Jesse Brock Grinds Past Joe Murphy, Extends Winning Streak in RFA 27 Main Event

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Jesse Brock leapfrogged Joe Murphy in the Resurrection Fighting Alliance’s bantamweight pecking order.

Well-timed takedowns and a grinding top game carried Brock to a unanimous decision over Murphy in the RFA 27 headliner on Friday at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Brock (21-8), who has rattled off five straight wins.

Murphy (8-3) cut the Bellator MMA vet with a slashing standing elbow in the second round, but that was the extent of his effective offense. Brock moved forward behind active hands and delivered takedowns when the opportunities arose. He grounded Murphy three times over the final 3:30 to seal the deal.



In the flyweight co-main event, Czar Sklavos recorded his fifth win in six outings, as he claimed a unanimous verdict over Nicholas Burgos. Sklavos (12-4) swept the scorecards with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 marks from the judges.

The first two rounds were blowouts, as Sklavos struck for repeated takedowns, achieved full mount on multiple occasions and advanced to the Jeremy Horn protégé’s back. Though his rear-naked choke attempts failed, the 33-year-old racked up the points and bled the clock with superior control. Burgos (9-4) kept the fight standing for a majority of the third round and forced Sklavos to backpedal under threat of punches and knees. However, his efforts were not nearly enough to erase the deficit facing him entering round three, and they were largely erased when Sklavos executed another takedown, climbed to mount and assaulted him with short elbows in the closing seconds.

The defeat halted a run of six straight wins for Burgos.

Meanwhile, Pit Elevated’s Jan Jorgensen rebounded from his first career defeat and notched a split decision against Josue Lugo in a three-round heavyweight showcase. Two of the three cageside judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Jorgensen; a third cast a dissenting 29-28 nod in Lugo’s favor.

Lugo (7-2) was effective in spurts, especially early. However, an injured left hand and suspect gas tank left him compromised in the second and third rounds. There, Jorgensen (8-1) -- who starred as a defensive end with the Brigham Young University football team before transitioning to MMA -- trapped the Tachi Palace Fights alum in multiple clinches and targeted his legs and body with knee strikes.

The loss snapped Lugo’s four-fight winning streak.

Elsewhere, Scott Thometz knocked out American Kickboxing Academy representative Daniel Swain with first-round punches in a featured featherweight matchup. Swain (12-5-1) met his end just 30 seconds into round one.

Thometz (8-4) did not waste time. The 30-year-old blindsided Swain with a counter right hook and sent him crashing to the canvas in a dazed and vulnerable state. Thometz followed him there and knocked him unconscious with a series of lefts and rights to the face.

In other action, Millennia MMA export Stephen Martinez (11-3) submitted Darrell Flores (4-4) with a guillotine choke 2:58 into the first round of their lightweight duel; and Syndicate MMA rep Miles Hunsinger (5-0) earned a unanimous decision over Austin Miller (2-2) in their three-round welterweight battle, drawing 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 marks from the judges;

In amateur bouts, Michael Garcia eked out a split decision over Jeremiah Steele in a three-round encounter at 170 pounds; Austin Glenn submitted Dalton Holverson with an arm-triangle choke 1:19 into round two of their welterweight tilt; Cody Sattler took care of Sonny Silva with a head kick and follow-up punches 45 seconds into the first round of their clash at 145 pounds; and Paul Crawford captured a unanimous decision from Jordan Ransom in a three-round lightweight affair.