Rss

  • youtube

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : November 24, 2014
0

Category: Amateur MMA, Doombeard Exclusive, Fight Night Challenge

We are here to cover yet another awesome show put on by the fine folks at Fight Night Challenge. As is the case with many events, there were some fights that were changed and/or fell off, but it’s still set to be a great card!

David “Sprinkles” Riner v. Luke Canady (Muay Thai)

Fight Night Challenge

Beard Advantage for Riner, who is rocking a short business beard.

RD1: Canady opens with a leg kick, and Riner responds in kind. Both fighters exchange a series of leg kicks and combos with some success. Riner lands a leg kick that turns his opponent around, then lands a spinning back-fist shortly thereafter. As the round comes to a close, Riner lands another spinning back-fist and a kick right before the bell rings.

RD2: Canady opens with a leg kick but leaves his guard down, and is countered by Riner, who lands some punches and a leg kick in return, then uncorks another leg kick that turns his opponent for a second time. Riner lands a body kick that resonates loudly in the arena, eliciting a few cheers from the crowd. Canady lands a combo, with Riner returning the favor. The round comes to a close with both fighters exchanging punches at a fast pace.

RD3: Riner opens with a leg kick, but is countered by a right hand from Canady, who uses his range well on a series of punches that are landing flush to the face of Riner. Riner lands a leg kick, but eats a left hand in return. Riner lands a leg kick, but is countered in kind, then misses with a head kick. Canady throws a jumping punch of sorts, is countered, then eats another leg kick. Riner throws a leg kick, and is countered, then dropped on a subsequent punch. The round comes to a close with Canady landing a few punches.

This was an entertaining fight. Sometimes with Amateur Muay Thai you never know what you are going to get. These guys came in prepared. Riner had a great first two rounds, then Canady began to really find his range and took the third round in my book. All in all, a great fight to watch.

UD Win for David Riner, (30-27, 29-28,29-28) , who had nothing but praise for his opponent, routinely saying, “He hits hard!” while being interviewed post fight.

“Big Daddy Anbone” Anthony Wilson v. James “Showtime” Neville (Hvywt)

Wilson has beard advantage with a full beard.

RD1: Wilson opens with a series of hard punches, many of which land. Listening to his corner, Neville shoots for a takedown, but is reversed, and Wilson gets on top looking to land more punches. Neville weathers the storm, sweeps, ended up on top in half guard, then passes to side control, showing great pressure in keeping a very visibly strong Wilson in place. Neville passes to mount, then postures up and lands a series of punches. Wilson pulls him in close to get some space, Neville works a few short elbows. Wilson gives up his back to avoid further strikes, and Neville sinks in a Rear Naked Choke in short order, forcing the tap and stoppage from Referee Mike King.

First Round Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Win for Neville.

Fodhel Benamor v. John Stover (130)

Fight Night Challenge

RD1: Fodhel opens with a leg kick, and then both fighters spend a solid amount of time throwing wild and hard punches with reckless abandon in a manner reminiscent of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Stover gets a takedown, Fodhel quickly reverses and gets on top and lands some punches, having to be warned by the ref about hitting the back of the head. The two soon return to their feet. Stover gets a takedown and the two jockey for position, Fodhel looks for a choke of sorts from side mount, but doesn’t get it and Stover gets on top in mount. Fodhel gives up his back, and Stover locks in a Rear Naked Choke, forcing the tap.

First Round Submission (Rear Naked Choke) win for John Stover.

Jack “Rakkazak” Ruppurt v. “Awesome” Brian Dawson (158)

Ryan Dawson is in solid possession of Beard Advantage, sporting a very solid full beard. Easily the best beard of the night. Major props!

RD1: Dawson opens with leg kick, then slips on a subsequent kick attempt. Ruppert lands in full guard on top, with Dawson quickly throwing up his legs for a submission.  Dawson shows great flexibility, using the Rubber Guard to then transition to a solid looking Armbar attempt. Ruppert, attempting to get out of the submission, ends up kicking Dawson in the head on the ground several times, forcing the ref to stop the action due to the foul.

The ref takes a point from Ruppert, but the physician calls of the fight due to Dawson being unable to continue.

First Round Win for Dawson by Disqualification.

Mike Butler v. Jacob Ashley (145)

Fight Night Challenge

Beard Advantage for Butler, who is sporting a short business beard.

RD1: Ashley lands a leg kick, but eats a few punches in return. Ahsley lands a few leg kicks, but Butler fires back, landing a series of gnarly punches. Ashley lands a jumping knee to the head of Butler, dropping him. From the bottom, Butler looks for a leg lock, but doesn’t get it. Ashley gets up, and quickly resumes hiss efforts, landing a barrage of strikes to Butler against the cage. Ashley seems to wilt and bit, and Butler come back, sling some hard shots, eventually landing on top on the ground after bowling Ashley over. Butler lands some short strikes to the body of Ashley, staying tight on top as the round comes to a close.

That round was a gnarly one, necessitating the cage clean up crew to come in and clean up some of the blood coming from a visibly leaking Butler.

