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CHICAGO — Watch below as Evan Dunham talks about his win at UFC on FOX 2 against Nik Lentz. Dunham discusses what he thought about the doctor’s decision to stop the fight, what rounds he think he won, why he got his warm-up wrong and who he would like to face next.
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CHICAGO — Watch below as Evan Dunham talks about his win at UFC on FOX 2 against Nik Lentz. Dunham discusses what he thought about the doctor’s decision to stop the fight, what rounds he think he won, why he got his warm-up wrong and who he would like to face next.
Evan Dunham is at a crossroads. Even with a UFC record of 5-2 (12-2 overall), Dunham is in a very tenuous position.He has a lost his last two fights, and in the UFC, three in a row can mean the end of a fighter’s run with the company. Working in …
Evan Dunham is at a crossroads.
Even with a UFC record of 5-2 (12-2 overall), Dunham is in a very tenuous position.
He has a lost his last two fights, and in the UFC, three in a row can mean the end of a fighter’s run with the company.
Working in Dunham’s favor is the fact the first of his two losses was a controversial decision loss to former lightweight champion Sean Sherk. Most observers, including UFC President Dana White, felt Dunham should have easily won the decision.
However, after the Sherk fight, Dunham stepped into the Octagon with Melvin Guillard. Three minutes later, Dunham left with his second straight loss, but this time there was no controversy. Guillard unleashed a lightning-quick barrage of strikes to devastate Dunham.
With the loss, Dunham was no longer a hot, rising prospect. He went from “can’t miss” to “possibly did miss.”
In his first fight since the Guillard loss, Dunham is set to take on noted amateur wrestler Nik Lentz. The fight with Lentz will be his first opportunity to prove the Guillard fight was an aberration.
While Dunham has a reputation for exciting fights, Lentz has, well, the opposite.
While fighting live on the Spike prelims, Lentz’ three-round decision win against Andre Winner at UFC 118 is regarded as one of the worst televised match-ups in years.
“No,” Dunham said, when asked is he will change his style to ensure a more fan-friendly fight. “I’m not in very many boring fights, so hopefully this one will be exciting, and he’ll be in it.”
Where Lentz would appear to have the advantage is in wrestling. Dunham, however, disagrees.
“He’s a good wrestler,” Dunham said, “but I’ve got better hands. I’ve got better ground, and I think I’ve got better wrestling.”
With a highlight-reel win over Lentz, Dunham could potentially jump back into title contention.
While many experts view the lightweights as the UFC’s strongest division, in truth, the promotion has recently set up fights where the top guys have been or will be knocking each other off.
Clay Guida recently lost to Ben Henderson in a classic fight. Jim Miller also lost to Henderson. Gray Maynard was defeated by the champion, Frankie Edgar, and surprisingly, Gilbert Melendez still is not fighting in the UFC.
Another elimination bout is set with former WEC champion Anthony Pettis taking on Joe Lauzon in February, and the winner of that fight could be next in line for the title. After those match-ups, the division is wide open.
“I’m not sure,” Dunham said, about the possibility of quickly regaining a high ranking. “I’m going to take it one fight at a time like I always do.”
The next lightweight title fight will also be on February’s UFC in Japan. Frankie Edgar will defend against Ben Henderson.
“I’ll be watching it,” Dunham said, when asked to pick a winner. “I think it’s a great fight. Both guys are gamers.
“If I had to pick somebody? I’d probably go with Frankie because he’s got more big-fight experience. But Henderson…he’s a bad dude.”
With a win over Lentz two weeks prior to the Edgar-Henderson showdown, Dunham would have more than a casual rooting interest in the championship fight. For his fight, Dunham is much more decisive with his prediction.
“He’s a tough kid, but all-around, I’m better,” Dunham said. “I’m going to knock him out in the second round.”
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
(Believe me when I tell you that I take each and every fight with 100% seriousness.)
