Cagecraze was live at 8 Seconds Saloon this Saturday night for Legends Of Fighting 42:  Smashing Pumpkins for some premier mixed martial arts action.  In action were local mma standouts Daniel Head, Matt Jaggers, and Orville Smith as well a slew of young up and coming prospects.

Amateur Card:

Josh Raney vs Kenny Day

Ranay comes out with some kicks and engages into a thai clinch but is put on his back and quickly mounted by Day who lands short shots from mount until referee Dave Stone is forced to step in and stop the fight.  Kenny Day wins via TKO ref stoppage at 1:00 in the first round.

Bryant Whitaker vs B.J Becker

Whitaker comes out the aggressor and lands a glancing super man punch and Becker looks to shoot.  Becker shoots a double leg takedown into the fence and is able to slam Whitaker to the canvas.  Whitaker is warned for an elbow to the back of the head.  Becker works inside Whitakers guard as he looks for a submission from his back.  Becker is able to pass to mount and takes the back to end the first round.  The second round begins with
Whitaker coming in but Becker is able to duck a punch and slam Whitaker with a body-lock takedown.  After ref Dave Stone stands them up Whitaker lands a leg kick but is rewarded with a takedown from Becker.  Becker finishes the round with some small shots from within the guard.  The third round starts with both fighters coming out timid but Becker comes in and is able to get a takedown against the cage and starts working from inside the guard once again.  After a triangle attempt from Whitaker, Becker is able to pass to north-south before being put back in guard before the end of the round.  The judges score it 30-27 unanimously for the winner B.J. Becker.

After a rather entertaining costume contest (won by Candice Clingerman) we get back to the fights!

Ed Croom vs Ryan Sheppard 205 lb title fight

Croom finishing Sheppard with a deep RNC

Croom comes out immediately looking for the takedown and gets Sheppard to the ground and works form half-guard.  Sheppard gives up his back to avoid damage and Croom softens him up with some small shots then locks up the rear naked choke to get the tap midway through the first round.  Croom wins via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:29 in round one.

Pro Card:

Brad Smith vs. Chris Camacho

Both fighters come out ready to swing with Camacho landing first and after a couple of missed exchanges Camacho gets a bear hug takedown against the cage. After a failed slam attempt and an accidental head-butt, referee Dave Stone administers a one point penalty for the foul.  The fight ends after the doctor doesn’t clear Smith after the foul and the fight is declared a disqualification.  Brad Smith is awarded the win by DQ at 1:09 in round 1.

Darnell Davis vs. Josh Burgess

Burgess immediately looks for the takedown but is met with a guillotine attempt from Davis.  Burgess presses Davis into the cage but is put to his back and mounted in the guillotine choke.  Burgess works his way free and re-guards.  Davis works hard body shots from within the guard.  Davis is able to posture up and land some hard punches that force Dave Stone to step in and call an in to the bout.  Davis is awarded the victory due to referee stoppage at 3:58 in the first round.

Matt Jaggers vs. Mark Neville

Neville comes out the aggressor landing first, Jaggers lands a hard body shot.  Jaggers misses a head kick and slips and Neville rushes him and lands a knee.  Jaggers lands a hard jab and shoots a double leg takedown and slams Neville to the mat.  Neville works elbows from inside the guard while Jaggers postures up and lands some hard punches along with some elbows that stun Neville.  Jaggers passes the guard and takes the back of Neville and lands heavy shots from the position that coax referee Dave Stone to step in and end the bout.  Matt Jaggers is awarded the victory by TKO referee stoppage at 2:56 in round 1.

Co-Main Event

Orville Smith vs. Jeremy Pender

Pender's finishing Armbar

Smith comes out looking for a takedown but is unsuccessful Smith starts connecting on his feet with some dirty boxing against the cage.  Smith picks up a single leg and slams Pender to the canvas and works from side control before he is put back into guard by Pender.  Smith works some heavy elbows from within the guard as Pender cuts the angle looking for an armbar attempt.  Pender locks up the armbar and after a long struggle is able to force Smith to his back and finish the armbar.  Pender wins via submission(armbar) at 4:41 in round one.

Main Event

Daniel Head vs. York Ash

Referee Dave Stone stops the bout

After an entertaining Sesame Street themed walkout dressed as Burt accompanied by Ernie, Dan Head enters the cage.  Head comes out and lands a leg kick early and York Ash works into the clinch.  After separating Head lands a perfectly timed head kick that lands flush with Ash’s orbital bone.  Ash returns the favor but his kick is caught and he is slammed to the ground and his guard his quickly passed.  Head transitions to mount and lands short elbows from the dominant position.  After several unanswered punches from both mount and rear mount referee Dave stone calls and end to the fight near the end of the first round.  Dan Head wins via TKO due to ref stoppage at 3:51.

