Ford and Vidonic reign supreme at CageSport XX!

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Tacoma, WA (July 15, 2012) - Sterling Ford and Patricia Vidonic each proved why they’re amongst the top fighters in their respective weight classes following impressive victories Saturday evening at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

 

Headlining the highly-anticipated CageSport XX card, Ford scored an impressive TKO over James Marohl in the second of their three round lightweight bout. In the opening moments, Marohl came out swinging for the fences and landed a few solid shots, but the patient Ford did some damage of his own. At the start of the second stanza, Marohl landed a powerful jab which dropped Ford to his knees.

 

The gritty Ford recovered and quickly turned the tides against his free-swinging foe. Marohl, who clearly was gunning for a knockout, ran out of gas and Ford begun landing crisp shots. Unlike Ford, Marohl couldn’t recover from the damage and was visibly exhausted, forcing the referee to stop the contest at 3:24.

 

Ford, of Spokane, WA, is now 14-5. Marohl, who hails from Longview, WA, slips to 6-2.

 

In the co-featured bout of the evening, “Little” Patricia Vidonic of Medford, ORearned a hard-fought three round unanimous decision over hometown favorite “Slick” Sally Krumdiak. The fight was fought in close quarters early on, with both ladies connecting with knees to the kidney. Towards the end of the opening round, Vidonic took Krumdiak down and connected with big blows, but was unable to close the show.

 

Vidonic took the fight to the ground in the second stanza, finding a home for hard elbow strikes, causing Krumdiak to bleed from her nose. Behind on the scorecards and backed by rally cries from her sizable fan base, Krumdiak briefly buzzed Vidonic with a hard jab but couldn’t capitalize. Shortly thereafter, the fight returned to the ground, where Vidonic connected with a plethora of hard elbows.

 

All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Vidonic, who improved to 6-3.Bellingham, WA’s Krumdiak falls to 9-6.

 

Burien, WA resident Brent “Road Kill” Knopp, 3-0, scored a dominant second round TKO over visitor Darrio Mobley of Medford, OR. In a battle of unbeatens, Knopp wore down Mosley, 2-1, and delivered a non-stop onslaught until the contest was officially stopped at 3:03.

 

In other action, Byron Sutton scored a close unanimous decision over Jerome Jones and Beau Hamilton bested Calvin Horton in three rounders, while Shaine Jaime, Benny Vinson, Justin Harrington, Trevor Sojot and Gustavo Lopez all scored impressive stoppages.

 

“CageSport XX was one of the most exciting events I’ve ever promoted,” said Halquist Productions CEO Brian Halquist, whose promoted more than 100 MMA and boxing cards. “The crowd was awesome and loved all of the fights. This is what combat sports are all about!”

 

In addition to the solid action, MMA star Miesha Tate, one of the world’s most famous female fighters, was on hand and mingled with fans throughout the evening.

 

The CageSport series returns to the Emerald Queen Casino Saturday, September 29. For more information, go to Halquistproductions.com.

CageSport XX: Loaded from end to end

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Tacoma, WA (July 10, 2012) –When Brian Halquist put together “CageSport XX,” he followed the same plan that’s helped him earn the notation as one of the west coast’s top promoters; putting the fans first.

 

Halquist, along with his reliable staff, worked tirelessly on an exciting fight card slated for Saturday evening at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

 

A limited number of tickets are still available and can be purchased by going to ticketmaster.com or at the Emerald Queen box office.

 

Headlining the ten-bout event is a three round lightweight battle between Spokane, WA’s Sterling Ford, 15-4, and interstate rival James Marohl, 6-1, of Longview. Both fighters are on the cusp of landing a big fight and have been on a hot streak during the last few years, winning 11 of their last 12 fights combined.

 

Female standouts “Slick” Sally Krumdiak of Bellingham, WA and “Little” Patricia Vidonic will go toe to toe in the highly anticipated three round co-feature. Krumdiak and Medford, OR’s Vidonic fought most of the top fighters in and around the strawweight division. Both are regarded as upper echelon fighters and believe a victory will earn them a title shot.

 

Much like the main bouts, the supporting contests features talented combatants looking to move up the ladder. Unbeaten rising stars Cory Vombaur, Justin Harrington Gustavo Lopez and Shaine Jamie will all look to make waves in separate bouts. Additional matches include Jerome Jones, 4-3, against Byron Sutton, 5-3, along with a battle of unbeaten middleweights when Brent Knopp challenges Darrio Mobley.

 

“We’re putting our best foot forward with this card,” said Halquist. “The CageSport staff did a great job of making this exciting event a reality and I consider it extremely important for every fight to be one that the fans want to see. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, I’d definitely come out for fight night because you’re in for a real treat of incredible MMA fights!”

 

Former world champion, Female Fighter of the Year and CageSport veteran Miesha Tate is going to be at the fights as the evening’s special guest. A Tacoma native, Tate will be available for a meet and greet, photo ops and autographs throughout the evening for all ticketholders.

 

For more information, go to Halquistproductions.com.

 

Sterling Ford: On the Cusp of Superstardom

 

Tacoma, WA (July 3, 2012) – Sterling Ford’s push towards the top of the lightweight division has been anything but easy.

 

The Spokane, WA native lost twice in his first five professional bouts and literally had to travel all across the nation to rebuild his career. The well-balanced Ford fought whoever was put in front of him and earned a contract with Strikeforce in 2011, going 1-1 in the “Strikeforce Challenger” series. Overall, he’s won seven of his last eight bouts but recognizes that a breakthrough victory is necessary to establish himself as one of the world’s top 155 pound fighters.

