WELTERWEIGHT TITLE fight
AMANDA RIGHETTI (32 y/o, 5 ft 8, W: 62, L: 23) VS CASSIDY FREEMAN (33 y/o, 5 ft 9, W: 18, L: 11)
(Words: Bonzo / Results: Lookout!)

Before: Their redhead rivalry is still polite and professional, but it’s turning bitterer: each of the three battles between Amanda Righetti and Cassidy Freeman was a thudding, brutal combat. Now in Bout No. 4 the mood is even more competitive. Outside Regan, nobody’s treated Righetti’s body as spectacularly shabby as Cassidy’s done before – she’s lost the first two bouts by come-behind knockouts, but was finally able to bring it together in March 2014, when she landed two knockdowns and a TKO finish to win her first title. Freeman lost to Regan during her title run last year, like Righetti, but beat Lawley and Heynatz to secure her shot at the title she lost in December 2014, while defending champion Righetti hasn’t been in a comparably dominant position across the division in a while, and is now on a six-fight winning streak that includes Biel, Kajlich, Lancaster and a close defense against Atkinson. Pre-fight interviews prove the stakes on the line: Freeman’s assertive, “I’ve cracked the code with Amanda last time. I’ve out-hit her each time, but in that bout, I out-hit her and finished her off, so yeah, there’s nothing to fear any more. I can’t just be physically ready for her: I’ll have to be mentally ready to conquer her. They way I see it, you either beat her comprehensively, breaking apart every aspect of what makes her a great fighter, or you don’t beat her at all.” – Righetti responds, “Clearly, battling Cassidy has been one of the defining rivalries of my recent career. I thrive on dangerous competition, but there’s always a time when it’s necessary to shut the door, straighten things out for good and separate the champion from her, well, victims.”
 
R1: Freeman unpacks a fierce, jerky jab from the bell, spinning constant pressure toward Amanda’s flapping head – early shock opens up Righetti’s guard just enough for Cassidy’s right hand to detonate firmly off Amanda’s nose, flopping the overwhelmed champion rearward into ropes, knees sagging, her head twitching, totally bewildered. Freeman tightens her broad-shouldered stance, whacking Righetti two thick body punches before ramming a follow-up right against Amanda’s shaky, earmuff guard. Within a couple moments, Righetti’s straightened up, getting her hands into order to prevent the worst – freeman’s striking right hands bounce off her brutally, driving/trapping her ropeside, as Righetti shudders, wilts, staring with her eyes wide awake, finally reaching out with a tentatively pumping jab to keep Cassidy at bay. Freeman’s taking little steps backwards/sideways when she realizes Righetti’s responsive, yet still asserts enormous pressure behind those drifting jabs/detonating rights, forcing her full-bodied power on retreating redhead. Cass uses a hunching stance, pressing on Amanda by rolling wide, thick lefts and rights inside toward Righetti’s midsection, just workin’ the beef, able to operate freely as Righetti functions only in tight, fraught defense, scampering backwards. Freeman’s laying in sickening punishment later in the round, switching targets on Righetti’s body, always bobbin’ in a forward stance, not letting go: challenger has Amanda covering, ducking, taking blows all round long in a stunning display of what Cassidy’s got planned for tonight.
 
R2: Freeman’s aggression already changing the course of the fight: redhead attempts to bully champ behind those shimmying power jabs and exerts walking-down pressure. Righetti forced into competitiveness by default, answers early with humming, high-risk right hands between Cassidy’s rhythmic blows, clouting past challenger’s raised right hand on redhead cheek, while Freeman strikes back on exposed Amanda’s sternum on her way out. Thumping impact not slowing the pace: redheads move in stalking circles, leading on equally strong muscular jabs, each woman fearing those explosive, gritty rights mixed in along the way. Shuddering little set-piece battles in various spots of the ring ensue, as both competitors fail to walk down their opponent – lots of trembling buttocks, spanked meat. Structural destruction: mid-round, there’s one, two, three crippling punches by Amanda, detonating on Freeman’s guard, until Cassidy sneaks in a beasty counter, stopping the momentum, taking over with series of hefty body hooks blocking redhead movement, until Righetti reads a gambled right hand and swishes a stroking jab over Cass’s teeth, and girls finally fall into clunky, struggling clinch, their powerful bodies straining with the effort of holding back the other girl, as every little movement, every inch of the ground is a point of pride. Last minute, Righetti’s jabs prove more organized/rhythmic, catching more of freeman’s body than Cassidy is able to paste back – just little moments decide the round late: Righetti’s right hand nicking a clean hit on freeman’s ear when Cassidy’s straight-arm counter thunders past champion’s skull in return; Righetti lunging in for some late, plucky jabs on Cass’s cheek; Amanda burying a bulky hook in challenger’s tits, crouching quickly under the counter. Tense mood at bell: girls ain’t losing their cool, but the stares are icy, ominous.
 
