Friday May 6, 2011

By Mike Pisano

Fight 1-    Justin O’Hara V. Travis Villicana

Round 1-  Villicana opened with hard strikes and O’Hara threw counter leg kicks. O’Hara tried a high straight kick which whiffed as he fell to his back. Villicana immediately jumped on him but O’Hara switched positions putting Villicana’s back to the mat. O’Hara quickly secured wrist control and began to raise his hips and straighten Villicana’s arm but Villicana escaped by using that arm to hoist O’Hara high enough off the mat to slam him on his back breaking his grip and causing a scramble. O’Hara gained full mount where he softened Villicana with hard body punches. As Villicana shrimped away from the body strikes, he gave his back and O’Hara sunk a rear naked choke to finish him just before the bell to end the round.  Time 2:58.

Fight 2-    Marcus Lucero V. Michael Bergman

Round 1-  Lucero showed great hand speed with one two combos to begin the fight. Bergman stayed cautious, measuring a safe distance. Suddenly, Lucero saw his opening and walked in throwing left- rights with blazing speed. Several punches landed causing Bergman to give ground. A hard right sent him to the canvas. Lucero jumped on him and unloaded rapid fire right hands. Bergman rolled over to his stomach, covered his head, then tapped out at 53 seconds due to strikes.

Fight 3-    John Allen V. Nic Schwartz

Round 1-   Schwartz jabbed and tried to shoot. He caught a knee to the top of the head for which Allen received a warning from referee Curtis Thrasher. Action resumed and Schwartz immediately absorbed a kick to the groin and was given several moments recovery time by the referee. The fighters touched gloves and clinched briefly before Allen snapped a big leg kick that drew cheers from the crowd. Schwartz tried to pull guard but Allen backed away to make him stand back up. Schwartz tried this tactic again at the end of the round but this time Allen smothered him and landed several ground strikes to end the round with the crowd cheering.

 Round 2 – Schwartz shot, but was overpowered and out leveraged by Allen who kept the fight standing. Allen then landed an accidental kick to the head while Schwartz had one knee on the canvas and Schwartz could not continue. At 1:15 Allen was disqualified for an illegal kick to the head prompting a round of boos from the crowd who thought the strike was clean.

Fight 4-    Benito Romero V. Marc Villareal

Round 1-  The fighters tested each other’s power in a clinch to open the round.  Romero eventually won this battle and assumed top position on the ground where he controlled Villareal’s legs and threw continuous punches to his head for over a minute. As Villareal could not improve his position and was taking unanswered damage, the referee stopped the fight at 2:54 due to strikes. 

Fight 5-   Cody Gomez V. David Hernandez

Round 1-  Gomez immediately landed a forceful  overhand right followed by a big body kick which dropped Hernandez. Gomez rushed in landing big right hands on the ground before securing an arm and locking it out for a submission by arm bar at 22 seconds.

Fight 6-   Cody Connell V. Anthony Werner

Connell looked ready to stand and bang as he snapped leg kicks and easily blocked return kicks from Werner. Then he lunged forward with a punch and took the easy double leg that came of it. Werner applied a Guillotine. Connell remained patient, creating space and improving his leverage until he freed his head and worked to pass Werner’s guard. Connell softened Werner with on big knee to the body then sunk a rear naked choke and tapped him almost instantly. Time 1:44.

Fight 7-   Robert Bobbett V. Alexander Volkov

Round 1- Volkov opened with a strong left jab prompting Bobbett to initiate a clinch. Volkov took the action to the mat and maintained top position with rear naked choke and body lock on for several seconds. Bobbett tried to punch to the face to free himself as training partners from the crowd shouted, “walk over him.” Bobbett finally pulled his head out and both fighters dueled for arm bars and heel hooks before the bell.

Round 2-  Bobbett exploded across the octagon for a takedown that resembled a linebacker laying wood to a wide receiver. The crowd erupted but Bobbett landed right in Volcov’s Guillotine and tapped ten seconds into the second round.

Fight 8-    Dustin Hodges V. Zachary Falk

Round 1-  With the crowd really warming up, Hodges took the fight to Falk with a flying front kick which was partially blocked. Action now on the ground, Falk applied a brief guillotine but Hodges wormed out and did some damage in the full mount. Falk created just enough space to slip free and made his way to his feet absorbing blows from Hodges in the process. Just as he made it to standing, Hodges immediately stunned him with a kick to the head and Falk, reacting instinctively, went for an ankle. The grapple was an exciting back and forth contest with the crowd roaring their approval until the bell ended the round.

Round 2- Falk narrowly missed with a huge right and Hodges torqued him to the mat and tried an arm bar. The referee warned Falk for blows to the back of the head but did not take a point. Action resumed and strikes were exchanged with both fighters landing. As Hodges appeared to be building momentum, Falk reached in with a big looping right hook that shook Hodges and dislodged his mouthpiece and saliva. Falk, wasting no time got off another power right hook which put Hodges to sleep at 55 seconds becoming the NEW Kickdown men’s welterweight MMA champion.

Fight 9 –   Logan Petro V. Will Ellis

Round 1-   Ellis came out jabbing and Petro connected with a stinging leg kick. Ellis brought the fight to the mat and applied a rear naked choke from his own back. Feet planted, Petro arched for all he was worth, tucked his chin, then reached up and pried Ellis’ hands away from his neck to escape. He then turned over, maneuvered into top position and began dropping forceful strikes. With Ellis defending and on the retreat, Petro dictated the status of the fight which was standing. In the standup, Petro landed sharp hard fists from all directions including a big uppercut. Clearly in good physical condition, Petro pressed the action knocking Ellis to the mat with a combination and then pounding him out on the ground at 2:22 to become the NEW Kickdown featherweight champion.

Fight 10-   Vellore Caballero V. Ricardo McKeney

Round 1- The fighters came out trading punches and kicks. Caballero tried to jump guard but instead of falling in, McKeney posted a leg, shifted his weight and slammed Caballero to his back for the slam of the night. Caballero worked an arm bar, but McKeney hoisted him off the mat and again slammed him on his back to break wrist control. Caballero then worked a triangle but was holding onto McKeney’s dread locks so referee Curtis Thrasher stopped the action to issue a warning for pulling hair. When the fight resumed standing, Caballero landed left hooks and then a straight right-right uppercut-left hook knocking McKeney down and out. Time 2:30.

Fight 11-    Travis Peak V. Andrew Trace

Round 1- The action began with an exchange of strikes followed by a Peak take-down. In the grapple both fighters were strong and possessed good, even leverage which led to an eventual stand-up and more strikes exchanged. Then, in a stroke of Byzantine whimsy, Peak plodded in for the double-leg; head down, wide open for a Guillotine which Trace promptly secured and tapped him with. Time 1:44.