A second championship rematch has been added to the upcoming World Series of Fighting 32 event, as bantamweight titleholder Marlon Moraes meets Josh Hill.
Set for July 30 from the XFINITY Arena in Everett, Washington, the main card airs live on NBC …
A second championship rematch has been added to the upcoming World Series of Fighting 32 event, as bantamweight titleholder Marlon Moraes meets Josh Hill.
Set for July 30 from the XFINITY Arena in Everett, Washington, the main card airs live on NBC Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Previously, featherweight champion Alexandre Almeida vs. former champion Lance Palmer was to serve as the headline fight. That contest will now be the co-main event for the event, which also features Ben “Phoenix Jones” Fodor vs. Caros Fodor in a meeting of adopted brothers.
Moraes (16-4-1) earned a decision victory over Hill (14-1) almost two years ago, defending his title in the process. He is currently on an 11-fight win streak that features three successful defenses of his belt.
Hill’s lone loss in his career came at the hands of Moraes back at WSOF 18. He recently bested Bendy Casimir to get back in the win column.
Rousimar Palhares and Yushin Okami were the stars at last night’s World Series of Fighting 9. Both fighters crushed their respective cans, and got write-ups on MMA sites across the web because their “UFC veteran” status makes them more page view friendly.
This fight was a horrifically one-sided mismatch. Rettinghouse couldn’t compete with Moraes in any area of MMA. As the bout dragged on, Moraes’ leg kicks started to take their toll. Rettinghouse was reduced to hobbling and then Nick Serra-level buttscooting. Rettinghouse had little to no chance of victory by the time the “championship rounds” started. The media knew it. The referee knew it. Rettinghouse’s corner likely knew it as well. The fight went the full five rounds, but it was over long before the judges submitted scorecards. It shouldn’t have made it that far. It should’ve been stopped.
Unfortunately for Rettinghouse’s legs, such behavior is an anathema to MMA culture. MMA, the ultimate dude-bro sport, values a glamorized Spartan ethos that never considers the results of its “come back with your shield—or on it,” mantra. Fans, fighters, coaches, and everyone in between agree almost unanimously that getting knocked out is better than quitting on your stool between rounds, and that (s)napping is better than tapping. It’s better to let a fighter “go out on their shield” than stop a fight too early, robbing the winner of undisputed victory and the loser of honor in defeat.
Rousimar Palhares and Yushin Okami were the stars at last night’s World Series of Fighting 9. Both fighters crushed their respective cans, and got write-ups on MMA sites across the web because their “UFC veteran” status makes them more page view friendly.
This fight was a horrifically one-sided mismatch. Rettinghouse couldn’t compete with Moraes in any area of MMA. As the bout dragged on, Moraes’ leg kicks started to take their toll. Rettinghouse was reduced to hobbling and then Nick Serra-level buttscooting. Rettinghouse had little to no chance of victory by the time the “championship rounds” started. The media knew it. The referee knew it. Rettinghouse’s corner likely knew it as well. Nevertheless, the fight went the full five rounds. It shouldn’t have made it that far. It should’ve been stopped.
Unfortunately for Rettinghouse’s legs, such behavior is an anathema to MMA culture. MMA, the ultimate dude-bro sport, values a glamorized Spartan ethos that never considers the consequences of its “come back with your shield—or on it,” mantra. Fans, fighters, coaches, and everyone in between agree almost unanimously that getting knocked out is better than quitting on your stool between rounds, and that (s)napping is better than tapping. It’s better to let a fighter “go out on their shield” than stop a fight too early, robbing the winner of undisputed victory and the loser of honor in defeat. Josh Barnett once admitted that he’d rather die than let a fight end prematurely.
One could argue that such behavior is admirable, necessary, and worthwhile on the sport’s grandest stages. At the highest level of any physically taxing sport, sacrifices must be made. However, this attitude trickles down to the lower-levels, which is exceedingly dangerous for younger and less experienced fighters.
