The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for UFC on ESPN 25: “Korean Zombie vs Ige.” The event was headlined by a featherweight contender’s bout between South Korean star “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Hawaii’s Dan “50K” Ige.
In the heavyweight co-main event, Alexey “The Boa Constrictor” Oleynik took on Sergey “The Polar Bear” Spivak. Elsewhere on the main card, Marlon “Chito” Vera battled “Dangerous” Davey Grant at bantamweight. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the UFC on ESPN 25 card.
“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung vs Dan “50K” Ige
Round 1:
Jung opened the fight with a powerful kick to Ige’s lead leg. Ige landed a leg kick of his own and followed with a one-two before establishing his jab. Jung tried to clinch and Ige shrugged him off. Two lead left hooks scored for Ige, but Jung dropped levels and took him down. When Jung tried to pass to mount, Ige gave up his back and scrambled up to his feet. The fighters traded right hands and Ige stepped forward with a three-punch combo. Competitive opening round. 10-9 Jung.
Round 2:
The second round began with an early knockdown for Jung, who connected with a big right hand. Ige quickly returned to his feet and both men landed jabs and leg kicks. Jung followed with an overhand right and a lead left hook. Ige scored with a one-two as Jung moved forward, but Jung tagged him with a hard right hook and that forced Ige to shoot in for a takedown. Jung countered with a hammerlock on Ige’s left arm and he rose to his feet against the cage. The fighters separated and Jung landed two leg kicks. Jung clinched and Ige tried to counter with a standing kimura, but Jung pulled him down to the mat and took his back. A small cut was opened above Jung’s left eye as a result of an inadvertent clash of heads a moment earlier, but he remained in back control until the bell. 10-9 Jung.
Round 3:
Jung immediately took Ige down in round three and he threw short hammerfists to Ige’s face. Jung postured up with a left hand, then transitioned to Ige’s back when Ige tried to get back to his feet. Jung secured a body triangle and locked on a rear-naked choke, but Ige managed to break his grip. Ige re-opened the cut above Jung’s left eye with a punch behind his head, but that did not stop Jung from continuing to work for a finish. He attempted a neck crank just before the end of the round. 10-9 Jung.
Round 4:
After exchanging jabs and right hands with Jung, Ige stepped forward with a lead left hook to the body and he followed with a second one soon after. An overhand right landed for Ige and Jung began to bleed from the cut above his eye again. Ige landed a hard leg kick and he countered a kick from Jung with an overhand right. As Ige closed in with more punches and a head kick attempt, Jung took him down. He stood over Ige and dropped punches, then took top position in North-South just before time ran out. 10-9 Ige by a slim margin.
Round 5:
Ige landed a hard right hand to Jung’s jaw in the final round and backed him up with a lead left. Jung attempted a takedown and Ige stuffed it. Ige mixed up his punches to the body and head, then looked for a takedown of his own against the cage. Jung hurt him with a knee to the face and Ige dropped down to his knees. Jung took Ige’s back and secured a body triangle. He kept him trapped there until the end of the fight and Ige could do little more than throw punches behind his head to Jung’s face. 10-9 Jung.
Winner: Chan Sung Jung by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 17-6-0.
Sergey “The Polar Bear” Spivak vs Alexey “The Boa Constrictor” Oleynik
Round 1:
Oleynik landed a leg kick and a jab as he looked to close the distance early on. Spivak jabbed and Oleynik landed an overhand right. He clinched briefly and Spivak quickly broke free. Both men landed overhand rights and Spivak prevented Oleynik from clinching. He landed an uppercut and Oleynik answered with a leg kick. Spivak continued to fight off takedown attempts, but Oleynik landed another overhand right. He punched his way into a clinch against the cage and Spivak circled out again. Oleynik took Spivak’s back and dragged him down to the mat. He immediately went to work in search of an arm-triangle choke, which he used to mount Spivak. In the final seconds, Oleynik moved to side control and attempted a scarf hold, but Spivak escaped almost immediately and time expired. 10-9 Oleynik.
Round 2:
Spivak tried to use his jab to keep Oleynik at bay in the second round, but Oleynik still connected with two overhand punches and a sweeping leg kick. He clinched and pulled guard in order to get Spivak down. Spivak threw short punches from the top and he prevented Oleynik from sweeping into top position. Oleynik tried to set up a triangle choke and Spivak easily avoided it. He resumed striking from Oleynik’s half-guard with elbows and punches. Oleynik tried to scramble up and Spivak rolled into an Anaconda Choke attempt. Oleynik escaped and he finally took top position. Oleynik mounted Spivak and attempted another scarf hold just before the bell. 10-9 Spivak, despite the late submission attempt.
Round 3:
Oleynik slowed way down in the final round and Spivak picked him apart with jabs and right hands. He opened a cut above Oleynik’s left eye and Oleynik responded by dropping levels for a takedown. Spivak sprawled out of it and he punished Oleynik with punches as he got back to his feet. Oleynik continued to try unsuccessfully for a takedown, but Spivak slowed down as well and Oleynik moved forward with winging overhand punches. He resorted to pulling half-guard and Spivak threw short forearm strikes to his face. The fighters exchanged punches on the ground until the end of the fight. 10-9 Spivak due to top control.
