“Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs Gian Villante
Round 1:
Hard punches were exchanged in the opening two minutes and Villante mixed in body kicks. He landed an uppercut and Lawlor countered with a left hook. Villante threw more kicks and Lawlor lunged in with a one-two. Chopping leg kicks scored for Villante, who briefly tripped Lawlor to the mat. Lawlor stood and Villante landed a head kick. 10-9 Villante.
Round 2:
Villante landed uppercuts and lead left hooks in round two, but Lawlor dropped him with a counter right hook over the top. Villante collapsed to the mat and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Tom Lawlor by TKO (Punch) at 0:27 of round two. He improves to 10-5-0, 1 NC.
Jim Miller vs Danny “Last Call” Castillo
Round 1:
Miller caught a head kick early on and took Castillo down. He used a top-side guillotine choke to set up a pass to mount in a scramble. Castillo held on from the bottom as Miller tried to lock on a triangle choke. He secured a loose reverse triangle choke, but Castillo escaped and wound up on top in Miller’s guard. He landed short strikes from the top until Miller battled back to his feet. Miller ducked under a head kick and landed a body kick before the end of the round. 10-9 Miller.
Round 2:
The second round began with punch-kick combos and a standing elbow from Miller. He copped away at Castillo’s lead leg, but Castillo fired back with a right hand and a body kick. Miller continued to press the action with a variety of kicks. Castillo eventually connected with a head kick, but Miller was unfazed. Castillo landed another one before the end of the close round. 10-9 Miller.
Round 3:
Miller opened the final round with more punch-kick combinations that culminated with kicks to Castillo’s lead leg. Castillo landed a straight right and Miller backed him up with a one-two. He followed with a left hand and took Castillo down. Castillo stood and escaped from a guillotine choke. Another one-two scored for Miller and Castillo clinched in search of a takedown. Miller broke free and lunged in with punches. Castillo targeted Miller’s left arm with kicks and he took Miller’s back in a scramble. He muscled Miller down and closed out the round on top in side control. 10-9 Castillo.
Winner: Jim Miller by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 25-6-0, 1 NC.
Ben “Killa B” Saunders vs Kenny Robertson
Round 1:
The fighters clinched early on and Robertson took Saunders down against the cage. Saunders countered with rubber guard from his back and he transitioned to an omoplata, but Robertson escaped and stood up. Saunders kicked to the body and followed with straight punches. He just missed with a knee and Robertson answered with punches over the top. Saunders hurt Robertson’s right arm with a kick and he continued to target it with more kicks. Robertson’s arm appeared to be injured, but he dropped Saunders with a right hook anyway and finished the round on top. 10-9 Robertson, barely, due to the late knockdown.
Round 2:
Robertson landed combinations in the second round and he followed with a lunging elbow. Time was called when he was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and Robertson closed in with right hands. He further opened a cut on Saunders’s forehead with a one-two. Saunders kicked to the body and Robertson continued to punch over the top. Saunders scored with a one-two and a head kick, but Robertson backed him up again with left and right hooks. He forced Saunders to retreat to the cage and teed off with punches. Saunders countered with hard knees late in the round. 10-9 Robertson.
Round 3:
Robertson kicked at Saunders’s lead leg in round three and the fighters traded straight lefts. Saunders scored with knees to the body and Robertson took him down. Saunders trapped him in rubber guard again and cut him with a series of vicious elbows from the bottom. He continued to batter Robertson with elbows as the round progressed. A bloodied Robertson escaped late in the round, but time expired soon after. 10-9 Saunders.
Winner: Ben Saunders by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 19-6-2.
Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway vs Eddie Wineland
Round 1:
Wineland landed a hard body kick early on and Caraway countered with a takedown against the cage. Wineland stood and Caraway threw short knees and elbows. Wineland broke away and he fired off looping overhand rights. Caraway shot in for a takedown and Wineland stuffed it. He briefly tried for a standing guillotine choke, but Caraway broke free. He landed lead left hooks and followed with a right cross while avoiding Wineland’s punches. Wineland tagged him with a one-two and a knee just before the bell. 10-9 Caraway.
Round 2:
Caraway scored with a hard overhand right in the second round and he cut Wineland’s right cheek with stiff jabs. Wineland stuffed a takedown and landed two right hands, but Caraway continued to have success with jabs. Wineland opened a cut near Caraway’s left eye with a right hand and he fought off another takedown. Caraway landed uppercuts in close and he taunted Wineland while pressing forward with punches and body kicks. 10-9 Caraway.