During the Moraes-Rettinghouse match, Bloody Elbow staff writer Zane Simon joked that there was “nothing like potentially destroying your career for a regional MMA title.” He was right, and CagePotato’s own George Shunick echoed this sentiment. The fight was no such thing; it was a beat down that the referee or Rettinghouse’s own corner should have ended. Rettinghouse gained nothing by continuing, and risked everything. We like to tout MMA’s safety, conveniently forgetting this sport can be lethal. Fortunately, Rettinghouse wasn’t in severe danger as it was only his legs that were being tenderized. But seeing a fighter continue despite being concussed (“rocked”) multiple times is common. We praise these fighters as modern-day warriors and worship their toughness. We deride those who realize fleeting glory isn’t worth forgetting your child’s name a few decades from now as cowards who don’t belong in the cage. We beg corners, referees, and doctors not to stop fights. Let them go out on their shield.
There is no honor in being knocked senseless or in not tapping. Bold displays of bravado demonstrate the innate foolishness of MMA’s culture, not mental and physical fortitude; we believe it’s better to prove toughness and risk permanent injury rather than concede defeat and convey weakness. Renzo Gracie ascended into legend when he let Kazushi Sakuraba snap his arm, but Chris Leben received no such praise for electing to avoid further head trauma and physical abuse against Uriah Hall at UFC 168.
MMA needs more behavior like Leben’s. The sport needs to dispel its culture of prizing punishment above precaution. Fighters have more courage than sense, and if we’re going to discourage cornermen, officials, and doctors from doing their jobs, we might as well take MMA back into the 1990′s.
Special thanks to Oliver Chan and photographer Rick Albrecht for the photos.
If there’s one thing that I took away from last night’s World Series of Fighting card, it was that even a high profile promotion that puts on a night of entertaining fights is going to encounter some hiccups during its second event. Join us as we relive the highs and lows from WSoF 2.
The Good:
Anthony Johnson looked legitimate at heavyweight: Heading into last night’s main event, a lot was riding on Anthony “Rumble” Johnson actually fighting like a true heavyweight and not just looking like one. With all of the focus from fans and pundits alike on the “former UFC welterweight” issue, a poor showing from Johnson could have caused many fans to dismiss WSoF as an organization of squash matches and freak show fights. Fortunately for the organization, last night Rumble proved that his fight against Andrei Arlovski didn’t deserve freak show status. Johnson was too quick for Arlovski early on, and almost finished the fight before the end of the first round. He may have gassed out early – that’ll happen when you take a knee to the juevos during your first fight as a heavyweight – but at least he demonstrated that he’s capable of being a competent heavyweight if Ray Sefo needs him to be one again.
Special thanks to Oliver Chan and photographer Rick Albrecht for the photos.
If there’s one thing that I took away from last night’s World Series of Fighting card, it was that even a high profile promotion that puts on a night of entertaining fights is going to encounter some hiccups during its second event. Join us as we relive the highs and lows from WSoF 2.
The Good:
Anthony Johnson looked legitimate at heavyweight: Heading into last night’s main event, a lot was riding on Anthony “Rumble” Johnson actually fighting like a true heavyweight and not just looking like one. With all of the focus from fans and pundits alike on the “former UFC welterweight” issue, a poor showing from Johnson could have caused many fans to dismiss WSoF as an organization of squash matches and freak show fights. Fortunately for the organization, last night Rumble proved that his fight against Andrei Arlovski didn’t deserve freak show status. Johnson was too quick for Arlovski early on, and almost finished the fight before the end of the first round. He may have gassed out early – that’ll happen when you take a knee to the juevos during your first fight as a heavyweight – but at least he demonstrated that he’s capable of being a competent heavyweight if Ray Sefo needs him to be one again.
Marlon Moraes Proves his Win Over Miguel Torres Wasn’t a Fluke: Marlon Moraes vs. Tyson Nam was a battle between two fighters that many fans aren’t familiar with, but should be. Just 2:35 into the first round, “the guy who beat Torres” finished ”the guy who beat Bellator’s champion“ with a devastating head kick. Moraes vs. Nam proved to be an entertaining co-main event that established Moraes as a legitimate bantamweight contender. As an added bonus for WSoF, Marlon Moraes is essentially a “home grown” prospect, in the sense that unlike Arlovski, Torres, Fitch and Johnson, Moraes isn’t already known for his previous work in a different major promotion. It’ll be interesting to see who the promotion will find to challenge Moraes next.
