By Mohamed Bahaa

In a high-energy showdown at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena on July 21, 2024, the Miami Stealth triumphed over the reigning champions, NYC Attitude, with a score of 229-222, advancing to the Team Combat League (TCL) Season 2 semifinals. Coached by Herman Caicedo, the Miami team showcased remarkable prowess, securing an early lead and maintaining it throughout the match.

The Stealth’s initial momentum was unstoppable, winning four of the first six bouts. Despite NYC Attitude’s efforts to narrow the gap, coming within a single point in Round 13 after Kayla Yontef’s 10-9 victory over Katharina Lehner, Miami’s Yordan “El Diamante” Barrera extinguished their hopes with a decisive knockout of Eslih Owusu in Round 14. Barrera’s performance earned him the night’s first star award.

“This feels excellent. I train very hard to do that, especially when my team needs it,” Barrera expressed. She also mentioned that she appreciates NYC’s strong competition. Thanks to TCL, teammates hard work in the gym is paying off, and it feels like they’re on our way to winning it all.

Miami’s middleweight Raidel Rodriguez also shone, earning the second star for his victories over NYC’s Lasha Gurguliani in Rounds 6 and 19, both scored 10-9. The third star went to NYC’s Pryce Taylor, who secured dual 10-9 wins against Nestor Santana and Gustavo Trujillo in Rounds 8 and 23, respectively.

NYC’s welterweight Ryan Zempoaltecatl, a dual nominee for TCL Rookie of the Year and TCL Most Entertaining Fighter, had a mixed night, defeating Orestes Velazquez 10-9 in Round 12 but falling to Claudio Marrero by the same score in Round 20. Similarly, Yunieski Gonzalez, a nominee for the TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award, defeated Tre’Vaughn Jones 10-9 in Round 18 but lost to Atif Oberlton in Round 15.

Among other notable performances, Enrique Leon, a featherweight Rookie of the Year nominee, was defeated 10-9 by Opeyemi Adeyemi in Round 1. “Queen” Ronica Jeffrey, a former world champion and TCL Most Resilient Fighter Award nominee, won her bout 10-9 against Tyler Schaefer.

Miami’s welterweight Samantha Ginithan, a Rookie of the Year nominee, experienced her first TCL loss, dropping to 8-1 after a 10-9 defeat by NYC’s Feifilimai Faiva in Round 5.

NYC’s Lightweight Sherbek Rakhmatulloev had a fierce Round 3 with Miami’s Armando Rabi, featuring mutual knockdowns. Rabi emerged victorious 9-8, boosting Miami’s lead to 29-26.

Coach Herman Caicedo praised his team’s cohesion, saying, “We’ve been together the whole year and I’ve been able to coach them. They know what to expect. I believe that’s an advantage. I feel fabulous and I’m happy to be here.”

With this victory, Miami Stealth eyes the championship, driven by teamwork and relentless training.