Alfred Posted October 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 Well that was violent.-Fay Gott You should really consider changing your name to "The Bully" lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXIII (4th November 2017 – Hard Knocks, Los Angeles) Fight 1 – Main Division Urban “Brutus” Go Bucks (0-0, 255lbs) vs. James “The Nervous” Gregor (4-6, 210lbs) Getting us started this evening we have debuting fighter Urban "Brutus" Go Bucks taking on experienced veteran James "The Nervous" Gregor. Urban Go Bucks is a recent signing for the IFC and while there has been little fan fair or ceremony surrounding his arrival, make no mistake, this is a young fighter that has been training and preparing for this moment for quite a while now. Primarily a muay thai enthusiast, insiders have informed us that the 20 year old heavyweight is also a competent wrestler and BJJ practitioner. The man who will welcome him to the IFC is 4-6 light-heavyweight James Gregor. Gregor made his debut back at IFC III and since that time has managed some spectacular KO victories but also been victim to a few himself. Always dangerous and always entertaining, James Gregor has built a reputation as being a solid gatekeeper for the IFC’s lower ranks. It’s always difficult to predict a fight in which one or more fighters have yet to have their first bout and so we have to look further to get a better picture. On paper these two fighters are very similar. Both are strikers and both have competent grappling credentials. Go Bucks will have somewhat of an advantage in that he will have been able to scout Gregor ahead of time and formulate a game plan. Something Gregor’s camp will not have the option of. Go Bucks also has good management who will no doubt be able to give him some very valuable advice going into the fight. Of course what happens when the cage door locks is all down to the fighters and no one else. Gregor has a wealth of experience to call upon at this point and is very capable of turning your lights out if he connects. This will be an exciting fight to kick of the evening and an interesting debut for Urban Go Bucks Fight 2 – New Blood Division Jerome “Hands Of” Steel (1-1, 279lbs) vs. Joe “The Alternate” Average (0-2, 210lbs) Another fighter making his debut for the IFC and this time in the New Blood division, the IFC welcomes Jerome “Hands Of” Steel. Jerome Steel has already had some experience of the MMA world while fighting in the heavyweight division of Gamasi Fight Org in New York and currently holds a record of 1-1. A boxer at heart, Steel’s last fight was a five second KO victory so we know for sure that Steel’s nickname holds up to scrutiny. Steel also holds the rank of blue belt in BJJ so he definitely isn’t only capable in one area. Facing him tonight will be Joe “The Alternate” Average who came by his nick name through being the stand by fighter for the almost completed New Blood 16 Man Tournament. Joe has competed on two occasions since the start of the tournament and so far has not fared well. With both loses coming from more experienced opponents we should perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt for now as he takes his time to develop into his full potential. This is a good test for both fighters. Steel will be the more senior having just turned 19 a month ago and also the heavier weighing some 70lbs extra come fight time. A significant amount when considering we're talking about fists in faces. Average has a well rounded skill set but doesn’t excel anywhere. On the feet it’s likely Steel would be the more fancied but Average does have better wrestling so perhaps an opportunity to showcase his grappling skills on this occasion. As the slightly older fighter Jerome Steel would be the betting favourite on this occasion but there is no gulf between these two young athletes and Average will be in with a chance should he be able to control the grappling aspect of the fight. Fight 3 – Main Division Gosha Lopez (1-0, 135lbs) vs. Curtis Page (0-0, 160lbs) Gosha Lopez is a talented new acquisition from the same management of fighters such as Brooklyn Brawler and Damien Demento and previously under a former #2 ranked manager so you can bet that he has had some solid early guidance with training and preparation that will stand him in good stead going forward. Currently 1-0 with a win by submission Gosha is already threatening to be an absolute menace on the ground. An exceptional wrestler with a purple belt in BJJ, Lopez is now starting to add striking skills to his repertoire although he still has a way to go before being considered truly dangerous in that area of expertise. His opponent, making his MMA debut tonight, is striker Curtis Page. Although Page has no professional record we have been told that he is a wonderful boxer with a repectable level of muay thai but that he is an absolute novice when it comes to wrestling and fighting on the ground. At first glance this is simply another striker versus grappler fight and will come down to whether Lopez can avoid getting KO’d on the feet long enough to get the takedown. While that much is still true Lopez isn’t completely inept on his feet and should be durable in that department. It will be interesting to see how difficult Lopez can make it for Page standing and whether he will want to stand and strike at all. At only 19 years of age and already very skilled, Lopez brings with him a real sense of intrigue and many will be keeping a close watch on his progress. Fight 4 – New Blood Division Gusto “Sub” Silva (2-0, 155lbs) vs. Pate Paukuttaja (0-0, 178lbs) Back to the New Blood Division and another two debuting fighters for the IFC. Gusto “Sub” Silva, who has some previous experience from QFC where he built a perfect 2-0 record both by submission and Pate Paukuttaja who will be having his first professional fight. Gusto Silva is a natural featherweight who while seemingly has a preference for submission wrestling doesn’t seem to excel in any one area. There are those that would perhaps say that he is spreading himself a little thin and that he should concentrate on one area of expertise but then they would surely concede that whatever he is doing is working well enough so far. His opponent, making his MMA debut, is Finland’s Pate Paukuttaja. Paukuttaja is primarily a submission wrestler but has been seen to be working on his boxing since the signing of the fight some weeks ago. While still very much a novice in that area it’s possible that he has done just enough to take away the advantage Silva had when these two were matched. Both fighters seem most suited to the ground where Paukuttaja’s better wrestling and extra 20lbs might give him some advantage but Silva has already shown his submission capabilities in previous fights and Pate will no doubt be aware of that. It’s important to note however that both Silva’s submission victories were from top position and on this occasion he might find himself having to fight off of his back. Silva still has a very slight advantage on the feet and he could possibly attempt to keep this fight standing. Knowing that he does have a submission base to fall back on might just give him the confidence to take the fight to the heavier man and go for the KO route. An interesting fight in the New Blood Division with two fighters with plenty of time to make a name from themselves before they reach the cut off age of 20. Fight 5 – New Blood Division Adam “Cash” Tuncer (1-0, 164lbs) vs. Patrick Thompson (0-0, 270lbs) One last fight from the New Blood Division and once again two more fighters making their first appearance for the IFC. Adam “Cash” Tuncer is a 19 year old lightweight with a record of 1-0 and his sole fight was a solid Tko victory in the currently inactive Russian Bear Brawl org. Tuncer is a wonderful Thai Boxer and so far in his career has really only put his efforts into that. An unashamed striker, Tuncer may struggle with wrestlers and submission fighters in his current form but for this fight at least Tuncer should feel right at home. Making his MMA debut is heavyweight striker Patrick Thompson. Thompson is, like Tuncer, predominantly a muay thai fighter but those close to him have told us that he is working hard on becoming a well rounded mixed martial artist and looks to add other skills to improve his already considerable abilities. Thompson is the heavier, taller fighter and Tuncer will have to be wary when dealing with such a size difference but Tuncer will have speed on his side as well as the benefit of age and experience going into this bout. Fight 6 – Main Division “Dark and Light” Soul Shadow (2-2, 170lbs) vs. Chara Zaad (5-4, 210lbs) “Dark and Light” Soul Shadow makes his return to the cage after somewhat of a surprise loss to in form Klaus Chugman. Shadow, a fighter that many are keeping tabs on due to his quick progress and young age, was expected by many to have just enough about him to fend of Chugman’s take down attempts and win the stand up comfortably but in the end the pint size grappler was able to get the fight to the floor and the eventual submission. Since that fight Soul Shadow has put some extra focus into his submission game and has earned his Purple Belt in BJJ but overall still remains a well rounded jack of all trades. His opponent tonight is boxer Chara Zaad who is coming into this fight off the back of a TKO loss to Jan Schrijber at IFC XIX. Zaad has been very active so far in his short career and tonight will actually be his tenth professional bout. Still lacking in certain areas Zaad has been working on his wrestling of late presumably in order to keep the fight standing where he is most comfortable. Though he has been a little inconsistent throughout his time in the IFC he still has a winning record and lately has been showing his aptitude for knockouts. While Soul Shadow is obviously taking his time to build slowly and leaving no stone unturned when it comes to his skill set he will still want to be winning the fights he is involved in. Once of the biggest advantages of being an all rounder is that you are usually so much better in one area than your opponent and that is especially true for this fight. Zaad’s boxing is better than Shadow’s but that’s not to say that Shadow wouldn’t be able to compete in the stand up with Zaad, just that it wouldn’t be the safest option. The quickest route to victory for Shadow would be to take this fight to the ground where Zaad would be completely out of his element but just like his last fight this really comes down to whether he can control where the fight ends up and on this occasion deal with Zaad’s improved wrestling skills. If he can’t he will find himself having to duke it out with an experienced striker and that would be a much harder path to take. Fight 7 – Main Division Bartholomaus “Jager” Wolff (3-0, 255lbs) vs. Alex Stefanovic (2-1, 192lbs) Much of the roster will be breathing a sigh of relief as we announce that this will be Bartholomaus Wolff’s last fight for the IFC. Now under new management after a brief spell of free agency, Wolff’s new team has a different plan for him and so we must wish him the best of luck for wherever he end’s up. So far in the IFC Wolff has gone a quick and easy 2-0 and has a overall record of 3-0. A very impressive stand up fighter for his age, possessing superb boxing and exceptional muay thai, which has reflected in his results. Three fights, three finishes and all by KO/TKO in the first round. The man who will see Wolff out of the IFC is striker Alex Stefanovic. Stefanovic has a overall record of 2-1 and comes into this bout after suffering his first professional loss, a KO to current #9 Taz “Crash” Bandichoo. Both fighters quite obviously favour the stand up side of MMA and so we will assume that this fight takes place there however Wolff does have a blue belt in BJJ where as Stefanovic is a complete novice on the ground. Both fighters have shown some very proficient ability to do damage in the clinch and Stefanovic seems especially confident with his elbows. Wolff is perhaps a little more well rounded with his striking and has the better boxing. He is also undefeated at this time where as Stefanovic has already been beaten and for those reasons we would have to pick Wolf as the favorite here but perhaps with a good game plan Stefanovic could provide an upset and get back to winning ways. Fight 8 – Main Division Boss Yonic (6-3-1, 185lbs) vs. Brock “The Bodyguard” Sampson (2-1, 170lbs) Boss Yonic has fallen slightly down the rankings as of late despite currently being on a two fight win streak. Factoring in a draw with Cattan Engoria, a fight that won both fighters Fight Of The Night honours, Yonic is actually unbeaten in three fights so it’s possibly more to do with other fighters overtaking him rather than anything performance related. By now, Yonic is an experienced veteran and you’d have to go all the way back to IFC II for his debut. From that time Yonic has had a very solid career with some good wins over top competition and for a while spent some time around the lower end of the IFC Top 10. His opponent, from the same camp as Brooklyn Brawler, is Brock “The Bodyguard” Sampson. In his last fight Sampson suffered his first loss when he made the step up in competition to take on experienced super-heavyweight Greg “The Gronk” Bell. Though coming up short on that occasion Sampson showed that he could be competitive at a higher level and took Bell well into the third and final round before succumbing to the ground and pound of the 300lb ground fighter. Stylistically, this is an intriguing fight. Yonic will have no interest in standing and trading with Sampson and instead will want this fight on the ground. He should have no problem getting it there either as he has vastly superior wresting. However, Sampson is brown belt in BJJ and already has a submission victory to his name so he will quite possibly not mind having to fight off his back. Sampson also has proficient boxing and could likely give Yonic a very rough night if the fight stays standing for any length of time. This is a good fight for both fighters and picking a clear winner is not easy. Yonic is much more experienced and has beaten some very good ranked fighters at this point where as Sampson is really just getting started. A win for Yonic probably wouldn't put him back in the Top 10 but it would put him very close and you’d have to consider that with a little run of victories, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that he be far off a title shot if he was determined enough but therein lies an important question. How serious is Boss Yonic? Insider’s tell us that he isn’t training as well as he could and in sub-par conditions and that quite frankly his head isn’t in the game right now. If there is any truth to that statement at all, it is something a hungry Brock Sampson will be more than ready to take advantage of. Co-Main Event – Main Division Damien “The Terror” Demento (5-2, 185lbs) vs. Crack Head “Roks” (7-3, 153lbs) Our Co-Main event of the evening is between two fighters both threatening to break into the IFC Top 10. Damien “The Terror” Demento has been lingering around the fringes of the IFC Top 10 rankings for a while now. After coming very close before, he took a knock back after a loss to former champion Steven Kennedy but soon got back to winning ways with a first round TKO against rival Ken Shamrock in his last fight. With a record of 5-2 and both loses being against top competition Demento is a tough, solid, hard working fighter who, much like the rest of his camp, is hungry for success. Facing off against Demento is 20 year old Mexican fighter Crack Head “Roks”. Roks will be making his third appearance in the cage for us after a winning his first two fights here in his new home. Roks had been an active fighter in the QFC scene and also had a short stint in New York’s Duel Fighting League where he managed to go 1-1 and now holds a record of 7-3 with four of those wins from submissions. Now on a three fight win streak Crack Head will have an opportunity to move past a well regarded fighter in Damien Demento and possibly into a ranked position. Without much separating these fighters skill wise we look to the physical