In Episode 6, Clay Harvison learned that the finger injury he suffered during his fight with Michael Bowman is a dislocation and not a fracture.  Therefore, Harvison will be able to continue in the competition.

Meanwhile, Junior Dos Santos’ assistant coach Lew Polley, who butted heads with Santos the entire season, was fired from the team by Junior for visiting the fighters’ house on his own.

The six and seventh opening round fights took place in this episode, with Team Lesnar and Team Dos Santos splitting the wins:  Team Lesnar’s Tony Ferguson defeated Justin Edwards in the first round with a knockout due to an upkick, and Team Dos Santos’ Zachary Davis submitted Chuck O’Neil with a triangle choke (also in the first round).

The current win tally is 4 Team Dos Santos, 3 Team Lesnar.

For the remaining wild-card spot, Chuck O’Neil will face Javier Torres in a second chance matchup.

Here’s who remains:
(all rankings are approximated as-of the show’s taping, and not necessarily reflecting the fighters’ current rankings)

[#113] Anthony Ferguson
episode 6: moved on to quarter-finals with a first round TKO (upkick) win over Justin Edwards

[#182] Justin Edwards
episode 3: alternate taking place of Keon Caldwell
episode 6: lost to Anthony Ferguson by TKO (upkick)

[#179] Myles Jury
episode 1: forced to withdraw due to an injury

[#200] Ryan McGillivray
episode 3: moved on to quarter-finals with a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) over Len Bentley

[#247 LW] Ramsey Nijem
episode 4: moved on to quarter-finals with a second round submission (rear naked choke) win over Charlie Rader

[#289] Chuck O’Neil
episode 1: alternate taking place of Miles Jury
episode 6: lost to Zachary Davis with a first round submission (triangle choke). Brought back for the wild card fight with Javier Torres

[#321] Charlie Rader
episode 4: lost to Ramsey Nijem with a second round submission (rear naked choke).

[#364] Shamar Bailey
episode 1: moved on to quarter-finals with a 20-18 unanimous decision win over Nordin Asrih

[#387] Clay Harvison
episode 5: defeated Michael Bowman with a unanimous decision (20-18)

[#441] Chris Cope
episode 2: moved on to quarter-finals with a 29-28 overtime unanimous decision win over Javier Torres

[#475] Len Bentley
episode 3: lost a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) to Ryan McGillivray

[NR] Nordin Asrih
episode 1: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Shamar Bailey

[NR] Michael Bowman
episode 5: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Clay Harvison

[NR] Keon Caldwell
episode 2: withdrew from competition

[NR] Zachary Davis
episode 6: moved on to quarter-finals with a first round submission (triangle choke) win over Chuck O’Neil

[NR] Javier Torres
episode 2: lost an overtime unanimous decision (29-28) to Chris Cope
episode 6: brought back for a wild card fight with Chuck O’Neil

UFC 129 – St. Pierre vs. Shields
April 30, 2011

Rogers Centre,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

UFC Welterweight Championship

Welterweight (170 lbs)
Welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre (22 – 2 – 0) handed Jake Shields (26 – 5 – 1) his first defeat in 15 fights and 5 1/2 years via unanimous decision.  St. Pierre, who has gone to decisions in 5 of his last 6, sustained an eye injury during the 2nd round (according to him in the post fight interview).   St. Pierre also stated that he was surprised with the striking acumen that Shields brought to the fight.  Shields certainly exceeded expectations in the striking department, bloodying GSP’s face and coming out looking less worse for wear.  Shields tried a few times to get the fight to the ground, but GSP stuffed the feeble takedown attempts and kept the 25 minute contest on the feet.  GSP used his jabs, as well as frequent spinning back kicks to vex Shields during much of the bout.  GSP, who said he could not see out of his left eye following the bout, did not answer questions about who he believes he should fight in the future.  The superfight between GSP and [#1MW] [#1DD] Anderson Silva always looms on the horizon.  However, since Anderson will be facing [#3MW] Yushin Okami at UFC Rio in August, it looks like that fight would not happen until late 2011 at the earliest.  In the meanwhile, the time seems just right to make a fight between GSP and red hot Strikeforce welterweight champ [#3] Nick Diaz.  Jake Shields should face the winner of the upcoming [#12] Thiago Alves/[#23] Rick Story bout, or perhaps [#6]Josh Koscheck.  Both GSP and Shields hold their rankings at [#1] and [#2], respectively.  GSP moves up 1 spot from [#3DD] to [#2DD] in the Division Dominance rankings. Previously ranked at [#9DD], Shields falls off the Division Dominance “Top 10.”  GSP, who has not lost in 4 years, extends his winning streak to 9.

