World Extreme Cagefighting 32 Results
by Robert Sargent
World Extreme Cagefighting put on another exciting event at WEC 32, with three title fights and a solid undercard. However, only WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit would successfully defend his title in Albuquerque.
Avenging a 2004 loss, Carlos Condit managed to retain his Welterweight title against Carlo Prater, while both the Bantamweight and Lightweight titles changed hands.
WEC Welterweight Championship
"The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit vs Carlo Prater
Prater had defeated Condit in Condit's hometown of Albuquerque in 2004, but the rematch saw Condit emerge victorious in front of his hometown crowd, with a quick submission victory in the first round.Both fighters traded kicks for the first 30 seconds, and Prater scored a takedown after a brief clinch. He worked from half-guard, but Condit quickly regained full guard and began a series of submission attempts. Condit first tried for a Kimura on Prater's left arm, but gave it up soon after. Both fighters exchanged strikes on the ground, with Condit going for an armbar. Condit then went for a guillotine choke, and the fight seemed to be nearing an end, but Prater managed to escape. However, after Prater escaped a triangle choke attempt, Condit locked in another guillotine choke and Prater was forced to submit.
Winner: Carlos Condit by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:48 of round one. He successfully retains his WEC Welterweight Championship and improves to 22-4-0.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Jamie "The Worm" Varner vs "Razor" Rob McCullough
McCullough had built up somewhat of a hype machine behind him, most notably in frequent mention from UFC commentator Joe Rogan, but he was thoroughly dominated in this fight, and lost his title to Varner after a series of punches in the third round.Varner opened up the fight with a quick combination and a takedown soon after. However, to McCullough's credit, he got back to his feet and managed to defend a series of takedown attempts from Varner afterwards. Varner repeatedly got McCullough to a seated position, but McCullough continuously fought back to his feet. With just over two minutes left in the first round, the fight returned to the feet and McCullough landed a knee. Varner countered with a series of punching combinations. Varner twice attempted to take McCullough down, but McCullough defended and landed another knee strike. Varner landed two hard rights, but McCullough countered with a body kick that left Varner scrambling for a takedown. He didn't get one and the round came to an end.
Varner landed a hard left punch early in round two, and seemed to be getting the better of all of the punching exchanges, even though McCullough is the highly-regarded striker. Both fighters exchanged combinations as the crowd started booing for no apparent reason, and the crowd continued to do so for most of the round. Varner landed more good combinations and McCullough countered with a body kick. The remainder of the round saw Varner land combinations at will, with McCullough unable to mount much of any offence at all, save for another body kick and a handful of punches. Varner was clearly up two rounds to zero.
Varner opened up round three with another good punching combination, then briefly taunted McCullough. McCullough made him pay for that seconds later, however, as he landed a powerful right hook that knocked Varner's mouthpiece to the canvas. McCullough rushed in and landed a one-two combination, then a knee, but Varner survived. When the fight returned to the feet, Varner bizarrely called for a timeout to get his mouthpiece, and referee Steve Mazzagatti allowed it, as the crowd booed. Varner went back to punching combinations, and once again started getting the better of the exchanges.
With exactly 2:30 remaining in the round, Varner dropped McCullough with a right cross, then rushed in and followed up with a barrage of strikes. McCullough held on for a few seconds, but a right-left combination from Varner sent a bloody McCullough to the mat and the referee stopped the fight. McCullough's reputation as a one-dimensional striker was proven to be inaccurate when his wrestling defence in round one turned out to be very effective, but his striking let him down in the end.
Winner: Jamie Varner by TKO (Punches) at 2:51 of round three. He becomes the new WEC Lightweight Champion and improves to 14-2-0, 2 NC.
WEC Bantamweight Championship
Miguel Torres vs Chase Beebe
This battle of 135-pound fighters ended with one of the most spectacular 30-second displays of jiu-jitsu in recent memory, as Torres became the new champion with a first-round submission victory.Torres opened up round one with a series of leg kicks and a punching combination. Both fighters exchanged punches, then Torres landed a head kick and Beebe took the fight to the ground. Torres immediately looked for an armbar, then a tirangle, and drilled Beebe with an up-kick as Beebe tried to stand back up. Beebe scored another takedown seconds later, and Torres once again went for a series of armbar and triangle attempts on the ground. Beebe landed a few elbows from the top, but Torres continued to go for submissions.
With just over 90 seconds left in the round, Torres began one of the most incredible series of submissions in recent MMA competition, as he transitioned first from a shoulder lock to an armbar, and then to an omoplata to take top position. In the next 20 seconds, he went for an Anaconda Choke, then a modified guillotine choke, then finished the fight with what was essentially a half-guillotine, half-D'Arce Choke. It was easily one of the most impressive submission displays in MMA history.
