UFC 142?s Three Stars: Aldo, Barboza and Palhares

Brazil provided another picturesque setting for a UFC card dominated by Brazilian favorites. Even our Three Stars is filled with fighters from a country so important to MMA. Who are your Three Stars from UFC 142? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.

No. 1 star -- Jose Aldo: With a swift, well-deployed knee, Aldo showed again that he is the cream of the the featherweight crop. He then brought the celebration to the jubilant crowd in Rio de Janeiro, creating a memorable moment for every fan at UFC 142 and a headache for UFC security. Can you blame him for the euphoria? Starting with the WEC featherweight championship, Aldo has held his belt for 26 months and five title defenses. A man that dominant in his division is allowed to celebrate with his fans.

No. 2 star -- Edson Barboza: From his three previous fights in the UFC, we knew that Barboza was capable of debilitating kicks. No one -- particularly Terry Etim -- expected him to throw a spinning wheel kick, executed so perfectly that Etim was out well before he hit the canvas. He won both Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses for that performance, and something tells me that he's an early favorite for Knockout of the Year awards.

No. 3 star -- Rousimar Palhares: Any fighter preparing for Palhares knows that he is a heel hook master, with the majority of his submission wins coming that one hold. Mike Massenzio knew the heel hook was looming, but couldn't stay out of Palhares' grip. For submitting Massenzio in just over a minute, Palhares won Submission of the Night.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-142-three-stars-aldo-barboza-palhares-150507547.html

Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio

UFC on FX 1 picks, Vegas-style: Could Guillard?s size be the difference?

Explosiveness against technique. It's a solid way to describe the main event tonight at UFC on FX 1.

Melvin Guillard can overwhelm his opponents, while Jim Miller can slowly pick you apart with his overall game. But there may be one other factor that determines the outcomes of this one. Guillard may simply be too big for Miller, one of the smaller fighters in the lightweight division.

Guillard tweeted this morning that he'll actually be over the welterweight limit as he steps into the Octagon tonight (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) for this 155-pound tilt.

Kevin Iole and Frank Trigg joined myself on ESPN1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas to make our picks using the Sin City betting odds. Iole likes Guillard and Trigg thinks the size disparity won't make a difference. He's worried about Guillard surviving if he doesn't finish the fight in the first few minutes.

UFC on FX 1 betting odds:
Best bets in bold

Melvin Guillard (+150) vs. Jim Miller (-170)
Duane Ludwig (-105) vs. Josh Neer (-115)
Mike Easton (-345) vs. Jared Papazian (+285)
Pat Barry (-155) vs. Christian Morecraft (+135)
Jorge Rivera (+130) vs. Eric Schafer (-150)
Kamal Shalorus (-140) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (+120)
Daniel Roberts (+265) vs. Charlie Brenneman (-325)
Daniel Pineda (-135) vs. Pat Schilling (+115)
Nick Denis (-255) vs. Joseph Sandoval (+215)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fx-1-picks-vegas-style-could-guillard-195512972.html

Terrance Aflague Yoshihiro Akiyama  Gilbert Aldana  José Aldo  John Alessio 

GSP video: Welterweight champ targeting November return

The sharks are circling in the welterweight division. The target for potential feasting is this November. That's when UFC welterweight champ George St-Pierre is anticipating his return to active fighting.

GSP tore his right ACL in December and underwent surgery shortly after. Several fighters have tried to return from a similar injury too quickly and paid the price.

On this HDNet Inside MMA video, Phil Davis tells St-Pierre to take his time. GSP agreed saying that he suffered the injury by rushing back from a less severe ailment to his left knee.

"Hard training will be in July and fighting again in November, I'd say could come back in November," said St-Pierre.

St-Pierre thinks he'll be fighting before the end of 2012. Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit meet for the interim UFC 170-pound title at UFC 143. But, it's anyone's guess who makes it to November in possession on the interim strap.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/gsp-video-welterweight-champ-targeting-november-return-172158094.html

Jimmy Ambriz Matt Andersen  Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo 

Reaction from the Action: ?UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes?

