FIGHT! announces next lineup

The Save Mart Center at Fresno State will host the next FIGHT! event on Sunday July 5th. After crowning a middleweight champion at 'Goldrush', all eyes are on the Heavyweights in a co-main event of epic proportions.

Former FURYPRO Heavyweight Champion, the imposing striker Ivan Vyacheslav will make his FIGHT! debut alongside Rodrigo Alvarez, the newest FIGHT! coup. Alvarez boasts an impressive 18-5 record and his dirty boxing may be the key which unlocks Vyacheslav.

Stephen Greer, fresh off of his slumbersome victory over Jamtsangiin Daisetin will face a sterner test by way of Japanese judo-wizard Keijiro Maeda. Although no gold is on the line, expect the winners of these two bouts to clash further down the line.

Jake Morgan also announced that he would be bringing FIGHT! fans a glimpse of the growing female MMA scene in partnership with SPIRIT-FC. Myra Benedict will face Christi Wasilewski in what should be a great fight.

Both women were at the announcement and gave their thoughts, as well as a tense staredown.

Benedict said:

"I lost my last two fights by decision. That doesn't sit well with me. ANY loss doesn't sit well with me. I must bounce back, and this is the perfect time to do it."

Wasilewski said:

"I've been given a very tough opponent for my first fight. But the tougher, the better. I have size, strength, and striking advantages over her. But make no mistake about it, I fully expect this fight between us to be nothing short of a war."

The card also features an explosive clash of aggressive kickboxers as Dutchman Aaldert Daaf takes on the unpredictable Ikaika Boswick. Del Canada will look to put his debut behind him as he tackles Aramis Vasquez and much more besides.

The full lineup is as follows:

Heavyweight Bout
Rodrigo Alvarez [BRA] vs Ivan 'The Terrible' Vyacheslav [RUS]

Heavyweight Bout
Stephen Greer [USA] vs Keijiro Maeda [JPN]

SPIRIT FC SHOWCASE MATCHUP
'Poison Bliss' Myra B [USA] vs 'Lights Out' Christi Wasilewski

Light Heavyweight Bout
Aaldert Daaf [HOL] vs Ikaika Boswick [USA/HAWAII]

Welterweight Bout
Kyle McIntosh [USA] vs William 'The Wookie' Wilson [USA]

Middleweight Bout
Jeremy Brown [USA] vs Richie Eamon [USA]

Lightweight Bout
Del Canada [USA] vs Aramis Vasquez [USA]

FIGHT! Goldrush Results & Recap

A capacity crowd of 10,000 packed the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield tonight as FIGHT! rolled in to town looking to crown its first ever champion. Knockout artist Dane Kinsley was set to face Japanese wrestler Chizuko Kowashi for the Middleweight gold in a highly anticipated match. The debut of Stephen Greer had also helped the buzz for the show with equal amounts of fans hoping to see him succeed or fail.

Nosebleed tickets were available on the door, but all ringside seats had sold out more than a fortnight ago. Jake Morgan, FIGHT! Chairman was said to be delighted with the turnout and the media coverage leading up to the event.

The first bout of the evening would pit lightweights Rahm Petersen against Del Canada in what should have proved to be a submissions master class. Canada would be making his return to action after nearly a year of inactivity looking to prove that he is still one of the top lightweights in the world. Petersen was coming off of a surprise decision victory over the exciting striker Aramis Vasquez in his debut fight.

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DEL CANADA
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“I haven’t been in circulation in almost a year, and the last time I was in the cage… I got knocked out. But, in my time of solitude- I’ve grown as a man, and also as a fighter.”

“I’ve heard my opponent talking some good jive, apparently to him I’m not “known”. But yet, in 2006 AND 2007 I was considered one of the best Jui Jitsu practitioners in the world. I’ve won an Abu Dhabi, I’ve won submission fighting competitions… they’re nothing compared to MMA. Rahm may think he’s tough s**t because he has been in a few jui jitsu tournaments, but he needs to step into reality.”

“I’m coming for his throat. Plain and simple. You all will see a new Del Canada tonight.”
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RAHM PETERSEN
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“Is there any doubt what’s about to happen? You have two guys who are into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of them comes from the upper echelon of the tournament circuit, and one who’s BJJ hasn’t proved exceptionally effective in MMA. I hope Del Canada took the time to learn a few things about me before this fight, otherwise this will be excessively simple.”

“Maybe I didn’t finish my FIGHT! debut, but today will be a different story. Unless Del Canada is totally uninterested in engaging me in a ground fight, I am taking his arm back to Milwaukee with me.”
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Canada looked the most eager to get the fight started as the bell sounded and launched himself into a nice high kick which could have proved decisive had Petersen not rolled with it. The less experienced Petersen definitely seemed hesitant to engage but the fight exploded into life after Del Canada mistimed a hook and found himself scooped up and then driven down to the mat. This is where the game of cat and mouse began with Rahm Petersen proving to be the more effective grappler. Petersen played it safe and found himself neutralised in the guard of Canada and that is how things remained until Canada found his way up to his feet with barely twenty seconds remaining. Despite stuffing a further takedown attempt, Canada soon found himself spiked back to the mat to bring the round to a close.

Not the most exciting fight so far, even for BJJ fans. Canada looked to get the second round off with more of a bang but his attempts to clinch only found himself dumped down onto his back and straight into full mount. Despite an armbar attempt, Canada remained calm and worked his way back to guard. Petersen worked gamely for position without inflicting damage for much of the round as the crowd grew restless. It took an enforced standup to get things flowing again as Canada swung out a high kick but ‘Hustle’ was ghost-like. In the same pattern as round one, Petersen finished on top after closing the distance and bringing Canada down with an impressive suplex.

Round 3 began with an exchange of strikes but soon fell into the familiar pattern as Petersen landed a trip and fell down into half guard. The story of the fight was Canada being unable to prevent the takedown and Petersen’s reluctance to exploit his advantage. A minute passed before Canada landed a hard blow to the body from his back which opened things up for a triangle. Just as it seemed that Petersen was perilously close to tapping, he managed to hoist Canada up and slam him back down to break the grip. The final minutes passed, slowly, with Canada on his back switching between full and rubber guard as Petersen seemed content to control the action. Suffice to say, as the final bell sounded neither fighter had endeared themselves to the crowd.

