THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR UFC® 113: MACHIDA vs. SHOGUN 2
MAIN EVENT
LYOTO “THE DRAGON” MACHIDA vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA
CO-MAIN EVENT
JOSH KOSCHECK vs. PAUL DALEY
SAM STOUT vs. JEREMY STEPHENS
KIMBO SLICE vs. MATT MITRIONE
PATRICK COTE vs. ALAN BELCHER
TIM CREDEUR vs. TOM LAWLOR
MARCUS DAVIS vs. JONATHAN GOULET
YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA vs. MIKE GUYMON
JOEY BELTRAN vs. CHAD CORVIN
TJ GRANT vs. JOHNY HENDRICKS
NICK CATONE vs. JOHN SALTER
SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2010
Live from the Bell Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Tickets on Sale Now
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The light-heavyweight title will be on the line on when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns to the Bell Centre in Montreal. At UFC® 104 last October, light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua engaged in a back-and-forth five round battle resulting in the champion retaining his belt via a razor-thin unanimous decision. On Saturday, May 8, these two warriors will square off once again with the championship on the line for UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2, live from the Bell Centre.
Now the remainder of this stellar card has been confirmed. UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 will feature a full slate of action-packed matchups, including a welterweight showdown with title-shot implications when Josh Koscheck takes on British KO artist Paul Daley. The big time fight card consists of other memorable bouts such as Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens, Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione, Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher, Tim Credeur vs. Tom Lawlor, Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet, TJ Grant vs. Johny Hendricks, Joey Beltran vs. Chad Corvin, Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Mike Guymon and Nick Catone vs. John Salter.
UFC 113 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).
Tickets for UFC 113 are on sale and are available at the Bell Centre box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at www.geg.ca.
A veteran of the UFC, welterweight Josh Koscheck (fighting out of Fresno, Calif. / professional record 16-4) has been involved in battles with some of the best the UFC has to offer. A winner of two straight over Frank Trigg and Anthony Johnson, the Waynesburg, Pennsylvania native looks for another epic battle when he puts his streak on the line against feared striker Paul Daley (fighting out of Nottingham, England / 23-8-2). Swarming onto the scene with an impressive TKO victory over Martin Kampmann, Daley followed up that performance with another vicious knockout, this time against Dustin Hazelett. Always looking to stand and exchange, Daley hopes to collect another impressive victory and cement himself as a top contender in the welterweight division.
A winner of his last two fights over Matt Wiman and Joe Lauzon, Sam Stout (fighting out of London, Ontario, Canada / 16-5-1) is known for his impressive striking ability. The eight-fight veteran of the UFC will be taking on an equally exciting striker when he squares off with Jeremy Stephens (fighting out of Des Moines, Iowa / 17-5). Stephens is coming off a win of his own over Justin Buchholz and looks to start a winning streak in what could be a candidate for the night’s “Knockout of the Night” honor.
Making his return to the Octagon™ after a unanimous decision victory over Houston Alexander in his UFC debut, Kimbo Slice (fighting out of Miami, Fla. / 4-1) intends to show his continued evolution as a mixed martial artist and build off his first UFC win. The famed brawler and contestant of Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter® draws a familiar face in this fight as he takes on fellow The Ultimate Fighter® 10 castmate Matt Mitrione (fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind. / 1-0). A graduate of Purdue University and an NFL veteran of six seasons, Mitrione has only one professional bout under his belt, a knockout victory over another TUF 10 cast member, Marcus Jones, and he hopes a win over Slice will help him to continue his climb in the heavyweight division.
After suffering a knee injury in a middleweight title fight against Anderson Silva, Patrick Cote (fighting out of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada / 14-5) makes his return to the Octagon after a nearly two-year layoff. Fully recovered, Cote hopes to pick up right where he left off and get himself back into the middleweight title picture with a win. He draws a difficult task in Alan Belcher (fighting out of Biloxi, Mississippi / 14-5). Coming off of an impressive TKO victory of Wilson Gouveia, the UFC veteran looks to spoil the return of Cote and add another highlight reel knockout to his resume.
