Arena Wars: November 16

Clackamas, Oregon

Arena Wars Fight Series

The main event of the Arena Wars bouts in Clackamas Oregon featured Miklo Arnold facing Moises Molina in a six round super lightweight bout. Both men entered the ring riding a streak of two wins. This would be Arnold's third fight in the US, previously he had been fighting in Mexico.

The Action was fairly quick paced in the opening round. Arnold focused his attack on Molina's body, looking to score with his right hand. Molina answered throwing his right at Arnold's head. Often the two men found themselves fighting in close and though both were able to land punches from that position, it did not provide an edge to either one. Molina shifted the momentum in the second round as he pressured Arnold, keeping him moving about the ring. Molina was also able to land scoring punches with his right, connecting to Arnold's body. While Arnold was able to land some of his punches, Molina threw more in the round.

The rhythm the two men settled into in the third round made it very close. Each was able to land scoring punches, though Molina may have thrown more. Arnold continued to focus his attack on Molina's body, forcing Molina to throw counter punches. Arnold regained some momentum in the fourth round as he turned up the pressure to keep Molina on the move. Arnold was consistent in throwing his right at Molina's body, though one of those punches landed low at the 2:45 mark, bringing the action to a halt while Molina recovered.

The fifth round got off to a slow start as each man moved to create an opening to land something heavy. Then Arnold, returning to what was scoring for him, moved Molina across the ring pumping his right hand and landing when the two men got close. Molina tried to answer, but often his shots were wild and wide, missing the quick moving Arnold. Arnold controlled the action in the final round as he continued to pressure and move Molina across the ring. Molina was able to throw punches while moving backwards, though he did not land many.

After six rounds, one judge scored the fight 58-56 for Molina, the other two scored it 58-56 for Arnold who would claim the split decision win and the Arena Wars belt.

In close Arnold (right) was able to land his left

Molina lands a left to Arnold's chin

Caldera's left lands to Hernandez' head

Lorenzo Caldera returned to the armory in Clackamas, the site where he suffered his only loss seven months ago, to face Margarito Hernandez who took the fight on short notice. Hernandez was coming off a majority draw in his last fight.

The opening round saw both men throw a lot of punches and move quickly. Both looked to attack the body, Caldera suing his height and reach advantage to keep Hernandez at a distance; while Hernandez looked to step in close and throw short power punches. While both men were able to land scoring punches, Caldera gained an edge by landing at a higher rate.

The second round got off to a slow start, until Caldera backed Hernandez into the corner. With Hernandez pinned, Caldera threw a flurry of punches that landed to Hernandez' body. Hernandez was able to slip out of the corner, and he fired his right back at Caldera as he did so, but it was Caldera's reach that gave him an advantage. Caldera targeted Hernandez head, and in so doing he opened a cut over Hernandez' right eye. Caldera again backed Hernandez against the ropes, and this time he threw punches at Hernandez' head. One of those landed heavy and Hernandez dropped to the canvas.

The referee reached the count to ten and Caldera would claim the knockout victory at 2:48 of the second round.

Ulysses Molina made his professional debut stepping in to face unbeaten Haidon Allen in a four round super featherweight fight. Allen had not lost a round in his previous two fights, and had racked up a number of wins as an amateur.

Allen controlled all of the action in the opening round as he smothered Molina with punches targeting Molina's body. Molina covered up well, but that limited his ability to throw shots at Allen.

Allen continued to pressure Molina in the second round, and as he did so, he backed Molina into the corner and unloaded a barrage of punches that landed to Molina's body and head. Again, Molina covered well, but he was not able to answer Allen's attack.

The referee stepped in to stop he fight at 1:05 of the second round awarding Allen the TKO victory and keeping intact his string of unbeaten rounds.

With Molina in the corner, Allen scores to the body

Thompson's left catches Cook

Aaron Thompson brought his unbeaten record to the ring to face Corey Cook in a super welter weight bout scheduled for five rounds. While Thompson was coming in with a two win streak, Cook had been on the losing end of his previous two fights, though in both of those Cook had travelled to face unbeaten opponents.

