World Extreme Cagefighting held its final event tonight at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. WEC 53: “Henderson vs Pettis” was headlined by a thrilling WEC Lightweight Championship bout between champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson and top contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
In the co-feature, WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz put his title on the line against Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen, while Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone faced “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki at 155 pounds. MMARising.com has play-by-play for tonight’s WEC card.
WEC Lightweight Championship
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs Ben “Smooth” Henderson
Round 1:
The fighters circled for the opening forty seconds until Henderson launched a flying switch kick to the upper body. Pettis answered with a roundhouse kick and Henderson swarmed in with a leg kick and punches. Henderson clinched and landed knees to the thigh and jaw. Pettis yawned in return and Henderson tripped him to the mat against the cage.
Henderson worked from Pettis’s guard and pressed up up against a post. Pettis tried for a triangle choke and Henderson stood up. Pettis followed and landed a kick to the upper body. He snapped Henderson’s head back with a jab and followed with a front kick to the ribs. Pettis scored with a counter hook, but Henderson took him down and landed punches. 10-9 Henderson.
Round 2:
Henderson opened round two with a body kick, but fell after a right cross from Pettis. Henderson scrambled to his feet, but Pettis took him back down and tried for a Kimura. Henderson stood and landed knees to the thighs in a clinch. Pettis broke free with a one-two and backed Henderson up with another one soon after. Henderson dropped levels, but Pettis stayed on his feet.
Another clinch ensued against the cage and Pettis punched free again. Both fighters landed looping hooks and Henderson scored with a body kick. Time was called after Henderson was kicked in the groin. Action quickly resumed and Pettis countered a body kick with two kicks to the leg. Pettis landed a grazind head kick before the bell. Very close round. 10-9 Pettis, barely.
Round 3:
Henderson landed a body kick 30 seconds into round three and Pettis immediately responded with a hard leg kick. A lead right hook scored for Henderson, but Pettis took him down in the centre of the cage and moved to mount. Pettis took Henderson’s back and tried for a rear-naked choke. Henderson got to his feet with Pettis on his back against the cage.
Pettis maintained a body triangle and punched from the back. He tried to pull Henderson to the ground, but could not and resumed punching instead. Pettis looked to use his punches to set up a rear-naked choke, but Henderson defended well. Pettis continued to hunt for the choke and landed punches to the head and body all the way until just before the bell. 10-9 Pettis.
Round 4:
A solid body kick scored for Henderson early in round four and he followed with a flurry of punches and a takedown. Pettis locked on a guillotine choke, but Henderson scrambled to the top and landed punches. He took Pettis’s back and nearly locked on a rear-naked choke. He secured it, but Pettis somehow escaped. Henderson maintained back control and landed punches to the sides of Pettis’s head.
Pettis tried to spin into Henderson’s guard and eventually did so. He moved to side control and took Henderson’s back. Henderson stood up with Pettis on his back and Pettis landed a knee. The fighters separated and Henderson landed a body kick. A one-two landed for Pettis and he rushed in with punches. Henderson dropped down for a takedown and fought out of a guillotine choke. Pettis readjusted his grip, but Henderson made it to the bell. 10-9 Henderson.
Round 5:
Pettis countered a body kick with a right cross in the final round and stuffed a takedown with punches. Time was called after Henderson was kicked in the groin. He recovered and the fight continued. Henderson landed two kicks, but was drilled by a hard counter one-two that backed him up. More punches scored for Pettis and Henderson fell to his back. Pettis tried for a rear-naked choke on the ground, but let it go and stood up.
Henderson tried for a takedown and dropped right into a flying knee. He regained his composure and took Pettis down. Pettis tried for a triangle choke, but gave up his back. Pettis spun into Henderson’s guard and stood up. He landed a body kick and Henderson retreated. Pettis then launched himself off of the cage with an incredible flying head kick and Henderson fell in a heap to the mat. Pettis landed punches on the ground until the end of the round. Excellent fight. 10-9 Pettis.
Winner: Anthony Pettis by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 13-1-0 and becomes the final WEC Lightweight Champion.
