KOTC 73 Canada was a hybrid card that got the Lethbridge faithful fired up. A combination of amateur mma/ muay thai as well as professional mma/ muay thai drew in a raucous crowd to Exhibition Park. The allure was so strong that I trekked 12 hours one way from High Level to Lethbridge to see the action.
Progressive Fighting Academy owner/ operator Brad Wall was super welcoming and set me up with a cageside seat for the fisticuff festivities.
KOTC Canada 73
The night kicked off, literally and figuratively, with Taylor Reed hurrying across the cage to throw a leaping kick at Logan Heavyshields. Logan would go on to weather the storm and secure a first round rear naked choke at 2:12.
Logan got heated at Taylor after the tap and some post-fight hostilities still remained. Moods tempered fairly quickly but when I asked Brad Wall recently, he was altogether unsure as to what got Logan incensed. We then mvoed on from one amateur mma middleweight bout to another.
Sterling Michetti vs Joel Burgess ended in a second round win for Sterling at 2:51 by rear naked choke. Joel, as a debuting Lethbridge fighter, put on a strong performance in losing though. Takedowns as well as ground and pound in the first frame from Joel have him confident for the future. Brad Wall told me Joel is back in the gym and eager to refine his skills for another fight.
Brad also described the lead up process causing some nerves for Joel. Joel was more used to being a hockey player and had that mindset of drop the gloves to scrap on the spot. It was an altogether different psychological experience to have a fight booked weeks in advance.
Seeing that person on facebook, meditating on multiple possible outcomes, and the invariable pressures that come with knowing you’ll eventually be locked in a cage against that person. This will be an important learning experience going ahead for all parties.
Next, we had Robert Kovacevic vs Ryan O’Connor which was a 170 lbs amateur mma contest. Ryan, fighting out of PFA (Progressive Fighting Academy), put on a spirited effort before Robert locked in a triangle choke at 1:29 third round.
Brad was quite happy with how his pupil performed and believes the late error in the fight can be corrected for future outings. Next on the docket was Lorin Motruk vs Mike Miechkota, an amateur mma fight at 135 lbs.
Both men were debuting and Mike was the Lethbridge lad in the fight. Mike connected with a head kick in the first frame on Lorin that echoed in the arena and elicited a big pop from the crowd. The two men also traded salvos in the second to the applause of the Exhibition Park audience. Lorin would end up securing the unanimous decision but neither Mike or Brad are disheartened.
Brad spoke of the jiu jitsu skills Mike brings to the table and also had a glowing review of Mike’s improving striking. Mike is a fighter who fought through a broken collar bone but the will to win never wavered during that experience. Brad was actually partly relieved that Mike didn’t re-injure himself against Motruk. Miechkota is back to the grind and looking to improve each day going forward.
Moving on with the card though, we had Laine Foxton vs Jake Meir which was an amateur mixed martial arts contest at 155lbs. Jake’s wrestling was what lead to him garnering the unanimous decision win. The authoritative takedown in the second and the greco exchanges were Jake’s big tools in this outing.
Laine did secure a takedown early on and had his moments with some ground and pound in the third however. Both men were debuting here and each have their own unique set of takeaways to improve their abilities as martial artists. Another amateur mma bout at lightweight followed this fight.
Andrew Mavridis vs Nic Badura was a competitive outing that seemed to come down to one late takedown. This is what Brad believes and I was thinking that would secure the W as I watched the bout live. Nic poured it on in the second as Andrew seemed to wane a bit and ate some combos as a result.
Nic also showed a good ground game when transitioning to top control after Andrew had got a takedown. Ultimately the crowd went crazy and it will help build these fighters to create exciting match ups for them in the future. After Andrew picked up the split decision, we were moving onto the first muay thai bout of the evening.
Melissa Croden vs Shelbi Bates was at 140 lbs and Shelbi repped PFA. Melissa was dictating the pace in the first two frames but Shelbi found her rhythm in the last round. The jab seemed to be a key weapon for Croden that often lead to follow up shots with Shelbi’s bread and butter being leg kicks and knees from the clinch.
Melissa won by unanimous decision but this was a necessary step up for Shelbi. Bates took a victory in her first muay thai fight over an opponent with a few mma fights under their belt. Shelbi followed that up by taking on Melissa who had even more experience in both mma and muay thai. Currently, Shelbi is taking some family time to be with her twin boys and daughter with a return most likely coming in the fall.
Fight of the Night?
Mitch Wiles vs Carlos Marquina was an amateur mma flyweight bout and may very well have been the fight of the night. Carlos was in trouble during the first round but the Lethbridge based fighter completely turned the tide in the second. Brad attributed this, in part, to Carlos’ fight IQ and perceptiveness in the cage.
Marquina noticed that Wiles was slowing down and turned up the volume. The 125ers engaged in some entertaining grappling transitions and the scrambles eventually lead to mounted triangle punches from Carlos. Carlos won by TKO at 1:42 in the 3rd and both men operated at an incredibly high level considering it was an amateur bout.
