EVEREST // DENVER (NIGHT ONE)
- Isaac Cohen
- Jul 25, 2020
- 24 min read
Updated: Aug 7, 2020
LILLY DUNNE (0-0) vs NATALIA GUTIERREZ (0-0)
Strawweight Bout
ROUND ONE: A historic moment here for the newly forged Everest MMA promotion as two Strawweight competitors not only kicked off the night but have officially made this vision a reality. Both fighters showed some respect as they touched gloves before getting down to business. The 115 pounders quickly brought the velocity and came swinging out of the gates. Both women touched each other up, but it was Throne MMA’s young prospect Lilly Dunne that was able to take control with some perfectly timed counters. It seemed like Gutierrez was feeling a bit overwhelmed and tried shooting a double leg takedown to slow the pace down a bit, but Dunne was able to read it perfectly. After stuffing the takedown, Dunne tagged Gutierrez with another well-timed combination, and Natalia’s face was beet red and getting worked over. Natalia tried to fight back, but Lilly kept her head on a swivel and slipped anything coming her way while countering with big shots to the head and body. With just a few minutes left, Lilly wrapped her opponent up in a double collar Thai clinch and went to work on the body. It started looking like Gutierrez was getting completely zapped and all she could do was hold on tight and push to a stalemate. The referee would separate the two and after circling back to the center of the octagon, Dunne walked Gutierrez down with a dominating sequence of strikes until the buzzer sounded. Dunne walked away feeling very confident while Gutierrez could hardly see out of her left eye as it started swelling shut and her corner immediately went to work on it.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Dunne
ROUND TWO: These two fighters looked to be in completely different realms when round two began. Lilly Dunne looked untouched and feeling fresh as she kept nimble on her feet, while Natalia Gutierrez was hesitant to come out of her corner with her left eye not looking much better after being worked on. The respect was still there from both fighters as they touched gloves again to start the round. Natalia tried to fire off some strikes to level out this fight, but Lilly kept one step ahead of her, dodging everything coming her way once again, while countering back with some big brutal shots. At this point, Gutierrez seemed very hesitant to initiate any offense, as she kept getting countered and tagged viciously. So Dunne took matters into her hands and wrapped her up in a double underhook clinch. From here, Dunne was able to drop bombs onto Gutierrez and looked like the fight could have been stopped right here. But Natalia was doing just enough to keep herself in the fight, but it was very clear at this point she was in survival mode. She tried to slip out of the clinch a couple times, but Dunne had things on lock down and would pummel the ribs with hooks and knees anytime there was opening. Lilly Dunne was doing whatever she wanted at this point of the fight, and would push off Natalia and touch her up before wrapping her back up in the clinch a few times. Eventually, Natalia would go back to just holding Dunne to a stalemate, in which the referee would step in and separate the two. With the distance between them now, Dunne would quickly find her range and tee off with a drawn out, one-sided beating until the referee finally saw enough and stopped the fight.
Winner: Lilly Dunne by TKO (Punches) at 3:02 Round 2
Statistics: Lilly Dunne
Punches 26/36 (72%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 52/78 (67%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Natalia Gutierrez
Punches 5/17 (29%)
Kicks 0/3 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/11 (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
DIMITRI KOLOVIK (0-2) vs CHESNOKOV ROMANOVICH (0-0)
Heavyweight Bout
ROUND ONE: In the second bout of the night, we move toward the total opposite end of the size spectrum and introduce the Heavyweights to the masses. Dimitri Kolovik had an unsuccessful debut in Union GP, but hopes to turn it around and secure his first win as a MMA pro against Ukrainian Grappler Chesnokov Romanovich. This fight started off slow, as both big men circled around looking for angles and finding their range. Once they dialed in though, sparks burst as the two traded blows back and forth. Neither one gained a clear advantage in the exchange, but Kolovik took it upon himself to pressure in and lock Romanovich in a clinch. Both fighters pummeled back and forth for control, but it was Dimitri that saw the opening after securing an underhook and took Chesnokov to the mat with a beautifully timed knee tap takedown. Once on the ground, both fighters jockeyed for position but it was Kolovik who was able to impose his will, as he worked his way from a side mount into the full mount. Kolovik sprinkled in some stinging ground and pound and nearly sunk in an armbar, but Romanovich was able to just barely slip free from the submission. After the ensuing scramble, Kolovik wound up back in a side mount where he began unloading several heavy elbow strikes to the ribs. Each strike sent shockwaves through Romanovich’s body and you could clearly see these elbows were doing some serious damage. Romanovich tried to roll out, but Kolovik kept the pressure on and took his back. The end was near at this point, as Kolovik threw a barrage of punches to open up Chesnokov which allowed him to sink in a Rear Naked Choke. Romanovich had nowhere to go and was forced to submit.
