Road Trippin’ for Combat Quest 15 Vigilant MMA CQ15

By on November 3, 2021

Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Ft. Meyers,  FL

29OCT2021

Vigilant MMA hit the pavement for a road trip to Ft Myers for Combat Quest 15 on 29 October 2021. With doors opening at 6, and the first fight at 8, there was ample time to enjoy the amazing layout. This venue is one of the classic fixtures of Ft Meyers and walking inside the 10 ft doors, you can see why. With a rooftop bar for after parties, Vigilant saw tons of costumes coming through and passing by on the street. With a 7-bout prelim and 7-bout main card, there was tons of fighting in store.

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Kicking off the evening was Ross Parker vs Ryan Quigley in 160-165lb BJJ. Grappling in the standing position for dominance, these two kept pushing their way against each other, with Quigley looking to have control. Parker was able to keep control until a slick takedown by Quigley. 

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As these two battled for position they found themselves back on their feet again, with Parker using his weight to his advantage. Despite Quigley looking like an octopus at times as he moved his arms to avoid locks, Parker was able to find his neck and secure the submission. Parker by Submission

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Andriy Onifrak took on Dinel Cherry in 195lb MMA in the second spot of the night. These two raised the bar with fierce aggression from the sound of the bell. As they charged at one another, they traded blows back and forth. As Onifrak looked to deliver a vicious kick to the midsection, Cherry caught it and put him on his back. 

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Cherry was able to quickly regain his composure and take the fight back to their feet. Despite this recovery, Onifrak put him back down one more time with the two battling for control across the cage for all they were worth until the end of the round. The second round was a vastly different story with Cherry coming out and driving Onifrak to the canvas with a devastating slam.

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Cherry kept him down there as he delivered devastating blows. Thankfully for him, these blows didn’t last too long. He did a solid job intelligently defending himself until the ref called a stop to the fight. Cherry TKO Round 2

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The third fight of the prelim card pitted Kobe Downing vs Johnny Bonura together in 102lb Kick Boxing. Don’t let the weight fool you. These very young men put on one heck of a battle. While Bonura had a sizable height advantage, it didn’t stop Downing from nailing some great shots.

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Downing’s size kept Bonura pressed against the cage for a good chunk of the first two-minute round, but he stayed ready to fight. With the frustration visible on this young man’s face the round came to an end. The start of the second saw Bonura popping Downing with a solid shot that forced the ref to check on Downing.

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With Downing doing to keep his composure and ready to continue, the ref wanted to be sure. Talking to the young man it quickly became obvious that he wasn’t in the right space to keep fighting back. While no winner is declared in a fight at this age, these young men battled terrifically, and the future is bright for both of them. My hat is off to both of their efforts and all their hard work. Their coaches are doing something right. No Winner

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Going back to 155lb MMA for fight four, Noah Lopez took on James ‘Panda’ Pou. A technical difficulty caused a massive delay in Lopez arriving to the ring, as Lopez alternated between pacing and crouching as he awaited his opponent. 

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After a five-minute or so delay, Pou appeared, and Lopez looked ready to make him pay. Landing a devastating strike, Pou fell to the canvas within 15 seconds of the opening bell. Lopez took to a short-lived ground and pound until the ref pulled him off.

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Unfortunately, Pou was not moving after this hit, and the doc rushed in to check on him. After checking him out they gave him some air, and he was able to get his bearings after a few minutes, and you could see concerned looks around the arena as they waited to see if he was ok. Lopez by KO Round 1

After that quick KO James Ruger and Antonio Justinian were up next in 175lb Kick Boxing. Justinian came out of his corner as the clear aggressor to start this fight, yet Ruger was able to eat his kicks and attack back with hits of his own. Justinian’s corner kept calling out for him to ‘slow down’ and give himself time to breathe; to make smart decisions. As his striking showed, slow is smooth; smooth is fast. As the round ended both fighters kept on their feet and went off for some solid rest. 

