Here is Robbie Lawler fighting Melvin Manhoef at Strikeforce - Miami which took place on 1/30/10 at the Bank of America Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Lawler (23-10) returns to action in a number one contenders match against Matt Brown (19-11) as the main event of UFC on Fox 12 this Saturday.
Showing posts with label Robbie Lawler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robbie Lawler. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
(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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
(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.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Video of the Day - Amagov v. Lawler
Here is Robbie Lawler fighting Adlan Amagov in Strikeforce which took place on 1/7/12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lawler returns to the cage at UFC on Fox 8 against Siyar Bahadurzada. In his return fight to the UFC, Lawler KO'd Josh Koscheck. Meanwhile, Amagov defeated Chris Spang via decision in his UFC debut.
Lawler returns to the cage at UFC on Fox 8 against Siyar Bahadurzada. In his return fight to the UFC, Lawler KO'd Josh Koscheck. Meanwhile, Amagov defeated Chris Spang via decision in his UFC debut.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Mikey Rukus - Sounding Off
As a fighter approaches the cage or ring a key component in getting them into a frame of mind to fight is their entrance music. Musician Mikey Rukus, an avid MMA fan, is on the forefront, crafting unique custom introductions for fighters. I had a chance to catch up with Mikey, here is the interview:
MMA Blaster: What exactly can you do for an MMA fighter?
Mikey Rukus: I create custom entrance themes for fighters, much like the WWE Superstars who come out to their own music. I can perform all styles, including rock, hip hop, heavy metal, orchestral, electronic, punk. I specialize in the dramatics and high energy.
MMA Blaster: What fighters have you wrote songs for?
Mikey Rukus: The most notable introduction song I've done was for Robbie Lawler. I have several UFC fighters that want music, but the UFC will not allow custom music in the organization. My business has really picked up with MMA companies.
MMA Blaster: Where is your home base?
Mikey Rukus: I'm based in Richmond, Virginia. I have done work for The 10th Legion and Extreme Brawl MMA promotions in the United Kingdom. I perform live as well as a solo artist with a full back up band. I can go anywhere.
MMA Blaster: What is the creative process you go through?
Mikey Rukus: If a client approaches me for music, I gather all of their information, find exactly what they are looking for, then create three samples based on that information. The client chooses the sample that they feel best represents their brand. I specialize in brand identity. The key is when I create a song for a client, they retain all copyrights.
I can use any catch phrases or motto's they want people to hear within the lyrics. I can sing and/or rap with any style: rock, hip hop, heavy metal, orchestral, punk, or electronic. Everything is completely original. I create all music involved in the process. There are no stock beats, everything is from scratch for every client.
MMA Blaster: How did you get started in the music business?
Mikey Rukus: My older sister snuck me out to see Metallica when I was thirteen. After seeing that show I knew what I needed to do and taught myself to play guitar, bass then drums, then started using sequencers and small hard disc recorders to do small stuff.
I've been playing music for nearly twenty years, having done everything from rapping on underground mix tapes to scoring indie horror films. My writing has always been adrenaline charged, high energy and dramatic, and my love for MMA has always been there, it just felt right to go after.
MMA Blaster: What do you do to get ready for a live show?
Mikey Rukus: Just prepare. Practice wise, I've learned to turn the switch on and go from Mike Rivera to Mikey Rukus rather quickly. I have the tendency to drive my wife crazy in the day leading up to a show, but I don't see it though, haha.
MMA Blaster: What exactly can you do for an MMA fighter?
Mikey Rukus: I create custom entrance themes for fighters, much like the WWE Superstars who come out to their own music. I can perform all styles, including rock, hip hop, heavy metal, orchestral, electronic, punk. I specialize in the dramatics and high energy.
MMA Blaster: What fighters have you wrote songs for?
Mikey Rukus: The most notable introduction song I've done was for Robbie Lawler. I have several UFC fighters that want music, but the UFC will not allow custom music in the organization. My business has really picked up with MMA companies.
MMA Blaster: Where is your home base?
Mikey Rukus: I'm based in Richmond, Virginia. I have done work for The 10th Legion and Extreme Brawl MMA promotions in the United Kingdom. I perform live as well as a solo artist with a full back up band. I can go anywhere.
MMA Blaster: What is the creative process you go through?
Mikey Rukus: If a client approaches me for music, I gather all of their information, find exactly what they are looking for, then create three samples based on that information. The client chooses the sample that they feel best represents their brand. I specialize in brand identity. The key is when I create a song for a client, they retain all copyrights.
I can use any catch phrases or motto's they want people to hear within the lyrics. I can sing and/or rap with any style: rock, hip hop, heavy metal, orchestral, punk, or electronic. Everything is completely original. I create all music involved in the process. There are no stock beats, everything is from scratch for every client.
MMA Blaster: How did you get started in the music business?
Mikey Rukus: My older sister snuck me out to see Metallica when I was thirteen. After seeing that show I knew what I needed to do and taught myself to play guitar, bass then drums, then started using sequencers and small hard disc recorders to do small stuff.
I've been playing music for nearly twenty years, having done everything from rapping on underground mix tapes to scoring indie horror films. My writing has always been adrenaline charged, high energy and dramatic, and my love for MMA has always been there, it just felt right to go after.
MMA Blaster: What do you do to get ready for a live show?
Mikey Rukus: Just prepare. Practice wise, I've learned to turn the switch on and go from Mike Rivera to Mikey Rukus rather quickly. I have the tendency to drive my wife crazy in the day leading up to a show, but I don't see it though, haha.
MMA Blaster: Who are your favorite fighters right now?
Mikey Rukus: I have several, I like watching Jon Jones and BJ Penn. Ovince St. Preux is set to have a breakout year. I would like to see more of Alistair Overeem in the states, which I know with the upcoming tournament in Strikeforce will be great. In the lightweight division, I'd have to say Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida just because of the high energy. In the welterweight division, I gotta go with Georges St. Pierre. I love to watch Cyborg Santos in the women's division.
Mikey Rukus music can be found here: www.soundclick.com/mikerivera.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
MMA Blaster 2010 Awards
Thanks so much for those who emailed in their nominations for for the annual MMA Blaster year end awards. 2010 saw some insane action in all major promotions. It saw a legend get defeated, new stars emerge, the judges completely blow some fights and competitors constantly changing the landscape of the fight game.
Male Fighter of the Year Zuffa (UFC/WEC)- Anthony Pettis went 4-0 in 2010 with four jaw dropping performances. Pettis started the year by delivering a nasty head kick to Danny Castillo. In his second bout, he submitted Alex Karelexis with a triangle choke. To get his title shot, Pettis fought Shane Roller in an absolute barn burner, securing a triangle with only 9 seconds left in the 3rd. In his year end finale, Pettis went toe to toe with Ben Henderson for 5 rounds of action in the fight of the year, delivering the super kick heard round the world.
Runners Up- Dominick Cruz went 3-0, defeating Brian Bowles via TKO for the 135 pound title, then defended twice with decision wins over Joe Benavidez and Scott Jorgenson. Cain Velasquez scored two big time KO's over Antonio Nogueira and Brock Lesnar to get the HW title. Jose Aldo defended his 145 pound title twice against Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan. Anderson Silva defended the belt twice, with a slick comeback submission win over Chael Sonnen.
Male Fighter of the Year Outside Zuffa- Hatsu Hioki went 3-0 in Sengoku and Shooto taking the Sengoku Featherweight Championship with a dominant performance over Marlon Sandro. Hioki will likely see matches in Shooto and Sengoku in 2011. Many fans are hoping he finds his way into the UFC's 145 pound division, but that might be a long shot.
Runners Up- Hector Lombard went 5-0 in 2010 culminating with a unanimous decision win over Alexander Schmelko for the 185 pound Bellator title. Rafeal Calvancante won 2 including a TKO over Mo Lawal to take the Strikeforce 205 pound title. Joe Warren went 4-0 to take the Bellator 145 pound tournament and title. Nick Diaz went 3-0 with wins over KJ Noons, Hayoto Sakurai and Marius Zaromskis.
