Galaxy MMA: Gable and Sarmiento Advance to LW GP Finals

Saturday, August 7, 2010


Gable Choking Out Kyle
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
August 6, 2010

By Chris Onzuka   Hawaii’s newest MMA promotion made its second appearance in the Blaisdell arena and continued with the semi-finals of Galaxy’s 155lbs tournament. The card featured just about half amateur bouts and finished up with the professionals. This was a busy weekend of events with two events scheduled for tonight and another event scheduled for the next day. The last few events held at the Blaisdell Arena have had lackluster attendance and have struggled. Tonight would be no different,  however, families and friends definitely came out to back their fighters.

A couple of 125lbers, Jacob Kauwe and Alika Kumukoa put on a show with Kauwe landing well timed right hooks and moving to keep Kumukoa guessing. Kumukoa was getting picked apart until he stepped in and landed a couple of big punches that kept Kauwe honest. Kumukoa showed that he could take a punch, but Kauwe’s accuracy won him the fight. 

After a great initial start by Brayden Kalahiki, Fatu Tuitasi turned the fight around by landing a couple of hard punches that sent Kalahiki down at the end of the first round. After hurting Kalahiki at the end of the second round, Tuitasi pressed the fight, sat down on his punches and dropped Kalahiki with a solid punch. Tuitasi jumped on a knocked out Kalahiki causing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

Vickers Looking for an Armbar vs. Ostovich

In the women’s bout, it featured a second generation fighter, when Bob-O Ostovich’s daughter Rachael stepped in to the cage against a game Vee Vickers. Ostovich used punches to set up the clinch where she showcased some great wrestling and dominated position. Vickers landed some exchanges, but Ostovich again capitalized with some phenomenal throws and ground domination. Very impressive win for Ostovich and she immediately put herself as one to watch in the Hawaii’s women’s MMA division. 

Clay Lewis Jr. woke the crowd up after getting taken down and dominated in the first round only to come back and viciously knock out Jenzen Espanto. Then, what looked to be a great match up turned out to be short night when Evan Lowther followed his previous performance and landed a hook right on the chin of Walter Hao sending down and out for an impressive victory in his first professional bout.

The grudge match between Brennan Kamaka and Dirty Curty was shorter than their entrances when Kamaka took Curty down and pounded him until the referee stepped in to stop it. Kamaka was satisfied with the victory, but Curty shook his head and didn’t accept the defeat and was exchanging words to Kamaka walking out of the cage. 

Ron Verdadero rocked the Greg Jackson fighter and went to the ground to follow up, but Rocky Ramirez hung in there and reversed the position, but Verdadero locked up an arm bar for the submission.

Pieper (R) Leaping at Wong
For the Galaxy MMA 155lbs Tournament semi-finals, Steve Gable took on 808 Top Team’s Kris Kyle.  After some cautious circling, Gable rushed in for the clinch, took Kyle’s back and pulled him right into the back mount.  Gable stayed tight and methodically secured the back mount while locking in a rear naked choke for the submission. 

The other semi-final bout pit local boy and veteran, Harris Sarmiento and Big Country Roy Nelson training partner, Jose Salgado. Salgado went in for the clinch and take down early and controlled the ground.  Sarmiento had some nice reversals and hammered Salgado, but Salgado pressed his wrestling and got Sarmiento back down to the ground.  Salgado got Sarmiento’s back, but Sarmiento was able to escape and get back to his feet to end the first round.  Salgado got Sarmiento down, but took a knee to the head. Sarmiento fought his way back up to his feet and started pounding the body and thigh. Salgado took the strikes and pressed the fight continuing to work the take down. For round two, Sarmiento reversed the first round, ending up on Salgado’s back and trying to work in the rear naked choke. 

The third round would be the deciding round. Sarmiento was cautiously pressing and landing hard body shots and leg kicks, while Salgado looked for his opportunity for the take down. Salgado finally got Sarmiento down halfway through the round, but Sarmiento did a great job of working his way back up and continuing to pound on a tiring Salgado. Both fighters ended the fight throwing whatever they have left in their gas tanks to the cheering crowd. Sarmiento’s aggression and effective striking won him the deciding third round and his spot in the tournament finals. 

