(ShoXC weigh-ins become an impromptu beach party. Photo courtesy of Combat Lifestyle.)
Last night’s ShoXC card from Fresno, Calif. had its share of interesting bouts, but the big news coming out of the Pro Elite camp is that the company has canceled another show, this time in the form of one its smaller confederates across the pond. Contenders 11, scheduled to take place in the UK today, has been called off. Five Ounces of Pain also reports that Cage Rage — another Pro Elite organization — has suffered a rash of layoffs and is down to only three employees. Somehow during all of this, the Pro Elite stock price jumped from $2.50 to $8.00 a share on Friday, even amid reports that they were canceling their September 20 event. As they say on the internet, WTF!?!
Something is going on with Pro Elite, no doubt, but what? Could it be that Pro Elite executives have discovered oil underneath the grounds where their offices lie, and now they’re going to quit putting on MMA shows altogether and move their families to big mansions in Beverly Hills, complete with indoor plumbing and cement ponds? There is very little evidence for this hypothesis at the moment, but we’re going to go ahead and say yes, this is precisely what is happening. You heard it here first.
As for last night’s show, yeah, well, here you go:
Jared Hamman def. Po’ai Suganuma via TKO (strikes) at 2:34 of round 1
Fabricio Camoes def. Sammy Morgan via submission (rear naked choke) at 0:47 of round 1
Cyrille Dibate def. Jaime Fletcher via unanimous decision
Rosi Sexton def. Debi Purcell via split decision
Ray Lizama def. Keith Berry via TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of round 2
Katrina Alendale def. Melanie La’Croix via unanimous decision
Roberto Vargas def. Ralph Lopez via split decision
Jesse Brock def. Josh Rave via unanimous decision
Lucas Gumaza def. Kenny Johnson via split decision
David “Tarzan” Douglas def. William Jacobson via TKO (corner stoppage) at 1:12 of round 1
Phil Baroni’s first match as a welterweight was a resounding success, as the New York Badass dominated Scott Jansen to a first-round knockout victory at Cage Rage 27 last night in London. Unexpectedly, Baroni quickly got the fight to the ground, scoring a smooth double-leg takedown shortly after the bell and effortlessly controlling Jansen from the top. After an armlock attempt didn’t pan out, Baroni moved to full mount, but both men were quickly ordered to their feet by the ref. Baroni then reverted back to his bread and butter, turning out Jansen’s lights with a perfect right hook; Baroni returned after the stoppage to shake the hand of his still-sleeping opponent.
About thirty seconds later, Baroni made the mistake of going back again to check on Jansen, and one of Jansen’s cornermen responded by headbutting him — or “nutting” him, as the commentators colorfully put it. (”Wot’a dizgrace.”) The headbutter conveniently disappeared after the confrontation, while Baroni scored big-time respect points for not chasing him down and tearing his dumb ass apart. Video of the fight and post-fight assault is above; the questionable ref standup is at 3:36, the knockout punch is at 3:58, and the headbutt is at 4:45. Baroni competes next at Icon Sport: Hard Times (August 2, Honolulu), where he’ll face 3-5 Jesus Is Lord jobber Ron Verdadero.
In other action at Cage Rage 27, Neil Grove defeated Robert Berry in their rematch, stopping “Buzz” via strikes in the second round, while Mustapha Al Turk scored a first-round ground-and-pound TKO over James McSweeney to win the Cage Rage British heavyweight title. Full results are after the jump.
Phil Baroni def. Scott Jansen via KO, 3:18 of round 1
Neil Grove def. Robert Buzz Berry via TKO, 1:29 of round 2
Mustapha Al Turk def. James McSweeney via TKO, 2:06 of round 1
Tom Watson def. John Phillips via unanimous decision
Stav Economou def. Piotor Kusmierz via unanimous decision
Robbie Olivier def. Ashleigh Grimshaw via submission (rear-naked choke), 4:01 of round 2
Brad Pickett def. Cristian Binda via submission (guillotine choke), 2:52 of round 2
Aisling Daley def. Eva Lisko via submission (rear-naked choke), 1:18 of round 1
Jason Young def. Francis Heagney via unanimous decision
Wesley Brown def. Mark Brown via TKO, 0:31 of round 1
Jody Cottham def. Umidjon Mavlyanov via submission (guillotine choke), 3:16 of round 2
Dave Vangasse def. James Elson via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:43 of round 3
(“All day! All night! You feel! My heat! Feel, feel, feel, feel my heat!”)
