Amidst the rubble left behind in the MMA world this weekend, one event that might have flown under the radar was that of BAMMA 7, which went down yesterday at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. Featuring the likes of former UFC title contenders Frank Trigg, Paul Daley, and TUF 9 finalist Andre Winner, the card certainly had its fair share of fireworks.
The headliner saw Trigg’s two fight win streak since leaving the UFC snapped by journeyman “Judo” Jim Wallhead, who was able to repeatedly wobble Trigg on the feet en route to a split decision win. The win was particularly heartbreaking for “Twinkle Toes”, whose most recent wins showcased a newfound revitalization since his consecutive KO losses to Josh Koscheck and Matt Serra.
Elsewhere on the card, Paul Daley scored his own decision win over fellow UFC castaway Jordan Radev. The bout saw Daley easily handle Radev in the striking department but unable to finish the resilient Bulgarian, who was similarly frustrated after taking Daley’s back in the third frame and failing to secure a submission. The bout ended Daley’s two fight skid but continued to showcase his inability to make weight, which has become so notorious that even the hometown crowd was unusually silent during his entrance.
Amidst the rubble left behind in the MMA world this weekend, one event that might have flown under the radar was that of BAMMA 7, which went down yesterday at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. Featuring the likes of former UFC title contenders Frank Trigg, Paul Daley, and TUF 9 finalist Andre Winner, the card certainly had its fair share of fireworks.
The headliner saw Trigg’s two fight win streak since leaving the UFC snapped by journeyman “Judo” Jim Wallhead, who was able to repeatedly wobble Trigg on the feet en route to a split decision win. The win was particularly heartbreaking for “Twinkle Toes”, whose most recent wins showcased a newfound revitalization since his consecutive KO losses to Josh Koscheck and Matt Serra.
Elsewhere on the card, Paul Daley scored his own decision win over fellow UFC castaway Jordan Radev. The bout saw Daley easily handle Radev in the striking department but unable to finish the resilient Bulgarian, who was similarly frustrated after taking Daley’s back in the third frame and failing to secure a submission. The bout ended Daley’s two fight skid but continued to showcase his inability to make weight, which has become so notorious that even the hometown crowd was unusually silent during his entrance.
Ultimate Fighter 9 finalist Andre Winner also snapped a losing streak and showcased the effectiveness of Muay Thai against boxing en route to an entertaining decision win over Jason Ball. Though all but refusing to unleash the combinations his corner was screaming for, Winner’s diverse attack was simply too much for the boxing based Ball, resulting in 30-27 scores across the board for the TUF finalist.
BAMMA champions went 1-1 on the night, with lightweight king Rob Sinclair unleashing a vicious uppercut to end the night of late replacement Diego Vital in the third round. Middleweight champion Carl Noon, however, saw a dominant first round wiped away as undefeated prospect Jack Marshall rallied back from the early beating throughout the second and secured a TKO finish in the third.
Full results:
Jim Wallhead def. Frank Trigg by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Paul Daley def. Jordan Radev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Rob Sinclair def. Diego Vital by knockout (strikes) Rd 3 (3:00)
Jack Marshman def. Carl Noon by TKO (strikes) Rd 3
Andre Winner def. Jason Ball by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Chris Fishgold def. Jeremy Petley by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 1 (4:33)
Erik Perez def. James Brum by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 1 (3:31)
Eugene Fadiora def. Robert Devanne by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 1 (4:35)
Pindi Madahar def. Danny Compton by TKO (strikes) Rd 2 (1:06)
Dale Hardiman def. Scott Jansen by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 2 (1:16)
Tom Breese def. Lee Taylor by submission (rear-naked choke) Rd 1 (2:26)
Dean Amasinger def. Shah Hussein by unanimous decision
Fraser Opie def. Robert Krecicki by TKO (strikes) Rd 1 (3:19)
Filed under: BAMMAPaul Daley, Andre Winner and Jim Wallhead all earned decision victories at Saturday’s British Association of Mixed Martial Arts card on Saturday in Birmingham, England.
Daley, the Strikeforce and UFC veteran, pounded away at Jordan R…
Paul Daley, Andre Winner and Jim Wallhead all earned decision victories at Saturday’s British Association of Mixed Martial Arts card on Saturday in Birmingham, England.
Daley, the Strikeforce and UFC veteran, pounded away at Jordan Radev for the better part of 15 minutes and won an easy unanimous decision. Going into the fight, everyone knew Radev’s only chance was to use his superior wrestling to get on top of Daley, but Radev rarely did that until the very end of the fight, after Daley had already turned Radev into a human punching bag for two rounds. Daley, who came in six pounds overweight for the fight, won 30-27 on one judge’s card, and 29-28 on the other two.
