The UFC heads to Brazil for the first time in 2018 for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 125 fight card. In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida meets Eryk Anders in a middleweight contest. In the co-main event, former two-time UFC flyweight title challenger, John Dodson faces Pedro Munhoz.
Here are a handful of fights you should check out to get ready for the fight card.
Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans – UFC 98 – May 23, 2009
Lyoto Machida might be on a 1-4 run as a middleweight, but there was a time when he was one of the most feared fighters in the light heavyweight division.
Rashad Evans entered UFC 98 as the UFC light heavyweight champion. He was 13-0-1. Machida was 14-0 when he walked to the octagon to face Evans in May 2009. He had never lost a round in his UFC career. The fight was the first time two undefeated fighters had met in a UFC title bout.
After a somewhat slow first round, Machida found an opening with 90 seconds left in the second stanza. He buckled Evans’ knees with a left hand and then swarmed looking for the finish. Evans did his best to get to his feet and fight back, but he was fighting on instinct. The end came at the 3:57 mark of the second round. Lyoto Machida was the UFC light heavyweight champion.
Machida defended the title at UFC 104, but he lost the belt shortly after that when Mauricio Rua knocked him out at UFC 113.
Eryk Anders vs. Rafael Natal – UFC on FOX 25 – June 22, 2017
Eryk Anders has only fought twice in the UFC. Despite his limited resume, the former University of Alabama linebacker is already headlining a UFC card. That might have something to do with the fact that he has finished seven of the 10 fighters he’s faced as a professional. The seventh finish of his career came in his UFC debut.
Natal made his 17th UFC appearance against Anders. It didn’t go well, nor did it last long.
Anders showed some heavy hands on his way to a first-round TKO win over his veteran opponent. A huge left hand turned out Natal’s lights at 2:54 of the first stanza.
ROLL TIDE!
Eryk Anders, on short notice, just put himself on the map with a big KO over Rafael Natal! https://t.co/TkzFqCzgVf
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 22, 2017
John Dodson vs. T.J. Dillashaw – The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale – December 3, 2011
John Dodson and T.J. Dillashaw met in the final of the bantamweight competition of season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter. Dodson earned his way to the final with two knockouts in three fights. Dillashaw got there with a decision, a submission and a knockout.
Dillashaw had a noticeable height and reach advantage over Dodson, but Dodson more than made up for that with his speed and power.
The end came abruptly. Dodson stunned Dillashaw with a counter that caught him behind the ear. He followed that with a left hook that dropped Dillashaw to the mat and referee Herb Dean came in to wave off the fight at 1:54 of Round 1.
Pedro Munhoz vs. Russell Doane – UFC Fight Night 90 – July 7, 2016
Pedro Munhoz was coming off a year-long USADA suspension and a split decision loss to Jimmie Rivera when he met Russell Doane. Munhoz sported a 1-2-0-1 UFC record leading into the Doane matchup. The black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu needed a win in a bad way.
Doane was very aggressive at the start of the fight. He landed with several heavy kicks to the body. He then started mixing things up, landing knees, punches and kicks. Munhoz looked like he was in trouble, but with 1:45 expired from the clock, Munhoz landed a takedown and the tide quickly turned.
Doane worked to his feet, but Munhoz stayed tight to his back. He then locked on a guillotine choke and forced Doane to tap.
Munhoz earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for the submission. Since that win, Munhoz has remained unbeaten in three fights. Two of those victories came by way of guillotine choke. They both earned fight-night bonuses.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Julianna Pena – UFC on FOX 23 – January 28, 2017
The fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Julianna Pena was billed as a striker vs. grappler matchup. On paper that made sense, Shevchenko was a Muay Thai world champion before she joined the UFC, while Pena was best known for her aggression and submission skills.
Heading into the bout, the winner knew they were most likely going to emerge as the No. 1 contender in the women’s bantamweight division.
Shevchenko spent the majority of the first round using a heavy top game to keep her opponent on her back. Her positioning prevented Lima from using her ground game.
In the second round, the two fighters spent a good deal of time against the cage. For most of that time, Pena kept Shevchenko’s back to the cage. A Pena takedown put Shevchenko on her back with two minutes left in the round. As Pena looked to land strikes, Shevchenko kept her in full guard. With a minute left in the round, Shevchenko missed a shot at an armbar. Twenty seconds later she found that armbar and forced Pena to tap with 31 seconds left in the round.
Shevchenko went on to take champion Amanda Nunes five rounds in her next fight. She dropped a split decision in that fight.
Shevchenko makes her UFC flyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 125.
Michel Prazeres vs. Joshua Burkman – UFC Fight Night 106 – March 11, 2017
Heading into UFC Fight Night 106, Michel Prazeres didn’t have a submission win on his UFC record. The black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu was 5-2 with the promotion. Each of those fights had gone the distance.
He ended that streak of decisions with a “Performance of the Night” submission win over Joshua Burkman.
Prazeres came out fast and pushed Burkman to the cage with his striking. Burkman went after a desperation takedown, but Prazeres avoided the takedown and just kept throwing strikes. Things eventually slowed down with about a minute gone in the round. Prazeres then took side control and transitioned into a north-south choke that brought a quick tap from Burkman. The stoppage, which came at 1:42 of the first round, earned Prazeres a “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Thiago Santos vs. Steve Bosse – UFC Fight Night 70 – June 27, 2015
Thiago Santos threw a total of four strikes during his middleweight contest against Steve Bosse. He landed three of those strikes. The third and final strike was a brutal high kick. Santos’ shin landed flush to the side of Bosse’s head and left him laid out on the mat, completely stiff and unconscious.
The impact of the kick sounded like a board snapping in half. Bosse required help to get to his stool as a very concerned Santos looked on.
The fight lasted 29 seconds and earned Santos a “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Anthony Smith vs. Hector Lombard – UFC Fight Night 116 – September 16, 2017
It took Anthony Smith some time to get going in his UFC Fight Night 116 middleweight bout against Hector Lombard, but once he did, he took over the fight.
In the opening round, Lombard dropped Smith and used effective leg kicks to earn himself the first round.
It was more of the same for most of the second, but when Smith staggered Lombard near the end of the second round, he seemed to come alive. He finished the period by shouting at Lombard, “You know my name yet?” and “I deserve your respect.”
When the third round began, Smith continued to trash talk Lombard as the two exchanged strikes a big right hand ended the fight at 2:33 of the third round. The win gave Smith his third straight win and should send him into UFC Fight Night 125 with a lot of confidence.