Gable (left-center), Sarmiento, and the Ring Girls with the LW Belt

 Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 170lbs:
Chad Puha (Family Affair) def. Jake Yiu Lin (Edwards MMA)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to strikes at 2:52 in Round 1.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 205lbs:
Keala Cristobal (Freelance) def. Cade Phillips (Freelance)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after over time.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 145lbs:
Edward Thommes (808 Top Team) def. Shaison Laupola
TKO due to injury (hip) at 2:29 in Round 1.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 125lbs:
Jacob Kauwe (Hakuilua) def. Alika Kumukoa (Team Extreme)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 Rounds.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 170lbs:
Dwain Pasion (Team CAT) def. Micah Ige (Team Extreme)
Submission via triangle at 2:10 in over time.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 155lbs:
Fatu Tuitasi (808 Top Team) def. Brayden Kalahiki (Team Extreme)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to strikes at 0:19 in Round 2.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 230lbs:
Jake Heffernan (Freelance, Ha’ula) def. Dustin Caulustro (Team Stand Alone, Waialua)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after over time.

Amateur MMA: 2 Rounds – 2 Minutes: 130 Women's Pankration Bout:
Rachael Ostovich (Jesus is Lord) def. Vee Vickers (Freelance)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 Rounds.

Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 3 Minutes: 145lbs:
George Perry (Freelance) def. Colin Mackenzie (God's Army)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 Rounds.

Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes: 145lbs:
Justin Wong (HMC) def. Brandon Pieper (808 Top Team)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (28-29), (29-28)] after 3 Rounds.

Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes: 155lbs:
Clay Lewis Jr. (4WRD Fitness) def. Jenzen Espanto (Combat 50)
KO at 0:16 in Round 2.

Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes: 170lbs:
Evan Lowther (M-1, Gracie Kailua) def. Walter Hao (808 Top Team)
KO at 0:53 in Round 1.

Grudge Match
Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes: 185lbs:
Brennan Kamaka (808 Top Team) def. Dirty Curty (Team Submit)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to strikes at 0:49 in Round 1.

Submission Grappling Match: 2 Rounds – 3 Minutes
Ian McCall (Team Oyama MMA) drew Russell Doane (808 Top Team)

Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes: 190lbs:
Ron Verdadero (Jesus Is Lord) def. Rocky Ramirez (Greg Jackson's MMA)
Submission via arm bar at 2:33 in Round 1.

Lightweight Grand Prix Championship Semi-Final Matches
Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes:
Steve Gable (Gracie Barra) def. Kris Kyle (808 Top Team)
Submission via rear naked choke at 1:37 in Round 1.

Lightweight Grand Prix Championship Semi-Final Matches
Professional MMA: 3 Rounds – 5 Minutes:
Harris Sarmiento (808 Top Team) def. Jose Salgado (Roy Nelson's Gym; The Country Club)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 Rounds.


READ MORE - Galaxy MMA: Gable and Sarmiento Advance to LW GP Finals

Thiago Alves Misses Weight for UFC 117

Friday, August 6, 2010

By FCF Staff    Thiago Alves will be collecting 20% less than his agreed purse for tomorrow night, as the American Top Team fighter failed to make weight this afternoon for his UFC 117 tilt with Jon Fitch. The renowned welterweight came in at 171.5lbs on his second trip to the scales today in Oakland, and has been subsequently fined for the aforementioned amount.

UFC 117 main event competitors Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen both made weight, with the champion Silva coming in at 184.5 lbs. and the challenger tipping the scales at 185. All of the card’s other competitors made weight for the event.

Here are the official weigh-in results for UFC 117:

Main Event – UFC Middleweight Championship
Chael Sonnen (185) VS Anderson Silva (184.5)

PPV
Thiago Alves (171.5) VS Jon Fitch (170.5)
Ricardo Almeida (170.5) VS Matt Hughes (170.5)
Junior Dos Santos (240) VS Roy Nelson (263)
Rafael Dos Anjos (156) VS Clay Guida (156)

Undercard
Rick Story (169.5) VS Dustin Hazelett (169.5)
Rodney Wallace (206) VS Phil Davis (205.5)
Charlie Brenneman (171) VS Johny Hendricks (171)
Tim Boetsch (206) VS Todd Brown (206)
Christian Morecraft (263) VS Stefan Struve (247)
Dennis Hallman (171) VS Ben Saunders (171)
READ MORE - Thiago Alves Misses Weight for UFC 117

Lauzon Confirms Etim Injury; Bout with Ruediger


 

By FCF Staff   Joe Lauzon has confirmed via his official blog that the Massachusetts fighter will indeed face Gabe Ruediger, and not Terry Etim as originally scheduled, August 28th at UFC 118. The post, which is attributed to the 26 year-old-fighter, states that Lauzon received an email “yesterday” confirming that Etim is injured. As reported earlier, Ruediger had previously announced the change on his Twitter account.

