VICTORIA — How could I keep these results from you?
Despite the fact that I really shouldn’t be sitting up and hammering away on a computer for six consecutive hours, I’m going to, simply because I love writing about fights, and I want all of you to know what is going on at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This is a great fight card – despite what some might say – and a chance to find out a little more about a handful of fringe contenders and fallen veterans looking to regroup and get back into the title chase. It’s also a chance to simply listen to the madness of the Brazilian crowd, who have consistently been the most raucous and vocal group the UFC has played to throughout the last year.
As always, I’ll be back 30 minutes before the first fight to share my overall thoughts on the night, and get you set for the 12 fights that will come your way tonight on Facebook, TV, and pay-per-view.
See you shortly, fight fans!
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Pre-Event Thoughts
— I think people might be overrating Erick Silva’s wins. Yes, he’s been dominant, but everyone he’s beaten has been bounced from the UFC. He’s a very good prospect, and could beat Fitch, but this is a huge step up in competition for him.
— Conversely, I think people are under-rating Phil Davis. He loses to Rashad Evans, and suddenly people have forgotten about him, like he’s not a quality prospect any longer. Not for nothing, but Davis has far better wins than Glover Teixeira thus far, and he’s been at it for much less time.
— Genuinely interested to see Luiz Cane at middleweight. I liked him at light heavyweight, but he never fixed the holes in his game, and always looked like he just didn’t bother getting into good condition. If he’s cleaned some of that up, he could be an intriguing addition to the middleweight ranks.
— Dave Herman needs a good performance here tonight. I don’t think he gets cut if he loses, but his schtick is getting tiresome, and you can only hang on for so long without producing. The frustrating thing is that he has an abundance of talent; it just seems like he’d rather get into a sloppy brawl than put the time and energy into using good technique, playing to his strengths, and not just seeing who will fall first.
— Anderson Silva is probably going to crush Stephan Bonnar, but I’m still very excited to see it. If anyone is going to give Silva a test for 15 minutes on short notice, it’s Bonnar.
— Genuinely don’t get the complaints about this card. Some cool fights on this card, regardless of if the main event looks like a mismatch. People gotta start understanding this is the new normal.
— PPVs aren’t going to be three massive fights and four more big names. Solid main with two more quality bouts is what people are gonna have to get used to. If that isn’t enough, it might be time to stop watching.
— Really looking forward to Tibau vs. Drinaldo too. Thought “Massarunduba” looked great in his debut, and Tibau is a consummate pro who is always tough to put away; thought he got hosed last time out too, so he could be even more motivated tonight.
Cristiano Marcello (12-4) vs. Reza Madadi (12-2)
These two – who really don’t like each other – got the night started off in style. Marcello and Madadi kept it standing for the majority, battering each other with punches, both men bloody when the final horn sounded.
Marcello was the aggressor early, and the fans cheered his every move, but Madadi was the better of the two throughout, landing a greater volume of strikes and connecting with the crisper, more powerful shots. In each round, the Swedish lightweight mixed in a takedown for good measure as well. Madadi took advantage of Marcello’s willingness to trade and poor defensive skills – he keeps his chin straight up and hands down after the throws – to earn a unanimous decision on my card. Official Result: Christiano Marcello defeats Reza Madadi by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
— Horrible decision. Not even just “Ah, I can see it,” but full blown horrible. In no way did Cristiano Marcello win all three rounds, and whoever scored it for him needs to be ashamed. This crap is horrible for the sport.
— We shouldn’t be numb to this stuff and say, “It happens” either. It needs to stop happening. This sport becomes a joke when the guy who rightfully won the fight is handed a loss.
— And please, for the love of all things good and wonderful in this world, don’t bring up close fights like Condit/Diaz to me in lieu of these comments. Nick wasn’t robbed; he was beaten. Accept it already.
Luiz Cane (13-4, 1 NC) vs. Chris Camozzi (17-5)
The second fight of the night didn’t have the same pace and excitement as the first, but was still a solid little scrap.
Cane looked like he would finish early, as Camozzi made a tactical mistake, and gave up his back. The Brazilian looked for the rear naked choke and landed some shots, but Camozzi made it back to his feet, and controlled the bout from there. Camozzi, a member of the Ultimate Fighter 11 cast, kept Cane off balance with his striking, touched Cane every time he came in.
