WSOF 14: “Shields vs. Ford” came and went last night from Edmonton’s Expo Centre in Alberta, Canada, with the majority of the focus on a former UFC and Strikeforce combatant looking to regain his flair.
In a card billed as USA vs. Canada (borrowed from pro wrestling, of course), a welterweight title shot was on the line, as Jake Shields took on Ryan Ford in the main event. The co-main event featured the inaugural heavyweight championship bout between Derrick Mehmen and Smealinho Rama, and also on the main card, Canadian MMA veteran Chris Horodecki battled Luis Huete and Jared Hamman took on Luke Harris.
Check out the GIF highlights and the complete results below (all via Zombie Prophet):
WSOF 14: “Shields vs. Ford” came and went last night from Edmonton’s Expo Centre in Alberta, Canada, with the majority of the focus on a former UFC and Strikeforce combatant looking to regain his flair.
In a card billed as USA vs. Canada (borrowed from pro wrestling, of course), a welterweight title shot was on the line, as Jake Shields took on Ryan Ford in the main event. The co-main event featured the inaugural heavyweight championship bout between Derrick Mehmen and Smealinho Rama, and also on the main card, Canadian MMA veteran Chris Horodecki battled Luis Huete and Jared Hamman took on Luke Harris.
Check out the GIF highlights and the complete results below (all via Zombie Prophet):
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Mike Malott
The prelims were nothing to boast about, but we got this highlight of Hakeem Dawodu blasting Mike Malott, just because.
Jared Hamman vs. Luke Harris
The main card opened up with UFC veteran Jared Hamman against TUF:Nations alumnus Luke Harris, and it’s safe to say the former was a tad too much to handle. Hamman was treating Harris like a punching bag until his eventual death, but thank God the official stepped in when the Albertan’s knees his the mat.
Chris Horodecki vs. Luis Huete
This one was by far the card’s snoozer of the night, as the “Polish Hammer” used his wrestling abilities to best his opponent. He took Huete down at will, sometimes inactive and forced to stand up through the course of their bout.
Derrick Mehmen vs. Smealinho Rama
This fight would crown the promotion’s first heavyweight champion, with the 22-year-old prospect seizing the opportunity and finishing Mehmen in brutal fashion. It only took him 51 seconds to capture the gold, rocking and dropping “Caveman” multiple times.
Jake Shields vs. Ryan Ford
The Skrap Pack member acquired his first stoppage victory since 2009 (!), submitting Ryan Ford in the first round. The former Strikeforce champ hit the ground after Ford threw his first punch (a jab), but Shields recovered and eventually brought the “Real Deal” to the mat and sunk in a rear-naked choke. Successful in his first fight since his UFC release, Shields will take on the winner of Rousimar Palhares vs. Jon Fitch for the WSOF welterweight strap. Call me a masochist, but I’ve been waiting years for Shields vs. Fitch, and goodness gracious, I hope it happens.
Here are the complete WSOF 14 results:
Main Card
Jake Shields def. Ryan Ford via submission (rear naked choke), 4:29 of round 1.
Smealinho Rama def. Derrick Mehmen via TKO (punches), 0:51 of round 1.
Chris Horodecki def. Luis Huete via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Jared Hamman def. Luke Harris via TKO (punches), 2:27 of round 1.
Preliminary Card
Tim Hague def. Craig Hudson via TKO (punches), 2:55 of round 3.
Hakeem Dawodu def. Mike Malott via TKO (punches and elbows), 4:13 of round 1.
Matt Baker def. Cody Krahn via submission (armbar), 2:28 of round 1.
Roger Alves def. David Swanson via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Last night, Bellator 119 was held at Casino Rama in Orillia, a sleepy town about two hours north of Toronto. By some standards, the show was a success—it featured performances by a talented, well-matched card punctuated with Daniel Weichel (33-8) finishing Desmond Green (11-2) via rear naked choke in the second round of the featherweight tournament finale. It was the type of mid-level show that has proved financially sustainable in the gritty dog-eat-dog world of MMA promotions. Regardless of sweeping reports from Sherdog.com and MMAFighting.com that Eddie Alvarez is pulling out of the inaugural Bellator pay-per-view show next week (reports that Bjorn Rebney denied at the post-fight presser), the promotion’soverall prospects for expansion are limited.
