By JIM CANFIELD
Moapa Valley Progress
A summer storm was not the only thing giving out thunderous blows in Mesquite on Saturday night. ‘Mayhem in Mesquite’ at the CasaBlanca Resort was back in town and the unexpected downpour failed to keep the crowds away. The rain-soaked fans yelled just as loud for their favorites as they booed for his opponent.
The fight card billed as “The Future Stars of MMA” hosted a total of nine amateur fights with a total of ten fighters making their debuts. Five ecstatic first timers left the ring with a 1-0 record.
Perhaps the biggest surprise as far as the debuts went was when in the welterweight division. Jameson Belleus beat the favorite Quincy Havis who had a 2-0 record with the only split decision of the night.
The first event of the night ended abruptly because the referee stopped the match when Andrew Bonifaz suffered a dislocated shoulder in the early part of the fight. Andrew, clearly upset at the loss, said “I trained very hard for this fight just to have this happen!”
The next three fights resulted in early tap-outs and the winners clearly outclassed their opponents. Both Alek Aragon 2-0 and E.J. Diaz 3-3 won easily, with a unanimous decision.
E.J. Diaz, in the only heavyweight match of the night sparked up the crowd by making an unhurried entrance walking purposely through the flashing lights and smoke while wearing a silver mask.
The final match was reserved for the night’s featured event matching Bryson Oandasan 1-3 from Las Vegas against Morgun Colledge 2-1 hailing from St. George, UT. Unfortunately for the fans the last fight was also one of the fastest as Colledge tapped-out early with what appeared to be a foot injury.
Overall, the event was well-run and organized and any mayhem was left within the caged ring. Certainly, the crowd appeared to enjoy the venue and matches.
Techno Music and flashing lights filled the stadium between matches to keep the fan energy up and each fighter managed to bring his own cheering section.
