EVEREST // LONG BEACH
- Isaac Cohen
- Oct 24, 2020
- 13 min read
Jan Matsuda (0-1) vs Natalia Gutierrez (0-1)
Strawweight Bout
ROUND ONE: We kicked the night off with a 115 pound Strawweight Bout between two fighters still searching for their first pro MMA win. Things started off with each fighter finding their range before touching up one another for a bit. Matsuda scored a takedown to bring the fight to the ground. Both fighters flipped control on the ground several times, with Matsuda occasionally going for an Americana. Gutierrez was able to fight them off to keep herself out of any real danger. The referee would eventually stand them up as neither made any significant advancements. Back on their feet, Matsuda flipped a switch and went after Gutierrez. He was able to land some solid combinations and put Natalia in danger, but she managed to hang on to the end of the round. Matsuda clearly took this opening frame after finishing this round strong.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Matsuda
ROUND TWO: Gutierrez may have been still feeling the effects from the first round as she kept circling away and avoided anything within close range to start the second. Matsuda was able to get in his range and delivered a well-timed question mark kick that connected. Gutierrez then rushed in and the two traded blows back and forth and it just felt like someone was going to be dropping soon. Gutierrez eventually circled out to regroup, which gave Matsuda the impression that she didn’t want the smoke. Matsuda would work behind the jab and get back in range, and tee’d off on Gutierrez with several damaging blows. Gutierrez was saved by the bell again, and judging his body language, Matsuda was ready to finish this one off.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Matsuda (20-18 Matsuda)
ROUND THREE: We reach the final round of this fight and you can clearly see that these two fighters have totally different mindsets right now. Gutierrez comes in very sloppy and swings wild punches that Matsuda reads easily and counters with big shots in return. Matsuda landed a big kick to the body that folded Gutierrez over and set up a solid takedown. Matsuda controlled the fight on the ground and got into great position on top to work in an Americana. Gutierrez was caught off guard and had no other option but to tap, giving the one-sided victory to Jan Matsuda.
Winner: Jan Matsuda by Submission (Americana) at 1:44 Round 3
Statistics: Jan Matsuda
Punches 40/52 (77%)
Kicks 4/4 (100%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 2/2 (100%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 5/5 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 148 s
Statistics: Natalia Gutierrez
Punches 14/40 (35%)
Kicks 0/1 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 2/3 (67%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/2 (0%)
Time on the ground 148 s
Stevie Tavoularis (0-2) vs Andrei Kozlov (0-4)
Featherweight Bout
ROUND ONE: In our lone Featherweight bout of the night, we have 9th World prospect Stevie Tavoularis taking on the newly transferred Andrei Kozlov, who both are searching for their first victory. Both of these fighters are known for their grappling and submission skill set, so this should be a chess match. Tavoularis started off immediately going for the clinch. Once she got inside, she started throwing knees to the thighs and rib cage to soften up her opponent. Eventually Kozlov was able to protect himself and neither made any advancements, so the ref separated the two. Tavoularis scored a nice takedown and nearly sunk in a rear naked choke, but Kozlov was able to roll out and get to his feet. Another takedown scored from Tavoularis and again Kozlov managed to roll and get the reversal this time. Stevie worked her way to side mount and in the process, Kozlov suffered an eye poke, which the ref saw and deducted a point. The crowd wasn’t loving it, but after the break, Tavoularis came back out firing. She worked back inside, feinting a punch and securing the clinch. She pushed Kozlov up against the fence and landed a brutal uppercut just as time expired. This round was all Tavoularis, but she still has work to do given the point deduction.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 9-9 Push
ROUND TWO: In the second round, Tavoularis tried putting the pressure on Kozlov, but it cost her. Andrei was able to land some solid counter punches while backpedaling, but Stevie still managed to get in with a clinch. Kozlov quickly broke free, but Stevie changed levels and scored a takedown. Tavoularis went to work on the ground, nearly locking in a triangle but Kozlov slipped free. Kozlov then went for a kneebar, but left himself wide open and Tavoularis nearly stuck him with an armbar. Kozlov somehow managed to free himself, but Stevie kept throwing the kitchen sink at him, this time with an arm triangle. Kozlov tried scrambling free, but Tavoularis got him in a Banana Split and got the crowd up on their feet. After the wild exchange and subsequent rest period, the referee stepped in to stand them back up. Just seconds left, Tavoularis shot another takedown right at the buzzer, but didn’t get a chance to make anything out of it. Another clear cut round for Stevie here as she headed back to her corner looking very confident in her situation.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Tavoularis (19-18 Tavoularis)
ROUND THREE: Final round and Andrei Kozlov knew he needed a finish in order to win. This set started off slow, as the two circled around looking for any openings. Eventually they stepped into each other and started swinging and Tavoularis capitalized with another takedown. Kozlov scrambled as soon as he hit the mat, but Tavoularis caught him in a guillotine. The crowd is on their feet thinking this was the end, but somehow Kozlov slipped free. As soon as Kozlov raised his head up, Tavoularis switched to a high guard and threw her legs up to secure a triangle. Stevie locked it in tight and Kozlov had nowhere to go, and realized it quickly and tapped. Tavoularis gets her first win in dominating fashion and hopes to carry this momentum into the future.
