Sportfight X will be putting on another great night of fights in Atlanta on June 5th. After a successful debut at the Georgia World COngress Center, Sportfight X will return for Sportfight X 3 “Undefeated”. The press release is listed below and tickets are available now.
Redline VPX and Project 9-6-1 partners with SportFight X to present “Undefeated” and the 2010 REDLINE 155 Grand Prix
Atlanta, GA- SportFight X (Xtreme) stepped into Atlanta’s sports scene spotlight when in January of this year, attempted to push Mixed Martial Arts into a new demographic by promoting a show at Woodruff Arts Center’s Symphony Hall. An effort met with bias and prejudice from ASO patrons and the backlash created caused swift cancellation of the event with the signed commitment dropped without any further explanation from ASO officials.
On March 26, SportFight X rebounded in another city landmark, the Georgia World Congress Center’s Thomas Murphy Ballroom. The event dubbed “Beatdown in the Ballroom” nearly sold out its 1,800 seat capacity as spectators piled in to see the 10,000 dollar finals of the Redline Grand Prix and proved (with a few minor adjustments including adding giant projection screens to both sides of the venue) GWCC is a worthy venue and new home for SportFight X.
With recent signing of major sponsors Project 9-6-1 and Redline VPX, SportFight X has announced Saturday June 5th it will bring back the popular professional tournament series with an all-new roster of hungry competitors and a notable variance in the plot. The 2010 Redline 155 Grand Prix will feature eight of the toughest up and coming fighters, hand picked from various regions of the country and all share one common trait, they are all UNDEFEATED!
A few of the high caliber contestants recruited for the tournament thus far are; Eric Kreigermeier out of Chicago, IL an Atlanta native who is a brand new father and holds a 4-0 record. Jacob Allman an all-state wrestler out of Charlotte, NC sports an impressive 8-0 fight resume. Troy Dollar of Tennessee enters the tournament 7-0 and is an expert in Kickboxing and a purple belt Brazilian Jui Jitsui. Randy Pogue of Atlanta has over 25 boxing and kickboxing matches and is also unbeaten in MMA. The rest of the tournament roster will be announced soon.
Headlining the fight card will be Kennesaw entrepreneur and elite mixed martial artist Ethan Garrison, co-owner of Iron Clutch Fitness in Marietta and Roswell. Garrison also undefeated in all of his previous eight fights recently won first place in the world class Pan American Jui Jitsu tournament in California. He will be facing his toughest opponent to date in CT Turner, a vicious pro boxer and high-level Brazilian Jui Jitsu expert out of Tampa, FL.
Also on the card is Georgia’s fastest rising and also undefeated star Dhiego Lima. After quick destruction of a far more experienced opponent in his SportFight X debut in March, the 20-year-old Lima has signed a three-fight deal with the promotion and has goals of a championship run in the near future.
Another anticipated match up is the highly touted Roger “The Leprechaun” Carrol of North Carolina who holds recent notable wins over Georgia standouts Tim Stout and Clint Hester, facing off against the experienced and ever dangerous George Allen of Atlanta. Allen has seen wars with some of MMA’s elite including taking UFC’s Keith Jardine three rounds to a decision.
Byron Bloodworth, Andre Caminera and many others are set to round off what looks to be another outstanding card put together by Southeastern MMA’s Ultimate Proving Ground, SportFight X. Card Subject to change.
Other Sponsors for the event include Brawl Nutrition, Iron Clutch Fitness, MusclePharm, US Airforce, ATL Nightlife, Sponsored Fan Sports Management, Heidari Plank & Associates, Omega Attire, Discount Nutrition, Fitness Depot, O’kelly Promotions and J Skye Events
Tickets for SportFight X 3 “Undefeated” at the Georgia World Congress Center’s Thomas Murphy Ballroom range from $29-$75 and are on sale now at www.sportfightx.com or 877-MMA-TIXX. Doors open at 6:30pm action begins at 7:30pm sharp. For additional information regarding fights, press, group sales, sponsorship or VIP services, please contact William “Soco” Mcalister at soco@sportfightx.com
My apologies to you all for not getting this up sooner: My laptop died over the weekend, and I’ve been writing it up in 10-minute windows at work over the last three days.
I just want to say a few words about the production value of this show. The Sportfight X guys did an outstanding job, with high production values and good entertainment. The only complaint I’d offer was the lack of raked/stadium seating for the folks sitting further back, but other than that the event was top-notch throughout. The swearing in of four new air force recruits was pretty cool, in particular. And the woman who sang the national anthem? Damn, what a voice.
But I know you guys aren’t here to read about the singing and dancing during intermissions, even if it was all pretty cool, so I’ll get to the fighting.
This event had seven fights on the card, the first one an advanced amateur bout and the other six all professional matches.
185 lbs | Jeremy Wallace vs. Hamza Mutelib | Mutelib by Submission (armbar) @ 2:03 of R1
From the beginning of this short fight, Mutelib was the clear aggressor, pushing forward hard and making life difficult for his opponent. About 25 seconds into the match, he stuck in a beautiful hip throw, landing cleanly in side control. During that exchange, though from my angle I couldn’t quite be sure, it looked like the fighters clashed heads pretty hard, yet it didn’t seem to slow either man down. About a minute later, Mutelib was in full mount, well in control of this fight, and he pulled off an armbar at about 1:50, locking it in quickly for the victory at 2:03 in the first round.
