TERRE HAUTE — A pair of hometown fighters picked up victories Saturday at the Zorah Shrine in the first mixed martial arts event to visit Terre Haute.
The Shrine’s auditorium, which seats 1,400, was approximately half full to watch 15 bouts in an octagon-shaped cage. The fights were a mix of amateur and professional fighters presented by Jason Reinhardt’s Courage Fighting Championships, based in Decatur, Ill.
In a professional bout, Jon “Big Nasty” Tarrh, a 25-year-old from Terre Haute, came out quick against Sam Kittermen, taking his 213-pound opponent to the mat. Tarrh, weighing in at 205, started throwing hammer fists to the side of Kittermen’s face and ear. Tarrh improved to 14-8 for his career, winning by technical knock out due to strikes in 16 seconds.
Tarrh climbed the octagon-shaped cage to celebrate, hearing the cheers from the crowd.
“That kind of scared me a little bit,” Tarrh said. “The cage started wobbling.”
Tarrh said he used his wrestling skills to get Kittermen on the ground with a takedown. The 2000 graduate of Terre Haute North said “the crowd did help a lot.”
Justin Curtis of McVicker’s Martial Arts in Terre Haute improved his amateur mark to 7-2 with a win against Steve Perry.
Curtis, a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, came out throwing a couple jabs and “he didn’t really react,” Curtis said of Perry while replaying his fight on a McVicker’s Martial Arts teammate’s video camera. “Then I landed a right cross and got a Thai clinch [a technique where you grab the opponent around the neck and knee him in the face]. Then I started kneeing and throwing uppercuts. I got a couple good knees in.”
Curtis then “got his hooks in” with Perry lying on his stomach and used a rear-naked choke to end the fight 56 seconds into the 3-minute long first round.
Two super heavyweights from Illinois put on a show for the Courage Fighting Championships super heavyweight belt.
Cory Moon of Lawrenceville, Ill., won by TKO in the first round after he and fellow 300-pound fighter Juan Vasquez of Effingham, Ill., bloodied one another with some heavy fists, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Vasquez, fighting in his first MMA fight after a boxing career, sent Moon to the canvas with a straight right.
“He hit me with that first punch and it kind of stunned me,” Moon said. “He rocked me. I thought I was going out. But with my friends and family here I couldn’t let it be like that.”
Moon landed a punch that of his own and used his body to keep Vasquez down and throw repeated left hands to Vasquez’ face that left him with his right eye swollen shut after the fight.
Vasquez was in good spirits after the fight, requesting a rematch from Moon.
“It was awesome,” Vasquez said of his first MMA bout. “Cory was a great competitor. I just didn’t think to get on the ground and start pounding. I forgot this is not boxing.”
In the headlining bout, Laverne “Fists of Fury” Clark made quick work of Zeke Shilling. Clark, who has a 4-1 mark in Ultimate Fighting Championships at 155 pounds, fought Saturday at 170 pounds. Clark had Cory French, who has fought in the Pride Fighting Championships, in his corner.
Clark admitted he was on his heels for the first few moments of the fight, but he responded by using a rock slam, a Greco-Roman wrestling move.
“I planned on boxing straight up at first, but he rushed me and he’s a strong guy,” Clark said.
Clark picked Shilling up above his head and slammed him to the ground, eventually using a rear-naked choke to finish the fight in 26 seconds.
To open the evening, Darrick Black used a guillotine choke to force Bo Pollum to submit in 1 minute, two seconds.
Alex May, a student of Reinhardt and Miletich Fighting Systems, bounced back from a tough start against Corey King.
King was able to get a mount on May on his back. When both fighters got back to their feet, King picked May up off the canvas and slammed him to his back. The first round ended with May laying on his back, suffering strikes to the head.
May was able to escape King later in the round and won by TKO with 2:16 left in the second round.
The next two fights lasted 15 seconds. Brian Sanders made the mistake of pulling Lonnie Harrington down on top of him. Harrington got clean shots at Sanders’ head and the fight was over.
