Ready to Rumble in Richmond

The San Francisco Bay Area fight fan has the opportunity to witness three different fight sports on the same bill tonight at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium in Richmond, California. In the mixed martial arts main event, former PFC Bantamweight Champion Rolando Velasco will take on Chris Cariaso for the ISCF Bantamweight title. In addition to MMA, professional boxing and amateur Muay Thai bouts will make up the eleven-fight card dubbed the “Rumble in Richmond.” Fighters weighed in Friday evening at the same venue where they will clash tonight.

Velasco (5-1-1, 2 KOs, 1 Submission) of Oakdale, California will be making his first ring appearance since suffering his only professional loss, which was a split decision to Walter Patterson in Marysville, California this past August. In January of 2008, Velasco knocked out respected Shawn Klarcyk in the fourth-round to claim the PFC 135-pound title. Local bantamweight prospect Cariaso (8-1, 1 KO, 2 Submissions) of San Francisco, California has held titles in Muay Thai and San Shou, but will be vying for his first professional title in mixed martial arts on Saturday. Cariaso, who has fought on several of the major events promoted in Northern California by Strikeforce and the now-defunct EliteXC, has scored two straight submission victories since suffering his lone loss. Both fighters weighed in for their five-round title bout at 133 ½ pounds.

Three other title bouts were expected round out the MMA portion of the card, however Andrew Valladerez (3-3, 1 KO, 1 Submission) of Milpitas, California failed to make the 135-pound weight limit for his scheduled ISCF California State Bantamweight title bout against David Barrios (2-4, 2 Submissions) of San Jose, California. Barrios was awarded
the title on the scale and elected to go through with the three-round non-title fight. Valladerez weighed in at 137 ¼ pounds, while Barrios came in at 133.

In other MMA action, Bryant Munoz (3-1, 3 Submissions) of Riverbank, California will take on Alvin Cacdac (6-6, 2 KOs, Submissions) of Sunnyvale, California for the ISCF West Coast Bantamweight title in a three-round fight. Munoz made the weight comfortably at 133 ¾ pounds. Cacdac originally scaled 135 ¼, but stripped down to make 135 pounds on the dot.

Justin Smitley (6-5, 4 Submissions) of Oakdale will meet Evan Esguerra of San Jose (2-2, 1 KO) for the ISCF California State Featherweight title in a three-round fight. Smitley, who took the place of WCSC Super Bantamweight Champion Gabriel Solorio on the card, weighed in at 144. Esguerra scaled 143 pounds.

The card will also feature one bout of professional boxing, as debuting Al Simpson of Oakland, California will take on Victor Cortez (0-1) of Atwater, California in a four-round light welterweight bout. Simpson, who competed at the 2007 U.S. National Championships, weighed in at 138 ½ pounds. Cortez, a veteran Muay Thai competitor, made his professional boxing debut this past August. Cortez replaced originally scheduled opponent Luis Sanchez of Fairfield, California, who was slated to make his professional debut. Cortez, known as the “Lil’ Rooster,” weighed in at 137 ½ pounds.

Six amateur Muay Thai bouts round out the card. In what promoter Tim Stell trumpeted as the potential fight of the night, Dan Ash will take on Kenneth Giang for the IKF Super Lightweight title in a five-round fight. Amber Pope will meet Julie Jackal for the IKF Light Welterweight title in a five-rounder. Daniel Kim will take on Dion Pamintao for the IKF Middleweight title in another five-round bout. Quincey Schammon will fight Bryon Petro in a four-round fight for the IKF North American Welterweight title. Rick Erlec will take on Jeremy Murphy in a four-round bout for the IKF West Coast Super Lightweight Title. Rounding out the stacked fight card, Christopher Williams will take on J.R. Aviles in a three-round cruiserweight bout.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Paco Presents and LTD Productions, are available online at LTDProductions.net.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

ISCF Bantamweight Championship, 5 Rounds
Velasco 133 ½
Cariaso 133 ½

Bantamweights, 3 Rounds
Vallederez 137 ¾
Barrios 133

ISCF West Coast Bantamweight Championship, 3 Rounds
Munoz 133 ¾
Cacdac 135

ISCF California State Featherweight Championship, 3 Rounds
Smitley 144
Esguerra 143

Boxing Weigh-in Result:

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds
Simpson 138 ½
Cortez 137 ½

Amateur Muay Thai Weigh-in Results:

IKF Super Lightweight Championship, 5 Rounds
Ash 135
Giang 134 ½

IKF Light Welterweight Championship, 5 Rounds
Pope 138 ½
Jackal 140 ½

IKF Middleweight Championship, 5 Rounds
Kim 165
Pamintao 162 ¼

IKF North American Welterweight Championship, 4 Rounds
Schammon 142 ½
Petro 146 ¼

IKF West Coast Super Lightweight Championship, 4 Rounds
Erlec 138 ¼
Murphy 135 ½

Cruiserweights, 3 Rounds
Williams 177
Aviles 175 ¼

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.