Glendale News Press , CA
March 8 2009
Three wins for local MMA fighters
Mixed Martial Arts: Mitichyan upset in KO loss, but fellow countrymen
all finish with wins.
By Grant Gordon
Published: Last Updated Friday, January 30, 2009 10:47 PM PST
EL MONTE ‘ On a night of fights filled with local highlights, as
Glendale-trained fighters Sevak Magakian, Ando Dermenjyan and Sako
Chivitchyan were all impressive in victory, it was the main event that
left area mixed martial arts fans stunned ‘ and frightened.
Making his mixed martial arts return after a near 10-month hiatus,
Glendale’s Roman `The Emperor’ Mitichyan was on the receiving end of a
brutal knockout loss against Jason Meaders in the finale of a
California Xtreme Fighting card at the El Monte Expo Center late
Thurday night.
Meaders (5-7) landed consecutive right hooks coming out of the clinch
that led to the stunning upset and led to Mitichyan (9-3) falling
backwards unconscious onto the mat 2 minutes and 41 seconds into the
third and final round. Mitichyan, who protested being fitted with a
neck brace, was stretchered out of the ring and taken by ambulance to
USC Medical Center late Thursday night. He was released early Friday
morning.
`He’s fine,’ said George Bastrmajyan, Mitichyan’s manager and
cutman. `It was just precautionary stuff.’
Prior to the main event, Dermenjyan, Chivitchyan and Magakian all
looked impressive. All three finished their fights, with Chivitchyan
securing a technical knockout and Magakian and Dermenjyan winning via
submission in front of a boisterous throng of Armenian fans that took
up at least half of the audience.
`I’m very happy with the crowd,’ Dermenjyan said. `I really appreciate
them coming out to support us.’
Dermenjyan was the first of the four fighters to compete on
Thursday. All of them train at both the Glendale Fighting Club and the
Main Event Gym in Glendale, among other gyms.
Dermenjyan made his pro debut and promptly choked out Miles Howard
(0-2) in 1:45 of the first round of their lightweight (155 pounds)
bout.
After circling each other for a while, Dermenjyan shot in and
eventually secured a takedown with a leg trip.
Howard showcased a solid guard, but Dermenjyan eventually moved into
position to lock in a guillotine choke from the top and secured the
tapout.
`I’m very happy with the way things went,’ Dermenjyan, 24, said. `I
had [the choke in] tight. The guy just didn’t even budge.’
The crowd erupted with the win and Dermenjyan dropped to his knees and
buried his face in his palms, rejoicing in the moment.
`I was waiting for this opportunity a long time,’ he said. `You play
it over in your mind, but once it happens, it’s like reality hit
you. It’s the greatest feeling in the world, you can’t describe it.’
While Dermenjyan was making his debut, Chivitchyan (2-0) was fighting
for the first time in roughly six years when he faced Noe Rodriguez
(0-1) in a welterweight tilt.
It showed in the first two rounds, rounds won by Chivitchyan securing
takedowns and working some punches and elbows from the top. Still, it
was hardly anything enthralling.
That changed in a flash in the third round. Chivitchyan, who looked
hesitant in the first six minutes to let his hands go, landed
consecutive right crosses that sent Rodriguez to the mat. Chivitchyan
pounced and finished the fight 14 seconds into the third with a
barrage of hammer fists, leading to the TKO stoppage.
`I had the little butterflies,’ said Chivitchyan, 24, of fighting
after the long layoff. `After exchanging some blows, it felt good.
`The first two rounds, I was a little rusty.’
In those first two rounds, though, Chivitchyan had scored with some
leg kicks, resulting in Rodriguez changing his stance to that of a
southpaw.
`His chin was closer to me,’ he said. `I just threw the right.’
And with it came renewed promise and desire to keep his MMA career
flourishing.
`This basically gave me the confidence and motivation to train
harder,’ the Glendale resident said. `It just motivates me to a new
start. I just want to improve every fight.’
Magakian ended his welterweight fight against late replacement Daniel
Mancha (1-3) just 2:05 into the first round.
Magakian (5-2), who also lives in Glendale, dazzled the crowd with no
less than three textbook judo throws that had Mancha, who took the
fight on two days’ notice, landing flush on his back.
`I was controlling all the time, he couldn’t do anything,’ Magakian
said. `Everytime when I fight, I have one or two judo throws.’
Magakian’s first takedown was along the lines of a textbook football
tackle, though. He immediately went for an armbar, but the fighters
got tangled in the ropes, aiding Mancha in scrambling to his
feet. That began a sequence that carried out with the judo throws, the
last setting up a kimura armlock that led to the tap.
`He was a strong guy, but I came up stronger,’ Magakian, 23, said. `I
just wanted to do what I’m best at.’
Indeed that’s submissions, as the rising star has won all of his
fights by submission.
Mitichyan, a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, was
making his debut at 160 pounds, having fought previously at the
170-pound welterweight class. Known for his takedowns and submissions,
Mitichyan surprised many at ringside by engaging Meaders, who had
three previous knockout wins and two prior submission losses, in a
stand-up fight. It was clearly a case of straying from the gameplan.
`He was playing to the crowd more than the fight,’ Bastrmajyan
said. `[Between rounds, the corner was telling him] 1-2, shoot.
`He just didn’t follow the gameplan, he wanted to box.’
Going into the third round, the ringside judges, which included
well-known MMA referee `Big’ John McCarthy, and fighting legend `Judo’
Gene LeBell, had the fight even at a round apiece. The News-Press had
scored the first round for Meaders and the second for Mitichyan.
Both men went down in the first round, but they were caused by slips,
although Mitichyan connected with a right high on Meaders head before
the latter tripped back to the canvas. Mitichyan ended the round with
a bloodied mouth.
The two went back and forth in the second, with the two finally
clinching against the ropes, but Mitichyan surprisingly initiated
separation.
Mitichyan, 30, appeared to be staggered a bit at the beginning of the
third round, but kept motioning for Meaders to keep coming, to which
he obliged. Toward the end of the round, Mitichyan went for a takedown
and the two struggled in the corner, but once more Mitichyan initiated
separation, going for an elbow. But Meaders, a southpaw, beat him to
the punch with a staggering right hook that sent Mitichyan back. It
was followed by a second that knocked him out.
`He got caught,’ Bastrmajyan said. `If you fight long enough, it
happens to everybody.’
Bastrmajyan said Mitichyan was understandably `bummed’ and
disappointed by the loss, but wasn’t taking it too hard. As for `The
Emperor’s’ future fighting plans, it appears too early to tell.
`We haven’t discussed it yet,’ Bastrmajyan said.
As for Chivitchyan, Dermenjyan and Magakian, though, if Thursday was
any indication, the future looks very bright.
Said Bastrmajyan: `Everybody had a great night.’
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