Super Fight League’s third show is happening today, at New Delhi, India, and it will be headlined by a heavyweight bout guaranteed to satisfy your MMA guilty pleasures. After making Bob Sapp tap to a double leg takedown during the first SFL event, now James Thompson gets to face former WWE star, Bobby Lashley.
There are other familiar names on the card, such as former WEC champion Doug “the Rhino” Marshall, taking on Zelg Galesic, Baga Agaev vs. Trevor Prangley, and the beautiful Lena Ovchynnikova taking on Joanne Calderwood as the co-main event.
Also an interesting twist, the promotion have decided to make the tickets for this event for free. India is a tough market for MMA, and it’s a bit of a risk trading in ticket sales for the chance of converting new fans. It’s nice to see them try to change things up a bit though, and at least this probably guarantees there will be more people in attendance for Lashley vs. Thompson.
As always we’ll be bringing you the live video and some play-by-play of the event which should start some time around 9 a.m. ET, so as always make Bloody Elbow your home for this one.
After about an hour of delay, the event is now live. Results and some play-by-play after the jump.
SFL 3 Card:
Doug Marshall vs. Zelg Galesic – After a crazy crazy exchange, Galesic lands big and follows up with a flying knee that puts Rhino out. That was quick. We haven’t seen much of the former WEC champ since he lost to Brian Stann a few years ago, and we still didn’t on this fight. Zelg Galesic wins by KO (flying knee) in 34 seconds.
Gurdashan Mangat vs. Liu Si Cong – After getting deducted 2 points in the first round for an illegal knee, Mangat, the Indian fighter took advantage of Liu’s lack of a ground game, and choked him out in the second round. Mangat def. Liu by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2.
Lakwinder Sekhon vs. Vladimir Byandov – Byandov won the first, and most of the second, until he got a beating on the last moments of the 2nd round. The bell ended, and the guy they brought in for their local star couldn’t continue in between rounds 2 and 3. Sekhon def. Byandov by TKO (didn’t answer the bell)
Phil Baroni interviews the winner without a shirt on, just his trademark leather jacket.
Baga Agaev vs. Trevor Prangley – brief exchanges with Agaev landing a few good kicks. Baga controlling the center of the cage, waiting for Prangley to commit. Not much happening. Leg kick from Prangley, and they wait. Agaev pushes Prangley to the fence. They separate. Spinning back fist and back kicks attempts miss from Agaev. They clinch briefly and Pranley lands a nice knee to the body. After a lull in the action, Agaev lands a good counter right hand. Leg kick from Prangley and a right from Agaev. Backfist lands from Agaev and Prangley starts bleeding. Prangley lands an uppercut. Very close round. I think it deserves a 10-10.
Round 2. The pace seems to be picking up more compared to the first. Prangley upping his output and starts landing more compared to the first. Agaev lands a superman punch. Prangley’s cut opened up again. Prangley lands a good exchange on the clinch. Weird camera angles… and now Prangley keeps landing hooks and knees by the cage. Apart from the occasional spinning backfist attempt, Agaev isn’t doing much anymore. He’s just letting Prangley slowly pick him apart. Nice knee from Prangley before the round ends, and it’s 10-9 Prangley on my card.
Round 3. More of the same. Agaev waits, while Prangley lands. What is up with weird camera angles just showing one fighter? BIG RIGHT HOOK FROM PRANGLEY, followed by GNP and Agaev is out. Trevor Prangley def. Baga Agaev by TKO (punches), Round 3.
Kultar Singh Gill vs. Quinton Arendse – Kultar Gill walks in wearing a fancy outfit, a pendant, and a sword. Says he’s “the most decorated fighter in Indian history”… This should be interesting. They look like they’re in different weight classes. Where did they get this Quinton guy? Aaaand it’s over. Quick GnP from Kultar Singh Gill and Quinton is KO’ed. Kultar Singh Gill def. Quinton Arendse by KO (Ground Punches).
Dude goes wild, freaks out and celebrates. Trashes the mic. Runs around the cage, and crashes into the camera guy. Camera drops, and I’m guessing that’s going on your pay check. Now they’re showing a zoomed out camera angle with Indian kids from the crowd trolling.
Anup Kumar vs. Chatmongkhon Simma – Sima walks in as another “foreigner” they expect and hope to lose to another Indian guy from Team SFL. I don’t get their business model, but that’s a whole different conversation. Kumar rushes in and gets a takedown on the Thai fighter. Side control now, then north-south, and Kumar is just holding on while doing nothing. Uhmm. We can we get a stand up now? Dude is just in awkward north-south circling around for a few minutes. FINALLY. Kumar moves to mound. And gets deducted for three shots to the back of the head. He thought he won. Kumar with another takedown, and it’s pretty obvious they brought Simma in cause they know he doesn’t have much of a ground game. Mount, GnP, and Goddard stops it. Kumar Celebrates and dances. Anup Kumar def. Simma by TKO (punches).