UFC Featherweight Championship

Keep Reading

In the fifth opening round fight, Team Lesnar’s Clay Harvison defeated Team Dos Santos’ Michael Bowman by unanimous decision.  However, it was revelead post-fight that Harvison suffered a severe fracture of his pinky finger, which will likely force him out of the competition.

The current win tally is 3 Team Dos Santos, 2 Team Lesnar.

Here’s who remains:
(all rankings are approximated as-of the show’s taping, and not necessarily reflecting the fighters’ current rankings)

[#113] Anthony Ferguson

[#182] Justin Edwards
episode 3: alternate taking place of Keon Caldwell

[#179] Myles Jury
episode 1: forced to withdraw due to an injury

[#200] Ryan McGillivray
episode 3: moved on to quarter-finals with a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) over Len Bentley

[#247 LW] Ramsey Nijem
episode 4: moved on to quarter-finals with a second round submission (rear naked choke) win over Charlie Rader

[#289] Chuck O’Neil
episode 1: alternate taking place of Miles Jury

[#321] Charlie Rader
episode 4: lost to Ramsey Nijem with a second round submission (rear naked choke).

[#364] Shamar Bailey
episode 1: moved on to quarter-finals with a 20-18 unanimous decision win over Nordin Asrih

[#387] Clay Harvison
episode 5: defeated Michael Bowman with a unanimous decision (20-18); forced to withdraw from competition with a broken finger

[#441] Chris Cope
episode 2: moved on to quarter-finals with a 29-28 overtime unanimous decision win over Javier Torres

[#475] Len Bentley
episode 3:lost a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) to Ryan McGillivray

[NR] Nordin Asrih
episode 1: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Shamar Bailey

[NR] Michael Bowman
episode 5: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Clay Harvison

[NR] Keon Caldwell
episode 2: withdrew from competition

[NR] Zachary Davis

[NR] Javier Torres
episode 2: lost an overtime unanimous decision (29-28) to Chris Cope

Bellator Fighting Championships 42
April 23, 2011

Lucky Star Casino,
Concho, Oklahoma, United States

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)
Richard Hale (17 – 3 – 1) defeated D.J. Linderman (9 – 2 – 0) by split decision.  The bout was back and forth on the feet much of the time.  The fight tipped in favor of Hale when he fell into mount on top of Linderman in the 3rd round.  The larger Hale was able to switch between mount and back control as Linderman struggled to break free.  Hale  jumps 16 spots up from [#51] to [#35].  Hale is on a 4 fight win streak, and is 8-1-1 in his last 10.  He will face [#42] Christian M’Pumbu in the finals of the season 4 light heavyweight tournament.  Linderman drops 9 spots from [#29] to [#38].  Linderman was on a 4 fight win streak prior to this loss.

Featherweight (145 lbs)
British prospect Ronnie Mann (19 – 2 – 1) defeated Josh Arocho (6 – 10 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Mann used superior striking and grappling to outclass Arocho in virtually every aspect of the fight.  Arocho would not be finished, and fought valiantly until the closing bell.  Mann, who is on a 3 fight win streak and is 8-1 in his last 9 fights, jumps 21 spots up from, [#84 ] to [#63].  Look to see Mann in the upcoming featherweight tournament.   Arocho, who was ranked at [#406LW], falls off the rankings.  Arocho is 1-4 in his last 5.

Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)
Christian M’Pumbu (17 – 3 – 1) defeated Tim Carpenter (7 – 1 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 2:08 of the 1st round.  M’Pumbu, who is on a 2 fight win streak and is 6-1 in his last 7, moves up 7 spots from [#49] to [#42].  M’Pumbu struck early and often, using his reach to effectively counterstrike .    M’Pumbu will meet [#35] Richard Hale in the finals of the season 4 light heavyweight tournament.   Carpenter drops 22 spots from [#114] to [#136].

Keep Reading

In the fourth opening round fight, Team Dos Santos’ Ramsey Nijem defeated Team Lesnar’s Charlie Rader by tapout due to a rear naked choke in the second round, advancing to the quarter-finals.

The current win tally is 3 Team Dos Santos, 1 Team Lesnar.

Here’s who remains:

[#113] Anthony Ferguson

[#182] Justin Edwards
episode 3: alternate taking place of Keon Caldwell

[#179] Myles Jury
episode 1: forced to withdraw due to an injury

[#200] Ryan McGillivray
episode 3: moved on to quarter-finals with a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) over Len Bentley

[#247 LW] Ramsey Nijem
episode 4: moved on to quarter-finals with a second round submission (rear naked choke) win over Charlie Rader

[#289] Chuck O’Neil
episode 1: alternate taking place of Miles Jury

[#321] Charlie Rader
episode 4: lost to Ramsey Nijem with a second round submission (rear naked choke).

[#364] Shamar Bailey
episode 1: moved on to quarter-finals with a 20-18 unanimous decision win over Nordin Asrih

[#387] Clay Harvison

[#441] Chris Cope
episode 2: moved on to quarter-finals with a 29-28 overtime unanimous decision win over Javier Torres

[#475] Len Bentley
episode 3:lost a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) to Ryan McGillivray

[NR] Nordin Asrih
episode 1: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Shamar Bailey

[NR] Michael Bowman

[NR] Keon Caldwell
episode 2: withdrew from competition

[NR] Zachary Davis

[NR] Javier Torres
episode 2: lost an overtime unanimous decision (29-28) to Chris Cope

These are the results from this past Friday and how they affected the fighter’s rankings.

Scrap Live – Fight Night 7
April 15, 2011

LJVM Coliseum Annex,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Middleweight (185 lbs)

UFC veteran Rodney Wallace (11 – 4 – 0) defeated Cale Yarborough (8 – 3 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Since being released from the UFC in Auugust 2010, Wallace has gone 2-1.  Wallace moves from [#61LHW] into the middleweight “Top 350” at [#57] Yarborough, who is 2-3 in his last 5, drops 19 spots from  [#172] to [#191].

Lightweight (155 lbs)

“Ultimate Fighter” alum Cameron Dollar  (9 – 2 – 0) choked out Sylvain Bynum (4 – 2 – 0), winning by technical submission due to triangle choke at 1:46 of round 1.  Dollar, who was ranked at [#80FW], enters the lightweight “Top 500” at [#209].  Dollar is on a 5 fight win streak, all by stoppage.  Bynum, who is on a 2 fight losing streak, remains unranked.

Keep Reading

Bellator Fighting Championships 41
April 16, 2011

Cocopah Resort and Casino,
Yuma, Arizona, United States

Non Title Bout

Catchweight (137 lbs)
Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren (7 – 1 – 0) won a contentious unanimous decision over Marcos Galvao (9 – 4 – 1).  Warren, who is the Bellator featherweight (145 lb) champion, moves from [#6FW] to [#4BW].  Warren is now on a 5 fight win streak.  Consensus was that Galvao won rounds 1 and 2, while Warren won round 3.  Many people are calling the decision for Warren a “robbery.”  Galvao, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, moves from [#108FW] to [#51BW].  Both men intend to fight in the upcoming bantamweight tournament coming up in September.

