MMA Big Show Amateur Series 2 - Live Blog

I'm here at the Shimmers Complex in Northern Kentucky, for the MMA Big Show - things are getting ready to start, I'll be back after the first fight, with the live blog.

(Note: Sorry I wasn't able to update things as I planned - the venue's wireless access was giving me problems. I'm posting the text of the whole event now.)

Check after the jump for the full report on all fights.

DJ Smith vs. Larry Cox (155)

Smith fights out of Team Dobusutai. Cox is an independent fighter making his MMA debut.

Round 1
Cox opens up with a body kick. Smith checks a second and follows up with a right hook, then left, then another right and quickly takes Cox’ back, standing, looking for the RNC. Smith transitions back around with more short punches. Cox comes in with another body kick but Smith reaches in for the standing guillotine. Smith is stalking Cox around the cage as both are landing shots to the other’s head. Smith takes it down, looking for the RNC. Cox rolls out, but Smith transitions to a guillotine attempt. Cox works his way to his feet and the two separate. Cox comes in with another body kick and few shots. Smith comes back with two shots of his own and they trade knees. Smith takes him down and has Co’x back again, looking for the RNC. Smith is throwing hammer fists trying to loosen Cox up. Cox rolls over and ends up in Smith’s full guard.

PreView sees it 10-9 for Smith.

Round 2
Smith comes in with another body kick but it falls short, as does a jab from Smith. Cox comes in and lands a right which Smith answers with a right of his own. Smith comes around with a right hook that Cox answers with a short right. Cox goes in with a body kick that lands, but he takes a hard shot to the face in the process. Both fighters exchange more shots and split. Cox comes in with another body kick that Smith answers with a right to Cox’s face. Cox fires a leg kick, but it doesn’t appear to do much damage. Cox misses with another body kick and jab. Smith is clearly enjoying the reach advantage. Smith looks for another body kick/jab combination but it falls short. Smith misses with a big left hook as the round ends.

PreView sees it 10-9 for Smith

Round 3
Cox shoots in but Smith defends and looks for shots to Cox’s face. Cox comes in with another front kick/jab combination that grazes Smith. Smith answers with a leg kick, then another. Smith pounces on Cox with some short shots to Cox’s face and a knee, and Cox takes the fight to the down, in Smith’s full guard. Cox is throwing some short shots to Smith’s face and body. Cox continues to land more unanswered shots to Smith’s body. Referee Roger Bowling stands the fight up after it fails to progress. Cox comes in with another front kick/jab combination and both are swinging for the fences as they work their way around the cage, landing an equal number of shots. Cox shoots in but Smith defends and gets to his feet. Cox works the takedown again, but Smith defends as the round closes.

PreView sees is 10-9 Cox

Smith wins via majority decision (29-29, 29-28, 29-28)


Darryl Ray vs. Ray Allen (155)

Ray fights out of Team Dobusutai. Allen out of Team Eventrace

Allen opens up with a shoot but Ray defends. Allen works for a standing guillotine, but Ray escapes and as the fight goes to the mat, quickly secures a kimura from the bottom ending the fight.

Darryl Ray wins via kimura at :54 of Round 1


Trevor Riley vs. Chris Kelsch (185)

Riley fights out of Team G-Force. I can’t identify which team Kelsch is with.

Kelcshch comes in with a short right ahoots, taking it down. He’s got Riley in side control, but Riley is working the guillotine attempt from the bottom. Kelsch scrambles and escapes, taking Rileys’ back. He lands some hard shots to Riley’s head and Riley works his way up. Kelsch lands more shots to Riley’s face and shoots in, taking the fight down once again, but Riley lands with the guillotine sunk in and forces Kelsch to fight.

Riley wins via guillotine choke in Round 1


Thomas Brownfield vs. Nate Meyer (170)

Brownfield fights out of Bushido Fight Team. Meyer fights out of Team G-Force.

Brownfield opens up with a leg kick and then shoots in for a big slam, taking Meyer down. He starts working ground and pound from inside Brownfield’s full guard landing multiple shots to Meyer’s head. Brownfield picks Meyer up and slams him. Meyer locks in a triangle and Brownfield slams him again, trying to escape, then again, but Meyer just locks it in tighter, forcing the tap.

Meyer wins via triangle choke in Round 1


Chris Anness vs. Cole Helton (170)

Anness fights out of Team Dobusutai. Helton fights out of Team G-Force.

