Rick Roufus and Gary Turner Fight to a Draw on Shin Do Kumaté X

Shin Do Kumaté X “Redemption” took place on September 9, 2006 in front of a crowd of 7,000 hungry fight fans at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL. Taking its place as one of the premier fighting organizations in the United States, Shin Do Kumaté put on a night of excellent fights for the fans to see.

Shin Do Kumate X – Chico Mendez vs. Mikey Gomez

First up for the night was Chico Mendez of the World Shin Do Kumaté Association against Mikey Gomez from Diamond Dutchman/Gracie Barra for the Shin Do Kumaté Middleweight Title. This fight proved that you can’t tell a fighter by their record. Chico Mendez came in with a perfect 24−0 record, while Mikey stepped in the ring at 3−1. The first round started out with Mendez trying to establish his distance with his sidekick, while Gomez would counter with a clinch and knees. Gomez’ stuck to this strategy and began to exploit the side kick, eventually wearing down Mendez to the point where he could not continue during the third round. The Referee called a stop to this bout in the third round due to strikes, giving Mikey Gomez the Middleweight Championship.

Shin Do Kumate X – Haender “Cubita” Rodriguez vs. Bruce Sesseman

The next fight was another testament that says you cannot judge a fighter by what is on paper. Haender “Cubita” Rodriguez (3−1) of Miami, FL took on Bruce Sesseman (23−5) of Alton, IL . This fight didn’t even make its way through the first minute before Rodriguez knocked Sesseman to the canvas with a huge right hand. After beating the count, Rodriguez followed the same tactic of using his heavy hands and put Sesseman down for good with a perfectly timed left hook and straight right hand combination. This was truly a highlight reel knockout!

Shin Do Kumate X – Chrisanne Roseleip vs. Joanne Airall

After that great knockout came a ladies fight that was so fierce the crowd never sat down. Chrisanne Roseleip (3−0) of Real Fight Gear in Denver, CO battled Joanne Airall of Diamond Dutchman Muay Thai. Chrisanne dominated the whole fight with her aggressive style, continually backing up Airall for four rounds. Although she was continually back pedaling, Airall kept her composure and tried to give back some of the punishment Roseleip was dishing out. These flashes gave us some insight that with more time in the ring and training, Joanna Airall will be a force in the 145 lbs female division to reckon with. Chrisanne Roseleip won via Unanimous Judges Decision.

Shin Do Kumate X – Michael Mananquil vs. Ajahn Suchart Yodkeripauprai

The next fight was a Traditional Muay Thai bout with full Thai rules. This fight saw Michael Mananquil (12−0) of World Muay Thai Team USA in San Francisco, CA versus a true Thai warrior, Ajahn Suchart Yodkeripauprai (68−19) of Siam #1 in Toronto, Canada . From the first bell, you could see the respect that Michael held for Ajahn Suchart. Not wanting to jump right in there against a seasoned fighter, Mananquil took his time and studied his opponent; making everything that he threw count. It was evident by the second round that Mananquil was getting the better of the exchanges and was following up all his combinations with a shin kick to the lead leg of Ajahn Suchart. Finally after absorbing too many low kicks, Suchart was not able to continue, giving Michael Mananquil the win by TKO. Look forward to Michael coming back, as he is one of the top rising Muay Thai stars in North America and is purely exciting to watch.

Shin Do Kumate X – Raul Llopis vs. Rami Ibrahim

To keep the exciting action going, next up was the Lightweight Championship match between Raul Llopis (33−7) of Young Tigers / Family Kickboxing in Miami, FL and Rami Ibrahim (20−2) of Philadelphia, PA. Before the event, Rami was talking with Master Mehrdad and Match Maker Joel Collins about how excited he was to fight on the card, as it has been hard for him to find fights, due to his Middle Eastern heritage. When this was said, both Master Mehrdad and Mr. Collins smiled and said, “As long as you fight with all your heart and put on a great performance, you will always have a place to fight in our organization.” This 4 round war was widely regarded as the most exciting fight of the night, and the majority of it was fought in the trenches. In the first round, an accidental headbutt opened up a cut high on the head of Llopis, causing blood to flow freely from the wound. And seeing as how this was a hard fought battle that was fought mostly in the clinch, both fighters were soon spattered in blood. The second round carried on with the same fast paced tempo, with both fighters throwing hard kicks and following it up with short punches and then clinching to work their knees. Llopis’ corner did a good job to keep the cut from bleeding throughout the rest of the fight. While some spectators would complain that Ibrahim’s tactics were dirty, (from the clinch he would use his whole body to gain any advantage and try to wrestle Raul to the ground) this just spurred Llopis to try to keep Ibrahim at a distance, so that he could land his hard shots. At the end of a 4 round war, the judges all saw the fight in Favor of Raul Llopis, and awarding him the Shin Do Kumaté Lightweight Title.

The intermission saw the Carrollwood Black Belt Academy Demo Team, which has been a crowd favorite for many of the Shin Do Kumaté event, put on another great exhibition with the kids. Receiving a standing ovation, these kids are sure to have a bright future.

