MMA weekend wrap-up

Fight Results for scheduled for schedule bouts between June 21-27 are listed below:

LW
Joe Lauzon(LW #22) vs. Curt Warburton(LW #51)
Lauzon showed off the type of performance that leaves fans thinking he’s a title contender. Lauzon has done this before against lesser competition, and though Warburton was a tough opponent, his ground game was lacking, which equated to an easy win for Joe. It would be nice to see Lauzon get a win over a mid-level contender before throwing him in with a top 10 opponent. Sean Sherk would be a big-name opponent that could propel Lauzon into the mix.
Ranking: Lauzon stays at 22; Warburton drops to 64

Charles Oliveira(LW #26) vs. Nik Lentz(LW #37)
I give a lot of respect to Nik Lentz, who had compiled an undefeated run in the UFC thanks to some kind judging and smothering wrestling. Lentz showed a huge heart and a never-die attitude facing a superior fighter in Oliveira. An Oliveira illegal knee ended Lentz’s night and it remains to be seen if the fight will be ruled a no-contest. Oliveira solidifies himself as a top guy, but Lentz won a lot of fans in this fight and deserves to be in the mix with other aspiring contenders.
Ranking: Oliveira moves up to 24; Lentz moves up to 29

Kazunori Yokota(LW #86) def. Shoji Maruyama
Yokota made a successful return following a 6-month layoff and 3-fight losing streak. Yokota used his size and skill to dominate Shoji Maruyama for 3 rounds. Yokota is 33-years old and may have already peaked as a top talent when he was Deep’s champion, until being outclassed by Tatsuya Kawajiri. There are plenty of interesting fights for Yokota at 155, since much of Japan’s talent is in the lighter weight divisions.
Ranking: Yokota drops to 87

Caros Fodor def. James Terry
Michael Johnson def. Ed Faaloloto
Matt Ricehouse def. Ryan Couture
Yasuhiro Kawasaki def. Luiz Andrade
A Sol Kwon def. Yoshihiro Tomioka

WW
Charlie Brenneman(WW #48) def. Rick Story(WW #8)
Charlie Brenneman’s incited chants of “Spaniard” not heard since the movie Gladiator. Brenneman was not even supposed to be fighting, but a la Jason Brilz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the underdog took it to the highly-favored opponent. Brenneman didn’t win pretty, but it didn’t matter because under the circumstances, the fact that he even lasted 3 rounds with a top 10 contender spoke for itself. Story almost made a 3rd round comeback win, but just couldn’t pull it off, ending his own Cinderella run into title contention.
This is a big loss for Story, though he will probably rebound with a win, his lackluster performance against Brenneman, hurt his chances of earning fights with the marquee names of the welterweight division(Fitch, Penn, Shields). A fight with Koscheck could be interesting, as their styles are very similar.
As for Brenneman, he already proclaimed it the high of his career, and it is unlikely he can duplicate his performance against another top 10 opponent.
Ranking: Brenneman moves up to 9; Story drops to 10

Matt Brown(WW #68) def. John Howard(WW #31)
Matt Brown kept his UFC career intact, as he upset John Howard. Brown landed the harder strikes and punished Howard with knees. Howard’s short stature did not help him against the kicks of Brown, and he now must strongly consider making the cut to 155 to stay in the UFC.
Ranking: Brown moves up to 49; Howard drops to 50

Eduardo Pamplona(WW #47) def. Jerron Peoples
Both fighters took the fight on very short notice, but an opportunity to sign with Strikeforce does not come along very often for an aging veteran or untested rookie such as Peoples. Though Peoples looked to be an explosive striker, Pamplona took the fight to the ground and showed his experience and BJJ as he submitted the young prospect in the 1st round. Pamplona give the Strikeforce welterweight division some much-needed depth. He also gets his chance to shine on the big stage rather than in the shadows of Brazil’s local scene.
Ranking: Pamplona stays at 47

Jason High(WW #51) def. Quinn Mulhern(WW #65)
Jason High finally seemed to have a breakthrough moment as he defeated top prospect Quinn Mulhern. High has struggled when moving up in competition, but this time he showed the wisdom from past losses to control the fight’s pace and action, and once again showed very strong submission defense skills. High will be limited when he faces fighters he can’t take down, but he should be able to find a home in Strikeforce. As for Mulhern, it was a tough debut for the King of the Cage veteran, and he will hopefully be given another opportunity in Strikeforce. A rematch with Rich Clementi could be interesting, should Strikeforce sign the former UFC veteran.
Ranking: High drops to 52; Mulhern stays at 65

Rich Attonito(WW #97) def. Daniel Roberts(WW #75)
Attonito surprised a lot of people by defeating Daniel Roberts. Roberts was thought to be the superior grappler, but Attonito thrived at his new weight and neutralized Roberts’ submission game. Attonito still has a long way to go before becoming a contender, but sitting at a 3-1 UFC record with strong wrestling skills, he has a chance to mold himself into a Rick Story-type fighter.
Ranking: Attonito moves up to 82; Roberts drops to 86