Winner of three of his last four fights in the UFC, fan favorite Tim Credeur (fighting out of Breaux Bridge, La. / 13-5) always puts on an entertaining fight. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Credeur has proven to be comfortable wherever the fight goes as was shown by his three round standup war with Nate Quarry in his last fight. His opponent is TUF® 8 alumnus, Tom Lawlor (fighting out of Orlando, Fla. / 6-2, 1 NC). An accomplished wrestler at the University of Central Florida, Lawlor is the winner of two of his last three fights. The eccentric 26-year-old faces a difficult task when he takes on Credeur.
A former professional boxer who made the leap into the realm of MMA, Marcus Davis (fighting out of Bangor, Maine / 21-7) has had a successful 12-fight career in the UFC. Known for his impressive power, the “Irish Hand Grenade” looks to return to his winning ways when he faces Canadian welterweight Jonathan Goulet (fighting out of Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada / 22-10, 1 NC). Having won two of his last three fights, “The Road Warrior” looks to utilize the lack of travel time and put together another impressive performance in front of his countrymen.
A fourth-degree black belt in Judo, Yoshiyuki Yoshida (fighting out of Albuqurque, N.M. / 11-4) has made his mark in Judo competitions and looks to further assert himself on the MMA scene. A four-fight UFC veteran, Yoshida owns wins over Brandon Wolff and Jon Koppenhaver, both by submission. His opponent, 35-year-old Mike Guymon (fighting out of Lake Forest, Calif. / 12-3-1) plans to use his experience and determination to collect his first UFC win when he squares off with Yoshida.
Joey Beltran (fighting out of Carlsbad, Calif. / 11-3) caught the attention of fans after taking a fight with Rolles Gracie on short notice and promptly knocking him out in the second round of their UFC 109 matchup. The San Diego native has 11 career wins, all by way of stoppage (10 TKO/KO, 1 Submission) and plans to tally another victory against UFC newcomer Chad Corvin (fighting out of Elizabethtown, Ky. / 6-0). With plans of his own, all six of Corvin’s wins have come by way of first-round stoppage. When the highly touted Corvin and Beltran collide, it is sure to be an action-packed battle.
A brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel, TJ Grant (fighting out of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia / 15-3) is 2-1 in his three fights in the UFC. The 26-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, draws a difficult task when he takes on the undefeated Johny Hendricks (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 7-0). A two-time Division I national champion wrestler at Oklahoma State, Hendricks has transferred his skills over to MMA in dominating fashion. Currently on a four-fight win streak in the UFC, Hendricks has recent wins over Amir Sadollah and Ricardo Funch, and looks to put his perfect record on the line against the seasoned Grant.
A three-time Division I national qualifier in wrestling for Rider University, Nick Catone (fighting out of Brick, N.J. / 8-2) is a four fight veteran of the UFC. A brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Catone hopes his well-rounded skills will help him build off of his recent split decision victory over Jesse Forbes. He will be taking on another talented wrestler, John Salter (fighting out of Tuscaloose, Ala. / 4-1). A NAIA national champion wrestler in 2007, Salter holds his purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and hopes his similar skill set will prove superior to his opponent’s as he looks for the first UFC win in his young career.
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
Dana White on Fitch and Koscheck Refusing to Fight: “It’s Over”
Written By: Dallas Winston (TheGARV.com)
The Dana is done placating top AKA welterweights Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.
The pair have adamantly shunned the thought of fighting one another despite each maintaining a premiere status in the UFC’s 170 pound division. Dana White has scoffed at teammates precluding themselves from fighting in the past, such as Black House stablemates Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, as well as Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine from Greg Jackson’s camp.
Although White’s contempt for such reistance seems to be growing, push has never come to shove. The issue flared up again at the post-UFC 111 press conference when White adumbrated a potential alignment of Koscheck versus Fitch for the next title shot, and Jon Fitch held his ground, to which White quipped to the crowd, “He doesn’t want a title shot that bad then.”
