Elite Xtreme Combat entered into the MMA circuit with a national viewing audience via Showtime and a main event built around name recognition. Did the fight card deliver the goods or simply leave more to be desired?
From Southaven, Mississippi, our host is Mauro Ranallo. He is joined in the booth by Bill Goldberg and Jay Glazer. Glazer does a lot of work for the NFL but also hosts the Pride telecasts on FSN with Frank Trigg. A.C. Slater is nowhere to be found. The classy Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
KJ Noons vs. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett
Referee: Herb Dean
The fighters will be entering the cage through a fire-breathing dragon all night, an homage to Bruce Lee. Bennett uses the ramp from the dragon as a slide and talks on his cell phone on the way to the cage. Yeah, he’s one of those guys. The fighters walk to the cage without their entourage and I find that to be a nice touch. What I don’t like is that the fighters are announced twice, once on the way to the cage and again before the fight begins. Bennett denies the glove tap with Noons and gives him a cold stare instead. He’s living up to his “Krazy Horse” nickname and I for one am thoroughly entertained by it.
They have some fighting to do and open the bout by exchanging leg kicks. Noons is countering well as the two seem to be pacing themselves. Speaking of countering well, Bennett flattens Noons with a hard right hook as Noons is throwing a punch and puts the kid out.
Winner by TKO 3:47 of R1: Charles Bennett
Bennett punctuates his win with a couple of backflips off the top of the cage. Krazy Horse drops some nice quotes in his post-fight interview. In calling his own knockout of KJ Noons: “Oh shit.” On the leg kicks that started the fight: “Those leg kicks hurt like a motherf*cker.”
Gina Carano vs. Julie Kedzie
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
This fight is three three-minute rounds. That seems stupid to me. Let them go five minutes like the fighters with testicles do. Carano appears to have a shiner already and the fight hasn’t even started yet. For the record, Gina Carano is attractive.
The ladies start the fight with cautious leg kicks until Kedzie goes for a clinch. If you are wondering what type of clinch it is, it’s a Greco-Roman clinch. Thanks Mauro Ranallo. Carano gets out of it and lands a big right hand, prompting Kedzie to get back into the clinch. Carano stuffs a takedown and they wrestle for position. Carano gets to her feet and allows Kedzie the same luxury. Kedzie is overwhelmed with kicks and punches as the round comes to an end.
Kedzie starts the second round with a takedown but Carano winds up on top. Carano gets up as she prefers this fight standing up. Kedzie catches a kick and lands a hook out of it but that just beckons Carano forward with stronger punches. A right hook from Carano drops Kedzie but Carano doesn’t finish her and lets her up before the round ends.
The third round begins with the announcers marveling at Carano’s “phenomenal conditioning.” These are three minute rounds people. Kedzie gets a takedown and teases some 69 action before moving to side control. Kedzie gets a choke but Carano escapes to her feet and lands a big right hand to a grounded Kedzie. They trade strikes to end the round and end the fight. Not a bad fight at all and the crowd responds with a standing ovation.
Winner by unanimous decision: Gina Carano
David “The Crow” Loiseau vs. Joey Villasenor
Referee: Herb Dean
Villasenor rushes Loiseau and takes him down immediately. Side control for Villasenor results in some stupid looking shoulder strikes. I’m sure they’re unpleasant to be on the receiving end of but they just look stupid. Loiseau gets to his feet but Villasenor trips him and slams him back down to the mat. Full mount for Villasenor and Loiseau gives up his back. Villasenor cannot get the choke because Loiseau has a firm grip on Villasenor’s wrist. Villasenor settles for knees to the gut. The Crow fights to his feet again and Villasenor trip slams him down again. Villasenor goes back to the knees to the stomach until he gets full mount. Loiseau gets to his feet and hiptosses Villasenor down. Loiseau strikes but Villasenor grabs an armbar. Loiseau rolls through the armbar to escape as the round ends.
