Tabile, Ruiz, Cross among victors on Ogden boxing card

 

On a surprisingly chilly summer night in Ogden, Utah, a healthy crowd at the Gold Spike Exhibition Hall saw six professional boxing matches on Saturday, June 21.

The main bout matched Bobby Tabile, 2-0 against 0-4 Jacob Diaz. Middleweight Tabile pressured Diaz from the outside, forcing him to the ropes and frequently landing left and right hooks. Diaz tried to keep Tabile off him with a jab but was overwhelmed. The referee stopped the bout at 2:04 of round two. There were no knockdowns.

Charles Presnell, of the Fight Chatter Substack, also covering the fights, suggested to this reporter that a Tabile match with veteran middleweight Christian Aguirre would be an action fight, give the aggressive styles of both. Something to think about if Tabile wins his next couple of bouts.

In another middleweight bout, Julian Ruiz, moved to 2-0 with a second round TKO over debuting William Wirthlin. Ruiz (seen in top photo at left against Wirthlin) overpowered his game opponent, who despite not being knocked down, was defenseless when the fight ended midway through round two.

Two featherweight prospects fought a competitive opening bout, with Mauro Angel Gutierrez, 1-1, winning a unanimous decision over Ogden's Jesus Saldana, making his debut.

After an even first round, Gutierrez (seen at right against Saldana in the above photo) swept rounds two and three, keeping Saldana off balance with feints and side to side movement. Gutierrez scored several body shots, particularly during the third round. Saldana rallied the final 90 seconds of round four. Scores were 40-36 (twice) for Gutierrez, and 39-37 for the unanimous decision. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 40-38 for Gutierrez.

Super welterweight Isaiah Velazco, who trains and spars with Ruiz, floored Dakota Highpine three times enroute to scoring a second-round TKO (2:26). Velazco, 1-0, counterpunched very well against the aggressive Highpine, 0-2.

A sloppy but entertaining slugfest resulted in debuting Emmanuel Aldair Gonzales scoring a majority decision over Cruz Carbajal, 0-5. This was a back-and forth even match with good moments for both boxers. Gonzales received 40-36 nods from two judges with another calling the bout 38-38, which matches Utah Fight Game's tally.

Shon Cross, 33, trainer at Factum gym, made his pro debut as a cruiserweight, winning a four round decision over Erik Lopez, 0-2. Cross fought a cautious but effective bout, narrowly winning round one with just his jab. Cross (seen in the photo above, at right, greeting Lopez prior to bout) gradually upped his offense against his wild-swinging opponent, adding right crosses and body shots to his tiring opponent. Cross nearly stopped Lopez, who was battered into the ropes at the end of round three. Lopez, to his credit, lasted the distance, even landing a solid right at the end of the bout. The tallies were 40-36 twice and one call of 39-37. Utah Fight Game scored the bout 40-35 for Cross.

A scheduled heavyweight bout between Bishop Le'i (3-0-1) and Trevor Kotara, 4-4-1, was a late scratch.

The All Heart Promotions team, promoter Monica DeCarlo, and matchmaker Jason DeCarlo, plan another card in Ogden in November.

-- Doug Gibson

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In other fight news, Jarome Hatch, a Texas MMA and bareknuckle fighter with Utah ties, scored a stoppage win on June 21 in Nashville, Tenn., over Cody East, previously No. 1 contender. It was voted Fight of the Night.

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According to former pro boxer and trainer Tim Carroll, there will be a 12-bout Fullmer amateur card Saturday, June 28, at 10960 South Park Road, South Jordan, UT 84095. The bouts start at 7 p.m. What's very interesting is Carroll, who is also a standup comedian, will entertain the crowd, along with other comedians. The comedy sets will take place between bouts with a top comedian honored at end of night. The above address is where the Fullmer Legacy Center is located. 

And on Saturday, July 5, at Crossfit gym in Clearfield, boxing trainer Pablo Padilla's birthday will be celebrated. There are lots of activities planned. All information is on flyer below.

