Machida defends UFC championship with controversial win
Boos filled the Staples Center in Los Angeles when Lyoto Machida’s hand was raised over Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua’s following a very close UFC light heavyweight championship fight. Following the bout, UFC president Dana White suggested both fighters had made the mistake of not pushing the action enough and said he was in favor of scheduling an immediate rematch. Read more »
Mayweather dominant in comeback
Floyd Mayweather Jr. said all week that he was the same fighter. He's the guy nobody can figure out. Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mayweather proved his point once again — winning his first fight in 21 months with a unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Maruqez. Read more »
Belfort looks phenomenal in UFC return
It took four and a half years for Vitor Belfort to get back in the Octagon, but it took him just three minutes and two seconds Saturday night to prove that “The Phenom" had truly returned as the former light heavyweight champ scored a TKO win over Rich Franklin in front of 17,428 fans at the American Airlines Center. Read more »
Nogueira spoils Couture's homecoming
If there was any notion the two heavyweight legends were past their prime, someone forgot to tell Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The two former UFC champs put on an absolute show for the 16,088 fans inside Portland's Rose Garden Arena. But it was the Brazilian Nogueira, who spoiled the hometown hero's homecoming by scoring a unanimous decision victory over Couture — taking the bout by scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Read more »
Cyborg wins female superfight
The first female title fight in women's mixed martial arts history ended with one second left in the first round and plenty of second guessing from the 13,000 fans in attendance. But the one thing that was clear when ref Josh Rosenthal pulled Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos off Gina Carano a split second before the bell sounded was that Carano was in tons of trouble as the Brazilian striker was reigning down punch after unanswered punch. Read more »
Bowles shocks Torres
A day after two of MMA's most dominant champs defend their pound-for-pound status, WEC king Miguel Torres, arguably the top American mixed martial artist, could not do the same. Undefeated challenger Brian Bowles shocked Torres and snapped his 17-fight win streak with a first-round TKO tonight at The Joint at the Hard Rock. Read more »
Silva, Penn put on show
The two fights were each spectacular in their own way. UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva dominated former UFC light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin, ending the one-sided contest with a first-round knockout. Fans had little time to catch their breath as lightweight champ B.J. Penn came out and defended his title with a rear-naked choke of Kenny Florian in the fourth round. Read more »
Lesnar roughs up Mir, riles up crowd
Moments after pounding out Frank Mir in the main event, Brock Lesnar, the former WWE sensation turned mixed martial artist provided a return performance to his pro wrestling days when he had to be restrained after going after Mir again in the Octagon — before turning his attention to the booing crowd of 11,000 fans. Read more »
Machida KOs Evans for crown
Moments after Lyoto Machida claimed the UFC light heavyweight title, he delivered a message to the buzzing crowd of 12,606 still on its feet inside the MGM Grand: "Karate is back!" And after the explosive performance the undefeated Machida (15-0) had just displayed in his win over Rashad Evans, the martial art may be around for quite some time to come. Read more »
It's 'Bad Chad — again
Deja vu? Different night, same outcome. Chad Dawson is still the IBF/IBO light heavyweight champion after defeating Antonio Tarver by unanimous decision, the same result of the fight last October that saw the title switch hands from Tarver to Dawson. Read more »
'Pac-Man' KOs Hatton in second round
After months of promoting "The Battle of East and West," pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao stopped the megafight in a matter of moments. Pacquiao dropped Ricky Hatton twice in the first round, and quickly finished the the IBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight champ off in the final second of the second round. A vicious left hand left "The Hitman" on the canvas for several minutes while Pacquiao quietly celebrated in his corner. Read more »
Williams outpunches Wright
Winky Wright had the crowd on his side. But Paul Williams had speed and energy. In the end, Williams' activity won out as he scored a 12-round, unanimous decision victory over Wright Saturday night at Mandalay Bay. "My 12th round felt like my first, and that was due to my hard training," Williams said. "We went 12 hard rounds and I anticipated it would be a tough fight." Read more »
St. Pierre dominates Penn
Georges St. Pierre left little doubt this time. After winning by decision in his first bout with B.J. Penn three years ago, the UFC welterweight champ dominated the lightweight champ Saturday night at the MGM Grand, winning by TKO after Penn could not continue after the fourth round. Read more »
The Ultimate 2008
It was a night for the underdogs at UFC 92. Rashad Evans stunned the sellout crowd by winning the light heavyweight title over fan favorite Forrest Griffin. Las Vegas' own Frank Mir pulled off an even bigger upset when he dismantled Antonio Nogueira. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson got the revenge he longed for by knocking out Wanderlei Silva. Read more »
Pacquiao defeats De La Hoya
This was no dream. Manny Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound champ, proved it once again as he did everything but put the sport's "Golden Boy" to sleep in front of 15,001 adrenaline-filled fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao dominated the fight from the start and forced a TKO after the eighth round as De La Hoya's corner said he could not continue. Read more »
Lesnar pounds out win over Couture
When Lesnar — who was a full 50 pounds larger than Couture — didn’t dwarf the UFC legend with his sheer body mass, the former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler dominated the 45-year-old with his speed, strength, and of course, size. “They are some big-ass ham hocks coming at you,” said Couture, after losing his title via a second-round TKO at the hands of Lesnar’s specialty-made XXXXL-gloves. Read more »
Silva KOs Irvin in 61 seconds
The man they call "The Spider" wasted no time spinning webs Saturday night. He showed his explosive power and pinpoint precision by knocking out Irvin after just 61 seconds in front of a sell-out crowd of 2,100 that included movie star Jamie Foxx, singer Usher, Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce and, of course, Palms owner George Maloof. Read more »
Round 1 goes to Forrest Griffin
Fighting in mixed martial arts competitions, as opposed to scoring them, remains the true metier of Forrest Griffin and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Both men acknowledged as much after Griffin became the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ by winning the belt that had belonged to Jackson in a five-round unanimous decision at UFC 86. Read more »
