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WSOF 25 Single-Night, 8-Man Lightweight Tournament Results & Play-by-Play



Sherdog.com's live World Series of Fighting 25 coverage kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Sherdog.com also has a free live stream of the undercard.

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155-Pound Tournament Reserve Bout:
LaRue Burley vs. Ramil Mustapaev

Round 1

Mustapaev misses with his first leg kick but hits the second and follows with a straight right hand. Burley presses forward to return the low kick and flicks out a jab of his own. Burley is doing well to dodge Mustapaev’s flashier strikes in the opening minute, but once the Russian gets hold of him, Mustapaev quickly trips him to the ground. Mustapaev passes to north-south position and then side control, where Burley rolls the other way and bursts back to his feet. Mustapaev holds him on the fence to deliver a few knees, then releases as they hit the two-minute point. Stout front kicks from Mustapaev are keeping Burley out of striking range, and now the “Cannibal” gets clipped with a left hook. Burley answers right back with a pair of hard hooks, but Mustapaev eats them and walks forward with his hands up. Ninety seconds left in the opening round, Mustapaev jabs Burley around the outside before Burley circles off to meet him in the center. Burley puts Mustapaev on the fence and gets in a couple nice body blows; Mustapaev pulls the American’s head down and cracks him with a knee to escape the clinch. Mustapaev gets busy in the last 30 seconds with heavy punching combos and flying knees which back up Burley to the fence. Burley complains of a groin strike and referee Chris Tognoni pauses the action with 15 seconds on the clock. Burley composes himself, and the round ends with both men throwing strikes but neither landing anything major. 10-9 Mustapaev.

Round 2

Burley catches a high kick but can’t knock Mustapaev off balance before he pulls back the leg. Long jabs and follow-up straights from Mustapaev are forcing Burley to cover up as the Russian plunges into range and then backs out again. Burley misses a leaping kick and gets caught leaning over with a right hand to the head. An uppercut scores for Mustapaev in the center of the cage, again catching Burley with his head low. Burley is throwing tired, wide punches now, lunging at Mustapaev with single shots. Mustapaev is staying measured, scoring with knees and punches before circling away, not getting into a brawl. With two minutes left, Mustapaev is starting to lay it on Burley, who is fading while Mustapaev’s energy stays up. More knees up against the fence have Burley in trouble, but Mustapaev backs off and lets him come back to the center. One minute to go now, Mustapaev seems to have hurt one of Burley’s eyes with a strike; Burley paws at it, but there’s no stop from referee Tognoni. Burley tries a late takedown, gets overpowered and reversed, and now it’s Mustapaev in full mount with under a minute to go. Mustapaev tries an arm-triangle choke, can’t get it and instead smashes on Burley with punches from side control. Burley rolls to his knees and rides out the storm there until the horn. 10-9 Mustapaev.

Round 3

Burley opens the final round with a quick takedown but can’t keep Mustapaev on the mat. Instead, it’s the Jackson-Wink MMA fighter scrambling back to his feet and turning the tables by putting Burley on the ground. Burley kneels, then stands up against the cage; he tries to keep a hand on the mat while Mustapaev has hold of him, but the hand comes up and Mustapaev gives him a knee to the face on the break. Burley gets another takedown and is immediately reversed, and now it’s Mustapaev in side control with 2:30 on the clock. Burley tries to walk off the fence and reposition himself, but Mustapaev goes to north-south and unloads with punches from there. Over to side control goes Mustapaev, allowing Burley to burst out the other side and roll to his knees. Back up stands Burley with Mustapaev throwing punches along the way. A straight right hand cracks Burley once he’s upright, then a single-leg in the center of the cage puts him on his back. Mustapaev looks to have sealed this one as he bears down on Burley from side control with one minute left. Mustapaev takes full mount and throws more punches, still looking to finish with seconds to go. Burley staggers back to his feet and is ragdolled back to the ground one last time. 10-9 Mustapaev (30-27 Mustapaev).