Quick Results:

Amateurs:

Kenny Day defeated Joe Raney via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 1:00 of the 1^st Round

BJ Becker defeated Bryant Whitaker via Unanimous Decision  30-27

Ed Croom defeats Ryan Sheppard via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 1:29 of the 1st Round

Professionals:

Bruce Pettis interviews Head after his win

Brad Smith  gets the win over Chris Camacho via Disqualification from head butt in 1:01 of the 1^st Round

Darnell Davis defeats Josh Burgess via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 3:58 of the 1^st Round

Matt Jaggers defeats Mark Neville via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 2:56 of the 1^st Round

Jeremy Pender defeats Orville Smith via Tapout due to Armbar in 4:41 of the 1^st Round

Dan Head defeats York Ash via Referee Stoppage due to Strikes in 3:51 of the 1^st Round

LFC 41 Event Coverage

by Nicholas Shelton

Legends of Fighting Championship 41, Damage Incorporated was an entertaining card with several well respected fighters looking to showcase their skills and make it to a big time show.  Among these were former TUF vet (9-1) Victor O’Donnell, Strikeforce vets (10-2) Shamar Bailey and (33-16-1) Dustin Neace, undefeated standout (6-0) Byron Sutton, Bellator vet and former Indiana University star wrestler (3-0) Kurt Kinser, jiu jitsu specialist (8-3) Cory Mahon. Not to mention in attendance cage side was Elite XC Heavyweight Champion and former LFC fighter (16-2) Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman. Also, “Big Sexy” Sean McCorkle was in attendance, two weeks out from his UFC debut in Indianapolis at UFC 119. What makes LFC 41 exciting is that these fighters represent just a handful of the fights on the stacked Damage Incorporated fight card. The LFC is continually bringing the fans the fights they want and Dustin Howell said that the upcoming shows are going to only get that much better as he has big plans to finish up 2010 at LFC. LFC 41 saw a card with six amateur and six pro bouts.

The amateurs started off the action for the evening as Carlos Munos and Kenny McDougall entered the cage ready to fight. After an early exchange between the two Kenny gets a trip and goes for a rear naked choke but ends up on his back. Carlos pounds away with several unanswered shots leaving Kenny unconscious on the mat, he would walk off under his own power. Winner- Munos KO 1:08 rd 1

Jimmy Lipius vs. Hobart Blackburn

Next up were the welterweights, as Hobart Blackburn debuted against the much taller (0-1) Jimmy Lipius. Hobart opens up looking for an early takedown but spends most of his energy trying to secure it which he finally did, but Lipius got back to his feet quickly. Lipius lands a combo and gets a takedown finishing the round with several elbows to the body. The second round begins as both fighters already look tired; Lipius begins with several shots in the clinch with Blackburn on the fence. A few knees to the face from Lipius get the crowd excited. Hobart eventually gets a takedown as he is looking to avoid the standup battle as much as he can. Hobart pounds on Lipius to end the round, but Lipius is defending it well. Both men look extremely exhausted to begin the third round, neither looks ready for 3 full minutes of martial arts action. Hobart spends the final round trying to secure a takedown but is eventually met with too much resistance as a very tired Lipius finishing him off with unanswered punches and the ref calls the fight.  Winner- Lipius via TKO 2:29 rd. 3

The big boys were set to enter the cage as (1-1) Chad Eaton welcomed Charles Gordon in his cage debut. Both men clinch early and work a dirty boxing game consisting of knees to the body and punches. Neither gains a distinct advantage as both battle for position and are still clinched up as the bell sounds signaling the end of the round. Round two begins with Eaton coming out catching Gordon with some early shots. Gordon gets a takedown on the charging Eaton. He quickly secures Eaton’s back and rains down shots for the tko victory as the ref calls the fight. Winner – Charles Gordon 1:38 rd. 2

The next matchup pitted two cousins against each other in a family feud, mma style with Joey Holloway taking on his opponent and cousin Michael Oaks. Joey secures and early takedown on Oaks but has the position reversed and Oaks goes for a rear naked choke. Oaks realizing he can’t finish with the choke pounds out Joey instead and the fight ends due to strikes, giving Michael Oaks the win and family bragging rights for now. Winner- Michael Oaks 2:28 Rd 1 TKO

(L) Croon (C) Pitzulo (R) Blackburn

After this fight amateur 205lber Ed Croon was awarded his title belt for his big win at LFC 40. Also, amateur Daniel Blackburn was awarded his title belt as he picked up his 145lb title at LFC40. Also, professional prospect Daniel Pitzulo was awarded his title belt. Later on in the co-main event the 145lb pro title will be on the line as Dustin Neace takes on Cory Mahon.  Also, after these belts were awarded Will Espick was recognized as he came out in shape to fight but his opponent and last minute backup opponent both backed out of the fight. We look forward to seeing Will in the future as I know his fans were looking forward to seeing him in the cage.

The next amateur matchup saw (1-1) Loyd Thorton take on Phil Scott who was making his cage debut. Scott was greeted with a very loud ovation on his entrance to the cage as he had a large following for his debut at LFC. Thorton gets an early takedown and throws some serious shots with a few hitting Scott in the back of the head. The referee stands them up and takes a point away from Thorton for illegal shots to the back of the head. After they resume Thorton gets another takedown and maintains rear mount control as the bell sounds. Thorton begins round 2 as aggressively as he did the first quickly gaining control and landing several shots to finish the fight early in the second round. Winner- Loyd Thorton :38 rd 2.

