Bout #1: Bae vs. Hexx: Patriotic Accessories
Gypsy Bae [0-0] entered the wrestling ring a confident rookie, thinking she was facing another rookie in Shay Golden [0-0]. But ring announcer A.J. Kirsch, presiding over LFC28 [0-0], was quick to tell everyone in attendance, especially Bae, that Golden had not shown up at the venue. Bae, who had come to fight, looked disappointed. A.J. now cited a little known LFC rule which states that a fighter may challenge anyone she so chooses, including women from the audience. Stepping into the ring, seemingly unchallenged, was Jolene Hexx [0-0], disrobing and showing off a pair of patriotic pasties and no more on her torso. Jolene, looking fit and ready to celebrate the Fourth on the rooftop of the venue, wanted to embarrass the interim Prez’ of the league, Holly Mei [0-0] for the fallout from LFC27 [0-0] that resulted in a two fight suspension (this event was not part of suspension).
Bae now stunned, and her confidence replaced by the dread of knowing who she was in the ring against. Jolene’s presence is menacing enough for a veteran, but oppose her with a newcomer, and you have a fighter searching for a literal exit. Gypsy, without the enclosure of a cage, looked for refuge through the ring ropes, prolonging the inevitable. Perhaps Jolene did show some mercy in ending things in barely over half a minute, securing the win via a rear naked choke. Jolene went back to enjoying the rest of the night after the brief use of her talents. Once the fighters had cleared out, Mei, looking a bit shaken, stepped into the ring and commented that her future may see her back in the ring sooner than later. Her governing style has definitely been to dole out punishment for infractions.
Bout #2: Carter vs. Ink Part One: Rib Dinner
The Jiu Jitsu specialist, Agatha Carter [0-0], and the boxer, Bella Ink [0-0], traded mounts and strikes in the first round. Carter looked like a different fighter since her debut at LFC25 [0-0], looking dangerous and possessing a more rounded game. ‘The Cannibal’ had a chance to end the fight with a rear naked choke that she let slip away from her. Ink threw plenty of punches, many not able to get through the Carter defense. The first round ended evenly, but with time running out, Carter could not resist the temptation to bite Ink. ‘The Cannibal’ sunk her teeth into Ink’s side by the ribs. As horrific as it looked, it was not so much a surprise when considering the source of the offense. The referee deducted a point from Carter, tipping the round to Ink.
Round two started with more of the same back and forth of the previous round, with both fighters determined to outlast and one-up the other. The much improved Carter instinctively worked a scissor lock with her long legs, trapping Ink’s neck in a vice. Agatha, only needing to sustain the hold, did just that, and submitted fan favorite Ink. They meet again the following night.
The always pleasant A.J. Kirsch did not seem to notice the hungry looks that Agatha was giving him; she appeared ready to feast on the unsuspecting announcer during the post-fight interview.
Bout #3: Tajima vs. Starr: First Class Accommodations
With restraining order against Leon Hater in hand, Tomiko Tajima [0-0] set the tone of the third match against Sybil Starr [0-0], giving herself a slight advantage by leaving Starr with a coach that had to shout his instructions to her from beyond ringside because he needed to stay at least 20 feet from Tomiko. The post-fight skirmish from LFC26 [0-0] is not without consequences, albeit this event was not part of the suspensions.
Round one gave us an aggressive Tomiko, possibly taking out her feelings for Hater on her opponent. Sybil, trying to get her footing, tried to slow the pace down, but there was no shortage of chokes and leg locks coming from both wrestlers. It is an impressive sight to see two adept performers countering every stratagem. Tajima, in a close round, took a slight lead.
The middle round had Sybil making purposeful attacks on Tomiko, especially by the use of armbars. She settled in at this point and showed LFC fans just what the Starr method is all about: Sybil’s endless supply of moves. The edge to Sybil here.
The third and last round is memorable for the way Tomiko was able to orchestrate one of her patented airplane rides, valiantly giving Sybil a first class spin and slam. I am not going to give away her method of duping Sybil, but it definitely is worth watching. The rest of the round was a battle. Starr delivered some stiff body shots meant to weaken her adversary. Dueling foot locks showed us how tired these two warriors were. In the end, a split decision win gave Tomiko her first victory in the LFC after two tough losses.
Bout #4: Fogle vs. Santos: Inescapable
In the co-main even, a confident Lauren Fogle [0-0] made one of her electrifying entrances into the ring, coinciding with the fireworks going off in honor of the 4th of July. Her opponent, [Jesse Santos}, was all business as she made her way into the ring. The Brawler from Philadelphia pitted against the proud Texan from El Paso.
The former teammates came out kicking and punching, but Santos, using an advantage in size, slammed Fogle to the mat, letting her know who held the upper hand in the strength department. The round proceeded with Santos showing an uptempo kicking game and Fogle staying completely focused on the match. With time running out in the round, Lauren locked in a tough choke hold. With more time left in the round, that hold might have been enough for ‘The Animal’ to pull the upset. It did not materialize, though.
Fogle came out strong for the second round, trying to deliver an attack from the mount position. Santos stayed calm, waiting for the right opening to strike and to strike decisively. The end for Fogle came when Santos maneuvered an inescapable triangle choke with lots of time left in the round. Lauren, knowing the hold was too much, submitted. In a fit of bad sportsmanship, Lauren head butted ‘El Toro’ in the privates.
Jesse looked very fit and dominant here, setting herself up for a title shot soon. In Lauren’s defense, she did offer plenty of signs of an improving fight game, developing more of a repertoire to augment her brawling style.
Bout #5: Mazzato vs. Garcia: Tables Overturned
With Roxy Michaels [0-0] stripped of her title for failure to defend it, the past comes to the fore in a championship fight between LFC23 [0-0] title rivals, Shay Mazzato [0-0] and Monica Garcia [0-0]. The first installment of this battle was a vicious display of enmity. Of course, Monica took the belt on that occasion.
Part two of this saga opens with Mazzato trying to get ahead with sound techniques to counter the power of Garcia. Up against a corner used for leverage, the combatants meld knees to the body and elbows to the back. An emphatic slam by Garcia is reminiscent of their first go-round. A tough round to score. I gave a slight edge to Garcia.
Round 2 is full of fireworks when points are eventually deducted from both fighters. Mazzato was between the ropes with her back to Garcia when she landed an illegal elbow to Monica’s nose, dropping the former champion in a heap. The ‘Flowerbomb’ rose to land an illegal move of her own, knocking Shay through the ropes and on to the cement floor. Security had to enter the ring to safeguard everyone involved. Moving through the round, Garcia has a helpless Mazzato trapped in a choke hold and it appeared like ‘The Fox’ had taken enough and tapped. That tap went unnoticed and the fight continued. The edge to Garcia, but the point deductions throw things off here.
Mazzato, not relinquishing anything, presses the pace and refuses to give up. Both women show signs of exhaustion, but Monica looks the more tired of the two, and her power game suffers because of it. Shay, determined to walk away with the title, uses side control and mounts the bigger fighter from behind many times, trying to wear her down. Mazzato, in winning her first LFC fight, takes the title in a unanimous decision.