by MMAWeekly.com LIVE
For the second time this summer, World Extreme Cagefighting is set to pit the No. 1 and No. 2 fighters in the world in their weight category against each other. It was Mike Brown and Urijah Faber at featherweight in June, and on Sunday night in Las Vegas, bantamweight champ Miguel Torres, ranked No. 1, defends his belt against top contender Brian Bowles.
The main card of WEC 42 airs live on the Versus network at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, but MMAWeekly.com is in Las Vegas to bring you live coverage of the entire fight card. The first preliminary bout is scheduled to begin at approximately 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT.
Be sure to refresh you browser frequently for all the latest results, play-by-play and photos from the event…
WEC 42 LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Brian Bowles vs. Miguel Torres
R1- Torres stalks in as Bowles slowly circles away. Torres lands an inside leg kick. Bowles lands an overhand right that stuns Torres. Torres quickly regains composure and fires back against the cage, landing left hand. Bowles draws fist blood. Bowles lands another right hand as Torres advances with punches. They’re clinched against the cage. Bowles nails takedown. Bowles postures up and throws a few elbows. Tores angles for a triangle then catches Bowles with an upkick as Bowles attempts to get control back. Torres kicks Bowles legs with his heels. Bowles stands up, Torres buttscoots toward him, then Bowles les him up. Torres misses with high kick. Bowles gets caught with a right hand and a rapid fire series of punches as Torres smells blood and moves in for the kill. Bowles catches Torres with a short right hook against the cage that drops Torres. Bowles lands another huge right as Torres tries to regain guard. Bowles lands a left hand that puts Torres completely out. Ref Josh Rosenthal finally steps in to stop the punishment. Late stoppage. Huge upset victory for Bowles.
Joseph Benevidez vs. Dominic Cruz
R1- Cruz leaning forward noticeably as he comes into range. He ducks out of the way and the two trade leg kicks. Benavidez lands a kick to the body. Cruz catches a kick and plants a left hand that drops Benevidez, but Benavidez pops right back up. Benavidez charging in for the kill, but Cruz is maintaining composure. Benavidez gets taken down after a charge, but retorts with a guillotine choke he uses to get back to his feet. Cruz gets caught with a left hand as he drifts out of range. Fast paced fight. Cruz misses with a punches and nearly gets taken down. The two tie up against the cage, Cruz gets a body lock and takes Benavidez down. In the ensuing scramble, Cruz nearly gets Benavidez’s back, but he escapes. Cruz with kick to the body. Great round.
R2- Cruz’s footwork and head movement are in overdrive as Benevidez looks for the knockout punch. Cruz lands a combo that sends Benevidez reeling back. The two tie up briefly. Cruz catches a left hook on the jaw. Cruz counters with a left hand and chases Benevidez around the ring with punches and a knee before getting him to the ground. Benevidez kicks him off and they’re back on their feet. Benevidez catches another right hand as he bounds in and drives for a takedown. The two are clinched against the cage but break off after a rest. Cruz’s unorthodox advance is frustrating Benevidez. The two are dodging and leaping arund one another at a frenzied pace. Benevidez fakes low and attempts spinning backfist. Cruz ducks under punches to get an easy takedown.
R3- Benevidez leaps in with a kick and gets air. Another loose front kick follows and Cruz lands a punch in return. Cruz slips on a kick and nearly gets booted in the head. At times, the fight looks more like a Capoeira exhibition than a fight. Benevidez lands a couple of left hands as he advances between Cruz’s unusal footwork flurries. Benevidez gets too close and Cruz gets another takedown, landing in side guard. It’s not long, though, before the two are up again, dancing around each other. They trade hooks as they collide. Benevdiez attempts another spinning backfist and briefly gets taken down again. They trade shots and spill to the canvas. Cruz scrambles to Benevidez’s back and flattens him out. Benevidez tries to scramble free as the bell sounds. Great, great fight. All three judges give Cruz the fight, with 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 scores. Big upset.
