EliteXC: "Renegade" Results
by Robert Sargent
With all but two fights ending in the first round and just a single fight going to a decision, EliteXC's "Renegade" event was an exciting night of action, but definitely had its fair share of controversy as well.
In the main event of the evening, KJ Noons upset Nick Diaz to become the new EliteXC Lightweight Champion when the doctor stopped the fights due to cuts that Diaz had incurred in the first round.
EliteXC Lightweight Championship
Karl James "KJ" Noons vs Nick Diaz
This was one of the most lopsided main event fights in recent memory - the Franklin/Silva II fight at UFC 77 notwithstanding - but not in the manner that many may assume.The new EliteXC Lightweight (160 pounds) title was all but created specifically for Diaz, who, despite a poor showing in his previous fight, was certainly one of the best 160-pound fighters in EliteXC. He's even defeated the #1 lightweight in the world, Takanori Gomi, at PRIDE 33, although that decision was eventually overturned. However, at 'Renegade' on Sunday, Diaz was completely dismantled by the largely unknown Noons.
Round one saw Noons land a hard body punch to Diaz early on, followed by a series of follow-up right hands to the body for the next couple of minutes. Noons was clearly getting the better of the standup, so Diaz went for a takedown but took a vicious knee above the right eye that opened up a cut. The doctor at cageside allowed the fight to continue and Noons knocked Diaz down with a right hook that opened up another cut above Diaz's left eye. Diaz, bleeding profusely, tried for another shot, but Noons defended well. Diaz eventually landed a few punches before the end of the round, but he was bleeding badly from both cuts above his eyes, as well as a cut on the bridge of his nose.
The doctor rules that Diaz cannot see well enough to continue and stops the fight, giving Noons the victory by TKO (Doctor Stoppage due to cuts) at 5:00 of round one. Diaz leaves the cage with both middle fingers raised, shouting. Noons is the new EliteXC Lightweight Champion. Cuts aside, Noons completely dominated the round and deserved the victory. This is a crippling defeat for Diaz.
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs Bo "Redrum" Cantrell
Cantrell was a late replacement against Ferguson, who was making his MMA debut but is already well-known online for his street fighting videos. This fight did not do anything to show Ferguson's skills outside of the boatyard where most of his fights have taken place, as Cantrell was overwhelmed and tapped out due to strikes just 19 seconds into the first round.With MMA legend Bas Rutten in his corner, Ferguson stared down his opponent before the bell. The fight opened with Cantrell attempting a spinning back fist, but Ferguson landed two quick shots that sent Cantrell to the canvas, where he tapped out seconds later as the referee stepped in to stop the fight. Cantrell is now on a disastrous streak, with five consecutive losses and the most recent four ending in under one minute (including a loss to Brad Imes by Gogoplata two weeks ago, which was Imes's second straight victory by Gogo and a story in itself). Ferguson, meanwhile, improves to 1-0 and will likely look to demonstrate his true abilities in another fight soon. As for who will want to take on the notorious street brawler, that remains to be seen.
Jake Shields vs Mike "Quicksand" Pyle
This fight was originally rumoured to be for a new EliteXC Welterweight title, but Pyle declined the title fight offer to test free agency after the fight. Shields, the #5-ranked welterweight in the world, dominated Pyle in the first round.Pyle started off the action, landing a solid knee as Shields went in for a takedown. However, Shields did get Pyle down soon after, but Pyle got back to his feet and scored a takedown of his own. Shields quickly reversed and obtained mount. After Pyle rolled onto his stomach to try to escape, Shields sunk in a rear naked choke for the submission victory at 3:39 of round one. Pyle's gamble at free agency did not pay off, as he lost the fight and thereby decreased his marketability, but he is one of only two fighters to ever defeat Jon Fitch and has fought competition such as current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, so Pyle is not a fighter to be taken lightly, whether he remains with EliteXC or not.
Seth "Mass Destruction" Kleinbeck vs Kyle "KO" Noke
This fight ended with a doctor stoppage due to a cut, much like the main event, but was a good battle while it lasted.The first round was very close, with Kleinbeck taking Noke down early on after catching a low kick. Kleinbeck moved to half-guard and landed a series of right hands, but Noke worked back to guard and went for triangle attempts and an armbar, all of which were defended by Kleinbeck.
Noke scored a takedown to open round two, taking mount and then getting Kleinbeck's back and sinking in both hooks. Kleinbeck defended Noke's rear naked choke attempts and reversed position. The referee had both fighters return to their feet soon after, with Noke once again scoring a takedown. Noke landed a brutal elbow above Kleinbeck's left eye late in the round, forcing a doctor stoppage - ironic, given that Kleinbeck is a certified physician himself - at 4:22 of round two, giving Noke the victory by TKO due to doctor stoppage.
Antonio "Junior" Silva vs Jonathan Wiezorek
This was Silva's first fight in the heavyweight division, as he had competed as a super heavyweight prior to the battle with Wiezorek. Although Wiezorek is not overly well-known, he holds a victory over legendary fighter Dan "The Beast" Severn. This fight would not go Wiezorek's way, however.The first round began with Wiezorek pressing forward with his head down. Silva retaliated with a series of uppercuts and defended two takedown attempts from Wiezorek. When Wiezorek went for a third try, Silva overpowered him and reversed position, moving to half-guard and then mounting Wiezorek soon after. Following a series of strikes, Wiezorek was forced to give up his back to avoid further punishment, but Silva capitalised and sunk in a rear naked choke. Wiezorek tapped out and Silva won by submission at 3:12 of round one.
Geoff Bumstead vs Robert Ruiz
Bumstead began the fight with a few leg kicks before Ruiz powered him into the fence. Bumstead attempted a guillotine choke, but it failed and he took side control instead. After landing some punches, Ruiz tried to roll over to defend himself, but Bumstead easily secured a rear naked choke for the submission victory at 1:30 of round one. Bumstead improves to 1-1, while Ruiz drops to 1-2.Yves Edwards vs Nick Gonzales
It seemed a bit bizarre that this fight was so low on the card, given that Edwards is a world-renowned fighter who has competed against many of the best lightweights and welterweights in the world in the UFC, PRIDE and other major promotions, especially when the competitors in the Bumstead/Ruiz fight had only five total fights combined, but Edwards showed why he is still a top fighter and should not be taken lightly.The first round saw Edwards land a high kick and Gonzales reply with a quick combination. Edwards scored a takedown soon after and got full mount. Gonzales rolled over, but Edwards, as numerous other fighters did later in the night, locked in a rear naked choke and was awarded with a submission victory at 3:05 of the first round. Edwards, who had been trapped in a rather tumultuous period where he had lost five of his past six fights, gets back in the winning ways and improves to 30-13-1.
Undercard Fights:
Other fights in the night saw Matt Lucas defeat Jon Kirk by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Brett Rogers defeated Ralph Kelly by submission (tapout due to strikes) at 1:43 of round one and Jae Suk Lim defeated Daniel Pineda by rear naked choke at 2:42 of the first round.
Though the main event ended in an unfortunate manner, "Renegade" was an exciting night of fights from EliteXC.
