Three Champs Retain WEC Titles; Pulver Subs Cub in 35 Seconds

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By Frank Curreri

LAS VEGAS – Get me Jens Pulver. That was Urijah Faber’s wish Wednesday night after submitting highly-regarded Jeff Curran.

Unlike most of Faber’s wins, which are carried out in dominating, one-sided fashion, he was tested early against Curran. Seconds into the main event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, “The Big Frog,” who has been fighting for the past decade, tripped Faber for a takedown. He then mounted the WEC featherweight champ, peppered him with a few punches, and then rode Faber’s back. For more than two minutes, Curran locked Faber in a body triangle, punched his head and hunted for a rear naked choke. Faber, showing his championship mettle, kept his poise and eventually fought his way back into Curran’s guard.

It appeared that Curran’s early flurry and aggression won him the first round. It also apparently agitated Faber, who emerged much more aggressive in the second stanza. While in the clinch, Faber ripped Curran with two solid elbows. Curran began bleeding shortly thereafter. A scramble ensued, with Curran winding up where you don’t want to be against Faber – on your back, with the ultra-powerful Faber in your guard trying to hammer down elbows. Curran (31-9-1), managed to keep Faber tight, not giving him much space to reign down elbows or punches. Faber eventually stood over Curran and Curran tagged him with a kick to the face.

From there, Curran attempted another takedown. Faber countered with a guillotine choke, forcing Curran to tap at 4 minutes 35 seconds of Round Two. It marked only the second time in Curran’s career that he has been stopped inside of the distance.

Faber (20-1) said despite his slow start, he never doubted he would storm back and prevail.

“I’ve got five rounds, 25 minutes. There’s no way you’re choking me out,” said the 28-year-old Californian. “Looks like Jens Pulver is next. It’s going to be an honor to fight that guy. Let’s do it, man. It’s history.”

In other WEC action:

JENS PULVER vs. CUB SWANSON

This much-anticipated grudge match ended quickly as Pulver stuffed a Swanson takedown attempt, and then sunk in a deep guillotine choke, forcing the tap at 35 seconds of Round One. An ecstatic Pulver, a former collegiate wrestler, said afterward that in recent years he had relied too heavily on his boxing prowess to try and finish fights. He contends that his victory over Swanson (11-2), a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor, is evidence of his renewed focus on his ground game.

“I said enough with the left hand, everybody expects the left hand,” Pulver (22-8) explained. “I needed to get back to grappling.” Pulver, who is undefeated in eight fights at 145 pounds, also said he hopes to fight for the WEC featherweight title within the next three months.

PAULO FILHO vs. CHAEL SONNEN

For nearly 10 minutes, Chael Sonnen dominated one of the most feared 185-pounders in the world and flirted with one of the year’s biggest upsets. He outpunched Paulo Filho on their feet. He slammed him to the canvas. He dared to take the fight to the WEC middleweight champion’s guard, and repeatedly peppered the former jiu-jitsu world champion with short punches and elbows, racking up points on the scorecards. And then, for a brief second, Sonnen seemed to relax. Filho instantly seized the moment, locking in an armbar. The referee intervened and halted the fight with just 5 seconds left in Round Two. Officially, the decision was termed a “verbal submission.” Sonnen claims he told the ref exactly the opposite: Don’t stop the fight. “I proclaimed it over again, ‘No, no, no,’ and they stopped the fight. “ Rather than fuel a big controversy, however, Sonnen accepted the defeat, saying “getting caught in the submission, that’s my fault. He overcame me. He’s the champion for a reason.” With the victory, Filho moves to 16–0 and is regarded by many as one of the top three 185 pounders in the world. “I take my hat off to Sonnen because he started off very, very strong ... But I have worked hard my entire life, and I’m Brazilian and I’m never giving up.”

DOUG MARSHALL vs. ARIEL GANDULLA

Doug Marshall showed his heavy hands are not the only thing opponents should be scared of. The outspoken WEC light heavyweight champ, who has never had a fight go the distance, stunned Ariel Gandulla with a deep armbar, forcing the Floridian to tap only 55 seconds into the bout. The submission was set in motion after Marshall (7-2) attempted a flying knee; Gandulla ducked, caught Marshall in the air, and slammed him to the canvas. From Marshall’s open guard, Gandulla attempted to reign down punches rather than try to pass the guard. Marshall quickly slapped on a triangle, and then switched to an armbar. Marshall immediately sprinted outside the cage after the bout. He hooted, hollered and exchanged high-fives with the crowd. “I train my ground game unbelievably,” Marshall said, noting he still prefers to knock out his opponents. “I love the triangle and I kind of envisioned myself winning this fight by triangle ... Would you rather be knocked out or have your arm snapped?” The unscathed champ is eager to fight again soon. “Whoever they want,” he said. “I got tons of hostility to take out on everybody.”

