Lori Tyler & Emily Miller
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
Jan. 7, 2007, All photos copyright IFL
September 9, 2006 witnessed Maurice Smith’s Seattle Tiger Sharks take on Matt Lindland’s Portland Wolfpack in Portland, Oregon. What added some MMA spice to this event was that Matt Horwich and Devin Cole were former members of the Tiger Sharks’ team. The end result was a night of fierce competition, and a superb night of top quality MMA for the packed-out house.
A victory in this showdown would earn one team a place in the semifinals on November 2, 2006.
The Battles
Ryan Schultz (5’10” 156 lb) vs. Cam Ward (5’11” 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Ryan Schultz vs Cam Ward
Round One
Cam fired the first shot of the night with a jab, and Ryan countered with his own jab – both were short of the mark. Cam circled away from Ryan’s right hand and sent in more tentative jabs.
3.30: They clinched.
3.28: Schultz took Ward down and fell into his guard as Ward wrapped up Schultz’s arms. Schultz climbed to his feet and unloaded a succession of gloves down at Ward as he kicked back up at Schultz.
3.11: Ryan remained standing and kicked Cam’s legs.
3.01: The ref stood Cam up.
2.48: Ryan threw out a jab; Cam countered with a leg kick, and Ryan came back with a right, left and overhand right. Cam landed his own left.
2.38: Schultz charged in with a left and right, then shoved Ward away. Ward moved in to strike, but Schultz dodged the broadside.
2.22: Schultz missed with a leg kick.
2.07: Schultz closed in and Ward evaded the attack. He appeared to be tentative with Schultz – showing too much respect for Ryan’s right hand.
2.06: Maurice Smith was calling for Cam to let Ryan come to him, but Cam moved in regardless. He rushed at Ryan with a big right that was too telegraphic and was easily avoided by Ryan. Cam tried to clinch, and Ryan fended him off.
1.59: Ward threw a jab; Schultz replied with ballistic fists, and the pair clinched.
1.52: From the clinch, Ryan took Cam down and fought from Ward’s half guard. Cam focused on tying up Ryan’s right arm and maneuvered him from half guard to full guard.
1.28: After Schultz unloaded a few body shots with his right glove, the ref restarted the action at center ring. Ward tied up Schultz’s right arm.
0.53: Schultz broke free and stood, forcing a vertical exchange. Schultz was able to corner Ward and unloaded a few fists before Ward escaped the assault.
0.14: Ryan scored with a left and right while rushing him. Cam answered with a right, before the bell rang.
Round Two
Cam went straight for the takedown; Ryan just shrugged him off.
3.45: Cam threw a right fist and Ryan countered with a leg kick. They clinched. Schultz delivered a thumping right body shot, and a right fist that Ward blocked, but Cam got caught with Ryan’s jab.
3.29: Schultz snuck in with a right, then paid for his trouble when Ward responded with his own right. Cam decided to counterpunch and circle – apparently following Maurice’s earlier advice. This strategy caused a standoff, until 2.48, when Ryan faked a right before following with a cracker right fist that dropped Cam. Ward climbed to his feet as Schultz rushed in. They traded blows, but Ryan was too strong and knocked Cam back down with a series of rights. He went in for the kill until 2.33, when the ref separated them, and ultimately called it a day for Cam.
Result: Ryan Schultz by ref stoppage – 2.38, Round Two.
Wolfpack 1 Tiger Sharks 0.
Brad Blackburn (5’10” 171 lb) vs. Chris Wilson (6’1” 170 lb)
– Welterweight
Brad Blackburn vs Chris Wilson
Round One
Wilson spat out a left and Blackburn countered with his own jab, then missed with a leg kick.
3.45: Chris outgunned Brad in a front-kick exchange that caused both fighters to retreat to opposite sides of the ring. Brad moved in with a left and right, which Chris avoided.
3.28: Wilson landed a leg kick. He moved in with fists blazing, but Blackburn backed out of their flight path.
3.12: Chris fired off one of his trademark lunging knees and it landed squarely in Brad’s midsection.
3.07: Brad opted for a takedown that Chris declined.
3.05: Chris scored another solid lunging knee to Brad’s body. Brad tried the takedown again, only to cop a third knee to the body, and a right hook from Chris.
2.57: Wilson threw up a high kick that Blackburn ducked under, before unleashing a right fist. They traded blows. Chris seemed to be out-boxing the boxer, when Brad tagged him with a cracking kick to Chris’s left thigh.
2.49: Blackburn went for the takedown. Wilson clinched and avoided the attempt, catching Blackburn with more knees to the body.
2.46: They separated.
2.37: Wilson landed a leg kick.
2.18: Chris scored with a front body kick.
2.12: Chris rushed Brad. He drove in another right lunging knee, but Brad was ready for this one, and countered with a powerful right hook that floored Chris. Brad started g’n’p-ing before Chris pulled him into his guard.
1.24: They climbed back up and exchanged uppercuts before separating.
1.11: Brad delivered a leg kick, then caught Chris with a body kick. They both attempted takedowns and eventually just fell to the canvas. Blackburn climbed and dropped back into Wilson’s guard. They struggled for domination up to the bell.
