» Fighter: Mark Kerr

“King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0) TKO’d late replacement “Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (14-11) in 25 seconds at M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City Friday night, sending Kerr’s mouthpiece zipping across the mat at the end of a right hook while Kerr lie flat on his stomach.

Lawal had crouched low out of his corner; and, Kerr threw a low kick. Lawal caught Kerr’s low kick and dumped Kerr on his stomach, beginning the onslaught of punches that ended the fight.

For Lawal, the “W” is Pyrrhic as the talented light heavyweight wastes time versus opponents, like Kerr, who don’t develop his talent.

Read More About Mo Lawal Sends Mark Kerr’s Mouthpiece Flying in TKO at M-1 Global Breakthrough…

Light heavyweight über-prospect “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (3-0) and middleweight Brazilian “Spartan” Lucio Linhares (11-3) highlight Friday’s M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City that features an exhibition sparring match between Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) and Strikeforce light heavyweight champ “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1).

Breakthrough gets started at 7:30 PM local time at Memorial Hall in KC and the meat of the of the card will be broadcast on HDNet at 10:00 PM EST. Outside of the United States, the entire card will be streamed via the Internet. Details are available at M-1 Global’s website. Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased at Ticketmaster and there’s a buy-one-get-one-free offer.

Fighters.com asked Mousasi to explain the exhibition sparring format last Thursday. “It’s just like a light sparring,” he said, and added that the exhibition won’t turn competitive in front of thousands in Kansas City. “We are not animals. We can control ourselves.”

Read More About Mo Lawal, Lucio Linhares Highlight KC M-1 Card Featuring Emelianenko/Mousasi Sparring Exhibition…

Fighters.com doesn’t blame über-prospect “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (3-0), but the main event for M-1 Global Breakthrough just went from bad to worse. Forty-year old “Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (14-10) will bring his four-fight losing streak into the ring in Kansas City 28 August to replace Lawal’s original opponent, forty-three year old former UFC champion “Predator” Don Frye (20-7-1).

Perhaps Frye is to blame? M-1 Global Chief Operating Officer Joost Raimond thinks so, saying Monday, “Don Frye had a signed contract with M-1 and part of that signed commitment allowed us to change the venue if needed. From our perspective, Don should still be in this fight. However, for reasons that we aren’t exactly sure of, he has backed out. Don still has not provided us with a clear reason as to why he is refusing to fight. It just doesn’t make sense because the old Don Frye was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. Perhaps the fire is gone and he underestimated the challenge that ‘King Mo’ presents?”

Ostentatious former NCAA wrestling champion “King Mo” won a unanimous decision over Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo last March. He’ll fight for the first time in his home nation at Breakthrough.

Read More About Mark Kerr Replaces Don Frye Versus Mo Lawal at M-1 Breakthrough…

“Diesel” Travis Wiuff (52-11) battled five rounds versus three heavyweights Friday night in Atlantic City to conquer YAMMA Pit Fighting’s first tournament.

In non-tournament action, forty-four-year old original Ultimate Fighter challenger Patrick Smith (15-13) submitted 417-pound “Butterbean” Eric Esch (10-6-1) with strikes.

And, “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov (16-5-2) also won by submission over “The Titan” Mark Kerr (15-7).

The tournament featured one-round fight-offs into the semi-finals.

Wiuff drew Brazilian Marcel Pereira (0-1) and pummeled the jits player on the mat over five minutes for the unanimous decision.

The tourney had commenced with an Alexey Oleinik (7-4) front-choke submission of “The Tank” Sherman Pendergarst at 4:18.

Chris Tuscherer (13-1) had dominated Tony Sylvester (10-2) for a unanimous decision.

And, former UFC Heavyweight Champion “Suave” Ricco Rodriguez (28-9) had taken George Bush (5-1) down at will to score a UD.

The second round also featured one-round fight-offs pairing Oleinik versus Tuscherer and Wiuff versus Rodriguez.

Again, Tuscherer dominated his opponent in G’n'P fury for a unanimous decision; and, Wiuff similarly overwhelmed the veteran Rodriguez, also for a UD.

In the three-round tournament final, Tuscherer didn’t do more than frustrate the seemingly fresher Wiuff.  Wiuff closed out round one with a left-right combo that bloodied Tuscherer.  Rounds two and three were fought mostly on the mat, with Wiuff unloading ground’n'pound in spurts while Tuscherer was somewhat effective tying him up.

At the final bell, Wiuff took all three judges’ cards 30-27 twice and 29-28.

In the event’s “Masters Superfight” main event, Smith shredded Bean’s pillar-like legs with kicks that eventually fell the massive man.  Esch was helpless on his back as Smith beat him to verbal submission at 3:17 of round one.

After absorbing a massive right from Kerr in the other “Masters Superfight”, Taktarov swept into a side kneebar to tap “The Titan” at 1:50 of round one.

The night had popped-off at the end of a “Philly Badass” Lamont Lister (4-3) overhand right that dropped Russian Oleg Savitsky (1-2) in a tournament alternate bout.  “Badass” finished him on the mat for a 33-second TKO.

In the other tourney alternate bout, Bryan Vetell (4-3) won a one-round unanimous decision over Antwain Britt (3-1).

Steve Rusich, “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge’s (23-16-1) manager, has confirmed that the veteran won’t be permitted by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to fight “Butterbean” Eric Esch (10-5-1) at 11 April’s YAMMA Pit Fighting debut event in Atlantic City.

“Bob Meyrowitz [YAMMA Pit Fighting CEO] is just pissed off right now,” Rusich said about the situation.

Goodridge was knocked out in the second round last Sunday by Mu Bae Choi (7-2) in KHAN, a South Korean MMA promotion.

NJSACB told Five Ounces of Pain it intends to protect Goodridge’s health and safety after the KO.

“Gary is embarrassed about [the KO],” Rusich related.  “Apparently he beat the guy up pretty good in the first round and the guy just wouldn’t go away.”

Goodridge is also scheduled to headline a 19 April King of the Cage card in Los Angeles versus Team Oyama’s Tony Lopez (5-2).

Rusich stated, “He’s probably not going to be allowed to fight then either.”

No one at the California State Athletic Commission was available this afternoon to comment on Goodridge’s eligibility.

The NJSACB also told Five Ounces of Pain that the announced main event between “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov (15-5-2) versus “The Titan” Mark Kerr (15-6) has not yet been sanctioned either.

The fighter under review, Kerr, comes off a 29 March keylock submission victory over Chuck Huus (0-1) in Caged Combat Championship Fights.

Monday YPF announced that “Suave” Ricco Rodriguez (27-8) would join the eight-man heavyweight tournament.

Rodriguez returns from a 16 February split decision loss to “Junior” Antonio Silva (10-1) in EliteXC.

The promotion also revealed details of “The YAMMA”, a sloped fighting surface that Meyrowitz hopes will “keep the fighting more explosive and continuous.”