The Cageside Beat February 25, 2010: Roger Bowling

On the newest episode of The Cageside Beat, the official radio show of Pro MMA Now, we will be joined by MMA Big Show welterweight champ and recent Strikeforce signee Roger Bowling. This episode is sponsored by Silver Star Casting Company: Built for Champions.

The show is happening Thursday night (Feb 25) at 10 PM ET. Make sure to tune in, and take some time to subscribe to The Cageside Beat (for free) on iTunes.

For all of the details on how to tune in to the new episode, head over to Pro MMA Now. You will also find last week's episode featuring UFC fighter Matt Brown.

Enjoy.

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For gloves and gear from the world's best brands, head over to EliteMMA.com - Gear for fighters.


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Cageside Seats Episode 2 Archived

The second episode of my new radio show, Cageside Seats, brought to you by the Fight Ticker Radio Network is archived and available to listen to or download (for free).

Back for our second show, Puddin and I talked with Fight For Life USA Co-Founders Brent Thompson and Scott Wells about the founding of their company designed to revolutionize the MMA world and the face of cancer awareness.

You can listen to the show on the embedded player in the far right column, and you can find more details on what was discussed during the show, including how to find a special promo code to receive 10% off an order on the Fight For Life USA website on FightTicker.com.

Enjoy.

-PreView


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Live Blogs Happening on FightTicker.com Tonight!

I'm here at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH, waiting for ICF: Breakout to start. I'm live blogging 'til I collapse - check it out at FightTicker.com.

A special thanks to Fight For Life USA for hooking me up with a custom shirt.

Also, my buddy and fellow FightTicker.com Mike Menninger (aka Puddin) is doing a live blog of his own at the MMA Big Show happening tonight at Bel Terra Casino. You can check that out on FightTicker here.

-PreView

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MMA Big Show TV Show and Watch Party Details

From a Press Release:

Greetings fight fans,

On April 4th we will be hosting a big Watch Party at Gameworks at the Newport On The Levee where we will be watching the new MMA Big Show TV Show Primetime starting at 8pm to 10pm. This event is free and open to the public and will begin at 7pm with Autograph signings with Roger Bowling, Mojo Horne and others. The MMA Big Show Ring Girls will be there as well as many other Big Show fighters. It's going to be a fun night of MMA action!

(Check after the jump for more details on the premiere of the TV show as well as how to purchase tickets for the upcoming MMA Big Show: Heavy Hitters event on April 11th.)

Tickets for April 11ths Heavy Hitters event will be available at the party including MMA Big Show merchandise. Get $5 off your April 11th Tickets when you buy them at the party!

The new MMA Big Show TV Show will be airing on the Cin CW Channel 12.2 starting at 8pm until 10pm. This will be two one hour episodes meant as a teaser of whats to come in the national season.

I bet you didn't know "New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni was at the March 7th show doing commentary with Fox Sport's own Jeff Piecoro did you? Muwahaha! Phil will be back on April 11th as well doing his thing.

This teaser airing of the MMA Big Show TV Show will be airing on the CW in Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Louisville, Lexington and Indianapolis, in case you can't make the watch party.

If you are an MMA Big Show fan, you won't want to miss this party!
The Watch Party is open to all ages!

Get your tickets now for April 11th Heavy Hitters where UFC Veteran Josh Hendricks will be going for the Big Show Heavyweight Title against Champion Brian Heden.

Also on the April 11th card will be Joe Ammerman, Jared Combs, Chris Bennett and many others. Currently scheduled for 11 fights.

You can purchase tickets for the April 11th event here.

-Jason Appleton
MMA Big Show LLC


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Breaking News: Roger Bowling to Face War Machine at MMA Big Show: Conviction on June 20th

MMA Big Show promoter Jason Appleton has informed me that MMA Big Show Welterweight Champion Roger Bowling will face War Machine (formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver) at the upcoming MMA Big Show: Conviction on June 20th at Belterra Casino in Indiana. The bout will be for the MMA Big Show Welterweight Title.

The MMA Big Show Lightweight title will also be up for grabs in a match between MMA Big Show exclusive fighter Joe Ammerman and TUF-alum Joe Scarola.

Tickets are not yet on sale. More details will be posted as they are made available.

-PreView


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MMA Big Show: Retribution - Results and Recap

MMA Big Show promoter Jason Appleton has sent me the results and recap from this past weekend's MMA Big Show: Retribution. MMA Big Show fighters Billy "Mojo" Horne and Roger Bowling both had dominating victories over top opponents and the rest of the card clearly featured some entertaining fights.

Check after the jump for the rest of the information on the show.

-PreView

From a Press Release:

Pure Romance being the Title Sponsor for the event.
"We put the O in romance."

