Titan Fighting Championship returned to the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas tonight for Titan Fighting Championship 19 on HDNet. The event was headlined by a lightweight bout between WEC veteran “The” James Krause and former King of the Cage Lightweight Champion Clay French.
The co-main event featured an intriguing women’s matchup, as Olympic silver medallist Sara McMann faced fellow wrestler Tonya Evinger at 140 pounds, while Rob Kimmons and Brendan Seguin faced off in a battle of veterans at 205. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Clay French vs “The” James Krause
Round 1:
French caught a body kick early on and tried for a takedown, but Krause locked on a guillotine choke. He lost the choke, but tried for another one. French landed what appeared to be an illegal knee, but referee Chuck Wolfe instructed the fighters to fight on. French worked for a front choke and Krause fought his way out. Krause continued to hunt for a guillotine choke and got it, but French powered out.
French postured up and landed hammerfists from Krause’s guard. Krause tried to set up a triangle choke, but French continued to pepper him with left hands. French landed an elbow and looked to be trying to set up a Brabo Choke. He remained on top and landed short strikes until Krause swept and took top position. French reversed in a scramble and struck from the top until the bell. 10-9 French.
Round 2:
French missed with a looping hook and landed a left to the body. Krause answered with a right cross and the fighters exchanged punches. French tripped Krause, then picked him up and slammed him down against the cage. French postured up in Krause’s half-guard and landed a brief salvo of punches, but Krause trapped him rubber guard. French escaped and took Krause’s back.
Krause spun into French’s guard and took top position. Krause threw punches to the head and body as French defended from the bottom and tried to kick him off. Krause locked on a guillotine choke in a scramble, but lost it and French retook top position in Krause’s guard. Krause worked for chokes from his back as French threw punches. French punched out of a triangle choke attempt at the bell. 10-9 French.
Round 3:
Krause stunned French with a front kick to open the final round and wobbled him again with a head kick seconds later. French shot in for a takedown and Krause defended. The fighters remained on their feet and Krause landed an uppercut and a right hook. He scored with another uppercut and French fell to his back. Krause struck from French’s half-guard and French rolled to his side.
Krause teed off with right hands as French turtled and Krause secured an arm-triangle choke from the top. French held on and escaped. Krause then attempted a guillotine choke, but settled for strikes from French’s guard. Krause remained on top and tried for a top-side guillotine, but French scrambled and wound up on top. He landed short left hands until the end of the fight. 10-9 Krause.
Winner: Clay French by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-6-0.
Sara McMann vs Tonya Evinger
Round 1:
McMann countered a wild spinning back kick attempt with a takedown early on and fought out of a brief choke attempt from Evinger. McMann moved to half-guard and landed short punches while trying to pass to mount. Evinger held McMann in place and threw strikes from the bottom, but McMann snuck in punches of her own on top.
McMann managed to land a handful of left hands as Evinger did her best to tie up her arms. She prevented McMann from passing to mount, but McMann freed her right arm and began to punch to the body. The fighters were stood up and Evinger missed with another wild spinning back kick. McMann caught a body kick and took Evinger back down. McMann struck from the top until the bell. 10-9 McMann.
Round 2:
McMann tried for a takedown early in round two, but Evinger shrugged her off. McMann clinched again and dropped Evinger to the mat. She landed on top in half-guard and landed punches until Evinger kicked her off and stood up. Evinger threw another spinning back kick and a head kick, which prompted McMann to take her down. She worked from half-guard again.
Evinger tied McMann up, but McMann managed to posture up enough to land very short elbow strikes to the orbital bone. McMann nearly passed to mount, but Evinger kept her in place. McMann postured up once more and landed elbows and punches in a brief flurry. She followed with more strikes late in the round before Evinger threw an upkick. 10-9 McMann.
Round 3:
McMann avoided a front kick and landed a running flurry of punches, then took Evinger down to the mat again. McMann moved to side control, but Evinger trapped her in an inverted triangle choke from the bottom. McMann remained calm and freed herself, then looked to isolate Evinger’s left arm. She tried for a Kimura and Evinger countered with another inverted triangle.
McMann got out of the choke and worked to pass, but Evinger tried for a Kimura of her own. McMann powered out and wound up on top in half-guard. McMann bled all over the canvas from an Evinger strike during a scramble. The fighters were stood up and both fighters missed with right hands. McMann clinched and landed knees to close out the fight. 10-9 McMann.
