TONY PENECALE’S TOP 10 HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUTS

Posted on | March 23, 2007 | 3 Comments

The Greatest Heavyweight Title Fights

BY: TONY PENECALE 

The heavyweight championship is often called the greatest prize in all of sports. In 2004, I posted a personal list on a boxing forum Web-site. The list became a popular topic for debate and opinion, so it is here that I re-post it.

I compiled a list of The Greatest (IMO) Heavyweight TITLE Fights. Please feel free to add some of your own choices or comment about my list. Just remember, these are Championship fights so Foreman-Lyle, Holyfield-Dokes, Tyson-Ruddock, along with many others will not be included.

1) Frazier-Ali I – Two great fighters at the top of their game, both undefeated, with legitimate claims to the Heavyweight title, combined with a bitter animosity towards each other. Frazier set a torrid pace, forcing the fight to Ali, and hammering his trademark left hook, finally dropping “The Greatest” in the 15th round en route to a unanimous decision and universal recognition as the heavyweight champion. “The Fight” is one where people remember where they were when it happened.

2) Dempsey-Firpo – 11 Knockdowns in less than 4 minutes of fighting. All action. This fight would have not been ranked so highly without the shocking knockdown of Dempsey, through the ropes. He was so out of it he asked his corner what round “he had been knocked out in?”

3) Ali-Frazier III – I have this behind their first fight. This fight, while still an all-time classic, saw both men past their primes. While their skills had diminished, their pride and disdain for each other had not. Still tremendously savage and gutsy, both fighters battled hard, with Ali summoning the intestinal fortitude to survive Frazier’s vicious assault and launch one of his own, battering a drained Frazier before Eddie Futch mercifully threw the towel in before the 15th round.

4) Holmes-Norton – 15 action-filled, give-and-take rounds for the vacant title. With the fight even on the cards, it came down to the final stanza. The 15th round ranks up there with the greatest rounds of all time.

5) Bowe-Holyfield I – Most people will link them with their infamous “Fan Man” 2nd fight. But the first fight was MUCH better. Bowe, in the best shape of his career, put forth the best effort of his career. Holyfield was Holyfield, engaging the bigger man in the fight. The back-and-forth action of the 10th round was breathtaking.

6) Marciano-Walcott I – The slick-boxing Walcott came to fight. He engaged the slugging Marciano in a slugfest and was beating Marciano in his own fight until Rocky landed one of the most dramatic one-punch KO’s of all time.

7) Douglas-Tyson – Not great for it’s overall content, but for its “I can’t believe this is happening” aura. A mere mortal was whipping Godzilla all over Japan. It was like something was wrong with the universe, then Tyson landed the uppercut and all seemed right until Douglas got up and KO’d “The Baddest Man on the Planet”.

8) Marciano-Charles I – A classic matchup between the undefeated champion and possibly greatest light heavyweight of all time, and former heavyweight champion. Despite a nasty cut over his eye, Rocky’s pressure and strength won out in a closely contested battle.

9) Louis-Conn I – The smaller Conn fought a brilliant fight, taking the fight right to Louis, outboxing, outfighting, and even rocking him, until he got too brave and was KO’d in the 13th round.

10) Ali-Foreman – Most people not only predicted a dominant Foreman win in Zaire, they were concerned for Ali’s safety. Ali let Foreman set the pace and blocked or avoided his wild swings while conserving energy employing the “rope-a-dope”. After 7 rounds, Foreman was spent and Ali put the finishing touches on a dramatic win.

Honorable mention:
Holyfield-Foreman
Holyfield-Tyson I
Patterson-Johannson III
Ali-Liston I
Lewis-Klitschko
Holmes-Cooney

Why they didn’t make the list:
Marciano-Charles II – While this fight is remembered for Marciano’s hideously lacerated nose and desperate KO win, most of the fight saw Charles moving around the ring, trying to avoid the slugfest that cost him the first fight.

Weaver-Tate – Remembered most for seeing the defending titlist KO’d with less than a minute remaining. It was a dramatic ending to a decent but far from overwhelming scrap.

Lewis-Tyson – Far from the hype. The same Tyson who caused a melee at the press conference and threatened to eat Lewis’ children (he has no children, by the way) offered only one round of serious offense. From the second round on, he absorbed a beating, before being KO’d in the 8th round.

Ali-Norton III – While Norton seemed to have Ali’s number, it was more because of his awkward style. While all three bouts were close and debatable, none of them, including this one, was a spine-tingling affair.

