NSAC declares bout at WEC 30 to be a No Contest

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Donald Cerrone who was victorious over Kenneth Alexander in his debut for World Extreme Cagefighting on Sept. 5 was fined $2,400 and suspended for 8 months after testing positive for the diuretic hydrochlorozide.
He has also seen his victory over Alexander switched to a no contest. Cerrone told MMA weekly that he took the diuretic to flush out his system after a bout with staff infection that also resulted in a case of shingles.

Cerrone becomes the second fighter to have a decision turned to a No Contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The first is everyone's favorite Marijuana advocate in MMA, Nick Diaz after he tested positive after his fight against Takanori Gomi back at Pride 33 in February.

Credit: MMAWeekly
©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Round 1 of Hooligans Vs. Coins is in the books

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Yeah, I "borrowed" that from Ric, but since the lawsuits already pending I figure why not continue?

Anyway, here's how it went down.

1. Casey Trowbridge: 6-4, Casey's Coin: 5-5
   
2. Art Shimko: 5-5, Art's Coin: 7-3
   
3. Euan Taylor: 4-6, Euan's Coin: 5-5
   
4. Mark Danger: 6-4, Mark's Coin: 4-6

Art lost to his coin, but his coin picked at 70% so there's not a lot of shame in that. Euan's coin was 50-50 and did better than him, so he'll be humbled a bit on the podcast but has the weekend to rebound. Mark and I defeated our coins in combat Mark more convincingly than me.

I guess since it was split 2-2, round 1 is a draw.

The second and third rounds are this weekend for No Surrender and UFC 75.

To see how the results broke tonight:
Click the WEC 30 predictions thread
To join in the fray for UFC 75 'Champion Vs. Champion'
click here

and for TNA No Surrender:
click here

So far, I'm enjoying the challenge we'll see if it lasts.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

WEC 30 'McCullough Vs. Crunkilton' 09/05/2007 Live Coverage

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Refresh your browser for the latest material for this 2 title fight event.

Todd Harris and Frank Mir are the hosts.

1. Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres Vs. Jeff Bedard
   Referee: Herb Dean
   
   R1: Fight goes to the ground with Bedard on top, but Miguel Torres was working submissions from the bottom. Eventually, he hooked a triangle and that was all she wrote for Bedard.
   
   Winner: Miguel Torres - R1 Submission - 2:30
   
   Torres says he's going to be watching the Beebe-Yahya fight carefully.
   
   Coin Vs. Staff Update:
   
   1. Casey: 4-3, Coin 3-4
      
   2. Art: 3-4, Coin 4-3
      
   3. Euan: 3-4, coin 3-4
      
   4. Mark: 4-3, Coin 1-6
   
   
   A couple of UFC 76 commercials aired.
   
   Up next, they're going to show Bryan Baker Vs. Jesse Forbes.
   
   
2. Middleweight Bout: Bryan Baker Vs. Jesse Forbes
   Baker called Forbes a joke. Forbes said something that was bleeped.
   
   Referee: Herb Dean
   
   R1: Forbes drops Baker quickly with a nice combination but Baker recovers and it is Forbes who is in trouble after taking shots to the chin. Forbes takes Baker down in side control and looks for a guillotine. Baker gets out of that with a big-time reverssl (slam) and it is Forbes in trouble again.
   They trade off positions for awhile with Forbes trying an armbar. There's a question of a headbutt and the struggle continues until Baker starts to rain down punches from the mount for the victory. Dean said: "You need to fight or I'll stop it," Forbes didn't fight, so Dean stopped it. He's a man of his word.
   
   Winner: Bryan Baker - R1 TKO
   
   Nex up is the Marine, and not that shitty John Cena film.
   
   
3. Light Heavyweight Bout: Jeremiah Billington Vs. Brian Stann
   Referee: Josh Rosenthal
   
   R1: Stann starts to pound Billington who for some reason is not down with this and takes him to the mat. It ends up back on the feet for some more fisticuffsmanship!! Billington tries to fight but Stann ends this fight in the first round. 5 fights, 5 wins, 5 in the first round. That's consistent.
   
   Winner: Brian Stann - R1 TKO 3:07
   
   Stann is asked if he's ready for a title shot and he says yes. I won't argue with the man. Stann Vs. Marshall is a fight I want to see.
   
   They run down the champions in each of the WEC's weight classes from Bantam to Light Heavyweight.
   
