Risin' up, straight to the top ...
Fresh off its acquisition of Titan Fight Championships, Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) will hit the Las Vegas, Nevada, strip for the first time ever tonight (Fri., Nov. 2, 2012) with a surprisingly-stacked card full of crafty veterans and top-tier prospects.
MMAmania will have LIVE coverage, starting with the AXS TV broadcast at 10 p.m. ET.
In the main event, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight contenders Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero will battle it out as they look to make it back to the big time. Griffin, moving back to his customary weight class after an unsuccessful run at 145 pounds, looked poised for a place in the UFC elite after a 6-1 run that saw him defeat the likes of Clay Guida, Gleison Tibau, Rafael dos Anjos and Hermes Franca, among others.
Unfortunately, Evan Dunham proved a far tougher out than expected, defeating Griffin by decision. Whether it was this defeat or his subsequent hellacious knockout loss at the hands of Takanori Gomi, Griffin has yet to reclaim his former glory, going 1-4 in his last five bouts.
After winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8, Escudero also ran afoul of Dunham, tapping to an armbar and getting choked out by Charles Oliveira two fights later, after which he was released from the promotion. His return proved unsuccessful, dropping decisions to Jacob Volkmann and Mac Danzig before being cut once again.
The rest of the card is loaded with talent, from talented up-and-comers like Chidi Njokuani, Lance Palmer, Sergio Pettis and former U.S. Olympian Steve Mocco to old hands like Marcio "Pe de Pano" and Fredson Paixao.
Check out complete RFA 4 quick results and live main card play-by-play below.
RFA 4 QUICK RESULTS
Main Card:
Lightweight: Tyson Griffin def. Efrain Escudero by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Welterweight: Chidi Njokuani def. Phil Dace by TKO (punches) at 0:41 of Round Three
Light Heavyweight: Marcio Cruz def. Joe Yager by submission (inverted triangle) at 4:16 of Round Two
Featherweight: Lance Palmer def. Fredson Paixao by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Lightweight: James Krause def. Guilherme Trindade by KO (head kick and punches) at 0:31 of Round One
Lightweight: Dakota Cochrane def. Derrick Burnsed by submission (armbar) at 4:38 of Round One
Bantamweight: Sergio Pettis def. Jimmy Jones by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)Undercard:
Bantamweight: Chris Holdsworth def. Tyler Shinn by submission (triangle choke) at 1:32 of Round Two
Heavyweight: Steve Mocco def. Tyler Perry by submission (Kimura) at 1:34 of Round Two
Bantamweight: Cory Galloway def. Jerry Shapiro by TKO (Punches) at 3:15 of Round Two
Lightweight: Jordan Isordia def. Joey Angelo by unanimous decision
RFA 4 PLAY-BY-PLAY RESULTS
Patrick here!
155 lbs.: Tyson Griffin vs. Efrain Escudero
Round one: Jab from Tyson starts things off. Good hook by Tyson, then a right wobbles Escudero. Griffin gets the takedown; Escudero briefly threatens an arm but there's nothing there. Griffin hanging out in full guard. Griffin thumping away at the body. Escudero has his legs up again, no success. Efrain lands some glancing upkicks and Griffin dives back into guard. Now half guard. Escudero has his back near the cage and looks like he'll be trying to work his way back up. Escudero spins for the armbar; it's damn deep and Escudero gets belly-down, but Griffin gets out and they start on the feet once more. Counter right connects for Tyson. Leg kick and overhand right ; Efrain comes in with an uppercut, then shoots in for a double-leg. He has Tyson against the fence but can't get him down. Lead right uppercut connects for Griffin after he gets away. Takedown attempt by Griffin and he's briefly caught in a guillotine; he's out with no harm done. There's the bell, 10-9 Griffin.
Round two: Nice body kick and left-right for Tyson connect. Front kick lands perfectly to the face of Escudero, but he shrugs it off. Another good counter right and one to the guts; Tyson's striking looks excellent tonight. Escudero checks a Griffin leg kick well; Griffin gets him to the fence, lands a right, and backs off. Stiff jab lands. Efrain moves in for the takedown, but can only get him to the fence. Griffin takes advantage of the situation and takes him down into guard. Nice upkick from Efrain as Griffin dives in. Griffin dropping short shots with Efrain against the fence. Efrain spins for an armbar once more, nothing doing. Not much activity in the last minute, just Tyson riding it out in top position and landing a punch every once in a while. 10-9 Griffin once again.
Round three: Griffin looks a hell of a lot better than he has in years. I'm impressed.
Right hand lands again for Tyson; his head movement has been excellent as well. Griffin looking for the takedown, Efrain defending against the fence. Efrain briefly gets the plum but can't do anything with it. Knee exchange in the clinch; one of Tyson's may have strayed low. Tyson gets the takedown into half guard off another big right hand. Tyson passes into side. North-south, Escudero regains guard. Another failed armbar attempt. Another and this one looks good. Nope, Tyson gets out again. Guillotine attempt by Efrain, no luck there, either. Tyson gets the back as Efrain tries to stand. Efrain gets to his feet, but Tyson is still glued to him. Tyson spins for a single, can't get it but avoids a Marcellotine. Tyson tries to turn it into the double, but Efrain gets the whizzer and they stand. Tyson slips, Efrain looks for a guillotine as Tyson drives into him. No luck and Tyson finishes the takedown at the bell. Great work from Griffin, 10-9.
