UFC on FUEL TV 3: "Korean Zombie vs. Poirier" went down last night (Tues., May 15, 2012) at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. In the main event, Dustin Poirier battled featherweight veteran Chan Sung Jung. Former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner and UFC mainstay Amir Sadollah took on Jorge Lopez in the co-main. Without a doubt the event lacked in star power but, for the most part, delivered in action.
Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung
Watch this fight. I don't care what you're doing right now, find a way to watch it. Heading into this fight, it seemed ridiculous that this match would have any immediate impact on either fighter's career, but both of them proved me wrong. Despite having two of the most impressive victories of 2011, "The Korean Zombie" looked to have slipped past most people's radar going in to this fight. He exceeded all expectations by dominating Dustin "Diamond" from bell to bell. Poirier found some success throughout the fight by landing hard straight punches, but Sung Jung blasted through that with knees and takedowns. He capped it off by rocking Poirier in the fourth round with a flying knee and finishing the fight with a slick Brabo choke. Chan Sung Jung by submission in round four.
This fight was the worst co-main event in UFC history. Go ahead, bring up Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle. At leat that fight had an impressive first round win by the former. This fight had no such redeeming qualities. Sadollah is a middling talent at best and he somehow keeps getting placed on the main card. Lopez tried to make it ugly from the start by pressuring Amir against the fence. If you saw that in the first round, go ahead and skip the rest of the fight. Amir defended well, but inevitably that's the weak point of any Muay Thai based fighter with little power. Many saw the fight going for Lopez, but the result was Sadollah by split decision.
Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens
Depite the loss to Nate Diaz, Cerrone had one of the best years in fighting MMA has every seen. He went on a four-fight win streak capped off by a decision loss to one of the best fighters in the lightweight division. He didn't leave that fight without a lesson, though. Throughout the fight, Cerrone controlled the distance against Stephens and punished him with kicks and straight punches. Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision.
Jeff Hougland vs. Yves Jabouin
You ever feel bad for Sisyphus? Nope, this is the Internet and we don't have empathy. But that's what this fight felt like to me. Jabouin tried to Hougland that he should stop when he dropped him in the first round with a spinning back kick to the body. Hougland went to the fetal position and the fight should have been stopped. To his credit, Hougland found the heart to scramble to a defensive position and eventually find his feet. In the long run, that hear isn't going to mean much. Jaboin spent the rest of the fight clowning on Hougland. Yves Jabouin by unanimous decision.
Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldanado
Facing off in a battle of mid-tier talent, Pokrajac and Maldanado engaged in a grueling fight. Maldonado kept busy with punishing body shots while Pokrajac focused on working the Muay Thai clinch and delivering punches and knees to the head. Pokrajac pulled off an ugly decision as he pushed Maldanado against the fence and beat him as badly as he could. Fabio has nothing to be ashamed of in this match, however, as the decision could have gone either way. Igor Pokrajac by unanimous decision.
Tom Lawlor vs. Jason MacDonald
Both Lawlor and MacDonald are well known as gritty grapplers. So, as I expected, the match turned into a technical chess match of positional control vs sweeps and submission attempts ... wait, what's that? Lawlor said, "Eff that!" with a beautiful display of takedown defense and a powerful right hand that ended the fight in 50 seconds? Well, I never liked you anyway, Lawlor. Oh yeah, and happy birthday! Lawlor wins by first round knockout.