Ramy Daoud - photo by Joey Hill

Xtreme Fighting Organization is holding nothing back for their next professional show at the Sears Centre on Saturday June 16. The night of action will see a mix of both amateur and professional mixed martial arts fights and Big John McCarthy will be in house as a special guest referee for the night.

While no fights have been made official yet, several fighters have been signed up to fight for the promotion. Midwest Training Center’s Will Brooks has been slotted to fight in the main event of the evening. Brooks has amassed a perfect 5-0 record as a professional, finishing all five of his opponents. In December of 2011, he flew out to Vegas to audition for the first season of TUF Live. Brooks was made an alternate for the show in case someone who won was injured and couldn’t continue. Unfortunately that didn’t pan out, and now Brooks is looking to continue his winning ways.

Brooks’ teammate Ramy Daoud will also be on the card. Daoud was supposed to fight at XFO 43, but his opponent Johnny Coleman no-showed the weigh-ins and forfeited his fight. Daoud has taken time away from competing inside the cage, but is well versed in leg submissions and brings an exciting fight.

Other fighters who are scheduled to appear include Cory Galloway, Lucas Grabowski, Mike Budnik, Josh Estrada, Chris Haney, Andre Feliciano, and Phil Williams.

XFO 44 takes place on Saturday, June 16 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Tickets are available at www.xfomma.com starting at just $25.

Photo via Joey Hill (www.joeyhill.com)

In one of the most anticipated fights for XFO 42, Midwest Training Center’s Will Brooks is taking on Chris Tickle in lightweight action. Brooks is arguably one of the hottest prospects to come out of Illinois in a long time, but Tickle has been quietly making a name for himself just four hours south.

Tickle caught MMA Recap’s eye in November of 2010 when he was originally scheduled to meet Vince Ramos at XFO 37. Tickle was coming off a big knockout victory over Jimmy Donahue and had brought his record up to the winning side at the time with his second straight victory, and fifth overall.

Since that time, Tickle has tried to fight top fighters; at one point even scheduled to fight Matt Veach before Veach was forced out of the fight due to contractual obligations for a different promotion. But Tickle persevered and continued to find fights.

In March he took on Steve Berger at Cage Madness MMA in Glen Carbon Illinois. Tickle needed just 56 seconds of the second round before his attacks warranted a referee stoppage. In October he took on former UFC vet Brian Geraghty and earned a unanimous decision over him. The victory is Tickle’s fifth straight with four of those coming via stoppages.

Brooks meanwhile is coming off of his most difficult fight to date against Ryan Bixler at Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4. In the first round an inadvertent eye poke by Bixler sent Brooks running while trying to recover. But Brooks was able to hold onto Bixler and recover. In the second round Brooks immediately took Bixler down and secured his back and locked in a fight ending rear naked choke.

The victory continued Brook’s undefeated streak as he is now 5-0 all by way of a stoppage.

This fight has a lot of potential riding on it and should not only entertain the fans, but also the brass at the top promotions seeking to find one of the hottest prospects Illinois has to offer.

XFO 42 takes place on Saturday, December 10 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

It’s been nearly two weeks since Will Brooks was in the toughest fight of his career, but he’s already back at the gym training for his next fight.  Brooks is scheduled to meet Chris Tickle at XFO 42, a fight that will take place at the Sears Centre, in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.  For his fight with Tickle, MMA Recap is going to check in on Brooks through out the training camp to see how things are going for this fight.

Let’s start off with your most recent win against Ryan Bixler.  That was the toughest fight of your career to date.  In the first round you suffered an accidental eye poke and weathered a storm of punches from Bixler.  You were able to recover after taking him down and held on to him.  How much trouble were you in while he was unloading on you?

Before the fight went to the ground I believe I was in more trouble being that I couldn’t see and he was able to land some very solid shoots. Once I was able to hold him I didn’t feel in trouble as much I was more focused on getting my vision back in my eye.

In the second round you looked extremely fresh compared to Bixler.  And it showed as you took him down again with ease.  I noticed that you took his back, much like you did in your previous two fights, only this time you had to finish with the rear naked choke instead of the armbar.  Did you attempt the armbar or was it just straight for the rear naked choke?

When I took his back I was looking to gain control more than looking for any type of submission. I didn’t really look for any submission in particular I I just took what was presented and at the time it was the rear naked choke.

How much time did you take off before you got back into training for your upcoming fight?

I took about a week off that has kind of been the routine of my last couple of training camps and fights lucky not because of injury but just to rest, relax, and go back home to Gurnee to spend time with my family and friends.

You are scheduled to fight Chris Tickle, have you researched your opponent at all and if so what skills do you think are his best?

Yes I’m scheduled to fight Chris at the XFO 42 I’m very excited for this fight it will be another tough opponent and I look forward to it. I haven’t researched him I don’t really research many of my opponents my coach does most of that for me. It’s works better that way so I can focus on more the training camp I trust my coaches and know that they will put together a great game plan for the fight.

With this training camp is there one thing in particular that you want to improve on with your own skill set?

This training camp will focus on just getting better in every aspect just like previous training camps. We train not to focus on working one thing during training camps because we feel as though it takes away from the instinct to work other aspects of MMA.

Talk to us a bit about the start of training camp.  What’s the schedule like for the first week or two?

The first 2 weeks aren’t too much different from later weeks of the training camp. The only difference is that I’m more just focused on getting some weight off and getting back in the mix of strength and conditioning.

Any sponsors or people you want to thank?

I would like to thank LVRG clothing, GNC in south Elgin, the academy of advanced athletics, and last but not least my family and friends.

Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4 Poster

Chicago Cagefighting Championship returned to the Odeum Sports Center on Saturday, October 15 for their fourth event. The night of action was headlined by former UFC heavyweight Sean McCorkle defeating Justin Grizzard. The entire event was filmed and edited for Comcast Sportsnet and will be broadcast tomorrow (November 1) at 9pm CST in the greater Chicagoland area.

Other regional Comcast Sportsnet channels will have the choice to pick up the broadcast after tomorrow night’s airing.

Other notables on the card include Will Brooks, Carson Beebe, Mike Pitz, and Bobby Reardanz.

Quick Results
Darious Yancy defeated Andrew Krezptowski by triangle-armbar at 0:52 in round 1
Grabowski defeated McGlassan by rear naked choke at 1:37 in round 2
Bobby Reardanz defeated Dennis Dombrow by armbar at 2:17 in round 1
Carson Beebe defeated Daniel Aguirre by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ed Carpenter defeated Miodrag Petkovich via technical submission by way of Von Flue choke at 2:42 in round 1
Skibinski defeated Enyobi by triangle choke 4:19 in round 1
Will Brooks defeated Ryan Bixler by rear naked choke at 1:00 in round 2
Mike Pitz defeated Robert Morrow via knockout at 2:56 in round 2
Josh Shockley defeated Mike Santiago via rear naked choke 2:18 in round 1
Robert Menigoz defeated Chico Camus via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Sean McCorkle defeated Justin Grizzard via kimura at 2:58 round 1

XFO 42 is set to take place on Saturday, December 10 at the Sears Centre, in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The night of fights will feature a combination of amateur and professional bouts with a scheduled thirteen professional fights.

