Championship Fights Highlight KOTC: Revenge
Josh Gross Nov 21, 2004
SAN JACINTO, Calif., Nov. 14 -- King of the Cage heavyweight
champion Paul Buentello
retained his title -- one of five belts up for grabs on the 19-bout
KOTC pay-per-view card -- in impressive fashion Sunday night,
needing just 45 seconds to knock out challenger Bo Cantrell at the
Soboba Casino.
Buentello's contest was the night's quickest. Waiting for an opening against the jittery Cantrell, Buentello measured distance well, landing a stiff right straight that hurt his bleach-blonde goateed challenger, backing him to the cage fencing.
Cantrell tried to answer with a stream of arm punches, but it was
Buentello who threw and landed the fight's meaningful shots,
including his trademark uppercut and another right straight that
put Cantrell down to the yellow mat. Though it hardly seemed
necessary, Buentello followed with an ill-intentioned right hand
before the referee could separate the fighters.
The victory ensures Buentello an opportunity to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in February; his opponent is reported to be Iowa-based Justin Eilers.
Rounds one and two were difficult to call.
Denny controlled the first two and a half minutes of the opening period, out-wrestling Fanshier before securing the standing back-mount. But the Reno, Nevada-trained Fanshier played a smart defensive game, reversing Denny's standing choke attempts and denying further takedowns. Meanwhile, Denny boxed well on the inside.
At the closing bell, Fanshier caught Denny with a hook that put his tattooed challenger to the canvas. Clearly, Denny was hurt and for a moment it was unclear whether he'd be able to continue. Without the full support of his legs, Denny began round two at a disadvantage, and Fanshier capitalized.
Clinched against the fence, Fanshier fired a knee that connected square with Denny's face. For the second time in the fight Denny was on the floor in survival mode. In perhaps his best performance in the cage he did, and proceeded to turn the fight around as the round wore on.
Recovered from the head-jarring blows, Denny impressively came back by out-grappling Fanshier. Mounted with his right arm trapped by a Denny' knee, Fanshier found himself on the bad side of multiple elbows and punches. As the period came to a close, Denny used his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and attempted an armbar. But with his position next to the fence and the round's dwindling seconds working against him, Denny could not finish the submission.
The final round belonged to Denny. He pushed the pace, controlled the fight with multiple takedowns and gained Fanshier's back for the second time in the fight. For his part, because of Denny's ability to close the distance, Fanshier was unable to find the striking range he'd found at the close of round one and beginning of round two.
While the pro-Denny crowd booed at the announcement of the split decision, it's obvious that for the judges -- who used the KOTC 30-point must scoring system -- the knockdowns proved the fight's difference makers.
Falling short again on his hopes of winning the KOTC lightweight title (he was unable defeat Joe Hurley in 2002) Charlie Kohler was stopped by Japanese fireplug Takumi Nakayama in the fight for the vacated 155-pound belt. Kohler scored the fight's first takedown, and his early power edge seemed to bode well for his chances. But Takumi was no pushover.
Following a Kohler flurry that bloodied the bridge of Takumi's nose, the Japanese lightweight recovered particularly well, putting the muscular American to the floor. The ensuing ground-and-pound from Takumi was effective, and as the round came to its conclusion it was Kohler who appeared slowed and fatigued.
The best back-and-forth sequence of the fight came in the first minute of round two. Both men imported and exported heavy punches in a 15-second barrage that had the crowd screaming. Yet, despite eating several heavy shots, Takumi showed no ill-effects. Kohler, meanwhile, was not as fortunate.
Dazed and gassed, Kohler found himself on his back with Takumi dropping heavy strikes from the half-guard and mount. Referee Nelson Hamilton allowed Kohler every opportunity to defend himself and counter, but Kohler was simply out-gunned. Hamilton finally stepped in 2:36 of round two, giving Takumi his first opportunity to realize his championship.
Gladiator Challenge flyweight champion Uriah Faber added a KOTC belt to his collection, stopping a game Eban Kaneshiro 4:33 of round three. The hyper-aggressive Faber refused to allow Kaneshiro room to attack or catch his breath throughout nearly 15 minutes of fighting. From the opening bell, Faber flew around the cage trying to take Kaneshiro's head off as if beating his challenger would be the elixir to everything that ails him.
For his part, Kaneshiro did well to avoid much of Faber's power. But he could not match Faber's ceaseless energy or intensity. In the final period, Faber punctuated his effort with a highlight-reel slam. Though Kaneshiro weathered the high-elevation takedown, playing comfortably from the guard, it was more evidence of Faber's dynamic athleticism.
The end came as Faber fired punches at Kaneshiro, who looked liked he was intelligently defending himself, but referee Herb Dean had seen enough, calling a halt to the contest with less than a half minute remaining in the fight.
While he impressed, Faber has a lot of room for growth. At this point, he's not ready to take on the world's best 145- or 155-pound fighters. In time, that may change. But, at the very least, his style -- parts Sean Sherk and Richard Crunkilton -- makes for entertaining fights.
Lloyd "Kadillac" Marshbanks scored a majority decision over "Scary" Jerry Vrbanovic to earn the KOTC super-heavyweight title. Marshbanks' athleticism and strength carried him past Vrbanovic, despite a significant height and size disparity.