This fight played out as a microcosm of where the sport has progressed to today. Two amateurs were competing in a fight which was easily the caliber of pro bouts from just a few years back. Carlos comes out to train at PFA and also spars at Canadian Martial Arts Centre. The martial arts disciplines would again switch as we returned to muay thai action.
Pro Highlights
Jesse Boldt vs Connor Derry was a pro Muay Thai fight at 165 lbs. Connor fights out of PFA and had Connor in trouble at certain points. Showing a skill set that incorporated a variety of kicks and hands, Connor picked up the unanimous decision and the Lethbridge based martial artist was showered with cheers. Connor is now looking to travel to Holland closer towards the end of August to train in Dutch style kickboxing.
Connor is also an instructor at PFA who brings tremendous knowledge and teaching skill to the Lethbridge facility. Brad is happy that Connor will learn more in his one year to eight month Holland stay but it’s a tad bittersweet. Connor is a valued member of the Progressive Fighting Academy family but will remain one when he comes back to Canadian soil. We then got into the first of two professional mixed martial arts bouts from that event.
Devon Smith vs Sheldon Doll was a light heavyweight fight and both men have Lethbridge ties. Devon would come from La Ronge, Saskatchewan to train and has done that the last couple of years. Brad got to know Devon through training together at PFA and knew well of Smith’s difficulties getting fights. “Mr Boom Truck” would go through training camps only to eventually lose his opponent and have the fight fall out.
In the lead up to this bout, Brad told me Devon confided in him that this may be one of his last fights. As Devon is a known striker, Sheldon secured a body lock takedown early in the first. This lead to a rear naked choke victory in the opening frame and Doll received quite the ovation from his Lethbridge fans. As Sheldon improved to 4-3 as a pro mma fighter, we then proceeded to the final muay thai bout of the evening.
Jules Beardy vs Cody Jerome put on a clinic in their Muay Thai fight at 165 lbs. Jules came out in quite the lavish get up with a black silky robe and gold chains adorned on him. Cody is based out of PFA and got a deafening reaction from the locals. Jules found some success with body shots throughout but it was Cody’s night.
Jerome utilized tons of high pressure combos as he managed to cut the cage and trap Jules into corners. Cody maintained a frenetic pace all throughout and was declared the winner by UD. Cody noted in his post-bout interview that competition cannot keep up with his pace and Brad sees that pace regularly. Brad Wall sees Cody put in tons of work at Progressive Fighting Academy and leaves absolutely exhausted after every workout.
Brad describes Jerome as one of those rare guys who actually backs up his talk of wanting to be a dedicated career martial artist. Cody trains mornings, works a job, and returns to do another evening workout. Cody maintains a torrid pace and Brad certain times has to encourage Jerome to take rest periods. As the two men exited the cage, we then readied ourselves for the main event.
The marquee bout featured veteran Curtis Demarce taking on surging Lethbridge martial artist Tom O’Connor. Trainer Brad Wall describes the Progressive Fighting Academy member as someone to keep an eye on in the canadian mma scene. Curtis was riding a three fight win streak entering his 30th pro fight having recently won the Unified MMA featherweight title.
Tom O’Connor is a PFA product and entered the bout with a 5-1 record and received the loudest reactions of the night. The Lethbridge faithful shook the arena with multiple roars before the bell even rang. Tom secured multiple takedowns in the first but found himself in a tight guillotine choke position. This made Brad tense because Tom’s first pro loss was via guillotine choke.
Tom worked his way out of the position and he told me post-fight that it gave him an unprecedented energy boost. Conversely, this sequence seemed to deplete Demarce of much needed energy. Brad theorizes that Tom getting out of this tight choke may have been disheartening for Curtis. Demarce even asked Wall after the fight if it seemed like he became zapped of some gas in the tank.
Brad was quite proud of the wrestling improvements and was excited that Tom didn’t fall into the same trap from his first pro loss. Curtis bloodied up Tom’s nose a bit but O’Connor would get things to the ground and latched on a second round rear naked choke for the win. Tom O’Connor won the main event at 3:08 of the 2nd round with the finish providing an intense visual.
As I was cage side all night, I witnessed Curtis get choked unconscious before the ref intervened. Even as the production crew began packing things up, Tom stayed long after to talk to fans, take pictures with Lethbridge locals, and was heavily embraced by loved ones. With the dust having settled a bit, Tom O’Connor looks to take a bit of a vacation. The goal is to book a bout for Mid-September but nothing official has been confirmed as of yet.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience for myself and also for the fighters. Whether in winning or losing, important lessons were imparted on that June night. Exhibition Park was provided a top quality show that was brought to them by You Play, I Fight as well as Ken from King of the Cage.
The Lethbridge scene is certainly one of the stronger ones in the Canadian mma sphere which was reflected in the action that summer night. Brad is looking to get some fighters on Lee Mein’s next Rumble in the Cage card in September but it’s business as usual otherwise.
It’s all about getting better every single day and making conscious incremental improvements. Brad Wall has seen this in his students daily, he saw it in the cage on June 16th, and he continues to see it as they eagerly make adjustments for their next fights. King of the Cage Canada 73 was a memorable night that won’tsoon be forgotten by anyone who was lucky enough to be there.