Winner: Miguel Torres by Submission (Reverse D'Arce Choke) at 3:58 of round one. He becomes the new WEC Bantamweight Champion and improves to 31-1-0.
Manny "The Mangler" Tapia vs Antonio Banuelos
This battle of 145-pound featherweights was nearly marred by typically-horrid judging from the ever-incompetent Cecil Peoples, as the bout was originally ruled as a Draw. However, after a scoring error on one of the other judges' cards was noticed, Tapia was awarded with a Split Decision victory, in a fight which he clearly and undeniably won.The first 90 seconds of round one saw both fighters exchange numerous punches, with none dealing any significant damage. Tapia eventually hit Banuelos with a hard punch that caused Banuelos to look for a takedown, but Tapia defended. Another striking exchange saw both fighters land very hard right hands. Tapia landed a knee to the body that forced Banuelos to once again try for a takedown, and he was again unsuccessful. Tapia tried to take Banuelos's back, but Banuelos rolled and got back to his feet. Banuelos went for a high kick, then attempted a takedown, but Tapia tried for a Kimura and then took Banuelos's back. After another striking exchange, Tapia scored a takedown and Banuelos quickly reversed before the bell. Tapia takes a close first round 10-9.
The second round began slowly, but a huge punching exchange 30 seconds in resulted in Tapia knocking Banuelos down. Banuelos, bleeding from the nose, held onto Tapia's leg to survive. Tapia took Banuelos's back, but could not do anything with it and the fight returned to the feet. Tapia got the better of another striking exchange, then landed a series of knees to the body. Banuelos landed a few small punches against the cage, then took Tapia down. Tapia got back to his feet, fought off a guillotine choke from Banuelos and began chasing a now-retreating Banuelos around the cage. Tapia continued to win the striking exchanges in the final minute of the round, but Banuelos narrowly missed with a spinning side kick to the head of Tapia, which undoubtedly would have instantly ended the fight. Tapia takes the round 10-9 after the knockdown and victories in the striking.
Banuelos landed a left hand early on in round three, and Tapia countered with another punching combination. Banuelos scored a takedown and got Tapia's back. He tried for a rear naked choke, but Tapia escaped, so Banuelos went for knees to the body instead. Back on the feet, Tapia landed a one-two combination and Banuelos replied with a high kick. With 90 seconds left, Banuelos went for a spinning back fist, but narrowly missed. Tapia continued to land combinations for the remainder of the round, and landed a knee strike just before the bell. A very close round that could have gone either way. I would have given it to Tapia, based on the striking once again, but Banuelos controlled enough of the round on the ground to have taken round three. Regardless, Tapia wins the fight.
However, the fight was initially ruled as a Draw when one judge's scorecard was incorrectly read as 28-28. Robert Romero scored the fight 30-27 for Tapia. Cecil Peoples, useless as always, somehow scored the fight 29-28 for Banuelos. Tom King's scorecard was originally read as 28-28, but was corrected to read 29-28 in favour of Tapia, who wins by Split Decision. Sadly, this fight is yet another example of why Cecil Peoples, along with cohort Adelaide Byrd, should never, ever be scoring mixed martial arts bouts. How either of them still have jobs is truly a mystery.
Winner: Manny Tapia by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 10-0-1.
Undercard Fights:
UFC veteran Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia defeated Hiroyuki "Streetfight Bancho" Takaya by TKO (Punch) at 1:31 of round one after landing a wild right hook that dropped Takaya. However, it seemed that Takaya was getting back to his feet when the referee stopped the fight, so the conclusion was somewhat controversial. Regardless, Garcia improves to 11-3-0.Josh Grispi defeated Canadian Mark "The Machine" Hominick by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:55 of round one after taking Hominick's back and locking in the choke, which resulted in Hominick falling to the canvas, unconscious. Hominick's glaring weakness - his submission defence - once again continues to haunt him. Grispi improves to 8-1-0, with none of his fights ever going the distance.
Coty "Ox" Wheeler defeated Del Hawkins by Submission (Flying Armbar) at 1:57 of round two after leaping onto Hawkins and locking in a spectacular flying armbar, which forced Hawkins to submit. Wheeler improves to 7-1-0.
Damacio Page defeated Scott Jorgensen by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. Page improves to 10-3-0.
Yoshiro Maeda defeated Charlie Valencia by KO (Body Kick) at 2:29 of round one after a vicious left kick to the body. Maeda improves to 23-4-2.
Micah Miller defeated Chance Farrar by KO (Punch) at 1:39 of round one after dropping Farrar with a right hand and then landing two more follow-up shots. Miller improves to 10-1-0, 1 NC.
WEC 32 was another very solid event for World Extreme Cagefighting, and their plan of having multiple title fights on nearly every show is a very good one. Their next event will feature a rematch between WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho and Chael Sonnen.
