Gut Check Championships – Electric 15-Card Event - July 23, 2022

Gut Check Promotions presented another electric event at the PAL Center in Hockessin, Delaware, on July 23, 2022. The strong card featured fifteen bouts, including two championship events.

A solid, energized crowd witnessed Jhalani Battle-Williams (23-9) win the 145-pound Gut Check Full Rule Muay Thai Title. He defeated Serpico Arriaga in a five-round majority decision.

In the co-main event - Jordan Wilson (14-1) defeated reigning 135-pound Gut Check Glory Title holder, Stephen 'Luke' Marshall, in a five-round unanimous decision.

Results of the thirteen undercard bouts were as follows:

Glory rules -

Brandon Gibbs defeated Fahad Zafar. First-round TKO at two minutes.

Sean Suvie defeated Joseph Huggins. Unanimous decision.

Danny Mahoney defeated Victor Vega Gomez. Unanimous decision. 

Scott Chieu defeated Sergio Melendez. Unanimous decision.

Isaac Pantano defeated Efrain Garcia. Unanimous decision.

Kevin Lovett defeated Dave Lucas. Unanimous decision. 

Muay Thai rules -

Nathan Maul defeated Tony Bermudez. Second-round TKO at 1:39.

Henry Smythe defeated Adam Chatrer. Unanimous decision. 

Kaden Toler defeated Jared Clayton. Unanimous decision.

Jared Dobkin defeated Kevin Nunez. Unanimous decision.

Dana Manzi defeated Lauren Rawle. Majority decision.

Patrick Brennan defeated Domenico Palagruto. Second-round TKO at 1:14.

Jake Strickler defeated Colin Hartey. Unanimous decision. 

Anyone who watched the thirty participants could see they shared common bonds of intensity, determination, and respect. The growing popularity of combat sports is not surprising to those who have been following their ascendancy in popular culture.

Interviews were conducted prior to the bouts:

Lauren Rawle

Insight – Tell us about your background.

LR - “I have been training for almost a year and a half.”

"Day 1, just learning how to walk. Have power and not just muscle it.”

Insight - What is a typical day of training like?

LR - “I train in the morning. I usually run for about four miles. Then, I'll train for an hour at the gym. Some days after that, I'll spar, or I'll stay and do more cardio. I try to get that all done in the morning, before work.”

Insight – How many fights have you had to date (prior to the one on July 23, 2022)?

LR - “Today is my fourth one.” (She entered the bout with Manzi with a 2-1 record.)

Insight – Where would you like to be a year from now, as compared to today?

LR - “I would like to keep fighting, as much as possible. It is kind of hard to get girls my size, but I am trying. But eventually, if I can become pro that would be really awesome. So, I'm just trying to get as much experience as I can.”

-----

Jake Strickler

Insight – Tell us about your background.

JS “Growing up, throughout high school, I was a three-sport (athlete), baseball, basketball, football. I didn't do any martial arts. I would box on my own, with the heavy bag. I loved the sport. I got to Penn State and was a freshman and I needed that next thing, and I got addicted to other martial arts. I did jujitsu. I did every single thing. I went to class and needed something else. Then, the pandemic hit. My senior year, I moved back home. That's when I linked up with Jordan Jones of Jorakay Muay Thai in Levittown, PA, my hometown, literally two minutes away from my house where I grew up. And I've been there from almost two years now. Over those two years he's (Jones) has taken my striking to a place where I just want to keep getting better at it. That is my passion, to be an elite striker. The best that I can be.

Insight – How did you know that Jones was the right trainer for you?

JS - He talked to me like a brother, and I could rely that he would be there every day. Literally, almost every single day for the last two years between 10:30 AM and 1 PM. We train hard. That's why I'm addicted to it; the constant pursuit of your potential and that is where I can get it.

Insight – What have you learned during the last two years?

JS “I know that on the other side of hard work is always what you want.”

Insight – Do you feel the determination is part of who you are and also the training you received?

JS - “At my core, I always need to think that I am the hardest worker in the room. If I don't think that, then I feel like I'm failing myself and I'm failing the people around me that spent time investing in me.

"He (Jones) has spent so much time investing in me.

"I like it is my duty to him (Jones) to the people I love, I care about, to make sure they know I'm not wasting my time doing this. I take that as a personal statement.”

