ICF 17: Event Play-by-Play and Results

On October 31, 2009, I attended ICF 17 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. This was the first ICF show in Kentucky since the opening of the ICF Fight Club a few months ago. The card was capped off with a pro matchup between UFC veteran Dan Christison and Jim Davis, who was making his pro debut.

I kept up with the action throughout the night - for the full play-by-play and results, head over to ProMMA.info.

Enjoy.



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Exclusive Pre-Fight Interview With Jim Davis

For those of you who have read my live blogs of various ICF shows, you should be familiar with the name Jim Davis. In his five amateur wins, Davis has never let an opponent get out of the first round, nor the first minute of the fight.

Making his pro debut this weekend at ICF 17 in Florenc, Ky., Davis faces probably the toughest pro debut fight of any I have ever heard of - UFC veteran Dan Christison.

I got the chance to catch up with Jim prior to his fight to talk about his pro debut, as well as the cut down from Super Heavyweight (Jim was around 330 pounds) to the catchweight of 285.

You can find our full interview on ProMMA.info.


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The Cageside Beat October 29, 2009: Chad Hinton

Our radio show is back! Newly renamed "The Cageside Beat," Puddin and I are returning to bring you all the same great regional and national MMA interviews, news, and commentary that you can handle.

Part of the PROMMA.INFO Radio Network, The Cageside Beat returns this Thursday, October 29, 2009, with special guest Chad "H-Bomb" Hinton. We will be discussing Hinton's MMA career, his recent first-round KO victory over Justin Moore, and current news in MMA.

For instructions on how to tune in, and call in, head over to PROMMA.INFO.

This episode is sponsored by Silver Star, the fastest growing company in MMA sponsorship.

Enjoy.

-PreView


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ICF 16: Resurrection Play-by-Play, Results, and Night Honors

Saturday night, I attended the ICF 16: Resurrection show at the ICF Fight Club. Lot of great fights that night including George Oiler making his long-awaited pro debut against Brandon Howard, and Chad Hinton defending his Lightweight Title against Justin Moore.

For my full play-by-play as well as results and my picks for the Night Honors, head over to PROMMA.INFO.

Enjoy.


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ICF: 16 Info and Fight Card

ICF is back in action on October 23rd at the ICF Fight Club in Cincinnati, OH. For information on the show and the full fight card, head over to my post at PROMMA.INFO.

It is definitely going to be a card to watch. Pro standouts Chad Hinton and Justin Moore will be facing off for the ICF Lightweight Title, and George Oiler will be making his long-awaited pro debut versus Brandon Howard.

-PreView


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ICF: Payback Live Blog (9/11/09)

I'm here at the ICF Fight Club, waiting for the action to start. Tonight's card features eleven fights, including the first women's MMA fight to be featured at the club.

The action is set to get started at 8:00 PM. I'll be back with the first fight.

As always, a quick shout out to the vendors here tonight - Fight Ribbon Clothing Company and Actual Fighter.

Disclosure: I take the spelling of all names from the fight card I am given, and the times from the official announcements. My perspective is a stationary one outside the cage, so I report the fights as I see them from my point of view.

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Mike Kidd vs. Wesley Barrentine (145)

Kidd, making his amateur MMA debut, fights out of Team Nemesis. Barrentine (2-0) fights out of Team Vision.

Round 1
Barrentine lands a leg kick and Kidd answers with three punches. Barrentine scores a big takedown with a belly to belly suplex and lands in side control. Kidd pulls Barrentine's head down to keep him from posturing up, and Barrentine briefly takes mount then transitions to the other side, going for an arm triangle choke. Kidd lands a couple punches from the bottom, but Barrentine keeps the choke in tight and Kidd taps.

Wesley Barrentine wins via submission (arm triangle choke) at 1:47 of Round 1.

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Joe Maiani vs. David Suter (155)

Maiani fights out of Walker MMA. Suter represents 4 Seasons.

Round 1
Touch of the gloves and we're off. A front kick from Maiani falls short. Maiani lands a leg kick, then another and misses a third. Suter tries for a combo but Maiani grabs Suter's leg and takes him down and takes Suter's back. Maiani lands some body shots from the top and Suter rolls, Maiani transitions to side control. Suter tries to shake him off, but Maiani keeps the side control position. Suter tries to shake him off and Maiani lands a right hook. Suter briefly tries up Maiani's head, but Maiani gets it out and lands more shots from the top. Suter gets to his feet and lands a hard left hook followed by a right. Suter moves for a leg kick, but instead finds Maiani's head as Maiani shoots in and the ref calls time and separates them. Although Suter's kick caught Maiani square in the face, it looked like an unintentional kick - Suter was already throwing the kick as Maiani shot in. The doctor moves to check what looks to be a bad cut above Maiani's face. The doctor calls the fight.

The fight is ruled a no-contest, as the kick has been ruled unintentional, and the doctor stopped the fight.

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Justin Hunt vs. Rob Gonzalez (155)

Hunt trains out of Team Nemesis. Gonzalez fights out of Highlander MMA Tampa.

Round 1
Hunt lands a hard right hook and the two trade hard head shots. Gonzalez scores a takedown and lands in half-guard, working shots to the body. Gonzalez transitions to full mount then takes Hunt's back when Hunt rolls, working for the rear naked choke. Gonzalez gets his legs hooked in between Hunt's, then transitions to a body triangle, but Hunt still defends and gets his head free, but Gonzalez still has the body triangle locked in. Gonzalez looks for another rear naked choke and is able to score the tap this time.

Robert Gonzalez wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:01 of Round 1.

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John Gill vs. Derrick Hayes (185)

Gill fights out of Fusion MMA. No team affiliation is announced for Hayes.

Round 1
Hayes goes for a left hook followed by a right and they graze Gill but Gill scores a takedown and immediately takes Hayes's back, going for the rear naked choke. Hayes rolls and stands inside guard and starts landing shots. Gill looks for an ankle lock and takes Hayes back down but Hayes looks for a guillotine. Gill gets his head out and takes the top position, then takes Hayes's back and starts landing multiple head shots, bloodying Hayes's nose. Gill quickly sinks in a rear naked choke, securing the tap.

John Gill wins via submission (RNC) at 1:49 of Round 1.

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Vick Simms vs. Donald Lipscomb (180)

Simms fights out of Fusion MMA. Lipscomb fights out of Highlander MMA Tampa.

Round 1
Lipscomb throw s left to start but it misses. Simms clinches up and lands a knee to the body and Lipscomb tries to sweep but can't. Simms takes Lipscomb down but the two stand and trade more shots. The two work their way around the ring with Lipscomb going for a takedown but Simms defends. Simms presses Lipscomb against the cage, gets one of Lipscomb's legs off the ground and picks him up for a big slam that KOs Lipscomb and has the ref rushing in to stop the fight.

Vick Simms wins via KO at 1:10 of Round 1.

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Jerry James vs. Rick Dennis (210)

James fights out of Invincible MMA. No team affiliation is announced for Dennis.