Josh Burkman’s Knockout Over Aaron Simpson: There may not have been a lot of action leading up to it, but Burkman’s knee to Simpson’s head was a great finish. Burkman now improves to 7-1 since being released from the UFC in 2008, and a rematch against Jon Fitch appears to be inevitable.
The Bad:
Where Does Andrei Arlovski Go From Here? Arlovski may be 4-1 with one no contest in his last six fights, but I think it’s safe to say that last night’s performance proved that his days as anything more than a Sylvia-esque sideshow are limited. I hate to sound be so negative, but let’s face it: Arlovski is a mid-level heavyweight at this point of his career. An accomplished one who can still beat the not-quite-readies and never-weres of the division, but one nonetheless. His loss to Anthony Johnson demonstrated that his days as a major organization’s champion are clearly behind him. Even when he was awarded the final round, it felt like Arlovski won it because Johnson was too tired to do so himself. So now the question is, what does WSoF do with him? Do they continue to pay him former heavyweight champion money to crush cans? Do they sacrifice him to a promising upstart? Or do they just throw dignity to the wind and bring in Tim Sylvia?
Cage-Gate: Believe it or not, up until two hours before the preliminary fights, there was the possibility that there wouldn’t be a World Series of Fighting II. Up until then, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board had issues with the corner pads and canvas WSoF initially planned on using in the cage and refused to approve it for competition. You can read more details on the almost-catastrophe here, and feel relieved that your Saturday night was not ruined by sloppy event planning. Of course, that wasn’t the only case of minor league shenanigans to come from the event…
The Ugly:
Sweet Gloves, Bro. I Bet You Trane UFC:
Now that’s some minor league, Mickey Mouse bullshit. You would think that someone at World Series of Fighting – or NBC, for that matter – would have bought the guy a different pair of gloves instead of putting their faith in a strip of tape.
Whatever Paulo Filho Did for Three Rounds: There are two very good reasons no other semi-legitimate promotion on the planet wants anything to do with Paulo Filho. For starters, despite having all of the necessary skills to be a great fighter, Filho’s life is such a tragic whirlwind of addiction, insanity and unreliability that he’s a headache for promoters. If that doesn’t scare you away from signing him, then know that he couldn’t give less of a fuck about fighting, even when he’s locked in a cage with someone trying to hurt him. When he unretired (*sigh*) to kick Ninja Rua’s ass one last time, World Series of Fighting apparently saw something that led them to believe that he could be placed on the main card of WSoF 2 without making a mockery out of the organization. Predictably, if the pre-fight panic-attack wasn’t enough to make Sefo and co. regret their decision, the three rounds of bullshit against Dave Branch probably was. The saddest part here is that Branch looked great – or at least I think he did – but it’s impossible to put too much stock in a victory over a guy who doesn’t want to even be in the cage.
JZ Calvalcante’s Face After His Fight Against Justin Gaethje:
Entering the bout, the 7-0 Justin Gaethje showed a lot of promise, but like most young up-and-comers, held zero notable victories to his name. Well, unless you count his unnecessarily sad knockout over the troubled Drew Fickett, in which case, we might not have the same definition of “notable.” Gaethje kicked off the main card by butchering JZ Calvalcante’s face on the way to a doctor’s stoppage. Early stoppage? I don’t think a cut above the eye is something to take lightly, but I also wouldn’t be opposed to a rematch, either.
Our man Oliver Chan is on the scene tonight at the Revel Casino, where he and photographer Rick Albrecht will be posting round-by-round updates, commentary, and visual aids after the jump, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest from the NBC Sports Network main card broadcast, and let your voices be heard in the comments section.
Our man Oliver Chan is on the scene tonight at the Revel Casino, where he and photographer Rick Albrecht will be posting round-by-round updates, commentary, and visual aids after the jump, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest from the NBC Sports Network main card broadcast, and let your voices be heard in the comments section.
