Pat Curran lands knee on Joe Warren - photo by Joey Hill for MMARecap

Bellator 60 had many ups and downs, but two of the biggest ups from the event featured Pat Curran and Mike Corey. In the night’s main event, Curran took on Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren after earning the right during the Bellator summer series.

Many figured the game plan for Curran would be to stand and trade while sprawling and defending each of Warren’s takedown attempts. The first chance Warren got his hands around Curran, he took him down. And in the scramble, Curran hurt his ankle. But the adrenaline kicked in and Curran was able to stand right back up.

In between takedown attempts by Warren, Curran was able to land his strikes from the distance. But Warren closed that distance and got under the punches of Curran to continuously take him down. As Curran escaped each takedown, Warren threatened by getting the back of Curran. This pattern went on through out the first and second rounds with some claiming that Warren won both, while others had it split one a piece.

In the third round Curran turned up the pressure and the attacks. Warren ducked down again trying for the takedown, but Curran countered with a big knee that hurt Warren. Curran then went on full attack mode landing nearly forty punches and five knees in thirty seconds to knock Warren out unconscious.

With the knock out victory, Curran won the Bellator featherweight world title.

Earlier in the night his teammate Mike Corey had a shining moment of his own. With less than two weeks notice, Corey stepped in to fill a spot in the featherweight tournament after Wagnney Fabiano got injured. His opponent, Ronnie Mann, is known for his sharp and crisp boxing with hands made of stone.

Prior to the fight both fighters expressed their desires for how the fight would play out. Mann wanted to be aggressive and clean, while Corey wanted to turn the fight into a scrap.

The first round Mann did exactly what he said he was going to do. He out boxed Corey and battered the left eye repeatedly. It may have been the feeling of his eye swelling, but Corey turned it around after the first round.

For the remainder of the fight Corey took Mann down almost at will and worked his ground and pound. When he felt like he needed to get up, he did and then worked a series of overhand rights and leg kicks. The mixed striking confused Mann as he tried to counter with straight punches, but couldn’t seem to find his mark.

After fifteen minutes of one of the best fights of the night, Mike Corey’s hand was raised and he moved on in the tournament. His next opponent is Daniel Straus and the fight will be taking place at Bellator 64 in April.

photo via Joey Hill for MMARecap

Galloway nearly finished Velasco in the first round with an armbar, but the angel of it was wrong. Velasco turned the tied on Galloway and nearly submitted him with a reverse triangle choke that had Galloway turning purple. But Galloway stayed calm and collected and listened Jeff Curran give step by step instructions on how to escape the position.

Once he was freed, Galloway continued his assault on Velasco till time ran out in the first round. Velasco wanted to put Galloway on his back and work his devastating ground and pound in the second round. He quickly put Galloway on his back again, but this time got a little careless. Galloway locked up an armbar just after the one minute mark and forced Velasco to tap.

Diehl was one of the most popular fighters of the night coming out to a roar of cheers and applause. After his impressive victory at XFO Outdoor War 7 where Diehl suffered a massive cut, Diehl wanted to show he could fight and not get caught.

That’s exactly what he did too. From the opening bell Diehl came out swinging with impressive one-two combos. Wood tried to return the favor, but came up just shy. Diehl seemed to realize a chink in the defense of Wood and swarmed with a big combo. Wood covered up and Diehl was relentless on his attack throwing punch after punch until the ref was forced to stop the action.

The full results of XFO 42 can be found at MMA Recap. (photo by Joey Hill)

written by Brent Todd of www.mmarecap.com

On Saturday, October 29, Team Curran sent two of their top fighters to compete inside the octagon at UFC 137. Bart Palaszewski made his UFC debut, while Jeff Curran returned the promotion after seven years.

In addition to making his UFC debut, Palaszewski also fought for the first time in the featherweight division. His opponent, Tyson Griffin, was also a former lightweight trying to make a name for himself in the 145lb division.

Griffin apparently didn’t take the fight seriously as he came in four pounds over weight the day of the weigh-ins and in the subsequent hour was only able to cut an additional pound. Palaszewski easily made the weight and said for him it was actually easier than some of his previous cuts to lightweight.

