Alison Mayfield vs. Jenna Serio
Serio wins by split decision, winning the judgement with her multiple takedowns. Mayfield's strategy utilized her leg length against the smaller Serio by kicking mostly throughout the fight, but Serio knew how to use her low center of gravity to maneuver her opponent off balance and onto the mat, including 3 in the first round and another 2 takedowns in the second. Although Mayfield adjusted by using the clinch more often, it was still not enough to deter the relentless Serio who never slowed her pace during the match.
Joanne Dimeo vs. Julianna Chahoud
Dimeo initially came out aggressively in the first minutes of the first round leading the assault with her punches. But the burst of energy led her to tire which Chahoud capitalized on with her kicks. The second round was similar to start of the first and once again Chahoud took advantage with kicks and also attempted more clinches which added to Dimeo's waning energy. Nearing the end of the fight the style of attack was reversed with Chahoud throwing more punches and Dimeo more kicks. The outcome however was a unanimous decision in favor of Chahoud as Dimeo absorbed too many punches rendering her less effective in launching a counter.
Olga Khanukyeva vs. Jackie Neilson
In the split decision win over Khanukyeva, Neilson exploited her opponent's height disadvantage by using her reach to land more kicks and punches. But Khanukyeva was not an easy fighter to win over as she was like a bull going forward and trying to get hits in on Neilson. But in the end it was Neilson's better clinch game that took its toll on Khanukyeva who could not adapt and implement a new strategy to overcome Neilson, who earns the victory.
Joe Zonin vs. Ryan Drake
The fighters were an even match against one another both in skill and strategy as neither could find a working formula to gain a clear advantage over the other. In each round of the match the fighters tested the other without anyone really taking a risk and trying something new to get ahead in points. All three judges declared the bout a draw.
PJ Wisniewski vs. Paul Artemou
Wisniewski leaves the ring with a unanimous win over Artemou. Though Artemou was more aggressive in the opening round and was the better puncher, he could not flow with the changing style of his opponent when Wisniewski decided to switch strategy and used more clinches to neutralize the punching ability of Artemou. The clinches along with more frequent use of kicks made Artemou wary of Wisniewski offense. Artemou's corner and their strategy to keep punching as if Wisniewski was their gym's practice bag, but it was not effective enough to stop Wisniewski and gain the win.
Dan Peroitti vs. Joshua Aliaga
Aliaga wins by decision. The fighters were evenly matched with no one clearly being the underdog in the fight. Both liked to be in the clinch and trading knees to the body. Although there was effort shown by both fighters, because of a low blow violation suffered by Aliaga and third round throw down of Peroitti, the judges chose Aliaga as the victor of the fight.
Chad Goutter vs. Phil Da Silva
Da Silva dominated the fight with his aggressiveness and versatility. He was the better conditioned, more well-rounded fighter of the two. His more developed footwork made him a hard target to catch and allowed him to connect more and get better position for takedowns and throws. DaSilva remained active in each round and proved to have more
stamina than the frustrated Goutter who had to take a brief break on the ropes near the end of the fight. The final score of all judges was 30/27, Da Silva.
Omar Ibrahim vs. Spencer Grekoski
This was the fight which had the most crowd participation. It was clear by the cheers in the venue that Grekoski had a large entourage supporting him that night. The taller and lengthier Grekoski was the aggressor throughout the fight and knocked down Ibrahim at least once in each round via well-delivered kicks. The crowd roared for their favorite
each time Grekoski landed his kicks which looked so well practiced and executed. The shorter-limbed Ibrahim displayed much heart but there was no answer to the mode of attack which Grekoski never let up throughout most of the fight, though the final moments of the bout seemed more like him playing it safe, knowing he had surely secured a unanimous win.
Toni Wellington vs. Linda Tarsio
Wellington prevails unanimously against Tarsio by being active the entire fight. The smaller Wellington had the better kicking game which kept Tarsio at a distance to avoid feeling them. Wellington showcased his aggressiveness more and the judges took note of Tarsio adjusting to the will of Wellington rather trying to overcome it with an effective
game plan.
Roosevelt Velez vs. Owen Bowness
Velez is awarded a unanimous decision over Bowness by outlasting his opponent. By the end of the match Bowness seemed to be running out of gas as he fell on the canvass more than twice. Velez utilized a good clinch technique which drained much power out of Bowness as he struggled to escape the hold and defend the knees. In the end Bowness absorbed more than enough attacks from Velez which left him with not much strength to counter and reverse his unfavorable outcome.
