As always, CageCraze.com was cage-side to bring you all of the Quick Results and play by play action from Colosseum Combat.   Let’s get to it!

Quick Results:

Quick Results:

Amateur Bouts:

James McClughen defeated. Damar Lee Gibson via Kimura in 2:05 of the 2^nd round

Jared Bailey defeated Chris Burchfield via referee stoppage in :32 of the 1^st Round

Tony Dyer Defeated Aaron Clark via tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 1:43 of the 1^st Round

Dustin Parrish defeated Jade McCammon via tapout due to Triangle Choke in :36 of the 1^st Round

Robert Duke defeated Erick Jones via verbal Submission at :00 of the 3^rd Round

Jacob Hurlock defeated Marty Pryor Jr. via tapout due to Flying Triangle in 1:37 of the 1^st Round

Drew Walters defeated Caleb Williams via tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 2:44 of the 2^nd Round (comeback of the night)

Pro Bouts:

Cornelius George defeated Scott West via tapout due to strikes in 1:18 of the very 1^st Round

Markous Smith defeated Michael Eikenburry KO in 1:22 of the 1^st Round

Chris Collins defeated Michael shields via tapout due to Guillotine in 2:18 of the 1^st Round

Matthew Perry defeated Henry Goonen via tapout due to Arm Triangle in 4:57 of the 1^st Round

Greg Miller defeated Ryan McIntosh via tapout due to strikes in 4:07 of the 1^st Round

Brady Hovermale defeated Josh Kinser  via KO  in 3:51 of the 1^st Round

Anthony Lapsley  Defeated Dan Head via Unanimous Decision (30-27)

Colosseum Combat XVIII 18

“I hope Ryan Thomas is happy with his show money because he’s not getting anything else.”

Daniel Head is a talented young fighter out Kokomo, Indiana.  The 9-3 prospect who trains out of IBJJA in Greenwood as well as Garra MMA has spent his career alternating between lightweight and welterweight, even making it to the Ultimate Fighter season 12.  A bad weight cut experience on the show helped him decide to make the move to welterweight permanently and he’s ready to test his mettle against the best 170 lbers he can find.  His 2011 journey begins with a tough battle against UFC and Bellator veteran Ryan Thomas this upcoming Saturday night in the main event of Colosseum Combat 16 in Kokomo.

Daniel was a little ruffled by Ryan Thomas’s statements in his interview earlier and he was more than happy to speak with CageCraze.com about his upcoming fight and future prospects.

Daniel started things off by explaining why he decided to move to welterweight permanently.

“The last couple times I cut down to 155, the weight cut didn’t go well and it actually felt like I was damaging my body.  Every time you cut weight the wrong way you feel like crap, you fight like crap.  You’re just not yourself.  I don’t feel as strong and athletic at 155 as I do at 170.  People at 170 are bigger but I’ve been doing a pretty decent job of putting on size where I don’t think it’ll be that big of an advantage.

I think I’ll be as big as Ryan Thomas come fight day.  I’m actually cutting weight to make 170.  I’m walking around about 190.   I’ve been lifting weights, and taking cardio more serious than I’ve ever taken it before but for 15 minutes straight Ryan Thomas is going to have me in his face going after him.  He won’t have a second to slow down.”

Daniel also discussed his experiences on The Ultimate Fighter and how things have changed since he was on the show.

“(The experience on The Ultimate Fighter) has given me a lot of opportunities”, said Daniel.  ”It’s a lot easier to find fights now.  Now more people are calling me out because I was on TV.  Maybe that’s what happened with Ryan Thomas.  They think I’m an Ultimate Fighter veteran that they can go beat me up.

It made me realize that I need to step up my game to get to that level that I think I should be at because I feel like I have the potential to have a long career in the UFC and I don’t wanna get there and blow my chance.  I want to get back.  I don’t want anyone to think that because I got beat up on a TV show at 155 that it means they’re gonna be able to walk in there and call me out and I’ll lay down.  They’ve got another thing coming.”

Daniel had great things to say about his fight team.  He works extensively with Brazilian jiu jitsu coach James Clingerman at IBJJA and he’s been working with a great camp of guys like Josh Kinser and Matt Perry who really push him.

He also works at Garra MMA in Kokomo alongside Strikeforce alum and former CageCraze interviewee Casey Huffman.

“They’ve got some great amateurs”, said Head.  ”They’ve got a ton of people training for fights on the same day at the same pace so we’re all on the same page and everybody’s getting in great shape.  It helps me a lot to have people around me motivated to fight at the same time which I haven’t had in the past.”

Head is aware of the fact that his BJJ coach James Clingerman has worked with Ryan Thomas in the past but he isn’t sure how much of an advantage it will be.

“Ryan hasn’t worked out with James in quite a while,” said Head.  ”In a sense I know what Ryan’s weaknesses were in the past but he’s probably worked on them.  I’m expecting a different Ryan than we’re used to but it does give me a little bit of an inside look into what his game’s about, what his goals are when he’s fighting.  It helps me know what he does well and what he needed to work on then.  He’s probably still going to have them as the worst areas of his game still if they were the worst areas of his game then.”

Despite spending a significant portion of his career at lightweight, Daniel believes he matches up to Thomas physically just fine.

He’s not a big welterweight, he’s average.  I think we’re about the same height.  I don’t think there’s gonna be a big reach advantage.  I think that he probably is gonna think he’s got a big size and strength advantage but when he ties up with me it’s not gonna be near what he was expecting.

“He wrestled in college,” Daniel said about his opponent’s skill-set.  ”I know he’s gonna have a good wrestling base but I don’t think he’s going to take me down nearly as easily as he thinks he’s going to.  He’s planning on just walking through me, taking me down and beating me up.  He even said it himself, he’s gonna “mess my face up.”  He’s wrong.  The last thing he’s gonna do is take me down because I’ve been training this whole time to stuff it and keep standing.  If he does take me down, I’m going to keep going after him, I’m not gonna stop.  I’m going to throw submission after submission at him until I catch him and choke him unconscious.”

Head got a little worked up when asked if Thomas was looking past him.

He’s already booking fights with Shonie Carter and doing other things.  His manager guy that set up the fights compared him to a BMW and me to a slugbug.  He thinks he’s better than me and on a different level and that’s fine.  He can think that, but when I whoop his ass, what’s he gonna think?  What, is he gonna retire because I’m not supposed to be that good or is he gonna recognize that I’m talented and he called out the wrong mother f*cker.

Head knows that to win this fight, he’ll have to push himself beyond his limits.

“There are times in fights, say you’re on your back or you’re tired midway through the third round,” explained Head.  ”Something’s gonna happen, and you have to think you can do it.  If you think you can’t do it, believe it as a fact, then you can’t do it.  Anything you think you can do, anything you tell yourself you can do, your mind will overcome.  Whether you want to believe it or not, no matter how tired you are, if you push your mind to push your body, your body will keep going.  It may not feel good, you may feel like sh*t the next day, but it’ll be worth it.”

Daniel feels that a victory over Thomas will propel him to the next level.

You don’t book a fight against a guy like Ryan Thomas unless you’re trying to get to the next level.  I feel like Ryan Thomas and myself are at the Bellator level, the Strikeforce level, the UFC level and what I can get by beating Thomas is to prove that I belong in one of those bigger organizations.  It’s cool that Colosseum Combat was able to book us both to fight and as soon as I get a couple wins over a guy like Ryan Thomas, I’ll hopefully get a contract like his.  I’m glad (Mark) Slater was able to book this fight now while we’re both still young in our careers.  If he’s looking to use me as a stepping stone, I hate to break it to him, but I hope he’s happy with what his show money is because he’s not getting anything else.

