UFC 136 fight card: Leonard Garcia vs Nam Phan rematch promises another slobberknocker

When Leonard Garcia throws hands against Nam Phan tonight (Oct. 8, 2011) at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas, it won't be the first time these two featherweight brawlers have met.

They first squared off late last year in Garcia's reintroduction to the Octagon at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Like many of his fights, "Bad Boy" played a dangerous game of stand and bang, wildly wailing away at his opponent in hopes of scoring a knockout or plenty of points from cageside judges enamored with the aggressive aesthetics of his attack.

Which turned out to be exactly what happened, as he was awarded a split decision victory after three rounds that many, including UFC President Dana White, felt he didn't deserve. 

It's time to find out who the better man really is.

This was the same outcome when Garcia fought Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48 in April 2010. Three rounds of swinging for the fences while hitting nothing but air with a split decision win awaiting him at the end of the 15-minute contest. 

That story, however, had a happy ending. The two had their rematch just this past March at UFC Fight Night 24 and karma came to collect on Garcia's spine, as "The Korean Zombie" used the rarely seen twister submission to finish his opponent in the first round.

There's no guarantee Nam Phan will have similar luck. In fact, it would seem more likely that this second go-round with the Greg Jackson product will look an awful lot like the first.

And that won't be such a bad thing. After all, who doesn't enjoy a good slobberknocker to kick off a UFC pay-per-view?