Condit Keeps Crown, Torres and Varner Join the WEC’s Championship Ranks
02/14/2008
By Frank Curreri WEC.tv

RIO RANCH, N.M. – Carlos Condit was his usual dominant self, Miguel Torres looked like a possible star in the making, and Jamie Varner shocked a lot of people. Each fighter had his hand raised Wednesday on a night when two WEC championships changed hands. Only Condit’s title was safe. Torres overwhelmed WEC bantamweight champ Chase Beebe and, with his well-rounded arsenal, has the look of someone who could reign for a long time to come. Varner, meanwhile, rallied to beat now former lightweight champ “Razor” Rob McCullough at his own game.

What follows is a recap of the WEC card, which took place at the Santa Ana Star Center in front of 4,648 frenzied fans. The event was nationally broadcast live on the Versus cable network and will re-air Saturday on Versus (11 P.M. EST).

Carlos Condit vs. Carlo Prater

With New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson watching from ringside, and his hometown fans behind him, Carlos Condit racked up his seventh straight win and had no words to describe his euphoria.

“It feels so good to be in front of my hometown. I’m speechless right now,” the WEC welterweight champ said after defending his belt against Carlo Prater, whom had defeated him several years earlier.

Prater had beaten Condit with a triangle choke; Condit returned the favor with a super tight guillotine choke that left Prater, a submission specialist, shaking his head in disbelief.

Condit (22-4) was humble in victory. “I was just able to catch him tonight,” he said. “Carlo Prater is an incredible fighter.”

Condit was in control for most of the match, save for a judo throw Prater sprung on him in the first minute of action. Condit pulled Prater into his guard, threatening him with a triangle choke. Prater slipped out of one guillotine choke, but Condit caught him in another soon after.

Prater fell to 21-6.

Rob McCullough vs. Jamie Varner

Exhilarating. Breathtaking. Triumphant. Let the superlatives flow for Jamie Varner’s winning performance Wednesday night. The 23-year-old, known for his wrestling prowess, showed that he can bang on his feet. Former WEC lightweight champ Rob McCullough can attest. Known for his heavy hands, McCullough was repeatedly a punching bag for Varner. After tasting Varner’s power for most of the first two rounds, McCullough seemed uncharacteristically hesitant and gun-shy. The champion awoke from his slumber early in Round 3, cracking an overconfident Varner with a monster right hand. It was the night’s most devastating punch – the kind you see on highlight reels – and the sheer force of it sent Varner’s mouthpiece flying. McCullough transformed into hunter mode, stalking Varner and looking for the finish.

But the airborne mouthpiece proved fortuitous for Varner, as referee Steve Mazzagatti briefly paused the action and allowed Varner to regain his mouthpiece. The 20 or so seconds it took to pick up the mouthpiece, wash it and put it back in Varner’s mouthpiece gave him ample time to regain his senses. When the action resumed, the tide quickly turned. Varner unleashed a 1-2-3 combination, with the third punch – a straight right – dropping McCullough. The champion, whose chin had withstood many hard shots on this night, was now in La-La land. Smelling victory, Varner punched, punched and punched away as McCullough battled back to his feet. Varner kept flurrying. One shot sent McCullough backward against the cage, and then came a booming overhand right that dropped him to the canvas once more.

Varner kept throwing leather and the referee intervened at 2:54 of Round 3.

“He is a great champion,” Varner said afterward. “I expect to see him here again on the other side, for a title shot.”

Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres

Chase Beebe knew Miguel Torres was treacherous on the ground, and said he didn’t want to fight him there. Beebe didn’t have a choice. Torres forced the bout to the canvas and attacked relentlessly. He did something not even Rani Yahya, an Abu Dhabi world champion, could do: He baffled Beebe, tapped him and walked away with the WEC bantamweight championship belt.

Torres’ guard acted like a spider’s web, tying up Beebe and confounding him. Torres switched from one move to another and then another. Showing remarkable poise and focus, Torres attempted an armbar, Beebe slipped out. Torres went for a triangle choke, Beebe fought it off. Then, in a beautiful ground sequence, Torres switched from a shoulder lock to an uma plata to an anaconda choke and then, finally, to a variation of the guillotine choke. Deprived of oxygen, Beebe was forced to tap at 3:59 of Round 1.

Torres made it look easy and explained his match-clinching sequence by saying, “Jiu-jitsu, jiu-jitsu, jiu-jitsu.”

Torres, 20-1, has paid his dues like few others. Some have long suspected he is one of the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighters. But he, like Urijah Faber, was long deprived of the spotlight because he fought under 155 pounds, out of the mainstream American spotlight. As more attention shifts to smaller fighters, many expect Torres’ stock will skyrocket and that he could wear the belt for a long time to come.

Manny “The Mangler” Tapia vs. Antonio Banuelos

In what was arguably the evening’s best fight, Tapia and Banuelos set a blistering pace and tagged each other with punches from beginning to end. They repeatedly traded leather on their feet and on the ground, though it appeared Tapia landed the more telling and powerful shots. Tapia dropped Banuelos early in the second stanza with a hard left, but Banuelos stormed back, returning to his feet and whacking Tapia with a spinning elbow.

