THE LEAD-UP: For the first time ever, Union Grand Prix plants the flag in Honolulu, Hawaii. The sold out crowd is ferocious with emotion and ready for a big night of fights. To kickoff the milestone Boss Fight XXX event, we have a heavyweight bout between the Romanian Cezar Miklos and Canadian Zander Altman. With the big shakeup at the top recently with the crowning of new Heavyweight Champion Owen Barnes and the division as a whole thinning out, everything is on the table for all contracted fighters. Miklos and Altman have both struggled as of late and need a big win tonight to help elevate their name out from the basement of the division’s rankings. Miklos brings some serious knockout power but he’ll have to be careful, because Altman is a jack of all trades that can catch a vulnerable opponent in a number of different ways.
ROUND ONE: The opening round begins and it seems as though Zander Altman is trying to play the long game and tries to bait Cezar Miklos in. The two circle around for a few moments until Miklos sees an opening and just starts unloading on Altman. Miklos tags Altman with a tremendous combo and finishes it off with a big hook to the body, causing Altman to backpedal out of range and try to regroup. Altman seems even more hesitant now after feeling the power behind Miklos’ hands, but slowly the two circle back toward the center of the cage. Miklos works back into range and fires off a quick one-two combo that slashes Altman on the cheek just under his eye. Altman tries to fire off an overhand right, but Miklos dodges it and counters back with punches in bunches, almost effortlessly outboxing his opponent. Altman backpedals out of range again and his facial expression matches the concern of his corner, because now it appears that he wants no part of Miklos. Altman’s cheek is swelling up badly and could be affecting his vision. Miklos pressures in and boxes him in a corner, and begins unloading with stinging jabs. Miklos doesn’t stop and continues to rain down combos and the referee is shouting warnings and watching very intently as Altman is pressed up against the fence. Miklos fires off a big right hook and Altman crumbles to his knees and the referee has seen enough! He pulls off “Mâini de Piatră” to call off the fight, and impressively showcases why they call him “Stone Hands”.
Winner: Cezar Miklos by TKO (Hook) at 4:05 Round 1
Statistics: Cezar Miklos
Punches 23/29 (79%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Zander Altman
Punches 0/5 (0%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
THE LEAD-UP: Next up, we ready ourselves for a bout in the Lightweight division, as Zamara Ali takes on Osvaldo Ledesma. Ali has found early success since moving into the Lightweight division, and actually has a win over Ledesma already. However, with “El Matador” scoring a win over Xabier Belazco, he’s moved up the rankings enough to earn a crack at avenging a loss. The question tonight is whether Ledesma has learned from his mistakes, or will Ali go 2-up against the Argentina native and stack a third consecutive win in her 155 pound tenure.
ROUND ONE: The fight barely has a chance to begin before Zamara’s shooting for a takedown, but Osvaldo somehow manages to keep his feet and avoid the shot. He counters with a huge head kick that Zamara only barely manages to deflect. Zamara pushes forward, ripping a series of big body shots, then drops for a double leg to drag Ledesma to the mat! She tries to drop a few elbows, but Osvaldo has his guard up, so, instead, she spins for a kneebar! Osvaldo’s able to get his leg free and escape to his feet before she really secured her grip, though. On the feet, Zamara’s still the aggressor--she throws a lot of one-two combinations, that Osvaldo mostly manages to avoid. When he sees an opening, he tags her with a huge body kick! Zamara’s not deterred, though; she jabs her way into range, then throws a spinning back kick, but Osvaldo gets out of the way and tags her with a huge, stiff right hand! Visibly rocked, she drops for a single leg takedown, but Osvaldo resists it easily. Zamara keeps looking for that takedown, though, driving forward and forward, but Osvaldo’s defense holds strong. Eventually, she has to give up on the shot and backs away, but that doesn’t mean she tones down her aggression--Zamara throws a LOT of punches, mixing in some leg kicks for good measure, but Osvaldo’s able to avoid most of her blows and absorbs the impact of the few strikes that do land. He eventually slips a BIG uppercut, and drops for a takedown of his own! He can’t make it past Zamara’s guard, which proves to be problematic almost immediately; Zamara throws up an Armbar, but Osvaldo’s able to defend… so she transitions to a Triangle instead! Osvaldo has to pry himself free, but he’s able to, and ultimately escapes to his feet. Zamara tries to land a few up kicks, but they just keep Osvaldo at bay, and Herschel Warden stands her up. It’s not for long, though, as before she can even finish one last takedown attempt, the buzzer sounds. I really liked Zamara’s determination, even if it didn’t produce much of a result. It’s clear she’s willing to push the pace early and often, which may cause a problem for Ledesma the later this fight goes.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Ali