Daniel has big plans for 2011.  He wants to push himself and prove to everyone that he does belong in the big shows.  He knows he missed an opportunity last year with The Ultimate Fighter but he feels 2011 is going to start great with a victory over Ryan Thomas and he’s not going to slow down from there.

“I just know that I will win”, said an excited Daniel Head.  ”There’s no doubt in my mind that when I show up on Saturday there will not have been a better “me” ever.  If Ryan Thomas were to beat me then he’s pretty damn good.  I’ve never been better.”

Daniel would like to thank his sponsors, WSBC and he’s having the after-party at The Social.  He’d also like to thank Team IBJJ out of Greenwood and Team Garra MMA out of Kokomo.  ”With my training camps, I couldn’t do it, there’s no way,” said Daniel.  ”If it wasn’t for people pushing me, I wouldn’t get better.”

Interview with Daniel Head

CageCraze.com Profile: Casey “Hellbent” Huffman

Photo: Mark Perry of MPFotografie

Casey Huffman has been a fixture in the Indiana fight scene for the past three years.  The middleweight training out of Kokomo, Indiana considers himself a striker, although he also teaches Brazilian jiu jitsu at the Garra BJJ gym.  Casey took 2010 by storm, winning all three of his professional fights by stoppage, but he’s not slowing down now.  When Yancy Medeiros was forced to withdraw from a Strikeforce Challengers fight due to a training injury, Casey answered the call and stepped up to face UFC veteran John Salter on short notice.  He will be making his Strikeforce debut this upcoming Friday, January 7th in Nashville, his first ever fight outside the state of Indiana and he assures us that he’s not overwhelmed

Casey took the time out of his busy training and work schedule to talk with CageCraze.com for an interview.

Can you tell us a little bit about Garra BJJ in Kokomo, Indiana?

It started off small.  It actually started off in a garage, the owner Tony Wright’s garage.  He lived in Brazil and trained a lot.  We’re actually a Barbosa affiliate from Brazil and it’s pretty amazing.  It’s really catching on.  People are actually realizing that it’s an established, great place to train.  People are travelling to train with us.  I actually trained my last opponent, from my last fight in October.  He came over and trains with us now.  You’ve got Dan Head running the MMA program over there who is a very established fighter and one of my best friends in the whole world.  We’re really starting to gain momentum.  People are finally starting to notice when we go to a fight and there’s three or four of our guys showing up to an event and we’re going 4-0, 5-0.  People are finally starting to recognize us.

Can you tell us about your life trying to balance being a fighter with working a 9-5 job?

It’s tough, it’s very tough.  I work at a factory.  I work for Chrysler at a Die Cast plant so I’m on my feet working all day.  There are days where I come home and I don’t want to get up.  I don’t want to get up and lift weights.  I don’t want to get up and go train jiu jitsu or Muay Thai or anything.  I’m thankful for having a good woman behind me, my fiancé Michelle, she pushes me, “Come on this is your dream!  It’s time to get up, it’s time to go!  You don’t have time to be tired right now.”  It’s hard trying to balance everything but I have a really good family and they’re all behind me backing me in all of this.  It’s tough but they help me make it through.

You mentioned the family, just how important is your family in your career right now?

It’s one of the most important things.  I think if I didn’t have a big family supporting me I don’t think there’s any way I could be doing this right now.  It’s hard sometimes because I have young children and I hate being away so much because to be in shape, to be really good at this sport, you have to donate a lot of time on top of also having a 9-5 job so you’re gone a lot.  I hate being away, but I try to make special time when we are together.  It’s important, they’re my driving force in all of this.

Family even helped create Casey’s nickname

When I told my mother I was gonna start cagefighting.  She said to me, “You’re absolutely hellbent on giving me a heart attack aren’t you?”  It just kinda stuck. (laughs)

You mentioned your opponent from your last fight against Roberto Nieto, he really gave you a stern test.  Your first two professional fights were really quick where you blitzed your opponents and got a first round stoppage.  What did you learn about yourself from a tougher test like that fight?

I really learned that I can be faced with tough opposition, you know?  A lot of my amateur fights and my first couple pro fights, like you said I blitzed through the guys.  I kinda got caught in a position against Robbie where he was taking my best shots and maybe they would wobble him, maybe they would knock him down but he’d keep coming.  The guy was like the energizer bunny, he’s got heart.  The biggest heart I’ve ever seen from any fighter in my life.  It’s like no matter what you do he’ll keep coming.  I remember in between the 2nd and 3rd round telling my corner that I think I’m gonna have to hit the guy with an anvil to get him outta here.  I learned that I can really push through and that I’m pretty decent in all areas.  I always question myself because you always have to question your cardio, question your heart if you go into the later rounds.  Your burst and your brute strength are gone later in a fight.  You’re exhausted, you’re winded but you’re still fighting and I proved to myself that I can do that.

All of your amateur and professional fights have been in Indiana.  What’s it like stepping out into new territory in Nashville for your Strikeforce debut?

It’s actually exciting really.  I took the fight on very short notice so that alleviates some of the nerves because no one really knows who I am or what I’m capable of.  My dream is to fight and my dream is to fight at the big shows so this opportunity is really exciting.

Can you tell us a little bit about your mindset taking a fight on short notice?

My mindset is pretty good.  I try to stay in shape all the time.  I’m not the type of guy that puts on a lot of weight in between fights.  I try to always eat healthy, stay in pretty good shape and I try to make sure I’m always 2-3 weeks out of being in prime shape for a fight.  Obviously it’s always best to have 6-8 weeks to prepare for a fight but I think when you stay in shape, you can keep your mind focused on your goals and you’re capable of fighting on short notice and doing it well.

What’s it like taking on an opponent like John Salter, a guy that actually earned a win in the UFC?

I haven’t watched a lot of footage on him, I’ve left that to my head trainers.  I know he’s definitely going to be my biggest challenge so far.  He fought in the UFC, I believe he wrestled in college near Missouri and he’s been training in some really good camps for a long time.  It’s one of those things where it’s a surreal experience.  I’m gonna be in there with one of the toughest guys around.  The guy fought in the UFC, I have great respect for anyone that does that.  If you fight there, you’re definitely one of the toughest guys around.  I have to respect every aspect of his game but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.  I’m looking to see how I fare against a guy like that.

Are you confident in your game plan against Salter?

I’m always confident in my game plan.  I think my strength in my skills is my stand up.  I know I don’t have a really good pedigree in wrestling but I’m able to use my wrestling in reverse and have a lot of success.  I have good takedown defense and I’m comfortable off my back.  If I don’t think I can get a submission there, I’m able to get the fight back to my feet.  I’m confident in my skills and I think I really have a good chance at this.  I know I’m the underdog by quite a bit because nobody really knows anything about me going into this because he’s already had fights on the big show and has been training and winnings against some top guys.

Are you feeling any extra pressure considering how big of a career opportunity this is?

As of right now, I know it’s kinda early in my pro career because I’m only 3-0 but I just turned 30 years old this past July.  I feel like maybe it’s not so much my days are numbered right now but they could be getting that way and my opportunities are gonna come short the older I get.  When I got this opportunity I knew there was no way I was gonna turn it down.  If this is the only opportunity I have, I have to capitalize on it.  I’m not feeling any extra pressure because this is one of my dreams.  I’ve always wanted to fight.  Ever since I started I wanted to be in the big shows.  I wanted to be one of the recognizable faces in MMA so I feel like this is my opportunity.  Really, there’s no pressure at all.  I’m just excited to be here.

