By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net)
For those people looking for a calendar of karate tournaments and events in the Southeast and Tennessee, please see the list below.
Links are provide by Kickgen.com - a great resource for this, and other types of karate information. Click the links to make it easy for you to find specific event information.
Karate Tournaments and Events in the SouthEast
December 31, 2009
Upcoming Karate events in the Southeast
Dynamite!! 2009
Click the stars to rate how good you think Dynamite!! 2009 was.
Dynamite!! 2009, promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group, was held in the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31st, 2009. The event included bouts encompassing the DREAM, World Victory Road (Sengoku), K-1, and K-1 World MAX banners. The event was aired on HDNet in North America.
The event included the conclusion of K-1 KOSHIEN 62kg Class Tournament. The Final Four, as decided from eight participants at K-1 World MAX 2009 World Championship Tournament Final in October, faced off in a one-night tournament to decide the K-1 KOSHIEN 2009 Champion.
Also included was the conclusion of the DREAM Super Hulk tournament, continuing from the previous round which took place at Dream 11.
Fight Picks and Predictions for Dynamite 2009
| Match | Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Time |
| 1 | Ikuhisa Minowa | Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou | TKO (Punches) | 3 | 3:29 |
| 2 | Hiroshi Izumi | Katsuyori Shibata | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 3 | Michihiro Omigawa | Hiroyuki Takaya | TKO (Punches) | 1 | 2:54 |
| 4 | Akihiro Gono | Hayato Sakurai | Submission (Armbar) | 2 | 3:56 |
| 5 | Melvin Manhoef | Kazuo Misaki | TKO (Punches) | 1 | 1:49 |
| 6 | Hideo Tokoro | Jong Man Kim | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 7 | Tatsuya Kawajiri | Kazunori Yokota | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 8 | Masanori Kanehara | Norifumi Yamamoto | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 9 | Alistair Overeem | Kazuyuki Fujita | KO (Knee) | 1 | 1:15 |
| 10 | Gegard Mousasi | Gary Goodridge | TKO (Punches) | 1 | 1:33 |
| 11 | Shinya Aoki | Mizuto Hirota | Technical Submission (Hammerlock) | 1 | 1:17 |
| 12 | Hidehiko Yoshida | Satoshi Ishii | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Dynamite!! 2009 - 12. Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Satoshi Ishii
Sengoku Raiden Championship Heavyweight bout: Hidehiko Yoshida defeated Satoshi Ishii via unanimous decision.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 11. Shinya Aoki vs. Mizuto Hirota
DREAM vs SRC, Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki (DREAM Champion) defeated Mizuto Hirota (SRC Champion) via a brutal technical submission (hammerlock) that broke his arm at 1:17 of round 1.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 10. Gegard Mousasi vs. Gary Goodridge
DREAM Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi defeated Gary Goodridge via TKO (punches) at 1:34 of round 1.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 9. Alistair Overeem vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
DREAM vs SRC, Heavyweight bout: Alistair Overeem defeated Kazuyuki Fujita via KO (knee) at 1:15 of round 1.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 8. Masanori Kanehara vs. Norifumi Yamamoto
DREAM vs SRC, Featherweight bout: Masanori Kanehara (SRC Champion) defeated Norifumi Yamamoto via unanimous decision.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 7. Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kazunori Yokota
DREAM vs SRC, Lightweight bout: Tatsuya Kawajiri defeated Kazunori Yokota via unanimous decision.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 6. Hideo Tokoro vs. Jong Man Kim
DREAM vs SRC, Featherweight bout: Hideo Tokoro defeated Jong Man Kim via unanimous decision.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 5. Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazuo Misaki
DREAM vs SRC, Middleweight bout: Melvin Manhoef defeated Kazuo Misaki via TKO (punches) at 1:49 of round 1.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 4. Akihiro Gono vs. Hayato Sakurai
DREAM vs SRC, Welterweight bout: Akihiro Gono defeated Hayato Sakurai via submission (armbar) at 3:56 of round 2.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 3. Michihiro Omigawa vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
DREAM vs SRC, Featherweight bout: Michihiro Omigawa defeated Hiroyuki Takaya via TKO (punches) at 2:54 of round 1.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 2. Hiroshi Izumi vs. Katsuyori Shibata
DREAM vs SRC, Heavyweight bout: Hiroshi Izumi defeated Katsuyori Shibata via unanimous decision.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 - 1. Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
DREAM Super Hulk Grand Prix 2009 Final: Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa defeated Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO (punches) at 3:29 of round 3.
Read More......Dynamite!! 2009 (Predictions)
Click the stars to rate how good you think Dynamite!! 2009 will be.
Dynamite!! 2009, promoted by Fighting and Entertainment Group, is to be held in the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31st, 2009. The event will include bouts that encompass the DREAM, World Victory Road (Sengoku), K-1, and K-1 World MAX banners. The event will be aired on HDNet in North America.
Scheduled for the event is the conclusion of K-1 KOSHIEN 62kg Class Tournament. The Final Four, as decided from eight participants at K-1 World MAX 2009 World Championship Tournament Final in October, will face off in a one-night tournament to decide the K-1 KOSHIEN 2009 Champion.
Also, the conclusion of the DREAM Super Hulk tournament is scheduled, continuing from the previous round which took place at Dream 11. Fight Picks and Predictions for Dynamite 2009
MMA bouts:
Featherweight bout: Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (137.5) vs. Masanori Kanehara (139)
Heavyweight Bout: Satoshi Ishii (229) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (227)
Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki (154) vs. Mizuto Hirota (152)
Heavyweight bout: Alistair Overeem (260) vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (251)
Lightweight bout: Tatsuya Kawajiri (154) vs. Kazunori Yokota (154)
Welterweight bout: Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (167.5) vs. Akihiro Gono (167.5)
Heavyweight bout: Katsuyori Shibata (198) vs. Hiroshi Izumi (205)
Featherweight bout: Hiroyuki Takaya (141) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (141)
Featherweight bout: Jong Man Kim (141) vs. Hideo Tokoro (141)
Middleweight bout: Melvin Manhoef (183) vs. Kazuo Misaki (182)
DREAM Super Hulk Grand Prix 2009 Finals: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
K-1 bouts:
K-1 MAX bout: Masato vs. Andy Souwer
K-1 bout: Ray Sefo vs. Yosuke Nishijima
K-1 KOSHIEN 62kg Class Tournament Semi-Finals bout: Hiroya vs. Masaaki Noiri
K-1 KOSHIEN 62kg Class Tournament Semi-Finals bout: Shota Shimada vs. Katsuki Ishida
K-1 KOSHIEN 62kg Class Tournament Reserve bout: Tsukasa Fuji vs. Tatuya Kusakabe
K-1 KOSHIEN 62kg Class Tournament Finals bout: Winner of Semi-Finals bouts
December 30, 2009
Fight Picks and Predictions for Dynamite 2009
By Nicholas Bailey (nbailey@mmaratings.net)
Despite having some of the biggest squash matches of the year and a preposterous juvenile kickboxing tournament, this year-end card is actually one of the least freakish and most relevant New Years Eve cards ever to come out of the Japanese MMA scene. Sadly, this will likely be the last MMA fans ever hear from the surprisingly serious and successful Sengoku promotion, as catering to the niche of hardcore fans has never been a wise business decision, even for a promotion with buckets of cash to waste due to outside business support. One can only hope that the promotion’s fighters can quickly move on to greener pastures and the horrible “must decision” judging system dies with the promotion.
