Vitor Belfort’s career ended after he got cracked by Lyoto Machida at UFC 224 last weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – his UFC run ended with Belfort on his back, and his shield on the floor.

Here is the footage of Lyoto Machida's second-round knockout victory over Vitor Belfort. pic.twitter.com/AXaFOmzpqq

— NISSI ICASIANO (@Nissi_Icasiano) May 13, 2018

A similar kick from Machida at UFC 129 also ended Randy Couture’s run in the UFC and earned ‘The Dragon’ the Sherdog 2011 Knockout of the Year.

Now that Vitor Belfort’s officially left his gloves inside the Octagon and, we hope for his sake, stepped inside the cage as a competitor for the final time, how will we remember ‘The Phenom?’

"Everything in life has a beginning, middle and end…"

Vitor Belfort calls time on a legendary career 👏 #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/rdKV1FrVUF

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) May 13, 2018

Will Vitor be remembered as a legend, a champion, a knockout artist, a hero, or a cheat? One thing is for sure – he never quit. Even stripped of his Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), he pushed through and fought until the end. He even entered his fight with Lyoto Machida sporting a significant knee injury.

With the intention to be as honest as I can be with my fans and specially with my opponent, I will go straight to the point. The injured that happened with me during the training camp somehow made the news. My team nor I had mentioned before, during or after the fight. Winning or losing, fighting injured or not; it is part of an athlete’s life. I’m not the first one nor will be the last one athlete to fight injured. Even though all the limitations imposed to me because of the injured I suffered. It is my decision to step into the octagon or not. And I decided to do it! I did not want to miss the chance to have my last fight at the UFC; in my country, my hometown and with a such respected opponent. I gave my best on the fight and my opponent was the better man that night. And this is what counts! Nothing that happened with me during the training camp takes anything away from his victory. Of course wasn’t the outcome I wished for. Not because of the defeat, because we can’t control the outcome. What bothers me is knowing that I performed bellow of what I know that I can. I literally grew up in the cage, I was wrought to be a fighter, to leave it all in the cage… and this teachings I brought to all the aspects of my life. Dedicated every minute, every second doing the best you can in whatever you’re committed to. To the ones genuinely concerned with me, I will tell you this: I feel like an injured Lion. To the haters and envious, I will tell you this: I might be injured, BUT I’M STILL A LION! See you all very soon…

A post shared by Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (@vitorbelfort) on May 17, 2018 at 1:11pm PDT

Vitor Belfort is all of the things mentioned above  and people will surely flip-flop back and forth between the positives and negatives depending on the topic of conversation but here are FIVE things that made Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort’s career stand out:

TRT Vitor’s 2013 Knockouts of Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold, and Michael Bisping

Vitor Belfort on testosterone was a treat to watch. Vitor was frightening.

At UFC on FX 7 (that’s not a typo, it was on FX!) Vitor began his 2013 by permanently disfiguring Michael Bisping with a head kick and a mad barrage of punches to the downed ‘Count.’

Bisping later underwent a myriad of surgeries for a detached retina – but he never recovered. Still to this day he has problems with his eye.

“We all know the dangers of this sport. I mean, we’re trying to knock each other out. I’ve been left permanently disfigured, if you will, from my fight with Vitor Belfort. Vitor Belfort head kicked me and that’s what caused my detached retina. Since then, I’ve had five surgeries, and my eye is never going to look the same again,” Bisping said on the Three Amigos podcast #24.

https://www.instagram.com/p/fJWZ61yteM/?hl=en&taken-by=mikebisping

Steroids didn’t help Barry Bonds hurt anybody – but steroids/TRT no doubt played a part in Vitor Belfort injuring Bisping; Testosterone replacement therapy prolonged Vitor Belfort’s prime fighting years to a significant degree.

Belfort went on to deliver a Knockout of the Year performance that spoiled former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold’s UFC debut in May at UFC on FX 8.

Testosterone had nothing to do with that flawless spinning heel kick technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF1HR6ykC0Q

Belfort would finish 2013 with another scalp on his resume – Dan Henderson’s old mug.

Vitor had previously lost to Henderson at PRIDE 32: The Real Deal by unanimous decision, but in their second encounter at UFC Fight Night 32 nothing was going to stop Belfort from getting a knockout.

https://gfycat.com/delightfulillguppy

May 18, 2013, was the last time Vitor Belfort was allowed to compete while receiving a TRT exemption, as testosterone was banned by the NSAC and other governing bodies followed suit in February 2014.

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Vitor Belfort Nearly Finishes Jon Jones via Armbar at UFC 152

Joe Rogan almost talked it into existence – almost.

Vitor Belfort earned a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 152 after Lyoto Machida turned down his own title shot due to lack of training time.

Early on in the first round, Belfort found himself on his back and it looked like he might be in trouble – as Jones wasn’t fatigued yet and it looked like he was getting in position to land some serious ground and pound.

“Now one thing we’ve never seen from Vitor Belfort is submissions from his back, he can defend himself – I’m sure he has submissions… OH! ARMBAR! He’s got it! HE HAS GOT IT! He might break that arm Mike!” Joe Rogan said at the announcing table as Vitor Belfort nearly pulled off the impossible.

https://giphy.com/gifs/mma-jones-jon-ixaiMFzZNEuti

Cageside Press reader Trevor Bender wrote:

“He (Vitor) was tough as nails. My mom bought the PPV for my birthday and we stayed in and watched it together. First fight I had to look away from because I didn’t think he was gonna tap when Belfort had his arm/shoulder.”

