Tag: Jonathan Brookins

Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC Fight Night 25

Filed under: UFCThe lack of any bizarre finishes or fighter-interviewer confrontations may have buried UFC Fight Night 25 in the headlines, but there were no shortage of ups and downs in New Orleans on Saturday night.

It’s time again to look at the bi…

Filed under:

The lack of any bizarre finishes or fighter-interviewer confrontations may have buried UFC Fight Night 25 in the headlines, but there were no shortage of ups and downs in New Orleans on Saturday night.

It’s time again to look at the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between after the UFC’s most recent offering.

Biggest Winner: Jake Ellenberger
A 53-second TKO win over a guy who hasn’t been finished in over a decade? Yeah, that’s pretty huge, especially since that guy went five rounds with the champ in a losing effort just five months ago. But now what do you do with Ellenberger? He’s won five straight in the UFC, with only one of those fights going the distance, and yet he’s had trouble gaining traction in the contender conversation at welterweight. This win should change that, but how much? The only people who were surprised to see Ellenberger win this fight were those who hadn’t followed his career before now. He’s a superb athlete, a well-rounded fighter with no glaring weakness, and — maybe soon — a top contender.

Biggest Loser: Jason MacDonald
With the loss to Belcher, “The Athlete” fell to 1-2 in his latest UFC run. Even worse is that he did not look good doing it. MacDonald’s plan seemed to be to get Belcher to the mat however possible, even if he had to pull him straight into his guard. But as soon as Belcher stung him with a couple elbows from the top, MacDonald looked like he might be considering other ways to spend a Saturday night. There’s no shame in losing to a quality middleweight like Belcher, but when you don’t put up much of a fight it makes people wonder: does MacDonald still really want to be doing this for a living, or is it just the best idea he can think of at the moment? If you’re not all the way in this sport, there are plenty of guys who can help you all the way out — but they aren’t going to be nice about it.

Most Sympathetic: Jake Shields
We could argue over whether his loss had anything to do with him fighting just a few weeks after the death of his father (who was also his manager), but it doesn’t matter. The mere fact that he didn’t drop out of this fight, that he kept going to the gym and walked in that cage when his name was called tells you a lot about his character and his determination. I don’t know how he did it, nor do I know if, in the end, it was such a good idea. I just hope the UFC appreciates the kind of person and fighter they have here. A lot of the guys on the roster wouldn’t have done what he did, and nobody could have blamed them. Shields stepped up and got beat, but no one can question his mental toughness. At least now he’ll get some time to go home and grieve.

Best Prospect: Erik Koch
He’s now won four straight dating back to his WEC days, and two in a row in the UFC. The solid takedown defense he showed against Brookins compliments his stand-up game well, even if you’d still like to see him get a little more aggressive with his striking when he’s finding his target as easily as he did on Saturday night. Still, he’s got a ton of potential and he’s not yet 23 years old. I don’t know where Duke Roufus finds these lumps of clay to mold to his liking, but he has something worth developing with Koch.

Not Quite Ready for Primetime: Jonathan Brookins
It’s fine to go into a fight planning on taking it to the ground. But when you can’t get it, you eventually have to change strategies. Brookins didn’t, and after getting out-struck when the fight stayed at a distance, he had to know he wasn’t going to win that decision. On one hand, maybe it’s encouraging that he can stick to a game plan so well. On the other, when you can’t get past step one of that game plan, it’s time to look for a different path. Takedowns and top control might have been good enough to win TUF, but he’s got to find something else to threaten people with if he’s going to find success at the next level.

Least Affected by a Layoff: Alan Belcher
I admit, I was a little worried about how Belcher would look after being gone from the cage for the last 14 months. That’s a tough chunk of time for a 27-year-old fighter to lose, and some need to ease back into action more than others. But as he was putting a serious hurt on MacDonald in the first round, Belcher looked as though he’d never left. We didn’t get to see much of his timing on the feet, but his aggression and finishing instincts are still clearly intact. That’s reassuring, because Belcher seemed like he was just finding his groove when those sudden eye issues halted his progress. Now that he’s back, look out.

