One hell of a fight broke in Milwaukee tonight during the final stop of the international Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary tour.
Local combatants took their fellow Wisconsinites’ minds off of motorcycles, beer and the Green Bay Packers long enough to rough up invaders from around the world. It was the most violence I’d seen during #HD110, and I’d already attended this year’s H-D rallies in Daytona, Auckland, Berlin, Rome, Mexico City and South Africa.
Fortunately, it was all sanctioned.
As part of the celebration for the 110th’s final stop in the birthplace of America’s most popular motorcycle, the Ultimate Fighting Championship set up shop in the Bradley Center for UFC 164 – Hometown Throwdown. Featuring a card heavy on Milwaukee-based fighters, the event further cemented the strong promotional relationship between Harley-Davidson and UFC.
The home of the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles filled with a mix of curious bikers and rapid MMA fans for a card highlighted by a main event for the Lightweight Championship between challenger and life-long Milwaukeean Anthony Pettis and Champion Benson Henderson.
Henderson showed guts taking on a man who already beat him by decision once — in front of that same opponent’s hometown crowd.
Henderson came out tentative — looking to take the fight to the ground and keeping the striking ability of Pettis at bay with leg kick. Pettis dodged one of those kicks halfway through the first round and took an off-balance Henderson down into an arm bar. A moment later, the Brew City crowd shook the rafters as Henderson tapped.
Pettis was quick to credit Milwaukee for his championship win. “I grew up coming to this arena and sitting in those nosebleeds,” Pettis said. “Milwaukee made Anthony Pettis. You really can’t write a better story than what happened right here tonight.”
On the undercard, Chico Camus – fellow native and Pettis training partner at Roufusport MMA Academy – won a decision over Kyung Ho Kang to light a fire under the Bradley Center’s early arrivals.
“I got the victory in front of my hometown crowd and it’s a dream come true,” Camus said. “It was incredible in there. Hearing them cheer my name made me feel like I had a second guy in the cage with me. Milwaukee was great today. There’s a reason why I have ‘King of Milwaukee’ tattooed on my back.”
The other highlight on the undercard was a heavyweight bout between two former champions – Josh Barnett and Frank Mir. Barnett scored a first round stoppage.
With UFC 164 Hometown Throwdown in the books, the #HD110 Milwaukee festivities wrap up Sunday.
Special thanks to the following sponsors and benefactors for making the HD110 World Tour possible: Harley-Davidson, Crave Online, IndieGoGo, Meguiar’s Car Care Products, The Iron Horse Hotel – Milwaukee, The Langham Hotel Auckland, Auckland Motorcycles and Power Sports, Hilton Daytona Beach, Hotel Casa Camper – Berlin, South African Airways, Margate Hotel, Protea Hotel President – Cape Town, Mexico City Marriott, Harley-Davidson Latin America, Samsung Galaxy, Harley-Davidson Europe, Sheridan Golf Parco de’Medici, Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Milwaukee Harley-Davidson, Todd Hall, Steve Harpst, Burbank Boxing Club, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Carla Gehrig, Eric Rogell, Traycee King, Joy Sapieka and Nicholas Kearney.
