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  • 3 weeks later...

Pitbull Nutrition presents: EMP Scrotum vs Graves preview show

 

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's preview show. I am Robb Smith and tonight we'll take a look at this Friday nights card that comes to us live from the LA Memorial Coliseum on Pay Per View!!!

 

On the preliminary half of the card we get a ton of former world champions and former world title challengers going head to head to make their mark here in Empyrean.

 

Lightweight Marco Alvado vs Tony Hibbert

 

On paper this fight looks pretty even with Hibbert having a slight edge in the bjj aspect but if you dog deeper you'll see that Alvado has never been submitted in his career. On the other end of that Hibbert has only had one win via submission so will that Black belt even come into play? Between them are eight wins by knockout and eighteen by decision, so will be see a flash ko or will this be a grinding affair?

 

Bantamweight Marcelo Barbosa vs Santosh Nagaski

 

After suffering a career altering four straight losses Marcelo has turned his career around with three straight wins, two of those three by submission. Santosh has been up and down himself as of late but now under new management he sees to have a better grasp of things winning two of his last three. This is a classic bjj versus knockout artists fight. Can Marcelo keep the magic alive or will the new and improved Nagaski kill his vibe and his streak?!

 

Lightweight Charlie Darwin vs Antonio Salieri

 

Charlie is coming off a draw in his best of three series with Hibbert. He wants to bounce back in a big way and I think we can expect the elite ko artist to look for the night ending shot early and often. Trading shots with him will be Antonio Salieri a man making his long awaited debut in EMP. Antonio fancies himself a bit of a knockout artists as well but he has been known to fight for a decision and grind out the win. Will the EMP vet shut down the new kid on the block or will the " Super" one take his game to the next level.

 

Bantamweight Yadsawan Sitsongrit vs Yang Xinhai

 

Yodsawan has lost five of his eight EMP fights and if you look has his skill set it doesn't make much sense. The elite stand up artist will stand across from a man who has never been knocked out in his career and I for one expect fireworks as The Monster Killer and Sitsongrit are expected to throw dynamite until someone crashes down to the canvas.

 

Prelim Finale

 

Middleweight Buffalo Marley vs Jeff Mma

 

The prelims wrap up with another fight that looks like a stand up war. Marley needs a win after dropping four of his last five and if he's looking for somebody that's willing to play to his strength welcome in Jeff Mma who is glad to be his Huckleberry. Combined these men have thirty knockouts between them of a possible forty one. Neither man has shown fear in the midst of bombs being thrown and we the fans are the winners. Let's enjoy this one!!!

 

Main Card

 

Heavyweight Hercules Fortier vs Vladimir Impaler.

 

Both men come in with three wins in their last five outings and that means they are climbing the ranks if a deep heavyweight division. What both these men have in common besides badass nicknames is that in each of their last two victories neither man combined for longer than three minutes of fight time. I know I sound like a broken record at this point but don't blink!

 

Lightweight David Brent vs Harry Hole

 

The more popular David Brent comes in with sixteen of a possible seventeen ko's under his belt and he is feeling confident after his last win came by head kick. Harry however needs to come into this contest desperate for a win. Dropping three of his last five one if which was a title shot he needs to use his elite wrestling and go back to his roots. This is a must win for the former title challenger. If he ever wants to get back in the title picture he needs to get a win in gut check time.

 

Bantamweight Championship-Yung Hung Dong vs Wamberto Boaz

 

Talk about exciting, both men come in with twenty wins or more in Boaz case. Both men have eleven losses in their career and both men will look to win this fight in different ways than the other. Yung is able to strike his way to victory, compete for the decision and also get a big submission but against a top bjj expert like Boaz I expect Dong to keep his distance and throw grenades. I don't think he'll be afraid to go to the ground with Boaz but his plan isn't going to be trying to submit Boaz. Boaz has to get this fight to the ground and he knows it. He's never lol'd anyone and he won't try now. His game plan has to be to play to his strengths. Which man gets the job done in this game of chess and walk out EMP Bantamweight Champion ?

 

Co Main Event Heavyweight Rick Piano vs James Pearson

 

Rick is coming off a dominating win over Hercules Fortier and why shouldn't he be confident when 95% of his wins come in the first round! Pearson isn't scared though his fifteen knockouts in sixteen wins means this bout has a 99 percent chance in ending before the final bell. Piano doesn't have any respect for Pearson and expects himself to slice through him like a hot knife through butter. James isn't buying the confidence because he knows his opponent has been knocked out cold before and that's what he expects when he makes his walk to the ring.

 

The Main Event

 

Welterweight World Championship Harry Scrotum vs Nick Graves

 

Do you expect our World Champion to not come in confident after defeating Cobb in fifty seconds to win the belt he's been chasing his entire career?!? He has been a world champion before and defended it before but that wasn't an EMP World Title and this is the big time. Can Harry come in and take on Dr. Kneevil and walk out and still? He certainly believes so and he has good reason to. Graves is coming off a decision loss , he's also lost three of his last five and his being in this fight has been questioned by many including Scrotum. Graves isn't hearing it though, all that matters to him is that he is here in a world title match and he knows all it takes is one shot and he could be the champion. One strike and everything at one hundred and seventy pounds can change in the blink of an eye.

 

Who walks out our EMP WORLD CHAMPION? You better tune into pay per view this Friday October 4th to find out.

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  • 2 weeks later...

EMP : Scrotum vs Graves Review

 

What's up everyone?! Robb Smith here bringing you an overdue review to Scrotum vs Graves.

 

Coming into this event we knew we had two title fights and a bad ass co main event but the way the prelims went showed that all the guys were fighting their asses off to make their names known. Let's take a look at the prelim results and what to expect going forward.

 

Marco Alvado beat Tony Hibbert via decision in a grind out fight. Alvado was coming off of a ko loss and needed a win and got it. As we speak Alvado hasn't booked his next fight.

 

Santosh Nagaski beat Marcelo Barbosa via Majority Decision. This was a fun fight, many believed Barbosa was coming in to dominate but he didn't. Santosh made a manager change before this fight and it seemed to work. A new system and a big win.

 

Antonio Sallieri with a big decision win over Charlie Darwin. Super Antonio pulled off the upset is now set to fight Raul Gracie in November.

 

Yodsawan Sitsongrit with yet another unanimous decision win. He has now won three of his last five and is set to battle Brahams in November.

 

Middleweight Buffalo Riley was coming into this fight on a three fight skid. Many believed this was an easy win for Jeff Mma but Riley controlled the fight and eked out a huge win.

 

Main Card

 

Heavyweights Impaler and Hercules didn't come in with just flashy names but they came in with finishing power. Vlad the Impaler looked on paper like the one to beat but Hercules kept bringing the heat in the second round after nearly finishing Vlad in the first round. Big Herc hasn't signed on for his next fight but is believed to be training hard in preparation for a mid November return.

 

Light Heavyweight Harry Hole picked up his third straight win in a decision victory over David Brent. This is his sixteenth win of his career and now he's starting to pick up steam. After suffering three losses in a row earlier this year he has rebounded and is looking like he's hit his stride. Word from his agent is a mid to late November fight is in the works.

 

Wamberto Boaz walked into this bantamweight championship fight a contender and walked the world champion. If you weren't watching this fight folks then maybe the split decision makes sense but I was hooked and let me say I don't know what the hell judge Don Winkell was watching to give Dong the nod but luckily the other two refs saw what I saw which was four dominating rounds by Boaz. I have been told Boaz has accepted his next fight but his opponent has not and will not be named at this time. I will speculate that Dong could be looking at an automatic rematch.

 

Co main event

 

Rick Piano and James Pearson at Heavyweight were ready to put on a show. If you remember what I said in the preview for this it was DON'T BLINK!! Holy WOW did Piano ever dominate!!! Less than one minute and the big man absolutely crushed Pearson with an overhand right after cutting him open early and once James was on the ground Piano tuned him up till the ref stepped in. Piano has mentioned on social media that Pearson cried and begged for a rematch and will get it on November 2nd.

 

Main Event

 

Welterweight Championship

 

Harry Scrotum and Nick Graves had a ton of hype behind them coming into this one. Scrotum was coming off his title win and looking to defend the belt for the first time. Graves however came in confident and believed he was going to win the belt. The first minute was a back and forth wild brawl until Harry countered a shot with a head kick that knocked Graves to the canvas and the Champ followed up with shots until the referee stopped the fight. Scrotum thanked the fans and called out GAMMA Welterweight Champion Dao Sonnen. It has been announced that Gamma and EMP have worked out the details and Scrotum will defend his belt against Sonnen on October 25th at the LA Colosseum in a Super Fight!!!

 

Tomorrow I will return with the EMP review of Tower vs Zulu 3. Coming up on Wednesday we'll have the Gagnon vs Toivonen 4 preview.

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Snake Duanesboy

 

WTF? How did 2 judges get that decision wrong on my fight vs Felix Jaroslav? They must have been listening to that commentator who was on a DMT trip while calling the fight. That shit was pure fantasy. Jaroslav is luckier than a leprechaun with a giant 4 leaf clover up his ass.

 

I demand a rematch!

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"They don't call me the 'Beast Tamer' for nothing Snake, my boy. Maybe it was my lucky Fox cap? However, we are 1-1 now so a rematch sounds fair to me. Just don't blame the judges when I make it 2-1. I might even train for the next fight" - Felix Jaroslav


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  • 2 months later...

EMPYREAN: ROCK VERSUS BELIY PREVIEW

LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM

Xavier: Hello and welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to an action-packed night of MMA action as only Empyrean can bring! I’m Esiah Xavier, and joining me in the booth tonight is the effervescent Furious Styles!

Styles: What’s up good people!? First off, we both wish you a very happy New Year! I have to say, X, I’m very impressed by the layout here in Empyrean! They’ve welcomed us with open arms and damn, look at this booth! Talk about plush!

Xavier: Undoubtedly! Styles and I are extremely grateful to the administration of Empyrean for allowing us to be a part of this outstanding organization! I know we’re new to the vast majority of the managers, trainers and fighters here in Empyrean, so please allow me to provide a very brief history of where Furious Styles and I just came from. Furious and I had been featuring previews for the organization known as Rapid Fighting Championship, which is located in Sydney. At that point in time, we were directly associated with the alliance known as The Stepdads.

Styles: That’s right, X! The both of us stepped into the role of providing insight, entertainment and enlightenment about the Rapid Fighting Championship organization, and we were based in Tokyo for Showdown in Tokyo events! We did our very best to provide our brand of entertainment to everyone involved in that organization and I believe we did an excellent job! Of course, I could be biased but it is what it is. The administrative officers in The Stepdads made some tough decisions concerning various members of that alliance and as such, me and X are no longer directly associated with The Stepdads organization, but it’s definitely nothing personal and no hard feelings. Business is business! However, in light of those recent events, the administration of Empyrean and our representatives opened a line of communication.

Xavier: Indeed they did, Styles, and very much to our very pleasant surprise, our representatives and the Empyrean organization and its administration quickly came to an agreement to have Furious and I provide preview content for Empyrean! As soon as our representatives contacted us, we hurriedly packed our belongings and boarded the next plane to Los Angeles! For me, this is a homecoming of sorts because I’ve lived in North Hollywood, Studio City, and Costa Mesa, so Cali is definitely home to me and I couldn’t be happier to be back in the City of Angels!

Styles: I’ve had various adventures here in La La Land, and believe me, there are some young ladies I’d rather avoid, but I’ll take the risk of them seeing me on the Empyrean network! This is an incredible opportunity and one hell of a way to kick off the new year and new decade! Besides, I have a very good lawyer who can help me cover my ass!

Xavier: I just hope you don’t end up on Maury Povich and/or Jerry Springer because we definitely don’t need that kind of publicity around here!

Styles: I won’t end up on either one of those shows and besides, this is LA man! Any and all publicity, be it good or bad, is all good to me! Hell, it won’t surprise me if I’m on TMZ news by the time we leave here tonight!

Xavier: I’m not even going to ask why you’d be on TMZ and we just got here last night! Regardless folks, tonight we have a fantastic night of MMA action in store for you! All of you will bear witness to two Bantamweight fights, one Featherweight fight, three Lightweight fights with one of those being for the Lightweight championship! We also have one Welterweight fight and three Light Heavyweight fights to round out the night of action!

Styles: I truly enjoy and appreciate fight cards that feature various weight classes because we have an opportunity to see various styles, no pun intended, and approaches to fighting! The lighter weights tend to have fights at warp speed while the heavier weights tend to drop brutal and punishing strikes more often, so the strategies and approaches change. Naturally there those unique athletes and gifted warriors who combine tremendous speed with punching power and the ability to absorb numerous impactful strikes to the jaw and keep on fighting, but those are a dime a dozen!

Xavier: You’re absolutely right, Styles!

Styles: I know this!

Xavier: All right, settle down. The very first battle of the night and our first battle to preview in our new location and organization features Geo Versu battling Joey Diaz! The facial-tattooed fighter from Monaco, “Steel” Versu brings a solid 8-5 overall record into this fight, and various members of Convicted Inc., the alliance he’s associated with, told me that Versu has been very determined in his training because he’s not satisfied with his overall record at all! He feels he should be more accomplished and he’s been very motivated in the gym. Keep in mind, Styles, that Versu began his career with a tough fight against Duane Carman in the QFC circuit that resulted in a TKO loss. However, much to Versu’s credit, he then ran off a 6-fight win streak, including a kickboxing victory, so he’s very capable of establishing momentum and continuing it! Over the past two fights, he’s had some difficulty as he’s lost by a knockout and unanimous decision, respectively, so he’s looking to avoid that unspoken taboo each fighter has of losing three fights in a row!

Styles: Yeah, X, no one wants to drop three fights in a row because it just leaves a bad taste in a fighter’s mouth! Another point of interest is this isn’t the first time Versu and Joey Diaz have locked horns! Their first meeting took place at EMP Busy vs. Yoshida some time ago and Versu won that fight by KO in the second round! Although that was a good amount of time ago, I promise you that neither man has forgotten about that fight, especially Diaz, and you’d be mistaken to think Diaz is over that loss or doesn’t want revenge here tonight! Though the skills have improved and time has obviously passed, Diaz is still the taller man and in my estimation, he’ll look to stay on the outside and pepper Versu with a multitude of punches and kicks to keep him from getting inside of his defenses! Diaz brings an impressive 7-3 overall record into this fight and has shown to have the ability to finish a fight by knockout or win the battle of attrition!

Xavier: It seems to me that Versu has the better punching power, Styles, and if that’s the case then Diaz’s striking defense and footwork will need to be on point tonight! If he allows Versu to gain the advantage in striking angles or his feet get tangled when attempting an attack that misses, he’ll open the door for Versu to strike cleanly and I know Diaz doesn’t want that to happen! I can definitely see Diaz counterattacking Versu in an attempt to keep him off balance and land opportune strikes, especially to his body, so he can try and slow Versu down and decrease his power! If Diaz can manage that then I think he goes for takedowns so he can control the action on the ground and frustrate Versu. Versu won’t be easy to submit because he’s the shorter man but Diaz can attempt to transition into a mount and rain down ground-and-pound or simply control Versu until he gives up side control or his back, and Diaz can attempt various submissions from either of those positions! I think Diaz wins this second go-round with Versu by submission!

Styles: Versu has the upper hand in confidence, in my opinion, because he knows he can beat Diaz due to having beaten him before! That’s a major psychological advantage to have, X, and Versu has proven he knows what to do with advantages! Tonight, he’ll definitely have to keep his head on a swivel and prevent Diaz from locking him into a clinch because Diaz can land head punches much easier due to his height, plus Diaz can look for the single-leg takedown or trip because of his BJJ abilities! It’s imperative that Versu keep this fight vertical and I think he’s trained well enough to prevent easy takedowns by Diaz. Versu wins this fight by knockout because he knows how to get to Diaz’s chin!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Versu by KO; Xavier – Diaz by Submission

 

Styles: The next two warriors into the cage will be Charlie Darwin and Raul Gracie! Hey, X, do you think Darwin has any direct relation the Charles Darwin, the scientist?

Xavier: I have no clue, Styles! We’ve only been in town one day so I’m still researching the fighters we’ll be discussing.

Styles: Maybe Charlie Darwin is focused on his own brand of the theory of evolution in the cage!

Xavier: That could very well be the case. Technically speaking, fighters do evolve as they improve their skills.

Styles: Right! See? I’m smart!

Xavier: Something like that.

Styles: Whatever! Anyway, Darwin steps into combat with a 15-8-1 overall record, which is quite good, and “The Missing Link” from the Netherlands recently snapped a 2-fight losing streak by defeating Paddy Fagan at EMP Ispa vs Magufui I V with a nasty head kick in the second round! Overall, he’s suffered losses of all types except for bleeding out, so he’s been through his peaks and valleys! Much to his credit, he keeps right on coming back for more so he has the heart of a fighter and we can all respect that! Against Gracie, he has a substantial height advantage and a bit of a weight advantage, and he’s going to need every inch of that height advantage tonight because he wants no part of Gracie on the ground! What we have here is the proverbial standup versus ground fight, and whoever establishes themselves first will be the one to emerge victorious as I see it!

Xavier: These men definitely have distinctive advantages and disadvantages in this fight! Darwin has leveled fighters with his explosive kicking power and speed while Gracie has made many a man suffer through agony as he twisted various parts of their bodies into pretzels! Gracie has fought his way to a 10-3-1 overall record, an excellent achievement, and the Brazilian is very confident in any fight he has! No one can blame his confidence because it’s extremely difficult to earn and sustain a red belt in BJJ, so he has every right to be vastly confident in his grappling skills! Gracie had a very impressive 9-fight win streak at the beginning of his career so it’s needless to say that he knows how to get the job done! However, of the three losses on his record, two of those losses were in championship fights and there have been tweets and other comments concerning his ability to get the job done at the highest level! There’s no doubt that Gracie has heard and read these questions and comments, and I guarantee you he’s using that as fuel to drive his arduous training. His most recent loss to Teke Bamalog at EMP Boaz vs. Verygood is definitely additional fuel for him in this fight tonight!

Styles: Without question, X! When you’re a very skilled fighter like Gracie is, especially in the grappling and BJJ aspect of combat, you don’t want anyone questioning your ability to get the job done on the grandest of stages! I think some people underestimate the fact that Gracie lost to champions and those champions are exactly that for a reason! They’re amongst the best of the best and it takes a hell of a lot to unseat those champions! Besides skill, let’s be honest here. It also takes luck and some of that luck lies in the timing of battle! It’s quite possible that Gracie fought against those two champions when he either wasn’t quite ready or the champions may have had more training time than he did. Either way, underestimating Gracie at any point in time would be a very dire course of action for anyone to take and I don’t think Darwin will underestimate the danger that Gracie is! In this fight tonight, I think Gracie will win by submission because he’ll fully expect Darwin to be very aggressive in his desire to keep this fight standing! Toss in the fact that Darwin knows his height is a major disadvantage on the ground where Gracie can far easier manipulate his long limbs, and Darwin is put into a very precarious position that Gracie can take full advantage of! Gracie counterattacks Darwin and drags him to the mat to slow the pace, clog the space, and make Darwin contort his face when he has to tap out!

Xavier: Darwin’s boxing skills are world class, Styles, and his muay thai can stand the test against any kickboxing champion! The fact he’s made some men take a nap by kicking them upside their head is an indication of the speed and power he possesses, and against Gracie, I think the educated feet will be the difference maker! Gracie has excellent striking defense and it’s easier to avoid punches than kicks, in my opinion, because it’s easier to see punches being thrown at your face as opposed to kicks that begin low then whip up high very quickly. Darwin will definitely try to establish a frenzied pace of repetitive, quick and accurate punches that Gracie will have to defend against, but the timely head kicks, body kicks and leg kicks from Darwin will make Gracie adjust his game plan or end up limping, bruised and quite possibly knocked out! I think Darwin scores the knockout tonight with a head kick that Gracie doesn’t see coming!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Darwin by KO; Styles – Gracie by Submission

 

Xavier: Quan Le and Wayne Williams are the next combatants to grace the cage! “Chien Binh” Le, hailing from Hanoi, Vietnam, is an excellent 20-8-1 overall! Le has proven to be excellent in all facets of combat and when glancing at his overall record, it’s easy to see that the vast majority of his fights have been won by unanimous decision. Yes, the preference is to finish a fight before allowing the judges to make the final decision, but a win is a win, bottom line, and he knows how to win! Additionally, winning that many battles by unanimous decision is an indication of his high level of fitness because winning by attrition is very difficult to do when an opponent is pummeling you with strikes plus sometimes leaning their weight on you! To overcome those difficult situations is a testament to Le’s will power as well as his conditioning, but keep in mind that he does have three wins by TKO and one where he slammed an opponent into a knockout! If Williams is too loose and carefree in this fight, he may very well find himself on the wrong end of a very damaging strike or even hoisted above Le’s head and driven into the mat with authority!

Styles: You sound like Eric Cartman! Respect my authoritah!

Xavier: If Le opts to try and lift Williams up for a power slam, he’s going to have to work for it because Williams is both taller and heavier than Le, so that may not be the best option unless Le knows for sure he can pull it off! Williams is two years younger than Le and is 17-9 overall, which is a very respectable record! I wonder, since Williams is a member of the FinnFighters, if Le and Williams have crossed paths somewhere in Helsinki outside of the gym. I know Helsinki is a big city but you never know. Taking a look at Williams’ resume, he’s been involved in quite a few fights that were awarded for Fight of the Night or KO of the Night, so the modus operandi for Williams is rather simple: either he knocks you out or he knocks you out! Yes, Williams definitely has some unanimous decision victories, but the majority of his wins have been by napping his opponent, so Le’s striking defense, particularly against punches, will have to be very sharp! Williams’ boxing is on a world class scale but Le has Golden Gloves boxing skills, so this will be an intense battle! Le also has world champion muay thai skills so Williams will absolutely have to watch out for his kicks, and if this fight ends up in a clinch, Williams will have to watch out for Le’s elbows and knees!

Styles: I’m hoping that this fight will be a straight up toe-to-toe squabble to see who’s chin can take the most damage in the shortest amount of time, because I don’t think Williams wants to take the risk of having Le lock him into a Thai clinch! In addition, I don’t think either of these warriors has the advantage over the other in terms of grappling or BJJ ability, so a standup war is what I’m hoping to see!

Xavier: That could very well be the case, Styles! Williams will be looking to turn around his fortunes as his first fight here in Empyrean didn’t proceed as he’d hoped. He lost a tough battle against Yodsawan Sitsongrit at EMP Boaz vs. Verygood, so look for him to be highly aggressive in looking for a knockout of Le! For Le, this is his debut fight in Empyrean and naturally he wants to make a very good impression! In this fight, I’m choosing Le to win because I feel his standup ability is world class in all aspects and for any opponent, that’s very difficult to deal with! In addition, although Williams has very good muay thai ability, Le’s kicks are deadly and I think he’ll be able to unleash serious damage on Williams’ body with well-timed kicks to the stomach, ribs and liver! His kicks will also keep Williams at a distance and in turn, that will allow Le to keep his chin clear of jaw-breaking punches from Williams! Le wins this fight by knockout because he’ll wear Williams down and land a brutal head kick that turns out his lights!

Styles: Williams’ knockout power is undeniable, and though Le may be more technically sound in the standup aspect, all Williams needs is one clean shot at Le’s chin! Williams has the punching speed, footwork and knowledge to get past Le’s defenses as well as his strikes, and once he does that, his aggression will allow him to move Le into position for him to unload a concussion-like uppercut to Le’s jaw that sends him to the mat! Counterattacking Le makes sense to me because Williams will have to time Le’s kicks and attack when Le is retracting from a missed kick or punch! Trying to do that without taking time to see if there’s a pattern for strikes is a very risky endeavor and Williams is smarter than that! Williams has the experience and speed to get in and out and all he needs is that one miss from Le to jump on that opportunity and launch that bomb from one of his fists to send Le to the mat with his eyes in the back of his head for the knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Williams by KO; Xavier – Le by KO

 

Styles: After that hellacious battle, we’ll see Johannes Brahms and Santosh Nagasaki get it on in the cage of judgment! “The Hungarian” Brahms from Austria is 14-5-2 overall, and this proud member of The Evil Empire brings it when he’s in that cage! He’s a good amount lighter than Nagasaki in this fight so expect to see Brahms use a lot of good footwork and agility to impose his will and handle business like he knows how to do! Brahms is definitely a momentum fighter, X! He’s had win streaks of five, four and four, so once he gets that momentum established and imposes his will, be it physically or skill wise, he’s one hell of a fighter! In fact, ever since he stepped foot into Empyrean on the EMP Gagnon vs. Toivonen 2 card, he had a 4-fight win streak! That was snapped, however, at the hands of Lito Alcala at EMP Boaz vs. Verygood by unanimous decision. Needless to say, Brahms felt his performance should have been far better than it was and various members of The Evil Empire have apprised me that Brahms has been a man possessed in the gym! This fight will be very interesting and tough for both opponents because in terms of physical skill, technical skill and the ability to finish an opponent, these men are, in my opinion, quite evenly skilled!

