Also defending his WEC title tonight was welterweight champion Mike Pyle (Pictures), who like Smith won his belt in October. Challenging the young 170-pounder was veteran Shonie Carter (Pictures).
After a quick kick to Carter’s midsection, Pyle connected with a punch to his challenger’s face, starting a stream of blood that would grow more intense as the fight continued.
Having won eight of nine bouts by submission, it was no surprise that Pyle twice went for guillotine chokes when the fight hit the canvas. But to catch a veteran like Shonie Carter (Pictures) is no easy task, and it took Pyle cinching in a perfect triangle choke to seal his first title defense.
A training partner for Randy Couture (Pictures), Jay Hieron (Pictures) and others in Las Vegas, Pyle has shown himself to be a more-than-capable welterweight, whose size and skill make him someone to watch in 2006. Though Carter’s best days are clearly behind him — something Pyle freely admitted before and after the bout — the win was no less impressive.
Olsen wins “Big” title
Fighting for the vacant WEC heavyweight belt, few gave New London, Connecticut’s Brian Olsen (Pictures) a shot against established local favorite Lavar Johnson (Pictures). Following an unexpected end, the WEC belt his headed back east.
Olsen controlled the bout from the start, eventually winning the title when “Big” Johnson was forced to quit after a right knee injury 14 seconds into round two.
Johnson, an intimidating though not terribly technical striker, was put on his back early and did not have much of an answer to Olsen. As round one came to a close, Johnson came back to his corner and informed his American Kickboxing Academy teammates that at some point during the opening five minutes, his right knee had “shifted.”
You wouldn’t have known it based on how he came out in the second period. Firing punches and knees, Johnson scored on Olsen for the first time in the fight. But as he planted to continue the aggressive game plan for the middle period, Johnson collapsed to the floor, tapping before reaching for his right knee.
It was an unfortunate way to go out for Johnson, but Olsen showed himself to be a tough heavyweight and worthy of holding the WEC belt.