Why Joanna Jedrzejczyk Will Dominate the UFC’s Strawweight Division

Posted by :jcastle On : March 17, 2015

Category: Doombeard Opinion, Fight Recap, Muay Thai, UFC

Going into this Saturday’s UFC 185, like many people, I really wondered about the Co-Main event bout between Carla Esparza and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the second title fight in the history of the UFC’s Strawweight Division.

Carla Esparza was coming of a series of dominant performances on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, where she handily defeated all her opponents, including Rose Namajunas, to become the first champion in the history of the UFC’s Strawweight Division. Carla Esparza’s wrestling has proven to be virtually peerless in her weight division, both before and during this past season of TUF. Nobody in recent years has had much of an answer for her wrestling prowess, and I went into watching the fight this past Saturday unsure of how the fight would play out any differently than her fights over the past four years.

Usually, when people bill a fight as “…this is a classic Grappler vs. Striker matchup”, the fighter with the grappling base ends up winning the fight in dominant fashion. Sometimes the fighter with a striking background will clip them on the feet or upon entry into a takedown…but such don’t happen very often. I will admit that while I have a personal preference towards striking based martial arts, I will not attempt to deny the dominance that grapplers have had in MMA since the onset of the sport.

Jedrzejczyk, a veteran of over 60 Muay Thai fights, as well as being a winner of six championships in that discipline, has one of the better standup pedigrees of any woman in the sport. Her striking efforts in her first two fights in the UFC were nothing short of superb. While the general consensus was that Joanna Jedrzejczyk was stealing the pre-fight media buildup, I continued to see a lot of people predicting a lopsided grappling/submission based win for Esparza. Admittedly, so did I.

Man, was I wrong.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk not only brutalized Esparza on the feet, but also stifled the majority of Esparza’s takedown attempts. Whenever a matchup like this takes place, fans and members of the media alike will immediately say something to the tune of “..well hopefully he/she has been working on her takedown defense!”. It was apparently obvious that not only was Jedrzejczyk working on her takedown defense, she utilized it to greater effect than virtually any of Esparza’s past opponents.

While Jedrzejczyk didn’t use much in the way of kicks and knees, likely to help avoid getting taken down, she absolutely lit up Esparza with countless combinations that were unerringly accurate. And when Esparza would shoot for takedowns to avoid further punishment, Jedrzejczyk almost always met such attempts with deftly executed sprawls and get subsequent scrambles that saw her able to quickly resume her striking efforts.

The end result was a 2nd round TKO victory, with Jedrzejczyk unleashing a blistering five-punch combination upon Esparza, who was backed up close to the cage wall. Upon the referee waving off the fight, Esparza slumped to the ground, leaving little doubt as to the merit of the stoppage.

With the victory, Joanna Jedrzejczyk becomes just the second UFC Strawweight Champion, as well as the first champion of Polish decent in promotional history. With the UFC continually making further inroads into the European and Asian markets, I am certain that the promotion possessing a new European champion certainly can’t hurt their prospects in the region. While the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Krakow card is obviously too soon for Jedrzejczyk to fight on, I’m certain that the UFC would have her fight in a Main Event or Co-Main Event in the future when the UFC returns to Poland.

With her blend of vicious striking and awesome takedown defense, Joanna Jedrzejczyk poses a serious threat to any potential challengers to her belt. If Carla Esparza, the best wrestler in the division by far, couldn’t get much in the way of takedowns, it will likely be quite challenging for other Strawweight fighters to achieve success in that arena.

Personally, I’ll go with a pair of outside choices for Jedrzejczyk’s next opponent.

Joanne Calderwood possesses a phenomenal striking arsenal, effortlessly blending kicks, punches, knees and elbows into devastating combinations. A fight between her and Jedrzejczyk could be fireworks, assuming Calderwood comes out of her upcoming UFC Fight Night: Krakow bout against Maryna Moroz victorious.

Felice Herrig, who possesses some great striking of her own, could also be a great matchup, if she gets by Paige VanZant on April 18 on UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Rockhold in Newark New Jersey. Herrig is also a very accomplished striker, holding a professional kickboxing record of 23-5, including winning championships and being the number 2 ranked bantamweight by the International Kickboxing Federation. She is one of the few Straweights out there whose experience in other striking based combat sports comes close to that of Jedrzejczyk. A match between the two could very well be a thrilling striking affair, one that would also, in my opinion, drive Pay Per View sales for a variety of reasons…which is also a good thing for the UFC, as they are forever seeking to create female PPV draws in addition to Ronda Rousey.

Having said that, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Jedrzejczyk looks to be an incredibly tall order for anyone she might come against. Even the two aforementioned fighters would have to weather a lot of strikes, accurate ones at that, to be able to enact their respective gameplans and find a way to do what no woman has managed to do before, which is beat Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Claudia Gadelha may have come close, in what was a debated Split Decision, but Jedrzejczyk seems poised to continue to take the MMA world by storm between her awesome interviews and in-cage performances. If she is able to continue to replicate even a decent semblance of last weekend’s performance, I think that she will dominate the UFC Strawweight Division for some time.

And I look forward to watching it!

Glory Fights 2 Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : October 5, 2014

Category: Fight Recap, Glory Fights, Referee

Here for Glory Fights’ second event, I am joined by Felix Falcon (of MMA in VA repute) in covering the action. In one of my stranger pre-fight experiences, Felix and I were asked to repeatedly enter and exit the venue and wait outside before the fights began; as the venue’s security staff seemed to be baffled by the task at hand. Once they figured out the intricacies of establishing a game plan and taking a count of all the fighters/coaches/production staff/media before letting in spectators, we were let in and able to set up and get ready to cover the event.

This is my first time covering this event, and while the venue is a bit on the small side, I love it! It has a real throwback vibe to it, as it is a smaller and more intimate club venue, and the cage is set up under a disco ball. Let me let that sink in for a minute, the cage is set up under a disco ball! The awesomeness of such a thing is wonderful to behold. I think it is already an indicator of some great things to come!

Amateur

Casey Bowers vs. Brock Roderick (155 lbs./Lightweight)

RD1: Roderick opens with a flying knee, but is thrown off and hit with an air to ground punch, and is then slammed to the ground. Bowers get another takedown and belts Roderick with a series of punches. They get up, exchange a flurry of punches against the cage, then Bowers slams him down and resumes his ground and pound. Roderick throws up a Triangle, but Bowers quickly shucks it off and backs away. The round ends with Bowers getting yet another takedown.

RD2: Roderick opens the round with some punches. Bowers clinches up, then Roderick jumps for a standing Guillotine, but is then slammed to the ground and loses it. They clinch against the cage, and then Bowers gets another takedown. Roderick throws up another Triangle, but Bowers throws it off. Bowers goes for another takedown, but at the end of a scramble, Roderick ends up in a modified Triangle position that looks close for a brief moment. Bowers gets up, throwing leg kicks at a grounded Roderick. Bowers comes in and wings a punch, but Roderick answers in kind, seeming to be the fresher fighter at the point in time. The round ends with another Bowers takedown with Roderick seemingly going for a Peruvian Necktie.

RD3: Roderick comes out with a mean look on his face and stalks Bowers up against the cage, then throws a flurry of punches, but is taken down. Roderick immediately throws up a Triangle, but Bowers deftly gets out and then drops back for a leg lock, Roderick gets out, then goes for a Triangle then an Armbar. Rodericks guard is extremely active, never really giving Bowers much time go for ground and pound. He goes for a Guillotine, but Bowers seems to be weather the sub attempt, then gets up. Roderick follows him and goes for a knee, but is then thrown to the ground by Bowers twice in quick succession; the second takedown being a very loud slam that excited the crowd. The round ends with Roderick throwing strikes off his back, then getting up and clinching with Bowers up against the cage and throwing strikes.

Results: Split Decision Win for Casey Bowers.

Thoughts: All in all, a very entertaining fight, with Roderick showing a ton of gameness in his Amateur MMA debut. A very close fight, but I think it was ultimately decided by the dominance of Bowers in the wrestling department. If Roderick can improve his takedown defense and further improve his submission game; I think he’ll be a dangerous fighter in the near future, as he certainly has gameness aplenty. Bowers, a student of longtime Pro MMA fighter Elijah Harshbarger, has the kind of wrestling acumen that can allow many guys to be very dominant in MMA, especially at the amateur level. Both of these guys show a lot of promise, and I’m sure they’ll develop into even better fighters over time, as they are under the tutelage of quality instructors at their respective schools.

Martin Scales vs. Craig Hayes ( 185 lbs./ Middleweight)

Beard Advantage: Both guys are rocking facial hair, but Hayes posses a longer beard, so I’ll award Beard Advantage to him, but points to both guys.

RD1: Hayes opens with a series of jabs, but is caught with some punches on the end of a leg kick. Scales nails him with a left hook, putting him on wobbly legs, but he recovers, then lands a few punches of his own. Scales throws a leg kick, then sprawls on Hayes’ takedown attempt. Hayes throws a leg kick, and then ducks under a flurry of punches from Scales. Scales lands another hard punch that briefly wobbles Hayes, then Hayes gets a takedown and takes Scales’ back, looking for a Rear Naked Choke. Soon after, the referee stops the fight due to a Rear Naked Choke from Hayes, causing Scales to tap.

Results: Craig Hayes wins by First Round (2:27) Submission via Rear Naked Choke.

Thoughts: Man, both of these guys hit hard! Scales, a student of Perry Gibson at Tech MMA (the school that produced renowned striker and Pro MMA fighter Christian Leonard), nailed his opponent several times with some hard shots. Hayes displayed some solid durability and was able to take the fight to where he had the advantage after a bit of adversity, and quickly sealed the deal. I look forward to seeing both of these guys in action again in the future.

Carolina Cornell vs. Veronica Muller (100 lbs. )

RD1: Muller opens with a series of leg kicks, then both fighters immediately start throwing flurries of leg kicks, punches, and knees in the clinch. Cornell throws a high kick that is blocked, then both of them throw a flurry of punches in the clinch before backing away into striking distance. Muller and Cornell then clinch up and are jockeying for better clinch position whilst throwing short punches. Cornell lands several hard punches that briefly stagger Muller. Cornell misses with a teep kick, then lands a leg kick that is answered in kind. They both clinch up, with Cornell getting a Muay Thai plum and landing a series of hard knees to the body of Muller that cause her to buckle a bit. Cornell gets a brief takedown and a small dash of ground and pound as the round ends.

RD2: Muller lands a leg kick, then another. Cornell fires back with a head kick, then they clinch up against the cage, exchanging strikes. Cornell gets a hip toss of sorts and seems to go for a Carlos Newton vs. Pat Miletich esque headlock submission. Muller gets out, then gets top position, and gets to her feet. Cornell is throwing up-kicks to keep Muller at range, but Muller looks to work air to ground strikes to get into top position. They scramble, and Cornell might have inadvertently landed a knee to the head of a grounded Muller, but the ref missed it, and the round ends with both fighters clinched up against the cage.

RD3: Muller throws a leg kick, then a hard body kick She gets a head kick blocked, and Cornell takes her down but lands in a Triangle Choke. Muller briefly switches to an Armbar, then back to a Triangle that looks to be sunk in. Cornell taps shortly thereafter.

Results: Veronica Muller wins by Submission via Triangle Choke at (0:56) of the 3rd round. Muller’s coaches from Infinite BJJ awarded her the rank of Blue Belt after the announcement of her submission victory was made. Very cool.

Thoughts: This was a truly entertaining fight that saw Muller overcome some adversity in the first round to then come back and submit a very tough opponent. For an amateur debut, both of these women showed a lot of promise and I look forward to seeing these two competitors fight again soon.

Nate Davis vs. Szymon Sawicki (145 lbs./Featherweight)

Beard Advantage seems to go to Nate Davis, who is rocking a short full beard.

RD1: Davis misses with a leg kick, then lands one off of a double jab. Davis lands another leg kick, then Szymon clinches up with him against the cage, eventually getting a takedown. Szymon gets into side control, looking to isolate one of Davis’ arms. Szymon lands an elbow, then takes Davis’ back on the end of a scramble. Davis recovers, getting into guard. Szymon lands a hard air to ground punch, but then backs away to allow Davis to return to his feet. Szymon then clinches up with Davis against the cage, where they exchange a series of short punches and knees to close out the round.

RD2: They open with a series of leg kicks, then exchanging a few hard punches, then Szymon clinches up with Davis and drags him to the ground, pretty much immediately getting into side control, but Davis is able to get back into full guard. Szymon advances to half guard, then mount, then gets Davis’ back, sinking in a Rear Naked Choke and getting the tap in short order.

Results: Szymon Sawicki wins by Submission via Rear Naked Choke at (1:38 ) of the Second Round.

Professional

Mahmoud Mohagheghrashid vs. Matt Ott (155 lbs./Lightweight )

RD1: Mahmoud takes the center of the cage, and avoids an early kick from Ott. Ott lands a leg kick but eats a right hand in return. Mahmoud misses with a spinning wheel kick that elicits a nice response from the crowd. Ott wings a few hard punches but misses, and throws a kick but is then clinched up by Mahmoud, who gets a hard slamming takedown, landing in side control. Mahmoud then ends up in North South, then takes Ott’s back, landing hard punches to the head of Ott. After he eats another few hard punches, Ott submits to strikes.