Ricardo Lamas vs. Danny Castillo
R1- Castillo charges in after gaging distance with punches and the two clinch up. Lamas escapes and hits a jab as Castillo advances again. Lamas misses with a high kick. Castillo with a body shot. Lamas looks for high kick again but settles for a follow up leg kick. Castillo repays him. More leg kicks for both. Lamas follows one two with high kick that is blocked. Castillo charges in with punches, no dice. They tie up against the cage. Castillo continues to load up big punches but Lamas defending well. Lamas lands a leg kick at the bell. Mostly a kickboxing match.
R2- Castillo with nice leg kick. Lamas with a front kick. Castillo lands a left hook to Lamas’ jaw, then retreats. Castillo charges in to tie up, but Lamas pushes him back. Lamas kicks when Castillo punches, then follows with a nice jab. Lamas lands a right hook that prompts Castillo to charge for a tie up. Lamas nearly lands a big head kick. Lamas mixing up his attack well. Lamas gets caught with a body shot but lands counter left hook. Castillo with nice body shot. Castillo catches Lamas with a hard right hand as he throws a jab. Lamas teeters to the canvas, where Castillo pours on the punches until ref Herb Dean stops the action.
Jeff Curran vs. Takeya Mizugaki
R1- Mizugaki leads with leg kick. Curran circles away and they trade leg kicks. Curran caches Mizugaki’s next kick and drives for a single leg against the cage. Action stalls. Curran re-invests and still can’t drag Mizugaki to the canvas. Curran drops to his knees and Mizugaki goes with him. Curran changes levels and is stymied again. Mizugaki working short elbows. Curran finally fives up attempt and gets reversed standing against cage. The two work knees in the clinch. Mizugaki twists Curran to the mat. Mizugaki postures up and lands a few good punches before being tied up again. Curran threatens an armbar and gives chase when Mizugaki stands out of it. The two scramble for position and Mizugaki once again gets top position in Curran’s half guard. Round ends in stalemate.
R2- Curran attempts to box Mizugaki but doesn’t land any significant strikes. So he goes to the legs, firing off sidekicks to Mizugaki’s knee and flank. Mizugaki fires back with a straight hand. He follows that with another series of punches that force a shot from Curran. The two tie up at the cage. Mizugaki tosses Curran to the mat, landing in his guard. Mizugaki attempts to work ground and pound but is stymied by Curran’s defense. Mizugaki postures up and fires down more punches that miss. Action stalls as Mizugaki attempts to pass half guard. Curran headlocks Mizugaki and round comes to close in stalemate.
R3- Curran swings for fences with a right hand and eats a punch. Curran ducks under a punch and charges for a takedown. The two tie up against the cage. Mizugaki powers Curran to the canvas. Curran headlocks Mizugaki again as he attempts to pass guard. A technical stalemate ensues on the mat. Curran is doing a good job avoiding Mizugaki’s overhead punches by using his feet to control the Japanese fighter’s hips. Neither fighter is gaining any appreciable advantage over the other. Then, all of a sudden, Curran cinches a triangle with thirty seconds left to go. It’s very deep. He rolls Mizugaki over and begins pounding away to the crowd’s delight. Mizugkai is frantically trying to buck away, but manages to survive to the bell. Mizugaki gets the nod from two of three judges, giving him the split decision victory.
Jameel Massouh vs. Leonard Garcia
R1- Massouh lands leg kick afet feeling out period. They trade kicks to the body. Massouh with another leg kick. Garcia presses with a jab…loading up for a big jab-cross combo. Garcia with a jab. Garcia throws the one-two again and drops Massouh hard. Garcia hesitates but pounces and delivers more punches while Massouh tries to recover. Massouh recovers to his feet and Garcia lands a couple knees to the head. Massouh breaks free and drives forward, getting a takedown against the cage. Massouh passes to half guard. Moassouh mounts briefly and takes side guard, where he lands several right hands and elbows. Garcia tries to ties Massouh up. Massouh stands and fires punches to the bell.
R2- Massouh with a nice leg kick. Garcia tries for his one two again and the two tangle at the cage before Massouh drives the action down. Garcia catches him in a guillotine, but Massouh escapes with ease. Massouh postures up and continues to punch down. Massouh takes half guard and works his left elbow on Garcia’s dome. Garcia rolls to his side and attempts to scoot away and his caught in a D’Arce choke as he gets to his feet. Massouh eventually gives up the choke and Garcia escapes. Massouh lands a leg kick and presses in as the two jockey for position against the cage. Round ends with Massouh looking for a takedown.
