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News
RUIZ IMPROVES TO 7-5 IN MMA; PORTO BEATS UNDEFEATED DE RANDAMIE IN WOMEN’S FIGHTMIAMI, FL- Utilizing his superior boxing skill and strength, Efrain Ruiz defeated Rob Bailey in the second round of the featured Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bout in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Gusman Theatre on Friday night .
Ruiz, a native of Cuba, was declared the winner in 3:04 of the second round of the three-round 170 pound fight when Bailey suffered a knee injury that the referee determined would not allow him to continue to compete.
"I was one punch away from the win," said Bailey, who hails form Lake Mary, Fl and saw his record in the cage drop to 3-4. "Unfortunately, I got my knee popped an d that was it. I've never had one stopped before. I've stopped them on the other guy, but never had one on me."
Ruiz, who improved to 7-5, employed his experience as a kick fighter along with his solid punching throughout the fight, said, "I wanted to finish him on the ground with a submission in the first round. But he surprised me when I took him down and he survived both the rear naked choke hold and the arm bar. That took some of my energy. Then in the second round, I hit him a couple of times and got him down and then his knee popped on the takedown."
In the co-feature on the card spotlighting a pair of highly regarded women, Vanessa Porto of Brazil got the crowd on its feet when she pulled off the upset by handing Germaine De Randamie of Holland the first defeat in her storied and celebrated career.
De Randamie , known as The Iron Lady, came in to the cage with a record of 44-0 in Muay Thai but was making her debut in an MMA event. Porto, who improved to 8-3 in MMA, executed a flawless game plan against the taller woman who also held a considerable rea ch advantage. Porto kept her more celebrated opponent close and got her to the ground, winning by tapout in 3:36 of the first round.
"This is the biggest win of my career, " Porto said through an interpreter afterward. "I came in here really wanting to win. She's a very tough opponent and I studied her moves. She's a really hard striker and a very good stand-up fighter. It was hard to take her down."
But once Porto took De Randamie to the mat, the fight turned in her favor.
"When I had her up against the cage and she was trying to take me down but couldn't, I knew I had the fight won," said Porto.
A very disappointed De Randamie, who may have suffered ligament damage to her left arm due to an arm bar, was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital for evaluation.
The night got off to an exciting start when Jason Jiminez of Boca Raton, Fl. scored a TKO in 2:05 of the first round20over Lester Chavez of Miami, who was fighting with only two days notice of the match. In the hotly contested second bout that had the fans standing and screaming throughout, Ailton Barbosa of Boca Raton prevailed in 4:06 of the third round when Josh Walton of Orlando, who was bloodied and battered from the first, submitted after a choke hold. The third bout was over in a flash when Rodney Wallace of Salisbury, NC hit Carlos Zavellos of Queens, NY with a right cross to the head and the referee stopped the fight only eight seconds into the first round. In the fourth fight on the card, Moyses Gabin of Miami improved his record to 3-0 in front of his hometown crowd when Jeff Mansir of Augusta, Maine tapped out in the first round after a triangle choke.
In the fifth and much anticipated fight of the night, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Marcus Jones thoroughly dominated Mike Ottman of Miami in the Heavyweight class and scored a TKO in 1:24 of the first round. Ottman, who was completely overmatched from the bell, was attended to in the cage by the ring doctors and then also emergency medical personnel before being taken away wearing a neck brace and strapped onto a stretcher.
Displaying sportsmanship and concern, Jones went over to Ottman before he was taken from the ve nue and wished him well. A subdued Jones said, "I wanted to make sure he was okay. I love the sport of MMA and I'm looking forward to more fights. "
Ottman was transported by ambulance to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment of a possible concussion and his condition was unknown at press time, as was that of De Randamie.
When the action resumed for the seventh, Jimmy Chaikong of Bangkok, Thailand matched up against Renato Migliaccio on New York City in the 145 pound weight division. With 4 days notice, Chaikong agreed to fight Migliaccio who weighed in at 156. Chaikong tapped out in 43 seconds of the first round after a rear naked choke. In the eighth fight, Vladimir Laguna of Ft. Lauderdale took on Enrico Cocco of Miami, who entered the stage to rowdy chants of "Rico, Rico, Rico" from his hometown fans. In intense but brief action, Laguna tapped out in only 24 seconds after the much stronger and more skilled Cocco got him into a heel hook. In the ninth bout, Patrick Mikesz of the Czech Republic and Reggie Pena of Tampa thrilled the crowd with an intense blood and guts battle that had the crowd on its feet throughout before the referee stopped the action in the second round and declared Mikesz the winner by TKO.
Another full card of MMA action presented by Revolution Fighting Championships will return to the Gusman Center on Saturday, February 21st.
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