Ring of Fire 40 – Backlash

By Mike Pisano

Fight 1 – Kuechler V. McCorkle  (145 lbs.)

Round 1  The fight quickly went to the ground by way of a McCorkle single leg takedown with McCorkle emerging in top position. Kuechler worked from bottom position, coming very close to an arm bar submission before McCorkle spun his body in the direction of the pressure and escaped back into Kuechler’s guard. McCorkle maneuvered his way into full mount and landed a few strikes before the horn sounded.

Round 2 – McCorkle grabbed a single leg and hoisted Kuechler shoulder high for a slam which drew crowd appreciation. Kuechler began throwing up-kicks until McCorkle backed away and allowed him to stand back up. After pawing jabs and out of range combinations, McCorkle again wrestled Kuechler to the ground. Again, neither fighter’s tactics were particularly effective and, after more up-kicks, McCorkle again stepped away in apparent frustration to permit Kuechler to get to  his feet. Kuechler, however, remained on his back waiting for McCorkle to come back into his guard. Both combatants appeared tired at this point and the round ended with McCorkle on top in ground and pound mode.

Round 3 – McCorkle got a slam off of a rear body lock and tried a Guillotine, but Kuechler slid his sweaty head free. McCorkle then swung his leg over Kuechler’s torso to take full mount and pounded, but his offense lacked sting and urgency as both fighters were tired. McCorkle raised his hands in victory as the horn sounded. Judges: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 – McCorkle

Fight 2 – Josh Kammer V. Tito Solis (170 lbs.)

Round 1 – Solis landed a strong right square to the chin of Kammer, countering his leg kick. Both fighters then traded 1-2 combinations, each finding the mark with forceful straight right hands. Solis’ hands proved stronger, dropping Kammer in one of the exchanges. Solis closed in and launched more power shots, some landing, as Kammer made his way back to his feet. Solis kept the pressure on as Kammer regrouped. His back to the cage and Solis right on top of him, Kammer’s defense was to let his own hands go, with big looping shots go from all angles. Though the crowd roared their appreciation, a dazed Kammer could not out punch Solis who found his mark time after time with a wide open attack of his own. Finally, after another knockdown, the referee stepped in and called it.

Fight 3 – Henry Solis V. Rocky Hoffschneider (265 lbs.)

Round 1 – After some posturing, Solis landed a good left hook to the side of Hoffschneider’s head. More hooks and uppercuts from Solis followed. Hoffschneider countered, but Solis was more accurate and also busier. The fighters clinched for a moment. Then, Hoffschneider reached down and picked up Solis’ legs for a take down. He worked in top position, softening Solis with strikes until Solis turned away from the direction of the punishment and gave his back. Hoffschneider looked for the rear naked choke and Solis was stymied as he could not escape; he could only cover his head to defend strikes. Just then, the horn sounded to end the round with the crowd applauding.

Round 2 – This round began with more effective strikes from Hoffschneider until a big right hook from Solis landed squarely, disrupting Hoffschneider’s attack.  Both fighters looked tired and threw strikes with less snap. Then, Solis landed a left hook solidly. Hoffschneider was disoriented as if nose was bothering him. He let his hands drop and turned away from Solis. Solis moved in and let his hands fly, punches finding their mark. Hoffschneider could not get back into the fight as each of Solis’ strikes which landed got him in more and more trouble. The referee stopped it when Hoffschneider was taking too much punishment and could no longer intelligently defend himself.

Fight 4 – Pete Alvarado V. Joey Banks (145 lbs.)

Round 1 – The fighters touched gloves and circled the cage showing respect for one another, cautious with their strikes. Alvarado was the first to connect, scoring with a big overhand right. Banks followed with a right hook. From there, both timed offense until Banks stepped in with a knee to the face which landed solidly stunning Alvarado. Immediately, Banks followed with a left kick to the face prompting a TKO stoppage.

Fight 5 – Tommy Thompson V. Chad Romero (145 lbs.)

Round 1 – The fighters touched up and a brief clinch took place against the cage until Thompson, with a tight grip on Romero’s head, got a hip toss bringing the fight to the mat. On the ground, he smothered Romero landing successive punches to the face as he had Romero’s arms pinned. From side control, Thompson swung a leg over and landed a looping right hand to the face of Romero, the force of which bounced Romero’s head off the mat. He followed with several more until the referee called a TKO stoppage.

Fight 6– Aaron Carter V. Justin Gaethje (155 lbs.)

Round 1 – The fighters battled for leverage, both trying to bring the fight to the mat with an advantageous position. Gaethje secured head control then used leverage to get a Hip toss using Carter’s head. Carter regained his feet. Gaethje got another hip toss. Carter got back to his feet again. Gaethje scored yet another take down but Carter stood up again, this time landing a left-right to the face. Gaethje kept getting takedowns including a double underhooks takedown but was unable to keep Carter on the mat long enough to capitalize on them.

Round 2 – Both fighters got around to exchanging some strikes. Both connected on overhand rights and hooks. Geaethje got another takedown but the referee stood the fight up due to lack of progress or improvement of position. The pace slowed as both combatants rested. Gaethje gained a full mount just as the horn sounded.

Round 3 – Gaethje tugged Carter to the mat using a body lock. Each fighter tried to create space and gain advantage. Suddenly, Gaethje landed a vicious, legal knee to the face and followed with a knee to the body prompting the ref to step in and pull him away. TKO victory.

Fight 7 – Nick Laney V. Marcus Edwards (155 lbs.)