The judges have it:

30-27 Petersen
29-28 Petersen

And...


29-28 Petersen!

Rahm Petersen wins by unanimous decision after a relatively comfortable fifteen minutes of action. Canada, although he proved that his Jiu-Jitsu was up to standard, found he had no answer for the takedowns of Petersen in a fight that was fought 80% of the time on the mat.

Hopefully, the second fight of the evening would prove to be more entertaining as highly regarded middleweight Jason Mercer took on the erratic wrestler, William ‘The Wookie’ Wilson.

Mercer was the strong favourite heading into the fight, but the caveman-esque Wilson, with his long, frizzy black hair and bushy eyebrows was looking super-hyped as the pair eyed eachother from opposite sides of the Octagon. This would be the biggest fight of Wilson’s career, and a chance for Mercer to bounce back from a disappointing decision loss to Jeremy Brown last time around. Wilson would be sure to keep a frenetic pace, as long as his conditioning would allow for it.

True to form, Wilson started the first round explosively by hoisting Mercer off of his feet and landing in full mount. Swinging wildly, Wilson began to land some hard punches which had the fans up off of their feet with barely a minute gone. Somehow ‘No Mercy’ survived and worked his way back to open guard. Wilson got over-eager in sensing the biggest ‘W’ of his career and soon found himself on his back after a sharp sweep from Mercer who began to target the midsection of his ‘soft’ looking opponent. Halfway through the round, the fighters were stood up but it didn’t take long for Wilson to drag Mercer to the ground again with a brutal slam, but the momentum saw Mercer flow through and end up on top where he continued to target the body. ‘The Wookie’ defended gamely before taking some stiff hammer blows to the face as the round came to a close. A tough one to call, perhaps the control Mercer exerted for the second half of the round might swing it his way, but the real damage was done very early on.

Round two began with a couple of stuffed Mercer takedowns before a flamboyant ‘Wookie’ Judo Toss fails to connect and Mercer takes things downwards from the resulting clinch. Mercer couldn’t deliver any telling blows though as ‘The Wookie’ covered up effectively, even landing some hard looking shots off of his back. Again the pair were stood up, but again things hit the ground quickly as William Wilson took control and quickly passed to side control. A big leaping right hand from Wilson rocked Mercer, causing his eye to swell instantly. Wilson found his second wind and began to flail with big lefts and rights which leave him open to a Triangle attempt from Mercer, but it didn’t stick and Wilson served out the final minute of the round in control.

Coming in to the third, you could argue that it’s one round a piece with both fighters needing to close things out positively. Wilson’s wild style had earned him the support of the crowd but he was breathing heavily. He sucks it up though and starts the round as he has the previous two, on the offensive. Mercer is bullied from one side of the Octagon to the other with a relentless series of punches which cause a cut underneath his left eye. Mercer instinctively looks for a double leg, but Wilson stuffs it and sends Mercer for a ride. Mercer is on dream street and ‘The Wookie’ passes into full mount with ease before delivering a flurry of punches. Mercer covers up, but Wilson switches levels and lands a hard body shot. Mercer was hanging on but it was looking increasingly likely that he was going to slip to 0-2 as Wilson landed a hard shot to the head. By now, Wilson had the fans chanting his name.

Wilson nearly had the fight finished with a barrage of punches, by now, Mercer had taken more strikes than a bowling alley. Hard elbows began to rain down before another hard body shot rattled Mercer. By the third minute of the round, Mercer had nothing left. The cumulative damage had been too much and as ‘The Wookie’ continued his assault the referee had no choice but to stop the fight.

- William Wilson wins by TKO! [3:56 RD 3]

A dejected Mercer quickly left the Octagon as ‘The Wookie’ played to the crowd before our first Middleweight bout of the evening got underway. Jeremy ‘The Sensation’ Brown was looking to bounce back from his defeat to Dane Kinsley and put on a Muay Thai clinic against Canadian grappler Damian Cruise who seems determined to fight at 185lbs, despite coming to the Octagon at closer to 170lbs.

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JEREMY BROWN
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"So my first fight here didn't go so hot. This is a much better match-up, if you ask me. Sure, Damian's tough, good on the ground, whatever. I personally don't think he's any match for my standup.

"On the ground, I'll just do whatever I can to get out, get up, and pound him some more!"
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The prospect of falling to 0-2 would have been driving both men as the bell sounded to start the fight. Despite losing his FIGHT! debut, Jeremy Brown was the fan favourite here. His devastating Muay Thai makes for exciting fights and he immediately worked the clinch landing three telling knees to the body. Cruise looked to take down his opponent, but Brown showed good balance in remaining standing and followed up by blocking a Judo throw. If Cruise can’t take Brown down, this fight may be over very quickly. At the two minute mark, Cruise gets his reward for persistence with a beautiful Uchi-mata throw. Cruise looked to take advantage with a loose armbar attempt but only served in getting his face pelted. After a couple of hammer blows, ‘The Sensation’ is able to push Cruise away and get back to his feet. Cruise came in for another takedown, buoyed by his earlier success but Brown delivered some BRUTAL knees to the head. Noone can quite believe that Cruise is still awake after those, a further punishing knee to the body had Cruise in trouble but time was against Brown who couldn’t finish things quickly enough.

Brown looked confident as he came out for the second round. He had been making Cruise pay for every takedown attempt and more of the same was due to follow as he caught Cruise with a knee to the head early on. Cruise was struggling to impose his will and couldn’t find the takedown. Brown caught him in a clinch and began to unload frightening uppercuts leaving Cruise’s nose bleeding. Cruise needed to change his gameplan, but he continued to come forward looking for the takedown absorbing huge knees to the head and body. An absolute Muay Thai clinic from Brown.

