Hey fight fans, welcome to Inside Fights’ exclusive coverage of UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, live from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In tonight’s main event, UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his strap against the undefeated Chad Mendes. In the co-main event, Vitor Belfort returns home to battle Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. With 12 Brazilian fighters on the car, this will surely be a homecoming for the fans in Rio.
Live results for UFC 142 begin at 8 PM EST, with the PPV beginning at 10 PM EST. We’ll also be live on the air with “Up Too Late” after the show ends, so tune in and share your thoughts with the crew of Inside Fights after the show.
Welterweight Bout
Mike Pyle (21-8-1) vs. Ricardo Funch (8-2)
Round 1– Pyle throws a combo but is blocked. Inside leg kick for Pyle. They come together and grapple and then break. Pyle is the one pushing the action here, Funch seems happy to sit back. Big straight by Pyle stuns Funch. Pyle moves in and nails Funch with a knee from the clinch. Funch goes down and Pyle swarms him and lands a series of punches to the grounded Funch before the fight is called off and awarded to Mike Pyle.
Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Funch via TKO, Round 1 (1:22)
Featherweight Bout
Yuri Alcantata (26-3) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (13-10-1)
Round 1– Big knee from Alcantata to start. Seemed like a slightly dirty shot. They come together and Alcantara lands a nice fist. Kick punch combo for Alcantara. Omigwa ducks in and lands a light punch. Spinning back fist from Omigawa misses. Combo attempt from Alcantara lands on the first shot. Two punch combo connects for Alcantara. Head kick goes wide for Alcantara. Body kick lands for Alcantara. Alcantara lands a straight left right on the jaw. Alcantara lands a spinning elbow that knocks Omigawa off balance. They grapple and Alcantara keeps on him, landing punches and eventually grabbing the back. Alcantara has him flattened out for a secnd but Omigawa stands out of it. Alcantara keeps landing punches but Omigawa reverses the action and ends up on top. He doesn’t do much from the dominant position but enough to keep it from being broken up. Alcantara keeps him in the guard. With 10 seconds left Alcantara grabs a brutal arm bar. It is a nasty looking one but Omigawa is saved by the bell. 10-9 Alcantara.
Round 2– Spinning back fist to the body for Alcantara. Alcantara boxes but cannot connect. Alcantara knocks him off balance with a clean hook. Alcantara goes right for the back but Omigawa is able to defend that well. Alcantara reverses and ends up on top. Omigawa starts to focus on the leg, Alcantara reverses it into full mount and then he once again takes Omigawa’s back. Alcantara is looking for the rear naked choke but has yet to find the opening. Alcantara starts to pound him with punches to the face and then he grabs a rear naked choke. It looks tight but Omigawa escapes without much trouble. Alcantara is on top. Omigawa is bleeding from the right ear. Alcantara tries to pass guard. Omigawa starts to focus on his ear injury. Elbow to the gut from Alcantara. Alcantara lands a few elbows to the head from top ontrol. He begins to ground and pound him right before the round ends. 10-9 Alcantara.
Round 3– Omigawa lands a hook to begin the final frame. Superman punch breaks through for Omigawa. Alcantara catches him with a jab coming in. Alcantara misses a homerun punch. Alcantara does look to be a little gassed. Jab for Alcantara. Knee to the body for Alcantara. Then he connects with a straight to the face. Jab for Alcantara. Big hook for Alcantara lands clean. Head kick for Alcantara is partially blocked. Two punches go right to the face of Omigawa. Omigawa gets his head and then lands a short elbow to the head. Omigawa gets him to the ground and is in a dominant position with 90 seconds to go. Right lands for Omigawa. He isn’t putting together much offense. Omigawa keeps trying to get the ground and pound but nothing that comes close to finishing Alcantara. The ref calls for a stand up. Alcantara lands a shot and gets a takedown but the round and fight end. 10-9 Omigawa in the closest round of the fight. It won’t be enough to win the fight though as we ave it scored 29-28 for Alcantara.
Yuri Alcantara def. Michihiro Omigawa via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Heavyweight Bout
Gabriel Gonzaga (12-6) vs. Ednaldo Oliveira (13-0-1)
Round 1– Gonzaga fake a big punch and then pulls it. Jab for Oliveira. Another jab. Crowd starts to gets antsy about 80 seconds or so. Both fighters are being VERY cautious here. Oliveira lands a right and tries to stalk him across the cage. Gonzaga grabs the single leg and then slams him right into side control. Oliveira stands up despite Gonzaga having over under control. Gonzaga slams him back to the mat. A punch from the ground for Gonzaga. Big knee to the body for Gonzaga. Gonzaga jumps over to the back and grabs a rear naked choke. It only takes a few seconds before Oliveria is forced to tap out. Gonzaga is victorious in his return to the UFC.
