HOUSTON, TX, September 14, 2011 – It’s that time again as we brings to our loyal readers The TXMMA Guide to Legacy Fighting Championship 8 on HDNet.
Follow along with us as we break down everything that has to do with this fight card and offer our thoughts on each individual match. Enjoy the breakdown and spread the word whenever possible. We’ll see at live at the Arena Theater and on TV on HDNet Fights this Friday night!
About the Legacy Fighting Championship
► Originally began parted promoting MMA events as Lonestar Beatdown in November 2006.
► Promoter is Mick Maynard. He’s Australian by blood but also definitely a native Texan.
► Over 320+ fights promoted since its inception (with no serious injuries).
► Legacy is the only promotion in Texas with its own branded lifestyle magazine and radio show, and TV presence on the MiCasa Broadcast Network and nationally on HDNet.
► Known for having some of the most beautiful ring girls in Texas from the Hooters Bikini Team.
► Legacy FC 8 will be the organization’s tenth pro event overall.
► Legacy FC 8 will also be the promotion’s 2nd appearance in front of a national audience on HDNet.
► More on the In-Depth History of the Legacy Fighting Championship here exclusively on TXMMA.com.
A Look Back at Legacy Fighting Championship 7
► The event’s first event (LFC 7) aired on HDNet on July 22, 2011 from Houston’s Arena Theater.
► In the main event, WEC/Strikeforce vet Carlo Prater defeated UFC vet Cameron Dollar by submission (kimura).
► Legacy 145Ibs Champion Daniel Pineda defended his title over WEC veteran Frank Gomez in the co-main event.
► Knockout of the night went to Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt – with a one-punch knockout of Antonio Flores in RD1.
* Other notable winners on the main card included Justin Reiserg, Jonathan Mackles, and Jesus Rivera.
Legacy Fighting Championship 8 – Quick Card
• 170Ibs – Jorge Patino vs Pete Spratt (TITLE MATCH)
• 185Ibs – Andrew Craig vs Eric Schambari
• 135Ibs – Steve Garcia vs Steven Peterson
• 185Ibs – Larry Crowe vs Ike Villanueva
• 185Ibs – Bubba Bush vs Joshua Foster
• 170Ibs – John Malbrough vs Jeff Rexroad
• 170Ibs – Evert Gutierrez vs Alex Morono
• 135Ibs – Nate Garza vs Cody Williams
• 170Ibs – Rashon Lewis vs Ricardo Talavera
• 170Ibs – MarK Garcia vs Lee King
• 155Ibs – Kenneth Battle vs Justin Reiswerg
Note: There is a Fan Poll on the TXMMA Facebook Page currently going on highlighting which bouts fans want to see most! Go there to see which fights currently have the most buzz and don’t forget to LIKE the page!
Legacy Fighting Championship 8 – TXMMA.com Featured Stories and Fighter Interviews
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Josh Foster
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Cody Williams
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Jeff Rexroad
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Ricardo Talavera
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Rashon Lewis
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Ike Villanueva
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Evert Gutierrez
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Alex Morono
► Legacy FC 8 Interview Series – Eric Schambari
► Legacy FC 8 Feature Story – Andrew Craig
Legacy Fighting Championship 8 – Detailed Fight Breakdowns
170Ibs Title Fight – Jorge Patino (20-13-1-1) versus Pete Spratt (23-20)
Fight Preview – A clash two legends of the sport – one from mecca of vale tudo down in Brazil and one from deep in the heart of Texas. They battle in the main event for another chance at glory and the Legacy Welterweight Title.
TXMMA Fighter Facts
» Fighting since he was 15 yrs. Old.
» Known for legendary battles versus José “Pelé” Landi-Jons
» Coach of UFC fighters Charles “do Bronx” Oliviera and Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes.
Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt (Rodrigo Pinheiro)
» Started fighting in Texas way back in 1999.
» Finished his football career at Southeastern Oklahoma State University as #2 in receiving in the entire nation and school’s all-time career yards leader.