Check out the video of the incident below from Cagewriter.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® RETURNS TO MONTREAL FOR UFC® 113: MACHIDA vs. SHOGUN 2
LYOTO “THE DRAGON” MACHIDA vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN” RUA
UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Live from the Bell Centre, Saturday May 8, 2010 – Tickets on sale Saturday, Feb 20 at 10 a.m. ET
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – It was so good, the UFC® decided to do it again.
At UFC 104 last October, UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua engaged in a five round war that divided the mixed martial arts world when the unanimous decision verdict was rendered in Machida’s favor. On Saturday, May 8, these two warriors will have a chance to do it again and erase any doubt as to who is the best 205-pound fighter in the world, and both are vowing to take matters out of the judges’ hands, and into their own when The Ultimate Fighting Championship® heads back to Montreal for UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2, live from the Bell Centre and only on Pay-Per-View.
“The first fight between Machida and Shogun was very controversial, I think fans are very excited to see them fight again and find out who the best light heavyweight in the world is,” said UFC President Dana White.
Tickets for UFC 113 will go on sale Saturday, February 20 at 10am ET and will be priced at $600, $400, $250, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at the Bell Centre box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at www.geg.ca.
UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, February 18 at 10 a.m. ET via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, February 19 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.
UFC 113 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).
With eight fights and eight wins in the UFC, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (fighting out of Belem, Brazil, 16-0 professional record) is cementing his place as one of the most dangerous men in the Octagon™ in any weight class. The 31-year-old Machida Karate black belt turned many heads with his wins over Thiago Silva, Tito Ortiz and Rameau Sokoudjou, but it was his second round knockout over then champion Rashad Evans at UFC 98 last May, that put him at the top of the 205-pound class. But on May 8th, he expects to be pushed to the limit once again as he turns his attention back to the man that gave him his greatest challenge yet.
With TKO victories over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil, 18-4) re-established himself as one of the premier light heavyweights on the planet. The devastating 28-year-old striker came the closest to putting a blemish on Machida’s undefeated record last October and the former PRIDE® star, who holds wins over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem, now looks to capture the very same title he came so close to winning in 2009.
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live Pay-Per-View events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, Bell ExpressVU, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.
Moving forward: Shogun Rua to start training in January for second battle with Lyoto Machida
By: Eduardo Cruz (MMAmania.com)
Props: UOL.com.br
Quoteworthy:
“I no longer think [about UFC 104] and can’t live from it anymore. I must only think on the next fight that’s going to be a battle. I was glad with my performance but not with the outcome. I wanted the win but this is past for me. Actually I don’t know what criteria was taken in account for that fight. I just know they (judges) used it in favor of Lyoto. [Machida] is a tough guy and I already expected a complicated fight against him. In fact, he has been fighting for over ten years, so that, I think it’s difficult for him to change something now. He has done what he does well along his whole life, so as it’s also hard for me to change my game.”
Almost two months after his unanimous decision loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 104, Mauricio Rua says he overcame the controversial outcome and is focused on their second encounter in 2010. “Shogun” intends to map out the campaign for the next fight starting in January, when he will sit down with his team to plan all the arrangements. Will history repeat itself? Or will Rua get the win many feel he should have gotten back in October?
ALDO LOOKING TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SILVA, MACHIDA
BRAZILIAN SEEKS DOMINANT REIGN AS CHAMPION
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Newly-crowned World Extreme Cagefighting® featherweight champion Jose Aldo had dreamed of winning a world title since he was a young boy. Growing up poor in Manaus, Brazil, Aldo didn’t have many material possessions, nor did he always know when his next meal would come.
Simply put, Jose Aldo was hungry. Starving, actually. But what makes this story so unique is that Aldo’s hunger could not be fulfilled by a cheeseburger. Despite his less-than-ideal upbringing, Aldo was craving a taste of success. Aldo wanted to become an elite fighter and escape the life of poverty, leaving championship gold as his only way out.
