Husinger Jr., Fisher win two-on-two fight at Desert Rage XI

Terrell Husinger Jr. thought he was going to have his nose buried in a book on Saturday, but instead had it buried in an octagon.

A graduate law student at the University of Arizona, Husinger stepped in to help his teammate Doug Fisher defeat Lewis Steele and Michael Thompson in a two- on-one forfeit in Desert Rage XI's first team Mixed Martial Arts match.

Johnny Angel Cabrera, the man that was supposed to fight alongside Fisher, found himself in a different cage when he was arrested Saturday for having three warrants for violating parole according to the Yuma County Detention Center. When no one stepped up, Husinger did.

“This was the one fight that couldn't fall through,” Husinger said. “Nobody else stepped up so I had to, I just had to.”

Husinger stepped up big, defeating Michael Thompson by submission to bring the fight to a two-on-one situation. Husinger, who has oral arguments for school on Tuesday, tried to not even think about the fight until he was in the middle of it.

“I was studying right before the fight,” he said. “I literally had my nose in book the whole time, trying not to even think that I was fighting and I didn't realize I was in a fight until he had me in a guillotine. And then for a second it was kind of tight but I was like there's no way I'm going to tap this.”

Husinger listened for one of his fellow fighters outside the ring who was able to give him some pointers.

“One of my fighters happened to come up and I could hear him and he was coaching me,” Husinger said. “I listened to some of the things he said and got the submission.”

While Husinger saved the fight from falling through, Lewis Steele gave the crowd what they wanted to see.

According to the Desert Rage rules, once a fighter is eliminated from the two- on-two match, a one minute break is given. Then the corner with one fighter gets to decide whether or not they want to continue.

“For me to not get out there is like a chicken,” Steele said. “I'm going to play Russian roulette with those people. They give me a once in a lifetime chance to change one thing in the world, so I'm not going to let two people take me out. I might as well go all in. I was going to go for more. It's all there or nothing at all.”

The crowed roared as Steele went head-to-head with Fisher and Husinger. Husinger stood back as Fisher took him on first.

After a few seconds of sparring, Steele connected with a vicious uppercut that knocked to Fisher to the ground. That's when Husinger stepped in.

“It's hard not to [help] when you see your best friend in a disadvantageous position,” Husinger said. “But I came back when I heard the crowd boo and I saw him get clipped.”

Joe Ochoa made quick work of Chai Martinez in the Heavyweight Eliminator fight, knocking Martinez out 17 seconds into the first round.

“I was out here thinking hey, I wanted to knock him out and that's exactly what I did,” Ochoa said.

Ochoa threw a flurry of punches, then some leg kicks which disabled Martinez's footing, allowing Ochoa to deliver the final blow.

“Leg kicks definitely disable legs, that's why it's done,” Ochoa said. “I was getting focused on his legs and then I came to the top and knocked him out.”

A veteran of the Iraq War, Ochoa recently got back from serving in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor and is happy to be back in the US doing what he loves.

“I'm in one piece, I'm fighting now, I have a beautiful wife and family. I'm happy,” he said.

Martinez isn't too down on himself considering he only agreed to the fight less than a month ago.

“I was trying to size him up,” Martinez said. “I was trying to try my little rhythm but it didn't click. I feel great, I felt fine in there, but like I said I was trying to find that rhythm, size him up, and I didn't catch him in time.”

For complete Desert Rage XI results, see agate on D3.