SMASH X Results and Recap

Los Angeles, California: After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, SMASH Global returned to host a new SMASH event. SMASH X took place on May 19^th at the Taglyan Complex in Los Angeles, California.

For those unfamiliar with SMASH Global, it is a one-of-a-kind fight experience that combines the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with the ferocity of mixed martial arts. It is a black-tie event with many celebrities in attendance. There is a red carpet, fine dining, and entertainment all centered around the MMA cage.

The night had four professional MMA bouts and as a tradition for the SMASH Global events, there was a celebrity honored for their contributions for using combat sports in a positive way to help their communities. At this event, the late WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard was honored. Gaspard passed away in 2020 while saving his son from drowning at Venice Beach.

The night started off with the first-ever women’s bout at a SMASH event, Claudia Zamora took on Christina Marks. Zamora would take home the win via unanimous decision in a hard-fought battle. It was a great way to open the night and the guests in attendance enjoyed and applauded the effort of both fighters.

The second bout was a featherweight contest between Elijah Legget and Elvis Shakhbazyan. Legget earned a unanimous decision win, improving his record to 3-0.

The night’s third fight saw the lone stoppage as Saad Ul-Hasan submitted Quinton McCottrell with a guillotine choke in the first round.

A pause in the action took place when SMASH CEO Steve Orosco took the microphone to speak about his run for Connecticut State Senate. Orosco (R) spoke about how he would put America first if elected and how he would not be bullied by far left or far right of each political group. He also spoke about the importance of term limits and how no one individual should make a career out of being a politician. Orosco did end his speech by promising to run for United States President in the future.

As custom for all SMASH events, the night is dedicated to an individual who has made impacts in the world of combat sports. Past nights have honored Chuck Liddell, James Toney, Dolph Lundgren, and Ken Shamrock to name a few. This year’s honoree was former WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard. Gaspard was a professional wrestler for the WWE from 2002-2007 and 2008-2010. Prior to entering professional wrestling, Gaspard trained in boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. He incorporated his combat sports knowledge into his wrestling move set. After his WWE tenure, Gaspard dabbled in acting and other business ventures. He passed away in May 2020 after he and his son were among a group of swimmers caught in a strong rip current in Venice Beach. Gaspard told rescuers to save his son first, when the rescuers returned for Gaspard he disappeared into the current. Gaspard’s former tag-team partner Jayson Anthony Paul better known as JTG.

The main event for SMASH X was a flyweight bout between Raz Brings and Aaron La Farge. The fight went the distance and was a gritty battle with lots of transitions on the ground. Both fighters showed their grappling game, but it was Lafarge who was the better fighter this night and walked away with a unanimous decision victory.

Below are the full results for SMASH X:

Claudia Zamora def. Christina Marks via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-26, 29-27)
Elijah Legget def. Elvis Shakhbazyan via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
Saad Ul-Hasan def. Quinton McCottrell via submission in round 1 at 3:15
Aaron La Farge def. Raz Bring via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)