Interview with Casey “Hellbent” Huffman

Cagecraze was live at 8 Seconds Saloon this Saturday night for Legends Of Fighting 42:  Smashing Pumpkins for some premier mixed martial arts action.  In action were local mma standouts Daniel Head, Matt Jaggers, and Orville Smith as well a slew of young up and coming prospects.

Amateur Card:

Josh Raney vs Kenny Day

Ranay comes out with some kicks and engages into a thai clinch but is put on his back and quickly mounted by Day who lands short shots from mount until referee Dave Stone is forced to step in and stop the fight.  Kenny Day wins via TKO ref stoppage at 1:00 in the first round.

Bryant Whitaker vs B.J Becker

Whitaker comes out the aggressor and lands a glancing super man punch and Becker looks to shoot.  Becker shoots a double leg takedown into the fence and is able to slam Whitaker to the canvas.  Whitaker is warned for an elbow to the back of the head.  Becker works inside Whitakers guard as he looks for a submission from his back.  Becker is able to pass to mount and takes the back to end the first round.  The second round begins with
Whitaker coming in but Becker is able to duck a punch and slam Whitaker with a body-lock takedown.  After ref Dave Stone stands them up Whitaker lands a leg kick but is rewarded with a takedown from Becker.  Becker finishes the round with some small shots from within the guard.  The third round starts with both fighters coming out timid but Becker comes in and is able to get a takedown against the cage and starts working from inside the guard once again.  After a triangle attempt from Whitaker, Becker is able to pass to north-south before being put back in guard before the end of the round.  The judges score it 30-27 unanimously for the winner B.J. Becker.

After a rather entertaining costume contest (won by Candice Clingerman) we get back to the fights!

Ed Croom vs Ryan Sheppard 205 lb title fight

Croom finishing Sheppard with a deep RNC

Croom comes out immediately looking for the takedown and gets Sheppard to the ground and works form half-guard.  Sheppard gives up his back to avoid damage and Croom softens him up with some small shots then locks up the rear naked choke to get the tap midway through the first round.  Croom wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:29 in round one.

Pro Card:

Brad Smith vs. Chris Camacho

Both fighters come out ready to swing with Camacho landing first and after a couple of missed exchanges Camacho gets a bear hug takedown against the cage. After a failed slam attempt and an accidental head-butt, referee Dave Stone administers a one point penalty for the foul.  The fight ends after the doctor doesn’t clear Smith after the foul and the fight is declared a disqualification.  Brad Smith is awarded the win by DQ at 1:09 in round 1.

Darnell Davis vs. Josh Burgess

Burgess immediately looks for the takedown but is met with a guillotine attempt from Davis.  Burgess presses Davis into the cage but is put to his back and mounted in the guillotine choke.  Burgess works his way free and re-guards.  Davis works hard body shots from within the guard.  Davis is able to posture up and land some hard punches that force Dave Stone to step in and call an in to the bout.  Davis is awarded the victory due to referee stoppage at 3:58 in the first round.

Matt Jaggers vs. Mark Neville

Neville comes out the aggressor landing first, Jaggers lands a hard body shot.  Jaggers misses a head kick and slips and Neville rushes him and lands a knee.  Jaggers lands a hard jab and shoots a double leg takedown and slams Neville to the mat.  Neville works elbows from inside the guard while Jaggers postures up and lands some hard punches along with some elbows that stun Neville.  Jaggers passes the guard and takes the back of Neville and lands heavy shots from the position that coax referee Dave Stone to step in and end the bout.  Matt Jaggers is awarded the victory by TKO referee stoppage at 2:56 in round 1.

Co-Main Event

Orville Smith vs. Jeremy Pender

Pender's finishing Armbar

Smith comes out looking for a takedown but is unsuccessful Smith starts connecting on his feet with some dirty boxing against the cage.  Smith picks up a single leg and slams Pender to the canvas and works from side control before he is put back into guard by Pender.  Smith works some heavy elbows from within the guard as Pender cuts the angle looking for an armbar attempt.  Pender locks up the armbar and after a long struggle is able to force Smith to his back and finish the armbar.  Pender wins via submission(armbar) at 4:41 in round one.

Main Event

Daniel Head vs. York Ash

Referee Dave Stone stops the bout

After an entertaining Sesame Street themed walkout dressed as Burt accompanied by Ernie, Dan Head enters the cage.  Head comes out and lands a leg kick early and York Ash works into the clinch.  After separating Head lands a perfectly timed head kick that lands flush with Ash’s orbital bone.  Ash returns the favor but his kick is caught and he is slammed to the ground and his guard his quickly passed.  Head transitions to mount and lands short elbows from the dominant position.  After several unanswered punches from both mount and rear mount referee Dave stone calls and end to the fight near the end of the first round.  Dan Head wins via TKO due to ref stoppage at 3:51.

Quick Results:

Amateurs:

Kenny Day defeated Joe Raney via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 1:00 of the 1^st Round

BJ Becker defeated Bryant Whitaker via Unanimous Decision  30-27

Ed Croom defeats Ryan Sheppard via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 1:29 of the 1st Round

Professionals:

Bruce Pettis interviews Head after his win

Brad Smith  gets the win over Chris Camacho via Disqualification from head butt in 1:01 of the 1^st Round

Darnell Davis defeats Josh Burgess via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 3:58 of the 1^st Round

Matt Jaggers defeats Mark Neville via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 2:56 of the 1^st Round

Jeremy Pender defeats Orville Smith via Tapout due to Armbar in 4:41 of the 1^st Round

Dan Head defeats York Ash via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 3:51 of the 1^st Round

LFC Legends of Fighting Championship 42 “Smashin’ Pumpkins”

Amateur Card:

Austin Tweedy vs. Henry Goonen

Tweedy began the fight with a barrage of punches that left Goonen covering up.  Tweedy was able to recognize Goonen’s cover and shoot for a double leg takedown.  After Tweedy worked his ground and pound for a brief period, he let Goonen stand-up.  Goonen was able to use the stand-up to his advantage and land a big left, rocking Tweedy.  Tweedy responded by stepping back, shaking his head, and shooting in for yet another takedown.  While on the ground, Tweedy postured up from Goonen’s guard and threw a big, looping overhand right that connected with Goonen’s right eye.  Goonen was visibly hurt from the punch and was asked if he wished to continue from the referee.  Goonen responded by verbally conceding the match, thus giving Tweedy the victory.

Aaron Clark vs. Ryan Etter

Etter began the fight with a kick to obtain a feel for Clark’s range.  Clark responded with a shot that pinned Etter against the cage.  Clark was able to pass to half-guard, but only temporarily.  From guard, Etter was able to land a series of elbows and set-up an armbar.  Clark was able to slam Etter to escape the armbar and upset in the first round.

Round two began the same as the first with Etter “testing the waters” with a kick.  Unfortunately for him, he slipped and Clark bull rushed him.  Etter was able to maintain his composure and sink in a triangle.  Despite Clark’s best efforts, he was not able to escape.  Clark was forced to tap, giving Etter the victory.

