Karate Fight returns to Miami for a loaded one-night eight-man heavyweight match with final bragging rights and a shot at reigning heavyweight champion ‘Smilin’ Sam Alvey hanging within the stability.
KC55 will see a slew of former UFC heavyweight standouts making their promotional debut, together with Zac Pauga, Chase Sherman, and Tim Johnson. Additionally featured can be ex-BKFC heavyweight titleholder Alan Belcher and Cuban knockout artist Robelis Despaigne, who has been stacking our bodies inside The Pit since making his Karate Fight debut in December.
Prelim 1 – Robelis Despaigne vs. Saulo Cavalari
Cavalari regarded completely terrified from the opening bell, dancing round The Pit and biting on each feint that Despaign threw his method. Despaigne landed some strong straight pictures, together with an particularly nasty uppercut. Nonetheless, Cavalari’s chin held up, permitting him to outlive the opening spherical and take Despaigne to the second stanza for the primary time in his KC profession.
After getting a little bit of a confidence increase within the first, Cavalari got here out swinging within the second. Nonetheless, it was Despaigne who managed the motion and landed the extra vital strikes, solidifying himself a call victory on the scorecards and shifting onto the second spherical of the ‘Final Man Standing’ match.
Official Outcome: Robelis Despaigne def. Saulo Cavalari by way of unanimous resolution.
Prelim 2 – Tim Johnson vs. Chase Sherman
Tim Johnson will get us our first end of the night time, touchdown a left hook that dropped Sherman early. After a slew of ground-and-pound pictures, the referee stepped in and known as for the stoppage.
Official Outcome: Tim Johnson def. Chase Sherman by way of TKO in Spherical 1.
Prelim 3 – Zac Pauga vs. Alan Belcher
Zac Pauga gave us one other fast end within the third prelim bout, touchdown a left behind Belcher’s ear that appeared to place the previous bare-knuckle brawler out. After just a few follow-up hammer fists, that was all she wrote.
Official Outcome: Zac Pauga def. Alan Belcher by way of TKO in Spherical 1.
Prelim 4 – Daniel James vs. Braxton Smith
Daniel James stored the finishes coming within the ultimate prelim bout of the night. Early within the opening spherical, James linked with a proper hand behind the ear that despatched Smith crashing to the canvas. James dropped some devastating strikes on the bottom, together with a few nasty elbows. Earlier than lengthy, the referee stepped in, saving Smith from taking any additional injury and giving us our third straight first-round stoppage.
Official Outcome: Daniel James def. Braxton Smith by way of TKO in Spherical 1.
Semifinal 1 – Robelis Despaigne vs. Tim Johnson
Despaigne might not have gotten a end in his first battle, however he wasted no time placing away Johnson of their semifinal scrap. Despaigne appeared to rock Johnson with a excessive kick, adopted up by a proper hand that face-planted the Minnesota native. Johnson rapidly lined up as Despaigne unleashed just a few floor strikes, forcing the referee to cease the scrap.
Official Outcome: Robelis Despaigne def. Tim Johnson by way of TKO in Spherical 1.
Semifinal 2 – Zac Pauga vs. Daniel James
It seemed to be throughout for Pauga with simply over a minute left within the opening spherical after James linked with a flurry of strikes that put the ex-UFC standout on the mat. James dropped a collection of bombs, making an attempt desperately to complete issues, however Pauga survived the onslaught, making it again to his ft and out of the spherical.
After an exhausting first spherical, neither fighter might put a lot energy behind their pictures within the second. Nonetheless, it was Pauga who was the extra energetic fighter, tying up the scorecards and sending us to a sudden-death third spherical.
With each fighters sucking wind and probably saving their vitality for the match ultimate, the offense was few and much between within the ultimate three minutes. The momentum that Pauga constructed within the second appeared to hold over within the third, pinning James in opposition to The Pit wall and touchdown some strong strikes. Sadly, it wasn’t sufficient to safe a stoppage, sending us to the scorecards for the second time within the match.
Official Outcome: Zac Pauga def. Daniel James by way of unanimous resolution.
Karate Fight ‘final Man Standing’ Heavyweight Event Closing – Robelis Despaigne vs. Zac Pauga
Pauga got here out swinging early, seeking to shut the gap, but it surely was Despaigne who acquired the perfect of the American, touchdown some stiff pictures in opposition to the wall. However simply as Pauga did in opposition to Daniel James, he weathered an early storm and continued to maneuver ahead, undeterred by Despaigne’s imposing stature.
Pauga made it via the primary spherical, however his proper eye was swollen shut, forcing the doctor to take a better look in between rounds. Sadly, that will be the place the battle ends, because the physician noticed one thing with Pauga’s eye that precipitated concern.
Official Outcome: Robelis Despaigne def. Zac Pauga by way of TKO (physician’s stoppage) in Spherical 1.
Successful three fights in a single night time, Despaigne has earned a possibility to problem Sam Alvey, the reigning Karate Fight heavyweight champion.
Try the total occasion by way of Karate Fight’s official YouTube channel beneath:
