Press Release – Las Vegas, NV (23 February 2011): Brazilian light heavyweight contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-4) takes on one of the sport’s rising stars, undefeated Phil Davis (8-0), a former NCAA Division I Champion wrestler, in Spike TV’s UFC® Fight Night™ live from the KeyArena in Seattle, Wash. on Saturday, March 26 at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT. The co-feature showcases a battle between British sensation Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy” and knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
Nogueira, a native of Brazil, first made his name in Japan’s PRIDE® organization, where he defeated renowned MMA stars Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem. In November of 2009, he made his debut in the UFC, earning “Knockout of the Night” honors for his first round stoppage of Luiz Cane. In his next bout, Nogueira battled Jason Brilz to a hard fought split decision victory and “Fight of the Night honors.”
Davis has won his first eight professional MMA bouts, including a second round submission victory over veteran Tim Boetsch at UFC 123 in November, garnering “Submission of the Night” honors. The 26-year-old was a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Penn St. and National Champion in 2008 in the 197-pound division. Davis trains out of San Diego with Alliance MMA where he has vastly improved his Brazilian jiu jitsu abilities to go along with extraordinary wrestling game. A victory over the renowned Nogueira in a nationally-televised main event will further his ascent up the light heavyweight ranks.
In the co-feature, Anthony Johnson (8-3) fighting out of San Jose, Calif., meets top contender Dan Hardy (23-8, 1 NC), fighting out Nottingham, England, in a clash of exciting welterweights. Johnson burst onto the scene at UFC® Fight Night™ in Hollywood, Fla. in 2007 by knocking out Chad Reiner in just 13 seconds. Johnson has since won four of seven bouts, with all his wins coming via knockout. No stranger to stand-up wars, the 28-year-old Hardy seeks a slugfest with Johnson in Seattle.
The Spike telecast will open with a fight in the featherweight division between “The Ultimate Fighter 12” participant Nam Phan (16-9) and Leonard Garcia (19-6-1), in a rematch of their controversial bout during The Ultimate Fighter® Finale in December 2010. Fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M., Garcia was awarded a three round split decision victory over Phan, from Garden Grove, Calif. The surprising verdict garnered an immediate rematch announcement by UFC President Dana White, and on March 26th, these exciting 145-pounders settle the score.
Also on the televised card will be a welterweight showdown between Duane Ludwig (28-11) and Amir Sadollah (5-2). Denver, Colo. native Ludwig recently defeated Nick Osipczak at UFC 122 in Oberhausen, Germany following a return to the welterweight division, while Sadollah, the season 7 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” is coming off of an impressive decision victory over Peter Sobotta in November.
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