By TXMMA Staff // Mike Calimbas Photography
Danny Orr and Sage Northcutt highlight big winners at LCS 1
HOUSTON, TX – The Arena Theatre was once again home to MMA action this past weekend as area fight fans saw the debut of the Legacy Challenger Series. A new venture by Legacy FC’s Mick Maynard, LCS is aimed at giving local and regional fighters a stage to perform on while they groom themselves for the big show on AXS TV. For the Houston MMA community, this should be a very good sign of things to come as it may bring more regularity to a scene that’s been somewhat overshadowed by the larger scale success of Legacy FC and the area’s top level pro fighters in recent years.
As for this show, Legacy Challenger Series 1 provided for an entertaining debut.
The main event saw a challenge match come to fruition with Chris “Buffalo” Rose finally getting his wish to fight Danny Orr fulfilled. Coming into the pros with a 5-0 amateur record, Orr scored a decision win at LFC 39 to claim his first pro win as well. With undefeated record intact, he was no easy challenge to call out yet Rose really wanted this fight for one reason or another. He’d fight valiantly and survive the first round but succumbed to a TKO by ref stoppage in the second round. With this, Danny Orr now moves to 2-0 as a pro while Rose left with a 0-1 pro record but a huge smile on his face following the conclusion of this grudge match.
Next up in the co-main event of the evening, 19 year old prospect Sage Northcutt added to his momentum with a first round KO of eight-fight veteran Jacob Capelli. A lifelong martial artist and current Texas A&M engineering student, Sage has really come into own since debuting in mixed martial arts back in 2013. He started as a former karate champion but he’s added diligent training in both wrestling and submissions ever since and now stands as a clear blue chip prospect out of the state of Texas. He wasted no time in this fight with Capelli to validate that claim either. Sage came out with a distinct speed advantage and opened up with a wide array of strikes prior to catching his opponent with right cross that dropped him. He followed up quickly from there with some wicked elbows that put Jacob out cold. Not sure when Northcutt will fight next (maybe August?) but no doubt local fans will be wanting to see him take a step up in competition next time out.
Other fighters who impressed at LCS 1 including the Metro Fight Club pair of Jason Langellier and Kolton Englund. Jason scored an impressive TKO of Joel Haesecke in his bout while Kolton scored a workmanlike decision over Grappling Lair’s Josh Foster.
4OZ Fight Club’s Ramiro Ruiz also looked good in submitting Mike Deleon by rear naked choke to win his fight on short notice while Jacob Norsworthy scored a win via verbal submission over Angel Zamora in the lone remaining pro fight on the card.
Meanwhile on the amateur side, Manny Lozoya also looked impressive with his third round TKO over Christian Lira to win his final amateur fight while Nicholas Gay scored his own TKO in the first round over Melvin Giron to win the other amateur fight of the evening.
Legacy Challenger Series 1 – Photo Highlights
The complete high-resolution event gallery for Legacy Challenger Series 1 now available for print and download orders via Mike Calimbas Photography.
Legacy Challenger Series 1 – Quick Results from April 25, 2014
- Danny Orr def. Chris Rose by TKO, RD2
- Sage Northcutt def. Jacob Capelli by KO, RD1
- Jason Langellier def. Joel Haeskeke by TKO, RD1
- Kolton Englund def. Joshua Foster by Unanimous Decision
- Ramiro Ruiz def. Mike Deleon by Submission (RNC), RD1
- Jacob Norsworthy def. Angel Zamora by Submission (Arm Lock), RD1
- Manny Lozoya def. Christian Lira by TKO, RD3
- Nicholas Gay def. Melvin Giron by TKO, RD1