Xavier: I concur wholeheartedly, Styles! If you look at these men on film and what they’ve accomplished so far in their careers, there are many similarities of excellence. Brahms doesn’t have the same level of combat experience that Nagasaki does, but Nagasaki is also two years older so he’s had more opportunity to fight than Brahms has. “Hybrid Zombie Killer” Nagasaki is one very intense dude and I have no doubt his tattoo artist is a very busy and happy one because Nagasaki has plenty of ink on his frame! The North Korean fighter hails from…now I want to make sure I get this right. Nyongbyon Nuclear Research Facility!?

Styles: Seriously!? Dude says he’s from a nuclear research facility!?

Xavier: That’s what it sayd, Styles!

Styles: Holy crap! No wonder dude is so intense! I wonder if he glows in the dark?

Xavier: What the hell!? Why would he glow in the dark!?

Styles: You’ve seen those horror movies about nuclear monsters, plus on The Simpsons, Homer would glow in the dark sometimes because he was exposed to radiation!

Xavier: Homer Simpson!? Really, Styles!? You’re using Homer Simpson as an example!? First it was Cartman, and how Simpson!?

Styles: I’m using references to pop culture! Get with the times!

Xavier: I can’t with you right now! Also, Styles, there’s a note here that he never gets injured!

Styles: What the hell!? Even Wolverine gets hurt but he always heals!

Xavier: Here we go again! Wolverine? Anyway, if that’s true and he never gets injured, I don’t even know what to say about that because the fighters I know at least injure their fists and feet from striking another human body, but maybe he really doesn’t get hurt!

Styles: I’ll have to see this guy in action because that’s unreal if it’s true!

Xavier: Nagasaki’s had a few different managers and I have to wonder if that’s due to him being a bit unstable?

Styles: Ya’ think!?

Xavier: I don’t like to make assumptions, Styles! People have said he’s quite intelligent so I can’t put it past him that he knows what he’s doing at all times! Regardless, his record in Empyrean with his new management and training team so far is a very good 3-1 and he’s looking to extend that record to a fourth victory tonight. When the fans of Empyrean last saw him, he overcame Ma Moru in the first round by TKO at EMP Asham vs. Marley! That win definitely boosted his confidence, if that’s even necessary or possible, and also prevented him from losing two fights in a row. I think in this particular fight, Nagasaki will try and test Brahms’ grappling and BJJ skills by getting this fight to the ground where Nagasaki will try to establish and maintain dominant position to land ground-and-pound strikes while potentially looking for a submission!

Styles: I know one things for sure, X! I’m not betting against a fighter who claims to be an experiment from a nuclear lab, let alone one that’s associated with a missing space scientist and three fighters! I say Nagasaki scores a counter takedown when Brahms misses a punching combination and once Nagasaki gets this fight horizontal, he’ll be very aggressive in establishing side control or mount where he can rain down ground-and-pound strikes until Brahms either elects to give up his back in an effort to stop the punishment or Nagasaki’s strikes overwhelm Brahms and he gets knocked out cold!

Xavier: Brahms knows he has the speed advantage in this fight and he also knows that if necessary, he can test Nagasaki’s abilities in the clinch because Brahms has formidable muay thai ability coupled with outstanding grappling. If he’s able to keep Nagasaki in the clinch and land power punches, especially to the body, he can see if he can slow Nagasaki’s aggression and speed, and if Brahms sees that’s an effective method of attack then he’ll stick with that until he’s able to position himself to land the chin-crushing shot he needs to end this fight by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Brahms by KO; Styles – Nagasaki by KO

 

Xavier: Ernie Tertelgte and Bobo Nielsen keep the action going in the cage!

Styles: Bobo is his name?

Xavier: Yes. Bobo Nielsen.

Styles: Bobo is a clown’s name, right?

Xavier: I think you’re mistaking Bobo with Bozo the Clown.

Styles: Oh, right. Still, Bobo is an unusual name.

Xavier: That comment coming from a man who’s named after an emotion?

Styles: No one asked you!

Xavier: You just did!

Styles: Shut up!

Xavier: Wow. “The Living Man” Tertelgte is 19-11-1 overall, and this LEGION OF DOOM member from Eureka is a very highly-skilled warrior!

Styles: “The Living Man” is his nickname!? That’s weird because yeah, he’s obviously alive! It’s very hard to fight in any battle if you’re not alive!

Xavier: You just couldn’t let that go, could you, Styles?

Styles: Hell no! I mean, come on!

Xavier: Tertelgte has had a 4-fight and a 5-fight win streak in his career so he’s fully capable of finding a winning formula and being able to establish it against numerous opponents! His greatest success has been in the vertical game while he’s had his struggles against fighters who prefer the grappling approach, and I have no doubt Nielsen is very well aware of these facts. Tertelgte is the taller and heavier man in this fight and I expect him to use those advantages to their fullest capacity by keeping this fight on its feet and at a distance from Nielsen. Tertelgte will, assumedly, have no trepidation about getting into a clinch with Nielsen because Tertelgte has worked very diligently on becoming a very well-rounded fighter and I believe he’s achieved that very goal, Styles!

Styles: There’s no doubt that Tertelgte is highly skilled! He’s world class with his standup fighting skills and that’s a fact! He’s also basically just as experienced as Nielsen and due to that, this fight may very well boil down to who can outsmart the opponent! Nielsen steps into combat with a 20-11-0 record and the warrior from Rajjeskold, Denmark, has had a 4-fight win streak and a 6-fight win streak! One major advantage I see Nielsen having in this fight is his championship experience and mettle! As we’ve said before, it takes a hell of a lot to become a champion and winning a championship gives a certain type of experience that only select fighters experience! Any champion who defends their title multiple times gains even more experience that is immeasurable because said champion is taking the best any opponent can give, and if you’re able to overcome those odds then you definitely have a major advantage in any fight! Nielsen has defeated opponents who were believed to be more highly skilled so this isn’t his first encounter under these circumstances and that’s a major benefit of his fighting experiences! This Convicted Inc. member will have the presumed speed advantage in this fight and could have the agility advantage as well due to being lighter in weight, so look for Nielsen to stick-and-move early and often while potentially going for takedowns to control the space and pace of the match! Obviously, Tartelgte being a red belt is extremely impressive and just as dangerous, so if Nielsen does opt to utilize that plan of attack, his defensive grappling and transitions will have to be outstanding! If they aren’t, he could be in major trouble on the mat!

Xavier: I think Nielsen would be taking too much of a risk if he tries to outwrestle Tertelgte so counterattacking is the way to go with a focus on punching! In addition, Nielsen’s recent win over Kai Perkins at EMP Piano vs. McNasty in the third round by knockout not only snapped his 3-fight losing streak, but it restored his confidence! After fighting Do Ho Joy twice in a row and splitting that sequence, the three losses he suffered were by submission twice and one unanimous decision. Nielsen has enough pop in his fists to make Tertelgte concerned and that concern will be the key to victory for Nielsen! I think he’s able to land timely kicks to slow Tertelgte down and set him up for the punch that turns out Tertelgte’s lights for the win!

Styles: Tertelgte is too skilled for Nielsen, X! Nielsen has the power to knock Tertelgte out, no doubt about that, but he won’t get the chance because Tertelgte will be too difficult to hit cleanly and he’ll land nasty and damaging strikes on Nielsen as long as this fight is on its feet! If and when this fight goes to the ground, the red belt skills that Tertelgte has will take over and he’ll have Nielsen twisted and blistered before he knows it! Nielsen is very good in the grappling game but Tertelgte is in exclusive territory. Tertelgte wins this fight by submission!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Tertelgte by Submission; Xavier – Nielsen by KO

 

Styles: The next battle we’ll witness will be between Anti Half Assed and Willie Wood! Oh, X, you know I’m going to have a field day with these names!

Xavier: As soon as I saw the card, I knew these two names would be right at the top of your list of commentary!

Styles: Anti Half Assed!? Seriously!? So, in other words, he’s against doing something halfway, right?

Xavier: Typically that’s what half-assed means, yes.

Styles: All right. Why doesn’t he just call himself “Hard Work”, or “Diligent”, or “Arduous”?

Xavier: Why do you ask me questions you know I don’t have the answer to?

Styles: It was more of a rhetorical question so settle down!

Xavier: I am settled down. I asked a very sensible question.

Styles: Sometimes I’m hoping you have information that I don’t have. That’s all!

Xavier: That, I can understand, but you ask me questions that only a particular fighter can answer and that doesn’t make sense to me.

Styles: Whatever, X! Just roll with it! Anti Half Assed definitely hasn’t seen a barber in some either, X! Dude looks like some kind of swamp creature!

Xavier: He’s a grown man and can look however he wants, Styles! There are plenty of people running around with long, uncombed or not styled hair! That’s up to them and they have a right to do as they please because they’re not hurting anyone or breaking any laws.

Styles: You’re such a Boy Scout! Damn, X, can you not play the goodie two shoes sometimes!?

Xavier: I’m not even going to answer that.

Styles: That figures! Assed is 14-7-1 overall, and the YABAI member from Bay Pines recently had a 2-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Nick Graves in the second round of EMP Boaz vs. Verygood! Looking at Assed’s accomplishments, he’s been through the ringer in terms of the types of wins and losses he’s experienced. He’s never won or lost by bleeding but he’s been down the road of every other path, and that tells me that his battle experience has him ready for any given situation! I also notice that he’s never won a title and that surprises me because he’s an accomplished warrior! Be that as it may, his opponent tonight does have championship experience, but that experience comes solely from kickboxing, so while that’s impressive, it’s not quite the same as having won a championship in full MMA combat! This fight presents both warriors an opportunity to establish themselves higher in the rankings, obviously, but it also could put them in the title shot conversation with a win tonight!

Xavier: Wood has a sizeable height and weight advantage in this fight, Styles, and since you mentioned his kickboxing accomplishments, that’s a great segue into my point!

Styles: You’re welcome for me setting up your segue, but before you continue, you know I have to make a comment about his last name.

Xavier: I knew you wouldn’t be able to let it go.

Styles: Willie Wood sounds like a B-movie adult movie star name! All right, there, I said it and you may now continue.

Xavier: Gee, thanks. The Philly product steps into this fight with a 15-9 overall record, and I fully expect him to keep this fight on its feet as long as possible because he’s very skilled in the standup aspect of battle! In fact, Styles, he never lost in the KT ranks, and that’s definitely saying something! He knocked people out left and right during his time in KOTR on The Island, and after he left The Island, he decided to become a complete MMA fighter. He brought that punching power with him and did quite well for himself but did end up being knocked out twice in his career! Considering the number of battles and the style in which he fights, that’s actually quite impressive. It’s no secret that he’s struggled against grappler-based fighters, and there’s no doubt that Assed and his training team are well aware of that fact! There’s no doubt that Wood is well aware of Assed’s brown belt in BJJ, so we once again have the classic battle of standup versus ground fighter. Typically, from what I’ve seen, the more aggressive fighter in such matchups is the one to emerge victorious, but that aggression can be used against the aggressor if they overstep or allow themselves to fully commit to a strike and miss it!

Styles: That’s true, but sitting back and counter attacking all day can also make a fighter miss opportunities to take advantage of openings merely due to the fact they’re too slow to take advantage of those openings! Physically, Wood just has to sit back and unleash multiple strikes every time Assed gets within his striking distance, especially with his kicks, but Assed may be a bit faster than Wood due to the ten pound difference, and if Wood misses a kick or a power punch, he’ll be open long enough for Assed to either crack his jaw and test his chin, or take him to the mat where Assed can take over with his superior grappling! Personally, I think Assed waits for his chance to land a counter takedown and make Wood tap out because Wood can’t keep up a very high level of throwing punches and kicks without slowing down or missing his target, and once that happens, Assed will be all over him!

Xavier: Wood’s kickboxing skills, combined with his world class boxing ability, makes for a very difficult line of defense to penetrate, especially for a grappling-based fighter! Assed is definitely very skilled on the ground but I don’t think he’ll be able to get past the strikes that Wood throws at him, especially if Wood lands a few combinations that keep Assed at a distance and he stays right in Wood’s kicking range! I think Wood will wear Assed down, especially with leg and body kicks, and once Assed’s aggression is taxed then Wood will be able to pick his spots until he lands that one decisive shot that puts Wood to sleep the hard way!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Wood by KO; Styles – Assed by Submission

 

Xavier: The next men to accost one another will be Kongchai Phetboonme and Teke Bamalog!

Styles: Phetboonme? That sounds like an exotic food or animal!

Xavier: I suppose so, Styles.

Styles: You know I’m right! Bamalog straight up sounds like a Street Fighter character!

Xavier: Are you think about Balrog?

Styles: Yeah, that’s the one! Balrog!

Xavier: There you go. Phetboonme, a member of YABAI, is a very good 20-9-2 overall, and this exciting fighter from Buriram, Isaan, Thailand, is an outstanding standup fighter and dangerous striker who has had a 6-fight and 5-fight winning streak in his career! As of late, however, he’s had difficulty and has dropped his last two fights in a row! Both of those losses were by decision with the Will Rock loss being a split decision at EMP Ispa vs. Magufuli I V and the Enitan Arendse decision a unanimous one at EMP Boaz vs. Dong! Prior to those losses he had won three fights in a row, so he’s definitely looking to recapture that winning feeling and momentum from those fights! If he’s able to establish himself early, especially with effective aggression, he’s difficult to slow down or stop all together! Many of his battles in Empyrean have been decision conclusions so the battle of attrition isn’t a problem. He has three wins by knockout or TKO so his power is still there, but he’s had to settle for being effective in scoring points on the judges’ scorecards. Tonight, I have no doubt he’ll want to send a message to any doubters by finish Bamalog early, and Phetboonme’s championship experience may be the deciding factor in this battle! Since these men match up similarly in terms of their height and weight, plus the fact they favor the standup battle, this could be as simple as who has the stronger strikes and more solid chin!

Styles: I hope that’s the kind of fight we see between these two because there’s a lot of potential snapping velocity behind their strikes, especially their kicks, and one of them could very well crack the other man’s skull with one nasty head kick and end the fight right then and there! “The Javan Zombie” from Cipamingkis, Indonesia, is a proud member of The Stepdads, and his 15-4-2 record is very impressive! He’s had a very interesting upbringing with the benefit of training with Haji Achmad Dradjat, a renowned teacher of Tarung Derajat.

Xavier: I’m impressed, Styles! You did some homework on this fighter.

Styles: You know I like to give details about the people we’re going to be seeing trying to break one another, X, and besides, we’re new here and I need insight on these fighters.

Xavier: That’s very true but I’m impressed, nonetheless.

Styles: Well, thanks, X! Bamalog has only been knocked out once and that’s a testament to his training, specifically his defensive striking skills, plus being able to take a knuckle blast on the jaw and keep going does help! He’s had a few different managers for various reasons and has obviously been successful with each one, and during his tenure in Empyrean, he’s been impressive! The only shortcoming that I see on his record is he lost an opportunity to win a championship when he battled Enitan Arendse at ABW 185 Arendse – Bamalog! He didn’t get knocked out and he didn’t submit, but I’m sure he’s not the type of fighter to rest his laurels on a moral victory. He’s been on a very good roll since his last management and training team change, and over his past six fights, he’s won five of them! The only reason he hasn’t attained a six-fight win streak is due to the draw he had against Tyler Durden at EFC Thompson vs. Castillo.

Xavier: Tyler Durden? Where have I heard that name before?

Styles: Come on, X! You’re a movie lovin’ dude yet you forgot that name!? Fight Club!

Xavier: That’s right! Brad Pitt’s character!

Styles: Bingo! Such a good movie and you know Brad Pitt had crazy fun being that character! Anyway, he beat Durden the fight after that one and defeated Raul Gracie after that at EMP Boaz vs. Verygood. Needless to say, Bamalog is fully confident, capable and dangerous! Yes, the last two wins have been by decision but he does have two TKO wins recently so Phetboonme can’t underestimate that power! I think it’s safe to say that the fans want to see one hell of a standup collision and I think that’s what they’ll get in this match. Since neither of these men have a victory by submission, the fans will get exactly what they want and they’ll behold a standup war for the ages! Since both of these warriors thrive in that environment, you better believe that are going to be some seriously brutal shots that make sickening thuds that cause the crowd to ooh and aah, and after the smoke clears and the dust settles, the man with the stronger will and ability to take the pain and punishment will be the winner!

Xavier: Agreed! In my opinion, that man will be Phetboonme because to me, he has more knockout wins and ability! Taking nothing away from Bamalog, Phetboonme can lean on his championship experience if he gets into trouble, and having that extra great will be very valuable because he knows how to dig deep and push past his limits to get the win, and tonight he’ll get a very hard-fought victory by knockout over a very tough opponent in Bamalog!

Styles: While it’s true that Bamalog doesn’t have that championship experience, he has plenty of combat experience, and there’s enough knockouts and TKO’s on his record to convince me that he can get the job done and tonight, he will get the job done! There’s little doubt he’ll take damage but he’s one tough son of a gun and he can dish out what he takes! Bamalog wins this brutal fight by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Bamalog by KO; Xavier – Phetboonme by KO

 

Styles: Shawn Antoski and Frog Ribbit keep the incredible action going in the cage!

Xavier: I already know what’s coming!

Styles: You better believe it! Frog Ribbit!? He’s named after a bug-eyed, water-dwelling creature and his last name is the sound that creature makes!?

Xavier: Again, Styles, he’s a grown man and can call himself whatever he wants.

Styles: I get that, X, but of all the exotic or kick ass creatures on this planet, he chose a frog?

Xavier: That he did.

Styles: Maybe he needs a public relations person or something to come up with a better animal to pattern himself after!

Xavier: There are some deadly frogs in the world, Styles!

Styles: Oh, sure, like Kermit!

Xavier: I should have seen that one coming.

Styles: Antoski looks like a man who’s been through some things, X! The prominent scar on his forehead and that wild look in his eyes let’s me know that Ontario was rough on this dude! Any man who actually likes the snow and sends tweets or posts videos with snow falling in the background is a dude I don’t understand, because I’m a warm weather and beaches type of dude, and judging by the millions of people who live in southern Cali, many people feel as I do! Here in the City of Angels, you drive to and from the snow with the occasional snowstorm here and there. One thing that can’t be denied, though, is the Brantford Brawler, as I’ll call him, is one hell of a beast in the standup! Dude has world class boxing and muay thai skills, X, and he’s definitely a fan favorite because he goes in there like a man possessed and tries to knock his opponent’s block off! He hasn’t been in Empyrean too long, but he’s been very impactful during his time here! He’s had a 6-fight win streak so when he gets on a roll, he stays on it! Also, this will be the second time these two will face off. The first time was at EMP Impaler vs. Koniu where Ribbit won by unanimous decision! You better believe both of these men remember that fight, X, despite how long ago it was.

Xavier: I’m sure they’ve not forgotten because warriors tend to remember most, if not all, battles they’ve been in, even if they can remember all of the details! The 10-4 member of the FinnFighters surely recalls that fight, Styles, as does his opponent tonight. “The Power Ranger” Ribbit is an outstanding 12-1-0! Various Heritage members are undoubtedly very proud of this Belgium battler, and he definitely has some steel in his fists! Judging from what we’ve seen, the combination he has of speed, aggression and power is downright frightening! His sole blemish is a submission loss by Kimura to Hen Nessy at EMP Paddington vs. Sainty in the first round! Beyond that, the only opponent he hasn’t knocked out in EMP has been Shawn Antoski! You know he’s champing at the bit and drooling like a predator anticipating a fight at this chance to knock out the man who he wasn’t able to during the first go round! Antoski is a bit taller and twelve pounds heavier so he may be able to sit down on his punches, as the term goes, and add a bit more damage to his strikes, but either way, don’t expect this fight to be technically aesthetic nor end up being a grappling competition. This is going to be a race to the knockout finish, I guarantee you that, and it’s going to be very explosive and potentially very bloody!

Styles: Seeing that Ribbit is a knockout machine, I have to roll with him to win tonight! Antoski is a great fighter, no doubt, but Ribbit’s aggression and power are just one crazy and devastating combination that Antoski barely slowed the first time! Both men have improved since then, of course, but I think Antoski’s power has only increased and his knowledge of how to crack an opponent into next week has improved as well! Antoski will put up a tremendous fight but Ribbit will get past his defenses the one and only time he needs to blast Antoski’s jaw with a vicious uppercut that has him kissing canvas! Ribbit by knockout!

Xavier: Antoski can make this a clinch battle, Styles, and if he does that, his tremendous skills in the standup, combined with his taller and heavier frame, could end up being the difference maker! By simply making Ribbit support his own weight along with Antoski’s, he could wear Ribbit down over the course of the fight and once Ribbit’s defenses lapse for that crucial split second, Antoski will unleash a crushing hook to his temple that sends him spinning to the mat and not knowing where the hell he is! The fans will eat this fight up and Antoski will eat up Ribbit’s defenses in the clinch before the knockout win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Antoski by KO; Styles – Ribbit by KO

 

Xavier: In the penultimate fight tonight, George Peterson and Mohsin Zaidi lock horns! “Smooth” Peterson represents the LEGION OF DOOM, and the accomplished fighter from Portland has been blazing his own trial quite well here in Empyrean! See what I did there, Styles? Portland, blazing his trail, Trailblazers?

Styles: Yeah, yeah, I got it. You tryin’ to be clever!?

Xavier: I thought it was rather clever, yes!

Styles: Keep tryin’, X! You get an E for effort and a T for nice try!

Xavier: Thanks a lot. Peterson began his career in excellent fashion with an 8-fight win streak! That’s definitely a way to start your career and fast, but since then, he’s been a bit back-and-forth with his fight results. The good news for him is he currently has a 4-fight win streak and the timing of that streak is excellent, because he’s in top form, great shape, and his confidence is as strong as his desire to win tonight! During this win streak, he’s won by TKO each and every time so relentless attacking has been the key to his success! Basically with Peterson, he either wins by knockout or gets knocked out, and that has endeared him to the Empyrean fans because they admire fighters who show no trepidation about being damaged! I don’t expect his approach to change one bit in this contest because he feels he can end this fight fast and furiously if he gets in the first round of damaging salvos, so to speak, and if he gets to Zaidi’s chin early and often, he could very well be right about that!

Styles: At 13-5-1, no one questions Peterson’s ability to get the job done, X! However, despite having the height advantage and assuming he also has the standup advantage due to his world class boxing and muay thai abilities, Zaidi is equally as dangerous on the ground! “Pure Power” is 15-12 overall so he definitely has the combat experience in this fight! Having eight more fights than Peterson could be a major contributing factor in Zaidi figuring out how to one, avoid the onslaught that Peterson will surely unleash and two, get Peterson to the ground as soon as possible while avoiding that power and aggression! Zaidi’s current management and training team are his second in his career, and what’s odd to me is his previous management team decided to part ways despite him establishing a 4-fight win streak! You just don’t see a management team heading into a separate direction when a fighter is on a roll like that, but in this business, anything is possible at any point in time, even if it doesn’t make sense to a lot of people! Similar to his opponent this evening, Zaidi either knocks out his opponent or gets knocked out! Yes, there are some exceptions when he has won and lost by submission, but in general, he tries to win by TKO or tapout! He’s even made a few opponent bleed out to the point where the ref stepped in, so his punching power also has some piercing knuckles!

Xavier: In this classic battle of standup versus grappling fighter, once again the man who can either establish or thwart aggression will be the winner as I see it! An x factor in this fight is Peterson’s willingness and ability to lock Zaidi into a clinch and keep the fight in close quarters. Peterson can land opportune knees and elbows in the clinch, along with punches, obviously, but more importantly, he can feel Zaidi make takedown or pull guard attempts, and if Peterson is confident in his ability to defend the takedown time and again then the clinch may be the way to go to ensure he does the most damage in the fastest amount of time! Of course Peterson can stay on the outside and rain down strikes from a distance, but he may be taking a bit more of a risk with that strategy because Zaidi will have more room to build up momentum and speed for a takedown, and he obviously is as strong as a bull, so keeping him close, in my opinion, is the way to go! Peterson wins this clash by knockout!

