By Thomas “Psychic Tom” Padgett
Las Vegas, Nevada-- On Friday, June 27th, the sold-out
crowd at the Silverton Casino's Veil Pavilion was treated to an action-packed
night of pure, raw and intense amateur MMA and Muay Thai kickboxing
competition.
The card was the initial promotion of RealMMA (www.realmixedmartialarts.com),
and the event featured 7 MMA bouts and 4 Muay Thai match-ups. Each and every
fighter gave it everything they had, leaving nothing, absolutely nothing, in
the ring.
After a stirring rendition of the national anthem by the talented
Micah Honzay, the event was on.
The first bout was in the lightweight division and featured
Dominique “Dom Dom the Don” Edwards taking on Kamen “The Humble Champion”
Kreilick. The feel-out portion of this fight lasted about 3 seconds, and then
Dominique launched a withering barrage of punches and kicks. The fury of his
attack was reminiscent of a man defending his family against an intrusion from
Freddy Kruger.
However, Kamen stayed calm, covered up and survived an assault
that would have stopped many opponents. Edwards kept coming, and Kreilick fired
back, resulting in several furious exchanges. Later in the round, blood began
flowing from Kreilick's nose, but the referee and ringside physician allowed
things to continue – much to the delight of the crowd.
Round 2 began with a similar pace, and take-downs were added to
the mix...brutal, hard-core take-downs. While on the ground, Edwards attempted
a choke, but Kreilick reversed position, gained the mount and began a fast and
furious ground and pound, almost looking like a hungry, impatient 3 year old
pounding his fists on the dinner table. To his credit, Dominique withstood the
fearsome onslaught, and the round ended with the crowd on its feet.
In the third and final round, both gladiators were justifiably
worse for the wear. But their fighting hearts propelled them forward. The two
exchanged take-downs, and toward the end of the round Kamen landed a hard left
hand that appeared to stun Edwards. But Dominique showed tremendous heart by
refusing to go down, and fought back until the final bell.
Both of these valiant warriors gave their all, and what a
great way to begin the night! Kreilick was awarded a hard-fought decision
victory. But in reality, both these gladiators emerged victorious. Their
crowd-pleasing styles guarantee that they are both two young men on their way
to the top. The audience clearly let the fighters know their appreciation for
the toe-to-toe action.
In the second fight, the crowd was treated to a Muay Thai
welterweight bout featuring Garrett Jeppesen vs Anthony Arroyo. Round one saw
Jeppesen coming forward in traditional Muay Thai style, landing powerful shots
that backed Arroyo up. Garrett's powerful right roundhouse kick found a home in
Arroyo's ribcage. But Anthony didn't come to lose, and fought back tenaciously.
In round 2, Jeppesen picked up where he left off, landing several
right leg kicks that were felt several rows back from ringside. But once again,
Arroyo hung on and battled back.
In the 3rd and final round, it was more of same.
Jeppesen appeared to be edging ahead. But Arroyo didn't know the meaning of the
word “quit” and continued to give his all until the final bell. Jeppesen was
awarded a unanimous decision victory.
In a pre-fight interview, Garrett was asked about his mental
approach to fighting, and responded with “No emotion”, and that was the way he
took care of business. With his dedication to training and his professional
attitude, Jeppesen has all the tools.
The third fight of the night featured the popular local favorite
Kaine Marzola squaring off against Edward Dail Jr. in a lightweight battle. An
Iraq war veteran and former marine, Kaine entered the ring to a loud ovation
from his large and growing local fan base. To his credit, Dail, who stepped in
on short notice, seemed to take it all in stride, and the fight was on.
Marzola immediate shot in for a take-down, and Dail defended by
attempting a guillotine choke, which Marzola powered out of with a vicious body
slam that literally shook the ring. Kaine maintained side control while
launching several brutal shots. But Dail was able to use crab-like movement on
the ground to survive the round.
Round 2 saw Marzola once again on the attack, brilliantly mixing
his shots between punches and kicks. Dail was looking for counters, but had no
answer for Kaine's powerful take-downs. On the ground, Marzola varied his
attack with numerous submission attempts and a vicious ground and pound. Toward
the end of the round, Marzola secured an arm-bar, which appeared deep and
locked. But the round ended before he could force the tap-out.
