TWICBS » dustin hazelett

It is March 26^th and I am in Reno, NV about 3 hours away from where I live. If you have HDNet, you had the opportunity to watch this bad boy. If not, I got the results for you….

Had to take some pre-crowd pics to show you what the cage looks like before the blood, sweat and tears start flowing in the cage.

and how about some pre-fight cage side photos for you.

Hey! It’s the CAGE!

Mike Kyle warming up in the cage.

I got into the locker rooms to get a couple pictures. Check out Nick Gaston and Jon Murphy.

Nick Gaston Chillin’.

Jon Murphy getting taped up.

The Guys are ready to go.

Oh…we have to give some love to the ring girls.

I don’t know their names, but I don’t really care…Ring Girls!

Speaking of ready to go. Let us start with the opening bout of the evening which happens to be for the vacant King of the Cage Welterweight Championship between Quinn Mulhern vs Koffi Adzitso.

Quinn Mulhern vs Koffi Adzitso for the KOTC Welterweight Title

Here we go with round 1:

Touch gloves…good exchanges to start…Mulhern goes for the takedown and is stuffed…Mulhern is caught and is bleeding from the right eye. 2 big lefts from Adzitso…Mulhern went for another takedown pulled guard was mounted for a second and was able get to guard. Mulhern had multiple triangle attempts, but Adzito was able to get out of trouble and back to guard. Mulhern working a shoulder look at the end of the round but adzito will not tap…Adzito survives the round. Mulhern went for a shoulder crank that was so deep, I thought Adzitso was going to tap. I am going to bet that Adzitso’s shoulder is pretty messed up. I would call this round a draw, but most likely 10-9 Adzitso.

Mulhern tries to end the fight with a Triangle Choke

Round 2:

Start of the round was slow. Mulhern goes for the take down, gets stuffed…kept working got the take down got the mount and the body triangle and then sunk in the rear naked choke at 1:36 of the 2^nd round. Your new King of the Cage Welterweight Champion, Quinn Mulhern.

Quinn Mulhern is the new KOTC Welterweight Champion

In the heavyweight division

Mike Guidry vs Nick Gaston

Nick Gaston getting ready for war.

Round 1:

Touch gloves and let the fireworks begin….Guidry fires off early. Lots of exchanges. As the round goes on Gaston starts to take control finally works a take down. Guidry is cut. Gaston has half guard trying to work for side control, but can’t quite do it so settles for half guard and ground and pound. Gaston is able to stall a bit, but is being moved to the cage. Guidry taps to Gaston by key lock. 4:49 of the 1^st round.

In the Middleweight division

Tim Means vs Jaime Jara

Jaime Jara vs Tim Means

Round 1:

Fight goes immediately to a take down and a mount by Jara. Means was able get back to half guard. Means is able to work back to standing and goes for the flying knee then a big leg kick. Clinched in the cage with Means in control….Big shots by Jara and finished with a guillotine choke. 2:19 of the 1^st round.

The victorious Jaime Jara

For the King of the Cage Heavyweight Title

Tony Johnson vs Tony Lopez

The Challenger, Tony Johnson

And here is the Champion, Tony Lopez

Round 1:

Jab by johnson to start, inside leg kick returned by Lopez…Johnson works a takedown and some serious ground and pound…Lopez gets back up only to return to the mat by big slam. More ground and pound by Johnson. Another slam attempt by Johnson was unsuccessful. But was able to get another take down and work wrestling control. Lopez is trying for an arm bar, but Johnson is able to avoid and get out of the arm bar attempt. Lopez is going to a shoulder lock, but Johnson gets out and is in side control…Lopez trying to get in half guard, but gives up his back…back standing at the bell. 10-9 Johnson

Round 2:

Fighters are a bit tired from the first round. Johnson starts throwin’ bombs and works to a take down and lands in half guard. Ground and pound is a bit slower this time. Lopez has a cut on the bridge of his nose. Lopez is working for a triangle, but the submission is not there. Johnson is postured up working…now is in Lopez’s full guard working short elbows. Lopez is working the triangle again and might have it…still working the triangle for the last minute and johnson gets out and moves to side control….Lopez is able to work back to full guard. Big rights in the guard by Johnson…another 10-9 round for Johnson.

Round 3:

Now the fighters are really tired. Both are slow with the strikes. Johnson works another takedown… johnson working a guilotine…Lopez pulls out of the guillotine standing and gets taken down with authority. Johnson is on Lopez’s back punishing Lopez. Lopez looks spent, but he’s got submissions…Johnson is working the wrestling control…johnson has Lopez pinned down and delivering more punishment…Lopez trying to get up at the end of the round but is on all fours at the bell…another 10-9 round for Johnson.

Round 4:

Now the fighters are really really tired…striking pretty light…some stinging leg kicks by Lopez, but not much else…Johnson lands another take down. Johnson solidly in lopez’s guard working position. Now in half guard still trying to work position…Lopez is looking for another triangle attempt. Johnson gets out of the attempt and is back in half guard….johnson gets put back into guard and ref Steve Mazzagatti stands it back up…Johnson has Lopez’s back goes for another big slam, but Lopez keeps his feet. Knees to the back of Lopez’s legs and the end of the round…10-9 Johnson.

