Caribbean fighters triumph at Ruff and Tuff

THE much anticipated rematch between TT’s Seon Adhar and Colombia’s Jefferson Espinoza came to an abrupt end on Saturday night, as Adhar retained his title as champion in the first professional bout at the Ruff and Tuff Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Tournament at the National Cycling Centre, Couva.

Both fighters have shared a contentious history since Espinoza’s 2015 defeat by Adhar and have been eagerly awaiting a rematch bout to settle the score. However, after a few minutes of trading blows with the Colombian, Adhar took the fight to the ground securing a rear naked choke hold forcing Espinoza to tap out after just 4 minutes into the first round.

Earlier, Jamaican fighter Imran “Fire Runner” Hall thrilled spectators as he squared off against Venezuelan fighter Henry Galindez in his debut match.

Some trash talking from Galindez did little to deter Hall as he ended the fight in a Technical Knock Out (TKO), just 56 seconds into the first round, when Hall dealt a devastating right jab to the Venezuelan’s chin sending him sprawling onto the canvas.

Despite several attempts to regain his balance and resume the match, Galindez was unable to continue and referee Caleb Edwards ended the match in Hall’s favour.

The excitement did not stop there as local favourite Joash “Honey Badger” Walkins continued his undefeated streak taking the fight to Brazilian opponent Julio Rodrigues. However, there was no clear winner after a grueling three round battle, as both men traded blows and fought a balanced battle on the ground, causing judges to rule Walkins as winner by split decision.

Saturday’s tournament was also a historic one as former boxing heavyweight champion Kertson Manswell, in his first ever MMA bout, took on Sambo silver medalist Jeremy “Rampage” Rodulfo. Despite superior striking technique however, Manswell was outmatched by Rodulfo who is almost 20 years his junior, when the 23-year-old utilized his grappling experience, taking Manswell to the ground and scoring a quick submission.

The event saw the largest gathering of fighters in different disciplines of combat sports, including MMA, Boxing, Sambo and Grappling as they showcased their skill, strength and stamina for their respective categories. San Fernando-based MMA club, the Southern Warriors of Mixed Martial Arts dominated the grappling category, earning a gold medal in every category, with their youngest member, seven-year-old Chedon Grant taking the flyweight category.