Legacy Fighting Championship 27 took place on Friday night, and in the main event, Tim Means impressed by finishing Artenas Young with strikes in the first frame.
The welterweight bout started off with Means and Young feeling each other out with a hesitant output of offense, but the pace of the fight rose dramatically when Means rocked Young with a knee and then a left uppercut.
A dazed Young used the cage to keep himself upright. Nevertheless, Means was able to polish him off with punches until referee Joe Soliz stopped the action.
For the second straight time, Means (20-5-1) has finished his opponent inside the legacy cage with strikes in the first round. Young (10-7) was finished for just the second time in his career.
Cejudo remains undefeated
2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and flyweight prospect Henry Cejudo utilized his olympic level wrestling to control Elias Garcia for all three rounds in their catchweight bout.
Cejudo was forced to forfeit 50% of his purse after failing to make the flyweight weight limit by two and a half pounds and showing up late to the weigh-ins. All of the controversy was kept outside the cage as Cejudo was able to take Garcia down time and time again and stay active from the top position in every single round of their bout.
Cejudo (6-0) has now won six fights in a one year-span. He made his debut on March 2, 2013. The loss is the first blemish on the record of Elias Garcia (4-1).
Crowe takes home decision over Ferguson
After being taken down by Terrance Ferguson in the first period of their middleweight bout, Larry Crowe found success by imitating Ferguson’s strategy in the second and third frames en route to winning a unanimous decision.
Even though Ferguson did have some moments of success in the wrestling department in the latter two rounds, it was Crowe who had the clear advantage in time of positional dominance. Larry Crowe is known for his striking, but he was able to rely upon his pure strength to frustrate Ferguson on the ground.
For the first time in his seven fight tenure in Legacy Fighting Championship, Crowe (8-3) went the distance. The loss regresses Ferguson’s (2-2) record to .500.
Black submits Cheeks in the second
Despite being in disadvantageous positions, Alex Black continued to work off of his back and stay aggressive, and early in the second round, his persistence paid off. Off of his back, Black was able to elicit a tap form Charles Cheeks III with a triangle choke in the second round.
The submission was huge for Black. Up until that point, Cheeks was the dominant fighter. He got the better of the wrestling and nearly finished Black in the first period with a pair of stiff rights.
Black (6-3) has now extended his submission victory streak to four, and Cheeks III (7-3) had a six fight win streak snapped due to the loss.
Machado and Pilarte take part in an amazing fight
Every seat was empty in the Arena Theatre when the first round of the bantamweight bout Caio Machado and Domingo Pilarte concluded. Every single person in the arena was on their feet applauding both fighters for putting on one of the most exhilarating rounds in Legacy Fighting Championship history.
Machado would go on to secure the next two rounds with his grappling against a gassed Pilarte, but the stock of both bantamweights increased after that amazing first round.
Pilarte started off the round by picking apart Machado, landing significant strike after significant strike. Halfway through the round, Machado got his second wind and began unloading on Pilarte with bombs of his own. Eventually, a series of wild, relentless exchanges that resembled the iconic exchanges in the Gilbert Melendez/Diego Sanchez fight took place. Machado turned it on to the end what was a spectacular round.
Machado (4-0) got a quality win, something he has lacked in his four fight career. Only one other of his opponents thus far have a single victory on their resume. For the first time in his career, Pilarte (3-1) fought to a decision, and for the first time in his career, Pilarte lost.
Usman opens main card with a quick victory
Kamarudeen Usman made short work of Steven Rodriguez in 167 pound catchweight bout. Usman scored a first round TKO victory over his opponent.
Usman landed a powerful right early in the round that rocked Rodriguez, and he followed that up by taking his opponent down and raining down ground and pound until the fight was called.
Keep an eye on Usman (3-1). He trains at the Blackzilian camp, and he just finished his third fight via TKO. Rodriguez (2-2) lost for the first time inside the Legacy cage and was TKO’d in the first round for the second time in his career.
Ontiveros/Abdullah fight mired by injury
A welterweight contest between Charlie Ontiveros and Rashid Abdullah was called in the third round when Ontiveros was injured by a takedown from Abdullah. While not official, it looks as though Ontiveros suffered a broken rib. The official result of the fight ended up being Abdullah winning via TKO in the third round.
While the specific result was unfortunate, the real winner of the fight up until that point did win. Rashid Abdullah got the better of Ontiveros in the first two rounds by introducing his wrestling and doing more in what ended up being two really inactive rounds.
Abdullah (4-7) is still three victories away from .500, whereas Ontiveros (4-2) has now lost two of his last three.
Mahon ends career with a win
Houston native Jeremy Mahon called it a career at Legacy 27, and he ended it on a high note by submitting James Gonzalez in the third round with a triangle choke.
Mahon locked up the triangle choke after being easily taken down by Gonzalez in the third period. Jeremy Mahon slightly won the first frame in my book in the grappling department, and he clearly was the victor in the second due to a constant output of lethal leg kicks.
Mahon (4-4) ended his career with a 4-4 record, two submission wins, and having won four of his last five. Gonzalez (1-3) was submitted for the third time in his career.
Giles pulls off slick submission win
Trevin Giles submitted Angelus McFarlane in the first round with a nice, inverted triangle choke submission that may go down in consideration for submission of the year.
Giles locked up the choke after rolling through a takedown by McFarlane early in the first. The win is the first in the career of Giles (1-0), and McFarlane (0-2) is still lacking that elusive victory.
Main Card Results
Tim Means def. Artenas Young via TKO – Round 1, 1:38
Henry Cejudo def. Elias Garcia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Larry Crowe def. Terrance Ferguson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Alex Black def. Charles Cheeks III via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:33
Caio Machado def. Domingo Pilarte via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Kamarudeen Usman def. Steven Rodriguez via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:31
Preliminary Card Results
Rashid Abdullah def. Charlie Ontiveros via TKO (injury) – Round 3, 1:05
Jeremy Mahon def. James Gonzalez via submission (triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:31
Trevin Giles def. Angelus McFarlane via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 1:15
Aaron Reeves def. Julius Holmes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
John Gorrell def. John Hayden via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)