» Fought at HDNet Fights 1 in October of 2007; LFC8 to be 10th appearance on the network.
Keys to Victory
Macaco Patino – Like his famous fights of old, Macaco will probably come out like a moth to flame and aggressively attack his opponent in that patented Chute Boxe style of controlled chaos. His best chance at victory will be to close the distance, take Spratt down, and pound him on the ground until he has opening for a submission.
Pete Spratt – Pete’s strategy probably won’t be a secret to anyone who’s watched him all these years. Look for him to bide his time until the appropriate moment and then try to knock Macaco out. Watch for his punishing leg kicks as a means to control distance and stay away from the takedown.
Fight Prediction
The last time I picked against Spratt, he knocked out his opponent within the first minute. I’m a quick learner. This time, I’ll have to go with Spratt via decision for the victory and the Legacy 170 title.
185Ibs – Andrew Craig (5-0) versus Eric Schambari (15-3)
Fight Preview – WEC / Bellator veteran Eric Schambari comes to town from Las Vegas to fight in Texas once more and stop the momentum of one of Houston’s finest, Andrew Craig. Meanwhile, Craig looks to prove himself in his toughest challenge yet as he looks to climb the ladder in the national rankings.
Andrew Craig (Team Tooke)
» Andrew Craig is a Graduate of the University of Texas.
» His head trainer Travis Tooke is also his cousin.
» Has trained with UFC/Strikeforce fighters Tim Kennedy and James Head.
Eric Schambari (Cobra Kai)
» Started his fight career in Texas in 2005 before moving on to Bellator/WEC.
» Was formerly a Cabana Host for the Bellagio Hotel an Casino in Las Vegas.
» Has trained with UFC fighters Ricco Rodriguez, Roy Nelson, and Guy Metzger.
Keys to Victory
Andrew Craig – This is one of those fights that is a little hard to gauge considering both guys are so well-rounded. Craig may want to stay away from Schambari’s ground game considering that’s his opponent’s known strength but he’s no slouch on the floor himself. I see Andrew trying to establish his jab early on as a pathway to winning rounds until a greater opportunity presents itself.
Eric Schambari – Eric is a well-rounded fighter who’s been in a lot of ‘big fights’ already at this point in his career. I look for him to take a measured approach to this matchup and use the first minutes to feel out his opponent. I’d also look for him to take this fight to the ground and establish ground control in order to win points unless he finds a high-percentage submission he can aggressively attack.
Fight Prediction
As a Houstonian, I’m definitely cheering for Andrew to win and he has the tools to do it but Eric Schambari is a longtime veteran and a well-rounded one at that. That’s got to place him as the prohibitive favorite in this bout. Eric Schambari by decision is my pick here.
135Ibs – Steve Garcia (7-4) versus Steven Peterson (5-1)
Fight Preview – A wily veteran from Houston in Steve Garcia is fighting for respect while a champion from North Dallas comes to town looking for more statewide respect of his own.
Steve Garcia ( 4OZ Fight Club)
» Trains with other top 145’ers Daniel Pineda and Adam Schindler at 4OZ Fight Club.
» Known to have some of the fastest hands in Houston.
» 4 out of 7 career wins by KO/TKO.
Steven “Ocho” Peterson (NDMMA)
» Recently became a first-time father.
» Known to be a flashy, unpredictable fighter.
» Currently the XKO Featherweight Champion.
Keys to Victory
Steve Garcia – Having seen Steve fight on numerous occasions, I know he’s got fast hands and aggression on his side. His clinch is underrated too. Look for him to try and establish himself early on in this bout. He’ll dart in and out with strikes to try and punish his opponent. If he succeeds in establishing a pattern, look for him to change things up eventually and try to knock Peterson out.
Steven Peterson – Steven describes himself as an “unpredictable” fighter. What that means is you can expect everything from superman punches to spinning backfists and flying armbar attempts from him. In order for any of that to work, he’s got to look to off-balance his opponent and attack him where he’s not expecting it. Looking for Ocho to try and find the pattern early and look to catch Garcia at an angle with submission attempts when he finds them.
