An Explanation of Beard Advantage: Upon reading this article, you will notice that I preface some fight’s play-by-play by noting which fighter possessed a superior amount/style of facial hair. This is part of an ongoing research project that I am undertaking, in which I am documenting the overall success rate of fighters who possess facial hair versus those that do not. It is my belief that fighters who have facial hair have a much higher rate of victory, and I will be taking the time to document my findings at the Amateur and Professional level in MMA. It is a study that is in keeping with the theme of my website, and is definitely something worth documenting to see if my theory holds any weight in reality.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Ricky Painter vs. Robert Wolfe  (190 lbs. Catchweight)

RD1: Both fighters met in the center of the cage and immediately started winging hard punches. Painter was clipped and fell to the ground on the far side of the cage, and Wolfe followed him to the ground, looking to work hard Ground and Pound almost immediately. Painter tried to recover and get into guard, but Wolfe ended up mounting him and continuing to work short punches. Painter managed to get up and looked to resume his striking against Wolfe, but was dropped again with a hard right hand during an exchange. He toppled to the ground, and Wolfe followed up with one more punch before the referee called a stop to the fight, as Painter was clearly on his way to unconsciousness prior to the stoppage.

Robert Wolfe wins by Knockout at 2:26 in the First Round.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Marty “Mean Man” Doll   vs. Richard “Boomer” Brown (265 lbs.)

RD1: The round began with Doll pumping a jab, then Brown landed a solid punching combination followed by a knee to the face of Doll, who fell to the ground and landed flat on his back. Brown looked to be moving in to follow up with punches on the ground, but the referee called a quick stoppage to the fight, as Doll had rolled over onto his hands and knees and was clearly out of the fight.

TKO Victory for Richard Brown at 0:09 in the First Round.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Albert Ichelson vs. Terry Bartholomew  (145 lbs.)

RD1: Bartholomew pumped two jabs, and then Ichelson landed a series of hard kicks to the body and legs of Bartholomew. Bartholomew then pushed Ichelson up against the cage and took him to the ground, quickly achieving side control. Bartholomew then went for an Anaconda choke that Ichelson rolled out of. Bartholomew then took Ichelson’s back and sunk in a Rear Naked Choke in short order, forcing the tap.

Submission victory via Rear Naked Choke for Terry Bartholemew at 1:16 of First Round.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Chris Cowie vs. Donnie Orr (150 lbs. Catchweight)

Chris Cowie walked out to “Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr., eliciting quite a lot of cheers from the crowd. Cowie also possesses a definitive Beard Advantage, with a solid full beard.

RD1: Orr throws a few punches and a knee, and Cowie responds in kind. Both fighters clinch up and engage in a series of furious scrambles that see them alternating between striking on the ground and exchanging punches and knees in the clinch at a blistering pace. Orr lands a series of looping punches, and Cowie responds with a knee to the chin of Orr, who is briefly dropped. After being on the ground briefly, both fighters return to the feet and commence to throw hard punches and knees in the clinch, keeping an incredibly fast pace until the end of the round, which was certainly a crowd pleaser.

RD2: Cowie reaches with a left hand, and Orr repays him with a hard two-punch combo. Cowie then drops Orr with a hard combination of punches, ending up in the front headlock position as Orr looks to recover. Orr returns to his feet, and they resume exchanging punches, with Orr mixing in a few kicks as well. Orr lands a leg kick after eating a particularly hard punch that seemed to daze him. Cowie backs Orr up against the cage and looks to work knees and punches at close range, but Orr wraps him up and takes him down to the ground, landing in guard. Cowie keeps a closed guard and looks to isolate an arm, as Orr is content to stay on top and work punches and elbows as the round comes to a close.

RD3: In between rounds, Donnie Orr’s corner told the referee that they were throwing in the towel. After expressing some initial disappointment, Chris Cowie fell to the ground and put his hands up in celebration, as the DJ put his song back on. Between the fast paced fight and “A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr., one could easily tell that the crowd was quite happy due to the deafening level of cheers that filled up the venue.

Chris Cowie wins via TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 0:00 of the Second Round.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

In between fights, the announcer called recently minted Pro MMA fighter Blaine Shutt into the cage to discuss his upcoming pro debut and the rigorous training that it takes to be successful as an MMA fighter. Shutt, who fights out of Pennsylvania, is currently preparing to make his Pro MMA debut against Joshua Aarons at Sherman Cage Rage IV, on December 14 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Shutt, who had fought for Barbarian Fight Club earlier in his Amateur career, amassed a sterling 11-2 record while bouncing between the Bantamweight and Flyweight weight divisions. Now readying himself for his Pro MMA debut at Flyweight, Shutt is coming into a division that has recently been added to the UFC, and due to a lack of depth therein, its quite possible that Shutt can make his way to the UFC if he can put a good streak together to start his Pro MMA career. Here’s to hoping that we do indeed get to see Blaine Shutt fight in a bigger organization soon!