On the heels of his second round Fight of the Night earning performance over John Olav Einemo at UFC 131, Dave Herman had a bit of momentum going for him. The Team Quest boldly claimed that “Jiu Jitsu doesn’t work” and then proceeded to handily defeat an ADCC champion in his UFC debut. But Herman’s hype train was nearly derailed in September, when he tested positive for marijuana and steroids in the aftermath of his aforementioned win over Einemo. The details surrounding his testing were sketchy to say the least, but in light of the circumstances he was pulled out of his UFC 136 bout with Mike Russow nonetheless. Well it seems “Peewee’s” pee is now clean, as he has been booked for a fight with Dutch submission specialist Stefan Struve for the UFC’s debut on FuelTV this February.
(Believe me when I tell you that I take each and every fight with 100% seriousness.)
On the heels of his second round Fight of the Night earning performance over John Olav Einemo at UFC 131, Dave Herman had a bit of momentum going for him. The Team Quest boldly claimed that “Jiu Jitsu doesn’t work” and then proceeded to handily defeat an ADCC champion in his UFC debut. But Herman’s hype train was nearly derailed in September, when he tested positive for marijuana and steroids in the aftermath of his aforementioned win over Einemo. The details surrounding his testing were sketchy to say the least, but in light of the circumstances he was pulled out of his UFC 136 bout with Mike Russow nonetheless. Well it seems “Peewee’s” pee is now clean, as he has been booked for a fight with Dutch submission specialist Stefan Struve for the UFC’s debut on FuelTV this February.
Herman has won six of his last seven and will be looking to score the biggest win of his career over Struve, who most recently submitted our good friend Pat Barry at UFC Live 6 in October. Prior to that, Struve was on the receiving end of a highlight reel superman punch KO at the hands of Travis Browne, so a win here is necessary unless he wants to start dreaming up ways to make 205.
In other booking news, lightweight contender Evan Dunham and undefeated British submission specialist Paul Sass have agreed to meet one another at UFC on Fox 2, which transpires January 28th at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Dunham recently snapped a two fight losing streak at UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger, where he outstruck TUF 13 contestant Shamar Bailey handily en route to a unanimous decision.
Sass, on the other hand, is fresh off a brilliant first round heel hook victory over TUF 12 finalist Michael Johnson, also at UFC Live 6. “Sassangle” has posted an incredible eight wins via triangle, including a win over Mark Holst at UFC 120. His Jiu Jitsu game will all but be nullified by Dunham, however, who is a black belt in BJJ and has scored six submission wins of his own, including an armbar win over TUF 8 winner Efrain Escudero.
The UFC’s debut on FuelTV is headlined by a bout between top welterweight contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger, and goes down February 15th at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
-Danga
Filed under: UFCWith his win over Jake Shields on Saturday night, Jake Ellenberger vaulted himself into any conversation about future UFC welterweight title contenders. The 53-second destruction carried with it a pointed message about Ellenberger’s sty…
Filed under: UFC
With his win over Jake Shields on Saturday night, Jake Ellenberger vaulted himself into any conversation about future UFC welterweight title contenders. The 53-second destruction carried with it a pointed message about Ellenberger’s style. He is undoubtedly an excellent wrestler, but his powerful striking makes him a serious double-threat. Those attributes will make him a matchup nightmare in the future as he attempts to continue his ascent.
Realistically, there’s still at least a win or two ahead of him until he can demand a shot at gold. That’s because of two things: 1) the win over Shields was his first over a top 10 opponent, and 2) there are still others between him and the top.
The question then is who might be next. On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Ellenberger said that he would like to fight again before the end of the year. One problem with that is nearly all of the division’s key fighters are otherwise occupied.
St-Pierre faces Carlos Condit about one month from now. On the same night, Nick Diaz will fight BJ Penn. Jon Fitch, who might have been the ideal matchup for Ellenberger, fights Johny Hendricks on Dec. 30. Diego Sanchez is out with a broken hand, Josh Koscheck has an upcoming date with Matt Hughes, and Martin Kampmann and Rory MacDonald have November and December bouts, respectively.
We’re not sure what that leaves Ellenberger, but it means either he’ll have to take a non-marquee matchup, or wait a while.