Included on the professional card are fan favorites Mike Pitz, Kent Rexford, Will Brooks, Adam Ward, Joey Diehl and Kenny Booker. The current card includes:

Mike Marrello vs Miodrag Petkovich
Mike Pitz vs Kent Rexford Jr.
Daniel Aguirre vs TBD
Kevin Knabjian vs Brandon Adamson
Will Brooks vs Chris Tickle
Vincent Ramos vs Guillermo Serment
Adam Ward vs Daniel Rodriguez
Matt Tobie vs Frank Pizzirulli
Joey Diehl vs Joe Voitik
Anthony Goodwin vs Robert Couillard
Andrew Krzeptowski vs Quartus Stitt
Kenny Booker vs TBD
Christopher Haney vs Stanton Gavia

Some fantastic fights on the card that could produce fireworks. Will Brooks will look to hold onto his undefeated record against a very tough Chris Tickle. Tickle has won five straight and finished his opponent four times in those five bouts.

Anthony Goodwin had a successful professional debut in August after a very successful amateur career. Goodwin spent a lot of time as an amateur honing his skills before turning pro.

Tickets are on sale at the Sears Centre box office or at www.xfomma.com

Chicago Cagefighting Championships hosted it’s fourth event on Saturday October 15th at the Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois. MMA Recap was on scene tweeting live results and capturing play by play account of each fight. Former UFC veteran Sean mcCorkle headlined the card that was stacked full of international talent. The event is set to air on Comcast Sports Net on November 1. Read on for a breakdown of each fight.

Andrew Krzeptowski vs Darious Yancy
A touch of gloves started our first bout of the evening in the welterweight division. Krzeptowski opened quickly with a combination, but Yancy pressed him into the cage. It was clear that Krzeptowski has much of the crowd behind him as loud cheers lead him on. After a clinch positioning battle, Yancy jumped for a flying triangle. Krzeptowski slamed Yancy to the mat to try and break free, but the triangle remained locked in. Yancy transitioned to the top with Krezptowski now in a mounted triangle-armbar combination. With no way out for Krzeptowski, he was forced to tap.

Lukasz Grabowski vs Dan McGlassan
McGlassan opened immediately with double leg take-down. After an omoplata and scramble, Grabowski took McGlassman’s back. A rear naked choke attempt was unsuccessful, and McGlassan was able to turn into Grabowski’s guard. After some work from the bottom, Grabowski attempted another omoplata, escaped by McGlassan, who ended the round on top with some ground and pound from half guard. It was a close round, but it was likely scored 10-9 for Dan McGlassan due to top control.

Kicks are exchanged at the opening of round 2 before a McGlassan double-leg take-down. An active guard is shown by Grabowski, and he swept McGlassan to take mount. McGlassan turned, giving up his back, and after some strikes, Grabowski locked in a rear naked choke for the finish.

Confusion sets in as Rafal Skibinski is stopped before entering the cage. The fight is delayed, potential glove issues are rumored.

Bobby Reardanz vs Dennis Dombrow
Fast-paced exchanges got this fight underway. Dombrow scored with a single leg take-down. He worked inside Reardanz’s guard throwing punches. Reardanz attempted a swift armbar and pried the limb away from his opponent. Dombrow tries to defend, but the submission is locked in place. Reardanz cranked the arm and earned the tap.

Daniel Aguirre vs Carson Beebe
After a brief exchange, it was Beebe with a take-down. He passed to side control and droped elbows from the top before passing to mount. Beebe attempted a mounted head-and-arm choke, but released his hold and rained down heavy leather from mount. Aguirre escaped and stood back up to his feet, but he was quickly body-locked and taken down to the mat again. Beebe attempted to control on-top, but Aguirre reversed and was able to be offensive against the cage until the bell. The first round was clearly for Carson Beebe 10-9.

The second round started and Beebe shot for a takedown that was stuffed by Aguirre for a few moments until Beebe finished against the cage. Beebe worked from half guard and passed to mount. He landed short strikes from his dominant position. Aguirre forced side control and then half guard before Beebe mounted again. A guillotine attempt from Aguirre was to no avail as Beebe continued to control from the top position. The bell rings with another clear round in the books for Beebe, 10-9.

The featherweights opened the round with powerful strikes before Beebe kicked Aguirre’s leg out from under him and obtained top position. The story of the fight continued as Beebe controled from the top with short punches and a heavy base. Beebe worked in mount until Aguirre regained half guard. The fight went back to guard, and Aguirre landed shots from the bottom and attempted a reverse triangle. Beebe passed to side control to finish the fight, and it appeared that he has earned the decision as Beebe won the third round. In the end, the judges agreed and scored the bout 30-27 for Beebe.

Ed Carpenter vs Miodrag Petkovich
Petkovich started with an inside leg kick, and was met with an immediate take-down from Carpenter. Carpenter defended a kimura attempt with heavy body shots, and Petkovich released the arm. In half guard, Carpenter locked up a Von Flue choke, and squeezed down on his Cerbian opponent. Petkovich went limp, and the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Petkovich was completely unconscious. The official announcement was improperly titled a “modified head and arm choke”, however the submission was most definitely Von Flue.

Rafal Skibinski vs Tony Enyobi
High paced striking from both men as the fight began. The pair clinched against the fence, and Enyobi lifted his opponent into the air with a powerful take-down. He can’t maintain his top position for long as Skibinski swept the Nigerian, earning mount and moved to the cage. Skibinkski sat up and rained down heavy shots as Enyobi gave up his back. He worked for a rear naked choke, but Enyobi was able to defend. Enyobi spun into guard, but Skibinkski threw up a triangle. He locked it in tight and Enyobi was forced to tap.

Will Brooks vs Ryan Bixler
Brooks came out striking and he was answered by Bixler. The fighters exchanged, and after Brooks threw a series of knees, they clinched against the fence. Bixler opened up with vicious combinations as Brooks retreated with his hand over his eye. The crowd protested that a poke to the eye is the cause, but the referee didn’t intervene as Bixler swarmed. Brooks was hurt and shoots to survive, and weathered the storm. After the intensity simmered down, the fight returned back to the feet. Brooks became the aggressor and started landing punches on Bixler. The fight moved into the fence, and Brooks began to work his opponent. Brooks took Bixler down and finished the round on-top. Both fighters found success, but Bixler likely took the razor close round.

Brooks took his opponent down early and quickly took the back. He sunk in a deep rear naked choke on Bixler, and he got the tap. Groups in the crowd went wild as the hometown kid improves to five wins and no losses.

Mike Pitz vs Robert Morrow
Pitz was stalking as Morrow circled, waiting for him to engage. Morrow attacked and was taken down to the mat. Pitz controled from the top. Morrow returned to his feet and attempted a guillotine, but Pitz stayed standing to avoid. The fighters separated and Morrow begun tagging Pitz with combinations as Pitz retreated. A hard body kick from Morrow led to another take-down from his opponent, and the round will end there.

Pitz opened with a three-punch combination before Morrow circled away. Some winging punches missed from Morrow before another big Pitz takedown. Pitz remained heavy on-top. The ref stood them up after the wrestler stalled in action. Morrow threw a kick and Pitz hammered him with a huge right hand. Morrow was floored, and the ref jumped in and pulled Pitz off as he pounced on Morrow with more punches.

Josh Shockley Mike Santiago
No nerves were shown from a calm Shockley as the fighters circled early. Shockley rushed Santiago into the fence with a body lock and took him down. He transitioned to his opponent’s back. Santiago exploded to his feet, but gets his back taken. Heavy punches rained down from Shockley as he flattened Santiago out. He struggled for a rear naked choke, switching his grip. Despite a hard fought battle from Santiago, Shockley strangled his opponent, leaving him no choice but to tap.

Robert Menigoz vs Chico Camus
The bantamweight co-main event began as the fighters circled. After a jab-cross combination, Camus took Menigoz down and worked in side control. Camus peppered Menigoz with short elbows and punches. Menigoz bucked his hips high and reversed the situation, landing in half guard with a great escape. A foot lock attempt from Camus, but Menigoz pulled out. After brief top control Camus stood and scored another take-down. He ended the round with heavy shots, and edges out a hard-fought round.

