Solid MMA start for Oyler

Jacob Oyler won't forget his first professional fight, and neither will the hundreds of fans who witnessed it.

"It was a war," Oyler's coach and Kalispell's Straight Blast Gym owner Travis Davison said of Friday's mixed martial arts bout between Oyler and Lloyd Woodard.

"The first thing the promoter said to us after the fight was that that was the best Fight Force fight he'd seen in Montana."

The 23-year-old Kalispell resident had a rough introduction to the world of professional MMA when he stepped into the octagon at Fight Force Missoula Mayhem and faced Woodard, a gristly competitor with years of professional experience and a 4-0 record.

Not only was Woodard favored in the fight, but the Hellgate High graduate was also in front of a hometown crowd at Ogren-Allegiance Park.

But three action-packed rounds later, both Woodard and Oyler were still standing bloodied, battered and respected by all.

"They were both just going with everything they had," Davison said. "Two guys basically giving it there all for the entire 15 minutes … They looked haggard."

Woodard went on to win by unanimous decision, but both men seemingly earned a knockout in fanfare.

"It was a tough fight, and especially for your first fight," Davison said. "But if you're gonna lose, better to lose to a real quality opponent like Lloyd … All in all, it was a great fight. It was one of those fights that you'll remember."

Fellow SBG teammate Zach Dickson defended his 145-pound belt in front of a large cheering crowd of Kalispell residents who made the trip down and sported the black and green SBG shirts throughout the nine outdoor fights.

Dickson made quick work of his opponent and won via arm bar in just over two minutes. He improved to 4-1 in amateur bouts and is on the cusp of joining Oyler in the pro circuit, Davison said.

"All in all, it turned out to be a real positive time," Davison said.