Post by Diamondhead Media Group on Mar 26, 2009 0:05:13 GMT -6
SPIRIT FC 3: Redemption (Samurai! TV)
Junko Matsushita -VS- Sonya Lynn
Junko: Sonya doesn't belong here. I am superior to her in every way.
Sonya: I lack skill and experience, but make up for it in heart and size. This won't be easy, but I must win.
ROUND ONE: Matsushita as very confident going into the fight. Some might even say cocky. She toyed with Lynn for the first few minutes, daring her to prove herself. Sonya tried, but her efforts were easily defended against. That is, until the two clinched - in which case Sonya had a slight advantage. She worked Matsushita with foot stomps and the occasional knee. Try as she might though, she couldn't take Junko down for a slam. And in no time at all, Matsushita took her down instead, and quickly worked for a submission. Sonya tried to defend against it, looking to force a half-guard, but she was clearly outmatched. Matsushita locked on a guillotine and rolled onto her back to apply the necessary pressure. Sonya Lynn had no choice but to tap out.
WINNER: Junko Matsushita at 3:12 of Round 1 via Submission (Guillotine Choke).
Hannah Kristian -VS- Fedora Vasilyev
Fedora: We are very evenly matched in style and skill, but like it or not, my Sambo is better. And she doesn't have my strength.
Hannah: Her Sambo may be better, but she won't submit me. And I have the advantage in striking.
ROUND ONE: From start to finish, this was a very evenly fought contest. The two touched gloves in a show of respect to start things off, but then it was all business from there. The "Hunter Killer" (Kristian) quickly took advantage on their feet with pinpoint accurate punches and hard kicks. Vasilyev stood with her for a little while, but she was clearly losing points in the stand-up, and decided to clinch up, driving Hannah into the cage. Fedora's strength was unquestionable as she kept the pressure on the American while looking for a takedown. Kristian defended it well though, forcing Vasilyev to work much harder. But with one minute left in the ten minute first round, she finally succeeded in getting a huge slam that momentarily knocked the wind out of Hannah. Hannah recovered quickly though, and defended herself very well from the guard.
ROUND TWO: After touching gloves again, Fedora surprised Kristian, shooting in for another takedown. Hannah sprawled, but Vasilyev kept her feet moving and soon got the takedown. Hannah kept Fedora's head down though, preventing much ground and pound. While at the same time, she constantly worked her legs up towards the larger woman's head, looking for a triangle. She eventually locked it in, but Vasilyev again showed her strength, powering Hannah up for another huge slam - which forced her to break the hold. That didn't stop the Hunter Killer from trying, though.
ROUND THREE: Both women were starting to show signs of fatigue, but were determined to continue, keeping up the pace. After some work, Fedora got another takedown. Both women were slippery with sweat, but still displayed their exceptional ground positioning skills. Vasilyev managed to get into side control and looked for a kimura, but Hannah fought back into half guard. At one point she succeeded in rolling Fedora onto her back, but the Russian quickly regained the mount. Hannah did succeed in getting back to her feet though about three minutes into the round. From there she worked her stand-up, rocking Fedora with a big right hand once. But Vasilyev proved she could take it, and clinched up as the round came to an end.
WINNER: Hannah Kristian after Round 3 via Decision (30-27).
Clementina Vargas -VS- Megumi Shibata
Clementina: Megumi is good at takedowns, but I'm good at preventing them. So I expect this fight to stay standing, and for me to get the win.
Megumi: Vargas is one dimensional, and I can match her in that. Beating her in stand-up won't be easy, but it's doable. On the ground, she's mine.
ROUND ONE: Clementina pushed the pace early, throwing combos of lefts and rights. Shibata did a good job blocking most of them though, and made sure to score some points herself. It was obvious early on that the two were pretty even on their feet. At one point Vargas floored Megumi, but she was very quick back to her feet. That gave Clementina an opening to clinch up though, and she forced Shibata back into the cage. Keeping her pressed against it, Vargas' Muay Thai really shined as she landed several nice knees. She had no intention to take the fight to the mat, however, but had to be constantly on her guard because Megumi certainly was. Shibata did get the takedown after some work, and pushed Vargas' head towards the cage, reducing the area she had to work with. But as Megumi worked her ground and pound, Clementina defended it well, while trying to rotate her body around and push off the cage.
