TXMMA - Texas Mixed Martial Arts

Texans Derrick Krantz and Booker Arthur face tough tests on Bellator 69 undercard this Friday

mikecalimbas — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:41:10 +0000

LAKE CHARLES, LA, May 16, 2012 – The Bellator Fighting Championships returns to the southern region with Bellator 69 taking place at the L’Auberge Casino Resort this Friday, May 18^th. The event will feature the middleweight tournament season finale between Brazilian bomber Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao and Swedish striker Andreas Spang along with the long-awaited battle between No. 1 ranked women’s 115-pound fighter Megumi Fujii and No. 2 ranked Jessica Aguilar.

A welterweight semi-final bout David Rickels vs. Karl Amoussou and a heavyweight tournament qualifier between Ron Sparks and Kevin Asplund round out the televised card for MTV 2.

As for the undercard, a notable welterweight bout between unbeaten Russian prospect Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov and Marshall, Texas native Derrick Krantz should be one to watch out for.

The 21 year old Russian has been highly-touted since debuting in Bellator with a spectacular KO of Tiawan Howard this past March. The 21 year old also holds a TKO victory over former TUF contestant / UFC fighter Kyacey Uscola from earlier in his young career.

Meanwhile, the Texan “D-Rock” is coming off an impressive win of his own after finishing Eric Scallan by armbar in the first round in his own Bellator debut earlier on in March. That victory snapped a two-fight losing streak for the East Texan will be looking to continue that momentum against the undefeated Russian.

Also of note for the lone star state on this card is the second Bellator appearance for 21 year old Rusk, TX native Booker Arthur.

A veteran of the Shreveport-based Ascend Combat organization, Arthur had a lengthy amateur career before going pro in March 2012 and winning his first two fights. He lost his most recent outting to unbeaten Kurt Holobaugh and will be taking on another undefeated prospect this Friday in the form of former NCAA wrestler Shanon Slack – who happens to also be serving as one of Dominick Cruz’s assistant coaches on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter: Live.

Bellator 69 will be broadcast LIVE on the MTV2 network starting at 7 p.m. CST this Friday night with the prelims also being broadcast LIVE and free online at Spike.com starting at 6 p.m. CST.

Here’s the entire card expected for the event.

Bellator 69 – Main Card

185 lbs.: Maiquel Falcao (30-4) vs. Andreas Spang (8-1) * tournament final
170 lbs.: David Rickels (10-0) vs. Karl Amoussou (14-4-2) * tournament semi-final
115 lbs.: Megumi Fujii (25-1) vs. Jessica Aguilar (13-4)
265 lbs.: Ron Sparks (8-1) vs. Kevin Asplund (15-1)

Bellator 69 – Preliminary Card

265 lbs.: Abe Wagner (10-5) vs. Mark Holata (11-3)
170 lbs.: Andrey Koreshkov (9-0) vs. Derrick Krantz (11-5)
145 lbs.: Booker Arthur (2-1) vs. Shanon Slack (3-0)
155 lbs.: Kalvin Hackney (11-2) vs. Emanuel Brooks (6-0)
205 lbs.: Josh Burns (6-5) vs. Richard Hale (18-4)
155 lbs.: Josh Quayhagen (3-0) vs. Cliff Wright Jr. (6-2)

UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier – Match-by-Match Preview and Predictions

mikecalimbas — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:36:39 +0000

May 15, 2012 – UFC on FUEL 3, also known as UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier, kicks off from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA at 4:30PM CST today with the Prelims on Facebook while the main card kicks off on FUEL at 7PM.

Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the entire card and break down what we can expect this afternoon when these fighters hit the octagon.

Main Card (Fuel TV)

• Chan Sung Jung (12-3) vs. Dustin Poirier (12-1)
• Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs. Jorge Lopez (11-2)
• Donald Cerrone (17-4) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-7)
• Yves Jabouin (17-7) vs. Jeff Hougland (10-4)
• Igor Pokrajac (24-8) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-4)
• Jason MacDonald (25-15) vs. Tom Lawlor (7-4)

Preliminary Bouts (Facebook)

• Brad Tavares (7-1)vs. Dongi Yang (10-2)
• Codie McKenzie (12-2) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (21-5)
• TJ Grant (17-5) vs. Carlo Prater (30-10)
• Rafael Dos Anjos (15-6) vs. Kamal Shalorus (7-2)
• Jeff Curran (33-14) vs. Johnny Eduardo (25-9)
• Alex Soto (6-1) vs. Francisco Rivera (7-2)

UFC on FUEL 3 – Main Card Preview and Predictions

Chan Sung Jung (12-3) vs. Dustin Poirier (12-1)

One fighter looking to prove once again that his substance matches his hype facing another who’s looking to prove he belongs at the top as a legit title contender.

“The Korean Zombie” has been all the rage after his twister submission over Leonard Garcia and his knockout of Mark Hominick but he did lose 2 out of 3 before that so he’s not a guaranteed title contender just yet. A win over Poirier will change that perception drastically.