Jon Jones would go on to win the fight via submission in the fourth round after he caught Vitor in an Americana – but Jones’ arm was never the same, as he suffered a strained ligament in his right elbow.

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Vitor Blitzes Wanderlei Silva at UFC Brazil

In 1998, we had young stud Vitor, who was about as clean as Jose Conseco in his heyday – and he was arguably scarier than the TRT Vitor we had in 2013.

At UFC Brazil in his light heavyweight debut, Belfort would meet Wanderlei Silva.

‘The Axe Murder’ hadn’t come into his own and wasn’t yet the Pride legend that would instill fear in everybody – even the heavyweights. In a way though, the thought of a fresh Wanderlei Silva that hadn’t taken a career’s worth of damage is a scary thought and ‘stud’ Belfort was able to defeat him in just 44 seconds.

https://giphy.com/gifs/ufc-gHtAxQxc0tMe4

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UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Victory vs. Randy Couture at UFC 46

In their first encounter back in 1997 at UFC 15, Randy Couture knocked out Belfort in 8:16 of the first round in a match to determine who would compete for the UFC Championship next.

Belfort would get his revenge when he defeated Couture via Doctor’s stoppage after ‘The Natural’ suffered cut near his eye just 49 seconds into the fight.

The full fight video is available here.

This fight though is more notable because of what Vitor went through in the lead-up to his first Championship win.

On January 9, 2004, Vitor’s sister, Priscila Belfort, disappeared without a trace. It wasn’t until years later that a woman named Elaine Paiva confessed to her kidnapping and killing – but Belfort’s family has never accepted this version of events, still to this day, even though arrests have been made in connection to her case.

Exactly 43 years ago a princess was born. Her name was already pronounced sweet. PRISCILA VIEIRA BELFORT was born. Pri, wherever you are I really want this message to come to you. I hope in God’s Eternity of all creation. You can have access to LOVE messages. In fact, our father had already said that love is greater than everything. And it is with this love that I come to congratulate you on your birthday. I promise that somehow I will celebrate this day as if you were by my side. Pri, my kids always ask you! They want to know every detail of your life. @davibelfort @vitoriabelfortoficial and @kyarabelfort it is logical that you could not forget your great friend @joanapradob who turned out to be your confidant … rsrs Well … we love you very, very much. And Pri just spoke to Mom and she promised that on this big day she will celebrate her birthday without staying at home. She told me she’s going out and walking with a friend … Daddy you know what it’s like? LOL It’s still the same … That day especially we all wanted to be able to hug you and kiss you. I forgot to say; Dad returned to live in BH with our family. He is being very well taken care of there. All cousins ​​and aunts love you very much and say that they miss you a lot. All our cousins ​​have already become parents with beautiful children! You can not imagine every beautiful nephew we have !! Well I write this letter directly from Montreal in Canada, on January 14th I will do my last fight on @ufc. Pri, they have been fighting for 21 years and I confess that I can not wait to follow up on my second journey. In which all who participate will be winners. I and @joanapradob created @belfortfitnesslifestyle a new model of gyms and next year we started opening for franchises. We are very happy with the result. We have a huge list of interested people and our students have become a great family. I’m sure you would love our students, each with a wonderful story. Pri, right now I had to wipe away many tears from my face when I wrote this letter but I know that every tear is translated by God. Because only He understands that language. I Love you, my sister.

A post shared by Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (@vitorbelfort) on Dec 5, 2017 at 8:28am PST

Being able to compete under those circumstances is certainly heroic.

Belfort’s title reign would be short-lived as Randy Couture would win the rubber match later that year to reclaim the Light Heavyweight Championship.

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Vitor Belfort vs. Dan Henderson III

Vitor Belfort is best known for his knockout power – but how would he fare after the use of TRT was no longer allowed? How would ‘Dad Bod’ Vitor Belfort fare against elite competition in the Octagon? Would he even be able to play the role of gatekeeper in his depleted state?

https://giphy.com/gifs/ufc-mma-ufc-212-xUPGcy3G1Aq7FCez3G

A TKO loss to UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman in May 2015 seemed to indicate that Belfort could no longer compete with the best of the best – but what about Dan Henderson, could he still beat Dan? The two had split a pair of fights and the rubber match was set for UFC Fight Night 77 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Belfort once again finished Henderson with kicks and punches for the TKO victory.

Vitor Belfort defeats Dan Henderson via first round TKO!!! #UFCFightNight77 #UFCSaoPaulo pic.twitter.com/R4PEmBp1Ca

— Major Sports Talk (@MjrSportsTalk) November 8, 2015

Even though ‘Dad bod’ Vitor would go on to be knocked out four times in his next five appearances, ultimately resulting in his retirement at UFC 224 last week – he got one last highlight against Dan Henderson in 2015.

The post Vitor Belfort: Looking Back at the Brazilian’s Storied Career appeared first on Cageside Press.

Oliynyk isn’t just good at submissions, he’s otherworldly. The Russian (of Ukrainian heritage), at 40, remains the only fighter in UFC history to earn a submission victory via Ezekiel choke. On Saturday at UFC 224, he became the only fighter in the UFC to have done it twice.

