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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
WSOF 10
JUNE 21, 2014
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
The show kicks off with the first two fighters in the cage and a quick card rundown from Todd Harris.
FIGHT ONE: LANCE PALMER VS. NICK LOBOSCO (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Lobosco took the center and walked Palmer down early. He got in a hard leg kick. Palmer responded with a kick to the body. He landed a nice straight left as he lunged in. Palmer shot in, got stuffed, but landed a nice knee to the face on the break. Lobosco threw out some leg kicks. Palmer missed a couple of strikes. He wound up a big left that grazed Lobosco. Palmer landed a hard kick, then shot in and scored a takedown. Lobosco gave up his back and Palmer took advantage. Palmer started throwing some heavy strikes as Lobosco covered up. Lobosco wasn't doing much. Palmer stopped throwing strikes and went for the choke instead. Lobosco turned into him, but that put Palmer in mount. He rolled back. More strikes from Palmer on top, but not much was getting through so Herb Dean let it continue. Back to the choke, and this time Lobosco had to tap.
WINNER: Palmer via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:15 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**-) Not much more than an average fight. Lobosco seemed overwhelmed on the ground and just offered up nothing but light covering up. Doesn't make for a thrilling fight, as the finish seemed an inevitability pretty quickly.
FIGHT TWO: TYSON GRIFFIN VS. LUIZ FIRMINO (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Griffin opened with a leg kick and quickly circled away. He shot in and either slipped or misjudged it, and in a scramble Firmino took his back, looking for a choke. Griffin got himself turned around and wound up on top. He tried to drop down a strike and Firmino nicely countered and reversed to get on top into half guard. They scrambled and got to their feet, exchanging several big strikes. They were winging big punches. Firmino landed a right hand and Griffin stepped back quickly. He then came back forward. Both swinging wildly, missing some. Firmino shot in, and got Griffin to the ground past a choke attempt. Griffin worked to his feet again and ate a knee on the way up. Firmino landed a hard right hand. Griffin grazed him with a front kick to the face. Firmino barely missed and Griffin swung and missed on a few strikes. Firmino landed a couple strikes before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Firmino. Griffin landed a few strikes, but that round was almost all Firmino.
ROUND TWO: Firmino came straight ahead and they began winging strikes. Griffin landed several big strikes but Firmino walked through them. Firmino tried to shoot in and then jumped on Griffin's back. Griffin tried to shake him off but Firmino rolled through and took his back. He lost the position and Griffin got on top. Firmino landed a string of elbows from the bottom. He tried to attack for a submission from the bottom, but Griffin defended. He kicked Griffin off and got to his feet. Griffin landed several strikes before separating. Griffin landed a hard uppercut and continued throwing. Firmino again just absorbed the strikes. Firmino landed a couple and kept moving forward. Griffin wound up getting Firmino to the ground, though Firmino continued attacking from his back. He kicked Griffin off, but Griffin moved right back in with an elbow. Firmino then pulled off a fantastic sweep to get off his back and to back side mount. He landed some elbows as he had Griffin's arm trapped. He got in a few more strikes to the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Firmino. Griffin got in a few more big strikes, but again, he's losing the grappling battle.
ROUND THREE: More striking exchanges to begin the third round. Both were connecting. Firmino continued to walk right through all the power shots from Griffin. Griffin landed a front kick to the face, but it was just grazing. Firmino connected on a few big strikes. Firmino shot in again and scored a power takedown. Griffin tried to set up the guillotine. He failed and Firmino tried to work from the guard. He passed, and continued working from the top as Griffin tried to escape. Griffin tried again to explode out. He managed to turn into Firmino, but Firmino controlled him and took that back side mount, almost into a crucifix, and landed several punches and elbows. Griffin tried to turn into him for a single leg attempt, but Firmino kept his position. Firmino landed some more strikes in a flurry to end the fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Firmino. The second could have potentially gone to Griffin, but he's not winning this fight regardless. Firmino once again controlled him in that round.
