Fight For It XI wasted no time before kicking the action into high gear as Layne Maher of Hayastan MMA and Mason Taylor of Lake Norman Muay Thai opened the show with a barnburner.
As the shorter combatant, Maher struggled to find his range against the longer reach of Taylor, but he kept pushing forward, undeterred — even after receiving a low-blow, which paused the bout. Maher found home for a few counter combinations, but ultimately couldn’t find an answer for Taylor’s wild onslaught.
Taking advantage of every bit of his reach and energy, Taylor unloaded a battery of spinning kicks and leaping punches, pushing the pace and keeping Maher on the defensive. His wild approach resulted in a warning for the aforementioned low-blow, but also proved effective enough to stop the fight within the first round.
As predicted, the kids set off the card with a high-energy, whirling dervish of a match, setting a high bar for the bouts to follow.
Looking for more combat sports action? Download the Fight for It App to play Daily Fantasy for Combat Sports on iPhone or Android!