Meanwhile, the young “Diamond” has impressed ever since coming into the UFC, winning four straight while beating a few fellow young prospects along with former would-be #1 contender Josh Grispi in his debut. With all that behind him and a lack of depth at the top of the division dominated by Jose Aldo, it’s time to see if the Louisianan is ready to make a run at the top.

Stylistically, this fight has the makings of an exciting fight with both men being more than willing to go for broke but the young lion Poirier edges out his opponent in every area that counts. This one will be competitive early but expect Dustin to pull away the longer this fight goes. In fact, he may even finish he zombie en route to the victory,

Prediction: Dustin Poirier over Chang Sung Jung by TKO, RD3.

Amir Sadollah (5-3) vs. Jorge Lopez (11-2)

It’s hard to believe that former TUF winner Amir Sadollah has been in the league for four years now. He’s always been a game fighter and has improved throughout his tenure but he’s never cracked that top level of guys in the crowded welterweight division.

I give him credit for not just hanging in there, but also being competitive in one of the most dangerous weight classes in the UFC. He’s vastly improved both his striking and his wrestling, but was also exposed in both areas by Dong Hyun Kim (UFC 144) and Duane Ludwig (UFC on Versus 5).

A member of WAND fight team, Jorge Lopez is a young prospect who’s coming back after losing his UFC debut to Justin Edwards last November. He holds notable wins over Waachiim Spiritwolf and Chidi Njokuani prior to making it into the UFC but has to prove himself against top competition.

Unless Lopez proves otherwise, the prevailing thought is that Amir Sadollah is far too experienced at this point to lose to a UFC sophomore.

Prediction: Amir Sadollah over Jorge Lopez by unanimous decision.

Donald Cerrone (17-4) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-7)

This will be an exciting fight between two forward-fighting fighters in Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Jeremy Stephens.

Donald will be looking to climb right back up on the horse after getting knocked off by Nate Diaz and his “Stockton slap boxing” this past December but he was doing pretty good before that. Menawhile, “Lil Heathen” is also looking to climb back into contention after running into Anthony Pettis in his last fight.

Look for both to engage early and often in this one with Stephens coming forward trying to hurt his opponent quickly and put him on his heels while Cerrone will look to be slightly more patient and use his countering ability to stymie Stephens’ attack.

Whoever is more effective in imposing their style will win this fight.

Prediction: Donald Cerrone over Jeremy Stephens by split decision.

Yves Jabouin (17-7) vs. Jeff Hougland (10-4)

This is a battle of two guys looking to make their way up the bantamweight ranks.

Yves Jabouin has back-to-back wins over Walel Watson and Ian Loveland but they were both close fights. Meanwhile, Jeff Houghland most recently won against Donny Walker in his UFC debut.

Truth be told, I don’t really know too much of these guys since they haven’t shown too much in their UFC time so far. Coin flip pick here.

Prediction: Jeff Hougland over Yves Jabouin by unanimous decision.

Igor Pokrajac (24-8) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-4)

This will be a battle of two aggressive strikers still looking to find their way in the UFC.

A former boxer, Fabio Maldonado has displayed some crisp hands but has fallen prey to both injury and wrestling during his time in the UFC. Meanwhile, Igor Pokrajac hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire but has won his last two by KO/TKO.

It’s anyone’s ballgame in this one with the person able to get off early and often likely coming away with the win in the end.

Prediction: Fabio Maldonado over Igor Pokrajac by TKO, RD2.

Jason MacDonald (25-15) vs. Tom Lawlor (7-4)

Did you see Tom Lawlor come out to weigh-ins dressed like Genki Sudo for this one? If nothing else, he’ll always be entertaining to have in the UFC because of his antics but he’s also 1-3 in his last 4 fights and badly in need of a win.

The same goes for his Canadian opponent who was summarily dispatched by Toquinho conqueror Alan Belcher at UFC Fight Night 25 in his last fight.

Tom Lawlor is a wrestler who’s got that desire for the takedown engrained in him so look for a takedown at some point in this fight. Sadly for him, the ground is where McDonald feels most comfortable. “The Filthy Mauler” has been caught before and the same could happen here in this one.

Prediction: Jason MacDonald over Tom Lawlor by submission, RD3.

UFC on FUEL 3 – Preliminary Card Preview and Predictions (Facebook)

Brad Tavares (7-1) vs. Dongi Yang (10-2)

Former TUF’er Brad Tavares will be coming back for the first time in almost a year after injuries got in his way. He’ll be taking on exciting power puncher Dongi “Ox” Yang in his comeback fight.

Expect this one to be a rude awakening for the Hawaiian. “Ox” has just enough grappling skill to keep this fight on the feet for the most part and he wins handedly there. If he hurts his opponent early, and he’ll try, look for Dongi to jump all over him and try to get it over with quickly.

Prediction: Dongi Yang over Brad Tavares by TKO, RD1.

Codie McKenzie (12-2) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (21-5)

Would-be UWF “Tournament of Warriors” contestant Marcus LeVesseur bowed out of the South Texas tournament after the UFC came calling. He’ll now be looking to make the most of his opportunity against former TUF star and guillotine choke specialist Cody McKenzie.

