Your weekly update on how big-show veterans are faring on the world’s regional circuits.
Last weekend saw three UFC veterans contend for regional titles, but before we get to that, let us once again ponder the career of the one known only as Krazy Horse (provided you ignore his other names).
Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett (27-29-2, 2-3 PRIDE, 1-1 EliteXC) once again finds himself in the middle of a controversy. Not a legal one, such as he’s been plagued with in the past, but one having to do with judges’ scorecards.
Last Friday, Bennett fought in the co-main event of Carlton, Minnesota’s KOTC: Thunder n’ Lightning, surely hoping to build on his KO victory last October with a similar performance fellow striker Jimmy Zidek (13-9-0). There would be no such finish for Bennett this time around, however, with Zidek and Bennett instead going the full three. And when it came time for the judges’ verdict, it was Zidek who walked away with a split-decision victory. Fans have since cried foul on social media.
Bennett is booked for another fight later this month, at which point he’ll have a chance to even up his 0-1 start to the year.
Meanwhile, Wang Sai (12-5-1, 1-1 UFC) kept his post-UFC record unblemished with a second-round TKO of Sergei Proskuryakov (1-1-0). The win came in the main event of Kunlun 36 in Shanghai, China and earns him the organization’s vacant welterweight title. Wang is 5-0 since parting ways with the UFC in favor of a contract with Kunlun. It must be noted, of course, that only one of those five opponents had fought more than one professional bout.
And in the main event of CES 32, former TUF: Brazil 2 hopeful Gil de Freitas (18-6-0) lost his welterweight title to Fight Master veteran Chris Curtis (13-4-0), who forced de Freitas to submit to strikes in Round 1. Curtis has won three straight. De Freitas, in addition to losing his title, sees a four-year, five-fight winning streak come to a close.
Other Results
At Full Metal Dojo 8 in Phuket, Thailand, Will Chope (29-9, 0-1 UFC) successfully rebounded from a December loss with a split-decision over Michal Vostry (6-8-0).
Kyle Bradley (20-12, 1-3 UFC) fell short in a bid for the lightweight title at WFC 46, submitting to a rear-naked choke by Nolan Norwood (9-3-0) late in Round 2. Bradley has alternated wins and losses for the past three years.