HeavyMMA brings you live coverage of tonight’s UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes pay-per-view event, which takes place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tune in right here for live blogs for the main card fights, including the co-main event between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson and the main event, a featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and unbeaten challenger Chad Mendes. Then stick around at HeavyMMA after the fights for coverage of tonight’s bonus winners, recaps of the preliminary card fights and all the news that comes out of the post-fight press conference in Rio.
Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
Round 1: Etim looks for a takedown, but it’s short-lived. Etim works some jabs, and then easily checks a Barboza leg kick – which is where Barboza has proven to be the most dangerous early in his UFC career. Etim shoots and gets the takedown, but Barboza easily sweeps and rolls Etim over, and they both bounce back to the feet. Outside leg kick from Barboza, then one to the inside. Barboza misses with a big right, then throws that outside leg kick again. Inside leg kick connects from Barboza. Etim checks another kick. Etim lands a hook, but Barboza counters with a pair of them. High kick from Barboza is blocked, and Etim shoots again, but is stuffed. He eats a knee on the way out. Etim throws a high kick, but it’s not there. Two more inside leg kicks from Barboza, and he then throws a combination that backs Etim up. Spinning back kick from Barboza hits Etim in the midsection. It’s not a blowout, but it’s a 10-9 first round for the Brazilian, Edson Barboza, thanks to those leg kicks.
Round 2: Two more leg kicks from Barboza. They appear to be doing damage to Etim, slowly but surely. Barboza goes to the body with a right, then comes right back with an outside leg kick. He misses with a high kick, then stuffs an Etim takedown and lands a knee. Etim lands a nice kick to the body. Etim starts to look a little more active and pops some jabs out there, but again he eats a kick to the outside leg. 1-2 to the body from Barboza, but Etim follows with a nice combo to the body and a kick, as well. Barboza goes back to that outside left leg of Etim. But Etim follows with a nice spinning back kick. He then lands a right hand. He shoots for a double and pushes forward to get it along the cage. But Barboza scrambles and in short order is back on his feet. Gorgeous body shot from Barboza is followed with a nice right to the head, then another leg kick. He’s dominating the standup game in his home city of Rio. It’s a 10-9 second round for Barboza on the HeavyMMA card, and he’s up 20-18 going to the last.
Round 3: We’ll see if Etim comes out looking for the kill shot, because Barboza should be up two rounds on the scorecards. Nice crane kick from Etim, but it just misses. They dance around and Barboza throws a few body kicks. And then … BAM. It’s all over. A massive spinning wheel kick from Barboza drills Etim right in the right in the jaw, directly on the heel, and Etim is done. Completely out like a light. And I mean COMPLETELY … OUT. It will go down, without a doubt, as one of the best knockouts in the history of the sport.
Result: Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim, knockout, 2:02 Round 3
Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater
Round 1: They look at each other, feel each other out, and then Silva moves in with a knee. It lands. It’s good. Silva moves in quickly and starts landing hammer fists. Prater grabs a leg and holds on, but Silva lands over and over and it’s shut down quickly. It looks a lot like Silva’s first UFC win, also in his home country. But Mario Yamasaki is changing things. Yamasaki is saying the blows Silva was landing were to the back of the head, and he has disqualified Silva. Prater is the winner by disqualification. “I was telling him, don’t hit the back of the head,” Yamasaki told Joe Rogan. “I have to decide right here, right now. He hit some in the back of the head. I have to decide right there and then. There’s nothing I can do.” “I have great respect for the referee, and I don’t see any that hit the back of the head,” Silva tells Rogan. “I apologize if I didn’t present myself correctly, but I’m going to leave here with the feeling of victory.”