 

On Saturday, July 14, Ford gets his opportunity when he takes on once-beaten James Marohl in the three round main event of Halquist Productions’ “CageSport XX” at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.

 

With a solid 6-1 professional ledger, Marohl’s one of the west coast’s fastest rising fighters. The Longview, WA native is a renowned submission specialist who scored first round stoppages in three of his last four fights. Naturally, Marohl is confident that he’ll emerge victorious, but Ford is doing everything in his power to spoil his foe’s plans.

 

Training twice a day in an elevated setting alongside MMA stars Benji Radach and John Albert, Ford respects his opponent while realizing the importance of this bout.

 

“James been fighting a long time, even longer than me,” said Ford. “I remember during my first amateur fight he was already an experienced amateur fighter. He’s a game fighter who always comes ready to go and has no quit in him. He’s very tough and (likes using) submissions.”

 

“I always look to stand up first and always gage my opponent in the first few minutes then I’ll know what (plan of action I’ll take). (My first goal is to always) come out aggressive and try to take care of him early because submission guys are always dangerous.”

 

Ford, who’s fought all across the United States, is also excited about returning to the Evergreen State.

 

“I’m huge on fighting in front of my crowd but I’ve fought all over the place during my career and it’s been difficult. It’s a great opportunity to me I’m here at home and this is much more enjoyable than fighting on the road the crowd is the best I plan on putting on a great show.”

 

Topping the talent-rich undercard is a three round 115 lb contest between female stars “Slick” Sally Krumdiack and “Little” Patricia Vidonic. The winner of the Krumdiack-Vidonic matchup will likely land a significant fight in the immediate future.

 

Local rising stars Shane Jamie, Benny Vinson, Justin Harrington and Jared Torgenson are set to appear in separate fights, while Brent Knopp risks his perfect record against fellow undefeated fighter Darrio Mobley and Jerome Jones meets Byron Sutton.

 

All undercard bouts are three rounds.

 

The card is promoted by Halquist Productions and tickets starting at $35 can be purchased on ticketmaster.com or at the Emerald Queen box office.

 

Tacoma’s very own Miesha Tate, a former world champion, Female Fighter of the Year and CageSport veteran, is the evening’s special guest. Tate, 12-3, is available for a meet and greet, photo ops and autographs throughout the evening for all ticketholders.

 

For more information, go to Halquistproductions.com.

 

Miesha Tate’s Homecoming

Tacoma, WA (June 26, 2012) – Former CageSport standout and Female Fighter of the Year Miesha “Takedown” Tate will appear at “CageSport XX” as a special cageside guest Saturday, July 14 at the Emerald Queen Casino in her hometown of Tacoma, WA.

A universally recognized top ten pound-for-pound fighter, Tate won both of her bouts under the CageSport banner by knockout and is amongst the most famous female martial artists in the world. In her most recent match Tate, 12-3, battled Rhonda Rousey in the main event of a Showtime card. Although she came up short against the unbeaten submission master, Tate earned worldwide recognition as the bout was one of the most viewed in Strikeforce history.

“Miesha is one of the most popular athletes in the area and an inspiration to many male and female MMA fighters,” said Brian Halquist, CEO of Halquist Productions and the creator of CageSport MMA. “I’m glad to have her back and she’s somebody I consider a dear friend.”

Tate will be available to all ticketholders for a meet and greet, photo ops and autographs throughout the evening.

The card is topped by a bout between Sterling Ford and James Marohl as well as a matchup between female superstars “Slick” Sally Krumdiak and “Little” Patricia Vidonic.

Tickets starting at $35 can be purchased on ticketmaster.com or at the Emerald Queen box office.

Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

Sterling Ford to meet James Marohl at CageSport XX!

Female pound for pound stars to meet in co-feature!

 

Tacoma, WA (June 18, 2012) - Welterweight star Sterling Ford will look to continue his recent streak of success when he challenges James Marohl Saturday, July 14 in the main event of “Cagesport XX” at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA.

 

The card is promoted by Halquist Productions and tickets starting at $35 can be purchased on ticketmaster.com or at the Emerald Queen box office.

 

Hailing from nearby Spokane, WA, Ford has an impressive record of 14-5 with 8 wins by stoppage. The Strikeforce veteran won seven of his last eight bouts, including an impressive unanimous decision victory over Brian McLaughlin at “Strikeforce 17” in July 2011.

 

Marohl’s rolled through his last four opponents, stopping three of them in two minutes or less. With a professional record of 6-1, the Longview, WA resident is a renowned submission specialist who promoter Brian Halquist gives a ton of credit to for his willingness to take tough fights.

“I tip my hat to Marohl” said the Washington-based MMA and boxing promoter. “Sterling’s fought at an extremely high level and is a top-tier talent. Most fighters want to take their time before moving up the ranks like this, but Marohl is confident that this is the perfect opportunity for him.”

 

The Ford-Marohl bout is scheduled for three rounds.

 

Female stars “Slick” Sally Krumdiak of Bellingham, WA and “Little” Patricia Vidonic, aMedford, OR native, battle for supremacy in the three round strawweight co-feature. Both Krumdiak, 9-5, and Vidonic, 5-3, fought at the sport’s highest level. The victor will likely receive a title shot in the near future.

 

“The co-feature is undoubtedly a main event type of fight,” stated Halquist. “I’m extremely excited for this match-up because Krumdiak and Vidonic are two of the world’s best.”

 

Tacoma’s very own Meisha Tate, a former world champion, Female Fighter of the Year and CageSport veteran, will be in attendance. Tate, 12-3, is available for a meet and greet, photo ops and autographs throughout the evening for all ticketholders.

 

A full undercard will be announced shortly and more information is available on Halquistproudctions.com.