Strikeforce Challengers 4 Live Blog

  • Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 4:02 pm by Danny Acosta

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FRESNO, Calif. – FIGHT! Magazine is on-scene at the Save Mart Center for tonight’s Strikeforce Challengers show. We’ll deliver the blow-by-blow starting at 6 p.m. PST / 9 p.m. EST and continuing through the Showtime-televised card starting at 8 p.m. PST / 11 p.m. EST. The card is headlined by bouts Billy Evangelista vs. Jorge Gurgel, Brandon Cash vs. Shane Del Rosario, and Luke Rockhold vs. Jesse Taylor.

Welterweight bout: Alex Trevino (3-0) of Shamrock MMA vs. Rico Altamirano (2-2) of Stockton, CA

R1: Trevino is the initial aggressor and is taken down from the clinch. Altamirano connects with some ground and pound. The bout resumes standing. Repeat. Altamirano stands up. After a leg trip attempt by Trevino, Altamirano reverses and lands in full mount to end the round. 10-9 Altamirano.

R2: Trevino lands flush with a 1-2 but Altamirano swallows it whole. Two knees from the clinch turns into a takedown attempt with Trevino rolling immediately into a triangle. He locks in; however, Altamirano remains calm and breaks Trevino’s grip. Trevino tries again and when it fails, he begins upkicking—one lands on a grounded Altamirano. The referee gives Altamirano the proper rest period and action restarts quickly. A flying knee by Altamirano followed by a clinch takedown. He fights off the triangle to end the round. 10-9 Altamirano.

R3: Low leg kick opens the round by Altamirano. Stiff jab by Trevino and a takedown where Altamirano gives up his back before finding top position. Back standing, Altamirano lands a high kick. Trevino stands in there and pulls guard. A fan yells, “That was real good.” Sarcasm is thicker than silence. Altamirano stands up and both are tired. 10-9 Altamirano.

Official Decision: 30-27 unanimous decision for Rico Altamirano.

Bantamweight bout: Cole “The Apache Kid” Escovedo of Pacific Marital Arts (13-4) vs. Maurice Eazel (7-11) of Bodyshop Fitness

R1: Body kick by Escovedo opens the bout. A flying triangle misses for Escovedo. Big left head kick lands and Escovedo lands about 30 follow-up punches in front of a very physically close yet mentally absent referee.

Cole “The Apache Kid” via TKO at 1:47 of the first round.

The win is Escovedo’s third since coming back from life threatening staph infection. Having seen his first and third bouts back live, his impressive style and solid regional pedigree have me wondering when the WEC will come calling or if Strikeforce plans to explore sub-155-pound weight classes.

Featherweight bout: Casey “The Underdog” Olson (10-3) of the Pit vs. Chris Culley (4-5)

R1: Olson looks for takedowns and hasn’t found any. When he does, its a double leg and ala Matt Hughes, Olson walks him across the cage to his corner and slams him, immediately finding full mount. He pounds away in a fever to a stoppage. Even Jay Glazer in his corner couldn’t help Culley.

Casey “The Underdog” Olson via KO at 2:36 of the first round.

The win is a major emotional victory for Olson, who dedicated his last bout to his deceased father before being tapped out in 76 seconds at PFC 13.

Lightweight bout: Ben “The Teacher” Holscher (3-0) of American Kickboxing Academy-Fresno, CA vs. Jonny Goh

Holscher enters to “Eye of the Tiger.’ Great, original choice. The crowd is standing for him though. Holscher is a teacher in nearby Clovis, CA and is competing for the second time in front of his home crowd. Will he become the next Rich Franklin? Promotional hopes say yes.

R1: After a feeling out process, Goh lands a straight right and Holscher wings an overhand right to set up a takedown. He gets it. Goh holds in a body triangle from bottom. Holscher picks away slowly and keeps Goh pinned against the fence despite Goh’s protests. 10-9 Holscher.

R2: Holscher scores a double leg takedown. He’s lost his position against the fence as Goh attempts to turn his body triangle-open guard combo into some action. The referee stands them up. Goh is the aggressor standing. Holsher bulldogs a double leg again and escapes an armbar, passing into side mount. He puts Goh in the crucifix and holds him down when Goh pushes off the fence. “The Teacher”–creative and fear inspiring nickname, I know–tries to mount and finds himself in half-guard. Goh retains guard. 10-9 Holscher.

R3: Holscher finds that same double leg takedown. Goh tries the armbar again but gets it deep this time, rolling onto his stomach. Holscher hangs tough. A brief moment with his back vulnerable ends when Holscher takes top position. Goh is searching for an omaplata to no avail. Goh pushes away and finds an upkick, putting Holscher in trouble. He storms and Holscher battles back to his knees, driving for a double leg but is being hit in the ribs with punches and elbows. Goh throws in some submission threats. Holscher works out of it and into side mount. Goh stands up and fights off a takedown, jumping for a guillotine that doesn’t stick when they hit the mat. 10-9 Goh.

