Zak Jensen applies a choke to a helpless Shane Preston. Photo courtesy: ©2010 Brian C. Olsen

The victorious return to Minnesota by Ultimate Fighter contestant Zak Jensen (11-3) was over so fast you might have missed it if you blinked.

The fight between the Hopkins heavyweight and Iowa native Preston Shane (6-3), Jensen's first since being released by UFC back in December, lasted only 16 seconds. The ending came when Jensen quickly caught Shane in a standing guillotine choke after stuffing a takedown attempt in the opening seconds.

"Preston went right out there, he took a shot, I was kinda surprised he went at me that fast." Jensen said after the fight.

"I'm glad I got a submission. All I've been doing since the show is working on my jujitsu. A standing guillotine isn't exactly something you work it get, it just kinda happens. If I got a submission I was hoping maybe it would be on the ground. But nobody got hurt and that is the best part about it."

Jensen said he had hoped the fight would last a bit longer though.

"I wanted to get some more rust off. I wanted to actually stand, I had an image of what I wanted to do… but a win's a win. Overall I'm glad I won, it's the first step back after the show and each step is important."

The fight, which took place Saturday night at the St Paul National Guard Armory, was on the undercard of an event which featured a main event match up between Rosemount's Mike "The Marine" Richman (7-0) and Lake City's Ryan Stock (10-7).

Stock was a last minute replacement and just fought last Saturday night in Savage, where he saw his eight-fight win streak snapped, but that didn't stop the plucky 18-year-old from giving Richman everything he had.

The fight started out hot with both fighters trading punches in the center of the cage. Stock got the first big shot of the fight when he nailed Richman with a solid right hand which stunned Richman for a second.


Ryan Stock throws a right hand at Mike Richman while referee Daryl Guthmiller looks on. Photo courtesy: ©2010 Brian C. Olsen

Richman quickly recovered, backed Stock up against the cage and caught him with a knee to the head sending Stock to the mat. Richman followed up with a flurry of punches that caused a stop the bout and a TKO win for Richman at 1:14 in the first round.

The fight of the night saw New Richmond, Wis., fighter Brandon Merkt (6-0) eek out a three-round decision victory (29-28) over Blaine's Billy Jochum (8-2). These 135-pound firecrackers went at it for 15 straight minutes without a break in the action and thrilled the crowd with their grappling and submission attempts.

Jochum dominated the first round after stopping a takedown attempt by Merkt early in the round and then controlling the fight while on the ground. At one point he looked to have an armbar synched in and Merkt looked to be in serious trouble, but Merkt was able to get free.

The second round went right back to the mat with both fighters constantly gaining and then losing the advantage on the mat and mixing it up with a variety of submission attempts. Merkt edged out the round on all three scorecards with more effective striking while on the mat.


Brandon Merkt attempts to submit Billy Jochum with an armbar in the third round. Photo courtesy: ©2010 Brian C. Olsen


The final round saw even more of the ground game, with Merkt attempting an armbar, then Jockum escaping and quickly going for his own armbar. Merkt broke free and got the side mount, but Jockum slipped around Merkt and tried to clamp on a rear naked choke. Merkt blocked the submission attempt, but was unable to get free from the rear mount. This was the only stand still in the entire fight, and after about half a minute, referee Daryll Guthmiller stepped in to stand the fighters up. Jochum attempted to throw a kick but lost his balance and Merkt charged in and took him to the ground. Jochum went to sink in an armbar, but Merkt picked him up and slammed him to the canvas to finish the round and win the fight in the closing seconds.

Also on the card, Cambridge combatant Garrett Olson (3-2) almost went the distance with Lakeville's Colby Vogtt (3-4), but ended up getting a stoppage at 2:28 in the third round after a great battle.

The fight started out slow with both fighters circling each other and not engaging for close to 90 seconds, but once they did, it was non-stop action for the next 10 minutes. Olson dominated the majority of the fight with his wrestling skill and once he got Vogt on the ground, Vogt could not escape his leg hooks and was stuck. Unfortunately for Olson, he was unable to do anything to finish the fight early on, as he kept trying to synch in a rear naked choke but he couldn't get it.

Finally in the third round Vogt's nose appeared to be broken, either from a punch or from being rubbed on the canvas while Olson was on his back. At that point Olson smelled blood and started unloading with punches and Colby had no choice but to tap.


Colby Vogt recovers in the cage moments after losing to Garret Olson. Photo courtesy: ©2010 Brian C. Olsen

Minneapolis' Zach Juusola was successful in his professional debut, beating Almelund's Dan Kiser (1-1) at 1:18 in the first round. Juusola finished the fight with two big slams, knocking out Kiser, who was still wobbly leaving the cage a couple of minutes later.

In the opening bouts, Rosemount's Zack Shumack (6-3-1) defeated Superior, Wis., fighter Randy Ronchi (0-12) by TKO in 37 seconds and Almelund's Bobby Ferrier (2-0) defeated Sioux City, Iowa's Brandon Amick (18-7) by TKO in 1:17 of the first round by TKO in an amateur bout.

Also, Burnsville's "Suga" Shane Dezee (12-9) overcame a 110 pound weight difference to beat Chris Clark (7-25) from Fort Dodge Iowa by tapout to a side choke in 1:14 of round one.