Shana Olsen Defeats Kaitlin Young; Joe Riggs Victorious at Ironman MMA

After several years of covering fights solely in the Southwest, I received a warm welcome to the frigid Midwest with an amazing night of fights promoted by Fight Club Underground. The Ironman MMA card took place on Friday, December 11th at Treasure Island Resort and Casino, a spectacular venue with a state-of-the-art sound system. Live updates were treated from cageside (I’m @treelizard) and what follows is the fleshed-out play-by-play…

Shana Olsen vs. Kaitlin Young

(Note: Several reports online have indicated that Olsen was over weight in what was already a catchweight bout. Kaitlin Young posted on her facebook account that she made weight (140.6) and Olsen missed (144.4). Whether or not the extra pounds affected the outcome is hard to say, but showing up over weight, especially for a catchweight bout, is pretty disrespectful.)

Kaitlin Young comes in with crisp kicks and punches and bullies Olsen against the fence. Shana is bleeding and Young gets a lot of heavy knees from clinch. Shana pins Kaitlin against the fence and also uses some knees and then gets a takedown and some ground and pound. Kaitlin attempts an armbar from the bottom but does not sink it in before the round comes to an end.

In the second round, Shana gets a takedown and starts working her elbows and punches from the top. Kaitlin tries to shift her hips while Shana grounds and pounds for the win. Shana wins by 2nd round TKO (1:52)

Nick Almen vs. Joe Riggs

Riggs gets a textbook win with a takedown to side control to mount, and then rains down elbows and punches and wins in 1:51 by verbal submission (GNP). After talking about the Cards amidst boos from the audience, Riggs (who just scored a 57 second TKO win in a bout versus David Barnes at Rage in the Cage only a week ago) said this fight was simply him trying to get a bit of ring time in and will be fighting Nick Diaz next.

Derrick Smith vs. Kyle Davis

Derrick Smith scores a nice Thai kick but Kyle Davis follows up with a big slam. He secures north/south, gets some good ground and pound, takes the back and attempts a rear naked choke. Smith attempts an armbar and Davis responds with a big slam. Some back and forth with Davis getting some good ground and pound in until the end of the round. Davis sunk in a guillotine in 1:57 of the 2nd round. (Davis, from Team Insanity, had one of the best cornermen I’ve ever seen.)

Rich McParland vs. Phil White

After exchanging kicks, crowd favorite Phil White quickly scores a win by knockout in 14 seconds of the 1st round.

Robert Dawson vs. Ryan Stock

Stock has quick hands. Good exchange of kicks. Stock gets a guillotine in 51 quick seconds. In his post-fight interview, Ryan says he wants a big-name fight next.

Jordan Shepherd vs. Steve Merth

Steve Merth gets a takedown and works from side control, but Shepherd regains his guard. Merth lays down some ground and pound, passes guard and keeps working elbows and body shots. Shepherd gets a sweep but Merth passes guard, gets into mount and keeps using his vicious ground and pound skills. Merth wins by TKO 3:46.

Shane Emmons vs. Drew Wells

Shane shoots in and the two fighters scramble, with Drew ending up attempting a triangle from the bottom. Shane responds with a big slam. Drew keeps attempting armbars and triangles while Shane continues stacking and slamming Wells and punching over the top. Drew wins by submission (armbar) in 3:27 to big cheers from the crowd.

Mike VanMere vs. Isaiah Larson

Larson jabs and moves in. Mike gets a kick in and Larson responds with big knees, a takedown to side control and some nasty ground and pound. VanMere is not defending and I could hear Larson telling him to just tap. Larson wins by verbal submission (shoulder injury). VanMere is obviously quite injured. In the post-fight interview, Isaiah “Striking Viking” Larson (who used to fight in a higher weight class) says he is “half the man I used to be but hit twice as hard.” Apparently VanMere previously scored a victory over one of Larson’s teammates.

Photos by Todd Butkowski. Special thanks to Fight Club Underground superstar Gavin Rydell, Treasure Island’s  PR Queen Cindy Taube and Brian Olsen, who is easily the nicest photographer we’ve ever met. (Olsen has incredibly reasonable rates for shooting events for fighters, promoters and even individual photos. Check out some of his work on his website.)