The North American Allied Fight Series returned to the Nautica Pavilion in Cleveland, Ohio tonight for NAAFS: “Fight Night In The Flats 9.” The card featured a women’s catchweight matchup between hometown star Jessica “Evil” Eye and Brazilian veteran Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm.
In tonight’s co-main event, Nick “The Savage” Duell battled Hector “El Toro” Urbina for the NAAFS Welterweight Championship. Torrance “The Tyrant” Taylor tried for his fifth straight win when he took on Terry Blackwell for the interim lightweight title. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Jessica “Evil” Eye vs Carina “Barbie” Damm
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jerry Poe. Eye landed jabs and leg kicks early in the fight and she backed Damm up to the cage with a combination. Damm reversed the clinch and the fighters exchanged elbows over the top. Eye pressed Damm against the fence again and broke away with a one-two. Damm threw cautious leg kicks and Eye just missed with a right cross. Eye clinched briefly and backed away. She countered a spinning hook kick with a one-two and a hard right cross. Eye landed push kicks in the final ten seconds. 10-9 Eye.
Round 2:
The fighters clinched again in round two and Eye held Damm against the cage. Damm broke free and landed two left hooks, but Eye answered back with straight rights. Damm lnded a head kick that sent Eye stumbling backwards. She briefly fell, but got back to her feet. Damm clinched, but Eye circled out and began to establish her jab. Damm caught a kick and tripped Eye to the mat. She landed short punches until the bell. 10-9 Damm.
Round 3:
Damm threw a variety of kicks in round three and Eye jabbed in return. Eye held Damm against the cage and broke away after landing a short left hook. Eye connected with an overhand right and Damm landed more kicks. Damm tried for a takedown, but her throw attempt failed and she wound up on her back. Eye briefly struck from Damm’s guard before standing back up. Damm landed two leg kicks before the final bell. Close round. 10-9 Eye.
Winner: Jessica Eye by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 10-1-0.
NAAFS Welterweight Championship
Hector “El Toro” Urbina vs Nick “The Savage” Duell
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jerry Krzys. The fighters clinched early in the fight and time was called after Duell was kneed in the groin. Action resumed and Urbina set up a takedown with a combination. He struck from Duell’s half-guard and stood back up. Duell followed and both fighters landed hooks in close. Urbina took Duell back down and struck from the top.
The fight returned to the feet and Urbina kept Duell on the defensive. Duell landed a grazing head kick, but it appeared to have little effect and Urbina took him down into mount. Duell quickly scrambled and got back to his feet. Urbina got him down and moved to mount again. Duell briefly stood and was promptly taken down once more. Urbina punched until the bell. 10-9 Urbina.
Round 2:
Duell slipped early in round two and Urbina made him pay by landing a body kick and a one-two. He took Duell down and avoided an armbar attempt. Urbina landed short elbows from half-guard and held Duell down against the fence. Duell finally stood up and Urbina immediately took him back down again. He transitioned from back control to top position in half-guard and landed some nice elbows. Duell scrambled and nearly got to his feet before the bell, but Urbina kept him down and landed more elbows. 10-9 Urbina.
Round 3:
Duell landed a knee and a left hook in round three. Urbina took him down and moved to back control. He tried for a rear-naked choke and Duell rolled to his back. Urbina flurried from mount and Duell turned over again. Urbina opened a bad cut below Duell’s right eye with elbows. Time was called to check the eye. The fight was allowed to continue and action resumed on the ground. Duell gave up his back and Urbina landed left hands. He moved to mount and landed a few more punches before referee Jerry Krzys stopped the fight.
Winner: Hector Urbina by TKO (Punches) at 3:35 of round three. He improves to 16-8-1 and becomes the new NAAFS Welterweight Champion.
NAAFS Interim Lightweight Championship
Torrance “The Tyrant” Taylor vs Terry Blackwell
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jerry Poe. Blackwell jabbed and looked to set up combinations in the opening round. Taylor kept his distance and threw a variety of kicks including side kicks and spinning back kicks to the body. He put together combinations of jabs and leg kicks and became the aggressor. Blackwell missed with a spinning back kick of his own and Taylor landed a flurry to the head and body just before the end of the round. 10-9 Taylor.
Round 2:
Taylor opened round two with more side kicks and Blackwell replied with a combination to the body. He mixed in leg kicks as well and Taylor just missed with a spinning back kick. Taylor scored with a head kick, but Blackwell appeared to be unfazed. Taylor landed a lengthy combination against the cage and followed with another head kick. He clinched and took Blackwell down before the bell. 10-9 Taylor.