Winner, the former Ultimate Fighter contestant, beat Jason Ball 30-27 on all three judges’ scorecards. It was Winner’s first fight since being released by the UFC following his loss at UFC 132, and although Winner’s victory on Saturday wasn’t particularly exciting, Winner said afterward that his losses in the UFC showed him that he needed to re-focus and take a more cautious approach inside the cage.
“My last fight I was too tense and just looking for a knockout, so this time I wanted to stay relaxed,” Winner said afterward.
Wallhead beat the aging veteran Frank Trigg by split decision, with one judge giving the fight to Wallhead 30-27, another giving him the fight 29-28, and one judge seeing it 29-28 for Trigg. It was an entertaining enough fight, but both men tired out as the bout wore on. For the 39-year-old Trigg, this may be just about the end of the road.
In other BAMMA 7 action, Jack Marshman won a brutal, bloody brawl with Carl Noon by third-round TKO, winning BAMMA’s first British Middleweight Championship. And the undercard featured several exciting finishes, highlighted by Rob Sinclair stopping Diego Vital with a brutal knockout punch in the third round.
LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 132 undercard live blog for the four non-televised preliminary bouts in support of tonight’s UFC pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The bouts are Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Aaron Simpson vs. Brad Tavares, Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner and Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker.
The first bout is scheduled to begin at 6:15p.m. ET.
Both men working their punches from a safe, yet not terribly effective distance early on. A sharp right hook from Njokuani catches Winner flush on the jaw. In Winner’s corner, Paul Daley encourages him to get his counters working. Njokuani tries a spinning back elbow that gets jammed up, but then ducks under a Winner punch and lands a nice right hook counter. Njokuani is just a little sharper with his punches right now. Good right uppercut stings Winner. Njokuani slips a jab and fires a right. Daley tells Winner not to jab at his head anymore. Must be nice for Njokuani to know that. Njokuani nails Winner with a hard shot and Winner wobbles back. Njokuani goes in full attack mode now, hammering him with right hands and brutal knees. Winner is reeling, but still on his feet. Njokuani just brutalizing Winner now. Referee Yves Lavigne taking a hard look at it, but somehow Winner survives the round, though he’s not looking so pretty. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Njokuani.
Round 2:
Amazingly, Winner seems to have recovered well in the 60 seconds between rounds. His face still shows signs of the beating, but he’s moving well and his punches still have snap. Njokuani stings him with a hard shot that staggers him, and Winner eats another dose of knees against the cage before managing to turn Njokuani. Back to work in the center of the cage after a referee restart, Winner’s corner implores him to feint and move, but it’s all he can do not to get brutalized by Njokuani at the moment. They end the round with Njokuani looking perhaps a little fatigued from his efforts to finish. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Njokuani.
Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker
Round 1:
Houghland starts us off with some inside leg kicks. Walker comes in with a right hand and Houghland drops under for a takedown. Walker trying to work the high guard, but Houghland stands up out of it and goes to work with punches from the top. Walker tries to tie him up from the bottom, but Houghland smashes him with a hard elbow in close. Houghland stacks Walker against the cage and sinks an arm-in guillotine. He falls back with it, but Walker doesn’t see too concerned. He holds on and Houghland is eventually forced to relinquish it, with Walker now working from the top. Walker forces Houghland’s ankles up over his head, drawing a titter from the crowd, then works for an anaconda choke, but can’t complete it. Houghland does a nice job of scrambling up off the bottom and puts Walker on his back again. Walker tries for a toe hold in the final seconds, but he’s not even close. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Houghland.
Round 2:
It’s back to a kicking contest to start the second round. Houghland is the busier fighter on the feet, which counts for a lot in the judges’ eyes. Nice right hand by Houghland, followed by one from Walker. They’re both opening up with punches now, and Houghland is cut above his eye, near the bridge of his nose. Walker’s trying to come forward behind his left hook, but his punches seem to have lost a lot of their snap. Houghland tries a front kick and Walker seems to think it caught him in the groin. I’ll take his word for it. After the restart Walker attacks Houghland’s legs with kicks, but Houghland hurts him with a punch and knee and then drops immediately into another guillotine. He must think it’s his ace in the hole, but Walker is hanging out in there just fine. Houghland adjusts and squeezes with everything he’s got in the final ten seconds, but Walker lasts until the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Houghland.
