United States Army veteran and rising middleweight mixed martial arts (MMA) star Tim Kennedy (11-2) dominated a previously unbeaten Zak Cummings (10-1), submitting Cummings with a north-south choke in the second round (2:43) of their STRIKEFORCE Challengers main event battle live on SHOWTIME from Tulsa, Oklahoma’s SpiritBank Event Center on Friday, September 25.
In his highly-anticipated MMA debut, two-time U.S. Olympic wrestling team member Daniel Cormier (1-0) displayed signs of a bright future in the sport, stopping Gary Frazier (0-1) with a ground and pound offensive in the second round (3:39) of battle.
Kennedy, a 29-year-old former sniper for the Seventh Special Forces who recently accepted a position with The Texas National Guard in order to be able to pursue his MMA career more thoroughly, rocked the 25-year-old Cummings early in the first round after the two engaged on their feet.
Kennedy secured a takedown and began to unload with punches from half guard. Cummings rolled out and mounted Kennedy, but Kennedy quickly escaped and went on the offensive again with non-stop punches and regained the mount.
After surviving the first round, Cummings attempted a takedown early in the second stanza, but was caught with a left hand before escaping an attempted standing guillotine choke.
While trying to flee Kennedy’s clutches, Cummings fell to the canvas into a choke hold. Kennedy transitioned to a north-south choke hold and Cummings tapped out.
The 30-year-old Cormier, the 2001 NCAA national wrestling championship tournament runner-up for Oklahoma State University, stalked Frazier (0-1) from the outset of the card’s first live SHOWTIME televised bout. Frazier, a 21-year-old native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, attempted to run, but Cormier caught up and, in the second round, worked his way to the mount position after slamming Frazier to the canvas.
Cormier hammered Frazier with punches from the mount, prompting Frazier to give up his back. Cormier continued to batter Frazier from top position until the referee stopped the fight due to Frazier’s inability to defend himself any longer.
Another former NCAA Division I wrestling star and one of MMA’s most promising young prospects, 27-year-old Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley (4-0) of St. Louis, Missouri extended his perfect record, submitting Huntington Beach, California’s Zach “The Lisbon Outlaw” Light (6-9) with an arm bar in the second round (3:38) of action.
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