As a disclaimer, while I’ve broken down the K-1 Kickboxing rules fights, my interest and scholarship in that sport is much more casual than the effort I put into MMA-rules endeavors.
Masato (-145) vs. Andy Souwer (+115) (K-1)
This fight, scheduled for 5 rounds plus an overtime round in the (more likely under K-1 scoring) event of a draw, is the biggest draw on the card. Masato has long been an enormously popular fighter, and possibly represented the best Japanese fighter (under his rule set) in all of fightsport. However, his star is fading, as a lifetime of full-contact has taken its toll and this is his final fight on a retirement tour.
Souwer has beaten Masato twice before, but this should still be a competitive fight, as both of those instances were in the later rounds of a one-night tournament, with Masato coming into both fights with substantial wear-and-tear. Masato may be retiring, but he’s doing it by choice, not because he is being forced out by an inability to compete at any level. Any doubts that he is no longer an elite kickboxer should have been silenced by his complete stomping of Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Nevertheless, in a five round fight, Souwer’s defense and power advantages should let him wear down the aging Masato and perform better in the very likely overtime round. Souwer by six-round decision.
Gary Goodridge (+600) vs. Gegard Mousasi (-1100) (MMA)
This is a horrible fight. Goodridge, after a long lifetime of beatings in MMA, kickboxing, and X-arm, totaling at least 21 KO losses, is nearly as old as Randy Couture and almost incapable of forming complete sentences. Mousasi outclasses him in every respect and thoroughly enjoys delivering big punishment with ground and pound, describing the kind of finishes he put on against Sokodjou and Babalu as his favorite way to win. Barring some kind of arm-wrestling showdown, Mousasi should win this one in nasty, brutish, and short fashion. Mousasi by KO round 1.
Satoshi Ishii (-275) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (+220) (MMA)
Satoshi Ishii makes his long-awaited MMA debut against the very worn-down Hidehiko Yoshida. Ishii has been a popular commodity in Japan for his Judo achievements (notably a gold medal) but his MMA debut was delayed several times to let him grow as a fighter (supposedly due to not acclimating well at all to the striking game). That doesn’t bode well for Ishii, as getting punched in the face and not liking it at all is one of the greatest failings of new MMA converts, and Yoshida, despite being a Judoka, can brawl a bit.
Fortunately for Ishii, we know two things about Judo. One, you have to be a tough SOB with a high pain tolerance to get very far in it, and two, it’s very, very rough on the body if you make a career of it. Ishii is a young guy, so he should still be relatively intact physically but Yoshida, it has become clear, is very worn down from age and rough treatment. Even if Ishii is outmatched early on in the fight, unless he’s a complete wimp that can’t handle striking at all, he can use the advantage of youth to wear down the injury-prone Yoshida and take command after five or six minutes en route to a stoppage victory. Satoshi Ishii by TKO round 2.
Melvin Manhoef (+160) vs. Kazuo Misaki (-155) (MMA)
Manhoef is a phenomenally dangerous striker with no real ground game or wrestling, relying on his athleticism and strength in those areas. He also tends to get plonked when he can’t kill his opponent, as he’s very reckless and only has an average chin. Misaki is a cagey veteran fighter, with solid ground skills, a great beard, and good counter-fighting skills on the feet. Unfortunately, Misaki is terrible when it comes to wrestling.
Misaki’s inability to take Manhoef down makes this an awful style matchup for him. Manhoef is simply too dangerous on the feet for someone like Misaki, who doesn’t have big power, and will probably roll over him. Manhoef by KO round 1.
I like Manhoef here as a decent underdog. Everything here is set up for a disaster for Misaki, although he definitely has a chance to win by KO or submission.
Shinya Aoki (-345) vs. Mizuto Hirota (+300) (MMA)
Hirota is an interesting style matchup for Aoki. As we saw in his performance against Kitaoka, Hirota has staying power, strong defensive grappling skills, and some pop in his hands. Aoki’s biggest weakness is his inability to absorb punishment, but he is a very intelligent fighter and has adapted his ultra-slick submission game to protect this vulnerability as best he can. Whereas Kitaoka recklessly went for leglocks and wore out his limited gas tank, Aoki will be sure to lock up Hirota as best he can and control his body to limit the amount of punishment he can deal out. If Hirota gets reckless trying to force action, he will likely end up getting submitted just as Joachim Hansen did, but without some risk-taking, he will have trouble doing anything aside from defending against Aoki. Shinya Aoki by decision.
Hirota is a very live underdog here. He isn’t as good a fighter as Aoki, and Aoki is smarter than Kitaoka, but Hirota still has all the tools needed to ruin Aoki’s night, so he represents some good value.
Tatsuya Kawajiri (-355) vs. Kazunori Yokota (+325) (MMA)
Yokota, like Hirota, is a solid product of the Sengoku lightweight tournament, but he’s been given a much worse stylistic matchup. Everything he depends on will fail against Kawajiri, who he will not be able to knock out, out strike, or take down. Whereas Aoki is a talented fighter vulnerable to Hirota’s skill set, Kawajiri is similarly talented but much more durable. Kawajiri is a fighter dedicated to diligently improving his game and expanding his skills into new areas, and this fight represents a perfect opportunity to test out new standup skills or improved ground-and-pound techniques. Yokota is a tough fighter, but this is the toughest test of his career, and he will fall quite short. Kawajiri by KO round 1.
