UFC 123 post-fight thoughts and analysis

- In order to beat Lyoto Machida, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson needed to fight smart, disciplined and not play into Machida's game. For the most part, that is exactly what he did, cutting off Machida's angles and working in to the clinch position. It wasn't a dominant performance, but Jackson did enough to win the first two rounds, at least in some people's eyes.

- After getting blitzed with punches and mounted in the third round, it's no wonder that Jackson felt like he lost the fight. However, the 10-point must system employed by the UFC is a round-by-round account. If looked at in a totalitarian sense, did Jackson lose that fight? Absolutely. But did he lose it under the 10-point must system? Well...

- I personally scored the bout 29-28 Machida, with the second round going to Jackson. But while I thought that Machida landed the better strikes in the first round, it's hard to fault the judges for giving it to Jackson based on his aggression and ring control. Fair or not, perception is the law when it comes to judging. If you continue to move backwards, like Machida did, and your opponent is able to mount any sort of offense, the perception is that you lost that round.

- There was a lot of talk about Jackson bringing back the 'old Rampage,' the feared knockout artist from the PRIDE days. What I would rather see is a new Jackson, one that uses leg kicks and threatens with more takedowns. Right now, Jackson is a lethal boxer who occasionally mixes in takedowns. A more well-rounded Jackson could be lethal.

- Speaking of lethal, Saturday night proved that a focused, motivated B.J. Penn is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. While we knew that Matt Hughes' three-fight winning streak was not exactly as advertised, no one expected Penn to drop Hughes in under 30 seconds. We seem to forget that Penn is only 31 and still a very relevant force in the UFC. He will face a much stiffer test next, as UFC president Dana White already announced that Penn will face perennial contender Jon Fitch at UFC 127.

- Fun fact: Penn became the second person to finish Hughes twice in the first round. The other? Dennis Hallman, who also scored a first-round KO at UFC 123 over Karo Parisyan.

- For two rounds, Maiquel Falcao dominated Gerald Harris, almost finishing by rear-naked choke on two separate occasions, before coasting his way to a unanimous decision. Falcao didn't make many fans by putting it on cruise control in round three, but the offense that he did display shows that he could be a serious force in the middleweight division.

- Phil Davis is an incredibly strong and explosive fighter. Davis controlled Tim Boetsch on the ground before eventually submitting him with a kimura best described as, "Big brother picking on little brother." The win extended Davis' perfect record to 8-0 and proved that he is ready for a step up in competition.

- George Sotiropoulos ran his UFC record to 7-0, surviving a strong start from Joe Lauzon before eventually submitting Lauzon in the second round. Sotiropoulos is a serious threat whenever the fight hits the ground, and should be looking for a title shot sometime in mid-to-late 2011.

- If you turned off the TV right after Jackson vs. Machida, you missed Brazilian lightweight Edson Barboza systematically destroy Mike Lullo's leg en route to a third-round TKO. Barboza is a large and powerful 155'er and his striking reminds me a little of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Keep your eye on him, he seems poised for a breakout year.

UFC 123 results

Main card:
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Lyoto Machida by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
BJ Penn def. Matt Hughes by KO (punches) at 0:21 of round 1
Maiquel Falcao def. Gerald Harris by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch by submission (kimura) at 2:55 of round 2
George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon by submission (kimura) at 2:43 of round 2

Spike TV card:
Brian Foster def. Matt Brown by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:11 of round 2
Mark Munoz def. Aaron Simpson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary card:
Dennis Hallman def. Karo Parisyan by TKO (punches) at 1:47 of round 1
Edson Barboza def. Mike Lullo by TKO (leg kicks) at 0:26 of round 3
Paul Kelly def. TJ O'Brien by TKO (elbows) at 3:16 of round 2
Nik Lentz def. Tyson Griffin by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

$80,000 bonuses:
Fight of the Night: George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Knockout of the Night: BJ Penn
Submission of the Night: Phil Davis

UFC 123 preview: Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Lyoto Machida (16-1) vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-8)

How we got here:

Former UFC light-heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton "Rampage"

Jackson will square off in the main event of UFC 123 in a matchup of conflicting styles.

Machida entered his first title match against Rashad Evans with an undefeated mark of 14-0, including a 6-0 run in the UFC. Fans had been critical of Machida's elusive style of fighting -- he had won four of his first five UFC fights by decision -- but a highlight-reel first-round knockout of Thiago Silva earned Machida a shot at the gold.

