Williams was originally scheduled to fight Daniel Almeida.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Knothe Off Shark Fights 17 replaced by Doug Williams
Due to a miscommunication, Karl Knothe (19-6) will not fight former UFC HW Champion Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (46-11) in tonight's Shark Fights 17 co-Main Event. Knothe claims that he was unaware of the 230-pound catchweight when he weighed in at 253.7 LBs. Knothe will be replaced by Doug Williams (5-12).
This Weekend in MMA (American Edition)
Shark Fights 17: Friday, July 15 - Live on HDNET
Jake Rosholt (11-3-0) vs Matt “Suave” Horwich (27-18-1)
Three-time NCAA National Champion Jake Rosholt will enter his sixth fight of 2011 against Matt “Suave” Horwich in the Main Event of Shark Fights 17. The fight is a rematch of a 190-pound catchweight match that ended in a 3rd round TKO victory for Horwich, a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu fighter.
Rosholt showcased his strengths throughout the first round with strong takedowns and dealt damage from the top position. Horwich took over the fight after the first with a wide array of ground skills, including sweeps off of his back and submission attempts. Eventually, Horwich was able to take the back of a tired and beaten Rosholt and finished him with strikes from the back in the third.
company that pays high-level wrestlers to train MMA. Rosholt was put into the spotlight early with portions of his fourth pro fight and the training leading up to it airing on Versus as part of the TapouT show. His fifth fight was on the main card of WEC 36, and amid some talk about a TV clause in his contract Rosholt’s UFC debut at Fight Night 17 aired on SpikeTV.
Traveling a much different path through life, Horwich reached the UFC four months before Rosholt but in his 36th fight. Both fighters, coincidentally, lost their debuts to Dan Miller. Horwich, also known as “The Fighting Hippy,” is the definition of a journeyman in both his life and career. A reformed addict and self-professed lover of God, The Bible and quantum physics, Horwich has fought in the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, IFL and over a dozen other MMA promotions.
Ricco Suave Rodriguez (46-11-0) vs. Karl Knothe (19-6-0)
Former UFC HW Champion Ricco Rodriguez will fulfill the Suave requirement for the co-Main Event as he takes on Karl Knothe at a 230-pound catchweight. Fighting off the radar, Rodriguez has put together an 11-fight win streak in less than 20 months by taking every fight offered to him. To make that point crystal clear, Ricco is already scheduled to face Seth Petruzelli at Bellator 48 in August.
Karl Knothe will enter the cage sporting a 12-fight win streak that has seen him finish each opponent in the first round. The Minnesota native and former St Cloud State University wrestler boasts a professional record of 19-6, but he told MNMMAnews.com that his true record is 59-6 when including the long list of fights that went unreported. Knothe has a good mix of power in his hands and both the ability and willingness to fight on the ground.
He will need all of those tools to best Ricco Suave. Rodriguez won gold and silver medals at the 1998 ADCC submission fighting championship and took the UFC title from legend Randy Couture in 2002. Since then, Rodriguez has struggled to fit into a proper weight class and has battled addiction to both prescription and illicit drugs. He notably appeared on the first season of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. This will be Ricco’s third straight fight at a catchweight.
MASS – Inauguration 7/16
Jacob “The Hunter” Kirwan (8-2) vs. Jimy “The Kid” Hettes (6-0)
MASS Featherweight Championship
The first ever Martial Arts Super Sport main event will feature two promising American featherweight prospects. Jacob “The Hunter” Kirwan won the Ring of Combat FW Title in February and he’ll have to go through Jimy “The Kid” Hettes if he wants to add another title to his mantle.
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva tapped the undefeated Hettes as a late replacement for Leonard Garcia at The Ultimate Fighter 12 finale, but Hettes was already locked into a fight at Northeast MMA’s Cage Fight 6. A NEPA Gracie fighter, Hettes has submitted all six of his professional opponents and has spent some time training with Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, NM.
If the fight hits the ground, fireworks are sure to follow. Kirwan is a BJJ brown belt under Luke Rinehart and has won five of his eight fights via submission. As a former Maryland high school wrestling champion, Kirwan has a strong grappling pedigree.
The card is being held on July 16th at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT and will feature Ultimate Fighter veterans Kris “Savage” McCray and Joseph “Leonidas” Henle in separate fights.
Elite-1 MMA – Moncton 7/16
Elite-1 Light Heavyweight Championship
Jeremy “Gumby” Horn (87-21-5) vs Shawn Marchand (8-6)
With 113 fights under his belt, Jeremy Horn is one of the most prolific fighters in MMA history. “Gumby” fought an amazing 21 times in 1999 and has been in the cage with a who’s-who of fighters that include: Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Dan Severn, "Minotauro" Nogueira, Chael Sonnen, Ricardo Arona and Matt Lindland.
Horn will add another fight to his resume this weekend when he battles for the Elite-1 Light Heavyweight Championship against Canadian Shawn Marchand. Horn is a dangerous fighter with great submissions and plenty of experience. He is a UFC veteran and former title challenger.
Marchand is a local fighter that has found a home in Elite-1. He also holds the promotion’s Middleweight Title, although he missed the 185 LB mark in his last fight. In that fight, Marchand had a lot of trouble handling the stand-up of fellow Canadian Joe Doerksen and only lasted 43 seconds after eating several head kicks and right hands. With only one fight on his record that went the distance, you can expect this fight to end well before the final bell.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Stann is the man we want our sons to become. Chael Sonnen is a hero that has fallen from grace
As I sat on my couch on the 4th of July, drinking from a Budweiser can draped in the American flag and watching a man shovel 62 hotdogs into his mouth, I couldn’t help feeling like the personification of everything wrong with America. The Budweiser in my hand, now owned by Belgium based AB-InBev, displayed a false sense of patriotism as I sat motionless reveling in the country’s true national pastime, eating.
