International Fight League Play-By-Play
Sherdog.com's Scott Holmes is on hand at the Reliant Arena in
Houston, Texas for Friday's International Fight League action.
In the main event, middleweights Matt Lindland (Pictures) and Carlos Newton (Pictures) take the ring. Also, a pair of team contests feature the Los Angeles Anacondas against the Quad Cities Silverbacks, and the Tokyo Sabres versus the Tucson Scorpions.
Tokyo Sabres vs. Tucson Scorpions
Antonio McKee (Pictures) vs. Gabe Rivas (Pictures)
Round 1
They both exchange kicks to the gut to start the match. Antonio gets a takedown and passes into Gabe's half-guard. Antonio now in gabe's full guard, peppering him with punches. Antonio is in control, Working punches to the head. McKee gets full mount. First round is all McKee, 10-9 on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Round 2
McKee shoots and picks gabe up and drops him on his back. McKee keeps burying his face in gabe's chest and throwing irritating punches. Ref stands em up. McKee single legs into another takedown. McKee is on top holding gabe's hand underneath. Gabe kicks mckee and appears injured, favoring his right leg. McKee side kicks him in the stomach and Gabe goes down in pain. He yelled out from the leg as well McKee wins due to injury at 3:20 in 2nd round.
Vladimir Matyushenko (Pictures) vs. Dwayne Compton (Pictures)
Round 1
Compton immediatley grabs Vladimir and tries to take him down. Vladimir rolls into his guard and immediatelty gets mount. Matyushenko postures and starts punching. Compton's in trouble. Matyushenko is looking to set up the arm. He's gets the armbar for the tap at 1:47 of the first round. Impressive victory for Vladimir Matyushenko.
John Marsh (Pictures) vs. Chad Griggs (Pictures)
Round 1
Marsh goes for the legs but Chad sprawls out Marsh puts Chad on his back and the ref moves them back to the center of the ring. Griggs is throwing punches from his back. Griggs is looking for a Kimura. Marsh counters by dropping back for the ankle. Griggs kicks out of it but marsh ends up in side mount. The ref stands them up. Griggs lands a knee as marsh tries to shoot in. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Marsh.
Round 2
Marsh lands a hard right. Griggs comes back with his own and marsh ends up on his back. Griggs is hitting marsh with hard punches but Marsh is very active. Griggs clinches Marsh and lands a knee to the head. He stalls and eats and assortment of punches. The round ends with Sherdog.com scoring it 10-9 for Griggs.
Round 3
Marsh comes in and trys to knee but falls onto his back. He reverses and ends up in Griggs' half-guard. Griggs scrambles out and gets full mount. Chad's pummeling Marsh now. Griggs throws a few more punches and the ref steps in to halt the bout at 2:32 of the third round.
Savant Young (Pictures) vs. Ed West (Pictures)
Round 1
Young catches a West knee and drops him on his back ala Rampage style. The crowd goes wild. Young working from West's guard. The ref restarts the action in the center of the ring on the feet. West lands a roundhouse to the gut of Young. Savant unloads and a crisp combo. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Savant Young.
Round 2
Lots of dancing to start the second frame. Neither fighter seems willing to attack first. Young unloads a left and a right. West falls back and Young jumps into his guard. Young pops him with a right hand. After another ref standup West lands a high kick to the ear of Savant, He answers with a straight left to the gut. Young clinches and puts West on his back. West is climbing for a triangle but Savant escapes. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Young.
Round 3
Both men rush each other and Savant lands on his back. The ref moves them to the center and West is on top for the first time. West headbuts Savant in the stomach, twice. West lets him up and walks away cavellierly. Savant again explodes and lands a hard right. West and Savant clinch and Savant's corner yells for knees. Savant listens and hits West twice in the face and it pushes him out of the ropes. The ref brings them back in and the the round ends. Savant wins a unanimous decision, 30-27 from all judges.
Masaaki Izena (Pictures) vs. Matt Ver Halen (Pictures)
Round 1
This fight begins with Izena picking Ver Halen up and carrying him to his corner. Ver Halen gets his feet planted and tosses Izena on his back Izena scrambles and gets side control and statrs landing knees. Izena gets into Ver Halen's guard and postures up high. Izena starts firing off big shots straight down the pike. Ver Halen gets a few shots off from his back. It seems like every punch they throw connects solidly on the chin. Every shot these guys throw is on the button and the crowd loves it.Sherdog.coms scores the round 10-9 for Izena.