Styles: Zaidi is just downright mean, X, and that mean streak will be the difference maker tonight! Add in the fact he’s on a very good roll in his last five fights and I don’t see Peterson stopping this wave of ferocity! It may take a while and Zaidi may have to take the counterattacking approach to get the takedown he seeks, but once Peterson allows Zaidi to plant him with a takedown, this is going to be finished quickly! Zaidi wins this fight by TKO because he’ll punish and bloody Peterson with vicious ground-and-pound!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Zaidi by TKO; Xavier – Peterson by KO

 

Styles: The last storm front of a fight tonight pits the current Lightweight champion, Will Rock, defending that coveted title against Sasha Beliy! “The Lion” is a fantastic 25-8-3 and immensely popular with the Empyrean fans! You see, X? Lion, not a frog, but a lion!

Xavier: Yes, Styles, I see that. Ribbit, again, can be named after whatever he so chooses. He’s a grown man and makes his own decisions.

Styles: True, but he should make smart decisions like Rock has because a lion can waste a frog any day of the week!

Xavier: Have you been watching National Geographic to confirm that?

Styles: Don’t get smart, X! Anyway, The Greek warrior from Athens and a representative of The Evil Empire is incredibly skilled in every facet of MMA! The man knows how to get the job done and that is evidenced by the number of times he’s been a champion, X! This dude has worm more gold than the Kardashians!

Xavier: Really!? We’re in Los Angeles now and you took it the route of the Kardashians?

Styles: It’s very fitting and you know it is! Those women are every frickin place and they’re always decked out in jewelry and gold!

Xavier: I can’t argue that point.

Styles: No, you can’t, so thank you! Here’s a warrior who’s seen it all and done it all! Nothing surprises him and he’ll be the first one to tell you that he’s taken his share of damage, has dished out his share of damage, and he keeps coming back for more! He’s had a 5-fight win streak and a 6-fight win streak, and again, the championship experience and success carries tremendous value and weight for his knowledge, ability and place amongst the halls of champions in Empyrean! In his last four fights, he’s won three of them and most recently, he had an incredible war against Kongchai Phetboonme at EMP Ispa vs. Magufuli I V that ended in a split decision win for Rock! Of course there are those who felt that Phetboonme won the fight and from the footage we saw, an argument can viably and vehemently be made for both sides!

Xavier: Check you out, Styles! Using words like vehemently. Very good.

Styles: Close your mouth, X! I know some advanced words, too! You’re not the only one!

Xavier: Hopefully this isn’t a prognostication of vicissitudes to occur.

Styles: What the hell did you just say!?

Xavier: Your reaction is all I needed to hear. Please, proceed.

Styles: Whatever! The only thing this man hasn’t done or had done, for that matter, is make an opponent bleed like a stuck hog to the point where the ref stopped the fight before it looked like a horror movie slasher movie. Rock has proven he can win the battle of attrition if, for some reason, he can’t seal the deal before the final bell, but he’s also capable of knocking an opponent onto dream street with his fists or feet! Beily better be at his best and completely on top of his game or this will be a very painful and disappointing night for him!

Xavier: “The Nomad” is slightly shorter than Rock but I don’t think that’s of any consequence because the bottom line is this: keep this fight on the vertical plane and give yourself the best chance of taking the title home with you tonight! Beily is 19-10 overall, and the Heritage member from San Bernardino, which isn’t too far from here, actually, has established a 4-fight win streak recently and the timing of that win streak is impeccable! Beliy needs every ounce of confidence he can muster from that win streak because make no mistake about it ladies and gentlemen, he’s in for probably the fight of his career tonight!

Styles: I would say so, X! Beily has been a champion in the past but that’s been some time. He definitely wants to establish himself as a current champion while he’s the number one contender and has this sweet opportunity looking him right in the face!

Xavier: I absolutely concur, Styles! The window of opportunity doesn’t stay open too long in an incredible organization such as Empyrean due to the vast number of fighters who have incredible skill sets and are very good at what they do. Beily had solid success with his previous management team and as you said, he wore gold around his waist and that can’t be overlooked or undervalued! However, after suffering a tough loss to Bill Oddie by knockout in the second round at TGC Crucible 13, he and his management team went their separate ways. With his current management and training team, it took a little while to get his footing but once he did, he ran off two separate occasions of 4-fight win streaks, including his current, and his management team has supreme confidence that tonight is his night!

Styles: What’s interesting to me is both of these warriors have absorbed quite a bit of damage over their careers and we can only wonder how much ability they have left to take a clean punch or kick to the dome?

Xavier: Punch or kick to the dome?

Styles: Yeah! You know, upside their head?

Xavier: Oh, I know what it means! I just didn’t think you’d use that particular vernacular.

Styles: I have to keep you on your feet, X, so I’ll interject some slang here and there to keep it real with the people!

Xavier: You do that.

Styles: Oh, I will! This incredible title fight could literally end up being decided by who’s jaw doesn’t get crunched under the weight of a power shot or who can avoid taking a shin to the side of the neck that nearly knock their eyes out of their head that causes them to fall to the mat like a tree!

Xavier: That’s a very valid point, Styles, and it will also boil down to who can gain the upper hand in positioning at the right time. It seems to me that trying to outwit the opponent will be the mental chess game these men will have to play to try and force the other to make the one error that either of these men need to take full advantage and gain the upper hand in the blink of an eye!

Styles: With all due respect to Beliy, it’s very difficult for me to go against the incredibly skilled and more combat experienced champion in this battle for the belt! Rock has been through hell and high water and that doesn’t stop him! He has plenty left in the tank and he’ll prove that tonight but successfully defending his title by wearing Beliy down with pure aggression and power in the standup to force Beliy to be more defensive, and when that happens, Rock will rush in, drag this fight to the mat and he’ll work diligently to gain the upper hand in side control or full mount then put this baby to bed by forcing Beliy to tapout!

Xavier: Beliy knows he’s the underdog in this battle but I think he embraces that, Styles! He knows the skill level of the champion as there is substantial footage to study and restudy. He’s also fully aware that he needs to keep his chin tucked, his hands up, and his head and feet moving fluidly, and that’s what we’ll see from the challenger tonight! Beliy has a chip on his shoulder because he hasn’t worn a title around his waist for some time now and he hears the doubters out there who question his ability to once again become a champion before he absorbs much more damage. He’s on a mission to prove to himself and others that he’s definitely and fully capable of overcoming a tremendously skilled warrior like Rock to be a champion! Beliy wins this battle by knockout using his vicious kicks to earn it!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Beliy by KO; Styles – Rock by Submission

 

Xavier: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for spending this time with Styles and I! We truly and greatly appreciate your time and attention, and we hope that we’ve provided you insight, entertainment and enlightenment in our first foray in Empyrean!

Styles: Most definitely! We also thank HELLBENT for being our merchandise partner and hookin’ us up with some awesome clothing, and we especially thank the administration of Empyrean for allowing us to come here and do our thing! We look forward to an awesome and kick ass 2020 and we hope all of you continue to join us as we break it down to molecules! Take care and we’ll see you at the fights!

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EMPYREAN: ISPA VERSUS MARCEAU PREVIEW

LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM

Xavier: Hello and welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to an action-packed night of MMA action as only Empyrean can bring! I’m Esiah Xavier, and joining me in the booth tonight is the gregarious Furious Styles!

Styles: While I’m still adjusting to this being a new year and decade, the biggest thing I’m adjusting to is the number of fans we have in attendance! You can’t understand the energy, passion and volume of 93,000 plus people in a stadium unless you’re actually in attendance!

Xavier: That’s a very valid point, Styles! Everyone knows Los Angeles has a reputation for big events and earthquakes, and the way this place is rocking tonight, we may have a 3.0 on the Richter Scale!

Styles: That wouldn’t surprise me on bit! Even before I arrived, I saw a sea of fans wearing various HELLBENT, specific fighter and Empyrean merchandise! People were chanting and they even changed my name when I was walking into the announcer’s entrance, and that was very cool! Some fans were dancing, and I think I even saw a few sparring challenges in the parking lot!

Xavier: That wouldn’t surprise me one bit! Tonight’s card promises to be another exciting chapter of the stories that Empyrean writes into the history books! There are two championship belts on the line tonight, Styles, and I can’t wait to see those!

Styles: That’s right, X! We have the Welterweight and the Light Heavyweight championships in the balance tonight, and I guarantee you those are going to be incredible battles!

Xavier: Undoubtedly! Tonight we’ll bear witness to one Bantamweight fight, two Lightweight fights, two Welterweight fights with one of them being for the championship of course, one Middleweight fight, one Light Heavyweight fight for the title, and two Heavyweight fights!

Styles: The Golden Globes were held on the same night of the last fight card so parties were jumpin’ in LA! Did you go to the Golden Globes, X?

Xavier: No, I didn’t because I wasn’t invited.

Styles: You weren’t invited? Damn, sorry dude.

Xavier: Wait a minute. You were invited?

Styles: Well, yeah! It’s me, X! Everyone wants me at their party!

Xavier: We’ve only been in LA for about a week!

Styles: There’s a lot that can be done in one week my man!

Xavier: Apparently so.

Styles: That’s just facts. Another fact is the first battle on the card is Serafim Lupei versus Antonio Salieri! That’s a cool name, Serafim. It sounds like a kick ass chemical mix or potion of some type!

Xavier: That’s one way of looking at it I suppose.

Styles: “Alfa” Lupei is 11-6 overall and this brawler from Bucharest, Romania and member of Hitokiri-13 just had a 2-fight win streak broken by Toshi Hijikata at EMP Ispa vs. Magufuli I V when he lost to Hijikata by unanimous decision! Lupei wants to get turn around his fortunes quickly to avoid a losing streak plus keep himself in prominent position for a future title shot! Since stepping foot into EMP, Lupei is an even 5-5 over his last ten fights so he’s still trying to figure out how to break that even record and get on the plus side of the win column! Most of his wins in EMP have been by unanimous decision so he has no problems fighting an attrition battle, but we all know the preference for all fighters is to be known as a finisher because in my opinion, that sends a louder and more impactful message to any future opponents! He’s definitely demonstrated that if he establishes the upper hand in the grappling focus of a fight then he’s not only very comfortable, but he’s equally dangerous!

Xavier: “Super” Salieri is four years older than Lupei and a bit shorter as well, but due to his vast combat experience, the physical stature difference won’t matter. Salieri knows how to handle various situations and types of opponents because, obviously, the man likes to fight and knows how to get the job done! With a record of 18-16-1, there isn’t much Salieri hasn’t seen or done! Similar to his opponent this evening, he recently had a winning streak snapped and that occurred on the same night and in the same fashion. He’s currently with his third management team and looking at his overall history, he’s had various win streaks with a 5-fight win streak being the longest. He’s also had a 4-fight losing streak as the longest on that side of things so much like his record indicates, he’s been up and down his entire fighting career! He’s earned a few title shots during this span of time but, unfortunately for him, he came up just a bit short each time.

Styles: Has a woman ever told you that you that, X!?

Xavier: What kind of question is that!? Hell no!

Styles: Just makin’ sure you’re handlin’ business, especially out here in LA! You don’t do what you’re supposed to and you’ll be put on blast before you can blink twice!

Xavier: I’m handling my business just fine, thank you!

Styles: For your sake, I hope so! The Italian warrior and Stepdads product has definitely been in his share of wars and one has to wonder how much more damage can he absorb and still be effective in combat!? Taking nothing away from his will to fight and warrior spirit, but the body can only take so much damage before it begins to quickly break down, and against Lupei, Salieri has to try and keep his body from breaking down! The way I see it, Salieri’s going to have to outthink Lupei because from what we’ve seen, Lupei is a bit more skilled overall plus I don’t think Salieri wants to have a toe-to-toe war with Lupei! Salieri’s going to have to counterattack whenever possible and he may have to throw caution to the wind and go for an early knockout, because the longer this fight progresses, the better the odds are that Lupei begins to take any momentum Salieri has away! Unfortunately for Salieri, I just don’t see him doing that tonight against Lupei, so my pick is Lupei wins this fight by knockout!

Xavier: Lupei is a very skilled fighter and that’s obvious! It’s surprising to me that he hasn’t had an opportunity to win a title as of yet but that may change in the near future. However, even though Salieri didn’t win the championship fights he was involved in, he did have those opportunities and that speaks volumes about his potential and what he’s capable of! He’s absorbed a lot of damage but he’s also dealt a lot of damage, and his experience could very well allow him to make Lupei open an opportunity that he wouldn’t otherwise, and if Salieri is able to make Lupei expose his defenses enough times, it could very well lead to victory for Salieri! I believe Salieri will win this battle by a surprise knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Salieri by KO; Styles – Lupei by KO

 

Xavier: Danny Sideman and Jeff Mma are the next combatants into the cage! Sideman, who represents Hitokiri-13, is 18-12-2 overall so he’s definitely seen his share of combat! This 30-year-old has had two different managers, and along with that, he has championship experience, the very valuable asset to have in this industry! Yes, he lost the title when he first defended it but the most important aspect is he held a title to begin with! Out of all of his fights, he’s only been knocked out twice, so technically speaking, he hasn’t absorbed an inordinate amount of damage to his jaw and could very well take more clean shots than opponents suspect! He’ll be extra motivated tonight because he just recently had a 2-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Eduardo Vieira at EMP Ispa vs. Magufuli I V. This will be the first time these two square off so there will be a bit of uncertainty as there is in every battle against a new opponent, but there’s enough combat experience and footage for Sideman to study on Mma, and vice versa. Though Sideman does have wins by knockout and submission, the main method of victory for him is by winning the battle of attrition, and that obviously works very well for him because he hasn’t suffered major injuries and has won more times than he’s lost. Winning is winning, bottom line.

Styles: Yes it is, X! “The Real Deal” Mma knows how to win as well, and his 20-11 record is a reflection of that! This warrior from Voorthuizen, Netherlands, had an 8-fight winning streak at the beginning of his career, a very impressive accomplishment! He has also been a champion and again, that experience can not be undervalued! He has shown a propensity of knocking people out or making referees stop the match, so despite him not having a knockout or technical knockout victory for a while, he still has that capability, and if he’s able to establish an aggressive pace early in the battle and pummel Sideman often with clean strikes, that volume of work could very well break Sideman’s defenses down long enough for Mma to do the damage necessary to score the knockout or referee stoppage! I do wonder about his psyche, however, X, because he’s lost his last two fights, and having that 2-fight losing streak hanging over him isn’t exactly just cause to be celebratory! Physically these two fighters match up basically evenly so there’ll be no major advantages on either side. This may very well boil down to sheer will and the ability to enforce one’s desire to win over the other.

Xavier: For both men, beginning this battle quickly and determining where they want the focus to be is key to this fight! From what I’ve seen in the footage from both men, we may very well see a standup struggle between these two! If that’s the case, I think Mma will have to counterattack and also seriously consider trying to take this fight to the ground in an effort to control the action in the cage as opposed to flat out trying to secure a win through physical means only! Wiseman has some thunder in his fists and I don’t think MMA wants to try and test his ability to take damage from Sideman’s strikes, so Mma will need to stay on his toes and keep his feet and head moving to avoid that clean shot from Sideman! In what some will consider to be a minor upset, I think Mma wins this fight by knockout!

Styles: With all due respect to Mma, I think Sideman’s skills are just too much for Mma to overcome! Most fighters train very diligently and I think that’s a safe and accurate statement to make. However, not all fighters are able to sustain high levels of skills over time, especially if they’ve been in numerous fights where they sustain heavy damage! Everyone has limits, X, and I think Mma is closer to his limit than Sideman is, plus the style of fighting that Sideman uses will benefit him very well in this matchup! If Sideman feels the momentum swinging over to Mma’s side, he can simply rush in, lock him in a clinch and unleash timely strikes while controlling the action and pace plus land opportune strikes to score vital points on the scorecards! If Sideman gets the clinch and avoids an unexpected takedown from Mma then I think this fight is a wrap! Sideman will either be methodical in his approach or try to overwhelm Mma with a series of strikes, but either way I think Sideman takes this one by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Sideman by KO; Xavier – Mma by KO

 

Styles: We progress to the next battle that pits Toshi Hijikata against Tony Hibbert! “Hitokiri” Hijikata is an excellent 20-9 overall, and the Japanese warrior from Hino has gained momentum recently with a 2-fight win streak! He recently had a 3-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Sasha Beliy when a nasty head kick turned out his lights in the first round at EMP Tower vs. Zulu 3! However, since that brutal knockout, Hijikata has turned things around and has won both of his recent battles by unanimous decision. At one point in time, he had a very impressive 9-fight win streak so he knows what he’s doing! Unfortunately for him, he’s also had a 5-fight losing streak and he obviously does not want to repeat that particular facet of history! I have to say, X, it shocks me that Hijikata isn’t a part of the Hitokiri-13 alliance!

Xavier: I’m glad you said that because that’s exactly what I was thinking! His nickname is the very name of the alliance so I assumed there would be a symbiotic relationship there.

Styles: Right!? That would go together like Meghan and Harry!

Xavier: Um, sure, something like that.

Styles: You know I’m right! I know they’re not a fighting alliance, or are they? After all, they do have a tiff with the Queen!

Xavier: That’s a valid point.

Styles: Of course it is. I said it! Anyway, Hijikata also has that often referred to championship experience. I know folks don’t understand why you and I harp on that aspect for those it applies to, but the value is just so very key to numerous situations. Hijikata is another very highly skilled fighter who’s comfortable in any situation, so it’s Hibbert’s job to make him as uncomfortable as possible tonight!

Xavier: Indeed it is, Styles. Hibbert is a bit shorter than Hijikata so if he takes the approach of keeping this fight on its feet, he’s going to have to rely on agility and speed more than strength, in my opinion, because though he’s highly skilled himself, and both athletes are world class in every facet of fighting, Hijikata may have the slightest upper hand in terms of overall skill. However, that doesn’t mean that Hibbert can’t get the job done because he’s proven that he can do exactly that! “Hibbo” is 17-10-1 overall, and this member of The Evil Empire from Liverpool is a bit younger than Hijikata as well, and that may come into play ever so slightly in terms of the physical capabilities of both men! Hibbert may have just a bit more speed due to his youth but I don’t think there’s a major advantage for either men on a physical level. Similar to his opponent tonight, Hibbert is carrying in momentum from a 2-fight win streak so there’s no advantage either way in that regard. Hibbert has had an 8-fight winning streak in the past and, yes, championship experience as well! He’s suffered some damaging knockout losses but not to the point where I feel his ability to take a clean strike to the jaw is automatically debilitating.

Styles: We also see on his record that he has a knockout by way of a knee and that’s not only impressive, but that’s also telling of the diversity of his skill set! Make no mistake about it ladies and gentlemen. This will be a very difficult fight for the both of these warriors! They’re basically evenly skilled in all aspects of fighting, and that makes choosing a winner all the more challenging. That being said, I’m taking Hijikata to win this fight because as I see it, he’s the more dangerous striker and definitely has the ability to keep this fight vertical where he can exploit the difference in his world class skills! Hibbert is a very proven opponent, no doubt, but I don’t think he can keep Hijikata at a distance for the entirety of this fight. In addition, Hibbert has taken more damage over his career and Hijikata’s precision striking will be able to test Hibbert’s ability to keep fighting after absorbing a punishing strike! Hijikata wins this fight by knockout!

Xavier: Although Hibbert has taken more damage over his career than Hijikata, or at least we make that assumption, his ability to end battles in any given circumstances is a valuable asset to have at all times! It doesn’t matter if he’s ahead or behind on the score cards because he just needs that one slip of a punch or dodging of a kick to launch an immediate counterattack that will test Hijikata’s defenses as well as his ability to absorb painful strikes! I expect this fight to be a struggle for both men but I think Hibbert can catch Hijikata off guard by taking this fight to the ground where Hibbert will have an easier time manipulating Hijikata’s limbs and locking in the submission for the win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Hibbert by Submission; Styles – Hijikata by KO

 

Xavier: The next lions who will fight are Murzol Gro Ulfimph and Derek Vinyard!

Styles: Murzol Gro Ulfimph? That sounds like an exotic drink or a magician’s name in the Lord of the Rings!

Xavier: Yes, it’s one of the very many unique names we’ve come across in our job functions and there will certainly be others that are unique to us.

Styles: Where’s he from?

Xavier: Mzuleft.

Styles: Where’s that!?

Xavier: Somewhere in the U.S., apparently.

Styles: Never heard of it.

Xavier: Although we’re both obviously American, that doesn’t mean we know every single city in every single state, Styles!

Styles: I know that, X! I’m just sayin’ that it’s an odd name and the city he’s from has an odd name!

Xavier: Got it. “Hired Gun” Ulfimph is a solid 17-10-1 overall, and this Evil Empire member steps into this battle with the momentum of a 2-fight win streak!

Styles: That seems to be the theme tonight, X. Is there something about a 2-fight win streak that we should know about?

Xavier: I guess you can attribute that to the level of talent in EMP because it’s difficult to win more than two fights in a row.

Styles: That’s one way of looking at it.

Xavier: Ulfimph has had win streaks of four and five in a row, so he can string together impressive victories with the best of them! There was a point in time when he lost four fights in a row as well so he knows the downside of not being able to establish momentum. One of the surprises from his accomplishments is he hasn’t worn gold around his waist as of yet! In the two opportunities he had to become a champion, he lost both by unanimous decision and I have a strong feeling he uses those losses as added fuel to his competitive fire! He obviously didn’t allow those losses to deter his desire to keep fighting and pursue future opportunities to be a champion, and one can only respect that heart of a warrior because not everyone has that! He seems to favor the grappling aspect of combat a bit more than the standup and it has obviously worked for him. Against Vinyard, he’s very slightly shorter and a bit lighter as well, so technically that will make it easier for him to lock in a submission on Vinyard should this fight end up on the ground.

Styles: “Wrong Bull” Vinyard, whatever “Wrong Bull” means, is 19-10 overall, and the Venice Beach product – which isn’t far from where we are at all, X, so he should have a bit of a home crowd advantage tonight – won his most recent battle against Tommy Walcott by unanimous decision at EMP Piano vs. McNasty! On two separate occasions, he’s had six-fight win streaks so this man can get it rolling quickly and sustain that dominance for a good stretch of time! Various LEGION OF DOOM members texted me and said they were very impressed by how Vinyard began his MMA career! He was an outstanding 12-1 when he first stepped foot into this industry and won multiple titles as well! For being that young, that’s very impressive and obviously very beneficial. Some of his losses have been quite brutal but overall, he hasn’t taken a lot of damage and that’s a testament to his skill and training regimen! That level of skill and training regimen will have an opportunity to be on display tonight against a very good opponent who is similar in skill and physical build.

Xavier: I think the approach that Vinyard takes tonight will be to keep this fight standing, Styles. His skills speak for themselves and they are world class like many of the warriors on the card tonight, but for this particular fight, along with his ability and proven track record of knocking opponents out, I feel the upper hand goes to Vinyard the longer this fight stays in the standup. If the fight goes to the ground, I highly doubt he’ll be worried or panicked but before that happens, I have a feeling he’ll stay on the outside and test Ulfimph’s striking defense, speed and chin with accurate strikes with sporadic power strikes intermingled to see how he handles them! If Vinyard senses that Ulfimph has any difficulties defending against strikes, expect him to try and catch him off guard with a very fast and stunning head kick or move in close to lock him in a clinch and test his defenses in close quarters while also defending against the takedown and wearing down Ulfimph slowly but steadily! Ulfimph will get frustrated because he won’t be able to take this fight to the ground, and in that frustration, he’ll take more risks in the standup to try and score a knockdown and those risks will allow Vinyard to finish this fight by knockout!

Styles: Ulfimph will definitely have a tough time getting this fight to the ground, X, but that’s exactly what he’ll manage to do as the fight progresses! Yes, he’s going to have to use caution in the standup and yes, he’s going to have to reserve power strikes for the sake of accurate counterstrikes that he hopes to keep Vinyard off balance with until he can position himself to get inside of Vinyard’s defenses and go for the takedown he wants, but that’s not an issue for Ulfimph because of his experience and the diversity of fighters he’s faced! Ulfimph knows his defense will have to be as best as he can get it because Vinyard can unleash a barrage of strikes in a very short period of time, but Ulfimph can also use that energy and aggression from Vinyard against him and score the takedown! Once this fight goes to the ground, Ulfimph has the strength, patience and knowledge to keep the fight on the ground and win the battle for positioning as well! Controlling the pace and space of this fight will be key for Ulfimph to defeat Vinyard, and we’ll see a grappling clinic put on by Ulfimph as he secures the submission for victory tonight!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Ulfimph by Submission; Xavier – Vinyard by KO

 

Styles: Up next we have…oh boy, this is too easy! You’ve got to be kidding me!

