The win improved Taylor’s professional record to 7-3 while the loss dropped Fickett to 35-7.

Taylor had Fickett on his heels early then secured a quick takedown. On the ground, Taylor connected with heavy shots to Fickett’s head, one of which opened a two-inch gash on his forehead just above his right eye. Though Fickett tried to block the assault, Taylor continued the ground and pound barrage to force the referee to halt the bout at the 1:42 mark of the first round awarding Taylor the victory via TKO.

“We saw a great and unique vibe today,” said Scott Woodworth, president of Sycuan Ringside Promotions, which promoted the event. “The fans loved the fights. The energy was out of this world. It’s was raw, intense and powerful. It was fun to sit back and observe the excitement as a fan and as a promoter. We sold every seat in the house. We were turning people away at the box office. I can say that future MMA shows are in the works here at Sycuan. We now have a successful model to build from.”

In the night’s other featured bout Ian McCall of Laguna Nigel, Calif. won a unanimous decision against San Diego-native Kevin Dunsmoor in a three round bantamweight bout.

Five preliminary “Day of Reckoning” bouts will air live on HDNet while six main card fights, including the heavyweight main event featuring former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett, will air live on pay-per-view.

The Affliction “Day of Reckoning” fight card features:

MAIN CARD

• Josh Barnett vs. Andrei Arlovski
• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
• Matt Lindland vs. Trevor Prangley
• Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon
• Pedro Rizzo vs. Ben Rothwell
• Jay Hieron vs. Drew Fickett

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Roy Nelson vs. Paul Buentello
• Mike Pyle vs. Jason High
• Albert Rios vs. Antonio Duarte
• Jay White vs. Chase Gormley
• Brett Cooper vs. Patrick Speight

Also, Matt Lindland (21-5) has found an opponent for his “Day of Reckoning” bout as he will meet UFC veteran Trevor Prangley (17-5) on the pay-per-view main card reports MMA Junkie.

Affliction “Day of Reckoning”, the upstart promotion’s second-ever event, takes place on October 11th at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Three bouts on the event’s preliminary card will air on HDNet beginning at 8pm ET with the pay-per-view main card commencing at 9pm ET.

MMAFrenzy.com will have live coverage of Affliction “Day of Reckoning” on Saturday, October 11th beginning at 8pm ET.

• Richard Villa def. Drew Fickett via TKO – Round 2, 0:34
• Alberto Crane def. Adrian Valdez via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:35
• Jen Babcock def. Raechel Megahan via submission (arm triangle choke) – Round 1, 0:55
• Danny Martinez def. Felipe Chavez via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:07
• Mike Valdez def. Carlos Lopez via TKO – Round 1, 0:22
• Marciano Wilson def. Dickie Chavez via disqalification (illegal knee) – Round 1, 1:35
• Ryan Kelly def. Jerome Martinez via unanimous decision
• Josh Lanier def. Josian Smith via submission (triangle/armbar) – Round 1, 0:34
• Quinn Mulhern def. Blue Edwards via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 0:34
• Travis Degroat def. Robert Montiel via TKO – Round 1, 1:02
• Eric Saavedra def. Jeff Horlacher via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:41
• Richard Hale def. Jeremiah Martinez via KO – Round 1, 1:01
• Rafael Freitas def. Eric Buck via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 1:45
• Zack Mathews def. Mano Otero via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 1:42

I would like to take this opportunity to offer a personal response to comments and actions taken by Drew Fickett over the past 72 hours.

Drew had agreed to and signed a contract to fight on the Maximum Fighting Championship how on July 25 for the welterweight title against Ryan Ford. Over the last few days, Drew has caused  severe problems and therefore we find him in complete breach of his contract.

We were shocked to learn Drew agreed on one day’s notice to fight as a middleweight in another organization’s event this past Friday. When I contacted this other organization, its owner immediately cancelled Drew’s fight when informed that he was under contract to fight on the MFC show and as part of Mr. Fickett’s contract he was not allowed to take another fight up to five weeks before the MFC show.

Maximum Fighting Championship

When I learned of Drew’s intentions to take this fight, I repeatedly attempted to reach Drew’s manager to find out why. After numerous attempts to reach his manager went unreturned, I did leave a voice mail which has since been made public. I admit to being very upset, angry and frustrated not only by Drew’s action but also by not being able to reach his manager and the tone of that voice mail reflected my feelings.

