Craig Daily Press

Photo by Hans Hallgren

Teiler Weiler, of Craig, cheers during the pro fight Saturday at the Rampage in the Cage Fight Festival at Loudy-Simpson Park. Weiler was among more than 300 Craig residents in attendance to watch 14 fighters go toe-to-toe in the ring.

A small idea thought up about a year ago by two friends is turning out to be something a little bigger than expected.

Rampage Promotions founders Karrie Booth and Josh Magnuson brought the battles fought inside a cage to Craig in September 2007, and the duo’s brainchild still is going strong.

Despite a last-minute shuf­fle from indoors to outdoors, more than 300 spectators showed up Saturday at the Moffat County Ice Arena to witness Rampage’s fourth local cage-fighting event.

“The fights were great,” Magnuson said. “We had seven fights, including our first pro fight since this all started.”

Professional fighters Jason Brenton and John Seargant headlined the event, with Brenton claiming victory via a first-round tap out, but it was the undercard fights that Magnuson believes were the most exciting.

Ross Reineau defeated Kevin Lewis in a match that Magnuson said showed amazing commitment by Reineau.

“That guy dropped his tranny (transmission) in his car, flew to Denver from Nevada, then drove all the way here to make weigh in,” Magnuson said, “and then he probably had the most exciting fight.”

Reineau’s opponent, Kevin Lewis, began training for the match just two days before he climbed into the cage.

“Those two guys are awesome,” Magnuson said. “Kudos to them. It was a great fight.”

The event was moved outside the arena and rescheduled from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m. because there was ice inside, and the cage couldn’t be set up.

“We still had people showing up at the end when we were breaking everything down,” Magnuson said. “Even though we had to move everything up, we still had a ton of fans out there.”

The fans that arrived in time got a chance to see Brenton (2-0 professional, 21-1 overall) — holder of four amateur UCF championship belts — go to work on Seargant.

“I knew he wrestled,” Brenton said of his opponent. “But, he missed on his takedown attempt, and I kneed him in the stomach. After that, I body-locked him and took him to the ground, and that was it.”

Buckner wins belt

Craig resident Eli Buckner claimed the vacant Kick Down light heavy weight

MMA title Saturday, evening his amateur cage-fighting record at 2-2 during Kick Down 55 in Casper, Wyo.

The 2008 Moffat County High School graduate defeated Bud Lawson by a tap out.

Buckner connected with a hard right hand to Lawson’s chin 47 seconds into the second round, forcing him to the canvass.

A flurry of blows — the ground-and-pound — ensued by the eventual champ, forcing Lawson — the former Kick Down middleweight MMA champ — to concede.

“It feels awesome” to be the champ, Buckner said. “When the referee pulled me off him, I was so excited. I was running around the ring all pumped up.”

Buckner’s first title defense isn’t scheduled until 2009.

Until then, he said it’s “training and being the champ.”