(For a complete photo gallery from Thursday's event, click this link)

Yes, Dan "The Hitman" Moret is just as big, strong, mean and brutal as advertised.

Moret entered the main event of Thursday's "A Night of Title Fights" at Treasure Island Resort and Casino with a perfect 9-0 record (5-0 for Brutaal Genesis). The standout Minnesota amateur was looking for a test against Ambition's "Handsome" Lance Harding.

He also was looking to defend his Brutaal Genesis 155-pound title. Moret did just that, and he did it with a vicious knockout that left Harding bloody and bruised in his own corner.

The fighters immediately engaged, but Moret landed a series of rights that sent Harding backward. After Moret secured his Thai clinch, he landed several big, clean knees to Harding's chin. Harding dropped briefly, but he recovered and looked for a single-leg takedown.

Moret powered through the attempt, though, and gained top position. But Harding started looking for submissions immediately, and Moret backed away, forcing Harding back to his feet.

As soon as the fighters engaged again, Moret landed another huge left. Another brutal combination and a series of lefts sent Harding back into his corner again. Moret grabbed the Thai clinch again, and he

delivered two more vicious knees. When Harding started to drop, Moret finished him off with two more big left hands before the ref was forced to stop the fight 1:56 into the first round.

It was a convincing victory for Moret over a previously unbeaten Harding (3-0).

Harding deserves credit, too. A lesser fighter likely would have been looking for a way out of the fight after Moret's first flurry. But Harding hung in there and kept battling.

Moret won't take much time off. He's scheduled to fight wrestler Cody Askvig (5-2) at "Combat on Capitol Hill 3" in St. Paul on Friday, Sept. 17.

Seven other titles were handed out Thursday in front of a small crowd at the casino.

The night started out with an exciting non-title fight between 145-pounders Anthony Yost and Cody Sheehy.

Yost and Sheehy came out slinging leather early in the first round. Yost dropped Sheehy early and looked to finish the fight with a tight armbar. But Sheehy survived, and the rest of the first round was very even, though Sheehy was on top for the final minuteo of the round.

In the second, Sheehy slapped on a standing guillotine and pulled guard. On the ground, he kept the guillotine on tight while rolling into full mount. Yost was forced to submit at the 1:20 mark of the second.

In the 145-pound title fight, Rochester's Scotty Ball scored the knockout of the night. He squared off against Stefan Slinger.

Slinger must not have been aware of Ball's pro boxing (10 pro wins with eight KOs) because he decided it was a good idea to stand and trade punches. Slinger did land a nice left jab, but that was about it.

Other than that, Ball picked Slinger apart. About a minute into the first, Ball landed a right to Slinger's ear that wobbled him. He followed that with a left-right combo that knocked Slinger out cold at the 1:19 mark.

Ball was award the "fight of the night" award by Brutaal Genesis.

In the 200-pound title fight, Ambition's Ben Smith made quick work of Nick Millsap. Millsap landed a jab that sent Smith shooting for a takedown. Smith rose up and delivered a few punches that bloodied Millsap. And then Smith hammered Millsap with a big right hand to the ribs that could be heard 10 rows into the crowd. Millsap quickly tapped out after the rib shot, just :47 into the first.

At 165 pounds, Chris Hassing also needed less than a minute to finish off Corey Grzybowski. Hassing had a nice takedown with a front trip. He quickly passed Grzybowski's guard and gained full mount. After a few seconds of ground-and-pound, Grzybowski offered his back and Hassing sunk in the rear-naked choke.

Grzybowski tapped at the :58 mark.

After the victory, Hassing called out former Minnesota state wrestling champion Eric Yngsdal, who is Brutaal's top-ranked 165-pounder.

In another non-title fight at 135, Jovon Myles proved to be a bit too much for Aruan Campa. Campa opened the fight with his patented spinning back-kick. It didn't land, so he tried it again, and this time Myles caught the kick and turned it into a takedown.

Campa did an excellent job defending Myles' submission attempts early in the round. But eventually, Myles gained a high full mount. When Campa started rolling, Myles locked in a triangle choke, and Campa submitted 2:04 into the first.

Adam Packer and Andy Slagle met for the 135-pound strap. Packer is a giant 135-pounder, but that didn't seem to intimidate Slagle.

After a brief exchange, Slagle shot for a takedown and secured the single-leg. It ended up being a bad move as Packer's long legs quickly helped him secure an armbar.

Slagle did his best to defend, picking up Packer twice and slamming him to the mat. But that just made the armbar tighter, and Slagle eventually tapped at the 1:04 mark.