   They announce the new TV deal with Versus and the Faber-Curran fight, can't wait for 12/12 to see it. Then they interview Faber and he says he's ready for Curran and other not really interesting things.
   
   We're getting another dark fight.
   
   
4. Welterweight Bout: Joe Benoit Vs. Blas Avena
   Referee: Steve Mazagatti
   
   R1: Fight starts, Avena hooks a guillotine, sinks it in deep and fight ends. It took me longer to write than it took to happen.
   
   He did it for Nancy, Daniel and all the Benoit's. Accept Chris and Joe.
   
   Winner: Blas Avena - R1 Submission 0:29
   
   Bantamweight Championship time.
   
   
5. Bantamweight Championship Bout: Rani Yahya Vs. Chase Beebe
   Referee: Steve Mazagatti
   
   R1: My coverage of R1 is going to lack because I was on the phone. Yahya started out strong, but Beebe avoided submission attempts and would eventually go on the offense and look for submissions of his own. Yahya able to get his arm in to prevent a Beebe choke. The round ends with Yahya going for a choke of his own but the round expires before Beebe is in real trouble.
   
   Scoring: Tough round to call with my phone call and the back and forth. Yahya started and ended strong 10-9 for him.
   
   R2: Yahya wants to go to the ground and finds a guillotine for his troubles. Yahya is able to escape and I'm thinking of adding Beebe to the list of guys I underestimated. Beebe sinks in a choke and is out submitting the submission champion. I certainly didn't see that one coming. Yahya is tiring quickly in this fight and I know Beebe can go 5 rounds. Yahya tries an armbar but it goes nowhere.
   
   Scoring: Beebe's round, no doubt. 10-9, 19-19 fight so far but Beebe's in better shape.
   
   R3: Yahya takes Beebe down right away, he wants no part of a standup fight because that's not even close to a strength. Same story as the prior round with Beebe avoiding submissions and peppering Yahya with punches on the ground.
   
   Scoring: Beebe's round again, he had the position and kept it and avoided any offensive from Yahya, which there wasn't much. 10-9, 29-28 Beebe.
   
   R4: Fight goes to the ground, Beebe takes control with his great wrestling. He avoids all of Yahya's attempts to reverse position and get on the offensive. All that worked for Yahya in round 1, Beebe has figured out in the subsequent ones. Beebe in control and stop me if you've heard that before.
   
   Scoring: Beebe 10-9 for the same reasons as he took rounds 2 and 3. Beebe 39-37.
   
   R5: This has been a great technical fight with counters and reversals and blocks, no real standup game as it has gone to the ground quickly in all 5 rounds. Yahya just keeps trying things and Beebe just keeps escaping and controlling. Yahya is tired and ran through the whole bag of tricks. Yahya just had nothing left and I'll not underestimate Beebe again, he took out the striker (Eddie Wineland) and the talented Jiu-Jitsu and Abu-Dahbi champion in Yahya. That belt may not go anywhere for a long while.
   
   Scoring: Beebe 10-9, Beebe -49-46.
   
   Winner: Chase Beebe - Unanimous (49-46, 49-46, 49-45) Decision.
   
   Mir with Beebe. He praises Yahya as a great opponent,his knebar in R1 was not fun but Beebe praises his own conditioning, and I'm not gonna argue. I feel like I was humbled by his so impressive performance.
   
   A pretty damn fun fight and I feel like I owe Chase Beebe about $5,000.
   
   The NHL returns to Versus and drops the puck for the first time in London England. Its the Anaheim Ducks Vs. The L.A. Kings...that makes less sense than Vince Russo booking and yes, TNA gets better ratings than the NHL. Of course, the NHL still makes money because of great ticket sales so I guess it still wins.
   
   
6. Lightweight Championship Bout: Rob McCullough Vs. Rich Crunkilton
   Rob McCullough's music was "Let the Bodies hit the Floor" If he's an ECW fan, I hope he gets owned in the worst way.
   
   Joe Martinez just said "for the millions watching on Versus"...bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
   
   Referee: Herb Dean
   
   R1: Crunkilton tries a kick and McCullough blocks and nails a big right. McCullough starts to drop some bombs which drops Crunkilton, Mir declares it over, but it isn't over quite as soon as Mir or I thought. Mir: "I can not believe he came out with that gameplan". Yeah, the get my ass kicked gameplan rarely results in victory.
   