Stealthiest Ascent: Court McGee
It’s got to be hard to know what to do with McGee, who is quietly stacking up wins. Nearly a year went by between his first post-TUF UFC bout and this decision win, and that time is critical when you’re riding that fickle reality TV show fame. In his fight against Yang, as in his previous fight against Ryan Jensen, he started a little slow but showed impressive resiliency down the stretch. It’s almost as if he needs to get nailed with a good shot before he steps his game up and gets serious about his offense. He’s now 2-0 in the UFC since winning the reality show, but those two wins were stretched out over eleven months, so it’s not as if there’s a real groundswell of fan energy behind him. Maybe the best thing is for the UFC to keep gradually increasing the level of competition, hoping that he can stay healthy enough to stay in the picture. At least that beard makes him difficult to forget.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

‘UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger’ Aftermath: Big Upset in the Big Easy


Our thoughts exactly. Props: MMAMania

Coming into last night’s UFC Fight Night 25, Jake Shields was in a lose-lose situation. He was presented with an opponent, Jake Ellenberger, who was facing his first real step up in competition. A victory over him wouldn’t necessarily propel Shields back to the top of the welterweight division. If Jake Shields lost, well, Jake Shields isn’t going to lose this one so let’s not worry about it. Last night was going to be Jake Shield’s first step towards living up to the hype that surrounded him when he entered the UFC and getting back in the mix for a shot at the welterweight title. There was only one problem: That didn’t happen. In just under one minute, Jake Ellenberger practically ended the Jake Shields era.

This isn’t to say that it’s over for Jake Shields, or that he still can’t work his way back to relevance in the welterweight division. But it’s certainly over for the myth that Jake Shields is still one of the top fighters out there. Last night, Jake Shields couldn’t implement his game plan because Jake Ellenberger was able to stuff his takedown attempts. It wasn’t “What did Shields do wrong”; it was what Ellenberger did right. He was the better fighter, plain and simple. And let’s not entertain the thought of “early stoppage” any more than we had to after hearing Jake Shields imply it last night. When you take a knee directly to the chin, immediately turtle up, and then try to grapple with the referee who pulls your opponent off of you, you have no business saying that the fight was stopped early. If you didn’t think Shields was out when you first watched that fight, watch it again while you still can.


Our thoughts exactly. Props: MMAMania

Coming into last night’s UFC Fight Night 25, Jake Shields was in a lose-lose situation. He was presented with an opponent, Jake Ellenberger, who was facing his first real step up in competition. A victory over him wouldn’t necessarily propel Shields back to the top of the welterweight division. If Jake Shields lost, well, Jake Shields isn’t going to lose this one so let’s not worry about it. Last night was going to be Jake Shield’s first step towards living up to the hype that surrounded him when he entered the UFC and getting back in the mix for a shot at the welterweight title. There was only one problem: That didn’t happen. In just under one minute, Jake Ellenberger practically ended the Jake Shields era.

This isn’t to say that it’s over for Jake Shields, or that he still can’t work his way back to relevance in the welterweight division. But it’s certainly over for the myth that Jake Shields is still one of the top fighters out there. Last night, Jake Shields couldn’t implement his game plan because Jake Ellenberger was able to stuff his takedown attempts. It wasn’t “What did Shields do wrong”; it was what Ellenberger did right. He was the better fighter, plain and simple. And let’s not entertain the thought of “early stoppage” any more than we had to after hearing Jake Shields imply it last night. When you take a knee directly to the chin, immediately turtle up, and then try to grapple with the referee who pulls your opponent off of you, you have no business saying that the fight was stopped early. If you didn’t think Shields was out when you first watched that fight, watch it again while you still can.

I’m really not sure what to call Court McGee’s performance last night. But I will say that the TUF 11 winner handled his eleven months away from the sport as well as possible. He stuck to his game plan against a game Dongi Yang, and managed to grind out a decision victory. McGee may not be ready for the deep end of the middleweight division yet, but he’s certainly appearing promising so far. Ed Herman is being suggested as a future opponent, and I can’t say I disagree with that. As for the other TUF winner on the card, Jonathan Brookins didn’t win, but he managed to not get knocked out against Erik Koch. Admit it: that was far more than you were expecting from him. Brookins did what he had to do to remain conscious against Koch by implementing a wall-and-stall “offense”, and secured a few takedowns in the process. An ugly way to lose, but when you’re a TUF winner, you can get away with it. Likewise, the ugly victory more than likely stalls Koch for the time being, despite the improved wrestling that he displayed by managing to avoid most of Brookins’ takedowns.

