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: Total Combat
November 2, 2007, Red Lion Hotel, Denver, Colorado
Welcome back to the Crusher's corner fight fans. Denver based fight promoter Steve Alley and Alley fight Productions produced the forty-third installment of the Kick Down fight show at the Red Lion Hotel November 2, 2007, in Denver, Colorado.
The event promoter took a bit of a risk in this show by having over 70% of the fighters on the card making their fight and/or Kick Down debut. With unknown talent and untested combatants comprising the majority of the show the risk was substantial. However, as is with most risk, the potential pay off was substantial as well. And pay off it did...with the "sleeper" fight show of the year.
This writer has long been a believer that some of the best fights come from fighters looking to make a name for themselves in their initial foray into competition combative athletics; and that was definitely born out on this night. The evening had something for everyone: A female Muay Thai bout, a men's Muay Thai title bout, Quick finishes, slick submissions, KO's and TKO's, as well as majority and split decisions from the judges.
Those in attendance got to witness the start of what will almost certainly be some stellar careers. Without a doubt there were champions in the making showcasing their talent(s) this night. Below are the results, and be sure to check the event calendar on the site for upcoming events.
Below are the results from the show:
Ian Berg def. Sergio Salinas - Rd 1 (:22) - KO
Prentice Ingram def. Patrick Wycoff - Rd 1 (2:07) Armbar
Robert Martinez def. Josh Kirby - Rd 1 (:39) - TKO - Due to Strikes
Nathan Gates def. Anthony Werner - Rd 1 (1:39) - Rear Naked Choke -MMA Kick Down Light Weight am MMA Title
Ben Hand def. Jason McQueen - Rd 1 (:58) - Armbar
Danny Simpson def. Matt Vigil - Rd 3 (3:00) - Unanimous Decision
Douglas Martinez def. Michael Riggs - Rd 1 (:53) - TKO - Fighter couldn't continue
Mitchell Alexander def. Alex Zuniga - Rd 1 (1:16) - TKO - Due to Strikes
Cameron Thurgood def. Bryant Kelley - Rd 3 (3:00) - Unanimous Decision
Geoff Brokx def. Calvin Smedes - Rd 3 (2:00) - Unanimous Decision - Kick Down Light Weight Modified Muay Thai Title
Kim Blanchard def. Dia Csay - Rd 3 (2:00) - Split Decision - Modified Muay Thai Kick Boxing
Best in Health and Training, J. R. "Crusher" Gordon
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 17th and the final Kick Down for 2007, Kick Down 45, will be held at Fat City on December 2nd. 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.
Kick Down 40: Thunderstorm
Damond Clark still on a roll...........retains title by KO
The reigning Kick Down heavy weight professional MMA champion Damond Clark secured another KO on Saturday night in Casper, Wyoming in front of his home crowd. A near capacity crowd witnessed what many Kick Down spectators have seen over the past 9 months. Another knock out victory for the champion in the 1st round. Damond Clark appears to be improving with every fight and his solid leg kicks and punch combinations have set the table for some highlight reel knock outs. Brian Cristina was granted his wish for an immediate re-match for the title and Damond Clark obliged the request. In their first outing Clark KOed Cristina in less than 15 seconds. Some might have thought it was a premature stoppage. For those that witnessed the fight Saturday evening in the cowboy state of Wyoming there can be no mistake and certainly no question about the effective striking clinic displayed by Damond Clark in his 1st title defense. For the second time in as many months Clark secures the KO over challenger Brian Cristina.
In other action Nick Honstein avenged a prior submission grappling loss at the hands of the challenger Blaze Schubert this time they fought for the Kick Down amatuer Bantom Weight MMA title. Schubert walked into the ring the youngest in the history to compete in MMA in the promotion and his skills were evident as his father (also his trainer and corner man) belted out instructions while Schubert worked for several submission attempts from the guard but he turned the wrong way and "Quick" Nick Honstein capitolized on the mistake and secured his 8th victory in the process. In his post fight interview Honstein gave props to the skill level and talent displayed by Blaze Schubert and the fans displayed their approval with a huge ovation for the young fighter.
Ken Scott wowed the crowd with standing strikes to the ribs of his opponent Ali Hanjani which was a back and forth war which appeared to be close. With approximately 20 seconds remaining in round two it was Ken Scott who landed several strikes to the ribs of Hanjani while standing and in a partial clinch. When the bell sounded to start the third and final round Hanjani could not answer giving Scott the victory.
There were two women's bouts on the fight card which included one International Rules kick boxing bout between Shantel Wilson and Audrey Jaeger. Both opened the round exchanging numerous punches but it was Wilson who set up a flurry with seconds left in round 1 and dazed Jaeger to secure the TKO victory. Louise Johnson faced Kari Brafford in the only women's MMA bout of the evening and pounded out a convincing victory with effective strikes to her opponent resulting in a first round victory. Long time journey man fighter Brett Shafer made his first appearance in the Kick Down fight promotion after close to a two year layoff and got a quick victory over Gary Borum who tapped out due to strikes at :42 of the first round. Another solid fight card which saw 14 newcomers to the promotion and history in the Kick Down when Krav Maga expert and former fighter Lynn Rice made history by being the first woman ever to referee a mixed martial arts bout which resulted in a referee stoppage which was timed perfectly upon review of the screens during replay. She stopped the bout between Steve Pohlman and Anthony Werner by virtue of the strikes being inflicted by Werner in round 1 giving Werner the victory. All in all another great evening where fans in Wyoming saw the Kick Down in their state for the 5th time and the conclusion of the 40th installment overall.
Quick Results:
Damond Clark defeated Brian Cristina by KO R1 to retain his
Kick Down Heavy Weight MMA Title
Brett Shafer
defeated Garum Borum at :42 R! by tap out due to
strikes.
Chris Saucedo defeated
Tom Bingel R1
Louise Johnson defeated
Kari Brafford by referee stoppage due to strikes R1
Collin McCloud defeated
George Morgan by referee stoppage R2
Ken Scott
defeated Ali Hanjani. Hanjani unable to
answer bell to start R3
Nick Honstein defeated
Blaze Schubert R1 by submission to retain his
Kick Down Bantom Weight MMA Title
Shantel Wilson defeated
Audrey Jaeger by TKO R1
Frank Morris defeated
Joe Salley R1
George Avery defeated
Sean Taggert R1
Ender Chadwick defeated Josh Carvahlo R1
Anthony Werner defeated Steve Pohlman by ref.
stoppage R1.
Budweiser Event Center, Loveland, Colorado.
Saturday, May 12, 2007.
The Denver, Colorado based fight promotion, Kick Down changed venues for an evening and instead of the fights taking place within the city of Denver they were viewed at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland Colorado. With nary a bad seat in the house, replays on 4 big screen televisions, and special guest Rodrigo Gracie in attendance (and cornering some of the bouts) the fans were treated to another great night of fights that were capped off with a world amateur title being contested in the main event of the show.
Rodrigo Gracie was in town to give a seminar for the Loveland based MMA school, "Infinite Mixed Martial Arts," which is a Gracie affiliate school. During the show, school owner, head instructor, trainer, cornerman, referee and fight judge Adam Martinez received his purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Rodrigo Gracie. Mr. Martinez has been a student of Gracie JJ for 12 years DIRECTLY under Royce Gracie. The purple belt directly from a Gracie family member is a major step that holds a very special meaning to a student/instructor in GJJ. Royce Gracie is preparing to fight Sakuraba and wanted to be there himself to promote Adam as the promotion was somewhat special. Adam was slapped hard on the back with the belt right outside the ring and received the purple belt from Rodrigo. The purple belt directly under the Gracie family is some times known as one of the most difficult promotions in to attain. Congratulations to Mr. Martinez on this milestone achievement. Now...on to the action.
Bout one: Matt Vigil Vs Henry Schmitz. Schmitz got the early takedown and used it to set up Ground-and-Pound (GNP) before working his way to full back control and trying to sink a Rear-Naked-Choke (RNC). Vigil defended both the strikes and the submission and after scrambling to standing each fighter landed good punches and Vigil scored with a strong series of knees to the body as the round ended. Round two started with Vigil landing a strong series of knees that Schmitz answered with punches. Vigil initiated the takedown from the clinch, but it was Schmitz that landed with the better position, and he used it to set up back control. Again, at the end of the round it was Schmitz throwing punches from back control trying to set up a RNC, and again Vigil defended and the bell sounded to end the second round. When it was time to come out for round three Schmitz was unable to answer the bell and it was Vigil that took the TKO victory at 3:00 of round two.