The Official Result

Ramil Mustapaev def. LaRue Burley via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

155-Pound Tournament Quarterfinal Bout:
Islam Mamedov vs. Jorge Patino

Round 1

The much taller Mamedov sticks a jab through Patino’s gloves, then slowly presses forward looking to land a few more, but “Macao” gets his attention with an overhand right. After a slow opening minute, referee Ryan Brueggeman calls for action. Mamedov answers with a right hand down the middle, walks down Patino and lands a kick to the body. The next punch from Mamedov drops Patino at the base of the fence, and the referee tells the old-schooler to fight back or defend himself as Mamedov applies a beating. Mamedov hooks Patino’s legs and stacks him up, unloading with big punches while Patino tries for a better position, grabbing at Mamedov’s legs from underneath. Mamedov briefly goes to the ground, passes to side control, but soon stands again to drop heavy leather on the grounded Patino. Two minutes left now, and Mamedov calls off the assault to come back to the ground and work for a dominant position. Patino is still looking for a leg, or anything from the bottom, but Mamedov continues to apply pressure. Mamedov gives Patino enough space to scramble up, and now the Brazilian jumps guard with a guillotine choke, a grimace on his face as he squeezes for the finish. Mamedov gives the thumbs up to referee Brueggeman and pulls his head free before the round ends. 10-8 Mamedov.

Round 2

Patino misses with a pair of punches but puts a kick on Mamedov’s lead leg. The next leg kick from Patino is answered by the Russian and followed up with clinch knees which put “Macaco” on his back. Patino gets back his feet and lunges at Mamedov with a long combination, but it’s sidestepped. Patino shoots for a takedown, gets stuffed and nearly has his back taken, but he jumps back to his feet before Mamedov can establish the position. Halfway through the round, Patino tries a double-leg on the fence and gets shoved away. The lightweights circle back to the middle, where Patino stands stock still, waiting for Mamedov to throw. Mamedov keeps his distance, jabbing at Patino from the outside. Patino tries a few reaching punches but can’t quite find the mark on the taller man. Mamedov backs up to the fence and does eat a couple shots there, but he circles off and looks content to ride this out and take a decision. Mamedov hits one more takedown seconds before the bell. 10-9 Mamedov (20-17 Mamedov).

The Official Result

Islam Mamedov def. Jorge Patino via Unanimous Decision (no scores announced) R2 5:00

155-Pound Tournament Quarterfinal Bout:
Joe Condon vs. Mike Ricci

Round 1

Long southpaw Ricci pushes Condon backward with punches, but Condon comes off the fence and grabs underhooks to push the Canadian against the cage. Ricci gets an angle and escapes, circling back to the center, where he zaps Condon with a left high kick on the face. Condon backs up Ricci toward the fence, shoots for his legs and gets sidestepped. Ricci puts a few hard kicks on Condon’s body in the pocket before circling out of range. Suddenly, Ricci launches the left high kick again, and this one catches Condon flush on the side of the head. Ricci pounces on his fallen opponent, but before he can do any more damage, referee Chris Tognoni dives in to stop the fight.

The Official Result

Mike Ricci def. Joe Condon via KO (Head Kick) R1 2:41

155-Pound Tournament Quarterfinal Bout:
Brian Foster vs. Joao Zeferino

Round 1

Zeferino shoots on the legs of Foster, can’t get the takedown and drops backward to guard instead. Foster wants him back up, so Zeferino stands and grabs hold of the American’s leg on the next kick thrown. Foster pulls the leg back, throws another kick and again it’s caught by Zeferino. This time, Foster goes down into his opponent’s guard, where he’s immediately forced to defend against heel hooks and armbar attempts. Foster doesn’t look to be in danger, even going for a leglock of his own, but all of a sudden, Zeferino locks up the heel hook and forces a quick tap.

