For those that weren't able to make it to Friday night's event, you missed a great night of fights!
9/29/2008
Throwdown Elite Presented SHOWDOWN II "The Return" Friday night at the McKay Events Center in Orem.
Record setting crowds and one of the best fight cards in Utah to date were a recipe for one action packed night in the beehive state.
Standout performances by DaMarques Johnson of Jeremy Horn's Elite Performance and Rad Martinez of Throwdown Elite Training Center entertained the record setting crowd in true MMA style. Ogden Utah's Steven Siler improved his 12 fight winning streak to a 13-6 record and Ogden’s Court Mcgee improved to an impressive 11-1 record.
Click here for a quick summary.
Johnny Miller (Bernales Institute) vs Travis Robison (Throwdown ETC)
In the opening fight of the night we saw Miller and Robison square off and provided the fans with good action and setting a good tempo for the fans to get things under way. The majority of the fight was spent primarily on the ground with Robison on top working in Millers guard and having some success at raining down some ground n pound while at the same time Miller was attempting submissions and had a couple good looks at armbars and triangles. Some confusion arose when the in-house monitors showed that time had expired for the round and the fans began yelling for the ref to call time and end the round. Miller had began to apply a triangle when the ref heeded the fans and stood the fighters up. Upon learning that there was actually still 45 seconds left in the round and that the monitors were inaccurate he restarted the fighters in the center of the cage and with the triangle fully or very near fully applied. The ref said "go" and Miller cinched the triangle and left Robison no choice but to tap. Hopefully there will be a rematch to settle the controversy of the clock and the triangle application on the restart and sort everything out inside the cage. Both fighters seemed to take the chain of events in stride and open to the rematch. Miller by submission approx 4:50 rd 1
Eddie Pelczynski (Throwdown ETC) vs Craig Ross (Elite Performance)
Unlike the first fight Pelczynski vs Ross took place on their feet and gave the fans a dynamic display of striking which is what tends to happen when two good wrestlers meet and end up banging it out when their wrestling skills neutralize each other. On this particular night both were willing to exchange but as time passed Pelczynski was progressively getting the better of the striking and ended up winning in dominant fashion with vicious knees to the side of Ross' head while pinning him against the cage until the ref saw fit to call a stop to the fight. Very good fight for both but Pelczynski had the crisper, quicker striking tonight. Pelzcynski by tko 3:49 rd 1
Simon Ione (Throwdown ETC) vs Jacob South (Mori Academy)
This fight brought something that everyone in the building hopes for in at least one fight during the course of the card. A MASSIVE ONE PUNCH KNOCKOUT!! The fight lasted all of nine seconds due to Ione landing a huge right hand on South and dropping him then immediately putting on some finishing touch Ground n Pound and thus ensuring the stoppage within seconds. Ione's shoulder was thrown out of socket either during the punch or upon the ref tackle to stop the fight. Ione by tko :09 rd 1
Ben Fuimaono (UCTC) vs Jordan Smith (Hybrid/Fight Factory)
Fuiamaono vs Smith is one of those fights that you almost wish would never happen just so you could sit and savor and anticipate all of it's possiblities with other mma fans because of the fireworks that are literally guaranteed. But it did happen and it absolutely delivered. Fuiamaono came out early and took Smith's feet out from under him with a vicious leg kick. Jordan jumped back up and they began exchanging combinations and each of them landing significant blows. Then Smith caught Fuiamaono with a big left and dropped him. He wasted no time getting to the ground and wrapping Ben up with a Rear Naked choke. Fuiamaono showed true class by putting the belt on Smith as a gesture of congratulation. Fuiamaono announced his contemplation of retiring from MMA and from a fans standpoint we all hope the man with the best 1-2 in mma decides against it. SMith by submission 1:34 rd 1 for the Throwdown 205 belt.