In that sense, he’s literally in a class all his own. And in a career spanning all the way back to 1997, he’s pulled the choke off over ten times. At UFC 224, the victim was Junior Albini — and despite being bloodied, Oliynyk came out on top, improving his record to 53–11–1. It also brings his focus back to MMA, after the Parkland School shooting earlier this year. Oliynyk’s daughter attended the school, though luckily was safe after the incident.

The submission wizard was awarded one of the Performance of the Night bonuses for his efforts. The other went to Lyoto Machida, who sent Vitor Belfort sailing into retirement with a front kick to the face, knocking the former champion out cold.

Both men will be $50,000 richer thanks to their bonus winning efforts. As will Kelvin Gastelum and Jacare Souza, who fought in a thrilling back-and-forth war in the night’s co-main event. Though both had chances to finish the fight went the distance, with the judges ultimately awarding Gastelum a split decision win.

JACARE IS RALLYING IN ROUND TWO! #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/BYhYvrKeUS

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

The post UFC 224 Bonuses Awarded to Gastelum and Jacare, Lyoto Machida, and the Boa Constrictor appeared first on Cageside Press.

The main event of UFC 224 featured Brazil’s Amanda Nunes in her home country, defending her championship against number one contender Raquel Pennington. The fight had a curious subplot to it. Nunes and Pennington are friends, who had to put that aside for the fight. They’re both openly gay, and dating fellow UFC stars. They’d gone as far as to go on double dates together. It’s something the UFC mostly glossed over, outside of its usual promotional endeavors.

When the friends went to war, Amanda Nunes landed a big leg kick that dropped Raquel. She continued throwing and landing big shots, and a number of big leg kicks. Nunes soon had Pennington up against the fence and was unloading with more heavy strikes. The champ essentially did what she wanted in round one. While Pennington scored with a few strikes of her own, she was heavily out-landed and hit with some hard shots.

Round two started out with Pennington’s leg looking horrible. She looked for a takedown but couldn’t land it; Nunes however landed a leg kick that made Pennington’s leg buckle. Nunes kept Pennington on the fence and continued landing shots and having her way with the title challenger. Pennington again shot for a takedown, and once again was stuffed. That left her back on the cage. Nunes was firing off a multitude of different strikes, including throwing a spinning back kick to Pennington’s body. Pennington then got a leg and finally took Nunes down. Before long, ‘Rocky’ had her back. She finished the round on top, but there was no end in sight.

Round three saw Amanda Nunes still applying pressure, but ‘Rocky’ was landing more frequently than the first two frames. Pennington then closed the distance and Nunes picked her up and slammed her down for her first takedown of the fight. They get back to their feet, and Raquel Pennington shot for a leg — no dice. The two traded for a bit and Rocky shot for a takedown again only to eat some knees in the process. The round ended with Pennington eating another big knee.

Nunes and Pennington traded to open the fourth. The two both were displaying surprisingly good cardio considering what stage of the fight they were in at that point. Plenty of gas left in the tank it seemed. Nunes completed a takedown and wound up in full guard, but Pennington successfully regained her feet. Nunes then maneuvered Pennington to the fence and began brutalizing her with knees and hard shots. It became a beating, but Pennington survived the round. ‘Rocky’ then went back to her corner and told her coach that she was done, only for her coach to convince her to keep going.

A lot will be made of that exchange between corner and fighter between rounds in the coming days. Pennington was already beat up, but what happened in the fifth round made it worse. In a display that was borderline disgusting and hard to laucnh, Raquel Pennington marched out to the slaughter. Soon enough, she found herself taking shots against the fence again. Blow after blow. Nunes slammed Pennington down again, and looked for ground and pound. There was plenty to be had. Nunes took the back and began landing bombs while Pennington tried vainly to cover up. The challenger was bloodied and battered. It was a fifth round that, given her mindset after the fourth, probably didn’t need to happen.

Mercifully, the ref waved it off. Amanda Nunes retained the title via fifth round TKO, and embraced her friend afterward, as well as Pennington’s fiance, Tecia Torres. The champ said they’ll go out for a beer, but first, Pennington will likely need medical attention. Of note: the finish pushed Amanda Nunes past Ronda Rousey’s record for finishes in the UFC bantamweight division. Nunes now has seven.

Amanda Nunes def. Raquel Pennington by TKO, Round 5, 2:36

The post UFC 224 Results: Amanda Nunes Tenderizes Raquel Pennington, Finishes Her in Fifth appeared first on Cageside Press.

At UFC 224 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday, Vitor Belfort expected to head off into retirement. It’s safe to say, however, that he probably didn’t expect to head on down that dusty trail while unconscious. Lyoto Machida had other plans at UFC 224, however. And is often the case, the MMA Gods were cruel. A man known later in his career for head kick knockouts was himself knocked out by a kick to the head.

This time, it was a front face kick landed by Machida, shades of his bout with Randy Couture in Toronto all those years ago. That fight sent Couture into retirement, minus a tooth. It was also reminiscent of Anderson Silva’s finish of Belfort several years back. Only this time, Steven Segal likely won’t take credit (we hope).

In any case, Machida’s finish of Belfort was stunning. Earth shaking. Not at all what Belfort had hoped for — but perhaps this will convince the former light heavyweight champion, who first fought in the UFC at just 19 years old, that retirement is indeed the correct decision.