LeVesseur was a former NCAA division III wrestling star that went unbeaten as a collegian with an incredible record of 155-0. He’s also proven to have some heavy hands though he does have some improving to do in this area.

The key here will be whether Marcus can avoid Cody’s game, which is all predicated on his lone signature move. Expect the debuting “prospect” to take heed of that and control the action on the feet rather than get lulled into that submission early then go for the finish in the later rounds.

Prediction: Marcus LeVesseur over Cody McKenzie by TKO, RD3.

TJ Grant (17-5) vs. Carlo Prater (30-10)

T.J. Grant took on some tough competition in Dong Hyun Kim and Johny Hendricks before dropping down to welterweight. He looked good in his 155 lbs. debut against Shane Roller and will aim to do so again in this bout against the Brazilian, Carlo Prater.

As for Carlo, he won four straight before running into Erick Silva on short notice. He won that one too but only on the judges’ cards as Silva was running through him before illegal blows forced the referee to call a stoppage to the bout.

This is a tough matchup for Carlo given T.J.’s familiarity with submission-minded opponents and his overall skill set as a tough wrestler. Maybe “Neo” can catch a submission in a scramble but Grant will definitely be the favorite in this one.

Prediction: TJ Grant over Carlo Prater by unanimous decision.

Rafael Dos Anjos (15-6) vs. Kamal Shalorus (7-2)

It’s saddening to say that Kamal Shalorus’ UFC performance has not exceeded his hype going in. True he’s had some tough fights, especially against top perennial contender Jim Miller, but he’s just never been able to put it all together to make a run at the top of the sport. With two straight losses, he now finds himself fighting for survival.

Facing Rafael dos Anjos will be a tough task for the Iranian. Rafael is known for his submission prowess yet can also post a danger on his feet, as he did in the George Sotiropoulos fight. His Achilles heel is big strong fighters though (ala Gleison Tibau in his last fight) which bodes well in “The Prince of Persia’s” favor.

As with most of his fights, the same can be said here in that Kamal Shalorus has all the tools to win (read: wrestling) if he wants to utilize that skill and grind out his opponent. The thing about it is that he’s largely ignored those attributes in favor of winging away punches.

Kamal has a puncher’s chance but Rafael should cruise to victory in this one.

Prediction: Rafael dos Anjos over Kamal Shalorus by unanimous decision.

Jeff Curran (33-14) vs. Johnny Eduardo (25-9)

Once a pioneer in the sport’s lighter weight classes, Jeff Curran hasn’t been nearly as good as he has been in the past lately. He’s taken five straight losses in his last five fights, most recently to Scott Jorgensen at UFC 137. And he desperately needs a win. Meanwhile, Johnny Eduardo also lost his last one to Raphael Assuncao after winning 11 straight prior to making it into the UFC. He’s no rookie either, fighting professionally since 1996 – even longer than Curran.

This matchup between the two vets will be like a chess match to see who can find the opening first. It’s anybody’s ball game but I like Curran to get back to his winning ways in this one.

Prediction: Curran over Johnny Eduardo by submission, RD2.

Alex Soto (6-1-1) vs. Francisco Rivera (7-2)

Rivera is a hard hitter at bantamweight that’s earned two straight knockout wins in the first round. Meanwhile, Soto found himself on the wrong end of another vicious knockout after taking a fight on short notice against up-and-coming contender Michael McDonald. Not really too much info other than that to go on with these guys but punching power vs. suspect chins normally result in highlight reel moments.

Prediction: Francisco Rivera over Alex Soto by KO/TKO, RD1.

Special Two-Day Seminar with Master Rickson Gracie – Sugar Land, TX

TXMMA Staff — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:15:30 +0000

Master Rickson Gracie is coming back to the Houston, TX area for a special two-day seminar next month!

The event will be hosted by The Leonardo Xavier Jiu-Jitsu Association in Sugar Land and will be open to the ENTIRE Texas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community.

Cost will be $200 for one day or both days for $370.

Space is limited so pre-register ASAP.

For more information on Master Rickson Gracie, please review this article from his last Texas visit.

To pre-register and reserve your spot, please email contact@leonardoxavier.com or visit wwww.lxbjj.com.

Saekson Janjira and Samart Payakaroon Muay Thai Seminar – San Antonio, TX

mikecalimbas — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:18:20 +0000

Pete Spratt presents a Muay Thai seminar featuring MT legends Saekson Janjira and Samart Payakaroon Muay on Saturday, June 23rd, in San Antonio. See flyer for more details!

Adopted Texans Prater and Shalorus seeking wins tonight on UFC on FUEL TV 3 undercard

mikecalimbas — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:46:37 +0000

May 15, 2012 – Of note for tonight’s UFC on FUEL TV 3 preliminary broadcast is the return of two adopted Texan fighters in Carlo Prater and Kamal Shalorus. The two will be part of the undercard broadcast to be streamed LIVE via the UFC on Facebook prior the main card to be broadcast on the FUEL network.