ROUND TWO: Megumi didn't wait around in the second round, quickly shooting in for a double leg. Vargas had excellent sprawl though, and knew better than to go for a knee or risk getting taken down. She worked the inside of Megumi's legs with kicks, while mixing in some hard punches as well. Megumi did her best to take advantage of her reach advantage, preventing most of Clementina's punches from finding their mark. The Brazilian was quite content to keep up with the leg kicks though, while keeping her hands moving - forcing Megumi to defend herself.
ROUND THREE: Again Megumi shot in for another double leg, this time getting it. Unfortunately, Vargas managed to roll over, mounting Shibata instead. That was fine with Vargas though, who worked her ground and pound. Despite fatigue, Shibata kept moving and defending herself, while looking to advance her position. Vargas soon stood back up though, and worked over Megumi's legs some more, before Shibata could get back to her feet. Clementina then clinched up, landing some more kneesbut Shibata managed to catch one, getting another big takedown. It was clear from there that she had the advantage in positioning, as she easily moved into side control, looking for a submission. However, Vargas defended herself well until the round drew to a close.
WINNER: Megumi Shibata after Round 3 via Decision (29-28).
Erin Samuels -VS- Tesla St. James
Erin: Tesla is aggressive, and very good on the ground. That'll be a problem. But if I can fight off her submissions, I can beat her.
Tesla: Samuels is a good young fighter with a lot of power behind her punches. But that's really the extent of her strengths - her striking ability.
ROUND ONE: Tesla was determined to get the takedown early, forcing Samuels to keep her at arm's reach. Tesla took her down easily enough, but Erin got back to her feet pretty quickly. On their feet, the two put on quite a show with their punches, while Erin mixed in leg and body kicks, along with a flying knee or two. But the second attempt got caught, and St. James slammed her down with good impact, before moving into side control - constantly looking for a submission. Samuels showed exceptional submission defense and constantly to get St. James back into half guard. Tesla stuck with her though, constantly working to get back into side control. Samuels tried to get up, but gave up her back in the process. Tesla took advantage of it, applying a tight body scissors. From there she worked for a rear naked choke, but Erin kept struggling until the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Samuels pushed Tesla against the cage in a clinch to start the second round, while working with knees and dirty boxing in the process. St. James hung with her though, utilizing some dirty boxing of her own to set up a takedown attempt. The two finally broke the clinch, but then Tesla finally got another big takedown straight into a submission via flying omoplata.
WINNER: Tesla St. James at 2:44 of Round 2 via Submission (Flying Omoplata).
"Burning Calm" Asaka -VS- Hitomi Akera
Chiyo: Hitomi won't be easy, but she can be beaten. It's happened once already, and it will happen again by my hands.
Hitomi: I am better than her on the ground, and on my feat. I can knock her out, or tap her out. Face it, Chiyo is weak.
ROUND ONE: The fight started off pretty even, with both fighters showing a profficiency for throwing punches - while Chiyo also mixed in a fair amount of leg and body kicks as well. Akera had some of her own, which were good, but Asaka's were just better - and she used her legs to block some of Hitomi's kicks as well. Up against the cage the two worked to gain the upperhand, with Hitomi gaining a slight advantage due to her strength. And her knees were definitely finding their mark as well.But Hitomi's efforts at taking Asaka down to the mat were met with strong defense. But the Blood Plague stuck with it, and scored the takedown after several attempts. There she pushed Asaka up against the cage and worked her ground and pound. Burning Calm's positioning was very good though, and she worked herself up into a sitting position to neutralize Hitomi's ground attack. From there Chiyo soon stood back up. Hitomi kept up the attack though, throwing very precise punch combinations up against the cage. Asaka did her best to block them, but was taking a beating when the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Burning Calm came into round two with renewed vigor and determination - going back to work on Hitomi's legs with various kicks. Hitomi pressed the advantage again, but Asaka circled around and kept fighting. Akera went for a double leg, but Chiyo kept her balance and fought off the takedown - forcing the clinch at the same time. There she worked her knees and uppercuts, which stunned Akera. The referee was right in position keeping a close eye on things, but the fight continued. Hitomi surprised her though with another takedown, and used shots to the ribs to soften Asaka up for some submission attempts. But try as she might, Chiyo wouldn't let her advance her position, so the ref stood the two up to trade punches some more before the round came to an end.
