DRIP EP. 7

Venue: BST Center
Capacity: 200
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date: October 23, 2022

MAIN EVENT
FLYWEIGHT BOUT
Hannah Carter (9-1-0) vs Alex Hughes (9-0-0)

CO-MAIN EVENT
CRUISERWEIGHT BOUT
Bert Rogers (24-16-0) vs Milo Dragomir (7-2-0)

UNDERCARD
FLYWEIGHT BOUT
Rayne Cruz (8-3-0) vs Ronnie Banks (6-0-0)

FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Jethro Benson (11-5-0) vs Silas Jones (10-2-0)

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT
Ameer Bell (6-2-0) vs Gavin Watts (5-2-0)

PRELIMS
CRUISERWEIGHT BOUT
Yoshida Sanzo (6-3-0) vs Abdul-Salam Nadim (6-1-0)

FLYWEIGHT BOUT
Tatiana Ruiz (3-1-0) vs Heidi Butler (4-0-0)

FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT
Andrei Kozlov (8-4-0) vs Chase Coleman (8-3-0)

EVENT NOTES
With the seventh installment of DRIP, there are a few newcomers on the stage, but we are also met with a lot of familiar faces on a hefty eight-fight card. Some have grasped at a contract on a previous DRIP episode , while others have some Everest, and even Union, experience.

The prelims begin with a Featherweight bout between Andrei Kozlov and Chase Coleman. Kozlov has fought in both Union and Everest in the past, but did not fare too well. He’s improved his skill set on the regional circuit, as evidenced by his second round Anaconda Choke submission victory.

A Flyweight bout between two young prospects, Tatiana Ruiz and Heidi Butler, showcased a barroom brawl for fifteen minutes. In the end, Ruiz was the one that got her hand raised in a razor thin split decision.

The featured prelim bout was a scheduled Cruiserweight bout between Yoshida Sanzo, a man who has some Everest MMA experience, and Abdul-Salam Nadim, a man that came up short on the scorecards on the previous DRIP episode. Once again, it wasn’t meant to be for Nadim, who got caught with a powerful uppercut that ended his hopes for a contract early in the third round.

Heading into the Main Card with a Welterweight bout, Ameer Bell returns after competing on the Episode 4 card where he won via decision. Although he wasn’t originally scouted at the South Carolina event, he gets another chance to shine in front of the bosses against Gavin Watts. Bell was controlling the fight for the majority of the time until he got dropped by a wild overhand right from Watts. It was downhill from there as Watts pounced on Bell and finished him off with some heavy ground and pound late in the second round.

Going back to the Featherweight division for the final time tonight, the returning Jethro Benson, another fighter with both Union and Everest experience, looks to silence doubters as he takes on Silas Jones. Although Benson didn’t yield much success in his previous stints in Union and Everest, he was an exciting fighter that left it all out there, and he did much of the same this time around, except it was much more precise. Benson finished Jones off inside one round with a flurry of punches that left Jones unconscious on the canvas.

Diving back into the Flyweight division, Episode 4 contestant Rayne Cruz looks to continue her momentum as she takes on unbeaten Ronnie Banks. Similar to Ameer Bell, Cruz wasn’t initially scouted by the three-headed honchos in South Carolina, but her performance earned her an invite here in Chicago. Rayne Cruz nearly ended the fight inside the first frame with a guillotine choke but Banks managed to slip free and survive the round. The second round saw more dominance from Cruz as she dropped Banks with a big right hand that put Banks in serious trouble. However, midway through the third round, Rayne Cruz was gassed out and was getting sloppy, leaving herself wide open for Banks to rally back. With time ticking away, Banks landed a looping right hand that shut the lights out on Rayne Cruz, leaving every spectator in the building picking their jaws up off the floor.

In the Co-Main Event, it’s the second and final Cruiserweight bout scheduled and it’s between two familiar faces. Bert Rogers returns from his Episode 1 appearance and takes on former Everest competitor Milo Dragomir. This was a battle of behemoths and it didn’t last long. Wild punches were thrown all around, but Dragomir was the last man standing after a haymaker sent Rogers into the land of wind and ghosts in the opening round.

With the third and final Flyweight bout scheduled for the night, it’s time for the Main Event. Hannah Carter returns from her Episode 2 appearance, where she was quickly dusted up by eventual Everest Season 2 Strawweight Champion Eugenie Bombelles. She takes on newcomer Alex Hughes, who’s unbeaten through nine professional fights. Both of these fighters have established very promising résumés, but more than likely only one will walk away with a contract in hand. With those stakes in mind, both women show no mercy straight out the gates. The first round was a fast paced but also measured chess match that saw some flashes from both competitors. Round two is where things really started picking up, as Alex Hughes pressured Hannah Carter into making some costly mistakes. By the third round, Hughes was in full control and was able to bait Carter in range to land a spinning back elbow that finished this fight in emphatic fashion.

Once the dust settled from the final showdown, VP of Talent Relations and Everest MMA Chief Cass Madrigal spoke with Union GP Reporter Kayla Chapman and announced that every winner from tonight has earned an invitation to Everest’s Season 3.

RESULTS
Andrei Kozlov def. Chase Coleman by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 3:11 Round 2
Tatiana Ruiz def. Heidi Butler by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 29-28)
Yoshida Sanzo def. Abdul-Salam Nadim by Knockout (Uppercut) at 1:09 Round 3

Gavin Watts def. Ameer Bell by Technical Knockout (GnP) at 4:15 Round 2
Jethro Benson def. Silas Jones by Knockout (Punches) at 3:33 Round 1
Ronnie Banks def. Rayne Cruz by Knockout (Punch) at 3:56 Round 3
Milo Dragomir def. Bert Rogers by Knockout (Hamaker) at 2:12 Round 1
Alex Hughes def. Hannah Carter by Knockout (Spinning Back Elbow) at 3:46 Round 3

CONTRACTS OFFERED
Andrei Kozlov (9-4) — Everest MMA
Tatiana Ruiz (4-1) — Everest MMA
Yoshida Sanzo (7-3) — Everest MMA
Gavin Watts (6-2) — Everest MMA
Jethro Benson (12-5) — Everest MMA
Ronnie Banks (7-0) — Everest MMA
Milo Dragomir (8-2) — Everest MMA
Alex Hughes (10-0) — Everest MMA