Davila takes title from Farrar at Desert Rage V
Results of Desert Rage V cage fights at Cocopah Casino.
NOTES: Three of UFC fighters from Yuma County are in attendance - "The Ultimate Fighter " season 9 lightweight champion Efrain Escudero, Edgar Garcia and Aaron Simpson.
Garcia is in the corner for all of the Arizona Athletic Club fighters, where he trains.
The co-main event was relegated to a main event when Landon Piercey (Undisputed - San Diego) withdrew due to an injury. He was set to fight Alex Garcia (AAC)
PRELIMINARY FIGHTS (AMATEUR)
Joey Lugo (Arizona Athletic Club - Yuma) def. Matt Mamolen (Arizona Combat Sports - Tempe) - knockout punches :15 seconds into second round.
Breakdown: Lugo, a 2008 Cibola graduate, pressed the action in the first round. Mamolen tried to the take the fight to the mat, but Lugo countered with knees to the stomach and kicks to the face. Give the edge to Lugo in the first round.
In the second round, Lugo juked Mamolen with his shoulders and caught him with a sharp fist to the face that sent Mamolen reeling to the mat. Lugo jumped on top of Mamolen and rained hammer fists until the referee stopped the bout.
Justin Lillies (Torture Athletics - Yuma) def. Gabe Rios (AAC) - unanimous decision.
Breakdown: The computerized judging system, designed by a local company and put into play for the first time, was put to the test for the first time.
Lillies started slow but came on in the second and third rounds, which accounted for the 29-28 scores from the judging system. Lillies pressed the action with punches to the face and body. Even when the fight went to the mat for most of the final round, Lillies continued to be the aggressor.
Julian Sidhu (Team United - Holtville) def. Carlos Figueroa (AAC) - submission (triangle choke) 2:22 into the first round.
Breakdown: Figueroa got the better of Sidhu in the very early going but the tide changed with Sidhu took the fight to the mat and from his back began attacking Figueroa with his feet. Sidhu shifted from armbar to triangle choke, forcing Figueroa to tap out.
MAIN CARD ( PROFESSIONAL)
Mike "El Gato" Garcia (AAC) def. Juan Saenz Jr. (Saenz Brawlers - Yuma) - knockout punches third round
El Gato controlled this one from start to finish, sinking triangle chokes in each period. The bell saved Saenz Jr. in the second round. Garcia took Saenz Jr. to the ground in the final round and punished him with hammer fists.
Jeff Welsing (Torture Athletics) def. Kenneth "Kool" Ames - submission :48 of the first round.
Breakdown: Welsing, the head wrestling coach at Yuma High, won his first professional fight in three outings. Welsing, a collegiate wrestler, forced the action and made quick work of the overwhelmed Ames. Welsing pushed Ames to the mat, bloodied the face of Ames and used his forearm to choke him out.
Tyler Bialecki (AAC) def. Donald Molinares (Team Sandpit - Yucca Valley) - TKO punches :48 first round.
Breakdown: Bialecki continues to dominate. He bull rushed Molinares in the opening seconds of the round and slammed him to the ground. From there he pinned Molinares against the side of the cage and punched him in the face until the referee stopped the bout.
Matt Lagler (Undisputed) def. Josh Vandenburg (Team Arevalo - Lake Havasu) - knockout punches first round.
Lagler quickly took Vandenburg to the ground, where Vandenburg attempted to sink a submission. Lagler slid out of each attempt and finally got top position. From here, he quickly ended the fight with strikes to the head.
Jose Carbajal (AAC) def. Justin Kizziah (Holtville Fight Club) - TKO punches 3:13 first round.
Breakdown: Kizziah took Carbajal down to the mat in the early going and looked to end the fight via submission. Carbajal fought his way out of the triangle choke hold and gained the top position. Carbajal used hammer fists, elbows and punches to the side of the face for the next 30 seconds before the fight was stopped.
Zack Surdyka (AZ Combat) def. Joe Diaz (Team United) - TKO strikes 2:32 first round.
Breakdown: After feeling each other out for the first minute of the first round, Surdyka, formerly of Yuma, took Diaz down and ended the fight with punches to the head.
Ruben Salazar (Salazar MMA - El Centro, Calif.) def. Mike Cypher (AAC) - Unanimous decision - 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
Breakdown: Each fighter had their chance to end the fight in the first round by submission as each tried a rear-naked choke. Very close first round with Cypher wanting to fight on the ground while Salazar attempted to negate the length of Cypher by throwing lots of punches. In the second round, Cypher looked to be tiring. Salazar danced around the ring and picked his spots landing punches to the head. Salazar withstood a blow below the belt to win the round. The final round again saw Salazar as the aggressor, again using his boxing skills to stymie Cypher.
Matt Taira (Throwdown Elite - San Diego) def. Kenny Raught (Dartanian BJJ - North Hollywood) - submission (armbar) 1:23 first round.
Breakdown: Fighters both wanted to see the fight on the ground and that is where the majority of the fight took place. Very technical fight as each tried to end it with a submission. Taira won the first round and got position early in the second and tried to ground and pound his way to victory but ultimately was able to get the victory with an armbar.
FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT (145 pounds)
Ernie Davila (Holtville) def. Chance Farrar (AAC) - knockout :18 first round.
Breakdown: A flying exchange of punches and kicks saw Farrar go down in a heap in the middle of the ring. Davila pounced on the dazed Farrar and the fight was over.
While Farrar received medical attention, a fight broke out between three fans that was quickly squashed by casino security and the Cocopah police department. Farrar walked away under his own power.