Menigoz opened with body kicks and landed a right hand. He pressed Camus into the fence and is worked hard for a take-down. Camus defended and the fight takes center cage again. Menigoz flurried and shots into the hips of Camus, who defended well against the fence. The fighters break again. Camus shot a hard double leg, and finished it with a slam. Menigoz got back to his feet, throwing leather just as fast as he began the fight with. Menigoz shots and was met with a hard knee, but instantly recovered and continued his takedown attempt. The fighters break and circled as the round ends. In an extremely high-paced and action-packed round, Menigoz took it.

The third and final round began with the scorecard likely even. Menigoz opened with a rushing combination into a clinch. He got in deep on a shot, but again Camus defended well. He finally finished his take-down and instantly moved to mount. After some time on top, the fighters scrambled, ending in Camus returning to his feet. Camus was pressed into the fence again, this time gunning for a kimura in which he used to roll his opponent. Menigoz escaped from the bottom and gained top position over Camus. As Camus scrambled, Menigoz took the back, and tried aggressively to sink in a rear naked choke. The fight ended with Menigoz squeezing for a choke that just wasn’t around the neck enough. The crowd applauded an excellent fight. Menigoz likely took the final round 10-9, winning the fight though it was a close fight. The judges scorecards were collected and Menigoz earned a split decision over Camus.

Sean McCorkle vs Justin Grizzard
The headlining heavyweights opened with a touch of gloves. A hard inside leg kick from Grizzard landed. McCorkle rushed in on a second kick and slamed Grizzard to the mat. Grizzard threatened with a guillotine, but McCorkle escaped. McCorkle sat in half guard and looked for a kimura. He cranked the lock behind Grizzards back. Grizzard thought about tapping, but withstood the pain with instruction from his corner to not tap. McCorkle switched momentarily to a straight arm armbar. “You’re fine,” Grizzard’s coach yelled. McCorkle turned it back into a kimura and twisted the shoulder lock to a terrible angle. Grizzard, despite great will and determination to fight the pain, tapped.

Quick Results
Darious Yancy defeated Andrew Krezptowski by triangle-armbar at 0:52 in round 1
Grabowski defeated McGlassan by rear naked choke at 1:37 in round 2
Bobby Reardanz defeated Dennis Dombrow by armbar at 2:17 in round 1
Carson Beebe defeated Daniel Aguirre by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ed Carpenter defeated Miodrag Petkovich via technical submission by way of Von Flue choke at 2:42 in round 1
Skibinski defeated Enyobi by triangle choke 4:19 in round 1
Will Brooks defeated Ryan Bixler by rear naked choke at 1:00 in round 2
Mike Pitz defeated Robert Morrow via knockout at 2:56 in round 2
Josh Shockley defeated Mike Santiago via rear naked choke 2:18 in round 1
Robert Menigoz defeated Chico Camus via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Sean McCorkle defeated Justin Grizzard via kimura at 2:58 round 1

Click to view the photos…

Tonight the fourth edition of Chicago Cagefighting Championship takes place at the Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park, Illinois. The original headlining bout between War Machine and Gideon Ray was scrapped due to injury, and instead official brought in former UFC heavyweight Sean McCorkle to fight Justin Grizzard. Outside of the main event there are several intriguing matchups that all could have the crowd on their feet.

Will Brooks versus Ryan Bixler

This fight might seem like a mis-match when you look at their records as Bixler (16-15-1) has eight times the number of fights that Brooks does (4-0). Even factoring in Bixler’s current losing skid of three fights, experience can play a huge factor into the fight. But this is another stiff test for the up and coming Brooks who seems to exponentially not only improve his strength, but his skill set as well in between fights. Brooks’ best skill going into this fight is his ability to explode from position to position while obtaining a submission. His victories over Bobby Reardanz and Joseph Richardson proved just that. Bixler is no slouch on the ground either and with the amount of experience he has, Brooks is likely to not surprise him with anything.

Carson Beebe versus Daniel Aguirre

A very intriguing matchup between these bantamweight fighters. Aguirre is coming off an impressive victory over Casey Dyer at XFO 41. Only one time has Aguirre gone the distance and it was against Beebe’s training partner Larry DiGuilio. That fight was split in the judges minds, but Aguirre earned the victory. Many people are thinking Beebe is coming off his loss to earn his way into the house on The Ultimate Fighter, but Beebe took a fight in august defeating Matt Wikoff with an armbar in the second round. Beebe has a very aggressive style of wrestling and this fight is sure to show fireworks.

Dennis Dombrow versus Bobby Reardanz

Reardanz is an impressive journeyman fighter. Having started his professional career in October of 2009, Reardanz has fought a total of 17 times in that span with his fight against Dombrow being his seventh this year. Reardanz is always an exciting fighter that brings it as evident by his bouts against Will Brooks, Vince Ramos and Andy Main this year. Dombrow is a tricky fighter to figure out. His hands are good, but are typically used as a setup to get the fight to the ground. Once on the ground he attacks like a wrestler, but then catches his opponents in submissions. Dombrow is a brown belt in jiu jitsu, a fact that many people don’t even realize. This fight will likely start off as a slugfest until Dombrow decides to put Reardanz on the mat. From there it will be an interesting chess match as Reardanz is difficult to submit.

In the span of forty-eight hours, things can change drastically in the fight business. Gideon Ray informed CCC that he broke his hand while training and had to withdraw from his planned fight against War Machine.

A replacement search went underway immediately for War Machine to still headline the card. Several fighters were being considered to replace Ray, but then War Machine suffered an injury of his own, forcing him out of training for the next ten days.

Unable to keep the original main event, officials put into motion a plan to bring a bigger fight to headline the October 15th show. Now on just three week’s notice, former UFC heavyweight fighter Sean McCorkle will be stepping inside the cage against Justin Grizzard.

In the span of forty-eight hours, things can change drastically in the fight business. Gideon Ray informed CCC that he broke his hand while training and had to withdraw from his planned fight against War Machine.

A replacement search went underway immediately for War Machine to still headline the card. Several fighters were being considered to replace Ray, but then War Machine suffered an injury of his own, forcing him out of training for the next ten days.

Unable to keep the original main event, officials put into motion a plan to bring a bigger fight to headline the October 15th show. Now on just three week’s notice, former UFC heavyweight fighter Sean McCorkle will be stepping inside the cage against Justin Grizzard.

McCorkle earned his shot in the UFC after putting together nine straight victories. Once inside the octagon, he defeated Mark Hunt, but then lost to Stefan Struve and Christian Morecraft. Since his release he has submitted two fighters, both in the first round.

Grizzard last saw action at Victory Fighting Championship when he lost to Abe Wagner. Prior to the loss he put together two submission victories over Brad Scholten and Justyn Riley.

Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4 takes place on Saturday October 15 at The Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois. Tickets are available at www.chicagocagefighting.com. For more information like their facebook page at facebook.com/chicagocagefighting.

The full lineup includes:
Sean McCorkle vs Justin Grizzard
Chico Camus vs Robert Menigoz
Mike Pitz vs Robert Marrow
Josh Shockley vs Mike Santiago
Will Brooks vs Ryan Bixler
Michael Corey vs Herman Terrado
Carson Beebe vs Daniel Aguirre
Dennis Dombrow vs Bill Finn
Rafal Skibinski vs Chris Hartwig
Lukasz Grabowski vs Dan mcGlasson
Andrew Krzeptowski vs Jason Graves

Organizers at Chicago Cagefighting Championship have finalized their October 15th card. The night of action will feature an all pro card with eleven mixed martial arts bouts. Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver will take on Gideon Ray in the night’s main event.