Overall, this was a strong fight for both guys, but particularly for Mutelib, who was able to show off his superior ground game.
170 lbs | Dhiego Lima vs. Kenny Moss | Lima by Submission (triangle) @ 4:28 of R1
Lima landed a pretty heavy right almost out of the gate, after a brief clinch against the cage, but if the strike proved one thing, it’s that Moss has a great chin. These guys are both scrappers, and they put on a great show. In fact, I think Moss actually wanted to get hit. Throughout the first round, both threw multiple flurries of strikes, the action almost constant, and neither showed any sign of slowing down.
Around 2:30, Moss tried a spinning right hook kick to Lima’s head, but the kick went wide and Lima came back with a hard combo, including a nasty lead-leg roundhouse to Moss’s face. Moss finally seemed a little dazed by that one, but he quickly recovered; did I mention this kid has a concrete chin?
Just a bit over the 4:00 mark, Moss got Lima’s back as they maneuvered against the cage and then tried a suplex, but Lima managed to twist in the air and seemed to take the throw in stride. By 4:25, he showed decent jiu-jitsu and caught Moss in a triangle choke, cinching it for the win at 4:28 in round 1.
Great effort from both of these guys; I’d look forward to watching either of them fight again.
145 lbs | Byron Bloodworth vs. Jarall Bowman | Bloodworth by Submission (triangle) @ 4:23 of R1
These guys spent a while circling before the action really started, but once it did they both put on a good show. Around 1:20, Bloodworth caught a kick by Bowman and shot cleanly into a single-leg takedown, but showed some classic wrestling technique by hefting Bowman up and slamming him down hard. Like, probably heard clearly in the next building hard. Bowman kept his wits, though, and almost caught Bloodworth in a guillotine from the bottom, but after struggling with it for a while just wasn’t able to sink it in.
By 2:30 they were back on their feet, still clinching and looking for the takedown, but this time Bowman took the initiative. From the bottom, Bloodworth showed off his rubber guard, but wasn’t able to catch Bowman in his gogoplata attempt. However, by 3:59 he had shifted to a triangle choke, the second of the night in just three short matches, and locked this match up to win by submission at 4:22 in the first round.
Again, great fight from both guys, and congratulations to Byron Bloodworth for defeating a tough opponent.
155 lbs | Frank Millsap vs. Matt Covan | Millsap by TKO (verbal tapout, strikes) @ 3:23 in of R1
Coran opened up with some solid-looking leg kicks, but for the most part things moved a little slowly here when compared to the previous three fights. The pace was a bit surprising given the weight class, in fact, where guys are usually throwing wallops around like caffeine-crazed Energizer bunnies on speed.
Overall, I would have given the point game to Millsap by a hair, but the fight didn’t go that far. Millsap landed a solid flurry putting Covan against the fence, following up with a vicious flying knee (well, more of a hopping knee, but it worked), battering Covan into submission by blunt force trauma delivered via the knuckles and the patella. At 3:23, the ref called the fight after the fight had left Covan, who called for someone, anyone to stop the carnage.
185 lbs | Warren Thompson vs. David Vitkay | Vitkay by Submission (RNC) @ 3:38 of R2
This was the first fight of the night to make it out of the first round, and it was also something of an upset, at least for us at Nextmmafighter.com. That’s not to say I think Vitkay is a weak fighter, not at all, but we definitely had Thompson picked to take this one home.
To his credit, though, Vitkay came into this fight looking better and sharper than I had seen him in any of his previous matches in this fight series. His cardio was greatly improved, and he just seemed to really have the mental edge coming in. In fact, he was playing mind games with Thompson from the time they came forward for the ref’s pre-fight conflab. And it worked pretty damn well.
At about 1:15 in the first round Vitkay caught Thompson with a beautiful body slam, almost a pile driver, which by all rights should have deviated Thompson’s cranium. He went immediately into Thompson’s guard, and while Thompson went for a triangle choke, Vitkay muscled his way out of the submission handily. Vitkay kept the pressure on for the remainder of the round, holding the top position and landing some decent shots. The round was clearly his.
In round 2, Vitkay revealed what must have been his game-plan by bringing Thompson down again almost immediately, keeping the fight on the ground. He seemed a little tired this round, or was just being careful, because the action was a bit less intense from the top, but he nonetheless controlled Thompson for about 3 minutes, finally getting the back and winning by rear naked choke at 3:39 in the second round.
Great match, and a hearty “cheers” to Vitkay for impressing me with this performance.
Note: After the fight, I saw Thompson walking around with what looked like a messed-up shoulder; didn’t get a chance to ask him how it happened, but I’m thinking maybe the pile driver-esque takedown early in round 1 might have been the culprit? That might explain why Vitkay so easily managed the ground game for most of the fight.
145 lbs | Diego Saraiva vs. Dee Jay Fuentes | Saraiva by Unanimous Decision (30-27)
This was the first fight of the night to go the full three rounds, and it absolutely lived up to what I expect from two good 145-pound fighters: fast and furious. Saraiva showed some good boxing and muay thai, keeping up the pace and firing off some beautiful combinations throughout the fight. Fuentes is no slouch at the striking game either, with decent hands and some nice high kicks — a bit more flash than function, maybe, but always entertaining for the crowd.