Results: Mahmoud Mohagheghrashid wins by Submission via Strikes at (2:10) in the First Round.

Thoughts: Mahmoud Mohageghrashid, who is pondering a move to 145lbs., is a beast. While being a bit on the shorter side for the Lightweight or Featherweight weight divisions, he is built like a tank, and is more muscular than many guys several weight classes above him. Additionally, it is rare to see someone venture into MMA with his Judo credentials, so it is a treat to see some of Judo techniques that aren’t as commonly used in MMA displayed. As Mahmoud’s striking progresses, he will become an even more dangerous fighter. Look out for this guy!

Francisco Isata vs. Piankhi Zimmerman (165 lbs. catchweight )

Beard Advantage is dead even, as both fighters possess an intermediate amount of facial hair in the form of a goatee.

RD1: Zimmerman opens with a jab, then both fighters exchange a flurry of hard punches. Zimmerman seems briefly wobbled, then Isata gets a takedown, landing in Zimmerman’s guard. Isata is working punches to the head and body of Zimmerman, who is keeping an open guard, looking to isolate an arm. He briefly throws up a sub attempt, but Isata avoids it and momentarily gets into half guard before Zimmerman gets back into full guard again. Isata has Zimmerman grounded against the cage, but is only able to work short punches in between fending off the constant movement and probing sub attempts of Zimmerman. Zimmerman gets a body lock on Isata, holding him in place, and is then warned about strikes to the back of the head by referee Angel Ortiz. Isata tries to pass, but Zimmerman keeps him in guard. Isata lands a hard punch that causes a brief scramble and an attempt to get back to his feet from Zimmerman, but Isata gets another slamming takedown as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Zimmerman lands two hard kicks, but is subsequently taken down by Isata. Isata postures up and attempts to pass, but Zimmerman stops him. Isata passes briefly against the cage and Zimmerman tries to get back up, but is immediately taken down by Isata again, who passes to half guard. Zimmerman gets back into guard, then looks to go for a straight Armbar that looks to have Isata in some danger. Isata gets out soon after.

The fight is briefly stopped due to referee Angel Ortiz deducting a point for strikes to the back of the head after warning Zimmerman about such things in between rounds. While fighter safety is very important, I personally don’t think that the strikes that elicited the deduction were necessarily illegal, but it’s always nice if refs err on the side of fighter safety I suppose. Zimmerman and his coaches seem upset that he lost a point. Zimmerman motioned for Isata to get back up to his feet and resume the fight, but Isata declined and referee Angel Ortiz reminded both fighters to remain professional.

The fight resumes in full guard, with Isata immediately looking to pass. Zimmerman is doing a great job of keeping Isata, a very accomplished grappler himself, stuck in his guard, and is working short punches and elbows to the body of his opponent. Isata works some short punches, but is then subjected to a brief Armbar attempt as the round comes to a close.

RD3: The round begins with Zimmerman putting his arms to the side, seemingly daring Isata into some form of action. After a series of probing jabs and punches from Zimmerman, Isata gets a takedown, then advances to half guard against the cage. Zimmerman’s long limbs and great flexibility see him continually able to recover his guard after being put in bad positions. Zimmerman then kicks Isata off of him. Isata lands a punch to Zimmerman then clinches up with him and initiates a takedown off of the scramble, while Zimmerman lands a series of punches and elbows to the head of Isata.

Referee Angel Ortiz then calls a stop to the fight, declaring it a DQ win for Isata due to him seeing illegal strikes to the back of the head after having already deducted a point. I disagree with the stoppage, as did the judge and ringside physician next to me. As I mentioned before, fighter safety is always paramount, but I think the referee made the wrong call in a moment where the momentum in the fight seemed to possibly be shifting. Want to see the fight for yourself? Check it out on YouTube.

Results: Fransisco Isata wins by DQ due to Illegal Strikes to the back of the head in the Third Round.

Thoughts: Isata, who took the fight on very short notice coming off of a loss at a recent World Series of Fighting event, did a great job of largely keeping the fight where he wanted it. Zimmerman impressed me in his professional debut as well, for while he was continually taken down, he did a great job of holding his own and having some great moments against a very accomplished grappler and fighter in Isata. Some fighters wilt under that kind of pressure of being taken down time after time, but Zimmerman didn’t, and continually looked for submissions and fired off lots of strikes from the bottom. While it is unfortunate that the fight was marred questionable calls, it was still a nice one to watch, and both of these guys have great things ahead of them.

INTERMISSION: Announcer Mike Markham called Anthony Tisdale into the cage, and told the crowd about how Tisdale’s opponent had apparently backed out on the day of weigh-ins.

Brad Mountain vs. Mark Krumrine (185 lbs./Middleweight)

Beard Advantage is decidedly awarded to Brad Mountain, who is rocking a very respectable medium length full beard. I would also award Mountain some serious style points for walking out to “Mother” by Danzig, very awesome!

RD1: Mountain lands two leg kicks, then sees a high kick blocked. After some punches, both fighters clinch up and start jockeying for position against the cage. After a scramble, Mountain looks to go for a choke, but Krumrine takes his back and briefly looks for an Rear Naked Choke. Mountain gets out and gets on top in guard against the cage, and lands some short punches and elbows. Mountain postures up and lands some good punches and elbows to the face of Krumrine. They get up, and Krumrine lands a nice uppercut-hook combo before Mountain clinches up with him and starts to work some nice knees to the body and more short punches. Mountain is showing nice knees and dirty boxing up against the cage. They separate, with both fighters winging some hard punches before Mountain pushes Krumrine against the cage again. Mountain continues to land some nice knees to the body and a few uppercuts as well. Krumrine lands an elbow, and knees to the head and body of Mountain, who responds with a knee to the head of Krumrine as the round ends.

That was a gnarly round!

RD2: Both fighters exchange leg kicks, then Mountain lands a hard punch to the face of Krumrine. Mountain charges in and both guys eat some punches, but Mountain gets Krumrine up against the cage and resumes his dirty boxing efforts. They separate, then Mountain lands two hard kicks to the legs and body of Krumrine. Krumrine lands a hard straight right, then another, causing Mountain to clinch up with him. Mountain ends up on the ground, with Krumrine coming in with a hard air to ground punch, getting on top in half guard up against the cage. Krumrine then advances to side control, lands an elbow to the face of Mountain, then another. Mountain gets back into guard, gamely nailing Krumrine with a reverse hammerfist from the bottom. Krumrine advances to half guard again. Mountain recovers his guard, eats a punch, then nails a standing Krumrine with a hard up-kick, then another. Krumrine gets down to the ground, then Mountain sweeps and ends up on top, working punches to the face before standing up and kicking Krumrine’s legs as the round comes to a close.

RD3: Both fighters are looking pretty tired as a result of the war that they have waged on each other; they gamely touch gloves and smile at each other to celebrate the awesomeness of their fight so far.

Mountain opens with a leg kick and some punches, eliciting a smile from Krumrine. Both fighters exchange some hard punches in quick succession, then Mountain lands a snapping kick to the body of Krumrine. Mountain feints a Superman punch then lands with a nice left hook, but eats a right hand shortly thereafter. Krumrine throws an uppercut as Mountain throws an inside leg kick. Although I did not see it, Krumrine signals that he was kicked in his nether regions, causing a brief pause in the action. They resume, and immediately get back to throwing hard punches in the center of the cage. Krumrine lands a right then a left hand, which is answered by a series of leg kicks from Mountain. Both fighters then unleash a salvo of hard punches on one another. Mountain lands a snapping jab, eliciting yet another smile from Krumrine. Both fighters are mixing up strikes well, changing levels but always landing hard and throwing with intensity despite the pace kept in the first two rounds of their fight. Mountain lands a leg kick, then a left hook. Krumrine briefly clinches up and lands some knees to the body of Mountain. The fight ends with both fighters unleashing a barrage of strikes, including a spinning backfist from Krumrine and some seriously gnarly punches from Mountain. They embrace upon the end of the round in celebration of the gnarliness of their fight.

Results: Brad Mountain wins by Unanimous Decision (All scores of 29-28) in front of a loud crowd of supporters.

Thoughts: As you may have noticed it before, there is one word that adequately describes this fight: gnarly! Definitely the frontrunner for Fight of the Night so far for sure! Both of these fighters threw caution to the wind and put on a fight that was 100% “balls to the wall” and had the crowd cheering the whole time. Both of these guys are absolutely tough as nails, as they repeatedly hit each other with shots that I’ve seen put down other fighters. Sitting cageside, this fight reminds me of the many reasons why this sport is so awesome to watch. I had the chance to speak with Brad Mountain before the fights began. We discussed his upcoming fight, our mutual beardedness, as well as the reality of the Beard Advantage. Mountain showed serious gnarliness and determination, eating plenty of punches with his beard and continually wading forward to dish out more damage. Again, this fight was pure gnarliness! Regardless of the decision rendered by the judges, this fight truly had no loser, as both guys gave it their all.

Ahmet Kayretli vs. Ginseng Poit Du’Jour (135 lbs./Bantamweight)

Beard Advantage is decidedly awarded to Ginseng Poit Du’Jour, who has been sporting a serious full beard for quite some time. His prodigious dreadlocks are also worth noting, definitely giving him an edge in style points as well. I think that the term “swag” is errantly thrown around way too much nowadays, but Ginseng Poit Du’Jour definitely has it.

Kayretli does have a solid goatee though, so beardedness is well represented in this fight, which is always a good thing!

RD1: Ginseng probes with some jabs, then Ahmet wings an overhand that misses. Ginseng lands a leg kick that Ahmet grabs a piece of on the end. They exchange some punches and kicks. Ahmet throws a high kick, with Ginseng answering in kind. Ahmet misses a jab to the body, and Ginseng responds with a leg kick then a flying knee. Ahmet throws a rounded head kick followed closely by a front kick, then an inside leg kick. Ginseng answers with a kick, then a knee to the head that lands right on the money. Both fighters exchange spinning back kicks, then Ginseng throws another jumping knee, then a leg kick that is caught by Ahmet, seeing him get swept to the ground as a result. Ahmet backs off, and they resume their strikes in the center of the cage. On the end of some strikes, Ginseng clinches with Ahmet against the cage, and briefly gets a takedown. Ahmet pops back up and eventually separates. Ginseng comes in with a right that catches Ahmet off balance. Ahmet then responds in kind with a right hand that briefly staggers Ginseng. The round ends with Ahmet shooting for and not getting a takedown against the cage.

RD2: Ginseng wings a hard overhand, then a high kick that is blocked by Ahmet. A flurry of punches sees Ahmet catch a kick and briefly get Ginseng up against the cage, but he reverses and then works a few knees to the body of Ahmet before they separate. Ahmet throws but misses with a hard one-two, but lands a subsequent leg kick. Ahmet comes in but Ginseng nails him with a right hand, eliciting a hard flurry of punches and kicks from Ahmet in response. Ahmet misses with a punch to the body, then lands a series of leg kicks. Ahmet wades in again but eats a jab from Ginseng. Ahmet then fires off a series of kicks and punches, ultimately missing with a Superman punch that gets a cheer from the crowd. Ginseng responds with a kick to the body. Ahmet charges in, eating a series of left hands from Ginseng, who then responds with a right hand to Ahmets belly. Ahmet catches Ginseng with the end of a spinning back kick to the body, but Ginseng responds with some punches. Ahmet briefly puts his hands behind his back to goad Ginseng into attacking, which he does. The round ends with both fighters bouncing around and staying at distance.

RD3: Ahmet throws a kick to the body that is blocked. Ginseng throws one in return, and Ahmet jokingly acts like he brushed it off his shoulder. Both fighters exchange more kicks. Ahmet wings a hard overhand, then lands an inside leg kick. Ahmet then lands a hard leg kick to Ginseng, who responds with a slapping kick to Ahmet’s body. Ginseng deftly lands a switch jab, then another few punches in close succession. Ahmet seems to feint for a side kick, then lands a leg kick and a series of punches. Ginseng then chases him down with punches in return. Ahmet lands yet another kick and some punches to the face of Ginseng, who eats them right in the beard and fires back in kind. Ahmet throws a pair of spinning strikes, then is chased down by some punches from Ginseng, who also lands a knee to the head. Ahmet is striking at range now, forcing Ginseng to chase him. Ahmet whiffs a leg kick and is punched in return by Ginseng. With Ginseng backed up against the cage, Ahmet deftly lands a spinning elbow to the jaw of Ginseng, dropping him, causing referee Scott Howard to call of the contest.

Results: Ahmet Kayretli wins by Knockout (Spinning Back Elbow) at (4:55) of the Third Round.

Check out Ahmet’s picture-perfect Spinning Back Elbow on YouTube.

Thoughts: This fight was truly a pleasure to watch, with both fighters showcasing some very impressive striking. While many fighters contend that they are a “Muay Thai” stylist, both of these fighters have definitely proved their proficiency in the Art of Eight Limbs tonight. Ahmet Kayretli executed a very flashy and awesome finishing strike in a way that is seldom seen in MMA, but is a bit more common in Muay Thai. Speaking for Muay Thai, Ahmet Kayretly is a veteran of well over 100 Muay Thai bouts between the amateur and professional levels, which is also what forced him to go pro in MMA from the onset of his MMA career. While many fighters would have been inclined to try and immediately ground Kayretli, Ginseng Poit Du’Joir stood and savily struck with him the whole time. Both competitors are now 1-1 as professional MMA fighters, and I look forward to checking out the awesome striking that both of these guys put on display in the near future.

