Tonight at 10 PM ET on Spike TV, the Ultimate Fighting Championship presents “Ultimate Fight Night 24: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis” from Seattle, Washington and your good friends here at Inside Fights will have all the live coverage that your heart desires. KeyArena will play host to the event which also hosts Saturday’s Spike TV and Facebook event. The main event of the evening is a light heavyweight encounter between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis.
UFC is broadcasting many of the preliminary fights on their Facebook page (http://facebook.com/UFC) as well and those fights will be broadcast at 7:30 PM ET.
Hello, Chris Roberts here for the Facebook prelims which are just about to kick off…
Christian Morecraft vs. Sean McCorkle
Round 1-Dancing to start, Morecraft charges ahead and pushes McCorkle up against the cage. In the clinch Morecraft is working hard for the takedown but can’t quite secure it. McCorkle reverses things and gets a surprise takedown of his own. Morecraft has a sloppy looking full guard, McCorkle begins to work over the body. Morecraft grabs a leg and starts going for some sort of knee bar. He rolls McCorkle over and starts cranking but can’t get enough leverage. Morecraft ends up in top poistion, they scramble and Morecraft again is on top and McCorkle is in half guard. Morecraft hits with a series of elbows to McCorkle’s head. Morecraft stands up, McCorkle dares him to come to the ground, the crowd boos. Morecraft won’t let him stand, the ref shows no interest in standing up the stalled action. Morecraft takes the back and wails away, McCorkle rolls and Morecraft takes side control. Morecraft continues to dominate landing some vicious elbows to end the round. 10-9 Morecraft.
Round 2- Morecraft instantly backs McCorkle up against the cage and starts to grind. He backs away and a slugfest breaks out. Morecraft wrestles things back to the ground and is really dominating McCorkle. His ground and pound opens up a gash on McCorkle’s forehead. Morecraft stands back up but when McCorkle goes for the standup he gets hit with some fists. Back to the clinch against the cage with Morecraft dominating the action. Then Morecraft lands a knee below the belt and the action is stopped. McCorkle takes the time to catch his breath which the crowd does not appreciate. The fight starts up again. The two exchange some boxing. McCorkle goes for the takedown but Morecraft grabs a nasty looking guillotine. It looks really deep and in a matter of seconds McCorkle passes out and the fight is over.
Christian Morecraft def. Sean McCorkle via 2nd Round submission (4:10)
Bantamweight Bout
Michael McDonald vs. Edwin Figueroa
Round 1- The two come out throwing bombs. McDonald getting the best of it but Figueroa isn’t backing down or showing any sings of damage. McDonald is going almost exclusievly with his right. The action is extremely fast paced thus far. Leg kick from McDonals. High kick from Figeroa that misses. Another leg kick from McDonald. McDonald lands a massive shot to Figueroa’s chin but the two just keep pressing on. Superman punch from Figueroa, misses, McDonald swarms him afterwards. Inside leg kick from Figueroa. Modified double leg takedown for McDonald, into full guard. He postures up and lands a right then quickly stands up. Figueroa follows him there. Half hearted front kick from Figueroa. The two go back in and right at the bell McDonald hammers him with a two punch combo. Figueroa is dazed as he heads back to his corner. 10-9 McDonald.
Round 2- Big kick to the face from Figueroa but McDonald catches him and takes him down. From there he quickly works his way around back and begins to work on a rear naked choke. He seems to have it in but then loses it, still there is 3 minutes left in the round. Figueroa spins out of it and takes the top but McDonald has something of a triangle on. It looks to be good but then Figueroa squeezes out of it and is in top position. He lands a few punches and elbows though nothing too devastating. McDonald goes again for the triangle. Figueroa tries to slam his way out of it but McDonald has a death grip on his arm. Rogan makes a casual Fedor reference. Figueroa gets out again. Figueroa stalls on top as the round winds downs. Figueroa stands up and starts to rain punches, then he tries a guillotine and tries to take the back but there is simply not enough time. 10-9 McDonald.
