Carl Seumanutafa Makes a Statement in Elite XC Debut

Sherdog.com

Brandon Tarns (Pictures) vs. Drew Montgomery (Pictures)
Round 1
Tarns attempts a superman punch into the clinch. Montgomery reacts with a solid knee to Tarn's body before he's violently taken down. Tarn wades in guard, then flies in with a punch “Shogun” Rua-style. Tarns lands sporadic head shots, but switches to Montgomery's body and begins to chip away. Montgomery escapes to his feet when Tarns re-sets, and Montgomery attacks, landing wild hooks and uppercuts. Tarns dives for Montgomery's legs and salvation. Tarns can-open's Montgomery to break his guard and lands a couple more shots at the bell. 10-9 Tarns.

Round 2
Tarns shoots and Montgomery sprawls, but Tarns completes the takedown into guard. Tarns is landing elbows and opens a cut over Montgomery's left eye. Montgomery locks up Tarns' arms to stay alive. Referee Herb Dean stands the pair for inactivity. Montgomery takes advantage, lunging in with connecting shots, before Tarns gets it to the ground again. Montgomery gets to his feet once more, but time runs out before he can get anything going. Tarns 10-9.

Round 3
Tarns shoots for a single-leg and is in Montgomery's guard once again. The crowd is unimpressed with the show and it’s re-stood. Montgomery nails another punch and Tarns again goes for the takedown. But this time Montgomery reverses once its hits the canvas and lands in mount. Montgomery is teeing off and Tarns turtles. Montgomery tries to hook into Tarns' back, but loses position and Tarns settles back into Montgomery's guard. Referee Dean stops the action to check Montgomery's profusely bleeding cut. It's re-started on the mat. Montgomery is red from his head to midsection, with Tarns trying to work through the blood. Tarns is also bleeding form a cut on his scalp, which referee Dean also stops to check. Doctors recommend the bout be stopped. Montgomery def. Tarns -- TKO (Doctor's Stoppage- Cut) 4:22 R3

Mike Cook (Pictures) vs. Carl Seumanutafa
Round 1
Cook with two outside kicks before Seumanutafa dumps Cook to the mat. Cook reverses into mount, but Seumanutafa wrangles Cook into his guard. The pair get to their feet, Seumanutafa is bear hugging Cook from behind. In the scramble to the ground, Cook is knocked unconscious with a slam. Seumanutafa follows up with hammer fists that are not needed. It's over at 1:21.

Wilson Reis (Pictures) vs. Bryan Caraway (Pictures)
Round 1
Caraway connects with a body shot. They pace around, till Reis finds a leg and snaps a quick takedown. Reis is tight in Caraway's guard, then passes to half guard. Reis moves easily to mount, then opts for side control. Caraway briefly takes back guard, but Reis is constantly in motion to get to half. Caraway backdoors out and they're up. Caraway lands a one-two hook combo, but Reis is circling away. Reis ducks under a hook and gets the takedown again, passing to half guard immediately. Reis is in top mount again and lands one punch before Caraway gives his back. Reis loses his hooks as Caraway fights to his feet. Again, Caraway has to fight off a takedown but is unsuccessful. An active round for both, with Reis scoring a 10-9 for cage control.

Round 2
Reis with a quick takedown to half-guard, but Caraway is wising up and gets to his feet fast. Caraway lands a big knee as Reis dives for another takedown and Carway gets into top position, while Reis fends off punches and goes for a leglock. They spill to the mat and Reis takes Caraway's guard again. Caraway is looking for the triangle choke, but Reis is not threatened. Again, Caraway fights to his feet, and Reis is again at his leg, stalled at the fence. Caraway wrangles Reis to the mat and has top position for the first time all night. Reis reverses though and floats from half guard to side control. Reis takes Caraway's back just as he rises, and tries to land a flying knee just at the bell. Reis 10-9.

Round 3
Caraway corners Reis on fence and keeps him at bay with a couple of knees, before Reis again finds a takedown. Reis is busy hunting for position, landing a sporadic shot here and there. From half guard, Reis gets mount, but Caraway reverses and throws a sharp elbow. Reis again reverses into guard, but Caraway wants it back on its feet. Reis is happy on the canvas though, and that's where it goes. Caraway manages to his feet one more time, but is quickly dumped again. Sherdog.com scores it 30-27 in favor of Reis. All three judges concur with Sherdog.com.

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (Pictures) vs. Travis Galbraith (Pictures)
Round 1
Calvacante throws a punch to get the clinch and Galbraith pushes him to the fence. They trade knees and Galbraith lands an elbow as they separate. The pair intertwine again and Galbraith works for a trip, but Calvacante reverses the attempt and Galbraith is on his back. They're up again in close quarters and Calvacante lands a vicious hook, then a series of knees that finally drops the Canadian. Referee Josh Rosenthal steps in to stop the action 3:01 in.

Antonio Silva (Pictures) vs. Justin Eilers (Pictures)
Round 1
They circle, Eilers answering with a punch to Silva's outside kick. A minute and a half in and no man has claimed the cage. Eilers lands a nice jab. Silva goes for the double-leg and gets it. Eilers turtles and the Brazilian giant is all over him. Silva throws a punch and is penalized a point for striking to the back of the head. They begin again and Eilers lands square on Silva's chin, but slips in the exchange and falls. Eilers turtles, but manages to his feet again, shaking it off. A clinch on the fence and Silva has double underhooks. Eilers wiggles out, but pays with punches. They move out to center and tag each other well. Eilers is holding his own in the standup, but is overwhelmed by Silva's sheer size each time it hits the canvas. Sherdog.com scores the round 9-9.

