The Ultimate Fighting Championship made its return to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC 156: “Aldo vs Edgar.” The event featured a UFC Featherweight Championship bout between José “Scarface” Aldo and former lightweight champ Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.
In the co-feature, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Suga” Rashad Evans faced veteran Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira. Heavyweight Alistair Overeem returned to the Octagon to battle Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in a title contender’s bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
UFC Featherweight Championship
José “Scarface” Aldo vs Frankie “The Answer” Edgar
Round 1:
Quick jabs and inside leg kicks were exchanged in round one until Aldo landed a counter uppercut. A hard jab scored for Aldo and he followed with two right crosses. Aldo landed more jabs, but Edgar connected with a right hand and a body kick. Aldo remained effective with his jab and he countered a right hook with one of his own. Aldo landed a big leg kick and a one-two. Another leg kick and a left hook found the mark for Aldo. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 2:
Aldo appeared to be a step ahead of Edgar in round two and landed quick combinations before Edgar could retaliate. Aldo countered a leg kick with a right cross and Edgar’s face began to swell up. Edgar landed a nice right cross, but Aldo smiled and replied with one in return. Edgar tried unsuccessfully to take Aldo down and Aldo sent him off-balance with a leg kick.
Aldo jabbed and threw one-twos. He dropped Edgar with another leg kick. Edgar stood and pressed forward with a left hook, but Aldo landed a counter right and continued to target his leg. Aldo landed a flying knee and Edgar punched his way into a brief clinch. Aldo kicked at Edgar’s leg, but Edgar caught it and sent Aldo to the mat with a right hand. Aldo stood and missed with a spinning back kick. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 3:
Edgar was able to take Aldo down to a knee in round three, but Aldo sprung back to his feet and circled as Edgar threw kicks. Edgar seemed to pick up the pace with his punches, but Aldo landed a vicious front kick that caused Edgar’s nose to bleed. Edgar flurried with punches, but his strikes appeared to have little effect. He began to land leg kicks and countered jabs with a one-two. Aldo replied with a knee and Edgar cracked him with a right hook. Aldo landed a leg kick and shrugged off a takedown. Edgar scored with a right hand late in the close round. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 4:
Right hands landed for both fighters in round four and Aldo attempted a spinning back kick. Edgar nearly caught a leg kick, but Aldo pulled his foot free. Edgar tried a spinning back kick of his own and also missed. Edgar shot in for a takedown and flurried against the cage. A right hook landed for Edgar and Aldo quickly countered with a left.
Aldo jabbed, but Edgar clinched and suplexed him to the mat. Aldo stood up and Edgar maintained back control against the cage. He kneed Aldo’s thighs and tried to suplex him again. Edgar broke away and landed a nice right cross. He avoided a jumping knee from Aldo and landed another short right before the bell. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 5:
Edgar stuck to punches in the final round and Aldo missed with a flying knee. He stuffed a takedown, but Edgar landed a right cross. Edgar grazed with a spinning back kick and kept the pressure on with more punches. Edgar began to land leg kicks on a consistent basis and he punched his way into a brief clinch. Quick combinations and jabs also scored for Edgar, but Aldo stunned him with a counter right cross. Edgar landed another combination and two left hooks. A right hook landed for Edgar and Aldo scored with a Superman Punch off of the cage to close out the fight. 10-9 Edgar.
Winner: José Aldo by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 22-1-0 and remains UFC Featherweight Champion.
Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira vs “Suga” Rashad Evans
Round 1:
The fighters were cautious in the opening round and traded occasional kicks and punches for the first two minutes. Evans attempted a head kick and Nogueira replied with punches. A one-two scored for Nogueira and he followed with a left cross. Nogueira landed jabs and more crosses, but Evans countered nicely with two right hooks. Evans briefly took Nogueira down and landed short punches on the way up. Nogueira broke away with a knee and Evans landed a right hand. Very close round. 10-9 Nogueira, just barely.
Round 2:
Nogueira boxed in round two and threw quick one-twos. Evans landed a leg kick and Nogueira backed him up with a right-left combo. Left hands landed for Nogueira and Evans responded with a right cross. Nogueira stuffed a takedown and continued to set up his left cross with jabs. Evans threw a right hook that was met by a left cross and a body kick. Nogueira sprawled out of a takedown and landed a combination. Right hands landed for both fighters and Nogueira remained the aggressor. Evans threw a head kick at the bell. 10-9 Nogueira.
Round 3:
The final round was similar to round two and Nogueira continued to box while Evans kicked and countered with hooks. Nogueira landed a combination and two body kicks. Evans answered with a right hook and time was called after Nogueira was poked in the eye. Action resumed and Evans landed a right hand to the body. Nogueira answered with a left cross to the jaw and a kick to the liver.
Evans rushed forward with punches that came up short and he was unable to clinch. Nogueira kicked from a distance and landed a one-two. A right hook from Evans was met by a left from Nogueira, who pushed the pace. Evans tried unsuccessfully for a takedown and Nogueira landed jabs and a knee to the body. Both fighters landed knees and hooks before the final bell. 10-9 Nogueira.
Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 21-5-0.
Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva vs Alistair Overeem
Round 1:
Overeem used faints early on and landed a left hook to the body before clinching. The fighters separated briefly and Overeem clinched again. He threw a right hand over the top and kneed to the body. Overeem backed away and Silva clinched, but Overeem muscled him up against the cage. He circled out again and countered a body kick with a big right hand and a knee. Leg kicks were exchanged and Overeem landed knees in the clinch. He scored with an uppercut late in the round. 10-9 Overeem.
Round 2:
Silva landed two leg kicks and a pair of right hands in the second round, but Overeem answered with a right of his own and slammed Silva down to the mat. Silva elbowed from the bottom and Overeem threw punches to the body. Overeem landed occasional punches to the body and head. Silva tried to set up a triangle choke and Overeem countered with punches. The fighters were stood up and both landed uppercuts and hard knees. 10-9 Overeem.
Round 3:
Silva hurt Overeem with a knee and punches in the final round and followed with a head kick. Overeem staggered and Silva absolutely unloaded with punches until an unconscious Overeem collapsed to the mat. Big comeback win for Silva.
Winner: Antonio Silva by KO (Punches) at 0:25 of round three. He improves to 18-4-0.
Demian Maia vs Jon Fitch
Round 1:
Maia shot in for a takedown right away and took Fitch down. He moved to back control as Fitch stood up and used punches to try to set up a rear-naked choke. Maia continued to hunt for the choke as Fitch defended. Maia stayed on Fitch’s back and eventually tripped him forward, but Fitch stood again. Maia got Fitch down to a knee and threw knees to the kidneys. Maia secured a body triangle and used it to keep Fitch down until the bell. 10-9 Maia.
Round 2:
Fitch landed a right cross and followed with a head kick in round two, but Maia took him right back down. Fitch scrambled up and both fighters landed hooks. Maia took Fitch’s back and dragged him down to the mat. Maia switched to a body triangle and tried for a rear-naked choke, but Fitch broke his grasp. Maia punched from the back and worked for a rear-naked choke. Another dominant 10-9 for Maia, if not a 10-8.
Round 3:
Maia ducked under a head kick and took Fitch’s back while standing in round three. He pulled Fitch down to the ground again and resumed working for rear-naked chokes. Fitch worked up to his feet and used a guillotine choke to force Maia to his back. Fitch landed an elbow from the top, but Maia stood up and took his back. Maia kneed Fitch’s thighs and tried to trip him to the ground. Fitch escaped and sprawled to defend against a takedown. Maia got him down on his second try and stayed on Fitch’s back until mounting him right before the end of the fight. 10-9 Maia.
Winner: Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 18-4-0.
Joseph Benavidez vs Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall
Round 1:
Benavidez landed a nice combination out of a clinch in round one and kicked at McCall’s legs from a distance. The fighters exchanged hard punches and Benavidez staggered McCall with a one-two. He threw a head kick that landed, but time was briefly called after McCall was kneed in the groin. Action resumed and Benavidez landed a three-punch combo to the body and head.
More big punches were exchanged and McCall landed a hard right hand, but Benavidez answered right back with a knee and leg kicks. Both fighters targeted the body and Benavidez landed a nice right hook over the top. The pace remained high as the fighters continued to trade quick punches. McCall landed a grazing hook and Benavidez was cut along the hairline by a clash of heads. McCall landed a knee before the bell. 10-9 Benavidez.
Round 2:
Benavidez landed a body kick and just missed with a one-two in the second round. McCall countered with hooks and a leg kick. A right hook landed for Benavidez and McCall had to act quickly to block a head kick. Benavidez lunged in with an uppercut and attempted a sweep takedown from a clinch against the cage. Benavidez broke away with a standing elbow.
Benavidez kicked from a distance and landed a one-two as McCall closed in. Benavidez pawed out with his right hand and narrowly ducked under a flying knee, but McCall took his back on the ground and landed punches. McCall alternated between mount and back control until Benavidez scrambled up, but not before McCall landed punches and a knee. 10-9 McCall.
Round 3:
Benavidez rocked McCall with a right cross very early in round three and McCall returned fire with a combination. A body kick scored for Benavidez and McCall fell after an inside leg kick from Benavidez. Back on the feet, Benavidez kicked at McCall’s leg and ducked under a right hook. Benavidez landed a short right hook in close and followed with a body kick.
McCall took Benavidez down and tried to pass to side control, but Benavidez scrambled and returned to his feet. Another body kick and a three-punch flurry landed for Benavidez. The fighters exchanged right hands and Benavidez backed McCall up momentarily with a one-two. McCall targeted the body with a right hook and Benavidez landed another hard liver kick. 10-9 Benavidez.
Winner: Joseph Benavidez by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-3-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)
Wow!!!! Demian and Big Foot! WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!