RD2: Ashley lands a leg kick, and Butler immediately blitzes him with punches, pressing him up against the cage. Ashley drops down to attempt a Guillotine, but Butler gets out and postures up. Ashley throws up a Triangle Choke, locking it in and furiously landing elbows to the top of the head of Butler. Butler seems to be defending and trying to get a little space, but is still stuck in the choke, just covering up. Unable to get the tap there, Ashley uses the choke to sweep to mount, then transitions to an Armbar as Butler gets on top again. Ashley switches back to a Triangle, and continues to rain down elbows to the top of Butler’s head. Ashley drops back and attempts to cinch in the choke, but doesn’t get the tap, and lands more elbows as the round comes to a close.

Very awesome round! Ashley seems to be pulling ahead now, and Butler’s face is certainly showing some damage.

RD3: Butler throws a leg kick then a punch, Ashley whiffs a spinning back-fist. Butler is throwing some hard shots in return, a few miss, but the ones that connect are hard and quite gnarly, eventually dropping Ashley to the ground right in front of his own corner. Able to take advantage of being on the ground right in front of his coach, Dave Morris, Butler throws some short punches to the body and head of Ashley, but Ashley is staying active, throwing his legs up repeatedly, fishing for a submission, which will be tough to get right up against the cage. Butler is staying tight on top of hiss opponent up against the cage. Ashley throws his legs up, but Butler takes advantage and passes to side control then back mount, throwing some hard punches as the round comes to a close.

That fight was pure gnarliness!!

Split Decision Win for Mike Butler, eliciting an equal share of cheers and boos from the crowd. Regardless, that was a great fight.

Jonathan Vernon v. James Dunn (150 lb. Catchweight)

Fight Night Challenge

RD1: Dunn opens with a leg kick, but both fighters end up clinched up against the cage, landing knees to their opponent’s bodies. Both fighters are battling for good position in the clinch, then Dunn lands a pair of good knees and punches, eventually getting a slamming takedown, landing in side control. Ref Mike King warns Vernon about throwing knees to the head on the ground, then the fight resumes. Dunn then lands a series of loud punches on the ground to the head and body of Vernon, as well as some elbows, as Vernon just covers up to try to mitigate the damage. The round ends with both fighters on the ground against the cage right in front of me, with Dunn landing some hard gnarly punches to Vernon, seemingly looking to tenderize his body and face.

RD2: Vernon lands a jab, then Dunn advances forward with punches and goes into the clinch, then both fighters exchange knees to the body. Dunn gets a takedown against the cage, quickly advancing to Mount, getting an Arm Triangle Choke in short order, forcing the tap in short order

That fight is an early front-runner for the “Pure Gnarliness Award”, just due to the ferocity of what Dunn brought to the table in the fight.

Second Round Submission victory for James Dunn (Arm Triangle).

Carlos Martinez v. Evan Green (Muay Thai)

Fight Night Challenge

Evan Green elicits some early cheers from the crowd, as he walked out to Johnny Cash, always a crowd favorite.

RD1: Green opens up with two combos, then lands a nice pair of leg kicks. Green catches a kick and attempts to sweep Martinez, but both guys hit the ground. Green is doing very well with throwing combos and landing leg kicks on the end. Martinez lands a nice counter punch to the face of Green, then lands a nice 1-2 after. Both guys exchange leg kicks, Green throws some knees to the body of Martinez, who fires back with punches as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Both guys open up immediately, Green lands some stiff punches that stagger Martinez against the cage, but Martinez trips him off of a kick. They both exchange some leg kicks, with Green opening up with another barrage of punches and knees against the cage, with Martinez firing back in kind. Green seems to really be finding his range, continuing to land accurate punches to the face of Martinez. Martinez misses with a kick but then nails Green in the face with a stiff right hand right before the round comes to a close.

RD3: Green lands a right hand to start the round. Martinez fires back, but Green lands a few more flush punches. Martinez lands a series of nice kicks to Green’s body, then Green fires back with a straight right to the body of Martinez. Both guys are staying tight in the pocket and exchanging punches, then they clinch up and exchange some knees. Green is throwing a straight right clean down the pipe, but it is just missing his opponents head. Martinez comes in with a combo, and Green responds with an uppercut and a hook. The round ends with Martinez pressing the action, backing Green up against the cage.

This was a great fight to watch. Both fighters have obviously been well trained, and it showed. Both MMAI Charlottesville and Disciple MMA have put out a laundry list of good fighters.

Unanimous Decision win for Evan Green. This was a very close and entertaining fight, but I definitely agree with the decision.

From a technical standpoint, this is also a good candidate for Fight of the Night.

“Big Nasty” Robbie Lillard vs. Stirling Walker Bell (155)

Lillard came out with a great dance and walkout song, “Apache (Jump On It!) by the Sugar Hill Gang, eliciting some dancing in response from Bell. I believe I have just witnessed my first MMA Dance Off! Awesome!