For the first few minutes in round 1, the fight stayed on the feet, with both guys landing some glancing shots. Finally, around 2:44, Saraiva landed a nice inside knee in the clinch, the first really telling blow of the fight, but Fuentes recovered quickly. At 3:09, Saraiva took it to the ground, but they scrambled and were soon back on their feet. Very soon thereafter, Fuentes took a hard knee to the groin and the fight was paused.
Once he signaled that he was good to go, the fight recommenced, and Saraiva took the lead right away, landing a nice combination to the body and head, followed by a vicious roundhouse kick to Fuentes’ upper thigh. Lesson learned? Fuentes is a tough kid, taking it all in stride. Finally, just about 10 seconds before the bell, Saraiva caught a single leg and brought the fight to the ground, but didn’t have time to really do anything more before the round ended.
In round 2, the fight went to the ground quickly, Saraiva getting the takedown and landing in full mount. He started pounding, but Fuentes weathered the storm pretty well. At 1:15, Saraiva got Fuentes’ back, but Fuentes recovered and got back around, bringing Saraiva into his guard. Saraiva seemed okay with that, though, dropping some wicked fists and elbows for a time. By 3:56, things had slowed, and the ref stood the two up for inactivity. The remainder of the round was a slower match, with some circling and a few combos thrown on both sides, but little of consequence landing.
Going into round 3, Saraiva had the edge in the standup striking game again, but only barely. At 0:49, I guess feeling that he didn’t want to wage a stand-up point battle, he shot under Fuentes’ punch and took the fight to the ground again. From there, he rained some more punishment from the top, though a bit more slowly and with less impact than in the second round. By 3:24, he managed to get Fuentes’ back again, and after some more striking, maneuvered himself into a rear triangle from the top; that’s a hard submission to sink in, though, and Fuentes fought through till the bell.
So, after a good three-round match, Saraiva had bested Fuentes in all three rounds, though by a narrow margin, and took the win by unanimous decision. Congratulations to both fighters for an exciting match.
185 lbs | Douglas Lima vs. Cortez Coleman | Lima wins by Split Decision
This fight also went the full three rounds, and it was a much closer affair than the previous fight. While I actually gave the edge to Coleman, scoring 10-9 for him in rounds 2 and 3 (which surprised me, to be honest, since I had Lima winning this hands down coming into the fight), the judges saw it differently and gave Lima the win. Admittedly, though, it was a close enough fight that it really could have gone either way, and both fighters put on an outstanding performance.
Both fighters came in looking very fit, and given the $10,000 prize, I’d have been surprised to find it any other way. Coleman looked far leaner than I recalled him being the last time I saw him fight. Then again, you’d want to train damn hard for the title in a fight series too, especially when that kind of money is on the line, right?
Anyway, both guys looked strong in the clinch early in round 1. Lima started the scoring with a takedown about 20 seconds into the round, but they were soon back on their feet. A short while later, Coleman tried a throw, but Lima capably reversed it; however, in the scramble, Coleman still ended up on top in Lima’s guard. By 1:53, Lima had worked his way back up to his feet, and they proceeded to clinch, shoving each other around and showing that both men had good cage control. For the most part, this part of the round was indecisive. At 2:53, Lima pulled of a beautiful body slam, but Coleman quickly got back to his feet. Overall, Coleman seemed slightly stronger, but Lima had the edge in speed and outpointed his opponent this round.
In round 2, they traded some powerful shots for the better part of the first minute until, at 0:44, Lima managed another takedown. By 1:15 Lima had taken Coleman’s back; Coleman managed to work around and get Lima into his guard, but Lima then got full mount about half a minute later. That didn’t decide things, though, because by about 3 minutes into the round Coleman turned things around and took the top position. Neither was able to land anything really clean from the top position, though. In all, this was a very close round, but I gave the edge to Coleman due to superior control on the ground; on their feet, the score was about even. I suspect this is where the judges and I differed.
In round 3, we saw a lot more clinching and cage work; Lima got a couple of decent knees in here and there, but nothing landed very cleanly. Following the 2-minute mark, Coleman landed a couple of nice combinations, taking the steam out of Lima, who was starting to look a bit gassed. (This surprised me a bit, actually, as he had seemed pretty much indefatigable in his previous fights I’d seen.) By 3:45, both men were looking pretty tired, and a nice crisp downward elbow from Lima in the clinch was about the only thing worth mentioning in the latter part of the round. In the end, this seemed the easiest round to score: I gave it to Coleman.
Again, this was a great fight from two skilled, strong fighters, and it really could have gone either way. Coleman performed better than I had seen him, and I just couldn’t be sure which way the judges would go in the final analysis. Certainly neither man should be disappointed in his performance during this bout.
So, that wraps it up. In all, this was one of the best nights of fights I’ve seen in Atlanta, and I congratulate everyone involved on the fighters’ side and the promoters’. Can’t wait till the next one!
For all those who are not in the house tonight, we are coming to you live, cageside from Sportfight X “Beatdown at the Ballroom” at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA
We will be bringing you fight results as they happen with full play by play and video interviews to follow tomorrow.