Shortly afterwards I realized that I should have taken a deep breath and calmed down before leaving that message and I profusely apologized to Drew’s manager. I am not proud of that message but as the owner of a major fight organization I felt that I and my staff which works tirelessly to put on a first-class show were being treated very disrespectfully by Drew. If he had read his contract he would have realized he shouldn’t have taken the fight and he should not have attempted to get away with it.

Then for Drew to post the private voice mail – which was not left on his phone – was just ridiculous and petty.

This was the last straw in a series of unprofessional acts by Drew. He failed to send a promotional photo that we wanted to use for advertising the fight even after the MFC had sent him gloves and even went as far as being willing to book a photographer to take the pictures. He also failed to send any documents pertaining to his medicals, passport and border information.

Drew even stated in an email after the posting of the voice mail that he was still willing to fight in the MFC. But after that he added that he would want to be paid after the weigh-in one day before the fight. There is no question in my mind that Drew would have stiffed us completely and run off with our money without fighting as some sort of warped payback for the MFC protecting its investment in him and doing everything in its power to not allow him to fight within the five-week period prior to July 25.

We now completely understand why that despite his excellent record so many organizations will not work with Drew and we have a pretty clear indication why he has been banned by the UFC.

Drew Fickett will never fight in the MFC. As evidenced by his latest actions Drew clearly does not want to fight Ryan Ford for the MFC title despite signing a contract to do so.

The MFC has never had any problems with any fighters who do not breach their contract nor have we had any problems with fighters with issues that we do control such as payment for fights, travel itineraries, etc. Fighters we have problems with are ones who are neurotic misfits with poor management who won’t take responsibility for their actions, who won’t live up to fulfilling their contracts and those who do not act as professional athletes.

I will take all steps necessary to settle this issue legally and I will also move immediately into replacing Drew Fickett with a top-level fighter to contend for the MFC welterweight title against Ryan Ford on July 25.

Mark Pavelich, Owner/President

The event featured a Strikeforce lightweight championship bout between title-holder Gilbert Melendez and challenger Josh Thomson and a Strikeforce light heavyweight championship fight between reigning-champion Bobby Southworth and challenger Anthony Ruiz.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest Strikeforce news.

QUICK RESULTS

• Josh Thomson def. Gilbert Melendez (c) via unanimous decision
  Strikeforce Lightweight Championship
• Billy Evangelista def. Nam Phan via split decision
• Bobby Southworth (c) def. Anthony Ruiz via unanimous decision
  Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship
• Miesha Tate def. Elaina Maxwell via unanimous decision
• Jeremiah Metcalf def. Raymond Daniels via submission – Round 2, 0:59
• Chris Cariaso def. Anthony Figueroa via submission – Round 2, 4:34
• Bobby Stack def. Jose Palacios via unanimous decision
• Brian Caraway def. Alvin Cacdac via submission – Round 1, 1:39
• Eric Lawson def. Jesse Gillespie via submission – Round 1, 1:03
• Cyrillo Padhillo def. Jesse Jones via unanimous decision
• Jorge Interiano def. Travis Johnson via TKO – Round 2, 3:00
• Alexander Trivino def. Eric Jacob via submission – Round 1, 0:37

Continue reading for complete, round-by-round results from Strikeforce 10 “Melendez vs. Thomson”…

ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS

JOSH THOMSON DEF. GILBERT MELENDEZ (c)
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship

ROUND 1 – Melendez throws a jab early as the fighters circle one another. Melenez closes the distance and presses Thomson to the cage. Thomson connects with a knee then secures an early takedown. Thomson presses Melendez against the cage and works ground and pound. Mlendez gets away from the cage and keeps Thomson is half guard but is able to do little from the bottom. Melendez reverses on top of Thomson then they return to their feet. Kick by Thomson misses. They trade punches before the opening round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Thomson.

ROUND 2 – Thomson connects with a series of kicks and knees to open the second round. Melendez clinches and presses Thomson against the cage. Melendez lands a right out of the clinch. Thomson presses the pace and fires more kicks and punches at Melendez. Melendez closes and lands several punches then Thomson lands another kick. Knee to the body by Thomson followed by a spinning back kick. Thomson secures a late takedown just before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Thomson.

ROUND 3 – Thomson connects with a barrage of punches, kicks, and knees then Metlendez quickly counters with a solid combination of his own. Leg kick by Thomson. Melendez lands a combination. More leg kicks by the challenger. They go back-and-forth with strikes. Right by Melendez connects. Thomson secures a takedown. Melendez escapes back to his feet. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Thomson.

