Robert Simmons...new Kick Down professional Light Weight Champion

A standing room only crowd in Casper, Wyoming witnessed the crowning of several new champions on Saturday September 15, 2007. As the crowd rose to the feet throughout the night to applaud several of the local fighters it was the main event that left many fans puzzled with what had taken place when phenom Robert Simmons an 18 year old King of the Cage veteran kept his composure when Kick Down veteran Tim Ouimette charged him to open the round landing a solid knee and over hand that seemed to rock the young fighter. Then Ouimette was in the process of a take down when Simmons shifted his body and secured a slick arm bar resulting in referee Eric Heinz stepping in to stop the bout to attempt to minimize possible damage after the arm of Ouimette popped. It happened at such a fast pace that fans were not clear as to what exactly had happened. Simmons and his corners celebrated the :39 second victory of round one. Many have never heard of Robert Simmons. Still undefeated he now holds the professional Kick Down Light Weight MMA title. It is a near certainty than fans in the Rocky Mountain region will hear about Simmons in the near future. He has trained with Brett Shafer and others and has the maturity of a fighter well beyond his years. Simmons joins a list of Light Weight title holders in this specific weight class which include Noah Thomas, Luke Holdorf, and Vinnie Vigil.

In other action Bryant Craven fought a very game Jeremy Hernandez in a back and forth ground battle which resulted in a majority decision in favor of Craven. Both fighters fought their hearts out and it showed by their complete exhaustion at the sound of the bell ending the fight. Hernandez made his professional debut and he shows promise for the future with conditioning. Bryant Craven is scheduled to meet Eric Heinz for the Welter Weight title fight at Kick Down 42.

The under card featured fighters from Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah, representing fight teams from all parts of the rocky mountain region but it was Casper local Ken Scott who may have received the largest ovation when he secured a standing guillotine choke in the amateur heavy weight title bout over a fighter that had previously defeated Scott by the name of Chris Saucedo in the 1st round. Scott accepted the belt and confirmed he would immediately vacate his new title to move down to middle weight. Ken Scott won this fight by setting up the guillotine with hard strikes to the ribs of Chris Saucedo. The partisan Casper crowd rose to their feet when Saucedo tapped out just 1:20 of the first round. In a display of class and sportsmanship Saucedo paraded Ken Scott around the ring raising his hand as the champion as the fans continued to cheer.

Bud Lawson retained his Middle Weight amateur MMA title with a victory over challenger Frank Jaramillo with a Kimora at1:05 of round 1. Another Casper, Wyoming fighter and Kick Down veteran Shawn Ogle won a fast paced battle over Nick Tomlinson by way of rear naked choke. The two had battled it out previously in other tough man type events but this was a mixed martial arts contest for the amateur light heavy weight title. After numerous strikes from all angles by both fighters it was Ogle who managed to take Tomlinson down and there he worked for position and secured the rear naked choke to claim the title. Sean Nelson battled Jason Brenton for the feather weight title which was vacated by Tommy Thompson. Sean Nelson gave up what looked to be a considerable size advantage to Jason Brenton who continued to work through all submission attempts made by Nelson. In the second round Brenton started landing numerous strikes and referee Eric Heinz stepped in and stopped the bout giving Brenton the title and running his undefeated record to 7-0. Another local favorite Steve Gaylord lost his bout with Nathan Gates to rear naked choke but it was Gaylord that felt like he had won after all when he surprised the crowd and his girl friend with a marriage proposal in the ring which she accepted. On a night filled with quick finishes and electricity the 41st installment of the Denver, Colorado based Kick Down lived up to its reputation giving fighters an opportunity to start their careers in mixed martial arts. There were 9 new comers for the fans to watch and they did not disappoint.

Casper, Wyoming treated to fights in a cage at Kick Down 44

The Denver, Colorado based Kick Down fight promotion known for being one of the last in the region for staying loyal to the traditional boxing ring chose to try out a six sided cage for the first time in it's history and the fans witnessed a standing room only event and 12 exciting bouts, three title fights and the fight of the night where two 16 year old fighters literally stole the show with skill, presence of mind, athleticism, and sheer determination in an MMA bout that when concluded left the fans standing in awe with an ovation perhaps never seen at a Kick Down event. Blaze Schubert and Kelhin Roszel, both 16 years of age were cornered and trained by their fathers which added to the match between the two younger fighters. The fight went to a decision where both displayed excellent ground technique, work from the clinch, striking, and ability that some never attain in the sport much less at age 16. In the end Blaze Schubert won a unanimous decision and both fighters won the hearts of the fans and their families as they displayed everything a promoter and fan would want as a display of what the future in mixed martial arts will look like. At the conclusion of the bout both fighters were interviewed and both thanked God, their trainers, fans, family members, as the crowd stood and applauded a very touching moment when both commended one another and walked out of the cage leaving the Casper, Wyoming fans hungry for more which was exactly what they got.