Thompson was the busier fighter early as he controlled the action behind his jab, moving Cook across the ring. Cook, when he got close, swung hard and wide, looking to land a punch heavy enough to slow Thompson. Thompson landed a hard body shot to Cook's midsection at the 2:30 mark of the round that dropped Cook to the canvas. Cook felt the sting of the blow, but rose to continue before the referee hit ten. Thompson then pressured Cook across the ring and again landed a heavy body shot to drop Cook. He would not rise from this blow as the referee counted ten.

Thompson would claim the knockout win at 2:57 of the opening round to remain unbeaten as a professional.

Keano Moyer and Robert Jimenez faced each other in Medford in June in a fight that though it ended in a majority draw, was claimed by many in attendance to be the fight of the night. The five round lightweight bout in Clackamas was an opportunity for one of the men to claim victory.

As might be expected in a rematch, the opening round was close as both men looked to land scoring punches to gain an edge. Moyer threw most of his punches at Jimenez' body, while Jimenez proved to be an effective counter puncher as he landed scoring punches to Moyer's body and head. Jimenez opened the second round aggressively as he targeted Moyer's body and then slipped punches to his head. Jimenez landed a solid right hand that dropped Moyer at 2:20 of the round. Moyer stood and threw punches trying to answer Jimenez.

Jimenez answered the bell to begin the third round with a flurry of punches that moved Moyer across the ring. Moyer, focused on not getting caught again, threw punches in return, but he was unable to land with any power. Jimenez landed a right hand to Moyer's body at the :30 mark that again dropped Moyer. While the referee counted, Moyer stood, but he was awkwardly holding his right arm.

The referee waved an end to the fight, awarding the TKO win to Jimenez at the :40 mark of the third round.

Jimenez lands his right to Moyer's body

Martinez lands her left to Maxwell's chin

The women's super flyweight bout pitting Anne Maxwell against Kathlyn Martinez looked interesting on a number of accounts. First, it has been a while since there has been a women's fight of consequence in Pacific Northwest. Second, Martinez had not been in the ring since 2021, and all three of her previous wins had come while fighting in Mexico. Third, Maxwell was making the move from kick boxing to boxing, but she had fought only once as an amateur kick boxer in 2014. So the question was, who would prove to show they belonged in the ring as a boxer.

Martinez answered the opening bell and quickly made her way across the ring to throw punches at Maxwell. Martinez threw with both arms and as she moved to smother Maxwell, giving her few opportunities to respond. Maxwell did cover up, and blocked many of Martinez' punches, but enough of them found a target on Maxwell's body to back her into the corner. With Maxwell covering up in the corner, Martinez threw her left and right, swinging from outside in, to land shots to Maxwell's body. Maxwell was able to slip out of the corner, but Martinez backed her onto the ropes and again landed a barrage of body shots. The referee stepped in close to watch, and though Maxwell was covering up, and did not appear to be hurt, she was unable to convince the referee who waved the fight to an end at 1:44 of the opening round.

Kathlyn Martinez would remain unbeaten with the TKO victory.

Mike McMillan and Keith Heath moved into the professional ranks to open the show after brief stints as amateur fighters. Heath last fought as an amateur in 2019, while McMillan's last amateur fight was in 2023. This fight was a four round affair in the light heavy weight division.

There were not a lot of punches that landed in the opening round. Heath was content to throw his jab to keep McMillan from stepping close. McMillan answered throwing combinations late in the round. McMillan had a solid second round after he backed Heath on to the ropes and began landing scoring shots to Heath's body.

Heath returned to suing his jab in the third round, and he was effective in slowing McMillan's attack, and with the distance he created, Heath was able to land scoring shots when he stepped in close. McMillan threw fewer combinations, resorting to throwing his right, looking to land a hard punch. McMillan put together a solid assault in the fourth round as he was able to return to throwing combinations that landed effectively. As the round drew to an end both men were throwing wide and wild punches, looking to land something that would bring the fight to an end.

After four rounds, all three judges cored the fight 39-37 for McMillan who would claim the unanimous decision victory.

McMillan throws his right