UFC 141 Results & Analysis

Before UFC 141, the London born Alistair Overeem was only acknowledged by mainstream Mixed Martial Arts fans, but the demolition of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar catapulted Overeem to stardom and a title opportunity against reigning Champ Junior Dos Santos, which prompts arguably the two best strikers in the Heavyweight division to collide for an absolute war.
Overeem who is undefeated since September 2007 demonstrated his K-1 background with a showcase of kicks, knees and punches. A perfectly aimed kick to the liver dropped Lesnar who attempted to cover-up but was greeted with a barrage of punches which led to a TKO Stoppage 2:26 in round one, extending his MMA record to (36-11-1). Unexpectedly Lesnar totalled one takedown attempt and was easily stuffed by Overeem, which opened the fight to become a stand-up battle with the clear advantage favouring the former simultaneous K-1, Dream and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion.

In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Lesnar announced his retirement from MMA and said "Tonight was the last time you will see me in the octagon." The short but prosperous career of Lesnar concluded with a MMA record of (5-3), with wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir, Shane Carwin etc.
On behalf of everybody at MMA Today, thank you Brock Lesnar for your four years within MMA!

Main Card:

• Featherweight bout:  Nam Phan vs.  Jimy Hettes

Hettes defeated Phan via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26).

• Light Heavyweight bout:  Vladimir Matyushenko vs.  Alexander Gustafsson

Gustafsson defeated Matyushenko via TKO (punches) at 2:35 of Round 1.

• Welterweight bout:  Jon Fitch vs.  Johny Hendricks

Hendricks defeated Fitch via KO (punch) at 0:12 of Round 1.

• Lightweight bout:  Nate Diaz vs.  Donald Cerrone

Diaz defeated Cerrone via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

• Heavyweight bout:  Brock Lesnar vs.  Alistair Overeem

Overeem defeated Lesnar via TKO (strikes) at 2:26 of Round 1.

Prelimary Card:

• Featherweight bout:  Manvel Gamburyan vs.  Diego Nunes

Nunes defeated Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

• Lightweight bout:  Jacob Volkmann vs.  Efrain Escudero

Volkmann defeated Escudero via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

• Welterweight bout:  Dong Hyun Kim vs.  Sean Pierson

Kim defeated Pierson via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

• Lightweight bout:  Anthony Njokuani vs.  Danny Castillo

Castillo defeated Njokuani via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

• Featherweight bout:  Ross Pearson vs.  Junior Assunção

Pearson defeated Assunção via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

UFC 140 Results & Analysis

The youngest Light Heavyweight Champion in UFC's history, Jon "Bones" Jones faced his toughest challenge to date of Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. Stylistically, this bout had every chance of producing something special; the Karate style puzzle brought by Machida proved difficult for Jones to solve within in opening round. Both fighters came out looking to use distance as there weapon to victory, Machida pounced on multiple counter-striking opportunities made by the unorthodox style of Jones who pushed forward throughout the fight, seemingly willing to fight Machida's favourably fighting style of counter striking swiftly in and out.
In may people's opinion, Jon Jones showed the enormous pressure was finally affecting his game when returning from his worried corner of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.
Jones finally utilised his Greco Roman background 2.40minutes into the second round landing a takedown followed by several solid elbows which cut Machida severely enough for referee "Big John" McCarthy to call a "Time-Out" in order for ring-side doctor to check the severity of the cut; eventually giving approval to return to the same position. With 55 seconds remaining in the round two, Jones connected with a vertical elbow which dropped "The Dragon" who quickly recovered back to his feet but left an opening for a standing guillotine which eventually left the former champion unconscious and earned Jones his second title defence and extended his record to (15-1).

Main Card:

• Featherweight bout:  Mark Hominick vs.  Chan Sung Jung

Jung defeated Hominick via KO (punches) at 0:07 of round 1.

• Welterweight bout:  Claude Patrick vs.  Brian Ebersole

Ebersole defeated Patrick via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

• Light Heavyweight bout:  Tito Ortiz vs.  Antônio Rogério Nogueira

Nogueira defeated Ortiz via TKO (strikes to the body) at 3:15 of round 1.

• Heavyweight bout:  Frank Mir vs.  Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

Mir defeated Nogueira via submission (kimura) at 3:38 of round 1.

• Light Heavyweight Championship bout:  Jon Jones (c) vs.  Lyoto Machida

Jones defeated Machida via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 4:26 of round 2.