Round 2
Silva attacks with his first one-two and Eilers' mouthpiece goes flying. Silva lunges forward with knees and more punches, and Eilers turns, then crumbles on the cage. Referee Herb Dean lets it go a few seconds more just to give Eilers the shadow of a doubt, but this one is all over. Silva is the new EliteXC heavyweight champion 19 seconds into the second round.

Shayna Baszler (Pictures) vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (Pictures)
Round 1
“Cyborg” comes out banging with kicks, knees and punches. Baszler gets a trip takedown and goes to a kneebar. She transitions to a toe hold, but Santos escapes to her feet. Cyborg stands over her opponent throwing left handed power shots. The Brazilian enters Baszler’s guard and attacks the face with short hammer fists. The three-minute round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 for Cyborg
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 for Cyborg

Round 2
Cyborg against starts a round strong as she attacks with straight punches from both hands. Santos tees off with a right straight and a knee to the head. Baszler, who is gassed out and breathing with her mouth open, is trapped against the fence and eating leather. Cyborg throws continuous left and right straights until Baszler collapses to the canvas. Cyborg thinks the fight is over as she runs and jumps on top of the cage, celebrating with both hands raised. Referee Steve Mazzagatti struggles with the language barrier but eventually Santos comes down from the cage and restarts the one-sided brawl. Santos jumps right in with punches straight down the pipe. Baszler falls face first at 2:48 of the second frame. Impressive performance from Cyborg.

Jake Shields (Pictures) vs. Nick Thompson (Pictures)
Round 1
Shields throws a stiff body kick and gets a fast takedown. Shields wastes little time in advancing to mount. Thompson uses his legs to almost get to half-guard, but Shields drops his base and remains in the dominant position. The Cesar Gracie-trained fighter locks on a one-armed guillotine that turns Thompson’s head bright red. Thompson taps out shortly after at the 1:03 mark of the opening frame.

Nick Diaz (Pictures) vs. Thomas Denny (Pictures)
Round 1
The Stockton crowd gives the hometown boy Nick Diaz a warm welcome. Denny and Diaz start with straight punches from the inside. Both fighters land but nothing connects solid. The fighters clinch and Diaz goes to a standing Kimura. Denny escapes the position and an armbar transition on the ground. Denny hits the head with his right hand before standing to his feet. Punches from Denny find their target. Diaz answers and backs his opponent up with a jab followed by a right straight, left hook combination. From the clinch, Denny roughs Diaz up with uppercuts. Diaz again answers the assault and hurts Denny with a straight left. Denny falls backwards but stands to eat another left. The last 30 seconds of the round is spent in the center of the cage with Diaz blasting away on the fatigued Denny with a constant flurry.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 for Diaz
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 for Diaz

Round 2
Both fighters come out guns blazing to kickoff the second stanza. Denny is throwing back but getting hit on the button. Diaz is swinging with both hands down, not worried about getting hit. A right hook sets up the beginning of the end. Diaz tags Denny with two left hooks and a right that knock Denny to the floor. The Stockton native stood over his prey and delivered three right-handed power shots to seal the deal. Referee Josh Rosenthal steps in at 0:30 of the second.

Robbie Lawler (Pictures) vs. Scott Smith (Pictures)
Round 1
Smith targets Lawler’s lead leg with a low kick. Lawler goes high with a kick of his own, but it is easily blocked. Smith rushes forward with short punches and finishes the combination with a kick aimed to the head. Both fighters are content to kick out of range in a slow start to the first period. Lawler pushes Smith to the fencing and lands an elbow on the break. The final minute of the round sees more action as both fighters connect with hard punches. Smith is bleeding on the bridge of his nose and Lawler had to shake off a right hand.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 for Smith
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 for Smith

Round 2
A war ensues in the second, Smith cuts Lawler on top of the head with a standing elbow and the trade fest is on. Both fighters landing power shots. The cut on Lawler’s head is pouring crimson fluid. From a Thai clinch against the fencing, Lawler lands three hard knees to the body that drop Smith to the canvas. Lawler kicks the body twice and punches the head, forcing referee Herb Dean to save the fallen fighter at 2:35 of round two.

David Douglas (Pictures) vs. Marlon Matias (Pictures)
Round 1
Matias starts strong, backing Douglas up across the canvas. The tables turn in the flash on an eye though, as Douglas begins to fire back wild shots that ground Matias and knock him unconscious. It's a TKO only 12 seconds in.

Jeremy Freitag (Pictures) vs. Anthony Ruiz (Pictures)
Round 1
Both men size each other up, but quickly plunge into a feverish trade. They clinch, and Ruiz thwarts a takedown, Freitag as a single hook in, and knees Ruiz's body. In a lull, referee Steve Mazzagatti re-starts the fighters, and they swiftly end up along the fence again. Freitag is given a moment for an unintentional low blow and the fight resumes. When Ruiz lunges forward with a strike, Freitag takes his back standing, then wrestles Ruiz down. Freitag takes a turtled Ruiz's back, but with one hook in, his position dissolves. Freitag attempts a standing guillotine as they rise to no avail. 10-9 Freitag.

Round 2
Ruiz lands a series of wild punches along the fence, but Freitag circles out. Freitag can't resist the takedown though, but later reverses to mount, then takes Ruiz's back. Ruiz fends off the choke and maneuvers into Freitag's guard. Ruiz causes little damage till the bell. Ruiz 10-9.

Round 3
Ruiz shoots and gets the takedown. Freitag circles his hips, but the armbar slips through his fingers and Freitag is left in a precarious North-South position. Freitag works his way out of danger the pair stand, but the bout is again stopped by a low blow from Ruiz. A re-start and Ruiz secures a takedown, attempting to break Freitag with punches from half guard. Freitag again finds the armbar setup, but can't execute. Ruiz lands his cleanest shots at the bell. Ruiz 10-9. All three official judges see the contest 29-28 for Anthony Ruiz.