MMA Legacy 03.09.10: Brian Bowles
Posted by Bill Wannop on 03.09.2010
MMA Legacy is back this week examining the career of a young fighter who is just starting to emerge in the WEC, former bantamweight champion, Brian Bowles! From his early dominating performances in the WEC, to his shocking victory over Miguel Torres, as well as his most recent loss to Dominick Cruz, join us as we go over the career of a young MMA star!
Each and every week MMA Legacy shines the spotlight on a MMA legend. The legends may be retired or may be still actively competing. The column will begin with a bio on the selected legend following his career throughout its highs and lows. This week we focus on a fighter who is beginning to build a name for himself, Brian Bowles! From his shocking victory over Miguel Torres, to his most recent fight with Dominick Cruz, join us as we go over the young career of Bowles!
Brian Bowles was born on June 22, 1980 (making him 29 years old today) in Charleston, West Virginia. Bowles like lots of successful MMA fighters got his start wrestling in high school in Georgia. He has been training MMA for three years and before fighting and currently in a representative for Pepsi Cola.
Brain made his MMA debut at Wild Bill's Fight Night 2 where he would easy defeat Tim Honeycutt by first round submission. He followed this up at Wild Bill's Fight Night 4 against Charles Nutt (you would have to be a fighter with that name), where Bowles was again victorious in the first round this time by TKO due to strikes. Brian would win one more fight at ISCF Invasion when he defeated Shane Weiniscke by rear naked choke, before joining the big leagues in the WEC.
His first fight in the WEC was on June 3, 2007, against veteran Charlie Valencia at WEC 28 Wrekcage. Valencia was a tough test for Bowles, fighting both Cub Swanson and Urijah Faber earlier in his career. The fight was a little more competitive than the previous matchups, as it took until the second round for Bowles to lock in a rear naked choke and get the submission victory, bringing his MMA record to 4-0. Six months later Bowles would face Marcos Galvao at WEC 31: Faber vs. Curran. In the fight, Galvao tried continuously to get the fight to the ground, but Bowles had good takedown defense and was able to keep the fight standing. One the feet, Bowles was simply too much for Galvao, constantly landing clean shots, until eventually a huge right hand knocks Galvao out giving Bowles the victory.
Next up would be Damacio Page at WEC 35: Condit vs. Miura. To open the fight, both guys came out with guns blazing, swinging wildly at each other, with Bowles landing the better shots, but Page simply standing there and taunting Bowles. Page would block a takedown from Bowles, and then attempt his own takedown only to get stuck in a guillotine while attempting a slam. Bowles would tighten his grip and Page fell back as the fight is stopped, with another impressive win for Brian Bowles.
Bowles would get another tough test at WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia when he took on 9-1 fighter and former Olympic boxer, Will Ribeiro, in a fight to decide who would become the next bantamweight title contender. Surprisingly in the first round Bowles seemed to get the better of the striking exchange against the Olympian, and used the clinch and takedowns to inflict more damage. Bowles would eventually block a takedown attempt and lock in a guillotine to end the fight in the third round and earn his title shot.
Bowles title shot would come at WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles against 37-1 champion Miguel Torres. In the opening seconds, Bowles seems to stun Torres with a right hand, but Torres is able to recover, but Bowles would work and get a takedown. Bowles would try to initiate his ground and pound, but Torres would get to his feet and seem to hurt Bowles with a combination. Bowles would backpedal and Torres would try to go in for the kill swinging wildly, which allows Bowles to connect with a huge right hand dropping him. Torres would try to get guard and recover, but Bowles was all over him pounding on him to get the KO and the title.
Brian's first title defense was on Saturday against Dominick Cruz at WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz. In the fight, Crus just completely picked Bowles apart on his feet, continually landing counter strikes. After two rounds of punishment Bowles could not answer the bell to start the third and lost his title to Cruz. Bowles stated that he broke his hand on the first punch and that affected him mentally.
Brain Bowles has so far, had a great MMA career, having only been defeated once. I think that the majority of his opponents underestimate both his striking and his ground skills, and when they actually in the fight are amazed and his punching power and ground game. Bowles has climbed the mountain and will now fight to prove that he belongs on top. Many people think that his victory over Miguel Torres was the result of a lucky punch, and that he caught Torres coming in, which in part is true. But Bowles was still able to catch him and put him away something Torres could not do to him. I think the only way to remove the thought of the lucky punch is for the rematch to occur. While he did lose his most recent fight, he apparently broke his hand on the first punch he threw which affected him mentally. Hopefully he can bounce back from the defeat, and continue his exciting performances in the cage.
