Here for Glory Fights’ second event, I am joined by Felix Falcon (of MMA in VA repute) in covering the action. In one of my stranger pre-fight experiences, Felix and I were asked to repeatedly enter and exit the venue and wait outside before the fights began; as the venue’s security staff seemed to be baffled by the task at hand. Once they figured out the intricacies of establishing a game plan and taking a count of all the fighters/coaches/production staff/media before letting in spectators, we were let in and able to set up and get ready to cover the event.

This is my first time covering this event, and while the venue is a bit on the small side, I love it! It has a real throwback vibe to it, as it is a smaller and more intimate club venue, and the cage is set up under a disco ball. Let me let that sink in for a minute, the cage is set up under a disco ball! The awesomeness of such a thing is wonderful to behold. I think it is already an indicator of some great things to come!

Amateur

Casey Bowers vs. Brock Roderick  (155 lbs./Lightweight)

RD1: Roderick opens with a flying knee, but is thrown off and hit with an air to ground punch, and is then slammed to the ground. Bowers get another takedown and belts Roderick with a series of punches. They get up, exchange a flurry of punches against the cage, then Bowers slams him down and resumes his ground and pound. Roderick throws up a Triangle, but Bowers quickly shucks it off and backs away. The round ends with Bowers getting yet another takedown.

RD2: Roderick opens the round with some punches. Bowers clinches up, then Roderick jumps for a standing Guillotine, but is then slammed to the ground and loses it. They clinch against the cage, and then Bowers gets another takedown. Roderick throws up another Triangle, but Bowers throws it off. Bowers goes for another takedown, but at the end of a scramble, Roderick ends up in a modified Triangle position that looks close for a brief moment. Bowers gets up, throwing leg kicks at a grounded Roderick. Bowers comes in and wings a punch, but Roderick answers in kind, seeming to be the fresher fighter at the point in time. The round ends with another Bowers takedown with Roderick seemingly going for a Peruvian Necktie.

RD3: Roderick comes out with a mean look on his face and stalks Bowers up against the cage, then throws a flurry of punches, but is taken down. Roderick immediately throws up a Triangle, but Bowers deftly gets out and then drops back for a leg lock, Roderick gets out, then goes for a Triangle then an Armbar. Rodericks guard is extremely active, never really giving Bowers much time go for ground and pound. He goes for a Guillotine, but Bowers seems to be weather the sub attempt, then gets up. Roderick follows him and goes for a knee, but is then thrown to the ground by Bowers twice in quick succession; the second takedown being a very loud slam that excited the crowd. The round ends with Roderick throwing strikes off his back, then getting up and clinching with Bowers up against the cage and throwing strikes.

Results: Split Decision Win for Casey Bowers.

Thoughts: All in all, a very entertaining fight, with Roderick showing a ton of gameness in his Amateur MMA debut. A very close fight, but I think it was ultimately decided by the dominance of Bowers in the wrestling department.  If Roderick can improve his takedown defense and further improve his submission game; I think he’ll be a dangerous fighter in the near future, as he certainly has gameness aplenty. Bowers, a student of longtime Pro MMA fighter Elijah Harshbarger, has the kind of wrestling acumen that can allow many guys to be very dominant in MMA, especially at the amateur level. Both of these guys show a lot of promise, and I’m sure they’ll develop into even better fighters over time, as they are under the tutelage of quality instructors at their respective schools.

Martin Scales vs. Craig Hayes ( 185 lbs./ Middleweight)

Beard Advantage: Both guys are rocking facial hair, but Hayes posses a longer beard, so I’ll award Beard Advantage to him, but points to both guys.

RD1: Hayes opens with a series of jabs, but is caught with some punches on the end of a leg kick. Scales nails him with a left hook, putting him on wobbly legs, but he recovers, then lands a few punches of his own. Scales throws a leg kick, then sprawls on Hayes’ takedown attempt. Hayes throws a leg kick, and then ducks under a flurry of punches from Scales. Scales lands another hard punch that briefly wobbles Hayes, then Hayes gets a takedown and takes Scales’ back, looking for a Rear Naked Choke.  Soon after, the referee stops the fight due to a Rear Naked Choke from Hayes, causing Scales to tap.

Results: Craig Hayes wins by First Round (2:27) Submission via Rear Naked Choke.

