ICF 13 Live Blog (August 21, 2009)

I'm here at the ICF Fight Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, waiting for ICF 13 to get under way. This is the second event in the new club and first in the ICF Friday Night Fights series, featuring nine amateur fights on tonight's card. While there are no pro fights, some of the match-ups are guaranteed to give the fans some hard-hitting action.

I'll be back with the first bout.

As I always do, a quick shout out to the vendors here tonight, which include Fight Ribbon Clothing Company, School of Fight, and Actual Fighter.

Disclaimer: The opinions and observations contained herein are my own, and come from me watching the show from a stationary point of view. I write things as they appear to me, so if I type something inaccurate, it is simply due to me not having a 360 degree view of all of the fights, I can only report things as I see them.

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Clayton Davison vs. Kevin Cantley (135)

Davison fights out of Team Vision. Cantley fights on Team Xtreme out of Cincy MMA and Fitness.

Round 1
Cantley steps in with a jab and lands a leg kick and the two trade head shots. Davison misses with a big right and Cantley lands a head kick (but in Ohio amateur MMA, no head kicks are allowed and Cantley loses a point). They restart and trade punches in the middle of the mat. More of a flurry and Cantley lands a hard leg kick but DAvison lands a straight right. Cantley throws a couple body kicks and lands a hard left. Cantley scores with a right hook and opens a cut under Davison's left eye. Cantley lands a body kick and Davison answers with a short right hook. Davison lands a two punch combo and and follows it up with a hard right that takes Cantley down. Davison springs on him and lands more head shots, trying to tie up Cantley. Davison briefly takes mount and lands more shots and Cantley works his way out. They trade more shots in the middle and Cantley lands another hard leg kick. Davison lands a hard straight left and they trade more punches as the round expires.

A very, very tough round to score (not counting the point deduction). Although Cantley had the initial advantage, Davison seemed to control the latter half and landed more precise shots.

Furby sees it 10-8 Davison (Would have been 10-9 without the point deduction).

Round 2
Davison comes out the gate with a hard straight left. Cantley answers but Davison lands another left that stuns Cantley that he follows up with a leg kick. Cantley recovers and they move around the cage. Davison lands another left but Cantley ducks under a hook. Cantley lands a hard left, and another, but Davison lands a right hook that knocks out Cantley's mouthpiece and takes Cantley down. Cantley starts to move as though he's going to get up as Davison is moving in to take more shots, but the referee immediately rushes in to stop the fight.

Clayton Davison defeats Kevin Cantley via TKO (strikes) at 1:02 of Round 2.

(A tough one to call on whether the stoppage was early. I don't doubt Davison's power, but I think the visual effect of Cantley's mouthpiece coming out influenced the ref's decision to step in. Although the shot did stun Cantley, he did move to try and get back up very quickly while Davison was rushing in to lands more shots. I wonder what would've happened if the ref had given it another 10 seconds. I understand that fighter safety is the number one concern, but it was likely an early stoppage.)

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Justin Wallace vs. Bret Ewing (155)

Wallace fights out of Team Vision. Ewing fights out of Team Cruelty.

Round 1
Ewing opens with a leg kick, they both fire jabs out of range and Ewing shoots in for a takedown. Ewing gets Wallace down but Wallace briefly looks for a guillotine, pulling guard. Ewing lands short head shots and Wallace scrambles, trying to get out of the bottom position. Wallace manages to briefly work one of Ewing's arms in front of his own face looking for a triangle but he can't get his legs up in time. They're warned to keep the action going, and Wallace looks for a kimura from the bottom but Ewing gets his arm out and lands more shots from inside Wallace's half-guard. Ewing continues to try and get to a more dominant position as the round expires, landing a few more short shots.

Furby sees it 10-9 Ewing.

Round 2
Ewing opens with another leg kick and tries a body kick. Wallace tires a leg kick of his own and they look to trade shots before Ewing takes Wallace down again. Wallace has one of Ewing's legs tied up in half-guard and uses that to stand. The two hit the ground again with Ewing on top and Wallace once again going for a kimura from the bottom before transitioning to a triangle and back to a kimura. Ewing gets his arm out and lands two head shots from the top from inside Wallace's guard. The ref stands them up. They trade leg kicks and Ewing takes the fight down again, with Wallace briefly looking for a kneebar. Ewing takes the top position to land three shots to the head as the round ends.

