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FightMatrix Program: Bellator (05-11-2012)
Featherweight (145)
[#13] Daniel Straus (19-4-0, 146.0lb) vs. [#14] Marlon Sandro (22-3-0, 145.8lb)
Marlon Sandro is the All-Time #7 ranked Featherweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Daniel Straus (3-0-0)
2012-04-13: W vs. [#42FW] Mike Corey (12-3-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2012-03-09: W vs. [#56FW] Jeremy Spoon (12-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2011-10-15: W vs. [#579LW] Jason Dent (21-12-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 48-47)
Last 3 Fights: Marlon Sandro (3-0-0)
2012-04-06: W vs. [#50FW] Alexandre Bezerra (13-2-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2012-03-09: W vs. [#96FW] Roberto Vargas (12-2-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:35 of round 1
2011-11-19: W vs. [#248FW] Rafael Dias (15-9-2) via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) in 3:56 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Daniel Straus 28, Marlon Sandro 35
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Bantamweight (135)
[#11] Marcos Galvao (11-5-1, 136.0lb) vs. [#43] Travis Marx (19-3-0, 135.4lb)
Marcos Galvao is the All-Time #20 ranked Bantamweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Marcos Galvao (2-1-0)
2012-04-13: W vs. [#48BW] Ed West (17-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2011-10-22: L vs. [#13BW] Alexis Vila (11-2-0) via SD (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
2011-09-24: W vs. [#53FW] Chase Beebe (19-8-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Travis Marx (3-0-0)
2012-04-06: W vs. [#53BW] Masakatsu Ueda (15-2-2) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2011-09-09: W vs. [#389BW] Mikey Lovato (10-3-0) via Submission (Punches) in 1:38 of round 1
2011-07-09: W vs. [#433BW] Ray Robinson (6-10-0) via Submission (Choke) in 0:56 of round 1
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Marcos Galvao 28, Travis Marx 35
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Travis Marx leads 1-0
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Heavyweight (230)
[#49] Seth Petruzelli (15-7-0, 225.5lb) vs. [#58] Carmelo Marrero (14-5-0, 230.0lb)
Last 3 Fights: Seth Petruzelli (2-1-0)
2011-08-20: W vs. [#139HW+] Ricco Rodriguez (48-18-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:21 of round 1
2011-04-22: W vs. [#341MW] Dave Mewborn (8-4-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:06 of round 1
2010-11-13: L vs. [#99MW] Karlos Vemola (9-2-0) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 3:46 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Carmelo Marrero (2-1-0)
2011-10-21: W vs. [#103HW+] Scott Barrett (12-3-0) via UD ()
2011-01-29: L vs. [#96HW+] Mark Holata (11-3-0) via UD ()
2010-10-09: W vs. [#157HW+] Steven Banks (6-7-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 2:33 of round 2
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Seth Petruzelli 265, Carmelo Marrero 203
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Keep Reading
A lineal championship recently changed hands.
The term “lineal championship” has traditionally been linked to boxing moreso than MMA, but in case you didn’t know, we track our own lineal championship histories.
In short, it’s “the man, who beat the man, who beat the man, etc.” Some judgment calls are required to fill in gaps that champions create when moving divisions, retiring, and taking extended absences — not to mention, when the lineage actually starts. It’s really more interesting than it is legit, especially considering the fighters haven’t known the titles were on the line and the matches weren’t impacted in any way (extended length).
When Eddie Alvarez recently beat Shinya Aoki, he claimed our Lineal Lightweight Championship. This win came after his loss to Chandler, so he’s rated below Chandler but still holds the lineal title.
Currently, five of the UFC champions hold lineal designations. Ian McCall’s will likely be consumed or merged with the UFC Flyweight championship, with Overeem’s and Alvarez’s claims staying dislocated from the Zuffa juggernaut’s champions.
Prospect Profile: Alexander Sarnavskiy
If you’ve been paying attention to our MMA Records & Statistics page, you already know that Alexander Sarnavskiy holds the current record for most career wins without a loss — 18.
Some facts about Sarnavskiy:
- Currently ranked #62 in the Lightweight division. He’s come ever so close to getting into the Top 50.
- He’s only 23 years old and is averaging almost 6 fights per year.
- His last five opponents average a pre-fight record of 10-5, which is actually pretty good. For comparison sake, Khabib Nurmagomedov, his near equal, is at 8-5 and this includes his UFC debut.
Current Top 5 Prospects by Division (Issue #3)
BloodyElbow analyzes and follows prospects around the sport. They don’t use criteria quite as strict as ours, but it is interesting to see which fighters crossover on both lists. This is issue #3 and will show changes from the second issue of our rankings (Summer 2011).
The listed prospects fulfilled the following criteria:
- Have not fought in any of the “Big 15” organizations. Please see the FAQ for more info.
- Have no more than one defeat.
- Have five wins or more.
- Have fought in the last 450 days.