   Winner: Rob McCullough - R1 Fustigation 1:29 (cause I know Ric's reading and will smile)
   
   

Final Thoughts: A pretty fun show that had a little bit of everything. The 6 people that watched it probably didn't feel their time was wasted, I sure didn't.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Pub Discussion: WEC 30 'McCullough Vs. Crunkilton' Final Reminder

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Time is ticking away, but you can submit your final picks for tonight's show by clicking here if you do, please don't forget to flip the coin to see what it does.

I'll have live coverage starting at 8 PM CT.

Then I'll have how everyone's predictions faired later this evening.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

WEC 30 weigh-in results

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Everyone made weight for their required classes but here's exact poundage for those who need to know such things.

1. Bantamweight Bout: Coty Wheeler (135) vs. Ian McCall (134)
   
2. Welterweight Bout: Blas Avena (169) vs. Joe Benoit (171)
   
3. Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone (155) vs. Kenneth Alexander (156)
   
4. Middleweight Bout: Bryan Baker (185) vs. Jesse Forbes (186)
   
5. Lightweight Bout: Marcus Hicks (155) vs. Scott McAfee (155)
   
6. Welterweight Bout: John Alessio (170) vs. Marcelo Brito (170)
   
7. Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres ( 135) vs. Jeff Bedard (135)
   
8. Light Heavyweight Bout: Brain Stann ( 205) vs. Jeremiah Billington (195)
   
9. WEC Bantamweight Championship Bout: Chase Beebe (135) vs. Rani Yahya (134.5)
   
10. WEC Lightweight Championship Bout: “Razor” Rob McCullough (155) vs. Rich Crunkilton (154)

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

WEC 30 Preview and Predictions

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Welcome to my preview and predictions for WEC 30. August was a rough month for me in the predictions department, so hopefully we can get back on track in September. This is also round one of Hooligans Vs. Coins and I couldn’t be happier about it. My coin is standard issue U.S. quarter, the year will not be revealed because it is sensitive about its age.

Bantamweight Bout:
Ian McCall: 5’7, 135, 5-1-0 Vs.
Coty “Ox” Wheeler: 5’7, 135, 6-0-0

This is a tough fight to call as both men are about the same in experience and both making their WEC debut. Wheeler may be better on the feet but McCall should be better on the ground. It will come down to who can keep the fight where they like it. I’m going to predict a Wheeler victory.
Winner: Coty Wheeler
Coin picks: Coty Wheeler

Welterweight Bout:
Joe Benoit: 24, 5’9, 170, 6-0-0 Vs.
”Disciple” Blas Avena: 23, 6’0, 170, 5-1-0

Poor Benoit, he’s got a name which is now a blackmark in the world of combat sports. However, he is a good ground fighter and I don’t know if he would try the crossface but if he did it might be over. Avena defeated Tiki Ghosn at WEC 29 but hey, everyone beats Tiki Ghosn.
I’m going to take Benoit because he should take Avena down and pound him in to submission. There’s just too many offensive jokes so I’ll be moving on to the next match.
Winner: Joe Benoit
Coin Picks: Blas Avena

Lightweight Bout:
Kenneth “The Black Ninja” Alexander: 5’9, 155, 5-2-0 Vs.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone: 155, 7-0-0

Donald Cerrone is one of the stars on the Tapout show which airs on Versus. Alexander is a late replacement for Sergio Gomez who was also on the Tapout show. Cerrone is a kickboxer but has one all of his MMA fights by submission, in other words the man got skills! I can only route for one Alexander this weekend and it will be Houston not Keneth. Sure, the logic is flimsy but I’ve got to fill this out somehow.
Winner: Donald Cerrone
Coin Picks: Kenneth Alexander

Middleweight Bout:
Bryan Baker: 6’3, 185, 4-0-0 Vs.
Jesse “Kid Hercules” Forbes: 22, 6’2, 185, 5-2-0

Jesse Forbes is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighter 3. That’s about the most interesting thing I can think to say about this fight. My coin predicted Bryan Baker and to be honest I don’t feel like arguing the thing.
Winner: Bryan Baker
Coin Picks: Bryan Baker

Lightweight Bout:
Scott “Alaskan Hammer” McAfee: 5’8, 155, 6-0-0 Vs.
Marcus “Wrecking Ball” Hicks: 31, 5’6, 155, 6-0-0

McAfee is making his WEC debut here, Hicks is a WEC veteran. A Lightweight battle so expect some action, I’m going to go with Hicks because I didn’t argue the coin on the last fight. Sure, again I’m being brief and not analyzing the fight but I’m tired so sue me.
Winner: Marcus Hicks
Coin Picks: Scott McAfee