Jake Ellenberger
Fitch makes the most sense for Ellenberger, but with that unlikely, there are two possibilities. The first is that the UFC tells Ellenberger to stay in fighting shape and prepare to replace someone on short notice if an injury crops up. Given all the high-profile divisional fights coming up, that is a real possibility. But with the amount of cards they have to fill in future months, that might not be a luxury they can afford. So Ellenberger might have to settle for someone with top 10 talent, if not ranking.
Prediction: I’m going to hedge my bets here. If Koscheck beats Hughes on Saturday, Ellenberger vs. Koscheck might be the way to go. My backup option is that he faces the winner of October 1’s Anthony Johnson vs. Charlie Brenneman bout.
Jake Shields
The first thing Shields deserves is some time to be with his family after the passing of his father, Jack, just two weeks before his fight. When he’s ready to return, the welterweight division will probably still be the wild jungle it is now. But after losing two in a row, Shields will be in serious need of a win. Regardless of who he matches up with, it’s not going to be an easy fight.
Prediction: Shields either faces BJ Penn if Penn loses to Diaz, or Carlos Condit, if he loses to Georges St-Pierre.
Erik Koch
The Duke Roufus product has wowed many since his first days on the international scene when he entered the WEC. His win over Jonathan Brookins showed that his offensive arsenal continues to grow and his all-around game continues to round out, something you want to see from a 22-year-old. A particularly positive sign was his ability to stuff the takedown, denying all but one of Brookins’ 20 attempts. Given his striking skills, that sustained development can only help him.
Prediction: Koch fights the winner of November’s Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza fight in early 2012.
Alan Belcher
It’s hard to imagine the emotions that ran through Belcher after winning coming off a 16-month layoff due to a serious eye injury. Frankly speaking, it was a bout Belcher was expected to win, but you never quite know if an athlete will return gun-shy until he engages. There were no such problems for Belcher, who steamrolled Jason MacDonald in less than four minutes.
Prediction: Belcher signs to face Rousimar Palhares.
Court McGee
McGee’s win over Dongi Yang on Saturday was a solid step forward in his career, as Yang is a durable if unspectacular opponent. McGee mostly out-struck Yang during the three-rounder but truly shined with his excellent conditioning, taking over the bout in the final minutes to seal the win. That victory moved him to 3-0 in the UFC, meaning it’s time to advance him up a level in competition.
Prediction: Ed Herman has two stoppage wins in 2011 and no currently scheduled bout. That sounds about right for McGee.
Evan Dunham
Dunham needed a win in the worst way, and got one in workmanlike fashion over Shamar Bailey. Once considered a rising contender, Dunham still has some work to do to win back the doubters who were once in his corner. To do that, he’s going to have to beat a name fighter with a solid reputation. Fortunately for him, there’s no shortage of those in his division.
Prediction: A date with Cole Miller is in his future.
Filed under: UFC
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC fights from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
The prelims, which will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page, include a pair of lightweight bouts between TUF 12 competitor Cody McKenzie and Vagner Rocha and TUF 12 fighter Shamar Bailey and Evan Dunham.
The live blog is below.
Round 1:
Wanderlei Silva protege Lopez is making his UFC debut and is a pretty sizable favorite in this one. He’s got “The Axe Murderer” in his corner, naturally. Bruce Buffer runs the intros, and we’re ready to roll with Kevin Mulhall the third man in the Octagon. They trade in tight early, and Edwards looks for a throw, but settles for a clinch against the cage. But Lopez lifts him for a nice slam – right into a guillotine. Edwards cranks on it, but Lopez rolls out and eventually pops back to his feet. He throws a nice right kick that Edwards counters with some more clinch work. In tight, Edwards lands a couple nice hooks, then a soft slam. But again Lopez pops up. And again Edwards softly takes him down. He looks for a guillotine again, but settles for keeping position on the mat, trying to work ground and pound. The fight moves back to the feet halfway through the round. Jabs are traded, with each fighter landing a nice one in close. A nice knee from Lopez briefly has Edwards on the canvas with Lopez looking for some quick short strikes. But back on the feet, Edwards ties things up again with his back on the fence. Another nice knee from Lopez lands, but Edwards chases him down with a flurry and they trade position along the fence. Lopez landed some decent shots in the round, but MMA Fighting will score the round 10-9 for Edwards.Round 1:
High kick from Lullo to open. Then he eats one to the outside. They trade a few kicks, then Peralta ties up and lands some knees. He uses them to get a soft taekdown before letting Lullo back up. They trade jabs. Then several kicks each. After his UFC debut loss against Edson Barboza last November, you’d think Lullo would be pretty fed up with eating kicks by now. But he’s throwing plenty himself. Peralta checks a kick, then comes with a nice combo. Then again. Lullo’s left thigh is blistering red from kicks already. Nice right hand from Peralta lands, and he comes back with two more huge kicks to Lullo’s lead leg. Peralta then again lands some big kicks that take Lullo off his feet – it’s literally like watching a replay of the Lullo-Barboza fight. It’s a 10-9 round for Peralta.Round 1:
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Filed under: UFC
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC fights from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
The prelims, which will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page, include a pair of lightweight bouts between TUF 12 competitor Cody McKenzie and Vagner Rocha and TUF 12 fighter Shamar Bailey and Evan Dunham.