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Jason Hammack vs. “Berserker General” Grant Marrow (205 lbs.)

Props to Grant Marrow for having a truly unique nickname. In the absence of a Beard Advantage for either fighter, I’d tentatively award Marrow the “Swag Advantage” for having a one of a kind (and awesome!) nickname.

RD1: Both fighters touch gloves to start the round with a show of mutual respect and sportsmanship. Hammack lands two leg kicks in response to a jab from Marrow. Marrow then pounces on him with fast and hard punches, dropping Hammack in short order. Marrow is relentless with his strikes on the ground, eventually forcing the referee to intervene and stop the fight with Hammack’s face bleeding profusely.

Grant Marrow wins at 0:27 of the First Round via Submission due to strikes. On a side note, the method in which Marrow achieved such an emphatic victory definitely lives up to his moniker of “Berserker General”, as he most definitely finished his opponent in a way that is reminiscent of a Viking Berserker for sure.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Drew “The Osteotome” Adamson vs. Todd Welle (170 lbs)

Todd Welle has a definitive Beard Advantage, as he has a short Donegal style beard. Conversely, Drew “The Osteotome” Adamson gets some points for having a unique nickname. Based on pre-fight mojo measurables, this should be an interesting fight.

RD1: Welle reaches with a punch and gets countered by Adamson, who hits Welle with a flurry of punches. Welle catches a kick and eventually gets Adamson to the ground. Adamson is working butterfly guard and sweeps Welle, landing on top in the mount position. Welle looks to hold onto Adamson and keep him close, but Adamson is able to posture up and start throwing hard punches to the face of Welle. Welle rolls over and Adamson begins working for a Rear Naked Choke. Welle works hard to defend the choke and protect his neck, and gets out of the submission attempt and ends the round on top of Adamson in half guard.

RD2: Welle reaches with a jab and is countered by Adamson, but both fighters land a few punches in the subsequent exchange. Welle clinches up with Adamson and is shucked off, but is successful at getting him to the ground on his second attempt. Adamson then powers his way out of the front headlock position and ends up on top of Welle in side control. Welle is able to recover his position and get back into guard, briefly looking for a Guillotine choke. Adamson tries to posture up and throw punches from within the guard, but Welle gamely returns fire with punches from the bottom, and then latches onto Adamson’s right arm to attempt an Armbar. Adamson gets up to his feet and successfully defends the submission attempt as the round comes to a close.

RD3: Adamson takes the center of the cage and looks to stalk Welle and set the tempo for the round. Welle lands a snapping kick to Adamson’s body, and then evades Adamson’s retaliatory punches. Adamson backs Welle up against the cage and gets him down to the

ground in short order. Adamson lands on top in guard, but quickly advances his position to half guard and then side mount. Welle explodes up and tries to wrap up his neck, but Adamson deftly jumps to the other side and avoids it. They end up in the front headlock position, with Welle looking for a Power Guillotine choke. Adamson looks to be defending it for a short time, but the referee steps in when he sees that Adamson has lost consciousness in his attempts to defend the choke.

Todd Welle wins by Technical Submission via Power Guillotine Choke in the Third Round.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Andy “Tank” Knopp vs. Casey Woodburn ( 265 lbs.)

Casey Woodburn has a slight Beard Advantage, as he is sporting a short goatee.

RD1: Knopp almost immediately ties up with Woodburn, locking up a head/arm choke that he uses to throw Woodburn to the ground. Woodburn keeps scrambling to improve his position, eventually getting on top in guard. Woodburn starts to rain down thunderous punches from within the guard, and then lands an elbow that separates Knopp from consciousness. Woodburn follows up with another few punches before the referee steps in to stop the fight due to Knopp’s lack of consciousness. Barbarian Fight Club CEO Matt “The Barbarian” Douglas, a Professional MMA fighter himself, even steps into the cage to help revive Knopp, who returns to his feet after a few minutes.

Casey Woodburn wins by Knockout at 1:11 in the First Round.

Eric Newton vs. Chris Harris (135 lbs.)