American heroes were once heralded for their courage and humility. Now, foul-mouthed celebrities are celebrated and made more famous by every mug shot and inflammatory comment.
Brian Stann is a true American Hero. He is a warrior and an ambassador of martial arts. Stann is the man we want our sons to become. Chael Sonnen is a hero that has fallen from grace. As an aspiring politician, disgraced realtor and felon recently back from a PED suspension, he is a representation of America’s troubled state. And in true WWE fashion good and evil will meet at UFC 136, except this time both men will be draped in the American flag.
Both Stann and Sonnen know full well the responsibility and dedication required to wear the stars and stripes. Stann served in two tours of Iraq and earned a Silver Star for “zealous initiative, courageous actions and exceptional presence of mind." Sonnen, an All-American at the University of Oregon, earned a spot as an alternate on the United States Greco-Roman Wrestling team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Since entering the spotlight, the two men have followed very different paths towards Houston’s Toyota Center. Dana White describes Stann perfectly. “He is on his way to becoming a superstar," White said. "Not only are his skills getting better, everything that comes out of this kid's mouth is a homerun.”
Sonnen, on the other hand, has taken a Dana-like, pro-wrestling inspired approach to the microphone (Sonnen 3:16 says I just mocked your ass). Whether it’s Lance Armstrong or the entire country of Brazil, nobody is safe from his taunts. Both in person and through the twitter account that he has both promoted and denied the existence of, Sonnen is a lightning rod for controversy.
Through ESPN.co.uk, Sonnen recently said, "Wanderlei tells me that he's going to send me to the dentist… I will cut the power to your house and do a home invasion. You will hear me climbing up the stairs in a pair of night vision goggles I bought in the back of 'Solder of Fortune' magazine. The next thing you'll hear is me picking the lock of your bedroom door and taking a photograph of you in bed with the Nogueira brothers working on your jiu-jitsu.”
What Sonnen failed to mention is that Wanderlei was telling Chael to be more respectful of Brazil and that MMA legend Silva spoke to Chael face-to-face, not behind his back or through the media.
In stark contrast, after his UFC 130 TKO of Jorge Santiago, Stann said, “I’d always love to fight Wanderlei. He’s one of my favorite fighters ever. It would be a dream come true. But, if I never have to fight him, then maybe I can just get a picture with him and an autograph. That would be pretty cool.”
If this were the WWE, the fans in Houston would explode when Stann locked up a submission victory and marched from turnbuckle to turnbuckle waving the flag and leading the fans in the familiar chant of “USA! USA! USA!” But MMA is not fake, and Sonnen is the toughest opponent of Stann’s life. The toughest opponent not firing a gun in his direction.
American heroes were once heralded for their courage and humility. Now, foul-mouthed celebrities are celebrated and made more famous by every mug shot and inflammatory comment.
Brian Stann is a true American Hero. He is a warrior and an ambassador of martial arts. Stann is the man we want our sons to become. Chael Sonnen is a hero that has fallen from grace. As an aspiring politician, disgraced realtor and felon recently back from a PED suspension, he is a representation of America’s troubled state. And in true WWE fashion good and evil will meet at UFC 136, except this time both men will be draped in the American flag.
Both Stann and Sonnen know full well the responsibility and dedication required to wear the stars and stripes. Stann served in two tours of Iraq and earned a Silver Star for “zealous initiative, courageous actions and exceptional presence of mind." Sonnen, an All-American at the University of Oregon, earned a spot as an alternate on the United States Greco-Roman Wrestling team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Since entering the spotlight, the two men have followed very different paths towards Houston’s Toyota Center. Dana White describes Stann perfectly. “He is on his way to becoming a superstar," White said. "Not only are his skills getting better, everything that comes out of this kid's mouth is a homerun.”
Sonnen, on the other hand, has taken a Dana-like, pro-wrestling inspired approach to the microphone (Sonnen 3:16 says I just mocked your ass). Whether it’s Lance Armstrong or the entire country of Brazil, nobody is safe from his taunts. Both in person and through the twitter account that he has both promoted and denied the existence of, Sonnen is a lightning rod for controversy.
Through ESPN.co.uk, Sonnen recently said, "Wanderlei tells me that he's going to send me to the dentist… I will cut the power to your house and do a home invasion. You will hear me climbing up the stairs in a pair of night vision goggles I bought in the back of 'Solder of Fortune' magazine. The next thing you'll hear is me picking the lock of your bedroom door and taking a photograph of you in bed with the Nogueira brothers working on your jiu-jitsu.”
What Sonnen failed to mention is that Wanderlei was telling Chael to be more respectful of Brazil and that MMA legend Silva spoke to Chael face-to-face, not behind his back or through the media.
In stark contrast, after his UFC 130 TKO of Jorge Santiago, Stann said, “I’d always love to fight Wanderlei. He’s one of my favorite fighters ever. It would be a dream come true. But, if I never have to fight him, then maybe I can just get a picture with him and an autograph. That would be pretty cool.”