One final thing to take away from last night was Alan Belcher’s effortless return to action. Despite a sixteen month layoff that nearly ended his career, Belcher made quick work of Jason MacDonald, punching him out in the first round. Given the almost embarrassing lack of depth in the middleweight division, Belcher may find himself back in the mix with that victory. Not bad for a guy who was considering retirement before last night’s fight. As for Jason MacDonald, well, there’s always Strikeforce (for the next few months, at least).

Full results, courtesy of MMAJunkie:

MAIN CARD

Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:53
Court McGee def. Dongi Yang via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-28)
Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Alan Belcher def. Jason MacDonald via verbal submission (punches) – Round 1, 3:48

PRELIMINARY CARD

Vagner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:49
Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lance Benoist def. Matt Riddle via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ken Stone def. Donny Walker via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:40
Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:12
T.J. Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:52
Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

(SF)

‘UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger’ — Round-by-Round Results


(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.


(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)

Erik Koch Beats Jonathan Brookins, Extends Win Streak to Four

Filed under: UFC, NewsWEC veteran Erik Koch made it back-to-back wins in the UFC Saturday, outpointing The Ultimate Fighter 12 winner Jonathan Brookins in an evenly-fought matchup at UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, La.

A student of Duke Roufus, Koc…

Filed under: ,

WEC veteran Erik Koch made it back-to-back wins in the UFC Saturday, outpointing The Ultimate Fighter 12 winner Jonathan Brookins in an evenly-fought matchup at UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, La.

A student of Duke Roufus, Koch was the better standup artist with among his highlights, solid lefts, punishing leg kicks and a left high kick. Coming off two straight Knockout of the Night awards (one was in the WEC), the 22-year-old Koch wasn’t able to put together explosive performances of the past, but scored enough on the feet to sway the judges in his favor 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27. According to FightMetic, Koch outlanded Brookins in total strikes 86 to 29.

The fight itself wasn’t pretty, as Brookins tried to take Koch out of his striking game by constantly shooting for takedowns and dirty-boxing. Brookins was only successful on one takedown which he held for just a mere 30 seconds.


Koch (13-1), who now carries a four-fight win streak, made his UFC debut in March with a knockout over Raphael Assuncao.

Brookins (12-4) of Gracie Barra Orlando was fighting for the first time since beating Michael Johnson last December at the TUF 12 finale.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC Live Blog: Jonathan Brookins vs. Erik Koch Updates

Filed under:

NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for Jonathan Brookins vs. Erik Koch, a featherweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike telecast from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Brookins (12-3, 1-0 UFC) has not fought since winning Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a unanimous decision win over Michael Johnson last December. Brookins was scheduled to return against Jeremy Stephens in June, but had to pull out of the fight with an injury.

Koch (12-1, 1-0) has won three straight, all in the first round. His last two fights have been Knockout of the Night winners – one with a head kick in his final WEC fight against Francisco Rivera last November and one against Rafael Assuncao in his UFC debut in March.

The live blog is below.

Round 1: Cautious start for both fighters, and after 30 seconds Brookins moves in looking for a single-leg and has Koch against the fence. They spend a full minute there, with not much activity. They’re trading knees here and there, though. Brookins really wants this takedown. He appears strong enough to keep Koch on the fence, but not strong enough to get it down. The crowd grows slightly restless halfway through the round. Then Koch finally gets out and hits a nice left. Then a left outside leg kick. Brookins misses and uppercut. Koch dodges out of a couple jabs, almost Anderson Silva-sytle, then lands another left. Brookins again wants the takedown, but Koch defends along the cage. Koch reverses, then Brookins reverse. Brookins lands a big throw takedown, but it’s after the horn. Not a lot of action, but Koch seemed to get the better of things and we’ll give him a 10-9 first round.