Round 1 – Laney threw kicks to measure distance. Edwards showed side to side movement as some members of the audience were still directing boos his way which had continued from the introductions. In an upper body clinch which followed, Edwards got a twisting takedown then looked for advantage on the ground leveraging Laney into the fence. Laney kicked him off but remained on his back against the cage. Suddenly, using a tactic few MMA fans had yet witnessed, Edwards turned a complete front flip presumably attempting to land heel strikes to Laney on the mat. However, Laney moved to his left avoiding contact altogether. Undeterred and with speedy reflexes, Edwards turned and landed a left hook to Laney’s cheek. As Laney absorbed the shot and got to his feet, Edwards Suplexed him back down. On the mat, Edwards isolated Laney’s arm and controlled his head and torso using both the cage and his body weight. Gradually he extended his arm putting enough pressure on the elbow to tap Laney out by way of arm bar at 2:20 of the round.

Fight 8  – Tamboura Gerl V. Josh Cavan

Round 1 – The action started with Cavan measuring Gerl with jabs and one-two combinations. Gerl answered with a left hook to Cavan’s body. Cavan shot and scored the takedown. He immediately worked for position and gained a full mount. He turned Gerl away from the cage and scooted him toward the center of the octagon. He began to lower Gerl’s cover-up defense away from his head using body blows. Gerl turned and gave his back but hooked Cavan’s leg for leverage. Cavan spun 180 degrees throwing a leg over Gerl’s back and applying a Peruvian necktie choke. Gerl pulled his sweaty head loose from Cavan’s pressure and took top position briefly, until Cavan immediately caught him in a triangle and tapped him with it drawing big cheers from the 3/4 capacity crowd. 

Fight 9 – Coltin Cole V. Jason Lee

Round 1 –  Lee measured Cole’s distance with a couple leg kicks and tried immediately for a takedown which Cole stuffed. Cole then landed a nice right hook. Lee shot in taking Cole to the ground and landing in his guard. He buried his head in Cole’s chest and looked to create space and improve his position with a pounding attack to Cole’s head and body. Moving him toward the cage, Lee continued his ground and pound. Cole flashed an arm-bar but Lee quickly neutralized it as the crowd went quiet, waiting for someone to explode with damaging offense. Lee remained disciplined and went back to his body attack on Cole mixing in elbows as the horn sounded.

 Round 2 – Lee lead off with a superman punch and Cole tried a spinning back-fist. Lee got another double leg takedown but then stood the fight back up. The crowd continued to grow restless until Lee got off a series of knees in the clinch, a number of which landed forcefully. After the crowd’s response to his knee strikes, Lee followed with a big slam and went back to work on the ground employing mixed strikes. Both fighters slowed the pace and began resting in the grapple. The crowd again got restless and the referee stood the fight up to cheers. In the standup, Cole landed some fists and a kick to the head of Lee who momentarily looked confused and unsure. A mixture of chants beginning with JASON – JASON – JASON bubbled up from the crowd. The horn sounded with the two keeping a distance from one another and looking tired.

Round 3 – Cole, aggressive in the standup, utilized combinations and threw leg kicks. Lee used movement in the standup showing different angles to Cole. Lee then punched his way in for the double leg and again controlled the octagon on the ground. The referee stood the fight up to the approval of the crowd. Cole kicked, Lee punched. The referee clapped his hands to try to inspire some action. More boos came from the crowd which seemed dying to erupt for any excitement. As the horn sounded, both fighters raised their hands in victory.

Judges: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 – Lee

Fight 10 – Cezar Ferriera V. Chaun Sims (185 lbs.)

Round 1 – Sims closed the distance looking for a takedown. Cezar jab stepped and used movement to gauge his offense. Cezar, from his south paw stance, finally saw what he wanted in the way of distance and position, stepped in with a straight left which appeared to land at the base of the jaw just below Sims ear and knocked him straight to his back and out cold. Cezar rushed in and landed another left to Sims’ mouth and was loading up another before the referee separated him from the fallen Sims. Time: 08 seconds.  

Fight 11  – Casey Noland V. Michelle Blalock (125 lbs.)

Round 1 – Blalock threw a right hand and forced a clinch. She used leverage and knees to fight off a takedown attempt by Noland. Noland lowered her base and continued working for the takedown but eventually gave up and regrouped. Blalock circled. Noland scored with a single lead right which Blalock shook off. Blalock was patient, keeping a measured distance. Noland moved in forcing another clinch and Blalock used short elbows and knees to remain standing and do damage. The crowd applauded Blalock’s work. Noland finally sat the fight down by hanging around Blalock’s waist and dropping her bodyweight to the mat. Looking stronger and better versed in ground technique, Blalock first looked to secure leverage then isolate Noland’s arm. As Noland defended, the referee stood the fight back up. Noland again initiated a clinch and Blalock went back to effective knees and elbows to both defend and score damage.

Round 2 – The round began with the crowd chanting BOBCAT – BOBCAT… Blalock, keeping her hands high and her chin tucked in the standup. Noland moved in landing a good uppercut but found herself in a familiar clinch where Blalock had the advantage in technique and Noland at a loss for effective offense. Finally, Noland pulled Blalock’s legs out far enough to drop her to her butt. This time Blalock pushed Noland’s head down, wrapped her in a triangle and launched a barrage of elbows which landed as Noland could barely move or cover up. The referee moved in and declared a TKO due to unanswered elbows from Blalock and Noland’s inability to defend.  

Fight 12 – Brandon Thatch V. Chris Holland (170 lbs.)

Round 1 –  The fighters touched gloves and began to circle. Holland gauged distance moving in close to throw punches then back out of Thatch’s reach. As Holland retreated after throwing an inside combination, Thatch stepped forward, following his own jab with a straight right hand tagging Holland flush on the chin and knocking him back into the cage and down. Thatch pounced immediately and threw another punch as Holland turned to his side and covered up with his arms. The referee had seen enough and ended the fight there before Thatch could tee off. Time: 19 seconds.