MMA weekend wrap-up
In our weekend wrap-up of MMA action outside of the major promotions, we saw a few notable names pick up victories on the independent scene. Every week we will attempt to track down fight results of top prospects, unknown veteran talent, or former UFC/Strikeforce/Bellator fighters. I am a fan of the “Where are they now?” types of articles, so I will do my best to keep you up to date with what’s happening on the independent scene and where many fighters toil in anonymity until being called up to the big show.
Lightweight – 155
In lightweight action, Brian Cobb defeated Drew Fickett via TKO. Cobb has now won four straight fights and definitely deserves an opportunity in a big promotion. Fickett lost for the first time in six fights, and hopefully he can continue to keep his nose clean and rebound from this loss. Cobb is presumed to be the new MFC lightweight champion.
On the same fight card, Marcus”The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis defeated Pete Spratt by decision. Davis has now won two straight fights since being released by the UFC, though both wins were over opponents with barely .500 records. Davis definitely looks like he has lost a step in the last couple of years.
Prospect John Cholish won his seventh straight fight since losing his debut. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him signed by Strikeforce in the near future. His opponent ex-WEC veteran Jameel Massouh usually fights at featherweight, but nonetheless, it’s a solid win for Cholish.
Other lightweight results:
Sheldon Westcott def. Thomas Denny
Kurt Southern def. Jorge Britto
Curtis DeMarce def. Robert Washington
Welterweight – 170
Young gun Jordan Mein defeated Strikeforce and Dream veteran Marius Zaromskis via decision. Zaromskis’ career has taken a turn for the worse after going just 1-3 in his last 4 fights. He is best suited at 155, and should possibly consider returning to the Japanese circuit where he found initial success in order to rebuild his career. As for Mein, he is definitely one of the brightest prospects in the sport, but is still very young and is going to have a tough time dealing with elite wrestlers should he sign with the UFC.
Ryan Ford is beginning to solidify himself as a prospect once again. His past losses to Pat Healy have been overshadowed by recent wins over Pete Spratt and Karo Parisyan. Though a big promotion might be hesitant to sign Ford because of his past criminal history, he seems to be one of the most exciting fighters to watch in Canada.
Dhiego Lima defeated Jamie Toney, as Lima looks to step into the role that his brother, Douglas, held in the MFC, as their welterweight champion. He looks to be ready for a step up in competition as he ran through Toney, who was the last man to defeat recent Ultimate Fighter 12 winner Tony Ferguson.
Other welterweight results:
Igor Gracie def. Quinton McCottrell
Akihiro Murayama def. Yoichiro Sato
middleweight – 185
Well-traveled veterans, Joe Doerksen and Luigi Fioravanti squared off in Canada, which saw Doerksen end up having his hand raised in the end. Both fighters have had their ups and downs in recent years, and are considered two of the toughest vets in the sport.
Other middleweight results:
Andreas Spang def. Cody Krahn
light heavyweight – 205
Sokoudjou had his opponent switched three times, yet still came out with a victory over last-minute replacement Roy Boughton. Sokoudjou has now won three straight fights and may be back on the UFC’s radar following a horrible 4-6 slide. Hopefully, Sokoudjou accepts fights that will only benefit his long-term career at this point, instead of fighting at heavyweight or overseas on short notice.
heavyweight – 265
Kevin Fitial def. Roque Martinez
