Alan Jouban Interview

After his recent victory in Baton Rouge, Lafayette native Alan Jouban (5-1) gave us some insight into how he went from country boy, to model, to actor, to a fast rising MMA prospect.

Super big thanks go out to Bobby Jr. at Holbrook Media for helping us out with the audio levels.

Bellator's "Peaceful Warrior Program" wrap up

Two days before Bellator 69 will come to L'Auberge Du Lac they hosted the "Peaceful Warrior" program at Progressive Evolution martial arts gym in Lake Charles. In attendance was Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, local fighter and world karate champion Josh Quayhagen, and heavyweight fighter Ron Sparks. Bellator was very excited and grateful for the local media coverage for the event. They stressed to me that "They are not too big for anyone." Any exposure that will help their brand and mma to grow is very appreciated. If only other, smaller promotions could have such an appreciative attitude towards local media. Bjorn was also buzzing to kick off the program. He took a few minutes to tell me about the TV deal on Spike which he was thrilled about. After that he explained that this program was part of a larger effort to do community outreach work across the country, and they were still looking for the right fit. The program started with a meet and greet segment. I took this time to talk to Bellator heavyweight Ron Sparks. He said that training for his fight Friday had gone really well, and that he loved coming to fight in the South. Hailing from Kentucky, he said that the people in Louisiana were just super nice and fun to compete in front of. Of Bellator he had nothing but positive things to say. While the UFC were not yet ready to offer him a contract, Bellator wasted no time signing him straight away. After the meet and greet, a film detailing how dangerous bullying was in America was shown. It featured young kids who had committed suicide as a result of bullying...some as young as 11! At the conclusion of the video Josh had his students put on an anti-bullying demo. The kids in attendance enjoyed it immensely as the students took turns throwing the bully (Josh) around. This was followed by the door prize giveaway that ended the show. As one audience member said, "It was really fun." How admirable of Bellator to raise awareness of such a devastating social evil as bullying. After watching the sport, it is clear that Bellator is not only good for the sport of MMA, but they are good for all of us.

Bellator presents "Peaceful Warrior Program" in Lake Charles

Peaceful Warrior Program - Open House Event

“Knocking out Bullying and Killing with Kindness”

May 16^th 4:00-5:30pm

Held @:

Performance Evolution: Fitness, Martial Arts, & Sports Training Facility

Performance Evolution

2015 Ryan St.

Lake Charles, LA 70605

PEACEFUL WARRIOR PROGRAM’S MISSION

The Peaceful Warrior Program’s lasting mission is to empower the next generation to take a proactive responsibility to change their world for the better.

We aim to do this by empowering the youth of Calcasieu Parish to take a powerful proactive stand against domestic violence, along with physical and verbal bullying. The mission is to equip these young people with the knowledge to first make positive decision themselves, then the power to make smart nonviolent approaches to helping others overcome negative behavior or circumstances.

The Peaceful Warrior Program is designed to give the future of our world a voice, not just to teach them good character but to reach out and learn from them. Then empower them to take control of this mission and create their own pathways of reaching out and empowering the following generation, developing a forever evolving and growing culture of responsibility, peace, and love!

Hosted by:

The Peaceful Warrior Karate Kid’s Demo Team & Josh Quayhagen (3x Karate World Champion and Pro Mixed Martial Artist)

EVENT INCLUDES

o   Fun Interactive Anti-Bullying  & Peaceful Warrior Presentation!

o   Multisport obstacle course challenge

o   Peaceful  Warrior Karate Team Demonstration

o   Door prizes and free raffles

o   An opportunity to be come together to join a team of young people from Calcasieu Parish wanting to make a difference in and around their school and community!!!

This event is open to boys and girls ages 10-17 years old looking to come together to improve one’s character, create a powerful voice in the community, and stand up against violence and bullying in and around the a Lake Charles Community.

Eric Scallan Bellator 61 Interview

Gladiators of Lafayette rising star Eric Scallan will be fighting on Bellator 61 this friday night. His fight will be broadcast on Bellator.com and Spike.com, and he will be facing tough veteran opponent Derrick Krantz. Follow Eric at @EricScallanMMA, friend him on Facebook, and watch his fight!