Bout two: Chris Henderek Vs Anthony Werner. Werner looked to use his striking early, but Henderek was able to close the distance, clinch and try for a standing guillotine. Werner defended, escaped and then tried to set in a standing guillotine choke of his own. The fighters fell to the canvas and Henderek took back control and worked between GNP and RNC attempts. The bout was momentarily stopped to check a cut on the back of the head of Werner. The Dr. gave his OK for the bout to continue and from back control Henderek again worked for the RNC before transitioning to an armbar joint lock with 10 seconds left in the round. Werner defended the submission and landed a few good punches to end round one. Henderek immediately clinched and got the takedown at the start of round two and when Werner rolled face down to avoid strikes Henderek closed off the choke. At :52 of round two Henderek was declared the winner by RNC submission.
Bout three: Michael Garcia Vs Ian Stonehouse for the Kick Down, Jr. Lightweight amateur MMA title. After a brief standing exchange of punches Garcia got the takedown and worked his GNP attack. Stonehouse was patient from the bottom and looked to set in a triangle choke. Garcia was able to defend the choke initially, but Stonehouse stayed committed to the submission and he got it sunk in for the win at 1:53 of round one. Stonehouse retains his Kick Down, Jr. Lightweight amateur MMA title.
Bout four: Chris Lippoldt Vs Nick Honstein for the Kick Down Bantamweight amateur MMA title. After Lippoldt missed with a spinning kick Honstein closed in and got a takedown. Lippoldt transitioned well from one submission attempt to another and Honstein had to slam his way out of one armbar attempt, and wait for the bell to sound ending the round to get out of another. Round two started with Lippoldt trying to pull guard from standing, but Honstein controlled the takedown, got mount and when Lippoldt rolled face down to avoid GNP Honstein sunk in the RNC for the win at :24 of round two. Honstein is now the Kick Down Bantamweight amateur MMA title holder.
Bout five: Joey Banks Vs Joe Salley. Both combatants worked well in the opening round with strikes as well as scrambling for position while on the ground. Off of the clinch Banks took Salley's back while standing and he was able to pull him to the ground. Round one ended with Banks working between GNP and RNC attempts. Round two started off promising with action both standing and on the ground until the fighters had to be separated and a point was deducted from Salley for landing an illegal knee strike to the face of Banks. The rest of the round played out with Salley able to get the takedowns, but Banks being able to reverse and bring the fight back to standing. Round three had Banks landing the better strikes early, and briefly working a head and arm triangle choke on the ground, but the referee stood the fighters and when the standing striking continued Salley dropped Banks with 10 seconds left and followed him to the mat for GNP until the bout ended. The judges gave their scores and Banks was the winner by unanimous decision.
Bout six: Brendon O'Dell Vs Kyle Johnson for the Kick Down amateur Welterweight MMA title. After both fighters probed the distance with jabs it was Johnson that landed an overhand right that dropped O'Dell. O'Dell recovered quickly, showed an active guard and Johnson elected to let him stand. Both fighters were active and accurate with strikes in the clinch and Johnson finished off a combination with a hip-toss takedown. The referee stood the fighters and O'Dell landed good foot stomps while clinched in the corner, and he followed them with a punch that staggered O'Dell. After O'Dell got a takedown both fighters scrambled to their feet and Johnson landed a flush hook that dropped O'Dell. He followed him to the mat and threw 1-2 more punches to seal the victory. At 2:58 of one Johnson got the Kick Down amateur Welterweight MMA title with a KO victory.
Bout seven: Louise Johnson Vs Angela Samaro. Both fighters were aggressive with their strikes from the beginning. Each was able to land accurate and hard punch/kick combinations from the outside and good knees while in the clinch. A battle for a takedown ensued and off of the clinch Samaro set in a standing guillotine choke while. Johnson defended the choke well and Samaro had to take the fight to the ground to try to close off the choke. On the mat Samaro had the choke in tight, but still Johnson refused to submit. At 2:58 of round the referee stepped in and called a stop to the bout when Johnson lost consciousness from the Guillotine and Samaro got the win in her debut bout.
Bout eight: Sebastian Puente Vs Shaun Ogle for the Kick Down Middleweight amateur MMA title. Ogle had the upper hand early while using his height advantage to set up good punch/kick combinations. Puente clinched and both fighters threw good knee strikes while inside with Puente landing a solid hook while stepping out. After a scramble for position while standing Puente got a takedown and took full mount. From there Puente worked GNP as well as trying to get in a RNC. From the top Puente transitioned to an armbar, but Ogle defended it until round one ended. When round two was to begin Ogle signaled that he was unable to continue due to an arm injury sustained from Puente's armbar attempt at the end of the first round. Puente retained the Kick Down Middleweight amateur MMA title at 3:00 of round one.
Bout nine: Tommy Thompson Vs Josh Huber for the Kick Down Featherweight amateur MMA title. Thompson got a takedown off of ducking a punch and after some GNP and passing to half-guard he set up an attempted toehold, then switched to an Achilles' lock. Huber defended the foot locks and after both fighters scrambled to standing Thompson again got a takedown and again worked for a foot lock that was defended by Huber until round one ended. Round two saw Thompson getting the quick takedown and transitioning from side control to full mount. From the top Thompson spun for an armbar and when Huber defended it Thompson switched to a triangle choke. At 1:11 of round two Thompson got the submission and he became the new Kick Down Featherweight amateur MMA title holder.
Bout ten: Tom Johnson Vs Eric Allegria in the first professional MMA bout of the night, 2X5 minute rounds. Johnson worked kicks early and he landed a head kick after he defended the takedown attempt of Allegria. Johnson dropped Allegria with a knee to the head (legal in professional fights) and after 1-2 follow up punches on the ground the referee stopped the bout and Johnson got his first professional win at 1:16 of round one.
Colby Snyder Vs Jeff Barney, professional MMA, 2X5 minute rounds. Both fighters came out striking and off of the clinch Snyder got a takedown and Barney immediately began threatening with submission attempts set up with his rubber guard. Snyder slammed his way out of the guard and in the ensuing scramble he pulled guard to finish off a deep set guillotine. Barney escaped the choke and from the top he worked some GNP of his own. Snyder tried to set up a few submissions and when neither fighter was able to improve their position they were stood by the referee. Both fighters were again aggressive with their striking and Snyder got a takedown and landed a solid elbow strike to end round one. Round two had a back and forth exchange of strikes before the fighters squared off, stood toe-to-toe and threw strikes from the outside before clinching. When they separated Snyder landed a series of punches that dazed Barney. After landing a strong push kick Snyder got the takedown and worked between trying to land some GNP and pass the guard. Barney missed with an attempted sweep and Snyder landed a prolonged series of elbow strikes to the head and ribs of Barney. Snyder continued with GNP and Barney with escape attempts until the fight ended. The majority decision gave the win to Snyder.
Bout 11: Brian Cristina Vs Tony Kelley, professional MMA, 2X5 minute rounds. Both fighters came out striking with Kelley using leg kicks to set up strong punches. Cristina clinched and both fighters went to the mat with Cristina trying to set up a guillotine choke. Kelley escaped the choke, stood and let Cristina stand as well. The fighters clinched again and once more Cristina set in a guillotine choke. This time he got full guard and at 1:19 of round one Kelley tapped out and Cristina got the win.
Bout 12: Chris Camozzi Vs Spencer Hooker for the Kick Down Light heavyweight professional MMA title, 3X5 minute rounds. Hooker used strikes to close in for the clinch, then get the takedown. On the mat Hooker quickly took full mount, but was reversed by Camozzi. Camozzi worked some GNP before Hooker tried to set in a Kimura shoulder lock from the bottom. The submission missed, but Hooker used it to set up a sweep. Both fighters threw strong strikes until round one ended. Round two had clinch action with knee strikes early on. Hooker then got the takedown and grabbed the leg of Camozzi wanting to get a heel-hook. Camozzi defended the lock and both fighters stood. Hooker again got the takedown and Camozzi defended the GNP attack and tried to set up some submissions. Hooker once more went for a foot lock and Camozzi defended, then landed an illegal up kick to Hooker who was still down. Camozzi was warned, Hooker was given time to recover and with ten seconds left Camozzi got a takedown and worked GNP until round two ended. Round three had the combatants initially exchanging strikes from the outside before Camozzi trapped a kick and used it for a takedown. The ground action saw several scrambles for position as well as submission attempts. Camozzi created enough distance to scramble into half-mount and work GNP until the bell ended the fight. Camozzi got the win with a split decision and he is now the new Kick Down Light heavyweight professional MMA title holder.
