Despite not losing in his last seven fights, it was the fight that didn’t count that stopped lightweight fighter James Krause dead in his proverbial tracks. As one of the 32 fighters to compete on The Ultimate Fighter: LIVE season, long-time journeyman Krause was given the opportunity to advance in the show if he could beat fellow lightweight Justin Lawrence, thus gaining entry into the TUF house. That night in March 2012 didn’t go as planned for the former one-time WEC combatant, and he was TKO’d by a beastly Lawrence in the first-round. A loss that subsequently saw him let go to dwindle back to the minor leagues. For the 27-year-old, the three-letter circus of regional promotions was something the veteran had become accustomed to since debuting as a professional in 2007. And although the loss to Lawrence didn’t officially count on his record (as TUF fights are technically considered exhibitions), Krause was devastated that his possible one-time shot at UFC stardom was over before truly beginning. On Saturday night, after serving as a late-replacement for an injured Isaac Vallie-Flagg , Krause battled UFC veteran Sam Stout in his promotional debut at UFC 161 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. When it was all said and done, not only did Krause have his first Octagon victory, but he also walked away $100,000 richer after earning the “Fight of the Night” and “Submission of the Night” bonuses. After battling in a back and forth scrap of epic proportions for the majority of all three rounds, Krause secured a guillotine choke on “Hands of Stone” at 4:47 of the final frame, forcing the native Canadian to tap.
See original here:
After Getting Knocked Out of TUF 15, James Krause’s UFC Cinderella Story Begins Anew – MMA Weekly