Last night, on March 29th, 2025, Youngsville, Louisiana was electrified by RFC #1, a thrilling MMA event that left fans on the edge of their seats. With an action-packed card featuring 15 intense bouts, where fighters showcased their skills and determination, delivering unforgettable moments in the cage. This exciting night of mixed martial arts proved to be a milestone for the RFC, drawing an attendance of over 1,000 fight fans and attention from across the region via live stream on Youtube. Read on for a comprehensive recap of RFC #1, highlighting standout performances and the unforgettable action that took center stage in Youngsville.
Fight 1
Blue Corner – James Williams vs Red Corner – Oryin Veillon
The first fight between James Williams and Oryin Veillon was a barnburner. Veillon started aggressive, landing a big right hook. Williams replied with a strong kick, and they began trading strikes. Williams caught a kick, making Veillon stumble, but he regained his footing and landed several right hooks on Williams.
The second round started with both fighters swinging away, with the crowd cheering with excitement. They clinched for much of the round, trying to take each other down. They separated, and Veillon landed a clean head kick. Williams responded with a body kick, then shot and clenched again. They ended the round trading teeps, with Veillon on the defense.
Williams started the third round with a strong uppercut. Both fighters began trading headshots, proving how tough their chins are. Veillon landed a quick spinning backfist, and they ended the fight with a flurry of strikes. Both fighters started the event with a fantastic showing, with the judges awarded Williams the win by split decision
Fight 2
Blue Corner – Alex Guervich vs Red Corner – Brendan Banks
The first and only round started with both fighters feeling each other out, then Banks began pressing the action, landing a massive left hook that dropped Guervich. Banks followed up with ground and pound until the ref stopped the fight, ultimately earning Banks the Knockout of the Night.
Fight 3
Blue Corner – Alex Mundell vs Red Corner – Stephon Miller
Both fighters started aggressive, and Miller stunned Mundell with kicks and a hard punch to the head. Mundell tried a flying knee, but Miller caught him with a rear hook. Miller dropped Mundell, and during a scramble, slammed him down and maneuvered into half guard. Mandel escaped by bridging, but Miller succeeded with a single leg takedown, eventually grinding his way to a full amount by the end of the round.
Miller started the second round by pressing his advantage, but Mandel countered and backed up Miller to the fence. After some clinch fighting and knees to the body, Mundell took Miller’s back. Miller escaped and took Mundell down. Mundell defended by going for an arm bar, but when Miller moved into side mount, Mundell reversed it, took Miller’s back, and sunk in a rear naked choke for the submission victory.
Fight 4
Blue Corner – Jaborien Guidry vs Red Corner – Bradley Landry
Guidry and Landry started the first round trading kicks, until Landry charged and pinned Guidry Against the Cage. They began fighting in the clinch for sweeps and trips. Landry eventually got the double-leg takedown and landed in Guidry’s guard. Landry worked his ground and pound until the end of the round.
Guidry stormed into the second round with a takedown attempt. Landry defended by attempting a guillotine choke, but Guidry hit tossed him on to the mat. Although Landry succeeded in pulling guard, he couldn’t finish the guillotine and switched to an arm bar. Guidry escaped and countered with an arm triangle. Landry broke the submission attempt and scrambled on top into guard, but Guidry reversed, took Landry’s back, and closed the round with ground and pound of his own.
Guidry begin the third round with a flying knee and a guillotine attempt. After both fighters clenched along the fence, Landry finally succeeded in taking him down, but Guidry secured a guillotine choke and ultimately the win by submission.
Fight 5
Blue Corner – Kai Lagares vs Red Corner – Kameron Alexander
Lagares opened the first round with quick kicks, went for a sweep, but Alexander reversed it and slammed Lagares onto the mat. Lagares pulled guard and began hunting for submissions, first an armbar, then a triangle choke. Alexander barely slipped out and worked to find some offense by the end of the round.
