WEC 42: "Torres vs Bowles" Results
by Robert Sargent
World Extreme Cagefighting crowned a new WEC Bantamweight Champion at WEC 42, as undefeated rising star Brian Bowles shocked everyone in attendance by knocking out long-time bantamweight king Miguel Torres in the first round to claim the title.
In the co-main event, Dominick Cruz handed Joseph Benavidez his first loss with a dominant Unanimous Decision victory that may set up a future title fight.
WEC Bantamweight Championship
Brian Bowles vs Miguel Torres
Handing Torres his first loss in nearly six years, Bowles recovered after getting rocked by a combination in round one and flattened Torres with a counter right hook, then finished the fight seconds later.The fighters circled each other for the first minute until Torres finally landed a body kick. Bowles dropped Torres with a right hook seconds later, but Torres got up quickly and landed two counter left hooks. Torres rushed forward with punches and Bowles clinched. Both fighters landed knees and Bowles scored a takedown. He landed short punches and elbows from the top, then stood up to avoid an armbar attempt from Torres, who scored with a trio of upkicks. Bowles returned to Torres's guard and landed more strikes. The fight returned to the feet and Bowles landed a pair of one-twos. Torres rocked Bowles with a combination, then chased him down with more big punches, but Bowles dropped him with a counter right hook. Bowles teed off with rights and lefts on the ground until Torres was out cold, leaving Bowles as the new champion.
Winner: Brian Bowles by KO (Punches) at 3:57 of round one. He improves to 8-0-0 and becomes the new WEC Bantamweight Champion.
Dominick Cruz vs Joseph Benavidez
With his lone career defeat coming against former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, Cruz got a measure of revenge in this fight by handing Faber's protégé, Benavidez, his first loss in dominant fashion.The fight opened with lightning-fast exchanges of kicks and punches and Benavidez backed Cruz up with a nice one-two. Cruz countered with a right hook and caught a kick from Benavidez, then sent him to the mat with another right. Benavidez got up and landed two kicks, then clinched. He backed away, then rushed forward with fast punches. Cruz took Benavidez down and evaded guillotine choke attempts, but Benavidez scrambled to his feet. A lead left scored for Benavidez and both fighters landed knees. Benavidez continued to push the pace, but Cruz landed some nice counters and scored a very brief takedown. Benavidez got up, but Cruz took him down with a body-lock takedown and landed in mount. Benavidez gave up his back and Cruz tried for a rear naked choke, but Benavidez stood up. The fighters traded body kicks before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Cruz.
Round two began with more quick strikes from both fighters. Benavidez landed a very nice combination of punches and finished with an uppercut and a head kick. Cruz staggered Benavidez with a right hook and unleashed a barrage of punches. Benavidez tried to pull Cruz to the mat with a guillotine choke, but Cruz defended. A left hook and a combination landed for Benavidez, but Cruz dropped him with a counter right hook and followed with another huge punching combination as Benavidez backpedalled. Cruz clinched and landed knees, then threw Benavidez to the ground. Benavidez scrambled to his feet and attempted a spinning back fist, but was dropped by another right hook. He clinched and tried to take Cruz down, but had no luck. Cruz began to pick Benavidez apart with punches, but Benavidez managed to land a spinning back elbow. Cruz scored a takedown and punched from the top. 10-9 Cruz.
Benavidez missed with a wild jumping head kick to begin round three and he continued to use varied kicks to throw Cruz off. Cruz slipped while throwing a head kick and ate a knee, but quickly got back to his feet. Combinations landed for both fighters and Benavidez attempted another spinning back fist. Cruz landed a leg kick as Benavidez threw a head kick and Benavidez fell briefly to the mat. Cruz scored a takedown and landed in side-control. Benavidez worked back to his feet and Cruz landed a three-punch flurry. Combinations followed from both fighters and Cruz connected with a head kick and a right hook. Cruz ducked under a spinning back fist and briefly took Benavidez down, but he got up quickly. Cruz scored with a left hook and a combination, then blasted Benavidez with a head kick. He took Benavidez down and landed punches, then took Benavidez's back. Cruz flattened Benavidez out and landed punches until the bell. 10-9 Cruz.
Winner: Dominick Cruz by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-1-0.
