By Mike Calimbas
DJ Fuentes momentarily celebrates big win over Gilbert Jimenez; Cody Williams picks up victory in main event
It was a fun, entertaining, and somewhat wild night of fights if you count the unusual ending in the RGV this past Friday night (June 22) as The Pride of the Valley 2 (El Orgullo Del Valle 2) hit the Pharr Events Center.
Leading off with the unusual in the co-main event of the evening, veterans DJ Fuentes and Gilbert Jimenez went to a no decision after three rounds of action. As one would expect from these two men, the fight was full of fists flying from the get-go with “Pitbull” dropping Fuentes in the first round. DJ would go on to rally in the second before getting caught and knocked out cold with a viciously well-placed spinning back kick in the third. The referee stepped in to call a halt to the bout, seemingly giving Fuentes the KO win but here is where things get weird… As he celebrated his would-be victory by jumping on top of the cage as fighters sometimes do, DJ took it one step further and hopped all the way over the fence and outside of the cage into the crowd to celebrate with his family before the decision was announced – breaking a rule and causing the TDLR to call a halt to the bout officially by declaring it a no-contest.
Meanwhile in the final fight of the evening, ATT Beaumont’s Cody Williams wasn’t as unlucky in his fight as he was able to pick up a quick TKO victory over Brazilian black belt D’Angelo de Souza Vieira in just little over 30 seconds to bring his record up to 6-4. He’ll now go into next week with a winning attitude as he looks to celebrate the birth of his child with fiancee Rebecca.
Elsewhere from American Top Team, Williams’ teammate Ryan Spann was also victorious earlier in the evening with a first round guillotine choke of Brandon Atkins while Leroy Martinez and Matt Mooney fought toe-to-toe for three straight rounds in one of the best fights of the evening, won by Martinez.
Also picking up impressive wins were Austin’s Brett Ewing who got a first round rub over hard-hitting Ray Rodriguez and Brandon Ruiz who brought his record to 3-0 with a first round TKO over David Salazar.
Below are full results from the Pharr Events Center.
The Pride of the Valley 2 – Quick Results from June 21, 2013
Cody Williams over D’Angelo De Souza Vieira by TKO, RD1
DJ Fuentes vs. Gilbert Jimenez ruled a no contest
Leroy Martinez over Matt Mooney by unanimous decision
Ryan Spann over Brandon Atkins by submission (guillotine), RD1
Ray Banda over Brandon Bradshaw by TKO, RD1
Jamall Emmers over Alex Hernandez by split decision.
Brett Ewing over Ray Rodriguez by submission (RNC), RD1
Brandon Ruiz over David Salazar by TKO, RD1
George Powery over Rene Gonzales by submission (guillotine), RD1