R3- Garcia goes for broke with high kick. Garcia swings for the fences again with three-punch combo. Massouh lands a jab, then a body kick. Garcia returns with a leg kick. Massouh sees Garcia loading up on his punches and blocks them every time. Massouh is making a habit of taking the steam out of Garcia’s attack with jabs and well-placed leg kicks. Massouh charges in and clinches against the cage. Garcia pulls away and the two return to their kickboxing match. Garcia strings together a few hard right hands. He’s putting everything into his strikes, almost barking as he throws them. He goes for broke at the bell with a spinning backfist, but trips and lands on his butt. He slaps the canvas in frustration as the bell rings. Garcia gets the nod from two out three judges for the split decision victory. In the cage afterwards, he says he had an adrenaline dump and was running off instinct in the last two rounds.
Cole Province vs. Fredson Paixao
R1- Paixao lands nice leg kick. Province stalking forward. Province with one two gets immediately caught in Paixao’s double underhooks. The two press against the cage where Cole pummels under and defends against a takedown attempt. The two trade knees against the cage. Province fends off a trip takedown and gets a warning for grabbing the fence. Province gets takedown and battles to pass guard. Paixao threatens a triangle and catches Privnce in an oma plata. Province sits up and escapes, driving for another takedown. Paixao threatens with a guillotine but quickly gives it up. They wrestle for position with Province in Paixao’s guard. Paixao throws a short elbow that cuts Province’s nose badly. Province postures up and delivers a few punches. Province uses Paixao’s triangle attempt to pass and keeps top position as the round comes to an end.
R2- Province again stalks in, throws a few looping punches to no avail. Paixao stings him with a leg kick, then two more. Province presses to the cage and the two tie up. Paixao threatens with a guillotine but doesn’t have it. Province breaks off and resumes stalking in with one-two combinations. Province drives forward and gets a leg. Paixao defends but Province prevails, scrambling into guard. Province is bleeding heavily again. Province working ground and pound. Paixao again threatens with a triangle, but Province powers through it and resumes guard. Action stalls as neither fighter gains advantage. Round closes.
R3- Paixao lands another leg kick. Province charges with a right uppercut and gets double underhooks against the cage. Action stalls; once again, neither man is gaining any edge over the other. Ref Herb Dean breaks it up. Paixao catches a leg kick and plants a right on Province’s chin. Paixao looks hesitant to engage, save for the odd leg kick. Province can’t seem to corner the Brazilian…so he charges in and ties up. Action stalls again and Herb Dean steps in. Paixao continuing to circle out and land leg kicks. Province is increasingly frustrated. Round ends with Province chasing Paixao. You know it’s a lackluster fight when the crowd is cheering more for a sports program on the arena’s bar TV than the fight. All three judges give Province two rounds to Paixao’s one, with unanimous 29-28 scores.
Marcus Hicks vs. Shane Roller
R1- Southpaw Hicks jabs his way n and eats a punch. Hicks swarms in and lands a hook and Roller comes out ahead as they spill to the canvas, landing on top. Roller drives forward while Hicks sits up against the cage. Roller working to pass to side guard gets caught in Hicks’ headlock briefly but pops out and continues trying to flatten Hicks out. Again, Roller puts himself in for a guillotine and Hicks keeps the hold as Roller picks him up and slams him to the mat. Hicks lets go and the two wrestle for position in guard. Roller moves to side guard and can’t do anything there before the two are stood up. Hicks swarms in again with punches. Roller retorts with a knee as the bell sounds.
R2- Hicks slips on the kick. Hicks gets back to his feet and lands a big punch before Roller takes him down. The two scramble to their feet, and Roller takes Hicks down again. Hicks counters with a guillotine and cranks it with all his might as Roller works to take the pressure away by passing his legs over Hicks.’ Roller postures up and begins firing down left hands that are landing one after the other. Hicks floundering as Roller pounds away. Rosenthal about to step in. Hicks scrambles to his feet and Roller has him in a front head lock, prompting the obligatory screams of “knee,” before Roller takes Hicks down again. Roller pours on the punishment from half guard, standing against the seated Hicks. Roller hammers away while Hicks works his way to standing. The bell sounds.
