On December 17th inside MoJoe’s Music in Joliet, Illinois, tragedy struck during Fightcard Entertainment’s Final Conflict event. Jeff Dunbar was fighting as part of the Team versus Team challenge and when his opponent took his back while standing, Dunbar tried to forward flip and throw his opponent on his own head. Unfortunately the move did not work, and Dunbar landed on his own head, breaking his neck in two places leaving him paralyzed.

Dunbar is currently recovering and going through daily rehabilitation with the latest update of him being able to move his head from side to side and up and down. Dunbar is resilient and a natural fighter and is working tirelessly to one day be able to walk again.

A fund is being set up for him and his ever increasing medical bills and FCE is looking to help lessen the burden just a bit. All proceeds from their upcoming February 16th card, Cross the Line 2012, will go directly to the fund. Tickets are on sale now and start at just $25.

The event will feature several of Dunbar’s teammates from Team No Comment fighting on the card in his honor.

Cross the Line takes place on Thursday, February 16 at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street in downtown Chicago.

Stay tuned to MMA Recap for all the latest on this event.

At Fightcard Entertainment’s FCE 42, Jeff Dunbar competed as part of the night’s Team versus Team Challenge. His opponent Rudy Behena quickly got Dunbar’s back while standing and looked for a rear naked choke. Dunbar tried a very risky move by throwing himself forward to not only escape the position, but also to throw his opponent on his head. Unfortunately for Dunbar, he landed on his own head and it was immediately apparent that something was wrong.

Dunbar laid motionless inside the cage while the EMT staff rushed in to stabilize him in order to transport him to the nearest hospital. At first it seemed like Dunbar just suffered a stinger as he was able to move his arm and had feeling in his feet. However, that turned out to not be the case as he broke his neck in two places.

Dunbar has been in high spirits through out the entire ordeal. Even so much as thanking the promoter for the opportunity to fight. His recovery and medical expenses will be long and expensive, more so than the insurance covered at the event.

Because of the costly nature of his injury, a trust fund is being set up in Dunbar’s honor. For now, donations can be sent to the following addresses:

No Comment Martial Arts
c/o Jeff Dunbar Support Trust
1819 S Kedzie St
Chicago, Il 60623

We here at MMA Recap hope that Jeff can completely recover and will be helping out with any fundraisers, auctions or other charity events planned for him.

Here are the links to donate to the fund. Please donate anything you can as everything helps. Thank you!

Fightcard Entertainment’s 42nd event “No Mercy 2011″ took place at the Grand Sports Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Saturday, October 22nd. The night of action featured the return of the team versus team challenge as well as three title fights.

The night also featured five Muay Thai fights that got the crowd standing on their feet. The quick results of those fights were:
Seavan Zaya and Matt Hefferman fought to a draw
Rolando Baguisa defeated Jordan Rivera-Haasch by unanimous decision
James Yarbrough defeated Eathan Tamisin by unanimous decision
Lisa Wells defeated Olivia Gonzalez by unanimous decision
Kayla Altergott defeated Vanessa De La Garza by unanimous decision

This mixed martial arts fights took center stage with an impressive nineteen fights.

Richard Garnica versus Dan Palamario
Garnica rushed in, but Palamario pressed him into the fence. He held him there for a while, while both fighters worked for positioning. Short shots were landed by both fighters before Palamario scored a big takedown. He quickly got the mount and was dropping punches as the bell sounded ending the round. Garnica switched up tactics in the second round, this time opting to strike a lot from within the clinch. He landed several punches and easily tied the fight up in the second round. Palamario tried for a takedown, but Garnica stuffed it. Garnica rushed Palamario, who opted to pull guard instead of eating punches. It was a mistake as Garnica took side control and landed damaging shots to the body of Palamario to end the round and win the fight.

Darrell Edmonson versus John Borthwick
The fight exploded into action as both fighters came out striking. Edmonson lead the attack but Borthwick was quick to counter with massive power. The first round was an all out slug fest with both fighters amazingly still standing on their feet. Borthwick seemed the fresher of the two as the second round started. A jab landed for him, followed by another and he quickly established his distance. Edmonson landed great punch, but Borthwick returned the favor dropping Edmonson. Borthwick quickly secured the back and locked in a fight ending rear naked choke.

