THE CLINCH REPORT

 

By: Jonathan King The Clinch Report

Photos By: John Walsh The Clinch Report

 

Every fighter has one trait in common. Weather you are the best in the world, or cutting your teeth as an amateur in your first bout; every fighter shares the fear and hatred of losing. At the amateur level these losses hurt the most. A devastating loss at this level can crush dreams, and expose confidence as a fraud.

The ‘U of MMA’, offers a unique stage to showcase that raw talent with a professional feel. With the Club Nokia as the backdrop, some of southern California’s finest gyms were represented. Teams like 10th Planet Van Nuys, 10th Planet Costa Mesa, PKG Westwood, Lighting MMA, Glendale Fighting Club, Systems Training Center, Xtreme Couture, Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym, CSW, and NZT Pankration, all had fighters on the card, ready to make a name for themselves.

Juan Orta was one fighter that made sure he left an impression. Using his superior foot work and hand speed, Orta landed a starching right hand that removed his opponent from his senses long enough for the referee to save him from a further beating. Fighting out of Lighting MMA, Orta was making his amateur debut and certainly gained some notoriety with that short right hand finish.

Also remaining perfect with an amateur record of 4-0 was Team PKG’s Flavian Pilgrim. Pilgrim was able to pace himself and outlasted a very tough Jarett Conner (4-2). Conner seemed too be looking to bring the fight to the mat. However, Pilgrim utilized his athleticism to keep on his feet for most of the fight, and used his counter punching to cruise to a hard fought unanimous decision win.

CSW fighter Shohei Yamamoto also improved to 4-0 as an amateur with a highlight reel KO over Dean Bo Moskowitz. Yamamoto landed a huge right hand that caught Mokowitz on the temple, dropping him to the canvas where he was unable to defend himself. The knockout seemed to be the highlight of the evening, however there was more to come.

NZT Pankration fighter Ozzy Diaz came in to his first amateur title fight with a record of 3-1, and apparently he didn’t feel like wasting any time earning that title. Diaz barely broke a sweat when he dropped Xtreme Couture’s Jerell Cephas like a sack of potatoes with one shot. The KO was blistering, and immediately fired up the pro Diaz crowd. Diaz improved to 4-1, as an amateur and earned the inaugural “U of MMA” Light Heavyweight Title.

Also earning a “U of MMA” title was CSW featherweight Jacob Rosales. Rosales was able to do enough on the scorecards in the first and second rounds and was able to survive a late onslaught from a very tough Ryan Lilley. Early on, Rosales repeatedly slammed Lilley with consecutive suplexes, building up a clear lead in the judges minds.  With the win, Rosales remained perfect as an amateur with a stellar 5-0 record.

Events like the ‘U of MMA’ are crucial for the future of the sport of MMA. The difficult and even match-ups play a vital role by separating the wheat from the chafe. At this level records can often be bloated, but promotions like the ‘U of MMA’ serve as protectors and ambassadors by forcing the competitors to earn their bravado.

 

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