Bellator Featherweight Tournament Semifinal

Featherweight (145 lbs)
Patricio Freire (16 – 1 – 0) defeated Wilson Reis (12 – 3 – 0) by brutal KO due to punches at 3:29 of round 3.  The bout was relatively even up to the end, with Freire using his reach and counter striking game to edge out a slight advantage.  Freire found the chinks in Reis’s armor, and finally capitalized on them in the third round, overwhelming his opponent of shorter stature.   Freire jumps 10 spots up from [#21] to [#11]. His one loss comes to current featherweight champ [#4BW] Joe Warren.  He will face [#15] Daniel Straus in the finals of the season 4 featherweight tournament.  Reis drops 9 spots from [#22] to [#31].  2 out of 3 of Reis’s losses, who had never been stopped prior to this loss, come at the hands of Freire.

Non Title Bout

Bantamweight (135 lbs)
Bellator bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky (13 – 2 – 0) defeated Chad Robichaux (11 – 1 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 2:02 of round 3.  Makovsky used his superior wrestling to stifle the unorthodox offense of Robichaux.  A thrilling affair with many scrambles, Robichaux put forth a valiant attempt in his loss to the 135 lb champ.  Makovsky, who is on a 7 fight win streak, falls 1 spot from [#8] to [#9].   Robichaux, who was ranked at  [#37Fly], fell off the rankings.  Robichaux, an 11 year veteran of the sport, has won 10 of his 11 victories by submission.

Bellator Featherweight Tournament Semifinal

Featherweight (145 lbs)
Daniel Straus (16 – 3 – 0) defeated Kenny Foster (9 – 3 – 0) by submission due to guillotine choke at 3:48 of the 3^rd round.  Straus, who is on a 12 fight win streak, moves up 2 spots from [#17] to [#15].  Straus used throws and superior clinchwork to vex Foster.    Straus will meet [#11] Patricio Freire in the finals of the season 4 featherweight tournament.   Foster, who dropped 3 spots from [#109] to [#112], is 8-2 in his last 10.

Keep Reading

These are the results from this past Saturday and how they affected the fighter’s rankings.

Ringside MMA 10 – Cote vs. Starnes
April 9, 2011
Bell Centre,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Middleweight (185 lbs)

UFC veteran Patrick Cote (14 – 7 – 0) defeated fellow UFC vet Kalib Starnes (12 – 6 – 1) by unanimous decision.  Cote, who was on a 3 fight losing streak inside the UFC, jumps 34 spots from [#95] to [#61].  Starnes, who is 3-2 in his last 5, drops 22 spots from [#73] to [#95].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

TUF veteran Seth Baczynski (13 – 6 – 0) defeated Alex Garcia (6 – 1 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 2:44 of the 2^nd round.  Baczynski, who is on a 2 fight win streak (both by stoppages due to strikes), bounds 58 spots up from [#186] to [#128].  Garcia, who rattled off 6 stoppage wins in a row prior to this loss, plummets 151 spots from [#228] to [#379].

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Michael Gagnon (7 – 1 – 0) defeated Rejean Groulx (5 – 1 – 0) by TKO due a slam at 3:47 of the 3^rd round.  Gagnon, who is on a 5 fight win streak (all by stoppage), jumps 43 spots up from [#115] to [#72].  Groulx, who has finished 4 of his 5 victories by stoppage, plummets 109 spots from [#136] to [#245].

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Roger Hollett (12 – 3 – 0) defeated Martin Desilets (11 – 3 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 1:39 of the 2^nd round.  Hollett, who is on a 4 fight win streak, jumps 55 spots up from [#102] to [#47].  Desilets, who was on a 4 fight win streak, drops 25 spots from [#43] to [#68].

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Iraj Hadin (6 – 3 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Derek Gauthier (6 – 3 – 0).  Hadin, who is 3-2 in his last 5, jumps 67 spots from [#219] to [#286].  Gauthier, who is 2-3 in his last 5, remains unranked.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Bellator veteran Mike Ricci (6 – 1 – 0) defeated Jesse Ronson (5 – 2 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 3:12 of round 1.  Ricci, who rebounded from a loss to Bellator lightweight tournament champion [#44] Pat Curran, jumps 51 spots from [#295] to [#244].  Ronson, who is 1-2 in his last 3, remains unranked.

