Issue 094
November 2012
16
Light heavyweight Ryan Jimmo was riding a win streak of 16 coming into his UFC debut in Calgary at UFC 149. He needed just seven seconds to stop Anthony Perosh. The victory snapped Perosh’s own three-fight UFC win streak.
20
The much-anticipated UFC debut of 20-fight win streak owner Hector Lombard came at UFC 149. Unfortunately for Bellator’s former middleweight champ, his premiere didn’t live up to the hype and he lost a split decision to Tim Boetsch.
28
The longest undefeated streak coming into the UFC 149 Calgary card was 28 fights, and belonged to Renan Barao. The bantamweight took on Urijah Faber for the interim title and extended his streak by scoring the decision over Faber and claiming the belt.
7
The seven Canadians appearing on UFC 149, the UFC’s first event in Calgary, had a 3-4 showing on the night, with all five of the evening’s stoppages featuring homegrown fighters. Chris Clements and Mitch Gagnon suffered submission defeats (the only taps of the night, and oddly enough each came in round three), whilst Ryan Jimmo and Antonio Carvalho were both on the right side of opening-round knockouts. But Roland Delorme failed to hear round two after he suffered his first KO loss.
5
In dropping a controversial decision to Benson Henderson at UFC 150 for the lightweight belt, Frankie Edgar has gone five rounds in five of his last six fights. The only one that didn’t go the distance was Edgar’s KO of Gray Maynard one round before the final bell.
3
During Frankie Edgar’s last six fights he has only fought three people. First there was the upset of BJ Penn and the rematch, then the draw with Gray Maynard and the rematch. And finally there was the losing of the belt to Benson Henderson and the inevitable rematch at UFC 150.
76
Melvin Guillard’s fight with Donald Cerrone lasted just 76 exciting seconds at UFC 150. The ‘Young Assassin’ rocked the ‘Cowboy,’ but Cerrone recovered and delivered a kick and right cross to end Melvin’s night. Both earned a $60,000 bonus for ‘Fight of the Night.’
910
Number of days between Mike Swick’s last fight, a loss against Paulo Thiago at UFC 109, and his return at UFC on Fox 4. Swick suffered from a stomach problem and knee injury during the long layoff, but returned with a bang by KO’ing DaMarques Johnson for ‘Knockout of the Night’ honors.
The Highs and Lows of ‘KING MO’ LAWAL
From cult wrestler fighting in Japan, to undefeated Strikeforce light heavyweight champion turned pro wrestling moonlighter, Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal has worn many hats alongside his trademark walkout crown. These are the NCAA Division I grappler’s career highs and lows.
SEPTEMBER 2008
Makes his MMA debut at heavyweight in Japanese promotion Sengoku after narrowly missing out on a place on the US Olympic wrestling team for Beijing 2008. He takes 2:11 to TKO MMA veteran Travis Wiuff.
NOVEMBER 2008
Beats Chute Boxe’s Fabio Silva by TKO in the third in his light heavyweight debut at Sengoku 6 in Saitama Super Arena, Japan.
EARLY 2009
Extends his win streak to four with a first-round TKO over Yukiya Naito (Sengoku: No Ran 2009) and a unanimous decision against Ryo Kawamura (Sengoku 7).
AUGUST 2009
Lawal starts a two-fight move back up to heavyweight by taking on struggling legend Mark Kerr at M-1 Global: Breakthrough. It takes Lawal just 25 seconds to score the stop via strikes.
DECEMBER 2009
Makes his Strikeforce debut by knocking out MMA veteran Mike Whitehead at heavyweight at Strikeforce: Evolution in San Jose.
APRIL 2010
Far outwrestles the highly regarded Gegard Mousasi over five rounds at Strikeforce: Nashville to take the Strikeforce light heavyweight belt.
AUGUST 2010
Is upset in his first Strikeforce light heavyweight title defense, losing for the first time via a shock third-round TKO at the hands of Brazilian ‘Feijao’ Cavalcante in Houston.
2011
Fights for the first and last time of the year, knocking out accomplished jiu-jitsu fighter Roger Gracie in the first round at Strikeforce: Barnett vs Kharitonov.
EARLY JANUARY 2012
Stops the unbeaten Lorenz Larkin with ground ‘n’ pound in the second round at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine in Las Vegas.
LATE JANUARY 2012
Shortly after contracting an aggressive staph infection, Lawal’s urine sample from the Larkin bout earlier in the month tests positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone. Lawal denies using the substance.
MARCH 2012
Lawal is axed by Strikeforce following a furore over a tweet sent by Lawal relating to a hearing in which he was issued a nine-month suspension and his January win changed to a no contest due to his positive drugs test.
MAY 2012
Signs a rare two-way contract to compete in both pro wrestling organization TNA and MMA promotion Bellator FC simultaneously.
...
