| Smokin' Joe Nabs Title in Eau Claire (Updated) |
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| Written by Dom Velando | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 15 February 2009 09:25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Despite less than two years in the game, Blake, a student of Reese Shaner, Wisconsin Combat Sports' Best Coach of 2008, is emerging as a major player in Wisconsin MMA. Last night was the biggest fight of Blake's career, but it ended the same as most of Blake's first-round victories.
Blake immediately shoved Judge against the cage where Judge expertly fended off multiple take down attempts. Finally, Blake got Judge to his back where the champion pushed off of the cage with his feet to rotate into several armbar attempts. One mistake was all Judge needed to trap Blake in a deep triangle choke that his face turning red. For a tense minute, Blake struggled as Judge puncuated the choke with elbows and punches. Finally, the challenger freed himself and needed only a few moments to take Judge's back and work a rear naked choke. With a minute left in the fight, Judge tried to control Blake's hands, but was soon overtaken and the referee was forced to stop the fight as Judge lost consciousness.
Two-time challenger for the Gladiators Fighting featherweight title, Seth Marquez danced with Brian Learn for fifteen minutes in a bout that drove fans out of the arena. Early in the fight, Marquez was struck with a pointed elbow to the top of his head while in Learn's guard. Marquez took full advantage of the five minute recovery period and the rest of the fight followed what would become a tiresome formula. Learn and Marquez fought from long-range, often throwing strikes that couldn't possibly land from such a distance. Once Marquez found an opening, he scored single-leg takedowns, only to land in half-guard and stay there. Despite a sweep by Learn in the first round and about 30 seconds of ground and pound at the end of the third, this pattern of shadowboxing, followed by a Marquez takedown, followed by little else left fans mostly silent as Marquez was given the unanimous decision.
Andrew Cappell looked like Ivan Drago compared to the much softer Andrew Urban, yet as Cappel unleashed stiff combinations, Urban confidently bobbed, weaved and blocked. Urban retaliated, cracking his much larger foe with a punch that had Cappel's nose spilling blood all over the mat, but this would be Urban's best moment. Cappel, visibly fired up by the blood, attacked ferociously with buckling low kicks, knees from the Thai clinch and finally hunted Urban down and folded him with blows to the body.
After the match, the Swiffer Wet Jet was announced as an unofficial sponsor of Konquer the Kage.
Fan favorite Steve "Gibby" Gibson made it look easy, dropping Matt "The Hessian" Hirsch with a titanic right. After swarming Hirsch and forcing the ref to intervene, the packed arena seemed on the verge of a riot. Hirsch, scheduled contender to Gladiators Fighting heayweight champ Reese Shaner, left the cage before the official result could be announced.
When asked how he felt about his fight, Gibson announced, "This is my house."
Cory Neeser tried to make the most of his sharp stand-up, countering Mitch Jackson's kicks with punches, but Jackson's wrestling proved to be the dominant factor. Jackson even survived a high kick during a scramble that had him sprawled out on the mat for a brief moment, Jackson hung tough and spent most of the fight on Neeser's back, controlling him and giving him a headache with hammer fists. In the third round, Jackson ate a kick to the head and still got Neeser to the mat and mounted. Neeser bucked and Jackson took his back. Though Jackson was high up on Neeser's shoulders, the cage kept him from slipping off. Finally, Jackson sank in the choke and forced the tap.
Jake Omen endured several knees strikes to the solar plexus before tossing Tye Ferguson to the mat. Ferguson recovered and shot on Omen, giving up his neck to a guillotine choke.
As Eddie Larrea and Lance Valiquette fought a diligent but unspectacular grappling match from Larrea's closed guard, the ring announcer urged fans to "let these guys know what you wanna see." During a scramble, Valiquette shot in and landed in guard again, then stood up and hooked an ankle. As he fell back to work the submission, Larrea sat up and mounted Valiquette, trapping one arm and hooking a leg. After a few calculated punches to Valiquette's face, the referee intervened.
The simply huge Rob Lee demonstrated unexpected agility, throwing everything from spinning back kicks to guillotine attempts at John Poppe, who unexpectedly lifted Lee off of the ground and dropped him. After a competitive first round, Poppe once again lifted Lee, this time into a stunning suplex. From side-control, Poppe unleashed a series of knees, at least two of which landed directly on Lee's lower spine. The referee warned and then penalized Poppe one point, but Lee was already injured. After a harrowing few minutes, paramedics escorted the motionless Lee out of the cage. The match was wisely ruled a "no contest." Fortunately, Lee was released from the hospital and returned to the event.
