Welcome to your weekly dose of news about big-show veterans on the regional circuit. This week, some UFC alumni make with the win streaks while others struggle to gain their footing after their exit from the Octagon, plus action from a prospect or two…
The weekend started with Friday’s Legacy FC 40 out of Duluth, Georgia, which featured a main-card bout between Clay Harvison (13-5, 1-2 UFC, 1-0 Bellator) and Joe Elmore (9-7, 1-0 Bellator). Harvison, a TUF 13 cast member who lost by rear-naked choke to eventual finalist Ramsey Nijem, would take a unanimous decision over Elmore. Harvison has now won four straight, and is 4-1 sine his release from the UFC in 2011.
In the night’s main event, heavyweight prospect Cody East (10-1-0) successfully defended his heavyweight title with a second-round TKO of Brice Ritani-Coe (4-3-0). East is on a seven-fight surge, having finished six of those within the distance.
And in the main event of Xcessive Force FC 6, TUF 16 representative Bristol Marunde (16-9, 0-2 UFC) kept his post-UFC career spotless with a unanimous decision victory over Michael Hill (7-3-0, 2-0 WSOF). Marunde took a unanimous decision over Julian “Let Me Bang, Bro” Lane in the show’s elimination round before losing to current welterweight stalwart Neil Magny in the quarterfinals. Subsequent TKO losses to Clint Hester and Viscardi Andrade would see him out of the UFC. Marunde is 4-0 since, though. The stretch includes victories over competition with a cumulative record of 52-14-0 and solid opposition like Dave Castillo and Micah MIller.
Titan FC 33 also went down this last Friday. BE’s Roy Billington has your fight-by-fight review of that event here, in case you missed it. Of note is Anthony Gutierrez (6-1-0), who despite a rather embarrassing showing on TUF 18 (during which he proceeded to the semifinals after opponent Cody Bollinger missed weight, only to miss weight himself) continues to impress in official competition, most recently knocking out Austin Lyons with a headkick in the third.
Also on the card, Chase Gormley (12-4-1NC, 0-2 UFC) received the judges’ nod over Jon Madsen (8-2, 4-1 UFC) thanks to five rounds of superior striking; it’s the first time Madsen has ever lost outside the UFC, while Gormley, with his victory, walks away with the Titan FC heavyweight title and a fifth-straight victory.
And Pat Healy (28-20-1NC, 1-4 UFC, 7-1 Strikeforce) took a split-decision and the lightweight title following his bout with Kurt Kinser (8-1-0, 1-0 Bellator). Healy should be developing a reputation as something of a spoiler, as this is his sixth win over an undefeated, or near-undefeated, prospect.
And on Saturday, at Road FC 22 in Seoul, South Korea, former UFC middleweight Riki Fukuda (22-7-1NC, 2-3 UFC) improved to 3-0 since his departure from the UFC in 2013. This latest victory came by way of second-round TKO over Dool Hee Lee (8-8-0, 1NC).
Fellow UFC veteran Issei Tamura (7-7, 1-2 UFC) had a worse go of it Saturday, as the former UFC bantamweight submitted to a rear-naked choke from undefeated 21-year-old Young Seung Cho (5-0-0) in Round 2, making for his fifth defeat in a row. Tamura was released from the UFC after two consecutive TKO losses. He’s 0-3 since then, with all defeats coming by way of submission.
An anticipated bout between PRIDE veterans Dong Sik Yoon and Daiju Takase was scrapped when Takase failed to make weight.
That’s all for this week. Farewell and fondest wishes, from the snowy hell that is Chicago, Illinois.
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