The live blog is below.
Round 1:
Wanderlei Silva protege Lopez is making his UFC debut and is a pretty sizable favorite in this one. He’s got “The Axe Murderer” in his corner, naturally. Bruce Buffer runs the intros, and we’re ready to roll with Kevin Mulhall the third man in the Octagon. They trade in tight early, and Edwards looks for a throw, but settles for a clinch against the cage. But Lopez lifts him for a nice slam – right into a guillotine. Edwards cranks on it, but Lopez rolls out and eventually pops back to his feet. He throws a nice right kick that Edwards counters with some more clinch work. In tight, Edwards lands a couple nice hooks, then a soft slam. But again Lopez pops up. And again Edwards softly takes him down. He looks for a guillotine again, but settles for keeping position on the mat, trying to work ground and pound. The fight moves back to the feet halfway through the round. Jabs are traded, with each fighter landing a nice one in close. A nice knee from Lopez briefly has Edwards on the canvas with Lopez looking for some quick short strikes. But back on the feet, Edwards ties things up again with his back on the fence. Another nice knee from Lopez lands, but Edwards chases him down with a flurry and they trade position along the fence. Lopez landed some decent shots in the round, but MMA Fighting will score the round 10-9 for Edwards.Round 1:
High kick from Lullo to open. Then he eats one to the outside. They trade a few kicks, then Peralta ties up and lands some knees. He uses them to get a soft taekdown before letting Lullo back up. They trade jabs. Then several kicks each. After his UFC debut loss against Edson Barboza last November, you’d think Lullo would be pretty fed up with eating kicks by now. But he’s throwing plenty himself. Peralta checks a kick, then comes with a nice combo. Then again. Lullo’s left thigh is blistering red from kicks already. Nice right hand from Peralta lands, and he comes back with two more huge kicks to Lullo’s lead leg. Peralta then again lands some big kicks that take Lullo off his feet – it’s literally like watching a replay of the Lullo-Barboza fight. It’s a 10-9 round for Peralta.Round 1:
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(McGee vs. Yang, the middleweight showdown that UFC fans have been…wait a minute, remind me again who Yang is?)
Unless you’re one of those Bud Light ‘Battle on the Bayou’ contest winners, you’re probably not overly excited about Saturday’s “Shields vs. Ellenberger” UFC event on Spike. Boxing already has Saturday night locked up, with Floyd Mayweather‘s ring-return against 24-year-old WBC Welterweight champ Victor Ortiz, and it feels like UFC Fight Night 25 will be an overlooked prelude to next week’s Jones vs. Rampage card.
But let’s not admit defeat so soon. We’ll be liveblogging the Shields vs. Ellenberger main card on CagePotato.com starting at 9 p.m. ET, and it would be nice if a few of you showed up to keep us company. Could it be one of those “crap on paper, bonkers in reality” events? Who knows, but consider the following…
All Eyes on Jake: So far, Jake Shields‘s UFC career has consisted of an underwhelming (and razor-thin) split-decision victory over Martin Kampmann, and a rout at the hands of Georges St. Pierre. His dominant stretch of eight-straight stoppage victories in 2006-2009 are a distant memory in the minds of MMA fans, and he needs a dramatic win here, badly. Shields’s dance partner, Jake Ellenberger, has been spent years fighting for recognition, and with four straight Octagon wins over serious competition, he’s starting to get it. Stylistically, the fight might not be a barn-burner, but it could have career-altering implications for the headliners.