R3: Freeman subdues Righetti’s own initiative with toppling, dazzling aggression, working out of unapologetic, no-budge stance, wading through Amanda’s pumped jabs with unfazed pressure – she’s employing wide explosive punches from both sides, relentlessly punishing Righetti’s flanks/side/gut. Cassidy not reckless: she’s always resetting into starting posture, but slowly drives back champion into rope-side positions on top, dictating the terms of the action. Righetti not really committed in these instances – struggling not to get overwhelmed, out-jabbed and less precise, she’s resorting to off-beat counters, staying safe behind tight guard, crouching/ducking against Freeman’s steady, rolling drumbeat. Cassidy churns the Righetti meat systematically, procuring sweaty, ass-kicking dominant little moments against miserable Amanda in ropeside battles: drumming series of hooks gets Righetti’s body jerking, jolted by the weight-of-shot, as redhead lays back in ropes with sleepy expression before ending the punishment with desperate, sloppy straight-arm hooks forcing a clinch. Cassidy’s greedier on the inside, she’s the one doing the big-girl pushin’ and shovin’, at one point battering past Righetti’s outstretched countering left with a ringing right on Amanda’s jaw that slumps a stooping redhead back into ropes, her face convulsed in pain. During last minute, Righetti’s jabs end up doing a bit more precise damage on challenger, powering out of the corner sieges a couple of times, but each time Cassidy’s strength and commitment allow her to extend the pressure on Amanda with spearing hooks, forcing Righetti into defensive positions again. Cassidy gets another quick look at Amanda’s chin very late, when her relentless left-fisted pump splits Righetti’s guard for a whipping right to jaw: Amanda’s sturdy legs buckle, but she’s riding out the last seconds in thick woman-to-woman clinch, her head on Cass’s shoulders, straining against her jostling opponent.
 
