In a week where the hottest ticket in town was watching a ranch style house going up in smoke, King Of The Cage provided a needed respite for the fight fans of San Diego county. In their first event at the Pala Casino and Spa, KOTC put on an eleven fight card that didn't boast many big names but provided entertainment in spades. The venue was great! Pala should be the first choice for any MMA event in southern California. With a huge casino, plush rooms and multiple places to chow down I felt like I was on the Vegas strip. The 2500 seat auditorium where the fights were held was also nice and the multiple jumbo screens positioned around the room was a nice touch. Hopefully KOTC will have many more cards at this place.

The first fight of the evening pitted Dale Breese of Combat Grappling against Albert Hill who listed his style as street fighting. Now usually street fighting is code for "I think I could do well in a street fight but don't blame me when a big wrestler takes me down and humps my skull for ten minutes". Well Hill wasn't that kind of street fighter. After being taken down hard a few times, Hill showed guts and skill by launching an offense of his own that lasted the better part of the second round. Hill even landed three brutal knees to escape an armbar. Breese gets the decision due to his takedown dominance but a good portion of the crowd booed when his hand was raised.