RD1: Both fighters touch gloves to start the round. Newton wings two hard right hands to Harris, who latches onto his neck in response. Newton pushes for and gets a takedown against the cage. Newton then gets up to his feet and looks to throw some air to ground punches, but Harris lands an up-kick to his face for his troubles. After a brief scramble, both fighters end up on the ground again with Newton looking for a Guillotine choke. Harris defends the submission attempt and briefly gets top position in mount, before both fighters return to their feet. Harris is rushing in for takedowns from long distance, and Newton lands two hard right hands that wobble Harris. The round ends with Newton on top in the front headlock position.

RD2: Harris comes in with a jab but eats a hard counter punch from Newton. Newton then lands another combination that leaves Harris wobbling towards the cage wall. Newton pounces on him and both fighters end up on the ground. The referee separates the fighters due to a seemingly inadvertent but illegal knee to Newton’s head by Harris. The ringside doctor attends to Newton for several minutes, and said that he suffered a stinger from the illegal knee, and has largely lost feeling in his left arm and leg.

Eric Newton wins by DQ due to an illegal knee to the head from Harris.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Charlie “Kevlar” Knuteson vs. Shawn Joffe   (150 lbs. Catchweight)

RD1: Knuteson throws a kick, but Joffe catches it and throws him to the ground. Knuteson returns to his feet and is taken down again, but quickly returns to his feet and achieves a takedown of his own against the cage. Knuteson tries to posture up to throw punches from mount, but Joffe rolls over, allowing Knuteson to take his back. Knuteson begins to work for a Rear Naked Choke, but Joffe defends it fiercely, rolling from side to side and doing his best to protect his neck. Joffe reverses and ends the round on top of Knuteson, throwing hard air to ground punches. In between rounds, Joffe looks very amped up after finishing the round on a good note, whereas Knuteson is looking a bit exhausted from his efforts.

RD2: Both fighters touch gloves to start the round. Joffe is visibly very pumped to resume the fight after a strong finish in the opening round, treating the crowd to a loud “Woooo” that is reminiscent of old school Ric Flair. Joffe starts landing hard punches, with Knuteson ending up on the ground in short order, continuing to eat hard punches and elbows from Joffe. After a solid bit of ground and pound, Joffe ends up taking the back of Knuteson and starts looking for a Rear Naked Choke. After defending the first attempt, Knuteson eventually succumbs to the second submission attempt and is forced to tap out due to a fully sunk-in Rear Naked Choke from Joffe.

Shawn Joffe wins by Submission via Rear Naked Choke at 1:12 of the Second Round. The announcer mentioned it as a great candidate for Fight of the Night, as the fight showcased many spirited exchanges from both fighters. Check out my post-fight interview with Shawn!

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Brandon “Skyscraper” Mason vs. Robert Brown  (170 lbs.)

RD1: Brown pumps a jab, and then Mason responds in kind with a punch and a snapping kick. Mason gets a takedown against the cage, stepping over the legs of Brown, then gets into mount and begins raining down hard punches. It appeared as if the referee was telling Brown to defend himself, and then stopped the fight right afterwards.

Brandon Mason wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 1:07 in the First Round.

Brown seemed very unhappy with the stoppage, intimating that it was premature, and a point that has some merit. However, the referee is in there to ensure fighter safety, and he made the decision that he though was prudent, regardless of anyone else’s opinion.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Will “The Warrior” Warrick vs. Thomas Smith (135 lbs.)

This fight has no clear beard advantage, as both fighters are sporting closely cropped beards of even stature. Therefore, I will award Beard Advantage to both fighters, given that they are both awesome enough to know that a beard makes a man even more awesome and manly!

RD1: Both fighters advance to the center of the cage, with Warrick refusing to touch gloves, eliciting some boos from the crowd. Warrick lands a snapping leg kick, followed by a hard punch. Smith ends up on the ground with Warrick on top. Smith gets back to his feet, but is quickly taken down again, with Warrick landing hard punches and elbows. After some particularly hard elbows and punches land, the ref stops the fight due to Smith being rocked from absorbing so many hard blows.

Will Warrick wins by TKO in the First Round. The fight was truly a great performance by Warrick, who controlled the action from start to finish. Never underestimate a guy with good wrestling and a red beard, that’s all I’m saying!

