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MMA: Palacios remains unbeaten

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=291267
By Brad Crawford
Correspondent
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Story Photo
Staff photo by Andrew Craft
Justin Goff, right, connects with a punch and knocks down Tim Miller in the second fight of the Close Quarters Combat in the Cage at the Crown Arena. Goff defeated Miller.

In Fayetteville’s first mixed martial arts event in the city’s history, an estimated 2,700 fans witnessed a night of kicks, punches and pins Saturday at the Crown Arena.

Close Quarters Combat featured nine total matches with the first six bouts fought by amateurs in a cage. The final three fights, labeled as the main event, consisted of professional fighters, including Fayetteville’s Jason Palacios.

Palacios, the hometown favorite who is now 4-0 in professional MMA contests, won the lightweight professional match in the night’s final event with a decision over Patrick Lopez.

After gaining control in the first round by pinning Lopez against the cage, Palacios finished off his opponent in the third with a choke-submission move.

Before Palacios’s bout with Lopez, the 24-year-old former National Guardsman oozed with confidence about the chances of taking down his opponent.

“It doesn’t matter how or when he tries to fight, I know it’s going to be a battle,” Palacios said. “I’m a well-rounded fighter and I’ll be able to handle anything he throws at me.

“I knew he was going to be a banger and it’s always important for me to use my hands.”

One of the most competitive fights featured amateurs Scott Stagner and Will Estes in the 185-pound weight class as both competitors fought to the wire in the third round.

After Estes landed a right jab to his opponent’s nose in the opening seconds of round one, Stagner fought back with a flurry of kickboxing moves to pull even on the scorecard at the end of round two.

Estes was awarded the unanimous decision from three judges (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) in the third round after forcing Stagner’s nose to trickle with blood, blotting the mat.

The match between Justin Goff and Tim Miller for the title in the 155-pound lightweight class was a battle between two opponents with similar jiu jitsu fighting styles.

Goff combined speed and athleticism in the second round to corner Miller into a submission. On a move named the “rear naked choke,” a popular finishing hold by MMA fighters, Goff earned the win.