Preliminary Card:

• Lightweight bout:  Mitch Clarke vs.  John Cholish

Cholish defeated Clarke via TKO (punches) at 4:36 of round 2.

• Welterweight bout:  Rich Attonito vs.  Jake Hecht

Hecht defeated Attonito via TKO (elbows and punches) at 1:10 of round 2.

• Lightweight bout:  Mark Bocek vs.  Nik Lentz

Bocek defeated Lentz via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27). 

• Bantamweight bout:  Yves Jabouin vs.  Walel Watson

Jabouin defeated Watson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27).

• Catchweight (158.5lb) bout:  John Makdessi vs.  Dennis Hallman

Hallman defeated Makdessi via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:58 of round 1.

• Middleweight bout:  Constantinos Philippou vs.  Jared Hamman

Philippou defeated Hamman via KO (punches) at 3:11 of round 1.

• Light Heavyweight bout:  Krzysztof Soszynski vs.  Igor Pokrajac

Pokrajac defeated Soszynski via KO (punches) at 0:35 of round 1.

T.U.F 14 Finale Results & Analysis

Dana White described the Featherweight and Bantamweight T.U.F Season 14 as good as any season before it. Coaches Michael "The Count" Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller also settled their differences in the same night since Season 5 - Team Pulver Vs Team Penn.
The UK's Bisping and USA's "Mayhem" showed no love loss throughout the season and the bout, and was evident with the refusal to touch gloves pre-fight.
The pair fought a technical bout, to the advantage of the Brit, who displayed a clinical striking advantage leading to a TKO stoppage 3.34minutes into the third round. Mayhem's cardio was a main cause for his disposal, the during and pre-fight antics led to a adrenalin dump in which the conditioned Bisping capitalised on a exhausted Miller, forcing referee Mario Yamasaki to step it. The win moves Bisping one step closer to a title shot against current Middleweight king Anderson Silva.
The bantamweight bout between Team Bisping/Team Alpha Male's T.J Dillashaw Vs Team Miller/ Greg Jackson's John Dodson; the charismatic Dodson found a home for his dangerous left hand early on and eventually dropping T.J and finishing the fight with multiple hammer fists.
The fireworks didn't end there, the featherweight bout between Team Bisping's top pick, Diego Brandao Vs Team Miller's Dennis Bermudez started with both fighters pressing forward and demonstrating their dangerous stand-up; the Brazilian knock-out artist landed several bombs but Brandao pressed forward 4.05  minutes into the first round, Bermudez dropped the Brazilian with a short right-hook but as Bermudez reigned down shots, he left a opening for the BJJ Black Belt Brandao to capitalise with a quick transitioned arm bar to force Bermudez to tap late in round one.
Both Dodson and Brandao won the six-figure UFC contract in their weight classes and the title's of The Ultimate Fighter.

Main Card:

• Bantamweight bout:  Louis Gaudinot vs.  Johnny Bedford

Bedford defeated Gaudinot via TKO (knees) at 1:58 of round 3.

• Lightweight bout:  Tony Ferguson vs.  Yves Edwards

Ferguson defeated Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

• Bantamweight bout:  T.J. Dillashaw vs.  John Dodson

Dodson defeated Dillashaw via TKO (punches) at 1:54 of round 1.

• Featherweight bout:  Diego Brandao vs.  Dennis Bermudez

Brandao defeated Bermudez via submission (armbar) at 4:51 of round 1.

• Middleweight bout:  Michael Bisping vs.  Jason Miller

Bisping defeated Miller via TKO (strikes) at 3:34 of round 3.

Preliminary Card:

• Featherweight bout:  Bryan Caraway vs.  Dustin Neace

Caraway defeated Neace via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:38 of round 2

• Featherweight bout:  Steven Siler vs.  Josh Clopton

Siler defeated Clopton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

• Bantamweight bout:  Roland Delorme vs.  Josh Ferguson

Delorme defeated Ferguson via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:22 of round 3

• Bantamweight bout:  Dustin Pague vs.  John Albert

Albert defeated Pague via TKO (punches) at 1:09 of round 1.

• Featherweight bout:  Marcus Brimage vs.  Stephen Bass

Brimage defeated Bass via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Fighters Bonuses ($40,000):

• Fight of the Night:  Diego Brandao vs.  Dennis Bermudez
• Knockout of the Night:  John Dodson
• Submission of the Night:  Diego Brandao

The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Bonuses ($25,000):

• Submission of the Season:  Dennis Bermudez
• Knockout of the Season:  John Dodson
• Fight of the Season:  Dustin Pague vs  Louis Gaudinot