M-1 Challenge XXVI (7/8/11)

(Written in 2010, never published.Why not now? Seems as good a time as any. No ratings.)

M1! SHOWTIME! FIGHTS! Militech and Ranallo on the mics.

1) Eddie Arizmendi vs. Jason Norwood: Middleweight contest. Norwood is a wrestler and ex Army dude.

FIGHT: Arizmendi TKO Rnd 2. Not the most exciting contest ever. Norwood goes for takedowns and nothing but. Lousy striker. Arizmendi is not a great wrestler and a much better striker - he still gets the back of Norwood briefly in the first and hurts Norwood almost every time he lands. With seconds left in the first, Norwood gets hit with a right hand lead and a left hook and Norwood goes out cold.

2) Beau Baker vs. Daniel Weichel: GERMANY VS. BAKER. Oh man.

FIGHT: Weichel Unanimous Decision. Pretty clear, easy fight to score and watch. Weichel basically throws the 1-2 and lands it every time because Baker's head is straight up and he doesn't learn to give Weichel any sort of different look standing. Baker just going with wild looping bombs as the 3rd round continues on.

3) Josh Bacallao vs. Maribek Taisumov: Taisumov is a wrestler, so I am told on the TV. Bacallao is some nobody. Taisumov KOed Yuri Ivlev, who is a journeyman of some repute.

FIGHT: Taisumov TKO Rnd 1. Bacallao gets an early takedown but ends up in a scramble and loses the position. Back on the feet, Taisumov lands a straight right hand with a little feint and Bacallao goes down and then takes a blasting forearm to the face on the mat.

4) Tyson Jeffries vs. Arthur Guseinov: Guseinov apparently likes headkicks and is the Russian Phil Baroni. Both guys have losses to the middle of the road contenders - Guseinov lost to Luigi Fiorvanti and Jeffries to Sultanmagomedov. Or whatever that guy's name is.

FIGHT: Guseinov TKO Rnd 1. Huge KO with these dudes just going wild with strikes and scrambles. Guseinov ends up landing a spinning backfist and knocks out Jeffries cold. Just ice cold. Ranallo is flipping the fuck out. Guseinov is flipping the fuck out. Jeffries is like "...."

5) Kenny Garner vs. Pat Bennett: Can't believe that Showtime paid anything for this show with this being the main event. Heavyweight fight.

FIGHT: Garner TKO Rnd 2. Garner wins this fight in a rematch of a fight he won the first time. Bennett supposedly has big wrestling credentials but barely uses them, and Garner pushes him all around the ring and punches him to the body and legs just to stay busy. Bennett is totally gassed, ends up eating punches moving straight back and goes down. Fight over.