In a battle of undefeated fighters, Machida didn't disappoint, knocking Evans out in the second round to claim the belt and causing announcer Joe Rogan to famously welcome fans to, "the Machida era."

That era came under duress immediately in Machida's first title defense, against fellow Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. In that fight, Rua had seemingly solved the puzzle of Machida's elusiveness, forcing the champion to engage first, then blasting him with leg and body kicks. In one of the most controversial decisions of the year, all three judges scored the fight 48-47 Machida, a decision that few fans or media pundits agreed with. UFC president Dana White granted Rua an immediate rematch, which took place at UFC 113.

Rua would not let the rematch reach a decision, scoring a first-round knockout and handing Machida his first career loss. Now, we will see how Machida rebounds after tasting defeat for the first time.

However, this could have been a much different story arc. Jackson was originally in line to fight Evans for the title, but injuries kept him from competing. The UFC opted to give the next chance to Machida, who took full opportunity.

When Jackson returned, he was offered a title shot against Machida. Rather than take the fight, though, Jackson elected to coach on "The Ultimate Fighter 10" opposite Evans. Taking Jackson's place in that title fight was Rua.

After a bizarre series of events that saw Jackson briefly retire to star in the movie "The A-Team," "Rampage" finally faced off against Evans at UFC 114. Evans controlled much of the fight to earn a unanimous decision victory, leaving Jackson 2-2 in his last four fights.

Now, Jackson and Machida will face off in a match that could have been for the title a year earlier.

After the jump, find out the keys to success for both fighters...

Dana White UFC 123 Video Blog Episode 2

Go behind the scenes at the UFC 123 pre-fight press conference.

UFC 123 preview: Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn

BJ Penn (15-7-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) vs. Matt Hughes (45-7 MMA, 18-5 UFC)

How we got here:

When Matt Hughes and BJ Penn square off in UFC 123's co-main event on Saturday night, they will do so with almost seven years of history.

The pair first met at UFC 46 in Jan. 2004. At the time, Hughes was riding a 13-fight winning streak and had successfully defended his UFC welterweight title five times. Penn was moving up to welterweight for the first time in his career after two unsuccessful bids at UFC lightweight gold. Hughes had 38 career fights going into the bout, Penn had eight. Many people, including Hughes, expected it to be a squash match.

Of course, the expected and what actually transpires can vary greatly in MMA, and thus was the case that Saturday night. Penn blasted Hughes with an overhand right from guard, then took back mount and submitted the champion with a rear-naked choke. In just 4:39, Penn had stunned the world.

After winning the title, Penn left the UFC for other challenges, going 3-1 outside the organization while fighting twice at middleweight and once at light heavyweight. Hughes, meanwhile, rebounded from the loss with a unanimous decision victory over Renato Verissimo, then submitted Georges St. Pierre to reclaim the welterweight belt that Penn had vacated.

Penn returned to the UFC two years later and lost a close split decision to St. Pierre for another shot at the title. When St. Pierre was forced to withdraw from the title bout with an injury, Penn stepped in, setting up the rematch that Hughes had been looking for.

Hughes was nearly defeated by Penn again, giving up his back at one point and nearly getting submitted in a triangle/ armbar combination. By the third round, though, Penn's cardio was failing him, and Hughes was able to pound Penn out on the ground to avenge his loss.

The career trajectories of these two champions seemed to go in opposite directions at thas point. Penn dropped back down to lightweight and went 5-1 over the next three years, claiming the lightweight title and successfully defending it three times. Hughes went 1-3 after the bout, losing twice to St. Pierre and once to Thiago Alves. When Hughes finally fought longtime rival Matt Serra at UFC 98, many were questioning how much the former champion had left.

However, recent history has seen another reversal of fortunes. Penn lost back-to-back decisions to now-champion Frankie Edgar, leading some to question his team and training camps. Hughes has seen a resurgence, winning three straight bouts over Brazilin jiu-jitsu black belts Serra, Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida.

The stage has now been set for two of the UFC's most storied champions to see who will claim the rubber match.

After the jump, find out the keys for each fighter's success...

Dana White UFC 123 Video Blog Episode 1

Go behind the scenes with Joe Rogan and Dana White at the UFC 122 Q&A session, then sit cage-side with White for UFC 122.

