...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING 17
JANUARY 17, 2015
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
-Quick intro running down who's fighting tonight (with no mention of the main event from Todd Harris) before sending it to the first fight.
FIGHT ONE: DANNY DAVIS, JR. VS. ADAM CELLA (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Davis opened up with a solid left, and they traded strikes from there. Davis knocked Cella down with a straight right, but Cella popped to his feet. Davis drove him to the cage and gave up the advantage by clinching and looking for a takedown. Cella recovered on the cage, and Davis threw out some fairly ineffective knees. Terrible fight I.Q. from Davis here, as he was clearly better in the striking exchanges. They were finally separated, but that gave Cella a minute to recover. Cella landed a hard knee with a right hand behind it, then clinched Davis himself looking for a takedown. Davis turned him around and kept it in the clinch. He shot for a takedown to no avail. He completed the takedown finally, though a lot of time was wasted on the cage. Cella held him close in his guard. Cella got in an elbow from the bottom. He kept Davis pretty much locked down, though he ate a couple body strikes. They were then stood up. Cella got in a couple of strikes. Davis fired a couple back. Davis landed a hard bocy kick. Cella threw a few sloppy strikes. Davis landed another big right hand just before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Davis, Jr. Obviously his round, but he gave Cella way too much time to recover stay in the fight.
ROUND TWO: Davis opened with a few solid punches. Cella got in a body kick. Davis tripped Cella and threw him backward, then ran up and threw a freaking soccer kick to Cella's head and the action was halted. A point was taken away by Steve Mazzagatti, and Cella's somehow still in this after that sick kick to the face. They restarted and Cella moved forward. Both missed a few strikes in close. Cella landed a solid uppercut, but Davis shot in and took him down. Things slowed again as Cella defended fairly well on the ground. Davis briefly got space to throw a few strikes, but didn't connect on anything of significance. Davis got some more space and landed some good elbows and punches from the top. Davis connected on some more from top position as Cella failed to do much from the bottom. Davis remained on top through the horn, unloading several strikes in the final ten seconds before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 9-9. Davis may have screwed himself out of a win if he fails to take the final frame. That was just incredibly stupid.
ROUND THREE: Both fighters tossed out some strikes early on, but didn't land much of anything. Davis scored a takedown a minute in and it was back to the grind in Cella's guard. They were stood up a minute later after Davis failed to do much of anything. And very little happened on the feet for the next minute, leading Davis to shoot in for a clinch. This is just not the least bit entertaining. Davis tripped him up and worked from the guard. He managed a little bit of offense in the final minute and a half, but there just wasn't much happening in this round at all. Bad fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Davis, Jr. Cella did very little throughout the fight, and almost nothing in the final five minutes here.
WINNER: Davis, Jr. via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
STAR RATING: (*-) Bad fight I.Q., stalled clinch and guard work, very little action in the final round, it all added up to a very dull start to the night.
-They go to a stats comparison between brothers Bryson and Brenson Hansen, who both compete on the WSOF roster, and have a graphic reading "PUTTIN' ON THE FOIL COACH." Alright, NBCSN, well done. Well done.
FIGHT TWO: BRYSON HANSEN VS. RUDY MORALES (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Hansen opened up the offense with a hard inside leg kick that clearly affected Morales. Hansen closed the distance, landed a straight left, then shot in and scored a takedown. Hansen tried to posture up, he went for a slam but Morales briefly got his feet down as he opened the guard. Hansen got his arms free and started peppering Morales with hard elbows. He was cut open badly as he tried for an armbar to no avail. Morales was bleeding badly as Hansen kept up the attack from the guard. Morales tried to work from his back, but Hansen held control and delivered more punishment. He drove Morales to the cage and referee Kim Winslow halted the action to check the cut. Kim Winslow is awful and she restarted them on the feet, but Hansen scored a quick takedown to get it back there anyway. He landed several more strikes, then went for a side choke. Morales defended. Hansen postured up and landed a few hard strikes before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Hansen. Close to 10-8. One-sided on the ground with a lot of damage done with those elbows.
