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May 31, 2010
Chad Hinton returns at Bellator 23 against Daniel Straus
Originally posted on MMAJunkie.com
After a solid but unsuccessful lightweight tournament loss to UFC veteran Roger Huerta, Chad Hinton (6-1 MMA, 0-1 BFC) gets a second shot at a first Bellator win when he meets Daniel Straus (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC) next month at Bellator 23.
The two Cincinnati-based fighters have been booked for the preliminary card of the June 24 show.
MMAjunkie.com editor-in-chief Dann Stupp reported the bout in today's "MMA Insider" column for the Dayton Daily News.
Bellator 23 takes place at the Fourth Street Live! entertainment complex in Louisville, Ky. The night's main card, including what's expected to be at least one tournament finale, airs on FOX Sports Net.
Hinton, a former high school wrestler and kickboxer who made his pro MMA debut as a 36-year-old, impressed during a solid first round against Huerta at Bellator 13. The more-experienced Huerta, though, took over in the next two rounds and ultimately forced a third-round tap-out via kneebar. The loss snapped Hinton's six-fight win streak, which included appearances throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
He'll fight close to home again when he meets Straus, who enters the contest with seven-fight win streak. The Ohio fight circuit veteran posted one of the biggest wins of his career in January when he stopped UFC veteran and "The Ultimate Fighter 4" cast member Gideon Ray via unanimous decision at an XFO show.
For the latest on Bellator 23, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Chad Hinton)
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May 31, 2010
Luke Zachrich vs. Mike Fleniken set for season-ending Bellator 23 show in Louisville
Originally posted on MMAJunkie.com
A middleweight bout between "The Ultimate Fighter 7" cast member Luke Zachrich (9-2 MMA, 0-1 BFC) and Kentucky-based fighter Mike Fleniken (2-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) is set for next month at Bellator Fighting Championships' season-ending Bellator 24 show.
Zachrich confirmed the fight with MMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp in his weekly Dayton Daily News "MMA Insider" column.
Bellator 23 takes place June 24 at Fourth Street Live! in Louisville, Ky.
The night's main card, including what's expected to be two finales to the organization's current four tournaments, airs on FOX Sports Net. However, Zachrich vs. Fleniken is an un-aired fight on the preliminary "Local Card."
MMAjunkie.com readers may remember Zachrich as an MMAjunkie.com blogger for "TUF 7." As a member of Forrest Griffin's team, he defeated Patrick Schultz in an elimination-round bout before suffering a loss to Dan Cramer in the following round. UFC officials didn't give Zachrich a spot in the show's live finale, and he instead fought in outside organizations to push his win streak to six fights. However, at Bellator 16 in April, the Team Jorge Gurgel and Cincinnati-based fighter suffered a submission loss to WEC vet Eric Schambari (12-1).
Zachrich now meets Fleniken, who followed a 3-0 amateur run with two submission victories in his first two pro bouts. However, at an April event in Colorado, the Louisville MMA Fight Team member suffered a submission loss to Chaun Sims (3-0).
For the latest on Bellator 23, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
(Pictured: Luke Zachrich)
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May 29, 2010
UFC 114: John Hathaway Upsets Diego Sanchez
Originally posted on MMAFighting.com
The undefeated British fighter John Hathaway took a big step up in competition and made the most of it at UFC 114, defeating Diego Sanchez in a significant upset for by far the biggest win of his career.
For Sanchez, who was last seen losing to B.J. Penn in a lightweight title fight, it was the worst loss of his career: A loss that's going to send him back to the drawing board, and that takes away any possibility that he'll be contending for a belt again any time soon.
"I'm very happy," Hathaway said. "Me and my team worked really hard for this."
The fight got off to a fairly slow start, but midway through the first round Hathaway landed a huge knee to Sanchez's face, sending Sanchez down and nearly out. Hathaway landed more punches and elbows on the ground from inside Sanchez's guard, and it was all Sanchez could do to hold on and survive the round. It was a very impressive first round for Hathaway.
At the start of the second round Sanchez tried to get more aggressive with his striking, throwing a couple of head kicks, but Hathaway used his superior reach to land punches and move away from Sanchez's hands. A couple minutes into the round Hathaway wanted to throw another knee but Sanchez grabbed his leg and took him down. He couldn't keep Hathaway down, however, and on his feet Hathaway looked very comfortable landing punches and visibly battering Sanchez's face.
In the third round Sanchez started to come alive, landing some strong right hands and bloodying the left side of Hathaway's face. Late in the round Hathaway's nose started to bleed as Sanchez landed more punches, but Hathaway showed a lot of tenacity in refusing to let Sanchez get the upper hand. After the final horn, two judges gave it to Hathaway 30-27 and one even gave it to Hathaway 30-26. It was a dominant showing for a budding star of MMA.
