EVEREST // NYC

Julian Chambers (0-3) vs Dax Levandrier (0-0)

Heavyweight Bout

ROUND ONE: We kickoff the prelims with a Heavyweight bout featuring Julian Chambers and the debuting RAW Graps prospect, Dax Levandrier. The two touched gloves to show some sportsmanship but it was all business after that. Dax worked behind the jab to find his range. He touched up Chambers a bit before dropping levels and going for a single leg takedown. Chambers was able to stuff it, or so he thought. Dax kept a hold of the leg then quickly switched up to a body lock and took Chambers to the mat. From there, Dax unloaded a furious ground and pound session, but somehow Chambers was able to create enough space to jump back to his feet after taking a beating. The two traded jabs then Chambers caught a finger in the eye. The ref stopped the action to give him time to recover, and opted to give Dax a warning. One they returned to action, Dax executed a textbook takedown to bring the fight back to the mat. He went back to the well with some ground and pound, and got lucky with a head butt that the referee did not see. Dax continued with a barrage of elbows until the ref had seen enough and called off the fight with just under a minute left to go in the first frame.

Winner: Dax Levandrier by TKO (Elbow) at 4:01 Round 1

Statistics: Julian Chambers

Punches 1/1 (100%)

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 116 s

Statistics: Dax Levandrier

Punches 5/6 (83%)

Kicks 0/0 (0%)

Clinch strikes 2/2 (100%)

Takedowns 2/2 (100%)

GnP strikes 23/23 (100%)

Submissions 0/0 (0%)

Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)

Time on the ground 116 s

Maliyah Lyons (3-3) vs Bevin Gordon-Starr (0-0)

Featherweight Bout

ROUND ONE: Next up on the prelims we have Maliyah Lyons making her Everest debut taking on Bevin Gordon-Starr, who makes his pro MMA debut. Blink and you’ll miss this finish, as Gordon-Starr connected with an absolutely filthy right hook that not only dropped Lyons, but the crowd as well. One punch knockout. An incredible debut for the RAW Graps prospect, but definitely not what you want to see for Maliyah Lyons.

Winner: Bevin Gordon-Starr by KO (Punch) at 0:19 Round 1

Statistics: Maliyah Lyons

Punches 0/0 (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

Statistics: Bevin Gordon-Starr

Punches 1/1 (100%)

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

Sergey Loktev (2-1) vs Omar Makonza (0-1)

Heavyweight Bout

ROUND ONE: It’s always a safe bet to get to a venue early. If you were late to arrive at the Hulu Theater, you’re gonna feel short changed. The final prelim bout featured two top five ranked Heavyweights ready to collide. Omar Makonza started things off with some weak punches to find his range, but Loktev fired back with a skull-crushing straight right. Makonza stumbled back, allowing Loktev to set up and connect with a head kick that nearly ended it right there. Makonza is on dream street as his legs turn into wet noodles. Loktev feinted a low kick and switched it up to connect with a masterful question mark kick that put Makonza flat on his back, looking blankly up at the rafter lights.

Winner: Sergey Loktev by KO (High Kick) at 1:52 Round 1

Statistics: Sergey Loktev

Punches 4/7 (57%)

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: Omar Makonza

Punches 3/4 (75%)

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

Stevie Tavoularis (1-2) vs Rebecca Otskheli (1-2)