War Machine will be fighting for the first time in a year. He was most notable for his time on “The Ultimate Fighter” but since being released from the UFC has put together an impressive 6-2 record. Ray

The co-main event has been changed to Chico Camus taking on Robert Menigoz. Camus trains out of the fan favorite striking team of Roufusport. Of his eight victories, seven have been by stoppage. Menigoz is returning to the cage after a year off. He last fought Randy Fuentes in a hard fought battle. It was an exciting fight that ended when Fuentes was able to secure a rear naked choke on Menigoz with just 14 seconds left.

Other notable fights include Josh Shockley taking on Mike Santiago, Will Brooks facing the veteran Ryan Bixler, Carson Beebe fighting Daniel Aguirre and Dennis Dombrow against Bill Finn.

Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4 takes place on Saturday October 15 at The Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois. Tickets are available at www.chicagocagefighting.com. For more information like their facebook page at facebook.com/chicagocagefighting.

The full lineup includes:

• War Machine vs Gideon Ray
• Chico Camus vs Robert Menigoz
• Mike Pitz vs Robert Marrow
• Josh Shockley vs Mike Santiago
• Will Brooks vs Ryan Bixler
• Michael Corey vs Herman Terrado
• Carson Beebe vs Daniel Aguirre
• Dennis Dombrow vs Bill Finn
• Rafal Skibinski vs Chris Hartwig
• Lukasz Grabowski vs Dan mcGlasson
• Andrew Krzeptowski vs Jason Graves

XFO 41: Outdoor War 7 took place at Sideouts Bar and Grill in Island Lake, Illinois. The day of action saw twenty seven mixed martial arts fights. The amateurs kicked the day off just after 2pm and the pros took to the cage around 8pm after a rain delay.

The professional card saw many fan favorites including Eric Schafer, Chris Albandia, Will Brooks, Christian Reynoso, Greg Reddington, Kent Rexford and Joey Diehl.

A full recap of the professional fights as well as the quick results from the event can be found here.

The first professional fight of the night was quick as Chris Haney needed just ten seconds to knock Dexter Wright out cold. Haney came out with a big leg kick, reset and then threw a high kick that sent Wright to the canvas unconscious.

Team Curran’s Mike Marrello made his return to action against Brad Scholten. Marrello opened with a big leg kick, and Scholten tried to counter. Scholten then threw a leg kick of his own, but Marrello caught it and threw a straight right. He followed it up with a high kick that rocked Scholten. Marrello quickly swarmed and nearly finished, but Scholten started to regain his composure. Marrello passed to mount and landed punch after punch and elbow after elbow. Scholten tried to use the cage to escape but ultimate gave up his back. Once Marrello had his back, he sunk in a fight ending rear naked choke.

Up next was fan favorite Kent Rexford taking on Quartus Stitt. Stitt came out with a leg kick and rushing jabs that forced Rexford against the cage. Both fighters exchanged knees before Rexford landed a clean uppercut. Stitt landed a low knee and time was called for him to recover. After the restart the fighters quickly clinched again and dirty boxed. Rexford decided to put the fight on the ground and had a beautiful trip takedown landing in mount. Stitt was able to quickly pull guard, but he spent nearly the rest of the round on his back eating punches and elbows. At one point Stitt escaped and got back to his feet, but was quickly taken down again. At the start of the second round Rexford landed a big uppercut on Stitt as he was rushing forward. Rexford followed with a swarm of punches and Stitt appeared to defend well. Rexford continued his assault and Stitt gave up his back, only to eat more punches forcing the ref to stop the fight.

Flyweights Joey Diehl and Josh Epps went to war. Diehl tried to keep his distance with leg kicks and a push kick. Epps landed a straight jab and as Diehl was backing up, he slipped on the canvas. Epps landed a massive knee that was heard through out the arena. Diehl quickly recovered and took the fight to the ground. Diehl worked for a heel hook, but couldn’t get it. He then transitioned to an arm triangle and it looked tight. Epps kept his composure and worked to escape, forcing Diehl to let go of the choke. Diehl from the mount threw a big elbow and then again looked to finish with the arm triangle choke. This time he was able to get the right pressure as Epps tapped out just as he was about to go to sleep.

Will Brooks kept his undefeated streak going by submitting Joe Richardson. Brooks opened the fight with a high kick that just barely missed the mark. Both fighters looked to box and it was Brooks who was getting the better of the exchanges. Brooks then dropped down and scored a big takedown on Richardson landing in side control. Richardson didn’t panic and he was able to escape and stand back up. Brooks again looked for the high kick and just missed and Richardson tried for one of his own. Brooks immediately took the fight to the ground again and worked elbows from half guard. While trying to pass to mount, Richardson gave up his back and Brooks controlled from there. Richardson tried to stand up and Brooks looked to suplex him, but Richardson quickly dropped back down to the canvas. Brooks transitioned to an armbar from the back and fought for it. Richardson defended it for a bit, but once the arm was fully extended he had no choice but to tap.

Greg Reddington and Christian Reynoso put on an action packed three-round fight. Reddington was making his professional debut and didn’t look nervous at all. Reddington in the first round took the fight down after a body kick by Reynoso. Reddington was patient in looking for his openings for attacking and capitalized when they were there. Not finding much to work with, Reddington stood up and let Reynoso stand too. With both fighters clinched against the cage, Reynoso jumped for a guillotine, but Reddington was able to escape. The second and third round were much of the same as both fighters looked to start the fight out strong. Both times it was Reddington who landed the better combo and then took the fight to the ground. Reddington controlled the action on the ground and ultimately won the unanimous decision.

The co-main event featured Casey Dyer taking on Dan Aguirre. Both fighters looked to just go out and let it all out. Both fighters were exchanging kick after kick and punch after punch. There was hardly any time where either fighter was not throwing a strike. The fighters worked from the clinch and threw multiple knees. Dyer decided to change the game up with a takedown and scored it rather easily. Unfortunately he left his neck open and Aguirre grabbed a hold of it with a guillotine choke and squeezed until Dyer tapped.

Eric Schafer and Chris Albandia headlined the night of action. The fight marked the first fight for both fighters in fifteen months and the first fight for Schafer at middleweight. Albandia took the center of the cage and looked to keep Schafer on the outside with leg kicks. Schafer landed a right hand that seemed to hurt Albandia and followed it up with another combo that definitely rocked his opponent. Albandia then shot for a takedown and Schafer grabbed a guillotine. Albandia escaped and was patient working body punches. Schafer grabbed Albandia’s arm and then threw it outside of his leg to set up the triangle choke. After a quick adjustment, the choke was in tight and Albandia was forced to tap.

