World Series of Fighting 7 Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Micah Brakefield vs. Brendan Kornberger

Round 1

Brakefield lands a hard leg kick outside, answered by a grazing overhand right from Kornberger. After a minute of leg-kicking and circling, Brakefield shoots for a takedown against the fence, then spins to the back and suplexes Kornberger to the canvas. Kornberger gets back to his feet, still held against the cage, and he’s tripped down midway through the opening round. Again, Kornberger gets to his feet, but he’s taken back down as he comes forward swinging reckless punches. Brakefield frames up a standing arm-triangle choke as the middleweights stand, but Kornberger gets him away with a rough right hook to the ribs. Brakefield shoots a single-leg and is stuffed by Kornberger, who drills his opponent’s sides and shoulders with elbows as Brakefield continues working for the takedown to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Brakefield
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Brakefield
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Brakefield

Round 2

Brakefield shoots for a quick takedown and gets sprawled on. Kornberger is ready for it this time and gets busy with big right hands on his shooting opponent, bashing away until Brakefield opts to pull guard. Kornberger dodges a heel hook and then swims through Brakefield’s open guard with punches and elbows. Brakefield goes to his knees and Kornberger keeps the punches coming, prompting referee John Cooper to take a closer look. Brakefield keeps rolling, keeping himself in the fight but not offering anything in return. A few more Kornberger right hands connect, and now Brakefield’s corner throws in the towel.

The Official Result

Brendan Kornberger def. Micah Brakefield via TKO (Corner Stoppage) R2 2:45

Myles Merola vs. Dan Ring

Round 1

Merola immediately presses Ring against the fence, looking to change levels for a takedown, but Ring defends and hits him with a pair of knees to the body. They fight off the fence and Merola lands a slapping leg kick, but Ring makes him pay with a flurry of punches. Another double-leg attempt from Merola is sprawled on by Ring, who escapes the position by threatening with a kimura. Now it’s Ring working for a single-leg on the fence, reversed by Merola, and they grapple along the fence. Ring sends three or four knees to Merola’s midsection, and Merola shoots to pick Ring’s ankles. Ring hits the switch, looking for an inverted triangle, but Merola blocks it. The lightweights separate with one minute left and Ring puts Merola on the fence to land a couple body shots. They come off the cage and Merola hits a trip takedown. As he stands over Ring, an upkick catches Merola on the cup just before time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Ring
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Ring
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Ring

Round 2

Merola moves across the cage to clinch and gets turned around by Ring, who works the body with knees and punches. Now a double-leg attempt for Merola succeeds, but Ring is right back on his feet, then rolling for a kneebar. Ring can’t get it and rolls through, working for a single of his own on the fence. Merola defends at first but Ring drags him down on the second effort, then takes Merola’s back when Merola misses with an upkick. Merola stands with Ring still wrapped around his waist, but he shakes Ring by turning his back to the fence. Merola pulls guard with a guillotine choke and squeezes hard as he wraps Ring in his guard. Ring waits it out and pulls his head free to take top position with just under two minutes on the clock. Ring hops on Merola’s back but falls off and settles for pressing Merola against the cage. Merola reverses and takes a hard knee to the body, then drags Ring to the ground as Ring goes for another standing kimura. They quickly scramble up and Merola completes one last takedown before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Merola
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Merola
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Ring

Round 3

Ring comes out swinging heavy punches but is quickly taken down in the center of the cage. Merola grinds with short punches from Ring’s open guard, then stands and gets popped with an upkick. Ring throws up his legs for an armbar.

He can’t get it and puts Merola back in closed guard. Ring swings his hips around again and lands a pair of blatant heel strikes to Merola’s face. Referee Kevin Dornan takes one point away from Ring and restarts the fighters on the ground, with Merola on top. Ring grabs for a heel hook, can’t get it but manages to scramble up and press Merola against the cage. Ring dives on another leglock attempt, and it turns into a front headlock for Merola. The lightweights stand and Merola tries to finish with a guillotine as time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Merola (29-27 Merola)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Merola (29-27 Merola)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-8 Merola (28-28 Draw)

The Official Result

Myles Merola def. Dan Ring via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) R3 5:00

Shawn Albrecht vs. Gabriel Solorio

The Official Result

Gabriel Solorio def. Shawn Albrecht via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Matt Baker vs. David Perron

Round 1

Perron catches Baker coming in with a quick punching combination, but Baker comes through it anyhow and hits a takedown against the fence. Perron grabs for a quick guillotine as he hits the ground, and Baker has to stack up to loosen the choke. Baker is already leaking blood on the canvas from the opening barrage of punches, but he manages to pull his head loose. Perron immediately throws up a triangle choke in the ensuing scramble, and this one is deep, forcing Baker to tap out.