R4: Girls trade cruel jabs, howitzer rights out of pocket early, engaging in bitter mid-ring combat, one step forward, one step back: Cassidy does a particularly good job of punishing Righetti’s flanks/gut with those twisted, wiiiide outside-in hooks, rhythmically bashing the meat – Amanda answers with stolid, straight counters to Freeman’s chest/shoulders from tight, careful guard, as big girls circle, stalk each other behind numbing pressure. Righetti’s increasingly harassed by Cass’s more belligerent punches: Freeman’s on the initiative, and throughout the first minute, her rotating shoulders roll into persistent, fluid motion. Amanda’s straight-arm counters end up coming short, unable to break or slow down Cassidy’s push – so, inevitably, Cass’s jarring right cracks through at one point, neatly collecting Amanda’s upper left jaw, and her oh-so-heartless, steady lefts start downright bulldozing Righetti’s position, shoving/edging her backwards step by step! Cassidy’s raw power’s unforgiving when properly unleashed – Righetti gets outpunched, hiding behind her protected guard as freakish, intermixed rights blow her onto her heels, buckling those strong legs. At the start of the second minute, Cassidy’s finally worked out a good besieging position near her own turnbuckles, her wide, beefy back sparkling with sweat, as her pumped jabs keep trapping Amanda, caging her up for thumping punishment. Righetti suffers: eyes staring bleakly, her body pinking up all over, as she’s going considerable stretches of time just taking, taking, taking punches, locked out of counters by Cassidy’s relentless power/rhythm – Freeman’s pretty much got Righetti at the end of her punches. Her tik-tok jabbing drumbeat tosses Amanda’s guard to the side at one point on sheer, brutish power, splitting her hands enough for Cassidy to ram her uppercut right hand beautifully into Amanda’s vulnerable jaw! Champion’s eyes roll back, her head swiveled ragdoll-y to the side: Righetti’s flopping down on the spot, legs failing. Amanda’s dropped onto her butt, with her torso slumping backwards into the turnbuckle, hands in her lap, her eyes looking dimly on, as Freeman raises her hand in triumph! But the champion’s not done: Amanda’s hurrying into groggy motion…trying to hoist herself up…rising slowly on little breaks…standing….swaying on the spot…legs bobbin’ sluggishly – Freeman wants it finished of course, but Righetti’s eyes glitter in protest, as she’s raising her hands to guard at nine, wildly gesturing to go on. Freeman wades in big, traps Righetti in the same turnbuckle, leading on those pumping, straight jabs, her right hand dangling, waiting to crawl her way back into Amanda’s jaw again. Righetti’s suffering, getting shoved, punches pumped/rammed into her side, but she’s more or less pitching her body forward onto Freeman for primeval, sweaty clinches. Cassidy’s scramblin’ and pushin’ for breaks, but she’s too sloppy/hasty when finally unleashed, her monster rights crashing past Amanda’s skull too imprecisely. Righetti’s definitely getting the worst of these bruising exchanges, but she’s making all of the third minute a messy, ugly struggle for survival, as athletic bodies bounce into each other, with lots of holding, hoisting and quivering in the trenches, all taking place mid-ring – with Righetti’s head usually resting on Cass’s beefy shoulders, squirming against her redhead opponent’s power. And Freeman not getting that longed for look at champion’s chin again, settles for ruinous shots into Amanda’s flanks/chest/stomach: Righetti proves resiliently stubborn, using Cassidy’s impatience against her, dropping some slick counters past Cassidy’s greedy jabs late, slowly defusing Freeman’s power in frustrating, squirming little jostles. At bell, Freeman’s still hungry – she’s arguing/bytching with the ref – although she’s just given the champion one of her most awful rounds in quite some time. Righetti just totters back into her corner on autopilot, her expression blank.
 
R5: Freeman unfurls dreadful dominance behind her rattling lead jab, circularly walking down Righetti with its harsh poke. Amanda’s constantly on her heels, bobbin’ off backwards and to the side or into ropes, using lots of crouching and ducking, getting punched out of her stance repeatedly, only occasionally answering with a sly, straight-arm punch into Cassidy’s firm, fixed rhythm, but Cass’s got those counters worked out pretty well, and they usually bounce off a prepared guard up top, before Righetti has to back down against Freeman’s sturdy aggression, slumping into ropes for a rocking series of stiff hooks into her side/gut. Righetti’s mastering her defense as well as she can, with her legs getting some of their bounce back despite the steady work applied – she’s locked out of the offense by Cassidy’s vicious, dominant whacks but she’s able to use the ring, extend her space, preventing Freeman from trapping her in ropeside sieges. Righetti does a fine job of evading freeman’s weight of shot, diffusing her oppressor with leggy escapes, until early in the last minute, when Amanda sees a sneaky, wide, twisted hook late, and the thundering spank near her left ear skews her head violently to the side, and she’s faltering, wobbling into ropes with how-could-you eyes, her lips murmuring in confusion. Cassidy pursues by twirling her left into two, three, four little throbbin’ punches, all getting through to Righetti’s right cheek – redhead champion folds sadly backwards into ropes for an instant, her knees bending oh-so-queasily, when she’s set upright by Cassidy’s vicious straight follow-up hook into her tits, and Amanda’s pressing forward into another desperate clinch, but she’s not punching at all. Freeman hastens the break, tilts her stance up, trapping poor Righetti at ropes, continues poking at Amanda’s tender earmuff with her left, dangling her right to explode into uppercuts searching for Righetti’s skull, forcing champion into sudden head jerks, all the while using every opportunity to flog Amanda’s strong mid-section with driving straight-arm punches. At bell, Freeman’s still imposing her weight on foe, lingering for smoldering eye contact, before marching back to her corner all-business, while Righetti rushes to her corner, looking considerably banged up, but serviceable.
 
