WFL Real 2

March 29th, 2008

Club Lido, Revere, MA

 

Rodrigo de Almeida (BMAC) vs. Jarrad Johnson (Fisherman’s Den)

 

Round 1: Almeida lands a big overhand right, knocking Johnson out. A few more punches on the ground officially finish it.

 

Winner by KO at 0:06 of round 1: Rodrigo de Almeida

 

Pat Martin (Lowell MMA) vs. Junior Pinto (Dragon Lair)

 

Round 1: Pinto comes out with spinning kicks. Martin clinches and attempts a takedown, but Pinto defends and breaks. Pinto is on top in guard. Martin tries an arm bar, but Pinto slams out. Pinto gets to half guard as Martin attempts a leg lock. Pinto passes and pounds from side mount, knocking Martin out with punches.

 

Winner by KO at 1:18 of round 1: Junior Pinto

 

Ryan Hackney (BMAC) vs. Travis Lerchen (Mango Tree)

 

Round 1: Hackney comes out fast, swings, and misses. They clinch. Lerchen nails a takedown to half guard, but Hackney quickly reverses into guard. Lerchen nearly gets a guillotine, but Hackney escapes and pounds. Lerchen locks in an arm bar. The lock fails, but Lerchen sweeps Hackney to mount. Lerchen pounds away until the ref stops fight.

 

Winner by TKO at 1:39 of round 1: Travis Lerchen

Ryan White (SSSF) vs. Nelson Gaipo (Dragon Lair)

 

Round 1: They touch gloves. White swings off the bat and clinches. Both land knees and punches, Gaipo presses White to the ropes. Gaipo misses a takedown attempt, and White lands on top in half guard. White pounds the ribs with punches and knees. This scene stays for about two minutes. Nelson gets guard back right before the end of the round.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 White.

 

Round 2: Gaipo lands two successive shots which ignites a slugfest. White lands a kick before they clinch. Both land shots, with Gaipo landing a little more. Gaipo lands a big knee to the stomach, and White drops and shoots for a takedown. After being restarted in the center, White takes Gaipo down to side mount. Gaipo tries to crucifix, but White breaks free. White lands punches and knees from the top. White transitions to mount and punches. The round ends with both men punching.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 White

 

Winner by decision (unanimous): Ryan White

 

Jose Valentin (Team Evil) vs. Jake Feiner (Borelli FS)

 

Round 1: Both swing off the bat, with Valentin throwing leg kicks.  Valentin lands some head shots and Feiner clinches. Both knee and Valentin lands a right off the break. Feiner lands some shots of his own as they trade some more.  Feiner hits square on the jaw, knocking Valentin’s mouthpiece out. They clinch and knee. Valentin lands a right off the break. They trade more shots with Feiner landing more before clinching again.  Both knee and punch before breaking. Valentin lands a kick, while Feiner nails the jaw.  Valentin nails some body shots, and both get wobbly from hitting each other on the jaw. Valentin goes to the body, forcing Feiner to grimace. Valentin then pinpoints the stomach, knocking Feiner down with knees. Feiner shoots, getting a single leg. Valentin quickly gets up and they trade more. This is an amazing match. Feiner lands a right to the jaw, knocking Valentin back. Both swing as the round ends.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 Valentin, but VERY close.

 

Round 2: Valentin kicks to the ribs. Feiner answers with punches, and both land more kicks. Valentin hits a hard body shot and misses a hook kick. Feiner lands his own punches, to which Valentin answers with a hard right. They quickly clinch and break. Valentin lands more punches and knocks Feiner’s mouthpiece out. The two clinch. Valentin knees to the ribs. Feiner drops for a takedown, but Valentin defends against the ropes. Valentin crucifixes out, and knees Feiner in the chest as they get up. Valentin lands more hard shots, but Feiner shoots and gets a takedown to half guard. Feiner pounds from the top and passes to mount. Valentin holds tight, and Feiner lands short shots. Feiner gets posture and lands a few punches. They get stood up from lack of activity. Feiner runs into two hard punches and they clinch and break. Valentin knocks Feiner down with a right hook. Feiner gets up and takes Valentin down to guard as the round ends.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 Valentin

 

The judges rule it a draw, so we go to two-minute overtime. This match is balls-out incredible. What makes it even better is that Mike Varner is on the mic, providing constant entertainment for the fans.

 

Overtime: Both men touch gloves. Feiner knocks Valentin down with a punch, but lands in a triangle. Valentin works it for a bit, but Feiner eventually escapes to the top of guard. Feiner starts to pass, but they are in the ropes and get stood up. Feiner lands a shot to the jaw, while Valentin lands a hard body shot. They clinch and Valentin knees the ribs. Feiner lands a hard shot to the jaw before more clinch work. The round ends.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 Valentin, but, again, VERY close. I gave it to him based on the damage with the knees and the triangle attempt. Either way, it was a clear contender for Fight of the Year, and it was both men’s debut. That in itself is amazing.

 

Winner by decision (unanimous): Jose Valentin

 

Lindomar “Bode” Silva (BMAC) vs. Nick Evangelous (Dragon Lair)

 

Round 1: Silva swings and misses. Both fire leg kicks, but Evangelous is really peppering Silva. Silva keeps swinging and missing. Silva misses a right, and Evangelous answers with a right of his own. They quickly clinch before breaking. Both swing right hands. Silva tags Evangelous, sends him reeling, and follows with a running kick to the face. Evangelous takes him down, but they are caught in the ropes and restarted. Evangelous hits a leg kick Silva misses more shots. Silva tags Evangelous again, but Evangelous gets a takedown to guard. Silva tries for a crucifix sweep until the round ends.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 Silva, but only for the near-finish. Other than that, it was a pretty even round.

