WSOF 21 ‘Palmer vs. Horodecki’ Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Michael Hay vs. Louie Grover

Round 1

Hay catches a low kick and drives Grover to the ground near the fence, passing immediately to side control on Grover’s right side. Grover tries to turn toward his opponent as Hay frames up an arm-triangle choke, then passes to mount and steps off to the other side in an attempt to finish early. Hay loses the choke but jumps on the back of Grover and tries a rear-naked choke instead. He’s riding too high on the back, and now Grover is able to slip out the back door. As soon as he falls off, Hay slaps on an armbar. Now kneeling, Grover stacks him up, but it’s not enough to break the armbar and Grover is forced to tap out.

The Official Result

Michael Hay def. Louie Grover via Submission (Armbar) R1 2:17

Justin Sander vs. Dan Lariviere

Round 1

Sander shoots a double-leg from way out but gets sprawled on by Lariviere, who stands and backs up toward the cage as Sander continues to work for the takedown. After a minute of struggling on the fence, Sander lifts and slams Lariviere, who swings his legs around to try an armbar. Sander stands to stack up Lariviere and then pulls his arm free, while Lariviere pivots underneath to put Sander back in guard. The lightweights scoot away from the cage, and Lariviere turns right to frame up a kimura on Sander’s left arm. Lariviere abandons the kimura and plays with rubber guard as Sander struggles to do anything from top position. Sander throws an elbow to the body, then catches Lariviere turning over and climbs onto his back. The round ends with Lariviere on his knees, fighting off a rear-naked choke and then covering up as Sander drops punches. 10-9 Sander.

Round 2

The lightweights clash kicks before Lariviere wraps up Sander and trips him to the canvas near the center of the cage. Sander is on his knees, Lariviere threatening with a reverse triangle choke. Sander stands up, carrying Lariviere on his back, and slams him off the cage with enough force to break the loose triangle. Now it’s Sander on top, working from Lariviere’s half guard with short body punches. Sander is trying to mount but is held in half guard by Lariviere, who has to scramble when Sander nearly slips around to take his back again. Midway through the round, it’s Lariviere underneath, trying to push off the fence with his feet as Sander hunts for an arm-triangle choke. Sander has the choke framed up, but he’s blocked by the fence on Lariviere’s right side. No matter: Sander bears down on the arm-triangle choke from half guard and gets Lariviere to submit.

The Official Result

Justin Sander def. Dan Lariviere via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R2 2:52

Thiago Jambo Goncalves vs. Matt Baker

Round 1

Goncalves lands a leg kick, then raises his guard and backs up toward the fence to deflect Baker’s early punching combination. The Brazilian catches a kick and trips Baker to the ground but doesn’t follow. Baker gets up, pulls Goncalves’ head down in the clinch and drives a knee to the body. Goncalves throws a few hard low kicks which land to the lead leg of Baker and draw an audible reaction from the Canadian. Halfway through the opening round, Goncalves touches Baker with a left hook before grabbing underhooks and pushing him against the fence to throw a few knees. Baker pushes him away and takes the center of the cage, gets pushed to the cage briefly but again shoves Goncalves away. Goncalves puts his own back against the fence, then thinks better of it after absorbing a body shot. More hard low kicks land on Baker’s lead leg, then Goncalves changes levels to hit a takedown with 35 seconds remaining. Baker gets up right away and spins around with a kick for Goncalves’ ribs. 10-9 Goncalves.

Round 2

Baker gets a quick takedown near the fence to start round two, but he immediately backs up and allows Goncalves to stand. The Brazilian pushes his training partner to the other side of the cage, then begins working Baker around the perimeter with chopping leg kicks and clipping punches. Baker is swinging back but can’t quite find his mark with big, looping punches. A knee from Baker lands with a loud crack to Goncalves’ groin, and Goncalves goes belly-down on the mat in agony. Referee Kyle Cardinal pauses the action, and Goncalves takes a minute to regain his composure before getting back to business. The middleweights look like they’re in a sparring session, moving around the cage and trading glancing blows. Baker backs up Goncalves to the fence in the closing moments and both men begin swinging wild punches, neither landing much clean offense. 10-9 Goncalves.

Immediately after the round ends, Baker tells referee Cardinal that he’s done fighting, apparently due to a right hand injury.

