UFC 123: Rampage Edges Machida as Penn Stuns Hughes

UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida took place on November 20, 2010, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defeated Lyoto Machida by split decision in the light heavyweight main event. BJ Penn knocked out Matt Hughes in just 21 seconds in their welterweight trilogy bout, while Maiquel Falcao, Phil Davis and George Sotiropoulos completed the main-card winners.

Video: the UFC’s official Rampage Jackson interview, published before UFC 123. It provides contemporary preparation and matchup context rather than a full-fight replay.

Rampage edges Machida over three rounds

Jackson pressed forward from the opening round, trying to make Machida exchange or hold position against the fence. Machida used movement and kicks to complicate those advances, but his most sustained offensive success arrived in the third round. The judges ultimately returned two 29–28 cards for Jackson and one 29–28 card for Machida.

Machida’s late surge included effective strikes, takedowns and submission threats. Jackson defended long enough to reach the final bell, including an escape when Machida attacked his arm. That strong third round made the result controversial, but the official winner remained Jackson. The decisive question on the cards was how the earlier rounds had been scored, not whether Machida had finished strongly.

Both men entered after important losses. Jackson had been outpointed by Rashad Evans at UFC 114, while Machida had lost his championship to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113. Their Michigan meeting was therefore a non-title contest between former champions seeking to rebuild momentum. Jackson obtained the result; Machida left with a second consecutive defeat despite his late rally.

Penn ends the Hughes trilogy in 21 seconds

The co-main event required almost none of the time available. Penn hurt Hughes with a right hand and finished with follow-up punches at 0:21 of the first round. It was a welterweight bout and the third meeting between two former champions, with Penn taking the deciding victory in their series.

Penn had submitted Hughes at UFC 46, and Hughes had answered with a TKO at UFC 63. By UFC 123, Penn was returning to 170 pounds after consecutive lightweight title defeats against Frankie Edgar, the second at UFC 118. The quick knockout immediately changed the tone of his return. Hughes, who had submitted Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117, could not extend that winning run.

The finish earned Penn Knockout of the Night. Its significance came from the opponent and trilogy context as much as its speed: a longstanding rivalry was settled in an exchange short enough to leave no scoring debate. Neither fighter was defending a championship in this bout.

Davis and Sotiropoulos win with arm-locks

Phil Davis submitted Tim Boetsch in the second round after controlling important ground positions. His modified kimura, also called the “Mr. Wonderful,” produced a tap at 2:55 and earned Submission of the Night. The unusual variation was still an arm-lock victory, not a choke.

George Sotiropoulos submitted Joe Lauzon with a kimura at 2:43 of round two. Their exchanges and grappling transitions earned Fight of the Night. Maiquel Falcao also won his UFC debut, defeating Gerald Harris by unanimous decision in a middleweight contest. The supporting main-card fights consequently supplied two second-round submissions and one decision alongside Penn’s brief knockout.

Six preliminary results

Brian Foster submitted Matt Brown with a guillotine in round two, while Mark Munoz defeated Aaron Simpson by unanimous decision. Dennis Hallman stopped Karo Parisyan in the first round. Edson Barboza’s UFC debut ended with a third-round stoppage of Mike Lullo through leg kicks, and Paul Kelly finished T.J. O’Brien with elbows. Nik Lentz edged Tyson Griffin by split decision. The full eleven-bout record captures both the headline rivalry and the emerging talent on the undercard.

Complete UFC 123 results

Main card

• Quinton Jackson def. Lyoto Machida — split decision (29–28, 29–28, 28–29), round 3, 5:00.
• BJ Penn def. Matt Hughes — KO (punches), round 1, 0:21.
• Maiquel Falcao def. Gerald Harris — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch — submission (modified kimura), round 2, 2:55.
• George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon — submission (kimura), round 2, 2:43.

Preliminary card

• Brian Foster def. Matt Brown — submission (guillotine choke), round 2, 2:11.
• Mark Munoz def. Aaron Simpson — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
• Dennis Hallman def. Karo Parisyan — TKO (punches), round 1, 1:47.
• Edson Barboza def. Mike Lullo — TKO (leg kicks), round 3, 0:26.
• Paul Kelly def. T.J. O’Brien — TKO (elbows), round 2, 3:16.
• Nik Lentz def. Tyson Griffin — split decision, round 3, 5:00.

Sources

• UFC the main event and its.
• UFC Penn and the remaining main-card.
• UFC: the six preliminary contests.
• UFC: submission terminology and bonus awards.
• UFC: the event and Penn–Hughes trilogy background.
• Sherdog: complete results.

Article Tags

UFC 123, Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes