Nogueira Avenges Matyushenko Loss at ‘Reckoning’

Revenge was sweet for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

The Pride Fighting Championships veteran avenged a 2002 defeat to one-time International Fight League light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko, as he became only the second man to finish the Belarusian at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” on Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

After a tepid first round, Nogueira and Matyushenko picked up their pace in the second. Matyushenko struck first, as he staggered Nogueira with a left hook behind the ear 3:45 into the period. Nogueira recovered, however, pushed forward fearlessly and pressed the action.

With Matyushenko (21-4) backpedaling, Nogueira delivered a crushing knee that sent the 38-year-old crashing to the canvas. Follow-up strikes finished off Matyushenko, who lost for the first time in more than five years. Nogueira (16-3) has rattled off four wins in succession since his surprising knockout loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Pride 33 two years ago, re-emerging as a contender at 205 pounds.

Meanwhile, L.C. Davis outlasted EliteXC veteran Bao Quach and picked up a unanimous decision win in a showdown between two talented featherweights in their prime. All three scorecards read 29-28 in Davis’ favor.

Based out of the revered Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, Davis (13-1) weathered a harrowing first round in which he was bloodied and nearly finished by a rear-naked choke. Quach (15-9-1) mounted the explosive 28-year-old with 1:22 left in the frame, secured back control, ripped him open with elbows from the top and worked a choke until the horn sounded.

Quach’s inability to finish came back to haunt him.

Davis slowly crept back into the fight in the second round and was in complete control by the time it ended. A replacement for an ailing Mark Hominick, Quach faded late and saw his nine-fight winning streak come to an end in a grinding affair.

The Davis-Quach battle was not the only fight to go the distance.

Albert Rios survived an early knockdown and spoiled Antonio Duarte’s debut on American soil, as he notched a unanimous decision victory in an evenly matched lightweight tilt. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Rios.

Duarte (11-2) floored his foe with a straight right hand 2:45 into the opening round but failed to capitalize. As the pace slowed and the plot thickened, Rios (11-3) burrowed his way into the clinch, scored with a number of takedowns and reasserted himself in the bout. By round three, Duarte’s movements were labored, and Rios stayed active with punches up the middle en route to his fifth win in a row.

In the leadoff bout, Brett Cooper posted his fifth consecutive victory, as he stopped Patrick Speight on second-round strikes. The end came 4:10 into the period, as Cooper dropped Speight with an overhand right-right uppercut combination and put him away with hammerfists.

Cooper (8-4) seized command of the fight early, as he peppered Spreight’s head and body with a variety of strikes and attacked his legs with kicks. By the second round, he had opened a cut near Speight’s left eye and had positioned himself for the finish. Spreight (7-2) has dropped back-to-back matches since opening his professional career with seven straight wins.

In a welterweight bout that took place after the main event, Jay Hieron cautiously avoided Jason High's early attack before landing a crushing lead left hook that crumpled High into the ropes. Hieron followed up with a clubbing left hook and other punches before referee Herb Dean pulled him away at 1:04.

Greg Savage contributed to this report.