Professional Quick Results

Chris Haney defeated Dexter Wright by knockout at 0:10 of round 1

Mike Marrello defeated Brad Scholten by rear naked choke at 1:16 of round 1

Kent Rexford defeated Quartus Stitt by TKO at 1:17 of round 2

Joey Diehl defeated Josh Epps by arm triangle choke at 1:57 of round 1

Will Brooks defeated Joe Richardson by armbar at 3:49 of round 1

Greg Reddington defeated Chrisitan Reynoso by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

Dan Aguirre defeated Casey Dyer by guillotine choke at 2:19 of round 1

Eric Schafer defeated Chris Albandia by triangle choke at 1:41 of round 1

Amateur quick results

Mike Oconnor defeated Deshaun Fergson by rear naked choke at 1:23 of round 1

Pat Oconnor defeated Dustin McIntire by tap out due to strikes at 1:07 of round 1

Al Nelson defeated Jared Baily by unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28

Sean Fallon defeated Brian Radtke by triangle choke at 1:44 of round 3

Tim Lagray defeated Levi Rose by guillotine choke at 0:20 of round 2

Charlie Radtke defeated Dennis Sherman by TKO at 1:00 of round 1

Danny Martinez defeated John Cabel by rear naked choke at 2:30 of round 1

Dom Singleton defeated Don Wendt by rear naked choke at 1:32 of round 1

Shawn Bridgeman defeated Jason Bottomhagen by guillotine choke at 1:36 of round 1

David Sorenson defeated Devin Orton by TKO at 1:59 of round 1

Mike Giger defeated Nick Hernandez by rear naked choke at 1:20 of round 1

Peter Tonev defeated Drew Stout by rear naked choke at 0:36 ovf round 1

Aaron Meyer defeated Matt Vance by guillotine choke at 0:35 of round 1

Dustin Stusse defeated Matt Eisenzimmer by TKO at 2:23 of round 3

Armondo Calderon defeated Jeremy Kuldniski by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27

Tyler Reese defeated Mike Blake by rear naked choke at 2:22 of round 2

James Gilmore defeated Pat Hastings by guillotine choke at 2:35 of round 1

Sean Bottoms defeated Greyson Plate by KO at 0:23 of round 1

Kevin Switalla defeated Tom Lagray by rear naked choke at 2:50 of round 1

In this day and age when looking at up-and-coming fighters, one looks for improved performance in each of his fights.  To say that Will Brooks has improved from fight-to-fight is an understatement.  In his three professional fights he has looked better and more dangerous in each one, making him an easy candidate for our future star series.

Brooks made his professional debut at XFO-38 in January of this year against JR Hines.  Hines looked to use feints to set up his attacks, but it was Brooks who shot in for a takedown and put Hines on his back.  He then utilized a new strike as he was now a professional and threw multiple elbows mixed in with punches.  Hines tried to escape by giving up his back, but Brooks continued the attack until the ref stopped the fight in the first round.

Brooks got a step up in competition in Guillermo Serment at Chicago Cagefighting Championship 3 in March.  Brooks attempted to touch gloves at the start of the fight, but Serment declined.  Brooks decided to test his stand up game against Serment and was extremely successful.  Multiple times Brooks found his target forcing Serment to shoot for a takedown as a defense.  Brooks opened up the second round with a massive uppercut that buckled Serment’s knees and he quickly secured Serment’s back and locked in a fight ending rear naked choke.

Normally a professional fighter who has less than five fights can only fight other fighters who have five or less fights in Illinois.  But Brooks’ third fight was against a true veteran of the Midwest circuit in taking on Bobby Reardanz.  Reardanz at the time of the fight had competing in thirteen professional fights with a record of 6-7.  Brooks looked huge and a new strength and conditioning program was showing it’s results.

To say Brooks dominated Reardanz is an understatement.  He quickly found his range and dropped Reardanz on more than one occasion.  Brooks followed Reardanz to the canvas to work for a rear naked choke, but couldn’t secure it.  Reardanz attempted to stand up, and once he did, Brooks just suplexed him back to the ground.  In the third round Brooks was clearly the fresher fighter and dropped Reardanz with multiple knees.  Brooks again worked from Reardanz’s back looking for a rear naked choke, but opted to transition into a beautiful armbar to end the fight.

MMA Recap’s Brent Todd caught up with Brooks to talk about his career and learn a little more about this upcoming star.

What got you into fighting?

All my life since I can remember I’ve wanted to be a pro athlete I played every sport I could and for a long time football looked to be the way I would become a pro athlete. Unfortunately football didn’t work out but my drive to be a pro athlete never died one day I was watching TV and I saw one of the old UFC events and feel in love with it so I went out and searched for gyms and found MTC and have been training and fighting every since.

Your most recent fight at XFO 39 was against a big veteran in Bobby Reardanz. What was the game plan going into that fight and were you able to execute it?

The game plan was just to weather the storm from the start of the fight we knew that he liked to throw a lot of spinning back kicks, spinning back fist, and had a strong jiu jitsu game. The idea was to stay in front of him and push forward through all the flashy technique and with doing so break his will and take the fight out of him on the fight and on the ground. I feel that I executed the game plan very well and was able to come out with a win.

Was there anything that surprised you in that fight?

To be honest I was very surprised on how tough bobby was I felt that I hit him with a lot of hard shoots and I actually dropped him a few times during the fight but he was able to tap into his warrior spirit and battle through and I respect him greatly for that.

I’ve gotten to see all of your professional fights. But something seemed different about you in this fight compared to your previous two. What has changed in your training schedule?

Coming into this fight I changed a lot in my diet, strength and conditioning, and my training. I’ve been doing my strength and conditioning at a facility called the Academy of Athletic Advancement working with them has busted my power, strength, cardio, speed, and explosion. Also I’ve been on a better diet put together by a buddy of mine who’s a nutritionist which has helped in a big way. As for my training at MTC it’s all the same just really working hard in the gym every day with really tough talented guys and great coaches.

What’s next on your plate?

We are looking to fight some time in June right now I’m not sure what date but I leave that to my coaches and I just focus on my training and getting better each fight.

Anyone you want to thank?

I want to thank my friends, family, teammates, and coaches with out their support nothing that I’m doing now would be possible. Also thanks to the fans that come out to see me and give support and the Academy of Advanced Athletics.

The Xtreme Fighting Organization put on the largest mixed martial arts event since November of 2009 in the greater Chicagoland area.  The night of action saw eleven professional contests headlined by Jeff Curran versus Billy Vaughan.  Read on for the full recap and results.

The first fight of the night was extremely quick as Hector Garcia needed just thirteen seconds to knock Nicholas Scotti out.  Both fighters went to the center of the cage and looked to throw combos.  Garcia landed a right hand that sent Scotti to the canvas.  Garcia pounced quickly and landed three more shots before the Scott Fischer called a halt to the action.

Lightweights Will Brooks and Bobby Reardanz were up next.  In the first round Reardanz looked to throw Brooks off with spinning attacks.  Brooks quickly found his range and hurt Reardanz with a straight right.  Brooks controlled the rest of the round with varied strikes including knees, elbows and punches.  The second round Brooks came out with a big body kick and followed it up with a one-two and a knee that sent Reardanz to the canvas.  Brooks took Reardanz down again worked to secure his back.  As Reardanz was standing up, Brooks landed a massive belly to back suplex.  Brooks finished the round with knees to the body while on the ground.  Reardanz was clearly hurt as the third round started and Brooks looked to capitalize on it with a flying knee followed with four more knees.  Reardanz looked to pull guard, but did nothing from the position and the ref stood them up.  Brooks dropped Reardanz again and this time passed to side control.  Brooks was working for a rear naked choke and couldn’t get it but transitioned to a beautiful armbar forcing Reardanz to tap.

Middleweights Kent Rexford and PJ Cajigas were up next.  Cajigas looked to establish his striking skills and hurt Rexford with a hook.  Rexford decided to put the fight in his realm and took Cajigas down.  Once on the ground, Rexford worked short elbows and strikes.  Cajigas tried to escape, but Rexford kept heavy pressure on him.  Cajigas attempted to roll to break free, but Rexford was able to just take his back and lock in a rear naked choke ending the fight.

The first of two women’s fights were up next as Amanda LaVoy took on Michele Gutierrez.  The first half of round one Gutierrez used her boxing to keep LaVoy at bay.  Gutierrez continually countered LaVoy’s leg kicks with big rights that sent LaVoy to the canvas.  After being knocked on her butt twice, LaVoy changed tactics and went after Gutierrez.  A big knee by LaVoy in a clinch was immediately noticeable as Gutierrez’s left eye started to swell.  The second round started out much like the first ended with the two women clinching.  LaVoy landed a big knee and when the ladies separated a huge gash was visible on Gutierrez.  The ref called the doctor in who stopped the fight.

