Knockouts, Submissions, and New Champs: Warriors of the Empire MMA Results

Las Cruces, NM | Saturday, June 13, 2026 The Pan American Center got a violent education Saturday night. Empire Promotions ran 17 bouts at Empire Championship Series: Warriors of the Empire, and the fighters did not leave it to the judges any more than they had to. Nine of the seventeen fights ended inside the distance, both amateur title bouts produced new storylines, and the entire five-fight professional card finished, three of them before the first round was over. Here's how the night played out in Las Cruces, from the main event down to the opening bell. View the Full Highlight Gallery Warriors of the Empire: By the Numbers Before we get to the fights, the math tells the story of the night: 17 total bouts: 12 amateur and five professional 9 finishes and 8 decisions 6 first-round finishes 5 submissions, every one a rear naked choke, plus 2 knockouts and 2 TKOs 5 pro fights, 5 finishes 2 amateur titles, 2 new champions This was not a card that asked the judges for much help. More than half the night ended early, the professional bouts went a perfect five-for-five on finishes, and every submission on the card came by way of the rear naked choke. Main Event: Christopher Tavares Makes a Statement in His Pro Debut The headliner went the hard way before it ended. Christopher Tavares walked into his professional debut as a decorated regional amateur and closed the show in the third round, stopping Alberto Solis by TKO at 3:01 of their catchweight bout at 129 pounds. Solis pushed it deep, but Tavares found the finish when it counted and walked out of his first pro fight with a stoppage. For a fighter who built his name on the amateur circuit, finishing his pro debut is exactly the kind of start he was after. Two Belts, Two Completely Different Nights The amateur title fights were the emotional center of the card, and they could not have looked more different. Amateur Middleweight Title: Klinton Whitmire did not bother with the scorecards. He knocked out Jacob Snoeyink at 1:14 of round one to take the middleweight strap, turning a five-round championship fight into a 74-second statement. Snoeyink came in with the deeper record, but Whitmire ended the conversation early and walked out a champion. Amateur Lightweight Title: The lightweight title went the other way, the full 25 minutes. Cole Knapp out-worked previously unbeaten Jon Merino across five rounds to win a unanimous decision, 50-45, 48-47, 48-47. Merino entered at 5-0 and left with the first loss of his amateur career. Knapp's experience showed when the rounds piled up, and he wore the prospect down to claim the belt. The Pro Card Went Five-for-Five on Finishes If you left early, you missed the cleanest stretch of the night. Not one professional bout reached the judges. It started with Gabriel Piria, who picked up his first pro win by submitting Eddie Ortiz with a rear naked choke at 3:05 of round one. Aaron Gomez kept the bantamweight momentum going, locking up a rear naked choke on Joseph Veloz at 4:15 of the opening round to move to 4-3 as a pro. Javier Duchene needed a little longer but found the same result, scoring a knockout over David Miramontes at 1:14 of round three in their flyweight matchup. Taylor Andrews made it look routine, submitting Adan Hector Lopez by rear naked choke at 1:30 of round one. Then Tavares closed the building with a third-round TKO. Five pro fights, five finishes, three of them in the first round. That is the kind of professional card that builds a promotion's reputation. View the Full Highlight Gallery Amateur Standouts The amateur slate carried plenty of its own fireworks. Isaiah Zamora set the tone early, stopping Daniel Skartwed by TKO with punches at 1:34 of round one in their welterweight bout. Max Fuentes followed suit with a first-round rear naked choke of Alexandro Rodriguez at 2:56 in a 140-pound catchweight. Jude Smith showed patience pays, hunting down a third-round rear naked choke of Rudy Soto at 1:42 to cap a bantamweight grind. Isaiah Delgado kept his perfect record intact and made it look easy, sweeping Elijah Quinn 30-27 across all three cards to improve to 4-0. That is back-to-back dominant nights for one of the region's most consistent amateur featherweights. The decisions filled in the rest of the story. Alex Chacon swept David Ayala 30-27, Eddie Gonzales did the same to Cade Smith, and Aaron Baldonado took a clean unanimous nod over Damien Garcia in a 130-pound catchweight. Gabriel Enriquez edged Daemian Jaloma in a closer one, 29-28 across the board, and Isaiah Garcia out-pointed Javier Gomez at welterweight. Adrian Juarez opened the night with the only split decision on the card, surviving a razor-close flyweight scrap with Edgar Baeza. Full Results: Empire Championship Series: Warriors of the Empire Fighter & Event Database Full Results: Empire Championship Series: Warriors of the Empire Christopher Tavares def. Alberto Solis by TKO, round 3 (3:01), Pro Catchweight 129 (Main Event) Cole Knapp def. Jon Merino by unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 48-47), Amateur Lightweight Title Klinton Whitmire def. Jacob Snoeyink by KO, round 1 (1:14), Amateur Middleweight Title Taylor Andrews def. Adan Hector Lopez by submission (rear naked choke), round 1 (1:30), Pro Bantamweight Javier Duchene def. David Miramontes by KO, round 3 (1:14), Pro Flyweight Aaron Gomez def. Joseph Veloz by submission (rear naked choke), round 1 (4:15), Pro Bantamweight Gabriel Piria def. Eddie Ortiz by submission (rear naked choke), round 1 (3:05), Pro Bantamweight Isaiah Delgado def. Elijah Quinn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Amateur Featherweight Isaiah Garcia def. Javier Gomez by unanimous decision, Amateur Welterweight Jude Smith def. Rudy Soto by submission (rear naked choke), round 3 (1:42), Amateur Bantamweight Aaron Baldonado def. Damien Garcia by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Amateur Catchweight 130 Max Fuentes def. Alexandro Rodriguez by submission (rear naked choke), round 1 (2:56), Amateur Catchweight 140 Gabriel Enriquez def. Daemian Jaloma by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Amateur Flyweight Eddie Gonzales def. Cade Smith by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Amateur Featherweight Isaiah Zamora def. Daniel Skartwed by TKO (punches), round 1 (1:34), Amateur Welterweight Alex Chacon def. David Ayala by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), Amateur Flyweight Adrian Juarez def. Edgar Baeza by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 28-29), Amateur Flyweight Photo Gallery We were cageside for every finish, every corner celebration, and every belt. Here are a few highlights from the night. View the Full Highlight Gallery More Coming, Stay Tuned This is just the first look. More photos and video highlights from Warriors of the Empire are on the way, so stay tuned. Full fight coverage, galleries, and video drop on MMAStalker.com . Make sure you're following MMA Stalker everywhere so you don't miss a thing: Instagram: @mmastalker YouTube: @MMAStalker TikTok: @MMAStalker LinkedIn: MMA Stalker Facebook: @mmastalk X: @mmastalk Thanks to Empire Promotions (@empirepromotions915) for another night of fights in Las Cruces. We'll see you at the next one.