WEC 43 "Cerrone vs. Henderson" 10/10/09 Re-Cap

WEC 43 “Cerrone vs. Henderson”
AT&T Center
San Antonio, Tx
October 10, 2009

Todd Harris and Frank Mir are the announcers tonight. Tonight we will see the Interim Lightweight Title on the line as Donald Cerrone takes on Ben Henderson. Jamie Varner is still the champ but is hurt so he will be fighting the winner of this fight.

Bantamweight Fight- Damacio Page (11-4) vs. Will Campuzano (6-0)

At WEC 39 Page won by KO in 18 seconds. Campuzano has a 4” reach and 3” height advantage. Campuzano is making his WEC debut and is from Dallas, Tx.

R1- Page went right after him and both guys swung wildly and Page got a take down. Page almost got caught in a triangle but quickly slipped out and took Campuzano’s back and submitted him with a Rear Naked Choke. Another really strong showing by Page.

Winner: Damacio Page by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1 1:02

Todd Harris is joined ringside by WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown. They talk about his upcoming title defense against Jose Aldo.

WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner is ringside to check out the Henderson/Cerrone fight. Nate Marquardt is ringside with a cutie. The TapouT crew is in the house and Chuck Liddell is at the show with his Dancing with the Stars partner Anna Trebunskaya. Miguel Angel Torres is also at this event. Urijah Faber joins Harris and Mir in the announce booth and says he’s ready for a possible January return.

Featherweight Fight- Raphael Assuncao (13-1) vs. Yves Jabouin (14-4)

Assuncao is a BJJ Black Belt who is on a 5 fight win streak. Jabouin will be making his WEC debut and is on a 4 fight win streak. Yves trains with GSP and David Louiseau.

R1- Yves is a really quick fighter but Assuncao is sitting in the pocket and letting Yves come to him early. Assuncao got a body kick caught and Yves took him down and took his guard. Assuncao quickly got back to his feet. Assuncao is landing some good punches and he shot in but Yves stuffed him and took his guard again. Yves stood up again and let Assuncao up. Yves went for a kick but got briefly caught and almost taken down. Both guys are throwing really good shots at each other. Really good and close first round. Yves probably took the first round due to the take downs.

R2- Both guys are landing some strikes in the early part of the round. Assuncao chopped Yves down with a leg kick and Yves was going for a strike. Yves threw a back kick and Assuncao slipped but he clinched Yves. Assuncao went for a take down and pulled guard on a guillotine but Yves was able to pop his head out. Looks like we’ve probably got a 19-19 fight going into the third round.

R3- Assuncao tripped up Yves early but could not capitalize. Assuncao clinched and fought hard for a take down. Assuncao got him down and took his back. Yves got back to his feet but took a knee as he was getting up. Yves hit a spinning back fist but Assuncao did not flinch. The fight ended with Assuncao on Yves back. I’ve got Assuncao taking the decision in a very close and competitive fight.

Judges score cards say: 30-27 Assuncao, 30-27 Jabouin and 29-28 Assuncao. Wow, you rarely see a fight scored 30-27 in two different directions.

Winner: Raphael Assuncao by Decision (Unanimous)

Featherweight Fight- Wagnney Fabiano vs. Mackens Semerzier

Fabiano is probably the next contender to Mike Brown if he can continue to get wins. This is Semerzier’s WEC debut and Fabiano is a Top 5 World Featherweight. Miguel Torres is in Mackens corner.

R1- Fabiano hit a left hand and then got a double leg take down. Fabiano got caught in a triangle and he tapped out. Huge upset by Mackens Semerzier!

Winner: Mackens Semerzier by Submission (Triangle Choke) R1 2:14

Lightweight Fight- Rich Crunkilton (18-2) vs. Dave Jansen (10-0)

This is the WEC debut for Dave Jansen. Crunkilton last fought in WEC in 2006. Jansen is from Team Quest

R1- Some pretty good wrestling exchanges by both guys early on in the fight. Jansen spent a lot of the first round on the top and they exchanged Anacoda and North/South choke exchanges. Crunkilton landed some good punches and hurt Jansen towards the end of the first round but he was able to weather the storm.

