Weekend Rundown: Glover, Horwich, Taylor Triumph

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In his first mixed martial arts appearance in more than five years, Tyrone Glover submitted Nick Buschman with a first-round armbar in the Fight to Win “The Professionals” headliner on Friday at the National Western Stockshow Complex in Denver. Buschman, a late replacement for Glover’s original opponent, Tony Cantrell, met his demise 4:20 into round one.

Glover rose to prominence in 2005 as one of four fighters -- former EliteXC lightweight champion K.J. Noons, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 alum Nick Ring and Jake Draves were the others -- to win the Pride Fighting Championships United States auditions. He left the sport to pursue a law degree following a majority decision victory against American Top Team’s Din Thomas in September 2005.

In his long-anticipated return, Glover secured two quick takedowns on Buschman, a King of the Cage veteran who took the bout on short notice. Later, Glover scored with a slam, moved to mount and worked his ground-and-pound. Buschman went to his knees in an attempted escape, but surrendered his back to the unbeaten Grudge Training Center representative. Glover covered Buschman’s scrambles and set up the fight-ending armbar from back control.

Other winners at the Fight to Win event included “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 alum Abe Wagner (first-round technical knockout over Vinny Pallone) and Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Drew Dober (third-round submission against Steve Simmons).

Former International Fight League middleweight champion Matt Horwich stopped fellow UFC veteran Jake Rosholt on third-round punches in the Xtreme Fight Night “Rosholt vs. Horwich” main event on Friday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Okla.

Horwich -- who entered the match on the heels of his split decision defeat to Eric Schambari under the Bellator Fighting Championships banner in September -- has won two of his last three fights. The mercurial 32-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was released by the UFC in wake of consecutive unanimous decision defeats to AMA Fight Club standout Dan Miller and former middleweight King of Pancrase Ricardo Almeida. Horwich owns a 3-4 mark since.

A four-time collegiate wrestling All-American and three-time national champion at Oklahoma State University, Rosholt has yet to fulfill the promise so many have seen in him. The 28-year-old Sandpoint, Idaho, native has split two matches since being cut loose by the UFC following his submission defeat to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Kendall Grove at UFC 106 in November 2009.

Other winners at the XFN show included Bellator veteran Joe Christopher (third-round submission against Levi Avera), Nate Murdock (first-round TKO over Josh Pulsifer) and undefeated Strikeforce veteran Trey Houston (first-round submission against Brandon Lyons).

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 semi-finalist Jesse Taylor posted his third consecutive victory, as he choked Dylan Andrews unconscious with a first-round guillotine choke in the Australian Fighting Championships 1 headliner on Friday at the Melbourne State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

Based at Team Quest, Taylor has made the rounds since being cut by the UFC in 2008. The 27-year-old Californian has delivered 11 wins in his last 14 appearances, competing inside the Strikeforce, Shark Fights, Dream and Maximum Fighting Championship promotions. Taylor submitted to a Peruvian necktie from C.B. Dollaway in his only UFC appearance two years ago.

Other winners at AFC 1 included “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 quarter-finalist Richie Witson (first-round knockout against Masaya Doi) and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 qualifier Jeremy May (first-round disqualification over Ross Dallow). Dallow was disqualified for using an illegal substance.

WEC veteran Courtney Buck snapped a three-fight losing streak, as he submitted Jason Gignac with a second-round triangle choke at “Combat on the Hill 4,” an event co-promoted by Seconds Out and Vivid MMA on Friday at the St. Paul Armory in St. Paul, Minn. Buck, who was released by the WEC following consecutive defeats to Brandon Visher and Fredson Paixao, finished Gignac 1:45 into round two … Former two-division King of the Cage champion Tony Lopez submitted UFC veteran Brad Morris with a second-round rear-naked choke in the Brace for War 6 headliner on Saturday at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre in Townsville, Australia. Pruned from the UFC roster following 2008 defeats to Cain Velasquez and Jason Brilz, Morris has lost four consecutive fights … Shawn Tompkins protégé Chris Clements knocked out UFC veteran Jonathan Goulet 66 seconds into round two to capture the vacant Ringside MMA welterweight championship at Ringside MMA “Payback” on Saturday at the Centre Pierre Charbonneau in Montreal. Goulet, 31, has lost three of his last four fights.