LAWRENCEBUGRG Two bruised and bloody fighters attacked each other in a whirlwind of kicks and punches as a sell-out crowd of almost 1,700 shouted encouragement.
"I usually handle concerts, but when I took this over it was unreal," said Robert Spears, event promoter for the Clash IV Sudden Impact mixed martial arts tournament this weekend at Eagle Lake Convention Center, located on U.S. 127 near the Franklin/Anderson county line.
"It’s the fastest growing thing in the world."
James Berger, from Milan, Ind., and Daniel Plyler, from Foster, were two lightweight contestants among several fighters from throughout Kentucky and Indiana.
Berger, 5 feet 9 inches and lbs, and Plyler, 5 feet 6 inches and lbs., were dripping with sweat when the fight ended after three rounds.
The end came when Berger struck Plyler on the chin and stunned him. As Plyler fell to the ground, Berger pounced and put him in a chokehold. The crowd roared with approval as Plyler went limp and the referee ended the fight.
Blood ran from a cut on Plyler’s chin as he lay on the mat and coaches and doctors rushed to attend to him.
Other fights, like between Louisville middleweight Chris Crawford and Lawrenceburg light-heavyweight James Hagan, lasted only a few seconds. As soon as the fight started, Crawford lashed out with a flurry of blows aimed at Hagan’s head. Hagan was surprised by the assault and fell to the ground, but Crawford continued to attack until the referee ended the fight.
A total of 15 bouts were scheduled for the event Saturday night, including eight lightweights, two featherweights, two welterweights, one light heavyweight and two heavyweight fights. Fighters were also divided into novice or advanced divisions, according to their experience in the ring.
Two more cage fights are scheduled for April 28, at Rupp Arena in Lexington and June 16 at the Louisville Gardens.
Spears organized the first Clash in the Cage event last August, and sold about 1,000 tickets. Attendance has continued to grow, he said, because it’s an authentic contest between two contenders who give it their all.
"It’s a true challenge, and you see the best from the two individuals," Spears said. "They give it 130 percent."
Fighters can use a variety of martial arts styles. Spears said some contestants prefer kickboxing or karate, but many try to wrestle their opponent to the ground.
"It runs the whole gamut," Spears said. "You can use whatever martial arts you deem necessary to win."
He said qualified referees closely monitor the matches and can stop the fight at any time. It’s illegal for fighters to gouge their opponents eyes or hit them in the groin, but they are allowed to use almost any other method of attack.
There is no prize money, so fighters compete only for pride, Spears said. Three doctors are on site to attend to any injuries that may occur, but Spears said there have never been any serious wounds.
Because there are no prizes, the event is considered "amateur" and not regulated by the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority, which is contained within the Cabinet of Environmental and Public Protection. Jim Carroll, spokesperson for the Cabinet, said although amateur fights are not regulated, he is unaware of any serious injuries in Kentucky, or any fatalities nationwide.
"But, we can’t say with any certainty because we don’t regulate it," he said.
However, officials are considering whether they want to extend their regulatory authority to include amateur mixed martial arts fights, Carroll said. If they do, promoters will be required to have an ambulance licensed physicians on site.
Spears said the most serious injury occurred when one fighter had to withdraw after he hurt his ankle while entering the hexagonal-cage. However, there have been several fights where one contestant has been knocked-out 30 seconds into the bout.
"It’s real knock-down drag out stuff," Spears said.
Most of the organized fights in Kentucky are amateur, but Spears said there’s a new professional mixed martial arts fighting league to give fighters in Kentucky a shot at the big time. If they win enough bouts, fighters might be offered the chance to train professionally and win a contract with the professional Ultimate Fighting league worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"These guys are moving up the ladder," Spears said.