UFC 156: Jose Aldo Defeats Frankie Edgar

UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar took place on February 2, 2013, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. José Aldo defended the UFC featherweight championship against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in a five-round Fight of the Night. The card also produced major upsets by Antônio Rogério Nogueira and Antônio “Bigfoot” Silva, while Demian Maia and Joseph Benavidez earned important divisional wins.

Event video: Aldo versus Edgar.

Aldo turns back Edgar’s pressure

Edgar made his featherweight debut by challenging immediately for Aldo’s championship. Aldo controlled the early rounds with speed, jabs, and leg kicks, while Edgar increased his pressure and takedown attempts as the fight progressed.

The judges scored the bout 49–46, 49–46, and 48–47 for Aldo. The champion retained the belt, and the competitive five-round fight earned Fight of the Night honors.

Bigfoot shocks Overeem; Nogueira outpoints Evans

Alistair Overeem appeared to be controlling the first two rounds against Antônio Silva before Silva exploded early in the third. A series of uppercuts and punches along the fence forced the stoppage at 25 seconds. Silva’s comeback earned Knockout of the Night.

Antônio Rogério Nogueira upset former champion Rashad Evans by unanimous decision, using straight punches and disciplined distance management to win 29–28 on all three scorecards.

Maia dominates Fitch; Benavidez beats McCall

Demian Maia repeatedly took Jon Fitch’s back and controlled long stretches of their welterweight bout, earning a clear unanimous decision. Joseph Benavidez defeated Ian McCall by unanimous decision in a competitive flyweight contest.

On the preliminaries, Tyron Woodley made a spectacular UFC debut by knocking out Jay Hieron in 36 seconds. Bobby Green submitted Jacob Volkmann late in round three and earned Submission of the Night. Evan Dunham edged Gleison Tibau by split decision, while Isaac Vallie-Flagg, Dustin Kimura, and Francisco Rivera also won.

Complete UFC 156 results

Main card

• José Aldo def. Frankie Edgar — unanimous decision; round 5, 5:00. Aldo retained the UFC featherweight championship.
• Antônio Rogério Nogueira def. Rashad Evans — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Antônio Silva def. Alistair Overeem — TKO (punches); round 3, 0:25.
• Demian Maia def. Jon Fitch — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Joseph Benavidez def. Ian McCall — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.

Preliminary card

• Evan Dunham def. Gleison Tibau — split decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Tyron Woodley def. Jay Hieron — KO/TKO (punches); round 1, 0:36.
• Bobby Green def. Jacob Volkmann — submission (rear-naked choke); round 3.
• Isaac Vallie-Flagg def. Yves Edwards — split decision; round 3, 5:00.
• Dustin Kimura def. Chico Camus — submission (rear-naked choke); round 3, 1:50.
• Francisco Rivera def. Edwin Figueroa — TKO (punches); round 2, 4:20.

UFC 156 combined a championship defense with two significant upsets and the UFC arrivals of fighters who would become major names in the years that followed. Explore more of our MMA coverage.

Sources

UFC: official UFC 156 event results; UFC: UFC 156 main-card report; Sherdog event record.

Article Tags

UFC 156, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Mixed Martial Arts, UFC Results