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Round two was more of the same chess match, till a kick Justinian had been looking to nail connected, and sent Ruger to the canvas. While he was able to continue, the chess match ensued until the final 10 seconds of the match where both were throwing combinations looking to avoid a third.

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Suffice to say the bell rang, and the third round was a round of pure heart and soul. Both fighters were clearly exhausted, but neither was willing to give an inch. Ruger seemed to become more targeted with his attacks until a twitch or something else would catch his eye for a moment, and Justinian could strike. While both gave a great effort, and it could have gone either way, the early rounds and knockdown got it for Justinian by split decision.  Justinian by Split Decision

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The co-main event for the Prelim card was for the 155lb BJJ Title between David Rehak taking on Blake Torchon. Rehak immediately took to the floor, and slowly approached Torchon. Torchon found himself on top and battling for position. 

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This battle flip-flopped a few times before Torchon found himself in full control, and able to sink in a deep choke, causing Rehak to tap and the ref to stop the grappling. A quick but efficient effort from Torchon. Torchon by Submission Round 1

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Rounding out the preliminary card found Dimitrious Roquemore standing toe to toe with Anthony Tyler in the 190lb Boxing title match. The normal ‘feel your opponent out’ did not last very long as Roquemore seemed to find his button early, and forcing Tyler on the defensive and having to focus on footwork after tying up and forcing a ref break.

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After that break, Roquemore locked him up again and sent Tyler to the canvas for a short count, before pressing Roquemore against the cage upon hitting his feet. This momentary offense gave Tyler a false sense of finding his feet as Roquemore sent him crashing back to the canvas. Tyler tried to find his feet and got up, but the cage held him up with the ref calling it due to his inability to continue. Roquemore by TKO Round 1

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After a brief 20 minute intermission complete with excellent freshly baked pizza and a full liquor bar, it was time to bring the action back inside the cage. Chris Ward took on John Tomason in 135lb Kick Boxing. Ward didn’t want any part of this fight lasting, he wanted a fast finish and he got it. 

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He nailed one of the best spinning back kicks in Vigilant MMA to date and sent Tomason crashing to the canvas in obviously massive pain. The ref did him a solid favor and didn’t even count, and waved the fight off. Ward by TKO in Round 1

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The second bout of the main card featured the biggest guys on the card in 205lb MMA, with Brayden Milner taking on Jamel Davis. After the customary fist bump to start the fight, Milner landed a solid hit putting Davis down for a quick moment. With a quick recovery, Davis was able to land a solid midsection spear, drove Milner against the cage, and down to the mat.

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This resulted in Milner having his eyebrow being split open and a small yet steady stream of blood went down his face. Milner shook it off and made his way back to his feet; however, it was short-lived. Davis used his strength to his advantage and kept him down for the end of the round.

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The second round found Davis using his momentum to drive Milner back to the ground and put him into the guard. Davis found himself with his head locked between Milner’s legs but quickly battled out. This allowed him to again use his muscle mass to his advantage, and Milner did his best to land upward strikes to Davis’ head. 

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The movement forced Davis to nearly lose his shorts, forcing a ref stoppage for an equipment malfunction. When the action returned Milner was able to secure solid standing shots on Davis and had him in a rather solid guillotine choke while Davis attacked his ribs.

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The third and final round found these two once again on the canvas and battling for control. While Davis started off on top in a ground and pound, he focused on the midsection, and it was nearly a costly mistake. Milner quickly secured his left arm and started working on various forms of armbars and locks. At points, the arm looked to have broken but was somehow still intact.