Danny "Last Call" Castillo vs Ricardo "The Bully" Lamas
After a close first round, Castillo dropped Lamas with a counter right hook in the late stages of round two and finished the fight with punches on the ground.The fighters circled early on and traded punches, then clinched against the cage. Castillo tried for a takedown, but Lamas broke free and landed a one-two. Lamas looked to set up head kicks with quick flurries, but could not connect. He landed a hard leg kick and Castillo replied with one of his own. More leg kicks were exchanged and Lamas finally connected with a head kick. Castillo replied with two combinations and a pair of jabs. Lamas returned to leg kicks and Castillo scored with a one-two. The fighters clinched briefly and exchanged knees. Two more hard leg kicks landed for Lamas. Very close round. 10-9 Lamas.
After an exchange of leg kicks, Lamas landed a nice combination early on in round two. Castillo attempted a takedown, but Lamas easily stuffed it. Castillo landed a two-punch combination and both fighters scored with leg kicks. Lamas landed a big right hook and defended a takedown attempt. Castillo landed a combination and Lamas answered with a punching flurry and a head kick. He landed a stiff leg kick and Castillo replied with a one-two. Huge punches were exchanged and both fighters connected. Lamas followed with another leg kick and Castillo answered with one of his own. More kicks landed for Lamas, but Castillo drilled him with a right hook to the body. Seconds later, Castillo dropped Lamas with a massive right hook counter. He followed with more punches on the ground as a barely-conscious Lamas turtled and the fight was stopped. Impressive victory for Castillo.
Winner: Danny Castillo by TKO (Punches) at 4:14 of round two. He improves to 8-1-0.
Takeya Mizugaki vs "The Big Frog" Jeff Curran
Doing enough to take the first two rounds of this close contest, Mizugaki survived a tight triangle choke late in round three and went on to pick up a Split Decision victory.Leg kicks were exchanged early on and Curran tried for a takedown. Mizugaki defended and landed hammerfists in a clinch. He added in elbows and continued to defend the takedown attempts. Curran managed to get Mizugaki down to his knees, but Mizugaki landed elbows to the body. Curran simply could not get Mizugaki to the ground and Mizugaki reversed the clinch against the cage. He landed knees to the leg and threw Curran to the mat. Mizugaki postured up and landed some big punches and elbows. Curran attempted an armbar, but Mizugaki escaped and stood up. Curran used an ankle pick to trip Mizugaki, then took his back. Mizugaki spun and reversed, then worked from Curran's guard. 10-9 Mizugaki.
Curran opened round two with a combination and a front kick. Mizugaki replied with punches and the fighters exchanged strikes. Mizugaki landed a hard right hook and Curran answered with a head kick. A big punching flurry scored for Mizugaki and he clinched against the cage. He eventually managed to take Curran down and worked from Curran's guard. Mizugaki landed punches and elbows, then stood up and rained down more strikes. Mizugaki landed more short punches, but Curran attempted a triangle choke and managed to secure a guillotine choke. Mizugaki landed punches to the body of Curran and survived until the bell. 10-9 Mizugaki.
Mizugaki connected with a looping right hook in round three and defended a takedown attempt. He took Curran down and landed punches and elbows. Curran looked for submissions from the bottom, but Mizugaki powered out of them. Mizugaki landed more short strikes and passed to half-guard. He mixed in elbows, but Curran punched from the bottom. Curran attempted an armlock, then locked up a tight triangle choke. Mizugaki defended, but Curran switched to a triangle armbar and rolled Mizugaki over. Curran punched from the top and kept Mizugaki trapped in the triangle until the bell rang to end the round. Curran steals round three. 10-9 Curran.
Two judges awarded the fight to Mizugaki, while one felt that Curran had won one of the opening rounds. Mizugaki took the Split Decision and it appeared to be the right call, despite Curran's last-minute submission attempts.
Winner: Takeya Mizugaki by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 12-3-2.
Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia vs Jameel "The Real Deal" Massouh
In another close bout, the fighters split the first two rounds and Garcia did just enough to barely win the third and final round on two judges' scorecards, though it seemed that Massouh had won the fight.The fighters cautiously circled each other for the first 45 seconds before exchanging hard single punches and kicks. Massouh followed with kicks to the leg and body of Garcia, who looked to land big punches. He did so seconds later, as he dropped and nearly knocked out Massouh with a single right hook. Garcia dove in and tried to finish the fight on the ground with more punches, but Massouh survived and looked for a heel hook. Garcia landed elbows and the fight returned to the feet. Garcia landed a combination and Massouh scored a takedown. From half-guard, he looked to set up an arm-triangle choke, but switched to punches and elbows from the top. More strikes landed for Massouh, who stood up and punched until the bell. Solid recovery from Massouh, but not enough to win the round. 10-9 Garcia.