Brian is a well-rounded fighter that always brings his A game and simply does not put on boring fights. Add to this the face that he has been so dominant and is so young, and he should continue to be on top for a while to come!
WEC 47 Analysis
Well WEC 47 was on Saturday and I just got a chance to watch it now. It was an exciting show which featured many surprising results, and upsets in my opinion.
Jens Pulver vs. Javier Vazquez
I really thought that Pulver could bounce back and have one more chance at a title shot before his career was over. I was wrong, as Pulver again did not look in the same league as his opponent Vazquez. On the ground Pulver was dominated, just trying to survive until he was finally forced to tap due to an armbar. After Pulver gave another emotional speech hinting at his retirement, but the problem with that is he has done that 2 times before and has come back to be dominated again in the WEC, that it has lost its significance, to me anyway.
There is no doubt that Pulver was a great fighter and a lightweight pioneer, but to keep seeing him in getting owned in the cage and in tears in the interview is tarnishing his legacy. I think WEC officials said that they could not put Pulver out there anymore for fear of him getting hurt and I hope that they stick to that! It was a good win for Vazquez!
Miguel Torres vs. Joseph Benavidex
As a relative newcomer to WEC I had never seen Benavidev fight, I heard he was good, but I didn't think he would be much of a challenge for Torres, who I thought was only defeated when Bowles landed that lucky punch. Again I was my first impression by Benavidev was great, as he totally controlled Torres, getting the takedowns, and making him a bloody mess with elbows. I was in shock when he latched in that guillotine and Torres actually tapped, as although Torres was getting owned I assumed he would somehow pull out the victory. A very impressive win for Benavidev, who should get a shot at the bantamweight title.
Dominick Cruz vs. Brian Bowles
Again, I knew that Cruz had a decision victory over Benavidev, but have never seen him live, so I thought, that while Cruz would be game, Bowles would eventually catching with his heavy hands. Wrong again, as Cruz completely controlled Bowles in this fight with combinations and counterpunches, completely picking Bowles apart. Again I was holding out hope that Bowles could somehow come back as all he needed to land was one big punch, but I was shocked when the fight was called between rounds as Bowles could not continue.
After the fight it was reported that Bowles broke his hand on the first fight, which may have affected his performance, but Cruz was simply dominant with the combos and counter punches, which Bowles had no answer for. I am super stoked for the Cruz vs. Benavidev rematch for the title, based off the performance of both fighters.
All in all it was a great card up and down, with many surprising results. I am eagerly anticipating the first WEC PPV, as well as the eventual Cruz vs. Benavidev rematch. The only thing missing from the card was Frank Mir!
Well that does it for this week, next week we will be focusing on the young career of Jon ‘Bones' Jones as he gets his first main event matchup with the UFC on Versus!
Each and every week MMA Legacy shines the spotlight on a MMA legend. The legends may be retired or may be still actively competing. The column will begin with a bio on the selected legend following his career throughout its highs and lows. This week we focus on a fighter who is beginning to build a name for himself, Brian Bowles! From his shocking victory over Miguel Torres, to his most recent fight with Dominick Cruz, join us as we go over the young career of Bowles!
His first fight in the WEC was on June 3, 2007, against veteran Charlie Valencia at WEC 28 Wrekcage. Valencia was a tough test for Bowles, fighting both Cub Swanson and Urijah Faber earlier in his career. The fight was a little more competitive than the previous matchups, as it took until the second round for Bowles to lock in a rear naked choke and get the submission victory, bringing his MMA record to 4-0. Six months later Bowles would face Marcos Galvao at WEC 31: Faber vs. Curran. In the fight, Galvao tried continuously to get the fight to the ground, but Bowles had good takedown defense and was able to keep the fight standing. One the feet, Bowles was simply too much for Galvao, constantly landing clean shots, until eventually a huge right hand knocks Galvao out giving Bowles the victory.
Bowles title shot would come at WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles against 37-1 champion Miguel Torres. In the opening seconds, Bowles seems to stun Torres with a right hand, but Torres is able to recover, but Bowles would work and get a takedown. Bowles would try to initiate his ground and pound, but Torres would get to his feet and seem to hurt Bowles with a combination. Bowles would backpedal and Torres would try to go in for the kill swinging wildly, which allows Bowles to connect with a huge right hand dropping him. Torres would try to get guard and recover, but Bowles was all over him pounding on him to get the KO and the title.