Also want to thank Wayne Jung & Greg Hansen with Channel 12 and Dave Ashbrock for producing the television production. Greg Hupp for a great job in match making the amateurs.

Also want to thank CallDrPaul.com for their support!

6 camera production shoot for television, 12 fights, Jeff Piecoro from Fox Sports and Phil Baroni on Commentary, near sold out crowd even while competing with the Arnolds and the UFC on the same night and what a night it was.

Chris Bennett held onto his 155lb Amateur title after defeating Darryl Ray via Armbar effortlessly within seconds of the first round.

Ben Cox pummled his opponent Nate Meyer into a TKO victory maintaining his 170lb Amateur Title.

Mojo Horne turned Brendan Seguin into a blood bath as he dropped countless elbows onto Seguins face while mainintaining a dominating mounted position Seguin simply couldn't get out of and kept hold of his 185lb Pro Title in a first round victory bringing Mojo to 6-0.

Roger Bowling ended Seth Baczynski in all of 9 seconds in the first round catching an awe inspiring knockout blow causing Seth to be knocked out while suspended in the air with a look on his face that to this moment is still embedded into my memory. Roger remains the 170lb Pro Champion and is now 5-0.

Below are the final results.

Amateurs
Chris Cummins def. Trevor Riley TKO Rd 1
Brandon True def. Ashley Brown Decision
Jose Escobedo def. John Heiser TKO Rd 1
Dominique Steele def. Justin Houk TKO Rd 1
Shane Robinson def. DJ Smith Decision
Colt Helton def. Eric Funkhouser Decision
Ben Cox def. Nate Meyer TKO Rd 1
Chris Bennett def. Darryl Ray Sub. Rd 1

Pros
Scott Bickerstaff def. Daniel Strauss TKO Rd 1
Dave Hess def. Josh Burns Sub. Rd 3
Mojo Horne def. Brendon Seguin TKO Rd 1
Roger Bowling def. Seth Baczynski KO Rd 1


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MMA Big Show: Retribution - This Saturday at Belterra Casino

Another reminder for another great show going down this weekend. Jason Appleton will present "MMA Big Show: Retribution" this Saturday at Belterra Casino in Indiana. Among all the great matches scheduled, card will be headlined by a Welterweight match-up between MMA Big Show exclusive fighter and WW champ Roger Bowling, taking on former IFL and Bodog fighter Seth Baczynski. Additionally, MMA Big Show Middleweight champ, Billy "Mojo" Horne will take on former WEC fighter Brendan Seguin.

MMA Big Show will host their next show, Heavy Hitters on April 11th.

This weekend's show marks the first of two in which Phil Baroni will serve as color commentator for the MMA Big Show. More details on that can be found here

-PreView

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Phil Baroni Signs Two Show Commentary Deal With MMA Big Show

MMA Big Show Promoter Jason Appleton has sent me a new press release announcing the signing of UFC, Pride and Elite XC veteran Phil Baroni as a color commentator for the next two MMA Big Show events.

Check after the jump for the full press release.


From the Press Release:

March 5th, 2009 Cincinnati, OH: The MMA Big Big Show confirmed the "New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni to perform color commentary in tandem with Fox Sports' Jeff Piecoro on March 7th and April 11th at the Belterra Casino Resort & Spa.

The roles of hero and villain have long been prevalent and added a theatric effect to the world of professional sports. Simply put, there are athletes that fans love and others that the public simply loves to hate.

The name Phil Baroni resides somewhere in a grey area when it comes to characterizing the public's perception of the 30-year-old boxer and wrestler. Boisterous and outspoken, the self proclaimed "New York Badass" is seen as cocky and disrespectful by some, but as a passionate inspiration by others who feel they identify with him.

A graduate of Central Michigan University, Baroni wrestled for his alma mater while pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology. Before making his debut in the sport of mixed martial arts, Baroni put together undefeated records in both boxing where he was victorious in twelve consecutive bouts and kickboxing where he reeled off seven straight wins.

Baroni has built his legendary name and persona throughout his career in the UFC, PRIDE and Elite XC and on March 7th and April 11th he will call the MMA Big Show home.

The MMA Big Show is very excited to have Phil Baroni on board with us as we venture into television while developing the future stars of MMA.

www.mmabigshow.com

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Great news for MMA Big Show. Baroni has been around the MMA world for a while now and with his knowledge and penchant for some good pre-fight trash talking, he could definitely serve as an entertaining commentator.

-PreView

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MMA Big Show Announces New Sponsor

I just received a press release from MMA Big Show promoter Jason Appleton, announcing a New Title Sponsor for the upcoming March and April shows.

Check after the jump for the full press release.