Bout 13. Jack Johnson Vs Darren Snell in the Main Event for the amateur ISKA light Middle Weight modified Muay Thai world title, 5X2 minute rounds. Both fighters came out throwing hard kick with the occasional punch mixed in. Early in the round Johnson let loose with a hard flurry of punches to the head of Snell. He ended the combination with landing a hard body kick. Johnson backed off for just a moment, then sensing that Snell was hurt he closed in and flurried with punches again. Johnson landed a solid right hook that knocked Snell down and out. At the 1:23 mark of round one Johnson became the World Champion for the ISKA amateur Modified Muay Thai division.
The Kick Down congratulates Jack Johnson on attaining the World title. It is truly inspiring to see one of our own from Colorado reach the pinnacle in the sport.
Best in Health and Training, J. R. "Crusher" Gordon.
CAMOZZI & JOHNSON GO LIGHTS OUT AT KICK DOWN
MMAWeekly.com
by Ken Pishna
LOVELAND, COLO. – Before a sparse crowd at the 6500-seat Budweiser Event
Center in Loveland, Colo., Gumm Mixed Martial Arts fighter Chris Camozzi
defeated Spencer Hooker in the MMA main event, while Jack Johnson lit up
his opponent and the crowd for the ISKA World Modified Muay Thai belt.
Fighting for the Kick Down Professional Light Heavyweight MMA
Championship, Camozzi consistently controlled the action in his fight
with Hooker. Beating him out on the feet and being very aggressive from
his back on the ground, Camozzi proved his mettle, going the distance to
pound out a unanimous decision victory. The win earned him the belt and
bumped his professional record up to 3-0.
In the final bout of the evening, a modified Muay Thai kickboxing bout,
popular local icon Jack Johnson secured the ISKA Light Welterweight
World Title. Facing a very tough import from Canada, Darren Snell. A
decorated athlete in his own right, Snell was overwhelmed early by the
sheer power in Johnson’s hands. Johnson unleashed a brutal barrage that
left Snell on the canvas just one-minute and twenty-three seconds into
the first round. Snell did not get back up and Johnson walked away with
his first world title.
There were several exciting bouts on the card with World Combat League
veteran Colby Snyder looking brutally effective in his two-round
pounding of veteran fighter Jeff Barney.
KICK DOWN 37: LIGHTS OUT
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Budweiser Event Center
Loveland, Colorado
AMATEUR MMA (3 Rounds x 3 Minutes)
Matt Vigil def. Henry Schmitz by TKO (Unable to answer bell) at 3:00, R2
Chris Henderek def. Anthony Werner by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at
0:57, R2
Ian Stonehouse def. Michael Garcia by Submission (Triangle Choke) at
1:53, R1
Nick Honstein def. Clint Lippoldt by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at
0:24, R2
Joey Banks def. Joe Salley by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3), R3
Kyle Johnson def. Brendon O’Dell by KO at 2:58, R1
Angela Samaro def. Louise Johnson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at
2:58, R1
Sebastion Puente def. Shaun Ogle by TKO (Unable to answer bell) at 3:00,
R1
Tommy Thompson def. Josh Huber by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:11,
R2
PROFESSIONAL MMA (2 Rounds X 5 Minutes)
Tom Johnson def. Eric Allegria by TKO (Strikes) at 1:16, R1
Colby Snyder def. Jeff Barney by Majority Decision (20-18 x2, 19-19), R2
Brian Cristina def. Tony Kelley by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at
1:19, R1
Chris Camozzi def. Spencer Hooker by Split Decision (30-29, 29-28,
28-29), R3
AMATEUR KICKBOXING (5 Rounds x 2 Minutes)
ISKA Light Welterweight Modified Muay Thai World Title
Jack Johnson def. Darren Snell by KO at 1:23, R1
HOLDORF RETAINS
KICKDOWN CROWN
MMAWeekly.com
Another exciting night of fights played
out in Denver for Kickdown 35 “Friday Night Fights” on March 2, 2007 at
the Red Lion Hotel. The night started off smoothly and fights ended
quickly as not a one went to the judges for a decision.
The main event of the night saw local favorite Colby Snyder go up
against Danny Wilson. Both fighters tried the standup game in this one
with kicks and punches being thrown, but it ended on the ground with
Colby on top and the fight being called in the first round at 1:41 from
referee stoppage due to strikes.
Current Kick Down Professional Lightweight title holder, Luke Holdorf,
defended his belt against Billy Walters, showing some impressive
defensive skills as he managed to maneuver out of an armbar. Fortunately
for Holdorf and his title, he turned it around on Walters and ended the
fight with a rear naked choke at 1:36 in the first round.
Another local fan favorite Tom Johnson debuted with his first
professional MMA fight against Chris Cisneros giving the fans a good
showing of ground skills as they rolled for most of the two rounds.
Johnson had control of the first round with ease, but Cisneros quickly
came in and took control in the second ending the fight at 1:06 with a
rear naked choke.
Another highlights was a title fight between Eric Fagyas and Manual
Gallardo with Fagyas coming out throwing punches and taking down
Gallardo. Fagyas then successfully sank in a rear naked choke in only
1:14 of the first round making him the new Kickdown Lightweight MMA
Amateur Champion.
At the end of the night, the fights were fought, the beer was downed,
and the fans were entertained. Now that’s Friday Night Fights.
RESULTS:
Colby Snyder def. Danny Wilson by TKO (Strikes) at 1:41, Round 1
Luke Holdorf def. Billy Walters by Rear Naked Choke at 1:36, Round 1
Chris Camozzi def. Gary Borum by TKO (Strikes) at 3:19, Round 1
Chris Cisneros def. Tom Johnson by Rear Naked Choke at 1:06, Round 2
Eric Fagyas def. Manual Gallardo by Rear Naked Choke at 1:14, Round 1
Shaun Ogle def. Keith Allen Green by TKO (Strikes) at 0:28, Round 1
Joey Banks def. Cameron Thurgood by TKO (Strikes) 0:55, Round 1
Matt Swortwood def. Ryan Blair by TKO (Couldn't answer bell) at 3:00,
Round 2
Anthony Sanchez Jr. def. Tyler Hall by TKO (Strikes) at 1:10, Round 2
Ender Chadwick def. Ben Shattuck by Rear Naked Choke at 2:27, Round 1
Kevin Carter def. Anthony Werner by Guillotine Choke at 1:35, Round 1
Henry Schmitz def. Patrick Jiner by TKO (Strikes) at 2:41, Round 2
HOLDORF TAKES TITLE AT KICK DOWN
By Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com
Denver, Colo. – Braving temperatures that started out
in the lower teens and dropped to single digits by the time the
fights were over, a standing room only crowd filled the Red Lion
Hotel in Denver, Colo. Saturday night to witness the a superb night
of fights at local stalwart the Kick Down.
In the main event, Luke Holdorf of Aurora, Colo.’s House of Martial
Arts, improved his professional record to 6-1 and took the
Lightweight Championship from The Pit’s Preston Scharf in a mere 43
seconds. Showing himself to be somewhat of a submission wizard,
Holdorf traded strikes with Scharf for a few moments before he
secured a guillotine choke as he was lifted into the air and held on
for the tap out as the fight hit the mat. If Holdorf can round out
his striking game, he could be a legitimate national contender,
especially if he could drop down to the 145-pound class.
A longtime staple of the Kick Down, Colby Snyder put on a textbook,
if brief, clinic on how to dismantle your opponent. In 32 seconds,
Snyder managed to lift Jason Drake over his head and slam him to the
mat, punish him with knees in a Thai clinch, then drop him with a
left hook and finish him off with a ground and pound flurry.
Advancing his record to 3-1, Snyder is a guy that, if he continues
to improve at his current pace, will be emerging on the national
scene very soon.
Could it be any faster? Not by much. Kamalu Keave captured the Light
Heavyweight Amateur title by dropping Frankie McIvery with one punch
as they met in the center of the ring. Keave followed him down with
a short flurry to punctuate the record-setting 8-second knockout.
In the first ever women’s mixed martial arts fight on the Kick Down,
Louise Johnson dominated throughout the fight, gaining full mount in
all three rounds and dropping punches, hammer fists and forearms
down on Lacey Whitlatch, who did an admirable job defending the
blows, but couldn’t seem to escape the position. After two solid
rounds of full mount striking and a carbon-copy beginning to the
third, referee Curtis Thrasher had seen enough and called a halt to
the punishment 30 seconds into the round. Johnson had a tremendous
amount of support from the crowd, which included many of her
military buddies; she is part of the Army’s Special Forces.
In defense of his Lightweight Amateur Championship, Lannon Quintana
had to go all three rounds with Josh Huber. The two warriors rocked
each other several times, Quintana nearly knocking Huber out at one
point, but Huber also gaining a near submission with a tight
triangle choke.
