The final Real Fighting Championships event of the 2014 season took place on Friday night at the A La Carte Pavilion and like the previous 31 tournaments, the RFC 32 “Mayhem” included plenty of hard-hitting action in the ring and a plethora of eye candy throughout the venue — including ring girls provided by Scores Tampa and female promoters from XPTVsports.
Another sold-out crowd filled the Belvedere Ballroom as 20 of the best fighters in Florida put on an action-packed show in an up close and personal atmosphere at the banquet facility normally reserved for weddings and proms.
Bradley “Ax Man” Taylor capped the 10-bout night with a convincing finish to the 170 lb. match, winning in the second round with a tap-out victory over Cesar Rizo Veranes. Taylor, an MMA fighter from Fort White more known for his appearances on the History Channel’s AX Men, improved his record to 30-9-1.
The highlight of the night, though, occurred when Hillsborough County firefighter Mike Morris, 32, returned to the ring after a six-year layoff to defeat James Wynn on a technical knockout in the second round of their 160 lb. match. The last time Morris stepped into the ring, he competed in front of 14,000 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum as a part of the Xtreme Fighting Championships, knocking Nathan Hardin out in a little over one minute.
“I missed it and couldn’t wait to get back in the ring and compete in front of fans,” said Morris, who had a little over 100 firefighter peers in the crowd to witness his sixth professional win. “I really had the urge to get back in the game. When I stopped, I was doing really well. I was at the top of my game and was ready to make a leap in the sport. I’m just happy to be back.”
While Morris has a passion for mixed martial arts, he also has been dedicated to service, first as a member of the U.S. Army and now as a firefighter. Morris did the best he could balancing his military career with his fighter training and he has managed to do the same during the past couple o f years working with Tampa Fire Rescue Station 14.
Final results:
150 lb. – Ladarious Jackson winner by unanimous decision over Julian Bryan
125 lb. – Abdiel Velazquez tap-out winner, Rd. 3 over Dewaine Christmas
140 lb. – Rory Every tap-out winner, Rd. 1 over Charles Kessinger
170 lb. – Daniel Martinez tap-out winner, Rd. 1 over Calen Holcomb
155 lb. – Michael D’Angelo tap-out winner, Rd. 1 over Matt Ferraiolo
160 lb. – Mike Morris TKO winner, Rd. 1 over James Wynn
170 lb. – Luis Zequeria knockout in 37 seconds of Aron Bland
150 lb. – Aalon Cruz tap-out winner, Rd. 2 over Jason Valle
210 lb. – Ronnie Phillips TKO winner, Rd. 3 over Alonzo Roane
170 lb. – Bradley Taylor tap-out winner, Rd. 2 over Cesar Rizo Veranes
This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2014.