After a quick but furious punching exchange, Rick Grabow grabbed up a guillotine and pulled guard on Joe Allard. Allard fought back with a slam and some punches, but his body eventually went limp, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
“Tattoo Mike” from Feed My Addiction dropped to one knee in the middle of the cage. She said "yes." Wisconsin Combat Sports' Fight of the Night
Aaron Johnson used a steady ground and pound game to keep Tim "The Calm Rage" Wysocky guessing. After being taken down, Johnson swept and mounted Wysocky, who turned and gave up his back. Johnson went for a rear naked choke, but couldn't get his hooks in. A scramble ensued and when Wysocky shot for a double-leg, Johnson caught him in a front headlock and DDT'd him onto the mat.
The second round saw Johnson shoot, only to get reversed into a North-South choke. Johnson rolled out of the choke and latched on a guillotine choke. Wysocky fought the choke all over the cage until Johnson mounted and finished out the round with thudding ground-and-pound.
They embraced to kick off the third round. Johnson slipped behind Wysocky and took him to the mat where Wysocky grabbed at Johnsons' leg. Johnson took this opportunity to trap Wysocky's arm and punish him with more ground-and-pound. Wysocky rolled out but exposed himself to a rear naked choke that Wysocky fought off for the last third of the round. Despite trying to set it up with punches, Johnsons couldn't get the choke locked in, but did enough to earn a well-deserved unanimous decision. Wisconsin Combat Sports' Submission of the Night
Jim Jones simply dominated, connecting with a big right hook and grounding Mitch Grahovac and pounded on him ferociously. Jones then locked up a nasty standing guillotine with Grahovac trapped against the cage for the win.
Miles Diess wasted little time in shooting and grabbing a single, but Scott Robinson reversed, only for Diess to lock on a triangle choke. After a brief struggle, Robinson got the sub. Wisconsin Combat Sports' KO of the Night
It took a few tries, but Terry “Deez Nutz” Delony swung his right hand like a club and connected with Rick Sandy’s head, sending him keeling over.
NOTE: This article has been revised for accuracy. We formerly stated that Austin Judge did not tap out but lost consciousness and failed to mention that Seth Marquez was struck by a debilitating illegal blow early in his bout. Wisconsin Combat Sports apologizes for the confusion.
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Comments (8)
Bear
said:
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On Valentine's day Waukesha MMA's Joe Blake showed a packed house at the Eau Claire Sports Center what it takes to be a champion: heart. Blake, 4-1, took on a dangerous opponent in defending KTK Featherweight Champ Austin Judge of the American School of Martial Arts in Bloomington, MN, who matched Blake's skill for much of the main event at Konquer the Kage: Valentine's Day Massacre in Eau Claire, WI.
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... What the story doesn't say about Marquez is that he was struck with an illegal elbow to the back of the head, suffering a concussion in the first. After trying to recover, he saw three of his opponent, so the best game plan was to grapple and score points. This sport is just more than just KO's and drawing blood. There was no other options due to injury. |
Dom Velando
said:
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... my apologies to seth i made note of that but completely forgot to mention it when i wrote this article. |
Reese shaner
said:
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... Joe trained hard for this fight and it showed. Great work Joe! I'm not sure if your skill could ever match your heart! Thank you for representing Waukesha MMA with spectacular showmanship. KTK crew did an excellent show again. Good working with you guys. |
Andrew Carter
said:
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... We would like to congratulate our new Champion Joe Blake and Waukesha MMA for their efforts in the show. I have never been so proud as to see those boys carrying that belt into Perkins at 3AM. Also you will be receiving a FULL supplement sponsorship from Cellucor. The Offical Supplement sponsor of Konquer the Kage. Great work to all fighters at KTK 24, Some of the most respectful fighters we have ever worked with. This state is packed with top notch athletes. |
Nate Schafer
said:
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... Congrats Joe, you're a tough guy and a good grappler. Looking forward to your next fight with Severtson, hope it's a good one. |
Ryan Williams
said:
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... Congrats. Good to see Reese's guys doing well. Good group of guys and all tough as nails. |
Captain Morgan
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... Wondering as to why the Ken Sistler and Dan Lasavage fight was not on the card? |
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