(Man, you know Dana’s heart isn’t in this one when he can’t even be bothered to put on a funky t-shirt. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
We told you why you should watch, and we told you how we think it’ll go down. At this point, it’s in God’s hands.
Tonight in New Orleans, Jake Shields and Jake Ellenberger will lock horns in a pivotal welterweight contest. Will Shields shows flashes of his old submission-machine self, or will Ellenberger spoil the party in the Big Easy?
Plus: Middleweights Alan Belcher and Jason MacDonald kick off the main card, and Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins take the next steps in their post-TUF careers. Meanwhile on pay-per-view, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is boxing Victor Ortiz, and hell, maybe we’ll give you updates on that one as well.
Live round-by-round updates from the Spike TV broadcast of “UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger” will be piling up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Here, we, go.
So they’re going to start airing King of Queens re-runs on Spike? EXTREEEEEME, BRO!!!!!!!
Alan Belcher vs. Jason MacDonald
Round 1: Belcher stalking with his jab. MacDonald tries for a takedown but Belcher defends, and they lock up against the fence. MacDonald re-sets for a single leg, and drags Belcher down after some effort. But Belcher lands on top, in MacDonald’s guard. Belcher with a stiff punch from the top. MacDonald trying to hold him, but Belcher opens up and blasts down heavy punches. MacDonald covers up, then grabs an arm for a kimura attempt. Belcher defends and moves to side-control. MacDonald re-establishes guard and gets slugged in the face. He looks hurt. Now elbows and more punches from Belcher and MacDonald turtles under the onslaught. Belcher pours it on until the ref stops it. It’s all over. Impressive return performance from the Talent.
Belcher def. MacDonald via verbal submission (strikes), 3:48 of round 1. Damn, I didn’t see Jason cry uncle, but there you go.
Jonathan Brookins vs. Erik Koch
Round 1: Koch starts with a leg kick. Brookins throws a teep, and shoots, Royce Gracie style. He’s a little slow with it, but he still grabs onto Koch’s leg. Koch defends, and Brookins sneaks in a sharp standing elbow in the clinch. Koch lands a knee to Brookins’s grill. Knee to the gut from Brookins, then another elbow. Koch gets free and lands a long straight left. Leg kick Koch. Another straight left. Brookins works his way inside and grabs onto Koch’s leg again. Brookins drops to the mat with it, but Koch makes him pay with hammerfists and elbows to the temple. Koch shakes free. Brookins with another short elbow. The round ends with Brookins flipping Koch to the mat.
Round 2: Koch opening up with his punches. Brookins dashes forward trying to grab Koch’s leg, but can’t convert. Koch lands his straight left again. Brookins works again for a takedown. Brookins drags Koch down, but Koch is quickly back up, with the TUF winner still hanging off of him. The crowd begins their inevitable booing. Koch breaks free. Leg kick from Koch. Great punch combo and leg kick from Koch. Brookins goes back to his wall-and-stall. Finally he puts Koch’s back on the mat. Koch pushes off and gets to his feet, eating a punch on the way up. Brookins is on him like glue. Koch with an elbow to his head to end the round.
Round 3: Nice 1-2 from Koch. Clinch and knee from Brookins. Brookins shoots in for the single but Koch pulls out. Koch sticks the jab. Leg kick Koch. Another single-leg attempt from Brookins. Good defense from Koch. Koch tries to disengage but Brookins follows him and sticks an elbow. They break, and Koch scores a head kick, followed by a leg kick. Brookins tries a superman punch. They tie up and Koch takes Brookins down for a half-second. Koch puts Brookins against the fence. They separate and trade punches before Brookins grabs on again. Dirty boxing from Brookins to the last bell. Kind of an ugly one.
Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28). Whoa. Two judges gave Koch all three rounds? No love for takedown attempts tonight. Not that I’m complaining; Koch definitely won the majority of striking exchanges.
An interview appearance by Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson turns into an argument about the alleged Jones spy in ‘Page’s camp. “You gettin’ destroyed, homey,” Rampage says.
Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang
Round 1: Yang throws a straight to McGee’s body. He throws and lands to the head. Yang is a step quicker than McGee in the opening moments of the round, avoiding all of McGee’s punches. But McGee finally lands with a short right, and it’s a good one. Yang with a hook. They trade leg kicks. Yang catches a leg kick, but misses the counter punch. Yang stumbles after a leg kick. McGee reaches out at Yang’s face, not for the first time, and follows it up with a punch. McGee dashes forward with some punches at the bell.
Round 2: Inside leg kick Court. Both guys swing hooks at each other. McGee rushes in to clinch, Yang tosses him off. Yang lands a pair of counter-punches as McGee attacks. McGee jabs. Slick 1-2 from Yang. McGee fires the head kick. Hard straight left from Yang. McGee shoots and grabs Yang around the waist, but the Judo black belt easily gets out. Leg kick Yang as the crowd boos. Body shot Yang. Yang sticks him with a counter as McGee lumbers in. Head kick McGee, followed by a leg kick, then some punches. McGee shoots, Yang ain’t having it. There’s the bell.
Round 3: Yang jabs. McGee shoots in, Yang defends and chases him off. McGee throws a kick, eats a hook. Yang’s nose is bloodied. McGee lands a right. Yang staggers McGee with a hook and darts in with a flying knee! He takes Court to the mat but McGee is up and slugging. Now Yang looks stunned, but he fires back with a punch and kick. Now it’s a fight. McGee clinches up, Yang shakes off. McGee landing more punches now. Nice uppercut in close. McGee shoots, Yang defends, but McGee stays on him and puts Yang down briefly. McGee outboxing Yang now, but is it too late? McGee with another takedown, and drops elbows on Yang. McGee grabs a guillotine and cranks it, but Yang pulls out just as the round ends.
Court McGee def Dongi Yang via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-28). No time for a post-fight interview. Hey, that third judge scored one of the first two rounds 10-10. Good for him!
Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger
Round 1: Ellenberger comes out throwing hard. Jake looking to implement his gameplan right away, but can’t get Ellenberger down on his first attempt. They clinch up, and Ellenberger lands a knee to the body and one to the chin that drops Shields to the mat. Holy crap! Ellenberger jackhammers some left hands into Shields’s dome until the referee jumps in. Shields in la-la land, trying to grapple with the ref. And now you’ll remember the name “Ellenberger.”
Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields via TKO, 0:53 of round 1.
Shields thinks it was an early stoppage. “Ref’s decision, [but] I wanted to keep fighting.” Huh. I mean, he was clearly unconscious. Maybe he was still out of it while giving that interview. And we are officially living in a post-Shields era. What did y’all think?
PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
– Vagner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:49 of round 2
– Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Lance Benoist def. Matt Riddle via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Ken Stone def. Donny Walker via submission (rear naked choke), 2:47 of round 1
– Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison via submission (rear naked choke), 1:12 of round 2
– TJ Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf via submission (triangle choke), 3:52 of round 1
– Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)