World Series of Fighting 19 Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Joe Madrid vs. Erik Villalobos

Round 1

Madrid comes out throwing hands and pushes Villalobos against the fence, but Villalobos reverses the position and slams Madrid to the ground. Quickly passing to side control, Villalobos traps Madrid’s right arm and lands five or six quick punches before Madrid is able to free the limb. Madrid sweeps to top position and stands over Villalobos to throw punches. Villalobos scrambles to his feet and turns around, leaving his back open for Madrid to leap on. Madrid secures the back with both hooks and begins working for a rear-naked choke, pulling Villalobos backward to the canvas in the process. Villalobos fends off the choke and rolls to his knees, then turns over to wind up in Madrid’s guard. Now it’s Villalobos scoring with punches, lifting Madrid off the ground and slamming him while referee Ryan Brueggeman tells Madrid to defend himself. Villalobos’ offense slows as Madrid holds him in half guard with 90 seconds left in the hectic opening round. Villalobos briefly traps an arm again to land a few more clean punches. Madrid tries to kick off the fence but can’t escape and finishes the round on bottom.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Villalobos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Villalobos
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Villalobos

Round 2

Villalobos has Madrid’s back on the ground, fishing for a rear-naked choke while the referee warns Madrid to keep his fingers out of the glove while defending. Villalobos only has one hook in, allowing Madrid to turn over into his opponent’s guard and take top position. A quick armbar attempt goes by the wayside for Villalobos. With 90 seconds left in the round, it’s Madrid on top, burying his face in Villalobos’ chest. Villalobos is more active off his back, popping Madrid with short punches and elbows. Madrid is able to keep Villalobos on the ground to the end of the frame.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Villalobos
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Villalobos
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Villalobos

Round 3

Villalobos goes for a takedown, but it’s Madrid turning him around against the fence to try for a double-leg of his own. While he’s fending off the takedown, Villalobos hits Madrid with elbows to the head and threatens with a standing guillotine. Madrid finally brings down Villalobos after struggling for the better part of two minute, but Villalobos is back on his feet in seconds, pushing Madrid against the cage. Villalobos hits a takedown near the fence midway through the round and drops a few hard left hands on Madrid’s face.

Madrid swings his legs around to try an armbar, but Villalobos escapes and roughs him up with more ground-and-pound. Punches and elbows from Villalobos have sliced open Madrid on the right side of his forehead.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Villalobos (30-27 Villalobos)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Villalobos (30-27 Villalobos)
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Villalobos (30-27 Villalobos)

The Official Result

Erik Villalobos def. Joe Madrid via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

Matthew Frincu vs. Eric Regan

Round 1

Frincu cracks Regan with a head kick in the opening exchange, sending the Arizonan shooting for a takedown. Frincu defends, hurts Regan with a kick to the gut, another head kick and then a knee to the body. Regan falls to the ground, gets back up and is immediately trapped in the Thai clinch, where Frincu assaults him with more knees to the body. Regan goes down again, gets back up, and Frincu is right there waiting with more knees. Regan is clearly hurt from the body shots, doubling over and covering up while trying to shoot for Frincu’s legs. Regan rolls to guard but Frincu doesn’t want any part of the ground game. As Regan gets back up, Frincu hits him with an illegal knee to the face, and referee Ryan Brueggeman pauses the action. Regan recovers quickly, but as soon as the action resumes, Frincu blasts him with more clinch knees.

Midway through the first round, Regan is somehow holding on -- literally clinging on to Frincu as the Australian walks him around the cage, throwing knees all the while. Regan’s mouthpiece comes out, giving him a brief respite from Frincu’s punishment. Now a straight left drops Regan to the ground, though the American may have been flopping to guard at the same time. Frincu allows his man to stand, and Regan lands his best shot of the round with a right hand. Out of nowhere, Regan scores with a hard body kick, hits a takedown and finishes the round with an armbar attempt.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Frincu
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Frincu
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Frincu

Round 2

Regan shoots for a takedown but Frincu limp-legs out of it. As Regan gets back to his feet, Frincu blasts him with a left high kick that knocks Regan out cold and sends referee Brueggeman into action.

