WEC - Classic WrekCage Review (08.21.07)
Posted by Randy Harrison on 02.28.2008
Manny Tapia makes his WEC debut, Marcus Hicks fights with one eye, and Cub Swanson and Micah Miller put their unbeaten streaks on the line in a Featherweight Main Event! It's the debut edition of Classic WrekCage and it's going to be a doozy!!
With the plethora of MMA being shown on TV these days, it's time to start taking a look at it all. This is the debut of Classic WrekCage, which will focus on shows that have already been aired but not covered by 411mania. Expect this format to make its debut for the UFC Unleashed series soon as well. The first-run episodes of WrekCage and Unleashed will be covered in the TV Reports section, hopefully when those shows start new runs of episodes. For now though, we're off to Las Vegas for this edition of WEC WrekCage!!
WEC: Classic WrekCage (08.21.07)
Todd Harris and Frank Mir are your hosts.
Match One: Lightweights
Sergio Gomez vs. Marcus Hicks (5-0)
Round One
Gomez with the shot right off the bat, taking Hicks down and punishing him with body shots against the cage. Hicks eats some big right hands to the dome as well and Gomez is on fire in the early going. HARD lefts to the body and rights to the head, and Hicks has one of his eyes swollen shut already. Hicks tries the sweep, but can't get Gomez over, and instead uses it to scramble to his feet. Gomez with a deep double-leg that puts Hicks right back down, but Hicks scrambles back to his feet again. Digging body shots to the gut from Gomez and he's beating up Hicks pretty good so far. Gomez with a combination to the head and Hicks hits him with one body shot in response. Gomez scores another takedown but makes a mistake and lets Hicks around him to take his back.
Hicks with the choke almost secured from the back, but Gomez pulls away from it, gaining his full guard. Hicks starts a little ground and pound from the half-guard, but there's not much there for him. Gomez stands up and Hicks has a deep guillotine sunk in. Gomez backs out of it though and avoids the pressure and they're back to standing and exchanging. They clinch in the center of the cage and Gomez just misses a big uppercut, but lands the next one and Gomez hits a combination to follow it up, pummeling Hicks. Gomez with a HUGE knee up the middle, but Hicks gets a takedown off of it, doing more ground and pound from half-guard as the round ends.
Round Analysis: That was mostly Hicks trying for submissions or sweeps while Gomez pounded the living shit out of him, making it a fairly easy round to score. Hicks is going to have lots of problems with that swollen eye and is going to have to keep circling the opposite way to keep it out of danger. Round one goes to Gomez.
We get a commercial break in between the rounds, and I have to say that the WEC "Before and After" commercial is one of the better MMA commercials I've seen in a while, because it's understated in its brutality, yet still makes it's point clear. And it's funny to see the insert ad for the Toshiba HD-DVD Player, knowing how that whole thing turned out.
Round Two
Gomez with a big combination and he clinches Hicks against the cage. Hicks ends p eating a couple more shots, but lands a hard knee to the body from the clinch. Gomez shoots in and secures a double-leg takedown, after Hicks tried to sprawl out of it. Gomez on top, not really doing a lot with it yet, as Hicks controls the body and head. Hicks tries to move out from underneath, but eats some hammerfists from Gomez. Gomez tries to move to the mount but can't get it, and I love Frank Mir on color commentary as he outlines the benefits and perils of Gomez trying for mount from that position. Gomez stuck in the guard as the action slows considerably, until Hicks scrambles to his feet and slams Gomez down after a nice double-leg attempt. Hicks in half-guard, moving to try and pass it and he lands some elbows to the head and a couple of body punches, forcing Gomez to sit up to try the sweep. Hicks grabs his head and falls back with a guillotine choke, forcing Gomez to try to tap with his foot as they're all tied up together. Hicks smiles like a cheshire cat as he kneels in the cage and celebrates his big win.
Winner: Marcus Hicks, submission (guillotine choke) at 3:20 of Round Two
Fight Analysis: Hicks pulled this one out of the fire, big time. He took a ton of damage in the first and probably should have ended up stopped, but he gutted it out and survived the first round. He was taken by Gomez in the second, much like the first, until he took the top position and managed to lock in the guillotine. Great heart from Hicks and a big win for his WEC debut.
Match Two: Bantamweights
Manny Tapia (8-0-1) vs. Brandon Foxworth (16-2)
Foxworth has height and reach in this one, with six inches of height and almost four of reach on the smaller, stouter Tapia. Foxworth wins the award for most awkward nickname, with his being "The Alabaster Assassin". Absolutely terrible. Both of these guys are making their WEC debuts here, and will be looking to impress to ensure they get a return invite.
