Gladiator Challenge: Cobb Duels Suggs in Local Clash
Jeff Sherwood Jul 18, 2006
PORTERVILLE, Calif., July 16 — On a sizzling summer day when the
temperature reached an amazing 108 degrees, the young kids of
Gladiator Challenge got their chance to show how hot their skills
were in the cage.
In a main event that most mixed martial arts fans could not tell you about the participants, locals at Eagle Mountain Casino knew all about Brian Cobb (Pictures), fighting out of Bakersfield, and Bobby Suggs (Pictures), out of Porterville.
Suggs has become a fan favorite out of Porterville because he has
huge heart and comes to fight. Also Cobb, the ground wizard and
solid wrestler, puts on a good show and fights hard for the
victory.
Cobb came into the fight enjoying a four-fight win streak while Suggs had won two in a row.
With Suggs forced to his back after using a lot of energy on the choke, Cobb found himself in a good position. The Bakersfield fighter wasted no time after clearing his neck and punished Suggs from the top position with rights and lefts.
Suggs, now bloodied and battered, showed why he is a favorite at Eagle Mountain and would not give up. Showing his wrestling moves, Cobb put Suggs into what appeared to be a full nelson and applied extreme pressure to his foe’s shoulder and back. Suggs, who had both arms trapped, was not able to tap.
Referee Herb Dean (Pictures) was right on top of the situation and had good verbal communication with Suggs, which turned out to be a good thing as Suggs was unable to tap and had to verbally bow out of the fight.
Talking to Cobb after the fight, he said the fight-ending submission was a bit of a full-nelson and half-nelson combined with a shoulder crank.
“I now feel bad for my training partners as I get this move on them all the time and really had no idea how painful it was,” he said. Cobb seems destined to take a step up in competition, perhaps a bout versus Erik Apple (Pictures) or James Fanshier (Pictures).
Both Art Arciniega (Pictures) and Dino Aguilar (Pictures), new-breed fighters that are well-rounded not just one trick ponies, brought 2-0 records into the cage.
It was one of the few fights Sunday evening that ventured past the first round, and it illustrated that the bloodier fighter is not always the losing fighter.
Arciniega used some good strikes to batter Aguilar, who responded by wrestling the fight to the ground. Aguilar eventually mounted Arciniega and did some damage that caused Arciniega to turn his back, though he managed to regain his feet.
The first round ended with Aguilar attempting a guillotine as the bell rang. At the start of the second Aguilar secured his hooks and attempted a choke. When Arciniega tried to escape it put him in a bad position and Aguilar took advantage of the situation to get in some good strikes, forcing referee Cecil Peoples to stop the fight 1:25 of round two.
Steve Ramerez (Pictures) took on Daniel Lopez, a kid Ramerez knew nothing about. You had to wonder what is going on in Ramerez’s mind coming off three losses to Erik Apple (Pictures), Kyacey Uscola (Pictures) and Gil Castillo (Pictures), all quality fighters. But even so, after three tough losses in a sport in which competitors thrive on confidence, a fight like this will show what you are made — and Ramerez showed he is a fighter.
Lopez came in looking to make the most of his own opportunity and started off with a kick to the body and then a right-left. Ramerez took advantage of Lopez getting in close to clinch and take the fight to the ground, where he tried a quick armbar submission that Lopez was able escape.
Ramerez came in and ate a big right before landing a big knee to the body and a follow up right. Ramerez loosened his opponent up with some leg kicks and elbows but Lopez was game and wanted to throw down.
Once the fight got to the ground Ramerez looked to be the stronger fighter as he dropped double-fisted punches to the ribs that made Lopez scramble a bit. Ramerez was able to take advantage of the situation and sunk in the rear-naked choke.
Ramerez joked afterwards that he knew something about his opponent now: “he has a big left hand and drilled me in the side of the head,” he said laughing.
Then said “back to the gym tomorrow.” The life of a fighter.
When all was said and done the fighters gave their blood and sweat to make it a good day of fights. The conditions were tough as it was very hot in and out of the cage.