Alex Garcia versus Nate Walker
Garcia quickly went after Walker and looked for a takedown. He picked Walker up and slammed him into the canvas earning himself side control. Walker tried to defend with a guillotine, but used it to stand back up. Garcia attempted another takedown, and after the initial stuff by Walker, Garcia was able to hoist him up in the air and walked him to the other side of the cage with another big slam as the round ended. Garcia slipped in the opening of the second round and Walker tried to finish with a flurry of wild bombs. Garcia survived and scored a takedown, but Walker quickly reversed and again worked punches from the top. Garcia held on and forced a stall in action forcing the fight to be stood back up. Garcia again looked to his bread and butter and scored a takedown and quickly took Walker’s back. The fight ended as he was attempting to finish with a rear naked choke. The start of the third round, Walker refused to touch gloves. Garcia again looked for a takedown, but Walker was aware and tried for a guillotine. Garcia spent a great amount of time trying to take Walker down without being choked and eventually succeeded. Garcia finished the round on top and it looked like an victory was on hand for Garcia. The judges’ scorecards were read and it was a split decision for Walker much to the surprise of many in the crowd.

Brian Ortiz versus Quinton Jordan
Both fighters opened with kicks, triggering Jordan to go for a headlock. Both men worked for position and Ortiz was able to secure side control. Jordan tried to escape and gave up his back to Ortiz. Ortiz quickly locked up an open neck and strangled Jordan for the win.

Mike Velez versus Justin Shelby
Velez immediately dropped Shelby and swarmed in with a flurry of punches. Shelby was able to regain his senses and pulled guard. He attempted a kimura, but Velez defended well and delivered more punches from the top. Velez tried to pass Shelby’s guard, but was unsuccessful. At the start of the second round, both fighters landed hard shots. Shelby blasted Velez with knees to the body and Velez appeared hurt. Shelby continued to pressure Velez and Velez collapsed to the canvas. Two big hammer fists and the ref was forced to stop the fight.

Mike Hampton versus Gerard Mills
Hampton came out very aggressive and caught Mills right away. Mills dropped to the canvas and Hampton pounced with a barrage of strikes. Mills tapped to the strikes forcing a halt to the action just fifteen seconds into the fight.

Ken Hansen versus Salvatore Terracciano
Hansen was taken down by Terracciano and then mounted. Hansen powered his opponent off of him and out of the dominant position, but gave up his back in the process. Terracciano sunk in a rear naked choke and forced the tap.

Angelo Rivera versus Brandon Priest
Priest opened with threatening striking as Rivera avoided. Priest landed some knees to Rivera and quickly took him down. Rivera quickly reversed but Priest tried to catch him in an armbar. Rivera escaped and passed to side control. Rivera worked for a D’Arce choke, but used the choke to stay on top and land some damaging strikes. Priest opened the second round with some big body kicks. Priest again looked to take the fight down, this time Rivera stuffed and got his own takedown. Rivera worked several strikes while Priest tried to at least get to guard. He was successful in that, but Rivera controlled the action in the second round. Rivera continued his safe striking as Priest had a hard time landing anything solid. Rivera saw an opening and took Priest down. Rivera continued to throw punches and Priest was stuck against the cage unable to escape as time ran out. The judges had an easy time giving Rivera the fight.

Tony Ortiz versus Nick Hill
Hill quickly took Ortiz down, but Ortiz just popped back up. The up and down battle continued as the pair scrambled across the cage. Hill attempted another takedown, but Ortiz defended and took his back. Ortiz was high, but set up a reverse triangle. After a moment he squeezed and forced the tap.

Juan Lopez versus Robert Lee
Both fighters went to the clinch and traded knees and punches. As they separated, Lee tagged Lopez with an inadvertent groin kick. After the restart, Lopez waded in with big punches. Lee answered with impressive leg kicks, slamming his shin into Lopez’s leg. Lopez rocked Lee with a punch and pressed in with punches. A slam takedown followed with a scramble, a choke attempt and an upkick warning from the referee. The fighters returned to their feet and Lee went back to his punishing leg kicks. Lee took Lopez down, but Lopez secured a guillotine choke. He torqued it and Lee was forced to tap.

Ivan Garcia versus Kendall Gunn
Garcia shot in early and worked for a single leg, but Gunn was threatening with a guillotine choke. The two fighters broke away and Gunn rushed in with aggressive striking backing Garcia into the fence. The pair traded shots for the remainder of the round in a very difficult round to score. Gunn opened aggressively, swinging wildly from his Muay Thai stance. Garcia again tried a takedown and was countered by a guillotine choke. But Garcia persisted and avoided the choke. Garcia moved to mount and rained down punch after punch forcing Gunn to tap to the strikes.