RD1: Lillard lands a nice switch kick to the face of his opponent. Bell accidentally kicks Lillard in the groin, but he shakes it off. They clinch up, with Lillard throwing some nice strikes in the clinch. Lillard goes for a standing Kimura and ends up getting a takedown, working strikes almost immediately. Bell is working some strikes from the bottom as well, but Lillard then postures up and passes to side control, trapping one of Bells arms with his leg. He then sets up a Triangle from Mount, rolls over and gets the tap in short order.

First Round Submission (Triangle Choke) win for Robbie Lillard.

Liilard received high praise from his opponent, who repeatedly exclaimed to the crowd, “Robbie Lillard! He’s amazing! You know why? Because I’m amazing!”

Again, witnessing my first MMA dance-off was pretty awesome. Additionally, Bell seemed extremely jazzed to be in there fighting. I have rarely seen someone so happy, especially after taking a loss. Fight Night Challenge should definitely have him back.

Daryl Jones v. Matt “The Deathdealer” Ferguson (185 Title Fight)

Beard Advantage to Ferguson, who is rocking a solid mustache. In an age where a lot of people still misguidedly associate a mustache with being a pervert or creeper, you’ve gotta be a manly dude to pull off a ‘stache, and he certainly does.

RD1: Ferguson feints with a leg kick, then misses a high kick. Jones, whiffs a kick, eats one in return, then gets a takedown. Jones lands in side control, but Ferguson quickly gets to half then full guard. Jones pushes Furguson up against the cage right in front of me. Ferguson tries to buck Jones off, but fails, and Jones ends up on top in mount. Ferguson is doing a good job of holding his opponent tight to avoid getting dumped on, but Jones is staying tight in mount. Ferguson is repeatedly trying to escape or buck is opponent off, but Jones has done a good job of staying tight on top. Ferguson tries to gets up, but Jones takes his back, probing for the choke and landing some short punches to the side of his head. Jones gets an arm through, but Ferguson defends. Jones then goes for the choke again, trying to flatten his opponent out, but Ferguson escapes and briefly gets up, before Jones takes his back again. On another attempt by Ferguson to get up, Jones latched onto a leg and got a quick tap due to a leg lock.

First Round Submission (Calf Slicer) win for Daryl Jones, sporting a solid full beard himself, adding yet another championship belt to his collection.

Chris “Rocket” Rollins v. Pablo Garcia (145)

Rollins got the crowd going during his walkout for the Main Event, clearly being the hometown draw and crowd favorite.

RD1: Rollins opens with a few jabs, and Pablo answers with a few strikes of his own. Pablo lands a leg kick, then Rollins lands some punches in return. Rollins uncorks a barrage of strikes, backing Pablo against the cage. Rollins lands more strikes tight in the clinch, and Pablo drops down for a takedown. Rollins defends and they eventually separate. Rollins gets right back to his striking, looking to land another barrage of strikes. Pablo clinches up with him against the cage, getting a takedown but Rollins pops back up. Pablo goes for another, but Rollins reverses and gets on top in mount briefly, before Pablo gets back up to his feet and circles away. Both fighters then exchange a series of hard punches, with Pablo catching a knee and clinching up with Rollins up against the cage, looking for and eventually getting a tripping takedown. Pablo then tries to pass to Mount against the cage, but Rollins does a good job of getting his back on the cage and eventually gets back up. Pablo continues to look for takedowns, but Rollins continually throws punches and elbows to the body of Pablo. Pablo keeps trying for a takedown as the round comes to a close, but Rollins stays on his feet

RD2: Pablo opens with a right hook, and a leg kick as Rollins fires back with punches. Rollins lands a right hand off of a leg kick by Pablo, then both fighters uncork some nice combos. After eating some strikes from Rollins, Pablo shoots for a few takedowns, eventually getting one and grounding his opponent right in front of his home corner. Pablo is on top in half guard, looking to pass, and gets mount. Pablo is staying tight on top in mount, working some short strikes, then locks up an Arm Triangle. Rollins is defending, looking for space and  an escape, but Pablo is maintaining the submission attempt. Rollins defends and Pablo lets go and lands some shorter strikes to the face of Rollins. Pablo is staying tight on top and sets up another Arm Triangle, heeding the words of his corner. Rollins is doggedly fighting the choke, and Pablo lets go and lands some elbows to the face of Rollins. They roll over, and Pablo locks in an Rear Naked Choke, forcing the ref to call a stop to the action. Rollins protests the decision, exclaiming that he wasn’t out and/or didn’t tap, but the referee explains and stands by his decision, signaling the end of a great night of fights, this one included.

Second Round Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Win for Pablo Garcia.

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : March 30, 2014
0

Category: Beard Advantage, Doombeard Exclusive, Fight Night Challenge, Fight Recap

I attended the Fight Night Challenge on 3/29/2014, and was impressed by the amateur MMA and muay thai talent that showed up to Charlottesville, Virginia. Here’s a recap of the night’s highlights and knockouts.

Jon Hillis vs. John Kerman (Modified Muay Thai Bout)

Fight Night Challenge Hillis vs Kerman

Beard Advantage goes to Kerman, who is sporting a closely cropped full beard.