Winner: Dimitri Kolovik by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:08 Round 1
Statistics: Dimitri Kolovik
Punches 3/4 (75%)
Kicks 1/1 (100%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/1 (100%)
GnP strikes 15/18 (83%)
Submissions 3/3 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 179 s
Statistics: Chesnokov Romanovich
Punches 3/3 (100%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/2 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 179 s
KELVIN TAYLOR (0-0) vs RIO KHAILL (0-0)
Welterweight Bout
ROUND ONE: The third bout of the night introduced the Welterweight Division to the fans watching at home and in the building. The Denver based Red Rock Fighting training camp brought Kelvin Taylor out with thunderous cheers as he matched up against the second representative of the Kosov Kourt Gym, Rio Khaill (Dimitri Kolovik was the first). The first round started off with Taylor catching Khaill off guard with a quick ankle pick to take him to the mat. Khaill was able to lock up his guard and keep Taylor from improving his position. The two would struggle back and forth for control until Taylor was able to create some space and move to full mount. From here, Taylor went for an armbar and nearly secured it, but Khaill was able to step over and slip his arm free. Taylor was now on the bottom but that didn’t seem to phase him one bit, as he utilized his BJJ skills and went for a triangle choke. He almost had it locked in, but somehow Khaill was able to pop his head free and get to his feet. Taylor is smart in his approach to get to his feet, as he cautiously gets to a runner’s stance and blitz’s Khaill with a blast double leg takedown. The two scramble for position back on the ground and with his hands all over Khaill’s face, Taylor digs a finger right into the eye and the referee quickly halts the fight. Khaill is given time to recover while the referee scorns Taylor and deducts a point. After a few moments, Khaill is ready to continue while Taylor is fuming from the penalty. As the fight resumes, an overly aggressive Taylor rushes in and gets caught with a single leg from Khaill. Just as they hit the mat, Taylor rolls and reverses into full mount. He quickly tries to go for an armbar again, but his lingering frustration doesn't allow him to set it up properly and Khaill is able to easily slip free and scramble to his feet. This was a recurring theme here as Taylor got back to his feet and delivered a single leg, followed by a kneebar attempt, only for Khaill to kick free and stand up. Standing back up, Taylor pressured in with a bear hug takedown and the two jockeyed for position for some time after. Khaill nearly caught Taylor in a Kimura, but Taylor broke free and then neither made any advances so the ref stood them back up. Standing back up once again, Khaill tries to lean on his boxing skills and throws punches in bunches, but Taylor was able to slip each punch thrown at him and countered with another successful takedown. As the two scrambled on the ground in the final moments of the round, Khaill attempted another Kimura but came up empty-handed and the round finally came to a close. A ton of technical action in the opening frame, but due to the point deduction from the eye poke, this one to me is a wash. But if the judges gave it to Rio Khaill, then Kelvin Taylor just put himself in a big hole.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 9-9 Push
ROUND TWO: The second round shows both of these guys breathing hard as they come out from their corners, but yet they still have plenty of gas in their tanks. Kahill was quick to shoot a takedown and bring this fight back to the ground, and this would continue to be the theme of this fight. Taylor on the bottom would move to a high guard and attempt an armbar, but Khaill was easily able to slip free and stand back up. Back on the feet, Taylor came in and threw some tentative punches just to set up another successful takedown. The two would jockey for position on the ground for a while with several reversals and position changes. Not too many advancements from either fighter, but it was enough action for the referee to allow them to continue. Finally, Taylor would end up rolling and get to full mount and started to unload with some ground and pound. Khaill blocked most of the strikes, but it was enough to distract him long enough for Taylor to set up an armbar. Khaill reads the armbar