Articles of 2006

Tua Struggles But Wins In Roseland Ballroom

Published

18 years ago

November 4, 2006

NEW YORK – Over the course of his 49-fight pro career David Tua has knocked out four heavyweight champions – John Ruiz, Oleg Maskaev, Michael Moorer, and Hasim Rahman.

Unfortunately for the New Zealander, none of them owned a title at the time. In his one crack at a world championship, against Lennox Lewis six years ago, the Terminator terminated himself. Tua looked lost and overmatched, losing a lopsided decision.

Of course, looking bad against Lewis doesn’t exactly make him a member of an exclusive club. Many of his fellow heavyweights looked even worse.

Tua looks over the current quartet of heavyweight champions and he wants one of them – any of them. And when you think about it, it is somewhat remarkable to consider that the 33-year-old Tua has had only one crack at a title when many of his inferiors have merited multiple chances.

Beating Maurice Wheeler, which Tua did Friday night at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, probably isn’t going to get him any closer to that goal, but it’s better than losing to Maurice Wheeler – and for the first few rounds, that appeared to be a distinct possibility.

In Tua’s defense, Wheeler was a late substitute, replacing (take your pick) Ross Puritty, Kelvin Davis, and Abraham Okine, all of whom had earlier been cast in the opponent’s role.

“It was frustrating,” said Tua. “I had trained to fight a shorter, orthodox fighter,” and instead found himself facing a tall southpaw with “North Philthy” stitched on the seat of his trunks.

And for three rounds Tuaman looked almost as lost as he did against Lewis. Standing in the middle of the ring, he spun around in the center of the ring like a 250-pound top, unable, or unwilling, to cut the ring off against Wheeler, who circled around him, pausing occasionally to pepper him with long-range, right-hand jabs.

Tua didn’t even begin to fight until the fourth, but once he did, he asserted himself as the fight wore on, punishing Wheeler to the body once the opponent’s jab lost its snap and he was no longer able to hold the Terminator at bay.

By our calculations Tua had drawn even after six rounds, but by then the fight had gone out of Wheeler. In the seventh, Tua softened him with a clubbing right to the ribcage and then unloaded a hard left to the body that seemed to suck the wind right out of his opponent. Wheeler sagged to his knees, then rolled over on his back and almost rolled right out of the ring before he came to rest and took Randy Neumann’s ten-count staring up at the bottom strand of ring rope.

“It was a good shot,” said Wheeler later.

“It was pretty much what I expected,” said Tua. “I knew I had him in the late rounds.”

It was the fourth win on the trot for Tua, who had taken a two-year hiatus from the sport after a disappointing draw with Rahman in their 2003 rematch.

“This is where it’s at,” said Tua. “The most important thing is that I’m getting my ring-rust off. If it was up to me, I’d be fighting every month.”

“He’s got to fight more often,” agreed Roger Bloodworth, the trainer in Tua’s latest incarnation.

In Tua’s defense, Bloodworth said that the shell game involving Friday night’s opponent hadn’t been helpful.

“It was hard to prepare,” said the trainer. “We didn’t know who he was fighting until the day before. This guy (Wheeler) had some skills, but mostly he didn’t want to get knocked out.”

Promoter Cedric Kushner managed to put a happy face on the performance, noting the importance of the six-plus rounds’ worth of work Tua got in against Wheeler.

“Activity is very important,” said Kushner, who added that he hoped that Tua might “slip in one more fight” by the end of the year before gearing up for a hoped-for title challenge in 2007.

Tua raised his mark to 45-3-1 with his work against Wheeler, while the opponent’s record fell to 10-9-1.

Although New York super-middleweight Joe Greene floored Edson Aguirre seven times in less than five rounds of their co-featured bout, the durable Aguirre got up and returned to the fray after six of the knockdowns, and was evidently prepared to do the same after the seventh.

Remarkably, referee Earl Brown seemed ready to let him do just that until New York commission inspector John Scalesi and Dr. Joseph Herrera, the physician assigned to the Mexican’s corner, came charging into the ring and all but gang-tackled the referee to stop the fight at 2:30 of the fifth.

Scalesi and Herrera, it turned out, had been alerted by the ringside physician, Dr. Osric King, along with NYSAC chairman Ron Scott Stevens, once it became clear that Aguirre and, apparently, Brown, were just too brave for their own good.