Winner: Sara McMann by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 3-0-0.
Brendan “The Caucasian Devastation” Seguin vs Rob “The Rosedale Reaper” Kimmons
Round 1:
The fighters traded punches and leg kicks early on and Seguin landed strikes from the outside. Kimmons walked through them and clinched briefly. Big punches landed for both, but neither fighter was fazed and they clinched once more. Seguin threw hard right hands to the body and added lefts to the jaw.
Kimmons landed occasional knees as Seguin continued to punish him with short but effective punches to the head and body. A standing elbow also scored for Seguin and he remained active with strikes in the clinch. Kimmons landed more knees and Seguin backed away. He landed a leg kick before the bell. 10-9 Seguin.
Round 2:
Seguin landed a right hook to the body to open round two and Kimmons responded with a counter right to the jaw. A one-two followed for Seguin and he continued to target the body. He landed a standing elbow and a right cross as well. Seguin clinched and punished Kimmons’s ribs, but Kimmons landed a knee in return. He followed with a body kick and knees as Seguin threw uppercuts. Seguin was effective with punching combinations to the body and head.
Kimmons cut Seguin beside the left eye, which began to bleed everywhere and covered Kimmons’s head. Kimmons appeared to be motivated by the cut and rushed in with punches, but Seguin defended and the fighters clinched against the cage. Seguin continued to bleed from the cut next to his eye and Kimmons landed a pair of knees in the final moments of the round. 10-9 Seguin, barely.
Round 3:
The fight returned to a clinch in the final round and Seguin continued to score with punches to the body while Kimmons answered with occasional knees and punches in defence. More strikes landed for both fighters in close and Seguin connected with a nice right hook. He landed another right soon after, but it was Kimmons who began to target the body with punches in close.
A badly bloodied Seguin continued to bleed all over the place from beside his eye, but he gamely fired off punches in the clinch. Kimmons landed punches of his own and a knee. After an exchange of punches, Seguin jabbed. He landed more jabs and a leg kick, then a quick one-two. Kimmons replied with a head kick, but failed in a takedown attempt and the round came to a close. 10-9 Seguin.
Winner: Brendan Seguin by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 23-17-1.
Joe “The Nose” Wilk vs Willian de Souza
Round 1:
De Souza clinched and landed a knee in the first round, but Wilk pressed him up against the cage and rocked him with a knee of his own. De Souza fell and Wilk landed elbows from the top. De Souza tried to roll into a kneebar, but Wilk escaped and threw more elbows as he postured up. De Souza gave up his back and Wilk tried for a rear-naked choke as de Souza stood.
De Souza escaped and the fighters clinched against the cage. He tried to take Wilk down, but could not and Wilk punished him with hammerfists. Wilk stuffed a takedown and stood over a downed de Souza. He unloaded with some big punches and de Souza rolled to his stomach. De Souza stood and Wilk attempted a standing guillotine choke. 10-9 Wilk.
Round 2:
Wilk landed a head kick and took de Souza’s back while standing in round two. De Souza turned into the clinch and Wilk pressed him up against the cage. Short knees were exchanged, but there was very little action. The fighters continued to battle for position in the clinch.
Wilk landed a nice knee as de Souza tried to drop levels for a takedown. Wilk backed him up against the fence once again and the fighters finally separated. Wilk wasted little time in clinching again and he slammed de Souza down to the mat late in the round. 10-9 Wilk.
Round 3:
Wilk missed with a lunging left hook in the final round and de Souza clinched. The fight went to the ground, but Wilk wound up on top and moved from side control into an armbar attempt. De Souza scrambled to his feet and was drilled by a pair of knees. Wilk landed more knees and pushed de Souza up against the cage.
Wilk scored a slam takedown and landed on top in de Souza’s half-guard. He threw short punches until de Souza regained full guard. De Souza looked to set up a submission from his back, but Wilk stayed busy with punches to the body. Wilk took de Souza’s back in a scramble, but lost the position and de Souza ended the round on top. 10-9 Wilk.
Winner: Joe Wilk by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 12-6-0.
Nick “The Kansas City Head Case” Nolte vs Marcio Navarro
Round 1:
The fighters traded strikes in close early on and Navarro landed a leg kick. Nolte dropped him with a stiff jab and took his back on the ground. He tried for a rear-naked choke, but could not sink the hooks in and switched to an arm-triangle choke on the top instead. Navarro held on and managed to free himself from the choke. Nolte took his back again.
