LINCOLN, R.I. (June 27th, 2014) – Fighting a new opponent on just 48 hours’ notice, Julian Lane looked as dominant as ever Friday in the main event of “CES MMA XXIV.”
Lane won a 30-27 unanimous decision on all three scorecards at Twin River Casino against Philadelphia’s Gemiyale Adkins, a last-minute replacement for Providence’s Luis Felix, who was forced to withdraw from the fight Wednesday due to injury.
The three-round welterweight bout featured plenty of exchanged with Lane (7-3-1) as the aggressor, landing two- and three-punch combinations while the shorter, thicker Adkins (8-8) seemed content with letting off just one punch at a time.
The judges rewarded Lane for his aggressiveness, and the former Ultimate Fighter reality television star won for the third time in his last fight bouts while the game Adkins dropped his fifth in a row and sixth in his last seven.
The knockout of the night belonged to East Providence, R.I., featherweight Dinis Paiva (5-5, 2 KOs), who dropped Joe Cushman (11-6) of Bridgewater, Mass., with a right hand just 49 seconds into the opening round of their scheduled three-round bout. It was Paiva’s 10th professional bout, all under the guidance of CES MMA.
In the undisputed Fight of the Night, female flyweight sensation Kaline Medeiros (3-3) of Fall River, Mass., won a hard-fought, 29-28, unanimous decision on all three scorecards against 43-year-old newcomer Brigitte Narcise (0-1) of Fairfield, N.J.
The two exchanged shots throughout the fight and even exchanged the upper hand on the canvas with both fighters gaining control at various points. Medeiros’ dominance in the final round turned out to be the determining factor as she took Narcise to the canvas within the opening minute and softened her up with effective ground-and-pound for the remainder of the fight.
Kennesaw, Ga., veteran Aaron Johnson (13-8) earned his 12th career submission, forcing Providence’s Greg Rebello (16-7) to tap out courtesy of the guillotine at the 1-minute, 7-second mark of the second round in a scheduled three-round bout fought at a catch weight of 225 pounds. Rebello let his guard down momentarily in the second round as both fighters scrambled to their feet and Johnson took advantage, charging at Rebello and trapping him in the guillotine on his way back down to the canvas.
Previously-unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Willie Brown (2-1) of Meriden, Conn., suffered his first career defeat against Keasbey, N.J., veteran J.A. Dudley (7-12), who submitted Brown with a heel hook at the 1:28 mark of the opening round, and Medford, Mass., vet Lewis Corapi (6-1, 3 KOs) made quick work of fellow lightweight Michael Sanchez (6-12) of Kenosha, Wisc., stopping Sanchez with a series of unanswered strikes at 4:15 of the opening round.
Providence bantamweight Joe Reverdes (2-3, 1 KO) earned his second career win and first knockout victory one minute into the opening round of a scheduled three-round bout, pummeling Randy Campbell (0-3) of Elizabeth City, N.J., with unanswered hammer fists until referee Kevin MacDonald stopped the fight. Providence featherweight Keenan Raymond (2-0) beat James Murrin (1-1) of Dorchester, Mass., by split decision, 28-29, 29-28, 29-28, and Framingham, Mass., lightweight Saul Almeida (16-5) defeated Dorchester’s Andres Jeudi (5-3) by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
– CES