‘EMPEROR’ RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS
By Grant Gordon
Glendale News Press
/16/sports/gnp-spfight081709.txt
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Roman Mitichyan, left, after defeating Mike Dolce, right, Saturdy at
Called to Arms’ CalledOut MMA event.
Mixed martial arts: Glendale fighters Roman Mitichyan, Ando Dermenjyan
both earn victories.
Published: Last Updated Sunday, August 16, 2009 7:26 PM PDT ONTARIO
– Behind a steady stream of leg kicks, coming close to the only
near-finish of the bout and executing his game plan with patience
and diligence, Glendale mixed martial arts fighter Roman Mitichyan
got his career back on the winning track.
"The Emperor" secured a unanimous decision win against Mike Dolce in
a three-round welterweight fight at Saturday night’s CalledOut MMA
event in Ontario’s Citizens Business Bank Arena.
"I was just planning my game to be smart," said Mitichyan, who improved
his MMA record to 10-3. "Trying to be a smart fighter."
In addition, featherweight Ando Dermenjyan, who trains at Glendale’s
Main Event Gym, turned in his most impressive fight yet, steamrolling
past Dustin Rhodes and looking every bit the part of a maturing
all-around fighter in securing a technical knockout 1 minute 35
seconds into Round 2.
"I’m just really happy with the way things turned out," said
Dermenjyan, who improved to 3-0 and looked the most comfortable and
content at keeping the fight standing as he ever has thus far in his
burgeoning career. "The sport’s growing and you have to grow with it."
The 25-year-old Dermenjyan, who also trains at SK Golden Boys in Van
Nuys and Team Hayastan in North Hollywood, showcased superior grappling
and striking and finished the fight with a ground-and-pound barrage.
For the 30-year-old Mitichyan, who also trains at Main Event and
Hayastan, along with the Glendale Fighting Club, his victory against
Dolce broke a two-fight losing streak and was his first win since
Dec. of 2007. He tallied the decision win with two scores of 30-27
and a 29-28 outcome on a third card. The News-Press scored it 30-27.
Coming off an upset knockout loss to Jason Meaders in January in
which Mitichyan, a high-level judo and Sambo player, was drawn into a
stand-up slugfest, the Jewel City grappler joked after the fight that,
had he been unable to pick up the win, he might have disappeared into
the mountains and never come back. Thus he showed his resolve, besting
Dolce (4-8) in what became a chess match of sorts and refusing to
engage the striker in a toe-to-toe brawl despite a moment in the
second round when Dolce landed nicely, appearing to fire up the
hot-blooded Mitichyan.
"It’s [my] Armenian blood, you get all pumped up," he said. "I said,
‘Roman, cool off, you gotta get the win.’" And he did.
The first round saw a lot of circling, with both fighters tossing out
jabs and looping hooks. Mitichyan swung hard with a right that led
the combatants into a clinch, but Dolce quickly shoved his opponent
off and just missed Mitichyan’s chin with a strong right. But as
the round progressed, Mitichyan unveiled his most valuable weapon,
as he began to work a right leg kick to the inside of the lead right
leg of Dolce, a southpaw.
"I punished that leg," Mitichyan said.
Mitichyan went for two takedowns in the opening round with the
aforementioned clinch and then a single-leg attempt later in the
round that saw him succeed in grounding Dolce. Mitichyan landed some
solid elbows from top position, but Dolce defended well for the most
part before Mitichyan dropped down for a kneebar. Dolce worked his
way free of the submission attempt and got back to his feet, but
Mitichyan clearly sealed the round.
"He’s a strong guy," Mitichyan said. "[The kneebar just] didn’t
happen."
The second and third rounds played out with sporadic exchanges but
rarely any solid punches landing. Both rounds also saw the crowd boo
the fight on occasion.
It was clear that Mitichyan’s game plan was to go for a takedown,
weary of Dolce’s one-punch power. But Dolce, who never attempted a
takedown and was content to stand and strike, appeared content only
to counter-strike and was, surprisingly, never really the aggressor.