OFFICIAL FIGHT CARD
185 lbs Jeremy Wallace vs. Hamza Mutelib | Mutelib wins by submission (armbar) @ 2:03 of R1
170 lbs Dhiego Lima vs. Kenny Moss | Lima wins by submission (Triangle Choke) @ 4:28 of R1
145 lbs Byron Bloodworth vs. Jarall Bowman | Bloodworth wins by submission (Triangle Choke) @ 4:23 of R1
155 lbs Frank Millsap vs. Matt Covan | Millsap wins by TKO (Verbal Tapout due to strikes) @ 3:23 in of R1
185 lbs Warren Thompson vs. David Vitkay | Vitkay wins by submission (RNC) @3:38 of R2
145 lbs Diego Saraiva vs. Dee Jay Fuentes | Saraiva wins by Unanimous Decision 30-27
185 lbs Douglas Lima vs. Cortez Coleman | Lima wins by Split Decision
Thats it for us, thanks again to Soco and Sportfight X for putting on a great card! Congratulations to Douglas for winning the 185 Redline VPX Grand Prix!
Coming up tomorrow night, Soco Mc Allister and Sportfight X are going to be putting on an unbelievable show in Atlanta. The featured bout is the finals of the Redline VPX 185lb Grand prix between Douglas Lima and Cortez Coleman.
The rest of the card is stacked with top talent from the Southeast and will surely be a great show. Previously featured fighter Byron Bloodworth returns to action along with UFC Veteran Diego Saravia stepping back into the cage. The card also features undefeated fan favorite and Ultimate Fighter 11 participant Warren Thompson. Definitely come on out if you can make the show or if you don’t live in the area you can watch the action through gofightlive.com
For tickets to the fight see the Sportfight X website here.
NextMMAFighter.com will be cageside bringing you live fight updates along with full round by round summaries to follow the day after the fights. The current confirmed Fight lineup is listed below.
PROFESSIONAL MMA
185 lbs Redline Grand Prix Finals Douglas Lima vs. Cortez Coleman
145 lbs Diego Saraiva vs. Dee Jay Fuentes
185 lbs Warren Thompson vs. David Vitkay
155 lbs Frank Millsap vs. Matt Covan
145 lbs Byron Bloodworth vs. Jarall Bowman
170 lbs Dhiego Lima vs. Kenny Moss
AMATEUR MMA
185 lbs Jeremy Wallace vs. Hamza Mutelib
Taking time out of his ridiculously busy schedule, we spoke with promoter Soco McAllister. This guy is a true fan of MMA and is continuing to bring great fights to the Atlanta area.
NextMMAFighter : Thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to talk with us Soco. How are the final preparations coming together for Sportfight X’s “Beatdown in the Ballroom”?
SportfightX Soco : I am doing an interview at 1:40 AM, but there ain’t no rest for the wicked, right? We are exceeding all expectations brother. Honestly every minute that goes by, I get a little more excited because tickets sales are great and as long as everything goes well at the weigh ins I think we are going to have an amazing show. This is a show with genuine interest built around it.
NextMMAFighter : Tell us a bit about the fighters you have in the cage on Friday Night.
SportfightX Soco : 90% of the fighters on the card have been the main event at other regional shows. I think that alone speaks volumes. I don’t even know where to begin, Diego Saraiva UFC veteran in the co-main event against an up and coming stand out DJ Fuentes from Matt Hughes camp. Warren Thompson, honestly the only way you’re not a fan of Warren is if you’ve never seen him fight. The guy is amazing on his feet yet somehow wins more fights by submission, just one of those mysteries. Byron Bloodworth, another main event guy, talented in any direction the fight goes. Frank Millsap, last three fights of his he’s been the main event, excellent wrestler who loves to stand. Card is just loaded with talent from top to bottom.
All of us are looking forward to the Redline Grand Prix finals.
NextMMAFighter : For anyone who hasn’t been following along, tell us about the $10,000 Redline VPX Grand Prix.
SportfightX Soco : This is the most anticipated cage fighting tournament in Georgia history, you’re not the only one who’s ready for this show to happen. We hand picked eight of the toughest unsigned fighters from around the country and put them in a cage to find the best. We put up a 10,000 dollar grand prize courtesy of REDLINE VPX and said may the best man win. Well we’ve seen some amazing fights from it and these final two guys are one fight away from the big show. Douglas Lima is 22 years old and has 14 victories under his belt, his first fight he needed a permission slip from his mother at the age of 17. He is an example athlete.
Cortez Coleman is from Matt Hughes camp in St. Louis and he is an example of struggle. He comes from a very rough background and honestly he was a last minute filler for this tournament. From the beginning, we didn’t think much of him. Turns out that’s kind of the way the world has treated him since birth and he is a fighter. Coming out here against all the odds and in a city where no one cheered for him, he persevered and he is here in the finals. Check out his video at sportfightx.com and see his training routine. It’s intense.
NextMMAFighter : Aside from the stellar pros you have on the card for Friday night, who are some up and coming amateur fighters you think have a bright future.
SportfightX Soco : We don’t have many amateur fights on the card but one that stands out is Hamza Utelib vs Jeremy Wallace. Hamza is about as dynamic as they come and he is an entertainer. Wallace is a piece of iron who is brutally strong and just loves to fight. They are both solid athletes already and I think that’s going to be a fun one to start the show with.
NextMMAFighter : As one of the premier promoters in the Southeast, what got you into the fight game?
