King Of Champions

Rumble at Ritchie

Written by J.R. Gordon

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February 26, 2010 the Ritchie Center on the Denver University campus opened it’s doors to welcome fans to a  night of MMA action that had nine bouts including three titles and three  professional bouts.  Spectacular matchmaking was evidenced by the fact that  six of the bouts went to the judge’s scorecards and the main event that is up to  this point Colorado’s fight of the year.

The first three fights described were professional bouts while all others were elimination  matches.

Main event:

Josiah Callis vs Nick  Macias.

Each fighter showed strong striking early before the fight briefly  went to the ground.  On the mat Macias escaped a guillotine choke and  backed out to let Callis stand.

The rest of the round was a great display  of fast, crisp, accurate and technical striking that tested the chin of both  fighters.  Each fighter landed kicks, punches and solid knees while  clinched and both fighters went to their corner bloodied.

Round two had  both again showing strong striking  before Callis got a takedown into side  control.

The fighters scrambled to standing before Macias took it back to  the mat looking to sink in a Kimura shoulder lock.

Callis escaped the deep  submission and momentarily took full mount.  Macias scrambled to get full  guard and the round played out with Callis working GNP while Macias worked  multiple submission attempts.

Round three Had Callis get a quick takedown  off of ducking a punch then working strong GNP including strong knees to the  body.

Macias withstood the attack and linked together a strong set of  submission attempts.  Macias then worked back to standing but Callis got  another takedown.

There was a scramble as the fighters hit the mat and  Macias took back control to work between RNC attempts and GNP.

To end the  round Callis escaped back control and landed several punches as the bell ended  the fight.

The judge’s scorecards were read and the winner by unanimous decision was Josiah Callis.

Co-main event:

Vern Baca vs Nick  Buschman.

The fighters had a brief striking exchange before Buschman  closed in after a head kick to flurry with punches that dropped Baca to a  knee.

With Baca kneeling Buschman continued his striking attack and after  a series of unanswered strikes the referee stopped the bout giving the win to  Nick Buschman at :43 of round one.

Josh Huber vs Travis Hollis.

Round one was all kickboxing with each fighter landing hard punches, solid kicks and strong knees while clinched.

Round two started with good striking by  each until Hollis used standing back control to get a takedown.

On the mat  Hollis switched between GNP and RNC attempts until Huber escaped and worked back  to standing.

The fight quickly went back to the mat and this time it was  Huber working for the RNC until the round ended.

Round three had Huber  landing strikes that hurt Hollis.  Hollis clinched and got a takedown, but  Huber rolled through for a reversal, took mount and flurried with GNP to get the TKO win at 1:05 of round three.

Scott Cleve vs Jeremiah Record for the King of Champions 155 lb. amateur title.

Record had good striking  early including a head kick.  Cleve took the fight to the mat with a double  leg takedown, but off of his back Record worked for a triangle choke as the round ended.

Round two had Cleve using a trapped head kick to get a  takedown into side control.  The fighters scrambled to standing and Record  worked for a guillotine choke that Cleve escaped and the fighters exchanged  punches to end the round.

Round three saw Cleve use an overhand left to  close the distance and get a takedown and each fighter scrambled for position  with Cleve ending in the guard of Record.

Cleve then took back control and  worked GNP until the bout ended.  The scorecard’s were used to determine  the winner and by way of split decision it was Scott Cleve.

Jimmy Soiland vs Mike Rutherford for the King of Champions 135 lb. amateur title.

Rutherford shot for and  got a takedown, but Soiland swept him and fell back for an ankle lock.   Rutherford defended and fell back for a foot lock of his own.

Briefly both  fighters tried for a heel-hook then they scrambled for position and Rutherford took side control and worked GNP.

Rutherford then stood and from standing he used a spinning back fist punch while falling to the ground and he purposely  used the spin as a guard pass to land in side control to end the round.

Round two opened with Rutherford using a spinning back fist to close the  distance to clinch then get a takedown. On the ground Soiland tried  for an armbar that Rutherford slammed his way out of.

Both fighters worked  to standing and Rutherford got another takedown and tried for an ankle lock  before transitioning into full mount and working GNP to end the round.