I welcome all feedback and opinions. Do you agree or disagree? Should a certain fight be added to the list? Should one listed be omitted? I can be contacted a phllybox1@aol.com or www.myspace.com/tornadotp

Salita, Codrington, Stevens, and Figueroa victorious at the Manhattan Center!

Posted on | March 23, 2007 | 1 Comment

Salita, Codrington, Stevens, and Figueroa victorious at the Manhattan Center!

 

By Matt Yanofsky {Ringside}

In front of a live crowd at the Manhattan Center Welterweight Prospect Dmitriy Salita improved his undefeated record to 27-0-1 {15 Ko’s} by earning a victory over tough veteran Grover Wiley 30-9-1 {14 Ko’s}. In the first few rounds, the fighters traded blows well. Most of Wiley’s blows came with close uppercuts out of clinches while Salita preferred to use his height and reach advantage, landing his power shots from a distance. Salita was able to refocus his game plan and almost exclusively feature a stick and move on the smaller Wiley. Salita was able to earn a wide unanimous decision by the scores of 99-90 twice and 99-91. Salita is the latest name rumored to be in the running to face Arturo Gatti this July on HBO.

Super Middleweight Curtis “Showtime” Stevens 17-1 {12 Ko’s} was able to defeat upset specialist Darnell Boone 14-9-2 {5 Ko’s}. Stevens was the aggressor for most of the fight, but Boone kept coming forward and fighting, landing some effective blows on Stevens. Boone was out on his feet during the seventh round and received a standing 8 count. Stevens continued to dominate the rest of the fight and earned a unanimous decision of 100-90 from all three judges. After the fight, Boone said “I won the fight and the fans know it, His power didn’t phase me at all”. Boone claimed he will be moving back down to 160 and he will fight anyone willing to challenge him.

Super Middleweight Jaidon “Tha Don” Codrington improved his record to 15-1 {11 Ko’s} after defeating crafty veteran Marlon Hayes 23-6 {11 Ko’s}. Codrington started off immediately on the right track by landing heavy shots and forcing a standing 8 count on Hayes. Codrington went right back to work in the second and third while continuing to outland Haynes. Haynes was able to effectively stick and move in the fourth and fifth round, landing jabs on Codrington (who elected to drop his hands, perhaps to make Hayes attempt to trade shots).

Codrington was able to refocus himself and dominate Hayes—who was dangerously close to being stopped during the last few rounds. Hayes finished the fight on his feet but left with a closed eye ala Fernando Vargas. He fell to Codrington by the scores of 99-89, 98-90, and 97-91. After the fight Codrington’s trainer Nirmal Lorrick said that Jaidon had a B- performance and can improve by clowning around less and throwing more body punches.

Popular Bronx Junior Welterweight Francisco “El Gato” Figueroa improved to 15-2 {11 Ko’s} after scoring a TKO victory over veteran Antonio Ramirez. Figueroa dominated Ramirez from the bell. During the second round, Figueroa dropped Ramirez with a left hook. Figueroa continued his onslaught during the third round dropping Ramirez twice more and forcing a halt to the contest. Figueroa is next scheduled to fight in April in Florida.

Light Heavyweight Ronson Frank improved to 8-0 {4 Ko’s} after defeating Dan Mouton 2-1 {2 KO’s}. Frank used his range the entire night and was able to land most of the shots during the contest.

Heavyweight Sean McClain won his pro debut over Clifton Adams 0-3. After a sloppy first two minutes, McClain landed a 4 punch combo that put Adams on the deck for the count.

Pro Debutant Harvey Murray drew with Francisco Palacios 0-1-3. Both fighters had their moments, and it was a close fight the entire time. One judge scored the contest 39-37 Murray, another scored it 39-37 for Palacios. A third judge scored the contest 38-38 forcing the draw.

ROUNDKICK RUMBLE IX REPORT

Posted on | March 23, 2007 | No Comments

Roundkick Rumble IX “March Meltdown”

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

Battle at The Barn Post Fight Report

Posted on | March 23, 2007 | No Comments

XCF & Title Fight Championship BATTLE AT THE BARN 

 By: Ryan Christensen 

February 21, 2007 saw Title Fight Championship in conjunction with XCF Fight Productions enter Veterans Memorial Auditorium in

Des Moines for an MMA event that bolstered the largest capacity of any such event in the sport’s young history. Scheduled to coincide with the beginning of the Iowa High School Sate Wrestling Competition, the event was bound to draw in a hefty gate with wrestling and mixed martial arts fans combined. Did the Battle at the Barn live up to the hype?