Greene had put Aguirre down twice in the opening round (first with a short right, then with a straight left which connected so solidly it was surprising that the opponent made the count), and twice more in the third (first from a right to the body, next with a left cross). A right hook followed by a left sent Aguirre to the canvas for the fifth time, but once again the resilient foe defied logic, rolled over, and beat the count by a second.

A left to the body in the fifth made it an even half-dozen knockdowns, but neither Aguirre nor Brown was ready to call it a night. Greene moved in, fired a right uppercut and a left that sent Aguirre down for the seventh time, and when he got up Brown appeared to be on the verge of wiping off his gloves and sending him back to fight some more before he was collared by the medical posse.

After the seventh knockdown Stevens had turned to tell Dr. King “he’s had enough,” but the doctor had already arrived at the same conclusion and flashed a signal across the ring to Herrera and Scalesi.

The win moved Brown’s record to 13-0, while Aguirre fell to 11-5-1. When he examined Aguirre afterward, reported Dr. King, “he was fine – alert, and even happy. He was very proud of his performance.”

It’s too bad Dr. King couldn’t have come up with a medical reason to stop the bantamweight bout between Puerto Rican Jose Nieves and Mexican Alejandro Moreno. To the consternation of a yawning audience, the pair went the distance in their scheduled 8-rounder, a one-sided but lackluster affair that saw Nieves (16-0-2) stay undefeated as he pitched an 80-72 shutout on all three scorecards. There were no knockdown, nor was there the threat of one. Moreno is now 21-20-3.

Brooklyn middleweight Peter (Kid Chocolate) Quillen remained unbeaten at 8-0 with a first-round TKO of Chicago’s David (The Weezel) Estrada (10-10). Quillen was able to jump on his foe from the outset, and had decked him twice in the first round – first from a hard left hook to the head, the next with a left-right-left combination – before referee Gary Rosato came to Estrada’s rescue at 2:56 of the round.

Quillen, in keeping with his post-fight ritual, celebrated his win by showering the crowd with chocolate coins from the ring. While he was at it he probably should have tossed a few the Weezel’s way.

When unbeaten Jorge Teron and Virginia journeyman Marcus Luck met in Boston back in February, Luck fought for two rounds and then quit, citing an injured hand. It did not, in other words, seem to be a fight that exactly cried out for a rematch, but matchmaker Jim Borzell must have known something the rest of us did not. Teron-Luck II proved to be the most competitive bout of the night.

Luck, who brought an unimposing 7-11-1 record into his meeting with the unbeaten Bronx welterweight, flattened Teron with a right followed by a left in the first round, a stanza he won handily.

Teron scored a less impressive knockdown in the second – Luck’s knee touched the canvas after he took a left to the body, resulting in a count from Brown – and in the third Teron went down again, and while it appeared to be a half-slip, Luck had landed a short right, making the referee’s count a proper one.

Teron won the fourth, but Luck appeared (on our scorecard, anyway) to take the fifth, in which he threw more punches and landed a few, while Teron was mostly finding air with his.

Teron closed the show by handily winning the final round, which was enough to give him the verdict on the cards of George DeGabriel and George Smith, both of whom scored it 56-55 for Teron. (The issue wasn’t even in doubt on the third scorecard; Mike Conforti scored it 57-54, meaning that he opted to ignore at least one of Luck’s knockdowns.) The Sweet Science card had Luck in front 56-55.

At one of Kushner’s recent promotions, the round-card girls showed up, but somebody neglected to bring the round cards. The result was that the lissome ladies pranced around the ring between rounds holding up the proximate number of fingers to remind the crowd of what round it was. Fortunately, few of the bouts got past five, so their math was not severely tested.

The start of the nine-bout card at the Roseland Friday experienced a 15-minute delay because once the boxers and their seconds arrived in the ring, it developed that there were no corner stools. The stools, it turned out, were locked in a truck parked not eight steps outside the arena’s back door, but the ring-man, who had the key, had gone missing and had to be located.

When it finally got underway, the opening bout featured 518 pounds’ worth of heavyweights, one of whom, winner Darryl Madison, was sponsored, according to the legend on the back of his trunks, by ‘Waste (as opposed to Waist) Management Systems’. Madison, a Long Islander making his pro debut, knocked out North Carolina visitor Clifton Adams (0-2) at 2:31 of the first round.

