Despite heavy rains during the day which created challenging conditions, fans flocked to the Rough Fight League event on Saturday night at Funland, Hope Gardens, where intense matchups and special guests made for an unforgettable evening of MMA. Among the highlights was the appearance of Bellator and PFL World Champion Jason Jackson, who thrilled the crowd with a special exhibition bout against promoter and fellow MMA fighter Kyle Chin.
Inside the cage, Shaienie ‘Da Great’ Blake, Theron ‘Iron Prince’ Rose-Green, and Tyrece ‘Tank’ Thompson emerged victorious, demonstrating grit and skill. Blake dominated Daron ‘Avatar’ Weir, ending the fight in the second round with a decisive KO following a series of punishing leg kicks and a perfectly-timed hook, prompting the referee to stop the bout.
Rose-Green claimed victory over Jaheim ‘Imru Makonnen’ Morrison with a choke submission in the third round, while Thompson defeated Samuel Campbell in the first round by TKO with relentless ground-and-pound.
The night’s action also saw Khalil Gordon secure a dramatic victory over Joshua Myers, who had dominated the first two rounds with superior technique and control. However, Gordon turned the tide in the third, catching Myers in a guillotine choke and forcing the tap-out, completing a remarkable comeback.
In another intense matchup, Jordan Mitchell faced off against Chevon Gordon. Mitchell wasted no time, swiftly taking Gordon to the ground in the first round and unleashing a powerful sequence of strikes. His ground-and-pound overwhelmed Gordon, prompting the referee to stop the fight, awarding Mitchell the TKO win.
Chris McNair also claimed a notable victory, taking on Sanjae Hudson in a heated bout. McNair’s relentless body attacks in the second round proved too much for Hudson, with a series of punishing blows leading to a TKO stoppage, securing McNair’s win.
Meanwhile, Demar ‘Force’ Haslam displayed explosive power in his bout against Nakia Anderson. In just the first round, Haslam connected with a precise, devastating strike and securing one of the night’s most decisive victories.
Promoter Kyle Chin, reflecting on the night, expressed satisfaction despite the hurdles caused by the day’s rain. “It was a fantastic night borne out of determination and the will to keep going on,” Chin said. “The torrential rain (earlier in the day) was challenging, especially on the grass venue for setting up the cage and trussing. Despite the delays, fans arrived promptly, and the energy was incredible.”
Chin highlighted the enthusiasm of special guest Jason Jackson, whose participation added a thrilling element to the night. “Jason was really happy to be there, and we could not have been happier to have him,” Chin noted. “We ended up with a decent turnout, proving there are true die-hard fans for MMA here.”
The Rough Fight League continues to make waves in Jamaica’s MMA scene, with fighters and fans alike showing dedication to the sport, rain or shine.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Holmwood Technical completes ISSA rural area Netball double; St. Catherine, Wolmer’s Girls win urban area titles
Defending all-island champions Holmwood Technical retained their ISSA rural area Under-19 netball title with a 38-30 victory over Denbigh High in Thursday's decider at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
The May Pen-based won the first quarter 9-8 before the defending champions rallied to lead 15-14 at the half and 37-24 at the end of the third quarter.
The victory for Holmwood completed the double on the day as their Under-16 team had earlier secured the crown with a 21-16 win in an all-Manchester affair over defending champions Manchester High in a repeat of last year's final.
In the urban area final, St Catherine High captured their third straight Under-19 title with a 32-24 win over The Queen's School. The St John's Road-based school led all quarters 11-3, 20-12 and 23-16.
Meanwhile, Wolmer's Girls took the Under-16 crown after beating St Hugh's 27-21 in their decider.
Manchester High defeated Glenmuir 46-44 to claim third place in the rural area Under-19 category while Mile Gully High claimed third in the Under-16 category with a 32-17 win over Titchfield.
In the urban area, Gaynstead High claimed third in both the Under-19 and Under-16 categories with wins over St. Catherine High and Camperdown High, respectively.
They beat St. Catherine 34-19 and Camperdown 37-23.
Olympic medalists Stona and Ricketts head nominees for RJR Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year
Olympic gold medalist Roje Stona and trailblazing triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts lead the charge as nominees for the prestigious RJR Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards for 2024. The announcement was made during a televised ceremony at the studios of Television Jamaica on Wednesday, unveiling a star-studded lineup of athletes who shone on the global stage.
Stona, who made history by clinching Jamaica’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the men’s discus at the Paris 2024 Olympics, headlines the list of eight male nominees. The field is dominated by track and field stars, all of whom delivered remarkable performances throughout the year: Akeem Blake, bronze medalist in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow; Rasheed Broadbell, 110m hurdles bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics; Rajindra Campbell, shot put bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics; Rusheen McDonald, 400m bronze medalist at the World Indoor Championships; Carey McLeod, long jump bronze medalist at the World Indoor Championships; Wayne Pinnock, Olympic silver medalist in the long jump; and Kishane Thompson, 100m silver medalist at the Paris Olympics.
On the women’s side, Shanieka Ricketts, who became the first Jamaican woman to medal in the triple jump at the Olympics, is joined by a stellar group of nominees: Rushell Clayton, national 400m hurdles champion and finalist at the Paris Olympics; Ackera Nugent, record-breaking hurdler with a new national and world-leading time of 12.24 seconds in the 100m hurdles; Nickisha Pryce, the first Jamaican woman to break the 49-second barrier in the 400m; and Llori Sharpe, cyclist and gold medalist in the Women’s Road Race at the Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships in Guyana, breaking the track and field dominance among nominees.