Sean Ogle defeated Chris Saucedo to retain his Light Heavyweight title and Sebastian Puente remained unbeaten as he weathered a furious striking attack by Bud Lawson in the opening moments of round 1 to end the fight at 34 seconds of the 2nd round due to strikes. Puente reclaimed his Middle weight belt which he vacated to give others the opportunity to fight for it earlier this year. Ken Scott also of Casper, Wyoming was impressive in victory once again with his victory over the much larger Nick Tomlinson. Scott continues to improve winning his last 4 straight fights. Former amateur champ Nick Hoinstein made his pro debut and took Eric Allegria to to a majority decision victory in a back and forth battle. The main event ended before it actually got wound up when Brett Shafer verbally tapped out due to a problem with his shoulder after he took down Damond Clark. The fight ended at 1:34 of round 1 and Clark retains his professional heavyweight title.

Results

Damond Clark defeated Brett Shafer at 1:34 R1 by verbal tap out.

Nick Honstein defeated Eric Allegria by majority decision 20-18,20-18,Draw.

Sebastian Puente defeated Bud Lawson by referee stoppage due to strikes 0:34 R2.

Shaun Ogle defeated Chris Saucedo at :57 R1by tap out due to strikes.

Ken Scott defeated Nick Tomlinson by rear naked choke 1:59 R2.

Damian Blanco defeated Matt Clark at 2:07 R1 by Guillotine choke.

George Morgan defeated Marshall Smith:32 R1 by referee stoppage due to strikes.

Steven Smith defeated Cody Schaefer by rear naked choke 1:33 R1.

Sam Bedolla defeated Travis Andrews at by rear naked choke at 1:33 R1.

Blaze Schubert defeated Kelhin Roszel by unanimous decision 30-27 on all cards.

Nolan Collins defeated Sean Taggert at 2:05 R1 by referee stoppage due to strikes.

Lee Hardin defeated Venny Tijerina by referee stoppage due to strikes 2:39 R1.

Kick Down 43 – November 2, 2007

Submitted by:  Ann Dain, ColoradoFightEvents.com

Do you remember as a kid that at the back of the comic book there was a photo of a wrapped gift box surrounded by a halo of question marks?  This was the “surprise box” that you paid $4.95 for and were guaranteed a gift much greater than the price would indicate.  THAT is what Kick Down 43 was all about.  Steve Alley, the charismatic local Ring Announcer/Promoter, had some challenges leading up to Kick Down 43 when many of his scheduled fighters were determined ineligible due to injuries inflicted on them in other recent bouts.  It’s not that Steve had a lack of fighters to choose from – there are many eager fighters seeking a chance to be spotlighted in one of Steve’s Kick Downs – but, as the professional that he is,  Steve wanted to be sure to have his card consisted of well-matched fighters.  Many of the fighters on the card Friday night were either having their debut bouts or were at least unknown to the local fan base.  But, like the “surprise box” – the little-known fighters did not disappoint the assembled crowd.  Some of these names will surely become well-known in the local fight community after Friday night.

Maybe it was the Friday night time slot or maybe it was the intimacy of the Red Lion ballroom location but the crowds were more date-oriented, clean-cut – even the tattoos were more refined and draped in the hotel environment.  As Dan Magnie and I of ColoradoFightEvents had walked to the hotel entrance, there was a couple hurrying beside us on their cell phone calling their friends to see where they were – how far away were they – where did they  want to save seats.  There was a general buzz of excitement as arriving fans found their seats after getting a drink or checking out their cameras to be sure their batteries are fresh.  Again, like the “surprise box” – this crowd may have had their favorites but they were also open to the new face, the new match because they knew – Steve Alley would have a show that was sure to entertain and excite.