Xavier: What’s wrong, Styles!?

Styles: X, listen to this name! Hairy Scrotum!

Xavier: Seriously!?

Styles: Yeah man, I’m serious! Dude’s name is frickin Hairy Scrotum!

Xavier: Wow! That’s just…wow!

Styles: I know, right!? His opponent tonight is Domingo Chavez, and I tell you, X, if I were Domingo, I’d be damn sure my opponent took a shower and passed all the medical exams! That’s just nasty! Anyway, “Turtle” Scrotum…turtle?

Xavier: I’m not even going to try and imagine what that means!

Styles: I think I have an idea but damn! I’ll call him Turtle just for the sake of me keeping my dinner down! Turtle is a very good 24-12 overall, and this FinnFighters members from Shinsky, Zaire, has had some difficulty as of late, and that’s reflected on his record! The last three fights he’s had have not ended well at all for him, and the losses have been by unanimous decision, TKO and submission to a Rear Naked Choke, respectively! What makes this 3-fight losing streak even worse is it comes on the heels of a 4-fight win streak, and during that streak, Turtle became a champion and defended the title once successfully! Yes, the much-discussed championship experience is there and that can’t be taken away, and he’s been a champion before during an outstanding 10-fight win streak! During that streak, he was dropping opponents like second period French!

Xavier: Like second period French? I have to say, Styles, that’s actually amusing.

Styles: I drop gems here, X! Either you appreciate them or you don’t but I’m going to keep dropping gems and sharing my cleverness with everyone who listens! Turtle’s most recent loss was to Jay Steve by unanimous decision at EMP Piano vs. McNasty, and unfortunately for Turtle, that cost him a chance to once again be a champion! Needless to say, that left a bad taste in his mouth and he wants to get back on the winning path so he can keep his name relevant in the championship contender discussion!

Xavier: He has a decent height advantage over Chavez in this fight, Styles, and that could end up playing an impactful part in this fight. “Ding” Chavez…

Styles: Hold on!

Xavier: What is it now?

Styles: One dude’s last name is Scrotum and his opponent’s nickname is “Ding”!?

Xavier: That’s correct.

Styles: Scrotum Ding! I should trademark that name and sell it to an adult movie production company as a name for one of their male actors!

Xavier: TMZ, here we come! As I was saying, Styles, Chavez is a very respectable 22-9 overall, and this fighter from right here in Los Angeles will feel right at home and have plenty of crowd support, and that in itself could be a deciding factor as well! Fighters tend to fight better when they’re in familiar territory so don’t overlook that aspect. Chavez does have a bit of momentum heading into this fight as his 2-fight win streak shows, and the timing is excellent, in my opinion, because he’s battling an opponent who is struggling a bit. While any fighter in any fight can win and we all know that, having even the slightest of edges can give a fighter more confidence and that’s always an x factor in any fight. On two separate occasions, Chavez has strung together 5-fight winning streaks so he definitely knows how to get the job done when he’s rolling and feeling good! Championship experience comes into play for Chavez as well and looking at his overall combat record, there’s pretty much a balance of unanimous decision victories mixed with knockout and TKO wins! He definitely has been brutalized in some of his losses as well and I have no doubt that Turtle has taken that into account!

Styles: It’s very difficult for a fighter to not have absorbed a lot of damage at this point in his career as well as the age that both of these warriors are! There are the few lucky souls who either have avoided serious damage all together by skill and some luck, while there are others who just simply rarely get hurt no matter how many times they get tagged with various strikes, but most normal humans have taken a good amount of damage later in their careers, especially in the fight game! In this fight tonight, I’m going to take the man with the crazy name and choose Scrotum, Sack Dawg, Seam Split, Under The Gut Nut Hut or whatever other moniker you want to attach to his name to win this fight tonight! My reasons are simple: he has the height advantage and to me, he has the striking advantage in terms of knockout power! That combination is dangerous at all times and that’s the case for Chavez tonight! If Chavez doesn’t keep his chin tucked and hands up at all times, he could get severely chin checked by one of Turtle’s wrecking ball uppercuts or even a blast from a head kick that snaps between Chavez’s hands! Either way, I don’t think Chavez will be able to keep Turtle at bay the entire fight and will eventually succumb to the onslaught that Turtle unleashes! Turtle wins this fight by knockout!

Xavier: Chavez has the home court advantage, so to speak, and I think that’s going to inspire him to fight above himself! What I mean is this: he knows that he’s taken some brutal damage over the course of his career because he’s obviously the one who feels it, especially a couple of days after a hard-fought battle! Pain is an excellent teacher, Styles, and there are many who learn her lessons all too well. Chavez has learned what pain is and he also knows how to dish out the pain! In front of his family and home crowd, Chavez will be extremely motivated to not only win this fight but to put on one hell of a show, and to do that, he’s going to have to push himself further than he may have done previously! He unquestionably respects Turtle’s power but does Turtle respect his? That’s the question that needs answering in this fight, Styles, and I think Chavez is going to surprise Turtle and others with his display of accurate, damaging strikes and excellent combinations that will catch Turtle off guard and either stun him and set him up to be knocked out, or he’ll be flat out knocked out before he hits the canvas! Either way, look for Chavez to be very aggressive in his pursuit of an early win tonight so he can make a mark in Los Angeles in front of his family and fans!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Chavez by KO; Styles – Scrotum by KO

 

Xavier: Mister McNasty…oh boy.

Styles: McNasty!? Did he have a bad experience at McDonald’s or something?

Xavier: Who knows? You’ll have to ask him sometime to find out what’s up with the root of his last name. McNasty and Kvame Zulu square off tonight and McNasty, who calls himself “White Tyson”, is 22-11-1 overall!

Styles: White Tyson, huh? I wonder if he’s ever crossed paths with Mike Tyson!?

Xavier: If he has, you better believe Mike either found his nickname to be very amusing or he gave him that look that only Mike Tyson can give, and told him that anytime he wants to test himself against him, give him a call and they can fight at his Las Vegas home! McNasty hails from the Isle of White in England…

Styles: Isle of White? Isn’t it spelled Wight?

Xavier: Yes, but he listed it as white to fit his nickname.

Styles: Oh…yeah…I knew that!

Xavier: Mmmhmm. McNasty recently had a 4-fight winning streak halted by Rick Piano when they battled for the Heavyweight title last month on a card that was titled and headlined by them! That loss definitely left McNasty feeling he should have done a lot better and he’ll look to gain redemption by getting back in the win column against Zulu tonight! McNasty’s longest career winning streak is seven and his longest losing streak is five, so he can be unpredictable at times. However, he knows how to win and he has proven championship mettle, so Zulu absolutely can’t underestimate his capabilities! McNasty has also proven to be a knockout artist! Though many of his fights have been unanimous decision victories, he has definitely knocked out quite a few fighters so he still possesses that explosive power! What’s interesting to me, Styles, is that every single loss on his record has been by unanimous decision! He’s never submitted to anyone nor has he had his lights turned out, and needless to say, that’s extremely impressive, especially at this stage of his career!

Styles: That means he’s one tough son of a bitch!

Xavier: That’s absolutely one way of looking at it, yes! He has also made a few opponents bleed so badly that the referee and ringside doctor decided that the fight needs to stop, and that accentuates the power that McNasty possesses! Zulu is definitely going to get his money’s worth tonight in this fight, that’s a guarantee!

Styles: “Brahma” Zulu of YABAI hails from New Xade, Botswana, and this warrior is an outstanding 23-7 overall! This large brawler is feared because of his power and his world class boxing and muay thai skills! In addition to that, the dude can take a cannon shot to the jaw and keep coming, so the seven losses on his record are even more impressive because it basically takes a semi-trailer truck to knock this dude down, so kudos to the opponents who managed to either knock him out or bleed him out! Now, he is a bleeder and that’s a problem in the overly large human being division known as the Heavyweight division, but that’s the risk these men take and are willing to take to be king of that division! He’s had 7-fight and 9-fight win streaks so his hands are definitely weapons of destruction, and if you toss in the fact he’s only had a handful of fights extend to the third round, what you have here is a fighter who either crushes his opponent or bleeds all over them! Toss in his championship achievement and acumen and that’s all the more impressive!

Xavier: McNasty is going to have to take some risks here tonight if he wants a legitimate opportunity to emerge victorious from this potentially very bloody and very catastrophic encounter! Make no mistake about it, Styles, these two men are going to stand toe-to-toe and accost one another with purely bad intentions and this may very well boil down to the simple fact of whose chin can take the brutality and hold up under the pressure and impact! Since McNasty is giving up as much height as he is, counterattacking and chopping away at Zulu’s legs and body are going to be absolutely vital if he’s going to walk out under his own power! Wearing down Zulu and avoiding his power strikes is paramount! Any slippage and McNasty is going to have one very hard night! That being said, I think McNasty’s shorter stature will be of benefit to him if he’s quick and agile enough to land counterstrikes while making Zulu miss power strikes. If McNasty thinks he can land some elbows to make Zulu bleed then look for McNasty to lock in a clinch and go for broke! McNasty wins this by knockout in a very bloody affair!

Styles: There’s no denying that some opponents have made Zulu bleed like a stuck hog and that’s something he’s going to have to contend with as long as he’s a heavyweight! Absorbing very damaging blows comes with the territory but Zulu’s been in enough scuffles to know how to handle it! He’ll be full steam ahead against McNasty and I think Zulu has a major advantage here because of his height! He can paw away at McNasty all night long with his accurate, snapping jabs and use that to not only keep McNasty from locking him into a clinch, but also keep him in perfect range for him to land those cage-shaking punches and kicks that will dent McNasty’s body and face until he either can’t take it anymore or Zulu’s too tired to keep up the pace! I very highly doubt this fight makes it out of the first round with both men landing and taking some incredibly brutal and bone-crushing shots! Zulu has the higher impact power in my opinion, and that power will be the factor that ends this fight for McNasty when he’s knocked out by Zulu!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Zulu by KO; Xavier – McNasty by KO

 

Styles: Onto the next one, folks, and the two young tigers who will battle before our two title fights are Lain Tower and Yhorm Giant! “The Cn”, or Canada abbreviated, Tower is an incredible 25-6! La Familia is extremely proud of this behemoth’s achievements and they have every right to be! The very large man from Toronto has had a few managers in his career and that surprises me because it’s uncommon to find a man of his size and stature who is also an accomplished fighter. Each training and management team is different, obviously, and with those differences come various philosophies. However, everyone’s philosophy in the fight game is success, and it’s very hard to argue the success of this warrior! Anyone who can put together a 10-fight win streak and an 8-fight win streak is damn good no matter how you look at it! What’s even more impressive is the fact he’s won by cracking skulls with his fists and feet! Typically, a man his size is unable to utilize kicks well because they tend to be delivered slowly and with little balance, but he’s obviously solved that conundrum! In the heavyweight division, it’s all about fast starts, X! None of these monsters among men can afford to absorb a lot of damage and attempt to win with a comeback, so to speak!

Xavier: That’s an excellent point, Styles! No disrespect to any of these outstanding combatants, but it’s definitely not expected that a heavyweight fighter will move or deliver strikes with a lot of speed unless they’re a freak athlete. The most interesting facet about Tower is his ability to take fights to the ground and win by submission! There aren’t many men of this size and weight who are willing to go on the horizontal plane and risk having a man of equal size and weight lean their body against theirs and force them to support a substantial amount of weight while trying to fight and survive! That factor could very well prolong his career because he can avoid being lambasted time and again by teeth-shattering strikes, but in this division, every man has to be able to withstand explosive power or falter under its weight! Tower is a former champion as well so Giant has, pun intended, a giant-sized fight on his hands tonight!

Styles: Giant is exactly that! There aren’t a lot of human beings walking the planet who stand 7’3” for us non-Metric system users, and weigh 292 pounds! That’s a very large human being! Los Angeles has its own storied giant known as Mr. Shaquille O’Neal and he’s not as tall as Giant, though I think O’Neal outweighed Giant when he was playing in the NBA, but that’s neither here nor there. What matters is, Giant and Tower are going to test the weight capacity of the ring tonight! Giant is taller, heavier and older, so that combination makes this fight very interesting from the perspective that Tower could potentially get inside of Giant’s defenses and chop away at his legs and body in an effort to sap his strength and make him more vulnerable to power strikes! What’s interesting to me, despite Giant having a 5-fight and 4-fight winning streak is he has never worn gold around his massive waist! That seems nearly unfathomable because of his sporadic dominance, but that’s the way it is! Like his massive opponent across the ring, Giant has both punch and kick knockouts to his credit and that means either one of these men could be kissing canvas at any point in time from a brain-rattling punch or neck-cracking kick! One possibility though, X, is Giant and Tower decide to make this a battle of wits, flexibility, strength and grappling on the ground! Both of them are well-versed in wrestling and BJJ so this could very well be one of the biggest submission battles, quite literally, that EMP will ever see!

Xavier: That would be completely out of left field and would provide a very unique challenge and perspective to both of these mammoths because the expectation is a standup war with each man thumping the other man’s body until something gives!

Styles: That would definitely be very unexpected, in my opinion, because these two tanks are quite literally built for destruction! One of their legs is the same size as two of a normal man’s leg, and it’s just crazy to think that they’d both pass up an opportunity to try and sever ligaments and tendons with sheer power and skill and instead opt to see which large body can bend which way and for how long! I think it would be a travesty if this wasn’t a battle of chin checks because that’s primarily what got them both here plus, let’s be honest. The fans want to see these two detonate one another until one of them falls like a tree! I think Tower will topple the Sycamore tree known as Giant because he’ll be able to get inside of his defenses and unload on his ribs, kidneys and liver until he’s too tired to lift his arms and protect his head! Once Giant drops his guard, Tower can put all he has into a chin-cracking uppercut to end this fight by knockout!

Xavier: Some member of Hitokiri-13, a rather busy alliance tonight, sent out some Tweets and promised all of us that the walking mountain known as Giant is going to bring it in a big way tonight! He has the height and weight advantage, which is probably the case 99% of the time in any fight he’s in, and that’s a hell of a lot of momentum and velocity where he’s launching unforgiving punches and kicks from! It’s extremely impressive that a man of this size is even capable of going to the ground quickly, let alone the fact he can function there effectively and comfortably, but his bread and butter is the standup game, Styles! Staying on the outside and making Tower try and avoid the thunderous strikes is right up Giant’s alley, especially if he lands a few leg or body kicks that make Tower second guess just about everything he’s trying to execute in this fight! Giant wins this hardcore battle by knockout because he’ll land that one shot from distance that rattles the very core of Tower’s existence!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Giant by KO; Styles – Tower by KO

 

Xavier: We have now reached the co-main event of the night, folks, and on the line in this fight is the Welterweight championship! As calm and cool as Jay Steve and Nick Graves appear, there has to be at least a few butterflies in each man’s stomach!

Styles: I agree completely, X! No matter how many battles a man has been in, when there’s a title on the line, the anticipation is higher, the nerves more sharp, the passion and desire stronger, and the will to push the boundaries palpable!

Xavier: Very well said! “Mr Love”, the man who’s nickname is missing a period after mister but that’s all right, is a solid 18-10 overall! The Netherlands product with no apparent home city is yet another very skilled warrior we’ll be seeing in the ring tonight and he’s obviously the current title holder, which speaks volumes about his ability! Throughout his career, he’s had a few different managers and has had good overall success, but his most successful run as I see it has been with his current management and training team! He’s won eight out of nine fights and has two occasions of 4-fight win streaks! In fact, the win streaks are sandwiched around a loss to Kagekatsu Uesugi by unanimous decision at AEW 26! His most recent battle was a unanimous decision victory over the man who’s name still baffles me, Hairy Scrotum, and that was at EMP Piano vs. McNasty! The momentum is very good and the confidence is very high for the champion, and he’s going to need those advantages along with his championship experience, because Graves will definitely do all he can to bring it to the champ tonight!

Styles: You’re damn right about that, X! “Dr. Kneevil”, very clever with the nickname, Graves, is an outstanding 27-6 overall! This accomplished member of The Stepdads from Calgary has had two managers and obviously has been successful with both. It absolutely floored the entire industry when his first manager went his separate way because Graves started his career undefeated! He was undefeated but far more impressive, X, the dude went on a frickin tear and won an incredible 13-fight winning streak! 13 in a row, X! Some fighters don’t win thirteen fights in their entire career! Of course he won championship gold during that tremendous run and defended it multiple times, yet he and management had a mutual split. That’s just unbelievable to me but hey, to each their own! His current management team stepped in and he picked up right where he left off, winning two more battles to stretch his record to 15-0 to start his career! Those are Hall of Fame numbers! Of the six losses on his record, five of them have been by TKO and three of those five have been to Luc Gagnon! To say that he and Gagnon have developed an intense rivalry is a vast understatement! Gagnon has apparently solved the riddle known as Graves and you bet your ass that Steve reviewed each nanosecond of those fights between Gagnon and Graves so he could pick up any minor advantage he could see!

Xavier: Against any opponent, any possibility of seeing previous battles is advantageous if the film is scrutinized with great detail! Obviously Gagnon isn’t Steve but at its core, fighting is fighting, and if Steve found anything he feels he can exploit, he will do everything in his power to take full advantage of that!

Styles: Maybe Steve has something hidden in that 1970’s afro that can throw Graves off his game!

Xavier: Stop it! Since these men are very similar in physical size and weight, skills will be heavily relied upon in this fight, and from the footage we’ve seen of their recent battles, I believe Steve will take the approach that he needs to get this fight on the ground as quickly as possible to not only give himself the best chance of trying to slow Graves down and control the pace of the fight, but Steve obviously avoids the tenderizing kicks and ruthless punches that Graves has shown he can deliver! Steve has very good BJJ skills and he obviously has the best chance of utilizing them when he can get control of Graves and make this a position and transition battle on the ground! Quick thinking and reactions are the name of the game in this fight, Styles, and Steve is smart enough to know this fight has to be horizontal for him to have the greatest chance of defeating Graves and continuing his title reign!

Styles: Although Graves has suffered some damaging defeats, that hasn’t caused him to lose his overwhelming punching power nor has it slowed his lethal kicks! Will he take a cautious approach against Steve to test his reactions and striking power, or will we see a very aggressive and risk-taking Graves tonight who will put immense pressure on the champion in the standup and may even opt to try and have a clinch battle so he can feel the attempted takedowns from Steve from the clinch!? It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Graves is, wait for it, hell bent…on locking Steve into a clinch and trying to slow him down from there with timely strikes and maybe even stunning him with elbows over the top of his defenses!

Xavier: Hell bent…that was well done, Styles, I have to give you that.

Styles: Thank you. Like I said, gems.

Xavier: In this title fight, I’m leaning ever so slightly towards the champion, Styles, and I’ll tell you why. Steve has had to battle competitors who were technically more sound than him and he’s found ways to be successful! Experience, championship mettle, heart and determination make a champion and both of these men exude those qualities, definitely! However, Steve strikes me as the more crafty of the two fighters and that knowledge and ability will allow him to deter any momentum Graves is able to establish in this fight while it’s in the standup! Once Steve drags Graves to the mat, Steve’s tenacity and reflexes will frustrate Graves and cause him to take more chances to gain the upper hand in the transition, and once Graves tries a transition that Steve wants him to try, Steve will pounce on the opportunity, control Graves at that point and methodically work his way into dominant position to rain down strikes until Graves is forced to cover up and allow Steve to lock in a submission that leads to the champion retaining the title!

Styles: Graves is an outstanding fighter, especially in the standup, and he also knows what he’s dealing with in Steve tonight! He knows it’s imperative and crucial that he keeps this fight vertical at all costs where he has the absolute best chance of putting Steve to sleep with his capable and powerful punches and kicks! If Graves can establish a very high level of aggression quickly and stay on top of Steve, Graves can steamroll the champion against the cage and unleash a storm of strikes until Steve focuses purely on defense, in which case Graves can lock in a clinch and absolutely go full throttle in his attempt to make the champion take an early nap! Even if Steve is able to withstand the barrage of obliteration that Graves pours down, he’s going to have to bypass takedown attempts and that will frustrate the champion! Steve knows it’s a very big risk to try and match the energy and aggression that Graves will bring into this battle, and even if Steve opts to attach Graves with counterattacks, I just don’t see the champion being able to stall the bull rush from Graves long enough to avoid being put to sleep the hard way! Graves wins this battle by knockout and becomes the new champion!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Graves by KO; Xavier – Steve by Submission

 

Styles: Last but not least we have the Light Heavyweight championship in the balance as Tank Ispa and Jean-Claude Marceau are set to lock horns in the cage!

Xavier: Before you even say it, Styles, I don’t think Jean-Claude Marceau has any relation to Jean-Claude Van Damme!

Styles: How did you know I’d ask you that!?

Xavier: Lucky guess.

Styles: How cool would it be if he was related to him?

Xavier: That would be cool and I wonder if we could convince him to join us up here in the booth and provide commentary?

Styles: Forget commentary! I’d ask him if he could do the splits on the furniture up here then attract some of these super model hotties out here so I can have a chance to talk to more of them!

Xavier: I see you’re still putting the organization first, right, Styles?

Styles: Shut your mouth, X! Empyrean knows I promote them as often as I can but hell, there’s nothing wrong with me tryin’ to hook up a little somethin’ somethin’ while I do it! Have you seen some of these women out here!?

Xavier: Of course I have, Styles! However, there’s a time and place for everything!

Styles: Yes! I’m trying to get at least one of these ladies to give me the time and their place or mine and we can do everything!

Xavier: TMZ and Human Resources is definitely going to like you a great deal!

Styles: Yeah they will! Wait a minute, what!?

Xavier: Ispa is an outstanding 19-7-2 overall, and this warrior from Finland is definitely a submission specialist! He has made many a man tap out from unbearable pain but, Styles, when it comes to his opponent, Marceau is definitely familiar to Ispa! This will be the fourth meeting between these two stemming back to their first battle at EMP Gagnon vs. Toivonen. Ispa won that initial battle by unanimous decision, but since that point, Marceau evened the score at EMP Madog vs. Sitsongrit when he knocked Ispa out in the second round of that battle! At EMP Scrotum vs. Sonnen, Ispa took his vengeance by making Marceau tap out to an Armbar submission in the second round! There’s something about the second round with these two fighters! Marceau is looking to even that score tonight and that adds a bit more flavor and intrigue to this fight, as if having the championship on the line wasn’t enough! Ispa recently had a 3-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Kassim Magufuli I V when he was knocked out, so Ispa obviously wants to prove to himself and to Marceau that he’s back in the driver’s seat and can snap right back into form after that loss! Ispa’s longest win streak has been five in a row and he’s definitely been a bit back and forth as of late, but he has a winning record and he’s a champ. Nothing can take that away from him!

Styles: He’s a champion for a reason, X, and no one is trying to take away the man’s accomplishments at all! The only thing trying to be taken away tonight is that coveted title and Marceau is the one to try and do that very act! As you alluded to, X, Ispa and Marceau are no strangers to one another, and that makes this fight even that much more difficult quite frankly, because neither one of them can really pull off any surprises. The French brawler rom Paris is an accomplished member of The Stepdads, yet another busy alliance here tonight, and the man with the odd face paint was let go very early on in his career after a successful debut against Test Cuatro at T185 Makarenko vs, Rubin III. His current management and training team found him in a rather distraught frame of mind but somehow managed to pull him together and needless to say, the pairing has been quite successful! At 21-9 overall, Marceau has basically done it all and his best win streak has been four in a row so far in his career! One thing to take note of, however, is Marceau has lost three fights because he couldn’t keep his blood from staining his face paint too much, so that’s something he’ll have to keep in the back of his mind if Ispa begins to pour on the pressure and lands sharp punches that cause lacerations on Marceau’s face!

