With yesterday’s Filho-centric weigh-in shenanigans in the books, upstart Australian promotion Impact FC is ready to hold their second show and first-ever live pay-per-view tonight in Sydney.
Sure, the card is headlined by a clash between two MMA legends who arguably shouldn’t be fighting anymore – Ken Shamrock and Pedro Rizzo – but underneath that are some solid match-ups, like British striker Paul Daley taking on Brazilian vet Daniel Acacio, and the aforementioned Mr. Filho against Denis Kang.
Full play-by-play after the jump.
More BE coverage of Impact FC “The Uprising: Sydney”
Quick Results
Pedro Rizzo def. Ken Shamrock via TKO (leg kicks and punches) R1, 3:33
Paul Daley def. Daniel Acacio via submission (elbow) R3, 1:15
Soa Palelei def. Brad Morris via submission (keylock) R1, 4:20
Denis Kang vs. Paulo Filho ruled a split draw (29-28 Filho, 30-27 Kang, 29-29)
Murilo “Ninja” Rua def. Jeremy May via submission (guillotine choke) R1, 4:02
Jesse Taylor def. Murilo Bustamante via submission (retirement) R2, 2:10
Jim York def. Peter Graham via submission (rear-naked choke) R1, 3:44
Glover Teixeira def. Marko Peselj via TKO (punches) R1, 2:55
Richie “Vas” Vaculik def. Glenn Taylor-Smith via submission (rear-naked choke) R2, 4:16
Manuel Rodriguez def. Shane Nix via technical submission (north-south choke) R1, 4:22
Ken Shamrock (212) vs. Pedro Rizzo (244)
Round 1: Rizzo catches a high kick from Shamrock and socks him with a counter right. Rizzo already chopping away at both the inside and outside of Shamrock’s thighs with leg kicks. Shamrock tries to wade in and strike but eats a combo. Rizzo alternating inside thigh kicks and pawing jabs. Rizzo’s leg kicks starting to take a toll on Shamrock with two minutes left in the round, as the Brazilian also loads on up his overhand rights. Rizzo lands an outside thigh kick to the right leg of Shamrock, and Shamrock takes a knee. Referee John McCarthy asks Shamrock if he’s done, and Rizzo half-heartedly lobs a few more punches before Big John waves it off.
Pedro Rizzo (19-9) def. Ken Shamrock (27-14-2) via TKO (leg kicks and punches) R1, 3:33
Paul Daley (171) vs. Daniel Acacio (171)
Round 1: Daley parrying jabs to the body of Acacio early. Acacio catches an outside leg kick and drives Daley to the fence, but Daley hops, sprawls and stays upright. The two clinch along the cage until Daley lands a left that causes Acacio to fall to his back and pull guard. Daley follows him down, trying to stack and pound the Brazilian out with two minutes left. John McCarthy stands them back up and Daley chases Acacio down, winging more lefts. Acacio shoots a low double against the cage post and deposits Daley on his back, moving to half-guard with a minute remaining. Daley uses the cage to work back to his feet. With just seconds left, McCarthy stops the action to have a piece of loose tape cut from one of Acacio’s gloves. 10-9 Daley.
Round 2: Acacio backs away, dodging a murderous spinning back-fist from Daley, then catches a kick from “Semtex” and tries for a takedown. Daley winds up on top in the ensuing scramble, but Acacio snares a leg. Daley spins out and punches to the body of Acacio from half-guard. Acacio grabs Daley’s leg again, deep this time, but again Daley extracts the limb. They stand. Smacking outside thigh kick from Daley, which Acacio returns weakly. Acacio shoots in from far out and tries to pull guard. Daley’s not having it. Acacio catches another kick from Daley and punches/shoves Daley to his back. Short hammerfists by Acacio from Daley’s closed guard. Daley botches an armbar attempt in the final seconds. 10-9 Acacio.
Round 3: Daley tags Acacio with a few shots before Acacio pulls guard and Daley follows him down. One nasty elbow from the top is all it takes to open a cut on the forehead of Acacio and prompt a verbal submission from the Brazilian.
Paul Daley (24-9-2) def. Daniel Acacio (21-10) via submission (elbow) R3, 1:15
Brad Morris (253) vs. Soa Palelei (289)
Round 1: Morris doggedly going for a takedown in the opening minutes. Paleiei shoots some knees to the body from the clinch which double Morris over, and Paleiei adds a few to the head and face. Morris falls down and Paleiei follows him to the ground, passing to Morris’ left side. Paleiei reaches across and wrenches a keylock on Morris’ far arm for the tap.
