This article originally ran at www.theclackamasprint.com. Too see the original, click here.
David Beasley, Associate Editor
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Volume 46, Issue 22
Arts & Culture
The always dependable Full Contact Fighting Federation hosted another thrilling night of combat sport. Saturday night’s Rumble at the Roseland number 71 attracted a stampede of fight fans, emerging from all around the Portland Metro area and beyond. The venue was bursting at the seams with exuberant supporters of the Northwest mixed martial arts scene. The roar of the crowd was ever present throughout the night, a constant reminder of the scale and importance of this competition.
The fourteenth fight of the night was the 135 pound Lightweight Championship: Brent Messineo versus current champ Journey Newson.
Both fighters began with fast boxing.
“Journey, Journey!” chanted the crowd. The fighters exchanged strikes and Newson attempted a spinning kick.
“Journey, Journey!” chanted the crowd again as round 2 started. More striking exchange with Newson picking shots and Messineo being aggressive, sneaking fadeaway kicks after punches. Newson attempted another spining kick after some good punches. More fast strikes by both. Round 3 continued with the crowd chanting louder. Newson kept up the good strikes and evasion, Messineo stayed with the gameplan of good kicks with a few more this round. Newson exploded with a fast takedown right as the horn sounded the end of round 3.
“Let’s go red!” the crowd chanted at the opening of round 4. Newson landed a spin kick this time, to the head. Good exchange and more footwork by Messineo while Newson occupied the center of the cage. Newson attempted another spin kick, then takedown attempt.
Round 5 inspired more chants and continued with standing strikes. Newson came out very aggressive and landed an excellent spin back kick to Messineo’s stomach, then during a takedown attempt, picked him up and slammed him gaining top control and launching punches until the horn ended the final round. The crowd erupted with cheers, Newson climbed the cage and pointed to chanters.
“Newson, Newson, Newson!” they chanted. Defending his title for the fi rst time, Newson wins via unanimous decision.
”I gotta get back to my Jiu Jitsu game, the boxing’s good obviously,” said Newson about the match.
For the fifteenth fight the crowd was treated to a tremendous performance by exceedingly talented fighters in the Women’s 125 pound Flyweight Championship. Katie Howard 5’5” of Girls Gym versus current champ Emily Corso of Alive MMA. Round 1 opened with punches to clinch against the cage. Corso set the pace with a single leg takedown, but Howard defended with solid grappling to gain a reversal, then Corso attempted an armbar from bottom and Howard used good top control to defend the armbar.
Fans whistled and hollered from the balcony between rounds as the ring card girls signaled round 2.
Corso immediately grabbed another single leg takedown, Howard defended on the bottom with punches. As Corso postured up punching from top, Howard kicked straight up to the face, catching Corso hard, but Corso passed the guard of Howard to gain top mount position. Rolling around to Howard’s back, Corso attempted a choke and punches from back control until the end of round 2. Corso entered round 3 with a huge smile. Howard snapped out a precise trip takedown after a brief exchange, but Corso reversed the position. Howard shot another up-kick at Corso which gave her leverage for a reversal.
Corso’s cornerman loudly urged her to underhook Howard’s left arm. She gained her feet and attempted a single leg. Howard defended until the end of round 3. Round 4, Corso fought hard for a double leg takedown and got it. Corso threw punches in half guard. Grappling, Howard used good defense until the end of round 4.
Round 5 Corso shot for a single leg attempt and against the cage pulled it off landing on top. Howard reversed the position. Corso defended from bottom with an armbar and forced a reluctant tapout from Howard. Corso retained her title in one of the most exciting and technical fights of the night.
“I’m very happy about the takedowns. That’s what I wanted. She’s got some nice up-kicks though. That was seriously the best fight anyone has given me,” said Corso.
She also commented on her successful takedowns.
“I’m not a wrestler originally, so it’s getting really exciting for me. I trained wrestling, boxing, Jiu Jitsu and kickboxing. My game plan was not to keep her standing, to take her to the ground. I started doing wrestling 1 year and a half ago with Jonathan Osborne, a very good wrestler. Corso praised her opponent.
“I have utmost respect for her, she came at me all 5 rounds, she’s smaller than me.”
Katie Howard is indeed a talented combatant; her amazing prowess will continue to draw a crowd of martial art connoisseurs whenever she fights. Her inspirational speed and technique solidify her as a top female competitor. Fight fans look forward to her next bout, as well as Corso’s next title defense.