Azamat Shogenov versus Tony Velasco
Shogenov scored an early takedown and Velasco attempted a heel hook. The submission was unsuccessful and both fighters stood. Shogenov landed a vicious high kick and ended up on top of Velasco. He couldn’t finish and they again stood. Velasco caught another kick by Shogenov and threw him down to the ground as time ran out in the round. Shogenov returned the favor as he caught a kick from Velasco and took him down. Both fighters tried to finish with hell hooks, but opted to stand back up. Shogenov scored another takedown as the round ended. The third round Shogenov decided he was going to use his wrestling as he took Velasco down and held him there. He was unable to do much damage, but the top control easily earned him the victory.

Andrew Potopenko versus Disino Gilbert
A big left hand from Gilbert landed early. Gilbert quickly clinched and threw a right hook and an uppercut that landed flush. Potopenko circled away and after fainting and throwing a mild combo, connected with a spinning back fist. Gilbert landed a big left followed by an even bigger right. Potopenko returned the favor, but followed with a knee to the head that dropped Gilbert. He quickly pounced and finished the fight with punches.

Yousef Al-Ghoul versus Franco Martinez
Martinez opened the round with a big jab-cross. Al-Ghoul caught Martinez and stunned him. He quickly took mount and dropped heavy leather. Martinez tried to escape by using the cage and was successful rolling into Al-Ghoul’s guard as time ran out. Al-Ghoul set up a takedown with punches and quickly advanced to side control. he stepped over Martinez’s head and worked for a kimura. Martinez defended and gained guard. Al-Ghoul moved back to side control and finished the round with short punches. The third round Al-Ghoul took Martinez down after Martinez delivered a fancy kick. Al-Ghoul passed to mount and flurried with hammer fists and punches to a flailing Martinez. The ref jumped in and Al-Ghoul won the FCE welterweight title.

Maurice Greene versus Brandon Willimson
Williamson landed early with kicks, as Greene tried to keep his distance from the strikes. Greene secured a clinch against the fence and Williamson pulled guard. Greene passed to half guard and started to throw massive strikes. Williamson curled up and the ref jumped in. It appeared that Green won via TKO and he celebrates on top of the cage. Williamson is down for a while and confusion set in over the strikes as Greene may have landed strikes to the back of the head which would result in a DQ. An official claimed it should be a TKO to Greene, stating otherwise Green would have been sent to a neutral corner and Williamson offered time to recover. Williamson wasn’t able to stand and was taken out on a stretcher. The fight was ruled a no contest, in a very apparent mess up on procedure.

Mitch Nix versus Andrew Navickas
Both fighters came out wanting to punish the other with heavy punches. Nix scored a takedown, but Navickas quickly shot back up. Navickas grabbed a guillotine choke, but Nix was able to defend and escape. Nix attempted to pass guard, but then was rolled and he quickly scrambled back to his feet. The first round was extremely close as both landed some great shots. Nix opened the second with a stright right that damaged Navickas’s eye. The action stopped briefly, and after the restart both fighters immediately tried to end it. A spinning back-fist landed for Navickas. Nix threw kicks at a distance and Navickas returned the favor. Nix began opening up with his boxing and after landing several hard shots finished with a takedown. He secured a head and arm choke and it was in deep. Navickas had no way out and was forced to tap.

Muay Thai results
Sevan Zaya and Matt Heffmen fight to a draw
Rollie Baguisa wins via Unanimous Decision
James Yarborough wins via Unanimous Decision
Lisa Wells wins via Unanimous Decision
Kayla Altergott wins via Split Decision

Mixed martial arts results
Richard Garnica defeated Dan Palamario by unanimous decision
John Borthwick defeated Darrell Edmonson by rear naked choke in round 2
Nate Walker defeated Alex Garcia by split decision
Brian Ortiz defeated Quinton Jordan by rear naked choke in round 1
Justin Shelby defeated Mike Velez by tko in round 2
Mike hampton defeated Gerard Mills by tko in round 1
Salvatore Terracciano defeated Ken Hansen by rear naked choke in round 1
Angelo Rivera defeated Brandon Priest by unanimous decision
Tony Ortiz defeated Nick Hill by reverse triangle in round 1
Juan Lopez defeated Robert Lee by guillotine choke in round 1
Ivan Garcia defeated Kendall Gunn by tko in round 2
Azamat Shogenov defeated Tony Velasco by unanimous decision
Andrew Potopenko defeated Disino Gilbert by tko in round 1
Yousef Al-Ghoul defeated Franco Martinez by TKO in round 3
Maurice Greene and Brandon Williamson was ruled a no contest in the first round
Andrew Navickas defeated Mitch Nix by head and arm choke in round 2

Fightcard Entertainment’s “Undisputed 2011″ took place at the Sundance Saloon in Waukeegan, Illinois.  The night of action saw four Muay Thai contests and eight mma fights.  Read on for the full mma fight recap and quick results.

