Legacy Fighting Championship 6 – Recap and Results

April 11, 2011 – Another great Texas MMA weekend has passed in Houston with this past Saturday’s Legacy Fighting Championship event at the Arena Theater. The event saw the crowning of two new champions for Houston’s longtime professional fight league with Andrew Craig and Daniel Pineda both claiming their well-deserved Legacy belts.

The card also saw some other impressive performances, newsworthy announcements, and even a wedding!

Photos from the event are posted in the media section of the site.

Let’s take a look at our ‘Top 10 Observations’ from this Legacy event after a brief rundown of the results.

Quick Results

• Marc Garcia via split decision over Patrick Greene.
• Patrick Hutton via split decision over Patrick Bierschwale.
• Artenas Young via unanimous decision over Jonathan Mack.
• Jonathan Harris via unanimous decision over John Malbrough.
• Tim Snyder via split decision over Alex Black.
• Jeff Rexroad via unanimous decision over Alex Morono.
• Angel Huerta via unanimous decision over Nate Garza.
• Andrew Craig via 5^th round TKO over Bubba Bush to win Middleweight title.
• Daniel Pineda via 1^st round TKO over Ray Blodget to win Lightweight title.

Top 10 Observations from April 9^th Legacy Fights!

1 – Houston MMA Celebrates its First MMA Wedding

Walking out in full Muay Thai regalia and stomping the cage for his love of fighting, 4 OZ Fight Club trainer Bob Perez seemed keenly focused, as a fighter would be, in facing his biggest-ever cage opponent – marriage.

All kidding aside, bride-to-be Jennifer Josey looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding dress as she stepped through the Legacy cage door threshold. The moment her and Bobby locked eyes, one could tell there was nowhere else they’d rather be. Although there may have been a thousand onlookers watching on, for a split moment in time it was only them as they place their rings on each others’ fingers and proclaimed their declaration of undying love.

Congratulations to Bob and Jennifer from us here at TXMMA.com. We wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy!

Potential Next Step – For Bob – dishes and laundry. For Jennifer – shopping.

2 – Artenas Young is What We Thought He Was

By that, I mean that Artenas “Machine Gun” Young was every bit the flamboyant flashy fighter in the cage fighting that was featured in pre-fight interviews leading up to his fight with Jonathan Mack.

Young ducked, dipped, and dodged his way to a clean unanimous decision victory over Mack Saturday night amidst a chorus of cheers AND boos from the crowd – a byproduct of his brash persona and clearly evident of his status as one of the more polarizing fighters in the area.

Potential Next Step – Word is that Artenas Young is supposed to get a title shot against the winner of Craig/Bush, so I guess next up for the “Machine Gun” is Andrew Craig in July. Young showed that he definitely has the ‘float like a butterfly’ part of his game down pat but he’ll really have to ‘sting like a bee’ if he wants to take out to polished new champion in that potential bout.

3 – Patrick Hutton Came in with an Excellent Game Plan to Win

Practically all the local pundits predicted Patrick Bierschwale beating Patrick Hutton handedly in this matchup. “Duck under and take him down when he comes in,” I heard often.

Alas, it was not to be as Patrick “Bam Bam” Hutton, along with his corner, came in with an excellent game plan that seemed to confound his opponent. Utilizing excellent footwork and circling of the cage in addition to his boxing, Hutton never let “The Bison” settle into a clean takedown throughout the duration of the fight. In fact he got one of his own during the second round en route to the decision.

Potential Next Step – Reports are that Patrick Hutton tore a bicep sometime in the first round of this fight so recovery is on tap. After he mends that injury, I would like to see the much-improved Hutton fight again soon.

4 – Plenty of Men Walking Around with Boners

I’ll predicate this one with by saying “no homo!” Not that there is anything wrong with that. What I am referring to is new Legacy FC sponsor Boner Beer, which the crowd at the Arena Theater seemed to love. Announcer Collin Cantrell mentioned that Boner “kicks Blue Moons ass.” Not sure about the taste of that but it sure did in alcohol sales on fight night.