 

Before delving into the meat of this article, and likely the reason you are reading it (fight results), I need to take the time to thank Scott Casber and Chris Arns for allowing me to cover their event with all access. This gave me the unique perspective to view the event as a fighter, staff member, and fan. The following is a brief account of the prefight activities as well as overall thoughts of the venue.

Veterans Memorial Auditorium has a great set up for an MMA event. It seemed at times that the general admission seats were almost better than the reserved floor seating. Sure, you weren’t as close to the action, but you had an optimum viewing angle. The turn out itself was about what I expected. Reserved seating was mostly filled and was likely nearly sold out by the time things got underway. Ringside seats were completely filled up as well. General admission had a decent turnout and filled most sections about 50% to capacity by my rough estimation. All and all, I call this a success for the promoters for both live gate and viewing experience.

My only concern during the prefight activities was the location of the meet and greet with the UFC Veterans. The meet and greet was set up to give a professional, large venue feel and pulled it off nicely. The only critique I have was the physical location. It was located on the upper level where it seemed many fans that had reserved seating didn’t even know it was taking place. It would have been more fan friendly to have the meet and greet in a more accessible area but I can’t fault the promoters due to a more accessible area not really being available with the seating restrictions.

I know… I know… You want action. And when you want action, I will give it to you. The following will be fight breakdowns from each bout on the card. I apologize in advance for only having the last names of fighters as the program and promotional material didn’t quite match up to the fights that took place. There will also be fights in which I don’t have an official time as it wasn’t announced. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to get more exact times and full names for the competitors, but for now you’ll just have to deal with the condensed version.

Bout 1:

Eshenfelter vs Frank

 

Round 1: Eshenfetler came out throwing some sloppy, looping punches to set up a shot. He took 1-2 sloppy shots before securing a takedown. Frank worked from guard to securing back mount on Eshenfelter and pretty easily secured a rear naked choke.

Winner: Frank via tapout (RNC)

 

 

Bout 2:

Wilkens vs Ophein

 

Round 1: Wilkens throws a few straights then scores a takedown. Nothing notable took place on the ground. Ophein eventually escapes and the fight returns to the feet. Wilkens gets another takedown as Ophein tries for a guillotine. Wilkens escapes the guillotine and is reversed. The fight again stalls on the ground and is stood up. Wilkens secures another takedown and ends the fight in Opheins guard.

10-9 for Wilkens.

Round 2: Wilkens again gets a takedown. Wilkens passed to full mount. Short punches from Wilkens. Ophein gives up his back. Wilkens unable to finish. Ophein later scores a takedown and ends up in north/south position and ends up attempting a kimura. Ophein finishes the round with the upper hand after some good striking and attempting to finish the fight.

10-9 Ophein

Round 3: Wilkens looks gassed. They circle as Ophein throws some straights. Ophein connects with a solid right straight that send Wilkens down. Ophein ends the fight with some GNP.

 

Winner: Ophein via TKO (Strikes) 0:24 in Rd 3

 

 

Bout 3:

Demooney vs Defoe

 

Round 1: Demooney throws some 1-2 combinations. Defoe pawed with a jab and didn’t connect with much. Demooney drops Defoe with a hard left. Demooney looked for a kick while Defoe was down but backed off. The Ref separated the fighters at that point to warn Demooney and to clear some blood from Defoe’s nose. Fight restarts with Demooney controlling the stand up and working some clinch. Solid strikes end the round.

10-8 Demoooney

Round 2: Demooney continues to work his standup and lands some short elbows from the clinch. Demooney secures a takedown and gets mount. Demooney scores with some GNP. Defoe ties Demooney up and gets a stand up. Defoe looks gassed at this point. Demooney finish the round with more striking that back Defoe into the cage.

10-9 Demooney

Before round 3 began, Defoe’s corner throws in the towel.

Winner: Demooney via stoppage between rounds

 

 

 

Bout 4:

Licht vs Brennell

 

Round 1: Licht comes out striking and uses it to secure a takedown. Brennell escapes and stands up. Brennell with some strikes and finishes with some GNP.

Winner: Brennel via TKO (GNP) 2:09 in Rd1

 

 

Bout 5:

Young vs Ahrens

 

Round 1: The fighters circle and throw some jabs. Ahrens secures a takedown and gets side control. Young gets full guard. Ahrens slams Young a few times. Young reverses to back mount. Ahrens scrambles and ends up in north/south. Ahrens works for a submission and ends up winning with an unknown submission as Young protests to the ref.

