Showing a mature pace, American Kickboxing Academy’s Richard Crunkilton (Pictures) fought Nick Ertl (Pictures) to a second round stoppage victory.
The third takedown of round one put Crunkilton in Ertl’s guard, from where he strung together a good bit of ground striking. Having regained his feet, Crunkilton twice fired down heavy shots to Ertl’s midsection while he remained back first on the blue WEC canvas.
With success, Crunkilton’s attack grew more frenzied and his corner asked him not to panic. He didn’t. In fact, Crunkilton slowed the pace, exploding only when openings presented themselves.
As round two began, Ertl showed the effects of the first five minutes on his face. The nine-year veteran remained tough, however, and continued to endure Crunkilton, who landed a stiff body shot before planting Ertl again on his back.
Unable to solve Crunkilton and having absorbed more-than-enough punishment, referee Herb Dean (Pictures) thought it best to save Ertl at the 3:55 mark of round two.
It was an impressive even-keel performance from Crunkilton. He exploded in the right moments and, unlike past fights, didn’t go full throttle throughout the bout. This likely marks Ertl’s exit from mixed martial arts competition.
Devin Cole (Pictures) dominated Crunkilton’s gym-mate Mike Kyle (Pictures), stopping the heavyweight 2:56 of round two. From the outset it was all Cole, who controlled the pace and position of the bout.
Fighting out of Medford, Oregon, Cole’s unquestioned advantage came on the mat, where he had no problem pounding Kyle from both orthodox and unorthodox positions. When he wasn’t ground-and-pounding Kyle, Cole had his back. Kyle countered the position nicely and prevented Cole from finishing with a rear-naked choke.
By the end of the opening period, Kyle was battered and bloodied. Kneeling in front of his corner, Kyle looked at his trainer “Crazy” Bob Cook and twice said he could not see. But with the cut cleaned, he moved to the center of the cage as action moved into period two.
Nothing he did, however, could change the course of the fight, and Kyle was soon mounted. Any work that Kyle had done in Croatia while training with Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) did not pay dividends tonight.
The end, appropriately enough, came as Cole mounted Kyle again and rained down strikes. Seeing enough, referee Herb Dean (Pictures) called a halt to the contest.
Off-TV Fights
Vernon White (Pictures) made a mess of late replacement Jason Guida (Pictures), cutting him above his right eye, below his left and starting a steady stream of blood that poured from his nose. Ringside Dr. Judy Miller called the bout between the first and second period.
An early knee to the face opened the first cut on Guida’s face. The Lion’s Den veteran looked good throughout the five-minute fight, hurting Guida when he had the opportunity. The loser’s solid chin was the only thing that kept him in the bout, and Dr. Miller had no recourse but to halt action before period two.
Casey Olsen (Pictures) earned a unanimous decision over a game Joe Martin (Pictures). Olsen controlled each of the bout’s three rounds, wrestling Martin to the mat to fight mostly within the Lion’s Den fighter’s guard.
Billy Evangalista was impressive, stopping Ryan Healey 1:46 of the second round. Evangalista’s relentless attack was highlighted by his smart use of elbows. As the end came, it was all Evangalista. The judges agreed, giving it to him 30-27 on each card.
Rafeal Real’s bout with Josh Green (Pictures) seemed destined for failure from the beginning. After being unable to make a special catch weight of 210 pounds Thursday, both camps agreed that Green would weigh-in again Friday, this time with the limit at 216 pounds.
Having done that by noon on fight day, the two Central Valley California favorites were ready to squared off in the night’s first bout.
Through three-plus minutes of pedestrian action, Real clinched with Green in one of the cage’s five corners. It was here that he connected with a knee to the groin that prompted a grimace from Green. Reacting to Green, referee Rosenthal moved in. But before he could separate the fighters Real connected with another knee to the groin.
Rosenthal forced Real, still in attack mode, away from his hurt opponent. A shoving match ensued between fighter and referee and Real had to be restrained by various officials who poured into the cage.
Pleas from his corner, which included Antonio McKee (Pictures) and Quinton Jackson (Pictures), finally calmed Real’s nerves.
Unable to recover after five minutes, Green did not answer the call to fight. Looking past the disqualification-worthy altercation, Rosenthal ruled the bout a No Contest 3:26 of round one.