WSOF 10 results: Branch earns quick tap, Glenn shocks Karakhanyan
LAS VEGAS – In a battle of two UFC veterans, David Branch (14-3) submitted Jesse Taylor (27-10) in the opening round and claimed WSOF’s inaugural middleweight title.
The bout served as the headlining matchup of Saturday’s “WSOF 10: Branch vs. Taylor†event, which took place at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and aired live on NBC Sports Network.
It was Taylor who looked to finish the fight early, dropping to his back and looking to squeeze a guillotine. But Branch kept his arm in the hold and prevented his opponent from locking up the hold. When the to scrambled to follow the sequence, Branch locked quickly on to a D’Arce choke, squeezing and adjusting his position to earn a tap at the 1:41 mark of the first frame, earning the New Yorker WSOF’s inaugural middleweight belt.
In the evening’s co-feature, Roufusport fighter Rick Glenn (15-2) survived a near submission in the opening round to battle back in the second frame and claim the WSOF featherweight belt with a stoppage of Georgi Karakhanyan (23-4).
Karakhanyan looked sharp early, pressing forward and moving to mount and then his opponent’s back, where he quickly transitioned to the back. From there, he turned beautifully to an armbar that looked as if it might finish the fight. However, Karakhanyan didn’t quite close his legs on the hold, giving Glenn just enough room to survive. He would capitalize on the chance.
In the second, Glenn took full control of the momentum, pressing Karakhanyan to the cage and teeing off with ground-and-pound shots. Karakhanyan didn’t go away easily, but it was obvious he was in trouble and struggling to find a way to safety. Glenn continued to tee off until the bell, and when the round ended, Karakhanyan revealed he suffered a broken rib, and the fight was waved off before the start of the third.
In the night’s first title fight, WSOF women’s strawweight champion Jessica Aguilar (18-4) retained her title with a dominant win over a resilient Emi Fujino (13-8).
Aguilar’s boxing was her best asset throughout the five-round affair, with her hands landing hard and fast and busting up her opponent’s nose in the early going. As Aguilar looked to take the fight to the floor, Fujino showed solid takedown defense. When Aguilar did get the fight to the floor in the third round, she locked in what seemed destined to be a fight-ending arm-triangle choke, but Fujino refused to go away. The Japanese fighter’s resiliency proved to be the theme of the fight, but Aguilar’s non-stop offense was just too much, and she earned a unanimous-decision win, 50-44 on all three cards.
Firmino outlasts Griffin, Palmer shuts down LoBosco
In a lightweight matchup, Brazil’s Luiz Firmino (18-6) scored a convincing decision win over Tyson Griffin (16-8) in an entertaining slugfest. Ultimately, it was Firmino’s control on the floor that earned him the judges’ nods, but the two both landed heavy shots in a series of rapid-fire exchanges on the feet. Still, Firmino frequently found himself in the better position, and he wound up taking home a decision win, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
“My wrestling was good tonight,†Firmino said after the win. “I tried to mix everything up, but my wrestling was able to pull me through.â€
In the night’s first main-card contest, Lance Palmer (8-1) took a step toward a potential second shot at the WSOF featherweight belt with an impressive first-round submission of a previously undefeated Nick LoBosco (7-1). The two traded shots on the feet to start, but Palmer turned to his wrestling to gain control of the action. Once on the floor, Palmer was incomplete control, battering his opponent with punches before securing his back and working in a rear-naked choke to end the fight.
Mehmen buries Huckaba, Valiev shines in TKO win
In the night’s final preliminary bout, Derrick Mehmen (18-5) steamrolled fellow heavyweight Dave Huckaba (21-6) in a grudge match that turned out to be one-sided affair. The heavy-hitting Huckaba was no match for the speed of Mehmen, and he also couldn’t stay upright. Mehmen took him repeatedly to the floor and grinded out his opponent for 15 minutes, earning lopsided scores of 30-25, 30-26 and 30-27.
Dagestani bantamweight Timur Valiev (7-1) proved himself a new prospect-to-watch for WSOF with an impressive third-round finish of a gritty Adam Acquaviva (1-1). While the contest started out as a back-and-forth affair, with both fighters taking turns trading in the pocket, Valiev gained momentum with each passing moment. A dizzying barrage of punches, kicks, elbows and knees kept Acquaviva at bay, and a beautiful flying knee ended his night in the third.
In middleweight action, Krasimir Mladenov (11-0) kept his professional record perfect, with a wrestling-heavy decision win over Angel DeAnda (11-4). DeAnda, a striker by trade, did a fine job of defending many of Mladenov’s takedown attempts, but the resilient efforts of the Bulgarian still brought the action to the canvas over and over. DeAnda was just never able to really mount a counterattack while worried about the takedown, and he dropped all three rounds, letting Mladenov take a unanimous decision.
Evans-Smith stops Allen, Williams scores highlight-reel finish
Women’s bantamweight prospect Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-0) kept her perfect record intact with a third-round stoppage of Marciea Allen (3-2). While the action started a bit slow, the taller Allen happy to stay at range and the smaller Evans-Smith seemingly struggling with the distance.
In a lightweight matchup, Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu fighter Spimmy Spicuzza (4-0) kept his professional record unblemished with a controlling decision win over Justin Jaynes (4-2). Spicuzza used a superior wrestling attack to control the positioning of the contest, frequently working to his opponent’s back and seeking out the choke. Jaynes showed resiliency in defense and even cut his opponent open in a wild striking exchange, but the winner was clear at the end of 15 minutes, and Spicuzza was given the fight, 30-27 on all three cards.
In the night’s first fight, lightweight A.J. Williams (1-0) made a stunning professional debut with a first-round TKO of Tanner Cowan (0-1). Williams was patient to start before unleashing a devastating high kick that sent Cowan to the floor. Cowan tried to recover, but a follow-up barrage of punches ended the fight in just 44 seconds.
Complete WSOF 10 results include:
MAIN CARD
David Branch def. Jesse Taylor def. submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 1:41 to claim inaugural middleweight title
Rick Glenn def. Georgi Karakhanyan via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00 to claim WSOF featherweight title
Jessica Aguilar def. Emi Fujino via unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) to retain women’s strawweight title
Luiz Firmino def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Lance Palmer def. Nick LoBosco via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:15
PRELIMINARY CARD
Derrick Mehmen def. Dave Huckaba via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-27)
Timur Valiev def. Adam Acquaviva via TKO (flying knee) – Round 3, 1:35
Krasimir Mladenov def. Angel DeAnda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Marciea Allen via TKO (elbows) – Round 3, 3:01
Jimmy Spicuzza def. Justin Jaynes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
A.J. Williams def. Tanner Cowan via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:44
