Showing posts with label Urijah Faber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urijah Faber. Show all posts

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Undefeated 3-0+ Fighters of 2013

It keeps getting harder to stay undefeated with 3 or more wins in MMA. In addition to staying injury free and finding fights, a fighter also needs a little luck in hoping their opponent makes it to the fight. There are some interesting names in this list, many of whom will soon be fighting in the UFC, Bellator and WSOF. The deeper you go, the more obscure the names will be.

If you have a fighter you want me to list who was 3-0 or better in pro fights in 2013 that are documented on a legit MMA website, please list them in the comments and I'll get them up.

15-0

Julio Cesar Neves, Jr.- The 145 pound "Morceguinho" fought anyone who was willing to get in the cage with him in 2013. The 19 year old pushed his overall record to 28-0, and is rumored to have signed with Bellator to debut in the coming season. His best wins were probably over Maikon Jonathan de Carvalho (8-4) and Dener dos Santos (11-7) in 2013. There were several 0-1, 0-2, 2-2, type fighters on his win list. Nevertheless, he notched 10 KO/TKO's and 4 submissions. It will be interesting to see how he does against real competition.
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8-0

Kevin Croom- The tall 135 pounder went on a Travis Fulton-esque run in 2013, fighting mainly near his home base of Kansas City, highlighted with a 1st round TKO win over Brian Davidson (11-4) at RFC 6 but also venturing out beating hometown fighters. He went to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico where he TKO'd Javier Lujan in World MMA and Almaty, Kazakhstan where he TKO'd Aslan Toktarbaev (6-2) in the Alash Pride promotion. Croom also won his kickboxing debut World Striking Challenge 1 in Miami, Florida.
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5-0

Alexey Oleinik- The Russian Boa Constrictor went 5-0 in 2013 with 4 quality wins to punch his ticket to the UFC. The Bellator and M-1 submission fighter started the year by TKO'ing Leo Pla before submitting former KOTC champ Tony Lopez with a triangle choke, submitting UFC veteran Jeff Monson with a rear naked choke, submitting Dion Staring before getting his best win, a neck crank submission win over Mirko Cro Cop.

Jared Rosholt- The 3X All American HW wrestler out of Oklahoma State had a big 2013, culminating with his UFC debut. Rosholt started the year by winning a decision over Richard Odoms, then a decision over Bobby Brents, before a TKO of Richard White, KO of Jacob Walraven, then a decision over Walt Harris in the UFC.

Luis "Sapo" Santos- After a disappointing Bellator run, Santos rebounded in 2013 with five first round finishes. Fighting primarily in the XFC promotion, he started with a TKO over TUF vet Shamar Bailey, then TKO'd Sebastian Latorre, KO'd Dave Courchaine with a head kick, KO'd Justin Davis with a head kick, then submitted Edilson Franca with a kneebar. With a record of 59-6, with several unreported bouts, expect Santos to stay busy in 2014.
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Nazareno Malegarie- "El Tigre" bounced back from an unsuccessful Bellator stint, notching 2 subs and 2 TKO's in 2013. His best win was a decision over Jose Souza (19-12).

Thomas De Almeida- The undefeated 22 year old Brazilian Chute Boxe 135 pound fighter pushed his record to 15-0 in 2013, notching 5 TKO/KO's in 6 months, with only one bout making it out of the 1st round. After winning 4 times in his native Brazil, De Almeida TKO'd George Pacurariu at LFC 26.

Henry Cejudo- The 2008 freestyle wrestling gold medalist began his pro MMA career in 2013, notching 3 TKO's and 1 sub via punches. Facing less than stellar competition, his biggest win was in his Legacy FC debut, winning a decision against Ryan Hollis, then 4-1. Cejudo returns to Legacy FC on January 31st, when he takes on Elias Garcia (4-0).

Magomed Biboulatov- "Gladiator" turned pro in 2013, going a perfect 5-0 while notching 3 subs and 2 decision wins. He ended the year with a decision over previously unbeated Taylor Lapilus who was then 5-0.

Livia Souza- "Livinha" began her pro career in 2013, notching 4 submissions and a decision win over Aline Sattelmayer (5-4) at Talent MMA 4.

Kalindra Faria- The Brazilian had 2 TKO's and 3 subs in 2013, with her most impressive win over Carina Damm (21-10) at MMASH - Super Heros.

Larissa Pacheco- The Brazilian 135 pound prospect moved to 9-0 in 2013 by notching 3 subs and 2 TKO's. Her best win was TKO over Irene Aldana, then 3-0, in Jungle Fight.

4-0

Urijah Faber- Pushing himself into the number 1 contender spot at 135, the former WEC champ had an awesome 2013. Faber had 3 submission wins, including a submission of the night performance in his most recent bout against Michael McDonald. Faber posted rear naked choke wins over Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen to start the year. His only decision was over Iuri Alcantara, which saw Faber get in trouble and lose a round, then win the next two for the decision victory. With Dominick Cruz getting injured yet again, Faber will meet Renan Barao for the BW title at UFC 169.
urijah faber photo: Urijah Faber URIJAH.jpg

Emmanuel Newton- The Hardcore Kid burst on the MMA scene in 2013 dominating Bellator's 205 pound division. In the opening round of the Season 8 tournament, Newton submitted Atanas Djambazov before notching one of the biggest upsets in 2013 by KO'ing King Mo Lawal with a spinning backfist. Newton would take the tournament title with a win over Mikhail Zayats, then take a decision over King Mo in a rematch to take the Interim belt. With LHW champ Atilla Vegh bitten by the injury bug, it could be awhile before a unification fight.

Ryan LaFlare- A five year pro, Ryan LaFlare made a name for himself in 2013. He started the year returning from a three year layoff due to wrist and knee injuries, capturing the ROC welterweight belt by submitting Andrew Osborne. Making his UFC debut at UFC on Fuel 9, he defeated Ben Alloway via decision. He next was dominant in his decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio before winning a decision on short notice against TUF champ Court McGee.

Sergio Pettis- The 20 year old younger brother of UFC LW champ Anthony Pettis had his best year as a pro fighter, making a successful UFC debut with a decision win over Will Campuzano at UFC 167. After beating James Robinson via decision, the inaugural RFA BW belt by KO'ing Dillard Pegg in the 1st round, then won the NAFC BW belt with a kimura over James Porter. Expect Pettis to stay active in 2014, eventually getting a test against an experienced grappler.

Charlie Brennemen- The Spaniard made a push to get back to the UFC, taking the CFFC lightweight title against Kyle Baker via rear naked choke. With 3 submission wins, Brennemen will be looking for a finish in his return to the UFC at UFN 35 against undefeated Beneil Dariush.

John Howard- Doomsday notched 2 first round KO's to start the year in 2013 against Jason Louck and Chris Woodall, before returning to the UFC on short notice to defeat Uriah Hall via split decision and win a unanimous decision over Siyar Bahadurzada at UFC 168.

Alida Gray- The judo fighter will next fight Jessica Aguilar at WSOF 8 for the inaugural 115 pound title. She began her pro career in 2013, with 3 TKO's and a submission over Patricia Vidonic (9-6).

Lauren Murphy- Finishing the year by taking the inaugural women's BW title in Invicta FC, the Gracie Barra product will likely join the UFC soon. After not fighting at all in 2012, Murphy started the year with a TKO of Jennifer Scott, before rattling off 3 wins in Invicta, beating quality veterans Kaitlin Young, Sarah D'Alelio and TKO'ing Miriam Nakamoto.

