PRESS RELEASE: Using spry standup capped off with a slick sequence of grappling to finish the job, Carlos Condit took the vacant WEC welterweight title with a second-round submission of John Alessio via reverse guillotine from the top position one second before the bell.  

 
Alessio came out strong in the opening round, taking Condit down three times only to see the scrappy Albuquerque battler keep springing back up. After a very competitive opening stanza, Condit edged ahead in the second, using effective striking from in close, clinching effectively and dealing punishment from range as well. 
 

“I tried to put the pressure on him,” Condit said. “I’m going to defend this belt.”


The matchup was a logical wrestler versus striker clash, with Alessio’s potent grappling against Condit’s strikes and clever jiu-jitsu. But Condit simply proved too much in the short but intense battle, taking the belt in a memorable win that should raise his profile in the division.  The finisher was a nice kimura roll into mount, as Condit used some textbook submission skills to nab the victory.

 
“I punished his ribs and knew he was hurt,” Condit said. “I know that he didn’t underestimate me.” 

MORE RESULTS
 
In the semi-main, Urijah Faber registered this third title defense with an impressive guillotine submission over previously unbeaten Dominic Cruz at 1:38 of the first. Faber, now 18-1, built his reputation as a powerhouse ground and pounder but said his growing confidence in submissions had made him versatile and willing to accept the tradeoffs in applying different techniques.

“I knew I was at a different level than this guy. I feel like I’m well rounded. I feel like my conditioning is great and I can go anywhere and be fine,” Faber said.

That was the case as the two stood for the opening minute, with Faber willingly offering a few strikes that didn’t connect, and Cruz landing a good knee. In a resulting tie-up, Cruz went for a leg while Faber opted to attack the neck, and falling to his back, he sunk in a tight guillotine. Cruz was then rolled over and Faber finished from mount. 

“I’m training day and night. I know there’s a lot of young studs out there,” he added.

 

WEC bantamweight champ Eddie Wineland made a game five-round stand against challenger Chase Beebe, but dropped a unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 48.46, 48-46 and 48-47. After a close opening round which saw Wineland stagger and drop Beebe with a timely hook-cross combo, the Chicagoan rebounded in the second with a brutal assault. Securing the mount position two minutes into the round, Beebe proceeded to pound the champ with fists and elbows for the duration of the stanza, and at times referee Steve Mazzagatti seemed close to stopping the bout.


With a big elbow splitting Wineland’s right ear in grotesque fashion, Wineland, also cut on his left eye, seemed to creaky wheels. But he rebounded to battle back and two were back and forth through five rounds. However, Beebe’s superior wrestling and the big second round were enough to lift the belt and take it home to the Windy City. This writer scored the bout 47-47, but outside of the second, the rounds were competitive and close.  Wineland, covered in blood, might have had a slight edge in standup over the last three rounds but Beebe protected himself well, struck back in spots, and scored all the takedowns.
 
“This was what I worked hard for,” Beebe said. “It was a great feeling. I just knew I had to take him down. He hit hard as hell and striking is kind of my weakness.”

 

Brock Larson kimura submission over Erik Apple, 3:43 of the first. Larson’s superior grappling powered him to an impressive win over previously unbeaten Apple, who attempted several lower leg submissions before the finishing submission. Larson, now 22-1, said the submission is one of his favorites.  “I’ve got a helluva grip,” he said.

 

Dave Terrel TKO over Tiki Ghosn, 1:46 of the second. In the fight of the night, Terrel took a rousing victory over Tiki Ghosn after sustaining a thumping before turning it around in a stunning rally. The two traded strikes in the opening minutes, with Ghosn showing sharper standup and some astute timing. However, Terrel, a tough southpaw, simply wouldn’t quit.

 

And in the second, he delivered a pinpoint left cross to stun the veteran; Ghosn wavered, staggered, but wouldn’t go down. After a massive barrage of perhaps two dozen punches, Ghosn was driven all over the cage as he desperately tried to recover himself, while Terrel kept bombing away. Finally, he delivered the closer as Tiki was unable to effectively defend himself.

 

Cub Swanson guillotine submission over Tommy Lee, 3:17 of the first. With some serious bad blood between these two bantamweights, Swanson notched an impressive win in the WEC’s 135-lb. division with a submission in the opener. After missing an initial attempt at the sub, Swanson secured a follow-up from the guard to choke Lee out.

 

Charlie Valencia TKO over Antonio Banuelos, 3:12 of the first. Valencia scored something of an upset over Banuelos in an entertaining 135-lb. showdown. A big right hand bought the finisher as Valencia showed some mettle in this one, taking the fight to Banuelos and eating a few shots in the process.

 
Alex Serduykov guillotine over Scott Norton, :57 of the second. In a welterweight match, Serduykov kept Norton, a former college wrestler, on the defensive through the first round with extensive submission attempts, including a lengthy triangle that Norton fought off for about two minutes. The Russian finished the round with some extensive ground and pound that had Norton in trouble. In the second, Serduykov finished the bout with a slam-bang guillotine on his tired foe.

 

Micah Miller triangle submission over Jesse Moreng, 3:29 of the third. In an excellent battle, Miller scored a gutty victory over tough Moreng, in a back-and-forth contest of unbeaten featherweights. The opening round was a war, with Moreng taking Miller down only to be tied up with various submission threats and a tight bottom game from the Georgian. Moreng would occasionally pass to half-guard or side control only to have the wily Miller work back to guard.

 

Fighting tall in the standup clinches, Miller also used good knees and striking to wear Moreng down in the opening two minutes, while looking tired himself after a fast-paced battle. Moreng came back, scoring some ground and pound, and looked like he might be closing the show when Miller set up a nice triangle for the capper. “He’s tough. He’s a stud,” Miller said. “He came back.”

Miller may have had an armbar attempt available for the ending combo off the triangle, but explained that he was taking no chances with the tough Moreng.  “Some guys don’t tap to (limb) breaks. But if you choke them you choke them out.”

 

Brian Stann TKO Steve Cantwell, :41 of the first. In the opening fight of the night, Stann took a clean-cut knockout of Cantwell in a light-heavyweight match. The two came out aggressive and clearly looking to bang, until Stann landed a big right cross and follow-up flurry to take the duke.