Female Fighter of the Year- Zoila Frausto punched her ticket to the Bellator Women's tournament with a big time knee KO of Rosi Sexton at Bellator 23. The Warrior Princess won the inagural tournament with solid striking in wins over Jessica Pene, Jessica Aguilar and women's MMA legend Megumi Fujii.
Runners Up- Meisha Tate went 4-0 in 2010 scoring two wins in one night at Strikeforce's 135 pound tourney. Cris "Cyborg" Santos notched a KO of Jen Finney and TKO of Marloes Coenen in 2010.
Fight of the Year- Anthony Pettis wins a unanimous decision over Ben Henderson in a bout that was non-stop action. Top notch striking and grappling were displayed, with each fighter getting the others back. With the fight close near the end, Pettis launched off the fence doing his best impersonation of a ninja, smacking Henderson in the face, sealing the win.
Runners Up- Jorge Santiago and Kazuo Misaki battle for the MW Sengoku title at SRC 14, with Santiago notching a TKO in the 5th round. Chris Leben scored an amazing 3rd round triangle to dash Yoshihiro Akiyama's lead on the scorecards at UFC 116. Anthony Pettis throws out all the stops with innovative tactics and slick triangle against Shane Roller WEC 50. Brock Lesnar came back from the brink of defeat to secure an arm triangle submission in the second round of the HW title fight at UFC 116. Chan Sung Jung and Leonard Garcia might not have had much technique, but let it all go in an epic slugfest at WEC 48.
Submission of the Year- Fabricio Werdum shocks the MMA world by tapping MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko with a triangle choke victory in the first round. Werdum was hit by a fairly decent shot and tumbled to the canvas, soon after Fedor pounced, he was baited into a triangle/armbar combo.
Runners Up- Anderson Silva comes from behind to submit trash talking Chael Sonnen with a triangle in the 5th round of their title fight. Nick Pace using a Pillory Choke/Modified Triangle to submit Will Campuzano at the TUF 12 Finale. Dan Hornbuckle's nasty kimura on Steve Carl at Bellator 14. Up and coming Brazilian Charles Oliveira's standing rear naked choke on Efrain Escudero at UFC fight night 22. Mark Bocek's triangle over Dustin Hazelett at UFC 124. Marloes Coenen's armbar over undefeated Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II to take the women's 135 pound title. Cole Miller's modified kimura over Dan Lauzon at UFC 108. Scott Jorgensen guillotines Chad George against the fence at WEC 47. Shinya Aoki's win in the battle of leg locks with an achilles lock submission over Tatsuya Kawajiri.
KO of the Year - Kick/Knee/Slam- Gerald Harris slams David Branch into oblivion at UFC 116. With Harris up two rounds in the scorecards, David Branch made the mistake of pulling guard. Harris used the opportunity channel his inner hulk and power slam Branch, knocking him out cold.
Runners Up- Zoila Frausto's big time knee KO over Rosi Sexton at Bellator 23. George Roop destroys Chang Sung Jung with a head kick at WEC 53. Eddie Wineland does his best Rampage Jackson impression in a wicked slam of Ken Stone at WEC 53. Pablo Garza lands a monster flying knee against Fredson Paixo at UFC's TUF 12 Finale. Sarah Kaufman KO'd Roxanne Modafferi via slam at Strikeforce Challengers 9 for the women's 135 pound title.
KO of the Year - Hands/Elbow- Robbie Lawler who on the brink of defeat crushed Melvin Manhoef in Strikeforce - Miami. Lawler was eating leg kicks throughout the fight, with the kicks from the K-1 veteran Manhoef sending Lawler's lead leg high into the air. Looking to throw another kick, Lawler landed a punch on the button knocking Manhoef unconscious.
Runners Up- Carlos Condit flattened Dan Hardy at UFC 120 with a big time punch as each fighter is throwing hands. Mike Russow took a beating for two rounds before throwing a punch that lands clean, knocking hyped prospect Todd Duffee out. Shogun Rua crushed the undefeated Lyoto Machida in the first round of UFC 113 to take the 205 pound title. Marlon Sandro lands big punches and sends Masanori Kanehara to the mat face first at Sengoku 13. Maciej Jewtuszko TKOs Anthony Njokuani at WEC 50 with a spinning backfist. Paul Daley sends Scott Smith to the canvas face first in Strikeforce. Takanori Gomi scores a big KO over Tyson Griffin at UFC Live on Versus 2.
Top Up and Coming Prospect Zuffa- Phil Davis went 4-0 in 2010 with 2 submissions against Tim Boetsch and Alexander Gustafsson. The former NCAA champion will look to take a big step up in competition during his 2011 run in the 205 pound division. Phil's submission game and athleticism should carry him a long way in his journey in the UFC's 205 pound division.
Runners Up- Edson Mendes Barboza Jr. went 4-0 with 4 T/KO's in 2010 with a successful UFC debut against Mike Lullo, rocking him with an assortment of stinging leg kicks.
Top Up and Coming Prospect Outside Zuffa- United States Olympic wrestling captain Daniel Cormier has made a successful transition to MMA, going 5-0 with 3 submissions and 2 TKO wins. Cormier took the King of the Cage and XMMA heavyweight belts in addition to 2 wins in Strikeforce. His submission via punches win over slugger Soa Palelei was a big feather in his cap.
Runners Up- Cole Konrad went 7-0 in 2010 scoring a keylock submission win over Neil Grove to win the Bellator heavyweight tournament.
Comeback Fighter of the Year- Chris Lytle went 3-0 in the UFC, submitting Mike Brown and Brian Foster while avenging a loss to Matt Serra. Lytle has worked himself up the UFC ladder with gutsy performances that are always entertaining.
Runners Up- Michihiro Omigawa went 3-0 with wins over Micah Miller and Cole Escovedo earning a ticket to the UFC. Omigawa's striking has continued to improve greatly since his first stint in the UFC. Chris Leben went 3-0 in 2010 with big wins over Yoshihiro Akiyama, Aaron Simpson and Jay Silva, before losing a stunner to Brian Stann on January 1st.
Male Fighter of the Year Zuffa (UFC/WEC)- Anthony Pettis went 4-0 in 2010 with four jaw dropping performances. Pettis started the year by delivering a nasty head kick to Danny Castillo. In his second bout, he submitted Alex Karelexis with a triangle choke. To get his title shot, Pettis fought Shane Roller in an absolute barn burner, securing a triangle with only 9 seconds left in the 3rd. In his year end finale, Pettis went toe to toe with Ben Henderson for 5 rounds of action in the fight of the year, delivering the super kick heard round the world.
Runners Up- Dominick Cruz went 3-0, defeating Brian Bowles via TKO for the 135 pound title, then defended twice with decision wins over Joe Benavidez and Scott Jorgenson. Cain Velasquez scored two big time KO's over Antonio Nogueira and Brock Lesnar to get the HW title. Jose Aldo defended his 145 pound title twice against Urijah Faber and Manny Gamburyan. Anderson Silva defended the belt twice, with a slick comeback submission win over Chael Sonnen.
Male Fighter of the Year Outside Zuffa- Hatsu Hioki went 3-0 in Sengoku and Shooto taking the Sengoku Featherweight Championship with a dominant performance over Marlon Sandro. Hioki will likely see matches in Shooto and Sengoku in 2011. Many fans are hoping he finds his way into the UFC's 145 pound division, but that might be a long shot.
Runners Up- Hector Lombard went 5-0 in 2010 culminating with a unanimous decision win over Alexander Schmelko for the 185 pound Bellator title. Rafeal Calvancante won 2 including a TKO over Mo Lawal to take the Strikeforce 205 pound title. Joe Warren went 4-0 to take the Bellator 145 pound tournament and title. Nick Diaz went 3-0 with wins over KJ Noons, Hayoto Sakurai and Marius Zaromskis.
Female Fighter of the Year- Zoila Frausto punched her ticket to the Bellator Women's tournament with a big time knee KO of Rosi Sexton at Bellator 23. The Warrior Princess won the inagural tournament with solid striking in wins over Jessica Pene, Jessica Aguilar and women's MMA legend Megumi Fujii.