Winner: Ahrens via Tapout (unknown) 2:15 of Rd 1

 

 

 

Bout 6:

Swanbery vs Floyd

 

Round 1: Floyd throws some combinations. Floyd gets a single leg into a takedown. Swanbery escapes to his feet. Swanbery lands a few knees from the clinch. Swanbery sends Young down and takes his back to end the fight by strikes.

Winner: Swanbery via TKO (strikes)

 

Bout 7:

Hutton vs Kelly

 

Round 1: The fighters throw some jabs and straights. Hutton connects with some knees from the clinch. They separate and trade some strikes. Hutton secures a takedown to full mount and gets some solid GNP. Fight was stopped to get Kelly’s mouthpiece. Upon the restart, Hutton lands more GNP and Kelly taps.

Winner: Hutton via tapout (strikes) 1:25 of Rd 1

 

 

 

Bout 8:

Giboo vs Thoma (Luke)

 

Round 1: Giboo secures a takedown as Thoma holds onto a guillotine. Giboo escapes the guillotine and connects with some short punches. Giboo takes Thoma’s back and secures a RNC.

Winner: Giboo via tapout (RNC) 1:16 of Rd 1

 

 

 

Bout 9:

Sankey vs Tice

 

Round 1: Both fighters spend the entire round throwing single punches and few short combinations. Tice landed the harder shots in a very lackluster round.

10-9 Tice

Round 2: Tice attempts a takedown and gets caught in a guillotine. Tice secures the takedown and escapes the guillotine from side control. He secures full mount and wins by some good GNP.

Winner: Tice via TKO (GNP)

 

 

 

Bout 10:

Hammer vs Stover

 

Round 1: Hammer secures a standing guillotine and holds it as the fighters work against the cage. Stover throws some body shots. Hammer continues to try for the guillotine until he pulls out with injured ribs.

Winner: Stover via tapout (injury)

 

 

 

Bout 11:

Hovey vs Walker

 

Round 1: The fighters exchange strikes and end up against the cage. Hovey gets a good throw on Walker and ends up in his guard. Walker holds guard until they are stood up. Hovey secures another takedown but Walker secures a guillotine. Hovey attempts to fight in off but eventually taps.

Winner:

Walker via tapout (guillotine)

 

 

 

Bout 12:

Johnson vs Thoma (Ben)

 

Round 1: Johnson strikes and ends up getting underhooks. Johnson secured the takedown and took Thoma’s back. Johnson GNP’s his way to the win.

Winner: Johnson via TKO (GNP)

 

 

 

Bout 13:

Michehl vs Mendoza

 

Round 1:

Mendoza throws a few straights and secures a takedown. He works some strikes from half guard. Mendoza overwhelms Michehl with GNP.

Winner:

Mendoza via tapout (strikes) 0:46 of Rd 1

 

 

 

Bout 14

Main Event

Stephens vs Alexander

 

Round 1: Both fighters work their standup and throw some straights. Stephens secures a takedown from underhooks. Stephens throws some strikes from half guard. Alexander is able to stand up. Stephens throws some strikes and knees. Alexander is able to secure a takedown. Stephens works with a very active guard throwing short elbows and attempts a kimura from bottom. Stephens then secures a triangle and throws more elbows. After 5-6 elbows, Stephens is able to secure a tight triangle choke and Alexander eventually goes out.

Winner: Stephens via stoppage (triangle choke)

 

 

Overall, this was an entertaining night of fights. The only things I can think of to improve upon are the skill level of some fighters. It seemed some of the athletes were very green out there. I know this isn’t easy with a limited talent pool however. Also, I would suggest a new referee for the next event. He made some questionable stoppages and was far too physical to fighters near the cage. There is a fine line between controlling the action and taking away from it. Maybe it was just nerves in front of the large crowd. I sincerely hope that is the case.

Battle at the Barn has come and gone. I would like to close by again thanking Mr. Casber and Mr. Arns for the opportunity and hope to make this a regular occurrence.

If you are a promoter and would like to have me cover your shows, my contact information will be provided below. Also, if anyone has any feedback or questions feel free to contact me. After all, this is all here for you guys!

Ryan Christensen

MidwestMMA@gmail.com

515-770-7986

Ryan Christensen’s Jeremy Stephens Interview

Posted on | March 23, 2007 | 1 Comment

Interview with Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens

MidwestMMA: Congrats on your first Pro Muay Thai victory at the March 3rd Roundkick card. Why did you choose to compete at this Muay Thai event and how was your training different than for your previous fights?

JS: First I wanna say thanks for everyone who came to the fight to support me and also to help out an old high school friend who’s kid was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.(for more info: http://www.myspace.com/evamarie515)  We helped contribute money and gifts to raise some funds for her and her baby, so thanks for those who supported the cause!
 