R3- Hicks again charges in and lands a big hook and shot to the body as Roller circles away. Hicks jamming in again and landing more body shots before the two tie up against the cage. Roller escapes and Hicks continues to chase him down with winging hooks. Roller attempting to keep Hicks at bay with his jab. Roller lands a knee to Hicks’ ducking head. Roller continues to jab. Roller playing matador to Hicks’ bull. Roller looks the fresher man now, putting together jabs and crosses in between Hicks’ bolos. Roller outclassing Hicks completely on the feet. Roller charges in and gets an easy double leg takedown. Hicks appears to be fading. The bell ends with Roller on top. All three judges give Roller the fight for a unanimous decision.
Phil Cardella vs. Ed Ratcliff
R1- Ratcliff stays busy circling with kicks and a few scant punches before the two tie up. Cardella presses Ratcliff against cage and tries to take the action down. Ratcliff presses forward and drives into Cardella’s guard. Ratcliff picks Cardella up and carries him to the cage, throwing knees to Cardella’s legs. Ratcliff breaks away with a punch but Cardella rushes him and traps him against cage. Action stalls. Ref Mazzagati breaks them up and Ratcliff lands front kick. Ratcliff with a stiff jab. Cardella looks stiff as he jams forward looking for an opening. Ratcliff catches him with a one two before circling away. Cardella chasing Ratcliff down and taking leg kicks for his efforts. Ratcliff lands another punch before the two tie up against the cage as the round comes to an end.
R2- Ratcliff opens with the rare axe kick…no dice. Ratcliff working the legs gets rushed and Cardella gets a body lock against the cage. Cardella works knees to the legs and body. Ratcliff pummels under and trips Cardella to the ground before circling away. It’s not long before Cardella rushes in and smothers Ratcliff against the cage once again. Mazzagatti breaks the action up once again. Cardella, unfazed, drives Ratcliff to the cage once again, working knees to the legs while Ratcliff looks for an elbow up top. Mazzagatti once again breaks them apart. Ratcliff throws two rapid-fire kicks. Cardella still jamming in, Ratcliff attempts to keep him away with a one-two combination but can’t stop from being smothered once again. Against the cage, it’s the third time the two are separated. Cardella seems to have no game plan other than negate Ratcliff’s attack.
R3- The two trade leg kicks. Cardella lands a big jab that causes Ratcliff to retreat. Cardella rushes to Ratcliff’s back and uses cage to climb up for a rear naked choke. Ratcliff escapes and faces Cardella, where the two resume their clinch-fest. Mazzagatti separates them. Ratcliff with a spinning hook kick. As Cardella closes, Ratcliff with a punch that rocks Cardella. The two spill to the canvas, but Ratcliff gets back to his feet, only to fed off an advancing Cardella with a right hand. Cardella swarms again and meets several punches near the cage, including a hard right, before Ratcliff plunges forward and lands in Cardella’s guard. Action stalls. Ratcliff gets back to his feet and tries again in vain to strike before being smothered. Round ends in the clinch. All three judges give the fight to Ratcliff for a unanimous decision.
John Hosman vs. Rani Yahya
R1- Yahya paws forward with a few leg kicks. Hosman circling away, trying to keep the submission ace at bay with a few kicks and a hook. Yayha wastes no time in getting takedown and passing to side guard, then north-south position, where he patiently works for a choke. Hosman has nowhere to go and taps shortly after. The time is 2:08.
Diego Nunes vs. Rafael Dias
R1- Southpaw Nunes leaning back, reels off a leg kick to the closing Dias. Nunes with another leg kick and Rafael grabs for a takedown. Une gets caught with a high kick, but he’s okay. Dias catches a leg kick and takes the fight down, but Nunes scrambles and takes Dias’ guard after a scramble. Dias tying up with rubber guard, Nunes stands up and eats a few upkicks before landing punches standing over. Nunes leaps back into guard, and Dias tries to use the cage to get away. Dias kicks Nunes off and the two are back on their feet. Nunes lands a left hand and defends as Dias pulls guard. Nunes stands over again and throws a hughe right hand. Dias scrambles back to his feet. The two trade a few combinations with no clear advantage as bell rings.
