BY: Steve Smithwick
James Brasco (7-3) was awarded the GCF Middleweight title Sept. 18 at the UNF Arena after receiving a disputed illegal blow to the head from opponent Brett Chism. The fight was stopped when a dazed Brasco claimed he was unable to continue with 19 seconds remaining in the first round.
“I would never stop the fight like that,” Chism said in a post-fight interview. “I came here to put on a good show. If he wants to cry to win the belt … whatever.”
The crowd booed the results as they were read loudly. A clearly agitated Brasco offered Chism a rematch, which Chism hastily accepted. Chism and his management team contend that the elbows were legal, and Brasco could have continued.
In the co-main event, Bobby Brents (7-1) defeated Stephen Eakin (5-2) by a unanimous decision to win the GCF Heavyweight title belt.
Brents utilized superior striking skills to repeatedly rock Eakin. Brents landed a lead left hook, and his jabs were solid throughout the fight, as well as numerous elbows from top position on the ground; clearly winning the first two rounds.
Eakin landed a number of powerful leg kicks and right hands in the third round against a fatigued Brents, but it was too little too late for the Valdosta, Ga., native.
The judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Brents.
“I thought I did pretty well,” Brents said. “I like to fight.”
“He really frustrated me,” Eakin said. “I couldn’t do anything with him. He kicked my butt.”
Brents complimented Eakin’s toughness after the fight and offered him a rematch, which Eakin accepted.
Jacksonville-based fighters performed extremely well on the undercard.
Jesse Lawerence (3-2) defeated Kamrin Naville in a welterweight fight when the referee stopped the fight at 1:12 of round three, crediting Lawerence a win by technical knockout.
Lawerence utilized his superior size and strength to rough Naville up in the clinch and with ground and pound (strikes performed from atop a downed opponent).
Tristan Payne (3-2), who trains in Orange Park, defeated Shawn Snow when Snow verbally submitted at 1:45 of round two. Payne had just attained full mount and was pounding on Snow when Snow quit.
“Nothing he did surprised me,” Payne said. “I think he got tired in the second, and it was only a matter of time.”
In a welterweight tilt, Maurice “The Beast” Salmon defeated “The Hitman” Michael Joiner in the first fight of his career. Salmon overmatched Joiner on the ground, locking him up in a body triangle and peppering his face with punches until the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 2:47 of the first round.
Global Cage Fighting put on the fight card, entitled No Scarz, No Proof, and it featured 10 fights on the card. In all, submission decided four fights, knockout decided four, disqualification decided one and judges’ decision decided one.