Big news for people who care what weight class Phil Baroni fights at: MMA Weekly reports that in light of his three consecutive losses — to Frank Shamrock, Kala Kolohe Hose, and Joey Villasenor — the New York Badass is dropping from middleweight to welterweight, and will make his 170-pound debut on July 12th at Cage Rage 27, against a British fighter to be named later. Baroni explained his decision in a post on Sherdog.net:
Im making the move because I want to be a World Champion. I dont fight for pay day’s or fame, to be on tv or chick’s. I got into MMA because I wanted to be the best fighter in the world.
This is what I feel at this point in my career I need to do. Im feel Im a better fighter than Ive shown in the ring esp as of late.
As far as the move to Welter Weight goes I feel great. Im more athletic. Im in much better condition, my hand speed is back, an I would go as far as to say Im alot quicker than I was at my previous best.
Im not going to make any predictions or promises. Ive been very humbled as of late. Ive been handed a real wake up call.
Im going to give it my all 100% and do my best. Its Do or Die for me. Im All In! I love to fight. Im a real fighter, an like I said the day I dont think I can be a World Champion is the day Ill retire.
Im not done yet, I have alot of fight left inside me. I have alot to prove to myself an alot of people to prove wrong.
The cut will not be a hard one. Its alot harder eating six huge protien meals a day, trying to bulk up so that when I cut Im a legit 185. Atleast by how much muscle I carry, an how much I weigh an have to cut from. At one seventy, Ill only eat less, an do more roadwork. Its just a slight tweak. Im walking around right now 185…I just want to show everyone what I got. My best. An in doing that my body has responded by changing to a welterweight…Im not making the move fo easy fights. Im making the move to become a better fighter. My goals are the same as before. Just a little humbler in my approach.
I’ve long been a fan of Baroni’s showmanship, so I wish him all the best. But let’s face reality — size was never Phil’s problem. What’s kept him from being a successful fighter as of late is his woeful lack of conditioning and his “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” approach to ground-fighting. Shedding 15 pounds of muscle won’t address either issue, but at least it creates a little bit of interest in Baroni’s next match. Still, if the NYBA can’t beat the 170-pound crumpet that Cage Rage throws at him, it’s probably time to leave the game for good.
Just a little something to whet your appetites for Saturday. James Thompson has suffered some quick and embarrassing knockouts in his career, but this freak bout against Eric Esch at Cage Rage 20 in February 2007 was maybe the most humiliating. The announcers warn Thompson of “Buh’ah’bane”’s infamous overhand right — but alas, poor James cannot hear them, and he’s out seconds later.
“Ross Pointon by heel hook” sounds like an MMA forum punchline, but on Saturday night it became all too real as Pointon put on a ghetto jiu-jitsu clinic against the dumbfounded Ross Mason. Here’s the video, which ends with the 6-10 Pointon requesting — nay, demanding — that he be given a championship belt. After the jump: Badass middle-aged man Ian Freeman’s three-round domination of Paul Cahoon.
Shocking, right? The Gladiator upped his record to 6-10 with a heel-hook submission of Ross Mason (12-9) at Cage Rage 26, which happened Saturday night in Birmingham, England. It was Pointon’s third win in his last 13 fights; though to be honest, every fight that doesn’t end with your head looking like this is a moral victory.
More importantly, 41-year-old UFC/Cage Rage vet Ian Freeman came back from a 20-month hiatus to capture the British Light Heavyweight Title for the second time, with a dominating decision victory over Paul Cahoon. Full results are below; videos to come.
Ian Freeman def. Paul Cahoon via decision
Che Mills def. Marios Zaromskis via TKO (cut) at 5:00 of round 1
James Zikic def. Rodney Faverus via submission (armbar) at 0:25 of round 3
Ross Pointon def. Ross Mason via submission (heel hook) at 1:36 of round 1
Mark Epstein def. Matt Ewin via decision
Marc Goddard and Henrique Nogueira fought to a draw
Brad Pickett def. Paul Reed via decision
Popek Rak def. Kev Simms via TKO (strikes) at 1:12 of round 1
Chris Rice def. Edgelson Lue via TKO (Strikes) at 1:35 of round 1
Harvey Harra def. Garry Kelly via submission (triangle choke) at 3:46 of round 1
That’s not really the name of the event. Repeat: That’s not really the name of the event.
However, the ever popular contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 and former UFC fighter, Ross Pointon, has healed from the ax wound he suffered his last time out and will be back in action at Cage Rage 26: “Extreme” from the NEC Arena in Birmingham, England, on May 10.
The event will be streamed LIVE on ProElite.com for FREE on fight night.
There are 11 total bouts on the card, including a main event light heavyweight title fight between champion Ian “The Machine” Freeman (18-7-1) and challenger Paul Cahoon (10-10).
“The Machine” is a Vale Tudo-style fighter with a wide range of finishing abilities. Of his 18 wins only three have gone to decision. He has eight submission victories and seven wins by way of T(KO).
