A one-punch knockout that shocked a packed crowd for its abrupt ending was the highlight of Saturday's end-of-the-year Total Mayhem mixed martial arts card at the Ogden Marriott.
Layton's Josh Buck, 151 pounds, upset Sunset's Sooksan Simpleman, winner of five straight, including a win over Buck. But the Layton pro nailed Simpleman with a straight right punch that dropped his opponent.
The referee stopped the fight at five seconds and declared Buck, 6-12, the winner. Simpleman, who had won five straight bouts, dropped to 8-5 and was visibly shaken minutes after the fight.
The scheduled main event between Ogden's unbeaten Jon Neal and tough Richfield veteran Steve Walser was a late scratch from the card. The replacement main event involved super-heavyweight Collin Moreland, 338 pounds, from Brigham City, who defeated Kearns' Jaron Edgar, 385 pounds. Both very obese fighters punched and kicked each other for five minutes. Edgar bloodied Moreland's nose early in the first round but spent the last 90 seconds of the round in retreat with an injured shoulder as Moreland kicked at his legs. Edgar, who appeared exhausted, did not answer the bell for Round 2.
Two impressive prospects scored quick wins. Blackfoot, Idaho's Aaron Sutton, 170 pounds, appeared to "Tebow" a prayer before his bout, but he needed no divine help to overpower San Diego's Brandon Beech, 170 pounds, scoring his first win at 1:23 of the first round via a rear naked choke tap out. An even quicker winner was South Jordan's Jesse Clark, 2-0, who defeated Scott Pike of Las Vegas, 3-6, by strikes in 46 seconds.
Kearns' Tim Lund, 186 pounds, improved to 5-12 with a second round win via strikes over Ogden's Koji Lehman, 185 pounds, 6-9. Jason Rackham, 1-0, 177 pounds, of North Ogden, defeated Ogden's Colton Shupe, 0-1 in the first round. Skyler Frasier, 152, of Magna, stopped Layton's Nick Dellamore, 155, in Round 1 and Johnny McGee, Salt Lake City, 167, stopped David Lee, 170, of Layton, in the first round.
After the fights, the MMA venue was changed into a dance ballroom where attendees greeted the new year.
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