WEC/UFC Bantamweight Championship
Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz vs Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen
Round 1:
Cruz circled around early in the fight and landed single right hands to the head and body. He stayed out of Jorgensen’s range and landed a flurry. A big three-punch combination and a head kick scored for Cruz and he remained a step ahead of Jorgensen. Cruz landed a lead left hook and a knee, but Jorgensen clinched and took his back. Crzu spun and circled out.
Cruz just missed with a huge uppercut, but landed two punches to the body. A leg kick and a jab backed Jorgensen up and Cruz continued to punish the challenger with a variety of strikes. Cruz landed glancing uppercuts and a combination. Jorgensen managed to clinch, but Cruz threw him off and stuffed a takedown. Jorgensen got him down and took his back, but Cruz reversed into side control. 10-9 Cruz.
Round 2:
The fighters traded kicks early in round two and Cruz’s speed continued to pose problems for Jorgensen. A quick combination and leg kicks landed for Cruz and he followed with a one-two. Cruz landed a left hook and took Jorgensen down to the mat. Cruz punched from the top as Jorgensen attempted to push off of the cage to get to his feet. Cruz kept him down and landed more punches.
Jorgensen again tried to stand, but Cruz pinned him against the cage and threw elbows with his free arm. Cruz remained active with more elbows and passed to half-guard. He prevented Jorgensen from standing initially, but Jorgensen finally battled back to his feet. Cruz landed a jumping switch knee and a flurry of punches to the body late in the round. 10-9 Cruz.
Round 3:
Jorgensen was more aggressive with punches in the third round, but Cruz dropped him to a knee with a short counter right hook. Jorgensen stood and was blasted by a four-punch combo and a leg kick. Cruz landed a head kick and Jorgensen backed up. Cruz picked his shots with right hands to the head and body and evaded Jorgensen’s strikes. A hard kick to the body scored for Cruz and he remained on the outside.
Jorgensen tried to cut off the cage, but had no success and Cruz battered him with kicks and more punching combinations. Cruz landed a counter right hook and Jorgensen jabbed in return. Cruz tripped Jorgensen to the ground and punched from the top as Jorgensen’s right eye swelled shut. Jorgensen swept and took Cruz’s back briefly, but Cruz stood up and the round came to a close. 10-9 Cruz.
Round 4:
Cruz cracked Jorgensen with an overhand right seconds into round four and took him down soon after. Cruz punched from Jorgensen’s guard and kept him down on the mat against a corner post. Cruz postured up and landed elbows, then looked to set up an arm-triangle choke. Jorgensen defended and Cruz peppered him with short right hands. Jorgensen stood and clinched to avoid Cruz’s jabs.
Jorgensen kept Cruz pinned up against the cage, but Cruz circled out and landed leg kicks. Jorgensen replied with a kick to the body, but Cruz took him down. Cruz moved to side control, but Jorgensen escaped to his feet. A vicious body kick and a right hand scored for Cruz and he avoided Jorgensen’s counterpunches. Cruz took Jorgensen down again late in the round. 10-9 Cruz.
Round 5:
Cruz threw left and right hands from the outside early in the fifth and final round and continued to stay out of Jorgensen’s range. A looping one-two backed Jorgensen up briefly and Cruz maintained a varied arsenal of punches and kicks to the head and body. Cruz backed Jorgensen up again with a body kick and put together kick-punch combos.
Cruz landed a hard right hook and circled to the side, but Jorgensen clinched and took him down. Cruz stood up almost immediately and scored a takedown of his own. Cruz punched to the body and Jorgensen tried to answer back with short punches from the bottom. Cruz briefly moved to half-guard, but stood up and allowed Jorgensen to follow. The fighters traded strikes until the bell. 10-9 Cruz.
Winner: Dominick Cruz by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) after five rounds. He improves to 17-1-0 and retains the WEC Bantamweight Championship while also becoming the first UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki
Round 1:
Both fighters landed jabs and body kicks to open the fight and time was called after one of Cerrone’s kicks strayed low. Action resumed and Horodecki landed a one-two. Cerrone ducked under a right hook and took Horodecki down. He moved straight to mount and then back control, but Horodecki escaped out the back and stood. Cerrone kept Horodecki at bay with kicks as Horodecki looked to set up punching combinations. Cerrone landed a knee, but ate a counter left hook.