Keep Reading

In Episode 3, [#182 WW] Justin Edwards joined Team Dos Santos as an alternate, replacing Keon Caldwell.

In the third opening round fight, Team Dos Santos’ Ryan McGillivray defeated Team Lesnar’s Len Bentley by a majority decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19), advancing to the quarter-finals.

The current win tally is 2 Team Dos Santos, 1 Team Lesnar.

Here’s who remains:

[#113] Anthony Ferguson

[#182] Justin Edwards
episode 3: alternate taking place of Keon Caldwell

[#179] Myles Jury
episode 1: forced to withdraw due to an injury

[#200] Ryan McGillivray
episode 3: moved on to quarter-finals with a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) over Len Bentley

[#247 LW] Ramsey Nijem

[#289] Chuck O’Neil
episode 1: alternate taking place of Miles Jury

[#321] Charlie Rader

[#364] Shamar Bailey
episode 1: moved on to quarter-finals with a 20-18 unanimous decision win over Nordin Asrih

[#387] Clay Harvison

[#441] Chris Cope
episode 2: moved on to quarter-finals with a 29-28 overtime unanimous decision win over Javier Torres

[#475] Len Bentley
episode 3:lost a majority decision win (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) to Ryan McGillivray

[NR] Nordin Asrih
episode 1: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Shamar Bailey

[NR] Michael Bowman

[NR] Keon Caldwell
episode 2: withdrew from competition

[NR] Zachary Davis

[NR] Javier Torres
episode 2: lost an overtime unanimous decision (29-28) to Chris Cope

Maximum Fighting Championships 29 – Conquer
April 8, 2011
The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor,
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

MFC Welterweight Championship

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Douglas Lima (18 – 4 – 0) blasted UFC veteran Terry Martin (21 – 9 – 0) and won by TKO due to punches at just 1:14 into round 1.  Douglas Lima moves up 15 spots from [#51] to [#36].  Lima is on a 6 fight win streak- winning 4 by stoppage, 3 by submission.  Martin drops 37 spots from [#69] to [#106].  Martin is 3-2 in his last 5.

MFC Light Heavyweight Championship

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Ryan Jimmo (15 – 1 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Strikeforce vet Zak Cummings (13 – 3 – 0).  Jimmo, who is undefeated in 15 bouts, stays ranked at [#22].  Cummings, who has won 3 of his last 5 all via stoppage, drops 2 spots from [#81] to [#83].  Cummings was an injury replacement for [#36] Emmanuel Newton.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

UFC veteran Marcus Davis (18 – 9 – 0) defeated Curtis Demarce (10 – 9 – 0) by split decision.  Davis, who stayed ranked at [#59], won his first fight after being cut from the UFC following a less than stellar 1-4 run.  Davis most recent loss was a KO due to a punch at the hands of to [#23] Jeremy Stephens.  Demarce jumps 33 spots up the rankings from [#266 ] to [#230].  Demarce is on a 2 fight losing streak, both by split decision.  Prior to the 2 losses, Demarce was on a 7 fight win streak.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

UFC veteran Hermes Franca (21 – 11 – 0) defeated Robert Washington (9 – 3 – 0) by KO due to a punch at 0:26 into the 2^nd round.  Franca, who was ranked at [#202WW], moves into the lightweight “Top 500” at [#166].  Franca is on a 2 fight win streak, stopping both of his opponents.  Washington, who remains unranked, has lost 3 of his last 5, 2 by KO.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

UFC veteran Pete Spratt (22 – 19 – 0) defeated Demi Deeds (15 – 9 – 0) via submission due to an armbar at 4:19 of round 2.  Spratt, who has lost 3 of his last 5 all to chokes, bounds 51 spots forward from [#213] to [#162], gaining his 9th career victory via submission.  Deeds, who was ranked at [#351LW] moves into the welterweight “Top 500”at [#459].  Deeds is on a 3 fight slide, losing all 3 by submission.