But before the shine could even where off his victory, Quintana took
to the mic and announced that, “As of tonight, I am vacating this
title… If I never fight again, I’ll still be happy.” With that, he
left the ring.
Isaac Colon of Kongo Do Dojo in Colorado Springs, Colo. fought the
proverbial war with Ryan Scollard to capture the first ever Kick
Down Jr. Featherweight Amateur Championship. The two traded heavy
hands, which Colon had the edge on, and several near submissions for
two rounds, before Colon locked on a rear naked choke early in the
third round for the win.
MMA (PROFESSIONAL)
LIGHTWEIGHT PRO CHAMPIONSHIP:
Luke Holdorf def. Preston Scharf by Guillotine Choke at 0:43, Round
1
Brian Cristina def. Gary Borum by TKO (Strikes) at 1:57, Round 1
Colby Snyder def. Jason Dake by TKO (Strikes) at 0:32, Round 1
Pete Vandervort def. Joey Welch by Armbar at 1:22, Round 1
MMA (AMATEUR)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Kamalu Keave def. Frankie McIvery by KO at 0:08, Round 1
Rustin Hughes def. Matt Vigil by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
30-27)
Louise Johnson def. Lacey Whitlatch by TKO (Strikes) at 0:30, Round
3
Anthony Sanchez Jr. def. Frank Jaramillo by Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Santana Sol Martinez def. Mario Lane by TKO (Strikes) at 2:31, Round
3
FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Lannon Quintana def. Josh Huber by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
30-27)
Clint Lippoldt def. Joey Banks by Triangle Choke at 1:31, Round 2
JR. FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Isaac Colon def. Ryan Scollard by Rear Naked Choke at 0:42, Round 3
Michael Garcia def. Anthony Werner by Guillotine Choke at 1:30,
Round 1
Kick Down 34
Date: February 10, 2007
Venue: Fair Grounds Industrial Building
Casper, Wyoming
Ticket Information:
1st Row..........................$35.00
2nd
Row............................$30.003rd,4th, 5th Row..........................$25.00
Gen. Admission..........................................$20.00
Online:
http://www.martialartsradio.com
For Tickets Call:
720.422.5154 or (303) 692-4865We accept
Visa and Master Card (internet or phone only).(Tickets also available at the door.)
By J. R. "Crusher" Gordon, lead writer MartialArtsRadio.com
December 16, 2006, saw close to one thousand fans make their way to the Fairgrounds Industrial building in Casper, Wyoming for the Second Kick Down fight show in as many months. The fans were treated to a night of action packed bouts that saw fight debuts, professional debuts and local talent making a strong showing and winning some of the bouts.
Bout one: Sean Claffey Vs Colby Snyder. Both fighters came out with low kicks and Claffey trapped a Snyder kick for a takedown. Snyder however landed in side control and quickly transitioned to full mount. From the dominant position Snyder started a strong Ground and Pound (GNP) attack of elbow strikes to the head of Claffey. The referee stepped in to check a cut on the head of Claffey sustained as a result of the strikes from Snyder and at 1:52 of round one Snyder got the win when the ringside physician determined the cut warranted a fight stoppage.
Up next was to have been a bout between Trevor Reed and Rex Payne. Reed however did not show for the event and did not call the promoter with an explanation for his absence. Next on the fight card Bud Lawson was scheduled to take on Jamie Lopez. Lopez also did not show for the show and he too failed to call with an explanation.
Bout two: Jed Johnson Vs Jeff Gee. Johnson clinched early and Gee landed a series of strong body punches before Johnson began to land knee strikes. Johnson looped an arm over the top and around the neck of Gee and tried for a standing guillotine choke. Gee defended the choke while standing, but when Johnson dropped to guard he was able to close off the submission and get the tap out win at 1:09 of round one.
Bout three: Steve Pohlam Vs Ryan Scollard. The combatants exchanged kicks before Scollard got a single leg takedown into side control. Pohlam gained head control from the bottom and kept it on as the fighters briefly stood before falling to the mat again. Scollard then opened up with some GNP while Pohlam was active with his guard looking for submissions. Scollard slammed his way out of an armbar attempt before landing a strong series of head punches. Scollard stood briefly and worked more strikes to a still downed Pohlam before dropping into his guard and quickly passing to full mount. From the dominant position Scollard worked more strikes forcing Pohlam to roll away from the strikes. Scollard attained back control, transitioned from striking to a Rear Naked Choke (RNC) and got the submission victory at 2:50 of round one.
Bout four: Steve Hellman Vs Henry Schmitz. Both fighters came out punching, and each landed three or four strikes before Schmitz landed a solid shot square to the chin of Hellman. The punch resulted in a knock out and Schmitz got the win at :05 of round one.
Bout five: Steve Gaylord Vs Kane Kusserow. Gaylord clinched immediately and went for a takedown. Kusserow however ended up in top position. From the bottom Gaylord tried to set in an armbar, but Kusserow picked him up and slammed him. Gaylord stayed calm and was able to retain his hold on the arm. He rolled Kusserow over and secured the armbar for the victory at :52 of round one.
Bout six: Orlando Martinez Vs James Marohl. After an even exchange of punches and kicks to open the bout the fighters clinched and Marohl initiated the takedown. Martinez briefly held a guillotine choke from the bottom, but Marohl escaped and worked strong GNP. Martinez stayed active with submission attempts from the bottom and was close with an armbar before Marohl slammed his way out. Martinez was able to sweep Marohl to reverse their positions, but the action slowed and the referee stood the fighters. Marohl landed several strong punches and kicks before the bell sounded to end round one. Round two began with Marohl immediately clinching and using his height advantage to reach over the head of Martinez and take head/neck control. Martinez escaped the hold, but Marohl reset the clinch, got a takedown and worked GNP until Martinez tapped out from strikes at :50 of round two.
Bout seven: Danny Wilson Vs John Sargent. Sargent opened with a low kick, then he took head/neck control when Wilson sprawled away from a takedown attempt. From his knees Wilson was able to drive Sargent cross the ring and into the corner. Once in the corner Sargent worked his way into back control, flattened out Wilson and sunk in the RNC for the win at :45 of round one.
Bout eight: Damond Clark Vs Gary Borum. Clark opened with a superman punch that connected and knocked Borum down. On the ground Clark briefly had half guard, then he transitioned to full mount to work some GNP. Borum turned face down to avoid the punches and Clark took back control. Borum escaped the position, scrambled to his feet and took the back of Clark with the fighters standing. From there Borum got a body lock takedown. Once on the ground Clark worked his way into the guard of Borum before the action slowed and the referee stood the fighters. From standing Clark got a body lock takedown, but the action on the ground slowed and the referee again stood the fighters. Once standing Borum landed strong punches and pushed Clark onto his knees. With Borum standing and Clark kneeling Borum landed a strong knee to the ribs of Clark before Clark got back to his feet. From standing both fighters again landed strong punches to end the round. Round two started with both fighters striking before entering into the clinch. Borum got a body lock takedown and worked GNP until the referee stopped the fighters. There was a moment of confusion and the fighters were restarted. Borum landed 3-4 punches to the head of Clark and Clark tapped out from the strikes. Borum got the win in his professional MMA debut at :34 of round two.
Bout nine: Eric Allegria Vs Pete Vandervort. Vandervort opened with a high kick that missed, then Allegria used punches to get the clinch and initiate a takedown. Vandervort landed in the guard of Allegria, and when the action slowed the referee stood the fighters. Allegria was the aggressor when the action restarted, but Vandervort countered with strong striking of his own and he finished the exchange with knees in the clinch. Vandervort then pulled guard and both fighters worked strikes until Vandervort isolated an arm and worked for a submission. Allegria defended the armbar well for a prolonged period, but at 2:48 of round one Vandervort got an inverted armbar sunk in and secured the submission victory.
Bout 10: Justin Wrede Vs Spencer Hooker. Wrede opened with a 1-2 punch combination and Hooker countered with a low kick that he used to set up a scoop slam. On the mat Hooker took full mount and worked a strong GNP attack before trying a kimura shoulder lock. Wrede defended the kimura, but Hooker used his positioning skills to lock in an armbar for the submission win at 1:47 of round one.