Carlos Diego Ferreira- The Brazilian lightweight had a breakthrough 2013, winning 3 in Legacy Fighting Championships to take the 155 pound title in his last bout. He started the year by subbing Danny Salinas, then won a decisions over UFC vet Carlo Prater, previously undefeated Chris Heist then took the belt winning over Pride/Strikeforce veteran Jorge Patino.

Chris Lokteff- The Australian HW prospect won 4 straight in 2013 to push his record to 12-1. The 27 year old started the year by TKO'ing Peter Kennedy with knees, then submitted Andrew Machin and Cam Bracewell, before a decision over Bellator and KOTC veteran Tony Johnson.

Joanne Calderwood- "Jojo" won 3 fights in Invicta and 1 in Cage Warriors to extend her professional record to 8-0 and earn a spot on TUF 20, which will result in the crowning of the first UFC women's 115 pound champion. The BJJ blue belts best win was over Katja Kankaanpaa, then 8-0, in Invicta.

Kalib Starnes- The TUF 3 and UFC veteran at 185 had a bounce back year fighting exclusively in Canada at 205 and over, which culminated with a standing elbow KO of Dwayne Lewis on the televised broadcast of WSOF 7. He added a TKO's of Clay Davidson and David Perron with a decision over UFC veteran Tim Hague at HW. Expect Starnes to get a high profile fight next in WSOF and a potential shot at their inaugural LHW belt.

Alan "Nuguette" Alves- From fighting in Jungle Fight to getting a ticket into the UFC, Alves pushed his record to 11-0 in 2013. He started the year TKO'ing Murilo Filho, then won decisions against Kelles Santos and Claudiere Freitas before a 1st round TKO of Garret Whitely at UFN 29 in his UFC debut. He fights John Makdessi next at UFC 169.

Satoshi Ishii- The Japanese heavyweight beat some longtime veterans of the sport in 2013, winning decisions over Jeff Monson, Kazuyuki Fujita and Pedro Rizzo. His lone stoppage win was over Clayton Jones via TKO.

Xavier Foupa-Pokam- Professor X fought in Russia, India and England in 2013, finishing all his opponents. He started the year by TKO'ing Dan Edwards, then TKO'd John Troyer and Gennadiy Kovalev before submitting Aleksey Shapovalov. Despite his opponents not having name recognition, they all have 9+ wins with a combined record of 43-22.

Rob Font- Figthing exclusively in the CES promotion, Font began the year with a decision over Saul Almeida (13-5), then beat Lucas Cruz (6-2), Chris Foster (7-3) and Matt DiMarcantonio. He fights Ahsan Abdullah next.

Ray Borg- The 20 year old Fit NHB prospect pushed his record to 5-0 in 2013, with 2 subs and a TKO win at 125 pounds. The grappler's two best wins were a decision over longtime KOTC fighter Angel Sanchez (12-5) and a RNC of Jeimeson Saudino (7-2).

Bethe Correia- Training with the Pitbull Freire brothers, Correia won an insanely close split decision in her UFC debut against Julie Kedzie to close out 2013.

Faith Van Duin- The New Zealander turned pro in 2013, going 4-0,winning the Storm MMA women's belt by latching on a 4th round triangle against Kate da Silva (5-1).

Holly Holm- The former pro boxer stayed active in 2013, fighting in Bellator, Legacy FC and FP - Havoc, landing 2 head kick KO's.

Brett Johns- The Welsh fighter ended the year by defeating Jordan Desborough for the Cage Warriors 135 pound belt, pushing his record to 8-0.

Stephan Puetz- The 26 year old 6'6" German prospect at 205 pounds fought in four different promotions in Germany in 2013, earing 2 TKO's and 2 decision wins.

Cody Gibson- The Californian stayed close to home in 2014, picking up a TKO win in the Diaz brothers War MMA.

3-0

Demetrious Johnson- Mighty Mouse had three successful title defenses in 2013, keeping the flyweight belt in tow for the duration of its existence in the UFC. He started the year with a decision win over John Dodson, then began to show his finishing ability. He subbed John Moraga with an armbar at UFC on Fox 8 then brutally KO'd Joe Benavidez at UFC on Fox 9. With 2 wins over Benavidez and John Dodson sidelined with a knee injury, the title picture is a little murky at 125. Winners from the early 2014 bouts of Bagautinov/Lineker, Pickett/McCall and Makovsky/Sampo all could be in the mix.
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(Johnson v. Benavidez at UFC on Fox 9)

Vitor Belfort- The Phenom made a huge statement in 2013, scoring 3 devasting KO wins in the main event. The 36 year old began the year with a head kick and punches KO of Michael Bisping. He then landed an amazing spinning heel kick KO of Luke Rockhold. In his last fight he KO'd MMA legend Dan Henderson with a head kick. Expect Belfort to lobby for a shot at the winner of Weidman v. Silva.

Glover Texiera- The BJJ blackbelt worked his way to a title shot against Jon Jones by winning a decision over Rampage Jackson, submitted James Te Huna, then TKO'd Ryan Bader. With 20 wins in a row, including 5 wins in the UFC, Texiera will have his hands full in his next bout.

Robbie Lawler- Looking rejuvenated and sharp at 170 pounds, Lawler made a huge statement in 2013. Following a disappointing loss at 185 pounds to Lorenz Larkin to end his Strikeforce career in 2012, Lawler returned to the UFC and TKO'd Josh Koscheck at UFC 157 winning the KO of the night bonus. He next KO'd Bobby Voelker with a head kick and punches at UFC on Fox 8. At UFC 167, he defeated Rory MacDonald to punch his ticket to a title shot against Johnny Hendricks at UFC 171.

Travis Browne- Hapa bounced back from his loss to Bigfoot Silva in a big way during 2013. He started the year by crushing Gabriel Gonzaga with elbows off a failed takedown for a TKO. He then KO'd Alistair Overeem with a front kick and punches, before using the same elbows in the Gonzaga fight for a TKO of Josh Barnett. Browne will fight Fabricio Werdum for the shot against Cain Velasquez and the title.

Ronaldo Souza- Jacare made a big splash in 2013 as he moved from Strikeforce to the UFC finishing off all 3 opponents in 2013. In his final Strikeforce bout, he submitted Ed Herman with a kimura. In his UFC debut, he defeated Chris Camozzi with an arm triangle choke. In his next bout he crushed Yushin Okami via TKO in the first round. The former ADCC and Strikeforce champ will next fight Francis Carmont for a step closer to a title shot at 185.

Chad Mendes- Money Mendes popped some tags in 2013, starting the year by KO'ing Darren Elkins and Clay Guida. Inching closer to a potential rematch with Jose Aldo, Mendes closed out 2013 by winning a decision over Nik Lentz. Cub Swanson and Chad Mendes would seem like the next challengers for the title.

Daniel Cormier- The Olympic wrestler continued his dominance in the heavyweight division by TKO'ing Dion Staring, before moving to the UFC and winning decisions over Frank Mir and Roy Nelson. Cormier is rumored to be moving to the LHW and possibly taking on Rashad Evans or Phil Davis before getting a title shot.

Khabib Nurmagomedov- The Russian rose up the LW ranks in 2013, rattling off his 3 quality wins in the UFC and pushing his overall record to 21-0. The Eagle TKO'd Thiago Tavares in the 1st round at UFC on FX 7, then won decisions over Abel Trujillo and Pat Healy. Expect the combat Sambo and Judo stylist to face top competition in 2013.

