Titan Fighting Championship made its return to HDNet tonight with TFC 17 from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The event was headlined by a heavyweight bout between Strikeforce veteran and one-time pro wrestler Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley and late replacement opponent John Ott.
Also on the card, TUF veteran Abe “Hurricane” Wagner tried for his second straight TFC win when he took on Aaron Rosa, while “The New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni clashed with Nick Nolte in a pivotal bout for Baroni’s career. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the HDNet-televised card.
Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley vs John Ott
Round 1:
Lashley picked Ott up early on and violently slammed him to the mat. He threw punches and elbows from the top as Ott tried to defend. Lashley postured up and landed threw hard right hands. He mixed in forearm shots as well as the much smaller Ott struggled to block the strikes.
Lashley landed hammerfists and postured up again, then rained down big punches. Ott tried to work for an armbar, but Lashley easily punched out. He bloodied Ott’s face, but Ott held on. Lashley began to slow down, but landed another flurry. Ott flailed back with hammerfists and survived until the bell. 10-8 Lashley.
Round 2:
A badly fatigued Lashley could barely move in the second round as Ott threw occasional kicks and kept his distance. Lashley managed to clinch and took Ott down. Lashley landed a handful of strikes from the top, but the pace slowed way down. He moved to side-control and tried to isolate Ott’s arm.
Ott tried to set up a submission from the bottom, but Lashley threw short elbows and retained a dominant position. More elbows scored for Lashley, but he was too tired to land anything damaging. Little else happened until the bell ended the very uneventful round. 10-9 Lashley.
Round 3:
Ott opened the final round with punches as Lashley stood still. Ott shrugged off a takedown and began to taunt his immobile opponent. Ott fired off a combination and an overhand right. A lead left hook also landed for Ott, but he was tentative. Ott threw a one-two and Lashley literally could not even move.
The crowd rallied behind Ott as he landed a flurry, but Lashley clinched and took Ott down. To a chorus of boos, Lashley threw short elbows from Ott’s half-guard. He stayed just busy enough to keep referee Jason Herzog from standing the fighters up. Ott cut Lashley above the eye with elbows from the bottom and outlanded Lashley on the ground. 10-9 Ott.
Winner: Bobby Lashley by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 6-1-0.
Aaron Rosa vs Abe “Hurricane” Wagner
Round 1:
The fighters traded punches early on and Rosa clinched. He threw knees to the body and backed Wagner up to the cage. Wagner countered with a knee of his own and circled out. He landed a lunging flurry and clinched. Rosa tripped Wagner to the mat and landed on top in Wagner’s half-guard.
The pace slowed as Rosa was content to stay on top and throw occasional elbows. Wagner regained full guard and the fight was stood up. Both fighters landed punches in close and Rosa looked for another takedown. Wagner defended and stayed on his feet until the end of the lacklustre round. 10-9 Rosa.
Round 2:
Rosa floored Wagner with a counter left hook early in round two and pounced in with punches on the ground. He took Wagner’s back and secured a rear-naked choke. Wagner could not escape and tapped out.
Winner: Aaron Rosa by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 0:35 of round two. He improves to 16-3-0.
“The New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni vs Nick “Kansas City Head Case” Nolte
Round 1:
Baroni pushed forward with punches right away, but Nolte landed counterpunches and knees. He backed Baroni up to the cage and defended a takedown. Nolte kept Baroni pressed up against the fence as the fighters battled for position. Both landed knees and Nolte stuffed another takedown. Baroni landed a big right hand, but Nolte recovered and clinched again.
Baroni fired off a combination and took Nolte down. He tried to punch from the top, but Nolte tied up Baroni’s arms. Baroni managed to land three punches and passed to side-control. Nolte scrambled and attempted a triangle choke, but Baroni easily fought out and returned to side-control. Both fighters landed knees to the body before the round. 10-9 Baroni, but not by much.
Round 2:
Baroni took Nolte’s back while standing in the second round and scored with a series of right hands. Nolte answered with knees, but Baroni took his back again. He dragged Nolte to the mat and landed short rights. He stayed busy with occasional strikes, but the fight was eventually stood up.
Baroni took Nolte down and fought off an armbar. He moved to side-control, but did little with the position and it was Nolte who landed knees to the body from the bottom. Baroni finally threw short elbows and the crowd grew restless. Baroni looked for a Kimura, then punched and elbowed Nolte’s face until the bell. 10-9 Baroni.
Round 3:
Baroni landed a combination in the final round, but Nolte answered with a better one and backed him up with knees. Baroni fired off a left hook, but Nolte nailed him with a front side kick to the face. He landed more knees as a fatigued Baroni slowed to a crawl. Baroni threw a lunging left hook to the body and Nolte landed a knee.
Nolte missed with a spinning hook kick, but landed more knees including one of the flying variety. Baroni attempted a guillotine choke and wound up on top in Nolte’s half-guard. Baroni landed short elbows, but stayed just busy enough to avoid a standup and the crowd voiced their displeasure. Baroni stayed on top until the final bell. 10-9 Nolte.
Winner: Phil Baroni by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-13-0.
Eric “The Machine” Marriott vs Willian de Souza
Round 1:
De Souza clinched and looked for a takedown, but Marriott broke free with a punch over the top. Marrioot landed occasional leg kicks and jabs as he kept his distance. De Souza clinched again and backed Marriott up to the cage. Marriott countered with a knee and circled out. He followed with two jabs and more leg kicks.