Bout 11: Manuel Gallardo Vs Ian Stonehouse. This bout was the CO-main event and the combatants were vying to capture both the I.S.K.A. Mountain Stated Light Weight MMA title as well as the Kick Down, Jr. Light Weight title. Gallardo opened with a 1-2 combination that landed well. He then rushed into the clinch after Stonehouse slipped briefly to the canvas off of a high kick attempt that missed. When separating from the clinch Stonehouse again threw a high kick, and this time it connected. Gallardo then rushed in and got the takedown. Both fighters worked for position and Gallardo ended in the guard of Stonehouse. From there Gallardo worked for a Kimura, but Stonehouse defended it well and the referee stood the fighters. From standing each fighter landed a leg kick and Stonehouse was able to follow up with several strong hook punches before Gallardo again initiated the clinch. Stonehouse landed strong knees in the clinch before Gallardo secured an arm-drag takedown. The fighters were scrambling for position when round one ended. Round two started with Stonehouse landing a good combination of punches and kicks that he finished with a turning hook that barely missed. Gallardo was able to clinch and get the takedown, but both fighters quickly scrambled back to standing. Gallardo pushed Stonehouse into the corner and got a leg trip takedown and tried for an armbar once on the mat. Stonehouse defended the submission by rolling in and he ended up in the guard of Gallardo. From there Stonehouse worked GNP before passing guard and taking full mount. From the top Stonehouse flurried with a strong and nonstop punching attack and the referee stopped the bout due to unanswered strikes at 2:45 of round two. Allegria is now the I.S.K.A and Kick Down belt holder and at 20 years old he has an undefeated 5-0 amateur fight record.
Bout 12: Tim Ouimette Vs Sergio Lopez. This was the main event and with Ouimette being from Casper Wyoming he was by far the crowd favorite for the night. The fight started off with both fighters sprinting to the middle of the ring trying to land flying strikes. Ouimette slipped to the canvas and Lopez followed him down. On the ground Lopez got head control and tried to set in a guillotine choke. Ouimette escaped the choke, then escaped the follow-up armbar attempt. The referee stood the fighters and again they met in the middle of the ring with both of them attempting to land flying strikes. This time it was Lopez that ended up falling and Ouimette followed him to the ground and worked nonstop GNP until the referee stopped the fight at 1:51 of round one due to unanswered strikes.
The fans at this event really showcased their knowledge of the sport. We've all been at fights where the majority of the crowd would boo the fighters when the action went to the ground. In opposition to that, the Wyoming crowd cheered the takedowns and they could be heard yelling out appropriate advice to the fighters during ground action. A number of the fighters, both local as well as out of state, made mention of their appreciation for the Wyoming fans in their post fight speeches. When the fans back the fighters like this the fighters work hard to entertain the fans and everyone comes out ahead. The Kick Down will return to Casper Saturday, February 10, 2007. With the success of the last two shows to build on, the fans and fighters can expect the momentum to build and Wyoming fans can look forward to more stellar fights in 2007.
Best in Health and Training, J. R. "Crusher" Gordon
MartialArtsRadio.com
NOAH THOMAS CAPTURES
CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday,
November 15, 2006 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com (Photo
courtesy of April Pishna)
PHOTO AND STORY COURTESY MMA WEEKLY.COM
DENVER,
COLORADO – Kick Down 30: Veterans’ Day played to a full
house over the weekend and the fiery headliners made it a
night to remember.
There was a lot of trash talking prior to the main event,
both fighters promising to shut the other down. In the end
it was the conductor Noah “The Red” Thomas that derailed
Vincent Vigil following through on his pre-fight promise,
“Vigil has been a runaway train, I’m going to derail him and
put him on his ass.”
From the beginning, Vigil stormed the ring, looking to crush
Thomas, repeatedly trying to slam his way out of Thomas’
submission attempts. But it was Thomas that transitioned
from triangle choke to arm bar attempt to a reverse triangle
and then, following a scramble, finished the fight with a
rear naked choke that had Vigil tapping and Thomas wearing
the championship belt.
I’d like to write more about Luke Holdorf, he was very
impressive… again. But he didn’t give me much to work with
submitting his opponent Sergio Lopez by rear naked choke in
just 40 seconds, upping his professional record to 4-1.
Holdorf is a solid up and comer whose ground game is nothing
short of spectacular. When his stand-up game comes to
fruition, Holdorf could be a fighter to watch for on the
national scene.
I had Colby Snyder, a veteran of Chuck Norris’ World Combat
League, losing his bout to Adam Bobay after the first round.
The second round started off in the same vain with Bobay
getting Snyder to the mat right away, but it was the
experienced kickboxer, Snyder, that pulled a triangle choke
out of his hat to put the fight away.
One of the more memorable bouts of the night was a
modified-rules Muay Thai about between Tandi Ogden, an
import from Utah, and Lacey Whitlatch. Although Whitlatch
appeared to be overmatched, she never backed down from the
strength Ogden and her powerful knees. Just when it seemed
Whitlatch should be done, she would force Ogden to work
harder, eventually giving up a unanimous decision to Ogden.
Joey Welch controlled both rounds of his fight with Eric
Allegria, consistently kneeing his opponent as part of a
ground and pound attack. This all with Joey’s grandfather
passing away just two days prior to the fight as well as a
good friend of his suffering from a stabbing attack. “I had
to do this fight,” Welch commented when asked why he didn’t
back out considering the circumstances, “My grandpa had
front row seats for this one.”
Kicking off the evening was an intense battle between
previously undefeated Jack Johnson and Manuel Gallardo.
After a brief exchange, Johnson had a guillotine choke
locked on tight, but Gallardo still had an arm in to slow
the hold. Once he escaped, the fight was nearly all
Gallardo’s, a rarity for opponents of Johnson. He finished
the first with a strong ground and pound game. In the
second, Gallardo executed a beautiful Judo throw, scrambled
on the ground for a bit, and finished the fight with an arm
bar.
MMA (Amateur)
Manuel Gallardo def Jack Johnson by Arm Bar at 1:14, Round 2
Kamalu Keawe def Adrian Martinez by Head Scissors Choke at
1:48, Round 2
Ryan Scollard def Joey Banks by Rear Naked Choke at 1:48,
Round 1
Ken Pytluk def Steve Fetty by Guillotine Choke at 0:53,
Round 1
Greg Schipporeit def Ralston Baker by Triangle Choke at
2:38, Round 2
Tommy Thompson def Sean Ramsey by Arm Bar at 1:09, Round 1
MMA (Professional)
Joey Welch def Eric Allegria by Unanimous Decision, 2 Rounds
Colby Snyder def Adam Bobay by Triangle Choke at 1:30, Round
2
Luke Holdorf def Sergio Lopez by Rear Naked Choke at 0:40,
Round 1
Noah Thomas def Vincent Vigil by Rear Naked Choke at 2:17,
Round 1
KICKBOXING (Amateur)
Char McGregor def Kimberly Payne by Split Decision, 3 Rounds
Tandi Ogden def Lacey Whitlatch by Unanimous Decision, 3
Rounds
Roberto Rodriguez def Jason Vidonic by KO at 1:19, Round 1
By J. R. Gordon. Lead writer MartialArtsRadio.com
Welcome back to the Crusher's corner fight fans. Saturday night November 11, 2006, the Denver based fight promotion Kick Down held the 30th show in the event's history. Also, this was the last show of the year in Colorado for the promotion, and as has been the case for the last four years the awards for Fighter of the Year were presented.
Honors were shared for professional Mixed Martial Artist of the year by Vincent Vigil and Eric Heinz. Lacey Whitlatch took home the plaque for Female fighter of the year. Manuel Gallardo was voted amateur Mixed Martial Artist of the year and Jack Johnson was awarded Modified Muay Thai fighter of the year for the second year in a row. Congratulations to all of the very deserving honorees and the teams that support them.
Bout one: The first fight of the night was between Jack Johnson and Manuel Gallardo. This bout was contested to determine who would end the year as the title holder in both the Kick Down Lightweight MMA division and the Colorado ISKA MMA division. Both combatants started off with strong hook punches that landed, and knowing of Johnson's kickboxing prowess Gallardo was wary of his kicks. Gallardo landed a strong overhand right that set him up to enter into the clinch. Johnson jumped up and pulled standing guard and set in a guillotine choke. Gallardo then went to the ground and Johnson tried to close off the choke, but Gallardo was able to escape and work some Ground and Pound (GNP). Gallardo landed some hard punches and elbows as Johnson stayed busy from the bottom trying to score a sweep. Gallardo stood out of the guard and dropped down with one last strong punch to end the round. Round two began with Johnson landing a good body kick, each fighter scoring strong knees in the clinch and Johnson getting in a solid punch when the fighters separated. When they clinched again Gallardo scored a very high impact hip throw and landed in side control. Once on the ground Johnson tried to scramble to improve his position and Gallardo took his back and isolated an arm. Gallardo fell back with the arm secure and got the win when Johnson tapped out to the armbar submission at 1:14 of round two. With the win Gallardo became the first fighter in Kick Down history to hold two MMA titles in different weight classes at the same time. In his post-fight interview Gallardo stated, "I'm going to Disneyland." Then on a serious note he said that he plans to try to also capture the featherweight Kick Down MMA title.
