Greetings, mutherfukers. As all red-blooded MMA fans should know by now, Ben Saunders is back on the UFC rosterthanks to a lightning-quick submission of fellow UFC vet Jacob Volkmann. The fight, which served as the main event of Minnesota’s Fight Night at the Island, lasted less than 30 seconds, with Volkmann quickly shooting for a takedown, only to be wrapped up in a triangle choke, which Saunders then altered into a fight-ending armbar.
Saunders (20-7-2, 7-4 UFC, 7-3 Bellator) remains undefeated in regional competition; Volkmann (19-7, 6-4 UFC, 1-1 WSOF) slips to 3-2 since a brief run in WSOF.
Saunders vs. Volkmann, as seen from cage-side, can be viewed here.
In the night’s co-main event, TUF alum and Randy Couture impersonator Justin Edwards (9-5, 2-5 UFC) made short work of late-replacement Cody Pahan (0-2-0), putting the novice away with a guillotine some 90 seconds into the first. The bout marks Edwards’s first time in the cage since his UFC release last year.
And in the main event of Titan FC 41, former Strikeforce contender Carina Damm (23-13, 0-1 Strikeforce) squared off with former WSOF title challenger Kalindra Faria (18-5-1, 0-1 WSOF) for the vacant bantamweight title. The bout would also serve as a rubber match–Damm met Faria early in the latter’s career, with Damm winning by TKO. A more seasoned Faria would even the score by armbar four years later.
Their latest meeting ran the full five rounds, with Faria walking away the victor by unanimous decision. She’s won three straight and is 3-1 since her 2014 championship fight with Jessica Aguilar in WSOF. Damm, meanwhile, has fallen to 1-3 in her last four.
In the co-main event, reigning Titan FC champ Andre Harrison (14-0-0) turned away another big-show veteran in Alexandre Bezerra (19-5, 7-2 Bellator), earning a unanimous decision in his fourth title defense. Harrison seems an obvious choice for a call up to the big leagues, though his decision-heavy track record may be hindering him a bit.
And earlier in the night, TUF 21 cast member Jason Jackson (6-2-0) improved to 2-0 since his appearance on the show, overcoming a significant gap in experience to claim a unanimous decision over Rodrigo Cavalheiro (19-6, 0-1 Bellator).
Other Results
Absolute Championship Berkut 45
– Ustarmagomed Gadzhidaudov (9-3-0) upsets Alexander Sarnavskiy (34-5, 5-3 Bellator) by way of a second-round TKO. Sarnavskiy has dropped to 4-2 since his last Bellator appearance, in which he submitted to Marcin Held.
– Muslim Makhmudov (8-4-0) defeats Hans Stringer (22-8-3, 1-2 UFC, 1-0 WSOF) by way of submission due to a punch to the body. The loss marks Stringer’s first fight outside a major American organization; he’s dropped three in a row.
Carnage in the Cage 7
– Ben Alloway (18-7, 1-2 UFC) defeats Matt Vaile (5-1-0) by unanimous decision to claim a welterweight title and improve to 5-2 in his post-UFC career.
Top FC 12
– A bout between Takenori Sato (19-11-7, 0-2 UFC) and Sung Chan Hong (5-1-0) ended with a no-contest in Round 1 following a debilitating kick to the groin. Sato, who logged just over two minutes of cage time during his pair of TKO losses inside the Octagon, is 2-1-1NC since his release from the UFC.
Pancrase 280
– Takasuke Kume (19-5-3) defeats Kazuki Tokudome (16-7-1, 1-3 UFC) in Round 1 by way of ground-and-pound. Kume has won three straight and halted Tokudome’s recent winning streak at four.
– Tateki Matsuda (13-7, 0-2 UFC) defeats Tatsuya So (14-16-4) by unanimous decision. He’s won three in a row since his UFC release.
CXF 4
– Jared Papazian (19-12, 1-0 WSOF, 0-3 UFC) defeats Keith Carson (6-4-0) by unanimous decision.
RFA 43
– Brian Camozzi (7-2-0), brother of UFC middleweight Chris Camozzi, defeats Nick Barnes (11-2-0) with a guillotine in the first. The younger Camozzi has won five straight.
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