Round 3:
Walker seems to have a sense of desperation to start the final round. He comes after Houghland hard right off the bat and then stops a Houghland takedown attempt by faceplanting him into the mat. Walker moves for the anaconda again and Houghland goes to his back before locking up an armbar. Walker is in trouble, so he lifts Houghland up and slams his way out. Houghland transitions for a triangle choke, but it’s not there. Walker seems content to survive on top for now, and that prompts a restart by Yamasaki. Houghland goes for another takedown and gets stopped and but on bottom again, but works for the sweep and eventually manages to put Walker on his back. They finish the fight with both men frantically throwing punches and elbows — Houghland from the top and Walker from the bottom — but it’s more light than heat. MMA Fighting scores 10-9 for Walker.
Jeff Houghland def. Donny Walker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
LAS VEGAS — This is the UFC 132 undercard live blog for the four non-televised preliminary bouts in support of tonight’s UFC pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The bouts are Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Aaron Simpson vs. Brad Tavares, Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner and Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker.
The first bout is scheduled to begin at 6:15p.m. ET.
Both men working their punches from a safe, yet not terribly effective distance early on. A sharp right hook from Njokuani catches Winner flush on the jaw. In Winner’s corner, Paul Daley encourages him to get his counters working. Njokuani tries a spinning back elbow that gets jammed up, but then ducks under a Winner punch and lands a nice right hook counter. Njokuani is just a little sharper with his punches right now. Good right uppercut stings Winner. Njokuani slips a jab and fires a right. Daley tells Winner not to jab at his head anymore. Must be nice for Njokuani to know that. Njokuani nails Winner with a hard shot and Winner wobbles back. Njokuani goes in full attack mode now, hammering him with right hands and brutal knees. Winner is reeling, but still on his feet. Njokuani just brutalizing Winner now. Referee Yves Lavigne taking a hard look at it, but somehow Winner survives the round, though he’s not looking so pretty. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Njokuani.
Round 2:
Amazingly, Winner seems to have recovered well in the 60 seconds between rounds. His face still shows signs of the beating, but he’s moving well and his punches still have snap. Njokuani stings him with a hard shot that staggers him, and Winner eats another dose of knees against the cage before managing to turn Njokuani. Back to work in the center of the cage after a referee restart, Winner’s corner implores him to feint and move, but it’s all he can do not to get brutalized by Njokuani at the moment. They end the round with Njokuani looking perhaps a little fatigued from his efforts to finish. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Njokuani.
Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker
Round 1:
Houghland starts us off with some inside leg kicks. Walker comes in with a right hand and Houghland drops under for a takedown. Walker trying to work the high guard, but Houghland stands up out of it and goes to work with punches from the top. Walker tries to tie him up from the bottom, but Houghland smashes him with a hard elbow in close. Houghland stacks Walker against the cage and sinks an arm-in guillotine. He falls back with it, but Walker doesn’t see too concerned. He holds on and Houghland is eventually forced to relinquish it, with Walker now working from the top. Walker forces Houghland’s ankles up over his head, drawing a titter from the crowd, then works for an anaconda choke, but can’t complete it. Houghland does a nice job of scrambling up off the bottom and puts Walker on his back again. Walker tries for a toe hold in the final seconds, but he’s not even close. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Houghland.
Round 2:
It’s back to a kicking contest to start the second round. Houghland is the busier fighter on the feet, which counts for a lot in the judges’ eyes. Nice right hand by Houghland, followed by one from Walker. They’re both opening up with punches now, and Houghland is cut above his eye, near the bridge of his nose. Walker’s trying to come forward behind his left hook, but his punches seem to have lost a lot of their snap. Houghland tries a front kick and Walker seems to think it caught him in the groin. I’ll take his word for it. After the restart Walker attacks Houghland’s legs with kicks, but Houghland hurts him with a punch and knee and then drops immediately into another guillotine. He must think it’s his ace in the hole, but Walker is hanging out in there just fine. Houghland adjusts and squeezes with everything he’s got in the final ten seconds, but Walker lasts until the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Houghland.
Round 3:
Walker seems to have a sense of desperation to start the final round. He comes after Houghland hard right off the bat and then stops a Houghland takedown attempt by faceplanting him into the mat. Walker moves for the anaconda again and Houghland goes to his back before locking up an armbar. Walker is in trouble, so he lifts Houghland up and slams his way out. Houghland transitions for a triangle choke, but it’s not there. Walker seems content to survive on top for now, and that prompts a restart by Yamasaki. Houghland goes for another takedown and gets stopped and but on bottom again, but works for the sweep and eventually manages to put Walker on his back. They finish the fight with both men frantically throwing punches and elbows — Houghland from the top and Walker from the bottom — but it’s more light than heat. MMA Fighting scores 10-9 for Walker.