R2- Jansen was able to get a take down in the first minute of the round. When they are on their feet Crunkilton is definitely winning the stand up game. Jansen has probably done enough so far to be up 20-18 going into the third round.

R3- Crunkilton landed some early strikes but Jansen once again got a take down. Crunkilton grabbed a choke but couldn’t finish the fight. Crunkilton is continuing to hurt Jansen with strikes but Jansen again got a take down. Jansen went for a kimura but could not finish with the submission. Looks like Jansen by decision from where I’m sitting.

Judges score cards say: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28

Winner: Dave Jansen by Decision (Unanimous)

1:03

Bantamweight Fight- Scott Jorgensen vs. Noah Thomas

This was a pre-show fight. Jorgensen usually has really fun fights. Thomas has a 5” height and 2” reach advantage. Jorgensen has colored the top of his hair red and is wearing some sweet colorful tights.

R1- Jorgensen landed an early right that buckled Thomas’s legs just a bit. Jorgensen got a take down but wasn’t able to do much with it. Jorgensen lands some good punches and Thomas falls down. Jorgensen follows him down and lands some punches but Thomas wraps him up. Jorgensen landed some good elbows and the ref moved in and stopped the fight. Really good showing by Jorgensen.

Winner: Scott Jorgensen by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:13

Interim Lightweight Title Fight- Donald Cerrone (10-1) vs. Ben Henderson (9-1)

Cerrone lost a close decision to current champ Jamie Varner when the fight was stopped early due to an incidental but illegal strike by Cerrone. I had Varner winning the fight 48-47 when it was stopped and the judges awarded Varner a Unanimous Decision win. That was in January of this year and Jamie Varner has not fought since due to injuries sustained in the fight. Cerrone won his last fight against previously undefeated James Krause by a Rear Naked Choke Submission near the end of the first round. Henderson won his last fight against Shane Roller by TKO in the first round. Henderson got caught at the beginning of the fight and almost got submitted but quickly recovered to win the fight in under two minutes. Cerrone has Greg “Yoda” Jackson in his corner for the fight. Cerrone has a 3” height and 3” reach advantage.

R1- Cerrone immediately missed a kick and slipped and Henderson charged in and got caught in a guillotine. Cerrone got him down but Henderson slipped out but then got caught in a triangle choke. Henderson got a take down with 2 minutes left in the round. Henderson got in some shots from the top but I’ve got to give the round to Cerrone as he almost finished the fight with the early submissions. Cerrone 10 Henderson 9.

R2- Henderson got a take down but Cerrone quickly reversed him and took his back and Henderson reversed him and took his guard. Cerrone landed an up kick and went for a kimura and then briefly got an arm bar but Henderson quickly got out and took Cerrone’s guard again. Really great round so far. Henderson lands some good punches. Henderson really took over this round at the end and did more damage then he did in the first round. I’ve got the fight even at 19-19 after two rounds.

R3- Henderson went for an early take down and got it. Cerrone got back to his feet at the mid point of the round without taking any significant damage. Henderson got a brief take down but couldn’t hold it and then completed a take down with a slam but again couldn’t hold Cerrone down. Henderson takes this round and he’s up 29-28 after three rounds.

R4- Cerrone went for a take down and got Henderson in another guillotine. Henderson slipped out after being in the choke for about a minute. Cerrone stuffed two take downs and landed a good uppercut at the end of the second one. Henderson shot again and Cerrone again stuffed him and landed another good punch. Cerrone chopped Henderson down to the mat with a late leg kick. Cerrone easily took this round and I’ve got it scored 38-38 with one round left. Jamie Varner is showed in the crowd and he’s booed.

