
In the first bout of the UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes main card, Edson Barboza capped off a good performance with a spectacular wheel kick KO finish of Terry Etim in the third round. The bout had primarily been contested on the feet for the first two rounds. Etim got a takedown in the first round, but couldn’t do anything with it and Barboza popped up quickly. Barboza had a little trouble getting his rhythm on the feet, but started to land more near the end of the round.
Barboza took over in the second though, landing a ton of damaging kicks. Etim again got a takedown, but Barboza again took little time to get back to his feet. Overall though, it was clearly Barboza’s stanza. The striking was actually even in the third until Barboza unleashed a beautiful spinning wheel kick that saw his heel land flush on Etim’s face, causing him to fall over like a tree, unconscious. You won’t see many better KO’s than that.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Obviously the KO. One of the highlights of the year, if not the decade.
Where do these guys go from here?
Barboza is now 4-0 in the UFC and still undefeated in his career. He showed that he can fight off takedowns and get up off his back quickly, which is hugely important in the wrestler-heavy 155 pound division. Etim’s not exactly an awesome wrestler, but Barboza did look impressive. The organization tends to get behind exciting fighters, and it’ll be interesting to see if they push him to the moon quickly, or slowly build him up. A bout with Matt Wiman would be an excellent test for his next trip to the octagon.
Etim certainly didn’t look terrible before the knockout, and while it’s unlikely he’ll ever be a contender, he’s still a tough challenge for just about anyone. He’s also a valuable tool if the UFC continues to promote cards in the UK, so I would expect him to get a mid-level fighter for his next fight. A bout against the loser of the John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani bout at UFC 145 would be cool.
Watch it now, later or never?
Now. This was the fight of the night and ends in one of the sickest knockouts in MMA history.
UFC 142 Results: Wallid Ismail Reacts To Erick Silva DQ – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Results: Six Fights To Make After Aldo Vs. Mendes – Ben Thapa
UFC 142 Results: Anthony Johnson Cut Following Loss To Vitor Belfort – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Results: Winners, Losers, And Other Thoughts – Matt Roth
UFC 142: Rosi Sexton On Anthony Johnson And The Risks Of Weight Cutting – Bloody Elbow
UFC 142 Results: Anthony Johnson ‘Likely Cut’ Following Loss To Vitor Belfort – Brent Brookhouse
UFC 142 Results Video: Jose Aldo Vs. Chad Mendes Full Fight Highlights – Bloody Elbow
UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes Results And Post-Fight Analysis – Brent Brookhouse
UFC 142 Results: Jose Aldo Knocks Out Chad Mendes Then Celebrates In Crowd – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Results: Vitor Belfort Defeats Anthony Johnson By Rear Naked Choke – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Results: Rousimar Palhares Takes Home Mike Massenzio’s Leg – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Results: Erick Silva Disqualified In Fight With Carlo Prater – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Results: Edson Barboza Knocks Out Terry Etim With A Wheel Kick – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Post-Fight Press Conference Video – Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio – Episode 122: UFC 142 Results Review – Matt Bishop
UFC 142 Results: Thiago Tavares Defeats Sam Stout by Uanimous Decision – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Gabriel Gonzaga Chokes Out Edinaldo Oliveira – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Mike Pyle Knocks Out Ricardo Funch In First Round – Matt Roth
UFC 142 Aldo Vs. Mendes Results: Felipe Arantes Dominates Antonio Carvalho – Matt Roth
UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes – Live Results And Play-By-Play For PPV – Brent Brookhouse
UFC 142: Aldo Vs. Mendes – Live Results And Play-By-Play For Undercard – Brent Brookhouse
About the author