Next up was the final amateur bout of the evening between Robbie Cates and Brian Coleman as both fighters were making their cage debuts. Robbie Cates came out with an early takedown and finished the fight just as quickly from strikes. Winner- Robbie Cates :19 Rd 1 TKO

Carter looks for the Rear Naked Choke

The first pro bout of the evening was between James “Haystack” Simon and Ron “Savage” Carter.  Simon is greeted with a very loud ovation while entering the cage. Despite having a significant reach advantage Carter goes in for a very low single leg and secures it. Simon works his way back to his feet but is taking down again by a persistent Carter. Carter delivers and illegal elbow to Simon and a point is taken away. Immediately after the restart the bout Carter storms at Simon and locks in a guillotine against the cage and Simon taps. Winner- Carter 3:19 Rd 1 Guillotine

The next fight was between (10-10) Braden Bice and Sean Sallee who claims to be sponsored by Taco Bell so you know he is ready for this heavyweight bout. Braden as usual begins the fight with an early takedown and works his ground and pound.  Bice gets caught in an armbar by a very active Sallee and the fight is over. Bice seemed to no respect the jiu jitsu skills of Sallee as he seemed unaffected by Sean who was very active from his back. Winner- Sallee 2:25 Rd 1 Armbar

Our next professional fight saw ATT’s (5-4)Tim Bradley vs. (3-2) Jeremy “Party Boy” Pender. Tim begins the fight with an early combo followed by a quick takedown. Jeremy works for the triangle from the bottom and secures it for the tapout. Winner- Jeremy Pender 1:17 Rd 1 Triangle Choke

Former TUF vet (9-1) Victor O’Donnell fresh off his LFC 40 victory set to take on undefeated local prospect  (6-0) Byron Sutton.  Both look in shape and ready for a tough middleweight battle. Byron throws and early body kick but O’Donnell uses this to secure a takedown. Both scramble and Victor takes Sutton down again quickly maintaining good back control on Byron. Victor throws some vicious shots from the rear mount and the ref stops the fight. As always Victor is a class act and checks on his opponent. Victor is looking very tough in his two fights with LFC since being a part of the Ultimate Fighter. Winner- O’Donnell 1:18 Rd 1 TKO

Neace and Mahon exchange kicks

Fight of the Night- The co-main event definitely lived up to the billing that it could be the best battle of the night. The 145lb champ and savvy local vet (33-16-1) Dustin “the Beast” Neace took on a tough opponent in (8-3) Cory “the Irish Car Bomb” Mahon for the 145lb LFC title. This is a matchup that has been in the making for a while with the two being unable to fight several times due to injuries. The crowd is pumped and ready to go as the action gets underway. Mahon opens up early with a superman punch that lands followed by several good leg kicks to a tentative Neace. Neace gets the fight to the ground and works punches and elbows from the top with Mahon defending well and also staying active from the bottom. Both fighters finish the round in a stalemate on the ground with neither fighter showing a significant advantage. Neace begins round 2 with a spinning back fist that lands but Mahon shrugs it off. Mahon gets a good takedown and mounts Neace, but Dustin goes for a kneebar which he could not secure but he gained top control and maintained his position until the fight is stood back up. Mahon goes for a rear naked choke to end the round but the bell rings. Good, close second round that is too tough to call. The crowd is fired up going into the third round of this title bout. Mahon starts out with a head kick that actually lands but Neace doesn’t appear hurt by it. Neace secures a takedown after an exchange and works his ground and pound while maintaining position. Neace is very active with punches and elbows from half guard on Mahon. Neace delivers some powerful hammer fists and punches knocking out Mahon with seconds left in the third round. Neace is ecstatic after the victory and both fighters embrace after Mahon is helped back to his feet. Winner- Dustin Neace via KO 4:54 rd 3. Dustin Neace calls out 135lb LFC champion Zach Jenkins and Zach enters the cage and accepts the challenge to “take Neace’s 145lb title” as well. If this fight happens it will be another intense battle as both these vets are at the top of their rankings in Indiana and want to prove they are elite mma fighters.

The final bout of the evening was between Strikeforce vet 10-2 Shamar Bailey and recent Bellator victor (3-0) Kurt Kinser. Dave Herman former IU wrestler is sitting cage side watching this bout as fellow IU wrestling alum Kurt  Kinser looks set and ready. Kurt looks in no way eager to stand and trade with Shamar as his first takedown is unsuccessful. Shamar is getting the best of the standup exchanges as he is tagging Kinser with punches. Shamar gets the takedown on Kinser and Kurt goes for a kneebar but Shamar powers out of it. Shamar gains side control with some beautiful passing skills, Kinser again goes for a kneebar but Shamar lands some powerful shots and defends the submission well. Shamar is controlling this round but Kinser starts to get active with elbows from the bottom. Kurt opens up Shamar with a elbow from the bottom. The doctors take a look at Shamar in between rounds and determine he can no longer fight due to the cut, despite the fact Shamar looked unfazed from the cut and ready to fight. Kurt Kinser is declared the winner due to TKO doctor’s stoppage. The crowd is visibly upset and begins booing the decision loudly as Kinser celebrates the victory. Shamar is gracious in defeat, a rematch is needed after this controversial stoppage.

