Out of Obscurity: Weekend Review (Nov. 17 – Nov. 20) The MMA Corner Staff November 21, 2011 Events Every Monday, The MMA Corner takes a look – with video footage when possible – at the previous weekend’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 Nov. 17 and Nov. 20: [tabgroup][tab title=”Spotlight Event”] M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson (Moscow; Nov. 20) In a fight that made Sherdog’s 10 November Tussles Worth Watching, No. 12-ranked heavyweight and Strikeforce veteran Fedor Emelianenko (32-4) earned a unanimous decision over UFC and Strikeforce vet Jeff Monson (43-13)…Daniel Weichel (28-7) captured the M-1 lightweight title with a first-round knockout of champion Jose Figueroa (10-5)…Late replacement Albert Duraev (2-0) caught UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam (21-17) in a triangle choke for the second-round submission finish…Mairbek Taisumov (16-3) knocked out Joshua Thorpe (11-7) in the second round…Bodog veteran Alexander Yakovlev (13-3) scored a second-round TKO of Juan Manuel Suarez (8-1)…Yuri Ivlev (18-7) needed exactly one minute to finish Jerome Bouisson (9-2) via TKO…Alexander Volkov (14-3) also needed just one minute to score a TKO of Arsen Abdulkerimov (4-2). [/tab][/tabgroup] Emelianenko vs. Monson Weichel vs. Figueroa Nov. 18 Classic Entertainment and Sports MMA: Undisputed (Lincoln, R.I.) Bellator veteran Saul Almeida (11-1) eked out a split decision over Strikeforce vet Kevin Roddy (10-14-1). Fight Cup: Battle of Warsaw (Warsaw, Poland) Piotr Strus (7-0) remained undefeated, earning a unanimous nod over Pawel Zalewski (4-1). Golden Combat (Brasilia, Brazil) UFC veteran Amilcar Alves (12-4) earned a decision over Marcos Antonio Santana (10-6). North American Fighting Championship: Unleashed (Milwaukee) Sergio Pettis (2-0), brother of UFC fighter Anthony Pettis, scored a second-round TKO of Tony Zelinski (2-1)…BJJ world champion Joao Zeferino (7-4) needed just 25 seconds to snag UFC and Strikeforce veteran Sean Salmon (18-18) with a heel hook for the submission victory. Ring of Combat 38 (Atlantic City, N.J.) ROC light heavyweight champion Tom DeBlass (6-0) successfully defended his crown with a unanimous decision over David Tkeshelashvili (8-4)…Nordine Taleb (6-1) captured the ROC welterweight title with a second-round TKO of UFC veteran and TUF 4 alum Pete Sell (9-6)…Bellator and WEC veteran Deividas Taurosevicius (14-5) retained his ROC featherweight championship with a first-round arm-triangle choke submission of Marlon Moraes (6-4-1)…UFC veteran Pat Audinwood (10-2-1) captured ROC lightweight gold with a first-round armbar submission of champion Al Iaquinta (5-1-1). Showdown Fights: Evolution (Orem, Utah) Jarome Hatch (18-10) locked in a guillotine choke to submit TUF 5 alum Brandon Melendez (26-22) in the first round…Jordan Smith (17-2-1) earned a unanimous decision over Strikeforce and ShoXC veteran Josh McDonald (8-5)…David Castillo (12-4) submitted Mario Espinoza (8-1) by way of a third-round arm-triangle choke. Xtreme Fighting League: Xtreme Fight Night 5 (Tulsa, Okla.) Strikeforce veteran Trey Houston (8-0) kept his spotless record intact with a second-round TKO of Cleburn Walker (9-7). Nov. 19 Bushido Hero’s: World Grand Prix Lithuania (Vilnius, Lithuania) No. 7-ranked 145-pound female fighter and M-1 Challenge veteran Yana Kunitskaya (5-1) scored a first-round TKO of Arune Lauzeckaite (0-2). FightWorld Cup 10 (Nerang, Queensland, Australia) Pauling (white trunks) vs. Mortimer Dan Pauling (7-0) maintained his unblemished record and captured the promotion’s welterweight title with a first-round rear-naked choke submission of Ben Mortimer (6-5). King of the Cage: High Performance (Santa Fe, N.M.) KOTC junior welterweight (160-pound) champion Tim Means (15-3-1) needed just 67 seconds to score a TKO of Mario Ramos (1-1)…Angelo Sanchez (11-3) secured an armbar in the second round to submit Jacob Clark (9-5)…Frank Baca (12-1) needed just 74 seconds to submit Terry Taylor (0-2) via rear-naked choke. M-1 Challenge XXIX (Ufa, Russia) Miranda vs. Samoilov UFC veteran Mario Miranda (13-3) submitted Bodog vet Dmitry Samoilov (12-6-1) in the second round by way of a kimura…Arsen Temirkhanov (9-2) secured an armbar in the first round to submit Christian Eckerlin (6-2)…Julio Cesar de Almeida (15-6) took home a unanimous verdict over Bahtiyar Arzumanov (4-2). Xplode Fight Series: Hillside Havoc (Valley Center, Calif.) Former Sengoku featherweight champion and No. 24-ranked featherweight Masanori Kanehara (18-10-5) made a successful North American debut with a third-round rear-naked choke submission of Brady Harrison (8-6). Photo: Fedor Emelianenko (R) battles Jeff Monson at M-1 Global’s event in Moscow (Alexander Taran/M-1 Global)