Masanori Kanehara (+350) vs. Norofumi "Kid" Yamamoto (-375) (MMA)
While Kid Yamamoto has lost some of his luster and mystique after being out-wrestled by an enormous talent in Joe Warren for his first “legitimate” loss, he’s still one of the most naturally gifted fighters the sport has ever seen (right up there with BJ Penn). Kanehara is pretty good, but he’s not going to be able to pin Kid to the floor like Warren did, and nor is he tough enough to survive on the feet with Yamamoto. In short, he will get a serious beatdown here, perhaps to rebalance his Karma for the woeful burglary of Chan Sung Jung in May. Kid Yamamoto by KO round 1.
Akihiro Gono (+175) vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (-190) (MMA)
Two fighters with an enormous amount of veterancy between them (Gono has been in the game for over 15 years, which is amazing) both of these men are in their twilight years of fighting, but are still quality competitors. Sakurai has better finishing power and takedowns, whereas Gono has more staying power and reach. While Dan Hornbuckle’s intensity shut off Gono’s lights, he is usually very resilient and should be able to make the fight go long with his counter-fighting skill, even if he takes some heat early in the fight. Sakurai’s commitment to the sport has been questionable since his loss to Anderson Silva, and with his increased age and nagging injuries, it’s likely he comes in out of shape yet again, so I expect him to be able to keep this close and out-work Sakurai down the stretch. Gono by decision.
I think this represents a good play, as betting against Sakurai so often is especially in heavier weight classes where he has even more leeway to get fat and not train.
Hiroshi Izumi (+125) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (-135) (MMA)
This fight is possibly the worst on the card outside of the kiddie kickboxing fluff. Izumi is a judo convert that displayed nothing whatsoever in his laughable debut match against Kickboxer and fellow MMA newcomer and gong-show participant Antz Nansen. I’d hoped he’d never fight again, since he looked tubby and unsuited to tee-ball, let alone fighting, but he’s returned against one of Japan’s greatest losers in Shibata. Shibata sucks and not even in a funny way, and that’s the nicest thing I can think to say about him. He should be giving up a weight advantage to Izumi, but it’s unclear how much of that weight is useful to Izumi for purposes other than keeping warm. This fight should be a gong show, and it might be best if you close your eyes during the proceedings. Shibata has made a career out of losing, so I don’t know why he’d quit now. Izumi by TKO round 2.
Jong-Man Kim (+175) vs. Hideo Tokoro (-200) (MMA)
Kim is a late replacement for Marlon Sandro, which is unfortunate because Sandro vs. Tokoro would be a meaningful and competitive fight between two fighters with some amount of relevance in the division, while Kim hasn’t had a win in two years or 8 bouts. Tokoro is highly fallible, with a poor chin, no ability to gameplan, insane risk-taking, and questionable cardio, but he should have the chops to handle Kim the bulk of the time, especially since Kim doesn’t throw serious heat to exploit a fragile chin. Tokoro by submission
I think this fight is more tilted in Tokoro’s favor than -200 indicates, but I’m wary of risking much on such a fallible fighter.
Michihiro Omigawa (+105) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (-120) (MMA)
Omigawa looked born to be a loser when he entered the MMA world as a very raw amateur fighting one of the sport’s most seasoned veterans and was promptly kicked to death. He did nothing to dispel this notion for much of his career, but he’s emerged in Sengoku’s grand prix as a solid fighter with a versatile boxing and ground-and-pound attack that has brought him a surprising amount of success.
Takaya is a formidable test for such a fighter, as he didn’t get the awesome nickname ‘streetfight bancho’ by being a pushover in a standup affair. What Takaya brings to the table that Omigawa lacks is serious fight-ending power, giving him a slight edge over the surging Omigawa.
In the end, this is the kind of fight where whoever wants it more, trains harder, and has better luck will emerge victorious, with either man having a reasonable shot at victory. Due to a more diverse standup repertoire and the aforementioned power, It’s most likely that Takaya will be able to take control. Takaya by decision.
Kazuyuki Fujita (+600) vs. Alistair Overeem (-1100) (MMA)
In his heyday Fujita’s offense consisted entirely of absorbing punishment and using his wrestling to wear down opponents until he could overwhelm them to win. Unfortunately for him the years have not been kind and the enormous physical strength he once possessed deflated along with his physique, seemingly taking his chin with it. At the same time, Alistair Overeem’s body and power has been swelling to absurd proportions, which makes up for, in part, his weak chin.
The moment the monstrous Overeem lands a shot on Fujita’s chin, this fight will be over, likely in horrific fashion. When you depend on your iron chin and never bother developing solid defense, the results are not pretty when your chin abandons you and the lack of defense is still hanging around. This will really be ugly. Overeem by KO round 1.
While it’s often tempting to bet on the squashee in an Overeem squash match, due to his poor durability and gas, this is a case where even the massively long odds don’t tempt me.
Yosuke Nishijima (+315) vs. Ray Sefo (-385) (K-1)
This fight should be sad, either way, but the odds offer some potential joy to bettors. Nishijima is a former professional boxer that has had an abysmal record in a sport he never took seriously. Sefo, formerly a high-level kickboxer, should be able to plow over him in a K-1 bout, but Sefo’s best days are long gone. Nishijima is giving up size and versatility to Sefo, but the K-1 rules have taken away what has been his biggest weakness in fightsport: the ground game. With Sefo being very shot and not having the boxing skill Nishijima does, or the height that let Aerts work low kicks and avoid Nishijima’s hands, it’s very likely he wears out, gets beat up, possibly finished. Nishijima by decision.
I like the bet here. It really seems people don’t realize how shot Sefo is.
Ikuhisa Minowa (+262) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (-290) (MMA)
While many of Minowa’s fights are fishy, they are usually against fishy sorts of opponents: freakshows and pro wrestlers. Here he is facing a legitimate MMA fighter, and one that is several weight classes above him. Losing to Shibata does not make a strong case against even as limited a fighter as Sokoudjou. Nothing Minowa does should wear Sokodjou down enough to make him gas out (and Minowa’s cardio is often lacking) and none of his strikes are hard enough to make Sokoudjou quit.