Ambition's Melissa Schiro earned herself the interim women's title at 135 pounds. Schiro was getting the better of the striking against Mariah Johnson and then the fight hit the ground. Schiro quickly passed guard and gained full mount.

Schiro rained down punches for a good minute before the ref stopped the fight at the 2:04 mark.

Schiro is now scheduled to take on current Brutaal Genesis champ Aimee Slama to unify the belts on Oct. 23 back at Treasure Island. It also was announced that Ball will take on Mike Schmidt for the 145-pound belt that night.

In the first fight of the night to go the distance, 220-pounders Justin Rheaume and David Bowser went back and forth for three rounds. Rheaume dominated the first round. He scored the takedown and rained down elbows for almost the entire first round.

But the second round didn't go as well for Rheaume. After he missed a flying knee, Bowser put Rheaume on the mat and controlled most of the round.

The third round was almost identical to the second, and Bowser walked out of the cage with his hand raised and the belt around his waist after all three judges scored it 29-28.

Finally, in the co-main event, Corey Anderson and Ryan Harmdiercks met for the 175-pound title.

Anderson was a late replacement for top contender Justin Kratzke, who had to pull out of the fight due to a knee injury.

Anderson sure didn't look like a replacement.

Harmdiercks landed a solid left jab early in the first, but that was all the damage he would do in the three-round fight.

The rest of the time, Anderson was taking Harmdiercks down and punishing him with ground-and-pound.

Harmdiercks did have an anaconda choke sunk in deep in the third round, but he never was able to get his hips in the right position to finish off Anderson.

After he was out of danger, Anderson scored another takedown ... just like he did in the first two rounds. Though Anderson never passed Harmdiercks' guard once, he still managed to do enough damage from the top position to keep it entertaining.

Anderson easily scored the unanimous-decision win (30-27 on all three cards).

MNMMANEWS AWARDS

Fight of the night: Cody Sheehy vs. Anthony Yost. Yes, it was the first fight of the night, but it was the best, most evenly matched fight. Yost had Sheehy in trouble multiple times in the first round. But Sheehy rallied in the second to earn the submission victory.

Knockout of the night: Scott Ball. This was a no-brainer. It's hard to imagine what Stefan Slinger was thinking standing and trading with a pro boxer. But Ball picked Slinger apart on his feet and eventually knocked him out cold.

Submission of the night: Adam Packer. Whoa, this kid is a beast at 135 pounds. Andy Slagle took him down, but it didn't take more than a few seconds for Packer to lock up the armbar. Slagle tried to slam Packer several times, but Packer never let go.

Fighter of the night: Dan Moret. There's not much left to say about this kid. He's a freak of nature at 155 pounds. He's got the strength of a 185-pounder, he's great on his feet and he's just as dangerous on the ground. Moret was a solid high school wrestler, so he's got all of his bases covered. Lance Harding deserves credit for surviving as long as he did because Moret landed at least five knees that made it through cleanly in the Thai clinch. And then a flurry of left upper-cuts ended it. Moret is a force at 155 ... the day he turns pro, the rest of the state's 155ers should be worried.

MNMMANEWS shout-out of the night: Anytime Fight Club. The guys from AFC live up to their name. They continue to prove that they'll take any fight at any time against any opponent. And you have to respect that. The Anytime crew may not win every fight, but they bring it every time they step in the cage.

NIGHT OF TITLE FIGHTS

Thursday, Treasure Island

Quick results

NON-TITLE FIGHTS

145 - Cody Sheehy def. Anthony Yost by submission due to a guillotine choke at 1:20 of second round.

135 - Jovon Myles def. Aruan Campa by submission due to a triangle choke at 2:04 of first round.

TITLE FIGHTS

145 - Scott Ball def. Stefan Slinger by KO at 1:19 of first round.

200 - Ben Smith def. Nick Millsap by submission due to strikes at :47 of first round.

165 - Chris Hassing def. Corey Grzybowski by submission due to a rear-naked choke at :58 of first round.

135 - Adam Packer def. Andy Slagle by submission due to an armbar at 1:04 of first round.

135 women's title - Melissa Schiro def. Mariah Johnson by TKO at 2:04 of first round.

220 - David Bowser def. Justin Rheaume by unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards).

175 - Corey Anderson def. Ryan Harmdiercks by unanimous decision (30-27 on all three cards).

155 - Dan Moret def. Lance Harding by TKO at 1:56 of first round.