IT Fight Series put on one of its best events to date, closing out 2014 with a 13-bout card in Ohio’s capital city. It was the second trip to Columbus for the organization this year, and this one featured a packed house and a stacked fight card with some of the best fighters in the Buckeye State.
The highlight of the night was the pro card, which featured a pair of UFC veterans and a handful of fighters destined to make it to the next stage in their career. Albert Cheng made his first appearance in the cage since a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter: China,” and he showed off some vicious elbows in finishing Matt Brown in the first round. Five of the six pro bouts ended via stoppage, including four in the first round. And the one that made it the distance didn’t disappoint either.
Check out the winners of our customary awards, as well as additional highlights from the event.
‘of the Night’ Awards presented by Bangtown Fightwear
Submission of the Night: Chico Bays
Knockout of the Night: Keith Speed
Fight of the Night: Alfred Leisure and Mike Velazquez
Performance of the Night: Dan Spohn
To see the full and complete results from IT Fight Series 29, click here.
Dan Spohn gets back on track
It appeared early in the week that Dan Spohn wouldn’t get a fight after original opponent Anton Talamantes was forced out of their main event due to a medical issue, but Michael Cockerham stepped up and the fight was back on. Spohn was calm and collected in the fight, needing just 42 seconds to end the fight with an arm triangle submission. Spohn easily passed Cockerham’s open guard after an early takedown, eventually switching to side control and locking in the vice grip submission to force the tap.
After the fight Spohn vowed to make it back to the UFC, where he competed earlier this year after a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 19.” And he appears to be back on track to make it back to the Octagon, as he is now 9-4 overall including a perfect 3-0 record in his adopted hometown of Columbus.
Alfred Leisure and Mike Velazquez put on a show
After the first four pro fights ended via stoppage, Leisure and Velazquez entered the cage for a rousing main event. The crowd was clearly and firmly behind the Columbus native Leisure, and many of them were on their feet as the two featherweights stood toe-to-toe for the majority of the 15-minute contest. Leisure was landing early and often, and he was switching his stances constantly to keep Velazquez off balance. When Leisure switched to Southpaw stance, his right hook was landing so effectively that it dropped Velazquez at one point. Velazquez was busted open early in the fight over his right eye, which Leisure began to target with jabs and head kicks. It was the clear fight of the night, and a strong candidate for fight of the year.
Chico Bays impresses in pro debut
It took him what seemed like forever to finally make the jump to the pro ranks, but Chico Bays showed off his newly legal tools early in his fight against Travis Hussey, landing elbows, knees, and he even threw a head kick early in the fight. Things started off perfectly for Bays, who dropped Hussey with a pinpoint jab just seconds in. Hussey showed off his Division I wrestling soon thereafter, wrangling Bays to the ground and securing top position. But Bays was determined to change the tide, and he nearly locked in a triangle, followed by an omoplata attempt before securing top position himself.
Bays showed off his slick transition game on the ground, chaining submission attempts paired with nasty elbows from the top. Hussey remained tough, though, eventually once again securing top position. But that fed right into Bays’ ever-improving ground game, and he was able to lock in a triangle submission to eventually earn the tap.