Welterweight Bout:
”Jungle Boy” Marcelo Brito: 5’7, 170, 6-1-0
Vs.
”The Natural” John Alessio: 28, 5’10, 170, 25-11-0

Brito is a Brazilian Striker, just like Anderson Silva, although probably not quite that good. Alessio is more of a ground fighter. If it stays standing it could be tough for Alessio, if it goes to the ground, Brito is in trouble. I predict that it goes to the ground, Brito is in trouble and takes a second round submission loss.
Winner: John Alessio
Coin Picks: John Alessio

Bantamweight Bout:
Miguel Torres: 26, 5’9, 135, 18-1-0 Vs.
Jeff Bedard: 37, 5’6, 135, 10-0-0

This bout could determine the challenger for the Yahya Vs. Beebe winner. Bedard is an up-and-coming fighter, which I guess is obvious because otherwise he wouldn’t be here. However, he is unique because he’s up-and-coming at the age of 37. I don’t know much about Torres but I’m disappointed that Jeff Bedard isn’t the 6’4 he was once listed as on his WEC profile page. I’m going to predict Bedard to control the fight and win a decision.
Winner: Jeff Bedard
Coin Picks: Jeff Bedard

Light Heavyweight Bout:
Jeremiah Billington: 29, 5’8, 205, 10-1-0 Vs.
”All American” Brian Stann: 26, 6’1, 205, 4-0-0

Stann is a Marine who has served in Opporation Iraqi Freedom. It is because of his service that he is one of the WEC’s most publicized fighters. After serving time overseas, fighting MMA should seem like a day at the beach. He’s a tough guy and he’s also smart for training with Randy Couture, who I think you may have heard of.
Billington is making his WEC debut and has an experience edge over Stann in this fight. These guys both like to finish fights in round 1 and both are more than capable of the KO. So I don’t think you’ll see this hit the ground although it would be interesting to see what Stann is capable of on the canvas. I just can’t pick against a guy like Stann in this situation. I’ll predict a first round KO.
Winner: Brian Stann
Coin Picks: Brian Stann

Bantamweight Championship Bout:
Rani Yahya: 22, 5’6, 135, 12-2-0 Vs.
Chase Beebe: 22, 5’7, 135, 11-1-0

Yahya made his WEC debut at WEC 28 in a featherweight bout against Mark Hominick. He’s dropping to Bantamweight to take on Chase Beebe for the title. Yahya is a strong jiu-jitsu practitioner who is great with submissions, just ask Hominick. Beebe took the Bantamweight title from Eddie Wineland by Unanimous decision back in march and is making his first title defense. He fancies himself a wrestler and so expect this fight to go to the ground.
The experience edge doesn’t exist in this fight as both guys are at about the same level. I’ve seen them both fight and have been impressed by Yahya’s Jiu-jitsu and by Beebe’s ability to get out of sticky situations.
In the end, I believe that Yahya is just a little better all around and will take this by 3rd round submission. Beebe may have the edge on the feet but as a wrestler might not look to exercise it.
Winner: Rani Yahya
Coin Picks: Chase Beebe

Lightweight Championship Bout:
Rich “Cleet” Crunkilton: 27, 5’7, 155, 13-1-0 Vs.
”Razor” Rob McCullough: 30, 5’8, 155, 14-3-0

This is one of those strikers Vs. Wrestlers matchups that the kids are all the rage about. Crunkilton seemslike a nice down-to-earth guy, the kind of guy you’d find it easy to route for in a fight. If he can take McCullough down then he’ll have the advantage but if it remains standing he could be fustigated pretty quick.
McCullough is a man after my heart though and I’m going to predict him to be the victor. The reason for this is that he gives awesome quotes in his WEC profile.

[quote” TARGET=“_blank”> Thoughts on opponent, Richard Crunkilton? I hope he has medical and life insurance. [/quote” TARGET=“_blank”>
[quote” TARGET=“_blank”> Did you go to college and if so what degree did
you earn? School of Hard Knocks and I got a PhD in Bad Ass. [/quote” TARGET=“_blank”>
I now have a strong urge to interview this man. Anyway, I’m going to predict McCullough by second round KO.
Winner: Razor Rob McCullough
Coin Picks: Richard Crunkilton

I’ll have live coverage of this show starting at 8 PM CT. To see the picks of everyone else on the staff, and any readers who dare to step up, click here

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Pub Discussion: WEC 30 'Crunkilton Vs. McCullough' Reminder

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Time is ticking away for you to get those WEC 30 predictions in for tomorrow's show.

click here

Predict the winners, flip a coin and let the coin predict the winners. Make sure to differentiate between the 2.