The next fight was even shorter. Bouncing back from his own trip to the canvas (slip, ruled referee Brown), heavyweight Jon (The Fighting Marine) Schneider bounced up to drill opponent Rogelio Brown with a pair of lefts that sent him to the canvas. Brown woozily made it to his feet, still shaking cobwebs from his head, and Earl Brown waved it off at 0:23 of the first. The Fighting Marine goes to 2-0, with Brown falling to 0-2.

The first round-card girl sighting of the evening didn’t come until the third bout, which saw Bronx light-heavyweight Joel Castillo (3-0) stop his Texas opponent James McAvey (1-3) in the second. Castillo landed a couple of good rights in the first round before turning his attention to McAvey’s midsection in the second, when he landed several painful body shots. Although McAvey kept his feet, the punishment being meted out was evident, and Rosato took the visitor into protective custody at 2:15 of the round.

Another prelim saw Hector Sanchez overwhelm Jaime Morales in a battle of Puerto Rican welterweights. Sanchez (9-0), a 6’1”,143-pounder, was able to use his vastly superior height and reach to land almost at will, while the shorter Morales couldn’t even get near him. Sanchez had Morales (3-3 ) trapped in a corner and was whaling away when Neumann intervened at 1:03 of the second.

* * *

GOTHAM BOXING
MARATHON EXTRAVAGANZA
ROSELAND BALLROOMA
NEW YORK CITY
NOVEMBER 3, 2006

HEAVYWEIGHTS: David Tua, 250, South Auckland, New Zealand KO’d Maurice Wheeler, 245, Philadelphia (7)

Jon Schneider, 200, Yonkers, NY TKO’d Rogelio Brown, 205, Milwaukee, Wisc. (1)

Darrell Madison, 258, Central Islip, NY KO’d Clifton Adams, 260, Laurinburg, N.C. (1)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS: Joel Castillo, 171½, Bronx, NY TKO’d James McAvey, 171½, Lewisville, Tex. (2)

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Joe Green, 162½, Jamaica, NY TKO’d Edson Aguirre, 162, Mexico City (5)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Peter Quillin, 159, Brooklyn, NY TKO’d David Estrada, 158, Chicago, Ill. (1)

WELTERWEIGHTS: Hector Sanchez, 143, Rio Piedras, P.R. TKO’d Jaime Morales, 141½, Juana Diaz, P.R. (2)

Jorge Teron, 142, Bronx, NY dec. Marcus Luck, 142¼, Danville, Va. (6)

BANTAMWEIGHTS: Jose Nieves, 117, Carolina, Puerto Rico dec. Alejandro Moreno, 116½, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (8)

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George Kimball

Articles of 2006

Peter/Toney Ii: Peter Has The Brutal Punch

Published

18 years ago

December 31, 2006

Adam Berlin

Samuel Peter claims he has dynamites in my two hands?

Heavyweight contenders Samuel “The Nigerian Nightmare” Peter and James Lights Out? Toney get it on a second time this Saturday from the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. (Showtime).

The hard-slugging Peter, unlike Toney, is one of those strong, silent types notorious for letting their fists to the talking one the opening bell sounds, but the Nigeria Nightmare is as confident as ever and determined to turn Lights Out’s lights out for good.

I have got dynamites in my two hands,? said Peter, according the Lagos, Nigeria Vanguard, and I will crush James Toney once and for all. The Toney camp made the mistake of their lives by protesting and seeking a rematch. I am ready to teach him a bitter lesson.?

Sam Peter walked away with the W for Peter/Toney I at the Staples Center in LA last September, but it was by disputed split decision a verdict so disputed, there was even a dispute about the dispute which forced the WBC’s hand into mandating Saturday’s rematch.

Samuel Peter is the biggest thing to hit African boxing since Ghanaian superstar Azumah Nelson rocked the feather and junior welterweight divisions. The President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Prince Olaide Adeboye, admitted, according to allAfrica.com, We are rooting for Samuel Peter, of course. He is one boy we believe in to bring back the country’s lost glory in professional boxing. I am personally making arrangement to be at the ringside to see him fight Toney again. I was at the first fight in Los Angeles in September.