Thoughts: Man, both of these guys hit hard! Scales, a student of Perry Gibson at Tech MMA (the school that produced renowned striker and Pro MMA fighter Christian Leonard), nailed his opponent several times with some hard shots. Hayes displayed some solid durability and was able to take the fight to where he had the advantage after a bit of adversity, and quickly sealed the deal. I look forward to seeing both of these guys in action again in the future.

Carolina Cornell vs. Veronica Muller (100 lbs. )

RD1: Muller opens with a series of leg kicks, then both fighters immediately start throwing flurries of leg kicks, punches, and knees in the clinch. Cornell throws a high kick that is blocked, then both of them throw a flurry of punches in the clinch before backing away into striking distance. Muller and Cornell then clinch up and are jockeying for better clinch position whilst throwing short punches. Cornell lands several hard punches that briefly stagger Muller. Cornell misses with a teep kick, then lands a leg kick that is answered in kind. They both clinch up, with Cornell getting a Muay Thai plum and landing a series of hard knees to the body of Muller that cause her to buckle a bit. Cornell gets a brief takedown and a small dash of ground and pound as the round ends.

RD2: Muller lands a leg kick, then another. Cornell fires back with a head kick, then they clinch up against the cage, exchanging strikes. Cornell gets a hip toss of sorts and seems to go for a Carlos Newton vs. Pat Miletich esque headlock submission. Muller gets out, then gets top position, and gets to her feet. Cornell is throwing up-kicks to keep Muller at range, but Muller looks to work air to ground strikes to get into top position. They scramble, and Cornell might have inadvertently landed a knee to the head of a grounded Muller, but the ref missed it, and the round ends with both fighters clinched up against the cage.

RD3: Muller throws a leg kick, then a hard body kick She gets a head kick blocked, and Cornell takes her down but lands in a Triangle Choke. Muller briefly switches to an Armbar, then back to a Triangle that looks to be sunk in. Cornell taps shortly thereafter.

Results: Veronica Muller wins by Submission via Triangle Choke at (0:56) of the 3rd round. Muller’s coaches from Infinite BJJ awarded her the rank of Blue Belt after the announcement of her submission victory was made. Very cool.

Thoughts: This was a truly entertaining fight that saw Muller overcome some adversity in the first round to then come back and submit a very tough opponent. For an amateur debut, both of these women showed a lot of promise and I look forward to seeing these two competitors fight again soon.

Nate Davis vs. Szymon Sawicki (145 lbs./Featherweight)

Beard Advantage seems to go to Nate Davis, who is rocking a short full beard.

RD1: Davis misses with a leg kick, then lands one off of a double jab. Davis lands another leg kick, then Szymon clinches up with him against the cage, eventually getting a takedown. Szymon gets into side control, looking to isolate one of Davis’ arms. Szymon lands an elbow, then takes Davis’ back on the end of a scramble. Davis recovers, getting into guard. Szymon lands a hard air to ground punch, but then backs away to allow Davis to return to his feet. Szymon then clinches up with Davis against the cage, where they exchange a series of short punches and knees to close out the round.

RD2: They open with a series of leg kicks, then exchanging a few hard punches, then Szymon clinches up with Davis and drags him to the ground, pretty much immediately getting into side control, but Davis is able to get back into full guard. Szymon advances to half guard, then mount, then gets Davis’ back, sinking in a Rear Naked Choke and getting the tap in short order.

Results: Szymon Sawicki wins by Submission via Rear Naked Choke at (1:38 ) of the Second Round.

Professional

Mahmoud Mohagheghrashid vs. Matt Ott (155 lbs./Lightweight )

RD1: Mahmoud takes the center of the cage, and avoids an early kick from Ott. Ott lands a leg kick but eats a right hand in return. Mahmoud misses with a spinning wheel kick that elicits a nice response from the crowd. Ott wings a few hard punches but misses, and throws a kick but is then clinched up by Mahmoud, who gets a hard slamming takedown, landing in side control. Mahmoud then ends up in North South, then takes Ott’s back, landing hard punches to the head of Ott. After he eats another few hard punches, Ott submits to strikes.

Results: Mahmoud Mohagheghrashid wins by Submission via Strikes at (2:10) in the First Round.

Thoughts: Mahmoud Mohageghrashid, who is pondering a move to 145lbs., is a beast. While being a bit on the shorter side for the Lightweight or Featherweight weight divisions, he is built like a tank, and is more muscular than many guys several weight classes above him. Additionally, it is rare to see someone venture into MMA with his Judo credentials, so it is a treat to see some of Judo techniques that aren’t as commonly used in MMA displayed. As Mahmoud’s striking progresses, he will become an even more dangerous fighter. Look out for this guy!

