Weekend wrap-up
Top 100-ranked fighters schedule for action between July 19-July 25 are listed below:
LW
Efrain Escudero(LW #50) vs. Mike Rio
This is a dangerous fight for former TUF winner Escudero. Then again, Escudero has to take some risks now that he lost to Fabricio Camoes in his last fight. Mike Rio is an up and coming striker. His takedown defense better be competent because Escudero hopefully learned that his wrestling is his ticket to winning, so he will likely look for the takedown early and often.
Result: Mike Rio a lot of promise taking Escudero to a decision. This was a must-win situation for Escudero following the loss to Camoes. Now Escudero ventures off to England where he will face Tim Radcliffe. Escudero’s wrestling will be a test for most fighters hailing from Europe. With a win there, we may see him re-signed to the UFC or Strikeforce. He is a solid draw and is a young fighter who can still develop into a top fighter.
Ranking: Escudero stays at 50
Chris Horodecki(LW #70) vs. Chris Saunders
Horodecki’s exciting kickboxing style will be on display against 9-1, Chris Saunders. Horodecki needs to stay on his feet and use his experience.
Result: Horodecki made his Bellator debut in front of his Canadian crowd. He defeated a game Chris Saunders via decision. Horodecki took top position on the ground and was able to control Saunders for the last two rounds of action. Horodecki likely secured a spot in Bellator’s upcoming lightweight tournament.
Ranking: Horodecki stays at 70
Ronys Torres(LW #83) vs. Eduardo Pachu
Torres looked truly impressive against Eduardo Pachu. Torres used his grappling to take down the talented striker Pachu. Torres should be close to a call from the UFC now.
Result: Torres made easy work of Pachu and deserves a shot in the big leagues again.
Ranking: Torres moves up to 74
Sherron Leggett(LW #85) vs. Jonatas Novaes
Leggett is not well known, but he is 7-1 in the last 3 years, his only loss being to Anthony Pettis. Leggett deserves a shot in Strikeforce with a win here.
Result: Sherron “Rob Roy” Leggett will not be fighting for some time, as he was upset by BJJ ace Jonatas Novaes. Novaes slapped on an armbar that gave Leggett no time to tap, and unfortunately Leggett’s arm broke. Medical attention was needed immediately to stabilize Leggett’s arm.
Ranking: Leggett drops out of the Top 100 rankings.
Carlo Prater(LW #100) vs. Cameron Dollar
Carlo Prater is on the comeback trail, winning his last two fights against good competition. If Prater is dedicated he is talented to get a look by ZUFFA or Bellator. Dollar, known for his stint on TUF, was released by the UFC following his loss to Jason Dent. Dollar has bounced back though with 5-straight wins, including victories over former UFC vets Alvin Robinson and Kit Cope. This fight may be a little more than Dollar can handle though, as Prater is a battle-tested veteran. Dollar would be wise to make the cut to 145, unless he’s filled out since the last time we saw him in the UFC.
Result: Carlo Prater brought out his bag of tricks and ended up overwhelming Cameron Dollar with submission attempts. Prater was claiming that he would receive an invitation to fight in a big promotion with the win, so will see if that holds to be true. Dollar, will hopefully consider making the cut to 145 now that his winning streak is over.
Ranking: Prater moves up to 98
WW
Brock Larson(WW #45) vs. Eric Davila
Larson will look to rebound from his loss to Tarec Saffiedine, as he faces fellow veteran Eric Davila. Larson’s wrestling should make this his fight to take.
Result: Brock Larson was happy to be fighting in the main event in front of his Minnesota fans, but just :07 into the fight he awoke with a referee hovered above him. Eric Davila knocked out Larson. The blow did not look to brutal, but it must have caught Larson on the button because he was out. This fight was supposed to be contested at 170, but Davila supposedly was not even close to making weight. This is not the only time Davila has missed weight, and it is unfortunate that Larson had to accept this fight knowing he didn’t want to disappoint his hometown crowd. It’s a win in the books for Davila, but another loss regarding his sportsmanship missing weight severely again.
Ranking: Larson drops out of Top 100 rankings
Paul Bradley(WW #63) vs. Eddie Larrea
Bradley’s opponent is still a mystery as a Robbie Gatreu has also been rumored. Nonetheless, Bradley finally gets back into action after a planned Shark Fights bout against Karo Parisyan was scrapped.
Result: Paul Bradley won with ease, and now looks to be primed for a decent run in the UFC thanks to being called up days after this victory. Bradley will step in for Constantinos Phillippou at UFC 133, and will face Brazilian Rafael Natal. Natal is likely cut from the UFC with a loss, so this is a must-win for him. If Bradley’s striking has improved he could take this fight easily, he just has to be careful of Natal’s submission game.
Ranking: Bradley stays at 63, but I will be moving him to middleweight next update, as he will be debuting in the UFC at 185. Bradley is a stud at 170, but at 185 he won’t be able to rely on his wrestling/strength advantage. Hopefully after his debut at UFC 133 he will make the cut back down to 170.
Yuya Shirai(WW #71) vs. Delson Heleno(LW #90)
A last minute shuffle led to this bout being formed. By all accounts the fight was very close, but the judges had Heleno winning by split decision in his native Brazil. This fight was fought at a catchweight of 178 pounds, which was a huge leap for Heleno, who was set to fight Luis Dutra at 155 before the change.