Peter has the brutal punch, and to me he was the clear winner of the first fight. But the WBC Board of Governors, of which I am a member, voted 21-10 for a rematch. There was nothing those of us Africans on the board could do in the circumstances. But I believe Peter will confirm he is better than Toney and will then go ahead to meet the champion and claim the belt for Nigeria and Africa.?

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Articles of 2006

The Sweet Science P4P Rankings for Asia

Published

18 years ago

December 31, 2006

Scott Mallon

There are claims that boxing is dying. Hogwash. The heavyweight division isn’t the only division in boxing and 2007 promises to be a banner year in boxing; especially for boxers hailing from Asia.

While Asia isn’t Vegas or Atlantic City, it is a region packed of diamonds in the rough; undiscovered gems and potential superstars who wait for their moment in the sun.

The Sweet Science P4P Rankings – Asia

1) Manny Pacquiao – There’s no way to dispute Pacquiao is the best fighter in Asia, if not all of boxing. He’s exciting, he wins with Je Ne Sais Quois and is definitely “the man” in boxing.

2) Pongsaklek Wonjongkam – Although his competition leaves much to be desired, his longevity and skills are undeniable. He is currently Thailand’s only world champion and is undefeated in ten years. Need I say more?

3) Chris John – A victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, however controversial, shows he belongs at the top of the heap. He easily outpointed Renan Acosta to close out 2006 and should have no trouble defending against Jose Rojas in February. A fight with Pacquiao would not be a good move on his part but a rematch with Marquez would not hurt – especially if he defeats the Mexican again.

4) Hozumi Hasegawa – Hidden away in Japan, Hasegawa is a sharp punching southpaw who put former champion Veeraphol Sahaprom to sleep. He recently bested Genaro Garcia and his herky-jerky style will give fits to any one who steps in the ring with him.

5) Masomori Tokuyama – Tokuyama has never shied away from a good fight and although he only fought once in 2006 (UD12 Jose Navarro), he ledger shows wins over Katsushige Kawashima (twice), Gerry Penalosa (twice) and In Jin Chi (twice). A fight with Hozumi Hasegawa is a distinct possibility in 2007.

6) Nobuo Nashiro – With only seven fights under his belt he took on WBA champion Martin Castillo – and defeated him. Although he’s only fought a total of nine fights, nearly all have been against quality opposition. A victory in a rematch with Castillo would cement his claim as the king of the 115-pound division.

7) Yukata Niida – This light-hitting minimumweight defended his title twice in 2006, winning a technical decision against unbeaten Eriberto Gejon (Tech Win 10) and the other on points over Ronald Barrera (W 12). Scheduled to meet Katsunari Takayama early next year – the best has yet to come for this WBA belt holder.

8) In Jin Chi – Won back the title he lost to Takashi Koshimoto in January from Rudolfo Lopez. While there’s little uncertainty to his skills, at thirty-three, 2007 may provide some insight as to just how much he has left.

9) Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai –Sor Nonthachai is an exciting, top-shelf fighter with an iron chin. Has no trouble making mincemeat of mid-level opposition and deserves a title shot in 2007. Time is running out.

10) Rey Bautista – He’s young, relatively inexperienced in big-time boxing, but will continue to shine in 2007. One of the better prospects in boxing, he should snag a title in 2007.

Asian Fighters Ranked in Ring Magazine

Pound for Pound:

Manny Pacquiao (Philippines): #2

Jr. Lightweight

Manny Pacquiao (Philippines): #1
Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai: #9

Featherweight

Chris John (Indonesia) #1
In Jin Chi (Korea) #3
Takashi Koshimoto (Japan) #5
Hioyuki Enoki (Japan) #7

Jr. Featherweight

Somsak Sithchatchawal (Thailand) #4

Bantamweight

Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan) #2
Veeraphol Sahaprom (Japan) #3
Ratanachai Sor Vorapin (Thailand) #6
Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (Thailand) #10

Jr. Bantamweight

Nobuo Nashiro (Japan) #1
Katsushige Kawashima (Japan) #7
Pramuansak Phosuwan (Thailand) #10

Flyweight

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Thailand) #1
Takefumi Sakata (Japan) #7
Daisuke Naito (Japan) #10

Jr. Flyweight

Koki Kameda (Japan) #1

Minimumweight

Yukata Naiida (Japan) #2
Eagle Kyowa (Japan/Thai) #4
Katsunari Takayama (Japan) #5
Rodel Mayol (Philippines) #7

Boxing in Thailand

There’s no shortage of boxers in Thailand. With a huge pool of Muay Thai fighters to draw from and several talented amateur boxing prospects turning pro after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Thailand seems destined to remain a boxing powerhouse in Asia.