The Official Result

Matthew Frincu def. Eric Regan via KO (Head Kick) R2 0:14

Dan Huber vs. Israel Aquino

Round 1

Huber gets a quick takedown and jumps on the back of Aquino, rolling him toward the fence to begin working for a rear-naked choke Aquino turns to his knees, Huber still straddling him. Huber abandons the rear-naked choke attempt and postures up to begin dropping punches. Aquino goes belly down and isn't offering much of a defense. Huber is inflicting damage now with his ground-and-pound, and with Aquino showing no signs of escape, referee Al Guinee steps in and stops the fight.

The Official Result

Dan Huber def. Israel Aquino via TKO (Punches) R1 3:03

Andres Ponce vs. Juan Archuleta

Round 1

Archuleta hits a quick takedown and moves to north-south position as Ponce tries to wall-walk off the fence and escape. Archuleta allows Ponce to stand, lands a couple punches and takes him straight back to the ground. Archuleta works from Ponce’s guard now, dropping deflected punches until he’s able to pass to side control and unload with a couple hard shots. Ponce regains full guard, then covers up as Archuleta attacks the body with big right hands.

Archuleta uses a can opener to break Ponce’s posture and step over to full mount with about 70 seconds remaining in the round. More thudding right hands land to the left side of Ponce’s rib cage before he’s able to kick off the cage and sweep. Ponce gets to his feet and frames up a guillotine on the still-kneeling Archuleta, who simply drives Ponce back to the ground to escape the choke. Archuleta scores with more body shots and short elbows to the face before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Archuleta
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Archuleta
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Archuleta

Round 2

Archuleta fakes a takedown and comes back upstairs to land an overhand right. He ducks under a high kick from Ponce and hits a takedown, but Ponce’s leg lands on Archuleta’s shoulder, putting Ponce in perfect position for a triangle choke as the bantamweights hit the canvas. Archuleta tries to sit back and break the choke, but it’s very deep. Once Ponce cinches the choke and pulls down on the head, Archuleta is forced to submit.

The Official Result

Andres Ponce def. Juan Archuleta via Submission (Triangle Choke) R2 0:53

Joseph Gigliotti vs. Brendan Tierney

Round 1

Gigliotti shoots for and completes a takedown but immediately must go on the defensive as Tierney drops back to attempt a heel hook. Gigliotti pulls his leg free, and Tierney jumps on his back in the ensuing scramble. Now it’s Tierney in high back mount, flattening out Gigliotti, who’s covering up, belly down on the canvas. Gigliotti sits up and Tierney pulls him backward, securing the rear mount with a body triangle. Gigliotti fends off a neck crank to get back to his knees, and now Tierney throws punches to the body and head. Gigliotti slips out the back door to take top position with two minutes left in the round. As soon as his back hits the mat, Tierney starts angling for a triangle choke. Gigliotti postures up to break the sub attempt and lands five or six hard right hands to Tierney’s face. Tierney rolls for a kneebar, but Gigliotti gets his leg free and finishes the round with some strong ground-and-pound.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Tierney
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Tierney
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Gigliotti

Round 2

Gigliotti stings Tierney with a right hand and tries to capitalize with follow-up punches while Tierney wobbles backward toward the fence. Tierney absorbs the punishment and stays standing, so Gigliotti backs out and stops throwing. Instead, Gigliotti shoots in for a double-leg takedown and gets sprawled upon as Tierney widens his base against the fence. Gigliotti pulls him away from the fence and completes the takedown, and now he drops right hands from half guard, working to pass to side control. Tierney continues to absorb punches, can’t get out from underneath Gigliotti. Inside the final minute, Tierney gets to his knees and tries to drive forward to bring Gigliotti down, but Gigliotti stays heavy with a good sprawl and again finishes the round with ground-and-pound.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gigliotti
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gigliotti
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Gigliotti

Round 3

Tierney is lumped up as he emerges for the third round, sporting a sizeable mouse beneath his left eye. Gigliotti picks up right where he left off in round two, flooring Tierney with a fast takedown and then socking him with right hands from riding position as Tierney tries to get up from his knees. Gigliotti breaks him back down to the ground and continues to pepper with right hands until he finds the opening to jump on Tierney’s back. Gigliotti is riding high as he drops left hands, while Tierney just covers up and tries to deflect the shots.