In short, this fight will probably last around 45 seconds, with Sokodjou either completely starching Minowa on the feet, or throwing him down and pounding him nearly unconscious nearly instantaneously. Minowa’s Cinderella story as the giantkiller is over. At least until Jose Canseco needs another fight. Sokoudjou by KO round 1.
2u on Manhoef at (+160) to win 3.2u
1u on Hirota at (+300) to win 3u
1u on Gono at (+175) to win 1.75u
2u on Tokoro at (-200) to win 1u
1u on Nishijima at (+315) to win 3.15u
December 29, 2009
Early stoppage by MMA ref Kim Winslow?
By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net)
After the Joseph Benavidez vs. Rani Yahya MMA fight on Saturday night at WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nev., a lot of people, including some here in Knoxville, have said the stoppage by referee Kim Winslow was early.
I don't get it. If you look closely at this video, she did an excellent job of staying out of the way, letting the fight go to the mat and stay there, until Rani Yahya was not only NOT defending himself, but his head was bouncing up and down. What, she was supposed to let it keep going on?
STRIKEFORCE: Evolution - Joseph Benavidez vs. Rani Yahya
Kim Winslow is a seasoned MMA referee and she did an excellent job in this fight. Period.
I'll tell you what I do find strange, however. If you go to the Nevada State Athletic Commission's website, under "Referees" for MMA, there are two:
That's it. So where's Herb Dean, Dan Miragliotta, Yves Lavigne, Mario Yamasaki, Josh Rosenthal and all the other refs we see at the WEC and UFC fights?
Interesting, huh?
December 23, 2009
U.S. Karate Open Registration and Dates
By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net)
Good news – the U.S. Karate Open dates have finally been posted!
US Open 2010 Date: July 9th - July 10th 2010
Location: Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Walt Disney World©
1000 West Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista (Orlando), Florida, USA 32830-1000
As usual, the US Karate OPEN World Championships weekend always promises to be an excited time for martial artists. This special international organization brings together the world's very best competitors, teams, coaches, spectators, and officials for a weekend of inspiring performances and the most memorable of good times, from all corners of the world.
Here's a nice thing: if you're unable to attend and support your special karateka, you can view the event on one of the ESPN Networks!
The US OPEN is a place where karateka, from white belt to black belt, can experience high quality competition. Per event officials, over 500 hundred divisions will be available to competitors, allowing for a tremendous variety of competitive experience.
Additionally, the US Open is now using Unlimited Entry competition. This means one can compete in up to four forms and four weapons divisions: Musical, Extreme, Creative and Traditional and Six Team Events (Team Synchronized Forms, Demonstration Team, Self Defense and Team Point Fighting) during this event.
New for 2009, we have added ISKA sanctioned International Sport Jiu Jitsu Association fighting divisions. This form of fighting competition combines elements of continuous sparring with takedowns and submission grappling. It is similar to MMA, but without striking, elbows, and knees. For more information on the separate age and rank Divisions for each type of competition, Click Here.
Types of Competition for 2009
CLICK HERE for SPECIAL DISNEY PASSES for US OPEN Competitors and Spectators!
No doubt about it, the best way to see Disney World is with the multi-park Hopper Pass that lets you travel freely between the Disney parks as often as you like, and gets you free entry into the Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island Entertainment Complex and DisneyQuest. The great thing is that competitors can get Special Disney Park Passes! Two, three, four, or five-day discount-priced passes available only to competitors, spectators, and guests. Find out more here: Information on specially priced Disney Passes.
Additional Information: Events will be held on the weekend of July 9th through July 10th. To Register Online. To see the Events Schedule.
B.J. Penn - it's time to grow up
By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net)
Greasegate has gone from bad to worse.
In an article published at Yahoo Sports by Kevin Iole, when talking about George St. Pierre, Penn said: “In my opinion, he doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to steroids and growth hormones and that stuff. Look at him. He’s the worst. He looks like that every day. That’s cheating. There is a reason why there are rules against using steroids. The rest of us, we get fat, then we train and get skinny and the cycle goes over and over again. He looks the same way all the time. Come on.”
So apparently Penn is GSP's BFF and they see each other all the time, right? So he knows what GSP looks like in between fights. Come on yourself, BJ...not everyone goes back to pudgy between fights.
Then, Penn's trainer, Rudy Valentino, threw in his digs during a recent interview with Josh Gross on SI.com's Gross Pointe Blank. Apparently, Valentino and Penn feel his moving up is not so much about gaining the title, as it is about getting revenge, as Valentino explains: “It’s Georges St. Pierre, if he has the title or not."
Per Valentino: “I think it’s because of his so-called steroid use, and all of that, that B.J. felt it was an unfair fight. Just the whole thing about not being fair, and fighting fair, you know. That’s what B.J. wants to get off of his back; the greasing stuff, the steroids, and all of that."
Interesting, as before Penn started hinting at GSP's "supposed" steriod use, no one else had ever mentioned it. So to say "I think it’s because of his so-called steroid use..." is pretty inflammatory. In fact, that's pretty darn libel if you ask me.
Valentino then goes on to say: “We heard from certain people that used to train with him, telling us what he did in the past. That’s why we had a heads up on that. When you cycle steroids, you’re not going to test positive. You can cycle it right up to the time of the fight and not test positive on that. That’s what we suspected he did in this fight.” You can hear the interview by Josh Gross over at SI.com by clicking on one of the links below.
Episode 28: Interview with Rudy Valentino -- December 15, 2009
B.J. Penn's trainer Rudy Valentino talks with SI.com's Josh Gross along with Strikeforce lightweight champ Josh Thomson (who defends his belt Saturday against Gilbert Melendez). Also, UFC 107 chatter and previews for WEC 45 and Strikeforce.
Geez guys - make up your minds! First you tried to blame B.J.'s loss on Vaseline. Now you're saying it WASN'T vaseline, it was steroids. Can you not see how absurd you sound?
Seriously - everything else aside, let's think about something for a minute...
Does anyone honestly think that noted trainers and cornermen, Greg Jackson, and Phil Nurse, would take a chance of ruining their careers, reputations and livelihood by cheating? I don't think so.
This whole thing boils down to the fact that BJ is used to getting what he wants from his mommy, and so he expects everyone else to give in to him as well. I think he suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder or NPD. According to Tami Port at Suite101.com, "NPD is a type of psychological personality disorder characterized primarily by grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Narcissism occurs in a spectrum of severity, but the pathologically narcissistic tend to be extremely self-absorbed, intolerant of others’ perspectives, insensitive to others’ needs and indifferent to the effect of their own egocentric behavior". Sound familiar?