Helton opens up with front kick and Anness rushes in landing two shots to Helton’s head. The fighters trade blow and Helton throws another front kick, but slips and goes down. Anness gets on top, trying to land shots to Helton’s head. Helton works for the triangle, then an armbar, but Anness pulls out and lands more shots to Helton’s head. Helton works for another triangle while Anness continues to land shots. Helton sinks the triangle in, but Anness continues to land shots. Helton rolls over working the triangle from a side position and lands two shots to Anness’ head. Anness works out, but Helton gets his foot in front of Anness’ face, looking for a gogoplata. Helton rolls over and gets full mount with one leg on Anness’ throat and starts to ground and pound as the round ends.

PreView sees it 10-9 Helton


Round 2
Anness lands a leg kick to open the round, then another, followed by an inside leg kick. Anness reaches in for a punch and Helton clinches up and pushes Anness against the cage, then hip tosses him, taking the fight to the ground. Helton is working from side position and transitions to full mount and starts landing shots to Anness’ head, while he hols one of Anness’ arms. Helton lets go of the arm and Anness tries to roll, but Helton stops the roll and continues the ground and pound. Helton gets a leg on one of Anness’ arm and starts more ground and pound. Anness rolls over and Helton quickly takes his back, looking for the RNC> Helton sinks it in, forcing the tap.

Helton wins via rear naked choke in Round 2.


John Heiser vs. Jason Brinkmeyer

Heiser and Brinkmeyer are actually teammates, both fighting out of Bushido Fight Team

Round 1
Hesiser opens up with a leg kick, then a couple shorts shot to the face. Brinkmeyer tries for shots of his own, but only connects with one. Brinkmeyer shoots in but Heiser locks in a guillotine. Brinkmeyer slams Heiser twice but Heiser still holds on. Brinkmeyer rolls out, but Hesier takes his back and transitions to mount. Brinkmeyer rolls but Heiser looks for the guillotine again from his full guard. Brinkmeyer rolls again but Heiser stands. Heiser gets in a quick jab and a right hook, then a solid right to the body, followed by a leg kick. Hesier connects on a big right hook, then a straight left and another right hook and Brinkmeyer takes the fith to the ground. Brinkmeyer gets on top in the mount position and starts landing shots to Heiser’s head. Brinkmeyer lands a couple more shots as the round ends.

PreView sees it 10-9 for Heiser


Round 2
Heiser opens up with a leg kik and Brinkmeyer rushes in looking for the close shots. Heiser lands a short right uppercut and Brinkmeyer steps back. Heiser rushes in for a shot to the head but Brinkmeyer takes him down. Heiser ends up on top and lands a few shot before Brinkmeyer rolls and works from side control, landing knees to Heiser’s body. Brinkmeyer is trying to land shots to Heiser’s face from the side position, but most don’t land. Brinkmeyer transitions to full mount, but the referee stands them up after a short period of inactivity.

Heiser lands a big body kick and Brinkmeyer answers with a short left hook. Heiser lands a long jab followed by a right uppercut and a right hook. Brinkmeyer lands a leg kick, but takes another punch to the face, then another. Brinkmeyer gets Heiser down and lands in the mount position, landing some shots to Heiser’s head to end the round.

PreView sees it 10-9 Brinkmeyer


Round 3
Brinkmeyer comes in with a jab but Heiser answers with a leg kick and a right hook. The two clinch up and trade knees and Heiser pulls out of the clinch. Heiser comes in and lands three shots to Brinkmeyer’s face before Brinkmeyer backs off. Heiser pushes him against the cage and works for a guillotine, pulling Brinkmeyer into his half guard. Brinkmeyer pulls out and gets the mount position, working the ground and pound. Brinkmeyer lands more shots to Heiser’s head. Heiser tries to push off the cage but Brinkmeyer is holding his position in the mount. Heiser rolls and Brinkmeyer is trying to take his back as the two trade shots on the ground. Referee Roger Bowling stand the fight up as the action slows. Heiser comes in with a jab, then knee, but Brinkmeyer tosses him and lands a few quick shots as the fight ends.

PreView sees it 10-9 Brinkmeyer

The fight ends in a draw (29-28 Heiser, 29-28 Brinkmeyer, 29-29) (Note: I’m curious as to how this could happen – I’ll speak with the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Commission. I spoke to Todd Neal, an Inspector with the KBWA present at the event and he explained to me that the ten-point-must system does dictate that the winner of a round get ten points. However, Neal explained to me that a round can, in fact, be scored with both fighters receiving a ten. I'll be doing a further investigation into this in the coming weeks - while I don't doubt the truthfulness of Neal's statements, his explanation was contrary to most that I've heard.)