attempt very well at this point now and quickly rolled on top to slip free, and in the process he nearly locked in a kneebar onto Taylor! Kelvin narrowly escaped the dangerous submission and from here, both fighters simply came to a standstill, to which the referee would eventually step in and stand them up. At this point in the fight, we’ve all come to realize that as soon as these two stand back up, someone is going to try and bring it back down to the mat. But instead, to the shock of some of the fans in the crowd, Khaill actually starts using his boxing skills and begins landing some solid punches onto Taylor. This triggers Taylor to start firing back, and we actually get a solid exchange here from both men. Taylor sees an opening and you guessed it, he dives at Khaill’s legs. Taylor did not measure his distance all too well and wound up at Rio’s feet, but he held on tight and tried turning it into an ankle lock! Khaill got turned but was able to kick his leg free. Taylor stayed on the ground on his back while Khaill stood over top. Taylor launched an upkick to Khaill’s face, but missed his mark. Khaill stepped back and motioned from Taylor to stand back up. Cautiously, Taylor does so and the two begin circling to the center of the octagon. Rio Khaill throws some stinging jabs to find his range and is tagging Taylor with them. Taylor throws some counters, but Khaill is able to avoid a majority of them while continuing to land solid punches. In the final seconds of the round, Khaill changes levels and delivers a successful takedown. The two scramble on the ground for control until the buzzer sounds. This was a much better round for Rio Khaill, and with his striking, takes this round with very little argument from me.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Khaill (19-18 Khaill)
ROUND THREE: In the final, both of these fighters are starting to look visibly gassed. They each touch gloves in the center to show some respect before circling and looking for angles. Taylor shoots in with a single leg and takes it to the mat, and the two scramble with sloppy results. Taylor wraps a leg and goes for a kneebar, but Rio is able to slip out of it and stand back to his feet. Rio motions for Kelvin to stand up, and obliges. Back on the feet, Rio takes the initiative and begins slinging some big punches that land clean. Taylor tried to fire back, but Rio was able to evade them and counter with stinging jabs. After eating a big hook to the body, Taylor hits another single leg to bring the fight back to the mat. Rio doesn’t let up on his offense though, as he hammers away on the ribs and eventually is able to roll to the top and get a half mount. The two jockey back and forth and this time Rio goes for a kneebar, but Taylor is able to sense it early and kicks his leg free and scrambles back on top. Taylor looks for a kneebar but Khaill slips free and stands up. Kelvin stays in his back, and even throws a kick to Rio’s knee, but after a stalemate between the two, the referee stands him up. Back on their feet, Rio goes back on the offensive and lands a big swinging hook that connects clean to Taylor’s cheek. Taylor tried to change levels and shoot a takedown, but this time Khaill was ready for it and sprawled back to stuff it. Taylor works back up to his feet and eats a stiff jab from Rio. However, Rio’s hand was somewhat open and in the process Pierce’s Taylor’s eye with a finger. The referee stops the action and just like in round one, deducts a point, this time for Khaill. After a brief recovery, Taylor is ready to resume. With just a few moments remaining in the fight, Taylor shoots another single leg and this times slams Rio down to the mat. The two would scramble on the ground for position until the buzzer finally sounded and marked the end of the round. It was another incredibly close round with more technical action piled on, but for me I give this to Rio with his striking taking the edge. After a point was taken from each fighter, I give this one to Khaill, but let’s see how the judges saw it.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 9-9 Push (28-27 Khaill)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS
Kelvin Taylor 9 9 10: 28
Rio Khaill 9 10 8: 27
Kelvin Taylor 9 9 10: 28
Rio Khaill 9 10 8: 27
Kelvin Taylor 9 9 10: 28
Rio Khaill 9 10 8: 27
Winner: Kelvin Taylor by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Kelvin Taylor
Punches 0/10 (0%)
