LAS VEGAS - Featherweight champion Jose Aldo retained his title with a victory over Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC 156 on Saturday night.
Aldo used his precise striking and effective leg kicks to neutralize the constant pressure from the former lightweight champion, winning a unanimous decision for his 15th consecutive victory.
Aldo looked solid in the first three rounds, controlling the fight and landing the more significant strikes. Edgar pressed forward in the final two periods, trying to spark a change in momentum, but the Brazilian champion was too elusive.
The judges' scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 in favor of Aldo, who improved to 22-1. Edgar, who is from Toms River, N.J., fell to 14-4-1.
In the co-main event, heavy underdog Antonio Rogerio Nogueira earned a unanimous decision victory over former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. Nogueira controlled the match with superior striking and wrestling defense, and all three judges scored the bout 29-28.
On the undercard, heavyweight Alistair Overeem's hopes for a title fight were derailed when Antonio Silva earned a surprise third-round TKO. Demian Maia won his fourth in a row with a unanimous decision over perennial welterweight contender Jon Fitch, and former title contender Joseph Benavidez won a battle of highly ranked flyweights with a unanimous decision over Ian McCall.
