Post by Diamondhead Media Group on Nov 2, 2009 14:50:33 GMT -6
SPIRIT FC 6: COUNTERSTRIKE
Greyhound Arena, Portales, New Mexico
UNDER CARD
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
Cassandra "Creeping Death" Dillinger(0-0-0) -VS- "The Archangel" Luciana Morales(0-0-0)
WINNER: Cassandra Dillinger at 0:27 of Round 2 via TKO (Hammerfists)
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
Gina "Napalm" Nasato(0-0-0) -VS- Leta Sammartin(0-0-0)
WINNER: Leta Sammartin at 2:41 of Round 1 via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Karin "The Ice Angel" Albrecht(0-0-0) -VS- "Fireball" Felicia zahn(0-0-0)
WINNER: Felicia Zahn at 5:00 of Round 2 via Referee Stoppage (Impaired Vision)
MAIN CARD
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Junko Matsushita(1-0-0) -VS- Azumi Tanaka(1-0-0)
Junko: Standing up, I'm the better fighter. Azumi's clinch knees are deadly, but I won't let her get close enough to use them. If it goes to the ground, then I'll beat her there too. It won't be easy, but they never are.
Azumi: Junko is an aggressive, well rounded fighter who doesn't gas out very often. But all it takes is one big knee to the face, and the fight's over. And from what I've seen, she won't be able to stop it.
JUNKO MATSUSHITA
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 110 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Jiu-Jitsu, Endurance
AZUMI TANAKA
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 120 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns
ROUND ONE: Azumi was a bit more tentative to start, looking for her range. At the same time, Matsushita was the more aggressive, quickly establishing her range and mixing up punches and leg kicks. The kicks seemed to be her main focus though, as she sought to weaken Tanaka's Muay Thai attack. Her punches were proving to be effective too though, as Tanaka backed off after several good straight punches. She worked to close the distance, and when she did, latched onto Junko's head to land some Muay Thai knees. Junko shoved her off after taking one to the face though. From there she continued to back tanaka into the cage as the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Matsushita was much more wary of Tanaka's knees in the second round, picking her shots from a slightly greater distance, trying to prevent the larger woman from closing the distance again. Azumi surprised her though, shooting in for a single leg. Matsushita prevented it well though, but Azumi proved to be persistant, and backed Junko into the cage - still trying for the single leg. When it was clear neither woman could advance her position, the ref pulled them apart and the fight continued. Junko landed some more shots to the face that Tanaka clearly wanted no part of, but she couldn't answer the onslaught before the round ended.
ROUND THREE: Tanaka looked exhausted at the start of the third round. Her corner could repeatedly be heard telling her to get her hands up. But Junko saw the opening and went to work with her jab, mixing in some hooks and overhand shots. Azumi tried to back off and circle away from the cage, but Matsushita caught her with a spinning backfist that knocked her to the mat. Junko pounced from there, landing repeated shots before the ref pulled her off.
WINNER: Junko Matsushita at 1:04 of Round 3 via TKO (Strikes).
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
Kimiko "Hotaru" Hamasaki(1-0-0) -VS- "The Bakudan" Temiko Shirai(1-0-0)
Kimiko: Shirai will likely look to push the pace in our match. And while she's an explosive striker, her endurance has yet to be really tested. I'm going to weather her storm, wear her down, and finish her in the end.
Temiko: Weather my storm? I don't think so. Kimiko is a good striker herself, and I'm confident this fight will stay standing up. But when my left hand connects with her chin, she won't remember a thing.
KIMIKO HAMASAKI
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 134 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Kickboxing, Ground Defense
TEMIKO SHIRAI
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 125 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Boxing, Ground Defense
ROUND ONE: Kimiko had a plan coming into this fight. She didn't rush into anything, found her range quickly, and simply tried to pick her shots while staying away from Shirai's left hand. But all of that didn't mean a damn thing when The Bakudan hit her. "Hotaru" tried to fight back, but Shirai showed great head movement and elusiveness, avoiding most of her attacks. Meanwhile Temiko took advantage of the oppenings left to her, and landed bomb after bomb after bomb. Hamasaki was reeling and desperate to get away from her, but she couldn't stop the onslaught. Shirai wound up for her left hook, giving Kimiko an opening of her own, but it didn't matter as the blow was devastating.
