GIONCO SPORTSWORLD’S CANADIAN FIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Canadian Fight Championships September 30 2011.

Fight At The View was back in the Fraserview Hall on September 30th with a huge 16 fight card that was put together by promoters, Gerry Gionco and Mike Hammoud. The night’s action would present 4 MMA fights, a boxing exhibition and 11 amateur Muay Thai fights, including two title matchups. Kiarash Moghaddam of Versus Training came out as the victor on the main card over previously undefeated Nick Bautista of SIAM No. 1 from Toronto. Moghaddam put away all past doubts about his skill level, when he took away the Canadian championship belt against the student of a coach that beat him unanimously three years ago. When asked about his fight afterwards, Kiarash Moghaddam said, “Tonight I just wanted to prove that I change. He wanted to clinch and do leg kicks – so I wanted to do boxing. Clinch he didn’t have a chance, boxing he didn’t have a chance… all he did was low kicks and front kicks, he was a tough guy, he has a tough coach, but I’ve got the best coaching. I’ve got the best best support team… so lucky to have that.” Moghaddam also attributes his win to the support of his coaches at Versus Training Centre, his training camp in Thailand, and the hard work he has put in to training to get to where he is now.

In a Muay Thai Super Lightweight fight, Claude Sanders from Ostovic’s Gym on the Sunshine Coast, won on a unanimous judges decision over Adrian Gomez from Clinch 4 Life in Burnaby. Sanders was just more dominant and Gomez was on the run much of the time. Sanders said after, “This is what I train for… scoring with his leg kicks is what I train for, makes it painful for him if he doesn’t block them.”

The first MMA fight of the night gave Iouri Saveliev from Suitela’s Fight Club in Surrey a win by armbar in the second round over Lute Ganeif from WKX, Surrey. Iouri Saveliev went for a takedown in round one and stuffed a kick with his head. He may have even been out for a moment. Ganief had him hard for the rest of the round and Saveliev was in trouble until the bell. Round two started with Ganeif waiting for a cagey opponent, who got things going again by making that same takedown that almost got him killed in the first round. While Lute worked the bottom, Saviliev just kept in control with strikes until Ganeif had to turn and gave up an arm. Iouiri was lucky not to lose it considering what happened in round 1. 2:22 Round 2 Submission by armbar for Saveliev. Afterwards, Saveliev said, “I remember most of it, happens so fast, hard to remember. Took a hard right at one point. In my training, I practiced a lot of Jiu-jitsu, heard my coach calling pass pass pass, got the armbar, and next thing I know that was it.”

Terrance Viloria from Mendoza Fight Team in Surrey defeated Justin Viejou from Team HAVOK in Kelowna, taking the win by judges unanimous decision. Probably a nice sweep in round 3 got it for him, and while they both showed hard signs of gas, Viloria just got a bit more in over Viejou.

Viloria said afterwards, “I should have worked my jab more, but a fight is a fight. I heard he was lanky, long… The first leg kick I had on him hurt him so I thought if this works I should do this more.”

Navi Marzary from Universal Martial Arts in Vancouver got a win over Jeremy Neufeld EKKERT Fight Team in Round 3 by referee stoppage. Marzary said after, “I fought him once before… he stopped half way through the first round. I don’t know why he wanted a rematch, so I wasn’t expecting it to go long.”

In a heavyweight matchup, Rakinrah ‘Ricky’ Keohavong got a win over independent fighter, Ab Shubear. Keohavong got the impressive win at 24 seconds of round 1 by knockout, by ONE PUNCH. The apparent mismatch was better understood after the fight. Ricky said, “trained hard for a different fighter, for 194lbs, but he pulled out at the last minute and this guy was 230, but I am a fighter, so I’ll take the fight.”

Suitela Fighter Novic Pavic got a victory over Jordan Howes from Island Warriors in Campbell River by doctor stoppage. A sizeable cut opened up above Howes right eye. Afterwards, Pavic said that he “Didn’t win the way (he) wanted to, didn’t show all (his) skills, but was still happy with the win.”

