BOSS FIGHT XXXIV: PETERSON vs COSTA
ROUND ONE: For the first time ever, Union Grand Prix plants the flag in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Target Center is filled with a dynamic crowd that is on point in showing their appreciation for the battles they are in store for tonight. To set the pace, we begin the night with a battle of behemoths as the Romanian native Cezar Miklos takes on the Red Rock Fighting prospect Billy Tweeds. Both of these heavyweights have seen highs and lows in their careers, but both men are in their 30’s and have reached a crossroads. Archie Driscoll is the referee in charge of this bout. The two heavy-handed sluggers don’t squander around for long before they begin throwing those lunchbox-sized hands. Billy Tweeds shows off some impressive agility for a man his size by dodging traffic and landing some solid counters. Miklos starts falling into Tweeds’ traps and gets caught with a sharp counter hook that leaves a considerable gash over his right eye. The blood distorts his vision and gets lit up with some solid combinations. Miklos tries to circle out to create some distance and regroup, but Tweeds cuts him off with stinging jabs and backs him up against the fence. Miklos isn’t intelligently defending himself and the ref is ready to stop this at any moment. Miklos eats a nasty hook to the body and he crumbles to the mat. Referee Archie Driscoll has seen enough and peels Billy Tweeds off Cezar Miklos then waves off the fight. Miklos could very well have some broken ribs or could have taken a shot to the kidney, but either way, he was down for a long time before he was able to stand on his own will.
Winner: Billy Tweeds by TKO (Hook) at 1:21 Round 1
Statistics: Cezar Miklos
Punches 0/4 (0%)
Kicks 0/1 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Billy Tweeds
Punches 9/11 (82%)
Kicks 1/1 (100%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Isaac Cohen’s Opinion: After suffering a loss in his last outing, Billy Tweeds showed out tonight for a big rebound win. He reminded all of us of the scary power he possesses in those hands, just in case anyone forgot. With this first round finish, Tweeds has now won four of his last six fights and although he’s still searching for that signature win against a big name, this win puts him back on the right track of inching his way closer to a championship opportunity.
ROUND ONE: In the lone Middleweight Bout on the card, two fighters make their official Union GP debut after earning contracts through DRIP. Kaprice Gamble and Noah Vanderkaay are respectable strikers who are eager to make a great first impression on the big stage. Vanderkaay is the clear crowd favorite, being a Twin Cities prospect and he looks to put on a show for his hometown Minneapolis, while Gamble feeds off the villain role and looks to play spoiler. Rob Anderson is in charge of the action, and he’s got his work cut out for him. Before the echo of the opening bell can subside, Noah Vanderkaay, aka “The Mauler”, clips Kaprice Gamble with a monstrous overhand right that wobbles him and opens up a cut across his forehead. Gamble seems hurt early and looks to be an easy target for Vanderkaay. Gamble tries to press forward but gets counterpunched which leaves a gash over his left eye. Less than thirty seconds in and Gamble is getting carved up. Vanderkaay tests Gamble’s chin with an uppercut while Gamble lands some great crosses in the process. Noah doesn’t look fazed at all as he fires off a looping right hand that puts Gamble in serious trouble. Vanderkaay capitalizes with a bunch of jabs and crosses then launches a furious hook! The devastating impact leaves Gamble laid out on the mat, sawing logs, and puts a stop to this fight in under a minute! Noah Vanderkaay’s corner rushes in to congratulate their newest fighter to the resounding cheers from their hometown fans.
Winner: Noah Vanderkaay by KO (Punch) at 0:59 Round 1
Statistics: Kaprice Gamble
Punches 2/4 (50%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Noah Vanderkaay
Punches 8/11 (73%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Isaac Cohen’s Opinion: It was a small sample size, but Noah Vanderkaay is in fact, a mauler. He hurt Gamble early and once he smelled blood in the water, he never took the foot off the gas. Kaprice Gamble looked like he endured a twenty-five minute war, but in actuality, he was finished in less than a minute. The Minneapolis crowd went wild for their guy, making the anticipation for the Main and Co-Main Events that feature two more Twin Cities ambassadors later tonight that much more exciting.