Weekly update of the fight game in Utah

Last Saturday was a fight night at Foley's, an amateur boxing card. Winners included Jon Bryant, Michelle Maya (seen (at right) fighting Mary Quinn below) and Jesus Saldana. There was a 10 count prior gto the fights in memory of the late boxer/MMA fighter Pat Reeves. In the other photo trainer Dave Foley tends to fighter Joe Gibson between rounds.

There were three events last weekend devoted to Pat Reeves memory, and at the memorial service on Sunday it was announced that Boston University researchers will study Pat's brain as part of an effort to learn more about potential damage to the brain after years of fighting. This is a good effort that may help increase our ability to protect fighters. Read about Pat here and it includes a link to a Go Fund Me page to assist his family with funeral costs.

--- Tomorrow night is SteelFist MMA action at the Union Event Center (235 N 500 West) in Salt Lake City. Card starts at 7. It's a big card (see it here). I'm very interested in the main event between Fabio Serrao and Cody Bunderson and a pro bout between Trever Bradshaw and Benjamin Daniel Grass. Amateurs competing include Jayden Marshall, Jordan Marshall, Brittany Guillemin, and Hayden Brown.

-- We have learned that two undefeated Utah boxing prospects, Bladimir Estrada and Christian Agguire, will meet in March for a state pro title (super middleweight). Also in boxing, local pro Tim Carroll traveled to New York recently, losing a decision to Akeem Mauzon. ... In MMA action, local Josh Burkman fought on last week's UFC card in Omaho, Neb., losing to Alex Morono. ... Also, pro grappler John Valentine will be competing in Utah on May 5 at the Proving Grounds Super Fights.

SLC fights: Chairez and Brown draw, Aguirre stops Carroll

Here are results from the pro/am boxing card last night at The Complex in Salt Lake City. I want to thank Dave Foley, Julian Stevens and Jason DeCarlo for keeping me informed, as I had to work last night. Also thanks to Charles Presnell for some background information.

In the main event, for the state middleweight championship, Christian Aguirre remained undefeated with a KO in the second round over Factum gym's Tim Carroll. Congrats to Aguirre and we wish future success for Carroll, who is one of the great guys in Utah boxing.

In the co-main, undefeated SLC boxer Ignacio Chairez was held to a draw by undefeated Las Vegas boxer Anthony Brown over four rounds. This was a competitive, well-matched bout, I heard. Brown, incidentally, fought in a Golden Gloves tournament in SLC in 2013. It'd be nice to see both rematched over six rounds soon.

In a third pro bout, Clay Collard defeated Jamey Swanson.

In amateur bouts:

Ozmanny Sanchez (Lights Out) defeated Vinnie Apodaca (Foleys)

Lalo Zamora (Fullmers) defeated Luis Cornejo (Foleys)

Rene Mendoza (Louie's) defeated Matt Searl (Fullmers)

Jordan Jones (Louie's) defeated Jesse Stoneman (Orem)

Interviews with LJ Schulz and Tim Carroll, Jose Haro fights Saturday on TV

The big news this weekend is that West Jordan featherweight boxer Jose Haro fights on CBS Sports Network on Saturday night (Xfinity 269) against Daniel Franco for the United States Boxing Association title. This is arguably the biggest fight for a Utah pro since heavyweight Billy Zumbrun lost, via a disputed decision, a televised bout against former heavyweight champ Riddick Bowe a decade back or so. Good luck trying to find a TV listing at CBS Sports website but fightnews.com has it starting a 10 pm EST, which would be 8 pm locally.

We'll get back to boxing, including a preview of Friday's boxing card at The Complex in SLC and an interview with one of the boxers. However, as part of our preview of the June 23 SteelFist MMA card in SLC, we were fortunate enough to chat with One Hit MMA's LJ Schulz (seen training above at left) who is fighting The Garage's Anthony Miller in the main event. The 150 pounders are competing in a 5-round SteelFist title challenge. Miller defeated Jeremiah Guzman to win the belt recently.

So, here's the interview:

1) Tell me a little about yourself. What got you interested in MMA, who are some MMA athletes you admire?