Punches were exchanged and Horodecki landed a punch-kick combo. Horodecki punched to the body and missed with a spinning back kick. Cerrone landed kicks and a knee, then scrambled out of a takedown. He stood and avoided a knee from Horodecki. Cerrone countered a takedown with an armbar attempt and switched to a triangle choke. The fighters stood and Cerrone took Horodecki down. He moved to back control before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Cerrone.
Round 2:
Horodecki attempted a head kick and slipped early in round two. He stood and took Cerrone down, but Cerrone countered with a triangle choke and transitioned to an omoplata crossface. Cerrone alternated between the omoplata and a triangle choke and settled on the triangle. Horodecki held on and tried to punch his way free. Cerrone cinched up the triangle and Horodecki was finally forced to submit.
Winner: Donald Cerrone by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:43 of round two. He improves to 13-3-0, 1 NC.
Kamal “Prince of Persia” Shalorus vs Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski
Round 1:
Shalorus backed Palaszewski up with power punches right away and threw him to the mat. He punched from the top in Palaszewski’s guard and pressed him against the cage. Palaszewski tried to posture for an armbar and Shalorus stood up. Shalorus landed punches as Palaszewski upkicked. More punched scored for Shalorus and he prevented Palaszewski from standing.
Shalorus returned to Palaszewski’s guard and threw punches and elbows. Palaszewski finally got to his feet, but ate kicks and power punches on the way. Palaszewski recovered and landed a punch-kick combo. He missed with a head kick, but landed one to the lead leg. More leg kicks were exchanged and Palaszewski mixed in some to the body. 10-9 Shalorus.
Round 2:
Shalorus looked to land right hands early in the second round, but Palaszewski countered with a short left hook. Shalorus closed in with a hook and a leg kick and caught a kick from Palaszewski. He landed a hard one-two and just missed with a right haymaker. Palaszewski connected with a one-two and a grazing head kick. He followed with a leg kick and jabs.
Shalorus came up just short with another right hand bomb and ducked under a head kick. He clinched and tried for a takedown, but Palaszewski circled away. Kicks were exchanged and Palaszewski got the better of it. Shalorus took him down and punched to the body. Palaszewski tied Shalorus up and stood, but Shalorus scored with hard punches on the way. 10-9 Shalorus.
Round 3:
Shalorus landed a lunging flurry to open round three and Palaszewski countered with kicks. Shalorus grazed with two powerful hooks and took Palaszewski down very briefly, but Palaszewski quickly stood and landed a knee. Shalorus landed a one-two, but Palaszewski answered with a flurry to the body and followed with more punches to the face. A leg kick and a one-two also scored for Palaszewski.
Shalorus clinched and tripped Palaszewski to the mat. He moved to half-guard and tried to land elbows, but Palaszewski defended well. Shalorus managed to sneak in some short elbow strikes, but Palaszewski scrambled to his feet and defended a takedown with a knee and a head kick. Shalorus slowed and ate another big knee. Palaszewski closed out the fight with knees and leg kicks. 10-9 Palaszewski.
Winner: Kamal Shalorus by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 7-0-2.
Undercard Fights:
Daniel “Danny Boy” Downes defeated Tiequan “The Wolf” Zhang by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 7-1-0 with the win.
Shane Roller defeated Jamie “C-4” Varner by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:55 of round one. He improves to 9-3-0 with the win.
Brad “One Punch” Pickett defeated “The Pride of El Salvador” Ivan Menjivar by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 20-5-0 with the win.
Eddie Wineland defeated Ken Stone by KO (Slam) at 2:11 of round one. He improves to 18-6-1 with the win.
Danny “Last Call” Castillo defeated Will Kerr by KO (Punches) at 1:25 of round one. He improves to 10-3-0 with the win.
Yuri “Marajo” Alcantara defeated Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas by KO (Punches) at 3:26 of round one. He improves to 25-3-0 with the win.
Renan “Barao” Pegado defeated Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:47 of round one. He improves to 25-1-0, 1 NC with the win.