Combat Zone 32 - Amateurs

SALEM -- It’s always a good idea to keep your head up and your ears open in mixed martial arts.
John Santos did just that, and in his time of need got the proper instructions from is trainer, which he followed to a tee.
Santos slipped out of a choke hold Jesse Menize had on him and pounded away on his opponent to pick up a technical knock out 2:21 into the first round of his fight during Combat Zone 32 at the Sports Club at Rockingham Park last night.
“I just listened to my coach,” said Santos, a 22-year old amateur from Derry. “You listen to your coach and do anything he tells you.”
The bout between Santos and Menize, who is also from Derry, was just one of seven amateur fights during the first half of the event. Six professional fights were scheduled to take place as well after an intermission.
Although only separated by a year and from the same town, Santos said he didn’t know the younger Menize before the fight. Santos dropped out of school when he was 16 years old to support his kids, of which he now has three.
Menize initiated the action and landed a few blows right after the opening bell. The two then went to the ground and grappled for a while before Santos mounted Menize and starting reining blows upon him.
“I just let it go,” Santos said.
Another amateur who has been busy is Taylor Trahan, who won his third match in a row last night by submission in the second round.
It was the sixth match in less than a year for Trahan, who trains out of Lisbon.
“I do it for experience,” Trahan said. “They’re only amateur fights and they don’t count on my (professional) record. And it’s fun.”
Trahan landed a couple of good blows and got Jason Earl on the mat. He then maneuvered himself in to position for the arm bar and Earl tapped out.
“I don’t like losing,” Trahan said about why he has won three bouts in a row. “So I try extra hard.”
Trahan is now 3-3 and Santos is 2-3. Menize dropped to 0-2 and Earl is 1-2.
The only other local fighter to win during the amateur portion of the event was Wayne Ahlquist of Meredith. He won by referee stoppage over Keith Nelson less than a minute into the first round.
Ahlquist came out swinging and nailed his opponent. Nelson then turned his back and ran half way around the ring, where he stopped and was popped by Ahlquist again.
That led to more running by Nelson and by that point the ref had seen enough as he stopped the fight. Ahlquist improved to 1-1 and Nelson is 0-2.
In other amateur fights, George Lynch (2-0) beat Logan Moore (0-2) of Kingston by unanimous decision, Peter Wellman (1-0) beat Kris Kloetz (0-1) of Gilford by referee stoppage, and Lamont Wilson (3-0) stunned the crowd with a unanimous decision win over Adam Toussaint (3-3), who seemed to dominate the fight and almost got Milton to submit.