Dominique Steele vs. Rich Thurston (Heavyweight)

Steele is a Team Radford fighter. Thurston is with Team Graffight

S opens up with a jab then a right. T throws a few short rights. T comes in with a right but Steele gets a double-leg takedown and lands in Thurston’s half-guard. Steele transitions and T pulls full guard. Steele is landing shots from the top and Thurston is covering up. Steele lands more unanswered shots and transitions to side control as Thurston lands a couple shots from the bottom. Steele throws a knee to the body and transitions tot full mount. Thurston scrambles but Steele takes his back and lands shots to the side of Thurston’s head, looking for the RNC. Steele lands more shots to the side of Thurston’s head and Thurston rolls, but Steel is still in top position. Steele lands more shots to Thurston’s head as the round ends.

PreView sees it 10-9 Steele (Note: It appears that at the very end of the round, Thurston was unintentionally poked in the eye. The cage doctor is checking him out and they’re giving him some extra time to determine if he can continue.)

The fight is declared a NO CONTEST because Thurston cannot continue due to the accidental foul.


Tank Baber vs. Ben Cox (170)

This fight is for the MMA Big Show Amateur Welterweight Championship.

Baber (10-5) represents the Bushido Fight Team. Cox (6-1) fights out of Team Vision.

Cox comes in with a leg kick that almost takes Baber down, but Baber recovers and takes Cox down. Cox is working for submissions from the bottom with Baber in his full guard. Baber lands shots to Cox’s head. Cox sweeps and ends up on top and now Baber works for the triangle. Cox picks up Baber and slams him hard, and Baber is knocked unconscious – it is definitely a flash knockout, and Baber tries to fight again, but Referee Roger Bowling quickly moves in to stop the fight, having seen Baber go completely limp after the slam. Good call by Bowling.

Cox wins via KO (slam), taking the MMA Big Show Amateur Welterweight Title in Round 1


Eric Funkhouser vs. Chris Bennett (155)

This fight is for the MMA Big Show Amateur Lightweight Championship

Funkhouser (3-0) fights out of Bushido Fight Team. Bennett (6-0) fights out of Team G-Force.

Bennett opens up with a missed kick to the body. He lands his second attempt, followed by two knees. He pulls guard and takes Funkhouser to the ground, looking for a flying armbar. Funk pulls out and stands and waives Bennett up. The two exchange quick shots and Funkhouser picks Bennett up and slams him down, working for shots from the top. Bennett sweeps and gets Funkhouser in his full guard and transitions to a triangle attempt from the bottom. Bennett lands multiple shots to the side of Funkhouser’s head. Bennett locks the triangle in tighter and Funkhouser quickly taps, ending the fight.

Chris Bennett wins via triangle choke in Round 1 to become the new MMA Big Show Amateur Lightweight Champion (Note: Team G-Force went 4-0 in tonight’s matches.)

There is a brief break in the action as Darryl Ray enters the cage to call out Bennett. A title shot could be in the works for the MMA Big Show event on March 7, 2009 at Belterra Casino.


Billy “Mojo” Horne vs. Fernando Rivera (185)

The night’s lone pro bout features a rematch between Billy “Mojo” Horne and Fernando Rivera.

Horne fights out of Team Prodigy. Rivera is a Hoodlum Fight Gear sponsored fighter.

Round 1
Rivera comes in with a quick hard right that connects, but Horne shakes it off immediately takes him down. Rivera is working for a guilltoine from the bottom, but Horne pulls out. Horne immediately takes Rivera’s back and rolls Rivera over. Horne has a body triangle locked in and is looking for the RNC. Horne lands shots to the side of Rivera’s head and body. Horne gets an arm under Rivera’s chin and quickly sinks in the RNC to win the fight and continue his undefeated pro career (now 5-0).

Horne wins via rear naked choke in Round 1. (Horne’s next match will be against former UFC fighter Cale Yarbrough at the March 7th event at Belterra Casino.)

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Overall, an entertaining event. I got to speak to Mojo Horne after his fight, and referee Roger Bowling - both guys are MMA Big Show exclusive fighters. Additionally, I was able to catch up with Rich Franklin, who had come to check out the event and watch Mojo fight.

Check back in the next couple days for the post-event commentary.

-PreView