Winner: Stevie Tavoularis by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:14 Round 3
Statistics: Stevie Tavoularis
Punches 4/12 (33%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/7 (14%)
Takedowns 7/8 (88%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 12/12 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 238 s
Statistics: Andrei Kozlov
Punches 20/24 (83%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 4/4 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 1/2 (50%)
Time on the ground 238 s
Royal Holt (0-2) vs Jethro Benson (1-4)
Welterweight Bout
ROUND ONE: In our first of three Welterweight bouts of the night, Royal Holt was set to take on Jethro Benson. Holt continues to search for his first victory, while Benson looks to end a two fight skid. Both of these guys have been known for their striking, but the consensus was that Benson’s endearment for high volume would give him the edge. However, that wasn’t the case in this bout. “Ruthless” Royal Holt got the early jump in this fight and never let off the gas. He was able to utilize a flawless counter striking game plan and scored an early first round KO, just under the one minute mark.
Winner: Royal Holt by KO (Punch) at 0:58 Round 1
Statistics: Royal Holt
Punches 9/14 (64%)
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: Jethro Benson
Punches 0/7 (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 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Tre Rozier (1-0) vs Larry Williams (0-4)
Welterweight Bout
ROUND ONE: We leave one Welterweight bout and move right into another, with Tre Rozier taking on Larry Williams. Things started off fast with the hands, but got stopped early with an eye poke from Larry Williams. The referee put the fight on pause to allow Rozier time to recover and took a point away from Williams in the process. “Left Hook” Larry tried to contest it, but the official wasn’t having it. Once things picked back up, it was the Tre Rozier show. Twinkle Toes was able to slip almost everything thrown his way, while countering with some savage blows. Rozier caught Williams slipping and sent him into the shadow realm with a perfectly timed spinning back fist, which Williams could not recover from, and the official stepped in to stop any further damage.
Winner: Tre Rozier by TKO (Spinning Back Fist) at 1:27 Round 1
Statistics: Tre Rozier
Punches 10/13 (77%)
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: Larry Williams
Punches 3/9 (33%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Rebecca Lacroix (1-1) vs Elliot McMillan (2-0)
Strawweight Bout
ROUND ONE: The final Strawweight bout of the evening featured Rebecca Lacroix and Elliot McMillan, two rising prospects in the division. The opening frame was a very competitive and evenly contested round from start to finish. Lacroix and McMillan were not afraid to stand in the phone booth and trade blows back and forth, which got the audience in an uproar. Midway through the round, McMillan landed a big right hook that dropped Lacroix, but she regained her wits quickly and was able to intelligently defend herself. She worked her way back to her feet through some stinging leg kicks from McMillan, and the two went back to trading shots. McMillan started to get the edge in the brawl with heavy hooks to the body, but Lacroix evened the trades off until the buzzer. Great first round from both fighters, but this one goes to McMillan with his heavy hands getting the knockdown.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 McMillan
ROUND TWO: The second round started much like the first, with a back and forth firefight. Lacroix, however, started taking control of the exchanges by smartly checking leg kicks and using well-timed counter punches. This caused McMillan to try and clinch, but Lacroix swung for the fences with a big shovel hook that just barely missed; it still delivered a clear message for McMillan though as he backed away. Rebecca continued to pressure her opponent with fast, single striking jabs until McMillan launched a big hook of his own that rocked Lacroix. The Twin Cities prospect hit the mat, but it looked like she lost her footing more so than getting stunned. From here until the end of the round, Lacroix and McMillan respected each other’s distance and simply let the clock run out. This was a much better round for Rebecca Lacroix, and even with the slip/knockdown, I’m giving her the edge.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Lacroix (19-19 Push)
