BOSS FIGHT XXXI: KING vs PETERSON
- Isaac Cohen
- Nov 28, 2021
- 16 min read
THE LEAD-UP: For just the second time ever, Union Grand Prix plants the flag in New Jersey, and it's the first time here in Newark. It’s been a three year absence, when the inaugural champions were crowned at UGP 4 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and you can tell the crowd has been hungry for a return. To kick things into gear tonight, we open the main card with a Middleweight bout between Aston Page and Hunter Montgomery. The division is going through a bit of a flux as of late, and right now there really isn’t a clear cut number one contender to face Travis Decker next. The Champ is living proof that anything is possible, and this mentality should be branded in the minds of every Middleweight contender as they vie for a chance at the gold.
ROUND ONE: To begin the first taste of action, Aston Page and Hunter Montgomery touch gloves in a respectful manner. After that, it was down to business as Page is quick to go on the offensive first with a fiery flurry of punches. Montgomery gets touched up good but manages to sink in a clinch to cool things back down and allow himself some time to gather his wits. The Bleeding Heart sets up a slick inside leg trip takedown to bring the fight to his realm. The two scramble for position and Page manages to roll on top and get to full mount. It’s evident Page isn’t afraid to roll as he attempts a kimura and an Americana. Although they were unsuccessful, it’s enough for Montgomery to not get too cute out there and instead opt for a stalemate, which eventually causes the referee to step in and stand them back up. Back on their feet, Page is patient with his approach, timing up solid punches and working a near flawless counter game. Page connects with a big kick to the body and it looks as though Montgomery may have suffered an injury to his ribs, but despite the circumstance, he manages to fight through the pain and secure a double overhook clinch. Montgomery again manages to sweep the leg and take the fight down to the mat. The two scramble for position and it looks evident that Montgomery is compromised as Page easily rolls to the full mount position. However, the horn sounds before Page can get anything going, and it’s a sigh of relief for Montgomery (albeit a painful one) to get the chance to recover in his corner.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Page
ROUND TWO: As the second frame begins, you can tell the mindset between both fighters are night and day. Montgomery is very hesitant to engage, while Page gets chirpy and tries to bait his opponent in and trade hands. It doesn’t take long for Page to go back to the well as he unloads a vicious combination that leaves a deep gash over Montgomery’s forehead. The blood stunts his vision and makes Montgomery an easy target. Page connects with a monstrous uppercut, followed by a jab that separates Hunter from his senses. As Montgomery fumbles on his feet, Page connects with a textbook question mark kick, effectively putting an end to this mostly one-sided contest.
Winner: Aston Page by TKO (High Kick) at 0:54 Round 2
Statistics: Aston Page
Punches 16/20 (80%)
Kicks 3/3 (100%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 2/2 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 134 s
Statistics: Hunter Montgomery
Punches 0/1 (0%)
Kicks 0/3 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 2/2 (100%)
GnP strikes 0/3 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 1/2 (50%)
Time on the ground 134 s
THE LEAD-UP: Coming up next we have a Bantamweight bout scheduled between Terrico Harris and Syn Saetang, both of which are Everest MMA graduates. This is the first time these two meet inside the octagon, and they both share a similarity as both of their final bouts in Everest were in an unsuccessful challenge for the Strawweight Championship. Despite the setback, Harris and Saetang have shown some promising potential in the infancy of their Union GP tenures. Whoever comes out the victor in this match up could very well see a top-five challenger in their next bout and kickoff 2022 with a big opportunity.