As for the training, I just still went to the gym to do the same things. I even  still worked on jiu jitsu. I felt like Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts has good people, just as good as strictly boxers and muay thai. We train very hard and we’re confident in believing that hard work pays off. I just stuck with the original plan and had Victor Moreno come in to help me improve my footwork and combos.  Thanks to him to for his time and really helping me progress with my stand up.

MidwestMMA:You seem to be the fastest rising and most recognizable MMA competitor in Des Moines. How have things changed for you personally and professionally lately now that MMA is becoming a huge draw?

JS: I think being obedient and allowing god to come in to my life has changed a lot of positive attention to me. I now feel more humbled after losing the first fight to Mickle, and it helped me to train harder in the long run. I believe my hard work, dedication, and loyalty to DMMA is paying off now thanks to good people sponsoring me. I personally want to thank the loyal fans who truly understand where i been in life and how i had a great change in my life which is a blessing. These people give me energy when needed and truly support me to be able to do this… so thanks to  anyone who is a fan and thanks for all your support. I love and feed off of it all and it gets me going when I’m fighting. I’d also like to thank Warren County Chiropractic, Xcluzive footwear, Blvd Ink for tattooing, Scotty Body Shop, Page Plus Cellular, Dukes Truck and Tire, Tasty Tacos, A2Z Bailbondsman, A&S Repair, Chris Smith, Cl-One energy drink, 7 Flags, Pimp it Fight Gear, and my parents and family.

MidwestMMA: I hear rumblings about you not competing on the March 17th Greensparks card. Care to shed light on this?

JS: I’d like everyone to know Brian Green and I are good friends, but when it comes to business, we shy away cause when money is involved it brings the worse out of people. But, I do wanna help my friend out by bringing a lot of people to the show… not just him… but other promoters too. I’m a fighter. I’ll fight anyone I have to in order to start living my dream which is to be in the UFC and be a true competitor in the 155 division. As for me and Brian, I’m a big fan of his love him to death and I’m going to try bring my crowd and good people to his show. Brian has put a well rounded card together and its really going to be a great show. So Brian and Sean:  good job to you guys and I can’t wait to fight Vern Jefferson. It should be exciting bout.

MidwestMMA: How was you experience at UFC 67 being in Halverson’s corner? Can you see yourself on that large of stage anytime soon?

JS: I have future plans that consist of short term and long term goals. Right now I’m young and inexperinced and could be a lot better. As for the ufc, or any other promotion,  I just wanna keep fighting and progress everytime and when the time comes where I get the call, whether it be now or later, I’ll be ready to go. If it doesnt happen for awhile then I’m just going to keep my head up and stick with my tough and knowledgeable training.

MidwestMMA: You seem to bring a unique energy and intensity to your fights. What do you attribute this to?

JS: My energy comes from the crowd. I’m an emotional fighter cause I fight to come with everything I’ve got. Whether I’m tired, hurt, sick, or injured, I can guarantee to anyone one who fights me that I’m going to give you my best and I expect them to come at me with their best. We’re professional. We’re being paid. This is my life, its what I do so I want a good crowd support and for the crowd to be entertained and really enjoy why MMA is the number one growing sport and how I’m truly blessed for this type of sport to come into my life. I love to fight, train, and gain experince cause I’m not the best out there but i wanna fight the best in order to become a better, well rounded fighter. Win or lose, I come to fight and no matter what… its always a good experience for me and keeps me going.

MidwestMMA: Whats next for Jeremy Stephens?

JS: Next, right now, is to keep training and learning, and hopefully those blessings will continue to take my career to the next level wherever or whenever it may be.

MidwestMMA: Thanks for taking your time to answer some questions with MidwestMMA and giving the readers an insight into the mind of one of Des Moines’ best. Is there anything you would like to add?

JS: I want to thank the warriors who came before me– Josh Neer and Victor Moreno, Demi Deeds, John Halverson, and all the other upcoming fighters too for being good people and truly helping me to get better. Without my team I’m nothing, but with the team and fans its been fun. Hopefully we can keep Des Moines rolling on to a new time coming.. Also I’d like to thank God, family, and the fans for being very supportive and to my sponsors for sure, because without these people I wouldnt be able to continue my quest to the UFC starting right here in Des Moines, Iowa and truly staying loyal to my fans and home town. Thank you for all the troops over at war for risking their lives for others. Thats something most people cant do, but these people truly rise and sacrifice themselves for us to be here in America. Thanks des moines and i truly love all your support.