Fight Prediction
Steven Peterson is coming off two wins in a row and is certainly a tough young prospect but Steve Garcia is a seasoned vet at this point and a tough one at that. Experience should win out over youth here in this battle of two tough guys. Steve Garcia by TKO in the second round is our call.
185Ibs – Larry Crowe (4-1) versus Ike Villanueva (8-4)
Fight Preview – Two knockout artists drop down to 185 for the first time in their careers as they look to take the next leap in their careers.
Larry “Tae-Kwon” Crowe (Silverback Fight Club)
» Coming off a huge KO win over Jermaine Anugwom at Legacy FC 7.
» Recently cut down to middleweight division.
» Trains with Bellator veteran Derrick “Black Beast” Lewis.
“Hurricane” Ike Villanueva (Metro Fight Club)
» Cross-trains boxing with Prince’s Boxing Gym.
» Originally started MMA with Silverback Fight Club; His opponent’s current team.
» Holds the IXFA Light Heavyweight Title.
Keys to Victory
Larry Crowe – “Tae-Kwon” Crowe showed serious finishing ability in his last fight at LFC7 when he overwhelmed Jermaine Anugwom to the ground for the GNP victory. He’s going to have to do the same thing here and fight aggressively to take the boxer Ike down and not let him get back up. GNP there is his best chance to win.
“Hurricane” Ike – If Ike were to come out and try to establish his jab, that wouldn’t surprise us in the least bit. He’s worked a lot to improve his boxing in recent months and has also rounded out his game with famed coach Saul Soliz. He’s going to have a strategy in mind and no matter what it is, it ends with him looking for the KO/TKO.
Fight Prediction
This is a tough fight to call with both guys showing so much ferocity in the recent past. They can both bang and one thing that is safe to say is that this one probably isn’t going to the judges’ scorecards. As far as the victor though, this could be anyone’s game but we’re going with Ike Villanueva by virtue of his lengthy experience and lengthier jab.
185Ibs – Bubba Bush (2-1) versus Joshua Foster (4-2)
Fight Preview – “Country strong” is the theme in this bout as two of Texas’ strongest from College Station and Longview meet in Houston to decide who is a true contender in the Legacy middleweight division.
TXMMA Fighter Facts
Bubba Bush (BVMMA)
» Originally from Virginia before moving to College Station four years ago.
» Coach and Co-Owner at Brazos Valley Mixed Martial Arts.
» First appeared for Legacy at LSBD2 in April of 2007.
Josh Foster (Team JG Texas MMA)
» Works as a Licensed Plumber outside the cage.
» Put his sister through college and currently has four of his own children.
» Has amateur boxing experience on the Golden Gloves Circuit.
Keys to Victory
Bubba Bush – As his opponent mentioned in his pre-fight interview, Bubba does one thing really well – wrestle. In order for him to have his best chance at this bout, he’s going to have to take his opponent down and hold him there. He’ll do just that but don’t be surprised if he goes for a submission if he sees one either.
Josh Foster – What we’ve seen from Josh recently is an increasingly well-rounded arsenal that makes him dangerous just about anywhere. He’s got two submission wins in a row but make no mistake about it, his strength is trying to knock his opponents out cold. Look for him to test Bubba’s chin early. If he finds a weakness, watch out.
Fight Prediction
Bubba Bush is definitely the favorite if this was a wrestling match but alas, it’s not. Anything can happen in MMA and Foster has proven himself to be a very intimidating fighter as of late in that regard. I could end up totally wrong but I’ll have to come from left field here and pick Foster by TKO in RD3.
170Ibs – John Malbrough (2-2) versus Jeff Rexroad (3-1)
Fight Preview – “Super Cop” Jeff Rexroad seeks another victory as he looks to climb the ladder for an eventual title shot while “The Maniac” is looking to rebound from a loss at the hands of UFC veteran Jake Rosholt.
John Malbrough (Kingwood MMA)
» Husband and father of two young children.