LFC 41, Damage Incorporated proved to be yet another good card put together by matchmaker Dustin Howell. Howell is consistently bringing us exciting fights and promises even more excitement in the next few shows: both the October 29^th show and the December 10^th show. The December 10^th show marks the one year anniversary of local mma fighter Jeremy Ashley’s unfortunate death. Dustin promises that the next few shows and specifically the anniversary show are going to be insane. Thanks to Legends of Fighting and 8 Seconds Saloon for another exciting night of mma action. Check out the quick results to this event and other local events at CageCraze.com

Quick Results:

Amateurs Bouts:

Carlos Munos defeated Kenny  McDougall via KO in 1:08 of the 1^st Round

Jimmy Lipius defeated Hobart Blackburn via Referee stoppage due to Strikes in 2:29 of the 3^rd Round

Charles Gordon defeated Chad Eaton via Referee stoppage due to strikes in 1:39 of the 2^nd Round

Michael Oaks defeated Joey Holloway via Referee stoppage due to strikes in 2:28 of the 1^st Round

Loyd Thorton defeated Phil Scott via Referee stoppage due to strikes in 0:38 of the 2^nd Round

Pro Bouts:

Ron Carter defeated James Simon via Tapout due to Guillotine in 3:19 of the 1^st Round

Sean Sallee defeated Braden Brice via Tapout due to Armbar in 2:25 of the 1^st Round

Jeremy Pender defeated Tim Bradley via Tapout due to Triangle Choke in 1:17 of the 1^st Round

Victor O’Donnell defeated Byron Sutton via Tapout due to Strikes in  1:18 of the 1^st Round

Dustin Neace defeated Cory Mahon via KO in 4:54 of the 3^rd Round

Kurt Kinser defeats Shamar Bailey via (questionable) stoppage due to cut in 0:00 of the 2^nd Round

Legends of Fighting Championship’s “Bad Dudes”

Legends of Fighting Championship 40 “Bad Dudes” took place at 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis; this event featured 7 amateur bouts and 5 pro bouts. On the card were fighters such as Daniel Pitzulo, Jeremy “Lighting” Bolt, Jeremy  Jackson, Daniel Blackburn,  135 lb champ Zach Jenkins, and Victor O’Donnell from season 11 of the Ultimate Fighter just to name a few.

The first matchup saw James “the Squirrel” Maher vs Joey Holloway. James gained early control with a few good shots from his feet. Once on the ground Maher sunk in a quick rear-naked choke at 1:03 of round one.

The next bout featured Kyle “the Hoodlum” Hood vs Craig Hardman. Craig quickly gained a takedown but was met with resistance as Kyle reversed the position. However, Craig maintained excellent control from the bottom and attempted an armbar but Kyle quickly escaped this attempt. The action was brought back up the feet with Craig landed a solid body kick followed by a punch combination bringing both fighters to the ground. Craig assumed dominant position as he locked up a fight ending guillotine choke/KO 2:00 into the first round.

Fight three was between Kevin “the Bulldog” Groff and “Big” Mike Littleton. Both fighters danced around the cage for a while before they finally engaged. Both threw heavy leather before getting clinched against the cage with Groff eventually ended up on top of Littleton. Kevin rained down some heavy shots from inside the guard before Mike locked up a nice, finishing triangle which forced Groff to tap 1:49 into round 1. Both fighters showed great sportsmanship for each other before and after the fight was concluded.

Sportsmanship of the Night

Parsley encouraging Harris after the fight

The fourth fight of the evening saw Jesse “the Gladiator” Parsley take on Nicholas Harris. Parsley started the bout out with a quick overhand right followed by a tie-up between the two fighters. Harris took Jesse down and began landing some good shots until Jesse exhibited great bottom control, clinching Harris up while he was mounted. Parsley reversed the position and went for the rear-naked choke but Harris eluded the submission and both recovered back to their feet. Once back on their feet Jesse secured a takedown and threw some vicious ground and pound, Harris tapped due to strikes 2:45 into round 1. After the fight was over, Parsley’s genuine encouragement  to Harris wins him Sportsmanship of the Night.

The next fight was host to ATT fighter Jeremy “Knuckles” Jackson vs Seth Farris-Steen. This fight began with an early takedown attempt from Seth that was stuffed initially but Seth eventually gained top control. Jackson was busy working from the guard and quickly locked up and secured a tight triangle choke causing Seth to tap 1:05 into round 1.

Fight of the Night

Croom landing a solid Overhand Right

The sixth matchup Mtrig Gibson vs Ed Croom for the 205lb amateur title no doubt was fight of the night. As the action began Croom goes for an early takedown and gets it but can’t hold position and both grapple against the cage battling for control. Once separated Mtrig lands a powerful combo that drops Croom to the canvas. Gibson goes in for the finish but Croom shows good composure as he reverses the position and claims half guard. The action is brought back up to the feet after a stalemate on the ground. Dirty boxing from both fighters against the cage with Croom trying to get the single leg takedown, which he gets successfully. From his back Mtrig goes for an armbar attempt but Croom recognizes it and pulls his arm out and takes Gibson’s back, riding this position as the bell sounds to end the first round.