Laurie Hyacinthe vs. Cathy Lebron
It was a dominant performance by the much taller and more aggressive Hyacinthe. Hyacinthe was better prepared for the fight and quickly took Lebron out of her game. After the lop-sided first round the morale in Lebron was too low to continue on with the fight and Hyacinthe was declared the winner.
Colby Mcintyre vs. Dwayne Richards
Dwayne Richards wins the fight by decision after breaking down Mcintyre with his combos. In the earlier rounds Richards easily catches and sweeps his opponent onto the floor showing he's the more practiced of the two. In the later rounds Richards' attacks would land more and even draw blood in the final round. Mcintyre's defense was good but not strong enough to deter all of Richard's assaults on him, eventually leading him to his loss that night.
Mark Sassman vs. Kevin Sanchez
Size was the deciding factor in Sanchez's victory over Sassman. Sassman was just overpowered from the very beginning. Sanchez executed his game plan perfectly and listened to all the advice his corner yelled at him. Sassman had difficulty getting out of Sanchez's grip in the clinch, in which he incurred many knees to the body. Even when he adjusted and stayed away from his opponent, Sassman still could not stop Sanchez's long-range game as his kicks to the thighs took their toll and slowed Sassman's footwork. Sanchez's advantage besides his size was also in his active assaults. Sanchez was able to land several uppercuts on cue when his corner told him to let them go, eventually giving Sassman a bloody nose towards the end. Ultimately, in the third round at the 57 second mark, the referee stepped in and stopped the contest giving the fight to Sanchez by TKO.
Johnathan Nofer vs. You Yong Choi
After the first round spectators could've been persuaded that Choi may take this match based on good performance, but you can never call a fight after just one round, just ask Nofer. In the next two rounds that followed, Nofer launched a comeback not many would expect. It was as if he got stronger as the fight progressed. He found Choi's weakness. He played smart and focused on delivering strategic kicks to the legs and thighs of Choi, wearing down his opponent until it affected his morale just enough to break Choi's vision of a win. Nofer never relented on targeting Chois legs and knees and eventually had his way with him until the very end. It was clear Choi was hurt and it became easier to take Choi down. Choi was in retreat mode in the last moments of the fight, protecting himself from additional onslaughts. The win went to Nofer and Choi left
the ring slightly limping and with the thought of how sore his leg would be the next day.
Chad Looney vs. Chris White
It was unclear after the first round on who would have the edge in this fight, the very tatted Chris White or Looney. It would only reveal itself as the fight rolled on. White progressively got stronger during the fight as if he needed to get hit a few times to wake up the sleeping dragon inside him. It was either that or Looney simply had less stamina, whatever the case was as the two traded and countered one another's attacks it looks to be that White would get the extra miles in front of Looney for the win. White maintained his assault mode and moved more and threw more and landed more, earning him the win that he had not given up on, which the judges unanimously agreed he deserved.
Dave Zabielski vs. Emilio Gonzales
In round one it was too early to pick a favorite to win. Gonzales was the shorter and meatier of the two and Zabielski the leaner fighter with the better reach. It was an active experiment on what type of build is better suited in Muay Thai. Both had good techniques and personal moves that they each favored to use. Gonzales liked to throw punches and go for knock-outs while Zabielski liked working his legs and fists evenly. But when it came to clinching, Zabielski, because of his height, had more control over Gonzales and was able to tire his opponent as he restricted the force of Gonzales' swings. Zabielski neutralized Gonzales's powerful punches and complimented his hold with knees to the body which made Gonzales adjust his defense to protect it. In doing so his face was left open and Zabielski sneaked some well placed hits in there and caused a cut underneath the right eye of Gonzales just above the cheek area. This was enough to convince the MD to halt the fight at the end of the second round. Zabialski rejoiced at the news of the stoppage but came over like a sportsman and gave respect to his opponent.