On the undercard of Bellator 119, Brazilian featherweight Marlon Sandro faced London, Ontario native Chris Horodecki. Sandro controlled the pace, committing to his strikes and dominating Horodecki to earn the judge’s decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27). At the post-fight presser, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney explained reasons why the bout was intentionally hidden among the untelevised preliminary bouts:
“Ran into some difficult contract situations that came to light in the last 24-48 hours before the fight…we all felt it was a better decision to keep the [Sandro-Horodecki] fight off TV and not exacerbate a bad situation,” said Rebney. “We got a lot of claims coming in from other camps that were claiming an interest in Chris Horodecki. We didn’t want to put him in a horrible spot of receiving a big lawsuit.”
Chris Horodecki has fought in three separate promotions since his last three-fight Bellator stint. If he is still under contract to another promotion, Horodecki needs to question his management for placing him in the precarious lose-lose position of limited exposure and shortchanging Bellator’s TV product.
Last night, Bellator 119 was held at Casino Rama in Orillia, a sleepy town about two hours north of Toronto. By some standards, the show was a success—it featured performances by a talented, well-matched card punctuated with Daniel Weichel (33-8) finishing Desmond Green (11-2) via rear naked choke in the second round of the featherweight tournament finale. It was the type of mid-level show that has proved financially sustainable in the gritty dog-eat-dog world of MMA promotions. Regardless of sweeping reports from Sherdog.com and MMAFighting.com that Eddie Alvarez is pulling out of the inaugural Bellator pay-per-view show next week (reports that Bjorn Rebney denied at the post-fight presser), the promotion’s overall prospects for expansion are limited.
On the undercard of Bellator 119, Brazilian featherweight Marlon Sandro faced London, Ontario native Chris Horodecki. Sandro controlled the pace, committing to his strikes and dominating Horodecki to earn the judge’s decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27). At the post-fight presser, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney explained reasons why the bout was intentionally hidden among the untelevised preliminary bouts:
“Ran into some difficult contract situations that came to light in the last 24-48 hours before the fight…we all felt it was a better decision to keep the [Sandro-Horodecki] fight off TV and not exacerbate a bad situation,” said Rebney. “We got a lot of claims coming in from other camps that were claiming an interest in Chris Horodecki. We didn’t want to put him in a horrible spot of receiving a big lawsuit.”
Chris Horodecki has fought in three separate promotions since his last three-fight Bellator stint. If he is still under contract to another promotion, Horodecki needs to question his management for placing him in the precarious lose-lose position of limited exposure and shortchanging Bellator’s TV product.
Heavyweights Raphael Butler and Nick Rossborough started with a bang and finished with both men out of gas. Butler intentionally fouled Rossborough with a head butt in the first round when Rossborough had Butler’s back. The ref took a point and restarted them on the feet; Butler took control from there onwards, clearly winning the final two rounds. After the fight, Rossborough claimed to have no memory of what transpired after the head butt; the judges scored the fight 28-27, 28-28 and 28-28 making it a majority draw.
In the other televised bouts, Marius Zaromskis low-kicked Canadian Vaughn Anderson’s leg into hamburger en route to a decision win; Canadian John Alessio used his veteran experience to outwrestle Eric Wisely and grind out a decision win.
For all the skill on display, Bellator has a ceiling in terms of how successful the promotion can become as its homegrown talent is handicapped in terms of perception and marketability. For instance, the May 17 pay per view relies heavily on UFC veterans Quinton Jackson and Tito Ortiz. If Eddie Alvarez fulfills the final fight on his Bellator contract when he recovers from his concussion and is signed to the UFC, he may prove himself equally skilled or superior to UFC lightweights; Bellator would win a moral victory but that wouldn’t necessarily translate into higher viewership for Bellator lightweights like Michael Chandler.