Zach Lari (Lions Den) vs Jeff Willingham (Throwdown ETC)
You have to love the pace that the 135'ers fight at. These two came out at a frenetic pace that began with Lari landing nice leg kicks until Willingham landed a huge right hand as Lari was coming in and dropped him. Lari recovered quickly and began working from guard. Willingham was raining down relentless ground n pound and at the same time making the pass to side control. Lari was scrambling and countering but while in top position Willingham seemed to be one step ahead. Willingham was able to take Lari's back and began to sink a rear naked choke from standing. Lari jumped forward and did a bit of a mid-air summersalt which served it's purpose of slamming Willingham on the mat and shaking the choke loose. There was a brief scramble and Lari gained top position working out of WIllinghams guard but then stood up restarting the fight on their feet. Lari mangaged to get a dominant position in the clinch and begins to land knees to the head and body of WIllingham and although he fended them off as long as possible eventually then found their mark with force and the ref jumped in to stop the fight as WIllingham dropped to the ground. Lari by tko 4:30 rd 1
Dayne Aristizabal(Throwdown ETC) vs Pooky Hoots (High Desert Hitmen)
Both fighters came out and threw a single punch as they moved into a clinch right away. From the Clinch Dayne scored a takedown and wasted no time sinking in a rear naked choke. It was the same result you often see when a very tough and well rounded fighter ends up in a position where they're now operating in the world of a specialist and although Hoots valiantly gave it his all he was unable to peel the choke off and had to tap. Aristizabal by submission :27 rd 1
DaMarques Johnson (Elite Performance) vs Brandon Olsen (Team Dog Pound)
This fight brought us Damarques with superior speed and jiu-jitsu against a physically powerful wrestler with sound striking. The first round was spent nearly all on the ground with Olsen using his wrestling to get a takedown and spend the majority of the round in dominant position including a brief moment in full mount while serving DaMarques some ground n pound. DaMarques managed to avoid any serious damage but it's safe to say the first round would've been scored for Olsen. The second round showed the slightly fresher Damarques defending the takedown well but then eventually ending up on his back but actively looking for submissions. He was successful in finding one and locking up a triangle choke at 1:31 in round 2. DaMarques by sub 1:31 rd 2 for the Throwdown 170lb title.
Chilo Gonzales (Tool Shed Fight Team) vs Cort McGee (Throwdown/Hybrid)
This short notice fight brought us the first fight of the night to go the distance. The first round started off with Chilo getting the first takedown working out of Corts butterfly guard. Chilo spent most of the round in top position and did some ground and pound but it was a bit on the conservative side. Toward the end of the first Cort got a sweep and spent the last minute or so standing up and pouring on some nearly fight ending ground and pound of his own and securing the round on the cards for a strong and damaging ending to round 1. Round 2 showed us some stand up with Chilo utilizing a bit of a height advantage but Cort scoring with some nice punches of his own and even a high spinning back kick or two. The second round ended with a very tired Chilo leaning up against the cage and even removing his mouth piece as Cort unloaded unanswered punches and knees but the bell jumped in before the referee could and we enter round 3 with Cort racking up another round to his advantage on the cards. Round 3 showed Cort with the advantage with his stand up and his wrestling and finishing it out yet again with ground n pound from half-mount and landing a unanimous decision on the cards.
Steven Siler (Throwdown ETC) vs Camrann Pacheco (Absolute MMA)
If there was any fight on the card to rival the anticipation of SMith/Fuiamaono this would be the one. Siler was coming in with a 12 fight win streak and recent wins over some of the biggest names in the division locally. Pacheco boasts some of the most ferocious striking complimented by a solid ground game. The fight started off with both fighters immediately squaring off and throwing punches as hard and fast as they could. Each of them scoring on each other and the fight going to the ground with furious scrambling. They were going from sub attempts and defense of the attempts and transitioning to the next or reversing eachother as though somebody had put a couple bees in a jar and then shaken it up. Eventually Siler managed to settle in and take Pacheco's back and progressively flattened him out and sinking in a rear naked choke. Siler by sub 2:17 rd 1 for the Throwdown 145 title which Pacheco graciously put around Silers waist.
Dan Gardner (Throwdown ETC) vs David Allred (UCTC/Fusion)
Gardner started things off in this action packed fight by using his wrestling to get in deep and slamming Allred to the mat in highlight reel type fashion. He wasted no time in putting Allred against the cage and serving up some of the best ground n pound out there. Allred was making his farewell performance before he moves out of state and was actively looking for openings and trying to avoid damage that most fighters would've withered away under and quit. Allred managed to get to his feet and paid Gardner back with some hard punches of his own. The fight gravitated back to the ground and Allred was able to get Gardners back and sink in a rear naked choke for the comeback win of the night. Great show of heart. Allred by submission at 4:59 rd 1
Rad Martinez (Throwdown ETC) vs Steven Sharp (Absolute MMA)
This was the main event for the night and also the fight for the Throwdown 155 title. Rounds 1 through 4 all shared the same basic summary which showed Sharp trying to use his striking skills and after throwing a few Rad would take Sharp down and use his NCAA wrestling to maintain dominant position. Rad was a bit conservative with his ground n pound and utilized primarily body shots while controlling on top. You could see Sharp looking for openings but Rad continually squared up their hips so as not to give away a submission. In the fifth round Razor was able to have more success at avoiding the takedown and execute his striking for longer stretches of time but unfortunately it was the only round the judges would award him as the fight resulted in a unanimous judges decision for Martinez 49-46 for the Throwdown 155 belt.