ROUND THREE: As the two touched gloves to start the third round, Asaka caught Akera completely by surprise with a wicked head kick that dropped her. Chiyo immediately moved in to continue her attack, and the ref was right there checking on Hitomi, but she did well to defend herself and weathered the storm. Asaka also tried some submissions of her own - effortlessly changing positions on Hitomi to try different locks. Akera continued to defend herself very well though, and Burning Calm eventually decided it was best to get to her feet. But from there she wouldn't let Hitomi up - continually working over her legs with more kicks. Akera kept defending herself though, connecting with several big up kicks. But when the action slowed down, the ref backed Asaka off, and allowed Akera to get to her feet. Both women were exhausted, but they battled it out until the very end.
WINNER: Hitomi Akera after Round 3 via Decision (29-28).
Akane Otsuka -VS- Jayde Griffen
Akane: Jayde has made huge strides in learning my sport. But MMA is very different from pro wrestling, and there's still a lot she has to get out of her head. That's her weakness.
Jayde: This won't be easy, to say the least. She's better in stand-up, and I'm better on the ground. And neither advantage is very sizeable. We are very evenly matched.
ROUND ONE: After touching gloves, the two circled eachother, trying to find their range. It didn't take very long though before the Red Diamond took the center of the cage and kept Griffen closer to the fence while the two fired off punches and kicks. The taller Otsuka clearly had longer arm reach, took advantage of it - making it more difficult for Jayde to land her shots. That didn't deter her from working the legs though. One especially hard shot caused Akane to backpedal a bit, and Jayde took advantage of that, forcing her against the fence with several well placed shots. Otsuka clinched up and immediately looked for the takedown, but Griffen fought it off very well, while taking the occasional shot to Otsuka's ribs with a well-placed knee. But it was one of those knees that cost her, when Akane grabbed the leg and took her down to the mat and into the guard. From there Akane mixed hammerfists with standard punches to keep busy and hopefully land some of them in the process. As good as her ground and pound was, Jayde's defense was certainly equivalent to it. Eventually she was able to pull Otsuka's head down and looked for a triangle choke. Akane kept moving though, and Griffen had to give it up for the time being.
ROUND TWO: Jayde came out of her corner much more aggressive this time, quickly getting inside Otsuka's reach and landing several heavy shots to the ribs. Otsuka clinched up again, but immediately caught a big uppercut to the chin that forced her to break it and stagger back. Jayde shot in at her from there, picking the larger woman up and bringing her down to the mat. And before the Red Diamond could react, Jayde was in side control, looking for a kimura. Akane kept defending it though, landing elbows to Jayde's ribs. That in turn lead to Griffen throwing her knees into Akane's ribs with devastating impact. And while it lead to Otsuka letting her guard down briefly, Jayde couldn't get the kimura applied before the round expired.
ROUND THREE: It seemed at the start of the third round as though both fighters knew they were dead even in the scoring so far. So neither of them wanted to make a mistake that would cost them in the long run. Akane tried to keep the fight standing up - utilizing her long reach again to keep Jayde at bay. Jayde was content to stay at a distance though, blocking most of Otsuka's punches, while scoring points with leg kicks. She then tried a flying knee but Otsuka avoided it, and floored her with a massive right hook. She then moved in and landed several undefended hammerfists, at which point the ref pulled her off to end the fight.