Francisco Isata vs. Piankhi Zimmerman (165 lbs. catchweight )

Beard Advantage is dead even, as both fighters possess an intermediate amount of facial hair in the form of a goatee.

RD1: Zimmerman opens with a jab, then both fighters exchange a flurry of hard punches. Zimmerman seems briefly wobbled, then Isata gets a takedown, landing in Zimmerman’s guard. Isata is working punches to the head and body of Zimmerman, who is keeping an open guard, looking to isolate an arm. He briefly throws up a sub attempt, but Isata avoids it and momentarily gets into half guard before Zimmerman gets back into full guard again. Isata has Zimmerman grounded against the cage, but is only able to work short punches in between fending off the constant movement and probing sub attempts of Zimmerman. Zimmerman gets a body lock on Isata, holding him in place, and is then warned about strikes to the back of the head by referee Angel Ortiz. Isata tries to pass, but Zimmerman keeps him in guard. Isata lands a hard punch that causes a brief scramble and an attempt to get back to his feet from Zimmerman, but Isata gets another slamming takedown as the round comes to a close.

RD2: Zimmerman lands two hard kicks, but is subsequently taken down by Isata. Isata postures up and attempts to pass, but Zimmerman stops him. Isata passes briefly against the cage and Zimmerman tries to get back up, but is immediately taken down by Isata again, who passes to half guard. Zimmerman gets back into guard, then looks to go for a straight Armbar that looks to have Isata in some danger. Isata gets out soon after.

The fight is briefly stopped due to referee Angel Ortiz deducting a point for strikes to the back of the head after warning Zimmerman about such things in between rounds.  While fighter safety is very important, I personally don’t think that the strikes that elicited the deduction were necessarily illegal, but it’s always nice if refs err on the side of fighter safety I suppose. Zimmerman and his coaches seem upset that he lost a point. Zimmerman motioned for Isata to get back up to his feet and resume the fight, but Isata declined and referee Angel Ortiz reminded both fighters to remain professional.

The fight resumes in full guard, with Isata immediately looking to pass. Zimmerman is doing a great job of keeping Isata, a very accomplished grappler himself, stuck in his guard, and is working short punches and elbows to the body of his opponent. Isata works some short punches, but is then subjected to a brief Armbar attempt as the round comes to a close.

RD3: The round begins with Zimmerman putting his arms to the side, seemingly daring Isata into some form of action. After a series of probing jabs and punches from Zimmerman, Isata gets a takedown, then advances to half guard against the cage.  Zimmerman’s long limbs and great flexibility see him continually able to recover his guard after being put in bad positions. Zimmerman then kicks Isata off of him. Isata lands a punch to Zimmerman then clinches up with him and initiates a takedown off of the scramble, while Zimmerman lands a series of punches and elbows to the head of Isata.

Referee Angel Ortiz then calls a stop to the fight, declaring it a DQ win for Isata due to him seeing illegal strikes to the back of the head after having already deducted a point. I disagree with the stoppage, as did the judge and ringside physician next to me. As I mentioned before, fighter safety is always paramount, but I think the referee made the wrong call in a moment where the momentum in the fight seemed to possibly be shifting. Want to see the fight for yourself? Check it out on YouTube.

Results: Fransisco Isata wins by DQ due to Illegal Strikes to the back of the head in the Third Round.

Thoughts: Isata, who took the fight on very short notice coming off of a loss at a recent World Series of Fighting event, did a great job of largely keeping the fight where he wanted it. Zimmerman impressed me in his professional debut as well, for while he was continually taken down, he did a great job of holding his own and having some great moments against a very accomplished grappler and fighter in Isata. Some fighters wilt under that kind of pressure of being taken down time after time, but Zimmerman didn’t, and continually looked for submissions and fired off lots of strikes from the bottom. While it is unfortunate that the fight was marred questionable calls, it was still a nice one to watch, and both of these guys have great things ahead of them.

INTERMISSION: Announcer Mike Markham called Anthony Tisdale into the cage, and told the crowd about how Tisdale’s opponent had apparently backed out on the day of weigh-ins.

Brad Mountain vs. Mark Krumrine (185 lbs./Middleweight)

Beard Advantage is decidedly awarded to Brad Mountain, who is rocking a very respectable medium length full beard. I would also award Mountain some serious style points for walking out to “Mother” by Danzig, very awesome!

