Blood, sweat and jeers at CageSport XIV: Ellis and Smith win titles | Slideshow

By Andy Hobbs • April 22, 2011 12:19 pm
Czar Sklavos
Czar Sklavos

Here are the results from CageSport XIV, held April 23 at the Emerald Queen Casino. The mixed martial arts event was presented by Brian Halquist Productions. The fighters’ hometowns and current record are displayed in parentheses. (Photos in above slideshow by Federal Way resident Todd Dearinger).

1. Eddy Ellis (Yelm; 16-15-1) defeated Tim Welch (Missoula, Mont.; 4-3) in the welterweight championship. Welch started the fight with a flurry of hard punches that cut Ellis above one eye. After some serious scrapping, Ellis forced a tapout at 2:11 in round 1 with a rear choke.

2. Trevor Smith (Kirkland; 7-1) defeated Jared Torgeson (Moses Lake, Wash.; 6-7) in the light heavyweight championship. In the co-main event, former high school state wrestling champ Smith scored a quick victory in round 1. Torgeson tapped out after Smith pulled him to the ground and applied a guillotine choke.

3. Kyle Keeney (Lacey, Wash.; 11-5) defeated Matt Kovacs (Tacoma; 6-6) in a heavyweight bout. Keeney kicked off this match by body-slamming the much-larger Kovacs near the start of round 1. With a big knot on his forehead, Keeney applied a north-south choke on Kovacs, drawing the tapout at 1:30 in round 2. After the fight, Keeney got on his knees and pleaded in colorful chest-thumping language to give him a title shot: “Give me that belt please!”

4. Czar Sklavos (Twin Falls, Idaho; 4-1) defeated Jon Maryanski (Ravensdale, Wash.; 3-2) in a bantamweight bout. These fighters went the distance as they pounded each other’s heads and wrestled at full-throttle for three full rounds. The fighters were like warriors as they stood toe-to-toe throughout the high-energy match, which left Sklavos bleeding from his head and Maryanski nursing a swollen eye. The crowd approved of every minute — until the split decision was announced in Sklavos’ favor.

5. Justin Hawes (Redmond, Ore.; 7-8-1) defeated Ryan Hayes (Renton; 1-2) in a light heavyweight bout. This match was a snoozer as both fighters stayed on their feet and grappled as if they were tangoing across the ring. Hawes was the more aggressive fighter in this match. The fight went the three-round distance, and Hawes won by a unanimous decision. “Hopefully this fight was entertaining,” Hawes said from the ring, eliciting a chorus of boos from the crowd.

6. Julian Erosa (Yakima; 3-0) defeated Ryan Mulvihill (Spokane; 0-1) in a lightweight bout. Erosa was elusive as he escaped Mulvihill’s attempts to hold him down. Mulvihill, in his pro debut, connected on a couple of solid kicks from the ground. The turning point came in round 2 when Erosa delivered a knee to Mulvihill’s head, sending him flying. Erosa forced a tapout with a darce choke at 1:23 in round 2. Mulvihill was booed for initially shunning a post-fight handshake from Erosa; the fighter eventually embraced.

7. Roy Bradshaw (Spokane; 6-8) won after Lee Morrison (Okanogan, Wash.; 2-2) was disqualified in this featherweight bout. Bradshaw came out strong, hanging onto Morrison like a monkey and bringing him down. Morrison knocked out Bradshaw with an elbow to the back of the head; the crack of the blow hushed the crowd. Morrison was disqualified at 2:47 in the first round and Bradshaw was credited with a win. “I hate winning like this,” Bradshaw told the crowd upon regaining consciousness. “I’m sorry it happened this way.”

8. Tommy Huizenga (Bellingham; 2-1) defeated John Dawson (Spokane; 0-1) in a featherweight bout. Huizenga dominated the fight in Dawson’s pro debut. Huizenga repeatedly pounded Dawson’s head until the fight was called at 4:50 in the first round as a TKO due to strikes.

9. Angel Diaz (Moses Lake; 2-2) defeated Jeremy Jones (Puyallup; 1-1) in a lightweight bout. The two fighters scrapped back and forth until Jones tapped out at 1:33 in the first round following an arm bar choke by Diaz.

10. Craig Jackson (Lynden, Wash.; 2-1) defeated Frank Ramsey (Missoula, Mont.; 7-1) in a lightweight bout. Ramsey tapped out at 4:25 in the second round from a triangle leg choke by Jackson. Ramsey was seemingly in control of the fight and had Jackson pushed up against the cage — until Jackson yanked it out from under him with a quick choke move.