Arnett triumphant in pro MMA return

BOISE — Austin “Golden Boy” Arnett of Lewiston made a successful mixed martial arts comeback with a second-round rear chokehold submission victory over Solo “The I.R.S. Man” Hatley Jr. in the 155-pound main event of a program presented by Front Street Fights on Friday at Idaho Central Arena.

It was the first professional fight in over two years for the 33-year-old Arnett, who improved his career record to 19-7.

In a first round spent entirely on foot as the combatants felt each other out, the 6-foot Arnett largely capitalized on his height and reached advantage to keep the 5-6 Hatley Jr. (12-9-1) at bay. He undertook what would prove to be the first and only takedown of the match midway through the second round, initially grappling with Hatley Jr. face-to-face before working his way behind the shorter man to establish the chokehold that brought an end to the match in 3 minutes, 37 seconds of the frame.

“It feels amazing,” Arnett said of the win in a post-fight interview on the Front Street Fights YouTube broadcast, adding that he intends to return for more professional bouts. “I love competition; I love combat; I like to be in here, so when opportunities come up, I’ll jump on them as they come.”

On the undercard, fellow Lewiston resident “Marky” Mark Coates won via first-round rear chokehold submission in a featherweight contest against Thomas Prestriedge, improving his career record to 12-10.

“I’m so, so happy to be here,” Coates said. “I get to fight in Idaho, and I don’t get to fight in Idaho very often, so every time I get the chance to be here and show off in front of essentially a hometown crowd, that’s what I want.”