Soa Palelei (11-2) def. Brad Morris (10-5) via submission (keylock) R1, 4:20
Paulo Filho (186) vs. Denis Kang (185)
Round 1: Tentative start to the round before Filho shoots weakly and tries to pull guard after a minute. Kang decides to follow him down and immediately gets wrapped up. Kang advances to deep half guard and punches away to Filho’s ribs. Filho doing nothing but attempt to tie up from the bottom as Kang pounds away with punches and elbows. Kang looks to have an arm-triangle for a moment, but Filho escapes. John McCarthy implores the fighters to get active with a minute left. Crowd starts booing, and understandably so. Kang finishes the round in half guard. 10-9 Kang.
Round 2: Kang takes Filho down immediately, but Filho scrambles back up. Filho drags Kang down against the base of the cage with a single-leg and moves to half-guard, framing up an arm-triangle. Filho using elbows, positionally advancing at a glacial pace, but it’s happening. Kang still has Filho’s left leg trapped… and now Filho extracts it and gains full mount halfway through the round. Filho flattens Kang out, but Kang bridges and reverses! Now it’s Kang working slowly from Filho’s half-guard, landing a few nice punches but Filho’s wrapping him up well. 10-9 Filho and 19-19 going into the final round.
Round 3: Filho plows Kang down to the edge of the cage and punches at Kang’s ribs from half-guard. Kang bridges and sweeps again, taking Filho’s back, but Filho is quickly on top again and gets side control. Kang gives up his back and Filho sinks both hooks in. Filho’s back is to the cage. The Brazilian tries for the RNC, but Kang defends ably and twists out. Two minutes left and Filho’s back on top. One of the fighters just growled. Kang holding on to Filho’s left arm from the bottom, but Filho doesn’t seem overly concerned with the sub attempt and eventually frees the arm with 20 seconds left. 10-9 Kang.
Bloody Elbow scores the bout 29-28 Kang.
Denis Kang (33-12-2) vs. Paulo Filho (20-1-1) ruled a split draw (29-28 Filho, 30-27 Kang, 29-29)
From Jordan Breen:
Split draw likely means a rematch. Impact FC is planning two shows in Rio de Janeiro in September. I’d expect Kang-Filho 2.
Murilo Rua (186) vs. Jeremy May (186)
Round 1: May whiffs on a leaping kick and falls to his butt. He jumps back up and starts chasing Rua, who grabs a single leg. May avoids the takedown and makes Rua pay for the attempt with a few punches. Front kick connects from May and Rua answers with one to the body. May tags Rua with a looping right hook! Rua falls to his back and throws up his guard. May can’t finish and allows Rua back to the feet. May grabs a schoolyard choke that looks tight, but relents. Rua turtling up now with a relentless May punching away, kneeing to the body. Ninja gets back up and May takes him back down, but it’s Rua who lands on top. May slips out with ease. Rua jumps guard, grabs a guillotine and May taps almost immediately. Nice comeback from the Brazilian, who was getting roughed up pretty good for the first three-plus minutes of the round. After the fight May says he’d been “diarrhea’in” ever since he made weight.
Murilo “Ninja” Rua (20-10-1) def. Jeremy May (7-7) via submission (guillotine choke) R1, 4:02
Murilo Bustamante (185) vs. Jesse Taylor (185)
Round 1: Taylor slaps with low kicks early and presses Bustamante’s back to the fence. The Brazilian reverses and trips Taylor to the mat, but they’re quickly back on their feet. Tenacious takedown attempt from Taylor, who double-legs Bustamante to the base of the cage. Taylor trying to work from full guard with Bustamante tying up his arms well. Bustamante reverses momentarily, but Taylor’s soon back in guard with half the round gone. Not much offense on the ground as Taylor tries to advance position and Bustamante angles for a submission with open guard. Taylor attempts to pass to the side, but Bustamante snares an arm and uses the omoplata to gain full mount with 90 seconds left. Bustamante takes the back and locks up a body triangle, but Taylor muscles out of a rear-naked choke attempt. Close round, but I see it 10-9 Bustamante for the submission attempts.
Round 2: Taylor with an early takedown, spends the first two minutes of the round scooting Bustamante around the cage, dropping short elbows. Referee John McCarthy stands the fighters up and Bustamante motions that he can’t continue. McCarthy waves it off to zero reaction from the confused crowd. Bustamante tells officials that he’s dizzy and points to the side of his head as he’s helped to his stool.
Jesse Taylor (15-6) def. Murilo Bustamante (14-8-1) via submission (retirement) R2, 2:10
Undercard results, courtesy of Jordan Breen on Twitter:
Jim York (13-4) def. Peter Graham (1-5) via submission (rear-naked choke) R1, 3:44
Glover Teixeira (10-2) def. Marko Peselj (1-2) via TKO (punches) R1, 2:55
Richie “Vas” Vaculik (6-1) def. Glenn Taylor-Smith (0-2) via submission (rear-naked choke) R2, 4:16
Manuel Rodriguez (6-1) def. Shane Nix (6-3) via technical submission (north-south choke) R1, 4:22
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