Tyson Duckworth wasn’t intimidated by his opponent’s antics while fighting Friday night at AK Beatdown 35.
In fact, he looked downright unimpressed by Terrance Wheat’s displays of bravado in the first round of their main event bout inside Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall in the Andrew Hope Building.
“He will bait guys into that dance, hop around, shake your moves and look like you’re in a rap video, and you get a guy with 10-plus fights, they don’t give a — about any of that,” Duckworth said in an interview after the fight. “So we knew he was going to be tough for one round. At the end of the first round he was on top of me, I could hear him, he was suffering, and wasn’t going to come out like that again.”
Duckworth was right.
Halfway through the second round, the Ketchikan Fight Club competitor took control of the fight, eliciting a tap out from Wheat.
Tyson Duckworth puts Terrance Wheat in a chokehold in an MMA bout at AK Beatdown 35 at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)
Wheat was one of at least nine fighters Friday with one or fewer bouts to their name, with Mario Singh, Fritz Ropati, Nicole Funk, Amanda Empson, Ernesto Zarate and Zane Hendricksen all making their respective debuts. The event included five MMA and three boxing bouts.
Empson, Ropati and Zarate all came away with victories.
Empson defeated Funk via TKO, Ropati defeated Marcus Tua’au by submission and Zarate defeated Seth Elisoff via unanimous decision.
Daniel Tweedy celebrates his victory over Erick Whisenant in an MMA bout at AK Beatdown 35 at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)
Paul Enriquez gestures to the audience while fighting Mario Singh in an MMA bout at AK Beatdown 35 at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)
Results — MMA
Daniel Tweedy (1-1-0) defeated Erick Whisenant via submission in the first round (rear-naked chokehold).
Jaiden Kohler (2-0-0, 156 pounds) defeated Joe Alley (1-2-0, 167 pounds) in the second round. Kohler landed a hard right-handed punch and Alley required medical attention.
Paul Enriquez (4-1-0, 178 pounds) defeated Mario Singh (0-1-0, 179 pounds) via unanimous decision.
Fritz Ropati (1-0-0, 218 pounds) defeated Marcuss Tua’au (1-1-0, 310 pounds) via submission in the first round.
Tyson Duckworth defeated Terrance Wheat via submission in the second round.
Boxing — MMA
Amanda Empson (1-0-0, 137 pounds) defeated Nicole Funk (0-1-0, 145 pounds) via TKO in the second round.
Ernesto Zarete (1-0-0) defeated Seth Elisoff (1-1-0) via unanimous decision.
Marco Reina (3-1-0) defeated Zane Hendricksen (0-1-0) via unanimous decision.
Jaiden Kohler throws punches at Joe Alley in an MMA bout at AK Beatdown 35 at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