Round 3:
Blackwell kicked at Taylor’s lead leg in round three and landed a one-two to the body. Taylor returned to jab-kick combos and he flurried over the top with punches. Taylor remained on the offensive and he landed a side kick to the ribs. Blackwell tried to grab onto Taylor’s leg, but Taylor pulled away and threw another side kick. Time was called to fix Taylor’s glove and action resumed with Blackwell attempted a head kick. It grazed Taylor’s chin, but he responded with a combination in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Taylor.
Round 4:
Taylor jabbed and flurried in round four and just missed with an axe kick. He landed three step-in elbows and one opened a cut on Blackwell’s forehead. Blackwell clinched and attempted a takedown, but Taylor stayed up against the cage. Taylor threw short elbows and knees and Blackwell staggered. Another knee dropped him to the mat and Taylor dove in with a knee to the body and punches as the fight was stopped.
Winner: Torrance Taylor by TKO (Elbows & Knees) at 4:27 of round four. He improves to 13-7-1 and becomes the NAAFS Interim Lightweight Champion.
“Bonesaw” George Comer vs Brian “The Mantis” Camozzi
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jerry Krzys. Comer drove in for a takedown right away and he eventually put Camozzi on his back. Camozzi looked to counter with a guillotine choke, but Comer moved to side control. He passed to mount soon after and landed punches with his left hand. Camozzi got back to half-guard, but Comer kept him pinned down. Comer worked for a keylock on Camozzi’s right arm, but he could not get it. The fighters stood and Comer took Camozzi’s back. The round ended with both men landing knees. 10-9 Comer.
Round 2:
Camozzi opened round two with a flying knee, but Comer clinched and tried for a takedown. Camozzi defended and landed punches and elbows while sprawling to avoid being taken down. Camozzi secured a ten-finger guillotine choke, but Comer got his hand in and escaped. He took Camozzi’s back and rolled into top position in side control. Camozzi got back to full guard and landed elbows from his back. Close round. 10-9 Comer.
Round 3:
Comer avoided a knee from Camozzi and took him back down in the final round. He smothered Camozzi and landed short punches and elbows from the top. Camozzi tried to scramble out and get back to his feet, but Comer gave him no space at all. In the final minute, Comer continued to pepper Camozzi with punches and hammerfists from half-guard and side control. 10-9 Comer.
Winner: George Comer by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 3-1-0.
Forrest “The Meat Cleaver” Petz vs Christopher “The Action Man” Curtis
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jerry Poe. Curtis backed Petz up to the cage with a combination in round one and he followed with a knee to the face. He eventually backed away and Petz flurried to the head and body. Time was called to replace Curtis’s mouthpiece. Action resumed and Petz landed a knee. He continued to target Curtis’s ribs and liver with hard punches and Curtis appeared to slow down in the final minute. Petz landed more punches in the clinch as the round ended. Close round. 10-9 Petz.
Round 2:
Curtis landed a nice knee in round two and attempted a head kick. He backed away and both fighters landed hard hooks. Petz targeted the body again and Curtis answered back with a knee. He landed another one soon after, but Petz backed him up against the cage with punches to the body. Petz kept the pressure on with his punches and kept Curtis on the defensive. Curtis landed some nice jabs and counter hooks, however, and the fighters traded punches as the close round came to an end. 10-9 Petz, just barely.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of hooks and Petz began to mix in kicks. Curtis stayed on the outside and countered as Petz pressed the action with body shots. A looping hook to the temple backed Curtis up and Petz closed in with more punches. Curtis landed a right hand to the body and circled away. Petz knocked Curtis’s mouthpiece out again with a right hook.
Time was called to replace the mouthpiece and action quickly resumed. Petz landed a left hook to the body and a combination. Curtis replied with a knee and a quick combo of his own. Petz walked forward with more body shots and the fight ended with both men throwing punches in the centre of the cage. 10-9 Petz. Very close fight that could go either way.
Following his victory, Petz announced his retirement from MMA after an 11-year career.
Winner: Forrest Petz by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 26-10-0.
Maxim “Maximus” Grishin vs Ray Lopez
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jerry Krzys. Grishin landed a nice combination in the opening seconds and he took Lopez down into side control. Grishin attempted a keylock and Lopez scrambled back to his feet. Grishin landed a vicious standing elbow, but Lopez stayed on his feet. Grishin flurried with punches and the fighters clinched.
Grishin dumped Lopez to the mat and tried to move to mount. He transitioned from half-guard to mount and scored with punches as Lopez held on. Grishin landed more hard shots and Lopez gave up his back. Grishin locked on a rear-naked choke and Lopez was forced to submit.
Winner: Maxim Grishin by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:25 of round one. He improves to 15-6-0.
(Amateur undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)