Please stand by.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I would like to wish myself a happy 32nd birthday on this lovely Saturday evening where I am sitting cage-side at the World Series of Fighting 2 coming at you LIVE on NBC Sports. We’ll be bringing some of the action to you live on CagePotato as well. But first, here are the prelims:
Frank Buenafuente vs. Bill Alego
Alego wins by Rear Naked Choke at 4:26 in the 2nd round
BrensonHansen vs. Tom Marcellino
Hansen wins by KO at 3:24 in the 2nd round
Chris Wade vs. Ozzie Dugulubgov
Ozzie (yeah, not attempting that name again) wins by Unanimous Decision
Igor Gracie vs. Rich Patishnock
Rich Patishnock wins after doctor stoppage (athough Igor clearly had won the round)
Waylon Lowe vs. Cameron Dollar
Waylon Lowe wins via 1st Round KO
Rick Glenn vs. Alexandre Pimentel
Rick Glenn wins via KO at 1:51 in the 3rd round
Danillo Villefort vs. Kris McCray
Villefort via split-decision
Main Event Coming Up!
JZ Calvalcante vs. Justin Gaethje
Well, for this fight, I will definitely be referring to these fighters by their first names.
Round 1
Justin comes in with a couple of leg-kicks. JZ shoots for the takedown, but Justin defends connects with some heavy fists. Justin gets JZ against the fence and hits with some more combos. JZ eats some knees from the clinch. Justin slips after some monster knees and a series of punches in bunches, JZ takes the action to the center of the ring. Justin gets JZ back against the fence and delivers some bone-crunching elbows to the face. JZ struggles to get off the fence as Justin continues to deliver powerful uppercuts to the face of JZ who is now bloody.
Ref halts the action to have the doctor examin JV’s face which has a rather large gash above the eye. Doctor comes in to check out the wound and calls the fight.
JZ is pretty pissed that the fight was stopped, understandably since he can still continue, however that giant gash above his eye will only get worse if they continue.
Justin Gaethje wins by Doctor’s Stoppate at 2:27 of the first round
Josh Burkman vs. Aaron Simpson
Simpson coming out to Quiet Riot.
Josh Burkman Twisted Sister. Lot of 80s hair-band music… We are SO in New Jersey right now.
Round 1
Simpson ties up Burkman against the fence. Burkman reverses. The two separate and square off again. Simpson is bleeding from the mouth. Burkman drops Simpson to one knee with a vicious right hook. The two square off again. Nasty leg-kick by Burkman. He unleashes on Simpson! Gets him against the fence KNEE TO THE HEAD! Simpson is down and the ref jumps in to end it.
The round started off pretty slow, but ended with a huge exclamation point.
Final decision coming up.
Burkman wins by KO 3:04 in the first
Burkman: “Jon Fitch needs to earn his title-shot”
Paulo Filho vs. David Branch
Branch channeling his inner Wandy with his entrance music.
Round 1
Branch pops Filho with a few jabs before taking hi down to the mat. He’s in Filho’s half-guard looking to ass. Branch works some GnP from the half-guard.
There’s certainly some Brooklyn fans here.
Branch is landing some hard shots to Filho’s mid-section. While in the half-guard.
And there’s a failed attempt to start a “U.S.A.” chant.
Branch passes the guard into the mount, but Filho is able to get Branch in his full guard before any damage can be done. Branch works some body shts from the guard. He has Filho up against the cage. Filo attempts some sweeps from the guard. Branch is able to defend and works some shots from the guard.
Yep… Here come the boo-birds… Like they can do better.
Branch lands some more shots now from the guard as the round ends.
Round goes to Branch 10-9.
Round 2
The two square off in the center. Branch drops FIlho with a kick to the midsection. Filho scrables up and Branch lands some strong combos. FIlho lands an overhand, but Branch drops him to the knees. Filho gets up, Branch lands the double leg and pins Filho to the cage. Filho stands up, but is tied up against the cage. Ref separates them.