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Bouasone “Bolo” Phonhsavath vs. Matt Skibicki (140 lbs. Catchweight)

RD1: Skibicki lands a leg kick, and then Phonhsavath responds with a Superman punch that lands flush. Skibicki clinches up and gets a takedown, and quickly gets into half guard, working short strikes to the head and body of Phonhsavath. Phonhsavath is doing a solid job of keeping Skibicki from passing his guard, and eventually gets him into full guard and starts throwing his legs up, probing for a possible submission attempt. Phonhsavath kicks Skibicki off of him, but Skibicki returns to the ground and ends up taking Phonhsavath’s back, then moving to mount, then to back control again due to Phonhsavath rolling over. The referee steps in and calls a TKO stoppage right before the end of the round, as Phonhsavath was lying prone on the ground and absorbing strikes and not defending himself intelligently.

Matt Skibicki wins by TKO via vicious Ground And Pound at 2:58 of the First Round. Check out my post-fight interview with Matt!

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Louie Buttice vs. Randy Ruger (230 lbs. Catchweight)

Buttice has a definitive Beard Advantage, sporting a very solid goatee to accompany his Mohawk.

RD1: Both fighters touch gloves. Buttice throws a kick, but eats a few punches in response. Ruger is stalking Louie with a smile on his face. Buttice looks to work combinations, but Ruger responds in kind with combinations of his own. Both fighters end up clinched against the cage, with Buttice getting a trip takedown. Ruger reverses and ends up on top, and lands a few punches before Buttice explodes up with a reversal of his own that sees him land on top in guard, working short strikes to the face of Ruger. Buttice pushes Ruger to wall of the cage right in front of his corner, and continues to follow the advice of his coach, Matt “The Barbarian” Douglas. The round comes to a close with Buttice on top landing short strikes, with Ruger gamely smiling back at him and laughing. Serious man points for both fighters!

RD2: Ruger paws out with a jab, then eats an inside leg kick from Buttice. Buttice misses with a kick, and then lands a hard jab. Ruger is still smiling at him, and then punches Buttice in the face. Both fighters are exchanging very hard punches, with Ruger continually backing Buttice against the cage. Buttice throws a probing leg kick, but Ruger responds with more hard punches. Ruger throws a jab, and is then taken down by Buttice, who ends up on top in side control, working strikes to the body of Ruger. Ruger achieves half guard, and the round ends with Buttice belting Ruger’s body with hard punches, to which Ruger responds with a smile.

RD3: Both fighters are showing the effects of the strain of the first two rounds. Buttice lands a leg kick, then a body kick and a jab. Buttice throws a knee, and then Ruger clinches up and throws him away. Buttice gamely attempts a flying knee, but Ruger avoids it. Ruger backs Buttice up against the cage and is probing with jabs. Buttice responds in kind. After a brief separation due to a groin strike suffered by Buttice, both fighters resume their striking attempts, with Buttice attempting several head kicks in the process. The round ends with both fighters winging hard punches against the cage, ending a very entertaining and back and forth fight.

Louie Buttice wins by Unanimous Decision with 30-27 scores from all judges. Upon hearing the result of the fight, there was quite a bit of cheering from the crowd who came out in force to support their hometown favorite.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Winslow Wells vs. Stephen McBride (Defending BFC HW Champ)  (BFC 265 lbs. Title)

Wells has Beard Advantage with a closely cropped full beard.

RD1: Both fighters touch gloves to begin the round. McBride throws a right hand that sees Wells clinch up with him against the cage. McBride reverses and seems to be reaching for a single leg, but both fighters are working short knees to each others legs against the cage. McBride works a few short punches to the body of Wells. They then separate, and McBride drops Wells during a punching exchange on the break. McBride postures up over a grounded Wells and lands another two punches to his face before the referee steps in to stop the fight. As McBride walks away and throws his arms up in celebration, Wells returns to his feet and immediately starts protesting the referee stoppage.

Stephen McBride, wins by TKO at 1:49 of the First Round, successfully defending his BFC Championship. Wells asked for a rematch, which Stephen McBride immediately accepted, showing a great amount of gameness and respect for his opponent.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Courtney “Damned Queen” Belcher vs. Krystal Cofone (BFC Female Heavyweight Title)

RD1: Cofone throws some punches to start the round, but eats some counter shots in return from Belcher. Cofone then reverses position in a subsequent clinch and starts blasting Belcher with elbows and knees. Belcher responds with punches and a knee of her own. Cofone then pushes Belcher up against the cage and looks to work more knees to the body of her opponent. Belcher then drops down for a takedown and gets it, landing on top in half guard, postured up and landing short strikes to the head of Cofone. Cofone is scrambling well on bottom to try and mitigate the ground and pound of Belcher as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Cofone lands a leg kick, and then Belcher closes the distance with punches to back her up against the cage. Cofone turns Belcher, backing her up against the cage and looking to land more strikes in the clinch. Belcher reaches for a leg, but is backed off by a knee to the head. Cofone then catches Belcher with a punch and then unloads on her with a fast bit of strikes. Belcher then gets a slamming takedown and after fending off a brief Omaplata attempt, gets on top in side control and starts working Ground and Pound. Belcher briefly attempts to begin an Armlock of some sort, but Cofone scrambles around well and avoids it. The rounds ends with Belcher on top of Cofone, landing short punches from side control against the cage.