ROUND ONE: Terrico Harris isn’t looking to play patty-cake in the beginning stages of this fight when he clips Syn Saetang with a monstrous uppercut that puts her on skates early. Saetang shakes the cobwebs off and fires back with some precise striking and cuts Harris on the chin. Saetang turns the tide back in her favor after fully recovering from the uppercut by working behind the jab and keeping her range dialed in. The constant hits force Harris to force his way in and press Saetang up against the fence with a plum clinch. Harris finds a solid rhythm as he unloads some bombs, but Saetang weathers the storm and begins firing back. Saetang spins and presses Harris against the fence, but doesn’t do much from here. The referee eventually steps in to separate the two and direct them back to the center. The two exchange some punches but neither land anything significant. Harris goes wild with a looping right hand, but Saetang leans back to avoid the punch and clips him with a stinging jab. Harris gets wobbled and Saetang begins pouring on the offense. Harris ends up securing a clinch to slow the pace down and a pretty notable cut on his cheek smears blood across Saetang’s shoulder. Harris looks to just stall and catch his breath, but Saetang has other things in mind as she connects with a flying knee right into Harris’ sternum. The impact knocks him back into the fence as Saetang frees herself from the clinch. Saetang shows some impressive footwork by being able to bob and weave through traffic and be quite surgical with her striking. Towards the end of the round, Saetang is firing at will, targeting the legs with kicks and the body with hooks. Harris does manage to check a kick and counter with a wild swinging punch that causes Syn’s nose to swell up, but she gets in a couple of jabs at the buzzer to effectively give her the confidence that she won this round. As the two head back to their corners, Harris’ face is diced up and the cutman immediately goes to work his magic.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Saetang
ROUND TWO: The second round starts off with a slower pace, as Harris is still recovering from round one and Saetang is choosing not to waste her energy with forceful and wild strikes. Harris shows some improvement with his movement, dodging some big shots and just getting grazed by a head kick. Saetang lands a big hook to the body that slows Harris down and she rushes in with a fast flurry of punches. Harris eats the hook but keeps his head on a swivel to avoid the flurry, and counters back with a combination of his own that wobbles Saetang. The momentum quickly shifts when Harris connects with a haymaker and continues to pour on the punches in bunches. Saetang connects with a big body kick that stops Harris in his tracks, and the two circle away to regroup. As they circle back in, Harris comes with a looping right hand but again Saetang reads it perfectly and wobbles him with a hard jab. Harris chops at the leg with a calf kick and circles away, effectively slowing the pace back down. The fight turns more into a chess match now with both fighters feeling the effects of each other’s power and are more methodical in their offense. Harris works in some leg kicks to maintain some distance and tries to secure a clinch to keep the tempo of the fight down, but Saetang swings a big shovel hook that forces Harris to abort. Both fighters circle around to find some openings, and Harris ends up finally securing a single collar tie. Saetang isn’t bothered by the clinch, instead she begins drilling knees to Harris’ thigh. Harris eventually has to cover up, leaving himself open for Saetang to launch a flying knee, but he manages to push off just in time to escape unscathed. Saetang goe to circle out, but Harris cuts her off with a big right hand that wobbles her. Harris rushes back in with the clinch, but the horn sounds before he can get anything going.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Saetang (20-18 Saetang)
ROUND THREE: Just five minutes remain for these two Everest grads and they have the crowd on their feet. Terrico Harris senses some urgency and looks to pick up the pace. He goes right back into the clinch, picking up where he left off in round two. Saetang invites the clinch at this point and targets the body with the fast hands. She leaves herself wide out though and Harris lands a big uppercut that drops Saetang to the mat! The crowd explodes and everyone gets the sense that we may be seeing the end real soon. Saetang tries to get back to her feet, but has to time it just right with Harris ready to attack. Harris lands a stinging leg kick and eventually steps back to allow Saetang to get up. With the fight having both fighters back on their feet, Saetang goes back to the body with a liver kick, but Harris was ready for it. Saetang unloads a combination behind the kick as Harris fires back with a hook to the body. Saetang winces from the hook but retaliates with a shovel hook that misses. The two circle around to regroup but Saetang tries to force a high kick. She misses wide and ends up slipping to the mat, but quickly gets back to her feet. Saetang fires off a series of leg kicks and even though they get checked, she’s able to dial her range back in. With the final seconds winding down, both fighters decide to throw caution to the wind and exchange blows back and forth. Terrico Harris looks to get the edge in the exchange, but Saetang does enough to keep it close as the final horn signals the end of the fight. A great finish to a great fight as it goes the distance. The overall sense is that Syn Saetang has done enough to win the fight overall, despite possibly losing this final round to a despairing Terrico Harris.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Harris (29-28 Saetang)
. JUDGES’ SCORECARDS .