Kicks 0/1 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/2 (50%)
Takedowns 9/10 (90%)
GnP strikes 3/10 (30%)
Submissions 11/11 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 504 s
Statistics: Rio Khaill
Punches 20/31 (65%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/3 (33%)
Takedowns 4/4 (100%)
GnP strikes 2/16 (12%)
Submissions 4/4 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 475 s
REBECCA OTSKHELI (0-0) vs FRANCISCO SILVA (0-0)
Featherweight Bout
ROUND ONE: In our fourth bout of the night, we finally get the first look of the Featherweights. Rebecca Otskheli and Francisco Silva start round one by touching gloves in the center of the octagon. As the two shift back and forth, dialing in their range, Otskheli rushes in and clinches you’re with Silva. Otskheli is controlling her opponent and launches a massive flying knee, but Silva is able to block it just in time. With a little bit of separation, Silva snaps the head down and locks in a guillotine as he pulls guard. On the ground, Otskheli is able to pop her head out of the guillotine, but remains in Silva’s closed guard. Silva does a great job of overseeing the fight on bottom, and is able to scramble his way on top. Otskheli tried to fight her way out from bottom, but Silva does a great job of staying in control. Otskheli shows a lot of grit by continuing to work from the bottom and trying to roll to her side. Silva however reacts to the roll and ends up taking the back. The two jockey for position and Silva is able to get a hook in. Silva stays patient and winds up seeing an opening and locks in a Rear Naked Choke. Otskheli looked to be in some serious trouble, but didn’t show one ounce of quit in her and was eventually able to pry Silva’s arm off of her neck. Otskheli isn’t in the clear just yet though, as Silva began working in a second hook. After struggling, he gets both hooks in, and Otskheli can’t do anything but turtle up. From here, Silva works back to sinking in a Rear Naked Choke, but Otskheli fights him off. After fighting off the submission attempt, Otskheli can’t do anything else but trap the arm to the point of a stalemate. The referee intervened and stood them back up. Now on their feet, Otskheli looks a bit gassed and wasn’t looking to engage. However, Silva is light on his feet as he circles around. He finds an opening and launches a devastating head kick and wobbles Otskheli. He rushes in with a big hook to the body and is looking for the finish. Silva walks down Otskheli with a barrage of uncontested strikes and with one final blow, turns the lights off. The referee rushed in to stop any further damage, but Silva walks off after recognizing Otskheli was no longer conscious.
Winner: Francisco Silva by KO (Punches) at 3:00 Round 1
Statistics: Rebecca Otskheli
Punches 0/0 (0%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/1 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 135 s
Statistics: Francisco Silva
Punches 3/5 (60%)
Kicks 1/1 (100%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 4/4 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 135 s
WAYLAND HUGHES JR. (0-0) vs OMAR MAKONZA (0-0)
Heavyweight Bout
ROUND ONE: Now we circle back around and introduce our second Heavyweight bout of the night. 9th World’s prospect Wayland Hughes Jr. and the Congo native Omar Makonza did not waste time in this one, neglecting to touch gloves and instead just come out swinging. Both men connected with a couple of shots and got the crowd fired up, sensing a possible early knockout. Wayland got the upper hand as he was able to dodge and counter a few strikes thrown his way and capped it off with a crispy fireman’s carry takedown. Both big men scrambled on the ground, but Hughes Jr. was able to secure a full mount position in the end. Wayland kept the pressure on tight and even locked in an armbar. Everyone in the building thought this was the end, but somehow Omar Makonza was able to muscle his way out of the submission. The two would jockey for position once again for a while, and in the end, Hughes Jr. was able to retain his full mount. From there, Hughes Jr. threw a couple of heavy hammerfists to the body to soften Makonza up, and it was just enough to open him up to attempt another armbar. This time, Hughes Jr. sunk in deep and had Makonza stuck. Wayland created an insane amount of leverage with his hips and forced Makonza to tap in the first frame of the fight.