Jason Graves opened up his fight with Dan Stittgen with a good one-two combo.  Stittgen just laughed it off and Graves immediately took him to the ground.  Graves was looking to pass his guard when Stittgen shifted and locked in an armbar to end the fight.

Fight of the night featured Lucas Gwaltney and Jon Murphy.  Murphy through out the fight press forward and score takedown after takedown.  Once on the ground he would work small strikes but it was Gwaltney who would work his way back to the feet where he was landing punch after punch.  The first round was clearly for Murphy and the second seemed likely for him as well after a cut was examined by the doctor.  The third round was a very close round and MMA Recap scored the fight 29-28 for Murphy.  When the judges’ scorecards were read, it was a unanimous decision for Gwaltney.

Bantamweights were up next with Terrance Kinney and Dan Aguirre.  Kinney shot for a takedown and Aguirre looked for a guillotine.  Aguirre attempted to pull guard with the choke, but Kinney escaped into his guard.  Aguirre used his wiry legs to lock up a triangle choke.  Kinney defended well until Aguirre started to transition to an armbar.  Aguirre again readjusted this time pulling down on his opponent’s head and forced a tap.

Mike Stumpf returned to action after a nearly three year layoff against Dan Bolden.  The three round fight saw Bolden land his powerful right hand when the fight was standing.  But it was Stumpf who controlled the fight as he had takedown after takedown.  Once on the ground Stumpf landed several small strikes to keep the fight on the ground.  Many times it looked like the ref was going to stand it up, but Stumpf was able to keep it there.  In the end the judges didn’t have a difficult decision as Stumpf clearly controlled the fight.

The women were up again as Felice Herrig took on Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc.  Rivera-Calanoc quickly rushed Herrig and pushed her up against the cage, but Herrig reversed and bullied her against the cage.  Both fighters looked to throw knees and when they separated, it was Herrig who landed a big overhand right.  Rivera-Calanoc shot for a takedown, but couldn’t get it.  Round two and again Rivera-Calanoc rushed but this time she landed a left hand that found it’s mark.  Herrig looked to throw straight punches while her opponent wanted the overhand variety.  Herrig started to change levels and work shots to the body, Rivera-Calanoc against rushed her to the cage.  Herrig scored a big takedown and threw a couple of elbows forcing Rivera-Calanoc to try to escape.  In the ensuring scramble, Herrig was able to get her back and finished the round working for a rear naked choke.  The final round Herrig was able to get her back while standing, but in the scramble out, Herrig found herself in a deep guillotine choke.  Rivera-Calanoc squeezed to end the fight, however Herrig was able to pop her head out.  Once again Herrig worked to get Rivera-Calanoc’s back and finished the round working towards a rear naked choke.

The co-main event featured former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner taking on Tyler Combs.  Varner came out with a fast combo to set up his takedown.  He then landed several strikes ranging from elbows to hammer fists.  Combs tried to escape, but Varner moved to north-south and locked in a choke.  Combs looked like he was defending well, and then went unconscious.

Billy Vaughan stepped up on short notice to fight Jeff Curran in the main event of the evening.  Vaughan looked to have a reach advantage, but Curran used his kicks to keep Vaughan in the position he wanted.  Curran landed several striking combos as he clearly wanted a knockout victory.  At the end of the first round Curran showcased some of his jiu jitsu when Vaughan shot in for a takedown and Curran was able to secure a guillotine.  Vaughan started to escape so Curran went for an armbar as time expired in the round.  The second round both fighters wanted to finish the fight in highlight reel fashion, but both were just missing with their strikes.  Vaughan at one point threw six punches in a row to just have Curran dodge and avoid them.  The second round clearly for Curran like the first due to his consistent ability to land his strikes.  Vaughan came into the third round like he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Both fighters quickly clinched and Curran started to work his dangerous knees.  Vaughan decided to risk his chances on the ground, but Curran immediately attacked his arm with a kimura attempt.  After some readjusting, the kimura looked really deep, but Curran just used it to pass to get back control.  Curran nearly had a rear naked choke though Vaughan rolled out of it into an inverted triangle choke.  Vaughan tried to free himself by grabbing ahold of Curran’s foot and cranked it.  The fight ended with both fighters trying to finish with a flurry of strikes.  In the end, the fight went to Curran and he announced it was the last time we would see him inside the XFO cage.

Quick Results

Hector Garcia defeated Nicolas Scotti by TKO at 0:13 of round 1

Will Brooks defeated Bobby Reardanz by armbar at 3:22 of round 3

Kent Rexford defeated PJ Cajigas by rear naked choke at 4:47 of round 1

Amanda LaVoy defeated Michele Gutierrez by doctor stoppage at 0:34 of round 2

Dan Stittgen defeated Jason Graves by armbar at 1:10 of round 1

Lucas Gwaltney defeated Jon Murphy by unanimous decision

Dan Aguirre defeated Terrance Kinney by triangle choke at 2:20 of round 1

Mike Stumpf defeated Dan Bolden by unanimous decision

Felice Herrig defeated Nicdali RIvera-Calanoc by unanimous decision

Jamie Varner defeated Tyler Combs by north south choke at 1:30 of round 1

Jeff Curran defeated Billy Vaughan by unanimous decision

XFO 39 is almost finalized as the card is filing up quickly.  Newly announced fights by the promotion include: Jon Murphy versus Ryan Bixler, Will Brooks versus Chris Garcia, Mike Stumpf versus Dan Bolden, Jacob McClintock verson Dan Gilbert, Dan Stittgen versus Jason Graves, Christian Reynoso versus Daniel Aguirre, and Kent Rexford versus Brandon Saling.

XFO 39 takes place on Friday, May 13 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.  Tickets are available at www.searscentre.com.  The event will be headlined in a bantamweight fight between Joe Pearson and Jeff Curran.

The lineup currently includes:

Jeff Curran vs Joe Pearson
Jamie Varner vs Tyler Combs
Felice Herrig vs Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc
Jon Murphy vs Ryan Bixler
Michele Gutierrez vs Amanda LaVoy
Will Brooks vs Christopher Garcia
Mike Stumpf vs Dan Bolden
Jacob McClintock vs Dan Gilbert
Dan Stittgen vs Jason Graves
Nicholas Scotti vs Frank Pizzirulli
Christian Reynoso vs Daniel Aguirre
Kent Rexford Jr. vs Brandon Saling

Chicago Cagefighting Championship 3 took place on Saturday March 5 from The Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park Illinois.  The event featured an all pro card with a main event of Jens Pulver taking on Wade Choate and a co-main event of Chase Beebe versus Steven Kinnison.  Read on for the recap of the event and the quick results.

Kicking off the night Jason Graves made his professional debut against PJ Cajigas.  Graves came out swinging hard and then quickly clinched Cajigas against the cage.  Graves had a smooth trip takedown to land in the mount.  Cajigas gave up his back and Graves immediately worked to get his hooks in as well as an arm under Cajigas’s neck.  Once the rear naked choke was secured, it was a mater of time before Cajigas was forced to tap.

Midwest Training Center’s Will Brooks took on Guillermo Serment in the second fight of the night.  Brooks looked for a touch of gloves, but Serment declined.  Brooks quickly rushed Serment and threw him to the ground.  Serment stood up, Brooks quickly grabbed a Muay Thai clinch and threw multiple knees.  The fighters separated and multiple times Brooks hurt Serment with strikes forcing Serment to attempt a takedown but was unable to get it.  Brooks started to find his range and Serment went to the ground.  Brooks quickly got his back and worked punches and elbows trying to get a choke.  Time ran out in a round that was very clearly for Brooks.  The second round started and Brooks landed an uppercut that buckled Serment’s knees.  Brooks again took Serment’s back, but this time was able to secure the choke and the tap.