Keep Reading

Bellator Fighting Championships 40
April 9, 2011

First Council Casino,
Newkirk, Oklahoma, United States

Non Title Bout

Welterweight (170 lbs)
Ben Askren (8 – 0 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Nick Thompson (38 – 14 – 1).  Askren remains ranked at [#21] with this victory.  Askren showed true positional dominance on the ground, thoroughly flustering Thompson in all 3 rounds.  Nick Thompson drops 1 spot from [#128] to [#129].  Thompson, who is on a 4 fight losing streak and has not won since February of 2009, announced his intention to retire following the bout.

Bellator Welterweight Tournament Semifinal

Welterweight (170 lbs)
Jay Hieron (21 – 4 – 0) defeated Brent Weedman (18 – 6 – 1) via unanimous decision.  Weedman was the aggressor for much of the bout, but the judges felt Hieron’s boxing earned him the victory.  Hieron breaks into the top ten, jumping 5 spots from [#15] to [#10].  He will face [#47] Rick Hawn in the finals of the season 4 welterweight tournament.  Now Hieron is 11 spots higher than Bellator welterweight champ Ben Askren.  Brent Weedman drops 2 spots from [#28] to [#30].  Prior to this loss, Weedman was on a 3 year, 10 fight win streak.

Bellator Lightweight Tournament Semifinal

Lightweight (155 lbs)
Michael Chandler (7 – 0 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Lloyd Woodard (11 – 1 – 0)  Chandler used superior wrestling to control the taller Woodard throughout the fight.  Chandler, who bounds 109 spots forward from [#161] to [#52], advances to the finals to face [#51] Patricky Freire.  Chandler had stopped all his opponents prior to this bout.  Lloyd Woodard falls 20 spots from [#46] to [#66].  Woodard suffered defeat for the first time on Saturday night, but he has much to offer and should be back in the Bellator cage soon.

Keep Reading

Strikeforce – Diaz vs. Daley

April 9, 2011
Valley View Casino Center

San Diego, California, United States

Strikeforce Welterweight Championship

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Nick Diaz (25 – 7 – 0) extended his winning streak to 10 in his dazzling finish over Paul Daley (27 – 10 – 2) by TKO due to punches at 4:57 of the 1^st round.  Daley, who was just 3 seconds shy of being saved by the bell, protested the stoppage by “Big” John McCarthy.  However, Daley looked unsteady when he was helped up onto his stool, leading one to believe that the stoppage may have been justified.  Diaz and Daley rocked each other numerous times throughout the truncated tussle, but the legendary chin of Diaz allowed him to recover and prevail.  Daley has never been stopped by strikes in his career prior to this loss.  With this win, Diaz moved up 2 spots, eking past [#5] B.J. Penn and [#4] Jon Fitch to rest at [#3].  Diaz has more or less beaten everyone in the Strikeforce welterweight division except for unbeaten [#35] Tyron Woodley.  Paul Daley was on a 4 fight win streak prior to this loss, and is 8-2 in his last 10.  After suffering his first TKO loss due to strikes, he will want to come back with an emphatic victory to prove he is still a top tier welterweight.  A bout with fellow loser to Nick Diaz, [#32] Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos would most likely produce fireworks on the feet, propelling the victor back into title contention.  Daley drops 8 spots from [#8] to {#14].

