Trauma at the Summit - Report

Trauma at the Summit, the Infinite Combat Championship event on March 13th has come and gone but the memory of a great show will live on in the minds of all who attended for some time. As usual, Doc, Chris and Noel put on a great show that went off without a hitch.

I spoke to a lot of fans Saturday night (having become a little more comfortable in the fight night setting) and did not hear a single complaint. Everyone had a fantastic time by all accounts. The fights were fast paced and explosive, the Summit was set up perfectly, the music and sound was second to none and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish.

Let me give some credit where credit is due, in addition to Doc, Chris and Noel:

The Mississippi State Athletic Commissioner was in attendance. I got to shake his hand and I have to say that he is a super nice guy.

Shane Hooper was the MC for the night and did a phenomenal job as usual. Shane has the voice and professionalism necessary to make any show look great and he didn't let us down. There is a lot of information to keep up with during these events and I was impressed to say the least. No joke, this guy could MC for the UFC today, easy.

Larry Eurek was the videographer for the night. I have heard that the quality is tremendous and cannot wait to see the finished product. Anyone who can sit on that ladder and get shaken around like he did when the fighters hit the cage has my respect right out of the gate. If you see Larry, thank him for videotaping the show and if you can, get him to do your videos for you.

The first fight was between Julio McKinney and Alex Villapondo and it got the night started off right. These two game opponents came to fight. They exploded out of their corners at the bell (I am not sure the crowd was ready for that), and put out an effort worthy of any main event. Julio secured a solid submission to win the fight.

Second was Eric Potts and B.J. England. Some say this was the fight of the night and set the tone for the rest of the evening. I would tend to agree that it certainly set the tone and got the crowd into the game immediately. The bout went the full three rounds with B.J. only seconds from submitting Eric at the end of the first and second rounds. Both fighters utilized blazing strikes to inflict notable damage on the other and the crowd loved it. In the third round, cardio showed again that it is king when Eric outlasted B.J. and turned up the heat when England showed signs of fatigue. At the bell, it was Eric Potts who secured the win and advanced his record to 2-0. Video of this fight can be seen on the Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Facebook page.


The third fight of the evening featured Tony McKinney and Garrett Duncan. This bout was filled with heart-stopping takedowns which had the crowd screaming and on their feet. But shortly into the fight Garrett Duncan showcased his dominance by ending the meeting with a flurry of strikes that won him match.

Fight four placed Randy Oller toe-to-toe with fellow lightweight Adam Denton. Again, the crowd got their money's worth when Denton locked in a TKO due to multiple strikes. The scrap left the crowd breathless so Shane Hooper mercifully gave us all a break to go get a drink and take our blood pressure medicine before the second half of the show began.

I have to admit some bias as I share some points on the fifth fight. Issac "Ironman Ware", a very colorful and destructive fighter from Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu had taken the fight with Javaris Cole at the last minute. I have come to love watching Issac fight as many have but tonight I saw an opponent in Cole that made me a little nervous. Cole was obviously well conditioned and ready to do battle and I wasn't sure if Issac had his cardio up to par yet because he had been nursing an injury; however, if you go to the facebook page and scroll down to this fight which Tony Palmer so graciously and professionally taped, you will see why my trepidation was without merit. The two went to WAR. There is no other way to put it. Issac, in his normal fashion, dominated the fight and scored another win. This fight was shorter, but I think it rivals fight #2 for fight of the night. Just my opinion. It is indeed a tough call.

Fight number six was a total disappointment for Jesse Kilgore. I have watched Jesse train and I know he was ready for this fight, wanted this fight, and couldn't wait to test himself as a monster in the cage. I say monster because when I was a little kid and I was afraid of the monster under the bed, I know it couldn't be more scary than Jesse Kilgore is now. You just have to trust me unless you know him. Jesse is a great guy but there isn't enough money in the world to get me into the ring with him. His brother, Jeremy Kilgore, may have been more nervous than Jesse but was excited to see his brother perform. When Jesse and Brandon Williford made there way to the ring, we all held our breath for what was sure to be a complete and utter blood and guts battle rivaled only by the likes of William Wallace and the Scotts in ancient times. We were all crushed when Brandon received a thumb to the eye and could not continue. The fight was ruled "no contest" and we all sighed a long sigh as the two warriors walked from the cage. I sat next to the exit of the ring and dared not say a word to Jesse in fear that he would rip my head off on his way to the locker room. My heart sank for him as I watched him walk away in frustration.

We all hope to see Jesse back really soon and I am sure it will be worth the wait.

The seventh fight featured Habib Barmada of Florida, (a brown belt) and Jerrod Osthoff of Missouri. These guys traveled a long way for this show and obviously came to lay it all on the line. And they did. It was a great jiu jitsu battle that went from the floor to stand up and to the floor again. Great strikes, great floor work and great stamina were in both fighter's arsenal. Habib Barmada won the fight when he submitted Osthoff late in the bout. He thanked God for giving him strength and the win in the post fight interview. Both fighters showed a level of class seldom seen in today's society and I for one appreciated their skill, courage, and sportsmanship as they left the ring.

Finally, the MAIN EVENT was upon us and Brian "Bad Intentions" White (www.badintentionsmma.com) faced a local opponent, Mike Massey. Massey boasted a 40-1 record and took the fight at the last minute when Brian's scheduled opponent backed out due to illness. Massey entered the ring first to the sounds of Queen's "We are the champions" and stood stretching as White's music began to rumble in the speakers.

The crowd began to itch with anticipation as the professional White broke the shadows and emerged with his hands in the air, encouraging the crowd with every step toward the ring. Brian has the ability to befriend anyone he meets and took every person in the room's attention as he stalked into the ring. The crowd erupted when White turned to face them and began to jump and scream. They were here to see the man dominate and he did not let them down.

The bell rang and Massey took a couple of steps forward but White must have wanted to save Massey the trouble of walking across the ring because he pounced in and cleared the gap in a millisecond, jabs already landing. Massey immediately dove for what he could grab and secured a headlock on Brian White as if he were in a WWF showdown with Jerry Lawler or Hulk Hogan. The relaxed demeanor of White was obvious as he methodically manuvered into position, lifted Massey off the mat and slammed him into the canvas face first. He rolled over and secured and armbar and I for one thought it was over. But, the showman, White took his time and offered Massey and opportunity to adjust but the adjustment never came. White ended the fight when Massey tapped out and just like that, it was over. Another win for "Bad Intentions" and another great production by TBJJ and the Infinite Combat Championship leadership.

I thoroughly enjoyed this event. I only hope that the ICC can produce another in Tupelo very soon. Thankfully people of all ages can attend the ICC events in Tupelo. Maybe you can be there too. You won't be disappointed.