attributes. Demento will be the larger fighter. Taller and some 30lbs heavier Demento could possibly see this as an advantage should the fight become a grappling match at any stage and it’s likely that it does as both have finishes from the ground. Demento preferring to pulverize his opponents with ground and pound and Roks preferring a more nuanced submission based approach. On the feet Roks would have the advantage but has so far chosen not to go that route apart from the odd sporadic kick here and there. Both fighters are experienced, both have fought and beaten some tough opponents before and both fighters are similar in style. This is a very tough fight to call indeed and I would imagine that this fight going the distance is not an unlikely occurrence. Main Event – Main Division (#2) “Gypsy” Tommy Walcott (7-1, 140lbs) vs. (#9) Taz “Crash” Bandichoo (5-3, 219lbs) Our main event of the evening is between two top 10 ranked strikers and it promises to be absolute fireworks. #2 ranked “Gypsy” Tommy Walcott is one of only a handful of fighters to have spent the entirety of his career so far at the top of the IFC Top 10 rankings and having come so close as to have earned a title shot. Before that shot could materialize however, an undefeated Walcott stepped in at the last minute for a Main Event bout in which he suffered the first loss of his career to a debuting Android Seventeen. Now with a record of 7-1 and currently on a two fight win streak natural bantamweight “Gypsy” Tommy Walcott has the opportunity to really cement his place as the next in line to face the winner of Mew Choo and “Big” Steve Butabi when they compete for the Ironman crown at IFC XXVI. The fighter standing in his way is #9 ranked Taz “Crash” Bandichoo. Bandichoo has come a long way to get to where he is now. Once languishing around the very bottom of the IFC roster, he has clawed his way into the Top 10 off the back of some devastating first round KO’s and has forged a significant fan following as a result. Currently on a three fight win streak all by KO and with 5 wins in his last six Bandichoo is an imposing test for the smaller Walcott. This is the first time in Walcott’s career in which he has been, on paper at least, significantly outmatched on the feet. Walcott has made his name off the back of his wonderful boxing skills and while improving in all areas, boxing is still his biggest attribute by far. Bandichoo in comparison has put all of his time into the striking arts and now has an accomplished level of both boxing and Muay Thai. This has been at the cost of any and all grappling ability and while Walcott does have a distinct advantage in that area it’s unknown whether it is in any offensive capacity. If Walcott doesn’t possess the required take down skills needed here he may be forced to stand and trade with a much larger, hyper aggressive wild man know for his punishing KO prowess. Of course Bandichoo isn’t indestructible and has suffered loses before. His last was a three round decision to Walcott’s fellow stable mate German Cordova, a smaller boxer much like Walcott and if Walcott can manage to emulate Cordova’s approach perhaps he can get the same result? There is arguably more on the line for Walcott going into this fight and he will be no doubt be thinking back to his sole loss against a much heavier striker in Android Seventeen, a gamble that lost him the opportunity to fight for the Ironman title. Now he is close again and no doubt find the situation similar. Bandichoo on the other hand hasn’t a care in the world and will be content to ride the waves of brutality and see where this takes him. Without any grappling skills at all Bandichoo will have a massive target on his back that many fighters will be dying to exploit and he must known this. Until that glaring hole in his arsenal is addressed it is difficult to picture him as a legitimate title contender but for now, and while he continues to rack up those wins, no one can deny that he isn’t a threat. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXIII - (4th November 2017, Hard Knocks - Los Angeles) - Post Fight Recap The first event for the new month of November and with it a few surprise results. The main event of the evening was between #2 "Gypsy" Tommy Walcott, who once again was on the cusp of a title shot and rampaging wild man #9 Taz "Crash" Bandichoo who had been knocking out people for fun recently. The fight began with a lazy left to the head from Walcott and then a body shot that clearly angered Bandichoo. Bandichoo returned fire with a head kick that just missed and with a lightening quick reset, launched another and this time found its mark like a missile and left Walcott a crumpled heap on the ground. Taz Bandichoo defeats Tommy Walcott via KO (Head Kick) at 0:09 of Round 1. With this loss Walcott now once again is forced to the back of the queue and will need to start all over again. For Taz Bandichoo, with four KO victories in a row and a huge surge in hype/popularity, he trades places with Walcott and moves to #2 In the Co-Main event 20 year old Mexican fighter Crack Head "Roks" increased his run of wins to four in a row with a superb submission over a very tough Damien "The Terror" Demento. This fight had been anticipated to be a long drawn out affair but in the end it was over rather quickly. Demento moved straight into the clinch and secured a single leg into guard and was landing some nice shots from that position before Head starting threatening with submission attempts and finally locked up a tight guillotine that Demento was unable to get out of. Crack Head defeats Damien Demento via Submission (Guillotine) at 2:59 of Round 1. A great win for Crack Head who now moves into the Top 15 and will now be looking for ways to break into the Top 10 In other fights Brock "The Bodyguard" Sampson beat Boss Yonic by decision in a competitive bout that earned fight of the night honors. Yonic looked good early on winning the first round but Sampson came back strong in the second and third to win the judges opinion overall. Brock Sampson defeats Boss Yonic via Decision (Unanimous) There were plenty of debuts on tonight's card also with fighters from the Main Division and New Blood Division making their first IFC appearances In the New Blood Division, Adam Tuncer defeated Patrick Thompson via TKO (Cut), Pate Paukuttaja beat Gusto Silva over three rounds and Jerome Steel dropped a decision loss to Joe Average. And from the Main Division, Gosha Lopez beat Curtis Page by Submission in the first round and Urban Go Bucks looked fantastic against the experienced James Gregor and ended the fight with a TKO in the first also. The IFC will be back midweek with some more old school fighting action! Fight Of The Night goes to Brock Sampson vs. Boss Yonic KO Of The Night goes to Taz Bandichoo Sub Of The Night goes Crack Head After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this... #Champion (1) Mew Choo (9-0, 191lbs) #1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs) #2 (9) Taz Bandichoo (6-3, 240lbs) #3 (3) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, 154lbs) #4 (4) Louis C K (9-1, 202lbs) #5 (5) Steven Kennedy (6-4, 178lbs) #6 (6) Don Joe (6-2, 190lbs) #7 (7) Klaus Chugman (8-2, 130lbs) # 8 (8) Brooklyn Brawler (6-2, 190lbs) #9 (2) Tommy Walcott (7-2, 140lbs) #10 (10) Ricky Hughes (8-4, 264lbs) Just Outside (in no order): Android Seventeen, Evgeni Lomachenko, Dave Brooksbank, Daniel Sainty, Crack Head Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularJohn Posted November 5, 2017 Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 Kongchai Phetboonme (316487) http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/3/3b10.jpg "This guy Crack Head is a bum. I was poisoned by Aussie water when I lost to him. Who thinks this guy could beat me in a rematch?" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2017 Ironman Fight Club Midweek 8 (November 8th 2017 – Hard Knocks, Los Angeles) Fight 1 – New Blood Division Alessandro “The Snowman” Angeli (1-1, 155lbs) vs. Angel “Sith” Raider (2-0, 235lbs) Getting us started tonight we have the evenings only bout from the New Blood Division. Alessandro “The Snowman” Angeli made a strong impact in his IFC debut last time out when he defeated fellow debutant Long Thai via TKO in under a minute. With a record of 1-1 he’ll be facing undefeated Angel “Sith” Raider who also had a successful debut on the same night when he beat Rex Wreckum by KO to go 2-0 overall. Angeli is a skilled Muay Thai fighter and is now starting to add wrestling to his skill set where as Raider has a respectable level of boxing but has slightly better wrestling and an overal better ground game. Raider will outweigh Angeli by some 80lbs and does have a KO victory from standing to his name so Angeli will have to be smart on the feet not to get caught by one of Raider’s big right hands. An interesting opening bout between two young fighters who are just starting to make their names in the New Blood Division and have plenty of time to do so Fight 2 – Main Division Big Murha (1-0, 215lbs) vs. Albert Van Rooy (0-1, 256lbs) Big Murha comes to the IFC sporting a record of 1-0 and is one of two Finnish fighters making their debuts for the company tonight and both come from a well established management team. Murha is a natural light heavyweight who has developed a well rounded wrestling based skill set but in the very small amount of footage available seems very comfortable not being on the ground. His opponent is Dutch Kickboxer Albert Van Rooy who will be making his second appearance for the IFC after a disappointing debut a while back. There Van Rooy had his first taste of the Mixed part of Mixed Martial Arts when he had no answers for BJJ fighter Bea Mason’s submission assault. Though both fighters are still at the beginning stages of their careers Big Murha is far more advanced overall. Should the fight remain on its feet Van Rooy will have his best chance of victory though he will have to be wary of clinching with a bigger, stronger wrestler like the Finn. If this fight hits the floor, no matter the question of Murha’s ground skills being offensive or defensive or not, Van Rooy will once again be completely out of his depth. Fight 3 – Main Division Ispa Murhaa (1-0, 192lbs) vs. German Cordova (1-2, 150lbs) The second of two Finnish prospects making their IFC debuts tonight is middleweight Ispa Murhaa and like his stable mate Big Murha, has a record of 1-0. Murhaa is very similar fighter to Big Murha and shares a similar style. Both so far enjoy grinding up their opponents in the clinch and tonight the fighter that will be trying to avoid becoming mince meat is featherweight boxer German Cordova. Cordova has been training for a while now has been working diligently on his wrestling in order to remain where he is most comfortable; on his feet. A sensational boxer, Cordova’s last fight was a disappointing loss to heavyweight juggernaut Iain “The CN” Tower where he was unable to avoid getting into a grappling match with a far superior submission fighter and lost via a guillotine in only 1 minute 30 seconds. He faces another tough test tonight but will extra motivated to put on a better show after such a decisive loss previously. Though Cordova is a superior boxer, Murha is no slouch in that department either and is far more advanced in the art of eight limbs. Cordova has shown that he is capable in the clinch when he fought Taz Bandichoo but Murhaa is likely on another level in that department also. Murhaa is the better wrestler and has a decent knowledge of BJJ whereas Cordova is a complete novice. Cordova must avoid ending up off his feet at all cost or he will find himself in a similar position to the Tower fight. Murhaa will be considered the favourite here but if Cordova can keep his distance he stands a good chance of winning a points decision Fight 4 – Main Division Lavar Washington (3-1, 242lbs) vs. Vladimir “The Horizontal” Impaler (3-1, 265lbs) Fight four brings us a superb heavyweight clash between two fighters who really know how to hit. Lavar Washington has been slowly climbing out from the lower end of the roster and building a reputation as a heavy hitter. Of the 3 wins of his 3-1 record, all have been via knockout which is probably no surprise taking into account Washington’s boxing pedigree. Currently on a two fight win streak, Washington’s newest challenge is a fighter from a familiar camp. Vladimir “The Horizontal” Impaler hails from the same camp as young prospect Naiki Nekele who will fight later tonight coincidentally. Nekele handed Washington his first and only loss so far and that will definitely be a huge confidence booster for Impaler tonight. Impaler made his IFC debut back at XX where he convincingly beat kickboxer Shigeru Miyamoto over three rounds. Previous to arriving in the IFC he had a 1-1 stint in Kings Fighting Championship of London and with a sole TKO victory in QFC gives Impaler his overall record of 3-1. Without much riding on this fight both fighters will be free from pressure and really able to let it all go out there. Both are exceptional boxers although Washington is ever so slightly better in that department. It was mentioned earlier that Naiki Nekele found a way around the heavy hands of Washington and that was to club away at his legs with kicks which really disrupted his rhythm and stoped him from landing too much. Impaler could try and emulate that approach but while he has a feeble amount of Muay Thai skill to draw upon, Nekele is a savate master when it comes to kicking. As with all big heavyweights, this fight could be over at any moment and with both fighters being quite similar this is anybody's fight. Fight 5 – Main Division Matt Griffin (4-5, 197lbs) vs. En “Metal Priest” Esch (4-5, 238lbs) Fight number five should be a very exciting match up between two very comparable fighters. Matt Griffin is will be making his IFC debut here tonight and he enters with a wealth of experience. Griffen started his career in the QFC where he went 2-1 overall. This got him noticed by New York’s Duel Fighting League who signed him to a two fight deal. A disappointing 0-2 record against strong competition later and Griffin made his way to the Marty Robbins Fight Ranch were he took part in the same 16 Man Light Heavyweight Tournament as recent title challenger Louis C K. Alternating wins with loses Griffin amassed a 2-2 record there which pushed his current record to 4-5. His opponent, with an indentical record of 4-5 is Ironman veteran En “Metal Priest” Esch who has been with the IFC since his debut at IFC III. Esch has come a long way since then and overturned a string of early losses in his career to climb out of the lower ranks with an impressive three fight win streak that brought him close to breaking into the Top 10. His last fight however, a KO loss to current #2 contender Taz “Crash” Bandichoo, temporarily derailed that momentum. Esch will have no doubt enjoyed his winning ways and will be very eager to get back to where he was. This fight is likely to be fought on the feet with both fighters being most comfortable there. Esch likes the clinch and will no doubt be looking to wear down Griffen there where as Griffen likes to throw punches at range where he has proven he is capable of knocking you out if he gets the opportunity. Fight 6 – Main Division Trey Daniels (2-0, 250lbs) vs. Andy Bogard (5-2-1, 150lbs) Trey Daniels is another heavy hitting heavyweight who is just starting to make a name for himself in MMA. Currently 2-0 and under the wing of experienced management, Daniels looks to be a solid prospect for the future. Both of his wins so far have been by KO and his last fight, his IFC debut against rookie wrestler Dreamer Panda, he showed no mercy by turning out the lights for his opponent in just 30 seconds of round 1. Daniels hits hard and with precision and will be looking to keep his perfect record going. His opponent is wily IFC veteran Andy Bogard. Bogard has a record of 5-2-1 and is currently undefeated in six fights. His last, a majority draw, against Terje Warholm was a fantastic stand up battle that really showcased Bogard’s ever improving kickboxing skills. It would be easy to pick Daniels