Matt Perry vs. Clay Mundy

Perry Sinking in the finishing choke

As the fight began, respect for one another was evident.  Both spent a period feeling each other out.  Mundy was the first to initiate contact with a kick.  Perry responded with a double-leg takedown.  Perry was able to land an elbow that aided in his attempt to pass Mundy’s guard.  After the elbow, Mundy only temporarily relinquished half-guard to Perry.  As the round came to an end, Perry was able to land numerous shots from Mundy’s guard.

The second round of the bout began with Perry yet again shooting in on Mundy.  Mundy was able to catch Perry’s attempt and establish position on Perry (via underhooks).  While in a dominant position, Mundy was able to land a big shot on Perry that caused Perry to shoot.  Yet again, Mundy caught Perry’s shot and put him in a guillotine.  Perry was able to withstand Mundy’s submission attempt and cause Mundy to roll for a better position.  While Mundy rolled, Perry caught him and was able to take his back.  From Mundy’s back, Perry cinched in both of his hooks and was able to apply a rear-naked choke.  Mundy was unable to defend the choke, thus giving Perry the victory.

Jacob Hurlock vs. Dakota Kunkler

Seconds before the end of the round

Hurlock began the fight with two consecutive leg kicks and followed them up with a shot.  Hurlock was able to land in Kunkler’s half-guard.  From Kunkler’s half-guard, Hurlock postured up and landed consecutive shots.  With a fear the ref may stop the bout, Kunkler did everything he could to pull Hurlock back to him.  The two then sat in a stale mate, thus prompting the referee to stand them up.  Subsequent to the stand up, Hurlock clinched landing a knee to Kunkler’s groin.  The bout was then called to a halt to give Kunkler time to recover.  After the five minute break, Hurlock attempted a right kick to Kunkler’s head only to slip and fall to the mat.  Kunkler recognized the slip instantly and rushed towards his fallen opponent only to be met by an up-kick and the sound of the bell.

Round two began with Hurlock again taking Kunkler down.  After the takedown, the two fought for position with neither advancing.  The fight continued to be even until Kunkler was able to attempt an omoplata.  Hurlock was able to roll out of Kunkler’s submission attempt and land in side-mount.  From side-mount Hurlock landed a huge right that cut Kunkler.  This cut was ultimately the cause for the doctor stoppage at the end of round.

Jade McCammon vs. Matt Meyer

McCammon begins the fight with a shot that trapped Meyer against the cage.  While against the cage McCammon was able to land three huge blows that stunned Meyer.  After the blow, McCammon let Meyer back up only to hit another clean double leg takedown.  Round one completed as the two fought for position while on the mat.

Meyer was the aggressor as round two began.  He threw a kick that was caught by McCammon.  While standing and still holding on to Meyer’s leg, McCammon threw consecutive punches with each one landing.  After the barrage of punches, the fight went back to where the first finished.  McCammon was able to land shots from Meyer’s guard.  The punches eventually allowed McCammon to move to half-guard as the round finished.

The third and final round started with McCammon picking up right where he had finished the second round.  McCammon’s ground and pound proved to be too much for Meyer, as McCammon was awarded the win via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Mike Eikenberry vs. Kenzey Scott

Eikenberry sinks in the finishing Von Flue Choke

Eikenberry opened the fight with back-to-back legs kicks and a bull rush that forced Scott to the cage.  While in the clinch (against the cage), Eikenberry landed a huge knee to Scott’s midsection that dropped him (Scott).  As the fight went to the mat, Eikenberry landed in half-guard and worked with instruction from his corner.  As the round came to an end, Scott was able to flip Eikenberry with an impressive attempt at a reverse triangle.

Eikenberry came out in the second round with a distinctive change in his attitude.  He moved directly to the clinch and took Scott back to the mat.  From side-mount Eikenberry was able to cinch in a Von Flue choke and award himself the victory.

Professional Card:

Darrell Smith vs. Bryan Neville

The fight began with a shot from Smith.  Neville attempted to escape Smith’s shot, but to his demise was pinned against the fence and slammed.  After the slam, Smith let Neville up and was able to lock on a muay thai clinch.  From the clinch, Smith landed numerous knees.  As Neville started to fall from the knees, Smith caught him and locked in a guillotine.  Neville was forced to tap as the guillotine was inescapable.

Later in the evening, Neville purposed to his girlfriend.  She said yes.  We at CageCraze.com wish them the best in the future.

Adam Brady vs. Ryan McIntosh

McIntosh with the finishing Triangle Choke

Brady’s game plan was apparent as he seemingly pulled McIntosh into his guard as the fight commenced.  Unfortunately for Brady, McIntosh landed in half-guard.  From there McIntosh was able to set up an armbar.  Brady was able to escape the armbar, but McIntosh transitioned right into a triangle choke.  The triangle proved to be too much for Brady as he was forced to submit.

Robbie Nieto vs. Casey Huffman

Both fighters began tentative, as both threw jabs to test distance and reaction.  Nieto threw the first strike that connected (leg kick), but Huffman’s straight right counter proved to be harder as Nieto was dropped to the canvas.  Nieto was able to regain his composure and get back to his feet.  Huffman followed his right with two consecutive kicks that echoed throughout the building.  Following the kicks, Huffman threw yet another kick, but this time to Nieto’s head.  The kick stunned Nieto, but he had no time to recover as Huffman followed with two huge rights.  The round ended with the momentum in Huffman’s corner.

Round two commenced with Huffman yet again dropping Nieto.  Huffman let Nieto stand back up and threw a knee that connected with Nieto’s groin.  Huffman was deducted a point for the groin shot after being warned in round one to watch his strike positioning.  After the five minutes that Nieto was awarded to recover, Nieto shot in only to be stuffed by Huffman.  After being stuffed, Nieto’s persistence (and heart) was shown as he was finally able to shoot and achieve a takedown.

Huffman worked one-two combos as round three began.  Huffman was able to land a big right that rocked Nieto.  Nieto’s only response was to shoot.  Huffman, again, stuffed Nieto’s shot, but this time was able to take Nieto down and land in side-mount.  From this position, Huffman set-up an arm triangle choke that forced Nieto to submit.

Minun Shaw Bradbury vs. Nick Kraus

Kraus begins with a shot, but is met with a knee from Bradbury.  Kraus was able to push through the knee un-phased and land in Bradbury’s guard.  Bradbury attempted a triangle multiple times, but was unsuccessful.  Kraus’ patience throughout Bradbury’s submission attempts paid off, as he was eventually able to pass Bradbury’s guard and sink in an arm triangle choke for the win.

Main Event

Dustin Neace vs. Joel Blanton

The hype behind the main-event was apparent as the crowd was in a constant roar from beginning to end.  The bout began with the ex-teammates feeling one another out and testing the distance with their jabs.  Blanton proved to be the aggressor as he led with a flurry of punches and an inside leg kick.  Blanton then faked another combination of punches and shot for a takedown.  From there, Blanton was able to pass to half-guard and then to side-mount.  Neace was eventually able to bring the fight back to the feet and let his hands go.  In attempt to avoid Neace’s flurry, Blanton shot, but was caught with a knee that knocked him to the mat.  Neace’s fight experience was shown as he pounced on Blanton and was relentless with his fists.  Neace’s flurry forced referee Don Clift to step-in and call a halt to the bout, therefore, giving Neace the technical knockout victory and the 145 championship belt.