ROUND TWO: You have to commend Zamara’s aggression, she presses the action from the moment the horn sounds to begin round 2. However, her accuracy...leaves a lot to be desired; she’s throwing big, looping punches that miss wildly, and leave herself open for counters. Counters that Osvaldo is happy to provide for her, in the form of HUGE body shots to slow her down, then a one-two combo, punctuated with a huge hook to the chin that stumbles Zamara back! Osvaldo engages to try to finish the fight, but he has to fight off Zamara’s double-leg attempt--which he does, after a moment of struggle. Zamara keeps pushing forward, though, eating another one-two in order to get in range for a takedown, and finally, she’s able to get him to the mat--in Side Control, no less! She quickly tries to transition to the Mount, but in the rush, Osvaldo is able to re-establish his guard. Zamara breaks the guard and sits back for a straight ankle lock, but Osvaldo reacts before she can secure the grip, so Zamara uses the attempt to try to pass his guard. Osvaldo blocks the movement and throws a series of strikes upwards, forcing Zamara to defend--and, in that moment, Osvaldo turns her over into mount! Zamara scrambles to escape the mount, but Osvaldo keeps her in place--before spinning for an Armbar! Zamara looks caught, she’s visibly wincing...but she manages to turn into the hold and pull her arm free. She backs away from the engagement, and Osvaldo follows her to the feet. Zamara wings a looping right hand on the restart, but Osvaldo shuffles back to avoid it, then jabs his way into range before tagging Zamara with a series of straight punches that force her backwards. Zamara’s still not deterred, though; she’s throwing a lot of punches, but she’s missing much more than she’s hitting; she looks tired, and her movements are becoming more telegraphed. Osvaldo counters with single shots rather than combos at this point, but each shot does more damage. Zamara eats a punch to try to get the fight to the mat again, but before she can finish the takedown, the buzzer sounds to end the round. Ali continues to work at a fast pace, but Ledesma was able to use it against her and land some really damaging counters. On top of that, when the fight finally went to the ground, Ledesma nearly ended it. This round goes to “El Matador”, and if “The Chiraq Jewel” doesn’t improve her accuracy, or at the very least, be a little more methodical in her approach, she may let this fight slip from her fingers.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Ledesma (19-19 Push)
ROUND THREE: Zamara begins the round aggressive once again; she shoots for a double leg straight out the gate, but Osvaldo counters by tying her up, then hits a smooth trip that sends Zamara to the mat instead, and they land in Zamara’s guard.. Despite a series of strikes from both fighters, nobody lands anything significant for a solid 30 seconds; just as Osvaldo starts to work and pass the guard, however, Herschel Walker stands the fight up. Despite her visible fatigue at this point, it’s still Zamara on the offense, throwing both big single shots, and one-two combinations, but she’s telegraphing almost everything she throws, and Osvaldo avoids most of the strikes with ease. After letting her punch herself out, he decides to start throwing back, and easily gets the better of the exchanges. The pace of the round slows down significantly, as the two fighters circle the cage for several seconds, before Zamara re-engages. She lands a big hook that staggers Osvaldo backwards, but when she goes for a takedown to follow up, Osvaldo’s able to sprawl and keep the position in a stalemate to give himself a second to recover. Zamara disengages--and Osvaldo takes her to the mat instead, with a double-leg of his own! Zamara’s guard is still a dangerous place, though; she throws up a triangle and almost secures it--but even as his head turns red and he’s clearly struggling, Osvaldo manages to keep his composure and escape. Osvaldo lands some decent ground and pound that gets thru Zamara’s guard, but nothing that’s causing Herschel Walker too much concern. Eventually, with nothing significant landing, he stands them up--but Zamara immediately shoots a double leg. Osvaldo resists, but Zamara’s able to pull him to the ground in her guard once again. Both try to improve their respective positions, but they end up stalemating each other. Zamara tries to secure a Guillotine in the last 10 seconds, but she can’t really grab hold of it before the horn. With only the triangle attempt really going in Ali’s favor, the remainder of this round was all Ledesma. I’d be shocked if this didn’t go in favor of Ledesma, who clearly took rounds two and three, and arguably round one as well.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Ledesma (29-28 Ledesma)
. JUDGES’ SCORECARDS .