RD1: 10-9 Hillis

RD2: 10-9 Hillis

RD3: 10-9 Kerman

Given that it was an exhibition bout, the fight was not scored.

Antonio Ortega vs. Tommy Couzzi (125 lbs.)

Fight Night Challenge Couzzi vs Ortega

RD1: Tommy Couzzi comes right out of the gate throwing hard punches, getting a slamming takedown in short order. Ortega gets back up, but Couzzi achieves the front headlock position and looks to work towards a D’Arce Choke. They stand back up, but they are separated by referee Mike King due to an inadvertent groin kick suffered by Ortega. They resume and touch gloves. Couzzi throws a kick and another series of hard punches, eventually pressing Ortega against the cage, where he lands some hard punches and a knee. Ortega gamely chases him back with punches, but Couzzi gets another takedown and is immediately in side control. Ortega scrambles and Couzzi looks for an Anaconda Choke, eventually rolling into one. Ortega continues to roll around and defend, getting out of the sub right before the end of the round.

RD2: They meet in the middle and Couzzi looks to resume his striking attempts, but Ortega clinches up and Couzzi ends up on top in side control. Couzzi postures up in guard and rains down a flurry of punches and then steps away, allowing Ortega to stand back up. They clinch against the cage again, with Couzzi looking to control Ortega and throw short strikes. Couzzi is on the receiving end of a knee to the groin,  causing the referee to stop the fight until he recovers. They resume, but Ortega lands a solid kick then a left hook, then he begins egging Couzzi on to fight. They exchange some hard punches that largely miss, with Couzzi getting another slamming takedown right before the end of the round.

RD3: Ortega opens up by winging some hard punches, but Couzzi clinches up with him against the cage, where they exchange some knees to the body. Couzzi then gets a slamming takedown that sees him get in side control, where Couzzi scrambles and is briefly threatened with a RNC. Ortega then reverses and ends up on top in guard, throwing punches while Couzzi looks to throw his legs up looking for a sub. Couzzi is working some short punches from the bottom, then stands up, throws a kick, and scores another takedown. Couzzi gets into mount and throws punches until the end of the round, with the crowd cheering loudly for both fighters after an entertaining and back and forth bout.

Unanimous Decision win for Tommy.

Maxwell Noonon vs. Jacob Ashley (145 lbs.)

Beard Advantage goes to Ashley, who is sporting some facial hair on his chin.

 RD1: Ashley throws a front kick, but is promptly taken down by Noonon. Ashley throws up a Triangle attempt, Noonon defends, but Ashley locks it back up again. Noonon is trying to get to the side to avoid the submission, but Ashley uses the Triangle to sweep into mount and starts working some ground and pound. They transition again, with Ashley throwing up an Armbar attempt that is shucked off. Ashley then takes Noonon’s back and sinks in a Rear Naked Choke, forcing the tap.

First Round Submission Victory via Rear Naked Choke for Jacob Ashley.

Antoine Brown vs. Jessie Gibson (190 lbs. )

Beard Advantage goes to Jessie Gibson, who is sporting an awesome mustache.

RD1: Brown wings some punches, and is then clinched up Gibson. They separate and exchange some more punches, then Brown pushes Gibson up against the cage. Gibson briefly reverses, then Brown pushes him up against the cage again and starts to work short punches. Gibson lands a knee to the body, and Brown responds with punches. Gibson returns fire but Brown charges forward and gets a takedown against the cage and looks to work short punches from within the guard. Brown gets to half guard and lands some short punches to the body as the round comes to a close.

First Round TKO win (Stoppage due to a cut) Antoine Brown.

Sydney Smith vs. Chelsea McCoy (125 lbs.)

fight night challenge

There will be no Beard Advantage awarded for this fight, given that both competitors are women…and lady beards aren’t cool. Instead, I will award Beard Advantage to Referee Mike King, who is sporting an awesome full beard.

RD1: McCoy pumps a jab, then throws a series of fast combos. Mccoy backs her oppoent against the cage and works some strikes in the clinch, then gets reversed and eats a few shots until they separate. Smith pumps a jab, then Mccoy responds in kind. McCoy throws a rapid fire series of punches that land on the face of her opponent. Smith respons with some punches of her own, but is again pounced on by McCoy, who clearly has an advantage in speed. McCoy lands another flurry of punches to the face of her opponent, backing her up against the cage again. Both fighters exchange some more punches as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Smith pumps a jab, then another. McCoy responds in kind. McCoy then counters and lands a hard one-two, then pounces on her opponent, landing another flurry of punches and a knee to the face, visibly shaking Smith. McCoy pounces on her opponent yet again with punches against the cage. Smith looks to work her jab, but McCoy does as well, succeeding due to her superior reach. McCoy throws but misses with a knee? McCoy lands a hard right hand to the face of Smith, who responds with a hard punch of her own. Smith throws a series of hard 1-2 combinations, with McCoy responding in kind. The round ends with McCoy throwing hard punches to the head of Smith, who was backed up against the cage.