Carlo Prater aims for fifth win in a row

Carlo Prater | photo: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A longtime former resident of Houston and protégé of notable area trainer Saul Soliz, 30 year old Carlo (30-10-1) will be making his way back to the octagon for the first time since his debut this past January at UFC 142 in Rio de Janeiro. That outing resulted in a bit of controversy with some illegal strikes resulting in a disqualification victory over Erick Silva for Prater in that bout he took on short notice in a higher weight class. Needless to say, he’ll be looking for a lot cleaner result this time around with a full fight camp behind him while fighting back at lightweight.

This time around, “Neo” will be taking on a formidable opponent in another former welterweight, T.J. Grant (17-5). This fighter recently made his own drop to 155 lbs. a successful one when he beat Texas• based Shane Roller this past October. A UFC vet since April 2009, Grant has fought seven times already for the promotion but will be seeking his first two-fight UFC winning streak ever at the expense of the Brasilia native.

Carlo will be looking for his fifth win in a row in this one.

Kamal Shalorus fighting for UFC survival

Kamal Shalorus | photo: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Meanwhile, another Texas-based lightweight will also be looking for a win on the UFC on FUEL 3 undercard in the form of Austinite Kamal Shalorus (7- 2). The Iranian-born wrestler entered the UFC highly touted after the WEC merger as a fighter who went undefeated while fighting four times in that organization. So far he’s failed to find similar success in the UFC however with losses to Jim Miller and Khabib Nurmagomedov in his last two outings.

With three losses in a row being the unwritten signal for termination in the UFC, this fight tonight becomes a very strong important one for Kamal as he looks to avoid the UFC chopping block.

In order to avoid such a fate, he’ll have to get past Brazilian Rafael Dos Anjos (15-6). The Team Gordo Evolve trained lightweight will be looking to get past his own loss in his last bout against Gleison Tibau but does enter the bout winning three out of his last five, including a spectacular knockout of George Sotiropoulos at UFC 132 last July.

UFC on FUEL 3, also known as UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier, kicks off from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA at 4:30PM CST today with the Prelims on Facebook while the main card kicks off on FUEL at 7PM.

Main Card (Fuel TV)

Preliminary Bouts (Facebook)

Ten matchups that make sense after Legacy Fighting Championship 11

mikecalimbas — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:04:10 +0000

Macaco after winning the 155 lbs. championship over Clay Hantz

HOUSTON, TX, May 14, 2012 – Last Friday night brought about the latest edition of the Legacy Fighting Championship to the local scene. The event was highlighted by a big time win for Houston’s Jorge “Macaco” Patino and also included some other big-time wins for other local Houstonian fighters like Chad Robichaux, Ray Blodget, and several others but there were some surprising as well.

For example, not too many people expected hot prospects Angel Huerta and Cody Williams to lose. Those two have been built up for some time to be future stars for LFC and rightfully so as both are exciting fighters but the night was not theirs last week and it surprised many.

Likewise, the Artenas Young vs. Bubba Bush affair at middleweight did not go as planned. Many in the area predicted the winner of that bout to be perhaps the next local breakout star in a division devoid of any clearly identifiable top draw after the UFC departure of Team Tooke’s Andrew Craig. Unfortunately we got more questions than answers from a bout that ended in an unfortunate no-contest turned disqualification – a result that no doubt leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of both men.

Full results can be found here but the bottom line is that the event no doubt changed the perceived future course for many of its participants and perhaps the promotion itself in relation to some of these local stars.

In the wake ofLFC 11 results, we seek to come up with a few potential matchups that make sense for the fighters involved along with the local fans in the Houston area.

With matchmaking already in full swing long before this event even took place, it’s doubtful that we’ll see these in the future but we sure would like to.

Ten matchups that make sense after Legacy Fighting Championship 11

Cody Williams (3-2) vs. Angel Huerta (6-1)

Cody Williams will no doubt be looking to come back with a vengeance following this loss to Ryan Benoit.

Both these guys went into LFC 11 highly-touted and perhaps primed for a run at the 135 lbs. title afterwards should they have won but unfortunately, both came up on the losing end against some very tough opponents. To his credit, Williams already has his next fight lined up at IXFA 8 at Delta Downs in Louisiana this coming July 7th against Aaron Phillips (3-0) but a bout with Huerta shortly thereafter presents an enticing possibility should he want to try and climb up the LFC bantamweight ranks.

As for Huerta, we’re unsure what he has scheduled ahead of him after suffering the first loss of his career. By all accounts, he was winning his fight against Nelson Salas handedly before his cardio blamed him. At 31 years of age, Angel isn’t a dinosaur but he’s also not the youngest prospect out there so he’ll surely be looking to rebound quickly a little later this summer as well.

A bout between these two would surely be an exciting prospect for fans while positioning the winner on to bigger and better things in the near future.

Alternate Possibility – Either of these two vs. another fighter coming off a loss in Steven “Ocho” Peterson.

Artenas Young (8-4) vs. Bubba Bush (4-2)

Bubba Bush disappointed at the outcome of his first fight with Artenas Young.

