Kick Down 74

"GRUDGE"

Written by J.R. Gordon

January 23, 2010 the Red Lion hotel hosted the Kick Down fight promotion for it's ninth year.  This show, Kick Down 74 show titled, "Grudge" was aptly named as if referenced a main event rematch between two female fighters who last time they met put on what many called Colorado's fight of the year.  Also, the show had a total of three titles on the line as well as showcasing familiar names and newcomers to the fight scene.

Bout one: Matt Miller VS Levi Howes.  Howes took an early shoot that Miller defended by way of setting in a tight guillotine choke.  Howes defended the choke and scrambled to side control.  From there he set in the fight winning armbar to get the tapout victory at 1:01 of round one.  

Bout two: Tom Kirschenhueter VS Mike Siedlberg.  Siedlberg used punches to enter into the clinch in order to set up a double leg takedown.  From the top Siedlberg worked GNP all round as Kirschenhueter was busy with solid defense.  Round two had Siedlberg getting a fast takedown but Kirschenhueter was able to wall walk and each fighter landed strong strikes before Siedlberg got another takedown.  Kirschenhueter scored a sweep and took side control to work his GNP and a guillotine choke attempt to end the round.  Round three saw Kirschenhueter with strong punches, but the double leg takedown was again executed by Siedlberg and he worked GNP until the referee stood the fighters.  Immediately, Siedleberg again got the takedown and worked GNP from side control to end the round.  The judge's decision was called for and the winner was Mike Siedlberg by way of an unanimous decision.

Bout three: Tim Wagner VS Abie Gonzalez.  Gonzales opened with a fast 1-2 punch combination before defending the shoot of Wagner.  With Wagner on his knees Gonzalez flurried with GNP to get the TKO win at :15 of round one. 

Bout four: Robert Bobbett VS T.J. Nunnaley.  Bobbett was aggressive early with a takedown attempt, but Nunnaley defended and scrambled to back control to try an RNC.  Bobbett escaped the choke and scored a sweep into side control before taking mount.  After a scramble Bobbett then worked for a triangle choke but Nunnaley defended and landed solid punches to get the GNP TKO win at 1:49 of round one.

Bout five: Matt Kaufman VS Jake Valdez.  Kaufman opened with a head kick that Valdez was able to trap and set up the clinch before scoring with a huge bodylock slam.  From his back Kaufman set in an armbar, but Valdez slammed out of it and worked his GNP to get the TKO win at 1:44 of round one.

Bout six: Jose Caro VS Valentine Marquez.  Marquez used strikes to get the fight to the mat.  From the bottom Caro tried for a leg lock, but Marquez escaped and the fighters scrambled to standing.  Each fighter then scored a takedown and each time they worked back to standing.  Marquez landed a solid overhand right that dropped Caro and Marquez ended the round trying for an RNC. Round two had Marquez getting a takedown off of a trapped kick but he had to slam his way out of a triangle, then defend the leg lock attack of Caro.  The rest of the round had each fighter landing GNP and looking to improve position. Round three saw Caro trying a flying kick that ended with him on the mat and Marquez went from side control to mount and worked GNP until the round ended.  The judge's scorecards decided the winner and by of unanimous decision it was Valentine Marquez.

Bout seven: Ali Hanjani VS Eugene Rodriguez.  Rodriguez used punches to initiate the clinch to try to set up a takedown, but Hanjani defended and ended in the half guard of Rodriguez.  From the top Hanjani transitioned to full mount and worked strong elbows then a flurry of punches to get the TKO win at 1:38 of round one.

Bout eight: Darren Christopher VS Jayson Clayton for the Kick Down middleweight MMA title.  Clayton opened with strong strikes before each fighter landed solid knees while clinched.  Clayton tried for a rolling kneebar that Christopher defended before working GNP from side control.  From there he used his GNP to transition to mount, then back control in order  to work GNP to end the round.  Round two had Clayton getting a slam takedown to work GNP before slamming his way out an armbar.  After scrambling to their feet Clayton tried for a guillotine until the round ended.  Round three had Christopher landing a superman punch followed by a strong overhand right before Clayton got a takedown.  Christopher worked for a guillotine from the bottom that Clayton escaped before setting up  Kimura and armbar attempts from half mount.  To end the round Clayton flurried with elbows and punches.  The scorecards of the judges were read and the winner by unanimous decision was Jason Clayton.

