Apr 102012
Apr 062012
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
—MAIN CARD (on MTV2)—
Welterweight Tournament Champion Fight
Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima: Askren via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45), Round 5, 5:00
Season 6 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Final Fight
Marlon Sandro vs. Alexandre Bezerra: Sandro via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29), Round 3, 5:00
Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Travis Marx vs. Masakatsu Ueda: Marx via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament Quarter-Final Fight
Rodrigo Lima vs. Hiroshi Nakamura: Nakamura via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27), Round 3, 5:00 Continue reading »
Nov 122011
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
—MAIN CARD (on MTV2)—
Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Finals Fight
Ben Saunders vs. Douglas Lima: Lima via TKO (Punches), Round 2, 1:21
Season 5 Middleweight Tournament Finals Fight
Alexander Shlemenko vs. Vitor Vianna: Shlemenko via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight
John Hawk vs. Roger Hollett: Hollett via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Catchweight (146lbs.) Feature Fight
Alexandre Bezerra vs. Doug Evans: Bezerra via Submission (Heel Hook), Round 1, 4:04 Continue reading »
Aug 012011
Did you miss me? Well, dry your tears icemigos. I have returned. There was a rough few weeks with no MMA events – at least none that I was able to see. And now… now… I have three events to draw from. Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III, and Bellator 47.
Let’s start from the top. What’s up with Fedor? Sure, anyone can get knocked out by Dan Henderson but before that Fedor was swinging wildly. Yes, Fedor is known to try and finish a fight when he has someone hurt but there was an almost desperate recklessness in Fedor’s attempt to finish – not the precision timing that KO’d Andrei Arlovski in mid-air. Continue reading »
Jul 242011
Pat Curran (white trunks) went the distance with Sengoku and Shark Fights veteran "Kid Ninja" Ronnie Mann (black shorts) to stamp his ticket to the Bellator Featherweight Tournament finals. (Photo courtesy of Al Quintero and Sherdog)
Featherweight firepower lit up the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario last night with both tournament semi-finals of the stacked Summer Series 145lbs. bracket. Former Bellator lightweight title challenger Pat Curran (14-4) took on British top featherweight “Kid Ninja” Ronnie Mann (20-3) in the main event supported by the action packed co-main event between former Sengoku Featherweight Champion “Monster of Rio” Marlon Sandro (19-2) and young gun Jiu-Jitsu fighter “Naza” Nazareno Malegarie (18-2). Along side the semi-finals were two feature fights in the heavyweight and lightweight divisions. WEC and IFL veteran and London, Ontario’s own “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (18-3) took on “The So Cal Kid” Chris Saunders (9-2). Beginning the main card on MTV2 was returning heavyweight striker “Goliath” Neil Grove (11-3) against the high octane finisher Zak Jensen (10-7). Continue reading »
Jul 232011
(Photo courtesy of Bellator)
—MAIN CARD—
Bellator Season 5 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Final Bout
Pat Curran vs. Ronnie Mann: Curran via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28), Round 3, 5:00
Bellator Season 5 Featherweight Tournament Semi-Final Bout
Marlon Sandro vs. Nazareno Malegarie: Sandro via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00
Heavyweight Feature Fight
Neil Grove vs. Zak Jensen: Grove via TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 2:00
Lightweight Feature Fight
Chris Horodecki vs. Chris Saunders: Horodecki via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Round 3, 5:00
Jul 222011
Chris Horodecki (left) looks to prove to the world that Zuffa made a huge mistake in choosing not to sign him as he makes his Bellator debut on the promotion's 47th card. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
Canada will be getting another dose of high octane MMA from its third American promotion this Saturday, July 23 as Bellator 47 drops anchor in Rama, Ontario at the Casino Rama. The event still promises not to disappoint despite having taken a hit in early July; formerly headlining the event was the somewhat heated rematch between Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren (7-1) and Brazilian powerhouse “Pitbull” Patricio Freire (9-1). Freire, however, suffered an injury that will force him to sit out and Warren bowed out to wait for Freire. Now headlining the event is former Bellator lightweight title challenger Pat Curran (13-4), who looked better than ever with his improved ground game when he moved to featherweight, as he takes on the young and talented British featherweight Ronnie Mann (20-2). This fight has fireworks written all over it – both men are game to stand their ground wherever the fight goes. “Naza” Nazareno Malegarie (18-1) is a man with a never-give-up attitude when it comes to his submissions, as he showed in his return fight against Jacob Devree (10-2) with a fight-ending choke in the third round. Malegarie will put his impressive record against the former Sengoku champion “Monster of Rio” Marlon Sandro (18-2). The heavy-handed Sandro’s Bellator debut was far from what the world wanted to see, but he will look to bring the cold serving of a knockout when he steps in the cage against Malegarie. Supporting the main and co-main events is a heavyweight tilt highlighting the return of the human wrecking ball “Goliath” Neil Grove (10-3) against Zak Jensen (10-6). These two were slated to meet several months ago but an injury to Jensen caused the fight to be put on hold. Now the men will be looking to get a invitation into the upcoming season’s heavyweight tournament. Kicking off the Bellator 47 main card is a special attraction fight between WEC veteran “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (17-3) and “The So Cal Kid” Chris Saunders (9-1). Continue reading »