Palaszewski was determined to make the best of his fight and agreed to fight Griffin at the catchweight of 148lbs. Feeling a bit disrespected, Palaszewski came out of the gate looking to punish his opponent. It didn’t take long for Palaszewski to land an impressive combo before sending Griffin to the floor. Griffin tried to recover and stood back up, but Palaszewski smelled blood and unloaded a barrage of punches. After about fifteen punches that weren’t landing flush, he landed a massive left that hurt Griffin. A couple of punches later, Griffin was asleep on the canvas and Palaszewski was the victor.

Palaszewski’s victory was the first fight of the SpikeTV prelims shown and was quickly a contender for the coveted “Knockout of the Night” award. When the dust settled from the rest of the fights that night, his knockout had little competition and Palaszewski was given the award.

With the victory, Palaszewski stated he wanted a top seven opponent next as he felt Griffin was considered to be in the top ten.

Curran meanwhile had seen his fight with Scott Jorgensen get moved up from the Facebook stream preliminary portion of the card to the pay-per-view after a couple of injuries led to changes in the card.

Curran, had stated all along that he belong with the top fighters, and asked for one of the top in the bantamweight division. His opponent Jorgensen was a former number one contender, and proved to be a tough opponent.

Many wondered if Jorgensen would even attempt to take the fight to the ground, knowing how skilled Curran is with his jiu jitsu. The two bantamweights attempted to throw punches with bad intentions in the opening minute, but neither landing a flush shot. Jorgensen decided he didn’t want to stand and throw punches and immediately worked for a takedown and got it.

Curran displayed what it is like to be a second degree black belt under Pedro Sauer. Even commentator Joe Rogan couldn’t stop talking about how good Curran was. He immediately tried to escape Jorgensen, but Jorgensen was right there alongside him. Jorgensen did little damage and instead controlled the fight to earn the round.

In the second round Curran attempted a takedown of his own, but it was defended well. Jorgensen took Curran down instead, but Curran scrambled and looked to have a guillotine choke in. Jorgensen had to roll completely out of the choke hold and after he escaped it was clear he knew he barely escaped.

Jorgensen continued to try and just win the round by taking Curran down and controlling him, but Curran started to land big punches from his back. The punches set up submission attempts, but Jorgensen avoided being caught.

The third round Curran decided he needed a finish and came out swinging hard. A couple of big punches were landed and Curran then taunted the younger fighter and the two stayed standing. Jorgensen clinched and worked knees to the leg of Curran, but Curran escaped and found his range with his left hand. With hardly any time left in the round and being beat up on the feet, Jorgensen took Curran down at the end of the round.

When the scorecards were read, it was Jorgensen who had won with scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.  Even though the decision didn’t go Curran’s way, he showed that he belongs inside the cage with the best of the best in the featherweight division.

written by Brent Todd at MMA Recap (http://mmarecap.com/xfo41results.html)

Pat Curran fought at his typically measured pace and paved his road to the Bellator Fighting Championships Summer Series featherweight tournament final one figurative brick at a time.

Curran(15-4, 5-1 BFC) countered effectively, dictated when and where the exchanges took place and controlled the cage en route to a unanimous decision over Ronnie Mann in the Bellator 47 headliner on Saturday at the Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada. All three judges scored the semifinal for Curran: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

A potent offensive fighter blessed with speed and power, Mann (20-4-1, 2-1 BFC) never got out of the gates. Curran bullied him around the cage with tactical movement and fired a number of flying knees his way. Few landed, but they backed up the Englishman and short-circuited his rhythm. Curran scored with a takedown late in the first round, passed to half guard and nullified Mann’s bottom game.

Mann’s moments were too few and far between to make a difference. He threatened Curran with a guillotine choke in the second round, only to run out of time. Curran unleashed a few leg kicks in round three, but Mann finally countered one of his flying knees in the closing seconds. He transitioned to Curran’s back and tried desperately to score the submission, first with a rear-naked choke and then with a guillotine. Neither was successful.

http://mmarecap.com/news/XFO_39_Results_and_Recap-4281

The Xtreme Fighting Organization put on the largest mixed martial arts event since November of 2009 in the greater Chicagoland area.  The night of action saw eleven professional contests headlined by Jeff Curran versus Billy Vaughan.  Read on for the full recap and results.