Zamara Ali 10 9 9: 28
Osvaldo Ledesma 9 10 10: 29
Zamara Ali 9 10 10: 29
Osvaldo Ledesma 10 9 9: 28
Zamara Ali 10 9 9: 28
Osvaldo Ledesma 9 10 10: 29
Winner: Osvaldo Ledesma by Split Decision
Statistics: Zamara Ali
Punches 4/69 (6%)
Kicks 0/17 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 2/17 (12%)
GnP strikes 0/21 (0%)
Submissions 7/7 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 259 s
Statistics: Osvaldo Ledesma
Punches 56/77 (73%)
Kicks 3/3 (100%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/1 (100%)
GnP strikes 5/10 (50%)
Submissions 1/1 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 234 s
THE LEAD-UP: The feature undercard bout spotlights a Middleweight contest between veteran and prospect who are both coming off of tough losses that would have thrusted them into title contention. Former champion Asher Jrue has been inconsistent since losing the title, winning just two of his last five fights. After losing his trilogy bout against Robert Guilliman, Jrue needs a win in a big way tonight to keep himself in the upper echelon of one of Union’s toughest divisions. Lars Levy is trying to rebound from a heartbreaking decision loss to Nigel Musgrove to put himself back on track toward a title shot opportunity, and a win over a former champion will certainly do just that.
ROUND ONE: There is no feeling out process in the opening round. The two men have barely touched gloves before Asher drops to shoot for a double leg, but Levy resists and Asher eventually settles on a bodylock clinch. Both men jockey for position, Levy even attempting to trip Asher despite the disadvantageous position, but nothing much comes of it, and the ever impatient Dusty Whittaker separates them. Just like the opening horn, though, Asher doesn’t hesitate on the restart; he manages to jab his way in and secure a collar tie, then a Thai Plum! Asher lands a couple shots to the body, but even a momentary lapse in the action is too much for Dusty, who separates them again. On the restart, Asher launches a huge right hook that drops Lars! He almost rushes in for the kill, but Lars is coherent, just off-balance, and Asher thinks better of it and lets Lars get up instead. After a fruitless exchange between the two men, Asher lands a huge overhand right that somehow doesn’t drop Lars! He is on wobbly legs, though, and Asher pushes forward, landing several punches all in a row. Lars has to back away and buy himself some time. When Lars re-engages, he eats a straight left that clips him on the chin! Asher follows up with a one-two combo, then a big right hook that obviously stuns Levy! Asher keeps landing, and keeps landing, hooks, uppercuts, winging overhands, everything but the kitchen sink--but somehow Lars doesn’t go down. Asher secures a clinch again, this time a single-collar, and drills Levy with some brutal body shots, that ultimately force Lars to go for a takedown; he can’t get it, so he tries to pull guard instead, but Asher refuses to budge and keeps the fight in tight. Asher manages to pummel for a Thai Plum, but it’s Lars on the attack, as he throws a powerful knee...right to Asher’s groin! Dusty stops the fight to take a point away from Lars, and gives time for Asher to recover. On the restart, it’s a wild exchange. Both men land, but it’s Asher who lands more significantly; a body shot, a couple straight punches upstairs, and he might have done more damage had the horn not sounded. This round was all Asher Jrue who picked Lars Levy apart. I’d say this was a 10-8 round, and given the point deduction, this round put Levy in a serious hole that he may need a finish to turn things around.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-7 Jrue