-PreView


From the Press Release:

MMA BigShow Announces Partnership with Pure Romance as New Title Sponsor for March and April Events at Belterra Casino Resort & Spa
Pure Romance, Inc. Pure Romance will take the center of the MMA BigShow cage and the title of its new broadcast initiatives

Cincinnati, OH (February 28, 2009) -- MMA BigShow, the region's most-established mixed martial arts promotion, and Pure Romance Inc, a home-built multi-million-dollar company based in Cincinnati, formally announced today a major partnership establishing Pure Romance as the title sponsor of the first two MMA BigShow events of the year on March 7th and April 11th at the Belterra Casion, Resort & Spa.

Pure Romance will take the center of the MMA BigShow cage for the inaugural March 7th show at Belterra with their logo appearing prominently on the mat and in the resulting broadcast of the show.

"We are elated to have Pure Romance, Inc. as part of the MMA BigShow family," said Jason Appleton, owner of MMA BigShow. "It's a classy company that prides itself on its integrity and I feel it's a perfect match for what we do with the MMA BigShow. I could not be happier."

The March 7th MMA BigShow event, entitled RETRIBUTION, will pit IFL/Bodog Veteran Seth Bacsynski versus MMA BigShow 170lb Champion "Relentless" Roger Bowling. Also appearing on the card is WEC Veteran Brendan Seguin versus 185lb Champion Billy "Mojo" Horne.

The April 11 HEAVY HITTERS card will feature UFC Veteran Josh Hendricks, whose most recent fight was against Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 91 - Lesner Vs Couture, will be fighting current BigShow Heavyweight Champion Brian Heden, whose most recent fight ended with a knockout win over Rod Housely, who previously held titles in other promotions.

RETRIBUTION will be shot LIVE-to-tape as a one-hour television broadcast to air regionally on the CW the week prior to the April 11th event, which will also be shot live-to-tape for regional airing.

Future plans call for additional programming to be sourced from the content created at both the March and April shows and in addition to the scheduled Belterra fights, the television program will also feature a more behind the scenes look into some of the fighter's lives and personalities.
There are also plans to produce a reality show focusing on the training and lives of MMA BigShow fighters preparing for their fights, which will finish out each show.

Tickets for both the March 7th and April 11th shows are on sale now through Ticketweb, order by phone at 866-468-3401 or find direct links to fight cards and ticket sales pages at www.mmabigshow.com.

Tickets are $35, $45 and $55 depending on seat location for ages 21 and over only.


About Pure Romance Inc:

www.pureromance.com
Founded in 1993 by Patty Brisben, Pure Romance is an in-home party company which offers an exclusive line of heighteners, lubricants and bedroom accessories for relationship enhancement. Pure Romance products are not sold in stores but may be purchased at in-home parties or through a network of independent sales consultants. Currently, thousands of Consultants nationwide from all 50 states, Canada, and the Virgin Islands are teaching the art of romance. In a little over a decade, Pure Romance has grown into a multi-million dollar company, bringing in $43 million in retail sales during 2004 alone. Based in Cincinnati with 80 full-time employees, Pure Romance operates out of a state-of-the-art facility comprised of a 40,000-square-foot distribution center and a 10,000-square-foot Corporate Office. In addition to a full-time Customer Service Staff, the company also invested over a quarter of a million dollars to provide a fully automated communication system which offers Consultants 24 hour service and support. Other Pure Romance support systems include an in-house Marketing Agency, National Training Department, Health Education Department as well as a corporate interactive website.

About MMA BigShow:

www.mmabigshow.com
Founded in 2006 by Jason Appleton, MMA Big Show has built a name and reputation established by promoting the regions biggest and most successful events at venues such as the NKY Convention, Cincinnati Gardens Arena and many others where national veterans of promotions such as the UFC, Elite XC, IFL and others are brought in to fight MMA Big Show Champions such as Billy "Mojo" Horne vs. Josh "Bring The Pain" Haynes at MMA Big Show: Martial Fury at Belterra Casino Resort & Spa. Preparing for the 2009 year MMA Big Show has begun signing professional fighters to exclusive contracts such as Roger Bowling, Mojo Horne, Joe Ammerman and Dave Hess with more to come. Each Big Show fighter is also getting his/her own exclusive merchandise line of which they receive a percentage of revenues. 2009 will be a banner year for the Big Show as they broaden their television reach and build on an already successful promotion.


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MMA Big Show Officially Announces April 11th "Heavy Hitters" Event

MMA Big Show has announced their next event at Belterra Casino, for April 11 - which will feature a main event bout between Josh Hendricks and Brian Heden.

