Joe Lauzon vs George Sotiropoulos
What Happened: Lauzon got the best of the early exchanges against George, and was able to hold off Sotiropoulos' takedown attempts surprisingly well. It wasn't until close to the end of the first round that George was able to gain dominant North-South position, before transitioning into mount and almost pulling off an armbar in the dying seconds. Lauzon looked noticeably tired in the second round. Sotiropoulos utilized knees and punches from the clinch before taking Lauzon down again. From here Sotiropoulos was able to cinch in an pretty nasty kimura, forcing Lauzon to tap midway through the round.
What Next: Although Sotiropoulos looked tense in the opening minutes of this fight, he was able to keep his cool and take the fight to where he has the definitive advantage: the ground. Another impressive submission for Sotiropoulos moves him further up the LW rankings. It has been announced that Sotiropoulos next bout will be against Dennis Siver at UFC 127 next year.
As for Lauzon, he looked great in the first round, then it looked like his cardio shit the bed in the second round. Surprised to see Lauzon look so drained after just one round. Every time he starts to make his way up the ladder, he ends up getting knocked down a few pegs. Look for him to rebound against incoming WEC fighters or an exciting matchup could come forth in the name of Ross Pearson.
Phil Davis vs Tim Boetsch
What Happened: Both fighters came out throwing kicks early, before Davis clinched up and wrestled Boetsch to the mat. Davis worked primarily from side control, landing punches and elbows on his downed opponent. In the second round, Davis again worked from the clinch before securing a takedown. This time he went for a kimura, which while at first was unsuccessful, Davis continued to torque Boetsch's arm behind his back, eliciting a tap midway through the round.
What Next: Davis continues to impress, as he has demolished pretty much everyone placed in his path. I am also loving the grasp he has on submissions which, like I mentioned in my predictions, is uncommon amongst wrestlers, especially ones this green. I'm hoping UFC finally gives Davis a legit opponent. Someone like Matt Hamill, or Matyushenko.
As for Boetsch, there isn't really much to say. He got a lot of hype around him because of that Heath-slam. Don't expect to be seeing too much out of him from here on out.
Gerald Harris vs Maiquel Falcao
What Happened: Gerald Harris made his UFC main card debut, while Falcao made his organizational debut. The fight started extremely slow, with Harris being the only active fighter. Falcao finally exploded, unleashing some frantic stand up as well as Brock Lesnar-esque ground and pound. Falcao had Harris in a rear naked choke with 10 seconds left in the first round, when suddenly 3 seconds later the buzzer sounds. No one really noted this during the broadcast, but if you watch videos, you can clearly see the clock in the bottom corner at :10 seconds. The clock then disappears, and maybe 3 or 4 seconds later the bell sounds.
this video shows the first round, you can just fast forward to the end if you want to watch where the round is cut short.
So anyways, Falcao was robbed of a decision victory, because Harris definitely would have tapped or gone to sleep before the round would have ended. Falcao went on to dominate the 2nd round, before putting on a dismal performance in the third round, merely standing around and refusing to engage with Harris. Falcao won a unanimous decision.
What Next: After building an impressive record, including winning his last three fights in the UFC, Harris come up short when it counted, as he dropped his main card debut. He still remains a promising prospect in the division, and probably just needs a little bit more grooming before he can hang with the elite. Maybe a fight against Aaron Simpson or Alessio Sakara would help.
Falcao on the other hand looked very impressive. Had the fight ended in the first round, when it should have, Falcao would have an impressive decision win over a favored opponent. Needless to say, he went on to win the second round as well, and while he did close to nothing in the third, he has earned himself a spot in the UFC. It'll be interesting to see what the UFC decides to do with Falcao. He just might get an immediate shot at top quality competition, maybe someone like Nate who is coming off of a loss.
BJ Penn vs Matt Hughes
What Happened: In the epic rubber match, Penn came out, pumped a couple of jabs, and then dropped Hughes on his ass with a right hand before putting his lights out with a flurry of follow up punches. Penn went batshit crazy, leaping around and running out of the cage reminiscent of his former days with the organization, before being brought back in for the decision announcement.
What Next: Penn's future was quickly determined by Dana White, and word is that BJ will face Jon Fitch at UFC 127 next year in Sydney. I thought a match up between Penn and Sotiropoulos lined up perfectly, but apparently Penn has decided to remain at welterweight. A win against Fitch is about as hard as it gets, so let's hope BJ knows what he's doing.
As for Hughes, it may be time to hang em up. He doesn't have enough left to make another run at the title. He's had his match with Serra, his trilogy with Penn, choked out a BJJ black belt in Almeida, knocked off a couple Gracie's. The best thing to do now is to just go out while people still remember you as a legend. Don't do what Chuck and Jens Pulver did (Chuck lost 5 of his last 6 fights, while Pulver lost 8 of last 9). Hughes had an amazing career and will be remembered as one of the greatest WW champions of all time.
MAIN EVENT
Quinton Jackson vs Lyoto Machida
What Happened: Rampage came out and looked much more quick and agile than he did in his last fight against Rashad. Machida played his usual game, attacking with kicks and knees while remaining as elusive as possible. The first two rounds were very close, with Rampage holding a slight edge due to Octagon control, aggression, and landing a few uppercuts and counter hooks while scoring a takedown in the second. In the third round, Machida finally opened up, landing a flurry on Rampage, then taking a little return fire before dragging Jackson down to the mat. Machida gained mount and dropped some ground and pound on Rampage til the round ended. Rampage walked away with a split decision victory, winning rounds one and two, while Machida clearly took round three. Rampage appeared shocked following the bout, and went up to Machida saying that he should have won, very similar to when Rampage fought Murilo "Ninja" Rua back in Pride. Rampage offered a rematch to Machida, which was openly accepted.
What Next: A rematch between these two is probably the worst thing the UFC could do right now. The fight was boring as shit, and I don't think anyone really cares all too much about who would win in a rematch. If the UFC had some balls, they would make Rashad stop being a pansy and have him fight Rampage instead of waiting for Shogun to return from injury. The Rampage who fought at UFC 123 looked MUCH better than the slow out of shape A-Team Rampage we say back in May. Rampage - Rashad 2 would sell.
As for Lyoto, a lot of possible matchups are out there. He could take on the winner of Jon Jones vs Ryan Bader, or the winner of Rich Franklin vs Forrest Griffin. It is also very possible that Rashad WILL be a bitch, and insist on waiting for Shogun, in which case Rampage could fight Franklin/Griffin. A lot going on in this division, pretty exciting stuff.
I would also like to give a shout out to Edson Barboza, a LW fighter who made his UFC debut with a third round stoppage of Mike Lullo. Barboza looks like Jose Aldo, boasting lethal leg kicks, quick hands, and a BJJ black belt. While he may not be on the same level as Aldo, Barboza is definitely one to keep an eye on, as the UFC LW division continues to grow.
From top to bottom, UFC 123 delivered. Slick submissions by Sotiropoulos and Davis, a surprise entrance by Falcao, a flash KO by BJ Penn, and a controversial finish to the main event. The UFC returns in December with the TUF 12 Finale on Dec 4 and UFC 124: St Pierre - Koscheck on Dec 11.
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