Xavier: It’s definitely troublesome when a man who wears black-and-white face paint has crimson rivulets running down his face because that makes for quite a scene! Marceau doesn’t have a lot of decision finishes to his fights and the fans love his aggressive approach to each and every fight! It obviously exposes him to potential heavy damage and he’s taken his share of hard knocks, but here he is in position to wear his first title! You know the opportunity in front of him tonight is extremely valuable because he may not have many more chances to become a champion, and that very fact will fuel him in this fight tonight! He’s shorter and lighter than Ispa so speed, counterattacking and getting this fight to his pace is his best bet from my perspective. Marceau’s going to have to locate an effective range where he can defend himself from Ispa’s strikes as well as his potential takedown attempts! Ispa is obviously very skilled in grappling and BJJ, and he definitely favors the ground game, so Marceau’s going to have to try and keep up his record of minimal decision wins and go for the win before the judges can intervene! Choosing the right time to unleash power strikes will be the key aspect for Marceau tonight, and he could opt to take the chance of clinching with Ispa and trying to land elbows and knees, especially, where he knocked out Arany Dali at EMP Tower vs. Wolff in the second round, which was his very first battle in EMP! He made a statement with that knee and knee strikes could very well be a difference maker here as well! Marceau will find his striking range to tune up Ispa’s chin like he did in a previous battle and Marceau will know the feeling of being a heralded champion!

Styles: Ispa has the mental advantage in this fight, X, because he knows he can make Marceau tap out to him! That black belt in BJJ does more than just hold up his gi! Ispa also knows, especially after his recent loss to Kassim Magufuli I V that his striking defense and speed will be of utmost importance tonight! He simply can’t allow Marceau to get any clean looks at his jaw or his temples, because Marceau could rely on more kicking than usual and catch Ispa by surprise with an axe kick or outside head kick that Ispa’s not ready for and that could prove to be dangerous! Ispa’s had plenty of time to sharpen his defensive skills and techniques, and he can rely on his Golden Gloves boxing skills and world class muay thai skills to keep Marceau at enough of a distance to score vital points and wear Marceau down before dragging the Frenchman to the mat to outwrestle him, tire him out, win the position battle, then very aggressively go for the ground-and-pound! If Ispa doesn’t secure the victory via ground-and-pound, his onslaught will still force Marceau to sacrifice his defenses and positioning, and when that happens, Ispa will clamp in a submission that Marceau simply can’t withstand and force him to once again tap out, allowing Ispa to retain his championship!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Ispa by Submission; Xavier – Marceau by KO

 

Styles: And there you have it, good people! Thank you as always for giving us your time, energy and attention, we do truly appreciate it, and we hope the information we’ve provided you tonight is both beneficial and entertaining!

Xavier: A big shout out to HELLBENT for being our merchandise partner and allowing many fighters to have some awesome gear plus provide us excellent amenities in the broadcast booth! We truly appreciate them and we especially appreciate all of you since it’s all of you that make this possible! Thank you very much for joining us tonight and like all of you, Styles and I very much look forward to seeing these awesome fights! Take care, be well, and we’ll see you around the cage!

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EMPYREAN: TOIVONEN VERSUS ASHAM PREVIEW

LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM

Xavier: Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the number one fight organization in New York!

Styles: That’s right, X! Empyrean rocks the Big Apple so hard that they have to hold their events in LA because LA knows how to handle the mini earthquakes that the 93,607 wild fight fans cause each and every time there’s an Empyrean event!

Xavier: That was a good one, Styles!

Styles: Of course it was! I said it and I only speak gems!

Xavier: Naturally. Tonight, we have an action packed ten fights and we promise you that you’ll see some heavy hitting, lip splitting, high kicking, face bleeding, body kneeing, limb twisting!

Styles: That’s the spirit, X! Nicely done!

Xavier: Well, thank you, Styles. Tonight, we’ll be seeing two championships fights among the ten fights on the card tonight! There will be one Featherweight fight and the title is on the line, one Lightweight, three Welterweight, one Middleweight fight with the title on the line, one Light Heavyweight fight and three Heavyweight fights!

Styles: Thank you for that breakdown and let’s get to the action! Kickin’ off tonight’s action will be Dougal McCraken and Shane MacGowan! In a manner of speaking, we’ve got a battle of the micks so this will be interesting because both men want to have the superior mick name! Mc and Mac, either way, one of these men will get dropped! “Scottish” McCraken steps into this fight with a 7-6 record. This brawler from the Isle of Mull and YABAI representative recently snapped a 2-fight win streak by defeating Gennady Mikhasevich at EMP Asham vs. Marley by unanimous decision! Looking at this fighter’s entire scope of work, you’ll see that there’s only been one fight that didn’t end in a decision! The assumption is he’s not satisfied with that particular fact because we all know fighters want to be known as finishers or closers! Yes, a win is a win but finishing a fight early not only has certain satisfaction, but it also sends a message to all future opponents! One silver lining in his fight history is he’s only been knocked out once so in terms of damage, he’s relatively untouched! Physically, he’s about the same size as MacGowan so there’s no prominent advantage there.

Xavier: “The Pogue” MacGowan, a rather austere looking warrior from Pembury, England, is a solid 19-12 overall stepping into the cage tonight! Besides his affinity for shotguns, MacGowan enjoys being in brutal battles as evidenced by his fight history! One advantage he has over McCraken is championship experience, and we both know how I feel about that. However, one advantage McCraken has over MacGowan is the far less amount of damage absorbed. MacGowan has been in some serious wars with his best win streak being six! He’s made many a warrior tap out and has dropped others with thunderous strikes, but he’s also been tapped out and knocked out so his fights can go either way! That’s true for every fight, quite frankly, but when you have a fighter with history like MacGowan’s, it’s even more prominent, especially since he’s won a championship on two separate occasions! Lately, however, he’s had his struggles and has lost three fights in a row. The last two, in particular, have been losses by TKO, so that naturally leads to the question of how much more damage can MacGowan absorb, especially on his chin, and continue fighting at a high level? McCraken’s not necessarily known as a knockout artist but it doesn’t take a knockout artist to bash the chin of an opponent whose chin has been brutalized time and again!

Styles: That’s very true, X, but I still think MacGowan has the advantage in this fight! Championship experience, as you said, is a major advantage that can’t be overlooked! Yes, he’s been in some wars but he’s also learned how to keep his chin out of harm’s way long enough to get the job done! Plus, he’ll take this fight to the ground where he has the advantage on the ground! He’ll drag McCraken to the ground by overwhelming him and keep this fight on the ground where he can control the action and eventually lock McCraken into a submission for the win!

Xavier: McCraken doesn’t have a history of finishing fights, but with an opponent who has absorbed so much damage, his potential to end this fight by knockout is greatly increased! McCraken knows how to win the battle of attrition plus he knows how to avoid taking damage. In this fight, that’s a major advantage, even if he has no championship experience. McCraken will pour on the pressure with quick, accurate strikes and once MacGowan begins to slow down, McCraken will step up the aggression to get the rare finish by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – McCraken by KO; Styles – MacGowan by Submission

 

Xavier: Next into the cage to test their mettle will be Verneri Ahma and Paddy Fagan! Ahma hailed from Helsinki, Finland, and he trains there as well. This warrior had an incredible 11-fight win streak to begin his career! That’s one hell of a way to start out of the gate, Styles!

Styles: Hell yeah it is! That’s extremely impressive and speaks to his capabilities and training regimen!

Xavier: However, after earning that incredible win streak and becoming a champion along the way, he ran into some difficulties and has been losing more fights than he’s won, so that’s naturally a concern that he and his management team are addressing as best as possible! His last two fights have ended in the first round, and unfortunately, they’ve ended in a combined three minutes and five seconds! Early in his career, he was dropping men left and right with his dangerous strikes! He recently got knocked out by a head kick delivered by Sasha Beliy at EMP Kansalainen vs. Madog! Overall, however, he hasn’t taken too much damage but his losses by submission are a concern, no doubt! He’s shorter than Fagan so he’ll either have to try and test Fagan’s chin with counterattacks or just go for broke in the standup, but by all means he has to keep this fight vertical! If Fagan manages to get this fight to the ground, Ahma could very well find himself in serious trouble!

Styles: The Dublin battler and UnderGround Fights enterprise member known as Fagan has battled his way to a 16-12 overall record! The Irishman has had a few managers over the course of his career and has managed to earn a winning record, so he’s definitely capable of great achievements! Unfortunately for him, the two times that he’s been faced with an opportunity to win a championship, he fell just a bit short and that probably haunts him still! His longest win streak is three, but he’s never lost more than two in a row and that’s a testament to his ability. He’s proven that he can knock any man out so Ahma will have to be sure he doesn’t underestimate this man’s punching power! Fagan has absolutely been through some very tough battles that have been very taxing on his body and chin, but he continually gets back into the cage and shows the heart of a warrior! Since he has the height advantage in this fight, I’d wager that he’ll want to keep this fight standing and may even lock Ahma in a clinch where he may have a bit of an advantage and can wear Ahma down while in the clinch! He could even stay on the outside and pump jabs at Ahma and force him to adjust and take risks to get inside of Fagan’s defenses! If Ahma manages to get close to Fagan, Fagan could take this fight to the ground and go for the submission or the ground-and-pound win!

Xavier: Ahma knows he has a challenge on his hands because he doesn’t want to test Fagan’s skills on the ground! Starting off fast and keeping the pressure on will be key for this fight if Ahma wants to walk out as the winner! Counterattacking Fagan to the body, especially, may be very important for Ahma to do because slowing Fagan down gives Ahma a better chance of keeping this fight standing! The longer he does that, the better his chances! Also, keep in mind that he still has some explosion in his punches, and I think he’ll land the shot that detonates Fagan’s chin for the win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Ahma by KO; Styles – Fagan by Submission

 

Xavier: Marciano Cobb and Marco Alvado continue the intensity and high-level skills! “Crusty” Cobb…

Styles: Crusty!? Oh lord, I really hope that nickname doesn’t apply to his underwear!

Xavier: Come on, Styles! That’s gross!

Styles: Exactly! That’s what I’m saying, and I hope that’s not the case!

Xavier: Now I have that visual in my head! Great! Thanks, Styles! The man with the unique tattoo design on his head and Vendetta member is a very good 22-11 overall! This warrior from Massachusetts has had two managers in his career. He began his career quite well with a 6-fight win streak before losing two in a row! After those losses, he and his management team mutually parted ways. When he signed on with a different manager, he started off very well by winning another six in a row! He’s been involved in more decision battles since signing with his new management team, but he still has dropped some opponents and is a dangerous striker! His success has also included being a champion who defended his title once on two separate occasions, so the man knows how to get the job done. He’s very slightly shorter than Alvado but weighs quite a bit more, so I look for Cobb to try and use that weight advantage by leaning on Alvado in the clinch and may even try to do the same by taking this fight to the ground and doing his best to establish and maintain dominant position while making Alvado carry that additional weight! I see this fight being a standup war, however, and Cobb will definitely have to let his fists fly so he can test Alvado’ chin early and often! Cobb leans on Alvado to wear him down and set him up for a knockout win!

Styles: Alvado hails from Turin, Italy, and the YABAI member has fought his way to a very good 14-8-1 overall record! Cobb obviously has more in-cage fight experience over Alvado but Alvado’s been in enough fights to know how to handle himself! Oddly enough, Alvado literally had one fight with his previous manager and despite winning that fight in the first round by TKO, his management team decided to head in a different direction. He was quickly signed by another manager, his current one, and had a rough start but turned things around quickly by winning four in a row! Most of his fights have been decisions but he does have a few knockouts on his record, so he can’t be underestimated by Cobb! Alvado may opt to try and make this an endurance battle by locking Cobb into a clinch war to test his power, muay thai ability and grappling as well! If Alvado feels he can take Cobb’s power long enough to land his own damaging strikes and wear the shorter man down, he could then break the clinch and look to land the one shot he needs to turn out Cobb’s lights for the win! If Alvado feels Cobb is too strong or has too much damaging power with his strikes, then he can move to the outside and use accurate strikes to keep Cobb at bay before going for the knockout blow!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Alvado by KO; Xavier – Cobb by KO

 

Styles: Johannes Tulikoura and Boris Bulletzowich lock horns in the next battle! I like that name, Boris Bulletzowich! That’s a great fighting name!

Xavier: It does have a certain ring to it, I must admit!

Styles: Damn right it does! Tulikoura of the FinnFighters is a very intense guy who is obviously a gym rat, X! One thing I don’t understand, however, is how he lights his hands on fire before every fight!

Xavier: He does what!?

Styles: He lights his hands on fire when he’s walking to the cage then has his trainers extinguish them before he gets checked by the referee!

Xavier: That’s…different!

Styles: That’s one word for it! Anyway, he’s 14-6 overall so he’s doing something right in that cage! This is his second manager over his career an started off well by winning five in a row! Despite only losing once in seven fights, he and his management team parted ways and when he signed with his new management team, he won two-in-a-row before his first loss under his current management. His last two fights have been unanimous decision losses, so he obviously wants to avoid losing a third fight in a row! He does have solid wins by knockout and TKO so Bulletzowich will have to keep his chin tucked and his head moving, or he’ll end up having a very tough and potentially very short night! Tulikoura is much lighter than Bullet, I’ll just call him Bullet, so I expect him to use more speed and agility in his approach to this fight, especially since his reach is the same as Bullet’s! Tulikoura will want to keep this fight in the standup because I don’t think he can outgrapple Bullet nor do I think he wants to test his BJJ abilities against Bullet’s! Locking the heavier Bullet into a clinch may end up being a key element to this fight because he can punch faster than Bullet and wear the bigger man down faster by going to the body in the early stages of this fight! I think Tulikoura wears the down the heavier Bullet by working over his body in the clinch then timing strikes to the head to test Bullet’s chin and go for the knockout with elbows, knees and uppercuts!

Xavier: “The Bullet” Bulletzowich is 25-15 overall, so he has a major combat experience advantage from the jump! Over the course of two different management teams, Bullet has managed to become a champion so that’s a major advantage in his case because of the experience advantage he has over Tulikoura! The Moscow mauler had an 8-fight win streak at once point in time with his previous management team! During that streak, he was dropping opponents like Eminem dropped that crazy, unexpected and controversial video! Bullet is aggressive, confident and hard hitting, a combination that makes him dangerous in any given situation! In this fight, he definitely wants to drag Tulikoura to the ground to control the space and pace of the match plus use his weight and experience advantage to wear him down and go for the ground-and-pound win! Bullet knows he needs to keep his head down and outwrestle and outgrapple Tulikoura to keep himself safe and out of harms way! He knows he’s suffered some painful and damaging knockouts and he can’t take that risk in this fight! If Tulikoura seems to get the upper hand in this fight, instincts will take over for Bullet and he can rely on them to carry him past the trouble! His management team did express concern about his endurance heading into this fight because he may have overtrained for this fight! If that’s true, Bullet just gave away his experience and championship mettle! Since that’s the case, I’ll take the rare occasion to agree with you, Styles, and I think Tulikoura wins this fight by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Tulikoura by KO; Styles – Tulikoura by KO

 

Xavier: Doug Bell and Mika Allu are the next rams to butt heads in the cage! The Evil Empire representative, Bell, has earned a very respectable 23-11 record! His current management team is his second one. After beginning his career with an excellent 7-fight win streak, he lost his first opportunity to win a championship! From that point he obviously won more fights than he lost and that’s the name of the game, overall, but championships definitely are the most important facet of fighting! Under his new management team, he’s 4-5 overall so he’s looking to bring his record to an even 5-5 under new management! Earlier in his career, he had a good number of knockouts and was aggressive during that period in time! For the majority of his fights recently, the result is a unanimous decision or on the downside, he’s been knocked out a few times! However, he snapped a 3-fight losing streak by winning by TKO over Schmorgen Biscuit at EMP Asham vs. Marley in the second round! He may have found his stride again after that fight and will look to have the same result against Allu tonight! He’s much shorter than Allu so it makes sense for him to go to Allu’s body at the beginning of the fight to slow the big man and sap his strength plus make him an easier target! Lastly, Bell does not want to take the chance of having this fight go the ground because Allu has the upper hand there and can twist Bell into a very painful position to cause the tapout! I think Bell counterattacks Allu and wears him down with body strikes and repetitive leg kicks! Bell slows Allu down enough to unload one jaw-shattering uppercut for the knockout win!

Styles: Allu is taller and lighter, so he’ll have to use speed and footwork to get the better of Bell! Allu is 13-6 overall so Bell has the combat experience advantage! Allu has a history of knocking out a lot of people and that’s evidenced by his full body of work! This dangerous striker from Helsinki has had a 5-fight win streak during his career and, overall, he’s won the majority of his fights by knockout! Bell will have to make sure that his chin stays down and he keeps his head moving because if he doesn’t, Allu will make this fight come to a very abrupt and brutal finish! His most recent loss to Yhorm Giant at EMP Piano vs. McNasty ended a 3-fight win streak! Worse, he lost to Giant in the first round so he’s fighting to not only turn his fortunes around, but he’s also fighting to recapture his confidence! In the big boys’ division, especially, confidence is a major difference maker because many a man has buckled under the weight and pain of taking power strikes from large and strong opponents! If a fighter doesn’t have the confidence in himself to push past the pain and pressure from an opponent who hits hard, they’ll fold like a card player in a poker game! The game plan is simple for Allu! Establish those body-breaking punches by letting the fists fly as soon as the bell rings and don’t let Bell take this fight to the ground to avoid his knockout power, although Allu could go for the tapout. Still, Allu has too much power to not let his fists fly! Do that and he’ll get the knockout he needs to overcome his loss to Giant!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Allu by KO; Xavier – Bell by KO

 

Styles: The next fight we’ll see in the cage of judgment will be Japa Koniu and James Pearson! The Polish hammer from Warszawa is a very respectable 20-15 overall! This aggressive warrior likes to go for the finish in the first round and that has made him very popular with the fans! On the flip side of that approach, he’s had his share of being knocked out in the first round! That accumulation of damage has definitely taken some time off of his career but that’s the risk these heavyweights are willing to take! He’s had a couple of 3-fight win streaks but hasn’t worn a championship title as of yet! He’s had enough fights to know when he’s in trouble and also knows when to pour on the pressure! The bottom line with this man is he either knocks his opponent out or he gets knocked out! I don’t expect anything different tonight against Pearson! He has quite the height advantage in this fight and is much lighter, so keeping this fight in the standup is the key to victory, right along with landing devastating strikes of course! If he can get through Pearson’s defenses and crack his chin with a good, clean right hook, I think this fight will be over before either one of these men will even have a chance to work up a good sweat!

Xavier: “Unununium” Pearson from Flint, one of the roughest cities in Michigan, represents Convicted Inc. in this fight! He’s battled his way to a 16-9 overall record and is currently with his second management team! He’s had a 5-fight win streak and a 4-fight win streak, so when he’s locked in and effective, he gets the job done! Much like his opponent tonight, he’s dropped a good number of opponents and has developed a reputation of ending fights quickly and painfully! Pearson has the option of taking this fight to the ground where he can lean his major weight advantage on Koniu while working to establish dominant position to land some ground-and-pound! Pearson is going to have to work to avoid taking damage from Koniu while finding a way to get a hold of Koniu and dragging this fight to the ground where he could opt to try and make Koniu tap out for the win and snap his 3-fight losing streak!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Pearson by Submission; Styles – Koniu by KO

 

Xavier: Hercules Fortier and Vladimir Impaler keep the action moving and the crowd hyped with their exciting style of combat! “Heart of Darkness” represents Convicted Inc. tonight, and this warrior from Lome, Togo, is 19-9 overall, an outstanding record! The gym rat big man is the smaller man in this fight, a position he’s not that accustomed to seeing! However, he has enough fights under his belt to adjust to adversity and will be just fine because he has solid overall skills, as does every fighter on the card tonight! He has win streaks of five and six so he can establish momentum and keep it! His overall skills have proven to be effective he’s not only knocked out some of his opponents, he’s also made opponents tap out, so he’s dangerous in all facets of fighting! Having those submission skills will absolutely come in handy tonight against a much taller opponent because he can have a far easier time of manipulating Impaler’s long limbs when he goes for any number of submission holds! In addition to that, Fortier does have championship experience from his time in KFC! Fortier has recently developed a bad habit of losing fights because he couldn’t keep his blood from flowing like small rivers! As long as he keeps his head moving and doesn’t let Impaler land punches with enough pop to open up cuts on his face, he’ll have a chance to end this fight fast!

Styles: “The Horizontal” Impaler is 25-12, and that distinctive fight experience advantage will be a deciding factor in this fight! He is on his second management team, and his longest win streak is six! Like his opponent, Impaler either lands the heavy hits early in the fight or he gets knocked out! This Russian bear from Nordvik shows no fear despite the number of times that he’s been knocked out, and the fans truly enjoy his approach, attitude and capability! With his current management team, he’s 5-2 so the confidence he needs for this fight is there! Against the highly skilled Fortier, finishing this fight as fast as possible is very greatly desired, because the longer this fight progresses then the more opportunity for Impaler to sway the results in his favor! Impaler is going to have to try and corner Fortier and let his hands do all the talking because his height advantage will definitely help him keep out of the danger of going to the ground with Fortier! Landing multiple strikes will be the key to Impaler winning this fight by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Impaler by KO; Xavier – Fortier by KO

 

Styles: George Peterson and Jeremy Jones are the next two fighters to let their educated fists and feet fly! “Smooth” Peterson of the LEGION OF DOOM is a very good 14-5-1 overall! Physically, both of these warriors have similar builds so there’s no distinct advantage for either man in that regard! This trailblazer from Portland is riding a 5-fight win streak into tonight’s action so his momentum and confidence are exactly where they need to be for this fight! His best win streak has been eight in a row and this knockout artist brings it each and every night! By the looks of it, this fight is going to be a standup war and that will be very exciting for everyone who watches this battle! I expect Peterson to be very aggressive early and often and will mix accurate strikes with power strikes because he has too much power to not try and turn out the lights on Jones as soon as he can! Peterson will be a charging bull who’ll look for another 11-second knockout like he had early in his career! Be it 11 seconds or three rounds, Peterson will win this fight by dropping brutal strikes that prove too much for Jones!

Xavier: Jones, the tattooed wrecking machine from the U.K. steps into this fight with an outstanding 14-3 overall record! Confident, brash and devastating, this young fighter who represents The Stepdads tonight has had a 6-fight win streak and is currently riding a 5-fight win streak! Like his opponent, the momentum from recent success is very high so there’ll be no morale issues with either man tonight! One major advantage that Jones has over Peterson is championship experience! Jones won his first title when he defeated Reinhard Heydrich by unanimous decision at RFL-77 UTH vs. HHW! He recently became the RISE champion by using a very nasty head kick to knock out Lighty Lightweight! After doing so, he defended the title twice before joining Empyrean so we’ll see if he can keep that momentum going in a completely different organization! He’s had a number of fights go the distance recently, but he has enough power to still make Peterson wary! Jones will win this fight by counterattacking Peterson and using his momentum against him to tire him out, land strikes to the body then land the unexpected knockout punch that Peterson doesn’t see coming!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Jones by KO; Styles – Peterson by KO

 

Xavier: Petdee Sitsongrit and Lolyn Madog clash while the fate of the Featherweight title hangs in the balance! The highly skilled Sitsongrit from Isaan, Thailand is a proud representative of YABAI and is an excellent 22-6 overall! A 9-fight win streak has been his best run so far and he’s currently on a 4-fight win streak! Championship experience, confidence and mettle defines this warrior and he’ll have the opportunity to showcase his many talents tonight against an excellent opponent! As the champion, he knows that everyone he faces will step their game up and will give him their best shot, so he’ll have to be on top of his game, especially on defense! He has a pretty even mix of unanimous decision victories as well as knockout victories, so Madog will absolutely have to be on point tonight with everything he does, because any mistake he makes will allow Sitsongrit to take full advantage and maybe even end the fight right then and there when that window of opportunity opens and he has the chance to strike! Also, keep in mind that this is a rebound match from their most recent battle at EMP Ispa Vs. Magufuli I V where Sitsongrit defeated Madog by TKO with nine seconds left in the fight! That was the second time they crossed paths and Madog won the first encounter by split decision, so this fight is to break that tie and to also give Sitsongrit the chance to prove he can once again successfully defend his title! In my opinion, Sitsongrit has a distinct advantage tonight because he knows he can defeat Madog just like he did the last time they fought! That psychological advantage is a definitive edge, make no mistake about it, and these two are similarly skilled as well as physical built, so this boils down to will! Sitsongrit wins this fantastic fight by imposing his will early and landing the damaging strikes that cause Madog to falter!