RD1: Mountain lands two leg kicks, then sees a high kick blocked. After some punches, both fighters clinch up and start jockeying for position against the cage. After a scramble, Mountain looks to go for a choke, but Krumrine takes his back and briefly looks for an Rear Naked Choke. Mountain gets out and gets on top in guard against the cage, and lands some short punches and elbows. Mountain postures up and lands some good punches and elbows to the face of Krumrine. They get up, and Krumrine lands a nice uppercut-hook combo before Mountain clinches up with him and starts to work some nice knees to the body and more short punches. Mountain is showing nice knees and dirty boxing up against the cage. They separate, with both fighters winging some hard punches before Mountain pushes Krumrine against the cage again. Mountain continues to land some nice knees to the body and a few uppercuts as well. Krumrine lands an elbow, and knees to the head and body of Mountain, who responds with a knee to the head of Krumrine as the round ends.

That was a gnarly round!

RD2: Both fighters exchange leg kicks, then Mountain lands a hard punch to the face of Krumrine. Mountain charges in and both guys eat some punches, but Mountain gets Krumrine up against the cage and resumes his dirty boxing efforts. They separate, then Mountain lands two hard kicks to the legs and body of Krumrine. Krumrine lands a hard straight right, then another, causing Mountain to clinch up with him. Mountain ends up on the ground, with Krumrine coming in with a hard air to ground punch, getting on top in half guard up against the cage. Krumrine then advances to side control, lands an elbow to the face of Mountain, then another. Mountain gets back into guard, gamely nailing Krumrine with a reverse hammerfist from the bottom. Krumrine advances to half guard again. Mountain recovers his guard, eats a punch, then nails a standing Krumrine with a hard up-kick, then another. Krumrine gets down to the ground, then Mountain sweeps and ends up on top, working punches to the face before standing up and kicking Krumrine’s legs as the round comes to a close.

RD3: Both fighters are looking pretty tired as a result of the war that they have waged on each other; they gamely touch gloves and smile at each other to celebrate the awesomeness of their fight so far.

Mountain opens with a leg kick and some punches, eliciting a smile from Krumrine. Both fighters exchange some hard punches in quick succession, then Mountain lands a snapping kick to the body of Krumrine. Mountain feints a Superman punch then lands with a nice left hook, but eats a right hand shortly thereafter. Krumrine throws an uppercut as Mountain throws an inside leg kick. Although I did not see it, Krumrine signals that he was kicked in his nether regions, causing a brief pause in the action. They resume, and immediately get back to throwing hard punches in the center of the cage. Krumrine lands a right then a left hand, which is answered by a series of leg kicks from Mountain. Both fighters then unleash a salvo of hard punches on one another. Mountain lands a snapping jab, eliciting yet another smile from Krumrine. Both fighters are mixing up strikes well, changing levels but always landing hard and throwing with intensity despite the pace kept in the first two rounds of their fight. Mountain lands a leg kick, then a left hook. Krumrine briefly clinches up and lands some knees to the body of Mountain. The fight ends with both fighters unleashing a barrage of strikes, including a spinning backfist from Krumrine and some seriously gnarly punches from Mountain. They embrace upon the end of the round in celebration of the gnarliness of their fight.

Results: Brad Mountain wins by Unanimous Decision (All scores of 29-28) in front of a loud crowd of supporters.

Thoughts: As you may have noticed it before, there is one word that adequately describes this fight: gnarly! Definitely the frontrunner for Fight of the Night so far for sure! Both of these fighters threw caution to the wind and put on a fight that was 100% “balls to the wall” and had the crowd cheering the whole time. Both of these guys are absolutely tough as nails, as they repeatedly hit each other with shots that I’ve seen put down other fighters. Sitting cageside, this fight reminds me of the many reasons why this sport is so awesome to watch. I had the chance to speak with Brad Mountain before the fights began. We discussed his upcoming fight, our mutual beardedness, as well as the reality of the Beard Advantage. Mountain showed serious gnarliness and determination, eating plenty of punches with his beard and continually wading forward to dish out more damage. Again, this fight was pure gnarliness! Regardless of the decision rendered by the judges, this fight truly had no loser, as both guys gave it their all.