Runners Up- Meisha Tate went 4-0 in 2010 scoring two wins in one night at Strikeforce's 135 pound tourney. Cris "Cyborg" Santos notched a KO of Jen Finney and TKO of Marloes Coenen in 2010.
Fight of the Year- Anthony Pettis wins a unanimous decision over Ben Henderson in a bout that was non-stop action. Top notch striking and grappling were displayed, with each fighter getting the others back. With the fight close near the end, Pettis launched off the fence doing his best impersonation of a ninja, smacking Henderson in the face, sealing the win.
Runners Up- Jorge Santiago and Kazuo Misaki battle for the MW Sengoku title at SRC 14, with Santiago notching a TKO in the 5th round. Chris Leben scored an amazing 3rd round triangle to dash Yoshihiro Akiyama's lead on the scorecards at UFC 116. Anthony Pettis throws out all the stops with innovative tactics and slick triangle against Shane Roller WEC 50. Brock Lesnar came back from the brink of defeat to secure an arm triangle submission in the second round of the HW title fight at UFC 116. Chan Sung Jung and Leonard Garcia might not have had much technique, but let it all go in an epic slugfest at WEC 48.
Submission of the Year- Fabricio Werdum shocks the MMA world by tapping MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko with a triangle choke victory in the first round. Werdum was hit by a fairly decent shot and tumbled to the canvas, soon after Fedor pounced, he was baited into a triangle/armbar combo.
Runners Up- Anderson Silva comes from behind to submit trash talking Chael Sonnen with a triangle in the 5th round of their title fight. Nick Pace using a Pillory Choke/Modified Triangle to submit Will Campuzano at the TUF 12 Finale. Dan Hornbuckle's nasty kimura on Steve Carl at Bellator 14. Up and coming Brazilian Charles Oliveira's standing rear naked choke on Efrain Escudero at UFC fight night 22. Mark Bocek's triangle over Dustin Hazelett at UFC 124. Marloes Coenen's armbar over undefeated Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II to take the women's 135 pound title. Cole Miller's modified kimura over Dan Lauzon at UFC 108. Scott Jorgensen guillotines Chad George against the fence at WEC 47. Shinya Aoki's win in the battle of leg locks with an achilles lock submission over Tatsuya Kawajiri.
KO of the Year - Kick/Knee/Slam- Gerald Harris slams David Branch into oblivion at UFC 116. With Harris up two rounds in the scorecards, David Branch made the mistake of pulling guard. Harris used the opportunity channel his inner hulk and power slam Branch, knocking him out cold.
Runners Up- Zoila Frausto's big time knee KO over Rosi Sexton at Bellator 23. George Roop destroys Chang Sung Jung with a head kick at WEC 53. Eddie Wineland does his best Rampage Jackson impression in a wicked slam of Ken Stone at WEC 53. Pablo Garza lands a monster flying knee against Fredson Paixo at UFC's TUF 12 Finale. Sarah Kaufman KO'd Roxanne Modafferi via slam at Strikeforce Challengers 9 for the women's 135 pound title.
KO of the Year - Hands/Elbow- Robbie Lawler who on the brink of defeat crushed Melvin Manhoef in Strikeforce - Miami. Lawler was eating leg kicks throughout the fight, with the kicks from the K-1 veteran Manhoef sending Lawler's lead leg high into the air. Looking to throw another kick, Lawler landed a punch on the button knocking Manhoef unconscious.
Runners Up- Carlos Condit flattened Dan Hardy at UFC 120 with a big time punch as each fighter is throwing hands. Mike Russow took a beating for two rounds before throwing a punch that lands clean, knocking hyped prospect Todd Duffee out. Shogun Rua crushed the undefeated Lyoto Machida in the first round of UFC 113 to take the 205 pound title. Marlon Sandro lands big punches and sends Masanori Kanehara to the mat face first at Sengoku 13. Maciej Jewtuszko TKOs Anthony Njokuani at WEC 50 with a spinning backfist. Paul Daley sends Scott Smith to the canvas face first in Strikeforce. Takanori Gomi scores a big KO over Tyson Griffin at UFC Live on Versus 2.
Top Up and Coming Prospect Zuffa- Phil Davis went 4-0 in 2010 with 2 submissions against Tim Boetsch and Alexander Gustafsson. The former NCAA champion will look to take a big step up in competition during his 2011 run in the 205 pound division. Phil's submission game and athleticism should carry him a long way in his journey in the UFC's 205 pound division.
Runners Up- Edson Mendes Barboza Jr. went 4-0 with 4 T/KO's in 2010 with a successful UFC debut against Mike Lullo, rocking him with an assortment of stinging leg kicks.
Top Up and Coming Prospect Outside Zuffa- United States Olympic wrestling captain Daniel Cormier has made a successful transition to MMA, going 5-0 with 3 submissions and 2 TKO wins. Cormier took the King of the Cage and XMMA heavyweight belts in addition to 2 wins in Strikeforce. His submission via punches win over slugger Soa Palelei was a big feather in his cap.
Runners Up- Cole Konrad went 7-0 in 2010 scoring a keylock submission win over Neil Grove to win the Bellator heavyweight tournament.
Comeback Fighter of the Year- Chris Lytle went 3-0 in the UFC, submitting Mike Brown and Brian Foster while avenging a loss to Matt Serra. Lytle has worked himself up the UFC ladder with gutsy performances that are always entertaining.
Runners Up- Michihiro Omigawa went 3-0 with wins over Micah Miller and Cole Escovedo earning a ticket to the UFC. Omigawa's striking has continued to improve greatly since his first stint in the UFC. Chris Leben went 3-0 in 2010 with big wins over Yoshihiro Akiyama, Aaron Simpson and Jay Silva, before losing a stunner to Brian Stann on January 1st.
Video of the Day - Lawler v. Vitale 2
Here is Robbie Lawler fighting Niko Vitale at Icon Sport: Lawler v. Niko 2 which took place on 2/25/06. Lawler recently scored a huge comeback KO over Melvin Manhoef in Strikeforce.
Lawler next fights Jacare in Strikeforce for the MW title.
Lawler next fights Jacare in Strikeforce for the MW title.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Strikeforce Miami Review
Strikeforce Miami was a great card of stunning comebacks, KO's and fights. Former football player Herschel Walker made a successful mixed martial arts debut, looking jacked up for the fight. However, American brawler Robbie Lawler and the Dutch powerhouse kickboxer Melvin Manhoef were to highlight of the card.
Starting off the night was a bout against talented wrestler Bobby Lashley fighting UFC veteran Wes Sims. After numerous opponents fell through, Wes Sims picked up the fight on less than 10 days notice. The fight ended predictibly, as Lashley was able to get around Wes Sims' ninja moves and pro wrestling "test of strength request" for a takedown. From there, a barrage of ground and pound ended Sims night at 2:06 in the first round.
Robbie Lawler pulled off the biggest come from behind win of the young 2010 MMA season in a stunning punch heard round the world. Melvin Manhoef came out like a wild animal, smashing Lawler's legs with devastating leg kicks that whipped around like a baseball bat.
As Manhoef began to land some combinations and punches, it looked as if Lawler's night was about to be over. Then after Manhoef again whacked Lawler's leg, Lawler came back with a right hand with tremendous power that floored Manhoef. Lawler laid down one more punch before the ref intervened.
Herschel Walker came into his MMA debut against Greg Nagy (1-1) with 6+ months of real MMA training at American Kickboxing Academy, but looked in great shape. Walker won the fight by getting Nagy to the ground and pounding him out. While Walker's footwork and striking looked like a guy making his debut, he showed great heart and conditioning. It is unclear whether Walker will fight again as he said it was up to his trainers.
(Herschel Walker pictured)
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos retained her women's 145 pound belt in a dominating TKO of Marloes Coenen. While Coenen was tough and tried every trick in the book, she lacked the strength to get Cyborg to the ground. While on the ground, Coenen had to work off her back, going for arm-bar attempts.
yborg was able to get the better of the action standing throughout the bout, though Coenen snuck in a couple nice shots landing one to Cyborg's jaw. In the third round, Coenen was hit with too much punishment while grounded and the ref called the fight. Expect Cyborg to fight Erin Toughill next. We could see Coenen go to a 135 pound tournament.