Both were slowed by the final round, and only landing single shots here and there, with Cane landing the best individual punch of the round, a straight left with 1:15 left. Wasn’t enough in my eyes, though, as Camozzi takes the last two rounds to win 29-28 for me. Official Result: Chris Camozzi defeats Luiz Cane by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
— Good win for Camozzi, who has now won three straight in the UFC. He needs to stop making those little mistakes that put him in danger and get more crisp with his striking, but he should be able to maintain a place in the middle tier of the division moving forward.
— Middleweight seems like a better division for Cane, but he’s lost the fire he had at the start of his UFC career. He could get cut with that loss, as he’s lost back-to-back bouts, and four of five overall. That’s a bad run, and you don’t usually get to stick around to work out the kinks in the big leagues.
— One of the downsides of the UFC going to Brazil so frequently is that they always add two or three new Brazilian fighters to the roster each time, at least. That wouldn’t be bad if they were elite fighters or even solid, middle of the pack competitors, but they’re not any more; they’re preliminary card, bottom of the division guys. The problem is that the Brazilian crowd won’t stand to see a fight that doesn’t include at least one Brazilian.
— Preliminary card picks: Moraes, Tibau, Brandao, and Rony Jason.
Sergio Moraes (6-2) vs. Renee Forte (7-1)
This fight illustrated the point I was making above about there being too many Brazilian fighters who don’t necessarily belong in the UFC fighting on these cards simply because they’re Brazilian.
Overall, this was a sloppy fight. Moraes won the first with his grappling, earning a couple takedowns, but he wasn’t able to do much with either of them. Forte took the second after connected with a couple good strikes late as Moraes tired. In the third, Moraes climbed on Forte’s back, and worked for a choke. Forte defended well initially, but once they got to the ground, Moraes was able to squeeze hard enough to draw a tap from Forte. Official Result: Sergio Moraes defeats Rene Forte by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:10 of Round 3.
— As much as I’m excited about the UFC continuing to expand the sport around the globe with international versions of The Ultimate Fighter, most of the athletes on those shows are no UFC caliber fighters, which is why I’ve always argued for using Strikeforce as a minor league system.
— Forte would be a great guy to have in such a promotion; he shows some talent, but need far more seasoning. Being buried on the UFC roster doesn’t do him any good. Same with all the guys who will be coming off “The Smashes” and TUF: India next year.
— Interested to see how Diego Brandao bounces back from losing to Darren Elkins. He has all kinds of upside from an offensive perspective, but he gassed and got out wrestled last time. Can’t think of anyone who won TUF and then lost consecutive contests.
— Gambino has a “Tap, Snap, or Nap” tattoo, and it’s over chain link fence. Might be the worst tattoo in all of MMA, including Alan Belcher’s “Fat Johnny Cash” and Charlie Brenneman’s “Carpe Diem” tramp stamp.
Diego Brandao (14-8) vs. Joey Gambino (9-1)
Have to give Joey Gambino a shout out for being a tough kid because he took a couple heavy, heavy shots in this one. That said, he was on the wrong end of a beating at the hands of Diego Brandao.
The former Ultimate Fighter winner (Season 14 – Featherweight) clearly worked on his conditioning after gassing against Darren Elkins last time out. Brandao won all three rounds, and floored Gambino with big shots in the second and third. Gambino never stopped coming forward and looking for opportunities, but he just didn’t have enough to threaten Brandao. It wasn’t a monster “this kid is a contender now” performance for Brandao, but it’s a good step forward after losing his post-TUF debut. Official Result: Diego Brandao defeats Joey Gambino by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
— Good win for Brandao, who needed a bounce-back performance like that after losing to Elkins. You can see that he has promise and potential, he’s just not there yet. Working at Jackson’s and fighting more frequently will continue to help him, and if he keeps improving his conditioning, he could eventually develop into a contender.
— Probably the last we see of Gambino in the UFC for now. That’s two straight losses, and while he hung tough in both, he didn’t show enough to merit sticking around in my opinion.
— Really looking forward to this fight. Both are monsters at ’55 in terms of size and power.
Gleison Tibau (25-8) vs. Francisco Drinaldo (11-1)
These two massive lightweights split the first two rounds, with each winning a frame by playing to their strengths. In the first, Tibau used his grappling to control Drinaldo, while the second saw “Massaranduba” land a big overhand left to the temple that rocked Tibau. From there, he dominated on the ground, leading to the fight going to the third all knotted up at 19-19. The third was all about Tibau’s takedowns, as Drinaldo was unable to stay upright. After a quickish stand-up after the first takedown, Tibau advanced to mount the second time, securing an arm triangle choke. Drinaldo survived, but lost the round, and subsequently the fight. Official Result: Gleison Tibau defeats Francisco Drinaldo by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
— Tibau is so underrated. Great timing with his takedowns, very good top game, always has good conditioning. Never going to be a champion, but he’s a terrific guy to have in the middle of the division as a gatekeeper.