Night of Champions 3 Results

 

Results via MixedMartialArts.com

  Winner                    Loser                     Method                    

	Donnie Bell	Aaron Carter	Submission	1st	1:35
	Zac Kelley	Hayward Charles	TKO/RSC	2nd	0:23
	Mike Baskis	David Armas	Submission	1st	4:15
	Victor Gonzalez	Eugene Broussard	TKO/RSC	1st	0:17
	Justin Timpa	Azariah Pattee	Submission	1st	1:22
	Fernando Aroyo	Pablo Ramos	Decision	3rd
	Dakota Smith	Jacob Capelli	Decision	3rd
	Duece Domogeaux	Mike Martinez	TKO/RSC	3rd	0:00
	Bruce Moore	David Herrera	Submission	1st	2:26
	Alvin Jordan	Mark Beuke	Submission	3rd	2:56
	Mike Pindel	Hector Trevino	TKO/RSC	1st	1:51

USA-MMA presents Night of Champions 3

Main Card:
Alex Cisne vs Eric Scallan
Joe Lerma vs Aaron Philips
Zac Kelly vs Joshua Heyward Charles

Undercard:
David Huerrera vs Dat Tran
Chris Tornero vs Mike Bruno
James Russell vs Everett Sims
Sijin Kurian vs Eugene Broussard
Joe Gibbs vs Deuce Domengeaux
Billy Frederick vs Alvin Jordan
Azariah Pattee vs Traveon McNulty
Jeff Mercier vs Matt Boyd
Shannon Whitlief vs Pablo Ramos
Brandon Dellamardia vs Dakota Smith
Hector Trevino vs Darick Perkins
Mike Martinez vs Sergio Arguellez
Brandon Gerald vs Bruce Moore
Mark Burke vs Charles Garrett

There will be a meet and greet with current UFC fighter and co-star of the documentary Fightville-Tim Credeur, UFC and PRIDE veteran-Yves Edwards, and The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 contestant and star of the MTV series CAGED-Christian Fulgium at the weigh-ins Friday at 5pm at Rivals Sports Grill. There will also be an official afterparty at Rivals after the show.

Update: Eric Scallan had to withdraw from this event after signing to fight on Bellator 61 on March 16 in Bossier City. No news on his replacement.

GFA 17 Results, Review, and Pics

GFA 17 2/11/2012

Tonight mixed martial arts comes to Youngsville, Louisiana with Global Fighting Alliance 17. On the card there are 11 fights, 10 amateur and a professional fight featuring John De Jesus making his professional debut from American Top Team against Aaron Phillips of Tim Credeur's Gladiator Academy. While getting ready for the fights to start I had a chance to talk with Coach Baga from ATT, and the main event should prove to be a real treat for fight fans. Both De Jesus and Phillips are young, hungry fighters who are well rounded, and like to stand and trade. De Jesus came in to the fight 5 pounds over the 135 pound limit and so had to forfeit 20% of his purse to Phillips. As usual, amateur fights are 3 three minute rounds, while professional fights are 3 five minute rounds. 

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Fight 1 135 lbs

Devin Jones (2-1)  vs Trey Blaylock (0-1)

Round 1
  Blaylock throws the first punches. Jones lands a left. Blaylock shoots...no luck.  He then front kicks and eats a right counter. Jones lands a one-two. Blaylock is wild with his defense and is getting picked apart.  Jones shoots in and Blaylock sprawls. Blaylock takes the opening and goes for standing guillotine. He drops into guard.  Jones gets out and starts dropping serious shots on Blaylock.  Blaylock's face is now busted up.  He  pushes Jones off and stands up against the cage. The round ends. Blaylock drops his hands every time he throws anything, and Jones is more than happy to stay in the pocket and counter. The ref gives Blaylock a lot of time to decide whether he wants to continue, and this draws some criticism from the crowd.

Round 2

  Blaylock bull rushes in straight away, but the obvious attempt is easily denied.  Blaylock throws a low kick. He appears to be fighting scared.  Jones pushes to cage with a solid connection to Blaylock's head. Now against the cage Jones digs to the body.  They stay in the clinch and trade knees with quite a few low blows in the mix.  Finally the ref restarts with ten seconds left.  This round was fairly uneventful as it was spent largely against the cage.  Blaylock seemed out of ideas and quite desperate.

Round 3

  Blaylock bull rushes again.  They are against the cage trading knees again.  Jones is landing some good knees.  Blaylock is just trying to survive at this point.  Blaylock goes for a standing choke again.  It looks tight, but Jones escapes to the applause of the crowd.  After one final flurry, the round ends.

Winner: Devin Jones by unanimous decision.


Fight 2 145 lbs

Jordan Brouillette (Global Fitness) (2-2) vs Robin White (1-3)

Round 1

 Brouillette leads with a high kick that glances.  White shoots and gets the first takedown. He advances to side control. White shows good position skill, but Brouillette reverses.  They make it back to standing.  Brouillette looks to land some thai knees from the plom.  White pushes to the cage and gets the takedown, landing in the mount.  Some light ground and pound follows, but nothing damaging.  White moves to side control.  Brouillette stands up, gets the thai clinch, and blasts White in the face with knee shots. White hangs in there and gets another takedown. He is in his opponent's half guard.  The round ends.  A very good round. Brouillette was very dangerous on the feet, but White was tenacious in his takedowns...and tough. There were some very good skills displayed.  White has a gash in his forehead.