    I’d like to thank Jeremy Stephens for taking time out to speak with MidwestMMA about whats going on in his world. At 20 years of age Jeremy is one of the brightest stars in the game. With a unique blend of intensity, skill, respect, and humility, I see nothing but good things in store for “Lil Heathen.” Everyone needs to head over to www.GreenSparks.org for info about the March 17th card where Jeremy will be squaring off with Vern Jefferson.

Also, be sure to visit Jeremy’s myspace at:
www.myspace.com/lilheathenstephens

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

RYAN CHRISTENSEN’S ST. PATTY’S DAY SHOWDOWN REPORT

Posted on | March 23, 2007 | 1 Comment

Greensparks Fighting Championship – St. Patty’s Day Showdown

    As everyone pops some Tylenol and reflects on the bits and pieces they remember about St. Patrick’s Day, I sit here preparing to recap one of the better events in recent memory. I know some in attendance will only remember part of the night so I’ll try to jog everyone’s memory with the fight recaps and some tidbits from the night itself. Before digging into things, I’d like to throw out a huge thank you to Greensparks and mainly Brian Green as he’s the one that was very flexible and accessible for our coverage despite being a very hectic weekend for us all.

(also check out the upcoming blog on my personal myspace for a few more controversial thoughts on the night and events leading up to it)

    Upon arriving at the venue, I was immediately reminded of the many events held at 7 Flags. Hy Vee Hall was a very interesting venue as its seating arrangement doesn’t allow for any elevated viewing. I was fearful of a very volatile night due to viewing obstruction caused by people not remaining in their seats. Luckily, the event staff was very proactive in keeping this from happening and for the most part, everyone was able to enjoy the best view possible in that set up.

    Usually I’d continue with more thoughts on the atmosphere, but I’m sure you all know what the atmosphere for big fights on St Patty’s Day would be… so onto the results!!!

Bout 1
Adam Kaster vs Luis Gomez

Round 1: Gomez took the early momentum in the round with a few punching combinations capped off with a strong leg kick. Kaster was forced into the cage and headlocks Gomez. The fight moved to the ground as Kaster kept clinging to a headlock. Gomez escapes the headlock to backmount and begins to ground and pound in an effort to end the fight. Kaster hangs on and Gomez attempts a rear naked choke. Kaster fights off the RNC so Gomez begins to throw punches again. The round comes to an end as Gomez keeps moving from choke attempts to GNP.

10-9 Gomez

 

Round 2: Kaster comes out swinging with wild, looping punches. Gomez asserts himself with more accurate combinations again backing Kaster into the cage. Kaster grabs a guillotine as Gomez works for a takedown. Gomez secure the takedown and escapes the guillotine attempt to full mount. Gomez again works his GNP as Kaster just tries to hold on. Kaster is able to regain guard and neutralizes Gomez as the round concludes.  10-9 Gomez

Round 3: Gomez connects with some good leg and mid kicks. Kaster attempts to trade and is taken down. Gomez attempts to work in Kaster’s guard. The fight is stood up for stalling.Gomez attempts another takedown. Kaster connects with a few hard looping punches as Gomez attempts another takedown to close out the fight. 10-9 Gomez

Unofficial: 30-27 Gomez
Official: 30-27 Gomez (Unanimous Decision)

Bout 2
Matt Rivera vs Dennis Hyden
Round 1: Hyden comes out and initiates some trading of strikes. The fighters exchange a few shots. Rivera connects with a hard right high kick. Hyden is hurt by the kick and Rivera responds with a big flurry earning the ref stoppage.

Winner:
Rivera via TKO (strikes)

Bout 3
Jordan Gustafson vs David Mally

Round 1: Mally starts the fight immediately shooting for a takedown. Gustafson stuff the shot attempt and connects with some knees. Mally shoots again and secures the takedown. Gustafson reverses to mount and stands up. Mally again shoots and Gustafson secures a guillotine. Mally finishes the takedown but is still in the guillotine. Mally attempts to escape but is forced to tap.

Winner:
 Gustafson via Submission (guillotine) 0:45 Rd 1

Bout 4
Dustin Bachman vs Chad Lyons

Round 1: The fighters trade standing and end up clinching against the cage. Lyons works for a double as Bachman works a guillotine. Lyons secures the takedown. Bachman reverses into Lyons’ guard. The fight is stood up for lack of action. Lyons immediately clinches and secures another takedown to end the round. 10-9 Lyons

Round 2: Lyons comes out with a solid knee and follows with a punch combination. Bachman counters with a hard right hand and takes Lyons down. Lyons reverses to Bachman’s half guard. Lyons begins connecting with short elbows and earns a stoppage from his GNP.

