UFC 133, held at the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia, USA, provided plenty of action for salivating fight fans.
The card’s main event saw the Tito Ortiz comeback train derailed, as the ‘Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ fell victim to a second round TKO at the hands of Rashad Evans in a light-heavyweight match-up.
After a successful takedown in the first stanza, it was all downhill for the 36-year-old Ortiz. The quicker Evans scored with numerous punches against the cage.
Though most of them were blocked, they served to weaken Ortiz’s spirit. A powerful slam and some ground-and-pound left Ortiz hurt and winded at the round’s conclusion.
A noticeably more conservative Ortiz, in a last-ditch attempt at victory, snared a guillotine choke in the second round. When this failed, Evans assumed a top position.
A knee to the sternum and some more ground-and-pound later, and the referee stopped the bout near the round’s end.
What’s next for Evans? A title shot against the winner of Jon Jones vs. ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
What’s next for Ortiz? With his comeback all but over, perhaps a swansong fight is in order so he can go out on a win.
The co-main event featured a man on a mission, as Vitor Belfort sought to erase the memory of his knockout loss to current middleweight champ Anderson Silva earlier this year.
He made significant progress by unleashing his patented blitz on Yoshiro Akiyama. The fight was over at just 1min 52secs, as a series of vicious rights and lefts left Akiyama face down and unconscious on the octagon floor.
What’s next for Belfort? His eyes are set on the winner of Silva – Okami, but maybe a tune-up fight is a better option.
What’s next for Akiyama? Three straight losses often results in dismissal by the Zuffa executives. If that doesn’t happen, then Akiyama will desperately need a victory in his next fight to stay in the UFC.
Other fights on the main card:
Welterweight: With his chest hair shaved into the shape of an arrow, Brian Ebersole finished erstwhile Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis Hallman in the first round.
Middleweight: Matt Serra teammate Constantinos Philippou scored a split decision over veteran Jorge Rivera.
Welterweight: Rising Canadian prospect Rory MacDonald stopped veteran Mike Pyle in the first round, earning himself a comparison to fellow Canuck Georges St. Pierre.
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