What is really boils down to is that you're a sore loser, B.J. You got your a** whooped and lost fair and square. Everyone finally loses in time - live with it. No one likes losing, but there comes a point when you have to take responsibility for your actions -- win or lose -- and stop trying to place blame. For example, when GSP lost to Matt Serra. He was humbled; he admitted that Serra was a better man that night; he went home, changed training camps...and came back a better fighter the next time around.
Hate to rub Vaseline in your boo-boo, B.J., but you need to grow up and get over yourself. Stand up and be a man. Most of us think you're a great fighter. But you're losing points in the man part. What's next? It's not your fault because GSP didn't cut his toe nails? Be the fighter that you are, and stop pointing fingers. Move. On.
Seriously - B.J. needs to go get therapy, and his mom needs to set him straight -- life is not always the way we want it.
Heavyweight Rankings Review, December 2009
By Eric Kamander (EricKamander@mmaratings.net)
The heavyweight division has long been the whipping boy of MMA fans, with truly talented big men being very few and far between. This lack of depth is compounded by the fact that this is perhaps the least concentrated division in MMA, with top talent quarantined away in separate organizations. Lastly, this is a time of upheavel in the division, with many of the top fighters having lost recently or won fights against irrelevant opponents.
Let's take a look at recent changes in the heavyweight rankings.
Fedor Emelianenko maintains his #1 spot after his second round TKO over Brett Rogers at Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers. Despite the loss The Grim moves from #10 to #8.
Frank Mir moves from #5 to #4 following his 72 second submission of Cheick Kongo at UFC 107.
Fabricio Werdum maintains his position at #6 after unanimous decision victory over Antonio Silva at Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers.
Junior Dos Santos enters the rankings at #7 following wins over Mirko Filipovic at UFC 103, Stefan Struve at UFC 105 and Fabricio Werdum at UFC 90.
Cain Velasquez slips down to #10 despite his TKO stoppage of Ben Rothwell at UFC 104.
Shane Carwin falls off the top 10 from #8.
Heavyweight Rankings:
#1 Fedor Emelianenko .
#2 Brock Lesnar .
#3 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
#4 Frank Mir
#5 Josh Barnett *
#6 Fabricio Werdum
#7 Junior Dos Santos
#8 Brett Rogers
#9 Andrei Arlovski
#9 Cain Velasquez
December 22, 2009
EliteMMA
I'd like to introduce EliteMMA.com to you guys. They're a MMA gear supplier which focuses on gear for fighters. They sell gear from Combat Sports, Sprawl, Atama, Fairtex, TapouT and more. The site shows live inventory and they appear to have pretty deep inventory. In addition to the gloves, pads and fight shorts, they have t-shirts and Hoodies from Throwdown, TapouT, etc. but like I said, it's mostly gear for fighters.
They've been nice enough to supply a 15% off coupon for purchases between now and the end of the year. The code is mmaratings15. Check out their MMA Gear and take advantage.
If you're new to training, don't forget the mouth guard and cup. If you want to avoid cauli don't be shy about getting ear guards.
December 20, 2009
MMA Super Saturday: 10 Things We Learned Last Night
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net)
1. The Embodiment of "Puncher's Chance" and "Anything Can Happen"
Scott Smith may want to add "Head of Stone" to his "Hands of Steel" nickname, as once again last night, the veteran slugger survived two-plus rounds of beating to emerge victorious after landing a monster power shot.
Just as he did against Benji Radach earlier in the year, Smith came from way behind on the cards to drop Cung Le, handing the San Shou star his first professional fighting loss ever and simultaneously throwing a big ol' monkey wrench into the Strikeforce star system. More on that one later.
This is the awesomeness and awkwardness of Smith all in one; he can literally knock just about anyone out and change a fight with one punch, but he can also look very much like the journeyman who has bounced around from the UFC to EliteXC and now to Strikeforce as well.
He'll always give you an exciting fight, but he might also knockout one of your biggest stars in the process, only to follow it up by getting his dominated the next time around.
2. Falling Strikeforce Stars
While Strikeforce has made great strides this year and has a number of emerging stars on their roster, three of their top of the marquee fighters have fallen this year and that can't sit all that well with Scott Coker.
Frank Shamrock returned from his broken arm to get decimated by Nick Diaz. Though Diaz is a popular fighter in his own right, his reluctance to fight in the State of California due to his enjoyment of marijuana limits his possibilities.
Gina Carano got clobbered by Cris "Cyborg" Santos, who left the "Face of Women's MMA" bloodied and battered. With a reported starring role in Steven Soderbergh's Knockout in her future, when the beautiful Body Issue cover girl will reappear in the cage is anyone's guess.
Now Cung Le falls to Scott Smith.
While Strikeforce has done a great job to spin Santos as the dominant fighter she is and worked to make new stars out of Gegard Mousasi and Jake Shields, and bring in established stars like Dan Henderson, losing three main event fighters in the span of nine months is challenging.
3. "Cowboy" Needs to Clean It Up
There is no question in my mind that the knees landed by Donald Cerrone to the manhood of Ed "9mm" Ratcliff last night were unintentional.
But drilling an opponent in the pills enough times to merit two point deductions combined with Cerrone's illegal knee against Jamie Varner make me think this isn't just a series of freak occurrences.
It's not that I think Cerrone is dirty; we're not looking at the MMA version of Andrew Golota or anything like that, but rather a fighter who is sloppy and fights too fast at times.
Cleaning things up can come from taking a deep breath every now and again, and properly measuring opponents. Cerrone seems to fight a fraction of a second ahead of his mind at times, rattling off a string of moves that end up getting messy simply because he's trying to do too much.
The skill and technique is there - it just needs to be cleaned up.
4. Time for a Rematch
Two and a half years ago in Colorado's Ring of Fire promotion, Donald Cerrone and Anthony Njokuani locked horns, with Cerrone securing a triangle submission late in the first round.
Now, both men reside near the top of the WEC lightweight food chain and after Njokuani's third consecutive win last night (and third consecutive Knockout of the Night award I might add), the two need to get in the cage together again to determine the #1 contender for the soon-to-be-unified lightweight title.