Dec 292010
Chris Horodecki's (right) superior striking and kickboxing posed a viable threat to his lightweight competitors in the IFL and WEC, and certainly would have continued to do so in the UFC. (Photo courtesy of Dave Mandel and Sherdog)
“The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (16-3) is the most recent addition to a slew of fighters that have felt the wrath of Zuffa’s chopping block. It was announced Tuesday that the lightweight kickboxer, who partook in four bouts in the WEC over the last year, will in fact not be moving on to the big show with the impending WEC/UFC merger only a few days away. Sure the UFC is fickle about its roster and fighters come and go, but this cut in particular leaves a lot of MMA fans wondering how and why the 23-year-old Canadian could have been dubbed a UFC reject in the first place. Zuffa certainly is establishing its subsidiary the UFC as the mixed martial arts organization with the utmost top notch talent in the world, but many still wonder – was cutting Horodecki warranted? Continue reading »
Dec 242010
(Bellator logo courtesy of Bellator, with title addition by MMA Gospel)
In MMA Gospel’s first installment of Bellator: The Draft, the women, bantamweights, and featherweights were covered. This time, MMA Gospel looks to Bellator Fighting Championship’s (BFC) two strongest divisions: lightweight and welterweight. With top class fighters like Eddie Alvarez (19-2), “El Matador” Roger Huerta (21-5-1), Pat Curran (12-3), Ben Askren (7-0), and “The Assassin” Chris Lozano (6-0), BFC could be said to rival or even surpass Strikeforce and DREAM in these divisions. However, there is always room for improvement and the fighters listed below are exactly the kind of men Bellator needs to solidify a position as a promotion that belongs in the same league as its bigger rivals. Continue reading »
Dec 192010
PART ONE: Everything Leading up to…
SO… WEC is no more. I know… I know. Things change and it’s not always easy and it’s not always what you want but sometimes you just have to let it go and just remember the good times because, well, you have no choice. I’ll always remember our last night together, WEC. Even though I knew it was goodbye, I couldn’t wait to see you. Then suddenly, you were there , in my bedroom on my TV as I drank cheap wine and tweeted smart ass comments as if nothing was different and this wasn’t our last night together.
It went by so fast that it was all kind of a blur to be honest. I remember Bart Palaszewski and Kamal Shalorus having a decent scrap and thought it was a close fight. I gave the edge to Bart for more effective striking but I wouldn’t call the W going to Kamal a robbery of the Nam Phan order. Continue reading »
Dec 172010
WEC 53 marked the organization's final event and it did not disappoint. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
The organization that brought the world “The California Kid” Urijah Faber (24-4), “Junior” Jose Aldo (18-1), Dominick Cruz (15-1), “Angel” Miguel Torres (37-3), “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (13-1), “Smooth” Ben Henderson (11-1), “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (11-4), and so many more world class fighters said its goodbyes tonight as WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis marked the final event before the WEC is absorbed into the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The WEC was known for the action packed, go-for-broke matches that stemmed from a stacked talent pool in the lower weight divisions and WEC 53 continued in that tradition, showing that the WEC would prove to be one of the very best MMA promotions in the world right up to the very end. The UFC’s little cousin announced loudly to the MMA fans that it would not be forgotten as its final event opened with four straight first round stoppages including three KO’s – one of which came via slam. When the main card started with “Danny Boy” Dan Downes (7-1) and “The Mongolian Wolf” Zhang Tie Quan (8-1), the fights only got better. Continue reading »
Dec 162010
(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
Renan Barao vs. Chris Cariaso: Barao via Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1, 3:47
Ricardo Lamas vs. Yuri Alcantara: Alcantara via KO, Round 1. 3:26
Danny Castillo vs. Will Kerr: Castillo via KO, Round 1, 1:26
Eddie Wineland vs. Ken Stone: Wineland via KO (Slam), Round 1, 2:11
Brad Pickett vs. Ivan Menjivar: Pickett via Unanimous Decision, Round 3, 5:00
Jamie Varner vs. Shane Roller: Roller via Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1, 3:55
Zhang Tie Quan vs. Daniel Downes: Downes via Unanimous Decision, Round 3, 5:00
Bart Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus: Shalorus via Split Decision, Round 3, 5:00
Chris Horodecki vs. Donald Cerrone: Cerrone via Submission (Triangle Choke), Round 2, 2:43
Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgensen: Dominick Cruz via Unanimous Decision, Round 5, 5:00*
Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis: Pettis via Unanimous Decision, Round 5, 5:00**
*Dominick Cruz retains his belt as the (very last) WEC Bantamweight Champion and earns the honors of being the UFC’s very first 135lb. title holder.