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Ednaldo Oliveira via Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1 (3:22)
Lightweight Bout
Sam Stout (17-6-1) vs. Thiago Tavares (16-4-1)
Round 1– They come together and grapple. Tavares gets the upperhand and takes Stout down. Stout is sitting up with his back against the cage. Tavares keeps working to get him down further but Stout escapes and starts wailing away. Hook for Tavares. 1-2 combo from Tavares. Tavares goes for the takedown but gets stuffed for a second but gets it with the second effort. Tavares lands a very clean shot to the jaw. Stout stands up but Tavares grabs him, picks him up and slams him down hard to the mat. Again Stout tries to wall walk to get out of the hold. Stout stands up but Tavares grabs an arm in guillotine but Stout gets out of it and scores a takedown of his own. Tavares goes for a rolling leg lock but cannot secure it. Stout comes forward with punches but can’t land any. Stout lands a shot to the face of Tavares. Left hook for Tavares semi-connects. Tavares goes for the take down, is stuffed but lands a hook jab combo on the break. 10-9 Tavares in a close-ish round.
Round 2– Goldberg continues to harp on the death of Shawn Tompkins. A combo lands for Stout. Lots of boxing but not much landing early on in the second. Tavares goes for the takedown but is stuffed again. Right connects for Tavares. Head kick for Tavares glances off Stout’s shoulder. Body shot for Stout. Right lands on the side of Stout’s head. Another right for Tavares. Tavares tries for an ankle pick but again is unsuccessful. Sharp body kick for Stout. Body shot for Stout finds a home. Head kick for Tavares bounces off the head of Stout and it opens up a small cut. Stout comes in with a body shot. Jab for Stout. Tavares is missing a lot of shots here in the second. Body kick for Stout. Combo for Stout where both connect. Another body shot for Stout. Leg kick for Tavares. The round ends and that one has to go to Stout 10-9.
Round 3– Big right for Tavares. Leg kick for Stout and then another inside leg kick lands on the cup for Tavres. A time out while he recovers from the low blow. Leg kick from Tavares after the break. They both miss huge shots. Stout with a three punch combo that doesn’t do much damage. Knee for Stout during a tie up. Leg kick for Tavares. Body shot for Stout. Tavares goes in for a takedown but Stout works hard to stave it off. Tavares switches up and tries for a single leg but he cannot get that one either. Leg kick for Tavares. Two big rights land for Stout. Two jabs connect for Stout. Stout keeps pushing the pace and seems to have Tavares on his heels. Big counter right for Tavares. Inside leg kick for Stout. Jab lands for Tavares. Two more jabs for Stout. Another soft inside leg kick for Stout. Big right by Stout lands and another with only a few seconds left. They come together and Stout hammers him with a nasty looking uppercut. The round and the fight ends. 10-9 Stout giving him a 29-28 victory on our scorecard.
Thiago Tavares def. Sam Stout via Unanimous Decision (No Scores given yet)
Lightweight Bout
Terry Etim (15-3) vs. Edson Barboza (9-0)
Round 1– Hook for Etim early on and then he goes for a takedown, bad idea. Head kick misses for Etim. Leg kick for Etim. Barboza tries to return fire but is checked. Another head kick attempted by Etim. Etim shoots and scores the takedown but Barboza sweeps his way out of it. Massive leg kick for Barboza. Weak jabs for Etim. Barboza misses a big shot. Inside leg kick for Barboza. Barboza is having trouble finding his way through Etim’s defense. Jab for Etim. Nice kick for Barboza. Etim tries for another takedown but Barboza makes him eat a knee for his trouble. Head kick for Etim kind of lands. Etim finds a little success with his boxing. The combatants exchange leg kicks. Another one for Barboza. Leg kick for Barboza. Etim tries another head kick but Barboza comes back with a huge body kick. The round ends. 10-9 Barboza in an ultra close round.
Round 2– Two big leg kicks for Barboza early on. He then goes for and lands a third. Etim is starting to show signs of wear from those leg kicks. Etim tries for another takedown but again has to eat a knee. Huge leg kick from Barboza. Inside leg kick for Etim but it doesn’t have much behind it. Jab for Etim countered with another leg kick. Another outside leg kick for Barboza. Inside leg kick for Barboza. Jab for Etim. Etim comes in and nails a body shot. Inside leg kick for Barboza. Spinning back kick for Etim is mostly blocked. Etim goes for the double leg takedown. HE runs him across the cage and gets him down but Barboza is able to stand right out of it. Inside leg kick for Etim. Jab for Etim. Two punch combo lands for Barboza. Outside leg kick for Barboza. The round ends and it is another one for the Brazilian. 10-9 Barboza.
