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Roundtables
UFC Fight Night 38 Roundtable: Penick, Walker, Hyden, and Strong Rate and Review "Shogun vs. Henderson II" event
Mar 25, 2014 - 8:45:14 PM
UFC Fight Night 38 Roundtable: Penick, Walker, Hyden, and Strong Rate and Review "Shogun vs. Henderson II" event
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JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: (7.5)

For a card that didn't look like much on paper, we got a hell of a lot of action. The decision rate for the year got reduced by a bit with a ton of stoppages, six of them in the first round. That most of them came with underdogs winning those fights was just the cherry on top.

It was fascinating to see so many fighters favored to do well go down in such spectacular fashion, rendering most predictions false and adding a different feel to the night overall. It certainly elevated the event on the whole. Add to that my favorite finish in years with Godofredo Pepey's flying knee, and there was a lot to like here.

As for the main event, as exciting as it was, you can't help but be worried for both fighters out of the event. The damage they've taken over their careers turns a fight like that from a thrilling back and forth to a cautionary tale of two fighters likely to suffer from severe aftereffects from this sport in their later years. That's not positive to think about, and puts a bit of a damper on what was a viscerally brutal finish to the night's card.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST: (7.5)

This event was mostly fun from start to finish with some truly unexpected moments. I never doubted the fact that Mutante would crush Dolloway and damn do I look silly. Shogun and Hendo put on a great back and forth fight that was a fun slug fest, and almost every fight delivered in a big way. Fabio Maldonado made himself a spot in my favorite fighters to watch in good fashion with a come from behind beat down of insane proportions. I do feel bad for Scott Jorgenson for how his loss came about, but man does Formiga have a sick ground game. A great card with a KO of the year candidate as well with Godofredo Popey landing an insanely clean flying knee to absolutely destroy anyone's hopes of achieving a superior knockout.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR: (9.0)

I'm happy to say I was very surprised by this card. I didn't know what to expect from most of the fights, so seeing so many finishes was great. Most of the undercard fights were really good, though some were really bad. That's all right, though. I was surprised by the bad referees, as well. They seemed to be off their game. It almost sees to be a MMA-wide issue these days. None of them were as bad as Chuck Wolfe on the Bellator 113 undercard, but there were some questionable calls.

The one I think most will remember is Shogun not getting the finish in the first round when he had Henderson beat. We've all seen fights stopped earlier than that. It nearly happened again in the second round. Then you get Henderson with a great shot that mushed Shogun's face up to finish it in the third. There's no doubt that Shogun was done there in the third, but you can easily make the case that Hendo was done in the first. Anyhow, this was a really good fight that capped a really good card.


TOM STRONG, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR: (8.0)

What an interesting fight night! From the saga of Will Chope, the cancellation of his fight against Diego Brandao, a night of underdogs winning and the come back for nowhere in the Shogun Rua vs. Dan Henderson II fight!

You would've had to been a fortune teller to predict the outcome of the fights last night. Almost everyone fight went to the underdog. If you were on some of these bets, you'd be sitting pretty right now. Thankfully me, Dan Moore, and a few others managed to take advantage of the ridiculous odds that were on offer.

So many good performances Sunday night; Godofredo "Pepey" Castro with one of the best flying knee KO's I've seen. Jussier Formiga and Rony Jason. Thats not forgetting C.B. Dolloway's TKO victory over Cezar Ferriera.

Though mention of the night has to go to none other than Dan Henderson. Having been brutally beaten up for two rounds, he found that trusted right hand to land on Shogun and take the finish in the third! Showing you are always in danger as long as he's standing.

On a more sour note, the cancellation of Will Chope vs. Diego Brandao came as a real shock. Only hours before the fight, the UFC decided to pulled the plug following reports Chope had been discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 2009 after repeated verbally and physically assaulting of his now ex wife.

Out of 10, this fight night 38 get a solid 8 from me.


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EDITORS:

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