Luke Rockhold staked his claim to a middleweight title shot in emphatic fashion, as he submitted former title contender Lyoto Machida with a rear-naked choke 2:31 into the second frame of their headlining clash at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Saturday night. With the dominant win, Rockhold’s knockout loss to Vitor Belfort feels more and more like a distant memory.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo Souza earned a predictably quick submission triumph over Chris Camozzi in the evening’s co-main event. “Jacare” secured the tapout via armbar at the 2:33 mark of the opening stanza in a bout that seemingly did little to advance the talented Brazilian’s standing in the division.