411's ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers Report 5.15.09
Posted by Larry Csonka on 05.16.2009
Mike Aina defeats Billy Evangelista via DQ in the main event, Lavar Johnson knocks out Carl Seumanutafa in 18 seconds while Sarah Kaufman and Meisha Tate steal the show! Check out 411’s complete Strikeforce Challengers report for all the details!
ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers 5.15.09!
-Live from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, which unfortunately looks pretty empty.
-Broadcast LIVE on Showtime.
-Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Militech are the announcers.
-We get videos for Quach vs. Jones.
-Tito Jones is cornered by the WEC's Urijah Faber.
-Bao Quach was 2-0on ShoXC.
Featherweight Bout: Bao Quach (15-9-1dr) vs. Tito Jones (7-2):
ROUND ONE: Marcos Rosales is the official. And here we go as the evening is officially underway. No touch as they come out and Jones lands a good body kick. Leg kick by Quach, but Jones with a body kick again. Quach back to the leg kick, another as they circle. Crowd is already booing them, leg kicks again by Quach. Jones keeps his distance, and then lands leg kicks. Rosales warns then to fight as action is slow. Leg kick by Quach, blocks a hook by Jones and lands another leg kick. Both throw hard body kicks, and Quach back to the leg kick. Body kick by Quach, impatient crowd still. Quach keeps connecting with the leg kicks as Jones looks hesitant. Good hard body kick by Quach and another leg kick lands. Jones with a solid left, and then a knee as they clinch, to the cage and knees by Quach now. Jones fails to take Quach down, eats more knees and the round ends.
SCORECARD:: Quach 10-9.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and Quach attacks right away with the low leg kicks. Hook by Jones, but Quach continues with the leg kicks. Jones with a leg kick now, but Quach controls with the kicks. Up/down combo by Quach, Jones tries to taunt Quach, which is a mistake, he should, I don't know, throw something. Jab by Jones, and Quach back to the leg kick. Quach keeps punishing the leg, combo by Jones, but not much connection wise. Quach chops away with the leg kicks again, Jones checks a high kick, and lands a good left. Quach is patient and landing the leg kicks at will, while Jones is doing nothing but the occasional one shot and out. The kicks are hurting Jones as we enter the final minute of round two. Combo by Jones, but Quach blocks it and misses a head kick. Quach is dancing around and landing the leg kicks as Jones is hurting and flat footed. End round.
SCORECARD:: 20-18 Quach.
ROUND THREE: Quach does have a small cut on his nose, so Jones got something through at the end of the last round. Final round now and Quach goes right to the leg kicks. They mix it up and Jones DROPS Quach! To the ground and they spin around, and back to the feet. Jones has decided to fight and lands a leg kick. Body kick by Jones, and Quach is not recovered. Jones DROPS Quach again with a lead hook, but Quach is back up. Left by Jones, body shot follows. Jones is following him around and letting Quach recover. Push kick by Jones, leg kick by Quach. Quach slips on a high kick try, back up and Jones need to get aggressive to get the 10-8 round. They circle, no sense of urgency by Jones. Last minute and Quach with the leg kick lands. Quach again with the leg kicks, another but Jones with a counter left. Flying knee by Jones finishes the round. Jones let him off the hook in my opinion, but dominated the round and had the two knockdowns. I am not sure if that is enough for a 10-8 though because he didn't follow up well enough, but it wouldn't surprise me.
SCORECARD:: 29-28 Quach.
THE RESULT: Bao Quach via Unanimous Decision (29-28 across the cards)
Quach says he felt he won the first and second, but lost the third round. Quach says he got dropped and was dizzy, but Jones never took advantage and he recovered. Quach would rematch for sure.
-The crowd is not happy at all.
-We get video on Ruiz and Rosa.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Anthony "El Toro" Ruiz (21-12) vs. Aaron Rosa (11-2):
ROUND ONE: The official is Marcos Rosales. Here we go with round two. They dance, Rosa opens up and rocks Ruiz, but Ruiz gets him to the cage and lands knee strikes. Rosa lands some shots, dirty boxing here, knees by Ruiz to the thighs. HUGE right by Ruiz, they both throw down and Ruiz goes for a takedown, and back to the cage they go. They trade in the clinch, more knees by Ruiz and then by Rosa. Rosa tries a judo throw, but Ruiz recovers and they stay in the same position. Rosa turns Ruiz and has him against the cage, single leg try, and then takes the double leg and slams Ruiz. Full mount by Rosa, Ruiz gives up his back and then to a seated position. Body triangle by Rosa, and now gets the rear naked choke. Ruiz won't tap, and Marcos Rosales stops the fight. He was twitching and out.
THE RESULT: Aaron Rosa via RD1 (4:29) TKO (Rear Naked Choke)
Rosa thanks Strikeforce and says he will fight anyone. Rosa says he let Ruiz get tired, and then took him down and put him out.
-We get video for Johnson vs. Seumanutafa.
Heavyweight Bout: Lavar "Big" Johnson (11-3) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (4-2):
ROUND ONE: The official is Herb Dean! What's up Herb? They come out, jabs by Johnson to begin. Seumanutafa shoots in and GETS KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT WITH AN UPPERCUT! Holy shit.
What did we learn kids? Don't shoot in on Lavar Johnson.
Seumanutafa is up and looks to be fine.
THE RESULT: Lavar "Big" Johnson via RD1 (0:18) KTFO
Lavar thanks Quadros for the respect, and says it went to plan as far as landing his shot, but he didn't expect the one punch KO. He doesn't care who he fights next, he just wants to keep collecting his paycheck.
-We get a commercial for the June 6th Lawler vs. Shields show.
-Scott Smith is in attendance, and says the last KO was sweet. They discuss his come from behind victories, and upcoming fight with Nick Diaz.
-We get video for Kaufman vs. Tate.
Women's 135lbs Bout: Sarah Kaufman (8-0) vs. Meisha Tate (6-1):
ROUND ONE: The official is Marcos Rosales. And here we go! They touch and trade jabs. Body kick by Tate, they trade combos and Kaufman is getting the better of the exchange. They continue to trade, Kaufman landing the better again. Clinch, to the cage and they separate. Kaufman with a great combo, Tate shoots, stuffed and Kaufman continues to land the better of the stand up. Kaufman stuffs Tate again, clinch and to the cage they go. Left hook by Kaufman, Tate gets the takedown late and is in half guard and the round ends.
SCORECARD:: 10-9 for Kaufman.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and Tate with the leg kick. Jabs by Kaufman, Kaufman with a good combo, Tate tries the takedown, gets it and is in half guard. Starts landing good rights, Tate is busted open from that combo by Kaufman. Tate has her pinned down, lands solid rights. Kaufman works off the cage, back into full guard now. Tate postures up, more ground and pound. Kaufman is not taking too much punishment, but Tate controls still from the guard. HUGE right by Tate, gets the back of Kaufman who stands as the round ends. Great round.
SCORECARD:: 19-19 overall.
ROUND THREE: Final round now, they trade center cage to begin. Tate shoots, stuffed. Kaufman with the combo, both look tired already here. Tate shoots for s single leg, stuffed and Kaufman into north south. To the feet, and to the cage. Great right by Kaufman, Tate shoots, stuffed. Tate eats a right, another and shoots and fails again. Kaufman lands shots from north south as Tate is dead tired. Tate bleeding from the nose, hammer fists by Kaufman to the body, and then the face. Tate is trapped against the cage as Kaufman keeps landing shots. Back to the feet, combo by Kaufman rocks Tate as the round ends. Great fight.
SCORECARD:: 29-28 for Kaufman.
THE RESULT: Sarah Kaufman via Unanimous Decision (29-28 across the cards)
Kaufman says the three minutes are too fast and it is hard to get stuff going. She compliments Tate for the second round as well as her chin. She thanks her sponsors.
-Main event is a catchweight bout as both came in overweight. Shame, shame, shame guys.
157lb Catchweight Bout: Billy Evangelista (9-0) vs. Mike Aina (11-6-1):
ROUND ONE: Herb Dean is the official. Here we go with the main event. They circle, good combo and high kick try by Aina. Leg kick by Evangelista, good right by Aina. Leg kick by Aina, and then by Evangelista. Body kick by Aina, misses the head kick. Leg kick by Evangelista, they dance and a hard leg kick by Aina. Good combo by Evangelista, they stay away though and back to the leg kicks. Leg kicks by Evangelista, he shoots and takes Aina to the cage. They trade knees, Aina shoots and gets stuffed. Body shots and knees by Aina and then a combo by Aina. Jabs by Aina, Evangelista tries the takedown, stuffed and to the cage they go and Evangelista then gets the takedown, but Aina is back up. They clinch against the cage, knees by Evangelista, and then by Aina. Evangelista gets the better of the knees, and then an elbow by Evangelista. Aina is doing nothing against the cage as Evangelista keeps landing knees, and then Aina takes a low blow with seconds left. Round ends.
SCORECARD:: Evangelista 10-9.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and they circle and trade hard leg kicks. Leg kicks by Evangelista, Aina misses a high kick. Evangelista shoots, stuffed and they separate. Leg kicks by Evangelista after a combo by Aina. Good body kick by Aina, they clinch, to the cage and Evangelista stays up as they separate. Evangelista back to working the leg kicks, a jab follows. Aina checks a high kick, but looks hesitant. Evangelista shoots, and gets the takedown and lands in the guard of Aina. Good lefts by Evangelista, body shots follow. Evangelista keeps working the body, rains down now on Aina for a moment and then back to the body. As Aina is getting out, Evangelista lands a knee to the head.
FOUL says Herb Dean as Aina had a hand and knee down. Aina is down and the doctor comes into the cage to check on him. Aina apparently took that shot to the ear/jaw as he keeps pointing to it.
And the fight will be stopped as they think his jaw is broken.
THE RESULT: Mike Aina via RD2 (3:40) DQ
Aina says he got his jaw rocked, and it hurts through his ear. He admits that it wasn't a great fight. He doesn't want to take this win.
Billy Evangelista says that he was ready to land the knee, and that he just threw it too early. Evangelista would be up for a rematch.
Herb Dean steps in now and says that the knee was illegal and that he stopped it because the doctor said that the jaw may be broken, so the fight had to be stopped. Herb stresses that Aina was down with two points, and says that it was clearly illegal.
-Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Militech wrap up the show, and discuss that MMA has rules for a reason, and that they have to be followed. Militech says that the knee hit the arm, and that Aina may have been looking for a way out. They put over the ladies fight and potential of Tito Jones. Militech also says the ladies need 5-minute rounds. Quadros says that it was a sad way to end the show.