Tierney slips out the back door with three minutes left in the fight, but Gigliotti is all over him. Tierney rolls over to put Gigliotti in his guard, and Gigliotti’s offense slows a bit until referee Al Guinee stands up the 180-pounders inside the final 90 seconds. Gigliotti takes the fight right back to the ground and bears down heavy in the half guard of the bloodied Tierney. Thirty seconds left and Tierney is going nowhere, just holding on from the bottom. Gigliotti’s punches and elbows aren’t looking particularly powerful at this late stage, but the accumulated damage causes referee Guinee to stop the fight with only seconds remaining.

The Official Result

Joseph Gigliotti def. Brendan Tierney via TKO (Punches and Elbows) R3 4:45

Benny Madrid vs. Jimmy Spicuzza

Due to technical issues, live coverage will resume with the main card at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The Official Result

Jimmy Spicuzza def. Benny Madrid via Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) R3 5:00

Jake Heun vs. Clifford Starks

Round 1

Clifford opens with a low kick, answered by a stiff jab and a kick across the body from Heun. A looping left seems to knock Heun off balance, but “Honey Bear” resets and catches the incoming Starks with a two-piece combo. Starks catches a kick and turns it into a takedown, only to be elevated and flipped over the top. Heun scrambles back to his feet, defends a double-leg from Starks and winds up with his back against the cage in the clinch. The 205ers separate and Starks takes a kick to the gut, but he catches the leg and uses it to run Heun to the ground with about half the round remaining. Heun switches between open and closed guard as Starks scoots him around the edge of the fence, neither man landing much in terms of offense. When Starks finally sits up to throw, Heun rolls right and gets to his feet. Starks keeps a rear waistlock, but Heun separates the hands and whips around to land a spinning elbow. Starks shoots and hits another takedown with 10 seconds on the clock, and that’s where the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Starks
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Starks
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Heun

Round 2

Heun leaps into range with a flying knee and a right hand. Starks bounces off the fence and presses forward to grab the Thai clinch, but both men throw knees at the same time and both land low. Starks drops to his knees in pain as referee Al Guinee pauses the action, but they’re both ready to resume soon enough. Heun puts a kick across the body of Starks, who catches the kick and scores another takedown at the fence. Heun posts and stands quickly, exits the clinch with a knee but then gets slugged with a huge left hand from Starks. More punches against the cage from Stark, and now Heun drops for a takedown. After taking down Starks, Heun stands to land a punch and then an illegal knee to the head of the still-downed Starks. Referee Guinee takes one point from Heun and restarts the action after Starks recovers.

Three minutes left in the round and Starks completes yet another takedown. Heun tries to kick Starks away, but Starks rushes back to wind up in Heun’s half guard. Heun leans right to try a kimura, can’t get it and moves to stand instead. Starks pulls him back to the ground and flattens him out from half guard, framing up an arm-triangle choke on the opposite side. With Heun’s head and arm wrapped up, Starks jumps from the right to full mount, then off to Heun’s left side. Starks bears down on the choke, forcing Heun to tap out.

The Official Result

Clifford Starks def. Jake Heun via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R2 4:11

Ed West vs. Timur Valiev

Round 1

Valiev takes a kick to the body and returns fire with one to West’s lead leg and one to the chest. He crowds West and moves the taller man toward the fence, then backs out and thumps West with an overhand right.

A low kick takes West off balance, and an overhand right to the temple in a flurry of punches sends him crashing to the mat. West pops back to his feet and gets trapped against the cage, where Valiev assaults him with standing elbows. West eats four or five elbows and a big knee before he goes down. Valiev stands over West dropping punches, shucks the legs and passes to side control to bomb with heavy hammer fists. Referee Ryan Brueggeman calls several times for West to defend himself, and when West offers nothing in return, the ref stops the fight.

The Official Result

Timur Valiev def. Ed West via TKO (Elbows and Punches) R1 1:39

Thiago Silva vs. Teddy Holder

Round 1

After exchanging leg kicks, Holder lands the first punch of the fight, a straight right hand. Silva gives the American a kick to the body, then puts up his guard and backs up to the cage while Holder throws a four-punch combo. Silva is keeping his guard high, letting Holder send punches off his arms. Holder swings and misses with a huge left hook, takes a low kick inside. Silva counters a right hook from Holder with a blasting straight right that puts Holder on unsteady legs. Holder recovers fast and presses forward, doubling up on his jab and then knocking Silva to the deck with a right hand on the temple.