Winner: Wayland Hughes Jr. by Submission (Armbar) at 2:20 Round 1
Statistics: Wayland Hughes Jr.
Punches 2/3 (67%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/1 (100%)
GnP strikes 2/4 (50%)
Submissions 2/2 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 80 s
Statistics: Omar Makonza
Punches 2/4 (50%)
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 80 s
GIANNA HOWARD (0-0) vs JAN MATSUDA (0-0)
Strawweight Bout
ROUND ONE: In our second Strawweight Bout of the night, we have two well-rounded fighters face off as Throne MMA’s Gianna Howard takes on Yongsa Gym’s Jan Matsuda. To open the round, we see some action from both fighters throwing hands. Not a lot of connection, but it shows that these two are not afraid to sling it. Gianna Howard is able to finish off the back and forth exchange with a hard cross and a stink g leg kick to gain some separation. Matsuda would pressure in, feinting to the head to set up a solid hook to the body. Howard would fire back with some kicks and punches, but they hit nothing but air. Howard fires off another leg kick that Matsuda checks. From here, the two trade punches back and forth and gets the crowd riled up. Howard goes back with a kick-punch combo, but misses her mark again. Matsuda then tries to slow down the pace by circling around. He comes in with a jab, but misses and eats a powerful counter uppercut from Howard. The two exchange punches back and forth again, and the crowd is fully immersed in this fight. Howard throws another leg kick but gets checked and Matsuda counters with a looping overhand right that just misses its target. The two would then circle around in the final seconds before Matsuda misses with a body hook at the buzzer. Definitely an entertaining first round, and in the heat of the moment, I give this round to Matsuda for the solid defense and relatively unscathed from Howard’s attack.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Matsuda
ROUND TWO: To open the second round, Matsuda quickly goes on the offensive and launches a big left hook that just grazes Howard’s chin. This causes Howard to fire back, and the two exchange punches back and forth. Howard gets the last shot in on the exchange, connecting with an absolutely nasty leg kick that somewhat buckles Matsuda’s knee. Matsuda tried to play it off and came in with a jab-uppercut combo but didn't connect while Howard unsuccessfully tried to counter that attack with another leg kick. The two circle around looking for angles, and this time Matsuda fires off a leg kick that gets checked and Howard counters with a crisp uppercut. Matsuda stumbles back just a bit before firing off a liver kick that gets blocked and Howard pushes him off to get some distance. The tempo of the fight slows down a bit here, as both fighters seem to be catching their breath for a moment. Howard launches a leg kick that gets checked, but fires off another one right after that connects. You can tell those leg locks are starting to both Matsuda, as he aggressively rushes in with a flurry but Howard is able to defend herself. Out of nowhere Matsuda catapults himself with a flying knee and Howard is just able to get her forearms up just in time to block it. Howard fires back with her own aggression here and begins chopping away at Matsuda’s legs and they are looking swollen and beet red. Both fighters reset their stances before crashing back in with a wild exchange. Howard and Matsuda both connected with a handful of punches and kicks, but it was Howard’s final leg kick in the exchange that really did some damage as it looked like Matsuda hyperextended his leg. Matsuda tried to shoot in for a takedown but Howard stuffed it. The two would trade blows back and forth one last time as the time expired in this round. A much better round here for Gianna Howard, who takes this one without much debate in my mind.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Howard (19-19 Push)
ROUND THREE: Final round in this fight and it’s the consensus that it’s all tied up. A sense of urgency could be seen in both fighters’ eyes as they step out from their corners with fury. Matsuda whiffs with a leg kick and eats a counter hook from Howard. Matsuda tried to get inside with a clinch several times, but Howard staves him off with punishing oblique kicks. The two post up and trade punches but neither one really lands anything significant until a stiff jab from Howard rocks Matsuda. She can sense the danger and rushes in with a flurry and puts Matsuda in a very bad spot. Howard drives a roundhouse punch into Matsuda’s temple and his legs get wobbly. Gianna Howard then sets her sights on the injured leg and chops away until Matsuda falls from his own weight. The referee has seen enough at this point and steps in to wave off the fight.