Their first bout last Friday left a bitter taste in everybody’s mouth after the murky finish that saw a no-contest turned into a disqualification win for “The Machine Gun.” This bout was supposed to decide who ruled the middleweight roost in Legacy FC on the local level but instead left the division in disarray with no clear contender established despite Young’s “win.”

Is Artenas truly the best 185’er in LFC when it comes to fighters at the local level (discounting national signings)? Or was Bubba on his way to a workman-like victory before those few ill-placed shots to the back of Chico’s head?

We’ll never know the answer to either of these questions unless Mick Maynard and crew can get these two back into the cage again.

Alternate Possibility – Either of these two vs. Larry “Tae-Kwon” Crowe or Bubba McDaniel.

Lester Batres (1-1) vs. Ricardo Talavera (2-3)

Lester Bartes passed a tough test vs. Justin Murray

Lester Batres scored a very impressive decision victory over Justin Murray at LFC 11. We say “very impressive” because beating the well-rounded grinder is no small task. He seems to have overcome the perceived mental blocks that may have plagued him earlier on in his (amateur) MMA career in this one and could be a prospect to watch in the future.

What better way to test his future viability than to pit him against another extremely tough opponent in Ricardo “The Hitman” Talavera?

Ricardo is a fan favorite with an exciting style yet he’s also a fighter that’s suffered his own spell of losses with three in a row after starting his pro career with two straight wins. A fight against somebody like Batres would not only be a tough test but one that could be telling for his own future prospects in the welterweight division.

Alternate Possibility – Lester Batres vs. Jonathan Harris.

Larry Crowe (5-2) vs. Noel Ligon (4-0)

Larry Crowe didn't get to fight but will be looking to get back in there soon.

Speaking of Larry “Tae-Kwon” Crowe, it was a shame not being able to see him fight last Friday after weigh-ins where he showed up in shape, in good spirits, ad no doubt ready to go. The fighter has no doubt improved on his overall fitness after making the move to 4OZ Fight Club and it would have been very interesting to see where he was at come fight night.

Unfortunately nobody got to see that happen after his planned opponent Sam Mohammed literally no-showed the fight on the day of after making weight and everything.

Looking ahead to his next one, it would be nice to see Larry do battle against another game opponent in Noel Ligon – another well-rounded prospect who’d present a tough test technically for Crowe. Trained by Tim Moussel, not only is Noel well-skilled and deserving of a push but he’s also the type of fighter that could be relied upon when it counts. In short, he always shows up when his number is called – exactly the type of fighter Crowe needs to be matched up with at this point.

Alternate Possibility – Larry Crowe vs. Bubba Bush.

Nelson Salas (4-0) vs. Ryan Benoit (4-1)

Nelson Salas savors victory against "The Chosen One" Angel Huerta.

As we already mentioned, both these Dallas Fort-Worth based fighters scored some impressive victories over their highly-touted counterparts with Salas scoring the TKO over Angel Huerta and Benoit also finishing his opponent Cody Williams in the first-round via submission in their fight.

With those performances in mind, both these guys look like future contenders at bantamweight if given the opportunity and perhaps another win or two.

Especially consider the August LFC event planned in concert with the Europa Super Show and Fitness Expo, a clash between these two to decide who gets to be a legit title contender in the near future could be just what the doctor ordered.

Alternate Possibility – Either of these two vs. Steven Peterson or Salas vs. Chris Jones.

Ray Blodget (6-1) vs. Justin Reiswerg (4-2)

Former 155 lbs. champ Ray Blodget is back in the win column.

Former LFC lightweight champ Ray Blodget made his comeback fight a successful one with a clean decision victory over Cris “Chop” Rucker on the LFC 11 undercard. Having lost only to UFC fighter and former LFC champ Daniel Pineda in his career to date, Ray’s win here positions him well to make another run at the top.

Meanwhile, another fighter who’s impressed in the past and could make a run back up to title contention in short order is Justin Reiswerg. He was last seen at LFC 10 losing by submission to UFC vet Pat Audinwood in the third round of their fight after an ankle issue derailed him in the early going only to see him gut it out almost to the very end.

A potential fight between Blodget and Reiswerg seems unlikely at this point and we’re doubtful it would ever happen given that they’re quasi-teammates at 4OZ Fight Club but it’s an interesting one plenty of people would like to see and worthy of mention.

Alternate Possibility – Either of these two vs. Adam Schindler.

Evan Cutts (4-0) vs. Alex Morono (4-1)

Evan Cutts cemented his status as one of the best young prospects in Texas.

Gracie Barra’s young stud Alex Morono was forced to sit on the sidelines for this one after an injury suffered in training derailed him from his planned fight versus Lee King. What he saw instead was Evan Cutts picking up the fourth win of professional career vs. the Paradigm fighter – a win that could conceivable have been his.

Both these 21 year olds are amongst the top prospects in each of their respective cities with Morono holding it down for Houston while Cutts does the same for his neck of the woods up in Dallas Fort-Worth. All hype aside, they’re also both extremely well-rounded mixed martial artists that are adept at fighting anywhere a fight goes – whether it’s standing, wrestling, or on the ground with submissions, they’ve both got the total package.

