NAAFS Proving Grounds 8 Report

On June 25th, the NAAFS put on Proving Grounds 8. A really good show with some exciting fights by up and coming talent. There were some really good fights and some really exciting finishes.

1. Amateur Heavyweight
Christopher Dempsey (2-0 Cold Steel MMA) vs Jay Murphy (2-0 Premier Martial Arts)

RD 1: Murphy starts it with a leg kick. Murphy lands a jab. Dempsey shoots but gets stuffed. Nice uppercut by Murphy. They clinch on the cage but quickly separate and Murphy lands some punches. Dempsey shoots but Murphy sprawls. Dempsey is trying hard for a single leg and finally gets it. They stand up and Murphy lands a nice knee to the leg. Another knee by Murphy goes low stopping the action. They resume and Dempsey shoots but gets stuffed. Dempsey charges in and eats two shots before they clinch. Both land knees and Dempsey gets a takedown and mount. He lands some shots but no damage.
I scored RD 1: 10-9 Murphy

RD 2: Jab by Murphy. Dempsey shoots and gets a takedown. He gets side control as Murphy tries hard to get up. Dempsey lands shots to the head. He is now landing harder shots. Dempsey gets the mount and uses ground and pound till the ref stops it.

Result: Christopher Dempsey by TKO at 1:03 of Round 2

2. Amateur Featherweight
Roosevelt Archie (1-2 PA Brawlers) vs Mike Broome (0-0 Evolve)

RD 1: Lots of feints by both. Both land leg kicks and Archie with an uppercut. Broome gets a takedown and side control. Archie is doing good at avoiding damage. Broome gets mount and lands punches. Archie still avoiding damage though. Beautiful sweep by Archie to get on top. Broome avoids damage. Not much action to end the round.
I scored RD 1: 10-9 Broome

RD 2: Front kick by Archie. Hook by Broome. Broome misses a leg kick and eats a jab by Archie. Hard leg kick by Broome. Brooke gets his back standing but Archie turns and then Broome gets a takedown and side control. Archie gets up and lands a hard hook followed by more punches. They clinch on the cage and Archie lands a nice knee followed by more punches.
I scored RD 2: 10-9 Archie

RD 3: Archie hurts and drops him with a body shot. Archie gets on top and lands some good shots. Broome trying to use wrist control but Archie pulls his wrist out. Archie stands and Broome is bleeding from around his eye. Archie drops him with a hook and lands good ground and pound. The ref stops it and takes a point from Archie for hitting the back of the head. They resume and Archie takes it down but Broome gets on top. Archie lands punches from the bottom and goes for a triangle while landing hard shots till the ref stops it.

Result: Roosevelt Archie by TKO at 2:29 of Round 3

3. Amateur Lightweight
Sammy Callari (1-0 Vanquish MMA) vs Kegan O'Neill (1-0 Dungeon MMA)

RD 1: Both come out landing hard shots. They clinch and O'Neill gets a nice slam. O'Neill gets side control but Callari is looking for a choke. O'Neill escapes the choke but is bleeding from the head. O'Neill looks for a choke and then an armbar. Callari escapes and is in his guard. Callari stands and they clinch and another slam by O'Neill. O'Neill has side control and lands two knees to the body. Now he is landing more knees followed by punches to the head.
I scored RD 1: 10-9 O'Neill

RD 2: Hook by O'Neill. They clinch on the cage and Callari lands a couple knees low stopping the action. They resume and Callari lands a hook. They clinch against the cage and O'Neill is trying for a single. Callari gets his back and looks for a rear naked. O'Neill escapes and gets side control and lands a punch to the body and then knees. He lands more knees before Callari escapes and they stand. Callari lands hard shots and O'Neill tries for a takedown. They drop down and Callari lands punches to the body. Callari stands and O'Neill slams him and lands in side control. O'Neill lands punches to the body.
I scored RD 2: 10-9 Callari.

RD 3: They clinch against the cage and Callari looks for a guillotine. They drop down and O'Neill escapes. O'Neill is in guard landing body shots. Not much action here as both are really tired. O'Neill lands body shots and then punches to the head. He tries to land more bu Callari is blocking them. O'Neill gets side control and lands knees to the body. Now he lands punches to the head. They stand and O'Neill lands a knee to the body.
I scored RD 3; 10-9 O'Neill
My score card: 29-28 O'Neill

Result: Kegan O'Neill by Unanimous Decision (30-27/29-28/30-27)

4. Amateur 115LBS
Nadia Nixon ( Soma/Topeka Jiu-Jitsu) vs Jessica Dinch (0-2 Independent)

RD 1: Hook by Dinch. Both land punches then a leg kick by Nixon. Leg kick by Dinch. Dinch gets a takedown and lands punches to the head. Now Dinch lands harder shots. Nixon goes for an armbar. Nixon gets mount and lands ground and pound. Dinch reverses and gets on top and Nixon tries for an arm. Dinch lands hard punches and escapes. Nixon hooks a triangle for the tap.