Final result: Griffin def. Escudero by unanimous decision
-end-
170 lbs.: Chidi Njokuani vs. Phil Dace
Round one: 80-inch reach for Njokuani. Damn.
Dace moving in with punches, but gets tossed aside like it was nothing when he tries a takedown. Body kick by Njokuani. Dace low kick catches Chidi in the groin. Dace goes right for the takedown again when they restart, but gets reversed against the fence. Njokuani on him like a leech as they trade knees. Dace reverses again and changes levels with no success. Hard knee by Chidi and he eats a knee to the groin, which costs Dace a point. They restart. Leg kick by Njokuani, Dace responds in kind. Solid head kick connects for Chidi, but Dace eats it. Right-left by Chidi backs Dace up. Front kick from Chidi catches Dace in the balls; this is not a good day for testicles. Nice combination by Njokuani . Counter right hand leads into Chidi taking the back standing. Knees from the clinch by Chidi, Dace escapes. Leg kick by Chidi, then a front kick to the face. Dace comes in with punches but can't connect. Body kick again by Njokuani. Dace high kick doesn't land. Clear round for Chidi; 10-8 same.
Round two: Njokuani has a head kick blocked. Front kick to the body, inside leg kick. Same sequence. Body kick by Chidi. SLICK leg kick knocks Dace off his feet, but he scrambles back up. Jab lands. Hard leg kick after a punch. Right hand. Chidi is kicking his ass something fierce. Another hard body kick, then he catches a kick and lands one to the back of the head as Dace turns away. Leg kick by Dace. Njokuani lands a takedown and tosses him just to change things up. Leg kick, right to the head. Dace slips on a leg kick, Chidi lets him up. ANOTHER groin shot from Dace; urgh, this is unpleasant to watch. Njokuani with a beautiful combination capped off by a leg kick that takes Dace off his feet. Body kick. Another sweep kick. Damn, Njokuani's standup is just beautiful. Complete ownage by Chidi; 10-9 same.
Round three: Nice lead right hand by Njokuani. Leg kick. BIG lead right hook by Njokuani drops Dace. Dace covers up, Njokuani drops punches, this one's over. This is a guy to keep an eye on, ladies and gents.
Final result: Njokuani def. Dace by TKO
-end-
205 lbs.: Marcio Cruz vs. Joe Yager
Round one: Between his tattoos, the look on his face, and his nickname, I think Yager may have hit critical douche levels.
Good leg kick from Pe de Pano, Yager responds in kind. Cruz with a good three-punch combo. Yager presses him into the fence looking for a takedown. Pe de Pano looks for a guillotine but there's nothing there. Yager with knees to the thigh in the clinch. More. Ref eventually separates them and they reset at the center. Good leg kick by Pe de Pano, Yager with one of his own. Repeat. Pe de Pano tries to clinch but gets reversed into the fence. Pure wall-and-stall from Yager, occasional knees from both men. Ref finally breaks them with about thirty seconds to go. Cruz moves in with strikes and gets taken down before the bell. Bleh. 10-9 Yager.
Round two: Sloppy punching to start. Leg kick from Yager. Cruz presses forward for a takedown and gets reversed into the fence again. Derp de doo this fight sucks. Ref thankfully breaks them before too long. Yager goes for a single-leg and they go back to the fence. Seriously, somebody friggin' do something. Pull guard, Pe de Pano. Do something. Ref breaks them again. Leg kicks. Nice right hands by Cruz, Yager changes levels and puts him guess where? Right into the damn fence again. Inverted triangle from Pe de Pano! It looks deep! Cruz smacking the rib cage with elbows and then rolls him for the tap. Crap fight, great finish.
Final result: Cruz def. Yager by submission (inverted triangle choke)
-end-
145 lbs.: Fredson Paixao vs. Lance Palmer
Round one: Watching someone remove another man's nipple piercings is something I could have lived a long, fulfilling life without.
Leg kick Paixao to start. Palmer responds. High kick from Palmer is blocked. Paixao goes with another leg kick, Palmer does the same. Paixao tries a fancy spinning sweep kick with no success. Palmer gets Paixao into the fence but can't connect and they reset. Leg kick by Paixao. Blocked high kick and teep by Palmer. Paixao moves in, Palmer takes him down into full guard. Palmer stands, lands some good lefts, and lets Paixao up. Fredson goes back to the legs and gets taken down as soon as he tries to press things. Palmer standing over Paixao and flicking the occasional leg kick before the Brazilian stands. Body kick by Palmer is almost caught, but he gets out quickly. Another kick is caught, but Palmer scrambles his way up before Paixao can capitalize. There's the bell, 10-9 Palmer.