Filho with a left hook. Branch ducks, double leg into side control. Branch in the mounted crucifix. ands some shots to Filho’s head a la Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn. Filho attempts to rll into Branch. Filho is looking tired. Branch flattens Filho out and keeps popping Filho in the head. Branch attempts to transition into the mount, but goes back to side control. Filho attempts to hip out, but Branch again flattens out his shoulders. Branch lands some elbows to the face and body from side control. Now adding knees into the mix. Branch gets the knee on belly, but moves back to side control. Branch goes to north-south and lands more body shots to Filho’s midsection. End of round 2.
Branch dominates the second round. Easily another 10-9 to the Renzo Gracie fighter.
Round 3
Filho attempts a spinning back kick, but it’s stuffed by branch who gts into th mount and lands some vicious ground and pound. Filho gets Branch into his half guard as Branch continues to land some powerful elbows. Filho can’t seem to get out of the bottom position as Branch continues to land some powerful body shots while in the half guard. Filho gets Branch into the full-guard and lands some elbows, but Branch continues to control Filho from inside the guard.
Ref stands the up and the crowd cheers.
Branch gets Filho into the clinch against the fence and lands some knees. The separate and a left kick by Branch. Branch gets Filho against the fence again, knees to the face and body. Branch gets the double leg and some more ground and pound and the round ends.
Branch easily takes the third once again 10-9.
Official decision: David Branch wins by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Tyson Nam vs. Marlon Moraes
Moraes coming out to some 90s Nirvana. I like.
Round 1
Tyson and Moraes feel each other out for a bit. Moraes starts to throw some heavy hands, but does not connect. He lands a strong leg kick on Nam. Nam comes in with a cross, Moraes steps away and lands a hard body kick. Morares and Nam exchange a few punches. Moraes with a nice combo. Moraes takes Nam down, but unable to capitalize as Nam quickly gets to his feet. Moraes lands a ROUND HOUSE Kick to the head and Nam is OUT!!!!
Official Decision: Moraes wins by KO 2:35 in the 1st Round
Andrei Arlovski vs. Anthony Johnson
Get ready for the main event. Quick note, thanks to CagePotato for this opportunity to come to the fights in person. Been here since 6 and been running on coffee and EBoost all night.
A quick shout-out to the comment section specifically “Thumblaster” for the comment that made me chuckle: “Rumble got his nickname because that’s what his stomach always used to do when he would fight welterweight”. Congrats. You win my approval.
Rumble Johnson coming out to some more Nirvana! This time it’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. I’m pumped! Looking at Rumble one must wonder how he once fought at 170!
Andrei is coming out to “Eye of the Tiger. The crowd here is definitely pumped now!
Round 1
Rumble comes in with some heavy hands and kicks. He is definitely pushing the pace and looking good. Rumble lands a nice combo. Andrei returns with a strong jab. Rumble throws to head-kicks, but fails to connect. Rumble with a nice body-kick. Andrei with a few body jabs and has Rumble backing up a bit. Rumble comes in with a combo, goes for a double leg and has Andrei against the cage. Andrei has the overhook, but Rubmle continues to press him against the cage. Rumble throws a few knees to Andrei’s legs. Ref separates.
Andrei with a nice combo. Rumble goes for the single-leg, but Andrei defends and now has Rumble against the cage. Andrei throws a few knees as the two pummel. Again, the Ref separates and the two are squaring off throwing punches in the center.
Rumble knocks Andrei down. Lands a few punches. He has Andrei against the cage as the bell rings.
Solid round by Rumble 10-9.
Round 2
Both fighters connect with some powerful shots to the head. Rumble has Andrei against the cage looking for a take-down.
Once again, the ref moves them to the center of the ring and they square off. Andrei lands some nice jabs.
Rumble comes in with a few overhands and connects. Andrei counters with a nice uppercut. Some front kicks to Rumble’s body. The two exchange some more. Rumble goes for the take-down, Andrei sprawls and the two press up against the cage. Andrei reverses and now has Rumble against the cage. The two exchanges some knees and continue to pummel. Andrei catches Rumble in the jewels with a knee and a Rumble is given some time to recover.
Rubmle is back up, they touch gloves and back at it. Rumble comes in with some strong overhands shoots in for the take-down and once again has Andrei against the cage. Rumble gets the take down. Andrei rolls out, Rumble has control of his back. Andrei is back up against the cage. Rumble going for the take-down as Andrei lands some hammer-fists. Andrei sprawls, defending the take-down and Rumble presses him against the cage. Round 2 over.