How did Belfort’s fellow pros react to the finish? Lets take a look!

One last time for @VitorBelfort. #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/fmf12qTa16

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/alex_scaffidi/status/995491988060364800

The Phenom
The Legend@VitorBelfort
👏👏 pic.twitter.com/P3ZtC2imFr

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) May 13, 2018

It's crazy to think Belfort/Machida has never happened before, but man, how amazing is it that we get to witness this now. 👏🏻👏🏻 #UFC224

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) May 13, 2018

Vitor reppin' Tristar, with Firas in his corner. Got to support my homies here, but don't know how confident I am. #UFC224

— The Mane Event™ (@EliasTheodorou) May 13, 2018

The Phenom. Much respect. @vitorbelfort pic.twitter.com/F7SmMlgu5Y

— Chase Sherman (@ChaseShermanUFC) May 13, 2018

I have @lyotomachidafw winning this first round. @vitorbelfort standing up in the corner seems to be in shape. @ufc

— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) May 13, 2018

FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!

— Chase Sherman (@ChaseShermanUFC) May 13, 2018

Take a bow @LyotoMachidaFW #UFC224 #Respect pic.twitter.com/tJgbU45FXb

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) May 13, 2018

Oh my god!!!!! 😱😱 @lyotomachidafw way to keep the cool after the fight. Love that. @ufc

— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) May 13, 2018

Twice. Jesus. #UFC224

— Jessy Jess (@missjessyjess) May 13, 2018

Omg Machida!!! #ufc224

— Jared Gordon (@JFlashGordonMMA) May 13, 2018

Oh. My. Gosh!!! I legit just got goosebumps 😱😱😱 #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/i19AgxXvIP

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) May 13, 2018

I truly can’t see Vitor go out like that again. I hope he finds some peace in his legendary career and finally hangs em up. #Legend #UFC224

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) May 13, 2018

Damn… #karatekid just finished it. #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/nYEwuHmzet

— The Mane Event™ (@EliasTheodorou) May 13, 2018

So, over/under on how many months until Vitor is in Bellator? 🤔🤔🤔 #ufc224

— The Mane Event™ (@EliasTheodorou) May 13, 2018

Whattt!! #UFC224 @lyotomachidafw

— Cortney Casey (@CastIron_Casey) May 13, 2018

Respect 👍🏼💪🏼👊🏼

— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) May 13, 2018

I LOVE MACHIDA 🙏🏻 #karate @lyotomachidafw @ufc #UFC224

— Alex Chambers (@alexchambersmma) May 13, 2018

That was a nasty finish by Machida! Whew #UFC224

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) May 13, 2018

#UFC224 pic.twitter.com/8YFoqgX8wA

— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) May 13, 2018

Damn. That's the second time Vitor has been knocked out that way 😬@ufc

— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) May 13, 2018

So glad to see Machida back to his winning ways but damn, it's so so sad to see Belfort go out like that. Thank you for an amazing career 👏🏻👏🏻 #ThePhenom #UFC224

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) May 13, 2018

What a career @vitorbelfort

Much respect to you and everything you have accomplished in the @ufc

— Chase Sherman (@ChaseShermanUFC) May 13, 2018

Machida just hit a KO as gangster as the one he hit against Bader. #OneShotOneKill And for Belfort who has had a rollercoaster ride in this sport, one thing can’t be denied, he is a pioneer and a legend.

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) May 13, 2018

@vitorbelfort thank you for your contribution to the MMA . What you have done for MMA is amazing.

— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) May 13, 2018

2 legends. Such a beautiful kick by @lyotomachidafw

— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) May 13, 2018

I can’t either. But I want him to get back on the gear, get those traps back up to the back of his ears then go to RIZIN. 🤷🏻‍♂️

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) May 13, 2018

Thank you for all of the great fights @vitorbelfort #ufc224

— Jessica Penne (@JessicaPenne) May 13, 2018

What’s front kick!!! The 🐉 is back @lyotomachidafw

— Jimmie Rivera (@JimmieRivera135) May 13, 2018

The post UFC 224: Pros React to Lyoto Machida’s Earth Shattering Head Kick Finish of Vitor Belfort appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a fight that had gotten much more attention because Mackenzie Dern missed weight by a stunning seven pounds, jiu-jitsu ace Mackenzie Dern faced Amanda Cooper at UFC 224. It was always a scrap that looked like it should be a good fight. The weigh-in drama then led to a very motivated Cooper, who seemed to be looking for some revenge on Dern. And let’s be honest, missing weight by seven pounds is not acceptable.

What happened in the end, however? Pretty much what everyone expected from the get-go. Mackezie Dern and Amanda Bobby Cooper started on the feet, trading punches. Cooper was landing the better combos, but Dern was looking for giant shots. And then just like that — a giant shot connected by Dern, and Cooper was in trouble! Dern moved to full mount and deftly took the back! In went the rear-naked choke, and Dern earned the win!

Make what you will of her weigh-in on Friday, but on Saturday night Mackenzie Dern put her skills on display. Of course, she’ll have to turn over 30% of her purse (10% via the commission, 20% via the UFC) to Cooper, but she still got the win.

Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Bobby Cooper by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:27

The post UFC 224 Results: Mackenzie Dern Submits Amanda Cooper appeared first on Cageside Press.