Round 3- Figueroa comes out throwing big punches. He lands some to the body, McDonald is no worse for wear. McDonald hits with a big right hook. Then he lands a quick 1-2 combo. A big slugfest breaks out on the cage, McDonald lands a big punch that dazes Figueroa but he keeps swinging through it. McDonald slows things down by grabbing and securng a takedown. McDonald passes the guard, then stands up and Figueroa is right behind him.. McDonald drives in hard and gets another double leg takedown, racking up insurance points at this point. Figueroa counters and moves to the top in side control. Once again Figueroa has trouble executing from the top. McDonald tries to steal an armbar but Figueroa escapes and stands up. Figueroa comes rushing in with a big knee. He follows that with a head kick. McDonald gets yet another double leg takedown, 30 seconds left in the fight. McDonald lands a punch or two but he’s pretty much killing the clock. 10-9 McDonald, 30-27 McDonald on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Michael McDonald def. Edwin Figueroa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Welterweight Bout
Kris McCray vs. John Hathaway
Round 1- McCray goes for a tie up early Hathaway slips away from it. Boxing breaks out, McCray ties him up against the cage but can’t wrestle things to the mat. McCray gets the takedown but Hathaway grabs a knee bar then starts to torque the foot. McCray clearly not happy and begins to pound away, he gets out of it and ends up in top position. Hathaway tries to wall walk his way out of it but McCray is grinding him downward. McCray starts to lands some shots to the face and Hathaway returns fire. They exchange knees, McCray flips him over for a nice looking takedown. Back to their feet, McCray still in control and is pushing up against Hathaway. And another takedown for McCray believe it or not. He lands a weak elbow to the face and Hathaway continues to be busy from the bottom. An elbow of his own from Hathaway. Then another that looks like it hurt. Hathaway tries to stand up but McCray kills him with a kick to the body. 10-9 McCray.
Round 2- Hathaway lands a nice right on the chin. McCray trying to get back to where they were last round. Single leg takedown for Hathaway but McCray pops back up. Another right from Hathaway. Something of a takedown from McCray but he lands in a triangle. Hathaway switches it to an armbarm but McCray easily steps out of it. McCray on top now landing shots though they don’t have a lot of authority behind them. Hathaway is in full gurad and starts to work on the elbows again. The action moves to the feet. They exchange knees again. McCray goes for a single leg but settles for pushing his opponent up against the cage. His size really seems to be working to his advantage here. Hathaway returns fire by gaining control of the clinch and pushing McCray up against the cage. He begins working him over from there. McCray lands a stiff right. McCray goes for a double leg but it is stuffed. Hathaway gets a single leg but McCray instantly flips it once on the ground. 10-9 McCray.
Round 3- Hathaway opens with a single leg takedown. He starts landy weak little blows to the head of McCray though he does seem to have control of the body. McCray doing his best to stay busy from the bottom but he is getting beat up here. Hathaway is probably going to need a finish here though the first two rounds were close. More of the same as Hathaway remains on top and landing shots on McCray. He tries to pass but isn’t having a ton of luck. McCray flips it and ends up on top. Hathaway backs up against the cage and again tries to wall walk his way out of it. Right now Hathaway is landing more from the bottom than McCray is. Hathaway gets back to his feet, 90 seconds left. Another takedown from Hathaway. Full guard for McCray but it is only stopping some of the shots. Hathaway moves into half guard and continues to pound. Hathaway pushes him up against the cage and gets another single leg takedown and lands a few shots to end the fight. 10-9 Hathaway. 29-28 McCray on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Will be interesting to see which way the judges go on this one because the first two rounds were close and the 3rd round could have been a 10-8.
John Hathaway def. Kris McCray via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Featherweight Bout
Alex Caceres vs. Mackens Semerzier
Round 1- The two start off exchanging blows with Semerzier getting th best of it. He then moves in for a takedown, Caceres isn’t easy to go down, fights it off for a bit but finally hit the mat. Semerzier seems intent on passing his guard and does. From there he quickly slaps on a body triangle and then also goes for a rear naked choke. It only takes a few moments, Bruce Leroy looks off his game here tonight, before he earns the victory via submission.
Mackens Semerzier def. Alex Caceres via 1st Round Submission (3:18)
Heavyweight Bout
Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow
Round 1- Madsen lands an early right. Russow charges in, Madsen backs up and swings. Russow hits with a beautiful 1-2 combo. Russow comes with another combo and tries to parlay it into a takedown, no luck however. Russow lands another shot to the face of Madsen. Madsen starts swinging now but can’t get anywhere with it. More ugly boxing from the two heavyweights. Limp leg kick from Madsen. Quick tie up along the cage. Russow continues his strategy of charging with fists and then going fro a takedown but he has yet to get one yet. Russow gets Madsen up against the cage, the crowd, predictably starts to boo but who cares about them. Madsen lands a heavy shot in the final seconds of the round. 10-9 Russow.