Chris Haney took on Team Curran’s Joey Diehl in a rematch, only this time it was a professional fight instead of an amateur fight.  The first round Haney attempted a superman punch and over shot Diehl.  Diehl quickly worked for Haney’s back, but settled for side control.  Diehl worked elbow after elbow forcing Haney to try to escape.  Diehl was able to get the mount and again threw punches and elbows.  Diehl had a fantastic transition from mount to an armbar and the submission was in deep.  Haney was able to roll into it and finished the round in Diehl’s guard.  The start of the second round looked like both fighters wanted to stand and trade, however Haney shot for a takedown and Diehl quickly tied up a peruvian necktie.  Unable to get the choke, Diehl worked for a guillotine but Haney escaped and was in Diehl’s guard.  Diehl wanted to use a kimura from the bottom to sweep Haney, but Haney used the opportunity to get Diehl’s back and ultimately mount.  The back and forth grappling match continued as Haney nearly finished with an arm triangle choke.  Diehl escaped and Haney quickly transitioned to a triangle choke.  Diehl tried to escape, but Haney squeezed and continued the pressure giving Diehl his first loss of his professional career.

An early candidate for comeback of the year, Christian Reynoso overcame a devastating first round to secure an armbar early in the second and end the fight.  The first round started with Reynoso landing an illegal kick but Grindstaff quickly shook it off.  After the restart, Grindstaff landed a big right that dropped Reynoso.  Grindstaff quickly got the mount, but Reynoso stood up.  The fighters were clinched against the cage, and Grindstaff again took the fight to the ground.  Reynoso was able to tie up Grindstaff and prevent damage until the ref stood them up.  Again Grindstaff took the fight to the ground, but this time was able to avoid being tied up and landed many punches.  Reynoso looked for the early takedown at the start of the second, but was stuffed.  Grindstaff worked for a takedown of his own, but Reynoso locked in a guillotine choke.  The choke was in tight, but Grindstaff was able to pop his head out.  Reynoso quickly transitioned to an armbar and after a few adjustments got the tap he was looking for.

Prior to the fights, MMA Recap predicted that the fight of the night would belong to Eric Kriegermeier and Michael Santiago and the two did not disappoint.  The first round started with both fighters looking to throw bombs.  Santiago was able to get the fight to the ground and from there he landed punches in bunches and elbows galore.  Kriegermeier was visibly hurt as he had a cut above his eye and a mouse under the other.  Santiago clearly won the round with the sheer damage he was inflicting.  Like the first round, both fighters stood in the pocket to start the second round throwing massive punches.  Santiago again took the fight to the ground and had the dominant position.  Santiago had a crucifix and looked to finish the fight, but Kriegermeier was able to escape and pulled guard.  Santiago quickly passed to side control and attempted to throw a knee to the body.  Unfortunately Kriegermeier used the opportunity to slide out from under him and escape.  Kriegermeier grabbed a front headlock and then transitioned to Santiago’s back.  Kriegermeier flattened Santiago out and was landing big lefts and rights until Santiago’s neck was exposed and then squeezed to force a tap.

The undefeated Gilbert Grappling protege Carson Beebe took on Team Top Notch’s Giovanni Moljo.  Moljo started the fight with a flying knee as Beebe shot for a takedown.  Beebe shot for the takedown, but Moljo was able to secure an inverted triangle choke.  Beebe tried to escape, but Moljo held the choke until Beebe went to sleep and the fight was stopped.

After the intermission, middleweight fighters Dan Bolden and Mike Pitz were ready to throw leather.  Both fighters are known for their heavy hands and fans were expecting a knockout.  Bolden caught Pitz with a big right and Pitz looked for a takedown and got it.  Pitz worked short elbows before getting the mount.  Bolden was able to escape and both fighters stood up.  Pitz again got a takedown and while working to get mount landed an accidental knee to Bolden’s groin.  After the restart, Pitz again shot for a takedown, but Bolden was ready for it.  Bolden started unloading massive punches and nearly dropped Pitz.  Pitz got another takedown and rained down punch after punch.  The ref warned Bolden to do something.  Bolden tried to escape but caught up in a triangle choke and was forced to tap.

The women were up next as Team Curran’s Felice Herrig took on Andrea Miller.  Herrig came out with a push kick that sent Miller back.  Miller retaliated with a good stiff jab to Herrig’s nose that bloodied it up.  Herrig looked for leg kicks before clinching Miller against the cage.  Herrig dropped for a double leg takedown and got it landing in side control.  Herrig worked small strikes to set up the pass to mount.  Once in the mount Herrig threw punches and elbows over and over.  Miller covered up, but the strikes were relentless and the ref was forced to stop the action.

The co-main event of the evening featured former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe taking on Steve Kinnison.  The three round fight was an all Beebe all the time performance.  The only thing doing more work than Beebe trying to pass from half guard to mount was Beebe’s elbow as the majority of his strikes were elbows.  In the second round Beebe landed a massive elbow that cut Kinnison above his eye.  More elbows were thrown by Beebe and the ref didn’t like the cut and asked the doctor to look at it.  Kinnison wanted to continue and showed a lot of heart.  Beebe easily took Kinnison to the ground in the third and again worked his elbows.  In the end, the judges had a very easy decision awarding the victory to Beebe.

The main event featured former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver taking on Wade Choate.  Pulver came out and stalked Choate through out the fight.  Both fighters were respectful of the other’s power.  The first round was a great back and forth round.  Pulver landed a big kick and winced after but it wasn’t evident what was going on right away.  The second round featured the two fighters circling and trading punches and kicks.  It was an extremely close round that could go either way.  The third round Choate became the aggressor and while Pulver was stalking Choate, it was Choate who was landing punch after punch.  When the fight was over, Pulver was visibly hurt and his left foot was extremely swollen.  The judges gave their score cards and it was a split decision for Pulver.

Quick Results

• Jason Graves defeated PJ Cajigas by rear naked choke at 0:31 of round 1
• Will Brooks defeated Guillermo Serment by rear naked choke at 0:45 of round 2
• Chris Haney defeated Joey Diehl by triangle choke at 3:39 of round 2
• Christian Reynos defeated Ray Grindstaff by armbar at 1:09 of round 2
• Eric Kriegermeier defeated Michael Santiago by rear naked choke at 3:48 of round 2
• Giovanni Moljo defeated Carson Beebe by inverted triangle choke at 0:52 of round 1
• Mike Pitz defeated Dan Bolden by triangle choke at 4:38 of round 1
• Felice Herrig defeated Andrea Miller by TKO at 3:30 of round 1
• Chase Beebe defeated Steve Kinnison by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Jens Pulver defeated Wade Choat by split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28

Chicago, Illinois – Chicago Cagefighting Championship will return to action on Saturday March 5 live at the Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois.  For the first time, the card will feature only professional fighters, highlighting the talent in the Chicagoland area.  The main event will feature former UFC champion Jens Pulver taking on Wade Choate and a co-main event of former WEC champion Chase Beebe going to battle against Steve Kinnison.

Pulver was a former UFC lightweight champion who is a fan favorite.  Pulver returned to the UFC in 2006 to become a coach on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”.  After suffering back-to-back losses as a lightweight fighter, Pulver made the drop to featherweight and moved to the WEC.  Pulver won his first fight against Cub Swanson and then ran into a streak of losses against top featherweights Urijah Faber, Josh Grispi, Javier Vasquez, Leonard Garcia and Diego Garijo.  Pulver snapped his six-fight losing streak in just 49 seconds by submitting Mike Lindquist at “XFO 38″.

