ROUNDKICK RUMBLE IX REPORT

By: Ryan Christensen

After a week of blizzards and sleet, Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines opened its doors to a night of Muay Thai action presented by Team Roundkick. This event was the perfect release for everyone to let go and forget how Mother Nature has been kicking our butts and gaze on as some of the most talented Muay Thai fighters in the midwest put on the gloves and throw down.

Before getting to the meat of the recap I’d like to again thank the event promoters for their hospitality and willingness to have MidwestMMA cover their event. Pam and Pete have been a great help in this entire process and I’d urge everyone here to support them in their future endeavors.

Upon arriving at Val Air, I couldn’t help but get an odd “bingo hall” feel from the venue. I don’t see this as a bad thing however, just a change of pace. The seating was set up much better than previous events I had attended there in the old XKK days. Due to weather issues, everything was pushed back slightly and you could see that in the production. Their were some lighting issues throughout the night and only 11 of the 15 advertised bouts took place. After the storm that hit the Midwest in the prior days, I am extremely impressed with Pete and Pam only having those two snags in an otherwise excellently put together card. I’m also quite impressed with the crowd as I haven’t seen Val Air have that kind of attendance for a combat sport in recent memory.

The card started around 7:30 with a fighter parade. This was a nice touch and got a good reaction from the crowd (mainly the insane support for Jeremy Stephens). I even found myself getting pulled into the spectacle of things as on a personal level I was getting that itch to get back in the ring/cage and compete. So on a personal note, I’m hoping this all grows to a point where I will be hiring someone to cover events that I’ll be competing at down the road. Another thing to note was the fact that the first and third fights were exhibition bouts due to some fighters being unable to compete due to the weather. The final two bouts were professional contests and were the only bouts on the card contested with no headgear or shinguards.

With the fighter parade and national anthem out of the way, we move to the first bout of the evening. Please note this is the first time I’ve covered Muay Thai so my unofficial scoring may be slightly wrong and my accounts may not be as descriptive as they will in the future.
Bout 1:
Ryan Clark vs Able Mahaffey

Round 1: The fighters touch gloves and we begin a night of Muay Thai. Clark starts the round as the more aggressive fighter landing some good kick combos. Mahaffey landed some good counterpunches and scored will some very crisp combos of his own. As the round went on, Mahaffey seemed to get stronger and push the pace more and more. The fighters trade strikes and do some clinch work as the round draws to a close.

10-9 Clark
Round 2: The fighters trade some combos. Clark connects with a nice right high kick. Mahaffey answers with a very strong leg kick and follows with some good knees from the clinch. Clark throws some good combos and back Mahaffey into the corner only to score with another right high kick. Mahaffey then reverses position and muscles Clark into the corner to tee off with some solid punches. Mahaffey ends the round with some aggressive striking that sealed the round.

10-9 Mahaffey
Round 3: Clark came out the aggresor landing some solid punch and kick combos. Clark initiates the clinch and the fighters exchange knee strikes. Mahaffey breaks clinch and connects with a good combo that rocked Clark Clark responds with a strong right hand. Mahaffey continues to puch the pace and finishes the round with a hard uppercut that leaves Clark dazed.

10-9 Mahaffey

Unofficial score: 29-28 Mahaffey
Official Score: N/A (Exhibition)
Bout 2:
Logan Wirth vs Danny Sturm

Round 1: The fighters spend the first portion of the round trading shots and feeling each other out. Sturm initiates some huge trading. Sturm connects with some strong rights. Wirth answers with a few combos. Sturm continues to work Wirth and seems to be the stronger fighter. Sturm ends the round landing a high percentage of the power shots that he threw.

10-9 Sturm
Round 2: Wirth comes out being more aggressive than the last round throw alot of strikes. Sturm is getting the better of the exchanges employing a strategy of block then brawl. Wirth backs off and start to connect with some good straight punches. Sturm appears to be wearing down a bit. Wirth throws some more combos but is eventually hit with a great superman punch. Sturm again finishes the round having connected with a majority of what he threw.

10-9 Sturm
Round 3: Wirth comes out throwing some big combos. Wirth seems to be muscling Sturm around. Wirth again is the aggressor. Sturm answers with some hard hooks. Wirth seems to be getting tired and is throwing weaker combos. Sturm also looks tired as he buckles down and trades with Wirth to end the round.

