Emily Miller
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
Jan. 16, 2007, all photos copyright IFL
May 29, 2006 saw Maurice Smith’s Seattle Tiger Sharks take on Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The winning team from this meet would take on Pat Miletich’s Silverbacks.
Ironically, prior to the middleweight match-up of the night, Stephen Quadros had Dennis Hallman standing in the IFL ring to model his Gladiator mouthguard, IFL Tiger Sharks’ uniform, and his Fairtex fighting mitts. Fortunately, Dennis was wearing his mouthguard in the bout that followed.
Also of interest: The IFL Legends Championship of 2006 was the last event where Devin Cole and Matt Horwich represented the Tiger Sharks; both athletes later transferred to the Portland Wolfpack coached by Matt Lindland.
The Battles
Erik Owings (5’9” 155 lb) vs. Justin Jones (5’10” 154 lb)
– Lightweight
Erik Owings vs Justin Jones
Justin – the kickboxer – came to strike, but Erik – the BJJ exponent – clinched immediately, with the takedown being his primary objective. However, Justin forced Erik into the corner to resist the takedown attempt. Both players appeared extremely relaxed.
3.25: Owings eventually pushed his way out of the corner and the clinch was broken. Jones jabbed away at his southpaw opponent before catching him with a right. Owings replied with fists, though Jones dodged them well.
3.11: Erik landed a thigh kick and Justin kept pursuing him – something BJJ guys love strikers to do.
2.57: Justin scored with a right that put Erik on the canvas. Justin rushed in to follow up with g’n’p-ing and was in Erik’s guard as Owings tied up Jones’s head. Justin didn’t want to stay on the ground with the grappler, so he stood up with Erik still wrapped around him in the guard, and forced Owings against the ropes.
2.07: They separated. Owings sent in a kick that Jones caught, but Erik yanked his foot free after delivering a punch.
1.56: With Erik’s legs wrapped around Justin’s body, Owings seized Jones’s head in a lock.
1.47: They parted again. The pair exchanged punches and Owings seemed to be faring well in the stand off. His boxing wasn’t exactly a clinical performance – not unless you’re used to working in Dr Frankenstein’s laboratory – but it did the job.
1.18: Owings rocked Jones with a right hook to the temple, then shot in and latched on a guillotine. Justin tapped.
Result: Erik Owings by guillotine – 2.50, Round One.
Pitbulls 1 – Tiger Sharks 0.
Brad Blackburn (5’10” 171 lb) vs. Gustavo Machado (6’0” 171 lb)
– Welterweight
Brad Blackburn vs Gustavo Machado
Coverage of this match commenced at the start of round three.
3.46: Brad delivered a leg kick. He was using his powerful jab to keep Machado at bay.
3.30: Gustavo employed a series of his own leg kicks, but backed up when Brad replied with fists. Blackburn kept Machado busy by attacking him up high with fists, and down low with kicks; while Brad was attacking, Gustavo was focused on dodging rather than following his own game plan.
2.56: Blackburn switched his attention to striking Machado’s midsection with right punches.
2.43: Machado shot out his own kick that buckled Blackburn’s lead leg.
2.29: They clinched, then broke free at 2.24.
2.08: Gustavo landed another leg kick, followed by a jab. But if this was the deciding round, then Blackburn was working too hard for Machado to take the match on points.
1.35: Brad attacked Gustavo’s legs. Machado tried his own leg kick, and Blackburn countered with a right to the head. The standoff continued until 0.45, when Gustavo caught one of Brad’s kicks and took him down. He attacked Brad with left fists. Blackburn tried to break free, but Machado liked having the action down there. He then opted for a heel hook on Blackburn, however Brad eluded the attempt and the bell rang.
Result: Brad Blackburn by split decision.
Pitbulls 1 – Tiger Sharks 1.
Dennis Hallman (5’9” 185 lb) vs. Delson Heleno (5’10” 185 lb)
– Middleweight
Dennis Hallman vs Delson Heleno
After Delson displayed his capoeira skills in the ring the day before this fight, Dennis would have known to watch for Delson’s powerhouse kicks. They touched gloves and performed synchronized leg licks – Delson followed his kick with a right fist that Dennis blocked. Heleno immediately adopted a kicker’s long stance, but Hallman got in early with a high kick that Heleno evaded.
3.45: Hallman elected to shoot, then fought from Heleno’s guard.
3.22: Heleno rolled Hallman with a sweep and had Dennis fighting from his back.
