EliteXC continues to build their championship stable as the first ever EliteXC Bantamweight champion will be crowned tonight. It was supposed to be Wilson Reis against Bao Quach but Quach had to withdraw do to facial injuries sustained during training. Abel Cullum steps in for a shot at the 140-pound title and is the King of the Cage 135-pound champion. Cullum is on a ten fight winning streak. Reis is a BJJ fighter and looked strong in his last EXC fight against Bryan Caraway.
Wilson Reis vs. Abel Cullum (EliteXC Bantamweight Title)
Referee: Jason Herzog
Cullum opens with a body kick so Reis takes him down. That was quick. Cullum works his guard and that turns into a scramble. Reis goes for an armbar and Cullum beautifully escapes and flips into strikes on Reis’ head. They get up and Cullum goes for another body kick which turns into another takedown for Reis. This is not a good gameplan for Cullum, as Stephen Quadros points out on the the Showtime telecast. Cullum tries to shimmy up the cage but Reis slams him back down. Now Cullum gets back to his feet but the two are caught in a clinch that takes them to the end of the round.
Reis scores another takedown early in the second round. Reis is being forced to work as Cullum is defending very well. Cullum gives up his back but Reis turns that into a full mount. Reis goes for an arm triangle but Cullum transitions into Reis’ guard. Cullum almost gets caught in an armbar but he gets out of it. Reis uses the physical swing in momentum to get top position on Cullum but the round expires before any more advantages can be gained.
Reis catches Cullum with a punch in the third that may make Cullum wish this fight went back to the ground. Wilson Reis does just that by wrestling Cullum back to the mat. Cullum works his way back to his feet and they circle the cage. Cullum sprawls a single-leg takedown and then turns that into Reis’ guard. It’s like deja vu as Reis goes for an armbar just like he did in the first round. Cullum uses the same escape. It worked once. Reis goes for the back and a scramble sees Cullum in top position as the third round comes to an end.
They trade punches for the first minute of the fourth round until Reis gets a takedown and avoids a guillotine in the aftermath. Cullum tries to kick Reis away but Reis is like a blanket on Cullum. Cullum looks good but strictly fighting a good defensive fight won’t win the fight for him. Cullum needs to be more aggressive in establishing his offense and essentially making sure that he gets off first.
The fifth and final round starts and it isn’t long before Reis wrestles Cullum back to the ground. Reis smothers Cullum for the majority of the fifth round as Cullum just wants to get free but he just isn’t able. Reis finishes strong in Cullum’s guard and lands a few blows to solidify the championship victory. It goes to the scorecards and it is 49-46, 48-47, 49-46 for the winner by unanimous decision, Wilson Reis.
Televised Undercard
– Erik Apple defeated Matt Makowski in a welterweight bout. Apple spent most of the first round working for an armbar and a kimura but he ended up winning the fight in the second round via rear naked choke. Apple looked good and Makowski was a game opponent.
– Jaime Jara earned a split decision over Giva Santana. Santana, known as the Arm Collector, easily won the first round with groundwork but Jara rallied in the second round with his standup. It came down to the third round and two judges saw it in Jara’s favor despite Jara looking far worse in the facial region. This was an excellent middleweight contest.
– David “Tarzan” Douglas finally got to Malaipet in the third round, winning by TKO. This was the best fight of the night and the first round could be the Round of the Year. These featherweights were all action in the first. Douglas was gassed in the second but recovered in the third and stopped Malaipet from the mount as Malaipet’s face was covered in his own blood.
– Two undefeated heavyweights squared off in the final undercard fight. Shane Del Rosario remained undefeated with a TKO of Carl Seumanutafa. Another good fight with good groundwork in the first. Del Rosario looked to have a triangle secured in the first but just couldn’t quite finish it. Seumanutafa responded with a near armbar submission later in the first. Del Rosario finished in the second with knees to the body followed by pinpoint strikes that finished Seumanutagfa.
Final Thoughts
ShoXC has come a long way since it’s inception in 2008. I remember the awfulness of the first show and didn’t think I’d still be tuning in over a year later. This was the best night of action ShoXC has ever put on with all fights showcasing quality fighters. All the losers made a good showing for themselves. Five quality fights headlined by a new champion in a fight with more scrambles then a breakfast kitchen. Sorry about that, I just listened to Mauro Ranallo for two and a half hours so the bad jokes are in my system. If this is how ShoXC is going to be in the future, it will become “can’t miss” MMA.
