Details On Hardy's TNA Contract
Jeff Hardy actually signed a contract with TNA over a week ago. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but TNA officials are asking for roughly...
R1- Rua leads with a body kick and jumps right into Machida's clinch, taking several knees to the body in the process. Rua disengages and attempts to corner, but Machida escapes. Machida with kick to the body. Rua with inside leg kick. The two collide and Machida fires off a knee to the body before the two clinch against the cage. Action stalls. Rua with a swinging knee, then another. Machida breaks off the cage and escapes. Machida with kick to the body, eats a kick to the leg. Machida rushes in with knee and Rua catches him mid-air, pressing to the cage in the clinch. Rua working knees. Rua reels off a kick to the body after the two break off. Mahida starts bouncing but he looks a little tentative. The two trade leg kicks. Machida attempts to counter Rua's leg kick with a punch, no dice. Rua lands a punch as Machida attempts his own. Machida chops at Rua's leg as he advances. Round ends in a standoff.
R2- A lot of feints from both men as round gets started. Machida reels off front kick and takes a leg kick as he escapes. Machida switches stances and changes his mind. Rua chases in with a leg kick. Rua catches a left as he kicks. Machida with a kick to the body. Rua chases the champ down with a body kick. The two collide with kicks, and Machida reels off a knee as Shogun shoots. Machida stuffs it against the cage. Machida with leg kick. Rua nearly catches a leg as the two pass each other in center cage. Rua chases down a body kick. Machida with big kick to the body. Rua punches in and lands a body kick. Rua nearly meets a punch as e comes in with a head kick. Machida catches him mid-air with a left as he leaps in with a kick, but Shogun shrugs it off. Machida again attempts knee as Rua closes, but no dice. The two are locked up against cage. Rua works knees. Action stalls. Rua breaks off with a punch as the round ends.
R3- Rua chases in, but misses with punches as Machida escapes. Machida lands punch/kick combo and Rua repays with body kick of his own. Rua with body kick. Rua attempts lead left hook, nothing doing. A tactical battle, to be sure. Both fighters constantly sizing each other up. Machida goes with straight left but Rua's guard is solid. Rua dives in for takedown and works a few knees before being pushed back. They trade leg kicks. And again. Rua catches a punch as he kicks again. Rua punches in and kicks to finish, but nothing's really damaging the champ yet. The worst show of battle are their flanks, which are reddened from constant kicking. They finally corner each other and trade shots. Rua catches a few, but he also plasters the champ with a solid right that backs him away. Machida escapes and the two end the round in another staredown.
R4- More sparring as the round gets started with feints and the occasional leg kick from Rua. If ever there was a human chess match, this is it. Rua again nearly pays with his chin as he comes in with kick. Machida slips on the canvas and Rua charges in for a takedown. Machida applies the “Asian Dart” and rebuffs his foe. Rua comes in again with a kick, but this time applies a plumb after the inevitable counter from Machida. It isn't held for long though, Machida is on his bicycle. Rua chases Machida around the cage with same attack as always. Machida shrugs it off and continues moving. Round ends in standoff.
R5- Machida checks a Rua kick to start off. Rua charges in with body kick. Machida returns with knee to body as Rua advances. Rua lands huge kick to Machida's body. Rua distracts with punches and gets another body kick. Rua with another body kick. Machida returns, but catches a kick to the leg. Rua charges in and meets air. The two lock up after doing the same dance they've been doing the entire fight. Ref Herb Dean separates them. Rua lands kick to body. Rua lands punch-elbow combination off a lock up, the most significant in the round. Machida is bringing the same weapons in each exchange��"a straight left and left knee to the body. Rua has locked into these, though, and the results are less than exciting. Rua seems to have one attack that's working, and he's working it: kicks to the body and legs. Rua chases him down the two trade briefly before the round ends to the boos of the audience.
All three judges score it 48-47 Lyoto Machida….audience boos