SportfightX Soco : I came from a marketing background and spent years in that industry. I have never missed a UFC since the first one and have always been passionate about this sport. I had always dreamed of being involved with the UFC in some way. A few years back I sold out of my marketing businesses and decided to go where my heart was, and pushed myself into the game. I knew this region had some decent MMA shows but nothing for Atlanta to really call it’s home show. We are building that, by creating outstanding relationships with great companies that are interested in the growth of MMA as a sport and those relationships are going to take our events to the next level.
NextMMAFighter : What separates what you are doing from the rest of the shows of the region?
SportfightX Soco : We are doing things that others aren’t. Our image attracts the right type of people, the right caliber of fighter and a bigger group of sponsors. This isn’t Crazy Bob’s Fight Night, we are building a professional sports organization that the entire family can enjoy and everyone will appreciate that as we grow.
It’s funny the bigger you grow, the more critics you seem to find. Someone said today I should look at things in the fighters perspective, I found it funny as I thought of other shows in the region. Has anyone in Georgia history ever given away 10k in a tournament? Why would they? They could keep that money for themselves. I sometimes wonder if I think too much in the fighter’s perspective. Who knows.
NextMMAFighter : What advice do you have for fighters who are trying to take things to the next level in their careers?
SportfightX Soco : Sacrifices have to be made at some point. You have to find a great team to train with. Period. There are plenty of them, you just have to investigate. I just did a blog on this at www.sportfightx.com. If you have a great team to train with I recommend getting a good management team. A good manager can get your name out, build your web presence, make you look your full potential even if you aren’t there yet. They can help you find sponsors and be the bad guy when you don’t know how (pushing for more money). The best managers are the ones that are always selling their fighters not ones who never return phone calls. They make life easy on you because they are workers and represent your best interest. The team at Sponsoredfan.com and SuckerPunchEnt.com are two that I get daily messages from selling their fighters to me and it’s no coincidence they are 70% of my card this Friday.
NextMMAFighter : As MMA is becoming very popular in the US, grassroots shows are definitely on the rise. Do you think this trend will continue?
SportfightX Soco : Sure. But this is a very, very tough game. I am happy that the Athletic Commission is stepping in to keep the events safe and police things because there are plenty of people looking to jump on and just make a quick buck. Sometimes this happens at the cost of safety and integrity of the sport itself. In my short amount of time, I’ve seen many people try and fail and lose lots of money chasing that quick buck. My advice for those interested in getting involved is finding someone with experience in promoting to guide you, or hire them to consult or to even put the entire show together. I am currently working with companies in other areas put on shows. It will save you the time, the stress and money you could otherwise lose very quickly.
NextMMAFighter : In regards to the Southeast where you do most of your promoting, what’s your assessment on the growth of MMA in this part of the country.
SportfightX Soco : MMA is growing fast everywhere, this region is no different. A new fight gym opens up every month and I see 13 year olds doing amazing things in BJJ tournaments like Lutador Grappling. And the women are getting better and better so there is an evolution in progress at all times. What we are working on is continuing the education of the average fan and giving them the drug of knowledge to hook them on the sport the way we are. They become junkies like me and you, get addicted and someone has to provide their fix, and our fix is the purest.
NextMMAFighter : After what will surely be an amazing show on Friday night, can you tell us about any plans you have for big fights in the next few months?
SportfightX Soco : Yeah man, we are definitely looking at doing another tournament. Bigger and better than this one. We will be bringing championships into the mix. And some super fights. And partnering our show with other big promotions and events to expand the awareness of the sport to other genre’s. We are not going to rely on the die hard fan alone, and let UFC do all the marketing and educating for our sport. We all know they are the kings, but I feel I have a responsibility of holding my own in the growth of the sport, not just tapping into the already existing fans which I very much appreciate and work hard to keep them involved. We also have our amateur series Sin City Fight Club getting back into the mix of things where we are going to be traveling to other regions.
NextMMAFighter : It’s going to be a great fight on Friday and we can’t wait, in closing is there anything else you would like to say to the fans?
SportfightX Soco : We appreciate your support and welcome your feedback at every opportunity. We are not perfect and can’t satisfy everyone, but we grow, become better with every show and with your input will continue to do so. Check out my blog at www.sportfightx.com where I am journaling my experiences as a fight promoter. Also follow me on twitter @SportFightXSoco for latest updates, I like to do contests and fun stuff on there for free tickets to our events and tell insider secrets that I probably shouldn’t. And if you can’t make it to the fight Friday, you can watch it on gofightlive.tv. Or catch the highlights on HDNET’S Inside MMA next Friday. Two guys, One cage, Ten Thousand Dollars…. Sparks are going to fly!
Full event results with round by round summaries are now posted!
Lee Kelly vs. John Tanturri, 145 lbs
They touch gloves, and Lee starts with a few slow leg kicks. John is hesitant to trade, but does come in to clinch. Lee is able to defend a takedown and throws some punches when they disengage. Lee puts John in a guillotine and works to a submission. John is able to stay in a favorable position and not get submitted. John gets his head out, and the fighters get to standing. Lee misses with a jab and John is able to stun him. John grabs Lee and gets mount after a rolling throw. John gets into half guard, but works a decent guillotine that Lee is able to get out of. John brings up his guard and locks in a textbook triangle, but time runs out of the round.
