Machida slays Sugar Rashad…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Not every gut instinct is correct. In this case, I’m wayyyy off on what I thought would happen between Sugar Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 this weekend. I told you I was sucked into the Sugarman’s Kool-Aid, but Machida didn’t much care about that.
He did it on the ground with takedowns, and then a concussive left hook put Evans out late in round 2. I had no idea this was the first title bout in UFC history between two undefeated fighters. Just would have figured it had happened before in some way or another.
In reading their post-fight words, both said things that make you a fan of them. Machida was gracious in victory while Evans said it’s time to move forward and bounce back.
For Machida, gotta think a date with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is in the works. Thought Evans and Jackson were going to fight right around this time, and Rampage definitely is deserving of getting another big bout.
In the other main draw of the night, hey, I got one as Matt Hughes earned a close unanimous decision against Matt Serra. Scores were 29-28 across the board as Serra obviously won round 1 and had Hughes in real trouble after an accidental heabutt and then a not-so-accidental punch to the head. Hughes was wobbly and Serra tried to do what he could, but the veteran survived.
Rounds 2 and 3 belonged to Hughes with an effective takedown game. He didn’t necessarily dominate vs. Serra, but he got the job done to earn his 43rd victory.
Perhaps the biggest shock (to me) was Hughes is not going to call it a career now. And it sounds like he only wants to be in the UFC.
He’s hoping to get a crack at the winner of the HUGE Georges St. Pierre and Thiago Alves fight at UFC 100. Alves and GSP are the last two men to beat Hughes.
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Now that UFC 98 is done, one event closer to the mega, mega event that will be UFC 100. In the meantime, boxing returns Saturday on HBO with Andre Berto defending his welterweight championship against Juan Urango.
Urango is tough and durable and has improved greatly since his loss to Ricky Hatton (wow, that was nearly 2 1/2 years ago).
More on that and former Central Oklahoma product Jared Hess fights in the semifinals of Bellator this week, so hoping to grab words with him as well. A little late, but this Bellator KO is about as sick as it gets. This is from a couple of weeks ago.
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did you see how evans dropped to the ground!! it was funny