ROUND TWO: We are starting to see the old Asher Jrue who won the Middleweight Title as he’s on the attack as soon as round two starts. He shoots for a takedown early, but Lars throws a kick that forces Asher to abandon the attempt. Asher presses forward again, though, flicking out a couple jabs, then a big right hook! Lars blocks the straight punches, but the hook drops him to the mat! He’s still coherent, though, and kicking out at Asher’s knees, preventing Asher from engaging. Jrue lands a couple kicks to the leg, but it ultimately grinds the action to a halt and Dusty stands Levy up. On the restart, both men start throwing wildly; Lars lands a couple stinging shots, but Asher gets the best of the exchange, punctuated with an overhand left that nearly puts Levy’s lights out! Levy circles away, but Asher pursues, and another brawl begins between the two; again, Lars lands some solid shots, but Asher starts to get the better of him, landing a series of straight punches that start to swell Levy’s right eye shut. Asher punctuates his flurry with a three punch combo that all connect; first, a looping left, then a quick followup right hook, then a massive uppercut that snaps Levy’s head back! Like a terminator, though, Levy keeps coming forward--but he’s walking forward, into clean shots from Asher. Every time Lars engages, he gets tagged with a powerful shot, until he eventually gets clipped and stumbles back against the cage. Asher rushes in to tie him up, and gets caught with a HUGE straight punch that obviously rocks him; ironically, it serves his purposes though, as he resorts to a clinch to save himself, rather than damage Levy. Both men trade knees in the clinch, but Asher’s lands in what looks like the groin--but Dusty Whittaker doesn’t seem to have seen the foul! Asher tries to continue the attack, but Lars manages to push him away and circle out to buy himself time to recover. He gets more time than he bargained for, too, as the buzzer sounds before Asher is able to re-engage. Asher got lucky on the foul, which, if spotted, would have helped Levy’s case on the scorecards. However, Levy has been dropped in both rounds and doesn’t seem to have it in him for the finish. His only hope at this point is a wild hail mary strike or an out of nowhere catch in a submission.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-8 Jrue (20-15 Levy)
ROUND THREE: Unlike the previous rounds, the start of round three is extremely tentative; both men have slowed down considerably, and they’re just throwing jabs at each other. At least, until Asher suddenly busts out a Superman punch that lands square and smashes Levy’s nose! Levy stumbles back, and Asher manages to tie him up in a bodylock and drive him back to the cage. Levy manages to pummel for an underhook, then shrugs Asher off, but gets tagged by a one-two combo on the exit, punctuated with an uppercut that stumbles him back! Asher starts landing strikes for fun--body shots, straight punches to the head, even a spinning backfist that nearly drops Lars! It’s all Lars can do to defend himself, and the frequency with which Asher’s throwing forces him to grab on to a clinch to buy some recovery time--and, of course, Dusty Whittaker doesn’t have the patience for that. They’re separated quickly, and Asher goes right back to his boxing fundamentals--quick, sharp one-two combos that land and seem to stun Lars, but nothing quite drops him. It does, however, open a pretty significant cut over Lars’s eye. Seemingly spurred on by the damage he’s taking, Lars gets a sudden burst of energy, and the two men start exchanging wild punches again; both miss more than they hit, but the contact is there on occasion, from both men. When they disengage, Lars’s face is covered in blood. Lars back-pedals and tries to keep Asher at a distance, pawing at him with jabs, but Asher answers with stinging, strong, straight punches, then a huge uppercut that rocks Levy’s head back! Asher lands a follow up right hook that damn near echoes thru the arena, and drops Levy to the mat! Somehow, it’s not a knockout, but the buzzer sounds before Asher can do any more damage. I gotta give it to Lars Levy for surviving, even if he was saved by the final bell, but Asher Jrue was paying with scraps here at the end. Another dominant round for the former champion, who should clearly secure the win here tonight.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-8 Jrue (30-23 Jrue)
. JUDGES’ SCORECARDS .
