Back to HDNet Fights for another exciting card. Maybe. This show eminates from Tampa, Florida and features a title fight and one of the best fat men heavyweight bouts ever concieved. The Voice and Guy are the announce crew.
1) Joe Ray vs. Jeremy Smith: Ray is a recent convert to ATT and was ranked among BE's top ten prospects at welterweight. Naturally, he is on the patented ATT diet and is already a middleweight. His opponent is Jeremy Smith, an unheralded fighter from the XFC satellite gym in South Africa.
FIGHT: Smith Split Decision. Close, exciting fight. I had it 29-28 for Smith, two judges saw it 30-27 for him in spite of a closed eye. (2)
Ray: Big issue here - he can't wrestle. He is a decent enough striker and has some degree of submission skill. His work standing should earn him the second round in my book. But his consistent problem is that he's taken down in all rounds. All the damage in the world has the potential of being nullified if you are laid on.
Smith: Lots of heart. His technique is mediocre as far as takedowns are concerned and he just powers through them. He's listed as being primarily a muay thai expert but looks to be the worse striker by some degree.
2) Ian Stephens vs. Joe Heink: Welterweight contest with Stephens being an All American wrestler in college.
FIGHT: Stephens Unanimous Decision. Me and the judges thought it was a clean sweep. Heink couldn't stop Stephens takedown attempts and his Brown Belt in BJJ wasn't on display here. Stephens can't really strike too well - he just rushes with them to the clinch. He throws some low kicks in the third as he gets comfortable, then shoots when he's hit with a jab in the face. Well, no surprise about his instincts. Most of the fight is spent in the half guard or full guard with Stephens on top landing few shots and not really trying too hard to pass to side control or mount. (1)
3) Gabe Salinas-Jones vs. Parker Porter: A heavyweight contest of prospects! Both are heavy. Like, extra 30-40lbs each heavy.
FIGHT: Salinas-Jones Submission Rnd 1. Rear Naked Choke finish for Salinas-Jones, who consistently got takedowns and had a huge throw in this fight. Nothing to write home about in striking as he powers through him with grappling. (0)
In between fights, the XFC president says that they're gonna run three shows in China next year. XFC has that sorta co-promotion "buy a show" deal as King of the Cage or Gladiator Challenge.
4) Marissa Caldwell vs. Marianna Kheyfets: Caldwell was DEMOLISHED by Jessica Eye. Kheyfets demolished Kim Couture. So I guess we still won't know how good Jessica Eye is after this really, but we'll know if she's as good or better than Kheyfets. Right?
FIGHT: Kheyfets Unanimous Decision. So Caldwell is tough as nails. This is determined for sure. My thinking watching this is that Eye is the better fighter between her and Kheyfets. (0)
Kheyfets: Good striking - big repetoire of stuff pulled out in this fight with elbows and spinning hook kicks and stuff. Movement's not bad. Keeps the chin down. BJJ needs work, but her defense is alright and she has some solid takedowns. Punching power though is nonexistent as far as I can tell. Then again, Caldwell got beaten like a drum by Jessica Eye and went the distance too.
Caldwell: Botched a throw that got her put on her back instead. Oops. Not really a BJJ expert at all. Can't wrestle. Is a pretty orthodox striker that tries to keep everything straight, but her hands are so slow. So. Slow.
5) Chris Barnett vs. Mario Rinaldi: Barnett went to Singapore on like two weeks notice weighing 315 and got beat there. Does he have a manager? Note: I will be Barnett's manager if he sends me $50 in the mail and says he'll get me a plane ticket to Sentosa next time he's requested. Rinaldi, meanwhile, is better at everything but has a history of losing to big fat guys when he runs out of gas 4 minutes into a fight. See also: DJ Linderman.
FIGHT: Barnett TKO Rnd 2. (1)
Barnett: Barnett was 18 lbs over the 265 limit. Yikes. He gets taken down and is worked over for 3:15. Then he flips over Rinaldi and takes over. He stops him with strikes in the early part of the second.
Rinaldi: Looks like a KOTC special, as he has Barnett's back like 30 seconds in. But he runs out of gas punching Barnett and ends up on his back later in the round. In the second he gets taken down by Barnett who drops levels in the clinch, pulls a switch, and pounds him out from back control. Sad. Where's Tim Persey when you need him?
6) Jarrod Card vs. Luis Palomino: Featherweight title bout in XFC.
FIGHT: Palomino Unanimous Decision. Wide win for Palomino - I gave him every round. (2)
Palomino: Better in almost every aspect, he also hurts Card with shots in almost every round. He's cut in round 3 by a headbutt, which barely slows him down. Palomino hurts Card badly with low kicks but is afraid to throw them in spite of having Card in serious jeopardy because Card does seem to have a decent takedown. Says in the post fight interview that he doesn't like the cut to 145 and will return to lightweight after winning the title.
Card: Good wrestling, but he's below par everywhere else. Wrestling and control aren't good enough to keep Palomino on his back at will, which means that a lot of energy is expended going towards trying to do that with poor results. By round 3, he's done as far as energy is concerned, and to top it off, he can't properly block low kicks, nor does he adjust stance to move his damaged left leg out of the way of more kicks. One of the more desperate shots in history comes from Card following a low kick that sweeps him off his feet and sends him flying towards Palomino trying for a double. No Jitz.
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Ray/Smith
KO OF THE NIGHT: Barnett/Rinaldi
SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT: Salinas-Jones/Porter
OVERALL FOR THE EVENT: 6.5 out of 10. Not the greatest show in the world - the decisions were generally pretty wide but the fighters that lost were at least game and tried. Ray/Smith is a great fight at this level. And I'd gladly say its the best XFC show I've watched. I'm not big on PROMOTIONAL NARRATIVE, and I think bringing in a random guy from Bellator to win your title and immediately say he wants to leave and fight at a different weight class must be a terrible way of doing that, but I'm sure someone will spin it different. Who cares. The fights were good for a change.
D&R RATING: 20%(6/30)
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