Alexander “King Kong” Romanov vs Jared “The Mountain” Vanderaa
Round 1:
The southpaw Romanov opened the fight with kicks to Vanderaa’s lead leg and body before going high with a head kick attempt. Romanov shot in for a takedown and Vanderaa countered with a standing guillotine choke. Romanov was warned for grabbing the cage and the fighters separated. Romanov took Vanderaa down and then tripped him two more times after Vanderaa stood up. With two minutes remaining, Vanderaa rose to his feet and Romanov slammed him down. He briefly threatened with a rear-naked choke attempt, but Vanderaa defended and got back to his feet again. Romanov landed a body kick and swarmed on Vanderaa with punches just before the bell. 10-9 Romanov.
Round 2:
Romanov secured a body-lock takedown and he worked from top position in Vanderaa’s half-guard. Romanov passed to mount and he landed short elbows that opened a cut between Vanderaa’s eyes. More elbows and hammerfists scored for Romanov as Vanderaa covered up. He managed to buck Romanov off, but Romanov moved to side control and threw knees to the body and elbows to Vanderaa’s face. As Vanderaa got to his knees and tried to stand up, Romanov attacked with even more elbows and he kept a bloodied Vanderaa down against the base of the cage. Romanov postured up with a final barrage of elbows, punches and hammerfists that forced referee Mark Smith to wave off the fight.
Winner: Alexander Romanov by TKO (Elbows & Punches) at 4:43 of round two. He improves to 15-0-0.
Damon “The Leech” Jackson vs Charles “Boston Strong” Rosa
Round 1:
Jackson immediately clinched and he held Rosa against the cage for more than a minute. Rosa landed a knee to the abdomen on the break and time was called when Jackson indicated that he had been struck in the groin. The fight resumed and Jackson landed a head kick followed by a one-two. He ducked under a left hook from Rosa and clinched with him against the cage again. Knees were exchanged and Jackson landed an uppercut on the break. Rosa pressed forward with jabs and a leg kick. Jackson answered with a leg kick of his own and a takedown. Rosa rolled for an inverted heel hook, but Jackson blasted him with a big right hand. He landed two lefts to Rosa’s face in the final seconds and Rosa wrenched back with a kneebar just as the bell sounded. 10-9 Jackson.
Round 2:
The second round opened with a lead left hook and a grazing head kick from Jackson. Rosa lost his balance and rolled away from Jackson, who chased after him with punches. Rosa dumped Jackson to the mat, but Jackson quickly initiated a scramble and he took Rosa’s back. Rosa stood up very briefly and Jackson dumped him to the mat again. He tried to mount Rosa, but Rosa powered out from the bottom and rose to his feet. Jackson tripped Rosa and locked him in a body triangle from back control. He punished Rosa with punches and elbows from the top. Rosa scrambled back to half-guard on the bottom and Jackson attempted a shoulder choke before time expired. 10-9 Jackson, if not a 10-8.
Round 3:
Rosa opened a bad cut above Jackson’s right eye with a spinning back elbow very early in the final round. Jackson took his back and dragged him down into a rear-naked choke, but Rosa escaped. The fighters stood and time was called to check on the gash above Jackson’s eye. Action was allowed to continue and Jackson, bleeding all over the place, took Rosa down. Rosa stood up and he tried to take Jackson down, but gave up his back in the process. Rosa scrambled free and he moved to a crucifix on Jackson’s back as Jackson got to his knees. In the final minute, Jackson turned into Rosa’s guard and moved to side control. Rosa escaped to his feet very briefly, but Jackson took him down once more. 10-9 Jackson.
Winner: Damon Jackson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-4-1, 1 NC.
“Loopy” Lupita Godinez vs Silvana “La Malvada” Gómez Juárez
Round 1:
Godinez landed two right hands in the opening seconds and she took Gómez Juárez down against the cage. Gómez Juárez battled back to her feet and Godinez slammed her down once more. Gómez Juárez briefly stood and Gondiez landed punches on the ground after taking her back down. The fighters stood and Godinez landed a knee on the break. She took Gómez Juárez down into back control and then transitioned to a belly-down armbar. Gómez Juárez had nowhere to go and verbally submitted.
Winner: Lupita Godinez by Verbal Submission (Armbar) at 4:14 of round one. She improves to 6-1-0.
Steve “Mean Machine” Garcia vs Charlie “The American Bad Boy” Ontiveros
Round 1:
Punches were exchanged right away and Ontiveros grazed with an axe kick. He dropped Garcia with a right hook but allowed him to stand back up. Ontiveros scored another knockdown in the ensuing seconds, but Garcia recovered and he secured a much-needed takedown into side control. Ontiveros got back to full guard and tried to stand up against the cage, but Garcia kept him pinned down. He passed back to side control and then to North-South position with 90 seconds remaining in the round. He landed an elbow that opened a bad cut beside Ontiveros’s right eye. Garcia postured up and landed a hard left hand before the bell. Tough round to score. 10-9 Ontiveros due to the early knockdowns.
Round 2:
Garcia opened the second round with a leg kick and an overhand left, but Ontiveros dropped him to a knee with a short right hook. Garcia dragged Ontiveros down and moved from side control to mount. He landed elbows and punches to Ontiveros’s face. Garcia postured up and battered Ontiveros with hammerfists to his face until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Steve Garcia by TKO (Punches) at 1:51 of round two. He improves to 12-4-0.