Featherweight Bout

ROUND ONE: We’ve reached the main card, and to kick things off, we feast on a Featherweight bout between 9th World’s Stevie Tavoularis and Real Killas’ Rebecca Otskheli. Both of these women are coming off their first pro win and look to continue the momentum. Both women touch gloves to start it off, and Tavoularis is quick to showcase her striking, out-boxing Otskheli in a quick exchange. Otskheli slows the pace down by sinking in double underhooks before landing some vicious uppercuts. One lands completely clean and drops Tavoularis to the mat. The air was sucked out for a moment, but Tavoularis kept her composure as the two traded kicks back and forth. Tavoularis landed a nasty upkick which gave her enough space to stand back to her feet. During a brief exchange, Otskheli poked Tavoularis’ eye and the ref stopped the fight. Stevie looked to be okay after a brief intermission, and the official gave a warning. Once the action restarted, Tavoularis delivered a textbook double leg to bring the fight to the mat. The two jockeyed for position for a while where Tavoularis moved to half guard and nearly sunk in an Americana. Otskheli displayed some solid ground game, moving back to full guard, but Tavoularis saw an opening and nearly locked in a kneebar. Otskheli managed to slip free and get to her feet, where Tavoularis followed suit and the two traded blows until the buzzer. Very close opening round where both fighters were able to execute some of their specialties. I give the edge to Stevie Tavoularis, who finished the round strong and nearly put an end to it.

Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Tavoularis

ROUND TWO: After a tightly contested first round, Tavoularis and Otskheli continue to come after one another. Tavoularis throws a barrage of leg kicks, but Otskheli is able to check them and counter with a big spinning back fist. Tavoularis stumbled back from the impact, allowing Otskheli to rush in with a double collar Thai clinch. Rebecca goes back to the well with the dirty boxing inside the clinch, and eventually pushes Tavoularis up against the fence. Otskheli continued with her offense, but somehow Tavoularis was able to slip out and circle back to the center of the octagon. Otskheli was dialed in though, and wrapped Tavoularis back in a double collar Thai clinch. Otskheli unloaded with some uppercuts before pushing Tavoularis back into the fence. Otskheli continued the onslaught and the referee was watching very closely, urging Tavoularis to defend herself. Otskheli continued to rain down with the uppercuts and the referee had seen enough and stepped in to put a stop to this fight.

Winner: Rebecca Otskheli by TKO (Uppercuts) at 2:06 Round 2

Statistics: Stevie Tavoularis

Punches 5/5 (100%)

Kicks 0/3 (0%)

Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)

Takedowns 1/1 (100%)

GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)

Submissions 2/2 (100%)

Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)

Time on the ground 188 s

Statistics: Rebecca Otskheli

Punches 1/3 (33%)

Kicks 5/6 (83%)

Clinch strikes 18/22 (82%)

Takedowns 0/0 (0%)

GnP strikes 0/3 (0%)

Submissions 0/0 (0%)

Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)

Time on the ground 70 s

D’Ante Jackson (1-2) vs Jethro Benson (1-5)

Welterweight Bout

ROUND ONE: The second bout on the main card features two Welterweights clashing as D'Ante Jackson and Jethro Benson square off. The two touch gloves in the center to get this fight started and it wasn’t long after, this fight was over. Benson launched himself with a Superman Punch, but Jackson ducked out of the way, and countered with a flurry of strikes to his off-balanced opponent. Benson was getting lit up like a Christmas tree, and eventually took a nasty shovel hook right on the eye. He immediately dropped and everyone in the building could clearly see Benson was in serious pain. He laid on the mat for quite a long time, quickly hushing any celebrations from the crowd. It looked quite evident that he suffered a broken orbital bone, and was helped out of the octagon from medical personnel while Jackson was announced as the winner.

Winner: D'Ante Jackson by TKO (Broken Orbital Bone) at 0:26 Round 1

Statistics: D'Ante Jackson

Punches 3/4 (75%)

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 0/1 (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

Lilly Dunne (3-1) vs Jan Matsuda (1-1)

Strawweight Bout

ROUND ONE: The final undercard bout of the evening pits two top ranked Straweights as Lilly Dunne takes on Jan Matsuda. This fight gets right into it as the two exchange strikes back and forth and both are able to get in some solid offense. Matsuda tried taking the fight to the ground with a takedown, but Dunne stuffed it. Matsuda tried throwing a jab on the break, but Dunne ducked and countered with a big uppercut. She followed it up with a solid combo and dropped Matsuda to the mat. Matsuda stayed on the mat for a while as the two traded kicks. Eventually Dunne stepped back and allowed Matsuda to stand. As Matsuda got back to his feet, Lilly Dunne rushed in and locked him in with double overhooks. Dunne worked the body as Matsuda tried to escape, so she pushed him up against the fence. Dunne kept her opponent trapped against the fence and continued to unload heavy strikes in the clinch until the buzzer signaled the end of the round. An easy round to call for Dunne, who still looked fresh as she headed back to her corner while Matsuda was already sucking air pretty heavily.

Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Dunne

ROUND TWO: As Dunne and Matsuda close the distance to begin the second round, Dunne wastes no time going back into the clinch. Dunne fired off several uncontested strikes and started carving Matsuda up like a Thanksgiving turkey. A monster uppercut dropped Matsuda to the canvas, but again kept alive as the two traded kicks once again. Matsuda created enough space to get back to his feet, but got gobbled up with another clinch and Dunne went to work on him. Matsuda’s blood was staining the canvas as he kept eating unnecessary shots. He tried to escape Dunne’s grasp, but she pushed him back up against the fence and dropped him with another uppercut. Again, Matsuda did what he could to survive, launching upkicks that mostly hit air. Matsuda got back to his feet but was completely drained as he basically collapsed into Dunne’s clinch once again. “Deadlift” Dunne unloaded once more until the buzzer signaled the end of the second. This was a wild lopsided round that definitely could have been stopped several times. Matsuda was in survival mode while Dunne effortlessly picked her opponent apart.

Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-8 Dunne (20-17 Dunne)

ROUND THREE: As the final round begins, Matsuda staggered out from his corner, blood flowing down his face obstructing his vision, despite a valiant effort from the cutman. Dunne on the other hand, was bouncing on the balls of her feet with a lot left in the tank. Dunne wrapped Matsuda back in the clinch, and went back to the well, dropping brutal body shots and strikes to the face. Matsuda ate another devastating uppercut and his legs gave out. The referee finally had seen enough and stepped in to put an end to this outmatched affair.

Winner: Lilly Dunne by TKO (Uppercut) at 1:10 Round 3

Statistics: Lilly Dunne

Punches 12/16 (75%)

Kicks 16/24 (67%)

Clinch strikes 66/78 (85%)

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: Jan Matsuda

Punches 2/10 (20%)

Kicks 1/2 (50%)

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 272 s

Alistair McKay (3-0) vs Fran von Licht (3-0)

Featherweight Championship

ROUND ONE: It’s Co-Main Event time and the crowd is buzzing. Fran von Licht and Alistair McKay came out to roaring cheers as everyone under this roof knows we’re about to see — maybe not fireworks — but an explosion. Two vicious strikers get locked inside the cage, and they move forward to touch gloves as the bell signals the beginning of this fight. McKay wastes no time with a looping overhand right that tags von Licht, who countered with a bunch of jabs and crosses. McKay seemed staggered and the crowd erupted into cheers as von Licht continued to pour on the offense. Not even thirty seconds in, and Fran connects with a brutal hook and McKay gets dropped to the mat. McKay kept his composure on the ground while eating a leg kick. von Licht stepped back and McKay got back to his feet. One minute into this fight, and the adrenaline is redlining at this point. McKay fired in with some nice punches, and now Fran looked wobbly. McKay wanted to finish this and continued launching bombs, forcing Fran to try and defend better. McKay finished off the flurry with a big right hand and Fran is out! Alistair McKay has ended this fight in highlight reel fashion as the crowd goes wild. So much drama inside two minutes, but it’s the Aussie who retains his title here in the Big Apple.

