Combat Fitness/SBG Idaho athletes went 2-3 yesterday at Front Street Fights 2 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, ID.
As we knew going into the night, every one of our fighters had a great challenge in front of them. The results are as follows:
Tony Billingsley (Combat Fitness) winner over Chris Bateman via Triangle Choke, Round 1. Billingsley was able to land effective strikes early before clinching and scoring a bodylock takedown. Stuck in Bateman’s halfguard, Billingsley attempted an Americana before getting swept. From him back he regained his closed guard and sunk in the fight ending triangle choke. Billingsley remains perfect as an amateur at 4-0.
Matt Jones (Combat Fitness) lost to Jason Gray via Unanimous Decision. Jones had the striking advantage throughout but was reluctant to unleash due to Gray’s takedown ability. While he was able to land effectively in spots and had several near submissions (including one very deep kneebar in the 3rd round), it was not enough to overcome Gray’s takedowns and time spent in the top position.
Josh Wick (Combat Fitness) winner over Lonnie Burton via Rear Naked Choke, Round 2. This fight turned into a brawl quickly with both fighters landing hard shots early. As the round progressed Wick began to take control with his kicking game, landing numerous kicks to the body and head. Early in the second round, Wick used a perfectly timed left head kick to drop Burton to his knees, where he was able to sink both hooks in and secure the choke. With the victory, Josh earned the “Fighter of the Night” bonus money!
Brendon Raftery (Combat Fitness) lost to Joe Hamilton via Retirement (unable to answer the bell in the 3rd Round). The first round was a very back and forth technical battle, with both men finding success standing, before Hamilton was able to secure a takedown against the cage. Strong defensive grappling and a near triangle choke allowed Raftery to return to his feet. As the round was coming to a close, and the fighters were clinched against the cage, Hamilton was able to land a huge knee that dropped Raftery just moments before the bell sounded. While still clearly dazed, Raftery fought well in round two, using his superior striking to score point and keep his opponent out of range for the majority of the round. Though with about a minute remaining, Hamilton was able to score a takedown and land some solid ground and pound. In between rounds it was discovered that Raftery had lost a tooth (presumably from the knee in round 1). That, combined with complaints of dizziness, led our trainers to call a halt to the bout. The loss marked Raftery’s first as a pro.
Matt May (Combat Fitness) lost to Talon Hoffman via Unanimous Decision. In a repeat of their first fight from 2 years ago, Hoffman was able to use his strong wrestling base to take May down and maintain top control. This was the story for all three rounds, save for a takedown into side control for May at the beginning of round 3. May took the fight on just 3 days notice, when Hoffman’s original opponent was forced to withdraw.
All in all, it was a tough night for us, in both victory and defeat. We’re super proud of everyone that fought last night! Whether you won or lost, we all became better fighters in preparation for our battles, and in the end that is what matters most.
For more details on the event, follow http://centurylinkarenaboise.com/uncategorized/vaughn-wins-entertaining-finale-front-street-fights/.