Together with Boner Beer, Michael Klein’s Fine Jewelry, AmmoToGo.com, and Mercedes Benz of Houston North have all recently gotten on board to support Legacy FC. Good to see more businesses supporting Houston MMA.

Potential Next Step – The next time I need a three-hundred dollar oil change for my MB, maybe I can go to the sponsoring dealership and not get raped like I usually do elsewhere. Don’t laugh. I’m not joking. In all seriousness, I see new sponsors hopping on board as a sign of things to come. Mixed Martial Arts offers an exclusive and lucrative in-road into the coveted 25-34 male advertising market. The increasing popularity of MMA with demographics all over the board only makes MMA more appealing as brands look to connect with their customer base. Only now are companies starting to realize that potential so look for more and more advertisers to enter in accordance with the growth of the sport.

5 – Angel “The Chosen One” Huerta Evolving into Form

Ever since he debuted at Puro Combate during August of last year, many people around the city have labeled Angel Huerta as one of the next great fighters to come of Houston. In fact, his nickname even alludes to that. With a tough performance against Andy Sandoval in January coupled with his showing Saturday night against Nate Garza, “The Chosen One” is slowly proving that he is much more than a flashy stand-up fighter with speed and accuracy. He has proven to be effective in the clinch as well as improve on the ground under the tutelage of Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes and all his teammates at both Paradigm and Gracie Barra Texas.

Potential Next Step – A submission! I don’t know who the powers-that-be at Legacy FC have lined up next for Huerta but maybe next time, we can see a fancy triangle choke or arm bar win!

6 – Alex Black is Tougher than what We Gave Him Credit For

What a fight between Alex Black and Tim Snyder! Both these guys put on a show and it sucked that somebody who deserved to win (read: Alex Black) had to lose. Throughout the course of the fight, not only did Alex Black make true on his promise of wanting to stand with Snyder but he did so with flair and precision rarely matched in the local scene. Not taking anything away from the “Terminator,” who bloodied and bruised Black’s face, but rarely do we see a flying armbar (almost got it), K-kicks from the ground, an axe-kick, and a dazzling array of other maneuvers all in one bout. Alex Black laid that all out there along with his heart. Even more impressive is the fact that he was gracious in defeat upon hearing the decision, hoisting Snyder up in a true show of sportsmanship. Well-done Alex Black!

Potential Next Step – Somebody sponsor this kid! I don’t care if you have a lemonade stand and a dream. If you market a product or service to anybody with a pulse, put your logo on this guy because he is the type of fighter that’s exciting enough to be unforgettable.

7 – Alex Morono and Jeff Rexroad Provide Welterweight Showcase

Coming off a fight of the night performance in his last performance, a brawl against Ricardo Talavera, Jeff Rexroad provided the technical side of the lesson in this latest showing. Bringing his long jab to go along with his jiu-jitsu process, “Sexy Rexy” showed a veteran aptitude for the cage in winning against a hard-charging Alex Morono. These guys fought well in every facet of the game, showcasing the true potential of mixed martial arts with their boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, judo, and jiu-jitsu skills. Lots of positives coming out of this one for both fighters.

Potential Next Step – Now that young Alex Morono proved he has the composure to hang with the veteran big boys, it’s time to throw him back in there. Younger fighters recover fast anyways, right? I’d love to see Alex back in there against a John Malbrough or Jonathan Harris in yet another tough welterweight test. As for Rexroad, didn’t he promise his beautiful wife Danese and his little munchkin some face time? Sorry to throw you under the bus here, Jeff, but enjoy your family for a minute. You deserve it. And when you come back, take on a top-fiver. It’s time for that next step up for you.