Strikeforce Lightweight Championship

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Gilbert Melendez (19 – 2 – 0) brutalized Tatsuya Kawajiri  (27 – 7 – 0) and won via TKO due to elbows at 3:14 of the 1^st round.  Melendez truly made a statement by dominating fellow top ten competitor Kawajiri in such shocking fashion.  Ironically it was his elbows, which are newly allowed in Strikeforce, that forced the stoppage.   Melendez, like his teammate Nick Diaz, does not have a paucity of talent available for him to face.  A rematch with [#4] Shinya Aoki or a bout against [#28] Justin Wilcox could prove interesting. The cross promotional dream match between Melendez and Bellator lightweight champ [#5] Eddie Alvarez would always be appealing.  Melendez moves 2 spots up the ranks from [#4] to [#2], usurping [#3] Gray Maynard’s previous spot.  Melendez is on a 5 fight win streak.  Tatsuya Kawajiri has suffered two hard 1^st round defeats in the last year, and these have both shown sizeable chinks in his armor.  Kawajiri did not impress in his Stateside debut, and should look for bouts with [#13] Jorge Masvidal or [#50] Pat Healy.  Kawajiri drops 2 spots from [#9] to [#11].

Keep Reading

Bellator Fighting Championships 30
April 2, 2011
Uncasville, Connecticut, United States

 

Bellator Lightweight Championship

Lightweight (155 lbs)
Eddie Alvarez (22 – 2 – 0) won a unanimous decision over Pat Curran (13 – 4 – 0).  Alvarez stays ranked at [#5] with this victory.  Alvarez is on a 7 fight win streak, and is regarded as one of the top lightweights in the world.  Pat Curran drops 7 spots from [#38] to [#45].  Although he lost, Curran proved a lot by going the distance with Alvarez.  Curran, who is 4 – 1 in is last 5, hinted at a possible move down to 145 lbs after this loss.

Bellator Welterweight Tournament Semifinal

Welterweight (170 lbs)
Rick Hawn (11 – 0 – 0) defeated Lyman Good (11 – 2 – 0) by a razor thin split decision.  Hawn jumps 13 spots forward from [#60] to [#47].  He will face the winner of Jay Hieron vs. Brent Weedman in the finals of the season 4 welterweight tournament.  Lyman Good drops 3 spots from [#54] to [#57].  Good, who has now lost 2 of his last 3, is still a top welterweight prospect inside the Bellator cage.

Bellator Lightweight Tournament Semifinal

Light Heavyweight (155 lbs)
Patricky Freire (9 – 1 – 0) blasted Toby Imada (29 – 16 – 0) and won  by TKO due to a huge flying knee and punches at 2:53 into round 1.  Freire, who bounds 80 spots forward from [#132] to [#52], has to be the odds on favorite to win the lightweight tournament now.  Freire is on a 5 fight win streak, stopping 4 of his last 5 opponents.  Toby Imada falls 31 spots from [#42] to [#73].  Imada, who hasn’t suffered a TKO loss since 2006, will have to go back to the drawing board and come back strong.  He has been in this position before, and has proven capable to return from demoralizing defeats.

Keep Reading

In Episode 2, Keon Caldwell left the competition as he couldn’t stand to be separated from his family.  His replacement will be announced in the next episode.

In the second opening round fight, Team Lesnar’s Chris Cope defeated Team Dos Santos’ Javier Torres by a unanimous decision (29-28 on all scorecards) after an overtime round.

The current win tally is 1 Team Dos Santos, 1 Team Lesnar.

Here’s who remains:

[#113] Anthony Ferguson

[#179] Myles Jury
episode 1: forced to withdraw due to an injury

[#200] Ryan McGillivray

[#247 LW] Ramsey Nijem

[#289] Chuck O’Neil
episode 1: alternate taking place of Miles Jury

[#321] Charlie Rader

[#364] Shamar Bailey
episode 1: moved on to quarter-finals with a 20-18 unanimous decision win over Nordin Asrih

[#387] Clay Harvison

[#441] Chris Cope
episode 2: moved on to quarter-finals with a 29-28 overtime unanimous decision win over Javier Torres

[#475] Len Bentley

[NR] Nordin Asrih
episode 1: lost a unanimous decision (20-18) to Shamar Bailey

[NR] Michael Bowman

[NR] Keon Caldwell
episode 2: withdrew from competition

[NR] Zachary Davis

[NR] Javier Torres
episode 2: lost an overtime unanimous decision (29-28) to Chris Cope

 

 

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Janailson Kevin Pereira Lima (8 – 12 – 0) defeated Marcos Vinicius (7 – 1 – 0) by split decision.  Lima, who was previously unranked, breaks into the featherweight “Top 250” at [#161].  Lima has won 3 of his last 4 (not counting one No Contest).  Vinicius drops 64 spots from [#117] to [#164].