Jeff Houghland def. Donny Walker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
But this time, Dana White swears, this time he’s really on the chopping block. Do we believe him? Well, after the tired look on his face when discussing his most recent Tito headache with Ariel Helwani yesterday, it’s kind of hard not to.
Ortiz isn’t the only one who can’t afford to post another L on his record this Saturday night, however. For a look at the fighters who really need to win to stay employed, follow me below.
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Ryan Bader Why he’s in danger: Come on, you know why. As Dana White pointed out on Thursday, Ortiz doesn’t have a win since 2006. As White put it: “Dude, it’s 2011. He’s got to win.” Really, the fact that he has made it this long is a miracle, or at least a testament to the power of charisma and name recognition. Ortiz is 0-4-1 in his last five fights. The last man he beat? Ken freaking Shamrock. If Ortiz were anybody else, he’d be long gone from the UFC by now. The irony is that, while it’s his Tito-ness that’s helped him stick around, it’s also his Tito-ness that has made him White’s least favorite employee. They could find a way to work together when Ortiz was still a money-maker, but the more he loses, the less people want to see him. Now he finds himself in a must-win against Bader, who is, honestly, a pretty tough style match-up for him at this point. It’s almost as if the UFC is trying to hasten his exit — and maybe it’s finally time for him to go. Odds of getting cut: even. Let’s face it, Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight. And if he does, he’s certainly getting fired, or so says White. Do the math yourself. Remember to show your work.
Aaron Simpson (8-2, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Brad Tavares Why he’s in danger: For Simpson, the problem is not so much a parade of losses as it is a couple defeats matched with a few less than inspiring wins. He has a couple of exciting fights on his record — a split decision win over Tom Lawlor, a TKO loss to Chris Leben — but when he has it his way, he typically prefers to put his wrestling skills to work and grind one out. We all know how the UFC feels about that approach, so the question is, if he loses to the undefeated Tavares, will that be reason enough to send him on his merry way? Odds of getting cut: 4-1. Don’t get me wrong, Simpson needs this win. Another loss and he’ll drop to 1-3 in his last four. But unless he looks absolutely awful, he should be able to pull the old ‘Please baby, give me one more chance’ and keep his job.
Andre Winner (11-5-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Anthony Njokuani Why he’s in danger: One more loss and Winner will have the dreaded three-fight losing streak on his hands. I know, the last one was in a bizarre way kind of, sort of not his fault in many people’s eyes, since he got trapped against the fence by Nik Lentz for three boring rounds. Still, if you can stop a guy from doing that to you, how much of a future do you really have in the UFC? It’s sad, too, because Winner once had so much promise. He was a real blue-chipper on TUF, then lost the finale and has been up and down ever since. If he’s going to make his case as a legitimate UFC lightweight, he’s got to do it now. The question is, can he? Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. At least Winner knows Njokuani won’t try to stall him in a clinch, which is a start.
Anthony Njokuani (13-5-1, 0-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting: Andre Winner Why he’s in danger: Njokuani ended his WEC run with a 1-2 stint, then rolled right into the UFC with a decision loss. Fortunately for him, that loss came in a thrilling effort that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. If you have to lose in the UFC, that’s definitely the way you want to do it. Then again, a loss is still a loss, and you don’t want to make a habit out of it. Njokuani has earned himself some leeway because of his exciting fighting style, but he’s still after that elusive first UFC win. Even if he doesn’t get it against Winner, he’ll probably get one more chance to shine. Still, with a loss here the situation goes from troubling to desperate. Odds of getting cut: 5-1. His fight with Barboza earned him some goodwill with the UFC brass, so chances are he’s not going anywhere, win or lose. Probably still a good idea to win, though. Just saying.
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
But this time, Dana White swears, this time he’s really on the chopping block. Do we believe him? Well, after the tired look on his face when discussing his most recent Tito headache with Ariel Helwani yesterday, it’s kind of hard not to.
Ortiz isn’t the only one who can’t afford to post another L on his record this Saturday night, however. For a look at the fighters who really need to win to stay employed, follow me below.