R5- I’ve got the fight scored 38-38 so this is the Championship Round. Henderson went for an early take down and fought for it but Cerrone denied him. Cerrone landed two good punches. Cerrone went for a punch for looked like he more pushed Henderson down at the three minute mark and then Cerrone followed him to the ground. Cerrone went for an omaplata but couldn’t not clamp it on. Cerrone went for a triangle but Henderson slipped out his head out although Cerrone still had his arm in a kimura type move. Henderson landed a couple of shots from up top but Cerrone got back to his feet with less than a minute left. Henderson got Cerrone down but Cerrone landed an up kick and then trapped Henderson’s arm in a wicked submission but Henderson rolled out of it. Really good fight. I’ve got Cerrone taking the final round and winning the fight 48-47.

Judges score cards say: 48-47 all in favor of Ben Henderson.

Winner and new WEC Interim Lightweight Champion: Ben Henderson by Decision (Unanimous)

WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia 12/3/08 Re-Cap

WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia 12/3/08

Bantamweight Fight- Joseph Benavidez (8-0) vs. Danny Martinez (12-2)

Benavidez was last seen in DREAM in July and got a submission victory in Round One against Junya “Kodo” Kudo. This is the WEC debut for both fighters. Kim Winslow is the ref (just thought I’d point that out as I’ve never seen a woman ref for a MMA fight before- not that there is anything wrong with that!). Benavidez trains with former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

R1- Benavidez connects with some early strikes. Martinez came in and Benavidez hit him with some nice shots before Martinez was able to lock him up. Martinez is looking good early with quick strikes and combinations. Benavidez hit a good roundhouse to the body that looked like it hurt Martinez. Martinez backs Benavidez up against the cage and gets a take down but Benavidez gives up his back and gets to his feet and Martinez has him in a clinch but Benavidez gets out of it. Martinez went for a take down but Benavidez took him down with a Judo Throw and finished the round in a dominant position. Benavidez definitely looked like the better fighter in round one as he took it 10-9.

R2- Benavidez seems to be the quicker fighter and is looking more for his offense. Benavidez is getting in quick strikes on Martinez whenever Martinez comes in for strikes. Benavidez hit a knee but Martinez shrugged it off. Benavidez getting more aggressive as the round is coming down to the one minute mark. Martinez went for a take down and got it but Benavidez got back to his feet with no damage. Benavidez takes this round so he’s up 20-18.

R3- Benavidez using a lot of leg kicks to keep Martinez at bay early in this round despite Martinez being more aggressive than in the first two rounds. Benavidez hit a flying knee and then a nice kick to Martinez but Martinez is staying on his feet. Benavidez is looking good. The only thing he seems to be lacking is knockout power. Martinez got in some offense under the one minute mark. This round was closer but I’ve still got Benavidez winning it and taking the fight 30-27. Very impressive showing for Benavidez. He showed that he was a very versatile fighter and looks to only lack knockout power. Martinez showed heart and a good chin but ultimately was not a match for Benavidez.

All judges score the fight 30-27.

Winner: Joseph Benavidez by Decision (Unanimous)

WEC 38 will take place on January 25th and will have a re-match of Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver as well as a Light Heavyweight title fight between Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone. It will be live on Versus.

They interview Jamie Varner and Urijah Faber at ringside between fights.

The TapouT crew is in the house. So are Chuck Liddell, Carlos Condit and Stephan Bonnar.

Bantamweight Fight- Brian Bowles (6-0) vs. Will Ribeiro (9-1)

Riberio was an Olympic Boxer for Brazil but also has good Muy Thai and Jiu Jitsu. Bowles fights out of Athens, Ga and is more of a wrestler with good submissions. Bowles has heavy hands and good conditioning. This is hyped as a contender’s match with both guys looking towards a title shot down the road, possibly against the winner of Torres/Tapia. Riberio is coming off of a split decision against Chase Beebe.

R1- Bowles charges in for the first action of the fight and lands a good combination. Ribeiro clinches him to stop the onslaught. Ribeiro hit a good spinning side kick. Bowles regroups and hits some strikes. Pretty even fight so far. Ribeiro goes for a take down but Bowles grabs a guillotine and rolls him over. He gives up the hold and takes Ribeiro’s back. Bowles takes Ribeiro’s guard. Bowles takes this round due to the take down reversal and submission attempt at the end of the round. Bowles is up 10-9 after one round.

