· Titan Fighting Championships 17 Recap & Results
It was not an impressive night for the two biggest names on the Titan Fighting Championships 17 card, but both Bobby Lashley and Phil Baroni walked away with victories. Friday’s event, broadcast on HDNet from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, was not without its moments though, including an almost-incredible comeback by Lashley’s opponent John Ott.
The action started off quickly as the opening bout saw Anthony Gutierrez secure a first round triangle choke victory over Jon Hollis. Then WEC veteran James Krause made quick work of Nathan Schut. Krause needed just41 seconds to find an opening to land a crushing head kick and finish off his prey with a few punches on the ground.
The third bout of the evening may have been an indication of things to come. Alonzo “Zo Daddy” Martinez controlled the opening two rounds and looked to be cruising to a lopsided win. However, Aaron “Daddy Long Legs” Derrow fought back in the third, dominating Martinez, and threatened to pull off a draw with a 10-8 round. In the end though, two of the judges saw the contest for Martinez, with the other scoring the bout a draw.
Willian de Souza, at just 1-1, met 25-fight veteran Eric Marriott in what was clearly a mismatch. The former Bellator fighter Marriott looked sharp has he walked away with an easy decision win, in which he never looked to be in any danger of being stopped.
Former Strikeforce, Pride, and UFC veteran Phil Baroni was next in the cage. He took on crowd favorite Nick Nolte. The bout opened with Nolte establishing an edge in the striking department, forcing Baroni to look to take the fight to the ground. By the end of the second round, with Baroni exhausted and Nolte on fumes, the fight looked like it may end in a slugfest. “The New York Badass” managed to get one last takedown, and likely secure the fight. In the end, Baroni took the decision, giving him his first victory in three years, and pushing his official record to 14-13.
Heavyweights Aaron Rosa and Abe Wagner squared off in the co-main event. Wagner, part of “The Ultimate Fighter 10” cast, looked good in the first round, picking his spots, but it was Rosa’s fight in the second. Rosa quickly landed a left that dropped Wagner. Rosa then followed him to the floor. Wagner defended the ground assault, but once Rosa took his back, the finish came quick. The former Strikeforce fighter improves to 16-3.
The main event started as many expected, former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley quickly took the undersized John Ott to the canvas. Lashely would control his opponent and batter him with ground-and-pound for the entirety of the round. In the second, Lashley again took Ott to the ground early, and worked from the top position to inflict more damage.
In the third, both men appeared physically spent, with Lashley looking the worse for wear. Ott pressed forward looking to take advantage of the tired wrestler. Lashley attempted to counter strike, but Ott’s punches were crisper and he seemed to come alive with every strike landed. The crowd came alive as well, letting their appreciation of Ott’s heart known loudly. But it would all be for naught as Bobby Lashley would manage one last takedown to dash any hopes of Ott finishing the fight.
All three judges scored the fight for Lashley, improving to 6-1 in his young MMA career.
Titan Fighting Championships 17 Results:
- Bobby Lashley defeated John Ott via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 29-27)
- Aaron Rosa defeated. Abe Wagner via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 0:35
- Phil Baroni defeated Nick Nolte via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
- Eric Marriott defeated Willian de Souza via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Alonzo Martinez defeated Aaron Derrow via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- James Krause defeated Nathan Schut via TKO (high kick and punches) - Round 1, 0:41
- Anthony Gutierrez defeated Jon Hollis via submission (triangle choke) - Round 1, 4:20
- Isidro Gonzalez defeated Travis Sveum via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:51
- Laura Marcusse defeated Emily Reed via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:51
- Marques Johnson defeated Cody Sherwood via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:48