Lee continues with the leg kicks, and John weathers them. Lee misses with a haymaker and John stings him. John takes advantage of the downed fighter and moves to take the back. John is able to get the mount, and as he’s setting up an armbar, Lee quickly stands. John is comfortable on the feet and throws some punches. Lee jumps guard but does nothing to finish. John lets him up and moves in quickly to clinch. John delivers an unintentional low blow and Lee takes a minute. John catches one of Lee’s kicks and goes down hard. John is finding paydirt with punches of his choice. Lee clinches and throws a few knees as John drives him to the fence. Lee works for a guillotine, and they go to the ground as time expires.
Round 3, Lee swings for the fences with everything, while John maintains his composure. John lets Lee up after he knocks him down and then goes at him with punches and knees. John drops him again and lets him up. Lee is dropped a third time, and finally the ref intercedes.
John Tanturri defeats Lee Kelly by TKO (stoppage), Round 3, 0:49.
Alton Tyner vs. Sam Grosse, 135 lbs
Sam begins with some left-right combos that land decently and follows with the clinch and some knees. Alton maintains his composure and returns knees in the clinch before he lands some punches, and then they disengage. Sam shoots a takedown that Alton stuffs, and the latter immediately locks in a guillotine. Sam works to escape only to have it locked in further.
Alton Tyner defeats Sam Grosse by Submission (guillotine), Round 1, 1:05.
Spanky Woods vs. Jeremy Wallace, 185 lbs
Note: Spanky walks in to “Tom Sawyer” by Rush — BADASS.
Spanky rushes in and takes a shot to get the takedown. Spanky ends up on his back, but, typically, is pretty active there. Jeremy pushes him to the fence and tries to post up for some strikes to the body. Spanky has a pretty active guard and works to destabilize Jeremy. Jeremy escapes to standing and lands a one-two shot that Spanky is able to absorb, going in for the takedown. Spanky works for a single leg, but Jeremy is completely sprawled out. Spanky steps over the leg and is able to get Jeremy’s back. Spanky sinks in the hooks and works for a RNC. Jeremy turns into guard, and Spanky finds an armbar attempt. Jeremy defends until time expires.
The second round begins the same as the first: Spanky rushes in and takes some shots to get the fight to the ground. Jeremy is able to get a superior position, but Spanky is active. Jeremy finds himself in a tough spot and stands. Jeremy and Spanky meet in the center and Spanky gets dropped a few times. The ref basically gives him a standing 8 count, which is weird. Spanky has a tough chin and stands up with seemingly little damage. He works a push kick and some jabs to maintain distance, but gets slammed by Jeremy after one of the exchanges. Jeremy is able to maneuver into mount, but is unable to do anything with it and the time expires.
3rd round: Spanky is less inclined to start by taking shots. He is able to maintain his distance, but still takes some hits and goes to the ground. He turns and shoots a single to get Jeremy down. Spanky is able to wrestle into an over-under position. He moves to take the back and attemptds an armbar; he nearly completes it when Jeremy pulls the arm out. Jeremy jumps right back onto Spanky in side control and rains some punches down on Spanky’s side when time expires.
Jeremy Wallace defeats Spanky Woods by Split Decision.
Mike Gallese vs. Stephan Hullander, 155 lbs
Stephan begins with a superman punch immediately after touching gloves. Mike wants to take it to the ground, but Stephan seems adept at escaping to standing. Stephan works some one-two combos and superman punches to close distance. Stephan uses an arm circle to bring Mike to the ground and work some punches to the ribs. Mike is unable to mount any sort of offense. Stephan prefers to keep it on the feet and stands. The SponsoredFan.com ring pad comes lose and time is called; the promoter himself is fixing it from the outside of the ring.
They time back in, and Mike immediately attacks with punches. Stephan weathers some blows and they stall in the clinch. Both fighters appear tired and trade lazy strikes. Mike throws a body kick that is caught, and he eats a straight right that drops him. Stephan doesn’t take advantage, though, and they get back to standing. Mike is breathing heavily and Stephan works the clinch until time expires.
At the beginning of the 2nd round, Stephan throws a big right with bad intentions. Mike works some hooks and knees and is able to dodge the rights effectively. Mike jumps guard and they go to the ground. Stephan posts up to strike the body but is caught in an armbar.
Mike Gallese defeats Stephan Hullander by Submission (armbar), Round 2, 0:51.
Daniel Norton vs. Dustin McKown, 205 lbs
Note: McKown walks in to “Pants on the Ground (remix)” – that guy from American Idol.
Previous to the round, Dustin’s corner leans over and predicts a knockout. Let’s see what happens.
Daniel has some quick feet and throws some probing jabs when Dustin shoots for a double. Daniel sprawls and maintains his base. They engage in a hook battle, and Dustin is able to get a body lock and subsequent takedown into side control. Dustin gets a leg over and momentarily takes mount. Daniel explodes and turns into Dustin’s guard. Dustin appears pretty gassed, having expended a lot of energy for the takedown. Daniel postures up and escapes to his feet. Dustin wants none of the action on the feet and keeps his knees down while Daniel readies for him to stand. Dustin continues to shoot takedowns but appears pretty gassed, and Daniel catches him with a guillotine.
Daniel Norton defeats Dustin McKown by Submission (guillotine), Round 1, 2:50.