I'll have my preview up shortly. My coin has made its picks but I'm still working on mine.


©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Pub Discussion: WEC 30 'McCullough Vs. Crunkilton' Reminder

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This Wednesday is WEC 30 on Versus. You make your predictions in This Thread and remember this month is C-H.com predictors Vs. Coins month. So for each bout, make your own prediction, and flip a coin to see who it predicts. Make sure to denote which is which in your writings.

UFC 75 and No Surrender are this weekend so keep those in mind as well.


©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Combat-Hooligans.com's guide to what's on: September 2007

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Welcome to the first ever Combat-Hooligans.com guide to what’s on. This column is going to break down the major MMA and Wrestling shows this month (sorry boxing fans, but I’m still learning about your sport so I don’t feel qualified to list the bigger boxing events here in comparison to these others) and I’ll prioritize them for you from must watch to must skip. We’ve got 6 major shows this month in the U.S. and two more overseas. I’m not including things such as the IFL Championships, which aren’t being broadcast until well after their conclusion.

So, from best to worst, you’re watch guide for the month.

1. UFC 76 ‘Knockout’ 09/22/2007 (PPV)
   The UFC is holding 3 cards in the month of September, but this is the one of the three that packs the most interest for me. First, you have Chuck Liddell and how he’ll respond to his loss to Quinton ‘Rampage Jackson back at UFC 71 and he’s taking on Keith Jardine who was upset by Houston Alexander on that same show. It is an intriguing main event to be sure.
   You also get the UFC debut of one of, if not the best, 205-pound fighters in the world in Mauricio Rua as he takes on a much-improved Forrest Griffin. You also get a key matchup in the Welterweight division as Diego Sanchez looks to bounce back from his first ever loss against a man looking to climb in to the top 3 of the division in Jon Fitch. Plus, in a lightweight bout, Thiago Tavares takes on Tyson Griffin and Griffin doesn’t have boring fights.
   If you can only buy one show this month, make it this one. If you can only watch one show this month under penalty of divorce, make it this one.
   
   
2. UFC Fight Night 11: 09/19/2007 (SpikeTV)
   I recommend this show over some of the other shows you can see for free because of its familiarity. Chris Leben, Nathan Diaz, Kenny Florian, Din Thomas and Mike Swick…those are all names of guys who are known by the UFC audience because of the Ultimate Fighter. I think the main event between Din Thomas and Kenny Florian could be a very interesting fight excitement wise, but may be important if Sean Sherk is stripped of his Lightweight title. The winner of this would join Joe Stevenson and BJ Penn as guys who could be in the mix to take that belt. Plus, this show leads in to the premier of the Ultimate Fighter 6 and that’s not too shabby.
   
   
3. WEC 30 ‘Crunkilton Vs. McCullough: 09/05/2007 (Versus Network)
   You probably expected UFC to take the top 3 spots but that’s ok, the punishment for your being wrong is merely death. Anyway, I rank this ahead of UFC 75 for a couple of reasons. The televised portion of this card is going to air live in the United States, which is always a plus, and it features the lighter weight classes. I think the most compelling match on this show is Beebe Vs. Yahya for the Bantamweight Championship. The one drawback for the casual fan is familiarity. Unless you watch the sport a lot you’re probably not going to know about Crunkilton and McCullough before it airs but that can also be advantageous because it makes for some unpredictability. I might’ve ranked this show higher if not for the injury that took Jens Pulver out of his bout with Cub Swanson.
   
   
4. UFC 75 ‘Champion Vs. Champion’: 09/08 (SpikeTV)
   Yes, you get Dan Henderson Vs. Quinton Jackson in what could ultimately be the only unification match between Pride and UFC champions. However, there are several drawbacks to this show that made me drop it to 4th on the list and truthfully I almost put it at #5.
   The first drawback is that this is a tape-delayed event. So, not only do you have to go the whole evening without being spoiled but it also allows SpikeTV to insert more commercials than they would in a Fight Night show or other live event.
   Plus, outside of the top match there’s not a lot to look forward to seeing. Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Cheick Kongo is a battle of strikers and could be interesting but if neither is eager to engage it could be very boring as well. Michael Bisping Vs. Matt Hamill is interesting to those who remember the Ultimate Fighter 3 and why we didn’t see that matchup sooner but Bisping’s appeal will be for the live audience more than the PPV audience. The other guaranteed televised bout is Houston Alexander Vs. Alessio Sakara and while I love Alexander and want to see if he can follow up on his performance against Jardine, there are better fights this month. But, I can’t dismiss this show completely because of the title fight and the fact you don’t have to pay for it. If this had been a PPV I might feel differently.
   
