It was a busy weekend for the Mixed Martial Arts team with two promotions on- Eternal MMA 37 in Perth and Path to Hex 6 in Melbourne. We had a total of 8 fighters from the MMA team out in force, it was amazing to see so many of you giving it your best in the cage! Our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors also stepped up at ADCC Melbourne, with over 10 from the team heading into the event to prove themselves. We also made movements internationally, with Shantelle Thompson from the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition team competing at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation Grand Slam in Los Angeles.
Six of our amateur MMA team were matched for Path to Hex 6, with Rebecca “The Punisher” Cerra kicking things off on fight number one of the card. Up against a more experienced opponent in Angelica Silva, Bec pulled through with a win by decision! Great defense by Bec, who defended multiple take down attempts. Congratulations on your result Bec, we look forward to seeing you back in the cage again soon.
Wayne Cornell was up next for the team on fight number 3 of the card, facing off against opponent Joseph Moore (Extreme MMA). Wayne got in some good shots in the first round, unfortunately also taking a big hit to the eye as well. This injury plagued him for the rest of the bout, and Wayne did well to get through the 3 rounds following, with the fight ending in a loss via decision. Congratulations on getting in there for your debut fight Wayne, you showed great spirit and we are proud to be a part of your MMA journey!
Fight six on the card rolled around, and Will Toumbos from the team was up against Andrew Iskander. Will showed good control in the first round, unfortunately copping a large uppercut in the second round, the bout eventuating in a loss via TKO for Will.
Marking the halfway point on the card was our southpaw Yvonne Chow, versing opponent Annie Thatcher. The fight went the full three rounds, with the bout ending in a loss for Yvonne. Plenty to work on and learn from going forward, good on you for getting back in there Yvonne! You’ll come back stronger for your experience.
Our fifth fighter for Path to Hex 6 Sovann Benoit was up against Colin Richardson (Pro Fitness MMA) in a middleweight clash! It was a great fight from Sovann, who unfortunately got his back taken and conceded the fight in a loss via RNC.
Coach Kevin Jousset was last but not least on the card for the team, up against Jayden Groen (Conquer Martial Arts) in an 80kg bout. Kevin was hugely dominant in the fight, taking away the win in the first round via TKO. What a machine! Kevin is set to fight again in five weeks time- watch this space!
Interstate in Perth, Lisa Kyriacou and Josh Grove from the MMA team went to war on Eternal MMA 37 which featured both amateur and professional bouts. Lisa was up first for the team on fight 11 of the amateur card, fresh off her win at the last Path to Hex. Up against opponent Courtney Martin. Lisa was given a tougher test this time to see where her skills were at. After doing well to survive in some tricky spots in the first round, she took a TKO loss early in the second round at 1.55. A good experience for her to go through early in her amateur career, she will be back in the gym with more direction and a better understanding of where she needs to be.
Josh Grove closed up the amateur card on fight 17 of the night, coming off two previous wins at Eternal MMA this year. This time he faced up against his toughest test in the home town favorite and highly regarded amateur Brodie Paino.
Josh got hit hard early in the first round and melted, doing extremely well to survive. The referee looked to stop the fight on multiple occasions, but Josh ran on autopilot, not quite sure where he was, his instincts helping him survive the bout. He made his way back to his fee
t, still on skates, and survived the first round. Josh spent the first 30 seconds of the second round still getting his wits back, and started to have some success on the feet working from the southpaw stance. He started to turn up the pressure and take over the fight. Second round was even, but it was clear Josh had the momentum behind him as the fight entered the third round.
3rd round, Josh wanted the fight and it was all Josh. His opponent was tiring and Josh continued the forward pressure, securing 4 take downs in the final round, delivering heavy ground and pound pressure. The Perth crowd were on their feet, and both boys came out of the bout with a huge amount of respect. Amazing performance from Josh in a bout that was awarded Fight of the Night. Despite sustaining a loss via split decision, Josh has proved himself as one of the best amateurs in Australia and is one to watch in the future. We look forward to seeing these two boys go again on the professional circuit in the years to come!
Other results from Eternal MMA 37 available here: http://www.fightnewsaustralia.com/eternal-mma-37-results/
Sunday saw ADCC come to Melbourne to put on the ADCC Melbourne Open. Absolute MMA had numerous competitors enter and compete in what was a very successful day overall. Coach, and resident Sales Manager Richard “Lattemagic” managed to walk away with a bronze medal in his weight division utilizing his dangerous guard skills to unsettle his opponents. Other notable performances were Jason Gunawan coming away with gold, Daniel Ha with silver, and Rio Iskander securing bronze, all in their respective divisions. Congratulations to all the other competitors who got out there and gave it their all. As always we are very proud of anyone who puts it on the line and steps onto the mats to test themselves in competition!
Well done to coach James Walters winning the ADCC Melbourne Pro Absolute divison. After losing to the always game Jake Myers in his weight division – James regrouped and came out victorious in hard fought Absolute division matches. The Absolute final with Jake Myers was a particularly grueling match with James coming on top by points. Great effort James!
Come to our Absolute MMA Collingwood location and learn from James on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and Friday lunchtime with Richard. Our Collingwood timetable is available here: https://absolutemma.com.au/timetables/collingwood/
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition team member Shantelle Thompson flew to Los Angeles to compete at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation Grand Slam on the weekend. Although improvements were made, it was a hard match for Shantelle which eventually led to a loss. However there’s always something you can take away, and Shantelle will be sure to take this valuable experience into her next competition! All the best for the next one and good on you for getting in there Shantelle!
Photos: Path to Hex, Lukas “The Lycan” Catubig, Eternal MMA, Shantelle Thompson and James Walters
Compiled by Sam Hibberd, Emilie Yap, Richard Lattemagi and James Walters.