Terrico Harris 9 9 10: 28
Syn Saetang 10 10 9: 29
Terrico Harris 9 9 10: 28
Syn Saetang 10 10 9: 29
Terrico Harris 9 9 10: 28
Syn Saetang 10 10 9: 29
Winner: Syn Saetang by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Terrico Harris
Punches 34/54 (63%)
Kicks 4/7 (57%)
Clinch strikes 5/7 (71%)
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: Syn Saetang
Punches 32/58 (55%)
Kicks 7/14 (50%)
Clinch strikes 11/13 (85%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 58 s
THE LEAD-UP: In the featured undercard bout, we have a Cruiserweight match up scheduled between Reggie James and Wenzel Kautz. This is the first fight for “Rocka” Reggie since his Triple C Grand Prix finals loss to the new Cruiserweight Champion Gauge Lattimore, and although a win here likely wouldn’t improve his position much in the rankings, it’s a fight he needs to rebound back into the win column and stay inside the top three. For Wenzel Kautz, this is a monumental opportunity to bounce back and make a statement. After starting his Union GP tenure 2-0, Kautz has lost three straight. This bout with James makes his fourth straight bout against top four contenders, a true murderer’s row of a stretch of competition. A loss here most likely wouldn’t cause Kautz to drop significantly in the rankings, but a win would surely launch him and shake things up at the top.
ROUND ONE: Before the echo of the opening bell has a chance to fully dissipate, Reggie James fires off a beautiful takedown on Wenzel Kautz. Kautz surprisingly is able to hold his own on the ground, and even rolls to get on top with a full mount. It seemed like, at the very least, James was surprised by the ground control from Kautz but no matter, he stood calm under duress. “Rocka” Reggie tries to roll to his side to get a half guard in, but Kautz uses that momentum to roll James to his stomach and take his back! The crowd were on the edge of their seats, anxiety running through the roof as they watched James slip into such a vulnerable position. However, James is able to hand-fight with Kautz long enough to keep himself out of harm and causing the referee to eventually step in and stand them back up due to a stalemate. Not long after they get back up, Reggie James batters back in with a double leg takedown, but Kautz is able to at least close his guard on the way down. The two scramble for control until James headbutts Kautz pretty hard and the referee stops the action. He allows Kautz time to recover and even docks a point from James. The spectators were not happy about that decision, but James eventually brushes it off. When the fight resumes, Reggie reaches out for a glove touch and Kautz accepts it. After the nice gesture, it’s back to business for James as he sets up a solid body lock takedown, bringing the fight back down to the mat. James works his way up to full mount, but Kautz rolls to get to full mount and tries to control the situation. James is not deterred, instead reaches under and rolls for a kneebar. Kautz gets caught for just a moment before kicking his way free and gets to half guard. James keeps the offense rolling, as he goes for a modified kimura that Kautz slips free from, and then a legit kimura that Kautz barely escapes from. James looks completely comfortable where he’s at, and tosses his legs up to go for a triangle choke. Kautz barely slips his head free, but James immediately goes for the armbar. This time, Kautz gets caught and his arm is getting wrenched to the point the referee may step in. Kautz works to get to his feet while James holds on, and he showcases his brute strength by picking Reggie James up in the air and slams him back down to the mat! Kautz breaks up the armbar submission, but James hangs on in full guard. From here, James rolls to full mount and goes for another armbar, but Kautz is able to slip free and get to his feet. Kautz backs away, wanting no part of this situation, and the referee stands James up. With the finals moments of the round ticking away, James sets up his fourth takedown in the round, this time a single leg and works in side mount on the ground. James works his way for another armbar attempt, but Kautz once again keeps this fight alive by escaping and getting to his feet as the horn signals the end of the round. The two fighters head back to their corners, and despite James being the aggressor and staying in control that would argue a 10-8 score, Kautz showed great poise under pressure, and that slam to escape the armbar did enough for me to keep him in the thick of the fight. The point deduction for Reggie James really keeps this fight interesting heading into the second round.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 9-9 Push
