Alright, man, picture this – we had a wild night at the MMA Pro League throwdown this past Saturday at the Hilton Meadowlands. That place was packed to the gills, energy through the roof – you know how it is when fight fans get together, they were fired up from the first bell to the last. Coach Matt Brown’s squad from Ohio, they brought the heat and edged out a tough win over Coach Murat Keshtov’s New Jersey crew, it was a nail-biter, 10-8, just by a hair. And Andy Main, that dude’s NJ Pure MMA team, they came in like a storm, just rolled over Keshtov’s other NJ KDojo team, 13-5, it wasn’t even close.
The scoring was like something out of a video game, man. Knockouts and submissions, that’s a big fat five points, and if you grind out a decision, you bag three. Ohio and New Jersey were neck and neck, but Ohio clinched it with a couple of badass stoppages, while New Jersey had to settle for one stoppage and a decision. Pure MMA versus KDojo was like watching a highlight reel – Pure MMA was just snatching submissions left and right.
This kid, Jalaa Darwish, had the crowd losing their minds. From the moment he walked out to when he slapped on that armbar and got the tap in the first round, people knew they were watching a star in the making. And then there’s Gavin Baisden from Team Ohio – dude was a guillotine-snatching wizard, putting Montsir Muhammad to sleep in the first.
The team spirit at the Pure MMA corner was something else, man – like a band of brothers. They stuck to their game plan like glue and it paid off. Keshtov’s guys, though, they zigged when they should’ve zagged, straying from their strategy, and it cost them. And let me tell you, the rules of the game seemed to be in the grapplers’ corner, with jiu-jitsu taking the day over ground-and-pound tactics.
Coming down to the wire, it was Pure MMA leading 8-5, and the last match was straight out of a movie – high stakes, tension you could cut with a knife, and Brandon Bernard seals the deal for Pure MMA in a real showstopper.
Hani Darwish, the big boss of MMA Pro League, was over the moon, man. The place was sold out, the fights were off the hook, and that team angle – that’s where it’s at, people love it, fighters dig it, it’s a win-win. He’s already cooking up plans for the next gig after the holidays.
And they had these awards, too, right? Fight of the Night went to Billy VanDyke and Michael Husseyn throwing down, Brandon Barnard snagged the Finish of the Night, and Jalaa Darwish was dubbed the Standout of the Night. Props to them.
The sponsors, they had a ton – from restaurants to DJ Alex – they had this event decked out. And you gotta give it up to the New Jersey State Athletic Commission, keeping everything on the level. Hani made it a point to shout out to every one of them, and you could tell, he meant it from the heart.
So, here’s how the dust settled in the cage:
Team Ohio versus Team NJ, it was a mix-up of unanimous decisions and slick submissions, with Abdul Ibraheem and Jalaa Darwish scoring for Jersey, while Gavin Baisden and Giorgi Kankava brought it home for Ohio.
Then, Pure MMA versus KDojo, it was submission city with Alex Rios and Brandon Bernard choking out victories, while Billy VanDyke clinched a decision. KDojo’s Islam Elgarhi was the only one to get a win on their side with a rear-naked choke.
Man, it was a night of battles, camaraderie, and the raw beauty of MMA. The Pro League’s really onto something here. Can’t wait to see what they roll out next!