Sellout crowd gets money’s worth at MMA?event
By CRAIG HARVEY, OBSERVER Sports Editor
SALAMANCA, N.Y. - Usually there are 10-12 fights scheduled at a Mixed Martial Arts event.
And during those fights, there are usually a few bouts which makes the average fan restless enough to show their displeasure with the boo birds.
Saturday night at the JoJo Redeye Building, there was not a single boo bird as Knockout Promotions put on one of the finest fight cards seen in recent memory.
The night had it all - four submissions, three technical knock outs, two knock outs and one fight which was decided by the judges. And that was only the fights.
Big Poppa Schnake, the ring announcer of the evening, had the crowd involved from start to finish. Schnake was a one-man comedy act between fights, almost stealing the show with his PG remarks. Schnake gave props to the service men of our country and said thanks to them we are free and able to "watch guys get punched in the face."
God bless the U.S.A.
And because this is a family newspaper, I won't go into detail about 11 of the most gorgeous ring girls, also known as the Knockout Factory Knockouts. It was almost difficult to focus on the fights with those lovely ladies sitting ring side.
Another key to making the night pleasurable for all is the fact the fight took place on the Indian Reservation. Therefore, there is no alcohol allowed to be sold at the event and fans can enjoy the night without a drunk fool sitting near them.
While the night could not have been any more pleasurable for the fans, it wasn't so memorable for the local fighters.
Chris Howard, fighting out of Western New York Self defense, lost his second pro fight with a :21 knockout in the first round against Mike Geurin of team Bombsquad.
Matt Poodiack, also fighting out of Western New York Self Defense, had a strong effort in his MMA debut. Though Poodiack showed signs of promise throughout the fight, his opponent Troy Sterling was too much. In the third round, Sterling was able to use his ground and pound, forcing the referee to call a stop at the 2:13 mark via technical knock out.
Fredonia's own Donnie Lennox also lost his match via triangle choke in the second round to Jake Anderson.
Mike "Snake" Tome, owner and CEO of Knockout Promotions, should be commended for a job well done.
Though the night could have been better for the local fighters, it was a great evening for fans of the sport. As Big Poppa Schnake put it, "If you didn't have a good time, you don't have a pulse."