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Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, a karate specialist, used his kicks to gain the advantage and then landed a series a punches that knocked Rashad Evans down three times in the second round to win the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 98 in Las Vegas.
The final blow was a devastating left hook that flattened Evans. His 205-pound body collapsed faster than the last few grains of a sand in a timer.
“I tried all my life to be a champion, and I’m very, very happy,” Machida said. “And now, I’m going to keep this belt for a long time. And to everyone, if you have a dream in your life, go ahead, it’s possible.”"
Machida’s unorthodox style kept Evans (18-1-1) at bay the entire fight. Machida (15-0) landed big left kicks in the first and second rounds, helping to keep Evans at bay. Machida connected on a left leg kick to the body, followed by a left hand that dropped Evans to the ground toward the end of the first round. Machida pounced on Evans and landed a few shots before the champion got back to his feet.
“A little dizzy,” Evans said when asked by Joe Rogan how he was feeling after the fight. “This is the first time ever being on the other side. You gotta take it how you give it, just smiling and knowing that every time you get a chance to come out here, you get a chance to prove yourself. So, maybe next time I’ll do better.”
Here is GSP training at Jacksons MMA in Albuquerque New mexico. Watch GSP’s training video here: GSP Training VIdeo
St-Pierre defeated former UFC welterweight champion, and current lightweight champion B.J. Penn to become the number-one contender for the UFC welterweight title. St-Pierre won the match by split decision and was set for a rematch against then-champion Matt Hughes
Where are you from?
I am from Newton, New Jersey, born and raised until I joined the military.
Where/What do you do for a living?
I’m in the U.S. Air Force. I’m been in since October of 2005, I’m a Senior Airman (E-4) and an aerospace ground equipment (AGE) mechanic. I’m currently station at Eielson AFB, Alaska but soon heading to Moody AFB, Georgia.
What got you started in MMA?
I’ve been in Isshinryu Karate for 13 years and I’m a second degree black belt in that style. i also wrestled in high school, i feel that MMA is my next step in my martial arts career.
Where do you train?
I guess my training started when i started traditional martial arts when i was eight years old. My dojo was Black Dragon Isshinryu Karate in Newton, New Jersey. we didn’t just do regular Isshinryu, which is already a mix of two other Okinawan styles, we threw in boxing, Judo/wrestling, and some basic Jiu-Jitsu.
My actual MMA training stared with “Team Alaska Gladiators” in Fairbanks, Alaska in early 2008. i like the training there, boxing, wrestling/Jiu-Jitsu, and Muy Thai. Three coaches lead the gym, head coach David Knight, asst. coach Mike and asst coach Wilson Bailey. All fighters them selves and David Knight holds the welterweight belt for the Alaska Fighting Championship (AFC).
What fighter do you like to mimic?
There’s not a specific one, I like the strikers the stand up guys. But if I had to choose it would be Chuck Liddell
What style of fighting do you prefer?
I prefer the stand up styles, Muy Thai and any Karate. I enjoy striking and going toe to toe and so does the crowd. I also enjoy going to the ground but keeping it active. I don’t like the fight if there’s a stalemate on the ground.
If you could fight anyone who would it be and why?
That’s a tough one, I don’t think I’m at the level to call out any of the big name guys yet. As of right now I’d like to have a rematch with the first guy I fought. He’s a wrestler and he beat me by a decision, it sucked. He did what the judges wanted to see, take me down and stay on top. I had a few submission attempts but couldn’t finish him, had a solid triangle choke at the end of the first but the bell saved him. My striking was good I caused more damage than he did but just like Dana White says, “Never let it go to the judges.”
What weight division are you fighting in?
I fight either at 145lbs or 155lbs. I walk around at 150lbs so I can go either way. If my career get serious I may move up but for right now I like the weight that I’m at.
Do you plan to take your fighting to a professional level?
Right now my main focus is my Wife and my military career but if the opportunity comes up where I can fit some professional fights in I’ll take it.
How did you feel the first time you dominated a fight?
It was unreal, I came off a tough loss from my first fight and I wasn’t going to let my record fall to 0-2. I worked a lot on my ground game, submission escapes and how to control my opponent better. I finished the fight in the first round with a mounted triangle choke and i was throwing punches down until he tapped. it was great, people coming up to you saying awesome fight, I felt I redeemed myself from not winning my first fight. but also having the taste of defeat made this win mean so much more.
What is your amateur record?
My current record is 1-1, once I get out of Alaska and back to the lower 48 I’ll get some more fights in.
How did you get your Nickname “The Rage”?
That name was given to when I first started doing Jiu-Jitsu, they offered a class at the gym at Eielson, AFB. I had a hard time adapting to it and I’d get pissed. when that happened I just used my aggression to focus on what I was doing and i picked it up a little faster. The instructor said, “Mike you got a lot of rage in you,” and it stuck.