RD3: Smith throws a hard combo to open the round. Chelsea starts to pump her jab. The fight is briefly stopped as the ref sees that smith has no mouthpieve. Chelsea lands a hard kick to the body of Smith, then begins to stalk her with more punches and kicks. McCoy lands and audibly hard kick to the body of Smith, who responds with a series of punches. McCoy counters a kick from Smith with a combination. Chelsea throws another combination and finishes it with a leg kick. At the 10-second clapper, both fighters open up and end the fight throwing hard leather until the final bell. Both fighters deserve a ton of respect, as this was a very fast paced and entertaining fight.

Unanimous Decision victory for Chelsea McCoy. This was definitely an early candidate for Fight of the Night.

Joseph Shearin vs. Robbie Lillard (170 lbs. Title Fight)

RD1: Lillard lands a kick to the body of Shearin, then another leg kick. Shearin throws but misses with a head kick, then follows up with a series of punches and a kick. Robbie barely misses with a spinning back kick, then back his opponent up against the cage and starts attacking with punches and knees to the face of Shearin. Shearin throws his legs up, looking for a submission, but Lillard stands up and slams him back to the ground. Lillard postures up and is defending well. Shearin contines to work hard for the submission, locking up a quick armbar, forcing Lillard to tap.

First Round submission victory for Joseph Shearin by Armbar, who becomes the new FNC Welterweight Champion.

John Calloway vs. Kris Lewis (265+ lbs. Superheavyweight Title)

RD1: Calloway immediately pounces on Lewis with punches, throwing him to the ground and getting the front headlock position. Lewis scrambles, but Calloway gets on top in side control and starts to land some hard punches to the face Lewis. After Calloway lands a few more hard and unanswered punches to the face of Lewis, Todd McGovern waves off the bout as a TKO stoppage.

First Round TKO win due to strikes for John Calloway, who becomes the new Fight Night Challenge Super Heavyweight Champion. Want to see the TKO? Watch it here.

Kristen Murphy vs. Brittney Doss (135 lbs. Female Title)

Given that both competitors are women, neither one is eligible for Beard Advantage. However, one of Doss’ cornermen was sporting a solid and long beard, so Beard Advantage goes to him.

RD1: Murphy pumps a jab, then another. Doss looks to throw a combination of her own, but is caught and dropped by punches from Murphy, who ends up on top in side control. Murphy looks to work short strikes from the top, with Doss continually scrambling around on bottom. Murphy postures up and lands a few hard strikes form the top position. Referee Todd McGovern then steps in and calls an end to the bout due to

Kristen Murphy wins by First Round Submission ( Verbal Submission   ) , becomes the FNC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

In between fights, the announcer called in multiple organization Featherweight Champion Chris “The Rocket” Rollins, who spoke on his career, his numerous titles, and his aspirations of eventually going Pro after his next fight.

Jon-Taine Hall vs. Dashawn Boatwright (205 lbs. Title)

Fight Night Challenge

Beard Advantage firmly goes to Dashawn Boatwright, who is sporting a really solid full beard.

RD1: Hall comes in with a punch, then lands a leg kick. Hall shoots for a takedown and pushes Boatwright up against the cage. Boatwright defends well. Hall briefly gets Boatwright down, but he pops back up, and is taken down again. Hall is throwing a few short punches from within a close half guard, but doesn’t really have the space to get much going. Boatwright looks to get up, and Hall briefly threatens with a Rear Naked Choke, but Boatwright turns back over. Hall lands a few hard strikes from top position. Boatwright attempts to stand up with Hall on his back, but is forced back to the ground. Hall looks for a pair of Armbar attempts as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Both fighters exchange

RD3: Hall throws a series of kicks to the body and legs of Boatwright. Hall throws a front kick to the body of Boatwright. Hall shoots for a takedown and gets Boatwright pressed against the cage, attempting to hook one of Boatwrights legs, eventually getting Boatwright to the ground. Hall is landing short punches from half guard, then transitions to mount. Hall then takes Boatwrights back, and looks to lock up an Armbar. Boatwright defends, and Hall lands some hard punches to the face of Boatwright. At the end of a fast scramble for position, Boatwright submits to the Armbar attempt.

Third Round Submission (Armbar) Victory for Jon-Taine Hall, who becomes the new FNC 205 lbs. Champion.

Stephen McBride vs. Andy “Tank” Knopp (265 lbs. Title)

Fight Night Challenge

RD1: Knopp wades in with some punches, and both fighters clinch up. Knopp  is throwing some hard punches in the clinch, and McBride responds with a hard punch that momentarily drops Knopp. Knopp recovers and gets a takedown, working some punches from within the guard of McBride. McBride gets up and then knocks

First Round Victory via KO for Stephen McBride, who becomes the new FNC 265 lbs champ.

Want to see McBride’s gnarly knockout? Watch it here.

