Combat Zone 35 results

Submitted by Lynne Snierson
John Benoit needed every bit of his considerable strength and skill to best a talented and tough Don Carlo Clauss in an extraordinary and bloody mixed martial arts battle in the sold out Sports Club at Rockingham Park on Friday night.
Benoit, the Methuen, Mass., native fighting in front of an energized crowd clearly in his corner, battled back late in the intensely fierce third round of the Combat Zone MMA main event to trap Carlo Clauss with a guillotine choke hold and force the former star wrestler at the University of Virginia to tap out at 3:02.
“This is really disappointing," said Clauss, who dropped to 7-4-0 and fights for Team Bomb Squad in New York. “I made just one mistake at the end and that was it. You can fight a great fight for over 14 minutes and then in one second you lose it all. One second and one mistake is all it takes in this game. But that’s the nature of the beast.”
Benoit, who improved to 10-2-0 and fights for Renzo Gracie NH, was losing points in the first two rounds when the superior wrestler pinned him on the mat, which was covered with blood pouring from Clauss’ broken nose.
“I knew I broke his nose in the first round and after he took me down, I tried to get up. But there were times when I couldn’t get up,” said Benoit. “I knew I was down on points in the third round and my coaches knew it too, so they told me to just let my hands go. But I said to myself I’m going to take him down and beat him at his own game.”
That is precisely what Benoit was finally able to accomplish in the marquis event at 165 pounds that lived up to all of the pre-fight billing.
“I was trying to mix up my strikes and my take downs,” said Clauss, “I knew that time was running out on that last round and I went for it. I didn’t set it up right and I paid for it. I never had a bloody nose before and after he broke it in the first round, it affected my breathing. I was getting tired because of that and rushed that last takedown. That one mistake cost me the fight. It’s going to be an awfully long ride home.”
Benoit, a Global Fight League title holder who has made his living in his last few fights with his guillotine choke hold, was able to celebrate this important victory with his hometown fans.
“You can’t beat fighting in front of that many people screaming your name” he said.
In the eagerly anticipated co-main event in which another local favorite, Will “The Brown Bomber” Santiago was making his pro debut after an undefeated amateur career, the Lawrence, Mass., native needed a scant 31 seconds of the first round before the referee ended his brutal punishment of Glenn Reaves.
Reaves (0-3-0) took the fight at the 11th hour after the original opponent for Santiago (1-0-0) tipped the scales 13 pounds too heavy for the match at 185 pounds when he showed up for the weigh-in on the eve of the fight.
While Santiago and his powerful strikes made it look easy against his clearly overmatched and out of shape opponent, he was gracious in victory.
“I train hard for every fight and go in there and try to do my best every time,” said the America Top Team standard bearer. “I was disappointed when my original match didn’t hold together, but in this game somebody is always going out at the last minute with an injury or something. It’s just a part of the game.”
Santiago’s fight was captured on videotape by a private company in hopes that he can catch the eye of the powers running the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the sport’s top echelon.
“I’m just going to continue on my path and hope to make it all the way to the UFC,” said the 27-year-old Santiago.
On the undercard, Team Fury’s Nick Santos, who entered the cage without a win under his belt, and Derek Lamb, who was making his pro debut, started off the professional action but the referee stopped the fight in 1:24 of the second round between the 135 pounders. Lamb (1-0-0), also fighting for Team Bomb Squad, used a relentless ground and pound attack to score the TKO over the Derry native, who dropped to 0-4-0.
Next up Adam Toussaint from Team Havoc in North Berwick, Maine, improved to 2-1-0 when he submitted Nate Ainsworth, who was also fighting for the first time as a professional. Ainsworth, carrying the banner of Team Kaze in Lisbon, submitted in 3:55 of round one when Toussaint (2-1-0) executed an arm bar in the battle at 150 pounders.
In the first of the amateur fights of the night, Colten Blanchet (2-0-0) of Byfield, Mass., made light work of John Santos (2-4-0) of Derry, and Team Fury to remain undefeated by submitting him with an arm bar in just 1:39 on the first round. The only women’s fight of the night was up next and Heather Lambert of Team Kaze in Lisbon (1-0-0) won her debut in the cage when she sent Shannon Harney (2-2-0) of Lynn, Mass., down to her second straight defeat with a guillotine choke hold in :69 of round one.
