Ten MMA bouts took place at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 24th’s XKL Evolution II–Mayhem in Minneapolis. The promotion featured seven UFC veterans including Brock Larson, Drew Fickett and Jeff Monson, and a highly anticipated women’s bout between local up-and-comer Shana Olsen and Japan’s Yoko Takahashi. The play-by-play for all ten bouts is after the jump.
The main event featured long time vets Jeff Monson and Travis Wiuff, who have 115 combined fights (!!). In the first round, the two fighters circled for a while, trading a few punches. Monson got Wiuff against the cage and landed some knees; Wiuff responded with body punches. The two ended up in the middle, with Wiuff getting more punches and Monson landing body shots. I scored the round 10-9 Monson, but nothing really happened so it was hard to say.
In the second round, it was Wiuff who landed heavy punches and pushed Monson against the cage. Monson landed some rib shots and Wiuff secured the takedown. Monson quickly stood and landed a few punches. Wiuff held Monson against the cage again. Monson worked his way out and pressed forward with big shots, then held Wiuff against the cage. Monson inadvertently landed a low blow. After a restart, Monson again holds Wiuff against the cage. I scored the round 10-9 Wiuff.
In the final round Monson punched, clinched and landed body shots and then another low blow. After a restart, Monson took a knee to the face. Monson landed a big punch and takes and the two jockey against the fence. Monson eats a knee and Wiuff scores another takedown. I scored the round 10-9 Wiuff. I scored the fight 29-28 Wiuff. One judge scored it 30-27 Wiuff, one judge scrored it 30-27 Monson, and one scored it 29-28 Wiuff.
The co-main event of the evening was an incredible bout between David Menne and Adrian Miles. Why a guy with 61 fights was facing a guy with 7 (according to the announcer; only two according to Sherdog) is beyond me, but to be fair, Miles was a second replacement opponent after Strasser canceled and McGee, an Irish fighter, had Visa problems.
In the first round, Menne landed some leg kicks and Miles came in with a flurry of punches. Menne unsuccessfully attempted a takedown and then jumps on Miles’ back. Miles gets free and lands some knees and body shots while pressed against the fence. Miles lands punches and works his takedown defense but Menne ultimately gets a takedown. Menne gets Miles’ back and works a guillotine. Miles defends by pushing Menne’s arm off, then lands a takedown. Menne manages to get up by the end of the round. I scored the round 10-9 Menne.
In the second round, the two fighters trade punches and again Menne attempts a takedown which Miles defends. Menne eventually does secure a takedown and gets Miles’ back, this time attempting a rear naked choke. Amazing defense by Miles. Again Menne goes for a takedown but Miles stuff his head and takes some body shots before attempting a kimura. Menne ends up on the bottom with Miles attempting an armbar, eating some leg kick and dropping punches and elbows from the top. I scored the round 10-9 Miles.
In the final round, Menne pushed Miles against the fence, but Miles responded with knees and a takedown ending up in north/south. The two stood up and traded big punches, with Miles securing another takedown. Menne ended up on top. Still, I thought Miles had an edge and scored the bout 10-9 Miles. I scored the bout 29-28 Miles (remind me never to mention this anywhere around Mennes’ corner ever again so I won’t end up getting beat up in an alley somewhere), but the judges scored the bout for the hometown fighter Dave Menne.
Drew “the Master” Fickett flew in from Arizona as a late replacement for Gideon Ray. Fickett fought Minnesota’s
own Derrick Noble. In the first round, Noble came in with punches and Fickett responded with an inside leg kick. Noble pushed Fickett against the fence. Drew jumped into a standing closed-guard guillotine, but Noble defended from the ground. The fighters stand and Fickett eats some punches and attempts a single, but does not secure it. He ends up on the bottom and Noble lands big punches. Noble let Fickett back up, and Fickett lands a nice face kick and body shot and ends up on his back again, taking body shots and leg shots. Noble again lets Fickett up and presses him against the cage, landing knees. Fickett lands a takedown and scores a couple elbows from the top. I scored the round 10-9 Noble.
In the second round, Noble comes in with power punches and big kicks including one that leaves the Master wobbly. He ends up on the mat shortly thereafter, managing to get Noble’s knees, secure a takedown, take his back and secure a rear naked choke. Noble had his eyes closed and did not respond to the ref when asked if he could continue (the MN Boxing Commission has stated in the rules meeting and officials training that they look for eye contact or a thumbs up, Noble was unresponsive and in fact had his eyes closed), and Fickett won the bout by ref stoppage due to rear naked choke 1:09 minutes into the second round much to the chagrin of the crowd, cheering for their hometown favorite. Say what you will about ref (and promoter) Nick Gamst (and there is plenty to say), but having attended the MMA Officials Training I thought it was a good call.
The fight of the night was a highly anticipated bout between up-and-comer Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen (#7, IWMMAR) and seasoned veteran Yoko Takahashi.
Olsen came in with punches and Takahashi tied her up, with Olsen pushing her against the fence. Takahashi gets Olsen against the cage and works a takedown of sorts and landing in half guard. She punches Olsen’s leg, gets mount and then tees off with a flurry of punches. Shana works a reversal ending up on top. Takahashi ties up Olsen and scores some punches from the bottom. Olsen advances to side control, works north/south position, goes for big punches of her own. Shana knees the body of Takahashi. Takahashi rolls out and transitions from half guard to side control to knee on belly and then full mount. Shana reverses off the cage. Takahashi lands some kicks from the bottom and tries to set up an armbar and a guillotine. Shana responds by punching over the top I scored the round 10-9 Olsen.