In round one, Marshbanks followed a surprising suplex of Vrbanovic with a healthy dose of ground-and-pound. He was in complete control when he decided to attempt a heel hook on Vrbanovic. The questionable move left him exposed and allowed Vrbanovic to gain the mount position. While Marshbanks survived until round's end, his failed submission attempt allowed Vrbanovic back into the fight.
The middle period was decisively Marshbanks'. A quick move to the mat brought Marshbanks and Vrbanovic to their knees. From behind, Marshbanks delivered a meat cleaver of a right hand that opened an ugly cut under Vrbanovic's right eye.
With his eye swelling and the chances of the cut worsening, Vrbanovic did little between the first and fourth minute of round three. The final minute, however, was his. Putting Marshbanks on his back for the second time in the fight, Vrbanovic again secured the mount. His offensive output, though, was limited, and even the urging his of corner couldn't bring the fight home.
In a non-title contest, Davie Hisquierdo evened his KOTC record to 2-2, defeating the entertaining yet flawed Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett by triangle choke 1:56 of round two. Working through Bennett's strength advantage, Hisquierdo implemented his game plan well, controlling Bennett from the top while grappling rather than standing and slugging with him.
The end came after an impressive display of Bennett's power (he punched Hisquierdo with one hand while his slender challenger was suspended in mid-air) led to his demise. As soon as the fight hit the mat, Hisquierdo countered into a triangle choke. He survived the ensuing slam and adjusted for the finish. In a last ditch effort to avoid submitting, Bennett rolled to his back allowing Hisquierdo to finish with an inverted triangle/armbar effort.
Shonie Carter forced a doctor's stoppage of John Cronk between the first and second round. Carter controlled most of the fight, securing Cronk's back before landing the fight-ending elbow from the guard.
Robert Emerson appeared to earn the advantage during his two-round clash with Randy Velarde, but after 10 minutes of fighting, the judges at ringside awarded a majority decision to his hard-headed challenger. Round one was close, though Emerson was the crisper of the two. That edge paid off the following period. Several straight rights peppered Velarde's chin and low kicks to his lead leg slowed him considerably. However, Velarde's refusal to quit, according to the judges, was reason enough to award him the fight.
In other action, Cal Worsham walked through Wil Scott to score a stoppage just 52 seconds of round one. Anthony Ruiz earned a victory when Brian Sesma could not answer the bell for round two. Russ Muira won by disqualification after former SHOOTO fighter Hiroyuki Abe illegally used knees to Muira's head when the two were on the mat. Mike Guymon overmatched Joe Frainee to win by technical knockout 2:22 of the opening round. And Richard Diaz tapped Ray Lazama with a triangle choke 4:31 of round one.
Buentello's contest was the night's quickest. Waiting for an opening against the jittery Cantrell, Buentello measured distance well, landing a stiff right straight that hurt his bleach-blonde goateed challenger, backing him to the cage fencing.
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The victory ensures Buentello an opportunity to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in February; his opponent is reported to be Iowa-based Justin Eilers.
In what turned out be the card's most competitive bout, James Fanshier needed to hear
the judges' decision before knowing he'd beaten Thomas Denny to earn the KOTC
welterweight belt. Fanshier and Denny battled for 15 back-and-forth
minutes in which both men had the other in trouble.
Rounds one and two were difficult to call.
Denny controlled the first two and a half minutes of the opening period, out-wrestling Fanshier before securing the standing back-mount. But the Reno, Nevada-trained Fanshier played a smart defensive game, reversing Denny's standing choke attempts and denying further takedowns. Meanwhile, Denny boxed well on the inside.
At the closing bell, Fanshier caught Denny with a hook that put his tattooed challenger to the canvas. Clearly, Denny was hurt and for a moment it was unclear whether he'd be able to continue. Without the full support of his legs, Denny began round two at a disadvantage, and Fanshier capitalized.
Clinched against the fence, Fanshier fired a knee that connected square with Denny's face. For the second time in the fight Denny was on the floor in survival mode. In perhaps his best performance in the cage he did, and proceeded to turn the fight around as the round wore on.
Recovered from the head-jarring blows, Denny impressively came back by out-grappling Fanshier. Mounted with his right arm trapped by a Denny' knee, Fanshier found himself on the bad side of multiple elbows and punches. As the period came to a close, Denny used his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and attempted an armbar. But with his position next to the fence and the round's dwindling seconds working against him, Denny could not finish the submission.
The final round belonged to Denny. He pushed the pace, controlled the fight with multiple takedowns and gained Fanshier's back for the second time in the fight. For his part, because of Denny's ability to close the distance, Fanshier was unable to find the striking range he'd found at the close of round one and beginning of round two.
While the pro-Denny crowd booed at the announcement of the split decision, it's obvious that for the judges -- who used the KOTC 30-point must scoring system -- the knockdowns proved the fight's difference makers.