If this were the WWE, the fans in Houston would explode when Stann locked up a submission victory and marched from turnbuckle to turnbuckle waving the flag and leading the fans in the familiar chant of “USA! USA! USA!” But MMA is not fake, and Sonnen is the toughest opponent of Stann’s life. The toughest opponent not firing a gun in his direction.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Bellator Fighting for A Spot on Saturday Night
With a highlight reel full of devastating knockouts and impressive submissions that seems to grow every week, Bellator Fighting Championships has solidified itself as must-see TV for hardcore MMA fans. And after struggling with a constantly shifting schedule and being preempted by major sports telecasts on Fox Sports, the organization has found a new home on MTV2, but they have not taken the easy route.
Fighting on Saturday Nights is a bold choice made by CEO Bjorn Rebney, as there will be competition from bigger MMA organizations almost every week. Through the first five Bellator events of the season, three have been on the same night as a UFC or Strikeforce card. Bellator drew their best ratings, a combined 471,000 viewers for the live and replay telecasts of Bellator 36, on one of the weeks devoid of competition.
With Bellator's tournament format, the fights will continue to get better and the names will get bigger. Bellator 40-42 feature tournament semi-finals on top of non-title matches for US Olympian Ben Askren (Welterweight) as well as non-title fights for champions Joe Warren (Featherweight), Zach Makovsky (Bantamweight) and Cole Konrad (Heavyweight). Bellator 39 featured the first title defense of Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez.
But the big names and big fights will not guarantee big ratings. The unopposed Bellator 39 drew a combined 263,000 viewers and Bellator 40 will go against a stacked Strikeforce card headlined by title fights featuring Nick Diaz vs Paul Daley and Gilbert Melendez vs Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Increased viewership will come down to how well Bellator can market itself to the casual fan. MTV already features the popular show Bully Beatdown featuring Strikeforce fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller. But one thing is for sure, the fights cannot get much more exciting. Bellator already has early contenders for KO of the Year with Patricky Pitbull's flying knee and Submission of the Year with Richard Hale's inverted triangle.
35 – 200,000 (127,000) March 5 vs Strikeforce Hendo vs Feijao
36 – 230,000 (241,000) March 12 Unopposed
37 – 173,000 (150,000) March 19 vs UFC 128
38 – 150,000 (90,000) March 26 vs UFC Davis vs Nogueira
39 – 174,000 (89,000) April 2 Unopposed
40 – April 9 vs Strikeforce Daley vs Diaz
41 – April 16 Unopposed
42 – April 23 Unopposed
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Who Will Step Up to the Prodigy?
An injured knee will keep the 23-3-1 Jon Fitch out of the Octagon for UFC 132, but it is unlikely to disappoint fans, many of whom consider Fitch’s conservative wrestling style boring. The February 27th draw with BJ Penn was the ninth straight Fitch fight to go to a decision.
There are several top 10 welterweights eager to replace Fitch and move closer to a shot at the title currently held by George St. Pierre. Based on Sherdog.com and USA Today/SB Nation rankings, the four most deserving candidates are Thiago Alves (18-7), Josh Koscheck (15-5), Carlos Condit (26-5) and Diego Sanchez (23-4).
Alves, ranked #3/4 respectively, is 10-4 in the UFC with wins over Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck. “The Pitbull” is a 3x Brazilian State Champion in Muay Thai, where he started training at 15-years old, and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Alves is a fighter that will pose problems for Penn with his powerful striking and huge weight advantage. Alves has been unable to make the 170 LB weight limit twice in his UFC career and has been suspended for the use of a banned diuretic in another. Penn, the former lightweight and welterweight champion, weighed in at just 169 pounds for his fight with Fitch and his latest battle with Matt Hughes.
Since Alves’ latest weight cutting failure at UFC 117, he has turned nutritional duties over to MMA fighter and nutritionist Mike Dolce.
"The Dolce Diet helped me out a lot," Alves told MMAJunkie.com after UFC 124. "It's not just a diet. It's a life choice. Everything that he tells you, you've got to surround yourself with healthy people that are going to help take you to where you want to get. I always train hard. I've got a great camp with me, but it's pretty much the diet and the life choice that made a huge difference in this fight.”
Although Alves is undoubtedly a bona fide contender at 170, he is just 1-1 since his title fight with George St. Pierre with a loss to Jon Fitch and a victory over John “Doomsday” Howard. Alves is currently scheduled to face Rick Story on the prelims of UFC 130.
When asked about this potential fight in 2009, GSP told MMAFighting.com, "If you put Thiago Alves and BJ Penn in a fight, I would bet all my money on Thiago Alves. No doubt about it."
Josh Koscheck, ranked #5 by both Sherdog and USAToday, is 13-5 in the UFC and a member of the original cast of The Ultimate Fighter. He has big wins over Paul Daley, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Diego Sanchez.
Koscheck was a standout wrestler at Edinboro University, where he was a 4-time All-American and won a National Championship at 174 pounds. Koscheck has been accused of abandoning his wrestling background in favor of a more exciting sprawl-and-brawl style in many of his fights, but has begun to use more of his wrestling in recent fights.
His unanimous decision victory over Daley gave Koscheck an opportunity to face GSP at UFC 124 in Montreal, but Koscheck left the Bell Centre with a loss and a broken orbital bone as souvenirs.
Because of the injury, Koscheck has been unable to train and is unlikely to be ready for a July fight. He told Dana White on a UFC 127 Vlog in February that, “This [right] side of my face has been numb the whole time and my teeth still are numb from the nerve damage. I’ve got like five months probably. So, it kind of sucks, but I’ll be back. I’m going to start riding the bike. I can’t do any running because of the bouncing.”
Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit, #7 on both rankings, is the least known of the four fighters with just four fights in the UFC. Condit was the last welterweight champion of the WEC and holds victories over Rory MacDonald and Dan Hardy. The later of which earned him KO of the Night when Hardy and Condit threw simultaneous left hooks. Condit's was harder and more accurate.
The MacDonald fight also earned Condit Fight of the Night honors. Condit battered MacDonald throughout the third round, but he was on the verge of losing a decision.
During the fight commentary, Joe Rogan said, “If I was in Condit’s corner rather, I’d be telling him ‘You gotta get on top of this kid… You’ve got to try and stop this fight. It’s in his home town and he won the first two rounds.’” Condit finished the fight with ground and pound just ten seconds from the finish.
After hearing about the injury to Fitch, @CarlosCondit tweeted, “It would be an honor to fight a legend like BJ Penn, one of my favorite fighters ever. If the call comes, I would take the fight in a second.”
The final UFC welterweight with a chance to replace Fitch in a title eliminator is the newly renamed Diego “The Dream” Sanchez. He is 12-4 in the UFC, the middleweight winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter and ranked #10/9 in the two rankings.
Sanchez holds wins over Kenny Florian, Paulo Thiago, Martin Kampmann and Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. He was a New Mexico state wrestling champion in high school, made his MMA debut at the age of 20 and won his first 17 fights.
Sanchez is one of the more eccentric fighters in the UFC, known for screaming yes as he walks to the ring, or does cartwheels, and doing yoga in thunderstorms to harness its energy.
Of the four fighters, Sanchez is the only one who has previously fought Penn. In their LW title fight at UFC 107, Sanchez offered little resistance to Penn and was finished with a head kick that caused a cut stoppage. After the loss, Sanchez returned to welterweight and defeated contenders Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.
With three months remaining until UFC 132, it would appear that Condit is the fan favorite to take over the spot. Condit is an exciting, well-rounded fighter, who would likely make for a more exciting matchup with Penn than Jon Fitch. The other three fighters have less than two wins since their last chance at a title. But the argument can be made that Condit has faced the easiest competition of the four and holds no wins over a current top 10 welterweight.
Monday, June 2, 2008
WEC 34 Results
WEC 34
ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Danny “Last Call” Castillo
Round 1:
Castillo comes out fast. Good knee to the chest by Castillo and Cerrone goes down and pulls full guard. From the bottom, Cerrone uses his long legs and pulls for an awkward armbar. Castillo slips and moves parallel to Cerrone, but he keeps the armbar, and the ref stops the fight at 1:30 of the first.
Winner: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone by armbar 1:30 into the first round.
“Razor” Rob McCullough vs. Kenneth “The Black Ninja” Alexander
Round 1: Both fighters circle for the first minute without throwing a punch and the crowd gets restless. Alexander shoots for a takedown but McCullough sprawls and ends up on top. McCullough brings the fight back to the feet, McCullough lands a knee as they break. Alexander shoots again but can't get the takedown. McCullough blocks a high kick and counters with leg kicks. Both fighters exchange missed high kicks and clinch. They break. Alexander shoots again but is stuffed. McCulough follows with a flying knee that just missed.
10-9 to “Razor” Rob
Round 2: Alexander throws a body kick, gets a body-lock and the takedown. McCullough gets an underhook and stand up right away. McCullough blocks another shot and the fighters exchange a few kicks. McCullough just misses with another flying knee as Alexander goes low. McCullough end up on top but McCullough stands up. Alexander gets a body-lock and a takedown with :15 seconds remaining. Alexander stays on top until the bell.
10-9 Alexander
Round 3: The fighters come out and exchange punches. McCullough throws a low kick and stuffs another takedown. Alexander just misses with a knee and a superman punch. McCullough
follows with a couple of strong body kicks, a low kick, superman punch and a knee. Alexander clinches and pushes McCullough to the cage. Alexander is hit with a low blow knee and the ref breaks them up and gives Alexander time to recover. On the restart, Alexander still cannot take McCullough down and McCullough hits a flying knee to the chest. Alexander clinches but McCullough breaks free. Alexander fails at another shot attempt. McCullough goes for a body kick, Alexander catches it, sweeps the leg and takes top position. McCullough again stands right up. The match ends with three straight failed shots by Alexander
10-9 Alexander
The MMA Report scores the bout 29-28 “Razor” Rob McCullough
Judges score the bout:
30-27 “Razor” Rob
29-28 Alexander
30-27 “Razor” Rob
Winner: “Razor” Rob McCullough by split decision
Mark Munoz vs. “The Reverend” Chuck Grigsby
Round 1: The fighters circle and Munoz, the former DI National Wrestling Champion, goes for a couple of half-hearted shot attempts. Grigsby sprawls on the second attempt and goes for a front choke. They stand and break. Grigsby lands a good uppercut in a combination. Munoz shoots a single and pushed Grigsby to the cage. Munoz lifts the legs and gets the takedown into side control. Grigsby pushes to guard. Munoz stands and controls Grigsby's legs. Munoz lands a strike on a jumping guard pass and lands in the North-South position. Munoz lands another good strike, stands and ends up at Grigsby's feet again. Munoz throws another good strike from the jumping guard pass and ends up in side control. Grigsby goes for a Kimura but Munoz postures up and lands and elbow. Munoz stands, again throws Grigsby's legs to the side and lands a stiff right, Grigsby goes for a leg lock but his head is flat against the mat. Munoz lands three good strikes to the face and Grigsby goes out 4:15 into the first.