10-9 Wirth

Unofficial score: 29-28 Sturm
Official scores: 28-29, 30-27, 30-27
Winner via Split Decision: Danny Sturm
Bout 3:
Cody Moberly vs Rocky Gabriel

Round 1: Gabriel starts the round throwing some wild combos. Moberly throws some strong combos to back up Gabriel. Gabriel connects with a great leg kick that causes Moberly to slip and go down. Moberly then starts where he left off and throws more strikes that back Gabriel into the corner to end the round.

10-9 Moberly
Round 2: Gabriel is the aggressor in the second round throwing alot of strikes. Gabriel connects with a solid left straight. Moberly clinches and is warned by the Ref. Moberly starts throwing multiple leg kicks. Gabriel throws some good punches that back Moberly into the corner. Moberly fights out and ends the round with some solid body shots on Gabriel.

10-9 Gabriel
Round 3: Both fighters trade shots for the first part of the round. Moberly connects with more shots to the body. Gabriel turns the tide with some good combos and eventually connects with a good body shot that sends Moberly to the mat. The fight is called after the knockdown.
This fight was an exhibition so there is no official winner.
Bout 4:
Tony Overlin vs Crazy

Round 1: Crazy opens the round throwing some good leg kicks. Overlin looks cautious in his striking. Crazy spends most of the round connecting with single shots. Crazy ends the round with a solid 1-2 combo.

10-9 Crazy
Round 2: Overlin starts the round much more active in his striking. Crazy connects with more leg kicks. The round is spent mostly in close quarters with short punches and alot of tie ups. Crazy again ends the round with some good technical strikes.

10-9 Crazy
Round 3: Overlin looks tired. Overlin attempts to end the fight with some wild strikes. Crazy then moves in and connects with a great 1-2 punch combo that sends Overlin to the mat. Overlin takes the standing 8 count and action resumes. Crazy begins teeing off trying to end the fight. Crazy continues to control Overlin to end the bout.

10-8 Crazy

Unofficial Score: 30-26 Crazy
Winner via Unanimous Decision: Crazy
Bout 5:
Will Ryan vs Brian Schulz

Round 1: Schulz comes out very aggressive throwing alot of strikes. Ryan weathers the storm and connects with some good counterstrikes. Schulz connects with a good mid kick that sent Ryan down (ruled a slip). Ryan answers with a good mid kick. Schulz ends the round with a flurry.

10-9 Schulz
Round 2: Ryan starts the round throwing alot of kicks. Schulz connects with some aggressive combos. Ryan keeps throwing solid kicks. The round goes back and forth to the bell as Ryan seems to have connected with more strikes.

10-9 Ryan
Round 3: Schulz again comes out aggressively. Schulz throws alot of muscling punches as Ryan counterpunches. Ryan connects with a few strong rights. The fighters trade until the final bell. Ryan again seems to have connected with a better percentage of strikes.

10-9 Ryan

Unofficial Score: 29-28 Ryan
Official Scores: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28
Winner Via Unanimous Decision: Will Ryan
Bout 6:
Eric Newingham vs Shawn Ellis

Round 1: Ellis comes out throwing some wild strikes. Newingham connects with a huge left. Newingham then throws a great 1-2 combo that sends Ellis down. Ellis takes the standing 8 and continues. Newingham again starts throwing huge combos and Ellis’ corner threw in the towel.
Winner via TKO: Eric Newingham (1:25 Round 1)
Bout 7:
Jake Fox vs Jason Tart

Round 1: The fighters trade to open the round. Fox connects with some good strike combos. Tart throws some good right kicks. Fox get some good knees in the clinch and soon connects with a good left high kick. Fox connects with some short knees. The fighters end the round trading.

10-9 Fox
Round 2: Fox clinches and the fighters trade knees. Yart throws some good punch combos. Fox connects with another left high kick. Tart starts throwing alot of hooks. Fox answers with some strong clinch work to end the round.

10-9 Fox
Round 3: Tart begins by throwing more strong hooks. Tart catches a left high kick and trips Fox. Fox continues to work his striking and seems much more technical. The fight ends after more clinch work and trading of knees.