First up to fight, Tyree “X-Man” Fortune of Alive MMA retained the Heavyweight belt against Russell Tunes of Impact Jiu Jitsu. Tunes was overwhelmed by the champion and succumbed to defeat 4 rounds into the championship fight.
The place was packed, it was a full house and the momentum of the night was building. Fight number three really put the “Rumble” in the Roseland, Super Heavyweight Steve Sigo Jr. of Team Quest verses Toalima Elisara from Pinole, CA was a barn buster from the moment the behemoths were unleashed. Bombs and haymakers were the techniques displayed by both lumbering gentleman, until the referee stepped in at 1:06 of round 1. Sigio Jr. won via technical knockout. The crowd went wild with whistles and screams.The second fight of the evening was a competitive back and forth three round split decision. Bantamweight David Magliane lost his prior two fights at the Roseland, the first to notable Clackamas Community College wrestler Urmas Yanis. Magliane, of LA Boxing, won the split in Saturday’s battle against Jeremiah Cole.
The fourth battle of the evening was fought between 155 pound lightweights Justin True from Bend, OR and Nicholas Martin of Team Quest. With a well employed triangle choke, True appeared to choke Martin unconscious just as he tapped out.
Match five, Sean Reay versus Jordan Van Barringer, pit Kung Fu against Muay Thai. The 170 pound welterweights fought hard until one landed a hard punch knocking the other out.
Fight six was Travis Burril of Rise Above MMA versus Muay Thai fighter Jay Sluman. Lightweight Sluman won via a vicious punch knockout. Travis was out cold...and he was still out for a long time. A minute passed before Burril showed any signs of movement. The crowd applauded as he regained his equilibrium.
“Keep wrestling in the Olympics please.” said Johnson after the match.Fight seven brought Michael “Gumby” Delgado out to face Daniel Dieringer in the Welterweight division. Delgado displayed very smart grappling on his way to win via choke tapout. The eighth exhibition of the event featured Lightweight Darin Verhoest and Jadon “Gator” Johnson, an Afghanistan veteran. Johnson won via choke tapout right before the end of round one, at 2:56.
The ninth fight was a Welterweight match. The crowd was very excited as wrestler Chris “Little Sister”
Williams stepped into the cage against a striker from Hillsboro, Hiroyuki Tetsuka. During the intense Fight ten saw Welterweight Jeramy Burford conquer Scott Baker.scuffle, Williams attacked with a head butt, which is illegal in MMA competition. The fight was stopped by the referee who took away one point for an intentional head butt. Had the fight gone to decision, the loss of a point would affect the score a great deal. However Tetsuka was victorious anyway, with an armbar tapout.
The eleventh match was for the vacant Light Heavyweight Women’s Championship
title; Mindy Stalnaker of Octagon MMA vs BJJ and Judo expert from Impact Jiu Jitsu Hillary VanOrnum. The two imposing women grappled in standing position vying for control until VanOrnum managed a trip takedown and forced a technical knockout via strikes at 1:56 of round one. VanOrnum was awarded the belt for the championship.
“It was awesome!” said VanOrnum of the fight.
The big dudes came out for the Super Heavyweight title match in fight number twelve. Wrestler Ricky Alcaraz, the 3 and 0 champion, 321 pounds versus towering 6’ 9” 306 pound Seaside resident Casey “Big Cat” Lunzman. Alcaraz launched two takedowns beginning round one, succeeding with the second gaining top control and attacking Lunzman’s arm with a figure four key lock attempt. Lunzman defended with a reversal to gain side control. Round two started with standing clinch grappling. Alcaraz managed another takedown and fired punches at Lunzman who defended and almost reversed position with a triangle lock attempt and punches from the bottom. Alcaraz attacked with more punches from top, but Lunzman defend with an armbar attempt. Round three Alcaraz slipped and fell after a wild punch. Down, Lunzman controlled Alcaraz from the top launching strikes until the referee intervened. Lunzman won becoming the new champ.
Fight thirteen for the 185 pound championship was between Jose Rodriguez and John Simon. Simon scored some nice takedowns throughout the tough 5 round battle. Jose capitalized on a takedown of his own in round three accompanied by strikes from the top. Round 5 was an exciting exchange of strikes ending with a punch by Simon knocking Rodriguez out cold. Simon retained the Middleweight belt.
The closing fight of the night, match sixteen, was a 3 round Middleweight battle. Rod Jaques prevailed against Daniel Pihi via unanimous decision.
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