Quick Results:

Amateur Bouts:

Austin Tweedy defeated Henry Goonen by verbal submission in 2:41 of the 1st round

Ryan Etter defeated Aaron Clark via Tapout due to Triangle Choke in 1:57 of the 2nd Round

Matt Perry defeated Clay Mundy via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 2:00 of the 2nd Round

Jacob Hurlock defeated Dakota Kunkler via Doctor Stoppage in 0:00 of the 3rd Round

Jade McCammom defeats Matt Meyer via unanimous decision (30-27)

Mike Eikenberry defeated Kenzy Scott via Tapout due to Von Flue Choke in 1:27 of the 2nd Round

Pro Bouts:

Darrell Smith defeated Bryan Neville via Tapout due to Guillotine Choke in :-0:58 of the 1st Round

Ryan McIntosh defeated Adam Brady via Triangle Choke in 1:36 of the 1st Round

Casey Huffman defeated Robbie Nirto via Tapout due to Arm Triangle in 2:58 of the 3^rd Round

Nick Kraus defeated Minun Shaw Bradberry via Tapout due to Arm Triangle in 3:53 of the 1^st Round

Dustin Neace defeated Joal Blanton via Referee stoppage due to strikes in 3:43 of the 1^st Round

Colosseum Combat XV (15)

Article by: Thomas McDaniel

Featured Fighter: Daniel Head

Goonen finshing Titus with a Rear Naked Choke

In the first amateur bout of the evening was Brian Titus vs. Henry Goonen. Titus looks for an early takedown but is shrugged off by Goonen, who returns fire with a quick flurry that forces Titus to the ground. Henry makes quick work of taking the back and finishing with a rear naked choke at 2:02 in the first round.

The next bout featured heavyweights Cornelius George vs. Brian “Boximus Prime” Sheriff. Both fighters come out and look hesitant to exchange on their feet. Cornelius engages the clinch and forces Sheriff into the cage where he secures a takedown into side control. George lands some elbows and knees and takes Brian’s back at the end of the round. The 2^nd round opens with Cornelius shooting a single leg and slamming Sheriff and ending up in side control. From there Cornelius is able to pass and land hard elbows from mount forcing the ref to stop the fight via TKO due to strikes at 1:42 in the second round.

The third fight pitted youngsters Jacob Hurlock against Chris Robertson. Hurlock comes out looking to land some strikes and does just that connecting with some knees from the clinch and some short punches. The onslaught forces Robertson to shoot for a takedown only to be countered by Hurlock who ends up taking the back and softening Robertson up with some strikes before transitioning to a beautiful armbar from the back to force the tap at 1:26 in the first round.

Porter finishing Lopez with Triangle/Armbar

The next bout showcased Orlando Lopez vs. James Porter. Porter is the first to attack and lands a nice head kick that surprises Lopez. Porter then shoots in after a feint and gets the takedown into Lopez’ halfguard, but during a quick scramble Porter takes the back of Lopez who quickly stands up and presses Porter into the cage. Lopez is able to spin into Porters guard after they hit the ground but leaves an arm across his opponent’s body which Porter uses to set up a quick armbar. Lopez is able to escape back into Porters guard but is met with a triangle/armbar in which he has no answer and is forced to tap at 2:23 in the very first round.

The last amateur affair set to take place sets Mike “Twice as Nice” Eikenberry vs. Brandon Bolt. Eikenberry lands some kicks to the leg and to the body early but is soon taken down with a big slam by Bolt, who lands in guard, but Eikenberry wastes no time and secures an armbar just 53 seconds in the first round to get the tap.

After a brief intermission we move on to the professional bouts for the evening.

In the first matchup of middleweights, Jason Wilson takes on Kevin McIntosh. McIntosh shoots in quick but is met with a standing guillotine by Wilson who chokes McIntosh unconscious only 43 seconds into the opening round.

Rosenbaum putting the finishing G&P to Clark

In the next pro bout is Chris “The Fireman” Clark vs. Jake Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum wastes no time as he shoots in early securing a takedown against the cage. He postures up in the guard and works some brutal ground and pound till the guard is opened. Once open he is able to pass to mount where he puts an end to the bout with hard strikes from the top that forces the ref to intervene and call an end to the bout at 2:49 in the first round.

The third pro showdown featured Josh Kinser making his pro debut against Mark Neville. After a quick feeling out process in which the two exchange kicks, Kinser is able to catch a kick and send Neville to his back. Kinser is able to posture up in the guard and land some good punches that force Neville to open his guard which allows Josh to pass into mount. From the mounted position Kinser lands vicious elbows and punches that convince Neville to give up the back in order to find another way to escape. Kinser secures the rear naked choke to end the bout at 2:32 into the opening round.

Dyer agressivly looks for an opening to finish Wilson

The next fight showcased undefeated Casey Dyer vs. Matt Wilson. Wilson comes out the aggressor with punches and tie’s Dyer up in the clinch against the cage. Wilson lowers into a double but leaves his neck out which Dyer latches onto with a guillotine that forces a scramble back to their feet. Casey lets his hands go and also lands some knees from the thai clinch that force Wilson into the fetal position where he remained as Dyer peppered him with shots while looking at the ref to call a stop to the bout. Dyer was awarded the TKO after a few more hard shots when the ref finally stepped in at 2:37 in the first round.

In a lightweight battle Keith Jasmantas faced Bryan “The Bear” Neville. They trade punches and Neville initiates the clinch and gets a takedown but winds up in guillotine which Jasmantas’ uses to sweep Neville into mount where he uses effective ground and pound to force Neville to tapout due to strikes at 2:17 in the first round.

The next fight featured cage veteran and Premier Cage Fighting’s President Aaron Sullivan vs. Tim Duncan. Sullivan avoids the strikes of Duncan and works into an over-under position against the cage. Duncan throws some knees to the body but Sullivan times his throw when Duncan was mid knee and gets the takedown into mount. Duncan is able to control the posture of Sullivan and is able to reverse the position. From the guard Sullivan tries to secure an arm triangle but to no avail, he is successful in sweeping Duncan to his back though and takes the back to end the round. Duncan comes out with small 1-2’s and lands a straight right that he followed up with a successful takedown and ends up in Sullivans halfguard. Duncan lands some small shots and some glancing elbows to end the 2^nd round. Sullivan is unable to answer the bell for the third round and Duncan is awarded the TKO.

Co-Main Event:  David Love vs. Ryan McIntosh

Love Throwing a cobination before securing a takedown

In the Co-Main Event David “The Doctor” Love met Ryan “The Machine Gun” McIntosh. Love avoids some head kicks and strikes early and is able to get the takedown from the clinch. Love works ground and pound from the guard while McIntosh works some elbows from his back. The ref stands them back up after a while of inactivity. McIntosh comes out swinging throwing some looping punches and head kicks none of them really connecting. Love is able to time a kick and get another takedown at the end of the round. Round 2 starts and there is a quick exchange of punches one of which being a superman punch from Love that he used to set up another takedown. After defending an armbar from McIntosh, Love controls the action until the ref stands them up. The ref deducted a point from McIntosh after he grabbed the fence numerous times. Love finished the round with a big slam right before the bell rang. The 3^rd round began with a flurry of knees to the midsection of Love courtesy of McIntosh. Love gets a trip takedown and passes to side control and forces a tap due to strikes at 1:22 in the final round.

