FFC Rolls a Lucky Seven at the Hard Rock
Mike Sloan Sep 15, 2005
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 14 — In an unexpected turn of events, the
Freestyle Fighting Championship’s venture into Las Vegas was a
stellar show from top to bottom.
The event itself, a rather odd combination of an official mixed martial arts card and a private party for a corporation, had the ingredients to be an MMA disaster. But the boys behind the reigns of the FFC kept would-be snags in check and wound up running the event smoothly.
Of the seven fights on the event spreadsheet, only one contest drew
relative jeers from a restless crowd. Six out of seven fights wound
up being either dramatic or exciting and with odds like that,
everybody on hand wins.
Keith Wisniewski (Pictures) retained his FFC welterweight belt, Ryan Schultz (Pictures) suffered broken ribs in his loss to FFC lightweight champion David Gardner and Travis Wiuff (Pictures) was knocked completely out cold by Jason Lambert (Pictures) in fights that highlighted the event.
It’s one thing to try and pump the crowd up with creative catchphrases and if it’s done well, it obviously works. But it’s another to ramble on and on about topics at the complete top of one’s lungs nonstop because we need to hear more yelling over and over and over!
But aside from the cranium-splitting headaches many in attendance wound up staggering away from the event with at the FFC’s conclusion; it was certainly well worth it for the fights alone. In the main event, Gresham, Oregon’s Ryan Schultz (Pictures) had no choice but to verbally submit to FFC lightweight champion Dave Gardner due to a broken rib (or two).
While neither man actually landed anything worthwhile, Schultz grimaced in pain as he jockeyed for position, but had to tap out due to the excruciating pain. The end came at just 1:00 of the first round, allowing Gardner to retain his belt.
“I am actually very disappointed with this fight,” Gardner said afterward. “I know Ryan and I both trained our asses off for this and to have him get hurt like that so quickly without allowing us to really compete, it disappoints. Maybe we can get together again and see what happens. But hey, a win is a win and I’ll take it.”
Schultz’s training partner, Matt Lindland (Pictures), reported that his fighter actually hurt his ribs while training for the fight several days back and he wound up popping it out when he pulled guard.
In the co-main event, Keith Wisniewski (Pictures) toppled Carlo Prater (Pictures) via unanimous three-round decision to retain the FFC welterweight title. The fight itself was nothing to write home about, as it was truly the only sour contest of the evening.
The duel was slow-paced and tactical, with neither man landing anything worthwhile or threatening. In the end, Wisniewski was awarded the victory as he won 30-27 and 29-28 (twice). For some reason, the title fight was scheduled for only three round and not the standardized five.
Jason Lambert (Pictures) shocked many ringside observers when he knocked the favored Travis Wiuff (Pictures) out cold courtesy of some brutal ground-and-pound. The battle was a back-and-forth affair and Wiuff seemed to have the advantage in both ground control and striking, but Lambert wound up sweeping the muscular Wiuff, scoring the mount and hammering down lethal strikes to Travis’s head.
Wiuff was knocked completely out by the time the fourth punch crashed onto his noggin, prompting the referee to immediately rescue the unconscious competitor. The official time of the KO came at just 3:19 of the opening round.
Josh Neer (Pictures) scored what was the evening’s finest submission, as he secured a slick triangle choke onto opponent Forrest Petz (Pictures). Neer survived a brutal body attack from Petz and was clearly losing the fight until Petz inadvertently fell into Neer’s trap. Petz tried everything in his power to escape, but the submission-savvy Neer had it sunk too deeply, forcing the slightly larger Petz to tap. The official time of the submission came at 3:25 of the first round.
Roger Huerta (Pictures) wound up being booed by the capacity crowd inside The Joint as most felt he didn’t deserve to win a unanimous decision over Matt Wiman. The fight was arguably the best of the evening as each warrior took his turn dishing out severe punishment and attempting superb subs. The three judges favored Huerta, though, via tallies of 29-28 (twice) and 30-27.
Josh Haynes (Pictures) took his time inside the cage against tough opponent Seth Kleinbeck, but his game plan and stamina were what sealed the deal.
Haynes wound up creeping onto the back of the exhausted Kleinbeck and eventually slithered his arms through the defenses of his opponent to latch on a perfect rear-naked choke. Kleinbeck had no choice but to tap out, allowing Haynes to capture the win. The official time of the submission came at 1:16 of the second round.
In the event’s opening bout, Chris Wilson (Pictures) electrified the crowd with a sizzling triangle choke that he used to submitted the game Dave Garcia. Wilson, one of the most flexible fighters this side of Shonie Carter (Pictures), first attempted an inverted triangle that he created from a crucifix, then slipped to the side to latch on an armbar and then capped it off with a brilliant triangle from the mount. Garcia had to tap, which prompted the end to the contest at 1:49 of the opening stanza.
The event itself, a rather odd combination of an official mixed martial arts card and a private party for a corporation, had the ingredients to be an MMA disaster. But the boys behind the reigns of the FFC kept would-be snags in check and wound up running the event smoothly.
