By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief UFC FIGHT NIGHT 24
MARCH 26, 2011
LIVE FROM SEATTLE, WASH. Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan open the show as always and run down the fights scheduled for tonight's two-hour broadcast. As with most Spike shows, we'll be inundated with commercials here early before the first fight. Should be some good action on the card tonight to make up for it though.
[Commercial Break]
FIGHT ONE: LEONARD GARCIA VS. "THE KOREAN ZOMBIE" CHAN SUNG JUNG (FEATHERWEIGHT) [Commercial Break]
ROUND ONE: Garcia landed a leg kick early. He threw a high kick but it was blocked. Jung landed a leg kick. Garcia fired up the overhand right but it didn't land. He landed a body kick shortly thereafter. He landed the right as Jung ducked in. Jung landed a nice right. Garcia pressed in an missed a punch. Jung landed a left hook and Garcia missed the counter. Jung tagged Garcia with a nice counter. Jung with another big combo. Garcia is missing and Jung is landing a lot more. Jung then got a takedown and tried to go after an arm. Jung grabbed a hold of the head, stood him up and landed a couple of knees and put Garcia on his back again. Jung landed a bunch of strikes, then passed to mount. Garcia gave up his back and ate a bunch of strikes as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Jung. He landed more strikes and got a couple of takedowns, good positions and ground work. Good start for him.
ROUND TWO: Jung landed a few early punches. Garcia missed the counters and probably scored with the judges. Garcia threw a flying knee and it was blocked. Jung landed some punches. He threw a knee of his own. Jung threw a high kick but Jung ducked under it and landed a nice leg kick. Jung landed a left and backed out. Jung landed a hard knee and Garcia countered with one of his own. Jung with a nice right. Garcia circled around as Jung walked him down. Jung landed an uppercut. He landed a flying knee. They threw simultaneous high kicks and Jung landed, dropping Garcia. Garcia threw an upkick but Jung got down into his guard. Jung rained down some big elbows in Garcia's guard. He postured up and Garcia gave up his back again. Jung got his hooks in but Garcia got one leg loose. Jung locked on a twister and as time was running out he forced Garcia to tap. That was freaking beautiful. Man that had to hurt.
[Commercial Break]
WINNER: Jung via submission (twister) at 4:59 of the second round
POST FIGHT: Jung said he felt he finally made it up to all the fans he let down through his first two fights in Zuffa. That was the first twister submission in UFC history. Jung said he had been watching Eddie Bravo's videos online for a long time and had told his teammates he'd pull that sub off in the UFC.
STAR RATING: (****-) That finish came with a second left, with a submission that had never been seen inside the Octagon before. It didn't have quite the sloppy fireworks the first fight did, but it was a better fight overall. Jung came to fight and pulled off something never seen before in the UFC, what more can you ask for? Just awesome stuff from "The Korean Zombie."
-Joe Rogan interviewed Jake Shields via satellite ahead of his UFC 129 title fight with Georges St. Pierre.
[Commercial Break]
-Another promo for The Ultimate Fighter 13. Starts this Wednesday at 9PM ET.
FIGHT TWO: AMIR SADOLLAH VS. DAMARQUES JOHNSON (WELTERWEIGHT) ROUND ONE: Sadollah walked Johnson down early and landed some inside leg kicks. Johnson threw some heavy shots but only landed a couple. Sadollah got caught with a high kick and Johnson took him down to side control. Sadollah scrambled and got to his feet. He landed a kick to the groin. Johnson wanted to keep going. Johnson landed a left but ate a leg kick. Johnson landed a couple of good strikes. Johnson caught a missed kick and dropped Sadollah. Johnson passed to half guard. Sadollah regained guard. Sadollah tried to work up towards a triangle but Johnson busted through into his guard and landed some short punches. Johnson continued to try to pass. He landed a nice elbow and stood up after Sadollah threatened a triangle. Johnson landed a couple of nice jabs as Sadollah came forward. Nice hook landed by Johnson. Sadollah landed a punch to the body and a push kick. He dropped Johnson though it looked like a slip. Johnson popped back up and went for a single leg. He landed a high knee in the clinch. Sadollah turned him on the cage and landed a knee to the body. Johnson landed an elbow. He then pulled off a nice throw into side control, but Sadollah got back to his feet. He dropped for a double leg and took Johnson down. Sadollah landed a right but Johnson did a good job of neutralizing him. He went for a triangle but ate a right as the round ended. Good start to this fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. Very close round, but Johnson got Amir to his back three times, landed some nice strikes and worked well on the ground. Sadollah scored some points but Johnson did more overall.