To become a player in the pay per view market, Bellator needs to sign UFC stars at the zenith of their popularity like Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey or Nick Diaz. Assuming Viacom would pony up the scratch, standard contractual language like the 12-month matching clause poses a tremendous problem. When Bellator attempted to acquire Gilbert Melendez, all the UFC had to do was outbid Bellator once and Melendez became UFC property once again.
“God bless Gilbert Melendez, we made him a very rich man,” claimed Rebney. “We made him an offer. The matching clause is in place, he is now the highest paid lightweight the UFC has—[and] one of the highest paid fighters the UFC has fighting in any division.”
Strategically, the UFC will continue to sign its marquee fighters to long-term contracts and match any offers made to their most marketable fighters in order to retain the dominant market position.
Still, Rebney is optimistic about Bellator’s offerings for its first pay per view show, “I think people need to look at it in the context of a fighting event, and not think about branding.”
In fact, the strength of the UFC brand is part of why the promotion remains content to offer an increasingly watered-down product with an escalating frequency of shows. However, some fans are getting wise to the game and are becoming increasingly critical; the UFC has no reason to change unless said fans vote with their pocketbooks.
If Bellator gets its first PPV card off the ground despite Alvarez’s injury and somehow manages to land near the break-even point, future shows will have to be cobbled together using a mix of former UFC fighters and homegrown talent. Throughout this, Bellator will need to stop the UFC from poaching their brightest stars, as was the strategy when Eddie Alvarez attempted to sign with the UFC and Bellator invoked their right to match the offer.
All in all, there’s a lot to be considered for the long-term health of the sport. Having a second major promotion would benefit the industry in every way imaginable, but whether Bellator can survive business forces long enough to be a contender remains a topic for debate.
(“He’s never going to be forgotten. I think about him still every day and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.” – Sam Stout)
We caught up with consummate crowd favorite Sam Stout over the weekend at the MMA Expo in Toronto and we touched on a number of topics, including how the healing process is going for him and his Team Tompkins teammates since losing friend and mentor Shawn Tompkins. We also spoke about how the team is rallying behind Mark Hominick this weekend as “The Machine” gets set to take to the Octagon for the first time in his career without “The Coach” in his corner Saturday night when he takes on “The Korean Zombie.”
Stout is candid about the affect Tompkins’ death had on him and he reveals the team’s plans moving forward. Definitely a must-watch interview.
Check it out after the jump.
(“He’s never going to be forgotten. I think about him still every day and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.” – Sam Stout)
We caught up with consummate crowd favorite Sam Stout over the weekend at the MMA Expo in Toronto and we touched on a number of topics, including how the healing process is going for him and his Team Tompkins teammates since losing friend and mentor Shawn Tompkins. We also spoke about how the team is rallying behind Mark Hominick this weekend as “The Machine” gets set to take to the Octagon for the first time in his career without “The Coach” in his corner Saturday night when he takes on “The Korean Zombie.”
Stout is candid about the affect Tompkins’ death had on him and he reveals the team’s plans moving forward. Definitely a must-watch interview.
Check it out below.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/CagePotato)
Editor’s note: If you’re wondering why Sam’s eyes are diverted throughout the interview, it’s because a line-up of girls who wanted to talk to the affable Canadian began to form beside us as we conducted the interview. They all waited until his scheduled signing time at the Xyience booth was up to come back to chat with him and were waiting patiently at both sides of the booth.
(Although he will never be able to replace “The Coach” Stout says he knows he will have to find new trainers to work with eventually.)
UFC lightweight Sam Stout appeared on Mauro Ranallo’s The MMA Show podcast yesterday and the longtime Team Tompkins fighter revealed his reason for bowing out of his upcoming UFC 137 bout with Dennis Siver in October.