ROUND ONE: In the first of two back-to-back Bantamweight contests, the former inaugural Champion Lauren Moore returns from injury and takes on Everest MMA alum Syn Saetang. Both of these fighters are in dire need of a win to help breathe some life back into their slumping careers. Lauren Moore started her pro career going 5-2 with one no contest in her first eight fights but has since gone 3-4 in her last seven. Syn Saetang is in a similar situation, seeing ups and downs in her performance, however, she is currently riding a two-fight win streak. No question this is the biggest name the “Baa Zombie” has faced, and it comes at probably the most opportune time. Dusty Whittaker is in charge of the action, and we get a respectful glove touch to make it official. The fight starts off a bit methodical as both fighters measure their distance with jabs and sharply dodge any counters. Saetang gets stunned with a looping right hand, but she manages to regain her wits while the two get into a fierce exchange and she takes the upper hand. L-Mo dodges a lunging body shot and counters with a hard cross that sets up a well-timed single leg takedown. From here, Moore secures a side mount and begins going to work with some ferocious ground and pound. There are some tense moments where the referee looks like he may stop the fight, but Saetang defends herself enough to keep the action alive. An inadvertent head butt puts a pause in the action and garners a warning for Moore. The fight resumes back on the feet, but Moore wastes little time dragging the fight back down to the mat with a body lock takedown. Moore goes right back to dropping hammer fists and elbows in the open guard, which she eventually repositions into the full mount. Moore continues to pummel Saetang at will, forcing Saetang to do something. She tries to roll out, but ends up giving up her back, and allows Moore to get two leg hooks in and flatten her out. Saetang fights off what looks like a rear naked choke attempt, but she continues to get brutalized by Moore. Saetang adopts the turtle defense to simply survive and somehow manages to hold on until the horn.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-8 Moore
ROUND TWO: The body language shown by both fighters couldn’t be more different as the second round begins. Saetang is still trying to recover from the lashing she received while Moore is locked in, looking to continue to push the pace. Moore connects with a solid combination, then a big uppercut that opens her opponent up to hit a textbook double leg takedown. Moore targets the ribs with massive punches while scrambling to improve her position. From half guard, Moore drops bombs with her elbow and creates a nasty cut over Saetang’s forehead. The blood seeps into her eyes and Syn becomes an easy target as Moore continues to pepper her with elbows. This forces her to make a move but Moore ends up taking her back and once again, gets two hooks in to flatten her out. Saetang looks like she’s running on fumes here and just turtles up to protect herself. Saetang stains the mat with her blood while she hand fights with Moore to protect her neck from a possible rear naked choke. Moore fires at will, targeting the head and body as Saetang continues to take severe damage. It’s at this point Moore unloads a storm of elbows, effectively knocking Syn Saetang unconscious.
Winner: Lauren Moore by KO (Elbows) at 2:54 Round 2
Statistics: Lauren Moore
Punches 8/15 (53%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
Takedowns 3/3 (100%)
GnP strikes 34/46 (74%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 309 s
Statistics: Syn Saetang
Punches 3/6 (50%)
Kicks 0/1 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 309 s
Isaac Cohen’s Opinion: This was a lopsided victory for Lauren Moore and it’s because we saw a performance reminiscent of her championship run. Moore is a knockdown, drag-out type of fighter who does her best work smashing her opponents on the ground. This is exactly what she needed to snap out of her funk and build off. As for Syn Saetang, she has to take this as a teaching moment to see what she needs to fix in order to step into that top tier and compete.
