JACKSON — Jeremiah Riggs got what he wanted most in Friday night’s mixed martial arts battle with longtime friend James Sharp of Biloxi — a win.

Riggs won a unanimous decision, taking all three of the judges’ cards 29-28 over Sharp in the first of the pro MMA bouts on the undercard of Friday’s Strikeforce/Challenger Series show. Riggs improves to 7-5 with the victory and now awaits a brighter future in the octagon. Sharp falls to 8-3.

“It was one helluva way to do it, but I won,” Riggs said. “I just had to be relentless. I gave 100 percent out there and left nothing.”

The two fighters split the first two rounds, with Sharp getting the nod in round one thanks to a powerful right hand after Riggs had gone for a leg kick.

“That was a pure error on my part,” Riggs said. “I certainly respect James’ stand-up ability. He hit me with a hard shot.”

Riggs countered by getting Sharp down and surviving the round.

“I just had to listen to my corner and just try and go with the ground game,” Riggs said.

In round two, Riggs took Sharp to the ground at the 3:30 mark and kept him there. With about 20 seconds left in the round, Riggs nearly got Sharp in a rear naked choke, but the round ended before any damage was done. He still won the round.

In round three, Riggs went back to work and got Sharp down within 30 seconds.

“If he can’t breathe, he can’t win,” Riggs said of his plan. “Late in the second round, I saw where he left his side open and I was able to punish his lungs.”

The third-round takedown determined the match.

“I knew that,” Riggs said. “I got on top of him and that’s the thing the judges notice. I was in the diamond position and was able to keep hitting him.”

When it went to the cards, Riggs felt he had the win. Now, he can look forward.

“Hey man.. I’ll be waiting for the telephone to ring,” he said.

Riggs’ corner man, Joe Acoff of Vicksburg, was pleased with the performance.

“He had a plan and came in and got it done,” Acoff said.

In the earlier bouts, Anthony Mitchell of Brandon won a first-round submission over Jeffery Hedgepeth by choke. Thomas Vazquez (15-3) of Horn Lake won in the third round on a tapout against Brian Hall (12-3).

Former Mississippi State football player Wes Shiver had the knockout of the undercard when he floored Goldman Butler of Tupelo at the 2:25 mark of the first round.

Shivers, a Rankin County deputy sheriff, improved to 8-1.