Bit closer round. I’m going to side with Andrei on this, but it could go either way. 10-9 the Pitbull.
Round 3
Rumble goes in for an overhand and Andrei counters. The two exchange punches and now Rumble has Andrei against the cage. Andrei lands some strikes to the boy. The Ref resets once again.
Rumble with a nice head-kick. Andrei answers with a front kick to the body. Rumble lands a nice cross to Andrei’s chin that definitely would kill a normal man. Rumble has Andrei pressed against the cage… Just waiting for another reset now. Andrei reverses and has Rumble pressed against the cage. The two exchange knees to the boy. The two make their way to the middle. Some hard hits are exchanged and Rumble has Andrei against the cage. Andrei reverses and the two make their way back to the center. More hard hits are exchanged. Andrei’s mouth is open ans he connects with some nice body shots and one to Rumble’s Chin. Rumble goes for the single-leg, but gives up on it. Goes for another one and the two are against the cage. Andrei with some body shots and that’s the third round.
A close round, but I think Andrei landed the better shots. Tough one for me to call, but I’m leaning to Andrei in a close 10-9 round. Official decision coming up now.
Official Decision: Anthony Johnson (29-28 all)… I was waaaaaaaaay off!
Well, folks, thank you for joining me on my birthday (although technically now it isn’t my birthday anymore). Great fights put together by the WSOF. Hopefully more to come. Thanks to Ben and the rest of the CP staff for giving me this opportunity. Thanks to my Rick Albrecht for his great photog work. Thanks to EBoost for keeping me going for 6 hours straight. Don’t forget to donate to Nick Newell’s favorite charity, Tap Cancer Out, by visiting my fundraiser page at www.stayclassy.org/oliverchan
“My management paid HOW MANY Pitbull bucks for this song?! Paulo Filho won’t be impressed.”
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released fighter salaries for the inaugural World Series of Fighting event, held last Saturday night in Las Vegas. Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski made the most money that evening, bringing home $60,000 for crushing Devin Cole in the main event. While we’re all glad to see Arlovski get paid, hopefully he spends some money on better entrance music; having some rapper bark your name is something that an amateur on the undercard of a local show would do to get people to notice him (assuming none of his friends knew how to shave stars into his hair, of course), not something a former UFC champion should do to keep people interested in his career. Just saying, it was pretty cheesy.
Taking home the second-largest purse of the evening was Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who earned $55,000 for his highlight reel knockout against D.J. Linderman. Since moving up to a weight class that he should reasonably be fighting at, Anthony Johnson has looked pretty impressive. It’s a shame that he sacrificed so much of his career – not to even mention his health – cutting to welterweight, but at twenty-eight years old it’s by no means over for the UFC veteran.
Keep in mind that none of these salaries include any undisclosed bonuses or end of the night bonuses that World Series of Fighting may have given out. Also, even though this promotion is riding a lot of hype and had recognizable talent throughout the card, keep in mind that WSoF is a brand new promotion that just put on its first event. Basically, no one made Anderson Silva money, is what I’m trying to say:
“My management paid HOW MANY Pitbull bucks for this song?! Paulo Filho won’t be impressed.”
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released fighter salaries for the inaugural World Series of Fighting event, held last Saturday night in Las Vegas. Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski made the most money that evening, bringing home $60,000 for crushing Devin Cole in the main event. While we’re all glad to see Arlovski get paid, hopefully he spends some money on better entrance music; having some rapper bark your name is something that an amateur on the undercard of a local show would do to get people to notice him (assuming none of his friends knew how to shave stars into his hair, of course), not something a former UFC champion should do to keep people interested in his career. Just saying, it was pretty cheesy.
Taking home the second-largest purse of the evening was Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who earned $55,000 for his highlight reel knockout against D.J. Linderman. Since moving up to a weight class that he should reasonably be fighting at, Anthony Johnson has looked pretty impressive. It’s a shame that he sacrificed so much of his career – not to even mention his health – cutting to welterweight, but at twenty-eight years old it’s by no means over for the UFC veteran.