Styles: “Tywysog y Gigran” Madog from Wales is 25-9 overall, a highly impressive record! This member of The Stepdads from Cardiff, Wales, is also very high skilled and no one can deny that this warrior is very capable in the cage! Yes, he’s had his struggles in certain championship fights but he’s still a champion nonetheless, and he successfully defended his title previously, so he knows the difficulty involved in being a successful defending champion! Having a bit more combat experience than Sitsongrit may come in handy but it won’t be an overwhelming difference because, after all, Sitsongrit did win the last time they fought! Madog’s victory over Sitsongrit at EMP Madog vs. Sitsongrit by split decision was controversial for a great many people that saw the fight because it absolutely could have gone either way! As I’ve said time and again, a win is a win and that’s the bottom line! Madog obviously wants to win this fight to not only reestablish himself as a champion, but he also wants to silence the critics who have vocally raised the question about his ability to win a big fight when a title is on the line, plus he wants to prove his split decision previous win wasn’t a fluke! Taking the fight away from the judges and placing it squarely in his capable hands is what he wants to get done tonight, and for him to accomplish that, he’s going to have to match the speed and intensity that Sitsongrit will surely bring in this fight! Accurate strikes, quick movements and a very strong desire will be the key for Madog to win this fight tonight and break the confidence that Sitsongrit has established with his recent success! Timely counterattacks may also be an option for Madog because Sitsongrit could very well be antsy to finish this fight and prove that he can knock Madog out, and if Sitsongrit is that aggressive then he does open the door for counterattack possibilities! Though this will be a difficult battle, Madog emerges the winner and new Featherweight champion by successfully counterattacking Sitsongrit and catching him with a head kick he doesn’t see coming for the knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Madog by KO; Xavier – Sitsongrit by KO

 

Styles: And we reach the final fight of the evening as our headliners, Toivonen and Asham, lock horns and let it all hang out to decide who wears the Middleweight championship! “Punchmaster General” brings his war painted face and Tuku intensity into this fight with a highly lauded 18-4 overall record! This Convicted Inc. member has had great success as a kickboxer as well as an MMA fighter, so he’s dangerous no matter what the conditions and situations are! A 7-fight win streak has been his best but he’s also had two separate instances of having a 6-fight win streak, so this man has proven time and again that when he takes a hold of momentum, he keeps it and is devastating with it! A knockout artist who has made some men bleed very badly, this is surprisingly the first time that these two will have fought one another, so there’s going to be a feeling out process early in this fight! Of course, should one of these men say to hell with it and just go for the early knockout then that feeling out process will be abruptly skipped, and we’ll just see them get right down to business! This man also attracts championships everywhere he goes so he knows how to get the job done and handle the stress that’s involved with being a champion! He has the height advantage over Asham tonight and is ten pounds lighter, so look for Toivonen to use speed and agility to bypass Asham’s defensive skills and test the challenger’s chin with snapping power and world class precision! If the champ is able to establish the jab early and often then he’ll be able to try his luck at landing punching combinations that sap the energy of the challenger and open him up to more power strikes, especially kicks from Toivonen because his height will allow him to unleash head kicks easier and that will also help him keep Asham at a distance! Keeping Asham at striking range will serve the champion very well tonight and that will also be the key to victory as he frustrates Asham and makes him take risks he normally doesn’t take! Once Asham takes that one risk to get inside the defenses of Toivonen, he unfurls a devastating punching combination that knocks Asham out for the first time in his career!

Xavier: With an incredible 13-2-1 overall record, the Portage la Prairie, MB, Canada product who represents the FinnFighters is a bad man, plain and simple! The Native-American warrior has proven to be very effective in the standup aspect of combat! In fact, his longest win streak has been seven-in-a-row and there was only one fight that he didn’t win by knockout! He even won a fight with a knee strike and there’s no doubt that Toivonen is aware of that fact! Staying out of the clinch against Asham is sure to be a primary goal of Toivonen but Asham will look to lock in a thai clinch so he can unleash those nasty knee strikes! Also keep in mind that Asham could run at Toivonen and leap into the air with a knee strike that could possibly end the fight right then and there! Even if it doesn’t, if he happens to land that unorthodox attack, that could daze Toivonen enough to where Asham can lock in and throw everything he has at Toivonen to try and end the fight right then and there! Asham could opt to try and use his weight advantage by leaning his weight against Toivonen in the clinch and wearing the champion down that way, or he could even try and take this fight to the ground where both men have equal skill, at least on paper, and force the champion to deal with that additional ten pounds of weight while they battle to establish and sustain dominant position! While the champion may choose to utilize accurate strikes, Asham may decide to take the chance and throw more power strikes than accurate strikes by sitting on his strikes, so to speak, to put that extra ten pounds behind his strikes to cause more damage to Toivonen! The champion, like Asham, has never been knocked out and neither has Asham. Willpower shall be the biggest x factor in this fight! We could very well see one of these tremendous talents taste canvas for the very first time in their careers! I think Asham shocks a great many people tonight and places the first knockout loss on Toivonen’s tremendous career!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Asham by KO; Styles – Toivonen by KO

 

Xavier: There you have it, ladies and gentlemen! Styles and I thank you greatly for your time and passion as we present these previews to you!

Styles: We absolutely appreciate each and every one of you, and of course, we thank HELLBENT for their outstanding merchandise and support! We greatly look forward to the fights that we’ll see soon and we’ll see all of you at the fights!

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EMPYREAN: VERYGOOD VERSUS JAROSLAV 2 PREVIEW

LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM

Xavier: Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Empyrean, and welcome to Verygood versus Jaroslav 2!! As always, I’m your host, Esiah Xavier, and joining me in the broadcast booth is the ostentatious, Furious Styles!

Styles: Ostentatious!? Yeah, I suppose I can be at times but is it showing off, or is it being confident!?

Xavier: I’m sure you’ll say it’s a mix of the two but there are times when you tend to say or do things that are merely for show, Styles, and you know that!

Styles: Hey, X! We’re in Los Angeles, baby! This city is all about the show and I bring the show just as much as Empyrean does!

Xavier: I rest my case! Tonight, we have another lineup of action that promises to keep the fans on edge! The Bantamweight title is on the line tonight as familiar foes face off in the cage! Overall, there are four Bantamweight battles on the card tonight as well as two Lightweight fights, one Welterweight fight, two Light Heavyweight fights and one Heavyweight fight!

Styles: Kickin’ off the action tonight will be Joey Diaz and Eric Bloodaxe! Bloodaxe, that’s a great last name!

Xavier: I wonder if he has trouble getting dates with a last name like that!

Styles: Yeah, I could see that being a problem! He goes out on a date and if everything is cool, they exchange first and last names, and then the person he’s on the date with looks at him like he’s either joking or out of his mind!

Xavier: That would definitely be a deal breaker for many people, I assume!

Styles: It absolutely would be, but then again, there are people in the world who would be attracted to just that last name! Different strokes for different folks and all!

Xavier: That’s very true. “Karate” Diaz is 7-4 overall, and the 28-year-old from North Bergen, New Jersey, had a 5-fight win streak abruptly halted in the second round by a vicious head kick delivered by one Geo Versu at EMP Rock vs. Beliy! That’s Diaz’s second loss to Geo Versu, the first also being a knockout, so he may want to avoid fighting Versu for a while! Throughout Diaz’s career, he’s had a bit of a pattern of knocking out a good number of opponents then getting knocked out! I’m not sure how much more of that he can take but no one can question his heart! There’s no backing down in his fighter and that’s a testament to his desire to achieve whatever goals he’s established for himself. Against Bloodaxe, he does have a bit of a height advantage but weighs less, and Bloodaxe also has a sizeable combat experience advantage over Diaz as well! I fully expect Diaz to keep this fight in the standup as long as he can where he can use said height advantage and kicking range advantage to its fullest extent! Keep in mind he does have world class level muay thai ability!

Styles: It remains to be seen if that muay thai ability can keep the shorter but heavier Swedish fighter known as Bloodaxe in striking range long enough to land significant strikes! Bloodaxe is an even 14-14 overall and this man has seen a lot and has done a lot! Similar to Diaz, this warrior doesn’t have any championship experience and that could be one of the factors that drives him to keep fighting despite having that even record! Or, X, it could just be that this dude likes to fight! Either way, if you take a look at his body of work, he pretty much knocks out the opponent or gets knocked out! In fact, there have only been three fights out of the twenty-eight he’s had where he didn’t get knocked out or knock someone out! That’s a lot of damage to unleash and absorb, X! I don’t care how tough someone is, they get their jaw cracked enough and their skull rattled, it’s going to have short and long-term effects! That being said, despite the damage suffered, he’s still a dangerous fighter because he hands stones for knuckles! Diaz can’t underestimate this man’s punching power and let him get a clean shot, because if he does, it may not matter how much damage Bloodaxe has absorbed! He can still deliver brutality and pain!

Xavier: For this fight, I have to choose Diaz to win, Styles! I believe Diaz’s kicking ability, coupled with his skills in the clinch, will be the deciding factor in this fight! Bloodaxe has to get inside of Diaz’s striking range to land his own strikes and in doing so, he’ll be subjecting himself to fast strikes from multiple angles from Diaz! Diaz isn’t known for being a heavy hitter but that’s insignificant when a fighter has taken as much damage as Bloodaxe has! I think Diaz wins this fight by a head kick knockout!

Styles: Fearlessness, aggression and power defines this man, X, and he’s not going to change his approach or philosophy in that cage! Has it led to him taking substantial damage? Yes! Has it led to him making many an opponent take a forcible nap while they kiss canvas!? Yes! Fighters do what they do best and what he does best is go for the finish! I don’t think Bloodaxe will be concerned about Diaz’s strikes because Bloodaxe knows what punishment he can and can’t take, and with his large experience advantage here, he’ll adapt as necessary and will wait for that one chance to counterattack while moving inside of Diaz’s defenses, and when he does, boom goes the dynamite for the knockout victory!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Bloodaxe by KO; Xavier – Diaz by KO

 

Styles: Tony Hibbert and Raul Gracie are the next warriors to battle it out in the cage! “Hibbo” Hibbert hails from Liverpool so you know he likes to fight, X! Every person I’ve met from Liverpool is a die hard Liverpool soccer fan and they love to fight against anyone who supports Manchester United!

Xavier: How do you know about the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United, Styles?

Styles: I have many friends from around the globe, my friend, and one of my good homies is from Iran. That dude bleeds Manchester United and get this! Dude was married to an Iranian woman who was a Liverpool fan!

Xavier: Damn, really!? I bet they had some interesting nights whenever those teams played, especially if one of them blew the other one out of the water!

Styles: You know it! They’re not married anymore so take that as it is. Anyway, Hibbert steps into battle tonight with a 17-11-1 record, and this member of The Evil Empire is a very well-rounded fighter! That being said, surprisingly, at least to me, he doesn’t have a lot of knockout finishes, instead having the majority of his victories being unanimous decision wins! As we all say, a win is a win but with only three knockout wins, I don’t know if he’d make Gracie cautious about being dropped in the standup! Hibbert has lost a few fights by knockout but overall, he hasn’t taken to much damage so if he chooses to try and get in tight with Gracie, he should be good to go there! Hibbert’s longest win streak is eight so he knows how to get the job done! Unfortunately for him, he had a 2-fight win streak snapped by Toshi Hijikata at EMP Ispa versus Marceau by unanimous decision, so he’s obviously looking to get things turned around there! He does have championship experience, however, and that can’t be overlooked.

Xavier: Gracie is 10-4-1 overall so Hibbert has a large combat experience advantage in this fight tonight! Physically, both of these men are about the same height and weight so no advantage jumps out for either man there, in my opinion. One facet that does jump out immediately is Gracie’s world class skill in the grappling and BJJ facets of fighting! He’s very much at home on the mat and there’s no doubt Hibbert is fully aware of that fact. Hibbert is extremely skilled in grappling in his own right so Gracie will definitely have one hell of a time trying to wrestle him to the ground! Since that’s the case as far as I’m concerned, Gracie is going to have to be very methodical in his approach to this fight! Feints, slips and counterattacks are the name of the game for him tonight if he’s going to get this fight to the ground! On the other side, Hibbert will undoubtedly unleash a barrage of strikes, especially leg and body kicks, to not only cause damage to Gracie but to also prevent him from getting an easy takedown by shooting in!

Styles: The bottom line of this fight is very simple, X! The longer it stays in the standup, the better Hibbert fares, plain and simple! Staying off of his back keeps him on the right track! That’s right, I’m a poet and you didn’t even know it!

Xavier: Please, spare us, Styles!

Styles: You don’t appreciate the skills! Hibbert will rain down repeated strikes on Gracie and will overwhelm the man who has a penchant to want to fight on the ground! All Hibbert has to do is throw body strikes and leg kicks to keep Gracie at bay, and once Gracie realizes he won’t get the shoot-in takedown, he’ll have to try and outmaneuver Hibbert and that’s when Hibbert will pop him the one time needed for the knockout win! Either that or Hibbert will take the risk of locking Gracie into the clinch and go to town on him with strikes, knees and elbows until Gracie falters under the pressure and Hibbert finishes him off for the knockout!

Xavier: Gracie knows full well this fight absolutely has to go to the ground in order for him to win! There are no ifs, ands or buts about it! The how is the biggest question Gracie has to answer! Will Gracie take the chance that Hibbert can’t knock him out and just rush in and try to lock him into a clinch, pull guard and go to work from there, or will he rely on his defenses to slip, dodge and parry Hibbert’s strikes until he sees the opening he needs to land the takedown and immediately battle for advantageous positioning where he can ground-and-pound or go for the submission? Either way, Gracie makes Hibbert make the one mistake that Gracie needs to get this fight to the ground where Gracie will dominate and eventually lock Hibbert into the submission for the win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Gracie by Submission; Styles – Hibbert by KO

 

Xavier: Quan Le and Ma Moru grace us with their combat skills next in the cage!

Styles: Wow, it’s pretty rare that we have two fighters battle and they both have short names! I’m used to needing a dictionary and thesaurus for some of these names.

Xavier: “Chien Binh” Le is an outstanding 21-8-1 overall!

Styles: “Chien Binh”? Damn, I spoke too soon!

Xavier: Le is currently riding the momentum of a 2-fight win streak and his longest win streak has been six! What’s very impressive about Le’s record and accomplishments is he’s never lost two fights in a row!

Styles: Never!? Wow, that’s very damn impressive, especially considering the number of fights he’s had!

Xavier: Absolutely, Styles! In addition to that impressive feat, he has also worn championship gold and that’s always an excellent feather in the cap to have! Looking at his scope of work, Le has an array of unanimous decision wins so that calls into question his ability to knock someone out! Yes, he’s proven time and again he can win the battle of attrition, but will that be enough against Moru? Le does have a few wins by knockout so Moru can’t completely disregard his punching power, but overall, I don’t think Moru will be overly cautious about taking strikes if he feels he needs to do that to get in close to Le! Le is slightly taller than Moru and I think that will help because I don’t see this fight being a grappling affair. I think these combatants will decide this fight in the standup and Le’s muay thai is on a world class level! That in and of itself gives him the advantage here tonight, Styles!

Styles: No doubt Le’s muay thai skills are outstanding! However, Moru, who is 18-16 overall, is solid in all aspects of combat as well, X! It’s obvious this man likes to fight and he’s had many fights! The Japanese warrior has had quite the career full of change, specifically when it has come to his management and training team! This current regiment is his fourth, to be exact, and he enjoyed an overall 8-3 record with his previous management team! For whatever reason, despite that solid record, he and that management team decided to part ways and as such, here he is tonight with a chance to start off well with his new management team! He recently had a 4-fight win streak stopped at the hands of Santosh Nagaski when they battled at EMP Asham versus Marley! Moru had two different four-fight win streaks with his previous management team and is no doubt looking to recapture that form and success with this new team!

Xavier: I think Le’s skills in the standup aspect of combat will be too much for Moru to handle, even with Moru’s high level of experience! Golden Gloves boxing and global muay thai ability in the standup is what Moru will be facing tonight, and though he’s faced some excellent opponents and has more than held his own, I just feel that tonight, he’s going to have a very difficult time trying to match Le’s striking ability! Le will wear Moru down over time and once Moru’s defenses begin to waver, Le will pounce and go for the knockout finish!

Styles: Moru is going to have to rely on his experience and knowing the angles to strike, as well as well as the timing to perform said strikes! He’s going to have to work very diligently to make Le get out of his desired positioning to land damaging strikes but again, Le isn’t known for being able to overwhelm opponents with power, and thus, look for Moru to take more risks by getting in close to Le and trying to outstrike him there while mixing in counterattacks! If Moru can make Le give up positioning then Moru can land his own painful shots that turn the tide of battle and lead him to a knockout victory!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Moru by KO; Xavier –Le by KO

 

Styles: Continuing the intensity of battle that we’ll be seeing tonight will be Charlie Darwin and Serafim Lupei! “The Missing Link” Darwin, who may be missing more than just a link if you ask me, is an impressive 16-8-1, nonetheless! This member of Vendetta, who hails from Valkenburg in the Netherlands, which is a very cool name for a city by the way, is feeling good with a 2-fight win streak! The last time we saw him in the cage, he looked dominant and in control as he defeated Raul Gracie by unanimous decision at EMP Rock versus Beliy! He’s done well with his current management and training team, which is his second, and overall, he hasn’t taken a lot of damage, having only been knocked out twice in his career! However, in Lupei, Darwin battles an opponent who has a slight edge by the mere fact that he defeated Darwin when they initially crossed paths at IFC81: S. Heavyweight versus Impaler! Lupei emerged victorious by way of unanimous decision, and you can bet that both fighters remember that fight very clearly! Obviously, both of these warriors have transformed themselves from that point but the mental edge could very well lie with Lupei.

Xavier: Unless a fighter gets his brains scrambled from taking too many hits, he doesn’t forget fights that he lost, especially if he’s battling an opponent more than once! “Alfa” Lupei is shorter and lighter than Darwin, but his shorter stature actually works in his favor because he’s tremendously skilled in the grappling aspect of battle, plus he has a black belt in BJJ, a symbol of the hard work and dedication he’s had to his training! The Hitokiri-13 member from Bucharest, Romania, is a very solid 12-6 overall! In a nutshell, Styles, this fight boils down to the classic standup versus ground fighter battle! Darwin has world class standup skills and Lupei has world class grappling and BJJ skills! Lupei’s longest winning streak has been three fights in a row, and for a man who’s as highly skilled in grappling, I’m truly surprised he doesn’t have more ground-and-pound and submission finishes! Granted, that’s a nod to his opposition because he’s battled some excellent warriors, but still, it’s a bit surprising.

Styles: To me, X, this fight boils down to who establishes their space and realm first! Darwin wants to keep this fight standing at all costs, and Lupei wants to get this fight horizontal and dirty as quickly as he can! Despite Lupei having a win over Darwin in their previous battle, I think Darwin wins tonight! He’s obviously had time to improve his striking and grappling defense, plus he’s much more experienced and can adapt much better to various situations better than he could previously! Yes, Lupei has had time to improve, obviously, and his standup abilities are absolutely to be respected! However, I think Darwin just has a bit more power and determination and that will lead him to a knockout victory!

Xavier: Lupei’s mental edge in knowing how to defeat Darwin is a difference maker, regardless of how long ago that was! Losses sit in the back of every fighter’s mind to some extent and, obviously, there’s enough technology where a fighter can readily access past confrontations for analysis. With that, Lupei is a very dangerous fighter on the ground and what’s interesting to me is neither of these men are necessarily known for being a finisher of fights. An argument can be made on Darwin’s behalf but that won’t matter when this fight goes to the ground! Lupei has enough standup skills to thwart any knockout attempts Darwin makes and he’ll land the takedown he needs to control the pace until he can either ground-and-pound Darwin out or make him tap!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Lupei by Submission; Styles – Darwin by KO

 

Xavier: Mohsin Zaidi and Harry Hole are the next lions to square off in the cage! I know where this is going so go ahead and comment on his name, Styles!

Styles: Harry Hole!? That’s dude’s name!?

Xavier: You heard me correctly, Styles. Harry Hole.

Styles: Damn, X, do you think his parents messed up his mental state or something!?

Xavier: I don’t know, Styles! Why do you ask questions that can’t be answered by anyone except the fighter himself?

Styles: You read a lot and you seem to understand people’s issues! I wanted your opinion, man! Sorry for asking, geez!

Xavier: I wasn’t trying to upset you! I merely wonder why you ask rhetorical questions.

Styles: Never mind! Anyway, go ahead with Zaidi!

Xavier: “Pure Power” Zaidi steps into this fight with a 15-13 overall record, and though he’s just above having an even record, he’s still obviously capable of getting the job done in the cage! After many fights and two different times where he had a 4-fight win streak, he and his previous management team decided to part ways. He’s an even 1-1 with his current management team so he’s looking to move up in the win column to break that even record tonight. He has dished out and taken some pretty serious damage so I’m not certain how much more of that he can take, plus he may have a slight advantage in the grappling and BJJ aspects of combat against Hole! If that’s the case then he definitely wants to take advantage of that because that will absolutely help him avoid taking damage to his questionable chin, particularly if the damage is unnecessary! He is the taller and heavier man in this fight and could opt to try and use his height to counterattack Hole while in the standup until he figures out a way to get this fight to the ground where he can lean his weight on Hole and wear him down by making him carry that extra weight while defending himself against the ground-and-pound and submission attempts from Zaidi!

Styles: Of course, I want to be the one to comment about Hole! The man with the funky name hails from Oslo, Norway, and represents the Keyboard Warriors! At 16-12 overall, he’s battled his way to a decent record, definitely, and has earned respect while doing so, and that’s not an easy thing to do with a name like that, let me tell you! At one point in time, Hole had a 6-fight win streak and he does have a good number of knockout wins under his belt, so he can definitely cause problems for Zaidi tonight if Zaidi’s striking defense isn’t on par! Similar to Zaidi, Hole has dished out and taken quite a bit of damage and this fight may ultimately boil down to the simple question of who can take the most damage until they crumble? The obvious goal and approach for Hole tonight is quite simple, really. Stay standing and his chances of victory are far more attainable than if he allows the battle to go to the canvas! Both of these men are world class wrestlers and if this fight goes to the clinch, that will prove to be a very interesting struggle because whoever outwrestles the other will be the one to establish the standing or ground game!

Xavier: I think Zaidi has enough defensive capability and intelligence to avoid the potentially damaging strikes that Hole has! Zaidi will have to rely on his combat experience as well as footwork and agility to work his way inside of Hole’s defenses to land effective counterattack strikes in the standup and he could very well put Hole under a lot of duress while testing his ability to take one of Zaidi’s punches! If Zaidi is able to land some clean hooks to Hole’s temples while chopping away at his legs and body with kicks to slow him down and expose him to a takedown where he can go for the submission finish!

Styles: Hole, despite the damage that he’s taken, still has enough power in his punches to wreak havoc! He also has enough physical ability and grappling prowess to keep this fight standing, and if Hole does manage to keep this fight in the vertical stance, he’ll test Zaidi’s ability take a punch time and again! Over the course of this battle, Zaidi will wane and his ability to stand up to Hole’s power will diminish! Once that happens, Hole will drop Zaidi like a hot plate and that will be all she wrote!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Hole by KO; Xavier – Zaidi by Submission

 

Styles: Maxim Menshikov and Albert Van Rooy are the next young tigers to step into the cage of battle! Menshikov, the man from Moscow, is a very respectable 14-8 overall! This Russian brawler had an excellent start to his career, becoming a champion in only his second fight! Problem is, however, he lost the title in his third fight! Ever since then, he’s only had one other championship opportunity and he lost that to the same man who defeated him for the title to begin with, and that man is Ike Ibeabuchi! After arriving in Empyrean, he’s won seven and lost six fights, so it’s been an up-and-down experience while he’s been here! Currently, he’s on a 2-fight losing streak so he obviously wants to right the ship and get back on the winning path to avoid that taboo third loss in a row! The troubling pattern for Menshikov is over his last his last six fights, he’s been knocked out four times! That’s not a good look on any level, X! There’s no doubt Rooy is very well aware of that fact and will have an increase in confidence that he can cause quite a bit of damage to Menshikov’s chin, if he can get to it of course!

Xavier: I don’t see that as being an issue, Styles! Rooy is taller and lighter than Menshikov, and in my opinion, having those two physical distinctions will allow him to be the faster man and with his world class muay thai skills, getting to Menshikov’s chin shouldn’t be an issue! Rooy is 15-11 overall so like Menshikov, he’s had his difficulties trying to distance the wins from the losses on his record. The large Eindhoven soldier and member of The Evil Empire won his debut battle here in Empyrean when he knocked out Mike Murhaa in the second round at EMP Verygood versus Alcala! Similar to his opponent this evening, he’s taken some pretty heavy damage throughout his career, but I don’t think his chin has been rocked as many times as Menshikov’s has, and for that, I think Rooy has the physical upper hand! Add in the fact that his kicking ability is world class in terms of his ability to throw them from various angles with either precision or power, and Menchikov will have to be very cautious about having his chin or temples clobbered by one of Rooy’s massive kicks!