Alexander came out swinging, Lagares clenched in defense, and they began fighting for a takedown. Alexander tried to find a guillotine choke, but Lagares forced a scramble, so Alexander settled for side control. After taking Lagares’s back, he tried to secure the rear naked choke, but Lagares escaped. Alexander swept him again and ended the round with strikes from the top.
Alexander started the third round with a head kick, stunning Lagares. Lagares initiated a scramble filled with reversals and submission attempts. Alexander eventually landed in Lagares’s guard and mounted offense when he could. Lagares tried a triangle choke, Alexandra escaped, Lagares locked in a second triangle choke, but Alexander held out until the Bell. All three judges unanimously award Alexander with the win.
Fight 6
Blue Corner – Garrett Guirlando vs Red Corner – Devontai Wilson
Both fighters took a slower start, wary of each other’s heavy hands. Wilson scored a brief takedown, and they clenched against the fence. Guirlando initially out-muscled Wilson while they traded knees and trip attempts. Wilson reversed Guirlando just as the round ended.
Wilson opened the second round with a bang, dropping Guirlando and pouncing on him. After some ground and pound, Wilson took his back, but Guirlando reversed. Wilson then lifted him and slammed him back down. When Guirlando stood back up, Wilson slammed him again. Guirlando stood up again but this time rocked Wilson with a knee. He followed up, trying to finish the fight when the horn sounded.
Guirlando pressed the action in the third round, but a failed slam gave Wilson his back. However, Guirlando slips out, takes side control, and cranks an americana until Wilson submits.
Fight 7
Blue Corner – Layne Mooring vs Red Corner – James Miller
Miller started by working his jab. Mooring shot for a takedown but couldn’t hold him and missed with a big overhand right. Miller backed Mooring against the cage and dropped him with a right hook, leaving the referee no choice but to stop the fight.
Fight 8
Blue Corner – Jheh Chow vs Red Corner – Matt Robertson
Robertson began by using teeps to keep some distance, and Chow was content to counter. They clenched on the fence, both fishing for trips and sweeps. They separated and began trading blows – jabs, crosses, kicks, anything that will score points and maybe end the fight. Chow began bleeding, but slams Robertson to close the round.
The second round started the same way, with Robertson using teeps and jabs to maintain distance and box Chow in. Both fighters started trading hands until Robertson landed a solid right hook, stunning Chow. Follow-up strikes continued to hurt Chow, who roared back with wild punches, causing Robertson to back off. The round ended with them scrambling for a takedown.
Robertson tried opening the third round by controlling the distance again, but Chow quickly landed a takedown. They scrambled, Chow tried to lock in a kimura, and when that didn’t work, he took Robertson’s back and worked for a rear naked choke. Robertson stood up, but Chow swept his feet again. They scrambled and separated, and Robertson landed one last head kick and trip before the final horn.
Robertson won a split decision from the judges, but both fighters were rewarded for winning the well-deserved Fight of the Night.
Fight 9
Blue Corner – Tyler Reed vs Red Corner – Jordan Bearb
Both fighters threw bombs from the start, but Bearb was the first to backpedal. Reed landed a hard uppercut that sent Bearb reeling. Reed pounced and rained down strikes until the referee ended the fight, giving Reed the TKO win.
Fight 10
Blue Corner – Leonard Ventress vs Red Corner – Maverick Becker
Ventress motioned for a glove tap, but when Becker raised his hand, Ventress shot on him and took him down. Most of the rest of the round was spent in a stalemate, with Ventress unable to escape Becker’s guard, and Becker unable to get back to his feet, and both trying to leverage their position for offense. The second round unfolded similarly, with their strengths cancelling each other out, turning this fight into a battle of patience and grit. The third round was still heavy on wrestling, with no fighter having a clear advantage. After the referee stood them up, Becker stuffed a takedown, rolled Ventress over onto his stomach, and poured on the ground and pound for a win via TKO, claiming the 135 pound championship belt for himself.