R2- Nunges with kick to the body. The two flurry from in close, then land trade leg kicks before swinging for the fences and breaking off. Dias tries to strike his way into the clinch but is rebuffed by Dias. Nunes with a couple of big kicks. A lot of starts and stops, but no significant blows are landing for either. A lot of kicks throw and blocked. Dias catches Nunes against the cage with a punch. Nunes returns with a stiff right hook. Action stalls. Nunes with a lead hook eats a counter left. Dias lands nice one-two combination just before bell sounds.
R3- The two trade punches after Dias opens with a kick. Dias closes distance for takedown and Nunes takes top position, scooting Dias to the cage where he throws a few left elbows. Dias tries to control Nunes’ posture, then drives forward with one of Nunes’ legs before giving up and returning to guard. Nunes using wrestling to keep Dias on his back. Dias drives forward again and is turned away. Ref Steve Mazzagatti issues warning for grabbing shorts. Nunes works ground and pound against the cage. Dias’ left eye is swelling. Dias drives forward again with a leg as clock ticks away. Dias drives forward and drags Nunes to the ground. He can’t hold him there before Nunes is up. The two go for broke as the bell ends, but neither lands anything significant. Diego Nunes wins by Unanimous Decision.
Javier Vazquez vs. L.C. Davis
R1- The two trade a few combinations. LC lands a couple of nice punches, then launches flying knee and tumbles over Vazquez, with Vazquez landing in guard. Vazquez attacks Davis’ left leg and Davis sits up to defend. Davis powers forward and lands in half guard before staning up. Javier lands a nice jab. Javier lands more punches and shoots forward, with Davis getting top position. Vazquez escapes and the two return to standing. Davis with a nice left hand. Vazquez lands a couple of nice jabs. Vazquez is beating Davi to the punch almost every time. Vazquez with a right hook. Vazquez with leg kick. Vazquez’s right hand is doing damage. Davis lands a short flying knee in response, but Vazquez is unhurt.
R2- Vazquez’s boing looks far crisper than Davis. Davis lands a left hand. Vazquez ducks under Davis’ punches and shoots, but Davis quickly pops up. The two trade knees in the clinch. Dvais breaks off. Davis lands a thrusting knee and Vazquez repays him with a spinning backfist. Vazquez is moving his head and getting out of range well when Davis strikes. Davis throws the jumping knee again to no avail. Vazquez is winning almost all of the striking echanges. Vazquez with nice leg kick. Davis returns with one of his own. Vazquez puts a combination together that backs Davis up, then shoots under Davis’ arms to get him to the mat as the bell rings.
R3- Davis comes out throwing hard punches, but is backed up by Vazquez, who shoots in and pulls guard. Davis stands up and Vazquez uses next exchange to take the fight down again. Vazquez locking Davis up with rubber guard. Davis postures up to fire punches, misses, and stands up. Pace is slowing. Vazquez continues to come out ahead in exchanges. Vazquez with a big right hand. Vazquez ducks under Davis’ punches but can’t keep the action down. Davis lands a leg kick that seems to hurt Vazquez. Davis chases Vazquez back with punches and Vazquez tries to take action down. The two return to their feet and exchange again before final bell rings. Davis wins by Split Decision.
WEC 42 QUICK RESULTS:
Main Card Bouts:
-Brian Bowles def. Miguel Torres by KO at 3:57, R1
-Dominick Cruz def. Joseph Benevidez by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
-Danny Castillo def. Ricardo Lamas by TKO (Strikes) at 4:15, R2
-Takeya Mizugaki def. Jeff Curran by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
-Leonard Garcia def. Jameel Massouh by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Bouts:
-LC Davis def. Javier Vazquez by Split Decision, (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
-Cole Province def. Fredson Paixao by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-Shane Roller def. Marcus Hicks by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
-Ed Ratcliff def. Phil Cardella by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
-Rani Yahya vs. John Hosman by North-South Choke at 2:08, R1
-Diego Nunes def, Rafael Dias by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)