The latest NW Fight Challenge, presented by NW Promotions & the Academy of Brian Johnson, played to a full house of enthustiastic fight fans at the former Apex Carting Center in Tumwater WA. A total of 14 amateur fights went down - 11 MMA & 3 Kickboxing - including 4 Championship fights and 2 Superfights. The night was full of solid action from the very first fight and had a nice mix of knockouts, submissions, fights that went the distance, plus one very special marriage proposal.

In the main event, which was for the 185 lb Title, Battleground MMA's Grady Duncan handled everything Omar Petty threw his way in the first round and came out hard in the 2nd to blast Petty at just 17 seconds into the round for the KO win. Duncan remains undefeated at 4-0 with the victory.

If you're around the fight game long enough, you'll hear the expression "leaving it all in the ring" (or in this case the cage). The 155 lb Kickboxing Championship fight between Julien Martin and Lonya Champion was the very epitome of two fighters doing just that. Champion, repping PNW Kickboxing & Roughhouse MMA, mounted a furious attack in the first two rounds, looking for the knockout. Martin, training with Brian Johnson's Fight Team, countered well and was patient in waiting for Champion to expend himself. By the third round, it was Martin who was the agressor as Champion covered against the cage and occasionally gathered up the energy to counter with a flurry. When the round ended, Champion collasped in exhaustion and was unable to continue. Martin didn't have much more in the tank himself but had enough in him to gather and take home his belt!

Twin Dragon's Tyler Thompson was making yet another defense of his 135 lb MMA title, this time against Chimera MMA's Gary Ellis. Ellis came out hard, getting Thompson on the ground as he worked to do damage from top position. Thompson was able to escape eventually and then it was his turn, after recovering from an accidental low blow, to work Ellis on the ground, nearly finishing Ellis via armbar save for the bell to end the first round. Unfortunately for the fighters and the fans though, that was it as a nasty gash on Thompson's right shin forced the doctor to stop the contest. Initially the fight was declared a no-contest but upon review the gash was determined to come from a Ellis strike and Ellis now becomes the new NW Fight Challenge 135 lb Champion.

In a 135 lb MMA Superfight, Ollie "The Local Boy" Tiglao, fighting out of Marcelo Alonso BJJ & the Academy of Brian Johnson, defeated Team Blackout's Thomas Pierce via 2nd round TKO. After the fight, Tiglao spoke to NW Fightscene.

Tiglao's teammate, Jason Swan, was too much for Evolution Martial Arts' Mike LeBland, displaying some great speed and athleticism in outworking him in the first round and then connecting for the knockout blow at 23 seconds into the 2nd. With the KO, Swan won the NW Promotions 170 lb Muay Thai Championship.

In a 155 lb MMA Superfight, Aaron Martin, training under Marcelo Alonso & Brian Johnson, took home the belt with the night's best submission via a slick Rear Naked Choke of Kiai Martial Arts' Cameron Sevilla-Rivera at 1:23 of the first.

The first fight of the evening started things out right as Pinnacle Martial Arts' Parm Gill and Premier Martial Arts' Blake Casey battled it out for 3 rounds in an entertaining 145 lb contest. Gill came out on top via a unanimous decision, with all 3 judges seeing him take two rounds and Casey one. Casey wasn't finished though for the evening, as he came into the cage later after cleaning himself up and displayed a different kind of courage as he publicly proposed to his girlfriend in front of the large crowd. And the answer from her was... YES! Very sweet and NW Fightscene wishes this young couple the best of luck!

The next NW Fight Challenge is scheduled for June 16th. More info at www.bjohnsonkarate.com.