Welcome fights to our live coverage of UFC 163’s Pay Per View card. Thanks for sticking with us this far.
John Lineker vs. Jose Maria Tome
Round 1: Tome starts out moving, avoiding being a stationary target, and Lineker knocks him into the cage early. Inside leg kick from Tome and Lineker is caught below. Given some time to recuperate and back to the fight. Lineker with a big right and Tome goes down. Recovery and back to our feet. Tome is trying to get close, and close quickly, but Lineker is looking land a big shot. Spinning back fist and Lineker is rocked, Tome pours it on and knocked across the cage, eating some big time punishment. Tome lets him recover but Lineker is still a bit wobbly. Tome catches a leg kick and takes him down, lands in side control. Lineker back and grabs back, Tome runs to the cage. Lineker drags him down and Tome right back up, both against the cage. Tome lands downstairs again and we’re taking time again. Leon Roberts with the warning but no points being taken. Tome is trying stick and move but Lineker is timing him well; takedown from Tome fails and Lineker grabs a clinch, body locks and we’re against the cage. Tome gets back out and we’re back to the middle of the cage. Final seconds as Lineker drags him down, landing some strikes. Tome 10-9
Round 2: Kick from Lineker and Tome is hurt, his knee looks bad. Body shot from Lineker, Tome goes down. Lineker pounds him out and it’s over. John Lineker wins via TKO at 1:03 of the second round
Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson
Round 1: Watson came out to a Backstreet Boys song. Oddly enough it wasn’t the oddest walkout song by a UFC middleweight in 2013.
Leites comes in to a crouched Watson and lands a nice combination, gets into the clinch and up against the cage. Moves to the back and grabs backs mount, drags him to the ground. Watson rolls to his stomach and Leites is working, grabs both hooks. Watson is defending well but Leites grabs a rear naked choke. Can’t finish but Leites is a killer in this spot, especially now that he has trapped one of his arms with his leg. Some strikes to the face from back and Watson is in survival mode right now. Leites is landing some impressive strikes from back. Watson manages to get to down position but Leites flattens him out, looking for that choke. Leites back to his knees and Watson is up, eats a knee for his troubles. Round ends fairly even on their feet. 10-9 Leites … but I wouldn’t be shocked if at least one judge didn’t give him a 10-8 for his efforts.
Round 2: Leites comes out and lands a nice combination; he’s looking to punch his way inside and go for the clinch to set up the takedown. Leites with a duck under, drags him down and lands in side control. Takes mount easy with a beautiful transition. Watson scrambles into half guard but Leites is peppering him with strikes. He’s looking to set up a rear naked choke or a head arm triangle; Watson stands up but Leites drags him down to the ground. Leites grabs back mount, looking for that choke again. Watson stands up and tries to buck Leites, Leites rolls to an armbar and Watson stacks him. Watson stands up but can’t power him up. Leites doesn’t quite have it and Watson escapes, gets Leites to stand. Leites is looking really crisp with his standup. Watson has more gas but Leites is tentative right now. He doesn’t want Leites close right now but Leites grabs the clinch and we’re back against the cage. Leites with some nice knees to the body; bad double leg and we’re back to the clinch as the round ends. Watson with a nice uppercut to the body and Leites takes him down as the round ends. 10-9 Leites, 20-18
Round 3: Leites gets the body lock quickly and we’re grappling against the cage. Watson is bleeding pretty badly right now as the two grapple against the cage. Leites wants the fight here right now, to grind the rest of the fight out. Leites in deep on a double but Watson defending it well. Not much as Leites is looking for the takedown and Watson is defending it well. He grabs back and laces a leg, Watson defends a trip well. Leites has nothing left or he’d have gotten it. Watson gets away and we’re striking, Leites with a great level change and double leg takedown. He grabs mount halfway through the round and starts peppering him with strikes. Watson to his stomach and stand up, Leites drags him back down. Watson’s eye looks kind of gross right now. Leites grabs full back mount with less than two minutes and is grinding him down. He’s got both hooks in, looking to set up a hear arm triangle. He drags Watson to his back and he has it in mount. Leites is gassed and probably doesn’t have enough strength to finish. He’s just looking to ride time out at this point, with 30 seconds left. He hips out to the left and Watson is ok. He’s got the form but doesn’t have the squeeze right now. Round ends this way. 10-8 Leites, 30-26 Leites
Official decision: Leites wins by unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Cezar Ferreira vs. Thiago Santos
Round 1: Both guys come out a bit tentative. Cezar with a nice left, follows it with a nice head kick and Santos goes down. Cezar grabs an arm in guillotine, Santos tries to roll but can’t get out. He taps at :45 of the first round.
Cezar Ferreira wins via submission (guillotine) at :45 of the first round
Lyoto Machida vs. Phil Davis
Round 1: Machida is the aggressor early, Davis staying on the outside. Davis comes out using his kicks early; he has a big reach advantage and a bigger leg kick range and wants to find it early. Machida is trying to get Davis to brawl with him but Davis is keeping his cool, using his footwork and leg kicks to find his range. Machida wants that big counter and Davis isn’t taking the bait. Superman punch from Davis, something I haven’t seen from him ever, misses. Machida with a nice head kick but Davis walks through it. Big overhead right from Davis as he’s looking to land and shoot the gap for a takedown. Machida with a nice combination on Davis and swarms, Davis eats some big shots but Machida can’t capitalize. Double leg from Davis and gets Machida down. Machida in half guard, locking him down, as Machida looking to lock him up. Davis wants a kimura as Machida’s half guard is tight. Nice elbows from davis and some good body work from Davis. Machida 10-9 … but that last takedown could cause at least one judge to give it to Davis.