Demitrice Turner vs. William “Bobby” Hallman, 145 lbs
Note: Demetrice walked in to “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. The song did not reach the drum solo, unfortunately.
Hallman shoots a double quickly, but is unable to complete the takedown. Turner has a good sprawl, but Hallman is able to pull a switch, and when Turner turns to meet him, Hallman attempts a guillotine. Turner pulls his head out and gets back to standing, and then Hallman attempts another shot that lands him squarely in Turner’s guillotine. Turner pulls guard and Hallman taps quickly.
Demetrice Turner defeats William “Bobby” Hallman by Submission (guillotine), Round 1, @ 1:05.
Dustin “Diablo” Walden vs. Sean Dyer, 155 lbs
Dustin starts with a snappy leg kick, and Sean moves in to the clinch. Sean misses a throw and gives up his back momentarily. Dustin is unable to capitalize, and they go back to square one. Dustin comes in with some punches, but Sean gets a takedown and works for Dustin’s back, then rolls out for a knee bar, which Dustin avoids. From here, they each work for an ankle lock when Dustin escapes to top position; Sean rolls again and goes for another toe hold. Now Sean gets up and is caught in a triangle, and Sean turns and is able to escape with Dustin still in his guard. They jockey for position some more and Sean is able to get on top; however, Dustin locks in another triangle that puts Sean to sleep before he’s even able to tap.
Dustin “Diablo” Walden defeats Sean Dyer by Submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 3:14.
Harris Norwood vs. Blake Bowman, 155 lbs
Harris keeps his hands pretty open and assesses the standup. Blake throws some head kicks but doesn’t connect. Harris is staying elusive until Blake shoots a double and they go to the ground. Blake works him to the fence and throws some shoulder strikes but is unable to do much damage. Harris has a triangle body lock and controls the wrists. Harris connects with an upkick while Blake is posturing, stunning him severely. Harris jumps up quickly and connects with a combo and subsequent clinched knee that KOs Bowman.
Harris Norwood defeats Blake Bowman by KO, Round 1, 2:15.
Aaron “TEX” Johnson vs. Bernard “Ruffneck” Rutherford, 190 lbs
Ruffneck comes out all smiles and Tex hits him with a pushkick. Ruffneck shoots a double and brings Tex down with a slam. Tex works for an armbar immediately, but Ruffneck escapes. When Ruffneck comes down to attack, Tex locks in another armbar. Ruffneck defends and gets back to standing. The fighters trade punches in the center of the ring, where Tex shoots for a takedown. He is able to get Ruffneck down and get into the mount, posting up for another armbar. Ruffneck pulls the arms out and stacks him. Tex keeps a very active guard and works for a second and a third armbar in the same fashion. The third misses, but he falls back to a triangle and soon secures it. Ruffneck taps.
Aaron “Tex” Johnson defeats Bernard “Ruffneck” Rutherford by Submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 3:01.
Byron Bloodworth vs. John Quieroz, 143 lbs
The fighters size each other up to start. Byron controls the center of the ring and throws a big leg kick. John drops levels with a single and gets a takedown, then moves to half guard. John rains down some blows to the head and Byron is able to get back to full guard. John brings some body shots from the top while in the guard. John is using his leverage to drive Byron to the fence and compress the head and neck. Byron gets his hips out and John is able to get an under-gooch [TM] and body slam him to the mat. John works to pass the guard and gets side control, when Byron gives up his back. John gets both hooks in and works for the RNC from Byron’s back. He drills the ankle into Byron’s midsection repeatedly to loosen him up. John is able to sink the choke in, finally, and Byron taps.
John Quieroz defeats Byron Bloodworth by Submission (RNC), Round 1, 4:02.
That’s all for us at Battle of Rome in Rome, GA. We hope you enjoyed the fights, and we will see you at the next fight here in Southeast fight country.
We got the opportunity to speak with John Quieroz about his fight with Byron Bloodworth.
Picture By Sin City
John, you’re undefeated coming into this fight. How do you feel?
I feel good and skinny. I’m in great shape and feel confident in my skills.
You train at X3 Sports now, tell us a little bit about your back ground and training going into this fight.
I been doing three a days for the past week. Rob Jacobs as my strength and
conditioning trainer and Toni Tucci as my MMA coach. Also having Donavan
Panone as my wrestling coach and Ranieri Paica as my BJJ coach. With tons
of training partners its been a tough training camp. I feel 100% ready. My
background is no mystery. Everyone knows that i am a ground fighter with
tons of cardio.
How has X3 improved your game?
Like I said before, they have great coaching staff. They been pushing me
hard to be ready for this fight. Between cardio and skills they have raised
my skills to another level.
You used to be at KnuckleUP and actually trained with your opponent Byron Bloodworth. How is your relationship with him going into this fight?
It is good friends. We have emailed each other back and forth making sure to
have a good show. We are both professionals and we plan on bringing the
best out of each other. This fight has been on my mind for a while.
If you could pick a pro in a major promotion that most accurately reflects your style, who would that be and why?
GSP. He has the same style as me so that is the best to describe my style.
Tell us about your goals for your professional fighting career.
I would like to get to the WEC and be one of the top contenders for the
belt.
Is there anyone you would like to thank going into this fight?
All my trainers and training partners as well as my family. Also my
girlfriend that had to put up with all my weight cutting.