as the favourite here except for the fact that Bogard has made a career out of beating strikers whilst playing their own game. Bogard is primarily a Jui-Jitsu fighter and has a dangerous submission game but has notably been putting a lot of effort into his Muay Thai as time has gone by. Each time we see him in the cage against competent strikers it’s noted that trading would not be the smartest idea but each time we are forced to eat our words. But I will say it again here anyway. It would not be wise to get into a striking match with Trey Daniels. Daniels is arguable the best striker that Bogard will have ever faced so far and early signs all pointing to Daniels being a knockout artist, Bogard would do well to force this fight to the floor somehow where Daniels is a BJJ novice. Daniels of course will not want to be fighting off submission attempts on the floor and will likely be doing everything he can to keep this fight standing. Bogard would be a huge scalp for the newcomer and would be a quick way for Trey Daniels to really make a name for himself in the IFC. Fight 7 – Main Division Vedran “Blondebeard” Stefanovic (3-1, 260lbs) vs. Naiki “The Drunken Finnish Demon” Nekele (5-3, 260lbs) The seventh fight of the evening is yet another clash between two natural heavyweights. Vedran “Blondebeard” Stefanovic made quite an entrance to the IFC when he defeated Dirty WhiteBoy by KO in just 15 seconds. Stefanovic (no relation to current IFC fighter Alex) has a record of 3-1 and is currently on a two fight win streak. His opponent is Naiki “The Drunken Finnish Demon” Nekele. Nekele has been an Ironman fighter since IFC IV and possesses possibly one of the most unique styles that we’ve seen so far. On paper a kickboxer, his style resembles something much closer to Savate. Choosing to use kicks as his main offensive weapon over punches has sometimes lead to a more drawn out war of attrition and a few one sided decision victories but every now and again he pulls out a spectacular head kick KO to entertain the fans. With a record of 5-3, Nekele’s highest point in the IFC was a #10 ranking early in his career. He came close to regaining a spot at the top recently after a three fight run of wins but a loss to ground fighter Cattan Engoria really dropped his stock and once again he finds himself in the middle of the pack. Nekele is very quick for such a big man and has so far proven to be a very elusive target to hit. His kick offence is difficult for most to work around but there is always a danger when taking on heavy hitters like Stefanovic that one punch can end it all and so it’s not ideal to spend a long time standing in front of such a man. The longer the fight goes the longer Blondebeard will have a chance to land a fight ending punch. At this stage it wouldn’t take much for either fighter to make moves into the top of the table and both would earn a lot from a victory here. Nekele is the more experienced at this point and has the most invested in his career. This is a fight he will very much want to win but Stefanovic will be no push over. Fight 8 – Main Division Terry Bogard (3-2, 179lbs) vs. Lord “God Of Destruction” Beerus (3-1, 179lbs) Another classic grappler versus striker match up coming with kickboxer Terry Bogard taking on BJJ brown belt Lord “God of Destruction” Beerus. Terry Bogard had a good start to his MMA career and showed early signs of potential when he raced to a two fight winning streak all by KO. Now making his sixth appearance in the IFC and little losses have begun creeping onto his resume. His last fight was a submission loss to Dave Brooksbank who many expected him to beat easily although Brooksbank had been in some fine form during that period. Now with a record of 3-2, Bogard has been working on his wrestling it seems presumably in order to bolster his striking skills and improve his chances when facing superior grapplers, something he will most definitely need tonight. His opponent is Lord “God of Destruction” Beerus. Lord Beerus has been quietly working his way up the ladder but has been no less impressive overall. With a record of 3-1, all three of Beerus’ wins have come via submission in the first round. Having fought mainly grapplers so far, Terry Bogard will present new challenge for the BJJ fighter and a difficult one at that considering that Beerus is totally reliant on his submission skills in his fights. Bogard’s wrestling skills have slightly surpassed Beerus’ so that will make getting the fight to the floor all the more difficult. All the usual conditions of a grappler versus striker fight apply to this fight and so I wont go over them again too much. Obviously the danger for Beerus is going to be standing in front of a much superior striker but Beerus comes from a camp known for being unpredictable so there’s no doubt that the submission fighter will have have something up his sleeve come fight time. Co-Main Event – Main Division Evgeni Lomachenko (6-3, 152lbs) vs. Dave “Tightass” Brooksbank (5-5, 160lbs) Co-Main event of the evening is between two fighters who are known for being exceptional ground technicians and who both currently sit just outside of the IFC Top 10. Evgeni Lomachenko has had some mixed results since joining the IFC as an undefeated 3-0 prospect. Thrust immediately into the deep ends of competition, he managed to submit submission specialist Klaus Chugman in his org debut, barged into the #9 spot and was looking every bit the title prospect. Since that time however the Russian featherweight has only managed to go an even 3-3 and now sits just outside of the Top 10 with his last fight an impressive victory over young IFC newcomer Rober Garfield. His opponent Dave “Tightass” Brooksbank makes his return to the cage after only a short period away and will be looking to get straight back to winning ways. Brooksbank made his debut at IFC 1 and from there was known for being rather inconsistent with his result and struggling to deal with strikers. That was up until a few fights ago where Brooksbank went on a run of three fight beating fighters that, in many peoples eyes, he had no business beating. That run catapulted Brooksbank into the IFC Top 10 and only ended when he ran into a departing Eldar Tskhadaia who outweighed him by some 80lbs. It was a disappointing end to the streak for Brooksbank and now he sits, like Lomachenko, just outside of the IFC Top 10. Physically both fighters are similar so weight will not be an issue in this fight. Lomachenko has some great takedowns and it’s unlikely that Brooksbank will be able to stop them nor want to come to that as Brooksbank has shown that he is most comfortable fighting off of his back. Lomachenko likes to throw strikes on the ground in order to soften up his opponents and leave them vulnerable for submission attempts where as Brooksbank preferes a more posistion before submission based approach and will look to secure control before attacking. Lomachenko has shown excellent control in previous fights and managed to hold down 300lb Greg Bell and pepper him with strikes over three rounds and that could spell trouble for Brooksbank as he could end up spending all of his time and energy fighting for position and being defensive which is not something that will look good for the judges. One possible but unlikely scenario is Brooksbank using his woeful boxing skills in this fight, something we’ve only ever briefly witnessed from him. Though still out of his comfort zone in that area he would still be a grade above Lomachenko who is complete novice when it comes to striking. Overall, this is a close match up and both differing styles make for an interesting fight but I would perhaps have to give the edge to Lomachenko based on his control and wrestling ability. Main Event – Main Division #5 Steven “The Steamroller” Kennedy (6-4, 178lbs) vs. #6 “Corpse Making Cowboy” Don Joe (6-2, 190lbs) Don Joe makes his first appearance back since defeating former champion Ricky “Big Tex” Hughes and tonight he’ll be facing another former champion in Steven “The Steamroller” Kennedy Don Joe surprised many when he upset big hitter Ricky Hughes a short while ago and will now be interested to see what another former title holder can bring to the table. Kennedy, of course, was the man that took Hughes’ title away in the first place and that in itself was a major upset at the time. After winning the title Kennedy was unsuccessfully with his first defence and then slumped to a three fight losing streak before finally turning the tide against an in form Damien Demento. His last was Kennedy at his best when he pulled out a superb submission win against young up and comer Schmorgen Biscuit. With the Top 10 becoming ever more competitive this is a fight that both will desperately want to win. Steven Kennedy has been an active fighter in the IFC from the very beginning and along with being tied in second for most submission victories is also tied fourth for most wins in the org at six. Joe on the other hand, is yet to truly make his mark here and another win over another former champion will go a long way to doing just that. Stylistically Kennedy is much better on the ground with a Brown Belt in BJJ and respectable wrestling while Don Joe is still catching up in that area. Joe is the better Boxer and in his last fight displayed some good accuracy and volume in his strikes. Kennedy likes to mix up strikes to set up his takedowns but he will not want to trade for too long with Don Joe. Kennedy is more than capable of getting the fight to the floor and should he do so Joe would have a difficult time fending off the superior grappler for too long. On paper, Kennedy is arguably the better fighter but has been inconsistent in the past. With both fighters coming into this fight off the back of terrific performances it’s a tough fight to call but due to the grappling pedigree of Steven Kennedy we might have to consider him the favorite. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernNinjas Posted November 8, 2017 Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 You're killing the writeups. Much appreciated Iain's coming for that belt soon! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra7 Posted November 8, 2017 Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 Beerus for the win? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2017 Ironman Fight Club Midweek 8 - (8th November 2017, Hard Knocks - Los Angeles) - Post Fight Recap Another great night of midweek Ironman action and with seven of the ten fights ending with a finish, definitely an exciting one so lets get straight into the nights recap. MAIN EVENT In the main event of the evening the "Corpse Making Cowboy" Don Joe and Steven "The Streamroller" Kennedy put on a superb performance for the fans with a back and forth three round battle. Don Joe took the first round using his jab perfectly and showing good timing with his counters. Kennedy did manage a take down near the end of the round but was unable to stop Joe from getting to his feet. Kennedy bullied his way back into the fight in the second round by staying aggressive and putting pressure on Joe. Kennedy wasn't landing a great deal but was able to get a takedown midway through and threatened with submission attempts. Kennedy managed to clamp on a rear naked choke around the four minute mark and almost ended things but Joe held on for the bell. By the third round both men had slowed down considerably and Joe was able to sit the rest of the round behind his jab and go on to win over the judges. Don Joe defeated Steven Kennedy via Decision (Unanimous) It was great night for Don Joe and with another victory over a former IFC champion moves to 7-2 overall and into the #3 spot. Kennedy, now 6-5 overall, put on a good performance and should not be too hard on himself though with the loss drops down to #10 Co-Main Event The Co-Main event between ground fighters Dave "Tightass" Brooksbank and Evegeni Lomachenko didn't disappoint and was decided in just under two minutes. Both fighters came out aggressive and both throwing and missing strikes. A surprise head kick from Brooksbank scored before Lomachenko used his power to bully Brooksbank into the cage and into a clinch. Brooksbank jumped guard instantly and from there both fighters went to work and did what they did best. Lomachenko landed some solid shots from guard but lost position when he attempted a leg lock and Brooksbank maneuvered his way into side control and eventually seizing an arm and cranked on a kimura. Dave Brooksbank defeated Evgeni Lomachenko via Submission (Kimura) at 1:49 of Round 1 With this win Brooksbank goes to 6-5 and moves back into the Top 10 while Lomachenko drops to his third loss in four fights and remains around the top 15 of the roster. In other news, two fighters made their moves into the upper ranks of the IFC off the backs of impressive performances. Terry Bogard took advantage of his superior striking skills against Lord Beerus winning via KO in just 13 seconds and Trey Daniels stays undefeated with a 3-0 record after a punishing TKO over Andy Bogard at 1:56 of Round 1. En "Metal Priest" Esch got back to winning ways after a nice TKO win over a debuting Matt Griffin. Esch, now 5-5, will no doubt be looking to make moves into the top ranks himself Naiki "The Drunken Finnish Demon" Nekele put on another impressive kicking performance and made it look easy beating a tough Vedran Stefanovic with a first round KO. This time however and to my surprise Nekele actually used his fists instead of his feet! Nekele is now 6-3 Two fighters from the Murhapuro camp made their debuts tonight and really made their intentions for the division clear. Both Ispa Murhaa (now 2-0) and Big Burha (also 2-0) both won via decision in pretty one sided dominating victories and both look like they could be future stars of the division. And lastly, in the only fight from the New Blood Division, Alessandro "The Snowman" Angeli beat a much heavier Angel "Sith" Raider via TKO in the first round. The following "of the night" awards are sponsored by IniTech Nutrition who stock both 160q Stamina Fuel and 160q Muscle Bulk along with their pioneering Chaos Energy 160q Recovery sup. Fight Of The Night goes to Don Joe vs. Steven Kennedy KO Of The Night goes to Naiki Nekele Sub Of The Night goes Dave Brooksbank After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this... #Champion (1) Mew Choo (9-0, 191lbs) #1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs) #2 (9) Taz Bandichoo (6-3, 240lbs) #3 (6) Don Joe (7-2, 190lbs) #4 (3) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, 154lbs) #5 (4) Louis C K (9-1, 202lbs) #6 (7) Klaus Chugman (8-2, 130lbs) #7 (RE) Dave Brooksbank (6-5, 160lbs) # 8 (8) Brooklyn Brawler (6-2, 190lbs) #9 (2) Tommy Walcott (7-2, 140lbs) #10 (5) Steven Kennedy (6-5, 178lbs) Just Outside (in no order): Ricky Hughes, Android Seventeen, Evgeni Lomachenko, Terry Bogard, Trey Daniels Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2017 You're killing the writeups. Much appreciated Iain's coming for that belt soon! Thank you mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Posted November 9, 2017 Report Share Posted November 9, 2017 Cracking job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXIV (11th November 2017 – Hard Knocks, Los Angeles) Fight 1 – Main Division Paul Michael Levesque (3-7, 255lbs) vs. Shigeru Miyamoto (2-4, 160lbs) Paul Michael Levesque has been on a disastrous run of form lately which has seen him finished in three of his last four losses. Infact, you'd have to go back to IFC XII to find the last time Levesque had his hand raised and it begs the question why? Levesque is is a big, experienced heavyweight with some wonderful wrestling skills and brain rattling ground and pound. He has fought an assortment of opponents and lately is coming up short. Perhaps Levesque has become predictable? Perhaps his head isn’t even in the fight game anymore with sources telling us that he hasn’t even been showing up at a gym. Whatever the reason, it’s a shame to see a big guy go down this way. Facing him this evening and ready to take advantage of any such mental problems is natural lightweight and skilled kickboxer Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto is currently on his own unimpressive run of form and though not as long as Levesque’s is still something that will be of concern to the camp. Miyamoto currently sports a losing record of 2-4 and his best win was a TKO victory over one time contender Pero Kostolomac who at the time was a fighter very much in decline. Miyamoto hasn’t seen to be improving at any great rate since his debut and his grappling ability is still non existent. That is something that may well bite him in the behind tonight as no matter how motivated Levesque comes in, he will still be shooting takedowns left, right and center and if Miyamoto can’t stop them or get a stoppage on the feet early, Levesque will get him at some point during the fight. An entertaining opening bout between two struggling fighters and bookies are suggesting this one goes to Levesque, no matter how motivated. Fight 2 – Main Division Bea “Rick” Mason (4-3, 175lbs) vs. Ivan “Russian Hulk” Shtirko (1-5, 275lbs) Next up, another young fighter who has had his share of bad results lately Ivan “Russian Hulk” Shtirko. Shtirko made his IFC debut very recently and unfortunately ran into a kneebar submission from relative newcomer Yoshihiro Sexyama. Now with a record of 1-5, it would be only fair to note that three of those six fights on his record were against a vastly more seasoned competitor and in fact the last time they fought the “Russian Hulk” got his vengeance with a TKO finish. Shtirko has an interesting clinch based wrestler/boxer hybrid style and still at only 19 years of age, will have plenty of time to evolve into his full potential. His opponent tonight is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Bea “Rick” Mason. Mason is a recent signing to the IFC and came to the org as a solid young journeyman. Still only 19 years of age himself, Mason has now been a part of no less then three fight companies if we are to include the Ironman Fight Club. Mason made his fighting debut in Europe with the no longer operating Extreme Mixed Martial Arts in Helsinki before moving on to the Duel Fighting League in New York. Now having made a successful IFC debut a few weeks back, Mason will no doubt be ready to put all of that experience to good use. The key area to this fight is the ground. Shtirko will want to avoid it at all cost and, due to the danger that Mason presents there, may even attempt to avoid the clinch in case of any guard pulling. Mason does have some take down ability however and displayed some serious durability in his last fight against Albert Van Rooy, soaking up what the kickboxer dished out before hitting the take down and ending the fight with a last second sub. If Shtirko can avoid being dragged into a grappling match on the floor then he stands an excellent chance of picking up his first win in the IFC otherwise Mason takes this fight with another submission victory. Fight 3 – Main Division Gin Kobra (4-6, 140lbs) vs. “The Barbarian” Battle Ram (8-3, 220lbs) Fearless IFC veteran Gin Kobra faces another tough test in the form of “The Barbarian” Battle Ram. A solid journeyman, Gin Kobra has never backed down from a fight no matter the odds and has cobbled together a 4-6 record that includes tussles with the likes of Ricky “Big Tex” Hughes. Though currently on a two fight losing streak, Kobra has proven difficult to finish with his last two losses being by decision. Facing him tonight is 8-3 light-heavyweight Battle Ram. The bulk of Ram’s impressive record came at the start of his career and under previous management. Battering his way to a perfect 7-0 record it was current IFC champion Mew Choo that handed Ram his first loss and as a result was unceremoniously dumped by his management and left the org. Since then however, Battle Ram has found a new camp and resigned back with the IFC where he has gone 1-2 with his last fight being a solid TKO victory over struggling Paul Michael Levesque. This really is a fight that either could take. Ram is the bigger man and with a significant weight advantage and a proven history of knockouts to his name, any exchanges are going to be extra dangerous for Kobra. Kobra though really does mix things up and I could easily see Kobra taking this fight to the ground where, though they will be similar on paper, seems to have a better understanding of ground fighting. The tools are there for Battle Ram and it will come down to whether his new manager can get the best out of him. If he can put it together on the night I predict a KO win for “The Barbarian” but if not, I see Kobra hanging on for a decision victory. Fight 4 – Main Division Dieter “The Sheep” Schaafs (4-2, 190lbs) vs. Ken “The Worlds Most Lethal” Shamrock (3-4, 175lbs) Things are pretty good for Dieter “The Sheep” Schaafs right now. Currently on a two fight win streak and his last fight having avenged his debut loss to Dirty WhiteBoy, Schaafs has a winning 4-2 record overall and is starting to move on up the IFC ladder. There are rumors however that Schaaf is not a happy man and insiders tell us that he is over training to the point of near exhaustion which will surely effect his progress going forward. His opponent is Ken “The Worlds Most Lethal” Shamrock. Shamrock has had mixed results during his time in the IFC but has shown that he can be a dangerous, opponent. All three of Shamrocks victories have been by finish and Shamrock actually holds the distinction of being the first white belt to win by submission when he caought Terje Warholm in a guillotine during his debut. Though posssing a losing record of 3-4, the majority of Shamrocks losses have come against very stiff competition. This fight is likely to be a stand up fight with Schaaf preferring to fight in the clinch and Shamrock usually keeping his distance and preferring to throw lots of precision strikes. At this point I would say that preparation is going to be key. If Schaafs is not at peak performance he will struggle with his stamina if he plays the clinch game and will likely fall behind later in the fight while Shamrock plays target practice with his head. Schaafs is on a roll though and so we cannot count him out. Another win would put him ever closer to the top end of the IFC roster and that will be an incentive for him. Overall though the bookies are suggesting that if the rumors about Schaafs fitness are true Shamrock takes this by early stoppage. Fight 5 – Main Division Mr Kaalee (3-1, 300lbs) vs. Jan Schijber (3-1, 237lbs) Next up, a tantilising clash between two young, up and coming fighters. Making his IFC debut is gargantuan super-heavyweight Mr Kaalee. Kaalee makes his way to us with a 3-1 record and as the former Gamasi Fight Org Super-Heavyweight Champion. With some wonderful Boxing and competent Muay Thai, Kaalee also holds a purple belt in BJJ and is a skilled submission fighter. Doubly dangerous, Kaalee uses his stand up abilities to soften up his opponent before usually ending the fight with a submission from which all of his victories have come. The head of the welcoming party on this occasion is Muay Thai fighter Jan Schrijber who has an identical record of 3-1. Schrijber is coming into this fight off a TKO win against Boxer Chara Zaad last time out but before that lost via submission to Schmorgen Biscuit. Schrijber likes to mix things up with punches and combos but his preferance is for the clinch where he uses a mix of knees and punches to wear down his opponents. With two KO’s out of three wins, Schrijber has proven that he isn’t looking to merely score points. Schrijber has possibly a slight edge on the feet but it will razor thin where as Kaalee will without question be the favorite should the fight hit the floor. Schrijber has already shown that he struggled against a superior submission wrestler and Kaalee will no doubt be aware of this. This is an important fight for the division and no matter the outcome, it may be worth keeping an eye on both of these fighters as they progress in their careers. Fight 6 – New Blood Division Andre “No Dice” Clay (5-0, 146lbs) vs. Giovanni Gomes (1-3, 168lbs) Next up one of tonights two bouts from the New Blood Division. Andre “No Dice” Clay is one of the divisions top young fighters at the moment with a perfect record of 5-0 and so far all of those wins have been via KO. His oppenent tonight is Brazillian Jui-Jitsu Brown Belt Giovani Gomes. Gomes has fought the first three of his matches in the Main Division but moved down to the New Blood Division to gain more experience against fighters his own age. A rough welcome to the division against undefeated Alambick Rana left him with another loss on his record bringing him to 1-3 overall. Gomes has been working to improve other areas of his game and now has a proficient understanding of the sweet science. In this fight however he will still likely be outclassed on his feet as Clay is a remarkable boxer and just a little bit better with his Muay Thai and Wrestling too. That’s not to say that Gomes’ newly acquired boxing improvements are a waste as it’s possible it might be just what he needs to survive long enough on his feet to find a way to get the fight to the ground where he will be most comfortable. On paper, a possibility, however bookies still have Clay as the overwhelming favorite. Fight 7 – New Blood Division “Ashanti Warrior” Alambick Rana (4-0, 219lbs) vs. Callum Kane (0-0, 170lbs) Our second and last New Blood fight of the evening and the dominating presence of “Ashanti Warrior” Alambick Rana makes his return to take on rookie Thai Boxer Callam Kane. Alambick Rana began his MMA training at 16 and currently holds a perfect record of 4-0. This 6ft, 219lbs monster has made short work of everyone put in front of him so far and has yet to be taken into the second round. Preparing himself for a baptism of fire this evening is newcomer Callam Kane. Kane will no doubt be well aware of the credentials of Rana and will believe he has a game plan to topple the undefeated grappler. With no previous fight history to look back through we can only assume that Kane will be looking use his superior Muay Thai skills to his advantage and stop Rana on the feet. No small task and as yet one that no one has come close to doing. Fight 8 – Main Division Daniel “The Unsanitary” Sainty (6-4, 150lbs) vs. Schmorgen Biscuit (5-3, 210lbs) Daniel “The Unsanitary” Sainty is one of the IFC’s best submission artists and is currently tied in first place with a total of six submission victories to his name. By now Sainty has gained much experience against many different styles of fighter and has become a very tricky fight for anyone he faces. His last fight was a king of the submission showdown with Klaus Chugman of whom he currently shares most submissions with. Neither fighter was able to finish the other but Chugman did just enough to get the nod from the judges and win a unanimous decision. Sainty has been up in and around the Top 10 for the entirety of his IFC career and currently ranks inside the top 15. Taking on Sainty tonight is young wrestler Schmorgen Biscuit who is coming in off the back of a couple of disappointng losses lately. Biscuit, like Sainty, made his debut all the way back at IFC I but this will be the first time they’ve crossed paths. Biscuits last fight was a loss to Sainty’s stablemate Steven Kennedy via submission. A fight that, argubly, Biscuit was leading until being caught with an armbar in the third and final round. It marked the second loss in a row for Biscuit and really set him back a little after such an impressive run earlier. Sainty presents many of the same problems for Biscuit as Kennedy did. Sainty will be completely at home fighting off of his back and extremely dangerous there. Biscuit does have an advantage over Sainty with his Muay Thai though he doesn’t often strike at a distance and instead prefers fighting close inside the clinch. This could be a key area of the fight for Biscuit though would still have to be careful not to get overzealous as Sainty could use it as an opportunity to pull guard. If this fight was to have take place a few fights ago I think Biscuit would have been the favourite but after dropping his last two recent fights and considering Sainty’s success with dealing with bigger, heavier ground and pounders I think a good bet could be Sainty by submission Co-Main Event – Main Division Iain “The CN” Tower (4-0, 275lbs) vs. Greg “The Gronk” Bell (5-6, 300lbs) I think a lot of fighters in the Top 10 had hoped that Iain “The CN” Tower would have gotten bored with his MMA pursuits by now and moved on to other things but he is still here and this could be his breakout fight. With a perfect record of 4-0 and all by first round finishes Iain Tower is looking progressively more frightening each time we see him. What makes him most dangerous, apart from his imposing stature, is his well rounded skill set. Dangerous on his feet, capable in the clinch and a technician on the ground, Tower seems like the complete package. His opponent this evening is Greg “The Gronk” Bell. Bell is a huge super-heavyweight submission wrestler and is well known for his punishing ground and pound based style. Bell has had his ups and downs so far but has always remained a solid challenge and has firmly cemented his place currently as a gatekeeper to the upper echelons of the IFC roster. With his size and strength he is always a danger and with his granite chin he can be hard to put away. The key areas for this fight will be in the stand up. Tower is a far better striker and Bell will not want anything to do with him on the feet. Instead Bell will look to take this fight to the floor as soon as possible where he will have the best chance of victory. As yet, Tower’s take down defense is a bit of an unknown but its possible that with such an efficient ground game he doesn’t feel the need or even want to stop from being taken down. This could be another key area of the fight as the 300lb Greg Bell has a vicious top heavy control game on the floor. This is a huge fight for Iain Tower and one that could have a serious impact for the Top 10. Iain Tower is currently a strong favorite going into the fight and will be making his first appearance in a co-main event slot but Bell has on more than one occasion spoiled the party for an up and comer fighter. Main Event – Main Division Ricky “Big Tex” Hughes (8-4, 264lbs) vs. (#8) Brooklyn Brawler (6-2, 190lbs) Our main event of the evening sees the quick return of one of the orgs most prolific and longest serving fighters and he first IFC champion Ricky “Big Tex” Hughes. Hughes comes into this bout of the back of a surprise TKO loss to Don Joe which also marked his third finish loss in his last four fights. This will be a worrying statistic for the Hughes camp and one that they will hope to rectify as soon as possible. Now with a record of 8-4 and with his recent mediocre form, Hughes has dropped just outside of the Top 10 for the first time since the IFC’s creation. Still, Hughes remains a very entertaining, popular figure in the IFC and a solid fan favorite. Hughes is also currently tied for the most KO wins in the org with six to his name. On the other side of the cage this evening will be current #8 Brooklyn Brawler who is making his first return to the cage since his title eliminator loss against “Big” Steve Butabi. Previous to that loss Brawler went on a truly inspired run of form that included a first round KO victory over Greg Bell and a thoroughly dominating performance against Don Joe. With a record of 6-2 Brawler has had great success for a fighter who got into the game at an older age and one who has not been in the sport as long as some of the other fighters around. Hughes is a very dangerous striker and undoubtedly has huge power in his hands but lately has been prone to missing far more then he lands and this has possible been the root of his recent form. Brawler is also a skilled striker and has been rather good at hitting the target so a stand up battle would like favor him at this current time. Brawler has the better wrestling and may be able to fend off Hughes’ take down attempts which would force Hughes to strike. Hughes has a decent submission game though so if the fight did hit the floor it would benefit the big South African. Hughes is the more experienced fighter, has been in the game longer and definitely has the tools available to squeak a win but on current form alone Brawler is odds on here. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXIV - (11th November 2017, Hard Knocks - Los Angeles) - Post Fight Recap Ironman Fight Club XXIV was another solid event filled with some exciting fights. Knockouts, submissions and a couple of decisions, there was a little something for everyone. MAIN EVENT In the main event of the evening, former champion Ricky "Big Tex" Hughes struggled against big hitter Brooklyn Brawler and slumped to his fourth career loss in his last five fights. Hughes started well and looked to take advantage of his superior submission skills, pulling guard from the clinch and hunting for a finish. Brawler managed to spoil any such ideas and stalled long enough to force a stand up from the referee. From that point Brawler was wise to Hughes' plan and was able to stuff a couple of take down attempts from the big South African and moved into the clinch from where he started to land some significant shots, one of which opened a nasty little cut on Hughes head. Around the three minute mark Hughes finally managed to break from Brawler's grasp and instantly shot for another take down. This time Brawler circled out and countered with a big uppercut which opened the door for a massive right hand that dropped Big Tex to the ground. Brawler pounced instantly and landed strikes until the referee was forced to stop the fight Brooklyn Brawler defeats Ricky Hughes via TKO (Strikes) at 3:17 of Round 1 A great win for the Brooklyn Brawler that sees him improve his record to 7-2 and climb up a space to #7 in the Top 10. As for Ricky Hughes, another disappointing night that will leave the former champion wondering just what he needs to fix in order to get back to the fearsome wrecking machine of old and back into the IFC Top 10 where he has spent so much of his career already. CO-MAIN EVENT It was the first time in a co-main event slot for Iain "The CN" Tower and he didn't disappoint at all. Predicted to be his break out fight Tower showed just why he has been hyped so highly since arriving in the IFC. There was a real sense of danger for Greg Bell early on as Tower landed a quick jab and then two head kicks that opened up a cut on the big mans head. Bell is noted for his granite chin and is perhaps too tough for his own good so it was a real relief for his fans when he took Tower off of his feet and into equal territory. Now the real excitement began. Bell is known for his ground game and heavy ground and pound attack and there was great excitement to see how the up and coming Tower would deal with Bell from this position. Instantly Tower threatened with submissions. Controlling from the bottom and frustrating the bigger man, Tower was able to avoid taking any major damage from Bell all the while attempting sweeps and forcing Bell to fight defensively and around the two minute mark Tower punished the clearly stalling Bell with a tight guillotine choke that left the 300lb'er out cold. Iain Tower defeats Greg Bell by Submission (Guillotine) at 2:18 of Round 1 This marked Tower's fifth dominating performance in a row and with it finally takes him into the IFC Top 10 at #9. His management have already expressed their intentions for the title so Tower will no doubt be looking forward to the next challenge to get him there. With this loss Bell drops to 5-7 overall and now resides outside of the Top 15. Other notable results from tonight's events included Schmorgen Biscuit getting back on the winning track with a TKO victory over submission specialist Daniel Sainty. A debuting Mr Kaalee with an impressive performance against Dutch Thai Boxer Jan Schrijber winning in the end with an armbar submission in the first round and moving into the Top 15 of the IFC ranks. Gin Kobra almost came through with a career best performance going head to head with the larger, heavier hitting Battle Ram coming out on top until the very last when he finally succumb to a brutal combo from the big man in the final minute of the third and final round. An agonizing end to a fight that had all judges scoring Kobra up two round to zero. Alambick Rana continued with his run of victories in the New Blood Division with another KO win this time over newcomer Callum Kane. This latest brings Rana to 5-0 and puts him firmly at the top of the pile awaiting his chance to take on the, as yet, uncrowned New Blood champion. The following "of the night" awards are sponsored by IniTech Nutrition who stock both 160q Stamina Fuel and 160q Muscle Bulk along with their pioneering Chaos Energy 160q Recovery sup. Fight Of The Night goes to Battle Ram vs. Gin Kobra KO Of The Night goes to Ivan Shtirko Sub Of The Night goes Iain Tower After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this... #Champion (1) Mew Choo (9-0, 191lbs) #1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs) #2 (2) Taz Bandichoo (6-3, 240lbs) #3 (3) Don Joe (7-2, 190lbs) #4 (4) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, 154lbs) #5 (5) Louis C K (9-1, 202lbs) #6 (6) Klaus Chugman (8-2, 130lbs) # 7 (8) Brooklyn Brawler (7-2, 190lbs) #8 (7) Dave Brooksbank (6-5, 160lbs) #9 (NE) Iain Tower (5-0, 275lbs) #10 (9) Tommy Walcott (7-2, 140lbs) Just Outside (in no order): Mr Kaalee, Ricky Hughes, Steven Kennedy, Android Seventeen, Terry Bogard. Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 Next New Blood Tournament - Sign Up's are now open! With the first New Blood Tournament Finale only two weeks away from crowning it's first ever champion, I'd like to announce the next installment of what I hope to be a regular ongoing thing. The second New Blood Tournament will start around the end of December 2017 and creations can begin as of now. It'll either be 8 or 16 man depending on the interest and creations must be 18 years old and able to make the -265lb weight limit. You can qfc/test/fight your guy as much as you want up to the first round. I only ask that he be ready to sign fight agreements a couple weeks before the tournament starts. As this is going to be an ongoing thing, the prizes aren't going to be quite so tantalizing as the ongoing tournament but there will still be at least 3 months VIP going to the winner as well as some prize money that we'll spread around a bit. Anyone interested please PM me in game and I'll put your name down. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2017 Ironman Fight Club – Mid Week 9 (15th November 2017 – Hyashi’s Louge, Los Angeles) Apologies for the shorter individual fight previews for this event. Time has been a little short this week. Fight 1 – Main Division Tyrano “Action” Jackson (1-1, 215lbs) vs. Sascha “Widow Maker” Koniezko (0-4, 185lbs) Getting us started tonight are two recent signing to the IFC, youngsters Tyrano “Action” Jackson and Sacha “Widow Maker” Koniezko. Tyrano Jackson is a 20 year old fighter in the early stages of his MMA career and currently holds a record of 1-1. Jackson is fairly well rounded overall, has a mediocre understanding of striking but looks to be more at home as a submission fighter. His opponent is 19 year old German fighter Sacha Koniezko who comes to the IFC with a record of 0-4. Koniezkohas is also a very well rounded fighter but seems to favor the boxing just lightly more than anything else. This is a great opening scrap between two equally skilled young fighters and both will want to get off to a winning start in their new home. Both fighters are coming off of losses in their last fights and, Koniezko especially, will feel like they have a lot to prove here. Fight 2 – New Blood Division Ivashin Dmitrievich (1-1, 240lbs) vs. Kenny “The Follower” Tchusuk (0-3, 265lbs) Dmitrivich didn’t have the best showing during his last bout where he was finished in just under 30 seconds by a Hank Jones submission. His opponent Kenny Tchusuk is still searching for the first win of his career after three professional bouts. On paper Tchusuk matches up favorably against Dmitrievich with a good level of both boxing and Muay Thai and an advance level of BJJ over his opponent but on form alone Dmitrievich takes this fight over Tchusuk. Fight 3 – Main Division Leonel Ventura (0-0, 265lbs) vs. Heath “Lizard Arms” Bace (2-7, 300lbs) Leonel Ventura will be making his MMA debut here tonight and he will be taking on a much more experienced fighter in Heath “Lizard Arms” Bace. Ventura has been training for a while now in preparation of his first fight and he looks to have made some decent progress although with no record to analyse not much else could be known at this point. Primarily a Thai Boxer, Ventura also sports some competent boxing and wrestling skills to supplement. His opponent Heath Bace has been training for a similar amount of time but will be making his tenth professional bout here tonight in comparison. Bace is 2-7 currently and is on an abysmal run of four straight loses. Three of which have been by quick first round KO’s. In fact, of Bace’s seven career loses so far, all but one of them have been by knockout of some form. This is never a good sign for a fighter and is something Bace’s camp really should think about. Ventura will enjoy a decent advantage in the stand up and will no doubt be eyeing up a knockout of the night award off the back of Bace’s current form. Bace is a slightly better wrestler and holds a purple belt in BJJ against Ventura’s white. Bace really should be looking to get this fight to the ground but at this point it’s not something we’re used to seeing. Unless Bace can drastically alter his style this will be another KO loss for the super-heavyweight. Fight 4 – Main Division Boyd “The Vanilla Og” Clark (3-7, 170lbs) vs. Dreamer Panda (0-2, 300lbs) “The Vanilla Og” Boyd Clark is back after breaking his five fight slump with a first round submission victory over Shigeru Miyamoto in his last fight. Now with a fresh boost of confidence stemming from his last win, perhaps Clark can carry on this momentum and start making moves into the middle of the roster? His opponent is super-heavyweight wrestler Dreamer Panda. Panda has had a rough start to his career and is currently still searching for his first win. 0-2 with both loses by KO, Panda has noticeably been improving his boxing lately, perhaps in an effort to broaden his options during the fight. This is another tough test for Panda. Though his boxing has improved somewhat he would still struggle possibly if he decided to stand and duke it out and though his wrestling is much better than Clark’s he would still have to contend with a superior jui-jitsu fighter even if he was able to get the fight to the floor. That said, Clark hasn’t been particularly impressive in his career and is not known for being that hard to finish. If Panda lands anything with power he is most definitely in with a good chance of picking up his first win in MMA. Fight 5 – Main Division Lenny “Fagan Blaster” Manelito (2-7, 185lbs) vs. “The Phenomenal” Orgasmic Bliss (0-1, 300lbs) In his last fight, Lenny Manelito dropped to his fourth loss in a row when he lost by first round KO to Bricks Thrower. Now 2-7 overall Manelito really needs to dig deep if he is to turn this slump around. His opponent is newcomer Orgasmic Bliss who will be making his first appearance in the IFC tonight. Bliss has a record of 0-1 from a recent QFC fight in which he lost via TKO so at least he will have had a chance to get past the first fight jitters. Manelito is the better striker, Bliss the better grappler. Bliss will also have a sizeable weight advantage coming into this fight being some 120lbs heavier than his opponent. This should be an exciting scrap and you could very much bet a finish is on the cards. Fight 6 – Main Division Chara Zaad (5-5, 210lbs) vs. Curtis “Showtime” Page (0-1, 160lbs) Natural Light-Heavyweight boxer Chara Zaad has had a very up and down career so far. Seemingly unable to make the step up in completion, Zaad seems almost stuck in limbo between the lower roster and the middle of the pack. Now 5-5 and on a two fight run of losses Zaad is due a win and will be looking to get it against a relatively inexperienced opponent tonight. Making his second appearance in the IFC cage is Curtis “Showtime” Page. Page made his debut not so long ago but found himself frustrated against a far superior grappler and was unable to showcase any of his stand up skills. That is unlikely to be a problem here. This fight is expected to be a stand up war. Both fighters have an extremely high level of boxing but page also has a respectable knowledge of Muay Thai whereas Zaad relies solely on his fists. Zaad has competent wrestling but it’s highly unlikely that he will need to defend take down attempts from Page. At first glance Page is arguably the better striker but that might not be enough as Zaad has been around a while now, has fought some absolute wars and has a lot of experience over Page. This is a tough fight to predict and without having enough knowledge of Page, Zaad could be the slight favorite. Fight 7 – Main Division Harry “Tier” Hirsch (4-1, 250lbs) vs. Chong “The Star Fish” Tay (5-4, 210lbs) Harry “Tier” Hirsch is a new signing to the IFC and comes to us sporting a very respectable record of 4-1. The bulk of Hirsch’s fight experience has come via QFC but he has fought for New York’s Duel Fighting League and Tokyo’s Kamikaze event picking up a loss and a win respectively. Now bringing his exciting submission striking style to the Ironman Fight Club he will face a tough welcome in the form of stand up fighter Chong “The Star Fish” Tay. Coming into this bout off the back of a head kick KO victory over wrestler Dreamer Panda, Chong Tay will no doubt feel extra confident about taking on a ground specialist like Hirsch. With a record of 5-4, Tay has been far from unbeatable so far in his career but he has been proven tough to finish with only one opponent managing to finish him outside of a decision and that was with a cut. This should have all the markings of a great striker versus grappler battle. Both fighters have great track records for finishes so it will be imperative not to get caught fighting the others game. Hirsch will be looking to put on a strong performance in his new home and Tay will be looking to start moving out from the bottom rung of the IFC roster. Look for a finish in this fight but from who, I couldn’t say. Fight 8 – Main Division Rober Garfield (2-2, 260lbs) vs. Terje “Nightmare” Warholm (2-2-1, 221lbs) Promising youngster Rober Garfield makes his return to the IFC cage after a disappointing debut against ground specialist Evgeni Lomachenko. Coming into the IFC with a decent 2-1 record, Garfield looked to have all the tools necessary to make a huge impact in the org but instead found himself frustrated and dominated by the much smaller fighter and in the end finished by a kimura submission in the second round. Garfield now gets the opportunity to put that fight behind him and really show what he is made of when he faces Terje “Nightmare” Warholm With his second round exit from the New Blood Tournament now firmly behind him, Terje Warholm has been steadily improving his skills and is starting to look like a capable striker in his own right. Now with a record of 2-2-1 he faces a tough challenge in Rober Garfield and will be eager to show just how far he come since losing to a white belt submission in his first fight. This fight is likely to be fought on the feet with both fighters most comfortable in that area. Garfield is a true heavyweight and will have an extra 40lbs going for him on the night and that will no doubt give him confidence to go forward against Warholm. Where the fight could truly get interesting however is if Garfield looks to exploit Warholm’s lack of submission awareness and take the fight to the floor where his purple belt level BJJ would surely be too much. Co-Main Event – Main Division “Red Ribbon Armys” Android Seventeen (7-4, 283lbs) vs. Wilson “KO” Reyes (5-4, 287lbs) The big red knockout machine is back but “Red Ribbon Armys” Android Seventeen has had a torrid run of results against superior grapplers lately and is currently on the end of a three fight losing