Round 1
Dennis comes in with a right hook that falls short. They circle and Dennis misses with three more punches. James lands a hard right and the two trade head shots, moving wildly around the cage. Dennis clinches up but can't take James down. James presses Dennis against the cage and lands a knee to the body and the two trade more shots. They separate and James comes in with a body kick that Dennis answers with a right. The two trade right hands and Dennis lands a second hard right. Dennis shoots in for a takedown but James defends. They separate again and trade more head shots. James lands another hard body kick and a left hook. Dennis clinches up and lands a knee to the body as the round ends.

An exciting round, but I think James had slightly more control and should see a win for that round.

Furby sees it 10-9 James.

Round 2
Dennis comes in with a jumping jab that lands and then follows it up with a body kick. Dennis throws out a right that connects. James lands another body kick and Dennis another right. James lands three wild punches and backs off. Both swing and miss with big overhand rights and Dennis pushes James against the cage. Dennis gets a lazy takedown but James has his neck locked up. James lets go and the two stand again. They briefly circle and then James lands a massive left hook that KOs Dennis, spinning him around and sending him to the mat. James goes in for another shot but the ref rushes in and pulls James off.

Jerry James win via KO at 1:56 of Round 1.

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Brett Lowery vs. Zack Sanders (155)

Lowery fights out of Walker MMA. Sanders fights out of 4 Seasons.

Round 1
Lowery opens with a leg kick and then the two trade leg kicks. Lowery moves in with a jab but then lands another leg kick and Sanders shoots in for the takedown. Lowery tries to tie up Sanders's neck and work a knee to the body but the knee falls low and the action is briefly stopped. Sanders is okay and they restart. Sanders lands a leg kick and Lowery answers with a right. They circle and Sanders catches a leg kick and lands a hard shot on Lowery, moving to take him down. Lowery works for a guillotine and lands two knees to the body. Sanders works his way out and Lowery lands another leg kick. Sanders lands a leg kick and Lowery answers with a two-punch combo and then ties Sanders up, pressing him against the cage and landing more knees to the body. Lowery works to take Sanders's back, standing, and Sanders goes down trying to shake Lowery off. Lowery is stuck on the side briefly and Sanders works his way back to his feet. Sanders lands a two punch combo and a leg kick as the two separate and then misses with a superman punch. Lowery clinches up and lands a couple short shots to the body as the round expires.

A tough round to score there - great effort from both guys and both landed some quality shots. However, I think Lowery being the aggressor combined with his striking and submission attempt will win him the round.

Furby sees it 10-9 Lowery.

Round 2

Sanders opens this round with spinning heel kick to the body but Lowery catches it and lands a head shot. Sanders shoots in and takes Lowery down, landing in mount working shots from the top. Lowery rolls and takes top position but Sanders looks for a triangle. Lowery lands shots to the body and the two rolls and roll again and Sanders has the triangle from the top, landing multiple unanswered shots. They roll again and again and Sandesr lands on top. Lowery gets his head out, but is still on bottom with Sanders landing more shots from the top. Lowery pulls guard but Sanders works in more shot shots from the top. Sanders stands in Lowery's guard, but then goes back down and now Lowery, from the bottom, looks for a reverse triangle but Sanders gets his head out. Sanders lands more shots from the top and tries for a d'arce as the round ends.

A much better round for Sanders. Multiple submission attempts and a higher striking percentage.

Furby sees it 10-9 Sanders.

Round 3
Sanders opens with a superman punch and immediately shoots in and picks Lowery up around the waist for a big slam. Sanders lands shots from the top in half-guard and takes mount as Lowery tries to sweep. Sanders lands more shots from the top and Lowery tries to shake him off but can't. Sanders lands more head shots from the top and Lowery tries to sweep him again but Sanders stays in full mount, landing more shots. Lowery tries to pull Sanders down to keep him from posturing up and manages to roll a little bit but Sanders pushes him back down, staying in mount, landing more unanswered shots from the top until the ref steps in to stop the fight.

Zack Sanders wins via TKO (strikes) at 2:27 of Round 3.

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Jaclyn Greenwell vs. Priscilla Brownfield (115)

Greenwell fights out of Fusion MMA. Brownfield fights out of Death is Certain.

Round 1
Brownfield misses with a leg kick and Greenwell lands a two punch combo and the two clinch up against the cage. Brownfield is working for a takedown but Greenwell initially defends, landing head and body shots. Brownfield hip tosses Greenwell, lands in half-guard and scores with shots from the top. Greenwell puls guard and Brownfield stands inside the guard. Greenwell works fo high guard and Brownfield lands shots to the head as Greenwell goes for an armbar. Greenwell gets one of Brownfield's arms trapped between her legs but Brownfield gets it out and lands shots to the head from side control. Greenwell briefly transitions to rubber guard and the two are stood up as the action slows. Greenwell lands a couple jabs and Brownfield pushes her against the cage, going for the takedown, but Greenwell defends.

A solid round from both of the women. I think Brownfield will edge it out on the scorecards due to her dominance from the top position.

Furby sees it 10-9 Brownfield

Round 2
Greenwell throws a jab that falls out of range and the same happens with a leg kick from Brownfield. Greenwell uses the opportunity to start landing headshots and gets Brownfield against the cage, landing more headshots. Brownfield grabs Greenwell around the waist and takes her down and Greenwell pulls guard. Brownfiled transitions to side control, then Greenwell gets Brownfield's leg locked up in half-guard. Brownfield has Greenwell's right arm trapped between their bodies and uses the opening to land some short head shots, followed by more. Brownfield tries to transition to full mount but Greenwell defends from the bottom. The two are stood up agains as the action slows. Greenwell lands four punches and Brownfield quickly moves in and presses her against the cage as the round expires.

Another tough round to score. Greenwell had the initial flurry but Brownfield controlled from the top position on the ground more. It depends on what the judges are placing more value on tonight - striking or groundwork, but I think Brownfield will win the round.

Furby sees it 10-9 Brownfield.

Round 3
Greenwell lands a jab to start and Brownfield answers with two punches, one of which misses. Greenwell lands more shots and Brownfield ties her up again, going for the takedown. Brownfield gets Greenwell down and Greenwell pulls guard. Brownfield lands a head shot from the top and Greenwell pulls her down, preventing her from posturing up. Brownfield is working in some short head and body shots, still in Greenwell's full guard. Brownfield works in more short shots from the top and gets a knee on Greenwell's left arm, pinning it to the mat and landing more shots. Greenwell gets her arm free and works her guard up higher while Brownfield lands more head shots. Greenwell almost sweeps Brownfield but Brownfield keeps the dominant position, landing more shots from the top. Greenwell sinks in an armbar, but it is too late and the round expires.

A dominant round from Brownfield.

Furby sees it 10-9 Brownfield.

Priscilla Brownfield wins via Unanimous Decision (no scores announced).

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Brandon Laino vs. Eric Moell (135)

I couldn't hear Laino's team affiliation. Moell fights out of Invincible MMA.

Round 1
Laino shoots in and Moell briefly stuffs it but Laino gets the takedown and starts landing head shots from the mount position. Moell throws his legs up for a submission and doesn't get it but reverses Laino and ends up in the top position. Laino looks for a guillotine from the top, but Moell gets his head out and pulls guard. He briefly moves for triangle but Laino muscles out of it and ends up in top position with Moell landing short head shots from the bottom. Laino postures up briefly and Moell lands more shots from the bottom. Laino moves back and Moell rolls him to end in the top position, landing multiple unanswered head shots until the ref steps in to call it off as a result of a verbal submission.