Round 2: Snapping outside left leg kick from Koch. Then he goes back to it. Brookins shoots for a single, Koch defends again and lands a right as they scurry to the fence. Decent elbow from Brookins just before the break, but back in the middle Koch lands a nice right kick to the head that gets Brookins’ attention. Brookins continues to work to get the fight to the ground, and Koch continues to defend it mostly well. A little scramble sees the fight go to the ground briefly, but it’s right back up and into teh clinch along the cage. After a minute, they break and go back to the middle. Another nice leg kick from Koch. Then he tags Brookins with a short combo before Brookins again works for a takedown. This time, he finally makes it work and Koch works out of guard. As he pops up, Brookins lands a nice right. But Koch still gets back to his feet. It’s a round very similar to the first – not a ton happening, but enough from Koch that we’ll give it to him 10-9 again.

Round 3: Koch peppers Brookins with jabs to open the round. He eats a knee, but gets back to the middle and looks to stay standing. Brookins shoots for another single, but Koch avoids it. Good head movement from Koch in his standup game. Brookins again shoots for a single, but it’s not there and it’s more clinch work on the fence. After the separate around the 2 minute mark, Koch lands a nice kick, then continues to work his jab. A Superman punch from Brookins doesn’t find a home. But they clinch up and Brookins lands his best takedown of the fight. They pop up immediately, though, then clinch again. A nice exchange at the 30-second mark gives the fans some hope, but there’s not much to it. Little tougher to score this round, but we’ll give it to Koch 10-9 and the fight to him 30-27.

Result: Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under:

NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for Jonathan Brookins vs. Erik Koch, a featherweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike telecast from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Brookins (12-3, 1-0 UFC) has not fought since winning Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a unanimous decision win over Michael Johnson last December. Brookins was scheduled to return against Jeremy Stephens in June, but had to pull out of the fight with an injury.

Koch (12-1, 1-0) has won three straight, all in the first round. His last two fights have been Knockout of the Night winners – one with a head kick in his final WEC fight against Francisco Rivera last November and one against Rafael Assuncao in his UFC debut in March.

The live blog is below.

Round 1: Cautious start for both fighters, and after 30 seconds Brookins moves in looking for a single-leg and has Koch against the fence. They spend a full minute there, with not much activity. They’re trading knees here and there, though. Brookins really wants this takedown. He appears strong enough to keep Koch on the fence, but not strong enough to get it down. The crowd grows slightly restless halfway through the round. Then Koch finally gets out and hits a nice left. Then a left outside leg kick. Brookins misses and uppercut. Koch dodges out of a couple jabs, almost Anderson Silva-sytle, then lands another left. Brookins again wants the takedown, but Koch defends along the cage. Koch reverses, then Brookins reverse. Brookins lands a big throw takedown, but it’s after the horn. Not a lot of action, but Koch seemed to get the better of things and we’ll give him a 10-9 first round.

Round 2: Snapping outside left leg kick from Koch. Then he goes back to it. Brookins shoots for a single, Koch defends again and lands a right as they scurry to the fence. Decent elbow from Brookins just before the break, but back in the middle Koch lands a nice right kick to the head that gets Brookins’ attention. Brookins continues to work to get the fight to the ground, and Koch continues to defend it mostly well. A little scramble sees the fight go to the ground briefly, but it’s right back up and into teh clinch along the cage. After a minute, they break and go back to the middle. Another nice leg kick from Koch. Then he tags Brookins with a short combo before Brookins again works for a takedown. This time, he finally makes it work and Koch works out of guard. As he pops up, Brookins lands a nice right. But Koch still gets back to his feet. It’s a round very similar to the first – not a ton happening, but enough from Koch that we’ll give it to him 10-9 again.

Round 3: Koch peppers Brookins with jabs to open the round. He eats a knee, but gets back to the middle and looks to stay standing. Brookins shoots for another single, but Koch avoids it. Good head movement from Koch in his standup game. Brookins again shoots for a single, but it’s not there and it’s more clinch work on the fence. After the separate around the 2 minute mark, Koch lands a nice kick, then continues to work his jab. A Superman punch from Brookins doesn’t find a home. But they clinch up and Brookins lands his best takedown of the fight. They pop up immediately, though, then clinch again. A nice exchange at the 30-second mark gives the fans some hope, but there’s not much to it. Little tougher to score this round, but we’ll give it to Koch 10-9 and the fight to him 30-27.