streak all by submission finishes. Seventeen has noticeably been busy working on his grappling skills but tonight he will not have to worry too much as his opponent has a shared interest in knocking people out. Wilson “KO” Reyes is an exciting new signing to the IFC and is a true live by the sword, die by the sword kind of fighter. With a record of 5-4, not one of his fights has ever ended in anything but a finish and, like Android Seventeen, all his wins have involved his opponent starring up at the ceiling. Android Seventeen came into the IFC with a stellar 7-1 record and made an instant impact with a KO victory over then #1 contender Tommy Walcott. Since his title loss against Mew Choo and subsequent poor form he has dropped out of the Top 10 but still isn’t too far outside. Wilson is yet unranked in the division but would probably be in and around the same ball park. A good win here for either fighter could definitely help them secure a place in the top ranks and into title consideration. Seventeen the better boxer, Reyes the superior Muay Thai fighter. Both are big men and both hit very, very hard. Reyes has a somewhat inconsistent record but its fair to say that his recent loses have been against much more experienced fighters. Seventeens recent form has been poor but previous to that he was on a rampage. A fight like this is very difficult to predict as with fighters this hard hitting it could be over in a matter of seconds. Main Event – Main Division (#2) Taz “Crash” Bandichoo (6-3, 240lbs) vs. (#3) “Corpse Making Cowboy” Don Joe (7-2, 190lbs) The main event of the evening is between two high ranking fighters who are currently enjoying a very successful period of their careers. Taz “Crash” Bandichoo is currently on a four fight win streak all by vicious first round KO. Infact, tally up his total time in the cage from those last four fights and it barely even goes over three minutes. All the more impressive from a fighter who has had to climb all the way up from the bottom of the roster and has battered his way into the #2 position. His last fight was his best performance yet with an eight second head kick KO over former #1 contender Tommy Walcott. Facing him tonight is the “Corpse Making Cowboy” Don Joe who is himself enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in the main division. After an unsuccessful opportunity to take the Ironman Crown from champion Mew Choo he then suffered a one sided beating from Brooklyn Brawler and was dropped by his management. From that point, Don Joe was picked up by new representation and has gone on to make a few changes in his training and fight approach and has now gone 2-0 beating two former IFC champions Ricky Hughes and Steven Kennedy. Now, with momentum behind him once again and the confidence that comes from beating fighters that once held the gold strap, Don Joe will face the unforgiving task of ending Taz Bandichoo’s streak of brutality. Don Joe will face the same problem that most of Bandichoo’s opponents have faced and that is that Bandichoo is simply a more skilled striker. While Joe has some wonderful boxing skills and has been having some really good success with a hit and run style as of late, Bandichoo himself is almost on par with his boxing but is even better with his Muay Thai. This makes Bandichoo doubly dangerous and lately opponents haven’t stood a chance. To win this fight Don Joe will have to find another way to win that doesn’t include standing in front of Bandichoo. This is of course easier said than done especially as Joe’s best attribute is by far his boxing. If Don Joe cannot figure this one out then Taz Bandichoo could very well be the next in line for a shot at the Ironman Championship belt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra7 Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 My forgetful brain lead to another loss due to changing sliders lol oh well. 1-1 with a "phenomenal" debut by orgasmic bliss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Ironman Fight Club MIdweek 9 - (15th November 2017, Hyashi's Lounge - Los Angeles) - Post Fight Recap MAIN EVENT It was an important fight for the IFC title picture with Taz "Crash" Bandichoo coming out of nowhere and going on a four fight win streak of first round KO's and looking very much like the next in line for a shot at the Ironman gold. Don Joe himself had found himself riding high also and came into the bout off the back of two wins both over former IFC champions. The fight started fast and it looked to be business as usual for Crash. Dropping Joe early and opening a cut, somehow Joe was able to regain his senses and go on to control the rest of the fight using a combination of solid footwork and evasion and fighting inside in the clinch. It was a poor performance from Bandichoo in truth and he will no doubt be disappointed in himself and his ability to hit the target. Don Joe defeated Taz Bandichoo via Decision (Unanimous) With this win Bandichoo moves back down the line to #7 and will need to rebuild. Don Joe, though undeniably a solid win and on a good streak, will have to do more to get another shot at the title. Having not so long ago made his challenge against reigning champion Mew Choo and falling quite short, a rematch at this point would be somewhat of a hard sell. With the title picture still unsure, there is plenty of room for a hungry challenger to step up to plate. CO-MAIN EVENT The Co-Main event was a battle of the big boys with both Android Seventeen and IFC newcomer Wilson Reyes both around the 285lb mark With fighters this large, it didn't take long for these two gargantuans to leave their marks on each other. Android leading early and landing some stinging shots that opened a cut, Reyes moved into the clinch and returned the favor with a big uppercut that opened up Seventeen. From the clinch Reyes was able to land at will despite Seventeen struggling hard to get away. Into the second round and once again Seventeen came out fast landing strikes and once against Reyes moved into the clinch and opened up Seventeen's cut further with another uppercut. From there Reyes employed some strange tactics which involved pulling guard and almost instantly standing back up. Strange indeed but ultimately successful as on the third time, instead of standing Reyes locked on to Seventeen's arm and was able to force the tap out. Wilson Reyes defeated Android Seventeen via Submission (Armbar) A superb IFC debut for Reyes who improves his record to 6-4 and moves into the #10 position of the IFC Top 10. The following "of the night" awards are sponsored by IniTech Nutrition who stock both 160q Stamina Fuel and 160q Muscle Bulk along with their pioneering Chaos Energy 160q Recovery sup. Fight Of The Night goes to Don Joe vs. Taz Bandichoo KO Of The Night goes to Leonel Ventura Sub Of The Night goes Wilson Reyes After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this... #Champion (1) Mew Choo (9-0, 191lbs) #1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs) #2 (3) Don Joe (8-2, 190lbs) #3 (4) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, 154lbs) #4 (5) Louis C K (9-1, 202lbs) #5 (6) Klaus Chugman (8-2, 130lbs) #6 (7) Brooklyn Brawler (7-2, 190lbs) #7 (2) Taz Bandichoo (6-4, 240lbs) #8 (8) Dave Brooksbank (6-5, 160lbs) #9 (9) Iain Tower (5-0, 275lbs) #10 (NE) Wilson Reyes (6-4, 287lbs) Just Outside (in no order): Mr Kaalee, Ricky Hughes, Steven Kennedy, Android Seventeen, Tommy Walcott. Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixFootPenguin Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 i just wanted to check in and say great job kd in my absence. for those that dont know i moved out of my place and i am currently staying at a friends in a different state. i plan on eventually coming back to be a writer but i cannot yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judobill Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 i just wanted to check in and say great job kd in my absence. for those that dont know i moved out of my place and i am currently staying at a friends in a different state. i plan on eventually coming back to be a writer but i cannot yet. Hurry back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 i just wanted to check in and say great job kd in my absence. for those that dont know i moved out of my place and i am currently staying at a friends in a different state. i plan on eventually coming back to be a writer but i cannot yet. Hopefully soon though mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXV (18th November 2017 – Hard Knocks, Los Angeles) Fight 1 – New Blood Division Ricardo Gracie (1-0, 176lbs) vs. Paul “Tapout” Walker (2-1, 184lbs) Our first fight of the evening will be in the New Blood Division and between two skilled jiu-jitsu brown belts. Ricardo Gracie made a great first showing in his IFC debut when he dominated and choked out wrestler Marcus Popogli in the first round. Surprisingly, Gracie displayed some decent stand up during that fight and landed some good shots early on showing us that he isn’t your typical one dimensional BJJ fighter. Facing him tonight will be Paul “Tapout” Walker who is returning to the cage after coming up short in his own IFC debut against Tan Han Tuong. During that fight Walker showed that he himself isn’t afraid to throw down when he decided to trade against a much heavier striker in Tuong. Whilst this was certainly entertaining it was, along with his inability to secure the take down, also his undoing as in the end Tuong was able to get the TKO finish. This could end up being a very entertaining bout especially if both fighters bring the same fire they displayed in their last fights. Walker looks to have a razor thin advantage in the stand up where as Gracie seems to have been working on his wrestling skills and will now have a decent advantage there. That could also end up being a deciding factor should this fight hit the floor. Fight 2 – New Blood Division Duc Minh “Ram” Pham (3-1, 175lbs) vs. Daniel Thielke (0-1, 152lbs) Duc Minh Pham had to work hard to put away Jackson Avery in his IFC debut last time out but perserverance won over and he got the TKO victory mid way though the third round. Now with a record of 3-1, Pham is just getting started in the New Blood Division and is looking good. His opponent tonight is wrestler Daniel Thielke. This will be Thielke’s second fight in the IFC but his first in the New Blood division having decided to move down from the main division after a disappointing debut. Pham will be the better striker and has already shown how dangerous he can be in the clinch. Thielke has made some improvements in his boxing but will still not want anything to do with Pham standing. Thielke’s wrestling is superior and will likely be able to get Pham to the floor should he find the right opening for a shot but unanswered question is whether he would be able to do any significant damage there even if he could. Both fighters are currently near the bottom of the New Blood roster and so a win, esepcially for Pham, would really help them start moving into the middle of the pack which is where they will want to be before they turn 19 Fight 3 – New Blood Division Hennig Muller (0-0, 184lbs) vs. Tan Han Tuong (2-1, 271lbs) Up next, we have two fighters from the same camps as the previous going at it. Hennig Muller will be making his pro debut and will be taking on Tan Han Tuong from Vietnam. Muller looks to be, at first glance, a sprawl and brawl type of fighter but without any previous fight records to speak of, it can only be a presumption. His opponent Tuong seems to be more of a muay thai specialist and, with two wins on his record both by TKO, could match up favorably against Muller if indeed he is looking to stand and brawl. As before, both fighters are near the bottom of the roster currently and will be hoping to move upwards with a good performance here. Tuong is the heavier and more experienced and will be going into this fight as the favorite. Fight 4 – Main Division Alex Stefanovic (2-2, 192lbs) vs. German Cordova (1-3, 150lbs) Alex Stefanovic started his career with a bang. Going 2-0 and both by stoppages he then had the misfourtune to run into a very in form Taz Bandichoo and was KO’d in a little over a minute. Facing no reprive, his return fight was against monster Bartholomaus Wolff and despite a good effort was once defeated in the first round. Now with a record of 2-2 Stefanovic will be hoping to get back on track with a win here tonight. Facing him is Mexican prospect German Cordova. So far in his career Cordova has fought some extremely tough competition and has managed only one win in four fights; a single decision victory over Taz Bandichoo. His last fight was a tough three round decision loss against a debuting Ispa Murhaa. An interesting clash of styles between a high level Muay Thai fighter and a sensational boxer. Stefanovic will have a decent weight advantage over Cordova which could be significant in the clinch. Somewhere Stefanovic is very comfortable and has had good success with his razor elbows. Cordova is no slouch in that department either and it was from in the clinch that he was able to defeat Bandichoo. Something Stefanovic was unable. Fight 5 – Main Division Andy Bogard (5-3-1, 150lbs) vs. Hamish “The Pig” McTavish (3-2, 292lbs) Hamish “The Pig” McTavish is perhaps the first Scottish fighter to make an appearance in the main division. He comes to the IFC with a winning record of 3-2, the bulk of which was earned in the Gamasi Fight Org in New York. There he went a respectable 3-1 and his only loss was a title shot against another recent IFC signing Mr Kaalee. His opponent is Andy Bogard who has suffered a slight dip in form lately. Currently 5-3-1, Bogards last fight against an up and coming Trey Daniels didn’t go well at all and he found himself on the wrong side of a first round TKO. Previous to that, you had to go back quite a way to find the last time Bogard was finished, IFC IV to be exact. From that loss Bogard went on to win his next five before an exciting stalemate with Terje Warholm. This fight could end up being a somewhat of a chess match. Bogard, while no expert striker, has been improving in that area constantly and has had success on his feet. McTavish is a novice there so will not want to trade and instead will look to take the fight to the ground with his wrestling being vastly superior to Bogards he will likely have no trouble doing so. From there Bogard will match his brown belt level BJJ against McTavish’s blue belt and almost 150lb weight advantage. Fight 6 – Main Division Yoshihiro Sexyama (2-1, 190lbs) vs. Bricks “Parpaing” Thrower (8-5, 204lbs) Up next we have Japanese submission wrestler Yoshihiro Sexyama taking on young IFC veteran Bricks Thrower. Yoshihiro comes into this bout with a record of 2-1. In his last fight he took out newcomer Ivan Shtirko with a nice looking kneebar and with it kept his submission win percentage at 100% Facing him tonight is a fighter that has truly made the IFC his home. Making his debut back at the very first Ironman Fight Club event, Bricks Thrower has been slowly grinding away, improving his game and is now just moving into the middle of the IFC pack after spending his early career around the bottom tier. With a record of 8-5, Thrower has definitely been active during his time here and is actually tied second for most fights in the org with 11 and also tied at fourth for most wins in the org with 6. Still only 20 years old, Bricks still has a long career ahead of himself but for now seems content to just get in there and scrap. Thrower is currently on a two fight win streak and both of those were by KO. In fact Thrower has a good few KO wins to his name so he definitely possesses the means to test Sexyama’s chin. The biggest question in this fight is whether Thrower can survive on the ground against Sexyama. He has a wealth of experience to draw upon and has yet to lose via submission but Sexyama looked good in his last fight and displayed some tremendous heart by surviving an early knockdown and gritting it out to a submission win. Fight 7 – Main Division Jim Beam (4-1, 135lbs) vs. Delwyn “Born Wynner” Baines (4-5, 168lbs) Natural flyweight Jim Beam