Alexander Shlemenko- "Storm" rode a tidal wave of momentum in 2013, winning the vacant Bellator MW belt with a 2nd round KO of Maiquel Falcão to start the year. After a sluggish 5 round title defense of the title against Brett Cooper, he destroyed Doug Marshall with a body shot KO at BFC 109. Look for Shlemenko to defend his title against former DIII wrestler Brennan Ward (9-1) early in 2014.

Alexis Davis- The Strikeforce veteran had a smooth transition to Invicta and then the UFC in 2013, beginning the year with a RNC of Shayna Baszler in Invicta, before winning decisions over Rosi Sexton and Liz Carmouche in the UFC. She next fights Jessica Eye at UFC 170.

Shinya Aoki- Re-upping with One FC in 2013, Aoki moved from 155 to 145. Aoki started the year with a rear naked choke of Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku, won a decision over Cody Stevens, then won a technical submission over Toshikatsu Harada.

Vitaly Minakov- The Bellator HW champion pushed his undefeated record to 13-0 with 3 quality TKO wins. He first KO'd Ron Sparks in the first round before TKO'ing Ryan Martinez in the second round, then took the belt with a first round TKO of Alexander Volkov in November. Hopefully Bellator can get a worthy HW to fight Minakov sooner rather than later.

Edson Barbosa- The dynamic muay thai fighter came back in a big way after finishing 2012 with his 1st career loss against Jamie Varner. He began the year with Lucas Martin sub due to punches, TKO'd Rafaello Oliveira with leg kicks, then finished the year with a split decision win over Danny Castillo which won him a fight of the night bonus.

Tom Niinimaki- The Finnish fighter pushed his six year undefeated streak to 12 straight by going 3-0 in 2013, including his successful UFC debut. "Stoneface" took out three quality opponents with decision wins over Rani Yahya and Chase Beebe while submitting UFC veteran Walel Watson.

Douglas Lima- The 170 pound Bellator tourney champ had a great 2013, pushing his record to 25-5 with 3 KO wins. Lima started the year using leg kicks to TKO Michail Tsarev, before KO'ing Bryan Baker with a punch, then Ben Saunders with a head kick KO to claim the tourney championship.

Justin Gaethje- The top prospect in the WSOF, Gaethje's striking skills continued to improve in 2013 as he pushed his record to 10-0. He first TKO'd JZ Cavalcante in the first round, then TKO'd Brian Cobb with leg kicks before a dominant KO win over Dan Lauzon. He next fights Richard Patishnock for the WSOF LW belt.

Zach Makovsky- Fun Size made a huge statement in his late notice UFC debut, taking all three rounds in a decision win over Scott Jorgensen. Makovsky also took decisions over Claudio Ledesma, and Matt Manzanares, capturing the RFA belt. The former 135 pound Bellator champ has re-invented himself at 125, and fights former CFA champ Josh Sampo next at UFC 170.

Josh Sampo- "The Gremlin" had a break through year in 2013, earning and defending the CFA 125 pound belt before having a successful UFC debut. He started the year with a 5th round submission of Bellator/WSOF vet Alex Villa (13-4), won a 5 round decision over Sam Thao (7-2) then subbed Ryan Benoit at the TUF 18 Finale.

Brandon Thatch- The lanky 170 pounder showed exceptional striking in 2013, capped by KO wins in his first two UFC appearances. After submitting Mike Rhodes at RFA 7, Thatch entered the UFC and TKO'd Justin Edwards winning the KO of the Night bonus. In his next bout, he crushed Paulo Thiago with a devastating knee to the body. After receiving a lengthy medical suspension after UFC Fight Night 32 for ankle and shoulder injuries, we may not see him again until mid 2014.

Marlon Moraes- Following a huge upset win over Miguel Torres to close out 2012, Moraes had an excellent run in WSOF in 2013. He KO'd Tyson Nam with a headkick at WSOF 2, won a decision over Brandon Hempleman, then KO'd Carson Beebe with punches in just 32 seconds.

Jesse Taylor- The wrestler controlled the action in the cage in 2013, picking up 3 quality wins to push his record to 27-9 and punch a ticket to the WSOF 185 pound title finale. He began by winning a decision over TUF 3 champ Kendall Grove, submitted John Phillips with a guillotine then dominated MFC champ Elvis Mutapcic.

Georgi Karakhanyan- The "Insane" fighter had a breakthrough 2013, taking the inaugural WSOF FW belt by submitting previously undefeated Lance Palmer with a 3rd round guillotine choke. His other two victories were against UFC veterans Din Thomas and Waylon Lowe.

Magomedrasul "Frodo" Khasbulaev- The Russian hobbit had a furious 2013 taking the Season 8 Bellator FW tournament championship. He started with an arm triangle finish over Fabricio Guerreiro at BFC 88, then TKO'd Marlon Sandro at BFC 92 before winning a decision over Mike Richman. Expect Frodo to challenge Daniel Strauss for the title in the near future.

Dennis Bermudez- The TUF 14 runner-up eeked out an undefeated 2013 by a hair, winning split decisions over Matt Grice and Max Holloway before winning a unanimous decision over Steven Siler. The Grice v. Bermudez fight was an absolute barnburner, check it out if you missed it. Dennis next fights Jimmy Hettes at UFC 171.

Ali Bagautinov- The 125 pound "Puncher King" kept punching in 2013, winning TKO'ing Seiji Ozuka with punches before making his UFC debut. At UFN 28, he TKO'd Marcos Pancini (20-6) then won a decision against Tim Elliot at UFC 167. Ali will next fight John Lineker at UFC 169. Expect both to swing heavy leather.

Justin Scoggins- The 21 year old flyweight had his best year as a pro, TKO'ing Chris Cain and KO'ing Len Cook, before moving to the UFC and TKO'ing Richie Vaculik in the 1st round at UFN 33.

Takeya Mizugaki- The Japanese striker notched 3 decisions in 2013, winning splits over Bryan Caraway and Eric Perez before a unanimous decision over Nam Phan.

Katsunori Kikuno- The Dream/Deep veteran punched his ticket to the UFC with a successful 2013. The Kyokushin Karate and Judo black belt started the year with an odd palm strike KO win over Takafumi Ito, then won twice in Deep, KO'ing Jutaro Nakao and submitting Yong Jae Lee. Kikuno defeated Quinn Mulhern at UFN 34 to start off his 2014 with a bang.

Alp Ozkilic- The Turkish fighter had a breakthrough 2013, TKO'ing Josh Robinson and UFC veteran Antonio Banuelos, before making his UFC debut and picking up a split decision over Darren Uyenoyama. Alp fights the undefeated Louis Smolka at UFN 35 next.

Dustin Ortiz- After taking decisions over Aaron Ely and Mike French, the Roufusport fighter made a successful 125 pound debut in the UFC against Jose Maria Tome with a 3rd round TKO. Ortiz will next get his biggest fight to date at UFN 35 against John Moraga.

Tecia Torres- The 115 pounder will next compete in TUF 20 for the women's title, after taking decisions over Felice Herrig, Rose Namajunas and Paige Van Zandt in Invicta FC in 2013.

Kyoji Horiguchi- The 23 year old Japanese prospect made a successful debut in the UFC with a TKO of Dustin Pague at UFC 166. Prior to that, he defended his BW Vale Tudo Japan belt with a TKO of Shintaro Ishiwatari, and won via submission over Hiromasa Ogikubo. He next fights Chris Cariaso at UFC 169, presumably at 125 pounds.