“My dream has always been to win a world title,” Aldo said. “When I started my career, I set out to be the best. I wanted a better life for my family and for myself.”
In front of a packed house at The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas last Wednesday, the 23-year-old Aldo realized his dream, scoring a second round TKO victory over Mike Brown to win the WEC Featherweight Championship. In doing so, Aldo knocked off one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport and claimed the title he long had an appetite for. Like his fellow countrymen Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, Jose Aldo had finally achieved his goal of becoming a world champion.
“You could see how much the title meant to Jose when he was announced as the winner,” WEC GM Reed Harris said. “Behind the devastating strikes and knockout power, Jose is actually a very emotional, humble man. To see him well up with tears was an awe-inspiring moment for me. It was a rare look at one of the most feared athletes in the sport.”
At the post-fight press conference on Nov. 18, Aldo beamed with joy as Harris announced him as the new featherweight champion. However, as Harris told the assembled media that Aldo had the potential to be as dominant as Silva and Machida, Aldo admits that his thoughts drifted back to the days in which he struggled to stay afloat. He reflected on the shortage of food, clothes, and other necessities. While Harris was gushing about his new titleholder, Aldo, at least mentally, was back in Brazil.
“It’s just nice to finally be the world champion,” Aldo said shortly after the press conference concluded. “I am so happy that my dream came true.”
As Aldo left the press conference, he handed the title belt to a member of his team and let out a huge breath of air. When asked by a WEC official how he felt, the young Brazilian offered a humorous response via his translator.
“I’m pretty hungry,” Aldo said. “I think I want a cheeseburger.”
Aldo, to no one’s surprise, is still hungry.
*VERSUS WILL RE-AIR ALDO’S CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY TOMORROW, NOV. 24 AT 8PM ET*
For more information on Jose Aldo, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.
About World Extreme Cagefighting®
The WEC brand is recognized as one of the premier mixed martial arts organizations in the United States. WEC, founded in 2001, is the sister organization of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® and today features the most prominent light weight fighters in the world. Owned and operated by WEC Holdings LLC., and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the WEC produces live and taped events annually that are distributed through the Versus network.WEC programming is also available on Fox Sports en Espanol. In addition to its U.S distribution, WEC programming is shown on the TSN network in Canada, Setanta Sports in Australia, Globosat in Brazil, and Cadena Tres in Mexico. For more information and current WEC fight news, visit wec.tv. World Extreme Cagefighting® and WEC® are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by WEC Holdings, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions and are licensed to WEC Productions, LLC.
About VERSUS
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the IndyCar® Series as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events and original programs, such as Sports Soup and The Contender that audiences can’t find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
Lyoto Machida to ‘close all holes’ for rematch with Shogun Rua (Video)
By: MMAmania.com
Whenever that may be … this appears to be shot before news of his looming hand surgery broke:
Weekend wrap-up: the unofficial ProMMA.info Sunday night link dump
By: ProMMA.info
There was a ton of news going on this week in MMA. Here’s a whole horde of information you can’t just start the new week and new month without knowing:
In this video interview Dan Henderson talks about why he has not signed a new contract with the UFC and why he is currently pro MMA homeless.
Remember when TUF veteran Corey Hill ’s leg was rubberized at the UFC Fight for the Troops event? Corey plans to be back in the Octagon maybe around January.
Lyoto Machida needs hand surgery and won’t be giving that rematch to Shogun any time soon and Anderson Silva is still recovering from elbow surgery and won’t be fighting Vitor Belfort at UFC 108 as expected.