Round 3:
Caraway rushed forward with aggressive punches that backed Wineland up in the final round. Wineland avoided a takedown, but Caraway continued to outstrike him in the ensuing minutes. Caraway fell after throwing a wild kick and Wineland connected with a one-two after Caraway returned to his feet. A head kick landed for Caraway and he punched his way into a clinch. Wineland circled away and countered a knee with a left hook. The fighters traded power punches in the final 15 seconds. 10-9 Caraway.
Winner: Bryan Caraway by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 20-7-0.
“The” James Krause vs Daron “The Detroit Superstar” Cruickshank
Round 1:
Cruickshank opened the action with a one-two and a head kick, and he dumped Krause to the mat after catching a head kick in return. Krause stood and both men landed punching combinations. Knees were exchanged in the clinch and Krause took Cruickshank down. He hopped on Cruickshank’s back and locked on a rear-naked choke. Cruickshank could not escape and tapped out.
Winner: James Krause by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:27 of round one. He improves to 22-7-0.
Andrew Holbrook vs Ramsey Nijem
Round 1:
Nijem circled on the outside and threw single punches and body kicks early on. Holbrook took him down, but Nijem returned to his feet and fought off a second takedown attempt. He tripped Holbrook and escaped from a guillotine choke. Nijem passed to side control, but Holbrook scrambled up to his feet and just missed with a flying knee. Nijem flurried with punches and he took Holbrook back down. He landed a hard right hand and fought off an inverted triangle choke by throwing more punches before the bell. 10-9 Nijem.
Round 2:
Nijem rocked Holbrook with a barrage of punches in the second round and he took him down against the cage. Holbrook recovered and countered with a guillotine choke, but Nijem escaped. Holbrook transitioned to a kneebar and a heel hook. The fighters stood and Nijem dragged Holbrook down, but Holbrook used a kimura attempt to sweep into top position. Holbrook trapped Nijem in a tight Brabo choke and then a guillotine soon after. He continued to try for guillotine chokes, but Nijem reversed position and finished the round with punches. 10-9 Holbrook, barely.
Round 3:
Nijem rushed forward with punches and knees in round three and he took Holbrook down. Holbrook countered with a kimura and a kneebar, and he switched to a heel hook soon after. Nijem pulled his leg free and Holbrook looked to set up another kimura. Nijem punched from back control and Holbrook tried to shake him off by diving forward. He threw reverse elbows and continued to hunt for a kimura. Nijem took top position in side control in the final seconds. 10-9 Nijem by a slim margin.
Winner: Andrew Holbrook by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 11-0-0.
Elizabeth Phillips vs Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke
Round 1:
Phillips scored with left and right hooks over the top throughout the opening minute. Duke reversed a takedown and rolled into an armbar attempt. Phillips escaped and she landed short punches from Duke’s guard. She stood up and dropped down into side control, then mounted Duke soon after. She rained down punches that forced Duke to give up her back. Phillips worked for a rear-naked choke until Duke spun into her guard. Phillips finished the round with elbows from her back. 10-9 Phillips. Could be a 10-8.
Round 2:
Duke was more active with punches in round two and she countered a combination from Phillips by clinching against the cage. She tried to pull guard with a guillotine choke, but Phillips landed on top in side control and she nearly passed to mount. Phillips dropped elbows and briefly mounted Duke, but Duke exploded out and got back to full guard. Phillips forced her to give up her back by punching from the top and Duke fought off a rear-naked choke. Phillips switched to a guillotine choke, but she lost the position and Duke attempted a heel hook before the bell. 10-9 Phillips.
Round 3:
Power punches were exchanged in the final round and Duke landed a knee. She got Phillips down and attempted a series of guillotine chokes. Duke switched to a Brabo choke and an exhausted Phillips barely escaped. The fighters stood and Duke kicked to the body. Big hooks landed for both women and Duke mixed in more knees. She dragged Phillips down again and punched from the top. Duke transitioned to an armbar that likely would have finished the fight, but time expired just as she wrenched back on Phillips’s arm. 10-9 Duke, if not a 10-8.
Winner: Elizabeth Phillips by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 5-3-0.
Zak Cummings vs Dominique “Non-Stop Action Packed” Steele
Round 1:
Cummings dropped Steele with an overhand left in the opening seconds and he swarmed on Steele with more punches after he returned to his feet. Steele wilted against the cage as Cummings teed off with left and right hands and the brief bout was stopped.
Winner: Zak Cummings by TKO (Punches) at 0:43 of round one. He improves to 18-4-0.