Young MacDonald takes KOTC Canadian Crown
MONCTON, N.B., Dec. 15 -- Looking more milquetoast than MMA and
more paperboy than prizefighter, 18-year-old Rory MacDonald bloodied and
battered Kajan Johnson to
become the KOTC Canada lightweight champion on a bitter cold
Saturday night at the Moncton Coliseum.
Although a native of Kelowna, B.C., over 3500 miles away, the seemingly bookish MacDonald became the immediate crowd favorite, ostensibly due to the pre-fight promo packaging of the boisterous and blustering Johnson, who not only proclaimed that MacDonald had nothing to offer him in the cage, but stated as much in freestyle rap format.
After a slow first round that saw him work to retain guard from a
fresh and aggressive Johnson, MacDonald found his offense in the
second round, taking Johnson to the mat with a textbook ankle pick,
and dropping diving punches and elbows into his guard. When Johnson
was able to get back to his feet and secure a takedown of his own,
MacDonald was patient on the bottom and wisely regained top
position on an ill-advised armbar attempted by Johnson. MacDonald
was also able to connect with solid combinations on the feet that
allowed him to even the fight at a round apiece.
In the third round, MacDonald took complete control. Keying on another sloppy kick attempt by Johnson, MacDonald secured a single-leg takedown into the full guard, where he began battering his opponent with heavy punches and elbows. Johnson repeatedly attempted to bicycle his legs and upkick MacDonald when he postured up, but MacDonald crushed him again and again with diving volleys of strikes.
TJ Grant (Pictures) affirmed his status as one of Canada's best up-and-coming talent with a clinical grappling performance against Stephane Lamarche.
Lamarche looked to take the bout to the ground early and often, but had absolutely nothing to offer Grant in the wrestling department. Early in round one, Lamarche's attempt at a double-leg was easily defended by Grant, who forced Lamarche back up to the feet and then slammed him down with authority. Grant was able to quickly advance position and take Lamarche's back, where he looked for a rear-naked choke. Deft hand-fighting allowed Lamarche to fend off the choke and make it to the bell.
The second stanza proceeded in much the same fashion as the first, as Lamarche's tired and telegraphed takedown attempts were easily thwarted, and allowed Grant to force Lamarche back to his feet and score takedowns of his own. Grant was again able secure the back, constantly rolling and controlling Lamarche in pursuit of the choke. Grant mixed in more punches from back mount, yet the damage accrued didn't help him notch the submission he sought, as defensive savvy again allowed Lamarche to last another round in precarious positioning.
The final period continued the trend as desperate dives at Grant's legs saw Lamarche flattened on the mat. Grant then scored with hammerfists to the head while defending. Grant took Lamarche's back three times in the session, and again, Lamarche defended the rear-naked choke. However, with less than a minute left as Lamarche attempted to scramble out of back-mount for the third time, Grant hit a slick somersault sweep, winding up on his back with triangle position on Lamarche. Grant, who had finished all eight of his previous victories, tightened the triangle and pulled down on Lamarche's head, forcing him to tap out at 4:56 of the third round.
With the win, Grant moves his MMA mark to 9-1, and positions himself for a TKO title fight with fellow up-and-coming Canadian welterweight Jesse Bongfeldt on Feb. 22.
Jason MacKay (Pictures) and the members of Moncton's Team Saigo may not be fond of each other, but it didn't make for much of a grudge match, as MacKay plowed through hometown Monctonian Brad Duguay.
Duguay, who allegedly had a host of verbal pre-fight unpleasantries for MacKay, came out light on his feet looking to strike, but his effort was all for naught. After failing to connect with his first strikes, the native Monctonian caught a right high kick across the jaw from MacKay. In what was a familiar theme on the evening, MacKay quickly capitalized on his prone opponent, pummeling him with strikes before cinching in a deep rear-naked choke.
Although the helpless Duguay tapped out to try to save himself from a mat nap, MacKay ignored his admission of defeat. While the undefeated Pictou native seemed anything but vindictive prior to the fight, MacKay throttled Duguay after he tapped, choking him unconscious and forcing referee Ken Wood to forcibly pull him off of his flattened foe.
A bullish clash of heavyweights Josh Strickland and Karl Ericson came to a quick and unceremonious end on account of injury.