Fight Night Challenge Play-by-Play

Posted by :jcastle On : January 21, 2014
0

Category: Beard Advantage, Boxing, Doombeard Exclusive, Fight Night Challenge, Fight Recap, Fighting Style, Muay Thai

Fight Night Challenge was an interesting amateur promotion to watch. Not only did they feature entertaining MMA fights, but they opened their show with a boxing match, and also featured four Muay Thai bouts. Below, you will find play-by-plays, plus my opinion, on the fights that night. There is also a video following some match ups, so that you can watch it for yourself.

Calvin Daniels vs. Zach Zeleick (156 lbs. Boxing bout)

RD1:  10-9 Zeleick

RD2: 10-9 Zeleick

RD3: 10-9 Zeleick, but he is fading noticeably

RD4:  10-9 Zeleick

Zach “ZZ” Zeleick wins by Unanimous Decision. “ZZ” seemed to have the edge in power and killer instinct throughout , rocking Daniels several times.

Charles Tarvers vs. Chance Jones (165 lbs.  Modified (no elbows) Muay Thai bout)

Chance Jones has a definitive “Beard Advantage” with a solid full beard.

RD1: 10-9 Jones

RD2: 10-9 Jones

RD3: 10-9 Tarvers

Jones was the definite aggressor early on into the fight, but Tarvers came back and definitely won the third round. Charles Tarvers wins by Unanimous Decision.

Oleksander “The Greek” Humen  vs. Richard “The Outlaw” Thacker ( 170 lbs. MMA Bout)

Oleksander Humen walked out to an awesome Greek hard rock song that also featured heavy doses of mandolin. Humen has an abosolutely awesome entrance song, that I am sure is going to give him some great vibes and added power in the fight. The power of the mandolin compels him!

RD1: Humen lands a snapping leg kick, then another. Thacker clinches up with Humen and pushes him against the cage, where Humen then reverses and lands a series of knees to the legs of Thacker. Humen then attempts to jump and take Thackers back while standing, but instead settles for a slamming takedown, almost immediately achieving mount. Humen then unloads a barrage of punches on Thacker, forcing Thacker to turn over as he wilts under the pressure, with blood streaming down his face. Referee Todd McGovern stepped in and called the end to the bout.

A 2:07 TKO win for Humen in Round 1.

Dakota Donivan vs. Antonio Ortega (130 lbs. Modified MMA rules)

This fight is a modified MMA fight where both competitors are still in high school, with Donivan being 15, and Ortega being 16.

RD1: Ortega lands a solid left hand to begin the bout, with Donivan responding with a takedown. Ortega attempts an Armbar, but Donivan defends it well, but succumbs to the second Armbar attempt.

First Round (:50) Submission (Armbar) win for Antonio Ortega.

Lashonda Hinton vs. Chelsea McCoy (135 lbs. Modified Muay Thai rules)

RD1: 10-9 McCoy

RD2: 10-9 McCoy

RD3: 10-9 McCoy

A re-occuring theme throughout the fight was the rapid fire flurries of punches and knees that Chelsea McCoy was landing on her opponent. While Hinton was landing some hard single shots, McCoy’s blistering speed kept her one step ahead of her opponent throughout the duration of the bout.

30-27 Unanimous Decision victory for Chelsea McCoy.

Roque Zapata vs. Carlos Martinez (135 lbs. MMA fight)

RD1: Both fighters meet in the center and are exchanging hard and fast combos. Zapata in particular. Zapata lands a snapping leg kick, then another. Martinez clinches up on the end of a combination and looks to be working for a takedown against the cage for a while. They separate, with Zapata landing some hard punches as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Zapata takes the center of the cage, then Martinez lands a leg kick. Martinez lands a kick, but Zapata counters with a combination that lands flush on the chin of Martinez. Zapata then throws Martinez to the ground and beginning to work some hard ground and pound with Martinez pushed up against the cage. Martinez briefly achieves Rubber Guard, and is throwing his legs up, fishing for submission attempts. Zapata uses a failed sub attempt to advance to North/South position. Zapata goes for an Armbar, but with the 10-second clapper sounding, instead chooses to focus his efforts on landing a series of audibly hard punches to the body of Martinez to close out the round.

RD3: Martinez misses with a high kick. Zapata attempts a takedown, but Martinez deftly reverses it and lands on top in mount. Zapata rolls over and gives up his back, which Martinez capitalizes on the starts working for a Rear Naked Choke. Zapata is gamely defending, so Martinez mixes in some punches as well. Zapata attempts to stand up, which allows him to improve his position, shaking Martinez off his back. Zapata ends up on top in side control, but Martinez improves his position again, taking his back. Both fighters are now standing and are clinched up against the cage, with Martinez throwing a series of knees to Zapata’s head and body as the round comes to a close. At the end of the round, both fighters embraced and congratulated each other on a great fight.

Split Decision Win for Roque Zapata.

This extremely spirited fight to was truly awesome to watch. Both fighters involved are very exciting, and I am sure have great futures ahead of them in their MMA careers.