ROUND TWO: Apparently Morales has popped his knee at some point in this fight. He landed a flying knee at any rate, but Hansen took it and took him down to half guard. Morales did a solid job holding wrists, but Hansen got more elbows through and cut him by the other eye. Hansen kept working from the top. Morales got back to full guard briefly, but Hansen stepped out again. Morales grabbed for a kimura, but Hansen easily got out of it and tried to step to mount. Morales avoided that. He tried to step to his feet, but Hansen took his back at the cage. Morales got to his feet and avoided another takedown before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Hansen. Not as much action that round, but Hansen did manage to do some during the frame.
ROUND THREE: Morales tried to paw out some jabs. Hansen got in a kick. Morales went for a spinning strike that went nowhere. Morales landed a hard jumping kick to the face, but Hansen walked through it and took him down, passing quick to side control. Morales moved him to guard quickly. Morales tried to scramble to his feet, but Hansen held tight at the cage as he passed to half guard. Hansen continued to hold him down, though he wasn't doing a ton offensively. Morales kept trying to move to make some space, but he remained stuck on his back. Morales got to his knees and scrambled up finally, but Hansen stayed on him. Morales stuffed a single leg attempt, but Hansen stayed on him in a clinch at the cage. Hansen finally scored another takedown into side control. Morales again got him back to guard. He started throwing strikes from the bottom in desperation. Hansen fired back. Morales went for a triangle, but Hansen got out and passed to side control once more before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Hansen. Very little outside of control from Hansen down the stretch, but it will be more than enough.
WINNER: Hansen via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*+) Good first round from Hansen, don't see how the second or third round could have been 10-8, though.
FIGHT THREE: BRENDAN KORNBERGER VS. KRASIMIR MLADENOV (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Kornberger opened with a front kick to the body. He tossed out a couple more body kicks as he circled around. Mladenov barely missed a couple of strikes. Kornberger landed a good combination beginning with a kick. Mladenov shot in and clinched Kornberger to the cage. Mladenov pulled off a nice throw, but Kornberger quickly turned and worked to his knees at the cage. Mladenov tried to bully him down. He landed a few strikes to the back of the head as Kornberger worked to his feet. He dragged him back down. Kornberger again got up, but got thrown back down with Mladenov in side control. He scrambled, turned into Mladenov, and again got to his feet, but Mladenov stayed on him at the cage. Kornberger landed a couple of knees. Kornberger landed several hard strikes and stuffed a takedown attempt. Kornberger finally backed him off. Kornberger connected on a couple of kicks with a punch in between. Mladenov caught a kick and took Kornberger down in the center. He got in a couple of strikes in the half guard, but Kornberger got him to guard from there. Mladenov finished the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Mladenov. Kornberger didn't do enough offensively to negate all the takedowns and grappling from Mladenov.
ROUND TWO: Mladenov pressed Kornberger back early. Kornberger held him off with strikes. Mladenov sent Kornberger off balance, then dropped down into half guard. Kornberger attacked for a kimura, then got to his knees and then to his feet. He got in a couple knees as he turned into Mladvenov. Mladenov then dropped levels and easily took him down. Kornberger again quickly got to his feet, but ate some knees to the thighs up against the cage. Mladenov backed off with a few strikes. Kornberger missed a couple of strikes. Mladenov landed a hard left. He caught another kick and just shoved Kornberger hard to the ground. He avoided a head kick and landed a couple of strikes before Kornberger got to his feet again. Mladenov landed a hard leg kick. Kornberger stepped in and got in a kick to the body. They traded right hands. Neither landed anything more before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Mladenov. It's rinse and repeat here with Mladenov taking Kornberger down and Kornberger getting back up, but it's working for Mladenov so far.