WINNER: "The Bakudan" Temiko Shirai at 0:47 of Round 1 via KO (Left Hook)
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
Sadie "Mayhem" Morales(1-0-0) -VS- Kyoko Saito(1-0-0)
Sadie: Kyoko is one dimensional and predictable. She'll want nothing to do with my standup, and will be looking for the takedown pretty much all the time. But submitting me will be damn near impossible. And if I take top position, I'm going to destroy with my ground and pound.
Kyoko: Sadie likes to talk a lot, but I'll shut her up. My judo is the best around, and even with her excellent wrestling, she won't be able to stop my submissions. It's only a matter of time before she taps.
SADIE "MAYHEM" MORALES
Origin: USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Boxing, Wrestling, Ground & Pound
KYOKO SAITO
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 160 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Judo, Aggression
ROUND ONE: Both women came out swinging to start the round, but Saito was quickly overwhelmed by Mayhem's striking prowess. She quickly closed the distance between them, and effortlessly picked Morales up and slammed her violently down. That seemed to knock the wind out of Sadie momentarily, but she recovered quickly as she prevented Kyoko from moving to side control - keeping her in the half guard. Both women looked very evenly matched on the ground, with Saito constantly looking to advance her position - while Sadie defended each attempt and kept Kyoko busy with shots from the bottom. She tried rolling the larger woman over, but Saito wouldn't have it, and just did her best to smother Morales, hoping to wear her down as the round ended.
ROUND TWO: "Mayhem anticipated another takedown attempt to start the second round, and caught Kyoko off-guard with a flying knee that sent her to the mat. Morales dove on top of her and went to work with her devastating ground and pound. For a few seconds, the ref looked about to stop the fight, but Saito managed to pull her down just enough to attempt a triangle from the bottom. She almost had it locked too, but Sadie managed to pull her head out. But Saito didn't allow her to posture up, still trying to secure the triangle. Morales was more prepared this time though, and her ground game was excellent. Eventually she stood back up and backed away, insisting that Kyoko return to her feet. When Kyoko complied, Sadie moved in and clinched up, where she landed several big Muay Thai knees to the head. But Saito was saved by the bell, as she looked close to unconsciousness.
ROUND THREE: Kyoko shot in for another big slam on Morales, but this time Sadie cage walked her way back to her feet. Saito showed a surprising clinch game of her own, backing Morales into the cage and trying to take her down once more. "Mayhem" kept fighting her though, using knees and dirty boxing to eventually force Kyoko to break the hold. The high pace was really taking its toll on both women at this point, and Saito had a couple big cuts around her face. None seemed to be impairing her vision though. Suddenly Kyoko leapt at Sadie, and took her down with a flying triangle choke. The move caught Morales off-guard, but instincts seemed to kick in as she fought to break free once again. Saito seemed to have this one locked in too, but Sadie kept working to break free. But much like her opponent, Morales too was saved by the end of the round.
WINNER: Kyoko Saito at 5:00 of Round 3 via Split Decision (29-28 Kyoko, 29-28 Sadie, 29-28 Kyoko)
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
"Poison Bliss" Myra Benedict(1-2-0) -VS- "Lights Out" Christi Wasilewski(0-0-0)
Myra: A one and two record is not how I envisioned the start of my MMA career. It's unacceptable, really. But I am the most complete fighter here, and have never been finished yet. Christi needs to think long and hard about facing me, because I'm going to turn my record around. And it starts with her.
Christi: This is a huge opportunity for me. Myra's reputation certainly proceeds her. But this is MMA, not pro wrestling. Which means she and I are on equal turf. She won't be able to do a lot of the things she used to get away with. My training partners call me "Lights Out" for a reason, and Myra is going to find out why.
