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Chris Weidman withstood his first real brush with adversity.

Weidman kept his grasp on the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown with a unanimous decision over Lyoto Machida in the UFC 175 headliner on July 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. All three judges scored it for the unbeaten Weidman: 49-45, 48-47 and 49-46.

Relentless forward movement, an active kicking game and multiple takedowns provided Weidman with the path to victory. He dictated much of the first 15 minutes, as he took away the Brazilian’s lateral movement with constant pressure and opened a cut near Machida’s right brow with a right hand in the third round. “The Dragon” made his move in the fourth, where he began to reap the rewards from his commitment to body kicks. The champion slowed just enough to afford Machida the opportunities he needed to get back in the fight.

In the fifth round, Weidman showed his mettle. The Serra-Longo Fight Team representative battled through fatigue, staggered Machida with a standing elbow and delivered his final takedown. Weidman briefly achieved mount before transitioning to the challenger’s back and applying some healthy ground-and-pound. A finish did not develop, but a hard-fought win was sealed. Machida’s last-second volley fell short, as he failed to become just the third man in UFC history to win championships in two weight classes.

The Weidman-Machida battle was a hot topic on the Sherdog.net forums:

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

STANDING FIRM

CREDIBILITY ISSUE

MATTER OF RECORD

FIGHTING WORDS