Colorado Fight Events: Kickdown 39

When I watched Lawrence Gaytan walk towards the ring, blasting out Jimi Hendrix's Along the Watchtower, surrounded by his family and friends, I smiled. As fighters have done thoughout time, that walk, that long walk from our normal world to their ring, they make that walk with their family and friends, shoulder to shoulder. This, ladies and gentlemen, this is MMA.
His challenger, Prentice Ingram, entered to soft hip hop. Jaw forward and head twitching side to side, he cut an imposing presence for Gaytan. Gaytan comes in with a reputation for his excellent striking and strong Brazilian Ju-Jitsu skills. Ingram, in his professional debut, looks like the real deal. Lean and muscular, he is known for his hand speed and relentlessness. If Gaytan trades punches and decides he doesn't like the deal so far, he will want to take the fight to the mat.
After a beautiful staredown, neither fighter took a step back. The sold out crowd cheered as they watched this war. Ingram begins with a flying knee. He pushes the action nonstop, while the veteren Gaytan weathers the storm. Gaytan doesnt like what he is seeing and takes Ingram down to the mat only to have Ingram stand up. With a flurry of uppercuts and a right roundhouse punch, Gaytan's legs give out and Ingram gains his first professional knockout 2:54 in the first round. Afterwards, Ingram showed true concern for his opponent and thanked him for the opportunity.
The main event, the Kick Down Featherweight Title, is a fight that sometimes never happens but always should. We have two fighters at the top of their class, both known for their striking yet both well rounded. Tom Johnson, who seems more like a coporporate IT Manager than a top contender, and Pete Vandervort also a 'regular sort of guy' - neither men you really expect to see fighting in the Main Event in the MMA. Tom Johnson is the majority owner of Innovative Martial Arts. This Littleton High School Grad is happy to be where he is and says things about his opponent such as "Pete is a true profesional and peer and I have a lot of respect for the man. We are hard-core atheletes who train year-round." Pete Vandervort of Loveland explained to me before the fight, "This is not about violence, this is total sport. We all train hard, we treat each other with respect. These Fighters, Steve (the promoter), this is my extended family." Vandervort lost in the first round to a lighting
fast
armbar at 1:20.
The atmosphere of Kick Down 39 was similiar to that of a cocktail party. Many of the women wore dresses, drinking wine or microbrews, however the biggest difference I note is this cocktail party is one with a more than average amount of bulging muscles, wide shoulders and tattoos. This is a classy group of people here to cheer on these warriers. It's not your father's 'Tough-Man' contest. Promoter Steve Alley has really made an effort to bring a level of class and taste and even promoting family values. It is a far cry from the image most people may have when thinking of the MMA. It's not all blood, vengence, and anger, it's more athleticism, respect, and honor (well yeah... and there still is the blood..).
In fact, there is nothing here like those long ago days. Words like tough man are an affront to fighters such as huge local favorite, Joey Welch, aka The Brighton Badboy.
Steve Alley, hugs his fighters, slaps people on the back and dispenses information such as the history of the Muay Thai head pieces that are worn. "We've never had a serious injury here, never had an insurance claim, we really care about our fighers and I hope it shows," said Steve. When he is not promoting his Kick Down shows, he is training fighters at Mahany's Gym.
Says Welch, "the coolest part of this sport is how big this is getting and being a part of it. Just good people and we're all here for fun."


by Bill Chamberlin
writer, mma-colorado.com
720-936-2510