Pride Gym MMA fighter Keanan “Porrada” Patershuk travelled a long way to make short work of his opponent at the Cage Fury Fighting Championship-121 in Tunica, Miss. on Friday, July 14.
Patershuk dropped Christian “the Vanilla Gorilla” Echols at 3:22 of the first round to win by knockout in his fourth professional middleweight fight, and improve his record to 3-1.
The venue was a short drive from Memphis, Tenn., where the 29-year-old Rossland fighter dominated the odds-on favourite Echols, 25, from Alabama, after waiting six months for an opponent.
Echols is known for his big upset in Bellotar 289 for his first round knockout of Patrick Downey, a stand out NCAA wrestler.
As expected, he came out strong at the start of the first round, blasting Patershuk with a double-leg take down. However, Patershuk regained his feet and squared off with Echols.
Echols swung wildly, trying to land a punch, but Patershuk blocked and avoided the furious outburst. Both fighters clinched up, exchanging knees and punches.
Echols made a hard and desperate attempt to take Keanan down along the fence without success as Patershuk peeled him off and followed up with a triple jab to the face, and a leg kick. Patershuk then put Echols in a Thai Clinch (collar tie) and landed a heavy knee to the forehead, dazing Echols.
Patershuk maintained the Thai clinch and landed a series of elbows and another knee to the head.
Surprisingly Echols was still on his feet, but Patershuck put the pressure on, landing his patented heavy leg kicks that dropped Echols to the mat.
At that point, the fight commentator noted that “It looks like this is the beginning to the end.”
Patershuk landed more leg kicks and avoided Echols desperate counter offensive, a couple of big hooks.
Patershuk finished him off with leg kick after leg kick and then landed a head-high roundhouse kick that had Echols reeling. The Pride Gym fighter then Thai clinched him up and landed the final knee for the knockout at 3.22 of the first round.
Pride Gym’s owner/trainer Glen Kalesniko says, “I want to thank our team of coaches and members for the hard work they all put in to get Keanan ready for this bout after multiple cancellations from many opponents over the last six months.”