Michael Pope vs. Kyle Newson (170 lbs. /Welterweight)

I’d like to give some props to Mike Pope, who stepped up on around two weeks notice to take the fight against Kyle Newson, who had seen two opponents pull out of the fight.

It is also worth noting that Kyle Newson entered the cage with a friend rapping into a mic in place of a walkout song. This is honestly a first for me, I haven’t seen this before, pretty cool.

RD1: Newson lands a front kick, then sees a subsequent kick caught, with Pope shooting for and getting the takedown. Mike passes to a tight mount up against the cage, with Kyle holding onto a choke that he cannot get from that position. Pope moves to side control, then Mount again, working short punches right in front of his corner. Pope then looks to trap an arm , then goes for an Arm Triangle. The sub attempt causes referee Angel Ortiz to stop the fight due to an apparent tap or technical submission from Newson. Newson protests the stoppage, but referee Angel Ortiz contends that Kyle Newson was unresponsive to verbal and physical cues, thus necessitating the stoppage due to the fact that Newson could have been choked unconscious.

Results: Mike Pope wins with a Technical Submission via Arm Triangle at (1:53 ) in the First Round.

Check out the full-fight replay on YouTube.

Myron Baker vs. Steven Baker (145 lbs/Featherweight)

Aside from this being “The Battle of the Bakers”, it is also worth noting that Myron Baker previously defeated Steven Baker’s brother, Bruce, in competition last year. Steven is most assuredly looking for some revenge here.

Myron Baker is also in firm possession of Beard Advantage, with the beginnings of a beard/goatee.

RD1: Steven lands a leg kick to open the round. He then lands a kick to the body of Myron, following by a left hook. Steven throws two oblique kicks, which are answered by a series of hard punches, with a right hand dropping him to his back. Myron quickly follows up with a barrage of hard punches on the ground, securing the TKO stoppage from referee Scott Howard with some furious Ground and Pound.

Results: Myron Baker wins by TKO at (0:46) of the First Round.

Thoughts: While this fight was very brief, Myron Baker definitely lived up to the hype surrounding him and his reputation of always looking for a quick and violent finish. I look forward to seeing more from him going forward, as he is only going to get better training alongside the likes of Micah Terrill at Conquest BJJ.

Samir Farid vs. Dennis Brown (125 lbs./Flyweight)

Samir Farid may have just received the loudest intro cheers so far tonight, as fighting in his hometown of Woodbridge, Virginia has surely allowed him to bring a good crowd to support him.

Samir Farid is also firmly in possession of Beard Advantage, sporting a solid modified goatee.

RD1: Both fighters start circling the cage, looking to establish their range, then exchange some probing jabs. Brown comes in with a hard combo that Farid responds to with punches of his own. As is typical of most Flyweight fighters, both guys are constantly moving around the cage, feinting, and are sure to bring a high pace. Farid lands a hard inside leg kick. Brown then clinches up and lands a slamming takedown, but Farid, an extremely savvy grappler himself, immediately pops back up. Farid opens up with two hard combinations that land. Brown then uncorks a barrage of hard punches in return that wobble Farid, but he is able to recover. He then returns fire with a hard head kick and some more punches that wobble Brown in turn. Farid comes down the pipe with a 1-2, backing Brown up. Farid then lands a hard leg kick, eats some punches from Brown, then fires off some hard punches of his own. He misses with a spinning back kick and eats an uppercut, but the fires back, clinching up and then taking Brown down, landing some hard Ground and Pound as the round comes to a close.

What a round!! Pure Gnarliness!! These are two über-talented Flyweights going toe to toe!

RD2: Brown uncorks a hard 1-2 that just misses, then Farid responds with some hard punches and a kick that barely misses. Farid lands a left to the body, then some hard punches up against the cage that drop Brown. Farid then unleashes a truly furious barrage of ground and pound against Brown. His pace is unrelenting, and he passes to side control and continues to unleash even more hard and rapid-fire punches. After quite some time sustaining the barrage, as well as declining action and active defense by Brown, referee Angel Ortiz calls a TKO stoppage to the bout, as he apparently saw Brown tap from the strikes of Farid.

Results: Samir Farid wins by Submission (Strikes) at (1:42) of the Second Round

Thoughts: What a fight! In a fight between two highly touted and skilled Flyweight prospects, this fight surely did not disappoint! While all the fights so far have been awesome, this definitely gives Brad Mountain vs Mark Krumrine a run for it’s money as far as Fight of the Night is concerned, due to it’s gnarliness and the furious pace that both fighters kept up throughout the contest. As my main man D’Juan “Dirty South” Owens, a professional fighter himself, says…both of these guys came to “Throw Them Thangz!”.
While Farid came away with the victory, I’d advise everyone to keep an eye out for both of these promising flyweight prospects.

William Quarantillo (4-1) vs. Terrell Hobbs (9-6) (150 lbs. Catchweight)

RD1: Quarantillo probes with some jabs and a kick, with Hobbs answering in kind. Quarantillo shoots for a takedown, but Hobbs deftly defends the takedown. Quarantillo eventually gets him down, but Hobbs immediately gets back to his feet against the cage. Quarantillo takes him down again, but Hobbs keeps moving and gets to his feet. Quarantillo gets another takedown against the cage, working some short punches, briefly gets mount and goes for a choke, but Hobbs defends and reverses, pressing him against the cage after a brief bit of punches. Quarantillo is continually going for and getting takedowns against the cage, seeing Hobbs land a short elbow before being taken down. Quarantillo looks to briefly attempt an Armbar, but Hobbs defends and gets on top, looking to work some gnarly looking elbows with Quarantillo pressed against the cage. Quarantillo gets back to his feet, but is tossed to the ground by Hobbs. Hobbs jumps to take his opponents back, but is too high, seeing him shucked off and pressed up against the cage and subsequently taken down. The round ends with both fighters clinched up against the cage throwing parting strikes.

RD2: Quarantillo lands a body kick to open the round. Hobbs responds with a hard combo, followed by a leg kick. Quarantillo responds in kind, with a series of leg kicks. Hobbs fires back with a three-punch combo. Hobbs then throws another series of punches that sees Quarantillo duck under and get a takedown, but Hobbs quickly reverses and gets on top in guard. He unleashes some ground and pound, but after a scramble, Quarantillo drops back for an Ankle Lock, Hobbs skillfully rolls with the submission and defends, weathers a brief choke attempt, then unleashes more hard punches and elbows. Quarantillo throws up a Triangle and works some elbows to the head of Hobbs, but Hobbs defends. Hobbs then makes Quarantillo pay with more punches and elbows. A scramble sees Quarantillo end up on top, then he looks to be going for a D’Arce choke. Hobbs defends, then gets on top and unleashes a hellacious barrage of punches and elbows to a visibly bloodied Quarantillo. Quarantillo kicks him off and looks to get up and pursue, the round ending with Quarantillo barely ducking under a hard right hand from Hobbs.

RD3: Quarantillo throws a body kick, and then Hobbs uncorks a barrage of hard punches to the face and kicks to the body of Quarantillo. Hobbs and Quarantillo exchange up against the cage, and Quarantillo ducks under a punch to get a takedown. With Hobbs pressed up against the cage, Quarantillo looks to work short punches and fish for a choke. Quarantillo then attempts a Rear Naked Choke, but Hobbs defends and gets on top. Quarantillo then throws up a Triangle, then moves to a Triangle/Armbar that seems to be what ultimately causes Hobbs to tap.

Results: Billy Quarantillo wins by Submission via Triangle at (2:13) in the 3rd round.

Check out the full fight on YouTube.

Thoughts: This fight was everything that a Main Event is supposed to be. It was entertaining, and showcased all facets of MMA. It’s nice to see that Billy Quarantillo took the fight against Terrell Hobbs, one of the more experienced Featherweight fighters in the region. Hobbs showcased the boxing and power that he has become known for over the years, while Quarantillo showed a ton of skill in being able to continually take Hobbs down, something not many have been able to do. While sweeps by Hobbs repeatedly saw Quarantillo end up on the bottom and on the receiving end of a lot of hard ground and pound, he was constantly throwing up submission attempts and keeping Hobbs on the defensive despite his favorable position. While it stinks to see Terrell Hobbs fall into a two-fight losing streak, I must say that it is a great feather in the cap of Quarantillo to have defeated such an experienced opponent this early in his career.

All in all, this was an absolutely great night of fights. Every fight was well matched, and very entertaining. I look forward to catching another great show at the next Glory Fights event!

Head Butts & Shoddy Refereeing is a Bad Combination

Posted by :jcastle On : May 13, 2014

Category: Bellator, Doombeard Exclusive, Fight Recap, Referee

Bellator 119 took place last Friday, May 9 2014 at the Casino Rama in Rama Ontario Canada. An otherwise very entertaining card was marred by the actions of what seemed to be a particularly befuddled referee. While the rest of the card was largely well officiated, sometimes one badly officiated fight is enough to put a bad taste in ones mouth.

The fight in question was the first bout on the evening’s main card, a heavyweight matchup between an undefeated Raphael Butler and longtime MMA standout Nick “The Slim Shady of MMA” Rossborough.

The fight started out in the first round being very entertaining, with both fighters mixing it up on both the ground and the feet for the first half of the opening round. At the 2:23 mark of the first round, Nick Rossborough nailed Raphael Butler with a left hook that sent Butler toppling to the floor. Rossborough then followed him to the ground, and almost immediately took Butler’s back and began to work for a Rear Naked Choke. Rossborough quickly got both hooks in and put Butler belly up, still jockeying for good hand/arm position.

At the :54 second mark in the first round, Butler tilted his head forward and then slammed it back into the jaw of Rossborough, and you could see immediately that he was at least dazed from it. I was pretty astounded, as I haven’t seen an intentional head butt in quite some time. The referee stopped the fight immediately, separated the fighters, and called in the ringside physician to take a look at Rossborough, then took a point from Butler for the intentional head butt.

What followed was where I, as well as many others, have a problem.

Upon ensuring that both fighters were ok to continue, the referee then made it clear that he was going to restart the fight in a standing position. This was immediately met with questioning from Rossborough, as well as the loud protests of his corner man, longtime UFC veteran Demarques Johnson.

Despite deducting a point from Butler; this effectively rewarded him for committing the foul, as the fact that Rossborough had previously taken his back, had hooks in, and was working for a Rear Naked Choke most certainly meant that he was in a precarious position. By standing the fighters back up, that still negated the previously good position that Rossborough had achieved before what was an obvious foul occurred.

Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith repeatedly voiced his disagreement with this decision.

The next two rounds that followed were very back and forth rounds, but the fight ended up being declared a Majority Draw.

I feel that this was a bit unfair in the end, as Rossborough certainly could have said he wasn’t able to continue the fight after he was fouled, some guys have certainly said they were unable to continue for less (a la Josh Diekmann vs. Manny Lara), yet he did continue in a fight where he was obviously never able to fully recover from a flagrant foul.

I was able to get a statement from Nick Rossborough (who I will be having a more in depth interview with later this week) on his thoughts on the ref’s decision to stand them back up after the foul that left him quite dazed as a result.

“I don’t remember the fight after that. I went into auto pilot mode. After watching the fight myself, the ref looked like he didn’t know much about the basics when it came to reffing. There’s a huge issue with reffing lately and them not knowing much,” Rossborough said.

He went on to question the licensing and education processes of athletic commissions at large, going on to say that referee’s need to be better prepared for officiating professional MMA bouts and should ideally have some level of expertise in the various disciplines that comprise Mixed Martial Arts. His sentiments certainly have merit, as many often echo them, but under these circumstances they are especially warranted.

I have seen some remarks online stating that it wasn’t a big deal that they were stood back up due to the fact that there was less than a minute left in the round, but I wholeheartedly disagree, since Rossborough could have very well finished the fight with a Rear Naked Choke if he had been placed back in the position he was in before the foul.

Seeking the opinion of a professional referee whose experience was definitely beyond question, I was able to speak with longtime MMA referee Mike King, who has been refereeing MMA bouts for the better part of a decade at both the amateur and professional levels. Upon me describing the sequence of events surrounding the foul to him, he immediately took issue with the way it was handled.

“That’s practically rewarding the one fighter for committing the foul. If both guys were OK to continue, I would have returned them to the exact position that they were in before the foul, and had them resume the fight from there. The fighter who was fouled should not be in a sense penalized for being fouled,” King said.

Referee Mike King went on to elaborate that while it may have been hard to place Rossborough’s arms in the exact position that the were in before the foul, he would have at least allowed him to resume with under-hooks as well as allowing him to regain the hooks he had in with his legs. He again stressed the fact it was very wrong that the referee in this particular bout returned the fighters to a standing position, as this could have potentially caused Nick Rossborough to have subsequently lost the bout due to a greater susceptibility to strikes after having been head butted, a point which I definitely agree with. King also said that while no referee has made it through their career without having made mistakes, that such a glaring such as this particular instance should really be examined, and that maybe this particular referee should have some remediation in regards to the rules that he should be enforcing.

