Legend Fighting Championship 7 took place tonight at the City of Dreams Grand Hyatt Ballroom in Cotai, Macau. The card was headlined by a Legend Welterweight Championship bout between reigning champion Myung Ho “Wolverine” Bae of South Korea and China’s Jingliang “The Leech” Li.
In the co-feature, Legend Bantamweight Champion Honggang “The Master” Yao put his title on the line against unbeaten Chinese compatriot Tuerxun Jumabieke, while Wenbo Liu battled Matt “Rolling Bear” Cain in a featured middleweight matchup. MMARising.com has play-by-play for the card.
Legend Welterweight Championship
Myung Ho “Wolverine” Bae vs “The Leech” Jingliang Li
Round 1:
Bae landed a left hook and leg kicks in the opening 30 seconds. He followed with left and right hooks and Li backed up momentarily. Bae stuffed a takedown and the fighters battled in a clinch. A relative stalemate ensued as Bae landed occasional knees and prevented Li from taking him down. Bae tried for a sweep and Li grabbed the ropes.
The fighters continued to battle for position in the clinch, but neither man could take the other down. Referee Thomas Fan finally broke them apart and Bae countered a leg kick with a lunging right cross. Li took him down, but Bae battled back to his feet and the fighters were separated again. Bae landed a right hook and just missed with a knee. Close round. 10-9 Bae.
Round 2:
The second round opened with an exchange of kicks to the legs and body. Li shrugged off a clinch and scored with another body kick. Bae got him down, but Li immediately swept and wound up on top. The fighters were moved to the centre of the ring and stood up soon after. Li clinched and tried to throw Bae to the mat. Both men landed knees to the body in close and Bae took Li down.
From side control, Bae landed knees to the head. He prevented Li from scrambling to his feet and landed more knees. Bae transitioned to mount and threw punches to the sides of Li’s head. He continued to score with short punches until Li swept with 25 seconds remaining. Bae tried for an armbar, but Li escaped to side control with a right hand. 10-9 Bae.
Round 3:
Bae ducked under a right hook and landed two knees to begin the final round. He countered a leg kick with a hard right cross. The pace slowed somewhat as the fighters cautiously circled. Li ducked under a Superman Punch and tried for a takedown. Mae secured a guillotine choke, but Li got him down and blasted him with elbows. Bae attempted to stand up, to no avail.
The fighters were moved to the centre of the ring and Li quickly resumed punching, but Bae locked on an omoplata. Li freed his arm and Bae used an upkick to create space to stand up. Li shot in for another takedown and Bae defended. Li threw Bae to the mat on his second effort and Bae looked to transition to back control. He landed punches and nearly got a triangle choke as the bell sounded. 10-10.
Winner: Myung Ho Bae by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-5-0 and remains the Legend Welterweight Champion.
Legend Bantamweight Championship
Tuerxun “The Wild Wolf” Jumabieke vs “The Master” Honggang Yao
Round 1:
Yao landed a front kick to the face to open the fight and followed with a looping overhand right. He used punches to set up a clinch, but Jumabieke shrugged him off. Yao got Jumabieke down on his second try and threw punches and elbows from butterfly guard. A series of short left hands scored for Yao as Jumabieke battled back to his feet.
Jumabieke missed with two wide punches and the fighters traded kicks. Jumabieke jumped into a standing guillotine choke and pulled Yao to the mat. He landed on top in mount and Yao held on to prevent Jumabieke from posturing up. Jumabieke managed to land a handful of punches to the head and body and landed harder shots before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Jumabieke.
Round 2:
A right hook scored for Yao in round two and Jumabieke answered with an uppercut. The fighters kept their distance and traded right hands until Yao shot for a takedown. Jumabieke for the takedown, however, and struck from Yao’s guard. Referee Warren Wang brought the fighters back to their feet and Jumabieke landed a spinning back kick to the liver. Jumabieke remained the aggressor as he walked Yao around the ring.
Yao landed a counter uppercut and Jumabieke flurried in close, but landed little. Jumabieke took Yao down and landed in side control. Yao used a guillotine choke to get back to guard and Jumabieke stood up. Yao got to his feet as well and tried to drag Jumabieke to the mat, but could not. Jumabieke got a takedown in the final ten seconds, but Yao swept and scored with punches. Another close round. 10-9 Jumabieke.