Cruise went down just after three minutes of punishment from a knee to the head. Brown stayed on his feet and landed a vicious soccer kick to the head. Cruise’s eye was looking in a bad way by now. Brown stayed on his feet and peppered the legs of Cruise, further disabling his ability to score a takedown before scoring with another soccer kick. Cruise looked deflated and a hard stomp won’t help. By now, both eyes of Cruise had been messed up and he struggled to defend himself as Brown began to stomp at the body. The referee allowed Cruise back to his feet, but in truth that was probably the last place he’d want to be as Brown worked the clinch and delivered yet more knees to the head and body. As they broke, a swatting liver kick echoed around the arena. Somehow, Cruise had made it to the third round, but that had to be close to a 10-8 round such was the domination and punishment shown by Jeremy Brown.

Cruise came out gamely for the third and was met by a high kick from brown. Clearly Jeremy Brown is out to make a point, he wants this fight and he wants to send a message to Dane Kinsley. For the first time in MMA history, someone was bleeding from the chin, and it wasn’t Jeremy Brown as he landed a devastating knee to Damian Cruise. Somehow, Cruise remained on his feet and looked for a desperate Judo toss but once again, Brown stays on his feet and makes his battered opponent pay with knees from the clinch. That sequence opened a nasty cut across the left eye of Cruise and blood began pouring down his face and chest. Brown tagged him with a kick to the ribs before sucking him in and landing another knee to the chin. Cruise staggered back, his face a bloodied mask of red. Before any further damage can be inflicted, the referee calls an end to the match citing the gaping wound as the reason. Damian Cruise simply couldn’t see anything out of his swollen, bloodied left eye

- Jeremy Brown wins due to injury!

The pair exchanged a handshake and raised one another’s arms in recognition of their efforts. The fight was won in the clinch where Brown landed 62% of his strikes. Cruise was made to regret every takedown attempt he mustered and, in the end, the stoppage through injury may have been a blessing in disguise for the Canadian.

Next up was a much anticipated Welterweight bout between newcomer Julius Rembrandt and Kyle McIntosh. These two had done a good job hyping the fight, Rembrandt in particular is no stranger to getting under the skin of his opponents. McIntosh is coming off of a strong decision victory over Jason Mercer but was looking to finish this match in a more decisive manner. Both fighters like to stand and trade, so this fight promised much in the way of excitement.

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KYLE McINTOSH
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“Once again, Jake Morgan and the boys at FIGHT! are feeding me to the wolves. Last month I had to go a whole three rounds with a rigged and ready Jason Mercer, and I lived to tell the story. Without even a week to bask in the splendor of the win, I’m informed of my next big match. They tell me I’m fighting a "notorious" welterweight from Chicago named Julius Rembrandt. The first thing I did was laugh and ask if that is his real name?”

“No, in all seriousness… I actually heard of the guy, and knew a fight with him was serious shit. I immediately went straight back to Milwaukee to prepare for the match. Luckily, I wasn’t really that hurt from the Mercer match. I feel great now and I’m excited to fight. I really want to finish somebody this time, but Julius Rembrandt takes pride in never being finished or submitted, and is quite adept at making excuses for his previous losses. I aim to change this immediately. Julius Rembrandt will be screaming like a little girl by the time I am finished with him that‘s for sure. What excuse he makes for it.. I am not so sure.”
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The first round began with a touch of the gloves, but it wasn’t long before Rembrandt was swinging his in anger. McIntosh landed some nice counter punches before Rembrandt started to keep him at bay with a solid jab. Rembrandt has deadly power in his hands, and he likes nothing more than to put it to use. The first couple of minutes passed quickly with neither fighter connecting. They continued to feel one another out before Rembrandt connected with a hook. McIntosh was looking to initiate a clinch and connected with some knees to the body. The fight came alive three minutes in as Rembrandt came forward with a middle kick which caused McIntosh to put his arm in the way. An unorthodox punch to the body from Rembrandt set up a huge right hand which sent McIntosh down to the ground. After a few kicks, Rembrandt went to the ground to try and finish the fight and with a minute remaining he began to unload with strikes. McIntosh tried to cover up but he couldn’t stop the barrage. Punches, elbows and more bloodied up the face of McIntosh who just about made it to the end of the round.

With a minutes rest, McIntosh looked fresher, but his striking simply wasn’t matching up to that of Julius Rembrandt who was working the jab effectively. McIntosh managed to land a few knees to the thighs from the clinch but soon found himself hitting the mat for a second time as Rembrandt connected with a solid combination. McIntosh recovered quickly, and surprisingly Rembrandt wasn’t able to finish the fight as he dropped into the guard and the pair were soon stood up with half the round remaining. McIntosh needs to find a way to work his BJJ as Rembrandt looked a cut above on the feet.

Rembrandt landed a huge straight right at the three minute mark opening up McIntosh for a hard body kick which hurt him. Rembrandt connects with a kick to the thigh and McIntosh goes down for a third time – it was the body shot which did the damage though – Rembrandt looked to finish with a hard body stomp and some kicks to the leg but he couldn’t find an opening to land the killer blow and McIntosh was quickly back to his feet. McIntosh was looking to just see out the round when Rembrandt connected with a big right hand. ‘Stretch’ hit the ground hard, his arms were stiff by his side. He was out, fight over!

- Julius Rembrandt wins by KO! [4:43 RD2]

Rembrandt lived up to his billing as a dangerous striker, landing 80% of his punches. Kyle McIntosh, despite showing tremendous heart simply couldn’t cope with the explosive, unorthodox strikes of his opponent in what he will see as a disappointing setback after an impressive first outing in FIGHT!

A highly anticipated Heavyweight bout was up next as USA met Mongolia. Stephen Greer, who is familiar to a huge audience through his exposure in professional wrestling would make his FIGHT! debut against Jamtsanglin Daisetin, a powerful wrestler from Mongolia. Greer went 3-2 in FURYPRO several years ago so shouldn’t be overlooked.

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STEPHEN GREER
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"I can't wait to get in there and send this guy home in a bodybag. It's been a long time since I stepped into that cage and believe me, I'm here to prove a point. This is the first step toward claiming my spot at the top of the Heavyweight heap and the eventual rematch with Vyacheslav. If Daisetin thinks he's going to come in and gorilla f[expletive]k me into the ground with boring bearhug bulls[expletive]t, he's got a long night ahead of him."

