The Zombie Adds Another Victim (UFC on Fuel TV 3 Review)
The UFC went back to Fuel TV this week as they hosted UFC on Fuel TV 3 with a number of important fights on the card. None of these fights were meant to show the next contender or the next best fighter but instead meant a lot for each of the participants. All of the fights at UFC on Fuel TV 3 meant a turning point for the fighters involved. The free fights generally mean this as they do not see the champion face off much but they do see many fighters looking to take that next step in their career. This was the case on Tuesday as many fighters looked to get the win that would put them into the next level of their division. Then there were the fighters looking to get the win simply to survive in the UFC and avoid any threat of being cut from the promotion. These smaller fights are the lifeblood of the UFC as they introduce new fighters and provide an avenue for the bottom of the division to move up. Without these fights the new superstars would not be born and the divisions would stay the same. As these fighters fight for their chance to be the next challenger or to simply move into another level of competition these fights keep the UFC fresh. This was the case for the two main event fighters as Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier were looking to enter into the top of the featherweight division. Both fighters have moved up the division to be two of the best fighters at 145. Jung had a two fight win streak coming into the fight but both of the fights were very impressive. Meanwhile Dustin Poirier was riding a 4 fight win streak into the fight and had impressed many himself with his balanced attack. With both fighters in the mix in the featherweight division a win could give them a title shot or at the least another big step up the ladder towards the title fight. Either way both Jung and Poirier came in to the fight looking to make an impact and prove that they deserved to be considered among the top at 145 pounds and to do so they would need to make an impact on Fuel TV. Both fighters knew what was at stake as the fight began with Chan Sung Jung wasting no time in getting the fight going. Jung took down Poirier after catching a kick and did it again after Poirier got up. In the top position Jung was able to throw some big elbows from the top and dominated the round. The second round saw the fight continue this way as Jung again caught a kick for the takedown and again Poirier got on his feet for a big exchange. A takedown attempt by Poirier changed the fight as Jung was able to reverse the takedown and earned the mount. With the mount Jung began a spree of submission attempts. Just before the end of the round Jung sunk in a triangle choke but could not finish it before the round ended. Both fighters were drained after a rapid second round but came out swinging in round three as Poirier seemed to be taking the advantage. Both fighters landed big shots but Poirier was able to find his range at the end of the round and looked to be taking control of the fight. The exchange on the feet continued in round four but Jung’s wild punches finally took their toll. A big right uppercut hurt Poirier and a flying knee dropped him. Jung then jumped on Poirier and sunk in a D’Arce Choke that ended the fight. With the win Jung has taken a jump up the featherweight ladder and could become the #1 contender for the title. Meanwhile Poirier will return to the rest of the featherweight division as he hopes to climb back up and possibly get a rematch against the Korean Zombie.
Another fight that meant a lot to the fighters was not in the co-main event slot but instead was in the main card. Jeremy Stephens and Donald Cerrone faced off in the main card as both fighters looked to make their way on their comebacks. Stephens has been in the lightweight division since 2007 but had struggled at the beginning of his time in the UFC. With some key wins Stephens looked to be on the fast track to the lightweight title until he suffered a loss to Anthony Pettis. The loss forced Stephens to reset as he looked to beat Donald Cerrone in order to get back on track. Cerrone had come to the UFC through the WEC and was one of the most anticipated fighters to come into the promotion. Cerrone did not disappoint as he rattled off 4 straight wins in the UFC as he looked to be one step away from the title fight. Then a loss to Nate Diaz derailed his plans as he fell from contention while Diaz moved on to become the #1 contender. Both fighters were looking to this fight to be a turning point for them as a win for either could put them back into the mix in the lightweight division. The first round started well for Stephens as he landed some good punches and was by far the more active fighter. Then the tide turned as Donald Cerrone began to find his range and started to land some good strikes. Using his kicks to keep Stephens out of range and assert his will. The fight continued like this for all three rounds as Cerrone looked like a new fighter and was able to dominate Stephens earning a Unanimous Decision victory. With the win Cerrone will enter into the conversation again and may fight Diaz in a rematch with the lightweight title facing a back up of challengers, namely Frankie Edgar. The loss for Stephens does not mean great things as he now has two straight losses and will likely need to win his next fight to avoid being cut from the promotion.
The UFC handed out $40,000 bonuses for the great performances throughout the night and one fighter in particular took home most of the money. The “Knockout of the Night” went to Tom Lawlor for his first round KO against Jason MacDonald. The “Submission of the Night” went to Chan Sung Jung took home the bonus for his D’Arce Choke in the main event. Jung also took home the bonus for “Fight of the Night” along with Dustin Poirier for their war in the main event.
Full Results:
Main Event:
“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung def. Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier
(Submission; D’arce Choke, Rd. 4)
Main Card:
Amir Sodallah def. Jorge Lopez
(Split Decision)
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone def. Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens
(Unanimous Decision)
Yves “Tiger” Jabouin def. Jeff “Hellbound” Hougland
(Unanimous Decision)
Igor Pokrajac def. Fabio Maldonado
(Unanimous Decision)
Tom “Filthy” Lawlor def. Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald
(KO; Rd. 1)
Undercard:
Brad Tavares def. Dongi “The Ox” Yang
(Unanimous Decision)
Cody “AK Kid” McKenzie def. Marcus “The Prospect” Levesseur
(Submission; Guillotine Choke, Rd 1)
TJ Grant def. Carlo “Neo” Prater
(Unanimous Decision)
Rafael dos Anjos def. Kamal “Prince of Persia” Shalorus
(Submission; Rear Naked Choke, Rd. 1)
Johnny Eduardo def. Jeff “Big Frog” Curran
(Unanimous Decision)
Francisco “Cisco” Rivera def. Alex “Extremo” Soto
(Unanimous Decision)
Upcoming Events:
UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir (Saturday May 26th; 10:00 pm ET)
– Las Vegas, Nevada (MGM Grand Garden Arena)
– Main Event: Junior “Cigano” dos Santos vs. Frank Mir [Heavyweight Championship]
– Notable: Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva
– Notable: Roy “Big Country” Nelson vs. Dave Herman
The Ultimate Fight Live Finale (Friday June 2nd; 9:00 pm ET)
– Free Live on FX/Sportsnet
– Las Vegas, Nevada (The Pearl)
– Main Event: Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger vs. Martin “The Hitman” Kampann
– Other fights to be announced at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter Live
UFC on FX 3: McCall vs. Johnson (Friday June 8th; 9:00 pm ET)
– Free Live on FX/Sportsnet
– Sunrise, Florida (Bank Atlantic Center)
– Main Event: Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall vs. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson [Flyweight Tournament]
– Notable: Erick Silva vs. Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman
The Sport Addiction 