Ryoshin FC 5: Results and Play By Play

Ryoshin’s Fifth Fighting Championships took place last night at the Roadstone Club in Dublin with no more than four championship belts up from grabs. It was a night of relentless pace and action and involved some very exciting bouts involving some future prospects. Eight of the 11 bouts didn’t go the distance which tells you everything you need to know. Here’s your rundown of the evening’s action.

The first fight of the night saw Yazid Kerfah of Fantom MMA taking on Ryoshin Fight Team’s David Sukore. Kerfah worked hard to secure a takedown and eventually got it, landing in side control. Sukore recovered to the feet and they broke away. Kerfah mixed it up with some different kicks from alternative angles and then secured another takedown which Sukore reversed. Kerfah edged the round 10-9.

The second round saw Kerfah get an emphatic takedown on Sukore which signalled the end for the Ryosin man. Kerfah controlled the top position and eventually sank the hooks in from the back. He landed some big shots before going back to trying for the rear-naked choke. Sukore had no choice but to tap. Yazid Kerfah wins via 2^nd round submission (rear-naked choke).

Next up was Waterford MMA’s Martin Tynan and IFS MMA’s Oktawain Olejniczak. The fight was immediately stopped to allow Olejniczak to fix the tape on his gloves. Back to it. Olejniczak went for a takedown after eating a punch from Tynan which Tynan sprawled before trying to switch to the back. They got back to the feet and Tynan tried for the takedown against the fence but Olejniczak defended well. Tynan eventually got the takedown to win the round 10-9.

Straight away in the second Tynan ate a right and countered with a takedown against the fence, before getting the single-leg takedown. Olejniczak looked dangerous off his back and this lead to Tynan standing up and opting to throw leg kicks to Olejniczak who was on his back. This carried on for over a minute. Eventually they got back up before Tynan landed a big takedown. Olejniczak then latched onto a triangle choke from his guard but Tynan was saved by the bell. Tynan edged another round 10-9 and 20-18 overall.

Here’s where things got interesting. Tynan went for the takedown again as Olejniczak landed some knees. The fight was grounded and Olejniczak continued to look very dangerous off his back. He latched onto another triangle choke which Tynan evaded once again. Olejniczak then got the top position and eventually acquired full mount. From there he found Tynan’s back looking for the neck which he duly latched onto for the submission win. Oktawain Olejniczak wins via 3^rd round submission (rear-naked choke).

This next fight looked like a veritable ‘new kid versus old guy’ match-up as Adam Kaczmarek from Fantom MMA took on debutant Dylan Logan from SBGi. Straight off the bat Logan showed he had something extra throwing a side headkick (or ‘Sweet Chin Music’ for any WWE fans out there). Logan’s stance was reminiscent of fellow SBGi alumi Conor McGregor and he fought like him too. Kaczmarek responded by trying to turn it into a brawl but Logan brilliantly turned the assault against him bringing it to the ground. Logan then got his back and began to work from the body triangle. Logan saw out the round as dominant as he began it. Easy 10-9.

Quick round this. Kaczmarek tried to take the fight to the ground but Logan reversed it and got in his opponent’s half guard before achieving full mount. From there he ended up sinking in the triangle choke forcing Kaczmarek to tap out. Dylan Logan wins via 2^nd round submission (triangle).

Rush Fight Academy’s Conor Walsh next went up against Ryoshin Fight Team’s Shamil Ataev in one of the faster-paced affairs on the night. Straight from the off Ataev rushed for the takedown before trying immediately to go for the Kimura. Walsh did well to evade it before Ataev went for the armbar which Walsh shook off well. From there both threw bombs with Ataev looking particularly tired after setting a huge pace from the opening bell. Walsh was easily finding a home for his punches with Ataev not covering up. The round ended with Ataev and Walsh exchanging top position against the fence. Walsh shaded it for significant strikes landed, 10-9.

Walsh began the second with a few more flush rights and a left as Ataev winged his punches. Ataev then got a huge takedown and quickly got the full mount. Walsh defended brilliantly bringing his legs up from behind Ataev but the mount was eventually restored. Ataev then began reigning down punches with Walsh looking like he was defending most. The ref disagreed though and stopped the fight. Shamil Ataev wins via 2^nd round TKO.

The next fight was short but sweet as Sam Simon from Waterford MMA took on Davy Murphy from Arena Wexford. Simon threw bombs from the get-go and was handling Murphy in the exchanges. Murphy was eventually dropped before getting back to his feet, looking slightly overwhelmed by Simon’s assault. Simon calmed the pace then before dropping Murphy again and reigning down hammerfists from the top. Murphy was covering up but the referee saw no reason to continue the fight. Sam Simon wins by 1^st round TKO.

Another quick one this as Adam Healy from Sharkbait MMA took on Ryoshin’s Keith O’Neill. Healy was responsible for the first significant moment in the fight with a big takedown to O’Neill landing in side control. He controlled the side position landing some heavy shots to the ribs for good measure. Healy tried to advance position by moving the leg past O’Neill’s head but they eventually returned to the feet where they exchanged at a furious pace. They then returned to the ground courtesy of Healy who duly obliged in sinking in his hooks from the back, latching onto the rear naked choke, tapping O’Neill out. Adam Healy wins by 1^st round submission (rear-naked choke).