John Lineker and Brian Kelleher were expected to throw down  at UFC 224 in what promised to be a can’t miss fight. And to be clear, one man didn’t miss, adding to a fantastic night of finishes for the much criticized PPV card.

The action started out as most MMA bouts do: Brian Kelleher opened the fight looking for leg kicks as John Lineker moved in, landed a punch, and showed his power. Both tried to bring pressure and move in on the other, looking to land leg kicks. Lineker moved in and ripped to the body, Kelleher answered with a big left hook. Lineker continued to move in and landed another big punch on Kelleher, and he was down! Kelleher worked from his guard, whether he  was off balance or actually hurt was unclear, but he got hit with some big shots. Brian Kelleher managed to get to his feet, however, and landed a spinning backfist. Nice strong opening minutes for Lineker, but Kelleher landed some nice shots too.

Lineker opened the second round like he ended the first, continuing with pressure and working the body and then going high. Lineker was getting Kelleher up to the fence and landing heavy hands! Kelleher survived, but he was not giving Lineher much back. Body shots were starting to take their toll as Lineker was getting after him like a madman. Round two was Lineker fighting like madman and basically doing what he wanted against Kelleher.

In the third, a bit of grappling. Lineker opened up and looked for a guillotine; Kelleher got out and looked for one of his own before being reversed and taken off the cage. Lineker just kept landing with brutal body shots. Lineker’s pace had slowed a bit in the third, but he continued landing hard shots, especially to the body. The came the finish: Lineker landed a giant left hook and Kelleher was hurt! Another giant left and Kelleher was out.

Once again, John Lineker’s heavy hands had sealed the deal.

John Lineker def. Brian Kelleher by knockout, Round 3, 3:43

The post UFC 224 Results: John Lineker Defeats Brian Kelleher Via Giant Left appeared first on Cageside Press.

Vitor Belfort had his swansong tonight at UFC 224 against fellow Brazilian Lyoto Machida. Yet it certainly wasn’t the ending the UFC legend envisioned. The fight started very tentative for both fighters, as both were trying to make reads on the other. Lyoto looked to work the body and land kicks as he moved forward on Vitor. Lyoto would land more kicks as Vitor rushed in. Vitor rushed in again and tried to land big shots on Lyoto, but Machida got out of there quickly.  The round ended as Lyoto threw a kick that was caught by Vitor, who then landed a quick right hand.

The second round began with Lyoto Machida continuing to keep Vitor Belfort on the outside and land kicks. Lyoto was giving a bunch of different reads and looks to keep Vitor on his toes. Lyoto then looked for a kick — and kicked Vitor right in the face! It’= was all over, Vitor was out cold! A front face kick finish! Lyoto stood over Vitor’s body and bowed. Not the ending Vitor wanted or deserved, but another highlight for ‘The Dragon.’

https://twitter.com/alex_scaffidi/status/995491988060364800

The Dragon! Another spectacular KO from @LyotoMachidaFW at #UFC224! pic.twitter.com/SWYGY64dyc

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) May 13, 2018

After the bout, Belfort assured friends and family that he was okay, and left his gloves in the cage.

Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort by knockout, Round 2, 1:00

The post UFC 224 Results: Lyoto Machida Ends Vitor Belfort’s Night, and Career, With Face Kick appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tonight the UFC returns to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil tonight as Amanda Nunes defends her UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship against Raquel Pennington at UFC 224. Main Card Coverage will begin at 10 p.m. EST – Join us at CagesidePress.com for real-time highlights and live thoughts as the card progresses.

Middleweight Division: #12 Vitor Belfort (23-8) vs. #9 Lyoto Machida (26-13, 1)

Vitor Belfort defeated Nate Marquardt by decision at UFC 210, but prior to that, he hadn’t won a fight since he bested Dan Henderson twice between 2013 and 2015. Belfort was knocked out three times in a row by Kelvin Gastelum, Gegard Mousasi, and Ronaldo Souza in an eleven-month period – that’s a lot of Damage in a short span.

Lyoto Machida’s returned from his mandatory two-year USADA vacation recently and in February, narrowly squeaked by Eryk Anders via Split Decision – and ‘The Dragon’ really didn’t look that great. That’s not to say he couldn’t beat a 41-year-old beaten and battered Vitor Belfort, but the Machida of old wouldn’t take any damage in this fight.

If Machida was ten years younger and Vitor Belfort was on TRT this would be a barn burner.

Which one of these former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions will return to form in Brazil and which man will move closer to their inevitable retirement?

Round 1: Already at the halfway mark of round one and Machida has landed 2 kicks, but no real action other than that.

Vitor follows up with a few combinations of his own after he trapped Machida against the cage late in the round. Slow round 1.

Gillette’s Score: 10-9 Machida.

Vitor’s corner is calling for the clinch in between rounds. Firas is the man in Belfort’s corner.

A promo for UFC 225, Whittaker vs. Romero airs between rounds.

Round 2:

At the 1:00 mark Lyoto Machida catches Vitor Belfort with nearly the same kick that Anderson Silva caught him with back at UFC 126 in 2011. He used a slightly different approach and angle, but the point of impact was nearly identical.