MYRA BENEDICT
Origin: USA
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 145 lbs
Record: 1-2-0
Strengths: BJJ, Kicks, Endurance
CHRISTI WASILEWSKI
Origin: USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 159 lbs
Record: 0-0-0
Strengths: Karate, Ground Defense
ROUND ONE: Myra seemed to be very calm and collected going into this fight. She took the center of the cage, forcing Christi towards the outside edge, and began to work in her kicks. Shots to the legs and body were the majority, but she barely missed on a couple attempts at the head. Wasilewski showed excellent poise though, checking the leg kicks and doing a nice job protecting herself against Benedict's punches. Counterstrikes were her main weapon, and she landed them frequently. Despite Myra being a very good standup fighter, Christi was better. And it showed, as Benedict repeatedly had to back out of Wasilewski's range. At one point Benedict looked considerably hurt, and Christi took advantage of it - unloading a massive flurry of punches and kicks. She then clinched up - driving Myra against the cage. There she used knees to the legs and some dirty boxing to do further damage. But Benedict surprised her, sweeping her leg for a nice takedown just before the end of the round.
ROUND TWO: Myra still came out aggressive in the second round, but she was clearly a bit wary of Christi's outstanding standup. The two traded blows a bit more, before Benedict landed a devastating head kick that nearly finished her opponent. At that point she shot in and took "Lights Out" down. Wasilewski's ground defense was very good, but Benedict was clearly better in this situation. Christi didn't make it easy on her, constantly trying to avoid submissions while trying to get back to her feet. Benedict scooted her towards the cage wall though, limiting her mobility on the bottom. She then set Christi up for an arm triangle, and moved into side control to lock it in.
WINNER: "Poison Bliss" Myra Benedict at 3:01 of Round 2 via Submission (Arm Triangle)
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
"Twilight Angel" Sonya Benedict(3-1-0) -VS- "Nightshade" Sora Kawaii(2-2-0)
Sonya: Sora is a close friend of mine, and a good training partner. She is one of the hardest hitting women I know. Neither one of us wants to take this fight to the ground, and we both know what's at stake. When one of us gets in that cage, our opponents are in for a fight. But when we face eachother, you better believe it'll be a war.
Sora: Sonya's tae-kwon-do is excellent, and her Muay Thai is rapidly surpassing it. She is a very dangerous fighter on her feet, and impossible to keep down. But the only way this fight is going to the ground is if one of us clean's the other's clock. And that's very possible, since we'll both be really testing eachother's chins. Go Team Taipan!
SONYA BENEDICT
Origin: USA
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 130 lbs
Record: 3-1-0
Strengths: Muay Thai, Takedown/Submission Defense, Ground & Pound
SORA KAWAII
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 141 lbs
Record: 2-2-0
Strengths: Kickboxing, Ground & Pound
ROUND ONE: Benedict and Kawaii touched gloves to start the fight, but then they brought the war almost immediately afterwards. Having trained together, ther was no need for a feeling out process. Sonya forced Sora towards the outside of the cage, using combos of jabs, hooks, and leg kicks to keep Kawaii on guard. But she was perhaps too aggressive at times, as she left herself open to some big shots from Kawaii's excellent hands. "Nightshade" nearly floored her with one shot, and then succeeded with the next - a nasty uppercut to the chin. Kawaii mounted her from there, and tried finishing her off with a flurry of shots. But Benedict still had her wits about her, as she defended herself with excellent head movement to dodge most of the shots. Finally Sora decided it was best to get back to her feet and pick her shots from the up/down position. Benedict continued to defend herself despite some hard kicks to the legs, and caught Kawaii with a huge up kick just before the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Sonya came out more determined in the second round. She was still aggressive, but made sure to keep her hands up and chin down. Again she took the center of the cage, showing off her outstanding Tae-Kwon-Do and Muay Thai by working over the legs and body, mixing in some good shots to the face for good measure. When she got too close for comfort, Kawaii used a push kick to create some distance, and then circled to her right. Benedict came right back though with a flying knee that rocked Kawaii and sent her backpedaling into the cage. Sonya closed the distance again, and this time went for her Muay Thai knees in the clinch. She landed several to the body at first, before connecting with a big one to the head. Kawaii's knees buckled momentarily, before she regained her senses. But she ate another knee to the face in the process. Sonya was looking to finish her off with several more, but Kawaii managed to shove her away. Clearing her cobwebs, Kawaii threw a head kick as the round wound down. However, Benedict got out of its way just before the ref stepped between them.