Round 2

  Brouillette is showing signs of fatigue.  White clinches up and pushes to the cage. He works and gets the takedown.  Brouillette has him in full guard. White lands some light ground and pount to the body.  Brouillette makes it to his feet. He then clinches and lands two good knees to White's head.  White pushes Brouillette to the cage.  Brouillette lands some more good knees, and White is a bloody mess.  White pushes to the cage again looking for the takedown.  They hit the ground, and the round ends.  White is getting the takedown's, but his face is paying the price for them.

Round 3

  Brouillette opens the round with a high kick.  White pushes to the cage after taking some big shots.  He gets the takedown and passes Brouillette's guard.  Immediately Brouillette rolls out and escapes.  Brouillette disengages to rest.  White is battered.  Brouillette eats a hook while backpedaling.  White pushes to the cage again. After a struggle, he finally gets the takedown.  Brouillette goes for a triangle armbar, and White passes to side control.  Brouillette rolls to his feet and stands. The round ends. This was a great fight that saw both fighters leaving it all in the cage.  White got beat up, but there is no questioning his toughness!  Had Brouillette more conditioning he could very well have finished the fight in this round.

Winner: Robin White by split decision.  The crowd booed like crazy when the decision was read.  This decision is mystifying.  Brouillette won the fight easily, but the refs scored it a wrestling competition...unfortunate.

Fight 3 125 lbs

Will Hastings (0-1) vs Eugene Broussard (1-0)

Round 1

  Hastings throws some leg kicks, and Broussard flurries with punches that force Hastings back.  Broussard lands a nasty midkick.  He has really fast kicks.  Hastings tries his hand at a kick, but Broussard catches it, and they clinch up.  They separate.  Now Hastings catches a kick, and Broussard pulls guard against the cage. Broussard works a high guard, but Hastings doesn't leave any openings.  The round ends.  This round was was pretty close.  Broussard looked to be the better, faster striker.

Round 2

  Broussard throws a one-two and clinches against the cage.  He digs to the body a couple of shots.  Hastings knees to the legs.  They separate.  Hastings with a front kick, and Broussard answers with a stiff combo that scores.  Broussard throws a wheel kick that misses and clinches.  Hastings gets him against the cage and looks to knee.  Broussard gets the takedown and gains side control. He lands some good shots to Hastings' head.  Broussard mounts, and Hastings rolls him over into guard as the round ends.  Another close round.  By looking to clinch up so early Broussard played into Hastings's strength.

Round 3

  They clinch again, but Broussard throws punches to get out of it.  He sticks and moves a bit. Then he lands a good hook. A few more shots are thrown, and Hastings grabs his head.  Up against the cage he looks to land some knees.  Some of these conect, and Broussard looks hurt.  Broussard drops to a knee, and Hastings takes his back.  He's looking for the choke.  It's close a couple of times.  The round ends.  This was a really close fight. 

Winner: Eugene Broussard by split decision.  This decision really could have gone either way, as round 2  was razor thin.  This was Broussard's first fight.

Fight 4 135 lbs

Devin Cannon (Global Fitness) (1-0) vs Jace Bridwell (1-1)

Round 1
 Right away Bridwell slips.  Cannon quickly jumps on him and in the scramble takes his back.  Bridwell reverses position and winds up in Cannon's guard, but Cannon slips a triangle on him.  Bridwell moves to the side to try to alleviate the pressure, but eventually is forced to tap.  The ref doesn't see the tap and Bridwell goes out.  This mistake was made worse as Bridwell convulsed several times before he was attended to.  After regaining consciousness, it was clear that Bridwell had hurt his ankle during the fight.

Winner:  Devin Cannon by submission at :56 Rd 1.


Fight 5  185 lbs
Jarett Doyle (0-1) vs Seneca Joseph (2-1) (Gladiator Academy)

Round 1

  Doyle throws the first punch, and Joseph clinches up to the cage.  Joseph tries for a judo throw, but Doyle slips out behind him and takes Joseph's back.  Joseph rolls, and Doyle gets the full mount.  Joseph reverses position and ends up on top in Doyle's guard.  Joseph postures up and lands some big punches.  He then passes and lands some hammerfists from the side. The round ends.  Joseph made a rookie mistake with the attempted throw, but he reversed quickly and took over the round.