That streak continued in Columbus, only on the wrong side. The big man folded like cardboard 1:09 into the right thanks to a right hand from Shane Carwin (12-0).
Gonzaga (10-5) controlled the fight early with some punches and a takedown. But Carwin got back to his feet, stepped aside from a right punch from Gonzaga, then blasted Gonzaga in the face for the knockout win.
“Gabe caught me a couple times,” Carwin said. “My head’s a little extra thick.”
After twelve episodes of elimination bouts, grueling training, and creative hijinks and pranks, “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Mir™” live finale is set with Phillipe Nover taking on Efrain Escudero in the lightweight (155lb) class and Ryan Bader battling Vinny Magalhaes in the light heavyweight division (205 lbs). Emanating from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, December 13 at 9:00 PM ET, the finalists will be competing for a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial arts organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship®.
The televised fight card will open with the season’s most controversial contestant, Junie Browning, against fellow castmate and nemesis Dave Kaplan. Also fighting on the Spike TV card will be the previously announced rematch of UFC welterweights Kevin Burns and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and a middleweight clash between Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald and Wilson Gouveia
The undercard also includes “The Ultimate Fighter” cast members John Polakowski vs. Rolando Delgado, George Roop vs. Shane Nelson, Tom Lawlor vs. Kyle Kingsbury, Jules Bruchez vs. Eliot Marshall, and Shane Primm vs. Krzysztof Soszynski.
About The Finalists:
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Efrain Escudero – TEAM NOGUEIRA
Professional Record: 10-0
The 22-year-old mixed martial arts fighter sports a perfect 10-0 professional record as a member of Southwest MMA in Tucson, AZ. Escudero, who is close friends with training partner and former UFC fighter Drew Fickett, grew up in Yuma, AZ and was a state champion wrestler at Cibola High School in the 140lb. weight class. Currently studying Criminal Justice and Sociology at Grand Canyon University, Escudero is on pace to graduate in 2009 with aspirations for a career in law enforcement following his time in Octagon®. A submission specialist, Escudero lists Georges St-Pierre as among the fighters he admires most.
Road To The Finals:
Episode 4: submitted Shane Nelson via triangle in the second round.
Episode 12: submitted Junie Browning in the second round
Phillipe Nover – TEAM NOGUEIRA
Professional Record: 5-0-1
The first ever New York City resident to appear on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Nover was born and raised in Brooklyn. Training at Universal Defense Systems with Ralph Mitchell, Nover is as diverse as the city he lives in, as he is of Polish and Filipino descent. The 24-year-old attended Kingsborough Community College and currently worked at Coney Island Hospital as a registered nurse in the ER. Nover acknowledges his professional life is quite the dichotomy – healing by day but fighting by night. He began training in martial arts at age nine and attended Leon Goldstein High School in Brooklyn. Nover currently holds a rank of brown belt under his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Teacher Alexandre “Soca” Freitas and fights out of Team Insight.
Road To The Finals:
Episode 8: defeated Dave Kaplan via rear naked choke in Round 1
Episode 11: defeated George Roop via kimura submission in Round 1
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Vinny Magalhaes – TEAM MIR
Professional Record: 2-2, 1 No Contest
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Magalhaes is the second competitor on the eight seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter” from Brazil (Jorge Gurgel – Season 3). The 24-year-old is currently training with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. A three-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion (’02, ’05, ’07), Magalhaes has spent the last ten years perfecting his jiu-jitsu skills, while also taking time to master the English, Spanish and Portuguese languages. Prior to coming to the states in 2005, Magalhaes was studying for a physical education degree in Brazil, but has since changed his career path and now trains full-time in order to become a UFC champion.
Road To The Finals:
Episode 7: defeated Jules Bruchez by submission via armbar in Round 1
Episode 12: defeated Krzysztof Soszynski by submission via armbar in Round 1
Ryan Bader – TEAM NOGUEIRA
Professional Record: 7-0
The budding 24-year-old mixed martial arts star was a two-time state wrestling champion at McQueen High School in Reno, NV and was ranked third in the nation during his senior year. Bader continued his education at Arizona State University where he was a 2-time All-American and 3-time All-Pac-10 wrestler. A justice studies major with a minor in business at ASU, Bader was a roommate of “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ finalist, CB Dolloway. Bader, who has previously worked as a sales and marketing representative for a telecommunications company in Phoenix, trains with Arizona Combat Sports. Currently living in Chandler, AZ, Bader enjoys lake-related sports in his spare time.
Road To The Finals:
Episode 3: knocked out Tom Lawlor in the first round
Episode 11: won a unanimous decision over Eliot Marshall http://www.canoe.ca
Ultimate Fighting