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With the majority of the third round being spent battling for ground control and possible submissions, this was forced to go to the cards. With both men waiting for a decision, the cards seemed to take forever to be counted. In the end, Davis took the fight by split decision. Davis by Split Decision

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Elyin Lozada and Aldo Dominguez had a tough fight to follow in 155lb Kick Boxing, and Dominguez fed off this energy by wrapping up Lozada and tossing him across the cage to start the fight. Quick to recover, Lozada fought back fiercely, and his efforts were drowned out by the hometown crowd for Dominguez. This was certainly a well booked and hard-hitting match.

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Round two started out much the same, with both fighters leaping off their stools and trading fierce kicks. Dominguez was able to land a vicious shot to the head, and send Lozada’s mouthguard flying out of his mouth and it slipped out of the cage. After a quick stoppage, Lozada attacked with more vigor, forcing Dominguez to the ground on a slip before the round ended.

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The third and final round found both fighters coming out with a mixture of calculated and aimed shots, and anything they thought they could slip. It was an intense and rough final round, as these shots were packed with everything they could throw. With the cloud *crack* of the 10-second warning, both fighters unloaded with every ounce of energy they had. These shots all looked like they could have ended it but they both remained on their feet.

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In the end, Dominguez got the unanimous decision, and it seemed to stem from a combination of the hometown crowd being behind him all night, and some very well-timed shots (the flying mouthguard didn’t hurt either). From my perspective as well as a few others, this really came down to what each judge wanted to see in the fight.

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In the first post-fight interview of the night, Dominguez spoke with ring announcer Cameron Taylor and gave massive respect to his opponent, and big love for the Futures MMA team. Considering their massive presence across the card, they have been bringing the smoke for some time, and know-how to make solid fighters. Dominguez by Unanimous Decision

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In the fourth fight of the night, Jayden Brierton and Dontay Friga battled at 150lb in the final Kick Boxing match of the night. Dontay started off tuning up Jayden with some precise strikes that seemed to wake Jayden up and got him to start trading some counter-strikes of his own. While this seemed to spice things up, Jayden took advantage of locked arms and tossed Dontay off his balance and to the ground. Recovering quickly, the round ended with both fighters on their feet, and Jayden visibly angered. 

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The second round started out with both fighters trying to toss one another around while firing off minimal strikes. Dontay was able to get the upper hand here, and Jayden crashed to the mat hard. This appeared to remind Dontay of his training as his strikes became harder and more precise. As the rounded ended the two once again exchanged fast shots, looking to outpoint the other.

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With both having a toss down to their names, the third round saw Dontay staying the aggressor, but Jayden eating the hits and firing bombs in return. Much like bombs tend to do, some found their mark, some fell short. As the fans got even louder at these first strikes, the 10-second marker clacked. Both fighters seemed to think they could lose it, and they unleashed everything they had. As the final bell rang, and the fighters awaited scores you could see solid sportsmanship from the Futures camp (in Dotay’s corner) as their chief cornerman ensured Jayden hydrated.

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Given the amount of strikes thrown vs landed, and the precision behind his strikes, it wasn’t a huge shocker to see Dontay Friga get the unanimous decision. When shaking hands after the announcement, Jayden held him up and was talking to him. While the music drown out his words, the facial expression and body language seemed to indicate the words were none too friendly. Finally leaving him be, Dontay was greeted with a big bearhug from his pops, and some solid celebration with both parents, and the Futures MMA team. Friga by Unanimous Decision

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In a Featured Bout, Norman Gallon took on Markevian Williams for Williams’ 130lb MMA title. I have seen Williams fight a few times for Vigilant MMA, and tonight he didn’t seem to be at 100%. He showed up without his cup and then forced a delay as his shorts had to be taped due to zippers on the pockets. Given the direct aggression seen previously, one could only hope that would remain.

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Unfortunately, that was not the case from the start of the bell. Gallon was simply manhandling Williams from the start. Missed shots, lockups that resulted in Williams being slammed to the mat, and sloppy defense plagued Williams all around. As the 10-second mark hit, Gallon fired a fast kick that missed his mark and sent him to the canvas where he played the slip off by posing like he was laying out to be pained like one of Jack’s French Girls. 