Vagner Rocha- The UFC veteran took a step in the right direction in 2013, winning 3 times for the Florida based Fight Time promotion. He started by winning a decision over Kamrin Naville, subbed Bellator veteran JP Reese, then had a triangle choke win over Randy Barroso.

Damian Grabowski- The Polish Pitbull pushed his record to 19-1, his lone loss to Cole Konrad in Bellator in 2010. The HW won a decision over Stav Economou, then TKO'd Tadas Rimkevicius before submitting former M-1 champ Kenny Garner with an arm triangle choke.

LC Davis- The WEC and Sengoku veteran had a great 2013, going 3-0 in 3 different promotions to push his record to 20-5 while moving to 135 pounds. The athletic Davis had a TKO over Jacob Akin, followed by a TKO of Dominic Davis before winning a decision over James Saville.

Vyacheslav Vasilevsky- The Russian MW and one time Bellator fighter pushed his overall record to 23-2 in 2013, defeating Charles Andrade via decision, then TKO'ing UFC vet Trevor Prangley and Vitor Nobrega.

Jesse Juarez- The 7 year veteran fighting out of Antonio McKee's Bodyshop Fitness had arguably his best year as a professional, notching 2 wins in Bellator. He started the year with a split decision over Jordan Smith (18-5), TKO'd Daniel McWilliams, then submitted Fight Master quarter finalist Joe Williams with a 1st round guillotine.

Cody East- The 6'3" Jackson's MMA HW had a strong 2013, capturing the King of Cage title with a decision win over Nick Rossborough in June despite breaking his fibula in the fight. East added first round finishes of Strikeforce vet Lolohea Mahe and Esteves Jones to cap off 2013.

George Sullivan- The CFFC 170 pound champion had 3 straight 2nd round TKO wins via punches in 2013. He started by TKO'ing TUF vet Julian Lane, then Brandon Becker, before finishing out the year with a TKO of Jesus Martinez.

Cael Uno- The longtime veteran had a bounce back year in 2013, notching 3 submissions in Vale Tudo Japan and Shooto. After a RNC over Kyu Hwa Kim, Uno submitted Team Alpha Male's Anthony Avila with an RNC. He then submitted Daniel Romero with an inverted triangle choke.

Scott Askham- The English prospect pushed his record to 11-0 in 2013, capturing the BAMMA MW belt in his final bout of the year. He started by submitting Harry McLeman before winning decisions over Jack Marshman and Jorge Luis Bezerra.

Alex Garcia- The Dominican Nightmare capped off 2013 with a win in his UFC debut, KO'ing Ben Wall via punches at UFN 33. His other wins were against then undefeated fighters, winning a decision over Ryan Dickson, then 6-0, and a rear naked choke of Chris Heatherly, then 5-0.

Derek Anderson- The Team Xplode prospect had a huge 2013 pushing his overall record to 10-0, capped off by winning a decision over Patricky Freire in his Bellator debut. Anderson also had a TKO win over Craig Flynn and an armbar win over Ray Carter.

Steve Mocco- The Olympic wrestler pushed his overall record to 4-0 by recording a north/south submission over Rashad Brooks and a submission over Alonzo Roane. His decision win over Bellator/IFL vet Lew Polley in August at RFA 9 was the best victory of his young MMA career.

Anthony Hamilton- The 265 pound Hamilton had a great 2013 becoming the HW champ of the MFC organization. He started by submitting Will Courchaine with an armbar, then TKO'd Matt Kovacs before capping it with a brutal head kick KO of Smealinho Rama, ending the hype around the formerly undefeated HW.

Sean Strickland- The King of the Cage 185 pound champion pushed his record to 13-0 by KO'ing Bill Albrecht, taking a decision over Yusuke Sakashita then getting a TKO win over Matt Lagler.

Liam McGeary- The 6'6" Brit made a successful Bellator debut in 2013, winning all three of his bouts in the first round. He started with a TKO of Anton Talamantes, then KO'd Beau Tribolet before ending the year by submitting Mojtaba Najim Wali. Look for McGeary to be a tournament competitor next year.

Steve Cleve- Cleve ended the year with a TKO of Isaac DeJesus (10-6) in Bellator and added a submission of Rocky Johnson (20-12) and TKO of Gilbert Jimenez in 2013.

Alexander Yakovlev- The longtime M-1 veteran notched three decision wins in 2013, including the biggest win of his career over UFC veteran Paul Daley. His other wins were over Murad Abdulaev and Reinaldo da Silva.

Andy Enz- Despite losing a decision in an exhibition bout to Uriah Hall on TUF 17, and suffering a broken arm in the process, Enz had a solid 2013 fighting exclusively in his native Alaska. Enz pushed his overall record to 7-0 by submitting Thomas Ide with punches, then submitted Chris Cuff and Mike Fannon.

Jim Alers- The 145 pound prospect fought exclusively for the Cage Warriors promotion in 2013, defending his FW title. He started the year with a submission of Joni Salovaara, then won a decision over Martin Svensson before submitting longtime Scottish fighter Graham Turner.

Michinori Tanaka- The undefeated 135 pound Japanese prospect fought exclusively with the PXC promotion in 2013, defeating Caleb Vallotton via triangle, then Crisanto Pitpitunge, and Kyle Aguon via 5 round decisions to retain his PXC BW belt. With a 2012 win over recent UFC addition Russell Doane (12-3, 1-0 UFC), Tanaka (9-0) should get a UFC invite soon.

Hernani Perpetuo- The Brazilian prospect notched some quality wins in 2013, defeating Andre Santos (36-9) via decision, Sergio Souza (10-5) via TKO and Tommy Depret (10-5) via decision.

Konstantin Erokhin- The Russian HW fought exclusively in Moscow in 2013, continuing to gain momentum after losing his pro debut last year. With 3 first round finishes, Erokhin TKO'd Nikolai Danilov, then TKO'd Evgeny Erokhin before getting a quality KO win over M-1 veteran Denis Komkin.

Albert Tumenov- The Russian 170 pound prospect pushed his overall record to 12-1 with 3 first round TKO wins in 2013, stopping Viskhan Amirkhanov and Roman Mironenko with punches before TKO'ing Yasubey Enomoto via head kick and punches.

Ivan Buchinger- "Buki" had a solid 2013, fighting exclusively for Cage Warriors. He started the year by winning a decision over Jason Ball, submitted Jamal Magomedov via triangle armbar then subbed Mick Sinclair with a scarf hold. The wins earned him a LW title shot against Steven Ray at CWFC 63.

Edimilson "Kevin" Souza- The Brazilian FW made a successful UFC debut at UFN 28 with a split decision win over Felipe Arantes. His other wins were TKO over Joao Antonio de Oliveira Gois and Fabiano Nogueira.

Louis Smolka- The 5'9" 125 pound fighter will next make his UFC debut against Alp Ozkilic at UFN 35. He earned his shot by dominating in the PXC promotion, with rear naked choke wins of Alvin Cacdac and Jessie Rafols before getting a TKO of Ale Cali.

James Brum- The English prospect pushed his record to 14-2 in 2013, earning a Cage Warriors title shot against Brett Johns. Fighting all 3 times in Cage Warriors, he beat Olivier Pastor, Ruslan Abiltarov (15-4) and Marat Pekov (10-5).