Winner: Gianna Howard by TKO (Low Kick) at 1:49 Round 3
Statistics: Gianna Howard
Punches 25/47 (53%)
Kicks 12/22 (55%)
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: Jan Matsuda
Punches 14/33 (42%)
Kicks 1/6 (17%)
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 0 s
DERRIUS WEBB (0-0) vs JOHN THOMPSON (1-0)
Welterweight Bout
ROUND ONE: And now our Co-Main Event of the evening features the second helping of the Welterweights. The 19 year old Real Killas prospect Derrius Webb takes on the unofficial timekeeper John Thompson. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that these two were squaring off July 24th. The bell sounded and these two quickly closed the distance in the center of the cage. Thompson made the first move with a stiff jab, but Webb dodged it and countered with a big uppercut. Thompson tried to fire back but again just got air while Webb touched him up with a solid one-two combo. Derrius Webb followed this up with what looked like a leg kick, but in the blink of an eye, switched it up with a head kick. The masterful question mark kick hit the snooze button on John Thompson as he face planted to the mat and took a steamboat ride to dream street.
Winner: Derrius Webb by KO (High Kick) at 0:40 Round 1
Statistics: Derrius Webb
Punches 3/4 (75%)
Kicks 2/2 (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: John Thompson
Punches 0/3 (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
BLUE BARRERA (0-0) vs ABBIE PETERSON (0-0)
Featherweight Bout
ROUND ONE: Boom. Here we are. The Main Event of the evening. Two Featherweight fighters that have kept the social media outlets buzzing for weeks and it all finally comes to a head. Surprisingly, these two fighters touched gloves to get this one started, but it was all business after that. The fighters circled around as a bit of a feeling out stage but Peterson would make the first move and locked in a Thai clinch on Barrera. Both women pummeled back and forth for control and neither one overtook the situation. While the jostling continued, Peterson saw an opening and launched a big flying knee. Barrera was able to lift her forearms up in time to block the knee and countered with a big hook to the body. The body shot gave Blue enough time to break free from the clinch and circled out. Blue and Abbie circled back and forth looking for angles before Barrera came in fast with a looping overhand right that rocked Peterson. Peterson looked wobbly and stumbled back on her heels which Barrera then came rushing in with some solid jabs and crosses. Peterson started throwing hands back in desperation and a wild exchange ensues. Both fighters landed some big punches and everyone in the building could sense this fight could be ending soon. Peterson changes up the pace with a big leg kick but Barrera counters back with a big right hook. Peterson throws another leg kick, but Barrera dodges it and counters with a leg kick of her own. From here, Barrera started working on the body while continuing to dodge strikes thrown her way and landing solid counters. Peterson started looking a little bit desperate at this point, so she rushed in and locked Barrera in a Thai clinch to try and slow the pace down. The two pummeled back and forth, and Barrera was able to shrug out of the clinch and get some separation. Barrera continued touching up Peterson with fast and quick combos while staying clean and countering any attacks. Peterson looks to be in some trouble but manages to wrap Barrera in a plum clinch and press her up against the fence. Peterson was finally able to slow the pace down and regain her composure, and from here started getting some offense in by unloading a bevy of brutal knees. Barrera was getting smashed but didn’t lose her focus as she threw in some body shots as a trade off. Peterson finished the final moments of the fight with a few more knees before the buzzer went off. Great action to start this fight off, and the feeling in the room felt like Barrera took this opening frame.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Barrera
