Bellator veteran "Insane" Georgi Karakhanyan (black trunks) defeated Isaac DeJesus (white trunks) via submission in the TPF 11 main event last night to earn the title of Tachi Palace Fight's Featherweight Champion. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)
The torch was passed to two new champions at Friday night’s Tachi Palace Fights 11: Redemption. The event, which was held at the promotion’s namesake venue, the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California, filled its vacant featherweight and bantamweight titles in the main and co-main events.
Bellator and King of the Cage veteran “Insane” Georgi Karakhanyan (18-3) squared off with former TPF Featherweight Champion Isaac DeJesus (9-4) for the 135lbs. title. Karakhanyan employed powerful high kicks early on in the bout, even connecting with a masterful front kick to DeJesus’s face. The former champ answered with a few leg and body kicks of his own brand before taking Karakhanyan to the mat about halfway through the opening round. Karakhanyan latched onto his foe’s arm and cranked an Armbar; DeJesus appears to tap, but then pulls free from the hold and climbs back to his feet before diving right back into Karakhanyan’s guard. This time the “Insane” Bellator vet sunk in a tight Triangle Choke and squeezed. DeJesus tapped on his opponent’s face several times and the fight was called off with 58 seconds remaining in the first frame. Georgi Karakhanyan exited the cage on a three-fight win streak and as the new Tachi Palace Fights Featherweight Champion. DeJesus has not recorded a win in his past four fights.
Former Tachi Palace Fights Flyweight Champion “Useless” Ulysses Gomez (9-2) faced the young, game competitor Cody Gibson (5-2) in the evening’s co-main event. Gibson, the stronger and more substantially sized of the two, battered Gomez against the cage with a variety of strikes for the better part of the first two rounds. The final frame saw Gibson keep a much slower pace, as that which he executed in the first two rounds was clearly taking its toll. Gibson shot in for a takedown and Gomez seized the opportunity as well as Gibson’s neck, locking in a Guillotine Choke that forced the tap at the 2:36 mark. Gomez has now strung together a pair of consecutive victories after losing his 125lbs. championship title to Darrell Montague (9-2) at TPF 8 in February while Gibson’s loss marked the end of his own two-fight win streak.
Click here for the full list of TPF 11 fight results.
