Derrick Krantz Solves Kassius Holdorf Riddle in Legacy Fighting Alliance 42 Headliner

Derrick Krantz had a deeper reservoir of experience upon which to draw and needed every bit of it.

Takedowns, positional control and ground-and-pound carried Krantz to a split decision over Kassius Holdorf in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 42 headliner on Friday at the Branson Convention Center in Branson, Missouri. Scores were 30-27 and 30-27 for Krantz and 29-28 for Holdorf.

Both men had opportunities in the 15-minute match. Holdorf (10-5, 1-1 LFA) buzzed the tower more than once in a back-and-forth first round, rattling the Team 515 representative with power punches from both hands. Krantz (21-10, 3-1 LFA) executed multiple takedowns, hunted for submissions and applied his ground-and-pound over the final 10 minutes, climbing to mount under the threat of a kimura late in the third round to close the deal.

The 30-year-old Krantz has won four of his last five fights.

In the welterweight co-main event, World Series of Fighting alum Jaleel Willis dispatched Chel Erwin-Davis with a knee strike and follow-up punches in the first round. Erwin-Davis (5-2, 0-1 LFA) succumbed to blows 70 seconds into Round 1, as he tasted defeat for the first time since April 19, 2014.

Willis (9-1, 1-1 LFA) scrambled to the rear waistlock position, pressed his counterpart to the fence and unleashed a close-quarters knee strike with power and precision. Erwin-Davis hit the deck and absorbed a volley of punches until referee Marc Wasem had seen enough.

It was the fifth first-round finish of Willis’ career.

Meanwhile, Bellator MMA veteran Jaimelene Nievera extended her winning streak to three fights with a unanimous decision over Katy Collins in a three-round women’s flyweight showcase. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Nievera (7-3, 1-0 LFA).

Collins (7-5, 0-3 LFA) did not make the necessary adjustments until it was too late. Nievera executed takedowns inside the first 10 seconds of the first and second rounds. She maintained a dominant position, stayed busy enough to avoid a restart and piled up points with ground-and-pound. Collins turned the tables with a takedown of her own in the third round, but the finish she needed was nowhere in sight. Once the final horn sounded, her fate was sealed.

The 30-year-old Collins has lost three fights in a row.

In other action, Josh Marsh knocked out Terry Britton with a short right hook 1:15 into the first round of their featherweight duel; Charles Johnson disposed of Andrew Kimzey with punches 1:41 into the first round of their flyweight confrontation; Lucas Clay eked out a split decision -- 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 -- over Mike Breeden in a three-round featherweight tilt; Julius Anglickas tapped Erick Murray with a rear-naked choke 2:29 into the third round of their light heavyweight affair; Tyler Flores submitted DiMarcco Hutchison with a rear-naked choke 2:02 into the second round of their encounter at 185 pounds; and Francisco Cortez put away Ryan Erickson with punches 16 seconds into he first round of their middleweight pairing.