ROUND THREE: The final round was imperative for both fighters as this one could decide the fight. Lacroix came out of her corner looking exhausted and it showed with some sloppy striking. McMillan was able to slip mostly everything thrown his way while countering with some heavy combos. Lacroix then tried to fight from long distance with some leg kicks, but McMillan checked them off. With the final seconds ticking down in this fight, the two stepped in and exchanged wildly, with McMillan landing more significant strikes and giving him reason to believe he won this fight. I gave this final round to McMillan, and a 2-1 score overall.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 McMillan (29-28 McMillan)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS
Rebecca Lacroix 9 9 9: 27
Elliot McMillan 10 10 10: 30
Rebecca Lacroix 9 9 9: 27
Elliot McMillan 10 10 10: 30
Rebecca Lacroix 9 9 9: 27
Elliot McMillan 10 10 10: 30
Winner: Elliot McMillan by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Rebecca Lacroix
Punches 9/32 (28%)
Kicks 10/18 (56%)
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 55 s
Statistics: Elliot McMillan
Punches 42/107 (39%)
Kicks 1/15 (7%)
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 12 s
Sergey Loktev (1-1) vs Yoshida Sanzo (0-1)
Heavyweight Bout
ROUND ONE: In our first battle of the big boys, we got the pleasure of seeing Sergey Loktev going up against Yoshida Sanzo. Things started off a bit slow as the two were feeling each other out and finding their range. Sanzo was the first to strike, trying to walk down Loktev with some wild punches. Loktev was able to get on his bicycle and avoid any major damage, and quickly turned the tide. Loktev worked behind the jab to regain his ground, and once he started getting in a rhythm, there was no stopping him. Loktev put on a boxing clinic for most of the round going back and forth from the head and body. He capped it off with almost a minute left with a brutal kick to the rib cage that folded Sanzo like a lawn chair. The referee had made his mind up clearly and stepped in to put a stop of the one-sided beatdown, giving the win to The Factory prospect.
Winner: Sergey Loktev by TKO (Body Kick) at 4:04 Round 1
Statistics: Sergey Loktev
Punches 26/29 (90%)
Kicks 4/5 (80%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
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: Yoshida Sanzo
Punches 3/14 (21%)
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
Kelvin Taylor (1-1) vs D’Ante Jackson (1-1)
Welterweight Bout
ROUND ONE: It’s Co-Main Event time and it’s our final Welterweight bout of a scheduled three. Kelvin Taylor and D’Ante Jackson both have a strong wrestling background and it’s been the talking point on who will be able to impose their will. The opening round started with Taylor immediately picking the far ankle for a sweep single. Jackson rolled on the ground to get to half guard and the two jockeyed for control. Neither man could make any advancements so the referee stood them back up. Taylor would go for another takedown, but Jackson sprawled back and stuffed it. The two exchanged punches back and forth before Jackson went for a head kick. He missed his mark and wound up slipping to the mat. Taylor caught him off guard by jumping inside to an open guard, but neither man went anywhere and again the referee stood them up. Jackson would try for a takedown, but Taylor stuffed it so Jackson pulled guard instead. The two jockeyed for position on the ground for quite sometime before the buzzer put an end to it. Not a lot of damage was done from either fighter, but we knew this would turn into a wrestling match, and as a result, Taylor gets the edge.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Taylor
ROUND TWO: The second round began with both fighters circling around, looking for openings. The two exchanged punches but neither one landed anything significant. Taylor scored another takedown and while they were on the ground, he nearly secured a kneebar. Jackson would escape and roll out and get to his feet. Taylor quickly followed him up but Jackson tried catching him off guard with a takedown of his own. Taylor was able to stuff the attempt, and just as Jackson got back to the upright position, Taylor changed levels and scored a takedown. Again, not a lot went down on the ground and the stalemate was ended when the referee stood them up. Taylor was able to score two more takedowns in this round but couldn’t get much done once the two were on the mat. Another tightly contested grappling round, and another round goes to Taylor in my mind.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Taylor (20-18 Taylor)