(Cris Cyborg pictured)
Nick Diaz sucessfully won Strikeforce's WW belt as he TKO'd the red hot Marius Zaromskis. Zaromskis came out a little wild looking to hurt Diaz with a big kick. But, Diaz simply used his reach and counter-punched Zaromskis, wobbling him, then locking up a clinch.
Diaz next battered Zaromskis' right legs with knees while pressed up against the fence. After the seperated, Diaz was able to land an uppercut then a short left to put Zaromskis on his back. Shortly thereafter the bout was called and Diaz was awarded the 170 pound belt.
(Nick Diaz pictured)
FULL RESULTS
Nick Diaz def Marius Zaromskis via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:38
Cris "Cyborg" Santos def. Marloes Coenen via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:40
Herschel Walker def Greg Nagy via TKO (strikes) R3, 2:17
Robbie Lawler def Melvin Manhoef via KO (punch) R1, 3:33
Bobby Lashley def Wes Sims via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:06
PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
Jay Hieron def Joe Riggs via unanimous dec
Joe Ray def John Clarke via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:14
David Gomez def Craig Oxley via unanimous dec
Pablo Alfonso def Marcos DaMatta via sub (armbar) R1, 1:47
Hayder Hassan def Ryan Keenan via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:42
John Kelly def Sabah Homasi via sub (RNC) R1, 2:48
Micahel Byrnes def David Zitnik via majority dec
Starting off the night was a bout against talented wrestler Bobby Lashley fighting UFC veteran Wes Sims. After numerous opponents fell through, Wes Sims picked up the fight on less than 10 days notice. The fight ended predictibly, as Lashley was able to get around Wes Sims' ninja moves and pro wrestling "test of strength request" for a takedown. From there, a barrage of ground and pound ended Sims night at 2:06 in the first round.
Robbie Lawler pulled off the biggest come from behind win of the young 2010 MMA season in a stunning punch heard round the world. Melvin Manhoef came out like a wild animal, smashing Lawler's legs with devastating leg kicks that whipped around like a baseball bat.
As Manhoef began to land some combinations and punches, it looked as if Lawler's night was about to be over. Then after Manhoef again whacked Lawler's leg, Lawler came back with a right hand with tremendous power that floored Manhoef. Lawler laid down one more punch before the ref intervened.
Herschel Walker came into his MMA debut against Greg Nagy (1-1) with 6+ months of real MMA training at American Kickboxing Academy, but looked in great shape. Walker won the fight by getting Nagy to the ground and pounding him out. While Walker's footwork and striking looked like a guy making his debut, he showed great heart and conditioning. It is unclear whether Walker will fight again as he said it was up to his trainers.
(Herschel Walker pictured)
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos retained her women's 145 pound belt in a dominating TKO of Marloes Coenen. While Coenen was tough and tried every trick in the book, she lacked the strength to get Cyborg to the ground. While on the ground, Coenen had to work off her back, going for arm-bar attempts.
yborg was able to get the better of the action standing throughout the bout, though Coenen snuck in a couple nice shots landing one to Cyborg's jaw. In the third round, Coenen was hit with too much punishment while grounded and the ref called the fight. Expect Cyborg to fight Erin Toughill next. We could see Coenen go to a 135 pound tournament.
(Cris Cyborg pictured)
Nick Diaz sucessfully won Strikeforce's WW belt as he TKO'd the red hot Marius Zaromskis. Zaromskis came out a little wild looking to hurt Diaz with a big kick. But, Diaz simply used his reach and counter-punched Zaromskis, wobbling him, then locking up a clinch.
Diaz next battered Zaromskis' right legs with knees while pressed up against the fence. After the seperated, Diaz was able to land an uppercut then a short left to put Zaromskis on his back. Shortly thereafter the bout was called and Diaz was awarded the 170 pound belt.
(Nick Diaz pictured)
FULL RESULTS
Nick Diaz def Marius Zaromskis via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:38
Cris "Cyborg" Santos def. Marloes Coenen via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:40
Herschel Walker def Greg Nagy via TKO (strikes) R3, 2:17
Robbie Lawler def Melvin Manhoef via KO (punch) R1, 3:33
Bobby Lashley def Wes Sims via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:06
PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
Jay Hieron def Joe Riggs via unanimous dec
Joe Ray def John Clarke via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:14
David Gomez def Craig Oxley via unanimous dec
Pablo Alfonso def Marcos DaMatta via sub (armbar) R1, 1:47
Hayder Hassan def Ryan Keenan via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:42
John Kelly def Sabah Homasi via sub (RNC) R1, 2:48
Micahel Byrnes def David Zitnik via majority dec
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Strikeforce Preview
Showtime will have Strikeforce: Miami live on this Saturday, January 31, 2010. The fights take place at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis- This fight is for the Strikeforce 170 pound title. The brawl places the Stockton California bad boy Nick Diaz (20-7) against Dream 170 pound champ Marius Zaromskis (13-3). Expect Diaz to engage Zaromskis strength, engaging the Zaromskis standing, even though his best strategy would be getting the fight to the ground.
Nick Diaz has been on a roll since he abandonded Elite XC's 160 pound division. The fighter has always been better at 170 and above with his unorthodox stand-up. Diaz has defeated Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, Frank Shamrock and Josh Neer in his career. The BJJ black belt will have a distinct grappling advantage over Zaromskis.
(Nick Diaz gogoplata win over Takanori Gomi)
Marius Zaromskis has been on a tremendous roll as of late KO'ing his last three opponents via head kick. To take the Dream WW Grand Prix title, he defeated Seichi Ikemoto before using the head kick to take out Mach Sakarai and Jason High in the same night.
(Marius Zaromskis pictured)
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marloes Coenen- This fight will be for the women's 145 pound championship. Cyborg Santos is a beast with her punching and kicking power. Coenen is a decent striker in her own right, but her main advantage is her submission skills.
After losing her first bout, the Brazilian Cyborg (8-1) has won 8 straight, including 6 TKO's and 2 decisions. To win the 145 pound belt, she destroyed America's MMA sweetheart Gina Carano in brutal fashion. Cyborg also has victories over Shayna Baszler, Hitomi Akano and Vanessa Porto. Cyborg has been nearly impossible to take down during that stretch.
(Cyborg Santos pictured)
Marloes Coenen (17-3) is Holland's premier female fighter with 10 years experience, winning 12 of her fights via submission. In her last fight, Coenen flashed her stand-up skills knocking down Roxanne Modafferi before latching on the fight ending arm-bar. Coenen has wins over Yoko Takahashi, Yuuki Kondo and Megumi Yabushita while fighting primarily in Japan.
(Marloes Coenen pictured)
Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef- This fight should be an slugfest with two of the better brawlers in MMA. Melvin Manhoef (24-6) is an awesome K-1 kickboxer, knocking out Kazou Misaki in his last bout in K-1: Dynamite. Manhoef also has KO's over Mark Hunt, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Fabio Silva.
(Melvin Manhoef pictured)
Robbie Lawler (16-5) is a solid brawler in his own right with KO's over Scott Smith, Joey Villasenor, Frank Trigg and Ninja Rua. The bane of each fighter has been the ground game. Lawler may resort to attempting takedowns to get the fight to the ground.
(Robbie Lawler pictured)
Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims- This fight pits rising wrestler Bobby Lashley (5-0) against super tall UFC veteran Wes Sims. Lashley will probably get a quick takedown before administering punishment on the TUF 10 conestent. Wes Sims did not look good at weigh-ins taking the fight on 10 days notice.
Greg Nagy vs. Herschel Walker- This fight pits 47 year old 6th degree Tae Kwon Do blackbelt and former football superstar Hershel Walker (0-0) against the relative unknown Greg Nagy (1-1). Herschel looked absolutley jacked at weigh-ins.