Josh Neer(WW #77) def. Jesse Juarez
Josh Neer’s return to welterweight was deemed a success, as he defeated a very tough opponent in Jesse Juarez. Juarez couldn’t answer the bell for the 2nd round, resulting in Neer taking home a TKO victory.
Ranking: Neer moves up to 66

Neilson Gomes def. Julio Cesar Almeida
Neilson Gomes has knocked off two of Brazil’s top 155’ers in Julio Cesar Almeida and Ciro Rodrigues. Gomes’ only career loss was to undefeated middleweight Bruno Santos(12-0), a fight he took on short notice and fighting up a weight class. It would be nice to see Gomes face a top 170 lb. fighter, but he’s shown a lot of promise thus far in his career.
Ranking: Neilson Gomes debuts at 98

Ryo Chonan def. Shigetoshi Iwase

MW
Derek Brunson def. Jeremy Hamilton
Top prospects faced off, as Brunson took home a unanimous decision win. Brunson has been spoken about highly and will likely face a name-opponent in his next fight under the Strikeforce banner.
Ranking: Brunson debuts at 85

Dan Cramer def. Josh Samman
Arteneas Young def. Elvis Mutapcic

LHW
Lorenz Larkin(LWH #36) def. Gian Villante(LHW #91)
Larkin had a tough 1st round against Gian Villante, but finally showed off his diverse striking arsenal in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, that earned him a solid victory over a former top prospect. Many felt Villante would take Larkin down and expose his ground game, but Larkin hung tough and ultimately showed solid takedown defense. Larkin may not be ready for Strikeforce’s elite light heavyweights, but I think he can definitely hang with the like of King Mo and Gegard Mousasi. For now though, a fight with Babalu Sobral or Keith Jardine would make more sense than booking him against more unknown prospects such as Brazilians, Guto Inocente or Marcos Lima.
Villante athleticism can only take him so far, as he’s shown that his MMA skills aren’t fully developed to compete in a major promotion. Yes, he’s had a tough schedule, but he’d best be served developing his skills on the independent scene, considering he’s only 7-3, and was coming off an injury in 2010. Villante will eventually make it back to the big leagues, but one has to wonder if he’s ready to take on the MMA’s elite at this stage in his career. I’d say give him one more shot at 205 in Strikeforce, but should he lose, his longterm career potential may be in jeopardy.
Ranking: Larkin moves up to 35; Villante moves up to 76

Houston Alexander(LHW #61) def. Brian Albin
Houston recorded his 3rd straight win following a dreadful 1-5 rut. Alexander may be on the verge of re-signing with Zuffa, though this time I think he’ll be fighting for Strikeforce. Strikeforce needs established veterans to propel their young crop of stars(Lawal, Feijao, Mousasi, Larkin) into the forefront.
Ranking: Alexander stays at 61

Trevor Smith def. Keith Berry
Smith dispatched Keith Berry in his Strikeforce debut. It remains to be seen whether Smith remains on the Strikeforce roster, of if he was just being used as a local attraction for the fight card.
Ranking: Smith debuts at 95

Yoshiyuki Nakanishi def. Bernard Ackah

HW
Cheick Kongo(HW #19) vs. Pat Barry(HW #27)
Kongo survived thanks to an amazing referee job and an improbable punch that knocked Pat Barry out cold. Had Kongo not landed the KO punch, he was likely going to be finished at any moment. Barry once again let his aggressiveness get the best of him, which also cost him wins against Tim Hague and Cro Cop. Kongo’s chin may have held up, but he seemed like he did not want to take a punch initially and looked as if he was going to roll over for Barry, but somehow, Kongo, relying on pure instinct showed the guts it takes to be a fighter and refused to go down without a fight.
Ranking: Kongo moves up to 17; Barry drops to 28

Tony Johnson(HW #30) def. Derrick Lewis
Johnson relied heavily on his wrestling pedigree to smother Derrick Lewis in order to earn a unanimous decision. Johnson’s overall MMA skills are not developed, but with his size and aforementioned wrestling, he will have a decent shot in Bellator’s heavyweight tournament, as previous tournament winner Cole Konrad proved last year.
Ranking: Johnson drops to 31

Matt Mitrione(HW #34) vs. Christian Morecraft(HW #36)
Mitrione showed us what we already knew, his striking game is lethal. What fans and experts are waiting on is his ability to fight off his back. Morecraft hung tough through the fight, weathering the storm, which was Mitrione’s fists. Mitrione against Kongo would make for a solid matchup, though I’m all for seeing Mitrione vs. Dave Herman or a catchweight fight with Tito Ortiz.
Ranking: Mitrione moves up to 33; Morecraft drops to 75

Tyler East def. Nick Gaston
Oli Thompson def. Mark Potter