· Pamplona TKOs Bunch; McCall Subs Harman At “UCB: Stars And Stripes”

Press Release:

(PRESS RELEASE) PARMA, OH – In front of yet another sellout crowd of more than 2,000 fans in Northeast Ohio, fighters delivered an awesome night of fights at “Ultimate Cage Battles: Stars and Stripes” on April 8. With mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva in attendance after putting on his first seminar ever in Cleveland earlier in the day, the stage was set for some of the sport’s best stars to impress inside the cage on the night.

The main event featured Black House product Eduardo Pamplona (14-2) picking up his ninth straight victory, as he earned a TKO victory over Finney’s H.I.T. Squad product Joe Bunch (12-4). Bunch and Pamplona spent much of the fight in the clinch, but an elbow from Pamplona coming out of the clinch in the second round opened up a nasty cut over Bunch’s right eye, and the referee immediately asked for the cut to be looked at. After an extended stoppage to check the cut, Bunch was cleared to fight, but it was much of the same, as Pamplona landed yet another sharp elbow that opened a cut just above where the first one had been placed. The third round saw Pamplona immediately land a big left hand that dropped Bunch, and he pounced on to land some shots that made it official before the referee pulled him off.

Ohio fighters “Cujo” Joe McCall, Matt Masterson, and Torrance Taylor also picked up impressive victories over some of the toughest competition from surrounding states.

“Cujo” Joe McCall (9-2) returned to action for the first time in more than a year, and it was clear that training in Illinois with Finney’s H.I.T. Squad certainly helped take his game to a new level. Indiana’s Patrick Harman (8-9) was a game opponent, but McCall finished the fight early on the ground, picking up his fifth career submission after locking in a keylock just 1:45 into the first round.

Matt Masterson (7-3) proved that he is no pushover, as one of Northeast Ohio’s favorite sons returned to action for the first time in more than a year to take out a highly hyped prospect in Finney’s H.I.T. Squad product Cortez “Hollywood” Coleman (6-3). The underrated ground game of Masterson was certainly on display on the night, as he nearly finished the fight with two separate gogoplata attempts in the first round, before settling for a more conventional rear naked choke to finish the fight in the second round.

Torrance “The Tyrant” Taylor (10-7-1) returned to Northeast Ohio for the first time in more than a year, and he picked up yet another notable victory by earning a unanimous decision over the always-game Kyle “Alley Cat” Baker (9-5). Taylor actually spent a good amount of time on top of the wrestler Baker, but he admitted after the fight that Baker had the strongest clinch that he’s ever faced. After the bout, Taylor promised fans that he’d be more active as a fighter after he finishes his next two semesters of school.

Black House product Justin “The American Kid” Lawrence (2-0) proved once again that he is certainly a prospect to look out for, as he earned a hard-fought three round decision victory over Wand Fight Team’s Pete Martin (2-2). Michigan’s Daron Cruickshank (7-2), a product of James Lee’s MASH Fight Team, rounded out the night with a unanimous decision over Tiawan “The Iron Dragon” Howard (8-7).

After the fights, UCB owner and CEO Dan “The Bull” Bobish announced that Ultimate Cage Battles will return to Northeast Ohio on June 25, 2011.

Full results from “Ultimate Cage Battles: Stars and Stripes”:

Amateur Bouts:

Pro Bouts:

Bout refereed by Victor Ventresca

Bout refereed by Frank Geric

About Bobish’s Ultimate Cage Battles

Founded in 2010 by mixed martial arts pioneer and former world champion Dan “The Bull” Bobish, “Ultimate Cage Battles” aims to provide an outlet and proving ground for up-and-coming fighters in the Midwest. The company promotes fights in Northeast Ohio, but has featured fighters from many surrounding states, including Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and more.

The company works under the sanctioning of the progressive Ohio Athletic Commission, aiming to produce compelling and fair matchups. For more information, visit us at www.UltimateCageBattles.com, on Twitter, on Facebook, or on YouTube.