R6: At half-time, with freeman owning a stunning lead on the cards, welter big girls move into close, competitive trade mid-ring, as Righetti comes out charged, more zealous – lots of back and forth wallop ensues, with some rhythmic, straightforward jabs swirling past skulls, some penetrating through to nose, mouth, jaw – this time Amanda’s finally first to float her right into the action, detonating solidly off Cassidy’s left cheek. Freeman’s wobbly-butt and her jabbing poke loses its clockwork precision, as she’s hurrying some of her counters to stay on top, forced into unwilling, tottering little side-steps because of Amanda’s returning brawn. Righetti’s quick to pounce, lunging in for some greedy body hooks, while ruthlessly sprawling her powerful lefts to drive Cassidy further into the defensive. Now Freeman’s on her heels, her hulking welter body locked into ropes, as Amanda keeps punching through her counters, her left massively punishing Cassidy’s raised guard with relentless tik-tok jolts knocking her head back in little jerks, her right chopping Cass’s tits, flanks and toned stomach. Freeman answers with familiar, wide-trajectory hooks bashing Amanda on either side, exposing her body to quick off-rhythm counters, but easing Righetti’s pounding pressure – and by mid-round, Amanda’s no longer able to penetrate with as much effective power, clearly suffering from Cassidy’s hacking hooks into her side, taking little steps off to the side herself, hand outstretched to keep distance. Cassidy’s turning-with, throws in bashing straight-arm hooks to Righetti’s gut/sternum, and girls suddenly reverse position when Freeman’s right hand narrowly strokes Amanda’s chin: Righetti’s bouncin’ on the spot, leaning her back into ropes, forced into hovering earmuff, still poking a powerful straight jab out of the pocket, but she’s getting thrashed into ropes by Freeman’s rough work on her torso, getting slapped on her abs, ribs, chest. Late second minute sees another brutal conversion: while freeman’s constantly weaving her left at Amanda’s face, twisting her right into a shuddering body hook deep in her gut, Righetti’s able to slap a counter right over Cassidy’s agitating left, whacking her challenger under the jaw – and Freeman’s head snaps down, eyes shutting for the slightest bit of a second, her body relaxing into slumping bulk. Righetti extends her left for series of straight hooks, walking Freeman backwards – Cass’s staggering in reverse, her powerful legs keeping her up on autopilot, when she’s finally hoisting her body forward into thudding collision, as welter bodies rub and shove, shuffle hips against hips – this time, Freeman’s eyes have lost their spark, taking little moments to rest her head on Amanda’s broad shoulders, while Righetti’s wide awake, ramming in jerking uppercuts under Cassidy’s armpit. Girls decelerate during later part of third minute – it’s Righetti fielding her left trying to dictate tempo and manage the ring, but Cassidy’s slowing her down with tired, holding embraces, and by the bell, girls have merged into one fixed, thick, tied-up, big-girl mass mid-ring, struggling in sloppy grappling more or less on the spot.
 
R7: Girls display ace stamina, but the back-and-forth battle of the last round takes its toll nevertheless: fighters struggle to separate, with the combat turning more careless and less technical – as opponents circle each other, they plunge into long stretches of mindless, stupefying brutality. Baseball bat jabs crack on respective guards, ham-handed rights sink deep into guts/ribs – it’s all thuggish beastliness, and it’s going both ways. Scenes from the first minute: Righetti starts to romp away into the lead behind bang-on jabs and dominant legwork, tears a short sideway hook inside right between Cassidy’s nose and mouth – only to get pummeled with a smothering straight-arm counter into her solar plexus, tilting to the side all wobbly-butt, followed by Cassidy driving her left two, three times into Righetti’s raised guard, mauling it open to slam her right on Amanda’s unprepared mouth, and the champion’s head is all twisted ugly into a blurred world of hurt. Freeman subsequently bans Amanda into turnbuckles, all butt-on-ropes, giving a jerk every time Cassy’s right pummels her ribs/stomach. Second minute, Amanda recovers and powers out with pulsating drum-beating straight-arm punches continually aiming to numb Freeman’s shoulders/arms, skewing Cass’s face courtesy of her inside-right catching her jaw before fighters fall into a quivering clinch – challenger’s body’s still pressing forward on sheer weight, but her eyes look confused and hurt – when ref breaks them apart, Cassidy’s still a little rickety, punched onto her heels by Amanda’s jabs crawling ever closer, slugging her guard apart. Cassidy turns, wobbling to the side behind frail earmuff, shoved backwards by Righetti’s whipping body hooks, pushed into ropes, her eyes staring wildly, flickering behind her raised hands, as Amanda swipes her right firmly onto the left side of Cassidy’s face. Early third minute – out of nowhere, just as Righetti settles in for a destructive long-term body siege – Cassidy, looking tired, slower in her bowed rope-side stance, pulls up a HUUGE right hand uppercut, finding its way past Amanda’s left arm blasting ALL of Righetti’s left cheek – poor Amanda’s sloshing forward from the impact, her body tossed mechanically onto Cassidy herself, eyes first closed, then opening into a puzzled, chaotic, fluttering look. Cass plods to the side in disbelief, hoping for a finish, but Righetti halts her slump just in time before tumbling into ropes – strong legs saving her – as she pitches her body to the side into Cass, her jab already grabbing, searching for Cassidy’s skull, as girls topple into a panting, heaving embrace, before they’re separated by the ref. Not much left of the round: girls both pull huge rights up going astray, stalking, falling into each other, with lots of lumbering punches, and both stay body to body in bitter, bad-ass battle until the bell, in a round that must have been a draw. Welter foes wander to their corners, looking bruised, battered.
 
R8: Right after bell, girls trek into mid-ring collision, spinning gigantic punches left and right before falling into sweaty, grappling embrace, as both press their weight forward on sheer willpower, sturdy legs/buttocks straining/shivering to subdue their foe. During first minute, welter hard-bodies are hard to separate, failing to land a lot of precise strikes during staunch, rugged little battles of attrition/power: later in the first minute, Righetti clips Cassidy a short, firm hook to temple, then drives her right into redhead mid-section up close, securing some thudding, numbing rib hits on the inside, forcing shivering jerks from Cass’s toned abs, as freeman closes her eyes in pain, grunting – Cass ends the torment with fuming lefts pounding at Amanda’s right ear/cheekbones, compelling Big Rigs to sever their hold. Righetti now clearly more aggressive than in earlier rounds: she twirls her jab into pressure/momentum immediately, extorting inch by inch from freeman, backing her girl up behind buff, adamant stance – Cass attempts to time/intercept those bashing lefts, pitter-pattering in reverse, looking for openings, countering ahead brawny to Righetti’s shoulders/ribs, still gets caught thickly near her mouth in return, tilting her skull ever so slightly to the side, as Amanda’s broad straight-arm punches drive into her chest/upper torso, sloshing her backwards. Cassidy’s lead to ropes unwillingly, not able to impede Righetti’s relentless push – Freeman’s butt/back tumbles onto ropes, she’s holding her hands ever tighter in earmuff guard, as Amanda whirls wide, chastising punches onto either side of Cassy’s torso, eliciting little grunts of pain from her challenger. Freeman bounces off ropes during later parts of second minute, rushing into body-to-body moments, tussling to batter out of her position, but Righetti’s more active in these grasps, always searchin’ for Cass’s skull, ramming steady punches into her arms/flanks, as Cassidy squirms…shivers…sags into ropes backwards in frustration again – and Righetti’s already pounding that left into her raised guard, then swooshes an overhead right narrowly past Cassidy’s hairline. Third minute: Righetti’s jab rolls and rolls, her strong shoulders rotating into churning beat-down on loosened Freeman hovering on the ropes – Amanda’s right explodes into sudden bursts out of pocket, switching from bashing strikes at Cassidy’s head to thick body punches to gut/ribs – Cassidy’s out-punched, looking increasingly tarnished and banged-up. Final moments: Freeman shoves her own right out into the game, easing some pressure by forcing Amanda into a more careful guard, but Righetti still pumps her jab over Cassidy’s arm, edging her thumping jab stoutly on challenger’s teeth, then slips her right past softened guard for another swat upside freeman’s head, as Cassidy’s body tips backwards into ropes limply, jerking from even more of Amanda’s greedy jabs into her ribs when Righetti really leans in for punishment. At bell, Freeman’s stumbling to her corner on swaying legs, glancing in bewilderment, her eyelashes fluttering.
 
