Sunday, September 16, 2012

Crappy UCL Pics














UCL Postscript

Another Sunday, another installment of the Underground Combat League - this one taking place at a brand new secret location, and featuring a cast of newcomers and veterans alike.  And for the first time ever, we got to see the event's security in action, with promoter Peter Storm's legion of muscle turning away at the door about a dozen would be rumblers who had beef with a mouthy fighter.  Folks, you can't get that kind of "Oh my God, am I going to get hit by a stray bullet?" action at other shows!  Highlights of the event included:
  • Team Free Expression's Owen Thomas, who repped the Black Taoist and brought kung fu into the ring.  His first bout ended with him tapping to a guillotine at the hands of Danny Estrella, but Thomas wasn't ready to call it a day, so he got back in there and fought hard against MUSU veteran Mike Brown (a.k.a. Mike from Harlem).  Though Brown bloodied him and tapped him out with an armbar, you can't say Thomas didn't have heart.  Hopefully, he'll be back.
  • The grueling back-and-forth battle between Desmond Nelson and Ty Navarrio.  Navarrio put a hurting on Nelson early, but Nelson wore him down, and when his corner shouting for him to jump into a guillotine, Nelson listened and got the tap.
  • Peter Storm and Adam Nadler, who rematched vale tudo-style from a bout that Storm won years ago.  Storm won by getting Nadler down, softening him with headbutts, and slipping on the kimura, but it was a strong effort by both men, and hey, it was vale-fucking-tudo.  How often do you get to see that?
  • The absolute war between Radical Jiu-Jitsu standout Chad Hernandez and Twin Towers Wrestling badass Pedro Villa.  Villa bloodied Hernandez with punches and threatened with a guillotine, but Hernandez has got zero quit in him to match his top notch skills, and he elicited the tap out from Villa with a barrage of punches from top position in Round 2.  It was a great fight, and with Kenny Rivera retired, Hernandez is clearly the UCL's best, most promising fighter.