For the most exciting match on the card, Ron Jhun took on Ryan Schultz. It should be stated before explaining this bout that Ron Jhun was called by the UFC to fight on an upcoming card, possibly in June, but in order to sign the matchup immediately, he would have had to pull out of this fight. Jhun is top-level talent, and has dreamed of the big time for quite a while. Most people in his position would have done whatever was necessary to make the UFC show when they got the call, but the rumor is that Ron told them that he would not even consider backing out of this fight. He said that he gave someone his word to fight, and he would keep it, which was much to the benefit of this crowd. Jhun came out like an absolute animal, and he and Schultz exchanged on the feet for the better part of the first round, with Schultz taking the worst of it.
At times Jhun stuck and moved showing great boxing skills that left Schultz swinging at thin air on a number of occasions. By the beginning of the second round, Jhun was fired up and ready to get it done. He closed the distance with effective striking, got a POWERFUL takedown, dominated position and executed a strike that no one (and I mean no one) does with half the effectiveness that Jhun does it: the shoulder strike from the guard. He pounded Schultz’s head against the mat with his shoulder to the point that Schultz was phased, then proceeded to open about two minutes worth of brutal beating to Schultz’s ribs and head, showing some really impressive stamina in the effort. At 4:02 of the second round, the beating was called off by referee’s stoppage.
On a side note, Ron Jhun is one of the most dynamic and exciting fighters that I have ever had the pleasure to watch here in Hawaii. He is effective at every aspect of the game, has unparalleled cardio and fitness and seems to genuinely be a decent, respectful human being (though I don’t know him personally). His passing up the opportunity at the big leagues for a prior commitment that was sure to pay him much less money is noble, and not something you’d see a lot. Dana, if you and Joe don’t have Jhun dialed in for a fight at some point in the very near future, then you’re missing out on one of the most talented fighters that is out there.
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