ROUND THREE: The third round was very difficult to score, as it was very even all the way through. Both women were Hell bent on scoring points, but more importantly finishing eachother off. Neither seemed to want it to go to decision. For the first half of the round, both women were standing toe-to-toe in the center of the cage, swinging with everything they had. Both showed no signs of fatigue despite the long fight and both losing blood. And Kawaii was more aggressive in the round, matching Benedict's own for much of the time. She tried for another head kick at one point, but Benedict got her arm up in time to block it. And the "Twilight Angel" tried to close the distance again, hoping to land some more devastating knees. But Sora did a good job keeping her at bay while landing bomb after bomb to the face. Benedict finally just used a standard clinch on her, landing knees to the legs and abdomen, while Kawaii focused more on dirty boxing. Finally the two wound up in a stalemate, and the ref pulled them apart. When they started up again, Sonya connected with a head kick that knocked Sora to the mat. And like Kawaii in the first round, Sonya pounced on her for some ground and pound. Kawaii's defense was excellent though, forcing Benedict to land some body shots. But Sora then pulled her head down, and surprised her with a triangle attempt. And even more surprising was that she actually locked it in. Benedict showed her strength though, picking Sora up and slamming her to break the hold. She immediately got back to her feet after that, wanting no part of any further submission attempts.
WINNER: "Nightshade" Sora Kawaii at 5:00 of Round 3 via Split Decision (30-27 Sora, 29-28 Sora, 29-28 Sonya)
Greyhound Arena, Portales, New Mexico
UNDER CARD
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
Cassandra "Creeping Death" Dillinger(0-0-0) -VS- "The Archangel" Luciana Morales(0-0-0)
WINNER: Cassandra Dillinger at 0:27 of Round 2 via TKO (Hammerfists)
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
Gina "Napalm" Nasato(0-0-0) -VS- Leta Sammartin(0-0-0)
WINNER: Leta Sammartin at 2:41 of Round 1 via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Karin "The Ice Angel" Albrecht(0-0-0) -VS- "Fireball" Felicia zahn(0-0-0)
WINNER: Felicia Zahn at 5:00 of Round 2 via Referee Stoppage (Impaired Vision)
MAIN CARD
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Junko Matsushita(1-0-0) -VS- Azumi Tanaka(1-0-0)
Junko: Standing up, I'm the better fighter. Azumi's clinch knees are deadly, but I won't let her get close enough to use them. If it goes to the ground, then I'll beat her there too. It won't be easy, but they never are.
Azumi: Junko is an aggressive, well rounded fighter who doesn't gas out very often. But all it takes is one big knee to the face, and the fight's over. And from what I've seen, she won't be able to stop it.
JUNKO MATSUSHITA
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 110 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Jiu-Jitsu, Endurance
AZUMI TANAKA
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 120 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns
ROUND ONE: Azumi was a bit more tentative to start, looking for her range. At the same time, Matsushita was the more aggressive, quickly establishing her range and mixing up punches and leg kicks. The kicks seemed to be her main focus though, as she sought to weaken Tanaka's Muay Thai attack. Her punches were proving to be effective too though, as Tanaka backed off after several good straight punches. She worked to close the distance, and when she did, latched onto Junko's head to land some Muay Thai knees. Junko shoved her off after taking one to the face though. From there she continued to back tanaka into the cage as the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Matsushita was much more wary of Tanaka's knees in the second round, picking her shots from a slightly greater distance, trying to prevent the larger woman from closing the distance again. Azumi surprised her though, shooting in for a single leg. Matsushita prevented it well though, but Azumi proved to be persistant, and backed Junko into the cage - still trying for the single leg. When it was clear neither woman could advance her position, the ref pulled them apart and the fight continued. Junko landed some more shots to the face that Tanaka clearly wanted no part of, but she couldn't answer the onslaught before the round ended.