While I do agree with the fact that referees are often only spoken of when they screw up yet seldom praised for being on the ball, that still does not take away from the fact that subpar refereeing like the stuff mentioned above should really not be occurring at such a high level as it did last Friday. I definitely hope that Ontario’s Athletic Commission at least reminds that particular referee about the rules of MMA and maybe puts him through some remedial training to make sure that he hopefully doesn’t err in such fashion again.

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : March 30, 2014

Category: Beard Advantage, Doombeard Exclusive, Fight Night Challenge, Fight Recap

I attended the Fight Night Challenge on 3/29/2014, and was impressed by the amateur MMA and muay thai talent that showed up to Charlottesville, Virginia. Here’s a recap of the night’s highlights and knockouts.

Jon Hillis vs. John Kerman (Modified Muay Thai Bout)

Beard Advantage goes to Kerman, who is sporting a closely cropped full beard.

RD1: 10-9 Hillis

RD2: 10-9 Hillis

RD3: 10-9 Kerman

Given that it was an exhibition bout, the fight was not scored.

Antonio Ortega vs. Tommy Couzzi (125 lbs.)

RD1: Tommy Couzzi comes right out of the gate throwing hard punches, getting a slamming takedown in short order. Ortega gets back up, but Couzzi achieves the front headlock position and looks to work towards a D’Arce Choke. They stand back up, but they are separated by referee Mike King due to an inadvertent groin kick suffered by Ortega. They resume and touch gloves. Couzzi throws a kick and another series of hard punches, eventually pressing Ortega against the cage, where he lands some hard punches and a knee. Ortega gamely chases him back with punches, but Couzzi gets another takedown and is immediately in side control. Ortega scrambles and Couzzi looks for an Anaconda Choke, eventually rolling into one. Ortega continues to roll around and defend, getting out of the sub right before the end of the round.

RD2: They meet in the middle and Couzzi looks to resume his striking attempts, but Ortega clinches up and Couzzi ends up on top in side control. Couzzi postures up in guard and rains down a flurry of punches and then steps away, allowing Ortega to stand back up. They clinch against the cage again, with Couzzi looking to control Ortega and throw short strikes. Couzzi is on the receiving end of a knee to the groin, causing the referee to stop the fight until he recovers. They resume, but Ortega lands a solid kick then a left hook, then he begins egging Couzzi on to fight. They exchange some hard punches that largely miss, with Couzzi getting another slamming takedown right before the end of the round.

RD3: Ortega opens up by winging some hard punches, but Couzzi clinches up with him against the cage, where they exchange some knees to the body. Couzzi then gets a slamming takedown that sees him get in side control, where Couzzi scrambles and is briefly threatened with a RNC. Ortega then reverses and ends up on top in guard, throwing punches while Couzzi looks to throw his legs up looking for a sub. Couzzi is working some short punches from the bottom, then stands up, throws a kick, and scores another takedown. Couzzi gets into mount and throws punches until the end of the round, with the crowd cheering loudly for both fighters after an entertaining and back and forth bout.

Unanimous Decision win for Tommy.

Maxwell Noonon vs. Jacob Ashley (145 lbs.)

Beard Advantage goes to Ashley, who is sporting some facial hair on his chin.

RD1: Ashley throws a front kick, but is promptly taken down by Noonon. Ashley throws up a Triangle attempt, Noonon defends, but Ashley locks it back up again. Noonon is trying to get to the side to avoid the submission, but Ashley uses the Triangle to sweep into mount and starts working some ground and pound. They transition again, with Ashley throwing up an Armbar attempt that is shucked off. Ashley then takes Noonon’s back and sinks in a Rear Naked Choke, forcing the tap.

First Round Submission Victory via Rear Naked Choke for Jacob Ashley.

Antoine Brown vs. Jessie Gibson (190 lbs. )

Beard Advantage goes to Jessie Gibson, who is sporting an awesome mustache.

RD1: Brown wings some punches, and is then clinched up Gibson. They separate and exchange some more punches, then Brown pushes Gibson up against the cage. Gibson briefly reverses, then Brown pushes him up against the cage again and starts to work short punches. Gibson lands a knee to the body, and Brown responds with punches. Gibson returns fire but Brown charges forward and gets a takedown against the cage and looks to work short punches from within the guard. Brown gets to half guard and lands some short punches to the body as the round comes to a close.

First Round TKO win (Stoppage due to a cut) Antoine Brown.

Sydney Smith vs. Chelsea McCoy (125 lbs.)

There will be no Beard Advantage awarded for this fight, given that both competitors are women…and lady beards aren’t cool. Instead, I will award Beard Advantage to Referee Mike King, who is sporting an awesome full beard.

RD1: McCoy pumps a jab, then throws a series of fast combos. Mccoy backs her oppoent against the cage and works some strikes in the clinch, then gets reversed and eats a few shots until they separate. Smith pumps a jab, then Mccoy responds in kind. McCoy throws a rapid fire series of punches that land on the face of her opponent. Smith respons with some punches of her own, but is again pounced on by McCoy, who clearly has an advantage in speed. McCoy lands another flurry of punches to the face of her opponent, backing her up against the cage again. Both fighters exchange some more punches as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Smith pumps a jab, then another. McCoy responds in kind. McCoy then counters and lands a hard one-two, then pounces on her opponent, landing another flurry of punches and a knee to the face, visibly shaking Smith. McCoy pounces on her opponent yet again with punches against the cage. Smith looks to work her jab, but McCoy does as well, succeeding due to her superior reach. McCoy throws but misses with a knee? McCoy lands a hard right hand to the face of Smith, who responds with a hard punch of her own. Smith throws a series of hard 1-2 combinations, with McCoy responding in kind. The round ends with McCoy throwing hard punches to the head of Smith, who was backed up against the cage.

RD3: Smith throws a hard combo to open the round. Chelsea starts to pump her jab. The fight is briefly stopped as the ref sees that smith has no mouthpieve. Chelsea lands a hard kick to the body of Smith, then begins to stalk her with more punches and kicks. McCoy lands and audibly hard kick to the body of Smith, who responds with a series of punches. McCoy counters a kick from Smith with a combination. Chelsea throws another combination and finishes it with a leg kick. At the 10-second clapper, both fighters open up and end the fight throwing hard leather until the final bell. Both fighters deserve a ton of respect, as this was a very fast paced and entertaining fight.

Unanimous Decision victory for Chelsea McCoy. This was definitely an early candidate for Fight of the Night.

Joseph Shearin vs. Robbie Lillard (170 lbs. Title Fight)

RD1: Lillard lands a kick to the body of Shearin, then another leg kick. Shearin throws but misses with a head kick, then follows up with a series of punches and a kick. Robbie barely misses with a spinning back kick, then back his opponent up against the cage and starts attacking with punches and knees to the face of Shearin. Shearin throws his legs up, looking for a submission, but Lillard stands up and slams him back to the ground. Lillard postures up and is defending well. Shearin contines to work hard for the submission, locking up a quick armbar, forcing Lillard to tap.

First Round submission victory for Joseph Shearin by Armbar, who becomes the new FNC Welterweight Champion.

John Calloway vs. Kris Lewis (265+ lbs. Superheavyweight Title)

RD1: Calloway immediately pounces on Lewis with punches, throwing him to the ground and getting the front headlock position. Lewis scrambles, but Calloway gets on top in side control and starts to land some hard punches to the face Lewis. After Calloway lands a few more hard and unanswered punches to the face of Lewis, Todd McGovern waves off the bout as a TKO stoppage.

First Round TKO win due to strikes for John Calloway, who becomes the new Fight Night Challenge Super Heavyweight Champion. Want to see the TKO? Watch it here.

Kristen Murphy vs. Brittney Doss (135 lbs. Female Title)

Given that both competitors are women, neither one is eligible for Beard Advantage. However, one of Doss’ cornermen was sporting a solid and long beard, so Beard Advantage goes to him.

RD1: Murphy pumps a jab, then another. Doss looks to throw a combination of her own, but is caught and dropped by punches from Murphy, who ends up on top in side control. Murphy looks to work short strikes from the top, with Doss continually scrambling around on bottom. Murphy postures up and lands a few hard strikes form the top position. Referee Todd McGovern then steps in and calls an end to the bout due to

Kristen Murphy wins by First Round Submission ( Verbal Submission ) , becomes the FNC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

In between fights, the announcer called in multiple organization Featherweight Champion Chris “The Rocket” Rollins, who spoke on his career, his numerous titles, and his aspirations of eventually going Pro after his next fight.

Jon-Taine Hall vs. Dashawn Boatwright (205 lbs. Title)

Beard Advantage firmly goes to Dashawn Boatwright, who is sporting a really solid full beard.

RD1: Hall comes in with a punch, then lands a leg kick. Hall shoots for a takedown and pushes Boatwright up against the cage. Boatwright defends well. Hall briefly gets Boatwright down, but he pops back up, and is taken down again. Hall is throwing a few short punches from within a close half guard, but doesn’t really have the space to get much going. Boatwright looks to get up, and Hall briefly threatens with a Rear Naked Choke, but Boatwright turns back over. Hall lands a few hard strikes from top position. Boatwright attempts to stand up with Hall on his back, but is forced back to the ground. Hall looks for a pair of Armbar attempts as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Both fighters exchange

RD3: Hall throws a series of kicks to the body and legs of Boatwright. Hall throws a front kick to the body of Boatwright. Hall shoots for a takedown and gets Boatwright pressed against the cage, attempting to hook one of Boatwrights legs, eventually getting Boatwright to the ground. Hall is landing short punches from half guard, then transitions to mount. Hall then takes Boatwrights back, and looks to lock up an Armbar. Boatwright defends, and Hall lands some hard punches to the face of Boatwright. At the end of a fast scramble for position, Boatwright submits to the Armbar attempt.

Third Round Submission (Armbar) Victory for Jon-Taine Hall, who becomes the new FNC 205 lbs. Champion.

Stephen McBride vs. Andy “Tank” Knopp (265 lbs. Title)

RD1: Knopp wades in with some punches, and both fighters clinch up. Knopp is throwing some hard punches in the clinch, and McBride responds with a hard punch that momentarily drops Knopp. Knopp recovers and gets a takedown, working some punches from within the guard of McBride. McBride gets up and then knocks

First Round Victory via KO for Stephen McBride, who becomes the new FNC 265 lbs champ.

Want to see McBride’s gnarly knockout? Watch it here.

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : January 21, 2014

Category: Beard Advantage, Boxing, Doombeard Exclusive, Fight Night Challenge, Fight Recap, Fighting Style, Muay Thai

Fight Night Challenge was an interesting amateur promotion to watch. Not only did they feature entertaining MMA fights, but they opened their show with a boxing match, and also featured four Muay Thai bouts. Below, you will find play-by-plays, plus my opinion, on the fights that night. There is also a video following some match ups, so that you can watch it for yourself.

Calvin Daniels vs. Zach Zeleick (156 lbs. Boxing bout)

RD1: 10-9 Zeleick

RD2: 10-9 Zeleick

RD3: 10-9 Zeleick, but he is fading noticeably

RD4: 10-9 Zeleick

Zach “ZZ” Zeleick wins by Unanimous Decision. “ZZ” seemed to have the edge in power and killer instinct throughout , rocking Daniels several times.

Charles Tarvers vs. Chance Jones (165 lbs. Modified (no elbows) Muay Thai bout)

Chance Jones has a definitive “Beard Advantage” with a solid full beard.

RD1: 10-9 Jones

RD2: 10-9 Jones

RD3: 10-9 Tarvers

Jones was the definite aggressor early on into the fight, but Tarvers came back and definitely won the third round. Charles Tarvers wins by Unanimous Decision.

Oleksander “The Greek” Humen vs. Richard “The Outlaw” Thacker ( 170 lbs. MMA Bout)

Oleksander Humen walked out to an awesome Greek hard rock song that also featured heavy doses of mandolin. Humen has an abosolutely awesome entrance song, that I am sure is going to give him some great vibes and added power in the fight. The power of the mandolin compels him!

RD1: Humen lands a snapping leg kick, then another. Thacker clinches up with Humen and pushes him against the cage, where Humen then reverses and lands a series of knees to the legs of Thacker. Humen then attempts to jump and take Thackers back while standing, but instead settles for a slamming takedown, almost immediately achieving mount. Humen then unloads a barrage of punches on Thacker, forcing Thacker to turn over as he wilts under the pressure, with blood streaming down his face. Referee Todd McGovern stepped in and called the end to the bout.

A 2:07 TKO win for Humen in Round 1.

Dakota Donivan vs. Antonio Ortega (130 lbs. Modified MMA rules)

This fight is a modified MMA fight where both competitors are still in high school, with Donivan being 15, and Ortega being 16.

RD1: Ortega lands a solid left hand to begin the bout, with Donivan responding with a takedown. Ortega attempts an Armbar, but Donivan defends it well, but succumbs to the second Armbar attempt.

First Round (:50) Submission (Armbar) win for Antonio Ortega.