Round 2
Ver Halen comes in strong and drops Izena with a right but he recovers Both men are game but Ver Halen keeps rocking Izena with kicks and solid rights. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Ver Halen.
Round 3
Izena gets a single leg but ends up in Ver Halen's guillotine. Ver Halen is tightening up but Izena somehow gets out. Ver Halen is going for the armbar from his back Izena is holding his arm for dear life. Izena is always calm and never looks troubled. Izena is stacking him to take off the pressure. Ver Halen is still working for that arm. Izena perserveres and gets out. Ver Halen rocks Izena with a punch from his back. Izena answers with a right. Izena puts Ver Haen on his back to end the round. Ver Halen gets the nod on the Sherdog.com scorecard in the close final round. 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Ver Halen wins via unanimous decision.
The Tokyo Sabres win the team battle, 3-2.
Los Angeles Anacondas vs. Quad Cities Silverbacks
Matt Thompson (Pictures) vs. Ben Rothwell (Pictures)
Round 1
Ben charges to the center and clinches with Matt. Matt and Ben trade knees to the legs. Rothwell and Thompson exchange and Matt eats a hard right. Rothwell continually tags Thompson in the right ribs. Thompsons side is very red. Rothwell connects to Matt's left ear with a high kick. Rothwell unloads a combo on Thompson. Thompson answers with uppercuts. Thompson is very outmatched in this fight but has really hung in there. He lost the round but stayed game and got a few good shots in on Rothwell. Sherdog.com scores the first frame 10-9 for Rothwell.
Round 2
Thompson comes out swinging and lands a hook combo. Rothwell connects with a left jab. Ref stops the fight to look at a cut on Thompson's right eye. The fight continues and both men snap each other's heads with left jabs. Rothwell rocks Thompson with a right and puts him down. He keeps up the onslaught of punches and the ref stops the fight at 1:47 of round 2. The right hand was to the back of Thompson's head but it still staggered him. Rothwell congratulates Matt for stepping in there and putting on a good fight.
Jay Hieron (Pictures) vs. Victor Moreno (Pictures)
Round 1
Hieron comes out strong with some sharp leg kicks. Moreno walks into another kick that makes Moreno rethink his plan and clinch. Hieron dumps him on his back and starts punching. Moreno rolls over and gives up his back. Hieron sinks the rear naked choke and wins at 1:55 in Round 1.
Benji Radach (Pictures) vs. Ryan McGivern (Pictures)
Round 1
Ryan starts off the fight by dropping Benji with his first punch. Benji gets on all fours while McGivern rains down shots to his head. Benji manages to stand and gets out of trouble, eventually putting Ryan on his back. Ryan's butterfly guard keeps Benji from getting him in too much trouble. Despite the great start, Benji wins the round on the Sherdog scorecard.
Round 2
Both men stall and clinch for a while. When the ref seperates them Benji nails him with an uppercut and then follows it up with several shots that put McGivern on his back in the corner. The ref steps in and Benji wins at 2:22 by TKO in the 2nd round.
Chris Horodecki (Pictures) vs. Bart Palaszewski (Pictures)
Round 1
Both fighters are equally exchanging the odd kick and combo. Each fighter lands a sharp right hand. Bart throws a kick and Chris catches it. With his arms around the leg, Bart seizes the opportunity and hits Chris while his hands are down. Chris is rocked and Bart hits him a few more times and then gets him in a standing guillotine. 14 seconds left in the round and Chris wisely slips out of the ropes. The guillotine was sunk deep and he reenters the ring very slowly and gets out of the round luckily. Sherdog.com scores the first stanza 10-9 for "Bartimus."
Round 2
Chris comes into the second round looking reenergized. He comes at Bart with a leg trip and back on their feet he lands a few kicks to Bart's head and Team Anaconda goes nuts. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-8 for Horodecki.
Round 3
Chris puts Bart on his back but gets lifted straight vertically by his butterfly guard. Back up top both men are swinging wildly and connecting. Chris again leg trips Bart and gets on top. Chris stands up and starts kicking Bart's thighs until Bart grabs a leg and pulls him down. Bart knees Chris in the face but Chris was on his knees and the ref calls time. Action begins again and Chris starts listening to his corner. "Up, down and outside." Chris delivers the stright, leg kick and then left kick to the head. Chris's team yells for more odd combos and Chris again delivers this time knocking Bart down but Bart plays it off. Chris finishes round 3 with more kicks and straight combos. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-8 for Chris Horodecki.
Official score is announced: 29-28 Bart, 29-28 Chris and 29-28 for Chris Horodecki.