The stout Strickland stopped an early takedown from the mountainous 43-year-old Ericson, and scored with knees to the head. However, as Ericson pushed forward in pursuit of the takedown, Strickland attempted to throw "The Freak" from the body lock, and wound up aggravating a nagging groin injury on the way down. Ericson, now 4-0, wound up on top after the botched throw, and Strickland, writhing in pain, tapped out almost immediately, bringing a halt to the bout early in the first round.
New Brunswick native Rene Allain dispatched Michael Waugh (Pictures) in a staggering three seconds. Allain connected with a short, potent right hook on the first punch he threw, dropping Waugh down and out on the mat.
Todd Westcott obliterated unassuming Cape Breton native Jeff Black, when his first punch landed flush across the chin. Westcott pounced on Black, pummeling him and locking up a quick rear-naked choke for the submission victory in a much longer than necessary 16 seconds.
Hard luck Maritime MMA regular Tim Skidmore (Pictures) found no change of fortune against Calgary native Steve Fader. After stopping a takedown, Fader turned the corner in textbook fashion, securing a rear-naked choke to end the bout early in the first round.
Twenty-year-old Rene Ayangma made short work of New Brunswick local Chris Doucet. Ayangma, securing a rear-naked choke at 2:33 of the first round.
After connecting with a lunging left hook to start the bout, New Brunswick native Maxime Daigle quickly wound up on his back and was able to offer little to stop the offensive grappling of Richard Arsenault, who fully sink the rear-naked choke to finish the bout in under 60 seconds.
Tristan Johnson dissected a game but physically and technically overmatched James Saunders. Johnson sealed a sterling pro debut late in the first round with a digging left hook to the body that crumpled Saunders to the mat and forced him to tapout.
After spending the majority of the opening seven minutes pushed against the fence or on his back, the 220-pound John Hachey, who previously weighed nearly 400 pounds, was able to outlast Brandon Curts, before finishing him with punches from the mount early in the third round.
The scheduled bout between UFC veteran Joe Riggs (Pictures) and Mike Gates was cancelled. Promoter Ken Kupsch told Sherdog.com that while concerns over Riggs' outstanding medical suspension in California following his September bout with Eugene Jackson (Pictures) were resolved, flight and travel issues prevented Riggs from making it to Moncton, thus canceling the fight.
Although a native of Kelowna, B.C., over 3500 miles away, the seemingly bookish MacDonald became the immediate crowd favorite, ostensibly due to the pre-fight promo packaging of the boisterous and blustering Johnson, who not only proclaimed that MacDonald had nothing to offer him in the cage, but stated as much in freestyle rap format.
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In the third round, MacDonald took complete control. Keying on another sloppy kick attempt by Johnson, MacDonald secured a single-leg takedown into the full guard, where he began battering his opponent with heavy punches and elbows. Johnson repeatedly attempted to bicycle his legs and upkick MacDonald when he postured up, but MacDonald crushed him again and again with diving volleys of strikes.
After drawing heavy blood with a series of sharp elbows, MacDonald
stepped on the throttle and landed another set of hard left hands
that brought the Moncton crowd to their feet. While Johnson's
trainers Bill Mahood
(Pictures) and Bibiano Fernandes
(Pictures) yelled at him from across
the cage, MacDonald postured up and delivered the final salvo of
punches, prompting referee Hubert Earle to step in to save Johnson,
and drawing an overwhelming response from a suddenly raucous
audience.
TJ Grant (Pictures) affirmed his status as one of Canada's best up-and-coming talent with a clinical grappling performance against Stephane Lamarche.
Lamarche looked to take the bout to the ground early and often, but had absolutely nothing to offer Grant in the wrestling department. Early in round one, Lamarche's attempt at a double-leg was easily defended by Grant, who forced Lamarche back up to the feet and then slammed him down with authority. Grant was able to quickly advance position and take Lamarche's back, where he looked for a rear-naked choke. Deft hand-fighting allowed Lamarche to fend off the choke and make it to the bell.
The second stanza proceeded in much the same fashion as the first, as Lamarche's tired and telegraphed takedown attempts were easily thwarted, and allowed Grant to force Lamarche back to his feet and score takedowns of his own. Grant was again able secure the back, constantly rolling and controlling Lamarche in pursuit of the choke. Grant mixed in more punches from back mount, yet the damage accrued didn't help him notch the submission he sought, as defensive savvy again allowed Lamarche to last another round in precarious positioning.