In round 3, Marzola immediately shot in, Dail again attempted a
guillotine choke, and once again Kaine power-slammed his way out...deja vu all
over again. Kaine began a devastating ground and pound, and finally the referee
saw enough, stopping the fight at 1:45 of the third round.
Dail proved his courage, and did the best he could. But Marzola's
strength and technique was too much to overcome. A member of Team Vandy, Kaine
trains under UFC and Pride legend Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, and has
all the trappings of a fighter on the way up. Keep him on your radar screen.
The evening's fourth fight was in the welterweight division and
featured welterweights Javier Correa going against Jordan Joseph. Correa wasted
no time taking Joseph down and attempting a guillotine choke. But he was unable
to get position and finish it off. In the ensuing scramble, Joseph took
Javier's back, secured leg control (locked “the hooks” in) and applied a
rear-naked choke, forcing the tap-out at 1:51 of round one. Jordan has a
low-key personality outside of the ring, and demonstrated that same mental
poise against an aggressive, determined opponent.
There's no doubt that the ring announcer plays a vital role in
the success of any fight promotion. It is also a fact that this role is often
overlooked and under-appreciated. However, that was definitely not the
case on this night. With her wide range of vocal intonation and a unique blend
of quick wit, in-depth knowledge of the fighters and her vibrant personality,
ring announcer Lisa “The Black Widow” King kept the excitement level
skyrocketing at a blistering pace.
A former fighter herself, Lisa combined her knowledge of the
sport with her incredible flair for showmanship that kept the crowd totally
pumped and involved.
Lisa's acting skills, stunning beauty, and natural charm
guarantee that she will be in high demand for future events. Check her out at:
www.theblackwidow.us
Throughout the evening, the crowd was entertained by the music of
world-renowned DJ Ryan “Baby Chino” Dolan. In addition to Real MMA, Baby Chino
has DJ'ed for the MMA organization King of the Cage, appeared on the Steve
Harvey and Arsenio Hall shows, and has a residency at the Beacher's
Madhouse Room at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino Grand Ballroom in
Las Vegas...all at the tender age of 11!
Baby Chino provided the walk-out music for each fighter, as well
as delivering an improv set during intermission. With his talented ear for
music and his experience, Baby Chino is definitely a name to remember. Check
him out at: https://www.facebook.com/djbabychino.
The evening's fifth fight was a Muay Thai welterweight battle
between Jacob Gomez and Christian “El Cajejo” Cardona. The fight began with
several controlled but powerful exchanges. Cardona landed an accidental low
kick, but Gomez recovered, and the action continued. Suddenly, Cardona landed a
perfectly-timed roundhouse kick to Jacob's head. Gomez showed tremendous heart
by getting up at the count of 9, but the doctor ruled him unable to continue.
The contest was stopped at 1:26 of the first round.
Before the fight, Christian stated that he had “one mission – finish the
fight”, and that's what he did. Cardona's versatility and dynamic
kicking skills make him a force to be reckoned with.
The sixth fight of the night was in the flyweight division, and
featured Ruben “Mr. Smooth” Castillo getting it on with Tony Diaz. Upon
entering the ring, the electricity emanating from both fighters could almost be
felt at ringside...and proved to be a portent of things to come.
Round 1 started off as a free-swinging, good old-fashioned pier 6
brawl, a true slug-fest. The fight consisted of both fighters throwing caution
to the wind, teeing-off and landing bombs, scoring brutal, potential
fight-ending take-downs, reversals and chins of concrete shown by both
warriors.
By round 2, it appeared that Castillo's height and reach
advantage was working to his favor. But Diaz never relented, and continued his
non-stop, free-swinging attack. And it paid off at the end of the round, when
he landed a monster “right hand from hell” square on Castillo's chin, dropping
Ruben like he had been hit with a sledge-hammer.
That mind-jarring punch would have stopped the average fighter.
But the courageous Castillo was far from average, and as the round ended he
made it back to his corner...then showed his determination to win by coming out
for the third round.
Round 3 was more of the same give and take, with both fighters
continuing their non-stop attacks. In the final scramble on the ground, Tony
got the mount. Combined with the earlier knockdown, it was enough in the eyes
of the judges to earn Diaz a unanimous decision.
