Skyler King Stops Shawn Ritchie in First Round at XFA Fight Night 4, Becomes No. 1 Lightweight Contender

Harriman, TN –  The crowd inside Roane State Community College was electric this past Saturday night as XFA Fight Night 4 delivered another action-packed night of MMA action. One of the standout moments came in the Amateur Welterweight division, where Skyler King of Blackeye Athletics earned his second straight first-round stoppage, defeating debuting fighter Shawn Ritchie of Lawrenceburg Combat Club.

This bout marked Ritchie’s first appearance under the XFA banner and his debut in sanctioned combat sports.  Despite the nerves that typically come with a first-time appearance, Ritchie came out composed and confident, showcasing sharp striking early in the opening frame.  King, however, showed the poise of a veteran with 10 prior fights, matching Ritchie on the feet before quickly changing levels and executing a textbook takedown that planted him directly into full mount.

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From there, the end came fast.

King wasted no time posturing up and raining down a steady stream of punches. Ritchie gamely tried to defend and recover, but the volume and precision of King’s ground-and-pound left the referee, Chad Washburn, no choice but to step in and call a halt to the contest just over a minute into the first round.

With the win, Skyler King improves to 5-6 and solidifies his place as the number one contender for the XFA Amateur Lightweight Championship. It’s King’s second consecutive first-round stoppage win, following his February victory at XFA LIVE 02 in Cookeville.

Despite the loss, Shawn Ritchie impressed both fans and officials with his performance.

The XFA Amateur Lightweight division just got a lot more interesting, and with King now in the title picture, fans can expect fireworks in the near future.


About Xtreme Fighting Alliance (XFA):
Founded in 2024, XFA is a Tennessee-based mixed martial arts promotion dedicated to elevating the sport through dynamic, high-quality events that combine professional and amateur MMA action. Sanctioned by GAMMA, XFA continues to provide a platform for fighters to showcase their skills in front of passionate combat sports fans across the Southeast.