The fast and furious action continued in the third round, with Banuelos – bleeding from his mouth – tagging Tapia with a hard left, wrapping him in a bear hug and then slamming him to the canvas. Banuelos managed to take Tapia’s back, searching in vain for a rear naked choke. Banuelos probably did enough to win the round, but Tapia appeared to have done enough to win the fight.

But when the judges’ scores were announced, the bout, to the surprise of many, was declared a draw. It was quickly determined that one of the judges had made a scoring error and, in fact, had Tapia winning 29-28. Tapia was declared the victor, running his unbeaten record to 10-0. Tapia fell to 15-5.

Leonard Garcia vs. Hiroyuki Takaya

After three fights at 155 pounds, Leonard Garcia moved back down to his natural weight and his punching power shined. Hiroyuki Takaya was looking for a stand-up war early, testing Garcia with leg kicks and tagging him with a solid uppercut. Garcia brushed off the blow and answered with a booming straight hand that knocked Takaya to the mat. The woozy Takaya tried to get up, but Garcia pounced, wound up deep and unleashed three roundhouse shots that landed flush.

The referee had seen enough and halted the match at 1:31 of Round One. Garcia, a Texan who trains in Albuquerque at Jackson’s Gaidojitsu Gym, gave props to the local fans and sent out an All Points Bulletin to WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

“155 is kind of heavy for me, but at 145, who wants some?” said Garcia (11-3). “I want me a title shot. I had to hit this boy (Takaya). He was ranked No. 5 in the world and he said he’s going to knock me out. I don’t think so, not in Albuquerque. I’m here to get the belt … I want my belt.”

The win marks Garcia’s second in the WEC. He also debuted in WEC 1, seven years ago, scoring a knockout over Victor Estrada.

Josh Grispi vs. Mark Hominick

After feasting on B-list opponents, Josh Grispi served notice that he is ready for the big leagues with a convincing win over the always dangerous Mark Hominick. Grispi, only 19 years old, was the aggressor throughout, attacking Hominick with a wide range of weapons. The Massachusetts native repeatedly shot for takedowns early, but his wily Canadian opponent kept stuffing them. When his takedowns missed, Grispi immediately followed up with an array of punches, high kicks and low kicks to the inside of Hominick’s knee. Grispi landed a nice 1-2 combination to Hominick’s chin, but Hominick, a renowned striker, answered with his own 1-2 combinations. In fact, it appeared that Hominick cracked Grispi’s chin pretty good, but Grispi still kept charging.

The pivotal moment of the fight came midway through Round 1. Grispi dove in low for a takedown, and Hominick appeared to stuff it. But Hominick (15-8) seemed to pull away from the takedown rather nonchalantly, enabling Grispi to keep hold of his leg and attempt a heel hook. As Hominick defended, Grispi switched to a low single takedown and managed to climb onto Hominick’s back. Seconds later, Grispi secured the rear naked choke and squeezed with all his might. Hominick was out cold at 2:55 of the first round.

Grispi explained afterward that his strategy was to “throw some wild strikes and try to get him to the ground and submit him. He’s a great fighter and I love watching him fight. I’m a big fan of his.”

With the win, Grispi moved to 11-1, won a lot more friends and will no doubt have a lot of people wondering how good he can be. None of Grispi’s fights have gone past the first round.

Del Hawkins vs. Ox Wheeler

Hometown favorite Coty “Ox” Wheeler showboated his way to victory in this one. He drew laughs from the crowd when he struck a “Karate Kid” pose over his downed opponent, then inspired “wows” when he ended the fight with a spectacular flying armbar. The end came at 1:57 of Round Two.

The submission – relatively common in Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments and submission grappling – concluded what had been a topsy-turvy affair. Hawkins (30-13) had his moments, tagging Wheeler with shots. The fighters spent much of the round on the canvas, with Wheeler chasing after a kneebar and heel hook. In Round Two, Wheeler stunned Hawkins with a straight left, and later slammed his foe. Hawkins dodged a guillotine attempt by Wheeler and fought back to his feet, only to fall victim to the fateful flying armbar.

Damacio Page versus Scott Jorgensen

Both fighters set a torrid pace early, content to fight long periods on their feet and on the ground. Page (9-3) was the aggressor early, trying for a guillotine choke, an armbar, a triangle choke and trading shots with Jorgensen. Jorgensen kept the fight very close with takedowns, reversals and some efficient strikes, but in the end the judges awarded Page the decision.

Micah Miller vs. Chance Farrar

Chance Farrar, well, he never had a chance in this one. Micah Miller made quick work of his opponent, getting Farrar to the ground and reigning down blows until the referee intervened at 1:39 of Round 1. It was Miller’s second straight win since losing last June to Cub Swanson. The Athens, Ga., native is now 11-1 and back in the thick of things in the 145-pound division.