Lashonda Hinton vs. Chelsea McCoy (135 lbs. Modified Muay Thai rules)

RD1: 10-9 McCoy

RD2: 10-9 McCoy

RD3: 10-9 McCoy

A re-occuring theme throughout the fight was the rapid fire flurries of punches and knees that Chelsea McCoy was landing on her opponent. While Hinton was landing some hard single shots, McCoy’s blistering speed kept her one step ahead of her opponent throughout the duration of the bout.

30-27 Unanimous Decision victory for Chelsea McCoy.

Roque Zapata vs. Carlos Martinez (135 lbs. MMA fight)

RD1: Both fighters meet in the center and are exchanging hard and fast combos. Zapata in particular. Zapata lands a snapping leg kick, then another. Martinez clinches up on the end of a combination and looks to be working for a takedown against the cage for a while. They separate, with Zapata landing some hard punches as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Zapata takes the center of the cage, then Martinez lands a leg kick. Martinez lands a kick, but Zapata counters with a combination that lands flush on the chin of Martinez. Zapata then throws Martinez to the ground and beginning to work some hard ground and pound with Martinez pushed up against the cage. Martinez briefly achieves Rubber Guard, and is throwing his legs up, fishing for submission attempts. Zapata uses a failed sub attempt to advance to North/South position. Zapata goes for an Armbar, but with the 10-second clapper sounding, instead chooses to focus his efforts on landing a series of audibly hard punches to the body of Martinez to close out the round.

RD3: Martinez misses with a high kick. Zapata attempts a takedown, but Martinez deftly reverses it and lands on top in mount. Zapata rolls over and gives up his back, which Martinez capitalizes on the starts working for a Rear Naked Choke. Zapata is gamely defending, so Martinez mixes in some punches as well. Zapata attempts to stand up, which allows him to improve his position, shaking Martinez off his back. Zapata ends up on top in side control, but Martinez improves his position again, taking his back. Both fighters are now standing and are clinched up against the cage, with Martinez throwing a series of knees to Zapata’s head and body as the round comes to a close. At the end of the round, both fighters embraced and congratulated each other on a great fight.

Split Decision Win for Roque Zapata.

This extremely spirited fight to was truly awesome to watch. Both fighters involved are very exciting, and I am sure have great futures ahead of them in their MMA careers.

Robbie Lillard vs. Roy Smith (155 lbs. MMA bout)

RD1: Lillard lands a leg kick, then follows up with a series of punches that drop his opponent. Smith seems to be fishing for leg lock of some kind, but Lillard is unrelenting in his efforts at punching Roy Smith in the face. Lillard transitioned between side control and mount, eventually settling on staying in mount. Lillard continues to pound Smith with hard punches and elbows, eventually causing Smith to roll over and submit due to the Strikes right as the referee is preparing to step in and stop the contest.

Robbie Lillard wins by Submission (Strikes) in the first round.

Daryl Jones vs. Corey Brown (155 lbs. MMA Title Bout)

RD1: Jones lands a snapping leg kick to start the round. Jones then lands a series of punches and follows Brown to the ground. Jones uncorks a barrage of punches, but Brown weathers the storm and recovers his position and gets into full guard. After Brown spent some time trying to isolate an arm, Jones got back to his feet and walked away from Brown. A brief exchange sees Brown pushed up against the cage in the clinch. Another combination of punches from Jones sees Brown return to the ground, looking for a submission. Brown throws his legs up and threatens the arm of Jones, but Jones responds with a flurry of hammer-fists to Browns face. Brown regains control of Jones’ wrist, and seems to be looking for either another Armbar or Triangle Choke attempt as the round comes to a close.

At the close of the round, the ringside doctor came into the cage to attend to Brown, whose eye was visibly swollen and he appeared to be having problems with his peripheral vision, causing the ringside doctor to call and end to the fight for the purposes of fighter safety.

Daryl Jones wins via TKO due to Doctor Stoppage, becoming the new FNC Lightweight Champion.

Donald Henshaw vs. Justin Hatcher (170lbs. MMA Bout)

RD1: Henshaw shoots for a takedown from long distance, but is reversed with Hatcher landing on top. After a brief scramble, Hatcher got on top in mount and started raining down punches. Henshaw rolled over and seemed to go limp, forcing Referee Mike King to step in and call an end to the fight.

First round (0:39) TKO victory for Justin Hatcher.

James Speight vs. Nick Minton (255 lbs. MMA Bout)

Beard Advantage goes to Nick Minton, who is rocking a closely cropped full beard.

RD1: Minton throws a two-punch combination, and Speight clinches up with him and puts him against the cage. Minton is working short punches to the body of Speight, who throws Minton to the ground and almost immediately gets to mount. Very shortly thereafter James Speight locks up an Americana that causes Minton to tap almost immediately, causing ref Mike King to call an end to the action.

First Round Submission (Americana) Victory for James Speight.

Victor Rubli vs. Randy Fitzgerald (205 Modified (no elbows) Muay Thai bout)

Definitive Beard advantage for Fitzgerald, who has a solid full beard (goatee and chinstrap).

RD1: Rubli lands a kick, but Fitzgerald responds with a few punches in return. Fitzgerald lands a leg kick, then throws Rubli to the ground in short order. Fitzgerald starts to land his punches flush to the face of Rubli as the round comes to a close, noticeably rocking Rubli.

RD2: Rubli throws a pair of leg kicks, but Fitzgerald responds with hard punches. Rubli wings a right hand, but Fitzgerald slips his punch and lands some punches that drop Rubli again. Fitzgerald lands another series of hard punches that eventually drop Rubli yet again. Referee Todd McGovern steps in to check on Rubli and give him the count, but Rubli’s corner throws in the towel right before McGovern waves off the bout.

Second Round KO win for Randy Fitzgerald, who thanked all of his supporters for coming out to watch what was probably his last fight. If that was indeed his last fight, he certainly acquitted himself well, and ended his fighting career with a dominant performance in front of his friends and family.

Chris Rollins vs. Brian Rich (145 lbs. MMA Title Bout)

RD1: Rich throws a right hand and starts working for a takedown almost immediately. After he gets Rollins against the cage, he gets a slamming takedown and works some knees to the body of Rollins, who pops back up to his feet in short order. Rich gets another slam takedown, getting in side control and begins to work for a D’Arce choke against the cage. Rollins gamely defends the choke, constantly moving around and scrambling and eventually getting back to his feet. A furious exchange sees Rich shoot for another takedown in response to the strikes of Rollins. Ref. Todd McGovern separates the fighters and deducts a point from Rollins for strikes to the back of Rich’s head. After giving Rich the customary amount of time to recover, the fight resumes and sees Rich achieve another takedown in short order. Rich then takes the back of Rollins and starts to work for a Rear Naked Choke. Rollins defends the submission and Rich ends up on top in mount, working strikes against the cage until the round comes to a close.

RD2: Rollins starts off the round with a punching combination that sees Rich feint for a takedown. Rich then feints a punch and shoots for a takedown, but is met with the right knee of Rollins, which connected squarely on his jaw, dropping him. Rollins follows Rich to the ground and throws strikes to Rich’s face and body until Referee Todd McGovern steps in to call an end to the bout.

Second Round TKO stoppage win for Chris Rollins, who remains the FNC 145 lbs. Champion.

John Calloway vs. Kris Lewis (265 lbs. MMA bout)

Since both fighters are in possession of solid but closely cropped full beards, I will award Beard Advantage to both fighters, and will also congratulate both fighters for embracing manliness in general and growing beards.

RD1: Calloway lands a kick to the body of Lewis, who responds in kind. Both fighters clinch up and Calloway ends up on top in the front headlock position. Calloway looks to have locked up the arm of Lewis, who is forced to tap due to the fact that his shoulder got dislocated.

First Round TKO stoppage due to injury, win for John Calloway.

Alan Stephenson vs. Dustin Goard (155 lbs. Muay Thai Title Bout)

I award Beard Advantage to Dustin Goard, who in addition to having a solid full beard, walked out to “Danger Zone”, showing a great sense of style and panache.

RD1: Goard lands a leg kick, but Stephenson responds with one of his own with some punches to follow it. Both fighters begin to exchange hard leg kicks and punches, with Stephenson having the sleight edge in the exchanges, as he is countering well. Goard lands a few hard punches as the round comes to a close, but Stephenson fires back with some hard punches of his own, having done a good job of catching Goard on the end of a lot of his punches.

RD2: Goard lands a series of leg kicks, but Stephenson continues to respond in kind. Stephenson lands a snapping leg kick, then opens up on Goard with a hard series of punches. Stephenson lands a flush uppercut/hook combo that stuns Goard.

RD3: Stephenson almost immediately uncorks a solid barrage of punches that eventually drop Goard. After the fight resumes after the count, Goard lands a kick to Stephenson’s body, then a leg kick, but Stephenson fires back with hard punches and a spinning back kick that barely misses. Stephenson and Goard exchange strikes until the round comes to a close, a round that Stephenson handily won

RD4: Goard misses with a kick, then Stephenson responds with a body kick of his own, then a hard series of punches to the face of Goard. Stephenson is clearly wining on most of the exchanges, and seems to be putting a lot of power on all his strikes without his cardio appearing to be any worse for wear. Stephenson continues to land hard punches until the end of the round, clearly dominating yet another round.

RD5: Stephenson lands a solid combo to the face of Goard, who responds with a flying knee and subsequent spinning back-fist attempts that miss. Goard lands a snapping kick to the body of Stephenson , who responds with an audibly hard body shot of his own, followed by series of jabs. Goard fires back with strikes, but Stephenson catches him with a hard uppercut before both fighters clinch up. The round ends with both fighters throwing strikes up against the cage.

Unanimous Decision victory for Alan Stephenson, who handily dismantled his opponent throughout the fight with his superior striking abilities.

Jon-Taine Hall vs. Dashawn Boatwright (205 lbs. MMA Title )

Beard Advantage most assuredly goes to Dashawn “The 400 lbs. Silverback” Boatwright, who is sporting a great full beard and a Mohawk that is reminiscent of Mr. T.

RD1: Boatwright lands a hard kick to the body of Hall, and he follows it up with a punching combination and a high kick that drops Hall. Hall gets back up to his feet and attempts to clinch with Boatwright, but is easily shucked off. Boatwright lands a leg kick, then throws another kick that is caught by Hall, who then briefly gets him to the canvas. Boatwright almost immediately reverses and ends up on top in mount, then gets back to his feet in short order. Boatwright chases Hall down and begins to clobber him with punches. Hall responds with a takedown attempt against the cage, which Boatwright completely stifles. Both fighters separate, and Boatwright resumes his efforts at successfully stalking Hall and mixing up punches and kicks. Hall throws a leg kick, and is then chased down by Boatwright. Both fighters end up clinched against the cage, reversing position several times until they separate. Boatwright then throws a barrage of strikes to the head of Hall, dropping him with an extremely hard punch. Boatwright is on top of Hall, landing some short punches before he stands back up. Hall then shoots for and gets a takedown, but Boatwright almost immediately pops back to his feet. Hall throws a few front kicks and jabs to keep Boatwright at a distance. Hall shoots for yet another takedown that Boatwright shrugs off, clearly being the stronger fighter. Hall gets backed up against the cage and is nailed with an audibly hard right hand to the body. Hall throws another kick to the body of Boatwright right before the round comes to a close.

RD2: Both fighters meet in the center, with Boatwright immediately landing a leg kick, then another. Hall throws a series of front kicks to keep Boatwright at a distance. Boatwright lands another hard leg kick, then another. Boatwright then charges Hall with a hard punching combination, with Hall responding with a hard hook of his own. Boatwright then rushes in to throw more punches, but is inadvertently poked in the eye by Hall, who was keeping his jab hand out to keep distance.

After being attended to by the ringside physician, the fight was declared a No Contest due to an inadvertent eye poke by Hall to the eye of Boatwright. Up until the eye-poke, it was a fight that Boatwright was handily winning, having dropped his opponent several times in the space of the first round alone. I look forward to checking out their rematch, which will be taking place at the next Fight Night Challenge on March 29^th in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Simply put, the guys at Fight Night Challenge put on an absolutely great show. The night’s card was full of quality and exciting fights, and I greatly look forward to covering their shows in the future.

Richmond Rumble Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : October 2, 2013

Category: Decisions, Fight Recap, Fighting Style, Richmond Rumble

Tags:Richmond Rumble

JoJo Stringfield vs. Randy “Doubletime” Campbell (145 lbs.)

Randy Campbell was a no show to the event. There was talk indicating that he is currently incarcerated (again). After a less than stellar Amateur career (1-?), and a pro career that saw him on the wrong end of several one-sided beat downs, Randy Campbell could potentially be done. As it stands, his erratic behavior has not left his reputation in a good place with local promoters.

JoJo Stringfield will apparently be paid his show money, but will not be able to fight due to an absence of an opponent.

Cristian Rodriguez vs. Arthur Parker (125 lbs.)

Major style points for Rodriguez, who walked out to “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee.

