Hendersonsanity! Supremacy 9

Headlined by two title fights, Supremacy 9 once again returned to the Wild Wild West.  Only, unlike the movie Wild Wild West, there would be no Will Smith, no steampunk and everybody in attendance actually enjoyed the show.

Stacked to the brim with 12 professional fights, Supremacy 9 featured two championship bouts supported by two contender matches with the prestige of the card being more than enough cause for the throngs of sleeves and fighterwear that packed out Henderson’s West Wave Aquatic Centre.

Jacques Marsters earned his Supremacy Welterweight title in getting past Luke “The Juggernaut” Jumeau in a tough affair.  After a close first round, Marsters started to control action and centre of the ring in second.  He began to stalk Jumeau, who had success countering the ever pressing Marsters and using his movement to avoid the inevitable firefight.  Marsters is well bloodied by the third round however he is still pushing the action and trying to pin his opponent down.  With his octagon control and in bringing more power to the exchanges, Marsters was awarded a unanimous judges nod.

In the co-headliner Dan “The GraveDigger” Digby was taken the distance for the first time in 18 bouts by Peter “The Bear” Clinch in winning the Supremacy Middleweight strap.  Digby brings the fans to their feet early with a big slam however Clinch controls the fight on the grown with his ground’n’pound.  In the final stanza, Digby comes alive and, as the fight goes to ground, is virtually launching himself at Clinch in order to land blows.  Able to stay in the top position for the majority of the round, Digby goes all out during the final 30 seconds with a rear naked choke attempt as well as some nasty ground’n’pound however late call up Clinch’s chin lasts him until the final bell.  

Steve Warby threw his hat into the heavyweight contender scene with a first round knockout of Mika Maliefulu.  Both seem keen to keep the result out of the judges hands as they start winging their own with reckless abandon.  A Warby right hand gives Maliefulu the stanky leg and slumps him against the cage.  The strikes that follow force the referee to step in.

The always-entertaining Isreal Adesanya once again showed his athleticism in stopping James Griffiths in the opening round.  Adesanya’s advantage in reach is evident from the outset and his Muai Thai striking almost start from the other side of the cage.  He unleashes a flying knee that hurts Griffiths badly.  Smelling blood, Adesanya pounces and rains down blows on his fallen opponent with the referee calling a halt to the bout to save Griffiths further punishment.

Results

Supremacy NZ Welterweight Championship
Jacques Marsters (Strikeforce Gym, Canterbury) beat Luke “The Juggernaut” Jumeau (Incorporated Martial Arts, Hamilton) via unanimous decision

Supremacy NZ Middleweight Championship
Dan “The GraveDigger” Digby beat Peter “The Bear” Clinch (Hooligan MMA, Dunedin) via unanimous decision

Steve Warby (City MMA, Auckland) beat Mika Maliefulu (Olivers MMA, Auckland) via knockout  in the first round

Scott MacGregor (Timaru Freestyle Martial Arts) beat “Dynamite” Doug Higgens (SMAC Gym, Auckland) via submission (armbar) in the first round

Pane Hauraki (Fierce Fitness, Napier) beat Kevin Bently (Strikeforce Gym, Auckland) via unanimous decision

Isreal Adesanya (City MMA, Auckland) beat James Griffiths (Crolin Gracie/JR McGyver, Tauranga) via TKO in the first round

Beau Rawiri (Strikeforce Gym, Auckland) beat Andrew Mangi (Syndikit MMA, Tokoroa) by knockout in the first round

Kieran Joblin (Shoot, Grapple, Roll, Christchurch) beat Dre Rahipere (Hibiscus Coast MMA, Auckland) by knockout in the second round

Caleb Lally (Crolin Gracie/JR McGyver, Tauranga) beat Yukon Kemp (Syndikit MMA, Tokoroa) by split decision

Forrest Goodwin (Strikeforce Gym, Christchurch) beat Rob Baxter (Highburry BJJ, Palmerston North) by submission (armbar) in the first round

John Vake (Olivers MMA, Auckland) beat Brent Tumoana Shadbolt (Marcelo Lopez BJJ, Hamilton) by unanimous decision

Yakob Brown (Crolin Gracie/JR McGyver, Tauranga) beat Roy Moka (Journey MMA, Auckland) by knockout in the second round