The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its way to the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas tonight for UFC 136: “Edgar vs Maynard 3.” The event was headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship trilogy bout between rivals Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and Gray “The Bully” Maynard.
In the co-main event, current UFC Featherweight Champion José “Scarface” Aldo defended his title against former two-time UFC title challenger Kenny “KenFlo” Florian, while Chael Sonnen battled “All American” Brian Stann in middleweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
UFC Lightweight Championship
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar vs Gray “The Bully” Maynard
Round 1:
The fighters circled early on and Maynard threw a leg kick. Edgar countered with a nice left hook and a one-two soon after. Edgar clinched and took Maynard’s back. Maynard spun into the clinch and Edgar backed away. Maynard attempted a head kick, but Edgar blocked it. He rocked Edgar with a huge uppercut and followed with more punches. Edgar tried to clinch, but Maynard landed another uppercut and a big knee. Edgar regained his footing and scored with a right hook.
Maynard missed with two looping punches, but dropped Edgar with a short right hand. He swarmed with punches, but Edgar got back to his feet. Another big uppercut landed for Maynard and he followed with a flying knee. Edgar’s nose appeared to be broken, but he dropped down for a takedown. Maynard landed punches on the ground and the fighters stood. More hard punches connected for Maynard late in the round. Eerily similar to round one from the pair’s previous fight. 10-8 Maynard.
Round 2:
Maynard missed with a right hand after a minute of circling in the second round and Edgar landed a grazing counterpunch. Edgar scored with a solid one-two that backed Maynard up momentarily. Edgar looked to set up a takedown and the fighters exchanged punches in close. Maynard tried to land another big uppercut in close, but Edgar kept his distance.
An overhand right landed for Edgar and Maynard came up short with a one-two. Edgar tried to clinch for a takedown, but Maynard shrugged him off. A three-punch combo to the head and body scored for Edgar and he followed with a leg kick. Maynard slipped while throwing a haymaker right hand and Edgar landed another nice one-two in the final seconds. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 3:
Edgar jabbed and stayed on the outside in the third round as Maynard looked to land a big uppercut. Edgar began to mix in leg kicks and tried for a takedown. Maynard punched his way free and both fighters landed hard leg kicks. Edgar ducked under a left hook and landed a short right. He continued to pick his shots and circled on the outside. Maynard connected with a left hook and Edgar fired off another leg kick.
Maynard landed an uppercut and jabbed, but Edgar snapped his head back with a right cross. Edgar tried for a takedown and came up well short. He landed a leg kick, however, and avoided Maynard’s right hand. Edgar scored with a one-two and narrowly avoided a haymaker right hook from Maynard. Edgar used quick punches and a body kick to keep Maynard guessing late in the round. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 4:
Edgar jabbed on the outside again in the fourth round and tried for a takedown. Maynard defended and landed a right hook, but Edgar cracked him with a big one-two. Another hard combination landed for Edgar and Maynard responded with a right cross. Both fighters began to throw kicks, but Edgar remained the more effective striker. Maynard looked for a takedown and Edgar stayed on his feet. Edgar landed a right hook and a lead left hand, then quickly circled away.
Edgar scored with another combo to the head and body and Maynard missed with his counters. Edgar dropped levels for a takedown and got Maynard down to a knee. As Maynard stood, Edgar rocked him with an uppercut. Maynard fell to his back, but stood up quickly. Edgar rushed in with punches and floored him with a big right hook. He followed with more punches on the ground for the stoppage. Big win for Edgar.
Winner: Frankie Edgar by TKO (Punches) at 3:54 of round four. He improves to 14-1-1 and remains the UFC Lightweight Champion.
UFC Featherweight Championship
José “Scarface” Aldo vs Kenny “FenFlo” Florian
Round 1:
Aldo stayed on the outside early on until Florian clinched and tried for a takedown. Aldo stuffed it and defended with a nice counterpunch. The fighters separated and Florian briefly tripped Aldo to the mat. Aldo got back to his feet, but Florian took him down two more times against the cage.
Florian took Aldo’s back after Aldo stood up, but Aldo broke free and circled away. Florian jabbed and threw a combination. Aldo countered with an uppercut and stepped free of a takedown attempt. Florian put Aldo up against the cage again and landed a standing elbow. Both fighters landed hooks at the bell. 10-9 Florian.
Round 2:
The pace slowed somewhat in round two as the fighters exchanged punches one at a time. Florian threw a left hook and tried to clinch for a takedown. Aldo defended, but Florian landed a body kick. More kicks landed for Florian, but the crowd grew restless. Aldo finally threw two leg kicks of his own and Florian came up short with a pair of one-twos.
Florian scored with more leg kicks and threw one to the upper body. Aldo landed a head kick, but Florian was unfazed. He tried to clinch for a takedown, but Aldo shrugged him off. A nice right hand and a leg kick landed for Aldo, but Florian landed one of his own. Florian tried for another takedown late in the round. 10-10.
Round 3:
Aldo scored with an uppercut, right hook combo in the third round and the fighters exchanged kicks. Florian closed the distance and landed a one-two, but Aldo countered with a right hook and a hard leg kick. Florian limped away and Aldo landed another right hand. Aldo jabbed and connected with a right hook. Florian dropped levels for a takedown, but Aldo wound up on top in mount. Florian scrambled and got back to half-guard.