Kim Blanchard vs. Dia Csay

For her debut Muay Thai kick-boxing fight, Dia Csay had a huge fan support section that loudly greeted her introduction to the crowd.  Both girls started by trading well-placed kicks that were balanced by punches that connected with their  head cages.  The fighters made it through the first round with no apparent damage inflicted on either of them yet they had sized each other up to find the strengths and vulnerabilities of their respective opponent.  As the coaches discussed strategy with the girls in their corners, both appeared ready to re-engage.   As the fighters made it through the second round, Dia connected with more punches, more knees and more kicks in spite of being the rookie.  Dia’s “fan section” was sitting  to my left and they were on their feet throughout the entire round.  Neither girl seemed to have lost momentum as Round three began.  It was clear that these girls had trained very hard.  Dia did take a hard punch to the head but regained her footing  quickly.  The fight went all three rounds and the entire audience was on their feet cheering for the unflaggingly energy of these two girls.  The decision came down to the judges.  The win was given to Kim Blanchard by split decision.  In the post fight interview, Steve surmised that perhaps Kim’s repeated uppercuts might have been what gave her the upper hand when it came to the judges’ scoring decision.

Calvin Smedes vs. Geoff Brokx

This fight was to determine the Kick Down Muay Thai Kick-Boxing Lightweight Title belt that had previously been worn by the talented Jack Johnson.

Early in the first round, Brokx was knocked down by a from Smedes.  The referee brought both fighters to their feet and the fight began again.   For a second time just before the end of Round 1, Brokx hit the mat following a blow from Smedes.  At the beginning of Round 2, both fighters came out with more punches than kicks.  The first fighter to hit the mat was Smedes after eating one of Brokx’s hooks.  Although Smedes was bleeding from his nose, that seemed only to spur him on with greater determination.  At the start of Round 3, neither fighter showed signs of exhaustion.  The intensity of their blows were undiminished.  Brokx did connect with a punch that dropped Smedes to the mat and caused the referee to send Brokx to his corner for a moment until Smedes regained his footing.    At the very end of Round 3, Smedes was again on the receiving end of a blow that caused him to fall and while Brokx’s trainer lifted him in a victory strut around the ring, Smedes also lifted his arms in victory from his corner.  The win by unanimous judges’ decision was awarded to Geoff Brokx.  The belt was presented to him by former champion, Jack Johnson.  Steve predicted in the post fight interview that Brokx would be an excellent candidate for the Denver Fury WCL team.

Cameron Thurgood vs. Bryant Kelley

Both of our fighters were young – Kelley at 19 years and Thurgood at 22.  Kelley entered the auditorium to a haunting harpsichord instrumental.  We had seen him fight before and were eager to see him again.   Thurgood arrived at his corner with a wreath of leaves draping his neck.   As the fight began,  Kelley moved quickly against Thurgood, dropping him to the mat twice within a short period of time.    As Thurgood tried to capture Kelley in an arm bar, Kelley picked him up and dropped him twice to extract his limb.  Kelley also found himself in a triangle choke before the fighters were able to return to their feet.  The crowd was very involved in this fight and it was clear that they had clear opinions as to who they wanted to win.  As Round 2 began, neither fighter had diminished intensity.  Kelley was saved from a second triangle choke by the bell – barely.  I wasn’t sure how much longer he could have held on before tapping-out.  In Round 3, Kelley connected with several body upper cuts.  Both fighters ultimately fell to the mat but Thurgood maintained the dominant mounted position.    Once again, the decision came down to the judges who awarded the win by unanimous decision 30 – 27 to Thurgood. 

Mitchell Alexander vs. Alex Zuniga

Mitchell Alexander is 37 years old and had been trained by veteran coach and MMA Sensei, Tom Johnson.  As the fight began, Mitchell Alexander took Zuniga to the ground but Zuniga appeared to have trained for this eventuality and exhibited strong evasive moves.  Mitchell Alexander ultimately took the dominant mount position and rained blows on Zuniga until the referee pulled him off to prevent injury.  The fight was over due to strikes  1:16 into the first round.  Alexander won his first debut fight in the ring at an age where most fighters are stepping out of the ring.  In the post fight interview, Steve Alley referred to Alexander’s age and labeled him as “his hero” to which Alexander admitted that he was really 38 years old!  Alexander told the crowd that the most challenging element of his participation in fighting is the time he must take to train that takes him away from his family.

Michael Riggs vs. Doug Martinez

Riggs is 36 years old and 2” shorter than Martinez.   Perhaps it was the intimidation of Martinez’ heavily inked body or his air of confidence but the size difference seemed much more dramatic as they faced each other to tap gloves.  Shortly after the fight began, the referee called it over just 53 seconds into the first round after Martinez caught Riggs in a choke hold and Riggs expressed a verbal tap when he felt himself losing vision.  The TKO win was awarded to Doug  Martinez.