The Official Result

Joao Zeferino def. Brian Foster via Submission (Heel Hook) R1 1:46

155-Pound Tournament Quarterfinal Bout:
Luis Palomino vs. Rich Patishnock

Round 1

Palomino cuts angles on the outside while Patishnock works from the center, slapping the former Bellator fighter with a left high kick. The lightweights tie up and it’s Palomino taking the outside position as they clinch on the fence. An inside knee catches Patishnock on the cup, and referee Chris Tognoni pauses to allow him to continue. Time resumes with 4:00 on the clock and Patishnock wastes no time rushing Palomino against the fence. “Baboon” reverses but can’t hold Patishnock on the cage, and the 155-pounders trade positions a few times before Patishnock lands on the outside. Palomino wiggles out of a high single-leg, so Patishnock chases him to the other side of the cage to land a right hand and try another shot. Palomino gets Patishnock off his leg but can’t break loose, and now referee Tognoni breaks them up for inactivity. Straight back to the clinch goes Patishnock, pinning Palomino to the cage with a left underhook and working short strikes on the other side. They’re separated by the ref again with 40 seconds left in the opening round. Palomino comes bombing at Patishnock with wild punches and a pair of hard clinch knees. Patishnock is rocked and drops to the ground after a big left hand but somehow powers back to his feet as Palomino continues to blast away. Finally, another clinch knee and a right hook put Patishnock down for the last time. Palomino looks at referee Tognoni, who looks at the dazed Patishnock and waves off the fight.

The Official Result

Luis Palomino def. Rich Patishnock via TKO (Punches) R1 4:55

Catchweight (165 Pounds) Fight:
Jimmy Scully vs. Roberto Yong

Round 1

Scully shoots for and completes a takedown less than 20 seconds into the fight, but Yong scrambles back to his feet and away from a Scully leglock attempt. Yong steps into the pocket, catches Scully with a right hand and sweeps him to the ground, where Scully tries to cover up as Yong drops more punches. Yong rolls Scully onto his side, where a few big right hands put Scully out of commission and send referee Ryan Brueggeman into action.

The Official Result

Roberto Yong def. Jimmy Scully via TKO (Punches) R1 1:11

Bantamweight Feature Fight:
Joseph Barajas vs. Erik Villalobos

Round 1

Villalobos charges across the cage with a leaping knee which is caught by Barajas and turned into a quick takedown. Villalobos tries to scramble up, gets caught in a headlock and brought back to the ground. He pulls his head free, stands again and is taken back to the mat by Barajas, who now settles down in his opponent’s closed guard. Barajas tries to swim through the guard with punches while Villalobos throws up his legs from underneath. Villalobos can’t catch a submission but does manage to escape to his feet again. Barajas never lets him out of his grasps and drags Villalobos straight back to the canvas, now two minutes deep in the fight. Villalobos shifts underneath, avoiding damage until he’s able to jump up again about 40 seconds later. Barajas keeps him pinned to the fence with another takedown attempt; this time, Villalobos sprawls and pushes Barajas away from the fence. Barajas is glued to Villalobos’ legs and keeps him trapped on the fence for the final minute of the round. 10-9 Barajas.

Round 2

Villalobos tries to open the second round with a knee, but it’s the same result as round one, as Barajas catches the leg and puts Villalobos on his back. Villalobos scrambles up and tries to turn the corner to take the back of Barajas, who’s still clinging to his leg. Barajas blocks the back-take and stays on the single-leg takedown to completion. Villalobos is on his back again, alternating between closed and open guard while Barajas lands short, hard body punches. Barajas passes to half guard and gets going with ground-and-pound to the face, mixing in ebows and forearms. Villalobos is still trying to escape but he’s eating more shots now, being worn down by Barajas’ constant pressure on the ground. Villalobos nearly gets up but he’s pulled back to the mat, and now Barajas is almost in side control, looking for a crucifix with only his left ankle trapped between Villalobos’ legs. Villalobos struggles back to his feet for about 10 seconds before being tripped back down. Barajas takes full mount with 50 seconds left in the round and tags Villalobos with five or six good punches. Villalobos gives up his back and Barajas looks for the rear-naked choke just before the bell. 10-8 Barajas.

Round 3

Barajas gets another quick takedown and keeps hold of Villalobos’ neck with a front headlock as the bantamweights work their way back up. Barajas drives his man against the fence with yet another takedown attempt, switching from a double to a single and then depositing Villalobos on the ground about 1:15 into the final frame. Working from half guard, Barajas crushes Villalobos’ throat with a forearm to make things uncomfortable. Barajas can’t get his left leg clear of Villalobos’ guard, so he kneels in half guard and throws hard punches until Villalobos releases. It’s back to full mount for Barajas, now applying the forearm choke until Villalobos rolls over and gives up his back. Barajas can’t secure back-mount before Villalobos rolls over again, and now they scramble up, Barajas holding a rear waistlock. The 135ers are on their feet for a matter of seconds before Barajas hurls Villalobos back to the ground. Barajas passes to mount one more time and unloads with punches until referee Tognoni steps in to wave off the contest.

