Results for RITC 148: The Start of a Big Year

Last night marked the first fight card of 2011 for the Arizona based promotion Rage in the Cage. The 148 RITC event was filled with 11 fights full of MMA action in front of a packed house. The recent change to unified rules, and better fight booking has been catching on and if you have yet to see a Rage in the Cage event, be sure to make it to the next event on the 19^th of February. Like last night this event will feature UFC veterans and a stacked card guaranteed to fulfill your MMA fix.

Over the past year we at MMAValor have been at almost every RITC event and the shows have constantly been exciting. Last night was no exception and as always we bring you the complete fight card breakdown:

Fight 1 – Jesus Arevalo (Blackout / Lee’s Boxing) defeated Jerry Friestad (Arizona Combat Sports) via split decision.

Arevalo had the more technical striking which in a Diaz brothers fashion slowly chipped away at Friestad’s cardio and heart. This was a great back and forth fight and Friestad charged forward for the majority of the fight showing dominance. Friestad had good takedowns late in the fight but once it was on the ground Arevalo delivered all the damage off his back while Friestad was caught trying to pass. Judges had this one right, but even then the fight was very close.

Fight 2 – Marcelo Casteneda (ACS) defeated Allan DeCastro (RITC TC3) via first round TKO.

In an early barrage of punches from both fighters, Castaneda dropped DeCastro with an overhand punch and swarmed instantly. Ground and pound came fast and DeCastro tried to outlast it but could not escape forcing the ref to stop the fight.

Fight 3 – Jocelyn Lybarger (LA Boxing) defeated Diana Fowles (Ted Osburn MMA) via first round TKO.

Both women were in great shape for this fight but Lybarger’s youth, brutality, and speed was in a different league in this fight. Fowles being 49 showed heart rushing for takedowns in a barrage of uppercuts that split her face in multiple locations. I was thinking this should have been stopped a good 25 shots earlier then it was seeing as Fowles was fleeing hard away from the strikes but it was a great finish by Lybarger. Be sure to scan through the photos to see more of this fight.

Fight 4 – David Nuzzo (ACS) defeated Krys Ruesch-Beem (Champion MMA) via second round TKO.

Nuzzo had great wrestling and slams in round one showing a good force on the ground. In the second round it was rinse and repeat but his ground and pound broke through the defense and he earned a TKO stoppage.

Fight 5 – Alex Moore (Dream Team MMA) defeated David Keene (Pit MMA) via second round TKO.

Keene reminds me of Tank Abbott every time he fights, and his first round dirty boxing and cage clinch seemed to frustrate Moore. In the second round Moore wanted nothing to do with being pressed up against the cage so he caught an early kick and went for a takedown. Moore had great ground and pound forcing Keene to give up his back, but the strikes continued and the fight was stopped before Keene took any more huge shots.

Fight 6 – Alex Nogan (Neutral Corner MMA) defeated Justin Purcell (ACS) via rear naked choke in the second round.

A Very close round in the first going back and forth and Purcell locked a deep triangle with about 4 seconds left in the round. In the second Purcell was taken down early and burned out trying to get up, he was in a transition when he gave up his back and a rear naked choke was deep forcing him to tap. Nogan had the killer instinct for most of this fight, and I believe it would have lasted longer if Purcell followed his corners instructions better.

Fight 7- Thorvald Moen (Thunder dome MMA) defeated Matt Snow (Kmma / The Dojo) via first round TKO.

Moen had an early rampage slam on Snow but Snow rebounded fast and stood back up. In a back and forth punching exchange Moen landed well and dropped Snow. Within 30 seconds Moen trapped Snow and finished him with exciting ground and pound.

Fight 8- Eddie Battross (Pit MMA) defeated Drew Hartweck (The Den) via majority decision.

During the fight both fighters threw fireworks and landed hard on each other. Hartweck was defiantly the larger more muscular fighter with about 15 pounds on Batross but after his original flurries in the first he was tired and Hartweck grinded out each round. Hartweck looks like a larger Manny Gamburian, and had great judo trips which I found ironic. Great fight overall one of my favorites of the night because it was a real grinder.

Fight 9- Shannon Ritch (Siege MMA) defeated Scott Guenther (RITC TC) via first round knockout.

Ritch rushed the strikes right when the bell rang catching Guenther almost instantly. Ritch swarmed and delivered huge ground and pound putting Guenther out. In celebration Ritch suffered a patella tendon rupture which will sideline him for a few months from fighting.

Fight 10 – Jade Porter (Power MMA) defeated Ruben Gonzales (Koncrete Gym) via unanimous decision.

It was a very one-sided fight with superior wrestling and ground and pound during all three rounds from Porter. Gonzales was a soldier for staying in the fight, but Porter was controlling the fight and almost had the finish in the third round going to the bell in full mount swinging away hard.

Fight 11- Efrain Escudero (The MMA Lab) defeated Jeremy Larsen (ACS) via third round arm bar.

Larsen is one of the toughest fighters I have seen in Rage in the Cage, he was taunting Escudero to strike with him even when he was losing the striking exchanges and getting battered up. It’s almost like he was not afraid of the damage that could be caused in the fight as long as he could scrap.

Escudero spent a good portion of this fight using his wrestling and trying to put Larsen on his back, Larsen had great take down defense so this was a very tough fight. In between the rounds the two corners were screaming back and forth at each other which ignited more fuel inside of the ring. The tension was huge but Escudero had the better Jiu Jitsu and went for 3 good submissions attempts in the fight, a darce, a rear naked choke, and an arm bar that landed in the third (pictured). Even then Larsen was fighting off the tap until his arm was hyper extended. Eventually it got the best of him and he was forced to tap.

Great fight by both fighters and the crowd was on their feet for every round. Escudero seems well on track to getting back inside the UFC, or another big league MMA promotion.

The fights last night were great as always at Wild Horse Pass casino. Be sure to check out our photo section from the fights and make the trip to see RITC 149 on Feb. 19^th.

Tags: Efrain Escudero, Jeremy Larsen, MMA, Results, RITC, RITC 148

Category: Featured, MMA, Rage in the cage, Results