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Ryan Bader Why he’s in danger: Come on, you know why. As Dana White pointed out on Thursday, Ortiz doesn’t have a win since 2006. As White put it: “Dude, it’s 2011. He’s got to win.” Really, the fact that he has made it this long is a miracle, or at least a testament to the power of charisma and name recognition. Ortiz is 0-4-1 in his last five fights. The last man he beat? Ken freaking Shamrock. If Ortiz were anybody else, he’d be long gone from the UFC by now. The irony is that, while it’s his Tito-ness that’s helped him stick around, it’s also his Tito-ness that has made him White’s least favorite employee. They could find a way to work together when Ortiz was still a money-maker, but the more he loses, the less people want to see him. Now he finds himself in a must-win against Bader, who is, honestly, a pretty tough style match-up for him at this point. It’s almost as if the UFC is trying to hasten his exit — and maybe it’s finally time for him to go. Odds of getting cut: even. Let’s face it, Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight. And if he does, he’s certainly getting fired, or so says White. Do the math yourself. Remember to show your work.
Aaron Simpson (8-2, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Brad Tavares Why he’s in danger: For Simpson, the problem is not so much a parade of losses as it is a couple defeats matched with a few less than inspiring wins. He has a couple of exciting fights on his record — a split decision win over Tom Lawlor, a TKO loss to Chris Leben — but when he has it his way, he typically prefers to put his wrestling skills to work and grind one out. We all know how the UFC feels about that approach, so the question is, if he loses to the undefeated Tavares, will that be reason enough to send him on his merry way? Odds of getting cut: 4-1. Don’t get me wrong, Simpson needs this win. Another loss and he’ll drop to 1-3 in his last four. But unless he looks absolutely awful, he should be able to pull the old ‘Please baby, give me one more chance’ and keep his job.
Andre Winner (11-5-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Anthony Njokuani Why he’s in danger: One more loss and Winner will have the dreaded three-fight losing streak on his hands. I know, the last one was in a bizarre way kind of, sort of not his fault in many people’s eyes, since he got trapped against the fence by Nik Lentz for three boring rounds. Still, if you can stop a guy from doing that to you, how much of a future do you really have in the UFC? It’s sad, too, because Winner once had so much promise. He was a real blue-chipper on TUF, then lost the finale and has been up and down ever since. If he’s going to make his case as a legitimate UFC lightweight, he’s got to do it now. The question is, can he? Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. At least Winner knows Njokuani won’t try to stall him in a clinch, which is a start.
Anthony Njokuani (13-5-1, 0-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting: Andre Winner Why he’s in danger: Njokuani ended his WEC run with a 1-2 stint, then rolled right into the UFC with a decision loss. Fortunately for him, that loss came in a thrilling effort that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. If you have to lose in the UFC, that’s definitely the way you want to do it. Then again, a loss is still a loss, and you don’t want to make a habit out of it. Njokuani has earned himself some leeway because of his exciting fighting style, but he’s still after that elusive first UFC win. Even if he doesn’t get it against Winner, he’ll probably get one more chance to shine. Still, with a loss here the situation goes from troubling to desperate. Odds of getting cut: 5-1. His fight with Barboza earned him some goodwill with the UFC brass, so chances are he’s not going anywhere, win or lose. Probably still a good idea to win, though. Just saying.
Filed under: UFC, NewsThe UFC’s July pay-per-view offering is rapidly filling, as Thursday morning the promotion announced it has added a lightweight bout pitting strikers Anthony Njokuani and Andre Winner.
The UFC’s July pay-per-view offering is rapidly filling, as Thursday morning the promotion announced it has added a lightweight bout pitting strikers Anthony Njokuani and Andre Winner.
The event, UFC 132, will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 2.
Njokuani, 13-5, 1 no contest, is fresh off his UFC debut. Less than a month ago, he fought a close, three-round standup battle with Edson Barboza, but lost in a unanimous decision. For his troubles, though, he received a Fight of the Night bonus.
Filed under: UFC, NewsIn a battle of two European lightweights, Germany’s Dennis Siver put on a great show in front of the hometown fans in Oberhausen, Germany, submitting England’s Andre Winner in the first round of their fight Saturday at UFC 122.
In a battle of two European lightweights, Germany’s Dennis Siver put on a great show in front of the hometown fans in Oberhausen, Germany, submitting England’s Andre Winner in the first round of their fight Saturday at UFC 122.
“Thank you very much to the German crowd, to the German public,” the victorious Siver said afterward. “It was my duty to win here. It was the most important thing in my life.”
Siver first dropped Winner with a big left hand to the nose, then pounced on Winner on the ground, took his back, and sunk in a rear-naked choke to force Winner to tap at 3:37 of the first round. It was an extremely impressive showing for the well-rounded Siver, improving his professional record to 17-7, including nine wins by submission.
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at 
The UFC’s July pay-per-view offering is rapidly filling, as Thursday morning the promotion announced it has added a lightweight bout pitting strikers 
In a battle of two European lightweights, Germany’s