EA SPORTS ONLINE FIGHT
Jay Hieron vs. Joe Riggs
UNDERCARD
Pablo Alfonso vs. Marcos da Matta
Michael Byrnes vs. David Zitnik
Sabah Homasi vs. John Kelly
David Gomez vs. Craig Oxley
Hayder Hassan vs. Ryan Keenan
Nick Diaz vs. Marius Zaromskis- This fight is for the Strikeforce 170 pound title. The brawl places the Stockton California bad boy Nick Diaz (20-7) against Dream 170 pound champ Marius Zaromskis (13-3). Expect Diaz to engage Zaromskis strength, engaging the Zaromskis standing, even though his best strategy would be getting the fight to the ground.
Nick Diaz has been on a roll since he abandonded Elite XC's 160 pound division. The fighter has always been better at 170 and above with his unorthodox stand-up. Diaz has defeated Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler, Frank Shamrock and Josh Neer in his career. The BJJ black belt will have a distinct grappling advantage over Zaromskis.
(Nick Diaz gogoplata win over Takanori Gomi)
Marius Zaromskis has been on a tremendous roll as of late KO'ing his last three opponents via head kick. To take the Dream WW Grand Prix title, he defeated Seichi Ikemoto before using the head kick to take out Mach Sakarai and Jason High in the same night.
(Marius Zaromskis pictured)
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Marloes Coenen- This fight will be for the women's 145 pound championship. Cyborg Santos is a beast with her punching and kicking power. Coenen is a decent striker in her own right, but her main advantage is her submission skills.
After losing her first bout, the Brazilian Cyborg (8-1) has won 8 straight, including 6 TKO's and 2 decisions. To win the 145 pound belt, she destroyed America's MMA sweetheart Gina Carano in brutal fashion. Cyborg also has victories over Shayna Baszler, Hitomi Akano and Vanessa Porto. Cyborg has been nearly impossible to take down during that stretch.
(Cyborg Santos pictured)
Marloes Coenen (17-3) is Holland's premier female fighter with 10 years experience, winning 12 of her fights via submission. In her last fight, Coenen flashed her stand-up skills knocking down Roxanne Modafferi before latching on the fight ending arm-bar. Coenen has wins over Yoko Takahashi, Yuuki Kondo and Megumi Yabushita while fighting primarily in Japan.
(Marloes Coenen pictured)
Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef- This fight should be an slugfest with two of the better brawlers in MMA. Melvin Manhoef (24-6) is an awesome K-1 kickboxer, knocking out Kazou Misaki in his last bout in K-1: Dynamite. Manhoef also has KO's over Mark Hunt, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Fabio Silva.
(Melvin Manhoef pictured)
Robbie Lawler (16-5) is a solid brawler in his own right with KO's over Scott Smith, Joey Villasenor, Frank Trigg and Ninja Rua. The bane of each fighter has been the ground game. Lawler may resort to attempting takedowns to get the fight to the ground.
(Robbie Lawler pictured)
Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims- This fight pits rising wrestler Bobby Lashley (5-0) against super tall UFC veteran Wes Sims. Lashley will probably get a quick takedown before administering punishment on the TUF 10 conestent. Wes Sims did not look good at weigh-ins taking the fight on 10 days notice.
Greg Nagy vs. Herschel Walker- This fight pits 47 year old 6th degree Tae Kwon Do blackbelt and former football superstar Hershel Walker (0-0) against the relative unknown Greg Nagy (1-1). Herschel looked absolutley jacked at weigh-ins.
EA SPORTS ONLINE FIGHT
Jay Hieron vs. Joe Riggs
UNDERCARD
Pablo Alfonso vs. Marcos da Matta
Michael Byrnes vs. David Zitnik
Sabah Homasi vs. John Kelly
David Gomez vs. Craig Oxley
Hayder Hassan vs. Ryan Keenan
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Strikeforce Saturday!
Strikeforce's big time debut on Showtime will be this Saturday night featuring a headliner bout of WW Champ Jake Shields v. MW Champ Robbie Lawler. The main card fights look very solid, while the undercard has three big names in Cavalcante, Kyle and Woodley. Here is the line-up:
Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields- This match will feature two very contrasting styles. 170 pound BJJ blackbelt Jake Shields is an accomplished grappler that will look to get the fight to the ground as soon as possible. Lawler will try KO Shields on his feet while defending the takedown.
Elite XC WW champ Jake Shields (22-4) has been on a serious roll with an 11 fight win streak. Jake has victories over Yushin Okami, Paul Daley, Nick Thompson, Carlos Condit and Dave Menne in his career.
(Jake Shields pictured)
Elite XC's MW Champ Robbie Lawler (16-4) will be looking for a KO while standing and when Shields attempts taking him down. Lawler has serious knockout power, as 13 of his victories have come via KO/TKO. Lawler has victories over Scott Smith, Joey Villasenor, Frank Trigg and Ninja Rua.
(Robbie Lawler pictured)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers- Former UFC HW champ Arlovski will have his hands full against rising undefeated up and comer Rogers. Rogers is a massive 6'5" 265 pounds and have at least 30 pounds on Arlovski. Arlovski will need to utilize his quickness and precision boxing against Rogers brawling.
Andrei Arlovski (15-6) was on a five fight win streak, winning 3 in the UFC, and two over IFL stars Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson before he met the best in the world. Arlovski defeated Tim Sylvia for the UFC HW title and defended twice over Paul Buentello and Justin Eilers. Arlovski also has wins over Ian Freeman, Vladimir Matyushenko and Marcio Cruz.
(Andrei Arlovski pictured)
Brett Rogers (9-0) had his biggest test on an April Strikeforce card against Ron Humphrey (5-0 at the time), TKO'ing him with knees in the second round. All of Rogers other fights were ended in the first round, including KO's over Bully Beatdown's Jon Murphy and Prive vet James Thompson. Rogers will have to use his heavy hands to KO Arlovski.
(Brett Rogers pictured)
Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead
PRELIMINARY CARD
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle- swing bout
Josh Bumgarner vs. Jesse Finney
Tyron Woodley vs. Sal Woods- Woodley All-American wrestler
Lucas Lopes vs. Scott Ventimiglia
Pat Benson vs. Dave Cochran
Booker DeRousse vs. James Wade
Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields- This match will feature two very contrasting styles. 170 pound BJJ blackbelt Jake Shields is an accomplished grappler that will look to get the fight to the ground as soon as possible. Lawler will try KO Shields on his feet while defending the takedown.
Elite XC WW champ Jake Shields (22-4) has been on a serious roll with an 11 fight win streak. Jake has victories over Yushin Okami, Paul Daley, Nick Thompson, Carlos Condit and Dave Menne in his career.
(Jake Shields pictured)
Elite XC's MW Champ Robbie Lawler (16-4) will be looking for a KO while standing and when Shields attempts taking him down. Lawler has serious knockout power, as 13 of his victories have come via KO/TKO. Lawler has victories over Scott Smith, Joey Villasenor, Frank Trigg and Ninja Rua.
(Robbie Lawler pictured)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers- Former UFC HW champ Arlovski will have his hands full against rising undefeated up and comer Rogers. Rogers is a massive 6'5" 265 pounds and have at least 30 pounds on Arlovski. Arlovski will need to utilize his quickness and precision boxing against Rogers brawling.
Andrei Arlovski (15-6) was on a five fight win streak, winning 3 in the UFC, and two over IFL stars Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson before he met the best in the world. Arlovski defeated Tim Sylvia for the UFC HW title and defended twice over Paul Buentello and Justin Eilers. Arlovski also has wins over Ian Freeman, Vladimir Matyushenko and Marcio Cruz.
(Andrei Arlovski pictured)
Brett Rogers (9-0) had his biggest test on an April Strikeforce card against Ron Humphrey (5-0 at the time), TKO'ing him with knees in the second round. All of Rogers other fights were ended in the first round, including KO's over Bully Beatdown's Jon Murphy and Prive vet James Thompson. Rogers will have to use his heavy hands to KO Arlovski.