   
5. Elite XC ‘Uprising’: 09/15 (Showtime)
   I’m personally looking forward to this show more than UFC 75. There is a curiosity factor around this show. If you’ve not ever seen Gina Carano or Women’s MMA then this is a show to check out. I’m curious to see the return of Nick Diaz and I believe the Main Event between Murilo Rua and Robbie Lawler for the EXC Middleweight title is a very interesting matchup between 2 quality fighters. You can also see one of the best Welterweights not under UFC contract in Jake Shields.
   So if I like this show so much, why rank it below UFC 75? Remember, this is my guide for what I think the casual fans will want to see, not necessarily myself. Since that is the case, familiarity is a factor. Robbie Lawler’s time in UFC came before the boom, Diaz is definitely a known name but outside of that there isn’t much for someone who doesn’t know these people to get excited about. However, if you have the chance, watch this show because EXC has not put on a boring show yet and I don’t see it starting to with this one.
   
   
6. Cage Rage 23 ‘Unbelievable’: 09/22 (ProElite.com)
   I’d love to recommend this higher but I simply can’t do so for people in the U.S. In the states you’d have to watch this over ProElite.com and the familiarity factor is lower for this show than for any of the ones listed above it. If you’ve got time while waiting for UFC 76 then check out the stream (I’m assuming it will be available but don’t know for sure) and if you don’t then come to combat-hooligans.com as Euan will have a report up shortly after the show ends.
   
   
7. WWE ‘Unforgiven’: 09/16 (PPV)
   It is tough for me to recommend this show without knowing the card. I also find it tough to recommend because WWE shows have the potential to be good but most are never $40 good if that makes sense. Add to that the fact you can wait a month, buy the DVD of the event for $14 and have a permanent copy with extra features and it is a tough sell. However, it isn’t as tough a sell as…
   
   
8. TNA ‘No Surrender’: 09/09 (PPV)
   I can’t recommend this show because of the TNA Boycott. Even if there were no boycott I wouldn’t recommend this show because of how awful last month’s show ended up being. Add to that it is on opening day of football season and that Pacman Jones is advertised to wrestle but won’t be doing so, oh and don’t forget the horrible booking, and even at the $29.95 mark I’m telling you to skip it.
   I will say that usually TNA PPV events do feature good wrestling matches but the booking and general direction of the company far outweighs any of that. If you’re a fan of Kurt Angle though, he is scheduled to wrestle 3 matches on this show.

I hope you have enjoyed this month’s guide to what’s on. You’re welcome to leave your own list in the comments section and stay tuned for this columns return to examine October in about a month.


©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

WEC 30 appears final with 10th bout added...

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Here's the bout order from last to first, as per the WEC.tv website.

WEC 30, 09/05/2007 on Versus...

1. Lightweight Championship Bout: Richard Crunkilton Vs. Rob McCullough
   
2. Bantamweight Championship Bout: Rani Yahya Vs. Chase Beebe
   
3. Light Heavyweight Bout: Jeremiah Billington Vs. Brian Stann
   
4. Bantamweight Bout: Jeff Bedard Vs. Miguel Torres
   
5. Welterweight Bout: Marcelo Brito Vs. John Alessio
   
6. Lightweight Bout: Scott McAfee Vs. Marcus Hicks
   
7. Light Heavyweight Bout: Bryan Baker Vs. Jesse Forbes
   
8. Lightweight Bout: Kenneth Alexander Vs. Donald Cerrone
   
9. Welterweight Bout: Blas Avena Vs. Joe Benoit
   
10. Bantamweight Bout: Ian McCall Vs. Coty Wheeler

Notes for those joining us late:

1. This was to feature Jens Pulver Vs. Cub Swanson in Pulver's WEC debut until that was put on hold due to a knee injury.
   