This is another one that fans of cities would no doubt love to see and actually presents one of the rare matchups that could really rally the friendly Houston vs. DFW rivalry. It would also have the makings of a definite ‘Fight of the Night’ candidate.

In short, we’d love to see it.

Alternate Possibility – Either of these two vs. Mike Bronzoulis.

Chad Robichaux (12-2) vs. Jimmy Flick (4-0)

Chad Robichaux scored the biggest win ever in his career. What will he do for an encore?

What is there to say about Chad Robichaux other than “Bravo!” after last Friday night? Nothing. The former head of Gracie Barra Woodlands came back to Houston after his brief-retirement facing a tough test on former UFC fighter Joseph Sandoval and he passed it with flying colors – scoring the biggest win of his career and doing so while hardly taking a punch at all. He did exactly what he said he was going to do and attacked aggressively from the opponent bell, taking his opponent down, and summarily choking him out.

It doesn’t get any better than that for a comeback win and his stay in Legacy FC may be short-lived if his appeal to land in the UFC flyweight division are heard by the higher powers he’s appealed to.

If he does stay however… and this is unlikely given what he’s looking for… a fight with another top Texas flyweight by the name of Jimmy “The Brick” Flick would be more than welcome. These two were originally supposed to fight a few cards back before an injury sidelined Robo but we know for certain his would-be opponent would welcome a shot with the Mighty Oaks leader if given the opportunity.

Alternate Possibility – Chad Robichaux vs. Will Campuzano (winner moves on to the UFC; a very likely possibility if this matchup were to actually be put together)

Gerald Harris (21-4) vs. Todd Moore (13-5)

Gerald Harris looked impressive in his first welterweight bout.

Gerald “Hurricane” Harris made his welterweight debut a successful one after out-pointing Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis in their LFC 1 fight this past Friday. With that win, the Oklahoman now moves to 4-0 in his past four fights.

Should he stay in the division and continue to be a regular in Legacy FC (his last two fights have been in the org), an exciting clash with somebody like Jorge “Macaco” Patino could be in the cards somewhere down the road. That’s not to say it should happen now though with only one win in the division.

So that leaves the question – who does he face next?

That’s not an easy question to answer without bringing in some other national names but one person that does present an intriguing possibility is Strikeforce veteran Todd “The Maniac” Moore.

Like Harris, Todd also has a very impressive wrestling acumen and wouldn’t be a stranger to this type of “big fight” having taken on the likes of Shinya Aoki, Shane Roller, and John Alessio earlier in his career. The dearth of regular events for the Strikeforce promotion would also likely allow for this fight to happen.

Alternate Possibility – Gerald Harris vs. another Strikeforce vet in Brian Melancon (who recently retired but may not be able to stay away if presented with a test as tough as Harris.)

Jorge “Macaco” Patino (22-13-1) vs. Jeff Rexroad

Jorge Patino joins Daniel Pineda as a 2x division Legacy champion.

When it comes to the life of a two-division champion, we assume life is never quiet or easy and we don’t think it’s going to be any different for Gold Team’s fearless leader, Jorge “Macaco” Patino.

Fresh off his dominating win over Clay Hantz that marked his fourth straight, Patino will probably take a day or two off then jump right back into it training with Evangelista Cyborg, AJ Hoffman, and crew at his Gold Team gym in Sugarland. The good news for him is that he can afford to eat a burger or three as his next fight should be coming in the welterweight division where he’ll likely defend that title against #1 contender Jeff “The Executioner” Rexroad.

Coming off his own run of four straight wins, Jeff is thought by many to be the most deserving local contender that hasn’t fought for a belt yet for Legacy. He’ll likely get that chance later this summer when he faces the toughest test of his career against the Brazilian, Macaco.

Alternate Possibility – None. This fight needs to happen and likely will in July or August of this year.

So there you have it folks. What do you think of these possibilities? Do any of them make sense to you? Are there any other fights you’d like to see in the aftermath of Legacy FC 11?

Sound off here in the comments section or on our TXMMA Facebook Page and let us know what you’d do if you were in Mick Maynard’s shoes as far as these guys who competed on the last card.

Adam Schindler looking to bring Fight to Win lightweight title home to Texas this weekend from Denver

mikecalimbas — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:17 +0000

AUSTIN, TX, May 14, 2012 – This coming Saturday night in Denver Colorado, a true-to-life Texas superhero will do battle with the goal of bringing a championship belt back to the lone star state. Of course we mean that metaphorically as Austin’s Adam Schindler plays Cyclops of the X-Men on the Fight to Win: Superheroes poster that may just be the coolest theme ever for an MMA event anywhere.

All hyperbole aside, what we’re left with here for the Austinite is perhaps the biggest fight of his young career against hometown favorite Chase “Prison Stare” Hackett – an opponent who will be going into Saturday night’s fight on the strength of a two-fight win streak with both coming by way of submission.

As for Schindler, he too is coming off a win this past January against Japan’s Yoshiaki Takahashi at G1 Fights – Sovereign Valor. It was a victory that snapped a two-fight losing skid while fighting for Bellator. Motivated as ever to prove himself worthy of top billing and a spot in the UFC one day soon, he’ll be looking to extend that streak to two at the expense of his hometown hero opponent.