The final period continued the trend as desperate dives at Grant's legs saw Lamarche flattened on the mat. Grant then scored with hammerfists to the head while defending. Grant took Lamarche's back three times in the session, and again, Lamarche defended the rear-naked choke. However, with less than a minute left as Lamarche attempted to scramble out of back-mount for the third time, Grant hit a slick somersault sweep, winding up on his back with triangle position on Lamarche. Grant, who had finished all eight of his previous victories, tightened the triangle and pulled down on Lamarche's head, forcing him to tap out at 4:56 of the third round.
With the win, Grant moves his MMA mark to 9-1, and positions himself for a TKO title fight with fellow up-and-coming Canadian welterweight Jesse Bongfeldt on Feb. 22.
Jason MacKay (Pictures) and the members of Moncton's Team Saigo may not be fond of each other, but it didn't make for much of a grudge match, as MacKay plowed through hometown Monctonian Brad Duguay.
Duguay, who allegedly had a host of verbal pre-fight unpleasantries for MacKay, came out light on his feet looking to strike, but his effort was all for naught. After failing to connect with his first strikes, the native Monctonian caught a right high kick across the jaw from MacKay. In what was a familiar theme on the evening, MacKay quickly capitalized on his prone opponent, pummeling him with strikes before cinching in a deep rear-naked choke.
Although the helpless Duguay tapped out to try to save himself from a mat nap, MacKay ignored his admission of defeat. While the undefeated Pictou native seemed anything but vindictive prior to the fight, MacKay throttled Duguay after he tapped, choking him unconscious and forcing referee Ken Wood to forcibly pull him off of his flattened foe.
A bullish clash of heavyweights Josh Strickland and Karl Ericson came to a quick and unceremonious end on account of injury.
The stout Strickland stopped an early takedown from the mountainous 43-year-old Ericson, and scored with knees to the head. However, as Ericson pushed forward in pursuit of the takedown, Strickland attempted to throw "The Freak" from the body lock, and wound up aggravating a nagging groin injury on the way down. Ericson, now 4-0, wound up on top after the botched throw, and Strickland, writhing in pain, tapped out almost immediately, bringing a halt to the bout early in the first round.
New Brunswick native Rene Allain dispatched Michael Waugh (Pictures) in a staggering three seconds. Allain connected with a short, potent right hook on the first punch he threw, dropping Waugh down and out on the mat.
Todd Westcott obliterated unassuming Cape Breton native Jeff Black, when his first punch landed flush across the chin. Westcott pounced on Black, pummeling him and locking up a quick rear-naked choke for the submission victory in a much longer than necessary 16 seconds.
Hard luck Maritime MMA regular Tim Skidmore (Pictures) found no change of fortune against Calgary native Steve Fader. After stopping a takedown, Fader turned the corner in textbook fashion, securing a rear-naked choke to end the bout early in the first round.
Twenty-year-old Rene Ayangma made short work of New Brunswick local Chris Doucet. Ayangma, securing a rear-naked choke at 2:33 of the first round.
After connecting with a lunging left hook to start the bout, New Brunswick native Maxime Daigle quickly wound up on his back and was able to offer little to stop the offensive grappling of Richard Arsenault, who fully sink the rear-naked choke to finish the bout in under 60 seconds.
Tristan Johnson dissected a game but physically and technically overmatched James Saunders. Johnson sealed a sterling pro debut late in the first round with a digging left hook to the body that crumpled Saunders to the mat and forced him to tapout.
After spending the majority of the opening seven minutes pushed against the fence or on his back, the 220-pound John Hachey, who previously weighed nearly 400 pounds, was able to outlast Brandon Curts, before finishing him with punches from the mount early in the third round.
The scheduled bout between UFC veteran Joe Riggs (Pictures) and Mike Gates was cancelled. Promoter Ken Kupsch told Sherdog.com that while concerns over Riggs' outstanding medical suspension in California following his September bout with Eugene Jackson (Pictures) were resolved, flight and travel issues prevented Riggs from making it to Moncton, thus canceling the fight.
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