» Small Business Owner – Malbrough’s Mobile Mechanic Services.
» Has a tattoo of one his sponsors – Armbar Submission Gear.
Jeff Rexroad (Paradigm Training Center)
» Husband and father to one-year old Riley.
» Member of the Houston Police Department, working on the gang task force.
» Won ‘Fight of the Night’ honors versus Ricardo Talavera earlier this year.
Keys to Victory
John Malbrough – Everybody knows John is a scrapper. Jeff said of him that he’s “not great in any one area” but a scrapper in all facets of the fight. That’s about accurate. In order for John to win, he’ll have to out-tough Rexroad and lean on him until he finds an opening or put him out quick if he can close the distance.
Jeff Rexroad – In his last fight, we saw Jeff strike with a dangerous Muay Thai artist in Alex Morono while also being able to control things on the ground. It’s pick your poison for him here with his gameplan since he’s capable of taking this fight anywhere with his well-rounded opponent.
Fight Prediction
John’s scrappy but Jeff Rexroad is surging on momentum here and too dangerous in too many places this fight could end up. We’re picking Jeff Rexroad by submission in RD2.
170Ibs – Evert Gutierrez (Debut) versus Alex Morono (2-1)
Fight Preview – Two of the area’s top prospects in the 170Ibs division step into the cage to decide who’s ready for glory right now.
Evert Gutierrez (Zion MMA)
» Devout Christian.
» Formerly the Legacy Amateur 170 champion.
» BJJ Brown Belt and Instructor at Zion Martial Arts.
Alex Morono (Gracie Barra – The Woodlands)
» Recently turned 21 years old.
» Has trained as far away as South Africa.
» Assistant Instructor at Gracie Barra: The Woodlands.
Keys to Victory
Evert Gutierrez – This is one of our most anticipated bouts of the evening. The truth of the matter is that one can turn out to be a kickboxing match or a jiu-jitsu contest with both these guys equally comfortable either way. For Evert, look for him to be patient and play the counter-striking game with his opponent.
Alex Morono – It’ll be a treat to see what Alex has planned here in terms of strategy These guys are both evenly matched. Alex likes to strike though so I look for him to play a balanced striking game both up top and with his kicks. I also see him trying to win out rounds with takedowns as well.
Fight Prediction
The key here might be who gets the timely takedown. I don’t see either of these guys getting put away so this will likely be an exciting war of attrition. It’s Evert’s pro debut after some time off while Alex has been very active. We see that as an edge. Alex Morono by majority decision is our pick here.
135Ibs – Nate Garza (3-4) versus Cody Williams (1-0)
Fight Preview – One of the top young bantamweight prospects in the state makes his Legacy debut against a wily veteran opponent.
Nate “Nate Dogg” Garza (Silverback Fight Club)
» Started fighting in 2009.
» Trained with Houston MMA veteran Rocky Long.
» Known as a scrappy fighter with a never-say-die attitude.
Cody “Wolverine” Williams (American Top Team – Beaumont)
» Known as one of the top prospects from East Texas.
» Recently engaged to girlfriend, Catherine.
» Quit job at refinery to focus on his fight career.
Keys to Victory
Nate Garza – In order to Nate to win, he’ll have to draw upon his experience and lure his opponent into areas where he’s more comfortable. Look for him to try and grind on Cody and try to take him into the later rounds by keeping things close, eg. Clinch range.
Cody Williams – Cody is a explosive, high-altitude type of fighter. He likes big punches, big slams, and everything else that goes in that category. The important thing here is that he tempers that just a little bit to make sure he doesn’t run out of steam while trying to put away his opponent. Or he could go balls out for five rounds. Aggression will be his key here.
Fight Prediction
Cody Williams has been highly-touted and so far, it’s been with good reason. He’s dangerous from bell-to-bell and could finish the fight a number of different ways. In this fight, we see a submission in RD3.
170Ibs – Rashon Lewis (1-1) versus Ricardo Talavera (2-1)
Fight Preview – Two former collegiate athletes go at it to see who is better at the sport in which both found their true calling.