Winner: Mark Munoz by TKO
WEC Bantamweight Title MatchMiguel Angel Torres © vs. Yoshida Maeda
Round 1: Fighters circle. Torres throws a leg kick. Maeda catches the kick and pushed Torres to the mat. Torres stands and the fighters clinch. Torres throws a knee, breaks and throws a kick and slips to the mat. The fighter scramble and Torres goes for an omaplata. Torres loses the shoulder and Maeda slips out and the fighters stand. Maeda misses a high kick and Torres throws a low kick high kick combination. Again a low kick, high kick this time followed by a knee from Torres. Maeda throws a superman punch and the fighters exchange knees and go to the ground with Maeda on top in half-guard. They stand and Maeda throws a high kick and a front kick. They clinch and exchange knees. Maeda throws left and right body kicks as the round ends.
10-9 Maeda
Round 2: Maeda throws a right low kick and a left hook. Torres was off balanced and goes to the ground but Maeda lets him up. Torres thrown a left and right low kick and again slips to the ground. Torres lands a good up kick to the face of Maeda and Torres stands up. Torres throws a combo and grazes with a high kick. The two exchange kicks and Torres throws a low kick, 2 body kicks, misses with a high kick and follows with a right body kick. Maeda looks tired and momentarily drops his hands for the second time in the fight. Torres throws a combo, followed by a knee, Torres slips and the fighters end up back on the ground. Maeda goes for a heel hook and an ankle lock. Both men attempt toe holds and exchange heel kicks. Torres takes the top but is swept but he throws a short back elbow. Torres tries a weak triangle and the fighters stand up. Torres goes for what looks like a weak guillotine, but Torres uses it to bring Maeda down and take the mount. Torres throws elbows, Maeda rolls and Torres takes the back. Torres rotates and ends the round throwing heel kicks to the back of Maeda. Maeda's right eye is swelling up.
10-9 Torres
Round 3: Torres is the aggressor early and lands a good knee and throws combos with his hands. They clinch and Torres throws another knee. Maeda lands an overhand left and Torres responds with a good combo leading with the left to Maeda's swollen eye. Maeda slips a punch and take Torres down. Commentator Frank Mir mentions a Torres “reach around.” Maeda can't do anything on top and they stand up. Maeda's eye is really closing up. Torres lands a right body kick and two more left jabs. Maeda is holding his swollen right eye but is saved from more punishment by the round. Referee Herb Dean is taking a close look at the eye of Maeda.
10-9 Torres
Mid-round the Doctor stops the fight. Maeda's right eye is completely closed.
Winner: Miguel Torres by Doctor Stoppage after round 3 to retain the WEC Bantamweight Title.
WEC Featherweight Championship match
“The California Kid” Urijah Faber © vs. Jens “Little Evil” Pulver
Round 1: Urijah Faber lands the first punch with a very good overhand right. Faber throws a high kick, another right hand and the fighters exchange knees. Faber with an upper-cut, another overhand right and three straight rights. They clinch and Faber throws a knee, separates for a kick and slips to the ground. Pulver is in Faber's guard. Faber holds tight, Pulver stands and receives an up-kick and Faber stands. Pulver gets poked in the eye and the fight is paused foe a brief moment. They restart and Pulver lands an upper-cut in the clinch. Faber throws the right and Pulver lands a knee. They clinch and exchange more knees. Faber fires off a combo followed by a high kick and a counter left. Faber kicks and missed and exposes his back. Pulver grabs Faber from behind but the fighters break apart and Faber throws a back fist. Pulver lands a left-right combo. Faber continues to lead with the right as the bell sounds.
10-9 Faber
Round 2: The round starts off with an early kick that lands low on Jens Pulver. After a short stoppage, Faber continues to work the lead right and uses it to set up a takedown against the cage. Faber pulls into Pulver's full guard and lands a strong elbow but Pulver is able to scramble and stand. A left hook by Faber puts Pulver down and Pulver looks rocked and grabs for a leg. Faber continues to rain down shots on Pulver, and lands a left upper-cut. Faber throws a left but is hit flush with a left from Pulver and looks hurt. Faber shoots the single and gets another takedown, but the fighters end up in a wrestling start with Pulver on top going for the choke. Faber is able to stand and switched to Pulver's back. They break and exchange combos with Faber landing another overhand right.
10-9 Faber
Round 3: Pulver lands the first big strike of the round with a body kick. Faber responds with a combo and finished with his own body kick. Faber shoots again and is stuffed by Faber. Faber stand, switches and takes Pulver's back. Faber launches Pulver for a suplex but Pulver is able to post and avoid major damage and get back to his feet. Faber throws the straight right and a left upper-cut. Faber fakes the shot and throws another right left combo, but Pulver catches Faber with an upper-cut of his own. Pulver throws a left body kick which looks to hurt Faber, who begins to walk away from Pulver. Faber gets back into the pocket and throws a series of body kicks and shoots again but ends up on the bottom in half-guard. Pulver throws elbows but is swept and ends up in Pulver's half-guard. Faber throws a right elbow followed by a left. Pulver is able to hip out into a right butterfly guard. After inactivity, the ref stands the fighters who are both slow to restart. Each fighter throws a kick and the round ends.
10-9 Faber
Round 4: Faber shoots in and eats a big left from Pulver. Faber lands a right upper-cut. Faber throws a left body kick and an overhand right. Faber doubles up on the left jab and follows with two more weaker jabs. Pulver throws a combo and Faber counters with another straight right. Faber clinches and sweeps the leg for the takedown and lands in Pulver's full-guard. Faber uses his elbows to Ground and Pound. Pulver is hurt by a big right elbow. Pulver's face is beginning to swell up around the right eye. The round ends with Faber on top, throwing elbows.
