RFA 11 results: Makovsky dominates Manzanares to take inaugural flyweight belt

Add another piece of gold to Zach Makovsky‘s mantle.

The ex-Bellator champ pitched a shutout against Matt Manzanares in the headliner of Resurrection Fighting Alliance 11, wrestling his way to a unanimous decision and the RFA flyweight title.

RFA 11 took place Saturday at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. The event’s main card aired live on AXS TV.

From the outset, Manzanares was focused on keeping Makovsky at bay with strikes, and caught several punches as he tussled with the former champ. Again and again, however, his efforts ended with a trip to the mat.

Makovsky, who said before the fight that he wanted to earn a finish, advanced position aggressively and threatened with arm-triangles, armbars and chiefly, rear-naked chokes. But in all of his attempts, Manzanares had just enough space or leverage to avoid being finished, and the fight dragged on.

By the third round, however, the fight had established a pattern that would repeat itself until the fifth and final bell. Manzanares was given a brief moment to land damaging strikes in the fourth round, and he managed to catch Makovsky with a knee. But Makovsky returned fire with an uppercut, and put the fight back on the canvas.

Makovsky (16-4), who takes the belt after Sergio Pettis vacated it for a UFC contract, now boasts back-to-back wins since a pair of losses, including the loss of his belt to Eduardo Dantas, prompted his release from Bellator. Manzanares sees a two-fight streak snapped.

Barcelos dominates UFC vet Tyler Toner

Grappling specialist Raoni Barcelos had his way with UFC vet Tyler Toner on the ground, but also showed surprising power on his feet, as well.

Over three rounds, the Brazilian dominated Toner en route to pitching a shutout on judges’ scorecards, 30-27.

Toner didn’t have much time to keep the fight standing before Barcelos caught him with a punch and deposited him to the mat, where he held top position. A warning for an illegal punch to the back of head brought the two back to their feet, but it wasn’t long before Barcelos bowled Toner to the mat.

Toner landed a pair of right hands to start off the second round, but again Barcelos landed with his own right before taking the fight to the mat, this time threatening a kimura. Every time Toner escaped, he was smothered and stuffed, and Barcelos ended the frame in mount.

Down two rounds, Toner again tried his luck in striking and instead caught a powerful left that dropped him. Barcelos threatened a finish, but Toner was able to survive the final frame.

Barcelos (7-0) extends his unbeaten streak and could be bound for the big show, while the more experienced Toner (14-6) goes back to the drawing board after a recent win.

Lucas Rota gives Lopez a taste of his own medicine

Welterweight Vinnie Lopez hoped to bully Lucas Rota around the cage with wild punches, but while swinging for the fences, he caught counters in return.

Lopez nearly put Rota away in the first round with a head kick that knocked both of them off their feet. But Rota managed to survive and earn his revenge.

As Lopez charged early in the second round, Rota again was the more accurate striker, and found his mark with straighter punches and dropped Lopez to the canvas. There, he unloaded left hands that removed his more aggressive foe from consciousness. The bout’s official stoppage came at the 0:33 mark of the frame.

Rota (8-5) now has won his past four bouts, while Lopez moves to a .500 win percentage following the loss, which comes two months after a first-round KO win.

Lyoto Machida’s older brother shines in RFA debut

Chinzo Machida, the older brother of ex-UFC champ Lyoto Machida, put on a performance to make his family proud when he flattened Brian Wood with a flying knee.

Machida looked at times like a mirror image of his younger brother, with a key difference: He moved forward. Wood attempted to use that to his advantage, grabbing kicks and shooting for takedowns as strikes came his way. Like Lyoto Machida, however, Chinzo proved hard to wrestle for the mat.

The finish came late in the opening round when Wood ducked directly into the flying knee, which was perfectly timed, and went crashing to the mat at the 4:53 mark of the frame. Wood lay on the canvas for several minutes afterward and was taken out of the cage on a stretcher.

Despite the impressive performance, Chinzo Machida (2-2) likely needs to improve his record before he’s considered a candidate for the UFC. But the development league of the RFA could be the place to pick up necessary wins.

Sanchez makes quick work of Meredith

Decorated collegiate wrestler and middleweight Andrew Sanchez had his way with Todd Meredith in the night’s second bout. Earning an early takedown off the fence, Sanchez quickly advanced to Meredith’s back and then took mount. There, he landed several brutal punches and elbows, forcing Meredith to give up his back again. The damage was no less, though, and after another flurry from back mount, the referee waved off the bout at the 1:51 mark of the first round.

Ingram squeaks by Mainus

In the main-card’s opening bout, Colorado bantamweights Danny Mainus and Scott Ingram delivered a classic striker vs. grappler matchup.

Mainus did his best work when holding top position against Ingram, who conversely looked most comfortable when winging big punches and flying knees. Although Mainus dominated the first round, Ingram was able to capitalize when he tired midway through the second and landed several significant strikes. With the bout a toss-up in the third and final round, Mainus desperately shot for takedowns and wound up taking dozens of elbows to the side of the head as Ingram fought him off. The damage inflicted from the striker was enough to convince two of three judges when the bout went to the scorecards, and Ingram picked up a split-call with scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28.

The evening’s main card results include:

• Zach Makovsky def. Matt Manzanares via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
• Raoni Barcelos def. Tyler Toner via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Lucas Rota def. Vinny Lopez via KO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:33
• Chinzo Machida def. Brian Wood via KO (knee) – Round 1, 4:53
• Andrew Sanchez def. Todd Meredith via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:51
• Scott Ingram def. Danny Mainus via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

For more on RFA 11, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Zach Makovsky)