The action wasn’t hard to find.
Past the ringing slot machines and through a haze of cigarette smoke was a crowd that had piled into the Ute Mountain Casino’s Bingo Room to watch mixed martial artists attempt to beat their opponents to a bloody pulp.
King of the Cage’s return to Towaoc on Saturday featured four fighters from Cortez, and the noise from the audience showed an overwhelming amount of support for locals Anthony Chavez, Matthew Jackson, Andrew Durall and Joey Trevino.
Representing Impulse MMA of Cortez, Chavez began the evening’s card in a flyweight match against Aaron Taylor of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The two 125-pounders jockeyed for position for all three rounds, and although neither was able to clearly establish their dominance, Taylor eventually won by split decision: 28-29, 29-28, 29-28.
Jackson’s middleweight fight against Pierre Simmons followed, but lasted just 46 seconds.
Jackson – also fighting for Impulse MMA – and Simmons each opened with kicks, but the two quickly moved against the cage, grappling and attempting to lock the other in any sort of hold.
Somehow, as the two struggled in close quarters, Jackson caught Simmons with a standing front choke – and just 46 seconds into the first period, Simmons’ body went limp and collapsed to the mat.
The match ended so abruptly that those who had turned away momentarily to look back and see the referee waving Jackson away and trainers attempting to revive Simmons were left confused and asking what happened.
“The head kick caught him and he tried to shoot in just to survive and he dropped right into the standing guillotine and I just walked him back to the cage,” Jackson explained.
“I like finishing fights, whether it’s putting them to sleep with a choke or knocking them out,” he continued. “That’s what I’m here to do is please the crowd and build my name.”
The third Cortez local, Durall – fighting for 505 Fight Factory out of Farmington in the 205 class – was outmatched by Shawn Hudler of Pagosa Springs.
Hudler had his way with Durall, finishing the fight by sitting on Durall’s chest and delivering repetitive blows to the head. The fight was halted due to strikes, with Hudler winning by T.K.O. in 1:23.
Finally, in the last amateur match of the evening, was Trevino, the owner and operator of Impulse MMA.
Standing 5-foot-5, Trevino was giving up seven inches to his opponent, six-foot Khari Snowden from El Paso, Texas. He was also fighting up a class, at 135 pounds, because King of the Cage was unable to secure a 125-pounder.
At first, the size differential didn’t seem to matter.
After an evenly-matched first period, Trevino gained control in the second by pinning Snowden between the mat and cage and unleashing a mix of punches and elbows.
“I was trying to get him to make a bad move so I could work into a position,” he said. “Basically all the elbows, the punches and switching up combinations make him move. And if he moves the wrong way then I can lock something in.”
While Trevino owned the second period, Snowden escaped to the third, where he made his move.
In the final minutes, Trevino appeared to be in command, positioned on top of Snowden and delivering a grab bag of assaults.
But then, still on his back and under Trevino, the lengthy Snowden was able to snake his legs around Trevino into a triangle choke, forcing the Cortez fighter to tap out two minutes into the final period.
“He has such long limbs that it was hard to get around him,” Trevino explained. “Right there at the end when he caught me and locked it in, I knew how to get out of it, but I had let out my breath right before he locked it in. So I exhaled at the wrong time and he locked it in and it was like an anaconda.”
Jackson was the only Cortez fighter to secure a victory on Saturday, but he, Chavez, Durall, Trevino and Tabitha Trevino all plan to get back in action at King of the Cage: Ascension in Albuquerque on June, 10.