has been taking his time in preparation for his IFC debut. Signed some time ago, the anticipation has been building and tonight we get to witness just what this young up and coming stand up fighter is capable of. Under previous manangement, Beam went a promising 4-1 but was inexplicably dropped shortly afterwards. Now under eager but rookie leadership it remains to be seen whether Beam will be able to maintain his previous standard. Taking him on tonight is another long time IFC veteran Delwyn Baines who has been MIA for a while now. A popular figure in the IFC and at one time ranked as highly as #9, Baines has dropped off a little since then but is still around the top half of the overall roster. Having been a part of some very tough battles in his time here perhaps the time away has rejuvenated his passion for the fight game? With Beam somewhat of an unknown quantity at this point and Baines having been away from the game a short while it will be interesting to see just what kind of fight we will see here tonight. Both have wonderful boxing skills and are most confident in that area but Beam’s grappling ability is a level above Baines. Will Beam try to exploit that side of Baines’ game or will he be looking to continue his streak of knockouts of which stand currently at four in a row. Baines is known for having entertaining scraps so if Beam does decide to go that route there is no doubt Baines will thank him for it. Fight 8 – Main Division Lavar “Light’s Out” Washington (4-1, 242lbs) vs. Jaxson Wilder (5-1, 205lbs) Laver “Lights Out” Washington has made some good progress so far in his short career. Currently sporting a record of 4-1 and with his only loss coming via a split decision to Naiki Nekele, Washington would definitely be considered someone to keep an eye on for the moment. His opponent is recent signing Jaxson Wilder and, like Washington, is building quite a reputation for knockouts. Currently 5-1, Wilder’s made his name in the QFC going a quick and easy 5-0. Drawing the attention from Kings Fighting Championship in London, Wilder made the move across but suffered his first professional loss in his debut against a more experienced competitor. Now making his way to the Ironman Fight Club, Wilder will have the chance to forge a new name for himself. Both fighters have some high level boxing skills with Washington’s being just a step below elite. Both have proven ability to stop their opponents but the real key to this fight is the gulf between them on the ground. Washington has been making improvements there and is getting better but compared to Wilder he is a novice and will be no match for him should the fight hit the floor. Washington will need to end this quickly to stand his best chance of victory as the longer the fight goes on the more likely Wilder forces a take down. This is a fight that many will be taking notice of as both fighters are looking like they could potentially be a significant part of the upper tier of the IFC roster. Co-Main Event – Main Division Steven “The Steamroller” Kennedy (6-5, 178lbs) vs. Evgeni Lomachenko (6-4, 152lbs) Co-Main event pits former champion Steven “The Steamroller” Kennedy against ground specialist Evgeni Lomachenko. Kennedy makes a quick return to the cage after an exciting back and forth decision loss to current #2 Don Joe. Having suffered a poor run of form previous that could be traced back to his championship loss to Mew Choo, Kennedy was in danger of fading into the middle of the pack before turning things around with wins over Damien Demento and Schmorgen Biscuit. Now with a record of 6-5 and sitting just outside of the official Top 10, Kennedy is a man with nothing to lose. His opponent is Russian featherweight Evgeni Lomachenko who comes into this bout off the back of a submission loss to Kennedy’s fellow stable mate Dave Brooksbank. Lomachenko will be making his eighth appearance for the IFC and during his time here has fought many current and former Top 10 contenders. Having fallen away from the very top of the pack in recent times Lomachenko will also be free from the pressure of Top 10 competition. Lomachenko has mixed results against other ground fighters and has a poor record against Kennedy’s camp. He will be giving up around 20lbs to Kennedy also making this a very tough fight for him. Kennedy has a competent stand up pedigree and on this occasion will be the vastly superior striker as Lomachenko has completely shunned that area in favor of his grappling. Both fighters have good take down abilities and it would be very likely that this fight ends up on the ground at some point. Though that would really bring Lomachenko into the fight he would still have a big challenge on his hands as Kennedy is no stranger when it comes to submissions and is currently tied in second place for most submission victories in the org with 5. If the fight remains on the feet for any length of time expect Kennedy have his way but should the fight hit the floor then things would be more even with perhaps Kennedy being favored if we are to go purely by past results. Main Event – Main Division (#8) Dave “Tightass” Brooksbank (6-5, 160lbs) vs. “Gypsy” Tommy Walcott (7-2, 140lbs) Dave “Tightass” Brooksbank has truly been performing beyond all reasonably expectations. It was thought his run of form was over after he lost to heavyweight wrestler Eldar Tskhadaia in under a minute but in his return fight he submitted ground fighter and BJJ brown belt Evgeni Lomachenko with a kimura in the first round and kept his submission win percentage at 100%. Currently ranked #8, it’s conceivably that with a few more good wins Brooksbank could be close to a title shot. On the opposite side of the cage tonight will be a man who knows a little of the agonies that coming close to a title shot but falling short bring. “Gypsy” Tommy Walcott has twice battled to within graps of the title and twice he has lost the opportunity at the last hurdle. Now with a record of 7-2, Walcott has lost two of his last four after going a perfect 5-0 early in his career. He comes into this bout off the back of a devastating head kick KO loss to Taz Bandichoo in a fight that lasted only nine seconds. If this fight is fought anywhere but on the ground, Brooksbank will struggle but surprisingly he has a decent record against superior strikers and has seemingly been developing his own striking skills a little each time we see him. On paper this is a fight that should favor Walcott but with the respective form of both fighters it would be an error to count Brooksbank out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXV - (18th November 2017, Hard Knocks - Los Angeles) - Post Fight Recap MAIN EVENT In the main event of the evening, unfancied BJJ stylist Dave “Tightass” Brooksbank almost pulled off yet another miracle victory when he managed to take Tommy Walcott to the ground in the opening seconds of the first round. Brooksbank wasn’t as proactive as he should have been on this occasion however and allowed Walcott far too much breathing space on the floor. Without much progression from either fighter the referee was forced to stand the fighters up. This time and not making the same mistake twice, Walcott moved straight into the clinch where he started to unload on Brooksbank rocking him before finishing him with some punishing work to the body Tommy Walcott defeats Dave Brooksbank via TKO (strikes) at 4:14 of Round 1. With the win, Walcott washes the taste of defeat from his last bout with Bandichoo out of his mouth and can now start working towards getting back to the number one contender spot. A good effort from Brooksbank and one that he shouldn’t be too down on himself for though he will no doubt be wondering if perhaps he couldn’t have done better after getting the fight to the floor. CO-MAIN EVENT The Co-Main event was a quick fire grappling frenzy between two solid BJJ Brown Belts. Evgeni Lomachenko had no problems getting Steven Kennedy to the ground but not before taking a some stinging shots on the feet of which opened a little cut on the smaller Russian fighter. On the floor Lomachenko went right to work, landing some frenzied ground and pound before attempting a weak kimura from half guard. Kennedy defended and was able to regain full guard. From there it was Kennedy’s turn to apply pressure, showing good hip movement and threatening with triangles and arm bars. Just after the three minute mark Kennedy was able to isolate an arm and sinch up a tight triangle that Lomachenko was unable to escape. Steven Kennedy defeats Evgeni Lomachenko via Submission (Triangle) at 3:24 of Round 1 A good win for the former champion and one that keeps him relavant at the top end of the IFC roster. A another disappointing loss for Lomachenko that marks his fourth loss in five fights. Lomachenko is starting to display a reoccurring problem with submission fighters and perhaps would benefit from changing things up somewhere as to not be too predictable OTHER NEWS Jaxson Wilder made a big splash in his IFC debut by knocking out sensational boxer Lavar Washington in the second round. Both fighters traded shots throughout with no attempt by Wilder to take the fight to the ground and take advantage of the gulf between them there. Clearly wanting to make a statement, Wilder stood toe to toe and in the end it was monstrous left hook from the newcomer that left “Lights Out” out cold. Delwyn Baines made an exciting comeback after some time away from the cage. Facing a debuting Jim Beam, there was questions as to what kind of fighter we would see in the cage tonight but Baines answered all of those getting back to what he does best with a crowd pleasing TKO victory halfway through round 2. Lastly Bricks “Parpaing” Thrower put on quite a display and seems to be really improving his game lately with a very nice KO win over Yoshihiro Sexyama. Improving his record to 9-5 and his win streak to three in a row, Thrower is now firmly moved away from the bottom of the pile and into the middle of the pack where we look forward to seeing what he can do against more challenging opposition. The following "of the night" awards are sponsored by IniTech Nutrition who stock both 160q Stamina Fuel and 160q Muscle Bulk along with their pioneering Chaos Energy 160q Recovery sup. Fight Of The Night goes to Jaxson Wilder vs. Lavar Washington KO Of The Night goes to Tan Han Tuong Sub Of The Night goes Steven Kennedy After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this... #Champion (1) Mew Choo (9-0, W,W,W,W,W, 191lbs) #1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, W,W,W,W,W, 290lbs) #2 (2) Don Joe (8-2, W,W,W,L,L,190lbs) #3 (3) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, W,W,L,W,W,154lbs) #4 (4) Louis C K (9-1, L,W,W,W,W, 202lbs) #5 (5) Klaus Chugman (8-2, W,W,W,W,L, 130lbs) #6 (6) Brooklyn Brawler (7-2, W,L,W,W,W, 190lbs) #7 (7) Taz Bandichoo (6-4, L,W,W,W,W, 240lbs) #8 (RE) Tommy Walcott (8-2, W,L,W,W,L,140lbs) #9 (9) Iain Tower (5-0, W,W,W,W,W, 275lbs) #10 (RE) Steven Kennedy (7-5, W,L,W,W,L, 178lbs) Just Outside (in no order): Ricky Hughes, Wilson Reyes, Dave Brooksbank, Delwyn Baines, Jaxson Wilder Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 New Blood Tournament v.2 Hey all! Just a quick reminder that sign ups and fighter creation dates have begun and that the tournament is due to start on the 31st December 2017. You can test your fighter as much as you like before that point so long as he's available to sign fight offers a couple weeks before. I've had a few managers express their interest in entering but so far only a couple of fighters have signed so if there's anyone out there who is still wanting to be a part of the tournament please get in touch. It'll be on a first come basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfred Posted November 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 Ironman Fight Club XXVI – New Blood Final (25th November 2018 – King Theatre, Los Angeles) Tonight marks an historic chapter for the Ironman Fight Club. Over the course of the past three months 16 fighters came together to make up the first New Blood Tournament in an effort to crown the divisions very first champion. Tonight two fighters will compete for that honor. And as if that wasn’t enough fun for one night the main event will see four time defending champion Mew Choo take on undefeated challenger “Big” Steve Butabi for the Ironman Championship. Fight 1 – New Blood Division Terry Crew (2-1, 200lbs) vs. Hank “Hill” Jones (2-0, 212lbs) Sad news to start us off tonight and that is that this will be Terry Crew’s retirement fight. Having entered the New Blood tournament as the most inexperienced fighter and largely expected to crash out in the first round, Crew surprised everyone with his performance by dominating Thierry Paulin and moving into the second round where he was, in the end, stopped by current 3rd place participant Jonathan Davis. Since then Crew has fought once more and beat previously eliminated Kenny Tchusuk in under thirty seconds to produce his record of 2-1. He wont have an easy farewell tonight as he takes on undefeated Hank “Hill” Jones who, so far in two fights, has yet to see the second round. Ultimately a grappler versus striker match up, this fight will be determined by whether Crew can survive on the feet long enough to get the fight to the ground and whether he can finish Jones before he gets another chance at standing. Hill has a blue belt in BJJ and a submission victory to his name so it will be no easy challenge to pull off. While it is never nice to see a fighter retire, Crew has had some turmoil in his training schedule and coupled with his problem with cuts it could perhaps been seen as being for the best in the long run. We thank Crew for his participation in the first ever New Blood tournament and for helping to make it a memorable one. Fight 2 – Main Division Rampai Lawang (3-1, 160lbs) vs. Sirimongkol Niyotrong (1-3, 152lbs) Rampai Lawang will be making his third appearance in the IFC tonight as he faces Thailand’s Sirimongkol Niyotrong. Lawang, currently 3-1, has had mixed results so far in his time here and will also be making his final appearance in the IFC cage. Coming into the bout off of a decision win over an extremely badly performing Heath Bace, Lawang will have this one last opportunity to wow the Ironman fans before he goes. His opponent is Siriomongkol Niyotrong who comes into the fight fresh off of his first professional win in which he beat Chong Tay over three rounds. Previous to that, Niyotrong was on a three fight losing streak that saw him finished in two of those. Both fighters have made sure to cover their grappling basics but both are known as strikers. Lawang has some very good Muay Thai, better than Niyotrong’s in fact, but Niyotrong has opted to split his efforts between Muay Thai and boxing and as a result has the better hands. Both fighters are natural featherweights and roughly the same size overall. Neither are know for being particularly dynamic so this could end up being a slower paced tactical affair. With nothing to lose for Lawang and the fact that he has more experience in winning, you’d have to think of him as the favorite but Niyotrong is getting better and will not want to go back to losing so soon after picking up his first win. Fight 3 – New Blood Tournament 3rd Place Fight Jonathan “Money Shot” Davis (4-2, 142lbs) vs. Xing “Rufus” Pugberg (2-1, 130lbs) The 3rd Place fight in a tournament is always a bittersweet moment for the winner. All the joys that normally accompany victory seem overshadowed by those of tournament winner but nevertheless there is prize money, VIP and pride on the line here. As one of the eldest participants in the tournament, Jonathan “Money Shot” Davis was always considered when discussing overall winners and after impressing during the earlier rounds with back to back first round KO’s, those considerations only amplified. Then, during the semi-finals, he found his match in underdog Micky Kirby and dispute fighting hard and landing decent shots could not solve the puzzle that is Kirby’s ground em’ and pound em’ tactics and went on to lose by TKO early in Round 2. By that time Kirby wasn’t completely unfancied but the loss