Round 3– Leg kick for Barboza to start but Etim gets one of his own. Short jab for Etim lands nicely. Another jab for Etim but he has made very little headway against Barboza thus far. Inside leg kick for Barboza. Etim goes for another head kick but it is blocked. Then out of nowhere Barboza hits a spinning wheelkick and Etim falls backwards completely unconscious. The fight is stopped and Barboza has just scored one of the more amazing knockouts you will ever see.
Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim via KO, Round 3 (2:02)
Welterweight Bout
Erick Silva (13-1) vs. Carlo Prater (29-10-1)
Round 1– Silva throws a few punches which miss but he connects with knee to the gut that knocks Prater knock. At that moment Silva turns up the intensity and begins to relentlessly hammerfist the side of Prater’s head. It only takes a matter of seconds before Prater begins to lose consciousness. The ref calls the fight off and Silva is declared the winner.
However Mario Yamasaki has declared the fight a disqualification due to illegal strikes to the back of the head. Carlo Prater is declared the winner. Post fight Joe Rogan calls out Mario Yamasaki saying that all of the blows struck the side of the head and not the back of the head. During an in-cage interview Yamasaki defends himself by saying that he had to make a decision very quickly but refuses to say whether or not he stands by it after looking at the replay.
Carlo Prater def. Erick Silva via DQ (illegal Strikes to the back of the head), Round 1 (0:29)
Middleweight Bout
Mike Massenzio (13-5) vs. Rousimar Palhares (13-3)
Round 1– Big inside leg kick from Palhares to start the fight. Another one lands but it went a little low so time out is called. Palhares lunges forward with a punch. He then goes for a takedown but luckily for Massenzio he doesn’t get taken down. His luck runs out fairly quickly though as Palhares shoots and instantly pulls guard. In the process he beautifully grabs a heel hook and Massenzio has no choice but to tap out almost instantly.
Rousimar Palhares def. Mike Massenzio via Submission (Heel hook)- Round 1 (1:03)
Catchweight Bout (197 Pounds)
Vitor Belfort (20-9) vs. Anthony Johnson (10-3)
Round 1– Johnson comes out kicking. He then lands a front kick. Johnson gets Belfort down and gets in to his guard. Johnson stands up, Belfort misses an up kick and Johnson hops back into his guard. Johnson maintains control but the ref stands them up after a very short time on the ground. Belfort misses two big swinging shots. Johnson grabs a single leg takedown but Belfort defends it well. They tie up along the cage and get broken up again. Belfort comes out swinging and nails a few good shots that stun Johnson for a second or so. Belfort nails a perfectly timed knee but Johnson leans into him and gets another takedown. Johnson seems happy to use his weight advantage but everytime he tries to use it they get broken up. Johnson goes for a takedown but Belfort sprawls and starts to pound away on Johnson’s face. He grabs his back with a minute to go. Belfort starts to unload from behind on the face of Johnson. Johnson is trying to turtle his way out of it. Belfort grabs the rear naked choke and flattens Johnson out. Johnson goes out and Belfort wins the fight in front of a very enthusiastic home crowd.
Vitor Belfort def. Anthony Johnson via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)- Round 1 (4:45)
Featherweight Title Bout
Jose Aldo [c] (20-1) vs. Chad Mendes (11-0)
Round 1– Inside leg kick from Mendes to kick off this title fight. Another one that may have been checked. Big outside leg kick lands for Mendes. And again. They throw leg kicks at the same time and clash in the middle. Aldo comes back with a kick of his own. Mendes dives for the double leg but can’t pull it off. Big outside leg kick for Aldo knocks Mendes off balance. Aldo nails a huge uppercut to the body. Leg kick for Aldo. Mendes goes for a takedown, grabs a single leg but cannot complete it again. Jab for Mendes. Leg kick for Mendes. Inside leg kick for Mendes. Aldo goes for a kick, Mendes grabs it and takes Aldo’s back while they are both standing. Mendes goes for a takedown but Aldo saves himself by holding the cage. Mendes starts to go after Aldo’s legs with knee strikes. Aldo tries to defend with elbows. They break and Aldo hits a scary knee that lands flush. Mendes goes down cold. Aldo quickly pounces on him and clocks him while on the ground. The fight is over thanks to another spectacular knockout and Jose Aldo is still the featherweight champ.
Post fight Aldo charges into the crowd and causes a near riot in the stands as his fans swarm around him. This goes on for a few minutes with security trying desperately to provide protection for Aldo who is carried back to the cage on the back of his fans.
Jose Aldo def. Chad Mendes via KO- Round 1 (4:59)
Main card
UFC Featherweight Championship
José Aldo (c) vs. Chad Mendes
Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson (Catchweight 197 lb. bout)
Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio
Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater
Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
Preliminary card (FX)
Thiago Tavares vs. Sam Stout
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Ednaldo Oliveira
Yuri Alcantara vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Ricardo Funch vs. Mike Pyle
Facebook Preliminary
Felipe Arantes vs. Antonio Carvalho