Lena Ovchynnikova vs. Joanne Calderwood -Lena lands a left hand. Misses with a head kick but lands a spinning kick to follow up that lands. Calderwood with the takedown but falls into a nasty guillotine attempt. It’s going to be tough to finish at half-guard though. Lena lets it go, and goes back to the feet. Calderwood with a takedown and gets the back. Lena reverses and gets on top. Lena lands a knee to the body. Tight triangle from Calderwood. More than a minute or so and Lena is still defending that triangle. Leg scissors attempt from Lena while stuck in a triangle, and now she gets out. Round ends. 10-9 for Calderwood
Round 2. Baroni is now commentating completely shirtless. Calderwood with a takedown, and multiple submission attempts. It looked to be over multiple times, but Lena defends well, but she’s still losing on the ground. Lena gets deducted from pulling on the hair I think. Round ends and it’s 10-8 Calderwood with the deduction.
Round 3. Lena goes southpaw and lands a sinning back kick. She should go for broke here. Big straight left from Lena snaps Calderwood’s head back. Lena gets taken down again, and fails with a guillotine choke. She’s getting controlled on the ground now. Calderwood gets the back and starts pounding. Lena attempts a headbutt while Calderwood has her back! haha. Calderwood goes for a choke and the round ends. Calderwood wins the round, and it should be 30-26 for Calderwood. Calderwood does pushups after the fight ends. Joanne Calderwood wins by Unanimous Decision (30-26 across the board)
Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson – Lashley with a straight and drags him to the ground. Thompson tries to wall walk, and gets back up to the feet. Lashley drops to a double leg by the fence and Thompson defends. They clinch and Lashley lands a few punches before getting another takedown. Lashley lands a few punches before Thompson gets back up. Lashley with good dirty boxing, and yet another takedown to side control. Thompson gets back up. Lashley looks to have slowed a bit already. They clinch on the fence, and Thompson lands a good knee then another that hits low. Looks like Lashley is wisely using most of the 5 minutes given to recover a bit and get his second wind. They go back at it. Lashley lands a left hook, Thompson clinches and tries to takedown Lashley. They’re clinching in the fence and as they separate, Lashley lands a big punch and flurries. Bell rings as Thompson looked like he was still hurt. 10-9 Lashley
Round 2. Let’s see how much these guys have in the tank. Thompson clinches in the fence. Lashley eats a knee to the belt and pretends it was a low blow. Ref has nothing of it. More knees to the midsection from Thompson and Lashley seems to be wearing down. More knees. Lashley returns the favor with a big knee. Lashley tries for a takedown, More clinch work in the fence and they get restarted in the cetnter. Lashley throws haymakers and shoots but gets stuffed. Lashley looks tired. Dirty boxing in the fence from Thompson. Another knee to the body. Lashley lands a big punch, but they’re back in the fence. Lashley turns, and lands in the clinch. Lashley pushing him to the fence, and flurries, but misses most of it. Both of them are slolwing down. Mostly cage work this round. Round ends and Lashley looks to be worn out. Very close round which could go either way, but I’ll score it 10-9 Thompson I guess.
Round 3. Lashley’s hands are low, and looks tried as hell. He still lands a good combination though. Thompson with another low blow. Lashley is still on the floor. He’s using up most of the 5 minutes again. Not sure how much of this is him being tired, cause that illegal knee did look to have landed hard. Baroni calls out Lashley says it wasn’t that hard and he should get up. Now that he gets up, it kinda looks like he’s just using the time to recover cause he looked gassed a while ago. Thompson stuffs a shoot from Lashley. They clinch and Thompson lands an elbow and a few punches from the clinch. Another elbow from Thompson, and Lashley has been constantly pinned to the fence. Elbow again from Thompson. Lashley looks bad here. He’s got to get off the fence. Lashley lands a big knee from a Muay Thai clinch that backs up Thompson. Both look tired. They’re back in the fence. Few dirty boxing from Thompson. Lashley is able to separate and lands a good jab and left hook. Can he steal the round? Both guys slug it out and flurry until the bell ends. Lashley got the better of that exchange, but I still have it 10-9 Thompson. Close fight on the last 2 rounds, but on my card it should go to Thompson 29-28.
Judges score it 29-28 to James Thompson.
Thompson’s face looks messed up. He did a dance and sang the “punch kick wow” theme song though.
They just handed out GIANT checks for the submission, KO, and Fight of the Night bonus. Worth “Two Thousand Only”. Weird.
Also, Zelg should’ve won that bonus for landing a Flying Knee KO. They gave it to Kultar Gill instead, who will probably have to return it to pay for that camera he destroyed.
About the author
