Isaque Sandman Martinez and Grant Hobbs represented the Centennial State well in Santa Fe, N.M., on Saturday night at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino in King of the Cage Fight to Live.
The mixed martial artists posted road victories, as Hobbs (Vicious Strength MMA, Durango) upped his amateur record to 6-2 with a win over Santa Fes Skyler Pendleton of Albuquerque Kick Boxing Academy, and Martinez (11-2) won his professional bout with Guto Feliciano of Roswell, N.M.
Martinez, of Montezuma Martial Arts in Cortez, won in the first-round by submission at 185 pounds with a rear naked, chokehold.
He was a good opponent. He was about my size, same build. He was suppose to be pretty good stand up and on the ground, Martinez said about Feliciano. He kind of hesitated to throw some punches, so I threw a big kick to the leg. He threw a punch and I kind of ducked it.
The two then went to the ground and Feliciano had Martinez on the mat. But the Sandman escaped and dealt a deadly knee to Feliciano when he was against the cage. A couple more strikes forced Feliciano to roll over and Martinez put him in the chokehold to force a tapout.
It felt real good to get the win, Martinez said. It really got my momentum going again. Hopefully, it will really prepare me for July 16.
Saturday, July 16, are the next scheduled King of the Cage fights at the Ute Mountain Casino in Towaoc. It will be an outdoor event and Martinez and Hobbs are slated to be there. Opponents have yet to be determined.
Hobbs fight with Pendleton was much more competitive. The two former high school wrestlers nearly went three full rounds, before Hobbs forced Pendleton to tapout by armbar submission at the 7:35 mark in Round 3. Each round is three minutes.
Ive never fought anybody that has tested me as much as that, Hobbs said about Pendleton. We battled, man, in the first. We battled in the second. We battled in the third. We battled and battled. It just came up to who made the mental mistake.
Hobbs, a former two-time Colorado state wrestling champion at 112 pounds for Dove Creek High School, fought tooth and nail at 125 pounds with Pendleton. The two jabbed and jockeyed for position, and in a scene out of Rocky IV, the home fans started to cheer for Hobbs near the end.
He came out, and it was pretty loud. By the end of the fight, though, the hometown kind of turned into liking me, Hobbs said. After my fight, they all applauded. Everybody loved the fight.
Hobbs plans to turn pro after his tenth fight as an amateur and feels his win in Santa Fe was a major stepping stone.
Just as fast as I beat him, he could have done the same thing to me. He was that caliber of a fighter, Hobbs said. It was a good win to get under my belt. It was probably the best Ive fought. It was on the road, nobody expected, probably, for me to come in and beat this hometown guy, but I ended up being the best.
Martinez and Hobbs will next compete on July 16, at the Ute Mountain Casino in Towaoc. Contact the Ute Mountain Casino Gift Shop at 800-258-8007 for more information.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.