AFC IV showcases top mixed martial artists

DEXTER -- Fifteen fighters competed for a packed house at the Dexter Eagles Aerie Saturday for the Absolute Fighting Challenge IV, "Town Destruction."

A total of eight mixed martial arts fights were held, most of which were decided in the first round.

In the first fight, Chris Hulsey of Bonne Terre from Baker's Karate was victorious over Bruce Stark of Sikeston in a welterweight match. Hulsey started the match by out-grappling Stark in the first round, first taking Stark's back before making a transition to the mount position, but was unable to finish Stark before the bell.

After again taking the match to the ground, Hulsey achieved a technical knockout in the second round.

In the next bout, Brody Roper of Dexter was declared the winner when E.J. Nevel of Dexter submitted by tapout to Roper's rear naked choke in the first round.

Tony Province of Chaffee from Miletich Fighting Systems of Southeast Missouri lost to Paul Wells of Poplar Bluff from Team Evolution when he was choked out by Wells' standing guillotine choke in the first round of the night's third fight.

In the fourth contest, a heavyweight bout, Nate Taylor of Sikeston fighting for MFS of SEMO defeated Keith McGregor of Ft. Myers, Fla., when McGregor tapped out of Taylor's rear naked choke in the first round.

Jarrett Griffin of Dexter, fighting for MFS of SEMO, also tapped out of a rear naked choke in the first round to give Mike Zaricor of Farmington the win in the fifth fight.

In the sixth fight on the night's card, Zach Fears of Poplar Bluff from Team Evolution defeated Mitch Farmer of Dexter, a MFS of SEMO fighter, when Farmer, who looked gassed after his first-round battle, tapped out due to strikes in the second round.

The super heavyweights came out for the seventh fight with both competitors weighing in at over 300 pounds.

A standing guillotine choke by Hank Hill of New Madrid, fighting for MFS of SEMO, ended the fight after 27 seconds of the first round, giving Hill a victory over Kenny Lewis of Cape Girardeau.

In the final fight and the main event, Griffin stepped back into the ring for his second match of the evening, this time scoring a win by defeating David Gurley of Mount Olive, Ill., who tapped out from Griffin's rear naked choke in the first round.

AFC V is scheduled for June 30 in Sikeston.