ROUND THREE: We head into the final round and you can clearly see that both of these fighters are completely drained from exhaustion. They’re both stoic in their movement, but nonetheless they press on. Jackson managed to score a takedown in this round, but he would later find out that it was a mistake. Taylor turned up the heat and threw the kitchen sink at him, going for one submission after another. Jackson showed some poise defending them, but it was clear he was in defense mode. Surprisingly the referee let this one go on for quite some time, but eventually would stand them back up in the final moments. Taylor scored one last takedown before time expired, giving his corner the belief he gets the win on the scorecards. And quite frankly, I agree.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Taylor (30-27 Taylor)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS
Kelvin Taylor 10 10 10: 30
D'Ante Jackson 9 9 9: 27
Kelvin Taylor 10 10 10: 30
D'Ante Jackson 9 9 9: 27
Kelvin Taylor 10 10 10: 30
D'Ante Jackson 9 9 9: 27
Winner: Kelvin Taylor by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Kelvin Taylor
Punches 0/6 (0%)
Kicks 0/2 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 8/10 (80%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 7/7 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 499 s
Statistics: D'Ante Jackson
Punches 3/21 (14%)
Kicks 0/1 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/3 (33%)
GnP strikes 0/34 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 483 s
Dimitri Kolovik (3-3) vs DeMarcus Gresham (1-1)
Heavyweight Bout
ROUND ONE: And now we finally get to the main event of the night, the Heavyweight bout between Title Challenger Dimitri Kolovik and Boxing Champion DeMarcus Gresham. Many fans and experts alike believe this to be a title eliminator bout to see who will be the first to challenge Wayland Hughes Jr. for the strap, and both of these guys came into this one with that kind of mentality. Things started off cautiously at first, as both Kolovik and Gresham respected each other’s power enough to not just rush in wildly. Kolovik managed to get inside control and hit a clean leg sweep to bring the fight to the ground. Both guys jockeyed back and forth for position and control, but neither one made any significant advancement, so the official stood them back up. Kolovik tried to use his grappling to keep things tight, but Gresham started timing his hands and feet, and was starting to stick and move on Dimitri. Gresham found a solid rhythm on Kolovik and even stuffed a couple takedowns, while sprinkling in some leg kicks. Who is this guy? Gresham was able to land a big left hook that dropped Kolovik late in the round, but the Russian was able to get back to his feet. The round ended with Kolovik just trying to survive as he started looking sloppy with his technique and strategy, but managed to make it and see another round nonetheless.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Gresham
ROUND TWO: The second frame opens with Gresham trying to catch Kolovik off guard with a firefight and finish this off quickly. Kolovik ate punches in bunches but managed to circle out to regain himself. He clearly looked wobbly and tried hanging on Gresham, which Gresham got a plum clinch in and pushed him up against the fence. At this point you could tell Kolovik was gassed and Gresham could sense it. DeMarcus pushed off and unloaded a barrage of punches to the head and body and it looked like the referee was ready to put an end to it. Kolovik changed levels for a takedown but got stuffed. The two eventually got separated by the ref and moved back to the center. Gresham was in full control as he got back into a clinch and started using his dirty boxing. A combination of uppercuts in the clinch cut Kolovik right above the eye, and that thing was a gusher. Dimitri was doing everything he could to stay in this fight with his grappling, but Gresham had an answer and was one step ahead, picking him apart with solid combos. Gresham was eventually able to get the bloodied and blinded Kolovik off balance and unloaded a brutal uncontested flurry that turned his lights out. It was an incredible scene for the Seattle native, celebrating the second round stoppage with his opponent bloody and bruised on the canvas.
Winner: DeMarcus Gresham by KO (Punches) at 3:50 Round 2
Statistics: Dimitri Kolovik
Punches 0/13 (0%)
Kicks 0/3 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/5 (0%)
Takedowns 0/5 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/4 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/5 (0%)
Time on the ground 70 s
Statistics: DeMarcus Gresham
Punches 24/34 (71%)
Kicks 4/4 (100%)
Clinch strikes 14/19 (74%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/3 (0%)
Submissions 1/1 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 2/2 (100%)
Time on the ground 47 s
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Location: Long Beach, California
Attendance: 4,122
Gate: $474,030
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Rebecca Lacroix vs Elliot McMillan
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Tre Rozier, DeMarcus Gresham
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