Insight – What would you like to do the next sixth months to a year?

JS - Growing up, I had plans to be in the military or police or to be a lawyer. At every turn my life always brought me back to the gym. Everything good in my life came out of the hard work I put in at the gym. I'm a personal trainer, that is my job. I want to own my own gym and be an elite level striker.”

-----

'Luke' Marshall

Insight – How did you get involved in Muay Thai?

LM – “I've always been athletic. My dad was into sports. I've been skateboarding my whole life. I've watched a lot of Anime and I've seen all the fighting. So, I decided to pick up Muay Thai. I didn't seek out Muay Thai, it was just a gym close to my house. So, I started going and training.”

Insight – What is a typical day of training?

LM – “During fight camp, the first thing I do is run three or five miles, depending on the day and what I've done that week. Then, skip rope for twenty minutes, shadow box, hit pads for various amounts of time, and then spar and clinch. That will cover about three to four hours, depending upon how long each thing takes.”

Insight – What role has your trainer played in your development?

LM – “I really see the effect that Isaac Glendening had on me. He really started to pick out my strengths and try and enhance them, focus on my weaknesses and really try and improve upon them.

"He knows my style. He knows what I'm good at, what I'm bad at. He can focus our lesson and our training on those things.

"He does quite a lot behind the scenes, like researching opponents.

"He's definitely had a huge impact on my development, streamlining my development by coaching me very intelligently.”

Insight – What are you looking to accomplish in tonight's fight?

LM – “I'm looking to improve upon my last fight. I would like to know that I've done my best and be satisfied to go home.

"That does not have to mean that I won but that I've showed my best because some of these guys are really good. I don't expect to be beating every single person that I come by, but I want to at least try my hardest against every single person I come by.”

Insight – In terms of tonight being your first title defense – Is is harder to get to where you are or stay where you are at?

LM – “Probably, stay where you are at. You don't really have a choice. The target is on your back. Everybody is lined up to fight you.”

Insight – What is the future for you?

LM - “I'm in no rush. Honestly, I'm twenty-one. I've only been fighting for a year. I've been training for three years.

"Eventually, I would like to turn pro. But it is not something that I want to rush especially with how dangerous this sport is.

"If there is an opportunity to face someone who is really good and it is probably a risky fight for some big title or I could fight two more people in between there, I'm going to play the long game. Be smarter about it. Try not to just go in and kill myself.

"I would rather do this for a long time and not turn pro then go pro in two years and be injured. I do this because I like it. I don't do it because I want money, or I want the status. It's just for the love of it.”

-----

Jhalani Battle-Williams

Insight – Tell us about your background.

JBW – “I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. My mom's side of the family comes from Nigeria. My dad's side of the family comes from the Dominican Republic.”

Insight – How did you first get involved in Muay Thai?

JBW - “My mom put me in it when I was five years old. I had just lost my father. So, my mom wanted me to have some direction in my life.”

Insight – Describe a type day of training.

JBW – “I train twice a day. I get up in the morning. I run about two miles, depending on if I have a fight coming up, I'll run more. I'll come back and do shadow boxing, pad work, sparring, I go home, make sure I get some rest, hydrate, get some food in my system. I come back at 7 PM and do the same thing.”

Insight – Was there a certain point where you realized, I have to be better?

JBW – “Definitely. There was a certain point where I realized I had to be better, not only in approaching fights but even in training. It was at the point where even in training, I was too cocky. Nobody wanted to teach me. I was uncoachable.

"So, learning that has definitely shaped me into who I am today as a fighter. And taking a couple of losses has helped me as well.”

Insight – Tell us about your trainer.

JBW – “Rami Ibrihim is very tough, very hard-nosed, in your face, pushing you. He wants to find your breaking point and push you just a little bit past that to see how you react.”

Insight – How key has the mental aspect been to your development?

JBW – “Extremely. You are not going to get far in sports in general, especially a combat sport, if you are not mentally strong. If you are a mentally weak person, you are not going to do well here.

"Life is hard enough but when you get punched in the face it gets a lot harder.”

Insight – JBW intended to turn pro after the fight on July 23, 2022.

Thanks to Greg Pritchett, who is the owner and promoter of Gut Check Promotions, and to Helen Locura who is the matchmaker. Photos courtesy of Gut Check Promotions.