10-9 Faber
Round 5: Faber shoots but is stuffed. A left cross hurts Pulver. Pulver throws a good left hook and stuffs another shot by Faber and Pulver throws a few good lefts. Faber responds with a good knee. Pulver gets a bodylock and attempts to throw Faber, but Faber lands on top. Faber smothers Pulver for the rest of the round and throws up the Hang-Loose sign with the fight coming to a decisive end.
10-9 Faber
The MMA Report scores the fight 50-45 Faber.
Judges score the bout:
50-45 Faber
50-44 Faber
50-44 Faber
Winner: Urijah Faber by unanimous decision to retain the WEC Featherweight Title.
ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Danny “Last Call” Castillo
| Donald Cerrone | Danny Castillo |
| Age: 25 | Age: 28 |
| Height: 6'0” | Height: 5'9” |
| Weight: 155.5Lbs | 155 Lbs |
| Reach: 73” | Reach: 71” |
| Record: 7-0, 1 NC | Record: 5-0 |
Round 1:
Castillo comes out fast. Good knee to the chest by Castillo and Cerrone goes down and pulls full guard. From the bottom, Cerrone uses his long legs and pulls for an awkward armbar. Castillo slips and moves parallel to Cerrone, but he keeps the armbar, and the ref stops the fight at 1:30 of the first.
Winner: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone by armbar 1:30 into the first round.
“Razor” Rob McCullough vs. Kenneth “The Black Ninja” Alexander
| Rob McCullough | Kenneth Alexander |
| Age: 31 | Age: 20 |
| Height: 5'8” | Height: 5'9” |
| Weight: 155.5 Lbs | 155.5 Lbs |
| Reach: 69” | Reach: 72.5” |
| Record: 15-4 | Record: 5-2, 1 NC |
Round 1: Both fighters circle for the first minute without throwing a punch and the crowd gets restless. Alexander shoots for a takedown but McCullough sprawls and ends up on top. McCullough brings the fight back to the feet, McCullough lands a knee as they break. Alexander shoots again but can't get the takedown. McCullough blocks a high kick and counters with leg kicks. Both fighters exchange missed high kicks and clinch. They break. Alexander shoots again but is stuffed. McCulough follows with a flying knee that just missed.
10-9 to “Razor” Rob
Round 2: Alexander throws a body kick, gets a body-lock and the takedown. McCullough gets an underhook and stand up right away. McCullough blocks another shot and the fighters exchange a few kicks. McCullough just misses with another flying knee as Alexander goes low. McCullough end up on top but McCullough stands up. Alexander gets a body-lock and a takedown with :15 seconds remaining. Alexander stays on top until the bell.
10-9 Alexander
Round 3: The fighters come out and exchange punches. McCullough throws a low kick and stuffs another takedown. Alexander just misses with a knee and a superman punch. McCullough
follows with a couple of strong body kicks, a low kick, superman punch and a knee. Alexander clinches and pushes McCullough to the cage. Alexander is hit with a low blow knee and the ref breaks them up and gives Alexander time to recover. On the restart, Alexander still cannot take McCullough down and McCullough hits a flying knee to the chest. Alexander clinches but McCullough breaks free. Alexander fails at another shot attempt. McCullough goes for a body kick, Alexander catches it, sweeps the leg and takes top position. McCullough again stands right up. The match ends with three straight failed shots by Alexander
10-9 Alexander
The MMA Report scores the bout 29-28 “Razor” Rob McCullough
Judges score the bout:
30-27 “Razor” Rob
29-28 Alexander
30-27 “Razor” Rob
Winner: “Razor” Rob McCullough by split decision
Mark Munoz vs. “The Reverend” Chuck Grigsby
| Mark Munoz | Chuck Grigsby |
| Age: 30 | Age: 35 |
| Height: 6'0” | Height: 6'6” |
| Weight: 205.5 Lbs | 204.5 Lbs |
| Reach: 71” | Reach: 78” |
| Record: 3-0 | Record: 15-3 |
Round 1: The fighters circle and Munoz, the former DI National Wrestling Champion, goes for a couple of half-hearted shot attempts. Grigsby sprawls on the second attempt and goes for a front choke. They stand and break. Grigsby lands a good uppercut in a combination. Munoz shoots a single and pushed Grigsby to the cage. Munoz lifts the legs and gets the takedown into side control. Grigsby pushes to guard. Munoz stands and controls Grigsby's legs. Munoz lands a strike on a jumping guard pass and lands in the North-South position. Munoz lands another good strike, stands and ends up at Grigsby's feet again. Munoz throws another good strike from the jumping guard pass and ends up in side control. Grigsby goes for a Kimura but Munoz postures up and lands and elbow. Munoz stands, again throws Grigsby's legs to the side and lands a stiff right, Grigsby goes for a leg lock but his head is flat against the mat. Munoz lands three good strikes to the face and Grigsby goes out 4:15 into the first.