Round 3:
Jumabieke just missed with a spinning back kick to the body in the final round and Yao took him down. Yao locked on a tight standing guillotine choke as the fighters stood and he pulled guard with it. Jumabieke held on and escaped. He landed weak punches to the body until the referee stood the fighters up. Jumabieke connected with a right hook and reversed a takedown.
Jumabieke peppered Yao with more weak punches from butterfly guard. He postured up and landed an elbow to the body, but Yao defended well on the bottom. Yao kicked Jumabieke off and Jumabieke stood up. The fighters were stood up and Yao countered a leg kick with a flurry. Jumabieke took him down and fought out of a guillotine choke. Both fighters landed punches on the ground. 10-9 Jumabieke.
Winner: Tuerxun Jumabieke by Split Decision (30-29, 30-29, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 11-0-0 and becomes the new Legend Bantamweight Champion.
Wenbo Liu vs Matt “Rolling Bear” Cain
Round 1:
Liu landed a flurry right away and Cain countered with a takedown. Liu worked back to his feet and tried for a takedown of his own, but wound up on the bottom. Cain punched from side control and worked for a straight armbar. He landed elbows and pulled half-guard with a guillotine choke. Liu escaped, but Cain took his back and tried to set up a rear-naked choke.
Cain secured the choke, but Liu remained calm and attempted to break Cain’s grip. He did so and Cain was forced to reposition. Cain got his arm under Liu’s chin, but Liu refused to tap out and threw punches backwards. Cain moved to mount, but Liu swept and struck from his guard. Cain postured for an armbar and Liu passed to a partial back control. He landed punches and locked on a rear-naked choke of his own. Cain tapped out.
Winner: Wenbo Liu by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:37 of round one. He improves to 7-5-0.
“Hungry” Hae Jun Yang vs Hideto Tatsumi
Round 1:
Yang landed left and right hooks early on and he continued to score with right hands while keeping out of range of Tatsumi’s counters. A left hook staggered Tatsumi briefly, but he regained his footing and landed a one-two. Yang snuck in another left hook and Tatsumi’s right eye began to swell. The fighters exchanged power punches in close and Yang floored Tatsumi with a massive right hook. Tatsumi dove for a leg and stood up right into another big right hand that put him down for good.
Winner: Hae Jun Yang by KO (Punch) at 3:35 of round one. He improves to 7-2-0.
“The Boss” Wang Sai vs Gareth “Fists of Fury” Ealey
Round 1:
Sai landed a head kick in the opening seconds that prompted Ealey to clinch against the ropes. He looked for a takedown, but Sai defended and the fighters traded knees. Sai continued to land kicks and he wound up on top after a failed takedown attempt from Ealey. Referee Thomas Fan stood the fighters up very quickly and Ealey clinched. He landed a knee and tried to trip Sai to the mat.
Sai reversed another takedown and wound up on top again. He rained down punches and elbows to the head and body. Sai stood and landed two right hands, then dove into Ealey’s half-guard and cut him with elbows. More punches and elbows scored for Sai and Ealey was forced to scramble to defend. Sai punched to the body until the bell 10-9 Sai.
Round 2:
Sai threw more kicks to begin the second round and fought off a throw attempt from Ealey. Sai took Ealey down and resumed punching from top position. He landed a knee to the face as well and postured up with hammerfists. Sai moved to half-guard and tried for a Kimura, but let it go and Ealey got back to full guard. The fight was restarted in the centre of the ring and Sai landed a barrage of punches.
Ealey tried to tie Sai up to defend against the strikes on the ground, but Sai snuck in short punches to the ribs and face. Elbows followed for Sai and he he cut Ealey near the eye. Sai moved to mount and then took Ealey’s back with a rear-naked choke. Ealey escaped, but Sai worked for another one. A badly bloodied Ealey managed to survive until the bell, but not before eating a series of hard right hands. 10-9 Sai.
Between rounds, the ringside doctor waved off the fight due to Ealey’s cuts, giving Sai the TKO victory.
Winner: Wang Sai by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of round two. He improves to 8-2-1.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)