UFC Fight Night 24 Main Card Breakdown
This weekend, The UFC makes its way to Seattle, Washington for the next installment of Fight Night with UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis live from the Kay Arena. Unlike previous Fight Night’s in the past, this one is taking place during the weekend instead of during the week and leading up to the premiere of The Ultimate Fighter. After numerous fight changes leading up to the event, the fight card has been finalized. Let’s take a look and breakdown the main card fights that will be aired live on Spike TV.
The first bout on the broadcast, in the Featherweight Division, is a rematch between “The Korean Zombie” Chang Sung Jung (10-3) and Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia (15-6-1). Originally, Garcia was supposed to have a rematch with Nam Phan, but just weeks before the event Phan had to pull out due to a broken foot. In their first meeting, at WEC 48, not only did it end with a controversial decision, but they also picked up the Fight of the Night bonus. Since that fight, Jung suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of George Roop. Garcia, on the other hand, lost a close decision to Mark Hominick and picked up another controversial decision and Fight of the Night bonus against Phan. Hopefully in this rematch, it won’t end so controversially and they put on as great of a show as they did the first time around.
Up next is a Welterweight bout between Amir Sadollah (4-2) and DaMarques “Darkness” Johnson (12-8). When the card was first announced, Sadollah was scheduled to face Duane Ludwig. However, Ludwig was forced to pull out due to a sternum injury and was replaced by TUF 9 winner, James Wilks. Unfortunately, Wilks also had to pull out and DaMarques Johnson, TUF 9 Runner-Up, was called on to fill in for him. When asked if the opponent change messed with his game planning, Sadollah credited his time on The Ultimate Fighter with helping him to be able to prepare for any fight at a moment’s notice. Johnson’s answer was along the same lines, as he is stepping in on just two weeks’ notice. With both men looking to regain their relevance in the division, a win here could definitely put the back on the radar and earn them another step up in competition.
The Co-Main Event of the evening, and the only bout on the main card that is going down as planned, is a Welterweight contest between Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy (23-8-1) and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (8-3). In the weeks leading up to the fight, the two have engaged in some playful trash talk on Twitter. Hardy claimed that it would be the first time that Johnson came into the fight as the smaller man, while at open work outs Johnson would not reveal his current weight. With both men coming off a loss, two for Hardy, a win will definitely ensure their safety within the company and might move them back towards the title picture. Hardy and Johnson aren’t known for their ground game, so this fight could very well end up earning the Fight of the Night or Knockout of the Night bonus.
The highly anticipated Main Event features Antonio Rogerio “Minotouro” Nogueira (19-4) facing off against rising prospect Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (8-0) in the Light Heavyweight division. Little Nog is coming off his first UFC loss at the hands of Ryan Bader and is looking to get back on the winning track. Davis, on the other hand, is riding a big wave of momentum, coming off the biggest win of his career. In his defeat of Tim Boetsch, he not only showcased his improving skill set, but coined a new submission (The Mr. Wonderful- a modified Kimura). A win over Little Nog would not only prove his legitimacy, but it would also move him closer to a title shot. Will Little Nog stop the fast-rising superstar that is Mr. Wonderful or can Davis give Nog back-to-back losses for the first time in his career?
As has become the norm, there will be preliminary fights aired on the UFC’s Facebook page. However, instead of the usual two fights being shown, users on The Underground, a popular MMA forum, have convinced Dana White to show three additional fights. Starting at 8PM ET/5PM PT, hop on Facebook to see Sean McCorkle vs. Christian Morecraft, Michael McDonald vs. Edwin Figueroa, John Hathaway vs. Kris McCray, John Madsen vs. Mike Russow and Alex Caceres vs. Mackens Sermerzier. Immediately afterwards, turn your TVs to Spike TV to catch the main card fights.
Also make sure to follow us on Twitter, @MMAValor, for all your fight results and join us in the chatroom to talk about the fights as they happen.
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About the Author (Author Profile)
Aspiring chef turned MMA writer after financial issues prevented me from pursuing my first dream. Ever since I started watching MMA, I've read up about it and talk about it all the time and with the encouragement of family and friends I finally decided to actively pursue a career in writing about it.Subscribe
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