By TXMMA Staff // Hannah Robinow
Austin MMA on tap: Breaking down every bout on the card at LAS 17
Check out our TXMMA preview and predictions for every out on the LAS 17 card below.
Legacy Amateur Series 17 – Preview and Predictions
155 lbs.: Garrett Scott (4-0) Ronny Lis BJJ vs. Peyton Burns (3-0) Gravity Fight Club
Garrett Scott (Team Ronny Lis BJJ, 4-0), will walk into the ring with four wins tucked in his purple belt. Among these is a decisive armbar win over Vidal Meza at the Belts of Honorious in July 2013. “The Deaf Grappler” enters his fights gunning for the takedown, using his BJJ talents to wrestle his opponents down to the mat for a submission. Scott squares off in the 155-pound division against Peyton Burns, a 3-0 fighter from Gravity Fight Club. Unlike Scott, the 22-year old pugilist features victories via TKO on his record. Fight fans can expect to see Burns unleash his right hooks and ground-and-pound game against Scott’s jiu-jitsu. The victory bell will ring in Scott’s favor, because he has more overall experience in the cage, and can shut down a massive striking attack with his grappling, or execute a ground game born of many years of wrestling and BJJ training.
Prediction – Garrett Scott over Peyton Burns by submission, RD2
155 lbs.: Branden Chandler (0-0) Genesis Jiu Jitsu vs. Peter Stanonik (3-1) Strike and Submit
The Chandler-Stanonik bout in the 155-pound division will be more than the latest installment of the Legacy Amateur Championship series, but will be Chandler’s second fight into the world of amateur MMA. The BJJ blue belt, will be fighting under the banner of Genesis Jiu Jitsu, a San Antonio-based gym. When he clashes with Stanonik at LAC, he will bring to the mats every ounce of energy he demonstrated as a BJJ competitor. On the other side of the ring, Stanonik will rise to face Chandler as a relative MMA veteran, having already notched four victories. Throughout his career, the Wyoming-born Stanonik displayed a spatial awareness and control over the dimensions that belied his 6’0” frame. In his first-round KO victory versus Chris Pavlik, Stanonik used a pinpoint jab to keep his opponent off-balance until he could drop him with a right-handed uppercut to the jaw.
Prediction – Peter Stanonik over Branden Chandler by TKO, RD1
145 lbs.: Joshua Foster (2-2) Grappler’s Lair vs. David Kim (3-0) Cooper MMA
Josh Foster, a 2-2 fighter based out of the Grappler’s Lair gym in Belton, Texas, will walk into his bout against David Kim with the desire to ink another victory in his “Win” column. Kim is a 3-0 mixed martial artist who trains at Cooper MMA in Austin. Out of his three victories, one is via split decision, another via second-round submission, and the third from a first-round KO When the two meet in the 145-pound division, this will be a great match-up to watch because both fighters have extensive ring experience. Foster will seek victory via his submission grappling experience, while Kim will apply his technical striking talent.
Prediction – David Kim over Joshua Foster by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Dezmond Moore (1-0) Ronny Lis BJJ vs. Jackson Hawkins (1-2) Pinnacle TC
Desmond Jarboe-Moore, a fighter from Team Ronny Lis BJJ in Bee Cave, Texas, will meet Jackson Hawkins to show the audience what pyrotechnics will fly when two accomplished grapplers face off in the 145-pound division. Both fighters have trained under coaches with top-notch grappling backgrounds. For example, Moore’s coaching came primarily from Ronny Lis, a BJJ black belt with training from Mitsuo Maeda. On the other hand, Hawkins’s coaching and conditioning came from Pinnacle Training, a center devoted to shaping a well-rounded competitor. In Jarboe-Moore’s most recent fight, he won 1:37 into the first round via rear naked choke. Hawkins’s latest fight ended in a defeat, in which he fought at featherweight, losing via unanimous decision.
Prediction – Dezmond Moore over Jackson Hawkins by submission, RD2
135 lbs.: Elizabeth Palacios (1-0) B.O.C. vs. Brittany Robertson (1-0) AKATX
When Palacios and Robertson collide in the cage, the resulting displays of athletic firepower will shake the fence. The 135-pound division bout between the two will pit Robertson’s blanketing jab-and-hook combos against Palacios’ conditioning and boxing training. Robertson, a fighter representing the Austin Kickboxing Academy, is coming off of a TKO win against Caitlynn Lassmann at Belt of Honorious in June 2013. Since Palacios and Robertson are both 5’ 6”, Palacios must use every opportunity she can in her debut match to shut down her opponent’s attack in the clinch and go for a takedown and/or submission. Robertson can draw upon the lessons she learned from her previous victory, and work her stand-up game to defeat her opponent through a combination of punches and knees.
Prediction – Brittany Robertson over Elizabeth Palacios by TKO, RD1
125 lbs.: Leroy Montoya (2-0) Warrior’s Edge vs. Kevin Morin (2-4) Luling MMA
Montoya, a flyweight from San Marcos, is currently 2-0, with both victories coming in the first round via KO and armlock respectively. In his amateur debut at Belts of Honorious in November 2013, Montoya finished off his opponent with punches from back mount. Morin is currently 2-4, coming off of a two-win streak, capped off by a TKO victory in June 2014. Morin holds the height advantage along with substantial fighting experience, but Montoya brings with him a vicious ground attack that will be tough to beat.
Prediction – Leroy Montoya over Kevin Morin by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Joseph Karnavas (0-1) Ronny Lis vs. Waylon Bronstrup (0-2) Enlightened Warriors
Bronstrup, a 1-2 fighter from Enlightened Warriors, will be searching for his first amateur MMA win when he mixes it up with Karnavas. Karnavas, a 5’ 9” fighter, will also be looking to ink one in the “Wins” column on his 0-1 record. Bronstrup favors a Muay Thai-based standup game, while Karnavas will attempt to take the fight to the ground to apply a submission. The combination of both 155-pound fighters in the cage will make for an exciting match.
Prediction – Waylon Bronstrup over Joseph Karnavas by TKO, RD2
170 lbs.: Sean Clements (1-1) Onnit/Gravity vs. Tim Lashley (1-1) TCOB
Sean Clements, based out of South Austin’s Gravity FC, will pair up with fellow welterweight Tim Lashley, to determine who can muster the most firepower in the cage. Lashley, a 1-1 fighter favors a crushing top game. His sole victory came about via split decision versus Shaun Dunn. Clements, also 1-1, drives for a TKO win when he hits the mat, hammering his opponent with liver punches and leg kicks. When he faced off against David Ozuna at Belts of Honorious 3, he achieved a TKO win in 2:57 of Round 2.
Prediction – Sean Clements over Tim Lashley by TKO, RD2
125 lbs.: Joshua Dominguez (0-0) Martial Arts of Austin vs. Erik Garcia (0-0) AKATX
Dominguez and Garcia will both be walking into the flyweight match cage for their inaugural bouts at Legacy this weekend. Dominguez trains at Martial Arts of Austin, while Garcia is coached at AKA Texas. Both fighters hail from a kickboxing background, though Garcia has a 4-inch height advantage over Dominguez. This fight has the potential to end with either fighter’s hand raised, though Dominguez’s extra height may give him the ability to hold Garcia off for the win.
Prediction – Erik Garcia over Joshua Dominguez by TKO, RD1