(Brett Rogers pictured)
Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead
PRELIMINARY CARD
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle- swing bout
Josh Bumgarner vs. Jesse Finney
Tyron Woodley vs. Sal Woods- Woodley All-American wrestler
Lucas Lopes vs. Scott Ventimiglia
Pat Benson vs. Dave Cochran
Booker DeRousse vs. James Wade
Friday, February 6, 2009
Strikeforce Buys Pro-Elite
According to the Strikeforce website, they have purchased certain fighter contracts and the entire Pro-Elite video library. Pro-Elite's biggest promotion was Elite XC, which made a run at the UFC, but spent too much on overhead and ended up in the hole for over 55 million dollars.
In addition, Strikeforce will take over Pro-Elite's television deal on Showtime. As Showtime is owned by CBS, there is the possibility for 3-4 shows on the major network.
While no fighters were individually named as new to Strikeforce, it can be inferred that Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice will be some of the ones moving. Former Elite XC and UFC veterans Benji Radach and Scott Smith are already set to fight in an upcoming Strikeforce show.
Former Elite XC Heavyweight champ Junior Silva tested positive for a banned substance in his last appearance in Elite XC and subsequently fought in Japan. He is unlikely to fight again in the USA for a long time. Undefeated HW prospect Brett Rogers has yet to fight since Elite XC closed its doors. HW prospect Dave "Pee Wee" Herman has fought twice since Elite XC folded, beating Chris Guillen and losing to Mu Bae Choi in Japan.
The Strikeforce organization was originally run as a kickboxing promotion. With the explosion of MMA, the organization has shifted gears and been quite profitable in the California area. The stars of Strikeforce include Josh Thomson, Cung Le, Phil Baroni, Kazuo Misaki and Duane Ludwig. Alistair Overeem is still the HW champ of Strikeforce despite fighting in K-1 and Dream since winning the title.
(Cung Le pictured)
In addition, Strikeforce will take over Pro-Elite's television deal on Showtime. As Showtime is owned by CBS, there is the possibility for 3-4 shows on the major network.
While no fighters were individually named as new to Strikeforce, it can be inferred that Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice will be some of the ones moving. Former Elite XC and UFC veterans Benji Radach and Scott Smith are already set to fight in an upcoming Strikeforce show.
Former Elite XC Heavyweight champ Junior Silva tested positive for a banned substance in his last appearance in Elite XC and subsequently fought in Japan. He is unlikely to fight again in the USA for a long time. Undefeated HW prospect Brett Rogers has yet to fight since Elite XC closed its doors. HW prospect Dave "Pee Wee" Herman has fought twice since Elite XC folded, beating Chris Guillen and losing to Mu Bae Choi in Japan.
The Strikeforce organization was originally run as a kickboxing promotion. With the explosion of MMA, the organization has shifted gears and been quite profitable in the California area. The stars of Strikeforce include Josh Thomson, Cung Le, Phil Baroni, Kazuo Misaki and Duane Ludwig. Alistair Overeem is still the HW champ of Strikeforce despite fighting in K-1 and Dream since winning the title.
(Cung Le pictured)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Elite XC Goes Under!
Story by MMA Blaster
It appears that the paperwork has been filed and Elite XC has kicked the proverbial bucket. Their assets will be sold at public auction shortly. I enjoyed the promotion as they had some great fighters and put on a decent card. There are quite a few top free agents that will hit the market in the short term. Here are some of the Elite XC fighter list.
Eddie Alvarez- After his performance in the Dream lightweight tournament, Alvarez will most likely continue to see big paydays in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight on New Years Eve versus Joachim Hansen. Alvarez is an extremely exciting young fighters with wins over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joachim Hansen, Andre Amade, Aaron Riley, Derrick Noble, Matt Lee and Ross Ebanez.
Nick Diaz- Diaz probably wants to remain fighting at a catch-weight of 160. He has many fights he can do in Japan against the aforementioned Alvarez, a rematch with Takanori Gomi in World Victor Road, Shinya Aoki or many others. His brother has been on a roll in the UFC, and it is unlikely the UFC wants to deal with him.
Jake Shields- Shields already has called out Georges St. Pierre at a press conference after a quick win against Nick Thompson to get the WW Elite XC belt. He may of eaten some punches, but he was also able to finish off Paul Daley in his latest defense. With few good opponents at 170 for Jake to fight, the UFC has intriguing match-ups. Shields holds wins over Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle, Dave Menne and Hayato Sakurai.
Dave "Pee Wee" Herman- Herman at (12-0) has destroyed his last three opponents in Elite XC, veterans Mario Rinaldi, Ron Waterman and Kerry Schall. At 6'5", the agile 245 pound heavyweight should be the coveted young heavyweight the UFC desperately needs. Herman could go to the new ESPN league or World Victory Road Sengoku as well.
Brett Rogers- The large 6'5" 265 pound heavyweight throws some heavy hands. At 8-0, it is unknown whether or not he can fight from the ground. He does have knock-out power and could be a big draw one day. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight in whatever promotion offers the most cash. That could be Sengoku.
Robbie Lawler- The hard hitting Elite XC MW champ would fit in well in a UFC MW class looking for a striker to fight Anderson Silva. Lawler has 6 straight wins including KO victories against Scott Smith, Ninja Rua, Frank Trigg and Joey Villasenor. Strikeforce could also be a possibility for a match-up with Cung Le. Lawler was at the recent UFC 90 event in Chicago.
Antonio Silva- Bigfoot will more command more dollars than the UFC will give to him. He will either choose Affliction for the possible big fights or Sengoku. Silva also has had problems with athletic commissions in the USA, which might be a factor in seeing him go to Japan. Silva has wins over Ricco Rodriguez, Justin Eilers and Cabbage.
Gina Carano- A fight between Carano and Tara LaRosa would be a good fight for women's mma if Carano went to the AFL. Carano has looked impressive in all her 7 victories. 140 is not a good weight class for her. If Affliction starts women's mma, they may also be bidding for Carano's services. Strikeforce has some women on their roster, that might also be a logical choice.
Kimbo Slice- Kimbo has stated that he wants to fight in Japan. The Japanese love larger than life characters, and Kimbo fits that mold. While Kimbo may not have the best skills in mma, he is a legit draw. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight in Dream or Sengoku against another larger than life character.
AFL
It appears that the paperwork has been filed and Elite XC has kicked the proverbial bucket. Their assets will be sold at public auction shortly. I enjoyed the promotion as they had some great fighters and put on a decent card. There are quite a few top free agents that will hit the market in the short term. Here are some of the Elite XC fighter list.
Eddie Alvarez- After his performance in the Dream lightweight tournament, Alvarez will most likely continue to see big paydays in Japan. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight on New Years Eve versus Joachim Hansen. Alvarez is an extremely exciting young fighters with wins over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joachim Hansen, Andre Amade, Aaron Riley, Derrick Noble, Matt Lee and Ross Ebanez.
Nick Diaz- Diaz probably wants to remain fighting at a catch-weight of 160. He has many fights he can do in Japan against the aforementioned Alvarez, a rematch with Takanori Gomi in World Victor Road, Shinya Aoki or many others. His brother has been on a roll in the UFC, and it is unlikely the UFC wants to deal with him.
Jake Shields- Shields already has called out Georges St. Pierre at a press conference after a quick win against Nick Thompson to get the WW Elite XC belt. He may of eaten some punches, but he was also able to finish off Paul Daley in his latest defense. With few good opponents at 170 for Jake to fight, the UFC has intriguing match-ups. Shields holds wins over Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle, Dave Menne and Hayato Sakurai.
Dave "Pee Wee" Herman- Herman at (12-0) has destroyed his last three opponents in Elite XC, veterans Mario Rinaldi, Ron Waterman and Kerry Schall. At 6'5", the agile 245 pound heavyweight should be the coveted young heavyweight the UFC desperately needs. Herman could go to the new ESPN league or World Victory Road Sengoku as well.
Brett Rogers- The large 6'5" 265 pound heavyweight throws some heavy hands. At 8-0, it is unknown whether or not he can fight from the ground. He does have knock-out power and could be a big draw one day. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight in whatever promotion offers the most cash. That could be Sengoku.
