The largest crowd ever to watch a Brutaal event at Treasure Island Resort and Casino witnessed three amateur title fights and a bit of controversy Saturday night in Red Wing.

Two fights went the distance and one fight ended due to an illegal blow, and Brett Murphy continued his rise up the heavyweight rankings.

Murphy (2-0 as a pro) clashed with Mazeppa's Cam Befort in the night's main event. Befort is ranked No. 7 at heavyweight, while Murphy is No. 7.

Murphy immediately pushed the action up against the cage and started working for a takedown. He eventually got it, and quickly mounted Befort before the big man offered his back.

Murphy looked for submissions while on Befort's back, but he mostly just rained down bombs. Befort covered and tried to escape. But Murphy flattened him out and hammered away until Befort finally submitted due to strikes 3:57 into the opening round.

After the fight, fellow ranked Brutaal heavyweights Kevin Asplund and Steve Shaw joined Murphy in the cage. Shaw seems like the most likely next opponent for Murphy in a bout that likely will determine the No. 1 contender for a shot at Asplund's belt.

Sean Frank and Mikey Waverek started the night off with a three-round war.

Waverek looked for takedowns for most of the opening round. He finished several takedowns, but he never was able to hold Frank down for a significant amount of time. Waverek's best flurry came late in the round, when he secured a takedown against the cage and worked his way to Frank's back, looking for the choke. But Frank was saved by the bell.

Frank took control a bit in the second. He pushed the action and was able to get a takedown of his own. He looked good dishing out some ground-and-pound punishment. Most of the serious damage came late in the round, though, and Waverek was able to survive.

Waverek took several shots from far out early in the second round, but he eventually did finish a takedown. The fight was quickly stood back up.

Waverek shot in right away again, and Frank grabbed the cage to stop the takedown. The ref stopped the fight and took a point.

Waverek got one last takedown late in the fight. But once the fight hit the ground, Frank looked sharp, doing damage from the bottom, looking to work a cut that had opened on Waverek's face.

The fight went to the judges' scorecards. They weren't able to decide, though, and the fight was ruled a draw.

Stephen Watt, who was 4-2 as an amateur, picked up the first pro win of his career Saturday. Watt didn't need much time to dispose of veteran Bruce Johnson.

After a feeling out period, Watt was able to get the clinch. He started throwing big knees, but Johnson was able to catch one and got the takedown. However, during the

ensuing scramble, Watt ended up on top. He immediately went to work. Johnson tried to stand up, but Watt was able to take his back.

The standout 145-pounder rained down punches until Johnson submitted to strikes 2:09 into the opening round.

Watt is ranked No. 10 at 145. It was a risky fight for him against a hard-hitting veteran, especially since he's scheduled to compete in two weeks during the next Downtown Showdown.

Josh Treseler made quick quick work of Paul Long in an amateur bout at a catch weight of 160.

Treseler originally was set to take on Ben Bachtle, but a shoulder injury forced Bachtle to pull out of the fight.

Long stepped in late last week, but Treseler need just 1:09 to finish him off. After an early exchange, Treseler looked for a standing rear-naked choke. He wasn't able to finish it, but after the fighters separated, Treseler shot for a takedown. He picked Long up and slammed him down with authority.

As it hit the ground, Treseler basically landed perfectly in position for a north-south choke. And that's how he finished the fight, choking out Long at the 1:09 mark.

In the 135-pound amateur title fight, former Owatonna wrestler Richard Rodriguez clashed with Dakota Fight Team member Jake Milkanin, who played high school hockey at Red Wing.

In the opening exchange, Milkanin looked good. Out of the clinch, he was able to land some big knees. But Rodriguez quickly took the fight to the ground. Right when it hit the mat, Rodriguez landed an elbow that opened up a massive cut near Milkanin's right eye.

Rodriguez continued with the ground-and-pound barrage. Eventually, Milkanin offered his back and he sunk in a rear-naked choke. Milkanin tapped out at the 2:17 mark, giving Rodriguez the amateur strap. He's now 5-0 as an amateur.

