(Photo: Mitch Heron vs Johnny Walker via facebook.com/FightworldCup)
Mitch Heron submitted Johnny Walker to take home the Fightworld Cup interim featherweight title last night in a bout that headlined Fightworld Cup 17.
The event was held at the Nerang Police Citizens-Youth Club on the Gold Coast.
Heron took control early in the bout and was able to take the back of his opponent where he looked for the rear-naked choke finish. Mendez defended well and was able to sweep his opponent, only for Heron to shortly after sweep back on top. There the Shindo New Breed Sunshine Coast trained fighter transitioned to mount position and unloaded with big punches from the top. Mendez scrambled to get himself out, and Heron again was able to take the back. Mendez defended successfully the submission attempts and got back to his feet. Heron immediately went for a takedown and Mendez locked up a tight guillotine choke. Heron though popped his head out and passed to side, then mount where he unloaded with some big strikes before the round ended.
Heron made his intentions clear in the second with a very early takedown from which he was able to again take the back of his opponent. Mendez escaped, only for Heron to transition to mount where he landed some short strikes. Walker wriggled out and locked a nice armbar from the bottom. Heron though escaped before moving to side-control and then locked up the north-south choke to get the tap. The finish came at 3:49 of the second round.
With the win, Heron is now expected to face Michael Tobin for the Fightworld Cup featherweight title later in the year.
In the semi-main event, Fightworld Cup welterweight champion Brentin Mumford dropped down to lightweight for the first time and was able to utilise his superior size and reach advantage to defeat Bowen based youngster Taela Kelly. The fight started as a quick high-kick from Mumford glanced off the face of Kelly, who smiled and initialised the clinch looking for a takedown. Mumford though secured the double over-hooks to take Kelly down. Inside guard Mumford landed short elbows. The two briefly stood up where Mumford completed a suplex. The round finished with Mumford landing further strikes from the top position.
Mumford began the second-round with more high-kicks, with one connecting on Kelly’s face. Kelly clinched again and looked for a takedown against the cage but Mumford landed some knees with back against the cage. He then secured a leg-trip takedown. Mumford stayed briefly on top before Kelly worked back to his feet. Mumford threw further kicks as Kelly closed the distance with punches before taking fight to the ground. Kelly ended up on top but was forced to defend in the final seconds of the round, as Mumford locked up a tight armbar.
Perhaps knowing that he needed a stoppage in the last round, Kelly really opened up in the early period of round three landing a big combination of hooks and uppercuts. Mumford returned fire with a big knee that sent Kelly’s mouth-guard flying out before finishing the fight with a combination of punches that had Kelly out on his feet. The end came 59-seconds into the third round. Impressive lightweight performance by Mumford, however youngster Kelly showed signs of the potential that he has.
Two time women’s world boxing champion Arlene Blencowe was able to pull out a last minute triangle choke submission to defeat Kenani Mangakahia earlier on the card. Mangakahia kept her distance early landing solid leg-kicks from the outside. Blencowe stayed calm early but managed to hurt Mangakahia with a body-shot midway through the first round. Blencowe immediately went in to capitalise but left herself open for a takedown. Mangakahia controlled the fight for a short period before Blencowe reversed, only for Mangakahia to regain the top position again. Blencowe escaped back to her feet late in the round as the two finished the fight standing.
Mangakahia didn’t wast no time as she got the fight to the ground early in the second-round. Mangakahia progressed to mount straight away and was able to keep the position for a bit before Blencowe looked to move. This opened up her back, and Mangakahia looked to pounce with a rear-naked choke. Blencowe stayed calm and was able to turn into guard. Mangakahia remained active off her back.
It didn’t look good for Blencowe early in the third round as Mangakahia perfectly times a takedown. On the ground, Mangakahia controlled the bout and was able to take the back, but Blencowe successfully escaped via the back door and immediately moved to side-control. Mangakahia scrambled to her feet and straight away went for a takedown. While being taken down, Blencowe locked up the legs to get the triangle choke submission. The end came at 4:04 of round three.
Also on the card, Martin Tucker continued his impressive run when he stopped Brandon Jones in the opening round. Jones landed some early strikes that glanced off Tucker, before Tucker was able to secure the high single-leg to get the fight to the ground. Jones remained active off his back but Tucker began to unleash big elbows and punches from the top. As the canvas started to become bloody the referee halted the fight to allow the doctor to check a cut that had opened up on the back of Jones’ head. The restarted on the ground and Jones immediately looks to sweep before attacking with a kimura. Tucker escaped and pounded down with big elbows and as the strikes continued with Jones not showing much sign of defence, the referee halted the fight with a second remaining in the round. Official time was 4:59.
Davin Marsh bounced back from a loss in his last outing to submit Corey Lynch. Marsh stayed calm and composed and waited for an opportunity to open up for him to get the takedown. After Lynch landed a some strikes early on his feet, the opportunity opened up and Marsh got the takedown. There Marsh was able to control the fight as Lynch struggled to get back to his feet. Marsh momentarily looked to take the back before moving to mount instead. There the Ito Dojo trained fighter locked up the head-arm choke to force the tap at 3:56.
Shindo New Breed fighter Garrett Gross put on an impressive and dominating performance, ultimately stopping his opponent Fabian Nemcek in the second round. Gross stunned Nemcek in the opening round before taking his back in in the second round. There he stretched his opponent out while landing big shots to get the TKo stoppage. The end came at 2:04 of second round.
On the undercard, Demsey McKean returned to action and scored a nice submission victory over Mick de La Warr, while Megan Anderson was able to utilise her superior size advantage to defeat a game Janay Harding. Veteran fighter Jason Preece scored submission of the night honours with his armbar submission over Dane Snell while Anthony Johns scored a big KO win over Michael McDaniel.
Main Card (A-Class, 3×5 mins):
- Mitch Heron def Johnny Mendez Walker via Submission (North-South Choke), Rd 2, 3:49 – Fightworld Cup Interim Featherweight Title
- Brentin Mumford def Taela Kelly via TKO (Knee & Punches), Rd 3, 0:59
- Arlene Blencowe def Kenani Mangakahia via Submission (Triangle Choke), Rd 3, 4:04
- Martin Tucker def Brandon Jones via TKO (Punches), Rd 1, 4:59
- Davin Marsh def Corey Lynch via Submission (Head-Arm Choke), Rd 1, 3:56
- Garrett Gross def Fabian Nemcek via TKO (Punches), Rd 2, 2:04
Undercard (B-Class, 3×3 mins):
- Demsey McKean def Mick De La Warr via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 1, 1:43
- Megan Anderson def Janay Harding via Decision (Unanimous)
- Jason Preece def Dane Snell via Submission (Armbar), Rd 1, 2:58
- Anthony Johns def Michael McDaniel via KO (Punches), Rd 1, 1:29
- James Ryan def Liam Williams via TKO (Punches), Rd 2, 2:10
- Zac Hansford def Steven McKeown via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 1, 1:36
- Darren Habben def Huynh Nguyen via TKO (Punches), Rd 3, 1:27
- Danny Monda vs Jiah Spinks via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 2, 0:55
- Ben Pepper def Wayne Beriman via TKO (Punches), Rd 1, 0:25
