Photo by Craig FritzTribune

Tribune

"I heard him gurgle, then I knew I had him hurt," said Carlos Condit, shown celebrating after Carlo Prater gurgled and tapped out of a guillotine hold (a headlock from above) Wednesday night at Santa Ana Star Center. Condit - a Cibola High graduate - earned the win quickly, at the 3:48 mark in the first round, to defend his World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight title for a second time.

Photo by Craig FritzTribune

Tribune

Carlo Prater taps out, ending his fight against Carlos Condit. Condit won the main event Wednesday night at Santa Ana Star Center to retain his welterweight title. "This win wasn't so much about avenging a loss," Condit said. "It was about defending my title and fighting in front of my hometown. The hometown support was amazing."

More Boxing

• Unifying belts on mind of title holder
• Cibola High graduate Condit will defend fighting title in home town
• Albuquerque fighters happy to be in cagefighting matches

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

It didn't take Albuquerque's Carlos Condit long to defend his world title and take out the man responsible for handing him his first pro loss.

Condit, in front of a crowd estimated at 3,500 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, repaid Houston's Carlo Prater for a 2004 loss while defending his World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight title for a second time.

Condit's bout against Prater was the main event of a mixed martial arts card Wednesday night televised by the Versus Network.

In the opening moments, Condit attacked Prater with kicks, but he was taken down and slammed to the mat, where the fight started to look like their original match, Prater trying to work his way into a hold.

Showing patience on his back, Condit worked his way to full guard, attempting an armbar before trying for a guillotine. Prater escaped the first hold, but after defending against a triangle choke - the hold that defeated Condit in 2004 - the champion locked in another guillotine, this time forcing Prater to tap out with the official time of 3:48.

"I heard him gurgle, then I knew I had him hurt," said Condit, now 22-4.

"I wasn't worried when he took me down. I took my time and knew it would be a matter of time before I worked my game. I felt in control."

Prater (21-6), now 1-1 against Condit, was making his WEC debut.

"I took Prater very seriously," Condit said. "He's a world-class fighter and he should keep his head up.

"This win wasn't so much about avenging a loss. It was about defending my title and fighting in front of my hometown. The hometown support was amazing."

Condit was non-committal about his next opponent.

"I'll fight anyone they put in front of me," he said. "I'm not much for calling people out.

"It's a tough a road to travel from here on out. I'll just keep on training hard."

All three local fighters on the undercard walked away with victories.

In his WEC debut, Lubbock featherweight Leonard Garcia (15-3), who trains in Albuquerque at Jackson's, scored the most impressive knockout of the night, stopping Japan's Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) at 1:31 of the first round.

Shortly before the stoppage, Garcia dropped Takaya with a right hand, then rushed in for the victory, slamming him with right hands until the fight was stopped.

The most animated fighter of the evening was Coty "Ox" Wheeler (7-1), of Albuquerque's FIT/NHB gym, who submitted Phoenix veteran Del Hawkins (22-13) with an armbar at 1:57 of round two.

Albuquerque bantamweight Damacio Page (10-3), of Jackson's, taking the fight on three days notice, scored a three-round unanimous decision in his WEC debut, beating Sweden's Scott Jorgensen (4-2). Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

In other results:

Jamie Varner (14-2) upset WEC lightweight champion Rob McCollough (15-4), knocking him out at 2:54 of the third round.

UFC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe (11-2) also had his belt taken away by Miguel Torres (22-1), who forced the champion to tap out due to a tight front choke hold at 3:59 of the first round.

In a bantamweight fight that saw the most action on the card, Manny Tapia (10-0-1) won a split decision over Antonio Banuelos (15-5). Scores read 30-27 and 29-28, Tapia; and 29-28, Banuelos.

Featherweight Josh Grispi (11-1) defeated Mark Hominick (15-8) with a rear naked choke hold at 2:55 of round one.

Bantamweight Yoshiro Maeda (23-4-2) took out veteran Charlie Valencia (9-4) with a vicious kick to the liver, at 2:29 of the first.

Featherweight Micah Miller (10-1) knocked out Chance Farrar (5-2) with a straight right, at 1:19 of the first round.