ROUND TWO: Round two opens up and both fighters look like they feel good about their performance so far. As they close the distance, Peterson fires off a leg kick that connects hard. This sets off Blue and the two exchange some wild punches back and forth. Barrera comes out on top in the exchange, landing several more strikes than Peterson. The two step back to reset but then Barrera changes levels and shoots a takedown. Peterson read it perfectly and launched a massive knee that connected clean on the forehead and stunned Barrera for a moment. While Blue was still in a daze, Peterson launches a front kick that gets blocked and Barrera counters with a big hook to the body to soften up her opponent. Peterson winces in pain, but lunges in and gets Barrera wrapped in a Thai clinch. The two pummel for position in the clinch, and Barrera is able to gain enough separation to unload a brilliant combo of hooks to the head and body. Peterson fires back with another flying knee, but Barrera blocks it again and pushes Peterson back to break free from the clinch. Both fighters circle back to the center of the octagon as they study one another. Peterson feints a kick to the body and as Barrera starts to react, she switches it up to a head kick that lands clean. Barrera stumbles back from the impact but doesn’t look to be too affected by it as she rushes in with a flurry combo. Both fighters trade blows back and forth with neither seemingly gaining the edge before Peterson steps in with a double underhook. Barrera was ready for it though and shrugged her way out of it and side steps to get some distance. As the two close the distance, Peterson feints a leg kick and switches to a kick to the body. Barrera visibly felt that and winced a bit, and Peterson fired off a front kick to the body, but that one got blocked. Barrera counters and rushes into Peterson, landing a stinging flurry of punches and Peterson is looking wobbly here. Peterson tries to lock up another clinch, but Barrera pushes her off. The two go back to trading punches and kicks with mixed results from the both of them. Barrera and Peterson step back to regroup then start looking for angles again. Barrera senses an opening and comes firing back in and gets the best of a brief exchange. She caps it off with a perfectly timed spinning back fist and after eating the strike, Peterson lunges in with double underhooks. Peterson pushed Barrera up against the fence and landed several solid knees to the body before the sound of the buzzer put this round in the books. Another solid round for both fighters, but again I give the edge to Blue Barrera for staying aggressive and never wavering in the heat of an attack.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Barrera (20-18 Barrera)
ROUND THREE: The third round opens up and this is a big crossroad for Abbie Peterson. You can see in her eyes that she is potentially down two rounds and cannot afford to lose a third one. That kind of sticking point has to bring out the best in a fighter, and to start this round, she does just that. Peterson quickly secures a double underhook that has been working for her and controls Barrera closely. Peterson waits patiently, but launches some well-timed knees to the face and body of Barrera. After stringing some solid knees together in succession, Peterson doesn’t do much on offense while Barrera is simply holding on. The referee eventually steps in and separates the two due to a stalemate and directs them back to the center of the octagon to resume the fight. Both fighters circle around looking for angles, and Peterson goes back in with a Thai clinch and immediately launches a big knee to the body and Barrera hits the mat. The crowd is a bit stunned, but Barrera looks like she still has her wits but the wind may have been knocked out of her. Blue stays on the ground to regroup, but Peterson stays on the offensive and starts swinging kicks to the legs. Blue gets hit with a couple of them, but then starts checking them. Eventually Peterson steps back and motions for Barrera to get back up. Once Barrera is back on her feet, Peterson comes back in looking for a clinch, but Barrera reads it and stops her dead in her tracks and connects with a roundhouse punch to the temple. She follows it up with a leg kick that missed its mark and Peterson counters with a kick of her own that also fails to land. Barrera throws another kick that Peterson checks while countering with another kick that misses. You can start to see the fatigue set in on both fighters as their offense starts to get sloppy. The two step back and take a bit of a breather while continuing to read one another. After a few moments, they step back into each other and exchange wildly and in the heat of the moment, Barrera lands a big right hook that rocks Peterson. Before Barrera can capitalize on the big strike, Peterson rushes in and pushes Barrera into the fence in a plum Thai clinch. With the finals seconds ticking down and exhaustion seeping in, Peterson unloads another barrage of knees to soften up her opponent before the round finishes. Very tight round here, but I think Peterson squeaks by and takes the round to keep things interesting.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Peterson (29-28 Barrera)
