Packed house witnesses thrilling fights at NAAFS: Caged Vengeance 10 in Cleveland

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Cleveland's historic Gray's Armory was host to NAAFS cage fighting action downtown Saturday evening. A stacked amateur card and four professional tilts did not disappoint, but it was a lackluster night for the usual suspects; Strongstyle, Griffon Rawl, and Evolve, whose fighters went just 2-6 on the strength of wins by world-class Super Flyweight, Jessica "Evil" Eye, and a Finish of the Night KO performance for promising amateur Ryan Arce. The rest of the evening belonged largely to the out-of-towners. Uniontown Fight Club amateur Nick Browne (2-0) steamrolled his opponent to kick off the amateur bouts in what was a regrettable mismatch for newcomer David Gamble (0-1). Dojo Fight Club product, Dan Stevenson (2-0) looks to be a force to be reckoned with, defeating a very game Tony Hodges (3-2), sinking in a crushing guillotine choke and jumping guard to get the finish in round one of this Light Heavyweight contest. After dropping round one, Evolve MMA's Ryan Arce (4-0) KO'd his opponent Jon Rooks (2-2) 11 seconds into round 2 with a flush left cross. Arce's "Finish of the Night" performance was a gutty and technical display Muay Thai. Griffon Rawl amateur John Burbol (5-5) lost a hard-fought decision to Canadian, John Antanitis (6-3) who put an explanation point on the fight with a takedown in round three followed by some ground-n-pound which left Burbol bloodied up at the final bell. Grant Hoppel bettered his record to 10-5, showing he had the gas tank to match the initial barrage of power in this catchweight bout versus Evolve MMA's Andrew Law (7-3). After an admirable job weathering the storm of Hoppel's initial onslaught, one had the feeling that Law was beginning to turn the tide in Round 3 but an unfortunate miss and stumble saw him on his back again with the extremely powerful Hoppel in a dominant position as was the story for much of the fight. The judges awarded Hoppel an well-deserved unanimous decision.

A spirited and vocal cohort of fans came out to cheer East Cleveland's Devontai Moore (1-2) versus Clevelander by way of Ivory Coast, Emmanuel "Natural Mistic" Kangah, but to no avail as Kangah landed the more powerful blows and out pointed Devontai in a very entertaining display of technical striking by both fighters. Kangah, of Tru Roots MMA improved to 2-1 with the unanimous decision over Moore.

Charleston West Virginia's “Wild” Wes Hanson (6-0) electrified the Ohio audience against the previously unbeaten Thomas Uylenbroek (5-1) with a furious 56 second attack, turning in what may have been the evening's most memorable performance. The very good-natured amateur could be seen minutes later, looking cool as a cucumber, discussing the first round TKO with Cleveland Browns kick returner and wide receiver Josh Cribbs who was cageside all evening. Hanson's enthusiastic performance no doubt won over many fans among the Ohio crowd and it would seem that the sky is the limit for this undefeated amateur from Hiles MMA whose professional debut will be eagerly anticipated by any true fan of the sport.

Brick House MMA made a strong showing to round out the amateur portion of the fight card with 145-pounder Eric Gifford (4-1) and teammate Jarrell Hodge (4-0) turning in convincing performances resulting in a Round 2 TKO (strikes, and mounted triangle choke) over Vince Bullard (3-1) for Gifford and a devastating knockout of hometown favorite Cody Garbrandt (5-2) by Hodge. Garbrandt showed excellent fundamentals and outstanding wrestling before getting caught by a right hand from the explosive Hodge. At only 20 years of age for Garbrandt and 22 for Hodge, look to see more from these outstanding young prospects in years to come.