JOHN ALESSIO vs.TODD MOORE

John Alessio won his second straight fight, moving him one step closer toward a possible rematch with WEC welterweight Carlos Condit. But in Todd Moore, Alessio ran into a determined opponent who survived blow after blow, submission attempt after submission attempt, and kept coming as if he was never in any danger at all. Alessio (27-11) repeatedly tagged Moore with straight right hands. He connected with booming knees. He mounted Moore (9-1), took his back and looked for a choke, took him down and tested him with a guillotine choke. Moore seemed unfazed throughout and, save for a small cut, showed few signs of wear. Alessio had to settle for a unanimous decision.

“He comes in here with an undefeated record,” Alessio said. “You can’t take those guys lightly. I took him very serious.”

BRYAN BAKER vs. ERIC SCHAMBARI

This was a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair where both unbeaten fighters had plenty of chances to end it, but neither grappling specialist could finish the other. In the end, the judges awarded a split decision to Baker (6-0), who had twice trapped Schambari in triangle chokes, only to watch his scrappy foe ration his breathing and eventually muscle out. Schambari was game throughout, also slipping out of an anaconda choke and scoring several takedowns. Schambari (7-1) almost ended the fight with a rear-naked choke, but Baker somehow managed to escape and reversed position. That pivotal reversal happened late in the third round, allowing Baker to eventually mount Schambari and score with a bevy of punches that perhaps swayed the judges and clinched the win.

ED RATCLIFF vs. ALEX KARALEXIS

In what was billed as a battle between speed and power, speed prevailed on this day. Ratcliff twice gave up his back to Karalexis, but each time fought off rear naked choke attacks. Back on his feet, Ratcliff (6-0) exploited Karalexis with a right-left combination that sent Karalexis to the canvas. Then Ratcliff made a rookie mistake: He admired his work. He celebrated by hoisting his arms in the air and turning his back to Karalexis, who regularly loses massive amounts of weight before his fights and seemed fatigued early in the first round. The festivities proved premature. Karalexis was hurt but not out, and the referee did not stop the fight. Ratcliff re-engaged, eventually mounting Karalexis and reigning down unanswered blows until the referee stopped the bout at 1 minute 26 seconds of Round Two.

BRIAN BOWLES vs. MARCOS GALVAO

Entering this fight, some MMA pundits considered Marcos Galvao one of the top bantamweights in the world. Not anymore. Bowles hunted Galvao from the opening bell, rocking him with several right hands and exposing the Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter’s lack of stand-up skills. Bowles had floored Galvao early in the second round with a right hand, but was unable to finish him. A woozy Galvao (9-2) returned to his feet, but the fighter – who had vowed before the fight that he would someday win a WEC title and reign supreme for a long time – was never the same after that. Referee Mario Yamasaki halted the match at 2:09 of Round Two after Bowles (5-0) dropped Galvao with a booming right hand.

The win marked Bowles’ second straight upset win; he had previously bested highly-regarded Charlie Valencia. “I knew I just didn’t want to go to the ground with him,” Bowles said afterward. “When I went back to my corner, (my coach) told me he was open for the right hand, so I just started throwing it.”


CHARLIE VALENCIA vs. IAN MCCALL
Valencia, a seasoned veteran, put on a boxing clinic and introduced McCall to his first professional defeat. McCall (6-1) seemed intent to trade punches early, and paid dearly for the gamble. Valencia popped him with several nice right hands that got McCall’s attention. One straight right stunned McCall, and tasting Valencia’s power made him tentative for the remainder of the fight.

It was all downhill for McCall from there. Valencia rocked McCall midway in the first stanza, sending him to the canvas. Valencia pounced on the fallen fighter, unleashing a hail of blows. McCall, amazingly, kept coming. He got to his feet and attempted a takedown. Valencia kept slugging. He connected on more than a dozen blows. Finally, Valencia surprised McCall with a guillotine choke, forcing him to tap at 3:19 of Round 1.

Valencia dedicated the win to his brother-in-law, whom he said is paralyzed.

“I really want him to get better,” Valencia said, “and as long as he’s fighting I’m fighting.”

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