The ceremony also revealed six nominees for The People’s Choice Performance of the Year, recognizing standout moments that captured the imagination of sports fans: Rasheed Broadbell for his bronze medal-winning run in the 110m hurdles at the Paris Olympics; Ackera Nugent for her world-leading 12.24-second run in the Diamond League; Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw for a spectacular goal against Liverpool in the Women’s Super League; Roje Stona for his historic gold-medal throw in the men’s discus at the Olympics; Kishane Thompson for his 100m silver-medal sprint at the Paris Olympics; and Chavany Willis for his stunning goal for Arnett Gardens against Portmore United in the Jamaica Premier League.
The winners will be announced at the RJR Gleaner National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards Gala on Friday, January 17, 2025, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston. This prestigious event will celebrate the exceptional achievements of Jamaica’s athletes, recognizing those who have left an indelible mark on the nation’s sporting legacy in 2024.
Bangladesh completes dominant 101-run second Test victory over West Indies at Sabina Park; secures first Test win in Caribbean since 2009
Bangladesh completed their first Test match win in the Caribbean in 15 years with a dominant 101-run victory over the West Indies at Sabina Park to draw their two-match series 1-1 on Tuesday.
The tourists started Tuesday’s play in a strong position, 193-5 in 41.4 overs, leading by 211 in their second innings with Jaker Ali and Taijul Islam in the middle on 29 and 9, respectively.
Islam added a further five runs before becoming the first batsman dismissed on the day, caught by Kavem Hodge off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph in the 50th over if the innings.
The wicket of Mominul Haque followed soon after for a duck, leaving Bangladesh 211-7 in the 51st over and giving the hosts hope of wrapping up the innings in quick time to try and secure a series win with the bat.
Ali had other ideas, however, scoring rapidly in the midst of the falling wickets at the other end due to some adventurous stroke making, entertaining the small Sabina Park crowd.
Hasan Mahmud (3) and Taskin Ahmed (0) came and went during Ali’s onslaught that saw Bangladesh make it all the way to 268 all out off 59.5 overs.
Ali, in just his third Test match, was the last man dismissed for a crucial 91 off just 106 balls including eight fours and five sixes.
Kemar Roach finished with 3-36 off 10 overs while Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph also had good spells with 3-77 and 2-80 off 15.5 and 12 overs, respectively.
Set 287 to win, West Indian openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis set out to first ensure that they got to the lunch break without the loss of a wicket.
Unfortunately, even that task proved too much as, in the fifth over of the innings and final one before lunch, Louis (6) played a full delivery from left arm spinner Taijul Islam onto his foot which then lobbed in the air to be caught by Shahadat Hossain fielding at short leg, leaving the West Indies 23-1 off 4.2 overs at lunch.
The post lunch session started with Brathwaite and new batsman Keacy Carty attempting to get stuck into some disciplined Bangladesh bowling.
Almost ten overs into the session, however, Carty played at one to many, edging behind to Litton Das off the bowling of Taijul Islam for 14 leaving the hosts 57-2, needing a further 230 to win.
35 runs later, Brathwaite got a beauty from Islam producing an edge that was parried off the gloves of Das into the arms of the diving Mahmudul Hasan Joy at first slip. Brathwaite made an uncharacteristic 63-ball 43 including two fours and a six.
Three quickly became four as Islam struck once again, this time breaching the defense of Alick Athanaze for five to leave the hosts 106-4 in the 27th over with hopes of a win looking dimmer by the second.
Kavem Hodge and Justin Greaves tried to steady proceedings with a 37-run fifth wicket partnership, which lasted through the tea break.
During that partnership, Hodge brought up his third Test fifty before being dismissed not long after, trapped in front for 55 by Islam with the score on 143 in the 39th over.
The wickets of Justin Greaves (20) in the 43rd over and Joshua Da Silva (12) in the 46th over basically ended all hope for what already looked like an improbable victory. Da Silva’s wicket brought up Islam’s 15th five wicket haul in Tests.
Fast bowlers Hasan Mahmud and first innings hero Nahid Rana combined with the wickets of Alzarri Joseph (5), Kemar Roach (8) and Shamar Joseph (8) to bowl out the West Indies for 185 in 50 overs and secure Bangladesh’s first win in the Caribbean since 2009.
Islam’s final figures were 5-50 off 17 overs while Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed took 2-20 from six overs and 2-45 from 10 overs, respectively.
Full Scores:
Bangladesh 164 off 71.5 overs (Shadman Islam 64, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 36, Jayden Seales 4-5, Shamar Joseph 3-49, Kemar Roach 2-45) & 268 off 59.5 overs (Jaker Ali 91, Shadman Islam 46, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 42, Kemar Roach 2-36, Alzarri Joseph 3-77, Shamar Joseph 2-80)
West Indies 146 off 65 overs (Keacy Carty 40, Kraigg Brathwaite 39, Nahid Rana 5-61, Hasan Mahmud 2-19) & 185 off 50 overs (Kavem Hodge 55, Kraigg Brathwaite 43, Taijul Islam 5-50, Hasan Mahmud 2-20, Taskin Ahmed 2-45).
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