Shark Fights 14 took place tonight at the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The HDNet-televised event was headlined by a middleweight battle between UFC veterans Matt “Suave” Horwich and Danillo “Indio” Villefort, and served as the first of many Shark Fights events that will air on the network.

In the co-main event of the evening, two of the top 125-pound female fighters in the world squared off when pound-for-pound standout Tara LaRosa battled Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm in a fight three years in the making. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the televised Shark Fights card.

 

Danillo “Indio” Villefort vs Matt “Suave” Horwich

Round 1:
Horwich looked to close the distance for a takedown early on, but Villefort countered with left and right hooks. Horwich clinched briefly, but Villefort circled away and landed another combination. Horwich switched to kicks and Villefort targeted the body. He followed with a leg kick and a left hook to the liver. A pair of one-twos backed Horwich up and Villefort took him down with a judo throw. Villefort landed in side-control, but stood back up and Horwich followed. Horwich clinched and Villefort landed a knee.

A standing back elbow scored for Villefort and he stayed active with leg kicks. Horwich continued to try to close the distance as Villefort peppered him with jabs and leg kicks. Horwich tried for a takedown, but could not get it. Villefort landed a knee to the body and stayed on his feet. Villefort used another judo throw to take Horwich down, but once again stood up. Horwich followed and was hit with a one-two. The fighters traded kicks and Villefort scored a quick double-leg takedown. 10-9 Villefort.

Round 2:
Villefort landed a kick-punch combo to open the second round, but Horwich tripped him to the mat. Villefort swept and wound up on top, then stood and Horwich followed. Horwich shot in for a takedown and Villefort stuffed it. A clinch ensued against the cage and Villefort landed an uppercut. Villefort tried for a takedown of his own and Horwich defended, but Villefort tagged him with a hard one-two.

Villefort took Horwich down and landed on top in half-guard. He threw short left hands as Horwich tied him up and regained full guard. Villefort briefly punched from the top, then stood up. Horwich got back to his feet and attempted a takedown, but Villefort countered with a knee to the body. Villefort used a beautiful judo throw to take Horwich down just before the bell. 10-9 Villefort.

Round 3:
Horwich scored with a lead left hand to begin the final round and took Villefort down, but Villefort quickly countered with armbar and kneebar attempts. Horwich threw hammerfists from the top as Villefort looked to set up another submission. Horwich took Villefort’s back as the fighters stood, but Villefort rolled for another kneebar. Horwich defended well and Villefort abandoned the submission attempt.

Villefort entered Horwich’s full guard and Horwich alternated between rubber guard and open guard. The fighters were stood up and Villefort threw a standing back elbow. It opened a cut on Horwich’s face and Villefort scored a takedown seconds later. Horwich looked for a triangle choke from his back as he bled heavily from near the nose. Horwich switched to a modified Kimura from guard, then transitioned into an omoplata. Very close round. 10-9 Villefort, barely.

Winner: Danillo Villefort by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three 5:00 rounds. He improves to 13-3-0.

 

Tara LaRosa vs Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm

Round 1:
Damm opened the fight with front kicks to the body and LaRosa answered with one of her own as the fighters circled. Damm landed leg kicks and LaRosa kept her distance. Damm just missed with a right hand and LaRosa snapped her head back with a lead left. LaRosa pushed forward with a combination and landed two punches that backed Damm up to the cage. Damm clinched and scored a takedown.

Damm landed in mount and punched from the top, but LaRosa swept and wound up in Damm’s guard. LaRosa landed short elbows and looked to create distance. She postured up and scored with two more elbows, then followed with a pair of right hands. Damm tried to tie up LaRosa’s arms, but LaRosa stood and landed punches before the bell. 10-9 LaRosa.

Round 2:
LaRosa caught a kick and landed a right hand that sent Damm to her back very early in the second round. Damm quickly worked for a heel hook from her back, but LaRosa countered with an inverted heel hook. Damm immediately tapped out, giving LaRosa a big victory.

Winner: Tara LaRosa by Submission (Inverted Heel Hook) at 0:28 of round two. She improves to 20-2-0.

 

Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis vs Lucas Lopes

Round 1:
Bronzoulis sent Lopes to the mat early on with a counter kick, but allowed him to stand. Bronzoulis landed a right hook and Lopes took him down. Lopes punched from the top and Bronzoulis got back to his feet. Lopes scored with leg kicks and a barrage of punches, then a flying knee. Bronzoulis backed up and ate another flurry of punches and a knee. The fighters exchanged jabs and Lopes fired off two spinning backfists. He rushed forward with lunging punches, but Bronzoulis reversed a takedown.

Lopes pulled Bronzoulis to the mat and tried for a kneebar. Bronzoulis escaped and stood up, then landed knees of his own. Lopes punished him with punches and a hard knee to the body. Bronzoulis appeared to fatigue already as Lopes peppered him with weak punches. Lopes, bleeding from near the left eye, began to back up and slowed down as well. Bronzoulis began to score with jabs and followed with looping hooks. Lopes landed one more flurry and clinched against the cage before the bell. 10-9 Lopes.

Round 2:
The second round began with a front kick from Bronzoulis and counter knees to the body from Lopes. A nice left hook landed for Bronzoulis, but he appeared to be very tired. Both fighters landed sloppy punches and Lopes looked for a takedown. He met with no success and backed away, then missed with a spinning backfist. Bronzoulis sprawled out of a takedown and took Lopes’s back. Bronzoulis stood and allowed Lopes to follow.

Lopes landed three left hands, but Bronzoulis countered with a knee and Lopes fell to his back. He dove at Bronzoulis’s knee, then stood. Bronzoulis landed a knee and Lopes began to bleed from near the right eye and on the nose. Bronzoulis took Lopes’s back and landed two big knees from the side. Lopes again dove for a takedown and was stuffed once more. Bronzoulis landed a barrage of punches and two big knees. Lopes weathered the storm until the bell. 10-9 Bronzoulis.