Bruh Vitor should not have been in that cage tonight! #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/iqvCVtxtG6

— John (@GGn1fgqUJ) May 13, 2018

THE DRAGON ROARS AGAIN! 🐲 @LyotoMachidaFW #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/ILXkb9DYvo

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

I’d like to say that’s the last we’ve seen of Belfort inside the octagon after a career of accumulated damage – but you don’t exactly know with Belfort if he ever means it when he says he’s hanging up the gloves.

Vitor begins his post-fight interview by congratulating Lyoto Machida and then says life is about a beginning, middle, and end, — and he thinks this is the end.

Belfort does end up leaving his gloves in the cage and continues to thank his friends, family, Tri-Star Gym – and reiterates that now it’s time for him to take care of the Belfort Family.

What a kick!

From all of the UFC and all of our fans, thank you @VitorBelfort for a lifetime of memories. #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/vbpdnbOYMF

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

From all of the UFC and all of our fans, thank you @vitorbelfort for a lifetime of memories. #UFC224

Winner: Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort by knockout, Round 2, 1:00

Bantamweight Division: #6 John Lineker (30-8) vs. Brian Kelleher (19-8)

I can’t tell you much about Brian Kelleher, but he’s 31 years old and beat former UFC Bantamweight King Renan Barao back in February. The only blemish in Kelleher’s UFC career to date is a submission loss to Marlon Vera, but he’ll face a difficult test as 27-year-old John Lineker is no cake walk.

Lineker actually beat Marlon Vera at UFC Fight Night 119 in October via unanimous decision, so a win here for Kelleher would go a long way here – but the Vegas odds say Lineker is the favorite here at (-250) compared to Kellher’s (+240).

Round 1: Lineker circles around the outside and connects with a few hooks, while maintaining his range and he starts working Kelleher’s legs with kicks.

Lineker eats a shot from Kelleher, but keeps right on trucking.

HANDS OF STONE! @JohnLineker #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/LYmkOSBtNF

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

Kelleher gets dropped by a stiff shot from Lineker just past the two minute mark, but Lineker jumps into guard and Kelleher is able to get back to his feet after a minute.

Lineker repeatedly cracks Kelleher and keeps him wobbled for good measure. There’s still a minute left in the first frame.

Kelleher loads up but misses a spinning kick and Lineker makes him pay with a flurry against the cage. Lineker isn’t neglecting the body in this one.

Gillette’s Score: 10-9 Lineker. Close to a 10-8, but not quite.

Prior to this fight, Lineker boasted a 10:1 knockdown Ratio –that became more impressive after round 1.

Round 2: Lineker’s octagon control is one of the most impressive parts of his game. More of the same from John in the first 2 minutes of this one, but Kelleher’s not out of this fight yet. He’ll occasionally land a few of his own, even though he’s eating many of powerful shots than he’s landing.

Kelleher winces from body shots at the halfway mark of round 2.

Even when Kelleher connects, Lineker walks through the shots and lands harder hooks of his own – to both the body and head.

Gillette’s Score: 10-9 Lineker

Round 3: John Lineker goes for a guillotine, which causes Kelleher to attempt one of his own, both attempts prove unsuccessful and both men reset.

Kelleher’s wearing damage well – but he’s a lot slower than he ewas in the first round, all the while Lineker’s still throwing bombs.

Lineker finds an opening and lands a series of hooks to Kelleher’s jaw and Kelleher sprints away, but Lineker’s right on his heels. He can’t escape. Now he’s trapped against the cage and eating shots before he finally escapes.

Lineker chases him down again and this time Kelleher can’t get away. BANG. Lineker lands a hook against as Kelleher’s eyes roll into the back of his head and he falls to the mat like a rock – straight back. Tiiiiiimber!

ALL HE KNOWS IS POWER SHOTS❗️@JohnLineker #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/QEQRdzelgu

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

Winner: John ‘Hands of Stone’ Lineker via Knockout at 3:43 of Round 3.

Lineker dedicates this victory to a coach of his that passed away during his post-fight interview with Jon Anik. Lineker calls out Dana White and Sean Shelby and says he wants to fight for a title.

Women’s Catchweight Bout: Mackenzie Dern (6-0) vs. Amanda Cooper (3-3)

This fight was supposed to be contested at 115 pounds, but Mackenzie Dern missed weight by 7.4 pounds in a very unprofessional move. It’s not all that uncommon to miss weight, but 7.4 pounds!? She didn’t even try

Mackenzie Dern’s last bout against Ashley Yoder was an ugly fight – it actually got more attention from a Joey Diaz tweet than anything that occurred inside the octagon:

Mackenzie Derns asshole is going to smell tremendous after the fight

— Joey CoCo Diaz (@madflavor) March 4, 2018

Thankfully Amanda Cooper accepted the fight, and because of that she’ll receive 20% of Dern’s fight purse, with the Brazilian Commission receiving another 10%.

Cooper predicted Dern would have an issue with weight heading into UFC 224, and Dern’s made it no secret that she plans to take time off after this fight.

You can’t really cheer for anybody but Amanda Cooper in this contest.

Round 1:

Slow action early on as Dern looks for strikes that aren’t quite connecting.

Mackenzie Dern caught Cooper with an overhand right and drops her in the opening moments of the fight! Dern jumps into mount and then takes Cooper’s back. Dern sinks in the choke and the fight is over!

Dern showing improvements with her striking #ufc224 pic.twitter.com/Ak1KUiyo0P

— Caged Minds Combat Sports News (@CagedMinds_CSN) May 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/RealSeanSingle/status/995506039289270272

Winner: Mackenzie Dern at 2:27 of Round 1.