Check after the jump for the full press release, sent to me by MMA Big Show promoter Jason Appleton

-PreView


From a Press Release:

MMA Big Show: HEAVY HITTERS - April 11th at Belterra Casino Resort & Spa

Prior to his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga on UFC 91 Lesner Vs Couture, Josh Hendricks has been a pro since the Fall of 2002 and is unbeaten in his last 10 fights with one no contest. His wins have been a combination of submission victories via choke or TKO. The 32-year-old Ohio native stands 6'2" and weighs 246 pounds, listing wrestling and jiu-jitsu as his strengths, having earned All-American honors twice as a wrestler at Ashland (OH) University.

Brian Heden is currently 12-6 as a professional fighter at the age of 23 years old. Having went the distance with UFC Legend Dan "The Beast" Severn and his last fight for the Big Show ending in a devastating knockout of Team Vision Owner Rod Housely winning him his Title, Brian Heden is a serious heavyweight force with heavy hands.

These two fighters will make up the Main Event of MMA Big Show: Heavy Hitters on April 11th at the Belterra Casino Resort & Spa in Indiana. Tickets are now on sale and are $35 General, $45 Balcony and $55 VIP Floor. Ages 21+ welcome.

Also on the card will be Ultimate Fighter Veteran Joe Scarola. Scarola is known for his drag out falling out with UFC's own Matt Serra during the season.

There will be 12 fights on this April 11th card entitled Heavy Hitters.

Cincinnati-Dayton Taiko Drum Group will be opening the MMA Big Show: Heavy Hitters and the MMA Big Show: RETRIBUTION with a 15 minute performance at the Belterra Casino Resort & Spa which will be followed up by an additional 15 minute performance during intermission.

The Cincinnati-Dayton Taiko Group was formed in 1999 with the support of the Japanese-Americans Citizens League (JACL) of Cincinnati and Dayton Ohio. They are a non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting Japanese-style taiko drumming through performance and education. Jim Shimko, their music director, holds a Bachelor's degree in Music and has taught music for over to 20 years. He has been involved in taiko drumming for over 10 years.

Their performances are based on a traditional foundation but emphasize the fun and community spirit of taiko. Taiko drums are large drums played in an ensemble format which allows for thundering sounds and exciting rhythms. Besides the large drums, we include a variety of world percussion including shekere, small cymbals, and a large gong. Their style is based on the Osuwa style which was founded by Daihachi Oguchi Sensei of Japan.

An example video of Taiko drumming can be found here.

The doors will open at 6:00pm and the Cincinnati-Dayton Taiko group will begin at 6:45pm, first fight at 7:00pm.

Tickets are: General Seat $35, 2nd Floor Balcony $45 and VIP Floor $55.
Ages 21+ Only Please.

Tickets are On Sale Through TicketWeb Here


MMA Big Show


(Originally posted at FightTicker.)

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"The MMA Big Show" TV Show Set to Air on New Network

2009 is already becoming a banner year for MMA fans in the Kentucky area. In addition to all the other news I've broken recently, I received another press release in my inbox today, from MMA Big Show promoter Jason Appleton.

Check after the jump for the full release and information on "The MMA Big Show" TV show.

From a press release:

Cincinnati, OH based Mixed Martial Arts Promotion, the MMA Big Show, having starting back in September of 2006 by founder Jason Appleton and growing rapidly has built a reputation for promoting some of the regions biggest and most action packed MMA events by pitting local champions against Veterans of other national promotions such as the UFC. Now starting into 2009 the MMA Big Show is preparing their TV show titled "The MMA Big Show" which has been airing on the CIN CW for a full season and is now going national on a new network to be announced soon. The TV show is slated for live broadcast in the form of two hour specials broadcast in HD at 8pm on Saturday nights and will be edited later with fight footage not shown in the live broadcast to make up half of a 13 week season mixed with studio segments and reality footage.

"It's been a major uphill battle in a lot of ways, learning how to market and deal with various venue sizes. We lost over $80,000 our first year and just focused on building fighters and planned for the future, started to break even with some profits in 2008 and have finally reached a point where people are recognizing our hard work and sacrifice which is going to make 2009 a groundbreaking year. We've out lived many MMA promotions by building from scratch and learning the little things that end up meaning a lot down the road." explains Appleton.

