All Action;
HOOKnSHOOT 'Revolution' Delivers
By Joe Hall
Photgraphy by Loretta Hunt
The revolution has come, but it has not gone. Women's MMA was jumpstarted Saturday night as the first all-women's mixed martial arts card in the U.S. successfully drew and entertained a substantial crowd. If anyone showed up anticipating a hair-pulling catfight or a series of slaps, trained competitors abruptly educated them. All of the punches were not straight and crisp; all of the submissions were not perfectly set up or flawlessly executed -- but several were. There were sharp right hooks, smooth transitions, and shins that precisely drilled their targets. It was clear that plenty of work awaits women mixed martial artists, though there is no denying the skill and potential already present.
In the opening bout, 17-year-old Erica Montoya powerfully shot a double-leg takedown that put Ruth Mejia on her back. Montoya then patiently passed the guard and swiveled to an armbar from the mount for the win.
The show quickly moved to the next match, featuring the card's two heaviest participants. Shannon Hooper, cornered by UFC Heayvweight Champion and boyfriend Josh Barnett, came out strong, snapping combinations at Olga Bakalopoulous. Looking in danger on the feet, Olga struggled to take the fight to the ground. Before she could get it there, however, she gained momentum by blasting Hooper with a right hand that landed squarely on the chin. Olga then worked the fight to the ground and finished Hooper with a key lock.
Jessica Ross dismantled Jennifer Irons in the third fight of the evening. After jumping to the guard, Ross transitioned from a triangle choke to an armbar and finally back to a triangle choke for the tap.
In the next match, Angela Wilson and Tanya Vlahac roused the crowd with a back-and-forth battle. Vlahac relentlessly fired right hands while Wilson used a variety of sweeps and throws to ground her adversary. On the mat, Wilson eventually tore through Vlahac's defense with punches in the half guard to end the crowd-pleasing affair.
The action did not slow as Angela Restad and Mayra Conde brought fans to their feet in a fight that epitomized the sport -- standing, there were knees, kicks, and punches, and when it went to the ground, a technical exhibition followed. Restad controlled the standup by grabbing the back of Conde's neck and planting knees in every available opening. Conde courageously rallied in the latter part of the fight, just missing an armbar. In the end, a draw initially sparked boos from the crowd, although the catcalls soon turned to cheers in acknowledgement of the gutsy fighters.
In the sixth match of the evening, Tara LaRosa swept Shelby Walker from the clinch and dominated on the ground for the win. After being mounted, Walker launched her hips from the mat in an effort to buck her opponent off, but the maneuver did not even budge LaRosa. A pummeling by LaRosa ensued and Walker tapped from the bottom.
The main event began with both Debi Purcell and Christine Van Fleet marching out of their corners throwing right hand bombs. Van Fleet then thrust her hip into Purcell for a throw, but the move was reversed with Purcell landing in the mount. Steadily, Purcell pressured Van Fleet and created space with short punches. As Purcell opened up, Van Fleet turned to her stomach to evade the punishment. Purcell responded by quickly sinking her hooks in and working a choke. Van Fleet could defend the submission but not the barrage of punches Purcell pounded her with from the rear mount.
As the final bout closed somewhat methodically compared to the dramatic mid-card clashes, there was no roar from the crowd. Instead, the coliseum was filled with an air of understanding. After the strikes were thrown and the submissions were attempted; after the fighters were pushed against the wall and didn't quit when they easily could have; those in attendance understood that women's mixed martial arts is for real. They realized that the revolution has begun.
RESULTS
Erica Montoya def. Ruth Mejia by Armbar R1
Olga Bakalopoulos def. Shannon Hooper by Key Lock R1
Jessica Ross def. Jennifer Irons by Triangle Choke R1
Angela Wilson def. Tanya Vlahac by Ref Stoppage R1
Angela Restad drew with Mayra Conde (10:00)
Tara LaRosa def. Shelby Walker by Submission after strikes from mount R1
Debi Purcell def. Christine Van Fleet by Submission after strikes from rear mount R1
Anonim
Krzysztof Piekarz