RD3: Cofone throws a leg kick to start the round, but Belcher again closes the distance and pushes her to the cage. Cofone reverses position and then uncorks a serious barrage of knees to the body, and punches and elbows to the head. After relentlessly landing a long and hard series of unanswered strikes to Belcher against the cage, the referee starts paying even closer attention to the action, calling a stoppage to the action once it becomes clear that Belcher has taken more damage than she can recover from.

Krystal Cofone wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 0:54 in the Third Round, becoming the new BFC Women’s Heavyweight Champion.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Chris “The Rocket” Rollins vs. Irvin “Nic” Nicholas (BFC 145 lbs. Title)

Nicholas has the Beard Advantage for sure, sporting a short but full beard, whereas his opponent has no facial hair of any kind.

RD1: Both fighters touch gloves to begin the fight with a show of respect. Rollins lands a jab to start the round. Nicholas is throwing some probing kicks, but Rollins closes the distance with some punches in return. Nicholas then ties him up and lands a slamming takedown, ending up on top in half guard. Rollins recovers position and gets back into full guard, but Nicholas postures up and lands some strikes, then returns to his feet, allowing Rollins to get back up. Nicholas throws some probing kicks again, then Rollins lands a punch combination that drops Nicholas. After a brief scramble on the ground, both fighters return to their feet, then Nicholas ends up on top in half guard as the round ends.

RD2: Rollins takes the center of the cage, but Nicholas shoots for and lands a slamming takedown, ending up on top in side control. Rollins is trying to hold onto the head of Nicholas, but doesn’t have anything from there. Both fighters return to their feet, then Rollins clips Nicholas with a flurry of punches, dropping him again. Rollins follows Nicholas to the ground and is truly relentless with his Ground and Pound, eventually forcing the referee to call an end to the fight.

Chris Rollins wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 1:04 of the Second Round, becoming the new BFC 145 lbs. Champion. Check out my post-fight interview with Chris.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Foster Photography

Eddie “Shuperman” Shupe vs. Robert Watley (BFC 155 lbs. Title)

Robert Watley has Beard Advantage, sporting a well-trimmed mustache and a “Poets Beard”.

RD1: The fight begins with both fighters touching gloves as a sign of mutual respect. Both fighters kick at the same time, with Watley catching the leg of Shupe, tripping him to the ground. Shupe latches onto the leg of Watley, attempting a leg lock. While his opponent avoids the submission attempt, it allows Shupe to get top position and work some Ground and Pound. Watley then gets back to his feet and works some good kicks, and then Shupe takes him to the ground again. Shupe has a front headlock in a standing position against the cage. Watley attempts to lift him up for a takedown, but Shupe has great balance and stays on his feet. Shupe then drops down for a Guillotine choke, but Watley defends it well. Shupe stays on top as the round comes to a close.

RD2: The round starts with both fighters looking to establish distance. Watley lands a head kick that briefly drops Shupe, but Shupe recovers and looks for a single leg takedown. Watley returns to his feet and subsequently drops Shupe with a left hand. After a brief scramble, Watley ends up on top and begins to rain down hard punches and elbows once he gets fully postured up. Shupe covers up as Watley relentlessly pounds him with hard punches and elbows, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Robert Watley wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage) in the Second Round, becoming the new BFC Lightweight Champion. Check out my post-fight interview with Robert!

My Findings regarding Beard Advantage: Upon reading this article, you will notice that I preface each fight’s play-by-play by noting which fighter possessed a superior amount of facial hair. After comparing the results of the fights, I found that the fighters who possessed Beard Advantage came out victorious 75% of the time. Yes, I realize that a lot more goes into winning a fight than the mere presence of facial hair, but the aforementioned statistic is still worth some serious consideration. Feel free to express your opinions on the fights or the subject of a Beard Advantage on The Doombeard Report’s Facebook page.