Harrie Nak
31-05-2010, 15:36
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While UFC 114 was Saturday's featured event in Las Vegas, the MGM Grand Garden Arena wasn't the only place Zuffa, LLC athletes were competing in Sin City.
On Saturday afternoon at the nearby Mandalay Bay Convention Center, five current or former UFC and WEC fighters were competing in a trio of Grapplers Quest grappling superfights.
WEC contender Shane Roller defeated recent UFC signee Takanori Gomi while three-time WEC veteran Fredson Paixao edged out Japanese legend and former UFC fighter Caol Uno. Meanwhile, 23-time Grapplers Quest champion Jeff Glover egded out WEC fighter Javer Vazquez at the buzzer.
The six-minute bouts were all part of the massive 1,500-competitor Grapplers Quest tournament that took place at this weekend's second-ever UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas.
The main event saw Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu fighter and former collegiate wrestling champion Roller dominate "The Fireball Kid." Just 30 seconds into the matchup, Gomi tried to scamper away from pressure, but Roller dove in with a double-leg takedown and advanced to mount to take a quick 4-0 lead. Gomi eventually would work back to his feet after Roller was unable to secure a submission, but the Japanese legend wouldn't remain upright much longer.
Roller scored another takedown several minutes later and worked to Gomi's back. Already up 7-0 on Gomi, Roller was able to work in a rear-naked choke and force the tap with 90 seconds remaining.
In the afternoon's co-feature, the Las Vegas-based Paixao went on the attack early against 14-year MMA veteran Uno. Paixao favored trips from his feet to gain dominant position over his adversary on the floor. Uno was forced to defend throughout the majority of the exchanges, and he found himself down 4-2 as the match neared its final minute.
Already ahead, Paixao looked to be setting up an omoplata, but as Uno tried to wiggle free, the Brazilian converted the attempt into a straight armbar and forced the tapout with 64 seconds remaining in the match.
The day's first match ended with a bit of dramatics and a touch of controversy. Vazquez and Glover engaged in a tightly contested roll for nearly the duration of the matchup. With the score tied 2-2 and literally seconds remaining, Vazquez appeared to be rolling for an attack on the arm, but Glover was awarded two points for a sweep and walked away with a 4-2 win at the buzzer.
Vazquez initially thought the match had ended in a tie until he was informed of the awarded points, to which he strongly disagreed.
While UFC 114 was Saturday's featured event in Las Vegas, the MGM Grand Garden Arena wasn't the only place Zuffa, LLC athletes were competing in Sin City.
On Saturday afternoon at the nearby Mandalay Bay Convention Center, five current or former UFC and WEC fighters were competing in a trio of Grapplers Quest grappling superfights.
WEC contender Shane Roller defeated recent UFC signee Takanori Gomi while three-time WEC veteran Fredson Paixao edged out Japanese legend and former UFC fighter Caol Uno. Meanwhile, 23-time Grapplers Quest champion Jeff Glover egded out WEC fighter Javer Vazquez at the buzzer.
The six-minute bouts were all part of the massive 1,500-competitor Grapplers Quest tournament that took place at this weekend's second-ever UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas.
The main event saw Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu fighter and former collegiate wrestling champion Roller dominate "The Fireball Kid." Just 30 seconds into the matchup, Gomi tried to scamper away from pressure, but Roller dove in with a double-leg takedown and advanced to mount to take a quick 4-0 lead. Gomi eventually would work back to his feet after Roller was unable to secure a submission, but the Japanese legend wouldn't remain upright much longer.
Roller scored another takedown several minutes later and worked to Gomi's back. Already up 7-0 on Gomi, Roller was able to work in a rear-naked choke and force the tap with 90 seconds remaining.
In the afternoon's co-feature, the Las Vegas-based Paixao went on the attack early against 14-year MMA veteran Uno. Paixao favored trips from his feet to gain dominant position over his adversary on the floor. Uno was forced to defend throughout the majority of the exchanges, and he found himself down 4-2 as the match neared its final minute.
Already ahead, Paixao looked to be setting up an omoplata, but as Uno tried to wiggle free, the Brazilian converted the attempt into a straight armbar and forced the tapout with 64 seconds remaining in the match.
The day's first match ended with a bit of dramatics and a touch of controversy. Vazquez and Glover engaged in a tightly contested roll for nearly the duration of the matchup. With the score tied 2-2 and literally seconds remaining, Vazquez appeared to be rolling for an attack on the arm, but Glover was awarded two points for a sweep and walked away with a 4-2 win at the buzzer.
Vazquez initially thought the match had ended in a tie until he was informed of the awarded points, to which he strongly disagreed.