MFC: Vindication 5/7 Re-Cap

Maximum Fighting Championship: Vindication
Edmonton Expo Center
Edmonton, Alberta
May 7, 2010
HDNet

This is the 25th show for the MFC promotion. The Main Event tonight is former UFC Middleweight Contender Thales Leites against TUF alum Jesse Taylor. Ryan Jimmo will also fight former UFC fighter Wilson Gouveia on the show. Michael Schiavello is joined by Guy Metzger and former WWE Diva Maria is the backstage interviewer.

Heavyweight Fight- Chase Gormley (6-2) vs. Ryan Fortin (4-2)

Gormley is fresh off of a run in the UFC where he fell to Brenden Schaub and Stefan Struve. Neither fight made it out of the first round. Fortin has dropped 2 of his last 3 fights and lost his last fight to Nick Penner in December of 2009. Somebody will be leaving this fight on a one fight win streak. Fortin has a 5" reach and 4" height advantage.

R1- Gormely immediately went for the take down but was denied and then he ate a combination. Gormley completed his second take down attempt. Gormley took side control and then Fortin turtled up and Gormley was able to land some strikes until Fortin got back to his feet with one minute left in the round. Fortin landed some strikes standing but then got taken down again. Gormley 10-9. Gormley landed 48 strikes in the first round.

R2- Gormley got a take down in the first thirty seconds of this round. The ref stood the fight back up with two minutes left in the round and Gormley promptly took it back to the mat. Not a real exciting fight. Gormley 20-18. Gormley landed 46 strikes in this round.

R3- Fortin landed some knees early in the round. Gormley got a take down with three minutes left in the fight and this one looks like it's all over. This one is officially a snoozer. But for Gormley it's a snoozer that he is going to win. Ref stands up the fight with 40 seconds left. And Gormley gets a take down. zzzzzzzzzzz. Gormley will win this fight 30-27 as he just out wrestled Fortin.

Judges score cards: 29-28 on all score cards. I guess Fortin's 3 knee strikes got him the 3rd round. Metzger and Schiavello are a bit perplexed as well but at least the right guy won.

Winner: Chase Gormley by Decision (Unanimous)

Lightweight Fight- Richie Hightower (8-3) vs. Gavin Neil (7-1)

Hightower was a member of Team Serra on TUF 6. He beat Blake Bowman in his first fight in the house and then fell to current UFC fighter George Sotiropoulos. Hightower won his last fight but is 2-2-1 in his last 5 fights with a loss to Troy Mandaloniz. Gavin Neil comes out to some Weird Al Yankovic. Neil has won 3 in a row and 4 of his last 5 fights. Neil has a 3" height and 4.5" reach advantage.

R1- Neil started off in a defensive stance but clipped Hightower with a left hand. Neil jumped on top and tried to finish but Hightower recovered. Neil took Hightower's back and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke for the submission victory. Good win for Neil.

Winner: Gavin Neil by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1 2:52

Welterweight Fight- Luigi Fioravanti (17-6) vs. Pete Spratt (20-17)

Fioravanti is a former UFC fighter who trains at American Top Team. At MFC 22 Fioravanti was finished by John Alessio in the third round. Since the loss to Alessio, Fioravanti has two straight wins including one over TUF alum Shane Primm by decision. Pete Spratt was on that same card and he finished Nathan Gunn in the second round. Spratt also lost to Alessio in 2008 and is coming off of a loss in his last fight. Spratt has a 3.5" reach advantage.

R1- Not much action early. Spratt lands some leg kicks half way through the round. Spratt went to the well one too many times and Luigi took him down and imediately got side control but Spratt got right to his feet. Spratt got a take down at the end of the round and then tried a guillotine but Luigi popped his head out. Spratt 10-9.

R2- Luigi got a quick take down in the first thirty seconds of the round but Spratt got back to his feet. Luigi got another take down. Spratt got back to his feet mid-way through the round. They exchanged strikes and Spratt threw a high kick that was blocked. Spratt landed a kick to the body. Spratt hit a good kick to the stomach. Spratt took Luigi down with a kick at the end of the round. Spratt stole this round and is up 20-18 on my score card.

