A look at how big-show veterans are fairing on the regional circuit.
Greetings, fight fans. You may notice a change to Beyond the Octagon’s format going forward, with less historical context and a greater emphasis on raw information (results, records, and records since a fighter’s last major appearance). If you much prefer the older format, however, please feel free to let me know. Now, on to the results.
At Akhmat Fight Show 22, Magomedrasul “Frodo” Khasbulaev (24-6, 5-0 Bellator) put himself back on a winning streak with a unanimous decision over Khunkar Osmaev (5-2-1). The former Bellator featherweight title contender is now 3-1 since leaving that organization.
The biggest results last weekend, however, came out of Milan, Italy, where upstart promotion Venator FC played host to several prominent MMA veterans.
The main event, of course, featured the schadenfreude-laden welterweight championship bout between Rousimar Palhares (18-7, 3-0 WSOF, 8-4 UFC) and Emil Weber Meek (8-2-0), in which Meek countered a takedown attempt along the fence with a barrage of elbows that left Palhares knocked out 45 seconds into Round 1. Palhares is 0-1 since being more or less blacklisted from major, U.S.-based MMA organizations; it’s the first time he’s lost in a regional promotion in ten years.
In the co-main event, Luke Barnatt (11-3, 3-3 UFC) defended his middleweight title with a second-round TKO of late-replacement Stefan Croitoru (6-2-1). Barnatt is 3-0 in his post-UFC career and undefeated outside the Octagon.
Further down the card, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (17-14, 2-1 Bellator, 1-2 UFC, 2-0 PRIDE) pulled himself out of a two-fight slump thanks to a TKO of fellow UFC alum Matt Hamill (11-7, 10-5 UFC, 0-1 WSOF) by way of first-round knockout. Sokoudjou is 1-1 since last appearing in Bellator; Hamill, in only his second fight outside a major MMA organization, falls to 0-1 since a lone fight in WSOF.
And Igor Araujo (25-9, 2-2 UFC) stumbled in his first post-UFC bout, submitting to a guillotine from Marvin Vettori just over a minute into Round 1. Vettori (10-2-0) has won five straight.
Fellow Italian Mattia Schiavolin (13-2-2) likewise walked away with an upset win, submitting the troubled Jason Miller (24-10, 0-3 UFC, 2-1-1NC Dream, 1-1 Strikeforce) with a rear-naked choke in Round 2. It was Miller’s first fight in two years–he last appeared at UFC 146, where he lost a unanimous decision to C.B. Dollaway.
And former Bellator title challenger Karl Amoussou (22-7-2-1NC, 5-4 Bellator, 0-1 Dream) likely put himself in line for a shot at Meek’s welterweight title with a first-round TKO of the formerly undefeated Giovanni Melillo (4-1-0). Amoussou is 5-0 since leaving Bellator.
Cody McKenzie (16-9, 3-4 UFC) also picked up a much-needed win as he put the guillotine to Valeriu Mircea (7-3-0) in Round 2. McKenzie had lost five in a row previously.
And a bout between Che Mills (16-8-2NC, 2-1-1NC UFC) and Terry Montgomery (5-0, 1NC) ended in a no-contest following accidental blows to the back of the head. Mills is 1-3-1NC since his tour in the UFC.
Other Results
Top FC 11
– Kwan Ho Kwak (9-0-0) defeats Alp Ozkilic (9-5, 1-3 UFC) by unanimous decision. Ozkilic is 0-1 since his last UFC appearance.
– Takenori Sato (19-11-7, 0-2 UFC) defeats Kyung Soo Park (2-2-0) by first-round armbar. Sato is 2-1 since his last UFC appearance.
Victory FC 50
– Daniel Gallemore (5-3-0) defeats TUF 10’s Abe Wagner (10-8-1NC, 0-2 Bellator) by first-round guillotine.
– Alexandre Pimentel (15-1, 1-1 WSOF) defeats Jarred Mercado (14-4-0) by armbar in Round 4. Pimentel moves to 2-0 since a brief tour in WSOF .
– Yuri Villefort (9-5, 0-2 UFC, 0-1 Strikeforce) defeats Cody Carrillo (11-13-0) by unanimous decision. Villefort has won three straight and is 3-2 since leaving the UFC.
– Jake Lindsey (11-4, 0-3 UFC) defeats Zak Bucia (15-8, 1-2 Strikeforce) by third-round TKO. Lindsey is 2-1 since being cut from the UFC.
– Chuka Willis (8-2, 0-1 WSOF) defeats Justin Overton (3-1-0) by second-round TKO. Willis is 4-1 since appearing in WSOF.
KOTC: Blood Enemies (?!?!?!)
– Tony Lopez (42-22, 0-1 Bellator) defeats Nathan Bryant (5-5-0) by split-decision. Lopez is 3-2 for the year.
No Mercy 5
– Brian Heden (29-15-0) defeats Travis Wiuff (74-21, 4-2 Bellator, 1-2 Sengoku, 0-1 PRIDE, 1-2 IFL, 0-1 UFC) by an opening-minute TKO. Heden has won three in a row; Wiuff is 6-4 since a 2013 appearance in Bellator.
Imortal FC 4
– Jorge de Oliveira (8-2, 0-2 UFC) defeats Thiago Silva (16-4-1) by rear-naked choke in Round 2, moving to 1-0 since being released from the UFC.
Absolute Championship Berkut 38
– Isa Umaraov (4-1-0) defeats Rodney Wallace by unanimous decision. Wallace (25-12-1, 1-1 Bellator, 0-3 UFC) is 5-3 since a turn through Bellator.
KOTC: Battle Zone
– Mike Hayes (20-11-2, 2-1 Bellator) defeats Jamelle Jones (6-3-0) by split-decision. It’s Hayes’s first victory since 2013.
– Julian Erosa (16-3, 1-1 UFC) defeats Daniel Swain (16-7-1) by TKO (injury) in Round 2, marking Erosa’s first fight since being released by the UFC earlier this year.
Tachi PF 27
– Cody Gibson (14-6, 1-3 UFC) defeats champion Rolando Velasco (13-4-1) by unanimous decision, improving to 2-0 in his post-UFC campaign.
– Angel DeAnda (15-5, 0-2 WSOF) defeats Justin Baesman (19-9-1, 0-1 WSOF, 1-2-1 Bellator) by second-round TKO. DeAnda is 4-1 since the WSOF; Baesman is 4-3.
– Jared Papazian (19-12, 1-0 WSOF, 0-3 UFC) defeats Alex Perez (13-4-0) by first-round armbar. Papazian is 5-3 since being cut from the UFC in 2012.