Loiseau lands a nice combination to start the second round. Villasenor clinches. Loiseau tries the hiptoss again but Villasenor lands on top this time. Nothing happens so Herb stands them up. Villasenor is countering Loiseau’s leg kicks with hooks. Clinch to the takedown for Villasenor. A scramble ensues and Villasenor winds up on Loiseau’s back. Loiseau gets up and a clinch turns into a, say it with me, trip into a takedown for Villasenor.
The third round is underway and Villasenor decides to stay on his feet. That is surprising considering the ease at which he has been taking Loiseau down. They get into a clinch but Villasenor keeps throwing knees to Loiseau’s stomach instead of going for the takedown. Villasenor lands a huge right hand that drops Loiseau. Loiseau covers up but Villasenor lets him up. The Crow doesn’t seem to have his legs underneath him showing he was stunned by the right hook from Villasenor. Loiseau goes for some visually appealing kicks in the final minute but lands none of them.
Winner by unanimous decision: Joey Villasenor
Antonio Silva vs. Wesley “Cabbage” Correira
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
They punch each other as expected until Silva gets the takedown one minute into the fight. Silva rains down punches. Cabbage verbally tells the ref he is fine but physically has opted to taste Silva’s knuckles. Cabbage gets up and Silva rushes forward with punches and goes for another takedown but his attempt is thwarted by a combination of Correira and the cage. Mazzagatti breaks their clinch. Silva lands a high knee and follows with two left hooks that drop Cabbage. Silva keeps up the pressure until Mazzagatti stops the fight.
Winner by TKO 3:49 of R1: Antonio Silva
Frank Shamrock vs. Renzo Gracie
Referee: Herb Dean
Shamrock opens with leg kicks and Gracie quickly reconsiders his talk of standing with Frank. Renzo gets a clinch and turns it into a takedown with side control. Shamrock tries to buck out of it to no avail. The fighters are stood up and Shamrock lands a straight right to Gracie’s chin. Gracie shoots and trips Shamrock, moving to side control when they hit the ground. Shamrock lands some knees and seems to be the more active of the two on the ground despite being on the bottom. The round ends and it is clear that Renzo’s gameplan is to avoid standing with Frank Shamrock.
The second round begins with some combinations. Gracie gets Shamrock down to the mat and in side control. Shamrock puts his feet on the cage and uses the leverage to knee Renzo Gracie in the back of the head twice. Renzo winces in pain and rolls off of Shamrock as Herb Dean steps in. The blows to the back of Gracie’s head were illegal and Dean has deducted a point from Shamrock and given Gracie five minutes to recover. Renzo doesn’t look good at all. The five minutes elapse and Renzo is led to the back. The fight is obviously over but a decision has not been reached. Herb Dean ruled the knee to the back of Gracie’s head as an intentional foul. Gracie will get two shots and the ball. No, wrong sport. As Jimmy Lennon Jr seemed to be explaining to Herb Dean, if a fighter cannot continue after an intentional foul then the result is a disqualification.
Winner by DQ: Renzo Gracie
Cesar Gracie says that Renzo suffered a concussion. Renzo was taken to the hospital but proved to be a man’s man by refusing the stretcher job. Frank Shamrock accepted the result but claimed that he thought they came to fight. Regarding the DQ Shamrock said, “I guess I broke the new rules.” Frank Shamrock retired in 1999 but has fought sporadically over the last seven years.
Final Thoughts
The announce team of Ranallo and Glazer were good. Goldberg added nothing to the commentary but I’ll cut him some slack since it’s his first time. Mario Lopez was not featured at any time during the broadcast. I appreciate that. Bennett’s KO was something to see and his charisma makes him a must-see fighter. Joey Villasenor and Antonio Silva both looked impressive in their wins but the ladies had the best fight of the night. Gina Carano overwhelmed Julie Kedzie but Kedzie didn’t have any quit in her. It’s a shame that the main event ended the way it did. Herb Dean once again finds himself in a controversial finish. Dean didn’t react to two illegal knees to the back of Gracie’s head until Renzo had already rolled off of Shamrock. It wasn’t a horrible show and I look forward to the next offering from EliteXC.