Official decision: 30-27 for Ben “The Teacher” Holscher.

While the win tested Holscher in bad positions, his offense was sparse and induced minimal damage. He clearly lost the last round. Overall, a good win for his third outing.

***Main Card***

Ladies bout 125-pounds: Zoila “Warrior Princess” Frausto (3-0) of Team Buhawe vs. Elisha Helsper (0-1) of the Lion’s Den

Strikeforce keeps its promise to women’s mixed martial arts by promoting two relatively inexperienced women to the main card. Frausto is an aggressive muay Thai fighter while Helsper has been in the sport for a while despite a three-year in-ring absence. Both aren’t the worst looking girls in the world and female fights often prove to deliver the most action of the night, so on with it already.

R1: Superman punch attempt by Frausto to open the bout. Helsper is staying way out of range. They are feeling each other out with leg kicks. Another superman punch try by Frausto. Helsper lands the first punch of the night and Frausto threatens with a roundhouse-side kick combination. A stiff jab causes Helsper to wince. The superman punch leads to a flurry exchange. Frausto gets the the best of it but it wakes Helsper up. 10-9 Frausto.

R2:Leg kicks by Frausto and she throws in a backhand for good measure. Helsper comes forward with furry before clinching against the fence and lands a good elbow on the way out, back to center cage. Helsper’s hands are inexplicably low as she’s not tired yet. Frausto comes in with a jumping knee and flurries. A push kick by Frausto. A head kick stuns Helsper, who grabs the clinch. Frausto reverses and throws Helsper to the ground but is unable to pass Helsper’s legs and finish the bout. She lets Helsper stand. Frausto grabs a Thai plum and launches knees into Helsper’s cranial atmosphere. Helsper stays tough and continues to come forward. Frausto catches a leg kick and punches. On one leg, Helsper trades to end the round. 10-9 Frausto.

R3: A leg kick-punch flurry for Helsper brings her into the clinch. Frausto, back against the fence, tries a trip. Helsper gets a takedown. The referee stands them up way too fast before I can make a comment about the California State Athletic Commission’s adequacy. Helsper rushes forward with little success and Frausto responds, prompting the crowd to “Ohhh!” their hometown girl as she closes the distance and clinches against the fence. Helsper turns it around and the referee forces them back center cage. Frausto throws a five-strike combination. Helsper comes back with a kick that’s caught. Again, on one leg, she punches. Frausto takes the fight to the mat and lands some strikes before finding herself behind Helsper’s feet again. Frausto connects a few more times before its over. 10-9 Frausto.

Official decision: All three judges score the bout 30-27 Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto.

Stephen Quadros correctly points out she threw super woman punches–not superman punches. That’s why he’s the Fight Professor and I’m holding your purse.

Lightweight bout: Thomas Diagne (1-0) of Cung Le MMA, San Jose, CA vs. Merrit Warren (4-2) of VIP MMA, Pleasanton, CA

Diagne’s a French san shou champion and was dominant in his mixed martial arts debut against Hawaiian veteran Kaleo Kwan. Diagne’s style a carbon copy of Le’s but with a higher output. The fireworks he displayed earned him a spot on the main card.

R1: A right low kick by Warren opens the bout. Diagne’s left knee is heavily taped, but that doesn’t stop him from landing a strong side kick to the stomach. A fan cleverly yells, “Let’s go black shorts!” (because both fighters are wearing black shorts). Maybe Strikeforce should look into fighters having two pairs of shorts. Sure that fan was just being obnoxious, but he’s got a point. He then yells, “Bring the girls back!” Well, I bet Strikeforce plans to, drunk sir. A high double leg by Diagne brings the fight to the mat. Diagne is in half-guard. Position is held until the position is held. That’s not a typo. Diagne finally opens up with hammerfists and Warren dives for a leg lock. Diagne fights it off but finds himself in a deep heel hook. He taps.

Official decision: Merrick Warren via heel hook at 3:49 of the first round.

A nice win for Warren as he improves to 5-2 and the first time local gym VIP MMA gets on the map. For Diagne, keep drilling on the ground.

Middleweight bout: Luke Rockhold (5-1) of American Kickboxing Academy, San Jose, CA vs. Jesse Taylor (13-4) of Team Quest, Temecula, CA

Rockhold is AKA’s secret weapon now that the world knows who Cain Velasquez is and can be. A brown belt in Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu, Rockhold is a natural athlete and an ever-improving southpaw standing. He’ll need both weapons against strong wrestler Jesse Taylor. “The Ultimate Fighter” season seven veteran has seen success since leaving the UFC, only dropping his Strikeforce debut in his last outing against Jay Hieron in August. Back at middleweight, Taylor is Rockhold’s toughest fight to date now that he isn’t draining himself to reach welterweight like he did versus Hieron.