WINNER: Akane Otsuka at 3:57 of Round 3 via Referee Stoppage (Punches).
Izumi Sato -VS- Kyra Braddock
Izumi: Kyra is very good with her hands and feet. But I am very good with takedowns and submissions. I must beat her to avenge my last loss.
Kyra: I'm going to knock Izumi out in the first round. She won't even get a chance to submit me.
ROUND ONE: Izumi immediately shot in for a double leg, but Kyra defended it well, and landed a brutal knee that staggered her. Braddock then landed a big straight that floored Sato, and Kyra mounted her - landing hammerfists. Sato quickly started defending herself though, doing her best to block the blows while at the same time looking for a submission. She eliminated Kyra's ground and pound for the time being, by pulling her head down and getting one of her hooks in. Kyra fought to keep her other arm free though, continually landing shots to Izumi's ribs in the process. Keeping Braddock in the closed guard, Izumi tried to slip her arm around Kyra's neck for a guillotine. But Kyra immediately pulled her head up, determined to avoid the submission. Sato pretty dominated the fight on the ground though, with superior positioning and technique. Kyra managed to posture up for more ground and pound, but Sato pulled her back down by grabbing the arm, and at the same time trapped it - taking Braddock to the mat with a triangle armbar that immediately forced Kyra to tap.
WINNER: Izumi Sato at 9:51 of Round 1 via Submission (Triangle Armbar).
8. Myra Benedict -VS- Shelby Braddock-Burns
Myra: Shelby's Muay Thai is probably the best in SPIRIT. Her striking is outstanding. She is equally dangerous on the mat, but that's where I'm better. Sooner or later, she will tap.
Shelby: Where I lack in punching, I make up for in the clinch and ground & pound. I may not be any good at takedowns, but Myra isn't taking me down anytime soon either. This fight will end quickly in my favor.
ROUND ONE: After the two touched gloves in a mutual show of respect, it was on. Myra was the more aggressive of the two, trying to find her rage with punches, while throwing kicks to the legs. Or trying to, as Shelby had no problem blocking the majority of them. But when Myra got inside with her punches, Braddock-Burns clinched up, and being the stronger of the two, forced Myra into the fence. Her Muay Thai really shined there, as she landed a large number of knees that were clearly hurting. Myra did her best to defend herself, but she was clearly outmatched in the clinch. So she tried taking Shelby down, which was a lot harder than she seemed to anticipate. Shelby fought off every attempt, even turning Myra back against the fence to work her knees again. Myra caught her with some dirty boxing though, which forced the separation.For a while afterwards, the two just went to town on one another with brutal kicks. Myra targeted the inside of the leg in particular, while Shelby was aiming more for the body. Both women's technique was outstanding, but neither could gain an advantage before the time limit expired.
ROUND TWO: Round two saw Myra come out the aggressor once again, relying more on her sizeable punching advantage to land some big shots on Shelby, while continuing to land inside leg kicks - causing Shelby to hobble at one point. Myra then landed another big kick to the same spot, before taking Shelby down with little difficulty. From the top position, Benedict did her best to get into side control, but Shelby managed to keep her in half-guard. As a result, Myra changed tactics, moving into full guard to soften Braddock-Burns up with some ground and pound. Shelby covered up very well though, and continuously worked to pull Benedict down and work in some elbows to the top of her head as the round came to an end.
ROUND THREE: Braddock-Burns was showing signs of fatigue as the third round progressed, but still pushed the advantage once again - taking the center of the ring and landing one-two combos to the body and face. A few of those, and Shelby had enough. She immediately forced the clinch, but Benedict expected it, and used Braddock-Burns' momentum to score the takedown. The two traded blows from there, all the while trying to advance their respective positions. Shelby eventually succeeded, rolling Benedict over and posturing up, where she pounded on Myra with hammerfists. Myra defended as best she could, but then pulled Shelby down and went for a kimura. Shelby prevented it though, so Benedict transitioned into her signature guillotine choke. But as she cinched it in, the fight was over.