The Official Result

David Perron def. Matt Baker via Submission (Triangle Choke) R1 1:46

Richard Arsenault vs. Mike Hill

Round 1

Arsenault cracks Hill’s lead leg with some hard kicks, while Hill looks to knock off his opponent’s block with huge overhand rights. Arsenault throws an awkward left hook and comes up limping, grabbing at his right leg. Arsenault goes for a takedown, can’t get Hill on the mat and instead pulls guard to avoid Hill’s punches. Arsenault puts his back to the fence and leans left, can’t get what he’s looking for and wraps up Hill in his guard. Hill breaks the guard to deliver a couple hard right hands, then a short left and an elbow. More rough left hands connect for Hill, who has Arsenault’s right arm pinned behind him. Arsenault frees the arm, eats another left and continues playing defense as Hill piles on the punches. Hill finishes the round with three more lefts, and Hill gets up to hobble back to his corner.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hill
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hill
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Hill

Round 2

Arsenault somehow makes it out of his corner to start the second round. It appears to be a questionable tactic, as Arsenault gingerly limps to the center to meet his opponent, who easily knocks him down and then allows him back up. Arsenault is like a wounded animal, just trying to circle away and avoid any more leg attacks from Hill. After Hill connects with another low kick and Arsenault stumbles away, referee Kevin Dornan decides to pause the action. Dornan explains that the kick landed to Arsenault’s groin, but he calls in the physician to check the injured leg. The doctor says Arsenault can’t continue, and so, this one is all over.

The Official Result

Michael Hill def. Richard Arsenault via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) R2 1:29

Dwayne Lewis vs. Kalib Starnes

Round 1

Not much clean offense lands in the opening minute of the bout, with Starnes circling the outside, pawing with jabs that go off Lewis’ gloves; Lewis tries to find the range with kicks. Lewis bursts forward with a combination and a kick to the body, and the 205ers wind up clinching on the fence with Lewis on the outside. Starnes lands a couple knees inside, they separate, and Lewis comes away wiping at his left eye. Ref Jerin Valel asks Lewis if he caught a kick on the cup, but Lewis says he’s okay. Starnes comes forward and hits Lewis with a right hand to the gut, then three or four hooks up top. Lewis circles out to his left, stumbling as he keeps his back to the cage. Starnes is keeping him on the outside, and Lewis tries to create a little space with hard, straight punches and push kicks. Lewis splits Starnes’ guard with a left straight, just misses with the follow-up right hook. Starnes closes in and Lewis covers up as the UFC veteran patters with short punches. Starnes waves Lewis forward, then shows a little frustration, shrugging as Lewis pulls up short on punches. Back to the cage they go, Starnes on the outside. They break off just before the horn and Lewis counters a low kick with a stiff right straight.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Starnes
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Starnes
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Starnes

Round 2

Starnes clips Lewis with a short left, then sends him stumbling back with a straight right. They trade leg kicks, and Lewis sends one to Starnes’ midsection. Starnes comes right back and pushes Lewis against the fence, wraps his right arm around Lewis’ neck and hits him with a left elbow. The first one doesn’t seem to faze Lewis, but the second one lands on the temple and knocks him out cold, sending Lewis to the ground. Starnes screams some choice words at his unconscious opponent as referee Valel pushes him away.

The Official Result

Kalib Starnes def. Dwayne Lewis via KO (Elbow) R2 1:02

Sabah Fadai vs. Nick Newell

Round 1

Newell opens with a leg kick and then makes Fadai circle back out with a right hook that just grazes its target. Fadai stays on the outside, hoping to set up strikes from range, but he can’t defend when Newell shoots in for a single-leg takedown and rips the Chilliwack, British Columbia, native to the canvas. Fadai quickly pops back up, but Newell keeps hold of his leg and uses an outside trip to put him back on the ground. As Fadai scrambles up again, Newel catches him in a front headlock. He deftly transitions to a deep guillotine choke and forces a quick tap with Fadai still on his feet along the cage.