Massouh landed a nice leg kick early in round two and took Garcia down. Garcia locked on a tight guillotine choke, but Massouh powered out and struck from the top. Massouh moved to half-guard and looked briefly for a Brabo Choke, but gave it up and landed elbows instead. He secured the choke soon after, but Garcia worked back to his feet. Garcia fell to his knees and briefly appeared to be unconscious from the choke, however, but Massouh strangely let it go and took Garcia's back. Back on the feet, Massouh landed kicks and punches, then clinched against the cage and landed a few knees. 10-9 Massouh.
Garcia partially landed a head kick to begin round three and just missed with a combination. A body kick scored for Massouh and Garcia countered with a one-two. More kicks landed for Massouh and he followed with a Superman Punch. The fighters clinched briefly and Garcia began to swing wildly with looping hooks. He landed a spinning back kick to the face of Massouh, but Massouh continued to find success with leg and body kicks. Massouh ducked under a haymaker and scored with a body kick, then clinched and landed knees. Four quick punches landed for Massouh and Garcia missed badly with an uppercut. He scored with an overhand right and Massouh fired back with kicks and a punch that cut Garcia below the eye. Close round. 10-9 Massouh.
Two judges gave the final round to Garcia, giving him the win, but Massouh appeared to have done enough to take the fight.
Winner: Leonard Garcia by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 13-4-0.
Undercard Fights:
Cole Province defeated Fredson Paixao by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. Paixao seemed to have handily won the fight, as he trapped Province in submissions in the first two rounds and badly broke Province's nose near the end of round one, but all three judges awarded the fight to Province, who took the controversial win. To make matters worse, Province tested positive for banned substances after the fight and now faces suspension. Province improves to 6-1-0 with the win.Shane Roller defeated Marcus "The Wrecking Ball" Hicks by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. Roller scored with a pair of slams in round one, but had to fight off tight guillotine chokes from Hicks. He nearly finished Hicks with brutal ground and pound in round two, but the fight went to a third and deciding round. Though little transpired in round three, Roller's slam near the end of the round seemed to be the difference maker and he picked up the win on all three judges' scorecards. Roller improves to 6-2-0 with the win.
Ed "9mm" Ratcliff defeated Phil Cardella by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. While Cardella controlled the pace of nearly all of this uneventful bout and showcased some crisp striking, his repeated guard pulls to get the fight to the ground apparently hurt him on the scorecards. All three judges gave the fight to Ratcliff, despite Ratcliff never putting Cardella in any danger. Ratcliff improves to 7-1-0 with the win.
Rani Yahya defeated John Hosman by Submission (North-South Choke) at 2:08 of round one. Yahya was unable to take the fight to the ground on his first try, but got Hosman down on his second effort. From there, Yahya passed freely to side-control and then to north-south position, where he secured a fight-ending North-South Choke. All but one of Yahya's career victories have come via submission. Yahya improves to 15-4-0 with the win.
Diego "The Gun" Nunes defeated Rafael Dias by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. Nunes managed to land some decent ground and pound in the lacklustre first round, then scored with a variety of kicks to the body in round two. It was the final round when he put the fight away, however, as he landed a series of elbows from Dias's guard that cut Dias and left no doubt in the judges' minds. Nunes improves to 13-0-0 with the win.
L.C. Davis defeated Javier "Showtime" Vazquez by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. The scoring of this bout can only be described as among the worst of the entire year, as Vazquez, and 11-year veteran of the sport who holds many notable victories, was mercilessly robbed by the judges. Vazquez controlled nearly the entire fight on the feet and on the ground, but two judges unbelievably gave the fight to Davis. A sense of shock and disbelief went over the arena and fans passionately shouted their support for Vazquez as he walked backstage. Horrendous judging. Davis improves to 14-2-0 with the win.
While the event featured many exciting fights, questionable - and, at times, downright awful - scoring from the judges at ringside cast a dark cloud over some of the action at WEC 42.