The Official Result

Thiago Goncalves def. Matt Baker via TKO (Retirement) R2 5:00

Hakeem Dawodu vs. Chuka Willis

Round 1

Willis rushes in to clinch and drags Dawodu to the ground near the fence, then climbs straight onto his back. Dawodu sits up against the cage, using wrist control to fend off Willis’ rear-naked choke attempt. When Willis loses one of his hooks, Dawodu climbs back to his feet, but Willis immediately trips him back down. The featherweights stand again, still in the clinch with Willis on the outside. Dawodu ducks under and breaks free, and Willis lands a clubbing overhand right soon afterward. Willis misses on another big right hand but uses it to get into the pocket and grab for Dawodu’s legs again. “Mean Hakeem” defends this takedown and separates from Willis, then begins stalking him around the perimeter of the cage. Dawodu scores with a hard knee to the gut, then counters the charging Willis with a left hook. Willis whiffs on a punch and gets another knee to the body for his trouble. From the Thai clinch, Dawodu roughs up Willis with more knees to the gut, elbows upstairs and a jump knee to the face. Dawodu does some more good work in the final 20 seconds, hitting Willis with elbows and knees on the fence. 10-9 Dawodu.

Round 2

Willis tries to close the distance with flailing punches, but Dawodu is wise to it this time and slides out of range. Dawodu sprawls on a shot, spins to the kneeling Willis’ back and tags him with three or four hard punches before Willis is able to stand. Willis tries to clinch with Dawodu on the fence, but Dawodu scores with a knee to the body and slips out. Willis is looking tired 90 seconds into round two, hands low as Dawodu keeps him near the fence. Dawodu closes the gap and bangs on Willis’ body with more knees, then a few punches and elbows up top for good measure. Willis looks completely done now, almost falling to the ground as he shoots weakly for Dawodu’s legs. Dawodu stands him up and attacks with left hands, elbows, a pair of knees to the face of his doubled-over opponent. Willis doesn’t go down, but it’s clear he’s out of this fight, and referee Kyle Cardinal waves it off.

The Official Result

Hakeem Dawodu def. Chuka Willis via TKO (Knees and Elbows) R2 2:55

WSOF Heavyweight Title Fight: Smealinho Rama vs. Blagoy Ivanov

Round 1

Vern Gorman is the referee for this heavyweight title fight. The champion Rama takes the center of the cage and follows as fellow southpaw Ivanov circles clockwise around the edge of the cage. A leg kick from Rama is the only offense in the opening minute of the bout. Suddenly, Ivanov comes off the fence and touches Rama with a snappy punch on the cheek. Rama responds with a left hook and a leg kick, pushing Ivanov back to the outside. Ivanov grabs a body kick and kicks out Rama’s other leg, then follows the titleholder to the ground and socks him with a left hand on the face. Rama scrambles up and gets caught in a front headlock which he soon escapes. Halfway through the round, they’re back to the familiar motion with Ivanov circling and Rama walking him down. An overhand left from Ivanov makes Rama take a few steps back. Rama hits Ivanov with a low kick-jab combination, ducks under a hook and continues to walk after the challenger. Ivanov, now sporting some swelling beneath his left eye, continues to find his mark with the left hand. With 10 seconds left, Rama lands his best shots of the round, a right hook and follow-up left straight. Ivanov gets the last word with another left hand. 10-9 Ivanov.

Round 2

Rama pushes Ivanov backward with a few long left hands, but Rama quickly regains the ground with a pair of left hooks. Right hook-left straight combo scores for Rama, again backing up Ivanov to the fence. Ivanov starts circling the other way, clashes low kicks with Rama and knocks the champion to the ground. Rama bounces back up before Ivanov can capitalize, and it’s more slow circling from the heavyweights with hands cocked. Rama is starting to string together some good combinations now, rocking the head of Ivanov, who’s not doing much besides sitting back and waiting to counter. Ivanov manages to touch Rama’s chin with the overhand left again, but he has to eat several shots first. Rama is dripping blood from a cut beneath his left eye as he continues to walk forward in the final minute of the round. Ivanov explodes with punches but only manages to graze with a right hook before Rama wraps him up and quells the storm. 10-9 Rama.

Round 3

Rama puts a left hand in Ivanov’s breadbasket as the big men resume their circling around the cage. Ivanov knocks him backward with a left hook to the jaw, and now the Bulgarian steps out to meet the champ in the middle. An uppercut sends Rama stumbling backward, and a left hand drops him to the ground near the fence. Ivanov catches the kneeling Rama in a guillotine and lifts him off the ground to crank the choke. Rama taps almost instantly to the standing guillotine choke, and just like that, Blagoy Ivanov is the new WSOF heavyweight champion.

