Shark Fights 17 Results: Jake Rosholt Wins, Working Towards UFC Return

Jake Rosholt at UFC 106

It was a bit of a rough road for Shark Fights officials getting from Thursday’s weigh-in to Friday night’s fights, but after a small debacle over weight, Shark Fights 17 took place at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas, on Friday night.

The multiverse just didn’t have a victory in store for Matt Horwich in the Lone Star State.

Having defeated Jake Rosholt by TKO the first time the two met, Horwich couldn’t make it two-for-two. Rosholt, now 6-1 after receiving his walking papers from the UFC, avenged his only loss since last stepping foot in the Octagon.

Horwich tried to get Rosholt to the canvas where he could display his work with Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, but the former Oklahoma State wrestler would have none of it. Rosholt instead did everything in his power to keep the fight on the feet where he utilized his much improved striking game to win a unanimous nod from the judges.

“Matt Horwich is so tough, I’m glad to get out here and get a win from him tonight,” said Rosholt, who had his hand raised by a classy Horwich after the scores were announced.

Of course, the goal for Roshalt is to fight his way back into the UFC.

“I just want to keep fighting, keep getting better all the time. Sooner or later I’ll get there. That’s where I deserve to be. That’s where the best fighters are. That’s where I want to fight.”

Ricco Rodriguez was part of the aforementioned weigh-in debacle when his original opponent came in overweight for their 230-pound catchweight bout. Following some negotiations, he agreed to face last-minute replacement Doug Williams, a fighter he had defeated once before.

Rodriguez defeated Williams by Anaconda choke in their first bout. On Friday, he quickly took the fight to the mat once again, briefly attempting an armbar, but quickly shifting to a rear naked choke to finish the fight.

“He’s a tough fighter and hits very hard,” said Rodriguez when asked about taking the fight immediately to the mat. “It’s always dangerous when you’re fighting anybody. This is the toughest sport. Anybody can get knocked out.”

It was the former UFC heavyweight champion’s 12th consecutive victory as he works his way down to the light heavyweight division, which is no small feat for a man that has tipped the scale at more than 300 pounds at times.

“My goal is to get lighter; the heavyweights are just too big these days,” Rodriguez told HDNet announcer Ron Kruck after the fight.

There was a brief moment of shock when Ilir Latifi, who mounted little offense against former MFC champion Emanuel Newton, was announced as the winner of their fight via unanimous decision. The crowd rained down boos before the ring announcer returned moments later to correct the decision, which the judges had actually scored for Newton.

Shark Fights 17 Official Results:

-Jake Rosholt def. Matt Horwich by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Ricco Rodriguez def. Doug Williams by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:16, R1
-Emanuel Newton def. Ilir Latifi by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Erik Perez def. Douglas Frey by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Alan Jouban def. Andrew Goldthwaite by TKO (Strikes) at 2:37, R3
-Victor Hernandez def. Quaint Kempf by Submission (Armbar) at 1:06, R1
-Matt Hobar def. Jay Flores by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:55, R1

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