The expectation heading into UFC on Fox 15’s main event between Luke Rockhold and Lyoto Machida was that it would be a tight, ultra-competitive affair. Both men appeared, at least on paper, to be extremely evenly matched.
Not so much, as it turns out.
The Brazilian started the fight promisingly enough, connecting with several bravado-inducing shots to his foe’s almost comically chiseled chin. His success was short-lived, however.
Rockhold capitalized on a minor slip and proceeded to maul Machida on the floor for the next four minutes, landing vicious strikes in between frequent transitions and submission attempts.
By round’s end, the former UFC light heavyweight champion was in a daze, stumbling back to his stool with the aid of his corner. In truth, few would have objected to the appearance of a towel at this point. But Machida did as fighters most often do, continuing on in the face of vanishingly small odds.
Mercifully, we didn’t have to wait long for the inevitable stoppage. Rockhold wasted little time in taking Machida to the ground and sinking in a fight-ending rear naked choke.
In light of such an impressive performance, anything less than a title shot would be a disappointment for Rockhold. Then again, given the unpredictable nature of MMA, few would confidently plot the path of any fighter.
With that said, let’s go ahead and speculate on Rockhold’s immediate future anyway, dear readers.
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