Staydown FC XI: Main Event Review
The first part of the review focuses on the main event and co-main event of the evening. It was a Combat Athletics Academy vs. Trojan Free Fighters double header with Combat pair Sam Gilbert and Mark Tucker squaring off against Bruno Marques and Antanas Jazbutis respectively. Both fights delivered and had the 500 (or so) in attendance on their feet throughout! Over the next couple of days i'll do my best to describe the action to you in my own words....
Main Event: Sam Gilbert vs. Bruno Marques
Now this is what I've been waiting all week for; Sam Gilbert vs. the unbeaten Bruno Marques.
Finally Sam Gilbert is fighting at his natural weight class of featherweight against a Brazilian wrecking machine fighting out of Trojan Free Fighters. This should be a classic.
The fight starts with neither man taking a backward step, Marques comes out in his typical aggressive style that instantly makes you think of his countryman, Wanderlei Silva. Gilbert won't be backed up though and gives as good as he gets in the middle of the cage. Obviously this pace cannot be maintained and Gilbert puts Marques against the cage where he sustains a low blow that momentarily halts the action. They restart as they started the fight as the crowd are going nuts, Gilbert again puts Marques against the cage and Marques works his way free, fakes a left and lands a right hook that Gilbert answers in kind. Gilbert goes for a takedown that Marques defends but Gilbert is persistent and secures it with 30 seconds left, he gets Marques' back with ten left, realising there is no time for the submission he lands a few shots as the bell ends.
Round two starts just as insanely as the first, Gilbert takes it down but Marques pops straight back up. Gilbert lands two more shots and takes it back to the floor, Marques works his way back up but has to eat a couple shots in the process. They clinch and sharp punches are exchanged once again, Gilbert takes it back to the ground and he's taken Marques' back. He's landing some monster shots that Marques survives as referee Howard Hughes takes a closer look at, Gilbert switches to the submission attempt as he looks for a rear-naked choke but Marques defends it expertly. The second comes to an end with Gilbert on Marques' back landing more hard shots to the Brazilian's head.
Both come out for the final round and trade punches in the middle of the cage, this is a great fight so far. Gilbert is up by two rounds on my scorecard so Marques needs to finish it to win the fight. With that being said Gilbert looks the fresher of the pair and he scores a huge takedown that has the hometown crowd going crazy. He gains side control and is looking to improve but once again Marques makes his way back to his feet only for Gilbert to deposit him back on the floor. Marques looks for a guillotine but Gilbert works his way free and lands some massive punches that Marques survives again, cardio is playing it's part now as Gilbert is controlling the action on the floor looking for submissions and landing punches as the fight comes to an end.
Sam Gilbert put on a superb display to thrill the Cornish Ivy, it's no secret how highly I rate Sam and at featherweight I can see him taking a few scalps up and down the country.
Winner: Sam Gilbert via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Round 3, 5:00
Co-Main Event: Mark Tucker vs. Antanas Jazbutis
The co-main event of the evening pitted to veterans of UK MMA against one another. Trojan Free Fighters' Antanas Jazbutis squared off against Combat Athletics Academy's Mark Tucker. This promised to be a fight for the MMA purist who enjoys all of the technical aspects of the game and it didn't disappoint as both men put on a clinical display of all the arts for the 500 or so present.
The first round was a tight, back and forth affair with both landing shots throughout, Tucker was first to land anything of note, closing the distance with three or four punches he got a hold of Jazbutis and secured the takedown. Jazbutis who has seen everything before in his career remained calm and wall-walked his way back to his feet where he reversed positions and held Tucker against the cage. They reverse that position several times as they exchange shorts knees and punches, the pair separate and Tucker catches Jazbutis with a short, sharp shot that immediately draws a response of a similar nature from the Trojan man. With 10 seconds remaining Tucker secures another takedown that may have just edged him an extremely tight round.
The second began with Jazbutis immediately clinching and taking the fight to the floor, catching Tucker by surprise with an aggressive start he secures the back and is landing some hard shots to Tucker's head whilst looking for the rear-naked choke. Remaining calm under serious pressure that Jazbutis is piling on Tucker stands up with Jazbutis still on his back, works free and puts Jazbutis on his back. Once again Jazbutis uses the cage to get back to his feet, Tucker puts Jazbutis back on the floor but only for a moment as he bounces straight back up. Jazbutis is using the clinch better towards the end of the second as he lands several short knees and punches displaying a dirty boxing game Randy Couture may have been proud of! With 30 seconds left Tucker puts Jazbutis against the cage, he's looking for another takedown but Jazbutis defends well to see the round out.
With the scores most likely even this round should promise a few fireworks. Tucker is looking for the takedown straight off the bat and Jazbutis defends it well, he delivers two knees to Tucker but that leaves the door open for Tucker to complete the takedown he was after. As soon as it's on the floor Tucker is all over Jazbutis like a rash, he takes the back and is working towards a rear-naked choke. After a minute or so he's successful and he sinks it in, after a short struggle Jazbutis realises there is no way out and taps out at 1:49.
Winner: Mark Tucker via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Round 3, 1:49.
Stay tuned to AddictedMMA for the second part of the review tomorrow night!
Staydown MMA Results: http://addictedmma.com/result-7592_Staydown-MMA-XI-Sparta.php
File Photo: Sam Gilbert courtesy of Charli Edwards, Little Red Creative
www.LittleRedCreative.co.uk
Published by Steve Wickett - Mon, 21 May 2012 21:50
