Time/Date: Saturday 3/29 9PM ET/PT
Recap of the Televised Fights by JP Berube aka MMA Commentator
"Smokin'" Joe Villasenor vs Ryan Jensen
Round 1:
Villasenor and Jensen (Middleweight bout)
There are a few exchanges in the beginning, but Villasenor gets a takedown early on. Although Villasenor is in the dominant position, he goes from side mount to the closed guard of Jensen. Villasenor peppers Jensen's body with strikes, but doesn't do any major damage. Jensen struggles to get up and even eats a couple of knees in the process. Jensen gets tagged with a big left and goes down to his knees in the final minute of the fight. Jensen comes back angry and with a lot of energy in an attempt to take it to Villasenor. Suddenly Villasenor serves up a big right hand to the jaw of Jensen with only 15 seconds to go and Jensen is knocked out!
Villasenor by KO @ 4:45 in round 1
***
Mike Kyle vs Wayne Cole (Heavyweight bout)
Kyle hadn't fought for 2 years because of his controversial behavior. The CSAC came down hard on him for an illegal kick to Brian Olsen's head while Olsen was down.
Wayne Cole is a former All-American wrestling star, who claimed that he was in the "prime of his life" at age 37.
Round 1:
Kyle almost got Cole on his back, but Cole comes back with a takedown in less than 30 seconds in the first round. Cole tries for an arm bar. Cole GETS an arm bar in less than one minute of the first round. Cole's performance was phenomenal!
Cole winner by submission in round 1
***
Kimbo made an appearance on the show and was interviewed by Bill Goldberg. Goldberg called Kimbo an "MMA Superstar". In Kimbo's words he still humbly considers himself "a little squirrel in this MMA game, but whoever the superstar is, I would love to bang with him."
***
Gilbert Melendez vs Gabe Lemley (Lightweight Championship bout)
Melendez was the defending champion and Lemley was the extreme underdog.
Round 1:
Lemley was the aggressor early in the first round, but that stopped with a big left hand by Melendez.
Melendez gets a takedown with less than 40 seconds in. Lemley does a pretty good job defending against Melendez on the ground with Melendez struggling to get into a better position to lay some strikes down on Lemley. Gilbert Melendez lands some big lefts and rights and remains in a dominant position. Gilbert gives Gabe some hammer-fists to the body and Gabe Lemley, while stuck up against the cage, is taking some big shots. Gilbert is relentless with his striking and comes out with a crazy barrage of hammer-fists and blows in the last 15 seconds of the first round.
Round 2:
Melendez comes out strong again with some big strikes and gets another takedown in the first minute of round 2.
More hammer-fists are dished out by Melendez and Lemley is getting overpowered while on his back. Melendez continued to pound Lemley until the fight was stopped by referee Herb Dean.
Melendez winner by TKO @ 2:18 of round 2
Gilbert Melendez remains the lightweight champion
***
Drew "The Master" Fickett vs Jae Suk Kim "The Korean Ice pick" (Welterweight bout)
Round 1:
Fickett struck first but Lim turned Fickett around and pushed him up against the cage. All within about 2 seconds, Drew tried for the takedown, Lim reverses it, and then Drew Fickett gets the rollover! Fickett sunk in a half guillotine and held on. It proved to be too much for Lim.
Drew Fickett wins by submission @ 1:14 of round 1
***
Main Event
Frank Shamrock vs Cung Le (Middleweight Championship)
Current Champ Frank Shamrock hasn't been knocked out in 11 years. Frank said, "I know 100% I'm gonna smash Cung." Cung is undefeated as a kickboxer and in his professional MMA career. Up until today, Le hadn't really fought a top level fighter.
Round 1:
Cung threw a lot of kicks and didn't seem to expend much energy doing it. Shamrock tried early for a quick takedown, but failed.
Le checked the jaw of Shamrock proving that it is as solid as a rock. Shamrock fails at another takedown.
Le does a great job at keeping Frank Shamrock at a distance. Le pulls off a spinning back-fist, but he falls down in the process. Shamrock shoots in, tries for a guillotine, but allows Le to get back up. Shamrock gets more aggressive in the last minute of round 1, and stays true to his word; he said that he would keep this fight standing.
Round 2:
Le gets a kick to the face of Frank Shamrock and Frank loses his mouthpiece. Both fighters are smiling and talking to each other with hand gestures, and appear to be trying to psych each other out. Shamrock is effective at landing right kicks to the body of Le. Shamrock slips and falls and gestures to Le, asking him if he wants to take the fight to the ground. His request is denied, so Shamrock gets up and the exchanges continue. The fight is starting to look like a sparring match. Le gets a great right hook in but Le still doesn't appear to a great KO threat to Shamrock.
There's a big left kick by Le and a high right hand by Lee. It goes back and forth, but Frank is taking a lot of kicks to the right arm, which is turning bright red. Le drops Shamrock with a low kick. Suddenly Frank isn't smiling anymore and it looks like Frank Shamrock might take this fight a little more seriously. Le is clearly ahead on points. Suddenly, Shamrock rocks Le, smells blood and moves in for the kill, systematically picking Le apart with punches and knees. Shamrock lands a good right. Then, as suddenly as Shamrock started, Le lands a right kick and moves in for the kill on Shamrock with only 10 seconds left in round 2. Shamrock appears to be hurt and doesn't defend well against Le's attack.
It is apparent that Shamrock is in serious pain and, as it turns out, Shamrock's right arm is broken and he is unable to continue into round 4. Those kicks to Shamrock's right arm paid dividends for Le and he becomes the new middleweight champion.
Le winner by TKO after 3 rounds
***
I thoroughly enjoyed the fights and Shamrock and Le didn't disappoint. Wayne Cole was very impressive and we'll undoubtedly be seeing a lot more of him in the days ahead.
by JP Berube aka MMA Commentator
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