Winner Takes All – Main Event: Daniel Head vs. Rocky France

Head securing the winning triangle/armbar

In the much anticipated Main Event of the evening hometown favorite Dan Head took on the tough Rocky France. After entertaining entrances from both of the fighters the fight was set to begin. Dan Head came out quick and secured a double leg takedown and quickly passes to side control on Rocky. As Head looked to secure position France was able to muscle him over into Head’s guard where he worked a slow controlled ground and pound attack. The ref stands em up after a stalemate and the round ends with Head getting a clinch takedown. The crowd erupts into a “Rocky” chant in between rounds that seems right out of a movie. As the second round begins there is a quick exchange of punches before Head clinches and pulls guard. France works some small shots from inside the guard but leaves an arm on the mat which Head quickly attacks with a kimura. The kimura attempt almost sweeps France but he grabs the cage to prevent the sweep then slips his arm out of the kimura. They scramble to their feet and Head attempts another takedown but settles to pull guard and that ends the second round. The 3^rd round begins and Head lets his hands go and lands some uppercuts as Rocky tries to clinch, they exchange some knees one of which lands to the groin of Head which is followed by a break in the action as he recovered from the unintentional blow. After the break Head engages and clinches Rocky against the cage where he lands a few punches before Rocky gets the takedown. After a few heavy shots from France, Head is able to setup a triangle and force Rocky to tap with an armbar from the position. Dan Head rallies from behind to get the win at 2:09 in the final round.

Quick Results

Amateur Bouts:

Henry Goonen defeated Brian Titus via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 2:02 of the 1st Round

Cornelius George defeated Brian Sheriff via Tapout due to strike in 1:42 of the 2nd Round

Jacob Hurlock defeated Chris Robertson via Tapout due to Armbar in 1:26 of the 1st Round

James Porter defeated Orlando Lopez via Verbal Submission due to Armbar in 2:23 of the 1st Round

Mike Eikenberry defeated Brandon Bolt via Tapout due to Armbar in 0:53 of the 1st Round

Pro Bouts:

Jason Wilson defeated Kevin McIntosh via Choke out due to Standing Guillotine in 0:43 of the 1st Round

Jake Rosenbaum defeated Chris Clark via TKO in 2:49 of the 1st Round

Josh Kinser defeated Mark Neville via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 2:32 of the 1st Round

Casey Dyer defeated Matt Wilson via TKO in 2:37 of the 1st Round

Kieth Jasmantas defeated Bryan Neville via Tapout due to Stikes in 2:17 of the 1st Round

Tim Duncan defeated Aaron Sullivan via could not answer the bell in 0:00 of the 3rd Round

David Love defeated Ryan McIntosh via Tapout due to strikes in 1:22 of the 3rd Round

Dan Head defeated Rocky France via Tapout due to Armbar in 2:05 of the 3rd Round

Colosseum Combat XIV (14)

Iron Cage Clash presents “Premier Challengers” was held at the Hamilton County 4H Fairgrounds in Noblesville, IN on Saturday July 24^th, 2010. This event included 19 amateur MMA bouts along with a women’s grappling match. Winners from this night’s action have the opportunity to fight on the next Premier Cage Fighting card, Total Warrior Challenge 7 which will be broadcast on Comcast on Demand. In a patriotic moment before the hard-hitting action began, all the fighters walked out following an American flag and lined the ring as the national anthem was sung. The fighters were all given a round of applause and the fight card was set to begin.

Fight one saw Jacob Sorrecs facing off against Anthony “Obamanator” Hill. The bout starts off with Hill landing a big leg kick on Sorrecs. They clinch and both fighters hit the mat, Sorrecs goes for a guillotine but Hill escapes and gets half guard before quickly gaining mount. Jacob reverses this position but as he does Hill goes for an armbar attempt which is unsuccessful, but he quickly turns it into a tight, finishing triangle choke. Anthony Hill wins via triangle choke 1:09 of round one.

Beals sinking in the winning armbar

The next fight was between Matthew Snyder and Josh Beals who was making his cage debut. Matt starts out with a leg kick as both fighters look tentative to commit on their feet. Beals misses with a kick and eats a few short punches. Beals gets an early takedown with Snyder going for a guillotine which Beals shakes off as he gets side control. Josh lands three big knees to the ribs of Snyder. One more big knee before he mounts Matt. He passes back into side control and goes for an arm triangle choke but can’t fully get into position for it and gives up the hold. Beals attempts a very quick armbar from the mounted position but Snyder peppers his ribs and stays calm as the bell ends the round. Round two begins with a couple of kicks from Matt followed by a big right hand which lands from Beals. Two more leg kicks from Matt before he eats a big punch which allows Beals to clinch and he gets a huge slam on Matt followed by a couple quick shots. He then gets the mount position but is met from several shots from Snyder on bottom. Beals attempts a kimura but is unsuccessful. Snyder escapes just before the bell but eats a big shot as the round comes to an end. They touch gloves to begin the 3^rd round. Matt lands a few shots before he is slammed very hard from Beals. He quickly gets into position and goes for the armbar and gets the tapout with 1:08 of round 3, bowing to the crowd after the victory. Beals looked extremely active and confident in his wrestling especially for someone making their cage debut, good fight from both.

Fight three saw Randy Fields vs. Martin “No Mercy” Sandage. Fields starts the fight out with a leg kick followed by several good shots. Martin quickly takes him down and begins to rain shots before sinking in a tight guillotine choke at 1:03 of round 1. Martin Sandage via guillotine 1:03 round 1.

The next bout was between “Kid Dynamite” Jake Nealy and the much taller Sean Silvers. The fight begins with a quick touch of gloves and a simultaneous takedown from Nealy.    With the crowd booing Nealy for the apparent “cheap shot” (as one crowd member shouted) Silvers gets back to his feet but eats a big knee to the face. The fight is brought back to the mat where Nealy sinks in a finishing arm triangle choke 1:00 into round 1 for the victory.

Fight five pitted Julian Carrillo against Jon Gardner. Julian throws a few quick leg kicks to start the round. Jon goes for a takedown followed by a guillotine choke but his shoulder pops out of socket. Julian Carrillo is declared the winner by tapout due to injury 0:25 into round 1.

The next bout saw Mike “Maniac” Gillman vs. Jeremy “All Day Long” Ducheteau. Mike misses with a huge right to begin the round. Both fighters go to the mat and Mike quickly goes for a guillotine but has the position reversed and Jeremy goes for the rear-naked choke. Mike throws shots from the bottom then reverses the position. Mike gets a huge slam on Ducheteau followed by vicious blows which end Jeremy’s night 1:07 of round 1 due from TKO from strikes.

Hampton setting up the rear naked choke

Fight 7 was a lightweight bout between Matt Dillon and Shawn “Half Breed Beast” Hamton. Matt lands a quick leg kick to begin the fight and eats a straight right from Shawn. Dillon is in the kneeling position trying to get back up while Shawn begins hit him with several unanswered shots. He works for the RNC as he continues to rain down shots. A great body triangle from Shawn allows him to keep the hold tight and eventually sink in the rear-naked choke 1:45 of round one. Shawn Hamton wins via RNC 1:45 into round one in an impressive performance.

The next bout saw Daniel Moore vs. Austin “Rain Man” Burke. Austin catches Daniel’s kick early on and slams him to the canvas. Both fighters lock up guillotines but neither have it deep enough to threaten, both are really just holding on for position. Burke gets the mount position and starts to rain down heavy body shots and head shots. Burke goes for an armbar attempt which is close but Moore pulls out only to fall into an even better triangle from Burke and is forced to tap 2:20 into round one. Burke looked impressive and confident in this bout especially on the ground.

