411’s Strikeforce Challengers IV: Evangelista vs. Gurgel Report 11.06.09
Posted by Larry Csonka on 11.07.2009
Billy Evangelista defeated Jorge Gurgel in a catchweight war, Shane Del Rosario survived the onslaught of Brandon Cash to win via submission, Luke Rockhold beat JT Money and more! Check out 411’s Strikeforce Challengers report for all the details!
Strikeforce Challengers IV - Evangelista vs. Gurgel 11.06.09!
-Preliminary Bout Results
* Rico Altamirano def. Alex Trevino via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
* Cole Escovedo def. Maurice Eazel via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:47
* Casy Olson def. Chris Culley via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:32
* Ben Holscher def. Johnny Goh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-From Fresno, California.
-Broadcast LIVE on Showtime.
-Al Berenstein, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich are the announcers.
WOMEN'S 135 BOUT: Zoila Frausto (3-0) vs. Elisha Helspur (0-1):
ROUND ONE: They trade leg kicks early, Frausto looks a bit crisper early. High kick checked by Helspur, they keep distance and a leg kick by Frausto. Jab follows, and then a leg kick. They get warned to work as they circle, Supergirl punch by Frausto misses, throws a kick that misses as well. Push kick by Helspur misses, Frausto misses a jab, and the high kick is checked again. Combo by Helspur, leg kick and then eats a counter right. Kick to the body by Frausto, Helspur tries a leg kick, blocked, leg kick by Frausto and then misses the back fist. She gets a jab, leg kick follows. Another, push kick as well. Leg kick by Helspur, Supergirl punch by Frausto connects. Body kick lands, right counter by Helspur. The round ends.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Frausto.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins, they circle, hard leg kicks by Frausto. Helspur with a combo, takes her to the cage, hard right from the clinch and they separate. Leg kick by Frausto, high kick checked, and they trade leg kicks. Jab by Helspur, leg kick follows, and another leg kick. They clinch, knees by Frausto, leg kick by Helspur. Push kick by Frausto, high kick by Frausto stuns Helspur, and Helspur is down. Frausto lands a few rights from the standing position. Helspur is bleeding as they stand. Push kick by Frausto, high kick checked again. Frausto catches a body kick, lands a right and then misses another kick. Helspur pushes forward with a combo, but great knees by Frausto as they clinch. They separate, wild combo misses for Frausto. Body shot lands, jab by Helspur and the round ends.
SCORECARD: 20-18 Frausto.
ROUND THREE: Round three begins, push kick by Frausto. Hard body kick by Helspur, clinch and to the cage they go. Good body shots by Helspur, she keeps Frausto against the cage and gets a take down even with Frausto grabbing the cage. She has half guard, and they get stood up, which was BULLSHIT. Leg kick by Frausto, push kick lands again. Leg kick follows, and then a good jab. Rights by Helspur, clinch and to the cage they go. Helspur with control, works for a takedown, and lands knees. The ref sucks as he warns them to work as Helspur throws knees and separates them. This ref sucks. Jab by Helspur, leg kick by Frausto. Great combo by Frausto, body kick and rights by Helspur. Clinch and body shots by Helspur, and as she goes for a takedown, Frausto lands on top. Frausto lands good shots from the standing position, Helspur tries to land up kicks, and the round ends.
SCORECARD: Third round is debatable, but likely 30-27 for Frausto.
THE RESULT: Zoila Frausto via Unanimous Decision (30-27 Across The Cards)
Stephen Quadros is with Zoila Frausto. She puts over Helspur as tough, and she did what she had to do to win. She loves her kicks and thanks the crowd.
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT: Thomas Diagne (1-0) vs. Merritt Warren (4-2):
ROUND ONE: They come out, Diagne with leg kicks to begin. Another, and then Warren with the leg kick. Body kick by Diagne, high kick by Diagne checked, Warren switches positions and Warren misses a right. Big slam by Diagne, right into side control as well. Warren hooks the head, gets some good body shots, and Diagne into half guard. Diagne is just laying on him, Warren with some body shots from the bottom, and then Diagne with a hammer fist. He now gets some body shots, and Warren pulls full guard. Good rights by Diagne, postures up, and Warren gets a leg lock. Diagne rolls, but Warren has the heel hook and Diagne submits.
THE RESULT: Merritt Warren via RD1 (3:49) Submission
Stephen Quadros is with Warren. Warren says the win was beautiful, Kentucky represent. He wanted to stay away from the kicks, and going to the ground was good for him. He discusses the heel hook.
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT: Luke Rockhold (5-1) vs. Jesse Taylor (13-4):
ROUND ONE: Rockhold will enjoy a 6-inch reach advantage. They touch, sidekick misses for Rockhold. Taylor shoots in, stuffed by Rockhold. To the cage, Taylor works for the takedown, stuffed again. Elbows to the body by Rockhold, and Taylor gets him down for a moment, but Rockhold pops back up. They work against the cage, and Taylor gets the takedown. Taylor works from guard, Rockhold is looking for a triangle, Taylor takes the back, to the cage and feet they go. Taylor hops on the back, too high and Rockhold gets out, working for mount, gets the back now and has the hooks in. Taylor fights off the choke, Rockhold has the body figure foured, continues to work for the choke, has it, Taylor throws punches to try and escape, and that is all as Taylor is done.
