Liles Upsets Spratt in Rear Naked Choke

Welterweight Donnie Liles (12-5) upset veteran “Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-15) with a rear naked choke submission at 1:59 of round three Friday night in Broomfield, northwest of Denver.

“This is definitely my biggest victory,” an emotional Liles said after the victory.  “I’m just looking to the future and see what that brings.”

Neither Lyles nor Spratt stood out until the end of the second round; but, by then, Spratt had pieced together an advantage with the occasional punch landing crisp to Lyles chin or body.

“Honestly, all the coaches and everyone told me don’t stand with him.  Take it to the ground” Lyles revealed.

At the end of round two, Lyles finally followed his coaches’ advice.

Lyles took Spratt down into half mount with 20 seconds remaining in the round and passed to mount.  Spratt rolled to his stomach, right into a rear naked choke, but right at the round’s final bell.

“I knew I was tired, but I knew but he was more tired than I was,” Liles said.

In the third round, Liles had broken the code to the “Secret Weapon”.  Liles repeated the takedown to half mount and pass to mount.  Again, Spratt rolled into a rear naked choke, but there was no bell to save him in the third round.