Two legends of mixed martial arts top the marquee in an intriguing trilogy bout. Many variables are at play in this Liddell-Ortiz three peat ie/ Liddell’s near decade long absence and Ortiz’s odds at finally securing a win over the Iceman. On the promotional end of things, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy step outside of the Boxing sphere to tackle their inaugural Mixed-Martial Arts card.
There are many question marks with the event that goes at The Forum in Inglewood, California tonight. Liddell vs Ortiz III has a top heavy, Boxing architecture but multiple names including Tom Lawlor, Gleison Tibau, and Efrain Escudero bolster the main card. LMM’s Dylan Bowker takes you through Golden Boy Promotions’ first foray into the MMA world.
Link to the Prelims: https://www.fite.tv/watch/chuck-liddell-vs-tito-ortiz-3prelims/2od5k/
Link to the Main Card: https://www.fite.tv/watch/chuck-liddell-vs-tito-ortiz-3/2obij/
Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz (light heavyweight)
Round #1= Tito swinging punches and throwing some kicks but both fighters are largely testing the waters. Tito working the leg kick with Liddell pawing out jabs and circling out. Chuck fell to the canvas but was able to get back up. Tito stumbles a bit after an exchange but doesn’t seem rocked. Tito Ortiz knocked out Chuck Liddell in brutal fashion after a flurry of punches connects with the final right being the one that separated the Iceman from consciousness. Tito is celebrating and is doing his grave digger routine to close out the main event bout.
Tito Ortiz wins by KO at 4:24 of R1.
Deron Winn vs. Tom Lawlor (light heavyweight)
Round #1= Lawlor poking out the jab and Winn using some kicks. Lawlor sticking Winn with the jab but Winn throwing the strikes with explosive, vile intent. Winn’s handiwork has marked up both sides of Lawlor’s face. Lawlor largely pawing out strikes and seeming hesitant to commit to any significant strike/ combo. Lawlor has timed some entries and put hands to Winn’s face but Deron definitely landing the damaging blows.
Round#2= Lawlor took to a knee after getting hit by Winn by bounces up quickly with little incident. Both men trade punches in the pocket. Lawlor tagging Winn with a one-two. Deron and Tom both connecting on significant punches. Lawlor’s face is again bleeding and his prior cuts have been reopened. Deron cracked Lawlor with a good strike but Tom shows he’s just as durable as he is Filthy.
Round #3= Lawlor takes an eye poke early on but the action resumes relatively quickly. Lawlor is putting hands on Deron and finally the acclaimed wrestler goes for his first takedown with Winn securing it. Lawlor gets back to his feet, tries to get the hands going again but Winn gets an explosive takedown off on Filthy Tom. Lawlor goes for a guillotine choke but Deron gets out of it. Deron is heavily pressuring Tom, peppering Lawlor with ground and pound, and secures a 3-0 shut out performance. The big flurry of strikes towards a downed Lawlor punctuated a thorough performance by Deron.
The winner by unanimous decision is Deron Winn.
Gleison Tibau vs. Efrain Escudero (catchweight)
Round #1= Both men gauging distance and getting their respective rhythms and both men start trading huge punches in the first minute. Tibau presses Escudero to the fence, Tibau gets things to the ground, and scrambles to Escudero’s half guard. Tibau stifling any efforts from Escudero to maneuver around and Tibau is sneaking in some close quarters punches. Tibau gets mount, GnP, then gets Escudero’s back. Escudero scrambles and ends up in Gleison’s guard to end R1.
Round#2= Gleison is cracking Escudero with some big punches but Efrain landing huge punches in his own right. Escudero gets a takedown and lands strong GnP from Tibau’s guard. Escudero landing elbows to the body and punches to the head. A scramble leads to Gleison working his way back to his feet. Tibau and Escudero getting in some grueling grappling sequences with both men jockeying for position constantly. Escudero seems to be getting the better of some of these grappling exchanges and the fight may be 1-1 heading into the 3rd and final frame.
Round #3= Tibau times an entry and has an over-under position with Efrain pressed on the fence. The two break and resume trading hands. Efrain doing a good job at feints and teasing level changes which allow for punches to connect. Escudero works for the single leg but Gleison breaks free and pressures Efrain onto the cage. Tibau slipped in a good knee to the body. Tibau scores a takedown with a minute left in a tightly contested fight and it was enough to notch him a win whilst snapping a multi-fight losing streak.
