Elite Cage Fighting held its last event of 2007 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on December 1, as ECF 18 featured a packed card and some high quality fights. Notably, the night both began and ended with title fights, as both the IUPAD Lightweight Indiana State Pankration Title (which is held annually and then vacated) and the ECF 170-pound title were up for grabs.

Adam Shea (4-2) vs. Denys Shalaev (2-0) (for the IUPAD Indiana State Pankration Title)
Shalaev opened the fight landing an inside leg kick but then missed with a high kick, allowing Shea to take him down. Shea worked out of Shalaev's guard to side control. After Shalaev rolled and gave up his back, Shea worked for a rear naked choke and eventually locked it in. Adam Shea wins by rear naked choke 1:34 into the first round.

Austin Appollos (1-0) vs. James Smith (1-1)
After Smith landed a good side kick and overhand right, Appollos pulled him down into half-guard and worked for a guillotine. Smith had none of it though, thwarting the choke attempt and gaining full mount. Appollos tried to slide out underneath but Smith maintained mount, got separation, and worked the ground and pound until the referee was forced to step in and save Appollos. James Smith wins by TKO 2:47 into the first round.

Smith looks for the finish

Brad Estes (0-0) vs. Seth Kellogg (0-2)
Brad Estes's MMA debut is one that Seth Kellogg would like to forget. Kellogg hit a big overhand right early in the fight but, after a furious exchange of punches after that, the rest of the fight belonged to Estes. After the fight went to the ground with Estes in full mount, Estes unloaded several shots as Kellogg tried to work enough to avoid a stoppage. However, after Estes landed several absolutely punishing strikes the ref had no choice but to step in and stop the fight. Brad Estes wins by TKO 2:31 into the first round.

Cody Craig (0-0) vs. Chris Hanley (0-0)
Quick and decisive devastation in this one. Hanley dropped Craig with a kick and unloaded facial abuse to which Craig offered absolutely no intelligent defense. The crowd booed the stoppage, but the ref again had no choice but to call this one. Chris Hanley wins by TKO just :06 into the first round.

Troy Burton (0-0) vs. James Falk (0-1)
Burton made his MMA debut on the wrong end of a clinic in stand-up abuse. Falk landed a good kick and a sequence of several good punches. After a brief clinch against the cage, Falk continued to land big shots and scored knockdown after knockdown, having his way with Burton before the ref mercifully puts an end to Burton's night. James Falk wins by TKO 1:04 into the first round.

The wonderful ECF cage girls

Brendan Broadstreet (5-4) vs. Jeremy Butler (2-0)
The last fight before the first intermission was, up until that moment, the best fight of the night. In the first round, Butler landed a stiff right before the fight went to the ground. Butler worked out of Broadstreet's guard and briefly gained side control, but Broadstreet was able to pull Butler back into his guard. Butler elected to pull out and stand the fight up, and Broadstreet landed two good jabs before Butler shot for the takedown. Broadstreet pulled guard and worked for an armbar, working it nearly to completion until Butler was saved by the bell. The second round opened with a good exchange. From there Broadstreet looked to pick his shots. Butler shot in but Broadstreet stuffed it, then pulled guard and looked for a triangle. After Butler fended that off and the ref eventually stood up the fighters, Broadstreet landed several good punches and then a big knee that dropped Butler. From there Broadstreet unloaded punishment until the ref intervened. Brendan Broadstreet wins by TKO 2:04 into the second round.

During the first intermission I chatted with Todd Kiser, who won the first IUPAD State Pankration Title back in 2000. Now at the tail end of a successful MMA career (losing his last fight to UFC vet Josh Neer), Kiser continues to train with Hoosier MMA notables Chris "Lights Out" Lytle and Jeremy Bolt while marketing and distributing Go Fast energy drinks.

Aaron Cooper (1-1) vs. Kevin Jennings (0-0)
This fight was spent predominantly on the ground. In the first round, Jennings transitioned from side control to north-south and worked for a guillotine. Cooper escaped the choke attempt and took down Jennings into full mount. With Jennings struggling to avoid separation, Cooper landed elbows, worked for a higher mount, and continued to land elbows as Jennings managed to hang on until the end of the round. After Jennings missed with a big head kick to open the second round, Cooper again took Jennings down into full mount and continued to land elbows. From there Cooper caught Jennings in a straight armbar. Jennings tried to hold out but Cooper tightened the hold and forced Jennings to tap. Aaron Cooper wins by armbar 1:06 into the second round.

Cooper finishes Jennings off with an armbar

Joshua Jones (2-1) vs. Nick Wakley (3-0)
Quite simply, the fight of the night and a nonstop blur of back-and-forth action. After an exchange of takedowns, Wakley worked for a guillotine from north-south position. Jones powered out and took Wakley down to full mount, but quickly got reversed with Wakley ending up in his guard. Undaunted, Jones looked for a triangle but Wakley escaped. Jones rolled into full mount but Wakley again managed to reverse into Jones's guard. The fight went back to stand-up and the fighters exchanged punches as an outstanding first round ended. The action continued in the second, with Jones momentarily dropping Wakley and later landing an overhand right. From there it appeared that Wakley feinted being tired, prompting Jones to swing and miss and enabling Wakley to take the fight to the ground with back control on Jones. Wakley looked for a rear naked choke but Jones managed to work out of the position and into Wakley's guard. Wakley briefly appeared to look for a gogoplata but Jones worked out of the guard to side control and then full mount. From there Jones caught Wakley in an armbar to finish an incredible fight. After the fight, with both fighters bloody, Jones dedicated his win to his father, who recently passed away. Joshua Jones wins by armbar 2:30 into the second round.