The astonishing pace of this fight, along with its ebb and flow,
made it a candidate for Fight of the Night (FOTN) honors.
Fight 7 saw popular local veteran Scott “Spartacus” Kelsey throw
down with California-based Raul Hernandez in a catch-weight fight at 150
pounds. Hernandez is trained by well-known UFC veteran Joe Stevenson, and that
training showed. Hernandez immediately shot in and went for a take-down. The
experienced Kelsey remained calm, stuffed the take-down attempt and went for a
guillotine choke, which he tried to finish on the ground.
But Hernandez defended well and slapped on his own choke. Scott
almost escaped, but couldn't quite pull it off, in spite of his Herculean
efforts. Shortly thereafter, the referee stopped the fight at 48 seconds of
round one, awarding Hernandez a submission victory. Scott didn't tap, but his
right arm went limp, and the referee did a great job of ensuring fighter
safety.
Kelsey stated after the fight that he thought he went unconscious
for a brief second or two. “I don't tap to chokes,” he added, mentioning that
he had gone unconscious due to chokes on two other occasions in prior fights.
He further stated that “It's not my style to quit in fights.” Hopefully, we
will see both of these warriors return to action soon.
The eighth fight of the night was in the flyweight division, pitting
Arthur “The Spider Monkey” Nicholas vs Adrian Gutierrez. The first round was a
closely-contested technical striking battle.
In round 2, Gutierrez landed several vicious uppercuts, and
eventually got the fight to the floor. Nichols showed great jiu-jitsu by
staying calm and thwarting Gutierrez's submission attempts, scrambling and
making great use of his legs. However, Adrian was relentless, and he eventually
took Arthur's back, stretched him out and secured the tap-out at 1:45 of round
2.
At the intermission break, the crowd was captivated by a
demonstration of Muay Thai by the Nak Muay Thai Acadamy. Both men and women
practitioners from the school demonstrated the awesome, dance-like deadliness
of one of the world's most brutal and effective fighting arts: Muay Thai-style
kickboxing. The demonstrators left no doubt about the years of dedication,
determination and sacrifice that they’ve devoted to the art they love.
In addition to performing their official duties, the gorgeous
ring card girls had the pleasure of tossing Real MMA T-shirts to the eager
throng of fans, who seemed to enjoy each second...even if they didn't score a
shirt.
The crowd was further excited by the introduction of NBA star
Metta World Peace, who they welcomed with a thunderous ovation. World Peace has
enjoyed an amazing NBA career, and he is eagerly looking toward the upcoming
basketball season of 2014-15 with the anticipation of returning to the court and
doing what he does best. For his latest happenings, check him out at: https://twitter.com/MettaWorldPeace
As if that weren't enough, rap star Lloyd was introduced, and
sent the crowd into a frenzy as he handed out a trophy to the winner. Stay
tuned for Lloyd's latest comings and goings at: https://twitter.com/Lloyd_YG
The ninth bout was in the welterweight division, featuring Team
Ruthless' Jose Garcia going up against the power-punching Kevin “Baby” Smith.
Round one began with an immediate clinch. When the fighters were separated,
Garcia threw a kick that Smith caught, and the fight went to the floor. Smith
made a serious arm-bar attempt, but Jose showed good submission defense as the
round ended.
In round 2, Smith exploded a devastating right-hand bomb that
dropped Garcia. Smith then quickly took Jose's back, but he couldn't sink in
the rear-naked choke. Garcia scrambled and reversed the position. Both were stood
up by the referee as the round ended.
In the third and final round, Smith countered a kick by Garcia
with a powerful right hand, which knocked Jose down. Smith was unable to finish
the fight, but he did enough to earn a unanimous decision. Both fighters showed
great technique and tons of heart. Both bear watching in the future.
The 10th bout on the card was a Muay Thai rumble in
the women's Super-Flyweight division. The combatants were Aubree “The Silent
Assassin” Thompson squaring and Toronto, Canada's Jennifer “JC Jenified”
Caroline Chareunvong. Jennifer began like she was shot out of a cannon,
knocking down Thompson twice with precise, powerful front leg kicks. Even
though neither kick was ruled a knockdown, these key strikes were more than
enough to carry the round for Chareunvong. Jennifer also showed great boxing
skills with clean, crisp punch combinations and great lateral movement.