Round 2

  Joseph with a looping hook.  Doyle rushes in, and Joseph goes for the choke.  He pulls guard, but only manages to secure half-guard.  This allows Doyle to escape.  The lack of action at this point gets them restarted on the feet.  Doyle connects with a punch as Joseph rushes in to clinch.  They fall and Doyle ends in the mount, but he doesn't really do anything.  He looks gassed.  The round ends.

Round 3

  Joseph clinches up against the cage, and he gets the takedown.  He quickly gains side control and begins raining down hammerfists into Doyle's side.  Doyle offers no defense, and the ref stops the fight.  Joseph has some green around the edges, but there is no denying his power and ground skill.  This kid looks beastly.

Winner:  Seneca Joseph by TKO at :58 Rd 3


Fight 6  145 lbs

Cody James (1-0) vs Duece Domengeaux (0-1) (Gladiator Academy)

Round 1

Domengeaux opens up with some big kicks.  James gets in tight and goes for a front choke.  Domengeaux escapes.  Then they just start trading.  Both fighters are landing shots.  James falls, and Domengeaux pounces on top.  James attempts a triangle, but Domengeaux defends it well.  He stands out of James' guard, then leaps in with a big punch.  There is a scramble, and James gets back control.  Domengeaux rolls, and James lands some good shots while maintaining a dominant position.  The round ends.  James looks to the be better, more aggressive grappler, and Domengeaux is a little too reckless on his feet.

Round 2
They start trading, and Domengeaux eats a punch.  They clinch up, and James lands a beautiful throw.  Domengeaux rolls onto his knees and gets in James' guard.  James wastes no time and attempts a gogoplata, and it looks sunk.  Domengeaux struggles but makes a great escape.  Once out he finds himself in a triangle.  James locks his legs, and it is tight.  James grows impatient and switches to an armbar, which gets the tap.  James' ground game looked plain sick.  His guard was extremely active...and effective.

Winner:  Cody James by submission in Rd 2

Fight 7 Heavyweight

Adrian Stafford vs Billy Brown

Brown comes out looking very wild and sloppy.  He throws pawing shots at Stafford to no effect.  He falls/goes for a leg. Stafford defends it easily and starts blasting big shots to Brown's face.  Brown covers up and waits for the stoppage.  Stafford showed composure and poise in being patient and looking for his openings against a clearly less skilled fighter.

Winner:  Adrian Stafford by TKO at 1:11 Rd 1


Fight 8  145 lbs

Donald Goff (4-2)(Global Fitness) vs Mike Bruno (2-1) (Gladiator Academy)

Bruno comes out very aggressive.  He shoots, and Goff wizzers.  Bruno tries to roll through it and finds himself caught in a reverse triangle.  Goff adjusts it into a straight triangle, and Bruno taps.  It looked like Bruno was just caught off guard, and Goff showed great awareness capitalizing on the brief opening.

Winner:  Donald Goff by submission at :53 Rd 1

Fight 9 135 lbs

Clay Burns (Global Fitness)(5-4) vs Justin Dixon (2-0)

Round 1

They both throw punches, but nothing really connects.  Dixon with a front kick.  Burns throws a combo, but Dixon does a nice job slipping it.  Dixon throws a leg kick. Burns lands a thundering uppercut that almost knocks out Dixon's mouthpiece.  Dixon immediately shoots, and Burns defends against the cage.  Burns sneaks a couple of punches underneath.  Dixon finally gets the takedown.  The round ends.  Both fighters showed good movement and were evenly matched, with the defining moment of the round being the uppercut landed by Burns.

Round 2

  Dixon shoots immediately and gets the takedown.  Burns gets the guard.  He makes a play for Dixon's neck but doesn't get it.  Dixon works the body a little bit.  There is not much action, and they get restarted.  Dixon shoots again, and gets the takedown. He is in half-guard this time.  Dixon works the body while he looks to pass.  Burns rolls, and Dixon goes for the back.  Burns defends pretty well. He gets back to his feet with Dixon behind him.  Burns somersaults as the round ends.  It is clear that Dixon has no interest in the stand up after tasting Burn's power.  He needs to press any advantage he gets on the ground to win this fight.

Round 3

  Dixon throws a leg kick, and then he shoots for an ankle pick. He gets the takedown.  Burns gets halfguard.  Burns works to his feet, they scramble, and Dixon takes his back.  Burns spins, and they go to the ground.  Burns gets to his feet and gives his back yet again. He spins, and Dixon works for a single leg.  He gets it and falls into a guilotine by Burns.  The round ends as he escapes to guard.  This is a case of wrestling being the deciding factor.  Dixon landed no damage, but his positional advantages in rounds 2 and 3 proved to be the difference in the way this fight played out.