Robin Laybourne from Aegis Athletics in Richmond defeated Lloyd Kenny from Williams Lake in the heavyweight MMA category, decided unanimously by the judges. Laybourne was the bigger of the two fighters, besides having Caleb Starnes in his corner. Laybourne got Kenny on takedowns and mount control, and a couple of dazzling high kicks thrown in through the fight. Laybourne said after the fight that he was “grateful for my trainers, Caleb Starnes, 120 friends in the audience, lots of people get surprised by the agility of such a big guy, training with good guys is the only way that I won.”

Next would be a light heavyweight Muay Thai matchup between Sasha Tadayoni of WACHAL’S in Surrey and Jean Allard from Phoenix Rising on the Sunshine Coast. The Referee would call and end the fight after the third knockdown at the end of round 1. Tatayoni, a kyokushin karate practitioner, showed off a stunning series of dynamite leg kicks including a triple combination that was lightning fast. The Referee would call and end the fight after the third knockdown at the end of round 1.

A very large skill mismatch was apparent between Tony Vaga from Columbia Martial Arts in Burnaby and independent fighter Matt Riley Shannon in a MMA bantamweight fight. Vaga would win by referee stoppage due to unreturned blows early in round 1. In fact, the fight appeared to be called at one point by the referee, who was about to stop the fight when Shannon stood up and indicated he was ready to fight again. For what Shannon’s abilities were worth in the ring, the referee should have followed through with stopping the fight at that point, as it was over a few seconds later when Vaga’s beatdown recommenced. Tony Vaga said after the win, “I really took it to my opponent, I wasn’t sure why the fight was stood up when it should have been called.” We found out before the fight that Shannon preferred training method is by getting into street fights, thinking that gyms want your money. Gyms may very well need your money, but that money also pays the rent on the place that keeps the lights on. This whole episode just proves how important real skills are in MMA at any level of experience.

Bisla Surrey fighter, Hardeep Saran Bisla got a super middleweight Muay Thai win over Toby Cleary from Carlson Gracie MMA in Maple Ridge. A devastating round kick to the head at the start of round 2 would finish off Cleary for good. Saran had already sent him to the mat in round 1. After the fight, Saran said “Going into the fight I was confident, had a good game plan. Inder Bisla helped me a lot with my kicks.” Part of Saran’s win must also be attributed to the big Surrey pride represented at the event.

WKX Surrey fighter Josh Jauncey defeated Ruel Copeland by judges unanimous decision, who was the first of two fighters in the night from SIAM No. 1 in Toronto. The matchup gave the night a super exciting fight with heavy, fast and hard exchanges. Jauncey said after, “We knew he was going to fight Thai style… he was heavy on his legs; I wasn’t able to get him with the inside low kick. After this I am looking to fight in the Netherlands in the future.”

Stas Tatarinov of WACHAL’S Martial Arts in Surrey defeated independent fighter Alan Day in light heavyweight Muay Thai. Tatarinov dominated and won by judges unanimous decision. He said afterwards “I blocked some leg kicks, that’s why I have some bruises… the guy towered over me in the ring a bit, and I took the fight for the challenge.”

A Muay Thai Super Middleweight BC Title was up for grabs. James Hansen of Team Bad Boy Outreach Surrey defeated Chad Gerow of Revolution Langley by unanimous decision. Hansen dominated and had control over the whole fight. Laid it on hard in round 3 to seal the deal. Hansen said after the fight that, “It wasn’t so much of a battle of attrition, we really tried to feel out each other in the first round, we didn’t push our pace and I picked my shots. I will be back in the gym right away for a fight under Master Song.”

The last fight before the Main Card was a MMA Light Heavyweight matchup between Jesse Rice-Jones of G-Force Vancouver and Alfonso Cavero of Team KARMA. Cavero almost had Rice-Jones in a rear naked choke but Jones was able to get out of it and to his feet after a monumental struggle. He was able to corner Cavero and pound him out to win by referee stoppage in round 1.