Bout nine: Justin Hueske VS Cameron Thurgood for the Kick Down bantamweight MMA title.  Hueske initiated the clinch and was able to set in a guillotine choke when Thurgood dropped down to get a takedown.  Hueske got full guard and was able to close off the title winning submission at :40 of round one. 

Bout 10: Andrew Aldaco VS Michael Riggs.  Riggs opened with a double leg slam that got him into side control.  From there Riggs went to mount and set in the fight ending kimura for the verbal tapout victory at 1:01 of round one.

Main event: Leslie Smith VS Louise Johnson for the Kick Down women's professional bantamweight title.  Johnson had strong punches early that Smith answered with knees while clinched.  The fighters worked into and out of the clinch with both landing solid strikes including three head kicks by Smith.  There was a timeout so Johnson could recover from an accidental groin kick and upon the restart the combatants flurried until the round ended.  Round two had Smith landing a flurry that momentarily dropped Johnson.  Johnson recovered and came back to her feet.  The fighters exchanged strikes until Smith scored with a head kick that stunned Johnson.  Smith followed up with a barrage of strikes that dropped Johnson and Smith kept on with the flurry until the referee stopped the bout giving the TKO title winning victory to Leslie Smith at 1:35 of round two. 

"Of the night" moments:

Slam of the night goes to Jake Valdez for the big slam he got off of a trapped head kick.

KO/TKO of the night goes to Abie Gonzalez for his TKO win just 15 seconds into the fight.

Submission of the night goes to Justin Hueske who at just 19 years old got to keep the bantamweight title by way of guillotine 40 seconds into his fight.

Fight of the night goes to Darren Christopher and Jason Clayton.  Each displayed strong skills no matter where the fight took place and their conditioning allowed them to battle at a fast pace with strong strikes and technical grappling for all three rounds.

Announced at the show were the winner's of the promotions 2009, "Fighter of the year" awards.  Leslie Smith got the award in the women's professional division. Chris Dollbaum and Justin Hueske shared honors for the men's amateur division.

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Best in Health and Training,

J.R.

    Steven Simmons victorious in Non Title bout. 

    Brandon Johnson crowned new amatuer lightweight champion

    Rutherford new Featherweight champ.   

2010 began for the Kick Down MMA promotion in Casper, Wyoming Saturday evening with familiar faces and the prospects of a great new year with titles on the line for some very talented fighters. Kick Down veteran Bryant Craven was to fight for his quest to become the first fighter in the history of the promotion to capture two different titles in two different weight classes. That dream was shattered when his opponent did not make weight (first time ever) and to add to the frustration he was defeated by a knee in the opening minute of the bout. Steven Simmons weighed in at 161 pounds on Friday evening and those that attended the weigh ins watched as Bryant Craven was visibly upset as he had made his contracted weight. Craven still fought and held his head high and Simmons apologized to the crowd and to Craven personally for not making weight. A strange out come on that and a few other bouts at Kick Down 73.

Justin Hueske had come into the arena Saturday evening having won 4 straight bouts and two other titles. He would fight for the right to become only the second amatuer to win 3 different titles in separate weight classes and hold them simultaneously. Enter Brandon Johnson. After muscling his way out of a solid arm bar attempt by Hueske it was Johnson that secured the submission victory and the lightweight title to run his record to 4-1. Mike Rutherford would fight a game Derrick Rodrick for the vacated Featherweight title and secure victory in the 1st round. For Rutherford it was a touching moment for a fighter that has been very succesful in the promotion and rewarded himself for his efforts. In his post fight interview he brought his wife and 3 of his five children into the cage while his twins were in the audience and thanked everyone he could in a classy display worthy of being crowned champion and running his record to 9-2 . In the only womens bout on the card the much anticipated show down between Margaret Bloom and Erika Trujillo ended in the first round by verbal tapout. Trujillo was elated to get her first MMA victory in front of the home crowd. Both women had cut substantial weight to make the fight at a catch weight of 138.   

Bryant Craven                        Steven Simmons 

                                               Winner          

Brandon Johnson                   Justin Hueske   

Winner

Derick Rodrick                       Mike Rutherford

                                              Winner

Javaris Woodberry                Randy Speiser

                                              Winner  

Margaret Bloom                     Erika Trujillo

                                               Winner     

Damien Baker                        Josh Duncan

Winner

Jacob Williamson                   Daniel Dobsen        

Winner

Andrew Kauppila                    Pat Murphy

Winner

Aaron Gibson                          Anthony Sandoval

Winner

Nick Jackson                           Levi Howes

Winner

Zeke Van Orden                      Richard Long

Winner