(PRESS RELEASE) -- USA East’s path to the semi-finals was the most dramatic, tying 2008 statistical second best Finland in the “Group C” bracket at 2-1 team wins, 10-15 overall and getting into the semis by merit of one of those team wins being over Finland. ... Read More
LONDON -- Neil Grove needed just 53 seconds to retain his heavyweight championship against Martin Thompson at Ultimate Challenge UK “Dynamite” on Saturday at The Troxy.
Thompson, the top-ranked domestic heavyweight entering the fight, struggled from the outset in dealing with the size of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound “Goliath,” as he appeared tentative to commit any force behind his jittery jab. Grove, in contrast, maintained his customary static stance and waited for an opportunity to strike.
The end came swiftly. Thompson overextended throwing a right hook and was punished with a brutal counter right that lifted him from his feet and planted him face first into the canvas. Grove, a UFC veteran, followed with half a dozen unanswered ground strikes before the referee intervened. ... Read More
The Weekly Wrap walks readers through the last seven days in MMA, recapping and putting into context the week's top story, important news and notable quotes. ... Read More
For their Saturday night theatrics, Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone may well take "Fight of the Year" honors when Sherdog staffers convene in January to talk about awards hardware for 2009. It will likely get my vote. But it's not the lightweight fight from the night I want to talk about. ... Read More
Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson made it difficult to argue against the WEC’s continued existence Saturday: their headlining fight at the promotion’s 43rd event in San Antonio packed more action into 25 minutes than Michael Bay could manage in 120. (Actual running time of “Transformers 2”: over four hours. Look it up.)
Years removed from first-generation guard work -- where opponents might actually take short naps right along with viewers -- Henderson spent much of his early activity posturing up and looking for ways to end the fight with his fists; Cerrone used his rangy 6’ frame to tie Henderson up in knots of submissions. Often, he’d coil up his long legs, shoot them out like they were powered by hydraulics, and send Henderson flying across the ring. It was 2009’s most entertaining fight to date, stained only by a contested judges’ decision -- officials valued Henderson’s work from the top over Cerrone’s submission attempts. ... Read More
Sherdog.com reports from the AT&T Center in San Antonio with live play-by-play of WEC 43. In the main event, lightweights Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson will clash for the WEC 155-pound interim title.
The AT&T Center in San Antonio will play host to the snakebitten WEC 43 “Cerrone vs. Henderson” card on Saturday, and I know I’m not the only one surprised to see this show on the verge of coming together. ... Read More
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