Check out the XKO 45 Main card
So XKO 45 took place on 4/27/19 and that was a fantastic show. The XKO events are always organized and seem to have an interesting feel to them. This show was in the new Texas Live complex which – I heard will be the biggest entertainment complex in the state of Texas. The square cage was outdoors, with shade from the building being constructed and natural light coming in – The humongous Dallas Cowboys stadium is just in the background. The fighters were local and very very very good. I was impressed with the production team. I was impressed with the pacing, I was impressed with the parking situation
The set up
So, I live less than 8 miles from Texas live. This was a Saturday show, and its a little interesting that it was competing with UFC sunrise. So I grab my DSLR and I jump in my truck and I take the back roads there. I pass the current rangers stadium and I check out the massive new rangers stadium that they’re building. Even though this stuff is in my backyard, I never really go out that way. So its cool.
The entrance
I turn into the parking lot and I park, I grab my tool bag with my DSLR in it, and I head into this complex. They wand me at the entrance and check my bag. I show her my DSLR and she said nothing, she just wanted to know if I had any knives. It was a little weird because in the same bag, I had some prescription pain pills which I took with me to Canada- Its a long story, but she said nothing about those pills.
I walk in and I check out the show area. – It has a square outside amphitheater feel, with premium seats in the front and table seating at the sides. I sit and I take in some of the sites and sounds. I think I know what to expect from a fight event now. LFA 62
When the amateur fighters are up. They get a lot of support from their friends and their gym. The MMA bunnies pop out with the tightest clothes that they can find in their closet. The gym dudes come out, and there are a few MMA nerds that watch the Amateur show
The cost
So while sitting there I started to wonder if all of these people paid the $42 bucks to get in, like I did, and I realized that they couldn’t possibly have paid it because the Amphitheater is attached to a group of restaurants and the people just migrate from the restaurants to see the the fights. Damn, I was a sucker – I do love to save money, but after the night was done I realized that the $42 dollars was well spent – I paid nothing for parking, I had a seat, and the fights were good. For those keeping track – here’s all the money I spent
- $30 for 3 beers, tip included
- $47 or something like that for the tickets
- $12 for some street tacos
- Total ~90 bucks sure… I’m not too mad
Enough with all that garbage lets move on to The fights
Devin Blair vs Hamza Al-Saad
Round 1
Devin Blair is completely swole. He looks like a total specimen. Al-Saad is in great shape too. It starts off with all knees and elbows, both guys are just blasting each other. Al-Saad gets the takedown and the mount. Blair is surviving on bottom.
Round 2
Al-Saad gets the takedown early after some sloppy fighting. Both guys wrestle up to their feet, and they both look gassed. Al-Saad is getting better of the exchanges
Round 3
Blair is too gassed to counter Al-Saad’s kicks – it must be all the muscle mass that he’s carrying. Blair gets taken down, but he finds some way to get on top and he finds himself raining down punches from a mounted triangle position. The fight ends.🚩 Hamza Al-Saad wins by unanimous decision.
Both guys are talent. Blair needs to work on his striking accuracy and he just needs to have better technical boxing in general. Al-Saad is a little bit more technical, but he should really work on his ground game
Aaron Mick vs Austin Powers
Round 1
Both guys start off by feeling each other out. Powers rocks Mick a few rimes. Mick takes Powers down and takes his back. The round ends
Round 2
Same as round 1. Powers seems to have a better stand up game. Mick seems to know that, and he works different options to get around the standup. He wrestles for most of this round and Powers is put in losing positions.
Round 3
Both guys are gassed. No takedowns by Mick. Powers is getting the better of the exchanges, but its a little too late. 🚩Mick wins by unanimous decison.
Powers seems to be talent- He seems to have a competent stand up game, but he needs to develop a wrestling game. “Sprawl and Brawl” is a thing, because if you only brawl then, you get wrestle fucked and you cant do anything about it. Mick has good technical wrestling, I think he can improve his game even more by adding a BJJ element to it. Both guys look good and I’m glad I saw em.
Landry Ward vs Mark Eitel
Round 1
Landry Ward is long and rangy. He looks perfect for the weight class. Eitel is short and built like a brick shit house. Big knee by Ward to start it off. The two clinch and then Ward hits Eitel with a head kick and then pounds him out. Ward is absolute Talent. I’m glad that I got to see him at this level.🚩 Ward wins by TKO
Ward has fantastic physical tools and by the looks of it, he can use those physical tools. I still don’t know what he’s like on the ground, but he’s an exciting prospect for sure.
Destiny Oldenkamp vs Ashlee Cooks
Round 1
Ashlee Cooks looks to be a little thicker than she should be. I mean, I like thick girls, but this is MMA. Oldenkamp is holding Cooks against the cage and punching her. The ref breaks it up for some reason. Shitty refs. They come together and Oldenkamp gets in another advantageous position and the ref breaks it up again. This ref is a complete idiot
Round 2
Oldenkamp seems to be in better positions and is controlling her opponent. She Is pressing the bigger lady against the cage and punching her. Cooks breaks loose from time to time and throws wild hay-makers. The ref breaks it up when ever Oldenkamp is in control.
Round 3
Oldenkamp continues to control her bigger opponent and score while clinched up against the cage.🚩 Cooks wins by unanimous decision.
Oldenkamp (left) controlling Cooks against the cage – As she did all fight long
This is one of the most terrible decisions I’ve ever seen. Oldenkamp controlled her opponent for three rounds. It almost seems like there could be some collusion against Oldenkamp. This decison is despicable. Oldenkamp is talent. This is the second time I’m seeing her, she’s a scrapper, and she looks like a natural fighter. She had a fantastic game plan in this fight, and there is no doubt in my mind that she won this fight. Cooks needs a lot of work. She throws wild punches, and she could not use her bigger frame to control her smaller opponent. I’ll be paying attention to Destiny Oldenkamp.
Melvin Lopez vs Steven Orozco
Round 1
I missed a lot of this fight, because Evan Cutts was talking to the guy right beside me – I talked to him for a little bit, told him that he was the best in Texas, but I never thought to ask for a picture or anything on that encounter. He said that he wasn’t fighting on the card today, and I shook his hand and he left – Looked up to see that Lopez was winning the first round and was more technical on the ground. Orozco was throwing some wild stuff at times and there was some good back and forth
Round 2
Lopez is just more technical on the ground. He probably has to be more technical because the size difference is immense. Orozco is long and wild.
Round 3
Orozco keeps getting taken down. Lopez doesn’t do much but hold his opponent down, and Orozco is not technical enough to get out of it. Orozco certainly lands more damaging blows on the feet though. 🚩Melvin Lopez wins by Split decision.
This fight is another bad decision. Orozco was certainly doing more damage. Lopez was just hanging on for most of the fight. Orozco has a huge upside. – He has a side to him where he throws wild unpredictable stuff, and He has a side where he can get technical and make some good reads. He should immerse himself in BJJ to save him from some of the mistakes that he’ll make, because I don’t want him to lose his wild streak. Melvin Lopez also has a very high upside. He’s very short for the weight class and may need to work on his stand up a little more, but his wrestling looks legit. He also seems to have great fight IQ
Didn’t get a chance to sample the BBQ
The weather was unbroken
Tapology is unbroken too – They are such an invaluable resource
Check out the XKO 45 main card