WINNER: Shelby Braddock-Burns after Round 3 via Decision (29-28).
Junko Matsushita -VS- Sonya Lynn
Junko: Sonya doesn't belong here. I am superior to her in every way.
Sonya: I lack skill and experience, but make up for it in heart and size. This won't be easy, but I must win.
ROUND ONE: Matsushita as very confident going into the fight. Some might even say cocky. She toyed with Lynn for the first few minutes, daring her to prove herself. Sonya tried, but her efforts were easily defended against. That is, until the two clinched - in which case Sonya had a slight advantage. She worked Matsushita with foot stomps and the occasional knee. Try as she might though, she couldn't take Junko down for a slam. And in no time at all, Matsushita took her down instead, and quickly worked for a submission. Sonya tried to defend against it, looking to force a half-guard, but she was clearly outmatched. Matsushita locked on a guillotine and rolled onto her back to apply the necessary pressure. Sonya Lynn had no choice but to tap out.
WINNER: Junko Matsushita at 3:12 of Round 1 via Submission (Guillotine Choke).
Hannah Kristian -VS- Fedora Vasilyev
Fedora: We are very evenly matched in style and skill, but like it or not, my Sambo is better. And she doesn't have my strength.
Hannah: Her Sambo may be better, but she won't submit me. And I have the advantage in striking.
ROUND ONE: From start to finish, this was a very evenly fought contest. The two touched gloves in a show of respect to start things off, but then it was all business from there. The "Hunter Killer" (Kristian) quickly took advantage on their feet with pinpoint accurate punches and hard kicks. Vasilyev stood with her for a little while, but she was clearly losing points in the stand-up, and decided to clinch up, driving Hannah into the cage. Fedora's strength was unquestionable as she kept the pressure on the American while looking for a takedown. Kristian defended it well though, forcing Vasilyev to work much harder. But with one minute left in the ten minute first round, she finally succeeded in getting a huge slam that momentarily knocked the wind out of Hannah. Hannah recovered quickly though, and defended herself very well from the guard.
ROUND TWO: After touching gloves again, Fedora surprised Kristian, shooting in for another takedown. Hannah sprawled, but Vasilyev kept her feet moving and soon got the takedown. Hannah kept Fedora's head down though, preventing much ground and pound. While at the same time, she constantly worked her legs up towards the larger woman's head, looking for a triangle. She eventually locked it in, but Vasilyev again showed her strength, powering Hannah up for another huge slam - which forced her to break the hold. That didn't stop the Hunter Killer from trying, though.
ROUND THREE: Both women were starting to show signs of fatigue, but were determined to continue, keeping up the pace. After some work, Fedora got another takedown. Both women were slippery with sweat, but still displayed their exceptional ground positioning skills. Vasilyev managed to get into side control and looked for a kimura, but Hannah fought back into half guard. At one point she succeeded in rolling Fedora onto her back, but the Russian quickly regained the mount. Hannah did succeed in getting back to her feet though about three minutes into the round. From there she worked her stand-up, rocking Fedora with a big right hand once. But Vasilyev proved she could take it, and clinched up as the round came to an end.
WINNER: Hannah Kristian after Round 3 via Decision (30-27).
Clementina Vargas -VS- Megumi Shibata
Clementina: Megumi is good at takedowns, but I'm good at preventing them. So I expect this fight to stay standing, and for me to get the win.
Megumi: Vargas is one dimensional, and I can match her in that. Beating her in stand-up won't be easy, but it's doable. On the ground, she's mine.
ROUND ONE: Clementina pushed the pace early, throwing combos of lefts and rights. Shibata did a good job blocking most of them though, and made sure to score some points herself. It was obvious early on that the two were pretty even on their feet. At one point Vargas floored Megumi, but she was very quick back to her feet. That gave Clementina an opening to clinch up though, and she forced Shibata back into the cage. Keeping her pressed against it, Vargas' Muay Thai really shined as she landed several nice knees. She had no intention to take the fight to the mat, however, but had to be constantly on her guard because Megumi certainly was. Shibata did get the takedown after some work, and pushed Vargas' head towards the cage, reducing the area she had to work with. But as Megumi worked her ground and pound, Clementina defended it well, while trying to rotate her body around and push off the cage.