Winner: Justin Dixon by unanimous decision.


Fight 10 145 lbs

David Bosnick (Global Fitness)(1-0) vs Zach Cothren (5-2)

Round 1

  Bosnick leads with a stiff jab. He follows it with a good one-two that sounds off nicely.  Cothren lands a sloppy mid kick.  Bosnick throws a high kick that grazes.  Cothren throws a nice leg kick.  They clinch. They then joust at the cage.  Bosnick lands some knees inside.  They separate.  Bosnick shoots and gets a big takedown, but Cothren stands up and goes for the guillotine.  Bosnick defends well.  At the bell Cothren sinks in a deep choke.  Bosnick literally crawls back to his corner.  He is indicating he was hit low at the bell, and he is being given extra time to recover.

Round 2

They start off trading.  They clinch and trade knees.  Cothren gets a leg.  He then presses against the cage. He lands some good knees, and Bosnick is hurt.  They separate, and Bosnick is angry.  He drops his hands in defiance and wants Cothren to drop his.  Cothren doesn't go for it.  Bosnick is bleeding from the eye.  Bosnick lands a nasty leg kick.  A good combo rocks Cothren. He goes down, and Bosnick mounts.  Cothren is scrambling to stay alive and is saved by the bell.  Bosnick really took control of the round after the separation from the clinch.  Cothren seemed to fade noticeably.  This was a very good round for Bosnick.

Round 3

  Cothren shoots and takes Bosnick's back.  Cothren drags him down and looks for the choke.  Bosnick escapes and reverses position to get in guard on top.  At this the crowd cheers.  Bosnick postures up and lands some shots.  He passes to side control. Then he moves to north south.  Cothren rolls onto his knees to stand.  Bosnick lands some big blows to close out the round.  Cothren kept it interesting for most of the fight, but Bosnick had spurts of total dominance.  He needs to tap into his raw aggression more.

Winner: David Bosnick by unanimous decision


Fight 11 Main Event 135 lbs Professional

John DeJesus (0-0) (ATT) vs Aaron Phillips (2-0) (Gladiator Academy)

Round 1

The house is buzzing for this one.

  De Jesus comes out aggressive, and pushes phillips to the cage.  Phillips lands a big knee that backs up De Jesus. Phillips then connects with a big kick to the body.  He follows this up with a smooth trip takeown. Once on the ground he passes to side control. De Jesus is moving a lot trying to recover guard, but Phillips rolls into a D'Arce choke.  It looks tight.  De Jesus defends it well, but it still looks tight. With all the rolling around Phillips lets it go to establish side control.  Phillips lands some good punches.  De Jesus recovers guard and almost instantly Phillips is in an armbar. De Jesus tries to extend, but Phillips escapes and lands a punch.  He postures up. Before any real damage can be delivered De Jesus pushes off and stands up.  Phillips comes right back and lands a big knee to the body.  Then he misses with a highkick.  De Jesus answers with a midkick of his own.  Phillips slips, and De Jesus follows him into guard.  Phillips is very busy from the bottom with elbows to De Jesus' temple. The round ends. This was a really great round.  Phillips showed great grappling from both the top and bottom, and De Jesus showed the BJJ skills that ATT is known for, and a willingness to trade.  De Jesus also has a significant reach advantage, but Phillips used his Muay Thai skills to get in close and score with knees and kicks. 

Round 2

Phillips opens with a leg kick, and then he lands a stiff cross.  De Jesus pushes him to the cage and does a nice takedown into side control.  De Jesus is being patient, and Phillips is able to attain guard and goes for a triangle.  De Jesus escapes.  He answers with an elbow that Phillips blocks.  They get restarted.  They clinch, and De Jesus pushes to the cage dropping for a leg.  Phillips reverses, and De Jesus switches for a kneebar. Phillips defends and moves to take his back.  De Jesus rolls and stands up. Just overall great scrambling and they get back to their feet.  Phillips lands some big body shots that seem to hurt De Jesus.  Phillips digs another hook to the body, and De Jesus pushes him to the cage.  Phillips lands some big shots from the Thai clinch, and De Jesus is slowing down.  De Jesus manages to surge forward and lands several clean punches as the round closes.  These guys are definitely closing out the show.  De Jesus is getting the worse of the stand up, but he is not giving an inch.