RD1: Cris pumps a double jab, and is looking to get comfy at distance. Parker responsds in kind. Cris briefly comes in for a takedown. Parker lands a leg kick. Cris lands what seems like a five-punch combination to the face of Parker, then puts him up against the cage and gets a slamming takedown. Cris takes the back, works some punches and then starts working for an RNC. Parker gamely defends and gets up. Cris then jumps up and takes his back from the standing position. Parker tries to slam his head on the ground to break it, but Cris eventually gets the tap by Rear Naked Choke at 2:55 in the first round.

Cris then jumps over the cage wall, jumps down to the ground, and went to hug his father. Awesome stuff.

Umit Yilmaz vs. Chris “The Magi” McNeil (200 lbs. Catchweight)

RD1: Umit lands a leg kick. Chris responds in kind. Umit lands two leg kicks, then Chris lands a series of hard punches to the chin of Umit. Umit crumples to the ground. Chris lands another few punches before Referee Mike King waves off the fight. Umit lay on the ground and took a few moments to begin to move again. A 29 second KO victory for Chris McNeil in the first round.

Keyon “Hands of Stone” Wilkins vs. Louis Johnson (145 lbs.)

RD1: Keyon responds to leg kicks with heavy punches to the head over Johnson. Johnson comes around, runs the pipe and gets a takedown after being pressed up against the cage by Wilkins. Johnson gets into mount and starts raining down punches, with Wilkins rapidly scrambling to avoid them and improve position. Wilkins ends up on the bottom in guard, trying to throw his legs up to work for a sub while he is taking punches from Johnson. Johnson is postured up throwing punches, then goes back down to the ground and lands a few audibly hard punches to the face of Wilkins. Johnson postures up and throws another series of punches to the face of Wilkins. Wilkins tries to lock up his wrists but they both stands up. Wilkins throws a series of punches to Johnson, who responds in kind and secures another takedown. Johnson gets a hold of Wilkins’ neck and ends up in a half guard of sorts, while looking for punches to Wilkins’ face. The round ends with Johnson throwing punches at a grounded Wilkins.

RD2: Wilkins pumps a jab, Johnson throws a few head kicks, then looks to throw what looks like a kick to sweep Wilkns’ leg. Wilkins steps in close and gets on top of Johnson in half guard, but they soon return to the feet. Johnson lands a few hard leg kicks and a knee to the head of Wilkins. Wilkins shoots for a take down against the cage, but Johnson does a great job of defending it and ends up on top in mount. Johnson starts raining down punches on Wilkins at a rapid pace. The ref waves off the fight as Wilkins remains crumpled up and facing down on the canvas.

Louis “Goosebumps” Johnson wins by TKO in the second round.

Mark “The Predator” Strickland vs. Colby Covington (170 lbs.)

Originally scheduled to be a Welterweight contest, this fight ran into a snafu at weigh-ins that ended up seeing the fight called off at the last minute. Both Mark Strickland and Colby Covington missed weight. Normally, the fight would proceed as a Catch-weight fight at that point, but Colby Covington would not consent to fight. This understandably upset Mark Strickland, who had plenty of fans who had already bought tickets and had planned on watching him compete. Strickland began to offer Covington increasing sums of money, which would come out of his purse, in order for him to take the fight. Covington continually refused, even after Strickland offered him his entire purse.

In one of the more bizarre fight cancellations I’ve seen in a while, Colby Covington refused to take the fight, despite the fact that he (accompanied by UFC Lightweight fighter Jorge Masvidal) came all the way up from Florida to take the fight. It would have made a bit more sense had Covington made weight and didn’t want to fight an overweight Strickland, but given the circumstances, I’d consider it a reasonable assertion to question the motivation behind such a course of action.

Sadly, Mark “The Predator” Strickland vs. Colby Covington was yet another fight on the card that never came to fruition.

Diego Peclat (is a Blackzilian) vs. Emmanuel Walo (Team Renzo Gracie/ All Star BJJ) (175 lbs.)

Diego Peclat had a big loud cheering crowd of supporters

RD1: Walo lands a leg kick, some punches and a kick to the body, with Peclat responding in kind. Walo gets a takedown, but they quickly return to the feet, with Peclat pressing Walo up against the cage working some knees top the legs of Walo. Walo lands a knee to the body of Peclat, but they are then separated. Peclat wings an overhand right, then soon secures a takedown that sees him landing on top in half guard. Walo gets back up to his feet, but Peclat stays in close and keeps him pressed up against the cage. Walo then gets a takedown and looks to lock up Peclat’s neck, but Peclat gets back up and presses Walo against the cage yet again, working short punches to Walo’s body. Walo and Peclat are battling for better position in the clinch, exchanging low kness. Peclat tries for a trip takedown, then looks for a single leg but doesn’t get it, then lands a knee to Walo’s thigh at the advice of his corner. Ref Todd McGovern separates them. Walo lands a high kick, then wings a series of punches. Peclat doesn’t like this obviously, and presses Walo up against the cage to end the round in the clinch.

RD2: Peclat lands a kick, then Walo responds in kind. After a brief exchange of kicks, Walo looks for a standing Guillotine but Peclat avoids it, and gets on top against the cage. They both soon return to the feet and resume an entertaining striking battle. Peclat lands a hard leg kick, with Walo looking to land hard counter punches, but Walo is missing on them by mere inches. Walo then lands a series of punches, to which Peclat responds with a spinning backfist. They clinch with each other and Peclat presses up against Walo, pinning him to the cage. Peclat is fishing for a trip, but Walo savvily stays clear of such attempts. Peclat’s corner is calling for him to try to take the back. Walo gets a brief takedown, but Peclat is keeping him pinned against the cage, smothering him and throwing just enough strikes to “stay busy” and not get separated. The ref separates them right before the round ends.

RD3: Peclat pumps a jab, then Walo responds with leg kicks and punches. Walo lands a head kick that stuns Peclat, then Walo takes him to the ground and throws some punches, before Peclat gets a hold of him and reverses. Both fighters quickly return to their feet, with Peclat resuming his strategy of smothering Walo against the cage. Peclat lands an elbow to the face of Walo, but continues to throw just enough strikes to not get separated by the ref. Ref separates them after a low blow that Walo suffers. They resume shortly after. Walo and Peclat exchange kicks, and Walo wings some hard punches to Peclat, but Peclat again presses him up against the cage. Peclat throws some short punches to the body of Walo, then the ref separates them. Walo lands a combo then takes Peclat down, landing on top in Guard. Walo starts to work some short elbows to the head of Peclat. You can tell that Peclat is attempting to sweep, but Walo keeps him in place, hitting him with elbows and a few punches for his efforts. Peclat opens up his guard to sweep, but Walo gets into half guard and throws punches and works for Peclat’s neck as the round comes to a close.

Unanimous Decision victory for Diego Peclat. Many in the crowd did not agree, probably due to Peclat’s clinch heavy style. Peclat was very gracious in victory, thanking his fans, as well as congratulating his opponent.

Keith Bell vs. Paul Waremecki (Heavyweight)

Paul Waremecki walked out to a version of “Ave Maria” done by a male opera singer. Definitely not typical walk out music, but gets him some style points all the same.

RD1: Touch gloves. Waremecki throws a leg kick that lands to the groin of Bell. The ref separates them, but Bell soon recovers. Waremecki is looking to pump some shots, but is at a severe reach disadvantage. Waremecki shoots in, but Bell reverses and pins him up against the cage and works some good knees in the clinch before they separate. After a furious exchange of hard punches, Bell ends up pressing Waremecki against the cage briefly. Waremecki is gamely throwing hard punches, but Bell is effectively countering. Bell lands a stiff jab, then clips Waremecki with a two punch combo that causes Waremecki to go stiff and start to fall to the side. Bell pounces on him, knocking him to the ground and remaining on top of his back, raining down hard punches until the referee stopped it, as Waremecki was laying unmoving on the ground at the time of stoppage. Great slug fest.

TKO stoppage for Keith Bell in the first round.

[INTERMISSION] MC Giovanni Lemm then brought UFC matchmaker Joe Silva into the ring to interview him. Joe Silva urged people to support local MMA.

Mike Wade vs. Nah-Shon Burrell (170 lbs.)

RD1: Wade lands a leg kick, Burrell responds with two leg kicks, then a left hook. Wade ducks under some punches from Burrell, goes for a takedown against the cage, and then jumps up and takes Burrell’s back, looking for a RNC. Burrell is moving around and fighting it, but Wade stays tight and keeps working for it, mixing in some punches to the head of Burrell. Burrell keeps mocking but eventually stands back up. Burrell wings a hard right, then starts to mix some leg kicks in with some punches. Wade throws a head kick, but Burrell blocks it, then responds with a leg kick. Burrell is able to get in quickly with punches. Burrell throws some punches, then Wade shoots for and gets a brief takedown. Burrell gets back up and gets free, then looks to land kicks. Burrell lands a leg kick, then throws a high kick in quick sucession, but Wade blocks the high one. Both fighters throw leaping knees to end the round. Both fighters exchange heated words right after the bell rings.

RD2: Wade comes in with a punch, then lands a punch to Burrell’s face. Burrell throws a kick and Wade jumps in and gets a brief TD against the cage and throws a knee to the head of Burrell. They separate, and Wade lands two leg kicks in a row. Wade throws a 1-2 that is just short, and Burrell backs away from it. Both guys guage distance. Burrell lands a leg kick then a body kick, Wade responds with a high kick. Burrell darts in with a combo, but Wade evades it, then shoots for a TD against the cage. Wade takes him down, keeping Burrell’s legs together, but Burrell pops back up, only to be slammed to the ground again. They get back up and separate, with Burrell throwing a left hand, then Wade landing a leg kick, then a series of good punches to the head of Burrell, who briefly buckles against the cage. Wade continues to throw hard punches to Burrell, then takes him down against the cage again. Burrell is throwing hard punches to the body of Wade. The round ends with both fighters showing signs of having taken some hard punches to the face. Burrell’s leg kicks have the side of Wade’s leg very red and bruised up already.

RD3: Wade lands a leg kick. Burrell lands with a left hand, then lands an uppercut as Wade comes in. Burrell lands a leg kick, then another. Wade lands a thudding kick to the body of Burrell. Burrell eats two hard punches from Wade, then responds with two of his own to the face of Wade. Wade then shoots for a TD against the cage, successfully getting a single leg. Burrell pops back up and is throwing punches to the head of Wade, but Wade keeps him pinned to the cage, working knees to the legs of Burrell. Wade then transitions to the other leg, but Burrell is adequately defending his TD attempts, throwing elbows to the side of Wade’s head. They separate, exchanging hard punches. Wade shoots for a TD but Burrell sprawls out and gets up. Burrell lands a right hand, then Wade shoots for a TD against the cage again, with Burrell throwing hard punches and elbows to the side of Wade’s head. Wade absorbs some hard elbows, but is doggedly continuing to work for the TD until the end of the round.

Nah-Shon Burrell wins by Split Decision.

Terrell Hobbs vs. Jeremy Myers (145 lbs.)

RD1: Myers wings some hard punches, but Terrell evades them and counters effectively. Terrell lands a leg kick, then Myers comes back with a kick of his own, then a high kick. Myers lands another leg kick, then Terrell briefly takes him down, but Myers pops back up, pressed against the cage. Terrell then gets a slamming takedown, ending up on top in side control. Myers is scrambling to improve his position, but Terrell is staying tight on top in half guard, landing short strikes. Myers tries to get up, but Terrell then gets into mount, Myers briefly reverses but Terrell ends up on top in mount again, and starts raining down hard elbows that I can hear from here. Myers is covering up, but Terrell is relentless with his GNP. Myers rolls over, and Terrell sinks in a RNC almost immediately, forcing Myers to tap.

Submission victory via RNC for Terrell Hobbs in the first round.

Downtown Ground and Pound 10: Event Recap and Full Fight Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : September 19, 2013

Category: Downtown Ground and Pound, Fight Recap, Fighting Style

Chris Harris vs. Daniel Bryan (185 lbs.)

RD1: Harris throws two right hands in a row, Bryan then clinches and throws Harris to the ground, taking his back. Harris gets back up, but is immediately taken down again. After getting back up, Harris eats a series of punches and is taken down, where Bryan looks to work punches from within the guard. Bryan transitions to Harris’ back and starts to work for a Rear Naked Choke, getting a body triangle to help the submission’s effectiveness. Harris is gamely trying to fend off the submission attempts by continually rolling from side to side, but he is unable to get out of the body triangle. Bryan continues to work for the Rear Naked Choke but the round ends.

RD2: Bryan nails Harris with two punches, and then shoots in for a takedown against the cage. Harris gamely reverses and briefly holds top position, but Bryan handily gets back up. Bryan throws a series of punches and successfully gets another takedown against the cage. Harris attempts a Guillotine choke, but it is quite hard to achieve since Bryan is in side control. Bryan then transitions to a high side mount and is trying to work short elbows but is essentially just holding position at this point. The round ends with Bryan holding onto a headlock of sorts and throwing a few punches.

RD3: Harris lands a front kick to the body of Bryan, but the ref briefly stops the round because Harris forgot to put in his mouthpiece. When the fight resumes, Harris is throwing bombs, but Bryan catches him with some hard punches and drops him. The ref is paying close attention and stops the fight after Harris continues to eat punches while grounded. Harris briefly attempts to protest the stoppage, but it definitely seemed like a timely one.

