UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

In earlier matches:

George Roop def. Dave Kaplan by split decision.

Yo Shiyuki def. Brandon Wolff by guillotine – 2.24, Round One.

Kyle Bradley def. Phillipe Nover by TKO – 1.03, Round One.

The Battles

Frank Edgar (5’ 6” 155 lb) vs. Sean Sherk (5’6” 156 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Herb Dean

Round One
Both men were in orthodox stance.
4.55: Frank tested a high kick that Sean took on the mitts before he flicked out jabs and an overhand right at Frank.
4.31: Sean hooked a left into the body before Frank danced away and used his reach advantage to send long-range jabs back at Sean.
4.08: They clinched and Sherk muscled Edgar into the fence.
3.52: The pair parted. Edgar leg-kicked and Sherk answered with a crisp right hand.
3.40: Sherk stepped away from Edgar’s takedown attempt.
3.06: Frank rushed Sean with a knuckle package.
2.50: Frank found his range and began picking Sean off with lightning hands and an assortment of kicks.
2.21: He went for a single-leg takedown that Sean resisted.
1.39: Sherk leg-kicked, but Edgar snapped up the kick and took Sherk down, then applied a guillotine that included Sherk’s left arm.
0.59: Sean remained cool and shrugged Frank off before the pair stood. Frank had the hand speed and reach advantage; however Sean was undeterred and kept the big punches flying.
0.08: Frank leg-kicked and Sean replied with left and right hands. They mixed it up and both men landed heavy strikes in the dying moments of the round.

Round Two
Sherk cranked up the pace and was catching Edgar with powerful fists.
4.14: Edgar decided to switch play and looked for the takedown, but Sherk shrugged it off, keen to keep the heat on.
3.54: Edgar body-kicked and narrowly missed Sherk’s right counter.
3.33: Edgar failed with a takedown, then knocked Sherk down via a knee to the midsection.
3.18: Sean maintained the upper hand in the stand-up thus far into the second round.
2.27: Frank banged out a leg kick.
1.34: He resumed his sniper punching which gave him the edge in the previous round and was picking Sean off again with long-range shots.
0.49: Both players let loose with hellfire leather.
0.25: Sean warded off another takedown attempt.
They traded up to the bell.

Round Three
The stand-up duel continued.
4.25: Edgar missed with another shoot.
4.17: Sherk cannon-balled Frank with a shoot and looked to pass guard; however Frank scrambled to his feet at 3.59 and the trading resumed.
3.33: Sherk resisted Edgar’s takedown.
1.56: Edgar resisted Sherk’s takedown.
Frank dominated the last round with his long-range fists and countered Sean’s last takedown attempt with a guillotine moments before the bell sounded.

Result: Frank Edgar by unanimous decision.

Chael Sonnen (6’1” 186 lb) vs. Dan Miller (6’1” 185 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Round One
4.48: Dan inside leg-kicked, then outside leg-kicked.
4.43: Chael took Dan down but wound up in a guillotine.
4.14: Chael’s head popped out of the choke as he proceeded to g’n’p Dan with fists and elbows.
2.29: Sonnen took Miller’s back.
2.25: Miller rolled and got side control.
2.03: Miller worked Sonnen into half guard, but the g’n’p-ing kept coming, with Sonnen raining down elbows and punches to Miller’s head and body.
0.47: Dan pulled Chael into full guard.
For most of this opening round, Dan was fighting from his back with his head against the cage.

Round Two
4.57: Miller leg-kicked and Sonnen countered with a right cross.
4.38: They clinched.
4.29: Sonnen hoisted Miller up and dumped him onto the floor before Miller wrapped on another guillotine with Sonnen in his guard.
4.13: Chael’s head was free and he recommenced the g’n’p.
2.00: Dan brought his leg over and was looking to catch Chael in an arm bar.
1.50: Chael worked his way free and g’n’ped up to the bell from Dan’s guard.

Round Three
Miller came out striking, but at 4.38 Sonnen shot in and pulled Dan to the mats.
This was a replay of rounds one and two: Miller stayed tough, but Sonnen dominated the fight.

Result: Chael Sonnen by unanimous decision.

Drew McFedries (6’0” 185 lb) vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam (6’1” 186 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne

Xavier danced around his southpaw opponent whilst Drew watched like Sylvester staring at Tweety.
4.40: Xavier stopped dancing and the ‘Raging Bulldozer’ came at him with right, left, and right hands that sent Xavier into the fence and down. Xavier got to his feet, only to have Drew sledgehammer him back down.

Result: Drew McFedries by TKO – 0.37, Round One.

Brock Larson (5’11” 170 lb) vs. Mike Pyle (6’1 170 lb)
–Welterweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki

The pair waltzed around the Octagon until Brock took Mike down at 4.01, before shrugging off Mike’s guillotine. Pyle looked to shut Larson down with an omaplata, an arm bar, and a leg lock.
3.01: Mike parked an up-kick on Brock’s dial. They fought for dominance until 2.11, when Brock locked on a triangle choke from half guard. He transitioned to side control whilst maintaining the choke, forcing Mike to tap.

Result: Brock Larson by arm triangle – 3.06, Round One.

