Back at the ‘The Joint’ in Vegas, WEC 35 brought us another championship triple-header: a rematch between Brian Stann and Steve Cantwell for the lightheavyweight title, a welterweight title bout between Carlos Condit and Hiromitsu Miura, and a lightweight championship match between Jamie Varner and Marcus Hicks. Here is how it went down:
Damacio Page vs. Brian Bowles (135 lbs bout)
The first televised bout of the night started out at a hectic pace, with Page slipping after throwing a high kick and ending up on his back with Bowles in his guard. Bowles attempts a guillotine; Page escapes and gains the top position. Page stands up and they go back to trading on the feet; Bowles attempts a takedown but Page sprawls. Page goes for a takedown of his own and is caught in a standing guillotine. He looks like he is trying to slam his way out of the hold, but his arms are trapped and Page is forced to tap out as Bowles pulls him down to the canvas.
Bowles improves his career record to 6-0 and positions himself as one of the top contenders for the 135 lbs title (currently held by Miguel Torres.)
Fight grade: 4/5
Champion Jamie Varner vs. Marcus Hicks (155 lbs title bout)
Undefeated challenger Marcus ‘Wrecking Ball’ Hicks quickly clinches to negate Varner’s reach advantage, and takes Varner down but Jamie stands right back up. Hicks gets another quick takedown and locks in his patented guillotine but Varner escapes. Another slam from Hicks, Varner gets back to his feet again and starts finding his distance, hurting Hicks with a series of brutal kicks, punches, and knees. Hicks goes down but manages to hang on and stand back up. Hicks is badly hurt and Varner drops him again with a punch, this time for good.
An amazing performance by Varner, making his first title defense and handing Hicks his first defeat. Varner states he wants to either face Donald ‘The Cowboy’ Cerrone next, or grant a rematch to the former champion Rob McCullough.
Fight grade: 5/5
Brock Larson vs. Carlo Prater (170 lbs bout)
The fighters circle for a few moments, then exchange and Larson drops Prater with a straight left. Larson jumps on top of Prater and finishes him off with punches at only 37 seconds into the round. Larson wants to face the winner of the Condit-Miura bout.
Fight grade: 4/5
Champion Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell (205 lbs title bout)
In the first match between these two, Stann knocked out Cantwell in the first round. Stann comes in at 4 lbs under the 205 limit. The first round is an absolute war on the feet, with Cantwell landing the more effective shots but Stann holding his own. Round 10-9 Cantwell.
In the second, the pace slows down a bit; Stann grazes Cantwell’s groin with a missed leg kick, leading to a short break in the action. Cantwell attacks Stann with punches and knees to the body, alternating with combinations to the head. Stann is hurt and in survival mode against the fence. Cantwell drops Stann with a hook and follows up with punches to the side of the head until the referee steps in to stop the bout. Steve Cantwell is the new WEC 205-lbs champion.
Fight grade: 5/5
Micah Miller vs. Josh Grispi (145 lbs bout)
Grispi is the aggressor early on, hurting Miller with leg kicks. Grispi drops Miller with an overhand right and follows up with several punches as Miller is crumpled against the cage. Herb Dean steps in to stop the fight. Miller gets right up and protest the seemingly premature stoppage.
Fight grade: 3/5
Champion Carlos Condit vs. Hiromitsu Miura (170 lbs title bout)
Condit starts out the fight picking Miura apart in the standup, but is quickly taken down with a throw. Condit gets up and is once again thrown to the ground, twice in a row but gets up every time. Condit drops Miura with a punch, follows up to a knee-on-belly then a crucifix, and attempts an armbar but Miura escapes back to his feet and ends the round with another throw. Round 10-9 Miura.
The second round is mostly a crazy ground scramble, with Condit getting dominant position several times but Miura always able to sweep or escape and stay out of danger. Round 10-9 Condit.
Round 3 looks a lot like round 2, with fast paced though at times sloppy action. Miura has Condit in trouble at one point, but Condit reverses and mounts Miura. Miura gives up his back and fights off a rear naked choke attempt as the round draw to an end. Round 10-9 Condit.
Both fighters are visibly tired in the fourth round, but still going all out. Miura is hurting Condit in standup, and Condit resorts to shooting a takedown. Condit attempts to secure a submission but Miura gets back to his feet and is dropped by a knee from Condit. Condit follows up with punches that don’t look to have much power behind them, but Miura has nothing left and the ref halts the bout. Condit retains the welterweight title.
Fight grade: 5/5
What this event lacked in star power, it more than made up in the gameness of all fighters. An absolutely perfect MMA event!