Shooting the fights is always a pleasure, but shooting fights for Empire Fight Championships, especially the last 3 fight nights, was extraordinary! The atmosphere is electric, the next bout is always better than the last and the people are some of the most interesting I've ever met. Saturday, October 9 was no exception. With 11 bouts on the fight card, there was no stoppage of excitement on this night.
It all culminated in the Main Event of the night. Two of the toughest fighters I've ever seen stepped into the cage for five-5 minute rounds of brutal punishment. Zach Underwood and Austin Lyons have my ultimate respect for what was no doubt the greatest match in Empire's history and perhaps one of the best in regional MMA action. In the end, the fight came down to a split decision. I'm not an MMA expert, I'm just the photographer. But I am truly glad I did not have the burden of scoring this one! And regardless of the outcome, both fighters demand respect and fought like Champions.
Kudos to David Ferguson, the match-maker, who has outdone himself each of the last three fight cards. The real question for David is, "how ya gonna top this?" But I know, somehow, he will.