Alex Schoenauer (Pictures) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Pictures)
Round 1
Alex tags Mike with a leg kick or two but then Mike is able to take him down. Alex works his way back up to his feet and tries for a guillotine. The ref seperates the fighters and back on their feet, Alex delivers a hard front kick to Mike's chest. Mike hits the corner of the ropes and Alex tries for another guillotine but the round ends. Neither man did much damage but Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Alex Schoenauer.
Round 2
Alex throws a leg kick and Mike snags it and puts him on his back. Alex keeps tying up Mike's hands keeping him from doing much damage. The majority of the round both men are fairy inactive and the crowd boos. Sherdog.com scores the close round 10-9 for Schoenauer.
Round 3
Alex is dancing and moving more this round. Alex finally is able to land a few shots and the crowd gets excited. He throws a few combos and Mike looks gassed. Alex transitions quickly to an ankle lock but the ref stops it since they are outside of the ropes. Bas's team throws a fit. The ref stands them up again and Alex starts to let his hands fly but a missed roundhouse allows Mike to put him on his back. Sherdog.com scores the fight 30-27 for Alex Schoenauer.
Official score:
29-28 Mike
29-28 Alex
29-28 Mike
The crowd boos the decision.
The Anacondas handed the Silverbacks their first defeat in the IFL, 3-2.
Main Event
Matt Lindland (Pictures) vs. Carlos Newton (Pictures)
Round 1
Matt throws a punch but gets clinched up. Newton works to wrestle with Matt and gets put on his back. Matt stands up to throw but Carlos snags a leg and makes him sprawl out. Matt powers his way on top and throws shots but Carlos covers up well. Matt knees Carlos in the face while he's on his kness and his nose starts to bleed. Matt stays on top and tries to posture up and throw hard shots but again Carlos defends well. Matt starts elbowing the body and Carlos tries to get back up and the round ends. Sherdog.com scores the frame 10-9 for Lindland.
Round 2
Matt and Carlos starts swinging and Matt starts landing hard shots but Carlos won't go down. Matt puts him in the corner and dumps him on his back. Carlos gets stuck in a guillotine and almost sweeps Matt out but they are caught in the ropes. Matt keeps it tight and Carlos is foreced to tap at 1:43 of the second round and is left dazed on the mat. The ref had to pull Lindland off.
In the main event, middleweights Matt Lindland (Pictures) and Carlos Newton (Pictures) take the ring. Also, a pair of team contests feature the Los Angeles Anacondas against the Quad Cities Silverbacks, and the Tokyo Sabres versus the Tucson Scorpions.
Tokyo Sabres vs. Tucson Scorpions
Antonio McKee (Pictures) vs. Gabe Rivas (Pictures)
Round 1
They both exchange kicks to the gut to start the match. Antonio gets a takedown and passes into Gabe's half-guard. Antonio now in gabe's full guard, peppering him with punches. Antonio is in control, Working punches to the head. McKee gets full mount. First round is all McKee, 10-9 on the Sherdog.com scorecard.
Round 2
McKee shoots and picks gabe up and drops him on his back. McKee keeps burying his face in gabe's chest and throwing irritating punches. Ref stands em up. McKee single legs into another takedown. McKee is on top holding gabe's hand underneath. Gabe kicks mckee and appears injured, favoring his right leg. McKee side kicks him in the stomach and Gabe goes down in pain. He yelled out from the leg as well McKee wins due to injury at 3:20 in 2nd round.
Vladimir Matyushenko (Pictures) vs. Dwayne Compton (Pictures)
Round 1
Compton immediatley grabs Vladimir and tries to take him down. Vladimir rolls into his guard and immediatelty gets mount. Matyushenko postures and starts punching. Compton's in trouble. Matyushenko is looking to set up the arm. He's gets the armbar for the tap at 1:47 of the first round. Impressive victory for Vladimir Matyushenko.
John Marsh (Pictures) vs. Chad Griggs (Pictures)
Round 1
Marsh goes for the legs but Chad sprawls out Marsh puts Chad on his back and the ref moves them back to the center of the ring. Griggs is throwing punches from his back. Griggs is looking for a Kimura. Marsh counters by dropping back for the ankle. Griggs kicks out of it but marsh ends up in side mount. The ref stands them up. Griggs lands a knee as marsh tries to shoot in. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Marsh.
Round 2
Marsh lands a hard right. Griggs comes back with his own and marsh ends up on his back. Griggs is hitting marsh with hard punches but Marsh is very active. Griggs clinches Marsh and lands a knee to the head. He stalls and eats and assortment of punches. The round ends with Sherdog.com scoring it 10-9 for Griggs.