The first mma fight featured Steven Kick taking on Jeff Dunbar.  Dunbar dropped Kick with a big left hand and quickly followed him to the ground.  Kick worked for a triangle choke, but Dunbar slammed his way out.  Once back on the feet, Kick attempted a spinning kick, but fell and Dunbar again landed a barrage of strikes from the guard.  The second round Kick changed tactics and shot for a takedown, unfortunately Dunbar was able to defend and get the mount.  Kick escaped and got his takedown.  Working from side control Kick landed several knees to the body.  Dunbar was able to backward summersault out of the bad position and again secured mount.  Dunbar worked several punches as time ran out.  Both fighters were visibly tired as the third round started.  Kick started to land combo after combo and used it to set up a takedown.  Dunbar defended with a guillotine choke and rolled over to a top mounted guillotine.  Unable to secure a victory, Dunbar let go and the fighters stood back up.  With time set to expire, Dunbar landed one last left hook to seal his victory.

Joe Lux kicked the legs out of Tony Velasco at the start of their fight.  Lux tried to jump on his back and get a rear naked choke, but Velasco turned into the choke and into his guard.  Velasco quickly passed to side control and then to mount where he threw punches.  Lux was able to escape the mount, but in the ensuing scramble Velasco secured a triangle choke and Lux was forced to tap.

Tony Ortiz and Brian Wright were up next.  Ortiz landed two big leg kicks before working for a takedown.  Once on the ground Ortiz tried to improve his position, but Wright defended well.  Wright and Ortiz stood at the same time, and then Ortiz immediately took the fight back to the ground.  This time landing in full mount.  Ortiz unloaded punch after punch forcing Wright to give up his back.  Ortiz locked in a rear naked choke and Wright tapped.

John Wilson slipped on his first kick and Pedro Muniz quickly took his back.  Muniz worked for a rear naked choke, but Wilson was able to turn into Muniz’s guard.  Wilson started working small strikes, but it wasn’t enough as the ref stood them up.  Wilson shot for a takedown, Muniz defended it and grabbed a guillotine.  Muniz literally jumped back to pull guard to tighten the choke and Wilson was forced to tap.

Reggie Brown and Juan Zermino both came out throwing and landing kicks.  The two fighters then clinched and it was Zermino who scored the takedown.  Zermino looked to secure a choke, but Brown escaped.  Brown immediately grabbed a guillotine choke and Zermino tapped.

The fastest fight of the night featured Team Top Notch’s Yousef Al-Goul taking on Zac Vincent.  The fighters quickly clinched and Al-Goul took the fight to the ground.  Immediately he got the mount and then Vincent’s back.  Al-Goul quickly sunk in a rear naked choke and Vincent had no choice but to tap.

The co-main event featured Richard Dey taking on David Gallegoes for the bantamweight title.  The five round fight was extremely close hard fought five round battle.  The first round Dey nearly finished with a flying armbar transitioned to an omaplata, but Gallegoes was able to escape.  The rest of the fight saw Gallegoes throwing punch combos with Dey working kicks.  Unfortunately for Dey, he landed several groin kicks and as a result he was deducted a point on two separate occasions.  The fight was extremely close and MMA Recap scored it 47-46 for Dey but could see it going for Gallegoes.  The judges’ scorecards were read and it was
a split decision for Gallegoes.

In the main event Maurice Greene and Sammie Sabbah went after each other for the vacant heavyweight title.  The first two rounds Sabbah took Greene to the ground and Greene looked very uncomfortable on his back.  Sabbah was able to land several strikes, but Greene each time was able to work his way back up.  In the third round Greene started to find his range with his long jab.  Sabbah looked for a power punch, but Greene land a high kick that caught Sabbah.  Greene let his hands go and nearly finished Sabbah with strikes.  Sabbah went back to the gameplan that was working and attempted a takedown, but Greene was ready and sprawled, ending up on top of Sabbah.  One of Greene’s strikes opened up a cut under Sabbah’s left eye and the doctor was called in to check it between the third and fourth rounds.  Greene again looked fresher than Sabbah and Sabbah quickly went for the takedown.  Greene was ready and sprawled again, but this time was relentless with his striking.  Sabbah gave up his back, but then used Greene’s punching momentum to take Greene’s back.  Sabbah locked in a rear naked choke and it looked very tight.  Greene was able to escape, but Sabbah would get full mount and landed several strikes.  The round was very close, but Greene did more damage for the round and earned the round.  The final round both fighters had some extra energy.  Unfortunately for Sabbah, Greene controlled the action through out the round after another failed takedown attempt by Sabbah.  Greene worked several punches from side control and easily won the fifth round and the fight.

