UFC 198: Stipe Miocic KOs Fabricio Werdum in the first round

UFC 198 takes place Saturday night from Curitiba, Brazil. It is the fourth stadium event in UFC history and is expected to draw over 45,000 fans live. The event is headlined by a UFC heavyweight title bout between champion Fabricio Werdum and challenger Stipe Miocic. The co-main event pits former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort against former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and the loaded card also includes fights involving Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Demian Maia, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and the debuting Cris “Cyborg” Justino.

In early preliminary action, Renato Moicano picked up a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over Zubaira Tukhugov and Luan Chagas fought Sergio Moraes to a split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28) in a pair of underwhelming bouts.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Patrick Cummins

Nogueira, the twin brother of all time legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, has been one of the top light heavyweights in the world for basically the entirety of his career. Now 39, he has lost four of his last six and needs wins to stay relevant in his division. Cummins comes from a wrestling background and was thrown into the fire in his UFC debut, taking on Daniel Cormier on short notice in the co-main event of UFC 170. Since then he has won four of six and done well against all but the elite of the division.

Round 1. The fight begins slowly, with the two fighters feeling each other out. Cummins looks to close distance and clinch but Nogueira pushes him off. Cummins throws some kicks from different angles while Nogueira doesn’t throw much at all. Nogueira lands a few hooks to the jaw that appear to stun Cummins a little and Nogueira wades in more aggressively with additional shows. Cummins is forced to clinch and recovers his senses from there. Nogueira hurts Cummins badly with a right hook and Nogueira moves in looking to finish Cummins. Cummins’ knees buckle from a hard shot and he goes down after another. Nogueira lands additional shots looking to finish. Cummins is able to return to his feet but Nogueira is plastering him and the referee steps in to stop the fight.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, TKO, round 1.

We’ve seen in recent fights that Cummins really struggles when he gets hit. It’s not that he lacks the mentality to fight through; it’s that he is easily rocked and vulnerable to his opponent’s offense. This is a big setback for Cummins in a fight he was a 2 to 1 favorite in. For Nogueira, he’s at the stage of his career where he’s just looking for compelling fights against big names. He celebrates in the cage with his brother after the fight.

John Lineker vs. Rob Font

Lineker was one of the hardest hitting fighters in the flyweight division but he was eventually forced to move up to bantamweight when he kept failing to make weight. He was impressive in his UFC bantamweight debut, submitting Francisco Rivera in the first round. His opponent Font sports an impressive 12-1 record and won his first two UFC fights via knockout.

Round 1. Lineker looks like a much smaller man and Font attempts to take advantage of his length and reach advantage with jabs from the outside. Lineker moves in looking to land a power shot that will change the nature of the fight but he is getting outlanded as he walks in. Lineker is able to close distance in the latter stages of the round, catching Font with some big looping punches and backing Font up against the cage. They go to the ground with Lineker on top but Font then stands up. Lineker is getting the best of the exchanges as the round drags on. 10-9 Lineker.

Round 2. Lineker starts off the round with some hard leg kicks. Font continues to rely on his jab but it isn’t keeping Lineker at distance. Lineker moves in with a body punch and punch to the head. The fight settles into a pattern with Lineker getting past the jab and throwing heavy power punches as Font circles around the outside of the Octagon. Lineker is using the same general pattern of attacks, going low with kicks, attacking the body with punches and going to the head with looping power shots. 10-9 Lineker.

Round 3. After circling away for most of the first two rounds, Font moves forward to start the third and looks to establish his jab. He loses confidence in that approach relatively quickly and resumes circling away from Lineker. Lineker continues to mix in his shots low with the high ones. Font’s offense isn’t very diverse. Lineker appears to hurt Font a little with a lunging hook but Font is okay. Lineker swarms on Font and Font drops to his back. Lineker takes top position and lands a few punches from there. Eventually Font returns to his feet with 40 seconds left. Lineker lands some punches that send Font down and he follows with more punches on the ground as the fight comes to an end. 10-8 Lineker, 30-26 Lineker.

Winner: John Lineker, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-26).

Lineker was clearly the superior fighter, outclassing Font in all aspects of the game. It was another impressive performance for Lineker at 135 pounds, where he looks small but fights big. For Font, it was an extremely unimpressive evening, as he spent most of the fight moving away and couldn’t get anything going on offense. He was only a light underdog tonight but his stock is likely to plummet after this performance.