The night's lone female fight was a one-sided affair. It was apparent from the early going that Sarah Bishop's striking was a level ahead of Kaitlin Grundmeier's.

Bishop put on a striking exhibition early, landing repeatedly flush shots to Grundmeier's face. One shot appeared to break Grundmeier's nose

After seeing the blood, Bishop pounced. Grundmeier turned her back and took a few more punches before she verbally submitted to strikes at the 2:32 mark.

DFT leader Clay Tix needed just :43 to finish his fight against Antonio Olivo. Tix came with the bull rush right out of the gate, and he let Olivo have it with some dirty boxing in the clinch.

Tix dropped Olivo with a big uppercut, followed him to the ground and finished the fight with a TKO less than a minute in.

Lance Harding and Nate Togbah clashed for the Brutaal Genesis 145-pound amateur strap.

The opening round started with some good exchanges. But Togbah eventually was able to push Harding up against the cage and land some big knees.

After a few of the knees, Harding caught one and looked for a takedown. Togbah fought it off, though, and turned it into a takedown of his own. He immediately started landing elbows and short shots until the bell finally rang.

A big body kick early in the second dropped Harding. Togbah was able to push Harding up against the cage, and he started landing elbows. He eventually allowed Harding to stand, only to hurt him again with a head kick and some more knees.

Harding dropped to his knees, and Togbah went in for the kill. However, he tried to do so with knees to the head. The ref stopped the fight for the illegal blows.

The doctor would not allow Harding to continue, and Brutaal's Nick Gamst awarded the title to Harding due to disqualification.

The long awaited pro debut of Dan "The Hitman" Moret also took place Saturday night at TI.

Moret had a perfect amateur career, and now he's perfect as a pro. He needed just 1:30 to take out John Milledge.

Moret stalked Milledge early. He eventually landed a big right. The fighters clinched and Milledge looked for a guillotine. But Moret defended and took the fight to the ground. Milledge looked for an armbar, but again Moret defended and ended up in side control.

Moret quickly went to work, landing big elbows and a hammer-fist. Another monstrous elbow straight to Milledge's mouth had him tapping to strikes at the 1:30 mark.

The night's final title night was the best one of the evening. Undefeated 185-pound prospects Ben Lindau of Mankato Martial Arts and Joe Sullivan of Impact Martial Arts.

Both Sullivan and Lindau entered the fight with perfect 4-0 records. Sullivan is ranked No. 8 at 205, but he met Lindau for the Brutaal Genesis 185-pound strap.

Lindau scored a takedown right away in the first round. Much of the opening three minutes came with Lindau on top inside of Sullivan's guard. He looked for ground and pound, but Sullivan defended well.

Lindau tried for an armbar near the end of the round, but Sullivan again defended well and escaped. Lindau did end the round in mount but wasn't able to get off much damage before the bell rang.

The second round was similar, though Sullivan was able to do a good deal of damage from the bottom. Lindau spent the round in Sullivan's guard, looking for ground and pound. But Sullivan was extremely active from the bottom.

Lindau looked gassed to start the final frame.

The fight stayed standing in the early going, with the fighters battling out of the clinch. Both were throwing big knees, but Sullivan definitely got the better of the exchange.

A tired Lindau eventually shot for a takedown, but Sullivan defended it and ended up on top out of the ensuing scramble.

Sullivan ended the round with a flurry of punches, punishing Lindau right up until the final bell.

The fight went to the judges' scorecards. Two judges scored it in Lindau's favor and one gave it to Sullivan, giving Lindau the tight split-decision victory.

"It was very close, a great fight," Gamst said. "I know a lot of people felt Sullivan won. It's a fight that definitely needs to happen again. It was just a great all-around fight. Sullivan finished strong and dominated that last round, but I think it all came down to how you scored the second round. The first was clearly for Ben and the last was clearly for Sullivan. So that second round was the question."

Brutaal Genesis is back in action Friday night in Austin at the Holiday Inn with an all-amateur show, featuring Mario Roberto Jiu-Jitsu Academy standout Chad Curry and Team KO's Thomas Herrera, along with several of southern Minnesota's other prospects.