ROUND 4 – Melendez connects quickly with a combination. Thomson counters with a hard kick. More kicks by Thomson. Melendez returns with more punches but they’re countered by more effective kicks by Thomson. Thomson takes Melendez’s back and works for a rear naked choke but he runs out of time. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Thomson.

ROUND 5 – More kicks by Thomson to open the final frame. Melendez throws punches but they don’t connect. Thomson secures a takedown and takes Melendez’s back but they scramble and return to their feet. They trade strikes as Thomson continue to dominate the bout. Melendez connects with a combination then Thomson rocks Melendez. Thomson briefly takes him to the ground but they’re quickly back on their feet. Thomson presses him against the cage and rides out the final seconds of the bout. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Thomson and the bout 50-45.

Josh Thomson defeats Gilbert Melendez via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

BILLY EVANGELISTA DEF. NAM PHAN

ROUND 1 – Phan starts quickly with punches. Evangelista counters then secures a takedown. Evangelista works from Phan’s guard and connects with punches. Phan attempts to return to his feet but Evangelista keeps him on the ground. Evangelista connects with a hard punch that is followed by more ground and pound. Evangelista dominates the remainder of the round, keeping Phan on the ground pressed against the cage. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Evangelista.

ROUND 2 – Leg kicks by Evangelista to open the second round. Phan connects with several on-target combinations. Evangelista shoots for a takedown but Phan defends and remains on his feet. The fighters clinch against the fence then separate in favor of striking. Both fighters missing with big punches. Evangelista loses his mouth guard in the exchange and we briefly pause while it’s replaced. Evangelista works for another takedown but Phan successfully defends. Evangelista persists and eventually secures the takedown, working Phan’s guard. Evangelista is cut on his head. Evangelista keeps Phan under control for the remainder of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Phan.

ROUND 3 – The fighters trade punches to open the final round then Evangelista shoots for a takedown. Phan defends and the fighters clinch then separate and trade hard strikes. Evangelista attempts another takedown against the cage and, despite Phan’s best efforts, he’s eventually successful. Evangelista controls Phan on the ground from his guard, peppering him with intermitent punches. Referee Herb Dean stands them up and both fighters trade strikes. Phan connects with a solid combination that rocks Evangelista but he recovers and rides out the remainder of the bout. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Evangelista and the bout 29-28 Evangelista.

Billy Evangelista defeats Nam Phan via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

BOBBY SOUTHWORTH (c) DEF. ANTHONY RUIZ
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship

ROUND 1 – The fighters circle around the cage before Southworth secures an early takedown. On the ground he peppers Ruiz with strikes and moves to side control. He takes Ruiz’s back and looks for the rear naked choke. Ruiz fends him off and escapes into Southworth’s guard. Ruiz tries to move Southworth against the fence but he escapes and they both return to their feet and clinch. Southworth secures a takedown and moves to side control. Southworth secures a tight armbar but Ruiz escapes. Southworth works an omoplata and triangle choke before the opening round finished. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Southworth.

ROUND 2 – Kick and punch to the body by Ruiz to open the second round as he stalks Southworth. He closes the distance and clicnhes against the fence. Ruiz secures a takedown, landing in Southworth’s guard. Ruiz presses him against the cage but Southworth returns to his feet but Ruiz takes him back to the ground. They are again back on their feet briefly before Southworth secures a takedown and transitions into side control. Ruiz gives up his back as Southworth throws punches from the dominant position. They scramble and Ruiz lands in Southworth’s guard. Ruiz works punches to the body but Southworth briefly secures a triangle choke then transitions to side control. He controls Ruiz on the ground for the final seconds of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Ruiz.

ROUND 3 – Ruiz throws punches to open the third round then secures a takedown. From Southworth’s guard Ruiz presses him against the cage and throws strikes on the ground before they get back to their feet and clinch. Southworth secures a takedown and lands in half guard. Southworth captures full mount and Ruiz gives up his back. Ruiz is bleeding from his nose but is able to reverse into Southworth’s guard. Ruiz connects from the top and Southworth counters with a hard punch from the bottom. Southworth works back to his feet but Ruiz connects with some hard knees. Southworth secures another takedown and works from Ruiz’s guard for the final seconds of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Southworth.

ROUND 4 – Ruiz is pressing forward but is caught with a knee. Southworth secures a takedown and quickly has full mount. Ruiz escapes to his knees but Southworth pins him against the fence and throws punches to his head. Both fighters get back to their feet and Ruiz connects with a low knee. Southworth secures another takedown but Ruiz again escapes back to his feet. Ruiz backs away and looks to strike but Southworth connects with a hard knee-punch combo. Ruiz scores a takedown. Southworth works a kimura from the bottom, but Ruiz is able to escape the hold and get back to his feet. Southworth secures another takedown before the end of the fourth round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Southworth.

