MMA Fighting - UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar Resultshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52789/mma_minimal_navy..jpg2013-02-03T01:18:14-05:00http://www.mmafighting.com/rss/stream/37097572013-02-03T01:18:14-05:002013-02-03T01:18:14-05:00UFC 156 results: Aldo defends belt against Edgar
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- Solidifying his hold as one of the sport's current pound-for-pound greats, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122473/jose-aldo">Jose Aldo</a> turned back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122527/frankie-edgar">Frankie Edgar's</a> attempt to become only the third two-division champion in UFC history, defeating Edgar in a unanimous decision in the main event of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar">UFC 156</a>.<br><br>The judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 for the featherweight champion.<br><br>Of course, it wouldn't be an Edgar bout without some bit of controversy. When the final scores were read, a large part of the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd booed the decision, believing Edgar had outworked Aldo over the last three rounds.</p>
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<p><br>At least from a landed strikes perspective, the bout was indeed close. The final stats saw Aldo out-land Edgar 76-63, <a href="http://hosteddb.fightmetric.com/fights/index/4154">according to FightMetric</a>. But while Aldo landed more in each of the first two rounds (21-5 and 19-7, respectively), Edgar turned the tide in rounds 3, 4 and 5. In those rounds it was 19-15, 14-7 and 18-14 for the former lightweight champion.<br><br>There was no question though that Aldo landed the more impactful strikes. By the end of the bout, Edgar's face was beat up, with a swollen left eye, blood trickling from his nose, and bumps and bruises covering his face. <br><br>Edgar's team seemed sure he won, as his coach <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/127378/ricardo-almeida">Ricardo Almeida</a> hoisted him on to his shoulders before the final decision. Aldo's team did the same for him, and the two shared an embrace in the center of the cage.<br><br>"A close fight," Edgar said afterward. "I keep finding myself in these situations. It is what it is. Congrats to Jose on a great fight."<br><br>Edgar eventually said that he believed he had won, but accepted the final outcome.</p>
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<p>Aldo got off to a great start early with a crisp jab and overhand right that found their marks, and by the end of the first, Edgar was already bleeding from the nose. Edgar struggled to close the range and look for a takedown, and fighting from that distance favored Aldo's speed.<br><br>But as the rounds wore on, that speed advantage slimmed and Edgar did begin to find his mark. In the fourth, Aldo scored a slam takedown and did strong work against the cage, likely picking up the round, but in the judges' eyes, he didn't do enough to take the rest of the bout.<br><br>After losing title matches in two weight classes, Edgar said he would have to go home and take some time before deciding what would be next for his career. The loss dropped him to 15-4-1.<br><br>Meanwhile, Aldo successfully defended the belt for the sixth straight time in improving to 22-1.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/3/3946538/ufc-156-results-jose-aldo-fends-off-frankie-edgar-to-retainMike Chiappetta2013-02-03T00:14:17-05:002013-02-03T00:14:17-05:00UFC 156 results: Nogueira upsets Evans
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<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- No camp had more to gain at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar">UFC 156</a> than the Blackzilians. And as it turned out, none had more to lose. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122499/alistair-overeem">Alistair Overeem</a> lost out on a UFC heavyweight championship fight when he was knocked out by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122502/antonio-silva">Antonio Silva</a>, and in the very next fight, the potential of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122510/rashad-evans">Rashad Evans</a> moving to middleweight to fight kingpin <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122568/anderson-silva">Anderson Silva</a> went up in flames after he was upset by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122518/antonio-rogerio-nogueira">Antonio Rogerio Nogueira</a>.</p>
<p>All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Nogueira.</p>
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<p>The Brazilian came into the night as the biggest underdog on the card, as Evans was nearly a 6-to-1 favorite in the closing line of the sportsbook at the host Mandalay Bay.</p>
<p>But it was Nogueira's superior hands that got the job done, along with a vastly improved wrestling game. Evans was only able to complete one of five takedowns, but only held down Nogueira for a few seconds before he popped back up and made the fight a striking contest again.</p>
<p>In that world, Nogueira used a crisp jab and an accurate, straight left to score points, while Evans struggled to find his target.</p>
<p>Evans fell to 17-3-1 with the first two-fight losing streak of his career. Nogueira is now 21-5.</p>
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https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/3/3946474/ufc-156-results-antonio-rogerio-nogueira-upsets-rashad-evansMike Chiappetta2013-02-02T23:40:14-05:002013-02-02T23:40:14-05:00UFC 156 results: Silva knocks out Overeem
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122502/antonio-silva">Antonio Silva</a> warned <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122499/alistair-overeem">Alistair Overeem</a> to show him respect, and then he went out and earned it</p>