An interesting wrinkle to the bout is that both men have lost to Ben Henderson, so the possible promotional angles moving forward have already written themselves. Not only would the fans be treated to another great fight and the victorious fighter come away with a title shot, but the WEC would have an easily marketed Main Event no matter which way things turned out.
All we need is for Reed Harris to make it happen.
5. Speaking of Rematches...
Expect there to be a Melendez - Thomson 3 in the future.
And by "expect," I mean that I would bet one of my kidneys on the fact that the two best lightweights competing under the Strikeforce banner will face-off in an rubber match somewhere down the line.
Each holds a Unanimous Decision win and a trilogy fight would be an easy sell. The only question is timing; do you put them right back in the cage together immediately to ensure the title is still up for grabs or do you give it time, letting each fighter earn a win or two in the interim?
Strikeforce is hopeful to get DREAM star Shinya Aoki into the promotion for a future event, so chances are that the Japanese grappling sensation would need to be in a title fight to make the trip worthwhile, so chances are the 17-2 Melendez will be dangled as his potential opponent.
Personally, I'd like to see Thomson get another fight under his belt before taking on "El Nino" for a third time. As admirably as "The Punk" performed last night, there is always a certain amount of ring rust that needs to be shaken off after spending 15 months on the shelf.
Make Melendez - Aoki happen, give Thomson another tough fight and then put them together 8-12 months from now to resolve this thing.
6. Is "Jacare" That Good?
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza looked superb in submitting Matt "The Law" Lindland in the first round last night, but the question for me is whether "Jacare" is as tremendous as he looked or did he dominate an aging fighter on the downside of his career?
The correct answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
Souza showed why he is considered one of the best BJJ players in the sport in executing his gameplan perfectly once the fight hit the floor, but Lindland's failed takedown attempt early on also showed that the best days of Matt Lindland are definitely behind him.
"The Law" has now dropped two fights in a row and hasn't made it out of the first round in either. While he used to be one of the best in the sport, those days are passed. He's still competitive when given the right matchup and certainly is a credible name to have on the Strikeforce roster, but a title contender he is not.
On the other hand, "Jacare" most certainly is and should be in the conversation about who gets a crack at the middleweight title after the rumored Shields - Henderson bout in April.
Between now and then, Souza certainly has some unfinished business with Jason "Mayhem" Miller that could be promoted as a solid second or third fight on a future Showtime card.
7. Miguel Torres' Next Opponent is...
Either Joseph Benavidez or Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen, both of whom emerged victorious from tough bantamweight challenges last night.
Benavidez stopped submission specialist Rani Yahya early, while Jorgensen rode a dominant first round to a Unanimous Decision (29-28 across the board) win over Takeya Mizugaka, putting both fighters into the title picture and as possible challengers for the returning former champ.
Jorgensen is riding a two-fight winning streak and has been working his way up the ladder, meaning he is certainly the more deserving of the two, but look for Benavidez to get the spot opposite Torres thanks to his finish of Yahya and allegiances with Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber.
8. "King Mo" Is Like Oxy...
He takes care of whiteheads... fast!
Yes, I went there, and just as he had said he would when he tweet'ed the fight announcement, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal popped Mike Whitehead, knocking the tough veteran out three minutes into the first round.
With his entertaining entrances, over-the-top bravado and seven consecutive victories, it's going to be hard to slow the "King Mo" hype train, but Strikeforce would be wise to preserve one of their emerging prospects for a while, rather than throw him to the wolves right away.
There are tougher fights and then there are tough-as-nails fights. For now, Lawal needs the former, not the latter.
Putting him in with Mousasi this quick would squander a prospect and potential star, while Renato "Babalu" Sobral presents a potential loss and nowhere else to go should Lawal emerge victorious.
Instead, why not get the charismatic and cocky Lawal some more national exposure? The challenge will be finding fights that are credible.
9. Two Cards in One Night is Too Much
I understand counter-programming and that things like this are going to happen from time-to-time, but it doesn't really help anyone, least of all the overall sport itself.
Coverage has to be split between two events, fans get split between two events and while both did very good numbers at the gate (and I expect them to have done the same on television), a lot of fans and community members were left watching one show on their DVR instead of getting to catch both live.
Additionally, I like the WEC on Sunday nights as they have done numerous times in the past. It is a nice little niche, can work in piggy-backing a UFC event, scoring viewers off promotion during the UFC broadcast, and keeps Saturday nights like yesterday from happening.
10. As Great a Night as Last Night Was in the Cage...
It doesn't compare to having a great night with my wife.
Terrific day out and about Victoria, tremendous birthday dinner at a local seafood joint, gourmet cupcakes (including candles) instead of cake and laughing hysterically throughout The Hangover...
Happy Birthday, Baby Girl and thanks for a great night!
Rate Strikeforce: Evolution and WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff.
December 19, 2009
This Sport Needs a Scoreboard: The Case for Open Scoring in MMA
By Michael Ford 
Judges' scorecards shouldn't be rendered in secret. By publishing round winners as rounds are scored, we can pinpoint EXACTLY when and where judges get it wrong. This transparency would be beneficial for the sport.
With what seems to be regular frequency, the existence of questionable judges' decisions in MMA has caused much lamenting and gnashing of teeth in the hardcore MMA blogosphere. Commenters have tended to propose various remedies for this supposed crisis, which have ranged from various half-point schemes to wholesale overhauls in the manner that fights are scored. Such proposals, while well-intentioned, will not eliminate human error, nor will they correct for incompetent or uninformed judges applying these new standards. However, without underplaying the role that educating judges would to to normalize scoring, I think that a fairly simple, yet typically dismissed, manner of dealing with MMA judging needs to be fully addressed. In short, Open Scoring is a proposal whose time has come.
Many commenters and fans have reflexively dismissed the idea of Open Scoring, but if I may, I'd like to first explain how Open Scoring in MMA would work, as well as why most objections to such a system are misguided. Under the Ten-Point Must System, as announcers are often apt to intone, "a round winner gets 10 points, while the loser gets 9 or less." (Well, the savvy fan knows that a Draw Round of 10-10 may be scored as well, a fact that is hardly ever promoted or highlighted.) In addition, each round is currently scored by three judges, whose scores are collected after each round, and whose names are read after the fight, when the decision is rendered.