Yancy Medeiros vs. Francisco Trinaldo

Medeiros is an entertaining fighter to watch, aggressive standing and on the ground. His UFC career has been a mixed bag but he has won three of his last four. Trinaldo is 37 years old so the perception is he has limited upside, but he has been surging of late with five straight wins over a generally high level of opposition.

Round 1. Trinaldo clinches with Medeiros against the cage. Neither man is able to gain an advantage as they grapple for position for the first half of the round. Finally they break. Trinaldo lands a solid overhand left and looks for the takedown again but does not come close. Medeiros is using some wild techniques but they aren’t connecting. Trinaldo is much more basic but is landing what he throws. He hurt Medeiros with some big punches and looks to close the fight by the cage. Medeiros is able to survive but Trinaldo keeps pushing and hurts him again. He swarms for a second time and really has Medeiros in trouble when Medeiros is saved by the bell. 10-8 Trinaldo.

Round 2. Trinaldo is cautious early in the second, perhaps because of the heavy exertion in the first trying to finish the fight. However, his punches continue to land well while Medeiros’ striking defense is lacking. Trinaldo appears to hurt Medeiros with a couple of punches a little past the midpoint of the round. Medeiros lands a big right hand that drops Trinaldo and has him in huge trouble as the round comes to an end. That’s a tough round to score. Trinaldo did better most of the round but Medeiros rocked him badly at the end and Trinaldo was struggling to return to his corner. 10-9 Medeiros.

Round 3. Medeiros is the aggressor early in the third, throwing a lot of kicks and in particular a series of spinning kicks. Medeiros throws many more types of strikes but Trinaldo has been more effective with the techniques he uses. Trinaldo hurts Medeiros and moves in with hard punches by the cage, looking to end the fight. He lands some big punches and drops Medeiros. Medeiros is able to get back up but he stumbles down a little while later and Trinaldo lands some punches and elbows from the top. Medeiros stands back up but only barely as his legs are extremely wobbly and he has to go back down because he doesn’t have his feet under him. Medeiros recovers and gets back up again, this time with more sure footing. Trinaldo takes him back down. Medeiros seizes top position and lands a few shots as the fight comes to an end. Both men really gave it their all out there. 10-9 Trinaldo, 29-27 Trinaldo.

Winner: Francisco Trinaldo, unanimous decision (29-26, 30-27, 30-26).

That fight wasn’t always pretty, but both men deserve enormous credit for their perseverance through difficult circumstances. They were tired, they were rocked, and they just kept going. Both men improved their standing in that fight and Trinaldo may get a fairly major name next time out with his win streak and performances.

Nate Marquardt vs. Thiago Santos

Marquardt is a former Strikeforce and Pancrase champion who has had a storied career where he has fought many of the best fighters in the world. He appears largely spent as a fighter with five losses in last seven fights but brought himself some respite with a knockout win over C.B. Dollaway last time out. Santos is an Ultimate Fighter Brazil alumnus with three straight UFC wins.

Round 1. Santos is showing respect for Marquardt, fighting from distance and avoiding getting too close to Marquardt. Neither man is landing much in the early going. Santos drops Marquardt but Marquardt is able to recover and get back to his feet. Santos connects with a head kick, a few punches and Marquardt goes down.

Winner: Thiago Santos, TKO, round 1.

That went as expected. Marquardt has sadly looked like a fighter near retirement for quite a while now and he wasn’t able to deal with the younger, bigger opponent.

Matt Brown vs. Demian Maia

This is a great welterweight matchup. Maia is one of the best jiu jitsu practitioners in the world and is coming off a complete domination on the ground of another submission ace Gunnar Nelson. With four straight wins, Maia is looking to earn a title shot in a stacked division. Brown is a brawler, a gritty striker who hits really hard and has improved his overall game with time. It’s a clash of styles and a very important bout for both men.

Round 1. Brown has his hands low and is on the outside, trying to avoid a takedown. Maia tries for a takedown and has it stuffed. He shoots for another and this time gets Brown down. Brown tries to stand up by the cage as Maia looks to sink in his hooks and drag Brown down. Maia does get his hooks in, controlling Brown’s body with his legs. Brown is standing up while Maia hangs on his back. Maia pulls Brown down and that’s a bad situation for Brown. Maia has a body triangle and looks to sink in a rear naked choke. Brown is defending well but Maia keeps working to get in position for the choke. Maia looks to transition into an armbar but can’t get it. Brown takes the opportunity to get top position on the ground. 10-9 Maia.