The country is known for having tough, determined and disciplined fighters who give their all whenever the step in to the ring. However, consistently losing while fighting abroad and padding their records with no-hopers has done nothing to enhance their reputation.

Whether because of a lack of marketability, a lack of funds or their unwillingness to travel abroad, the vast majority of boxers from Thailand remain a mystery to fans in the west. If anything though, the boxing scene involving Thai fighters will be active. In fact, it’s one of the most active in the world; since 2000, the number of fights has nearly doubled in the country.

The Sweet Science P4P Rankings – Thailand – August 2006

1) Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
2) Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym
3) Somsak Sithchatchawal
4) Wandee Singwancha
5) Sirimongkol Singwancha
6) Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai
7) Veeraphol Sahaprom
8) Pramuansak Phosuwan
9) Terdsak Jandaeng
10) Oleydong Sithamerchai

Current Sweet Science P4P Rankings – Thailand

1) Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Flyweight) – Definitely the top dog in Thailand

2) Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai (Super Lightweight) – He’s a seasoned fighter who has proven himself in the big-time. He’s one Thai who can fight outside of Asia. He has an abundance of skills and one-punch power. His overall ability and ease in dispatching anyone other than championship caliber get him the runners-up spot.

3) Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (Super Bantamweight) – After losing to Vladimir Sidorenko he’s bounced back. He’s young, he can punch, but the former interim champion needs to prove himself against a name fighter.

4) Somsak Sithchatchawal (Super Bantamweight) – Was his win over Monshipour a fluke or was Celestino Caballero just that good? Did Sithchatchawal catch Monshipour at the right time and can he rebound from the devastating loss? The jury is still out.

5) Wandee Singwancha (Flyweight) – He doesn’t have much of a punch which will be his downfall in the end. He can box, as was evidenced in his recent victory over Juanito Rubillar, but this won’t be enough. He can no longer make the Jr. Flyweight limit and with no punch he’ll have a hard time competing against the “big boys.” Although he’s now rated second by the WBC, he doesn’t deserve to be.

5) Sirimongkol Singwancha (Super Lightweight) – Get this guy a fight. He’s better than Jose Armando Santa Cruz and would have beat up Inada had the fight taken place. He’ll fight anyone but his biggest obstacle is staying motivated fighting tomato cans in Thailand. Like many Thais, he needs a fight against a name opponent.
6) Wandee Singwancha (Flyweight) – He doesn’t have much of a punch which will be his downfall in the end. He can box, as was evidenced in his recent victory over Juanito Rubillar, but this won’t be enough. He can no longer make the Jr. Flyweight limit and with no punch he’ll have a hard time competing against the “big boys.” Although he’s now rated second by the WBC, he doesn’t deserve to be.

7) Pramuansak Phosuwan (Super Flyweight) – A genuine tough guy. Always calm and focused no matter how heated the battle. But at thirty-eight, he’ll be in trouble should he fight one of the division’s elite.
8) Veeraphol Sahaprom (Bantamweight) – Will be lucky to get another crack at the title. Although he has a puncher’s chance of winning a belt, that’s about all he has left at this point. A third shot at Hasegawa is unlikely.

9) Oleydong Sithamerchai (Minimumweight) – He’s fought better than the usual opponents faced by Thais at his level and he moves up one spot with the departure of Terdsak Jandaeng. He lacks the punch and is in the wrong division to become a superstar. He’ll need to defeat a name opponent to convince me.

10) Saenghiran Lookbanyai / Napapol Kittisakchokchai (Super Bantamweight) – These two square-off in early March, supposedly to see who deserves a shot at Israel Vasquez. Kittisakchokchai has the edge in experience but some feel Lookbanyai has the edge in heart and is the favorite.

Neither has defeated a top twenty fighter and yet are ranked number one and two respectively in the WBC’s world.

In Kittisakchokchoi’s lone shot at the big-time, he was TKO’d in 10 by Oscar Larios. His dreadful performance against Larios and lack of quality opposition leads me to believe Saenghiran might have more of a shot at beating him than some suspect. Regardless, neither of them lasts longer than six rounds with Israel Vasquez.