Knock Out of the Night

The next fight was between Kyle Mccammack and Wade Fitzpatrick. Both fighters touch gloves and Kyle starts out with a huge right hand which lands flush buckling Wade and dropping him to the canvas. Kyle thinking the fight was over walks away momentarily but the ref motions to keep fighting. He quickly jumps on Wade and unleashes several more crushing shots overwhelming Wade and knocking him out. By far, this was the knockout of the night and also set a new Iron Cage Clash record for quickest knockout. Mccammack wins 0:07 into round 1 via brutal KO in his cage debut.

Women’s Grappling Match

Borges looks for the takedown

The next bout was a women’s grappling match between Katie Fry and Caylea Borges. Katie goes for a quick standing guillotine but Caylea reverses it. Once on the ground Katie again tries to secure the guillotine but Caylea remains calm and stacks Fry eventually gaining mount. Caylea finally gets out of the guillotine and gains full mount. Fry rolls giving Borges her back and Borges quickly attempts a rear naked choke, but the round ends before she succeeds. Katie begins the second round with another standing guillotine attempt and pulls guard with it. Caylea quickly gains full mount and almost simultaneously transitions to side mount. From there Caylea executes a von flue choke leaving Katie tapping out at 0:53 into the second round. The crowd was really pumped up during this female grappling bout, both fighters showcased solid ground skills during this contest.

Fight 11 saw Dustin Gardner vs. Ryan Garrity. Both fighters start with a back-and-forth clinch battle which turned into a position battle on the ground. Ryan finally gains dominant position and gets in Dustin’s guard as Gardner goes for the triangle choke but doesn’t secure it. Ryan hits Dustin with a good uppercut but eats a couple good knees once they clinch. Ryan falls into Dustin’s guard and rains down several punches before the bell rings. The fight is called and Garrity is declared the winner 3:00 into round one due to verbal submission as Dustin chooses not to continue the bout.

Submission of the Night

In the co-main event, experienced amateur Jason Richards took on undefeated fighter “Mo” James Mogollon in a lightweight contest. James starts the fight out with a front kick and avoids a combo from Richards. He gets the clinch and slams Richards with an incredibly powerful suplex. James goes for a rear-naked choke but Jason maintains good wrist control. James delivers some extremely vicious knees to the body of Richards. Once they get back to their feet, James hops on Richards back while he is standing and locks in a fantastic rear-naked choke ending the fight 1:20 into round one. Despite a few other very good submissions, this one took the cake as it was incredibly exciting and gets Submission of the Night.

The next fight was a light-heavyweight collision between Ariel Andrade and Josh “the Bulldog” Patterson. Ariel starts the fight off with a good body kick, and quickly gets his opponents back once they are on the ground. Ariel moving fast on his feet lands six or seven big shots while on Josh’s back. Ariel suplexes Josh and lands several more shots and the fight is called 1:33 into round one. I was very impressed with Ariel at this weight class, it seems like a good weight for him as compared with him at heavyweight.

Fight of the Night

Lee throwin the round opening leg kick

Next up was fight 14 between Henry Goonen and Josh Lee. Both are tentative to start the bout with Henry landing a leg kick early, followed with a good exchange with Josh getting the best of it. The fight goes to the ground with Josh in Henry’s guard. Lee throws some knees as Henry continues holding Henry with a tight body clinch from the bottom. Back and forth shots with no significant damage from either fighter. Lee controls the fight with short shots as the round ends. Round two begins with a leg kick from Lee followed by a few punches which miss from Goonen. Lee lands another good leg kick and dodges a huge right from Henry. Lee drops Goonen with a hard shot and begins to throw knees to the body. Lee gets back up and kicks at Goonen’s legs several times as Gonnen appears content to stay on the ground. The ref stands Goonen up and they resume action. After landing a few more shots to Goonen before getting the takedown, Lee pulls off a beautiful heel hook and forces Henry to tap 2:22 into round 2.

Another co-main event bout put 9-3 Kurtis Findley up against undefeated 6-0-1 James “the Juggernaut” Brown in a lightweight contest. Brown starts out with a spinning back kick that lands but is caught with a right that knocks Brown to the canvas. Findley throws punches wildly trying to finish Brown, however Brown is quick to his feet clinching Findley and steadily drives him across the cage.  As Brown pins Findley against the cage and attempts a take-down, the fight is stopped 0:46 into round one from referee stoppage due to a cut above Browns left eye.

The next fight ended quicker than the last as heavyweights Jeff “the Juggernaut” Szakacs and Ed Leflore took to the cage. Jeff throws a high kick that missed badly to begin the fight. Ed rushes in and pounds Jeff with shots to the body and head while he tries to get back to his feet but its too late and the fight is called 0:20 into round one TKO due to strikes.

Thomas Wheeler and Dusty “Lights Out” Hampton matched up in fight 17. Dusty starts out throwing a huge bomb and both get into a good back-and-forth exchange on the feet. Dusty is winging huge rights at Thomas as they both fall to the mat. Hampton goes for a guillotine but Thomas escapes and finishes quickly with a von flue choke 1:18 into round one.

Fight 18 saw Joe Lowe vs. Jerry Brooks in a slugfest. As the fight begins Lowe comes at Brooks with several wild shots and they clinch in the corner. Lowe pulls guard and quickly gets into the mounted position. He lands several shots most of which are blocked by Brooks. Both fighters get back to their feet and a wild exchange ensues with both fighters landing multiple shots without regard to technique as the crowd gets into it. Both men are just flat out brawling at this point. More wild punches land from both as the bell rings to end the round. Round two begins with a touch of gloves and acknowledgement from both fighters as this has been a slugfest. Brooks pulls guard and quickly sinks in a guillotine choke :23 into round 2 ending the brawl. Both fighters look exhausted but embrace each other in what was a good back-and-forth standup battle.

The next fight was between ATT fighter Daniel Sansone and Jerricho Helming. Daniel began the fight with a quick takedown and both fighters reverse positions several times. Daniel goes for the rear-naked choke but Jerricho gets out and both get back to their feet. Jerricho gets a takedown and tries to land shots but Daniel has good control from bottom. Daniel gets a takedown as the round ends, but has to verbally submit due to his left shoulder popping out of socket. Jerricho is declared the winner 3:00 of round one due to verbal submission in what promised to be a good fight.

The final bout of the evening saw Chris “the Cannibal” Hole vs. Justin Moorefield. Chris goes for a takedown and Justin immediately follows with a guillotine attempt. Both get back to their feet and throw a series of kicks with both men missing. Justin hits Hole with a solid left and moves in for another guillotine attempt. The round ends in a stalemate with Justin inside Chris’s guard but he does not want to come out for round 2 and the bout is called. Chris Hole wins via verbal submission 3:00 into round one.

I.C.C presents “Premier Challengers” showcased some talented individuals who are sure to make a name for themselves in future Premier Cage Fighting events. Iron Cage Clash’s next show will take place on October 23^rd, 2010. For more details on becoming a fighter, or if you are just wanting to train; call (765-621-4105) for more information on Iron Horse Martial Arts.