Result: Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Seth vs. Jared: UFC Fight Night 25 Edition

Pictured: Seth giving Jared a tour of Louisiana.

Ultimate Fight Night 25 goes down tonight in New Orleans, and all that hot sauce and bourbon has whipped us into a fight picking frenzy. Representing the home team will be Louisiana’s own Seth Falvo, who will be doing battle against Head to Head newbie (read: loser) Jared “DangadaDang” Jones. Which Jake will reign supreme? Will it be a good night for The Ultimate Fighter, or a complete disaster? Will the stars of Swamp People get roped into a video interview with Joe Rogan? Find out all this and more, and then tell us what we forgot in the comments section.

Let’s skip the foreplay: Shields or Ellenberger, who ya got?

JJ: As unimpressed as I’ve been with Jake Shields’ UFC career thus far, I just can’t see how Ellenberger wins this one. Though his submission defense looked great, his takedown defense looked pretty exploitable against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, and if Dan Henderson can’t knock out Shields, then it ain’t happening, homie. I got Shields by UD in a match that I forget about quicker than every Saturday Night Live sketch of the past 10 years. The real question is, will the recent loss of Shields’ father have an effect on his game plan?

SF: In any other city, I’d be inclined to agree with you, Jared. But this is New Orleans. A city where the underdog has recently been able to thrive. A city renowned for its Voodoo culture. And, as anyone who has had one too many hand grenades and went home with a dress wearing local they found on Bourbon Street can tell you, a city where not everything is what it seems. Not that that’s ever happened to me or anything.

You’re only as good as your last fight. When we last saw Jake Shields, he was completely unable to take Georges St. Pierre to the ground and didn’t fare better trading punches with the champion until he managed to steal the fifth round. Jake Ellenberger, meanwhile, dominated Sean Pierson in a fight he took on only seventeen days notice. When you add on not only the death of Jake Shield’s father, but also that other distraction Team Cesar Gracie has been dealing with, it’s possible that Jake Shields isn’t as focused as he needs to be. This one has the potential to get interesting. Maybe not “Ellenberger pulls off the upset” interesting, but at least “watchable while sober” interesting.

Pictured: Seth giving Jared a tour of Louisiana.

Ultimate Fight Night 25 goes down tonight in New Orleans, and all that hot sauce and bourbon has whipped us into a fight picking frenzy. Representing the home team will be Louisiana’s own Seth Falvo, who will be doing battle against Head to Head newbie (read: loser) Jared “DangadaDang” Jones. Which Jake will reign supreme? Will it be a good night for The Ultimate Fighter, or a complete disaster? Will the stars of Swamp People get roped into a video interview with Joe Rogan? Find out all this and more, and then tell us what we forgot in the comments section.

Let’s skip the foreplay: Shields or Ellenberger, who ya got?

JJ: As unimpressed as I’ve been with Jake Shields’ UFC career thus far, I just can’t see how Ellenberger wins this one. Though his submission defense looked great, his takedown defense looked pretty exploitable against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, and if Dan Henderson can’t knock out Shields, then it ain’t happening, homie. I got Shields by UD in a match that I forget about quicker than every Saturday Night Live sketch of the past 10 years. The real question is, will the recent loss of Shields’ father have an effect on his game plan?

SF: In any other city, I’d be inclined to agree with you, Jared. But this is New Orleans. A city where the underdog has recently been able to thrive. A city renowned for its Voodoo culture. And, as anyone who has had one too many hand grenades and went home with a dress wearing local they found on Bourbon Street can tell you, a city where not everything is what it seems. Not that that’s ever happened to me or anything.

You’re only as good as your last fight. When we last saw Jake Shields, he was completely unable to take Georges St. Pierre to the ground and didn’t fare better trading punches with the champion until he managed to steal the fifth round. Jake Ellenberger, meanwhile, dominated Sean Pierson in a fight he took on only seventeen days notice. When you add on not only the death of Jake Shield’s father, but also that other distraction Team Cesar Gracie has been dealing with, it’s possible that Jake Shields isn’t as focused as he needs to be. This one has the potential to get interesting. Maybe not “Ellenberger pulls off the upset” interesting, but at least “watchable while sober” interesting.