ROUND TWO: The second round begins much like the first, as Reggie James is quick to set up a double leg takedown and show his superior wrestling skills that are unmatched in the Cruiserweight Division. Wenzel Kautz tries to roll on top, but James is able to retain his position. The two continue jockeying for control, but an opening allows James to move into a north-south position. From there, he nearly locks in a north-south choke deep, but Kautz backs his way up and out and escapes to get on top with James immediately closing his guard. James continues to showcase his submission skills as he works in a triangle choke from the bottom, and it looked like Kautz was about to go for another slam until James releases the choke and Kautz is able to escape to his feet. James quickly springs up and the two are standing, although not for long. The constant has exhausted Kautz, which allows James to easily hit another takedown. Back on the ground, James targets the legs and goes for a leglock, but Kautz has worked up a sweat which allows him to slip free. Neither fighter drums up enough action from here and the referee decides to stand the two back up due to a lack of activity. Both fighters circle around when they get back to their feet, and you can probably guess where this is going. Reggie James presses in and scores his seventh takedown with a body lock takedown, and Kautz is quickly losing steam. The two jockey for position on the ground, but it’s James who continues to dominate the control, and he rolls Kautz into a kneebar. Kautz tries to fight out of it, but Reggie James has it locked in deep and Kautz has nowhere to go. As James wrenches back as far as he can go, Kautz has no choice but to succumb from the pain and tap! A big win for the ScrapYard prospect with a performance that would certainly make head coach and submission specialist Carrick Price very proud.
Winner: Reggie James by Submission (Kneebar) at 2:19 Round 2
Statistics: Reggie James
Punches 0/0 (0%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 2/2 (100%)
Takedowns 7/7 (100%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 11/11 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 353 s
Statistics: Wenzel Kautz
Punches 0/2 (0%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/1 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 353 s
THE LEAD-UP: It’s time for the Co-Main Event, and just like the opener, we have another Middleweight bout scheduled with, in all likelihood, a lot at stake. Aries Reed and Tre Rozier square off and whoever walks away from this fight could slide into a top three position and potentially be in the conversation of a title fight. Aries Reed is 1-1 since his return to Middleweight and although Rozier was victorious in his Union GP and Middleweight debut, this is a big jump in competition and a “prove it” fight to see where he stands amongst the very best in the division. As mentioned earlier in the opener, the 185 pound division is up in the air and open for the taking to whoever can impress the matchmakers the most.
ROUND ONE: The fight begins and it’s off to the races for Aries Reed. Immediately The Silver Tongued Devil storms in with a flurry of punches that puts Twinkle Toes on his skates. Reed takes him from one end of the cage to the other and has got Rozier in serious trouble early. Miraculously, Tre manages to circle out and create some distance to allow himself some time to regain his wits. It doesn’t take long for Reed to press back in and the two engage in a wild exchange. Aries is able to keep his head on a swivel and use a brilliant counter scheme to avoid getting touched while tagging Rozier with some stinging shots to the face. Reed finishes off the charge with a big head kick that drops Rozier to the mat! Rozier is dazed but still conscious and tries to bait Aries in, but Reed steps back and allows Rozier to get back to his feet. The referee stands Rozier back up and the fight resumes with both fighters on their feet. You can tell Tre’s head is still buzzing from the kick with his staggering steps and Reed takes that as an easy target. Reed rushes in with another series of punches in bunches and doesn’t let up. Rozier gets backed into the fence and the referee is shouting instructions to defend himself. No improvements are made from Tre and after a couple more dozing shots, the ref steps in and calls this fight off.