Robbie Lawler- The hard hitting Elite XC MW champ would fit in well in a UFC MW class looking for a striker to fight Anderson Silva. Lawler has 6 straight wins including KO victories against Scott Smith, Ninja Rua, Frank Trigg and Joey Villasenor. Strikeforce could also be a possibility for a match-up with Cung Le. Lawler was at the recent UFC 90 event in Chicago.
Antonio Silva- Bigfoot will more command more dollars than the UFC will give to him. He will either choose Affliction for the possible big fights or Sengoku. Silva also has had problems with athletic commissions in the USA, which might be a factor in seeing him go to Japan. Silva has wins over Ricco Rodriguez, Justin Eilers and Cabbage.
Gina Carano- A fight between Carano and Tara LaRosa would be a good fight for women's mma if Carano went to the AFL. Carano has looked impressive in all her 7 victories. 140 is not a good weight class for her. If Affliction starts women's mma, they may also be bidding for Carano's services. Strikeforce has some women on their roster, that might also be a logical choice.
Kimbo Slice- Kimbo has stated that he wants to fight in Japan. The Japanese love larger than life characters, and Kimbo fits that mold. While Kimbo may not have the best skills in mma, he is a legit draw. I wouldn't be surprised to see him fight in Dream or Sengoku against another larger than life character.
AFL
Monday, July 28, 2008
Elite XC - Unfinished Business
Elite XC's second prime time CBS show featured four great fights in two hours. However, two fights ended in the first round and two fights ended in the second. This ended up in a ridiculous amount of filler. We did learn that both Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice will be fighting on October 4th.
*Cris Cyborg v. Shayna Baszler from photobucket
Results:
Antonio Silva def. Justin Eilers by TKO at 0:19, R2- Silva basically bullied the smaller Eilers around the cage, landing crisp punches and having Eilers nearly beat on several occasions. After getting a point deducted for punching the back of the head, Silva remained strong, and won in the second. Silva wins the HW belt.
Robbie Lawler def. Scott Smith by TKO at 2:35, R2- This was a very exciting fight, as Smith controlled the pace of the first round throwing leg and body kicks. Lawler counter-punched and kicked doing some damage in the process. In the second, Smith landed a good elbow that cut Lawler. Not wanting the ref to step in, Lawler went crazy, throwing everything he had a Smith, eventually knocking him to the canvas and getting the TKO victory. Lawler defends the MW belt.
Nick Diaz def. Thomas Denny by TKO at 0:40, R2- Diaz looked crisp while weathering an early storm by Denny. Wearing pink shorts with some pink in his hair, Denny did get Diaz down, and Diaz went for an armbar. In the second, it was all Diaz as he landed a rough shot to Denny's face, "clowned" him, and then got the TKO.
Jake Shields def. Nick Thompson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:03, R1- This fight did not take long as Shields transitioned between a few submissions and another guillotine before locking up the finisher.
Cris “Cyborg” Santos def. Shayna Baszler by TKO at 2:48, R2- Baszler's ill advised leg lock attempt proved to be the beginning of her downfall. She ate punches from every angle in the second, and at one point Cyborg sent Baszler to the canvas. Thinking the fight was over, Cris jumped on the cage. As the ref restarted the action, it took a couple seconds for Cris to seal the TKO win. Horrible job by the ref in this fight, as Baszler was very dazed from the shot that sent her to the canvas.
Undercard: Some Fights will be re-played on Showtime
Anthony Ruiz def. Jeromy Freitag by Unanimous Decision (29-28 on all three cards)
David Douglas def. Marlon Mathias by TKO at 0:12, R1.
Rafael Feijao def. Travis Galbraith by TKO at 3:01, R1.
Wilson Reis def. Bryan Caraway by Unanimous Decision (30-27 on all three cards)
Carl Seumantafa def. Mike Cook by TKO at 3:39, R1.
Drew Montgomery def. Brandon Tarn by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 4:22, R3.
*Cris Cyborg v. Shayna Baszler from photobucket
Results:
Antonio Silva def. Justin Eilers by TKO at 0:19, R2- Silva basically bullied the smaller Eilers around the cage, landing crisp punches and having Eilers nearly beat on several occasions. After getting a point deducted for punching the back of the head, Silva remained strong, and won in the second. Silva wins the HW belt.
Robbie Lawler def. Scott Smith by TKO at 2:35, R2- This was a very exciting fight, as Smith controlled the pace of the first round throwing leg and body kicks. Lawler counter-punched and kicked doing some damage in the process. In the second, Smith landed a good elbow that cut Lawler. Not wanting the ref to step in, Lawler went crazy, throwing everything he had a Smith, eventually knocking him to the canvas and getting the TKO victory. Lawler defends the MW belt.
Nick Diaz def. Thomas Denny by TKO at 0:40, R2- Diaz looked crisp while weathering an early storm by Denny. Wearing pink shorts with some pink in his hair, Denny did get Diaz down, and Diaz went for an armbar. In the second, it was all Diaz as he landed a rough shot to Denny's face, "clowned" him, and then got the TKO.
Jake Shields def. Nick Thompson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:03, R1- This fight did not take long as Shields transitioned between a few submissions and another guillotine before locking up the finisher.
Cris “Cyborg” Santos def. Shayna Baszler by TKO at 2:48, R2- Baszler's ill advised leg lock attempt proved to be the beginning of her downfall. She ate punches from every angle in the second, and at one point Cyborg sent Baszler to the canvas. Thinking the fight was over, Cris jumped on the cage. As the ref restarted the action, it took a couple seconds for Cris to seal the TKO win. Horrible job by the ref in this fight, as Baszler was very dazed from the shot that sent her to the canvas.
Undercard: Some Fights will be re-played on Showtime
Anthony Ruiz def. Jeromy Freitag by Unanimous Decision (29-28 on all three cards)
David Douglas def. Marlon Mathias by TKO at 0:12, R1.
Rafael Feijao def. Travis Galbraith by TKO at 3:01, R1.
Wilson Reis def. Bryan Caraway by Unanimous Decision (30-27 on all three cards)
Carl Seumantafa def. Mike Cook by TKO at 3:39, R1.
Drew Montgomery def. Brandon Tarn by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 4:22, R3.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Elite XC CBS Style
Elite XC on CBS got off to a bang, and then lingered for the rest of the night. Suprisingly, Elite XC was able to stuff more filler in their broadcast than a UFC Fight Night. The first two fights were over in the first minute, yet no undercard fights were broadcast.
Brett Rogers def. Jon Murphy via. KO (Punch) R1 1:01- This fight was the debut of mma on CBS. Rogers and Murphy threw some sloppy punches before the clinch. Then Rogers wailed Murphy with a knee and two rights. Murphy dropped to his knees like a sack of bricks. Rogers, with Big Black from "Rob and Big" in tow, let everyone know that he had just "did work." Later, Rogers called out Kimbo Slice.
Joey Villasenor def. Phil Baroni via. TKO (Punches) R1 1:11- These two did what everyone thought, stood and traded punches. Baroni took too many shots to the face and eventually went down. Villasenor has three wins in a row now, and will more than likely be a challenger for the MW belt soon.
Gina Carano def. Kaitlin Young via. TKO (Doctor Stoppage) R2 3:00- Carano and Young traded some big shots in the first and Young looked as though she had a chance to pull of the victory as the round was pretty even. In the second, Carano began to find her mark with punches and clinch work. After fighting off a rear naked choke attempt after a kick, Young's eye was too swollen for the Doctor to allow the bout to continue.
Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith No Contest (Thumb in the eye) R3 3:26- The first round saw Lawler getting the most of the combinations and Smith backing up. The second was pretty even as both fighters let everything hang out. Both got bloodied up and the war was on. Unfortunately, as Smith threw a punch in the third, Lawler accidently put a finger in Smith's eye. Smith wanted to continue after a minute or so, but the fight didn't continue.
Kevin Ferguson def. James Thompson via. TKO (punches) R3 0:38- This fight was ugly. The ref was horrible. Thompson for some reason didn't think his massive swollen ear would be a problem in the fight. In the third, Kimbo punches it and it exploded. The ref stopped the bout after that. The ref had absolutely horrendous stand-ups in this fight, some when Thompson was in side control dropping elbows on Kimbo. Kimbo may or may not have tapped to a guillotine choke as well. The stoppage was also not good.
