Veteran women’s strawweight contender Felice Herrig returned to action at last night’s (Feb. 4, 2017) UFC Fight Night 104 from Houston, Texas, scoring a victory over rising prospect Alexa Grasso. Herrig is now riding a two fight win streak, and she believes that the UFC owes her a bout with No. 7-ranked Michelle Waterson, or
Veteran women’s strawweight contender Felice Herrig returned to action at last night’s (Feb. 4, 2017) UFC Fight Night 104 from Houston, Texas, scoring a victory over rising prospect Alexa Grasso.
Herrig is now riding a two fight win streak, and she believes that the UFC owes her a bout with No. 7-ranked Michelle Waterson, or a rematch with No. 10-ranked Paige VanZant:
“I would hope the UFC would do the right thing and give me either Paige or Michelle Waterson,” Herrig told MMAjunkie. “I wasn’t vocal about it, but I was offered the Waterson fight (at UFC on FOX 23), and I accepted it, and then two weeks later, I had it taken away from me and given to Paige.”
Waterson and VanZant ended up doing battle in the main event of UFC on FOX 23 where “The Karate Hottie” submitted “12 Guage” in the very first round.
As far her fight with Grasso goes, Herrig was considered by most to be the underdog, although she never felt that way:
“In my mind, I knew I wasn’t the underdog, and anyone who was around me knew that I wasn’t the underdog,” Herrig said of her win. “I think I had one bad performance, which clearly I’ve come back from.”
“I think sometimes the veterans get overlooked because we’re not these young, up-and-coming fighters that you can market,” Herrig said. “So we get left behind and forgotten about, and I wanted to prove, hey, I’m here. I never went anywhere.”
That ‘one bad performance’ Herrig is referring to was a 2015 decision loss to VanZant.
Should “Lil’ Bulldog” be granted her wish and booked against Waterson or VanZant next?
UFC Fight Night 104 went down in Houston, Texas last night, and delivered with a ton of great fights. Once again proving fight nights can be just as, if not more exciting than a pay-per-view extravaganza, he card was a thriller. Featuring the return of ‘Korean Zombie,’ Felice Herrig vs. Alexa Grasso and a number
UFC Fight Night 104 went down in Houston, Texas last night, and delivered with a ton of great fights. Once again proving fight nights can be just as, if not more exciting than a pay-per-view extravaganza, he card was a thriller. Featuring the return of ‘Korean Zombie,’ Felice Herrig vs. Alexa Grasso and a number of other matchmaking triumphs, the event was riddled with finishes and exciting wars.
While the dust settles on the 12-fight card in Texas, there are a number of points to debate. Here are the biggest winners and losers from UFC Fight Night 104:
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas of USA TODAY Sports
Chan Sung Jung
Having been absent from the sport since 2013, Chan Sung Jung emerged from UFC Fight Night 104 as the biggest winner. Not only was ‘Korean Zombie’ looking to shake off ring rust, but he was also coming off a loss in his return. Against Jose Aldo, Jung lost by brutal TKO and was nursing a litany of harrowing injuries after UFC 163.
Facing number nine-ranked Dennis Bermudez was no small task, bu ‘KZ’ needed just half a round to get the job done. Considering he’s currently unranked at 145 pounds, victory over a top ten staple should score Jung a decent fight next. Given the state of affairs at featherweight, the re-introduction of an exciting fighter like ‘Korean Zombie’ will be very welcome. The top five is littered with great potential bouts, including Frankie Edgar, and perhaps further down the line a rematch with Aldo.
Ovince St-Preux
It was not a great night for Ovince St-Preux. Previously tabbed as a red-hot prospect, ‘OSP’ lost his third on the bounce in Texas. Although Volkan Oezdemir is a relative unknown, he is 13-1 now he’s defeated St-Preux, racking up 10 finishes on the way. “Cousin” is arguably one of the biggest winners of the event, but sadly the future is very uncertain for ‘OSP.’
Volkan Oezdemir could test himself against the Gian Villante’s or Patrick Cummins’ of the division, for the currently number six ranked St-Preux, the very same could be said.
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas for USA TODAY Sports
Jessica Andrade & Angela Hill
There were no losers from this scrap. After a duo of straight losses for the UFC, Angela Hill crossed over to Invicta, winning the strawweight title and making one defense. Her highly anticipated return to the UFC was no walk in the park. Riding two straight wins, Jessica Andrade needed to make an impression in the ever-expanding 115-pound division.
This burner was arguably among the greatest fights in the division’s history, no doubt deserving of the ‘FOTN’ honours it received. Although on the raw end of the judge’s decision, ‘Overkill’ loses no stock. For Andrade, that’s three straight since dropping to 115, so a top five contender fight is warranted. For Hill, perhaps Alexa Grasso, who also lost in Texas, could be a fun fight.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Props
Marcel Fortuna deserves a big applause for his brutal KO over Anthony Hamilton. Niko Price added further to his hype as a 170-pound prospect, taking Alex Moreno to sleepy land in the second round. Great turnaround by Felice Herrig, and how about James Vick’s slick d’arce choke against Abel Trujillo?
In our co-main event from yesterday’s (Sat. February 4, 2017) UFC Fight Night 104 two of the strawweight division’s finest went to war, as No. 12-ranked Alexa Grasso took on mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Felice Herrig. The first round really showcased Herrig’s veteran advantage. Although Grasso was able to slip some of Herrig’s strikes
In our co-main event from yesterday’s (Sat. February 4, 2017) UFC Fight Night 104 two of the strawweight division’s finest went to war, as No. 12-ranked Alexa Grasso took on mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Felice Herrig.
