LAS VEGAS – On Friday February 29, 2008 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the IFL kicked off its 2008 season dubbed “New Blood, New Battles” due to the plethora of changes that the organization underwent after the 2007 season ended in December. The team-based league, which used to emphasize city vs. city events, has now shifted to a team vs. team format. The IFL also went out and recruited new coaches and athletes for its 2008 campaign. One of these coaches is the legendary Mario Sperry, who founded the Brazilian Top Team and will be coaching his new team “World Class Fight Center” against Shawn Tompkins’ “Team Tompkins”. Both teams will enjoy the home crowd, as they are both located in Las Vegas. The other team match-up of the night pits Matt Lindland’s Portland, Oregon based “Team Quest” against Ken Shamrock’s Reno, Nevada based “Lion’s Den”. There were 8 fights in total with nearly half of them being title fights. Ryan Schultz defended his lightweight title against John Gunderson, heavyweight champion Roy Nelson battled Fabiano Scherner, and the middleweight belt was up for grabs as champion Matt Horwich took on Ryan McGivern.



Ian “The Barn Owl” Loveland (Team Quest) vs. Dennis “The Piranha” Davis (Team Tompkins) – Featherweight Bout

The first bout of the night had an interesting storyline behind it. Dennis Davis used to be Ian Loveland’s coach and never had any interest in fighting him after moving to Las Vegas to train at Xtreme Couture. However, once Loveland learned that his former coach dropped down to the IFL’s newly formed featherweight division, he began stressing his desire to fight his former coach. Davis didn’t think to kindly of this and the fight was signed to help figure out the pecking order in the 145-pound division.


Round 1:
Dennis Davis wearing camo shorts comes out the aggressor and lands a low kick and right hand. Ian Loveland appears tentative, but goes for a Sakuraba-like kimura and is promptly slammed for his efforts. They reverse positions on the ground and Davis goes from an armbar to omoplata, but Loveland defends. Matt Lindland is very vocal in Loveland’s corner. Davis goes for another armbar attempt, but misses. Loveland falls back and they scramble back to their feet. Loveland attempts a weak guillotine choke, Davis defends side, and mount from the mount he begins looking for mounted triangle. Davis rolls to sink the triangle and Loveland escapes as the round ends. OTM scores the round 10-9 for Davis due to more aggressive game and multiple submission attempts to Loveland’s one takedown.

Round 2:
Loveland connects with a few punches to start the second stanza that seem to catch Davis’ attention. Loveland jumps to full guard and forces Davis to tapout via guillotine choke near the corner ropes. It appears that Loveland’s big right hand had dazed Davis, which facilitated the guillotine choke submission at 58 seconds of the second round.



Rafael Dias (World Class Fight Center) vs. Santino DeFranco (Team Tompkins) – Featherweight Bout

Round 1:
Rafael Dias comes out and uses an early trip takedown on Santino DeFranco to start things off. Working from top of DeFranco’s half guard, he begins working a mounted Guillotine Choke as his coach Mario Sperry shouts out instructions in Portuguese. Dias then transitions into a deep Anaconda Choke that nearly forces the tap. Dias then re-postures and DeFranco tries to stand. Dias looks for a Guillotine Choke and then takes DeFranco’s back to finish the fight with a beautiful rear naked choke ending what was a completely dominant display of Jiu-Jitsu, much to the delight of his coach Mario Sperry and the World Class Fight Center.



Leopoldo Serao (World Class Fight Center) vs. Josh “Bring the Pain” Haynes (Team Tompkins) – Middleweight Bout

Round 1:
TUF 3 light-heavyweight finalist Josh Haynes starts the fight off with a flurry that drops Leopoldo Serao, who quickly pulls guard. Haynes backs up and lets him stand. Haynes comes in fast again and Serao again pulls guard. Haynes frees his foot and forces Serao to stand again. He then butt flops again and asks Haynes to join him. Haynes looks confused. Clinches then pulls guard looking for a rubber guard. Haynes blasts him looking frustrated as the crowd boos Serao for refusing to stand back up. Haynes circles Serao and kicks his legs. Haynes seems to get bored and dives into his guard. A failed omoplata ends the round with a ton of boos raining down on the Brazilian who thinks he’s in a grappling match. OTM scores it 10- 9 for Haynes.

Round 2:
Haynes is the aggressor on the feet again and Serao butt flops like clockwork as soon as Haynes gets within striking distance. The ref forces him to stand and he flops again. Stand flop, stand flop, stand flop… The crowd is beginning to wonder if Serao has ever trained MMA, wrestling, or striking. Haynes gets annoyed and throws his hand up at him like WTF dude? Haynes lands a stiff jab, which makes the hometown crowd cheer. For unknown reasons, Haynes decides to join Serao in his realm throwing punches inside his guard. Serao has a completely ineffective rubber guard. Haynes drops a few more elbows and strikes as the second round ends. OTM scores it 10-8 for Haynes.

Round 3:

It appears that Haynes knows he has this fight in the bag, as he doesn’t seem as aggressive as he was in the first two rounds. Serao’s punches are ironically the “pussy cat punches” that Sperry so vehemently despises. As Haynes looked to stand, Serao takes his back and works the RNC as the tough as nails Haynes punches backwards and looks to spin back into his guard. Haynes slowly and methodically works his way out and throws his arms up in the air in victory with 30 seconds left after escaping up to his feet, knowing that he won as the Brazilian lays on his back. The crowd erupts as Haynes showed his trademark grit after putting himself in unnecessary danger after dominating the first two rounds. OTM scores the round 10-9 for Serao, but the overall fight 29-27 for Haynes. The judges agree and give Haynes the Unanimous Decision victory.


Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira (World Class Fight Center) vs. Lew Polley (Team Tompkins) – Heavyweight Bout


Cacareco is widely regarded as one of the best submission grapplers in the world having competed successfully in the prestigious ADCC World Championships on several occasions. He is very small for the 265-pound heavyweight division, weighing in at 212-pounds. His opponent Lew Polley trains mostly with American Top Team, but will be representing Team