Capital City Cage Fights were good times for Sweet Home’s Bully Gang Mixed Martial Arts team as it walked away with a title belt and just a single loss, and that was to another Sweet Home fighter, Shorty Weikel.
Eli Pauls opened with a big win for the Bully Gang Saturday night at the Salem Armory.
Pauls, 195 pounds, defeated Brandon Bortsch, 205, of the Kut Throat Commity in 48 seconds by TKO. Both entered the bout with a 0-0 record.
“Eli did pretty good,” Bully Gang owner Cory Graham said. “That guy’s a second-degree blackbelt.”
This was one of the highlights of the night, Graham said, giving nods to the entire team for its outstanding performance all night.
He weighs 10 more pounds than Pauls, and he’s well known in karate circles, Graham said.
“It feels good,” Pauls said. His strategy was “standing up and boxing out. He got me with a punch. He got a hold of me.”
Pauls just punched his way out of it, he said, he escaped delivering a flurry of blows to win the match.
Nate Becker, 5-2-1, challenged Travis Hutcheson, 7-0, of Oregon Top Team for the Capital City Cage Fights 145-pound title. The two opened in stand-up before going to the ground, with the advantage passing back and forth before Hutcheson tapped out.
This was the second highlight of the night, with Becker entering the cage as an underdog and coming out a winner, Graham said.
Brad Furst, 165, defeated Joey Velasquez, 165, also a Sweet Home fighter appearing with The Barracks in Corvallis in the second round on a TKO.
He credited his corner, Eric Tagle, for guiding him through the fight.
Furst pressed an attack that took his opponent to the ground several times before closing the deal and winning the bout.
Running out of breath, Furst had enough wind to make it to the second round and get the win, he said. “On the ground, I felt I had him. He did connect a couple of good hits.”
Standing up, Velasquez worried Furst a bit, he said, and Velasquez gave him a couple of good hits.
“I can take a punch,” Furst said. “I just wanted to stay moving. I came in pounding to make him think I’m good on my feet.”
But Furst was usually the one taking the fight to the ground, he said, and that was where he was definitely stronger.
Trevor Tagle, 3-1 and 150 pounds, defeated Lenard Lane, 1-1 and 145, of Skullcast when Lane tapped out 1:46 into the first round.
The two traded punches early on before grappling on the ground.
“I kind of wanted to stand with him,” Tagle said, but Lane charged him and took it to the ground. Tagle transitioned to the arm bar, and Lane picked him up to slam him.
Tagle tucked his head under rather than letting go and rolled with the move. He exploded out of the maneuver, pummeling Lane, who dropped to the ground with a dislocated elbow, yelling that he was tapping out.
The win “feels good,” Tagle said. “I’m ready for another one.”
The Bully Gang sponsored Salem fighter Santos Quitariano, 3-1 and 155 pounds. He faced Sweet Home fighter Shorty Weikel, 5-1. Weikel defeated him in the second round.
The two circled each other, trying out different attacks and testing defenses, for most of the first round. Quitariano took Weikel to the ground, but Weikel managed to reverse it and win the bout.
Salem fighter Ryan Miller, 6-3, who was sponsored by the Bully Gang prior to the event, ended up appearing with The Barracks against Isaac Risseeuw, 1-1, of Team Quest for the heavyweight title. Miller won the fight and retained his title.
Now the team is gearing up for February, Graham said. That will be a big show with even more Sweet Home and Lebanon area fighters. Tagle may fight for a title belt. To get there, he’ll have to face his own teammate, Becker.
“I’m just excited about everybody showing up and supporting the team,” Graham said, of the Sweet Home fans who took the long drive to Salem to see the fights.