Round 2. Maia shoots for a takedown again and gets Brown down thirty seconds in. He once again secures Brown’s back. Brown stands up again and we’re in the same position as in the first round. Maia appears to give up on the back mount but then uses a leg trip and sinks the hooks right back in. That was a very slick move and Maia has a body triangle on the ground again. Maia lands a few punches this time and continues to look for an opportunity to sink in a submission. Maia looks for the armbar again late but can’t get it. Brown’s doing a great job of surviving but he is getting dominated. 10-8 Maia.

Round 3. Maia tries for a takedown twice and doesn’t come close either time. He lands a punch and goes for another takedown but it is stuffed again. Maia shoots in again and eats a big punch. Maia lands on his back and eats a few big punches. Maia stands back up and goes for another takedown. This time he briefly ends up on bottom but pushes through and gets Brown down. After a couple minutes, Brown works his way back up to his feet. However, Maia drags him back down and again locks up that familiar body triangle. Maia has Brown controlled well and finally gets under Brown’s chin with 40 seconds left in the fight. Brown is forced to submit.

Winner: Demian Maia, submission, round 3.

Brown, who was repeatedly submitted early in his MMA career, really has come a long way. He hung in there in bad positions with Maia for a really long time but Maia finally caught him in the end. Maia has really been rolling of late and his ground game presents different obstacles for the other top fighters in the division. He ought to be in the discussion for a title shot in the near future.

Warlley Alves vs. Bryan Barberena

Alves is considered one of the top Brazilian prospects in the sport, winning the Ultimate Fighter Brazil and sporting a perfect 10-0 MMA record. He is just 25 years old and is 4-0 in the UFC. Barberena is a lightly regarded fighter who trains out of the MMA Lab with Benson Henderson. He became better known for his submission win in his last fight over the much hyped Sage Northcutt.

Round 1. Alves lands a body kick and applies a guillotine choke from the standing position. He pulls Barberena into his guard and goes for the finish. Barberena survives and Alves lets the guillotine go. Alves stands back up. Alves moves in with punches. Barberena answers with a low kick but Alves goes high with a kick of his own and clinches. Alves lands a couple of body punches. He is aggressively targeting that body. Alves continues to attack that body with punches and kicks. Barberena throws a few low kicks, one of which knocks Alves off balance. Barberena lands a solid knee to the head late in the round. 10-9 Alves.

Round 2. Alves moves in and lands a stiff right cross by the cage. Alves has slowed down a bit and Barberena is becoming more aggressive as the round progresses. Barberena moves in with some punches and presses Alves up against the cage. Alves moves out of the way. The fighters trade body kicks. Alves is backing up more as Barberena starts throwing more shots. They clinch and Alves lands a couple nice knees to the body. 10-9 Barberena.

Round 3. The fighters exchange jabs. Barberena gets knocked down from a punch, more because he’s off balance than anything. Barberena works back to his feet. Alves comes in with a flying knee that doesn’t connect fully. Barberena lands some elbows from close range. Barberena moves in with a few looping punches. Alves retaliates with a kick to the body. They’re fighting fairly evenly late in the round. Tough round to score. 10-9 Barberena, 29-28 Barberena.

Winner: Bryan Barberena, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

That was a really disappointing performance from Alves, who faded hard in relatively quick order against an opponent who won more just based on outworking a younger, more skilled adversary. For Barberena, it’s two consecutive major upsets, but both seemed to speak more about his opponents’ weaknesses than Barberena himself.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Corey Anderson

Rua is a legend of the sport, a champion in both Pride and UFC who has taken on and beaten many of the best fighters of all time. Anderson is one of the few rising fighters in an old light heavyweight division. He is 8-1 in MMA and this is an opportunity to score a showcase win that would move him into contender status.

Round 1. Rua keeps his hands high. Neither fighter is throwing much early, with Rua using a few low kicks. Rua lands a nice uppercut and a couple low kicks that follow. Anderson opens up with a few looping punches and then moves in with a knee attempt. It doesn’t land and Anderson goes for a takedown. He doesn’t get it. The fighters trade hooks, with neither man connecting with a fight changing shot. Anderson lands a nice low kick late and a few quality punches as well. Rua drops Anderson with a massive punch late and looks to finish on the ground. He’s hammering Anderson with punches but luckily for Anderson the round ends. That fight could easily have been stopped. 10-9 Rua.