Sorted by current rating [2011+2012 BloodyElbow ranking in brackets]
Heavyweight+
- (NEW) Magomed Malikov (6-1-0) [BE 2012 #1 HW]
- (=) Guram Gughenishvili (11-0-0) [BE 2011 #1 HW]
- (=) Chris Barnett (7-1-0)
- (NEW) Ben Reiter (5-0-0)
- (NEW) Beau Tribolet (7-1-0)
Dropped out: (#1) Shamil Abdurahimov [2nd Loss], (#4) Stipe Miocic [Fought in “Big 15”], (#5) Edinaldo Oliveira [Fought in “Big 15”]
A quick word from a sponsor regarding fighter safety!
If you train, be sure to pick up some mma head gear. Repeated blows to the head can cause repetitive head injury syndrome. Stay safe, protect your head – you’ll need it! Some headgear also provides a face shield or full face protection to protect your nose, from bruises, cuts and breaks if that’s a concern.
Cyborg’s positive steroid test sparks change in our 2011 Women Fighter of the Year Standings
Cyborg, who took 2nd in our Women’s Fighter of the Year standing for 2011, just tested positive for stanozolol. Although a positive steroid test does not disqualify you from our awards, this also rendered her only 2011 fight a “no contest”.
As such, Tate will be moved up to #2, and Sarah Kaufman will move in at #3, for the third consecutive year.
In other award-related news, due to recent data changes at Sherdog, we re-assigned the men’s rookie of the year to Sultan Aliev. Sorry, Levan.
Maybe next year, we’ll wait a little longer to dish out these awards.
“Keep an Eye Out For…” UPDATE – Edinaldo Oliveira
On 10/17/11, I wrote this “Keep an Eye Out For…” article:
[#48HW] Edinaldo Oliveira (12 – 0 – 1) has yet to taste defeat. At 6’7″ and 238lbs, he is a very lanky fighter that has used his reach to secure 7 (T)KOs and 2 submissions out of his 12 victories. In the past 17 months, Oliveira has amassed a formidable list of victories over Brazilian heavyweights. The most notable victories in this time span are:
- 1st round TKO over [#151HW] Jair Goncalves (9 – 4 – 0) in September 2011
- 3rd round unanimous decision over [#167HW] Ubiratan Marinho Lima (13 – 6 – 0) in July 2011
- 2nd round TKO over [#230HW] Edson Franca (13 – 6 – 0) in May 2011
- 1st round TKO over [#192HW] Geronimo dos Santos (24 – 13 – 0) in December 2010
- 5th round unanimous decision over the one man to defeat [#3HW] Junior dos Santos, [#139HW] Joaquim Ferreira (11 – 6 – 0) in May 2010
Oliveira’s nickname is “Lula Molusco” or “Squidward” in English, due to his rangy physique. If he were so inclined, Oliveira could possibly fight at 205lbs. It would be interesting to see how Lula Molusco would fare against greater competition on bigger shows. Here’s to hoping we get the opportunity.
On 11/16/11, BloodyElbow.com reported that Oliveira, now (13-0-1) and ranked at [#46HW], will make his UFC debut at UFC 142 in Rio. He will be facing British heavyweight [#82HW] Rob Broughton (15 – 7 – 1). Both these fighters are meeting at a veritable crossroads in their respective careers. It will be an interesting bout; one which will indicate where each fighter belongs in the UFC at this point.
Twitter – @Jonathan_Grand
“Keep an Eye Out For…” Edinaldo Oliveira
[#48HW] Edinaldo Oliveira (12 – 0 – 1) has yet to taste defeat. At 6’7″ and 238lbs, he is a very lanky fighter that has used his reach to secure 7 (T)KOs and 2 submissions out of his 12 victories. In the past 17 months, Oliveira has amassed a formidable list of victories over Brazilian heavyweights. The most notable victories in this time span are:
- 1st round TKO over [#151HW] Jair Goncalves (9 – 4 – 0) in September 2011
- 3rd round unanimous decision over [#167HW] Ubiratan Marinho Lima (13 – 6 – 0) in July 2011
- 2nd round TKO over [#230HW] Edson Franca (13 – 6 – 0) in May 2011
- 1st round TKO over [#192HW] Geronimo dos Santos (24 – 13 – 0) in December 2010
- 5th round unanimous decision over the one man to defeat [#3HW] Junior dos Santos, [#139HW] Joaquim Ferreira (11 – 6 – 0) in May 2010
Oliveira’s nickname is “Lula Molusco” or “Squidward” in English, due to his rangy physique. If he were so inclined, Oliveira could possibly fight at 205lbs. It would be interesting to see how Lula Molusco would fare against greater competition on bigger shows. Here’s to hoping we get the opportunity.
