Over the weekend, MMA fans were treated to a double-header of exciting action, with the Strikeforce ‘Lawler vs. Shields’ broadcast on Showtime on Saturday, followed by WEC 41 shown on VS. channel on Sunday. With one event full of UFC veterans, and the other featuring some of the top featherweights in the world, I had high expectations going into the weekend. Needless to say, I was not disappointed!
Strikeforce ‘Lawler vs. Shields’
While there were no title belts on the line, or any bouts of major significance on this card, it was packed full of very familiar names and most fights had a promise of non-stop action – at least on paper. In the main event and namesake of the card, the welterweight standout Jake Shields took a step up in weight to face Robbie Lawler at a catch weight of 182 lbs. The commentary for this event was provided by a trio of Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock, and Mauro Ranallo. The televised broadcast began with a former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman taking on a one-time ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ participant Mike Whitehead.
Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead (205 lbs)
Round 1: Randleman gets the best of the first significant exchange and takes Whitehead down; Whitehead stands right back up and Randleman briefly takes his back but can’t capitalize. Randleman attempts to strike as Whitehead forces a clinch and drags Randleman to the ground. Randleman pops right back up, and for the remainder of the round Whitehead is able to take Randleman down numerous times with surprising ease. Though Whitehead did not do much from top position and Randleman quickly escaped after most takedowns, Whitehead controlled the round. Round 10-9 Whitehead
Round 2: Randleman looks tired and Whitehead is having more confidence with his strikes. Whitehead lands a combination then follows it with a takedown. Whitehead passes Randleman’s guard and works some slow-paced ground and pound. Whitehead gets side control and then mount; he attempts an arm choke but Randleman finally escapes. Sporadic striking exchanges end the round, as Whitehead pulls ahead on the scorecards. Round 10-9 Whitehead
Round 3: Randleman comes out swinging, rocks Whitehead with a punch then drops him with another. Randleman jumps on top of Whitehead and tries to finish; somehow Mike survives and works his way back to the feet. Whitehead is bleeding but seems fully recovered, and lands strikes on Randleman before taking him down again. Randleman escapes and throws some desperate strikes, knowing he needs a knockout. Round 10-9 Randleman
Mike Whitehead wins the official decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards.
Fight Grade: 2.5/5
Aftermath: Mike Whitehead delivers a workman-like performance, showing that he is still one of the top lightheavyweights outside of the UFC. It was surprising to see Whitehead take Randleman down at will throughout the fight. Though Randleman is still a threat to anyone due to his punching power, he failed to evolve as a fighter and it seems like age, injuries, and time off have took a toll on his biggest strengths. It may be time to hang it up for a fabled legend of the sport.
Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs (170 lbs)
Round 1: After some circling, Riggs shoots and takes Baroni down, quickly gaining back mount. Riggs looks for a choke; Baroni escapes to full guard then gives up his back again before finally escaping. Riggs shoots again, Baroni reverses the takedown and ends up in Riggs guard, landing body punches. The action slows down and fighters are stood up by the ref; Riggs secures another takedown before the round ends. Round 10-9 Riggs
Round 2: Riggs lands a kick and a superman punch then takes Baroni down. Baroni reverses position and Riggs escapes. Riggs figured out Baroni’s timing on the feet and is landing punches and knees, and Baroni is forced to take Riggs down. Riggs looks for submissions off his back, Baroni remains in top position but is not able to do anything. Round 10-9 Riggs
Round 3: Baroni appears very tired and battered, and Riggs is blasting him at will with knees, punches, and kicks. Baroni is in survival mode, though he fires back on occasion and lands a few punches. Round 10-9 Riggs
Joe Riggs wins the official decision, 30-27 on all three scorecards.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: Riggs reveals that in addition to suffering from influenza, he broke both of his hands during the course of the fight. An amazing performance, all things considered. Unfortunately the fractures will keep Riggs out of action for some time. Baroni’s three-fight win streak as a welterweight comes to a bitter end.
Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith (catch weight of 180 lbs)
Round 1: This is a standing battle for most of the round, with Diaz outlanding Smith by a huge margin. Smith keeps looking for a big punch, and lands several; Diaz absorbs all shots and fires back. Smith slams Diaz down from a clinch late in the round; Nick gets right up and responds with a takedown of his own. Round 10-9 Diaz
Round 2: Diaz picks apart Smith from all angles for the entire round. Smith just covers up, tries to survive and occasionally throws a haymaker. Smith is absorbing more and more punishment as the round goes on, and is dropped with a series of body shots as the time runs out. Smith has a hard time making it back to his corner, it looks like he might not be able to continue. Round 10-9 Diaz
Round 3: Somehow, Smith musters up the energy to answer the bell. However he has nothing left for Diaz. After Nick drops Smith with an assault of strikes, he takes Scott’s back and eventually secures a rear naked choke, forcing a tapout.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: An excellent fight from Nick Diaz, following on the heels of his victory over Frank Shamrock. Perhaps after having mixed success at welterweight and lightweight, Nick will find a permanent new home in the middleweight division. Smith should next fight Baroni in another catch weight bout.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers (HW)
Round 1: Arlovski leads with a kick; Rogers throws bombs while moving forward; Alrovski backs up and gets caught by several punches against the fence. Arlovski falls and referee John McCarthy immediately stops the fight. Seems like a premature stoppage at first but replay shows Arlovski was out, if briefly.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: Undefeated Brett Rogers just launched himself into the heavyweight Top 10. Up next: a shot at the Strikeforce HW champion, Alistair Overeem. For Alrovski, the knockout loss deals a severe blow to his career, coming right after another brutal knockout courtesy of Fedor Emelianenko. Sadly the former UFC champion seems to have been reduced to gatekeeper level, mainly due to his inability to take a punch without going to sleep.
Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields (catch weight of 182 lbs)
Round 1: Shields quickly gets a single-leg takedown, but Lawler immediately escapes and stands up. Lawler blasts Shields with punches as Jake desperately tries to bring the fight to the ground. Lawler sprawls and keeps attacking. Shields throws a few kicks then grabs a hold of Lawler’s neck and pulls guard with a guillotine locked in. Lawler attempts a slam but doesn’t have enough breath left, and collapses as he taps out.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: Shields’ middleweight debut has been a success, and since there is very little competition for him at 170 lbs outside of UFC, Jake will have to remain a middleweight if he wants to continue fighting for Strikeforce. There have been rumors of Strikeforce creating an interim middleweight title while reigning champion Cung Le pursues his movie acting career. If that comes to be, Jake Shields should definitely be one of the contenders for the interim title.
Event Grade: 4/5
A highly entertaining event with solid fights along with a smooth production and commentary. Nicely done!
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WEC 41
WEC 41 took place in Sacramento, CA and featured a much-hyped and long anticipated rematch between the reigning featherweight champion Mike Brown and the previous champion Urijah Faber. Two additional high-profile featherweight bouts were likely to determine the next contender for the title, as Jose Aldo took on Cub Swanson and Josh Grispi faced Jens Pulver.
Jens Pulver vs. Josh Grispi (145 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters trade kicks; Pulver shoots for a takedown and Grispi locks in a guillotine choke as he pulls guard. Pulver feebly attempts to escape but he is trapped and forced to tap out.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: Grispi emerges as one of the top contenders at 145 lbs. Pulver loses his fourth in a row, and hints at retirement in his post-fight interview. This is probably his best choice at the time as he doesn’t seem to be able to hang with top guys in the weight class anymore.
Donald Cerrone vs. James Krause (155 lbs)
Round 1: Krause gets a takedown; Cerrone immediately attempts a triangle, then transitions to omoplata and sweeps Krause. Krause attempts a leglock; they scramble and get back to their feet. Krause goes for another takedown but Cerrone sprawls and locks in a standing guillotine, then knees Krause in the face and drops him with punches. Cerrone follows Krause to the ground, quickly taking his back and securing a rear naked choke for a tap out.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: Cerrone will now get his rematch with the WEC lightweight champion Jamie Warner. Krause is dealt the first loss of his career in his WEC debut.
Antonio Banuelos vs. Scott Jorgensen (135 lbs)
Round 1: Banuelos is the aggressor, scoring with flurries early then tossing Jorgensen to the ground. Jorgensen defends off his back then stands back up. Banuelos is picking Jorgensen apart with kicks and combinations. Jorgensen fires back and lands a few of his own but Banuelos has the advantage in striking range and in clinch. Round 10-9 Banuelos
Round 1: Another very quick-paced round with Banuelos winning early. Jorgensen begins to find his range and timing halfway through the round, and starts landing more often. Very even round with both fighters trading combinations. Round 10-10 draw
Round 1: Jorgensen is more confident in his striking and Banuelos goes for a takedown. Jorgensen catches a guillotine and pulls guard, they get back to their feet and Jorgensen is stalking Banuelos landing heavy shots. Banuelos is mostly on the retreat but occasionally hits Jorgensen with a looping punch to stay in the fight. Banuelos goes for another takedown and Jorgensen scrambles and takes Antonio’s back. The round ends with a quick back-and-forth grappling exchange, with Jorgensen attempting a choke to put Antonio away. Round 10-9 Jorgensen
Antonio Banuelos defeats Scott Jorgensen by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: A very fast-paced and exciting fight that could have easily gone to either man. Good performance from both fighters.
Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson (145 lbs)
Round 1: The fight begins and Aldo immediately blasts Swanson with a flying knee that leaves him crumpled in a heap on the ground, bleeding profusely from a huge cut over his eye. The slow-motion replay shows that Aldo actually landed a double flying knee – one after another in quick succession, both to Swanson’s eye region. Incredible stuff!
Fight Grade: 5/5
Aftermath: With one highlight-reel finish after another and five wins in a row in WEC, Aldo quickly established himself as the top contender to Brown/Faber. Swanson falls down the ranks with a brutal loss.
Rolando Perez vs. Seth Dikun (145 lbs)
Round 1: Perez tags Dikun in an initial exchange, and Dikun falls. Perez lets him up; Dikun clinches then pulls guard, locking in a triangle in mid-air. Perez is not able to escape but the triangle is not tight enough to choke him out, and Dikun attempts to transition to an armbar. Dikun tightens the triangle and Perez finally taps out after a struggle.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Mike Campbell vs. Anthony Pettis (155 lbs)
Round 1: Campbell catches a kick thrown by Pettis and takes Anthony down, as Pettis attempts a guillotine. Campbell slams Pettis; Pettis transitions to an armbar that looks very tight but Campbell twists his arm and rolls out of it. Campbell is still in Anthony’s guard and starts raining down punches. Pettis looks for a triangle, Campbell defends at first but eventually succumbs to the choke and taps out.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Champion Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber (145 lbs title bout)
Round 1: Faber looks to utilize his speed advantage over Brown, dashing in and out with punches and kicks. Brown forces a clinch and bullies Faber against the fence, throwing elbows. Faber finds some distance and lands a head kick. Brown goes for a takedown; Faber momentarily has a guillotine locked in but Brown escapes and takes Urijah’s back. Faber stands up and Brown holds on to his back, landing knees to Faber’s head from the clinch. Faber scores in a standing exchange and Brown is cut. Brown gets a takedown and gets side control, then north-south position and looks for a choke. Faber escapes as the round ends. Round 10-9 Brown
Round 2: The fighters trade on the feet, with Brown stalking Faber and throwing bombs. Faber is throwing mainly elbows and his hand appears to be injured. Brown gets a takedown and takes Faber’s back but is not able to do much as Faber stands up. Brown scores with strikes from clinch. Round 10-9 Brown
Round 3: Faber is constantly throwing lead elbows, and some of them are starting to land though seemingly having no ill effect on Brown. Faber attempts a takedown but Brown sprawls. Brown goes for a takedown of his own and is also blocked. Faber finally gets a takedown and looks to pass guard; Brown attempts a leglock and escapes to his feet. Faber continues scoring with elbows. Faber looks to be in pain. Round 10-9 Faber
Round 4: Both fighters slow down a bit making for an uneventful round. Brown keeps stalking Faber and landing big punches to head and body. Faber is evasive and doesn’t do much besides throwing an occasional elbow. Round 10-9 Brown
Round 5: Faber ups the intensity level, attacking with kicks and elbows. Brown responds by grabbing Faber and slamming him on his head, but Urijah gets up quickly. Brown goes for another takedown and gets caught in a guillotine; the choke is tight but Faber is not able to finish with his injured hand. Round 10-9 Faber
Mike Brown wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 to retain the WEC featherweight title.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Aftermath: Brown makes his second title defense in an absolute war. His next challenge will most likely be Jose Aldo. Faber delivers a great performance considering that he broke his right hand in the very first round; even though he is now 0-2 against Brown, a third may me be just as exciting as the second. However he will have to win a couple of fights first – perhaps starting with Wagnney Fabiano or Josh Grispi.
Event Grade: 5/5
WEC proves once again that featherweights and bantamweights are some of the most exciting divisions in the sport. With seven fights broadcast – most ending in highlight reel knockout or submission finishes, and a five round war of a main event, WEC 41 had everything you could ask for in an MMA event.