Round 3
Marsh comes in and trys to knee but falls onto his back. He reverses and ends up in Griggs' half-guard. Griggs scrambles out and gets full mount. Chad's pummeling Marsh now. Griggs throws a few more punches and the ref steps in to halt the bout at 2:32 of the third round.
Savant Young (Pictures) vs. Ed West (Pictures)
Round 1
Young catches a West knee and drops him on his back ala Rampage style. The crowd goes wild. Young working from West's guard. The ref restarts the action in the center of the ring on the feet. West lands a roundhouse to the gut of Young. Savant unloads and a crisp combo. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Savant Young.
Round 2
Lots of dancing to start the second frame. Neither fighter seems willing to attack first. Young unloads a left and a right. West falls back and Young jumps into his guard. Young pops him with a right hand. After another ref standup West lands a high kick to the ear of Savant, He answers with a straight left to the gut. Young clinches and puts West on his back. West is climbing for a triangle but Savant escapes. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Young.
Round 3
Both men rush each other and Savant lands on his back. The ref moves them to the center and West is on top for the first time. West headbuts Savant in the stomach, twice. West lets him up and walks away cavellierly. Savant again explodes and lands a hard right. West and Savant clinch and Savant's corner yells for knees. Savant listens and hits West twice in the face and it pushes him out of the ropes. The ref brings them back in and the the round ends. Savant wins a unanimous decision, 30-27 from all judges.
Masaaki Izena (Pictures) vs. Matt Ver Halen (Pictures)
Round 1
This fight begins with Izena picking Ver Halen up and carrying him to his corner. Ver Halen gets his feet planted and tosses Izena on his back Izena scrambles and gets side control and statrs landing knees. Izena gets into Ver Halen's guard and postures up high. Izena starts firing off big shots straight down the pike. Ver Halen gets a few shots off from his back. It seems like every punch they throw connects solidly on the chin. Every shot these guys throw is on the button and the crowd loves it.Sherdog.coms scores the round 10-9 for Izena.
Round 2
Ver Halen comes in strong and drops Izena with a right but he recovers Both men are game but Ver Halen keeps rocking Izena with kicks and solid rights. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Ver Halen.
Round 3
Izena gets a single leg but ends up in Ver Halen's guillotine. Ver Halen is tightening up but Izena somehow gets out. Ver Halen is going for the armbar from his back Izena is holding his arm for dear life. Izena is always calm and never looks troubled. Izena is stacking him to take off the pressure. Ver Halen is still working for that arm. Izena perserveres and gets out. Ver Halen rocks Izena with a punch from his back. Izena answers with a right. Izena puts Ver Haen on his back to end the round. Ver Halen gets the nod on the Sherdog.com scorecard in the close final round. 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Ver Halen wins via unanimous decision.
The Tokyo Sabres win the team battle, 3-2.
Los Angeles Anacondas vs. Quad Cities Silverbacks
Matt Thompson (Pictures) vs. Ben Rothwell (Pictures)
Round 1
Ben charges to the center and clinches with Matt. Matt and Ben trade knees to the legs. Rothwell and Thompson exchange and Matt eats a hard right. Rothwell continually tags Thompson in the right ribs. Thompsons side is very red. Rothwell connects to Matt's left ear with a high kick. Rothwell unloads a combo on Thompson. Thompson answers with uppercuts. Thompson is very outmatched in this fight but has really hung in there. He lost the round but stayed game and got a few good shots in on Rothwell. Sherdog.com scores the first frame 10-9 for Rothwell.
Round 2
Thompson comes out swinging and lands a hook combo. Rothwell connects with a left jab. Ref stops the fight to look at a cut on Thompson's right eye. The fight continues and both men snap each other's heads with left jabs. Rothwell rocks Thompson with a right and puts him down. He keeps up the onslaught of punches and the ref stops the fight at 1:47 of round 2. The right hand was to the back of Thompson's head but it still staggered him. Rothwell congratulates Matt for stepping in there and putting on a good fight.
Jay Hieron (Pictures) vs. Victor Moreno (Pictures)
Round 1
Hieron comes out strong with some sharp leg kicks. Moreno walks into another kick that makes Moreno rethink his plan and clinch. Hieron dumps him on his back and starts punching. Moreno rolls over and gives up his back. Hieron sinks the rear naked choke and wins at 1:55 in Round 1.