Welcome back to Brazil! After waiting nearly 13 years before returning to the country for UFC 134 in August, this time the UFC waited just four months to make another trip back with UFC 142 this past Saturday in Rio de Janeiro. Read all about the UFC 142 fallout, including questions that remain and future matchups, in the latest Reaction to the Action.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27270/reaction-from-the-action-ufc-142-aldo-vs-mendes/

Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi  Daniel Acacio

UFC on FX Weigh-In Results: Guillard, Miller Both Make Weight

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UFC lightweights Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller both made weight for their main event fight on Friday night, although it wasn't easy for Guillard.

Guillard initially came in at 156.5 pounds before taking off his shorts and making the limit of 156. Miller looked comfortable at 155 pounds.

One fighter missed weight: Lightweight Fabricio Camoes, who came in at 157.5 pounds for his fight with Tom Hayden. Camoes will have two hours to lose 1.5 pounds, or else he'll have to forfeit a portion of his purse to Hayden.

Full weigh-in results are below.




Main Card (FX):
Melvin Guillard (156) vs. Jim Miller (155)
Duane Ludwig (170.5) vs. Josh Neer (171)
Mike Easton (135) vs. Jared Papazian (135.5)
Pat Barry (242) vs. Christian Morecraft (256)

Preliminary Card (FUEL TV):
Jorge Rivera (185.5) vs. Eric Schafer (185)
Khabib Nurmagomedov (155) vs. Kamal Shalorus (155.5)
Charlie Brenneman (170.5) vs. Daniel Roberts (170.5)
Fabricio Camoes (157.5) vs. Tom Hayden (155.5)
Daniel Pineda (145) vs. Pat Schilling (145)
Nick Denis (135.5) vs. Joseph Sandoval (135)

 

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Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/01/19/ufc-on-fx-weigh-in-results-guillard-miller-both-make-weight/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

UFC Undisputed 3 Roster Revealed for February 14 Release

THQ has revealed the "epic roster" for UFC Undisputed 3 ahead of the game's February 14 release on Xbox and Playstation, which includes 150 fighters across 7 weight classes, including bantamweight and featherweight as well as the new PRIDE mode.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/27266/ufc-undisputed-3-roster-revealed-for-february-14-release/

Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Tank Abbott Hiroyuki Abe Cyril Abidi 

Alcantara, Pyle and Arantes early winners at UFC 142

The UFC returned to Brazil on Saturday night for UFC 142. Two decisions and a quick knockout started off the card in Rio de Janeiro.

Pyle's quick win

Mike Pyle made quick work of Ricardo Funch with a right hand, a nasty knee and ground and pound to end their bout at 1:22 in the first round.

After the bouts, Pyle put out a warning to other welterweights.

"That's how I'm going to look every single time I step in the Octagon!"

Yuri Alcantara made the hometown crowd happy with a 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 decision over Michihiro Omigawa.

Alcantara started with a knee from the bell, and stung Omigawa with several strikes after. Late in the first, Alcantara swarmed with big strikes, including a spinning back elbow that knocked Omigawa to his knees. Omigawa remained calm and used his judo skills to reverse position and end up on top. Alcantara turned stretched out Omigawa in an armbar, but Omigawa was saved by the bell. A bit of controversy ensued as there was a question on if Omigawa tapped, but he didn't and the bout continued.

In the second round, Alcantara started with great striking and then got full mount. He took Omigawa's back, but wasn't able sink in a choke. Alcantara had the edge in the second round, but Omigawa came back looking fresh in the third round.

Though Omigawa still had movement, he ate a ton of punches in the third round. With 1:45 left in the fight, Omigawa easily got a takedown and was able to land punches from the guard. They were stood up with 15 seconds left in the bout, and Alcantara managed a takedown in the final seconds.

Arantes starts card off with a win

Felipe Arantes earned his first UFC victory with a decision over Antonio Carvalho. It was a close match until Arantes took Carvalho down late in the third and used elbows to beat up Carvalho and seal the fight in his favor. The judges saw it 29-28 on all three cards for Arantes.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alcantara-pyle-arantes-early-winners-ufc-142-015312053.html

John Alessio  Houston Alexander Ricardo Almeida  Eddie Alvarez Thiago AlvesÂ