ROUND ONE: In the Co-Main Event, it’s the final Bantamweight bout of the evening as DRIP alum Gibrelle Arroyo takes on the season one Everest MMA Strawweight Champion Rachel Parsons in what is both fighters’ Union GP debut. Quite impressive commencement to be slated in a Co-Main Event slot. The Minneapolis crowd rallies behind the Twin Cities fighter as she looks to be the first to tarnish Arroyo’s unbeaten record. It’s a clash between two highly skilled strikers where we can expect to see fireworks. The veteran Jordan Ripley is the referee in charge of this fight and we start with a respectful glove touch to get things going. Arroyo presses in to secure the clinch early and drops Parsons with a slick uppercut. Parsons is able to get back to her feet after eating a couple kicks to the thigh, but it doesn’t deter her. The two exchange heavy punches before Arroyo rushes in to secure another clinch. After some pummeling inside, Parsons unloads a big knee to the sternum that visibly pains Arroyo and she’s able to break free from the clinch. Parsons circles out to create some space but Arroyo tries to cut her off with some punches. Parsons dodges traffic and counters back with a stinging calf kick that gives Arroyo some pause. After shuffling back to the center of the octagon, both fighters trade punches that get the crowd riled up. Parsons gets the edge until Arroyo locks in another clinch. The two pummel for control until Parsons unleashes another big flying knee, this time connecting with the face. Arroyo stumbles in her feet but answers with a knee of her own. Parsons was able to block it and then push off her opponent to create some space. Although she’s in a daze, Arroyo stays close and launches a low kick that misses but she’s able to lock in another clinch. Once again, Arroyo gets rocked with a big knee just before the horn.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Parsons
ROUND TWO: As both fighters close the distance in round two, Gibrelle Arroyo is wearing some battle wounds on her face with some bruising, swelling, and a few small cuts while Rachel Parsons looks to be relatively unscathed. Despite what the optics suggest, Arroyo is still full of steam and puts pressure on Parsons. The two get into a couple of exchanges, one goes to Parsons and the other to Arroyo. Parsons is still patient in her approach, but Arroyo tries to egg her on by taunting her. A teep kick from Parsons gets blocked and Arroyo counters back with a brutal oblique kick that makes Parsons hobble away to gain some extra distance. Arroyo goes to close the gap but she’s met with a flying knee that nearly ends it right there. Parsons rushes in to capitalize but Arroyo fights back despite her still buzzing from the knee. Arroyo somehow edges Parsons in the exchange and looks to regain her composure and takes full control when she traps Parsons in a plum clinch and pushes her back into the fence. For the first time in this fight, Gibrelle Arroyo takes command in the clinch as she softens the body with some solid punches. Arroyo also targets the same leg she hit earlier then lands flush with a big counter hook. Parsons manages to escape the clinch and narrowly dodge some big shots off the break, but Arroyo is firing on all cylinders and peppers her with alternating lefts and rights. Arroyo pushes her opponent forward with double underhooks, but Parsons fires off a series of knees in narrow space! Arroyo is second-guessing herself and tries to break free, but Parsons clamps down and lands a few more big knees before the horn signals the end of the round.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Arroyo
ROUND THREE: We reach the third and final round and you get the sense that it’s anyone’s fight at this point. Both women are bloodied and bruised but still have plenty left in the tank for the final five minutes. Parsons measures with some leg kicks but Arroyo checks them and counters with a straight right. Parsons stumbles a bit, giving Arroyo enough time to launch a huge head kick, but Parsons ducks at the right time, then playfully mocks her by wagging her finger. Parsons starts to find a good rhythm when she cuts off Arroyo and lights her up with short burst combinations. Arroyo gets rocked with a looping right hand and tries to counter with a high kick, but Parsons shakes it and lands flush with a counter hook. At this point Parsons is taking a commanding lead with counters and brilliant combos, forcing Arroyo to move forward and secure a double collar Thai clinch. Parsons pummels her way into a better position and lands another big flying knee that sends Arroyo to the fence and breaks free from the clinch. Rachel Parsons recognizes that Arroyo is fading fast and pushes the pace. She empties the clip with a flurry of punches while Arroyo runs on instincts. An inside leg kick from Arroyo goes wide, leaving herself off-balanced and wide open. Parsons realizes it and sniped her with a ferocious head kick, sending Arroyo face-first to the mat and decisively ending this war.
Winner: Rachel Parsons by KO (High Kick) at 2:59 Round 3
Statistics: Gibrelle Arroyo
Punches 28/49 (57%)
Kicks 2/8 (25%)
Clinch strikes 1/2 (50%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 2/2 (100%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Rachel Parsons
Punches 26/49 (53%)
Kicks 5/10 (50%)
Clinch strikes 11/15 (73%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 38 s
Isaac Cohen’s Opinion: First off, let me just say this was a fantastic fight for both women. There were several big momentum swings but in the end it was Rachel Parsons’ night. After starting off strong in the opening round that could have arguably been scored a 10-8, Parsons fell behind in the second and looked to be in serious trouble before rallying back toward the end. It’s clear that “Razor” Rachel Parsons has an indomitable spirit that will carry her into deep waters with confidence and has effectively put the entire Bantamweight Division on notice.
