mobanmarketBy: Mike Coughlin for wrestlingobserver.com
Welcome to wrestlingobserver.com’s live coverage of World Series of Fighting. I cannot believe I’m doing this but someone has to. So, for all four of you who care, I’ll be covering the stuff airing on NBCSports. Matt Hamill was going to be fighting Thiago Silva, which sounds like a parody of fight but he pulled out after hearing who his opponent was. Hearing.
The show comes LIVE from Phoenix, AZ. Phoenix is largest city, of the state of Arizona. With 1,445,632 people (as of the 2010 U.S. Census), Phoenix is the most populous state capital in the United States, as well as the sixth most populous city in the United States of America.
Sigh.
FIGHT ONE – Jake Heun vs. Clifford Starks – light heavyweight tourney reserve bout
This fight is a reserve fight for a light heavyweight tournament. No idea who else is involved in the tournament Nor why they’re that concerned about needing reserves. This is also not the scheduled first fight but whatever. In case anyone cares, my dogs outsmarted me, knocked over my pizza, and ate it all while I was in the bathroom. So: I’m hungry… FOR VIOLENCE!
ROUND ONE
Both are hesitant. They are willing to throw isolated big punches but no one wants to stand in the pocket and exchange. Starks presses Heun agains the cage with a failed takedown attempt. Good kick to the body by Heun. Bas loved it. Of course, Starks caught it and took him down so maybe Bas isn’t as up to date with his MMA technique as he was in 1995. Starks on top, being patient, and throwing isolated elbows here and there. He isn’t taking any risks but he’s being just busy enough to avoid a standup. Heun isn’t doing anything off his back. No attempts at a high guard. No attempts at tying Starks up with an overhook. Of course, as I type that, he stands up but gives up his back in the process. Heun separates the hands and steps away. But Starks charges forward with a takedown and that should win him the round.
ROUND TWO
Round two begins with both men kneeing each other in the penis. That’s a first. Starks with a takedown. Heun with a modified sit-out to stand up but Starks is hanging on him to sap his energy. Heun was hurt or slipped. Either way, Starks is pouncing and landing shots. Heun ALMOST threw an illegal shot. You should get an extra point if you pull back from an illegal knee. Except that the ref said it WAS illegal and deducted a point from Heun. So: he’s screwed and isn’t winning this fight unless he finishes. Starks with a takedown once we restart. Can you believe I’m writing this much about such a useless fight??? Heun tried a Kimura that he never would have got but whatever, he tried. Starks is on top in half-guard, threatening an arm-triangle choke. He has it locked up. Slides over. GETS THE TAP!!!!
WINNER: STARKS BY SUBMISSION, ROUND 2
FIGHT TWO – Timur Valiev vs. Ed West
ROUND ONE
Valiev is out early, taking control of the center of the … something-a-gon. And then he lands a massive right and drops West hard. But his follow up missed and West is back to his feet, somehow. In the clinch, Valiev is being battered like a cake. Just overwhelmed. A mauling. It’s over.
WINNER: VALIEV d. WEST, round one, TKO
FIGHT THREE – Teddy Holder vs. Thiago Silva – light heavyweight tourney opening round
ROUND ONE
We went from a fighter that can’t hear to one that no one has heard of. This is the FIRST FIGHT of a four man LHW tournament. Feel the excitement. Silva using kids at first to keep distance. Holder trying to get inside and throw punches in bunches. But, even in close, Holder’s punches are looping wide and easy to see. Silva is seeing most of them and the connected with a counter shot that rocked Holder. But! WOW! HOLDER KNOCKS DOWN SILVA! Big punch. Silva is tying him up and moving but not enough and the ref stops it!!!!!
WINNER: HOLDER by KO, Round One
MAIN EVENT – Champ Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino – for lightweight title
ROUND ONE
Justin and Luis is how we will be describing this one because easier names to type always wins out. Justin is throwing a bunch of kicks early but they seem more to be distractions than anything as he is a D1 All American Wrestler. Justin with a lead left high kick. Luis is hurt. Easy takedown by Justin. 90 seconds in and Justin looks like he’s on a different level. Luis doesn’t belong. This will be over soon. Buuuuut: Luis with some good solid punches. Having written all that, Justin looks a bit slower now. Not winded per se but definitely more respectful in his approach. Luis seems to be better off the clinch with elbows. Justin slips behind, grabs a clinch from the back, and slams Luis down. This is a spring between two marathon runners. Unreal. A mouthpiece comes flying out and that’s the first break after 4:30. The first round ends with both throwing haymakers like it’s a Rocky movie!
ROUND TWO
Second round is more of the same so far. Justin with a left hook that Luis eats. There might be a smart way to win this fight for one of them but neither is going to go there. This is the classic “ALL OUT WAR” you hear about. Both are slower in the way that a tiger is slower than a cheetah. Justin is willing to throw a few more leg kicks off of each break. Luis is content to take them and answer with punches. This is better than a Medusa hall of fame speech, I’m sure. Justin with a takedown. But both back up. Currently, two men have thrown at one another all they have. Everything they have left is from deep within. This is simply two men playing a game of chicken. Whoever wins is not better, he is not tougher, he is simply gifted by fate. And that ends round two.
ROUND THREE
Ten minutes in and the do not stop. Justin continues to throw a few more kicks to the leg but the truth is they aren’t much. They aren’t damaging. They are show. They may keep Luis honest. But neither man is dishonest here. This is Soul vs. Soul. They clinch and each man lands uppercuts and knees. No one gains an advantage. Luis with a sloppy takedown which Justin easily sprawls to in response. Men fight. Men fight for world titles on bigger stages. There may be better fights. But at this moment: this is what you want to see. Two men, no giving in. AND A LOW KICK DROPS LUIS! He stands though and digging deep, begging his soul for more, he throws haymakers. Justin flies with a knee. Another kick to the knee. Luis is turtled up. Justin is on top. He is hammering down. He is letting out the aggression of his ancestors. AND THE FIGHT IS OVER!
WINNER: JUSTIN GAETHJE, Round Three, TKO
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