10-9 Tart

Unofficial Score: 29-28 Fox
Official Scores: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Winner via Unanimous Decision: Jake Fox
Bout 8:
Chris Perry vs Jeff Cunningham

Round 1: Perry starts the round with some good mid kicks. The fighters then trade power shots. Cunningham connects with some good punches. The fighters again trade power shots. Cunningham soon connects with a huge left hook that puts Perry’s lights out.
Winner via KO: Jeff Cunningham (1:08 Round 1)
Bout 9:
Casey Wiley vs Adam Brown

Round 1: The fighters start the round with some trading of strikes. Wiley is throwing alot of kicks. Brown connects with a good right straight. Wiley answers with a right high kick. Brown throws some good punch combos and finishes the round with a great right uppercut.

10-9 Brown
Round 2: The fighters start the round trading alot of kicks. Wiley connects with more kicks and a few punches. Brown answers back with a strong inside leg kick. Wiley continues to throw alot of kicks. Brown spends the rest of the round countering kicks with good punch combos.

10-9 Brown
Round 3: Wiley again begins with kicks. Brown answers with strong punch combos. Brown begins to push the pace and connects with a good right uppercut that leaves Wiley backing up. Brown ends the wrong with a good flurry of punches.

10-9 Brown

Unofficial Score: 30-27 Brown
Official Scores: 30-27, 28-29, 29-28
Winner via Split Decision: Adam Brown
Bout 10:
Douglas Edwards vs Marshall Blevins

Round 1: The fighters spend the first half of the round trading strikes. Everything is very even at this point. Blevins gets a good trip on Edwards. Edwards connects with a good front kick. Edwards seems to be connecting with greater accuracy in the trading throughout the round.

10-9 Edwards
Round 2: Edwards throws some left kicks. Blevins initiates some trading and gets the better of it. Blevins connects with a good right kick. The fighters trade to finish a very close round.

10-9 Blevins
Round 3: Both fighters start the round being very cautious. Edwards throws a few crisp combos. The fighters then trade high kicks. Blevins connects with a strong front kick. The fighters again trade until the final 10 seconds where Blevins steals the fight with a huge flurry of strikes.

10-9 Blevins

Unoffical Score: 29-28 Blevins
Official Scores: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27
Winner via Unanimous Decision: Marshall Blevins
Bout 11:
Ricky Cabrales vs Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens

Round 1: Cabrales looks cautious as Stephens connects with a good superman punch. Stephens follows up with a flying knee and a flurry of punches. Stephens then drops his hands and tell Cabrales to hit him. Cabrales connects with a few punches when Stephens again takes control with a flying knee and a huge flurry that send Cabrales to the mat. Cabrales takes the standing 8 as the round ends.

10-8 Stephens
Round 2: Cabrales starts the round by throwing a few kicks. Stephens throws another flying knee and connects with alot of power punches. Stephens then throws a nice spinning backfist. Another flying knee from Stephens. The fighters clinch and trade knees. Stephens then connects with a big knee that sends Cabrales down again. The round ends as Stephens is dominating the fight.

10-8 Stephens
Round 3: Stephens comes out throwing huge punches and connects with a wicked left that sends Cabrales down for the third time. Cabrales continues only to eat a few more shots. Stephens again dropped his hands asking for Cabrales to hit him. Cabrales again connects with a few punches before Stephens turns it on and connects with a massive right straight that ended Cabrales’ night. The ref stops the fight.
Winner via TKO: Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens (0:54 Round 3)

There you have it. MidwestMMA’s second venture into the world of combat sports journalism is in the books. This was a great night of exciting fights put on by a great promoter. I look forward to future Roundkick events. Pictures of the event will be posted later today. I apologize for the quality of some of the shots as the lighting issues were hard to account for. As we cover more events, the photography will only improve!
On another random note: Jeremy Stephens is on another level right now. I expect to see some huge things from “Lil Heathen” very soon. I’ll be trying to get up an interview with him in the upcoming week so we can have some insight from Des Moines fastest rising talent.
Until next time, feel free to contact me with any criticism, praise, threats, phone numbers, or ideas to improve our coverage.

Ryan Christensen
MidwestMMA@gmail.com
515-770-7986