ROUND 5 – Ruiz is looking for the knockout but he’s unable to connect and Southworth secures another takedown. Ruiz attempts a guillotine from the bottom but he’s in a bad position and Southworth escapes into side control. Ruiz rolls away and both fighters return to their feet. They clinch against the fence and Southworth gets yet another takedown and moves to half guard. Ruiz works knees to the body from the bottom. Southwork controls Ruiz and looks to pass to side control but Ruiz defends. Southworth takes his backs and rides out the final seconds of the bout. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Southworth and the bout 49-46 Southworth.

Bobby Southworth defeats Anthony Ruiz via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 50-45)

ELAINA MAXWELL DEF. MIESHA TATE

ROUND 1 – Tate secures a quick takedown and lands in Maxwell’s guard. Maxwell looks for a triangle from the bottom. Tate passes to half guard then transitions to full mount. She lands several punches from the top before Maxwell ties her up and uses the cage to avoid most of the damage. Maxwell attempts to escape but is caught in an armbar. Maxwell is unable to escape from the hold but Tate can’t finish Maxwell off before the first round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Tate.

ROUND 2 – Tate secures another quick takedown and lands in Maxwell’s guard. High guard by Maxwell as she looks to set up the triangle but Tate again captures full mount. Tate connects with a series of punches from the top before Maxwell uses her legs to escape the mount but Tate ends up back on top before the second round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Tate.

ROUND 3 – Tate rushes in again and looks for another takedown but Maxwell stays against the fence and is able to remain on her feet. The referee restarts them and Tate again rushes in. They head to the ground and Maxwell takes Tate’s back. She works for a rear naked choke then an armbar but runs out of time. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maxwell and the bout 29-28 Tate.

Miesha Tate defeats Elaina Maxwell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

JEREMIAH METCALF DEF. RAYMOND DANIELS

ROUND 1 – Metcalf clinches with Daniels to open the fight and works for a takedown. Daniels is able to momentarily defend but Metcalf ultimately secures the takedown. Metcalf falls into a guillotine but quickly escapes and moves to mount. From the top Metcalf fires punches but Daniels survives and is saved by the bell. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-8 Metcalf.

ROUND 2 – Metcalf clinches with Daniels again to open the second round and secures a takedown. Metcalf gets to mount and drops punches from the top then looks for a triangle choke. Daniels rolls and Metcalf takes his back then secures a rear naked choke that forces the kickboxer Daniels to tap out in his MMA debut at 0:59 of round two.

Jeremiah Metcalf defeats Raymond Daniels via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 0:59

CHRIS CARIASO DEF. ANTHONY FIGUEROA

ROUND 1 – After dodging an early head kick by Figueroa Cariaso secures a takedown. Cariaso lands several shots from the top before transitioning to side control then mount. From the mount Cariaso looks for a submission but Figueroa escapes. Cariaso secures another takedown then moves to side control where he connects with a knee to the body of Figueroa. Figueroa scrambles back to his feet before the end of the opening round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Cariaso.

ROUND 2 – Cariaso secures another early takedown and works to half guard but Figueroa is able to regain full guard. Cariaso transitions to mount and initially looks for a submission before throwing punches from the top. Figueroa rolls and gives up his back and Cariaso capitalizes, sinking in a rear naked choke to force Figueroa to tap out at 4:34.

Chris Cariaso def. Anthony Figueroa via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 4:34

BOBBY STACK DEF. JOSE PALACIOS

ROUND 1 – Stack comes out swinging but misses. Stack keeps the pressure on but Palacios knocks out Stack’s mouthpiece with a hard right. Stack looks for a takedown but Palacios fends it off. Stack attempts another takedown and is successful on his second attempt, landing in Palacios’ guard. Stack lands several punches before the opening round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Palacios.

ROUND 2 – Stack secures a quick takedown and again works from Palacios’ guard. Stack is unable to connect with much while Palacios works submissions from the bottom. Palacio attempts to escape but is caught in an armbar. He’s able to escape and transitions to the top before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Stack.

ROUND 3 -Stack again secures a quick takedown then moves to full mount. Stack lands several solid punches from the top before Palacios escapes but ultimately ends up on his back again with Stack in his guard. Stack lands several final shots before the bout concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Stack and the bout 29-28 Stack.