The Official Result

Nick Newell def. Sabah Fadai via Submission (Guillotine Choke) R1 1:21

Jesse Taylor vs. Elvis Mutapcic

Round 1

Taylor shoots for and completes a quick takedown against the fence, putting Mutapcic on his back and moving straight to full mount about 30 seconds into the fight. Mutapcic gives up his back and Taylor sinks in one hook, but his right leg is blocked by the cage. Mutapcic scrapes Taylor off, but “JT Money” stays heavy on top, muscling Mutapcic against the base of the fence and roughing him up with right hands. Taylor works from Mutapcic’s open guard now, smashing with hard hammer-fists as Mutapcic closes his legs halfway through the round. Taylor pulls guard with a deep guillotine but loses the choke and winds up underneath Mutapcic, who slips around to take Taylor’s back. Taylor turns around to reclaim top position, where he spends the final 30 seconds of the round bloodying Mutapcic with ground-and-pound.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Taylor
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Taylor
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Taylor

Round 2

Mutapcic sprawls on a shot, tries to grab a guillotine and gets pushed to the ground as Taylor keeps pushing. Taylor pulls guard with another guillotine, then rolls on top, and Mutapcic looks close to tapping with his hand in the air. Mutapcic slips his head out, though, and Taylor gets to work on top with short, rough ground-and-pound and knees to the body. Mutapcic tries to create some space with butterfly guard, can’t kick Taylor away and closes guard again. The pace slows, and referee John Cooper stands the middleweights up with two minutes left. Mutapcic grazes Taylor’s temple with a right hook and shoves him to the ground, briefly framing up a brabo choke. Mutapcic gives up the choke, then grabs an arm-triangle and rolls underneath, losing the choke and top position. Taylor further messes up Mutapcic’s face in the closing half-minute with hard elbows over the top.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Taylor
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Taylor
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Taylor

Round 3

Taylor gets a quick takedown and shoves Mutapcic to the foot of the fence, dropping elbows and punches from side control. Mutapcic tries to push off the cage and escape, but Taylor is heavy on top, grinding all over “The King” and keeping busy enough to avoid a stand-up. Mutapcic sweeps and stands, trying another guillotine, but he loses the choke when Taylor slams him back to the ground. Mutapcic tries to grab for a heel hook; Taylor stretches out, extracts his leg and comes back to half-guard, where he continues to drop elbows and grind with forearms. Mutapcic gets Taylor back to closed guard as the fight enters its final minute.

Mutapcic tries to create space and work some elbows from his back, but he’s still stuck underneath Taylor when time runs out.

Sherdog Scores

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Taylor (30-27 Taylor)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Taylor (30-27 Taylor)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Taylor (30-27 Taylor)

The Official Result

Jesse Taylor def. Elvis Mutapcic via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3 5:00

WSOF Featherweight Title Fight:
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Lance Palmer

Round 2

Karakhanyan takes center cage and launches a two-piece combo to start round two, followed by a pair of low kicks. The Bellator vet then catches Palmer with an accidental eye-poke, mirroring Palmer’s foul in round one. Palmer recovers quickly and scores a takedown, but “Insane” threatens with an armbar attempt. Palmer picks him up and slams Karakhanyan to escape the hold. Karakhanyan then tries a heel hook. He can’t finish it but uses to attempt to regain his vertical base. Karakhanyan lands a hard low kick, but Palmer drives him back down to the canvas. Karakhanyan continues to do good work off his back, but the RFA champ scores with a few good shots to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Round 3

Karakhanyan lands from range to start round three, but Palmer moves in on a single-leg. He snatches it, but Karakhanyan defends well, popping him several times before eating a hard left hand. Palmer catches a kick and pushes “Insane” to the mat, quickly taking his back.

Palmer looks for a Kenny Robertson-style kneebar from back control, but Karakhanyan wriggles out of it. Palmer stays tight to his opponent, but Karakhanyan turns into him.

Palmer gives him enough space to slide his forearm under his throat, and Karakhanyan is now on a guillotine choke, flipping Palmer over and forcing the tap to become the inaugural WSOF featherweight champion.

The Official Result

Karakhanyan Def. Palmer Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 4:40