The first round really showcased Herrig’s veteran advantage. Although Grasso was able to slip some of Herrig’s strikes and move well, ‘Lil Bulldog’ landed the more frequent and effective shots.
In the second round more of the same was featured. Herrig continued her dominance with her striking, repeatedly finding a home for her left hand. Towards the end of the round ‘LBD’ was able to land some ferocious knees to Grasso’s body. The No. 12-ranked strawweight looked very reluctant to pull the trigger.
Herrig began the third round by picking up where she left off in the second round, controlling the fight as they stood toe-to-toe. She then decided to take the fight to the ground with a quick takedown attempt, and Grasso threatened that move with a kimura attempt that led to a scramble back to the feet.
Grasso turned it up for the remained of the round, however, Herrig seemingly ran away with the contest given her sheer dominance for the first ten minutes. Herrig won the bout via unanimous decision.
You can check out the full fight video highlights here:
UFC Fight Night 104 emanated from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, tonight (Saturday, February 4, 2017). “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung made up half of the main event, taking on the world-ranked Dennis Bermudez. Jung got rocked early, but weathered the early storm from “The Menace”. A picture-perfect uppercut folded Bermudez soon after,
UFC Fight Night 104 emanated from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, tonight (Saturday, February 4, 2017). “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung made up half of the main event, taking on the world-ranked Dennis Bermudez. Jung got rocked early, but weathered the early storm from “The Menace”. A picture-perfect uppercut folded Bermudez soon after, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in to save Bermudez from further punishment. It was Jung’s first fight in almost three and a half years.
The co-headliner saw strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso lock horns with veteran kickboxer Felice Herrig. The fight was competitive throughout, but Herrig did enough in the first two rounds to take a decision. Grasso was too tentative, sitting back while Herrig picked away with kicks and landed nice counter right hands when Grasso did throw. Grasso turned up the pressure in round three, but ultimately fell short on the judges’ scorecards.
Check out MMA Twitter’s reaction to these exciting matchups below:
The Zombie's entrance = one of the very best #InYourHead
Strawweight action between a rising prospect and a seasoned veteran served as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 104. Alexa Grasso (9-1) went toe-to-toe with Felice Herrig (12-6). Herrig handed Grasso the first loss of her career. Grasso landed a kick to the body. Herrig threw some shots upstairs. A jumping switch kick attempt
Strawweight action between a rising prospect and a seasoned veteran served as the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 104. Alexa Grasso (9-1) went toe-to-toe with Felice Herrig (12-6).
Herrig handed Grasso the first loss of her career.
Grasso landed a kick to the body. Herrig threw some shots upstairs. A jumping switch kick attempt saw Grasso go down on the canvas, but she quickly went for a heel hook. She used the submission to get back to her feet.
Herrig pressured forward and landed a right hand. A spinning heel kick attempt missed for Grasso. An inside leg kick found the mark for Grasso followed by counter straight lefts and rights. A right hand lnaded for Herrig. Grasso ended the round with a hard knee to the body.
A clean right hand landed for Herrig early in the second stanza. Grasso connected with a right hand. Herrig landed another right hand. Grasso landed a kick to the body. Herrig was more offensive and landed the cleaner strikes. Herrig took her opponent down to end the round.
The final round was underway. Grasso landed a side kick to the body. Herrig kept landing her straight right hand. She took Grasso down and moved to full mount. Grasso bumped her off and stood back up. A counter punch connected for Herrig. Grasso landed a leg kick.
Herrig continued to beat her opponent to the punch. Grasso kept getting countered. Herrig had her takedown attempt stuffed. Grasso landed some more as the round was closing. She tagged Herrig at the end of the round.
The last minute surge wasn’t enough for Grasso. Herrig was awarded the unanimous decision win.
After the bout, Herrig called for a rematch with Paige VanZant or a scrap with Michelle Waterson.
Final Result: Felice Herrig def. Alexa Grasso via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Undefeated strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso will make her second appearance for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Feb. 4, 2017. Her opponent will be Felice Herrig on the main card of UFC Fight N…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmngUQMHN8U
Undefeated strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso will make her second appearance for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Feb. 4, 2017. Her opponent will be Felice Herrig on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. Korean Zombie.
In her UFC debut, Grasso was close to flawless. She defeated Heather Jo Clark by unanimous decision. In the fight, Grasso was one step ahead standing and was able to win the grappling exchanges.
The Lobo Gym fighter recently spoke to the mixed martial arts (MMA) media about her next fight (via MMAFighting).
“I never expected to fight Felice. I think she has one of the best bodies in MMA and I’m still working on that. It’s amazing because she’s a veteran and I saw her fights. Now that I’m fighting her, it’s a blessing for me.”
Grasso believes Herrig will be a tough challenge. Herrig holds two victories over Clark, with one of the victories being considered an exhibition bout on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Professionally, Herrig is 2-1 inside the Octagon. Her lone loss in the UFC came at the hands of Paige VanZant. Her two victories ended by submission.
“I think I should be more careful because she won twice to Heather and Heather was difficult. I think she will be more difficult than Heather and I have to train harder.”
Undefeated prospects in the UFC can often feel pressured into keeping their perfect record intact. Grasso says she doesn’t feel pressure. She says she realizes the reason for her unbeaten streak is the time she put in the gym learning the sport of MMA, sparring with her training partners, and sticking to the gameplan.
“I don’t think it’s pressure. I’ve been working very hard for that [undefeated record]. I think that being undefeated is because of my work and my teamwork.”
