By Evan Jacobs

Englebrecht Promotions & Events returned to the Hangar at the OC Fair & Events Center in Costa Mesa, CA for yet another sell out show. Setting this night apart from most other nights was the fact that three of the fighters were making their pro debuts.

Opening the show was Riverside’s Eric Valdivia (0-1) vs. Whittier’s Josias Gonzalez (2-1) in a 4 round, middleweight boxing match. It was an East vs. West battle all the way as each fighter called on different tools to counter the other. It first round was fairly quiet until Gonzalez landed a looping left hand and deposited Valdivia on the seat of his pants. Gonzalez went after him but couldn’t finish his game opponent. From there, Valdivia stalked Gonzalez much to the delight of the crowd. He was countered fairly regularly by the coy Gonzalez who, after taking half of round two off, managed to pull out a decision over the tough but outmanned Valdivia.

The heat continued as Huntington Beach’s Nick Olson (1-2) battled Valencia’s debuting Kasamune Spirits (0-1) in a 4 round, welterweight, MMA bout. MMA at the Hangar is always hotly contested and that was again the case tonight as neither warrior wanted to give an inch. It began with Spirits initiating a takedown only to have Olson switch it up on him. Olson landed clean inside shots and was more effective than the seemingly stronger Spirits. The second round saw Spirits again initiate a takedown, and he managed to keep his advantage. Finally, in the third round, Spirits again initiated a takedown that was again taken over by hammer punches from Olson. That about wrapped it up and Olson took a 3 round decision over Spirits.

Riverside’s debuting Nate Palencia (1-0 1KO) took on veteran Edgar Bram (9-25-2) from Tijuana, Mexico in a 4 round super lightweight boxing match. Trujillo and Bram were both very eager and that played right into the hopes of the adoring crowd. It started off as a fairly even contest between a fighter with 35 fights vs. a fighter making their pro debut. However, as the bout wore on, Bram wore down, and was eventually hit too much in the 4th round for the referee’s liking and the bout was stopped.

Closing out the show was a Tequila Mandala Young Champions bout. Jose “El Chingon” Huerta (2-4) of Bell Gardens took on Carlos Elizarraraz (2-3-1) in a 3 round, bantamweight MMA bout. Both combatants knew they had everything to win and nothing to lose, as they each did their best to let it all hang out out for the capacity Fight Club OC crowd. The first round saw Elizarraraz attempt to strike and maul Huerta. However, Jose seemed to have answers and that moved the bout into the second round. It was here that Elizarraraz struck with a brutal right hand, and some hellacious ground and pound that was just too much, and the bout was waved off shortly thereafter.