In the third match, Peter San Antonio (3-1-0) of North Andover, Mass., and Warriors Pride survived a flurry of strikes to his kidneys from Wayne Alquist (1-2-0) of Meredith in round one to come back and submit his opponent in 1:37 of the same round with a guillotine choke hold. Then in a spirited battle waged on the ground and on their feet, 20-year-old Devin Lenfest (2-0-0) out of Londonderry and Team Valor and 30-year-old Ivan Sanchez (0-2-0) from Lawrence, Mass., and American Top Team got the packed house on its feet and screaming before a bloodied Lenfest submitted his tough opponent in :53 of round three with a rear naked choke hold. Lenfest earned the respect of the judges as well as the crowd and walked away with the trophy awarded to the best amateur fighter on the card.
Next up, Taylor Trahan, who is only 19 years old but was in his 10th career fight, evened the record of James Grant at 2-2-0 when he forced the 28-year-old Londonderry native to tap out in 2:27 of round two. Trahan, from Lunenburg, Vt., executed an arm bar to improve to 6-4-0 under the banner of the Atlas Grappling Academy. Warriors Pride then saw its other fighter on the card, Anthony Loycano (2-0-0) of North Andover, Mass., remain undefeated when he spoiled the first fight for John Healey (0-1-0) of Wakefield, Mass., by getting him to tap out after a rear naked choke hold in 2:03 of round two.
The best and most evenly matched of the amateur fights was the last as Kenny Murphy (1-0-0), who was stepping into the cage for the first time, won a razor thin 29-28 split decision over Chris Caterino (1-1-0) of Nahsua and the Bucket Brigade. Murphy, who is trained by the Militech Fighting System in Hooksett, showed a lot of heart along with solid boxing skills to overcome trouble in the early going. The loss was tough for Caterino, who had the better ground and pound game throughout.
Combat Zone 36 returns to Rockingham Park on January 28, 2011 with another competitive full card of thrilling mixed martial arts action.
RESULTS:
AMATEURS:
Colten Blanchet (2-0-0) of Byfield, MA def. John Santos (2-4-0) of Derry, NH by arm bar
submission in 1:39, Round 1. 135 lbs.
Heather Lambert (1-0-0) of Lisbon, NH def. Shannon Harney (2-2-0) of Lynn MA by guillotine choke in :69 Round 1. 120 lbs.
Peter San Antonio (3-1-0) of North Andover, MA def. Wayne Alquist (1-2-0) of Meredith, NH by guillotine choke in 1:37 Round 1. 170 lbs.
Devin Lenfest (2-0-0) of Londonderry, NH def. Ivan Sanchez (0-2-0) of Lawrence, MA by rear naked choke in :53 Round 3. 145 lbs.
Taylor Trahan (6-4-0) of Lunenburg, VT def. James Grant (2-2-0) of Londonderry, NH by arm bar in 2:27 Round 2. 155 pounds.
Anthony Loycano (2-0-0) of North Andover, MA def. John Healey (0-1-0) of Wakefield, MA by rear naked choke hold in 2:03 Round 2. 155 pounds.
Kenny Murphy (1-0-0) of Hooksett, NH def. Chris Caterino (1-1-0) of Nashua, NH by split decision. 135 pounds.
PROS:
Derek Lamb (1-0-0) of Ithaca, NY def. Nick Santos (0-4-0) of Derry, NH by TKO in 1:24 Round 2. 135 pounds.
Adam Toussaint (2-1-0) of No. Berwick, ME def. Nate Ainsworth (0-1-0) by arm bar in 3:55 Round 1. 150 pounds.
Will Santiago (1-0-0) of Lawrence, MA def. Glenn Reaves (0-4-0) of Weymouth, MA by TKO in :31 Round 1. 185 lbs.
John Benoit (10-2-0) of Methuen, MA def. Don Carlo Clauss (7-4-0) of Ithaca, NY by guillotine choke in 3:02 Round 3.