The lineup for tonight’s Tachi Palace Fights 14: “Validation” card is punctuated by a pair of title bouts that feature former UFC talent. The show will stream live and free on Sherdog.com beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET and Bloody Elbow will host a live play-by-play and discussion post to facilitate your MMA addiction.
Fresh off consecutive but respectable defeats in the Octagon, Ian “The Barn Owl” Loveland captured the vacant TPF bantamweight championship with a dominant 1st-round TKO over Alexander Crispim at TPF 13 in May. In the main event, Loveland, who trains with the Sports Lab team alongside Mike Pierce and Tyson Nam, will defend the strap against a bit of a sleeper in The Pit fight team’s Casey Olson. Olson is riding on a 3-fight win streak that includes a TKO over Chris Culley on the Strikeforce: Challengers 4 card and back-to-back decision wins under the Tachi banner. Olson’s only flaw in his last 8 outings is a submission loss to the UFC’s Eddie Yagin.
The co-main event will pit reigning TPF featherweight champion Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan of the Millennia MMA squad against WEC veteran Micah Miller. Since a 2008 loss in his 6th pro fight, Karakhanyan, who boasts 14 stoppages (11 submissions, 3 TKOs) in his 18 career victories, has won 14 of his 16 turns with Bellator standouts Joe Warren and Patricio Freire serving as the exceptions. Miller, an American Top Team product and spidery (6’1″) featherweight with considerable experience for age 25, has notched 3-straight since his premature exit from TUF 14. Overseas gamers Michihiro Omigawa and Yoshiro Maeda account for the only losses on Miller’s record in his last 9 outings.
Rounding out the card are matches pitting newly turned lightweight Poppies Martinez vs. Jason Drake and featherweights Brad McDonald vs. Art Arciniega. Find the complete TPF 14 fight card in the full entry and join me later tonight on Bloody Elbow for live discussion and results.
Tachi Palace Fights 14 “Validation” Fight Card
Ian Loveland (15-9) vs. Casey Olson (14-3) — Bantamweight Championship bout
Georgi Karakhanyan (18-3) vs. Micah Miller (17-4) — Featherweight Championship bout
Art Arciniega (11-4) vs. Brad McDonald (8-2)
Andre Fili (9-1) vs. Ricky Wallace (11-3)
Jason Drake (4-5) vs. Poppies Martinez (20-8)
Antonio Duarte (16-4) vs. Rolando Velasco (6-2)
Anthony Avila (8-1) vs. Sergio Quinones (7-11)
Angel DeAnda (9-2) vs. Drew Montgomery (12-5)
Javier Galas (0-1) vs. Alex Perez (5-2)
David Bollea (3-1) vs. Zeth Martin (0-1)
Kristen Gatz (0-0) vs. Jessica Rakoczy (0-3-1)
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