One of the most exciting cards in recent UFC history takes place tonight with UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar. The show kicks off with a couple of fights streaming live on Facebook and Yahoo! (7 p.m. ET), continuing on to a four fight FX broadcast (8 p.m. ET) through the five fight main card on pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET). And we’ll have live results and thoughts right here on Bloody Elbow all night long.
The evening’s main event sees featherweight champion Jose Aldo defend his title against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in Edgar’s first fight at 145 pounds. The co-main event features another former champion as Rashad Evans takes on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in a light heavyweight showdown.
Alistair Overeem returns from his suspension for elevated testosterone levels to face Antonio Silva in a fight that could land Overeem a heavyweight title shot with a win. Former title challengers square off when Jon Fitch and Demian Maia meet in a welterweight clash. And kicking off the PPV broadcast will be a flyweight bout between Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall.
So make sure to come back and share your thoughts in the comments as the event goes down.
Ian McCall vs. Joseph Benavidez – Round 1 – They trade leg kicks and Benavidez throws a few more. McCall looking for a takedown and Benavidez avoids and then lands an elbow. Benavidez lands a hard combo and McCall is hurt. He smiles but his legs gave out for a second. Low blow by Benavidez gives McCall a few seconds to recover. Benavidez with a hard left hand. Again he lands hard. Good body kick by McCall. Benavidez with another hard right hand. McCall now lands two solid punches. McCall catches him with a right. They trade kicks at the end of the round. 10-9 Benavidez.
Round 2 – Body kick by Benavidez and then a hard right hand. Benavidez isn’t connecting as much this round but McCall isn’t landing a ton either. Now a counter left by Benavidez and a leg kick. They trade right hands. Benavidez tries to duck under for a takedown but McCall ends up on top and is landing a lot of punches. McCall to the mount and now has the back. He has to give up full back control but is hitting Benavidez while he is turtled. Now Benavidez stands up and McCall lands a knee. 10-9 McCall.
Round 3 – Benavidez cracks him with a right hand and follows up with a big flurry. McCall clinches him and Benavidez lands a big elbow. Benavidez drops him with a well timed leg kick and then lands a few more punches. Good short right hand by Benavidez. Body kick by Benavidez and now a right hand. McCall with a good takedown and Benavidez stands right back up. Hard body kick by Benavidez. 10-9 Benavidez.
Official scorecards: 29-28 across the board. Joseph Benavidez wins by unanimous decision.
Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia – Round 1 – Maia charges in for the takedown and he gets it and moves right to the back. Maia has the back and Fitch stands. Maia riding the back now. Fitch survives but Maia trips him right back down, Maia had the back but Fitch was able to stand up. Fitch grabs the fence to prevent a takedown but Maia gets him down anyway. 10-9 Maia.
Round 2 – Fitch with a right hand. Maia shoots and gets the takedown. Maia is to the back again and Fitch is stuck defending. Maia is trying to get the rear naked choke still. It’s a whole round in back control for Maia. 10-9 Maia.
Round 3 -Maia right inside and gets the takedown and is on the back again. This round is the same as the previous rounds. 10-9 Fitch.
Official scorecards: 30-27 across the board. Demian Maia wins by unanimous decision.
Antonio Silva vs. Alistair Overeem – Round 1 – They tie up before either guy lands anything. Overeem lands a few knees in the clinch. Jab and uppercut by Overeem. They lean on each other against the cage. Silva ducks out of the way of a right hand. Overeem with a few more knees to the body in the clinch. Overeem flurries and knees to the body again. Silva misses a right hand, Overeem throws a left and then a leg kick. Overeem is not taking Silva seriously at all here. 10-9 Overeem.
Round 2 – Silva throws a keg kick, Overeem counters it. They end up tied up and Overeem takes him down with a body lock after he lands a right hand. Big elbows off his back by Silva. Overeem with a hammerfist. Overeem landing shots when he sees openings now. Eventually they’re stood back up. Silva lands some big shots there and looks like he buzzed Overeem a little. 10-9 Overeem.
Round 3 – OVEREEM COMES OUT LOOKING FOR A TAKEDOWN AND SILVA STARTS TO OPEN UP! HE HURT HIM WITH A PUNCH! HEAD KICK! SILVA IS CRUSHING HIM AGAINST THE CAGE AND OVEREEM IS DOWN! Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva wins by TKO (punches), round 3.
Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – Round 1 – Rashad pawing with the jab and Nog moves back every time he feints a right. Rashad throws a head kick that was blocked. Left hand lands for Nog. Another left lands. Hard right hand by Evans lands. Rashad ducks under a punch for a takedown, Nogueira stands up and Evans lands a few punches. Rashad with another right hand. 10-9 Evans in a close round.
Round 2 – Nog trying to work the jab early. Leg kick by Evans. Evans with a right hand. One-two from Nog. Evans can’t get a takedown. Evans isn’t doing enough here, not that Nog is doing a ton either, but he’s probably being more aggressive. Rashad with a big right. Rashad isn’t quite able to get another takedown and Nogueira throws a flurry. They trade right hands. 10-9 Noguerira.
Round 3 – Evans finally throws a right hand. There was a break for an eye poke by Rashad. This fight is bad. 10-9 Nogueira.
Official scorecards: 29-28 across the board. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira wins by unanimous decision.
Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar – Round 1 – Aldo with a leg kick and a jab. Uppercut by Aldo as Edgar charges in. Aldo with a jab now. Hard straight right hand counter by Aldo. Now another hard right hand. Edgar bleeding from the nose. Another right hand lands for Aldo, and again. Aldo is really having his way with his punches here. Hard leg kick by Aldo. Aldo to the leg again. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 2 – Right hand and then a short left hand by Aldo. Edgar with a right hand and then he misses a spinning kick. Huge leg kick by Aldo and Edgar almost fell over. Edgar’s leg is purple and another kick briefly drops him. Edgar with a big takedown but Aldo gets right back up. Edgar has landed a punch now though. Jab by Aldo. Aldo pops his head back twice more with the jab. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 3 – Edgar shoots in and Aldo does a nice job of avoiding the takedown. Right hand by Aldo. Edgar still being aggressive but he’s getting countered and not landing much. Front kick to the face by Aldo lands hard. Edgar with a nice combination and a left hand landed in that flurry. Leg kick by Aldo and then he throws Edgar off of him when he goes for a takedown. Edgar lands a nice punch. 10-9 Aldo.
Round 4 – Leg kick by Edgar. Edgar goes for a takedown, can’t get it and Aldo pops him but Edgar throws back. Edgar briefly took him down but Aldo stood up. Edgar holding him against the cage though. Edgar with another leg kick. Aldo misses a flying knee. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 5 – Leg kick by Edgar. Left hand by Aldo. Aldo with a hard jab. Aldo with a nice right and a nice left but Edgar landed a left also. Hard left by Aldo. Edgar charges for a takedown but can’t get it. Aldo pops him again and Edgar misses a head kick. Edgar lands a few punches. Aldo with a hard punch. Edgar with a combo and Aldo with a hard right. Big superman punch off the cage by Aldo and the round ends. Rogan seemed in love with Edgar’s work that round but I thought Aldo was landing the more significant strikes. 10-9 Aldo makes it 49-46 Aldo in my eyes.
Official Scorecard: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. Jose Aldo wins by unanimous decision.
About the author
