-
Weekend Rundown: Cote Returns, Tops Starnes at Ringside 10
By: Chris Nelson
Sherdog.com Illustration
Former UFC middleweight title contender Patrick Cote began his post-Octagon campaign with a unanimous decision win over Kalib Starnes at Saturday’s Ringside MMA 10. Before a hometown crowd of approximately 3,500 at Montreal’s Bell Centre, the 31-year-old “Predator” survived an early scare on the ground to outstrike Starnes in the final two periods and earn a trio of 29-28 scorecards. Cote was released by the UFC in October and had not won a bout since defeating Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86 in July 2008.
Fighting on less than one month’s notice, “Polish Pistola” Seth Baczynski claimed the Ringside interim welterweight title by punching out local favorite Alex Garcia at 2:44 of the second round. The previously unbeaten Garcia was slated to meet welterweight champ Chris Clements before Clements was sidelined with an ankle injury in early March. A contestant on the eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Baczynski has notched back-to-back knockout wins since losing to Brad Tavares at the “TUF 11” finale in June 2010.
Elsewhere on the bill, Michel Gagnon retained his Ringside featherweight strap by slamming Rejean Groulx into submission at 3:47 of the third round; Georges St. Pierre training partner Mike Ricci returned from a year-long hiatus with a TKO win over Jesse Ronson at 3:12 of the opening frame; and light heavyweight Roger Hollett clubbed Martin Desilets 99 seconds into round two, stopping the Team Legion fighter with knees and hooks. Read more