Retiring Anthony Ruiz Submits Joey Cabezas in Tachi Palace Fights 32 Main Event
Anthony
Ruiz closed the book on his career with a decisive victory in
the Tachi Palace Fights 32 main event on Thursday at the Tachi
Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California. The “A-Train”
dominated fellow light heavyweight Joey
Cabezas and ultimately submitted him with a rear-naked choke in
the second round.
However, Ruiz found danger early in the fight. Cabezas latched on a kimura and nearly finished the Bellator MMA and Strikeforce veteran. Once Ruiz escaped, he turned the tide and never looked back. He controlled the second half of the first round with ground-and-pound and followed that blueprint in the second, where he put himself in position for the rear-naked choke and forced the tapout at 4:19.
It did not take long for lightweight Anthony
Avila to seal the deal against Ray Cervera,
even though he got clocked moments before securing a victory. “Baby
Ray” landed a powerful overhand right to the head that dropped
Avila. Cervera pounced and considered a guillotine choke, but “The
Shark” shrugged him off, wrapped up his right leg and bit down on a
heel hook. Cervera had no means of escape and tapped 2:05 into the
first round.
Budding heavyweight prospect Mohammed Usman improved to 2-0, as he destroyed Dante Harrell in 68 seconds. The powerful grappler charged at Harrell, scored with a slam and landed in side control. From there, Usman patiently framed a cross-body kimura, locked it in place and executed the submission.
Salvador Becerra was too much for Robby Ostovich to handle, as the Modesto, California, export was in charge from start to finish. Becerra rocked the Hawaiian with a pair of elbows to the head in the clinch. When Ostovich crumbled onto his side against the cage, Becerra unloaded with a tidal wave of elbows and punches until referee Mark Lawley pulled him back. The TKO came 3:04 into the 165-catchweight clash.
Mario Bautista was sensational in his second professional appearance, as he tore apart the debuting Devon Chavez. Bautista landed clean strikes and takedowns while threatening with submissions in the first round before closing the show in the second. After delivering a takedown, Bautista slid into side control, locked in a brabo choke and forced Chavez to tap 59 seconds into Round 2.
Lightweight Armando Espinoza threw everything at Ysidro Gutierrez but could not put him away in the first two rounds. He threatened with a standing arm-triangle, an armbar and several rear-naked chokes, but the gritty Gutierrez denied his advances. Moments into the third round, Espinoza faked a level change and floored his counterpart with a wicked right hook. He then pounced on the fallen Gutierrez, cinched the rear-naked choke and forced the tapout 32 seconds into Round 3.
Rising prospect Te Edwards outstruck Ousmane Thomas Diagne en route to a first-round stoppage. After the two men traded shots in and out of the clinch, the Phoenix-based wrestler caught Diagne off-guard and dropped him with a right head kick. From there, Edwards unloaded a series of punches on the American Kickboxing Academy rep until referee Jason McCoy intervened 2:27 into the first round.
However, Ruiz found danger early in the fight. Cabezas latched on a kimura and nearly finished the Bellator MMA and Strikeforce veteran. Once Ruiz escaped, he turned the tide and never looked back. He controlled the second half of the first round with ground-and-pound and followed that blueprint in the second, where he put himself in position for the rear-naked choke and forced the tapout at 4:19.
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Budding heavyweight prospect Mohammed Usman improved to 2-0, as he destroyed Dante Harrell in 68 seconds. The powerful grappler charged at Harrell, scored with a slam and landed in side control. From there, Usman patiently framed a cross-body kimura, locked it in place and executed the submission.
Salvador Becerra was too much for Robby Ostovich to handle, as the Modesto, California, export was in charge from start to finish. Becerra rocked the Hawaiian with a pair of elbows to the head in the clinch. When Ostovich crumbled onto his side against the cage, Becerra unloaded with a tidal wave of elbows and punches until referee Mark Lawley pulled him back. The TKO came 3:04 into the 165-catchweight clash.
Mario Bautista was sensational in his second professional appearance, as he tore apart the debuting Devon Chavez. Bautista landed clean strikes and takedowns while threatening with submissions in the first round before closing the show in the second. After delivering a takedown, Bautista slid into side control, locked in a brabo choke and forced Chavez to tap 59 seconds into Round 2.
Lightweight Armando Espinoza threw everything at Ysidro Gutierrez but could not put him away in the first two rounds. He threatened with a standing arm-triangle, an armbar and several rear-naked chokes, but the gritty Gutierrez denied his advances. Moments into the third round, Espinoza faked a level change and floored his counterpart with a wicked right hook. He then pounced on the fallen Gutierrez, cinched the rear-naked choke and forced the tapout 32 seconds into Round 3.
Rising prospect Te Edwards outstruck Ousmane Thomas Diagne en route to a first-round stoppage. After the two men traded shots in and out of the clinch, the Phoenix-based wrestler caught Diagne off-guard and dropped him with a right head kick. From there, Edwards unloaded a series of punches on the American Kickboxing Academy rep until referee Jason McCoy intervened 2:27 into the first round.
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