De Souza could not close the distance and was hit with more kicks. Marriott stuffed a takedown, but de Souza got him down on the second try. Marriott swept and wound up on top. He looked for a Kimura on de Souza’s left arm, but let it go and punched instead. The fighters stood and Marriott landed a side kick and a right hook. 10-9 Marriott.
Round 2:
The second round began slowly as the fighters circled and traded sparse kicks. Marriott missed with a spinning back kick and leapt in with a one-two. De Souza clinched and landed a knee. Marriott answered with one of his own and backed away, then threw a spinning back kick to the body. De Souza answered with lazy punches and kicks that missed.
De Souza caught a kick from Marriott and dragged him to the mat, but Marriott countered and took partial back control. Marriott stood and kicked at de Souza’s thighs. De Souza got to his feet and Marriott tagged him with a three-punch flurry. De Souza threw a jumping kick to the body before the bell. 10-9 Marriott.
Round 3:
Marriott opened the final round with punches and a leg kick, then followed with a flying knee. He sprawled out of a de Souza takedown and tried to take his back. Hammerfists scored for Marriott and de Souza could not escape. De Souza rolled to his back and Marriott punished him with elbows. De Souza kicked Marriott off briefly, but Marriott resumed his assault with hammerfists from the top. De Souza turtled and Marriott pepperd him with punches and hammerfists.
De Souza spun out of a front choke, but wound up on the ground again and Marriott continued to score with strikes. Marriott moved to a back crucifix and rolled de Souza over. De Souza escaped and got to his feet. He ate a left hook and Marriott took him down. Marriott elbowed from the top and added knees to the body. He went for Brabo and guillotine chokes, then cut de Souza with punches before the bell. Dominant round. 10-9 Marriott.
Winner: Eric Marriott by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 20-5-0.
Alonzo “Zo Diddy” Martinez vs Aaron “Daddy Long Legs” Derrow
Round 1:
The fighters traded strikes to open the fight and Martinez scored a takedown. Derrow countered with a triangle choke and an armbar attempt. Martinez stood, then dove in with punches. Derrow looked to set up a gogoplata, but Martinez stood up again and backed away. Derrow got to his feet and Martinez threw him back down to the mat.
Derrow landed elbows from the top, but Martinez defended well. Back on the feet, both fighters landed punches and Martinez clinched against the cage. Derrow broke free and Martinez landed a left hook to the body. He followed with a right to the face and defended a takedown. Derrow landed knees in close until the bell. 10-9 Martinez.
Round 2:
Derrow opened the second round aggressively with punches and clinched. He tried for a takedown and Martinez backed away. Two looping hooks scored for Martinez and he defended a takedown. A right hook to the temple dropped Derrow, but he recovered as Martinez dove into his half-guard. Martinez stood and Derrow followed. Martinez landed left hooks to the liver and face. He easily stuffed a takedown and stayed on his feet.
Derrow was clipped by a counter left hook and a flying knee, but caught a kick and tried for a takedown. Martinez again defended and the fighters clinched against the cage. Derrow attempted a throw and looked to transition to an armbar, but lost the position. Martinez wound up on top and landed a handful of short punches. Derrow nearly secured an armbar, but Martinez stood and the round came to a close. 10-9 Martinez.
Round 3:
Two solid punches jacked Derrow’s jaw in the final round, but Derrow floored him with a right hook. He followed with more strikes on the ground, but got overzealous and Martinez recovered. Martinez punched from the top and stood up. Derrow followed and backed him up to the cage. Martinez fell after another flurry of punches from Derrow, who took his back briefly. Martinez rolled and ate a barrage of punches and elbows.
Bleeding from the face, Martinez tried to defend on the ground as Derrow blasted him with strikes. Martinez scrambled and tried to stand. Derrow used a front headlock to keep him down and tried to take Martinez’s back. He did so and locked on a rear-naked choke, but Martinez managed to spin out. He wound up on top in Derrow’s guard and landed two hard left hands. Martinez stood and the fighters traded haymakers. Excellent round. 10-9 Derrow. Could be 10-8.
Winner: Alonzo Martinez by Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) after three rounds. He improves to 29-14-1.
“The” James Krause vs Nathan Schut
Round 1:
The fighters cautiously circled for the first 30 seconds until Krause floored Schut with a single head kick. He followed with punches on the ground and the fight was stopped.
Winner: James Krause by TKO (Head Kick & Punches) at 0:41 of round one. He improves to 12-3-0.
Anthony “Shark Bait” Gutierrez vs Jon Hollis
Round 1:
The fighters exchanged kicks early on and Hollis took Gutierrez down. Gutierrez worked for a Kimura from the bottom, but Hollis moved to half-guard and landed elbows. Gutierrez used rubber guard to keep Hollis in place, but Hollis escaped and landed more elbows. He tried to pass Gutierrez’s guard again, but could not.
Gutierrez worked for a triangle choke and then an armbar from the bottom. Hollis was in danger, but managed to slam his way free and the fighters stood up. Hollis took Gutierrez down, but Gutierrez first went for a guillotine choke and then another triangle. Hollis tried to hold on, but could not and was forced to submit.
Winner: Anthony Gutierrez by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 4:20 of round one. He improves to 2-0-0.
Undercard Fights:
Isidro “Chilo” Gonzalez defeated Travis Sveum by TKO (Punches) at 0:51 of round one. He improves to 17-14-0, 1 NC with the win.
Laura Marcusse defeated Emily Reed by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:51 of round two.*
Marques Johnson defeated Cody “The Truth” Sherwood by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:48 of round one.*
*Amateur fights.