Eric Moell wins via submission (verbal tapout due to strikes) at 2:46 of Round 1.

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CO-MAIN EVENT

Jabari Hudgins vs. Brad Hutcheison (210)

Hudgins is making his MMA debut. Hutcheison fights out of Big Bully MMA.

Round 1
Hudgins opens with a two punch combo and lands two more when Hutcheison goes in for a shot. The two trade hard shots to the head and Hutcheison shoots in again and takes Hudgins down with a single leg, but Hudgins has Hutcheison's head tied up in a guillotine. Hutcheison gets his head free, in full mount, and lands shots from the top. Hutcheison gets control of one of Hudgins's wrists and lands more shots from the top. Hudgins gets his arm free and rolls to his stomach but flattens out and Hutcheison lands more head and body shots from Hudgins's back until Hudgins taps to the strikes.

Brent Hutcheison wins via submission (strikes) at 1:32 of Round 1.

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MAIN EVENT

Sammy Rodriguez vs. Taylor Ruscin (185)

Rodriguez fights out of Highlander MMA Tampa. Ruscin represents JG MMA Academy. Both guys are cornered by their trainers, two top-notch BJJ guys. Rodriguez is cornered by Mike Yanez and Ruscin by Jorge Gurgel

Round 1
Rodriguez lands a left hook and Ruscin a leg kick followed by two more. They clinch up and struggle across the cage and go down, Ruscin landing in the top position. Ruscin lands shots from the top and Rodriguez gets in shots from the bottom. Ruscin passes guard and ends up in side control. Rodriguez is still working from the bottom and sneaks a shot in. Ruscin lands two shots from the top and Rodriguez continues to punch from the bottom. Rodriguez gets one of Ruscin's arms tied up in an armbar attempt but Ruscin pulls free and goes back down, taking top position. Ruscin lands ahard shot from the top and Rodriguez a glancing blow from the bottom. Ruscin stands and then goes back down in side control again and Rodriguez spins, trying to get out from under Ruscin. Ruscin lands a short shot from the top and another as the round ends.

Ruscin should win that first round. Rodriguez didn't appear to take much damage but Ruscin was in control for the majority of the round, working from the top position.

Furby sees it 10-9 Ruscin.

Round 2

Rodriguez sneaks in a left but Ruscin answers with a right. Ruscin throws a high kick but it falls short and he is warned for head kicks. Ruscin sweeps Rodriguez with a leg kick and gets on top and Rodriguez gets half-guard. Ruscin lands three good shots from the top, followed by two more. Ruscin is trying to mount but can't get his leg free. Rodriguez sneaks in two head shots from the bottom but Ruscin moves and takes full mount, landing shots from the top. Rodriguez scrambles but Ruscin takes his back, landing more shots from the top. Rodriguez rolls and Ruscin takes mount, and Rodriguez pulls him down. Ruscin lands a couple body shots and Rodriguez tries to shake him off, but can't. Ruscin looks for a rear naked choke but can't finish it before the round ends.

A dominant round for Ruscin.

Furby sees it 10-9 Ruscin.

Round 3
Rodriguez opens with a left hook and then presses Ruscin against the cage landing three more shots to the head. Ruscin reverses and looks for a double-leg takedown but Rodriguez defends, sneaking in head shots. Ruscin gets the takedown and Rodriguez pulls guard. Ruscin lands some body shots from the top and Rodriguez works from the bottom. Ruscin passes into side control and Rodriguez sneaks in a shot from the bottom. Rodriguez looks to sweep Ruscin but Ruscin keeps the top position, working in two head shots. Ruscin lands a body shot and looks for mount but Rodriguez scrambles. Ruscin stands and lands a leg kick. He dives in with a right but it doesn't connect. Ruscin take side control again and Rodriguez looks for a kimura, then a reverse triangle but Ruscin stands again and tries for an arm triangle choke from inside the guard as the round ends.

Ruscin had control the majority of that round. Looks like he's headed for a unanimous decision win.

Furby sees it 10-9 Ruscin.

Taylor Ruscin wins via Unanimous Decision (no scores announced).

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Some good fights tonight. I'll be back in the coming days with my post-event coverage.




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ICF: Balance of Power Post-Event Interview with Promoter Steve Stanton (9/10/09)

After the ICF's recent Balance of Power show, I also had a chance to catch up with ICF promoter Steve Stanton. I hadn't had the chance to speak directly with Steve since right before he opened the ICF Fight Club, so I was glad to get a few minutes to ask him some questions about the night's fights and record-breaking crowd for the ICF.

Here is what Stanton had to say:



Brian Furby: Steve, you had a huge crowd tonight, a lot of exciting fights – give me some of your thoughts on the show.

Steve Stanton: I can’t believe how many people came out tonight. They just kept coming and coming. The doors opened at 5:00 PM and all of sudden about 400 people were standing outside getting ready to come in three hours before the fights started. There were cars backed up miles down the road trying to get in. I’m predicting between 5,500-6,000 people for tonight’s show.

Brian Furby: Second show in Indiana, and Cincinnati attorney Eric Deters actually stepped in the cage against Florence, Kentucky police officer Larry Shelton in the main event – what did you think of the fight?

Steve Stanton: I’ve been telling everybody it was a legitimate fight. Everybody was saying it wasn’t going to happen and it did. It was a good fight, Eric Deters actually put up a good fight.

Brian Furby: You have your next Fight Club show coming up on September 11th, ICF: Payback – what can we expect from the ICF in the future?

Steve Stanton: 700 West Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, OH – Payback will be our third show and we’re getting really good crowds, people are still finding out we’re down there. Not only do I do MMA, we have a full sports bar, we host national concerts and I’m getting into boxing now trying to bring boxing back up like I did MMA in the area. I want to thank everybody that came out tonight, supporting the ICF and all my fighters. Everybody fought hard tonight. Indiana is a fun crowd, they’re a little rambunctious, get a little rowdy, but they sure drink a lot of beer and have a good time[laughs].


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ICF: Balance of Power Post-Event Interview with Larry Shelton (9/10/09)

A couple weekends ago, I attended the ICF event, Balance of Power. There were a number of entertaining fights and exciting finishes, but the headline fight easily generated the most pre-fight hype. Florence, KY police officer Larry "K-9" Shelton faced off against Cincinnati attorney Eric "Bulldog" Deters. Deters had long been stating he wanted to fight a police officer (he is known, among other things, for suing police for misconduct) and Shelton stepped up to the plate. Shelton ended up beating Deters in the first round via TKO due to strikes and I caught up with him after the event to get some comments.

You can see what Shelton had to say, and catch a video of the fight, after the jump.

Brian Furby: Big win over Eric Deters tonight, how did you feel going into the fight?

Larry Shelton: I was very calm. I trained so hard with Scott O’Brien and Dan McMillan and I felt very comfortable.

Brian Furby: There was a lot of pre-fight hype and trash talk going on – did that affect your preparation at all?