Ahmet Kayretli vs. Ginseng Poit Du’Jour (135 lbs./Bantamweight)

Beard Advantage is decidedly awarded to Ginseng Poit Du’Jour, who has been sporting a serious full beard for quite some time. His prodigious dreadlocks are also worth noting, definitely giving him an edge in style points as well. I think that the term “swag” is errantly thrown around way too much nowadays, but Ginseng Poit Du’Jour definitely has it.

Kayretli does have a solid goatee though, so beardedness is well represented in this fight, which is always a good thing!

RD1: Ginseng probes with some jabs, then Ahmet wings an overhand that misses. Ginseng lands a leg kick that Ahmet grabs a piece of on the end. They exchange some punches and kicks. Ahmet throws a high kick, with Ginseng answering in kind. Ahmet misses a jab to the body, and Ginseng responds with a leg kick then a flying knee. Ahmet throws a rounded head kick followed closely by a front kick, then an inside leg kick. Ginseng answers with a kick, then a knee to the head that lands right on the money. Both fighters exchange spinning back kicks, then Ginseng throws another jumping knee, then a leg kick that is caught by Ahmet, seeing him get swept to the ground as a result. Ahmet backs off, and they resume their strikes in the center of the cage. On the end of some strikes, Ginseng clinches with Ahmet against the cage, and briefly gets a takedown. Ahmet pops back up and eventually separates. Ginseng comes in with a right that catches Ahmet off balance. Ahmet then responds in kind with a right hand that briefly staggers Ginseng. The round ends with Ahmet shooting for and not getting a takedown against the cage.

RD2: Ginseng wings a hard overhand, then a high kick that is blocked by Ahmet. A flurry of punches sees Ahmet catch a kick and briefly get Ginseng up against the cage, but he reverses and then works a few knees to the body of Ahmet before they separate. Ahmet throws but misses with a hard one-two, but lands a subsequent leg kick. Ahmet comes in but Ginseng nails him with a right hand, eliciting a hard flurry of punches and kicks from Ahmet in response. Ahmet misses with a punch to the body, then lands a series of leg kicks. Ahmet wades in again but eats a jab from Ginseng. Ahmet then fires off a series of kicks and punches, ultimately missing with a Superman punch that gets a cheer from the crowd. Ginseng responds with a kick to the body. Ahmet charges in, eating a series of left hands from Ginseng, who then responds with a right hand to Ahmets belly. Ahmet catches Ginseng with the end of a spinning back kick to the body, but Ginseng responds with some punches. Ahmet briefly puts his hands behind his back to goad Ginseng into attacking, which he does. The round ends with both fighters bouncing around and staying at distance.

RD3: Ahmet throws a kick to the body that is blocked. Ginseng throws one in return, and Ahmet jokingly acts like he brushed it off his shoulder. Both fighters exchange more kicks. Ahmet wings a hard overhand, then lands an inside leg kick. Ahmet then lands a hard leg kick to Ginseng, who responds with a slapping kick to Ahmet’s body. Ginseng deftly lands a switch jab, then another few punches in close succession. Ahmet seems to feint for a side kick, then lands a leg kick and a series of punches. Ginseng then chases him down with punches in return. Ahmet lands yet another kick and some punches to the face of Ginseng, who eats them right in the beard and fires back in kind. Ahmet throws a pair of spinning strikes, then is chased down by some punches from Ginseng, who also lands a knee to the head. Ahmet is striking at range now, forcing Ginseng to chase him. Ahmet whiffs a leg kick and is punched in return by Ginseng. With Ginseng backed up against the cage, Ahmet deftly lands a spinning elbow to the jaw of Ginseng, dropping him, causing referee Scott Howard to call of the contest.

Results: Ahmet Kayretli wins by Knockout (Spinning Back Elbow) at (4:55) of the Third Round.

Check out Ahmet’s picture-perfect Spinning Back Elbow on YouTube.

Thoughts: This fight was truly a pleasure to watch, with both fighters showcasing some very impressive striking. While many fighters contend that they are a “Muay Thai” stylist, both of these fighters have definitely proved their proficiency in the Art of Eight Limbs tonight. Ahmet Kayretli executed a very flashy and awesome finishing strike in a way that is seldom seen in MMA, but is a bit more common in Muay Thai. Speaking for Muay Thai, Ahmet Kayretly is a veteran of well over 100 Muay Thai bouts between the amateur and professional levels, which is also what forced him to go pro in MMA from the onset of his MMA career. While many fighters would have been inclined to try and immediately ground Kayretli, Ginseng Poit Du’Joir stood and savily struck with him the whole time. Both competitors are now 1-1 as professional MMA fighters, and I look forward to checking out the awesome striking that both of these guys put on display in the near future.