Asher Jrue 10 10 10: 30
Lars Levy 8 9 9: 26
Asher Jrue 10 10 10: 30
Lars Levy 8 9 9: 26
Asher Jrue 10 10 10: 30
Lars Levy 8 9 9: 26
Winner: Asher Jrue by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Asher Jrue
Punches 92/128 (72%)
Kicks 1/2 (50%)
Clinch strikes 3/4 (75%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 2/2 (100%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Lars Levy
Punches 20/39 (51%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
Takedowns 0/1 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 33 s
THE LEAD-UP: The Co-Main Event features two Bantamweight fighters who have been in the thick of title contention, however both are coming off of tough losses, and another L could drop them down the rankings quite significantly. The former inaugural Bantamweight Champion Lauren Moore is 2-2 in her last four fights, with both losses coming at the hands of Dallas Meechan. After losing her rubber match against Meechan, it seemed like her chances at getting another crack at the title had closed, until Gianna Howard dethroned the Scottish striker, which potentially opened the floodgates to all top contenders. Tim Vu fell victim to Gianna Howard via unanimous decision in his last bout, so a win against a former champion like Lauren Moore is just what he needs to get right back in the short list of title contenders.
ROUND ONE: Tim Vu and Lauren Moore respectfully touch gloves to start things off, and it doesn’t take long for the fists to fly. Vu throws a jab that goes wide, and Moore counters with a one-two that Vu dodges. Vu throws a heavy right hook, but Moore ducks under and shoots in for a double leg takedown. Moore lands in side control and tries to slide to a full mount but Vu hooks her leg to trap her in half guard. Vu squeezes with clenched hands to keep Moore pinned down, but she’s able to pry her head free and land a couple of big elbows to the side of Vu’s face. Lauren Moore postures up and tries to initiate some ground and pound, but Vu covers up and protects himself. Vu then hooks both of Moore’s arms to stop her momentum, but he isn’t able to do anything from here. Eventually the referee steps in to stand both fighters up from a lack of activity. Vu targets the body with a hook that gets blocked and then a liver kick, which Moore catches the leg and tries to take him down. Vu shows some great balance and fends off the takedown attempt but Moore keeps him in a clinch. She snaps his head down with brute force to knock him off balance and then shoots back in with a single leg takedown, this time bringing the fight back to the mat. Vu tries to soften up Moore with some hooks to the body, but she covers up and fires back, dropping a big elbow to the face. Vu’s head bounces off the mat and Moore follows up with a couple of hammerfists before Vu is able to react and throw his forearms up to protect himself. Vu tries to close his guard, and even though he can’t do it, it’s enough to slow Moore’s pace down and eventually cause the referee to stand the two back up again. Once they stand back up, Moore wastes no time shooting another takedown, but Vu is ready and sprawls back. Moore’s persistence keeps Vu in defense mode and she goes for it again, this time bringing the fight back to the ground. The two hit the mat and Moore scrambles into half guard to set up some ground and pound. Vu covers up to defend the elbows, so Moore tries to slide up to full mount, but Vu carries her momentum and rolls on top to get a half guard! Moore doesn’t seem the least bit worried and she’s able to fend off any offense from Vu, and once again the referee stands them up from a lack of action. As they get back to their feet, just seconds remain in the round and Moore is looking to out-point her opponent as she hits another single leg takedown. Moore scrambles her way to a better position, but time runs out on her. The two shake hands as they head to their corners, and this round was clearly in favor of the former Bantamweight Champion.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Moore