Muay Thai Quick Results
Eric Rogan defeated Don Hyde by TKO at 2:02 of round 3
Zack Rudder defeated Nate Walker by split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Adil Saeed defeated Joshua Hanafi by TKO at 1:50 of round 1
Rueben Robinson defeated Clayton Inverson by split decision 30-27, 28-29, 29-28

MMA Quick Results
Jeff Dunbar defeated Steven Kick by unanimous decision
Tony Velasco defeated Joe Lux by triangle choke at 2:18 of round 1
Tony Ortiz defeated Brian Wright by rear naked choke at 2:29 of round 1
Pedro Muniz defeated John Wilson by guillotine choke at 2:36 of round 1
Reggie Brown defeated Juan Zermino by guillotine choke at 1:26 of round 1
Yousef Al-Goul defeated Zac Vincent by rear naked choke at 0:53 of round 1
David Gallegoes defeated Richard Dey by split decision 46-45, 48-45, 47-46
Maurice Greene defeated Sammie Sabbah by unanimous decision 48-47, 48-47, 48-47

Fightcard Entertainment is offering a fantastic deal just in time for Father’s Day.  Fans can purchase four tickets for $140, but the best part is that the four tickets are cageside.  Four general admission tickets would set you back $100, so this is one heck of a deal.

Fightcard Entertainment will be hosting their 40^th event “Undisputed 2011″ on Saturday June 18.  The night of amateur MMA action will be headlined by Maurice Green taking on Sammie Sabbah.

To get the package details you must use this special link.

http://www.fightcard.net/2011/06/12/fathers-day-special-4-cageside-tickets-for-140/

Fightcard Entertainment will be returning to the Sundance Saloon in Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday June 18^th.  “Undisputed” will be their 40^th event and is headlined by Maurice Green and Sammie Sabbah for the interim heavyweight title.

“This is going to be our 40th event and the fans deserve a big main event, Greene versus Sabbah for the Interim Heavyweight Title doesn’t get any bigger” said FCE President Brian Angelo.

Also announced for “Undisputed” is a bantamweight title fight between Richard Dey and Dave Gallegos.

The last time FCE hosted an event at the Sundance Saloon, fans were treated to one of the best cards in FCE history; “FCE: Ruthless”.  The event was a near sell-out and the atmosphere was insane.

With two sold-out shows already in the books this year, FCE 40 is expected to reach sell out status as well.  Tickets for the event start at just $25 if you pre-order at fightcard.net.

Fight Card Entertainment invaded Joe’s Bar and Grill on Weed street in downtown Chicago.  “FCE 38: Cross the Line” featured eight amateur mixed martial arts fights with a stellar main event featuring Matt Tierney and Danny Morales for the FCE welterweight title.  Read on for the full recap of the action and quick results.

The first fight of the night was an exciting welterweight matchup featuring Robert Lewis and Tom Kriplin.  In the first round Lewis and Kriplin looked to exchange, but Lewis quickly attempted a takedown.  Kriplin reversed and scored a takedown of his own.  Kriplin looked for ground and pound, but Lewis was able to push off and stand up.  Once on their feet, Lewis clinched and landed a big knee that took Kriplin’s legs out.  Lewis quickly jumped on the back, but Kriplin somersaulted and reversed the position.  Kriplin was able to get the mount as time ran out in the round.  The second round Kriplin quickly got a takedown and worked vicious ground and pound.  Kriplin landed some serious knees to the body of Lewis while trying to pass to the mount.  Kriplin got the mount and started raining down strikes.  Kriplin nearly ended the fight, but time expired in the round.  The third round Kriplin landed a right hand before taking Lewis down.  From half guard, Kriplin worked several strikes to the body and head until the ref was forced to stop the action.