After Lauzon stated that he “knew the replacement would never be even close” to Etim, here is some of what the veteran had to say about his new opponent Ruediger; a cast mate of Lauzon on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.

“Before Gabe was casted out of the house, I trained with him a good amount and it went both ways. He caught me, I caught him. I think I got the best of him on the ground while he got the best of me on the feet.”

Lauzon (18-6) will head into UFC 118 having gone 3-2 in his last five fights, with losses coming against Kenny Florian and Sam Stout. During that stretch the lightweight has defeated Jeremy Stephens, Kyle Bradley and Jason Reinhardt.

Ruediger will make his Octagon return for the first time since September, 2006, when he was KO’d by Melvin Guillard. The soon to be 33 year-old-veteran has won 6 straight fights.

READ MORE - Lauzon Confirms Etim Injury; Bout with Ruediger

Report: Ruediger Returning to Octagon for UFC 118



By FCF Staff  If a recent post on Gabe Ruediger’s Twitter account is accurate, the veteran fighter will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since 2006, and will fight Joe Lauzon at UFC 118 on August 28th. Lauzon had been scheduled to fight Terry Etim on the event, which will take place at the TD Garden in Boston. The following posts have appeared on Ruediger’s Twitter page recently:

“Ok, I guess it's been leaked, fighting joe lauzon on ufc 118!”

“Thanks everyone for the kind words. Im excited to get back to the UFC. For the doubters, Ill just keep proving you wrong”

Ruediger (17-5) was widely criticized during his brief run on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” after the lightweight failed to make weight for his first bout. Since being KO’d by Melvin Guillard in his last UFC appearance in September, 2006, Ruediger has put together a 7-2 record and is currently on a 6 fight winning streak.

Lauzon (18-6) will be competing for the first time since losing to Sam Stout in January, who defeated the former TUF competitor by Unanimous Decision.Prior to that the veteran had won back-to-back bouts over Jeremy Stephens and Kyle Bradley.

The UFC has not officially announced Ruediger’s return or that Etim has withdrawn from UFC 118.


READ MORE - Report: Ruediger Returning to Octagon for UFC 118

Cormier vs. Riley Confirmed for Aug. 20th Strikeforce

Thursday, August 5, 2010


By FCF Staff   Former Olympic freestyle wrestler Daniel Cormier will attempt to run his MMA record to 4-0 on August 20th, as Strikeforce has confirmed that the heavyweight prospect will face Jason Riley, at the promotion’s upcoming event in Houston.

Cormier (3-0), who placed 4th in freestyle wrestling at the 2004 Olympic Games, has gone 2-0 while fighting under the Strikeforce banner, earning victories over John Devine and Gary Frazier. The American Kickboxing Academy heavyweight last competed on an Xtreme MMA event in Australia on July 31st, and stopped Lucas Browne in the first round.

Riley (9-3) will head into the bout having won back-to-back fights over Bobby Favors and Steven Banks. Of the Ohio fighter’s 9 pro victories, 8 have come way of stoppage.

The August 20th event will also feature two title fights, as “”King Mo” Muhammed Lawal will look to defend his light-heavyweight crown against Rafeal “Feijao” Cavalcante, while Tim Kennedy and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will fight for the vacant middleweight title.

The card will be televised on Showtime and will take place in Houston’s Toyota Center.
READ MORE - Cormier vs. Riley Confirmed for Aug. 20th Strikeforce

More Bouts Confirmed for Sept. 10th TFC


By FCF Staff

Edmonton, Alberta’s Fight Club promotion has confirmed several more bouts for its upcoming September 10th, “Full Force” event, just days after announcing that light-heavyweight champion Martin Desilets will rematch UFC veteran Victor Valimaki on the card.

In addition to the light-heavyweight title fight, The Fight Club has confirmed that the undefeated Mitch Clarke (6-0) will fight Josh Machan (7-3), for the promotion’s vacant lightweight belt. Clark has gone 2-0 to date fighting under the organizations banner; most recently at TFC 10, the Edmonton fighter tapped out Brandon McArthur in the second round.

Machan, who hails from Red Deer, Alberta, will head into the bout riding a 7 fight winning streak, after losing his first 3 pro bouts. The September 10th tilt will be Machan’s promotional debut.