Dern’s said that she’s going to take a little break from fighting after she fought 4 times in seven months – but added she’ll keep training while she’s away from the octagon.

Middleweight Division: #2 Jacare Souza (25-5, 1) vs. #5 Kelvin Gastelum (14-3, 1)

Ronaldo Jacare Souza returned to form by knocking out Derek Brunson in January after getting humbled by the current UFC Middleweight Champ ‘Bobby Knuckles’ back at UFC on Fox 24.

Souza will turn 39 in December.

Kelvin Gastelum has perpetually been at a disadvantage at 185 pounds – but that’s his fault, as he repeatedly missed weight at welterweight and got himself kicked out of the division.

Kelvin ‘Johny Hendricks’ Gastelum lucked into a win over former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 122 in November after losing to another former UFC Middleweight Champion in Chris Weidman last July.

It’s not that Gastelum couldn’t have beaten Bisping – the win was tainted though because Bisping had just been finished by a returning George St-Pierre just a short while before.

How will Gastelum fare against the former Strikeforce Champion Ronaldo Jacare Souza in Brazil? Can he defeat the #2 ranked Middleweight, or will he need to start dieting and go back down to 170?

Round 1:

Jacare goes for a leg lock and quickly realizes he can’t get it and transitions into a sweep and ends up in side control after a brief struggle.

Jacare gets Gastelum in an armbar and wrenches it a few times before losing it just before the end of the round.

Gillette’s score: 10-9 Jacare Souza.

Round 2:

Gastelum drops Jacare with a right and left hook combo midway through the round! Souza’s in all kind of trouble here.

OH! @KelvinGastelum drops Jacare in the 2nd at #UFC224! pic.twitter.com/uBbp2RnfWW

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) May 13, 2018

Souza takes some time to get to his feet once Gastelum decides to stand.

Jacare eventually recovers enough to land a few uppercuts of his own, but Gastelum clearly took the second frame of the fight.

Gillette’s score: 10-9 Gastelum.

Round 3:

Jacare is back in control as he stalks Gastelum and works him back toward the cage. He’s landing singular strikes, but landing.

Gastelum is slowing down, but still occasionally landing shots to the body. Oddly enough, it seems that Jacare is the fresher man – even though he half falls over when he throws hooks at this point in the third.

Jacare is tired, but still throwing. Gastelum’s not throwing as much, even though he’s moving around more. Gastelum finally lands a combination of his own.

Jacare shoots for a takedown in the last 30 seconds and he eventually gets it, but Gastelum just scoots to his feet.

Close fight, but I think Jacare gets the nod here in a close one.

Gillette’s Score: 10-9 Jacare, 29-28 Souza.

Let’s see what the official judges have to say.

Winner: Kelvin Gastelum via Split Decision – Well, it was definitely a close one!

That was a good war. Gastelum says he thinks he should fight the winner of Whittaker-Romero. Jacare was #2, makes sense.

— Heidi Fang (@HeidiFang) May 13, 2018

Main Event

(Champion) Amanda Nunes (15-4) vs. #2 Raquel Pennington (9-5)

Remember Amanda Nunes’ historic performance against a returning Ronda Rousey back at UFC 207? Here it is if you need a reminder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB4Cd7W80mw

Those hands are dangerous, and the belief is Amanda Nunes could do that to anybody inside the first 2 rounds of any fight – but if it gets into the later rounds her gas tank is always in question.

Can Raquel Pennington defeat Amanda Nunes after a lengthy lay-off? After all, she hasn’t competed since the UFC first ventured into New York at UFC 205 – the same night Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez to become a two-division UFC Champion. That was way back in November, 2016.

To quote Jason Payne, “UFC 224 sees the first meeting of an openly gay champion against an also openly gay title challenger — yet is has been getting little to no promotion. After nearly two years since their purchase of the UFC, it’s safe to say that WME doesn’t know what they’re doing, and it’s time to start acting like it.

UFC 224: Nunes vs Pennington arrives this weekend with little to no buzz. It isn’t exactly the best card, but it’s the card they made, and the promotion should at least do the bare minimum. It’s another example of the company’s inability to promote things that aren’t pretty, white, or blonde. And if they’re already assuming that UFC 224 will perform poorly, why put Mackenzie Dern behind a paywall on an under-performing main card? The smarter move would be to put her on the FS1 prelims where she would have a bigger audience.”

Well, Jason’s not wrong.

This is the first time two openly gay fighters have fought for a UFC Championship and the WWE has put more effort into making Finn Balor an LGBTQ star than the UFC has put promotional effort total into Amanda Nunes – and he’s not even gay!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhFFje1Hj1k/?hl=en&taken-by=finnbalor

Round 1:

Amanda Nunes kept Raquel Pennington hostage against the cage with brutal leg kicks, fast punch combinations, and body kicks.

The champ is in rare form tonight.@Amanda_Leoa #UFC224 pic.twitter.com/mrkFZ5Zpdp

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2018

Pennington has absolutely no answer to Amanda Nunes and this will be a 50-45 fight if she keeps it up through five rounds.

Gillette’s Score: 10-9 Nunes.

Round 2:

Pennington is complaining to her corner about something Nunes is doing in between rounds – I didn’t quite catch it, but either way it seems like she’s out of her element on the big stage.