“Keep an Eye Out For…”
[#87MW] Eddie Arizmendi (15 – 4 – 0) is on a 9 fight win streak (7 by stoppage). Not all of his victories have been over fighters with great records; however, 2 that stand out in this current streak are:
- 2nd round KO via punch over rising middleweight [#120MW] Jason Norwood (11 – 3 – 0) in July 2011
- 3rd round unanimous decision over [#64WW] David Hulett (18 – 9 – 0) in September 2009
Out of Arizmendi’s 15 victories, only 2 have gone to a decision. In fact, 17 of his 19 professional bouts have been stoppages. Arizmendi last lost in June 2008 to UFC fighter [#109WW] Seth Baczynski (14 – 6 – 0) via 2nd round submission (triangle choke). The 25 year old Tuscon, Arizona native will attempt to extend his win streak to 10 when he faces [#272MW] Arthur Guseinov (8 – 2 – 0) on October 14th at M-1 Challenge 27.
[#55LW] Alexander Sarnavskiy (15 – 0 – 0) is one of the hottest young prospects developing in Russia. Sarnavskiy, 22, has already racked up 15 consecutive wins (since his pro debut in December 2008). In 2011 alone, Sarnavskiy has won 3 bouts with choke based submissions. Within the last year, his victories include:
- 1st round rear naked choke on lightweight [*] Marcio Cesar (14 – 6 – 1) in August 2011
- 1st round triangle choke on featherweight [#114FW] Douglas Evans (13 – 9 – 0) in May 2011
- 2nd round rear naked choke over lightweight [#314LW] Beau Baker (8 – 5 – 0) in March 2011
- Rear naked choke in 0:43 of round 1 over lightweight [*] Arsen Ubaidulaev (8 – 4 – 0) in December 2010.
- TKO via spinning back fish and punches in 0:14 of round 1 over [*] Victor Kuku (8 – 8 – 1) in October 2010.
Sarnavskiy is a definite finisher, going to the cards only twice in 15 starts. Currently toiling on the Russian MMA scene, it is time for Sarnavskiy to come to the U.S. and ply his trade against higher caliber opponents. Can he continue his winning ways against tougher competition?
Lineal Championship Histories now a permanent feature
As promised, the MMA Lineal Championship Histories are now a permanent fixture at FightMatrix.com!
Check them out here:
“What Ever Happened to…?” Alex Owen
Bristol, England pugilist Alex Owen (19 – 1 – 0) (last ranking [#52FW] in July 2008) was going somewhere in MMA. From 2002 to 2007, Owen tore through the British featherweight ranks, scoring victories over top fighters such as [#50BW] Paul McVeigh (18 – 6 – 0) and WEC veteran [#27BW] Brad Pickett (20 – 5 – 0).
By then he was 19-0, 14 of those wins coming by stoppage. However, following his first loss to [*] Emmanuel Fernandez (9 – 4 – 1) (another talented yet inexplicably inactive fighter), everything changed. An excerpt from an article written by Chris Cork on mmahitpit.com gives some details on the situation:
“…Like most British fighters, Owen trained and competed part-time while holding down a full-time day job. For the past eight-and-a-half years he has paid the bills serving as a Police Constable with Avon & Somerset Constabulary – a job which permitted him to fight professional MMA. That was until July 2007 when, following a loss to Emmanuel Fernandez, Owen was told he would no longer be allowed to fight…”
Owen has not fought since.
Fighters who have the luxury to train full-time should feel fortunate. A story like this illustrates the harsh reality that only a select few will be truly successful in the fight game. If a talent like Alex Owen could be forced to leave the sport he loved (and did remarkably well in) due to financial issues, then it could happen to any fighter. We can hope that as MMA continues to grow as a global sport, less and less talented fighters will have to suffer similar fates as Owen.
At the end of the article, Owen talks about his possible return to the cage, but unfortunately the article was written in May 2010. Perhaps (and hopefully) we have not seen the last of Alex Owen in MMA.
Full Article: http://www.mmahitpit.com/news/alexowenonhiswayback
“Keep an Eye Out For…” Daniel Pineda
[#35FW] Daniel Pineda (14 – 7 – 0) has rattled off 4 stoppage wins, after losing via kneebar to [*] Chas Skelly (7 – 0 – 0) at Bellator 19 in May 2010. These wins include
- 1st round rear naked choke on lightweight [*] Reynaldo Trujillo (8 – 7 – 0) in July 2010
- 1st round heel hook on lightweight prospect [#332LW] Levi Forrest (6 – 1 – 0) in January 2011
- KO in under 1:00 of the 1st round over lightweight [*] Ray Blodgett (5 – 1 – 0) in April 2011
- 3rd round rear naked choke on WEC veteran [#141FW] Frank Gomez (10 – 4 – 0) in July 2011.
He has won every one of his victories via stoppage, and he has only gone to a decision once in his career. These aren’t 0-1 fighters he is beating, they are legit prospects and tough veterans. At 26 years old, the Houston, Texas native has a lot of time to hone his skills and make it to the big show.
What will you be watching on Saturday?
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