WINNER: Firmino via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (**) The first two rounds were a lot of fun, as sloppy as it was, but the third dragged a bit as it was more of the same, but not as entertaining as the first two rounds.
ROUND ONE: Aguilar nearly tripped Fujino up with a leg kick early. She avoided a couple of strikes and landed another hard outside leg kick. Aguilar landed a hard right hand. Fujino threw several strikes but they were blocked. Aguilar closed the distance and drove Fujino to the cage in the clinch. Fujino pressed her off. Fujino got in a couple of counter strikes. Aguilar missed a spinning kick. Aguilar landed a hard elbow in close. She got in another right hand as Fujino was bleeding a little from her nose. Aguilar continued to stalk. She landed a few more in a row. She landed another hard right hand. Aguilar landed another combination. She was just picking Fujino apart. Fujino continued to take damage. Fujino's face was an absolute mess. The Champ continued to pick her spots. She landed a hard right hand. She got one more in at the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Aguilar. Close to 10-8. Could really justify 10-8, just not quite enough "close to fight finishing" damage.
ROUND TWO: Aguilar came out firing. She continued to block or sidestep much of Fujino's offense, while continuing to land big strikes. She connected on a hard two punch combination. Fujino ate another big right hand. Another big right hand from Aguilar off a jab. Aguilar with another combination. Fujino's got nothing for her at this stage. Aguilar missed a spinning attack. Fujino's tough here, but would be nice to see some finishing power her from Aguilar after all this sustained offense. More strikes connect for Aguilar, with punches and knees getting in during a brief clinch. Fujino missed a counter. Aguilar got in a short forearm in close. Aguilar stayed aggressive. Fujino landed a couple of strikes. They traded strikes late.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Aguilar. She slowed down a little that round, and we could be in for a long night at this pace if she just feels comfortably ahead.
ROUND THREE: Slow exchanges through the opening couple minutes, then Aguilar shot in and scored a takedown. Aguilar tried to set up the arm triangle choke. She set it up and passed to side control, but she wasn't low enough to close off the blood flow. She tried to re-adjust but Fujino continued to hold it off. She remained too high up on the attempt, so she passed nicely to mount and let it go. She landed a few strikes as Fujino tried to hold on to her. Aguilar postured up and landed several strikes in a row as Fujino tried to get to the cage. Aguilar dropped some huge elbows that did a lot of damage. Fujino's nose was leaking like a faucet and the attack continued. She continued throwing down elbows and punches, but Fujino held on to the horn. Her corner should just stop this, she has no hope in this fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Aguilar. This fight really doesn't need to continue.
ROUND FOUR: Aguilar opened up early with the overhand right. Another right hand broke through. Aguilar accidentally landed an eyepoke and Fujino was given some time. They brought in the doctor, but Fujino wanted to keep fighting. Aguilar pawed out a jab as they restarted. Aguilar got in another jab. Aguilar not playing it aggressively that much in this round, despite still doing some damage. Slightly playing it safe as Fujino's just not going away. Hanging around, hanging around; Fujino's got alligator blood. The pace slowed considerably by the halfway point. They traded shots. Aguilar drove in for the clinch. Aguilar landed some knees just to stay busy as Herb Dean told them to work. She backed off with a minute left in the round. Aguilar got in a couple of strikes and clinched again. Aguilar just landed some knees to the thighs and got in a few punches as the round closed out.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Aguilar. She slowed things down just trying to stay ahead. Going to be a long final five minutes it seems.
ROUND FIVE: They traded right hands in the opening 30 seconds of the round. Very little happened over the next minute and a half as Aguilar continued to defend while occasionally throwing strikes. She pressed Fujino to the cage in another clinch and they traded knees. Again, Aguilar just stalling to close out the win here. Hard to criticize it too much because Fujino wasn't going away, and Aguilar's well ahead, but has made for a very dull final ten minutes here. After separating, she tossed out a spinning kick to the body. Fujino tried to pick up the pace, but then Aguilar shot in and took her down. Aguilar got in some forearm strikes. She stood up and dropped down a couple of right hands before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Aguilar. Another easy round for the Champ, though easily the worst round of the fight.