Mizuki Inoue- The Japanese 115 pound women's prospect began the year with an armbar win over Seo Ye Jung, then won decisions over Bec Hyatt and Emi Fujino.

Rob Lisita- The Phuket Top Team member ended the year with a bulldog choke win of Takeshi Inoue (21-9) and also had a TKO of Rodolfo Marques Diniz (15-3) in 2013.

Yuta Nezu- The 6 year veteran of Shooto and Vale Tudo Japan had his best year as a pro, winning decisions over UFC/Pancrase vet Motonobu Tezuka (20-7) and Dream veteranAkiyo Nishiura (12-8).

Jozette Cotton- Pusing her record to 4-0, "The #1 Headbusta" had 2 TKO's to go along with a decision win over Jessica Halverson.

Seo Hee Ham- The women's 105 pound fighter began the year with an armbar win over Ryo Mizunami, then won decisions over Naho Sugiyama (9-3) and Sadae Numata (5-2).

Alexandre Passidomo- The 125 pound prospect pushed his record to 14-1 in 2013, earning a victory over Lincoln de Sa (11-4) in Shooto Brazil to close out the year.

Tatsumitsu Wada- Earning 3 wins in Deep, the 125 pound propsect ended his year with his best win, a decision over Haruo Ochi.

Tina Lahdemaki- The women's 125 pound grappler pushed her record to 5-0 with 2 subs in 2013, including a triangle over Karla Benitez (11-6).

Alexa Grasso- The 125 pound prospect out of Mexico won the XK tournament by defeating Alejandra Alvarez and Karina Rodriguez in the same night in 2013.

Szymon Bajor- The Polish HW notched 3 stoppage wins beginning with a armbar of Rafal Niedzialkowski, then a kimura over Blazej Wojcik before a TKO of Chaban Ka.

Nina Ansaroff- Winning her 5th straight overall in 2013, the women's 125 pound prospect had 3 T(KO)'s, including a KO of Munah Holland in her Invicta FC debut.

Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas- The 135 pounder fought all 3 times in the Finnish "Cage" promotion, submitting Evgeniy Odnorog (11-2), Artemij Sitenkov and Niko Gjoka.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

TUF 15 Preview

On March 9th, season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter will kick off on its new home, FX, at its new time, 9PM. The coaches, who will battle for the bantamweight title at UFC 148, are Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. The cast will feature 32 lightweights.
Dominick Cruz Pictures, Images and Photos
(Dominick Cruz throwing a kick)

The fights will occur over 13 weeks, with each fight shown live. How this will impact the editing of the show is up in the air, as it is unknown exactly what will fill in time if there is a sub 30 second KO. Hopefully, there isn't a Jay Glazer interview to kill time.
urijah faber Pictures, Images and Photos
(Urijah Faber with the FW belt)

The debut episode will be two and a half hours of live fights. The cast does have serious talent, with 9 undefeated fighters and several interesting veterans.

Here is the cast list:

Jon Tuck (6-0)- Fighting out of Guam, an island in the Pacific, Tuck is the only fighter to defeat Eduard Folayang (11-1). Has a purple belt in BJJ, with 3 TKO's and 3 submission wins.

Jordan Rinaldi (5-0)- Fighting out of North Carolina, Rinaldi notched his biggest win in a rear naked choke submission of TUF 14 runner-up Dennis Bermudez. Has four submission wins.

James Krause (15-4)- WEC/Shark Fights/Bellator veteran has victories over TUF runner-up Michael Johnson (10-6), Sean Wilson (30-17) and Ran Weathers (15-10).

Cristiano Marcello (12-3)- The lone Brazilian in the field, Marcello is a black belt under Royler Gracie having also trained under Rickson Gracie. Marcello has 9 submissions in his career, including over TUF 8's David Kaplan.

Akbarh Arreola (19-6) - California based fighter who has fought at 170 and 155, primarily in Mexico. Coming off a loss to Ronys Torres. Biggest wins over UFC vet Gabe Ruediger and Dream/M-1 vet David Gardner.

Dakota Cochrane (11-2)- Cochrane is a veteran of the Midwest MMA circuit, having notched his biggest win against former WEC champ Jamie Varner in the Titan Fighting Championship. Has beat other veterans Rod Montoya and Marcus LeVesseur (21-5).

Daron Cruickshank (10-2)- Fighting out of the MASH team in Michigan, Cruickshank is on a 4 fight win streak, including a decision over GSP training partner Mike Ricci and Brad Cardinal.

Chris Saunders (9-2)- Fighting out of California, Saunders lost a decision to Chris Horodecki in Bellator in his last bout. Prior to that fight, Saunders notched his biggest win with a KO over Cleber Luciano.

Myles Jury (9-0)- Jury was a contestant on TUF 13, however tore his ACL during a practice. The 5'10" King of the Cage fighter has fought exclusively at 170.

Sam Sicilia (10-0)- Fighting out of Team Fancy Pants, Sicilia has 5 KO wins and 4 submissions, mainly fighting .500 fighters.

Vinc Pichel (7-0)- All of Pichel's 7 wins have been via TKO/KO, with his biggest victory over Dream veteran David Gardner.

Michael Chiesa (7-0)- Fighting out of Team Fancy Pants in Washington, Chiesa has 5 submission wins on his record. Hasn't fought the best competition, with his biggest win over Darcy James (then 4-3).

Jared Carlsten (3-0)- The 6'1" Carlsten fights out of Los Angeles, with all three triangle victories. A brown belt at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, Carlsten's opponents have a combined record of 3-15.

James Vick (4-0)- Fighting out of Texas, Vick has only been a professional for 8 months. Has only fought relatively inexperienced fighters.

Justin Lawrence (3-0)- Fighting out of Missouri, "The American Kid" began his career with a decision over Max Martyniouk in Strikeforce Challengers in 2010. Notched a KO and submission to round out 2011.

Ali Maclean (9-5) - Fighting out of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Maclean has a five fight win streak. The "Insane One" has 7 submission wins and won a four man tournament in the Sprawl n Brawl: Revelation promotion. His biggest win was over TUF 9's Tommy Maguire (11-4).

Andy Ogle (8-1)- Fighting out of Tynemouth, England, Ogle currently has a seven fight win streak. Defeated Shay Walsh (then 6-0) via decision in his last bout.

Jeff Smith (9-1)- A former training partner of TUF 13 runner-up Dennis Bermudez, Smith has rattled off 9 straight wins since losing his debut.

Joe Proctor (7-1)- Fighting out of Massachusetts, Proctor is on a three fight win streak which includes victories over Matt Bessette (then 7-2) and Oz Pariser (then 4-0).

John Cofer (7-1)- Fighting out of Rory Singer's Hardcore Gym, Cofer last defeated Marius Cujba (then 7-0).

Mike Rio (8-1)- The Wolverine's only loss was to TUF 8 champion, Efrain Escudero. Has quality wins over Zach Juusola (then 8-1) and Mike Bruno (10-4).

Mark Glover (6-1)- The British fighter has a submission win over TUF 12's Aaron Wilkinson, with 5 total submissions on his record.

Jeremy Larsen (8-2)- Arizona based fighter is a veteran of the Rage in the Cage promotion. Biggest win over Victor Meza (10-3).

Chase Hackett (4-1)- The 6'1" Hackett fights out of Colorado with 3 rear naked choke wins on his resume. He won a decision over TUF 15 castmate Drew Dober.