We recently caught up with Adam to get his thoughts on his Fight to Win main event fight against Hackett coming up at the end of this week.

Interview – Adam Schindler (Austin Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu)

Adam, how are you feeling heading into your fight this Saturday?

I feel great headed into this fight. I’m the best I’ve ever been because I stay in the gym and am constantly improving. I’m in excellent shape and I’m headed to Colorado a week early to acclimate to the altitude. Things are right on point.

You’ll be fighting a hometown favorite in Chase Hackett, who we hear is pretty popular up there. Does that affect you at all?

No, this isn’t the first time I’ve fought a hometown guy. I’m sure it won’t be the last. Actually in all 3 previous title fights I’ve been in the guys’ hometown, and I’m 3-0. I see nothing different about this time around.

What are your thoughts on Hackett as an opponent? What do you need to do to beat him?

Honestly, I think he’s good at everything. A jack of all trades, if you will. He’s got height on me but that is the only advantage I see. If it is even an advantage, I don’t mind fighting taller guys. I think I’m going to be better in all aspects.

You’re going into this one with a super impressive performance over Yoshiaki Takahashi in your last fight. Many people thought that win would put you right back into the big leagues but it took a while before you got another opportunity. Why do you think that is?

I don’t know really. Bellator liked to call me last minute to take fights so I wasn’t about to do that again and nothing else ever really came through. I was signed with a major management company but getting all my own fights and sponsors (along with B3). If it wasn’t for me being proactive I may have not fought at all this year. You gotta hunt that stuff down and get whatever opportunity is best for you. That being said, I’ve got things lined up for a while now! *pats self on back*

What type of statement are you planning to make with this fight?

Schindler chokes out Kierre Gooch | photo: Strikeforce

I’m not sure if any other statement needs to be made. I’m going to go in there and dominate every aspect of this fight. People have bumps in the road sometimes, and I’m just going to further prove that my bumps are smoothed out and I’m climbing that ladder to the UFC.

Any plans on fighting back in Texas anytime soon? Has it been hard for you to get fights here also?

Yes, actually I have a fight in mind coming up in Texas hopefully this summer sometime. I love fighting in Texas and I really look forward to it once it’s a done deal.

What’s next for Adam Schindler?

FTW Lightweight champ is immediately next. After that I’m looking to move back to FW and gnaw my way into the big show. If it takes everything I have. If I have to stand on Joe Silva & Dana’s front porch for 3 weeks like the guy in fight club. 2012 is going to be a year of good things to come.

Any last words or anyone you want to thank before your fight this Saturday in Denver for the F2W lightweight title?

I want to thank Duel Athletics for their sponsorship and Fight to Win for the opportunity. Everyone that has helped me get ready at Austin Muay Thai, Gracie Humaitá Austin, B3 sports, Proformance Guards and especially Don Post and John Bird for helping me out on my trip to Denver to get acclimated. Also, May 19th is my 29th Birthday so I’m going to get myself a nice shiny new belt for my collection.

2012 NAGA Dallas Submission Championship – N. Richmond Hills, TX

mikecalimbas — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:10:10 +0000

2012 NAGA DALLAS GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIP
The North American Grappling Association (NAGA) is America’s largest mixed grappling tournament circuit with over 150,000 competitors worldwide. On May 12 & 13, 2012 NAGA returns to Texas for our annual Dallas Grappling Championship, No-Gi & Gi tournament. All adults & teens compete on Saturday, all children 13 and under compete on Sunday. You do not need to be affiliated with a team to compete. You do not have to live in Texas to participate in this event. This event is nationally RANKED!

DOWNLOAD EVENT FLYER/REGISTRATION FORM

PRE-REGISTER ONLINE HERE or download the registration form, print it out and mail it in to the address on the form along with your check.
1 Division = $80; 2 Divisions = $100, Spectators = $10 ($15 after pre-reg closes). For family rates, download the event flyer/registration form, or click the Pre-Register Online link. Pre-registration closes at 5PM on Friday, May 4.

The Ultimate Fighter: LIVE (TUF 15) – Fort Worth’s James Vick Advances to the Semi-Finals with Win

mikecalimbas — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:26:55 +0000

James Vick moves ahead over Joe Proctor | Photo: Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

May 12, 2012 – It was another proud night for North Texas last night as Fort Worth-based fighter James Vick (Phalanx MMA) took advantage of his chance to advance versus Pembroke, Massachusetts native Joe Proctor The two took part in the first quarterfinal bout with the winner looking to get one step closer to the finals and the chance to be named the first LIVE season winner of The Ultimate Fighter.

In the end, it was Vick’s extensive background training as a boxer with Durwyn Lamb and crew that enabled him to secure the victory. He used his length and reach advantage to keep Proctor at the end of his punches while avoiding any type of protracted battle on the ground. He was able to win the bout with a 20-18 score on the judges’ scorecards but also won much more in the form of respect from this season’s coaches and competitors alike – including many who went on record as saying he had the requisite raw talent, heart, and stick-to-itiveness to make it to the finals this season.