One of many good ground exchanges in this fight

Rocky France (1-0) vs. Jesse Turner (1-1)
It is only fitting that a fight featuring a guy named Rocky would be finished with strikes. After an opening clinch, France landed two good rights and then dropped Turner. Turner worked out of inferior north-south position back to standup and landed a solid jab, which France laughed off. Turner's high kick was deflected by France, who then dropped Turner and unloaded on him until Turner was knocked out. Rocky France wins by KO 1:57 into the first round.

Damon Roberts (2-5) vs. Brandon Clore (0-2)
In a fight featuring two guys desperate for a win, Clore shot for a takedown and ended up in Roberts's guard. Roberts looked for an armbar but couldn't get it. Clore worked out to half-guard, landed a good elbow, and ended up back in full guard. Roberts again looked for an armbar to no avail, and Clore was able to land good shots from within guard and eventually knock out Roberts. Brandon Clore wins by KO 2:49 into the first round.

Bobby Chadwell (1-5) vs. Cody Abercrombie (0-2)
Chadwell got a takedown and full mount, but Abercrombie reversed into Chadwell's guard. From there Chadwell somehow ended up hurt, although it was unclear what caused it. Cody Abercrombie wins by TKO(?) 1:01 into the first round.

Matt Jones (1-1) vs. Garett Whitley (0-0)
The fight opened with an exchange of takedowns into one another's guards. Back on their feet, Whitley picked his shots and, after a clinch, got the better of an exchange of punches against the cage and landed several knees. Jones shot for a single leg takedown but Whitley stuffed it. Whitley landed a big elbow while in a clinch against the cage and then finished Jones with a flurry of punches that dropped him. Garett Whitley wins by TKO 2:47 into the first round.

Brian Payne (0-0) vs. Dustin Dennison (0-3)
Unfortunately this fight came after the second intermission and not before. Payne faked an opening glove tap with Dennison and shot for a takedown that was the equivalent of a sucker punch. From there Payne landed a crushing illegal knee to Dennison's head that absolutely devastated Dennison. The fight was stopped and initially declared a no-contest. However, after a video replay it was determined that Payne's illegal strike was clearly intentional, giving Dennison his first "victory" the very hard way. Dennison was carried out on a stretcher and left in an ambulance, and the remaining fights were delayed for quite some time until an ambulance could again be on hand.  Dustin Dennison wins by disqualification :20 into the first round.

Dennison being loaded onto a stretcher

Josh Rines (1-1) vs. Stephen Power (0-1)
Rines made quick work of Power, gaining a takedown, working to side control and then full mount. From there Rines got separation and landed big strikes, prompting the ref to intervene. Josh Rines wins by TKO :55 into the first round.

Darren Smith (3-3) vs. Dwayne Detty (1-0)
In another very quick fight, Smith got a single leg takedown and rained an uninterrupted series of big strikes on his opponent. Detty flailed helplessly and the ref eventually stopped the abuse. Darren Smith wins by TKO :25 into the first round.

Superheavyweight staredown

David Brinley (0-0) vs. Andrew Key (1-4)
After an opening exchange of punches, Brinley attempted a shoot and Key worked for a guillotine. Brinley escaped the choke attempt but landed an illegal head shot. After Key was given five minutes by rule to recover, Brinley gained a takedown into full mount. Key rolled and gave up his back. Instead of a rear naked choke, Brinley locked up Key's head and, with Key defenseless, rained an abusive succession of quick punches that rearranged Key's face, prompting Key to desperately tap out. David Brinley wins by submission (strikes) 1:20 into the first round.

David Zamani (2-1) vs. Justin Allen (7-0) (for the ECF 170-pound title)
The headline fight of the night did not disappoint. After an opening clinch, Zamani looked for a guillotine but Allen took him down into Zamani's half-guard. Allen worked from that position into a leglock attempt, and Zamani began pounding Allen with strikes as Allen worked unsuccessfully for a leglock. Getting the better of that sequence, Zamani worked to full mount but Allen reversed into Zamani's guard. After a period of inactivity the ref stood up the fight. Allen landed a good knee in a Thai clinch, but Zamani countered with a head kick and a series of jabs. Zamani then took down Allen and landed heavy elbows. Allen took some major abuse but managed to survive to the end of the round. However, Allen could not answer the bell for the second round. After a brief debate over whether Zamani's post-fight celebration violated the cage safety rules (which would have resulted in forfeit), Zamani was officially declared the winner and new 170-pound champion. David Zamani wins when Allen cannot continue into the second round.

Allen congratulates Zamani on winning the title