The Official Result

Blagoy Ivanov def. Smealinho Rama via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 1:17

WSOF Featherweight Title Fight: Lance Palmer vs. Chris Horodecki

Round 1

Kyle Cardinal is the referee for tonight’s 145-pound championship main event. Palmer scores with a few low kicks in the opening minute, then steps into the pocket to deliver a strong left hand to Horodecki’s jaw. The challenger catches Palmer coming inside with a short right hook, but Palmer drives right through it to score a quick takedown. As Horodecki kneels, Palmer pushes his head to the mat and spins around to jump on the Canadian’s back. Both hooks are in for Palmer with half the round still remaining, and he begins hunting for a rear-naked choke. Horodecki shakes one hook and twists around to free himself from a near-choke, and now the featherweights scramble back up. Horodecki spends 20 seconds stepping forward before Palmer blasts into another double-leg takedown and floors him again. Palmer jumps on Horodecki’s back and blasts the belly-down challenger with right hands. When he sees an opening, Palmer wraps his right arm around Horodecki’s face, locks up a neck crank and wrenches until Horodecki taps out. Lance Palmer remains WSOF featherweight champion, becoming the first man to successfully defend the belt.

The Official Result

Lance Palmer def. Chris Horodecki via Submission (Neck Crank) R1 4:28

Mark Drummond vs. Michael Hill

Round 1

Drummond grazes Hill with a right hand, and the former “TUF” competitor slips to the ground for a moment. Up stands Hill, who has to back up as Drummond touches his face with a couple high kicks. Hill scores with a nice body kick, and Drummond takes a few moments before wading inside and grabbing for Hill’s hips. Drummond pushes his man against the fence and switches to a high body lock, clasping his hands behind Hill’s back. Halfway through the round, Drummond lands a couple knees to the body, then tries to toss Hill to the ground. Hill blocks the throw and winds up on top, in Drummond’s guard, punching with short right hands to the ribs. Drummond pulls rubber guard to keep Hill close and unable to mount offense. Hill breaks the posture and uses his legs to open Drummond’s guard, then lands punches until Drummond sits up against the fence. Hill catches Drummond in a guillotine and stands up to try and finish the submission, but Drummond twists free and winds up on his knees with 30 seconds to go. Hill looks to frame up the guillotine again, only Drummond is wise to it this time and plays defense from his kness until the round ends. 10-9 Hill.

Round 2

Drummond tries to barge into the pocket and gets tangled up with Hill, who catches him with a right hook as they separate. Hill comes away from the collision bleeding from the nose, and now Drummond attacks with a few kicks to the lead leg; Hill catches one of the kicks but can’t capitalize. Not much action from the welterweights through the first half of the round, both men feinting and dancing just out of range, occasionally lobbing a single punch or low kick. Hill whiffs on a combination, comes back to try another and gets picked off by a counter left hook. Drummond ducks inside to push Hill against the fence but leaves his neck open and has to fight off another brief guillotine attempt. Down to the final minute of the round, and it’s still up for grabs. Drummond gets turned around throwing a kick, and Hill takes the opportunity to wrap him up and drag Drummond to his knees. Drummond stands up, takes a couple knees to the face and eats a spinning elbow as Hill releases the clinch. Drummond shoots at the end of the round and the pair finishes the frame scrambling for position on the mat. 10-9 Hill.

Round 3

Hill shoots for Drummond’s legs, pushing “Sweet Dreams” against the cage and trying to spin him down with a single-leg. Drummond resists the takedown and then has to cover up as Hill releases and attacks with a pair of hard punches. Neither man is doing much to win this one, as the 170-pounders continue to stand a few feet apart and mostly attack with single strikes. They trade leg kicks, then Hill throws a tired overhand right which bounces off Drummond’s arms. Drummond presses Hill against the fence with two minutes remaining, and the men spend the next minute fighting for position while Drummond attempts a body-lock takedown. Referee Vern Gorman separates the fighters with 45 seconds on the clock. Again, neither man looks to be in any rush to engage. Drummond smacks Hill with a looping left, prompting Hill to push forward with a couple leg kicks. Drummond finishes the round and the fight with a straight left hand. 10-9 Drummond (29-28 Hill).

The Official Result

Michael Hill def. Mark Drummond via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) R3 5:00

Roger Alves vs. Danny Doig

Round 1

Alves tries to rush into the pocket headfirst and gets pushed aside by Doig, who snipes at his stocky opponent with a couple long jabs. When Alves does get hold after 50 seconds, he tries to drag Doig to the ground but gets brushed away again. Again, Alves charges inside, and this time he wraps up Doig with a body lock on the fence. Doig widens his base to fend off the takedown, while referee Vern Gorman warns Alves for grabbing the fence. Doig snatches up a guillotine but loses it as Alves lifts and slams him to the ground two minutes into the round. Alves frames up an arm-triangle choke from half guard on Doig’s right, steps over to the left side and induces a quick tap.

