Out of Obscurity: The Week in Review (March 31 – April 7)

Every Friday, MMA DieHards will take a look – with video footage when possible – at the previous week’s action at small regional and international shows with a focus on UFC and Pride veterans, consensus-ranked fighters and up-and-coming prospects. Here’s what went down between March 31 and April 7:

MMA: The Reckoning (Orillia, Ontario, Canada; April 2)

WEC and IFL veteran Chris Horodecki (17-3) secured a rear naked choke to submit David Castillo (9-3) in the first round of a fight that made Sherdog’s list of 10 April Tussles Worth Watching…Jordan Mein (21-7) earned a unanimous decision over UFC veteran Josh Burkman (21-9)…Matt MacGrath (10-5) took the unanimous nod over TUF 9 alum Dean Amasinger (7-4).

Iron Man Championship 9 (Belem, Para, Brazil; March 31)
Marinho Rocha (3-4) scored a controversial upset victory via split decision over Sergio Junior (21-8-3) in a welterweight title bout…Andre Lobato (11-2) captured the middleweight crown, needing just 34 seconds to catch Alexandre Goncalves Alves Jr. (5-4) in a heel hook for the submission win…Rafael Bastos (35-14-1) earned a unanimous decision over Jamil Silveira (20-12).

Recife Fighting Championship 4 (Recife, Ceara, Brazil; March 31)

UFC and ShoXC veteran Rafaello Oliveira (14-3) scored a second-round TKO of Ryan Bixler (19-14-1)…UFC veteran Junior Assuncao (12-4) submitted Wesley Murch (8-5) via a first-round rear naked choke…Vanessa Porto (12-4) locked in an armbar in the first round to submit Kalindra Carvalho Faria (1-3-1).

Fight Time 4: MMA Heavyweight Explosion (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; April 1)
In a fight that made Sherdog’s list of 10 April Tussles Worth Watching, UFC and Pride veteran Jeff Monson (41-11) earned a unanimous decision over Bellator vet Tony Lopez (23-6) to capture the ISKA MMA heavyweight championship…Bellator veteran Derek Mehmen (11-3) took home a unanimous decision over IFL vet Matt Thompson (14-9).

M-1 Selection 2011: European Tournament (Tokyo; April 1)

Sergey Kornev (9-1) advanced in the light heavyweight tournament, forcing Antonio Gonzalez (0-1) to submit to strikes in the first round. Two other 205ers advanced at the event, Salim Dawood (1-0) and Saparbek Safarov (3-0)…Gael Grimaud (12-5) moved on in the welterweight tournament with a second-round guillotine choke submission of Ramazan Abdulzhalilov (2-2). He will be joined in the semifinals by Gasanali Gasanaliev (1-1-1) and Acoidan Duque (4-0), both of whom also won their quarterfinal bouts at the show…Jerome Bouisson (8-1) secured his lightweight tourney semifinal spot by submitting Alexander Kozyr (3-2) in the first round via rear naked choke. Others advancing in the lightweight bracket were Alexey Nevzorov (3-1), Shahbulat Shamhalaev (2-1) and Shamil Abdulkerimov (2-1).

Shooto Brazil 22 (Brasilia, Brazil; April 1)
Ronny Markes (10-1) captured the Shooto South American light heavyweight crown, needing only 45 seconds to TKO Diogo Osama (1-1)…Hacran Dias (18-1-1) earned a unanimous decision over Elieni Silva (9-4) in the Shooto South American lightweight title bout…Shooto South American 183-pound champion Carlos Pereira (22-9) retained his belt with a first-round TKO of Julio Beba (0-3)…UFC veteran Ronys Torres (16-4) submitted Guilherme Mattos Rodrigues (11-7) via first-round guillotine choke…Marcos Antonio Santana (11-3) scored a first-round TKO, due to doctor’s stoppage, of Hernani Perpetuo (10-4)…Bellator veteran Johnny Eduardo (25-8) secured a third-round rear naked choke to submit Jose Wilson (1-3)…John Lineker (15-5) extended his winning streak to nine fights with a first-round TKO of Saulo Martins (0-1).

Shooto: Shootor’s Legacy 2 (Tokyo; April 1)
Flyweight King of Pancrase and No. 8-ranked flyweight Kiyotaka Shimizu (8-3-2) submitted Dream veteran Junya Kudo (8-4-2) by way of a second-round rear naked choke.

Armageddon Fighting Championships 5: Judgment Day (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; April 2)

No. 2-ranked 135-pound female fighter and former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman (13-1) scored a third-round TKO of Megumi Yabushita (19-18)…Nick Hinchliffe (18-7) earned a majority decision over Ryan Machan (12-7).

Art of Fighting 12 (Jacksonville, Fla.; April 2)
Michael Buchkovich (11-4-1) scored a second-round TKO of Dream and WEC veteran Jimmy Ambriz (15-15-1)…Raul Amaya (8-0) remained undefeated, submitting Strikeforce veteran Daniel McWilliams (8-17) in the second round.

Fight Kings 7: No Mercy (Vernal, Utah; April 2)
Blake Sprouse (11-4) caught Skyler Ledesma (3-5) in an armbar for the second-round submission win.

Jungle Fight 26 (Sao Paulo, Brazil; April 2)

Dream veteran Adriano Martins (17-5) scored a first-round TKO of Nilson Assuncao (2-1)…Iliarde Sabino Belo dos Santos (18-4-1) snagged Antenor Pereira (1-2) in a heel hook for the first-round submission victory.

Knuckleforce (Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England; April 2)

Team Rough House product Matt Howard (8-0) kept his spotless record intact with a second-round armbar submission of Shaun Lomas (9-22).

Pancrase Fighting Championship 3 (Marseilles, France; April 2)

Just a week removed from a TKO victory over Michal Kita at Fighters Arena Lodz 2, Konstantin Gluhov (17-6) notched two victories in one night to win the PFC heavyweight tournament. Gluhov needed just 38 seconds to submit Arnold Oborotov (0-1) via achilles lock in the tourney’s opening round. In the finals, Gluhov scored a knockout of M-1 Challenge veteran Jessie Gibbs (10-5). Gibbs had advanced to the finals with first-round rear naked choke submission of UFC vet Brandon Lee Hinkle (15-11)…Strikeforce and Dream veteran Karl Amoussou (12-3-2) eked out a split decision over Nathan Schouteren (16-11-2)…Vincent del Guerra (12-4) also tallied two wins in one evening to take home a tournament championship. In the welterweight tourney’s opening round, he locked in an armbar to submit Afid Redaouia (1-2) in the first round. In the finals, del Guerra knocked out Christophe Chapuis (5-4) via slam in just 39 seconds.

Universal Reality Combat Championship 19: Collision (Pasay City, Philippines; April 2)
Kevin Belingon (9-0) kept his undefeated record intact with a first-round TKO of Isaac Tuling (2-2)…Roy Docyogen (9-0) also maintained his unblemished record, earning a decision win over Alvin Ramirez (3-3).

Free Fight Championship: Pride and Glory (Köthen, Germany; April 3)
Benjamin Brinsa (7-0) remained undefeated, taking home a unanimous decision over Maik Stumbries (6-10-1)…Marko Zschorner (8-1) scored a first-round TKO of Jens Muller (1-6).

Pancrase: Impressive Tour 3 (Tokyo; April 3)
No. 3-ranked 115-pound female fighter and GCM Valkyrie champion Mei Yamaguchi (7-2-1) earned a majority decision over Tomomi Sunaba (16-13-1) in the first-ever Pancrase event to feature a female MMA main event.