Daniel Bryan wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage due to Strikes) at 0:46 in the third round.

Tyus Thomas vs. Christian Maultrie (185 lbs.)

RD1: Thomas pumps a jab, but eats a few punches from Maultrie, and is then taken down. Thomas is taken down again, and immediately has his back taken. Maultrie works for a Rear Naked Choke, but Thomas is able to get back up. Thomas is looking to strike, but is repeatedly on the wrong end of the striking exchanges. Thomas pushes Maultrie against the cage and is looking to work for knees and a takedown, but Maultrie is effectively neutralizing his attempts. Maultrie then throws Thomas to the ground and looks for strikes, but Thomas reverses and gets on top. Thomas throws a few short punches from with Guard and shucks off an Armbar attempt as the round ends.

RD2: Thomas lands a jab to the face of Maultrie, and then lands a successful body kick. Thomas gets the better of a punching exchange and presses Maultrie up against the cage, and is then reversed and pressed up against the cage himself. Maultrie briefly loses his mouthpiece, but the ref deftly gives it back to him while the fighters are in the clinch. Maultrie then takes Thomas down, where Thomas attempts to hold onto a Guillotine of sorts from side control, but Maultrie then Mounts him and begins to throw bombs from the Mount. Thomas is attempting to shrimp out and improve his position, but Maultrie keeps him pinned to the ground until the round ends.

RD3: Thomas lands a high kick, and then backs Maultrie up against the cage and knees him in the stomach. Thomas then backs Maultrie up again and lights him up with another series of punches, knees, and a kick to the head. Maultrie then executes a hip toss and almost immediately achieves Mount. Despite his position, Maultrie seems hesitant to rain down strikes, and Thomas does a great job of gaining wrist control and mitigating the potential damage. Thomas then sweeps Maultrie with nothing but brute force and ends up on top in Guard. Maultrie looks tired, and the round ends with Thomas raining down elbows and punches on Maultrie. Despite the gameness that was shown, it may have been too little too late for Thomas to change the outcome of the fight.

Christian Maultrie wins by Unanimous Decision with all scores at 29-28.

Charles Hayes vs. Jere Amidei Jr (145 lbs.)

The fight was delayed when UFC fighter and referee Tom Lawlor told Amidei that his shorts were not ok to use, as they were Nike basketball shorts with pockets, as opposed to any type of shorts meant for combat sports. After an unsuccessful search for an appropriate pair of shorts, the other ref taped Amidei’s pockets up and the fight was able to commence.

RD1: Hayes lands a quick 1-2, then Amidei attempts a takedown from long distance. Hayes attempts a standing Guillotine, but Amidei gets out. After another takedown attempt, Hayes ends up on the bottom while Amidei looks to be working for a submission. Amidei locks in a Rear Naked Choke and forces the tap. Apparently the tape on his pockets did him some good and sent some positive vibes his way.

Jere Amidei wins by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:19 in the first round.

Easton Scarbrough vs. Kyle Myrie (185 lbs.)

Scarbrough seems to be rocking a “Hairrow” style of chest hair, a la Brian Ebersole. Style points for Scarbrough, major style points.

RD1: Scarbrough feints for a punch and immediately gets a takedown and ends up in side control. Scarbrough is clearly the superior wrestler, as Myrie doesn’t seem to be trying to improve his position at all. Scarbrough lands a barrage of punches and hard elbows to the body of Myrie, and is repeatedly attempting to transition to mount. Scarbrough looks to lock up some sort of head-arm choke from side control, but instead just continues to throw short but hard strikes to the body of Myrie. The round ends with Scarbrough on top with his knee on Myrie’s belly.

RD2: Myrie looks for some pawing jabs, but is almost immediately taken down again. Scarbrough gets side control and looks to throw short strikes. Scarbrough locks up Myrie’s arm in a crucifix position and starts throwing punches with an increasing frequency. Myrie is unable to get out and improve his position, and is also unable to protect himself, forcing referee Tom Lawlor to call a TKO stoppage due to Myrie’s inability to defend himself in such a position.

Great usage of the Crucifix position by Scarbrough, Roy Nelson would be proud.

Easton Scarbrough wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage due to strikes) at 1:03 in the second round.

JT Stewart vs. James Hicks (155 lbs.)

RD1: Both guys immediately start throwing punches at a rapid pace, with Hicks getting a trip takedown from the body lock. Hicks lands in his guard, working a few strikes before they both stand back up. Stewart misses with a head kick and Hicks gets a takedown, landing in Mount, where he begins to try and rain down punches. Hicks is then swept by Stewart, who seems to be content to just stay in Guard and throw short strikes, and Hicks seems unable to improve his position on the bottom. The round ends with Hicks throwing punches from the bottom.

RD2: Stewart lands a body kick, but is then essentially taken down by a Guillotine attempt from Hicks. Stewart immediately gets out and transitions to Mount, where he throws some punches and elbows and then unsuccessfully tries for a Rear Naked Choke. Hicks then ends up on top in guard, then immediately transitions to half guard, where Stewart holds him close. Hicks attempts to take Stewart’s back, but Stewart scoots out and ends up on top in half guard against the cage. Both fighters seem to be stuck in position with no clear option to improve their position.

RD3: Hicks immediately lands a 1-2 flush, and ends up on top after a loose takedown attempt from Stewart. Hicks begins to rain down punches and elbows until Stewart manages to get a hold of him. Hicks continues to work short strikes, many of which are landing hard and flush to the face of Stewart. Stewart seems unable to do anything more than just take the strikes, and Hicks does not relent in his strikes, no matter how powerful or short they may be. Stewart attempts to hold onto Hicks’ body, but is pushed back down and starts eating more punches to the face with very little defense given as the round comes to a close.

Unanimous Decision victory for JT Stewart, who despite taking a hard beating in the third round, clearly won the other two rounds.

Richard Thacker vs. Nic Nicholas (165 lbs.)

RD1: Nicholas lands a series of hard right hands that drop Thacker and have his arms stiff as he hits the canvas. Nicholas steps away and begins to celebrate, as Thacker gets back up to the ground and staggers in the opposite direction towards the cage. The referee mercifully stepped in and stopped the fight, as Thacker clearly had no idea where he was at that time.

Nic Nicholas won by KO at the 0:11 mark of the first round.

Roy Smith vs. Randy Gibson (165 lbs.)

Major style points for Gibson, who walked out to “In Constant Sorrow” from the movie, Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

RD1: Smith touched gloves and immediately and cheaply shot for a takedown, showing poor taste. After a brief scramble and Armbar attempt, Gibson swept him. Gibson went for a Triangle choke, but Smith slammed him and eventually got out and moved into side control, where he looked for short strikes. Despite the shots seemingly lacking much power, they were enough to force a TKO stoppage by referee Tom Lawlor, since Gibson was not mounting any form of defense or improving his position.

Roy Smith wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage due to Strikes) at 1:38 in the first round.

John McNaughton vs. Jason Harris (155 lbs.)

Serious style points for John McNaughton, who walked out to a classic 90’s R&B song, “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison. It seems that the fighters from Total Victory MMA are definitely approaching their walk-ins with a fine sense of panache, which is nice to see for once in an age of goofily dyed hair, cliché tattoos, and even more cliché entrance songs.

RD1: Harris lands a leg kick but then eats a punch, prompting him to shoot for a takedown. McNaughton presses him up against the cage and is working knees to the body, and then trips him to the ground and gets on top in Half Guard. McNaughton lands a few short punches to the body of Harris while he is looking to advance his position. McNaughton postures up and lands a series of hard right hands to the body of Harris. McNaughton seems to be looking to isolate one of Harris’ arms, but gives it up and continues to throw strikes from Half Guard. Round ends with McNaughton on top.

RD2: Harris misses with a kick, and then clinches up with McNaughton, where he is then tripped in the clinch and taken down. McNaughton lands on top in Half Guard, and is held in place by Harris. Taking sound advice from his corner, McNaughton postures up and resumes his ground and pound, landing a particularly thunderous elbow to the head of Harris. McNaughton continues to remain on top and smother Harris, until Harris reverses with about 15 seconds left in the round. Harris lands a few strikes before the bell rings, but McNaughton solidly won that round for sure.

RD3: McNaughton misses with a kick, and Harris quickly moves in with a flurry of punches that are all too shortly aimed. Harris attempts a long- range bull-rush takedown of sorts, but it’s easily shucked off. McNaughton nails Harris with a knee strike to the body and knocks him down, where he pounces on Harris and lands a flurry of hard strikes that eventually forces referee Tom Lawlor to call an end to the action.

John MacNaughton wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage due to Strikes) at 1:02 in the third round.

Ashley Smallwood vs. Jasmyn Arnold (145 lbs.)

RD1: Smallwood pumps a jab, and then gets a solid Muay Thai clinch and begins to work some great knees to the body. Smallwood then gets a leg and drags her opponent to the ground, where she then postures up and starts to throw punches. Arnold then slaps on a Triangle Choke and is trying hard to finish it, but Smallwood is doing a good job of fending off the sub attempts, including a subsequent Armbar attempt, and then eventually gets up. Smallwood then closes the distance and essentially bull rushes her opponent to the ground, but Arnold quickly returns to her feet. The round ends with both fighters standing up in the clinch.

RD2: Arnold misses with a kick, and Smallwood pounces on her and throws a series of hard punches and a knee to the body. Arnold rushes her and gets into the clinch against the cage, but Smallwood is doing a solid job of negating any real offense on the part of Arnold, and sneaks in a knee to the body before the separate. Arnold misses with a kick and Smallwood catches it and takes her to the ground. Arnold looks to isolate Smallwood’s arms and then sweeps her and takes her back. Arnold is working for a Rear Naked Choke, but Smallwood seems to be fending it off. Arnold is working hard to finish the choke, but the round ends and Smallwood was quite possibly saved by the bell.

RD3: Smallwood pumps a jab from long distance, and then wings two hard punches that land to the face of her opponent. Arnold darts in for a flurry, but Smallwood then counters with strikes of her own. As Smallwood comes in for a strike, Arnold lands a spinning backfist flush to the face of her opponent, and the strike drops Smallwood briefly. Smallwood gets back up and barely avoids a subsequent spinning back kick. Smallwood then ends up clinched against the cage and jumps onto Arnold’s back, looking for a Rear Naked Choke. Smallwood postures up and throws punches from back mount, with Arnold eventually getting out and going for a takedown against the cage as the round ends.

Ashley Smallwood wins by Unanimous Decision (29-28 scores by all Judges). Smallwood collapses to the ground in elation, as she maybe wasn’t expecting the win after such a hard last round.

Joey Patterson vs. Melvin Terry (165 lbs.)

RD1: Patterson misses with a kick, but clips his opponent with a punch and drops Terry. Patterson immediately begins looking for a Rear Naked Choke, but Terry rolls and defends and Patterson ends up in Mount, then Half Guard, looking to land strikes. Terry is trying to keep Patterson held in close, but is otherwise not being very active. Patterson briefly looks for a head-arm choke from within the Guard, but lets go. Patterson then scoots Terry up against the cage, but is throwing strikes sparingly until the last 10 seconds of the round. The round ends with a flurry of punches from Patterson.

RD2: Patterson slips a few strikes from Terry and lands a few very effective counter punches that wobble his opponent. Patterson then takes the opportunity to pick his opponent up and slam him to the ground. Although Patterson lands in a brief Guillotine Choke attempt, he immediately gets out and tries to posture up to land strikes. Terry tries for a Triangle Choke, but Patterson eventually just gets up. Patterson pulls a kick at the last moment as Terry is getting up; as you cannot kick a grounded opponent in the head, as such a thing is usually illegal and generally frowned upon. Patterson then takes Terry down yet again up against the cage and finishes him with a quick flurry of punches on the ground.

Joey Patterson wins by TKO (Referee Stoppage due to Strikes) at 2:28 in the second round.

Donnie Orr vs. Patt Rice (145 lbs.)

Rice missed weight by 14 pounds, as he weighed in at 159 lbs. The fight is therefore technically a catch-weight fight. On a side note, Donnie Orr walked out to a very solid metal song, which should send some positive and manly vibes his way.

RD1: Orr misses with a kick to the body, and after a brief striking exchange, they end up against the cage. Orr literally rag dolls Rice to the ground several times, finally hip tossing him to the ground and immediately moving into mount. Orr postures up and begins to throw strikes, but Rice is doing a decent job of protecting himself. Orr then really begins to open up on Rice with a rapid flurry of punches, forcing referee Tom Lawlor to declare an end to the fight with a TKO stoppage.

Donnie Orr wins by Submission (Strikes) at 1:59 in the first round.

Todd Welle vs. Avron Williams (155 lbs.)

After Todd Welle walked out to the cage, a scuffle that evolved into a brawl erupted between a group of spectators and the club’s security personnel. This brawl, and the ones that subsequently followed, severely marred what was otherwise a fine event with some entertaining fights. It is a sad reality that some people are so insufferably stupid that they cannot simply show up and have a good time while watching actual fighters do their job in the cage. An MMA event is supposed to be safe and family friendly, as there were children and older people who came to watch their friends and family members fight, and some of them were almost run over during all of the ruckus. All of the aforementioned idiots who thought it a good idea to start and/or participate in fights outside the cage should be ashamed of themselves, as they are an embarrassment to themselves, the sport, and humanity in general. Just because you have had a few light beers or mixed drinks does not make you a fighter or a badass if you decide to get aggressive and start a fight at an MMA show, it just makes you a gigantic ignoramus. For future reference, it is my fervent hope that all of the aforementioned folks with such suspect intelligence remain at home, sit on their couch, and remember to keep their helmets on.

