San Francisco, California (USA): San Francisco-based fight promotion Elite Combat Sports (ECS) kicked off 2012 with an explosion as it presented “The Arrival” at Desero Tequila Town in Gilroy, California this past Saturday evening. Some of California’s top gyms were represented in the cage, and two of combat sports’ top stars were also in attendance. Desero was sold out, and the crowd was filled with partisan fight fans who were there to support their favorite combatants.
“We want to thank Desero and the city of Gilroy for being so welcoming to ECS,” said ECS Co-Promoter Mike Espinoza. “The place was jam-packed for ‘The Arrival’…it shows that Bay Area fight fans are hungry for fighters that lay it all on the line, whether it’s in a cage or a ring.”
“What an awesome night of fights it was!” exclaimed ECS Co-Promoter Dave Madsen. “I was very proud to see these young athletes put on great performances that had the crowd rocking. I expect nothing but more of the same at our future events.”
In attendance for the fights was five-time world boxing champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, who is from Gilroy, as well as UFC fighter Carlos Eduardo Rocha. Both fighters addressed the crowd, who received them warmly. In addition, former Strikeforce fighter Anthony “Antdawg” Figueroa, along with his son, put on a short training exhibition.
There were four champions crowned during the night. Here are the full results:
– Ricky Cheung (Pacific Ring Sports) defeated Dustin Moore (Farley’s KB) via decision – 115-pounders
– Jason Heller (Tigers Way MMA) defeated Charlie Alba (G-Force JJ/SJ) via TKO – 170-pounders
– Jaime Alvarado (Kugtar) defeated Soni Tuungafasi (Team Black) via TKO – heavyweights
– Anthony Gonzalez (CSA) defeated John “J.T.” Donaldson (Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu) via decision – 125-pounders
– Marco Del Real defeated Josh Passmore (Tigers Way MMA) for via decision for the California 155-pound belt
– Steve Tamayo (CSA) defeated Marcello Dasalia via decision for the California 135-pound title
– Steven Lara (Dynamic MMA) defeated Tyler Cronin via TKO for the California 125-pound title
– Brandon Hester (Tribull MMA) defeated Kurt Filler (Ricardo Barros BJJ) via decision for the West Coast 185-pound title
The unofficial “Fight of the Night” was probably the Jaime Alvarado-Soni Tuungafasi scrap. These two heavy hitters swung for the fences from bell to bell. In the end, Alvarado was too much for Tuungafasi, and he got the win via TKO. Heavyweight McClean Obichere was supposed to compete for the California heavyweight title on the card, but the bout was scratched. After the fight, Obichere challenged Alvarado to a fight at a future event, which was agreed to.
In the end, all the fighters put on great performances. The crowd was really into the fights, and created an atmosphere that was nothing short of electric. Look for news on the next exciting ECS event to be announced soon!
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