Round 2: Davis is a bit more aggressive this round with his volume but is still keeping his distance from Machida. Machida with a nice high kick; he’s backing out as soon as Davis lands more than one shot. Head kick from Davis doesn’t connect but had a nice set up; Davis’s striking looks really good so far. Davis for a double but can’t finish, grabs the clinch and Davis can’t get him down. Great takedown defense from Machida on that; Davis needs to set up his takedown better. He can’t reach and hope; it’s the same thing he tried against Little Nog many moons ago before adapting. Some nice striking exchanges as this round is really close so far. Davis goes for another takedown but can’t finish it, lands a nice uppercut though. Another double leg try from Davis, which looked better, but still fails. He has to explode into it more instead of looking for a mistake. He’s not committing enough. Machida with a nice left down the pipe that Davis walks through. Davis is using his footwork to cut him off; exchange from the two and Davis gets the takedown. Lands since knees to the body and the round ends with Davis uncorking. 10-9 Davis … but like the first it could go either way. 19-19
Round 3: Davis comes out a bit more aggressive this round and Machida has his hands higher than before. He’s been wading in with them low and Davis hasn’t been taking the bait. Superman punch and a jab miss; Davis needs to get this fight to the ground because his top game has worked for the brief moments he’s had it. Davis is picking the pace up; his corner thinks he’s up two rounds but we’re in Brazil and this is close. Another sloppy double defended well; Davis is just reaching, not exploding. He’s going to have to explode into it at some point. Both takedowns he’s hit have been where he’s fully committed and so far he isn’t. Machida with a big knee, gets the takedown and Davis on his back. Davis to his feet quick and he’s content to ride him out. Midway through the round and another takedown attempt misses. Machida chasing Phil down and they’re throwing down right now. Davis with a switch kick. Machida with another knee and Davis goes for a double, can’t finish. Machida’s hip movement is something else right now. Davis is getting tapped a bit more now but he is responding with some nice body work. Davis is hellbent on getting another takedown and Machida’s defense is special right now. Davis goes for another as the round ends but Davis lands a big shot as the fight ends. 10-9 Machida, 29-28 Machida. But I don’t know. This is INSANELY close.
Official decision: Phil Davis wins via unanimous decision 29-28×3
Not all that shocking … exceptionally close. Brazil is not impressed with the judging.
Jose Aldo (c) vs. Jung Chan-Sung
Round 1: Some light striking to start from both guys as Jung is looking to stand with Aldo. Aldo is being less aggressive than normal, looking for a counter. A nice combo counter and Jung is more cautious. Both men are being cautious, sticking and moving. Both guys aren’t ready to get into a firefight just yet. Aldo cracks the first leg kick halfway through the round as he’s being cautious. Jung is cautious as well; he wants to take this later into the fight and Aldo isn’t going to give him an early opening. It’s an interesting gambit because he’s not trying to grind him down, like Edgar did, with his movement. This is a feeling out round. Jung goes for a takedown and follows it with a good right that misses. Aldo with a double of his own and gets TKZ down, letting him back up quickly. Big knee from Aldo, followed by a spinning wheel kick that misses. Aldo 10-9
Round 2: TKZ with a nice combination early as he’s pushing the pace more. He’s fighting more open right now as Aldo is looking for a counter. TKZ is starting to get into some flurries but is getting out of the pocket after a couple of hits; he respects Aldo’s power and doesn’t want to give him too much of an opening. Just enough of one to maybe connect. Aldo is countering and starting to increase his volume; Aldo is looking to the body to set up the head shot. He’s really pumping the jab a lot; he’s standing straight in front. Shocking that Aldo hasn’t thrown a leg kick yet; his hands look fast and sharp but his leg kicks are such a staple. This is a slow pace and he could do five rounds like this easy. Jung needs to push the pace and get him to grapple, wear the arms out. Aldo with a spectacular trip takedown, landing in half guard, with a minute left in the round. Beautiful level change from Aldo, not known as a wrestler. Moves into side control and Jung goes for an armbar off bottom that Aldo defends against. Aldo 10-9, 20-18
Round 3: Jung comes out more aggressive to start but as soon as Aldo matches him he slows down. He needs to push the pace no and Aldo with a slam takedown off a flying knee from Jung. Aldo has TKZ against the cage and is working some ground and pound. TKZ back up and Aldo in deep on a double leg. Nice trip from Aldo to get Jung down but he’s right back up to his knees. Not much action as Herb Dean stands them back up with 90 seconds left. Aldo opens up and we’re into a slugfest, Aldo with a double against the cage. Aldo really working to get that takedown but TKZ really defending well. break from the ref and we’re back to the middle the cage. Flying knee and we’re in a scramble, round ends. Aldo 10-9, 30-27
Round 4: TKZ out more aggressive again as Aldo is looking to stand and trade. Aldo avoiding the double and looking to trade. Jung needs to turn it on now; he has to figure he’s down three rounds and the only way to win is to go for the kill right now. Still a slow pace as TKZ goes for some big shots, Aldo out of the way easy. He’s not setting it up; just throwing wild. If he was landing it’d be one thing. TKZ’ s shoulder popped out and Aldo drags him to the ground, Aldo unleashes some strikes and it’s over. Jose Aldo wins via TKO at 1:58 of the fourth.
