411’s WEC 31 Report 12.12.07
Posted by Larry Csonka on 12.12.2007
WEC returns with three big title fights, Jens Pulver returning to form and Urijah Faber reinventing MMA as he goes.
Feel free to send in your thoughts on the show! If you do, please include your BEST and WORST fight, and score the PPV from 0-10!
Make sure to check out the 411 Streaming Player for all of the latest podcasts from 411. We've had lots of MMA coverage with three MMA Conference calls that we covered; one for the UFC TUF Finals, the second regarding John McCarthy's retirement from MMA officiating, and finally the HDNET Fights call, with Jason Miller discussing the possibility of him fighting monkeys with bats! Listen while you wait for results!
WEC 31~!:
-LIVE from the JOINT at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada.
-Todd Harris and Frank Mir are the announcers. They run down the card and hype the three title matches.
-We get a video package for Marshall vs. Gandulla.
-The Fight: ROUND ONE: Steve "THE STASH" Mazzigatti is the official. Here we go. Marshall opts to stay back and throw some jabs, but he then dives onto Gandulla, looking for a flying knee and Gandulla takes him down. Gandulla in the guard and Marshall looks for a triangle. Gandulla gets out, but Marshall gets the arm bar instead and Gandulla taps.
Gandulla looks hurt as they check the arm in the corner, and that was one nasty arm bar. Marshall jumps over the fence and celebrates in the crowd.
-The Result: Doug Marshall via RD1 (0:55) submission
Frank Mir is with Marshall. Marshall says he has been working the ground game, and he loves the triangle. He really wanted to win with it, but its all good. He has tons of hostility and will fight whomever.
-They hype Sports Unfiltered with Dennis Miller. It is on after the fights, with guest Chuck Liddell.
-We get a video package for Ian McCall vs. Charlie Valencia.
BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT - Ian McCall (6-0) vs. Charlie Valencia (8-3):
-The Fight: ROUND ONE: Josh Rosenthal is the official. They come out and jabs by McCall. Leg kicks follow, but a good combo by Valencia. McCall tries to push Valencia back, but Valencia gets a great right to McCall and to the cage they go. They separate and a body kick by Valencia. McCall misses a leg kick, McCall shoots, but Valencia avoids him. A great right again by Valencia. McCall is leaving his left hand very low and has paid three times. Leg kick by McCall, but eats another right. Leg kicks again by McCall, they both throw and land leg kicks, but Valencia gets another great right and then gets a SICK GERMAN SUPLEX on McCall! Valencia is unloading on McCall, he gets a guillotine and that is all!
-The Result: Charlie Valencia via RD1 (3:19) submission
Frank Mir is with Valencia. Valencia was just trying to set things up. He dedicates the fight to his paralyzed brother. He just took what he got and took the win.
-The Fight: ROUND ONE: Josh Rosenthal is the official. They trade shots to begin. Sonnen with a good jab, Sonnen tries to work with his reach and is landing well. Sonnen catches him and gets a takedown, starts landing good shots from the top and is in side control. Filho is trying to play defense, but Sonnen keeps landing shots and they are against the cage. Sonnen stands and drops down with two good shots. North south position, ¾ nelson by Sonnen and works knees to the ribs. Filho out and to the feet they go. Flying knee by Sonnen, he shoots in and gets caught in a guillotine. Not a tight one, Filho catches a breath and keeps the guillotine. Sonnen out, in the guard and works the ribs of Filho. He stands, up kicks by Filho and Sonnen looks gassed already. Sonnen drops into the guard, works some shots and Filho is very passive right now. Filho looks for am arm bar, Sonnen escapes and they clinch as the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: Sonnen was very controlling and did more in the round. Filho looks confused and very passive. I will go 10-9 for Sonnen.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and Sonnen lands jabs to begin the round. A soft high kick lands, they clinch and to the cage they go. Filho works for a takedown, but Sonnen is too strong right now. Knees and rights by Sonnen, they separate and Sonnen shoots, to the cage they go and into the guard goes Sonnen. Elbows by Sonnen, rights and lefts now. Filho just has no answer right now. Sonnen isn't doing a lot of damage, but is landing shots. Sonnen has him against the cage, and Filho is having difficulty escaping. Sonnen keeps landing solid shots, Filho tries to roll and Sonnen lands more shots. Filho tries for the arm bar again and gets it, and the fight is stopped. Sonnen isn't happy and the ref stopped the fight as we see on the replay. It looks like Rosenthal was trying to protect him, but Sonnen wasn't going to tap. On one hand the arm of Sonnen was in a very bad way, but then he also wasn't tapping. Controversy with Josh Rosenthal! They are now calling it a verbal submission. The crowd isn't happy and chants bullshit.
-The Result: Paulo Filho via RD2 (4:55) verbal submission
Frank Mir is with Filho. He puts over Sonnen, but says he worked hard and doesn't give up.
Mir is now with Sonnen. Sonnen says it was a good submission, but he didn't tap. He says he never verbally tapped, and is mad about that and allowing himself to be caught in the submission. He thought he could do well taking him down, but it was a mistake.
