1. 30 JANUARY 2016 BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA
BRANDON MADE HIS LONG AWAITED PRO DEBUT AGAINST MICHAEL LIBERTO. UNFORTUNATELY, BRANDON WAS NOT ABLE TO EXHIBIT HIS USUALLY DOMINATE STYLE. LIBERTO CONTROLLED THE MAJORITY OF THE MATCHUP WITH HIS TAKE DOWNS AND GRAPPLING. BRANDON WAS FINISHED IN THE THIRD DUE TO SUBMISSION FROM STRIKES.
BRANDON MADE HIS LONG AWAITED PRO DEBUT AGAINST MICHAEL LIBERTO. UNFORTUNATELY, BRANDON WAS NOT ABLE TO EXHIBIT HIS USUALLY DOMINATE STYLE. LIBERTO CONTROLLED THE MAJORITY OF THE MATCHUP WITH HIS TAKE DOWNS AND GRAPPLING. BRANDON WAS FINISHED IN THE THIRD DUE TO SUBMISSION FROM STRIKES.
2. 2 APRIL 2016 CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
AT THE WEIGH-INS, BRANDON'S OPPONENT SHOWED UP LATE AND OVER WEIGHT. HE TRIED TO MAKE THE WEIGHT IN THE ALLOTED EXTRA TIME, BUT HE WAS STILL TWO POUNDS ABOVE THE CONTRACTED WEIGHT. THE EXTRA EFFORT MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN THE EVENTS OF THE NEXT DAY.
THE TWO HAD SEVERAL EXCHANGES BEFORE RAOUL CLINCHED AND PRESSED BRANDON AGAINST THE CAGE. BRANDON REVERSED THE POSITION AND HAD RAOUL'S BACK TO THE CAGE. THEY INTERTWINED LEGS AND BRANDON DID A SWEEP TAKEDOWN. UNFORTUNATELY, DURING THE TAKE DOWN RAOUL'S KNEE GAVE OUT. HOPEFULLY, RAOUL WILL HAVE A SPEEDY RECOVERY.
3. 23 JULY 2016 WASHINGTON, PA
I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT DUE TO PRIOR COMMITMENTS. HOWEVER, BRANDON LOST TO JEREMIAH NELSON AT KING OF THE CAGE: DESTRUCTIVE INTENT.
FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD BRANDON WAS DOMINATING THE FIGHT WITH GROUND AND POUND WHEN THE REFEREE SAID THAT THERE WAS AN ILLEGAL BLOW TO THE HEAD. IT WAS DOWN HILL FROM THERE WITH BRANDON LOSING BY REAR NAKED CHOKE.
I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT DUE TO PRIOR COMMITMENTS. HOWEVER, BRANDON LOST TO JEREMIAH NELSON AT KING OF THE CAGE: DESTRUCTIVE INTENT.
FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD BRANDON WAS DOMINATING THE FIGHT WITH GROUND AND POUND WHEN THE REFEREE SAID THAT THERE WAS AN ILLEGAL BLOW TO THE HEAD. IT WAS DOWN HILL FROM THERE WITH BRANDON LOSING BY REAR NAKED CHOKE.
4. 8 OCTOBER 2016 CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT FIGHT, BRANDON'S OPPONENT CAME IN OVERWEIGHT. THIS UNFORTUNATELY PLAYED A FACTOR IN THE FIGHT. BRANDON WAS VERY CLEARLY WINNING THE STANDUP AT THE START OF THE ROUND. MARK EVENTUALLY GOT HIM TO THE GROUND WITH A DOUBLE LEG FROM AGAINST THE CAGE. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END. BRANDON HAD A VERY TIGHT GUILLITOINE LOCKED IN FOR A WHILE, BUT MARK SURVIVED IT. THERE WAS ALOT OF MARK JUST LAYING ON BRANDON AFTER THAT. MARK WAS ON TOP BUT DID VERY LITTLE WITH THE POSITION. EVENTUALLY HE GOT BRANDON'S BACK AND FLATTENED HIM OUT. BRANDON GOT OUT OF THIS POSITION SEVERAL TIMES WHICH MAKES THE ENDING EVEN MORE QUESTIONABLE. OTHER THAN REPEATED STRIKES TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD / NECK, BRANDON DEFENDED ALL OF MARK'S LIMITED OFFENSE HE JUST WAS UNABLE TO GET HIM OFF OF HIS BACK. THE REFEREE CALLED FOR HIM TO DO SOMETHING OR IT WOULD BE STOPPED. BRANDON WAS DEFENDING EVERYTHING FINE AND BACKING TOWARDS THE EDGE OF THE CAGE WHEN THE REFEREE STOPPED IT. THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST REFEREE STOPPAGES THAT I HAVE SEEN IN OVER THIRTY YEARS OF ATTENDING FIGHTS. HE WAS DEFENDING, NOT TAKING ANY DAMAGE, AND MOVING HIS OPPONENT WHEN IT WAS STOPPED. ALSO, THERE WAS OMLY 13 SECONDS LEFT IN THE ROUND. THIS WAS A PROFESSIONAL FIGHT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN STOPPED BECAUSE OF STRIKES THAT WERE NOT EVEN LANDING ESPECIALLY AFTER LETTING THE AMATEUR FIGHTS EARLIER GO ON WHEN SERIOUS DAMAGE WAS BEING INFLICTED. YOU KNOW IT IS BAD WHEN THE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE SAY THAT THERE WAS NO REASON FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN STOPPED.
FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT FIGHT, BRANDON'S OPPONENT CAME IN OVERWEIGHT. THIS UNFORTUNATELY PLAYED A FACTOR IN THE FIGHT. BRANDON WAS VERY CLEARLY WINNING THE STANDUP AT THE START OF THE ROUND. MARK EVENTUALLY GOT HIM TO THE GROUND WITH A DOUBLE LEG FROM AGAINST THE CAGE. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END. BRANDON HAD A VERY TIGHT GUILLITOINE LOCKED IN FOR A WHILE, BUT MARK SURVIVED IT. THERE WAS ALOT OF MARK JUST LAYING ON BRANDON AFTER THAT. MARK WAS ON TOP BUT DID VERY LITTLE WITH THE POSITION. EVENTUALLY HE GOT BRANDON'S BACK AND FLATTENED HIM OUT. BRANDON GOT OUT OF THIS POSITION SEVERAL TIMES WHICH MAKES THE ENDING EVEN MORE QUESTIONABLE. OTHER THAN REPEATED STRIKES TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD / NECK, BRANDON DEFENDED ALL OF MARK'S LIMITED OFFENSE HE JUST WAS UNABLE TO GET HIM OFF OF HIS BACK. THE REFEREE CALLED FOR HIM TO DO SOMETHING OR IT WOULD BE STOPPED. BRANDON WAS DEFENDING EVERYTHING FINE AND BACKING TOWARDS THE EDGE OF THE CAGE WHEN THE REFEREE STOPPED IT. THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST REFEREE STOPPAGES THAT I HAVE SEEN IN OVER THIRTY YEARS OF ATTENDING FIGHTS. HE WAS DEFENDING, NOT TAKING ANY DAMAGE, AND MOVING HIS OPPONENT WHEN IT WAS STOPPED. ALSO, THERE WAS OMLY 13 SECONDS LEFT IN THE ROUND. THIS WAS A PROFESSIONAL FIGHT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN STOPPED BECAUSE OF STRIKES THAT WERE NOT EVEN LANDING ESPECIALLY AFTER LETTING THE AMATEUR FIGHTS EARLIER GO ON WHEN SERIOUS DAMAGE WAS BEING INFLICTED. YOU KNOW IT IS BAD WHEN THE OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE SAY THAT THERE WAS NO REASON FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN STOPPED.
5. 5 NOVEMBER 2016 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
HARLAND AND DANNY RIVERA HAD A VERY BACK AND FOURTH ROUND IN THE FIRST WITH BOTH FIGHTERS LANDING WELL. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE WAS HARLAND'S TOTAL DOMINATION OF THE CLINCH. HE LANDED NUMEROUS KNEES FROM THE CLINCH, AND WHIPPED HIM AROUND AT WILL.
THE SECOND AND THIRD ROUNDS WERE MUCH OF THE SAME, BUT DANNY WAS ABLE TO CONNECT LESS AND LESS AS THE FIGHT WENT ON. HARLAND'S CLINCH WORK PRETTY MUCH TOOK THE FIGHT OVER.
ALL THREE JUDGES SCORED IT 30-27 FOR HARLAND.
HARLAND AND DANNY RIVERA HAD A VERY BACK AND FOURTH ROUND IN THE FIRST WITH BOTH FIGHTERS LANDING WELL. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE WAS HARLAND'S TOTAL DOMINATION OF THE CLINCH. HE LANDED NUMEROUS KNEES FROM THE CLINCH, AND WHIPPED HIM AROUND AT WILL.
THE SECOND AND THIRD ROUNDS WERE MUCH OF THE SAME, BUT DANNY WAS ABLE TO CONNECT LESS AND LESS AS THE FIGHT WENT ON. HARLAND'S CLINCH WORK PRETTY MUCH TOOK THE FIGHT OVER.
ALL THREE JUDGES SCORED IT 30-27 FOR HARLAND.