Freeman has tested himself against some very tough fighters since joining the professional MMA world in 1999 such as Andre Arlovski, Vernon White, Melvin Manhoef and others. He’s a six-fight UFC veteran and holds a 3-2-1 record inside the Octagon, including a victory over former heavyweight champion, Frank Mir.
Cahoon is a kickboxer who started off his career losing nine of his first 12 fights. He has since righted the ship reeling off five straight wins and seven of his last eight. The lone loss was to the powerful Manhoef.
It’s a solid main event and an undercard that has some decent fighters and a middleweight title fight.
Check out the rest of the card after the jump.
Mark Epstein vs. Matt Ewin for the Cage Rage middleweight title
Ch’e Mills vs. Marios Zaromskis at welterweight
Rodney Favorus vs. James Zikic at light heavyweight
Ross Mason vs. Ross Pointon at welterweight
Henrique Nogueira vs. Marc Goddard at light heavyweight
Paul Reed vs. Brad Pickett at featherweight
Kev Sims vs. Popek Rak at heavyweight
Roman Webber vs. Scott Fairclough at light heavyweight
Chris Rice vs. Edegelson Lue at middleweight
Havey Harra vs. Gary Kelly at lightweight
We reported some few odd days ago that the 17-6-2 “Semtex” would be retiring soon, but would first defend his Cage Rage welterweight crown on May 10th. Well, I suppose we jumped the gun — aided in part by Daley’s apparent bi-polar disorder — because the fighter has now ditched vacated his Cage Rage title. The report comes from the Cage Rage official site and it states that the welty might not return to defend the title until next year — if ever. From the site:
This has come as a surprise to many of Paul’s fans, but he has openly said he will return but now needs some time to focus on other areas of his life. Everybody at Cage Rage would like to wish Paul Daley all the best in his new ventures and we look forward to seeing him back soon.
With Paul Daley vacating the title, the door has opened for two new contenders to throw down the gauntlet for the Cage Rage British welterweight title, phenomenal striker and veteran of some of the greatest Cage Rage wars, Marius Zaromskis will once again be strapping on his gloves to fight the very durable and hard hitting Che Mills. These two fighters met once before in an awesome battle at Cage Rage Contenders 2, where the fight ended via a big KO from a knee that Che Mills landed during a trade off of strikes. This one has war written all over it, so get yourself ready as the bombs begin to fly.
After “Semtex” KO’d “TUF” alum Sam Morgan in January, he decided on an early retirement. He was expected to at least defend again before said retirement, but we guess the thought of an early vaca was too much for Daley to pass up. Chances are he’ll be back, but for now, we’ll continue to assume he’s 12 shades of crazy.
In case we never see him fight again, enjoy the “Semtex” highlight vid after the jump. (more…)
Just a taste of what Jake will have to deal with on Saturday. In his last fight at Cage Rage 24 (12/1/07), Drew Fickett faced the heavy hands of Mark “The Wizard” Weir, and was taking heaps of abuse while on his back before finding an opening and wrapping Weir up with a rear-naked choke. Unfortunately, Shields has never been submitted in his career — not an encouraging stat for Fickett, who relies heavily on his subs. Any predictions?
Cage Rage Welterweight Champion Paul “Semtex” Daley (17-6-2) will defend his 170-pound title at Cage Rage 26 on May 10, according to FightNetwork.com.
Heres the words from the man himself:
“I’ll be defending my world title belt on May10 at Cage Rage. No opponent has been confirmed yet.”
Daley recently announced his plans to retire from the sport of mixed martial arts, but agreed to fulfill his contract, which had one fight remaining.
It was believed Daley’s last fight was going to be on the “Shamrock vs. Cung Le” show next weekend in San Jose, Calif. However, it appears now that ProElite wants him to defend his title if it’s going to be his last fight.
It’s still very strange Daley would announce his retirement at such a young age (24) and with such a bright future in the sport.
There are the conspiracy theorists out there who don’t believe Daley is really retiring. It is possible he could just be moving on to greener pastures like another organization such as the UFC or WEC.
Here’s another snip:
“America has the biggest market right now. The fans and promoters treat me well. In Cage Rage, it’s different; egos get in the way. But it’s work, and you don’t always get [along] with your boss all the time.”
Daley certainly has the talent to compete in the UFC and perhaps those are indeed his future plans — only time will tell.
He did say he like the market in America, and with UFC hosting all these shows in England, he would still have the opportunity to fight at home as well.
Either way, if he’s retiring or just moving on, we know we’ll get to see him fight at least one more time at Cage Rage 26. That will have to do for now … I guess.
We’ll let you know as soon as his opponent is announced.
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