8 – Bubba Bush is the Real Deal; Just will not quit

If his fight with Andrew Craig were a three-round affair, we might be talking right now about how much of a monster Bubba Bush is. That’s how dominant he was with his takedowns. Unfortunately the fight was five rounds and Craig’s experience, vaunted striking skills, and superior cardio gradually began to shine through in the later rounds. Bush got clocked many times throughout the fight but never quit. Even when hurt, this guy fought like an animal. Something tells me he’ll be back and better than ever with lessons learned from this one. Look for him to challenge for the title again one day soon.

Potential Next Step – I’m sure fans want to see Bubba Bush back in the cage as soon as possible but I don’t know who will want to fight him. If it were up to me, I’d like to see him mix it up with Jon Kirk, Pat Bierschwale, or Terrance Ferguson.

Time for Andrew Craig to Sprout Wings and Fly

Okay, so he did it. Andrew Craig is now the first person in Houston to simultaneous hold an IXFA and Legacy FC belt. That’s not a fact to be understated and I believe that makes Craig the biggest prospect to come out of this city and now, time is ripe to do so. Craig was tested against arguably the toughest opponent he’s ever faced in Bubba Bush (he said so himself in the post-fight interview). Those are huge words for somebody that’s fought Jon Kirk and Rodrigo Pinheiro. Aside from likely pre-arranged business with Artenas Young, who else is left for him?

Potential Next Step – It looks like Andrew Craig will be fighting Artenas “Machine Gun” Young in July but I think anything could happen between now and then. Maybe those crazy coonasses over at B3 Sports can call I some special favors (or in Rich’s case, give some special favors) to get this guy into a hexagon or octagon soon. Lord knows he’s proved himself worthy of it by now!

9 – Controversial Calls Put Texas MMA Judging Standards Under the Microscope

Based on everything I am seeing post-event, the judges are really getting it from area fans concerning not just one, but two of the Legacy fights from Saturday night.

Losses given to Patrick Greene and Alex Black have both been met with public outcry. Because of the discussion, some have called for a re-evaluation of the 10-point must system used for MMA here in Texas while other others have lent more focus on the fact that many of the judges used at MMA events have more a boxing background and that more judges with experience fighting or training in MMA need to be judging these fights, ala UFC-veteran Ricardo Almeida, who recently became licensed as a state judge in the state of New Jersey.

Perhaps the most interesting suggestion was evaluating the feasibility of utilizing Japanese MMA rules here in Texas. Popularized by the now-defunct PRIDE organization, those rules emphasized activity and finishing the fight rather than letting it get to judges in the first place by employing penalties for inactivity (yellow cards) along with a ten-minute first round to decide the fight follow by a five-minute ‘overtime’ of sorts, with the winner decided on who did best for the entirety of the bout.

Potential Next Step – Only time will tell if all this public outcry will lead to reform but the state may be amenable to experimenting with a different scoring system in the amateur ranks on a trial basis to gauge its effectiveness. That, along with hiring experienced MMA professionals to judge MMA (makes sense, doesn’t it?), both seem to be great first steps.

10 – 4 OZ Fight Club and Paradigm are on a Collision Course

Looking at the latest Houston MMA rankings, fighters fromIV Ounce Fight Club and Paradigm Training Center currently make up 50% of the top ten and represent the top spots in various weight classes. Not taking away from other teams that have performed well recently, ala Team Tooke, but it just seems these teams are bound to clash at some point.

Potential Next Step – Well I guess we can look at all this quite literally now, as Daniel “Pit” Pineda’s devastating victory over Ray Blodget to win the 155 belt has put him on a collision course with none-other than “Neo” himself in Carlo Prater. As announced post-fight, Legacy is bringing in the Strikeforce/WEC veteran to face Pineda for his newly-acquired 155 belt. Time will tell if this one comes to fruition or if this 4OZ vs. Paradigm collision will have to wait with Pineda dropping back down in weight.

Get your popcorn ready folks. MMA in Houston, TX just got hotter and hotter!

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