STFC 41 Quick Results and Thoughts

Results

Luke Flores over Sonny Luque by KO (:41 , 3rd round)

Victor Martinez over Jose Cabral by Split Decision

Edgar Diaz over Fabian Saldivar by KO (:39, 1st round)

Robert Aguirre over Isaac Matamoros by KO (:32, 3rd round)

Elias Rodriguez over Jorge Cortez by Submission (:50, 1st round)

Irvin Lopez over Ryan Rangel by Decision

Chris Cuadra over Adan Adame by Submission ( 1:06, 2nd round)

Gunner Coronado over Eric Aleman by Submission (1:17, 1st round)

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There’s a few things to talk about and I’ve taken way too long to talk discuss this event, so let’s get it!

The first thing I want to cover is the loss of Fabian Saldivar. As most of you reading this are aware, the local legend return to the STFC cage was a short-lived affair after falling to Eduardo Diaz at the:39 mark of the 1st round. I really didn’t anticipate such a result so I was curious on what happened. The next day the former STFC featherweight champion took to social media to shed some light on his performance:

Even with a loss under a minute, I don’t think this is a bad loss for Saldivar. He tried something and got caught. No biggie. He could have taken on an opponent who had ten fights and only two victories but he decided to go after the fighter that just gave Luke Flores his toughest fight to date. Saldivar should be applauded for taking on a fighter of that caliber in his return bout after sitting on the sidelines for nearly two years. This is just a bump in the road and I would expect to see Saldivar back super kicking foes in his quest for a title.

It’s also going to be interesting to see where Diaz goes from here. He’s had back-to-back impressive performances against some of STFC’s elite wolves. I don’t know if this win puts him in the featherweight title picture just yet, but another victory or two will pretty much guarantee him a spot in a featherweight title picture.

Speaking of titles, the bantamweight division has generated some talk about who should be in contention for the bantamweight title. The first choice – and I don’t even think you can argue it- is Robert Aguirre. Ever since coming on the scene, Aguirre has taken the bantamweight division by storm with his beautifully brutal  Muay Thai. It should be no surprise to anyone that Aguirre is coached by a duo of the most elite strikers to ever come out of the Valley. Aguirre’s most recent victory saw him deliver a head-kick KO to Isaac Matamoros at STFC 41 solidifying his place in the bantamweight title picture. Who will be Aguirre’s dance partner is still up in the air. Aguirre did mention that there is talks of Eduardo Bustillos and Leroy Martinez meeting in a number one contender fight but it seems Martinez officially withdrew his name from the title picture and will stay at 125lbs.

 

….or will he.

 

It looks like Martinez is re-evaluating his decision to get in line for the 135lb title shot which is good news for STFC fight fans. Martinez is an exciting fighter that always has memorable fights no matter what banner or weight he is fighting in. At this point in his career, he is a veteran that is focusing on his goals of one day reaching the big stage. I think if he puts together a streak of wins at flyweight he could be on the radar but winning the STFC bantamweight title and defending it could also put him on the national stage. There is also a chance he could fight for the STFC flyweight title but he would probably have to get a win or two under his belt in that division before he cements his place in a title match since he lost to flyweight Elias Garcia in 2015.

The other fighters being thrown in the hat are Fabian Saldivar and DJ Fuentes. We haven’t seen DJ Fuentes in STFC since he jumped ship to HERO FC four years ago after losing his title to Javier Obregon. During Fuentes’ HERO FC run, he dominated the bantamweight division. He captured the title in his first outing for the promotion and is the only fighter to ever hold the HERO FC title. Considering Saldivar would be coming in with a loss and Fuentes would be returning to STFC after four years, I think locking them in the cage to fight for a title shot is a great idea. I’m obviously biased since it’s my idea but I think a superfight between two of the Valley’s biggest names could be good business. Both of their followings are loyal to a fault and always show up when they take center stage. This is all hypothetical since Saldivar fights at featherweight and Fuentes has been out of action since HERO FC is no longer running; not sure if his contract with the promotion is now null and void since the promotion hasn’t had a show in a hot minute.

One fighter that I thought that might fit in the bantamweight title picture is Sammy Guardiola. He hasn’t lost since his debut in 2011. The majority of his fights have been at bantamweight according to Tapolgy. Guardiola has also flirted with the flyweight division and was in line for a title shot but I’m not too sure that is going to happen now. “The Bull” recently posted on Facebook that he will be appearing on the LFA 6 in San Antonio to face Carlos Vergara on March 10th. This throws my pick out the window but it would have been great to see Guardiola match up with Aguirre but we are excited to see one of the Valley’s own take center stage on a national level. #chingasOSS

The good news is that it doesn’t seem like there is a shortage of legit bantamweight contenders in the state of Texas for  STFC architect Raul Ramos to choose from. The coming months are going to be filled with anticipation of what Ramos has in store for not only the title picture but STFC’s next event on May 19th. This last card produced six finishes out of the eight fights with three of those finishes coming in the first round. Hopefully footage of these fights will surface in the coming months.