The first fight of the night was extremely quick as Hector Garcia needed just thirteen seconds to knock Nicholas Scotti out.  Both fighters went to the center of the cage and looked to throw combos.  Garcia landed a right hand that sent Scotti to the canvas.  Garcia pounced quickly and landed three more shots before the Scott Fischer called a halt to the action.

Lightweights Will Brooks and Bobby Reardanz were up next.  In the first round Reardanz looked to throw Brooks off with spinning attacks.  Brooks quickly found his range and hurt Reardanz with a straight right.  Brooks controlled the rest of the round with varied strikes including knees, elbows and punches.  The second round Brooks came out with a big body kick and followed it up with a one-two and a knee that sent Reardanz to the canvas.  Brooks took Reardanz down again worked to secure his back.  As Reardanz was standing up, Brooks landed a massive belly to back suplex.  Brooks finished the round with knees to the body while on the ground.  Reardanz was clearly hurt as the third round started and Brooks looked to capitalize on it with a flying knee followed with four more knees.  Reardanz looked to pull guard, but did nothing from the position and the ref stood them up.  Brooks dropped Reardanz again and this time passed to side control.  Brooks was working for a rear naked choke and couldn’t get it but transitioned to a beautiful armbar forcing Reardanz to tap.

Middleweights Kent Rexford and PJ Cajigas were up next.  Cajigas looked to establish his striking skills and hurt Rexford with a hook.  Rexford decided to put the fight in his realm and took Cajigas down.  Once on the ground, Rexford worked short elbows and strikes.  Cajigas tried to escape, but Rexford kept heavy pressure on him.  Cajigas attempted to roll to break free, but Rexford was able to just take his back and lock in a rear naked choke ending the fight.

The first of two women’s fights were up next as Amanda LaVoy took on Michele Gutierrez.  The first half of round one Gutierrez used her boxing to keep LaVoy at bay.  Gutierrez continually countered LaVoy’s leg kicks with big rights that sent LaVoy to the canvas.  After being knocked on her butt twice, LaVoy changed tactics and went after Gutierrez.  A big knee by LaVoy in a clinch was immediately noticeable as Gutierrez’s left eye started to swell.  The second round started out much like the first ended with the two women clinching.  LaVoy landed a big knee and when the ladies separated a huge gash was visible on Gutierrez.  The ref called the doctor in who stopped the fight.

Jason Graves opened up his fight with Dan Stittgen with a good one-two combo.  Stittgen just laughed it off and Graves immediately took him to the ground.  Graves was looking to pass his guard when Stittgen shifted and locked in an armbar to end the fight.

Fight of the night featured Lucas Gwaltney and Jon Murphy.  Murphy through out the fight press forward and score takedown after takedown.  Once on the ground he would work small strikes but it was Gwaltney who would work his way back to the feet where he was landing punch after punch.  The first round was clearly for Murphy and the second seemed likely for him as well after a cut was examined by the doctor.  The third round was a very close round and MMA Recap scored the fight 29-28 for Murphy.  When the judges’ scorecards were read, it was a unanimous decision for Gwaltney.

Bantamweights were up next with Terrance Kinney and Dan Aguirre.  Kinney shot for a takedown and Aguirre looked for a guillotine.  Aguirre attempted to pull guard with the choke, but Kinney escaped into his guard.  Aguirre used his wiry legs to lock up a triangle choke.  Kinney defended well until Aguirre started to transition to an armbar.  Aguirre again readjusted this time pulling down on his opponent’s head and forced a tap.

Mike Stumpf returned to action after a nearly three year layoff against Dan Bolden.  The three round fight saw Bolden land his powerful right hand when the fight was standing.  But it was Stumpf who controlled the fight as he had takedown after takedown.  Once on the ground Stumpf landed several small strikes to keep the fight on the ground.  Many times it looked like the ref was going to stand it up, but Stumpf was able to keep it there.  In the end the judges didn’t have a difficult decision as Stumpf clearly controlled the fight.

