Crash Combat 8 Results
Crash Combat 8 filled AdventHealth Sports Park at BluHawk on Saturday night with eleven bouts, four title fights and a main event that ended the way bare-knuckle fights tend to: early, and not the way anyone in the building expected.
Thatcher submits Eastwood in the first round
Thomas Thatcher took the main event on a week’s notice after Tucker Eastwood’s original opponent fell out. He came in 2-8, a Marine veteran and massage therapist from Nebraska whom the announcer introduced as “just a dad out here fighting.” Eastwood, undefeated and coming off a first-round submission of Nicco Hamilton at Crash 7, walked forward from the opening bell the way he said he would.
The fight went to the clinch inside a minute. Thatcher worked to Eastwood’s back, and with the round winding down he locked up a submission that forced the tap before the two-minute mark. The crowd noise drowned out the call. Thatcher is now 3-8 and headed to Nebraska in December; Eastwood takes his first loss at 2-1.
Karns wins the first bare-knuckle Muay Thai title in Kansas
The co-main event delivered on its billing. Paul Karns and Kendell Ward went five two-minute rounds without gloves for a belt no one had ever held. Ward controlled stretches with leg kicks, Karns hurt him with the jab and a switch kick, and the fourth round turned messy: two low blows cost Karns two points and stopped the action three times. He answered by opening Ward up in the fifth. The judges gave it to Karns unanimously, and the title goes home to Dodge City.
Every event streams live and on demand — full cards, replays, and the archive.
Watch on MMA FuturesThree amateur belts change hands
Terel Jones of 316 MMA in Wichita won the 145-pound amateur MMA title with a rear naked choke on Arlo Collier at 2:52 of the second round, ten seconds before the bell. Collier, 20, fought the choke until it was fully in. Asked what comes next, Jones said, “Murder and violence, man. That’s why we always come to watch.”
Tosh Hernandez of Lawrence Fight Club went five rounds with David Del Real for the 125-pound amateur MMA title and took a unanimous decision, then thanked his grandfather and father for flying in to watch. Colin Reed kept his composure through what the commentary called “an absolute three-round war” with Christopher Fuentes to win the 135-pound amateur kickboxing title 30-27.
Debut knockout, and a walk-through
AJ Totta made his MMA debut against fellow debutant Adam Flores and needed 57 seconds. A left hook dropped Flores and hammer fists ended it. Earlier, Jeremy Mireles was stunned twice by Lino Gomez in their heavyweight kickboxing bout, kept walking forward, and finished Gomez at 1:19 of the second round. York Wilson took a unanimous decision over James Young and called out Mireles from the ring.
Full results
- Thomas Thatcher def. Tucker Eastwood, submission, R1 (bare-knuckle MMA, 170)
- Paul Karns def. Kendell Ward, unanimous decision, 5 rds (Crash Combat Pro Bare Knuckle Muay Thai Title, 125)
- Terel Jones def. Arlo Collier, rear naked choke, R2 2:52 (145 lb Amateur MMA Title)
- Tosh Hernandez def. David Del Real, unanimous decision, 5 rds (125 lb Amateur MMA Title)
- Colin Reed def. Christopher Fuentes, unanimous decision 30-27 (135 lb Amateur Kickboxing Title)
- York Wilson def. James Young, unanimous decision (kickboxing, heavyweight)
- Markel Grady def. Kody Conard, split decision (kickboxing, lightweight)
- Jesus Fuentes def. Xavier Flowers, unanimous decision 29-28 x3 (Muay Thai, bantamweight)
- AJ Totta def. Adam Flores, TKO, R1 0:57 (MMA, light heavyweight)
- Jeremy Mireles def. Lino Gomez, TKO, R2 1:19 (kickboxing, heavyweight)
- Carter Parrish def. Reese Johnson, TKO (doctor stoppage), end of R2 (kickboxing, flyweight)
Crash Combat returns later this year. The full replay of Crash Combat 8 is available now at watch.mmafutures.com.
