Written By: Derek Constable

Global Fight League 8 had more fights than the hockey game next door at the Dover ice Arena in New Hampshire on July 16. Hometown champion Justin Homsey of Renzo NH proved his dominance over featherweight contender Bill Jones with a quick first round submission and a journeyman from New Jersey with over 20 fights and some notable ‘jitz’ of his own has surfaced to challenge the champ for his thrown.

Kevin Roddy won a 145 lbs GFL Championship qualifier with a first round submission equally as impressive as Homsey’s and hopefully the two will meet in September the very same night as Pedro Gonzales takes on Matt Smith for the Bantamweight belt.

It was a night full of surprises as veterans showed experience means a lot while amateurs like Brett Morris, Tyler Nau and Josh Bourque stoles the show with dominant performances that no one could forsee from the fight card.

The arena was full, the crowd was into it and no one missed a bit of action as the promotion supplied 5-6 big screens above the cage for live play-by-play.

AMATEURS

155 – Steve Wolfinger (KAOS) v Sean Blaisdell (SEACOAST)

R1 – Wolfinger opens with a jab and Blaisdell retaliates by ducking it and closing in for a double leg takedown. He runs Wolfinger into the cage and picks him up for a slam. Wolfinger gets full guard but Blaisdell moves him across the mat and into a corner, while trying to work his ground and pound. Wolfinger lands two good shots to the face from the bottom so Blaisdell starts to bury his head more and work the body. Round ends with Blaisdell on top working hard.

R2 – Wolfinger comes out energized after spending a whole round on his back. He starts the action with a body kick and then paws at Blaisdell’s chin with his right hand. Blaisdell slips the punch and attempts a standing choke but was to settle for a clinch as Wolfinger frees himself quickly. Wolfinger jumps guard from the clinch and as soon as the pair hits the mat blood begins to trickle down Wolfinger’s rib cage assumedly frmo Blaisdell’s head which is hidden. Blaisdell frees his head and arms and moves his opponent around the cage but isn’t doing much besides hold on. Wolfinger traps both arms and as soon as the timekeeper signals the final 10 seconds in the round, he opens his guard and applies an arm bar. The submission looks good, but time expires. Wolfinger is the first to stand up. He helps Blaidell to his feet and then returns to his corner with his tongue out.

R3 – Wolfinger comes out firing, Blaisdell ducks the strikes and takes him down with double leg. He then continues to push Wolfinger around the cage like a sled leaving his head in harms way. Wolfinger attempts a triangle and an armbar to no avail but then slips out from under Blaisdell during one of his escapes and nearly takes his back. Blaisdell rolls to his right and shakes him off … 10 SECONDS LEFT! The referee decides to stand the fighters up and the whistle blows before either fighter makes it to his feet.

Sean Blaisdell def. Steve Wolfinger by Split Decision.

145 – Brett Morris (RIVERA MMA) v. Nick Villafane (HAVERHILL)

R1 – Morris presses the action but drops to both knees for a takedown which he muscles from the mat. He takes his time with Villafane, catching his breathm, moving him to one side of the cage, and then passes to side control with little effort. Morris looks to make a move to mount but only to secure an armbar. Villafane impressively runs up the side of the cage from his back to straighten out his arm, but once hes back to his knees, Morris transitions to a triangle and the fight is over in less than two minutes.

Brett Morris def. Nick Villafane by Submission (Triangle) 1:31 R1.

155 – Christian Fenderson (HAVOK) v. Justin Clough (CAGE STRIKERS)

R1 – A lot of movement from these two lightweights as both men come out of their corners displaying good footwork and a lot of bobbing and weaving with their head and hands. After the guys are done feeling each other out, Fenderson runs Clough into the cage and with a single underhook, begins blasting Clough in the body with right hooks and punishing his leg on the same side with viscious hammerfists. Fenderson drops as low as possible digging deep for a takedown and all Clough can do is fall to a sitting position in order to avoid two shoulders pinned to the mat. Clough finds his guard, but Fenderson stand over him and tries to finish the fight by TKO with just 3 seconds left.

R2 – Fenderson picks up where he left off. He opens the round with a big slam, turns his oppoent into the cage and finishes the fight by ground and pound after too many unanswered strikes on the ground.