Ricardo Talavera (Team Junqueira / Elite MMA)
» First fought for the promotion way back at LSBD2 in April of 2007, beating Jeremy Mahon by anaconda choke.
» Played NCAA Baseball for West Virginia University.
» A petroleum engineering expert by day, Ricardo currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife Liz and their three young boys: Ricky, Bobby, and Danny.
Rashon Lewis (Paradigm Training Center)
» Born and bred on the Southwest side of Houston in Missouri City, TX.
» Former Starting QB and Track All-American for Abilene’s McMurry University
» Also known by his nickname “Sho-Nuff,” one of Rashon’s other interests besides training is raising dogs.
Keys to Victory
Rashon Lewis – If Rashon wants to win this fight he’ll have to do it like he did in his first one against Bryan Garcia – by being faster to the punch and hitting his opponent as hard as he can until he can’t get up anymore. As Melvin Guillard has proven in the UFC, speed kills.
Ricardo Talavera – Did you see his last fight with Jeff Rexroad? Man this guy just doesn’t know when to stop coming forward. Lewis isn’t as lengthy as Jeff is so perhaps that’ll allow Ricardo to establish his jab this time around. Or maybe he can close the distance and establish the clinch to nullify Sho-Nuff’s speed.
Fight Prediction
If Ricardo can break Lewis in the clinch or sprawl out over him, look out. There could be an anaconda choke or something similar in the near future. Ricardo Talavera by submission (choke) in RD1.
155Ibs – Kenneth Battle (2-3) versus Justin Reiswerg (3-1)
Fight Preview – One of Legacy’s brightest performers from the last event on HDNet looks to test his skills once more.
Justin Reiswerg (Bam Bam Martial Arts / 4OZ Fight Club)
» Native Galvestonian.
» Coming off an impressive victory at Legacy FC 7 over Marc Ramirez.
» First fought for Legacy at LSBD3 in August of 2007.
Kenneth Battle (Hoger MMA)
» Began fighting in January of 2007.
» Known as a brawler.
» Coming off two losses in a row.
Keys to Victory
Kenneth Battle – To tell you the truth, I haven’t seen much of Ken Battle. I don’t know what plays into his strengths or where his weaknesses lie but I do know his opponent. In order for Battle to win, one thing he’ll have to do is slow down his opponent.
Justin Reiswerg – Justin’s shown ferocity and intelligence as of late in timing his strikes and takedowns at just the right time against Marc Ramirez at Legacy FC 7. Look for more of the same from him in this bout as he continues to showcase his development.
Fight Prediction
We saw just about everything in his last performance but one thing we didn’t see from Justin last time out was a finish. That should change here. Justin Reiswerg by submission in RD1.
170Ibs – Mark Garcia (2-3) versus Lee King (13-16-1)
Fight Preview – Longtime Houston fight veteran Lee King steps into the Legacy FC cage for the first time against a game opponent in Mark Garcia.
Mark “Kan’t Get Right” Garcia (Kingwood MMA)
» Was 4-1 as an amateur before turning pro in 2010.
» Known for taking fights on last-minute notice.
» Likes to brawl.
Lee King (Paradigm Training Center)
» One of Houston’s longtime veterans, fighting since 2002.
» Has trained with fighters such as K.J. Noons and Carlo Prater.
» Has fought UFC vets Melvin Guillard, Anthony Njokuani, and Roger Huerta.
Keys to Victory
Mark Garcia – In order for Mark to win this, he’ll have to take King down, smother him on the ground, and make this as grimy a fight as possible. He can’t let his opponent establish a rhythm.
Lee King – Coming from a Sanshou / Kickboxing background, Lee’s going to look to establish his leg kicks and combinations in this one right off the bat. He’ll use that arsenal to keep his opponent at bay and keep this one standing, where he’s at his best.
Fight Prediction
Lee’s got way too much experience at this point in his career to lose this one. Lee King by TKO, RD3.
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