ROUND THREE: Kornberger landed a right hand early. Mladenov got in with an overhand right after some tentativeness from both. Mladenov landed a short combo. Kornberger landed a right, but ate a left in the process. He missed a couple of strikes and Mladenov clinched. He took his back standing, but Kornberger got free. Mladenov shot in, then tripped him up with a single leg in the center. Kornberger again got to his feet, though he ate a left hand. Kornberger tried to press in, but missed a strike. Mladenov connected in another exchange. He shot in for a clinch and Kornberger let out a deep heaving breath. He stuffed the takedown and landed a couple of elbows, then tried to turn Mladenov around. He got loose but missed a few strikes. He got in a couple of hard strikes. Mladenov landed a couple and clinched, then took him down one more time before the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Mladenov. A little more striking offense from Mladenov that round, while Kornberger wasn't able to land much.
WINNER: Mladenov via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*) Another fight without much of anything going on. Mladenov had solid and relentless takedowns, but not really much control to speak of, while Kornberger just didn't do anything but defend takedowns after the opening round.
FIGHT FOUR: JOHNNY NUNEZ VS. JOE CONDON (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Nunez rushed in throwing strikes to get the clinch, then he tripped Condon up for a quick takedown. Condon tried to lock him down in the guard, throwing a few strikes from his back. Nunez finally got some space for a few body strikes, but Condon scrambled. Nunez took his back and tried to lock on a choke. It looked tight for a bit, but Condon got loose, then scrambled to his feet. Nunez came ahead and landed a hard right hand into the clinch. They traded knees. Condon turned him around, but ate a few knees before separating. Nunez landed a left. They traded strikes in the center. Condon got in a solid right hand. Nunez got in a right hand at the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nunez. Nearly had it finished with the choke, but he didn't have it locked on tight enough, and lost the hold.
ROUND TWO: They had the fight in a tiny box in the corner while a muffled interview with Jake Shields was played. Nunez seemed to score a takedown, but Condon got up to his feet. They traded strikes for a couple of minutes, neither getting in a ton of effective blows. Nunez scored a brief takedown but Condon popped up and got separation. Nunez scored a couple of kicks. Nunez landed a hard outside leg kick, then a couple of hard strikes. That cut open Condon. Nunez kept rushing in as the round wound down, but neither connected on much.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nunez. Not much from either there, slight edge to Nunez.
ROUND THREE: They traded strikes early on in the round. Nunez landed a few right hand strikes. Condon got in a few strikes. Nunez landed a hard counter right. He got in a straight kick to the face. Nunez with a kick to the body. They traded right hands. They got in the clinch and battled for some offense. After separating, Nunes got in a leg kick. They traded strikes again. Condon got in a kick. Nunez landed a hard left as Condon came forward. Condon landed a couple of hard kicks. Nunez shot in. Condon locked on a tight guillotine and dropped down. He only had it in half guard, but it was tight, and Nunez tapped before going out cold!
WINNER: Condon via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:22 of the third round
STAR RATING: (**+) All for the finish, which you should look for if you're not watching tonight. Condon was less than a minute away from losing that fight, and he pulled that finish off for the massively unlikely upset.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FIVE: JAKE SHIELDS VS. BRIAN FOSTER (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Foster popped in a few jabs. He landed a hard right hand. He landed a hard leg kick. Shields moved in and they traded strikes as he clinched. Shields went for the trip takedown, but Foster reversed, got on top, and stood up. However, Shields immediately shot in and put him on his back. He started in half guard and passed to side control fairly easy. He then passed into mount from there and tried to set up an arm triangle choke. Foster's in trouble here. He landed strikes and Foster defended with his hand at his ear. He tried to explode out, but Shields took his back, locked on the rear naked choke on the chin, and forced Foster to tap. That seemed more of a pain tap with the forearm across the shin there. That's a very good win by Shields.
WINNER: Shields via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:51 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) That's elite level ground work for you. Foster was actually getting in some good strikes in the brief time it was on the feet, but Shields is so good on the ground that - unless you're an elite level grappler yourself - you're just in trouble if he gets you down. Shields-Rousimar Palhares should be good.
That's all for tonight, we'll have more to say on Shields-Palhares as that comes later this year, and we'll be back for live coverage tomorrow night of UFC Fight Night 59 on Fox Sports 1!
DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
