Loffer, LeConte get hometown wins in EMB event

For Derek Loffer, his first victory as a professional kickboxer was even more satisfying than he imagined. “I think the win felt better than I expected it to be because it was entertaining,” Loffer said. “Joe (Bentalha) came in prepared and really brought it. To be honest, he was better than I thought he would be.” Loffer (1-2) captured a split-decision victory over a very aggressive Bentalha (1-1) in the co-main event of Extreme Maximus Boxing’s “Brawl at the Hall” event Saturday in front of a loud, appreciative crowd inside a packed Teamsters Hall in Cedar Rapids. The judges scored the three-round bout 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 in favor of Loffer. “I could absolutely hear the crowd cheering for me,” Loffer added. “Having that many people showing up and support me made it special. I also had my 12-year-old son, Greyson, there and that was great for him to see me win. He came last time, when I lost.” In the main event of the 11-bout card, local hero Mitchell LeConte improved his record
to 9-0-1 with a 5th-round stoppage of Angel Reyes of Des Moines. Reyes, who brought a 3-1 record into the fight, accepted the challenge less than a week out when LeConte’s opponent was unable to fight. Reyes was the third opponent scheduled to fight LeConte, who is the reigning Mid American Super Featherweight champion