UFC Fight Night 24
March 26, 2011
Seattle, Washington, United States
Main Card
Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)
“Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (9 – 0 – 0) continued his undefeated streak by winning a unanimous decision over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19 – 5 – 0). Davis moves up 7 spots from #20 to #13. Phil Davis continues to pass the tests put in front of him, but still has some room for improvement before he steps up to the top tier of the division. A fight against #12 ranked Rich Franklin, #11 Ryan Bader, or a step up against #7 Forrest Griffin could be good tests for “Mr. Wonderful.”
“Lil Nog” drops down 4 spots, from #15 to #19. Nog has lost 2 fights in a row, so the next could be a must win for him to stay employed by the UFC. The original match between Nog and #23 ranked Tito Ortiz could still be done at this point, or a match against a fellow loser to Phil Davis, #21 ranked Alexander Gustafsson.
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Anthony Johnson (9 – 3 – 0) came back after a 16 month layoff and won a unanimous decision over Dan Hardy (23 – 9 – 0). Johnson, who was previously unranked, moves into #19. Anthony Johnson surprised some fans by not standing and trading on the feet with Hardy. Although not popular with the people in attendance, Johnson showed previously unused tools in his arsenal to ensure victory against the poor takedown defense of Hardy. Johnson has a myriad of possibilities for next opponent. Match ups against #22 Chris Lytle, #20 Mike Pierce, #18 Brian Ebersole or #17 Jake Ellenberger could all be interesting.
Dan Hardy moves down 8 spots from #19 to #27. Hardy has now lost 3 in a row, and is in danger of being cut by the UFC. If he is to stay, matches against #29 Nate Diaz, #26 Ricardo Almeida, #25 Paulo Thiago or #24 Matt Serra would all prove to be do or die contests for the competitors involved.
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Amir Sadollah (5 – 2 – 0) stopped DeMarques Johnson (12 – 9 – 0) by submission due to elbow strikes 3:27 into round 2. Sadollah leaps 27 spots forward from #65 to #38. Amir Sadollah showed he is ready for a step up in competition, and #37 Brian Foster or #33 John Hathaway could present that for the “Ultimate Fighter” season 7 winner.
Johnson drops 26 spots, moving from #51 to #77. DeMarques Johnson stepped in on two weeks notice and should be commended for this. The UFC rewards fighters who do this as well, so he has that in his favor. However, the former “Ultimate Fighter” cast member has lost two of his last three in the UFC and could be in danger of being cut if he loses his next fight. He should face #91 Anthony Waldburger (who also lost this night), #89 Charlie Brenneman, or #71 Carlos Eduardo Rocha next.
Featherweight (145 lbs)
Chan Sung Jung (11 – 3 – 0) twisted up Leonard Garcia (15 – 7 – 1) and gained the submission victory via twister at 4:59 of the 2nd round. Jung bounds 54 spots up from #88 to #34. Chan Sung Jung impressed the MMA world by forcing Garcia to tap to a very rare Eddie Bravo taught submission hold with only 1 second left in the round. Jung has done an amazing job of galvanizing the fans up to this point, and who he fights next could determine if he steps up to the next tier or gets forced back down the ranks again. Matches against #42 Raphael Assuncao, #39 Cub Swanson or #29 Josh Grispi could help us get a better idea where Jung stands.
Leonard Garcia drops 14 spots, moving from #33 to #47. Garcia is always entertaining, if a bit reckless in his style. He can put on a show with most opponents. He should face #49 Mackens Semerzier (coming off a win on this card) or #42 Raphael Assuncao (lost on this card) next.
Preliminary Bouts
Heavyweight (265 lbs)
Mike Russow (14 – 1 – 0) defeated Jon Madsen (7 – 1 – 0) by TKO due to doctors stoppage between rounds 2 and 3. Russow, who is now on a 10 fight win streak, moves up 3 spots from #21 to #18. Mike Russow is not pretty to look at or to watch fight, but he clearly is a very good fighter. He continues to move up the ranks, and should face #20 Matt Mitrione, #16 Cheick Kongo or #12 Brendan Schaub to see where he will truly stand in the division.
Jon Madsen moves 12 spots down the ranks from #40 to #52. Jon Madsen is perhaps in more danger than others to be cut after 1 loss due to his underwhelming fighting style. Two in a row should earn Madsen his walking papers, so he should face #53 Rob Broughton or #45 Pat Barry in what would be a must win fight for the “Ultimate Fighter” season 10 competitor.
Featherweight (145 lbs)
Mackens Semerzier (6 – 3 – 0) finished Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres (4 – 3 – 0) by rear naked choke at 3:18 of the 1st round. Semerzier moves up 5 spots up from #54 to #49. While Mackens Semerzier looked impressive against “Bruce Leroy,” that win broke a 3 fight losing streak he had carried in from WEC. Semerzier needs to win his next fight to prove he belongs in the UFC. Bouts against #47 Leonard Garcia or #62 George Roop could decide his fate.
Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres was not in the top #250 before this fight, and he remains unranked after the loss. If “Bruce Leroy” gets a chance to fight in the UFC again, he could be used to test an incoming prospect or import from Japan. Whoever he faces, it would be an absolute must win for Caceres.