Austin Lyons (9-1) - Fighting out of Tennessee, Lyons is on a 9 fight win streak, which includes 7 submissions. Defeated Jimmy Van Horn via arm bar at Bellator 38.

Chris Tickle (7-4) - Fighting out of Illinois, Tickle defeated longtime MMA veteran Brian Geraghty and UFC veteran Steve Berger in his last two bouts. Has a 5 fight win streak.

Drew Dober (7-3)- Dober is a Midwest fighter's biggest win is an arm triangle submission win in Bellator over Nick Nolte.

Cody Pfister (6-3)- Fighting out of Texas, Pfister has gone 5-0 in the Shark Fights promotion. In his last bout, Pfister won via TKO over Isais Martinez (then 8-3).

Al Iaquinta (5-1) - New York based fighter who has fought exclusively in the Ring of Combat organization. Lost via submission to UFC vet Pat Audinwood in last bout. 3 KO/TKO wins.

Brendan Weafer (6-3) - Fighting out of New York, NY, Weafer has 3 TKO/KO's.

Johnavan Vistante (3-1)- Hawaii based fighter has two submission wins and a TKO win on his resume.

Erin Beach (3-1)- Fighting out of San Diego, Beach notched his biggest win in Bellator over Roscoe Jackson.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Urijah Faber Reflecting on his Win

In the interview below, conducted of friend of MMA Blaster, Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV, Urijah Faber reflects on his most recent win over Eddie Wineland at UFC 128.

Faber discusses how Roy Jones has influenced his fighting style, with head movement, footwork and being fast. Urijah did not expect Wineland to want to stay in the clinch that much.

Rumor has it that Urijah Faber will coach the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter against Dominck Cruz, with the two pairing up for a title fight after the show.

Monday, November 1, 2010

WEC 52 Preview

In its second to last show, the WEC will feature Urijah Faber fighting Takeya Mizugaki. The event will air live on WEC on Thursday night from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The broadcast should start around 9 PM Eastern on Versus.

There will be more than a few guys fighting for a spot in the organization as it moves to the UFC. Depending on the contract, I expect most of the losers from the premilinary card to be shown the door.

This will be the first time to 135 pound for Faber, who has been a consistently solid draw for the promtion. Expect Faber to look for takedowns and ground and pound early and often, as he should have an advantage grappling.

Urijah Faber was truly one of the fighters who put the WEC on the map since he won the featherweight title in March of 2006 against Cole Escovedo. During a 13 fight win streak from October of 2005 to June of 2008, Faber defended the WEC belt 5 times, including over current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz. Faber has since alternated wins and losses prompting the shift to 135.
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(Urijah Faber Pictured)

Takeya Mizugaki will be looking to trade strikes early and often, with his quick and accurate kickboxing. The former Cage Force bantamweight tourney champ and Shooto rookie of the year has WEC wins over BJJ black belts Jeff Curran and Rani Yahya.
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MAIN CARD

Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Chad Mendes vs. Javier Vazquez
Erik Koch vs. Francisco Rivera
Joseph Benavidez vs. Wagnney Fabiano
Demetrious Johnson vs. Damacio Page

PRELIMINARY CARD

Raphael Assuncao vs. L.C. Davis
Edward Faaloloto vs. Anthony Njokuani
Zack Micklewright vs. Dustin Poirier
Clint Godfrey vs. Michael McDonald
Yves Jabouin vs. Brandon Visher
Mackens Semerzier vs. Cub Swanson

Friday, April 2, 2010

WEC 48 Preview

WEC 48 will be the promotions first ppv event, with the ppv being handled by Zuffa's team. Familiar voices Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg will be commentating, and the WEC fighters paychecks will be adjusted accordingly.

In the main event, hard hitting 145 pound champion Jose Aldo (16-1) will be fighting former champ Urijah Faber. Aldo won the featherweight strap by TKO'ing Mike Thomas Brown in the third round. Aldo has the universal number 1 featherweight in the world, mixing his hard hitting striking with a BJJ blackbelt.
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(Aldo throwing a trademark flying knee)

Urijah Faber (23-3) held the WEC belt for 2 years before losing to the aforementioned Mike Thomas Brown. Faber mixes a high energy style with good boxing and excellent wrestling. Faber owns WEC wins over Rafeal Assuncao, Jens Pulver, Jeff Curran, Dominick Cruz and Bibiano Fernandes.
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(Urijah Faber pictured)

In other action, rising star Benson Henderson will fight Tapout show veteran Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone for the WEC 155 pound title. The two were involved in one of the best fights in 2009 with excellent stand-up and ground work. Expect Henderson to look for the takedown early and often, with Cerrone trying to connect with his refined Muay Thai game.

PPV CARD

Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber (FW title)
Champ Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone (LW title)
Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan
Anthony Njokuani vs. Shane Roller
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen

SPIKE TV PRELIMS

Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung
Alex Karalexis vs. Anthony Pettis

UNDERCARD

Demetrious Johnson vs. Brad Pickett
Chad Mendes vs. Anthony Morrison
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Rani Yahya
Tyler Toner vs. Brandon Visher

Thursday, May 14, 2009

WEC 41 Preview

This Sunday will feature and awesome WEC card with Urijah Faber facing Mike Thomas Brown in a rematch. In the previous fight, Urijah Faber attempting a spinning back elbow, only to be punched in the jaw by Brown. With Urijah stunned, it was all Brown from that point.

The line-up looks like this:

MAIN CARD

Mike Thomas Brown vs. Urijah Faber- This is a five round fight for the featherweight title. After defeating Faber for the title, Brown (21-4, 3-0 WEC) went on to destroy Leonard Garcia. In Brown's other WEC fight, he won a decision over Jeff Curran. Brown will look to use his size and strength advantage over Faber, utilizing his reach and neutralizing Faber's takedowns.
Mike Thomas Brown Pictures, Images and Photos
(Mike Brown pictured)

Urijah Faber is the previous WEC featherweight champ, winning the belt over Cole Escovedo, and defending five times. Urijah is an explosive grappler, with good striking and a never ending gas tank. He has career victories over Jeff Curran, Jens Pulver, Chance Farrar and Bibiano Fernandes.
urijah faber Pictures, Images and Photos
(Urijah Faber pictured)

Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson
Donald Cerrone vs. James Krause
Josh Grispi vs. Jens Pulver

PRELIMINARY CARD

John Franchi vs. Manny Gamburyan
Kyle Dietz vs. Charlie Valencia
Mike Campbell vs. Anthony Pettis
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen
Frank Gomez vs. Noah Thomas
Seth Dikun vs. Rolando Perez

Sunday, January 25, 2009

WEC 38 Results

Charlie Valencia def Seth Dikun via Decision (Unanimous)
Jesse Lennox def Blas Avena via KO (Knee and Punches) R2, 0:41
Scott Jorgensen def Frank Gomez via Sub (Guillotine Choke) R1, 1:09
Dominic Cruz def Ian McCall via Decision (Unanimous)
Edgar Garcia def Hiromitsu Miura via KO (Punches) R1, 1:18
Benson Henderson def Anthony Njokuani via Sub (Guillotine) R2, 0:42
Jose Aldo def Rolando Perez via KO (Knee and Punches) R1, 4:15
Danillo Villefort def Mike Campbell via TKO (Punches) R1, 3:53
Urijah Faber def Jens Pulver via Sub (Guillotine Choke) R1, 1:34
Jamie Varner def Donald Cerrone via Technical Decision (Split) R5

Fight of the Night: Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone
Knockout of the Night: Jose Aldo
Submission of the Night: Urijah Faber

Friday, January 2, 2009

WEC 38 Preview

WEC 38 will take place this Sunday, January 25th in San Diego, California. There are 10 fights scheduled and hopefully more than four make the live Versus telecast. With no Super Bowl for another week, it will be great to watch some live MMA.