Isaiah Chapman of Unique Fitness and Rock Hard MMA sparkled in his professional debut against a spirited opponent in Team Elite's Richard McDole (7-2) who fought relentlessly for the takedown, even briefly achieving his goal early in the fight. Not to be denied, however, an accumulation of brutal elbows to the side of the head by the extremely powerful Mr. Chapman took their toll as McDole single-mindedly struggled for the takedown. Chapman's impressive strength and athleticism were evident when he fiercely hoisted McDole's feet off the ground in a gruesome-looking standing guillotine which Chapman followed with a takedown of his own. Following some thunderous body shots, the round ended with Isaiah taking his opponent's back before the bell, now firmly in control of the fight. After brilliantly timing a takedown off a missed kick attempt, Chapman was again in control at the outset of round 2 when his persistent opponent shocked the audience and demonstrated his talent by nearly executing a surprise armbar which Chapman defended in the nick of time. That one brief scare seemed to push Chapman into overdrive as he shortly thereafter proceeded to pound out his opponent ruthlessly with a shower of strikes consisting mostly of elbows. Referee Jerry Krzys mercifully rescued McDole after giving the fighter every chance to defend himself. The victory makes Champan 1-0 as a professional and 13-1 overall.

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Fans of women's MMA were treated to a back-and-forth striking battle between the talented Kelly Warren (12-5) of Michigan and Ohio's sweetheart, Jessica "Evil" Eye (11-1). Although Warren showed the patience, constant head movement, and counter striking acumen of a seasoned veteran, it was the jab, and the effective use of combinations that shifted the fight in favor of Eye. Out boxing, out pointing, and out working her opponent in each of three rounds, Eye gained momentum throughout the fight, winning each consecutive frame more convincingly than the last. When in the latter half of round 3, Warren, never out of the fight, scored a takedown which might have made the fight uncomfortably close to score, Eye showed her tenacity, firing effective elbow strikes off her back all the time looking for the armbar or triangle. Determined not to relax with Warren in her guard, Jessica scrambled to her feet and put an explanation point on her performance scoring a takedown of her own and inflicting a nasty cut on the forehead of her opponent. All in all, Eye seems to have made yet another quantum leap in her skills, the snap in her jab and formidable hand speed coming into evidence in both of her last two fights. Although unofficial as yet, Eye was the very well deserving recipient of Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney's offer to compete in this years stacked women's tournament, rumored to commence for her at Bellator 66, Alvarez v. Aoki, on April 20th at a venue to be announced.

In a very exciting and evenly matched co-main event, Instigator Fight Team's Antonio Castillo Jr. (12-3) showed superior footwork and striking as well as formidable wrestling prowess in welcoming Griffon Rawl's Paul Compton (14-7) back to the cage after a lengthy layoff following an injury. Both fighters showed excellent conditioning and heart but it was the better-rounded and appropriately named "Mexican Muscle," Castillo Jr. who matched Compton in all aspects of the fight while totally dominating the wrestling. Scoring two vicious body slams in addition to other takedowns, Castillo took advantage of top position, inflicting brutal ground and pound on the undaunted Compton who remained active with elbows from the bottom. All three judges saw the fight 29-28 in favor of Castillo Jr. who has cemented his position as one of the top talents at 145 pounds.

The night concluded with the upset of former Welterweight belt-holder Nick "The Savage" Duell ( 19-6-1) by the heavy-handed Brandon Sailing (16-8) of Mid Ohio Valley BJJ. In a frenzy that had fans holding their breath, Sailing came out throwing bombs from the get-go. Although Duell survived the initial firestorm of blows, some of which appeared to hurt him, it was not until a slick reversal following a Sailing takedown, that Duell appeared to truly settle in and begin fighting on his terms. Although he was able to take the back of his opponent and work for a submission, Duell was not able to find the rear naked choke as the closing seconds of round 1 expired. At the outset of round 2, Sailing again emerged throwing bombs with cruel intentions, answering any questions fans may have had about his cardio and showcasing a winning combination of power and aggression along with a willingness to take punishment in order to dish it out. After Sailing thought he had finished Duell with a flush right hook, Duell fans breathed one last breath of hope for a Congo v. Barryesque finish, as Duell sprang back to life while Sailing walked away hands raised. Those hopes were short lived, however, as Sailing again unleashed a flurry of punishing strikes, finally disposing of Duell with a nasty uppercut that sent him crumbling to the canvas. Overall it was an exciting and convincing performance for Sailing whose good chin, heavy hands, and fearless assault are a threat to anyone in his weight class.

Joe Millin is a writer, technologist and MMA enthusiast. Born in Kent, Ohio, he grew up in Tallmadge and graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English and writing. This is his second piece for Profigting-fans.com.