ROUND THREE: Tanaka looked exhausted at the start of the third round. Her corner could repeatedly be heard telling her to get her hands up. But Junko saw the opening and went to work with her jab, mixing in some hooks and overhand shots. Azumi tried to back off and circle away from the cage, but Matsushita caught her with a spinning backfist that knocked her to the mat. Junko pounced from there, landing repeated shots before the ref pulled her off.
WINNER: Junko Matsushita at 1:04 of Round 3 via TKO (Strikes).
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
Kimiko "Hotaru" Hamasaki(1-0-0) -VS- "The Bakudan" Temiko Shirai(1-0-0)
Kimiko: Shirai will likely look to push the pace in our match. And while she's an explosive striker, her endurance has yet to be really tested. I'm going to weather her storm, wear her down, and finish her in the end.
Temiko: Weather my storm? I don't think so. Kimiko is a good striker herself, and I'm confident this fight will stay standing up. But when my left hand connects with her chin, she won't remember a thing.
KIMIKO HAMASAKI
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 134 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Kickboxing, Ground Defense
TEMIKO SHIRAI
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 125 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Boxing, Ground Defense
ROUND ONE: Kimiko had a plan coming into this fight. She didn't rush into anything, found her range quickly, and simply tried to pick her shots while staying away from Shirai's left hand. But all of that didn't mean a damn thing when The Bakudan hit her. "Hotaru" tried to fight back, but Shirai showed great head movement and elusiveness, avoiding most of her attacks. Meanwhile Temiko took advantage of the oppenings left to her, and landed bomb after bomb after bomb. Hamasaki was reeling and desperate to get away from her, but she couldn't stop the onslaught. Shirai wound up for her left hook, giving Kimiko an opening of her own, but it didn't matter as the blow was devastating.
WINNER: "The Bakudan" Temiko Shirai at 0:47 of Round 1 via KO (Left Hook)
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
Sadie "Mayhem" Morales(1-0-0) -VS- Kyoko Saito(1-0-0)
Sadie: Kyoko is one dimensional and predictable. She'll want nothing to do with my standup, and will be looking for the takedown pretty much all the time. But submitting me will be damn near impossible. And if I take top position, I'm going to destroy with my ground and pound.
Kyoko: Sadie likes to talk a lot, but I'll shut her up. My judo is the best around, and even with her excellent wrestling, she won't be able to stop my submissions. It's only a matter of time before she taps.
SADIE "MAYHEM" MORALES
Origin: USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 154 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Boxing, Wrestling, Ground & Pound
KYOKO SAITO
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 160 lbs
Record: 1-0-0
Strengths: Judo, Aggression
ROUND ONE: Both women came out swinging to start the round, but Saito was quickly overwhelmed by Mayhem's striking prowess. She quickly closed the distance between them, and effortlessly picked Morales up and slammed her violently down. That seemed to knock the wind out of Sadie momentarily, but she recovered quickly as she prevented Kyoko from moving to side control - keeping her in the half guard. Both women looked very evenly matched on the ground, with Saito constantly looking to advance her position - while Sadie defended each attempt and kept Kyoko busy with shots from the bottom. She tried rolling the larger woman over, but Saito wouldn't have it, and just did her best to smother Morales, hoping to wear her down as the round ended.