WINNER: Aguilar via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44)
STAR RATING: (**-) Just too one-sided to be any higher, and the last ten minutes just dragged because the outcome had already been decided. Fujino's only claim to anything in that fight is that she was tough enough not to get stopped. Aguilar threw everything she could in the first 15 minutes, and just didn't risk anything the final ten.
FIGHT FOUR: GEORGI KARAKHANYAN VS. RICK GLENN (WSOF FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Glenn landed a couple of hard kicks, and Karakhanyan shot right in and took him down. Glenn tried to turn into him as he worked from half guard. Karakhanyan landed some strikes as Glenn continued trying to work from his back. Karakhanyan landed a right hand. Glenn rolled towards him and Karakhanyan went for a choke. Karakhanyan landed some big strikes and attacked for a high guillotine. He lost it but wound up in mount. Glenn gave up his back. Karakhanyan locked on a body lock. Karakhanyan went for an armbar. Glenn tried to fight out of it and got free, getting on top with two minutes left. Damned impressive defense. He dropped down a few hard strikes and got into half guard. Glenn dropped down some big strikes from the top. Karakhanyan went for a knee bar but lost it, and Glenn continued landing strikes from the top. He got in some nice strikes from the top. He stood and landed a hard right hand. He dropped into half guard again and stayed busy to the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Karakhanyan, though Glenn tried hard to steal it back the final two minutes. Really solid opening round. Great defense from Glenn to turn things around. Karakhanyan thought he had that won with the armbar.
ROUND TWO: Karakhanyan grabbed an early clinch. He tried to hop up for a guillotine against the cage but Glenn held off the attempt. Karakhanyan shot but Glenn defended the takedown at the cage. He got in some elbows and punches with is back against the cage. Karakhanyan backed off with a hard elbow. He got in a right hand to the body. He shot in again and Glenn tried to hold him off. Karakhanyan got the takedown, but Glenn reversed it to the sprawl, then got on top. Glenn stood up and dropped down some big strikes from the top. He did a bunch of damage from the position. He continued landing big strikes. Karakhanyan got to a knee and ate some more strikes, then worked to his feet. Glenn got in a knee to the body and a bunch of strikes. He's pouring it on here. Karakhanyan dropped down to avoid knees. He tried to shoot forward, but Glenn shoved him down and continued landing strikes from half guard. Glenn tossed down more strikes. He stood up and continued throwing. He dropped into half guard with more damage to the horn. Huge round for Glenn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Glenn. Just barrage after barrage after barrage. Major round for the challenger, who has to hope he didn't punch himself out there.
Karakhanyan's corner stopped the fight in between rounds! Looks like he may have broken a rib at some point.
WINNER: Glenn via TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of the second round
STAR RATING: (***+) That was awesome stuff. Glenn defending the armbar in the first round that nearly got locked on, then just dominating from then on out was fantastic. The sustained offense in the second round was excellent, and he hurt Karakhanyan to force that between round stoppage. Just a really great performance from the new WSOF Featherweight Champ. More gold for Roufusport.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FIVE: DAVE BRANCH VS. JESSE TAYLOR (WSOF MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Branch opened up with a body kick. Taylor shot in, but it was Branch getting on top. Taylor grabbed for a guillotine choke and tried to tighten it. Branch stayed patient but Tayler continued to work for it. That battle continued for a bit but Branch popped out. He passed to half guard, but Taylor popped out. Branch then locked on a D'Arce choke. Taylor rolled out, but Branch locked it right back on, and Taylor tapped!
WINNER: Branch via submission (D'Arce choke) at 1:41 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) Didn't expect that out of this fight, so that was pleasantly surprising. Taylor put a lot into that guillotine attempt, but it didn't go anywhere, then Branch caught him in that D'Arce in fantastic fashion. Just really excellent work in the most entertaining Branch fight in ages.
-That's the card for tonight, thanks for joining us! Now time to look ahead to two UFC events next weekend, part of a run of four UFC events in an eight-day span.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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