Darek Paluszkiewicz from Fantom MMA and Ian Molphy out of Malahide Martial Arts took to the cage next. Molphy took the centre and landed some big shots before Paluszkiewicz went for the clinch against the fence only for Molphy to reverse it and take him down. Molphy looked for the full mount from the half-guard. They remained here for the rest of the round as Molphy controlled position and Paluszkiewicz defended the advancement of position well. 10-9 Molphy.

Both men traded shots immediately which lead to Molphy getting the takedown into full-guard. Paluszkiewicz used a very high guard here stopping Molphy from getting any offence off from the top position. Paluszkiewicz’s rubber guard attempt almost trapped Molphy who did well to keep his top position before the round ended. Molphy probably edged the round despite Paluszkiewicz being the busier from the bottom. 10-9 Molphy and 20-18 overall.

A spinning back kick from Molphy kicked off round three as he pushed Paluszkiewicz back who tried for the takedown against the fence. Defending the takedown well, Molphy then went for a standing rear-naked choke before releasing it. Molphy then got the clinch himself and worked some knees into Paluszkiewicz’s ribs, who could do little to change his fortunes from the position. The round and fight ended with Molphy again on top. Molphy 10-9 once again. The judges mostly agreed. Ian Molphy wins by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28).

Next up was the first of four championship fights as SBGi’s Levi Kehoe took on C-MAC’s Sean Keogan for the vacant Ryoshin featherweight title. Straight off the bat Keogan found a home for a big head kick before throwing a left high kick. Kehoe decided he wanted none of that and successfully got a takedown into the full-guard. From here Kehoe controlled the position without doing much in the way of offence. Kehoe’s top control probably shaded it him the round 10-9.

Keogan began the second throwing some spinning kicks trying to mix it up. Kehoe then clinched against the fence looking for the takedown. Keogan broke away and threw more kicks only for Kehoe to answer with a quick takedown before passing into half-guard. The round ended exactly as the first. 10-9 Kehoe and 20-18 overall.

The beginning of the third was more or less what happened in the preceding openings of the rounds. Kehoe was back on top looking to pass with Keogan offering little from the bottom position except defence. Kehoe eventually stood up before Keogan landed a huge upkick, forcing Kehoe to fall into the guard with the clock winding down. With 10 seconds left they got back to the feet and Keogan went for broke but it wasn’t enough. 10-9 Kehoe again and the fight was his. Levi Kehoe wins by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28) to become the Ryoshin featherweight champion.

The vacant bantamweight title was up for grabs next as Legends MMA’s Dean Knight took on Rush Fight Academy’s Adam Caffrey. They exchanged straight away before Caffrey clinched against the fence after Knight landed a nice one-two combination. Caffrey then broke away hitting Knight with a right and they exchanged ‘pleasantries’ again in the centre. They clinched again against the fence then with Knight defending the takedown well but Caffrey eventually got what he wanted and got a big takedown straight into side control, seeing out the round. 10-9 Caffrey.

They exchanged again at the start of the second before Knight went for the takedown. They broke away with Caffrey charging at Knight with a flurry and into a clinch again. Caffrey then caught a kick and went for the takedown, eventually getting it. From there he saw out another successful round, winning 10-9 and leading 20-18 overall.

Knight’s right eye looked worse coming into the third than it did before the fight now. Caffrey countered Knight’s leg kicks with his jabs to good effect regularly. Caffrey then went back to his clinch against the fence looking for the trip which he eventually got after stout resistance from Knight. They saw out the round with Caffrey on top doing enough to win another round and the fight 10-9, 30-27. Adam Caffrey wins by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26) to become the new Ryoshin bantamweight champion.

After three decisions in a row we had another first round stoppage win as SBGi’s Blaine O’Driscoll took on C-MAC’s Fabio Viti for the vacant Ryoshin flyweight title. O’Driscoll got the takedown after a feeling out process on the feet. He quickly took Viti’s back looking for the choke. He switched to the full mount then before transitioning back to the back, landing some big shots in the process. He eventually flattened Viti out from the back mount landing some big rights and lefts forcing the referee to stop the fight. Blaine O’Driscoll wins by 1^st round TKO to become the new Ryoshin flyweight champion.

In the main event of the evening, for the vacant Ryoshin welterweight title, Keith McCabe from Team Balance took on Rush Fight Academy’s Paul Lawrence in what was a great way to wrap up a fantastic night of fights. Lawrence got the better of the standing exchanges the entire fight more or less, dropping McCabe in the first but opting against following him down to the mat. McCabe then pulled guard before they stood back up with Lawrence landing some big shots, particularly his left straight which was right at home the whole fight. Lawrence then got a takedown and landed some serious hammerfists. Domination by Lawrence and easily 10-9.

The left straights by Lawrence were there again as McCabe winged his punches wildly, with most missing. McCabe was then dropped again, looking to bait Lawrence into his guard but he was having none of it. They then sparred on the feet for a while before McCabe tried to bait Lawrence once more. Lawrence 10-9 and 20-18.

In the third McCabe began to actually find his range seemingly but Lawrence was still finding a home for his arrow-like left straight every time. He then legitimately dropped McCabe and followed it up with some big shots on the ground. Back on top again and Lawrence landed some big hammerfists forcing the referee to bring a stop to proceedings. Paul Lawrence wins by 3^rd round TKO to become the new Ryoshin welterweight champion.