Local MMA rivalry heats up

Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium was abuzz with mixed-martial arts action again Saturday night. Ring Rulers’ 13-fight card featured a little bit of everything -- including some extracurriculars between a couple of rising local fighters.
Shreveport’s Blake Franklin was up against Frank Barragan in the event’s main event. However, it was apparent Franklin had his mind on someone else. Bossier City’s Brandon Rondon was in the house, serving as a judge. The event nearly became the Franklin-Rondon show despite the fact the two weren’t fighting.
Hours before Franklin was to fight Barragan, Rondon stepped into the ring and issued a challenge to Franklin while Franklin and Barragan were brought to center stage for some fight poses.
Franklin ended up suffering a second-round loss to Barragan, who took the fight on two days notice, and clearly didn’t appear on top of his game. He admitted he may have been distracted by the night’s side show.
After the defeat, some trash talking turned into a scuffle ringside.
These two, assuming they stay healthy, will fight some day. It needs to happen. It’s clear neither fighter can mentally further their careers before settling this dispute.
The only problem right now is that Rondon is an amateur and Franklin is a professional. Rondon plans a few more amateur fights before the summer, so expect a Franklin-Rondon showdown to take place in the late summer or early fall.
You’ll want to be there.
Kudos to Ring Rulers regarding that situation. Although allowing Rondon to enter the ring before Franklin fought, the MMA promoters made the correct call by not allowing Rondon to judge the Franklin-Barragan bout – something the fans likely didn’t notice, but in the interest of fairness and with Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission chairman Alvin Topham in attendance, it was a very heads-up move.

For an extensive photo gallery from Saturday’s show, log onto shreveporttimes.com

FULL RESULTS
Amateur
James Crow (1-0, 143 pounds, Tyler, Texas) def. Jacob Teague (1-7, 150, Nashville, Ark), 2:41 of first round (strikes).
Justin Cassedy (1-0, 145, Dallas) def. Michael Honey (0-1, 147, Hot Springs, Ark.) 1:52 of first round (rear-naked choke).
Quaint Kempf (1-0, 161, Dallas) def. Jamie Driskell (0-1, 153, Longview, Texas) :48 of first round (doctor’s stoppage due to cut).
Dan Melander (2-3, 180, Marshall, Texas) def. Brandon Green (0-1, 180, Dallas) 1:50 of second round (strikes)
Daniel Warrick (1-0, 132, Silsbee, Texas) def. Eric Velasco (1-1, 134, Tyler, Texas) :39 of first round (guillotine choke)
Brian Cox (1-0, 180, Dallas) def. Will Hesler (0-1, 185, Dallas) :42 of second round (strikes)
David Barringer (1-0, 156, Dallas) def. Kaleb Britt (0-1, 157, Silsbee, Texas) by rear-naked choke)
Jeff Hammond (3-0, 152, Tyler, Texas) def. Chad Fullmer (4-2, 156, Conway, Ark.) :22 of first round (guillotine choke)
Mitchell Thelen (5-1, 168, Marshall, Texas) def. Joey Freid (4-2, 170, Shreveport) 1:19 of second round (arm bar)
King Gladney (6-1, 265, Bossier City) def. David Bernal (0-3, 300, Searcy, Ark.) 1:47 of second round (arm bar)
Ring Rulers Texas Middleweight Championship: Roy Spoon (5-2, 169, Dallas) def. Derrick Krantz (12-6, 169, Marshall, Texas) :48 of second round (rear-naked choke)
Professional
Mike Wessell (5-1, 250, Little Rock, Ark.) def. Mark Bier (1-2, 257, Fort Smith, Ark.) :45 seconds of first round (KO)
Frank Barragan (1-1, 139, Dallas) def. Blake Franklin (1-2, 141, Shreveport) 2:08 of second round (tapout, strikes).