Round One
Foxworth tries using his reach early to try and keep Tapia outside of range, but he keeps missing with his strikes. Foxworth misses with a right and Tapia PUTS HIM ON HIS ASS, with a nasty counter right hand. Tapia drops down into Foxworth's guard and pulls his head out of a guillotine attempt. Foxworth with a body triangle from the bottom as Tapia lands some shots to the ribcage from the top. Foxworth controlling fairly well from underneath and they're trading patty-cake shots to the head and body. Short elbow from the bottom by Foxworth and Yves Lavigne has seen enough and stands them up. Tapia JUST misses another huge punch and they trade combinations with Tapia landing his, putting Foxworth down again. Tapia down in the guard again and dropping some BOMBS down on the head of Foxworth.
He stands above Foxworth now and lands the right hand at will to the face and the body. Back down into the guard and Tapia starts working the body before standing out of it the guard. ANOTHER right hand and another, and hammerfists stun the piss out of Foxworth. Tapia lands another couple of short punches and stands out of the guard, walking around it casually to drop another hammerfist in on the punch-drunk Foxworth. Tapia to the mat again with more rights and lefts and an elbow/forearm as well. Tapia walks around the guard again with hammerfists to the head and body landing. Tapia back down into the guard and Foxworth controls the head and body as the horn sounds.
Round Analysis: A really dominant round from Tapia that was his from beginning to end. He kept the pressure on, landed some quality strikes to keep Foxworth hurt and off-balance, and came close to ending the fight early in the round. A good first for Tapia that puts him up 1-0.
Round Two
Tapia catches Foxworth as he rushes in, and grabs a bodylock into a takedown. Foxworth closes off the guard and Tapia starts working the body again as Foxworth looks to be bridging from the bottom or attempting to. He uses the cage to sweep Tapia over and gets the fight back to the feet where Foxworth is going to try use his reach. He can't however as tapia closes into a clinch and they start working some short punches to the body back and forth against the cage. Foot stomps from Foxworth and Tapia lands a couple of knees to the body and the action has slowed down a little in this round. Clinching and reversals against the fence punctuated by body shots and knees is the way the next minute or so goes down before Tapia lands a couple of lefts over the top. Still in the clinch and Foxworth tries to score an elbow off of some separation, but he just misses it. Tapia takes advantage and lands a solid body shot and about five or six HARD right hands to the face of Foxworth. A couple of short lefts and Foxworth looks out on his feet and the referee agrees and stops the fight.
Winner: Manny Tapia, TKO at 3:17 of Round One
Fight Analysis: Post-fight, Foxworth is trying to say he's ok, while his nose is gushing blood. The referee gives him the "Of course you are" look, and in comes the doctor to check him out. Tapia falls to his knees in the center of the cage and looks overcome with emotion after the huge win in his WEC debut.
Match Three: Featherweights
Cub Swanson (10-1) vs. Micah Miller (8-0, 1 NC)
Miller with the height and reach in this one, but that shouldn't come into play too much with how much both of these guys like to fight on the mat, and how well-versed they are in jiu-jitsu. Both have had similar career paths with Miller fighting a no contest in his first fight and then reeling off eight wins in a row. Swanson lost his first, and hasn't lost since, putting together ten wins since his MMA debut.
Round One
Swanson is either angry or hyperventilating during his introduction. Either way, not a good look. Horrible start from the referee too. No "Let's Get It ON!!" or "Come on, BRING IT!!" or anything. He just stood there and clapped his hands and pointed to the floor in the middle of the cage. In case you're wondering, my move to start the fight would be a full splits followed by my signature line, "Start Bringin' The Smackin', Bitches!!". Anyhow, on to the actual action.
Swanson flashes a high kick and Miller pushes forward with a combination that comes nowhere near to landing. Swanson closes the distance into the clinch and trips Miller down. Miller right to rubber guard, holding Swanson down and transitioning to a gogoplata attempt, but Swanson is able to pull to the side and get out of it. Swanson with the punches from the top and Miller tries for a heel hook but Swanson pulls out and gets up to stand over Miller. He falls back into Miller's guard and ends up in what looks to be a reverse guard. He stands out of it again and Miller is going crazy with the up kicks, Swanson pushing the feet out of the way to pass to side control, but he does nothing with it. Miller gets back to his feet and eats a leg kick and a combination, as Swanson is using his quickness to control the fight.