R9: Freeman’s showing signs of tiredness for the first time tonight: redhead challenger’s legwork looks less quick and nimble, but she’s still charging, pressing ahead with stubborn sturdiness right after bell – she’s lunging out with straight jabs buried in Amanda’s ribs/chest, her right dangling for explosive shots from the pocket into Righetti’s stout guard. Righetti mitigates Cassidy’s charging aggression up close, falling into clunky, embattled embraces on the spot mid-ring, keeping Cass busy with persistent body punches: girls grapple, one step forward, one step backwards, but Amanda’s dictating terms behind her greedy jabs into Cass’s side/flanks/arms, jostlin’ forth with relentless power. Freeman’s more competitive when she brings her unreadable overhead right into the game, spooking Amanda into hasty runaway side-steps and sharp, hectic head-turns, but she’s not managing to roll into a fluid, jab-led rhythm to back up Big Rigs, relegated instead to many hard-fought, reluctant retreats all throughout early first minute, as Righetti subdues Freeman’s counters with bolstered jab rhythms, bludgeoning redhead opponent backwards…step by step…into a stooped, dominated butt-on-ropes position. Suddenly – with Cassidy jarred in her earmuff guard, eyes mirroring her suffering – sweet mayhem breaks loose, when freeman tugs her right fist over/past Amanda’s avid, knock-knocking left from the side, catching Rigs awkwardly on her left forehead/temple at full power. Righetti’s upper torso snaps down, while her face reacts into a pained distortion, her strong legs stumbling along on slight baby-steps – and Cassidy repeats the trick, hauling a second right-hand punch out of the pocket, belting it onto Amanda’s cheek thickly. As she’s wilting from the thundering impact, Righetti reacts, pulls her own right up, shovin’ straight little robotic strokes into Cassidy’s ribs/meat, her left kept up tightly at guard. Pushed a little backwards into ropes by the firm and sturdy counters, freeman fumbles her straight-arm right a bit, and it fizzles past Righetti’s skull, only stroking her left ear – so Righetti can twist her own left fist past it, clouting Cass a throbbing, stomping bash upside her right temple. Abruptly on impact, Freeman’s eyes turn into a blank stare, she’s still grabbing out with her left hand, while her torso starts sleepily faltering backwards, her back sloshing into ropes – Righetti shifts her weight/body to Cassidy’s left side, then steps all-into-her with a prepared…widely pulled…huuuge right uppercut literally whacking the right side of Freeman’s jaw! And Cassidy’s body folds up instantly, toppling into Amanda in little delays: redhead champ steps back, slowly, while Cass’s body flops forward unchecked – freeman thuds harshly onto the ground, lying on her belly, arms parallel to torso, when her eyes open – she’s heaving her head…pulling up her arms….staring in confusion…her right leg starts twitching in stiff attempts to rise. At the end of the ten count, Freeman’s crawled to her knees, her torso swaying, head kinking down – this welterweight slug-out is over, and the winner – and STILL welterweight champion – by KO9 is Amanda Righetti!
 
After: One of the welterweight division’s great advertised rivalries holds its promise, as Amanda Righetti and Cassidy Freeman give their all in a thrilling back-and-forth battle – a stunning display of stamina and attitude, as girls take turns establishing control, only to see it slip away again. Cassidy’s heartbroken, failing to fathom how things could have still gone wrong after her performance in the first five rounds. Righetti – ribs bandaged, lots of little wounds on her face, looking like she was the one who just got knocked out – explains post-fight, “There have been moments in this fight where I was close to saying, she’s got me, but of course, that’s not how I work. Now I just feel incredibly proud to have come out on top.”