Freitas defeats Moraza-Pollard to capture CES MMA title

Freitas makes quick work of Pollard to win welterweight title; Nordby stuns Paiva with submission win 

LINCOLN, R.I. – Brazilian Gil de Freitas won the vacant CES MMA Welterweight Title Friday in the main event of “CES MMA XXXI” on AXS TV, submitting Massachusetts vet Chip Moraza-Pollard via kneebar in the opening round of their scheduled five-round bout at Twin River Casino.

Freitas (17-6) finished the fight with just 23 seconds remaining in the opening round, refusing to let Moraza-Pollard off the canvas and instead shooting in for one last submission attempt with time winding down. Freitas has now won five consecutive bouts dating back to 2012, including his AXS TV debut against George Sheppard in August of 2014. Moraza-Pollard was coming off a dominant win over Dany Lauzon in August.

In one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the main card, Cumberland, R.I., bantamweight Kody Nordby (5-3) pulled off the upset, submitting Dinis Paiva (7-6) of East Providence, R.I., via rear naked choke at 2:42 of the opening round, snapping Paiva’s four-fight win streak and earning the fourth first-round submission win of his career.

The two nearly came to blows during the weigh-in, a feud that began in the weeks leading up to the fight. Paiva came out of his corner with a flying knee at the opening bell, but couldn’t connect. Nordby scored the early takedown and finally submitted Paiva after several attempts. Paiva had won three fights by first-round knockout during his hot streak, but couldn’t get back to his feet following Nordby’s early takedown.

Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) opened the main card with a bang, putting Syracuse’s Mike Mucitelli (7-3) with an overhand left at the 3:24 mark of the opening round. The two spent most of the round circling the cage, feeling each other out, until Rebello found his opening and delivered the finishing blow, his 11^th career knockout and third consecutive win.

Also highlighting the main card, bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I. (Boca Raton, Fla.) returned to Twin River victorious, defeated Carlos Galindo (10-4) of Peru via second-round knockout, earning the stoppage with a series of unanswered elbows at 3:46, and Providence middleweight Eric Spicely (8-0) remained perfect, dominating submission specialist Aaron Johnson (13-10) of Kennesaw, Ga., to earn the unanimous decision, 30-26, on all three scorecards.

Berkely, Mass., middleweight Pat McCrohan (1-0, 1 KO) highlighted the preliminary card with a vicious first-round technical knockout over Maine’s Buck Pineau (1-2), using his college wrestling background to slam Pineau to the canvas, breaking his arm at the 58-second mark.

Shane Manley (1-0) of Cortland, N.Y., also won his professional debut, submitting featherweight Taylor Trahan (5-4) of Littleton, N.H., at the 4:09 mark of the opening round via rear naked choke and flyweight David Baxter (2-0) of North Attleboro, Mass., forced Ovid, N.Y., debut Brandon Warne to tap at the 2:37 mark in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout via armbar.

Also on the preliminary card, flyweight Carlos Candelario (2-0) of Hartford, Conn., won a thrilling unanimous decision over West Roxbury, Mass., vet Jesse Gutierrez (1-2), 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 and Kingston, N.Y., flyweight Darren Mima (7-4, 2 KOs) crushed Remo Cardarelli (5-3) of Milford, Mass., slamming Cardarelli to the canvas and finishing him with strikes 27 seconds into the opening round.