Bout two: Adrian Martinez Vs Kamalu Keawe. Keawe opened with accurate strikes and Martinez looked to clinch and secure a takedown. Keawe landed a punch that dropped Martinez and Keawe followed him to the mat. Martinez scrambled to his knees, picked an ankle and got a reversal. Keawe however had looped an arm around the head of Martinez. Martinez escaped the choke and scored a reversal then worked strong GNP before lifting Keawe off of the mat and slamming him back down. Positioned in his own corner Martinez worked a good GNP attack and eventually took full mount. With ten seconds left in round one Keawe scored a reversal. Round two began with Martinez trapping a kick from Keawe and securing a scoop takedown. From the bottom Keawe worked a side choke, but Martinez escaped and again worked his GNP attack. Martinez then tried to secure an armbar submission, but Keawe escaped and landed a strong punch. Martinez then tripped a scrambling Keawe, but from his back Keawe secured a head scissors choke with his legs and Martinez tapped out at 1:48 of round two.
Bout three: Ryan Scollard Vs Joey Banks. Both fighters started off with striking before entering into the clinch. Banks scored a quick takedown and went immediately into the full mount position. Scollard however reversed him and took the back of Banks during the ensuing scramble. Scollard was able to stretch out Banks and secure the Rear Naked Choke (RNC) for the submission victory at 1:48 of round one.
Bout four: Ken Pytluk Vs Steve Fetty. Fetty opened with a good punch flurry while Pytluk was busy trying to initiate the clinch. Pytluk then answered with strong strikes of his own. While clinched Pytluk landed a knee that made Fetty stoop over and Pytluk dropped down and set in a tight guillotine choke. Pytluk got the choke closed off and took home the submission victory at :53 of round one.
Bout five: Kimberly Payne Vs Char McGregor. This women's bout was an International Rules Kick boxing match. Payne started out as the aggressor, but McGregor fired back quickly. While using every bit of available space in the ring both fighters worked nonstop with punches and kicks with neither able to gain a distinct advantage in the first round. Round two started with McGregor landing a stiff front kick that Payne answered with a good 1-2 punch combination. McGregor then landed a spinning backfist that was met with a hard low-kick from Payne. After another even punch exchange Payne landed her best body kick of the fight. Each fighter then landed strong punches that had the other backing across the ring. One last even punch exchange ended the second round. Round three saw McGregor again landing the spinning backfist and Payne answering with another good body kick. McGregor punctuated the round by pressing forward with a strong punch flurry, but Payne refused to slow her pace. Near the end of the round McGregor landed a 1-2 combo that staggered Payne and McGregor followed it with a leaping overhand right that landed well. When the clacker sounded to signal 10 seconds left in the round each fighter flurried to end the bout. When the scores were tallied from the judges McGregor won via a split decision.
Bout six: Ralston Baker Vs Greg Schipporeit. Both fighters opened with strong leg kicks, but Schipporeit trapped one and secured a takedown. From the bottom Baker tried unsuccessfully to secure an armbar. The fighters worked their way back to standing and both landed knee strikes from the clinch. Schipporeit scored another takedown and passed guard into side control for some GNP to end the round. Each combatant landed stiff jabs to start off the action in the second round. Schipporeit shot for and got a single leg takedown, then worked GNP until the action slowed and the referee stood the fighters. Both fighters landed hook punches with Baker's being the more effective. Schipporeit however was able to get into the clinch and secure a bodylock takedown before working his strongest GNP of the fight from half mount. Baker weathered the storm and got a reversal. From the bottom Schipporeit slipped on a tight triangle choke and Baker had to submit at 2:38 of round two.
Bout seven: Lacey Whitlatch Vs Tandi Ogden. This women's bout was for the Kick Down Super Lightweight Modified Muay Thai title. Both fighters came out with strong kicks followed by a prolonged clinch where good knee strikes were exchanged. Ogden trapped a Whitlatch front kick and followed it immediately with a strong overhand right. More good clinch work followed and was punctuated by Ogden landing a series of unanswered knee strikes followed by a takedown (legal in Modified Muay Thai bouts). Each then landed good punches to close out round one. Round two started off with Ogden landing a strong punch combination and Whitlatch answering with punches of her own. At the midpoint in the round Ogden put together a series of strikes that backed Whitlatch across the ring and she ended with a long series of textbook Muay Thai knee strikes in the clinch. Whitlatch broke free of the clinch and blocked an attempted head kick by Ogden to end the second round. Round three saw both fighters being very aggressive with a strong flurry of head punches. Whitlatch trapped an Ogden kick, but Ogden countered with a good 1-2 punch combination while balanced on one foot. Ogden then stunned Whitlatch momentarily and had her backed into the corner. Whitlatch circled out of danger, but Ogden was able to initiate the clinch and land more strong knees followed by punches to end the round. The judges were again called on for their scores and it was an unanimous decision won for Ogden. Ogden is now the Kick Down Women's Modified Muay Thai Super Lightweight title holder. In her post fight interview Ogden stated that she was unsure of her plans for the future other than improving as a fighter.
Bout eight: Jason Vidonic Vs Roberto Rodriguez in a Modified Muay Thai bout. Both fighters landed strong knees in the clinch and strong kicks from the outside in the opening moments of this bout. Vidonic then landed several strong leg kicks before the fighters clinched again. In the clinch Roberto dropped his opponent with a knee to the abdomen for an eight count. Upon the restart Roberto landed a strong right hook followed by a very strong body kick that dropped Vidonic again. This time Vidonic was unable to rise off of the canvas and Roberto went home with a knock out win at 1:19 of round one.
Bout nine: Tommy Thompson Vs Sean Ramsey. Thompson began with a strong leg kick to set up his shot for a scoop slam. From the bottom Ramsey tried for a guillotine choke, but Thompson defended and took full mount. Ramsey was able to escape the mount backdoor and both fighters scrambled to their feet. Ramsey then stuffed the shot of Thompson, but Thompson was close enough to pull guard. From the bottom he set up an armbar and at 1:09 of round Ramsey tapped out and Thompson took home the submission victory.
Bout 10: Joey Welch Vs Eric Allegria. This bout started off the professional portion of the card and from here on out every bout other than the main event was two five minute rounds. Allegria landed the first strike with a front kick, but Welch answered by way of a double leg takedown. Welch then picked up Allegria for a slam before working some GNP. Allegria worked heel kicks from the bottom while also tying up the arms of Welch. Welch twice more picked up and slammed Allegria before Allegria set in a tight triangle choke from the bottom. Welch once more slammed Allegria to escape the choke, but Allegria held the submission on tight. Welch however was not to be submitted and he stood, did a step over escape then transitioned into side control and worked knees to the body of Allegria to end the round. Round two saw Allegria missing with a left hook and Welch clinched and got the takedown into side control. While Allegria worked to escape from the bottom Welch worked an elbow and knee striking GNP attack. Allegria was able to get full guard and the referee stood the fighters when the action slowed. Allegria again missed with punches and Welch answered with a good leg kick before clinching and getting another takedown into side control followed by more GNP. Allegria worked hard from the bottom to escape but Welch maintained control until the round ended. Welch was awarded the unanimous judges decision win and his first professional victory. In his post fight interview Welch dedicated the fight to his grandfather who had passed away several days before the fight.
Bout 11: Colby Snyder Vs Adam Bobay. Bobay backed Snyder into the corner with attempted strikes before clinching and getting a leg trip takedown. Both fighters worked strikes on the ground before Bobay passed guard into side control. Bobay landed several strong knee strikes before Snyder reversed him and the fighters scrambled to standing. Bobay again pushed Snyder into the corner to try a takedown, but Snyder defended and landed several standing knee strikes before Bobay pulled him to the ground. From the bottom Snyder tried for a guillotine choke that Bobay defended before passing into side control. Snyder scrambled to regain full guard, but Bobay quickly took side control again and worked for a shoulder choke from the top that Snyder defended until the round ended. Round two began with Snyder landing a hard body kick then attempting a standing guillotine after sprawling out of a takedown attempt by Bobay. Snyder pulled guard to close off the choke, but Bobay escaped. From the bottom Snyder was able to set up a triangle choke and Bobay slammed him to escape. Snyder was able to keep the choke in place, repositioned himself to close it off and he took home the win by way of tapout at 1:30 of round two. For Snyder this was his first professional MMA victory.
