It was Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, but luck of the Irish had nothing to do with the win.
Three years of training carried South Tahoe’s Ryan McCarthy, out of Escobar Training Grounds, to a 32-second victory over Chris Huerta on Friday at Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa. McCarthy won the headline bout by submission with a triangle choke in the first round.
The fight started brewing back in September. Huerta posted a comment on YouTube, challenging McCarthy for his belt. Huerta didn’t make the 155-pound weight requirement for a title match, but the two agreed to fight anyway. There was nothing but pride on the line.
The match was months in the making, but, on Friday, McCarthy didn’t even need a full minute.
“We talked about we wanted to take him into deeper waters,” McCarthy said. “It was my last amateur fight, and I wanted to get the most time in there as possible. I was planning on getting a couple black eyes. I thought I was going to go in there and get punched in the face and then thought maybe we would slug it out a little bit.”
Instead, McCarthy barely broke a sweat.
He pounced on Huerta in the opening seconds, landing direct and repeated blows to Huerta’s head from a full mount position.
The fight probably would have been closer to 10 seconds if Huerta hadn’t rolled, taking McCarthy with him. McCarthy, however, timed the roll to his advantage.
“I was kind of waiting and then I threw my weight with him,” McCarthy said.
As the two fighters came down, McCarthy grabbed his ankle behind Huerta’s head. Once he had his opponent’s head locked in a triangle, there was no escape. In boa constrictor fashion, McCarthy started tightening around Huerta’s neck.
First he grabbed his heel and locked Huerta’s head in place. Then McCarthy pulled Huerta’s arm across his body, using his opponent’s own shoulder to block his carotid artery. McCarthy’s leg blocked the blood flow on the other side. Lastly, he pulled Huerta’s head down effectively completing the blood choke.
As Huerta’s face started to turn red and darkness closed in he had no choice but to tap out.
“Ironically, my very first fight I tried to go for that move and I didn’t have it tight enough and ended up losing the match,” McCarthy said.
That was three years ago, and McCarthy hasn’t lost a fight since.
“Ryan is super strong when he’s moving forward and dictating the pace of the fight, and what happens when you do that sometimes is you win in 30 seconds,” trainer Cory Escobar said.
McCarthy is now 7-1 at the amateur level and will schedule his first pro fight this summer.
Results
Ryan McCarthy vs. Chris Huerta: McCarthy won by tap out with a triangle choke in 35 seconds.
Spike Vance vs. Miguel Jimenez: Jimenez won by TKO
Shane Miller vs. Mauricio Blanco: In his debut fight Miller won by TKO 2 minutes and 32 seconds into the second round
Ryan Coulson (former New England Patriot and Nevada Wolf Pack defensive end) vs. Austin Haggerty: Coulson won by TKO due to strikes
Luis Rodriguez vs. Salaiman Amadyar: Amadyar won by unanimous decision in three rounds.
Casey Miller vs. Chris Nolasco: Nolasco won in 12 second by tap out with the guillotine choke.
Paradise Vaovasa vs. Ronnie Weide: Vaovasa won by unanimous decision in three rounds
Sammee Nolasco vs. Johnny Crenshaw: Nolasco won by TKO in first round.
Aspen Ladd vs. Jaimelene Nievera: Ladd won her debut fight by tap out in the second round.