Keep in mind that none of these salaries include any undisclosed bonuses or end of the night bonuses that World Series of Fighting may have given out. Also, even though this promotion is riding a lot of hype and had recognizable talent throughout the card, keep in mind that WSoF is a brand new promotion that just put on its first event. Basically, no one made Anderson Silva money, is what I’m trying to say:
World Series of Fighting 1
Nov 3, 2012
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Overpaid: In the spirit of the upcoming US presidential election, we’ll start off with the safest answer possible: It’s hard to call anyone anyone on this card overpaid. Now, in the spirit of CagePotato: Twenty-five grand (more than Miguel Torres made, mind you) for a 7-2 fighter who holds no notable victories, has never fought in a major North American promotion and, by the way, fought on the undercard? Damn it must feel good to be a Gracie.
Underpaid: If you ever wondered why guys like Ed Soares get paid as much as they do, it’s because good management is at a premium in this sport. Case in point, Devin Cole fought a former UFC champion in the main event of a nationally televised show on a weekend when there was absolutely no competition. I’m no agent, but if I could only negotiate a fighter in Cole’s position the same amount of show money that Ramico Blackmon’s management earned for him, let’s just say I wouldn’t be drinking coffee for a while.
Likewise, I already had respect for Travis Bartlett for stepping up to fight Tyrone Spong when no one else – including Houston Alexander – was willing to. Then again, perhaps the measly four grand Bartlett made for that beating he took explains why no one wanted the fight. Major props to Travis for being tough enough to fight such a dangerous kickboxer for such a small paycheck, but buddy, your brain damage is worth more than that.
The World Series of Fighting held their first event at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, NV. Although the main card appeared to be stuffed with squash matches, it was a pretty good night of fights and I was there to get a good gauge on the atmosphere and if WSoF could become a player in the MMA world that Dana White rules with an iron fist.
First things first, it wasn’t the sellout they promised as word is that they only sold 1500 tickets and comped double that to ensure a nice fight atmosphere. Nevertheless, it was a good evening of fights that the crowd was receptive to. Oh yeah, ring girls. Lots of ring girls. They were like a platoon that switched in and out. I didn’t know ring girls needed breaks but whatever. It’s enough variety to keep fans engaged between rounds. I mean, Brittany Palmer and Arianny Celeste are great but six beats two every single gotdamn time. Right? But I digress…
Media sat on a stage that put us eye level with the cage and we could damn near touch it (or slap a cameraman) if we tried hard enough. We could actually feel some of the punches landed. Pretty good stuff. Oh yeah, and there were fights.
The World Series of Fighting held their first event at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, NV. Although the main card appeared to be stuffed with squash matches, it was a pretty good night of fights and I was there to get a good gauge on the atmosphere and if WSoF could become a player in the MMA world that Dana White rules with an iron fist.
First things first, it wasn’t the sellout they promised as word is that they only sold 1500 tickets and comped double that to ensure a nice fight atmosphere. Nevertheless, it was a good evening of fights that the crowd was receptive to. Oh yeah, ring girls. Lots of ring girls. They were like a platoon that switched in and out. I didn’t know ring girls needed breaks but whatever. It’s enough variety to keep fans engaged between rounds. I mean, Brittany Palmer and Arianny Celeste are great but six beats two every single gotdamn time. Right? But I digress…
Media sat on a stage that put us eye level with the cage and we could damn near touch it (or slap a cameraman) if we tried hard enough. We could actually feel some of the punches landed. Pretty good stuff. Oh yeah, and there were fights.
Andrei Arlovski def. Devin Cole via 1st round TKO (2:37)
In the main event, Arlovski walked out to some rap song where the chorus barked “Andrei Arlovski.” Cool or corny, I’m not sure. I’ll probably roll with corny. At any rate, all I was thinking about was “if he gets knocked out this great rap song will all be a waste.” Devin Cole’s biggest victory was against Mike Kyle back in 2006 so the chances he would beat Arlovski were slim to none.
Trying to rival Bruce Buffer, the announcer’s catch phrase heading into the main event was “Can you feel it!?!?” Nope, sure can’t. Not with that.
