Gladiator Challenge: Venum

Gladiator Challenge: Venum
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Casino Pauma in Pauma Valley, CA

Results courtesy of Phil Lanides:

  *  In the first bout of the evening, fought at a catch-weight of 150 lbs., George Sanchez defeated John Lee by rear-naked choke at1:01 of the 1st round
    * A middleweight affair was next, as Robert Kerns earned the TKO victory due to strikes over Eric Hipshman at1:33 of the 1st round
    * Featherweight Sam Rodrigues took out William Fisher at 1:22 of the1st round, with an arm-bar submission
    * Flyweights Chino Nickolis and Prince Tomhisa went to battle next, with Nickolis finishing Tomhisa with a TKO due to strikes at 2:43 of the 1st round
    * Kenny McCorkell quickly caught Donnie Hansow with an arm-bar at just 0:34 of the 1st round in their middleweight tilt
    * Joe Acuna stopped featherweight Kyle Trindle at 0:50 of the 1st round by TKO due to strikes
    * In the only fight of the night to go to a decision, Nick Alverado edged Aaron Vanderlindin after three rounds in featherweight action
    * Middleweights were up next, with Luis Salgado vanquishing Josh Ramage quickly, taking the TKO win due to strikes at 0:34 of the 1st round
    * Chris Kolls beat down Nestor Magallanes, causing the lightweight to retire in his corner after the 1st round
    * Heavyweight action hit the cage next, as heavy hitter Virgil Zwiker took out Buckley Acosta at 2:59 of the 1st round, due to a TKO by strikes
    * In the fastest finish of “VENOM,” lightweight Jason Williams Kayoed Roy Davis at only 0:10 of the 1st round
    * Exciting featherweight action took center stage next, with J.P. Baca beating Chris Kirtley with a TKO by strikes at 2:39 of the 1st round
    * Quickly becoming a Gladiator Challenge fan favorite, “The Italian Stallion” Nick Reale submitted Beau King at 2:51 of the 1st round in lightweight action
    * Quick finishes were fast becoming the rule rather than the exception, as featherweight Carlos Garces conquered William Koogle at 0:52 of the 1st round with a TKO due to strikes
    * Lightweights Joe Calivita and Josh Carpenter entered the fray next, with Calivita showing his skills with a TKO by strikes at 0:54 of the 1st round
    * Welterweight A.J. Matthews decisively ended Adam Fergouski’s night with a beautiful KO at 0:23 of the 1st round
    * This one took a little longer, but ended just as violently, as Travis Brown knocked out Sergio Calderon at 1:53 of the 1st round in heavyweight competition
    * SoCal favorite Art Santore exhibited his submission skills, tapping out middleweight Mike Arrellano at 1:59 of the 1st round
    * UFC veteran Andy Wang made his return to MMA with a TKO by strikes of Shawn Sherril at 1:08 of the 1st round
    * With the Gladiator Challenge Middleweight belt on the line, Fernando Gonzalez rained down elbows on Larry Mays, causing the TKO stoppage at 1:53 of the 1st round
    * In the final fight of the night, welterweights took center stage, with Gabriel Nierto convincingly overpowering Jeff Penn with a TKO by strikes victory at 1:01 of the 1st round