An unusual amount of action from big show alumni went down last weekend, so we’ll be breaking this week’s column up in two. We’ll start with last Thursday’s King of the Cage, which featured a couple of Zuffa vets as well as an exciting but embattled prospect…
Lowen Tynanes (6-0-0) turned heads with his run through Asian MMA circuit which began with a win over Eduard Folayang; at the time, Folayang was 12-2 while Tynanes had had only a single pro bout. A contract dispute with King of the Cage kept the undefeated Hawaiian out of competition for over a year. The parties have since come to terms, though, and Tynanes returned to competition against Jeff Sweeney (3-1-0). Tynanes certainly made up for some lost time, securing an arm triangle choke a little over a minute into Round 1.
Also on the card, Reuben Duran (10-5-1, 1-3 UFC) made it two victories in a row since his March, 2013 release from the UFC. This most recent win came against Eduardo Torres (4-3-0) by unanimous decision after five rounds fought for the organization’s interim flyweight title.
And in the night’s main event, Seth Dikun (9-7, 1-2 WEC) succumbed to a second-round guillotine choke from undefeated KOTC bantamweight champion Henry Corrales (11-0-0). Dikun is 1-3 since 2013. Corrales is 7-0 during that same time, finishing all but two of his opponents.
As for last Friday, it was a tough out for name fighters at MFC 41. In the co-main event, Victor Valimaki (18-9, 0-2 UFC) saw his win streak halted at two following a first-round TKO (knees and punches) by Jeremy Osheim (6-0-0).
And earlier on that card, Ryan Healy (25-14-1, 0-1 Bellator, 0-1 Strikeforce, 1-2 WEC) tapped out to a first-round rear-naked choke from Andrew McInnes (5-1-0). Healy, who throughout his lengthy career has squared off with the likes of Rick Story, John Alessio, and Jorge Masvidal, falls to 2-1 for the year. As for McInnes, he’s won five in a row since stumbling in his pro debut.
Also on Friday, Jeremy Horn’s Elite Fight Night 24 featured Eric Marriott taking on novice Jermaine Tisi. Marriott, who went 2-2 in Bellator including a closely contested bout with Joe Warren in the organization’s inaugural featherweight tournament, found himself shocked by Tisi, who locked up a first-round armbar in only his first professional fight. Marriott’s record falls to 22-9-0, while Tisi’s of course sits at 1-0.
Last but certainly not least is Battlegrounds MMA 5, which hosted an eight-man, one-night welterweight tournament.
In the opening round, TUF 7 veteran Jesse Taylor (27-11, 0-1 UFC, 0-2 Strikeforce, 1-1 WSOF) looked to rebound from a June submission loss with against Trey Houston (10-2, 1-1 Bellator, 1-0 Strikeforce). The drop down to 170 would offer little salutary effect for the submission-prone Taylor, who found himself tapping to an armbar only a couple of minutes into Round 1. Taylor, who was recently on a seven-fight winning streak, is now 0-2 for the year.
Roan Carneiro (19-9, 1-3 UFC) would fare better, eliminating Buddy Wallace (9-3-0) also by armbar, and also in the first round.
In the night’s third quarter-final bout, Brock Larson (37-8-0, 3-2 UFC, 4-1 WEC) took on folk hero and fellow UFC veteran Cody McKenzie (15-5, 3-4 UFC) by second-round arm triangle choke. McKenzie, who was released from the UFC last December following a surprisingly competitive decision loss to Sam Stout, falls to 1-1 since his last appearance in the Octagon.
And Luigi Fioravanti (24-12, 4-5 UFC) was eliminated from the tournament by Joe Ray (12-4, 1-2 Strikeforce). The end came in the first round via TKO. Fioravanti is 2-1 in the last two years.
Brock Larson would earn a unanimous decision over Joe Ray, and Roan Carneiro would TKO Trey Houston, before the two UFC veterans met in the finals, with Carneiro triumphing by unanimous decision. Carneiro improves to 7-1 since his 2008 release from the UFC, including wins over Jorge Patino and would-be UFC welterweight Luis Ramos.
As for runner-up Larson, his overall record now stands at 39-9, and he’s 10-4 since his release from the UFC in 2009 following two straight losses as well as some rumored friction between Larson and the UFC. That run includes wins over Eduardo Pamplona and Melvin Manhoef.
And on the undercard, Wayne Cole (16-24, 1-0 Strikeforce, 0-2 IFL) tapped to a first-round rear-naked choke from Niko Koliastasis (1-0-0). Cole, who once shocked infamous knockout artist Mike Kyle with a first-round armbar upon Kyle’s return from suspension, has now lost twelve in a row.
That’s it for Part 1. Check back in to catch up with former UFC light-heavyweight Luiz Cane and a bunch of JMMA standouts.
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