Navarro rolled and Nolte postured up with punches and an elbow. He cut Navarro on the top of the head and landed more punches. Navarro scrambled to his feet and took Nolte’s back. Nolte countered by pulling guard with a guillotine choke, but Navarro escaped to side control. Nolte regained full guard and tried for an armbar and a triangle choke. On the feet, Nolte landed kicks and ate a jab. 10-9 Nolte.
Round 2:
Nolte landed a leg kick and attempted a flying knee before clinching in the second round. He tried to take Navarro down, but Navarro held onto the cage. Nolte backed him up to the cage and landed short knees to the thighs until referee David Clifton separated the fighters. They exchanged strikes and Navarro landed a one-two.
Nolte threw a combination and missed with a wild uppercut. Time was called after Nolte was kneed in the groin. Action resume, but was quickly called again after Navarro was kicked in the groin himself. The fight continued and Nolte tripped Navarro to the mat. Navarro threw elbows from the bottom. Close round. 10-9 Nolte.
Round 3:
Nolte opened the final round with a body kick and just missed with a lead right hook. He mixed in more kicks and Navarro fired back with kicks of his own. Leg kicks were exchanged and Nolte landed a nice knee in a clinch. He tried for a standing guillotine choke, but Navarro escaped.
The fighters traded knees to the body in the clinch, but the pace slowed. Nolte appeared to be kneed in the groin multiple times, but the fight continued anyway and he missed with a looping hook. More leg kicks landed for both fighters and they clinched again. Nolte attempted a takedown and got it. 10-9 Nolte, barely.
Winner: Nick Nolte by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 4-3-0.
Alex Huddleston vs Daniel Gallemore
Round 1:
The fighters clinched early on and exchanged knees to the body and uppercuts. Huddleston bloodied Gallemore’s nose, but Gallemore backed away and landed two leg kicks. Another clinch followed and Huddleston landed nice uppercuts. Gallemore tried to pull guard, but Huddleston wound up on top in side control.
Huddleston threw short elbows, then postured up and rained down some solid punches. He landed more elbows and hammerfists and avoided an armbar attempt. Gallemore illegally kicked Huddleston in the face and time was called. Huddleston remained down for quite some time.
Finally, Huddleston got back to his feet. The cageside doctor came into the cage to check on him and the fight continued, but not before Gallemore was docked two points. Huddleston walked forward with punches, but Gallemore landed counters and the fighters clinched. 10-7 Huddleston.
Round 2:
Huddleston landed a leg kick and ducked under a head kick from Gallemore in round two. He took him down and moved to side control. Huddleston landed hammerfists from the top and occasional knees to the body. He moved to a high mount and landed punches as Gallemore tried to defend.
Gallemore rolled over and Huddleston tried to set up a rear-naked choke with more punches. He finally secured a partial choke, but Gallemore battled out and wound up on top. Huddleston swept before the bell and both fighters were very tired as the round ended. 10-9 Huddleston.
Round 3:
The exhausted fighters exchanged slow left hooks in the final round and Huddleston tried for a takedown. Gallemore sprawled out and attempted a Brabo Choke, then took Huddleston’s back. He threw hammerfists and tried to set up a rear-naked choke as Huddleston defended. Eventually, he reversed and wound up on top in side control.
Gallemore struck from the bottom as Huddleston appeared content to lay on top and do nothing. Huddleston managed to land very sparse hammerfists and elbows, but the action slowed down to a crawl. Huddleston remained on top until the bell, but did very little with the position. 10-9 Gallemore, despite Huddleston’s late positional dominance.
Winner: Alex Huddleston by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 29-26) after three rounds. He improves to 1-0-0.
Anthony “Sharkbait” Gutierrez vs Cody “Locked and Loaded” Land
Round 1:
After an exchange of strikes, Land took Gutierrez down and landed on top in side control. Gutierrez regained guard as Land used a handful of short strikes to try to set up a submission. He stood over Gutierrez, then dove back into his guard. Gutierrez defended with a triangle choke attempt. The fight returned to the feet and Gutierrez landed a leg kick. He floored Land with a knee and unloaded with a barrage of elbows. Referee Chuck Wolfe refused to stop the fight, so Land finally tapped out.
Winner: Anthony Gutierrez by Submission (Knee & Elbows) at 2:36 of round one. He improves to 3-0-0.