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Los Angeles, CA – With the legendary cut manJacob “Stitch” Duran wrapping the fighters’ hands at the University of MMA’s Fight Night 11, fists flew as hard and heavy as could be thrown. Both University of MMA title challengers upset the defending champions in knockout fashion. Kurt ‘The Hurt’ Eberhard (Saekson’s Muay Thai) shocked Albert Veloz (Cage Combat Academy) just 45 seconds into the first round to win the University of MMA featherweight championship. Similarly, Pious ‘Voodoo’ Enilolobo Jr. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick) put away Antonio Lopez (Saekson’s Muay Thai) with a big right hand to realize his dream of becoming the University of MMA lightweight champion.
All 34 fighters on the 17-match show put their hearts on the line and thrilled the crowd with exhaustive performances. In the end, the Dean’s List performance awards for Fight Night 11 are:
Fight of the Night: Damon Jacobs (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA) vs. Remington Thorne (Saekson’s Muay Thai)
Knockout of the Night: Garik Mitchell (Team Lagarto)
Submission of the Night: Christopher Llanes (Team Quest)
Blue Chip Honors: Matheus Santos (MMAFC/Knockout Boxing Club)
The Dean’s List is sponsored by OTM Fight Shops and WSS, which have contributed $100 gift cards to the winners. In addition to the traditional Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, and Submission of the Night awards, Blue Chip honors is a special category to fighters who showed great showmanship, charisma and audience awareness.
Coming into Fight Night 11, everyone knew to keep an eye on Remington Thorne. His debut match, against the very veteran Michael’Blackjack’ Jackson (Systems Training Center), at Fight Night 10, was a fight of the night performance. Far fewer fans had any previous impression of Thorne’s opponent, the debutingDamon Jacobs (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym), but he wasted no time in filling in the blanks. Jacobs landed powerful combinations on Thorne early, leaving people to wonder how he was still standing. Thorne stayed in the fight, however, nearly finishing Jacobs with a rapid-fire flurry that was derailed by an unintentional illegal knee to the head. Despite the foul, both fighters continued another two rounds of explosive striking action which ignited fans’ rabid cheers. The crowd reaction made Jacobs-Thorne an easy choice for Fight of the Night.
With four KO of the Night candidates on the show, Garik Mitchell’s second-round head kick finish stood out from the pack. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Mitchell’s match was his amateur MMA debut, which dictated both he and his opponent wear shin guards. To generate that power with guards speaks volumes to the strength and speed the young man brings to the cage.
Submission of the Night is often known to go for flashy or last second submissions butChristopher Llanes (Team Quest) showed impeccable technique and fight intelligence in securing the tapout. Llanes initiated a scramble with a great Greco Roman throw and immediately transitioned to an armbar. He quickly recognized he didn’t have it quite enough so he was able to adjust and get the tap against a very game opponent in Tim Barnard (Valhalla ETC).
One award unique to the University of MMA is their Blue Chip honors, which rewards not only a great athletic performance but also an entertaining and engaging stage presence. Not only did Matheus Santos’s (MMAFC) knockout a tough and unique opponent in Victor Pages (Systems Training Center), but he also displayed a captivating confidence in his post-fight interview, addressing his fans in both Portuguese and English. Santos’ overall showing, in the cage and on the mic, was the closest example of presenting the total package, thus earning him Blue Chip honors for Fight Night 11.
Looking forward, both Jackson and Flavian Pilgrim (CMMA) put on dominant performances that earned them championship fights at the next University of MMA event, Fight Night 12, tentatively scheduled for November 22nd. Pilgrim will take on new champion Enilolobo, Jr. for the University of MMA lightweight title, and Jackson will face recently-crowned Eberhard for the University of MMA featherweight belt.
Quick results for University of MMA: Fight Night 11:
1) 149 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – RYAN AGUILAR (CMMA) def. OREN SHABO (Hayastan MMA Academy) via TKO, R1, 0:17
2) 130 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ERIC ARIAS (Yuma United MMA) def. STUART KOSH (Independent) via unanimous decision
3) 145 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MASON IACOBELLIS (Team Quest) def. ARDANY OLIVA (Systems Training Center) via TKO, R1, 0:51
4) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ERICK PIERRE (Bas Rutten’s Elite Training Center) def. TIZOC FROESE (MMAFC) via unanimous decision
5) 150 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MICHAEL ‘BLACKJACK’ JACKSON (Systems Training Center) def. ANGEL PERLA (Team Quest) via unanimous decision
6) 137 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – RICHIE MEISTER (BJMUTA/Eric Nolan’s Xtreme Training Center) def. SERGIO GONZALEZ (Yuma United MMA) via submission (triangle choke), R3, 1:12
7) 195 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – CHRISTOPHER LLANES (Team Quest) def. TIM BARNARD (Valhalla Elite Training Center) via submission (armbar), R1, 1:16
8) 175 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – CRISTIAN NAJERA (Guerilla Nation MMA) def. CHRIS ‘BABY BEAR’ RODRIGUEZ (Gracie Jiu Jitsu/Team Victory Muay Thai) via TKO, R1, 1:56
9) 145 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – GARIK MITCHELL (Team Lagarto) def. STEVEN (KYLER) SCOTT (Team Quest) via KO, R2, 0:48
10) 230 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ANDRII VASYLENKO (BJMUTA) def. JULIUS WHITE (Independent) via submission, R1, 0:51
11) 157 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – DAMON JACOBS (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym) def. REMINGTON THORNE (Saekson’s Muay Thai) via unanimous decision
12) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MATHEUS SANTOS (MMAFC) def. VICTOR PAGES (Systems Training Center) via KO, R2, 1:58
13) 145 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – BENITO MENDEZ (King Combat Sports) def. DAVID SECAIDA (Independent) via unanimous decision
14) 160 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – FLAVIAN PILGRIM (CMMA) def. TROY HARDGROW (Independent) via split TKO, R2, 1:24
15) 205 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – TRAVIS WILLIAMS (Elite Training Center) def. DAVID BOYKO (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA) unanimous decision
UNIVERSITY OF MMA FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
16) 145 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – KURT ‘THE HURT’ EBERHARD (Saekson’s Muay Thai) def. ALBERT VELOZ (Cage Combat Academy) via KO, R1, 0:45
UNIVERSITY OF MMA LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
17) 155 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – PIOUS ‘VOODOO’ ENILOLOBO JR. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick) def. ANTONIO LOPEZ (Saekson’s Muay Thai) via KO, R2, 0:34