Heavyweights were up next and Maurice Greene and Jason Miller put on a fantastic fight.  In the first round Greene tried to utilize his reach advantage on Miller, but Miller was able to frustrate Greene with his movement and closed the distance.  Greene landed a left high kick that excited the crowd.  With time running out Miller shot for a takedown, but ate a big knee instead.  In the second round Miller looked to throw leg kicks to throw Greene off his balance.  Greene landed a fantastic front kick that sent Miller to the canvas.  Greene quickly pounced and landed several short uppercuts that bloodied up Miller.  Greene stood up and threw a massive knee to the body and then continued his punches sending blood into the crowd.  Miller couldn’t defend and the ref halted the action.

After an intermission to clean up all the blood shed in the last fight, lightweight Logan West and Charlie Radtke went to battle.  Radtke came out with a big right and West shot for a takedown.  Radtke defended and worked for a guillotine, but West was able to escape and stand up.  Radtke continued the pressure with strikes and West stalled him with a big body kick.  Radtke then shot for a takedown and never let up the pressure as he threw multiple lefts.  After standing up and landing some heavy shots, Radtke landed several big rights and then was like a machine gun with his punches forcing a stop to the fight.

Wanting to follow his brother’s victory, Brian Radtke looked for the victory over Franco Martinez.  The first round Radtke looked for a double leg takedown and got it.  Martinez had a high guard looking to quickly submit Radtke, but Radtke stood up and slammed him to the ground.  Radtke worked multiple strikes and Martinez threatened with submission.  Radtke stood up to drop a big right hand, but instead went for a heel hook.  Martinez punched his way out, but Radtke remained on top. Martinez had a beautiful sweep to get the mount on Radtke, however Radtke then swept Martinez and was back in his guard.  Radtke finished the round with punches and the round ended with Martinez nearly getting an armbar.  The second round started and the fighters quickly clinched.  Radtke landed a big knee and then quickly got Martinez’s back while standing.  Radtke worked for a rear naked choke while standing and got it.  The fighters fell to the canvas and Radtke was able to tighten the choke forcing Martinez to tap.

Lightweight Omar Diaz was the crowd favorite against Ken Hansen.  The first round  had the crowd really going as both fighters were causing damage to each other.  Diaz grabbed a clinch and threw multiple knees that found Hansen’s face.  Hansen would land uppercuts from the clinch, forcing Diaz to separate and create distance.  Diaz continued with jabs and Hansen looked to be in trouble, but was able to recover and land punches of his own.  In the second round Diaz continued his jab and quickly bloodied Hansen up.  Seeing the blood just flow from Hansen’s nose, Diaz was relentless with his punches.  Hansen never went down, but ate several shots and was unable to intelligently defend himself forcing the ref to stop the striking clinic.

After another brief intermission, featherweights Richard Dey and Rudy Behena were up next.  Dey landed a high kick, one-two, high kick combo, but Behena defended and was able to get Dey’s back.  Behena had a fantastic belly to back suplex and quickly got the mount.  Behena nearly finished the fight with his ground and pound, but Dey was able to buck and stand up.  Once on the feet, they clinched and Dey landed two knees before working for an omoplata.  Unable to get the tap, Dey transitioned to a heel hook.  Behena was tough to finish and continued to punch his way out of the submissions.  Dey was able to put Behena in his guard, and quickly worked an armbar.  The submission was in deep, but Behena defended well.  Dey rolled and the arm looked to be in bad shape.  Behena, sensing his arm was about to break, verbally submitted.

The co-main event featured light heavyweights Ivan Garcia and Andrew Navickis.  The exciting three round fight had the crowd going crazy.  In the first round Navickis used leg kicks to keep Garcia at bay.  When Garcia would rush in and clinch, Navickis landed several knees.  Navickis used a guillotine choke to take Garcia down, but both fighters quickly stood.  Navickis looked like he had a standing guillotine choke, however Garcia was able to escape.  Navickis scored another takedown with time running out in the round and tried to finish it with strikes but was unable to.  Round two was extremely close.  Garcia again attempted a takedown, but it was Navickis who was able to get it.  Garcia defended well with submission attempts but Navickis threw the legs to the side and got Garcia’s back.  Garcia countered by spinning into Garcia and able to get the mount.  Navickis bucked and was able to stand up.  An extremely close round that could have been scored for either fighter.  The final round Navickis came out with a spinning backlist that just missed.  Both fighters were swinging wildly looking for a finishing blow.  Garcia was stalking Navickis and able to close the distance working knees and punches from the clinch.  Garcia was clearly controlling the fight at this point and with time running out, both fighters attempted big strikes but neither landed.  With a close second round that could go either way, it was no surprise that the judges were split in their decision for Garcia.