<p>In one of the most violent heavyweight knockouts in recent memory, "Bigfoot" crushed Overeem and his championship dreams with a knockout at 25 seconds of round three.</p>
<p>"Fight and win inside the cage, not outside," he said. "He talked a lot of s--- but I believe in myself."</p>
<p>It was an emotionally charged win for the giant, who afterward stood over the downed Overeem and screamed at him, forcing referee Herb Dean to pull him away. Later, after Overeem was helped to his feet, Silva put the bad blood away to check on his opponent.</p>
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<p>Overeem had controlled the first two rounds with his faster hands and some strong wrestling, doing some damage with his ground and pound. But Silva wouldn't go away, and as he ran out to the center of the cage for round three, he showed he still had some energy reserves. He clipped Overeem with an uppercut that sent him reeling backwards, and then he teed off.</p>
<p>Another uppercut dazed Overeem, and Silva fired off a series of right hands, many of which found their mark. It appeared that Overeem was out on his feet two or three punches before Dean stopped him. As Silva connected for the last time, Overeem crumpled to the floor.</p>
<p>The win puts a huge wrench in the UFC heavyweight championship picture, as Overeem had been promised a title shot with a win, but no such promise was made for Silva, and there doesn't seem to be any clear-cut contender otherwise.</p>
<p>Silva also snapped Overeem's 11-fight win streak, raising his own record to 18-4 with his second straight knockout finish.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/2/3946392/ufc-156-results-antonio-silva-knocks-out-alistair-overeemMike Chiappetta2013-02-02T23:11:22-05:002013-02-02T23:11:22-05:00UFC 156 results: Maia dominates Fitch
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<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- The UFC welterweight division has a new contender, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122560/demian-maia">Demian Maia</a>. The Brazilian grappling specialist notched arguably the most significant victory of his career at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar">UFC 156</a>, stifling longtime divisional star <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122576/jon-fitch">Jon Fitch</a> en route to a unanimous decision win.<br><br>All three judges scored it 30-27 for Maia.<br><br>The surprise was not necessarily that Maia won, it was how he did it, taking Fitch down repeatedly, earning seven takedowns overall in the three-round bout. That kept Fitch on the defensive and never let him get off his offense. For example, in the first round, Maia landed 34 strikes to Fitch's six.</p>
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<p><br>Most of that round, Maia spent on Fitch's back, using strikes to attempt to set up a rear naked choke. Fitch, who has never been tapped out in his UFC career, defended well as usual, but had trouble getting back to his feet.<br><br>Maia was able to repeat that process for most of the same, meaning that when the third round began, Fitch would have needed his first finish win since June 2006 -- 11 fights ago -- in order to escape with the victory.<br><br>It didn't come, although he briefly threatened with a choke midway through. From there on, it was more of the same with Maia dragging him down and hunting for submission attempts.<br><br>Maia is now 18-4 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the division. Fitch dropped to 24-5-1 with 1 no contest.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/2/3946306/ufc-156-results-in-divisional-shakeup-demian-maia-defeats-jon-fitchMike Chiappetta2013-02-02T22:43:17-05:002013-02-02T22:43:17-05:00UFC 156 results: Benavidez edges McCall
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- There seems to be little separating the best of the UFC's flyweights. That was on display again on Saturday night at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar">UFC 156</a> when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/125034/joseph-benavidez">Joseph Benavidez</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129531/ian-mccall">Ian McCall</a> fought another close fight in the UFC's lightest weight class.</p>
<p>After three hard-fought rounds, the judges awarded the decision to Benavidez, with all three scoring it 29-28.</p>
<p>The announcement of the decision left half of the crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center cheering and the other half booing. McCall dropped to his knees in a silent protest.</p>
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<p>"It was an awesome fight," Benavidez said. "I think the judges got it right."</p>
<p>McCall arguably had the fight's best moment, which came late in the second round. It happened after Benavidez ducked under a hook and slipped, allowing McCall to ride him to the ground, where he took his back and landed several punches. Benavidez got back up but McCall also scored with knees to the body before the round ended.</p>
<p>The rest of the bout was almost exclusively a kickboxing contest fought at the breakneck speed of the division, with both men darting in and out and exchanging momentum swings. McCall caught Benavidez towards the end of the first round with a right hand that caused a cut on the hairline.</p>
<p>Benavidez had good success landing his right hand even in frequently alternating stances from southpaw to orthodox. <a href="http://hosteddb.fightmetric.com/fights/index/4239">According to FightMetric</a>, Benavidez out-landed McCall 62-54.</p>
<p>Both fighters were coming off losses to current champion <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122884/demetrious-johnson">Demetrious Johnson</a>.</p>