Gibson attempts an Armbar

The second round begins with Mtrig quickly throwing a head kick which is blocked followed by a powerful punch that tags Croom. They grapple against the cage and Croom lands an unintentional knee to the groin which stops the action momentarily. Action resumes, Mtrig lands a leg quick but is taken down once again by Croom. Active off his back Mtrig goes for a kimura attempt which Croom powers out of. Croom starts to turn it on from top position and tags Mtrig with multiple shots, some of which are blocked. Mtrig rolls onto his stomach and Croom gets takes his back sinking in a rear-naked choke. Although the choke appears deep, Mtrig calmly motions to the ref with a thumbs up that he is okay. He gets out of the choke but again finds himself on his back taking shots from Croom as the horn sounds ending the round. Neither fighter appears to be severely hurt going back to their corners but both look worn out from the back-and-forth battle.

Both fighters touch gloves acknowledging that they are in a war to start the final round. Croom goes for an early takedown which is stuffed at first but he eventually gains side control out of the scramble. More ground and pound from Croom and Mtrig eventually taps out 1:07 of round 3. The official result of this fight was tapout due to carotid choke. Both fighters embrace each other after a fantastic fight, Croom’s team, American Top Team and fans are going nuts as he calmly walks around the ring after the win. Easily fight of the night, great heart shown by both fighters.

Refree Don Clift stopped the bout

The seventh and final amateur bout featured another ATT fighter, Daniel Blackburn vs Jordan McDaniel. The fight begins with a very quick exchange between the two which ends in a takedown for Jordan. Blackburn quickly reverses this position and ends up getting the mounted position on McDaniel. McDaniel tries to turn out of it but Blackburn takes his back and sinks in the hooks. Daniel makes short work from here and rains down several unanswered shots and the fight is stopped 1:12 into round 1 via TKO due to strikes. McDaniel ‘s was laid out on the mat for several minutes after the stoppage but eventually got back to his feet and appeared to be okay, as Blackburn checked to ensure he was fine. Daniel Blackburn has some serious power for the 145lb weight class and is a definite force in this division moving his record to 6-0 after this impressive victory.

The first professional bout of the evening was between Marc “Pitbull” Bennett and Joe Neace who made his pro debut. Both fighters clinch up early and Marc goes for a standing guillotine attempt but Neace gets out only to be slammed to the mat with a great takedown. Neace is busy from his back and goes for an armbar attempt but Marc postures up and gets his arm free and retains half guard. Marc stands back up and Neace locks onto a solid kneebar with Bennett standing. Marc finally gets out with some vicious ground and pound knocking Neace out cold and waking him back up with a few more shots. The fight ends 1:41 of the first round due to strikes.

The next bout featured Mark Neville vs Daniel “PureBred” Pitzulo. Both fighters circle the ring cautiously waiting for the other fighter to make his move. As they engage Pitzulo gets the takedown secured. Neville shows good control on the bottom and his hips are very active. Daniel gets into side control on Neville, from this position he hops his leg over for the mount. From here he takes Neville’s back and sinks in a tight rear-naked choke and Mark is forced to tap. The fight ends due to rear-naked choke 2:07 into the first round. Both fighters embrace each other after the battle, two classy individuals right there.

Bolt checking Clarks kick & looks for an opening

The next pro fight was a rematch between Chris “Fireman” Clark and cage veteran Jeremy “Lighting” Bolt. Chris replaced George O’Dell in this fight on less than a day’s notice, props to him for stepping up. Both men touch gloves and Clark looks very spry on his feet as he circles around the ring trying to stay away from the power of Bolt. Clark lands a solid right leg kick and backs out and begins to circle again. Bolt appears to want to get inside on Clark but Chris is moving around well. Clark lands two more solid leg kicks on Bolt to open up the round. Jeremy finally gets his takedown and moves into side mount. Good ground battle as Bolt looks to get Chris’ back and finally does. He begins to throw some leather from the back of Clark and the fight is stopped due to strikes 3:13 of round 1.

Jenkins swings for the fences

The next pro bout feature Mark Neville’s brother Bryan Neville vs newly crowned 135lb LFC champion Zach “The Shadow” Jenkins with this fight being a non-title fight in the 155 lb division. Zach looks amped up and comes out in a fury right at Neville. Both fighters throw furious hands with Zach getting the better of the exchange. Zach knocks Neville down with strikes and unleashes some bombs and the fight is over quickly. The fight ends via tko :19 into round 1. Zach told CageCraze after the fight that he was told he was suspended indefinitely for tossing his mouthpiece. We will stay informed to any further implications from this as many fans are anxious to see “the Shadow” defend his belt soon at LFC.

The Main Event  Ron Carter vs Victor O’Donnell

The main event featured local pro Ron “the Savage” Carter vs The Ultimate Fighter season 11 contestant Victor O’Donnell. Both fighters touch gloves and they are looking to exchange with neither fighter committing at first. Lots of fakes thrown from Carter as he tries and gauge his range on the much shorter O’Donnell. O’Donnell buckles Carter with a right hand that sends him into the cage. Carter unintentionally knees O’Donnell in the groin and the action is briefly stopped. As the action resumes Victor lands another big right but Carter shrugs it off. Victor moves in for the takedown and quickly takes Carter’s back sinking in a rear-naked choke. The fight ends via rear-naked choke 1:58 into round 1. Both fighters acknowledge each other after the fight in a great show of class from both individuals.