ROUND TWO: Megumi didn't wait around in the second round, quickly shooting in for a double leg. Vargas had excellent sprawl though, and knew better than to go for a knee or risk getting taken down. She worked the inside of Megumi's legs with kicks, while mixing in some hard punches as well. Megumi did her best to take advantage of her reach advantage, preventing most of Clementina's punches from finding their mark. The Brazilian was quite content to keep up with the leg kicks though, while keeping her hands moving - forcing Megumi to defend herself.
ROUND THREE: Again Megumi shot in for another double leg, this time getting it. Unfortunately, Vargas managed to roll over, mounting Shibata instead. That was fine with Vargas though, who worked her ground and pound. Despite fatigue, Shibata kept moving and defending herself, while looking to advance her position. Vargas soon stood back up though, and worked over Megumi's legs some more, before Shibata could get back to her feet. Clementina then clinched up, landing some more kneesbut Shibata managed to catch one, getting another big takedown. It was clear from there that she had the advantage in positioning, as she easily moved into side control, looking for a submission. However, Vargas defended herself well until the round drew to a close.
WINNER: Megumi Shibata after Round 3 via Decision (29-28).
Erin Samuels -VS- Tesla St. James
Erin: Tesla is aggressive, and very good on the ground. That'll be a problem. But if I can fight off her submissions, I can beat her.
Tesla: Samuels is a good young fighter with a lot of power behind her punches. But that's really the extent of her strengths - her striking ability.
ROUND ONE: Tesla was determined to get the takedown early, forcing Samuels to keep her at arm's reach. Tesla took her down easily enough, but Erin got back to her feet pretty quickly. On their feet, the two put on quite a show with their punches, while Erin mixed in leg and body kicks, along with a flying knee or two. But the second attempt got caught, and St. James slammed her down with good impact, before moving into side control - constantly looking for a submission. Samuels showed exceptional submission defense and constantly to get St. James back into half guard. Tesla stuck with her though, constantly working to get back into side control. Samuels tried to get up, but gave up her back in the process. Tesla took advantage of it, applying a tight body scissors. From there she worked for a rear naked choke, but Erin kept struggling until the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Samuels pushed Tesla against the cage in a clinch to start the second round, while working with knees and dirty boxing in the process. St. James hung with her though, utilizing some dirty boxing of her own to set up a takedown attempt. The two finally broke the clinch, but then Tesla finally got another big takedown straight into a submission via flying omoplata.
WINNER: Tesla St. James at 2:44 of Round 2 via Submission (Flying Omoplata).
"Burning Calm" Asaka -VS- Hitomi Akera
Chiyo: Hitomi won't be easy, but she can be beaten. It's happened once already, and it will happen again by my hands.
Hitomi: I am better than her on the ground, and on my feat. I can knock her out, or tap her out. Face it, Chiyo is weak.
ROUND ONE: The fight started off pretty even, with both fighters showing a profficiency for throwing punches - while Chiyo also mixed in a fair amount of leg and body kicks as well. Akera had some of her own, which were good, but Asaka's were just better - and she used her legs to block some of Hitomi's kicks as well. Up against the cage the two worked to gain the upperhand, with Hitomi gaining a slight advantage due to her strength. And her knees were definitely finding their mark as well.But Hitomi's efforts at taking Asaka down to the mat were met with strong defense. But the Blood Plague stuck with it, and scored the takedown after several attempts. There she pushed Asaka up against the cage and worked her ground and pound. Burning Calm's positioning was very good though, and she worked herself up into a sitting position to neutralize Hitomi's ground attack. From there Chiyo soon stood back up. Hitomi kept up the attack though, throwing very precise punch combinations up against the cage. Asaka did her best to block them, but was taking a beating when the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Burning Calm came into round two with renewed vigor and determination - going back to work on Hitomi's legs with various kicks. Hitomi pressed the advantage again, but Asaka circled around and kept fighting. Akera went for a double leg, but Chiyo kept her balance and fought off the takedown - forcing the clinch at the same time. There she worked her knees and uppercuts, which stunned Akera. The referee was right in position keeping a close eye on things, but the fight continued. Hitomi surprised her though with another takedown, and used shots to the ribs to soften Asaka up for some submission attempts. But try as she might, Chiyo wouldn't let her advance her position, so the ref stood the two up to trade punches some more before the round came to an end.