Round 5:

Lopez needs to get a knock out or submission to win this fight…Lopez’s corner is calling to lopez to push and Johnson lands another takedown…Lopez has johnson in guard and furiously working for another sub attempt. Lopez had a solid arm bar attempt, but johnson was able to get out of the submission. Johnson is in half guard. Little bit of ground and pound, but is too tired to really mount and thing. Some solid lefts by johnson, but not much else…Lopez is flat on his back with not much energy left to mount any type of offense. Lopez tries for a final arm bar with 40 seconds left….but is not able to extend and get the sub…..10 seconds lefts…still in the armbar attempt and the bell sounds. 10-9 johnson….and your new King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion….Tony Johnson.

This is how it looked the entire fight. Johnson mauling Lopez

Dustin Akbari vs Jack Montgomery

We were not sure if this bout was going to make the main broadcast, but because the first 3 fights of the night ended early…you get treated to an extra Welterweight bout.

Round 1:

As is expected from a team alpha male (Urijah Faber’s camp) Akbari lands the takedown and works half guard…Akbari works in a slam…wonderful ground work by both fighters…Akbari get the ground and pound win…2:30 of the 1^st round by knock out.

Akbari completely dominated Montgomery

And now the Main Event of the Evening.

Mike Kyle vs Jon Murphy

Round 1:

Good opening exchanges and then Kyle lands the take down. Not able to do much with it…Kyle gets up and Murphy is content to stay on the ground…Kyle tried to jump to mount to no avail…Kyle is now starting some ground and pound with murphy pressed against the cage…Kyle is now in half guard…Murphy seems to be working for a stall to get the fight back standing, but Kyle is having none of that.. Kyle went for Murphy’s back, but missed…Murphy lands several good shots that sent Kyle running around the ring, but Murphy caught up to him and then Kyle landed a take down, but Murphy was able to pop right back up . Kyle has Murphy pressed against the cage, but Murphy has an arm in guillotine and the fight goes to the ground and now Murphy has Kyle in his back and that ends the round… draw round, but if I have to pick…probably Kyle with a slim 10-9.

Round 2:

Big opening right hand by Kyle…strike exchange…hits the cage and then Kyle gets the take down and is in half guard…not much happening…ref Jake Rosenthal tells the fighters to work….elbows by Kyle…big right by Kyle on the ground…a big left this time by Kyle but Rosenthal stands the fight up…Kyle goes for a takedown, but Murphy is able to reverse and get into Kyle’s guard…light peppering shots by both on the ground…elbow from the bottom by Kyle…Murphy is able to posture up and drop some big rights…Murphy gets side control, but Murphy is able to reverse and get into side control…elbows to Murphy’s head in side control…puts Murphy in a crucifix and ends the fight by lefts to the head of Murphy and the referee stoppage. Mike Kyle by TKO at 4:53 of the second round.

We had a couple extra bouts for those that wanted to stick around. I have to say…pretty entertaining fights.

In the Bantamweight division

TJ Dillishaw vs Czar Sklavos

Round 1:

Touch gloves…first strike by Sklavos….more strikes by Sklavos, but Dillishaw is able to land a takedown…was in a tiny bit of trouble by guillotine, but was able to work out and get some ground and pound…Dillishaw is standing with Sklavos on the ground some big shots by Dillishaw, Sklavos is able to get back to his feet…good back and forth battle…big left by Sklavos send Dillishaw to the ground…Dillishaw grabs a leg…Sklavos is able to work to a triangle, but Dillishaw is able to get out and lay on some heavy ground and pound… Sklavos is looking for a leg lock, but is unable to secure it…Dillishaw drops a big right and is now in side control….round ends with Dillishaw in Sklavos’ guard…Dillishaw steals the round 10-9.

Round 2:

Plenty of striking to open this round…Dillishaw is able to get Sklavos to the ground and work some serious ground and pound…Sklavos is getting hit hard on the ground with Dillishaw jumping the guard to land some big shots. Dillishaw is now in Sklavos’ guard and now back to Dillishaw standing and Sklavos on his back, but the ref stands it up…end of the round…10-9 Dillishaw.

Round 3:

Big right by Dillishaw to start, but Sklavos answers with a left….Dillishaw goes for a takedown…Sklavos goes for a guillotine but is slammed for his efforts…big cut on Dillishaw’s eye…ref stops to look, but the fight continues…back to the same position with Dillishaw on top…Dillishaw is now landing a lot of ground and pound. Ref stands the fight back up…not much action for a minute or so….stalking each other…big right by Dillishaw…Sklavos is able to land a left…Dillishaw just missed with a left hook…scrambled for a takedown, but Sklavos was able to get away. Chants of TJ start for TJ Dillishaw…good combo for Dillishaw…big takedown for Dillishaw and the fight ends with Dillishaw on top landing big ground and pound at the bell. 10-9…Dillashaw

TJ Dillishaw with the Unanimous Decision.

And finally in the Lightweight division

Mike Ortega vs Patrick Prescott

Round 1

Final fight of the night…first minute is nothing but striking and now Prescott gets a takedown and is working to half guard. No ground and pound yet…grappling clinic by both fighters…Prescott was able to land left…Prescott gets Ortega’s back and sinks in the rear naked choke for the win.

That is it for the night. A good night of fights. The Heavyweight title bout turned into a grappler vs a wrestler match. There was some booing, but I felt that it was a fun chess match to watch.

If you get a chance to go check out some of your local flavor of MMA, you should. While King of the Cage is definitely not a local promotion, their next show is in Detroit, MI, KOTC is a couple steps down from the UFC. That being said, several of the top names in Strikeforce, WEC and UFC made their name in King of the Cage.

So, get out there and support your local MMA promotion.