Larry Shelton: I didn’t think about it at all, I just trained hard, not so much for Eric Deters but for any fighter. I just went out there and gave it my best.

Brian Furby: Once you got in the cage, what did you think about Deters as an opponent?

Larry Shelton: I don’t think he was comfortable in the cage. That may be lack of experience but I have to admit I respect him now. He opened his mouth, but got in there and I respect that. He may do some things I disagree with but I respect that.





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ICF 13 Post-Event Interview with Mark Crawn (9/9/09)

The final fighter I was able to speak to after the recent ICF 13 event was Mark "The Future" Crawn. Crawn was my other pick for Submission of the Night Honors with his first-round triangle choke win over Kevin Barton.

(Picture from Fight Ribbon's event album.)

Here is what Mark had to say about his fight and his recent battle with cancer:

Brian Furby: Mark Crawn, big first-round submission win over Kevin Barton [Barton is the ICF 205 Amateur Champ, but this was a non-title fight], how did you feel going into the fight?

Mark Crawn: I felt awesome. Trained hard for the last nine weeks, after I got rid of the cancer. All I’ve been doing is training, training, training.

Brian Furby: I’m familiar with your situation but I know many people aren’t – why don’t you tell us about your recent battle with cancer?

Mark Crawn: I got diagnosed with testicular cancer, I found it about a week before my last fight with Jason Cocagne, and I went to the doctor the week after and they told me it was cancer so I went and got it removed and been on track since then, working hard.

Brian Furby: How quickly were you able to get back into training after that?

Mark Crawn: They told me to take six weeks off because I could get a hernia or something like that, but I did about a week-and-a-half [off], and then at the two-week mark, I had to get out and do something so I went at it [training] again, kept it a secret from my wife, but I was sparring full contact again in two weeks.

Brian Furby: So your first fight back – what did you think of your performance compared to your last fight before the surgery?

Mark Crawn: I think my game is way better. I’d say my jiu jitsu is probably 100 times better than it was then, and it’s only going to get better because I don’t take a day off. I train three times a day and I do everything 100%.

Brian Furby: So is the plan a rematch with Barton for the title?

Mark Crawn: I’ve talked to a lot of people and I think I’m ready to go pro. I’m ready to get paid.

Brian Furby: Anybody you want to give a shout out to?

Mark Crawn: I definitely want to give a shout out to West Virginia MMA, Fight Ribbon, Revgear, The Navy, On Point Athletics, and Fight or Flight Athletics, all for sponsoring me and taking care of me. And of course I want to give a shout out to my wife and thank God.




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ICF 13 Post-Event Interview with Brandon Demastes (9/9/09)

After the recent ICF 13 event, another person I got the chance to speak to was Brandon Demastes, one of my picks for the Submission of the Night honor. Brandon defeated Wendall Hurless to become the new ICF 155 amateur champ.

(Picture courtesy of On Point Athletics.)

Here is what Brandon had to say after his fight:

Brian Furby: Alright Brandon, how does it feel to be the new ICF 155 (amateur) champ?

Brandon Demastes: It feels great, always good to be a champion.

Brian Furby: How did you feel going into the fight?

Brandon Demastes: I was feeling really confident, but I definitely underestimated his standup game.

Brian Furby: A couple times during the fight, especially at the end of the first round it looked like you were getting frustrated – what was going through your head?

Brandon Demastes: I was frustrated because my whole gameplan was that I knew he was going to brawl with me and I was going to step back and feel him out for a while, but I kept letting my hands down and falling into his game instead of doing what my plan was. That’s why I was frustrated, because he landed a couple blows that were unexpected.

Brian Furby: At the end, you finished with an armbar and even though he picked you up and slammed you, you kept it locked in. What did you think of the finish?

Brandon Demastes: I had the armbar and it wasn’t tight at first but when he picked me up and slammed me, I jerked on it [his arm] a little bit and it made it tighter. Him slamming me was definitely a blessing because that was what made me able to finish him off.

Brian Furby: When do you want to fight next?

Brandon Demastes: Since I’m going to college and everything, I don’t know exactly when I want to fight because training will be difficult but hopefully in the next two or three months or so, so I can have some time to rest up and get a full training schedule going again.

Brian Furby: Anybody you want to give a shout out to?

Brandon Demastes: First and foremost, On Point Athletics and Chad Marsh. Without him, I wouldn’t have had this fight or all this great gear. Steve Stanton, for giving me a chance to fight, all my friends and family for coming out to support me and definitely FightTicker.com, coolest guys around.

Brian Furby: By the way, you’re still wearing the belt, are you going to wear that around for the rest of the night [laughs]?

Brandon Demastes: Probably not, because it’s so heavy and I lose things all the time so I’ll probably let my parents keep it because I’d lose it and it’s really expensive [laughs].


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ICF 13 Post-Event Interview with Marcus Finch (9/9/09)

A few weeks ago, I attended ICF 13 at the ICF Fight Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. Among the exciting fights that went down that night was a match between Marcus Finch and George Oiler for the 185 amateur title. It was a three-round war between two extremely talented guys and an easy choice for Fight of the Night. I caught up with Marcus after the event to speak with him about his win.

Here is what Marcus had to say.

Brian Furby: Marcus, you had what looked like a tough unanimous decision win over George Oiler tonight – how’d you feel going into the fight?

Marcus Finch: I felt good. I knew we had a gameplan we had to execute – George is dangerous on the ground, very very dangerous on the ground so I knew if I could nullify his takedown and stay the hell away from the ground I would be okay. I got a little discouraged in the second round because I slipped [and fell] but I ended up getting my guard and I was comfortable there.

Brian Furby: You defended your 185 belt tonight – how soon do you think you’ll fight again?

Marcus Finch: I just want to do some more training. I feel like I had a lot of mistakes. The only thing I really liked was that I had good takedown defense. I could’ve struck more, but I just should’ve looked for more angles and moved more.

Brian Furby: Are you still feeling good at 185?

Marcus Finch: Yeah, I feel good. I wouldn’t mind going up to 205 since I was originally supposed to fight Mark Crawn [Oiler’s teammate], I wouldn’t mind that if Steve okayed it. I walk around at 205 anyway.

Brian Furby: So are you going to chill out for a little bit now or get right back to training?

Marcus Finch: I will be training Sunday [in two days]. I’d do it tomorrow, but I have to take my daughter school shopping [laughs].

Brian Furby: Congratulations, Marcus – anybody you want to give a shout out to?

Marcus Finch: I would like to thank Steve Stanton, the one that put this together and made it possible for me to showcase my talent. Chad Hinton, the person who welcomed me into his gym and let me turn it into a home. All my coaches, they give me a lot of one-on-one, and I’ve been training with all of them - my muay thai coach Dahei Haile, my American kickboxing coach Marty Sloan, my jiu jitsu coach Corey Boyle, probably the most unorthodox jiu jitsu guy there is right now, and he gears it all toward MMA; my boxing coach Brian Kinamore, and I’d like to thank the Lord.



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ICF: Balance of Power Event Results and Night Honors (August 31, 2009)

This past Saturday Mike Menninger and I attended the ICF: Balance of Power event in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The ICF's second event in Indiana, this 14-fight card saw only one fight go out of the first round and featured a number of extremely quick KOs and some exciting finishes, in addition to a huge crowd.