Styles: Despite the brutal damage that Menshikov has absorbed, his world class boxing skills will be the difference maker tonight! He’s fighting a taller opponent but that makes it easier for him to target Rooy’s bread basket and the more he dos that, the more effective he’ll be at making Rooy’s hands drop! Once the big man’s hands drop it becomes open season on his chin for Menshikov, and he can use those world class punches to tag Rooy’s chin repeatedly until the big man crumbles under the power and pressure and falls over like a tree! Menshikov wins by knockout tonight!

Xavier: Rooy knows that Menshikov is susceptible to powerful strikes to his chin! Rooy also knows that he can’t try and stand toe-to-toe with Menshikov and trade punches, especially, because, as you pointed out, Styles, Menshikov has world class boxing ability! That being said, Rooy can absolutely stay on the outside and use great timing and accuracy to keep Menshikov at bay and in his kicking range where Rooy can blast away at Menshikov’s legs and body with his tree trunk legs until he makes Menshikov look for those low kicks. Once he does that, Rooy changes levels and drops Menshikov with one nasty head kick for the win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Rooy by KO; Styles – Menshikov by KO

 

Xavier: Yung Hung Dong…oh boy.

Styles: Hold up! Yung Hung Dong is his name!?

Xavier: Yes…Styles, that’s his name.

Styles: Ha! He’s definitely a B-movie adult star somewhere, X! Come on man, with a name like that we both know he goes to Chatsworth to get his freak on!

Xavier: Chatsworth?

Styles: Yeah, man, Chatsworth! That’s where they shoot all the adult movies!

Xavier: I’m not even going to ask why you know that bit of information, Styles!

Styles: I read the credits!

Xavier: Lord help us all! Dong’s opponent tonight will be Santosh Nagasaki! This will definitely be a very interesting fight, Styles, because this pits a highly skilled warrior from North Korea against a highly skilled warrior from South Korea!

Styles: Let me do the breakdown on the Dong! Hahahaha!

Xavier: Go right ahead.

Styles: All right! “Ultraviolence” Dong of Convicted Inc. is an impressive 21-13-1 overall! This South Korean warrior from Pohang is very well rounded and can get the job done in any situation, sort of like a dong should be able to do!

Xavier: That’s enough of that!

Styles: Oh, I’m just getting started! As expected, this isn’t the first time these two have crossed the borders of their respective countries to fight it out in the cage! Their first clash occurred at the Jutsu Tournament Round 3 where Dong defeated Nagasaki by unanimous decision! Their second clash occurred at TGC 53: Hepple versus Petersen where Dong once again defeated Nagasaki! This time he used an Armbar to force the tapout and to win a championship! Tonight we’ll bear witness to round three, so to speak, of this personal rivalry and we all know Dong is confident heading into this fight! I know when I head into a fight, or into other situations, I have a confident dong! What about you, X!?

Xavier: I’m not even going to justify that or encourage you by answering that question!

Styles: Aw come on, don’t be that way! It’s all right, X, I know you could use more confidence in that department!

Xavier: Shut up!

Styles: Hey, relax! I’m just sayin’! Anyway, Dong has had an 8-fight win streak in his career so the man knows how to get the job done! He’s even defeated Kurt Verygood twice before and won a championship the first time he did! All opponent’s need to be wary of a dangerous Dong! See what I did there, X!?

Xavier: Yes.

Styles: I give you gold, man, I’m tellin’ you! Dong’s championship pedigree will definitely come in handy against an opponent he knows well and expects to be very aggressive in this fight! Dong did have some troubles recently with Wamberto Boaz, losing to him twice, but Dong turned his fortunes around with a unanimous decision win over Thomas Power at EMP Verygood versus Alcala!

Xavier: When we previously covered the background for the “Hybrid Zombie Killer”, we were both caught off-guard by the fact that he, if he really is a man that is, apparently hails from the Nyongbyon Nuclear Research Facility in North Korea! I don’t know what kind of experiments he’s been exposed to or what else is going on with him, but to say that his background is controversial and uncertain is an understatement! What we do know is he’s 21-12 overall, and besides having a crazed look about him and numerous tattoos, he’s a very aggressive fighter who likes to set the pace as soon as the bell rings! His longest career win streak is a 5-fight win streak so when he locks in, he can get the job done! Not surprisingly, he’s had a few different managers over his career and the current management team has him performing quite well! He’s 4-1 since his new team has taken over and he looked impressive against Johannes Brahms at EMP Rock versus Beliy!

Styles: He’s definitely out there in his own world X, but that’s not going to matter tonight because Dong has his number! Physically they’re basically exactly the same height and weight, which is kind of strange and there are rumors about their being a deeper tie between them since they’re in relative close proximity to one another, but I’m not here to gossip. The fact of the matter is Dong can and will keep this fight in the standup where his world class skills can be utilized to their fullest! Dong can unfurl strike after strike and make Nagasaki have to adjust to him and while he does that, Dong will do the damage he needs to knock Nagaski out! Dong doesn’t want to give Nagaski the chance to try and get this fight to the ground, and he won’t!

Xavier: Nagasaki definitely has an uphill battle to fight tonight because his opponent obviously has a two-fight edge over him with their head-to-head battles! He has to overcome the mental and physical sides of this fight to swing the head-to-head record more towards his favor! In order to do that, he’s going to need to counterattack Dong while this fight is standing, and he’ll have to do that with excellent timing and footwork! Fortunately for him, he does have those capabilities and when he does force Dong to miss a strike and give up an angle, Nagasaki can’t think about hitting Dong, he just has to hit him! Nagasaki can use feints to make Dong slow down long enough for him to shoot in, get the takedown, then go for the submission win that he’s been seeking for some time now!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Nagasaki by Submission; Styles – Dong by KO

 

Xavier: Jay Steve and Willie Wood are the next combatants into the cage!

Styles: Willie Wood, huh? I bet he’s made some B-movie’s himself!

Xavier: What is it with you and those B-movies!?

Styles: They entertain me, X, and some of them are actually well produced and have good acting and story lines!

Xavier: You watch those movies for their production value, acting and storyline!?

Styles: Well…sometimes.

Xavier: Moving right along, “Mr. Hate” Steve is 18-11 overall, and I suppose he hates the fact that he’s lost eleven times! The man from Netherlands who is apparently a vagabond with no hometown is with his fourth management and training team! It seems his vagabond way of living has caused managers to move on from him for various reasons, but he’s done very well for himself since entering Empyrean! He’s 3-1 since stepping foot into this organization and even recently became a champion when he defeated a man with one of your favorite names, Styles! Hairy Scrotum lost by unanimous decision to this man at EMP Piano versus McNasty but his last loss to Nick Graves by TKO in the second round of EMP Ispa versus Marceau cost him the title! To make matters worse, if he literally had held on for one more second, he would have survived that second round and who knows what could have transpired in the third round!?

Styles: Damn, that sucks! Literally one second away from surviving the round!? That’ll mess with a fighter’s mind no matter how experienced he is! That loss to Graves also snapped a 4-fight win streak, the second time he’s accomplished that feat during his career! Looking at his overall body of work, Steve has had some knockout wins so Wood will have to ensure his striking defense is ready for testing and his head better be on a swivel, because if he gives Steve any clean looks at his jaw, that may be an action he learns to regret very quickly! In addition to that, with his new management team, Steve is an outstanding 8-2 in his last ten fights! Momentum and confidence are with this man, plus he’s only been knocked out twice in his career so he’s tough as hell!

Xavier: Wood steps into this fight with a 16-9 overall record, a rather impressive mark, and the Philly fighter had an excellent run in the KT circuit by going an unblemished 6-0! This is Wood’s third management and training team and quite frankly, it was shocking that his first management team parted ways with him after such an outstanding performance in the KT circuits! In fact, he knocked out every opponent he faced and won a championship in his fourth fight! He successfully defended his title twice then boom, management let him go! He had an incredible 11-fight win streak to start his career so he was obviously handing business very well in the ring and cage! In the thirteen fights he’s had since entering Empyrean, he’s won eight of those and has only been knocked out once being here and that was at the hands of Johannes Tulikoura!

Styles: Wood has a sizeable height advantage tonight against Steve and will want to stay on the outside and pepper Steve with multiple jabs and combinations of punches and kicks to keep him in range of those long arms and legs! If Wood manages to keep Steve at that range this entire fight then Steve has no chance of getting close enough to try and either engage a clinch battle or go for the takedown from distance! Wood knows it’s imperative he keep this fight vertical and will do everything in his power to keep it there! Since Steve hasn’t been knocked out a lot, Wood may have to settle for using more accurate strikes than power initially to wear Steve down and frustrate him enough to where he takes more risks to try and get inside Wood’s defenses! If Wood dictates the pace and space of this fight, he’ll be good to go!

Xavier: I think Wood will be able to rely on his striking skills and height to wear down and frustrate Steve, as you said, Styles, and over time, Steve will have to put himself in harm’s way to try and get inside of Wood’s defenses. Doing that will expose him to Wood’s power and I don’t think he can handle it tonight! Wood wins this by knockout!

Styles: Steve knows he can do damage in the standup before taking this fight to the ground and that’s exactly what he’ll do! He can even take the risk of getting into a clinch fight if he tastes some of Wood’s power and it doesn’t concern him! Locking him into a clinch also obviously puts him much closer to Wood where he can take him to the ground and handle business while working to obtain and sustain dominant position! Once he does that, Wood will be tapping out and Steve will walk out with his hand raised in victory!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Steve by Submission; Xavier – Wood by KO

 

Styles: Wamberto Boaz, whose name sounds like an exotic snake, and Lito Alcala square off in the second-to-last fight of the night! Boaz has this weird pulsing aura around him, X, and I don’t know what to think of that, but hell, something is working well for this man because he’s 24-13 overall, and this YABAI member from Boa Vista, Brazil, is a former champion and has made many a man tap out to his skills! He’s had a 6-fight win streak in his career and has had other shorter streaks, so once he’s on and confident, he’s very difficult to stop! He’s only been knocked out twice in his career and that was in the earlier stages. Since that point in time, he’s obviously developed his skills, knowledge and understanding of how to unleash damage while avoiding major damage, and that’s a key element to longevity in this business! He also has been involved in, and the winner of, many decision fights so the battle of attrition is something he’s familiar and comfortable with! If he’s not able to lock in the finishing submission, rather than get upset about it, he stays calm and collected, going with the ebb and flow of the fight and looking to control his opponent and score vital points on the scorecards! Naturally, he’d prefer the finish but even if he doesn’t finish the opponent, he avoids damage and that, in turn, allows him to have better efficiency and impact in the cage!

Xavier: Alcala is the slightly taller man tonight and he’s fought his way to a 17-10 overall record! This Evil Empire member from Pangetville, Hong Kong is a very, very highly skilled fighter who’s effective in any facet of fighting! Needless to say, Boaz will definitely have a fight on his hands tonight! Alcala had an excellent run in the KIT circuit, going a perfect 4-0 and winning a championship there. Very surprisingly, after that he decided to move on from the KT circuit and he had an overall record of 6-4 after moving to full MMA combat. After not capitalizing on two separate opportunities to become a champion, that management team parted ways with him! With his current management, he’s had 14 fights in Empyrean, and out of those 14, he’s won 8! He also has worn championship gold and as we all know and saw, his last battle against Verygood on December 29th resulted in him losing via TKO in the third! Needless to say, Alcala’s looking to reestablish himself at the top of the mountain and will push himself as far as he can to achieve that goal! From my perspective, Alcala has knocked out his fair share of opponents but in doing so, he’s also been knocked out seven times, so his ability to take power punches does come to the forefront! However, in this fight tonight, I don’t think he’ll be concerned about that because Boaz isn’t known to bring the thunder in his fists!

Styles: This battle is ripe and prime for Alcala to take! He has the skills and abilities, along with championship experience and knowledge, to adapt to any situation and any opponent he faces! He knows Boaz will go for the grappling and BJJ contest because that’s the only place where he can hang with Alcala! Alcala keeps this fight vertical and picks and chooses his spots to land accurate, fast strikes on Boa while mixing in some low and body kicks to wear down Boaz and make him think twice about trying any takedowns from distance! Boaz can try to clinch with Alcala but while trying to get in tight enough to do that, Alcala will rain down punishing strikes that Boaz will regret absorbing! Alcala wins this fight by knockout because he’ll wear down Boaz and set him up for his world class boxing and muay thai strikes to wreck shop!

Xavier: Boaz hasn’t forgotten the first fight these two warriors had when Boaz first stepped foot into Empyrean at EMP Alcala versus Boaz on January 5, 2019! That was a long time ago and much has changed, but you better believe neither of these men have forgotten that fight, Styles! We both know Boaz would like nothing more than to seek revenge for that loss because it obviously cost him his first opportunity to wear championship gold in this organization, and knowing how competitive Boaz is, that has eaten away at him for some time now! Boaz will be very controlled, patient and methodical in this battle because he knows what Alcala is capable of in the standup, and yes, he’s quite skilled in grappling and has a black belt in BJJ, but Boaz knows the grappling and BJJ facet of fighting is his second home! In one hell of a tough fight, Boaz gains retribution by making Alcala tap out!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Boaz by Submission; Styles – Alcala by KO

 

Xavier: And we reach the main event of the evening as Kurt Verygood and Felix Jaroslav lock horns and let it leave it all in the cage! “2 B R 0 2 B”, whatever that means, Verygood is an outstanding 27-7 overall, and he’s very popular with the Empyrean fans! This proud representative of the Keyboard Warriors and Indianapolis native has had two separate occasions of establishing a 7-fight win streak, so this is a bad man, to say the least! He looks rather docile, quite frankly, but don’t let the baby face fool you! Jaroslav found out just how vicious and intense Verygood can be when they first clashed at EMP Toivonen versus Marceau! Though Verygood took that fight by split decision, which was surrounded by controversy as all split decision battles are, Verygood established himself as a force to be reckoned with! Verygood has only been knocked out once in his career, and that was at the hands of Bob Johnson at ABW 65 Swift Jr. versus Douglas! This man has never been tapped out in his entire career, a testament to his toughness, training and determination! Even though Jaroslav knows this man well, the fact Verygood has never tapped to anyone is very impactful!

Styles: Damn! Hell yeah that’s impactful! There aren’t many men who’ve fought that many times and can say they’ve never tapped out to anyone! Add in the fact that Verygood is obviously championship material and he’s one hell of an outing for any opponent! “Beast Tamer” Jaroslav hails from Matri Rakesh, Uzbekistan, and this member of The Stepdads is a tremendous 17-4-1! Maybe it’s that unique fox hat he wears, X!

Xavier: Who knows? Maybe that does bring him some luck and confidence!

Styles: For Jaroslav, this is his third management team, and after he began 4-0 with his initial management team, they parted ways and his second management team got him to three championship battles! Unfortunately for Jaroslav, he couldn’t find the right combination to defeat the title holders at that point in time and he departed ways with that management team! With his current management, he’s a very solid 6-2 since entering Empyrean, so he obviously knows how to handle his business! When he and Verygood first crossed one another’s path that split decision sent an echo throughout the division because it put everyone on notice on what they’d have to bring into the cage to beat either one of these men! Over the course of his career, Jaroslav has only knocked out three men so Verygood probably isn’t too concerned about getting his jaw rocked, but he’ll obviously not underestimate him either because Jaroslav could very well turn out his lights with one solid kick to the side of the head!

Xavier: Verygood definitely feels confident enough to go to the ground with Jaroslav if that comes to pass, but I think the champion prefers to keep this fight standing where he can utilize his world class boxing skills and excellent muay thai to continually damage Jaroslav while keeping him at a distance so he can’t try any takedowns! Since the champion is highly skilled and has outstanding defense, I have no doubt he’ll be very aggressive in looking to finish Jaroslav tonight because he doesn’t fear Jaroslav’s striking power and has the speed and knowledge to know how to avoid taking an unnecessary shots that may lead down a path he doesn’t want to travel! If this fight does end up going to the ground, the champion has demonstrated the ability to keep himself protected while battling for position and knowing when to drop hammer fists and elbows while placing himself into dominant position to control his opponent while hurting them! If that doesn’t work, he can obviously look for the submission from any number of angles and positions! The champion maintains a hold on his belt tonight by knockout!

Styles: Obviously, Jaroslav knows what he’s facing because this isn’t his first rodeo, X! He learned a hell of a lot from that first fight against Verygood and that’s evident by what he’s been able to accomplish since that loss! He hasn’t lost since that fight, X, and yes, he had a draw against Yung Hung Dong, my dude with the crazy name, but he didn’t lose, and that speaks volumes about who Jaroslav is about! Heart, determination, drive and skill culminate into a tough opponent for anyone and tonight, the champion will run into a buzzsaw! Once that fox hat comes off, the lion is unleashed, and the champion better be ready for a very aggressive and high-energy battle against a man who’s willing to gas himself to where he can barely stand in an attempt to win that championship! That type of passion and desire is not common and neither is Jaroslav, for that matter! He’ll drag Verygood to the mat using sheer determination and once he gets this fight to the horizontal plane, he’ll give all that he has to win the battle for positioning while picking his spots to land fists and elbows until he’s able to soften up the champion enough to where he can lock Verygood into a submission that he can’t escape from, and the baby-faced brawler will have no choice but to tap out and relinquish his title to Jaroslav!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Jaroslav by Submission; Xavier – Verygood by KO

 

Styles: That’s a wrap, folks! Thank you as always for your time and attention, we do truly appreciate it!

Xavier: We absolutely do! We also greatly thank HELLBENT for their outsanding merchandise and we definitely look forward to seeing an action packed night full of excellent fights! On behalf of Furious Styles, I’m Esiah Xavier signing off and we’ll see you at the fights!

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Wow....I mean WOW! I don't think I've ever seen such a thorough write up. I wish one of my fighters was fighting on this card, just to be part of it!! I am with you, so my time will come. Thanks for your efforts guys-truly!!

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Wow....I mean WOW! I don't think I've ever seen such a thorough write up. I wish one of my fighters was fighting on this card, just to be part of it!! I am with you, so my time will come. Thanks for your efforts man-truly!!

 

Thank you very much, Lotos, I truly appreciate your kind words and am glad you enjoyed reading this preview. When the time arrives for one of your fighters to be featured, I hope you feel the same way about that preview as well.

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EMPYREAN: GRAVES VERSUS CHAVEZ PREVIEW

LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM

Xavier: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Empyrean, and welcome to Graves versus Chavez! In the booth with me tonight is the ever-present Furious Styles!

Styles: What’s up, X, and what’s up good people!? As always, it’s a pleasure to be here and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing this excellent lineup of battles tonight!

Xavier: We all are, Styles, and this promises to be yet another exciting, intense and brutal night of combat as only Empyrean can provide! Tonight we have the Welterweight title on the line in what promises to be an incredible fight! In total, we’ll be seeing one Bantamweight, two Featherweight, two Lightweight, the Welterweight championship fight, one Middleweight, two Light Heavyweight and one Heavyweight battle!

Styles: Christening the cage tonight will be Marcinho Sitsongrit battling Ching Chang Bing Bang! Now, X, you and I are lovers of soul food, right?

Xavier: Absolutely! There’s nothing better than soul food!

Styles: Damn right! Now, as you know, in the southern parts of the United States, grits are a major deal! No southern breakfast is complete without grits and people take great pride in their grits! For those of you who don’t know, watch the movie “My Cousin Vinny” and you’ll see what’s up! Now, X, when I first heard the last name “Sitsongrit”, I pictured some overweight dude sitting on a big bowl of grits!

Xavier: Really, Styles? That’s what you thought of!?

Styles: It makes sense to me!

Xavier: Naturally. You’ll notice that Marcinho trains at Sitsongrit Gym in Rio de Janeiro. Sitsongrit is the name of a muay thai camp and in the Thai language, sitsongrit means “student who passes along great ability”!

Styles: Aren’t you the studious one!?

Xavier: I like to know what I’m talking about, Styles!

Styles: All right, I can respect that. Ching Chang Bing Bang sounds like some kind of crazy mixed ice cream that you find at a boba shop or some new K-Pop song with a dance of the same name! Anyway, Marcinho enters combat tonight with a very good record of 13-5, so he obviously knows how to handle business in the cage! This man is a submission machine, X, and he proved that early in his career by forcing many an opponent to tap out during the TWGC 19, 20, 26 and 27 tournaments!

Xavier: Well, technically, TWGC 26 was one fight that he lost to Jack Lynn but I understand your point.

Styles: Thank you for that! Geez! As I was saying, his submission prowess allowed him to amass very impressive victories and also become a champion, which we know is a very valuable benefit to any fighters career! In addition, he’s only been knocked out twice so he knows how to keep his chin down, his head moving, and his hands up high! Unfortunately for Sitsongrit, his last two fights have not fared in his favor, having lost both by majority and unanimous decision, respectively! At one point in his career, he stockpiled a 9-fight win streak so the man has proven himself to be an excellent fighter with a good knowledge base! His recent losing streak is his longest in his career so you know he’ll be extra motivated to avoid the unspoken taboo of losing three fights in a row! There’s no doubt this warrior from Alegrete, RS in Brazil, and YABAI alliance member, will be ready to bring the fight to Bang tonight!

Xavier: “Walla Walla” Bing Bang, quite the name and I assume his parents are big fans of show tunes on Broadway, enters this fight at 7-5 overall! The Heritage member from China recently snapped a 4-fight losing streak by defeating Nando Vasquez at EMP Asham versus Marley by TKO in the second round! Looking at Bang’s overall career, he’s never been knocked out and that’s a testament to his training, defense and toughness! He has also knocked out five fighters so what we have here is the classic standup specialist battling the ground specialist! Obviously, each man will want to keep the fight in their respective range of comfort so Bang will have to, pardon the pun, look to stand and bang against Sitsongrit while Sitsongrit wants to keep the fight on the ground! In order for Bang to pull off this victory, he’ll have to be very aggressive and try to either knock Sitsongrit out early or even opt to lock him in a clinch and take the chance of being able to damage Sitsongrit with knees and elbows while preventing the takedown!

Styles: As you said, X, this is the classic realm versus realm battle, if you will! Whoever can impose their will and keep the fight in their realm will win this, plain and simple. Sitsongrit has the experience advantage, plus he’s a former champion so he knows how to go that extra mile if and when he needs to! In light of that, I think Sitsongrit wins this fight by counterattacking Bang while in the standup to soften him up for any number of takedown angles that Sitsongrit can take against Bang! Once Sitsongrit can catch Bang off guard with the right angle, he’ll shoot in and will immediately work to gain the upper hand in the positioning battle! Once that happens, Sitsongrit locks in the submission for the win!

Xavier: Bang will unleash his namesake in this fight, Styles, and he’ll bang Sitsongrit with brutal power and precision striking! Bang has the advantage, in my opinion, if he repetitiously chops away at Sitsongrit’s legs and body with kicks from all angles and that, in turn, will setup Bang’s punches to land more effectively because Sitsongrit will be too worried about being kicked! Once Bang is able to distract Sitsongrit with leg and body kicks, he can catch Sitsongrit off guard with an uppercut between the gloves and Sitsongrit will be dazed enough to where Bang can move in and aggressively go for the knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Bang by KO; Styles – Sitsongrit by Submission

 

Xavier: Geo Versu and Frog Ribbit step into the cage next to throw down!

Styles: Frog Ribbit, that name kills me!

Xavier: Yes, I know it does. “Steel” Versu, the facially tattooed warrior from Monaco, represents Convicted Inc. as he brings his 9-5 record into this fight! This knockout machine brings intensity and attitude into the cage and Ribbit better have his chin and head movement ready to be tested big time in this fight! His longest win streak has been five in a row and he recently snapped a two-fight losing streak by defeating Joey Diaz at EMP Rock versus Beliy with a brutal head kick in the second round! He’s been knocked out three times in his career so he’s willing to put it all on the line to win a fight, which, depending upon the opponent, can be a costly decision!