-We get a video package for Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson.
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT - Jens Pulver (21-8-1dr) vs. Cub Swanson (11-1):
-The Fight: ROUND ONE: Pulver is 7-0 at 145lbs. The official is Steve "THE STASH" Mazzigatti. They come out and Swanson shoots, gets a single leg and they go down. North south position, Pulver looks for a choke, gets the anaconda choke and Swanson taps! HUMBLED!
-The Result: Jens Pulver via RD1 (0:35) submission
Frank Mir is with Pulver. Mir says Pulver evolved. Pulver thanks Cub for bringing this out of him. He was 0-2 coming into the fight, and he worked his grappling and it paid off. Pulver thanks WEC for giving him a home at 145. Pulver says he doesn't want to wait longer than three months and wants the winner of the FW title fight.
-WEC is back February 13th with two title fights.
-Harris is with Carlos Condit. Condit is the Welterweight champion, and is sick of the lay off and can't wait for the fight in February. Condit says he is comfortable at WW, and wants to fight the best.
-We get a video package for Brian Bowles vs. Marcos Galvao.
BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT - Brian Bowles (4-0) vs. Marcos Galvao (9-1):
-The Fight: ROUND ONE: Mario Yamasaki is the official. They touch gloves and Bowles in with a good combo to begin. A high kick by Galvao grazes Bowles. They clinch against the fence, and Bowles gets a knee low on Galvao. He takes some time, Yamasaki warns Bowels and we're back to action. Leg kicks by Galvao, Bowles charges in with a combo and then Galvao gets a knee. Bowles with another good combo on Galvao, Galvao with a great body kick in return. Galvao shoots in, to the fence they go and clinch. Knees by Galvao, Bowles turns him and foot stomps. A SICK elbow by Bowels, Galvao is rocked a bit and they get away from the cage. Bowles charges in with a right, but misses. A short exchange and they clinch against the fence. They separate, and then trade very good shots. Galvao gets a great right and Bowles stopped and grabbed his face. Knees by Galvao, shoots and gets the takedown. In the guard of Bowles, and then they stand. A good right by Galvao, and the round will end.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: It was an ok round, not too exciting overall. I say it could go either way, and will go Galvao 10-9.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and Bowles charging in again, Galvao shoots and they go right to the feet. They clinch and quickly separate. Another good right by Galvao and he may have broken Bowles' nose. Bowles now rocks Galvao with a great right, Galvao down and Bowels starts landing great shots, Galvao looks for a heel hook and Bowles backs off. Galvao looks scared at times in the way he backs off. Bowels rocks him again, lands a combo and then drops him and Yamasaki stops the bout.
-The Result: Brian Bowles via RD2 (2:09) TKO
Frank Mir is with Bowles. He says he is ready to step up for bigger competition. Bowles said he didn't want to go to the ground, and his corner said to throw the right hand and he did and won.
-The Fight: ROUND ONE: The official is Mario Yamasaki. They touch and we're underway. Faber shoots in, Curran with a takedown and goes right into side control. He works for the mount and has it. He then gets the back and the body triangle. Curran works for the choke; Faber looks relaxed and fights the choke. Curran lands some shots, hammer fists and Faber tries to roll out, to his stomach and Curran tries to flatten him out, but Faber rolls to his back. Curran locks up an arm and gets some hammer fists. Curran still holding the body triangle, Faber rolls and to his feet with Curran on his back! Faber slams him down, but Curran keeps locks on him. Faber breaks the triangle, turns and gets shots and into the guard of Curran. Wow. Faber works him against the cage, positions up and has passed the guard. An elbow by Faber, stands and drops down with an elbow. Another elbow and Faber stands and drops a kick to Curran as the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: This is one of those rounds where it depends on whether you score for control, or the escape out of what looked like a bad situation. Faber looked done, got the escape and came back well at the end. I will go Faber 10-9.
ROUND TWO: They come out for round two, Faber shoots, to their feet and against the cage they go. An elbow by Faber, knees now and they stay clinched. Another elbow by Faber, and to the ground they go. Faber looks for a heel hook, and Faber with a great up kick. Elbows by Faber, who is looking for a triangle and Curran is busted open. Up kicks by Faber, Curran reverses and gets the back of Faber. Faber rolls and gets into the guard of Curran. Faber works him against the cage, and shots to the ribs of Curran. Faber postures up, short elbows to Curran who's nose is busted badly. Faber with good shots while Curran is trapped against the cage. Faber stands, eats an up kick from Curran. Faber with a kick to Curran, backs up and lands kicks to the thighs. Curran gets a single leg and Faber knees him with one knee, and then gets a deep guillotine…Curran fights, but has to tap.
-The Result: Urijah Faber via RD2 (4:34) submission
Frank Mir is with Urijah Faber. Mir asks if he is making stuff up, and Faber says he is. He puts over Curran and says he deserved the fight. He doesn't mind giving up his back, because he won't be choked out. He thinks Jens is next and will be honored to make history with him.
-They hype the February 13th card.
Feel free to send in your thoughts on the show! If you do, please include your BEST and WORST fight, and score the PPV from 0-10!