Result: This makeshift last minute fight did not please many in the crowd, but it was an interesting bout between two of Brazil’s and Japan’s best fighters. Many felt Yuya Shirai should have gotten the nod in this one, but Delson Heleno may have been given a favorable hometown decision. No one was crying robbery, but it was close.
Ranking: Heleno is moved from LW 90 to WW 61; Shirai drops to WW 75
Bobby Voelker(WW #74) vs. Roger Bowling(WW #75)
The trilogy is set to be completed this weekend, as both fighters look to take the next step in their respective careers. Ultimately this is not a wise career decision for Bowling to be fighting Voelker again. He was a young prospect, who should be fighting competition that helps develop his overall skills, rather than book him against someone he already showed that he had difficulty with. Bowling has the skills to be a beast, but his management has held him and training mate Victor O’Donnell back thus far, continually mis-booking their talents.
Result: Bobby Voelker pulled it off again, beating a supposedly superior fighter. Experience paid dividends though, as Voelker weathered Bowling’s early storm and picked his spots. Scott Coker mentioned he could face the winner of Tarec Saffiedine/Scott Smith battle later this week.
Bowling’s career prospects are not over by a long shot, especially if he knocks off an established name in his next fight. That’s why this trilogy made no sense for him. Beating Voelker in this fight would have won him little in the PR department, while a win over Cyborg or Scott Smith would have. Bad match-making for a young prospect. I’m not sure if he’s gone from Team Vision because he is now pictured on controversial agent, Ken Pavia’s website.
Ranking: Voelker moved up to 64, Bowling moved up to 71
WW Tournament: Daniel Acacio(WW #90), Edilberto De Oliveira, Hernani Perpetuo, Viscarde Andrade
Daniel Acacio was supposed to be the favorite coming into this fight, but Hernani Perpetuo defied the odds defeating Acacio via decision. Perpetuo, fighting with deep cuts on his scalp, entered the finals against Edilberto “Crocota” De Oliveira, and took home a split decision win. Perpetuo went from developing talent to a full-fledged prospect following the gutty effort.
Ranking: Perpetuo debuts at WW 94; Acacio drops to WW 95
MW
None
LHW
Ovince St.Preux(LHW #28) vs. Joe Cason
A curious case of booking by Strikeforce, as “OSP” had just knocked off 3 solid names and was rumored to be fighting Rafael Cavalcante. Instead, St.Preux will face unknown prospect Joe Cason. Coming out of Dick Roufus’ camp means he will have solid striking, but St.Preux has faced strikers before and succeeded.
Result: Ovince St.Preux sent a message to everyone in Strikeforce. Get him off the Challengers series and into a marquee fight. St.Preux made easy work of an undefeated prospect, and now has positioned himself hopefully for a fight with Mousasi or Babalu, which are whom he called out.
Ranking: St.Preux moved up to 27
HW
Devin Cole(HW #56) vs. Shawn Jordan(HW #100)
Lavar Johnson was the main attraction in this bout, but he bowed out last minute, forcing Shawn Jordan to accept the bout on a week’s notice. This fight will not win any style points. Cole has the ground game advantage, but Jordan is a rising talent, who will have athleticism on his side.
Result: This fight started out as a barnburner, but in the end Cole’s wrestling background and stamina won him the fight. Jordan showed to be a game competition, who is developing quickly after taking up the sport only a couple of years ago.
Ranking: Cole moves up to 54; Jordan moves up to 95
Neil Grove(HW #49) vs. Zak Jensen
Grove has been on the shelf for quite awhile following his tournament final loss to Cole Konrad. Grove looked impressive in his Bellator run. As long as Grove is the aggressor he should be fine against former TUF 10 journeyman Zak Jensen.
Result: This was a fun fight to watch as both heavyweights had their moments. Jensen dropped Grove with an early punch, but was outmatched when the fight went to the ground. Grove tried to lock on a submission, but Jensen eventually escaped only to be finished with ground ‘n’ pound. Grove has earned his ticket to the next Bellator heavyweight tournament.
Ranking: Grove stays at 49
Marcio Cruz(HW #65) vs. Glover Teixeira(LHW #27)
Result: A great matchup on the Brazilian fight scene went down before this weekend preview came out. Glover Teixeira continued his romp through any fighter put in front of him. This fight was more noted for Marcio Cruz being completely out of shape. Cruz was coming off an injury, but all hopes of him returning to the UFC one day look unlikely at this point. As for Teixeira, hopefully his visa is approved opening the doors for him to fight in the USA. Until then, he has fights scheduled with Marvin Eastman and Antonio Mendes.
Ranking: Teixeira moved up to LHW 26; Cruz dropped to HW 75
Sean McCorkle(HW #79) vs. Cameron Befort
McCorkle was set to face Mike Hayes in his first bout since being released by the UFC. Bellator stepped in last minute though and denied Hayes’ appeal to fight outside the company. In steps Cameron Befort, who is a virtual unknown outside of his local fight scene. The bout weight limit was also changed to appease McCorkle.
Result: McCorkle showed his win over Mark Hunt was not a fluke, as he looked dominant against last minute replacement Cameron Befort. McCorkle is going to have a hard time finding fights against top heavyweights since he usually weighs in around 300 pounds. A future fight with Tim Sylvia could be interesting, which would likely earn him another shot in the UFC as well.
Ranking: McCorkle moved up to HW 76