MAIN CARD

Champ Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone-
This fight is for the WEC LW Championship. Jamie Varner (15-2) is riding a four fight win streak, defeating Razor Rob McCullough for the title, defending against Marcus Hicks and beating Sherron Leggett in his first WEC fight. Varner also defeated Jason Gilliam in the UFC, last losing to Hermes Franca. Varner utilizes excellent wrestling, boxing, and superb cardio to win fights.
jaime varner Pictures, Images and Photos
(Jamie Varner pictured)

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (9-0) was initially trained as a muay thai fighter before transitioning to mma. Despite the stand-up pedigree, 8 of Cerrone's wins have come by way of submission. Varner should look out for a potential triangle choke as Cerrone has 5 on his resume. Cerrone was the focus of a Tapout show where he defeated Anthony Njokuani.
Cowboy! Pictures, Images and Photos
(Cowboy Cerrone pictured)

Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver- This is a repeat of an epic five round fight that Faber won via unanimous decision at WEC 34 defending his featherweight belt. Faber is eager to erase a loss to Mike Thomas Brown that occured at WEC 36. Faber has victories over Jeff Curran, Charlie Valencia, Chance Farrar and Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett.
Urijah Pictures, Images and Photos
(Urijah Faber pictured)

Jens Pulver (21-10) is riding a two fight losing streak, last losing via TKO to Leonard Garcia. His last victory was over Cub Swanson at WEC 31. Pulver will likely try to keep the fight standing and try to knock out Faber. The former UFC lightweight has victories over Joe Stevenson, Caol Uno, Dennis Hallman, BJ Penn, and Stephen Palling.
Jens Pulver Pictures, Images and Photos
(Jens Pulver pictured)

Other Bouts

Mike Campbell vs. Danilo Villefort
Jose Aldo vs. Rolando Perez
Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Njokuani
Edgar Garcia vs. Hiromitsu Miura
Dominick Cruz vs. Ian McCall
Frank Gomez vs. Scott Jorgensen
Blas Avena vs. Jesse Lennox
Charlie Valencia vs. Seth Dikun

Thursday, November 6, 2008

WEC Results - Champions Fall

(FW Champ) Mike Thomas Brown def Urijah Faber via TKO (Punches)- R1, 2:23- The former champ Urijah Faber lost his belt in a quick 145 pound contest. Both fighters looked to exchange from the start infront of the Florida crowd. After a couple exchanges, Brown hit Urijah with a punch to the temple. Urijah was stunned but kept fighting, trying a standing elbow. Unfortunately for Urijah, Brown countered with an uppercut that sent the former champ to the canvas. While on his knees, Urijah wasn't moving and Brown was throwing punches until the ref called it.

"I don't have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I [expletive] hit hard," Brown said. Brown took the belt as tears rolled down his face. It was the biggest win of Brown's solid mma career.

Mike Thomas Brown Pictures, Images and Photos

Chael Sonnen def Paulo Filho via Decision (Unanimous)- Filho came out to a chorus of boo's which didn't stop the entire fight. Filho looked off his came from the start. He tried to shoot in a couple times, but after unsuccessful, was gassed and didn't do much. Filho looked off to his corner and into space. Really boring fight that ended in Chael landing jabs, getting a couple takedowns and kicking Filho's legs as he sat in guard. Chael won 30-27 on all cards.

Leonard Garcia def Jens Pulver via TKO (Punches)- R1, 1:12- The third champ to lose was Jens Pulver who took some vicious strikes from Leonard Garcia. Garcia looked loose as used two quick right hands to stun Pulver. Garcia rushed and laid on the pressure to Pulver as he laid against the fence absorbing punishment until the ref called it.
Leonard Garcia Poster Pictures, Images and Photos

Jake Rosholt def Nissen Osterneck via TKO (Punches)- R2, 3:48- Rosholt is an NCAA champ, but still has much to learn in the stand-up game before he goes to the UFC. Rosholt ate punch after punch from Nissen standing, but anytime he got in trouble found a takedown. From his back, Nissen was attempting submissions, but Rosholt was just too strong. This was a back and forth match that made for my favorite of the night. After weathering more punches and getting mount in the second, Rosholt sealed the victory as the fight was called.

Aaron Simpson def David Avellan via KO (punch)- R1, 0:18- The fighters danced before Simpson threw a nasty overhand with all his body striking Avellan in the chin. Avellan was out, but Simpson threw a couple light punches before the ref stepped in. One of the nastier KO's that have been seen in some time.

Not Broadcast
Donald Cerrone def Rob McCullough via unanimous decision
Jose Aldo def Jonathan Brookings via TKO (strikes)- R3, 0:45
Carmelo Marrero def Steve Steinbess via split decision
Danny Castillo def Rafael Dias via TKO (strikes)- R2, 2:54
Rani Yayha def Yoshiro Maeda via sub (guillotine choke)- R1, 3:30

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

WEC 36

On November 5th, 2008, WEC 36 will be held in Hollywood, Fla and broadcast live on Versus. Here are the announced matches on Versus.com.

Maincard
Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown (FW Title)
Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen (MW Title)
Leonard Garcia vs. Jens Pulver
Nissen Osterneck vs. Jake Rosholt
Donald Cerrone vs. Rob McCullough

Undercard
David Avellan vs. Aaron Simpson
Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Brookins
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Rani Yayha
Steve Steinbeiss vs. TBA
Danny Castillo vs. TBA

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*Urijah Faber pic found on photobucket.com

Monday, June 2, 2008

WEC 34 Results

WEC 34 did not disappoint as it was clearly a better event than Elite XC on CBS. The title fights of Faber v. Pulver and Torres v. Maeda lived up to expectations and were exciting fights.

Urijah Faber def. Jens Pulver via unanimous decision- Faber and Pulver boxed and threw vicious combinations throughout the fast paced fight. For a five round decision, it really didn't get slow. Pulver absorbed most of the damage eating punches standing and eventually on the ground. Both Faber and Pulver had gas in their tanks for the duration of the bout, and left it all on the line. Faber took the decision (50-44 twice and 50-45).
*MMA Blaster pollsters were correct 11-4
Urijah Faber

Miguel Torres def. Yoshiro Maeda via TKO, R3, 5:00- Torres and Maeda put on quite a show for the crowd as well. Both stood and traded punches and kicks. Torres was split open on one of the first punches thrown by Maeda in the first round. The mullet wearing Torres didn't let the blood get him down. When Torres was taken down, he immediately looked for submissions and battered Maeda, who did nothing from top position. An interesting sequence that hasn't been talked about was the toe hold Maeda got. Immediately, Torres started striking Maeda from his opposite leg, and then got his own toe-hold on Maeda. A double toe-hold so to speak. At the end of the third, Maeda had taken too much punishment to his left eye, which was swollen shut and Herb Dean stopped the fight. A good stoppage at the end of the round, and Torres defends the belt.