Furby sees it 10-9 Ewing.

Round 3
Wallace opens with the leg kick this round and lands a hard right that pushes Ewing back but Ewing immediately shoots in and takes Wallace down, ending up inside Wallace's half-guard. Ewing tries to transition to side control, landing some short head shots to try and loosen Wallace up. Ewing gets control of one of Wallace's wrists, looking for a keylock, but lets it go for more head shots (and is warned by the ref to watch punching the back of the head). Ewing almost scores full mount but Wallace smoothly transitions back to guard but still takes shots from Ewing, using the popular body-body -head progression. The ref stands them up again as the action slows. Wallace ladns leg kick and a left hook as Ewing shoots in. Wallace briefly defends but Ewing scores the takedown again and ends up in side control before transitioning to mount. Wallace rolls and gets half-guard, but Ewing lands some more head shots as the fight ends.

Ewing should've locked up the unanimous decision win with the final round.

Furby sees it 10-9 Ewing.

Bret Ewing wins via Unanimous Decision (No scores announced).

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Steve Watson vs. Adam May (185)

Watson fights out of Team Fallen Angels. May fights out on Team Xtreme out of Cincy MMA and Fitness.

Round 1
Watson fakes a kick and lands a Superman punch and May takes him down. Watson lands with May's neck locked up in a guillotine and the two trade knees to the body on the ground. May rolls out and the two stand and trade body kicks. May lands a hard right and Watson pulls him down, but May takes the top position and immediately transitions to mount and starts landing head shots from the top. Watson tries to posture up but May lands more ground and pound until the ref steps in.

Adam May wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:45 of Round 1.

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Jeremy Myers vs. Ben McQuary (145)

This fight is for the ICF Am 145 belt. Myers, the challenger, fights out of Walker MMA. McQuary, the champ, fights out of Fusion MMA.

Round 1
A few range-testing jabs from both and Myers makes first contact with a leg kick, shortly followed by two more. McQuary lands a three punch combo and takes Myers down. Myers kicks him off but McQuary reaches in to lands a head shot before Myers gets up. They stand and McQuary lands an inside leg kick. Myers slips but quickly gets back up and lands a leg kick followed by another. Myers lands a straight right and then a leg kick but McQuary catches it and knocks Myers down with a right. Myers pulls guard and McQuary lands a hard shot from the top, followed by another and a third that misses. Myers tries to control McQuary's wrists with McQuary now standing inside guard. McQuary goes for more shots and Myers tries for an armbar but McQuary pulls his arm out and lands a few more short head shots to end the round.

A solid round for both fighters. I think McQuary won the round due to his control but Myers defended well in the bottom position.

Furby sees it 10-9 McQuary.

Round 2
Myers misses with a big spinning backfist to start the round. More range-testing punches from these two, both looking for an opening. Myers lands hard leg kick but McQuary lands a short hook in the process. Myers lands another hard leg kick , then another and the two trade punches before separating. Myers lands another leg kick, then another. Myers lands a good leg kick and McQuary shoots in but Myers stuffs it. Myers lands another leg kick, then misses with another. Myers steps in with a jab but it only grazes McQuary. McQuary finally catches Myers with a right, then pushes him against the cage, dropping for a double-leg takedown. Myers defends but McQuary eventually gets him down. From the top position, McQuary tries to tie up Myers's neck, and McQuary rolls, still looking for the guillotine with Myers landing body shots from the top as the round ends.

A much better performance from Myers that round. I think he easily won that round.

Furby sees it 10-9 Myers.

Round 3
More range testing from each fighter to start the round and Myers finally makes contact with a leg kick, then another and another. McQuary shoots in but was too far away and Myers steps out of it. Myers goes for another leg kick and McQuary successfully shoots in and takes him down. McQuary looks for a choke from the top position, but eventually lets it go and Myers pulls guard. McQuary pushes Myers into the fence and stands inside Myers's guard, and Myers kicks up, briefly putting McQuary airborne before Myers stands and lands a har right, stunning McQuary. Myers jumps on McQuary and goes for a darce, but McQuary gets his head out and tries to scores a double-leg as the two stand again. Myers defends well, but McQuary ultimately scores the takedown, with Myers looking for an armbar from the bottom. The two stand and McQuary lands a few body shots while Myers tries to take him down, ending the round.

A good fight, and an excellent third round. It was much closer in the final round than the first two, and I think Myers's aggression and solid striking and kicks should win him the round and ultimately the fight. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see it go either way with as close as the final round was.

Furby sees it 10-9 Myers.

Jeremy Myers wins via Split Decision to become the new ICF Am 145 Champ.

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Wendel Hurless vs. Brandon Demastes (155)

This fight is for the vacant ICF am Lightweight title. Hurless fights out of Team Fallen Angels. Demastes fights out of On Point Athletics.

Round 1
Hurless steps in with a right and Demastes lands a left and clinches up for a takedown. Demastes lands two punches and Hurless lands three of his own. Demastes picks up Hurless for a big slam and works on taking Hurless's back. Hurless gets one leg up but Demastes forces him back down gong for the rear naked but can't get his legs hooked in and Hurless shakes him off.. Hurless lands some hard rights and Demastes shoots in and scores another takedown. Demastes stands and then backs off and Hurless comes in with a right and Demastes tries to sweep him but Hurless defends. Demastes misses with a big right and Hurless lands two knees to the body. Hurless misse with a right hook and Demastes takes him down, but Hurless rolls and lands in full mount. Hurless lands two shots to the head as the round ends.

Good action in the first round. Hurless had some hard shots, but was a little wild. I think Demastes's control and solid takedowns is going to let him pull out the first round.

Furby sees it 10-9 Demastes.

Round 2
Hurless steps in and over with a hard right that finds its mark and they clinch up with Demastes finally scoring the takedown and landing in top position. He ties up Hurless's head and arm in an arm triangle choke but lets it go. Demastes gets out of half-guard into the mount but then transitions back to side control and looks for an armbar. Hurless picks Demastes up and slams him once, but Demastes has the armbar in tight and forces the tap to become the new ICF Am Lightweight Champ.

Brandon Demastes wins via submission (armbar) at 1:12 in Round 2.

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Yancy Martin vs. Tyler Johnson (170)

This fight is for the ICF am 170 Title. Martin, the challenger, fights out of Walker MMA. Johnson, the Champ, fights out of Team Vision. This is a classic style matchup. Although both have good all-around MMA games, Martin has excellent muay thai and Johnson is a great BJJ practitioner.

Round 1
Johnson opens up with two jabs and Martin lands a leg kick, but then misses with another. They trade punches and Johnson shoots in and takes Martin down. Johnson quickly takes Martin's back looking for a rear naked choke. Johnson locks in the body triangle and Martin rolls to his stomach. Johnson reaches up and starts landing multiple shots to the side of the head before going for the rear naked choke again and then letting go to land more shots. Martin tries to roll again but Johnson starts raining down shots from the top and continues to land more unanswered shots until the ref steps in to stop it.

Tyler Johnson wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:53 of Round 1 to defend his title.

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George Oiler vs. Marcus Finch (185)

This fight is for the ICF am Middleweight Title. Oiler, the challenger, fights out of West Virginia MMA and Team JG. Finch, the champ, fights out on Team Xtreme out of Cincy MMA and Fitness. This looks to be a great fight. Both guys are extremely tough and ready for war. Oiler is the former ICF Light Heavyweight Champ and Finch is the two-time ICF am Middlweight Champ.

Round 1
Some feeling out initially, testing range. Both land a couple light shots. Finch moves in with a right and Oiler ties him up and the two trade knees to the body. Both utilize some dirty boxing and then separate. Finch lands a straight left and Oiler misses with a right hook and they clinch up again. Oiler drops low for the takedown but Finch defends. Oiler sneaks in a knee to the body and Finch answers with one of his own. Oiler looks for a single leg and tries to transition to a double-leg takedown but Finch defends. Oiler lets go and Finch lands a two punch combo. Oiler lands an overhand right and the two trade and Oiler slips and Finch beckons for him to stand back up. Oiler fakes an overhand right and shoots in but Finch defends the takedown. Oiler lands a couple short punches to Finch's legs but can't finish the takedown. The two trade some massive shots to the head as the round ends.

A very very close round, but I think Finch will win it with the judges thanks to the strikes he landed and his takedown defense.

Furby sees it 10-9 Finch.