Props: Youtube.com/UFC

Fresh Faces: UFC 123 edition

For every UFC event, TapouTVTC.com introduces you to the fighters making their UFC debuts.


Name: Maiquel Falcao

Weight class: Middleweight

Fighting: Gerald Harris

Record: 25-3 (1 NC) (21 (T)KOs, 3 submissions) for various Brazilian promotions

Recent body of work: Scored a first-round TKO victory over Wendres Carlos da Silva at "Arena Gold Fights 2) in July

Who he is: Fighting out of the Chute Boxe camp, Falcao has only seen one fight go to decision in his career, a span that has lasted 26 fights and six years. The Brazilian is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, with all of those fights ending in the first round.

Name: Edson Barboza

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Mike Lullo

Record: 6-0 (5 (T)KOs, 1 submission) for various promotions in Florida, Louisiana and New Jersey

Recent body of work: TKO'd Marcelo Guidici with kicks to win the Ring of Combat lightweight title in June.

Who he is: A Muay Thai black belt with 28 professional kickboxing fights, Barboza has seamlessly made the transition into MMA. Only one of Barboza's six MMA fights have lasted past the first round.

Name: Mike Lullo

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Edson Barboza

Record: 8-1 (1 (T)KO, 6 submissions) for various U.S. promotions

Recent body of work: Submitted Tyler Combs by armbar at "Chicago Cagefighting Championship" in October

Who he is: Lullo steps in as an injury replacement after Barboza's original opponent, Darren Elkins was forced to withdraw with a knee injury. Based out of the Midwest Training Center in Illinois, Lullo has won eight straight fights since losing his professional debut back in 2008.

Name: T.J. O'Brien

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Paul Kelly

Record: 16-3 (15 submissions) for various U.S. promotions

Recent body of work: Defeated Josh Henry by rear-naked choke at "Midwest Cage Championships 29" in October

Who he is: O'Brien will get a second shot at the UFC after getting knocked out in the elimination round of "The Ultimate Fighter 12" by Team Koscheck first-round pick Marc Stevens. An injury to Gabe Ruediger opened the door to O'Brien, who has won his last six fights and 11 overall by triangle choke.

Mark Munoz vs. Aaron Simpson set for UFC 123

All-American wrestlers Mark Munoz and Aaron Simpson will square off in a middleweight bout at UFC 123 in Detroit.

"I guess it is out. I'm fighting Mark Munoz Nov 20th in Detroit at the Palace. It's gonna be weird...Mark is a really good friend of mine and possibly one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. 10 weeks til I punch him in the face!" Simpson wrote on Facebook.

Since moving down to middleweight, Munoz (8-2, 3-2 UFC) has amassed a 3-1 record, with his lone loss coming to Yushin Okami at "UFC Live on Versus 2."

Simpson (7-1, 3-1 UFC) will look to rebound from his first professional loss, a TKO stoppage to Chris Leben at "The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale."

Munoz last three fights:
Loss (Split Decision) Yushin Okami - UFC Live on Versus 2
Win (TKO - punches) Kendall Grove - UFC 112
Win (Submission - punches) Ryan Jensen - UFC 108

Simpson last three fights:
Loss (TKO - punches) Chris Leben - The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale
Win (Split Decision) Tom Lawlor - UFC Fight Night 20
Win (TKO - injury) Ed Herman - UFC 102

Props: UFC.com

Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn III in the work for UFC 123

A welterweight rubber match between former champions Matt Hughes and BJ Penn is reportedly in the works for UFC 123.

This bout would be the third time that Penn and Hughes have squared off in the Octagon, and Penn's first foray into the welterweight division since losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94.

Penn moved up to welterweight to face Hughes for the welterweight title at UFC 46, upsetting the champion and becoming the second man to hold UFC titles in two weight classes. Hughes would even the score at UFC 63, TKO'ing Penn to retain the welterweight belt.

Hughes is riding a three-fight win streak, most recently submitting Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117.

Penn has been left looking for answers after losing back-to-back contests to Frankie Edgar, the last coming at UFC 118.

