Called a grudge match heading into tonight, 33-year-old Daniel Gracie (Pictures)’s fight versus Wes Sims (Pictures), 26, had people interested, perhaps only to see if the rematch would turn as dirty as their original contest March 3 in Columbus, Ohio.
Scoring a quick trip takedown, Gracie worked from Sims’ half-guard before the fighters were moved to the center of the ring by referee Herb Dean (Pictures). As he headed there to meet Sims, Gracie looked to his corner and complained that Sims was slick with Vaseline.
That, however, played little impact on the fight’s conclusion. Moving from half-guard to mount to back-control, Gracie took a decided edge in the contest when Sims decided to stand while the Brazilian clung to his back. Seconds later Gracie wrapped an arm around Sims’ neck and squeezed.
The Lancaster, Ohio heavyweight lurched forward and stumbled towards the ring’s five red, white and blue ropes as if he intended to toss Gracie — and himself — over the top.
“He was going to fall out with me because I was not going to let go,” the 4-1-1 Gracie said.
The pressure to Sims’ carotid ended any thoughts of taking action outside of the squared circle, and soon his 6’ 10” frame soon slumped on the canvas.
Dean separated the fighters two minutes 42 seconds after the opening bell, and Gracie’s corner, consisting of IFL coach Renzo Gracie (Pictures) and about a dozen or so people wearing red Pitbulls jerseys, stormed into the ring.
It looked for a moment like extracurricular fisticuffs would ensue, but Gracie’s corner reaction was based in jubilation, not frustration.
Few results could have been as definitive, and this chapter, which saw Sims (10-8-1) sue the Ohio State Athletic Commission over the original result, appears to be closed.
From the opening bell Jamal Patterson (Pictures), 32, refused to give 30-year-old Alex Schoenauer (Pictures) room to breath. The New York-based light heavyweight swarmed Schoenauer, who last April upset Travis Wiuff (Pictures) in the only win for Bas Rutten (Pictures)’s squad against the Pat Miletich (Pictures)-led Silver Backs. Patterson, too, won his contest on April 29, and tonight showed himself to be an explosive and skilled fighter against the more experienced Argentine.
After blasting Schoenauer (9-5-0) on his feet and on the floor, Patterson (2-0-0) looked for a guillotine, which he finally locked up after falling into his guard. Feeling the horrible pressure, Schoenauer tapped out of the fight 2:32 of round one.
Jay Hieron (Pictures), 29, put together a solid effort to give Omaha, Nebraska’s Jake Ellenberger (Pictures) the first defeat of his 13-fight career. Training out of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Long Island, New York, Hieron consistently put Ellenberger, 21, on the defensive throughout the three-round fight.
Periods one and two were carbon copies, with Hieron scoring after putting Ellenberger on the canvas. In the third, Ellenberger attempted to rally, but each time it appeared he could change momentum Hieron effectively wrestled Ellenberger.
Judges Frank Fitzgerald, Douglas Crosby and Ray Martin saw it the same, three rounds to none for Hieron, now 9-2-0.
London, Ontario’s Chris Horodecki (Pictures) upped his record to 5-0-0 with an impressive knockout of Erik Owings (Pictures) (1-1-0). The 18-year-old Canadian, who could easily pass for 14, moved forward during the four-minute opening period, walking through Owing’s strikes to deliver punches and kicks at a high rate.
Two straight rights to the head and two kicks — one to the gut and the other to Owings’ forehead — put the Renzo Gracie (Pictures) lightweight to the canvas at the conclusion of round one. He could not get off the canvas at the referee waved off the fight.
Pat Miletich (Pictures)-trained Ben Uker (4-2-0) worked off an aggressive double-leg takedown to tap Travis Doerge (Pictures) (3-5-0) from half-guard two minutes 10 seconds after the opening bell.