GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The explosiveness of the main event at an MMA show Saturday night proved to be enough to overshadow a logistical issue that put the entire evening in jeopardy.
Jose' Johnson and Herman Evelhoch fought for three rounds and put the outcome in the hands of the judges as the thirteenth bout at the Veteran's Valor mixed martial arts event at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Saturday.
The two evenly matched fighters seemed to find extra energy as each round began while a crowd of a few hundred watched in amazement.
"I felt good, I took some big shots, it woke me up," Jose Johnson said after being declared victorious. "I've been practicing a lot of ground game and a lot of take-down defense because I knew it was coming. He's got a lot of my respect and it definitely lived up to the hype, it was a battle."
Johnson aimed to keep the fight upright to use his superior striking skills while the crafty Evelhoch worked to get Johnson on the ground where he could pummel and grapple.
"I've been waiting for this one for a long time," Evelhoch said. "Jose's a hell of a fighter. I talked enough smack for him to take the fight, unfortunately I just gassed out."
Both competitors doled out enough punishment to be heralded victor but it was Johnson who took control in the third and final round to sway the judges' minds.
"He can take some stuff," Johnson said. "My elbow is pretty jacked up because of one of those shots. He's got a really big, hard head."
140 - Jose Johnson def. Herman Evelhoch by unanimous decision during the Veteran's Valor MMA event at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans Saturday evening. (Cory Olsen | MLive.com)
A couple issues regarding the state agency that oversees the veteran's home were enough to throw the whole evening into question.
After four months of planning veteran's home director of community and member relations Tiffany Carr was informed Friday afternoon the event would have to be canceled due to improper paperwork and a ticket selling issue.
The event, promoted by Michigan Elite Fight League, was held to raise money for the veteran's home, Carr said. Tickets were sold online with the promise that all proceeds past the cost of the event would be donated back to the home.
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency deputy director of service administration Jim Dunn said that was too large a hurdle to jump.
"I learned about it for the first time (Friday) morning," Dunn said. "There were no written agreements that would have covered all the insurance, liability and permission to use the property."
Dunn said the state could not receive money from tickets sold to the fights and said he would have liked to have seen proper requests filed with the agency.
The paperwork he's referencing doesn't exist, Carr said.
"We have no contract or liability form for our volunteers or individuals who come to perform entertainment, family carnivals or anything like that," Carr said. "Honestly we've never really had any concerns or issues at least in my 15 years. We're an open campus. We have weddings that happen down in Grotto Park, we have senior pictures and engagement pictures."
All take place without a written agreement, she said.
"Up until Friday at 1 p.m. we had no issues or concerns about this event being here," Carr said. "We knew (the MMA promotion) had to have their own insurance and they do.
"People raise money for us in all variety of ways. Just because it was a ticket online sale didn't make me feel any different than it would with people buying a Snickers bar or going to a car wash. People in turn are paying for something to give back to the veterans."
"I just had a 3,000-person event last weekend, a carnival that's been going on 45 years. We had pony rides, bounce houses, and we don't have them have liability insurance to have that here. Everyone has always supported it."
Regardless, Dunn said, it was too much to ask without the appropriate papers filed.
"It's not an ideal situation," Dunn said. "It would have been nice to have an opportunity to see if we could have made it work but under those circumstances it would have been challenging."
Fortunately for Carr, the fighters and crowd, the show went on -- in a parking lot adjacent to the veteran's home property.
"The owner is trying to sell it right now and it's vacant," Carr said of the building and parking lot that used to house an outpatient clinic.
"It's almost like they want the home to become a hospital or a business," Carr said. "To my knowledge we've never hand any major lawsuits or major things that would make this a turning point."
In addition to the fights, Michigan country music artist Matt Williams sang for the crowd with his band underneath the new pavilion during two intermissions.
Fight results:
125-Rory Rowan def. Gabe Flores by first round tap
Super Hvy - Mike Roslund def. Jesse Lopez by first round tap
185 - Anthony Link def. Calvin Rennaker by second round TKO
145 - Drew Roper def. Chris Green by first round submission
145 - Branden Mills def. Matt Colons by first round tap
160 - Sam Williams def. Livi Underwood by second round TKO
145 - Chris Stevens def. Shawn Fowler by first round tap
135 - Ryan Dime def. Chris Hidalgo by third round tap
155 - Patrick Wheetly def. Todd Roberts by first round retirement
165 - Gabriel Hernandez def. Wes Davis by first round tap
125 - Dustin Canterbury def. Dean Fish by first round tap
155 - Kyle Pierce def. Matt Mills by first round submission
140 - Jose' Johnson def. Herman Evelhoch by unanimous decision
Follow Cory Olsen on Twitter or email him at colsen@mlive.com