Fight 11
Blue Corner – Luis Waldo vs Red Corner – Derrion Griffin
Griffin and Waldo started cautiously, but after sizing each other up, they started exchanging strikes, with both fighters landing some solid punches. Griffin successfully uses a kick to set up a takedown and lands in Waldo’s guard. Waldo started hunting for submissions, but Griffin avoided them so far. Waldo got back to his feet but was taken down again. Griffin positioned himself for an arm triangle, but Waldo rolled into an armbar, but slightly too late as the horn sounded, saving Griffin.
Both fighters started swinging in the second round, tanking heavy hits from each other. Griffin shot first, pinning Waldo to the fence. Waldo defended by trying for a guillotine choke but couldn’t hold it. They scrambled for position, when Griffin missed a takedown, and Waldo quickly took his back and transitioned into mount. He grabbed an armbar again, but once again, the horn blew before Griffin could escape or tap.
Waldo started the third round confident, sprawling to avoid a takedown. Griffin fought for it, but Waldo stood back up. Waldo swept and mounted Griffin, unleashing strike after strike. Although Griffin fought hard to escape, he eventually tapped out to strikes, giving Waldo a submission win and the inaugural amateur 145 pound championship title.
Fight 12
Blue Corner – Clayton Hebert vs Red Corner – Drake Pellegrin
In a submission grappling match, Hebert and Pellegrin entertained the crowd with a mad scramble from start to finish. Hebert opened with a flashy imanari roll, leading to a back-and-forth battle and dueling heel hooks. Hebert tapped first, giving Pellegrin his first point. After the reset, Pellegrin successfully shot on Hebert, moved into position, secured the armbar, and forced another tap for another point. The round ended with an even faster pace, with Pellegrin securing an omoplata and Hebert doing just enough to avoid tapping. After five minutes, the horn sounded, giving Pellegrin the win, 2-0.
Fight 13
Blue Corner – Dylan Aguilar vs Red Corner – Vance Shaw
Aguilar began by throwing out a kick, but Shaw used that moment to shoot and complete a takedown. In the ensuing scramble, Shaw locks in a guillotine choke and squeezes until Aguilar taps, earning both a quick victory and Submission of the Night.
Fight 14
Blue Corner – Kaleb Harris vs Red Corner – CJ Henny
Henny and Harris both started strong, swinging and landing punches. They tangled up, taking each other down, but Harris grabbed an armbar. Henny avoided it and freed his arm, so Harris transitioned into a triangle choke. Henny fought hard but couldn’t escape, tapping out to give Harris the submission win.
Fight 15
Blue Corner – Jacob Thrall vs Red Corner – Ryann Melancon
Melancon and Thrall were both ready for this fight, staring each other down across the cage. Thrall landed solid punches first, but Melancon still stunned Thrall. Thrall began shooting, but Melancon evaded each one so far. Melancon landed a headkick, wobbling Thrall, but wasn’t able to capitalize on it. Thrall barely dodged a wheel kick and landed a hard punch of his own. Both fighters smiled as the crowd roared with excitement. Thrall grappled Melancon and slammed him to the mat. Melancon quickly stood back up, and they finished the round with a solid exchange.
Thrall charged out his corner to start round two, pinning Melancon against the cage and dragging him to the ground. Melancon escaped and initiated an exchange of heavy blows – Melancon landing body shots while Thrall chopping at his legs. Once again, Melancon stunned Thrall, but Thrall dodged any pursuit. He shot several times in defense, and in the scramble, Thrall tried to cinch a guillotine. Melancon escaped and stood back up, but Thrall used that opening to land an upkick. Melancon reeled back, but Thrall’s attempt to finish the fight was cut short by the horn.
Neither fighter backed down during the final round, swinging hard and looking for the finish. Melancon initially landed more solid strikes, but Thrall threatened with takedown attempts. Thrall landed a hard overhand right. Melancon replied with an uppercut. He then launched a flying knee, but Thrall clenched and reversed it to take Melancon’s back. Thrall then hunted for rear naked chokes, body triangles, keeping Melancon on the defensive until the end of the fight. Both fighters gave the crowd a fantastic finale to Ragin Fighting Championship’s inaugural event.
After a hard-fought back-and-forth war, Thrall won a unanimous decision.