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May 29, 2010
UFC 114 Results: John Hathaway Dominates Diego Sanchez
Originally posted on BleacherReport.com
Diego Sanchez came into his UFC 114 as the fan favorite to grab a win over John Hathaway.
Hathaway, however, changed those plans in impressive fashion.
The British fighter took "The Nightmare" and controlled him for the majority of their three round affair, even gaining a 10-8 by one judge in their first round.
Nearly every take down attempt by Sanchez was stuffed and Hathaway was able to dictate exactly where he wanted this fight to go.
Impressive stand up and take down defense was the theme for this fight as Hathaway earns his third UFC victory in a row and will likely gain some attention for top five contention.
Sanchez returns to welterweight in a losing effort and has lost two in a row. There has been a lot of cutting from the UFC but Sanchez's marketability is still in good standing, so don't look for him to be dropped any time soon.
Judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 in favor of Hathaway.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for more!
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May 29, 2010
Cyrille Diabate Prevails Over Luis Cane at UFC 114
Originally posted on various sites
Click here to watch the fight video from MMA-Core.
MMA Weekly reported:
Frenchman Cyrille Diabate nearly saw his UFC dreams go up in smoke when Brazilian fighter Luis Cane dropped him to the mat less than a minute into the fight. He battled back, however, and a minute later unloaded on Cane, dropping him to the mat with a left-right combination and finishing him off with strikes.
From MMA Junkie:
In a battle of strikers, French kickboxer Cyrille Diabate picked up his 10th win in 11 fights and made a successful UFC debut with a first-round TKO of fellow light heavyweight Luiz Cane.
Diabate, though, was in trouble early and dropped with a left hook, and after regaining his wits, "The Snake" then was forced to break free of a guillotine choke. However, after returning to his feet, Cane then was forced to go on the defensive as his opponent fired off punches and kicks from all angles. A big right hand got through and dropped Cane to the mat, and Diabate followed with two additional punches before referee Herb Dean called a halt to the action at the 2:13 mark of the round.
Cane initially protested the stoppage, though the follow-up shots are what appeared to have awakened him from near-unconsciousness.
"Even though he's a black belt in jiu jitsu, I know Luiz likes to stand and trade," Diabate said. "He definitely rocked me, but I think that gave him a false sense of confidence because I was able to catch him right after that."
Diabate (16-6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has now posted eight knockout victories among his 16 career wins. Cane (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), who also suffered a TKO loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 106, now has back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.
411mania described the fight:
Light Heavyweight Fight (Prelim): Luiz Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate
Round One: Both standing southpaw. Leg kick by Diabate Big left by Cane after he eats a jab. Diabate fires back with his own left. Another left by Cane. BIG LEFT BY CANE DROPS DIABATE! Cane pounces on him but Diabate regains his senses, grabs a hold of Cane, and reveres him on the ground. They stand up in the clinch. Cane tries a takedown by Diabate stays on his feet. Knee to the body by Diabate on the break. Uppercut followed by a right by Diabate. He tags him again with that combo. Knee by Diabate. Big combo by Diabate drops Cane. Diabate lands a couple of shots on the ground before the ref stops it.
*Cane upset with the stoppage, feeling it was early.
Official Decision: Cyrille Diabate by TKO (Punches) at 2:13 in Round One
Sherdog said:
Round 1
A hard left low kick by Diabate lands right away. Cane is throwing bombs and missing. Diabate digs a nasty kick to the body. A left hand rocks Diabate and he's down; Cane dives in for the finish. Diabate pulls guard and weathers the storm. Diabate explodes and scrambles up to his feet. They exchange, but Diabate is keeping a perfect distance. A left stings Cane. A right hurts him. Cane comes in and eats a perfect left-right combo and he's flat on his back. Diabate jumps on him and referee Herb Dean stops it immediately before more damage is inflicted. The official time of the stoppage is 2:13 of the round.
Excerpts reposted by MMAagents, leaders in Mixed Martial Arts Athlete Representation.
May 27, 2010
Bellator 20 recap: Bryan Baker, Alexander Shlemenko book middleweight tourney final
Originally posted on MMAJunkie.com
With a spot in Bellator's second-ever middleweight tournament finals on the line, three-time WEC veteran Bryan Baker wasted little time proving he deserved to compete for a shot at champion Hector Lombard.
Baker needed less than half of a round to submit a submission ace, as opponent Eric Schambari was forced to tap out just 2:29 into the first round in the pair's featured contest.
Baker's win served as the main event for Thursday night's Bellator 20 event, which took place at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. The main card aired on FOX Sports Net.