R3- Spratt landed another kick to the body in the first minute that hurt Luigi. Luigi got a take down a minute and a half into the round but again could not hold Spratt on the mat. Spratt landed another kick. Spratt caught Luigi coming in and then landed some good Ground and Pound and the ref stepped in. Good win for Pete Spratt.

Winner: Pete Spratt by TKO (Strikes) R3 4:02

Light Heavyweight Fight- Dwayne Lewis (11-4) vs. Emanuel Newton (12-6)

Lewis fought on MFC 23 and knocked out Marvin Eastman in the first round of their fight and is currently on a 5 fight win streak. Newton has lost 3 consecutive fights including losses to Ryan Jimmo and Trevor Prangley (both by decision).

R1- Newton got an early take down. Lewis used the rubber guard to tie up Newton's arms and landed some strikes before the fight went back to the feet. Newton got another take down after they exchanged strikes against the ropes. Lewis grabbed a leg with 30 seconds left in the round but couldn't hold it. Lewis then tried for a guillotine but couldn't get it. Good round. Newton 10-9 as he controlled more of the round and landed more strikes.

R2- Newton landed an early kick but then got a take down stuffed. Newton got a take down one minute into the round. Newton stayed on top until the end of the round. Newton 20-18.

R3- Lewis stuffed a take down and then landed a couple of strikes. Lewis landed a couple more strikes and then Newton got a take down to save himself. Newton grinds this one out.

Judges score cards: 30-27 on all score cards

Winner: Emanuel Newton by Decision (Unanimous)

Light Heavyweight Fight- Ryan Jimmo (12-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-7)

This is the Co Main Event. Gouveia came in at 208 lbs and will forfeit 20% of his purse tonight. At MFC 22 Jimmo beat Marvin Eastman by Split Decision and at MFC 23 he defeated Emanuel Newton by Unanimous Decision and he's 5-0 in his last 5 fights. Gouveia is 2-3 in his last five fights and has lost his last two fights (TKO losses to Alan Belcher and Nate Marquardt). Metzger points out that Gouveia usually fights at 185 pounds so not making weight at 205 really shows that his focus is not on this fight.

R1- They basically just exchange leg kicks for three and a half minutes. Gouveia charged in with strikes and Jimmo clinched him and took him down. Jimmo lays on top of him for the rest of the round. Jimmo 10-9.

R2- Not much action in the first half of the round. Gouveia again comes in to push the action and gets clinched and then kneed and then punched. Gouveia was in trouble and Jimmo moved him inot the corner and got him down and started landing Ground and Pound. Jimmo landed soe good elbows and forearms but couldn't finish the fight. Jimmo landed some good right hands. Good round for Jimmo. Jimmo 20-18.

R3- Jimmo landed a good strike that hurt Gouveia early in the round. Gouveia landed some counter strikes that hurt Jimmo but Jimmo grabbed him and took him down. Jimmo doesn't do much in the last half of the round but he did maintain top position and will win the fight.

Judges score cards: 30-27, 30-26, 30-26

Winner: Ryan Jimmo by Decision (Unanimous)

Middleweight Fight- Thales Leites (16-3) vs. Jesse Taylor (14-5)

Leities has a 3.5" reach advantage. The last time I saw TUF alum Jesse Taylor was on DREAM 10 where he defeated Dong Sik Yoon when Yoon could not continue due to injury in the first round. Taylor is 3-2 in his last 5 fights with the losses coming to Luke Rockhold and Jay Hieron. Leites fought at MFC 23 and defeated Dean Lister by Unanimous Decision. Leites is 3-2 in his last 5 fights with decision losses to Anderson Silva and Alessio Sakara. He's 2-0 since leaving the UFC. Taylor comes out to Danzig's "Mother".

R1- Taylor went for an immediate take down and got it. Taylor got cut and he is bleeding near his eye. Leities has a very active guard and almost was able to grab an arm bar. Leites then grabbed a triangle choke and finished the fight. This was pretty much what I was expecting.

Winner: Thales Leites by Submission (Triangle Choke) R1 2:27