Round 3

  Before the round starts Phillips is standing in his corner staring at De Jesus looking like he is ready to go 5 rounds.  They take the center, De Jesus jabs, and Phillips throws a body kick.  De Jesus lands some combos, and Phillips answers with a big knee to the body.  Phillips is getting tagged but doesn't seem to care.  His hands are low and is just walking through punches looking for the big kick or knee.  Phillips scores to the body.  He looks like he is stalking De Jesus around the cage while De Jesus lands punches.  Phillips pushes to the cage and lands another knee.  De Jesus throws an elbow.  As Phillips closes the distance De Jesus keeps pushing him away.  Phillips throws a flying knee that De Jesus catches. He tries to capitalize on this opportunity, but Phillips reverses and lands on top throwing lots of punches and hammerfists.  De Jesus stays calm and gets halfguard. Then he smoothly makes a nice reversal into north south.  Phillips rolls, and De Jesus spins for his back.  He sinks his hooks in.  He's looking for the choke.  Phillips defends well.  De Jesus stretches him out and lands punches to the head to close out the fight.  What an incredible showing by both fighters, and the crowd roars their approval of the combatants' efforts.  This was a very hotly contested fight with both fighters having the advantage at different point.  Phillips Muay Thai seemed to dictate the stand-up, and although they were very evenly matched on the ground, Phillips had more effective striking when he had the dominant position.  

Winner:  Aaron Phillips by unanimous decision.


Despite the number of fights going to a decision, this card delivered some really amazing contests.  It was the ground fighting on display that won the night for several fighters.  To close the night we had a main event that could have easily fit on a televised card.  It was that good! Though coming up short in the decision, De Jesus showed that he can compete with the very best of the area, and Phillips showed that he has the fortitude to win a grueling war of attrition.  With this question answered, the next one may just be how high his star can rise in the sport.

GFA brings Top Shelf Fights to Lafayette this saturday at:

Top Shelf Sports

1616 Youngsville Hwy (Amb. Caff. Ext.)

Youngsville, La.

7 PM

Jesse Thorton vs Aaron Phillips
Clay Burns vs TBD
Zach Cotthren vs David Able
John De Jesus vs J.D. Alexander
Jace Bridwell vs Justin Dixon
Jeremy Maddox vs Alvin Jordan
Donald Goff vs Mike Bruno
Devin Jones vs Dat Tran
Will Hastings vs Eugene Broussard
Cody James vs Duece Domogeaux
Jordan Brouillette vs Robin White
Jarrett Doyle vs Seneca Joseph
Trey Blaylock vs Bruce Moore
Adrian Stafford vs Billy Brown

Dustin Poirier UFC 143 Interview

UFC 143 Preliminary Bouts Broadcast on FX at 8 PM

This saturday night, Dustin Poirier (11-1) looks to solidify himself as a contender in the featherweight division of the UFC, and continue to display his developing (s)kill set in the main event of the UFC on FX broadcast of the UFC 143 preliminary bouts. The native of the northside of lafayette is on a 4 fight win streak and is currently the #5 ranked featherweight by mmaweekly.com.  Poirier was originally set to face Erik Koch but he injured himself, and Ricardo Lamas stepped up to the plate, only to injure himself as well. Max Holloway (4-0) answered the call to battle and brings a high pace unorthadoxed striking style to his UFC debut. Keep your eyes peeled for this one as both fightes like to walk forward, engage with opponents, and use high pressure styles to put opponents in bad positions.

Poirier by submission!!!

G1 presents Sovereign Valor: Team USA vs Team Japan

MMA has come to Coushatta. The card features 11 fights featuring 4 professional bouts. Amateur fights are three 3 minute rounds, while professional fights are three 5 minute rounds. The professional fights feature fighters from Japan against American fighters. As a bonus, one of the referees tonight was UFC veteran, Rich Clementi. After a peformance by the First Mate dance crew, the show opens to the entrance of the two competing teams in the cage. As one may guess, the crowd has a noticeable bias. With the teams facing off in the cage, their respective national anthems play. At the conclusion of the anthems, the crowd goes wild in anticipation.

Note: Our appologies to the amateur fighters! We were not able to sit cageside and it took a while to find the right settings to get good quality action pics with a new lens.

Fight 1 Amateur 170 lbs

Steven Boulet (Performance Evolution) vs Alvin Jordan (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round One:
They circle and trade punches. They joust against the fence...then separate. Jordan is more aggressive but gets caught with a looping overhand right by Boulet that ends Jordan's night early.

Winner: Steven Boulet at 1:04 Rd 1, KO.

Fight 2 Amateur 205ish lbs.

Derek Baines (Urban Jungle-Houston, TX) vs Jeremy Hardy (Bushi Ban-Pasadena, TX)

Round 1:

Hardy opens with leg kicks. Then they both start trading leg kicks. Hardy is clearly winning the battle of the leg kicks, as redness shows and Baines begins favoring his left leg. Hardy gets a front head lock and begins pushing Baines against the cage while landing some knees to the head. The fighters separate, and you can see that Baines is bloodied. Hardy drops him with a hook. He quickly gets mount and rains down big shots. Baines rolls over and Hardy sinks the rear naked choke forcing the tap.

