UFC 126: Anderson Silva’s Front Kick Flattens Belfort

UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort brought an unforgettable title defense to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on February 5, 2011. Anderson Silva stopped Vitor Belfort with a front kick and punches to keep the middleweight championship. The eleven-fight event also paired former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin, while Jon Jones submitted Ryan Bader and moved toward an immediate light heavyweight title opportunity.

Video: the UFC’s official extended preview, introducing Silva–Belfort, Griffin–Franklin and Jones–Bader before the event.

Silva ends a cautious opening with a spectacular kick

Belfort’s explosive hands made him a dangerous challenger, but the opening exchanges were unusually restrained. Both men circled and measured distance before the pace increased. Belfort caught a kick during one exchange, briefly taking the action to the floor, but neither fighter stayed there. Back on their feet, Silva found the opening that would define the night.

The champion drove a left front kick into Belfort’s chin, dropping him, then followed with punches on the ground. Referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight at 3:25 of the first round. The technique’s direct path and sudden arrival made the finish especially striking: a bout built around the challenger’s punching threat ended with a kick that reached its target before Belfort could respond effectively.

The win was Silva’s eighth successful UFC middleweight title defense. It followed his very different escape against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, where he needed a fifth-round submission after spending much of the fight under pressure. Together, those defenses demonstrated two sides of his championship run: surviving sustained adversity and ending a dangerous matchup with one decisive opening.

Jones submits Bader; Griffin returns successfully

Jon Jones handed previously unbeaten Ryan Bader his first professional defeat, finishing him with a guillotine choke at 4:20 of round two. This was a contender fight, not a championship bout, but its importance grew immediately afterward. With Rashad Evans injured, Jones was offered the replacement assignment against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128. A strong performance had moved him from prospect to title challenger in the same evening.

Bader had arrived after beating Antônio Rogério Nogueira at UFC 119. Beating that version of Bader was a meaningful step for Jones because it came against another rising fighter with an established wrestling background. The submission supplied a clear conclusion rather than leaving the comparison to the judges.

In the co-main event, Griffin returned from a long layoff to beat Franklin by unanimous decision. His takedown and control work helped him bank the advantage, while Franklin remained competitive in the striking exchanges. All three judges scored it 29–28. Griffin had last fought Tito Ortiz at UFC 106; this victory gave the former light heavyweight champion a successful return against another experienced former titleholder.

Jake Ellenberger edged Carlos Eduardo Rocha by split decision in a competitive welterweight contest. Miguel Torres, meanwhile, used his reach and jab to keep Antonio Banuelos at distance, winning all three rounds on every scorecard in his UFC debut.

WEC arrivals make their mark on the preliminaries

Donald Cerrone, Chad Mendes and Demetrious Johnson all won their first UFC appearances following the WEC merger. Cerrone finished Paul Kelly with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Mendes took a unanimous decision over Michihiro Omigawa, and Johnson’s movement and takedowns carried him past Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. Their victories made the undercard an important introduction to fighters who would become central names in their divisions.

The remaining preliminaries supplied three striking finishes. Paul Taylor knocked out Gabe Ruediger with a head kick, Kyle Kingsbury overwhelmed Ricardo Romero in just 21 seconds, and Mike Pierce stopped Kenny Robertson early in round two. Alongside the headliner and Jones’s submission, those bouts gave UFC 126 considerable variety beyond its most famous highlight.

Complete UFC 126 results

Main card

• Anderson Silva def. Vitor Belfort — KO (front kick and punches); round 1, 3:25. Silva retained the middleweight title.
• Forrest Griffin def. Rich Franklin — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Jon Jones def. Ryan Bader — submission (guillotine choke); round 2, 4:20.
• Jake Ellenberger def. Carlos Eduardo Rocha — split decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Miguel Torres def. Antonio Banuelos — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.

Preliminary card

• Donald Cerrone def. Paul Kelly — submission (rear-naked choke); round 2, 3:48.
• Chad Mendes def. Michihiro Omigawa — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Demetrious Johnson def. Norifumi Yamamoto — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Paul Taylor def. Gabe Ruediger — KO (head kick); round 2, 1:42.
• Kyle Kingsbury def. Ricardo Romero — TKO (knee to the body and punches); round 1, 0:21.
• Mike Pierce def. Kenny Robertson — TKO (punches); round 2, 0:29.

Sources

• UFC: Silva’s title defenses.
• UFC: Jones–Bader report and title opportunity.
• UFC: remaining main-card report.
• UFC: preliminary-card report.
• Sherdog: complete results and stoppage times.

Article Tags

UFC 126, Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Jon Jones, UFC Middleweight