Round three saw Rutherford getting a bodylock takedown into mount then using his  GNP to set up a fight winning choke for the submission win at :51 of round  three.

Eric Moya vs Abe Alvarado.

Alvarado got a quick takedown but on the mat it was Moya that linked his submission attempts together.

When not defending Alvarado worked his  GNP game to end the round.

Round two had Alvarado get the takedown and Moya was again active with submission attempts while Alvarado worked to improve  his position.

Moya scrambled to standing and landed knees in the clinch that Moya answered with a bodylock slam to end the round.

Round three had  a good striking exchange before Alvarado got a takedown.  Off of his back  Moya set in a triangle choke and used the position to land elbows from off of  his back until the bout ended.  The judge’s had to score the bout to  determine the winner and by split decision the winner was Abe Alvarado.

Tony Miller vs Carlos Huerta for the King of Champions 125 lb. amateur title.

Huerta got a takedown into  side control to set up an attempted Darce choke.  Miller escaped and  scrambled to standing but Huerta got another takedown and took side control to  work GNP until the fighters again worked to standing where they exchanged  strikes until the round ended.

Round two saw Huerta get another takedown,  Miller escaped to standing, Huerta got another takedown, Miller went back to  standing and the fighters exchanged knee strikes before Miller got a  takedown.

In a scramble for position Miller set in an inverted triangle  choke that he held until the round ended.

Round three was all standing  with each fighter spending time pressing forward with Huerta able to stagger  Miller several times.  The bell ended the fight and the unanimous judge’s decision was in favor of Carlos Huerta.

Mike Suksi vs Joey Banks.

Round one was all standing striking with each fighter landing well and Banks  using good footwork to change the distance.

Round two was also all  standing with Banks landing more, and stronger strikes while Suksi used a low  kick to sweep Banks mid-round.

Round three saw Banks drop Suksi with a  punch combination then Banks let him stand and the fighters exchanged punches  until the bell ended the fight.  The judge’s scored the fight as a  unanimous decision win in favor of Joey Banks.

Isais Gomez vs Dan Craft.

Craft got a takedown into back control and each fighter then swept the other before scrambling to standing.  Craft got a bodylock takedown to again take  back control to try for an RNC.  Gomez escaped the choke and reversed  positions to take back control.  Craft got a sweep and worked GNP to end  the round.

Round two had Craft using his strikes to set up a double leg  takedown.  Gomez worked back to his feet but Craft pulled off a strong  belly-to-back suplex, then he take back control, then mount to work  GNP.  Gomez escaped the position and got back to his feet to end the  round.

Round three started with Craft getting a double leg takedown into  side control.  Craft worked into a bulldog choke but Gomez escaped to improve his position.

Craft got a reversal, took mount, worked GNP and finally took back control to end the round.  The judge’s scorecards determined the winner and it was Dan Craft by unanimous decision.

The KOC Ring Card Girls…

“Of the night” moments:

Chin of the night of the  night goes to both Nick Macias and Josiah Callis for the shots they both withstood despite each having their head snapped back as well as spun side  to side multiple times.

KO/TKO of the night goes to Nick  Buschman for his quick flurry of strikes that got him the TKO win at :43 of round one.

Slam of the night goes to Dan Craft for his belly-to-back suplex.

Heart of the night is shared by Nick Macias and Josiah Callis.  In their bout each fighter pushed through  exhaustion, pain and injury.  From cageside you could see each fighter make  a conscious decision that no matter what they were in the fight to the end  despite the most determined effort of their opponent.

Unique technique of the night goes to Mike Rutherford for using a spinning back fist going from standing to the floor in order to get a guard pass and end in side  control.

Fight of the night, and in fact an  early frontrunner for fight of the year goes to Nick Macias and Josiah  Callis.   Their back and forth battle saw each attain dominant position, land strikes that visibly hurt the other and display cardio that seemed  unending.

The crowd gave them a deserved standing ovation and those in attendance will be telling their friends to get a DVD of the event just to see  this battle.

Thanks to the sponsors that made  the event possible.

Best in Health and  Training,
J.R.  Gordon.

Fight Fotos By Joe Cordova/Brawlin.net