After a solid combination of punches from Baker to open the contest, Schambari pushed in and successfully secured a takedown. The strategy backfired as Baker deftly worked his legs into position for the choke. Schambari tried desperately to escape, but the hold was tight and he was forced to tap.
Baker (13-1 MMA, 3-0 BFC) has now won seven-straight fights since suffering his lone career loss to Chael Sonnen in 2008. Schambari (12-2 MMA, 1-1 BFC) loses for just the second time as a professional and sees a five-fight win streak come to an end.
In the evening's other middleweight semifinal bout, season-one finalist Jared Hess was stopped one fight short of reaching the end again, though this time it was due more to misfortune than his opponent.
Hess battled gamely with Russian striking machine Alexander Shlemenko. Hess worked the fight to the ground early and often and rendered "Storm" unable to deliver the wild spinning attacks that saw him through the tournament's opening round.
Shlemenko threatened with a triangle choke attempt in the second round and an effective striking attack in the third, but Hess appeared to faring well in the matchup until a break in the action in the final frame. After what seemed an innocent enough grappling exchange, Shlemenko returned to his feet and backed away from his opponent. At that time, Hess revealed he had suffered what looked to be a possible knee dislocation, and the fight was halted.
While undoubtedly not the ending Shlemenko (29-4 MMA, 2-0 BFC) was hoping for, the Russian has now won 14 of his past 15 contests and will face Baker in the tournament finals. Hess (11-2-1 MMA, 3-2 BFC) loses for just the second time in his career.
Click here to read the entire article.
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May 27, 2010
Knee injury forces Jared Hess to retire from bout…
Originally posted on blog.newsok.com/boneman
Alexander Shlemenko
From Boneman’s Bout Blog
One second can change an MMA or boxing bout, and Jared Hess has found that out the hard way.
In a bout that Hess had seemed to have control in, a leg kick by Alexander Shlemenko dislocated Hess’ knee, and the former Central Oklahoma wrestling star couldn’t continue.
Hess attempted to get back to his feet but couldn’t put any weight on it in the final minutes of their Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight semifinal bout Thursday in San Antonio.
Hess came out strong in the opening round and seized control early. Hess was able to take down Shlemenko a couple of times and dictated the action.
The second round was five minutes of give and take. Hess was in danger several times. At first, it looked like a guillotine. Then he almost got caught in heel hook. Shlemenko nearly had a triangle choke, but Hess kept sprawling. Real good round.
In between all those near-submissions, Hess was able to connect on some power shots in what was a close round to call.
The third round was some more good action until Hess dislocated his knee. I’ll have to watch it again to see exactly what happened.
I was too busy (during the replays) kinda wincing at what happened with Hess’ left leg. You could see the kneecap move, not a pretty sight. Hess collapsed in a heap.
Hess kept fighting, though. He was bobbin’ and weavin’ from his knees which made for a cool visual. When Hess attempted to get back to his feet, he couldn’t put any weight on it at all.
I had Hess ahead at the time of the stoppage, but it was a fun bout. Shlemenko advances to the finals of the middleweight tournament.
It is only the second loss of Hess’ career, both have come in Bellator. Last year, his fight in the final against Hector Lombard was stopped because of blood. Now this one is stopped for injury. He’s definitely earning the reputation as a one tough fighter.
Hess appeared to be fine, but he couldn’t leave the cage under his own power. He was aware of everything and was talking, expressing his obvious disappointment.
Hoping to get a word with Hess in the near future.
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May 27, 2010
Hess blows out knee, Shlemenko advances to Bellator final
Originally posted on USATODAY.com
Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight titleholder Hector Lombard won't be getting the rematch he expected, after all.
Russian striker Alexander Shlemenko defeated Jared Hess tonight in San Antonio to reach the final of Bellator's middleweight tournament. Referee John Shorley halted the bout in the third round after Hess dislocated his left knee in a gruesome-looking injury after eating a knee strike from Shlemenko.
Hess appeared to be controlling the fight until the injury. The former All-American wrestler took down Shlemenko easily in the first two rounds and had top position or back control for most of the first 10 minutes. Shlemenko's submission attempts from his back included a triangle choke, heel hook and omoplata, but none of them were close to forcing a tapout from Hess.
But Shlemenko connected solidly with a knee in the third round, and Hess' left knee gave way and the leg bent in the wrong direction as he fell. Although Hess kept fighting from his back, once Shlemenko backed off and stood, Hess could not stand to follow, and Shorley halted the bout.
Shlemenko later said he was waiting for Hess to tire himself out before going on the attack.
Hess, a finalist in Bellator's inaugural middleweight tourney last year, was one of the favorites to win this year's edition. Lombard, among others, predicted Hess would win and get another shot at him.
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