The Official Result

Joseph Barajas def. Erik Villalobos via TKO (Punches) R3 4:06

155-Pound Tournament Semifinal Bout:
Joao Zeferino vs. Jorge Patino

Round 1

Patino, who takes the place of the injured Islam Mamedov (torn ACL), enters the bout sporting an ugly mouse beneath his right eye. Zeferino stakes out the center of the cage and jabs at Patino’s injured side. When “Macaco” charges forward throwing punches, Zeferino grabs a leg and hustles his countryman to the canvas. Zeferino goes straight for a heel hook on the right leg, and Patino taps out within seconds. A second heel hook finish makes Joao Zeferino the first to advance to tonight’s tournament final.

The Official Result

Joao Zeferino def. Jorge Patino via Submission (Heel Hook) R1 1:24

155-Pound Tournament Semifinal Bout:
Luis Palomino vs. Brian Foster

Round 1

Brian Foster, who lost to Joao Zeferino in the quarterfinals, is back in the tournament due to Mike Ricci suffering a hip injury. The pair gets off to a slow start, as Palomino circles the outside with his back to the fence while Foster looks for an opening from the middle of the cage, occasionally loading up his right hand to threatening to change levels. Foster finally explodes with a combo and puts a reaching right hand on Palomino’s face, but the “Baboon” takes it and gives Foster a right hook in return. Foster tries a few leg kicks but can’t quite get a good chop on the moving target. The next time Foster comes in with his hands low, Palomino blasts him with a big overhand left. Foster staggers backward, catches Palomino coming forward and clinches up to trip him to the ground. Straight to side control goes Foster, putting all his weight on the chest of Palomino, who’s trying to shrimp underneath and escape. Palomino reclaims half guard and fends off a kimura attempt, but shortly afterward, Foster steps over to take full mount. Palomino only absorbs a few punches before he’s able to buck off the American back to side control. Foster gets a mounted crucifix now and drops half a dozen heavy right hands on his opponent’s unprotected face, leaving Palomino with a swollen left eye at round’s end. 10-9 Foster.

Round 2

Foster backs up Palomino with a spinning kick to the body but misses his next several strikes, mostly low kicks and big power punches. Ninety seconds in, Foster fakes an overhand right and shoots on Palomino’s legs, dragging him to the mat. Palomino jumps back up, but Foster catches him in a guillotine along the way and rolls him back down. Palomino pulls his head free and the lightweights scramble up, Foster just dodging a head kick from Palomino as he stands. Another takedown lands for Foster, now midway through the round and the fight. Foster thinks about a kimura before passing to full mount. Again, Palomino is able to buck him off, but this time Foster tries to take Palomino’s back as he kneels. Palomino rolls over, giving up full mount to escape the danger of Foster on his back. Foster is trying to tee up Palomino’s head for some big shots, but once again Palomino gets a knee inside and pushes Foster back to half guard. Palomino may not have much left here, just covering up on his side as Foster drops right hands. The punches bloody Palomino, who’s offering nothing in return, forcing referee Chris Tognoni to halt the bout. Brian Foster advances to the tournament final for a rematch with Joao Zeferino.

The Official Result

Brian Foster def. Luis Palomino via TKO (Punches) R2 4:19

Lightweight Feature Fight:
Jason High vs. Estevan Payan

Round 1

High works from the southpaw stance with an outstretched right hand to keep Payan at bay. Payan ducks under a wide left hand, but High comes back up to grab underhooks and push him against the fence. High gets a fast takedown, Payan rolls to his knees and High traps his left arm between his legs. High looks to be trying for a straight armbar at first, but when Payan doesn’t tap, the “Kansas City Bandit” switches to throwing left hands at Payan’s bare face. Payan tries to stand and falls back to his knees, unable to bear the weight of High still locked on his arm. Payan finally gets the arm free and goes to one knee; High throws an illegal knee to the head, but referee Ryan Brueggeman doesn’t see it and the lightweights fight on. Payan briefly climbs back to his feet, gets taken down again and then stands once more. They’re back to striking with 90 seconds on the clock; Payan connects with a right hand on the end of a combo, but there’s not much action otherwise. High puts a front kick on Payan’s body, slips throwing a left high kick but jumps up before Payan can pounce. High closes out the round with another pair of body kicks. 10-9 High.

