Vigilant MMA Brings Super Brawl II at Combat Quest 17 to the Dallas Bull

Sunday, February 6th brought about the return of Vigilant MMA and their historic Combat Quest #17 “Super Brawl” to the Dallas Bull in Tampa, FL. This promotion has been bringing some of the best in various combat sports disciplines to Florida for some time now, and their competitors are among the best amateur competitors across the states.

Opening the card Dinel Cherry stepped back into the cage to take on Louis Self III in kickboxing. The 185lb guys tend to bring some serious action to their fights and this was no different. Sizing each other up for the first round, these two took the first round rather light. Cherry seemed to be working out the timing for Self’s strikes and was able to block them with relative ease. As he began to turn up the pressure the bell sounded, and they retreated to their corners.

Coming out with some serious vigor Cherry started to pick Self apart. Firing off a barrage of strikes he got Self pressed against the cage where he would focus on keeping him for most of the round. This tactic forced Self to burn out a lot of energy until Cherry connected with a beautiful left that sent Self crashing to the mat. While Self was able to take the standing 8 count, he ultimately fell again giving Cherry the 2nd round KO. Cherry by KO in Round 2

Sam Martin and Miguel Usher followed up with another kickboxing match at 148lb. Martin came out of his corner with a very technical and pointed set of strikes. Quickly Usher found himself slipping on the mat and crashing to the canvas. While properly ruled a strike, the way the crowd reacted a case could have been made for a knockdown.

Round two kept the beating going with little being offered in the way of an offense by Usher. Martin was using his reach and flexibility to his advantage as he threw everything but the kitchen sink at him. As the round wore on it was clear that Usher was being outmatched in this bout.

The final round showed the pure exhaustion on the faces of both fighters. While burning out your energy is easy to do when you’re on the offense, it’s even worse when you’re living in full defense. As Martin got Usher pinned against the cage yet again the battle seemed to be closing to an end. While Usher was able to maneuver to the other side of the cage, Martin kept on him and got the 3rd round TKO. Martin by TKO in Round 3

The final prelim bout was for the 150lb NOGI BJJ title between Adam Amado and Champion Brelin Carroll. Carroll has been fantastic in this division and held the title with honor and true dedication. Taking to the mat Carroll went for an instant leg lock. While Amado was able to slip out, Carroll kept him on the mat. 

As the 10 minutes came to an end the exhaustion was visible on the faces and the body language of both competitors. As they went to overtime Martin and Carrol traded positions to escape seatbelt and hooks back control in 21 seconds. Unfortunately for Martin, he just couldn’t match it, and Carroll was able to retain his title. Carroll with 21-second escape in Overtime

Starting off the main card is never easy, especially after an intense grappling match ending the prelims. Wesley Cordova has been in this spot on the card before, and he always brings serious grappling to the table for 155-160lb NOGI CCJ. Danny Lyons was ready to step up to the challenge.

With slaps being agreed to by both competitors this was the kind of match Cordova tends to thrive in. While Lyons was looking for various kneebars and choke submissions Cordova kept escaping and any time he found an opening he was cracking Lyons. By the end of the main round Lyons had a bloody nose and between the eyes as well.

The overtime was one of the fastest I have seen to date. While Cordova had a great seatbelt and hooks positioning, he could not hold on to Lyons who escaped in under 15 seconds. When given the chance himself, Lyons longer legs proved very efficient in keeping Cordova locked in despite the significant strength advantage that kept him from being submitted in the main round. Lyons with 10-second escape in Overtime

Bryant Peschel and Joshua Kabay brought us back to 170lb kickboxing for the second fight. Peschel had a huge crowd behind him as the Futures MMA is always traveling with a heavy following. From the opening bell, Peschel was on the attack and keeping Kabay backpedaling most of the time. Peppered in kicks and uppercuts were wearing on Kabay deeply, but he would not go down.

Round two saw Kabay trying to time Peschel with some stiff kicks to the ribs and some stiff hooks that were just off target. The extra reach of Peschel was a big advantage, and it kept Kabay largely on the defensive for the round. With no significant striking for periods of the round, it almost seemed as if the ref was going to have mercy on Kabay and end it.

Kabay somehow found the energy to get up and come back for round three. While Peschel was certainly gassed himself he found a new wind for the final round. Coming on the strong offensive he was pushing around Kabay pretty easily, but his strikes were not as pinpointed or hard-hitting as the earlier rounds. A strong Thai clinch and quick thinking kept Peschel in control of the fight. All three judges saw it the same way, and Peschel secured a Unanimous Decision that only seemed to surprise Kabay. Peschel by Unanimous Decision

The final NOGI BJJ found Gino Tutera and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s Dave Mundell battling it out for the 265lb BJJ NOGI title. This was a very even match the whole way through with both competitors simply trading various guard positions. While a hard battled match, much of the crowd was hoping for a bit more of a battle. Considering Mundell’s recent battle in BKFC, many expected him to have that same level here.