— Drinaldo is one of those guys who blasted all kinds of opponents on various Brazilian shows, but is just alright against UFC competition. Tibau is a tough pairing for anybody, but I don’t think Drinaldo is going to be a guy who moves much further up the rankings in the future. Doesn’t help that he’s already 34.
— Really think Rony Jason has a much better showing here than he did in his debut at UFC 147. First time emotions are out of the way, pressure of winning TUF Brazil is gone; time to just get in and do your thing.
Rony Jason (11-3) vs. Sam Sicilia (11-0)
Very good showing for Rony Jason here; much better than his UFC 147 performance, as expected. He and Sicilia traded shots throughout the bout, swinging for the fences with every shot, especially Sicilia. Jason took the opener by landing more shots, and hurting Sicilia early in the round, and brought the fight to a close late in the second. He caught a kick, buried a right hand down the pipe, and landed a couple heavy hammerfists on the ground. Referee Fernando Yamasaki jumped in, a little quick in my opinion. Good win for Jason; now he needs to step up in competition and prove he can beat more than fellow TUF alums. Official Result: Rony Jason defeats Sam Sicilia by TKO (Punches) at 4:16 of Round 2.
— Should be a good night of fights. Hoping the quick stand-ups don’t hamper how guys like Demian Maia, Phil Davis, and Jon Fitch do work; definitely something to watch.
— I think we learn a lot about both Maia and Story in their bout; where they fit in the division and whether or not they have contender potential.
— Big litmus test for Erick Silva tonight. If he gets through Fitch, he’s a contender, simple as that.
— Dave Herman should be a little frightened because of how much mess he talks about jiu-jitsu. “Minotauro” will definitely be looking to get a tap or put him to sleep.
— Glad the UFC saved the over-selling of Bonnar for tonight. A month full of “this is the most intriguing fight ever” would have been too much even for me. It’s an interesting fight, but Bonnar is probably going to get messed up; just leave it at that. No need to push it – it’s a fun fight that came together on short notice.
Demian Maia (16-4) vs. Rick Story (14-5)
The Demian Maia who ran through the middleweight division to start his career has returned, this time as a welterweight. Maia absolutely crushed Rick Story, quickly getting in on a leg, and taking Story to the ground. From there, Maia’s technique and skill took over, as he controlled position, advanced to Story’s back, and forced a tap with a nasty neck crank. Official Result: Demain Maia defeats Rick Story by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:30 of Round 1.
— Check the Punch Drunk Predictions because that is the exact type of performance I expected out of Maia. He’s a monster on the ground at this weight, and now that he’s stopped trying to throw hands all the time, he’s back to looking scary. Moral of the story: don’t listen to people who whine about grappling when you’re a stud on the ground. Also, the drop in weight helps.
— I think Prado gets trucked here; wrestled to death. He’s coming to the cage all fired up, but he’s going up against a monster light heavyweight in Phil Davis. Why people have forgotten that Davis is a beast is beyond me.
— Fernando Yamasaki doing the outside the cage check, so that’s a good thing for Davis’ wrestling. Hopefully Marc Goddard doesn’t get an itchy stand-up finger.
Phil Davis (9-1, 1 NC) vs. Wagner Prado (8-0, 1 NC)
Two fights, two grappling clinics. Some people aren’t going to like it, but I’m in love with UFC 153 right now.
Phil Davis showed why he’s still one of the very best up-and-comers in the sport, dominating Wagner Prado for the entire fight, winning the first handily with his wrestling, and submitting the Brazilian with a slick anaconda choke late in the second. It was a serious mauling for Davis, who reminds people why he was tabbed as the man to potentially dethrone Jon Jones just last year. Great transitions on the ground in the second, slick grab for the anaconda after Prado shook the arm triangle just a couple seconds earlier. Official Result: Phil Davis defeats Wagner Prado by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 4:29 of Round 2.
— See what I mean about Phil Davis? Just stormed Wagner Prado, and his wrestling and grappling is next level compared to everyone else in the light heavyweight division, save for maybe Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. As he continues to improve, he’ll keep closing the gap on those two as well. The key now is to not rush him up the ladder too quickly again.