Welterweight (170 lbs)
John Hathaway (15 – 1 – 0) won a split decision over “Ultimate Fighter” season 11 finalist Kris McCray (5 – 3 – 0). Although he won, Hathaway moves down 3 spots from #30 to #33 due to McCray being so much lower ranked than Hathaway. After losing a unanimous decision to Mike Pyle at UFC 120, John Hathaway’s momentum was significantly derailed. This fight did not do much to improve the standing of Hathaway, and he needs to keep winning if he wants to gain back the luster he has lost. There are many options for Hathaway’s next opponent, such as #38 Amir Sadollah, #37 Brian Foster or #35 Dennis Hallman. A Briton vs. Briton battle between Hathaway and #27 Dan Hardy could prove very exciting.
McCray makes a giant 271 spot leap up the rankings, moving from #467 to #196. Although outperforming expectations in many people’s eyes, McCray is 0 and 3 in the octagon. If not cut, McCray should face #301 James Wilks, #144 Duane Ludwig, or #77 DeMarques Johnson in a loser leaves town match.
Bantamweight (135 lbs)
Michael McDonald (12 – 1 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Edwin Figueroa (7 – 1 – 0). McDonald moves up 4 spots from #13 to #9. Michael McDonald has considerable momentum going after this win, and match ups like #15 Takeya Mizugaki, #12 Renan Barao or #7 Scott Jorgensen would surely be tantalizing to viewers.
Figueroa drops 15 spots from #45 to #60. The young bantamweight division is taking shape, and a new hierarchy is being formed. Edwin Figueroa should face #67 Damacio Page or #50 Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto to see where he belongs in the division.
Heavyweight (265 lbs)
Christian Morecraft (7 – 1 – 0) defeated Sean McCorkle (7 – 1 – 0) by technical submission (went unconscious) from a guillotine choke. Morecraft jumps up 40 spots from #133 to #93. Christian Morecraft, while looking imposing against McCorkle, is 1 and 1 in the UFC so victory in his next fight is quite important. He should next fight #77 Mark Hunt, #66 Joey Beltran or step up to face #52 Jon Madsen.
Sean McCorkle falls 51 spots down the ranks from #150 to #191. McCorkle has lost 2 in a row, and looked relatively vulnerable in both fights. McCorkle has personality and charisma, so he may stick around for one more fight. If he were to lose that fight, he would surely be sent packing. The only option for McCorkle’s next bout seems to be a bout with #66 Joey Beltran, as he is on a 2 fight slide as well. Perhaps a gate keeper type match testing an incoming prospect would be suitable as well.
Welterweight (170 lbs)
Johny Hendricks (10 – 1 – 0) blitzed Anthony “TJ” Waldburger (13 – 6 – 0) by earning a TKO due to punches 1:35 into the 1st round. Hendricks moves up 13 spots from #43 to #30. Johny Hendricks 9 fight undefeated streak was stopped in his fight with Rick Story prior to this one. Hendricks will attempt to start a new streak starting with Waldburger. He should face #33 John Hathaway, #29 Nate Diaz or #26 Ricardo Almeida next. Anthony Waldburger drops 30 spots from #61 to #91. Waldburger needs to come back strong after suffering a demoralizing loss in the fashion he did. Fights with unbeaten prospect #101 Pascal Krauss, #90 Matt Riddle or #77 DeMarques Johnson would decide whether “TJ” stays in the UFC.
Middleweight (185 lbs)
Aaron Simpson (8 – 2 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Mario Miranda (10 – 3 – 0). Simpson moves up 14 spots from #56 to #42. Aaron Simpson stopped a 2 fight losing streak with this win, so another win in his next fight is pretty essential for him to stay on the UFC roster. Matches against #41 Kyle Noke or #39 Jorge Rivera would make sense next. Mario Miranda drops 14 points from #69 to #83. Miranda has lost his last 2 fights, and has gone 1 and 3 in his UFC run. If he is not sent packing by the UFC back to Washington state, he should face #106 Rich Attonito, #101 Jesse Bongfeldt or #57 Tom Lawlor.
Lightweight (155 lbs)
Nik Lentz (21 – 3 – 2) submitted Waylon Lowe (10 – 4 – 0) via guillotine choke at 2:24 into round 3. Lentz moves up 16 spots from #38 to #22. Many people believe that Lentz did not deserve the decision against Tyson Griffin in their bout previous to this one. However, Lentz is on a 4 fight win streak, and this bout was his first time finishing his opponent inside the UFC. Nik Lentz should face either #26 Ben Henderson or #20 Gleison Tibau next. Waylon Lowe falls 26 points from #77 to #103. Lowe is 2 and 2 in the UFC, and had back to back wins previous to this loss. However, the lightweight division is perhaps the most talent rich division in the UFC, so it takes a lot less for a 155er to get cut than a middleweight. Lowe should face #45 Thiago Tavares, #97 Paul Kelly or #95 Paul Taylor next.
# of Fights @:
Heavyweight – 2
Light Heavyweight – 1
Middleweight – 1
Welterweight – 4
Lightweight – 1
Featherweight – 2
Bantamweight – 1