Released after four consecutive loses in the Octagon, former UFC main-eventer Keith Jardine began his attempted comeback in the headline bout of Shark Fights 13.
Things did not go his way.
Save for a vicious flurry at the very end of the fight, the former “Ultimate Fighter” contestant simply could not get a rhythm going, and a visibly-gassed Trevor Prangley managed to win an upset split decision in the main event Saturday. It was far from Jardine’s most definitive loss, but as it came against a fighter with no mainstream recognition and limited success against top-level fighters, it represented another big setback for a fighter who once destroyed Forrest Griffin with a striking clinic.
Though Prangley earned the victory on the judges’ scorecards, it is not as if this was a starmaking performance. Prangley’s endurance was clearly not up for the challenge, and while he succeeded in stumbling Jardine with punches throughout the fight, he never seemed to have the energy or drive to put his opponent away. Neither did what was necessary to guarantee an invitation back to the UFC.
Elsewhere on the card, Houston Alexander defeated Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in an ugly, yet explosive co-main-event. Sokoudjou rocked Alexander with strikes in the first round, but despite showing signs of looking “out on his feet” at various points in the exchange, Alexander managed to weather the storm and even land on top of Sokoudjou towards the end of the round. From that position, he delivered what came across as obvious-looking headbutts that resulted in a warning from the referee.
In round two, Sokoudjou proved his critics right by falling victim to fatigue. The “fighter” in Sokoudjou essentially disappeared from the cage, allowing Alexander to pick his opponent apart with jabs. Those pin-pointed jabs soon turned to flurries, and Alexander brought Sokoudjou to the mat with huge blows. He proceeded to unload ground-and-pound on “The African Assassin,” who endured an excessive level of punishment due to what many felt was a blatantly late stoppage.
Paul Daley, who was dropped from the UFC after sucker-punching UFC 113 opponent Josh Koscheck well after the bell concluded the fight, improved his post-UFC record to 2-0 with a victory over Jorge Masvidal. Though victorious, knockout artist Daley nonetheless saw his star fade over the course of the three-round affair. Save for the final moments of the fight (which also included a surprise takedown), he was never able to assemble an effective striking onslaught against his opponent, and he repeatedly found himself unable to avoid even the most half-hearted takedown attempts from Masvidal. Daley did not “win” this fight–Masvidal lost by refusing to push the pace.
Full results follow:
Eric Davila b. Pete Spratt via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:49 of Round Two
Daniel Straus b. Karen Darabedyan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Aaron Rosa b. Devin Cole via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ronnie Mann b. Douglas Evans via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new Featherweight Champion
Paul Bradley b. Johnny Rees via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:28 of Round One
Tarec Saffiedine b. Brock Larson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Danillo Villefort b. Joey Villaseñor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Paul Daley b. Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Houston Alexander b. Rameau Sokoudjou via TKO (punches) at 1:31 of Round Two
Trevor Prangley b. Keith Jardine via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