Schulz: I'm 28, married and a proud father of 2 kids. I got into MMA right about the time the first ultimate fighter came on. I was just a fan for a while. I didn't even start training until about 2 years after my first fight. When I did decide to train, I was lucky to be able to train with Shane Brennar at his basement gym. He created a lot of my grappling foundation to this day but he left to California after a year. I had to find a gym and knew Jordan Smith was the top guy in Utah at the time and he trained near me.
 
2) Where are you training for the bout. Who are your coaches? What other fighters are training, or sparring with you?

Schulz: That's how I found One Hit and the head trainer Aldo Oreggia. I've been training there for 6 years now and we prove every fight card we're the top gym in Utah. I train with the best and because there is too many to name, I'll stick with the upcoming talent that are fighting with me on June 23. Cory Rose, Gavin Weston, and Kaden Weston, will set One Hit up with a 3-0 before I get our fourth and my shiny new belt. 

3) What are your strengths, what are your opponent’s strengths and what’s your strategy to come out on top? 

Schulz: My strength is the ability to go anywhere. I've improved my boxing a lot during that pro boxing try I had. However, I've always been known as a ground guy. I recently earned my purple belt in BJJ but keep in mind I've done No-Gi grappling a lot longer. He'll most likely try taking me down which is fine, I'll be the one picking if we go there.

4) Where do you hope to be in your career a year from now?
Schulz: Not quite sure where I'll be. I'd love to get another shot at LFA but I'm more than happy to defend this belt a couple times then take the 145lb SteelFist belt. My training partner and friend Jon Neal will relinquish it because he'll be in the UFC by then.

We wish Schulz, as well as Miller, the best of luck on the 23rd. We may have some more interviews as the date of fight night approaches. Also, read these previous interviews of June 23 competitors here and here.

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More boxing: As mentioned, there is a pro/am boxing card Friday night at The Complex, which starts at 8 p.m. The main event matches Tim Carroll, (above) who teaches boxing at Factum gym, with Christian Aguirre. The bout is for the state middleweight title. 

We chatted with Carroll recently about the fight:

Utah Fight Game: Tim, what do you know about Christian Aguirre and how are you training for him? Who coaches you and helps you with your training? What is a typical day of training like? You've had some fights with tough opponents and I thought a couple should have went your way. What have you learned from tough bouts? What's it like being the coach at Factum? You started late as a pro. Where would you like to be a year from now?

Carroll: My days are pretty busy. I work 10 hours a day as electrician then I go to Factum and train people for a couple of hours. After that I try to fit in some time to train with (former pro) Gary Gomez, then go home to my beautiful wife and seven-month-old baby.

I turned pro at 34, I'm 37 now me and Christian (and I) used to be sparring partners. We both trained with Gary Gomez. I've worked the corner against him in three out of his four fights. He is a good boxer. (At this point Carroll expressed concerns with some comments Aguirre has allegedly made prior to the fight.)  ... but all of his trash talking just gets me more excited. I have forgotten more about boxing than he knows as a coach. I put more pressure on myself to win but I just want to show all the people I train just to leave it all in the ring.

That's all I expect people to do that I train; is to leave it all out there so that's what I try to do every time. 

Good luck Tim, and to all the competitors, including undefeated Ignacio Chairez, who are fighting on the card. Unfortunately, undefeated boxer Larry Gomez's fight was cancelled.

We will report boxing results through the weekend.

Chan, Welk talk before SteelFist MMA clash, plus more

UPDATE ON DAVID CASTILLO MMA BOUT SATURDAY: David Castillo, who runs The Garage MMA gym, fights Saturday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, meeting another veteran, Dakota Cochrane. Card is here; good luck David. ... Today we are chatting with the two MMA professionals meeting in the co-main even on June 23 in SLC at the SteelFist card. Both were successful local amateurs. Miles Welk, of The Garage MMA, is 1-0 and Steve Chan, of Victory MMA, is making his pro debut. This is a tough match for novice pros but even a loss is better than five wins over outmatched competitors. The whole card is here.

So, here we go with the interview:

1) Tell me a little about yourself. What got you interested in MMA, who are some MMA athletes you admire?
 
