This past Tuesday, Trevor Prangley (33-11-1, 2-2 UFC, 3-3-1 Strikeforce, 0-1 Bellator) rode a two-fight win streak to Moscow to square off with surging light-heavyweight Maxim Grishin (18-6-0) in the main event of Fight Nights: Battle 17. Prangley, the reigning King of the Cage light-heavyweight champion, hasn’t lost a fight stateside in three years. However, his last trip to Russia, for a fight with Bellator veteran Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, resulted in a TKO loss and, unfortunately for the UFC veteran, this foray would end just as poorly, with Prangley falling to the punches of Grishin in the second round. Prangley’s record since 2013 stands at 5-2. Grishin, meanwhile, has won six in a row, with the last three victories coming against UFC veterans in Prangley, Rodney Wallace, and Mario Miranda.
And moving back into the weekend, at Saturday’s XFC International 6 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Waylon Lowe (14-6-0, 2-2 UFC, 1-1 WSOF) challenged incumbent Deivison Ribeiro (26-9-0) for the promotion’s featherweight title. Lowe wouldn’t be put away easily but, eventually, a fourth-round head kick and follow-up punches from Deivison would end the former UFC fighter’s night. Since his exit from WSOF (the last time he would’ve been seen on television), Lowe is 0-1-1NC, with both fights coming under the XFC International banner. Deivison, meanwhile, has won four in a row over opposition with a collective record, at the time of competition, of 48-20-0.
And in the main event of Friday’s X-1, Falaniko Vitale made a return to action after two years away from the ring. Vitale, who went 1-2 in Strikeforce and 1-1 in the UFC, may be best remembered for his controversial Octagon debut against Matt Lindland, in which Lindland, in an attempt to suplex Vitale, actually wound up knocking himself out. Vitale’s follow-up ground and pound and zealous post-fight celebration seemed in poor taste to some, and Lindland would wind up settling the score with a TKO win of his own in the rematch. This past weekend, Vitale squared off with the well-traveled Jaime Jara, who spoiled the former SuperBrawl middleweight champion’s return with a rear-naked choke in the second. Vitale’s record falls to 30-11-0, while Jara improves his to 38-16-0.
Last but certainly not least, at Titan FC 30, Vinny Magalhaes (12-7, 1-4 UFC) challenged Jason Brilz (22-6-1, 3-4 UFC) for the organization’s vacant light-heavyweight title. Magalhaes, who was cut from the UFC after an upset knockout loss to Anthony Perosh in August of 2013, would once again demonstrate his dangerous submission game, ending Brilz’s night with a fourth-round guillotine choke. For Brilz, this is his first loss since being cut from the UFC in 2011, and his record since then sits at 4-1. Magalhaes, meanwhile, improves to 2-0 in his post-Octagon career.
Earlier that night, TUF: Brazil alum Pedro Nobre (17-2-1-1NC) took a split decision win over Nick Honstein (16-8-0), making it 3-0 since he was released from the UFC following a no-contest bout with Yuri Alcantara that was marred by supposed fouls and alleged flopping by Nobre.
And UFC veteran Walel Watson (13-7, 1-3 UFC) handed disgraced TUF participant Anthony Gutierrez the first loss of his career with a handy triangle choke in the first round. Gutierrez, you may recall, was given a free pass into the TUF 18 semi-finals after opponent Cody Bollinger failed to make weight. In an unprecedented bit of goofballery, Gutierrez would make the least of the situation by coming in overweight himself. Watson, meanwhile, exited the UFC following three straight losses. He’s 4-2 since then, having now won two in a row by choke.
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