IXFA Results and Recap – Top 10 Moments and Predicting the Future

Downtown Houston’s IXFA this past weekend was filled top-to-bottom with exciting moments. Let’s go right into it and look at the ones that really had the crowd jumping.

1 – Gilbert “Pitbull” Jimenez Knocks Out Alex Black

Prior to this bout, Houston experts (including myself) has Alex Black listed as the prohibitive favorite. After all, he was coming off a win against Greg Bellomy and with bout already scheduled against Tim Snyder, we all have Black listed as the next big thing. Well I guess the one thing we forgot to account for was this rabid pitbull named Gilbert Jimenez. The San Antonio fighter came out like a fighter befitting his nickname, dropping Black quickly and finishing the fight on the ground to put a temporary halt to his momentum.

What’s Next:

At 5-2, The 35-year-old Gilbert “Pitbull” Jimenez has the record and skill to make some waves in Texas MMA. Time will tell what is next for him but one fight I would like to see is Jimenez taking on Marc Ramirez. If styles do indeed make matchups, both these guys have a fan-friendly fighting attacking style that would for sure lead to a fight of the night. Now if Adam Schindler ends up relinquishing his IXFA title in favor of the big leagues, that would make things really interesting.

As far as Alex Black, well he can’t really think too long about this long because he’s got another devastating striker in Tim Snyder to contend with at April’s Legacy event. Time to hit the gym and re-tool a game plan to ensure victory and bounce back.

2 – Josh Foster KO’s Terrance Ferguson

This was a competitive bout for the better part of two rounds, with the two battling for takedowns and top control. That all came to a screeching halt mid-way into the second as Foster reversed into Ferguson’s guard after getting his back taken, landing shot after shot that put Terrance Ferguson to sleep and had his head careening off the mat. Very scary KO, very big statement for Foster.

What’s Next:

I’m starting to think Josh Foster in one scary dude. He’s only 2-2 yet both of his losses have been to fighters not many people would beat in Justin Ledet and Andrew Craig. Simply put, this guy is a scrapper. I don’t know who the IXFA will put in front of him next but guys like Larry Crowe and Jared Taylor present some very interesting matchups.

3 – Pat “Bison” Bierschwale Edges Out Jeremy Morris in Professional Debut

Welcome the proverbial big leagues Bison Bierschwale!

This was a hard –earned split decision win in Pat’s debut against a very tough opponent. Bierschwale was able to edge out this bout by virtue of a few takedowns in this three-round affair.

What’s Next:

I don’t really see the stock of either fighter going up or down too much after this one. They are who we thought they were; hard-nosed well-rounded fighters who will both be a force in the middleweight division for years to come.

At this point, I see both guys just under that top-ranked echelon occupied by Bubba Bush, Artenas Young, Andrew Craig, Jon Kirk and others. Not sure of any specific names but more seasoning should be up for the two as they look to climb the ranks to that point.

4 – Tony Orozco and Shawn Machado Put on a WAR

Leading up to this bout, the entire Houston fight community was abuzz with anticipation as these two men looked to go at it. The fight was every bit the brawl everyone imagined it to be and Shawn Machado was able to pull out the emphatic victory after chasing a hurt Orozco to the ground and finishing the fight after a non-stop brawl in the first round.

What’s Next:

Some rest. Tony Orozco suffered a dislocated shoulder in this bout and I’m not certain if he’s looking to get back in there at 43-years-old.  In any case, Orozco has nothing left to prove in the cage and has an army of promising fighters to train at Silverback Fight Club. Perhaps it’s time to focus on those guys. As for Machado, he looks like he had fun in there and I’d like to see him back after a short hiatus.

5 – Jared Taylor Makes His Second Statement in a Row

Lots of people have trash-talked Jared Taylor in recent months, writing off his KO win over Artenas “Machine Gun” Young as a fluke. I wonder who’s laughing now as Taylor made his second emphatic statement in a row by dropping Jason Sullivan.

What’s Next:

After the fight, I heard a few officials ringside discussing Taylor’s prospects as a potential future champion. With a documented record of 5-7, one would think that type of talk to be far-off but not in this case. The IXFA’s 205 division isn’t exactly its’ deepest and Taylor now stands as the likeliest challenger to the throne currently occupied by Ike Villanueva. With the two’s furious striking styles, that would make for one heck of a bout.

6 – “Tae Kwon” Crowe Loses Future Children En Route to Win over Jordan Clissold

Crowe took a leg kick straight to the family jewels from in the beginning of the third round en route to a decision victory. I believe this was the second fight in a row for Crowe to take that type of punishment. Poor guy…

What’s Next:

Some ice and advil would be best. Then I think it’s time to buy a stronger cup.  After that, maybe fight somebody like Josh Foster, Pat Bierschwale, or Jeremy Morris in his next bout.

7 – Marc Ramirez Makes a Statement; Calls Out Schindler and More

“Mongoose” Ramirez notched an impressive victory in this one. Despite not having name recognition among Houston’s MMA pundits, Cody Hoffstater was a highly-skilled opponent and not one to be taken likely, especially in the submission game. Regardless, Ramirez never saw himself in any real danger and made a statement with the TKO win. He made another one after the bout, calling Adam Schindler to a rematch.

What’s Next:

As we all know after Saturday night, Adam Schindler is off to Bellator so Ramirez likely won’t get his rematch any time soon. With an impressive victory of his own, Gilbert “Pitbull” Jimenez would make a perfect opponent with the victor having eyes on the IXFA 155 title.

8 – New School Wins: Andrew Craig Defeats Jon Kirk

This bout lived up to the “New School vs. Old School” billing with the Team Tooke fighter coming out on top.  Andrew Craig showed some very impressive grappling to complement his striking in this bout, and against a top opponent to boot.

What’s Next:

In my opinion, this bout showed the next step in the evolution for Andrew Craig. This guy is an evolving beast. As a next step, it would be nice to see him take on the winner of the upcoming Artenas Young vs. Bubba Bush fight at Legacy. Other than that, not too sure who else would present an exciting matchup for him locally at this point.

9 – “The Hurricane” Cometh – Dominates Lex Pappas to Retain Title

I spoke to boxing expert Mike Campbell prior to this bout, who said to me, “It’s not Ike’s power that gets people, it’s his incredible hand speed.” This hypothesis held true in this bout as Villanueva was able to stay away from the takedown and attack with sharp combinations that eventually found Pappas’ chin. Once that happened, the stoppage was rudimentary.

What’s Next:

Like I said earlier, there’s not a deep pool of current contenders (at least in the Houston area) for Ike’s 205 IXFA belt. Unless they bring somebody in from outside the city, I see the next challenger likely being Jared Taylor after his impressive victories over Jason Sullivan and Artenas Young.

10 – Hebert Falls; Gets Eaten Alive by a Great Big “Black Beast”

Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis used his strength and remarkable athleticism for a big man to take out Taylor Hebert. With those attributes and an evolving skill set, it is hard to picture anyone locally taking out Lewis anytime soon.

What’s Next:

Calling out Sam Hoger after this bout, Derrick Lewis clamors to be recognized as the city’s top heavyweight by virtue of beating the Team Hoger Head Coach. In truth, I largely see him as already there when it comes to top heavyweights in Houston. Studying for law school, Sam the UFC-vet doesn’t seem to too much on the active side of fighting these days, regardless of his pedigree. Outside of him, who else is there locally that could challenge Lewis? Answer: nobody right now. I’d like to see Derrick take a fight outside the state’s boundaries or perhaps fight somebody from Dallas or elsewhere inside the IXFA cage to prove statewide supremacy.