"It's going to end quick and it's going to end viciously. I'm going to take his head off and toss it into the crowd. Prepare to get knocked out!"
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JAMTSANGIIN DAISETIN
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[Jamtsangiin Daisetin appears before a fight logo wearing traditional Mongolian garb. As he speaks, a translator voices over what he has to say.]

“I am very pleased to be here competing in FIGHT! It is the culmination of a lifetime of sporting competition. I have spent my life mastering the three manly skills of Mongolian culture.. archery, horsemanship, and most of all wrestling. In Mongolian wrestling, I have already won eight championships and in time the competition had grown stale. I desired a more aggressive form of combat.”

“Mixed Martial Arts was my destiny, and my path led me here to FIGHT! My first rival is Stephen Greer, a showman who decides to compete with real fighters. I myself intend to put on a show for the fans, but there will be no scripts here. All violence will be at it’s most malicious, and suffering will be met with indifference. I am coming to FIGHT! with the objective of being a pioneer in crossing over traditional Mongolian wrestling to Mixed Martial Arts. Like the man the western world referred to as Genghis Kahn, I strive to conquer. It starts with Stephen Greer.”
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Greer was calm and ready to go while Daisetin appeared to be a bit nervous. They circled each other feeling one another out until Daisetin shoots in, but Greer stuffs it. Daisetin comes up swinging, backing Greer off but continues to stalk and gets Greer in a clinch where he does get him down to the ground. Daisetin quickly worked with blows to the body while he transitioned around Greer's defenses to side control and then to full mount. Greer however quickly adapted and got Daisetin into full guard, the lack of action not endearing either to the fans. Greer continued to work as he looked for holes in Daisetin's defense to latch on for a submission. Daisetin kept working until he got back into full mount again, but Greer's defense didn't allow him to get much out of it as he eventually ended up back in Greer's guard. Greer finally found an opening for an armbar that Daisetin shook off, but Greer managed to reverse his way into Daisetin's open guard. Daisetin was quick with a Triangle attempt, which Greer escaped. Eventually the ref just stood them up. Daisetin exploded with a good combo, but Greer smiled showing that those didn't phase him as he landed some crisp counter shots as Greer backed Daisetin into the cage. Daisetin tried to toss Greer, but couldn't get him over as time expired in the round.

Round two started much faster with Greer coming out with jabs as Daisetin tried to get it back to the ground with from the clinch again, but Greer's balance wins out. Daisetin responds with a hook that Greer responds to with a big time flurry of lefts and rights, ROCKING Daisetin! Greer presses on with a relentless series of blows, amazingly Daisetin keeps his cool and surges back into the fight as the two begin trading wild shots! Greer however wins the exchange, landing a big bomb that lead to another flurry of punches from both with Greer getting the best of it. Daisetin closed the distance and looked to get the fight back to the ground, but Greer just wouldn't budge with several beautiful stuff jobs until the round was over.

Third round starts with a touch of the gloves and Daisetin again tries to take it to the ground and again Greer continues to stuff every shot and judo throw. Greer pawed at Daisetin until clinching and throwing some hard elbows. Daisetin tried again for a judo toss and Greer tagged him with a hard shot that staggered him and followed up with a huge left hand. Daisetin finally gets the takedown with a big lift and slam, but Greer quickly works Daisetin from mount into half guard. Daisetin works for position, but Greer's defenses won't let him get far and Daisetin starts to land several incredible shots! Greer managed to weather the storm with the ref threatening to call the fight. Daisetin moved into full mount, but didn't get much through Greer's defenses and eventually Greer reversed position and started raining down punches from Daisetin's open guard with a minute left in the fight. Daisetin continued to work until he reversed back to top position where he opened up with some aggressive ground and pound, but Greer defended well until the fight was over.

The judges have it:

29-28 Daisetin
29-28 Greer

And...

Winner by split decision...

29-28 Greer!

- Stephen Greer wins via split decision

Stephen Greer wins his FIGHT! debut in a controversial decision. Greer clearly took round two, but his powerful Mongolian opponent will feel that he may well have taken rounds one and three on another night.

The main event of the evening was what the fans had come to see as Dane Kinsley and Chizuko Kowashi collided for the vacant Middleweight Title. After a striking clinic against Jeremy Brown, Kinsley was the firm favourite – but Kowashi possesses the exact skillset which could cause problems. The compact wrestler could take the fight to the ground and keep it there.

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DANE KINSLEY
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"This fight is huge for me. The fact that I've gotten to this point is amazing considering where I was just a few years ago. I'm not just some club fighter anymore, I'm a legitimate and respected fighter now and that means a whole lot more to me than anything else. I'm going to go in there do whatever I have to to cash this lucky lotto ticket in. It's the light at the end of a three year tunnel and I'll be damned if I'm gonna get stopped now."

"Kowashi's got a good ground game, big time ground and pound, but can he put me to the mat to do it? Can he even get in close enough to try? I don't think so. Not without eating a few shots first, and when that happens he runs the risk of taking a nap real quick. He has to shoot in to get me to the ground and when he does I'm either going to block it or dent in his face with a knee."

"So the question is... can he stand and bang? Is he even willing to do that? I know he can drag a man down and pummel him into submission, but what is he capable of when that fails? And that right there is what gets me excited for this fight, it's the unknown. It's why I'm here today, to fight the best and more diverse talent from around the world. If I wanted to keep on rackin' up easy wins I wouldn't be here, I'd still be on those scrub shows fightin' for free."

"As for a prediction... I'll still be standing after punching Kowashi's snooze button."
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CHIZUKO KOWASHI
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" I''ve proven my worth, and now it’s my time to "cash in". Last time I stepped into the cage, I had people asking “whose that guy?”… and after I beat Dane for the championship, everyone will know exactly who I am.”

"Like I said before, I will never discredit my opponent. But, I will tell you this… Dane is a striker. I’m a wrestler, a boxer, and a muay thai guy. I’m the hybrid and Dane is the one-dimensional fighter. Not taking anything away from Kinsley, but I fell that I have the upper hand.”