The television show will be filmed from the live events held at the Beltera Casino Resort and Hotel in Indiana and be a mix of live event footage mixed with studio drama and commentary. The live events will begin at the Belterra on March 7th, 2009 where 170lb 4-0 Champion "Relentless" Roger Bowling, who recently signed an exclusive fight contract with the MMA Big Show will tee off on IFL and Bodog Veteran Seth Baczynski. 185lb 4-0 Champion William "Mojo" Horne who recently dominated UFC veteran Josh "Bring the Pain" Haynes at MMA Big Show: Martial Fury on May 10th of 2008 will be fighting UFC Veteran Cale Yarbrough. These two fights will be co-main events on March 7th, 2009 at the Belterra Casino. Ages 21+ welcome, Doors at 6pm, first fight at 7pm. Tickets available at mmabigshow.com

MMA Big Show will be hosting 8 events at the Belterra Casino in 2009 starting on March 7th and staggering out each 4 to 6 weeks from there.

Fighters looking to compete for the MMA Big Show are encouraged to setup profiles on FighterAccess.com which is an MMA industry database started in early 2008 by MMA Big Show promoter Jason Appleton to help him locate and connect with managers, fighters and sponsors.

Video auditions for the MMA Big Show TV show are being reviewed at NakedIndie.com, a brand new media delivery and social networking site focused around music and entertainment culture. Fighters, Spokesmodels, Bands and other acts interested in being a part of the MMA Big Show TV show are asked to submit a video of themselves on the site for review.

MMA Big Show

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Lots of exciting things are happening on the Kentucky area MMA scene, and I'll be bringing you all that news as soon as I get it.

Just a reminder, if you're a promoter and you want me to cover your show, if you're a coach and you want me to cover your team, or if you're a fighter and you want to do an interview, just drop me an email. previouslyviewedblog@gmail.com

-PreView

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MMA Big Show: Relentless - Amateur Fights and Post-Event Coverage

This event wrap-up will cover the eight amateur fights from the MMA Big Show: Relentless, that I watched last night, as well as some follow-up with the new 155 lb champ Chad Hinton and one of his trainers and coaches, Dahei Haile.

Check after the jump for the coverage, as well as a link to my FightTicker.com live-blog of the three pro fights from the event.



I’ll be putting each fighter’s team affiliation with their name, but in lieu of listing a link with every name, I’ll put the two I have here.

You can check out Cincinnati MMA & Fitness here and you can check out Team Vision here.

Mike Yanez was the referee for all the fights. I recently interviewed Yanez – you can find that out here.

The event was held in the Northern Kentucky Convention Center – for more info on the venue, go here.

Additionally, the vendor House of Pain had a table there, and they gave away a customized gym bag and a $100 shopping spree away to one of the audience members. You can find them on the net here. They sponsor athletes from MMA fighters to bodybuilders.

Also, what follows will be the full descriptions of what transpired in the amateur fights. I know some of you may not be much for reading fight descriptions for a smaller promotion after they’ve happened,, but I couldn’t post them all last night because I had to conserve my battery for the pro fights, as there was nowhere for me to plug in.

As for the fights….

Alex Smith (Cincy MMA & Fitness) vs. Matt Johnson (Independent) (135 lbs)

ROUND 1
At the start, Johnson pushed the action, and the fighters clinched up. Johnson got a takedown and ended up in Smith’s full-guard, and Smith had one of Johnson’s arms wrapped up. Smith looked for a guillotine, but Johnson scrambled, got side control and transitioned to a full mount. Smith swept Johnson and took Johnson’s back. Smith locked in an armbar, but it was too late.

PreView saw the Round 10-9 for Smith.

ROUND 2
Smith initiated the clinch and attempted a standing guillotine. When that didn’t work, he threw some knees to the head, scored a takedown and landed on his back with Johnson his full guard. Smith swept Johnson to gain the top position while Johnson attempted an armbar. Smith threw hammer fists until Johnson gave up his back where Smith ended it quickly by Rear Naked Choke.

Smith wins by tapout due to Rear Naked Choke at 1:30 of Round 2.


Kevin Cantley (Cincy MMA & Fitness) vs. John Heiser (Bushido Fight Team) (145 lbs)

ROUND 1
The fight started with Cantley trying a couple quick jabs that didn’t have much of an effect. He shot in and scored a double-let takedown and ended up in Heiser’s full guard. Cantley worked some ground and pound until Heiser rolled and was able to stand up. Cantley landed a big head kick followed by a right uppercut which knocked down Heiser. Cantley got Heiser into a guillotine, but Heiser was grabbing the fence, which initially prevented Cantley from getting it fully locked in. Cantley persisted, though and won with the choke.

Cantley wins by tapout due to guillotine choke at 1:53 of Round 1.


Elliot Spence (Cincy MMA & Fitness) vs. Bill Bauer (Team Tarhe) (150 lbs)

ROUND 1
This match got off to a quick start as Spence shot in and took Bauer down hard, ending up in Bauer’s full guard. Spence picked Bauer up twice and slammed him, putting him up against the cage. Spence looked for a standing guillotine while throwing knees to Bauer’s body. Spence got another takedown and landed some big right-hands from inside Bauer’s guard. Spence worked out of the guard into side control, then full mount, working ground and pound. Bauer rolled out, swept Spence and stood up, but Spence regained control, got double underhooks and took Bauer down again to end the round.

PreView saw the Round 10-9 for Spence.

ROUND 2
Bauer came out firing with a big right hook that missed and allowed Spence to shoot in and push Bauer against the cage. Spence threw three unanswered knees and utilized dirty boxing while Bauer responded with his own knees to Spence’s body. As the two split, Spence landed a big knee to Bauer’s face, which stunned Bauer long enough for Spence to hip toss Bauer and get side control which he transitioned into a crucifix and used ground and pound until Bauer verbally submitted.

Spence wins by verbal submission at 1:03 of Round 2.


DJ Smith (Team Dobusutai) vs. Eric Funkhouser (Bushido Fight Team*) (155 lbs)

ROUND 1
Smith came out with a right hook, but both fighters backed off, trying to feel each other out. Smith had a significant reach advantage. Funkhouser landed a big right hook that set up a suplex, landing him in side control. Funkhouser landed some knees to Smith’s body while Smith was landing some punches from his back. Funkhouser got full mount and transitioned back to side mount, looking for the kimura. Smith rolled in sort of a backwards somersault that impressed the whole audience, but Funkhouser got back in full mount, and got what looked like to be a kimura, but the angle prevented me from getting an unobstructed view. After holding this position for about 20 seconds, the referee stopped the fight**.

Funkhouser wins via ref stoppage at 2:25 of Round 1

*Our official roster listed Funkhouser as coming out of the Bushido Fight Team, but he was announced as a Four Seasons fighter.

**The ref stoppage elicited a lot of boos from the crowd, with a number of people screaming things like “He didn’t tap!” However, from where I was sitting, this was the right call. If Funkhouser would’ve applied any more pressure, Smith’s arm would’ve been dislocated.


Chris Curtis (Team Vision) vs. Jay Finnegan (Spartan Athlima) (170 lbs)

ROUND 1
Curtis, in a southpaw stance, started things off with a good leg kick. They clinched up and Finnegan attempted to land some knees. Curtis took him down, but Finnegan scrambled back up as both fighters threw knees. Curtis lands another solid leg kick followed by a right hook and a guillotine attempt. As Finnegan attempted to push Curtis off, Curtis landed a three-hit combo. Finnegan tried a kick to the body, but it only grazed Curtis who answered with another big leg kick and a huge left hook that floored Finnegan. Curtis quickly got the full mount and ground and pounded Finnegan until the ref stopped it.

Curtis wins via ref stoppage at 2:01 of Round 1


Ben Cox (Independent) vs. Matt Egner (Cincy MMA) (170 lbs)

ROUND 1
First, I have to give props to Egner. He took this fight on about ten minutes notice as Cox’s other opponent dropped out for an undisclosed reason. In spite of not planning to fight, Egner was definitely ready. This was my pick for Fight of the Night, barely edging out Hinton vs. Ammerman.

Cox started things off with a couple jabs. Egner came out swinging hard as the two clinch and Cox throws knees, setting up a big slam which lets him get the full mount and start the ground and pound. Egner swept, landed in Cox’s full guard. Cox looked for an armbar from the bottom, but Egner picked him up and slammed him and ended up in the full mount. Cox looked for an ankle lock, but Egner swept him again and stood, leaning over to land some head shots. Cox pushed Egner off, but Egner landed more shots as Cox stood. Egner threw a body kick, but Cox caught it, picked Egner up and slammed him, got the full mount and started ground and pound while he looked for an armbar. Cox locked the armbar in tight, right as the horn sounded ending the round and saving Egner*

PreView scored this round 10-9 for Cox.

ROUND 2
Cox started off the round throwing some big shots, pushing Egner against the cage. Cox threw knees to the body while Egner landed a couple uppercuts as the two split. Cox threw a head kick, but missed, followed by a leg kick and a hard jab. Egner was throwing hard shots of his own as the two threw as many punches as the crowd went crazy because of all the action. Egner then threw a jumping/flying knee and the arena exploded with cheers. Cox had no answer for this assault and was now bleeding from his nose. Cox pushed Egner up against the cage and shot in looking for a takedown, but Egner was able to sprawl. Cox rolled and landed in Egner’s full guard, with his nose bleeding all over Egner’s face. Cox picked Egner up a couple times and attempted to slam him as the round ended.