Advertisement
Keith Wisniewski (Pictures) retained his FFC welterweight belt, Ryan Schultz (Pictures) suffered broken ribs in his loss to FFC lightweight champion David Gardner and Travis Wiuff (Pictures) was knocked completely out cold by Jason Lambert (Pictures) in fights that highlighted the event.
The only drawback of the show, which was dubbed FFC: “Fiesta Las
Vegas,” was the cage announcer — a squat bald guy with lungs the
size of Soldier Field and a voice as loud as a sonic boom. Before,
after and in between bouts, the announcer would unmercifully scream
at the top of his lungs about the fighters and whatnot. He also
continuously came up with trite drivel like, “Are you ready for
some of the world’s best gladiator-like biblical baptizing of
bloodshed?” “Who wants some more of the world’s best warrior
fights? Can I get a witness?” and the classic “Their last fight was
one of the most unbelievable wars I have ever witnessed! It was one
of the bloodiest battles in the history of the fight game and the
decision was one of the most controversial ones in the history of
mankind!”
It’s one thing to try and pump the crowd up with creative catchphrases and if it’s done well, it obviously works. But it’s another to ramble on and on about topics at the complete top of one’s lungs nonstop because we need to hear more yelling over and over and over!
But aside from the cranium-splitting headaches many in attendance wound up staggering away from the event with at the FFC’s conclusion; it was certainly well worth it for the fights alone. In the main event, Gresham, Oregon’s Ryan Schultz (Pictures) had no choice but to verbally submit to FFC lightweight champion Dave Gardner due to a broken rib (or two).
While neither man actually landed anything worthwhile, Schultz grimaced in pain as he jockeyed for position, but had to tap out due to the excruciating pain. The end came at just 1:00 of the first round, allowing Gardner to retain his belt.
“I am actually very disappointed with this fight,” Gardner said afterward. “I know Ryan and I both trained our asses off for this and to have him get hurt like that so quickly without allowing us to really compete, it disappoints. Maybe we can get together again and see what happens. But hey, a win is a win and I’ll take it.”
Schultz’s training partner, Matt Lindland (Pictures), reported that his fighter actually hurt his ribs while training for the fight several days back and he wound up popping it out when he pulled guard.
In the co-main event, Keith Wisniewski (Pictures) toppled Carlo Prater (Pictures) via unanimous three-round decision to retain the FFC welterweight title. The fight itself was nothing to write home about, as it was truly the only sour contest of the evening.
The duel was slow-paced and tactical, with neither man landing anything worthwhile or threatening. In the end, Wisniewski was awarded the victory as he won 30-27 and 29-28 (twice). For some reason, the title fight was scheduled for only three round and not the standardized five.
Jason Lambert (Pictures) shocked many ringside observers when he knocked the favored Travis Wiuff (Pictures) out cold courtesy of some brutal ground-and-pound. The battle was a back-and-forth affair and Wiuff seemed to have the advantage in both ground control and striking, but Lambert wound up sweeping the muscular Wiuff, scoring the mount and hammering down lethal strikes to Travis’s head.
Wiuff was knocked completely out by the time the fourth punch crashed onto his noggin, prompting the referee to immediately rescue the unconscious competitor. The official time of the KO came at just 3:19 of the opening round.
Josh Neer (Pictures) scored what was the evening’s finest submission, as he secured a slick triangle choke onto opponent Forrest Petz (Pictures). Neer survived a brutal body attack from Petz and was clearly losing the fight until Petz inadvertently fell into Neer’s trap. Petz tried everything in his power to escape, but the submission-savvy Neer had it sunk too deeply, forcing the slightly larger Petz to tap. The official time of the submission came at 3:25 of the first round.
Roger Huerta (Pictures) wound up being booed by the capacity crowd inside The Joint as most felt he didn’t deserve to win a unanimous decision over Matt Wiman. The fight was arguably the best of the evening as each warrior took his turn dishing out severe punishment and attempting superb subs. The three judges favored Huerta, though, via tallies of 29-28 (twice) and 30-27.
Josh Haynes (Pictures) took his time inside the cage against tough opponent Seth Kleinbeck, but his game plan and stamina were what sealed the deal.
Haynes wound up creeping onto the back of the exhausted Kleinbeck and eventually slithered his arms through the defenses of his opponent to latch on a perfect rear-naked choke. Kleinbeck had no choice but to tap out, allowing Haynes to capture the win. The official time of the submission came at 1:16 of the second round.
In the event’s opening bout, Chris Wilson (Pictures) electrified the crowd with a sizzling triangle choke that he used to submitted the game Dave Garcia. Wilson, one of the most flexible fighters this side of Shonie Carter (Pictures), first attempted an inverted triangle that he created from a crucifix, then slipped to the side to latch on an armbar and then capped it off with a brilliant triangle from the mount. Garcia had to tap, which prompted the end to the contest at 1:49 of the opening stanza.
