Belfort gets quick UFC 133 win over Akiyama

Belfort showed off the punching power that he became known for early in his MMA career, knocking out Yoshihiro Akiyama in just 1:52 in the co-main event at UFC 133.

Belfort knocked him to the ground with a right, then followed up with a flurry of body and face punches until Akiyama fell to the ground. Belfort then finished with two more strikes until Akiyama went limp and the bout was stopped.

This was Belfort's first fight since losing in a title bout to Anderson Silva at UFC 126. In that bout, Belfort was knocked out with a front kick, but he didn't show any signs of wear tonight.

[ Watch Belfort-Akiyama highlights]

"I feel great. I feel like if he hadn't landed that kick, that's what would have happened to him," Belfort said of Silva in the cage after the fight.

He started with the UFC back in 1997, and was nicknamed the Phenom because of how he blew through so many top fighters. After a stint in PRIDE and other promotions, he returned to the UFC to knock out Rich Franklin, but then hit some injuries. After the loss to Silva, fight fans were left to wonder if he could return to his original form.

With this win, he leaves little doubt that he can, as he looked like the man who would blow through opponents like Wanderlei Silva and Randy Couture.

As for Akiyama, this is his third loss in a row in the UFC. His one win was a close split decision over Alan Belcher at UFC 100. After a fantastic career with K-1, he never quite reached his potential in the Octagon.

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Video analysis: Iole examines the future of Fedor

Fedor Emelianenko lost his thirst straight fight on Saturday night. The former king of PRIDE is only 34, but his career is at a crossroads. Or is it over? Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole checked in to talk about Fedor's future.

Emelianenko is even big news to casual sports fans. KSNV, the NBC television affiliate in Las Vegas, gave Cagewriter some TV time to preview UFC 133 and speak about the fall of "The Last Emporer."

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Ronda Rousey Beats Sarah D'Alelio; Steve Mazzagatti at Center of Controversy

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Ronda Rousey continues her sizzling start to MMA.Former U.S. Olympian Ronda Rousey won her first Strikeforce fight in short order Friday night, beating Sarah D'Alelio with an arm bar in just 25 seconds. Unfortunately, Rousey's performance isn't what everyone will be talking about.

Instead, the story of the fight was that referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight even though D'Alelio didn't tap out.

Rousey used her world-class judo technique to take D'Alelio down and sink in an armbar at the start of the first round, but D'Alelio seemed poised and ready to fight off the arm bar, and she did not tap out. Surprisingly, Mazzagatti stepped in and stopped the fight anyway.




Afterward, Rousey and D'Alelio offered differing accounts of what happened: Rousey claimed that D'Alelio verbally submitted by saying, "tap, tap." D'Alelio said she did no such thing. Mazzagatti did not give a post-fight interview to explain what happened.

UFC President Dana White has called Mazzagatti the worst referee in MMA, and Mazzagatti has been widely derided by MMA fighters, media and fans. This incident will do nothing to change that.

 

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Kennedy avoids the big shot and gets win over Lawler

Tim Kennedy was open for the upset, but Robbie Lawler never put things together during any of the three rounds. Lawler, a good striker with one-punch knockout power, simply relied too much on throwing single shots and allowed Kennedy to dictate the pace. That won with the judges as Kennedy got a unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all cards.

Kennedy (14-3) pushed forward the entire fight and took some abuse for doing so. A Lawler uppercut in the second opened a nasty gash.

"He bloodied me up for [charging forward], I'm glad the judges see that this is just blood. I get cut all the time so get over it. It just happens. I'm gonna fight until the end of the fight," Kennedy, an Army Ranger who served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Robbie Lawler is an amazing athlete and I was humbled to be in the cage with him. The guy hits pretty hard."

Lawler (18-8, 1 NC) does hit like a truck, but attempting 39 strikes in 15 minutes just wasn't going to cut it. Kennedy sealed the win by landing 4-of-12 takedowns. He jumped out to 2-0 lead in the fight by maintaining top control for much of the second round. In all, he landed 40-of-68 shots on the ground.

Kennedy provided a nice moment for war hero Mike Schlitz. The 14-year Army veteran had all of his limbs blown off in combat. Schlitz watched the fight cage side and came into the cage following the fight where he got a standing ovation.

Schlitz helped establish a "GallentFew." It's "a nationwide mentor network that helps our veterans transition from military service to successful civilian careers, assisting veterans with professional, social, emotional and physical needs."

Kennedy's won 6-of-7 fights. The only loss during that run was a title fight against Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

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MMA Marketplace: The Ukulele Fighter? Sure, why not

The majority of MMA gear on the market espouses a more violent, angry feel. That look is not for every fight fan, so for those who like the beach and the cage, check out the Ukulele Fighter.

A hula girl dancers who will punch you in the face, sumo wrestlers fighting over a ukulele and other South Pacific-themed shirts fill their line. They're fun, if not a little Abercrobmie-esque. A variety of colors is available for each shirt, and you can purchase them for less than $20 each.

Thanks to reader Alan Anderson for pointing out these shirts. If you have a suggestion for MMA Marketplace, please contact Cagewriter here.

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Philly?s finest BHop drills Evans on slick boxing

Bernard Hopkins hasn't always been a big fan of mixed martial arts, but like many boxers he's coming around to understand and respect the sport. BHop admits that just his boxing alone wouldn't carry him in an MMA fight. On the flip side, most MMA fighters certainly respect the hands and foot work of great boxers.

If he wasn't already on the list, add Rashad Evans to the group that has a healthy respect for boxers. On UFC 133 workout day in Philadelphia, Evans got a visit this week from the 46-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Hopkins is one of the best defensive fighters in the history of boxing. He showed Evans the importance of rolling the shoulder and tucking your chin. Hopkins also drilled Evans on how to throw the right hand with more momentum. It's pretty neat stuff. Take some time to watch the master explain his craft.

You can watch UFC 133 right here on Yahoo! Sports

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