Avron Williams decided he didn’t want to proceed to the cage fight when he walked out to the cage and saw the brawl that was taking place, a brawl that was also blocking his path. Given the circumstances, I cannot really blame him or his corner for exercising their judgment that their surroundings were unsafe at the present time. Consequently, referee Tom Lawlor waved off the fight before it even began. After all of the effort that both fighters assuredly put into their training for the fight, both fighters were denied their chance at competition by a raggedy assortment of prize idiots.

Championship Fights

Marcus Levester vs. Ronnell “Rock” White (125 lbs. Championship)

RD1: White counters with a hard kick to the body. Levester gets a quick takedown, but White reverses and gets Levester pressed up against the cage. Levester goes for a Guillotine, but White appears to be defending, as he has Levester pressed up against the cage, not allowing much space, and eventually pops his head out. White then postures up and starts looking to land strikes, but Levester is doing a decent job of keeping tight and locking White’s arms up. Levester throws up a Triangle choke attempt, but White is punching whilst in the Triangle, showing great gameness, eventually posturing up and lessening the chokes effectiveness. The round ends with White postured up within a loose Triangle choke attempt, throwing hard punches.

RD2: White pumps a double jab to gauge distance. White kicks a bit low and stops, but his opponent signals that he is fine and to continue the fight. White then gets a takedown, but is eventually kicked up. White misses with a high kick and falls to the ground, with Levester closely following him to the ground with some punches, but White scrambles and gets on top in Guard. White is staying close on top, with Levester gamely throwing elbows from the bottom. White starts to pass Levester’s Guard, but Levester grabs onto his arm and starts to go for a Kimura from the bottom. White gets through it and passes to Half Guard, where he stays tight and works short strikes and elbows. Levester then sweeps White and starts looking for a Rear Naked Choke, but White is doggedly defending it. Levester lands a glancing elbow to the back of White’s head right before the round ends. This leaves White’s coach Rick McCoy incensed and the referee deducts a point from Levester for the illegal blow. Levester respectfully apologizes to White before the round begins.

RD3: Both fighters shake hands at the start of the round. Levester lands a solid

right hook, but White counters well with a shot of his own. Levester lands another solid series of strikes to the face of White, but White again counters well. Levester misses with a high kick, and White throws a 3-punch combination, chasing him in return. Levester lands a possible low knee to White, who falls down and is grimacing in pain. After a few moments pass, White gets up and starts trying to shake it off and recover. White signals he is ready to continue and the fight resumes. Levester immediately shoots for a takedown and gets it. After posturing up, Levester then uses an esoteric guard pass to end up on White’s back, looking for a Rear Naked Choke and then a Straight Armbar for a brief moment. White eventually gets up and pushes Levester against the cage, taking him down with a sweeping double leg takedown. White is staying tight against Levester. White then gets up and hits Levester with a knee to the body and locks on a Guillotine Choke, holding onto it tightly until the round ends.

Ronnell White wins by Majority Decision, becoming the new Downtown Ground And Pound Flyweight Champion.

Daniel Leake (Champion) vs. Hakim M Bey (135 lbs. Championship)

RD1: Leake throws a kick, but it is checked. Bey attempts to counter but ends up just shooting for a takedown, landing in Guard. Leake almost immediately slaps on a Guillotine, but Bey pops out and is exploding into back side-mount, hitting Leake with several hard knees to the body. Leake gets up and both fighters start exchanging punches again. Leake lands a hard right hand, but Bey clinches up with him against the cage and takes him down, landing in side control, then transitioning to back mount. Leake then sweeps and gets on top in half guard, landing a few short elbows. Leake then transitions into Mount and starts to rain down punches and elbows, and goes for a Rear Naked Choke. Bey deftly gets out and ends up on top in Leake’s guard. After throwing a few strikes, referee Tom Lawlor takes a point from Bey for striking Leake in the eyes. Leake is sent to a neutral corner to get a chance to recover. After taking a few minutes, the fight resumes. Leake throws some punches that miss, and Bey counters with a few hard kicks to the body. Bey presses Leake up against the cage, but both fighters separate and resume their respective striking attempts. The round ends with Bey landing several hard punches to the now bloodied face of Leake.

RD2: The fighters meet in the middle to touch gloves, but then Bey signals that he forgot his mouthpiece, causing a brief pause while his corner gets it to him. Bey misses with a kick and Leake lands a 1-2 combination, then a leg kick. Leake throws a spinning back fist that glances Bey, then follows up with punches that seem to briefly wobble Bey. Bey looks to throw some hard right hands, but Leake avoids them and looks to counter, eating a punch in the process. Leake then lands a hard shot to the head of Bey and pounces on him, but Bey weathers the storm and returns fire. Wildly coming in close, Leake ends up on the ground with Bey one top, with Bey landing several hard strikes to the head of Leake. Bey gets in

to Mount, but Leake is holding him tight, thus limiting the effectiveness and power of Bey’s strikes. Bey remains on top in Mount, but Leake gets back into Guard. Leake tries to scramble out, but Bey grabs a hold of him and lands a few elbows and kicks to Leake’s buttocks as the round comes to a close.

RD3: Both fighters touch gloves; but Bey immediately punches Leake in the face mere milliseconds after the glove touch, showing a seeming lack of good form and respect, which I would hope was just a brain-fart on Bey’s part. Bey then pounces on Leake, throwing a flurry of punches. Both fighters end up on the ground after a scramble, with Leake on top of Bey looking for a submission or a better position. After both fighters were in a strange low version of the North/South position, they eventually rolled out with Bey landing on top of Leake in Guard. Bey throws some punches and elbows, but both fighters seem tired and they are eventually stood up by referee Tom Lawlor. Leake throws and connects with a hard couple of punches that prompt Bey to clinch and close the distance. Bey gets Leake down to the ground and ends up on top as the round ends.

Hakim Bey wins by Majority Decision to become the new Downtown Ground And Pound Bantamweight Champion.

“Badass” Bubba Williams vs. Anthony Tisdale (155 lbs. Championship)

RD1: Tisdale lands a snapping leg kick, which prompts Williams to go for a takedown. After a few reversals from each fighter, Williams ends up on top in Tisdale’s guard. Williams is staying tight in Tisdale’s guard, eventually standing back up and clinching up with Tisdale. Williams seems to be trying to get a single leg ankle pick, but ends up falling short and is grounded in a vulnerable position as a result, and Tisdale responds to said position by belting Williams with punches to the body. Both fighters eventually get up, with Williams throwing a few knees in the clinch. Tisdale then craftily takes advantage of the position to trip Williams to the ground, but both fighters soon return to their feet. Williams and Tisdale start to throw punches in the pocket, and then Tisdale takes Williams to the ground again. Tisdale ends up taking Williams’ back and starts working for a Rear Naked Choke. Williams ends up tapping to the Rear Naked Choke with about 1-2 seconds left in the round.

Anthony Tisdale wins by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:58 in the first round to become the new Downtown Ground and Pound Lightweight Champion.

Carter Kraus vs. John Calloway (Heavyweight Championship)

RD1: Calloway and Kraus meet in the middle of the cage and start throwing hard punches. Kraus and Calloway clinch up against the cage and are pushing each other back and forth. Kraus eventually takes Calloway down and seems to attempt some sort of arm lock, but lets go. Calloway starts to be on the receiving end of some knees to the body from Kraus. Kraus begins working for and eventually gets the Submission win with a Straight Armbar.

Carter Kraus wins via Submission (Straight Armbar) at 2:42 in the first round to become the new Downtown Ground and Pound Heavyweight Champion.

Why Joanna Jedrzejczyk Will Dominate the UFC’s Strawweight Division

Glory Fights 2 Play-by-Play

Amateur

Casey Bowers vs. Brock Roderick (155 lbs./Lightweight)

Martin Scales vs. Craig Hayes ( 185 lbs./ Middleweight)

Carolina Cornell vs. Veronica Muller (100 lbs. )

Nate Davis vs. Szymon Sawicki (145 lbs./Featherweight)

Professional

Mahmoud Mohagheghrashid vs. Matt Ott (155 lbs./Lightweight )

Francisco Isata vs. Piankhi Zimmerman (165 lbs. catchweight )

Brad Mountain vs. Mark Krumrine (185 lbs./Middleweight)

Ahmet Kayretli vs. Ginseng Poit Du’Jour (135 lbs./Bantamweight)

Michael Pope vs. Kyle Newson (170 lbs. /Welterweight)

Myron Baker vs. Steven Baker (145 lbs/Featherweight)

Samir Farid vs. Dennis Brown (125 lbs./Flyweight)

William Quarantillo (4-1) vs. Terrell Hobbs (9-6) (150 lbs. Catchweight)

Head Butts & Shoddy Refereeing is a Bad Combination

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Jon Hillis vs. John Kerman (Modified Muay Thai Bout)

Antonio Ortega vs. Tommy Couzzi (125 lbs.)

Maxwell Noonon vs. Jacob Ashley (145 lbs.)

Antoine Brown vs. Jessie Gibson (190 lbs. )

Sydney Smith vs. Chelsea McCoy (125 lbs.)

Joseph Shearin vs. Robbie Lillard (170 lbs. Title Fight)

John Calloway vs. Kris Lewis (265+ lbs. Superheavyweight Title)

Kristen Murphy vs. Brittney Doss (135 lbs. Female Title)

Jon-Taine Hall vs. Dashawn Boatwright (205 lbs. Title)

Stephen McBride vs. Andy “Tank” Knopp (265 lbs. Title)

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Calvin Daniels vs. Zach Zeleick (156 lbs. Boxing bout)

Charles Tarvers vs. Chance Jones (165 lbs. Modified (no elbows) Muay Thai bout)

Oleksander “The Greek” Humen vs. Richard “The Outlaw” Thacker ( 170 lbs. MMA Bout)

Dakota Donivan vs. Antonio Ortega (130 lbs. Modified MMA rules)

Lashonda Hinton vs. Chelsea McCoy (135 lbs. Modified Muay Thai rules)

Roque Zapata vs. Carlos Martinez (135 lbs. MMA fight)

Robbie Lillard vs. Roy Smith (155 lbs. MMA bout)

Daryl Jones vs. Corey Brown (155 lbs. MMA Title Bout)

Donald Henshaw vs. Justin Hatcher (170lbs. MMA Bout)

James Speight vs. Nick Minton (255 lbs. MMA Bout)

Victor Rubli vs. Randy Fitzgerald (205 Modified (no elbows) Muay Thai bout)

Chris Rollins vs. Brian Rich (145 lbs. MMA Title Bout)

John Calloway vs. Kris Lewis (265 lbs. MMA bout)

Alan Stephenson vs. Dustin Goard (155 lbs. Muay Thai Title Bout)

Jon-Taine Hall vs. Dashawn Boatwright (205 lbs. MMA Title )

Richmond Rumble Play-by-Play

JoJo Stringfield vs. Randy “Doubletime” Campbell (145 lbs.)

Cristian Rodriguez vs. Arthur Parker (125 lbs.)

Umit Yilmaz vs. Chris “The Magi” McNeil (200 lbs. Catchweight)

Keyon “Hands of Stone” Wilkins vs. Louis Johnson (145 lbs.)

Mark “The Predator” Strickland vs. Colby Covington (170 lbs.)

Diego Peclat (is a Blackzilian) vs. Emmanuel Walo (Team Renzo Gracie/ All Star BJJ) (175 lbs.)

Keith Bell vs. Paul Waremecki (Heavyweight)

Mike Wade vs. Nah-Shon Burrell (170 lbs.)

Terrell Hobbs vs. Jeremy Myers (145 lbs.)

Downtown Ground and Pound 10: Event Recap and Full Fight Play-by-Play

Chris Harris vs. Daniel Bryan (185 lbs.)

Tyus Thomas vs. Christian Maultrie (185 lbs.)

Charles Hayes vs. Jere Amidei Jr (145 lbs.)

Easton Scarbrough vs. Kyle Myrie (185 lbs.)

JT Stewart vs. James Hicks (155 lbs.)

Richard Thacker vs. Nic Nicholas (165 lbs.)

Roy Smith vs. Randy Gibson (165 lbs.)

John McNaughton vs. Jason Harris (155 lbs.)

Ashley Smallwood vs. Jasmyn Arnold (145 lbs.)

Joey Patterson vs. Melvin Terry (165 lbs.)

Donnie Orr vs. Patt Rice (145 lbs.)

Todd Welle vs. Avron Williams (155 lbs.)

Championship Fights

Marcus Levester vs. Ronnell “Rock” White (125 lbs. Championship)

Daniel Leake (Champion) vs. Hakim M Bey (135 lbs. Championship)

“Badass” Bubba Williams vs. Anthony Tisdale (155 lbs. Championship)

Carter Kraus vs. John Calloway (Heavyweight Championship)

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