**Anthony Pettis becomes the new WEC Lightweight Champion after what very well could be Fight of the Year, and included an astonishing Matrix-style head kick by Pettis. “Showtime” will face the winner of “The Answer” Frankie Edgar (13-1) and “The Bully” Gray Maynard (10-0) for the unified UFC Lightweight Championship.
Dec 162010
"Showtime" Anthony Pettis is a game competitor but likely will fall victim to the same Guillotine Choke that Ben Henderson (pictured) has used twice to successfully defend his belt. (Photo courtesy of MMA Weekly)
The WEC goes out with a bang tonight at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona with its final offering before merging with the UFC next month. WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis is sure to be an exciting card as the organization showcases some of the best fighters in its ranks: “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (11-4) takes on “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (16-4), WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz (15-1) squares off with “Young Guns” Scott Jorgensen (10-2) to not only retain his title but also become the first ever UFC Bantamweight Champion, “Prince of Persia” Kamal Shalorus (6-0-2) faces “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (34-14), and “The Mongolian Wolf” Zhang Tie Quan (8-0) meets with “Danny Boy” Dan Downes (6-1). In what is sure to be a crowd pleaser, the main event features “Smooth” Ben Henderson (11-1) making his third lightweight title defense by facing dangerous top contender “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (12-1). After tonight, either Henderson or Pettis will walk away as the very last WEC Lightweight Champion and will take on the winner of the UFC 125 “The Answer” Frankie Edgar (13-1)/”The Bully” Gray Maynard (10-0) match-up for the unified lightweight title. Continue reading »
Dec 152010
The reach of Dominick Cruz (right) will likely be the deciding factor in a five round stand-up war against Scott Jorgenson. (Photo courtesy of WEC.tv)
The WEC has promised to go out with a bang with WEC 53 tomorrow night. The promotion has headlined its finale event with a title fight between “Smooth” Ben Henderson (11-1) and “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (12-1), and has shored up the card with the likes of “Prince of Persia” Kamal Shalorus (6-0-2), “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (34-14), “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (11-4), “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (16-2), “The Mongolian Wolf” Zhang Tie Quan (8-0), and “Danny Boy” Dan Downes (6-1). The co-main event of the evening pits WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz (15-1) against fan favorite “Young Guns” Scott Jorgensen (10-2) in a bout that won’t be just for the WEC title, but also the for newly minted UFC bantamweight belt. Cruz has proven to be unstoppable at 135 with his speed, strikes from all angles, and endless gas tank, but will the grit and power of Jorgensen be enough to dethrone the champion? Continue reading »
Dec 152010
Kamal Shalorus (right) should have an advantage in controlling this fight, but his disregard for the Unified Rules of MMA may well prove his undoing. (Photo courtesy of WEC.tv)
World Extreme Cagefighting presents its final card before the WEC/UFC merger on Thursday night as “Smooth” Ben Henderson (11-1) and “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (12-1) and Dominick Cruz (15-1) and “Young Guns” Scott Jorgensen (10-2) co-headline WEC 53 in two fights for the WEC’s most contested titles. Other bouts that night include “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (11-4) taking on “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (16-2), “The Mongolian Wolf” Zhang Tie Quan (8-0) putting his undefeated record against “Danny Boy” Dan Downes (6-1), and a lightweight tilt between “Prince of Persia” Kamal Shalorus (6-0-2) and “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (34-13). “Prince of Persia” has one of the more questionable records in MMA. He is unbeaten but has two draws, including his most recent bout, caused by point deductions against him. Palaszewski is the more experienced of the two men and currently rides a four fight winning streak. Continue reading »