ERFURT, Germany - Over 1,000 enthusiasts packed into the Riethsporthalleto to witness the Eastern German Mixed Martial Arts Championships overseen by the Free Fight Association, the country's only MMA governing body.

Tournaments in the 155, 165 and 185-pound weight divisions graced the card, along with a superfight for the FFA European Championship. As is commonplace in these parts, the FFA shared the cage with local promoter Ready 2 Fight, who hosted five kickboxing fights that featured fighters from the state capital of Thuringia.

In the main event, Germany-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt Carlos Eduardo Damasceno Rocha defended his FFA European middleweight title against German wrestler Steve Mensing. The fight didn't go off without controversy though, as Rocha unintentionally kicked his challenger below the belt in the first exchange.

Mensing could have opted to stay down, which would have given him a win via disqualification under FFA rules, but the man from the Baltic Sea is known for being a born competitor -- he took on Pride veteran Gegard Mousasi (Pictures) on less than a week's notice in March. Despite being in visible pain, Mensing chose to continue even after the full five minutes of rest.

Things went from bad to worse for Mensing as "Tadanado" did not only dictate the brief standup portion of the fight, but also came through with a powerful takedown. Once the pair hit the mat, the difference in their grappling experience became very apparent. Rocha handily submitted his adversary using a textbook leglock to retain his title.

In the 155-pound tournament, the fans were able to see perhaps the most action-packed fights of the night with Stallion Cage Stuttgart fighter Alan Omer coming away the victor. Even though the 19-year-old grappler came in as the lightest in a field of six fighters at just 150 pounds, he demonstrated solid all-around skills.

In the quarterfinals, he submitted Swiss judoka Jens Petersen, who came all the way from Zurich to take part, using a beautiful armbar to triangle choke transition after one and a half hard-fought rounds. After receiving a bye in the semifinals, Omer faced kickboxer Oliver Köster, from Berlin, in the final match.

Köster had eliminated Marco Dünzl in his quarterfinal bout, knocking him down four times in the opening round until the referee had seen enough. In the semifinal, he waged a grueling bout with Russian kickboxer Andrej Ruder, who got the better licks in, but fell prey to a guillotine choke.

Omer's wrestling skills were too strong for Köster though, as the Berliner gave up a takedown and was mounted within minutes. Köster initially defended well, but Omer was relentless with his ground attack and opened up a nasty cut using elbow strikes into the guard. Köster eventually tapped out from the punishment.

Only four fighters took part in the 165-pound tournament, with 18-year-old muay Thai specialist Paul Rockel getting the upperhand in the end. The teenager from Backnang in Baden-Wuerttemberg defeated wrestler Alex Mikus in the semifinals and profited from the fact that teammate Igor Montis was injured in his win over Jürgen Götte, which gave Rockel the title by default.

The 185-pound grand prix was much stronger with both Peter Sobotta and Dominik Stetefeld looking promising in their opening-round wins over Simon Fiess and David Goldberg. Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Sobotta, 21, utilized skill over brute strength in the final match by controlling the heavier Stetefeld and eventually submitting him with an inverted triangle choke.

Eastern German Mixed Martial Arts Championships Results:

Oliver Köster def. Marco Dünzl -- TKO (Strikes) 3:59 R1
Alan Omer def. Jens Petersen -- Submission (Triangle Choke) 2:37 R2
Andrej Ruder vs. Jesse-Björn Buckler -- No Contest 1:30 R1*
Igor Montis def. Jürgen Götte -- TKO (Strikes) 0:38 R1
Paul Rockel def. Alex Mikus -- Submission (Liver Shot) 1:13 R1
Peter Sobotta def. Simon Fiess -- TKO (Strikes) 0:38 R1
Dominik Stetefeld def. David Goldberg -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 0:33 R1
Tim Sonnenfeld def. Robert Schulz -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 0:38 R1
Sebastian Nowak def. Kevin Narr -- Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 2:08 R1
Mark Hennig def. Lutz Jahnel -- TKO (Strikes) 2:04 R1
Oliver Köster def. Andrej Ruder -- Submission (Guillotine Choke) 3:57 R1
Alan Omer def. Oliver Köster -- Submission (Strikes) R1
Peter Sobotta def. Dominik Stetefeld -- Submission (Triangle Choke) R1
Carlos Eduardo Damasceno Rocha def. Steve Mensing -- Submission (Leglock) R1

*Ruder advanced when Buckler couldn't continue.