TFC has also announced that Machan’s brother Ryan Machan (11-5) will compete on the card and will take on welterweight James McCutcheon (3-2). TFC 11 will also include a bout between Rio Wells (3-0) and Chuck Pelc (2-1), as well as fights featuring Ryan McGillivray, Luke Harris, and Jordan McKay. No opponents have yet been confirmed.


READ MORE - More Bouts Confirmed for Sept. 10th TFC

New FCF Radio With Clay Guida

On this episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, host Jeff Meszaros and co-host James Kellaris review the results of the UFC event where Jones "Bones" Jones went through Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko like poop through a goose.  Questions: What the hell is up with that guy?  Does he have all the powers of the Fantastic Four combined into one super-being?  Is he even close to his potential yet?  Also, what about those other fights?  Is Yushin Okami the most boring fighter ever?  James thinks so.  Jeff isn't so sure.  Plus, what's the deal with "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi knocking out Tyson Griffin?  When the match started, we honestly didn't care who won although we suspected Griffin would win; but then when Gomi won we cheered like our childhood hero had shown up at our birthday.  How is that possible?  Who knows? 

Then, it's time to move on to discuss the upcoming card for UFC 117: Sonnen vs. Silva, where powerhouse wrestler Chael Sonnen will fight for the UFC middleweight belt against the most unpopular champion in a great long while mostly due to the God-awful display of simultaneous ego and cowardice that Silva displayed in his last fight against Demian Maia.  Can Sonnen beat the man who fights like a scene out of "The Matrix"?  What about the other matches, where Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch collide for the second time, Clay Guida takes on Rafael Dos Anjos and Matt Hughes faces Ricardo Almeida?  That's not even the end of it, as Roy Nelson steps into the cage to fight Junior Dos Santos in an endomorph vs. mesomorph match.  What's going to happen there?  Summary: We don't know. 

Then, for a more informed opinion, Clay "The Carpenter" Guida stops in to talk about his training with Greg Jackson, his preparation for his latest fight and his opinions on the other fights on the card.  Catch what he's got to say about Matt Hughes and his thoughts on the main event.  It's the cherry on the sundae of info-tainment for the week.
READ MORE - New FCF Radio With Clay Guida

Bellator Confirms Yoshiyuki Yoshida for Sept. 30th Bout

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

By FCF Staff


Bellator FC has announced this afternoon that UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida will fight on its upcoming September 30th event, to earn the right to compete in the promotion’s season 4, welterweight tourney. The Japanese fighter and judo black belt's opponent for the bout was not announced.

“Yoshiyuki Yoshida is a multi-talented fighter with diverse abilities that could present problems for anyone in the welterweight division,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney was quoted saying in a press release from the organization. “At Bellator we’re dedicated to providing world-class, entertaining MMA and fighters like Yoshida at allow us to accomplish just that.”

Yoshida (11-5) is coming off back-to-back losses against Anthony Johnson and Mike Guymon, after submitting Brandon Wolff with a first round guillotine choke last May. Yoshida went 2-3 during his tenure with the UFC, losing by KO to Josh Koscheck, with his other win coming over Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver. Yoshida arrived in the UFC in 2008 sporting a 9-2 record.

“For me, this is a new challenge,” said Yoshida. “There are many great fighters in Bellator so I am really looking forward to this opportunity,” said Yoshida. “I really like American fans and it’s my dream to keep fighting in the States. After the September fight, my focus will be solely on winning the Welterweight Tournament. Until then, I’m taking this one fight at a time.”
READ MORE - Bellator Confirms Yoshiyuki Yoshida for Sept. 30th Bout

Maia Confirms Miranda as New Opponent

By FCF Staff


Only days removed from initial reports that Alan Belcher will no longer be able to fight Demian Maia, September 15th, due to a detached retina, Maia has announced on his official Twitter account that he’ll now face Mario Miranda on August 28th. The post on Maia’s Twitter page stated:

"News...Ready for UFC 118, on aug 28, against Mario Miranda!"

Maia (12-2) will be fighting for the first time, since the legendary jiu-jitsu competitor lost by Unanimous Decision, to middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 112. Since signing with the UFC, Maia has gone 6-2, with wins coming over Dan Miller, Ryan Jensen, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman, Nate Quarry and Chael Sonnen. The Brazilian’s only other loss, a quick KO at the hands of Nate Marquardt, took place last August.

Miranda (10-1) is coming off a dominant TKO victory over David Loiseau at UFC115 in June. In Miranda’s Octagon debut in March, he was stopped by Gerald Harris, handing him his only professional loss to date.