Throughout the first three minutes, it was more of the same as Nunes kept Pennington against the cage with strikes. Pennington was a little bit more mobile this round, but still isn’t having much success.

Pennington attempts a takedown but ends up eating strong knees in the clinch.

Pennington actually ends up getting Nunes’ back against the cage and drags her down. Pennington lands some shots on the ground, but she allows Nunes back to her feet in the final seconds of the round.

The round was a lot closer, but Nunes probably won that frame.

Gillette’s Score: 10-9 Nunes.

Round 3:

Pennington’s corner is pleased with her takedown in that last round.

Pennington finds herself against the cage again about a minute in, but this time she fires a combination of punches at Nunes and retreats. Pennington’s leg is still really red.

Amanda Nunes lands a powerful takedown of her own, and now she’s in side control — now half guard, and working her way towards full mount.

Back to full guard now.

Pennington isn’t eating many shots off of her back. Referee Marc Goddard issues two warnings before eventually standing the ladies back up.

The exchanges are much more even now, even though Nunes is still getting the better of them.

Deep breaths from Raquel Pennington to end the round – both fighters are slowing down heading into the championship rounds.

Gillette’s score: 10-9 Nunes.

Round 4:

Nunes lands an outside trip just after the 2-minute mark, and now she’s in full guard again – let’s see if she can do something with the position this time instead of being stood up.

The women end up back on their feet and Nunes pushes Penning up against the cage and engages in the Thai clinch – BIG knees from Nunes.

Raquel Pennington tells her coach she is done between rounds but her coach is telling her to power through this and ‘believe.’ Ok, Greg Jackson 2.

Her nose looks to be broken.

She’s heading back out there for round 5.

Gillette’s score: 10-9 Nunes.

Round 5:

Her nose is all kinds of busted up – and Jimmy Smith said she’s already absorbed 128 strikes.

Now the blood’s really flowing. Pennington is going to get hurt badly in this round if Nunes keeps landing on the feet. Mercifully, Nunes lands a takedown and lands less powerful shots from full guard.

Nunes starts landing some powerful ground and pound shots now and it’s about to be done.

Pennington’s nose is leaking like a fire hydrant – and she’s just turtling up at this point – now it’s over.

#NunesPennington. Spoiler! #AmandaNunes #RaquelPennington pic.twitter.com/fhFZdsOfR5

— ♌️Carole Baskin Robbins♌️ (@Mobilemoll) May 13, 2018

Her corner should have called it, and should be dragged through the mud this coming week – even though Pennington will likely defend them.

Winner: Amanda Nunes via TKO at 2:36 of Round 5.

Nunes has also passed Ronda Rousey for most finishes in women's UFC history with seven. #UFC224

— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) May 13, 2018

The post UFC 224 PPV: Ongoing Coverage and Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.

Former Ultimate Fighter competitor Cezar Ferreira and former Tuesday Night Contender Series competitor Karl Roberson both made the trip to Rio de Janerio, Brazil for UFC 224 on Saturday. Part of the featured preliminary fight on the televised prelims, they closed out the preliminary card, in what was expected to be a close, competitive fight.

Once the action got underway, Roberson took center, and the two exchanged kicks. Ferreira shot for the double, but Roberson popped up right back to his feet. Ferreira shot again and took him down; Ferreira got in side control, moved to half guard, then made his way to full guard next. Roberson worked his way to the fence, and got back to his feet for a moment, only to be taken back down. Cezar Ferreira from there worked to full mount, and started throwing rights. With his opponent under pressure, Ferreira then moved to an arm triangle for the sub, and the win!

The submission represented the seventh finish in eight preliminary fights at UFC 224 on Saturday, an impressive finishing rate in the early going.

Cezar Ferreira def. Karl Roberson by Submission  (Arm triangle choke), Round 1, 4:45

The post UFC 224 Results: Cezar Ferreira Scores Submission Win Over Karl Roberson appeared first on Cageside Press.

The third fight of the televised preliminary card of UFC 224, which took place in Rio, Brazil Saturday, saw the meeting of Oleksiy Oliynyk and Brazil’s own Júnior Albini in a three round affair. As always, any contest in the Heavyweight division has a strong likelihood of a finish. Yet in this case, it was the ground game, not the knockout power of the big men, that was tantalizing here. Would these two put on a jujitsu clinic? Or just go for the KO after all? Would we see the end of the third round?!

No. In a quick finish, Oliynyk got cut early on after a quick clinch on the fence. From there, ‘The Boa Constrictor’ was looking to land an overhead punch as Albini attempted to counter with the left. Oliynyk was bloodied, but far from out. Albini didn’t have much time to fire off more counter strikes, as Oliynyk got the clinch. He then pulled guard, and locked in the Ezekiel choke from the bottom for the finish. Again!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? Another ezekiel choke win for @OleynikUFC at #UFC224! pic.twitter.com/rcmExGaxRC

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) May 13, 2018

It might be time to consider renaming the Ezekiel choke to the Oliynyk choke.

Oleksiy Oliynyk def. Júnior Albini  by Submission (Ezekiel choke), Round 1, 1:45

The post UFC 224 Results: Oleksiy Oliynyk Scores Another Submission Via Ezekiel Choke, This Time Against Júnior Albini appeared first on Cageside Press.