ROUND TWO: "Mayhem anticipated another takedown attempt to start the second round, and caught Kyoko off-guard with a flying knee that sent her to the mat. Morales dove on top of her and went to work with her devastating ground and pound. For a few seconds, the ref looked about to stop the fight, but Saito managed to pull her down just enough to attempt a triangle from the bottom. She almost had it locked too, but Sadie managed to pull her head out. But Saito didn't allow her to posture up, still trying to secure the triangle. Morales was more prepared this time though, and her ground game was excellent. Eventually she stood back up and backed away, insisting that Kyoko return to her feet. When Kyoko complied, Sadie moved in and clinched up, where she landed several big Muay Thai knees to the head. But Saito was saved by the bell, as she looked close to unconsciousness.
ROUND THREE: Kyoko shot in for another big slam on Morales, but this time Sadie cage walked her way back to her feet. Saito showed a surprising clinch game of her own, backing Morales into the cage and trying to take her down once more. "Mayhem" kept fighting her though, using knees and dirty boxing to eventually force Kyoko to break the hold. The high pace was really taking its toll on both women at this point, and Saito had a couple big cuts around her face. None seemed to be impairing her vision though. Suddenly Kyoko leapt at Sadie, and took her down with a flying triangle choke. The move caught Morales off-guard, but instincts seemed to kick in as she fought to break free once again. Saito seemed to have this one locked in too, but Sadie kept working to break free. But much like her opponent, Morales too was saved by the end of the round.
WINNER: Kyoko Saito at 5:00 of Round 3 via Split Decision (29-28 Kyoko, 29-28 Sadie, 29-28 Kyoko)
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT
"Poison Bliss" Myra Benedict(1-2-0) -VS- "Lights Out" Christi Wasilewski(0-0-0)
Myra: A one and two record is not how I envisioned the start of my MMA career. It's unacceptable, really. But I am the most complete fighter here, and have never been finished yet. Christi needs to think long and hard about facing me, because I'm going to turn my record around. And it starts with her.
Christi: This is a huge opportunity for me. Myra's reputation certainly proceeds her. But this is MMA, not pro wrestling. Which means she and I are on equal turf. She won't be able to do a lot of the things she used to get away with. My training partners call me "Lights Out" for a reason, and Myra is going to find out why.
MYRA BENEDICT
Origin: USA
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 145 lbs
Record: 1-2-0
Strengths: BJJ, Kicks, Endurance
CHRISTI WASILEWSKI
Origin: USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 159 lbs
Record: 0-0-0
Strengths: Karate, Ground Defense
ROUND ONE: Myra seemed to be very calm and collected going into this fight. She took the center of the cage, forcing Christi towards the outside edge, and began to work in her kicks. Shots to the legs and body were the majority, but she barely missed on a couple attempts at the head. Wasilewski showed excellent poise though, checking the leg kicks and doing a nice job protecting herself against Benedict's punches. Counterstrikes were her main weapon, and she landed them frequently. Despite Myra being a very good standup fighter, Christi was better. And it showed, as Benedict repeatedly had to back out of Wasilewski's range. At one point Benedict looked considerably hurt, and Christi took advantage of it - unloading a massive flurry of punches and kicks. She then clinched up - driving Myra against the cage. There she used knees to the legs and some dirty boxing to do further damage. But Benedict surprised her, sweeping her leg for a nice takedown just before the end of the round.
ROUND TWO: Myra still came out aggressive in the second round, but she was clearly a bit wary of Christi's outstanding standup. The two traded blows a bit more, before Benedict landed a devastating head kick that nearly finished her opponent. At that point she shot in and took "Lights Out" down. Wasilewski's ground defense was very good, but Benedict was clearly better in this situation. Christi didn't make it easy on her, constantly trying to avoid submissions while trying to get back to her feet. Benedict scooted her towards the cage wall though, limiting her mobility on the bottom. She then set Christi up for an arm triangle, and moved into side control to lock it in.
WINNER: "Poison Bliss" Myra Benedict at 3:01 of Round 2 via Submission (Arm Triangle)
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT
"Twilight Angel" Sonya Benedict(3-1-0) -VS- "Nightshade" Sora Kawaii(2-2-0)
Sonya: Sora is a close friend of mine, and a good training partner. She is one of the hardest hitting women I know. Neither one of us wants to take this fight to the ground, and we both know what's at stake. When one of us gets in that cage, our opponents are in for a fight. But when we face eachother, you better believe it'll be a war.