Christian Fenderson def. Justin Clough by TKO (Ref stoppage) 1:32 R2.

145 – Matt Marshall (MANIAC) v Corey Palmer (MFS – NH)

R1 – Palmer opens the fight with a karate kick followed up by with a 1,2 punch combination and Marshall is on the floor lookling for a heel hook instantly. Palmer keeps his balance for a minute and delivers a punch or two but eventually is forced to grab the fence in order to help keep his leg straight. The ref yells and he falls as he let’s go, but the two stand up and return to striking immediately. Marshall’s got alright hands but he has to respect the snappy kicks of Palmer and decides to shoot in for a double. Palmer sprawls well and as he pushes away to separate he unloads a pair of punches that looked thrown in slow motion. Marshall takes notice and exchanges punches with him again, rocking Palmer with a good combination. He sees him stunned and shoots in, but Palmer sprawls again the fight remains standing. Marshall runs him into the fence, punishes Palmer with some hard punches, but he circles away and gets out of there. Marshall chases him down drops him with a heavy right hand. He then slaps an anaconda choke on Palmer as he tries to get up and flips him over his shoulder to force the tap in the center of the cage.

Matt Marshall def. Corey Palmer by Submissions (Anaconda) 2:50 R1.

170 – Keegan Hornstra (MANIAC) v Ozzie Diaz (SEACOAST)

R1 – Both men run across the cage in search of undehooks and Diaz drives through Hornstra’s offense with his eyes squinted like a man running over hot coals. He takes Hornstra down with a firemans carry winds up in full guard. Diaz slips over to side control and then moves to side mount. He delivers one good punch and then takes over from the crucifix position. Diaz goes for a kimura but then releases it and finishes the fight with unanswered left hands to the face.

Ozzie Diaz def. Keegan Hornstra by TKO 2:56 R1.

155 – Chris Lane (KAOS) v Devin Powell (SEACOAST)

R1 – Lane wants to stand but Powell drops to his knees and muscles a single leg takedown from the ground. He obtains side control and then is trapped in a guillotine on his way to full mount. After short time he finds his way out of the choke and begins a stellar ground and pound that forces Lane to Buck and Powell to begin to lose his position. He goes for the armbar before totally losing top position and finishes the fight as such as 2:42. Powell looked dominant in this performance and is easily the tallest lightweight in the Northeast since Pat Audinwood.

160 – Tyler Nau (ANUBIS) v James Grant (RENZO NH)

R1 – Nau controls the cage with superior boxing. He’s lengthy and it’s apparant that the Renzo NH fighter, Grant, is looking to take this fight to the mat. Grant plants his feet looking for takedown openings while Nau is hopping around on his heels utilizing his reach and his hand skills. Nau lands a hard shot on Grant and Grant responds by ducking his head and running Nau into a wall. Nau circles out of this bad spot and drops Grant with a flash knockout.

Tyler Nau def. James Grant by KO 2:01 R1

135/155 – Josh Bourque (CAGE STRIKERS) v Aaron Smith (SEACOAST)

WHAT A FIGHT! These two guys weighed in 20 pounds different but were left on fight night with no opponents after one man’s rival fell victim to food posioning and another was hurt during training. But Bourque and Smith agreed to fight each other because no one else would. Hats off to both these guys ESPECIALLY Josh Bourque.

R1 – Bourque begins this David and Goliath fight smart, always with his foot to the gas pedal. He circles the cage the entire round staying on the outside of Smith’s home run swings and avoiding any punch for punch type of confrontation. He makes Smith miss plenty, and counters well once or twice with rabbit punches to the face after Smith’s swung around by his missed shots. Its the right game plan but can he keep it up for 3 rounds?

R2 – Same war, no takedowns, but Bourque is slowing down. Smith’s heavy kicks to Bourque’s lead leg are adding up and he’s not skipping around quite the same as he did in the first round. Every so often Bourque gets cornered against the cage and eats one or two hard shots, but he always manages to squirm away and return to the center of the cage where he is taunting Smith (while always on the move).

