The semi-final brackets for REBEL FC’s Featherweight tournament are set after Yojiro Uchimura, Will Chope and Miguel Torres took home victories in their respective bouts at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore.
In the evening’s featured bout, former WEC champ Miguel Torres garnered a close split call of a pair of 29-28 scores and a 30-27.
Torres pursued his opponent, Takahiro Ashida, for the majority of the opening stanza, landing a series of combinations as Ashida backpedaled. The Japanese fighter was successful in landing two takedowns, but was unable to implement any substantial damage.
The theme of takedowns continued for Ashida in the face of the second round, only for Torres to neutralize the Japanese starlet’s top control game with his slick Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills. The East Chicago, Indiana native then reversed and maneuvered to Ashida’s back, where he ensued for a Rear-Naked Choke to close the frame.
Ashida once again had the fight on the mat shortly after the third round commenced, as he continued battering away with strikes from top position throughout. Torres, however, had lots to contribute in terms of offense, although most of it came whilst fighting off his back.
With the win, Torres extended his winning streak to three straight fights, and will next face Will Chope in the semi-final bracket.
In the co-main event, Chope didn’t have it too easy either as he worked tirelessly to earn a Unanimous Decision nod over Brazil’s Mauricio Dos Santos Jr.. Chope used his reach to great effect in all three rounds, catching his counterpart with a variety of front kicks, uppercuts and jabs.
Dos Santos Jr., meanwhile, was hunting for takedowns and while he did get them on a myriad of occasions, Chope would eventually hold his own by reversing positions and working for ground and pound. After 15 minutes of action, he rallied a judges’ tally of a trio of 30-27 scores.
On the main card’s opener, Reydon Romero succumbed to Yojiro Uchimura’s grappling prowess en route to a sour TKO setback. Uchimura, who entered the tussle with a string of K-1 kickboxing bouts under his belt, proved he was no slouch on the canvas by merely out-grappling his Filipino opponent, before finishing him with punches in the first frame.
With the win, Uchimura will lock horns with Australia’s Michael Tobin next. Tobin was scheduled to face Pat Promrangka at the event but following the latter’s refusal to make weight, the bout was scratched from the running order and Tobin was given an automatic gate-pass into the semis.
In the prelims, South Korea’s Light Heavyweight phenom, Doo Hwan Kim, wasted no time in dismantling Australia’s Sam Kei. Kim battered his opponent for the duration of the bout both on his feet and on the canvas, but it was in the grappling exchanges where he did the most damage. Kei’s night turned into an episode of Dexter as a stinging elbow from Kim forced a deep cut above his right eye, forcing the Australian to fight the remainder of the contest with blood trickling down his face. Kim rightfully garnered a lopsided decision victory in the end.
Kim’s team mate, Gyo Pyung Hwang, also had a night to savor as he cruised to a decision win over the UK’s Kris Barras. The Brit tried to allow his Muay Thai credentials to dictate the pace of the fight but Gyo’s awareness, footwork and quick flurry of hard punches ensured that Barras was in for a long night. The judges’ ruled the bout in Gyo’s favor after three rounds.
Singapore went 2-1 on the night with Syafiq Samad and May Ooi picking up victories in their respective bouts with the lone blemish coming courtesy of Ashraf Bin Shafi, who succumbed to a first round TKO defeat at the hands of Australia Top Team’s Suman Mokhtarian.
Check out full results from the event below:
MAIN CARD
- Miguel Torres def. Takahiro Ashida via Split Decision (Featherweight Tournament Quarter-Final bout)
- Will Chope def. Mauricio Dos Santos Jr. via Unanimous Decision (Featherweight Tournament Quarter-Final bout)
- Yojiro Uchimura def. Reydon Romero via TKO (Punches) in Round 1 (Featherweight Tournament Quarter-Final bout)
PRELIMS
- Doo Hwan Kim def. Samiuela Kei via Unanimous Decision
- Gyo Pyung Hwang def. Kris Barras via Unanimous Decision
- May Ooi def. Sharma Devaiah via TKO (Punches) in Round 1
- Syafiq Samad def. Kenny Thompson via KO (Punches) in Round 1
- Kenny Yeung def. Silvio Romero Da Silva via TKO (Punches) in Round 1
- Suman Mokhtarian def. Ashraf Bin Shafi via TKO (Punches) in Round 1
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