Powell Downs Loycano at The Rock

By Lynne Snierson

Devin Powell and Anthony Loycano were stepping up into the professional ranks for the first time in their careers when they met in the main event of Combat Zone 41 in front of a packed house at Rockingham Park on Friday night, but it was Powell who emerged with his first victory courtesy of a unanimous decision.

Powell, representing Team Triumph of Nashua, used his ground and pound game in the third and final of the five minute rounds for lightweights and then let loose with a flurry of elbow strikes to Loycano’s head, but the Warriors Pride fighter weathered the storm and lasted to the bell.

“It was me being persistent that made the difference, said Powell, now 1-0-0 as a pro. “He’s tough and talented and a really strong wrestler. I couldn’t submit him. This fight was a lot more difficult than when we fought each other last April as amateurs and I triangled (choke hold) him. I felt like I hurt him in that last round, and I know I hurt my knee.”

In the most anticipated and final amateur fight of the night, the undefeated 18-year-old Cody Anderson, also from Team Triumph, brought his four fight win streak into the cage against atough and tenacious Peter San Antonio, who also represented Warriors Pride. Despite absorbing a low blow from a bloodied San Antonio in the second round, Anderson unloaded with a combination of strikes and got his opponent into a standing guillotine hold and forced him to tapout at the 2:12 mark. Anderson improved to 5-0-0 and salted his reputation as one of the fastest-rising welterweights in the Northeast.

“It feels excellent to win five in a row and it’s definitely time to go pro,” Anderson said. “Thiswas my toughest fight yet and he threw a lot of big shots that I wasn’t expecting. Then when hethrew his neck out there, I wasn’t letting it go.”

In the first of the eight amateur bouts, Cleon Hoggard (1-1-0) from Manchester, was the first of the Hoggard twins to get into the cage for Team Dow and he needed only 18 seconds before the referee decided that Jon Paul (0-1-0) of Londonderry had enough of his rapid strikes and stopped the fight for 155 pounders.

Next up, John Santos of Team Fury and Derry took on Kyle Bochniak from Team Link and they had the house cheering as they went the distance in a spirited battle for the 145 pounders. Santos looked the best he has thus far in his career and utilized the stand-up game as his efforts were rewarded with a 29-28 unanimous decision by the judges. Both fighters evened their records with Santos improving to 4-4-0 while Bochniak slipped to 1-1-0 and the result was a nice 24th birthday celebration for Santos.

Renzo Gracie’s Lloyd Fernandez then remained unbeaten at 2-0-0 when he took IntenZe MMA’s Roberto Santiago (0-2-0) of Lawrence, Mass., to the mat and submitted him with a rear naked choke hold in 1:08 of the second round of the lightweight match. Then bantamweight Jack Greene from Cage Strikers landed more efficient and effective strikes for the first two rounds before Team Link’s Kenny Murphy battled back in the final one to land nice combinations of solid blows and kicks and tip the outcome his way for an unpopular split decision. Murphy is now 2-1-0 and Greene fell to 2-2-0.

In another battle of bantamweights, Heath England came into the cage undefeated and had first-timer Francisco Lopez from Brazilian Top Team/Team Pit Bull in a rear naked choke hold, but Lopez worked his way out of it, got the better position on the mat and pounded him with strikes until England was knocked out cold in 2:59 of Round 1.

Jay Parrin had Chuck O’Neil from The Ultimate Fighter and UFC fame, who is now coaching at Team Triumph, in his corner as he was engaged in a fierce match against Ivan Sanchez from IntenZe MMA. With the crowd on its feet screaming for the full three rounds, Perrin prevailed by unanimous decision in the fight at 135 pounds to remain undefeated at 2-0-0 while Sanchez is still looking for his first win at 0-3-0.

Dillon LaVecchia from Woodbourne, N.Y., won his first fight when he dispensed with Chris Hoggard of Manchester in 1:26 of Round 2 when he got better ground position to notch the submission via a rear naked choke hold. Hoggard, who fought at 170 pounds, dropped to 0-2-0.

Combat Zone 42 returns to Rockingham Park on September 7, 2012 with a full card of exciting MMA action.