Aldo Lands KO Knee
NIGHT OF SPECTACULAR KNOCKOUTS
San Francisco, CA– On paper, the fight looked like he had a chance of being competive. After all challenger Chad Mendes was unbeaten. But that didn’t matter of UFC featherweight (145 lbs) champion Jose Also (21-1) retained his title with a sensational single knee. Aldo came out throwing hard kicks at Mendes. Some of the first round was spent with the pair clinched against the cage, this before the flying knee victory that knocked Mendes down and out.
MENDES COULD NOT TAKE CHAMP DOWN
UFC 142 was held at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Looking at the fight before hand, I thought the Brazilian’s knees would play a part, but not one landing in such a devastating manner. If Mendes was to be successful he needed to get Aldo off his feet. Although he tried, Chad couldn’t get it done. It was an ending that will long be remembered in the history of the UFC and MMA. The time was 4:59 of round one.
VITOR GAINS WIN OVER OVERWEIGHT JOHNSON
24 Ahours ago, Anthony Johnson was supposed to weigh in at 185 lbs. He was nearly 12 lbs. over the limit for his scrap with former phonom Vitor Belfort. Brazil’s Belfort told Johnson he would fight him if he weiged 205 or less Saturday. Complying, Johnson who made the weight only to get choked (rear naked choke) out by Belfort (21-9) at the 4:49 mark of the opening round. America’s Johnson declines to (10-4) while Belfort is slated to face Wanderlei Silva in a battle of two fading Brazilian legends.
WALK RIGHT IN & LIMP RIGHT OUT
Mike Massenzio didn’t last very long with Brazil’s Rousimar Palhares Palhares put Massenzio (13-6) in a position of checkmate with his trademark heel hook in a middleweight bout with the end coming just 63 seconds into the first round. Known for forcing guys to submit, Palhares (14-3) might be ready to take on the winner of the summer rematch between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnan.
BRAZIL LOSEs ONE AS HOT WELTER DISQUALIFED
Erick Silva (13-2) suffered an unexpected loss when referee Mario Yamasaki disqualified Silva for illegal blows to the back of the head at 29 seconds of the first round with Carlo Prater. When the referee was questioned after the replays showed no fouls, he said. “I have to decide right there and then,” Yamasaki said. “There is nothing I can do.” Sounds as close to an admission of his being wrong as they come. Silva was in control and on his way to a stoppage victory before the ref made the call. Veteran Prater falls to 30-10.
RARE SPINNING KICK “KO” A FIRST FOR UFC?
Brazil’s Edson Barbozo is said to have the first spinning wheel kick KO in the history of the UFC. The kick was such that is dropped the UK’s Terry Etim in a heap at the 2:02 mark of the third round of a lightweight (155) battle. I’m thinking Barboza (10-0) will get a lot of play from the win. Etim is 15-4.
Pedro Fernandez