Winner: Alistair McKay by KO (Punch) at 1:37 Round 1

Statistics: Alistair McKay

Punches 9/13 (69%)

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 24 s

Statistics: Fran von Licht

Punches 7/11 (64%)

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

Wayland Hughes Jr. (3-0) vs DeMarcus Gresham (2-1)

Heavyweight Championship

ROUND ONE: And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The Heavyweight Championship Main Event rematch. Even after the wild Co-Main Event that preceded, the crowd was still amped up for these fighters. DeMarcus Gresham received a respectful pop, but once the New York native made his way out, it was clear they were behind their hometown boy. The fight started off with a touch of gloves then Hughes was quick on his offense. He played it smart, moved in and connected with a few strikes then circle away. Hughes knew he did not want to stay inside the Boxing Champ’s range and trade strikes. Hughes set up a single leg with the movement to bring the fight to the mat. Hughes worked his way from side mount to full mount and attempted to lock in a triangle, but Gresham slipped free and rolled to get on top. Hughes lost his position but did not panic, as he hammered away at the ribs to force Gresham to protect himself. This left Hughes enough space to roll back on top but the two continued to fight for position. They traded blows before Hughes went for an arm triangle, but again Gresham was able to slip free from it. The MMA Champ then worked in some ground and pound with a couple of sharp elbows, forcing Gresham to make a move. The Boxing Champ managed to create enough space to escape to his feet, and Hughes quickly followed him up. The two circled around for a bit before Hughes executed a crispy double leg to bring the fight back to the ground. He kept the action alive with some tentative punches before going for a kneebar. Gresham again showcased his improved ground game by slipping free and escaping back to his feet again. The two back on their feet, Hughes went for another single leg takedown, but Gresham was ready for it this time and stuffed it. As they broke off from each other, Gresham fired off a bone shattering straight left that rocked Hughes. Hughes circled away to avoid any further damage, causing Gresham to chase him down. This setup Gresham into getting caught with another double leg takedown. The two jockeyed back and forth on the ground, with neither one gaining clear control until the buzzer. DeMarcus Gresham certainly displayed an improved ground game, but Wayland Hughes was the aggressor in this opening frame, thus I give him the slight edge here.

Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Hughes Jr.

ROUND TWO: As the second round opens up, you could see a sense of urgency with Gresham and a bit of caution with Hughes. The two circled toward the center of the cage and trade blows back and forth. Nothing too significant lands for either fighter, but Hughes doesn’t want to take the risk of banging with Gresham and takes him down with a single leg. Hughes kept the pressure on, and worked his way into the full mount. He stayed patient under the duress before unloading on some vicious elbows. One right after another, Hughes found his target and opened Gresham up with a nasty cut on the forehead. Blood is gushing pretty profusely, enough for the referee to step in and pause the action. The crowd is confused. The fighters are confused. The doctor entered the cage and took a long look at Gresham’s cut before discussing it with the official. Every single individual in the building was on pins and needles. After the brief conversation, the referee turned to the center of the cage and waved off the fight! Safe to say, the boo birds came out in droves as the fans were fuming with rage. Gresham disputed the call with the official and the doctor, but the decision had been made. Hughes is even visibly displeased with the result in his corner, keeping his head down to hide his frustration. After the announcement, Hughes can be seen speaking with Gresham, both disgruntled and talking of running it back. Not the best way to cap off an otherwise exciting night.

Winner: Wayland Hughes Jr. by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 1:18 Round 2

Statistics: Wayland Hughes Jr.

Punches 6/10 (60%)

Kicks 0/0 (0%)

Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)

Takedowns 4/5 (80%)

GnP strikes 15/21 (71%)

Submissions 3/3 (100%)

Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)

Time on the ground 226 s

Statistics: DeMarcus Gresham

Punches 4/5 (80%)

Kicks 0/0 (0%)

Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)

Takedowns 0/0 (0%)

GnP strikes 0/3 (0%)

Submissions 0/0 (0%)

Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)

Time on the ground 226 s

---

Venue: Hulu Theater at MSG

Location: New York City, New York

Attendance: 5,600

Gate: $504,000

FIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Alistair McKay vs Fran von Licht

PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT

Lilly Dunne, Alistair McKay