Round 2. The fighters throw some wild looping punches from close range. Anderson presses forward with some punches but Rua blocks well. Anderson then goes for a takedown and gets it. Rua gets up in quick order. Rua lands an uppercut and looks for a guillotine choke but doesn’t come close and gives it up. Anderson gets another takedown but Rua gets up in no time flat before Anderson can do anything with it. Rua knocks Anderson down at the end of the round and lands a few punches before the round ends. Close round. 10-9 Anderson.

Round 3. Anderson goes in for a takedown. He gets Rua down a minute into the round. He lands a few punches but doesn’t do a lot of damage. Rua gets up with two minutes left in the round. Anderson goes for a takedown shortly thereafter and continues to work for it but it ends up in a long stalemate by the cage. 10-9 Anderson, 29-28 Anderson.

Winner: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

That wasn’t much of a fight. Anderson in particular played it cautious and it ended up biting him in the end. Rua has accomplished so much in the sport that there’s always interest for his fights regardless of whether he looks great or not.

Cris “Cyborg” Justino vs. Leslie Smith

Cyborg is arguably the most feared fighter in women’s MMA history. Undefeated in MMA since 2005, she has brutalized opponents with a series of first round knockout wins. Her fight with Gina Carano is one of the most important in women’s MMA history. However, she has not yet fought for the UFC because her preferred weight class is 145 pounds and UFC only wanted a 135 pound division with Ronda Rousey. This fight is a 140 pound catchweight, so perhaps Cyborg will make the move to bantamweight if this works. Smith is a rugged striker who doesn’t back down but is only 8-6-1 and is a massive underdog against Cyborg.

Round 1. Cyborg launches a big right hand early. The fighters exchange looping punches. Cyborg opens up with some hooks and drops Smith. She follows with heavy punches on the ground and the fight is stopped.

Winner: Cris “Cyborg” Justino, TKO, round 1.

Smith complains about the stoppage and she has a point. Cyborg landed some big shots but fighters are almost always given more of an opportunity to fight through it when in the position Smith was in. With that said, there’s nothing to suggest letting it go would have changed anything other than the amount of punishment Smith took. The big question is now what happens next with Cyborg. Will the UFC bring her in full time or will she continue to fight for Invicta?

Vitor Belfort vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza

Belfort’s career has been long and controversial, from when he burst onto the UFC scene with remarkable handspeed in 1997. This is his opportunity to move right back into title contention with a win over one of the best fighters in the division. Souza is an elite jiu jitsu artist who has turned into a dangerous striker as well. He is 8-1 in his last nine.

Round 1. Jacare moves in on Belfort. As Belfort goes for a knee, Jacare goes for a takedown. Neither man gets what they are looking for. Jacare clinches against the cage. He can’t get a takedown and gives it up. Jacare later goes for a low takedown and gets it. Belfort has half guard position up against the cage. Jacare lands a few elbows and cuts Belfort open badly. Jacare looks for an armbar but doesn’t quite get it and Belfort scrambles back up to his feet. Jacare gets another takedown and lands a series of punches from the top. Jacare takes mount position and lands some big elbows and punches. He is just landing at will from mount position and Belfort is forced to simply cover up. Finally the referee stops the fight.

Winner: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, TKO, round 1.

That was an impressive, one-sided performance from Jacare in the midst of what has been a tremendous career surge. There are some great potential fights available with both Jacare and Yoel Romero knocking on the door after the Luke Rockhold-Chris Weidman middleweight title fight in June.

UFC heavyweight title: Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic

Werdum’s ascent as an all time great heavyweight came unexpectedly. An elite submission fighter early on, Werdum has added devastating striker to become a complete fighter. His win list is as impressive as they come: Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overem and Travis Browne included. He captured the heavyweight title last time out against Velasquez. Miocic, 14-2, is younger and more athletic than Werdum. He relies on his boxing and has won three of his last four via TKO. With his striking and submissions, Werdum is the more dangerous fighter but Miocic is likely to do better as the fight moves on.

Round 1. Miocic lands a leg kick and Werdum quickly responds with a body kick. The fighters trade low kicks. Werdum lands a nice straight right hand to the chin. Werdum goes for a single leg takedown but doesn’t come close to getting it. Werdum aggressively attacks with some punches. He lands a couple but then gets countered and knocked out with a punch.

Winner: Stipe Miocic, KO, round 1.

Miocic is something of an unassuming champion. He’s not someone that has ever come across as a big time star but he kept winning and took the title here emphatically. It’s likely that fans will be a little slow to fully accept him as the best heavyweight in the world but he can prove himself by continuing to win. For Werdum, it’s a huge setback for his legacy. To lose the title in his first defense by not exercising sufficient caution is a tough pill to swallow.