PreView scored this round 10-9 for Egner

ROUND 3
The large number of Cincy MMA & Fitness fans in the crowd started the round with chants of “Egner, Egner”. Egner came out with a jab as Cox landed a hard inside leg kick. Egner landed more unanswered shots which caused Cox to try to clinch where Egner landed some hard lefts. Cox was still looking for the clinch as Egner landed more lefts. Cox landed a big knee to the body, but Egner was still firing off punches as quickly as he could. Cox shot in again, but Egner sprawled again and stood as Cox tried a front kick to end the match.

PreView scored this round 10-9 for Egner

Egner wins via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

*The armbar at the end of the first round was very reminiscent of Penn-Pulver I – had Cox had even 2 more seconds, I think he would’ve submitted Egner, but Egner was saved by the horn. After the event was over, a number of Cox’s people asked people sitting around the cage if we had seen Egner tap due to the armbar. I didn’t hear anyone confirm a tap and if Egner did tap, I didn’t see it, and when the round ended, the two were at the cage almost right in front of the table where I was sitting. The event was taped, and some people said they saw it on one of the big screens around the room, so maybe the footage will reveal something different, but even if it did, it wouldn’t change the result.


Marcus Finch (Cincy MMA & Fitness) vs. Donald Young (Independent) (185 lbs)

ROUND 1
This fight saw Donald Young making his MMA debut* against the 4-0 Finch. Finch came in with a left hook setting up a sweep which allowed him to get the side mount and then full mount. Young scrambled and ended up in Finch’s full guard and landed some lefts to Finch’s head while Finch worked for an armbar from the bottom. Young was grabbing the fence to keep himself from being put down by the armbar, but the ref couldn’t see this from his vantage point. Young landed some body shots as Finch made a triangle attempt. Finch let go and ended up in side control, landing some big shots to Young’s head and body that set up a full mount where Finch started to rain down hammer fists on Young’s face. Finch looked for a keylock as the round ended.

PreView saw the round 10-9 for Finch

ROUND 2
The round started off with the two circling each other before Finch threw out a short front kick to set up a takedown. Young got Finch in a guillotine, which Finch pulled out of, but was still in Young’s full guard. The action slowed so the ref stood them up. Young threw a hard inside leg kick and wrapped up Finch and landed multiple knees to Finch’s head as the two were standing, clearly slowing Finch down, keeping him neutralized until the round ended.

PreView saw the round 10-9 for Young

ROUND 3
Finch came out quick with a double-leg takedown and immediately took Young’s back. Young scramble and managed to turn over, but was still in the bottom position as Finch set up a fight-ending keylock.

Finch wins via tapout due to keylock, at :24 of Round 1


Dave Heidorn (Cincy MMA & Fitness) vs. Seth Chandler (Team Dobusutai) (205 lbs)

ROUND 1
Both Heidorn and Chandler were making their MMA debuts, and I don’t think the fight went the way either had imagined it would. Chandler came out firing with a huge leg kick. Heidorn shot in, but Chandler sprawled and the two stood up. Heidorn landed a left hook and then both were swinging for the fences as they locked up. Heidorn went in for a takedown, which Chandler was able to resist for a few seconds, but eventually fell. At this point, something happened to Chandler’s knee and he immediately indicated to the ref he couldn’t go on. The ring doctor came in and confirmed this.

Heidorn won via doctor stoppage at 1:17 of Round 1


For my live blog of the three pro fights, check here.

After the event, I was able to speak with Dahei Haile, Chad Hinton and Jason Appleton.

Haile, head coach of Team Xtreme out of Cincy MMA and Fitness told me they offer a full program of muay thai, bjj and mma for a complete system. When I asked him what he thought of the event, he said, “We came in, we did the work that we needed to, showed everyone what we’re able to bring. Our fighters came in and did what we planned for them to do, and came out victorious.”

When I asked him specifically about Hinton’s performance, he said “[Hinton’s] performance was as expected. We knew Ammerman was going to be a little wild and try to utilize his reach and his range. We played off of that and took it from there.”

With Haile was Lonnie Scott, a muay thai instructor at Cincy MMA & Fitness, and Corey Boyle, a bjj instructor. Both guys stated they’d been with Team Xtreme since the beginning, and Haile stated the team was a little over a year old.

I asked Haile whether training fighters was a specific goal of his when he got involved with Cincy MMA and Fitness, and he stated that competing was definitely an option, but not a requirement – Haile did stress that he felt anyone they trained would be in fighting shape, whether they actually decided to compete or not.

Cincy MMA & Fitness ended up having seven guys fight, and they went 7-0 for the night, so they’re clearly doing something right over there.


I then spoke to Hinton, the new MMA Big Show Lightweight Champion. I asked Hinton how he felt going into the fight, and he said “I felt great, real confident, conditioning was there, my team was there. My team kind of set the pace for me tonight going into my fight, so I was pretty confident.”