Winner:
 Lyons via TKO (GNP) 0:26 Rd 2

Bout 5
Nate Woods vs Dan Popiano

Round 1: Popiano begins the fight throwing some punch combinations. Woods shoots and slams Popiano into guard. Woods attempts some strikes. Popiano escapes to his feet. Woods again takes Popiano down. Popiano escapes again. Woods finishes the round with some looping punches.

10-9 Woods

 

Round 2: Woods shoots for a takedown and is met with a knee. The fighters trade and Woods clinches and secures a trip. Woods attempts some short punches. Popiano then gets and arm and secures a tight armbar from the bottom for the win.

Winner:
Popiano via Submission (armbar) 1:25 Rd 2

Bout 6
John Sankey vs Doug Onstot

Round 1: The fighters trade very briefly before Onstot secures a takedown to side control. Onstot begins working a guillotine while cradling Sankey’s leg. Sankey taps quickly and the fight is over.

Winner:
Onstot via Submission (guillotine) 0:38 Rd 1

Bout 7
Mike VanMeer vs Brian Zanders

Round 1: Zanders is the aggressor and connects with a solid combination sending Van Meer into the cage. Van Meer connects with some leg kicks and continues to just wait for opportunities to counterpunch. Zanders throws more punch combinations. Van Meer connects with a hard left. Zanders closes the round with a strong flurry.

10-9 Zanders

 

Round 2: Van Meer again connects with some leg kicks. The fighters trade and Van Meer connects with a huge right that rocks Zanders. Van Meer then throws a flurry of strikes to end the fight but Zanders recovers. Zanders throws more combos but is visibly hurt. Van Meer throws more punches and Zanders verbally submits due to an eye injury.

Winner:
 Van Meer via Verbal Submission (injury) 1:08 Rd 2

Bout 8
Chris Mickle vs Matt Cook

Round 1: Cook comes out throwing some solid punches and knees. The fight goes to the ground as Mickle works to take Cook’s back. Mickle succeeds and works for a rear naked choke. Cook tries to fight it off but eventually taps.

Winner:

Mickle via Submission (RNC) 0:32 Rd 1

Bout 9
Jeremy Stephens vs Vern Jefferson

Round 1: Stephens comes out the aggressor backing Jefferson into the cage with strikes. Jefferson then pulls guard. Stephens attempts to GNP but Jefferson catches him in an armbar. Stephens remains patient and eventually works out to a point where both fighters have achilles holds. Stephens then works and takes Jefferson’s back. Stephens attempts some GNP and stands up to connect with a huge kick to the body. Jefferson then rolls to his back and Stephens continues to strike from his feet and also drop down for GNP. This continues until Stephens connects with some huge punches that lead to the ref stopping the fight.

Winner:

 Stephens via TKO (GNP)

Bout 10
Josh Neer vs Mark Gearhart

Round 1: The fighters circle until Neer connects with some shots and Gearhart covers up against the cage. Neer connects with some knees and hard body punches. Gearhart goes down as Neer flurries until the ref step in.

Winner:

 Neer via TKO (strikes) 0:20 Rd 1

Bout 11
Middleweight Championship
Cory Simpson vs Jaxon Mayson

Round 1: Both fighters come out throwing huge punches. They continue to swing for the fences as Mason secures a takedown. Mason throwing hard punches from mount. Simpson is eventually able to escape to his feet. On the feet, both fighters are again throwing knockout punches. Simpson is able to secure a takedown and works his GNP. Mason is able to connect with a few shots from the bottom. Simpson with more GNP. Mason is able to reverse postition and begins reigning down GNP of his own. He continues to throw as the ref steps in the stop the fight.

Winner and MW Champ:

 Mason via TKO (GNP) 4:53 Rd 1

    There you have it. An exciting night of fights put on by a very classy promotion. We saw everything from exciting submission to huge strikes. I recommend catching the next Greensparks show if you missed this one.

Random Thoughts:

Jeremy Stephens continues to impress. I can’t stress enough how special of a talent this kid is. He is on a whole different level now.

Chris Mickle is showing why he is the only person that has really tested Jeremy Stephens to this point. He has a huge heart and is a monster on the mat.

Josh Neer proved again why he got his shot at the big time. The guy is unreal!

Both Cory Simpson and Jaxon Mason show alot of intensity and heart. If you missed their fight, think of Griffin vs Bonner. These guys need a third installment as this fight was as close as can be.

