411’s WEC 33 Report 3.26.08
Posted by Larry Csonka on 03.27.2008
Brian Stann becomes the new WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, Cantwell and Hicks impress with first round submissions, Chael Sonnen humbles Bryan Barker, and Rich Crunkilton gets back on the winning track at WEC 33!
Feel free to send in your thoughts on the show! If you do, please include your BEST and WORST fight, and score the show from 0-10!
WEC 33~!
-Welcome to WEC 33!
-From THE JOINT at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada.
-Todd Harris and Frank Mir are the hosts and commentators for the evening.
-After we get back from commercial, the first bout will be a Light Heavyweight Bout featuring Tim McKenzie vs. Steve Cantwell.
-We get a video package for Tim McKenzie vs. Steve Cantwell.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT - Tim McKenzie (11-4) vs. Steve Cantwell (4-1):
ROUND ONE: Herb Dean is the official. They touch and McKenzie works jabs to begin. Nice inside kick as well. He backs off Cantwell with a right, they dance a bit and McKenzie with another side kick. They clinch, Cantwell gets a trip and takes McKenzie down. In the guard, McKenzie gets a nice elbow from the bottom and another one. He has good head control and makes Cantwell stand. McKenzie up as well, Cantwell with a high kick that connects and then knees and McKenzie is dropped. Cantwell gets side control and then the mount right away. He starts raining down, McKenzie turns and Cantwell gets a warning for a shot to the back of the head. Cantwell then gets his back with ease and McKenzie taps from the choke.
-THE RESULT: Steve Cantwell via RD1 (2:13) Submission
Craig Hummer is with Steve Cantwell. Cantwell thanks God and the fans. He is a man on a mission, and that is to get to the top. He wants the winner of the main event.
-Up next is Marcus Hicks vs. Ed Ratcliff.
-Sunday Night June 1st is Faber vs. Pulver for the title.
-Craig Hummer is with Jens now. Jens says he got his first win in WEC and is ready for the title fight with Faber. He is getting ready for the champ, he is getting ready and knows it will be a hard fight. Jens is excited, he respects what Faber has done but he wants the title. He is out there to fight and will do whatever it takes to win.
-We get a video package for Marcus Hicks vs. Ed Ratcliff.
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT - Marcus Hicks (7-0) vs. Ed Ratcliff (6-0):
ROUND ONE: Josh Rosenthal is the official. Here we go. Hicks with a combo to begin. Ratcliff is taller and is keeping away and looking to use the jab. Hicks gets a left and Ratcliff is down. Hicks gets a guillotine, Ratcliff stands with him and escapes. Hicks with an uppercut and gets the guillotine again, Ratcliff escapes again and they stand. Hicks throwing for the fences, stuns Ratcliff and looks for a single leg. Hicks does get him down, looks for another guillotine, gets it and that is all.
-THE RESULT: Marcus Hicks via RD1 (1:42) Submission
Craig Hummer is with Hicks. Hicks says he wants to have exciting fights, do his job and leave undefeated. He has fought tough and tall guys, and it doesn't bother him. Hicks says he hopes the win gets him closer to a title shot. He thanks the fans.
-Up next is Rich Crunkilton vs. Sergio Gomez.
-We get a video package for Rich Crunkilton vs. Sergio Gomez.