R2- Ribeiro hits a kick but Bowles grabbed it. Ribeiro ends up on top but gets hit with an up kick. Ribeiro briefly gets guard but then lets Bowles up. Bowles shot in and got a take down. Bowles has him in half guard but isn’t getting in much damage. The ref stands them up with half a minute left in the round. Both guys throw some punches and then Bowles gets another take down. Close round but Bowles got two take downs. Bowles is up 20-18 so far through two rounds.

R3- Bowles hit a good counter punch after Ribeiro hit a kick. Ribeiro went for a take down but Bowles again landed a guillotine and Ribeiro tapped out. Nice finish by Bowles. Bowles looked really good in this fight.

Winner: Brian Bowles by Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 1:11

Featherweight Fight- Akitoshi Tamura (12-6-2) vs. Wagnney Fabiano (10-1)

Tamura is from Osaka, Japan and is a very well rounded fighter. Fabiano comes out to the theme to Rocky! He is a BJJ Black Belt. This is the WEC debut for both Tamura and Fabiano.

R1- Fabiano quickly goes for a take down and gets it. Fabiano tries to pass but Tamura is doing a good job denying him. Fabiano passes guard into the mount. Fabiano lands a couple of light elbows and Tamura puts him back in half guard. Fabiano gets a couple elbows towards the end of the round. This was a very technical ground battle. Fabiano takes the round 10-9 but didn’t inflict much damage on Tamura.

R2- Tamura lands a knee to open up the round and then Fabiano hits some strikes and then gets a take down about 20 seconds into the round. Tamura puts Fabiano into the rubber guard but Fabiano fights through and takes half guard. Fabiano hits decent some strikes and lands a good elbow. Mazzagatti stands them up with one and a quarter minutes left. Fabiano gets another take down with about a minute left in the round and has side guard. Fabiano got in some strikes and went for an arm bar but the bell rang. Fabiano took this round and is up 20-18. This has been a very technical fight so far with not a lot of action.

R3- Tamura pulls guard and had a guillotine. Fabiano uses his legs to walk up the cage and relieve some of the pressure from the hold and ended up in side control. Fabiano moves into a mount position and then takes side control on the other side of Tamura. Fabiano has opened up a cut on Tamura’s forehead. Fabiano gets an arm choke and gets a submission victory with about 20 seconds left in the fight.

Not a very exciting fight but Fabiano’s BJJ was very impressive. As Frank Mir said, Fabiano is definitely going to need to open up his arsenal and be “more exciting” if he wants to move up the ladder. Fabiano did show great BJJ and control of his opponent.

Winner: Wagnney Fabiano by Submission (Arm Choke) R3 4:48

WEC Bantamweight Championship: Miguel Torres © (34-1) vs. Manny Tapia (10-0-1)

Tapia is very durable, has heavy hands and is well versed in submissions. Both guys come out to Mariachi music. Torres is a BJJ Black Belt who can finish from any position. Torres has a large 9 inch reach advantage and a 4 inch height advantage.

R1- Torres catches Tapia off balance early with a jab. Torres hits a lightning quick kick on Tapia. They go back and forth during the middle of the round with Tapia gaining more confidence. Torres goes for a rolling front kick (see: Jushin Thunder Liger) but misses. Tapia gets a flurry in at the end of the round. Close first round but I’ve got to give it to the champ as he seemed to hit on more strikes and effectively used his jab throughout the round.

R2- Both guys land some shots early in the round. Torres charges and connects with a spinning back fist. Torres connects with a big right hand about half way through the round and Tapia goes down. Torres jumps on top and Tapia takes a defensive posture. Tapia gets back to his feet. Torres lands a lightning quick left and then a right and jumps on to of Tapia and looks to finish and he does finish. That was a great flurry by Torres to win this fight. Torres looked really good in this fight.

Winner and still champion: Miguel Torres by TKO (strikes) R2 3:04

Another good show from WEC. Torres looked fantastic as the defending champ. I’m interested to see more Wagnney Fabiano and see if he can mix it up with some of the better Featherweights in WEC. Bowles had a great showing and Benavides looked really good as well.