CHAN (Seen below) When I was younger my dad would teach me karate and Kung Fu, We would watch a lot of martial arts movies like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, So I've always been interested in combat. When I got a little older I started watching shows like Dragon Ball Z and Power Rangers and started reading X-men comics, So I got really into the whole superhero/combat/ fighting atmosphere. Later I found an interest in boxing and then discovered MMA one night flipping through the channels. It was Ben Henderson fighting and I was immediately hooked. I started watching the local late-night MMA shows and was very impressed with the sport: the grappling, striking, everything. I continued boxing and later decided to try Muay Thai and my obsession just grew from there. I admire Anderson Silva because of his unorthodox style, it is really exciting to watch. I also admire Zach Zane, his heart, passion and aggressiveness for the sport taught me that you don't have to walk around like a tough guy to earn respect outside of the cage. Chan Sung Jung, Jose Aldo, Demetrious Johnson are also fighters that I enjoy watching. 

WELK (Seen below with trainer David Castillo): I'm 27. I wrestled for a while and after school I missed wrestling and that type of workout and competing. I admire my coach David Castillo and my stand-in big brother Lucus Montoya, Chris Weidman, George St. Pierre Matt Hughes and Jeremy Horn are fighters I admire.

2) Where are you training for the bout. Who are your coaches? What other fighters are training, or sparring with you?

WELK: I'm full time at The Garage in Layton, Utah. My coaches are David Castillo, Jason Tafoya, Anthony Lobato. I have a solid group of teammates who I would be nothing without. (They include) Bryce Edminister, Anthony Miller, Bobby King, Nathan Owens, Brandon Rease.

CHAN: I am training at Victory MMA, where we have amazing coaches that make sure we are prepared for war. My coaches are: Jake Paul, Kam Tuller, James Foster, Matt Raines and Kyle Herrera Some of my teammates I am working with are: Brenda Enriquez, Clay Abrams, Jayden and Jordan Marshall, Kelleck Diamond, Drew, Erick, Dan, Joshua Tauteoli, Ethan Shepherd, Pedro and a handful of other guys and girls.

3) What are your strengths, what are your opponent’s strengths and what’s your strategy to come out on top?

CHAN: I believe I am a well-rounded fighter and I am looking to come away with the win wherever the fight goes. My opponent likes to wrestle, and I like to do all of it, wrestling included. 

WELK: My opponent is a tough guy with a deep gas tank I know he's training hard. He has good hands and decent ground awareness from the video I've watched. I'm just working hard to get better everywhere so I'm comfortable no matter where the fight goes.

4) Where do you hope to be in your career a year from now?

WELK: In a year I would like to be 4-0 maybe 5-0 with a local title.

CHAN: A year from now I will be an even better fighter, with much sharper tools and farther in my journey to become the best mixed martial artist I can be.

We wish the best to both Welk and Chan, two great competitors with strong futures in the sport.

SOME MORE NEWS:

On Saturday, there is amateur boxing at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington. The card is sponsored by All Heart and Lights Out gym. We hope to have results and perhaps photos to share on the blog.

Also on Saturday is Fierce Fighting Championship MMA card in Price. Of particular interest is the Jordan Chandler versus Cy Nelson fight. It's likely the last fight for Ogden's Chandler as he moves with his wife to Arizona to continue his education.

June 9 there is a pro/am boxing card at The Complex in SLC. Undefeated local pros Ignacio Chairez and Larry Gomez are in separate bouts and Utahns Tim Carroll and Christian Aguirre fight for the state middleweight title. Chairez, by the way, was noted as one of the top 12 prospects in boxing by Inside Boxing.

Next week we'll have interviews with Carroll and One Hit MMA's LJ Schulz as he prepares for his main-bout fight at SteelFist on June 23.

Finally, remember that Utahn Jose Haro is fighting for a national featherweight title on June 10 in Sloan, Iowa, against Daniel Franco, and the fight will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.

Read our interviews with amateurs Ben Guymon and Kaden Weston, who are fighting on the SteelFist card,