Winner: Aries Reed by TKO (Punches) at 2:10 Round 1
Statistics: Aries Reed
Punches 21/29 (72%)
Kicks 1/1 (100%)
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: Tre Rozier
Punches 0/7 (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 17 s
THE LEAD-UP: And now, this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The Main Event clash between two of the best Lightweights Union GP has to offer, not named Delaney Donovan. The Newark hometown hero Natalie King takes on the rising Everest MMA graduate Abbie Peterson in what we all can assume to be a striking clash for the ages. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better non-title fight to end 2021 with than with these two rangy kickboxers. Natalie King comes into this fight after suffering her third loss, a third loss to Delaney Donovan. There has been little doubt that Natalie King is the number one contender at 155 pounds, but after coming up short a third time, it’s safe to say that her title challenging days are effectively over for as long as Double D carries the crown. However, there have been speculations of King making a move down to 135, which wouldn’t be a huge drop for her to make, and would open up an entirely new field of competition and goals. However, she has a worthy challenger staring at her, and Abbie Peterson is hellbent on making her presence known in Union GP. Peterson has suffered only two losses in her professional MMA career, one of which came at the hands of Alistair McKay to become the inaugural Everest MMA Featherweight Champion. Abbie has stated that her dream fight was against Natalie King, and now her wish has been granted. This dream matchup is scheduled for twenty-five minutes, but only once has either of these fighters made that trek.
ROUND ONE: Not a soul is sitting in their seats as the bell tolls for this final fight of the night. The crowd roars with excitement as Nat King and Abbie Peterson touch gloves. As if it were destined to be, King and Peterson start swinging for the fences! Both fighters land a couple of blistering blows, but it's Peterson who starts dodging through traffic and outboxes her opponent. King backpedals out and reveals a slight cut on her left cheek, but it doesn’t look to be all that worrisome. As Peterson pressures in, King pulls her into a double collar Thai clinch. The two jockey for control for a brief moment before King launches a flying knee. Peterson manages to push off and avoid the blow. As the two break off from the clinch, Peterson launches a head kick that sparks King and puts her on some Bambi legs! Natalie King struggles to stay upright as the spectators gasp in disbelief. King launches a liver kick in retaliation. The kick gets blocked but the impact was felt on Peterson’s forearm. Peterson circles around and launches another high kick and follows it up with a calf kick. Peterson has found a flawless rhythm as she checks a leg kick from King and fires back with a switch kick to the body. King nearly gets folded like a lawn chair as she backpedals out of range and tries to regroup. Peterson gets a little cocky at this point and tries to bait King back in with some taunting, and she bites and walks right into a switch kick to the head! King tries to secure a clinch but Peterson pushes off of her and begins working behind a series of jabs. King fires back with some hands and the two engage in a wild exchange but Peterson clearly gets the edge. King is still stumbling around and Peterson goes on the offensive with a Thai clinch of her own. King is just hanging onto Peterson to stay upright and you know Peterson wants to end this now. Peterson starts teeing off on King with knees to the head, body, and legs. Nat King is getting pummeled and the referee is demanding some defense. A few more brutal knees land and the referee has seen enough. He steps in to pull Abbie off and waves off the fight. Peterson celebrates her biggest win in her Union GP tenure with her cornermen to a stunned and silenced crowd. This probably wasn’t even the biggest shock to this fight, as King declined a post fight interview, and instead peeled her gloves off and laid them in the center of the octagon, leaving many wondering if this was the last fight we have seen from The Bandit.
Winner: Abbie Peterson by TKO (Knees) at 3:56 Round 1
Statistics: Natalie King
Punches 3/6 (50%)
Kicks 0/4 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/1 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/1 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Abbie Peterson
Punches 10/13 (77%)
Kicks 6/6 (100%)
Clinch strikes 4/6 (67%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Venue: Prudential Center
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Attendance: 19,500
Date: November 28, 2021
Fighter Payouts: $2,640,000
Gate: $1,745,000
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Terrico Harris vs Syn Saetang
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Reggie James, Abbie Peterson
TOP EARNERS
Natalie King ($850,000)
Aries Reed ($850,000)
Reggie James ($320,000)
Abbie Peterson ($265,000)
Syn Saetang ($145,000)
RECAP
Aston Page def. Hunter Montgomery by TKO (High Kick) at 0:54 Round 2
Syn Saetang def. Terrico Harris by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)
Reggie James def. Wenzel Kautz by Submission (Kneebar) at 2:19 Round 2
Aries Reed def. Tre Rozier by TKO (Punches) at 2:10 Round 1
Abbie Peterson def. Natalie King by TKO (Knees) at 3:56 Round 1
Comments