Round 2

High sticks a jab and lands a one-two in between more front kicks to Payan’s midsection. Payan presses forward and walks straight into a head kick from High, then loses his footing and drops to his seat. High shucks the legs of his dazed opponent and puts Payan to sleep with a pair of precise, left-handed hammerfists.

The Official Result

Jason High def. Estevan Payan via KO (Head Kick and Punches) R2 0:47

155-Pound Tournament Final Bout:
Joao Zeferino vs. Brian Foster

Round 1

Foster clips Zeferino with a Superman punch and a right hook shortly behind it, but when he tries to leap at the Brazilian with a flying knee, Zeferino catches it and takes him down. Zeferino drops back for the heel hook, Foster frees the leg, so Zeferino gives it up and passes to side control on Foster’s left side in the middle of the cage. Foster reclaims half guard as Zeferino hunts for a kimura, then rolls over and has Zeferino jump on his back as they stand. Foster slips out the back door, shaking Zeferino off to the ground. Zeferino goes right for another heel hook and gets an illegal kick to the face as Foster tries to pull the leg free. Referee Chris Tognoni issues a stern warning to Foster but does not deduct a point, deeming the foul unintentional. The fighters are restarted on their feet with just under three minutes left in the opening round. Foster sprawls on a shot and leaves Zeferino on the ground in the center of the cage. Zeferino stands to deliver a leg kick and waits to counter Foster; the wait pays off, as the “Brazilian Samurai” clips Foster with a check right on the next exchange. Down to the final minute of round one, Foster moves inside to clinch and then has to bail as Zeferino pulls guard and attacks the legs again. Foster allows Zeferino to stand and finish the round on his feet. 10-9 Zeferino.

Round 2

Foster catches a kick and tries to blast Zeferino with a left hand, only the Brazilian hops backward on one legand evades the punch. Foster lands a jab and threatens with a right hand that gets Zeferino circling away. Foster presses forward with a front kick, then throws a spinning back kick which is caught by Zeferino and converted into a takedown near the fence. Zeferino frames up an arm-triangle choke, now 90 seconds into the round, but he’s stuck in half guard on the wrong side and lets it go. Foster rolls to his side and escapes out the back as Zeferino hunts for another submission. Now it’s Foster standing over Zeferino, kicking at his legs before diving back to the mat with rough punches and forearm strikes. Zeferino attacks the legs again, prompting Foster to stand. Halfway through the round, the lightweights are back up, circling in the middle of the cage. A left hook gets Zeferino moving backward, but he catches Foster charging in and slugs him with a left hand. Foster is wobbled from the punch and Zeferino sees it, blitzing the American with more strikes and a takedown at the fence. Foster holds on underneath and clears the cobwebs to explode back to his feet a few seconds later. Foster is swinging wild strikes and gets clipped with a Zeferino left in an exchange, so he grabs hold of the submission specalist and hurls him to the ground with a bodylock. Foster is scoring with some good left hands as he stands over Zeferino with under a minute on the clock. Foster shucks Zeferino’s legs and comes crashing back down with a thunderous right hand that seems to knock Zeferino out cold. Referee Tognoni doesn’t stop the fight, so Foster keeps punching as Zeferino unconsciously grabs for his legs. Foster decides the fight is over and raises his arms, leaving Zeferino belly down on the mat. Tognoni still doesn’t stop it, so Foster delivers two more shots to show this is really over. Finally, the ref pushes Foster away. Brian Foster wins the tournament by avenging his earlier loss to Joao Zeferino and will now get a shot at WSOF lightweight champ Justin Gaethje.

The Official Result

Brian Foster def. Joao Zeferino via KO (Punches) R2 4:51
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