By Larry Snyder

Monroeville, Pa – Coming back to the Monroeville Convention Center Saturday, April 16, Ryan Middleton and his 247 Fighting Championships promotion team lined up four professional and six amateur Mixed Martial Arts bouts on their exceptional Brawl in the Burgh 11 fight card.

Matchmakers Jim Mooney, Helen Locura, and Danny Palm turned the spotlight on Pittsburgh’s favorite lightweight, Khama Worthy (18-9-0), in the main event and the “Death Star” claimed his second consecutive win with a first-round technical knockout of Kaheem Murray (4-4-0) from Dallas, Texas. A quick left jab struck down the 32-year-old Murray, and the UFC veteran threw a few rights on his fallen opponent until referee Chip Snider stopped the match. Worthy, 35, said on his Facebook page, “We just doing what we do!”

The vacant 247 Featherweight Championship was featured in the co-main event as Ethan Goss (8-6-0) of Altoona, PA, battled Kevin Barberena (8-6-0) from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Goss, 30, combined his skill and superior reach to get through three grueling five-minute rounds to sweep the judges’ scorecards for a unanimous decision over the 31-year-old Barberena.

Hunter Homistek, general manager of the 247 Fighting Championships, wrote a behind-the-scenes look at BITB 11 and reported this meeting almost did not make it to the convention center floor. Barberena did not pass his first mandatory COVID test on Saturday, but luckily it was a false positive as he passed the second and third tests. You can read Homistek’s article here.

Canadian bantamweight Devon Lozej (1-1-0) from Thunder Bay, Ontario, had his break-out moment when he collected his first pro win. He got 28-year-old Justin Patton (1-2-0) of Pittsburgh, PA, to tap out by a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. Lozej, 28, is the second-ranked of six active Wisconsin pro bantamweights by Tapology.com. Homistek commented to me, “Lozej and his Leading Edge MMA team were a joy to work with, too. It really seems like they’re building something special up there in Thunder Bay.”

Steel City lightweight Jake Schilling (2-2-0) led off the pro section of the event and got the crowd buzzing with his TKO from strikes in the first round over 27-year-old Eric Pozun (0-2-0) of Wickliffe, Ohio. Homistek told me, “Locally, Pittsburghers have always known how good Jake Schilling, 27, can be. Now, it appears he’s coming into that potential and turning it into real results inside the cage. It’s truly awesome to see.”

Brawl In The Burgh 11 Professional Bouts (Three Rounds, Five Minutes Each):

Main Event – Lightweight – Khama Worthy (18-9-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By TKO From Strikes In First Round Vs. Kaheem Murray (4-4-0) Dallas, TX

Co-Main Event – 247 Vacant Featherweight Championship – Ethan Goss (8-6-0) Altoona, PA WINS By Unanimous Decision After Three Rounds Vs. Kevin Barberena (8-6-0) Myrtle Beach, SC

Bantamweight – Devon Lozej (1-1-0) Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada WINS By Rear Naked Choke Submission In Second Round Vs. Justin Patton (1-2-0) Pittsburgh, PA

Lightweight – Jake Schilling (2-2-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By TKO From Strikes In First Round Vs. Eric Pozun (0-2-0) Wickliffe, OH

Brawl In The Burgh 11 Amateur Bouts (Three Rounds, Two Minutes Each):

Bantamweight – Tim Bailey (1-0-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By Unanimous Decision After Three Rounds Vs. Aaron Harper (0-3-0) Three Springs, PA

Flyweight – Willow Morton (2-0-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By Unanimous Decision After Three Rounds Vs. Rachel Grenwood (0-1-0) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lightweight – Jake Rodgers (1-0-0) Saxonburg, PA WINS By Arm Triangle Submission In Third Round Vs. Ty’Shon Law (0-1-0) Franklin, PA

Middleweight – Paul Dotson (1-1-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By TKO From Strikes In First Round Vs. Andrew Evans (0-1-0) North Huntingdon, PA

Catchweight 215 lbs – James Padmore (1-0-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By KO From Strikes In The First Round Vs. Erik Ondrejik (0-1-0) Shirleysburg, PA

Heavyweight – Matthew Vanderhoff (1-1-0) Pittsburgh, PA WINS By TKO From Strikes In First Round Vs. Dacoda Warnick (0-1-0) Franklin, PA

Local Connection: The Pittsburgh Academy Of Martial Arts & Fitness, owned and operated by Worthy, is also where Schilling and Dotson prepare to compete. Goss trains at the Gorilla House Gym in Altoona, while Morton fights out of the Mat Factory Wrestling Club in Lower Burrell. The trio of Padmore, Rodgers, and Bailey hone their skills at Stout Training. They have the Strip District, Zelienople/North, and Monroeville/East locations.

Cage Clipboard: Chip Snider is the area’s leading MMA referee and he maintained order over all ten bouts on the card. Drew Danuski was back, and he owned the microphone as the ring announcer. The capable duo of Chris Bermudo and Paul Luc documented the exciting evening with their cameras.

Michael Moran and Michael Sorg of E2A Productions provided video services, and R/T Pro Audio stepped up to supply the sound and lighting. The commentary on the live streaming was Ryan Cavanaugh and Cole Macek. Doctor Jason Fronczak was the physician-in-attendance from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.

Next Up: The 247 Fighting Championships promotion arrives in Johnstown, PA, Saturday, May 14, 2022, with Flood City Fight Night 2 at 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial. The doors open for MMA fans at 5:30 p.m., and the combatants enter the cage at 7:00 p.m.

From 247 Fighting Championships and YouTube – BITB11 Wrap-Up…