 In a lightweight match, John Gunderson (left), takes Josh Odom down. Gunderson, a member of Ken Shamrock's Lions, secured the Lions' first victory of the night.
When it came time to introduce the coaches, Ken, the leader of the Lions, and Frank, the Razorclaw's coach, walked to center ring. As they approached each other, Frank held his hands in a claw position—toward Ken—while Ken covered Frank's head with an open hand … and both smiled broadly.
While Ken has openly acknowledged some personal problems between the two, he has maintained that on fight night it would all about the teams—not him and his brother—and he was right. And this night belonged to the Lions.
On the International Fight League's 2007 Season Opener, January 19 here at the ORACLE Arena, Ken's Lions prevailed over Frank's Razorclaws, 3-2. In the first team bout of the night, Marco Ruas' Condors defeated Maurice Smith's Tiger Sharks, 3-2. In the Superfight, Jeremy Horn scored a decision over Niko Vitale.
 ON TARGET Niko Vitale connects with a right, but Jeremy Horn earned the decision over the fighter from Hawaii.
Following is an overview of the fights.
Tiger Sharks vs. the Condors
Note: The Tiger Sharks are listed first.
The Fighters: Shad Lierley vs. Adam Lynn
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Lierley
How/When: TKO at 44 seconds of Round 1
The Fighters: Curtis Crawford vs. Antoine Jaoude
Division: Heavyweight
The Winner: Jaoude
How/When: Unanimous Decision
The Fighters: Tristan Witt and Danny Suarez
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Suarez
How/When: Submission (triangle choke) at 1:21 of Round 1
The Fighters: Bristol Marunde vs. Jeremy Williams
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Williams
How/When: Guillotine choke at 1:13 of Round 1
The Fighters: Reese Andy vs. Justin Levens
Division: Light heavyweight
The Winner: Andy
How: Unanimous Decision
Quotes
"Our guys fought their hearts out." — Frank Shamrock
"We are all in a learning process." — Maurice Smith, coach of the Tiger Sharks
"Well, I was breathing." — Reese Andy, when asked to comment on his superior conditioning
"Yeah, I think he won." — Justin Levens, when asked if he agreed with his unanimous decision loss
"No matter what they say, this is about you guys." — Ken Shamrock, explaining to the media what he told his team
| Lions vs. Razorclaws
Note: The Lions are listed first.
The Fighters: John Gunderson vs. Josh Odom
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Gunderson
How/When: Triangle choke at 3:05 of Round 1
The Fighters: Roy Nelson and Vince Lucero
Division: Heavyweight
The Winner: Nelson
How/When: TKO at 1:58 of Round 1
The Fighters: Joe Martin vs. Clint Coronel
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Coronel
How/When: TKO at :45 of Round 2
The Fighters: Pat Healy vs. Ray Steinbeiss
Division: Welterweight
The Winner: Healy
How/When: Unanimous Decision
The Fighters: Daniel Molina vs. Brian Foster
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Foster
How/When: TKO at 2:05 of Round 2
The Superfight
The Fighters: Jeremy Horn (0-1, 79-15-5) vs. Niko Vitale (0-0, 21-7)
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Horn
How: Split Decision (5 Rounds)
Special Recognition
Tiger Sharks vs. Condors
Best KO: Shad Lierley
Best Submission: Jeremy Williams
Fastest Finish: Shad Lierley
Most Exciting Fight: Reese Andy and Justin Levens
Special Recognition
Lions vs. Razorclaws
Best KO: Clint Coronel
Best Submission: John Gunderson
Fight of the Night: Brian Foster and Daniel Molina
Look for full coverage in an upcoming issue of Ultimate Grappling.
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