Photo credit: Eric Dowd
Gut Check Championship Series Results: Zak Kelly returns to grab the gold
The punches were flying, and the kicks were thudding as Gut Check Championship Series returned for another incredible evening of Kickboxing and Muay Thai on Saturday, September 30 at the Greater Boys and Girls club of Bear, Delaware. The event aired live on Fight Club Live TV.
The card was capped off with a highly anticipated main event that was a long time in the making. Zak Kelly took on Brandon “The Mechanic” Cuttino for the vacant Gut Check Championship Series (Glory Rules) 165lb professional championship.
After a lengthy five-year hiatus from competition, Zak Kelly returned to the ring with gold on his mind. He and Cuttino went to war for the 5 full rounds, where Kelly would ultimately walk away proudly as champion. The bout, itself was extremely competitive with Cuttino showing his aggression early in the early rounds. Kelly would weather the storm, landing his own combinations, while finding a home for his leg kicks to start taking their toll. Round after round, Kelly’s leg kicks would wear on Cuttino until he finally dropped from the damage in the middle rounds. Finding difficulty fighting on one leg, Cuttino attempted to recover while throwing his own strikes, but Kelly’s pressure wouldn’t ween for the rest of the bout’s duration. After 5 hard fought rounds, and a five-year hiatus, Zak Kelly returned to his winning ways and captured Gut Check Championship Series Glory (rules) Gold.
“I had no doubts (about my performance),” Kelly said. “My brother Jake (Kelly)has had had more time away from the sport & has gone 3-0 since returning in his last 3 fights. He told me ring rust is not real it’s all in your head & he was right,” Kelly says about his return to the ring. “I would not have wanted my comeback to be anywhere else. Gut Check is a second home for me & I’ve had so many memorable moments in my career fighting for them,” he emphasizes. “It only felt right for my comeback to be there!”
In the co-main event of the evening, Daniel “Hebrew Hammer” Wein and Gage Gallo put it all on the line for a razor-thin split decision. Living up to the pressures of a “co-main event” contest, both fighters wasted little time getting acquainted in the center of the ring, exchanging back-and-forth for the duration of the bout. It was an all-out, entertaining bout that showed the beautiful art of Muay Thai. However, in the end, Chok Dee Athletics’ own, Daniel “Hebrew Hammer” Wein walked away with his hand raised in an amazing co-main event.
Gut Check returns to its home state of Delaware, once again before the year is out on November 18. Matchmaking has already begun, so don’t hesitate to get in contact with Gut Check before another historic kickboxing and Muay Thai show.
Gut Check Championship Series Full Results
-Bobby Fish def. Joel Ramos via KO (0:44 of round 2)
-Issac Ruiz def. Nicholas Gattinella via Split Decision
-Abdullah Norkulov def. Nikola Malinowski via Unanimous Decision
-Gene Kim def. Brady Seaman via Unanimous Decision
-Huthayfah Karoush def. Brandon Bohannan via Unanimous Decision
-Patrick Brennan def. Carter Von Stuck via Unanimous Decision
-Amir Ilhomov def. Mohammad Tuscan via Unanimous Decision
-Kelsey Feret def. Noelle Pagsanjan via Unanimous Decision
-Chris Johnston def. Kostas Anagnostopoulos via Unanimous Decision
-Joe Bergen def. Bryan Langley via Split Decision
-David Gualtieri def Faruk Salkic via Split Decision
-Jared Dobkin def. Cole Carey via Unanimous Decision
-Rebecca Strycharski def. Brie Goodreau via Unanimous Decision
CO-MAIN EVENT:
-Daniel Wein def. Gage Gallo via Split Decision
MAIN EVENT:
Zak Kelly def. Brandon Cuttino via Unanimous Decision to obtain Gut Check Championship Series 165lb Glory Rules Pro Title.