UFC 118, which will take place in Boston, Massachusetts, will be headlined with a rematch between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and former champ BJ Penn.
READ MORE - Maia Confirms Miranda as New Opponent

Ryan Ford to Face Douglas Lima at MFC 26

By FCF Staff


The Maximum Fighting Championship has confirmed today that rising welterweight Ryan Ford will face American Top Team fighter Douglas Lima, at the promotion’s upcoming September 10th event in Brandon, Manitoba. The bout will co-headline the event alongside a lightweight title fight between MFC champ Antonio McKee and challenger Luciano Azevedo.

Ford (12-2) will make his return to the MFC after a 4 fight hiatus with Edmonton’s Fight Club promotion, where the Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts fighter went 4-0. Ford hasn’t fought since March when he tapped out UFC veteran Tommy Speer with a first round, rear-naked-choke, at TFC 10.


Lima (14-4) will head into the bout having won back-to-back bouts over Clint Hester and Cortez Coleman in November and March respectively. Lima, who is a BJJ brown belt and trains under Roan Carneiro at ATT’s Atlanta facility, is 3-2 in his last five fights.

“Ryan Ford and Douglas Lima have a great opportunity in the MFC to become internationally known hot commodities, and the same goes for guys like Luciano Azevedo, Tom Watson, and Ryan Jimmo,” MFC owner Mark Pavelich was quoted saying in a press release from the promotion. “”Even Antonio McKee, who has an incredible record and has not lost in seven years, can really step forward and make his name bigger than it has ever been before.”

MFC 26 will be hosted by the Westman Place at Brandon’s Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba, and will be broadcast live on HDNet.
READ MORE - Ryan Ford to Face Douglas Lima at MFC 26

Marshall vs. Haynes Confirmed for Aug. 27th Ring of Fire

By FCF Staff
Two UFC vets will face off in the main event of Ring of Fire’s upcoming August 27th event in Denver, as the promotion has announced that Eliot Marshall will take on Josh Haynes. The event, dubbed “Summer Brawl,” will be hosted by Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium and is set to feature 12 bouts.


Marshall (8-2) will make his return to ROF after going 3-1 in the UFC. The former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor exited from the promotion after losing by Split Decision to Vladimir Matyushenko in March, but considering the BJJ black belt’s winning record in the Octagon, a win could see Marshall back in the UFC sometime soon.

"Josh Haynes is a tough opponent,” Marshall was quoted saying in a press release from ROF. “He is very durable and aggressive so it should make for an exciting fight! This is a very important fight for me. My goal is to get back to the UFC so this is the first step. I also want to show my fans and the MMA community a different and more aggressive style of fighting."

Haynes (13-10) has gone 5-2 since exiting from the UFC in 2007. The former TUF competitor went 0-3 in official UFC action, after winning back-to-back bouts in the TV show’s third season, to advance and face Michael Bisping in the finals (Bisping stopped Haynes in the second round).

"This fight is extremely important,” Haynes said. “Every fight is! I want this fight and I want this win. I am looking forward to this chance to get back into the game. If I make things happen as I plan, this is just the first step in my climb back to the UFC. I appreciate Ring Of Fire and Eliot giving me this opportunity, I fully intend to make the most of it! “

Other bouts that have been confirmed for the August 27th ROF card include Brandon Thatch vs. Danny Davis, and Michelle Blalock vs. Marciea Allen. More bouts will be announced next week.
READ MORE - Marshall vs. Haynes Confirmed for Aug. 27th Ring of Fire

Bellator FC Confirms Dan Hornbuckle vs. Brad Blackburn for Aug.19th

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

By FCF Staff


Dan Hornbuckle won’t have to wait long in his attempt to get back on the winning track, as Bellator Fighting Championships has announced today that the welterweight will face UFC vet Brad Blackburn, August 19th, at the Chicago Theatre.
READ MORE - Bellator FC Confirms Dan Hornbuckle vs. Brad Blackburn for Aug.19th

Jon "Bones" Jones Dominates Vladimir Matyushenko

Monday, August 2, 2010

By FCF Staff
Jon “Bones” Jones took another step towards fighting one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s leading light-heavyweights last night in San Diego, California, as the rising star had little difficulties stopping accomplished veteran Vladimir Matyushenko in the first round. After promptly sweeping the former IFL champ to the Octagon floor, Jones soon had Matyushenko trapped in the crucifix position, and forced referee Herb Dean to stop the bout after landing a series of brutal elbow strikes.
READ MORE - Jon "Bones" Jones Dominates Vladimir Matyushenko