Substance Cage Combat 1.0 (SCC) was held in the West-end of Toronto and brought together fighters from all over Ontario, including two Americans. It was widely considered to be a great success and not only displayed some of the MMA talent in Ontario, but ended the drought of MMA events in the province.
Substance Cage Combat 1.0: Fight Results and Analysis
Ahmad Kakar vs. Malcolm Gordon
Gordon and Kakar kicked the night off with a bang. While they started off with a few leg kicks each, Gordon got the early takedown in the first round. For Kakar’s first professional bout, his jiu-jitsu was very good. He kept Gordon in his guard for most of the round and was able to get out of the first.
In the second, the two fighters came out banging, throwing several power shots in the process. Though Ahmad got the initial takedown, Gordon pulled off an incredible reversal and gained top position. Ahmad was able to lock in a triangle choke from guard, but wound up taking a Rampage-esque powerbomb straight into the mat. Gordon eventually passed Ahmad’s guard and worked his ground game. Once Gordon maintained his top position, it was very difficult for Ahmad to come back, resulting in a second round TKO win for Gordon.
Though Ahmad showed some skill in his first professional fight, primarily on the ground, it was all Gordon within minutes. Gordon was the faster, stronger and clearly more experienced fighter. He showed good striking, wrestling and ground grappling. While Ahmad continues to work on his skills, Gordon will be looking for tougher competition in his next fight.
Daniel Ireland vs. Jayce Gould
Unlike Karkar, Jayce Gould’s debut proved to be very fruitful. From the sound of the bell, Gould was a wolf on the hunt, and Ireland was his prey. It was reminiscent of Diego Sanchez on the first season of the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter. Gould narrowed the gap between him and Ireland and pounced for the takedown at the perfect time.
After taking Ireland down, Gould had no difficulties in transitioning to full mount. After taking several blows to the head, Ireland gave up his neck and Gould was able to land a rear naked choke at just 2:03 of the first round. There were no other submission finishes, but Gould pulled off a beauty, earning him MMASucka’s choice for submission of the night
It was very difficult to notice any flaws in Gould’s game. Even though this was his debut, he showcased a higher level of skill than his opponent. He clearly has been training the right way and should grow accordingly. However, as the opponents get tougher, it will be harder for him to hide his flaws. In Ireland’s case, his record now goes to 0-4 as he approaches his 34th birthday. It will be interesting to see what he chooses to do next.
Jared Robb vs. Dean Martins
There were a few fighters on this card that turned some heads, but nobody more than Jared Robb. Dean Martins, who is approaching the age of 40, simply could not handle the pace of the younger and bigger Robb. Robb already has a win to his name and currently fights out of Xtreme Couture Toronto.
The fight only lasted 1:55, and was completely a standing battle. Robb kept attacking with combos and broke down his opponent very well. His patience to find the perfect combination paid off quite quickly, as he delivered a beautiful three punch knockout that caused uproar throughout the crowd. It was fantastic, similar to the Johny Hendricks and Jon Fitch finish.
Even Yves Lavigne, who was scheduled for the main event, tweeted “Jared Alexander Robb un nom à retenir pour le TUF Canada dans la division des 185lbs”. This basically translates to “Robb is a name to remember for TUF Canada in the 185 lbs. division.” While tougher opponents will come, he was simply phenomenal, and is MMASucka’s choice KO of the night.
Neelan Hordat-Reece vs. Kyle Nelson
Where to begin, if it wasn’t the Martins-Robb duel that kicked it off, it was the Hordat-Reece and Nelson fight that got people going. Both fighters came into this fight 3-0 and are just in their early twenties. One thing was clear from the start, Hordat-Reece had the crowd on his side.
The fight was close from the beginning. There was a lot of striking and great combinations from both fighters. For the first two rounds, it was quite difficult to predict a winner. However, even with some hints in the second round, Nelson’s wrestling and ground game were coming alive. In the third round, Nelson was able to get Hordat-Reece down, and kept him there. That, most likely, is the reason for the decision going Nelson’s way.
The decision was split; 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 in favour of Nelson. Nelson moves to 4-0 and Hordat-Reece supports a very respectable 3-1. Both fighters clearly have the skill to make it further in the sport and will hope to come away with more decisive wins in their next fights.
Todd Stoute vs. Pat Walsh
What some fans consider the boring side of MMA, for fans of wrestling and grappling, Pat Walsh put on a show. Todd Stoute clearly had a well-rounded striking game and was trying his absolute best to use it. The problem with that was Walsh was either dodging or eating the blows and taking him down. While Stoute proved to have a good guard, Walsh’s wrestling was unmatchable. While on top, Walsh had several kimura attempts but could not get Stoute to submit.
Near the conclusion of the second round, it was evident his top ground work hindered Walsh’s stamina. He was extremely wobbly and could not find his footing. For about the last minute of the round, Stoute landed a few heavy haymakers, but Walsh’s chin stood strong. The fight ended in a unanimous decision for Walsh, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
The fans were clearly the least happy at the end of this fight. They didn’t like the hometown fighter on his back for most of the fight, or the decision going in favour of the American. Nevertheless, Walsh was the better fighter on this night, and now they both come out of SCC 1.0 with the same 4-1 record.
Alex Ricci vs. Luis Feliz
The fans could not have asked for a better conclusion to the show. After a hometown fighter took a tough loss, another hometown fighter, Alex Ricci, was able to play avenger in the main event against another American, Luis Feliz. Ricci looked good from the start, great head movement and devastating kicks, while Feliz was getting his own shots in, but nothing too major.
It was after Ricci clipped him well in the second round that he started to take over, landing more and more kicks on Feliz’s body. Clearly, Ricci had total disregard for the blocking, as arm damage and head damage were indifferent. Fact is, it worked. Filez’s arm speed by the third round was completely gone, and Ricci was able dodge shots quite easily, while setting up his own counter combinations. Ricci won by Unanimous Decision 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28.
Ricci is definitely an up-and-coming Canadian fighter and could get some serious recognition in the near future. With the upcoming TUF Canada vs. Australia, a few of these fighters could be trying move on to greater things like a roster spot for the UFC. Time will tell, but for now, Canadian fighters need to keep performing at this level because it helps showcase the talent north of the border.
