AFC

The AFC returned the the Mat-Su valley tonight. Check out the fight results and recaps below, and be sure to check back in here in the next few days for pictures, analysis, awards, and the Final Word!

:::MAIN EVENT:::
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT
Stephen 'The Incredible Hulk' Waalkes def. Tommie 'The Tornado' Matthews
Round 1, KO (body punch)

Rd. 1

Former AFC champion Chris 'The Hot Seat' Davis emerged victorious in the main event at Pure MMA: The Beginning last Sunday, catching UFC veteran Johnny Rees in his trademark triangle choke midway through the second round.

Davis is currently focusing on educational and career goals, and said he does not expect to make a run at the highest level yet.

AFC

Please don't let the late nature of this post fool you. Sometimes it's gets so hard holding down two jobs while going back to school and nursing injured puppies back to health that a dapper and swinging man-about-town can hardly keep up with his regional MMA blog.

AFC

The Alaska Fighting Championship kicked off 2012 with a title eliminator on Wednesday, January 18. Although the card was plagued by absent fighters, injuries, and mismatches, there were some sweet morsels of MMA to mine from the milieu.

Now that my metaphors are thoroughly mixed, let's get to the final word!

FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Mike 'The Cannon' Fannon and Tommie 'The Tornado' Matthews

AFC

The AFC kicked off 2012 Wednesday night. Headlining the event was two veterans slugging it out for the chance to challenge Brian Ryan for the heavyweight belt. Check out the results and recaps below, and make sure to check back in this weekend for pictures, awards, analysis, and the Final Word.

--MAIN EVENT--
HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDERSHIP BOUT
Mike 'The Cannon' Fannon vs. Tommie 'The Tornado' Matthews
Rd. 1, Submission (north-south choke)

Rd. 1

Current AFC welterweight champion 'Naptime' Nic Herron-Webb

Current AFC welterweight champion 'Naptime' Nic Herron-Webb will face UFC veteran Shamar Bailey in the main event of Pure MMA: The Beginning. The event will go down on Sunday, January 22, in Plains, Pennsylvania. It will be the first time the champion has traveled out of state for an MMA bout.

AFC

The Alaska Fighting Championship returns to the Sullivan Arena for their first show of 2012 on Wednesday, January 18. After spending the last months of the previous year settling business in several other weigh classes, they now turn their attention to the big boys. On deck for the main event is a #1 contender bout between two of the most popular heavyweights in the state. Let's see how they stack up:

MAIN EVENT: TOMMIE 'THE TORNADO' MATTHYOOS vs. MIKE 'THE CANNON' FANNON

Well, 2011 was a busy year! Alaskan fight fanatics got to see an outdoor, Pride-rules event, longer rounds, and two new champions. We witnessed in disbelief as our beloved heavyweight wrecking-machine tapped out, we dropped our jaws in awe as two young champions dueled in a match for the ages, and we smiled like star-stuck dopes as we posed for pictures with visiting UFC fighters. There were new names making their mark and old friends conspicuously absent from the cage. Every division has naturally experienced significant fluctuation. Let's see where the fighters stand going into 2012.

One on-going feature that's sputters back to life on this blog every few months is Fighter's Speak, where several local fighters are asked a question pertaining to MMA. It's a fascinating look into the intricate and complex fight scene, and not at all a cleaver ploy designed to give me more My Little Pony time by not having to write a real article (FYI, you do NOT bother me during My Little Pony time).

Below are answers from the fighters that responded. Thanks for the replies!

WHAT WOULD YOU, AS AN ALASKA FIGHTER, LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN TO THE LOCAL MMA SCENE IN 2012?

What a year, what a year, what a year it has been. Memorable moments of heart, power, rage, technique, talent, training, etc, etc...

But which moment's stand out the most? Which fighters' heralded exploits earned that most illustrious and intangible of honors, a CagefigthingAK Year End Award?

Seriously, they are intangible, as in there isn't a physical trophy or anything, all you get is recognition of your peers. Well, one peer. Me. Honestly, I'm starting to think these awards aren't worth the extravagant bribes I get from candidates.

Nate Hannah: The new champ, with his new belt. PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLO SIPIN

A CHAMPION IS CROWNED

At long last, our prayers are answered! Ring the sacred bell and slaughter the fatted calf! For the AFC has a lightweight champion!

I tell you, I'm so happy about this fact that I'm giving all children the next two weeks off of school. YOU HEAR THAT KIDS? NO SCHOOL FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, THANKS TO SAM!

AFC

The AFC produced another fine show Wednesday night, crowning their first lightweight champion in over a year. Results and recaps are below. Check back in this weekend for quotes, awards, analysis, (hopefully) pictures, and the Final Word!

:::MAIN EVENT:::
LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT
'Nasty' Nate Hannah def. Cody 'Peligro' Rice
Rd. 1, Submission (D'arce choke)

Rd. 1

Championship contender Cody 'Peligro' Rice talks about his upcoming fight with 'Nasty' Nate Hannah!

AFC

On Wednesday the AFC lightweight division finally gets clarity (blessedly, hopefully, knock-on-wood-don't-hold-your-breath).

Forgive my cynicism, but the Alaska Fighting Championship's 155 pound belt has been anything but active, contiguous, or stable over the past three years. The quagmire stretches back so far that it even predates this blog (I know, I shudder to thing that there was any local MMA before I was around to walk you through it, but it is true!).

Alaska Cage Fighting

[[[***FOR REASONS I DON'T UNDERSTAND, THE PICTURES ARE NOT SHOWING UP. I'M GOING TO TALK WITH MY EDITOR AND SEE IF WE CAN'T CLEAR THIS UP, BECAUSE THE PICTURES ARE REALLY GREAT.***]]]

[img_assist|nid=158798|title=Two Artists at Work|desc=AFC middleweight champion Andy Enz, left, defended his title in one of the greatest fights ever to take place on Alaska soil. Enz and welterweight champion Nic Herron-Webb, right, put the 'art' in 'mixed martial arts'. [PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLO SIPIN]|link=none|align=left|width=350|height=232]

AFC

Andy 'Tank Mode' Enz defended his belt tonight, taking the slimmest of split decisions in one of the most thrilling battles in AFC history. More on that in a few days, right now go ahead and read the results and recaps. Go on, read them!

MAIN EVENT
---MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT---
Andy 'Tank Mode' Enz def. 'Naptime' Nic Herron-Webb
Round 5, Decision (split)

Round 1

On November 13th, AFC heavyweight Jason 'Showtime' Coomes celebrated his first year sober since he was a young teenager. Three days later, he hopes to celebrate his first AFC victory since 2007.

Doug Evans: The perrenial pound-for-pound stallwart battered his opponent but ultimately came up short on in the Bellator cage

AFC featherweight champion Doug Evans came up short in his match against Alexandre Bezarre at Bellator 57 on Saturday, November 12.

AFC

Josh Branham and Maurice Mitchell's #1 contender bout has been cancelled due to an injury incurred by Branham. The fight, which was scheduled to be the co-main event at this Wednesday's AFC 86.

Rather than find a last minute replacement, the bout will be rescheduled.