ROUND FOUR: Now we head into what many call “championship rounds”, although for this situation we’ll call it “main event rounds”. Both fighters come out from their corners looking more and more worn down, but still having a lot of drive left in them. Peterson goes back to what has been working for her and wraps Barrera up in a double collar Thai clinch. Barrera pummels and tries to break free, but cannot escape Peterson’s grasp. Barrera tries to fight her off with some body shots that don’t land while Peterson is just as successful trying to counter. A theme begins to really formulate from this point, as Peterson goes back to the knees inside the clinch and is really starting to work over Barrera. It seems that there’s nothing that can stop them, and Peterson hits another brutal flying knee and drops Barrera to the mat once again. Barrera still remains aware of her surroundings after getting dropped and Peterson doesn’t even attempt to initiate any offense, instead she just backs away and allows Blue to stand back up. Standing back up on the feet, the two throw some sloppy punches at each other and neither one lands anything significant. Peterson once again rushes in with a clinch and quickly goes back with the knees. Again, Barrera gets dropped but quickly stands back to her feet. Barrera is showing a lot of grit but is clearly not in the right state of mind and she easily falls back into a double underhook. More knees ensue to finish off the round and this one clearly goes to Peterson as now a very bloodied and bruised Barrera stumbles back to her corner.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Peterson (38-38 Push)
ROUND FIVE: Final round. This is it. The feeling in the atmosphere is that this one is all tied up and this fifth and final round decides the outcome. At this point, Barrera walks out from her corner with a cut over her eye still bleeding out. The gash is so severe the cutman couldn’t stop the bleeding, and the same could be said for Peterson’s offense. Barrera comes in throwing wildly and not landing any strikes as the blood trickles into her eyes. It’s obvious that it’s affecting her vision and Peterson takes advantage of it by easily locking in another double collar Thai clinch. Things are looking worse and worse for Barrera as Peterson continues with the onslaught of knees in the clinch. Somehow, Barrera is able to break free and tag Peterson with a couple of jabs but doesn’t have the same power behind them. Peterson fires back with a quick combo of her own and in the process pokes Barrera right in the eye. The referee did not see the eye poke, and while Barrera was reacting to it, Peterson lunged back in with double underhooks. The final moments of the fight remained in the clinch, and Peterson continued to hammer away with knees to the head and body while Barrera could do nothing more than just hang on. The buzzer finally sounds and both fighters drag themselves to their respective corners after a five round war. Looking at this round exclusively, it’s clear Peterson won it, but the question remains now is whether she did enough earlier in the fight to tip the score in her favor.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Peterson (48-47 Peterson)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS
Blue Barrera 9 9 9 9 9: 45
Abbie Peterson 10 10 10 10 10: 50
Blue Barrera 10 9 9 9 9: 46
Abbie Peterson 9 10 10 10 10: 49
Blue Barrera 10 9 9 9 9: 46
Abbie Peterson 9 10 10 10 10: 49
Winner: Abbie Peterson by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Blue Barrera
Punches 58/77 (75%)
Kicks 4/9 (44%)
Clinch strikes 7/12 (58%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 106 s
Statistics: Abbie Peterson
Punches 14/42 (33%)
Kicks 15/25 (60%)
Clinch strikes 69/113 (61%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 7/8 (88%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Venue: Fillmore Auditorium
Location: Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 3,900
Gate: $395,000
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Blue Barrera vs Abbie Peterson
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Lilly Dunne, Abbie Peterson
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