As he prepares with his huge fight at the Battle of Rome this weekend on January 23rd. We spoke with Byron Bloodworth about his future in MMA and how he wants to progress as a fighter.
Photography by Nelson Bigles
NextMMAFighter : Byron, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Tell us how your final week of training is going as you prepare for your main event fight in Rome.
Byron Bloodworth : My training has been going really well. I have been working extra hard on my wrestling and my conditioning because I know John is going to push the pace and he is a strong wrestler.
NextMMAFighter : What do you know about your opponent John Queiroz who is also an undefeated fighter.
Byron Bloodworth : I know that John is a hard worker. He has a great wrestling background but is an extremely well rounded fighter. I know that he knows how to compete and he will come to fight. John and I trained together at Knuckle-Up and we always pushed each other in class, I don’t expect the fight to be any different. John and I are not enemies at all, we are just two hard working fighters ready to showcase our skills and put on a show for the fans, I just want to come out with the WIN!
NextMMAFighter : What do you feel is the strongest part of your fight game and what are you looking to improve on in your young career?
Byron Bloodworth : I focus my training to be a well rounded fighter. I am comfortable in all aspects of the fight. Whether I am working off my back due to him taking me down or if I am pushing the pace and take him down or on our feet I have trained for every scenario.
The one thing I’ve really been working on for this fight is my speed and agility training with Coach Mike Klinefelder at The Speed School. I’ve really been focused on my footwork, speed and agility which I think will be more of a factor in this fight than strength.
NextMMAFighter : As it is every pro-fighters goal to make it to the big time, if you had your choice and they all came calling, what is the top organization you would want to fight for.
Byron Bloodworth : I would like to compete in the WEC.
NextMMAFighter : How do you prepare yourself mentally for a big fight and was it difficult to stay focused training through the holiday season?
Byron Bloodworth : I’ve competed in sports since I was a young kid so the mental aspect of preparing for a fight comes pretty natural to me. I seclude myself during my 6-8 week camp and really focus on my training.
Training during the holidays wasn’t tough this year because I had several guys who were also training for a fight that trained with me. Guys like Freddy Assuncao who is fighting in Virginia on the 30th and John Cofer who is fighting on February 5th at Wild Bills. We all stuck together and made sure we trained through the holidays.
NextMMAFighter : We noticed on your official record that you have many impressive wins by submission but have yet to win by KO. Is this something you are looking to add to your resume in the future?
Byron Bloodworth : Absolutely I want to win by KO. It would show that I am a versatile fighter and would look good on my resume, however I am not going to force it. I always try to stick to my game plans and my game plans in the past due to the people I have fought have lead me to win the fights in other ways.
NextMMAFighter : Tell us about your school Hard Knox Gym and why you chose to train there?
Byron Bloodworth : Mateo Cutbill has been my stand up coach for a couple of years now and I wanted to train with him at his school.
NextMMAFighter : Outside of the cage, how do you keep yourself busy besides training?
Byron Bloodworth : I spend a lot of time with my family who live locally and just hangout with friends. The typical stuff, go see movies, watch football on Saturday and Sunday. Most of the time though when I am not training I am resting up for the next training day!
NextMMAFighter : Who are some of your favorite past or present MMA fighters and what fight are you looking forward to most in 2010?
Byron Bloodworth : I have always been a fan of the well rounded fighters. It just so happens the most well rounded fighters are the champs in their divisions: BJ Penn, St. Pierre and Anderson Silva. I look forward to seeing all those guys fight. I am really interested in seeing the return of Brock Lesnar and see the fight between him and Carwin, that is going to be awesome! I guess I’m also interested in seeing Miguel Torres in his come back fight. Should be a great year of fights!
NextMMAFighter : Thanks again for your time and best of luck on Saturday, in closing is there anyone you would like to thank?
I would like to take a minute to thank all my training partners and coaches who helped me get ready for this fight. I want to thank Sponsored Fan for all they do for me and all of my sponsors: Wicked-Jitsu, Toe 2 Toe, Brawl Nutrition, Fitness Depot of Douglasville, VPX, Omega Attire and Born 2 Bang Athletics
Thank you for the exposure on Nextmmafighter and all the work you do to promote MMA Athletes.
If you live anywhere in Georgia, get your ass out to the Battle of Rome event this weekend. Its jam packed with great fights top to bottom!
The fight card has been announced for the Battle of Rome. NextMMAFighter will be covering event live and we are looking forward to an explosive card. There are a number of previously featured fighters on this card along with the return of undefeated Byron Bloodworth.
PROFESSIONAL MMA
190lbs Aaron “TEX” Johnson vs. Bernard “Ruffneck” Rutherford
143lbs Byron Bloodworth vs. John Queiroz
170lbs Blake Bowman vs. Will Runnion
155lbs Sean Dyer vs. Dustin “Diablo” Walden
145lbs Demitrice Turner vs. Bubby Hallman
AMATEUR MMA
185 John D’gata vs. Bradley Hicks
145 Matt Tapia vs. Darren Colston
145lbs Lee Kelly vs. John Tanturri
185lbs Jeremy Wallace vs. Spanky Woods
155lbs Stephen Hullander vs. Mike Gallese
205lbs Daniel Norton vs. Dustin McKown
265lbs Donta Jones vs. Telford Chapman
