Nam Phan Looks To Give Evangelista First Loss

http://www.mmanews.com/other/Nam-Phan-Looks-To-Give-Evangelista-First-Loss.html

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

NAM PHAN LOOKS TO DEAL EVANGELISTA FIRST LOSS

SAN JOSE, Calif. •Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
wonder Nam Phan (14-4) will attempt to hand knockout artist Billy
Evangelista (6-0) the first loss of his career during Strikeforce’s
“Melendez vs. Thomson” mixed martial arts mega-event at the HP
Pavilion on Friday, June 27th.

The 25-year-old Vietnamese-born Phan, recently promoted to the rank of
brown belt, is looking to notch his third consecutive victory after
stopping Shad Smith and Saad Awad on October 6, 2007 and February 16,
2008, respectively.

“It should be a great matchup,” said Phan, a resident of Los Angeles,
California. “I know (Evangelista)’s pretty good at wrestling and ok at
Jiu-Jitsu and he’s got great Muay Thai. I think his striking is better
than mine, but my strength is Jiu-Jitsu. I always prefer Jiu-Jitsu and
submitting opponents.”

Phan’s only other Strikeforce promoted fight to date, a meeting with
June 27th’s lightweight championship challenger, Josh “The Punk”
Thomson, recently aired on Strikeforce’s new NBC program, the first-
ever 52 week mixed martial arts series on one of the four major TV
networks in The United States.

Standing toe to toe with Thomson for a good stretch of the bout, Phan
held his own, but took enough punishment to convince all three judges
to award the win to Thomson.

Evangelista, a 27 year-old native of Parlier, California, is coming
off a punishing knockout of Marlon Sims, which unfolded on the
Strikeforce co-promoted “Shamrock vs. Cung Le” world championship card
that aired live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, March 29. Prior to that, he
earned a judges’ decision victory over Clint Coronel during
Strikeforce’s historic event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on
September 29, 2007.

“I don’t really have a game plan for Nam Phan and I’ve never seen him
fight,” said Evangelista. I know he’s good on the ground, though, so I
just need to be prepared for anything that comes.”

Tickets for “Melendez vs. Thomson,” priced from $30, are on sale at
the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all
Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online
(www.ticketmaster.com), and on Strikeforce’s official website
(www.Strikeforceusa.net).Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit)
Champion, Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (14-1), will defend his crown
against number one contender and Bay Area arch-rival, Josh “The Punk”
Thomson (14-2), in the main event of the June 27th Strikeforce
affair.


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