Winner: Sergey Spivak by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-2-0.
Marlon “Chito” Vera vs “Dangerous” Davey Grant
Round 1:
Grant started quickly with leg and body kicks and Vera answered with kicks to Grant’s lead leg. Grant continued to mix up his strikes and he threw a spinning wheel kick that Vera narrowly blocked in time. Vera countered a leg kick with a quick one-two. He jabbed and Grant countered with a pair of right hands. Vera caught a body kick and took Grant down. He passed to half-guard and then attempted a guillotine choke as Grant got back to his feet against the cage. Grant escaped and both men landed calf kicks. Vera alternated between leg kicks and jabs as he began to take control of the striking exchanges. He just missed with a head kick at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Vera due to the late rally.
Round 2:
Vera countered Grant’s looping punches with leg kicks and a clinch against the cage in the second round. Grant broke free and Vera landed another leg kick. The fighters traded punches and Grant connected with hooks. Vera cut him high on the forehead with a slashing elbow, but a bloodied Grant returned fire with a spinning wheel kick. Vera clinched and landed a hard knee to the body, but Grant swept out his leg and tripped him to the mat. Vera tried to set up a triangle choke from the bottom, but Grant avoided it and he wound up on top in North-South position. Grant landed elbows and eyed a kimura on Vera’s left arm. Vera tried to stand up and Grant jumped on an arm-in guillotine choke. Vera escaped, then blasted Grant with hard elbows from the top. Another close round. 10-9 Vera.
Round 3:
Vera sprawled out of a Grant takedown attempt in the final round and he took Grant’s back. Vera flattened Grant out and transitioned from a rear-naked choke to an arm-triangle choke when Grant rolled to his side. Grant managed to escape and he got back to his feet, where both men landed hard combinations. Vera chased after Grant with punches and elbows that backed him up against the cage and allowed Vera to secure a takedown. He postured up with elbows and punches as Grant tried to kick him off from the bottom. Vera maintained top position and he mounted Grant with 45 seconds remaining. Grant gave up his back and Vera locked on a tight rear-naked choke. Grant refused to submit and he escaped from the choke with mere seconds remaining, but Vera mounted him again before the bell. 10-8 Vera.
Winner: Marlon Vera by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-7-1.
Seung Woo “Sting” Choi vs Julian “Juicy J” Erosa
Round 1:
Choi repeatedly countered Erosa’s leg and body kicks with huge right hands that snapped Erosa’s head back early in the fight. Erosa regained his composure and pressed forward again, but Choi dropped him with a counter left hook. Erosa was out on the ground, but referee Mark Smith did not intervene right away and so Choi followed up with hard ground and pound until the bout was waved off.
Winner: Seung Woo Choi by KO (Punches) at 1:37 of round one. He improves to 10-3-0.
Bruno “Blindado” Silva vs Wellington Turman
Round 1:
Turman took Silva’s back and suplexed him to the mat in the opening minute. Silva stood and shook him off, then took back control himself against the cage. Turman countered with a standing kimura attempt and he used it to pull Silva down to one knee. Silva stood up and Turman elevated him in the air again for another takedown. Silva got back to his feet and was suplexed down again, with Turman taking his back on the way up. Silva shook Turman off of his back with one minute remaining and he postured up with some heavy punches on the ground from Turman’s guard. Turman looked for an armbar from the bottom and Silva blasted him with more punches. He pinned Turman against the base of the cage and hurt him with a left-right combo that bounced Turman’s head off of the mat. Three more left hands from Silva rendered Turman unconscious and ended the fight.
Winner: Bruno Silva by KO (Punches) at 4:45 of round one. He improves to 20-6-0.
Matt “The Immortal” Brown vs Dhiego Lima
Round 1:
The fight began with an exchange of body kicks and Lima repeatedly switched stances while circling to his left. He landed leg kicks and Brown answered back with right hands. A hard leg kick landed for Brown and Lima switched his stance again. Three more leg kicks scored for Lima and Brown landed a one-two in return. In the final minute, both men threw more leg kicks and Lima blocked a head kick. Brown stepped in with a lead left hook and Lima attacked his lead leg with one more kick before the bell. Back-and-forth round. 10-9 Lima.
Round 2:
Lima flurried with punches to begin round two and a clinch battle ensued against the cage. Brown pushed Lima away and Lima landed two quick leg kicks. Brown responded with one of his own and Lima shot in for a takedown. Brown stuffed it and he resumed moving forward, but Lima darted in with a straight right and then clinched again. The fighters separated and both men landed hooks to the body. Brown followed up with an overhand right to the jaw of Lima, who fell face-first to the mat.
Winner: Matt Brown by KO (Punch) at 3:02 of round two. He improves to 23-18-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)