"Dane sprawl is diffidently a suspect. We have yet to see how he reacts once being taken down by a wrestler of my caliber… So, I guess we’ll see how well he does once we meet in the cage."
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A tense staredown set the tone for the matchup. With the title on the line, would Kinsley change to a more cautious approach? Jeremy Brown had shown that Kinsley could be hurt, but had paid the price three times before finally being sent to sleep. One thing was certain, this fight would be one for the ages. Hopefully.

Almost immediately, one question was answered as Chizuko Kowashi dumped Kinsley on his back from the clinch. Kowashi twisted the arm of Kinsley like a pretzel using it to move into side control where he began unloading a barrage of punches. ‘Cutthroat’ Kowashi came within seconds of winning the title as he pounded Kinsley’s head like he was a training dummy. Somehow, Kinsley found a way back to guard working purely on instinct but Kowashi was still peppering him with relentless strikes. In one fluid move, Kowashi passed through the loose guard of his opponent and into full mount where he delivered several unanswered and brutal elbows. This wasn’t how anyone had expected things to go down. Barely a minute into the fight and Kinsley looks like he has been in a car wreck. The referee was ready to stop it as more unanswered blows rained down but Kowashi couldn’t find the killer blow. Perhaps he had punched himself out, but Kinsley fought back into guard and slowly looked to regain his composure. There’s no doubt that some referee’s would have called an end to the action, Kinsley can consider himself lucky to get a second chance.

Kowashi seemed content to cement his position of control for the next couple of minutes as he sucked the air back into his lungs but at the 2:30 mark the fighters were ordered back to their feet. Expecting Kinsley to deliver a pinpoint KO blow, the fans were vocally electric, but instead Kowashi dove in for another successful takedown. Already busted open across the eyebrow, Kinsley again felt the full force of his opponents elbows, opening up a laceration on his cheek. Kowashi was totally dominant and again had Kinsley moments away from defeat. Another stiff elbow caused a cut across the bridge of Kinsley’s nose.

With a minute of the round remaining the pair were stood back to their feet. Kowashi took a deep breath as Kinsley wiped the blood from his eyes. The pair came together again, but this time Kinsley landed his only telling strike of the match so far with a wincing low kick to the knee. As ‘Cutthroat’ dropped his guard he was tagged with a vicious combination. The crowd erupted as Kinsley seized the opportunity with a second low kick and then a blistering high kick which rocked Kowashi. With glazed eyes, Kowashi was there for the taking. Like a shark smelling blood, Kinsley came forward with another headkick which sent Kowashi down, unconscious.

- Incredibly, Dane Kinsley wins by KO [4:55 RD 1]

An incredible end to a fight which seemed destined for an upset. Kowashi dominated on the ground leaving Kinsley a bloody, bloody mess, but when you command as much power and precision as Kinsley, things can be turned on their head in a split second.

The referee rendered the decision, holding aloft the arm of Kinsley as Jake Morgan strapped the gleaming Middleweight Title around his waist. Truly, one of the greatest rounds of action ever witnessed. Dane Kinsley is the new FIGHT! Middleweight Champion.

Despite starting off slowly, there is no doubt that the fans in attendance left happy and Jake Morgan and the FIGHT! crew can expect a wealth of glowing reports from an excellent show.

FIGHT! announces May 23rd event

FIGHT! today announced it's second show will be held on 23rd May 2009 at an as yet undecided location. The big story coming out of the press conference is the crowning of the first FIGHT! champion of the Middleweight division with striker Dane Kinsley taking on Japanese wrestler Chizuko Kowashi in what should be an exciting main event.

Other matches announced include the return to MMA of Stephen Greer who will take on FIGHT! debutante, the Mongolian wrestler Jamtsangiin Daiseten.

Welterweight Julius Rembrandt is also thrust nto action having recently been confirmed as a signing. Rembraandt [13-3-0], from Illinois, is more than capable on his feet or the ground but he steps into the Octagon with Kyle McIntosh who shares the very same traits.

Del Canada [USA] makes his debut in the Lightweight division and will be looking to test his impressive ground skills against Rahm Petersen, who outpointed Aramis Vasquez at the debut FIGHT! event.

The full lineup is as follows:


Middleweight Title Bout
Dane Kinsley [USA] vs Chizuko Kowashi

Heavyweight Bout
Stephen Greer [USA] vs Jamtsangiin Daisetin [MON]

Welterweight Bout
Julius Rembrandt [USA] vs Kyle McIntosh [USA]

Middleweight Bout
Jeremy Brown [USA] vs Damian Cruise [CAN]

Welterweight Bout
Jason Mercer [USA] vs William 'The Wookie' Wilson [USA]

Lightweight Bout
Rahm Petersen [USA] vs Del Canada [USA]

FIGHT! For Their Lives I - Results & Recap

FIGHT! Held its first show at the HP Pavilion at San Jose tonight. The show was preceded by a meet and greet with fans featuring Jason Mercer, Dane Kinsley and Lightweight Dez Canada who wouldn’t be in action tonight.

Attendance was estimated at 11,000 with most tickets being sold in the days leading up to the event itself. The top layer of seats were blacked out.

The first match of the evening was an exciting back and forth encounter that pitted striker against grappler as Aramis Vasquez took on Rahm Petersen who was also making his competitive debut. Petersen would no doubt be looking to get the fight to the ground where he could work his incredible Jiu Jitsu.

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RAHM PETERSEN
---------------------------------
“There’s no doubt that this fight favors me. Even though this is my MMA debut, we’re basically equal in the experience factor. I’ve been in countless Jiu-jitsu tournaments, and he’s only been in three fights. With that comes the fact that he hasn’t seen me fight, he doesn’t really know how I will translate to MMA. The only people who know what my game is like are the guys that I train with at Milwaukee Top Team.”

“I’m ready. I have something to prove. It’s going to be hard for Vasquez to be elusive when I’m smothering him, and looking for limbs to take home with me. Honestly…I’m not leaving that Octagon unless I have one of his arms with me to put on top of my mantle place.”
---------------------------------

Vasquez looked fired up, while Petersen looked anxious but as the bell rang, Petersen went all guns blazing and immediately dumped Vasquez down hard before quickly moving to side control and then effortlessly to ful mount, all within the first minute. An armbar attempt from Petersen didn’t pan out and Vasquez was able to get back to guard, though he was looking totally bewildered at the frantic pace and sublime skills Petersen was demonstrating. Unfortunately, Petersen spent most of the remainder of the round stuck in Vasquez’s guard, and taking some hard body shots. With a few seconds left, Petersen passed into mount again but time ran out.