Under an Open Scoring system, however, the judges and their scores are announced not after the fight is over, but after each round is over. No more uncertainty, no more doubt, no more awkward exchanges where the commentators vacillate between potential round winners, just three scores from three judges. From there, it's all laid bare. Whatever they've scored lingers there for five minutes, and the commentators and fans alike are free to criticize the judges, and scrutinize their decisionmaking. If there is clear consensus about the score, then everyone is on the same page about who is winning/losing the fight, and the narrative shifts to how the fighter behind on the scorecards can reverse the trends to make up the deficit, or redouble efforts to finish the fight. If a fighter seeks to "run out the clock," this strategy can be addressed head on with a degree of certainty, rather than in the noncommital way these things are often dealt with. And the urgency felt by a fighter trying to mount a comeback becomes more palpable.
The hallmarks of this system are immediacy and transparency. Bad calls happen in all sports, but only in combat sports like boxing and MMA does a bad call COMPLETELY invalidate the contest that everyone is watching. A referee in a football game can't make a call in the fourth quarter that nullifies all the yardage and scoring from the previous three. A ninth inning call doesn't turn a tie game into a blowout. Thus, even where an official's decision is egregiously bad, the discussion is narrowed to the immediate effect of that bad call, and the competent sportsman is expected to have the poise and professionalism to overcome a missed or mistaken call. Thus, instead of promoting a cynical undercurrent of purported incompetence, screwjobs, and conspiracies to fix outcomes, all of which undermine the perceived legitimacy of the sport, the critiques focus on ironing out imperfection, and holding officials accountable for their lapses, judging the offense by the size and impact of the gaffe. Judgment calls are given deference, while objective determinations have seen themselves subject to a growing series of systems of review. MMA too could demand this kind of accounting from its judges and commissions, as fans and promotions could voice their issues with outlier judges in a measured and informed way. If multiple judges are miguided about a round, a Commission could issue a Clarifying Statement about standards for scoring, aimed to mute that criticism, and stave off controversy before it develops momentum.
Now admittedly, there are a few logistical hurdles to the implementation of this system, namely the wedding of mixed martial arts and boxing judges. The argument against using Open Scoring in boxing is that, over the course of a ten- or twelve-round fight, it encourages fighters to "take rounds off," coasting through middle portions of fights, fighting with less urgency because a valid strategy might be to win the first few and last few rounds. In MMA, that is less probable, because over the course of a 3-round fight, there's really no round to take off. Even winning the first 2 rounds by 10-9 scores doesn't preclude an 8-10 loss in the 3rd, which you'd expect any fighter down 20-18 to shoot for...if not a finish. And a fight half as short as a boxing match doesn't have time for extended inaction. So whatever the rationales for rejecting Open Scoring in boxing, they are inapplicable here. Regardless of whether commissions want to continue utilizing the same judges for boxing and mixed martial arts, they should be pushed on the MMA side towards a system that is fully transparent, and allows these judges' expertise to be scrutinized openly.
The all-to-common saying is "don't let the fight go to the judges," which attempts to rationalize bad decisions under the notion that all judging is inherently suspect, and any fighter can avoid that by finishing the fight, or being finished. While this is true, it doesn't obviate the need for competent judging, nor does it provide a moral basis for shifting the onus from athletic commissions, who are charged with regulating, adjudicating, and upholding the best interests of the sport, to fighters, who should be trying to win while competing safely and honorably. In fact, this rejoinder often sounds like a way to punish fighters for not finishing, by raising a cloud of scrutiny and suspicion over wins and losses. This is unfair to fighters, and unfair to the sport; if all of the relevant actors want to disfavor or disincentivize non-finishes, they should just eliminate judges' decisions altogether, rather than render decisions in arbitrary and capricious ways. A win by decision, even if unpopular with finish-minded fans, should be as credible and as valid within the confines of the sport as a win by knockout or submission. And open scoring helps to legitimize that idea, by presenting scoring as something that happens all the time, not simply in fights that end without a finish. A fighter is winning or losing a fight UNTIL the fight is finished, but at times, the lay fan is led to believe that judges only determine winners or losers if a fight ends without a finish.
If MMA is to be viewed as something different from professional wrestling, or the worst parts of boxing, it needs to stop trying to build in false suspense. Sports is about immediacy, not retroactivity; it lives in the Now. While there is a place for replays and recaps, part of the appeal of watching a sport is coming to an understanding of what you are seeing, and being able to anticipate what comes next. Announcers and Production elements can bring you along, filling you in on details you might be missing, but only if they are more informed than you are. The end of a round shouldn't be an occasion to insert drama where there is none. Commentators may not want to go out on a limb while a fight is going on, but Open Scoring allows them to, after each round, properly apply analysis to agree or disagree with the judges' decisions, rather than wait until a fight is over to declare that "the wrong guy won," like Jim Ross, decrying a nefarious "screwjob."
This weekend, we are sure to have a few fights marred by controversial decisions. But ask yourself, would the bad taste in your mouth be as bitter if you knew, round by round, how the fight was taking shape in each judge's eyes, and whether it comported with what you were seeing? Would you be going on vaguely about "robberies," or would knowing which judges, in which round, saw the fight differently than you did focus your ire? Would you root harder for your favorite fighter to finish a fight if you knew, without a doubt, that he was behind on the scorecards, even if you disagreed with the scoring? An Open Scoring regime isn't a panacea, but it certainly is one large step towards the credibility of sport, and away from the false drama and unpredictability of spectacle.
Strikeforce: Evolution
Click the stars to rate how good you think Strikeforce: Evolution was.
Strikeforce: Evolution was held on December 19, 2009 in San Jose, California at the HP Pavilion at San Jose. The event aired live on Showtime. Strikeforce Evolution Previews, Picks & Predictions
| Match | Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Time |
| 1 | Alexander Crispim | A.J. Fonseca | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 2 | Justin Wilcox | Daisuke Nakamura | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 3 | Antwain Britt | Scott Lighty | TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | 1 | 5:00 |
| 4 | Muhammed Lawal | Mike Whitehead | KO (Punches) | 1 | 3:08 |
| 5 | Ronaldo Souza | Matt Lindland | Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) | 1 | 4:18 |
| 6 | Gilbert Melendez | Josh Thomson | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 5:00 |
| 7 | Scott Smith | Cung Le | KO (Punches) | 3 | 3:25 |
The bouts between Robbie Lawler and Trevor Prangley at middleweight; Bobby Stack and David Douglas at lightweight, and Juan Nunez and Luis Mendoza at featherweight were all cancelled. Read More......