 

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Leonardo Guimaraes (5 – 0 – 0) defeated Cassio Jacare (4 – 2 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 1:11 into round 2.  Guimaraes, who was previously unranked, breaks into the heavyweight “Top 250” at [#165].  Guimaraes has stopped all but 1 of his opponents.  Cassio Jacare, who remains unranked, has gone 2-2 in his last 4 fights.

 

Women’s Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Vanessa Porto (12 – 4 – 0) defeated Kalindra Carvalho Faria (1 – 3 – 1) by armbar submission at 3:57 into round 1.  Porto, who was previously unranked, breaks into the women’s bantamweight “Top 15” at [#9].  Porto won 5 of her last 6, 4 by armbar submission.  Faria remains unranked.

 

Iron Man Championship 4
March 31, 2011
Pan Amazon,
Belem, Para, Brazil

 

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Dirlei Brundestuki (3 – 1 – 0) weathered the opening storm and upset the much larger Geronimo “Mondragon” Dos Santos (21 – 13 – 0) by TKO due retirement at 4:15 into round 2.  Brundestuki remains unranked.  Dos Santos, who was previously ranked at [#151], fell off the rankings.  Dos Santos is 4-2 in his last 6, losing both fights by TKO due to retirement.

 

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Marinho Rocha (3 – 4 – 0) won a suspect split decision over Luis Sergio da Fonseca Melo. (22 – 8 – 3).  Rocha, who remains unranked with his victory, broke a 4 fight losing streak with this win.  Melo, who drops 72 spots from  [#108] to [#180], is 5-1-1 in his last 7.

 

Middleweight (185 lbs)

Andre Lobato (11 – 2 – 0) defeated Alexandre Goncalves Alves Jr. (5 – 4 – 0) by submission due to heel hook at 0:34 into round 1.  Lobato, who jumped 26 spots forward from [#277] to [#251], has won 6 of his last 7 all by 1^st round submission.  Alves Jr, who remains unranked, has lost 3 of his last 4.

 

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Rafael Bastos (35 – 14 – 1) won a unanimous decision over Jamil Silveira (20 – 12 – 0).  Bastos, who jumps 108 spots from [#415] to [#307], is on a 4 fight win streak, stopping 2 of his opponents.  Silveira, who remains unranked, has lost 5 of his last 7 all via unanimous decision.

 

Middleweight (185 lbs)

Maurilio de Souza (4 – 4 – 0) upset Paulo Henrique Garcia Rodrigues (12 – 6 – 0) by guillotine choke at 0:27 into round 1.  De Souza, who remains unranked, is on a 2 fight win streak, stopping both of his opponents in under 30 seconds.  Rodrigues, who was ranked at [#259], has fallen off the middleweight “Top 350.”  Prior to two losses, Rodrigues was on a 4 fight win streak, all by armbar.

 

Lightweight (155 lbs)
Jose Ivanildo Lopes Souza (6 – 5 – 0) defeated Carlos Heide (9 – 6 – 0) by guillotine choke submission at 1:30 into the 1st round.  Lopes, who was previously unranked, enters the lightweight “Top 500” at [#447].  Lopes has won 5 of his last 6 fights.  Heide, who remains unranked, is 4-2 in his last 6.

 

Middleweight (185 lbs)
Marcio Henrique Castanheira (6 – 1 – 0) defeated Edilson Florencio (8 – 11 – 0) by TKO due to retirement at 1:42 into the 1st round.  Castanheira, who was previously unranked, enters the middleweight “Top 350” at [#275].  Castanheira has won all 6 of his fights by stoppage.  Florencio, who remains unranked, is 4-2 in his last 6.