It did seem to have an effect on a few of the fighters as they had to dropout between rounds due to exhaustion. But who could blame them: the elements proved to be a battle on their own.
In a main event that most mixed martial arts fans could not tell you about the participants, locals at Eagle Mountain Casino knew all about Brian Cobb (Pictures), fighting out of Bakersfield, and Bobby Suggs (Pictures), out of Porterville.
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Cobb came into the fight enjoying a four-fight win streak while Suggs had won two in a row.
Suggs came out expecting Cobb’s shot and immediately threw an
uppercut that missed. Cobb shot in for the single leg only but
Suggs caught his neck and the fight remained against the fence as
Cobb used shots to the body to try to and get Suggs to release his
neck, which he eventually did.
With Suggs forced to his back after using a lot of energy on the choke, Cobb found himself in a good position. The Bakersfield fighter wasted no time after clearing his neck and punished Suggs from the top position with rights and lefts.
Suggs, now bloodied and battered, showed why he is a favorite at Eagle Mountain and would not give up. Showing his wrestling moves, Cobb put Suggs into what appeared to be a full nelson and applied extreme pressure to his foe’s shoulder and back. Suggs, who had both arms trapped, was not able to tap.
Referee Herb Dean (Pictures) was right on top of the situation and had good verbal communication with Suggs, which turned out to be a good thing as Suggs was unable to tap and had to verbally bow out of the fight.
Talking to Cobb after the fight, he said the fight-ending submission was a bit of a full-nelson and half-nelson combined with a shoulder crank.
“I now feel bad for my training partners as I get this move on them all the time and really had no idea how painful it was,” he said. Cobb seems destined to take a step up in competition, perhaps a bout versus Erik Apple (Pictures) or James Fanshier (Pictures).
Both Art Arciniega (Pictures) and Dino Aguilar (Pictures), new-breed fighters that are well-rounded not just one trick ponies, brought 2-0 records into the cage.
It was one of the few fights Sunday evening that ventured past the first round, and it illustrated that the bloodier fighter is not always the losing fighter.
Arciniega used some good strikes to batter Aguilar, who responded by wrestling the fight to the ground. Aguilar eventually mounted Arciniega and did some damage that caused Arciniega to turn his back, though he managed to regain his feet.
The first round ended with Aguilar attempting a guillotine as the bell rang. At the start of the second Aguilar secured his hooks and attempted a choke. When Arciniega tried to escape it put him in a bad position and Aguilar took advantage of the situation to get in some good strikes, forcing referee Cecil Peoples to stop the fight 1:25 of round two.
Steve Ramerez (Pictures) took on Daniel Lopez, a kid Ramerez knew nothing about. You had to wonder what is going on in Ramerez’s mind coming off three losses to Erik Apple (Pictures), Kyacey Uscola (Pictures) and Gil Castillo (Pictures), all quality fighters. But even so, after three tough losses in a sport in which competitors thrive on confidence, a fight like this will show what you are made — and Ramerez showed he is a fighter.
Lopez came in looking to make the most of his own opportunity and started off with a kick to the body and then a right-left. Ramerez took advantage of Lopez getting in close to clinch and take the fight to the ground, where he tried a quick armbar submission that Lopez was able escape.
Ramerez came in and ate a big right before landing a big knee to the body and a follow up right. Ramerez loosened his opponent up with some leg kicks and elbows but Lopez was game and wanted to throw down.
Once the fight got to the ground Ramerez looked to be the stronger fighter as he dropped double-fisted punches to the ribs that made Lopez scramble a bit. Ramerez was able to take advantage of the situation and sunk in the rear-naked choke.
Ramerez joked afterwards that he knew something about his opponent now: “he has a big left hand and drilled me in the side of the head,” he said laughing.
Then said “back to the gym tomorrow.” The life of a fighter.
When all was said and done the fighters gave their blood and sweat to make it a good day of fights. The conditions were tough as it was very hot in and out of the cage.
It did seem to have an effect on a few of the fighters as they had to dropout between rounds due to exhaustion. But who could blame them: the elements proved to be a battle on their own.
