Weekend Rundown: Starnes, Drysdale, Somdet Victorious

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 semi-finalist Kalib Starnes submitted Nick Hinchliffe with a first-round armbar to capture the Armageddon Fighting Championships middleweight title in the AFC 3 “Evolution” headliner on Saturday at the Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The end came 3:49 into round one.

Wildly inconsistent throughout his career, Starnes has lost five of his last nine fights. The 35-year-old Canadian was pruned from the UFC roster following his lampooned unanimous decision defeat to Nate Quarry in April 2008. The loss halted Hinchliffe’s two-fight winning streak.

Meanwhile, 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships winner Robert Drysdale needed just 72 second to dispatch Bastien Huveneers in his professional mixed martial arts debut. Drysdale coaxed a tapout from the King of the Cage veteran with a first-round arm-triangle choke.

Other winners at AFC 3 included Nick Driedger (first-round rear-naked choke submission over Baz Cunningham), Mike Hackert (unanimous decision against Dan MacIver) and Diego Wilson (first-round armbar submission over Dan Lin).

Somdet Retains Shooto Crown

Shooto 115-pound champion Rambaa Somdet stopped Hiroyuki Abe on a first-round technical knockout to retain his title in the Shooto “The Way of Shooto 4” featured attraction on Monday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Doctors called a halt to the bout 4:31 into round one after Abe’s left eye swelled shut.

Abe controlled the first period, as he took down Somdet repeatedly, moved to mount and cinched an armbar that had the champion grimacing in visible pain. Somdet escaped, and the damage to Abe’s face was revealed, forcing the stoppage. It marks the seventh straight win for Somdet, the 35-year-old Thai who has not tasted defeat in mixed martial arts since June 2002.

Shooto Pacific Rim 143-pound champion Taiki Tsuchiya (majority decision over Issei Tamura) and Shooto Pacific Rim 132-pound titleholder Koetsu Okazaki (unanimous decision against Tetsu Suzuki) were also victorious at “The Way of Shooto 4.”

Budnik, Marrero Victorious Inside C3 Fights

World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Mike Budnik submitted journeyman Anthony Macias with a second-round choke in the C3 Fights “Knockout-Rockout Weekend 4” main event on Saturday at the Lucky Star Casino in Clinton, Okla. The 41-year-old Macias, who competed at UFC 4 and UFC 6, waved the white flag 90 seconds into round two.

Cut from the WEC roster in wake of three consecutive defeats to Shane Roller, John Franchi and Rafael Dias, Budnik has posted two wins in three fights since. Budnik, 35, a former professional inline skater, had not finished an opponent in nearly two years.

Meanwhile, American Top Team’s Carmello Marrero took a unanimous decision from Brian Heden in the co-headliner. The 29-year-old Philadelphia native will carry a two-fight winning streak into his next appearance.

Other winners at the C3 Fights show included Sengoku veteran Toru Harai (split decision over Joe Calavitta) and Ryan Bixler (second-round submission against Ryan Kelly).

Quick Hits

Robert Washington earned a unanimous decision against Josh Payne at Martial Combat 6 on Thursday at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre in Sentosa, Singapore. Based out of the Spike 22 gym in Guam, Washington remains unbeaten in nine professional appearances … UFC castaway David Heath stopped Jason Kuchera on third-round punches in the Heat XC 5 “Punishment” headliner on Friday at the Mayfield Trade Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Kuchera met his demise 4:45 into round three. Heath has rattled off four wins in his last five fights … Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Virgil Lozano submitted Greg Raedel with a kneebar 3:39 into round one of their Baja Cage Fighting “Return of the Champ” main event on Saturday at the Fausto Gutierrez Moreno Auditorium in Tijuana, Mexico … Ohio-based middleweight prospect Mojo Horne submitted Lucas Lopes with a rear-naked choke 4:10 into round one of their MMA Big Show “All or Nothing” headliner on Saturday at the Belterra Casino Resort and Spa in Florence, Ind. Horne has bounced back nicely from consecutive defeats to John Troyer and Bellator veteran Robert McDaniel … The once-beaten Patricky Freire, brother of 2010 Bellator featherweight tournament finalist Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, earned a unanimous nod against Yure Machado at Arena Gold Fights 2 on Saturday at the Curitiba Military Circle Gymnasium in Curitiba, Brazil. Freire has delivered three wins in a row since his unanimous decision loss to recent UFC signee Willamy "Chiquerim" Freire in September 2007.