Swanson moves in for a bodylock and takes Miller down again, ending up in his half-guard. Miller gets up and Swanson jumps guard, pushing himself off of the fence into a guillotine attempt. Miller moves to side control on top to avoid the choke and Miller tries to pull guard himself but eats a couple of punches from Swanson. Swanson with a HUGE right hand that hurts Miller, forcing him to shoot for the takedown. Miller in the full guard and Swanson looks like he's trying for that guillotine again. Miller stands up out of it and they clinch against the fence, trading knees to the body. Miller with a knee to the body and a trip takedown right as the round closes out.
Round Analysis: Well, this is somewhat tough because both guys had their moments, but in a round where everything else seemed even, Swanson landed the better strikes, stunning Miller on numerous occasions. Miller looked slower and didn't use his reach or jab to keep Swanson at the distance he wanted. He'll have to work on that to try to change the momentum of the fight. First round to Swanson.
Round Two
Miller comes forward again with a peppering combination that misses and Swanson again moves to the clinch to try for the takedown. Miller defends it well and reverses the clinch against the cage, landing a hard knee. Miller pulls guard with a nearly jumping triangle, and he cinches it in tight, but Swanson is able to pull out from the back door. Swanson with another right hammerfist that lands and Swanson moves past his guard into full mount, but Miller pulls his long legs over the top to almost regain his guard. Miller pushes his feet off the fence to try sweep, but starts eating some elbows from Swanson. Swanson tries an ax kick and it's blocked by Miller.
Guillotine attempt from Swanson, but there's an arm in and Miller is fine, taking the top position once his head pops out. Miller landing some punches from the guard, and he passes into the mount before getting taken back to half-guard by Swanson. Swanson tries to sweep but in that scramble Miller takes his back. Swanson moves forward and pushes Miller onto his back, with a high guard. Swanson with knees to the ass from the full guard and Miller has Swanson locked in with his guard. Miller JUST misses an up kick and Swanson lands another big right hand from the guard, standing above Miller. Miller tries for a single-leg, but Swanson grabs his head and sinks in a guillotine again. Miller pops out of it, just as the horn sounds to end the second.
Round Analysis: This one was a lot like the first round, with Swanson landing the harder strikes, but in this round he also did the better work on the mat to. Swanson was trying the submissions and controlling from the top, while Miller looked to be on the defensive for almost the entire five minutes of the round. Two-zip for Swanson and Miller is going to need to be in desperation mode to pull out the win.
Round Three
Swanson with a body shot, and Miller rushes again with the same combination he tried in the first two rounds with no success again. They clinch against the fence and trade knees and elbows before Miller takes Swanson down in the middle of the cage. Miller on top, trying to push him against the fence, but Swanson scrambles to his feet. Miller uses his length to take Swanson's back and force him back down to the mat. Swanson defending well against the rear-naked as Miller starts raining in some right hands to the side of the head. Swanson explodes to put Miller on his back, and he turns into the back control, taking the top position from Miller.
Swanson with some hammerfists from the top and he stuffs Miller's attempt to get back up. Swanson tries to mount while Miller's a little winded but he can't do it and has to settle for punches from the guard. They scramble on the mat and Miller ends up on top, pushing Swanson against the fence. They trade little punches from this position and Swanson pushes Miller away with his feet and they scramble to a clinch on their feet. Swanson shoots in for a single-leg, but Miller stuffs it and eats a ton of punches and Swanson with a HUGE overhand right and a WICKED uppercut that nearly puts Miller down. Miller shoots in for a takedown to try to recover and the round ends with Miller stuck in a deep, DEEP guillotine from Swanson.
Round Analysis: A clean sweep. Three-nothing for Swanson and there's not a lot else that needs to be said. He's just on a different level than Miller is at this point, and the only thing that kept this fight from being stopped was Miller's toughness.
Winner: Cub Swanson, Unanimous Decision
We get the highlight reel of the night's action and the usual spiel to get us to check out the WEC website. That does it for this edition of WEC WrekCage, folks.
The 411: As usual with the WEC, it's a focus on lighter fighters and action fights. The thing that I love about the WEC, is that even decision fights are exciting, and the main event was no exception. It would have been nice to see Miller put up a bit more of a fight, but Swanson was in the middle of an amazing hot streak. Hicks and Tapia both looked great in their wins as well. So far, so good for Classic WrekCage.