Marcus Taylor vs. Radu Spinghel
When big Marcus Taylor came out walking to the ring to meet the awaiting Spinghel for their title in the Absolute Division, there was a look of ease and content on his face like he was just fresh from a tour of the local buffets. But as the sound of the bell rang for the opening round to start his demeanor changed quickly and the calm and cool Taylor once again looked and acted hungry, but this time it was for a nice piece of leathery flesh that is the title belt. Spinghel, the much taller and toned of the two had an appetite too. The fighters traded punches and kicks like chefs serving hot and raw fist sandwiches wrapped in gloves. Taylor surprised with his agility and demonstrated swiftly executed kicks and spinning back hands, ot bad for a guy of his circumference. But the most impressive part of Taylor's character was his reaction to an early win which he was disappointed in learning that it came via stoppage due to a broken rib suffered by Spinghel in one of their exchanges.
One of the left lower ribs of Spinghel got fractured which caused enough pain for him to throw in the towel. As Taylor's fans began to make noise in celebration Taylor waves at their direction to hush the cheers, shaking his head and expressing remorse for being the cause of the injury. It was clear that that was not the way Taylor wanted to earn his win. This was a fighter who respected a formidable challenge and who did not want to be the reason for possibly ending a fighter's career prematurely. During the award ceremony and thereafter, Taylor's actions showed much regret. He even walks over to Spinghel as he exited the ropes offering him the belt that he so much trained and hungered for (Spinghel humbly refuses the honorable gesture). The only thing bigger than Taylor's stomach that night was the size of his heart.
Rich Brattole vs. Greg Rowe
In the four-round brawl for the Middleweight title, defending champion Brattole fought courageously to retain his status and belt. After the first round nobody could have scored it in one particular fighter's favor because both fought like they each held rights to title. But if one had a keen eye one could distinguish something Brattole was doing that Rowe was not: the jerking body motion and bobbing of the head that would play a role as the rounds rolled on. Brattole had a solid boxing game and that was evident in the way he confidently moved strongly forward trying to get pass the formidable defense of Rowe. It was a high-energy bout throughout. The outcome could only depend on who could land their punches better because both were very skilled and conditioned fighters. It would eventually depend on strategy, which the champion was focused on showcasing to the judge. Brattole was always on the move towards the challenge and executed the inches gained by rapid head movements and body fakes, always keeping Rowe on high alert and messing with his concentration. It led to Rowe getting trapped a few times in the corner where all he could do was put up his guard and block Brattole flurries of punches. Brattole successfully cornered the challenger in a tight space that limited Rowe's room to move and wind up power punches and kicks. Brattole anticipated many kicks Rowe would throw and would counter with fierce display of fistic assaults.
The determining factor of the fight was Brattole’s more aggressive nature shown by the numerous punches he threw. Though Rowe was also combative, the fact was that due to the champ's bobbing head actions that avoided many punches, as well as Rowe's quiet moments in defensive mode in the corner ultimately convinced the judges that if the fight were scheduled for 10 rounds, the champ would probably prevail in victory.
Stephen Regmen vs. Pascal Jean Michel
In the last fight of The Warrior's Cup that evening, the event closed grimly and suddenly in the first round of the breath-taking bout. The only outcome by Knock-Out in the event went to Regmen shortly in the first round. The two fighters never got to fully demonstrate their style of fighting as Michel was caught with a stinging punch to the head which was obscured from this writer's ringside perspective. The ref did not have to count to three as Michel faintly waved his glove to indicate something was wrong. The doctor rushed into the ring and studied the motionless and much perspired Michel whose neck was quickly supported and examined by the hands of the doctor. Before Michel was transported by stretcher out of the ring at least there was positive news revealed during the preliminary exam by the MD. Michel was able to speak and remember his name and was capable of moving his toes at the doctor's request.
In the last fight of The Warrior's Cup that evening, the event closed grimly and suddenly in the first round of the breath-taking bout. The only outcome by Knock-Out in the event went to Regmen shortly in the first round. The two fighters never got to fully demonstrate their style of fighting as Michel was caught with a stinging punch to the head which was obscured from this writer's ringside perspective. The ref did not have to count to three as Michel faintly waved his glove to indicate something was wrong. The doctor rushed into the ring and studied the motionless and much perspired Michel whose neck was quickly supported and examined by the hands of the doctor. Before Michel was transported by stretcher out of the ring at least there was positive news revealed during the preliminary exam by the MD. Michel was able to speak and remember his name and was capable of moving his toes at the doctor's request.
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