ROUND TWO: They came out and exchanged punches and kicks early. Johnson landed a nice left and a knee to the body. Sadollah got him to the cage. He landed a few knees on the cage and lit Johnson up with a combination of strikes. Johnson started throwing back and landed some good strikes of his own. He got his back off the cage and landed a couple of strikes. He got in a nice hook and another to the body. Johnson slipped at the cage and Sadollah came in for a clinch, landing a knee to the body. Sadollah sprawled a takedown attempt and landed a couple of knees to the body and Johnson rolled to half guard. Sadollah landed some nice elbows and teed off on Johnson with ground and pound. Sadollah is landing some big shots and nearly got to mount. Johnson gave up his back and Sadollah landed some knees to the body. These are vicious. Johnson somehow got to his feet and pressed Sadollah on the cage. He landed a knee to the body. Sadollah grabbed a body lock, took him down and moved to mount. He tied up Johnson's arm around his head and landed some hard elbows to the head and Mario Yamasaki was forced to stop it. Sadollah was relentless there. Johnson actually tapped to the strikes there.
WINNER: Sadollah via submission (strikes) at 3:27 of the second round
POST FIGHT: Sadollah said he was ecstatic for the win and thanked Johnson for taking this fight on two week's notice. He said he felt being aggressive would be his advantage. He said he's there not just to look good, but he wants to be the best and fight the best.
STAR RATING: (***+) That was an excellent fight. Johnson did some good work in the first round, but Sadollah drained him with those knees to the body in the second round, and finally just overwhelmed him. When he locked up Johnson's arm and started raining down the forearms Johnson simply couldn't get out of it and was forced to tap.
[Commercial Break]
-GSP is interviewed by Joe Rogan via satellite ahead of UFC 129.
FIGHT THREE: DAN HARDY VS. ANTHONY JOHNSON (WELTERWEIGHT) ROUND ONE: Johnson takes the center early as Hardy circles. Johnson landed the first strike with a low inside leg kick. He landed one to the outside. Hardy landed a kick. Johnson landed a nice jab. He threw a high kick and it dropped Hardy. He pounced and landed some strikes. Hardy scrambled and Johnson briefly went for a choke. Hardy worked up to his feet and avoided the knees from Johnson. Johnson then took him to the ground with a partial slam. So much for Johnson not wanting to go to the ground. Hardy threw his legs up high in the guard and tried to keep Johnson neutralized. Johnson landed a few hard strikes. Hardy continued to hold onto Johnson, hoping for a stand up. Johnson landed a couple of lefts. Hardy threw up for a triangle but Johnson threw his legs aside and dropped into half guard. Hardy grabbed Johnson's left arm for a kimura. Hardy got the arm free but couldn't torque it and Johnson broke free from the hold. Johnson landed a hammerfist as Hardy got back to guard. Johnson threw some punches to the body. He finished out the round in Hardy's guard.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. Hardy weathered the storm, now we'll see what Johnson's got left in the tank after his massive weight cut. He looks huge compared to Hardy and controlled him once the fight hit the ground.
ROUND TWO: Johnson came forward early, and didn't look any worse for wear at that point. He shot in and took Hardy down, and clearly this is not what Hardy was looking for in this fight. The crowd booed. Hardy went for an omoplata and Johnson powered out and landed a right. Hardy went for Johnson's arm again. Johnson threw some body punches as Hardy held onto the arm. Hardy couldn't get the arm loose and Johnson got his arm back and landed a number of strikes. Hardy again went after the arm to the boos of the crowd. Johnson passed to half guard. He landed a couple of hard elbows. Johnson's not doing much on top and the crowd is not liking this round.Johnson landed a number of punches in Hardy's guard and the crowd responded. Johnson with some body punches and he tried to appear busy. More boos from the crowd. The ref stood them up with 30 seconds left in the round. Johnson immediately shot in for a single leg. Hardy held it off and went for the kimura but Johnson stayed on the single leg and took him down as the round ended and the crowd is turning on the fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. He didn't do much with top position, but Hardy did even less. He's in big trouble heading into the third as he's well behind right now.
ROUND THREE: Hardy shot in for some reason, Johnson sprawled and put Hardy on his back. That was not smart. Hardy went for a kimura again on Johnson's other arm. Johnson got the arm out. Hardy landed some hammerfists and again went for the kimura. It hasn't worked for him all fight. Johnson continued to drag him down and then he took Hardy's back. Hardy got up to his feet. Johnson landed a few knees to the thighs. Johnson backed off and threw a head kick and a punch and backed off. He shot in and got Hardy's back. He got the hooks in and went for a choke but Hardy rolled through. Johnson kept his hooks in and landed some striked. Hardy's in a lot of trouble here and Johnson landed a few more punches. The crowd booed as Johnson stopped working. Johnson then locked the body triangle on and then moved to an arm triangle and moved to the side. Hardy got free from the position and Johnson moved to a neck crank. Hardy rolled through and almost took Johnson's back but time is quickly running out. Johnson just rode out the round in a modified headlock, landing some strikes to end the fight. Hardy was just dejected on the ground when Johnson got up.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Johnson. Smart gameplan from Johnson. Hardy's ground game is a major weakness right now, and Johnson exploited it to perfection while proving doubters wrong with his gas tank lasting him to the end. The crowd turned on the fight as they expected a stand up brawl, but Johnson fought smart and got the win. I don't know what happens with Hardy now, as his precipitous fall continues in his third straight loss.