With 8 participants, this card is practically flooded (no offense Seth) with TUF alum. That said, who will have the best night? The worst? 

SF: That’s cold-blooded, son. It’s not my fault your school isn’t cool enough to have its own campus swamp. Or, let me guess: You’re an Oregon Ducks fan.

I’ll go against the grain and say that Matt Riddle will have the best night. Matt Riddle has been out of action for eight months after losing to the aforementioned Sean Pierson at UFC 124. It’s more than likely win or go home in his tilt against UFC newcomer Lance Benoist, a 5-0 submission specialist who has never been out of the first round. Before you get too excited about Lance Benoist, keep in mind that only two of his past opponents have winning records. Factor in Matt Riddle’s grappling prowess and Octagon jitters for Benoist, and Matt Riddle is bound to have a pretty good night. As for the worst night, is there anyone reading this that actually thinks Shamar Bailey is going to beat Evan Dunham? Didn’t think so. 

JJ: I want to say McGee has the best night, but I vowed never to bet against South Korea after watching Oldboy for the first time. I’m going with the dark horse here and picking my boy Cody McKenzie for the win. Word is he’s been spending some time at Team Alpha Male since his loss to Yves Edwards, and if you combine the already lethal power of “The McKenzietine” with those Alpha boys’ well known guillotine, it’s a wrap for Vagner Rocha, who showed absolutely nothing against Donald Cerrone other than a willingness to take leg kicks. As for the worst night, that’s going to Jonathan Brookins. Say what you want about his grappling ability, but his stand up looked awful against Michael Johnson, and Eric Koch is a straight up beast on the feet.

And as for my school, we opted for indoor plumbing and a library over a glorified sinkhole. In other words, you chose poorly.

Since the main event most likely won’t win any awards, which match will take FOTN?

JJ: This one’s easy: Alan Belcher vs. Jason Macdonald.  Both guys are looking to establish themselves, Belcher due to the layoff, Macdonald due to his somewhat lackluster Octagon run as of late, and both guys are known for putting on exciting fights each and every time. Expect a back and forth brawl until Belcher puts Macdonald’s lights out late in the second. And that’s that.

SF: Hard to argue with that. But you can almost say the exact same thing about Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang. McGee has been out of commission for almost a year, and has the TUF Winner expectations to live up to as well. Likewise, Dongi Yang has shown that he’s more than capable of living up to his reputation as a fight finisher, but a loss to Court McGee would put him at an uncomfortable 1-2 in the UFC. Don’t expect either guy to retreat during this one, folks. And don’t blink, either.

You’ve got $50. You could spend this money at Taco Bell, like you planned to, and eat for the rest of the week. Or, you could opt to feed your crippling gambling addiction. What is the safest way to do both tonight?

SF: Truth be told, there really aren’t too many “safe” bets on this card. But if you’re looking for “safe”, then why are you eating at Taco Bell in the first place? Cognitive Dissonance, anyone?

There are some pretty attractive underdogs on this card, such as Cody McKenzie and Dongi Yang. Even Clay Harvison, as mediocre as he’s looked, has a pretty favorable matchup against the one dimensional Seth Baczynski (especially given his conditioning issues). But if we’re going for “safe”, then the safest parlay I can come up with is Koch-Dunham-Riddle-Waldburger-Lopez. You won’t get rich off of this, but at least you’ll be able to upgrade to Raising Cane’s for the next week or two.

JJ: Am I really going to let someone from the land of fried squirrel and alligator attacks lecture me on safety? I think I’ll stick to triple steak burritos back here in civilization, thank you very much. I’d say that Evan Dunham is my ticket to the aforementioned taco glory, but at -500 there’d be next to no return on that bet, so I’m opting for a moderately safe parlay of Shields-Koch-Yang-Belcher. And with that, I’ll be resting easy on my pillow-sized tortilla shell while you are busy catching bullfrogs or whatever it is you people do for fun down there when it isn’t Mardi Gras.