The night saw a good night of fights with a large and excitable crowd. Legends of Fighting keeps getting big names into their shows thanks to matchmaker Dustin Howell. Legends of Fighting 41 is scheduled to take place at 8 Seconds Saloon on September 10^th, come check out some great MMA action. LFC vet Sean McCorkle was interviewed regarding his upcoming fight at UFC 119 in Indianapolis. LFC is making a trend out of being a springboard  for fighters to get into the big shows such as Strikeforce, UFC, and BEllator just to name a few.

Quick Results:

Amateur Bouts:

James Maher defeated Joey Holloway in 1:03 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

Craig Hardman defeated Kyle Hood in 2:00 of the 1^st Round via Guillotine Choke / KO

Michael Littleton defeated Kevin Groff in 1:49 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Triangle Choke

Jesse Parsley defeated Nicholas Harris in 2:45 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to strikes

Jermey Jackson defeated Seth Farris-Steen in 1:05 of the 1^st Round via Triangle Choke

Ed Croom defeated Mtrig Gibson 1:07 of the 3^rd Round via Tapout due to Corroded Choke

Daniel Blackburn defeated Jordan McDaniel in 1:12 of the 1^st Round via Tapout due to Strikes

Professional Bouts:

(correction) Marc Bennett defeated Joe Neace  in 1:41 of the 1st Round via Tapout Due to Strikes

Daniel Pitzulo defeated Mark Neville in 2:07 of the 1st Round via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

Jeremy Bolt defeated Chris Clark in 3:13 of the 1st Round via Tapout due to strikes

Zach Jenkins defeated Bryan Neville in 0:19 of the 1st Round via Tapout due to strikes

Zach was suspended indefinitely for  unsportsmanlike conduct (Throwing his mouthpiece in the crowd)

Main Event:

Victor O’Donnell defeated Ron Carter in 1:58 of the 1st Round via Tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

In the words of Announcer Bruce Pettis, "Let's get around, to throwin' down"

The 8 Seconds Saloon played host to one of the most riveting Legends of Fighting cards in some time this past Friday evening.

The night’s first event pitted Dominic Stevens against Mike Dzelme.  Both came out looking to exchange, but wound up in the clinch.  Stevens attempted a throw only to be countered by Dzelme’s sacrifice.  Dzelme landed in side-control and looked to end the fight with an arm triangle.  Stevens, however, was not going to let things end that easily.  After narrowly missing out on the arm triangle, Dzelme saw a rare opportunity to transition to a tarantula arm lock.  This transition  led to a controversial referee stoppage (due to Stevens choice to NOT tap) thus giving Dzelme the victory.

The second fight of the night featured Josh Patterson against Ken Joy.  Patterson was able to achieve the victory one minute and two seconds into the first round via tapout from strikes.

In what looked to be a promising fight “Yo Boy” Nick Harris made his mixed martial arts debut against one of Carlos Diaz’s students Ed Croom.  After the sound of the bell, Croom landed a straight right that prompted Harris to look for a shot.  However, Croom was able to stuff the shot and muscle Harris to the ground.  While on the ground, Croom looked for various submissions, but was unable to pull any off due to Harris’ perpetual motion.  As the round came to an end, Croom was able to mount Harris and land a series of punches.  Harris was unable to answer the bell for the second round giving Croom the victory.

The night’s next fight ended in strange fashion in Joe Neace escaping James Lipsius guillotine choke only to apply his own guillotine.  Neace was awarded the victory via tapout a minute and six seconds into the second round.

Jimmy Nicholas was able to pull a submission victory via rear-naked choke over Dustin Abney in the fifth fight of the night.

George putting the finishing touches on the win

Cornelius George, a member of Team James Clingerman, showed true intrepidity taking a fight against 6-0 Andy Lambert in his mixed martial arts debut.  Lambert showed to be the aggressor in the beginning attempting to throw a front kick.  However, his front kick was caught by George and he was shoved to the mat.  George was able to land a few hammer fists before Lambert escaped to his feet.  After a brief clinch, Lambert took the fight to the ground.  He was able to land some hard punches before giving George too much room to maneuver.  With this room, George rolled Lambert over and took full mount.  For the rest of the round George utilized his ground and pound skills.

The second round started off much like the first with Lambert being the aggressor.  George, much like the first round, was able to catch Lamberts shots and take him to the ground.  From there George was able to land a series of unanswered shots forcing the referee to step intervene.  This gave George a victory one minute and eleven seconds into the second round via TKO.

The last amateur fight of the night was a three round decision in which Judge 1 scored the bout, 28-28, Judge 2 scored it 29-27 and Judge 3 scored it 29-28 awarding the victory to Tim Koehler over Barry Fox.

The professional card began with Daniel Pitzulo making his professional debut against Matthew Wilson.  Pitzulo was able to control Wilson from the beginning and able to dictate where the fight was going.  After a brief stoppage due to an inadvertent kick to the face, Pitzulo mounted Wilson and looked straight for a keylock.  Pitzulo’s haste was able to give him enough for the victory via keylock two minutes and fifty-four seconds into the first round.