Bout 12: Luke Holdorf Vs Sergio Lopez. Lopez opened with a low kick followed by a flurry of punches that backed Holdorf into the ropes. Lopez then tried for a takedown that Holdorf defended. After briefly trying to set up a standing guillotine choke Holdorf transitioned to the side of Lopez and got a body lock takedown. On the ground Holdorf secured back control and set in a tight RNC. At :40 seconds of round one Lopez tapped to the choke and Holdorf improved his professional fight record to 4-1.
Bout 12: This was the main-event and featured Noah Thomas Vs Vincent Vigil. Both fighters came into this match being undefeated in their respective Kick Down fights and this bout was contested to determine the first ever Professional Kick Down Lightweight MMA title holder. Thomas opened with a head kick that vigil trapped. Thomas left his leg up on the shoulder of Vigil and jumped up looking to secure a standing triangle choke. Vigil was able to slam Thomas to escape the choke and then quickly fended off several armbar attempts from Thomas. The fighters scrambled for position and Thomas nearly secured back control. Vigil was able to spin onto his side and Thomas transitioned to and nearly secured a head scissors choke with his legs. Thomas let the choke go and this time was able to get back control. From there Thomas set in a tight RNC and got the victory at 2:17 of the first round. Thomas now holds the title of Kick Down Professional Lightweight MMA fighter.
Up next for the Kick Down is the year end show November 18, 2006, in Casper Wyoming. Check MartialArtsRadio.com for tickets and be sure to check out the events calendar for upcoming events in Colorado and elsewhere.
Best in Health and Training, J. R. "Crusher" Gordon
Kick Down 29 "Last Man Standing"
Hello again fight fans. Welcome back to the Crusher's corner. J. R. "Crusher" Gordon reporting here. On the evening of October 30, 2006, the 29th installment of the Denver based fight promotion "Kick Down" played out at the Red Lion Hotel. The show was sold out and there were once again fight fans standing and lining the back walls of the venue. The Main feature of the event was the first ever four man tournament in the promotion's history. This show was by far one of the best of the year, however, the four man tournament was not without controversy. Listen to this sites October, 06 Internet broadcast to hear promoter Steve Alley answer questions about the controversy.
The fights started off with Sean Logsdon Vs Scott Roberts. Logsdon trapped a Robert's kick and got a takedown into side control. Roberts momentarily secured head control from the bottom, but Logsdon escaped and worked to get full mount. From the top Logsdon was active working between Ground and Pound (GNP) and submission attempts. >From the bottom Robertson attained half guard. Logsdon was relentless with his GNP attack and Roberts rolled face down to escape and was able to work his way back to standing. Logsdon again scored a takedown and worked more GNP from side control until round one ended. Round two saw Logsdon immediately shoot for a takedown that was stuffed by Roberts. Roberts then worked for a standing guillotine, but Logsdon lifted him up and slammed him. On the ground each fighter fell back looking to secure an ankle lock. To counter the footlock Roberts managed to sit up and take full mount. Logsdon however swept him and took full mount after Roberts lost position going for an armbar. Each fighter then briefly took top position during a scramble and Logsdon ended with side control. From there Logsdon again went for some GNP, but Roberts reversed him which lead to Logsdon attempting a far side armbar that he failed to sink in. As the bell sounded Roberts landed several hard strikes. When the third round began Roberts was unable to answer the bell and Logsdon got the TKO win at 3:00 of round two.
Fight two: Sean McPeck Vs Nate Kimberlin. Kimberlin opened with hard hook punches that lead to the clinch. McPeck avoided the takedown and there was a strong standing exchange of techniques. McPeck stayed calm during the flurry, set his feet and got his hips into a right hook that landed cleanly and knocked out Kimberlin at :20 of round one. McPeck is the third or fourth fighter from the fight school, "The Kai" that I have seen fight and this school always makes sure their fighters are well prepared for combat.
Fight three was the first bout of the four man tournament and featured Rex Payne Vs Vincent Vigil. Payne opened with punching and Vigil with kicks. Both fighters clinched and Vigil scored a hip toss takedown into side control. Payne immediately got guard and tried for an armbar, but Vigil pulled out and both fighters stood. Vigil then got a leg trip takedown and escaped another armbar attempt before setting up a leg lock attempt. Payne escaped the leg lock and tried for his own submission by way of a triangle, but Vigil slammed his way out and followed with GNP until the referee stopped the bout at 1:44 of round one. The win allowed Vigil to advance to the next round of the tournament. The end of this bout was the beginning of the controversy surrounding the tournament. The referee stated that he had seen Payne's eyes roll back after a Vigil punch while Payne stated that he was "rocked," but would have been able to continue and defend himself.
Fight four was to determine who would join Vigil in the finals of the tournament and featured Tim Ouimette Vs Preston Scharf. Both fighters spent the early part of the round feeling out the distance before Scharf clinched. Ouimette rushed him into a corner and each fighter landed strong knee strikes before Scharf got a takedown into side control and worked for a Kimura shoulder lock submission. Scharf was able to sink in the submission at :51 of round one and the finals were set for the four man tournament.
Fight five was a bout for the alternate fighters in the tournament. Luke Preston Vs Adam Bobay. Bobay rushed into the clinch and scored a big scoop slam. From side control Bobay worked knees to the body of Holdorf interspersed with punches. When the action slowed the referee stood the fighters and Bobay got another scoop slam takedown. Holdorf however had secured a guillotine choke on the way to the ground and he was able to lock it in for the submission win at 1:37 of round one.
Fight six: Alex Whipple Vs Christopher Thompson for the Kick Down welterweight Modified Muay Thai title. Thompson opened with a strong push kick followed by knees in the clinch. Thompson backed Whipple into the corner and dropped him with a strong punch combination for an eight count. After the restart Thompson was very aggressive and landed punch combinations and head kicks as well as more strong knees in the clinch. Whipple answered back with a strong right while he was backing up and the punch dropped Thompson for an eight count. Thompson continued with his aggressive tactics and Whipple answered well until round one ended. Round two had both fighters coming out and being aggressive. Each combatant landed a strong sequence of techniques. Near the middle of the round Thompson landed a strong head kick, but Whipple was undeterred and came back with an uppercut that dropped Thompson. The referee did not score a knock down for Whipple as there had been an accidental low blow that played a part in dropping Thompson. After the restart both fighters flurried until Thompson pushed Whipple into the ropes right as the round ended. Round three had Thompson starting off with a head kick and Whipple answered with a strong punch combination. Thompson then clinched and pushed Whipple into the ropes and landed good knees before both fighters slipped to the mat. Thompson then stunned Whipple momentarily with a punch and he followed it up with a head kick. Each fighter took a moment to breathe before Thompson landed another head kick. The action was stopped for a moment when Whipple lost a contact and when the restart occurred Thompson again went to the head of Whipple with a kick. Following the head kick Thompson landed knees and Whipple flurried with punches nonstop until the round ended. The judges saw the bout in favor of Thompson via an unanimous decision. Thompson remains the Kick Down welterweight Modified Muay Thai champion.
The next bout was to have been contested between Reggie Reyes and Charles Rogers. For reasons unknown to the promoter Rogers did not fight.
Fight seven: Jamie Addie Vs Tommy Thompson. Thompson initiated the clinch, but Addie pushed him over backward and Thompson worked for a head and arm triangle choke before switching to an armbar attempt. Addie stood out of the submission attempt and let Thompson up. Thompson threw a head high spinning back kick before clinching to set up a standing guillotine attempt and falling back to pull guard to sink in the choke. Addie escaped the choke and worked GNP until Thompson again tried for an armbar. Addie escaped the armbar and scrambled to take the back of Thompson to work GNP until the round ended. Round two started with Addie shooting for a takedown that Thompson defended and took top head control. On the mat Thompson rolled nicely, took full mount and sunk in an anaconda choke for the win at :24 of round two. In his post fight interview Thompson gave credit for his win to his training partners at Loveland Martial Arts.
