Despite his reputation as a brawler, Dan Hardy (red trunks) has very solid kickboxing skills that should allow him to easily negotiate "Rumble" Johnson's reach advantage. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
This Saturday, the state of Washington will get its first taste of live UFC action as UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis comes to Seattle’s Key Arena. Headlined by grizzled PRIDE veteran “Lil’ Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-4) and the dangerous undefeated blue chipper “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (7-0), the card promises to offer the northwestern fans an entertaining evening with fighters like Amir Sadollah (4-2), “Darkness” Damarques Johnson (15-8), “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (15-6-1), and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (10-3) on the slate. Perhaps the most sure-fired barn burner on the card though happens in the welterweight co-main event. On one side of the cage is super-sized wrecking machine “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-3), fresh off a humiliating loss to “Kos” Josh Koscheck (15-5) – eager to pay it forward to his next opponent. Across the Octagon from him stands British KO sensation and one time title contender “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-8) who claims to be fighting for his job after suffering two straight losses of his own. Both fighters are finishers, with 22 of their combined 31 wins never seeing the judges’ score cards, and both men like to handle their business on their feet. The end result should be a fire fight with one man desperate for redemption and the other, a cornered wolf fighting for survival. Continue reading »