Robbie Lillard  vs. Roy Smith (155 lbs. MMA bout)

RD1: Lillard lands a leg kick, then follows up with a series of punches that drop his opponent. Smith seems to be fishing for leg lock of some kind, but Lillard is unrelenting in his efforts at punching Roy Smith in the face. Lillard transitioned between side control and mount, eventually settling on staying in mount. Lillard continues to pound Smith with hard punches and elbows, eventually causing Smith to roll over and submit due to the Strikes right as the referee is preparing to step in and stop the contest.

Robbie Lillard wins by Submission (Strikes) in the first round.

Daryl Jones vs. Corey Brown (155 lbs. MMA Title Bout)

RD1: Jones lands a snapping leg kick to start the round. Jones then lands a series of punches and follows Brown to the ground. Jones uncorks a barrage of punches, but Brown weathers the storm and recovers his position and gets into full guard. After Brown spent some time trying to isolate an arm, Jones got back to his feet and walked away from Brown. A brief exchange sees Brown pushed up against the cage in the clinch. Another combination of punches from Jones sees Brown return to the ground, looking for a submission. Brown throws his legs up and threatens the arm of Jones, but Jones responds with a flurry of hammer-fists to Browns face. Brown regains control of Jones’ wrist, and seems to be looking for either another Armbar or Triangle Choke attempt as the round comes to a close.

At the close of the round, the ringside doctor came into the cage to attend to Brown, whose eye was visibly swollen and he appeared to be having problems with his peripheral vision, causing the ringside doctor to call and end to the fight for the purposes of fighter safety.

Daryl Jones wins via TKO due to Doctor Stoppage, becoming the new FNC Lightweight Champion.

Donald Henshaw vs. Justin Hatcher (170lbs. MMA Bout)

RD1: Henshaw shoots for a takedown from long distance, but is reversed with Hatcher landing on top. After a brief scramble, Hatcher got on top in mount and started raining down punches. Henshaw rolled over and seemed to go limp, forcing Referee Mike King to step in and call an end to the fight.

First round (0:39) TKO victory for Justin Hatcher.

James Speight vs. Nick Minton (255 lbs. MMA Bout)

Beard Advantage goes to Nick Minton, who is rocking a closely cropped full beard.

RD1: Minton throws a two-punch combination, and Speight clinches up with him and puts him against the cage. Minton is working short punches to the body of Speight, who throws Minton to the ground and almost immediately gets to mount. Very shortly thereafter James Speight locks up an Americana that causes Minton to tap almost immediately, causing ref Mike King to call an end to the action.

First Round Submission (Americana) Victory for James Speight.

Victor Rubli vs. Randy Fitzgerald (205 Modified (no elbows) Muay Thai bout)

Definitive Beard advantage for Fitzgerald, who has a solid full beard (goatee and chinstrap).

RD1: Rubli lands a kick, but Fitzgerald responds with a few punches in return. Fitzgerald lands a leg kick, then throws Rubli to the ground in short order. Fitzgerald starts to land his punches flush to the face of Rubli as the round comes to a close, noticeably rocking Rubli.

RD2: Rubli throws a pair of leg kicks, but Fitzgerald responds with hard punches. Rubli wings a right hand, but Fitzgerald slips his punch and lands some punches that drop Rubli again. Fitzgerald lands another series of hard punches that eventually drop Rubli yet again. Referee Todd McGovern steps in to check on Rubli and give him the count, but Rubli’s corner throws in the towel right before McGovern waves off the bout.

Second Round KO win for Randy Fitzgerald, who thanked all of his supporters for coming out to watch what was probably his last fight. If that was indeed his last fight, he certainly acquitted himself well, and ended his fighting career with a dominant performance in front of his friends and family.

Chris Rollins  vs. Brian Rich (145 lbs. MMA Title Bout)

RD1: Rich throws a right hand and starts working for a takedown almost immediately. After he gets Rollins against the cage, he gets a slamming takedown and works some knees to the body of Rollins, who pops back up to his feet in short order. Rich gets another slam takedown, getting in side control and begins to work for a D’Arce choke against the cage.  Rollins gamely defends the choke, constantly moving around and scrambling and eventually getting back to his feet. A furious exchange sees Rich shoot for another takedown in response to the strikes of Rollins. Ref. Todd McGovern separates the fighters and deducts a point from Rollins for strikes to the back of Rich’s head. After giving Rich the customary amount of time to recover, the fight resumes and sees Rich achieve another takedown in short order. Rich then takes the back of Rollins and starts to work for a Rear Naked Choke. Rollins defends the submission and Rich ends up on top in mount, working strikes against the cage until the round comes to a close.

RD2: Rollins starts off the round with a punching combination that sees Rich feint for a takedown.  Rich then feints a punch and shoots for a takedown, but is met with the right knee of Rollins, which connected squarely on his jaw, dropping him. Rollins follows Rich to the ground and throws strikes to Rich’s face and body until Referee Todd McGovern steps in to call an end to the bout.

Second Round TKO stoppage win for Chris Rollins, who remains the FNC 145 lbs. Champion.

