Ring of Combat 36
June 17, 2011
Tropicana Resort and Casino,
Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States

Ring of Combat Welterweight Championship

Welterweight (170 lbs)

UFC veteran Pete “Drago”  Sell (9 – 5 – 0) defeated Elijah Harshbarger (6 – 3 – 0) by submission due to an armbar at 2:34 of round 2.  Sell, who returned to action after a 2 year layoff, enters the welterweight “Top 500” at [#121].  Harshbarger, who is 1-2 in his last 3, plummets 95 spots from [#231] to [#326].

Ring of Combat “National” Bantamweight Championship

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Aljamain Sterling (3 – 0 – 0) defeated Claudio Ledesma (4 – 2 – 0) by split decision.  Sterling has rattled off 3 wins since going pro in April 2011.  Ledesma had been on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss.  Both fighters remain unranked.

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Sean Santella (8 – 2 – 1) defeated Tito Jones (7 – 5 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Santella, who has won 3 in a row (8-1 in his last 9) jumps 19 spots up from [#81] to [#62].  Jones, who has lost back to back bouts (1-3 in his last 3), remains unranked.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Ryan Contaldi (7 – 3 – 1) defeated Rob Wince (20 – 15 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Contaldi, who is 1-1-1 in his last 3 (prior to which he was on a 3 fight win streak), flies 76 spots up the ranks from [#239] to [#163].  Wince, who is on a 4 fight losing streak, remains unranked.
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Strikeforce – Overeem vs. Werdum
June 18, 2011
American Airlines Center,
Dallas, Texas, United States

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Alistair Overeem (35 – 11 – 0) defeated Fabricio Werdum (14 – 5 – 1) by unanimous decision.  In an interesting twist, Werdum landed more strikes in this bout than his stand up based foe.  Werdum tried many times to take the fight to the floor, but Overeem continually stood up from these attempts in the 1st round.  In the 2nd and 3rd, Overeem remained in Werdum’s guard for longer periods of time, but the jiu jitsu ace was able to do nothing with the position.  The result was a prosaic decision for the “Demolition Man.”    Overeem, who is on a 7 fight win streak (has not lost since November 2007), moves up 4 spots from [#8] to [#4].  He will face [#6] Antonio Silva in the Heavyweight Grand Prix semi finals.  Werdum, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 2 spot down the ranks from [#3] to [#5].  Perhaps a bout with the loser of the [#10] Josh Barnett vs. [#13] Sergei Kharitonov semi final would be appropriate next for “Vai Cavalo.”

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Josh Barnett (30 – 5 – 0) defeated Brett Rogers (11 – 3 – 0) by arm-triangle choke at 1:17 of round 2.  Barnett did not play the striking game with Rogers for long, taking him down with a big slam early in the 1st.  He secured mount and worked for submissions from the top.  The 2nd round ended up in the same position following a textbook lateral drop from Barnett which landed him in mount.  Barnett used his submission prowess to apply a tight arm triangle from mount, and as he transitioned to side control, Rogers tapped.  Barnett, who is on a 7 fight win streak (6 by stoppage, 4  by submission), holds his rank at [#10].  He will face [#13] Sergei Kharitonov in the Heavyweight Grand Prix semi finals.  Rogers, who has lost 3 of his last 4 (albeit against top flight competition), drops 4 spot down the ranks from [#14] to [#18].  Rogers needs to get back on the winning track if he is ever to be seen as an elite heavyweight again, and a fight against [#34] Chad Griggs or even [#33] Jeff Monson could be appropriate next steps.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Jorge Masvidal (22 – 6 – 0) defeated K.J. Noons (10 – 4 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Masvidal used a dynamic strategy which was highlighted by range finding jabs, strategic takedowns and vicious knees and kicks.  One head kick nearly ended the fight in the 1st round, sending the bloodied Noons to the canvas.  Noons was saved by the bell, and was able to get back into the fight in round 2.  Though Noons hung tough and never quit, Masvidal won all 3 rounds.  Masvidal, who has back to back wins in Strikeforce (3-2 in his last 5), moves 5 spots up the ranks from[#15] to [#10].  He is the most likely candidate to face Strikeforce lightweight champion [#3] Gilbert Melendez next for the title.  Noons, who is on a 2 fight losing streak (prior to which he had a 6 fight win streak), moves from [#68WW] into the lightweight “Top 500” at [#47].  Noons is still a very good lightweight, but a 3rd loss in a row would be very detrimental to his standing.  Bouts with [#43] Pat Healey or [#60] Lyle Beerbohm would help bring more clarity to the sub-elite tier of the Strikeforce lightweight division.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Daniel Cormier (8 – 0 – 0) defeated Jeff Monson (42 – 12 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Cormier exhibited improved boxing and used kicks liberally to vex the older Monson in what was a 3 round stand up war.  Only when Cormier would effortlessly toss Monson to the mat to shuck off a clinch did either of the opponents end up on the ground at all.  Cormier, who has finished 6 of his 8 opponents (5 by strike based stoppage), jumps 13 spots up the ranks from [#28] to [#15].  He should face the man he was originally supposed to fight before injury struck, [#38] Shane del Rosario.  Monson, who was on an 8 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 12 spots from [#21] to [#33].  There are interesting matches to be made with Monson.  Fights with [#26] Andrei Arlovski or [#46] Mike Kyle at either heavyweight or light heavyweight would be appropriate, depending on what division he wants to fight in.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Chad Griggs (11 – 1 – 0) defeated Valentijn Overeem (29 – 26 – 0) by submission due to punches at 2:08 of round 1.  Griggs was in control from the start, pressing Overeem up against the cage and hitting a lateral drop.  He proceeded to punch out of an americana keylock attempt from Overeem, then pounded Overeem into submission.  Griggs, who is on a 6 fight win streak (all by strike based stoppages), jumps 12 spots up the ranks from [#46] to [#34].  A bout with fellow prospect heavyweight [#38] Shane del Rosario would be excellent in propelling one of the fighters to the next level in the division.  A bout with [#18] Brett Rogers would be an absolute stand up war.  Overeem, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss (all by stoppage under 1:45), plummets 31 spots from [#98] to [#129].  Other than a fight with [#33] Jeff Monson, there aren’t many bouts that would not have a high possibility of Overeem giving up and submitting to strikes in the end.
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BAMMA USA – Badbeat 2
June 11, 2011
Commerce Casino,
Commerce, California, United States