Round two: Paixao comes in with a left hook that connects. Paixao barrels forward and once again gets taken for a ride. Palmer now on top in half guard, Fredson gets butterfly guard before Palmer stands over him once again. Referee stands them up. Double-leg takedown by Palmer into full guard. Palmer with the occasional punch, but wisely not overextending himself. Paixao with an overhook, but the ref stands them up. Leg kick Palmer, Paixao responds in kind. Another one with some thump behind it. Couple more. Once again, Paixao moves forward with punches and gets taken down. Fredson spins for a leglock but Palmer escapes. Paixao goes into single-leg X-guard and tries to work the leg again, but time runs out. 10-9 Palmer.
Round three: Head kick by Palmer is blocked, but he lands a snap kick to the gut. Palmer shoots for another takedown and gets out of a guillotine attempt. Short elbow by Palmer, Paixao whacks him with one of his own from his back and cuts him open. Paixao working the cut with elbows, Palmer landing short punches. Paixao working overhooks to try to get them stood up. Paixao tries a hook sweep with no success and they return to guard. Paixao goes from a hook sweep to a heel hook but can't get either, instead getting to his feet. Nothing much happens on the feet before the bell; should be a unanimous decision for Palmer. 10-9 same.
Final result: Palmer def. Paixao by split decision
-end-
155 lbs.: James Krause vs. Guilherme Trindade
Round one: Trindade swinging big to start things. High kick from Krause stuns Guilherme and the follow-up punches knock him clean out. Wow.
Final result: Krause def. Trindade by knockout
-end-
155 lbs.: Dakota Cochrane vs. Derrick Burnsed
Round one: Burnsed flicking leg kicks to start out. Cochrane backs him up with a one-two. Cochrane with a slick inside kick to left hook combination. Flying knee from Cochrane is blocked, follow-up right isn't. Burnsed shoots in, can't get it. Cochrane turns it into a takedown of his own and gets wrapped up in a guillotine on the way down. Cochrane looks like he's about to tap, but manages to worm his way out. Cochrane with a short elbow; Burnsed briefly hunts a triangle but thinks better. More short punches from Cochrane. Burnsed briefly turns for an armbar but there's nothing there. Steady GnP from Cochrane. Burnsed still looking for submissions but winds up getting his guard passed. Cochrane goes from half guard right to mount, but Burnsed regains guard. Burnsed tries to scramble up but gives up his back. Cochrane's too high on his back and so switches to an armbar. It's deep and there's the tap. Slick work by Dakota.;
Final result: Cochrane def. Burnsed by submission (armbar)
-end-
135 lbs.: Sergio Pettis vs. Jimmy Jones
Round one: Damn, Sergio looks tiny in there. Let's see how it goes.
Jones pawing the jab early, follows up with a right straight that buckles Sergio. Pettis stays up and they get back to trading.
Technical difficulties keep me from seeing anything but the last forty seconds or so of the round. Announcers make it seem like Jones is doing well. Tornado kick from Pettis is blocked. I'm assuming 10-9 Jones.
Round two: I still can't get over just how much bigger Jones is than Sergio.
Jones keeping Sergio at bay with the jab. Low kick from Sergio. Head kick from Jones just lands, Sergio tries to counter with punches. Good leg kick by Sergio; for the most part, Jones is doing a fantastic job of working off his jab and just picking Pettis apart at range. Sergio lands a right. Body kick from Jones; Sergio bullies him into the fence and lands a handful of shots. Sergio catches a kick but doesn't follow him down. Low kick by Pettis; Jones isn't pumping the jab like he was earlier. Jones is cut; Sergio moves forward and connects with punches. Nice exchange in the center of the cage. Pettis stalking forward, lands a low kick. Right over the top; Jones needs to go back to the jab. Jones ducks in, eats an uppercut and thinks twice about the takedown. Sergio lands a couple jabs, prompting Jones to wave him on. Jones with a one-two, tries a double-leg and is denied. Counter right from Sergio as Jones moves in. Low kicks from Jones answered by a spinning heel kick that stumbles Jones. Both men exchange to end a solid round. 10-9 Pettis.
Round three: Nice leg kick by Sergio to start things off. Hard hooks and a leg kick. Jones is firing, but he's not controlling Sergio like he was earlier. Lead uppercut by Pettis just misses and a head kick is blocked. Jones tries to go high as well and gets jabbed. Pettis blocks a high kick and connects with a right. Body kick by Pettis, who eats an uppercut but walks through it. Simultaneous leg kicks. Pettis catches him in the groin and the action pauses. Pettis with a low kick as they start, Jones answers in kind. Jones flurries, Pettis lands a body kick. Good right from Sergio sets a cut over Jones' eye a-gushin'. Good left hook from Sergio and he stuffs a takedown. Jones goading Pettis but getting picked apart now. Jones unable to keep Pettis off of him and fails another takedown. BEAUTIFUL head kick from Pettis drops Jones but Jones manages to tie him up and survive the round. Excellent work from Sergio; 10-9 same.
Final result: Pettis def. Jones by unanimous decision
-end-