UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie

Summary

UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie (also known as UFC Fight Night 104) was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2017, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.[2]

UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie
The poster for UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateFebruary 4, 2017 (2017-02-04)
VenueToyota Center
CityHouston, Texas
Attendance8,119[1]
Total gate$611,133[1]
Event chronology
UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie

Background edit

A featherweight bout between Dennis Bermudez and former UFC Featherweight Championship challenger Chan Sung Jung served as the event headliner.[3] This was Jung's first bout since August 2013, as he returned from military service.

A lightweight bout between Evan Dunham and Abel Trujillo was originally booked for UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson. However, Trujillo pulled out due to an undisclosed injury.[4] The fight was later rescheduled for this event.[5]

A women's strawweight bout between Jéssica Andrade and Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Angela Hill was briefly linked to UFC 207.[6] However the fight never materialized for that event because of a rule in the UFC's anti-doping policy with USADA.[7] Subsequently, Andrade was removed from that card with the pairing left intact and rescheduled to take place at this event.[8]

On January 19, the card suffered multiple changes due to injury: Evan Dunham and Johnny Case pulled out of their respective fights against Abel Trujillo and James Vick. Subsequently, Trujillo and Vick were booked to face each other.[9] Also, Sheldon Westcott was forced to withdraw from his bout against Alex Morono at the event.[10] He was replaced by Niko Price.[11]

Jan Błachowicz was expected to face former interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger Ovince Saint Preux, but pulled out on January 21 due to injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Volkan Oezdemir.[12]

Justin Ledet was expected to face promotional newcomer Dmitry Sosnovskiy at the event. However, Ledet pulled out of the fight on January 26 allegedly due to an undisclosed injury. Promotion officials elected to remove Sosnovskiy from the card and he will be rescheduled for another event.[13][14]

At the weigh-ins, Bec Rawlings came in at 117.5 lb, 1.5 lb over the women's strawweight limit of 116 lb. As a result, Rawlings was fined 20% of her purse, which went to Tecia Torres and the bout proceeded as scheduled at catchweight.[15]

Results edit

Main Card (Fox Sports 1)
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Featherweight Chan Sung Jung def. Dennis Bermudez KO (punch) 1 2:49
Women's Strawweight Felice Herrig def. Alexa Grasso Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) 3 5:00
Lightweight James Vick def. Abel Trujillo Submission (D'Arce choke) 3 0:49
Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir def. Ovince Saint Preux Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) 3 5:00
Heavyweight Marcel Fortuna def. Anthony Hamilton KO (punch) 1 3:10
Women's Strawweight Jéssica Andrade def. Angela Hill Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes vs. Adam Milstead No Contest (overturned) 2 0:59 [a]
Featherweight Chas Skelly def. Chris Gruetzemacher Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 2:01
Bantamweight Ricardo Ramos def. Michinori Tanaka Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–27, 29–28) 3 5:00
Catchweight (117.5 lb) Tecia Torres def. Bec Rawlings Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Welterweight Niko Price vs. Alex Morono No Contest (overturned) 2 5:00 [b]
Light Heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Daniel Jolly KO (knee) 1 0:52
  1. ^ Originally a TKO (knee injury) win for Blaydes; overturned after he tested positive for marijuana.
  2. ^ Originally a KO (punch) win for Price; overturned after he tested positive for marijuana.

[16]

Bonus awards edit

The following fighters were awarded $50,000 bonuses:[17]

  • Fight of the Night: Jéssica Andrade vs. Angela Hill
  • Performance of the Night: Chan Sung Jung and Marcel Fortuna

Aftermath edit

Niko Price, Curtis Blaydes and Abel Trujillo all tested positive for marijuana in in-competition drug tests. All three have been suspended 90 days and fined $1,000 by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), sources said. Despite their test failures for marijuana, none are facing any sanctions from USADA, as it only suspends fighters for cannabis if their drug test comes back with more than 150 ng/ml of the substance’s metabolites. Victories by Price and Blaydes have been overturned to no contests.[18]

On April 5, it was announced that Ledet accepted a four-month USADA's sanction for an anti-doping policy violation following an out-of-competition test conducted on January 12. He tested positive for 5α-androst-1-ene-3α-ol-17-one, a metabolite of 1-testosterone and 1-androstenedione. He provided USADA with an open container of a dietary supplement product he was using at the time of the relevant sample collection, which he had also declared on his sample collection paperwork and researched before using. The testing conclusively confirmed that the supplement Ledet was using at the time of his positive test was contaminated with 1-androstenedione. The period of ineligibility began on February 1, 2017, the date on which he was provisionally suspended from competition.[19]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Staff (2017-02-05). "UFC Fight Night 104 draws announced attendance of 8,119 for gate north of $600,000". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  2. ^ Dann Stupp (2016-11-06). "UFC Fight Night and Super Bowl LI will share a weekend in Houston". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  3. ^ Ariel Helwani (2016-12-02). "Chan Sung Jung vs. Dennis Bermudez targeted for Super Bowl weekend headliner". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  4. ^ Staff (2016-09-08). "With Trujillo out vs. Evan Dunham next week in Texas, UFC turning to a former WSOF champion". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  5. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (2016-12-03). "The Korean Zombie headlines UFC return to Houston". ufc.com. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  6. ^ Gabriel Carvalho (2016-12-07). "Angela Hill replaces Moroz and faces Jéssica Andrade at UFC 207" (in Portuguese). olimpomma.com. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  7. ^ Marc Raimondi (2016-12-13). "Hill's UFC return on hold due to USADA rule". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016-12-13.
  8. ^ Robert Sargent (2017-01-16). "Jéssica Andrade vs Angela Hill planned for UFC Fight Night 104". mmarising.com. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
  9. ^ Newswire (2017-01-19). "After injuries to original opponents, James Vick and Abel Trujillo fight in Houston". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  10. ^ John Morgan (2017-01-19). "Sheldon Westcott out at UFC Fight Night 104, Alex Morono needs welterweight opponent in Houston". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  11. ^ Staff (2017-01-24). "Niko Price replaces Sheldon Westcott at UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  12. ^ Staff (2017-01-21). "Ovince Saint Preux gets new opponent – UFC's first Switzerland native – for UFC Fight Night 104". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  13. ^ Fernando Quiles Jr. (2017-01-26). "Justin Ledet off UFC Fight Night card in Houston with an injury". mmanews.com. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
  14. ^ UFC press release (2017-02-01). "UFC statement on Justin Ledet". ufc.com. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  15. ^ Staff (2017-02-03). "UFC Fight Night 104 weigh-in results: Bermudez (145.5) and Jung (145.5) official, Rawlings off mark". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  16. ^ "UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. Korean Zombie". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  17. ^ Staff (2017-02-05). "UFC Fight Night 104 bonuses: 'Korean Zombie' among extra $50,000 winners". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  18. ^ Marc Raimondi (2017-03-17). "Three fighters test positive for marijuana at UFC Fight Night 104". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  19. ^ Staff (2017-04-05). "UFC athlete, Justin Ledet, accepts sanction for anti-doping policy violation". ufc.usada.org. Retrieved 2017-04-06.