Round 3:
The tired fighters traded single kicks and punches in the final round and Lopes landed a combination. Bronzoulis countered a leg kick with a right hand and Lopes fell to his back. Bronzoulis allowed him to stand and Lopes shot in for a takedown. Bronzoulis stuffed it and landed punches. He wound up on top in Lopes’s guard. Lopes attempted an armbar and Bronzoulis stood up to escape.

The crowd grew restless as Lopes went for another sloppy takedown. Bronzoulis easily stuffed it and landed a knee. Lopes desperately tried to take the fight to the mat, but could not. Bronzoulis landed uppercuts in close and stayed on his feet. In the final minute, the fighters exchanged punches and knees in close. Bronzoulis stuffed another takedown and landed hammerfists before the bell. 10-9 Bronzoulis.

Winner: Mike Bronzoulis by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three 5:00 rounds. He improves to 12-2-1.

 

Eric “Bighead” Davila vs Alex Cisne

Round 1:
Cisne opened the fight with kicks to the body and Davila clinched. Cisne landed a knee and backed away, then scored with two more kicks. Davila closed the distance, but Cisne took advantage by taking him down. Cisne moved to side-control and took Davila’s back as the fighters stood. Cisne pressed him up against the cage and scored with a knee. Davila defended a takedown and briefly tried for a standing guillotine choke.

Cisne backed away and landed more front kicks to the body, then took Davila down with a judo throw. Davila got back to his feet and landed knees to the body, but Cisne took him down again. Cisne took Davila’s back as he stood once more and attempted a rear-naked choke. Davila managed to escape, but Cisne put him back against the cage and landed more knees in close. The fighters exchanged knees until the bell. 10-9 Cisne.

Round 2:
Both fighters landed kicks to the legs and body early in round two and Davila tried to pull guard with a guillotine choke. Cisne escaped and worked from the top. He took Davila’s back, but Davila stood and the fighters battled for position against the cage. Davila landed a knee and managed to fight off a takedown.

Cisne continued to try to take the fight to the mat, but was unable to do so as Davila attempted a guillotine. Cisne, bleeding profusely from the nose, backed away and threw a side kick to the face. Davila clinched and landed a knee. Cisne backed off once more and scored with a flurry. Davila rocked him badly with a right cross. Cisne fell to his knees, then stood and ate two more big punches. He clinched to end the round. 10-9 Davila.

Round 3:
An exhausted Cisne walked around the cage early in round three, throwing occasional spinning kicks and front backfist strikes. He managed to land a combination, but Davila rocked him with another right hook. Cisne stayed on his feet and ate another flurry. A right hand dropped Cisne and the fight was finally stopped.

Winner: Eric Davila by TKO (Punches) at 1:03 of round three. He improves to 33-10-0.

 

Gabriel “Big Tyme” Vasquez vs Layne Hernandez

Round 1:
Vasquez avoided a head kick to open the fight and took Hernandez down, but Hernandez quickly worked for an armbar from the bottom. Vasquez fought off the hold, but gave up his back. Hernandez tried to set up a rear-naked choke, but Vasquez briefly escaped to his feet. Hernandez took him back down and alternated between back control and mount. Vasquez threw a back elbow and Hernandez ended the round on top. 10-9 Hernandez.

Round 2:
Vasquez opened round two with more kicks and was promptly taken down again. Hernandez landed on top in side-control and took Vasquez’s back soon after. Vasquez spun into a kneebar attempt, but Hernandez escaped and took his back again. The fighters stood and Vasquez missed with a knee. He drilled Hernandez with a head kick and Hernandez stumbled backwards. Vasquez defended a takedown with a triangle choke from the bottom, but a bloodied Hernandez escaped. Hernandez took Vasquez’s back and moved to Vasquez’s half-guard. 10-9 Vasquez in a close round.

Round 3:
Vasquez landed a hard left cross and a glancing head kick to begin the final round, but Hernandez took him down. Vasquez locked on a tight guillotine choke and Hernandez could not escape. He was soon rendered unconscious and referee “Big” John McCarthy stopped the fight.

Winner: Gabriel Vasquez by Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:29 of round three. He improves to 3-4-0.

 

Joseph Sandoval vs Sean Shakour

Round 1:
Shakour shot in for a takedown right away and got Sandoval down to the mat. He pushed Sandoval up against the cage and landed punches from the top, then quickly took Sandoval’s back. Shakour worked for a rear-naked choke and secured a body triangle. He rolled Sandoval over and landed punches, then tried for the choke again. Shakour peppered Sandoval with punches and hammerfists until Sandoval spun and landed two punches from the top at the bell. 10-9 Shakour.

Round 2:
Shakour scored another takedown early in the second round and resumed working from the top in Sandoval’s guard. He took Sandoval’s back, but lost the position and wound up on the bottom. Shakour tried to posture for a triangle choke against the cage, but Sandoval avoided danger and punched from Shakour’s guard. Short elbows also landed for Sandoval as Shakour held on. Sandoval scored with a flurry of punches and elbows just before the end of the round. 10-9 Sandoval.

Round 3:
The fighters traded punches in the final round and Sandoval sprawled out of a takedown. He secured a front head lock and landed punches that cut Shakour’s face. Shakour scrambled and took Sandoval’s back, but Sandoval spun out and punched from the top again. Sandoval stood, then dove into Shakour’s half-guard with a lunging punch. He used an arm-triangle choke to move to mount and teed off with punches and elbows until the bell. 10-9 Sandoval.

Winner: Joseph Sandoval by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three 3:00 rounds. He improves to 5-0-0.