ROUND TWO: Vu and Moore touch gloves again as they step out from their corners to start the second round. Tim Vu fires off a stinging straight right, but Moore ducks under and hits a textbook single leg. Moore scrambles to side mount as soon as they hit the mat and drops a couple good elbows that rattles Vu a bit. Trying to better control the situation, Vu hooks a leg to get a half guard to keep Moore from improving her position. Moore tries dropping some elbows to break free, but Vu covers up well. Eventually the referee steps in again to stand them back up to push the pace a bit. On the feet, Vu zips an inside leg kick and the impact causes Moore’s knee to unsettlingly buckle. Moore limps as she sidesteps to regroup, and perhaps assess the situation with her knee. Vu tries to cut her off with some jabs but there’s no visible effect on Moore as she takes the opportunity to drive in with another takedown. As they hit the mat, Moore gets to side mount and starts dropping hammerfists. Vu covers up and avoids taking any damage, so Moore decides to pass to full mount. As she slides her knee across, Vu creates enough space for him to scramble up to his feet. As Moore follows him up, she manages to narrowly dodge a barrage of strikes and she fends Vu off with some feel-out punches. The two circle around to dial in their range and Vu tests this with a fast low kick that chips at Moore’s ankle. Moore retaliates with a straight right that hits air and Vu counters with a kick to the thigh to that seemingly injured leg. The kick wobbles Moore a bit and gets a rise from the crowd, but Moore changes levels and shoots a takedown. The wear and tear on her leg may be taking a toll as Vu was able to stuff the takedown attempt somewhat easily. Moore launches some strikes as she gets back to her feet, but Vu evades them and counters back with a series of leg kicks in succession. Moore gets on her bicycle and creates some distance to reset herself. Moore’s leg is showing some obvious signs of swelling with each accurate kick connecting, and when she sees Vu launching another kick, she tries to check it, but Vu switches targets and lands a nasty kick to the ribs. Moore winces a bit which allows Vu times to measure his range with some stinging jabs. Moore tries covering up and leaves herself wide open for Vu to land a sick liver kick that nearly folds Moore over like a lawn chair. Vu targets the knee with another low kick at the buzzer, which Moore smartly checks to end this round. Moore started off strong in this round, but Tim Vu turned the tides toward the end, making this a very close and difficult round to decide. I’m going with Moore for this round, but it’s very close.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Moore (20-18 Moore)
ROUND THREE: As the final round commences, both fighters once again touch gloves to show their respects. You can clearly see the fatigue and pain taking its toll on both fighters as they are both hesitant to initiate any offense. The two circle around looking for angles, and eventually Tim Vu strikes first with a beautiful switch kick to the body. Moore is struggling to keep weight on that targeted leg and tries to bring the fight back down to the mat with a body lock takedown, but Vu pops his hips out and stuffs the attempt. On the break, Vu snaps his leg and connects with another stinging leg kick. Moore nearly crumbles from the impact, but fights through the pain and manages to catch Vu with a hard fought single leg takedown. The two scramble for position and both are throwing technique out the window due to fatigue. Moore overshoots her momentum as she scrambles and allows Vu to roll her over and gets to full mount. Moore doesn’t panic and tries to scramble out, but Vu switches to side mount to keep his superior position. Moore tries to work the body with punches but Vu is able to protect himself from any major damage, and eventually the referee steps in once again due to inactivity. The final round is slowly coming to an end, so Moore empties the tank. She is determined to score another takedown, but her battered knee doesn’t give her the strength to hit one, and Vu is able to stuff three takedowns in succession. In between the takedown attempts, Tim Vu continues to target the legs with kicks, effectively taking away Moore’s base. WIth just seconds remaining, Moore continues to try and force a takedown, but Vu is able to stuff two more attempts as we reach the final buzzer. I don’t think anyone would question that Tim Vu found his rhythm this round with the leg kicks and easily took this round. This was an all around close battle that slowly saw the momentum swing in the fifteen minute timeframe. The judges have a big decision to make, but for me overall, Moore squeeks out a narrow victory.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Vu (29-28 Moore)
. JUDGES’ SCORECARDS .