Result: Nadia Nixon by Tapout (Triangle Choke) at 2:47 of Round 1

5. Amateur Welterweight
Joe Callari (2-1 Vanquish MMA) vs Doug Christie (1-3 Goliath)

RD 1: Christie lands a spinning back kick low stopping the action. Callari is in a lot of pain. They resume and Christie lands a leg kick. Callari lands hard punches and Christie takes him down. Christie lands good body shots. Christie goes for a guillotine but Callari pulls out. Leg kick by Callari followed by another. Spinning back fist by Christie and a leg kick by Callari. They clinch against the cage and a nice throw by Christie but they get right up.
I scored RD 1: 10-9 Christie

RD 2: Spinning back kick by Christie followed by a leg kick. Callari lands a hook. Not much action here. Jab by Callari. Christie lands a leg kick but slips and when he gets up, they clinch and Christie gets a slam. He is in side control landing shots to the head. Knee to the body by Christie. Christie lets him up and Callari lands a hook.
I scored RD 2: 10-9 Christie

RD 3: Lots of circling. Hook by Callari. jab by Christie. Two punches by Callari hurts him but he doesn't follow up. Leg kick by Callari and a slam by Christie.
I scored RD 3: 10-9 Callari
My score card: 29-28 Christie

Result: Doug Christie by Unanimous Decision (29-28/29-28/29-28)

6. Amateur Featherweight
Steve Saley (3-1 Goliath) vs Dylan King (2-0 Dungeon MMA)

RD 1: Hook by Saley and they clinch on the cage. They separate and King lands good punches. Saley goes for a takedown but a good sprawl by King. Saley lands a hook and so does King. They clinch on the cage and King gets his back while standing and lands punches that drops him. He gets his back on the ground and lands more shots. Saley is able to get up and they clinch on the cage. Kinds lands more shots as they separate. Hook by King and the clinch again. Body shots by King who then takes him down and gets his back. He lands more shots her. They stand and Saley takes him down and gets mount but King avoids damage.
I scored RD 1: 10-9 King

RD 2: Saley shoots in but a good sprawl by King. They clinch on the cage and Saley looks for a takedown. They separate and Saley shoots but gets stuffed. King gets it down and gets his back. Kind lands punches and moves to side control and lands more punches. Saley is able to get up and shoots but again a nice sprawl by King. King gets on his back and lands shots to the head.
I scored RD 2: 10-9 King

RD 3: King shoots but Saley gets his back. Saley is looking for the choke. He gets the choke and the ref stops the fight saying King was not responding to the ref's request to show him he was ok. King protests saying he was ok.

Result: Steve Saley by TKO at 1:00 of Round 3

7. Amateur Lightweight
Roy Merriman (2-0-1 Cold Steel MMA) vs Dustin Hawk (3-4 Team Independence)

RD 1: Merriman shoots but gets stuffed. Hawk gets a takedown. They stand and clinch against the cage. Hawk drops down with Merriman landing body shots. Merriman is in guard and Hawk looks for an arm. Good grappling here.
I scored RD 1: 10-9 Merriman

RD 2: Merriman shoots but Hawk Sprawls. Hawk gets on top and lands punches. Not much action. Couple of punches by Hawk followed by more. Merriman pulls guard . The ref stands them and Hawk gets a takedown and lands in half guard. Merriman defends well.
I scored RD 2: 10-9 Hawk

RD 3: Takedown by Hawk. Hawk lands punches. Merriman tries fro a triangle. He has it but it doesn't look tight. Hawk lands a punch but Merriman still has the triangle. The ref takes a point from Hawk but I couldn't find out what it was for.
I scored RD 3: 9-9
My score card: 28-28 Draw

Result: Majority Draw (29-27 (Hawk)/28-28/28-28)

8. Amateur 115 LBS
Sarah McLeod (2-2-1 Mid-America Martial Arts) vs Ronda Gale (Dungeon MMA)

RD 1: McLeod lands a jab. A hook by Gale. Body punch by McLeod and a leg kick by Gale. Two hard punches from McLeod followed by more head shots. Gale is bleeding and the doctor comes in to check her. They resume and McLeod hurts her with a hook. McLeod lands a jab and so does Gale. Leg kick by Gale. Two hard shots by McLeod. Gale lands a leg kick. McLeod drops her with a hook and the ref stops it.

Result: Sarah McLeod by TKO at 2:38 of Round 1

Submission of the Night: Nadia Nixon

KO Of the Night: Sarah McLeod

Fight of the Night: Sammy Callari vs Kegan O'Neill