MIDWEST COMBAT CHALLENGE 8
Filled with Love & Hate, It was NAAFS Midwest Combat Challenge 8
(05/25/09 – Akron, OH) – The final stop on the Road to Fight Nite in the Flats V took place on Saturday May 23rd, as Chapparell’s Community Center in Akron, OH played host to a night of MMA action as the NAAFS presented Midwest Combat Challenge 8. It was yet another historical event, for reasons that had never been seen before in the promotion. The combination of intensity and romance, made Midwest Combat Challenge 8 an event that will definitely be remembered for a long time to come.
In the main event, Larry Shuck of Instigator Fight Team improved to 6-1 with his victory over Ed Cruz (2-2) by Head & Arm Choke at 1:07 of Round One. Shuck executed his gameplan to perfection and is now looking to make a run in the National Amateur Light Heavyweight Division.
The first story of the night took place during the co-main event of the evening, as Aaron “The Hamburglar” Bartow of Instigator Fight Team remained unbeaten (4-0) when he defeated Ben “The Sayer” Slayer (3-2) by KO at just :41 of the first round. However, it wasn’t the fight that had fans talking when the night was over.
During his post fight interview, a very grateful Bartow thanked all of his teammates, coaches, family, and friends who helped him prepare for this fight; but he saved one thank you in particular for last. To the delight of the capacity crowd, the already victorious Bartow gained the biggest victory of his life when longtime his longtime girlfriend agreed to marry him!
On one knee inside the cage and in front of the entire NAAFS Nation, Bartow showed that even in a competitive sport like MMA, true love can prevail.
In National Amateur Middleweight action, Travis Soto (4-0) picked up his second victory in as many months when he defeated Rashad “The Nightmare” Pearson (3-2) by Guillotine Choke in the second round. With the win, Soto has positioned himself nicely for when the early NAAFS National Amateur rankings come out very soon.
The National Amateur Women’s division gained even more prominence at Midwest Combat Challenge 8, when Leitta Suchevich (2-0) of Mad Dog Gym defeated Jessica Wolbert by KO at 2:03 of the Round 3. These two young ladies when back and forth in a slugfest for three rounds, which almost seemed like a battle between Suchevich’s inside leg kick to Holbert’s straight jab, but in the end it was a fatigued Suchevich who dug down deep to hit a knockout punch and pick up the victory.
The other major story of the night took place right before intermission, as 2007 National Amateur Heavyweight Champion Josh “Sandman” Stansbury & 2008 National Amateur Co-Heavyweight Champion “Big” John Hawk went face-to-face inside the cage, just weeks before their highly anticipated encounter at Fight Nite in the Flats V. The tension almost exploded as the two combatants bumped heads, leading to a shoving match between the two of them. NAAFS officials & security were forced to separate the two before it could escalate any further. They will finally meet in their pro debuts on Saturday June 6th at Fight Nite in the Flats V.
The fans were into the show from beginning to end, thanks in part to the opening fight of the night which had the entire arena standing in applause. Newcomers Andy Yakabousky (1-0) of Schrader’s MMA and Joe Drotos (0-1) of Team Twisted proved once again that the NAAFS brings in the best talent in the region. Although it was the debut for both men, they fought like two veterans who were poised to out duel the other. In the end it was Yakabousky who earned the Unanimous Decision victory, but fans can look for the good things from both men in the future.
The NAAFS returns to action on Saturday June 6th from the Nautica Pavilion in Cleveland, OH for the showcase event of the year Fight Nite in the Flats V. Tickets are on sale now and going fast by calling 330-280-8442 or by logging onto www.NAAFS.tv.
For more info and pictures, follow this link:
http://www.naafs.tv/events/mcc8/index.php