To view the complete article go to: ProMMA.info
Cecil Peoples: If you don’t like the way I scored ‘Machida vs Shogun’ you can go to hell
By: Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com)
Props: MMAWeekly
Quoteworthy:
“The fans and all the naysayers, I don’t worry about. I don’t back down because it’s not popular. My thing is, Rua did hit him more. But Machida hit him harder, especially in the early rounds. I’m really perplexed about how you give (Rua) [Round 1], because Shogun was kicking (Machida) a lot in the legs, but every time he kicked him in the legs, he got hit in the face. Shogun would put his hand up, and Machida would go right through, sweat’s flying off (Rua’s) face. Shogun kicked (Machida) in the belly –- that’s how he got the red mark. But you gotta remember, Machida is stepping back, so when he gets kicked, he’s getting brushed. But he counters Shogun with a hard kick to the belly. Which one counts more for the exchange? I give it to the (second one), because it was harder. It wasn’t brushed. Machida was controlling that round because he was dominant in not getting beat up in that round. He was the general in that first round. I give the fight to Machida in a very, very close fight. Now you’re pissed off because it’s my fault that you lost your money. No, it’s not. It’s Machida’s fault. If you don’t like it, you can go to hell.”
Strong words from a defiant and oft-criticized scorekeeper, Cecil Peoples, who places emphasis on the quality of damage inflicted over the total number of strikes landed. Peoples came under fire along with Nelson Hamilton and Marcos Rosales at UFC 104 after awarding a unanimous decision to Lyoto Machida, who appeared to be on the receiving end of a Shogun beatdown in last Saturday’s (Oct. 24) main event. Is Peoples merely a victim of the system? Or a loose cannon with no understanding of what he’s seeing? And how do you respond to his “go to hell” attitude? Sound off, Maniacs.
Lyoto Machida: Sometimes the strategy doesn’t work
By: Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com)
Props: MMAWeekly
Quoteworthy:
“Every time you go in there, you always want to try and make the fans happy, and it’s a little depressing when they don’t cheer for you, when they boo you. I didn’t really feel too much on the rib cage, but the legs, I started to feel it on the inside of one of my legs, and it was bothering me. I was a hundred percent, but sometimes when you get in there, you’re strategy doesn’t always work exactly like you planned it to. I would have liked to perform better, but it happens sometimes. I was looking to finish the fight whenever I could, but it showed that Shogun came very well prepared for this fight. I was constantly trying to find openings to finish the fight, but unfortunately, I didn’t get that. It’s just going to motivate me to train harder and I can guarantee you I’m going to put a better performance next time.”
Reigning light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida talks about his controversial unanimous decision win over challenger Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 last Saturday night in Los Angeles. “Shogun” appeared to be getting the better of the exchanges in their five round title fight and all but three people in attendance were prepared to crown Rua the new 205-pound champ. Unfortunately those three people were cageside judges Nelson Hamilton, Marcos Rosales and Cecil Peoples.
Shogun Quiets the Machida Hype
By: Dallas Winston (TheGarv.com)
On a Sunday morning preceding a sum of twenty different top-level fights spread out between UFC 104 and DREAM 12, the MMA media motif centers around the astounding spectacle of the Shogun Rua and Lyoto Machida encounter.
Despite exhibiting a career defining-performance, overcoming the weight of ridiculously slanted odds as high as -500 from betting sites, deciphering the constantly cited “enigma”, and firmly apprehending what was previously thought to be immeasurably “elusive”, Mauricio Rua lost a unanimous decision to Lyoto Machida last night.
Perhaps even more impressive than that long list of accomplishments was the manner in which Rua accepted the shocking news. He choked back tears of frustration and disappointment in his post-fight interview, and accepted the bittersweet defeat with class and humility as cheers resounded throughout the crowd. The cantankerous army of MMA fans throughout the world have not swallowed the controversial ruling of the California State Athletic Commission judges so graciously, however.
Cries of robbery, corruption, and fight-fixing have erupted in a heated and emotional backlash across the internet. To put it gently, the overwhelming consensus is that Rua should be the new UFC light-heavyweight champion, and that Machida did not do enough to deserve the win. This is quite scientifically explained by Yahoo Sports journalist Kevin Iole, who places the blame on Rua’s cornermen and chalks up the fan’s outrage as misplaced animosity on account of how fans are distracted, because fans “tend to look away from the action for a split second or two several times in a fight, whether it be to talk to a friend, grab a snack or gesticulate after a big blow.” Perhaps this deeply analytical epiphany courtesy of Mr. Iole can be written off to his own issues of distraction while perusing a Thesaurus for stunningly appropriate verbs like “gesticulation”.
