August 15th, 2009 by TammyTV

Hardrock MMA 12

Hardrock MMA staged an exciting night of 17 MMA fights and one grappling exhibition just down the road from Louisville on August 15. A night that saw five titles on the line certainly did not disappoint a standing room only crowd in Shepardsville, Kentucky.

For Fight Results, click here.

In the first title fight of the night, at 135 pounds, Justin O’Neal (2-0) showed more poise than the more experienced Chris Walker (9-1). The opening standup of the fight saw Walker swinging wildly and missing, and O’Neal making him pay with counterpunches and knees in the clinch. Although Walker eventually was able to take the fight to the ground, O’Neal worked a high guard and looked for an armbar, before finally finishing the fight with a triangle choke 2:15 into the first round.

With the heavyweight title on the line, Deon Spalding and Michael Parker battled back and forth into the fourth round. Spalding took control of a nip-and-tuck fight in the fourth, scoring a takedown to side control after landing two stiff rights, then forcing a verbal submission from Parker just :41 into the round when Parker wanted no part of the ground and pound onslaught.

Later in the evening, 185-pound titleholder Chris Biddle (10-2) made relatively easy work of challenger Justin Gamble (9-2), scoring a takedown following some good rights, passing half-guard to full mount, then very quickly putting Gamble to sleep wih an arm triangle choke 1:58 into the opening round.

Marcus Mayes (3-1) took the 205-pound title from Chad Deener (4-0) in a three-round technical battle that ended when Mayes dropped Deener with a series of strikes and knees from the clinch about a minute into the third round.

In the last title fight of the night, AJ Jenkins dethroned 170-pound champ Steve Osman (5-0) in dramatic fashion, tattooing Osman with strikes early in the second round, dropping him with a straight left that left him out cold, then getting in a couple shots for good measure after Osman was crumpled against the cage.

In the other action of the evening:
Adam “the Igg” Schroer won his pro debut over Jason Carrier, catching Carrier with a right, then pouncing for a rear naked choke submission finish.

Robert Mooney also won his pro debut, scoring a double leg takedown on JR Hines (18-7) and then securing a kimura from half-guard that forced Hines to tap just 1:47 into the fight.

TJ Barber (10-6) took down Jeff King (7-1) to side control, pulverized him with some ground and pound, and ultimately finished King off with a rear naked choke 2:12 into the fight.

Tony Thomas slammed Chad Sermon in the opening seconds of their fight, took side control and maintained it despite Sermon’s unsuccessful efforts to work out of it, then ultimately submitted Sermon with a rear naked choke just 1:24 into the fight.

Matt Haltheus (0-0) showed impressive skill and poise in his MMA debut against RJ Miller, working some ground and pound in the first round and expertly rolling out of a kneebar attempt by Miller. Haltheus continued the onslaught on the ground in the second round, eventually pinning one of Miller’s arms and forcing a verbal submission 2:39 into the round when Miller was helpless to defend the strikes.

In a back-and-forth fight, Mike Thomas finished off Brandon Howard 1:44 into the third round with strikes from the mount for a TKO victory.

“Dirty” David Gray eked out a split decision victory over Erik Funkhauser in a fight that saw some wild ground action and very little standup defense.

Mike Fleniken (3-0) made short work of Michael Gay (6-7), putting Gay out with a standing rear naked choke just :48 into the fight.

Brandon DeWitt made even shorter work of overmatched Chris Minks, immediately dropping Minks with a right and then obliterating him for a ref stoppage just :07 into the fight.

Jeremy Philpot (8-8) shot for a takedown against Jason Clack (2-3), passed from side control to full mount, then sunk the rear naked choke 1:15 into the fight when Clack rolled.

Rob Smith (9-0) punished Jon “Special Ed” Heiser from side control, and then forced Heiser to submit with a kimura 1:40 into the opening round.

In the opening fight of the night, Bryant Barnhill sunk a standing guillotine and jumped guard, forcing Brent Boone to tap out in the first round.

Finally, in a nip-and-tuck grappling match featuring two underage competitors, Isaiah Ferguson submitted Corey Clemons with a gogoplata about two minutes into a sudden-death extra round.

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Much Love,

TammyTV & FightJunky

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