was still a surprise and will have hurt Davis who went into the bout confident he could deal with what Kirby was bringing. Hoping to upset the odds for Davis once again will be Xing “Rufus” Pugberg who suffered greatly during his semi-final bout with Fay Gott. Up to that point that natural Flyweight from China had managed to soak up the punishment dished out by his opponents and get the fight down to the ground where his wrestling based submission style was superior. Winning both his first two fights by submission he moved into the semi final against Gott and though not favored to win, no one expected the bout to be so brutally one sided. It was a disappointing performance from Pugberg and one that he cannot be happy with. In some way this fight represents a mirror of what both fighters faced during their semi-final losses. Kirby will be facing a tenacious scrappy grappler who’s only interest will be forcing the fight to the ground and Pugberg will be facing a far superior striker who has a basic understanding of grappling and is capable of doing serious damage on the feet. If weight had any bearing in those results then it won’t tonight as both would naturally be fighting in the lower weight classes. For Davis this fight will be possibly one of his last in the New Blood Division before he turns 20 and a third place tournament win would not be a terrible way to end it should that be the case. Pugberg is younger and has a little bit more time in the division and will be keen to put the beating he suffered in the last round behind him. This will be a great fight between two great competitors but its likely to be do or die so don’t blink or you might miss it! Fight 4 – Main Division Damien “The Terror” Demento (5-3, 185lbs) vs. Boss Yonic (6-4-1, 185lbs) Next up we have what is largely expected to be a ground war when Damien “The Terror” Demento takes on old IFC favourite Boss Yonic. Damien Demento has shown flashes of potential during his time here in the Ironman Fight Club but has recently suffered from a lack of training time due to unforeseen circumstances. This could very well have been a factor in his most recent result, a first round submission loss to Crack Head, and a performance that Demento will definitely not be pleased with. Now, with with a record of 5-3 and settled around the middle of the IFC roster there are whispers in the rumor mill that Demento might be considering retirement some point soon. Taking on “The Terror” tonight is Mexican fighter Boss Yonic who will be looking for some vengeance from his last fight, a decision loss to Demento’s stable mate Brock Sampson. Previous to that Yonic had managed to win two in a row and was starting to once again build a little momentum in the IFC ranks. It was a tough loss to swallow as Yonic put in a good performance on the night, dominating the first round but then fading as the fight progressed, Yonic also suffered a little from his lack of striking skills, taking some stiff shots and saved only by his rock of a chin. Physically both fighters are the exact same weight but with Demento standing a few inches taller. Though Demento has somewhat of an advantage on the feet, this fight WILL hit the mat. Yonic has never had a problem getting it there and in all likelihood Demento will not worry about that either. Yonic has a slightly better wrestling pedigree and also a decent amount of submission wins. Demento is known for his finishes from the ground also but prefers to use his fists from the top posistion. If Yonic is the one getting the take downs and controlling from the top, Dementos dangerous ground and pound would be a non factor. This is a tough fight to call. Demento’s camp already has a victory over Yonic and might feel that gives them a mental advantage going into this fight but the question of preparation will once again come into play and if Demento hasn’t had sufficient time to train again then Boss Yonic will be waiting to take advantage. Fight 5 – New Blood Tournament Finale & New Blood Title Micky Kirby (3-0, 230lbs) vs. “The Bully” Fay Gott (3-1, 190lbs) Though only halfway through the card, make no mistake, this fight is what many people are here to see. Our first finalist is a true underdog story. Coming out of nowhere as an unfancied spot filler, wrestler Micky Kirby has trampled over everyone in his path with his ground and pound style and now, with an undefeated record of 3-0, Kirby needs just one more victory to take it all and round off a truly remarkable tournament run. The fighter standing in his way is “The Bully” Fay Gott. Fay Gott comes into this bout fresh off of his brutal destruction of flyweight Xing Pugberg in the semi-final. The fight lasted only a little over a minute but it must have felt like an eternity for the scrappy Pugberg as Gott showed no mercy to the smaller fighter before ending his night with a KO. Previous to that Gott had undeniably the harder route into the final having first finding himself matched up with early favorite Kyle “Animal” Ryan and then against experienced brash youngster Jack “The Hunk” Dawson. Both fights went the distance but Gott gritted his way through with the help of his very efficient clinch game. At this point of the tournament both fighters will feel content that they know what to expect from the other. Kirby has seemingly the utmost confidence in his wrestling ability and has seen no need to change up his preparation from his very first fight in the tournament. Gott on the other hand has really supplemented his high level Muay Thai will other skills and is really looking like a well rounded mixed martial artist. One of the keys to this fight is the take down. Gott knows that Kirby’s entire style relies on getting the fight to the floor and the question is can he prevent it from happening? And if he can’t what then? Gott has a decent understanding of jui-jitsu but will that be enough to halt that ground and pound attack that has served Kirby so well? All questions that will be answered on the night. Overall and despite how well Kirby has performed throughout the tournament he will still be the underdog going into this fight. Gott has been training for a little while longer, is more well rounded and has had the more difficult route into the final. No matter what the result though this has been a fantastic tournament and great run for both fighters. Fight 6 – New Blood Division “The Hunk” Jack Dawson (4-1, 270lbs) vs. “The Monster Of Montmartre” Theirry Paulin (2-1, 240lbs) Next up, two eliminated competitors from the New Blood Tournament cross paths when “The Hunk” Jack Dawson takes on “The Monster Of Montmartre” Thierry Paulin. Jack Dawson should at this point be considered an experienced fighter in the New Blood Division. Having already notched up a couple of wins in the main division, Dawson moved down in order to take part in the tournament and got off to a great start beating Oliver Kohler in the first round. Moving into the second round, the Dawson hype train found itself derailed when he dropped a unanimous decision to current finalist Fay Gott. Now fresh off a decision win against another eliminated tournament fighter Kyle Ryan, Dawson’s confidence is back and he will be rearing to go. His opponent is “The Monster of Montmartre” Thierry Paulin. Paulin has made some good progress since his shock first round exit from the tournament in which he was beating by submission by underdog Terry Crew. From there, Paulin has come back with KO wins over Kenny Tchusuk and Craig Marduk and has looked good during. Now with a record of 2-1, another dominant win here could be enough to earn him a shot at the newly crowned champion. Both fighters are well matched here tonight with perhaps Paulin’s boxing being the only minor difference between them. Dawson is the more experienced of the two having fought in both divisions and has been training for a little while longer. This will be an important fight for the New Blood Division. As a champion is being crowned tonight as to will a challenger need to be decided. With that honour up still to be decided this fight will carry that extra incentive. Fight 7 – Main Division En “Metal Priest” Esch (5-5, 238lbs) vs. Naiki “The Drunken Finnish Demon” Nekele (6-3, 260lbs) Our next bout is one that has been a long time coming between two heavyweight IFC veterans En “Metal Priest” Esch and Naiki “The Drunken Finnish Demon” Nekele. Both have been calling the IFC their home since around IFC III but since that time have not yet crossed paths. En “Metal Priest” Esch has been in good form in recent times winning four of his last five with three of those by KO finishes. A far cry from his three fight losing streak at the start of his career. Now with an even record of 5-5 and having refined his clinch based style into something quite formidable, Esch is really starting to push into the higher ranks of the IFC roster. Facing him tonight is Naiki “The Drunken Finnish Demon” Nekele, a fighter who perhaps does not get the recognition that he deserves. With a record of 6-3 and having gone 5-2 in the IFC, Nekele’s ranking does not quite do his skills justice. With a unique kicking based skill set, Nekele’s tactics in the cage have caused much confusion in his opponents with many strikers not quite figuring out how to approach him. This will be a very interesting fight to watch unfold. From a distance, Nekele is likely to outscore Esch with his kicks and as of his last fight, some rather heavy hands. Esch will most likely be looking to close that gap immediately and look to wear Nekele down in the clinch. While both have managed to score some impressive KO’s in their time both are equally known for their decision victories and in fact Nekele is tied for first in the org with three. On paper this fight comes down to Nekele’s kicks versus Esch’s clinch. Whoever can impose their style of the other will be victorious Fight 8 – Main Division Crack Head “Roks” (8-3, 153lbs) vs. Brock “The Bodyguard” Sampson (3-1, 170lbs) Crack Head “Roks” is another fighter that has perhaps been flying under the radar since arriving in the IFC. With an overall record of 8-3 and currently on a four fight winning streak another victory here could be all that Crack Head needs to push into the IFC Top 10. His last fight, a first round submission win, over Damien Demento could also be significant to his opponent tonight. Brock “The Bodyguard” Sampson comes from the same camp as the Brooklyn Brawler and Damien Demento and will definitely have had some useful insight into the game plan of Crack Head coming into this fight. Sampson is really just starting his professional career with a record of 3-1 but has been impressive so far. His only loss was a step up in competition when he took on super-heavyweight submission wrestler Greg Bell and gave a very good account of himself all the way through. This fight is another very tough test for Sampson as Crack Head has been training for significantly longer than him and has a lot more experience inside the cage. In some ways however, MMA can be considered a team effort and Sampson comes from good management that boasts an impressive win percentage. Crack Head will have the advantage in the stand up but has yet to score a KO win during his eleven fights so far, instead preferring the submission side of things which makes for a very interesting fight as Sampson is a BJJ Brown Belt. With a little bit more riding on this fight for Crack Head and taking into account the amount of time invested into MMA, Head could be considered the favorite going in but only a fool would write Sampson off completely Co-Main Event – Main Division (#3) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, 154lbs) vs. (#5) Klaus “The House” Chugman (8-2, 130lbs) The Co-Main event of the evening pits two of the IFC’s most successful lighter weight fighters against each other and with a lot riding on the result of this bout it’s sure to be a heated affair. Both Wolfgang Lee Roth and Klaus “The House” Chugman are a couple of the org’s earliest signings and both have had some enviable success during their time here. Both fighters rank among the current Top 10 for most wins in the org as well as for most submission wins in the org. Wolfgang Lee Roth has spent the vast majority of his IFC career in the Top 10 reaching as high as the #2 spot at one time and comes into this bout off the back of a career best performance, a first round submission victory over heavy hitting super-heavyweight Android Seventeen. With a record of 6-2 and having won his last two in a row, #3 ranked Wolfgang Lee Roth seems to be perpetually close to a title shot. His opponent tonight is grappling specialist Klaus Chugman. Chugman is currently on his second four fight win streak and has an overall record of 8-2. Chugman’s recent form includes impressive victories over up and coming youngster Soul Shadow and submission nemesis Daniel Sainty. Main Event – Ironman Fight Club Championship (Champion) Mew Choo (9-0, 191lbs) vs. (#1) “Big” Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs) In the main event of the evening, reigning champion Mew Choo will be making his fifth title defence against undefeated heavyweight monster “Big” Steve Butabi. The moniker “Big” isn’t an ironic one as Butabi is an absolute beast of a man. Standing 6ft 7 inches and weighing in at around the 290lb mark, it’s no real surprise that knockout finishes seem to come easy for him. Butabi is undefeated in six fights and with a combination of impressive form and a huge fan base, Butabi has risen through the ranks at an alarming rate and battered his way into the #1 contender spot and a shot at the Ironman crown. His opponent is the reigning, undefeated champion Mew Choo. Since winning the title back at IFC X, Mew Choo has faced an absolute murderers row of dangerous opponents and each time has come through victorious. He has taken out former champion Ricky Hughes in forty seconds, a then undefeated rival org champion in Don Joe in just twenty-three seconds, huge super-heavyweight KO machine Android Seventeen and most recently and possibly his toughest test to date, an undefeated 9-0 Louis CK fresh off of a 16 man tournament win. It’s safe to say that nobody in the IFC has yet beaten the level of competition that Choo has and that includes Butabi who will be making a large step up when he faces the champion here tonight. Stylistically both fighters prefer the stand up and both have stellar records for KO finishes being that both are currently tied in first for most KO wins in the org at six. Obviously with over 100lbs weight difference in favor of Butabi, any exchanges on the feet are going to be a perilous affair for Choo but the champ has faced big heavy hitting fighters before and has so far come out on top. Butabi doesn’t tend to throw many shots but what he does throw, he lands, and usually with mean intentions. Many of his fights have ended with only two or three punches from the big man which speaks volumes to the power in which he possesses. Choo also has some surprising power in his strikes but is also a very competent fighter on the ground. Currently a purple belt in BJJ Choo has finished a few fights via submission when forced to fight from his back but it’s unlikely that the champ will find himself in that position on this occasion unless he initiates a take down himself. Butabi has come such a long way in a relatively short amount of time and has definitely earned his shot. He is an extremely dangerous opponent and will no doubt have Choo’s respect. Anything can happen on the night and with a record of knockouts like Butabi’s, he stands as good a chance as any but if you were a betting man you would likely put everything on the fighter who has so far taken on all comers, of all different shapes and sizes, and always come out on top. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affekonig Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 Another great write up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedry16 Posted November 22, 2017 Report Share Posted November 22, 2017 Looking forward to the next tournament! Enjoyed the write up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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