Valentine’s Weekend
not Alright for Fighting
The Ultimate Fighting Championship,
Bellator and World Series of Fighting have all taken the weekend off. Bad news
for fight fans, but good news for those looking to make Valentine’s plans, you’re
weekend is clear. Next weekend all three promotions are back in action.
Friday Starts Just Like
UFC 1 Finished
Bellator 149 rematches UFC 1’s Main Eventers, Ken
Shamrock and Royce Gracie on Friday February 19th. The Fifty-two
year old Shamrock enters the cage 28-16-2 with 23 wins by submission. He began
his career 9/21/1993 in Pancrase. Since 2000 “The World’s Most Dangerous Man”
has gone 5-11 suffering 10 losses by KO/TKO, most recently at the hands of
Kimbo Slice at Bellator 138 (6/19/15) by first round TKO.
Royce Gracie
is slightly younger at Forty-nine, but hasn’t competed in MMA since 6/2/07 when
he evened the score with Kazushi Sakuraba, earning a Unanimous Decision victory
(Sakuraba won first contest by TKO 5/1/00). Gracie is credited for introducing
much of the world to Gracie Jiu Jitsu, earning eleven consecutive submission
wins in the UFC from 93-94. This is the third time the two will fight. Gracie
saw his hand raised after sinking in a rear-naked choke 0:57 into the bout at
UFC 1. On 4/7/95 the pair battled to a thirty-six minute Draw.
Not Enough Freak Show?
Also on this card, 5-2 Kevin Ferguson
takes on 2-0 Dhafir Harris. Ferguson better known by: “Kimbo Slice” has only
been the distance once (UD over Houston Alexander). He competed on The Ultimate
Fighter 10. At Forty-two now, “Kimbo” was inactive in MMA following a second
round TKO by Matt Mitrione 5/8/10 until entering the Bellator cage 6/19/15 and
beating Ken Shamrock in the first round by TKO. He takes on a 38 year old
Harris, who is better known as “DaDa 5000”.
Harris has
two pro MMA fights to his credit, but against questionable talent: Tim Papp is
1-10; his single win a DQ for an illegal knee. Cedric James 0-6, he made it to
the see the second round once (a feat Papp never accomplished) for ten seconds,
before being KO’d. Both Ferguson and Harris have a history with backyard
internet fighting and some type of beef has caused this fight. Too much said.
Saturday WSOF
Bantamweight Title Fight
Champion, Marlon Moraes puts his BW
title on the line versus Joseph Barajas. Moraes hasn’t lost since 11/18/11 to
Deividas Taurosevicius by arm-triangle Sub (1st 2:34). Since he stamped
out ten wins with five finishes. Recently he stopped two of WSOF top BW talents
by rear-naked choke: Sheymon da Silva Moraes (3rd 3:46) 8/1/15 and Cody
Bollinger (2nd 1:35) 9/13/14.
Barajas is
12-1 and riding a two fight win streak, including a third round TKO (4:06) of
Erik Villalobos in November. He has four KO’s and three subs in his twelve
wins.
Cowboy VS Cowboy
Sunday Feb 21st, Pittsburg hosts
UFC Fight Night 83 Cerrone VS Oliveira. Donald Cerrone’s last two losses are to
Rafael dos Anjos, a UD on 8/28/13 and recently a first round TKO (1:06)
12/19/15. Between those losses are eight wins including five finishes (3 by
KO). 28-7 with 15 subs and 5 KO’s, Cerrone has competed against the Lightweight
division’s top talent. Following the loss for the title (vs RDA) “Cowboy” moves
to the Welterweight division to take on a fellow “Cowboy”.
Alex
Oliveira fought four times in the UFC in 2015 and went 3-1. He is on a three
fight win streak including: a third round KO (0:51) over Piotr Hallmann 11/7/15
and a first round Sub (2:51) of veteran fighter KJ Noons 5/30/15. Oliveira is
13-3 with 9 KO wins. Oliveira is a replacement for Tim Means who was pulled due
to an Anti-doping policy violation.
Middleweight Co-Main
Derek Brunson is coming off back to
back TKO first round wins in 2015, over: Ed Herman (0:36) Jan. 31st and Sam Alvey (2:19) Aug 8th. This
Brunson’s sixth fight with UFC (5-1), he takes on 20-9 Roan Carneiro.
Carneiro
owns ten wins by submission, he displayed that talent in his UFC debut 2/28/15
by catching Mark Munoz in a first round RNC. “Jucao” is on a six fight win streak.
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