R1: Rockhold threatens with side kicks and sprawls well on Taylor’s first shot attempt. Taylor continues working for the takedown. Rockhold is now against the fence. He finally gives up a takedown. There was little umph and Rockhold returns to his feet and again Taylor gets a less-than-emphatic takedown. Taylor dumps Rockhold’s triangle attempt aside and takes his back in a great transition, but no hooks means Rockhold’s standing back up. Taylor tries a rear-naked-choke in a fluid transition but Rockhold proves to have the stronger transition game, escaping Taylor’s choke-turned-armbar attempt and taking his back, locking in a body triangle and riding Taylor. He’s completely stretched Taylor and after a nice hand fight, Rockhold earns the tap out.

Official decision: Luke Rockhold submits Jesse Taylor via rear-naked choke at 3:41 of the first round.

Rockhold shows the world a little more of what AKA says he can do. Defeating a veteran like Taylor is a nice mark on the ledger. The most impressive part, though, was his poise during bad spots. Perhaps a fight with Eric Lawson or Benji Radach.

Heavyweight bout: Brandon Cash “Money” (5-0) vs. Shane Del Rosario (8-0)

A battle of undefeated big men, Brandon Cash is one of Central California’s best prospects. Shane Del Rosario, a solid up-and-comer in his own right, plans to test Cash’s value.

R1: A big overhand right miss by Cash is followed by a failed takedown attempt. Cash then connects with the big right–a counter hook– and Del Rosario hits the mat. Cash works hard for a finish but Del Rosario proves to be tough. The action slows and Cash is in half-guard. As he passes to full mount, he leaves enough space for Del Rosario to stand. Cash takes him down again. While stacking Del Rosario’s legs, Cash gives up a triangle. Despite Del Rosario locking it, Cash is out quickly. Del Rosario tries again and switches for an arm. Cash hits a big punch standing to the grounded opponent. Del Rosario hangs in and taps him out with an omaplata.

Official decision: Shane Del Rosario via omaplata at 2:57 of the first round.

Del Rosario scores the only omaplata submission in Strikeforce and probably MMA history.

The official attendance is 4,157.

***Main Event***

Lightweight bout: Billy Evangelista (9-0) of Team Buhawe, Fresno, CA vs. Jorge Gurgel (13-5) of Team Sityodtong by way of Brazil

Evangelista sees his first step up in competition after solidifying himself as a dangerous lightweight across California. He gets a god-send in Gurgel, who will stand and trade with anyone. Both are muay Thai fighters that don’t wield incredible KO power. Evangelista will have to change levels to open up his strikes against Gurgel—a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with no submissions since 2005, the year he stepped into the big leagues. Drawing power from his hometown crowd, Evangelista has the chance to rectify Mike Aina’s soccer job

If he can withstand a war with Gurgel, he’s ready for a steady stream of tough opponents win or lose. For Gurgel, the bout represents the chance to continue a new life post-UFC that features wars he actually wins. He’s 1-0 in Strikeforce so far, but Evangelista has the tools to hand him defeat. It’s a matter of whether or not he has the cardio, heart and mental toughness Gurgel is known for.

Big pop for Evangelista. The cage is so unnecessarily smokey.

R1: Low kick by Gurgel opens the bout. Evangelista returns Gurgel’s second low kick with one of his own. Evangelista’s eye is swelling from I’m not sure what. Gurgel lets his hands go momentarily. Both are defending well. The crowd is growing restless. Evangelista is letting high kicks fly. A push kick. Gurgel responds by stepping in the pocket and throwing punches. It’s a back-and-froth battle. Evangelista lands a nice straight right. Both are attacking patiently but no one is landing flush. Leg kicks are exchanged hard. Evangelista lands a leg trip to end the round. 10-9 Evangelista.

R2: Both come out strong. Gurgel is picking up the aggression but Evangelista is controlling distance and ladning shots of his own. Gurgel hits Evangelista with punches inside. Evangelista’s eye is closing shut. He clinches and lands two knees inside. No one is backing down inside the pocket, but they are moving away before it gets real ugly. A spinning back fist begins a combination for Gurgel and that leaves him open for the takedown. Evangelista lands one clean punch from top. Gurgel tries to get back to his feet; however, Evangelista follows and forces Gurgel against the fence. The fight is stood back up. A high kick clips Evangelista, sending him to the mat. Evangelista finds himself in a guillotine and escapes right as the round ends. 10-9 Gurgel.

R3: Both are battle worn but still aggressive. No lack of cardio. Gurgel lands a solid right as Evangelista begins his combination. “Billy!” chants. Gurgel lands a strong low kick. Gurgel misses with another high kick. Evangelista counters a low kick with a straight left. Evangelista lands a right hook after a bunch of exchanges miss narrowly. Evangelista clinches against the fence. Gurgel fights out and they take center cage. A takedown attempt is shrugged off by Gurgel. Low kick by Gurgel. Superman punch leads to major combination by Gurgel, which gets him taken down. Evangelista is in Gurgel’s guard to end the round. 10-9 Evangelista.

Official decision: Unanimous for Billy Evangelista (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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Blog. Out.

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