Aldo moved to side control and then back to mount. Florian defended well and managed to get back to half-guard once again, but Aldo was effective with short strikes from the top. He stood and Florian threw upkicks. Aldo dropped back into Florian’s butterfly guard and landed an elbow, but Florian scrambled to his feet. Florian attempted a takedown and backed Aldo up to the cage. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 4:
The fighters jabbed in the fourth round and Aldo landed a right cross. Both fighters landed leg kicks and Aldo’s appeared to hurt Florian. Aldo stuffed a takedown and landed a nice knee. Florian backed him up to the cage and threw short left hands over the top. Aldo landed another knee and managed to break free of the clinch. Florian immediately tried to close the distance for another takedown.
Aldo countered a body kick with a right hand and sidestepped a Florian takedown attempt. Florian managed to clinch against the cage, but Aldo reversed and kneed Florian’s legs. Florian spun the clinch back around and tried to take Aldo down, but Aldo got his leg free. Florian missed with a standing elbow and backed away. Aldo finished the round with two body kicks. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 5:
Florian punched his way into a clinch in the final round and once again pressed Aldo up against the cage. Aldo circled away and Florian slipped while throwing a knee. Aldo stood over him and landed a punch, then kicked at Florian’s legs. Florian countered with kicks to Aldo’s knee and followed with upkicks. Florian tried for a heel hook, but Aldo escaped and moved back to mount. He punched from the top, but Florian scrambled back to half-guard.
Aldo freed his leg and nearly got back to mount again, but Florian escaped back to his feet. Aldo put him against the fence and the fighters exchanged knees. Referee Dan Miragliotta separated them, but they went right back to the clinch against the cage. More short knees landed for both and Florian tried to flurry with punches. He threw a flying knee that missed and Aldo answered with punches and a flying knee of his own. 10-9 Aldo.
Winner: José Aldo by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds. He improves to 20-1-0 and remains the UFC Featherweight Champion.
Chael Sonnen vs “All American” Brian Stann
Round 1:
Sonnen immediately clinched and backed Stann up to the cage. Stann reversed the clinc briefly, but Sonnen landed short knees and punches and took him down. From side control, Sonnen landed knees to the body. Stann tried to scramble up, but Sonnen took his back. Sonnen moved to mount and landed punches. Stann stood, but Sonnen remained on his back.
Sonnen looked to set up a rear-naked choke, then spun into Stann’s guard on the ground. He landed punches and short elbows and prevented Stann from fighting back to his feet. More strikes landed for Sonnen and he postured up with hard punches. Two elbows also landed for Sonnen and he closed out the round in side control. Dominant round. 10-9 Sonnen.
Round 2:
Sonnen took Stann down to begin the second round and punched from the top. Sonnen moved to mount and punched with his left hand, but Stann managed to get back to full guard. Sonnen punched to the head and body until the referee stood the fighters up for no reason. Stann landed a hard right hook, but Sonnen took him back down. From side control, Sonnen locked on an arm-triangle choke and passed to the other side. Stann tried to defend, but was forced to submit.
Winner: Chael Sonnen by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 3:51 of round two. He improves to 26-11-1.
Nam Phan vs Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia
Round 1:
Both fighters were effective with jabs in the opening minute and Garcia landed a leg kick. Phan teed off with punches in close and backed away. He dropped Garcia with a hook and fell into his guard. Garcia recovered and the referee stood the fighters up. Phan rocked Garcia again, but Garcia regained his footing and fired back with kicks and wild punches.
Garcia tried for a takedown and Phan countered. He landed two left hooks to the body and Garcia circled away. Garcia landed a body kick and missed with a head kick and Phan picked his shots with punches. Garcia landed a leg kick and began to throw sloppy strikes. Phan flurried and Garcia was inadvertently poked in the eye. Action quickly resumed and Phan shrugged off a takedown. Garcia fell and Phan landed punches. 10-9 Phan.
Round 2:
Phan landed a flurry of punches in the second round and Garcia tried to answer back with power punches. Phan avoided them and landed a short left hook. He backed Garcia up with a one-two and an uppercut, then avoided a knee. Garcia scored with an uppercut, but ate a hard left hook to the body. Garcia struggled to land anything as Phan peppered him with quick punches.
Garcia walked into a counter left hook and Phan backed him up with two more hooks. He landed a left hook to the body and Garcia slowed down. Phan continued to dominate the striking exchanges as Garcia was reduced to throwing wild haymakers that missed the mark. Phan cut Garcia below the right eye and put together crisp punching combinations. He landed another flurry at the bell. 10-9 Phan.
Round 3:
Garcia found success with leg kicks and hooks to the body in the final round, but Phan remained effective with punching combinations and a body shot of his own. Garcia dropped Phan with a left hook and swarmed with punches as Phan stood. Phan recovered, but Garcia continued to tee off. He landed a huge left hook, but appeared to punch himself out and clinched. A standing elbow landed for Garcia and Phan broke free of the clinch.
Phan jabbed and threw a left hook to the body. He sent Garcia off-balance with a right cross and followed with more punches as Garcia taunted. More jabs landed for Phan and he ducked under a counter hook from Garcia. Phan took Garcia down and threw short punches, but the referee prematurely stood the fighters up again. Both threw punches on the feet and Phan landed. Garcia landed a leg kick and tried for a takedown of his own. Phan stayed up and jabbed. The fight ended with an exchange of power punches. 10-9 Garcia.
Winner: Nam Phan by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-9-0.
Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon vs Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard
Round 1:
Guillard opened the fight aggressively with punches and a body kick, but Lauzon rocked him with a counter left hook. Guillard stumbled and fell to his knees. Lauzon took his back on the ground and sunk in both hooks. He secured a rear-naked choke and flattened Guillard out, forcing Guillard to submit. Huge win for Lauzon.
Winner: Joe Lauzon by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 0:47 of round one. He improves to 21-6-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)