ROUND ONE: After an impressive and intimidating entrance from the Twin Cities camp, showing they have “home-field advantage” here tonight; referee Colin Davenport brings both fighters to the center of the cage. The height discrepancy between Costa and Peterson is notable, as is Costa’s somewhat nervous look on his face after the whole crowd clapped in unison as Abbie Peterson made her way to the cage. This intimidation continues as the fight begins and it’s obvious that it has an impact on Costa’s gameplan right out of the gates as he eats a kick to the gut that wrenches him. Costa’s boxing becomes a factor as the round progresses, as his footwork keeps the longer fighter in Peterson guessing as he keeps landing stiff jabs, keeping an in-and-out motion going. Costa continues showing brilliant footwork and Peterson’s corner urges her to start utilizing her reach advantage, as the claps from the crowd continue echoing across the arena. A stiff leg kick from Peterson moves her opponent backward and a straight jab grazes Costa’s face, and it seems like it was Peterson’s fingers in his eyes that bothered him. Peterson manages to close the distance enough to work in the clinch and Costa’s corner is getting desperate, knowing of Peterson’s abilities in the Thai Clinch. Costa eats a bunch of knees that would’ve dropped a lesser fighter, but he keeps hanging in there and starts to dirty box his way out of Peterson’s grasp. As Costa moves away, Peterson launches a high kick that stumbles Costa, but she isn’t able to capitalize. As the round comes to a close, Costa shoots in for a takedown but eats a straight knee that almost ends the fight right there, but he manages to get back up as the horn sounds.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Peterson
ROUND TWO: Costa barely gets time to recover from the knee at the end of the first round, and it shows here as right out of the gates he eats a high kick from Peterson that makes him stumble to the side causing a roar from the crowd and Abbie’s teammates to stand up cageside! Costa is reeling and Abbie Peterson is unloading with everything in her arsenal, even a spinning back kick that Costa wasn’t expecting at all. High kick, low kick, she’s driving Costa to the fence and the crowd can sense a finish coming here. She grabs Costa by the head in a Thai Plum position and begins unleashing vicious knees, she lands those in bunches and one pops loudly bringing the crowd in attendance to a frenzy as Costa falls to the mat and the referee stands between both fighters! Peterson rushes to her corner and jumps to the top of the cage as the crowd erupts for the hometown fighter!
Winner: Abbie Peterson by TKO (Knees) at 2:49 Round 2
Statistics: Abbie Peterson
Punches 0/0 (0%)
Kicks 14/20 (70%)
Clinch strikes 20/32 (62%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Erick Costa
Punches 3/8 (38%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 2/2 (100%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/1 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Isaac Cohen’s Opinion: The first fight in front of her hometown crowd and Abbie Peterson delivers one of her most impressive performances yet. There were questions and concerns about how she would perform when all eyes were on her, and after that entrance that saw the whole crowd clap in unison as old Vikings, I was certain that she would show some jitters. It was obvious that Erick Costa wasn’t prepared for the atmosphere these fans created here for this card, as from the first bell he didn’t look like himself. Nevertheless, strong showing from Costa in terms of that first round and the movement he showed early on. Yet, once Peterson solved Costa’s riddle, it was all over. Her reach advantage and her clinch game proved too much for the shorter Costa to handle, and now it seems she will use those tools in her bid for the Lightweight Championship against Delaney Donovan sometime in the future.
Venue: Target Center
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 13,675
Date: May 1, 2022
Fighter Payouts: $2,180,000
Gate: $1,353,825
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Gibrelle Arroyo vs Rachel Parsons
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Lauren Moore, Abbie Peterson
TOP EARNERS
Lauren Moore ($670,000)
Rachel Parsons ($350,000)
Erick Costa ($325,000)
Abbie Peterson ($265,000)
Gibrelle Arroyo ($125,000)
QUICK RECAP
Billy Tweeds def. Cezar Miklos by TKO (Hook) at 1:21 Round 1
Noah Vanderkaay def. Kaprice Gamble by KO (Punch) at 0:59 Round 1
Lauren Moore def. Syn Saetang by KO (Elbows) at 2:54 Round 2
Rachel Parsons def. Gibrelle Arroyo by KO (High Kick) at 2:59 Round 3
Abbie Peterson def. Erick Costa by TKO (Knees) at 2:49 Round 2
