By Mike Pisano

Fight 1 – Ruben Padilla vs. Angel Estrada – 125

Round 1 – The fighters traded hard leg kicks and Padilla immediately scored a takedown. Estrada scrambled and brought the action to a standup and the fighters continued at a feverish pace. Padilla dropped Estrada with a forceful kick and tried for a guillotine but Estrada escaped. Estrada wobbled Padilla with a right to the jaw around the ten second mark, but didn’t try to follow.

Round 2 – Estrada, appearing more relaxed, stuffed a takedown and scored with a left right. Padilla did more damage with leg kicks. The fighters traded evenly in a round that featured more strategy from both corners. Padilla landed a right hook then scored a takedown at round’s end.

Round 3 – Both men were showing signs that the other’s leg kicks were working as the fight turned into a stand-up war. Estrada landed a big right that drew cheers and stuck a jab in Padilla’s face to keep him at a distance. Padilla took Estrada to the mat at ten seconds. Judges: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 Padilla.

Fight 2 – Al Johnson vs. Gabe Crawford  – 165

Round 1 – Johnson, enjoying a six inch height advantage, took an unusual stance with his hands low and feet flat. Crawford fought straight past Johnson’s jab, lifted him high with both legs and slammed him hard on his head drawing a big reaction from the crowd. Johnson, following a referee warning, surprised the crowd, photographers, media, and, in all likelihood, the judges when he cartwheeled in clumsy
Capoeira fashion across the cage presumably to land a head kick. Crawford, with all day to defend, sidestepped, swarmed, and immediately had a rear naked in place. Johnson, fighting hard, defended only to find himself in an armbar toward the close of the round. Showing warrior spirit, Johnson held off the submission to make it to the horn.

Round 2  – Johnson, ever unpredictable, sprinted across the cage this time and attacked Crawford who calmly took him to the mat and did work following the instructions of his corner to knee to the body. Crawford patiently controlled the grapple, compiling damage until the close of the round.

Round 3 – Johnson again rushed across the cage to meet his opponent engaging him in a wild exchange that resulted in very little from either fighter. Crawford got ahold of Johnson in short order, took him down, trapped his left arm under a leg, held his other arm with his left hand and punched with his right until the referee stopped the action at 1:17.

Fight 3 – Jesus Melendez vs. Alex Arreola – 140

Round 1 – Arreola boxed and Melendez took a quick double leg. His corner instructed him to dig hard rib shots as Arreola applied a body lock and smothered. Arreola applied a scissor to Melendez’ neck, turning his face red and popping out a whole bunch of veins. Melendez stood and as he tried to free his head, Arreola made his way to his feet as the horn sounded.

Round 2 – Melendez punched his way in looking for more wrestling, but Arreola caught him in a guillotine. Melendez eventually leveraged Arreola to his back and pressured him against the fence. Melendez maneuvered and punched and finally submitted Arreola with a cross-face choke. Time:  1:52

Fight 4 – Tibor Janec vs. Amin Rodriguez – 270

Round 1 – The heavyweights wasted no time shaking the cage as Janec landed a brutal leg kick and Rodriguez fired haymakers and then muscled him Janec into the fence. Janec tripped Rodriquez and worked hammerfists as Rodriguez, winded, but otherwise unphased, rolled him over and took top position which he held until the close of the round.

Round 2 – Again, the fighters traded haymaker kicks and punches until they both lost their footing and Rodriguez came down on tip of Janec. Rodriguez, bleeding heavily from his nose clubbed Janec until the round closed and Janec popped up fresh.

Round 3 – Janec immediately opened up his fists on the gassed Rodriguez, hitting him in the back of the head and losing a point from the referee. As the action resumed, Rodriguez forced a clinch and rested. Both men laid on each other catching their breath as the crowd grew restless and boos made their way through the crowd. Judges: 28-28, 28-28, 28-28 – Draw.