Online Fights-
Joe Sampieri def. Mike Groves via. TKO (Strikes) R1 4:58
Zach Makovsky def. Andres Soares via. Decision (Unanimous) R3 5:00
James Jones def. Calvin Kattar via. Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1 4:49
Wilson Reis def. Justin Robbins via. Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1 4:06
Matt Makowski def. Nick Serra DQ (Wouldn't Get Up From Butt Scoot) R2 3:57
Carlton Haselrig def. Carlos Moreno via. TKO (Corner Stoppage) R1 5:00
Chris Liguori def. Jim Bova via. TKO (Cut) R1 4:31
Brett Rogers def. Jon Murphy via. KO (Punch) R1 1:01- This fight was the debut of mma on CBS. Rogers and Murphy threw some sloppy punches before the clinch. Then Rogers wailed Murphy with a knee and two rights. Murphy dropped to his knees like a sack of bricks. Rogers, with Big Black from "Rob and Big" in tow, let everyone know that he had just "did work." Later, Rogers called out Kimbo Slice.
Joey Villasenor def. Phil Baroni via. TKO (Punches) R1 1:11- These two did what everyone thought, stood and traded punches. Baroni took too many shots to the face and eventually went down. Villasenor has three wins in a row now, and will more than likely be a challenger for the MW belt soon.
Gina Carano def. Kaitlin Young via. TKO (Doctor Stoppage) R2 3:00- Carano and Young traded some big shots in the first and Young looked as though she had a chance to pull of the victory as the round was pretty even. In the second, Carano began to find her mark with punches and clinch work. After fighting off a rear naked choke attempt after a kick, Young's eye was too swollen for the Doctor to allow the bout to continue.
Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith No Contest (Thumb in the eye) R3 3:26- The first round saw Lawler getting the most of the combinations and Smith backing up. The second was pretty even as both fighters let everything hang out. Both got bloodied up and the war was on. Unfortunately, as Smith threw a punch in the third, Lawler accidently put a finger in Smith's eye. Smith wanted to continue after a minute or so, but the fight didn't continue.
Kevin Ferguson def. James Thompson via. TKO (punches) R3 0:38- This fight was ugly. The ref was horrible. Thompson for some reason didn't think his massive swollen ear would be a problem in the fight. In the third, Kimbo punches it and it exploded. The ref stopped the bout after that. The ref had absolutely horrendous stand-ups in this fight, some when Thompson was in side control dropping elbows on Kimbo. Kimbo may or may not have tapped to a guillotine choke as well. The stoppage was also not good.
Online Fights-
Joe Sampieri def. Mike Groves via. TKO (Strikes) R1 4:58
Zach Makovsky def. Andres Soares via. Decision (Unanimous) R3 5:00
James Jones def. Calvin Kattar via. Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1 4:49
Wilson Reis def. Justin Robbins via. Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1 4:06
Matt Makowski def. Nick Serra DQ (Wouldn't Get Up From Butt Scoot) R2 3:57
Carlton Haselrig def. Carlos Moreno via. TKO (Corner Stoppage) R1 5:00
Chris Liguori def. Jim Bova via. TKO (Cut) R1 4:31
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Elite XC - CBS Style Preview
Elite XC will debut Saturday May 31st on CBS. The fights will be taking place in Newark, New Jersey. Promoter Gary Shaw expects a sellout. He better also help for weather that keeps people indoors on a Saturday night.
Champ Robbie Lawler (16-4) vs. Scott Smith (13-4)- This Middleweight championship fight will most likely be another stand-up brawl. Both guys are known for standing and trading. Lawler's background in Miletich Fighting would lead you to believe he may try to bring the fight to the ground.
*Promo pic of Robbie Lawler
Kimbo Slice (2-0) v. James Thompson (14-8)- Kimbo and Thompson will more than likely stand and trade punches. The fighter that is able to land more will win, and from what we have seen of Thompson there is a good chance he is the one going down. He has lost his last two fights by way of KO. Kimbo is coming off KO wins of Bo Cantrell and Tank Abbott.
Gina Carano (5-0) vs. Kaitlin Young (4-1)- Gina Carano hasn't fought since September of 2007 and has done two seasons of American Gladiators since. Carano will be cutting to make 140 and Young normally fights at 135, so Carano will probably have a strenght advantage. Carano will likely impose her will and utilize her muay thai background. In her last fight, Young lost in BoDog to Sara Schneider. Carano has beaten four quality opponents in a row in Rosi Sexton, Elaina Maxwell, Julie Kedzie and Tonya Evinger.
*MMA Blaster supports women's mma, and is happy to see women on the main card. I do think that Elite XC should try to get some talent from Japan and have a 140 class and a 120 class. Megumi Fugii and Satoko Shinashi are solid, as well as Tara LaRosa.
Jon Murphy (4-2) vs. Brett Rogers (6-0)- Brett "Grim" Rogers will look to stand and drop bombs on Murphy. Rogers stands 6'5" and just makes th 265 pound cutoff. Murphy will probably give up two to three inches and 20 to thirty pounds to Rogers. The fight will probably result in a KO if Murphy cant take down Grim. In his last fight Rogers knocked out Kimbo's opponent, James Thompson.
Phil Baroni (10-9) vs. Joey Villasenor (25-6)- The ever confident Baroni has predicted a knock out victory in the first round. That shouldn't come to a surprise with anyone that is familiar with the New York Bad Ass. Villasenor recently won in Strikeforce against Ryan Jensen (11-4).
Online Fights - proelite.com
Wilson Reis vs. Justin Robbins
Matt Makowski vs. Nick Serra
Carlton Haselrig vs. Carlos Moreno
Jim Bova vs. Chris Liguori
James "Binky" Jones vs. Calvin Kattar
Champ Robbie Lawler (16-4) vs. Scott Smith (13-4)- This Middleweight championship fight will most likely be another stand-up brawl. Both guys are known for standing and trading. Lawler's background in Miletich Fighting would lead you to believe he may try to bring the fight to the ground.
*Promo pic of Robbie Lawler
Kimbo Slice (2-0) v. James Thompson (14-8)- Kimbo and Thompson will more than likely stand and trade punches. The fighter that is able to land more will win, and from what we have seen of Thompson there is a good chance he is the one going down. He has lost his last two fights by way of KO. Kimbo is coming off KO wins of Bo Cantrell and Tank Abbott.
Gina Carano (5-0) vs. Kaitlin Young (4-1)- Gina Carano hasn't fought since September of 2007 and has done two seasons of American Gladiators since. Carano will be cutting to make 140 and Young normally fights at 135, so Carano will probably have a strenght advantage. Carano will likely impose her will and utilize her muay thai background. In her last fight, Young lost in BoDog to Sara Schneider. Carano has beaten four quality opponents in a row in Rosi Sexton, Elaina Maxwell, Julie Kedzie and Tonya Evinger.
*MMA Blaster supports women's mma, and is happy to see women on the main card. I do think that Elite XC should try to get some talent from Japan and have a 140 class and a 120 class. Megumi Fugii and Satoko Shinashi are solid, as well as Tara LaRosa.
Jon Murphy (4-2) vs. Brett Rogers (6-0)- Brett "Grim" Rogers will look to stand and drop bombs on Murphy. Rogers stands 6'5" and just makes th 265 pound cutoff. Murphy will probably give up two to three inches and 20 to thirty pounds to Rogers. The fight will probably result in a KO if Murphy cant take down Grim. In his last fight Rogers knocked out Kimbo's opponent, James Thompson.
Phil Baroni (10-9) vs. Joey Villasenor (25-6)- The ever confident Baroni has predicted a knock out victory in the first round. That shouldn't come to a surprise with anyone that is familiar with the New York Bad Ass. Villasenor recently won in Strikeforce against Ryan Jensen (11-4).
Online Fights - proelite.com
Wilson Reis vs. Justin Robbins
Matt Makowski vs. Nick Serra
Carlton Haselrig vs. Carlos Moreno
Jim Bova vs. Chris Liguori
James "Binky" Jones vs. Calvin Kattar
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