RFC X BAD BLOOD LIVES UP TO IT’S NAME:
By Nancy Evans FightZone Magazine

Quick! Somebody call an ambulance! Oh I forgot, there’s already one here. RFC X lived up to it’s “Bad Blood” name with more bloody and broken noses, fingers, split lips, and cuts and lacerations than you could shake a stick at. The fight Docs almost could have set up a M*A*S*H unit.

Along with the hard hits that caused the blood to flow during the 8 matchups, there were 4 BIG KO’s, with 2 of them in a row being head kick KO’s, which left the crowd stunned, as they are rare indeed. If you missed this show, you missed some really gutsy fights!

Big Gay Henry of Tiger’s World of Martial Arts in Winter Haven, FL got the first HUGE KO of the night on strikes coming at 2:09 in the 1st vs. 205 pounder Eric Swiger out of West Palm Beach. These two lit up the crowd with their action, but it was Henry’s night to revel in his win with his train wreck fists while the fight Docs were called in to look after Swiger.

I know Henry had waited a long time for this win, ever since his Pro debut at RFC 6 was stopped at the .11 second mark, MUCH to his dismay and vehement protests to the quick stoppage, but to no avail. This win was oh so sweeet!

Danny Babcock of Team Animal is now at 3-0 thanks to the first BIG head kick KO coming at .22 seconds into the 3rd round to Robert Orta of Homestead, who was making his Pro debut. Robert held his own during the first two rounds, but he was immediately knocked out cold and went down to the mat from Danny’s brutal kick. Robert suffered deep cuts to the inside of his mouth that required lots of stitches at the hospital.

Then, up next was Yosmany Cabezas of Tampa, who went right after Zack Knight out of Ocala, and with one swift kick to the head, Knight was lights out to the cage floor at .10 seconds in the 1st round, with everyone’s mouth in the stadium hanging open, catching flies. Wow! Two head kick KO’s in a row!

Thanks to big Eduardo Boza of Homestead (who looks small next to Tampa Team Gracie’s Marcus Jones), these two had a great fight. Both of their opponents backed out at the last minute, and Eddie stepped up to the plate and essentially said I came to fight and you came to fight, so let’s fight. And they did, and what a fight it was!

Boza brought in a barrel of Chutzpah to the cage, got caught up in the frenzy of the moment, and forgot all about his strategy, which was to take Marcus down and then work his ground game.

Instead, he went toe to toe with the giant Marcus, even yelling at him and egging him on to come and get him and hit him harder as they exchanged strikes. The crowd went absolutely wild!

Are you crazy I wanted to shout out to him as I took photos over the top of the cage wall. He must be too young to know that song that goes “you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull on Superman’s cape and you don’t mess around with Jones”.

I shuddered as Jones moved back in. What a fight as they slugged it out! The end came at 2:32 in the 1st, with the TKO win on strikes going to Jones, and Eddie bleeding badly from huge lacerations around both of his eyes and on his cheeks, a broken nose, and a chipped bone in this chin from the sledgehammer fists of the former Tampa Bay Buc Jones, now at 2-0. Ref Frank Gentile held both of their arms up to the fans appreciation.

RFC’s Lightweight Champion James Edson Berto now 14-4-1KO, fighting out of Tiger’s World of Martial Arts, won his latest match via a Unanimous Decision vs. Josh Odom, now at 6-5, who has fought several times in the IFL.

Edson did plenty of stand up action this time out and the fans were treated to strikes and Muy Thai kicks, as well as some ground offense and defense with Odom. Edson had gotten caught with a shot and had to deal with a bloody nose for most of this fight, so anytime it went to the ground he speedily got it back to stand up.

Odom got in some shots on Berto, and some kicks, and tried to get Berto on the ground a couple of times, but he was no where near the number of strikes or kicks that Edson was dishing out round after round. Despite his breathing difficulties, Berto’s nose wasn’t broken, but Josh Odom’s finger was.

Not the same story for Tampa Team Gracie’s Allen “Monstah Lobstah” Berube. His nose was broken big time by Team Revelation’s Ali Radwan by an illegal kick to the face while they were both on the ground and Berube was attempting to get Radwan to submit to an arm bar. Ali’s solution was to kick the “Monstah” in the face to make him let go.

The crowd booed, Berube’s nose was bleeding like a stuck pig, and Ali was saying “oops, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to do it” as the ref had a point deducted. Drama ensued as Berube drew upon an inner strength and resolve to get himself to the end of that round, and the next two by sheer will, for the win coming via a major decision, bringing his record to 3-2, and Radwan’s to 1-5.

Shane Weinischke of Tallahassee MMA won via a guillotine choke at .54 seconds into the 2nd round vs. Eric Marrero of WCMA/Champions. Shane is now at 2-4 and Eric is 1-2.

Last to square off was Ricky Bennett of the SPMF out of St Pete vs. Donald Airey of Team Revelation. An elated Ricky won his debut match, also with a guillotine choke coming at 3:37 in the 1st round. Airey’s record is now at 0-3. Airey’s last RFC 8 match up was vs. Ruslan Mashukov, also of the SPMF.