Round 2- Feeling out process goes on a while in the early seconds here. Russow pushes ahead and once again has Madsen up against the cage. Madsen pushes back and swings. Russow wrestles him to the ground and takes his back though Madsen squirms away from it. Madsen’s eye is a mess. Russow grabs another takedown and starts landing big shots from behind. Madsen seems to be running out of steam. Madsen is in a kneeling position but squashed up against the cage with Russow landing knees to the body. Russow starts to work on a guillotine choke. The ref stands them up, I’m guessing because of the boos. Madsen comes in with a big knee. Tie up for the two big men and the action has stalled…pretty much what we expected from these two. Another break from the ref, the crowd is about to go into cardiac arrest. Russow grabs a choke and wrestles things to the ground. There he kills the clock and lands a few shots. 10-9 Russow.
After the round the ringside physician calls the fight due to the swollen shut eye on Jon Madsen. There is some debate as to whether it was caused by a headbutt or a punch.
Mike Russow def. Jon Madsen via 2nd Round TKO (5:00)
Featherweight Bout
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
Round 1- Garcia looks to be the biger of the two as the bell sounds. Leg kicks from Jung to open. Garcia throws a killer body kick that is semi-blocked. Big right from Garcia. Jung comes forward but misses. Garcia returns fire but also has limited luck. Hook from GarciaGarcia is certainly pushing the pace. The two exchange shots to the face, Garcia is throwing really heavy here tonight. Leg kick from Jung. More crazy excahnges from these two, Jung gets a trip and ends up on top. He moves to North South and grabs an armbar. Garcia rolls to get out of it but is still on the bottom. Jung lands a knee then Rogan finds questionable. Jung moves past the guard into side control, then full mount and then takes the back. Crazy close round with Jung taking the 2nd half, we’ll go 10-9 Jung by a hair.
Round 2– Slow start to begin, both competitors look apprehensive to push forward. Lots of leg kicks from Jung. Everything in the standup position so far in this fight. Garcia is still the more aggressive of the two though he seems to be getting a little wild with his punches. Jung catches Garcia with a shot to the face, Garcia retreats backwards. Jung comes in with a knee and then a kick that sends Garcia down. The announce team is totally obsessed with the first fight. Jung is on top and hands a big elbow. He then rolls around and takes the back of Garcia and gets a hook in. Then with only a few seconds left he grabs a twister and forces Garcia to tap.
Chan Sung Jung def. Leonard Garcia via 2nd Round Submission (4:59)
Welterweight Bout
Amir Sadollah vs. DaMarques Johnson
Round 1– Big fist fight to start. During it Johnson goes for a big head kick but slips to the mat, Sadollah capitalizes and gets on top. More boxing, Johnson is landing with his left. A kick by Sadollah misses and Johnson gets on top and passes into half guard. Johnson starts to land elbows from the top. He’s backs up into full guard and then Sadollah manages to get back to his feet. Sadollah moves in and hammers Johnson with a fist that knocks him back against the cage. In the clinch against the cage, big judo throw by Johnson. It doesn’t take long for Sadollah to get back to his feet and take Johnson down. He keeps him on the mat for the rest of the round but can’t do too much damage with the small amount of time remaining. 10-9 Johnson in a round that could go either way.
Round 2– Johnson seems to be relying on his knees early on. Against the cage a brutal exchange goes down with both men landing big shots to the face and body. Sadollah gets the better of it however. Sadollah lands a shot and Johnson slips again. Sadollah gets Johnson pinned against the cage and starts landing dangerous looking elbows. He stands up and continues to pummel him. He lands knees to the body and Johnson looks to be in trouble. Johnson somehow gets to his feet but is still pressed against the cage. Johnson looks to be totally gassed. Sadollah takes him down again and this time he takes his back. Johnson rolls to his side and Sadollah begins to land punches and elbows to the face. He switches it up to all elbows and blood starts to flow. After a few more Johnson taps and the ref steps in and calls off the fight and awards it to Sadollah.
