Friday, April 22, 2011

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Liveblog: UCC 4 Part 5

The heavyweights are on deck again, and it's Rolles Gracie vs. Braden Bice. This one is predictably quick, as Gracie misses with a kick but reverses Bice on the ground and slaps on the head/arm choke. The tap comes at 1:05 of Round 1. Last bout and it's TUF vet Andy Main and Gold Team rep Felipe Arantes for the 145 belt. This match-up is awesome on so many levels, and all those levels involve violence and carnage. Employing his unique brand of face-punching and a decent reach advantage, Main mixes it up nicely with the Brazilian. But things go south quickly when Arantes accidentally kicks Main in the chops when the American is on all fours. The doctor waives the bout off after examining Main, rendering the bout a "no contest" at 4:38 or Round 1. And we're done.

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Liveblog: UCC 4 Part 4

AMA FC stud bantamweight Sean Santella squares up against jiu-jitsu man Sedico Honorio for the UCC belt. It becomes readily apparent early on why they're fighting a championship belt, as these guys are skilled and dangerous at all ranges - with their kicks, with their counters,and with their frenetic ground games. Santella takes Round 1, but the pendulum swings the other way in Round 2, with Honorio landing more and effectively. The final frame is all Honorio, as the fading Santella can't seem to keep up with his foe's output. The judges disagree, though, and give the split decision to Santella.

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Liveblog: UCC 4 Part 3

It's time for Pellegrino MMA stalwart Kevin Roddy and ATT's Chris Foster to do the dance. And by dance, I mean beat on each other for our perverse enjoyment. It's always a game of inches when Roddy fights - one inch one way and he's catching you in a sub. One inch another way and you're out-pointing him to get the decision. The latter is the case this time, as Foster manages to dodge an armbar and avoid Roddy's ground manhandling and rack up points one jab at a time. Foster takes the unanimous decision when time runs out. Glen Sandull of AMA FC and Mike Stewart of Bombsquad enter the cage for a heavyweight contest. The two go at it with some extended collar-tie love and dirty boxing. It's even in Round 1, but Stewart makes his presence felt in the second with repeated kicks to the leg. Things play out in almost identical fashion in the last round. That is, until Stewart's left finds Sandull's chin. The KO comes at 4:49.

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Liveblog: UCC 4 Part 2

First bout and it's Lucas Pimenta of Gold Team and Yusuf Yoldas of Eagle MMA. Despite a rocky start in his pro debut, Yoldas came into this bout having done his homework. Firing off kicks on the feet and threatening with a guillotine and a triangle, he met Pimentas aggressive takedowns and ground assault head on and kept it competitive. Pimenta began to edge ahead with his grappling in Round 2, although he screwed the pooch with an illegal knee to the face when Yoldas was down. Round 3 is a bit closer, with Yoldas going for a guillotine for about three minutes and Pimenta flurrying when on top. Pimenta takes the unanimous decision when time runs out. Next is Segio Da Silva of Team Vitor Shaolin against Aljamain Sterling of Bombsquad. From the outset Sterling establishes himself as the more dynamic of the two, striking almost at will, shrugging off takedown attempts with ease and pounding on Da Silva whenever there are openings. He even comes pretty close with a D'Arce choke, but to his credit, the BJJ fighter guts it out. Things get brutal in Round 2, though, as Sterling just mashes Da Silva with kicks and relentless violence on the ground. Round 3 is more of the same, and at the end Sterling takes the unanimous decision.

Liveblog: UCC 4 Part 1

MMA Journalist is here, freezing to death at the lovely Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown, NJ, where a cage has been set up in the middle of an active hockey rink for the fourth edition of the Urban Conflict Championship. There are eight fights scheduled, although a couple fighters went out to check the cage pre-show and they lost toes to frostbite. Anyhoo, yeah, UCC. Woot.