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

WEC veteran Chad George (12 – 6 – 0) defeated Bobby Sanchez (6 – 14 – 0) by submission due to an arm triangle choke at 2:32 of round 1.  George, who stopped a 2 fight slide which occurred in WEC with this win, drops 2 spots down the ranks from [#93] to [#95].  Sanchez, who is on a 6 fight losing streak (5 by 1st round choke based submissions), remains unranked.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Dominique Robinson (7 – 4 – 0) defeated Dionisio Ramirez (3 – 2 – 0) by split decision.  Robinson, who is on a 3 fight win streak, drops 5 spots down the ranks from [#99] to [#104].  Ramirez, who had back to back wins prior to this loss, remains unranked.

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Bellator vet Georgi Karakhanyan (16 – 3 – 1) defeated Vince Ortiz (7 – 6 – 0) by submission due to a rear-naked choke at 2:01 of round 1.  Karakhanyan, who has scored back to back 1st round choke based submission wins, holds his rank at [#61]. Ortiz, who is on a 3 fight losing streak (preceded by a 7 fight win streak), remains unranked.
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Maximum Fighting Championships 30 – Unplugged 4: Up Close and Personal
June 10, 2011
Mayfield Inn Trade and Conference Centre,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Lightweight (155 lbs)

UFC veteran Brian Cobb (19 – 6 – 0) defeated fellow UFC vet Drew Fickett (41 – 14 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 4:44 of round 1.  Cobb, who is on a 4 fight win streak (3 by stoppage), bounds 9 spots up the ranks from [#18] to [#9].  Fickett, who was on a 5 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 13 spots down the ranks from [#34] to [#47].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

In a rematch from UFC 69, Marcus Davis (19 – 9 – 0) defeated Pete Spratt (22 – 20 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Davis, who has won 2 decisions in a row since being released from the UFC, moves from [#54LW] into the welterweight “Top 500” at [#67].  Spratt, who is 1-3 in his last 4, drops 2 spots down the ranks from [#157] to [#159].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Sheldon Wescott (5 – 1 – 1) defeated Thomas Denny (27 – 19 – 1) by unanimous decision.  Wescott, whose last fight was a draw with Thomas Denny, rockets 100 spots up the ranks from [#290] to [#190].  Denny, who is 1-3-1 in his last 5, plunges 105 spots down the ranks from [#295] to [#400].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Dhiego Lima (6 – 0 – 0) defeated Jamie Toney (14 – 7 – 0) by KO due to punches at 2:47 of round 1.  Lima, who has finished all 6 of his opponents (4 by submission), surges 221 spots up the ranks from [#351] to [#130].  Toney, who had won 6 in a row (excluding 1 No Contest) prior to this bout, plummets 105 spots down the ranks from [#159] to [#307].
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