Cage Champs 54 - Recap

Patrick Smith's Cage Championships dipped back into the pro ranks on Friday.

Mixed in with amateur MMA, K1 and even some grappling, Cage Championships 54 played to a large crowd at the Eagles Hall in Sullivan.

Adam Osmoe, Travis Draper, and Dakota Bush will all convincingly victorious on the professional main card. Keep your eye out for exclusive video interviews with the trio only at knucklejunkies.com.

Osmoe improved to 4-0 with his first round submission of Tyrone Paige in the main event. The short and stout Illinois product went straight to his wrestling from word the 'go.' Osmoe snared a quick takedown and once able to create separation, landed an elbow or two. Osmoe grinded Paige flat and moved on to side control. Osmoe isolated Paige's left arm and became obsessed over it. Hell bent on sinking in a kimura, Osmoe stayed with it but couldn't get Paige where he needed him. So Osmoe went back to the ground and pound. Osmoe, who went 3-0 in 2015, took Paige's back and his heavy shots created a scramble. Osmoe regained mount, advanced to side control and again lasered in on Paige's left arm, getting his kimura at 3:22 in the first round.

Draper added his name to the long and famed lineage of fighters out of St. Charles MMA to fight professionally for Cage Championships.

Draper scored an early takedown and then tied Roye up in guard before going for an armbar. Roye fought free and after a scramble, Draper (and all the action) was locked down in Roye's halfguard. Draper finally advanced to mount. When Roye when to shuck Draper off, the BJJ blue belt was there waiting and snatched up the armbar to get the tap at 3:02 in round one.

Dakota Bush made his pro debut and kicked off the main card with a bout against Mateo Collazo.

Bush planted a nice kick to the midsection early in round one. Once they got separation, Bush landed a punch and then bull-rushed Collazo to the floor. Bush swarmed and was heavy on top, dropping shoulders and short elbows. Collazo tried to sweep, but Bush, a nominee for 2015 Amateur of the Year, was too heavy and strong on top. Bush remained patient and when Collazo turned and gave up his back, Bush landed a pulverizing shot and got the TKO win at 2:53.

Colby Tierney had an opponent drop out due to weight cut and Scott Futrell tried to take the fight on short notice but the weight discrepancy between the two was too vast. So Tierney and Futrell grappled to a draw after two rounds of back -and-fourth-action.

In the amateur main event, Ross Cooper and Riley Kent took their fight to the distance.

The pair mixed it up on the feet briefly in the first before Cooper looked to take the fight to the ground. Cooper found himself in danger of Kent's omoplata, which he used to sweep. After a quick scramble, Cooper landed on top working his ground and pound. Cooper wasn't able to connect for any serious danger and the fight went to a second round.

The second round saw the two trading leg kicks before Cooper hit a double that landed him in the guard of Kent. Kent worked the rubber guard and nearly had a triangle before he beautifully transitioned into a armbar that nearly ended the fight.

In the third, Kent looked to take Cooper down with a single leg against the cage, but Cooper muscled out and drug Kent to the mat, landing in his guard. Cooper rode out the remainder of the round on top, not inflicting any real damage from there, stealing the round. When the scores came in it was a 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 unanimous decision for Ross Cooper.

Wasting no time, Jimmy Cowan came out firing with thunderous kicks to the gut of Jason Newman. Newman took a knee after the second kick partially caught him on the elbow. It was the third one that dropped Newman and forced referee Josh Stewart to wave off the fight.

After a brief exchange, LC Hamid sent his opponent Jeff Heflin to the canvas with a big right. Heflin had Hamid in trouble midway through the first with a guillotine. Once free, Hamid began working kicks to the body and legs. A scramble on the ground saw Hamid lose a dominant position with Heflin riding his back until Hamid was able to get back to his guard where he would finish with an armbar in a fast paced single round.

In two K1 bouts, Josh Augustine won an unanimous 29-28 decision over Martel Washington. Zach Jones won a close split decision over Juan Parades. Audible reaction from the crowd after Parades was declared the winner.

Michael Hulsey and Kolten Siebert pushed the MMA action into the second round.

Siebert had Hulsey in deep trouble early in the second. Hulsey did a nice job defending before Siebert got the finish with a scissor choke early in the second round.

In the first, after a quick exchange, Hulsey landed in side control and dropped big knees to the side. Hulsey go for an inverted triangle. Siebert pried free and was in side control bur did little with the position. Hulsey created a scramble that got the fight back to the feet where Siebert found his range with kicks to the legs and body.

In a wild back and forth, Derik Scott earned a first round submission via rear naked choke over Tim Est. Both brought the volume from the sound of the bell and scrambles were aplenty in the bout with Scott bulldogging Est to the floor and followed with a barrage of punches. When Est worked to get back to his feet, Scott pounced on the opportunity and got the tap soon after.

Ben Roy and Colby Gammons started the night with a debut MMA for the both of them.

In the first round, after a brief feeling out process, Roy scored with a takedown and would pepper the body while passing half guard. Gammons created a scramble and Roy took Gammons' back and Roy nearly finished the fight as he sank in a deep rear naked choke at bell's sound.

To start the second round, an early single and easy pass by Roy had Gammons' flattened. Roy easily transitioned to mount and went after an arm. Roy got the tap soon after at 1:42 in the second round.



Photo courtesy of Jimmy Range Photography