Michael Pope vs. Kyle Newson (170 lbs. /Welterweight)

I’d like to give some props to Mike Pope, who stepped up on around two weeks notice to take the fight against Kyle Newson, who had seen two opponents pull out of the fight.

It is also worth noting that Kyle Newson entered the cage with a friend rapping into a mic in place of a walkout song. This is honestly a first for me, I haven’t seen this before, pretty cool.

RD1: Newson lands a front kick, then sees a subsequent kick caught, with Pope shooting for and getting the takedown. Mike passes to a tight mount up against the cage, with Kyle holding onto a choke that he cannot get from that position. Pope moves to side control, then Mount again, working short punches right in front of his corner. Pope then looks to trap an arm , then goes for an Arm Triangle. The sub attempt causes referee Angel Ortiz to stop the fight due to an apparent tap or technical submission from Newson. Newson protests the stoppage, but referee Angel Ortiz contends that Kyle Newson was unresponsive to verbal and physical cues, thus necessitating the stoppage due to the fact that Newson could have been choked unconscious.

Results: Mike Pope wins with a Technical Submission via Arm Triangle at (1:53 ) in the First Round.

Check out the full-fight replay on YouTube.

Myron Baker vs. Steven Baker (145 lbs/Featherweight)

Aside from this being “The Battle of the Bakers”, it is also worth noting that Myron Baker previously defeated Steven Baker’s brother, Bruce, in competition last year. Steven is most assuredly looking for some revenge here.

Myron Baker is also in firm possession of Beard Advantage, with the beginnings of a beard/goatee.

RD1: Steven lands a leg kick to open the round. He then lands a kick to the body of Myron, following by a left hook. Steven throws two oblique kicks, which are answered by a series of hard punches, with a right hand dropping him to his back. Myron quickly follows up with a barrage of hard punches on the ground, securing the TKO stoppage from referee Scott Howard with some furious Ground and Pound.

Results: Myron Baker wins by TKO at (0:46) of the First Round.

Thoughts: While this fight was very brief, Myron Baker definitely lived up to the hype surrounding him and his reputation of always looking for a quick and violent finish. I look forward to seeing more from him going forward, as he is only going to get better training alongside the likes of Micah Terrill at Conquest BJJ.

Samir Farid vs. Dennis Brown (125 lbs./Flyweight)

Samir Farid may have just received the loudest intro cheers so far tonight, as fighting in his hometown of Woodbridge, Virginia has surely allowed him to bring a good crowd to support him.

Samir Farid is also firmly in possession of Beard Advantage, sporting a solid modified goatee.

RD1: Both fighters start circling the cage, looking to establish their range, then exchange some probing jabs. Brown comes in with a hard combo that Farid responds to with punches of his own. As is typical of most Flyweight fighters, both guys are constantly moving around the cage, feinting, and are sure to bring a high pace. Farid lands a hard inside leg kick. Brown then clinches up and lands a slamming takedown, but Farid, an extremely savvy grappler himself, immediately pops back up. Farid opens up with two hard combinations that land. Brown then uncorks a barrage of hard punches in return that wobble Farid, but he is able to recover. He then returns fire with a hard head kick and some more punches that wobble Brown in turn. Farid comes down the pipe with a 1-2, backing Brown up. Farid then lands a hard leg kick, eats some punches from Brown, then fires off some hard punches of his own. He misses with a spinning back kick and eats an uppercut, but the fires back, clinching up and then taking Brown down, landing some hard Ground and Pound as the round comes to a close.

What a round!! Pure Gnarliness!! These are two über-talented Flyweights going toe to toe!

RD2: Brown uncorks a hard 1-2 that just misses, then Farid responds with some hard punches and a kick that barely misses. Farid lands a left to the body, then some hard punches up against the cage that drop Brown. Farid then unleashes a truly furious barrage of ground and pound against Brown. His pace is unrelenting, and he passes to side control and continues to unleash even more hard and rapid-fire punches. After quite some time sustaining the barrage, as well as declining action and active defense by Brown, referee Angel Ortiz calls a TKO stoppage to the bout, as he apparently saw Brown tap from the strikes of Farid.