Strikeforce: Evolution - 7. Scott Smith vs. Cung Le
Middleweight bout: Scott Smith defeated Cung Le via KO (punches) at 3:25 of round 3.
Read More......Strikeforce: Evolution - 6. Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson
Lightweight Championship bout: Gilbert Melendez defeated Josh Thomson via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) to unify the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.
Strikeforce: Evolution - 5. Ronaldo Souza vs. Matt Lindland
Middleweight bout: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza defeated Matt Lindland via submission (arm triangle choke) at 4:18 of round 1.
Read More......Strikeforce: Evolution - 4. Muhammed Lawal vs. Mike Whitehead
Heavyweight bout: Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal defeated Mike Whitehead via KO (punches) at 3:08 of round 1.
Read More......Strikeforce: Evolution - 3. Antwain Britt vs. Scott Lighty
Light Heavyweight bout: Antwain Britt defeated Scott Lighty via TKO (Doctor's Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 1.
Read More......Strikeforce: Evolution - 2. Justin Wilcox vs. Daisuke Nakamura
Lightweight bout: Justin Wilcox defeated Daisuke Nakamura via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
Read More......Strikeforce: Evolution - 1. Alexander Crispim vs. AJ Fonseca
Lightweight bout: Alexander Crispim defeats AJ Fonseca via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Read More......Strikeforce: Evolution (Predictions)
Click the stars to rate how good you think Strikeforce: Evolution will be.
Strikeforce: Evolution is to be held on December 19, 2009 in San Jose, California at the HP Pavilion at San Jose. The event will air live on Showtime. Strikeforce Evolution Previews, Picks & Predictions
Strikeforce "Evolution" Weigh-in Results
Josh Thomson (153) vs. Gilbert Melendez (154)
Scott Smith (185.6) vs. Cung Le (184)
Matt Lindland (185.2) vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (185.4)
Muhammed Lawal (218.6) vs. Mike Whitehead (261.6)
Antwain Britt (205.6) vs. Scott Lighty (203)
Daisuke Nakamura (154.4) vs. Justin Wilcox (155.6)
Bobby Stack (153.8) vs. David Douglas (156*)
Alexander Crispim (145.6) vs. AJ Fonseca (143.2)
* David Douglas made weight on his second attempt.
The middleweight bout between Robbie Lawler and Trevor Prangley has been canceled.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff
Click the stars to rate how good you think WEC 45 was.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff took place on December 19, 2009 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. This marks the first time the WEC had held back-to-back events at the The Pearl at The Palms. WEC 45 Previews, Picks & Predictions
| Match | Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Time |
| 1 | Erik Koch | Jameel Massouh | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 2 | Brad Pickett | Kyle Dietz | Submission (Peruvian Necktie) | 2 | 4:36 |
| 3 | Brandon Visher | Courtney Buck | TKO (Punches) | 1 | 4:45 |
| 4 | Chad George | John Hosman | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 5 | Zachary Micklewright | Muhsin Corbbrey | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 6 | Bart Palaszewski | Anthony Pettis | Decision (Split) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 7 | Scott Jorgensen | Takeya Mizugaki | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| 8 | Joseph Benavidez | Rani Yahya | TKO (Punches) | 1 | 1:35 |
| 9 | Anthony Njokuani | Chris Horodecki | TKO (Head Kick and Punches) | 1 | 3:33 |
| 10 | Donald Cerrone | Ed Ratcliff | Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | 3 | 3:47 |
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 10. Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff
Lightweight bout: Donald Cerrone defeated Ed Ratcliff via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:47 of round 3.
Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff were each awarded $10,000 bonuses for Fight of the Night.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 9. Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki
Lightweight bout: Anthony Njokuani defeated Chris Horodecki via TKO (strikes) at 3:33 of round 1.
Anthony Njokuani was awarded a $10,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 8. Joseph Benavidez vs. Rani Yahya
Bantamweight bout: Joseph Benavidez defeated Rani Yahya via TKO (strikes) at 1:35 of round 1.
Read More......WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 7. Scott Jorgensen vs. Takeya Mizugaki
Bantamweight bout: Scott Jorgensen defeated Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Takeya Mizugaki and Scott Jorgensen were each awarded $5,000 bonuses for Fight of the Night.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 6. Bart Palaszewski vs. Anthony Pettis
Lightweight bout: Bart Palaszewski defeated Anthony Pettis via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28).
Read More......WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 5. Zach Micklewright vs. Muhsin Corbbrey
Lightweight bout: Zach Micklewright defeated Muhsin Corbbrey via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Read More......WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 4. John Hosman vs. Chad George
Bantamweight bout: John Hosman defeated Chad George via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Read More......WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 3. Brandon Visher vs. Courtney Buck
Bantamweight bout: Brandon Visher defeated Courtney Buck via TKO at 4:45 of round 1.
Read More......WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 2. Brad Pickett vs. Kyle Dietz
Bantamweight bout: Brad Pickett defeated Kyle Dietz via submission (Peruvian necktie) at 4:36 of Round 2.
Brad Pickett was awarded a $10,000 bonus for Submission of the Night.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff - 1. Erik Koch vs. Jameel Massouh
Featherweight bout: Erik Koch defeated Jameel Massouh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Read More......WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff (Predictions)
Click the stars to rate how good you think WEC 45 will be.
WEC 45: Cerrone vs. Ratcliff is scheduled to take place on December 19, 2009 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. This marks the first time the WEC has held back-to-back events at the The Pearl at The Palms. WEC 45 Previews, Picks & Predictions
WEC 45 Weigh-in Results
Donald Cerrone (155) vs. Ed Ratcliff (155)
Anthony Njokuani (156) vs. Chris Horodecki (155)
Joseph Benavidez (135) vs. Rani Yahya (135.5)
Takeya Mizugaki (135) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135)
Anthony Pettis (155) vs. Bart Palaszewski (155)
Muhsin Corbbrey (156) vs. Zachary Micklewright (155)
Chad George (135) vs. John Hosman (135)
Courtney Buck (146) vs. Brandon Visher (144)
Brad Pickett (136) vs. Kyle Dietz (135)
Jameel Massouh (145) vs. Erik Koch (146)