The main event featured undefeated Matt Tierney taking on Danny Morales for the FCE welterweight title.  Both fighters came out swinging and looking to cause damage.  Morales used leg kicks to set up his punches.  Tierney was able to clinch and take Morales down on two separate occasions, but Morales just popped back up.  Both fighters started to find their range when Morales landed a spinning backlist sending Tierney down to the floor.  Morales quickly jumped on the wounded Tierney and landed two strikes before the ref could stop the action.  Morales became the new FCE welterweight champion with the knockout victory.

Quick results
Tom Kriplin defeated Robert Lewis by TKO at 1:14 of round 3
Maurice Greene defeated Jason Miller by TKO at 1:22 of round 2
Charlie Radtke defeated Logan West by TKO at 2:02 of round 1
Brian Radtke defeated Franco Martinez by rear naked choke at 0:59 of round 2
Omar Diaz defeated Ken Hansen by TKO at 1:14 of round 2
Richard Dey defeated Rudy Behena by armbar at 2:29 of round 1
Ivan Garcia defeated Andrew Navickis by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Danny Morales defeated Matt Tierney by KO at 1:30 of round 1

With just a little more than a week till the highly anticipated 2011 debut of Fightcard Entertainment’s “Cross the Line”, FCE officials announced they will be hosting “FCE 39: Vendetta” on April 16.  The event is scheduled to take place at the Melrose Park Sportszone in Melrose Park, Illinois.

No fights have been announced for the event, but fans in attendance at “Cross the Line” might get a glimpse of what is in store.

FCE President Brian Angelo hinted that the co-main event is one that everyone will be one for the fans, and that he needs a main event that will complement it well.

Rumors immediately began circulating about a fight for the featherweight title or a couple of contender fights due to the fact that current FCE Featherweight champion Christian Reynoso is set to make his professional debut on March 5 and thus would relinquish his title.

Stay tuned to MMA Recap for more on “Vendetta”

Chicago based Fightcard Entertainment will be putting on their first event of 2011, “Cross the Line”, on February 24.  The night of amateur mixed martial arts action will take place at Joe’s Bar and Grill in Chicago, Illinois.

FCE has held several cards at Joe’s and the bar is considered the “home” location for Fightcard Entertainment.

Headlining the fight is expected to be a welterweight fight featuring Matt Tierney versus Danny Morales.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at fightcard.net

Fightcard Entertainment held their No Mercy 2010 event last night at the Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois. The event featured four Muay Thai fights and eight MMA bouts.

The night started with three Muay Thai fights. In the opening fight, super-bantamweight Alex Garcia used trips and headkicks to dominate his way to a unanimous decision victory over Corey Forshaw. In the second fight, crowd favorite Olivia Gonzales weathered an early storm from opponent Brittney Jetters in their atomweight bout. Gonzales came back in rounds 2 and 3 with leg kicks and body strikes to get the win with 29-28 on all the judges’ scorecards. The third fight started with both fighters, middleweights Luis Robles and Patrick Parsons, doing a Muay Thai ritual in the cage to some Eastern music. Unfortunately, due to an eye injury Robles sustained by an accidental headbutt at just 1:12 of the first round, he was unable to continue and the fight was ruled a no contest.

Next, the lightweights took the stage, when David Sanchez dropped his opponent Gerard Mills with an early barrage of punches. After some scrambling on the ground and a near rear naked choke by the victor, Mills tapped out due to strikes at 26 seconds of the first round. Next bout featured featherweights Chris Johnson and William Peterson. After an early assault by Peterson, Johnson slammed his opponent to the canvas. The two scrambled and exchanged submission attempts, with Johnson getting the better of it in Round 1. Round 2 started the same as the first, but this time Johnson was able to finish his submission, earning a submission victory at 2:36 of the second round with a rear naked choke.

The 160lbs catchweight bout between Tony Ortiz and Stefan Ivanoff was over as quickly as it began. Ivanov came at his opponent with an array of punches, forcing Ortiz to attempt a takedown, an attempt which resulted in Ortiz being caught in a guillotine and choked unconscious at just 23 seconds into the first round. The only heavyweight bout of the night was pure domination for Sammie Sabbach as he used his superior wrestling to take the fight everywhere he wanted to go. Starting with a takedown that led to Sabbach mounting his opponent, his opponent, Ole Nickels was able to scramble enough to get back to the feet. Unfortunately for him, the fight didn’t remain there long. Sabbach scooped his opponent up for a powerful body slam that once again led to the mount position where Sabbach reigned down punches until his opponent’s corner had no choice but to throw in the towel at 2:00 of the first round.