WINNER: Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
STAR RATING: (**) Johnson turned it up in the second round, but that was far from the most thrilling fight. Johnson did absolutely what he needed to do to get the win, and the weight cut didn't effect him nearly as much as expected. Hardy thought he was coming into a different type of fight, and his lack of a ground game continues to be a major achilles heel. I just don't know what the UFC will do with him now that he's lost three straight.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FOUR: PHIL DAVIS VS. ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT) ROUND ONE: Both fighters felt each other out early, looking to find their range in the first minute. Davis landed a couple of kicks early. A head kick attempt went over Nogueira. Davis landed a hard kick up high and followed with a nice punch. Nogueira landed a nice right as Davis got in close. Davis shot in and went for a double leg. Nogueira held it off and Davis landed a series of hard knees on the cage before backing off. Nogueira stalked and missed a big overhand left. Davis threw a high kick and missed but landed another to the body. Davis shot in again and worked hard for a takedown but Nogueira held him off. Davis finally backed off. Davis threw a hard kick but Nogueira blocked it. Davis again shot but Nogueira stuffed it yet again. Nogueira barely missed the overhand left. Davis landed a body kick. Davis with two more kicks but Nogueira landed a counter punch that stumbled Davis briefly. Nogueira came forward again and Davis shot. Davis sent Nogueira to the ground but Nogueira popped back up and held off the shot again. Nogueira landed a straight left as he caught a kick. He landed a hard right and stuffed another takedown. They circled each other as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Davis. Nogueira's takedown defense was very impressive in the first round. Davis still scored more with his kicks and knees on the cage, but Nogueira's right in there on this one.
ROUND TWO: Davis went to the high kick again early and it was blocked. Davis grazed Nogueira with the right and avoided the counter. Davis landed a quick comnbo. Nogueira caught a kick and Davis slipped. Davis landed a hard body kick and backed out. Nogueira went back to stalking and landed a couple of punches. Davis shot in and got stuffed. Nogueira went to stalking and caught Davis with a combo. He landed another nice left. Davis is getting discouraged. Nogueira landed a left. Davis landed an inside leg kick. Davis shot for a single leg and finally completed the takedown. Nogueira kicked him off briefly but Davis got right back to him. Davis landed a hard right and dropped into Nogueira's guard. Nogueira did a great job o controlling Davis' wrists. He kicked Davis off and tried to rush to his feet and Davis stayed on him and got on his back. Nogueira got up but Davis dragged him back down and landed some hard strikes to Nogueira from over and under his arms. He continued the assault and added knees to the body and he stole back the round in the last two minutes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Davis. Nogueira was ahead early, but the finally completed takedown and ground and pound work took it for Davis.
ROUND THREE: Davis circled early. He avoided a couple early strikes and circled some more. He had a knee blocked and then a high kick. He shot for a single leg and got Nogueira down. He passed to half guard and Nogueira grabbed for his wrists. Davis tried to pass and Nogueira scrambled. Davis rushed right back at him and kept him on the ground. Nogueira rolled over to his back again. Davis landed a right. Davis passed to half guard and landed a short forearm. Nogueira kicked him off and got back to his feet. Davis circled and Nogueira stalked. They traded punches and Davis went for the single. Nogueira stuffed it. Davis landed a punch and shot for a single leg, again completing it. He got to half guard. He landed some punches to the body. Nogueira is simply running out of time now. Davis landed a right and got back into Nogueira's guard. Davis was content to keep Nogueira on his back and the crowd got a little restless. Davis postured up and landed a right and ended the fight on keeping Nogueira on his back.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Davis. Neither did a ton, but Davis taking Nogueira down and keeping him there was the most significant factor in the round. Davis should pick up the win, but it wasn't the most impressive fight or performance. Definitely Davis' toughest test to date, and he passed, but he's got plenty of room for improvement as well.
WINNER: Davis via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
POST FIGHT: Davis said he was battling injuries in the camp leading into the fight, and he knew Nogueira was tough.
STAR RATING: (**) A lot of that fight was simply too evenly matched, and Nogueira's takedown defense stifled a lot of what Davis tried to do early. His stellar ground game then kept Davis in check later in the fight. Davis picked up the win, and moves up the ladder, but he's not going to be challenging for the title anytime soon, so hopefully fans can put that on the back burner a bit and let him continue to progress and come along at his own pace.
-That's another event in the books. Thanks for joining us tonight, we'll have reactions and more to this event throughout the week as we head towards the month of April, the first Zuffa-owned Strikeforce events and the UFC's biggest event ever with UFC 129 in Toronto.
Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_PPVs_6/article_8881.shtml
Mauricio Shogun Rua Murilo Ninja Rua Marco Ruas Rodrigo Ruas Gabe Ruediger
The season premiere of 
It's bland, it's cramped, and it's home for Justin Wilcox. The Strikeforce lightweight sleeps on a bunk bed in a room above American Kicboxing Academy as he prepares to meet Rodrigo Damm in tonight's Showtime-televised main event of Strikeforce Challengers 15. The room is 7 feet by 10 feet, has a TV on the wall, and is piled with various odds and ends. "It's kind of like when Rocky gets isolated in Russia," Wilcox told MMAjunkie.com.