Benji Radach (Pictures) vs. Ryan McGivern (Pictures)
Round 1
Ryan starts off the fight by dropping Benji with his first punch. Benji gets on all fours while McGivern rains down shots to his head. Benji manages to stand and gets out of trouble, eventually putting Ryan on his back. Ryan's butterfly guard keeps Benji from getting him in too much trouble. Despite the great start, Benji wins the round on the Sherdog scorecard.
Round 2
Both men stall and clinch for a while. When the ref seperates them Benji nails him with an uppercut and then follows it up with several shots that put McGivern on his back in the corner. The ref steps in and Benji wins at 2:22 by TKO in the 2nd round.
Chris Horodecki (Pictures) vs. Bart Palaszewski (Pictures)
Round 1
Both fighters are equally exchanging the odd kick and combo. Each fighter lands a sharp right hand. Bart throws a kick and Chris catches it. With his arms around the leg, Bart seizes the opportunity and hits Chris while his hands are down. Chris is rocked and Bart hits him a few more times and then gets him in a standing guillotine. 14 seconds left in the round and Chris wisely slips out of the ropes. The guillotine was sunk deep and he reenters the ring very slowly and gets out of the round luckily. Sherdog.com scores the first stanza 10-9 for "Bartimus."
Round 2
Chris comes into the second round looking reenergized. He comes at Bart with a leg trip and back on their feet he lands a few kicks to Bart's head and Team Anaconda goes nuts. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-8 for Horodecki.
Round 3
Chris puts Bart on his back but gets lifted straight vertically by his butterfly guard. Back up top both men are swinging wildly and connecting. Chris again leg trips Bart and gets on top. Chris stands up and starts kicking Bart's thighs until Bart grabs a leg and pulls him down. Bart knees Chris in the face but Chris was on his knees and the ref calls time. Action begins again and Chris starts listening to his corner. "Up, down and outside." Chris delivers the stright, leg kick and then left kick to the head. Chris's team yells for more odd combos and Chris again delivers this time knocking Bart down but Bart plays it off. Chris finishes round 3 with more kicks and straight combos. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-8 for Chris Horodecki.
Official score is announced: 29-28 Bart, 29-28 Chris and 29-28 for Chris Horodecki.
Alex Schoenauer (Pictures) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Pictures)
Round 1
Alex tags Mike with a leg kick or two but then Mike is able to take him down. Alex works his way back up to his feet and tries for a guillotine. The ref seperates the fighters and back on their feet, Alex delivers a hard front kick to Mike's chest. Mike hits the corner of the ropes and Alex tries for another guillotine but the round ends. Neither man did much damage but Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Alex Schoenauer.
Round 2
Alex throws a leg kick and Mike snags it and puts him on his back. Alex keeps tying up Mike's hands keeping him from doing much damage. The majority of the round both men are fairy inactive and the crowd boos. Sherdog.com scores the close round 10-9 for Schoenauer.
Round 3
Alex is dancing and moving more this round. Alex finally is able to land a few shots and the crowd gets excited. He throws a few combos and Mike looks gassed. Alex transitions quickly to an ankle lock but the ref stops it since they are outside of the ropes. Bas's team throws a fit. The ref stands them up again and Alex starts to let his hands fly but a missed roundhouse allows Mike to put him on his back. Sherdog.com scores the fight 30-27 for Alex Schoenauer.
Official score:
29-28 Mike
29-28 Alex
29-28 Mike
The crowd boos the decision.
The Anacondas handed the Silverbacks their first defeat in the IFL, 3-2.
Main Event
Matt Lindland (Pictures) vs. Carlos Newton (Pictures)
Round 1
Matt throws a punch but gets clinched up. Newton works to wrestle with Matt and gets put on his back. Matt stands up to throw but Carlos snags a leg and makes him sprawl out. Matt powers his way on top and throws shots but Carlos covers up well. Matt knees Carlos in the face while he's on his kness and his nose starts to bleed. Matt stays on top and tries to posture up and throw hard shots but again Carlos defends well. Matt starts elbowing the body and Carlos tries to get back up and the round ends. Sherdog.com scores the frame 10-9 for Lindland.
Round 2
Matt and Carlos starts swinging and Matt starts landing hard shots but Carlos won't go down. Matt puts him in the corner and dumps him on his back. Carlos gets stuck in a guillotine and almost sweeps Matt out but they are caught in the ropes. Matt keeps it tight and Carlos is foreced to tap at 1:43 of the second round and is left dazed on the mat. The ref had to pull Lindland off.