Down to the welterweight division, Franco Martinez appeared rocked by an early bombardment of strikes from Frank Ciangi, but he proved his resiliency when he was able to sweep his opponent and gain control of his back, where he worked his vicious ground and pound until the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 1:02 of the first round.

In what was probably the closest match-up of the night, featherweights Johnny Torres and Victor Johnson sure put on a show. Torres worked for takedowns and improved his position to mount and back control, dropping leather the whole time. But Johnson’s scrambles were nothing to scoff at as he was able to attempt a rear naked choke and do some ground and pound of his own. Round two started with Torres rocking his opponent with a left hook, immediately followed by a takedown that eventually turned into an omoplata, before gaining mount and dishing out some punishment. The third and final round didn’t disappoint, Johnson starting it off with a flying knee that landed right on the money, though it led to another takedown from Torres. Not content with trusting the judges, Torres dropped bombs from the mount position, forcing the referee to end the fight at 1:07 of the third round due to TKO.

In what this journalist considers the fight of the night, light-heavyweights Ivan Garcia and Quadra Littles nearly brought the house down. The two exchanged takedowns, slams, sweeps, and ground and pound before Garcia was able to take his opponent’s back and attack his opponent from there. The second round saw Garcia scoring more takedowns. Littles swept his opponent and ended up getting caught in a triangle choke. Lucky for Littles, he was able to lift his opponent off the ground and slam him down in what can only be described as Rampage/Arona-esque. Garcia, however, survived the round and even attempted an armbar. Round 3 was all business for Garcia, bolting into his opponent with a takedown that immediately led to the fighter getting the dominant crucifix position where he dropped punches until the ref stopped it at :58 seconds in the third round due to TKO.

On to the co-main event and the first title fight of the evening, Super Middleweight Muay Thai Champion, Mike Reid, defended his belt against Chris Flach. An early sweep from Reid set the pace for the Muay Thai clinic he was about to give. He continued to work his opponent’s body with knees, punches, and kicks until it was clear how little challenger Chris Flach had left. It was then that Reid used a spinning back kick to the liver to drop Flach to the ground, where he stayed, writhing in pain, while the referee counted to eight. Mike Reid wins via TKO at 1:53 of Round 1.

In the final bout of the night, Bantamweight champion Pedro Velasco defended his title against Dave Havice. Velasco tripped his opponent early with a leg kick, but stayed tentative and didn’t follow him to the ground. After a couple of exchanges, the two clinched against the cage where Velasco was able to take Havice down. On the ground, Havice grabbed the leg of his opponent and looked to be working on either an Achilles lock or a heel hook, but it wouldn’t matter. The champion stood up over his opponent and knocked Havice out cold with an undefended punch right on the chin. Two more shots landed on the unconscious challenger before the referee was able to stop the fight at :56 of the first round.

Quick results:
Alex “The Tiny Bully” Garcia def. Corey “C-4” Forshaw by Unanimous Decision(30-27)
Olivia “The Brat” Gonzales def. Brittney “Lil Taz” Jetters by Unanimous Decision(29-28)
Luis “Gumby” Robles vs. Patrick “Pure Punishment” Parsons: No Contest
David “The Hitman” Sanchez def. Gerard “Sparky” Milles via Submission due to strikes at :26 of Round 1
Chris Johnson def. William “Lil Will” Peterson via Submission from rear naked choke at 2:36 of Round 2
Stefan Ivanoff def. Tony Ortiz via Technical submission from guillotine choke at :23 of Round 1
Sammie “Swamp Thing” Sabbach def. Ole Nickels via Corner stoppage at 2:00 of Round 1
Franco “No Love” Martinez def. Frank Ciangi via TKO from strikes at 1:02 of Round 1
Johnny “Triggerman” Torres def. Victor “Smoke” Johnson via TKO from strikes at 1:07 of Round 3
Ivan Garcia def. Quadra “The Tyrant Titan” Littles via TKO from strikes at :58 of Round 3
Mike “The Dragon Catcher” Reid def. Chris “Lion Killer” Flach via TKO at 1:53 of Round 1
Pedro “Clark Kent” Velasco def. Dave Havice via KO from strikes at :56 of Round 1