The winner by unanimous decision is Gleison Tibau.
Walel Watson vs Ricardo Palacios (140 lb catchweight)
Round #1= Watson working a quick jab early and wants to utilize that reach advantage. Palacios seemed to crack Watson but Watson doesn’t look visibly hurt. Watson trying to work in side kicks but Palacios is cracking Watson with big punches causing obvious damage. Huge punches drop Watson and Palacios finishes the sequence with a perfectly timed head kick KO…….Wow.
Ricky Palacios wins at 3:56 via Knockout.
Albert Morales vs. James Barnes (bantamweight)
Round #1= Morales seeming to edge the striking exchanges and Barnes closes distance to get a body lock. Barnes gets Morales to the ground and is raining down some punches. Morales’ arm is trapped underneath him and is eating heavy leather from Barnes despite Morales audibly saying that all is well. Barnes has spent most of the round on top working GnP. Morales is throwing up a triangle choke as thirty seconds remain in the frame.
Round#2= Both men trying to work their jab until Barnes times an entry to get a body lock takedown. Barnes scrambles to a dominant position but Morales showing a smooth grappling game in his own right as Morales flows through some of these tough spots. Barnes has wrist control and is picking his punches on Morales. The punch economy is purposeful and strong as Barnes also secures a crucifix position to maintain his top control. Yet another round that was almost exclusively filled with Barnes’ top control.
Round #3= Morales still seems to have that fiery competitive nature despite a discouraging opening two rounds. Barnes landed a big heavy takedown which was the most visibly awe inducing of the fight and Morales’ countenance visibly contorted in pain. Barnes gets the back of Morales and is hunting for the neck. Big shots from mount and Barnes continues to reassert his dominance and Morales is in an exhibition of attrition. Barnes gets the spiderweb position and is working for an armbar.
James Barnes gets the armbar submission win at 4:09 of R3.
Jay Silva vs. Oscar Cota (heavyweight)
Round #1= Cota misses a leg kick and there’s a feeling out process in the first minute. Both men feinting and measuring each other out a lot with Cota pressing Silva to the cage. Silva uses some folkstyle of his own and attempts a body lock takedown but it was halted by Cota grabbing the cage. Both men exchanging dominant positions within that Greco Roman body lock position. Cota was working some knees in close quarters until the ref separated the two. A really brief striking sequence happened but the fight returned to the familiar folkstyle exchanges to end the opening frame.
Round#2= Silva dropped Cota with a big punch early in the round and Cota is in trouble less than 30 seconds in.
Silva gets to a mount position and then gets Cota’s back. Both men trading heavy leather but Cota is getting the
better of the striking sequences. Cota returns to that familiar folkstyle position but Silva shows ability to transition
well and has strong hand fighting skills. Silva landing huge knees to the body of Cota, a knee to the groin of Silva halts the action, and the two heavyweight bruisers return to trading shots in that over/under Greco position.
Round #3= Both men are launching missiles at one another in this round and you can sense more urgency in Cota to get the finish. Things would eventually get to the ground though with Silva getting a dominant position; securing a submission win despite some controversy in the referee’s stoppage.
Jay Silva wins via head and arm choke at 2:13 of R3
Jose Huerta vs. Francisco Estrada (featherweight)
Round #1= Estrada leg kick, both men exchange in a flurry, and it segues to a grappling exchange. Estrada scores a takedown. Francisco raining down ground and pound. Huerta’s head is trapped on the cage and he’s eating elbows as well as punches. Huerta gets back to his feet, both men swing bombs, and Estrada ends up securing the back.
A foul is called due to an illegal knee being thrown from Estrada. Action resumes and both men work their boxing. Estrada working some leg and body kicks then throws a flying knee in the waning seconds of the round
Round#2= Huerta throws a big uppercut to drop Estrada. Huerta getting off some big punches so Estrada closes distance secures a takedown, gets the back, and is working for a rear naked choke. Huerta tries to fight off Estrada’s advances but Francisco secures the rear naked choke win at 2:47 of round two.