Here are the event results and my picks for Night Honors:

Keith Wilson vs. Doug Stergil - Wilson wins via submission (arm triangle choke) at :35 of Round 1.

Ronnie Hughes vs. Joe Maiani - Maiani wins via submission (RNC) at 1:09 in Round 1.

Nick Burress vs. George Whitehead - Burress wins via KO at 2:13 of Round 1.

Eric Adams vs. Bret Lowery - Lowery wins via submission (RNC) at :39 of Round 1.

James Lowe vs. Chris Schwab - Schwab wins via KO at :12 of Round 1.

Matt Nedds vs. Wes Barrentine - Barrentine wins via KO at :12 of Round 1.

James Zerous vs. Brian Kinamore - Brian Kinamore wins via TKO (strikes) at :16 of Round 1.

Chris Perkins vs. Jeremy Myers - Perkins wins via submission (RNC) at :56 of Round 1.

Mike Combs vs. Jerry Huber - Combs wins via TKO (strikes) at 2:25 of Round 1.

Tyler Witte vs. Brandon Sober - Sober wins via TKO (knee) at 2:47 of Round 1.

Chris Meyers vs. John Knox - Knox wins via KO at :29 of Round 1.

AJ Post vs. J.P. - Post wins via submission (choke) at :34 of Round 1.

Justin Burris vs. Dahei Haile - Haile wins via Split Decision (29-28 Haile, 29-28 Haile, 29-28 Burris).

Larry Shelton vs. Eric Deters - Larry Shelton wins via submission (strikes) at 1:55 of Round 1.

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KO of the Night (TIE) - Chris Schwab over James Lowe and Wes Barrentine over Matt Nedds.
Both Schwab and Barrentine won their fights with 12 second KOs. Both guys clearly landed hard shots, and trying to pick which one was better than the other was tough, so I am awarding it to both. Great performances by both guys.

Submission of the Night - Joe Maiani vs. Ronnie Hughes
Maiani overcame an RNC attempt by Hughes before finishing the fight with an RNC of his own. Maiani showed good poise under pressure and remained calm to secure the submission win at 1:09 of the first round.

Fight of the Night - Justin Burris vs. Dahei Haile
One might think that this fight won fight of the night simply because it was the only one to make it out of the first round, but that is not the case. Although both guys slowed down a little bit in the third round, they had some solid exchanges in the first and second, with Haile ultimately winning a split decision victory.

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I also had a chance to catch up with ICF promoter Steve Stanton after the event to talk to him about this record-breaking crowd for an ICF event and his thoughts on the event as a whole. That interview will be posted soon.


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ICF 13 Night Honors (August 31, 2009)

Last weekend, I attended the ICF: 13 show at the new ICF Fight Club. In the ICF's sophomore show at the club, they put on another exciting event with some great action.

Here my picks for the Night Honors:

Fight of the Night: Marcus Finch vs. George Oiler
In this 185 Title Match (amateur), Finch and Oiler put on a great show for the fans, exchanging a lot of hard shots and with Finch showcasing some great takedown defense. Ultimately, Finch defended his title with a unanimous decision win over Oiler. A lot of heart shown by both fighters.

Submission of the Night 1: Mark Crawn over Kevin Barton
Although Barton is the ICF 205 (amateur) champ, this was a non-title bout. Very little shots were thrown in a match that saw Crawn almost land a reverse triangle (which I incorrectly noted as an inverted triangle on the night) and then quickly secure a traditional triangle from the bottom to win at 1:15 of Round 1. Another great submission win from Crawn.

Submission of the Night 2: Brandon Demastes over Wendall Hurless
There were no KOs at ICF: 13, so I am handing out a second submission award. In a match for the vacant ICF 155 (amateur) title, Demastes stayed calm against the wild Hurless to score an armbar at 1:12 in the second round. After abandoning an arm triangle choke attempt, Demastes locked in the armbar and held onto it after a slam from Hurless. Congrats to Demastes on his title win.

I was able to catch up with some of the fighters after the event and my interviews will be posted shortly, along with my recap and night honors from the recent ICF: Balance of Power event.




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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.



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ICF: Stacked Post-Event Interview with Jeremy Pender (July 30, 2009)

One of the pro fighters I got to speak with after the recent ICF: Stacked event at the new ICF fight club/MMA sports bar was Jeremy Pender.

Here is what Pender had to say about his fight:

FightTicker.com: Big TKO victory tonight over Jesse Grindstaff – how did you feel going into the fight?

Jeremy Pender: I was really worried. I saw him fight a couple times, he’s got really good muay thai, great jiu jitsu, basically a clone of myself, maybe a little bit more technical. I’d hurt my ankle a couple weeks before the fight so I was nervous about that, too. I just went in and tried to get it over with – luckily things worked out.

FightTicker.com: First pro fight to ever happen in the new ICF fight club/MMA sports bar – what did you think of the event?

Jeremy Pender: The club is amazing, I was so impressed. I stopped by a couple days ago and it just looked great. The crowd was good, a lot bigger than I thought it would be. I don’t know where they put everybody [laughs]. It was a good time, I think the club is going to be successful, the fights are going to be good. Hopefully we can stay open for a long time and put on some really good fights.

FightTicker.com: How soon do you want to fight again?

Jeremy Pender: I don’t know. I’m going to try and let all this stuff heal up and then we’ll see. I’m training with Team Vision now, and we train really hard, I get hurt in practice quite a lot rolling around with those big guys [laughs]. I’m going to try and train with the H.I.T. Squad during the winter, train there for about a month. I want to do at least one more fight this year and come back next year strong.

FightTicker.com: Thanks for talking with me Pender – anybody you want to give a shout out to?

Jeremy Pender: FightForLifeUSA.com and autism awareness. And here is the rest of it.
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ICF: Stacked Post-Event Interview With George Oiler (July 28, 2009)

After last weekend's ICF: Stacked event, I also caught up with George Oiler to talk with him about his win over Lance Vinson, his pre-fight prep, and his continuing quest to become a professional fighter.

Here is what George had to say:


FightTicker.com: You were fighting at 185 tonight, down from 205 before, and you’re on your way down to 170 for your next fight – how did the cut go for today’s fight? (PreView’s Note: In Ohio, amateur MMA fighters have to deal with same-day weigh-ins as opposed to weighing in the day before.)

George Oiler: It was hard. I guess I didn’t cut enough sodium out of my diet. I learned a lesson in how to cut weight a little bit better after this one. I don’t think I’ll have any problems making 170 because I learned from the error I made today. (PreView’s Note: Oiler did make weight for his fight, it just took a few hours longer than he expected.)

FightTicker.com: Besides the cut itself, how was it putting the weight back on before the fight?

George Oiler: I felt good. I went and rehydrated, took a nap and got up and came here – felt great. Just had a hard time cutting the weight.

FightTicker.com: On Cageside Seats, we talked about your quest to go pro – how much closer does this win take you to that step?