    Well, thats about all I have on this very tiring Sunday morning. I hope you enjoyed the recap. As always, let me know what you think. I welcome all ideas for improvement, concerns, praise, threats, etc. Also,  in a shameless self promotion, I’ll be looking to compete in the next few months. If you are reading this and have a card in which you’d like to have me compete in my first fight in over 4 years, let me know.

Thanks!

Ryan Christensen
MidwestMMA@gmail.com

MUAY THAI ACTION FROM THAILAND

Posted on | March 22, 2007 | 2 Comments

MUAY THAI STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

By: Dominic Lavin

All photos courtesy of Rob Cox from Kaewsamrit.

Friday March 16, 2007 saw four fighters from Jitti Gym Bangkok travel to Ayutthaya–the ancient capital of Thailand–to compete in the WPMF promotion organized by Mr. Chayanum of Patong Stadium, Phuket.

First up was Alex James from Leicester who rode in on the crest of four unbeaten fights and bravely took on a Turkish fighter from Rompo Gym who outweighed him by around 4 kilos. From a technical point of view, Alex performed impeccably, however his opponent’s weight showed through. After two knock downs the referee intervened in round three to give Alex his first defeat in 5 fights.

Frank Hofsetter was Jitti’s second representative. His diligence and technical competence saw him defeat Yoshi from America in round four. After a sluggish first round Frank asserted himself in round two with a solid left jab and knee and secured himself a 10:9 score with his left elbow. In round 3 Frank cut Yoshi’s left eye with his jab and secured the round with his right hand and knee. After a textbook backfist in round four, the referee intervened and awarded Frank his just desserts.

Top of the bill was Liam Harrison of Jitti Gym and Bad Company Gym in Leeds England, defending his WPMF World Title against the Iranian Masod from Rompo Gym.

Masod opened the fight confidently from the southpaw stance and the pair traded jabs and roundhouses equally in round one. Round two saw an exciting exchange of low kicks and clinching where Liam’s retaliations gave him the advantage. In round 3 Liam’s strength took hold and Masod was obviously troubled by Liam’s counterattacking style. Masod visibly started to run out of ideas, and despite an encounter with the canvas, Liam happily took the round. In round four, Liam’s left hand found Masod’s chin and knocked him down. Bravely, Masod took the count, but an easily repeated left saw him wiped out, and Liam happily retained his belt.

Ben Seddon from Tiger Camp in Leeds was Jitti’s final representative. For a novice Ben showed an admirable degree of composure, however his lack of experience against an obviously more educated opponent was more than he could overcome, and despite a brave show Ben was stopped by a low kick in round 3.

Category: Blogroll, Dominic Lavin, Muay Thai, Post fight reports

FRANCISCO FIGUEROA INTERVIEW

Posted on | March 20, 2007 | 1 Comment

Interview With Francisco “Gato” Figueroa

By Matt Yanofsky

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the current Junior Welterweight prospect Francisco “Gato” Figueroa. On November eleventh, Figueroa earned the biggest victory of his career over the previously undefeated Joey Rios. Figueroa is slated to fight Antonio Ramirez Thursday on Lou Dibella’s Broadway Boxing card at the Manhattan Center. MY: What’s up Gato? Looking back at the Rios fight, are you 100 percent satisfied with your victory, or do you think there are things you could have improved on? I know it was a close majority decision.

FF: I am very satisfied! I think it was a great fight, I came to win and I won in front of all my fans at Madison Square Garden.

MY: I know you had a few fights fall off since your victory over Rios, what exactly happened?

FF: Both fights that fell through {January sixth and March sixteenth}, we had a last minute change of opponents. I am too far along in my career to be taking on guys that I know nothing about and I have not prepared for. It is too risky. After my fight Thursday, I will be fighting April thirteenth in West Palm Beach, Florida.

MY: Has this been frusturating to you, or are you happy you didn’t end up in fights you weren’t 100 percent sure of?

FF: Although it is upsetting to have fights fall through, in the long run I am happy I didn’t take them because of how short the notice was and the frequent last minute opponent changes.

MY: Thursday you will be facing Antonio Ramirez: a 44-fight veteran who will be perhaps the toughest test of your career. What have you done or added to your training camp to be properly prepared?

FF: During this camp, I have used different sparring partners. The guys we brought in were aggressive because Ramirez is an aggressive fighter. We also watched some tape on him.

MY: Gato, thanks for your time. What do you have to say to your fans and the readers of Fight News Unlimited?

FF: Thanks for the interview. I just want to let my fans know I’m doing what I got to do to satisfy them and come out victorious!

Category: Boxing, Fighter Interviews, Matt Yanofsky

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