Fight 5 – Garth Heth vs. Jacob Flesher – 205 – Title

Round 1 – Flesher appeared calm as he strummed air guitar to Queen while waiting for Heth to make his way to the cage. When Heth did walk out, it was to “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” When action began, Heth whiffed with a right hand bomb and the two clinched. Flesher separated and ducked two more huge right hands before Heth sunk a guillotine and took Flesher to the mat. Flesher fought to escape as the referee paid close attention. When he saw Flesher’s body go lifeless, he alertly stopped   the contest. Time: 53 seconds.

Fight 6 – Sean Mahany vs. Chris Stenhaug – 135

Round 1 – Mahany came hard with strikes initially overwhelming Stenhaug and wrestling him to the mat. Stenhaug took hold of a leg while fighting off strikes and gained top position briefly before both fighters stood. Stenhaug controlled the clinch with a guillotine so tight that he kept it on as Mahany tried to pull guard. On the mat, the harder Mahany fought to free his head, the tighter Stenhaug’s choke became. Mahany was finally forced to tap. Time: 52 seconds.

Fight 7 – Ben Lugo vs. Brian Aigner – 155

Round 1 – Lugo looked for wrestling early as he punched past Aigner’s jab and took him down. He worked lefts to the face and rights to the body before passing guard and overwhelming Aigner with ground and pound prompting a referee stoppage. Time: 1:19.

Fight 8 – Andrew Hathaway vs. Joe Miles – 170 – Title

Round 1 – Miles pinned Hathaway against the cage and the fighters battled for leverage, Miles’ corner calling for a trip. The action remained there for the three minutes. At the ten second warning, both fighters attempted knees and punches.

Round 2 – Hathaway trapped a Miles kick and took him to his back. Miles listened to instructions from his corner and got to his feet and the clinch from round 1 was back on this time with Miles’ back against the cage. Miles dug body blows and Hathaway knees.

Round 3 – The fighters clinched immediately, Miles holding Hathaway against the cage. Miles landed a forceful right uppercut. Hathaway created a scramble. Miles landed another right to the face and swung his leg around Hathaway’s shoulder cinching an Uma Plata and tagging him in the face with punches as he lay trapped. Miles kept pressure on until the horn. Judges: 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 Miles

Fight 9 – Mike Schapmire vs. Andrew Kauppila – 155

Round 1 – Schapmire came out hard with three crowd pleasing kicks and hand strikes. He kept the pressure on throwing strikes of all kinds from everywhere. Kauppila got off a left hook that squared Schapmire in the face and stunned him. Schapmire continued to work as Kauppila pursued, finding his groove as the round wore on. Kauppila, after an exchange, landed a hard knee in a Thai clinch which dropped Schapmire. Kauppila immediately pounced and finished the fight with unanswered ground and pound. Time: 1:29

Fight 10 – Joey Guerra vs. Joey Munoz – 145

Round 1 – Munoz took Guerra to the mat and used wrestling to control position. He landed some knees, elbows and fists, but Guerra did an exceptional job of keeping damage to a minimum. The crowd was loud and vocal, mostly for the local man, Guerra, but there were definitely a few women in the crowd screaming hard and pulling in support of “Joey.”

Round 2 – Guerra came out aggressive and got the first takedown. He had a rear naked choke in place but Munoz defended, then reversed. Munoz then spent most of the round on top, mostly controlling, but also sneaking in ground and pound where he could. Guerra battled to a reversal at the end of the round. The crowd went crazy as he took top position and tried to do as much damage as he could while he still had some clock.

Round 3 – The fighters stood for the first two minutes banging head and body strikes in the clinch. Munoz threw knees over and over right between Guerra’s elbows landing both to the face and body. Guerra appeared at times, the fresher and stronger, getting a takedown after all the knees and attempting two Kimoras which Munoz slipped. As the ten second warning sounded, both fighters were still in high gear and the crowd still raging. Judges: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Following the decision, immediate mention was made for this fight as fight of the year.