Sora: Sonya's tae-kwon-do is excellent, and her Muay Thai is rapidly surpassing it. She is a very dangerous fighter on her feet, and impossible to keep down. But the only way this fight is going to the ground is if one of us clean's the other's clock. And that's very possible, since we'll both be really testing eachother's chins. Go Team Taipan!
SONYA BENEDICT
Origin: USA
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 130 lbs
Record: 3-1-0
Strengths: Muay Thai, Takedown/Submission Defense, Ground & Pound
SORA KAWAII
Origin: JPN
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 141 lbs
Record: 2-2-0
Strengths: Kickboxing, Ground & Pound
ROUND ONE: Benedict and Kawaii touched gloves to start the fight, but then they brought the war almost immediately afterwards. Having trained together, ther was no need for a feeling out process. Sonya forced Sora towards the outside of the cage, using combos of jabs, hooks, and leg kicks to keep Kawaii on guard. But she was perhaps too aggressive at times, as she left herself open to some big shots from Kawaii's excellent hands. "Nightshade" nearly floored her with one shot, and then succeeded with the next - a nasty uppercut to the chin. Kawaii mounted her from there, and tried finishing her off with a flurry of shots. But Benedict still had her wits about her, as she defended herself with excellent head movement to dodge most of the shots. Finally Sora decided it was best to get back to her feet and pick her shots from the up/down position. Benedict continued to defend herself despite some hard kicks to the legs, and caught Kawaii with a huge up kick just before the round ended.
ROUND TWO: Sonya came out more determined in the second round. She was still aggressive, but made sure to keep her hands up and chin down. Again she took the center of the cage, showing off her outstanding Tae-Kwon-Do and Muay Thai by working over the legs and body, mixing in some good shots to the face for good measure. When she got too close for comfort, Kawaii used a push kick to create some distance, and then circled to her right. Benedict came right back though with a flying knee that rocked Kawaii and sent her backpedaling into the cage. Sonya closed the distance again, and this time went for her Muay Thai knees in the clinch. She landed several to the body at first, before connecting with a big one to the head. Kawaii's knees buckled momentarily, before she regained her senses. But she ate another knee to the face in the process. Sonya was looking to finish her off with several more, but Kawaii managed to shove her away. Clearing her cobwebs, Kawaii threw a head kick as the round wound down. However, Benedict got out of its way just before the ref stepped between them.
ROUND THREE: The third round was very difficult to score, as it was very even all the way through. Both women were Hell bent on scoring points, but more importantly finishing eachother off. Neither seemed to want it to go to decision. For the first half of the round, both women were standing toe-to-toe in the center of the cage, swinging with everything they had. Both showed no signs of fatigue despite the long fight and both losing blood. And Kawaii was more aggressive in the round, matching Benedict's own for much of the time. She tried for another head kick at one point, but Benedict got her arm up in time to block it. And the "Twilight Angel" tried to close the distance again, hoping to land some more devastating knees. But Sora did a good job keeping her at bay while landing bomb after bomb to the face. Benedict finally just used a standard clinch on her, landing knees to the legs and abdomen, while Kawaii focused more on dirty boxing. Finally the two wound up in a stalemate, and the ref pulled them apart. When they started up again, Sonya connected with a head kick that knocked Sora to the mat. And like Kawaii in the first round, Sonya pounced on her for some ground and pound. Kawaii's defense was excellent though, forcing Benedict to land some body shots. But Sora then pulled her head down, and surprised her with a triangle attempt. And even more surprising was that she actually locked it in. Benedict showed her strength though, picking Sora up and slamming her to break the hold. She immediately got back to her feet after that, wanting no part of any further submission attempts.
WINNER: "Nightshade" Sora Kawaii at 5:00 of Round 3 via Split Decision (30-27 Sora, 29-28 Sora, 29-28 Sonya)