The Official Result

Roger Alves def. Danny Doig via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R1 2:49

Garrett Nybakken vs. Nick Hrabec

Round 1

Nybakken takes the center of the cage while Hrabec cuts angles on the outside. Catching a kick, Nybakken pushes Hrabec against the fence, where Hrabec holds him in a headlock to prevent a takedown. Referee Vern Gorman repeatedly warns Hrabec for grabbing the fence. Hrabec gets the outside position, delivers a few knees to Nybakken’s body and then releases. Back to the middle go the lightweights, now two minutes into the bout. Nybakken scores with a couple leg kicks, but one is caught by Hrabec and countered with a straight right hand. Hrabec gives a low kick of his own, prompting Nybakken to given an exaggerated shrug and walk forward. Nybakken lines up southpaw and sticks a jab, then switches to orthodox and tags Hrabec with a clean right straight on the jaw. Hrabec staggers backward, and Nybakken tees him up with another right hand that sends him to the ground at the base of the fence. Hrabec is out of it as Nybakken follows up with more punches, and referee Gorman steps in to stop the fight.

The Official Result

Garrett Nybakken def. Nick Hrabec via KO (Punches) R1 3:36

Tim Smith vs. Spencer Rohovie

Round 1

Rohovie gets an early takedown and advances to half guard while pushing Smith toward the fence. Smith reclaims full guard but struggles to hold Rohovie, who is scoring with the occasional single punch or elbow to the face. Rohovie passes back to half guard and leans left to right across Smith’s body to try a kimura on the right arm. Rohovie can’t get the arm locked up but manages to pass to full mount and begins unloading from there with heavy hammer fists. Smith eats half a dozen shots before turning to his side, then rolling to his stomach and allowing Rohovie to take his back. Rohovie slaps on a quick rear-naked choke and gets the tap.

The Official Result

Spencer Rohovie def. Tim Smith via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R1 3:09

Stephen Beaumont vs. Jose Rodriguez

Round 1

Beaumont comes out firing but gets wrapped up and slammed to the ground by Rodriguez, who comes out on top after a brief struggle and drops a couple elbows on Beaumont’s face. Beaumont gets to his knees and is snared in a brabo choke by Rodriguez, who tries to finish while both men are on their sides. Beaumont pulls his head free and forces Rodriguez to the mat, slamming with a few hard punches on his way to side control. Beaumont threatens with a brabo choke of his own, then releases to throw more punches. As the 165-pounders fight on the ground, Rodriguez stands and delivers a knee to the head of the still-kneeling Beaumont. Referee Kyle Cardinal takes one point away from Rodriguez before action resumes. Beaumont pushes Rodriguez against the cage, where Rodriguez grabs a Thai clinch and sends a few knees up the middle. Beaumont sweeps Rodriguez to the ground, landing on top in half guard. Rodriguez tries to kick off the fence with 30 seconds left, but he can’t and Beaumont passes to side control on the right side before the round ends. 10-8 Beaumont.

Round 2

Rodriguez attacks Beaumont’s legs with wide kicks, then Beaumont slips to the ground as he tries to go upstairs with a right high kick. Rodriguez also slips to the ground while trying to kick Beaumont’s legs, and now Beaumont drives forward to hold Rodriguez down from side control. Rodriguez gets to his knees, can’t get to his feet and winds up with Beaumont in his open guard. Rodriguez uses a kimura to sweep to top position with three minutes left in the round, but Beaumont sweeps him right back under 20 seconds later. Rodriguez shifts underneath, hunting for an armbar, but he winds up back on his knees with Beaumont threatening his neck. Beaumont stands and kicks at Rodriguez’s legs, then dives back into his guard with a right hand. Rodriguez tries the armbar again, can’t get hold, and Beaumont flattens him out from half guard again. Body punches land for Beaumont in the last half minute, then he stands up at the 10-second clapper to slug Rodriguez’s face with right hands. 10-9 Beaumont.

Round 3

Beaumont drives his man to the ground at the base of the fence, where Rodriguez turns to his side and tries to work a kimura on Beaumont’s near arm. Rodriguez stands up with the kimura still in place, then releases and ends up with his back against the cage, Beaumont doubling over for a single-leg takedown. Two minutes into the round, Rodriguez hits the ground again, this time with Beaumont landind in north-south position. Beaumont moves to cross side control, back to north-south, holding Rodriguez down as he tries to kick off the fence. Back to side control goes Beaumont, peppering Rodriguez with tiny hammer fists. Rodriguez frustrates by pushing Beaumont’s face away with his forearms. Rodriguez manages to get to his knees but is quickly flattened out again by Beaumont, who works from side control again with less than one minute remaining. Rodriguez struggles to get back to his feet and nearly gives up his back in the process. Beaumont doesn’t secure the position, so Rodriguez is able to turn over and spend the last few seconds on top. 10-9 Beaumont (30-26 Beaumont).

The Official Result

Stephen Beaumont def. Jose Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) R3 5:00