Holder pounces on the downed UFC veteran, smashing with hammer fists from side control while referee Ryan Brueggeman has a close look. After a dozen or more unanswered punches, Brueggeman steps in to rescue the dazed Silva, a shocking win for Teddy Holder, who was scheduled to compete on the undercard just hours ago.

The Official Result

Teddy Holder def. Thiago Silva via TKO (Punches) R1 2:00

WSOF Lightweight Title Fight:
Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino

Round 1

The lightweights trade leg kicks to start the fight, then Gaethje steps in and huts Palomino with a head-down left hook. Palomino goes down, bounces back up and eats an uppercut, then a few knees to the body in the clinch. Gaethje releases with another uppercut and follows “Baboon” around the outside of the cage. Palomino is fighting with his back to the fence, letting Gaethje pick at him with high kicks and more punches. Gaethje gets a slam takedown, but Palomino is back on his feet in seconds. Uppercut scores for Gaethje as they work on the fence, then another sends Palomino stumbling. Palomino recovers quickly and comes back swinging, and the 155ers wind up back on the fence, Gaethje working the clinch from the outside. After a few knees, Palomino breaks out, and now the challenger is hitting the champ with uppercuts while Gaethje stands with his back to the fence. Gaethje turns out and shoves Palomino against the cage with an underhook. When they break, Palomino whips Gaethje with a hard left hook, but Gaethje looks to have landed an uppercut in the exchange. Gaethje grabs hold of Palomino and tosses him to the ground, then throws right hands from riding position when Palomino goes to his knees. Palomino gets to his feet, but before he can turn around, Gaethje blasts him with a left high kick. An overhand right on the temple puts Palomino on his seat near the fence. He climbs back to his feet under fire and knocks out Gaethje’s mouthpiece with a big right hand. Referee Guinee pauses the fight to replace the mouthpiece with less than 30 seconds on the clock. The lightweights keep swinging down the stretch, a blur of fists until Gaethje leaps into the air with a Peter Graham-style “rolling thunder” kick at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gaethje
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gaethje
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Gaethje

Round 2

Gaethje quickly backs Palomino toward the fence, but neither man is letting his hands go in the first 30 seconds. Palomino starts scoring with right hands while Gaethje keps his guard high. Gaethje misses with a jab, eats an uppercut and whiffs on a big right hand. It’s looking good for Palomino so far in round two, as the “Baboon” continues to outwork the champ through the first 90 seconds. Gaethje lands a leg kick, gets stung with a couple big hooks from Palomino, who pushes the champ toward the fence. Gaethje is looking tired now, bleeding from a small cut on his forehead, but he’s eating everything Palomino throws his way. A counter right hook from Gaethje hurts Palomino, and Gaethje hits a takedown behind it. Palomino gets back to his feet and goes to his back foot, countering the oncoming Gaethje. Down to the last 30 seconds of the round, Gaethje is working leg kicks to keep Palomino near the fence. Palomino’s offense drops off late, but he finds the mark with a hard left hand after missing a wheeling capoeira kick.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Palomino
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Palomino
C.J. Tuttle scores the round 10-9 Palomino

Round 3

Gaethje once again walks Palomino toward the fence, then lands a leg kick and steps back to avoid the challenger’s counter. Palomino blocks a left high kick with his hand. Referee Guinee calls time to have a piece of tape removed from Palomino’s glove. When they resume, Gaethje ducks into range with an overhand left. Palomino comes off the fence and throws a three-punch combo, but Gaethje covers up. Now it’s Palomino clinching and working for a takedown. Gaethje reverses and decks the Peru native with a standing elbow, a knee to the gut, an uppercut, one of which bloodies Palomino’s nose. Gaethje sprawls on a shot and punishes Palomino’s ribs with body blows. Both guys are slowing down now, halfway through the round and the bout. Gaethje throws a pair of knees in the Thai clinch, releases and slams Palomino with a level elbow. Two more low kicks from Gaethje send Palomino to the canvas, grabbing his left leg; Gaethje wants him back up. Gaethje bullies Palomino on the fence with 90 seconds left, mauling him with more knees, more low kicks. Palomino’s legs go out again, and after Gaethje slams him with half a dozen hammer fists, referee Guinee stops the fight. Justin Gaethje retains his WSOF lightweight title in stirring fashion.

The Official Result

Justin Gaethje def. Luis Palomino via TKO (Leg Kicks and Punches) R3 3:57