UFC on FOX 15: Post-Fight Review

UFC on FOX: Rockhold vs Machida was a cracker of a card. Aside from one less than stellar fight, the entire card was filled from top to bottm with a few slick submissons and a few vicious knockouts. Here's what happened on the main card.

#1 Luke Rockhold vs Lyoto Machida

Luke Rockhold is as legit as they come. His two-round destruction of Lyoto Machida was simply sublime. Machida did tag Rockhold on the feet a couple of times and it looked like this was going to be a close competitive fight, but a slip and a guillotine attempt later, Rockhold was on top and landing vicious blows on Lyoto Machida. He took Machida’s back and was close to getting the tap and ended the round throwing elbows on the helpless Machida.

Lyoto stumbled back to his corner and it looked like he was terribly concussed at the beginning of the second. The end came early in the second as Machida was tripped to the ground and wound up with Rockhold on his back again, and this time there was no denying the Californian. He sunk the rear naked choke to force the tap from Machida.

This was Luke Rockhold’s most impressive win yet and it set’s him up for a shot at the winner of Chris Weidman vs Vitor Belfort, which takes place later this year.

#2 Ronaldo Souza vs. Chris Camozzi

It was a three-second difference from the first fight but Jacare forced Chris Camozzi to verbally tap to a beautiful armbar in the first round. Hat’s off to Chris Camozzi for taking the fight on 6 days’ notice, but he had nothing for Souza and was forced to submit to the better fighter.

Souza took Camozzi down at will and sliced through his guard like a hot knife through butter. He moved to mount and when Camozzi turned, Souza seized the arm and worked patiently for the armbar finish. This marks the Brazilians fifth win in the UFC and there’s to hoping he gets matched up with his original opponent, Yoel Romero next.

#3 Max Holloway vs. Cub Swanson

Max Holloway fought the absolute perfect fight against his toughest opponent yet and stopped Cub Swanson late in the third round with an amazing guillotine. Holloway has come a long way from his loss to Dustin Poirier in his first UFC fight to truly become an elite, world-class fighter. To sub-Cub Swanson? Now, that’s a real signature win, and he did it faster than Frankie Edgar.

Holloway was just beating Cub Swanson to the punch in almost every exchange, throwing a variety of punches, kicks, knees and elbows. He confused and baffled Swanson and by the third round, Holloway was cracking and dropping Swanson. One overhand right and a slick guillotine later, Max Holloway has proved his mettle and how.

#4 Paige Van Zant vs. Felice Herrig

Everyone was talking about how this was too much too soon for Van Zant, but she put on a grappling and ground and pound clinic on the veteran Felice Herrig on route to a unanimous decision.

The first round was close but Van Zant managed to reverse back mount and ended the round on top throwing strikes on a visibly tiring Herrig. The second round saw Van Zant ground Herrig and dominate with more ground and pound. Van Zant set a blistering pace and Felice Herrig just couldn’t keep up. The third round was more of the same as the 21-year-old Van Zant took Herrig down and beat her up for the remainder of the round.

This marks a breakout performance for the young Van Zant and sees her star rise.