“That was the biggest fight of my life and I’m happy that I could come out on top,” James said at the conclusion of the bout. “Joe’s a very tough guy. I was surprised he stood up to those punches and I wish him the best. As for me, I’m now one step closer to achieving my dream.”

Elsewhere on this episode, highly-lauded #1 pick and Anderson Silva teammate Justin Lawrence took on the bearded wrestler, Michael Chiesa.

The two battled through the first two rounds and went into the pivotal “sudden victory” third round needing to score a win in the frame to secure the victory. Chiesa came out on top for the surpise victory as he too moved on to the semi-final round.

Two more quarterfinals remain to decide the next round with Chris Saunders taking on Vinc Pichel and Al Iaquinta matching up against Andy Ogle on next week’s episode.

Legacy Fighting Championship 11 – Complete Results, Fight Night Awards, and Comprehensive Photo Gallery

mikecalimbas — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:39:58 +0000

Jorge "Macaco" Patino wins the Legacy FC Lightweight Title.

HOUSTON, TX, May 12, 2012 – Legacy FC now has another two-division champion after Jorge “Macaco” Patino defeated Clay Hantz in the main event of Legacy Fighting Championship 11 last night in Houston. Macaco now joins current UFC fighter Daniel Pineda as the only other fighter to have accomplished such a feat within the Texas-based organization and he did so with style – flooring Hantz with a thunderous punch just a minute into the 155 lbs. title fight.

The 39 year old Gold Team leader has now won four straight bouts including notable victories over Pete Spratt and Mike Bronzoulis. Looking ahead, it is widely speculated that he’ll be taking on Paradigm’s Jeff Rexroad in defense of his 179 lbs. title later this summer.

Also performing well and looking to jumpstart his own career renaissance in the co-main event was Chad “Robo” Robichaux. He wasted no time in his bout against 2x UFC vet Joseph Sandoval. The Gracie Barra black belt immediately went on the attack as soon as the opening bell rang, throwing some power punches at his opponent before hitting a power double and immediately moving to set up the north/south choke. It was elementary from there as Sandoval was forced to tap less than a minute into the flyweight bout.

Elsewhere on the undercard, a trio of Dallas-based fighters made their presence known in Legacy with some well-earned wins over their Houston MMA counterparts.

Chad Robichaux scores a submission win over Joseph Sandoval.

Saekson Janjira-coached bantamweight Ryan Benoit led things off in the opening bout of the night with an impressive submission win over fellow prospect Cody Williams so kick off the action on HDNet. Ryan showed off his proficiency with striking, wrestling, and submission grappling in this one so it should be very exciting to hear what’s in store for him in the near future.

Texas Fighting Syndicate’s Nelson Salas followed that up with amazing resiliency in his own bout with Houston’s Angel Huerta. “The Chosen One” (Huerta) dominated much of the bout in the early going and went for the kill before gassing out in the process. Salas would capitalize on that case of adrenaline dump and turn the tables before forcing the ref to call a stop to the action due to punches on the ground.

Fitness Fight Factory’s Evan Cutts rounded out the winners on the night for the DFW area with his hard-fought triangle choke victory over longtime veteran Lee King in their bout.

The main card was completed by Gerald Harris scoring a split decision victory in his welterweight debut over Mike Bronzoulis and a disqualification win for Artenas Young in his bout against Bubba Bush due to strikes to the back of the head.

Here are the results for the entire card along with our TXMMA Fight Night Awards.

Legacy Fighting Championship – Quick Results

Gerald Harris scores his first welterweight win.

• Jorge Macaco Patino over Clay Hantz by KO, RD1 (155 TITLE)
• Chad Robichaux over Joseph Sandoval by Sub (North/South Choke, RD1
• Gerald Harris over Mike Bronzoulis by split decision
• Evan Cutts over Lee King by submission (triangle choke), RD2
• Nelson Salas over Angel Huerta by TKO (ref stoppage), RD1
• Artenas Young over Bubba Bush by DQ (punches to back of head)
• Ryan Benoit over Cody Williams by Sub (RNC), RD1

Preliminary Card

• Ray Blodget over Cris Chop Rucker by unanimous decision
• Lester Batres over Justin Murray by unanimous decision
• JT Mendez over Andy Sandoval by TKO (punches), RD1
• Marcus Dupar over Bobby Powers by Sub (guillotine), RD1
• Larry Crowe vs. Sam Mohammed (did not happen; no show by Mohammed)

TXMMA Fight Night Awards

► TXMMA Fight of the Night – Nelson Salas vs. Angel Huerta

► TXMMA KO/TKO of the Night – Jorge “Macaco” Patino (dispatched of Clay Hantz 64 seconds into their title bout.)

► TXMMA Submission of the Night – Ryan Benoit (beautiful transition from sweep to the back for the RNC.)

Legacy Fighting Championship 11 Photo Gallery

Evan Cutts vs. Lee King

A select photo gallery from the event can be found online on our TXMMA Facebook Page with even more photos available purchase via Mike Calimbas Photography on SmugMug.