In the second round, Shana comes out with punches and Takahashi scores a takedown. Olsen attempted a guillotine but Takahashi defends and then transitions to North/South, lands punches and ends up back in Olsen’s half guard, then transitions to mount. Olsen gets on top and gets Takahashi’s back, attempting a rear naked choke at a bad angle. Takahashi punches and ends up in mount, with Shana reversing and getting half guard and again scoring some punches. Takahashi attempts a guillotine and Shana escapes and then tees off. Takahashi gets up and Shana lands an elbow to the face. I scored this very close round 10-9 Olsen.
In the final round, the two fighters trade punches and Shana secures a single-leg takedown. Shana ends up on top and lands short punches. Takahashi reverses and gets full mount and Shana again reverses and ends up in Takahashi’s guard. Takahashi, always with an answer for everything, gets back to her knees and winds up in top position. Olsen reverses to the top again and ends up in Takahashi’s guard. Takahashi secures a keylock but Olsen narrowly escapes and tees off on Takahashi. I scored the round 10-9 Takahashi. I scored the bout 29-28 Olsen. Two judges scored it 30-27 and one scored it 29-28, all for Shana Olsen.
Brandon Seguin fought St. Paul’s Isaiah Larson. In the first round, Larson got a single-leg takedown, ate a lot of punches and ended up in Seguin’s guard. He landed some body shots and elbows from the top, stood up out of guard and took some upkicks while landing punches from the top. Seguin wrapped Larson up in guard again and Larson landed a few more body shots. I scored the round 10-9 Larson.
In the second round, Larson pushed Seguin against the fence and the two traded punches, with Larson landing an elbow to the face and Seguin countering with a body kick and inside leg kick. Larson got Seguin to the ground and ended up in his guard. Seguin scored some nice punches from the bottom, Larson responded with punches over top, and the fight was stood up. Seguin landed a nice flying knee and Larson responded by securing a body lock and then eating some knees. Seguin then had a point removed for an inadvertent low blow. Larson landed some punches, secured a takedown and again ended up in Seguin’s guard but punched from the top. Both fighters stand and Seguin tees off. I scored the round 10-8 Larson (including Seguin’s point loss).
In the final round, Seguin gets a body kick, flying knee, punches and a big knee. Larson gets Seguin against the fence but Seguin tees off. Larson attempts a takedown but Seguin responds with punches, a body kick, more punches, a knee to the face, an elbow to the face and more body shots. The two fight for underhooks when the round ends. I scored the round 10-8 Seguin. My final score was 28-27 Larson, but the judges scored it 29-28 Seguin.
Ray “Ipswich Cobra” Steinbeiss flew in all the way from Arizona to fight Omaha, Nebraska’s Matt Delanoit. Steinbeiss started the round with a nice combination followed with a body kick. He attempted a takedown and transitioned to clinch. Delanoit managed to get a takedown, but after a short scramble Steinbeiss ended up on top. He landed some punches but Delanoit responded with a triangle choke attempt. Steinbeiss flattened out Delanoit and escaped the choke, ending up in Delanoit’s guard momentarily before transitioning to half-guard and landing a great left elbow. Delanoit trapped Steinbeiss’ right arm and tried to play rubber guard, but Steinbeiss transitioned into half guard. He took some hits to the body and landed an elbow. Delanoit attempted an omaplata which Steinbess defended. I scored the round 10-9, Delanoit.
In the second round, Delanoit threw a strong right and Steinbeiss responded with a takedown and big slam. Delanoit secured a heel hook and won by way of tapout at 1:44 in the second round. In Steinbeiss’ corner was UFC fighter C.B. Dollaway, who revealed that Steinbeiss twisted his ankle on the first kick he threw and heard it pop about 8 times, explaining Ray went for takedowns even with an impressive standup game. “The heel hook was just the icing on the cake,” Dollaway said.
Fan favorite Brock Larson took a breather from official business (as a promoter for this event) to fight Iowa’s Brian
Green. After a lot of circling, Larson pressed Green against the fence and scored some knees and punches. He then got a strong takedown and gets Green on his back. Green attempted an armbar and Larson responded with a big slam, followed by a series of short punches. Green regained half guard while eating punches. Green attempted a kimura and Larson responded with some elbows, and then transitioned to mount and back mount. He landed some ground and pound and then locked in a rear naked choke in 4:39 of the 1st round.Wrestler Ryan “Are You Ready” Roberts took on St. Cloud’s Chaz Haag. Haag missed his first few punches and Roberts responded with a big punch that connected. Haag dropped to the ground and Roberts landed punches to win by KO in just twenty seconds.
Travis “the Ironman” Fulton, who has over two hundred recorded fights, took on Brad Kohler (11-13). The two veterans first fought in 1997, with Kohler coming in ahead. Fulton was hungry to avenge the loss. He scored an inside leg kick, followed by a beautiful kick to the face, winning by KO at 1:01 of Round 1.
Wrestler Nate Schutt was up against Bobby “the Bully” Ferrier. Ferrier came in as a late replacement for Brian “the Duke” Geraghty (who pulled out of the fight when Schutt came in three lbs. over weight.) The two fighters traded punches, with Schutt securing a takedown and transitioning to side control and then mount. Ferrier managed to get Schutt back to mount, but then ate a flurry of relentless punches. Schutt secured a rear naked choke victory at 4:33 of the 1st round.