Round Two
3.43: Brad sent out a leg kick and Chris returned with a rib kick. Brad dispatched more leg kicks.
3.14: Brad tried another leg kick, but Chris countered with a right fist.
He then tried his own leg kick, and this time Brad countered with a jab.
3.03: Brad whacked in another leg kick. Prior to this bout, Blackburn was known for his boxing and Wilson for his Thai kicks, but it appeared both men were stealing the other’s thunder here.
3.00: Brad switched to southpaw. Chris’s high kick was off target. By the end of round two, the energy levels were waning. Brad closed the round well, taking Chris down with a suplex.
Round Three
More stand-up dueling.
3.05: Brad took Chris down. Chris kept Brad in his guard.
2.43: Brad stood and called Chris up.
2.35: Chris went for a spinning back kick that missed.
2.15: He caught Brad with a front kick.
2.11: Wilson moved in again and Blackburn latched on a guillotine. They fell to the floor. Blackburn had Wilson in his closed guard.
1.33: Wilson was out of the choke, but still in Blackburn’s guard.
1.18: Chris stood up. They looked gassed as Chris elected to drop down with a punch, but just fell back into Brad’s guard. Chris commenced g’n’p-ing as Brad vied for a triangle choke. Both men were too knackered to seal the deal.
Result: Brad Blackburn by unanimous decision.
Wolfpack 1 Tiger Sharks 1.
Matt Horwich (5’11” 185 lb) vs. Bristol Marunde (6’1” 185 lb)
– Middleweight
Matt Horwich vs Bristol Marunde
Round Three
Unfortunately, the coverage of this bout didn’t start until round three. Horwich caught Marunde with a left high kick – a technique that Matt had been doing a lot of work on. Bristol clinched.
3.46: Marunde delivered a knee to the body, then Horwich unloaded fists as he broke away from the clinch, catching Marunde with a left and right hook.
3.40: Bristol caught Matt with a jab and Matt responded with another high kick. Horwich was outgunning Marunde in the toe-to-toe.
3.35: Matt connected with a jab, followed by a lead-leg high kick that stirred Bristol.
3.32: Bristol replied with a leg kick. Just when he didn’t seem to have an answer for Matt’s high kicks, he caught Matt with successive, solid leg kicks. These worked well.
3.06: Horwich clinched. He attacked the body with punches as Bristol drove in knees to Horwich’s body and legs.
2.33: They parted. Marunde attacked Horwich’s leg again with a kick – punishment for Matt’s high kicks.
2.20: Matt got off a knee to Bristol’s body. Bristol answered with a front kick that Matt caught, and went for a shoot. Bristol fitted Matt with a guillotine and pulled him down.
1.56: Matt was out of the choke.
1.43: He went for Bristol’s back and pursued a rear naked choke.
0.54: They were back standing. The pair slugged it out from the clinch till the bell sounded.
Result: Matt Horwich by unanimous decision.
Wolfpack 2 Tiger Sharks 1.
Aaron Stark (6’1” 205 lb) vs. Reese Andy (5’10” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Aaron Stark vs Reese Andy
Round Three
Again, coverage didn’t commence until round three. Before this final round kicked off, the ring doctor closely checked a mouse under Stark’s right eye, before letting the action recommence. Southpaw Stark went for a jab and Andy shot in for the takedown. Stark resisted well.
3.13: Aaron ended up taking Reese down.
3.02: Aaron mounted Reese and was g’n’p-ing him against the ropes before the ref restarted them in the same position at center ring.
2.47: Aaron methodically pounded away at Reese, but there was little sting on the punches.
2.24: Andy rolled and gave Stark his back – bad move. Stark got his hooks in after mounting Andy’s back and pounded some more. Andy was trapped and unable to defend himself. The ref waved goodbye.
Result: Aaron Stark by referee stoppage – 2.00, Round Three.
Wolfpack 3 Tiger Sharks 1.
Allan Goes (6’0” 218 lb) vs. Devin Cole (6’4” 254 lb)
– Heavyweight
Allan Goes vs Devin Cole
Round One
Goes went for a kick and Cole took him straight down, with Goes applying a guillotine.
3.42: Cole popped his head out of the choke.
3.33: They were back standing. Devin was roughing Allan up, trying to overpower his smaller opponent.
3.09: With Allan trapped in the corner, Devin landed strong rights that put Allan on his butt. The ref watched closely; Allan was able to unload from his back and kept the ref happy.
2.56: Cole stood up: He wanted it back in toe-to-toe mode. They exchanged fists and clinched, with Cole forcing Goes back into the corner. Goes fought back by driving his knees into Cole’s body.
2.22: Devin unloaded a salvo of right uppercuts, fists and knees. He was mauling Allan. But Goes managed to work his way out of the corner.
2.05: Allan started launching his own uppercuts, which caused Devin to go for a takedown. [Maurice Smith said he’d been working on Allan’s stand-up game, and it was obviously paying off.]
2.00: Goes resisted the takedown and applied a guillotine, before pulling Cole to the floor. Devin tapped.
Result: Allan Goes by guillotine – 2.05, Round One.
Wolfpack 3 Tiger Sharks 2.
Emily Miller & Lori Tyler