Results: Samir Farid wins by Submission (Strikes) at (1:42) of the Second Round

Thoughts: What a fight! In a fight between two highly touted and skilled Flyweight prospects, this fight surely did not disappoint! While all the fights so far have been awesome, this definitely gives Brad Mountain vs Mark Krumrine a run for it’s money as far as Fight of the Night is concerned, due to it’s gnarliness and the furious pace that both fighters kept up throughout the contest. As my main man D’Juan “Dirty South” Owens, a professional fighter himself, says…both of these guys came to “Throw Them Thangz!”.
While Farid came away with the victory, I’d advise everyone to keep an eye out for both of these promising flyweight prospects.

William Quarantillo (4-1) vs. Terrell Hobbs  (9-6) (150 lbs. Catchweight)

RD1: Quarantillo probes with some jabs and a kick, with Hobbs answering in kind. Quarantillo shoots for a takedown, but Hobbs deftly defends the takedown. Quarantillo eventually gets him down, but Hobbs immediately gets back to his feet against the cage. Quarantillo takes him down again, but Hobbs  keeps moving and gets to his feet. Quarantillo gets another takedown against the cage, working some short punches, briefly gets mount and goes for a choke, but Hobbs defends and reverses, pressing him against the cage after a brief bit of punches. Quarantillo is continually going for and getting takedowns against the cage, seeing Hobbs land a short elbow before being taken down. Quarantillo looks to briefly attempt an Armbar, but Hobbs defends and gets on top, looking to work some gnarly looking elbows with Quarantillo pressed against the cage. Quarantillo gets back to his feet, but is tossed to the ground by Hobbs. Hobbs jumps to take his opponents back, but is too high, seeing him shucked off and pressed up against the cage and subsequently taken down. The round ends with both fighters clinched up against the cage throwing parting strikes.

RD2: Quarantillo lands a body kick to open the round. Hobbs responds with a hard combo, followed by a leg kick. Quarantillo responds in kind, with a series of leg kicks. Hobbs fires back with a three-punch combo. Hobbs then throws another series of punches that sees Quarantillo duck under and get a takedown, but Hobbs quickly reverses and gets on top in guard. He unleashes some ground and pound, but after a scramble, Quarantillo drops back for an Ankle Lock, Hobbs skillfully rolls with the submission and defends, weathers a brief choke attempt, then unleashes more hard punches and elbows. Quarantillo throws up a Triangle and works some elbows to the head of Hobbs, but Hobbs defends. Hobbs then makes Quarantillo pay with more punches and elbows. A scramble sees Quarantillo end up on top, then he looks to be going for a D’Arce choke. Hobbs defends, then gets on top and unleashes a hellacious barrage of punches and elbows to a visibly bloodied Quarantillo. Quarantillo kicks him off and looks to get up and pursue, the round ending with Quarantillo barely ducking under a hard right hand from Hobbs.

RD3: Quarantillo throws a body kick, and then Hobbs uncorks a barrage of hard punches to the face and kicks to the body of Quarantillo. Hobbs and Quarantillo exchange up against the cage, and Quarantillo ducks under a punch to get a takedown. With Hobbs pressed up against the cage, Quarantillo looks to work short punches and fish for a choke. Quarantillo then attempts a Rear Naked Choke, but Hobbs defends and gets on top. Quarantillo then throws up a Triangle, then moves to a Triangle/Armbar that seems to be what ultimately causes Hobbs to tap.

Results: Billy Quarantillo wins by Submission via Triangle at (2:13) in the 3rd round.

Check out the full fight on YouTube.

Thoughts: This fight was everything that a Main Event is supposed to be. It was entertaining, and showcased all facets of MMA. It’s nice to see that Billy Quarantillo took the fight against Terrell Hobbs, one of the more experienced Featherweight fighters in the region. Hobbs showcased the boxing and power that he has become known for over the years, while Quarantillo showed a ton of skill in being able to continually take Hobbs down, something not many have been able to do. While sweeps by Hobbs repeatedly saw Quarantillo end up on the bottom and on the receiving end of a lot of hard ground and pound, he was constantly throwing up submission attempts and keeping Hobbs on the defensive despite his favorable position. While it stinks to see Terrell Hobbs fall into a two-fight losing streak, I must say that it is a great feather in the cap of Quarantillo to have defeated such an experienced opponent this early in his career.

All in all, this was an absolutely great night of fights. Every fight was well matched, and very entertaining. I look forward to catching another great show at the next Glory Fights event!