Daniel Hopper finished off Tim Mason, a freestyle fighter, by forcing Mason to tap out on a neck crank 15 seconds into the fight.
Later in the night, Rashid Abdullah defeated Dwayne Brown in the first round due to strikes.
Ryan Polholke of Effingham, Ill., forced Justin Guyer to tap out in the first round after both men came out with fists and kicks flying.
After the second intermission, Ryan Thomas took down Walt Denim with a body shot. Then Thomas knocked Denim out with a punch to the chin.
Danny Kibbee won due to referee stoppage against Mike Rhodes.
Billy Rutherford of Decatur, Ill., and a Miletich Fighting Systems fighter then fought Kibbee, winning late in the first round as Kibbee tapped out.
The two super heavyweights squared off next, followed by Clark’s win to cap the night.
Reinhardt didn’t appear thrilled with the crowd turnout, and was unsure about bringing another MMA card to town.
But Curtis and Tarrh were both enthusiastic that word would get out after the first mixed martial arts fight in Terre Haute.
“I thought the crowd was OK for the first time,” Tarrh said. “With word of mouth, more people will come out.”
“Terre Haute’s definitely a boxing town,” Curtis said. “It will take some time, but MMA will take over for boxing.”
Local Interest
Two fighters from Wabash Valley notch wins inside octagon
- Local Interest
-
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
Linton and North Central were both defending high school baseball sectional champions, but the Thunderbirds’ move up to Class 2A did not go as they expected.
-
South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
Terre Haute South’s bid for a sixth consecutive high school baseball sectional championship took a scary turn Monday afternoon.
-
PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
Turkey Run routed North Vermillion 15-2 to capture the Class A Rockville Sectional championship for high school baseball Monday night.
-
Eaton’s pair of long balls put Linton in title game
Linton blasted its way into the championship game of its hometown Class 2A high school baseball sectional as No. 9 hitter Beau Eaton cranked a pair of home runs to left field, and starting pitcher Tanner Butler capped Linton's scoring with a grand slam.
-
COLLEGE REPORT: Rockville’s Greene helps lead Illinois State to MVC title
Rockville grad Lindsey Greene recently completed an outstanding freshman season for the Illinois State softball team, helping lead the Redbirds to the Missouri Valley Conference championship and a runner-up finish in the NCAA regional tournament.
-
FROM TERRE HAUTE TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES: Thatcher having a good 0-for-May
San Diego Padres’ left-handed relief pitcher Joe Thatcher has yet to allow a run to score in the month of May.
-
HOT MEMORIAL DAY weekend ahead for workers, campers, garage salers
The Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff of summer, and this weekend is expected to be a scorcher with consecutive days of temperatures in the low to mid-90s.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU’s Pounds qualifies for NCAA Championships
Brandon Pounds of Indiana State missed the 2011 outdoor season with a hand injury but has made up for lost time, qualifying for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake University with a fifth place finish in the men’s hammer throw at the NCAA East Preliminary Friday.
-
Quiz King
Matt Aselage doesn’t usually watch TV game shows, but he is certainly up-to-date on current events.
-
MVP of the MVC: Lucas first Sycamore to earn Player of Year honors
Indiana State’s baseball team got the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season hardware last week and it’s hoping to grab more gold this week in its quest to win the Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament.
-
Sycamores try to catch Missouri Valley Conference tourney vibe
A Missouri Valley Conference championship season has bloomed for the Indiana State baseball team in 2012. The Sycamores have been dominant through most of the season.
-
Braves, Knights open with wins
It was an excellent night for starting softball pitchers to help their own cause Monday night in the Class 4A Northview Sectional.