Quick Results:

Anthony Hill defeated Jacob Sorrecs in the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Triangle Choke

Josh Beals defeated Matthew Snyder in 1:08 of the 3^rd Round via  Tapout due to Armbar

Martin Sandage defeated Randy Fields in 1:03 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Guillotine Choke

Jake Nealy defeated Sean Silvers in 1:00 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Arm Triangle

Julian Carrilo defeated John Gardner in 0:25 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to shoulder injury

Mike Gillman defeated Jeremy Duchetau in 1:07 of the 1^st Round via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes

Shawn Hampton defeated Matt Dillan  in 1:45 of the first Round via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

Austin Burke defeated Daniel Moore in 2:20 of the first Round via Tapout due to Triangle Choke

Kyle McCormack defeated Ward Fitzpatrick in 0:07 of the 1^st Round via KO

Caylea Borges defeated Katy Fry in 0:53 of the 2^nd Round via Tapout due to Von Flue Choke

Ryan Garrity defeated Justin Gardner in 0:00 of the 2^nd Round via Verbal Submission

James Mogollon defeated Jason Richards in 1:20 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

Ariel Andrade defeated Josh Patterson in 1:33 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Strikes

Josh Lee defeated Henry Goonen in 2:22 of the 2^nd Round via Tapout due to Heel Hook

Kurtis Finley defeated James Brown in 0:46 of the 1^st Round via Referee Stoppage due to a cut

Edward Laflore defeated Jeff Szakacs in 0:20 of the 1^st Round via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes

Thomas Wheeler defeated Dustin Hampton in 1:18 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Von Flue Choke

Jerry Brooks defeated Joseph Lowe in 0:23 of the 2^nd Round via Tapout due to Guillotine Choke

Jerricho Hemley defeated Daniel Sansone in 0:00 of the 2^nd Round via Verbal Submission

Chris Hoel defeated Justin Morfield in 0:00 of the 2^nd Round via Verbal Submission

NOTE: If there are any misspellings in names, or any corrections that need to be made, please send them to admin@cagecraze.com

ICC: Premier Challengers

Noel puts the finishing touches to the TKO

In the main event of the evening featuring two heavyweights, after an evenly-matched opening period, Dallas Woods spent the second round working ground-and-pound from inside Aaron Noel’s half guard.  In the third, Woods stuffed Noel’s initial takedown attempt but struggled from there, gassing just a minute into the round.  Noel stuffed a tired takedown attempt by Woods, then began hammering away on his turtled opponent.  From there it was only a matter of time until the ref was forced to intervene, giving Noel the TKO victory 2:06 into the third round.

In the night’s co-main event, LA Boxing’s Jake Rosenbaum took full mount against Matt Baker about 90 seconds into their fight, got separation soon after, and began raining down some punishment.  Baker desperately worked to defend but had no answers.  Baker gave up his back and then got knocked out with several devastating strikes from Rosenbaum.  The end came 2:37 into a very one-sided fight.

Ryan Story notched an impressive first round submission against veteran IBJJA fighter Justin Curtis.  Story deftly neutralized Curtis’s offense, and secured a d’arce choke on a takedown attempt by Curtis.  From there Story wrenched the neck and elicited a quick tap.  The end came 2:05 into the fight, officially from a d’arce choke but more likely by neck crank.

"Submission of the Night"

As impressive as Story’s finish was, submission of the night honors went to Sam Agushi.  Terry House flattened Agushi with a devastating right just seconds into their fight, but Agushi somehow maintained his senses enough to weather the ground assault from House that followed.  House worked knees from side control and appeared to be dictating the action.  Somehow, incredibly, Agushi slipped his leg around House’s head and set up an inverted triangle choke.  House’s tapout wasn’t caught in time and he was put to sleep, giving Agushi a stunning submission victory 1:45 into the fight.

In the evening’s other action:

Kathryn secures full mount

Kathryn Gardiner stifled Katie Fry with good guard work, then rolled Fry into full mount, brutalized her with strikes, and elicited the tapout soon after Fry gave up her back.  Gardiner’s submission victory, due to strikes, came 1:43 into the fight.

Josh Dawson sprawled nicely on Ron Marshall’s double-leg takedown attempt, then quickly took Marshall’s back to finish the fight 2:09 into the first round by a rear naked choke.

Jorge Gonzalez got the better of David Shoemaker for three rounds of action, prevailing in a unanimous 30-27 decision.

Cody Martin prevailed in a split decision over Ryan Embry.

"Fight of the Night" (L) Ralph Nurse (R) Mike White

Ralph Nurse and Mike White staged a thrilling three-round battle in the fight of the night.  White won the first two rounds on the judges’ scorecards, then desperately hung on in the third as Nurse nearly finished the fight with punishment from full mount.  Nurse’s inability to close out the fight in the waning seconds ultimately cost him a unanimous 29-28 decision loss.

Joey Ross showed a lot of heart and grit against Mike Choucalas, surviving a first round in which Ross had several teeth knocked out.  In the second though, Choucalas sprawled on a Ross takedown, then overwhelmed Ross with punches and knees, forcing referee Don Clift to intervene 1:23 into the round.

Mike Mann completely used and abused an overmatched Jon Williams en route to a lopsided TKO victory 1:45 into the fight.

In the opening fight of the night, Alex Miller quickly worked out of Jarred Ewick’s guard, jumped to full mount, and nearly secured a vicious armbar from back mount when Ewick gave up his back.  Ewick’s escape was short-lived, as Miller quickly took mount again and secured a rear naked choke 2:10 into the fight after Ewick rolled.

For great photos of this event, stay tuned to ThruMyEye.com

HFC 3 – Hoosier Fight Club 3

James Cligerman refereeing one of many matches

The Extreme Grappling Open, or EGO commenced in 2004 with a simple mission to provide an effectively run, well organized gi and no-gi (male and female) division jiu-jitsu tournament (according to their website).  In the past six years, they have done just that.  Committing to improvement year in and year out has yielded a tournament with a great reputation.  Organizations tend to prosper when the enthusiasm of their owners is observed. Both James and A.J. Clingerman actively participate in the event (via refereeing, or announcing).Seeing the creators of the tournament actually working hands-on with the tournament, instead of simply watching, shows the level of commitment each has to watching EGO prosper.

Derrell Smith puts the finishing touch on this submission.

The Extreme Grappling Open is a great place to compete for all ages and all talent levels.  “Everyone is at the level in which they need to be.  No one sandbags here and that is great.” Stated Darrell Smith (an instructor at the I.B.J.J.A).  Competing at a tournament where people truly test themselves and do not “sandbag” allows the tournament to be a true test of ability.  This also allows people who do not just practice the art of jiu-jitsu to participate.  This past event featured a number of elite to “up and coming” mixed martial artists.

Alex Miller finishing his match via Rear Naked Choke.

According to Darrell “the bulldog” Smith, a cage veteran, “EGO is a great test of endurance for cage fighters.  There are no breaks like there are in a fight (due to no strikes being permitted).  There is always a constant contact with an opponent.  This event truly is a great check for your cardio for an upcoming fight.”  This statement seemed to be valid in that a few fighters chose to do exactly as “the bulldog” said.  Alex Miller (Team Colon)  and Kathryn Gardiner (Team James Clingerman) were less than a week out from their next bouts at Friday, April 2’s Hoosier Fight Club event in Valparaiso, Indiana.  Miller and Gardiner joined a whole strew of fighters who competed at the EGO.  Matt Perry, whom just competed at the Arnold Sports festival’s premier Amateur Mixed Martial Arts festival took third in his gi division, and second in his no-gi division.

Kyle Gibbons represents his sponsor well, and holds up his 1st place medal to prove it.

Kyle Gibbons won the men’s heavyweight intermediate no-gi division.  These were just a few of the fighters who decided to showcase their ground game.

This weekend’s event showed the promise of mixed martial arts and grappling not only in Indiana but the Midwest.  With events like the Extreme Grappling Open developing a reputation for Indiana only positive ramifications will ensue.

For anyone interested in future events please visit www.extremegrapplingopen.com.

EGO’s 2010 Opening Event