Amir Sadollah def. DaMarques Johnson via 2nd Round Submission (3:27)
Welterweight Bout
Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson
Round 1– Inside leg kick from Johnson to start. And another. Jab from Johnson. Huge High kick from Johnson that knocks Hardy down. Johnson pounces, can’t finish. Johnson goes for a front choke. Hardy stands up but Johnson grabs him by his leg and drives him to the mat. Now Johnson is in Hardy’s high guard. Johnson pushes through it and lands two gigantic shots to Hardy’s face. Obviously the crowd now has a USE chant going, they must be proud. After a rest period Johnson throw some more punches. Hardy goes for a triangle but Johnson is wise to it. Johnson gets his arm tied up and Hardy tries going for a kimura but cannot. Hardy gets double underhooks and tries to slip out the back door but is stuffed. The first round ends with Johnson on top. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 2– Hardy swings and Johnson gets an easy double leg takedown. Johnson keeps Hardy pinned up against the cage and keeps landing shots. Hardy insists on using his kimura attempt as his line of defense. Hardy losses his grip on the hold and Johnson moves into full mount. Not much going on here as Johnson has Hardy planted flat on the mat. Easy day on the job for Johnson thus far. Johnson lands a good shot to the face. With thirty seconds left in the round the ref stands them up. Johnson puts his shoulder into Hardy and drives him into the side of the Octagon. 10-9 Johnson again…maybe more.
Round 3– Johnson goes for a big kick, Hardy counters with a takedown attempt but Johnson sprawls and takes control of the fight again. Hardy lands some good shots from the bottom and then tries a kimura again. Johnson slinks around to the back and starts pounding Hardy’s thighs with some knees. Head kick from Johnson and a punch. Johsnson gets another takedown and takes his back. He gets the hooks in and goes for a rear naked choke. Hardy defends it but Johnson will not give up the back. Johnson lands a big huge shot to Hardy’s face. Johnson gets a body triangle on to prevent Hardy from escaping. He then moves in and takes an arm triangle choke and it looks good. Hardy somehow gets out of it. Johnson then transfers to a neck crank. Hardy survives and tries to take the back. Only 30 seconds left. Johnson has him in a headlock and seems to be resting on it. The round and the fight ends. 10-9 Johnson. 30-27 Johnson on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Anthony Johnson def. Dan Hardy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight Bout
Phil Davis vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Nogueira gets the big entrance but that is probably just to give Davis a rub once he beats him. It was just 2 matches ago that Nogueira came in a massive favorite. Now he is on the other end of the money line.
Round 1-Pink trunks for Davis…I’m just saying. Outside leg kick from Davis and then goes for a head kick. Sharp kick to the chest by Davis. Nogueira nails him with a right hand. Davis goes for a takedown but is stuffed. Davis presses him against the cage and hits him with some knees to the legs. Another big kick from Davis, doesn’t really land. Again Davis presses him up against the cage. Into the clinch but they break. Davis shoots again and again Nogueira shrugs it off. Anybodies round at this point. Nogueira blocks a kick and lands a shot that causes Davis to stagger. Nogueira catches a kick and lands a shot. Another sprawl from Nogueira. Outside leg kick from Nog. And the round ends. If I could call the fight a draw I would but since we are working under the 10 point must I’ll say 10-9 Davis.
Round 2– Kick by Davis blocked. Nogueira misses a haymaker. Nogueira catches a kick and lands a shot. Body kick from Davis. Combo from Nog, doesn’t land all that successfully. Davis goes for a kick and instantly intoa takedown attempt that is stuffed. Nogueira clips him with a punch. Big left from Nog. Leg kick from Davis. Davis goes for a single leg takedown and gets it. Davis tries like crazy to get through the guard. Nogueira is aiming for a triangle. Nogueira pushes Davis off with his legs, gets up but is taken down. Nog stands up but Davis takes him down again. Davis has the back and lands some nice shots from behind. He continues the onslaught to end the round stealing the round. 10-9 Davis
Round 3– Nog shows more aggression this round. Davis goes for a big kick, blocked. Davis sticks with the single leg and gets another takedown. Nog grabs the wrist and slams Davis in the face. Nog tries to escape but again Davis grabs him and takes the back. Nog gets back onto his back and Davis tries to pass the guard. Half guard for Nog. Nogueira pushes him off and we are back on our feet with 2:20 remaining. Big shot from Nogueira. Davis tries another single leg but this one stuffed. Then he works hard and gets another takedown on Nog. HE does seem to be employing a lay and pray strategy…not that there’s anything wrong with that. Nog tries to stand up but can’t. Not much he can do as the final seconds wind down. 10-9 Davis. 30-27 Davis on the Inside Fights scorecard.
Phil Davis def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Joe Rogan doesn’t miss an opportunity to refer to another defeated fighter as a legend.
That should be all for us tonight. Hope you enjoyed and please stay tuned to Inside Fights for all your MMA needs.
Main Card (Spike TV)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis