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT - Rich Crunkilton (17-2) vs. Sergio Gomez (7-1):
ROUND ONE: Herb Dean is the official. They touch and jabs by Crunkilton. He gets a takedown, works for side control and lands some short lefts on Gomez. An elbow by Crunkilton connects, Gomez to his feet and then a knee to Crunkilton. Clinched against the cage, knees by Gomez but Crunkilton with a great elbow. Another elbow by Crunkilton and Gomez is busted open. Crunkilton looks for and gets a single leg takedown, Gomez is bleeding a lot. Side control by Crunkilton and gets a darce choke locked in, Gomez fights and slips out due to all of the blood. They stand, a good combo by Gomez lands. Gomez with another good combo and Crunkilton looks for a single leg, gets it and works for side control. Gomez works and escapes again, but Crunkilton keeps him down, but Gomez all the way to his feet now. Rights by Gomez, jabs by Crunkilton. Gomez catches a kick and is rocking Crunkilton. Crunkilton gets an outside leg trip and takes Gomez down again. Crunkilton works for another darce but Gomez escapes as the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: An amazing first round. Crunkilton dominated with takedowns and busted Gomez open big time. He also was close with the darce choke, but Gomez had some amazing escapes and even rocked Crunkilton at one point. Crunkilton may regret not being able to finish him here. A very close round, which I will give to Crunkilton 10-9.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and leg kicks by Crunkilton. Crunkilton shoots, tries for a single leg, Gomez lands a ton of shots as he tried and Crunkilton does get the takedown. Crunkilton works for side control, now the back and gets a hook in, the other hook in and Crunkilton looks for the choke. Gomez escapes and tries a guillotine, Crunkilton slams him down and escapes that. Some great elbows by Crunkilton land. Another elbow by Crunkilton, looks for am arm bar but Gomez counters that and Crunkilton gets a knee bar and Gomez escapes that. Gomez counters, gets side control and is looking for am arm bar, but Crunkilton with an excellent escape! Going for the darce again is Crunkilton and Gomez escapes again. North south position, Crunkilton sits out and is working for side control yet again. Gomez pulls guard as Crunkilton lands some good shots. Gomez has a loose arm bar, Crunkilton out and tries for his back again. Gomez turns, Crunkilton into side control and then the mount but the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: Another great round filled with tremendous counters by both men. I will go Crunkilton again, and 20-18 overall.
ROUND THREE: After two hard fought rounds we head to round three. Gomez with a combo and almost catches a kick to begin. Jabs and a leg kick by Crunkilton, combo by Gomez and Crunkilton shoots. Down they go, short elbows by Crunkilton as he works for side control against the cage. He has it, Crunkilton traps a leg and then Gomez gets a kimura, and Crunkilton escapes that. Crunkilton in half guard, both guys working shots as Gomez continues to bleed a lot. Herb stands them up, leg kicks by Crunkilton and a jab. He tries to shoot, knees by Gomez but Crunkilton gets a take down again. Gomez tries to work off of the cage to stand, but Crunkilton keeps him down. Final minute of the fight as Crunkilton lands more short elbow shots, Gomez working to get up but Crunkilton keeps him down and the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: Not nearly the war that the other two rounds were, but Crunkilton controlled the round and kept Gomez down, not allowing him to do anything to change the outcome. Crunkilton gets the round and the fight, 30-27 on my cards.
-THE RESULT: Rich Crunkilton via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28)
Craig Hummer is with Crunkilton. Crunkilton says not getting the darce was very frustrating. It was very important to get the win tonight and he worked hard to get it.
-Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffen and Stephan Bonnar are all taking in the fights.
-Up next is Bryan Barker vs. Chael Sonnen.
-Hummer is with Faber. He is honored to fight Jens, and he know she is dangerous, but he plans to take his belt home. They will shake hands and smile before the fight and then try to kill each other during. Faber says being the champion is everything to him, and he takes pride in it.
-We get a video package for Bryan Barker vs. Chael Sonnen.
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT - Bryan Barker (6-0) vs. Chael Sonnen (21-9-1):
ROUND ONE: Steve "NO STASH" Mazzigatti is the official. They touch and Sonnen shoots, and gets a slam on Baker. He has side control, knees to the ribs from side control. Baker is holding on tight, Sonnen transitions to mount but Baker is holding on. They go to north south, ¾ nelson by Sonnen and into the darce but Baker to his feet and escapes. They trade standing, Sonnen shoots and takes Baker down. To the feet as Baker tries to protect his back and Sonnen KILLS him with a German suplex. Sonnen has his stacked and Sonnen looks to land shots to the head. Baker tries a triangle, Sonnen out and gets a left from the guard. Another one lands and a third. Shots to the ribs by Sonnen, Baker wants a triangle but cannot get it. Sonnen keeps landing clean shots on Baker and he cannot defend. Sonnen postures up and gets a right as the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: Domination by Sonnen in round one, an easy 10-9.
ROUND TWO: Round two begins and Sonnen shoots for the double leg and down Baker goes. Short elbows by Sonnen, Baker against the cage and Sonnen rains down with a few shots and Baker has no answer. Body shots by Sonnen, Baker keeps trying for a triangle but nothing doing there. Sonnen postures up and drops down with more clean shots. Sonnen with complete control here as Baker is not doing a thing. Rights and lefts by Sonnen, blocks another triangle try and lands a short elbow. Sonnen is smothering him here and Baker is busted open from the shots he is continually taking. Sonnen grabs an arm tries a kimura and then goes back to landing unanswered shots. As the round ends.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: A more dominating round, we'll go 10-8 for Sonnen, and 20-17 overall.
ROUND THREE: Round three begins, kick by Baker and Sonnen takes him down, passes guard and has side control. Sonnen is landing shots as he has Baker crucifixed. Short elbows by Sonnen, knees as well and he is once again completely dominating Baker. Sonnen has him blanketed and is landing more shots as Baker just lays there and takes the punishment. Sonnen goes for a darce, lets it go and Sonnen gets his back, Baker rolls and Sonnen into the guard. Sonnen with more rights and lefts on Baker from the guard, Sonnen stands and then drops down with a left bomb. Sonnen stands, another bomb and then rights and lefts rain down on Baker. Sonnen stands, backs off and the fight is over.
LARRY'S SCORECARD: Baker had nothing to offer other than taking punishment. I will again go 10-8 for Sonnen, and 30-25 overall.
-THE RESULT: Chael Sonnen via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)
Craig Hummer is with Sonnen. Sonnen says he wants to compete, and he wants to be ready to go. He says Baker has a great future. Sonnen says he is impressed with Baker and he had to fight off triangles and arm bars the entire bout. He will take on anyone, unlike other fighters under the Zuffa umbrella.
-We get a video package for Doug Marshall vs. Brian Stann.
ROUND ONE: Herb Dean is the official. Here we go with the main event of the evening! They touch and Stann with jabs and a leg kick to begin things. Leg kick by Marshall, another and then Stann with one of his own. Stann is backing Marshall off, Marshall with leg kicks but Stann gets him against the cage and works the body. A right by Stann, Marshall unloads now and rocks Stann. Stann DROPS Marshall with a sweet left, follows up with an elbow on the ground and Dean stops the fight!
-THE RESULT: NEW CHAMPION Brian Stann via RD1 (1:35) TKO
Craig Hummer is with Stann. Stann says he can only hope to do as well as Marshall did representing the WEC. Stann wasn't surprised how it went down, he knew they would bang and that's what he did. The belt represents all of his buddies that are not here right now, that is what it means to him.
-They hype Pulver vs. Faber on June 1st.
Feel free to send in your thoughts on the show! If you do, please include your BEST and WORST fight, and score the show from 0-10!
Overall it was a great card, every fight was entertaining. I score it a perfect 10. Crunkilton vs Gomez easily the fight of the night, reminded me of Huerta vs Guida in that the guy winning the standup kept getting taken down and pounded. Unfortunately this fight didn't have the big turnaround at the end but still an outstanding fight. Hicks vs. Ratcliffe was the worst of the fights, but still enjoyable. I only rate it the worst because the others were all better, it really was a great night of fights.
Also, to Larry, love your North to Alaska show! Are you still making more episodes?
Posted By: chowda (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 02:29 AM
Hicks vs. Ratcliffe the worste of the night? Please. I was very impressed with the way hicks handled the larger taller man. I thought the Barker Sonnen fight was the worst, Mostly because it was so lopsided in talent, but Sonnen couldn't finish. I hate fights like that. And man. I knew Brian Stann would take it to the Rhino but that fight was fireworks. I don't think the WEC has a talent pool rich enough for Stann. I think after 3 to 5 dominant title defenses a fighter should beable to graduate to the UFC
Posted By: Guest#7482 (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 02:51 AM
"I think after 3 to 5 dominant title defenses a fighter
should beable to graduate to the UFC"
Don't worry he will. The ufc watches the wec carefully and will pluck anyone from there that they like, and they will especially be drawn to a fighter with a great backstory.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on March 27, 2008 at 10:09 AM
