Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 154
Chan Sung Jung and showstopping theatrics go hand in hand.
“The Korean Zombie” obliterated Renato Carneiro in less than a minute in the UFC Fight Night 154 headliner, as he re-established himself as a serious player in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Carneiro succumbed to punches 58 seconds into Round 1.
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In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 154, here are five matches that ought to be made:
Chan Sung Jung vs. Calvin Kattar: Jung was back in the winner’s circle for just the second time since 2012, having sufficiently recovered from his “Knockout of the Year” loss to Yair Rodriguez in November. Injuries and mandatory military service may have stunted some of his growth, but at 32 years of age, there still appears to be plenty of tread left on the tires. Jung now owns a 5-2 record in the UFC, his arrow once again pointed upward. Kattar registered his most significant victory as a professional at UFC 238, where he cut down Ricardo Lamas with first-round punches on June 8. He has won 12 of his last 13 fights.
Randy Brown vs. Max Griffin: A tantalizing talent who has not yet put together all the pieces of the puzzle, Brown chopped down the notoriously durable Bryan Barberena with punches in the third round of their welterweight co-main event. Barberena bowed out 2:54 into Round 3. After two competitive rounds, Brown focused his efforts on the MMA Lab export’s midsection with knees and punches. On final left hook to the body folded Barberena and gave Brown his fourth win in six outings. Griffin last competed at UFC 236 in April, when he took a majority decision from Zelim Imadaev.
Andrea Lee vs. Jennifer Maia-Roxanne Modafferi winner: It appears as though Lee has begun her ascent in the women’s flyweight division, as the Karate Mafia standout cruised to a unanimous decision over Montana De La Rosa in a three-round feature at 125 pounds. “KGB” swept the scorecards with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 marks from the cageside judges. De La Rosa executed five takedowns but failed to consolidate them with positional advances or damage, allowing the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion to build sizeable margins against her in the striking department. Lee has recorded seven consecutive victories. Maia and Modafferi will square off at UFC on ESPN 4 on July 20.
Kevin Holland vs. Zak Cummings: Given an unforgiving short-notice promotional debut against Thiago Santos a little less than a year ago, Holland has slowly but surely established a foothold in the UFC’s 185-pound weight class. The “Trailblazer” extended his current winning streak to three fights with a unanimous decision over Alessio Di Chirico in a three-round middleweight showcase, drawing 29-28 scores from all three judges. Holland, 26, fought through a shoulder injury in the middle stanza, zeroed in on the Italian’s legs and body and did just enough to curry favor on the scorecards. Cummings last appeared at UFC Fight Night 152 on May 18, when he submitted Trevin Giles with a third-round guillotine choke.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Arjan Singh Bhullar: Not much can be gleaned from Rozenstruik’s second Octagon assignment, as he authored the second-fastest knockout in the history of the UFC heavyweight division. The undefeated 31-year-old improved to 8-0 with seven finishes, ambushing Allen Crowder just nine seconds into their undercard encounter. Rozenstruik felled the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate with a stiff jab, then rendered him unconscious with a brief burst of standing-to-ground punches. Bhullar has rattled off back-to-back decision wins against Marcelo Golm and Juan Adams since he submitted to an Adam Wieczorek in April 2018.
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