Honorable Mention: Wethya Sakmuangklang, Denkaosan Kaovichit, Devid Lookmahanak, Nethra Sasiprapa, Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo, Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym

Thai Fighters Ranked in Ring Magazine

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam: #1 Flyweight
Pramuansak Phosuwan: #10 Jr. Bantamweight
Veeraphol Sahaprom: #3 Bantamweight
Ratanachai Sor Vorapin: #6 Bantamweight
Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym: #10 Bantamweight
Somsak Sithchatchawal: #3 Jr. Featherweight
Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai: #9 Lightweight

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Articles of 2006

Iceman Stops Tito Ortiz Win Streak

Published

18 years ago

December 31, 2006

David A. Avila

LAS VEGAS—UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck “Iceman” Liddell’s fists proved too much for Huntington Beach’s Tito Ortiz who was stopped in the third round before a sold out crowd at the MGM Garden Arena on Saturday.

The punching machine Liddell (20-3, 13 KOs) repeated his victory in UFC 66 over the much-improved grappler Ortiz who has improved his punching and blocking. Ortiz was trying to avenge his loss of April 2004.

Despite all the new weapons displayed by Ortiz it wasn’t enough as Liddell pummeled the former champion and retained his title with a technical knockout at 3:59 of the third round. Referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the bout.

“This was the most satisfying victory of my career,” said Liddell, 36, of Santa Barbara. “Tito came back real tough.”

Ortiz (15-5, 8 KOs), a former wrestler, worked on his boxing technique knowing he would need it against the former boxer Liddell. But Liddell’s experience allowed him to find the right moment to pounce on Ortiz.

“I had him hurt, I just kept throwing punches,” said Liddell who also knocked down Ortiz in the first round with a left hook.

Ortiz was gracious in defeat.

“Chuck is the best fighter Pound for Pound in the (mixed martial arts) world,” said Ortiz, 31, who suffered a gash on the side of his left eye from a punch. “I’m disgusted by myself. I let my fans down.”

Other bouts

Underdog Keith Jardine (12-3-1) knocked out Forrest Griffin (13-4) at 4:41 of the first round in their light heavyweight showdown. A right uppercut followed by a left hook wobbled Griffin who was sent to the floor by a barrage of punches. On the ground Jardine landed right after right until referee John McCarthy stopped the fight for a technical knockout.

“I couldn’t believe he was hurt,” said Jardine about Griffin who is known for his resiliency. “I was so nervous coming into this fight, but now I know I belong here.”

Canada’s Jason McDonald (18-7) choked out Chris Leben (15-3) in a middleweight bout that was up for grabs. Though Leben seemed to control the fight with stunning left hands, once the fight went to the ground McDonald managed a chokehold at 4:03 of the second round. Referee Steve Mazagatti saw Leben was unconscious and stopped the fight.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (12-5) caught Brazil’s Mario Cruz (2-2) with a sneak right hand while both were tangled on the ground. Then the Belarusian pummeled Cruz until referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 3:15 of the first round.

Third season winner of the Ultimate Fighter television reality season Michael Bisping (12-0) of Great Britain won by technical knockout over Eric Shafer (9-2-2) at 4:29 of the first round. A knee knocked Shafer groggy then Bisping knocked him to the ground and pounded him. Referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the bludgeoning.

Thiago Alves (16-4) caught Peru’s Tony De Souza (15-5) with a knee as he attempted to dive for his legs in a welterweight contest. After that it was pretty much over as Alves pummeled De Souza at 1:10 of the second round forcing referee John McCarthy to halt the bout.

Gabriel Gonzago (7-1) proved too strong for Carmelo Marrero (6-1) in a heavyweight bout. At 3:22 of the first round Gonzago of Massachusetts manipulated his way into arm bar forcing Pennsylvania’s Marrero to tap out.

Japan’s Yushin Okami (19-3) pounded Georgia’s Rory Singer (11-6) into submission at 4:03 of the third round of a middleweight bout. Okami seemed the more-rounded fighter with effective kicks to the head and more accurate punching.

Christian Wellisch (8-2) jumped to a quick start with an accurate left hook that rattled Australia’s Anthony Perosh (5-3) in a heavyweight bout. During the first round it seemed the Sacramento fighter might end the fight but the Aussie hung tough. Wellisch won by unanimous decision.

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