Hughes last three fights:
Win (Submission - Anaconda Choke) Ricardo Almeida - UFC 117
Win (TKO - Punches) Renzo Gracie - UFC 112
Win (Unanimous Decision) Matt Serra - UFC 98

Penn last three fights:
Loss (Unanimous Decision) Frankie Edgar - UFC 118
Loss (Unanimous Decision) Frankie Edgr - UFC 112
Win (TKO - Cut) Diego Sanchez - UFC 107

Props: CagePotato

Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao in the works for UFC 123

A middleweight bout between Gerald Harris and UFC newcomer Maiquel Falcao is in the works for UFC 123.

Harris (17-2, 3-0 UFC) is riding a ten-fight win streak, nine of which have come by stoppage. The former "Ultimate Fighter 7" cast member has already earned two Knockout of the Night bonuses, including a highlight-reel slam knockout of Dave Branch at UFC 116.

Falcao (25-3, 0-0 UFC) has amassed 24 finishes in his 25 wins, including 21 by KO or TKO. The Brazilian is on a seven-fight win streak, and has finished all seven of those opponents in the first round.

Harris last three fights:
Win (KO - Slam) Dave Branch - UFC 116
Win (TKO - Punches) Mario Miranda - UFC Fight Night 21
Win (TKO - Punches) John Salter - UFC Fight Night 20

Falcao last three fights:
Win (TKO - Punches) Wendres Carlos da Silva - Arena Gold Fights 2
Win (TKO - Knees and Punches) Daniel Ludtke - Match Point Sports Aquafit Fight Championship 2
Win (TKO - Doctor Stoppage) Ricardo Silva - Blackout FC 3

Props: Tatame Magazine via MMA Bay

Nik Lentz vs. Tyson Griffin set for UFC 123

A lightweight bout between Nik Lentz and Tyson Griffin has been confirmed for UFC 123.

Lentz (19-3-2, 3-0-1 UFC) will look to remain unbeaten in the Octagon, and is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Andre Winner at UFC 118.

Griffin (14-4, 7-4 UFC) has hit a rough streak, going 1-2 in his last three fights. He will try to avoid losing three straight for the first time in his career.

George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon in the works for UFC 123

A lightweight matchup between George Sotiropoulos and Joe Lauzon is in the works for UFC 123 in a match with title implications.

Sotiropoulos (13-2, 6-0 UFC) has gone undefeated in six UFC bouts, and could be in line for a title shot with another win. The Australian has not lost a fight since a disqualifaction against Shinya Aoki in 2006.

Lauzon (19-5, 6-2 UFC) is coming off of a submission win over Gabe Ruediger in dominant fashion at UFC 118. A win over Sotiropoulos would also put Lauzon on the road to contention.

Sotiropoulos last three fights:

Win (Unanimous Decision) Kurt Pellegrino - UFC 116

Win (Unanimous Decision) Joe Stevenson - UFC 110

Win (Arm Bar Submission) Jason Dent - UFC 106

Lauzon last three fights:

Win (Arm Bar Submission) Gabe Ruediger - UFC 118

Loss (Unanimous Decision) Sam Stout - UFC 108

Win (Arm Bar Submission) Jeremy Stephens - UFC Fight Night 17

Props: MMAmania.com

Ruediger vs. Kelly on tap for UFC 123

A lightweight bout between Gabe Ruediger and Paul Kelly will take place at UFC 123 in Detroit, MMAWeekly.com reported.

Ruediger (17-6, 0-2 UFC) had a rough return to the Octagon at UFC 118, getting manhandled and submitted by Joe Lauzon in a fight that Ruediger took on short notice. Now, it appears that he will get one more shot at the UFC, this time with a full training camp.

Kelly (10-3, 4-3 UFC) is 2-2 in his last four UFC fights, and will look to avoid losing his second fight in a row.

Ruediger last three fights:

Loss (Submission - Arm bar): Joe Lauzon - UFC 118

Win (TKO): Lenny Lovato - Tachi Palace Fights 5

Win (Submission - Rear naked choke): Dominique Robinson - Tachi Palace Fights 3

Kelly last three fights:

Loss (Unanimous Decision): Jacob Volkmann - UFC Live on Versus 2

Win (Submission - Guillotine): Matt Veach - UFC 112

Loss (TKO): Dennis Siver - UFC 105

UFC 123: Jackson vs. Machida Fan Trailer

While not released by the UFC, this fan-made trailer for UFC 123: Jackson vs. Machida is still very good.



By way of BloodyElow.com