east Coast Combat Challenge 6 Recap!
by Derek Coleman



NEWARK, Del. - Combat in the Cage returned to Delaware Saturday night with an amateur muay thai event at the Newark Boys & Girls Club, featuring a 150-pound female bout, a strong performance from four Delaware Demons fighters and a pair of unlucky endings.

Philadelphia welterweight James Pettyjohn overwhelmed Doug Austin in the first fight of the evening, using kicks, clinches and uppercuts to gain a second round TKO.

Edward Montiel, Hichim Amaery and Justin Miller followed with unanimous decisions, respectively. Amaery, a powerfully built 185-pounder, displayed a whirlwind of strikes to register three knockdowns of Joe Wigfield; thai clinch knees, dirty boxing and hooks led to a 10-7 first round, and the American Combat product cruised from there.

Miller followed by eking out a razor-thin decision over Dan Walls in a 120-lb. scrap. Walls may have lost rounds one and two, but he settled down and clearly controlled the final stanza. Still, Miller had done enough to pull out a 29-28 decision on all three cards.

Andrew Hom of Newark’s Delaware Demons had the top finish of the night in his 135-lb. battle with Noel Bowman. Hom, a 28-year old who said he'll "use whatever technique is available" took advantage of an opening with a sneaky left high-kick. Bowman got up quickly but stumbled twice and was unable to walk toward referee John Thomas, who halted the bout midway through round one.

Hom said his cornerman, Jack Murphy, "yelled it to me to throw the high kick, and when I did Bowman partially blocked it. My foot slipped off the glove and just clipped his head."

Ben Tichy walked down and took out Sitan Gym's Serge Fetkevich, as the doctor stopped the fight after two rounds had been completed. Tichy immediately closed the distance against the taller fighter, and twice landed Superman punches to floor Fetkevich early.

Tichy (2-0 amatuer muay thai) opened round two with an extended flurry to get a standing eight count, then mauled Fetkevich from pillar to post throughout.

"I always do that," Tichy said of his attacking style. "I never back up one step. He was a tall guy so I figured he'd throw a lot of kicks.

"I just went out and looked for the finish," said Tichy, who plans to fight at Combat in the Cage and Valley Fight League's MMA event in Virginia on May 9.

Delaware Demons' products Joe Burket and Luis Fracias followed with consecutive victories by unanimous decision, although teammate Abe Kamara's attempt at a third straight win - and the Demons' fifth of the night - was ruined late in the third round. Kamara was disqualified with 20 seconds remaining for illegal knees to the groin, awarding Kevin Rohrer the victory.

Philadelphia's Latoya Rhykard (Fight Firm) upended Rhapsody Johnson in a female bout contested at 150-lbs., before the finale between lightweights Oswaldo Dominguez and Stephane Franklin ended in a no contest.

Combat in the Cage and Valley fight League will combine on another MMA card, 4th Offense, this Saturday, May 9 in Leesburg, Va.

* Note that the article and opinions of the Writer does not necessarily reflect those of CITC.