Ringside report by Max Valdez

“King of the Cage: Uprising!” packed the house Saturday night at the Fairgrounds’ Manual Lujan Building.

In the main event, middleweight Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennet wowed the crowd with a bizarre win lasting just 11 seconds.

Upon entering the cage, ‘Krazy Horse’ opened up with a series of back flips. Then, with the opening bell, he scrambled up to the top of the cage, challenging opponent Victor Abu Hernandez to follow him up.

Not sure what to do, Hernandez stood and stared, prompting Hernandez to jump down and deliver a mind-numbing punch that knocked in his opponent’s teeth.

Hernandez collapsed to the canvas where he remained for five minutes and Bennet celebrated his victory with more back flips.

Adding to the mayhem, a fight broke out in the crowd but the police and security were able to break it up.

In the co-main, heavyweight John Rosas of Socorro was soundly beaten by Albuquerque’s Eric McElroy.

Rosas started off strong, giving big punches to the head and body of McElroy. Both fighters went down with Rosas remaining on top, where he continued to pummel McElroy’s face. But then, McElroy flipped Rosas and returned fire, prompting the referee to stop the fight—even Rosas got up and was willing to continue.

After the fight, McElroy was offered a rematch but turned it down as he walked into the dressing room.

In another heavyweight bout, Albuquerque’s Brian Schall KO’d Shane Shartzer.

Schall started off round strong, power slamming Shartzer within the first ten seconds. While Shartzer was on the canvas Schall, delivered a devastating kick to Shartzer face to end the fight.

In yet another heavyweight bout, Ruben “Warpath” Villareal (No Limit/ Navajo Nations Heavyweight World Champion) KO’d Vince Lucero (Casa Grand) at 1:04 of the second round.

Lucero started off strong in the opening round, taking ‘Warpath’ down. While on the canvas, Lucero delivered some good punches and knees to the face and body. Both the fighters were on the canvas when the referee saws a lull in the action, bringing both fighters to their feet. Once again, Lucero brought down Warpath, delivering some good knees. Again, the ref brought both fighters up where Warpath was able to give Lucero a few good punches before the round ended. Despite the strong finish, Lucero had controlled the fight though most of the first round.

In the 2nd, Warpath came out swinging big punches. While both fights traded shots standing, Warpath webt for the take down. While on the canvas, he gave Lucero power punches to the back of his head until the referee stopped the fight. Lucero stayed in the ring while the referee made sure he was ok.

Feature fights

Michael Gonzalez of Socorro scored a 40-second knockout over El Paso’s Jerome Sierra in a light heavyweight bout.

Sierra backed up Gonzalez against the cage with hard hits to the face in the first round—but it only took Gonzalez 40 seconds to come back, delivering a devastating roundhouse punch that ended the fight.

In a middleweight bout, Steven “Mr. Nice Guy” Bratland of Roswell won a decision over El Paso’s Theo McDonald.

In the first round, Bratland took McDonald down where he delivered punches to his head. Both fighters traded with Bratland atop, but a series of big knees to McDonald’s head and body made things difficult. With both fighters bloody, the ref stopped the fight for the ringside doc to check out a cut over Bratland’s eye, and the round finished with Bratland on top again.

In the second round, Bratland took McDonald done again. Both fighters started to tire although they exchanged on the canvas. McDonald came close to winning with a near choke hold towards the end of the round but Bratland was able—barely—to escape and win a decision.

Dave Terrell of Nevada won a middleweight bout by TKO over El Paso’s Pat Dixon.

Terrell took down Dixon in the first. In control, he delivered big punches to Dixon’s face until the ref stopped the contest.

Amateur fights

Richard Montano of Socorro won by TKO at 4:26 of the 2nd over Las Cruces’ Jose Marquez.

Montana took Marquez down in the first. With Marquez pinned, Montoya delivered big shots to the head. Marquez came back mid-round with some good shots of his own, but it didn’t take Richard long to come back and finish the round strong.

Marquez started off Round Two with a big head lock, but failed to hold on, letting Montano to come back mid-round with a few knees and blows to the head. Both fighters began to slow but Marquez fired away with big knees and punches to Montano’s  head and body; then followed that by picking up his opponent and slamming him to ground where he gave a big kick to the back. Montano came back by flipping his opponent and ended the fight with big punches to Marquez’s head. The fight was stopped by the referee at 4:26 in round two.

Albuquerque’s Eric Kuscevick won by tapout in the first over Las Cruces’ Edgar Delgado.

Delgado started out strong, taking Kuscevick down. He stayed on top of him while giving big shots to the face. Delgado attempted a choke hold mid-round but Kuscevick was not only able to flip out but apply his own hold that had Delgado tapping out at 3:17.

In the final amateur bout, pro debuter Damacio Page TKO’d Las Cruces’ Will Tolliver.

The two started off trading punches but Damacio took his opponent down and delivered big punches and knees. The referee stopped fight due to big blows to the head.