George Oiler: This puts me at 3-1 on the database, and 6-1 if you count the fights that aren’t shown on the database. This gives me one more fight to go, and I signed a contract last night to fight Tyler Johnson for the ICF 170 Amateur Title here at the fight club on August 21st.

FightTicker.com: At the beginning of the fight, you landed a leg kick but caught a right to the head at the same time, and you went down. From where I was sitting, I couldn’t really tell – did that right stun you or did you slip?

George Oiler: It was a slip. I did try to switch-kick, I’ve been playing with that with my muay thai coach, and I went for it and as I threw it, I kind of slipped right as he was about to connect. He didn’t actually hit me or stun me there, it was all slip.

FightTicker.com: Once you were on the ground you went for a kneebar, then an armbar and then a kneebar again and then once you stood up, you all really traded some shots and it looked like you were landing some good punches but taking some good ones too – what was going through your mind during that exchange?

George Oiler: I didn’t get hurt, but it was fun. I’ve never gotten to actually trade with somebody like that, everybody’s been on the ground with me because I’ve always taken the fight. When I hit him with a left hook, I saw his eyes kind of glaze over and I thought, “Alright, I might get to knock somebody out,” but then he ducked his head and I thought, “Well, it’s time to finish somebody with jiu jitsu again.”

FightTicker.com: Let’s talk about the jiu jitsu – With the guillotine, I know it was a standing guillotine initially and then you two hit the ground – did he try to slam you to get out of it or did you take him down?

George Oiler: I had it [the guillotine] and he pressed me against the cage and I was trying to finish it by arching my back but I couldn’t get enough leverage because he was 6’1” compared to my 5’9” so I jumped guard, he didn’t slam me.

FightTicker.com: Another submission win for you tonight – and your match against Tyler Johnson, a tough fighter out of Team Vision, who is also a great jiu jitsu fighter – do you think your all’s fight will end up being a technical BJJ fight or do you think two guys as good on the ground as you two are going to stand and bang it out?

George Oiler: I think it could actually end up being the standup war I need to show I can throw hands with these guys. Two guys really good at jiu jitsu – it’s liable to happen. But if it hits the ground, that will be fun too.

FightTicker.com: George, congrats on the win tonight and thanks for talking to me – anybody you want to give a shout out to?

George Oiler: FightForLifeUSA.com, those guys take care of me every time. Hardwalking.com, they had a ton of people walking around in shirts today with my name on them. My guys back in Beckley at West Virginia MMA, my guys up here at Jorge Gurgel’s camp, Team JG, everybody takes care of me really well.



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ICF: Stacked Post-Event Interview with Brandon Demastes (July 28, 2009)

The first fighter I had the chance to speak to after the recent ICF: Stacked event was Brandon Demastes from Buckhannon, WV. Rebounding from a FightTicker.com Fight of the Night loss to Dave Heidorn, Demastes took out Justin Hunt at just 33 seconds of the first round.

Here is what Demastes had to say following the event:

FightTicker.com: Okay, Brandon Demastes, fresh off a 33 second TKO win over Justin Hunt (Brandon’s corner told me it was actually 32 seconds), how did you feel going into the fight?

Brandon Demastes: I felt really good. My cardio was a lot better and I worked a lot on my standup. My plan before was to take him down because he wasn’t so good on the ground, but I just got a lucky punch in.

FightTicker.com: Did you the think the stoppage was early?

Brandon Demastes: I don’t know, it was the referee’s decision, but I don’t think he was getting up so it was pretty good.

FightTicker.com: I know you had a tough decision loss in your last fight (FightTicker.com Fight of the Night vs. Dave Heidorn), you come back tonight with a big TKO win, when do you think you might want to fight again?

Brandon Demastes: I’d like to fight for the title right now, I think I’m ready for it, but it’s up to Steve [Stanton – ICF Promoter].

FightTicker.com: Thanks for talking with me Brandon, is there anybody you’d like to take a minute to thank?

Brandon Demastes: Definitely On Point Athletics, everybody go check out their website. Chad Marsh, Joe Schiff and Evan Davis – I train with them all the time – they’re good guys and I really appreciate their help getting me ready for the fight.


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ICF: Stacked Post-Event Interview with Amanda Bentley (July 28, 2009)

After the recent ICF: Stacked event at the new ICF Fight Club/MMA Sports Bar I had the chance to speak with a number of the fighters to get their thoughts on the event. I also had the pleasure of speaking with Amanda Bentley, who is in the running to become Maxim's Hometown Hottie.

Here is what Amanda had to say about her first live MMA event:

(Picture from Maxim.com)

FightTicker.com: Amanda Bentley, special guest ring girl tonight, in the run to become Maxim’s Hometown Hottie – what did you think of the show?

Amanda Bentley: I thought it was awesome! This is the very first time I’ve ever been to fights like this and I had a great time.

FightTicker.com: What do you think of the ICF’s new fight club?

Amanda Bentley: I love it, it’s totally different than anything here in Cincinnati and I think it’s going to draw huge crowds. A lot of people from the area are into the cage fighting.

FightTicker.com: What did you think of the fights?

Amanda Bentley: There were a couple times where I almost felt sorry for the guys [laughs], but overall I thought the guys have a great respect for each other. They’re beating the crap out of each other, but they really care for each other and I think the respect they showed was really cool.

FightTicker.com: So about the Maxim Hometown Hotties contest – how much longer can people vote for you?

Amanda Bentley: Well, until August 3rd for the finals, which narrows it down to ten girls. The final round of Maxim Hometown Hotties – the top ten out of 1000. I’m trying to make it to at least the top ten.


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ICF: Stacked Night Honors (July 27, 2009)

Saturday night, I attended ICF: Stacked at the new ICF Fight Club/MMA Sports Bar. It was a great night of professional and amateur fights capped off with a main event pro lightweight match-up between Chad Hinton and Dustin Walden.

Here are my picks for the Night Honors:

FightTicker.com KO/TKO of the Night: Brandon Demastas over Justin Hunt

Although there were no true KOs on the night, Demastas came the closest with his fast-paced 33 second win over Team Nemesis's Justin Hunt. A strong right hand stunned Hunt, giving Demastas the opportunity to work in some good strikes for a quick TKO win.

FightTicker.com Submission of the Night: Neal Craft over Michael Wright

Neal Craft brought home a great submission win with a kimura from the reverse full mount after transitioning from side control. I think the kimura is one of the most underused submissions and I was happy to see Craft pull it off at 1:26 of the first round.

FightTicker.com Fight of the Night: Chad Hinton vs. Dustin Walden

Although Hinton was the clear winner of this fight, Walden put forth an excellent effort, not allowing Hinton to finish him. Hinton put on another impressive performance, taking Walden down at will and administering some tough ground and pound. Walden stayed persistent and managed to land a solid head kick and some good knees, but was ultimately unable to escape Hinton's solid ground game and dominant positions. A great effort put forth from both guys.


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ICF: Stacked Live Blog (July 26, 2009)

(PreView’s Note – I was unable to post a true live blog as I intended, so here is my pseudo-live blog.)

