Combate 48: Dia de los Muertos, Combate Texas, Combate Dallas, Combate Garland. They dont really know what to call this one. I wanted to go see these fights, but it just was too cold, and they didn’t really have anyone on the card that moved me. Combate Americas always caters to a Spanish speaking audience, maybe even a little too much… but we all know the language of face punching, and that’s why I like it
Main Event
Gilbert Urbina vs Angelo Trevino – 175
Round 1
Hard kicks by Trevino, Urbina takes his back and becomes a back-pack of pain. They eventually go to the ground and Urbina beats up Trevino.
Round 2
They strike, then grapple with Urbina looking better, Urbina beats up Trevino on the ground .
Round 3
Urbina just grinds out Trevino in an intimate grappling fight. 🚩 Urbina wins by unanimous decision
Grappling, a lot of strength and not a lot of technique
Kyle Driscoll vs Rey Trujillo 147
Round 1
Driscoll is able to land some strikes get Trujillo down and grind on him
Round 2
Driscoll gets him down and grinds on him. Driscoll just looks stronger.
Round 3
Trujillo throws a kick and gets taken down. Driscoll grinds him out. 🚩 Driscoll wins by unanimous decision
Rey Trujillo used to be a measuring stick in Texas MMA for elite fighters, now he’s a measuring stick for competent pro-fighters. Driscoll has holes in his game. It just seemed like Trujillo wasn’t strong or technical enough to exploit those weaknesses
Angel Cruz vs Ariel Juarez – 163
Round 1
Cruz looks crisper on the feet. Juarez decides to clinch, Cruz goes into clinch mode and takes Juarez down and slaps on an Americana. 🚩 Cruz wins by submission.
Cruz had one of the more impressive wins on the whole show. Juarez fought this fight like an amateur.
Abril Anguiano vs Paola Ramirez – Catchweight -140
Round 1
So I’m guessing that Anguiano missed weight, or was a late call-up to this show. The fight starts like a house on fire, Anguiano uses good head movement, Ramirez does not, and she eats a lot of shots.
Round 2
Anguiano just catches Ramirez as she tries to come inside, and she uses good footwork and angles to land shots.
Round 3
Same as round 2, with Anguiano looking to counter-strike. 🚩 Anguiano wins by split decision.
I like Anguiano a lot, the girl put on a show, but I think she can be much better. I dont think her weight class is anywhere near the 140 mark. She looks like a 125er, she just has to be more disciplined. The footwork is there, the hand speed is there, the angles are there. I know nothing about the ground game right now, but the girl has great potential.
Hector Fajardo vs Aaron Vickers – Bantamweight
Round 1
Fajardo fights with a good pace. Fajardo drops Vickers with a left and almost finishes him on the ground. Fajardo goes for several submissions from his back, but Vickers defends them well.
Round 2
Fajardo doesn’t seem to have any problem touching Vickers and Vickers is able to shoot in and take the back before the round ends.
Round 3
Fajardo has a striking advantage and Vickers knows it and is looking to grapple. Fajardo looked better on the feet and was good enough technically to get the win. 🚩 Fajardo wins by Unanimous decision
Vickers just lacks the striking chops
Nick Gay vs Victor Reyna – Welterweight
Round 1
Reyna is looking to impose his will. They clinch . Reyna gets a big takedown at the end of the round
Round 2
Reyna gets a takedown, beats up Gay and allows him to stand. Reyna just grinds on Gay.
Round 3
Reyna rocks Gay, and they clinch. Reyna just grinds out Gay. 🚩 Reyna wins by unanimous decision
I’ve seen guys rate Reyna very highly in Texas, I’ve heard people say that he should be in the UFC, but I dont think so. At least not right now. He’s talented and he’s super tough, the guy can take a shot. He doesn’t take No for an answer, but he lacks some technical aspects needed to be elite and he also doesn’t really bring the killer instinct to his fights. Nick Gay is mid tier at best
Charles Spoolstra vs John Tao Pham – Featherweight
Round 1
Spoolstra lands some good punches by eats a lot of kicks from Pham. Pham moves around very well. Spoolstra is a little lazy in his movement. Spoolstra gets a couple of takedowns.
Round 2
Pham rocks Spoolstra with some combos early and Spoolstra decides to grapple. The ref separates them and Pham goes to work on Spoolstra. Spoolstra gets a takedown
Round 3
Pham drops Spoolstra with a left, they square up and fight and Spoolstra is just getting touched a lot. Spoolstra’s footwork looks like he’s slushing around in mud. He gets a takedown. 🚩 Pham wins by unanimous decision
John Pham is exciting, but he needs to evolve his game a little bit. There are guys in Texas with steel chins, that can eat a shot and take your head off, he needs a good Kimura escape, underhook game and he needs a back take game. His striking is OK, but he just needs to sure up some different aspects of his MMA game. Spoolstra looks slow, and he plays a dangerous wrestling game. His style is grinding and rough on his own body.
Aldair Romero vs Melvin Lopez – Flyweight
Round 1
Lopez gets the takedown, lays and prays and Romero is stuck
Round 2
Lopez gets a big takedown and beats up Romero on the floor
Round 3
Lopez looks a little flat in the stand up game, and gets the takedown, and beats up Romero on the ground. 🚩 Lopez wins by unanimous decision.
I’ve seen Lopez fight as an amateur and get a win that he didn’t deserve IMO. The lay and pray style hasn’t caught up to him yet, but… it catches up with you
Paul Garza vs Ricky Romo – Lightweight
Round 1
Romo looks a little sloppy and is looking to counterstrike. He gets the takedown and beats up Garza on the floor.
Round 2
Romo gets the takedown, Garza is able to stand up, and they slug on the feet. Garza lands some big kicks, Romo clinches to stop the onslaught.
Round 3
Romo comes out, going hard, and he gets the takedown and tries for a Von Flue choke, and switches to a head and arm choke, and then beats up Garza on the ground. 🚩 Romo wins by unanimous decision.
Romo looks a little herky-jerky, but he just wanted it more. The Fortis MMA product was very stiff, but also very busy. This was his first pro fight though. Early days for him. Garza needs a little more doggedness to his game
Angel Cruz was unbroken