Mike Brewer

Hey all. I'm just getting in from Khun Kao's Metro Showdown fight card, and I was very pleasantly surprised at the talent that turned up. 12 fights in all, and for an amateur stage, it was really a great show. I won't go over all the fights, but here were some of the standout performances. I know there were videographers there, so out of respect, I won't give blow by blow accounts. Cough up the cash for a tape if you want that. However, I would like to see these shows do well and I'd like to see the fighters who showed up fighting for amateur glory to get their due.

The bigger talent was mostly stacked in the second half of the card, which was as expected. You could see a general increase in experience and ability from the sidelines after the intermission. The standout fights in the first half for me were the Muay Thai fight between Bashir Ahmed and Leo Napper, and the fight between Kristen DeBruycker and Heather Pugh.

Bashir Ahmed was a confident, confident fighter and he had reason to be. He fought tall, came straight in, and showed some respectable power early. Napper fought back well, landing to Ahmed's often upright chin, but Ahmed just didn't want to be stopped. He landed hard shots when he connected, but lacked the kind of follow-up that might have closed the show. Neither of these guys invested much in the body, but with a little time and seasoning, they both have real potential. Ahmed won on the judges' cards.

Between Kristen and Heather, things opened rough. This one was a lop-sided affair. Kristen was a taller woman with more length in her legs, and she used that advantage to good effect, piling up on kicks early. Heather managed to clinch, but things only got worse there. Knees from the taller Kristen took their toll, and Heather just didn't have a safe place to hide. At the end of the round, the two went back to their corners and Heather said "The hell with this." She did not answer the second round bell. I saw her in the hallway, and it looked like she regretted the decision, but it was a good one. She was overmatched, and she showed a lot of courage by fighting as hard as she did.

The second half was great, and alternated between MMA and Muay Thai fights. My seat was right up front by the speakers, which I regret terribly. I HATE traditional Thai music, and I am convinced that there are absolutely no requirements for being in those bands except that you can either blow into the horns they use or stand on a cat no matter how badly it squeals. It's even worse when it's being pumped into your skull at 140 decibels, but that was my fault for sitting where I did. However, I now have a headache that's making me feel a little like my left eye is going to explode.

As for the fights, though, the action kicked off promptly with Edward Bendu vs. Kendall Herring. This was a grappler vs a striker in the purest sense. Kendall was determined to hit, and to hit hard and often. Bendu had a great shot, though, and the fight ended up horizontal in rapid fashion. Bendu was eating some pretty good shots, when out of nowhere, he just decided he was going to have to put a stop to the horseshit, and he popped onto a footlock that ended the match. He truly committed, too, and Herring made him earn it.

Hiro Perrera vs Brian McAlister might have been my favorite Thai Boxing match of the night. These guys were matched well, and they both had serious strengths. Hiro was a relaxed fighter that sat in his shell to good effect. He looked like the more relaxed of the two, and it paid dividends later on. McAlister, however, was ready and able. McAlister landed a series of four solid elbows to the side of Hiro's face i nthe first round, and I was amazed they didn't have more effect. He just looked a little too tense, and that may have cost him some gas early. He was a very quick fighter, and he had a diverse repertoire of attacks, as did Hiro. These guys traded shots, and it was a pretty back and forth affair until the last round. Hiro was the fresher of the two, and looked like he had a more relaxed delivery that did more damage than his opponent's slightly tense shots. He bloodied McAlister badly around the lips and nose, and he carried the fight on all the judges cards. In my opinion, these guys made the card.

Brian Lashom and Scott Smith showed what ground and pound was all about in the next match. Scott was obviously the hometown favorite and had a huge cheering section on hand. Most of them, it seemed, were right behind me. However, as we all know, the crowd isn't in the ring, so it was up to Scott to make good. Scott looked to be a talented grappler, and he stayed calm under fire. trouble was, Brian provided lots and lots of fire. He was content to stay in Scott's guard and bang on him with punches, forearms, hammer fists, and elbows until Scott's head looked vaguely like a lump of chewed red bubble gum. By the end of the fight, Scott was banged up, lumpy, and bleeding, but as ready and willing as ever. The guy has a lot of heart, but it just wasn't his night. Brian ended up with the win in bloody fashion.

The final fight of the night was also really respectable. It was between John Stewart and Taylor Dixon. Dixon owned about half the crowd, and his cheering section made themselves heard over the music that banged out of the nearby speakers. A student at the Royce Gracie affiliated Capital Jiujitsu, Dixon was the clear audience favorite. No one told Stewart that, though. He didn't seem to care. Dixon opened the round scoring some clean, unchallenged punches to Stewart's face that had Stewart on his heels. Stewart quickly composed himself, though, and took the fight to Dixon. Dixon, true to form, snatched some beautiful takedowns and showed some real skill at transitioning and scrambling on the ground. Dixon moved very, very well on the floor, and it looked like Stewart was always just a half step behind. First round, unquestionably Dixon. In the second round, they met again, but this time Stewart managed to get ahold of Dixon with a few strikes. After that, the story was the same. Dixon gets the takedown, and works well on the ground, even though he can't seem to catch Stewart with any of his multiple submission attempts. Third round, Stewart knows he needs something dramatic, and like a real battler, he goes for it balls to the wall. At one point, Dixon thought about playing the guard, but Stewart just stood up and taunted him, screaming "Get Up!!" On their feet, and now in opposite corners. The highlight reel moment of the night occurred when Stewart charged in with a jumping knee and Dixon shot for a low (luckily) double. Stewart sailed right straight over Dixon's head. Jumped right the **** over him. Dixon sealed the deal with a good takedown and an almost-crucifix, and the round ended with Stewart's arms tied up and Dixon banging on his face unimpeded. Dixon wins, and looks gassed. Stewart loses, and looks like he's got two or three more rounds in him. It was a well-earned victory for Dixon.


All in all, this was an awesome show, and Khun Kao did well, selling out entirely and packing in what looked like fifty or so standing-room-only spectators above and beyond what they had chairs to seat. There was a ton of local support for these fighters, and it was awesome to see an amateur show run so well. You never can tell with amateur shows, but this might has well have been a small pro venue. Great, great job by Khun Kao. He even managed to find two cute-as-a-button ring girls that made you want to eat little green grapes from their belly buttons. Always a good touch.

If there's a video of this card, it's worth watching, especially if you're a Thai boxing fan. Elbows and knees were allowed (pretty rare in the amateurs), and the fighters had a ton of guts. The MMA was good, too, and was probably the crowd favorite. I still think that might have ben because of the music, though.

Congrats on a great event, Khun Kao!