Round two began with Vasquez getting the better of a striking exchange with a stiff low kick. After spending most of round one on his back, Vasquez was looking to take the spring out of Petersens step. Vasquez kept his distance and began to loosen up before _rocking_ Petersen with a right hand. Vasquez dived down onto the stunned Petersen but inexplicably found himself on his own back with Petersen looming over him. Again though, despite working for position, Petersen showed a reluctance to strike. It’s a round that could go either way with Vasquez doing the damage but Petersen showing control.

A touch of gloves sees round three begin and immediately Petersen looks to shoot, but he eats a hard low kick. The duo clinch and Petersen tries for a Kimura but Vasquez easily breaks free. Petersen looks in good shape and starts to bully Vasquez around the Octagon before taking it to the ground easily. Petersen again controlled the action without really threatening and the crowd were growing restless until Vasquez managed to kick Petersen away and get back to his feet looking for a grand stand finish. Vasquez went hard at it for the final thirty seconds, but could only land a leg kick and a few shots inside the clinch.

The judges have it...

29-28 Petersen
29-28 Vasquez

And

29-28 Petersen

Rahm Petersen wins by split decision. Vasquez isn’t happy about it, but he didn’t do enough to convince the judges.

It was here that we cut backstage to where Jason Mercer is working on sparring with one of his partners for a moment as Nicole Markson, an interviewer for FightFan.net, awaits her chance to talk to the former Fury-Pro superstar.

---------------------------------
JASON MERCER
---------------------------------
Nicole Markson: Jason, if we could get a word with you before this fight?

Jason Mercer: (stops sparring) Sure Nicole. Take five Reggie. Don't go too far though.

NM: First off, welcome to Fight!! and welcome back to the States. I noticed that you dropped down from Middleweight to Welterweight in coming here. What was the motivation behind it and was the cut difficult for you?

JM: You know, it wasn't that difficult for me to cut down to 170. At times in Fury-Pro I fought well under 185, and I took the chance to see if I could make the cut in a couple fights since and I found that it wasn't as hard as I thought. Granted that last week before weigh-ins I'd feel like hell but once I got on the scales I found that it was all worth it.

NM: And what of your opponent tonight, Kyle McIntosh, who's making his debut against you?

JM: Kyle, all I gotta say is I'm sorry I gotta spoil your coming out party and put a 1 in the L column for you. It's unfortunate bro, but you gotta go through me.

NM: Rumor has it that there might be some representatives of your old team, Tenchu-Do in the audience tonight, including your old nemesis Garrett Bishop. Any comment on that?

JM: Nah, none whatsoever. I'm not here to revisit the past, I'm going forward into the future, and I'm ready to do that here in FIGHT!!!

NM: Thanks Jason, back to you guys at cageside...
---------------------------------

The second fight of the evening promised be a wrestling clinic. Former FURYPRO competitor Damian Cruise took on the Japanese competitor, Chizuko Kowashi. Both men weighed in well below the 185lb maximum and at 5’6, Kowashi could easily make the cut down to Welterweight.

---------------------------------
CHIZUKO KOWASHI
---------------------------------
Chizkuo Kowashi sits in front of the FIGHT! Backdrop. He sports an orange & white Paramount Fight Club t-shirt, with a pair of sun glasses hanging from the collar. Kowashi is translated by an American with a thick Japanese accent.

CK: I consider myself one of the top middleweights in the world. I’ve proven what I was capable of in Japan, and I plan on doing it in the States’. I have came a long way since I was first under the tutelage of Master Shin’ya Funabashi, and under his wing I have honed my skills to become one of the best. Though the Americans may not know, nor care, they will soon fell my presence in their Nation.

Kowashi was then asked about the amount of talent in his weight class, and how he stacked against them.

CK: I give them all credit, I’m not the type to degrade another man with pointless slander. I’m sure they’ve all put in time at their respective gyms, have the mental and physical drive, and I’m sure they all are tough… but, I’m a different breed. A lot of those guys are one dimensional. While they may excel in one attribute, they may lack in another. I’m not like that. I can take you down and pound you out, I can get myself out of any submission, and I can strike with some of the best boxers around. I’m the best of all worlds.

When asked about his future in American MMA, Kowashi had this to say…

CK: I’ve came to America, the Mecca of mixed martial-arts, to prove that I belong. Ever since I was little, I’ve been written off as the nobody- the underdog. I’m here to prove that I can rise above and take control. I‘m here to make waves and make myself a name. I’m out for blood.

And, the camera fades.
---------------------------------

Both men looked motivated and as the bell rang, Damian Cruise came out with a good one-two combination which seemed to catch Kowashi by surprise and spurred him on to find a convincing takedown. From side control, Kowashi delivered some hard strikes which bruised up Cruise’s left eye. Kowashi clearly smelled blood and made his way into full mount where he continued to unload but Cruise rallied and hung on for dear life. Lesser men might have curled up and died, but Cruise fought his way back to half guard. True to form, the wrestler was finding it difficult from his back and absorbing punishment.

Halfway through the round, Kowashi nearly had Cruise finished as he unloaded a barrage of strikes. The powerful Japanese fighter was in total control, but Cruise was hanging on. Kowashi moved into full mount and continued his assault opening up a cut on Cruise’s cheek and chin. The referee was inches away from stopping it, but Cruise did enough to convince him otherwise.

Kowashi though wouldn’t stop, and after softening Cruise up with body shots he left the referee with no choice but to stop the fight. Cruise was a mess and really just found himself unable to find a way to get Kowashi off of him. It was a very convincing performance by the Japanese fighter and he was humble in defeat raising the arm of Cruise afterwards.

Chizuko Kowashi wins by TKO! [3:23 RD 1]

The exciting Dane Kinsley was up next. With a record of 14-6, he has some of the most lethal hands in the business. But Jeremy Brown boasts impressive Muay Thai credentials and the crowd were hyped for the match and the pre-fight interviews only made things more enthralling.