— This card has been very entertaining so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing how people spin it into a “what a waste” story or complain about it tomorrow. If you like entertaining fights and finishes, you have to like this card.
— So stoked for Fitch and Silva. Can’t lie, I’m a Fitch guy, through and through; love his attitude about his style and methods in the cage. Think very highly of Silva, but can’t put him over Fitch off beating Luis Ramos, Carlo Prater, and Charlie Brenneman.
Jon Fitch (23-4-1, 1 NC) vs. Erick Silva (14-2, 1 NC)
What a fight! There better not be any more complaining about Jon Fitch fights after this one, and regardless of the outcome, Silva is a prospect to watch.
Fitch controlled the first with his grappling, wrestling Silva to the ground repeatedly, controlling position, and making the young prospect carry his weight. In the second, Silva handed a few good shots early, and threatened Fitch on the ground, taking his back at one point, putting Fitch in a rear naked choke. The Purdue alum defended, and finished the round on the offensive, missing an armbar attempt with 10 seconds left. The final round was pretty much all Fitch, as Silva was exhausted. He took the Brazilian down early without trouble, and save for a weak guillotine attempt from Silva, Fitch bashed away throughout the final round. This was easily Fight of the Night so far, and a reminder to everyone that Fitch remains a dangerous threat in the welterweight division. Official Result: Jon Fitch defeats Erick Silva by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
— Fitch was far more aggressive with his transitions and submission attempts tonight, and looked great. He was the #2 welterweight in the world for like three years, and this should be a reminder to everyone that he is a force at 170.
— Nothing for Silva to hang his head about here; he lost to a better man tonight. He had his moments, defended well when he was in trouble, and remains an explosive talent. He needs to work on his conditioning a little, and decide if he wants to be aggressive out of the gate or patient, because he was in between tonight, and it cost him in the first.
— Really interested to see where the UFC goes with both men from here. Fitch is still top 10, if not top 5, and Silva shouldn’t get bumped too far down the ladder after this. Going to have to think on this one for a while, but I’ll write it up Monday.
— This has “Trap Fight” potential for Glover, just because the hype has been massive. Fab Maldonado has an adamantium chin and is the kind of big, heavy puncher who can bang with anyone. If I’m Glover, I put him on his back quickly.
Glover Teixeira (18-2) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-5)
This was a bludgeoning.
Teixeira connected with a huge left to start, then dropped Maldonado with the second big left of the fight. He pounced on the ground, moved to mount, and started raining down big, heavy shots. Punches and elbows poured down, and as soon as Maldonado left his arm up, Glover moved into an arm triangle choke along the cage. Maldonado survived, but Teixeira moved right back into mount, and started firing away again. With a minute left in the round, Maldonado made it back to his feet, but he was super-wobbly as Teixeira teed off. With 30 seconds left, Maldonado planted a monster shot on Teixeira’s chin that dazed him.
They came out in the second and Maldonado was still wonky, as Teixeira scooped him up, and dropped him on the canvas right away. The former pro boxer stayed game though, hunting for a big left hook as Teixeira swung. Wisely, Teixeira turned it into a grappling match, taking Maldonado down again, moving to mount to drop bombs. Maldonado did well to tie up Teixeira, and both used the time to conserve some energy, though both were pretty spent. The doctor was called in to check on Maldonado, but the fight was allowed to continue.
Once they hit the corner between rounds, the doctor waved this one off. First round was extremely impressive for Teixeira, but Maldonado earned serious bonus points or his ability to absorb punishment and stay in this one. Official Result: Glover Teixeira defeats Fabio Maldonado by TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2.
— I want to see Teixeira against someone legit next. Nothing against Maldonado, but he was out-classed here. “Rampage” doesn’t count either; he’s not legit any more. Not sure who right now, but I’ll figure it out before Monday.
— Sticking to my prediction that “Minotauro” hangs them up if he wins here. Crowd will go nuts with the win, and then blow the roof off the HSBC Arena if Nogueira says, “Thank you for a great career!”
— Horrible night for the Yamasaki Brothers refereeing tonight. Mario needed to stop that fight late in the first when Maldonado got back to his feet and was still on roller skates. He’s tasked with protecting the fighters, and he didn’t protect Maldonado, not one bit. On the heals of Mario’s horrible stand-ups earlier in the night, this was a rough night for the family.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1, 1 NC) vs. Dave Herman (21-4)
So much for jiu-jitsu not working on Dave Herman.
