Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was back on pay-per-view this past Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2012) with UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes," featuring Jose Aldo successfully defending his featherweight championship with a first round knee tap knockout victory over Chad Mendes.
Vitor Belfort also impressed with his rear-naked choke submission victory over Anthony Johnson, much to the thrill of the Brazilian faithful at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. "The Phenom" took another step up the middleweight ladder while "Rumble" finds himself unemployed after his weight cutting debacle.
And that's not even mentioning Edson Barboza, who crashed Terry Etim's party with a wheel kick that had the British banger doing his best Michael Bisping impression circa UFC 100. We're talking out cold, falling flat, empty stare, lights on but nobody's home knockout.
In cased you missed any or all of it -- or just want to keep the discussion alive -- below are links to all the major storylines borne from Saturday night's event in Brazil.
In we go.
UFC 142: "Aldo vs. Mendes"
Results and live fight coverage
Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes fight video highlights
FX "Prelims" results and recap
Fight recap: Edson Barboza head kick knocks out Terry Etim
Fight recap: Carlo Prater gets disqualification win over Erick Silva due to illegal blows
Fight recap: Rousimar Palhares submits Mike Massenzio in the first round
Fight recap: Vitor Belfort chokes out Anthony Johnson
Fight recap: Jose Aldo knocks out Chad Mendes
Fight review and analysis: Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
Fight review and analysis: Erick Silva vs. Carlo Prater
Fight review and analysis: Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Massenzio
Fight review and analysis: Vitor Belfort vs. Anthony Johnson
Fight review and analysis: Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes
UFC 142 post-fight fallout
What's next for Jose Aldo and Vitor Belfort?
UFC 142 was about building towards the future, not instant gratification
Questionable refereeing showed need for consistency, clarification
Jose Aldo's star rises with pound-for-pound worthy performance in Brazil
Jose Aldo jumps in the crowd to celebrate his win with fans
Dana White cuts Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson wasn't hurt by Vitor Belfort, he was just tired
Rousimar Palhares is ready to join the middleweight elite
Edson Barboza is ready for the next level
NFL Playoffs (In case you Maniacs want to read my top flight coverage of the Divisional Round games)
San Francisco defeats New Orleans 36-32 in the best NFL playoff game ever
New England destroys Denver 45-10 and ends Tim Tebow's Cinderella run
Baltimore squeaks by Houston 20-13 to advance to AFC Championship Game
New York shocks Green Bay 37-20 at Lambeau Field
That, my friends, should be enough to keep you talking -- at least for the time being. What gets your vote for the biggest story coming out of UFC 142?
Sound off, Maniacs.