Shin Do Kumate X – Dan “Tanis” Rawlings vs. Armando Ramos

The first fight after the intermission saw local fighter Dan ” Tanis ” Rawlings (9−2) of Team GriffonRawl in Brookesville, FL against Team Fairtex fighter Armando Ramos (12−2) of San Francisco, CA . This fight was a great technical battle. Ramos’ aggressive style was countered very well by Rawlings, whose movement and timing set the stage for some beautiful counter combinations. It seems throughout the whole fight that Ramos wasn’t really able to get his momentum quite going. Rawlings was on point the whole night and was able to take the win via Judges Decision after 4 rounds.

Shin Do Kumate X – Kate Meehan vs. Emily Beardon

In the last female fight of the night, Kate Meehan (4−0) of the MKM Elite Fight Team from Denver, CO stepped in against Emily Beardon, who was making her pro debut, from 5 Points Fitness in New York City, NY . Kate and Emily had fought before, with Emily winning that fight while they were both in the amateur ranks. Now they are both pro and Kate was looking for some Redemption of her own, but sadly was not to find it on this night. Through out all 4 rounds, Bearden was able to use her front kicks to effect, keeping Meehan at a distance and slowing down the usually active physically fit fighter known as “The Killer.” Both ladies fought with all their effort, but the night belonged to Bearden. Being able to control the pace of the fight and not letting Kate get into a rhythm, Emily Bearden won the fight on a Unanimous Judges Decision after 4 rounds.

Shin Do Kumate X – vs. Anthony “Hitman” Brown

Tofan Pirani (23−2) of the MKM elite Fight Team from Sweden took on Anthony “Hitman” Brown (15−1) of Master Toddy’s in Las Vegas, NV . This was the 2nd fight of the night with full Thai rules, and the crowd was electric with anticipation. Both fighters came down the stage taking their time and dancing to their entrance songs. Once both fighters were in the ring, it became all business. At 6’3, it seemed that Tofan Pirani towered over the 6’0 Anthony Brown. Always known as a slow starter, Anthony Brown came out very conservatively. Pirani used that to his advantage and began to bring the action….and he brought it heavy. With the crowd on their feet the whole round, Pirani continually pushed his way inside and began dropping some heavy elbows and knees. Not being able to mount an offense, Brown was forced to cover up once Pirani got inside and let the ref break them apart. With the first round securely for Pirani, the crowd was in a frenzy for the second round to begin. Then suddenly, the referee called the fight off. After a few moments of confusion, it was found out that Tofan Pirani could not continue because he had fractured his fibula, otherwise known as the shin bone! Later that night it was revealed that Pirani had previously injured that same shin the week before and it fractured when he threw a low kick in which Anthony Brown checked with his knee. With Pirani not able to answer the bell for the second round, Anthony Brown won the Shin Do Kumaté Super Middleweight Belt by TKO.

Shin Do Kumate X – Rick “The Jet” Roufus vs. Gary “Smiler” Turner

The crowd has been electric all night, but now with the Main event starting, the atmosphere became indescribable. 7,000 fight fans waiting for the last fight of the night. Originally, Master Mehrdad Moayedi of St. Petersburg, FL and founder of MKM Knockout Promotions was supposed to fight Rick Roufus in a rematch of their March fight, but due to a knee injury sustained from that fight, Moayedi had to step down. However, he was still ringside to lend his expertise as a commentator, along with female Muay Thai fighter Christine Toledo.

Rick “The Jet” Roufus (62−8), Former K−1 USA Champion and winner of 6 different championships in 6 different weight classes, stepped into the ring across from Gary “Smiler” Turner (27−9) of Team Gary Turner from Farnborough England and 10 time World Champion. From first meeting Gary Turner the day before the weigh in, it became apparent very quickly on how he came by his nickname. Always cheerful and always with a smile on his face, even during the weigh in when squaring off against Roufus, Turner was enjoying himself. He even got Rick Roufus to smile during the weigh in stare down! This has been a match up that has been long over due for Gary Turner. They were supposed to fight years ago in Las Vegas, but due to medical problems, the fight was cancelled. Now it was time for this fight to happen, and what better place then the Main event on Shin Do Kumaté X. Roufus came well prepared, as he was moving fluidly, picking his shots, not standing toe to toe with the bigger fighter. Turner on the other hand countered Roufus’ style very well, allowing Roufus to dance around and countering him with heavy clubbing shots. Some of his right hands looked like they were coming from the back of the stadium, they were being thrown so hard! Halfway through the second round, Roufus cam in with a spinning back kick, only to be stuffed by Turner, which resulted in Roufus slipping to the canvas with Turner above him, arms spread wide, as if to say, ‘I’m still standing!” This fight was so close that the judges could not make a clear decision, so the fight was awarded a majority draw. Both fighters felt that they had done enough for the win, but neither disputed it.

Overall, it was another great event for MKM Knockout Promotions, who is steadily climbing the ladder to be recognized as one of the elite fighting organizations in North America . Shin Do Kumaté X will be aired on TVN Entertainment on Video on Demand starting September 30, 2006 . Call your local cable provider to order.

Shin Do Kumaté returns to the St. Pete Times Forum on December 8, 2006 with Shin Do Kumaté XI “Battle of the Heavyweights.” Purchase top world class Muay Thai fights online streaming at Strykerz.TV.

Shin Do Kumate X – Battle of the Heavyweights

September 9, 2006
St Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL
by: Joel Collins

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