Winner: Jeremy Hardy 2:06 Rd 1 by submission (rear naked choke)

Fight 3 Amateur 140 lbs.

Martin Walker (TX Top Team-Beaumont, TX) vs Mike Bruno (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round 1:
Bruno shoots in and gets the takedown, advancing to half-guard. Walker regains full guard. He then goes for a triangle. He locks the legs. It is tight. Walker then transitions to armbar. Bruno appears to be in all kinds of trouble, but then he gets his head out and escapes. Walker is very impressive with his skills off his back. He then catches his own leg for rubber guard. While pushing on Bruno's face he looks for a gogoplata. Bruno counters. The round ends with Bruno tied up in Walker's guard.

Round 2:
Bruno shoots again and pushes Walker against the cage. He lands a big slam and gains side control. Walker works to get half-guard and then guard. They scramble, and Bruno winds up in the mount. He lands some punches. Walker escapes and looks for a triangle from his back. The round ends. Both of these fighters are displaying some fine grappling prowess and skill.

Round 3:

Walker opens the round with a leg kick. Bruno answers with a quick shot and gets the takedown in side control. Walker moves his hips to gain half-guard. Bruno changes the temperature by trying to soften Walker up with some punches. This gives him the opportunity to advance to side control, and after that the mount. At this Walker turns over, giving his back. Bruno lands a flurry, and the ref stops the fight. While both fighters were impressive, it was Bruno's heart and tenacity that won him the fight.

Winner: Mike Bruno by ref stoppage due to strikes, Rd 3.

Fight 4 Amateur 205+ lbs

Gary Harling (Houston, TX) vs Everitt Sims (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round 1:

They immediately clinch. Sims takes him down and wastes no time working for the mount. Once there Sims rains huge punches down. Harling rolls over and Sims gets the choke. Sims was just too big and mean for Harling.

Winner: Everitt Sims at 1:11 Rd 1 by rear naked choke.

Fight 5 Amateur 185 lbs

Ryan Spann (TX Top Team-Beaumont, TX) vs Corey Manuel (Lake Area BJJ-Lake Charles, LA)

Round 1:

Manuel shoots immediately at the glove touch, grabs a leg, and goes for the takedown. Spann gets under the chin with a guillotine as he defends the shot. He adjusts his grip, and it is deep. Manuel continues to drive for the takedown, but after a couple of steps goes out on his feet. Spann drops his limp opponent as the ref steps in.

Winner: Ryan Spann :16 seconds by standing guillotine, Rd 1.

Fight 6 Amateur 125 lbs.

Will Spidle (TX Top Team-Beaumont, TX) vs Dat Tran (Gladiator Academy-Lafayette, LA)

Round 1:

Tran comes out real aggessively with punches. They tie up at the cage. Spidle has double underhooks. Tran gets caught with an errant low blow and takes some time to recover. Upon the restart Tran charges in. Spidle gets a takedown and lands in side control. Tran recovers back to guard and goes for an armbar. Spidle defends it well. He then pushes Tran up against the cage. Tran rolls his legs up trying to escape, and Spidle pounces with a flurry of strikes. Tran turtles up and waits for the stoppage.

Winner: Will Spidle at 2:33 Rd 1 by referee stoppage.

Fight 7 Amateur 155 lbs

Nkosi Campbell (Bulls Gym-Alexandria, LA) vs Taylor Montgomery (TX Punishment Crew-Beaumont, TX)

Round 1:

Campbell leads with a superman punch. They clinch, and Campbell lands some big knees to the body. He then bullies Montgomery to the ground. Montgomery escapes, and they scramble. Campbell lands in side control. Montgomery gets guard, and then makes a beautiful sweep into mount. Unfortunately the moment was short lived, as Campbell reversed him right back into guard. Montgomery goes for a triangle, and just as he locked his legs Campbell picks him up and power bombs him to unconsciousness. Campbell was a pit bull in the cage. He came in 10 pounds over, and his strength proved to be the deciding factor in the fight.