R3 – Bourque’s leg is done and those hard shots he took in Round Two are beginning to take his spirit. He fights the same game plan but doesn’t have the speed to carry it out any more. Smith lands the most punches, gets him to the ground and tries to finish the fight by TKO in the last 10 seconds. Thankfully the ref does not intervene and gives Bourque what he earned — the hardest fought loss of his career. He went three rounds with a man two weight classes bigger than himself and by choice. Way to go Josh. Sometimes a fighter’s losses can say more about the man than a win.

Aaron Smith def. Josh Bourque by Unanimous Decision.

175 – Tony Woodman (HAVOK) v Mark Matheson (DRAGON WARRIOR)

R1 – The two men circle and exchange kicks, Matheson misses high, Woodman tries low and then Woodman crashed into Matheson like a linebacker. He drives Matheson into the cage but the pair bounces off the fence like a rubberband and then its Matheson who is working Woodman up against the cage. Matheson punishes Woodman with some right uppercuts and then Woodman fires off a knee. Woodman digs for slam but instead decides to just run right through him. He knocks Matheson over and begins to pummel him from guard. The referee and doctor intervene and the fight is ruled ‘Tapout due to shoulder injury.’

“It’s not really the way I wanted to win but thanks to all my friends and family, to Havok MMA, I did my best.” T.W.

Tony Woodman def. Mark Matheson by TKO (Doc Stoppage) 1:50 R1.

145 – Adam Tousaint (HAVOK) v Dominic Warr (WAI KRU)

R1 – Warr is very unorthodox and comes out of his corner, arms flailing around him like Bruce Lee … but Tousaint is not impressed. He stares down Warr’s shots and looks for openings. After countering two crazy strikes, Tousant takes him down but the two work back to their feet in short time. Tousaint ducks a hook takes his opponent’s back, but Warr takes him down with a single leg. Warr is trying to tie him up, but Tousaint sweeps him and gets back to his feet. He hits Warr with a few strikes from above and the rounds over.

R2 – Tousaint somes out with a superman punch to head-arm choke and then jumps guard bringing Warr down. He gets on top and starts to beat Warr savagely. Warr is looking for a heel, a foot, an ankle … ANYTHING to hold on to and Tousaint socks him with two rights for grabbing him. He takes his back, gains mount and the ref pulls Tousaint off of him at 1:43 of the second round.

PROS

Adam Tousaint def. Dominic Warr by TKO 1:43 R2.

265 – Ken Avery (BMAC) v Cody Lightfoot (SEACOAST):

R1 – Lightfoot surprises everyone with a first round submission. He bullies Avery to the floor and from on top applies a side choke. He feels that it’s working and squeezes even tighter to force a tap.

“Thanks to my brothers for beating me up when I was younger.” C.L.

Cody Lightfoot def. Ken Avery by Submission (Side choke) :47 R1.

145 – Kevin Roddy (PELLEGRINO) v Jonathon Chasse (AMMA)

R1 – Roddy showcased the best stand up he’s shown in years. A veteran of over 20 fights, he landed the first punch on Chasse and took his back the second Chasse appeared to be stunned. Roddy secures a rear naked choke submission and brings the fight to the floor but Chasse works out of it and gains top position. Roddy applies a full guard and punishes the man on top with a pair of right hooks. Chasse stands up and Roddy returns to his feet delivering a leg kick and another straight left hand. Chasse closes in for a single leg and Roddy drops a hard elbow to the side of his dome. Chasse slams his opponent but Roddy holds onto an arm on the way down. He work back to his knees and applies a guillotine submissions to force an end to the contest in the very first round. This fight ends a losing streak for the Kurt Pellegrino blackbelt and earns him a title shot against the current GFL Champion Justin Homsey

Kevin Roddy def. Jonathon Chase by Submission (Guillotine) 2:24R1.’

MAIN EVENT: Bill Jones (KAOS) v Justin Homsey (RENZO NH)

R1 – Bill Jones dances in the cage through Homsey’s entire walk out song, oozing confidence but in the end it’s Homsey whose celebrating. Homsey forces a takedown before this can become a strand up war and Jones, failing to sprawl, falls to a sitting position. He lies back to get his guard up and Homsey goes to work. He takes his time isolating a single arm and works diligently for an armbar. He gets it and Jones taps out.

Justin Homsey def. Bill Jones by Submission (Armbar) 1:52 R1.