Last weekend’s Fusion Fight League event, Fights Under the Lights 5 (Centene Stadium, Great Falls, Montana), saw SBG Idaho athletes Kyle Aslami and Riley Timmons turn in strong performances in the cage!
Aslami (2-3, 0-2 FFL) dropped a unanimous decision to Chaz Marsicano, in a competitive bout which saw Aslami nearly pull off the third round comeback. Marsicano wasted no time closing the distance on Aslami, who defended the initial takedown attempt well. The second effort by Marsicano against the cage saw him manage to get the fight to the ground. Aslami was able to neutralize Marsicano from bottom for the most part, but was unable to improve his position until just before the round ended, reversing Marsicano’s back control. The second round saw a repeat of the same strategy from Marsicano, using his initial attack to put Aslami on the cage and a second effort from there to take the fight down. Again, Aslami’s submission defense and positional grappling kept him in the fight, but he was unable to return the fight back to standing. Down two rounds Aslami needed a finish in the third, but again Marsicano used strong chain wrestling to get the fight to the ground quickly. Aslami showed better urgency this time and managed to reverse position again before standing the fight up with about 1:30 remaining. Marsicano desperately dove for the takedown, but Aslami sprawled well and began landing punches on the quickly tiring Marsicano. Aslami pressured Marsicano around the perimeter of the cage before dropping him with a left head kick. Aslami dove on him quickly to attempt a finish, but Marsicano managed to close his guard and tie him up briefly. Aslami postured up and separated, gesturing for Marsicano to stand. He obliged, but shot immediately, and pulled Aslami into his guard when he sprawled. With time running out Aslami attempted to finish with strikes from top, but was unable to secure the finish before time expired. Though he came up a bit short on the scorecards, Kyle showed great composure and heart with the near-comeback victory!
Up next was Timmons (4-1 MMA, 1-0 FFL), who scored a third round TKO over Lauren Wolfe in a featured women’s bout. Timmons closed the distance behind strong punches and secured underhooks against the cage. Using superior head position and pummeling, Timmons began landing strong knees to the shorter Wolfe. Wolfe attempted a throw in response, but Timmons countered, landing on top in side control. Timmons quickly transitioned to mount and began raining down strong punches to the turtled Wolfe. Referee Dave Evans was close to stopping the bout, but Wolfe managed to move just enough to remain in the fight and see the end of the round. Round two began the same as the first with Timmons using strong boxing to close the distance and clinch in the center of the cage. Wolfe attempted another throw, which Timmons countered, but her momentum allowed Wolfe to reverse all the way into mount. Wolfe spent the remainder of the round alternating between mount and back control while attacking with strikes and rear naked choke attempts. Timmons maintained her composure, however, and survived to see the bell. With the fight coming down to the final round, both women looked determined and focused. Timmons stuck to the gameplan and again closed the distance with strong punches before pinning Wolfe against the cage and executing another takedown. She again transitioned to mount and went to work with ground and pound. Wolfe nearly managed to escape by throwing both legs over and pulling Timmons backwards, but Timmons hustled back on top to regain her position. Unleashing a steady stream of punches from the mount position, the referee was finally forced to stop the bout, awarding Timmons her third straight TKO victory!
As always, we are incredibly proud of our athletes that choose to test themselves in competition. Both Kyle and Riley displayed skill, courage, and class inside and out of the cage! Special thanks to all the coaches and training partners that gave their time to help these two prepare. If you are looking to compete, or maybe you’re looking to get into the best shape of your life with a tribe that supports you 110%, Click the “Wanna Train” link at the top of our page to set up your Gym Tour and FREE Introductory lesson with one of our world-class coaches this upcoming week! See you soon!