Winner: Nkosi Campbell at 2:30 in Rd 1 by knockout

Fight 8 Professional 135 lbs

Tashiro Nishiuchi Akai 16-7-13 (Team Japan) vs Lewis McKenzie 12-9 (Team USA)

Round 1:

McKenzie comes out with aggressive strikes, making great use of his reach advantage. He throws some nice combos of kicks and pucnhes. He pushes Nishiuchi to the cage. They separate. McKenzie gets the clinch and executes a nice hip throw. Nishiuchi quickly gets back to his feet. McKenzie lands a good one two. They trade more. McKenzie's frantic pace is beginning to wear himself out. His defense and movement slow, and Nishiuchi capitalizes by landing two good punches. Nishiuchi follows up looking to finish and eats a spinning back fist. His legs buckle, and the crowd goes nuts. McKenzie pushes him to the ground, and they scramble. Nishiuchi ends on top, and McKenzie gives his back. Nishiuchi goes for the choke, but McKenzie escapes. The round ends with Nishiuchi attempting to sink the choke. This was a super exciting round. McKenzie is a little wild, but he uses his range well to work multi-level combos. Nishiuchi seems a little off balance, but he is being patient and looking for his openings.

Round 2:

McKenzie lands some good punches. His right keeps scoring. Now Nichiuchi lands a few in return. McKenzie looks tired again and shoots. He gets Nishiuchi against the cage. Nishiuchi's nose is bloody. He's taken a lot of punishment, but he seems to have a pretty good chin. They separate off the cage and exchange more punches again. They are both landing. McKenzie gets caught, he shoots lazily, and Nishiuchi takes his back. The choke is sunk, and McKenzie has no choice but to tap. This was a very exciting fight, and McKenzie was very impressive considering he has no formal training in mma.

Winner: Tashiro Nishiuchi at 2:31 Rd 2 by rear naked choke

Fight 9 Professional 185 lbs

Yoshihito Kuroki 2-1-4 (Team Japan) vs Eric Scallan 8-3 (Team USA)

Round 1:
Scallan throws the first combo. He follows it with a solid mid-kick, and Kuroki shoots. Scallan stuffs it and ends in side control. Scallan advances to the mount and seamlessly transitions to the armbar, getting the immediate tap. This was a dominating performance with flawless execution.

Winner: Eric Scallon at 1:05 Rd 1 by armbar.

Fight 10 Professional 155 lbs

Kota Okazawa 10-5-4 (Team Japan) vs Derek Campos 8-2 (Team USA)
Derek Campos recently signed with Bellator.

Round 1:

They immediately start trading some quick punches and Okazawa goes down. He quickly recovers and shoots on Campos. It is easily stuffed, and Campos stands up. Campos throws some solid punches, changing levels, Okazawa shoots again, as he is getting picked apart. Campos stuffs the attempt again. Okazawa pushes him into cage, and he finally gets the takedown. Campos has him in butterfly guard. He goes for the omaplata on Okazawa. They scramble, and Campos gets on top. Okazawa then goes for a kimura, but Campos defends well. Campos tries to pass Okazawa's guard, while working some solid ground and pound to the body. The round ends. Okazawa was outclassed standing and didn't seem to do much better on the ground.

Round 2:
Campos lands a stiff counter and Okazawa buckles. He lands another hook, and Okazawa drops into a shot. Campos stuffs it. He then works to get the back. He gets it and flattens Okazawa out. He lands a couple of shots and keeps him flat. He lands more shots to the head. Campos steadily works for the choke and eventually forces the tap. Campos was just too fast and skilled on the ground. This guy showed why he is going to Bellator. Campos turned in a very strong performance.

Winner: Derek Campos at 3:46 Rd 2 by rear naked choke


Fight 11 Professional 155 lbs

Yoshiaki Takahashi 7-1-2 (Team Japan) vs Adam Schindler 9-3 (Team USA)
They have an intense staredown.

Round 1
Schindler leads with a good leg kick. Takahashi kicks in answer, but Schindler catches it and drives him to the ground. Schindler is really aggressive and in the scramble takes Takahashi's back. He immediately flattens him out and rains down punches to the sides of the head. Takahashi is tough and makes a valiant effort to escape, but Schindler's top control is too good, and Takahashi is flattened out again. Eventually the non-stop punches start to wear on him, he stops defending himself, the lack of defense and accumulation of punishment forces the referee to stop the fight.

Winner: Adam Schindler at 2:55 in Rd 1 by TKO stoppage

I have to say that this card surpassed my expectations. No fights went the distance, and a few fighters really impressed me. As a bonus, the representative for Team Japan was none other than Funaki of WWE fame.


The real action for me, however, was outside the cage, as the entire media row got threatened by some drunken, redneck assholes because we were working during the national anthem and didn't have a media table to put our gear on in order to stand. They were very vocal and belligerent about it, and I actually thought we would be forced into an altercation. But if those certain someones are reading this, I have a piece of friendly advice. If you love your country as much as you appear to, then perhaps you should put more effort into learning the lyrics to the anthem as you do in policing what everyone else is doing.