It must be something in the spring air, because just like last year, the UFC is using the second season of the year to bring some new blood into the organization. On May 24th’s UFC 84 card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, some of MMA’s most revered stars - BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Wanderlei Silva, Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida, and Tito Ortiz – will be joined by six newcomers who, despite their rookie status in the UFC, bring stellar reputations and a wealth of experience to the Octagon.
Making their UFC debuts on May 24th will be heavyweight Shane Carwin, middleweight Rousimar Palhares, welterweights Dong Hyun Kim and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, and light heavyweights Antonio “Samuray” Mendes and Goran Reljic. It is the largest amount of UFC first-timers on a non-Ultimate Fighter finale card since last June’s UFC Fight Night, when Luke Caudillo, Anthony Johnson, Jeff Cox, Tamdan McCrory, Jason Black, and Jordan Radev all competed in the UFC for the first time.
Kicking things off in the heavyweight division will be Denver’s Carwin, a 6 foot 4, 260 pound athlete who has made a lot of noise in the MMA world since his 2005 debut. A Division II All-American in football and wrestling for Western State whose acumen on the gridiron earned him a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles, Carwin is 8-0 in MMA, most recently scoring a first round TKO over UFC vet Sherman Pendergarst last December. He’ll be taking on the American Kickboxing Academy’s Christian Wellisch, who is currently on a two fight UFC winning streak.
In light heavyweight action, Reljic and Mendes will be tossed into the fire immediately as they battle tough contenders Wilson Gouveia and Thiago Silva, respectively. But given their past histories, these international standouts should more than hold their own against their more established opponents.
A native of Zadar, Croatia, who now makes his home in Zagreb, the 24-year old Reljic is a decorated grappler and solid Muay Thai practitioner who was inspired to fight by his friend, Mirko Cro Cop. 7-0 in MMA thus far, Reljic is ready for whatever Gouveia throws at him on May 24th.
“He has strong kicks and heavy hands, he’s solid on the ground, but his biggest issue is cardio,” said Reljic of Gouveia. “Usually after the first round he seems like he slows down a lot. Other than that, all respect to him and I’m looking forward to a good fight.”
Currently riding an 11 fight winning streak, former prison guard Mendes wants to put the lockdown on the rapid rise of Silva. Hailing from the MMA hotbed of Fortaleza, the 27-year old “Samuray” is eager to test his Muay Thai game against one of the division’s fiercest strikers.
A member of the renowned Brazilian Top Team, middleweight Rousimar Palhares comes to the UFC with a well deserved reputation as one of the premier submission artists in the game. Currently fighting out of Rio De Janeiro, the 26-year old has been training for his UFC debut against veteran Ivan Salaverry since March, and he has his sights firmly set on notching his 17th win (against only one loss) in impressive style in May.
Entering the stacked welterweight division on May 24th will be South Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim and Japan’s Yoshiyuki Yoshida.
Taking on Liverpool, England’s Jason Tan, the 26 year old Kim enters the Octagon with an unbeaten 9-0-1 record. A longtime standout in Japan’s DEEP organization, the man dubbed “Stun Gun” is excited about his UFC debut.
“It's an honor me to fight in the UFC, the world’s best fight event,” he said. “It will be a big opportunity for me to show my fighting style to MMA fans around the world.”
Owner of a fourth-degree black belt in judo and numerous titles in the art, the 33-year old Yoshida has made a smooth transition to the world of MMA.
“After retiring from judo, I felt like I had something left to do in the world of martial arts,” said Yoshida. “And in MMA, I thought I could achieve something I couldn't achieve in judo.”
Since his debut in 2005, he has won nine of 11 pro fights, including eight in a row over the last two years. On May 24th, he takes on TUF6 competitor Jon Koppenhaver in what should be a barnburner.
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