Neville trying to finish the Triangle Choke

The second professional bout of the evening featured another fighter making his professional debut is Mark Neville.  Neville was pitted against two-time professional veteran Michael Glen.  After the two touched gloves, Glen charged Neville and pinned him against the cage.  Glen scooped Neville and slammed him to the canvas.  Neville used every submission from the guard in which one can imagine, but during this Glen was able to slam Neville.  The slam left Neville dazed (partly due to an inadvertent head butt during the slam).  In fact Neville was so dazed that he tapped while attempting a triangle choke thus giving Glen the victory.

Chase Beebe’s little brother Carson was featured in next bout of the evening against Chris Clark (whom had taken the fight on two days notice).  Beebe controlled things from the beginning catching Clark’s right kick and landing a nasty straight right.  After the straight right, Beebe took to fight to the mat utilizing his ground and pound until the referee eventually called a halt to the fight a minute and forty-three seconds into the first round.

Cagecraze.com’s featured fighter, Kyle Gibbons, was slotted to have the next bout of the night, but was unable to do so due to his challenger, Alexander (Al)Thomas failing to show up for the fights.

The next fight of the evening, featured Sean McCorkle and Jonathan Ivey.  In the first round, McCorkle controlled Ivey in every aspect.  Ivey showed his resiliency taking multiple shots throughout the first.  In the second round, Ivey played to the crowd while McCorkle smiled.  The action then resumed with McCorkle dominating yet again.  The referee was eventually forced to call a halt to the fight giving McCorkle the victory.

Tristan Yunker made his return to the cage in the second-to-last fight of the night against Ron Carter.  Yunker was able to bait Carter in with an over-hand left and immediately hit a double leg takedown.  Once the fight hit the ground Yunker showed great composure while controlling Carter’s every move.  He was eventually able to set up a perfect armbar giving him the victory one minute and thirty-three seconds into the first round. After his victory Yunker was awarded the Jeremy Ashley Heart Award.

Fight, Submission & Comeback of the Night

Jenkins sinks in the winning Triangle

In what was the fight, submission and comeback of the night, Zach Jenkins was able to defeat Orville Smith in the main event.  Smith was in control for the majority of the fight until the beginning of the third round where he was caught with looping left.  Jenkins seized the opportunity and charged Smith, forcing him to shoot.  Smith’s shot was successful, but Jenkins was able to pull Smith into his guard.  From his guard Jenkins transitioned into a beautiful triangle choke, forcing Smith to tap.

With the conclusion of the evening, Dustin Howell has to feel a sense of accomplishment. Howell provided Central Indiana M.M.A. fans with one of the the most requested and long awaited matchups (Orville Smith vs Zach Jenkins). In only his second event as the LFC match maker, he successfully accomplished a task that his predecessors simply could not. We at CageCraze.com look forward to seeing what Dustin Howell and the Legends of Fighting Championships have in store for the future.

Quick Results

Amateur card:

Mike Dzelme  defeated Dominic Stevens in 1:58 of the 1st Round by referee stoppage

Josh Patterson defeated Ken Joy in 1:02 of the 1st Round via tapout due to strikes

Ed Croom defeated Nick Harris when Harris could not answer the 2nd Round bell

Joe Neace defeated James Lipsius in 1:06 of the 2nd Round via tapout due to Guillotine Choke

Jimmy Nicholas defeated Dustin Abney in 2:07 of the 1st Round via tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

Cornelius George defeated Andy Lambert in 1:11 of the 2nd Round via TKO

Tim Koehler defeated Berry Fox in a split decision

Professional Card:

Daniel Pitzulo defeated Matt Wilson in 2:54 of the 1st Round via tapout due to Keylock submission

Mike Glen defeated Mark Neville in 1:27 of the 1st Round via tapout due to strikes

Carson Beebe defeated Chris Clark  in 1:43 of the 1st Round via referee stoppage due to strikes

Kyle Gibbons vs Alexander Thomas (Thomas was a no show)

Sean McCorkle defeated Johnathan Ivy in 3:21 of the 2nd Round via referee stoppage due to strikes

Tistan Yunker defeated Ron Carter in 1:33 of the 1st Round  via tapout due to Armbar submission

Zach Jenkins defeated Orville Smith in 1:18 of the 3rd Round via tapout due to Triangle Choke

CageCraze.com Profile: “The Franchise” Kyle Gibbons

“The world isn’t all sun shines and rainbows.  It is a very mean and nasty place.  I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.  You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it isn’t about how hard you can hit.  It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward.”-Sylvester Stallone as “Rocky” in Rocky Balboa

"The Franchise" Kyle Gibbons

Though a typical motivational movie quote, this statement illustrates a true definition of life.  Hardships are a primary part of life and our responses to them shape us as individuals.  Kyle Gibbons, not only as a fighter, but as a person, exemplifies this philosophy.  He is a person who has stared life in the face and decided to fight back.  Kyle’s hardships gave him the needed motivation to commence a career in mixed martial arts, but his background as a martial artist and athlete were prior commitments.

Kyle Gibbons has always been a competitor.  He was a Michigan high school three sport athlete and started at wide-receiver for a Minnesota college.  During his stint in college, Gibbons became aware of mixed martial arts, and the likes of Royce Gracie, through a fellow teammate.  After persistent talk of mixed martial arts from his teammate, Gibbons let his curiosity get the best of him and looked into the sport, thus beginning the romance.  It was love at first sight for Gibbons and mixed martial arts.  His infatuation eventually led him to enroll in Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes.

