UFC 142: Aldo Knocks Out Mendes in Rio
UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes took place January 14, 2012, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. José Aldo defended the featherweight championship against undefeated challenger Chad Mendes, and the Brazilian crowd witnessed several finishes, including Aldo’s dramatic last-second knockout and Edson Barboza’s spinning-wheel-kick knockout of Terry Etim.
Aldo stops Mendes at the horn
Mendes spent much of the first round trying to close distance and take Aldo down. Late in the round, he brought the champion to the fence and briefly put him on the canvas. Aldo broke free, turned into Mendes, and landed a left knee to the head followed by a right hand. The referee stopped the bout at 4:59 of round one. Aldo retained his title, recorded his third successful UFC featherweight title defense, and earned his first finish inside the Octagon. He then ran into the crowd to celebrate with fans.
Belfort and Barboza deliver memorable finishes
Vitor Belfort submitted Anthony Johnson by rear-naked choke at 4:49 of round one in the co-main event. Johnson had missed the middleweight limit at the official weigh-in, coming in at 197 pounds against Belfort’s 186. He weighed 204.2 pounds on fight day and the bout proceeded at a 197-pound catchweight after additional conditions were set.
Barboza’s lightweight bout with Terry Etim ended in round three. Barboza landed a spinning wheel kick at 2:02, knocking Etim out and earning Knockout of the Night. The fight received Fight of the Night honors as well. Earlier, Rousimar Palhares caught Mike Massenzio with a heel hook for a first-round submission at 1:03.
A disqualification changes the Silva result
Erick Silva initially appeared to have stopped Carlo Prater in the opening minute, but referee Mario Yamasaki ruled Silva’s finishing blows illegal strikes to the back of the head. The official result was a disqualification win for Prater at 0:29 of round one. The ruling drew immediate debate, but the UFC later said it would stand after reviewing the sequence.
UFC 142 results
Main card: José Aldo def. Chad Mendes by KO (knee and punch), round 1, 4:59; Vitor Belfort def. Anthony Johnson by submission (rear-naked choke), round 1, 4:49; Rousimar Palhares def. Mike Massenzio by submission (heel hook), round 1, 1:03; Carlo Prater def. Erick Silva by disqualification (illegal strikes to the back of the head), round 1, 0:29; Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim by KO (spinning wheel kick), round 3, 2:02.
Preliminary card: Thiago Tavares def. Sam Stout by unanimous decision; Mike Pyle def. Ricardo Funch by TKO (knee and punches), round 1, 1:22; Yuri Alcântara def. Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision; Gabriel Gonzaga def. Ednaldo Oliveira by submission (rear-naked choke), round 1, 3:22; Felipe Arantes def. Antonio Carvalho by unanimous decision.
UFC 142’s defining images were distinct: Aldo sprinting to celebrate with the Rio crowd, the dispute over the Silva–Prater disqualification, and Barboza’s spectacular finish. The results also show the full spread of the card, from three-round decisions on the prelims to quick submissions and knockouts on the main card.
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UFC 142, UFC Results, MMA History, Aldo Knocks Out Mendes in Rio, Belfort Finishes Johnson