Round 2
Finch throws a right hook to start but it falls short. Both feint with right hooks and Oiler shoots in and Finch defends and the two separate and trade head shots. Oiler shoots in again and Finch continues to defend the takedown. Oiler lands a knee to Finch's leg, then three more, followed by more. Finch sneaks in a short uppercut and Oiler lands more knees to Finch's legs. Finch tries to utilize some body shots and the two separate and trade hard shots again. Finch slips and Oiler takes advantage, pouncing on him on the ground, landing shots from the top. Finch pulls guard and tries to pull Oiler down to prevent him from posturing up, also working to control Oiler's wrists. Oiler lands another head shot and they're warned to stay busy. Oiler briefly stands inside Finch's guard, but goes back to the ground and lands a couple body shots to end the round.

Another great, close round. I do think Oiler is going to win that one on the scorecards, though, due to his control of Finch against the cage. If it keeps going like this, we're definitely going to see a split decision.

Furby sees it 10-9 Oiler.

Round 3
A touch of the gloves to start this final round. Oiler moves in and Finch grazes him with a big overhand right. Oiler struggles to get Finch down and Finch lands a hard body shot from the standing position. Oiler has one of Finch's legs hooked, but transitions to go for a double-leg takedown. Finch lands some body shots and Oiler lands some more shots to Finch's legs. The two separate and trade more head shots and Oiler lands a good knee to the body before moving in for a double-leg takedown again. Finch lands some more body shots while defending the takedown. The ref separates them as the action slows. Finch lands a straight left , then another and Oiler briefly shoots in but then backs off and lands an overhand right before shooting in. Finch defends the takedown and Oiler tries to get enough torque to pick Finch up but Finch is doing an excellent job of defending. Oiler sneaks in some more shots to Finch's legs and Finch lands some more body shots from the top position, also working for the side of Oiler's head (and is warned for shots to the back of the head). Still tied up, the two trade shots as the round ends.

Another extremely tough round to score. Finch's defense was great but it's very hard to tell who had the advantage in the round. I don't really know how to call this round, so I will leave it to the Judges for the final determination.

Marcus Finch wins via Unanimous Decision (no scores announced) to remain the ICF am Middleweight champ.

(I am kind of surprised to see the unanimous decision, but it appears that the Judge's thought that Finch definitely won the final round, to win the fight. An extremely tough effort by both guys - a definite FightTicker.com Fight of the Night candidate.)
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Markeith Gillis vs. Jim Davis (Super Hvy)

This match is for the ICF am Super Heavyweight Title. Gillis, the challenger, weighed in at 345 pounds, and fights out of 4 Seasons. Davis, the champ, weighed in at 320, and fights out of Team Vision.

Round 1
Davis attempted to touch gloves and Gillis shook his head no. An immediate exchange, with hard punches thrown by both. It looks like Gillis lands a head shot and Davis answers and the two briefly clinch up but then Gillis gets out of it, and on the way out Davis lands a hard shot to Gillis's shoulder area. It appears that Gillis hurt his shoulder and rotates his arm and Davis pauses, unsure of what to do because the ref did not stop the fight. Davis moves in and lands another two punch combo but then backs off again and indicates he doesn't want to continue when Gillis is clearly injured. The ref tells him to continue, I guess because Gillis wouldn't tap to end the fight, and Davis reluctantly moves in and lands more shots to the head and body until Gillis goes down and the ref moves in to stop the fight.

Jim Davis wins via TKO (strikes) at :38 of Round 1.

(After the fight, Gillis is checked out by the doctor and escorted out of the ring - it is said his shoulder was dislocated. However, he and Davis do meet in the center of the mat to touch gloves and show respect before Gillis exits.)

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MAIN EVENT

Mark Crawn vs. Kevin Barton

Crawn, in custom Fight Ribbon gear, fights out of West Virginia MMA and Team Jorge Gurgel. Barton, fights on Team Xtreme out of Cincy MMA and Fitness.

Round 1
Barton shoots in but Crawn defends. Barton goes for a double then single leg takedown, but Crawn continues to defend. Barton gets Crawn down but Crawn locks up one of Barton's legs. The two trade hard body shots and Barton tries to get to mount but Crawn defends and works for an inverted triangle before transitioning it to a traditional triangle when Barton turns over. Barton is able to briefly defend but Crawn keeps pulling his head down and secures the win.

Mark Crawn wins via submission (triangle) at 1:15 of Round 1.