I’m here at the new ICF Fight Club/MMA Sports Bar for the inaugural event of what is believed to be the nation’s first establishment of its kind. The crowd has been filing in since the doors opened at 5:00 pm and the card is just getting ready to start. Headlined by a lightweight matchup between Chad Hinton and Dustin Walden, the card features a number of the surrounding area’s up-and-coming amateurs as well as pro fighters. The event is being taped to be shown later as part of the recently signed deal between the ICF and Fight Zone (Fox Sports Network) and Luke Zachrich has been brought to join the Fight Zone commentator for the play-by-play.

The vendors here tonight include Fight For Life USA, School of Fight and Actual Fighter.

Additionally, uber-hottie Amanda Bentley, in the running to be named Maxim’s Hometown Hottie, is here as a special guest ring girl.

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Robert Nguyen vs. Eric Moell (135)

Nguyen fights out of Performance Edge in Lexington, KY. Moell fights out of Invincible MMA.

Round 1
Moell comes in with a right but Nguyen answers with a two punch combo and clinches up. The two trade knees and multiple shots as Nguyen pushes Moell against the cage. Nguyen scores the takedown and Moell briefly takes his back but Nguyen reverses and starts landing some good ground and pound. Moell stays busy landing shots from the bottom, but Nguyen is landing more shots of the two. Moell gets Nguyen locked up in a triangle but Nguyen keeps protecting his head and trying to land shots while Moell lands numerous shots from the bottom. Nguyen gets his head out and resumes the ground and pound and the ref stands them up (seems premature). Moell rushes in and lands a hard right that stuns Nguyen but Nguyen continues to press forward. Moell trips Nguyen and lands more shots to the head before taking his back, landing a few more head shots before the round ends.

An extremely fast-paced round, a good start to the night. I think Moell would be able to win that round based on his more effective striking.

PreView sees it 10-9 Moell.

Round 2
Moell opens with a body kick and Nguyen answers with a right but Moell lands a solid two punch combo and two trade multiple head and body shots in the middle of the cage. Nguyen gets Moell against the cage but Moell trips Nguyen and takes him down, landing in half-guard. Moell lands head shots from the top and Nguyen pulls guard briefly before going for an armbar attempt that fall short. Moell takes Nguyen’s back, sinks in the body triangle and starts landing shots to Nguyen’s head. Nguyen initially is able to control one of Moell’s arms before Moell briefly sinks the choke in. Nguyen scrambles but Moell continues to land more unanswered shots before the ref stands them up (this time too late). Moell comes in with a body kick when the two stand but Nguyen rushes him and gets him against the cage, locking Moell’s head up. Nguyen scores one final takedown before the round ends, but I think Nguyen will ultimately fall short on the judge’s scorecards in this round as well.

PreView sees it 10-9 Moell.

Round 3
Nguyen takes control immediately after the two touch gloves and takes Moell down. Nguyen works on landing head shots but Moell once again works for a triangle, pulling Nguyen’s head down. Nguyen defends, trying to improve his position and Moell eventually lets go of the triangle attempt. Nguyen goes back in to land more head and body shots and Moell fires off an upkick that seems to be illegal since Nguyen wasn’t standing. The ref stands them up as the action slows. Moell comes in with an overhand right that Nguyen ducks under and shoots in, but Moell keeps the motion going and flips him over. The two land some final shots on the ground as the round expires.

A closer round this time, that I think Nguyen was likely to squeeze out in spite of the triangle he was stuck in for a little bit. However, I don’t think it was enough to win him the fight.

PreView sees it 10-9 Nguyen.

Eric Moell wins via Unanimous Decision (no scores announced).

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Brett Ewing vs. Jerry Hunt (155)

Ewing fights out of Team Cruelty. Hunt fights out of Team Nemesis.

Round 1
Ewing fakes a left and shoots in to score a big slam. Ewing lands in side control and quickly transitions to full mount, landing head shots. Hunt rolls and Ewing takes his back looking for the rear naked choke and landing shots to the side of Hunt’s head. Hunt rolls again and then again, giving up his back where Ewing scores the fight-ending rear naked choke.

Brett Ewing wins via submission (RNC) at :51 in Round 1.

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Joe Maiani vs. Wesley Barrentine (160)

Maiani, making his debut, fights out of Walker MMA. No team affiliation is announced for Barrentine.

Round 1
Barrentine misses with a huge overhand right and Maiani takes him down but Barrentine works for a triangle, then an armbar from the bottom. Maiani is still standing but Barrentine has his arm locked up and the two are stuck in a static position before Barrentine lets go and Maiani backs off but quickly rushes back in and lands a solid head shot. Maiani works for some ground and pound from inside Barrentine’s guard, landing multiple unanswered shots. Barrentine manages to pull Maiani’s head down but Maiani still lands more body shots. The two are stood up just as the ten second mark is announced and Barrentine comes in with a hard right to stun Maiani before time sounds.

In spite of Barrentine’s initial armbar attempt, I think Maiani likely won that round due to the multiple unanswered strikes he was unable to land.

PreView sees it 10-9 Maiani.

Round 2
Maiani shoots to open the ground and Barrentine briefly has an inverted triangle before Maiani rolls out of it and into a traditional triangle. Maiani works out of the triangle and lands a couple shots from the top but Barrentine is doing a good job of controlling Maiani’s wrists before the ref stands them up. Barrentine lands a short left and Maiani shoots in again and Barrentine again works for the inverted triangle, landing some body shots from the top position. Maiani tries to stand and gets out of the triangle but Barrentine transitions to an armbar attempt that Maiani defends and works his way out of to land some short head shots from inside Barrentine’s guard as the round expires.

A closer round that time. I think Maiani’s multiple submission attempts and overall control of the round will see him win that one on the judges’ scorecards.

PreView sees it 10-9 Barrentine.

Round 3
Maiani tries a lazy jab before shooting in again, scoring a takedown. Barrentine ties him up on the way down, though, preventing him from posturing up and ultimately sweeping Maiani and taking his back, working for the rear naked choke. Barrentine briefly locks in a body triangle but Maiani shifts out of it before finding himself in yet another inverted (and now sideways) triangle attempt. Maiani tries to fall back to jar Barrentine loose but Barrentine stays locked in, but lets go of the triangle to go for an armlock as the round expires.

I think Barrentine’s solid submission attempts and control in that round will win him that round and ultimately the fight.

PreView sees it 10-9 Barrentine.

Wesley Barrentine wins via Split Decision (No scores announced)

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Jimmy Brickler vs. Moses Hatfield (170)

No team affiliation is announced for Brickler. Hatfield fights out of Fight MMA.

Round 1
Hatfield tries a spinning back kick but Brickler gets inside and almost takes Hatfield down. The two work their way around the cage, trading a couple punches, and Hatfield scores a takedown and takes Brickler’s back, quickly sinking in the rear naked choke for the win.

Moses Hatfield wins via submission (RNC) at :43 of Round 1.

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Tommy Black vs. Jon Gill (195)

Black fights out of Mr. Christy's Tae Kwon Do. Gill fights out of Fusion MMA.