THE RESULT: Luke Rockhold via RD1 (3:42) Submission
Stephen Quadros is with Rockhold. He needs to hit the beach, get a drink, a plane ticket and chill. This was a big win for him, and he is happy with the hard earned victory. He said he didn't promise a boxing match. He thanks AKA and Cain Velasquez.
HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT: Brandon Cash (5-0) vs. Shane Del Rosario (8-0):
ROUND ONE: They touch and Cash shoots in and fails. Cash DROPS Del Rosario with a huge right, but Del Rosario is back up. Cash takes him back down, Del Rosario in trouble here, Cash with rights and lefts, Del Rosario pushing off, Cash gets mount, side control, and back to mount. Del Rosario is fighting to get out, half guard for Cash, Del Rosario out and to the feet. Del Rosario is cut by the left eye, and Cash takes him back down. Del Rosario tries a triangle, Cash escapes, into half guard and gets some body shots. Del Rosario looks to have composure back, looks for another triangle and Cash backs out of it. Dives back into full guard, Del Rosario working, gets an omoplata, and Cash taps!
THE RESULT: Shane Del Rosario via RD1 (2:57) Submission
Stephen Quadros is with Del Rosario. He says that he was rocked, and then puts over his submission work. His eye is swollen from that big right.
-Mauro is in Chicago and hypes tomorrow night's card. We get highlights from the press conference.
-Stephen Quadros is with Cung Le. They discuss the fact that Le vacated the title, and he says it was the honorable thing to do. He discusses his movie career, and says that he is still in shape. He is not turning his back on the fans, and will fight December 19th.
-They hype tomorrow night's show on CBS, and then November 20th and another Challengers event.
CATCHWEIGHT BOUT: Billy Evangelista (9-0-1ND) vs. Jorge Gurgel (13-5):
ROUND ONE: They come out, dance a bit and leg kicks by Gurgel. They trade jabs, good jab by Gurgel. Leg kick by Gurgel, and Evangelista has a mouse under his left eye. Left hook by Gurgel, lands a combo and then a leg kick by Evangelista. Another lands, high kick checked by Evangelista. Left hook by Gurgel, Evangelista backs off and wants to counter. Throws a leg kick, high kick checked by Gurgel. Another combo by Gurgel, and a right by Evangelista. Misses the high kick, leg kick by Gurgel follows and then one by Evangelista. Combo by Gurgel misses, leg kick by Gurgel lands. High kick checked by Gurgel, leg kick lands and then one by Evangelista. They trade wildly, and near the end of the round, Evangelista gets a takedown.
SCORECARD: 10-9 Gurgel, but very close.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins, they trade leg kicks to begin, Evangelista with another leg kick, they trade wildly, as Gurgel gets more aggressive. Great right hook by Evangelista, leg kick by Gurgel and they trade, knees by Evangelista, and a good combo by Gurgel. They trade kicks, push kick by Evangelista, right by Gurgel and both seem more aggressive here. Evangelista gets the takedown, in guard and landing solid shots. Half guard now and Evangelista is landing good, cleans shots. Back to full guard, to the cage and Gurgel gets warned for grabbing the cage. Gurgel is bleeding from the nose as he tries to work up the cage. Gurgel works for a kimura, Evangelista keeps the pressure on and lands good shots while avoiding submissions. Evangelista is all over Gurgel, and we get ANOTHER bullshit stand up as they were both working. Gurgel lands a HARD kick, and then gets an arm in guillotine! Evangelista escapes and the round ends. Awesome round.
SCORECARD: 19-19.
ROUND THREE: Final round now, Gurgel rushes out and lands a body kick. Leg kick by Evangelista, they circle and then trade. Evangelista catches a kick, they both throw wildly again, and circle. Leg kick by Evangelista. Leg kick by Gurgel, big right by Evangelista. They both land big rights, clinch, leg kick by Gurgel after they both land with rights. Leg kick by Gurgel, combo by Evangelista. Very even round thus far, leg kick by Evangelista and a right by Gurgel. Gurgel pushes the action, jab by Evangelista, combo by Gurgel and they then just start to slug it out. Evangelista looks for the takedown, shut down, and a knee by Evangelista. Gurgel looks for a trip, fails and they are back standing. Leg kick by Evangelista, leg kick by Gurgel, right by Gurgel and a hard leg kick. Good combo follows, uppercut by Evangelista. Evangelista gets the takedown as he took a kick in the process. Evangelista is bleeding badly now, both guys working and the round ends.
SCORECARD: Too hard to call, the takedown at the end could have gotten Evangelista the bout, but did nothing and he was cut badly in the process. I would say a split decision, and I will go with Gurgel 29-28.
THE RESULT: Billy Evangelista via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Stephen Quadros is with Gurgel. Gurgel says that Billy fought well, and all he wanted was the respect of the crowd. He says he is sorry to his camp for losing.
Evangelista joins us and says he wanted to stop Gurgel, but he is too awesome. He says whatever is next is next when asked about a title shot.