3.08: Delson worked his way from the guard to half guard – then back into guard. There was more grappling from here rather than g’n’p-ing. In the process, Dennis tried for a guillotine and Delson looked for a neck crank. But both men were too elusive: The high-calibre skills of these athletes enabled them to block each other’s submission attempts.
1.55: Delson was back in half guard.
1.43: He had side control.
0.58: He briefly got north-south position before switching back to side control.
0.24: Just as Delson achieved the mount, Dennis swept him over and fought from Delson’s half guard. This was a great display of canvas craftsmanship.
0.03: Hallman sat up and Heleno caught him squarely on the dial with a whopping right kick – fortunately the follow-up left kick missed, but Hallman was cactus. Referee Herb Dean jumped straight in and stopped the assault, and disqualified Heleno for kicking a downed opponent.
Result: Dennis Hallman by disqualification.
Tiger Sharks 2 – Pitbulls 1.
Jamal Patterson (6’0” 205 lb) vs. Matt Horwich (6’2” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Jamal Patterson vs Matt Horwich
Matt commenced proceedings with a left high-kick, and Jamal contributed a jab – both strikes failed to connect. Jamal fired off a jab and right cross which Matt ducked under, going for a takedown. Jamal defended the attempt as they wrangled around the ring in a clinch, until Jamal eventually took Matt down at 3.31 into the first round.
3.19: Horwich wriggled Patterson from half guard to full guard.
3.10: Patterson knelt up and fitted Horwich with a guillotine that had Matt’s left arm trapped in the hold.
2.50: They were back standing in a clinch.
2.41: The pair squared off at center ring. Matt delivered a tentative leg kick, and Jamal threw a few punches before the men clinched again.
2.32: Horwich kneed Patterson in the midsection. Patterson spun Horwich into the corner and attempted a takedown.
2.16: He succeeded with the move, but Horwich slipped a guillotine on Patterson.
1.38: Jamal was free and standing. He started to g’n’p, then got Matt’s back.
1.02: Matt tapped from Jamal’s rear naked choke.
Result: Jamal Patterson by R. N. C. – 2.57, Round One.
Tiger Sharks 2 – Pitbulls 2.
Devin Cole (6’4” 236 lb) vs. Carlos Cline (6’0” 249 lb)
– Heavyweight
Devin Cole vs Carlos Cline
With the score locked at two all, this final match was also the deciding bout.
Round One
They exchanged jabs – Devin standing orthodox and Carlos switching back and forth from southpaw to orthodox.
3.41: Devin lunged in for a shoot. Carlos pulled him down and tried for the guillotine before looking for other options, whilst Devin knelt up like a giant, motionless cane toad. It appeared to be Devin’s way of saying, ‘You’ve got a free shot: What are you going to do about it?’
3.02: They stood up.
2.51: The pair were trading blows when Carlos caught Devin with a jab that reminded Devin to lift his guard.
2.36: Another clinch and Cole took Cline down.
2.15: With little resistance, Cole got the mount. The ref watched closely, but Devin’s g’n’p was a soft touch – they definitely weren’t telling blows.
2.00: Carlos rolled and gave Devin his back.
1.31: After some scrambling, Cole was in Cline’s guard. He then stood before moving into Cline’s half guard.
0.54: The ref moved them from the ropes to center ring. They wriggled around until the bell. If Devin’s earlier g’n’p-ing blows had been more accurate and damaging, the bout would have been over.
Round Two
They moved from toe-to-toe to the clinch, until 3.44, when Devin took Carlos down. Devin was back in half guard, then full guard.
2.17: After more scrummaging for position, Cline looked to be going for a front headlock, then temporarily hung on to Cole’s left ankle with no apparent motive.
1.20: He opted for the g’n’p which was much more productive. As Devin stood, Carlos unloaded uppercuts and Devin clinched.
0.58: Carlos tried to strike some more, but Devin took him down and landed in Carlos’s closed guard. Neither man was able to dominate from here before the bell rang.
Round Three
Cline delivered a leg kick.
3.40: Cole took Cline to the floor and fought from Cline’s half guard, before Cline switched it to a full guard. Devin had Carlos on the ground where he wanted the fight to be, but he didn’t have the g’n’p skills to finish Carlos off.
0.53: The ref stood them up. Carlos was too gassed to fire off more strikes and Devin took him back down. With five seconds remaining, the ref stood them again, but the bell pulled it up.
Result: Devin Cole by unanimous decision.
Tiger Sharks 3 Pitbulls 2.
Lori Tyler
