Cass Bell (far right) poses with coach John Thompson (second from right) and teammate Dupree Stewart (third from right) after Bring the Heat Volume 1. The event will be held at Blue Lake Casino on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Cass Bell and Cagebound FC)
The goal of Cagebound FC’s first Bringing the Heat Vol. event at Blue Lake Casino was to bring a higher level of MMA competition to Humboldt County. But his two headline events on the competitive card went by quickly, much to the delight of the crowd packed into his Palace at Sapphire in Blue Lake.
“I want to build this up so the whole thing can be fought somewhere,” said Kass Bell, who won a co-main event match in Saturday’s final event. “We had a lot of good fights, and that’s what we want.”
However, despite his best efforts to create a convincing matchup, Bell overpowered his opponent Tim Reisen just 1 minute 28 seconds into the first round, earning a TKO victory. Risen was an experienced fighter with a professional record of 7-6 going into the bout with Bell (6-3), but the final result was a quick victory for the Arcata native.
“I was expecting him to come out, but then I realized how nervous he was,” Bell said. “He played pretty good defense, but I wanted a KO that night.”
Raisen fired shots at Bell and went for an early choke, but he quickly reversed and Bell got a takedown. He began ground-and-pound and landed a series of shots before the referee declared a TKO victory for the hometown fighter. For Bell, his hope was that a decisive victory would move him one step closer to a possible Bellator rematch against Josh Hill, whom he faced at Bellator 292 in March.
“If I had to fight Josh Hill tomorrow, I would go down,” Bell said. “Honestly, I didn’t train much for Josh Hill, I just did the same things he did.”
Bell added that he was still busy coaching the youth and high school wrestling seasons leading up to the Bellator match on March 10th. However, he added that his ability to create a well-structured training plan for this fight helped him be poised for an immediate win. . He had hoped that a rematch with Hill would be agreed upon before the wrestling season resumes later this year.
Bell’s teammate Dupree Stewart was scheduled to make his first professional fight at Bellator 292. Stewart was scheduled to face Demetri Georgiades, who was also making his pro debut. However, Georgiades withdrew at the last minute due to injury, leaving Stewart to wait several more months for his first chance in a professional game.
Stewart’s fighting ability was on full display Saturday. In a welterweight fight, he faced Turlock native Aaron Klinghardt, who had an impressive record of 1-1 as a professional and 9-2 as an amateur. Stewart had a perfect 5-0 record in amateur competition, but was facing perhaps a tougher challenger than his first opponent at Bellator 292. Anticipation was contagious as the crowd felt this might be the most intriguing matchup of the night.
“I don’t really get fired up beforehand. I’m not really that type of person,” Stewart said. “It’s really my family, friends and supporters that are here. And when my music comes on and I hear the crowd, it just excites me. There’s a reason I’m here. I understand.”
The energy in the crowd was at its peak as Stewart attacked his opponent in seconds. The audience let out a deafening roar as Stewart forced Klinghardt into a first-round submission.
“The game plan was set from the beginning,” Stewart said after the game. “I could tell he was definitely skilled and trying to time things. I just didn’t give him a chance to execute. So I felt good and I feel really good right now. ”
Stewart is originally from Fremont but has lived in Humboldt County for the past five years. His win seemed to resonate with the crowd, and he enjoyed the moment by jumping on the cage and proudly showing off his title belt to the fans.
“I’m not a real showboater kind of person,” Stewart added. “But you know, people love this show. That’s why I’m trying to put on a show for everyone.”
While the two main events were quick wins for local fighters, the competitive nature of the card was on full display in the third professional bout of the night. In between Stewart and Bell’s respective wins, Arcata native and IOC teammate Gabriel Smith faced Carlos Morales in a flyweight title fight. Morales, a Los Angeles native, was able to jump on Smith en route to a submission victory.
In an amateur bout, Mike Bartolotti won by submission over Langston Butler. Hoopa’s Steven Vigil earned a TKO victory over Ion Peoples due to injury. Eureka native Anthony Martinez was unable to get a win against Mehale Keith, losing by unanimous decision. Adrian Spinks defeated Livian Leigh. And Naz Worthy defeated Rupert Francis in an exciting opening match that featured quality hitting.
The focus on putting together competitive cards was evidenced by the combination of results across the cards.
“We didn’t win every game, it just wasn’t one-sided,” Bell said of his team. “My teammates went through some tough battles, but they really had to come through. Some of the players we lost put up a good fight. That’s what we’re going to take to Humboldt County. That’s what we’re looking for: a good, competitive fight.”
Jake Matson can be reached at 707-441-0526.
