After a brief tussle with former 170-pound titlist Shamar Bailey (8-1) of Indianapolis, Bowling and his two fists convinced the referee to stop the main event title fight in the first round at Broadbent Arena Saturday night.

With a resemblance to WEC Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (20-1) and the Midwestern manners of fellow Cincinnatian “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), Bowling pops off event posters often graced by bad tats and Mohawks.

At the initial bell in Lousiville, Bowling popped out of his corner windmilling combos, backing Bailey to the fence.  Bowling launched a right high kick as Bailey ducked to a single leg take down.  Bowling collapsed atop his opponent.

Bowling tagged Bailey on the mat; and, Bailey scrambled furiously out from beneath the young talent.  But, Bowling smelled blood and ran Bailey down, pounding lefts and rights until the referee called a stop to the fight.

Bowling dedicated his 170-pound title to his training team at Team G-Force.  The 24-year old’s future is likely at 155-pounds as he steps-up in competition.

For three five-minute rounds earlier in the night, bantamweights Orville Smith (9-0) of Indianapolis and Louisville’s own Josh Ferguson (2-1) matched each other’s tenacity, whether in Ferguson’s zone throwing mean leather or on Smith’s mat filing through submissions and dropping monster slams.

Their fight was a classic that neither warrior lost until the judges called it 29-8 twice and 28-29 for the visitor to L-town, Smith, by split decision.

Smith told the booing partisan crowd that the “W” capped-off a 50 hour work week.

Ferguson’s brother, featherweight “Boogieman” BJ Ferguson (1-0), avenged Josh’s loss with a unanimous decision over Brandon Bell (0-2) in an all-Kentucky slog.

Ferguson, unlike his brother, seemed more comfortable on the mat, shooting out at the initial bell and working a G’n'P offense inside Bell’s open guard.  Bell closed and tightened his guard and pegged Ferguson’s skull with elbows until Ferguson postured up and swung three looping lefts in return fire.

Bell walked up the cage to his feet.  Ferguson ran into a stiff jab, but managed to clinch up and land a knee to Bell’s head to break.

Bell countered aggressively with a 1-2-3 combo, but Ferguson clinched again and landed the same knee to Bell’s head.

In the second round, Ferguson consistently hammered Bell’s skull with a knee in the clinch.

Bell secured a body lock, but Ferguson dropped levels and slammed Bell.  Ferguson mounted, but got anxious for the death blow and attempted a premature armbar on his slippery opponent.  Bell rolled into Ferguson’s full guard and postured; but, Ferguson again swung his legs into an armbar.  Bell yanked free and scrambled into full mount.

Bell’s mount was clumsy and Ferguson found an Achilles lock; but again Bell scrambled free into Ferguson’s full guard.  The ref stood them after a period of inactivity.

Again, Ferguson knocked Bell’s noggin with a knee in the clinch.

Bell was gassed for the final chapter.  He managed a stiff right cross that drove Ferguson back on his heels; but, Bell advanced into Ferguson’s clinch and got nailed by that knee again, followed by a Ferguson double leg takedown that ended with Bell inside Ferguson’s full guard.

Ferguson attempted two more armbars before the final bell.

The judges’ scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28, all for Ferguson.

Featherweight Charles Nutt (2-1) of Rory Singer‘s Georgia-based camp ruined Brandon Walker’s pro debut (0-1) when Nutt’s G’n'P barrage forced walker to surrender an arm for a first-round armbar tapout.

In heavyweight tussle to begin the night, rookie Mike Yanez (1-0) of Louisville took an overpowering and surprisingly agile brawl to Craig Schoonover (0-1).  Yanez followed a first-round haymaker to the clinch, took Schoonover to the mat, popped into full mount, and pounded until Schoonover surrendered an arm to an armbar at the cage.

Light heavyweights “C.T.” Craig Turner (1-0) in his pro debut and Derek Sawyer (1-3-1), both of Louisville, frustrated the crowd and the judges in a cycle that slowed to a Sunday stroll by round three.

Sawyer, a wrestler, would shoot, followed by a great sprawl by “C.T.”.  Sawyer would scramble into side control and easily pass Turner’s guard to full mount.  Then…nothing.

By round three, Turner would stand after stuffing Sawyer’s shot.  Then…nothing.

The judges scored it a split decision “W” for Turner 29-28 twice and 28-29.  I scored it 29-28 for Sawyer, but gave an “L” for anyone who paid to watch.

In amateur bouts, lightweight “The Machine” Tim Cook (0-0) of Louisville and Cincinnatian Nick Moeler (0-0) had a ground war for two three-minute rounds before the judges decided it 29-28 for the homeboy, Cook.  Both fighters came to battle.

Lightweight Johnny Cardona (0-0) of Miami whooped Lane Splawn (0-0) in a 1:56 TKO.  Splawn assumed turtle guard and Cardona hammered fists through Splawn’s defense until the referee stopped the bout.  Cardona shined on the amateur portion of the event.

After controversy in the first round, when Joe Heink (0-0) caught Isaiah Combs (0-0) in an armbar, but released it thinking his opponent had tapped, Heink secured a guillotine choke to tap Combs in the second round.  Heink won the RFL amateur welterweight title.

Liddell-style Lohawk-sporting Josh Ball (0-0) of Louisville wriggled free of a heel hook to pound Tommy Wales (0-0) to a first-round TKO.

Featherweight Rob Smith (0-0) was too slick for boxer Billy Smith (0-0) of Louisville.  He shot for a single leg, transitioned to a double leg slam, landing in the half mount. R. Smith worked a choke to tap out B. Smith just over a minute into round one.