The Weekly Wrap: April 11 – April 17

Jack EncarnacaoApr 18, 2009
Photo by Sherdog.com

Werdum signed with Strikeforce.
Odds & Ends

• Bellator Fighting Championships held fights in several of its tournaments on April 10 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.; it was the promotion’s second event.

Undefeated Lyman Good, who’s seen as a favorite in the 170-pound bracket, put away Hector Urbina in the second round with a rear-naked choke. EliteXC veteran Wilson Reis preserved his undefeated streak, as he defeated the Greg Jackson-trained Henry Martinez to advance in the 145-pound bracket. Reis weathered a few aggressive slams from Martinez early and used ground control to secure the unanimous decision. Reis will face Joe Soto in the next round. In a lightweight tournament bout, Eric Reynolds put away Thomas Schulte via first-round TKO. Reynolds faces tournament favorite Eddie Alvarez next.

Bellator staged its third event on April 17 in Norman, Okla., featuring Cuban judoka Hector Lombard in his stateside debut.

Fabricio Werdum told Sherdog.com he has signed a three-fight deal with Strikeforce and that all three fights will take place in 2009. Former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman has also signed with the promotion, though it remains unclear which weight he will compete at.

Rafael Cordeiro -- the influential head trainer of the legendary Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil -- left the camp, citing “internal politics,” according to a report from Fighters Only magazine. Ex-Chute Boxe standout Wanderlei Silva has expressed interest in working with Cordeiro.

• Rising Japanese lightweight Katsunori Kikuno won the Deep lightweight grand prix in Tokyo on April 16, as he used a front kick and knockout punch to put away Koichiro Matsumoto in the first round. Kikuno has won eighth straight. He recently stopped Bu Kyung Jung, who has taken Shinya Aoki and Mitsuhiro Ishida the distance in his nascent MMA career.