(McGee vs. Yang, the middleweight showdown that UFC fans have been…wait a minute, remind me again who Yang is?)
Unless you’re one of those Bud Light ‘Battle on the Bayou’ contest winners, you’re probably not overly excited about Saturday’s “Shields vs. Ellenberger” UFC event on Spike. Boxing already has Saturday night locked up, with Floyd Mayweather‘s ring-return against 24-year-old WBC Welterweight champ Victor Ortiz, and it feels like UFC Fight Night 25 will be an overlooked prelude to next week’s Jones vs. Rampage card.
But let’s not admit defeat so soon. We’ll be liveblogging the Shields vs. Ellenberger main card on CagePotato.com starting at 9 p.m. ET, and it would be nice if a few of you showed up to keep us company. Could it be one of those “crap on paper, bonkers in reality” events? Who knows, but consider the following…
All Eyes on Jake: So far, Jake Shields‘s UFC career has consisted of an underwhelming (and razor-thin) split-decision victory over Martin Kampmann, and a rout at the hands of Georges St. Pierre. His dominant stretch of eight-straight stoppage victories in 2006-2009 are a distant memory in the minds of MMA fans, and he needs a dramatic win here, badly. Shields’s dance partner, Jake Ellenberger, has been spent years fighting for recognition, and with four straight Octagon wins over serious competition, he’s starting to get it. Stylistically, the fight might not be a barn-burner, but it could have career-altering implications for the headliners.
TUF Winners Return: Due to poorly-timed injuries, Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins — the winners of TUF 11 and TUF 12, respectively — haven’t competed since last year. Nevertheless, McGee is still a solid favorite over Dongi Yang, the South Korean fight-finisher who has split a pair of Octagon appearances, most recently TKO’ing Rob Kimmons in March. I’m much more concerned for Brookins, whose first post-TUF bout will be against Erik Koch, the Roufusport-trained killer who has won Knockout of the Night bonuses in his last two fights. My money’s on Koch here, especially considering the way Brookins was gobbling punches against Michael Johnson — and I’d also call this bout an early front-runner for Fight of the Night.
The Crowd-Pleaser: The UFC knew what they were doing in booking middleweights Alan Belcher and Jason MacDonald to kick off the main card. Both guys go for broke in every fight, and have eight combined performance bonuses to show for it. With back-to-back stoppage wins over Wilson Gouveia and Patrick Cote in his pocket, Belcher returns to the cage after the eye-ailment that nearly ended his career. And speaking of miraculous comebacks, MacDonald is coming off his first-round submission win against Ryan Jensen, which followed his gnarly leg-snap against John Salter.
Do or Die for Dunham: Once an undefeated blue-chip prospect in the lightweight division, Evan Dunham now has his back against the wall following two straight losses — one a bullshit decision against Sean Sherk, the other an ugly TKO against Melvin Guillard. His next opponent, Strikeforce/TUF 13 veteran Shamar Bailey, is a hefty underdog, but he’s got the wrestling skills and power to make it a contest. Can Dunham get his head back in the game and take care of business? Because if he doesn’t, he’ll very likely be out of a job.
Don’t Sleep On the Prelims: The entire “Shields vs. Ellenberger” preliminary card will be streamed on Facebook.com/UFC, and Dunham vs. Bailey isn’t the only match to keep an eye on. Following his Fight of the Night-worthy loss to Yves Edwards in January, Cody McKenzie — and his dreaded “McKenzietine” choke — will return against Vagner Rocha. Plus, Saturday night will kick off with the debut of Jorge Lopez, a 22-year-old welterweight who took a break from high-school at the age of 14 to train with Wanderlei Silva — which sounds a hell of a lot cooler than what I was doing at 14.
(BG)