---------------------------------
DANE KINSLEY
---------------------------------
“This is my opportunity to get out of the scrub leagues. First, second, third, whatever round, as long as I'm standing and he's on the mat takin' a nap, it's goin' to be an awesome night for me.”

“I don't think this guy has enough to beat me. I've had twenty fights, he's had six? I'm already battle tested, getting my ass handed to me and learning from it, so I could figure out what I'm doin' out there.”

“I figure this fight'll be over by the second. My fist'll be in his face and my foot'll be up his ass real soon and we'll see how good this man is, 'cause I don't have any gear but forward. Can he handle the pressure?”

I'll find out and let ya know.”
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
JEREMY BROWN
---------------------------------
"The first FIGHT! show, and I'm matched up with Dane 'Banger' Kinsley. Go figure; my knees against his jaw. Even worse, his hands against my face! Not exactly the best match-up for me, but I've had worse, and come out on top."

"I'm gonna go out there and try to do what I do best, honestly. I'm pretty quick, so I don't know that Dane's fists can catch me, and I really want to test his chin with my knee. They say its 'iron', but I think I can turn it into a cheap aluminum can, hah!"
---------------------------------

Both Brown and Kinsley were eager to start, and Kinsley had to be held back in his corner. Everybody was expecting a war, and they weren’t left disappointed.

The pair came out swinging and it was Dane ‘Banger’ Kinsley who got the better of things landing a strong right hand right from the off. Brown came back with a knee, but Kinsley was looking confident dancing around the Octagon before staggering Brown with a nasty straight right. Brown hit the deck hard barely a minute in, and it looked like the fight was all but over. Kinsley stalked before landing a _stunning_ stomp. Somehow Brown got back to his feet, but he was clearly still dazed as a confident Kinsley chopped away with kicks to the thigh and a punishing left hook.

Brown looked to use his Muay Thai and clinch, but ate an uppercut. Kinsley was really dominating the stand up, and knocked Brown down a second time with another uppercut. Brown was quickly back up, but with a minute left in the round he was taking hard hard shots. Rights and lefts were coming from all angles but Brown managed to catch Kinsley _hard_ and ‘Banger’ was hurt. An incredible turn around at the end of the round saw Jeremy Brown coming forward looking to end the fight.

An absolutely electric first round, Brown looked dead and buried at one point but he dug deep and came back strong at the end of the round. Round two had a lot to live up to and once again, it delivered.

A touch of the gloves from both fighters showed that they knew what a war they were in. Brown tried to work the clinch, but a rapier like strike to the chest doubled him over within seconds. Kinsley again stalked, probing with soccer kicks and refusing to allow Brown up to his feet. The referee intervened and brought the fight back up to its feet where Kinsley took control with a strong counter punch and then a big hook. Before long, Brown was down again and this time Kinsley didn’t waste any time connecting with a _hard_ soccer kick to the head. Kinsley began to wail away with leg kicks which echoed around the venue but seemed to grow frustrated that he couldn’t land any more telling strikes and allowed the bloodied Brown to his feet.

The pair hit the side of the Octagon and Kinsley began to unload with dirty boxing. He really worked the body. With a minute left in the round the pair exchanged hard leg kicks, but as Brown came forward with a Superman punch he was staggered with a _nasty_ middle kick. Kinsley faked a one-two before landing a _brutal_ right hand _right on the button_. Brown hit the deck like he’d been shot and it was all over in spectacular fashion.

Dane Kinsley wins by KO! [4:54 RD 2]

An incredible stat shows that Dane Kinsley landed 87% of his punches in that fight, phenomenal performance and surely the Fight Of The Night.

Dutchman Aaldert Daaf was up next, taking on Grant Prosser [USA] in the Light Heavyweight division. Once again, both men were pure strikers but while Prosser liked to use his hands, Daaf was all about the kickboxing skills.

---------------------------------
AALDERT DAAF
---------------------------------
“Uh…I am excited to be…aahh…competing in FIGHT! MMA, and…uh…grateful that I am given the opportunity to have…a strong fight in my debut.”

“Grant Prosser has strong standup skills, but…uhmm…if I say so, my stand up could be stronger than his. Being from Holland, well…uhm, we take kickboxing very seriously, yeah? All respect to Prosser, but after this fight, I will invite him to come to Holland, and ayyyh, train at Team Handhaven, if he so wishes.”

“On Sunday, best wishes to you, Grant Prosser, but ah…Ik zal Handhaven. I shall stand fast.”
---------------------------------

Daaf came out with a beautiful liver kick that visibly buckled Prosser but the American continued, for better or worse. Daaf was really connecting with his kicks and Prosser didn’t have an answer, his aptitude with his feet also allowed him to express himself with his hands and barely a minute into the fightProsser was opened up above the eye after a wild haymaker.

Prosser was knocked to the ground after a series of body shots, Daaf had softened the area up earlier with a hard middle kick. Daaf managed to land a soccer kick before Prosser was stood up by the referee, though he’d probably wish he hadn’t.

Prosser surprised Daaf with a punch that found a way through and immediately Prosser uncharacteristically looked to shoot but he ended up eating a knee which absolutely _wrecked_ him. And probably broke his nose.

Aaldert Daaf wins by KO! [3:29 RD 2]

Much like Kinsley, Daaf landed a ridiculous amount of his strikes. 83% of his kicks finding a home.

The co-main event of the evening was the match with the most interest after the weigh-ins. Welterweights Jason Mercer and Kyle McIntosh had shared words, with Mercer than main antagonist. Mercer would have to find a way to stop the Muay Thai and solid Jiu Jitsu of McIntosh, but he has the experience edge to do it.

---------------------------------
KYLE McINTOSH
---------------------------------
[In a simple studio, Kyle “Stretch” McIntosh slouches back in a simple chair. Behind him is a giant FIGHT! Logo.]