Mark Munoz def. Chuck Grigsby via TKO (strikes)- R1, 4:15- Grigsby came out throwing his jab attempting to use his significant reach advantage. After Grigsby connected on an uppercut, Munoz decided to get the fight to the ground. After stuffing one takedown, Munoz kept at it, eventually getting the fight to the floor. With Grigsby on his back, Munoz was able to throw a leg and land a punches forcing a referee stoppage win for Munoz.

Rob McCullough def. Kenneth Alexander via split decision- This fight was basically three rounds of circling and attempted takedowns. Not much damage was done by either fighter and could have been called a draw.

Donald Cerrone def. Danny Castillo via submission (armbar)- R1, 0:30- Despite his Muay Thai background, Cerrone has really started to use his submission game to perfection. He was successful again, sinking in a nasty armbar from a triangle to seal the win. It was unclear whether Castillo had tapped at first, and it was later revealed that the submission was verbal.

Mike Thomas Brown def Jeff Curran via unanimous dec
Will Ribeiro def Chase Beebe via split dec
Tim McKenzie def Jeremy Lang via sub (Triangle Choke) R3, 0:40
Alex Serdyukov def Luis Sapo via TKO (No Answer) R1, 5:00
Jose Aldo def Alexandre Franca Nogueira via TKO (strikes) R2, 3:22
Dominic Cruz def Charlie Valencia via unanimous dec

Friday, May 16, 2008

WEC 34 Preview

WEC 34 bouts as listed on wec.tv. WEC 34 takes place in Las Vegas on June 1st.

FW (145) Championship- Urijah Faber (20-1) vs. Jens Pulver (22-8)- This should be an absolute war between two of the best at 145. Faber has rattled off 12 straight wins including 5 in the WEC. Pulver has yet to lose at 145 and is considered a legend of sport. Pulver will most likely try to keep the bout standing, and Faber will try for a takedown to ground and pound. It will be exciting.

BW (135) Championship- Miguel Torres (33-1) vs. Yoshiro Maeda (22-4)- Torres has been on fire at 135, after competing mainly at heavier weights. Torres have 14 or so wins in a row, depending on what database you look at. Torres looked fast and powerful in his recent destruction of Chase Beebe. Pancrase veteren Maeda won his only fight in the WEC with a vicious body kick to Charlie Valencia.

Mark Munoz (3-0) vs. Chuck Grigsby (15-3)- Both fighters are making their much anticipated debut's in the WEC. Grigsby at 6'6" is a powerful striker who will have a reach advantage. Look for Grigsby to try to keep the fight standing and land some heavy right hands and knees. Munoz is a decorated NCAA wrestler, and will probably go for the takedown. For a full length exclusive on Grigsby, scroll down.

Jeff Curran (31-9) vs. Mike Brown (16-4)
Rob McCullough (15-3) vs. Kenneth Alexander (5-2)
Jose Aldo (10-1) vs. Alexandre Franca Nogueira (13-4)
Danny Castillo (5-0) vs. Donald Cerrone (7-0)
Alex Serdyukov (8-4) vs. Luis Sapo (6-2)
Charlie Valencia (9-3) vs. Dominick Cruz (10-1)
Tim McKenzie (11-5) vs. Jeremy Lang (12-0)
Chase Beebe (13-1) vs. Will Ribeiro (8-1)
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*Charles "The Reverend" Grigsby

Thursday, December 13, 2007

WEC 31 Results

Results WEC 31 - MMA Blaster

Urijah Faber defeats Jeff Curran - RD 2 Guillotine Choke
Jens Pulver defeats Cub Swanson - RD 1 Anaconda Choke
Paulo Filho defeats Chael Sonnen - RD 2 Armbar
Doug Marshal defeats Ariel Gandulla - RD 1 Armbar
Brian Bowles defeats Marcos Galvao - RD 2 TKO
Charlie Valencia defeats Ian McCall - RD 1 Choke
John Alessio defeats Todd Moore - UD
Brian Baker defeats Eric Schambari - SD
Ed "9MM" Ratcliff defeats Alex Karelexis - RD 2 TKO

Overall an exciting show. Faber was probably down until he wobbled Curran and secured the choke. Pulver dominated Swanson, looks like they will be squaring off for the FW title in a couple months.

Sonnen was dominating the fight until Filho he was able to get an armbar. Sonnen was screaming and yelling as the armbar was sunk, and the ref stopped the fight. If you do that, the ref will think you are in pain. Sonnen protested and insists he was saying "no" but his argument fell on deaf ears. The stoppage was not controversial.

I told everyone to watch out for the "9MM" Eric Ratcliff, he TKO'd former TUF contestant Alex Karelexis.

John Alessio (blue trunks) vs. Todd Moore
Get more pictures like this from SHERDOG.COM
Alessio v. Moore pic from Sherdog

Sunday, November 25, 2007

WEC 31 Preview

WEC Preview by the MMA Blaster

I was actually a little sad that there was no more Ultimate Fighter until next April. That is, until I saw the card for WEC 31. The first three bouts could just as easily be on a UFC ppv, and there are an amazing seven undefeated fighters on this card. While many are prospects, it is always nice to get a glimpse at the start of something big. Here is the fight card for Wednesday's action:

Urijah Faber (19-1) v. Jeff Curran (28-8) - FW Belt
Cub Swanson (11-1) v. Jens Pulver (21-8)
Paulo Filho (15-0) v. Chael Sonnen (19-8) - MW Belt
Doug Marshal (6-2) v. Ariel Gandulla (4-0-1) - LHW Belt
Brian Bowles (3-0) v. Marcos Galvao (6-1)
Charlie Valencia (8-3) v. Ian McCall (6-0)
John Alessio (20-10) v. Todd Moore (9-0)
Brian Baker (5-0) v. Eric Schambari (7-0)
Alex Karelexis (9-2) v. Eric "8MM" Ratcliff (3-0)

Faber v. Curran- Faber has been the face of the WEC since Zuffa acquired the organization and this is his biggest fight to date. Faber has been building popularity in recent years, successfully defending his featherweight title three times in 2007. Curran is a well experienced veteren (10 years) who has fought much larger and experienced opponents in his day.

Curran has notable wins over Wagnney Fabiano (9-1), Krazy Horse Bennett (19-14), Jason Dent (15-9) and Rafael Assuncao (11-1). Faber is wins over Chance Farrar (5-1), Dominic Cruz (9-1), Joe Pearson (20-9) and Naoya Uematsu (14-7).

Swanson v. Pulver- Pulver is trying to bounce back from losses to Joe Lauzon and BJ Penn and establish him in the 145 pound class. Swanson is looking to push his way into title contention. I'm guessing the winner of this bout gets an immediate FW title shot.

Most fans seem to forget that Pulver has an extensive career with wins over Joe Stevenson (26-7), Caol Uno (22-14), Stephen Palling (11-7), Cole Escovedo (11-4), BJ Penn (11-4), Dennis Hallman (38-12) and Joe Jordan (38-12). Swanson's last two wins in the WEC came over Tommy Lee (20-6) and Micah Miller (8-1).

Filho v. Sonnen- Filho is the legit number 2 middleweight in the world. Despite his undefeated record, he has chose to stay in the WEC. He is friends with Anderson Silva and has stated that he won't fight him unless the conditions are right. I hope to see Filho use all his skills to defeat Sonnen. Then Silva v. Filho, maybe I am dreaming.

*Watch for Ed "8mm" Ratcliff on the undercard, who will use his style of Tae Kwon Do and Karate.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo of Urijah Faber found on Photobucket, used incidentally to story