Round 1
Gill comes in with a straight right and Black clinches up but Gill scores a takedown and pushes Black towards the cage, transitioning out of Black’s guard into side control, landing shots to the head. Gill tries to pass to full mount but Black sweeps him and takes the top position, landing body shots. Gill stays busy on the bottom trying to work some head shots in, but Black lands more body and head shots from the top. The ref stands them up as the action slows. The two both kick and miss their intended targets and Black tries to get a shot in but Gill jumps on him and pulls guard (with Black standing) working for a guillotine. Black manages to get his head out and score a big slam before the round expires.

In spite of the late submission attempt by Gill, I think the judges will score that round for Black as he was able to control most of it from the top position, landing a number of unanswered shots.

PreView sees it 10-9 Black.

Round 2
Gill lands a leg kick and a two-punch combo to start the round, and gets an arm around Black’s head going for a standing guillotine. Black lands some punches to Gill’s leg and finally takes Gill down to get out of the guillotine attempt. Gill sweeps Black and ends up in full mount and works Black over to the cage, landing numerous shots to the head until the ref steps in to stop it.

Jon Gill wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:42 of Round 2

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Brandon Demastas vs. Justin Hunt (170)

Demastas fights out of On Point Athletics. Hunt fights out of Team Nemesis.

Round 1
The two circle, looking for an opening. Demastas tries to land a leg kick but Hunt lands a right which Demastas answers with a hard right of his own that floors Hunt. Demastas jumps on Hunt and starts landing more unanswered head and body shots. Hunt tries to roll out of it but Demastas is relentless, and the ref rushes in to stop the fight.

Brandon Demastas wins via TKO (strikes) at :33 of Round 1.

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Lance Vinson vs. George Oiler (185)

Vinson trains out of Invincible MMA. Oiler trains out of Beckley MMA and represents Team JG.

Round 1
Oiler land a leg kick but Vinson lands a right in the process that knocks Oiler down. Oiler immediately grabs Vinson’s leg going for a kneebar but Vinson gets out and takes the top position. Oiler then ties up Vinson from the bottom, going for an armbar, but Vinson manages to pull out of that and then a second kneebar attempt while landing shots from the top. Vinson takes the mount position, landing more shots from the top, but Oiler pull guard again and pulls Vinson’s head down briefly before Vinson gets out and stands, beckonging for Oiler to get up. The two meet in the center of the mat and trade multiple hard head shots, with Vinson getting cut under his left eye. Vinson pushes Oiler against the cage and Oiler gets him arm around Vinson’s head for a standing guillotine before pulling Vinson down and quickly securing the tap.

George Oiler wins via submission (guillotine) at 2:00 of Round 1.

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Jeremy Pender vs. Jesse Grindstaff (135) (PRO)

Pender (1-0 as a pro) fights out of Team Vision. Grindstaff (making his pro debut) fights out of Team Oxendine.

Round 1
Grindstaff opens with a leg kick. The two both throw out jabs, testing the range and Pender lands a leg kick. Pender lands a left and Grindstaff a right. A body kick by Grindstaff falls just short but he follows it up with an overhand right that finds its mark. Pender takes Grindstaff down and immediately moves to side control. Grindstaff scrambles and the two get back to their feet. Pender lands a right followed by a one-two combo and the two separate again. Pender lands a jab and then a two-punch combo, then another combo followed by a right that takes Grindstaff down. Pender jumps on him to land more shots until the ref moves in to stop the fight.

Jeremy Pender wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:49 of Round 1.

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Neal Craft vs. Michael Wright (170) (PRO)

Craft trains out of Walker MMA. Wright trains out of Sparta Atlima.

Round 1
Craft goes in with a knee but Wright shoots in and tries to take him down. Craft defends and lands a knee to the head. Craft transitions and scores a single-leg takedown and ends up in side control. Craft is landing head and body shots from the top and fires off a hard knee to the body. Craft scores with another knee to the body and then works for a kimura from side control, then transitions to a reverse full mount still looking for the kimura, quickly securing the tap.

Neal Craft wins via submission (kimura) at 1:26 of Round 1.

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Dustin Walden vs. Chad Hinton (155) (PRO)

Walden represents Team Oxendine. Hinton fights on Team Xtreme out of Cincy MMA & Fitness.

Round 1
The fighters circle, looking for an opening. Walden throws out a lazy leg kick, testing the range. Walden lands an inside leg kick and misses with a straight right. Walden fires off a headkick but Hinton checks it and comes in with a hard right then left and Walden goes down. Hinton takes the top position and Walden pulls guard. Hinton lands some hard body shots followed by more hard body shots. Walden tries to pull his leg up Hinton’s back in the rubber guard but Hinton shakes him off and lands two hard rights to the head followed by more hard body shots. Hinton lands more solid ground and pound to end the round.

I don’t think there’s any question here – Hinton took control early and kept it for the round – I know the shots he was landing were hard ones because they spent the majority of the round against the cage right in front of me and I could hear the shots as they landed.

PreView sees it 10-9 Hinton.

Round 2
Walden misses with an uppercut and Hinton shoots and takes him down. Hinton works Walden against the cage again, in Walden’s guard, and lands more hard body shots. Walden lands an elbow from the bottom and Hinton answers with more hard body shots. Walden tries to spin off the cage but Hinton is doing a good job maintaining position. Hinton works more ground and pound, landing some elbows and hard head shots followed by more body shots. The ref stops the action for a second to have the ringside doctor check a cut on Walden’s head. Walden is cleared and they restart, but he’s bleeding heavily. Walden scores a head kick that seems to briefly rattle Hinton but Hinton shoots in and takes him down and works more ground and pound. Hinton lands more hard elbows from the top. Walden is trying to spin but Hinton is still keeping a dominant position. The ref stands them up again as the action slows. Walden misses with a superman punch and Hinton picks him up and slams him hard, working more ground and pound until the round expires.

Again, I think Hinton should easily walk away the winner of that round.

PreView sees it 10-9 Hinton.

Round 3
Walden lands an inside leg kick followed by a superman punch. Both miss with some head shots and Walden lands a body kick followed by a knee to the body as Hinton shoots in and takes him down again. Hinton takes the full mount position but Walden rolls out and almost locks in a triangle when Hinton dives back in. Hinton lands another hard elbow (which splatters my computer with Walden’s blood) and continues to work the ground and pound. The ref stands them up as the action slows. Walden comes in with a flying knee and Hinton picks him out of the air for another slam. Hinton goes back to work with the ground and pound. Hinton stands and lets Walden up and Walden lands a knee to the head as Hinton moves in for another takedown. Walden defends but Hinton pulls Walden’s legs out from under him for another slam which then leads to more ground and pound from Hinton. Walden is bleeding from multiple cuts on his head. Walden briefly transitions for a triangle, but then moves back to full guard. The ref stands them as the action slows. Walden moves for another knee as Hinton goes in for a takedown, and Hinton sweeps Walden to get the takedown, landing more shots to the head as the round expires.

PreView sees it 10-9 Hinton.

Chad Hinton wins via Unanimous Decision (no scores announced).

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Overall, a great event - a lot of exciting fights and an impressive opening event for what stands to become the premier destination for MMA in the Cincinnati area. The production value was high, the crowd was good.

I'll be back in the coming days with my post-fight interviews with Hinton, Oiler, Pender, Demastas and a post-event chat with Amanda Bentley. Stay tuned.




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