"With the depth of the welterweight division right now, I have been anticipating a fight with Mercer since I've got here. Options are sparse for now, but this is the fight I've wanted. Right now, I value him as the best in the Welterweight division right now.. on paper. Me, I'm a relative unknown, but Mercer has been around and has got some key wins against some of the top international competition. This is the fight that I've wanted. I want the best opponent available, and whomever that is... I want to knock his head off!"

[McIntosh sits up straight.]

"Put it this way, when you head out to the bar or pub, you always take your shot on the hot chicks, right? Maybe you get lucky, maybe you don’t- but you at least try.. or have 10 beers..ha, before you reside yourself to some of the low-hanging fruit... the easy scores. Those other shit-bums will always be around, but Jason Mercer, the hot chick, will only be around for a little while longer. He’s not going to be the best anymore. I am going to make sure of this."

[McIntosh flashes a small grin and then nods his head to whatever he just thought of.]

"I've had the chance to go back and watch some of his fights in Fury-Pro. I know what he's about. He's got some deadly submissions, but if he wants to take the fight to the ground like he usually does, he's going to see that I'm no slouch at Jiu Jitsu myself. It will be him that's tapping out this time around. Keep it up, and I'll kick his head off. Pick your poison."

[Fade out.]
---------------------------------

Mercer was looking confident in his corner as McIntosh paced in his. Mercer had the ability to dictate where this match would take place with his superior wrestling, but he had to pick his poison matching up to the dangerous Muay Thai or BJJ or McIntosh. This had the makings of a classic encounter.

From the outset, it was clear that Mercer wanted to get things to the ground, and he managed just that with an early single leg takedown. Mercer patiently worked for position but McIntosh found a way back up. Mercer again went looking for the takedown, but before he managed it, McInitosh delivered some hard knees from inside the clinch. Mercer again worked hard and got off some strikes from inside the guard of McIntosh but he wasn’t able to keep his opponent down. The wrestling of McIntosh seemingly better than expected.

Mercer continued to work for takedowns, but he continually received punishment as he went for them. McIntosh had bruised up his opponents ribs but was himself breathing heavily and stalling. Mercer bullied McIntosh against the fence and the pair stayed locked up until the end of the round. McIntosh looked the happier of the two as he returned to his corner. Mercer had kept a fast pace up though and maybe it would come back to haunt McIntosh in later rounds.

A touch of the gloves started round two and a similar pattern of play developed. Mercer kept looking for the takedown, but McIntosh was showing great defense and making his opponent pay for each failed attempt. The pair found themselves stuck in a clinch against the fence where McIntosh landed a couple of _hard_ knees. Mercer was relentless but as the round came to a close he was visibly frustrated. McIntosh was elusive enough to avoid his strikes, and good enough to stuff his takedowns. What could he change to make the third round his?

Round three began with another quick takedown, but Mercer as quick to follow up with a body kick which caught McIntosh by surprise. Mercer initiated a clinch of his own and landed a couple of knees to the face. Had his early pace taken its toll on McIntosh? Mercer was moving well, bobbing and weaving and firing out his jab. An exchange in the centre of the Octagon brought the crowd to their feet, but no telling blows were landed. Sensing a change in momentum, Mercer again went looking for a takedown but to no avail.

Mercer was really mixing up his gameplan and taking control of the round with his clever boxing. McIntosh was struggling to cope despite the encouragement from his corner. Mercer connected with a few leg kicks before changing levels and shooting for a takedown. McIntosh struggled, but he couldn’t stop it! Mercer had the fight on the ground but McIntosh squirmed on landing and found himself on top. Mercer couldn’t believe it.

Desperate to finish the fight, Mercer swung up his legs looking for a Triangle and for a few seconds it looked as if he had it. McIntosh was struggling, but he found a way out. Mercer was back to his feet and swinging with purpose, but he ran out of time and the match went to the judges decision.

The judges have it...

29-28 McIntosh
29-28 McIntosh

And

30-27 McIntosh

Kyle McIntosh wins by unanimous decision. The damage he inflicted in the first two rounds proving enough. Whoever judged it 30-27 needs to get another job because Mercer had the third in the bag. If this had gone five rounds, Mercer might well have come out on top but as it stands, McIntosh gets a big victory.

The after fight stats show that Mercer only managed 3 from 21 takedown attempts which really is where things went wrong for him.

The final fight of the evening saw two Heavyweights collide. Michael Cross is a massive mountain of a man, but perhaps his best days are behind him. Oleg Maksimov is a tough competitor who is comfortable on his feet or on the ground. No doubt that Cross would be looking for an early knockout because the longer this fight went on, the worse it would be for him.

The fans were behind Cross and the token USA chant went up as the bell rang for round one. Maksimov started with a furious pace with one, two, three takedown attempts. The third one saw Cross dumped on his back and within a minute, Maksimov had fought his way into full mount. Cross did a good job of avoiding damage, wrapping his huge arms around the upper back of Maksimov who began to work the body with short punches.

Cross began to grow in confidence and started to fire powerful strikes from his back but this opened him up for a barrage of strikes from maksimov who came within seconds of finishing the fight. Cross’s corner screamed at him to hold on and work back to guard. The big American managed just that, but in doing so he absorbed more punishment and his left eye began to close up.

Maksimov worked for position for much of the round and with a minute left, he found his way back into mount where he punished Cross heavily. Maksimov had the fight in the bag, but over-exuberance saw Cross sweep him. Maksimov though had done the damage and Cross was in no position to take advantage. Maksimov kept busy until the end of the round. Cross was a mess, gasping for breath and with both eyes swollen.

Maksimov kept the pressure up in the second round and bullied Cross against the fence. Risking punishment, Cross held the fence to avoid the takedown but he soon found himself dragged down. Maksimov landed several strikes from the top before Cross stifled him by holding.

Maksimov did enough to remain active, peppering the body of Cross at every opportunity and occasionally landing a few strikes to the head. Cross was in no position to continue and at 2:49, the Russian landed some telling blows which opened up a cut across his opponents eyebrow. Cross wasn’t defending himself and the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Cross protested, but replays show him curling up and offering nothing in defence. The fight was over!

Oleg Maksimov wins by TKO! [2:49 RD 2]

A great night of FIGHT! Action came to a close. As promised, the show featured some excellent bouts and the crowd left happy.