Result: Carlo Prater def. Erick Silva, disqualification, 0:29 Round 1
Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio
Round 1: Palhares catches Massenzio early with a shot to the mommy-daddy parts, and Massenzio gets 30 seconds to recover. Palhares misses with a kick, then lands a nice inside leg kick and follows it with a takedown of the taller Massenzio. Once they stand, Palhares goes for his bread and butter. He goes for a leg takedown, pulls guard, grabs Massenzio’s right leg, and just like that, it’s done. Massenzio is forced to tap almost immediately. And very quickly, doctors are in to start icing Massenzio thanks to another submission victory for Palhares. It’s the sixth heel hook victory in Palhares’ career. “What can I say? It’s my specialty, and if I can do it well, I can do it,” Palhares said.
Rousimar Palhares def. Mike Massenzio, submission (heel hook), 1:03 Round 1
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson
Round 1: Johnson works a couple early kicks, then lands one to the body. He catches Belfort quickly and in a scramble he easily takes Belfort to the ground. Belfort falls back into guard and looks briefly for an omoplata that isn’t there. Johnson pulls back, but then dives back in and lands some good shots on the ground. But after a brief stall, they are stood up. Belfort misses a right and a left, and Johnson shoots in for a single. Belfort stuffs it as the crowd chants, “Ole, ole, ole, ole! Vitor, Vitor!” After a stall on the fence, they are again broken up. Belfort lands a nice knee as they split, but Johnson survives the short barrage and gets the fight back to the ground and is on top looking for ground and pound. After about 20 seconds, again Dan Miragliotta stands them up. Johnson comes out aggressively after the split. But Belfort stays composed. He lands some good shots on the ground with Johnson staying on his knees. Belfort takes Johnson’s back. He gets a hook in. Johnson suddenly looks hurt or at least completely gassed. Belfort tries to flatten Johnson out as he covers up. He gets an arm under teh chin and is going for a rear naked choke. And he gets it. Johnson taps. “I cut 25 pounds in four days, and I have to be professional,” Belfort said. “I’m focused on my goals. I know what I want. I cannot control the outcome, but I can control my attitude toward the outcome.”
Result: Vitor Belfort def. Anthony Johnson, submission (rear naked choke), 4:49 Round 1
José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes
Round 1: Here we go. They touch gloves, and we’re off. Mendes kicks inside early to create some distance. Then an outside leg kick from Mendes. But Aldo returns with one of his own, much stronger than Mendes’. Mendes shoots for a double, but it’s not there. Mendes is on the outside, moving around to avoid any hands Aldo might throw. Aldo lands another nice leg kick. Mendes tries to counter with an uppercut, but it’s not there. Aldo then lands a big uppercut, and Mendes moves in for a single in defense – but again can’t take the champion down. Aldo misses another big leg kick, then misses an uppercut of his own. Mendes spins him around looking for a takedown, and again it’s not there. Mendes peppers a jab out there, then lands a good leg kick. Left, then right from Mendes is blocked. He ducks under an Aldo cross, goes for a single and nearly gets it. But Aldo is right back up. Mendes takes his back, though, and looks for a slam takedown. Aldo may have grabbed the fence and gotten away with it to defend, and Mario Yamasaki warns him. Mendes looks for knees in the clinch. They break … and Aldo lands a left knee to Mendes’ head. It drops him. He’s out. He lands a couple shots on the ground and Yamasaki stops it. Aldo sprints out of the cage and runs into the crowd. They’re swarming on him – the Brazilian fans are swarming him and trying to mob their hero. It’s actually a little bit of mayhem going on right now. The security staff is trying to get Aldo back into the cage, and he wants to hug everyone. But finally they get the champion back in. The end came, amazingly, with just one second left in the first round. It will be one of the great title fight finishes in years. “I want to thank the crowd, all my friends,” Aldo said. “This is the spirit … I can only be so happy to be fighting at home, and this is why we do this. I knew he was going to try to go for my legs, and I knew I had to try to throw that knee – and thankfully I put it in the right spot. I can only thank my team. I’m nobody without my team. Gray Maynard left everything back in the U.S. to come and help me.”
Result: Jose Aldo def. Chad Mendes, knockout, 4:59 Round 1