Matt Vigil vs. Danny Simpson

We knew “Dangerous” Danny Simpson as his photo had graced our photo album cover from a previous event held in Pueblo, Colorado.  We knew him to be an ambitious and ferocious fighter.   Vigil made a dramatic entrance to the ring by catapulting himself over the ropes.  Adam Davis from Red & Jerrys was sitting behind us and told me that Simpson is trained by one of the very best fight teams in Colorado.  As he was saying this, Simpson lifted and dropped Vigil onto the mat.  Although Simpson was in the bottom position, he was clearly confident in his ground game as he gave Vigil very little room to maneuver his fists or body.  Twice in the first round, referee Don Theus had to move the fighters away from the ropes.    Both fighters were unflagging as Round 2 began.  Although Vigil started in the dominant position, the pile became reversed as Simpson took a dominant mount over Vigil’s back and attempted to get his hooks in.  Both fighters were extremely strong and Round 2 finished with still no decided winner.    As Round 3 began, Simpson first resisted a takedown by Vigil and then controlled the takedown by flipping the pile to his advantage and taking again the dominant position over Vigil’s back.  Behind me I hear:  “Hook in Danny – Hook in”.   As Round 3 drew to a close, it seemed clear to me that although this decision would go to the judges, that it would be a Simpson win by unanimous decision – and so it was. 

Jason McQueen vs. Ben Hand

Ben Hand entered the ring looking very fit and ready.  Both Jason McQueen at 35 and Hand at 31 were at the older end of the competitive age spectrum.  Before entering the ring, McQueen bowed with deference to his trainer.  The crowd was intensely and loudly into this fight even before the bell announced the beginning of Round 1.  McQueen took an early dominant position as he lifted and dropped Hand.  Hand caught McQueen in an arm bar until McQueen was forced to tap-out a short 58 seconds into the first round. 

Nathan Gates vs. Anthony Werner

The undefeated Nathan Gates was defending his Kick Down Lightweight MMA title.   Werner came to the ring with 4-4 record and being 34 years old.  Don Theus was the referee for this bout.   As Gates got his head temporarily trapped, he picked up Werner and dropped him to release the hold.  Ultimately Gates caught Werner in a rear naked choke that caused Werner to tap-out 1:39 in Round 1 allowing Gates to retain his title and his belt.

Josh Kirby vs. Robert Martinez

Robert Martinez entered this contest with a record of 1 - 0.  Josh Kirby (with a record of 2 – 1) entered the auditorium in a skeleton Halloween costume with full skull hood.  He unzipped the suit to reveal a heavily tattooed chest while Martinez stood facing his ring corner to ignore the psych being attempted by his opponent.   Martinez started out very strong; connecting with both blows and kicks.  Martinez caught Kirby with an elbow and several uppercuts that drove him to the ground where Martinez continued to drop blows onto Kirby’s head.  Almost immediately, the referee pulled Martinez off the fallen Kirby.  The doctor came into the ring to check on Kirby but the fight was declared over as the win was awarded to Martinez by TKO only 39 seconds into the first round.   In the post fight interview, Steve told Martinez how pleased he was to have him as a contestant at Kick Down 43.  Martinez said that whoever he is set up with next, he is already looking forward to the match.

Patrick Wycoff vs. Prentice Ingram

Prentice Ingram was introduced into the ring first and it seemed that I was sitting in the middle of the Ingram fan club!  Some fans sitting right in front of me that had been watching me tap away on my laptop, turned around to be sure I knew their strong preference was for Ingram.  He was undefeated at 1 – 0 but had the demeanor of a more experienced fighter as he leapt over the ropes to enter the ring – nothing but air!  Patrick Wycoff was then introduced to the crowd along with the announcement of his affiliation with the Fire Mountain Fire Fighters.  The introduction set off loud cheers from his fan base. The best way to describe Ingram’s style is to say that he had movements that reminded me of the Energizer bunny.  His body action was staccato and when he did fall to the mat, he popped up like he was on springs.   Around me his fans were yelling to Ingram “elbow” “elbow” “elbow” to which he responded as though he could hear them.  Just as Wycoff pulled Ingram on top of him, Ingram wrapped his legs around Wycoff’s head and shoulders, proceeding to submit him by arm bar until he was forced to tap-out 2:07 into Round 1.  Steve announced that Ingram had earned a title bout with Nathan Gates.  Sign me up to be front and center for that match!!

Sergio Salinas vs. Ian Berg

The final fight of the night – the Main Event – was a match-up between two undefeated 3 – 0 combatants.   Berg came into this fight two inches shorter than Salinas and at 28 years old, 7 years older, but he appeared incredibly fit without an ounce of visible body fat.  Salinas entered the auditorium to music that hushed the audience as it started softly but built to a beat to announce his presence in the ring.  The fighters sized each other up until Berg stepped forward and with three left hooks, flattened and knocked-out Salinas in 28 “don’t blink” seconds into Round 1.    

