Published: November 17, 2007 11:42 pm         

Quick and decisive

MMA certainly not for the timid

TULSA — From the moment you walk through the doors, you know it’s going to be a night of violence.

The cage — which seems much larger on television — sat in the middle of one of Tulsa’s Convention Center smaller arenas. Ironically, the annual Cliff Keen Kickoff Classic, one of the nation’s largest youth wrestling tournaments, was taking place in an arena across the hallway.

Kids of all ages were competing in the world’s oldest sport. Across the way, the adults were watching mixed martial arts, a sport that continues to gain momentum.

This new combination of boxing, wrestling, martial arts and good old fashioned street fighting is certainly not for the timid or someone who doesn’t like a little blood.

It reminded this writer — a first-time visitor to MMA — of a heavy metal concert. Throw in some liquid refreshment, add some scantily-clad “Ring Girls,” a little too much WWF from the public address announcer and a bunch of tatooed, angry young men ready to fight for some cash and ... well ... let’s get it on!

MMA fights usually consist of three rounds of four minutes each. Championship fights — there were three on Friday — are five rounds.

Quick and decisive describes what took place.

Mark Gaches needed :46 before applying a “Rear Naked Choke” on Rocky Flores.

Aron Lofton went 44 seconds with John Wolf before the official stopped it.

Shane Roller, a former Oklahoma State wrestler, went 10 seconds before launching a massive right hand followed by a flurry of punches that ended his evening.

Former Sooner Orville Palmer, a very scary-looking individual, took his time — 2:53 — before using an “Armbar” to beat Joel Traves for Oklahoma’s heavyweight championship. Traves tapped out, otherwise Palmer would have broken his arm.

Cushing’s Hank Dooley hit Raider McHugh, a former UCO football player, with the shot of the night. After getting taken down twice, Dooley, an MVP of the 2000 state basketball tournament for Class 2A, delivered a right hand that sent McHugh straight to the mat. It didn’t take another punch as McHugh remained on the mat for longer than over half of the fights combined.

“It’s pretty intense,” admitted Dooley afterwards. “It feels good to be able to end a fight like that. I think (McHugh) had a few chances to do some things. He wanted to get on the ground and pound on me, so I wasn’t going to let him take me down that third time.

“I caught him pretty good and it was over.”

Former Cowboy Johny Hendricks, a two-time national champion wrestler, won his bout :35 into the second round over a talented Spencer Crowley. It was just a matter of time, with Hendricks stalking the Texan for all of the first round.

Hendricks was almost as active as wife Leah, a former Cowgirl soccer player who spent her husband’s fight making sure he knew what to do.

Six fights in and there had been one fight reach the second round.

The Ring Girls’ job, like boxing, is to walk around the ring or cage in between rounds with signs letting the crowd know which round is coming up.

Sure ... whatever you say.

The quick and one-sided fights continued with another former Cowboy, Jake Rosholt, who went 1:42 with Jeremiah Caves. Rosholt locked up one arm with a leg scissor, secured Caves’ other arm with his right arm, then went about pounding on the Tahlequah native’s head until the official was forced to step in and end it.

There was nothing quick about Joey Gorczynski and Levi Avera’s 16-minute, 47-second game of twister. Gorczynski, a former state champion wrestler from Oologah, finally ended Oklahoma’s 170-pound title bout with a “Guillotine Choke.”

The featured bout included veteran Tom Jones and Seattle’s Cory Devala. It took 2:02 for Devala to record a crowd and Jones-disputed TKO to win the 185-pound title belt.

If you can’t defend punches, you will not last in MMA.

If you can’t wrestle, you should probably seek other means of entertainment.

If you are not good old fashioned tough, stay away.

Some fighters get $300 to step into the cage and an additional $300 to win. Dooley got a little bonus cash on Friday for delivering the “Punch of the Night.”

Bottom line? In case you hadn’t noticed — right or wrong — sex and violence are as popular as ever in the entertainment industry. MMA provides plenty of both, in an unedited version.

     

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