” Stann vs Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis, Tim “The Thrashing Machine” Hague vs Chris “The Crowbar” Tuchscherer, and Mostapha Al Turk vs Rolles Gracie.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
-- Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will go for a knockout when he mixes it up with Brazilian mixed martial artist Thiago Silva in UFC 108.
“There's something about taking somebody out with your hands, you know… there's one punch then you can just be over for the rest of the night,” said Evans in a UFC promotional video.
Evans will face the Brazilian striker at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on January 2 (January 3 in Manila).
Evans said Silva will realize his caliber once they meet inside the Octagon.
“I think when I start letting these hands go, his going to realize that hey, this dude is kinda fast. And not only he's fast he knows what to do with those hands too,” he said.
Both Evans and Silva said they want to get a title shot against reigning light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida.
“There's a lot of pressure for both of us because we both have something to prove,” said Evans (18-1-1).
“[But] I'm the best 205 pounder and I'm gonna be out there to prove it,” he added.
Silva (14-1) earlier said his training camp was designed to foil Evan’s fighting style. He is hoping to get back on track on facing Machida.
“Every fight, I fight like it's my last fight. I fight for the title in every opponent that I had. What's important is that it's putting me into the direction of the title and I'm ready for it,” he said.
Evans said every good fighter can see holes in their opponents style. It, however, takes a better fighter to take advantage of the loopholes.
“You can see holes in anybody's game, but it's about how you capitalize on those that makes the big difference.”
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
-- A spectacular light heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) match up will kick start 2010 as up and coming fighter Thiago Silva battles former Ultimate Fighting Championship king Rashad Evans in UFC 108.
Silva, who demolished light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine in just 95 seconds, sees Evans as his stepping stone towards fighting reigning UFC 205-pound champ Lyoto Machida.
“Every fight, I fight like it's my last fight. I fight for the title in every opponent that I had. What's important is that it's putting me into the direction of the title and I'm ready for it,” the Brazilian MMA fighter said in a UFC promo video.
The fight will be held at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on January 2 (January 3 in Manila).
In preparing for the fight, Silva said he spends most of his time trying to figure out how to solve the fighting style of Evan, who specializes on takedowns.
“Every fighter has a different style, we prepared camps for fighters,” explained Silva. “This camp is designed and structured to beat Rashad and his style.”
Silva, who has 14 MMA wins against a loss, said he will foil Evans' campaign to winning the light heavyweight title, and will use it fuel his own campaign.
“I see him as a challenge… This is exactly what I've wanted. If I have to climb mountains to get there [to the championship], I'll do it,” he said.
Evans, who compiled 18 wins against a loss and a draw, is on his track to recover the UFC title he lost to Machida in May 2009.
