UFC on Fox: Machida Vs Rockhold boasted a main card that put many pay-per-views to shame. The Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs Chris Camozzi co-main event aside, the card was filled with talented fighters competing in bouts that were incredibly difficult to call. The event was headlined by a clash between outstanding middleweights Luke Rockhold and Lyoto Machida, and promised to give us a clear indication of who was next in line to challenge for the middleweight title.
Luke Rockhold def. Lyoto Machida via submission – (rear naked choke, Round 2, 2:31)
The main event was considered to be an incredibly difficult fight to call. Luke Rockhold and Lyoto Machida were perceived to be an even match, and expected to go deep into the non-championship rounds. The fight didn’t make it out of the second.
Rockhold dominated Machida in a one sided first round that seemed to leave Machida hurt and broken. So much so that when the second round began, Machida looked like he was ready to be stopped.
After Rockhold knocked Machida to the mat early in the second, he went on to take his back before locking in a rear naked choke. Machida was barely able to defend the hold and was quickly tapping the mat in submission.
This was the biggest win of Rockhold’s career and solidifies his spot as one of the best middleweights on the planet.
Ronaldo Souza def. Chris Camozzi via submission – armbar (Round 1, 2:33)
It was the rematch that nobody wanted to see. Chris Camozzi had been given no chance of avenging the defeat he suffered to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in 2013. The fight was expected to be so one sided that the more pertinent debate was whether Camozzi could last longer than he did in their first encounter. He couldn’t.
After Camozzi opened the fight with a successfully landed legkick, it was all “Jacare”. He took Camozzi down and worked quickly for an armbar. The hold’s application was so inevitable that Camozzi submitted before it had been fully extended.
Max Holloway def. Cub Swanson via submission – guillotine choke (Round 3, 3:58)
In a fight that was much more competitive than Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan would have you believe, Max Holloway staked his claim to be the best fighter outside of the division’s top five.
It was not just the biggest win of Max Holloway’s career, but his best performance. Holloway displayed a versatile range of striking, and was constantly on the move as he frustrated Swanson throughout.
Having already hurt Swanson early in the third round, Holloway rocked him again with two straight lefts before forcing the submission with a guillotine from the top. It was a crushing defeat for Swanson who has now suffered back to back defeats to move him a long way away from title contention.
Paige VanZant def. Felice Herrig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
In the main card opener, Paige VanZant scored a unanimous decision win against Felice Herrig.
After a first round full of competitive scrambles, the fight became increasingly one sided. What the 21-year-old VanZant lacked in technical ability, she more than made up for with her energy and enthusiasm. VanZant was constantly on the move and it clearly unsettled her opponent.
Herrig, who VanZant referenced as one of her idols in the post-fight interview, was overwhelmed and visibly tired through rounds 2 and 3. The decision was never in doubt as Bruce Buffer read out scores of 30-27, 30-26 & 30-26.
Preliminary Card Results:
Beneil Dariush def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ovince St. Preux def. Patrick Cummins via KO – punches (Round 1, 4:54)
Gian Villante def. Corey Anderson via TKO – punches (Round 3, 4:18)
Aljamain Sterling def. Takeya Mizugaki via Submission – arm-triangle choke (Round 3, 2:11)
Tim Means def. George Sullivan via submission – arm-triangle choke (Round 3, 3:41)
Diego Brandao def. Jim Hettes via TKO – doctor stoppage (Round 1, 5:00)
Chris Dempsey def. Eddie Gordon via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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