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Round two started out with both fighters trying to force the other to the ground. Williams was able to gain a bit of offense as Gallon retreated, but it was as if Gallon was playing possum to lure him in. Williams eventually lost that battle and ended up underneath Gallon. As strikes and positioning were traded between the two, Gallon wore on Williams by simply keeping him against the mat. No matter what Williams was doing, Gallon was able to counter it for the entire round.

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The final round found Williams more on his mark and attacking, but it just was not enough. Despite getting Gallon against the fence and down, Gallon was able to launch a mount attack, and rain down heavy-handed blows. As the bell rang, both fighters exchanged respect, and Gallon demonstrated how energized he was with a standing backflip he almost perfectly landed. Gallon takes the win by Split Decision. Hopefully, Williams will be returning to fight for his belt again. Both fighters have a bright future in this sport. Gallon by Split Decision

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The Co-Main event was for the 185lb MMA Title between Emmitt Rigby taking on Nick Hawkins. With both fighters making energetic entrances, you could tell both fighters had taken this seriously. Despite being near midnight, these two looked like they had just woken from a solid night’s sleep. Circling each other, these two traded leg kicks, and small jabs.

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Suddenly Rigby stepped it up with a hard left hook. Hawkins absorbed the blow easily, and they traded a few more shots before an overhand right sent Rigby crashing to the mat.

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Despite his eyes being open, and in a defensive position, the ref swooped in a called Rigby knocked out. Getting up quickly and protesting, the ref stuck by his decision despite loud boos and each corner protesting as well. Both fighters were still good to go, and both wanted to continue. With sarcastic applause (and rightfully so) Rigby applauded Hawkins and left the ring. Both fighters felt like they didn’t get to show what they could do, and they are right. Rematch? Hawkins by KO in Round 1

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The final fight of the evening pit Isaiah Diggs against Vigilant MMA crowd favorite Marcellus Wallace in 155lb MMATitle action. With an obvious height and reach difference, Diggs had to keep the fight on the inside or the ground, and he did a fantastic job of this to start the first round. Getting Wallace backed against the cage, he fired off stiff and rapid jabs that connected well. Wallace was able to keep the fight going through skilled maneuvering and by back peddling to use that reach. 

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The second round found Diggs getting Wallace on the mat very fast. Yet in about 10 seconds, Wallace was back on his feet and looking for angles. Unfortunately for him, the shorter and more muscular mass of Diggs was able to keep him against the cage consistently. This control wore down Wallace, and his exhaustion was understandable. Diggs is not only strong but incredibly fast.

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Round three opened with Wallace nailing a solid front kick on Diggs, sending him to the canvas, but alert. This alertness allowed Diggs to regain top control quickly and deliver fast strikes to Wallace as he did all he could to defend himself. 

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As the round wore on, Diggs kept this inside pressure on and forced Wallage against the cage at every opportunity. This was an incredibly smart move on his part. Even when Wallace had some distance, he couldn’t pull back enough to get truly solid force behind his strikes, and he couldn’t get enough on them to make Diggs lose focus.

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As the 10-second clacks rang out, Wallace fired off any shot he could possibly find, and many of them landed. Unfortunately, the lack of punishment in the first two rounds meant that these strikes couldn’t get him over the hump and get the judges on his side. Diggs brought a hard-fought and well-planned battle to the cage. This ultimately gave him a unanimous decision. With much respect between the two fighters, they exchanged pleasantries before Diggs got a chance at his interview as well. Diggs by Unanimous Decision

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Vigilant MMA is one of the premier amateur MMA, Kick Boxing, and Boxing promotions in Florida. Not very many promotions offer up this mixture of combat sports, and they are leading the charge at giving some of the best up-and-coming talent an opportunity to show what they can do. CQ 16 is in the works, so follow Vigilant MMA on social media to keep up to date!!

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