As expected, Stout says he’s still grieving the loss of his longtime trainer, mentor, best friend and brother-in-law, Shawn Tompkins who passed away suddenly earlier this month and has not decided where or with whom he will train with, but the decision, which will take a lot of soul searching to make, won’t be his alone to make.
“Shawn has been my coach since I got into the sport. I’ve never had a fight, dating back to my kickboxing career…I’ve never had a fight, without him training me for it and without him being in my corner…I’m not one of these guys who’s jumped around from coach to coach over the years and trained with lots of people,” he says. “He’s taught me really everything I know about mixed martial arts. And not only that, he was a lot more than that to me. He was a brother and a trusted friend and confidant and really, my mentor. Definitely the most influential person in my life. I’m going to have to wait for the dust to settle a little bit before I’m ready to get back in there and figure out what I’m going to do in terms of coaching. I’m really just unsure of what I’m going to do right now.We’ve discussed it and you’re going to see some changes being made to the team, but we don’t think Shawn would have wanted us to all go join other teams. He would have wanted us to stick together.”
(Although he will never be able to replace “The Coach” Stout says he knows he will have to find new trainers to work with eventually.)
As expected, Stout says he’s still grieving the loss of his longtime trainer, mentor, best friend and brother-in-law, Shawn Tompkins who passed away suddenly earlier this month and has not decided where or with whom he will train with, but the decision, which will take a lot of soul searching to make, won’t be his alone to make.
“Shawn has been my coach since I got into the sport. I’ve never had a fight, dating back to my kickboxing career…I’ve never had a fight, without him training me for it and without him being in my corner…I’m not one of these guys who’s jumped around from coach to coach over the years and trained with lots of people,” he says. “He’s taught me really everything I know about mixed martial arts. And not only that, he was a lot more than that to me. He was a brother and a trusted friend and confidant and really, my mentor. Definitely the most influential person in my life. I’m going to have to wait for the dust to settle a little bit before I’m ready to get back in there and figure out what I’m going to do in terms of coaching. I’m really just unsure of what I’m going to do right now.We’ve discussed it and you’re going to see some changes being made to the team, but we don’t think Shawn would have wanted us to all go join other teams. He would have wanted us to stick together.”
According to Stout, he and teammates Chris Horodecki and Mark Hominick — the trio of fighters who along with Tompkins made the TT brand a household name in MMA, haven’t decided whether or not they will step back in the cage this year as it’s too early to decide given the fact that their mentor passed so recently, but when they do, they’ll have each other’s backs.
“I don’t want to speak for the other guys, but I’m fairly sure Horodecki pulled out of his fight in September. I think Mark’s still trying to decide what he’s going to do, but he’s leaning towards sticking with the [UFC 140] fight in Toronto,” he says. “If Mark goes out and chooses to stick with this fight in December, and I think he’s going to, he’s going to have me and Chris walking out right behind him and we’re going to show a strong front because we’re family and that’s what Shawn would have wanted.”
Sam also touched on the irony that a seemingly fit trainer who was known for strapping on the gloves and sparring with and hitting a bag alongside his fighters would die from a heart attack.
“It’s just one of those things. You think you’re somebody who works out every day and you think you’re invincible. He wasn’t the type of guy to go see doctors. He was kind of an old school type of person,” he points out. “It was just one of these fluke things. A 37-year-old guy who devoted his life to fitness and exercise, it just blindsided everybody.”
MMAJunkie is reporting that Donald Cerrone (16-3) has agreed to step in for Sam Stout against Dennis Siver (19-7) at UFC 137 October 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Although it is unclear whether or not Stout is injured, it could simply be a case of the Canadian lightweight standout needing more time to deal with the sudden passing of his best friend, brother-in-law, mentor and trainer Shawn Tompkins earlier this month before fighting his first bout without “The Coach” in his corner.
(Should be a decent scrap.)