After “Minotauro” Nogueira won the first by being the more active fighter, the veteran controlled the second, dropping Herman with a big left hook early. He worked his ground game, looking for submissions, but Herman defended well. After a brief stand-up, Nogueira pulled Herman to the ground from the clinch, transitioned to mount, and hunted an armbar. Herman defended well again, but then put himself in more danger by rolling to allow “Minotauro” to go belly down. When he flipped back out of that, Herman was caught; Nogueira stretched it out, and collected the tap. Official Result: Minotauro Nogueira defeats Dave Herman by Submission (Armbar) at 4:31 of Round 2.
— Dave Herman frustrates me to no end. He has talent, but he’s more interested in being aloof in the cage. He stands flat-footed, doesn’t attack, and doesn’t really do much of anything really. Dana White hasn’t been pleased with some of his antics in the past, and while he stepped up to take this fight on short notice, he could get let go.
— Nice win for Minotauro, especially after that gruesome loss to Mir last December. He looked out of shape, but I’ll give him a pass since he took the fight on short notice. Really not sure where he fits in the heavyweight division right now, but good to see him back competing either way.
— Main event time. How crazy would it be if Stephan Bonnar pulls the upset?
Anderson Silva (32-4) vs. Stephan Bonnar (14-7)
This one went the way everyone expected, with some Anderson Silva showboating to start.
Bonnar charged across the cage, kept Silva on the fence for a good two minutes and change, but Silva was mellow as can be. He literally backed onto the cage to allow Bonnar to take shots at him. He kept his hands down, ate shots on the chin, and didn’t flinch. When he was ready – and it was literally when he was ready – Silva blasted Bonnar with a knee to the body, and finished with strikes on the ground. Best ever. So dominant. Official Result: Anderson Silva defeats Stephan Bonnar by TKO (Knee and Punches) at 4:40 of Round 1.
— I want to see Silva vs. Jon Jones, not Georges St-Pierre. And if he doesn’t want to do that, give him Chris Weidman next. If he’s staying at middleweight permanently, he needs to fight the best contender there is, and that’s Weidman.
— High Fives to Bonnar for taking this fight and coming across the cage hard. No shame in losing that fight.
— Massive night of fights. Loved it. Wickedly entertaining. Where are the complaints now?
— As for picks, ran the table from fight #3 on. Boom! Sorry I had to beat you John Oakes.
— Thanks to everyone for always digging these things. Glad I can hook people up with coverage they like.
— See you in the morning for 10 Things, and a month from now for UFC 154.
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Here are the complete results from UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Anderson Silva (32-4) vs. Stephan Bonnar (14-7)
Anderson Silva defeats Stephan Bonnar by TKO (Knee and Punches) at 4:40 of Round 1.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1, 1 NC) vs. Dave Herman (21-4)
Minotauro Nogueira defeats Dave Herman by Submission (Armbar) at 4:31 of Round 2.
Glover Teixeira (18-2) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-5)
Glover Teixeira defeats Fabio Maldonado by TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2.
Jon Fitch (23-4-1, 1 NC) vs. Erick Silva (14-2, 1 NC)
Jon Fitch defeats Erick Silva by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Phil Davis (9-1, 1 NC) vs. Wagner Prado (8-0, 1 NC)
Phil Davis defeats Wagner Prado by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 4:29 of Round 2.
Demian Maia (16-4) vs. Rick Story (14-5)
Demain Maia defeats Rick Story by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:30 of Round 1.
Rony Jason (11-3) vs. Sam Sicilia (11-0)
Rony Jason defeats Sam Sicilia by TKO (Punches) at 4:16 of Round 2.
Gleison Tibau (25-8) vs. Francisco Drinaldo (11-1)
Gleison Tibau defeats Francisco Drinaldo by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Diego Brandao (14-8) vs. Joey Gambino (9-1)
Diego Brandao defeats Joey Gambino by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Sergio Moraes (6-2) vs. Renee Forte (7-1)
Sergio Moraes defeats Rene Forte by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:10 of Round 3.
Luiz Cane (13-4, 1 NC) vs. Chris Camozzi (17-5)
Chris Camozzi defeats Luiz Cane by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Cristiano Marcello (12-4) vs. Reza Madadi (12-2)
Christiano Marcello defeats Reza Madadi by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
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