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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum steps inside the cage tonight (Sat., May 14, 2016) against Stipe Miocic at UFC 198 from the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. He will look to defend his title for the first time in front of 40,000 screaming Brazilian fans.
The main card will also feature matchups between Vitor Belfort vs. Ronaldo Souza, Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith, Mauricio Rua vs. Corey Anderson, and Warlley Alves vs. Bryan Barberena. But before the main card begins a portion of the event's "Prelims" undercard will take place on FOX Sports 1 starting at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Find out what happened right here as the "Prelims" recaps roll in live:
Maia (23-6) once again proved that being a one-trick pony can work in the UFC, as long as that one trick is the best grappling repertoire in the game. Unfortunately for the always exciting striker Brown (20-14), he was never really able to get anything going on the feet. It was all Maia, all day. Perfectly timed takedowns and world-class transitions were the Brazilian's weapons of choice, as he stuck to Brown's back for the majority of the fight en route to earning the third-round submission win. At this point in time, Maia's ground game may simply be unstoppable at the Welterweight level.
Grappling beast Demian Maia does it again! A beautiful rear naked choke gets him a win over Matt Brown. #UFC198 https://t.co/MxEyI0fMj1
— FS1 (@FS1) May 15, 2016
Thiago Santos vs. Nate Marquardt
It didn't take Santos (13-3) all that long to utilize his reach, get inside on Marquardt, and finish the veteran with strikes en route to earning a first-round knockout. With exceptional range, power, versatility, and an understanding of Octagon movement, Santos looks like a true wrecking machine at 185 pounds. The Brazilian extends his divisional win streak to four. As for Marquardt (34-16-2), this is the fourth time in his past seven fights that he has lost via strikes. At 37 years of age, there isn't much room for improvement for Marquardt.
Vicious knockout win for Thiago Santos! What a devastating display of Muay Thai striking! #UFC198 https://t.co/jyjSKxHJcJ
— FS1 (@FS1) May 15, 2016
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Yancy Medeiros
Medeiros (12-4) is one tough cookie. That's usually what happens when training with Nick and Nate Diaz. But despite his ability to ward of the powerful advancements of Trinaldo (20-4) in the first round, and landing his own punishment in Round 2, the Hawaiian simply could not outpoint the Brazilian down the stretch. Both Lightweight fighters showcased unbelievable chins, heart, and the overall ability to put the pressure on when the opportunity presented itself. While Medeiros landed vicious body blows throughout the fight, it was Trinaldo's powerful combinations on the feet that earned him the unanimous decision victory. Trinaldo has now won six fights in a row.
Yancy Medeiros is CRAZY tough #UFC198 https://t.co/EgFgbDM1qI
— FS1 (@FS1) May 15, 2016
With a considerable reach advantage, Font (12-2) was supposed to limit Lineker's effectiveness inside. But it was the Brazilian who was able to dictate the action on the feet with blistering body shots, looping power punches, lower leg kicks, and powerful ground-and-pound. Lineker (27-7) nearly ended the fight at the end of the third round with a barrage of strikes and one submission attempt, but ultimately had to settle for the unanimous decision victory. One judge even scored the fight 30-26 for Lineker. The heavy-handed Brazilian moves to 2-0 in the Bantamweight division and proved at UFC 198 that he's more than ready for a run at the title.
Now THAT is how you end a fight with authority! #LinekerSmash #UFC198 https://t.co/BduLUAuUPD
— FS1 (@FS1) May 15, 2016
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