<p>Benavidez is now 17-3 while McCall (11-4-1) is still searching for his first win in the octagon.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/2/3946130/ufc-156-results-joseph-benavidez-edges-ian-mccallMike Chiappetta2013-02-02T21:23:47-05:002013-02-02T21:23:47-05:00UFC 156 results: Woodley KO's Hieron
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- Returning to the cage after his first career loss, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122957/tyron-woodley">Tyron Woodley</a> didn't take long to start a new win streak. Thirty-six seconds to be exact.</p>
<p>The UFC newcomer blitzed veteran <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129492/jay-hieron">Jay Hieron</a> with an early barrage and finished him with ground strikes in a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar">UFC 156</a> shocker.</p>
<p>"I feel amazing," he said. "With that knockout I'm declaring war on the welterweight division."</p>
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<p>In <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/promotion/strikeforce">Strikeforce</a>, Woodley was mostly known as a strong wrestler with excellent positional control, but he started to erase that perception in his last bout, a championship loss to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122561/nate-marquardt">Nate Marquardt</a> that was one of the most exciting fights of 2012. He hadn't fought since then, and he certainly made a statement in his UFC debut.</p>
<p>Woodley came forward with a long right hand that clipped Hieron behind the ear. Hieron went down and Woodley followed him there with ferocious ground and pound, finally finishing him off with two power strikes that put Hieron's lights out.</p>
<p>Ref Herb Dean pulled Woodley off Hieron and in a scary scene, Hieron (23-7) was stiff for a few seconds afterward. Finally, after about a minute, the medical team helped him off the mat and on to the stool. He had to be assisted back to the locker room.</p>
<p>With an 11-1 record, Woodley is now a player in the 170-pound weight class.</p>
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https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/2/3946074/ufc-156-results-tyron-woodley-crushes-jay-hieron-declares-war-onMike Chiappetta2013-02-02T21:06:33-05:002013-02-02T21:06:33-05:00UFC 156 results: Green upsets Volkmann
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128566/jacob-volkmann">Jacob Volkmann</a> was one of the biggest favorites on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar">UFC 156</a> card. He had come into the event winning six out of seven bouts since moving to lightweight, and was nearly 4-to-1 to beat the debuting <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/132875/bobby-green">Bobby Green</a>.</p>
<p>But in a major upset, Green stifled Volkmann's grappling attack from the second round on, and took over late, eventually finishing Volkmann with a rear naked choke at 4:25 of the third.</p>
<p>The finish came just after a Volkmann takedown. As he was on Green's back, Green was able to use the fence to reverse position and he ended up in top position. He landed a series of strikes and elbows, causing Volkmann to give up his back, and he sunk in the choke for the win.</p>
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<p>Volkmann had won the first round by getting the fight to the ground and looking for a rear naked choke of his won, but Green was never in any serious trouble.</p>
<p>As Green got more comfortable with defending the takedown, he opened up his striking and landed several hard head shots and body kicks. And he also hurt Volkmann in the second with elbows from the top before a questionable standup by referee Kim Winslow while he was in half-guard. Still, it was probably enough to win the round, and even if he hadn't secured the tapout, he likely would have won by decision.</p>
<p>Green is now 20-5 after his first octagon win while Volkmann fell to 15-4.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/2/3946016/ufc-156-results-bobby-green-upsets-jacob-volkmann-by-submissionMike Chiappetta2013-02-01T09:30:05-05:002013-02-01T09:30:05-05:00UFC 156 breakdown: Aldo vs. Edgar
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<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p>LAS VEGAS -- If things had gone differently, if <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122527/frankie-edgar" class="sbn-auto-link">Frankie Edgar</a> hadn't insisted against all odds that he was a world-class lightweight and stubbornly gone about proving it, we would have seen this fight already. For years, he's ducked, dodged and otherwise evaded questions about his true weight class, even if most of us innately knew the answer. Edgar was a dreamer and an overachiever, but in this era of extreme weight cuts, he was also most certainly a featherweight. As success came, so did the ability to hold off the move that was considered by many to be an inevitability.<br><br>It's finally here now, Edgar (15-3-1) attempting to follow in the footsteps of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122508/randy-couture" class="sbn-auto-link">Randy Couture</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122540/b-j-penn" class="sbn-auto-link">B.J. Penn</a> by becoming only the third man to win UFC championships in two divisions. That Edgar may join that rarefied air is shocking considering how lightly regarded he was upon debuting in the UFC back in 2007 Unlike Couture, who arrived on the scene with an international reputation from his extensive wrestling history, and Penn, who was one of the most heralded signings of the early Zuffa era, Edgar was just another guy brought in to fill an empty slot on a card. He was a massive underdog in that first fight, and the trend continued on even as he elevated himself towards the top of the division. For example, he was considered knockout fodder for Penn when he was slotted into his first-ever title match, and has been an underdog in five of seven title fights he's been penciled into, including the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/115889/ufc-156-aldo-vs-edgar" class="sbn-auto-link">UFC 156</a> main event with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122473/jose-aldo" class="sbn-auto-link">Jose Aldo</a>.