Top amateur promotion Tuff-N-Uff kicked off 2011 in a big way tonight with a solid event in Las Vegas that featured rival gyms Xtreme Couture and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Riverside. The card was headlined by a lightweight matchup between unbeaten prospects Jake Swinney and Trace “Midnight” Gray.
In women’s 145-pound tournament action, Olympic medallist “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey competed as an amateur for the final time when she faced Taylor “Tay” Stratford, and Ashlee Evans-Smith and Tori Adams both advanced on. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for all of the fights on tonight’s card.
Trace “Midnight” Gray vs Jake “Rorshach” Swinney
Round 1:
Gray landed punches early on and took Swinney down, but had to fight off triangle choke and armbar attempts from his back. Swinney locked on a triangle choke and switched to a triangle armbar. Gray held on and eventually managed to work free. He landed two punches and stood up. As Swinney looked to follow, Gray nailed him with a right hand. He returned to Swinney’s guard and Swinney attempted more submissions. The fighters stood and traded strikes late in the close round. 10-9 Swinney.
Round 2:
Swinney tried for a takedown in the second round, but Gray sprawled out and landed punches. Swinney used a very impressive transition to take Gray’s back and tried to set up a rear-naked choke. Gray managed to escape to his feet and landed two right hooks. Swinney rushed in and clinched in an effort to take the fight to the mat before the bell. 10-9 Swinney.
Round 3:
Gray slipped while throwing a kick in the final round and Swinney dove into his guard. Gray scrambled and stood, then took Swinney down. He worked from the top in side-control and landed short punches. Swinney managed to regain guard, but Gray stayed on top and continued to score with punches. Gray postured up and landed a big right hand. He stood and Swinney followed. Swinney scored a takedown in the final seconds and landed in mount. 10-9 Gray.
Winner: Trace Gray by Unanimous Decision after three 2:00 rounds.
Tuff-N-Uff 145-Pound Women’s Semi-Final
“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey vs Taylor “Tay” Stratford
Note: Win, lose or draw, Stratford will advance to the finals of the tournament as a result of Rousey’s decision to turn pro in February. This will be Rousey’s final fight as an amateur.
Round 1:
Rousey clinched right away and threw Stratford to the mat, then immediately moved to mount. Stratford rolled and escaped out the back. Rousey used a double ankle pick to get Stratford back down, then moved right into another armbar. Stratford rolled over to try to escape and did not tap out, but referee Chris Tognoni stopped the fight. It did not appear that Stratford would have been able to get out.
Winner: Ronda Rousey by Technical Submission (Armbar) at 0:24 of round one.
Matt “The Sleeper” Church vs Kimo Yadao
Round 1:
Yadao jabbed and threw leg kicks early on as Church looked to counter. Church clinched and Yadao countered with a knee. The fighters exchanged punches and Yadao landed a combination that was punctuated by a body kick. Church jabbed, but Yadao kept his distance and landed leg kicks and a right hook. Another leg kick landed for Yadao and he avoided a combination from Church. Yadao scored with a one-two and a leg kick before the bell. 10-9 Yadao.
Round 2:
Church defended a takedown early in round two and landed a flurry of punches, but Yadao landed a combination of his own. Church got Yadao down and landed punches from the top, then stood over him. Yadao upkicked and got to his feet. He landed a right hook to the body and three leg kicks. Church fired back with punches and landed two right hands. Yadao kicked at Church’s leg before the bell. 10-9 Church.
Round 3:
Church landed hooks in the final round while Yadao jabbed and kept him at bay with leg kicks. Church punched his way into a clinch and scored a big slam takedown in the corner. Yadao tried to counter with a guillotine choke, but Church escaped. Yadao held on until the fighters were stood up. Both jabbed and missed with left hooks. Church continued to push forward with punches late in the round as Yadao answered with kicks to the legs and body. Close round. 10-9 Church.
Winner: Matt Church by Split Decision after three 2:00 rounds.
Lee Henry Lilly vs Joey Angelo
Round 1:
The fighters cautiously circled early on and traded occasional leg kicks. This continued until Lilly clinched and landed three solid left hooks. Angelo backed away and scored with a head kick, but Lilly slammed him to the mat. Lilly stood over Angelo and landed punches, but Angelo kicked him back. 10-9 Lilly.
Round 2:
The second round began tentatively as Angelo flashed out head kicks and Lilly answered with a leg kick. Angelo attempted a flying knee, but fell and Lilly punched from his guard. Angelo secured a triangle choke from his back, but Lilly powered out. He landed punches and stood. Angelo followed and Lilly landed a leg kick. He took Angelo down late in the round. 10-9 Lilly.
Round 3:
Lilly took Angelo down in the final round and punched briefly from the top. He stood and allowed Angelo to follow, and Angelo landed a one-two. Angelo rushed in with punches and Lilly sidestepped. Lilly rocked Angelo with two right hands, but Angelo recovered. Both fighters landed leg kicks and Angel rushed forward with another flurry. Lilly countered with a one-two and a body kick. 10-9 Lilly.
Winner: Lee Henry Lilly by Unanimous Decision after three 2:00 rounds.