-
Lough dreamt about McMillan
A two-time state finalist in wrestling and a two-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference football player and wrestler, Tsali Lough of Terre Haute South was named the male recipient of the 2012 McMillan Award on Monday night at South’s Senior Awards Night.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU 5th in MVC all-sport standings
Winning three league championships in 2011-12 helped Indiana State finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophy standings announced Monday by the league office.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
Sarah Burnham pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in high school softball Monday evening as host Riverton Parke defeated defending champion Rockville 10-0 in opening-round action at the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional.
-
Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
-
Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
West Vigo began a busy week of high school baseball Monday on a winning note, defeating Shakamak 6-3.
-
Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
The starting times might prove to be a bone of contention, but otherwise coaches Bill Blankenbaker and Emily Goff are thrilled their respective girls high school tennis teams will begin play today at the Greencastle Regional.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU’s Beisser honored with good neighbor award
Softball pitcher Lindsey Beisser has been named Indiana State’s spring representative for the Missouri Valley Conference State Farm Good Neighbor Award.
-
From Terre Haute to the major leagues
Jake Petricka had a whirlwind week, going from Winston-Salem to Birmingham, then back to Winston-Salem — all in the span of just over 24 hours.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: Bloomington runners win Run Through the Jungle 5K
Kevin Murphy, an Indiana University student from Bloomington, was the overall winner of the eighth annual Run Through The Jungle 5K at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point on Saturday.
His winning time was 17 minutes, 0.71 seconds. -
Knights will get at least a share of WIC title
Monday was a good day for Northview in high school baseball.
-
Colts have no plan to move from Anderson
Apparently the Indianapolis Colts and Anderson University officials found a way to work out a few last-minute snags concerning the team’s summer training camp site.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: South dominates Sullivan in tennis
Visiting Terre Haute South dominated the No. 1 spots in high school tennis Monday evening as the Braves defeated Sullivan 5-0.
-
METRO ROUNDUP: HCAC tourney at Rose
Rose-Hulman will serve as host for the 2012 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament, featuring four familiar in-state rivals.
-
Taking aim: No shortage of pitchers in this week’s Big 4 round robin
High school baseball pitching depth is almost always at a premium. Toss in a Big 4 round-robin tournament that includes three games, one a big conference game for all teams involved, and other conference matchups in between and it equals a major headache for the coaches of the four teams.
-
Colts fill need at cornerback
While the Indianapolis Colts failed to add any cornerbacks among the 10 players selected during this past weekend’s National Football League draft, general manager Ryan Grigson and the team’s scouting department were able to snag three undrafted free agents to play the position.
-
METRO/PREP ROUNDUP: Moren, Hile enter Hall of Fame
Amy Hile, Indiana State’s all-time leading scorer and its all-time leading rebounder until last season, and current Sycamore women’s coach Teri Moren were honored Saturday at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
- More Local Interest Headlines
-
Obama Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington Cemetery
Man in Crane at Texas College Says He's Armed
Raw Video: Deadly Explosion at Minn. Paper Mill
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Raw Video: Cop Shoots Man Eating Another's Face
Romney Promises World's Strongest Military
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
Beryl Knocks Out Power in Florida
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Obama Pays Tribute to Vietnam Veterans
Raw Video: Memorial Day Aboard Intrepid
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Raw Video: Obama Lays Wreath on Memorial Day
Raw Video: National Mall Concert Shut Down
Bear cools off in Calif. family's pool
Gordon Ramsay Carried Off Field
Justin Bieber Wanted for Questioning for L.A. Scuffle
Air Force dad surprises family at baseball game
Ep. 3: Chopped Desserts
Jet makes emergency landing after debris falls off
J.Lo and Marc's Friendly Reunion
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Cynthia Nixon Ties the Knot
Woman, 80, Falls Out of Skydive Harness Mid-Jump
Keira Reveals Engagement Ring
Dog runs alonside cyclists for 1,100 miles
Lady Gaga Cancels Indonesian Show After Threats
Long Story Short: Beyonce back on stage
Raw Video: Man Rescued From River in China
Celtics crush Sixers in Game 7