Anyways, Arlovski did exactly what was expected as he smashed an overhand right into Cole’s temple and sent him to the canvas. Arlovski followed him there and hammerfists met Cole’s face.
The end.
Anthony Johnson def. DJ Linderman via 1st round KO (3:58)
Yeah, we all knew that Anthony Johnson could separate your body from your spirit in one punch, but this was ri-goddamn-diculous. Johnson continued his crusade to destroy foes in the 205 division as he wrecked DJ Linderman with a right hook that sent him face first into the canvas. Here’s how it went…
Johnson and Linderman danced around a bit. Johnson kicked Linderman in the nuts real, real hard. Linderman got himself together and Johnson went after him. A poke in the eye had Johnson in trouble. Herb Dean didn’t see the eye poke and urged the blinking Johnsno to continue. Instead of Linderman being cordial, he decided to rush him. Hey, all is fair in war, right? Unfortunately, that just pissed Johnson off and he uncorked a right hook that landed with the impact of Thor’s Hammer and sent Linderman face planting to the canvas. Even referee Herb Dean looked down like “Damn!” before checking to see if Linderman was dead. Fortunately, he wasn’t.
Marlon Moraes def. Miguel Torres via split decision (30-27 & 29-28 for Moraes, 29-28 Torres)
Once upon a time, Miguel Torres was considered to be unbeatable. A punch by Brian Bowles in 2009 shattered his unbreakable image and it hasn’t been the same for him ever since (3-5 in his last 8 fights after going 37-1). A stint in the UFC was chopped down by Michael McDonald and a rape van tweet that he couldn’t shake. His debut in WSoF was thought to be a rebirth but it was a rather rude awakening that perhaps the game has passed him by. Torres looked out of sync and lost against Brazilian Marlon Moraes as his stalking style was disintegrated in the first minute of the fight when Moraes clocked him with a combination and blood trickled from his scalp. From there — with a bizarre mixture of boos and Ric Flair “woos” echoing through the crowd — Torres was out struck by Moraes as he proved to be the faster and stronger fighter. It wasn’t the most exciting fight but Moraes was so comfortable that he attempted a jumping roundhouse in the third round. You wouldn’t have done that to Torres five years ago. But today, it’s a different story. A late takedown during a relatively competitive third sealed his fate. Well, almost. Somehow, one judge inexplicably scored the fight 29-28 for Torres but the other two judges managed to get it right with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 for Moraes.
Tyrone Spong def. Travis Bartlett via 1st round TKO (3:15)
101-5-1 is Tyrone Spong’s kickboxing record before deciding to head to the world of MMA. Obviously, his debut was hyped. Poor Travis Bartlett stood in the way of Spong becoming 1-0. That didn’t last long. The kickboxing beast handed out a savage beating to Bartlett that will likely have light heavyweights crapping their pants. After nearly kicking Bartlett’s head into the audience on several occasions, Spong settled for a straight right hand that dropped his foe to the canvas in a “no mas” manner eerily reminiscent of how Forrest Griffin collapsed to the canvas against Anderson Silva. It was ugly, it was brutal, it was beautiful.
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Elsewhere on the card…
Tyson “The Man Of” Steele stopped Gregor Gracie in the first round with a hulk smash TKO. Time of stoppage was 2:11
Brian Cobb ended Rony Torres two-year, 11-fight win streak with a split decision victory.
Steve Carl pulled a nifty transition from crucifix to rear naked choke to elicit the tapout at the 2:11 mark.
Josh Burkman was impressive as he earned a unanimous decision victory over Gerald Harris.
JZ Cavalcante bent TJ O Brien’s leg like a pretzel as he scored a first round submission in 63 seconds.
David Branch’s workman like performance earned him a unanimous decision victory over Dustin Jacoby.
Spotted In The Crowd: Jake Shields, Urijah Faber, Rashad Evans, Travis Browne, Pat Militich, Vitor Belfort, Martin Kampmann, Ian McCall, Jay Heiron, TJ Lavin, Josh Barnett, Rampage Jackson, Chael Sonnen, Joseph Benevidez & Frank Trigg