Bobby Stack def. Jose Palacios via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

BRIAN CARAWAY DEF. ALVIN CACDAC

ROUND 1 -Caraway rushes in and secures a quick takedown. Caraway takes Cacdac’s back and locks in a rear naked choke. Cacdac attempts to defend but Caraway forces Cacdac to tap out at 1:39.

Brian Caraway def. Alvin Cacdac via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 1:39

JESSE GILLESPIE VS. ERIC LAWSON

CYRILLO PADHILLO DEF. JESSE JONES

ROUND 1 – The fighters quickly clinch and Padhillo scores an early takedown. On the ground, Jones closes guard then returns to his feet during an attempted pass to side control by Padhillo. Back on their feet, Padhillo connects with a big punch then clinches with Jones and works for another takedown before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Padhillo.

ROUND 2 – Jones and Padhillo trade kicks to open the second then clinch. Padhillo secures another takedown and works punches and knees from the top before they stall and are stood up. Back on their feet Padhillo taunts Jones but Jones is unable to connect before the round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Padhillo.

ROUND 3 – An early takedown is stuffed then Jones connects with a hard right that sends Padhillo to the mat. Jones continues to land strikes before Padhillo is able to bring him to the ground and sweep into the top position. Padhillo recovers before they stall and are restarted on their feet. Padhillo secures a late takedown and works more knees to the tailbone of Jones before the bout concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Jones and the bout 29-28 Padhillo.

Cyrillo Padhillo def. Jesse Jones via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

JORGE INTERIANO DEF. TRAVIS JOHNSON

ROUND 1 – The fighters trade kicks to start the bout. Interiano is the aggressor and looks to press the action while Johnson looks to evade and find an opening. Interiano finishes off the round with a solid combination that hurts Johnson. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Interiano.

ROUND 2 – Interiano is aggressive to start the second and pushes the pace. Johnson connects but Interiano counters with a punch to the body. Johnson trips but returns to his feet. Interiano continues to stalk Johnson around the cage and opens up a cut under his right eye with a combination. Johnson looks to back away but Interiano is relentless and continues to connect with punches, rocking Johnson as the second round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Interiano.

Jorge Interiano def. Travis Johnson via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00

ALEXANDER TRIVINO DEF. ERIC JACOB

ROUND 1 – Jacob scores a quick takedown but on the ground Travino secures a fight-ending armbar that forces Jacob to tap out at 0:37.

Alexander Trivino def. Eric Jacob via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 0:37

UFC veteran Drew Fickett had agreed on short notice to fight in place of Riggs against middleweight prospect Luke Stewart but Maximum Fighting Championships officials have vetoed the bout according to MMAJunkie.com. Fickett is scheduled to fight Ryan Ford at MFC 17 on July 25th and, as part of the agreement for the main event bout, Fickett can not fight within 45-days of the event without permission from the promotion.

MMARated.com is reporting that Riggs was not cleared for the bout because he had taken Percocet three days ago and informed the CSAC of his use of the prescribed drug during pre-fight medicals.

Stewart has been scratched from the card after the promotion was unable to secure another opponent for the bout.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest Strikeforce news.

STRIKEFORCE “MELENDEZ VS. THOMSON” BETTING ODDS

• Gilbert Melendez (-500) vs. Josh Thomson (+350)
• Bobby Southworth (-260) vs. Anthony Ruiz (+200)
• Nam Phan (-140) vs. Billy Evangelista (+110)
• Elaina Maxwell (-330) vs. Miesha Tate (+260)
• Luke Stewart (NA) vs. Drew Fickett (NA)

Bet on MMA at Bodog

Regardless, the championship matchup will not be rescheduled and Fickett now appears to be on the chopping block according to GracieFighter.com:

“It seems as if the EliteXC Jake Shields/Drew Fickett fight will not be happening after all. The fight was to have happened this past Saturday for the EliteXC welterweight belt, but was postponed to September when Fickett told EliteXC officials he needed more time to recover from an injury. To the chagrin of EliteXC officials, Fickett signed on to another organization and proceeded to fight in Arizona one week ago. Fickett’s decision cost Shields financially as he was left without a fight for the Hawaii card. EliteXC has not been able to contact Fickett and it looks as if they will be dropping him from their organization.”

The report added that Nick Thompson and Jay Hieron are among the list of potential new opponents for Shields, who is now slated to fight for the welterweight championship at “Saturday Night Fights 2″ on CBS in late-July.