Going to OT Tutera was able to escape in 10 seconds to an absolutely stunned Mundell. Pressing his hips up he was able to turn and get right out. With the pressure on Mundell got settled in. After a few quick readjustments by the ref, they were off again. Mundell unfortunately was unable to escape Gino’s hold. While there was excellent respect between the two competitors, you could tell Mundell was still miffed to take the L. Tutera with a 7-second escape in Overtime

Nick Muegge and Trevor Thomas stepped up at 175lb kickboxing in an excellent fight. From the sound of the opening bell, Thomas was sweating confidence as he moved about the ring. Try as he might Muegge was having a hard time finding the mark with his shots. Thomas was dipping and slipping nearly any punch he threw.

Round two found both kickboxers locking up a bit more as Muegge was looking for anything he could find a point on. Unfortunately for him, Thomas proved to be ultimately more elusive and creative in his attack methods. Switching stances and tossing out shoulder rolls, Thomas was able to keep the distance with ease.

The final round found Thomas throwing heavy strikes. Despite both fighters now being very low on energy, he gave everything he had to try and solidify his win. This extra energy kept Muegge on the defensive, where exhaustion kept him from mounting any extra defense. Ultimately this gave Thomas the edge for all three judges. Thomas by Unanimous Decision

In a featured bout, Noah Lopez and Theoren Thorn competed in 165lb MMA. From the opening bell, Thorn locked up with Lopez and got him taken down. Lopez battled back and was able to reverse the positions. This gave Lopez solid positioning that looked to end it quickly, but Thorn was able to escape. As the round came to an end both fighters were landing heavy devastating shots.

Round two began with more heavy-handed exchanges. Lopez was able to nail his own takedown and looked to almost certainly have a victory on the way via guillotine. Thorn wasn’t having it though, as he kept his chin planted and was able to escape through some serious maneuvering. The two kept battling back and forth for the rest of the round.

The final round saw Thorn gain a slight edge as he was being more aggressive and looking for the knockout. Lopez in turn was on a stronger defensive game plan, and when combined with the effort both fighters gave, it didn’t allow either to develop a very significant advantage over the other. The extra effort seemed to be just enough for Thorn to leverage out enough as he was able to snag the split decision. Thorn by Split Decision

The Co-Main event featured a brutal match between Brandon Holloway and Argenis Castro for the 135lb MMA title. Holloway rushed at Castro who quickly put him into a guillotine choke and sinched it in almost immediately. Holloway was able to push his head free and regain some control. As soon as he tossed out a shot he got knocked brutally hard back into the fence and found himself crashed out on the mat.

In 38 seconds the ref ruled the match over after Holloway was out of it. While he tried to get back up and go after Holloway, the ref was able to restrain and control him so he could get his bearing back. Holloway was incredibly upset at the loss, but he just got caught. Castro by TKO in 38 seconds of Round 1

The main event saw the return of Aldo Dominguez as he took on Keith Hart Jr in 155lb kickboxing. From the opening bell, these two warriors exchanged kicks back and forth. While the usual feeling out of their range against one another was there, it was a very aggressive pattern that found both fighters clocking the other. While both were able to stay off the canvas for the first round, Dominguez was nailing his distance down to a science as the bell sounded.

Round two brought out more punches from Hart as he looked to be trying to set Dominguez up for a devastating combination. The training of Dominguez combined with the crowd chanting his name seemed to be connecting with him and kept him from feeding it. As the two kept landing small combinations, neither one could hit THE combination to end the fight. 

The final round is where Dominguez started firing on all cylinders. With strikes coming in bunches as opposed to established combinations, he was taking each opportunity as they were presented to him. To his credit, Hart was able to close 3/5 of the openings while the strike was in motion. From backing up to pivoting at the ribs he was avoiding a lot of what Dominguez was throwing. Wrapping him up in a bearhug against the cage towards the end of the fight, Hart seemed to be looking to use his slightly stockier build to his advantage.

While Dominguez was able to escape, it obviously took a toll on the young fighter. While the two slugged it out to the final bell, Dominguez was able to point Hart up a bit more with some laser-precise rib kicks. As the final bell rang both fighters shared a moment of deep respect with one another and the crowd. Dominguez still won by split decision much to the surprise of Hart. Dominguez by Split Decision

Vigilant MMA brings something for everyone. Opportunities to catch the amateur fighters before they get their shot to go pro is something you should never pass up. As this organization continues to grow more and more people from across the country travel to compete in this legendary organization. March 20th in St Petersburg, FL will be the next event, and it promises to be an action-packed extravaganza. It’s fun for the whole family, and combat sports at its best!!

More Photos By Jordan Raiff