Of the 13 fights on the card, 11 of them ended before the final bell. When all was said and done, the event brought us five knockouts and six submissions, an almost perfect split for grappling and striking fans alike. 

Watch the AKA: Rite of Passage 4 full event replay here

The main event between Nolan Norwood and Quentin Henry may have been short, but it wasn’t short on action. After exchanging powerful blows early, Norwood pressured forward and pounced. 

As the two worked to the floor, Norwood locked up a modified guillotine and got a fast tap out of Henry, taking a big step for the trajectory of his career in the process. The loss snaps a two-fight finish streak for Henry. 

Earlier in the night, Colin Wright shocked the arena by making easy work of the hometown favorite and AKA featherweight champion, Kendrik Williams. 

Williams’ creative striking was quickly nullified by the superior grappling of Wright. After three straight rounds of dominance—and more than one spot that could have warranted a stoppage—Wright locked in an armbar to grab AKA gold. 

Joseph “Ugly Man” Holmes kept up with the trend of finishes, picking up a title victory of his own. After a back-and-forth first round, he settled in and picked up a rear-naked choke over Josh Thompson. And there was plenty to get excited about moving forward, as his win set up a future title defense against an earlier winner from the night, Michael Manno. 

The impromptu staredown was enough to get the crowd all jacked up for that one. 

In the first of the three title fights of the night, Dakota Hope accepted a short-notice fight in just his second amateur bout. While some would be overwhelmed by an opponent with much more experience than him, Hope ground out Don Doyle en route to a razor close split-decision victory. Still with plenty of room to grow, fans have to be excited about his raw athleticism and grit. 

Full Rite Of Passage 4 Results:

Nolan Norwood def. Quentin Henry via Submission, Round 1

*Colin Wright def. Kendrik Williams via Submission, Round 3

Kalvin Hackney def. Christian Fulgium via TKO, Round 1

Nicolas Gay def. Jared Owen via TKO, Round 2

**Joseph Holmes def. Josh Thompson via Submission, Round 2

**Dakota Hope def. Don Doyle via Split Decision

Matthew Boyd def. DJ Thomas via Submission, Round 1

Michael Manno def. Jimmy Young via Unanimous Decision 

Andrew Davis def. John Jackson via Submission, Round 1

Zane Howze def. Jarrett Smith via TKO, Round 1

Jordan Woodle def. Trey Rutledge via KO, Round 2

Hailey Hobbs def. Kara Walton via Submission, Round 1

Chris Williams def. Markus Thomas via TKO, Round 2

*Denotes Pro Title Fight

**Denotes Amateur Title Fight