ROUND THREE: As the two touched gloves to start the third round, Asaka caught Akera completely by surprise with a wicked head kick that dropped her. Chiyo immediately moved in to continue her attack, and the ref was right there checking on Hitomi, but she did well to defend herself and weathered the storm. Asaka also tried some submissions of her own - effortlessly changing positions on Hitomi to try different locks. Akera continued to defend herself very well though, and Burning Calm eventually decided it was best to get to her feet. But from there she wouldn't let Hitomi up - continually working over her legs with more kicks. Akera kept defending herself though, connecting with several big up kicks. But when the action slowed down, the ref backed Asaka off, and allowed Akera to get to her feet. Both women were exhausted, but they battled it out until the very end.
WINNER: Hitomi Akera after Round 3 via Decision (29-28).
Akane Otsuka -VS- Jayde Griffen
Akane: Jayde has made huge strides in learning my sport. But MMA is very different from pro wrestling, and there's still a lot she has to get out of her head. That's her weakness.
Jayde: This won't be easy, to say the least. She's better in stand-up, and I'm better on the ground. And neither advantage is very sizeable. We are very evenly matched.
ROUND ONE: After touching gloves, the two circled eachother, trying to find their range. It didn't take very long though before the Red Diamond took the center of the cage and kept Griffen closer to the fence while the two fired off punches and kicks. The taller Otsuka clearly had longer arm reach, took advantage of it - making it more difficult for Jayde to land her shots. That didn't deter her from working the legs though. One especially hard shot caused Akane to backpedal a bit, and Jayde took advantage of that, forcing her against the fence with several well placed shots. Otsuka clinched up and immediately looked for the takedown, but Griffen fought it off very well, while taking the occasional shot to Otsuka's ribs with a well-placed knee. But it was one of those knees that cost her, when Akane grabbed the leg and took her down to the mat and into the guard. From there Akane mixed hammerfists with standard punches to keep busy and hopefully land some of them in the process. As good as her ground and pound was, Jayde's defense was certainly equivalent to it. Eventually she was able to pull Otsuka's head down and looked for a triangle choke. Akane kept moving though, and Griffen had to give it up for the time being.
ROUND TWO: Jayde came out of her corner much more aggressive this time, quickly getting inside Otsuka's reach and landing several heavy shots to the ribs. Otsuka clinched up again, but immediately caught a big uppercut to the chin that forced her to break it and stagger back. Jayde shot in at her from there, picking the larger woman up and bringing her down to the mat. And before the Red Diamond could react, Jayde was in side control, looking for a kimura. Akane kept defending it though, landing elbows to Jayde's ribs. That in turn lead to Griffen throwing her knees into Akane's ribs with devastating impact. And while it lead to Otsuka letting her guard down briefly, Jayde couldn't get the kimura applied before the round expired.
ROUND THREE: It seemed at the start of the third round as though both fighters knew they were dead even in the scoring so far. So neither of them wanted to make a mistake that would cost them in the long run. Akane tried to keep the fight standing up - utilizing her long reach again to keep Jayde at bay. Jayde was content to stay at a distance though, blocking most of Otsuka's punches, while scoring points with leg kicks. She then tried a flying knee but Otsuka avoided it, and floored her with a massive right hook. She then moved in and landed several undefended hammerfists, at which point the ref pulled her off to end the fight.
WINNER: Akane Otsuka at 3:57 of Round 3 via Referee Stoppage (Punches).
