WSOF 15: Results and Recap from Main Card

The people’s main event at World Series of Fighting 15 went the distance.

A week’s worth of trash talk came to a head at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday night, as WSOF lightweight champ Justin Gaethje fought against former Grudge Training Center teammate Melvin Guillard.

There was no title on the line due to Guillard missing the 155-pound weight limit at the official weigh-ins on Friday.

No title implications did little to quell the importance of this bout as a measuring stick for Gaethje, an undefeated fighter lacking in experience against world-class opposition. For Guillard, a former UFC contender, it was all about reinventing himself in another promotion and avoiding the status of gatekeeper for fresh, young talent.

Here are the results for the entire WSOF 15 fight card, followed by a recap of every fight on the main card. 

David Branch vs. Yushin Okami	David Branch def. Yushin Okami by TKO 3:39 Round 4
Justin Gaethje vs. Melvin Guillard	Justin Gaethje def. Melvin Guillard by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Jessica Aguilar vs. Kalindra Faria	Jessica Aguilar def. Kalindra Faria by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)
Jorge Patino vs. Eric Reynolds	Jorge Patino def. Eric Reynolds by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Matt Frevola vs. Josh Zuckerman	Matt Frevola def. Josh Zuckerman by submission (armbar) 2:50 Round 1
Reggie Pena vs. Joe Johnson	Reggie Pena def. Joe Johnson by submission (rear-naked choke) 4:15 Round 1
Hector Ochoa vs. Robert Reed	Hector Ochoa def. Robert Reed by split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Tony Way vs. Frederico Moncaio	Tony Way def. Frederico Moncaio by submission (guillotine) 2:03 Round 3
Anderson Hutchinson vs. Troy Gerhart	Anderson Hutchinson def. Troy Gerhart by unanimous decision
Jose Cortez vs. Ryan Keenan	Ryan Keenan def. Jose Cortez by submission (rear-naked choke) 2:16 Round 3
Maurice Salmon vs. Javier Torres	Maurice Salmon def. Javier Torres by TKO (doctor stoppage) 5:00 Round 1

David Branch vs. Yushin Okami

The actual WSOF 15 main event featured a title fight between middleweight champ David Branch and former UFC title contender Yushin Okami.

In the least entertaining fight on the main card, Okami, a southpaw fighter, walked Branch down in an open-guard stand-up battle. Open guard is generally defined as when fighters of opposing lead hands square off in front of each other.

For the most part, it was a battle of foot position to see which fighter could create the best angle to land the loaded rear-hand punch. Okami, a world-class grappler, opted to once again snub his takedowns for a striking-heavy offensive attack. The takedowns he did attempt were either horribly telegraphed or too far outside to present any real threat.

The exceptionally long affair finally came to an end when Branch landed a beautifully timed overhand right that sent the former UFC star crashing to the canvas. Like a shark in blood-filled waters, Branch swarmed on Okami with a flurry of strikes until the referee was forced to step in.

Melvin Guillard vs. Justin Gaethje

The script couldn’t have played out any more beautifully for Gaethje, who kept his lightweight title and perfect record intact.

Despite all the trash talk, Guillard opened up the fight as the calmer fighter, moving around on the outside and finding a constant connection with his jab. Gaethje spent most of the first round swinging at air as Guillard slipped punches and countered effectively.

But it wasn’t until The Young Assassin found a home for his rear uppercut that he really began to find success on the feet. In an incident at the end of the first round, Gaethje appeared to throw a late punch after the bell.

In the second round, Gaethje continued to go head hunting, but he also proved to be more effective in cutting off the cage and cornering Guillard. This severely limited Guillard’s defense and opened up more opportunities for Gaethje to land on the outside and close the distance to work some dirty boxing.

The final round proved to be more of the same with Gaethje turning his focus to kicking Guillard’s lead leg. There wasn’t much offense from Guillard, who spent the brunt of the round hopping around on one leg.

It was the most convincing round for Gaethje in an incredibly close fight that ended in a split decision.

Jessica Aguilar vs. Kalindra Faria

In other action, top women’s strawweight fighter Jessica Aguilar successfully defended her 115-pound title against Kalindra Faria.

Aguilar opened up the fight by taking the center of the cage and pumping out a jab to gauge distance against the taller fighter. Faria appeared content to wait on the outside and look for openings to counter as Aguilar worked inside with a typical one-two and an occasional overhand right.

On the feet, the advantage of technical efficiency belonged to Faria, but Aguilar’s speed and ability to control distance made the difference in this fight.

It wasn’t until the third round that grappling really came into play for Aguilar. After having several takedowns defended, Aguilar was finally able to trap Faria against the cage and secure a takedown. She spent the brunt of the round from top position, working short strikes and threatening with front chokes.

For a moment in the fourth round, the tide seemed to change. Faria abandoned the counter game and took the fight to Aguilar, ripping to the body and head with multiple combinations.

However, the fight once again tipped into Aguilar’s favor after she landed in top position on the ground due to a failed hip toss by Faria. It was more of the same in the fifth round with Faria stalking Aguilar and besting the stand-up exchanges.

A lone takedown was Aguilar’s best offense in the final stanza against an opponent who proved to be every bit as tough as advertised.

"I wasn't surprised with how tough she was," Aguilar said in the cage after the fight. "I knew she was going to be tough. She's one of the best in the world, and that's what I love to challenge myself against. It's not easy winning 11 fights in a row." 

Jorge Patino vs. Eric Reynolds

A lightweight scrap between Jorge Patino and Eric Reynolds kicked off the main card festivities on Saturday night.

Patino immediately snagged a single-leg takedown to avoid Reynolds’ wild stand-up exchanges. The 41-year-old looked like a magician on the ground, constantly transitioning between sweeps and submission attempts.

Reynolds, however, proved to be the ultimate escape artist in defending submissions and finding openings to scramble back to his feet. On the feet, Reynolds threw caution to the wind, chasing Patino with both hands down and swinging wild punches. But Patino refused to oblige his opponent in a game of Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots.

Instead, he secured another takedown and began working for a leglock, which Reynolds fended off beautifully.

Things quickly picked up in the second round, as Patino snagged another takedown and transitioned to the mount position. On top, he rained down a slew of punches and elbows that opened up a huge gash on Reynolds’ forehead. Despite being covered in red goo, Reynolds continued to find small openings to escape back to his feet and draw Patino into a slugfest.

However, these moments only lasted a short while, as Patino wasn’t eager to stray too far from his bread-and-butter grappling.

The final round was capped off by momentary stand-up exchanges and high-level grappling transitions and escapes. By the end of the fight, the WSOF cage looked more like a CSI crime scene.

All three judges scored the fight in favor of Patino (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).