Tim Vu 9 10 10: 29
Lauren Moore 10 9 9: 28
Tim Vu 9 9 10: 28
Lauren Moore 10 10 9: 29
Tim Vu 9 10 10: 29
Lauren Moore 10 9 9: 28
Winner: Tim Vu by Split Decision
Statistics: Tim Vu
Punches 9/16 (56%)
Kicks 12/15 (80%)
Clinch strikes 0/1 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 1/3 (33%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 352 s
Statistics: Lauren Moore
Punches 3/19 (16%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 7/17 (41%)
GnP strikes 21/38 (55%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 352 s
THE LEAD-UP: It’s the fight we’ve all been waiting for, the Cruiserweight clash between Lovelie Saint-Cyr and Ardan Kelly. Both of these fighters have been on similar paths in their last handful of fights. Both had second round exits in the Triple C Grand Prix, and have gone 2-2 in their last four fights. Kelly is making his first appearance since his Triple C Grand Prix exit, while LSC rebounded with a win over Wenzel Kautz at Boss Fight XXIX. The biggest key here is the clash of styles; Kelly is world-class in BJJ, whereas Saint-Cyr is known for his standup striking. However, Kelly was shockingly submitted by José Meléndez at Boss Fight XXV, and Saint-Cyr has a submission win over Kelvin Taylor back at Everest // Denver. This leaves enough of a gray area to ensure that both fighters must stay on top of their game, from bell to bell.
ROUND ONE: This fight starts in the most explosive way possible: Ardan comes out the gate with a sudden, spearing double-leg takedown that lands him in open guard over Saint-Cyr. He wastes no time, spinning for a kneebar, but Lovelie is able to escape to his feet before the leg is locked out. Lovelie tags Kelly with a couple stinging kicks to the legs, but Kelly shows no intention to get up on his own, forcing Jordan Ripley to halt the fight and stand Kelly up. On the restart, Kelly is nearly dropped right away by a right hook! He manages to stay on his feet and circle away, but there’s already noticeable bruising on his cheek. Lovelie follows him, and both men trade strikes, with Lovelie getting the better of most exchanges. He caps off a solid minute of both men throwing bombs at each other by blasting Kelly with an overhand right that drops Kelly to the mat. Kelly’s coherent, but he stays down on the mat, beckoning Lovelie to engage--but Lovelie doesn’t follow him, despite the goading. Eventually, Jordan Ripley stands Kelly up again. Almost immediately off the restart, Lovelie tags Kelly with a Superman punch that nearly crumbles him, followed by a singing left leg kick, but Kelly’s able to keep his wits about him and avoid the incoming barrage of strikes. Lovelie moves in to attack, but gets taken down with a slick single leg. The scramble once the fight hits the mat is something to behold; Lovelie passes to Side Mount with ease, but when he tries to move to Full Mount, Kelly’s able to trap a leg and recover first Half-Guard, then Full Guard. Kelly tries to sweep Lovelie over and take Mount, but Lovelie’s able to keep his position, and ultimately uses Kelly’s aggression against him, passing first to Side Mount again, then after a couple hammer fists that don’t do any significant damage except to get Kelly’s attention, Lovelie passes to mount. However, he can’t do anything with the position before the buzzer sounds. LSC came out firing on all cylinders here and didn’t play into Kelly’s tactics. If he can maintain this gameplan, the cards are gonna fall in line for the Hit Squad fighter.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Saint-Cyr
ROUND TWO: The second round is a significant drop in pace from the scramble at the end of round 1; Lovelie opens the round with a crushing Superman Punch that nearly puts Kelly down, but Kelly’s able to backpedal away from danger. The two men spend the best part of the next 90 seconds feeling each other out, Kelly in particular looking a bit tentative to engage. Lovelie eventually throws a nice 3 punch combo, but Kelly’s able to block the impact. He counters with a big looping right, that Lovelie side-steps. Kelly throws a stiff straight punch that Lovelie just barely avoids, then counters with a HUGE uppercut that stumbles Kelly back! Lovelie moves in, but Kelly’s able to trip him to the mat and lands in Lovelie’s closed guard. Kelly’s aggression on the ground is back, and he tries to transition back to half-guard, but Lovelie rolls with him and takes his back. Lovelie immediately goes for a Rear Naked Choke, even digging the arm under Kelly’s neck, but the round doesn’t have much time left, and Kelly’s able to survive to the buzzer. It’s clear Kelly wants to bring this fight to the ground, but Saint-Cyr’s high motor has prevented him from working in any successful takedowns. Even though Kelly managed to bring the fight to the mat on his terms, Saint-Cyr isn’t afraid to work in some submissions.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Saint-Cyr (20-18 Saint-Cyr)