 

Round 2:  Silva swings, but misses, as Evangelous picks his shots and kicks the leg.  Evangelous clinches and hits a quick knee before breaking. Silva keeps missing the big right as Evangelous keeps tagging him. Evangelous hits a leg kick. Silva shoots and Evangelous sprawls to a clinch. Evangelous lands a right and pushes Silva down to open guard. Evangelous pounds and goes to guard, where he punches hard to the body and head. Silva tries a triangle, but Evangelous quickly defends and they go to the feet. Evangelous ducks a right and hits a quick single leg to half guard. Silva gets guard back, but Evangelous stands and lets him up. Evangelous nails a leg kick, which Silva answers with a right. Evangelous lands more shots, but Silva catches him with a right that sends him back. Evangelous ducks and takes Silva down to guard.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 Evangelous

 

Winner by decision (split): Nick Evangelous

 

Ruben Gonzalez (Team Evil) vs. Chris Foster (Team Savage)

 

Round 1:  Both men circle for a while and feel each other out. Gonzalez misses a right, and misses a smooth spinning back kick. Gonzalez lands a front kick and follows with a spinning back fist. Gonzalez lands a spinning back kick to the ribs. Foster comes in with punches and they quickly clinch and break. Both circle, throwing occasional strikes. Both land a right. Gonzalez hits a leg kick and a right straight. Foster answers with a straight right and a combo. Foster then lands a huge counter right. Gonzalez hits a leg kick before more circling and jabbing. Foster hits a nice right. Gonzalez lands a spinning back kick to the head. Foster recovers, ducks in, and lands a huge right hand, knocking Gonzalez out COLD.

 

Winner by KO at 3:08 of round 1: Chris Foster.

 

The bad news is that they had to bring out the stretcher for Gonzalez. The good news is that he was ok. The second piece of good news is that it gave this show a 30-minute break where we got MORE Mike Varner on the mic.

 

That man should have his own sitcom.

 

Corey Sullivan (SSSF) vs. James Quelle (Wai Kru)

 

Round 1: Quelle lands jabs. Sullivan shoots, lands some rights and works to a clinch. Sullivan breaks and trades. Quelle answers and knocks him down with a straight right. Sullivan may not be completely out, but he went down, and after the last KO, I don’t think the ref wanted to take any chances.

 

Winner by KO at 0:21 of round 1: James Quelle

 

Rafael da Silva (BMAC) vs. PJ Heffernan (Dragon Warrior)

 

Round 1: Both men touch gloves. da Silva misses an overhand right and they go to a clinch. da Silva knees. They break and Heffernan misses a right. Both men work to a clinch again, where da Silva nails a takedown to guard. Heffernan tries a triangle, but da Silva escapes. Heffernan sweeps to his feet and lands a big right. Heffernan comes in with more rights, and they both swing hard. da Silva clinches and puts Heffernan on the ropes. Heffernan breaks. da Silva clinches and knees to the ribs. They break and both swing, with da Silva landing and rocking Heffernan. Heffernan answers with shots that rock da Silva. da Silva shoots, but Heffernan sprawls. Both stand. Heffernan misses a right, falls and gets up to a clinch. da Silva knees. Heffernan shoots and da Silva sprawls. da Silva transitions to Heffernan’s back and sets hooks. Heffernan rolls out, but da Silva gets mount. da Silva throws double axe handles and pounds hard. The round ends.

 

Greg’s score: 10-9 da Silva

 

Round 2: Heffernan shoots and da Silva sprawls and goes to Heffernan’s back. da Silva locks in rear naked choke and forces the tap.

 

Winner by submission (rear naked choke) in round 2: Rafael da Silva

 

Mike Oaks (Team Evil) vs. Ryan Parker (Boneyard)

 

Round 1:  Both shoot. Oaks on top, but Parker looks for a leg. Parker gets full guard. Oaks locks in a choke, crushing Parker, and chokes him out.

 

Winner by TKO (choke) at 0:41 of round 1: Mike Oaks

 

Roberto Concepcion (Dragon Warrior) vs. Fabio Ferrao (Team Link)

 

Round 1: Concepcion starts out with a middle kick. He then comes in with punches. Ferrao attempts a takedown, but Concepcion defends to a clinch. Ferrao nearly takes him down, but Concepcion gets to his feet. Concepcion tries his own takedown, but Ferrao defends to his feet. They stay in a tight clinch. Ferrao leg trips to mount. Concepcion gives up his back. Ferrao sets hooks and punches, but Concepcion punches back. Ferrao flattens Concepcion out and locks in the rear naked choke for the win.

 

Winner by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:49 of round 1: Fabio Ferrao

 

Lee Metcalf (SSSF) vs. Wayne Harnois (Brute Force MMA)

 

Round 1: Metcalf comes in hard with a takedown to guard and passes to side mount. Metcalf looks for a paintbrush, but Harnois defends. Metcalf knees to ribs. Harnois rolls Metcalf to the top of north-south. Metcalf escapes to open guard. Harnois kicks to the legs and punches to the ribs. Metcalf sits up to sweep, but Harnois grabs his head, steps over, and locks in a guillotine choke. Metcalf taps.

 

Winner by submission (guillotine choke) in round 1: Wayne Harnois

 

Despite not having much big-name local talent, this was a solid show. Valentin-Feiner was an awesome fight that will not be forgotten by those who were there to witness it. Best of all, we got more of Mike Varner’s witty banter on the mic, serving as constant entertainment in the lulls between fights.

 

Obama/Varner ’08.