Winner: Mark Munoz by TKO
WEC Bantamweight Title MatchMiguel Angel Torres © vs. Yoshida Maeda
| Miguel Torres | Yoshida Maeda |
| Age: 27 | Age: 26 |
| Height: 5'9” | Height: 5'7” |
| Weight: 135 Lbs | 135 Lbs |
| Reach: 76” | Reach: 68” |
| Record: 33-1 | Record: 23-4-2 |
Round 1: Fighters circle. Torres throws a leg kick. Maeda catches the kick and pushed Torres to the mat. Torres stands and the fighters clinch. Torres throws a knee, breaks and throws a kick and slips to the mat. The fighter scramble and Torres goes for an omaplata. Torres loses the shoulder and Maeda slips out and the fighters stand. Maeda misses a high kick and Torres throws a low kick high kick combination. Again a low kick, high kick this time followed by a knee from Torres. Maeda throws a superman punch and the fighters exchange knees and go to the ground with Maeda on top in half-guard. They stand and Maeda throws a high kick and a front kick. They clinch and exchange knees. Maeda throws left and right body kicks as the round ends.
10-9 Maeda
Round 2: Maeda throws a right low kick and a left hook. Torres was off balanced and goes to the ground but Maeda lets him up. Torres thrown a left and right low kick and again slips to the ground. Torres lands a good up kick to the face of Maeda and Torres stands up. Torres throws a combo and grazes with a high kick. The two exchange kicks and Torres throws a low kick, 2 body kicks, misses with a high kick and follows with a right body kick. Maeda looks tired and momentarily drops his hands for the second time in the fight. Torres throws a combo, followed by a knee, Torres slips and the fighters end up back on the ground. Maeda goes for a heel hook and an ankle lock. Both men attempt toe holds and exchange heel kicks. Torres takes the top but is swept but he throws a short back elbow. Torres tries a weak triangle and the fighters stand up. Torres goes for what looks like a weak guillotine, but Torres uses it to bring Maeda down and take the mount. Torres throws elbows, Maeda rolls and Torres takes the back. Torres rotates and ends the round throwing heel kicks to the back of Maeda. Maeda's right eye is swelling up.
10-9 Torres
Round 3: Torres is the aggressor early and lands a good knee and throws combos with his hands. They clinch and Torres throws another knee. Maeda lands an overhand left and Torres responds with a good combo leading with the left to Maeda's swollen eye. Maeda slips a punch and take Torres down. Commentator Frank Mir mentions a Torres “reach around.” Maeda can't do anything on top and they stand up. Maeda's eye is really closing up. Torres lands a right body kick and two more left jabs. Maeda is holding his swollen right eye but is saved from more punishment by the round. Referee Herb Dean is taking a close look at the eye of Maeda.
10-9 Torres
Mid-round the Doctor stops the fight. Maeda's right eye is completely closed.
Winner: Miguel Torres by Doctor Stoppage after round 3 to retain the WEC Bantamweight Title.
WEC Featherweight Championship match
“The California Kid” Urijah Faber © vs. Jens “Little Evil” Pulver
| Urijah Faber | Jens Pulver |
| Age: 29 | Age: 33 |
| Height: 5'6” | Height: 5'7” |
| Weight: 144.5 Lbs | 155 Lbs |
| Reach: 69” | Reach: 70” |
| Record: 19-1 | Record: 22-8-1 |
Round 1: Urijah Faber lands the first punch with a very good overhand right. Faber throws a high kick, another right hand and the fighters exchange knees. Faber with an upper-cut, another overhand right and three straight rights. They clinch and Faber throws a knee, separates for a kick and slips to the ground. Pulver is in Faber's guard. Faber holds tight, Pulver stands and receives an up-kick and Faber stands. Pulver gets poked in the eye and the fight is paused foe a brief moment. They restart and Pulver lands an upper-cut in the clinch. Faber throws the right and Pulver lands a knee. They clinch and exchange more knees. Faber fires off a combo followed by a high kick and a counter left. Faber kicks and missed and exposes his back. Pulver grabs Faber from behind but the fighters break apart and Faber throws a back fist. Pulver lands a left-right combo. Faber continues to lead with the right as the bell sounds.
10-9 Faber
Round 2: The round starts off with an early kick that lands low on Jens Pulver. After a short stoppage, Faber continues to work the lead right and uses it to set up a takedown against the cage. Faber pulls into Pulver's full guard and lands a strong elbow but Pulver is able to scramble and stand. A left hook by Faber puts Pulver down and Pulver looks rocked and grabs for a leg. Faber continues to rain down shots on Pulver, and lands a left upper-cut. Faber throws a left but is hit flush with a left from Pulver and looks hurt. Faber shoots the single and gets another takedown, but the fighters end up in a wrestling start with Pulver on top going for the choke. Faber is able to stand and switched to Pulver's back. They break and exchange combos with Faber landing another overhand right.
10-9 Faber
Round 3: Pulver lands the first big strike of the round with a body kick. Faber responds with a combo and finished with his own body kick. Faber shoots again and is stuffed by Faber. Faber stand, switches and takes Pulver's back. Faber launches Pulver for a suplex but Pulver is able to post and avoid major damage and get back to his feet. Faber throws the straight right and a left upper-cut. Faber fakes the shot and throws another right left combo, but Pulver catches Faber with an upper-cut of his own. Pulver throws a left body kick which looks to hurt Faber, who begins to walk away from Pulver. Faber gets back into the pocket and throws a series of body kicks and shoots again but ends up on the bottom in half-guard. Pulver throws elbows but is swept and ends up in Pulver's half-guard. Faber throws a right elbow followed by a left. Pulver is able to hip out into a right butterfly guard. After inactivity, the ref stands the fighters who are both slow to restart. Each fighter throws a kick and the round ends.
