The Arena Theater in Houston, Texas was packed with rabid MMA fans as the Legacy promotional company brought the show to the Texas faithful. The main event was a Legacy title bout as reigning middleweight champion Bubba Bush (7-2) met relative unknown battler Alfonso Gonzalez (6-0). The main fights were televised on the AXS Television network.
The broadcast opened with a welterweight tilt as Artenas "Chico" Young (10-7) dueled Charlie Ontiveros (4-2) in a three round fight. The prefight bravado from both men claimed that each would go to war with the other. Conventional wisdom said their natural countering styles would lead to a cautious affair. The first round held evidence of the latter as neither Young nor Ontiveros committed to any kind of offense. Ontiveros was slightly more active, landing the occasional leg kicks, but overall, the round was uneventful. The second had the same flaws as the first: Ontiveros was (technically) the aggressor. "Chico" had some success with the occasional strike but each man landed one shot at a time. Ontiveros managed a few more strikes than Young prior to the close of the round. Despite seeming to be down in the fight, "Chico" continued his lackadaisical approach in the third while Young remained in a defensive posture. Ontiveros continued to control the distance and struck sporadically, scoring just enough to keep the round in his favor. Young came alive in the final 10 seconds but it was too late: Ontiveros earned a lackluster unanimous decision.
Featherweights kept the night going as Houstonians Eric Valdez (4-1) and Alex "Bet On" Black (6-3) locked horns for three go-rounds. The action got going early as both men let their legs and hands fly; Black was a bit more accurate but Valdez was game. Black was looking to control the distance and set up his ground game but Valdez's unorthodox attacks made this difficult; Valdez often landed winging right and left hooks. After some vicious elbows from Valdez and a takedown attempt, Black managed to wrap his arms around the neck of Valdez, attempting a Guillotine submission, but Vasquez managed an escape. The second continued with action as Valdez persisted with winging shots that occasionally found the mark. Black attempted another choke submission but was also unsuccessful. The match then turned into a clinch fest with both men having success landing inside. Black went back to trying to maintain distance with kicks and punches but Valdez bullied his way inside. Despite Valdez's solid effort, Black was still in the control going into the final salvo. Black continued to survive the rushes of Valdez and was able to control his adversary on the case fence. Both men seemed tired. Valdez kept trying and was taken to the cage floor. Black then took a full back mount looking for another submission. Valdez struggled to get Black off of him as Black kept the pressure on. Valdez managed to avert the submission but was not able to come to his feet. Black secured his sixth consecutive victory via a split decision.
Lightweights Jared "The Jaguar" Chaffee (4-0) and Justin "Wolverine" Reiswerg (7-3) battled in the third prizefight of the night. Both men started off with head movement and Chaffee quickly went for a takedown. "The Jaguar" was looking for a full mount while on the cage mat but Reiswerg defended well. "Wolverine" was looking for a triangle but Chaffee maintained movement which helped in avoiding the submission. "The Jaguar" then attempted a choke but Reiswerg got away and began seeking his own choke. A vicious knee to the forehead opened a gusher over Chaffee's right eye. "The Jaguar" was a bloody mess as the round ended; the contest was halted by the cage side doctor, deeming that the cut was too deep to allow Chaffee to continue. Justin Reiswerg was awarded a technical knockout.
Brazilian Diego "Gaucho" Da Silva (5-1) met Texan Alex Morono (6-0) in a three round welterweight contest. Morono was looking to keep the match upright as he shot leg kicks and punches. "Gaucho" patiently stalked, searching for striking opportunities, but the Texan's work rate kept the Brazilian at bay. With a little over three minutes in the opening stave, Da Silva landed a powerful right shot to the mouth of Morono which deposited the Texan to the mat. Da Silva moved in for the kill but the referee immediately stopped the bout. The Brazilian won by technical knockout.
The co-main event featured flyweights as Elias "Smash" Garcia (4-1) faced Damacio "Angel of Death" Page (17-9) in a three round match. Garcia was a late replacement as Page's original opponent dropped out 21 days prior to the promotion. The match quickly went to the floor and Page was looking for a triangle finish but "Smash" was game and somehow released. "Angel of Death" then transitioned to a wrestling front head lock, looking to choke out Garcia. Page kept changing angles and would not allow Garcia to his feet. Garcia endured the round. Page came out in the second and immediately took "Smash" to the mat. Garcia spent the round on his back as the "Angel of Death" was relentless using subtle movements to maintain control looking for submission opportunities. The final round was a microcosm of the fight: Page took Garcia down and controlled early. Page was finally able to secure an arm triangle submission as Garcia appeared exhausted.
Reigning middleweight champion Bubba "The Fighting Texas Aggie" Bush (7-2) walked into the cage to face relatively unknown MMA combatant Alfonso "Big Smooth" Gonzalez (6-0). The title prizefight was scheduled for five heats. Bush came out with intentions to end the fight early as he bulled Gonzalez to the floor and immediately secured a long mount. "Big Smooth" did not seem to have the strength to get the champion off of him. Bush postured up and unleased some ground-and-pound then went for a submission, which failed. After some more maneuvering, Bush secured a back body lock then rolled Gonzalez over. Bush then seized a choke opportunity that caused Gonzalez to tap out. Bush retained his title in impressive fashion.
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