Falling short again on his hopes of winning the KOTC lightweight title (he was unable defeat Joe Hurley in 2002) Charlie Kohler was stopped by Japanese fireplug Takumi Nakayama in the fight for the vacated 155-pound belt. Kohler scored the fight's first takedown, and his early power edge seemed to bode well for his chances. But Takumi was no pushover.
Following a Kohler flurry that bloodied the bridge of Takumi's nose, the Japanese lightweight recovered particularly well, putting the muscular American to the floor. The ensuing ground-and-pound from Takumi was effective, and as the round came to its conclusion it was Kohler who appeared slowed and fatigued.
The best back-and-forth sequence of the fight came in the first minute of round two. Both men imported and exported heavy punches in a 15-second barrage that had the crowd screaming. Yet, despite eating several heavy shots, Takumi showed no ill-effects. Kohler, meanwhile, was not as fortunate.
Dazed and gassed, Kohler found himself on his back with Takumi dropping heavy strikes from the half-guard and mount. Referee Nelson Hamilton allowed Kohler every opportunity to defend himself and counter, but Kohler was simply out-gunned. Hamilton finally stepped in 2:36 of round two, giving Takumi his first opportunity to realize his championship.
Gladiator Challenge flyweight champion Uriah Faber added a KOTC belt to his collection, stopping a game Eban Kaneshiro 4:33 of round three. The hyper-aggressive Faber refused to allow Kaneshiro room to attack or catch his breath throughout nearly 15 minutes of fighting. From the opening bell, Faber flew around the cage trying to take Kaneshiro's head off as if beating his challenger would be the elixir to everything that ails him.
For his part, Kaneshiro did well to avoid much of Faber's power. But he could not match Faber's ceaseless energy or intensity. In the final period, Faber punctuated his effort with a highlight-reel slam. Though Kaneshiro weathered the high-elevation takedown, playing comfortably from the guard, it was more evidence of Faber's dynamic athleticism.
The end came as Faber fired punches at Kaneshiro, who looked liked he was intelligently defending himself, but referee Herb Dean had seen enough, calling a halt to the contest with less than a half minute remaining in the fight.
While he impressed, Faber has a lot of room for growth. At this point, he's not ready to take on the world's best 145- or 155-pound fighters. In time, that may change. But, at the very least, his style -- parts Sean Sherk and Richard Crunkilton -- makes for entertaining fights.
Lloyd "Kadillac" Marshbanks scored a majority decision over "Scary" Jerry Vrbanovic to earn the KOTC super-heavyweight title. Marshbanks' athleticism and strength carried him past Vrbanovic, despite a significant height and size disparity.
In round one, Marshbanks followed a surprising suplex of Vrbanovic with a healthy dose of ground-and-pound. He was in complete control when he decided to attempt a heel hook on Vrbanovic. The questionable move left him exposed and allowed Vrbanovic to gain the mount position. While Marshbanks survived until round's end, his failed submission attempt allowed Vrbanovic back into the fight.
The middle period was decisively Marshbanks'. A quick move to the mat brought Marshbanks and Vrbanovic to their knees. From behind, Marshbanks delivered a meat cleaver of a right hand that opened an ugly cut under Vrbanovic's right eye.
With his eye swelling and the chances of the cut worsening, Vrbanovic did little between the first and fourth minute of round three. The final minute, however, was his. Putting Marshbanks on his back for the second time in the fight, Vrbanovic again secured the mount. His offensive output, though, was limited, and even the urging his of corner couldn't bring the fight home.
In a non-title contest, Davie Hisquierdo evened his KOTC record to 2-2, defeating the entertaining yet flawed Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett by triangle choke 1:56 of round two. Working through Bennett's strength advantage, Hisquierdo implemented his game plan well, controlling Bennett from the top while grappling rather than standing and slugging with him.
The end came after an impressive display of Bennett's power (he punched Hisquierdo with one hand while his slender challenger was suspended in mid-air) led to his demise. As soon as the fight hit the mat, Hisquierdo countered into a triangle choke. He survived the ensuing slam and adjusted for the finish. In a last ditch effort to avoid submitting, Bennett rolled to his back allowing Hisquierdo to finish with an inverted triangle/armbar effort.
Shonie Carter forced a doctor's stoppage of John Cronk between the first and second round. Carter controlled most of the fight, securing Cronk's back before landing the fight-ending elbow from the guard.
Robert Emerson appeared to earn the advantage during his two-round clash with Randy Velarde, but after 10 minutes of fighting, the judges at ringside awarded a majority decision to his hard-headed challenger. Round one was close, though Emerson was the crisper of the two. That edge paid off the following period. Several straight rights peppered Velarde's chin and low kicks to his lead leg slowed him considerably. However, Velarde's refusal to quit, according to the judges, was reason enough to award him the fight.
In other action, Cal Worsham walked through Wil Scott to score a stoppage just 52 seconds of round one. Anthony Ruiz earned a victory when Brian Sesma could not answer the bell for round two. Russ Muira won by disqualification after former SHOOTO fighter Hiroyuki Abe illegally used knees to Muira's head when the two were on the mat. Mike Guymon overmatched Joe Frainee to win by technical knockout 2:22 of the opening round. And Richard Diaz tapped Ray Lazama with a triangle choke 4:31 of round one.