In round 2, however, the tide began to sway in Aubree's favor.
Like the neighborhood dog that stubbornly won't stop chasing your car, Thompson
relentlessly moved forward, scoring two knockdowns with her powerful right
hand.
In round 3, Thompson continued to advance, even landing a
spinning back fist. In spite of her slow start, Thompson was awarded a
unanimous decision. Both women fought hard, showcased their fighting
hearts...and both have bright futures.
The 11th and final fight on the card was a heavyweight
Muay Thai showdown between Charles “Chucky” Williams and Jose “The Aztec
Warrior” Camacho. Williams stated before the fight that his style was to “push
the pace.” Despite weighing-in at 307 pounds, he did just that. Williams was
surprisingly agile, moving forward at a steady pace, mixing up his shots. Jose
countered with some savage leg kicks that had even a few fans at ringside
wincing, which made the round close.
Toward the end of the round, Williams checked a kick from
Camacho, and Jose went limping back to his corner in obvious agony.
But Camacho proved his fighting spirit was gigantic by coming out
for the second round. The two exchanged punches, kicks and knees. During one of
the exchanges, “Chucky” went down from what was ruled a low kick, and the
referee deducted a point from Camacho. Williams was able to continue, and he even
connected with a spinning back fist, doing enough to win the round. But Jose
was undeterred, and he continued to fight back.
Going into the final round, Camacho was hurt and behind on
points. But, like a Timex watch, he took a licking and kept on ticking. He
definitely needed a comeback.
And come back he did! Jose brought the crowd to its feet with a
primal roar by launching an all-out, implacable assault. At one point, Camacho
landed a withering right hand to the chin of “Chucky.”Williams seemed
staggered, and he moved backwards on somewhat shaky legs. Still, “Chucky”
proved his mettle and incredible will to win by digging deep and somehow
hanging on, sending the crowd into a screaming frenzy.
With seconds left in the fight, the two fell into a clinch, then
tumbled to the floor. The round ended, but Williams stayed down, grimacing in
obvious pain and holding his shoulder. He eventually stood up, to the applause
of the crowd. The judges gave the fight to Williams by scores of 29-28, 28-27
and 28-27.
Williams was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, and later in
the evening he could be seen walking around with his arm in a sling. He also
stated that his shoulder injury occurred during the third round when he threw
an overhand right. Let's hope that Williams' shoulder and Camacho's ankle heal
quickly, and maybe we can see both of them back in action soon...maybe even in
a rematch!
After the ring cleared, Brent Jones, the promoter of Real MMA
gave a brief talk, and expressed his appreciation for all of the fighters’
efforts. Brent is also running for Nevada Assembly 35, and he is Nevada's
Real Choice. To learn more, check out www.VoteBrentJones.com
Fight of the night honors went to Kamen Krielick and Dominique
Edwards for the war they waged.
Thanks goes out to the folks at Real Water who worked so
hard behind the scenes to make this event the huge success it was: Anthony,
Doug, Amy, Melissa, Blaine and Bailey. Also, kudos to Rudy “Ruthless” Morales,
who did an outstanding job as matchmaker. Rudy fought as an amateur for Real
MMA, and has launched a successful pro career, competing in BAMMA, Bellator,
and currently in the World Series of Fighting (WOSF). Rudy definitely has the
potential to become a future world champ, and his fights should be added to
your “must see” category.
Special thanks to the sponsors of the event:
ü Tapsnap
ü Graphics
2000
ü Herbally
Grounded Herbal Supplements
ü Winder
Farms
ü Max
Health
ü Vegas
Royalty
ü Sup Kulture
ü Veterans
in Politics
ü ISKA
Mixed Martial Arts
ü Preferred
Chiropractic of N. Las Vegas
ü iHumanityCharity.org
ü Nevada
Beverage Company
Finally,
don't forget to try Real Water.
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Stop these problems before they happen...with Real Water! You will taste
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Look for more exciting MMA and Muay
Thai fight cards from Real MMA in the future. Real MMA is totally committed to
a “fighter first” mentality, and is equally committed to bringing fans more of the
same type of intense, crowd-pleasing cards as this one. Stay tuned!
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