While training under Kevin Shoults in Traverse City, Michigan, Gibbons found himself in a different competitive atmosphere than that in which he had been accustomed.  In the past he had been perplexed with how he could benefit his team, but now he had only himself in which to regard.  Even with this dilemma Gibbons excelled.  He entered a North American Grappling Association (N.A.G.A.) tournament just three months into his training where he defeated four men in a combined one minute and seventeen seconds.  This successful outing led a training partner (whom had competed for King of the Cage) to explain to Kyle that he thought Kyle possessed the talent to prosper in mixed martial arts.  Despite being introduced to Mike Camp (a matchmaker for the Legends of Fighting) and manager Scott McCorkle, Kyle wrote off the prospect of fighting.  However, a series of unfortunate events including the death of his mother, best friend, and grandfather led Kyle back to the idea of fighting.

Kyle with his LFC belts

After a phone call to Mike Camp, Kyle was set for his mixed martial arts debut.  After all that he had endured, Gibbons’ emotions came to a head while his opponent entered the cage.  “I was still so angry over the death of my mother that when I saw my opponent begin to make his way to the cage I began crying.  I knew I was going to win.  I felt it.” proclaimed Gibbons.  Gibbons pre-fight thoughts became a reality in less than ten seconds.  Perhaps Gibbons’ most emotional ten seconds of his life gave him a 1-0 mixed martial arts record via knockout.  Kyle went on to fight four more times gaining four more impressive victories in the amateur ranks.  Unfortunately, life decided to throw turmoil into Gibbon’s life one more time.

After a fire consumed Gibbon’s home and months of propositioning, Kyle decided to sign with manager Scott McCorkle.  With this decision Kyle moved to Indianapolis, Indiana to focus on his fighting career.  Since these series of life altering events, Gibbons has added multiple accolades to his resume.  He has obtained a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, possessed the LFC Amateur, as well as professional Middleweight title, and held the LFC professional light heavyweight title.  Currently, Kyle resides in Greencastle, Indiana, training at AAKA under the tutelage of Steve St. Pierre.

Kyle with his loving & supporting wife Erin

Besides his commitment to expanding his mixed martial arts repertoire, Kyle Gibbons is a very dedicated law enforcement officer.  He has accredited his study of the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (and his body’s muscle memory) to help him subdue assailants while on duty.  With such a busy lifestyle, one has to have support in every aspect.  Kyle’s wife Erin has provided such.  She has acquired knowledge of the sport just to support Kyle.  According to Kyle, she has kept him grounded and helps him maintain his priorities.  “She didn’t marry me because I was a fighter. She could care less; she supports me fighting because she supports me in everything else in life.” stated Gibbons. This simple fact can be of the utmost importance to a fighter.  With this Kyle can enter the cage subconsciously knowing that no matter the outcome his wife will be there for him.

The future for Kyle “the Franchise” Gibbons seems to be bright.  He possesses a work ethic that cannot be taught and an innate ability for overcoming life’s obstacles.  Kyle is the epitome of quote “…it isn’t about how hard you can hit.  It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward…” (Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa).

You can watch Kyle Gibbons compete May 28^th, 2010, at the Eight Seconds Saloon for the Legends of Fighting Championship.

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Legends of Fighting Championship presents LFC: 39 “Victory Lane”

Indianapolis, Indiana (USA):  Legends of Fighting Championship, one of the best and most respected fight promotions in the Midwest, will present its most anticipated show ever when it brings “Victory Lane” to the 8 Seconds Saloon on Friday, May 28^th.

In the main event, longtime Legends of Fighting Bantamweight Champion and ShoXC Elite veteran Orville “Pooh Bear” Smith (14-1) will put his title on the line against former PCF, UFL, Evolution, and Legends of Fighting Bantamweight Champion Zach “The Shadow” Jenkins (28-7), who is seeking retribution for being stripped of the LFC tile. Featured in the co-main event, former Legends of Fighting Lightweight Champion Tristan “Too Much For You” Yunker (13-9, notable first round submission over Clay Guida) will make his long awaited return to the LFC when he battles the pride of New Salisbury, IN, Ron “The Savage” Carter (3-3)in a bout that will certainly have future title implications.

Kyle Gibbons

Also showcased will be undefeated Super Heavyweight giant Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle (8-0) as he takes on tough, experienced Johnathan “Big John” Ivey (60-61) in an epic bout for the ages. In addition, local favorite and Indiana Police officer Kyle “Franchise” Gibbons (14-3) looks to lay down the law in the Light Heavyweight division against rising newcomer Alexander “Good Night Sleep Tight” Thomas (1-1). Other pro fighters on this card are: Carson Beebe (younger brother of former WEC Champion Chase Beebe), George O’Dell, Chris Clark, Carson Gainey, Rhyan Glezman, Mark Neville, Greg LaJoye and the long-awaited pro MMA debut of Daniel “Pure Breed” Pitzulo.

“ Victory Lane” will be shown live on GoFightLive.com.

Tickets:

Tickets are priced at $20,$30,$35, $40, $45, and $75, and they are available through Ticketmaster as well as www.legendsoffighting.com.

Submission Info:

Submitted by: Dustin Howell

Submitted on: May 5th, 2010