Fight eight: Lannon Quintana Vs Dan Romero for the Kick Down featherweight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) title. Quintana clinched immediately and scored a hip toss takedown. Romero scrambled back to his feet and Quintana briefly took his back. The fighters then separated and Quintana took a shot and scored another takedown. Quintana worked briefly from side control and tried to secure a neck crank submission. The action then slowed and the referee stood the fighters. Once standing the combatants had a good exchange of punches and kicks before Quintana clinched and Romero secured a hip toss takedown. On the mat Quintana reversed Romero and worked some GNP before trying another neck crank until the round ended. Round two started off with Quintana punching until Romero clinched and got a takedown. On the ground Romero secured back control briefly before Quintana reversed and worked GNP until the referee stood the fighters. Quintana landed a strong leg kick before Romero took another shot for a takedown. Quintana took head control and Romero turned in to get full guard until the referee again stood the fighters. Quintana then dropped Romero with a punch and followed him to the mat. Once on the ground Quintana worked for a top choke until round two ended. Round three started with both fighters exchanging strong punches with Quintana being the more accurate. Then from the clinch they exchanged strong knees before Quintana took the back of Romero while standing and working for a takedown. In a great display of his wrestling ability Romero tried to sit out and turn in, but Quintana maintained tight control and took full mount. Romero was able to reverse Quintana and worked GNP from half mount until Quintana got a reversal of his own into side control. Romero was able to get full guard and set up a deep armbar attempt that Quintana pulled out of before taking half mount before the end of the fight. The judges saw the bout as an unanimous decision win for Quintana and he remains the Kick Down featherweight MMA tittle holder.
Fight nine was an International rules kickboxing match that featured the only female fighters on the card. Lynn Rice Vs Kate Martinez. Martinez initiated the action with strong punck/kick combinations that Rice answered in kind. Martinez began to gauge the distance and use her reach advantage to land hard kicks from the outside. Rice however always had an answer and utilized strong punches as well as inside and outside low kicks. Round one ended with the fighters standing toe-to-toe flurrying punches. Round two began with Rice landing strong leg kicks as Martinez elected to rely almost solely on punching. Martinez landed a strong overhand right that pushed Rice into the ropes, but Rice bounced off the ropes and landed a good punch/kick combination near the end of the round. Before the round ended Rice was momentarily dazed from the strong punch attack of Martinez, but each fighter had enough left to again end the round with a flurry. Round three began with each fighter landing strong body kicks and Martinez also got in a hook kick to the head of Rice. Both fighters then landed strong push kicks and Martinez followed hers with a good 1-2 punch combination. After a referee separation Martinez landed a spinning backfist that scored cleanly. Martinez then got off one more flurry of punches before the round ended. With an unanimous judges decision win Martinez improved her record to 3-0. As has been the case in other shows the women were some of the best conditioned fighters of the night.
Fight 10: Manuel Gallardo Vs Patrick Jiner. Jiner scored first with a jumping right hook and a strong side kick. When Jiner tried to set up a hook kick to Gallardo's head Gallardo shot in and got the takedown into side control. From there Gallardo worked to set up a Kimura. Gallardo was able to set the submission in very deep, but a combination unusual flexibility and tenacity kept Jiner from tapping. Gallardo transitioned to knee on stomach to get the submission attempt in deeper, but the bell sounded to end the round. Round two had Gallardo shooting immediately, but Jiner used good footwork to avoid the takedown and he landed good head punches on Gallardo before Gallardo clinched. Jiner tried for a standing guillotine, but Gallardo escaped and scored a slam takedown. From side control Gallardo was busy with GNP and Jiner maintained constant movement to try to escape. Gallardo tried to set up an armbar, but Jiner turned in and defended it successfully. Gallardo worked his way to back control, but Jiner escaped to his knees before trying to set in a guillotine choke. Gallardo was able to escape the choke and from side control he worked strong GNP until the referee stopped the bout at 2:58 of round two giving the TKO win to Gallardo.
Bout 11: Chris Woods Vs Mark Korzionowski for the Kick Down welterweight MMA title. Korzionowski was only the second person in Kick Down history vying to hold two titles in two separate styles of fighting. Woods came into this bout as the current champion and each fighter had an undefeated MMA record. Woods scored first with a running overhand right before clinching. From the clinch both fighters defended the takedown attempt of the other and both slipped to the mat with Woods ending up in the guard of Korzionowski. Woods postured up for brief GNP before electing to stand and strike. Korzionowski scrambled to his feet and when the fighters again clinched Korzionowski landed several strong knee strikes. Woods absorbed the strikes and got a strong slam takedown. Once on the ground Woods took full mount and when Korzionowski rolled face down to try an escape Woods sunk in a Rear Naked Choke (RNC) for the win. At 1:28 of round one Woods maintained his title as the Kick Down welterweight MMA champion.
Bout 12: This was the CO-main event and featured heavyweight professional MMA fighters Tony Kelley Vs Brian Cristina. Both fighters were undefeated as professionals going into this bout. The fight was scheduled for two five minute rounds. Cristina opened the bout by rushing Kelley into the ropes with a barrage of punches. From there Cristina got a takedown and worked GNP from half mount. From the bottom Kelley stayed busy trying to improve his position and he nearly swept Cristina several times. Cristina displayed a strong base and continued with his GNP attack to the head and body of Kelley for most of the round. Near the end of the round Cristina switched to elbow strikes, but Kelley was able to reverse him and both fighters stood. Cristina again rushed forward with punches and got the takedown into half mount as the round ended. Round two had Kelley showing why he was the former Kick Down Modified Muay Thai champion as he opened the round with a leg kick that visibly hurt Cristina. Kelley threw a few more leg kicks to set up a punch combination before Cristina clinched and each fighter landed strong knees to the body. After a separation Kelley threw a short but strong right hook that found its mark on the jaw of Cristina. That was the last technique of the match as the punch knocked Cristina out cold and he crumpled to the canvas at 1:38 of round two. Kelley remains undefeated as a professional. In his post fight interview Kelley good naturedly joked about the GNP of Cristina not being effective because he (Kelley) has, "A tiny little brain."
Bout 13 was the main event of the night and featured Vincent Vigil and Preston Scharf for the finals of the four man, "Last Man Standing" tournament. This bout too was to have been two five minute rounds. Both fighters entered into the finals with undefeated 2-0 professional records. Each fighters came out striking and Scharf set up a standing guillotine and fell back to guard and worked to close off the choke. Vigil toughed out the submission attempt and from the top position he tried to create distance. Scharf then set in what looked to be a deep head and arm triangle choke attempt and he held position to squeeze off the choke. At this point more controversy ensued...The fighters had been near the edge of the ring and the referee, being on the far side of the action, had not seen that Scharf was working a submission. He stopped the action and repositioned the fighters in the middle of the ring, but, he did not give Scharf back the position (the choke) that he had held. Scharf then managed to get a sweep and once on top Scharf worked between a GNP attack and trying to improve position. Right before the round ended Scharf landed a strong series of elbows to the head of Vigil. The bell sounded to end the round and this is where even more controversy within the tournament began. Scharf had been in a dominant position and was landing strong strikes when the round ended; however, the round ended at the three minute mark instead of the scheduled five minute mark. Promoter Steve Alley was immediately on the ring apron talking to the referee, but the mistake had been made and it was decided to just have the fight continue into the next round. Round two saw Vigil start off with punches before transitioning to knee strikes in the clinch. Scharf scored a takedown off of the clinch, but Vigil had looped an arm around Scharf's neck on the way to the mat and Vigil was able to sink in the choke for the win at the :40 second mark of round two to become the winner of the tournament.
In speaking to promoter Steve Alley in the days following the fight Scharf made no excuses for his loss. He stated, "He tapped me out, so by all rights he got the win." However, in the interest of fairness Scharf has asked for a rematch. Reportedly right after the bout, as well as on this sites message board, Chuck Daly, the Kongo-Do fight team manager has accepted the rematch. At the time of this report it is not clear in what venue or in what promotion the rematch will occur. Also reported, but not yet confirmed, Rex Payne requested a rematch with Vigil and that contest will most likely occur at an event in Colorado Springs which is the hometown of Vigil as well as the home of the Kongo-Do fight team.
It is unfortunate that the last few minutes of the evening were mired in controversy. All in all this show was one of the best of the year. I hope that does not get lost in the couple of mistakes that were made. In the days following the event the message board at MartialArtsRadio.com was filled with talk from fighters, fans, the promoter and friends of the fighters. There can be no arguing that mistakes were made. However, the only recourse is for the promoter to learn from the mistakes and for the fighters to face one another again to test their skills. Both of these criteria are being met so it is time to move on.
Anyone involved in this sport is bound to eventually run into some controversy. Be it with refereeing, judging or something else. People make mistakes and it is just a part of the sport. When a referee or a judge makes a mistake, they and everyone outside the ring says it is a bummer and is able to just move on. But to the competitor it has a much more major impact. It encompasses your career, psyche, training motivation and confidence. My best advice is for the competitors to just do their best to put it behind them and to focus on the next match. I know that is much easier said than done, but that is what will benefit everyone the most. Every single high level competitor in this sport has had to deal with controversy. It is how you deal with it, negative or positive that will shape how the fans feel about you. Keep being true yourself and your training and no one can take a negative view of you...win or lose.
Best in Health and Training, J. R. "Crusher" Gordon