The women were up again as Felice Herrig took on Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc.  Rivera-Calanoc quickly rushed Herrig and pushed her up against the cage, but Herrig reversed and bullied her against the cage.  Both fighters looked to throw knees and when they separated, it was Herrig who landed a big overhand right.  Rivera-Calanoc shot for a takedown, but couldn’t get it.  Round two and again Rivera-Calanoc rushed but this time she landed a left hand that found it’s mark.  Herrig looked to throw straight punches while her opponent wanted the overhand variety.  Herrig started to change levels and work shots to the body, Rivera-Calanoc against rushed her to the cage.  Herrig scored a big takedown and threw a couple of elbows forcing Rivera-Calanoc to try to escape.  In the ensuring scramble, Herrig was able to get her back and finished the round working for a rear naked choke.  The final round Herrig was able to get her back while standing, but in the scramble out, Herrig found herself in a deep guillotine choke.  Rivera-Calanoc squeezed to end the fight, however Herrig was able to pop her head out.  Once again Herrig worked to get Rivera-Calanoc’s back and finished the round working towards a rear naked choke.

The co-main event featured former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner taking on Tyler Combs.  Varner came out with a fast combo to set up his takedown.  He then landed several strikes ranging from elbows to hammer fists.  Combs tried to escape, but Varner moved to north-south and locked in a choke.  Combs looked like he was defending well, and then went unconscious.

Billy Vaughan stepped up on short notice to fight Jeff Curran in the main event of the evening.  Vaughan looked to have a reach advantage, but Curran used his kicks to keep Vaughan in the position he wanted.  Curran landed several striking combos as he clearly wanted a knockout victory.  At the end of the first round Curran showcased some of his jiu jitsu when Vaughan shot in for a takedown and Curran was able to secure a guillotine.  Vaughan started to escape so Curran went for an armbar as time expired in the round.  The second round both fighters wanted to finish the fight in highlight reel fashion, but both were just missing with their strikes.  Vaughan at one point threw six punches in a row to just have Curran dodge and avoid them.  The second round clearly for Curran like the first due to his consistent ability to land his strikes.  Vaughan came into the third round like he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Both fighters quickly clinched and Curran started to work his dangerous knees.  Vaughan decided to risk his chances on the ground, but Curran immediately attacked his arm with a kimura attempt.  After some readjusting, the kimura looked really deep, but Curran just used it to pass to get back control.  Curran nearly had a rear naked choke though Vaughan rolled out of it into an inverted triangle choke.  Vaughan tried to free himself by grabbing ahold of Curran’s foot and cranked it.  The fight ended with both fighters trying to finish with a flurry of strikes.  In the end, the fight went to Curran and he announced it was the last time we would see him inside the XFO cage.

Quick Results
Hector Garcia defeated Nicolas Scotti by TKO at 0:13 of round 1
Will Brooks defeated Bobby Reardanz by armbar at 3:22 of round 3
Kent Rexford defeated PJ Cajigas by rear naked choke at 4:47 of round 1
Amanda LaVoy defeated Michele Gutierrez by doctor stoppage at 0:34 of round 2
Dan Stittgen defeated Jason Graves by armbar at 1:10 of round 1
Lucas Gwaltney defeated Jon Murphy by unanimous decision
Dan Aguirre defeated Terrance Kinney by triangle choke at 2:20 of round 1
Mike Stumpf defeated Dan Bolden by unanimous decision
Felice Herrig defeated Nicdali RIvera-Calanoc by unanimous decision
Jamie Varner defeated Tyler Combs by north south choke at 1:30 of round 1
Jeff Curran defeated Billy Vaughan by unanimous decision

Jeff Curran and David Love (Photo courtesy of tomba-images)

Jeff Curran is a man who has no quit in him.  He’s faced some of the best fighters in the world and he’s worked hard his entire life.  He’s experienced success and endured through tough losses.

The UFC and WEC veteran is coming off a hard fought victory over David Love and is looking to build up some momentum.

“Training has been awesome.  I was able to get out of town for almost a couple weeks to train with American Top Team and focus on myself at the beginning of my camp.  That was a huge kickstart for me,” said Curran. “Since being back home it was business as usual.  The best training I can ask for here at Team Curran.”