2. MMAWeekly had listed Sergio Gomez as Donald Cerrone's opponent, not Kenneth Alexander, and I had gone by them.

I don't believe anything else will be added but if it is I'll let you know.

Remember, this is the first show of September to feature C-H.com Vs. our money in the predictions. The roundtable thread for this event is here with the card being posted later today.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Brian Stann added to WEC 30 card

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The Light Heavyweight, known as the All American has been added to WEC 30 against Jeremiah Billington in a televised bout which takes place on 09/05 and airs on the Versus Network.

The card...

1. Lightweight Championship Bout: Richard Crunkilton Vs. Rob McCullough
   
2. Bantamweight Championship Bout: Rani Yahya Vs. Chase Beebe
   
3. Light Heavyweight Bout: Jeremiah Billington Vs. Brian Stann
   
4. Welterweight Bout: Marcelo Brito Vs. John Alessio
   
5. Lightweight Bout: Scott McAfee Vs. Marcus Hicks
   
6. ??? Bout: Bryan Baker Vs. Jesse Forbes
   
7. Bantamweight Bout: Coty Wheeler Vs. TBD

Notes: Ian McCall is believed to be Coty Wheeler's opponent.

Other bouts not officially listed on the WEC site but rumored for the card are:

1. Lightweight Bout: Sergio Gomez Vs. Donald Cerrone
   
2. Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres Vs. Jeff Bedard

I'll let you know if anything else is either changed or added/removed.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Cub Swanson to fight Jens Pulver on 11/3?

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That's the word according to Cub Swanson via his MySpace page.

The fight was set to take place on 09/05 as part of WEC 30, but Pulver had to pull out with a knee injury. It was hoped a replacement could be found, but now it appears as though they've just decided to remove Cub Swanson from that card and try again in November.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Card for WEC 30 beginning to round out.

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WEC 30 which was to feature the debut of Jens Pulver moving to the WEC and the Featherweight Division will take place on Versus on 09/05 which is quickly approaching.

The bouts...

1. Lightweight Championship Bout: "Razor" Rob McCullough vs. Rich Crunkilton
   
2. Bantamweight Championship Bout: Chase Beebe vs. Rani Yahya
   
3. Bantamweight Bout: Jeff Bedard vs. Miguel Torres
   
4. Welterweight Bout: John Alessio vs. Marcelo Brito
   
5. Bantamweight Bout: Ian McCall vs. Coty Wheeler
   
6. Middleweight Bout: Bryan Baker vs. Jesse Forbes
   
7. Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Sergio Gomez
   
8. Featherweight Bout: Cub Swanson vs. TBA

That would make 8 bouts for a show that typically has nine.

Partial Source: MMAWeekly.com

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

Damn it

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According to Sherdog, Jens Pulver has been scratched from WEC 30 on 09/05 due to a knee injury suffered last friday. Pulver is set to under go an MRI later this week to determine whether therapy or surgery is the best coarse of action.

Pulver, who has dropped his last 2 fights in the UFC was set to move to the WEC and drop to the 145 LB division. His first opponent was to be Cub Swanson and his 11-1 record. No word on who will replace him in that bout.

I expressed my feelings on this in the title of this post as I have made it no secret that I am a big fan of Jens Pulver and was looking forward to this fight. My best wishes for a speedy recovery.

©2007 Combat Hooligans. Duplication of the content from this website without permission by its author(s) is prohibited. Any news, reports and commentary used from this site must be accompanied by a link to www.combat-hooligans.com

WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING® PRESENTS TWO CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS

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MCCULLOUGH vs. CRUNKILTON BEEBE vs. YAHYA
PLUS JENS “LIL EVIL” PULVER TO MAKE WEC™ DEBUT WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5, 2007 LIVE ON VERSUS
9 P.M. ET/6 P.M. PT
Tickets on Sale Now
Las Vegas, NV – Headlined by two world championship fights and the arrival of a fighting legend, World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC™) is proud to present
another explosive night of mixed martial arts action on Wed., September 5 live, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
In the championship doubleheader, “Razor” Rob McCullough defends his WEC Lightweight belt against Richard Crunkilton, and WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase
Beebe will be making his first title defense when he takes on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Rani Yahya. Also featured is former UFC® lightweight champ Jens
Pulver, who will be making his WEC debut against Cub Swanson.
WEC: McCullough vs. Crunkilton will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All live WEC events will be presented
in Hi-Definition (HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit
http://www.versus.com/findversus.
Tickets for WEC: McCullough vs. Crunkilton are on sale now, and are priced at $250, $150, $75 and $25 (not including applicable services or taxes). Tickets
are available at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office and all Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster
at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available online through
www.wec.tv
or
www.ticketmaster.com.
A dangerous standup striker, Rob McCullough (14-3) turned back world-champion kick boxer Kit Cope in January via first round stoppage and he is settling
in for a long reign at the top. His next test is the veteran Crunkilton (15-1), whose blend of technically sound grappling and world-class experience makes
him a dangerous challenger.
“I come to knock every challenger out, and Rich is going to come right after me,” McCullough said. “That’s why this fight is something fans don’t want to
miss, because I’m going to keep my belt with a big knockout.”
Richard Crunkilton blasted onto the lightweight scene with his impressive third round submission victory over Mike Joy at WEC: McCullough vs. Cope. Crunkilton,
who trains with the highly respected AKA team in San Jose, Calif., has waited a long time for a title shot and he is determined not to let the chance pass
him by.
“McCullough is a good striker, but that is all he brings to the cage,” Crunkilton said. “I’ve waited a long time to get recognized as one of the top lightweights
in the world, and Sept. 5 is finally my opportunity to show the world that I’m the best there is in the 155 lb. division.”
Two world-renowned mixed martial artists will battle it out for the WEC bantamweight championship, as Chicago’s own Chase Beebe (10-1) defends his tile
against Brazil’s Rani Yahya (11-2).
WEC Bantamweight Champion Beebe (10-1) is a four-time state high school wrestling champion. This 21-year-old is looking to keep the title in the Windy City
when he battles it out with Yahya. Out of eleven fights, nine victories have come by way of submission, and he is looking to add another one to his
already impressive resume.
“Rani is an impressive fighter with great grappling skills,” said Beebe. “I don’t care if I beat him by knockout or with a submission, no one is taking
the title away from me.”
The 22-year old Yahya is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the owner of three world Jiu-Jitsu championships. Yahya, won the prestigious Abu Dhabi
world submission grappling tournament in New Jersey, and in his WEC debut he defeated Mark Hominick by submission in impressive fashion. He is looking
to take the gold back to Brazil on Sept. 5.
“Beebe is an impressive wrestler, but my submissions will be too much for him to handle,” said Yahya. “I’m not leaving the cage without the belt wrapped
around my waist.”
Jens Pulver, the first man to ever hold the UFC Lightweight Championship, begins his campaign in the WEC featherweight division, taking on top contender
Cub Swanson. Naturally suited to the 145-lb. class, Pulver’s first WEC match puts him right in the thick of a talented division where champ Urijah Faber
is seeking compelling challengers.
“I can’t wait to put my skills on display in the WEC,” said Pulver. “Cub Swanson is a tough opponent and I plan on showing why my nickname is “Lil Evil”
by delivering a performance fans will remember.”
Swanson, 10-1, has reeled off ten straight victories since dropping his pro debut, and he’s established himself as a legitimate player in the WEC featherweight
division with a stoppage of Tommy Lee prior to decisioning Micah Miller in June. He knows a win over a star like Pulver would be a huge boost for his career
and propel him to a likely title shot.
“Jens was a great MMA star and one of the game’s legends,” Swanson said. “But my time is now. Everybody knows both of us come to fight, but “‘Lil Evil”’
is gonna run into a bigger evil in Cub Swanson. I’m going to show the world why I’m the best featherweight in the WEC with a knockout over Jens.”
The remaining bouts for WEC: McCullough vs. Crunkilton will be announced in the near future. All bouts subject to change. For more information about WEC:
McCullough vs. Crunkilton and current WEC fight news, visit
WWW.WEC.TV

Pulver talks Featherweight division and move to WEC

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For those that were regular readers of the OC Times, you may have noticed a distinct lack of linking to other websites, and large article roundups that were common over there. I'm doing this purposely as sure, telling you where all this content was was a staple of mine but it was also time consuming and took away from the work I wanted to do. So, rare is it you'll see me link to interviews when in the future I expect to be conducting them.

However, I'm such a fan of this man that for Jens Pulver who talks with MMAWeekly about his WEC 30 match with Cub Swanson, and the Featherweight division overall, I'll break that rule.

I've mentioned this before I believe, but I really look forward to seeing any show where I can watch Featherweight and Bantamweight fights. It is good to see the divisions growing and in an odd sort of way the fact we don't have them in the UFC is what actually makes them more special.