Tim Hague (6’4” 265 lb) vs. Pat Barry (5’11” 235 lb)
–Middleweight Title
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

Pat came into this bout with a reputation for having nasty KO knuckles; however it was Tim who quickly closed in and unloaded a fist combo.
4.50: He wasted no time following up with a left hook.
4.40: Pat threw a high kick after Tim blocked Pat’s heavy gloves.
4.28: Barry taunted Hague with hands held low.
4.16: Barry delivered a thumping high kick, then closed in for the kill.
4.06: Hague stifled Barry’s onslaught with a takedown, and immediately pulled side control.
3.59: Pat surrendered his back.
3.26: They scrambled before Tim sunk in a guillotine. Pat tapped.

Result: Tim Hague by guillotine – 1.42, Round One.

Krzysztof Soszynski (6’1” 204 lb) vs. Andre Gusmao (6’2” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Herb Dean

Former IFL stars Krzysztof and Andre exchanged strikes before locking up as Krzysztof forced Andre’s back into the cage.
4.35: Andre delivered knees to the body, then shrugged Krzysztof away before landing right hands.
4.29: Gusmao caught Soszynski with an inside kick that wound up in the glove box. Play resumed and southpaw Soszynski pursued Gusmao with a barrage of punches.
4.09: Andre swept Krzysztof’s right leg from under him with a powerful inside kick, then he came after Krzysztof with a fist, kick and knee combo.
3.47: Krzysztof shot a foot into Andre’s glove box.
The cups were copping more abuse here than at the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
2.39: Gusmao switched to southpaw and kept Soszynski guessing with low and high kicks.
2.08: Soszynski unsettled Gusmao with a leather combo.
1.48: Soszynski dispatched another combo and Gusmao dropped.

Result: Krzysztof Soszynski by KO – 3.17, Round One.

Matt Hughes (5’9” 170 lb) vs. Matt Serra (5’6” 171 lb)
– Welterweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

Round One
Steve Mazzagatti introduces these old friends and says, “Hook ’em up,” as they turn their backs and walk to their corners. Steve isn’t surprised by the response, nor is anybody in the audience.
Hughes is in southpaw stance again. He pokes out his lead right hand like a fencing sword.
4.14: Serra ducks under a right and put’s Hughes down. The replay shows it was a clash of heads that left Hughes groggy. Serra keeps the fists coming as Hughes bats on from limbo.
3.51: Hughes latches onto Serra’s right leg whilst regaining his senses. Serra hops on his left foot, refusing to be taken down as they clinch against the cage.
2.33: Serra breaks free.
1.47: They lock up again and Hughes sweeps Serra before taking side control, then Serra’s back.
0.39: Serra turns before scrambling to his feet. They trade briefly this eventful first round comes to an end.

Round Two
The pair exchange from a distance.
4.20: Hughes wears a jab on his jaw.
3.53: He shoots in and takes Serra down at 3.49, before falling into guard.
3.39: Hughes progresses to half guard whilst Serra keeps Hughes’s left leg tied up. Hughes alternates from head shots to body shots; however Serra remains cool and waits for an opportunity to present itself.
0.12: Steve stands them up and Serra fires off some kicks before the hooter blows.

Round Three
4.42: Serra moves in to unload fists, but is intercepted by Hughes’s perfectly timed knee to the body.
4.18: Hughes lets mitts fly before clinching.
4.04: Serra briefly resists the takedown but loses the battle of wills to Hughes.
4.00: The mental jousting continues: Serra tries for an omaplata and Hughes wants half guard. Eventually they reach a compromise with Hughes in Serra’s full guard.
2.32: Serra opts for a triangle choke that fails.
1.53: Hughes gets half guard.
1.45: Steve stands them up.
1.10: Serra drops his hands to egg Hughes on.
0.53: They clinch and this time Serra introduces Hughes to the canvas. He stands and crouches over Hughes whilst dropping bombs, then locks on a kimura seconds before the bell pulls up the action.

Result: Matt Hughes by unanimous decision.

Lyoto Machida (6’1” 204 lb) vs. Rashad Evans (5’11” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight Title
Referee: Mario Yamasaki

Round One
Southpaw Lyoto takes up post at center ring and Rashad circles like a prowling shark.
4.23: Rashad slips away from Lyoto’s leg-sweep attempt.
3.52: Machida dodges the same sweep from Evans.
3.05: He launches a high kick that backs Evans into the cage.
2.55: Machida sidesteps Evan’s windmill fists.
2.01: Machida detonates a lightning body kick.
1.54: Rashad leg-kicks and Lyoto retaliates with a sweep that Rashad resists.
1.28: Lyoto fires a left kick as Rashad throws a left hand that results in a brief clinch. Rashad knees to the body and they break free.
1.00: Machida left kicks to the midsection and follows with a crisp left hand that puts Evans down. Machida follows up with a volley of right punches before Evans scrambles to his feet.
0.22: Machida flicks out an ankle tap with his right foot, then detonates a left high kick.
0.19: Evans cops a hard kick to the body.

Round Two
4.08: Lyoto kicks to the body again before clinching and locking in double underhooks.
4.00: The pair separates.
3.37: Lyoto inside leg-kicks.
3.27: He rushes Rashad with fists blazing, but Rashad replies with his own knuckle package that forces Lyoto to briefly retreat.
2.12: Rashad body-kicks.
1.30: There’s another heavy exchange as Machida tags Evans with a straight left and a rocking right uppercut that downs Evans. ‘The Dragon’ is smokin’ as he smells blood and closes in with a barrage of left and right hooks that all find a home on Evans’s jaw. The final left hook puts Evans away.