WEC Veterans Headline Tachi Palace Fights 3
Brian Knapp Jan 26, 2010
Former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Cole
Escovedo will meet Jeff Bedard
for the vacant Tachi Palace Fights bantamweight crown at TPF 3
“Champions Collide” on Feb. 4 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
in Lemoore, Calif. The showdown between WEC veterans will headline
a 13-fight lineup for the event, which will be available on
pay-per-view at GoFightLive.tv.
Escovedo returned to active competition in 2009 after a staph infection nearly ended his career and will carry a three-fight winning streak into the match. The 28-year-old “Apache Kid” last appeared in November when he stopped Maurice Eazel on first-round strikes at a Strikeforc “Challengers” event. Escovedo has delivered all but one of his 14 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Bedard, who announced his retirement in May following a submission
win over Jason
Georgianna, has also won three in a row. The soon-to-be
40-year-old Georgian holds notable victories against former Palace
Fighting Championship titleholder Shawn
Klarcyk and WEC veteran Antonio
Banuelos. Bedard, who debuted in 2002, remained unbeaten until
he submitted to a Miguel
Torres triangle choke at WEC 30.
Meanwhile, the once-beaten Issac de Jesus will lock horns with Nam Phan for the TPF featherweight crown in another high-stakes affair.
Undefeated though his first eight bouts as a professional, de Jesus has not competed since he succumbed to strikes from Brandon Visher in September. A Strikeforce and Pure Combat veteran, he has gone the distance in six of his nine career bouts.
The 26-year-old Phan has tested himself against some of the world’s most accomplished featherweights and lightweights, including former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, one-time WEC titleholder “Razor” Rob McCullough, Sengoku standout Michihiro Omigawa and American Top Team ace Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante. He last appeared in May, when he lost to Omigawa by first-round TKO at Sengoku “Eighth Battle.” It was only the second time in 21 career bouts Pham had been finished.
TPF 3 “Champions Collide” will also feature UFC veterans Hector Ramirez and Gabe Ruediger, along with former WEC bantamweight title challenger Manny Tapia. Ramirez will challenge Anthony Ruiz, while Ruediger, a cast member on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will take on Dominique Robinson. Tapia, meanwhile, will try and end a troubling three-fight losing streak in a matchup with Michael McDonald.
Escovedo returned to active competition in 2009 after a staph infection nearly ended his career and will carry a three-fight winning streak into the match. The 28-year-old “Apache Kid” last appeared in November when he stopped Maurice Eazel on first-round strikes at a Strikeforc “Challengers” event. Escovedo has delivered all but one of his 14 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
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Meanwhile, the once-beaten Issac de Jesus will lock horns with Nam Phan for the TPF featherweight crown in another high-stakes affair.
Undefeated though his first eight bouts as a professional, de Jesus has not competed since he succumbed to strikes from Brandon Visher in September. A Strikeforce and Pure Combat veteran, he has gone the distance in six of his nine career bouts.
The 26-year-old Phan has tested himself against some of the world’s most accomplished featherweights and lightweights, including former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, one-time WEC titleholder “Razor” Rob McCullough, Sengoku standout Michihiro Omigawa and American Top Team ace Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante. He last appeared in May, when he lost to Omigawa by first-round TKO at Sengoku “Eighth Battle.” It was only the second time in 21 career bouts Pham had been finished.
TPF 3 “Champions Collide” will also feature UFC veterans Hector Ramirez and Gabe Ruediger, along with former WEC bantamweight title challenger Manny Tapia. Ramirez will challenge Anthony Ruiz, while Ruediger, a cast member on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will take on Dominique Robinson. Tapia, meanwhile, will try and end a troubling three-fight losing streak in a matchup with Michael McDonald.