John Calloway vs. Kris Lewis (265 lbs. MMA bout)

Since both fighters are in possession of solid but closely cropped full beards, I will award Beard Advantage to both fighters, and will also congratulate both fighters for embracing manliness in general and growing beards.

RD1: Calloway lands a kick to the body of Lewis, who responds in kind. Both fighters clinch up and Calloway ends up on top in the front headlock position. Calloway looks to have locked up the arm of Lewis, who is forced to tap due to the fact that his shoulder got dislocated.

First Round TKO stoppage due to injury, win for John Calloway.

Alan Stephenson vs. Dustin Goard (155 lbs. Muay Thai Title  Bout)

I award Beard Advantage to Dustin Goard, who in addition to having a solid full beard, walked out to “Danger Zone”, showing a great sense of style and panache.

RD1: Goard lands a leg kick, but Stephenson responds with one of his own with some punches to follow it. Both fighters begin to exchange hard leg kicks and punches, with Stephenson having the sleight edge in the exchanges, as he is countering well. Goard lands a few hard punches as the round comes to a close, but Stephenson fires back with some hard punches of his own, having done a good job of catching Goard on the end of a lot of his punches.

RD2: Goard lands a series of leg kicks, but Stephenson continues to respond in kind. Stephenson lands a snapping leg kick, then opens up on Goard with a hard series of punches. Stephenson lands a flush uppercut/hook combo that stuns Goard.

RD3: Stephenson almost immediately uncorks a solid barrage of punches that eventually drop Goard. After the fight resumes after the count, Goard lands a kick to Stephenson’s body, then a leg kick, but Stephenson fires back with hard punches and a spinning back kick that barely misses. Stephenson and Goard exchange strikes until the round comes to a close, a round that Stephenson handily won

RD4: Goard misses with a kick, then Stephenson responds with a body kick of his own, then a hard series of punches to the face of Goard. Stephenson is clearly wining on most of the exchanges, and seems to be putting a lot of power on all his strikes without his cardio appearing to be any worse for wear. Stephenson continues to land hard punches until the end of the round, clearly dominating yet another round.

RD5: Stephenson lands a solid combo to the face of Goard, who responds with a flying knee and subsequent spinning back-fist attempts that miss. Goard lands a snapping kick to the body of Stephenson , who responds with an audibly hard body shot of his own, followed by series of jabs. Goard fires back with strikes, but Stephenson catches him with a hard uppercut before both fighters clinch up. The round ends with both fighters throwing strikes up against the cage.

Unanimous Decision victory for Alan Stephenson, who handily dismantled his opponent throughout the fight with his superior striking abilities.

Jon-Taine Hall vs. Dashawn Boatwright (205 lbs. MMA Title )

Beard Advantage most assuredly goes to Dashawn “The 400 lbs. Silverback” Boatwright, who is sporting a great full beard and a Mohawk that is reminiscent of Mr. T.

RD1: Boatwright lands a hard kick to the body of Hall, and he follows it up with a punching combination and a high kick that drops Hall. Hall gets back up to his feet and attempts to clinch with Boatwright, but is easily shucked off. Boatwright lands a leg kick, then throws another kick that is caught by Hall, who then briefly gets him to the canvas. Boatwright almost immediately reverses and ends up on top in mount, then gets back to his feet in short order. Boatwright chases Hall down and begins to clobber him with punches. Hall responds with a takedown attempt against the cage, which Boatwright completely stifles. Both fighters separate, and Boatwright resumes his efforts at successfully stalking Hall and mixing up punches and kicks. Hall throws a leg kick, and is then chased down by Boatwright. Both fighters end up clinched against the cage, reversing position several times until they separate.  Boatwright then throws a barrage of strikes to the head of Hall, dropping him with an extremely hard punch. Boatwright is on top of Hall, landing some short punches before he stands back up. Hall then shoots for and gets a takedown, but Boatwright almost immediately pops back to his feet. Hall throws a few front kicks and jabs to keep Boatwright at a distance. Hall shoots for yet another takedown that Boatwright shrugs off, clearly being the stronger fighter. Hall gets backed up against the cage and is nailed with an audibly hard right hand to the body. Hall throws another kick to the body of Boatwright right before the round comes to a close.

RD2: Both fighters meet in the center, with Boatwright immediately landing a leg kick, then another. Hall throws a series of front kicks to keep Boatwright at a distance. Boatwright lands another hard leg kick, then another. Boatwright then charges Hall with a hard punching combination, with Hall responding with a hard hook of his own. Boatwright then rushes in to throw more punches, but is inadvertently poked in the eye by Hall, who was keeping his jab hand out to keep distance.

After being attended to by the ringside physician, the fight was declared a No Contest due to an inadvertent eye poke by Hall to the eye of Boatwright. Up until the eye-poke, it was a fight that Boatwright was handily winning, having dropped his opponent several times in the space of the first round alone. I look forward to checking out their rematch, which will be taking place at the next Fight Night Challenge on March 29th in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Simply put, the guys at Fight Night Challenge put on an absolutely great show. The night’s card was full of quality and exciting fights, and I greatly look forward to covering their shows in the future.