"I did feel that," said Mitichyan when asked if he was a bit surprised
that Dolce was not more aggressive in initiating a slugfest before
adding that he suspected Dolce’s corner warned the fighter not to
get over anxious and leave himself open for a takedown.
Thus, Mitichyan’s myriad leg kicks and him being the more aggressive
fighter carried him in the second round. He opened the third with a
hard leg kick that staggered Dolce, who then came forward smiling as
if he’d been playing possum.
"Being a fighter, you know when you connect and you hurt someone,"
Mitichyan said. "I hurt him."
Earlier on the 11-fight, five-hour card, Dermenjyan won his first
fight by TKO, having submitted his first two opponents.
In the opening round, both fighters threw punches in a feeling-out
phase, but Dermenjyan was clearly more relaxed on his feet than in
either of his previous two fights.
"[I’ve been] working my butt off [on my standup]," Dermenjyan said. "I
did feel comfortable."
Rhodes (3-3) eventually locked up Dermenjyan twice in the round,
but was unable to do any more than push him against the cage. In the
second clinch, Rhodes said he was hit low by a Dermenjyan knee. The
referee did not stop the fight, but Rhodes persisted in pleading for
the infraction, eventually leading to a temporary stoppage with 1:21
left in the round.
When the fighting commenced, Dermenjyan landed a solid 1-2
combo. Rhodes went for a high kick, but Dermenjyan used it as an
opportunity to get back control standing.
"I thought he was more of a grappler," Dermenjyan said. "It was kind
of surprising to me that he wanted to stand up."
Eventually, Dermenjyan got Rhodes down to all fours and established
back control there. With Dermenjyan riding his opponent on the ground,
he eventually worked in some punches to the head and knees to the side,
easily winning the round, 10-9, on the News-Press scorecard.
Dermenjyan opened the second round with a stiff left jab to Rhodes’
face. Rhodes clinched again, but Dermenjyan took him down and landed
in Rhodes’ guard.
Dermenjyan would eventually allow his opponent to his feet before
securing a front-face lock, positioning Rhodes to absorb an onslaught
of knees to the head. Rhodes dropped to the ground with Dermenjyan
moving swiftly to his back.
Dermenjyan worked in his hooks and proceeded to rain down rights and
lefts until the referee halted the bout with 1:35 left in the round.
"Coming into this fight, I didn’t really have a gameplan. I was
just gonna see what came my way," Dermenjyan said. "I’m very happy,
of course there’s a lot to improve. One step at a time."
In other notable fights, Gabe Ruediger (15-5), who, along with
Mitichyan and Dolce, is a former "The Ultimate Fighter" cast member,
defeated Wander Braga (10-1) via guillotine choke in the second
round. Thomas "Wildman" Denny (27-18) also won with a second-round
guillotine, stopping Joe Cronin (13-11) in the night’s main event.
In what became a theme throughout the CalledOut card, victorious
fighters would "call out" future opponents or vice versa.
Glendale’s Karen Darabedyan, who was victorious in the promotion’s
first card earlier this year, was in the cage to challenge Ruediger for
Caladium’s Nov. 14 event. Much of the conversation could not be heard
in the ring and when the in-ring interviewer asked Ruediger to recap,
the fighter, who had earlier flipped off Braga’s corner in postfight
celebration before apologizing, said he accepted the challenge. When
he was asked who challenged him, he replied by saying Darebedyan’s
first name, then stuttering through his last name as if he could not
pronounce it before adding, "What’s his name, I don’t know his name."
Denny was far more respectful after his win in suggesting Mitichyan
and him clash on a future card, but specified he’d like Mitichyan,
a 170-pounder, to fight at 160 or 165.
The Nov. 14 card is also slated to see Glendale’s Sako Chivitchyan and
Sevak Magakian. Magakian fought on CalledOut’s first card on May 16,
submitting Harold Lucambio with a kneebar. The effort was awarded
submission of the night and Magakian was presented with a watch on
Saturday in the middle of the cage.