This weekend did not provide us with any “major” events from the UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator, but that doesn’t mean the march did not go on. Titan Fighting Championship, Ring of Combat and ShoFight all put on solid cards, entertaining fans in the absence of the UFC.
Here is a quick rundown of what went on this weekend.
Santiago earns submission, vows to drop to welterweight at Titan Fighting Championship 23
Titan Fighting Championship put on a card for the troops this weekend, putting on a show at Fort Riley in Kansas. Headlining was former top-10 middleweight Jorge Santiago, who is looking to pile up wins to earn his way back in the UFC.
Opposite of Santiago was Justin Guthrie, a 20-fight veteran looking for his sixth straight win and a call-up to the big leagues. Unfortunately for Guthrie, it wasn’t to be.
Just 94 seconds in, Santiago tapped Guthrie with an inverted heel hook, earning his second straight win since his drop from the UFC. It was Santiago’s first submission victory since 2008, where he also won by heel hook.
After the fight, Santiago vowed a drop to welterweight in his future. This could mean trouble to any 170-pounder who gets in Santiago’s way, as he is a power striker with a great submission game.
In other notable news from the Titan Fighting Championship card, Brazilian prospect Freddy Assuncao, brother of UFC vets Junior and Raphael, participated in a featherweight bout with Andrew Carrillo. Assuncao was victorious after Carrillo dislocated his shoulder and was unable to continue.
This runs Assuncao’s record to 7-1, showing the potential and skill of the Brazilian. One more win and Assuncao should be invited to the UFC’s featherweight division, as the division needs more talent.
Teammates Hall and Rivera capture gold at Ring of Combat 41
Ring of Combat saw Team Tiger Schulman representatives capture championships in two different weight divisions.
In the main event, Uriah Hall earned a unanimous decision over the rugged Nodar Kuduxashvili. Hall used power striking and his solid ground game to control Kuduxashvili for a majority of the bout. This win should earn Hall a UFC contract, as he is one of the best middleweights not in the company.
Meanwhile, Ultimate Fighter veteran and fellow Team Tiger Schulman rep Jimmie Rivera was victorious in his bout on the card. He also won a unanimous decision, topping Justin Hickey in his three-round affair. That was Rivera’s eighth straight win as a featherweight, which should similarly earn him a UFC contract. He is very well-rounded and a powerful fighter to be feared.
ShoFight 20 puts on dazzling card with veterans of the cage
If you were looking for great fights to watch with recognizable names, ShoFight 20 would have been the card to watch. Hosting a number of big-fight veterans, ShoFight put on an amazing event that is sure to gain steam for the company.
Earning decision victories were UFC veterans Matt Lucas, Kendall Grove and Sevak Magakian, as well as Strikeforce veteran Lyle Beerbohm. Of those decisions, only Grove’s was a split decision, which was earned over very-late replacement Derek Brunson.
Other winners include Chris Gruetzemacher (TKO victory over Roli Delgado), Mike Wessel (TKO victory over Matt Kovacs) and John Gunderson (submission win over Karo Parisyan).
In the midst of all the success that big-name players received, other notable veterans fell victim to defeat. Knocked out were WEC veteran Karen Darabedyan, Bellator veteran Sam Alvey and UFC veterans Drew Fickett and Roli Delgado.
Others who were defeated were Derek Brunson (split decision), Marcus Aurelio (unanimous decision), Karo Parisyan (guillotine choke) and Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett (triangle choke).
Here is a rundown of the notable fights from the card:
– John Gunderson def. Karo Parisyan via submission (guillotine choke)
– Kendall Grove def. Derek Brunson via split decision
– Lucas Lopes def. Sam Alvey via TKO (punches)
– Chris McDaniel def. Charles Bennett via submission (triangle choke)
– Sevak Magakian def. James Reese via unanimous decision
– Lyle Beerbohm def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision
– Mike Wessel def. Matt Kovacs via TKO (punches)
– Jonatas Novaes def. Drew Fickett via TKO (punches)
– Chris Gruetzemacher def. Roli Delgado via TKO (elbows)
– Mike Brazzle def. Karen Darabedyan via TKO (punches)
– Matt Lucas def. Lucas Overcast via unanimous decision
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