Choate just snapped a five-fight losing streak of his own in August of 2010 with a win over Marco Davis at “United Cage Fighting: Unforgiven”.  Choate has been in the sport since 2003 and has fought some extremely tough regional competition including Matt Ambrose, Kevin English, and current UFC fighter Darren Elkins.  In his twenty five professional fights, Choate holds thirteen victories with the majority coming by way of submission.

Former WEC champion Beebe went 4-1 in 2010 stopping all four of his opponents in the first round.  Beebe’s lone loss came at the hands of Hiroyuki Takaya at Dream 16, a fight he took on short notice.  Beebe’s victories in 2010 include Billy Jochum, Jared McMahan, Wisconsin state champion Josh Kasee, and XFC champion Pablo Alfonso.

Kinnison will be dropping down to featherweight to take on the former champion Beebe.  Kinnison will have to deal with a bit of cage rust as his last fight was in April of 2010 where he defeated Midwest Training Center’s Ryan Williams.  Kinnison is a regional favorite holding victories over Tyler Combs, York Ash, and Ryan Bixler.  While Kinnison’s record is not a winning record, he has been inside the cage with top fighters including Jeff Curran, Jorge Gurgel, Roger Huerta, and Kurt Pellegrino.

Other notable names competing on the March 5 event include Felice Herrig, Dan Gilbert, Carson Beebe and Dennis Dombrow.  The full card is as follows:
Jens Pulver vs Wade Choate
Chase Beebe vs Steve Kinnisen
Felice Herrig vs Shimone Brooks
Dan Gilbert vs Frank Pizzirulli
Mike Pitz vs Dan Bolden
Mike Santiago vs Eric Kreigermier
Carson Beebe vs Giovanni Moljo
Dennis Dombrow vs Jeff LaValle
Chris Haney vs Joey Diehl
Christian Reynoso vs Ray Grindstaff
Dan Stittgen vs TBD
Will Brooks vs TBD

For more information on Chicago Cagefighting Championship visit their website at www.chicagocagefighting.com.  Fans of Chicago Cagefighting Championship on Facebook (facebook.com/chicagocagefighting) are treated to weekly contests featuring prizes of tickets, t-shirts, autographed memorabilia and more.  For tickets to the event visit the website or call 630-373-CAGE.

XFO 38 was held on Saturday January 22 at Woodstock Harley Davidson in Woodstock, Illinois.  The night of action saw four professional fights and nineteen amateur bouts.  Jens Pulver took on Mike Lindquist in the night’s main event.  Read on for the full recap of the professional card and quick results of all fights.

The first professional fight of the night saw Midwest Training Center’s Will Brooks making his pro debut against JR Hines.  Hines was trying to work feints to set up his jab, but Brooks quickly shot in for the takedown and dumped Hines on his back.  Brooks worked relentlessly from half guard to pass to the mount.  Once he was able to get the mount, Brooks rained down punches and elbows.  Hines tried to spin out to give up his back, but Brooks continued the punches and forced the ref to stop the action.

Team Curran’s Joey Diehl made his pro debut against Dexter Wright.  Wright started the fight landing his jab first, but Diehl was countering his strikes.  Diehl landed a leg kick and Wright went for a counter, but Diehl took Wright down.  Diehl transitioned from side control to mount.  He then postured up, landed a big right hand and Wright gave up his back.  Diehl quickly looked for the rear naked choke and after an adjustment was able to force Wright to tap.

The co-main event featured Tom Ahrens taking on Mike Corey.  The three round fight was all Corey all the way.  The first round Corey used his strikes to set up a takedown.  Once on the ground Corey worked knees to the body from within half guard.  Ahrens scrambled to escape, but Corey was able to get his back.  Corey couldn’t secure a choke and both fighters stood.  Corey worked for a standing kimura and couldn’t get it.  As time was running out, Corey took Ahrens down again and finished the round with strikes.  The second round Ahrens tried to take Corey down and was successful.  Corey quickly reversed the position and stood up.  Corey landed a high kick forcing Ahrens to attempt a takedown.  Corey looked for a guillotine, but settled for landing within Ahrens’s guard.  Corey worked small strikes and elbows as time ran out.  The third round Corey was able to land strikes almost at will.  Corey landed three head kicks that should have sent Ahrens to the canvas.  Big credit to Ahrens’s chin.  Corey took the fight to the ground and was relentless with his strikes as Ahrens really had no answer.  In the end, the judges all scored the bout for Corey.

The main event saw Jens Pulver make his return to the cage as he took on Mike Lindquist.  Lindquist was able to catch Pulver with a big punch to start the fight.  Pulver quickly covered up but was able to recover.  The two fighters scrambled for position and Pulver was able to end up on Lindquist’s back.  Pulver worked for a rear naked choke and synched it in forcing Lindquist to tap.

Professional Quick Results
Will Brooks defeated JR Hines by TKO at 2:09 of round 1
Joey Diehl defeated Dexter Wright by rear naked choke at 2:53 of round 1
Mike Corey defeated Tom Ahrens by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-26, 30-26
Jens Pulver defeated Mike Lindquist by rear naked choke at 0:49 of round 1

Amateur recap article will be up on Monday January 24.

Amateur Quick Results
Timmy LaGray defeated Richard Martin by TKO at 1:43 of round 3
Vince Romadine defeated Jake Gilski by rear naked choke at 1:38 of round
Tyler Reece defeated Mike Blake by TKO at 0:14 of round 1
Andre Felicano defeated Zach Tuneberg by guillotine choke at 0:48 of round 1
Scott Goldberg defeated Mike Upson by armbar at 0:09 of round 1
Zak Ottow defeated Kyle Schlise by knee choke at 1:26 of round 2
Johnny Otzleberger defeated Mikey Philllips by TKO at 0:21 of round 1
Phil Williams defeated Kevin Switalla by unanimous decision
David Williams defeated Brett Hedrington by TKO at 0:48 of round 1
Bobby defeated Brian Giles by TKO at 0:46 of round 1
Talin Bostic defeated Brian Tomac by TKO at 1:32 of round 1
John Fuller defeated Jason Bottenhagen by rear naked choke at 1:36 of round 2
Tommy LaGray defeated Nick Santiago by keylock at 1:45 of round 2
Cory Price defeated Don Singleton by unanimous decision
Antonio Luna defeated Nick Horne by rear naked choke at 0:39 of round 1
Cory Galloway defeated Jerad Karlen by triangle choke at 2:22 of round 1
Kenny Booker defeated Asmar Pace by KO at 2:24 of round 1
Daniel Szwab defeated Tony Campen at 0:14 of round 1
Robert Couillard defeated Darius Yancy at 0:23 of round 1

As of yesterday afternoon, all tables have been sold for the upcoming Chicago Cagefighting Championship 2 event on Saturday October 16.  The event will be headlined by Chase Beebe taking on Jared McMahon.

There are two levels of bleacher seats still available.  Sections 101 and 113 are just $25 while sections 102-105 & 109-112 are $35.

The night of action is scheduled to see eight professional mixed martial arts fights.  The full lineup includes:

Chase Beebe vs James McMahan

Michael Lullo vs Tyler Combs

Jason Guida vs Nick Rossborough

Ryan Williams vs Ryan Bixler

Germen Reyes vs Frank Pizzirulli

Adam Ward vs Bryan Fielder

Dennis Dombrow vs Ray Grindstaff

Will Brooks vs Mark Neville