When asked about how he felt about his opponent going into the fight, he responded, “I did my homework on Joe, I knew he was very aggressive, I knew he was very strong and I knew his cardio was there, so I definitely stepped up our cardio and did a lot of takedown defense and takedown execution, so everything went pretty well as planned.”

During the fight, Ammerman was on the wrong end of an accidental eye poke and then Hinton was on the wrong end of an accidental groin kick (and then a couple shots to the face as the ref was trying to break them up). I asked Hinton if he thought this changed the pace of the fight, having to stop and re-start twice. He said, “I don’t think so…things like that happen when you’re in full contact sports. He got me pretty good and hit me a couple times after he kicked me in the nuts, but it’s all good, things like that happen.”

Hinton said he’d been a pro fighter for a little over a year now, and he said that MMA Big Show and Jason (the promoter) had been really good and fair to him, and that he was open to whatever was in front of him because he’s “[t]hirty-seven years old, so I’ve got to kind of take what comes.” Those who saw my live blog likely noted that I said Hinton looked huge going into the ring – however, in spite of the look, he stated that when he came into the fight, he didn’t weigh much over 165 after rehydrating post weigh-in.


Last, but not least, I got a chance to speak to Jason Appleton, the man behind MMA Big Show. When I asked him what his first thoughts were post-event, it gave me a laugh when the first thing he said was “I’m tired and my feet hurt.” Frankly, I think this was probably a gross underestimation of how Appleton actually felt. From observing him throughout the night, it wasn’t hard to see that he is familiar with all aspects of his promotion, and takes great care in making sure he knows what’s going on. When the event didn’t start at the stated time of 7:00p.m., he was quick to get on the mic and let everybody know what the official reason was (commissioner hadn’t shown up yet) and that it wouldn’t be much longer. When it appeared like someone had a problem or needed a question answered, he was the one doing the solving and answering. I know that I personally was very appreciative towards him for the ring-side seat I had and for the time he took to talk with me both before and after the show.

He said he thought both of the main event fights were great, Hinton and Ammerman was a phenomenal fight and that they fought their asses off for three full rounds.

In his second event at the NKY Convention Center (his first event, two years ago, was also there), he said he hadn’t seen the official numbers yet, but he would guess there were about 2,000 people in attendance.

He’s working on another event for February 7th, which will be in Ohio, and he stated that contracts hadn’t been signed on the location yet, but he’s hoping to make a announcement in the next two to three weeks. He also stated that the next show will be “a whole other ballgame” and that Relentless had been a test run for a number of things (i.e. video coverage) they wanted to implement for the next show, where he expects a number of UFC vets to be featured. He expects there to be about 6,500 seats available for that event, which is a marked increase in the number he has tried to fill so far, so as he put it, “We’re going for broke.” Appleton did acknowledge that there were some bugs in the test run, but that overall, things had gone well, and they take steps forward with every show they have.

When asked about Yanez’s decision to stop the Smith fight, he said that at first, it threw him, because he couldn’t see what happened because of the angle, but once it was explained to him that Smith was caught in a submission and was at risk for serious injury, it was the right decision on the part of the ref.

Overall, Appleton said that he was happy how things went, but there was room for improvement. He was happy with the marketing that they had for the show, but said that due to the large amount of radio and billboard coverage, he was surprised the show wasn’t sold out.

I questioned him about how Sammy Morgan (who was supposed to face Roger Bowling in the night’s main event) dropping out only ten days before the show affected his operation and he told me he was “[s]hocked in a lot of ways, because when you’ve got a guy like Roger – in my last event I went through four replacements for Roger – this show, we went through three guys….I don’t know what it is, but when I book a fighter who, his price is high, his record is high, and then his trainers tell me ‘In a nutshell, man, I’ve got to be honest with you, but he’s lost four in a row at this point, he’s in a downward spiral and we want to stop it right here, we don’t think Roger is a good fight for him.’ So, are his ribs broken or not? (Sammy’s stated reason for dropping out was aggravation of an injury he had before his second round TKO loss to Duane Ludwig.) You just can’t trust anybody – guys sign contracts and they back out on them. A lot of these bigger teams have team doctors who will back them up so they can get out of contracts.”

I asked him if situations like this made him want to sign fighters to exclusivity clauses and he said he wanted to do that as soon as his shows stopped losing money. Appleton also told me that ideally, he’d like to put on 10-20 shows a year in various areas, but that he felt in any one given market, if you do more than one show a quarter, you can sell yourself short because the local crowd would thin out if you inundated them with shows.


I definitely enjoyed the event, and I’m looking forward to the next one. The fights were exciting, the crowd was great – Jason Appleton put on a hell of a show.

-PreView


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