Classic fights that start the PPV presentation (Inman and Cal Worsham are announcing):
Jorge Santiago vs. Diego Sanchez: First of the two classic bouts. Never reviewed it, but will skip doing so until I decide to go back to that specific show (KOTC 36, Unfinished Business)
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Sean Gray: Another classic. This was from KOTC 13 Revolution.
1) Tim Bradley vs. Aaron Buck: Guys for a weight class I didn't pay attention to.
FIGHT: Buck Submission Rnd 1. Bradley goes for the takedown and gets it. Thing is, Buck is apparently cool with working off his back and ends up working the hips most of the round until locking the arm and extending an armbar to force the tap. Buck has no subsequent pro fights that I am aware of. (0)
2) Jack Montgomery vs. Adam Torres: Welterweights Don't know either.
FIGHT: Montgomery Submission Rnd 2. Reasonably competitive fight between a couple guys who really aren't that relevant. Both guys had some good throws and takedowns and did decent ground work, but Montgomery ends up with the last takedown of the fight getting a leg sweep off a body lock, passes to mount, and then punches Torres until he gives up his back and the choke. Torres had some decent throws himself and did a solid job up till then nullifying Montgomery's offensive grappling, but it was for naught. Torres retired afterwards. (0)
3) Hunter Worsham vs. Shannone Callos: Cal Worsham's kid against some BJJ fighter. Welterweight contest.
FIGHT: Callos Submission Rnd 1. Wild contest with Worsham rushing Callos with flailing strikes and they trade takedowns. Worsham eventually uses the cage to flip the two of them on the mat and get on top, but leaves his head in there for a triangle that he eventually taps to. Cal is asking for Hunter to slam his way out, which really isn't the best strategy if you aren't named Rampage Jackson or Ron Waterman or something. (0)
4) Brad Imes vs. Bo Cantrell: Its hard to believe that Brad Imes was a finalist on TUF 2, isn't it? I mean, that was before the series had total crap on it. Bo Cantrell infamously lost to Kimbo and Dave Huckaba in record time.
FIGHT: Imes Submission Rnd 1. Imes brings the gogoplata, which he won an inordinate number of times by. Cantrell actually drops Imes in the early going and they scramble afterwards. Cantrell is on top in the full guard once some leg lock attempts come to an end and Imes works for the gogo. The next fight for Cantrell was indeed the Kimbo Slice bout. (2)
5) Robert McDaniel vs. Dan Molina: McDaniel got a couple fights with EXC later. Molina had been in the IFL and collected losses there to Brian Foster and Ryan McGivern.
FIGHT: Molina Submission Rnd 1. Man, didn't expect that. McDaniel lets Molina get him down by getting real low and pulling the heel out while shooting the double, and Molina starts getting active inside the guard to set something up. That something is a heel hook given to him by McDaniels' flailing open guard. McDaniel tries to fight it off for awhile and then ends up getting himself hurt by not tapping in time. (1)
6) Tony Lopez vs. Frank Appah: Appah is making his second pro fight and states that he has a TKD background. Jesus.
FIGHT: Lopez TKO Rnd 1. Not the greatest Lopez performance. Appah is squared up and strong, sure, but after the first minute or so, the fight slows down tremendously and Appah basically is stuck at the end of Tony Lopez's kicks. I'll say this about Lopez - I was thinking he had Guy Mezger power in those kicks, but then one lands clean to the head with the shin and Appah slowly slumps and takes shots and the fight is stopped. The announcers basically try to cover for Appah having been looking for a way out of the fight by saying that he was looking for a way out of the fight, but, hey, Mazzagatti stopped it early! (1)
7) Bao Quach vs. Chris David: Prefight video for David shows him smashing something. What? Why? I don't know. Lightweight bout. I like Bao Quach fights.
FIGHT: Quach Unanimous Decision.
Quach: I often think of Quach as a gatekeeper with serious grappling skills. I suppose that's true here, even though the fight is about Quach keeping it standing and using his advantage in technique. He's such a smaller guy that it makes his ability to repeatedly fight off the takedowns of David very impressive, and to then counter it with crisp punching and low kicks is huge. He never has David in trouble, but he makes his shots count and he wins through sheer technique over athleticism or physicality.
David: Wants the clinch, wants takedowns. Never gets them. He pushes with his punches rather than snaps them, which means that he can't really hurt Quach and he's slow getting the shots off. He can't check a kick to save his life. David's not an entirely bad fighter. Clearly he has qualities that don't come to light because he can't institute his gameplan, but if you want to be elite or something imitating it, you need to be able to beat midlevel fighters who's best success came at 140. He's not really a guy with a blast double - more of a swim to the clinch and then he tries to overpower. (1)
8) Anthony Lapsley vs. Jaime Jara: Lapsley debuted and did not so well in Bellator. Jara also debuted and did a little better in Bellator. Well, at least he made it a more competitive fight.
FIGHT: Lapsley Submission Rnd 2. Kinda. Officially this is a no contest because Lapsley tested positive for THC.
Lapsley: Elite wrestler? No. Not really. He gets Jara down a couple times but he never really powers the guy down or shows some sort of wild technique with his wrestling. What's wild is that he starts the fight with a spinning heel kick that opens a cut on Jara. They trade submissions in the first and in the second, a tired Jara gets taken down and KOTC Specialed with the RNC. Interesting attempt at an inverted triangle looking thing in the first is worth noting.
Jara: Tough guy who didn't show the gas tank I expected. Decent submission attempts though - he nearly had Lapsley in a heel hook and had Lapsley's back too. (2)
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Jara/Lapsley
KO OF THE NIGHT: Lopez/Appah
SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT: Cantrell/Imes
OVERALL FOR THE SHOW: 4.5 out of 10. Substandard show with a couple decent main events (one of which basically doesn't mean anything at all officially) that's bolstered with fights that don't belong.
D&R Rating: 17.5% (7/40)
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