Giovani Zavala vs Gabriel “The Fearless” Garzon
Round 1:
Grazon opened the fight with wild right hooks and was hit with some solid counterpunches from Zavala. Garzon backed Zavala into a corner and tried for a takedown, but met with no success. Zavala pushed Garzon backwards and landed a big left hook to the temple. Garzon fell forward to the mat and the referee dove in to save Garzon from any further punishment.
Winner: Giovani Zavala by TKO (Punch) at 1:33 of round one.
Cesar Campos vs Josh “Gorilla” Grevas
Round 1:
Grevas scored a takedown in the opening round and quickly moved to side-control. He transitioned into an armbar attempt, then secured an inverted triangle choke. Referee Chris Tognoni stood the fighters up for no reason and Campos took advantage by landing punches late in the round. 10-9 Grevas.
Round 2:
Campos attempted a takedown in the second round, but it was Grevas who took Campos down. Campos attempted a triangle choke from his back and eventually trapped Grevas in a weak one. Grevas was in little danger, but Campos kept Grevas in the hold until late in the round. 10-9 Campos.
Round 3:
Campos took Grevas down in the final round and immediately had to fight off an armbar. Campos slammed out and eventually took Grevas’s back. He flattened Grevas out and referee Chris Tognoni again stood the fighters up in a ridiculous decision. Campos shot in for another takedown before the end of the round. 10-9 Campos.
Winner: Cesar Campos by Unanimous Decision after three 2:00 rounds.
Jon “Gladiator” Gorton vs Jonathon Rodeffer
Round 1:
Big punches landed for both fighters in the opening seconds and Gorton clinched. He tried to take Rodeffer down, but could not. More hard strikes were exchanged and both landed cleanly. Rodeffer scored with the more damaging strikes as Gorton stayed on the outside and picked his shots. Rodeffer landed a flurry of punches in the final seconds to narrowly take the round. 10-9 Rodeffer.
Round 2:
Gorton took Rodeffer down in the second round and landed in mount. He punched until Rodeffer swept and took top position. The fight returned to the feet and Gorton took Rodeffer down again. Gorton moved from side-control to mount, then took Rodeffer’s back. Rodeffer rolled over and Gorton secured an arm-triangle choke from the top. The choke appeared to be tight, but Rodeffer made it to the bell without issue. 10-9 Gorton.
Round 3:
Gorton used a double-leg takedown to take Rodeffer down to the mat in round three, but Rodeffer was hit with a knee to the groin in the process. Time was called to give him time to recover. Action resumed and Rodeffer held on to the ropes to defend a takedown. He was warned and Gorton took Rodeffer down in the corner. Gorton attempted a guillotine choke and used it to move to mount. Rodeffer made it to the bell. 10-9 Gorton.
Winner: Jon Gorton by Unanimous Decision after three 2:00 rounds.
Exhibition Match*
Tamikka “Boom Boom” Brents vs Tori Adams
*Brents missed weight for this planned 145-pound women’s tournament quarterfinal bout. As a result, this fight was changed to an exhibition match and Brents was disqualified from the tournament. Adams advances on to the semi-finals.
Round 1:
The fighters pushed forward aggressively and Adams slammed Brents to the mat. Time was called to check Adams’s nose, which was bleeding from a punch from Brents in the opening seconds. Action resumed with Adams on top in Brents’s guard. Adams landed punches, but lost the position while trying to transition to a submission. The fighters were stood up and Adams landed a hard right hand. Brents whipped her to the mat with an impressive judo throw. 10-9 Adams.
Round 2:
Adams opened round two with a head kick and Brents took her down. The fighters were stood up very quickly and Brents used a judo throw to take Adams down. Brents punched to the body, but Adams answered with strikes from her back and referee Jason Trevino stood the fighters up again. Adams landed a hard right hand and just missed with a Superman Punch. Close round. 10-9 Adams for damage.
Round 3:
Adams landed another head kick in the final round and Brents clinched. Adams countered with a front head lock, but Brents managed to take her down. Brents punched from the top, but Adams defended well and prevented Brents from landing anything damaging. Brents remained on top until the final bell. 10-9 Brents.
Winner: Tamikka Brents by Split Decision after three 2:00 rounds. She does not advance on in the 145-pound women’s tournament due to missing weight.
Troy Remer vs David “The Phoenix” Tompkins
Round 1:
Remer landed a hard leg kick early on and Tompkins missed with a variety of flashy kicks to the head and body. More kicks landed for Remer and he scored with punches as well. Tompkins responded with body kicks and Remer landed a right hook. Remer clinched and took Tompkins down just before the bell. 10-9 Remer.
Round 2:
Both fighters landed big punches in the second round and Remer failed with a takedown attempt. Tompkins landed a one-two and Remer countered with a standing guillotine choke in the corner. Remer released the choke and an exchange of knees to the body followed. Remer got the better of it and Tompkins backed Remer into another corner. Remer took Tompkins down and landed hammerfists from the top. 10-9 Remer.
Round 3:
Tompkins landed a series of body kicks in the final round and Remer answered with one of his own. He clinched and tripped Tompkins to the mat. Remer locked on a guillotine choke and tried to pull guard, but Tompkins escaped. Tompkins moved to mount and unloaded with punches until the final bell. The late rally from Tompkins stole the round. 10-9 Tompkins.
Winner: Troy Remer by Unanimous Decision after three 2:00 rounds.