Izumi Sato -VS- Kyra Braddock
Izumi: Kyra is very good with her hands and feet. But I am very good with takedowns and submissions. I must beat her to avenge my last loss.
Kyra: I'm going to knock Izumi out in the first round. She won't even get a chance to submit me.
ROUND ONE: Izumi immediately shot in for a double leg, but Kyra defended it well, and landed a brutal knee that staggered her. Braddock then landed a big straight that floored Sato, and Kyra mounted her - landing hammerfists. Sato quickly started defending herself though, doing her best to block the blows while at the same time looking for a submission. She eliminated Kyra's ground and pound for the time being, by pulling her head down and getting one of her hooks in. Kyra fought to keep her other arm free though, continually landing shots to Izumi's ribs in the process. Keeping Braddock in the closed guard, Izumi tried to slip her arm around Kyra's neck for a guillotine. But Kyra immediately pulled her head up, determined to avoid the submission. Sato pretty dominated the fight on the ground though, with superior positioning and technique. Kyra managed to posture up for more ground and pound, but Sato pulled her back down by grabbing the arm, and at the same time trapped it - taking Braddock to the mat with a triangle armbar that immediately forced Kyra to tap.
WINNER: Izumi Sato at 9:51 of Round 1 via Submission (Triangle Armbar).
8. Myra Benedict -VS- Shelby Braddock-Burns
Myra: Shelby's Muay Thai is probably the best in SPIRIT. Her striking is outstanding. She is equally dangerous on the mat, but that's where I'm better. Sooner or later, she will tap.
Shelby: Where I lack in punching, I make up for in the clinch and ground & pound. I may not be any good at takedowns, but Myra isn't taking me down anytime soon either. This fight will end quickly in my favor.
ROUND ONE: After the two touched gloves in a mutual show of respect, it was on. Myra was the more aggressive of the two, trying to find her rage with punches, while throwing kicks to the legs. Or trying to, as Shelby had no problem blocking the majority of them. But when Myra got inside with her punches, Braddock-Burns clinched up, and being the stronger of the two, forced Myra into the fence. Her Muay Thai really shined there, as she landed a large number of knees that were clearly hurting. Myra did her best to defend herself, but she was clearly outmatched in the clinch. So she tried taking Shelby down, which was a lot harder than she seemed to anticipate. Shelby fought off every attempt, even turning Myra back against the fence to work her knees again. Myra caught her with some dirty boxing though, which forced the separation.For a while afterwards, the two just went to town on one another with brutal kicks. Myra targeted the inside of the leg in particular, while Shelby was aiming more for the body. Both women's technique was outstanding, but neither could gain an advantage before the time limit expired.
ROUND TWO: Round two saw Myra come out the aggressor once again, relying more on her sizeable punching advantage to land some big shots on Shelby, while continuing to land inside leg kicks - causing Shelby to hobble at one point. Myra then landed another big kick to the same spot, before taking Shelby down with little difficulty. From the top position, Benedict did her best to get into side control, but Shelby managed to keep her in half-guard. As a result, Myra changed tactics, moving into full guard to soften Braddock-Burns up with some ground and pound. Shelby covered up very well though, and continuously worked to pull Benedict down and work in some elbows to the top of her head as the round came to an end.
ROUND THREE: Braddock-Burns was showing signs of fatigue as the third round progressed, but still pushed the advantage once again - taking the center of the ring and landing one-two combos to the body and face. A few of those, and Shelby had enough. She immediately forced the clinch, but Benedict expected it, and used Braddock-Burns' momentum to score the takedown. The two traded blows from there, all the while trying to advance their respective positions. Shelby eventually succeeded, rolling Benedict over and posturing up, where she pounded on Myra with hammerfists. Myra defended as best she could, but then pulled Shelby down and went for a kimura. Shelby prevented it though, so Benedict transitioned into her signature guillotine choke. But as she cinched it in, the fight was over.
WINNER: Shelby Braddock-Burns after Round 3 via Decision (29-28).