Curran had surgery on his right arm back in December to repair an injury he suffered nine years ago in a Japanese mma tag team match with Rich Clementi.  In that fight Curran blocked a high kick from Hiroki Kotani that broke his arm in two.  A plate was inserted and he has been experiencing problems ever since.

“My post surgery results are as good as I could expect.  I haven’t had any set backs in training due to it like I had in the past, so this is a good sign.”

This Friday Curran is scheduled to face Billy Vaughan in the main event of XFO 39.  Vaughan is a last-second replacement for Joe Pearson, who had to withdrawal after being involved in a car accident recently.

“I am disappointed because I had to pull out last year for the Outdoor War because of an injury and timing was very bad.  So I feel that we are destined not to fight,” commented Curran.  “I wish Joe and his family a good recovery and I know that if it were truly up to him he would be in the cage with me this Friday.  Family comes first.”

Vaughan is a Midwest fighter who has been competing since 2005.  He is coming off a first-round submission loss to Jorge Gurgel when Strikeforce was in Columbus, Ohio.

“Billy is one of those guys who is dangerous because he is in every fight grinding it out.  He seems to punch hard and have good wrestling.  This fight isn’t about Billy though.  This fight is about me living up to my own expectations and showing him and the world that we live on different tiers in the sport.  He just so happens to be the guy standing in the way of my next stage in life.”

Losing is a part of any sport.  Some of the best fighters in the world have suffered setbacks at one point in their careers.  So what would a loss to Billy Vaughan mean to the “Big Frog?”

“A loss to Billy would mean that he would become the man who retired me from my fight career.  It would shatter my belief in myself to be honest, but I imagine I would still go on with life,” revealed Curran.  “However, I respect Billy for taking the fight, but I don’t plan to give him the credit of being the one who sent me crying into retirement.”

For Curran, this is one of the most important fights of his career.  There’s a lot pressure on him to not only win, but also win impressively.  The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt feels the pressure, but takes it in stride with a renewed confidence.

“I love pressure.  I really want to be the exciting fighter I know I am.  Friday this is my plan.  I don’t think I ever have boring fights to be honest, but I want to finish my opponents impressively.”

Getting a victory is paramount if Curran is to fulfill his goal of returning to the Octagon.  He plans to put on an exciting fight, finish strong, and regain the attention of the UFC.

Jeff Curran

“Nothing is for certain.  I have had some verbal interest if I can win impressively.  They don’t want to sign me if I am dragging out decisions,” he explained.  “It’s time to show some finishing ability like I did in most of my career.  Then, yes, I am sure that the UFC will add me into the mix at bantamweight and we can get this party started.”

Curran has been fighting since 1999 and is credited with 49 professional fights under his belt.  He has won championships and fought all over the world.  For many, that can be seen as a long and fulfilling career.  So how much longer does Curran see himself fighting?

“We can answer this question more after this fight.  One day at a time.  I hope for another decade.”

Every fighter eventually leaves the sport in his or her own way.  If and when that day comes, this is how the “Big Frog” would want to be remembered.

“I would want my fans to know that I am a true fighter.  I lived the life and committed myself my entire career and not many people do that.  I fought for my family, friends, and my students, but also fought for honor and pride of the martial arts I train.  Something a lot of people have missed along the way.”

Jeff Curran is one of the hardest working fighters today.  He has earned everything he has through blood, sweat, and maintaining a disciplined approach to life.  At XFO 39, Curran has the opportunity to reinvent himself and show everyone he still has much to achieve in this sport.

“I want to say a special thanks to my wife Sarah for reminding me what it means to not give up on something you believe in.  I want my fans to know that I am appreciative of all their support over the years and I am not done yet.  Friday night is the beginning of a new chapter; hell, a new book in my life, and it’s time to make the real noise I was meant to in this sport.  I love you all!”

Jeff Curran and coaches Doug Mango and Brett Brendel corner 4 professional mma bouts at Chicago Cagefighting Championship in route to a 3-1 record.

Jens Pulver wins his second straight under Team Curran with a split decision victory in which he broke his foot at the end of the first round.

Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig was impressive in her round 1 victory easily controlling the fight from the beginning and ending it with a TKO.

Eric Kriegermeier easily had the biggest comeback after escaping several attacks to choke out Mike Santiago in the second round.

Joey “The Real” Diehl had a rematch with Chris Haney and came out fast in the first round. In a very competitive fight, Joey succumbed to a triangle choke in the second round.

Team Curran continues it’s fast start in 2011 with a 13-3 record.

Excerpts from MMARecap are below.

Chicago Cagefighting Championship 3 Recap And Results

by Brent Todd – 03-06-2011

Chicago Cagefighting Championship 3 took place on Saturday March 5 from The Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park Illinois. The event featured an all pro card with a main event of Jens Pulver taking on Wade Choate and a co-main event of Chase Beebe versus Steven Kinnison. Read on for the recap of the event and the quick results.

Chris Haney took on Team Curran’s Joey Diehl in a rematch, only this time it was a professional fight instead of an amateur fight. The first round Haney attempted a superman punch and over shot Diehl. Diehl quickly worked for Haney’s back, but settled for side control. Diehl worked elbow after elbow forcing Haney to try to escape. Diehl was able to get the mount and again threw punches and elbows. Diehl had a fantastic transition from mount to an armbar and the submission was in deep. Haney was able to roll into it and finished the round in Diehl’s guard. The start of the second round looked like both fighters wanted to stand and trade, however Haney shot for a takedown and Diehl quickly tied up a peruvian necktie. Unable to get the choke, Diehl worked for a guillotine but Haney escaped and was in Diehl’s guard. Diehl wanted to use a kimura from the bottom to sweep Haney, but Haney used the opportunity to get Diehl’s back and ultimately mount. The back and forth grappling match continued as Haney nearly finished with an arm triangle choke. Diehl escaped and Haney quickly transitioned to a triangle choke. Diehl tried to escape, but Haney squeezed and continued the pressure giving Diehl his first loss of his professional career.

Prior to the fights, MMA Recap predicted that the fight of the night would belong to Eric Kriegermeier and Michael Santiago and the two did not disappoint. The first round started with both fighters looking to throw bombs. Santiago was able to get the fight to the ground and from there he landed punches in bunches and elbows galore. Kriegermeier was visibly hurt as he had a cut above his eye and a mouse under the other. Santiago clearly won the round with the sheer damage he was inflicting. Like the first round, both fighters stood in the pocket to start the second round throwing massive punches. Santiago again took the fight to the ground and had the dominant position. Santiago had a crucifix and looked to finish the fight, but Kriegermeier was able to escape and pulled guard. Santiago quickly passed to side control and attempted to throw a knee to the body. Unfortunately Kriegermeier used the opportunity to slide out from under him and escape. Kriegermeier grabbed a front headlock and then transitioned to Santiago’s back. Kriegermeier flattened Santiago out and was landing big lefts and rights until Santiago’s neck was exposed and then squeezed to force a tap.

The women were up next as Team Curran’s Felice Herrig took on Andrea Miller. Herrig came out with a push kick that sent Miller back. Miller retaliated with a good stiff jab to Herrig’s nose that bloodied it up. Herrig looked for leg kicks before clinching Miller against the cage. Herrig dropped for a double leg takedown and got it landing in side control. Herrig worked small strikes to set up the pass to mount. Once in the mount Herrig threw punches and elbows over and over. Miller covered up, but the strikes were relentless and the ref was forced to stop the action.

The main event featured former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver taking on Wade Choate. Pulver came out and stalked Choate through out the fight. Both fighters were respectful of the other’s power. The first round was a great back and forth round. Pulver landed a big kick and winced after but it wasn’t evident what was going on right away. The second round featured the two fighters circling and trading punches and kicks. It was an extremely close round that could go either way. The third round Choate became the aggressor and while Pulver was stalking Choate, it was Choate who was landing punch after punch. When the fight was over, Pulver was visibly hurt and his left foot was extremely swollen. The judges gave their score cards and it was a split decision for Pulver.

by Mike Whitman (mwhitman@sherdog.com)