Nevertheless, the war between Machida and Rua was one of the most beautifully technical of sorts we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing in the sport’s history, and although many, including myself, feel that Rua won the fight, the gap seperating the two combatants was not vast enough to consider the ruling in favor of Machida to be inconceivable. For whatever it’s worth, two-thirds of the governing panel was indeed comprised of a pair of figures who bear a notorious reputation for rendering questionable judgment in Nelson Hamilton and Cecil Peoples, and this fight may have been the most painfully appropriate reminder of the truth to the popular sentiment about the consequences of leaving the fight (and your fate) in the judges’ hands.
Jettisoning the burden of the inflammatory afterglow, the fight itself was miraculous to behold. Never before have we seen such an advanced and enticing level of cat-and-mouse play out for five rounds entirely on the feet, topping even the Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko CroCop battle in Pride. The fighters seemed to be creatively and instinctively improvising their attacks based on their opponents each and every move, both men displaying nearly inhuman reaction times during their back-and-forth exchanges, as brilliant counterstrikes resulted from uncanny advances, all punctuated by some of the best footwork and use of motion we’ve ever seen effectively implemented in modern day MMA.
If there is any consolation at all for not having a world championship belt around his waist, Rua can rest assured that his performance far transcended the scrawls on three paper score cards, and the diverse Brazilian fighter has clearly staked his claim amongst the elite of the world’s light-heavyweight division, gained mountains of respect and admiration for his respectable showing, and Dana White has indicated through his Twitter page that an immediate rematch might be imminent. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, “the old Shogun” is back, and will surely provide many more exhilerating performances in the future.
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- Zab Judah-Lucas Matthysse fight in the works for November at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. September 2, 2010Zab Judah has not fought on HBO in more than two years, but that could change if plans in the works are finalized. […]Dan Rafael
- Juan Manuel Marquez has deal to fight Michael Katsidis September 2, 2010Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez has agreed to fight Michael Katsidis at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on Nov. 27. […]Associated Press
- Manny Pacquiao: Antonio Margarito knew what was in hand wraps September 2, 2010Manny Pacquiao says he wants a representative observing Antonio Margarito's hand wraps before their meeting in Texas. […]Associated Press
- Antonio Margarito was licensed to box by Texas regulators September 2, 2010Disgraced former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito was licensed to box by Texas regulators on Thursday, paving the way for him to meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight belt. […]Dan Rafael
- Backpack of Bob Arum's son John Arum found by search party September 2, 2010Searchers in the rugged North Cascades have found a backpack belonging to the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum, but they are still looking for the missing climber. […]ESPN.com news services
- Manny Pacquiao on a Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout: 'He needs me' September 1, 2010Manny Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach said Wednesday that they agreed to every demand put forward by Floyd Mayweather for what could have been the richest fight in boxing history. […]Associated Press
- Fana regains IBF junior lightweight title September 1, 2010Mzonke Fana has earned an impressive unanimous decision over Cassius Baloyi to win the vacant IBF junior lightweight title in a matchup of South Africans. […]Associated Press
- Bernard Hopkins to fight light heavyweight champ Jean Pascal on Dec. 18 September 1, 2010Bernard Hopkins is slated to meet newly crowned light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal Dec. 18 in Quebec City, both sides told ESPN.com on Tuesday. […]Dan Rafael
- Antonio Tarver ready for heavyweight debut against Nagy Aguilera August 30, 2010Antonio Tarver will make his heavyweight debut Oct. 15 against Nagy Aguilera in a scheduled 10-rounder either in Memphis or Southern California. […]Dan Rafael
- Fight between Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez rescheduled for Nov. 6 August 30, 2010The postponed fight between featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Lopez and former two-division champion Rafael Marquez has been rescheduled. […]Dan Rafael
- Zab Judah-Lucas Matthysse fight in the works for November at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. September 2, 2010