10-9 Faber
Round 4: Faber shoots in and eats a big left from Pulver. Faber lands a right upper-cut. Faber throws a left body kick and an overhand right. Faber doubles up on the left jab and follows with two more weaker jabs. Pulver throws a combo and Faber counters with another straight right. Faber clinches and sweeps the leg for the takedown and lands in Pulver's full-guard. Faber uses his elbows to Ground and Pound. Pulver is hurt by a big right elbow. Pulver's face is beginning to swell up around the right eye. The round ends with Faber on top, throwing elbows.
10-9 Faber
Round 5: Faber shoots but is stuffed. A left cross hurts Pulver. Pulver throws a good left hook and stuffs another shot by Faber and Pulver throws a few good lefts. Faber responds with a good knee. Pulver gets a bodylock and attempts to throw Faber, but Faber lands on top. Faber smothers Pulver for the rest of the round and throws up the Hang-Loose sign with the fight coming to a decisive end.
10-9 Faber
The MMA Report scores the fight 50-45 Faber.
Judges score the bout:
50-45 Faber
50-44 Faber
50-44 Faber
Winner: Urijah Faber by unanimous decision to retain the WEC Featherweight Title.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Opinion on Kimbo vs. Thompson
MMA made its Network TV debut on CBS with the highly publicized Elite XC: Saturday Night Fights. The debut marked a major stepping stone for the movement of MMA from the underground to mainstream, but many longtime MMA fans were disappointed by the overall production.
The main event, a high profile affair between two mid tier heavyweights, featured street brawler Kimbo Slice and British HW James Thompson. The fight showed how far Kimbo has to go before his martial arts talent imathced his media hype.
Thompson had no intention of standing with Kimbo, and repeatedly attempted sloppy takedowns. Once on the ground, Thompson was able to easily pass Kimbo's guard,. but unable to keep himself in dominant positions. Thompson managed to be swept while holding Kimbo in a scarf hold.
When the fight was on the feet, Kimbo was clearly the aggressor and landed the best strikes of the fight. Thompson was rocked several times, but he was easily able to take the fight to the ground when necessary.
Both fighters showed poor conditioning. Both were dead tired before the end of the second round. The round ended with Thompson in a dominant position, but "The Colossus" was only able to muster weak punches and elbows, and allowed Kimbo to last through the round.
The third round was brief. Thompson was too tired to shoot for a takedown, and received several big shots. One shot ruptured Thompson's terrible left cauliflower ear, which commentator Gus Johnson repeatedly referred to as an "alien life-form." The fight was called to a controversial stoppage 38 seconds into the round.
The fight was the equivalent of the NHL having a pee-wee hockey game on NBC to bring hockey fans back after the work stoppage. Both fighter showed poor wrestling and ground skills and the stoppage was questionable. James Thompson showed no boxing ability, but was saved most of the fight by his historically weak chin.
This fight makes it clear that Kimbo is not ready for the spotlight that he has been pushed into. At the post-fight press conference, Brett "Grim" Rogers, who won his fight over Jon Murphy by TKO earlier on the card, said it best by calling the fight "garbage." Kimbo and Rogers followed with a brief confrontation that may haunt Elite XC President Gary Shaw's dreams. Rogers and Kimbo will both push for a match, and Rogers will be a strong favorite to smash the media aura of the undefeated Kimbo Slice.
My overall grades on the fight:
Striking: Kimbo B, Thompson F
Wrestling: Kimbo F, Thompson D
BJJ: Kimbo F, Thomspon F
Conditioning: Kimbo D, Thompson D
Overall Fight: D
The main event, a high profile affair between two mid tier heavyweights, featured street brawler Kimbo Slice and British HW James Thompson. The fight showed how far Kimbo has to go before his martial arts talent imathced his media hype.
Thompson had no intention of standing with Kimbo, and repeatedly attempted sloppy takedowns. Once on the ground, Thompson was able to easily pass Kimbo's guard,. but unable to keep himself in dominant positions. Thompson managed to be swept while holding Kimbo in a scarf hold.
When the fight was on the feet, Kimbo was clearly the aggressor and landed the best strikes of the fight. Thompson was rocked several times, but he was easily able to take the fight to the ground when necessary.
Both fighters showed poor conditioning. Both were dead tired before the end of the second round. The round ended with Thompson in a dominant position, but "The Colossus" was only able to muster weak punches and elbows, and allowed Kimbo to last through the round.
The third round was brief. Thompson was too tired to shoot for a takedown, and received several big shots. One shot ruptured Thompson's terrible left cauliflower ear, which commentator Gus Johnson repeatedly referred to as an "alien life-form." The fight was called to a controversial stoppage 38 seconds into the round.
The fight was the equivalent of the NHL having a pee-wee hockey game on NBC to bring hockey fans back after the work stoppage. Both fighter showed poor wrestling and ground skills and the stoppage was questionable. James Thompson showed no boxing ability, but was saved most of the fight by his historically weak chin.
This fight makes it clear that Kimbo is not ready for the spotlight that he has been pushed into. At the post-fight press conference, Brett "Grim" Rogers, who won his fight over Jon Murphy by TKO earlier on the card, said it best by calling the fight "garbage." Kimbo and Rogers followed with a brief confrontation that may haunt Elite XC President Gary Shaw's dreams. Rogers and Kimbo will both push for a match, and Rogers will be a strong favorite to smash the media aura of the undefeated Kimbo Slice.
My overall grades on the fight:
Striking: Kimbo B, Thompson F
Wrestling: Kimbo F, Thompson D
BJJ: Kimbo F, Thomspon F
Conditioning: Kimbo D, Thompson D
Overall Fight: D
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