CARBONDALE - Thrills, spills, blood and hits were the order of the night when the Battle at the Blast IV, For Duty, Honor and Country rocked the Sports Blast behind the University Mall with a mixed martial arts cage fight card to the delight of the packed house.

Eighteen matches were scheduled for the evening's entertainment with all the hoopla and pageantry the public has learned to expect watching the sport on television. The bouts consists of three 3-minute rounds in the amateur fights and three 5-minute rounds for the two title bouts at the end of the night.

Former Herrin high school wrestler Justin Fortner won the 135 lbs. Amateur Championship in 1:14 of the first round on a tapout by a rear naked choke over Jimmy Garner from Carlinville. Fornter is trained by Dojo USA, based at the Sports Blast and improved his record to 4-1.

The excitement and mayhem of the fights were only the culmination of the event, but what the public doesn't see is what goes on before the first punch or kick is thrown.

Before the crowd is let into the building event referee Robert Hinds met with the fighters and their corner crew to let them know what they can and can't do before they enter "The Octagon", during the fight and afterwards.

Once the fighters are briefed and are getting ready in the locker room the crowd began to arrive and the always lovely "Miller Girls" start to mix and mingle as they serve the anxious fans refreshing Miller Beer products and the waitresses followed them with a variety of tasty treats.

Then ring announcer Johnny Quest asked the crowd to honor America as the National Guard presented the colors and the National Anthem was sung. When the last word was echoing through the facility the music began to rock the house with the fighters waiting in the wings.

The noise level got almost deafening as the crowd was getting anxious with anticipation for the show to begin. In what seemed like hours, but in actuality was only minutes, the lights finally dimmed and the ceiling glowed bright red as the crowd began to hoop and holler waiting for the first match to be announced.

Then the Harley's began to growl to life as the ring girls were announced as they rode the bikes around "The Octagon" waving to the cheering crowd that consisted of just as women as men with families also represented.

"We came from Madisonville, Kentucky to follow four fighters from our area," Brent Wiggins said. "I got interested watching the fights with my nephew Brad over there and with my oldest girl RyAnn now learning mixed martial arts we as a family love these events. My wife Shawn and my littlest Jaci all love traveling, like we did tonight, to watch and cheer."

As the red glow gleamed off the mat ring announcer Johnny Quest climbed the stairs and yelled those immortal words, "Let's Get Ready To RuMMMMMMBLE!!!!," the crowed jumped to their feet and exploded with cheers.

35-year old Aleah Williams from Madisonville, Kentucky traveled to Carbondale for her third fight of her career and was put into the third bout of the night.

"I've been at it for 11 months after the place I train at sponsored some fights and I really liked it," Williams said. "I found out I really love it and intend to keep training and getting better."

"My husband and my little boy persuaded me to take up the sport," Tammy Piper - also from Madisonville and slated for Bout 11 - said. "They liked the sport and they decided to make it a family event. This will be my third fight after splitting the first two. I'm here to win and the word loss is not in my vocabulary."

The first fight ended with just five seconds left in the second three-minute round. The second came and went in just 30 seconds as the crowd egged on the winner when he was pounding away at his hapless opponent. Williams' fight ended when Fight Doctor Evan Belfer decided she couldn't come out of her corner for the start of the second round because of a severe cut on her face.

The fourth bout had Will Chiado from Spring Valley - who now lives in Carbondale and trains at Dojo USA in the Sport Blast - making his debut in "The Octagon".

"I've been training about a year and a half," Chiado said. "I had to cancel my two previous debut bouts because of a shoulder injury. But I'm healthy tonight and am pretty excited for this one. I thought I was ready, but as the bout gets closer reality is setting in. I hope third times the charm. I have to get it."

After ring girl Tabitha strutted around the ring with the card proclaiming Round 1 Chiado started the first round with a kick, but Derringer rebounded and with a head butt to the stomach drove Chiado to the mat pinning him against the fence. Chiado was trapped against the cage for the first two minutes before pulling off a reverse move. That lasted only a few seconds before Derringer had him against the cage again. Chiado was saved by the first round bell.

Ring girl Terri climbed into the ring to announce Round 2 and before she had a chance to sit down Chiado opened the second round with a series of four kicks. Derringer countered with a quick flurry knocking Chiado to the mat and after a series of punches to the head referee Hinds called the fight at the 1:42 mark.

Piper lost her match to Mount Vernon's Tammy "Princess of Pain" Launay at the two minute mark of the first period on a tapout by a forearm choke.

The rest of the amateur card that included two other girl matches provided much of the same flurry of punches and counter kicks with most the matches ending like the first four.

One of the highlights of the evening was supposed to be the presentation of a check from Kage One Productions to the National Guard for the Illinois National Guard Family Relief Fund, but due to circumstance beyond their control that presentation had to be cancelled.

However the staff of Kage One is used to thinking on their feet and decided to keep the fundraising efforts open for another two weeks at Buffalo Wild Wings and will make a larger donation to the Guard at that time.