What's the standard reaction when someone sees a truck bearing down on them? Most likely, it's to move out of the way and as quickly as possible. While that may be on option on the road, however, it isn't inside the octagon, where Freeport's Eddie "Truck" Gordon not only boasts a perfect 7-0 mark as a professional mixed martial artist but recently captured the light-heavyweight championship in Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat promotion.
Gordon's final roadblock in the way to the 205-pound title was seasoned veteran Carlos Brooks, whom Gordon defeated via unanimous decision at the Ring of Combat XLI at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, on June 15. But don't think the former football and wrestling star for the Red Devils is going to put things on cruise control or tap the brakes anytime soon now that he has the belt. "It's a great feeling, but I'm hungry for more," Gordon said. "It's one thing to get the belt and another keeping it and defending it."
Slated to fight in Neglia's next Ring of Combat show on Sept. 14, Gordon will face Marvin Eastman, whose fight resume is filled with the sport's top names.
The Ring of Combat is one of MMA's biggest promotions outside the UFC. More than 80 Ring of Combat fighters have moved on to the UFC, making the ROC one of the sport's most successful promotions.
MMA fighters have hardly had an easy road in the Ring of Combat because of the way that Neglia matches the fighters. But that suits Gordon just fine.
"As a former world champion myself, I think that fighters who want to go places want tough fights," Neglia said. "My goal in creating the Ring of Combat was to create competitive fights, and competitive fights make great fighters."
The next Ring of Combat takes place on September 14. All of the fighters on the show are hungry to get into the UFC. And many of them make. Find out who will move on in September at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.
Here are the official results from Ring of Combat XLI:
Here are the official results from all of the bouts:
BOUTS-
185 TITLE
Uriah Hall vs. Nodar Kudukhashvili
Hall 184.5 Kudukhashvili 180.5
Ref Oliver
Judges Bilyk, Krawiec and Rodriguez
Hall wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 29-28.
145 TITLE
James Jenkins vs. Guillermo Sarment
Jenkins 145.5 Sarment 144
Ref Peterson
Judges Bilyk, Krawiec and Rodriguez
Sarment wins via tap due to guillotine at 1:05 of round one.
135 TITLE
Jimmie Rivera vs. Justin Hickey
Rivera 134.75 Hickey 135
Ref Oliver
Judges Agustin, Bilyk and Rodriguez
Rivera wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 30-27.
205 TITLE
Ed Gordon vs. Carlos Brooks
Gordon 202.75 Brooks 203
Ref Peterson
Judges Agustin, Bilyk and Rodriguez
Gordon wins unanimous decision in three rounds, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 Rodriguez.
142
Tom English vs. Soslan Abanokov
English 142.5. Abanokov 141
Ref Peterson
Judges Agustin, Bilyk and Rodriguez
Abanokov wins majority decision in three rounds 29-28, 29-28 and 29-29 Bilyk.
155
Lester Caslow vs. Brian VanHoven
Caslow 154. VanHoven 155
Ref Peterson
Judges Agustin, Proenza and Rodriguez
Caslow wins via tap due to guillotine at 2:27 of round three.
155
Chris Wade vs. Villi Bello
Wade 155. Bello 153
Ref Oliver
Judges Agustin, Bilyk and Rodriguez
Wade wins unanimous decision in three rounds 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 Bilyk.
205
Walter Howard vs. Liam McGeary
Howard 200.5 McGeary 202
Ref Oliver
Judges Bilyk, Krawiec and Proenza McGeary wins via KO punch at 0:41 of round two.
145
Andre Harrison vs. William Metts
Harrison 145. Metts 144
Ref Peterson
Judges Agustin, Bilyk and Proenza
Harrison wins via tap due to rear naked choke at 3:27 of round one.
145
Anthony Facchini vs. Kevin Molina
Facchini 144. Molina 141.5
Ref Peterson
Judges Krawiec, Proenza and Rodriguez
Facchini wins via TKO referee stoppage at 2:32 of round one.
155
Frankie Perez vs. Ben Syers
Perez 154. Syers 150.5
Ref Peterson
Judges Agustin, Bilyk and Rodriguez
Perez wins via TKO due to unanswered strikes at 1:23 of round two.