<br><br>Still, no one takes him lightly anymore. While champion Aldo (21-1) remains the betting favorite at slightly less than 2-to-1 odds, that's only because of his dynamic fight skills and near-flawless resume. Whatever the numbers say, the UFC 156 main-event should be packed with intrigue and action.<br><br>Aldo, as always, comes in on a tear, having won 14 fights in a row, including his most recent, a first-round knockout of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122965/chad-mendes" class="sbn-auto-link">Chad Mendes</a>. Despite that streak, he walks into the fight with little real momentum, having sat on the sidelines for nearly all of 2012 for various reasons including a motorcycle crash that caused a foot injury. When he steps into the cage against Edgar, he'll be competing for the first time in 386 days. In a division where speed and footwork are at a premium, that is a very real concern and could certainly be a factor.<br><br>Aldo, after all, is known for both. The Muay Thai stylist boasts some of the fastest and most powerful limbs in mixed martial arts. His explosion comes from a centered base and his danger comes from a perfectly rounded standup game. The champion is not only technically proficient, but he also mixed up his offense well, changing his opponents sight lines by attacking every level, from head to body to legs, and with whatever appendage he has available. He can jab, he can throw the low kick, he can punch to the body. Eventually, coming behind those leads is a hellraiser of a right hand that is adept at ending the night. <br><br>Of these weapons, perhaps the most important against Edgar will be the leg kick. It is an Aldo speciality, and it's a strike that lightweight champion Benson Henderson had success with against Edgar. In their first fight, he landed 13. In their second bout, he landed 17. Those kicks can score points with the judges and also slow Edgar down. Edgar's game is very reliant on movement, and any small differences in speed make him a more available target. That's one of the reasons Henderson was able to land more significant strikes against Edgar than anyone else had ever done; 87 in the first fight, and 64 in the second.<br><br>Aldo also has another weapon that he hopes to successfully wield against Edgar: his takedown defense. <a href="http://hosteddb.fightmetric.com/fights/index/4154">According to FightMetric</a>, Aldo has defended 95 percent of the attempts against him, a ridiculous number that is a great clue to his success. If you can't beat him on your feet, and you can't take him down, then what? A few fighters -- <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122529/kenny-florian" class="sbn-auto-link">Kenny Florian</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122480/mark-hominick" class="sbn-auto-link">Mark Hominick</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129945/jonathan-brookins" class="sbn-auto-link">Jonathan Brookins</a> -- have been able to get Aldo to the mat -- but only Hominick was able to keep him there for any extended period of time.<br><br>Edgar has made a habit of winning close rounds with late takedowns. Against Aldo, it's no sure thing he can do the same. True, none of those aforementioned fighters has Edgar's reputation as a wrestler, but despite that reputation, he only completes 37 percent of his takedown attempts. That's a poor percentage (even Aldo lands 60 percent), but Edgar's tenacity tends to wear on opponents to the point where he will get them to the mat at some point. In his six title fights, for example, Edgar scored 14 takedowns, and those came against strong wrestlers like BJ Penn, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122537/gray-maynard" class="sbn-auto-link">Gray Maynard</a> and Henderson. Will Aldo put up more or less of a challenge? That aspect of the bout will be an important battleground.<br><br>Another question is whether Edgar's speed will translate to featherweight. In his division, his speed was a major asset. Is he any faster than Aldo? He certainly utilizes more movement, making his opponents come to get him. Edgar says he believes that he might actually be quicker than he was at 155. <br><br>As his secret weapon, Edgar brought in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122523/edson-barboza" class="sbn-auto-link">Edson Barboza</a>, the lightweight highlight reel who resembles Aldo in the striking department. That should help Edgar acclimate in the cage in a short amount of time. <br><br>The fight though might ultimately come down to firepower. Aldo just has more of it. We've seen Edgar hurt by Maynard and Henderson, and I'd venture to say that Aldo, despite being in a lower weight class, has more power than either. His damaging strikes are much more likely to score points than Edgar's. But if he doesn't? Things could get interesting late. After being sidelined for a year, Aldo's conditioning could be a question mark, and we know that Edgar never goes away willingly. His stamina is his ultimate forte, and if Aldo fades as he did against Hominick, it could spell trouble. <br><br>Edgar has surprised us many times, and he may make me eat crow here, but given the skill sets of both, I see Aldo's explosive striking as the deciding factor. Aldo wins a decision, and then maybe we start speculating about his chances of becoming the man to join Couture and Penn as two-division champions.</p>
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https://www.mmafighting.com/2013/2/1/3933482/ufc-156-main-event-breakdown-jose-aldo-vs-frankie-edgarMike Chiappetta