MMAJunkie is reporting that Donald Cerrone (16-3) has agreed to step in for Sam Stout against Dennis Siver (19-7) at UFC 137 October 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Although it is unclear whether or not Stout is injured, it could simply be a case of the Canadian lightweight standout needing more time to deal with the sudden passing of his best friend, brother-in-law, mentor and trainer Shawn Tompkins earlier this month before fighting his first bout without “The Coach” in his corner.
Stout’s teammate Chris Horodecki backed out of a scheduled September bout in Canada last week as well and is rumored to be having a tough time dealing with the loss of Tompkins who was like a father figure to the young fighter.
The bout will be the fourth this year for Cerrone who is 5-0 in his last five outings, including three inside the UFC Octagon.
Siver is no slouch either, having won his past four fights including an impressive win over George Sotiropoulos at UFC 127 in February and a razor-close decision over Matt Wiman at UFC 132 in July.
The event will be headlined by a welterweight championship bout between former Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz and UFC 170-pound kingpin Georges St-Pierre and a number one contender match between BJ Penn and Carlos Condit.
UFC 137
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
Welterweight Championship Bout
Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz
BJ Penn vs. Carlos Condit
Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione
Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone
Mirko Filipovi? vs. Roy Nelson
George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki
Eliot Marshall vs. Brandon Vera
Tim Credeur vs. Brad Tavares
Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyson Griffin
Danny Downes vs. Ramsey Nijem
According to Shawn Tompkins’ brother-in-law and longtime friend and fighter Sam Stout, the revered Ingersoll, Ontario-born trainer died from a heart attack.
Stout revealed the tragic news to the London Free Press on Tuesday.
“I don’t know what to say,” Stout said. “It’s not supposed to be happen to a healthy 37-year-old person. Who would think he had to get checked out for that?”
According to Shawn Tompkins’ brother-in-law and longtime friend and fighter Sam Stout, the revered Ingersoll, Ontario-born trainer died from a heart attack.
Stout revealed the tragic news to the London Free Press on Tuesday.
“I don’t know what to say,” Stout said. “It’s not supposed to be happen to a healthy 37-year-old person. Who would think he had to get checked out for that?”
Tompkins went to bed at a friend’s house following an MMA event in Hamilton, Ontario Saturday night and did not wake up. News of the affable 37-year-old’s passing sent shockwaves through the close-knit MMA community and cast a cloud over Sunday night’s UFC Live on Versus 5 event after UFC commentator Mike Goldberg announced the tragedy during the broadcast.
Funeral arrangements are being made today. Stout’s sister and Tompkins’ widow, Emilie arrived in London last night and will be making funeral arrangements for her husband today with the help of her supportive family.
A memorial is being planned for Tompkins in his adopted hometown of Las Vega, Nevada where he lived for the past four years and trained and coached some of MMA’s best fighters including Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Mark Coleman, Gray Maynard, Jay Hieron and Karo Parisyan at Xtreme Couture and TapouT Training Center. A proud Canadian, Tompkins told me in an interview just over a week ago that he moved to the U.S. to help his core team of Stout, Mark Hominick and Chris Horodecki by expanding the depth of their pool of talented training partners and to spread the teachings he adopted from his mentor, Bas Rutten’s system.
A memorial guestbook has been established for fans and friends wishing to express their sympathies to Shawn’s Team Tompkins family.
Tompkins’ manager Gary Ibarra from AMR Group has set up The Shawn Tompkins Memorial Fund, which is currently accepting contributions to assist Emilie with funeral and burial costs.
“Shawn was more than a client,” Ibarra stated via press release. “His passion and vision for MMA was infectious, evident by how he could motivate his fighters to become better athletes and people.On behalf of AMR Group’s athletes and staff, we extend our deepest sympathies to Emilie, Sam and Shawn’s entire family. His spirit will live on in our hearts.”
To contribute to Tompkins’ memorial fund, send an email to [email protected]. Details of the memorial service will be announced in the coming days at AMRGroup.tv.
