Font wins main event; Soukhamtha​th sets new record

Font stays hot with seventh consecutive win; Soukhamthath sets new CES benchmark

LINCOLN, R.I. – New England’s hottest fighter added another big win to his resume Friday night at Twin River Casino in the finale of Classic Entertainment & Sports’ 2013 mixed martial arts Fight Series.

Reading, Mass., featherweight Rob Font (8-1) won his seventh consecutive bout, smothering Canadian challenger Matt DiMarcantonio (4-4) in the main event of “CES MMA XX,” beating DiMarcantonio by unanimous decision, 30-27, on all three scorecards.

Font’s ground-and-pound was too much for the lanky DiMarcantonio to overcome. Font started each of the final two rounds with loud takedowns and kept DiMarcantonio on the defensive throughout, using short elbows in the half-guard position to prevent his opponent from climbing back to his feet.

As he and his family prepare to move to Florida, Woonsocket, R.I., bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath (7-1) ended 2013 in equally impressive fashion and become the winningest fighter in CES MMA history, stopping tough veteran Corey Simmons (5-6) of Defiance, Ohio at the bell in the opening round of Friday’s co-feature.

Soukhamthath finished the round strong, stunning Simmons with a series of short right elbows, opening a cut near Simmons’ right eye. The ringside physician examined the cut and allowed Simmons to continue, but Simmons began dry-heaving in the corner before the start of the second round and eventually fell flat on his back, forcing referee Kevin MacDonald to stop the bout. Soukhamthath, who has now won seven consecutive to break a tie with Todd Chattelle as CES’ winningest fighter, will begin training with the famed Blackzilians in Boca Raton and continue fighting in the northeast in 2014.

Fighting for a chance to compete for the vacant CES MMA lightweight title in 2014, Providence’s own Luis Felix (10-7) once again stepped up on the big stage, defeating the tough Lucas Cruz (6-2) of Somerville, Mass., by split decision, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 in a special lightweight title eliminator bout.

Felix, who also owns wins over Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) took control of the fight in the second round, striking Cruz with a series of leg kicks to the head and overhand rights, causing tremendous swelling and bleeding under Cruz’s left eye. The action slowed to a crawl in the third round, but Felix had already done enough to win the fight by a slim margin, eliminating Cruz from title contention.

Showcasing his incredible strength and poise, Dedham, Mass., welterweight Brett Oteri (12-5) earned a stunning submission win over the dangerous Dennis Olson (13-8) at the 2:16 mark of the second round. With his back to the cage midway through the round, Oteri began to lock in the kimora. Olson tried to counter with a slam, but Oteri kept it locked in and eventually forced Olson to tap out, ending Oteri’s two-fight losing streak in dramatic fashion. Olson, who previously submitted Chattelle in April, lost for the fourth time in six fights.

In what might have been the knockout of the night – and perhaps the most exciting knockout of 2013 – East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate “The Snake” Andrews (6-0, 3 KOs) made quick work of Franklin Isabel (4-6) knocking out the Chelsea, Mass., native with a left rear leg kick to the back of the neck at the 51-second mark of the opening round. Isabel tried to catch Andrews off guard at the opening bell, rushing out of his corner toward his opponent, but Andrews got back on his feet, kept his poise and then ended the bout seconds later with a perfectly-executed rear leg kick, sending Isabel face-first to the canvas. Andrews finished 2013 with a perfect 4-0 record.

Making his comeback to mixed martial arts following a short-lived retirement, Providence’s Greg Rebello (17-5, 9 KOs) returned in spectacular fashion, stopping fellow heavyweight John Doyle (10-21) of Newark, N.J., in a rematch of their 2010 bout at the 3:10 mark of the second round. Rebello earned the win with unanswered strikes, taking Doyle to the canvas and peppering his opponent with a flurry of right hooks before MacDonald stopped the fight. Rebello also beat Doyle three years ago by unanimous decision.

Also returning to Rhode Island, former Johnson & Wales University wrestling star Charles Rosa (6-0), now fighting and training out of Boynton Beach, Fla., ended 2013 with a bang, submitting the game Ralph Johnson (6-8) of Worcester, Mass., via the anaconda choke at the 3:03 mark of the opening round. Rosa won for the third time in as many bouts at Twin River.

East Providence, R.I., welterweight Eric Spicely (3-0) kept his perfect record intact Friday in the opening bout with a win over Tyler Rose (1-1) of North Branford, Conn., who was forced to withdraw when the ringside physician stopped the bout due to a left shoulder injury sustained by Rose in the opening round. The bout was scored a technical knockout win for Spicely at the 5-minute mark of the first round.

Making his northeast debut, former collegiate wrestling champion TJ Hepburn (2-0) of East Ledyard, Conn. (Kearney, Neb.), won for the second time in as many bouts, submitting the game Tundee Odumuso (1-2) of nearby Johnston, R.I., via rear-naked choke at the 2:27 mark of the third round. Hepburn scored takedowns toward the end of the first and second rounds and then caught Odumuso early in the third before submitted midway through.

Making his professional debut, West Roxbury, Mass., featherweight Ruso Khubejashvili (1-0) showed the poise of a veteran, outworking Thomas Evans (2-3) of Central Falls, R.I., over the course of three rounds to secure a 30-27 unanimous decision win on all three scorecards. Evans, who was looking to snap a two-fight losing streak, failed to use his height and length to his advantage and instead found himself on the defensive for most of the fight while Khubejashvili executed effective ground-and-pound. (Photo: STEPHANIE TRAPP)