In the post fight interview, Steve indicated that Ian “Ice” Berg is ready for a title fight.  Berg was quiet and soft-spoken in accepting his congratulations.  This is a fighter to watch!

Steve announced that Kick Down 44 will be rockin’ in Casper, WY on Saturday night November 17^th and the final Kick Down for 2007, Kick Down 45, will be held at Fat City on December 2^nd.  More will certainly follow back at the Red Lion Hotel in 2008.

Getting back for a moment to the treats that were featured at the back of comic books – I always yearned for a miniature monkey or a teacup poodle (how did they ship those??) but now that I have a flavor of the thrill of the “surprise box” – I’m all for the element of the exciting unknown!  Steve Alley again put on an incredible card of fighters that were well-matched and generated huge excitement among the growing local population of MMA fans!

Kick Down 42: Fall Out

Eric Heinz takes controversial loss.

Bryant Craven new Kick Down professional Welter Weight Champ.

Denver, Colorado

In front of a partisan crowd which cheered loudly for Eric Heinz, it was Bryant Craven the challenger that captured the title at Kick Down 42. Not without controversy. Craven threw what is alleged to be 2 knees to the head of a downed Eric Heinz. The bout was paused and Heinz was given the compliment of time (Five Minutes) to recover from what appeared to be knees to the head while in a four point stance. After the allotted time had elapsed the two were engaged once again and Heinz looked  out of sorts. Both fighters exchanged and it was Craven who worked his way out of several attempts by Heinz to pass guard until he sunk in a triangle choke. The large contingent of Eric Heinz followers were shocked at the outcome as were most everyone polled prior to the fight that felt Eric Heinz would easily win the bout. It was the first fight for Eric Heinz since February 2007. He had not tasted defeat in over 2 years. The Bryant Craven faithful could be heard in attendance and a large sign held up by his mother which read; "Shock the World" was moving up and down as they jumped for joy with the outcome.

A strange evening where there were two bouts that ended in 9 seconds, a kick boxing bout that saw Lavita Given winning until asthma set in and she stopped giving her opponent Melissa Secrease the victory. Vernon Garner who fought Joe Salley in the first MMA bout on the card took a left hook and went down, separated his shoulder and tapped out. In the other 9 second fight new comer Daniel Douglass KOed Mark Korzionowski after getting a flash knock down and then pouncing on Korzionowski where he finished the fight. A 10 fight card that saw two new champions crowned which included Nathan Gates capturing the men's Light Weight title with a rear naked choke victory over Nick Waters. The Feather Weight champion Jason Brenton fought off a game Willy Baisley. He retains his title by virtue of strikes landed and the corner of the challenger throwing in the towel just as the referee was stopping the bout. Joey Welch defeated Pete Vandervort by literal suffocation in a body type triangle. It was Vandervort that ended his fight career with the loss but walked out of the ring after being honored as the first Kick Down fighter to be inducted into their "Hall of Fame". He received a large ovation from the crowd many of which had never seen him fight due to the fact that he started in 2002. 17 fights in the Kick Down for Vandervort who helped create one of the better light weight divisions in the amateur and professional ranks in the region. The ceremony unveiled a banner which will be flown at every Kick Down and a plaque which highlighted the 17 bouts Pete fought for in the promotion. Vandervort captured the amateur title at Kick Down 12 "Sturgis" in 2004 and fought for the professional Feather weight title in 2007.

Results:

Melissa Secrease defeated Lavita Given by TKO:59 R3

Brian Montoya defeated David Vilanova by TKO 1:30 R2

Vernon Garner defeated Joe Salley by TKO :09 R1

Joe Kaderli defeated Lawrence Gaytan by KO 1:59 R1

Jason Brenton defeated Willy Baisley by TKO 1:04 R2 Jason Brenton retains his Kick Down am. Feather Weight MMA Title.

Steven Crosby defeated Jacob Thompson by Guillotine choke 2:18 R1

Nathan Gates defetaed Nick Waters by Rear Naked Choke 1:45 R1 Nathan Gates new Kick Down Light Weight am MMA champion.

Joey Welch defeated Pete Vandervort by body lock1;04 R1

Daniel Douglass defeated Mark Korzionowski by KO 0:9 R1

Bryant Craven defeated Eric Heinz by Tri-Angle choke1:04 R2. Bryant Craven new professional Welter Weight champion.