ROUND THREE: Both men open the round in a wild exchange of punches! Both men land, but it’s Lovelie getting the better of the exchanges, as he digs a hook to the body that forces Kelly to back up. He doesn’t get much of a reprieve, though, as Lovelie pursues him and lands a huge straight right that almost buckles Kelly! Lovelie absolutely batters Kelly’s midsection with digging hooks and a couple powerful round kicks that land just beneath the rib cage. Kelly tries to circle away from Lovelie, but Lovelie’s not about to let him get away; he keeps moving forward, landing punches at every opportunity, including a three punch combo that opens a cut over Kelly’s eye, and a HUGE right uppercut that causes him to bleed from the mouth! Somehow, though, he’s still on his feet, despite Lovelie’s best efforts; in fact, the more damage Ardan takes, the more tired Lovelie seems to be, as he tries to put him down. Lovelie’s still getting the better of the striking exchanges, though, landing a series of quick jabs that have just enough pop to force Kelly back. Lovelie throws a big hook to the body, then an uppercut to the chin that almost buckles Kelly! Somehow, some way, though, Ardan is still pushing forward, despite the blood, despite the damage. Lovelie forces him backwards with a push kick, then lands a nice one-two combo just before the buzzer to end the round. A very smart strategy for LSC to target the body and really take the steam out of Ardan Kelly. Saint-Cyr started to look gassed out there with the high volume of striking, and given that it’s clear he’s up three rounds to none, his pace may begin to slow down as he may think to put it in cruise control and play it safe.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Saint-Cyr (30-27 Saint-Cyr)
ROUND FOUR: It’s worth noting that Ardan’s cornerman couldn’t stop the bleeding--and Lovelie is acutely aware of that, as he comes out the gate with a MASSIVE Superman Punch that crashes into Ardan’s forehead, opening the cut up even wider. Lovelie backs Ardan up with a stinging leg kick, then a one-two combo, punctuated by a big right hook that visibly rocks Kelly! Covered in blood, stunned, and battered throughout this fight, Kelly nonetheless keeps moving forward, blocking a spinning back kick from Lovelie and throwing a one-two combo of his own that just barely misses. Lovelie starts throwing bombs at this point, tagging Kelly with a big right hook and a left uppercut, finally a kick to the neck that forces Jordan Ripley to call a halt to the fight--despite Ardan’s disagreement.
Winner: Lovelie Saint-Cyr by TKO (High Kick) at 1:45 Round 4
Statistics: Lovelie Saint-Cyr
Punches 73/99 (74%)
Kicks 12/19 (63%)
Clinch strikes 0/1 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/2 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 164 s
Statistics: Ardan Kelly
Punches 0/11 (0%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/1 (0%)
Takedowns 2/2 (100%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 1/1 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 226 s
Venue: SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Attendance: 10,500
Date: October 17, 2021
Fighter Payouts: $2,155,000
Gate: $1,692,500
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Tim Vu vs Lauren Moore
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Cezar Miklos, Asher Jrue, Lovelie Saint-Cyr
TOP EARNERS
Lauren Moore ($575,000)
Asher Jrue ($570,000)
Lovelie Saint-Cyr ($400,000)
Ardan Kelly ($300,000)
Tim Vu ($115,000)
RECAP
Cezar Miklos def. Zander Altman by TKO (Hook) at 4:05 Round 1
Osvaldo Ledesma def. Zamara Ali by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28 x2)
Asher Jrue def. Lars Levy by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x3)
Tim Vu def. Lauren Moore by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28 x2)
Lovelie Saint-Cyr def. Ardan Kelly by TKO (High Kick) at 1:45 Round 4