Styles: “The Power Ranger” Ribbit is the taller man in this fight and that promises to make this fight be a standup war, and naturally, all of us will greatly appreciate that! The Belgium bomber is an outstanding 12-2 overall, and this member of Heritage has never been knocked out and that’s a nod to his toughness and defensive abilities! He has had an 8-fight win streak in his career yet had that win streak snapped by Shawn Antoski at EMP Rock versus Beliy by unanimous decision! Like his opponent, he’s a forced sleeping machine so the guess here is one of these warriors will be taking a forced nap and it won’t take long for that to happen!

Xavier: I concur with you, Styles, that one of these fighters will be knocked out tonight and the fans will eat it up! I think Versu is due for a major victory and defeating Ribbit would qualify as such in my opinion! Yes, Ribbit is going to test Versu’s chin and defenses big time, but I think Versu has the option of locking Ribbit into a clinch and keeping him there to unleash close proximity damage! With that option, Versu can keep his chin safer while slowing down Ribbit with body shots and leaning his weight on Ribbit! In the end of this standup war, Versu emerges victorious by way of knockout!

Styles: Ribbit is brutal, powerful and fast! That combination makes any opponent pause and try to adjust their approach to their fight because there’s no way to simulate that in sparring. Ribbit’s height advantage makes the difference tonight because Versu has to bring the fight to him! Ribbit knows Versu’s best bet is to try and lock him in a clinch so expect Ribbit to throw a multitude of strikes from all angles, especially to Versu’s body to slow him down and sap his punching power! Ribbit can also expect Versu to try and chop at his legs so counterattacking low kicks will be very effective for Ribbit and he could sneak in a head kick to turn out Versu’s lights! Ribbit wins this toe-to-toe battle by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Ribbit by KO; Xavier – Versu by KO

 

Styles: Thomas Power, a great last name by the way, and Wayne Williams are the next lions to fight in the cage! “The Warrior” Power has been involved in some brutal, bloody battles and the proof of those battles is very prominent on his face! That scar that runs vertically on the right side of his face tells many a story, and his overall 24-17-1 record backs up every single story he tells! This fighter from Stanhope, England, represents Vendetta and is fearless in the cage! Not only has he had a 5-fight win streak as the longest in his career, but this man has also been a champion although he’s had his struggles in championship battles, especially against Leonardo Da Silva! Power recently had a 3-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Yung Hung Dong, another name that absolutely cracks me up, by unanimous decision at EMP Verygood versus Alcala! In a nutshell, Power either wins the battle of attrition or he knocks his opponents out and every opponent knows what he’s capable of bringing into the cage! He’s only been knocked out three times, X, and that says a lot because he’s been in a hell of a lot of fights! He also has never tapped out to any opponent and that speaks volumes about his skills, determination and heart!

Xavier: Having never tapped out to an opponent is very admirable, especially with the number of quarrels he’s been involved with! In Wayne Williams, he may not have to be as concerned with potentially being tapped out for the first time in his career, but he will have to be concerned about being forced to kiss canvas against his wishes! The taller Williams from Atlanta, Georgia, represents the FinnFighters and does so with a fierce competitiveness! One knock against this capable fighter is he’s never won a championship despite having had three opportunities, two of which have been against Samak Ruenroeng! Despite that blemish, no one can say that Williams doesn’t have steel in his hands because he’s knocked out a good many opponents during his career and is always a threat to drop somebody in the blink of an eye! He’s been knocked out twice in his career and that suggests to me he has no qualms about standing toe-to-toe with anyone! If Power wants a standup battle then he’ll definitely get one! Williams is currently riding a 3-fight losing streak, however, and we all know how that can be psychologically and emotionally damaging.

Styles: In light of that last comment, X, my pick for this fight will be Power! Simply stated, Power has had more recent success plus, in my opinion, he’ll be able to utilize his world class muay thai skills to keep Williams at a distance by chopping away at his legs and body, plus he may catch Williams looking for his kicks and can slip a head kick right between Williams’ hands! I don’t think Williams wants to press his luck in the clinch against Power so Power just needs to attack Williams with high energy, accuracy and the right mix of power, pardon the pun! If he can string those factors together while avoiding the ferocious punching power that Williams has sporadically displayed and Power emerges victorious tonight by knockout!

Xavier: I think Williams physically has the upper hand tonight, Styles, because he hasn’t sustained as many long-term injuries and damage as Power has! That’s not a knock against Power by any means. The fact is he’s been in numerous fights and any man involved in that many fights, no matter the outcome, will pay the price of physical pain and damage! Williams also has something to prove to various detractors who say he can’t get the job done when a big fight is on the line! In Power, he has an opportunity to silence some critics and firmly place himself in the title hunt for the Bantamweight championship! Lastly, he has the chance to shake the three-fight losing streak he’s on because he absolutely does not want to, nor can he afford to, lose a fourth fight in a row! Williams wins this battle by knockout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Williams by KO; Styles – Power by KO

 

Xavier: The next two competitors into the cage will be Toshi Hijikata and Teke Bamalog!

Styles: Oh yeah, this is the dude that we said should be a member of Hitokiri-13, right!?

Xavier: That’s correct, Styles. Seeing that his nickname is “Hitokiri”, we thought it only fitting that he be a member of that particular alliance but for whatever reasons, he is not.

Styles: Nothin’ wrong with being a lone wolf! Some fights are just better off doing their own thing and not being associated with an alliance!

Xavier: That’s absolutely true, Styles, and we’ve seen plenty of very successful fighters who had no affiliation with an alliance. Hijikata brings an excellent 21-9 record into this fight tonight, and the man from Hino, Japan, is an extremely skilled all-around warrior! I’m still very surprised he doesn’t have more knockout victories under his belt, Styles, because he’s proven time and again he’s one hell of a fighter! As we’ve mentioned previously, his career longest win streak is 9-fights in a row! However, shortly after that outstanding streak, he summarily lost 5-fights in a row and that was a troublesome time for Hijikata! Much to his credit, he battled his way through that arduous adversity and has won the past six of seven battles he’s been in! His confidence has been restored and he knows he can rely on his experience and championship pedigree! The majority of his victories have been unanimous decisions so the man knows how to pace himself and control the action in the cage, but he also has the ability to floor an opponent with unexpected power, so Bamalog can’t underestimate that!

Styles: “The Javan Zombie” is an outstanding 15-5-2 overall! The Stepdads representative from Cipamingkis, Indonesia, has had a couple of managers prior to his current management team, and he’s enjoyed great success with his current team! He’s 5-1-1 over his past seven fights so that’s obviously an excellent run! Bamalog has a mixed bag of success with unanimous decision and knockout victories, so he can adapt to whatever situation he’s faced with and can handle it very well! It’s ironic that his opponent is literally the same height and weight as he is because that adds some intrigue to this battle as I see it! Bamalog has the better knockout power from what I’ve seen and in this fight, he may have to step up his level of aggression but from a counterattacking perspective because he does have Golden Gloves boxing skills and world class muay thai as well, but he probably doesn’t want to test Hijikata’s BJJ abilities! Therefore, Bamalog wants to keep this fight standing and may opt to counterattack from a distance so he can gauge the timing and speed of Hijikata while looking for the opportunities to test Hijikata’s chin with power shots and thunderous kicks! If Bamalog and Hijikata get into a kicking war, we could very well see one of these men break a leg because they both bring a tremendous amount of velocity in their kicks!

Xavier: This is going to be one hell of a battle, Styles, and I absolutely look forward to it! That being said, my pick tonight is Bamalog because I think he has just a bit more power than Hijikata does plus he’ll be highly motivated to keep this fight on its vertical base because, as you pointed out, going to the ground with Hijikata will be bad for business! Bamalog doesn’t have the experience that Hijikata has and that could work against him in certain situations, but the power that Bamalog possesses can’t be denied nor overlooked! Lastly, the recent loss to Kongchai Phetboonme by knockout in the third round will fuel his desire to finish this fight quickly and harshly! Bamalog takes this fight by knockout!

Styles: Hijikata is just an incredibly skilled fighter, X, and that is hard as hell to overcome, even with knockout power like Bamalog has! As the saying goes, you can’t hurt what you can’t hit and I have to wonder if Bamalog will have the ability to land any power strikes before Hijikata drags him to the mat, and believe me, that will happen! If Bamalog manages to get inside the defenses of Hijikata and keeps this fight in very close range, Hijikata will gladly have a clinch battle because that will enable him to damage him prior to taking this fight to the horizontal base where Hijikata’s BJJ abilities will take over! Hijikata will control the pace and space once this fight goes to the ground and he’ll eventually wear down and frustrate Bamalog until he locks in the eventual submission for the win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Hijikata by Submission; Xavier – Bamalog by KO

 

Styles: Ri Zaadha and Conrad Tama Ginty are the next men to step into the cage and test one another’s skills! Zaadha brings a very respectable 19-9 overall record, and this Finnish fighter who represents The Evil Empire has had quite the run of managerial teams throughout his career! In fact, this is now his fifth training and management team so we’ll see what the future holds for him with this team! So far, he’s an even 1-1 with the loss and win both coming by way of knockout, so there’s still plenty of fireworks left in his fists! His career began in excellent fashion as he won seven straight right out of the gate! He’s also never lost more than two fights in a row so he’s been able to avoid the proverbial unspoken three in a row and he’s shown a propensity for finish his opponents before the judges’ cards are even a factor! Force, aggression and brutality are his calling card so Ginty had better have his head on a swivel and that chin reinforced with steel because if he slips too much and Zaadha tees off on his jaw too much, Ginty could find himself in a heap of trouble or opening his eyes and seeing the lights on the ceiling!

Xavier: “The Will O’ The Whip” Ginty hails from Monasteraden, County Sligo, Ireland, and represents YABAI with a solid 13-5 overall record! This fur-clad Irishman is slightly shorter than Zaadha but not enough to where he’d have difficulties getting to Zaadha’s chin throughout the course of the fight! Like Zaadha, Ginty also has championship experience, so the in-cage combat advantage that Zaadha has over Ginty, specifically an eleven-fight advantage, is minimized by that championship experience! Add in the fact that Ginty likes to make opponents take naps just like Zaadha, and this promises to be an intense toe-to-toe standup melee! Ginty doesn’t have the knockout record that Zaadha does but Ginty obviously knows how to win the war of attrition, and winning is winning, as well know! A 7-fight win streak is the longest that Ginty has and he’s never lost two fights in a row! In his last outing against Corban Storm, he won by unanimous decision at EMP Asham versus Marley, and that win came on the heels of a loss to Buffalo Marley by unanimous decision! I don’t see this fight going to the ground because both men possess world class standup skills so this could very well boil down to intelligence, toughness and confidence!

Styles: Zaadha has slurry bombs in his fists and he lights up his opponents with pressure, energy and power! I don’t see that narrative changing at all in this fight and although Ginty is very highly skilled, Zaadha’s no slouch either, X! Zaadha may opt to stay outside and pump a jab repeatedly at Ginty to make him either adjust to Zaadha’s reach advantage or take the chance of catching leg and body kicks whenever he slips a punch and tries to step in and land a strike! Zaadha’s combat experience can’t be overlooked either because he’s been in numerous situations where he’s dealt with fighters who may have particular skills that are superior to his, but due to his ability to crush an opponent’s jaw, he always has a puncher’s chance of winning a fight, and win is what he’ll do tonight against Ginty by knockout!

Xavier: Ginty takes no issue with controlling the pace of a fight he’s in and he doesn’t need knockout victories to sate any bloodthirst! He’s intelligent, cool and calculating, and I expect that to be the approach to this fight, especially since he knows Zaadha will look to be aggressive in going for an early knockout! The longer this fight progresses, the more it swings over to Ginty’s side because he’s proven that he can survive heavy hitters while scoring crucial points on the judges’ cards while, more importantly, keeping himself out of harm’s way while he damages the opponent in various ways! If he can dictate whether or not this fight stays at a distance or gets locked into a clinch struggle then he’ll be able to avoid unnecessary damage and may possibly force the tapout if Zaadha takes too many chances and gives up positioning as soon as the fight goes to the ground!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Ginty by KO; Styles – Zaadha by KO

 

Xavier: The next two combatants who will enter the cage will be Kendo Hirigushi and Bobo Nielsen! “Doll Hands” Hirigushi is 17-11 overall, and this rather unique-looking warrior from Fukushima, Japan, has world class boxing skills and the heart of a champion! His foray into the KT circuit near the beginning of his career proved to be an excellent decision as he won four fights in a row and captured a championship in his third fight! He’s won titles on separate occasions so he knows what he’s doing in the cage and in the ring, so Nielsen will need to be on point tonight and not underestimate this man! Hirigushi has been knocked out a few times but has avoided relative major damage and punishment, so his defensive abilities are definitely solid! After engaging in some brutal standup wars where he knocked out some excellent competitors, recently he’s been involved in more decision wins and losses than knockouts! That doesn’t mean that he’s lost any ability to drop an opponent quickly but that’s more a nod to the style of fights he’s had as well as the level of competition! He’s struggled a bit over his last four fights going 1-3, so he definitely wants to get things turned around as quickly as possible starting with this fight!

Styles: Nielsen finds himself the shorter and lighter man tonight, she he’ll have to utilize speed and counterattacking intelligence to be effective tonight! The Convicted Inc. member from Rajjeskold, Denmark, is an excellent 21-11 overall, and tonight his height disadvantage is actually an advantage, if he can get Hirigushi to the ground and keep him there that is! A 6-fight win streak has been Nielsen’s longest of his career and he’s had a 3-fight losing streak. However, overall, he’s only lost more than two fights in a row once in his career and that was the three-fight skid I just mentioned! He’s won the majority of his fights by TKO, X, so he’s still a dangerous opponent that Hirigushi will have to be wary of! He’s been knocked out a few times and has had his struggles against submission specialists, but his championship experience and acumen can’t be denied! What we have on our hands is another classic standup versus ground fighter, and, as always, whoever can impose their will on the opponent and keep them in their preferred area of combat will be the one to win this fight!

Xavier: Since both of these men have shown struggles against fighters well versed in the submission language of combat, it would be ironic to see the majority of this fight end up on the mat. I think Hirigushi will lean heavily on his outstanding boxing ability and very respectable muay thai skills to keep this fight standing at all costs, even if he has to take a calculated risk and lock Nielsen in a clinch to see if Nielsen can withstand the onslaught from the clinch, plus that would enable Hirigushi to feel any takedown attempts from the clinch from Nielsen! If Nielsen does manage to get this fight to the mat, I think Hirigushi has enough capability and experience to avoid any mass amounts of ground-and-pound damage while fighting for better defensive positioning! Eventually, Hirigushi’s boxing ability and world class muay thai skills will sway the fight in his favor and he’ll eventually penetrate Nielsen’s defenses long enough to land the clean shot he needs to score the knockout!

Styles: Nielsen knows what it takes to get this fight to the ground and ground-and-pound Hirigushi into nap time, or, in the very least, pummeling the man with repeated hammerfists and elbows to the point where he either taps out or is bloodied so badly that the referee has no choice but to stop the fight! Getting this fight to the ground will require excellent timing with counterattacks because he’ll need to soften up Hirigushi before trying to score any takedowns! Look for Nielsen to work on Hirigushi’s body with kicks, especially, and if this fight ends up in the clinch, look for Nielsen to throw timely blind hooks to the head and knees to the body before tripping Hirigushi and immediately working to gain the advantage in positioning! Once he’s able to secure and maintain dominant positioning, Nielsen will be very aggressive in going for the finish via ground-and-pound, and if Hirigushi manages to avoid that, he’s still going to eat some heavy shots and will also leave himself open for an array of submissions that he’ll eventually succumb to!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Nielsen by Submission; Xavier – Hirigushi by KO

 

Styles: Jean-Claude Marceau and George Allen keep the action going as they are the next two men to square off in the cage! Marceau, the man of few words and the face paint of a mime, steps into combat with a fantastic 21-10 overall record! The Frenchman from Paris and Stepdads representative is slightly shorter and a bit lighter than Allen tonight, but that won’t deter him from matching boxing and muay thai skills against Allen’s! Marceau is on a Golden Gloves level with his boxing ability and his muay thai is world class, and I think he can rely on those two skill sets to seize control of this fight! 4-fights in a row has been the longest win streak of his career and he’s lost two fights in a row twice in his career. Something of a concern for Marceau, however, is the fact that he’s lost three fights due to bleeding out! This was mentioned previously but it’s important to make note of that because Allen definitely knows about that history and will undoubtedly look to make Marceau bleed with punishing strikes! His last fight against Tank was the headlining fight and he lost that one by unanimous decision so he wants to get back into the win column as quickly as possible!

Xavier: Allen brings a 16-6 record into this fight along with his stocky frame for being in the light heavyweight division! The tattooed Englander from St. Mary’s and yellow-taped fists is with his second management team. With his first team, he had an outstanding start by winning 8-fights in a row and becoming a champion! After that incredible start, however, he and that management team decided to part ways and with his current team, he won another two fights in a row before tasking his first defeat. Who was his first defeat!? You guessed it, the man who will be standing across the cage from him! In fact, this is the third time these two warriors will clash and so far, Marceau has won the previous two encounters, both my knockout! Allen had been struggling a bit during a stretch where he lost three fights in a row, but he corrected that slide by winning his last two fights, both by knockout, so he’s rolling at the right time and his confidence is very high! His last victory was a head kick knockout, a nod to his world class muay thai skills and power! Keep in mind that he knocked out every single person in his first ten fights! In fact, there have only been three fights he’s been in that have ended in a unanimous decision! Devastation is his middle name and that’s followed very closely by aggression!

Styles: There’s no doubt that Allen is a wrecking ball with fists and feet because whatever he hits, he hurts! There have been four times when he’s been knocked out and his last knockout loss was a result of bleeding out, so there’s a concern about being able to hold their blood in for both fighters in this battle! For this fight, which is sure to be filled with crimson rivers, I’m rollin’ with the mime of pain tonight because he’s figured out how to floor Allen! Two fights between them and he solved the conundrum that Allen is and was able to outstrike and overpower the powerful Allen! Allen’s kicks will give Marceau cause for concern but he can overcome that by counterattacking Allen with speed and fast punches by using his Golden Gloves boxing skills! Allen brings plenty of destruction and Marceau knows he has to have his striking defense as up to speed as possible, but you better believe he’s completely confident that he can once again make Allen kiss canvas! Marceau wins this battle by knockout for the trifecta!

Xavier: Allen knows this is an excellent opportunity for him to secure his first victory over Marceau! The momentum is there, the desire is there, and the knowledge is there! In addition, he may very well have determined that he’s going to forgo counterattacking or looking to use accurate striking and will bum rush Marceau in hopes of simply overwhelming him with brutal strike after strike! Yes, that’s risky but really, what does he have to lose? Marceau has bested him twice already and Allen knows that he has to go through Marceau to cement his status as a title contender! Allen could look to take a risk in the clinch and rely on his tremendous muay thai abilities to wear Marceau down and even look to land elbows that slice Marceau open and make him more susceptible to being hit! Allen will be very focused, intense, and hell bent on getting the knockout tonight to prove he can overcome the burden in his career named Marceau!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Allen by KO; Styles – Marceau by KO

 

Xavier: Lain Tower and Kvame Zulu are the next combatants to test one another’s skills in the cage! “The CN” Tower from Toronto, Canada and La Familia member is a tremendous 26-6! The man with the intense eyes is with his third management team, which is shocking to me, because he’s obviously a very successful warrior, has been knocking out fighters left and right for the vast majority of his career! He started off his career by flooring ten men in a row, and while unleashing that path of destruction, he won a championship! After changing his management team the first time, he won another championship and laid out eight men in a row! Now with his current manager, he’s won his past two fight by KO and TKO, respectively! Hercules Fortier succumbed to losing too much blood and Yhorm Giant was put to sleep in a mere 29 seconds! Needless to say, this man is a force to be reckoned with! Against Zulu, he’s a bit taller and heavier but, quite frankly, none of that matters, Styles! What does matter is in this fight you have two absolute bulldozers for men whose fists can be used to tear down houses! Brutal, bludgeoning, and bloody will be the descriptor for this clash and the fans will absolutely eat it up! Both men have earned their brown belts in BJJ but let’s be honest here. No one wants to see these two behemoths have a submission or ground-and-pound battle! We want to see which one of these titans can topple the other one with ground-breaking punches, wall-collapsing kicks, and hell, maybe even an elbow or knee that one of them doesn’t see that ends up making them take a nap very early in this fight!

Styles: You’re damn right about that, X! No one wants to see either one of these men have a damned grappling fight! This type of battle is like having two Sherman tanks barreling towards one another at full speed in a game of chicken that neither man wants to veer from! This is the proverbial immovable object meets the unstoppable force! The fans are going to ooh and aah with each and every hit because they know flesh is being bent, bones potentially broken, ligaments popped and tendons torn! “Brahma” is a very fitting nickname because this destructive force from New Xade, Botswana, is an absolute bull! He steps into this fight with a 24-7 record and he represents YABAI very well with his world class boxing, muay thai, and grappling skills! One of the most intriguing aspects of this battle, X, is that Tower also has world class boxing and muay thai! Imagine if these two monsters decide to have a clinch war and just level each other with strikes from all angles and parts of the body until one of them yells “timber” and watches the other man topple over! Zulu is with his second management team and with this team, he has become a champion! He began his career by knocking out four men in a row and with his current team, he forced a nap on nine men by going on a 9-fight winning streak! One fact to keep in mind tonight is Zulu has knocked Tower out before! However, Tower has knocked Zulu out before as well, and in fact, he’s won the last two battles between them by knockout, so Zulu is amped at the opportunity to even this personal war!

Xavier: That’s an excellent point, Styles! Zulu has tasted defeat the last two times these two monsters have crossed paths and also, Tower has shown the ability to take the fight to the ground and secure the submission win! Personally, I don’t see him making an attempt to do that against Zulu tonight because, quite frankly, he won’t have the time or opportunity to take this fight to the ground! Zulu is going to be a house of fire tonight, ladies and gentlemen, because he knows that he’s taken more damage than Tower over his career plus there’s concern that Tower can make him bleed! These are very motivational factors in this fight that he will use as fuel to overcome the very dangerous Tower tonight! Zulu knows there are whispers that he can’t defeat Tower again and he wants to assuage those concerns with a resounding knockout victory! Tonight, he takes hold of that knockout victory!

Styles: This is definitely one of the fights I’ve been looking forward to ever since it was announced that these two would clash again! I have no doubt that these two warriors keep an eye on one another each and every time they fight because it’s inevitable that they’ll cross paths time and again until they retire! Tower knows the longer this fight goes, the better his chance of finishing Zulu because he’s made him bleed out before and has obviously made him kiss canvas against his wishes as well! That knowledge and experience will give Tower a world of confidence heading into this fourth fight with Zulu, and that will definitely be an advantage! Add in the fact that if Zulu begins to gain momentum, Tower can take him to the mat where Tower has forced a good number of opponents to tap out, and you have one hell of a winning combination! Yes, Zulu is just as skilled on the mat as Tower is but that doesn’t mean Tower doesn’t have the ability to overcome Zulu’s defenses and lock him into a submission for the win! Tower defeats Zulu again, but this time it will be by tapout!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Tower by Submission; Xavier – Zulu by KO

 

Styles: The main event of the evening is next and what a time to have it! The fans will be raucous and buzzing after seeing Tower and Zulu beat the living hell out of one another! The Welterweight title hangs in the balance as Nick Graves and Domingo Chavez get it on! “Dr. Kneevil”, which I appreciate the play on words there, is an incredible 28-6! The Calgary native and Stepdads representative is with his second management team, and when he began his career, we all knew he was going to be one hell of a fighter! He went on an absolute tear and had a 13-fight winning streak! Thirteen in a row, X!

Xavier: That’s extremely impressive!

Styles: Hell yeah it is! Obviously, and rightfully, he became a champion and defended his title time and again, but for whatever reason, after winning thirteen in a row, he and that management team decided to part ways! Unbelievable!

Xavier: I have no doubt that sent a shockwave through the entire industry because it’s very rare to have that type of success, especially right out of the gates!

Styles: Needless to say, his current management team was damn happy to sign him from free agency and the rest is history! With this management team, he’s become a champion again but has run into a buzzsaw named Luck Gagnon a few times! Luc Gagnon just seems to have Graves’ number because he’s defeated Graves by TKO each and every time! Taking nothing away from Graves because Gagnon is an incredible warrior in his own right, Graves has that hanging over his head and when the time comes, he’ll have to try and overcome Gagnon yet again in the future! Currently, however, Graves has looked sharp and ready for all challengers! He’s won four in a row and that snapped a two-fight losing streak, and in the four wins he’s had lately, all have been by KO or TKO! The man is locked in and ready to unleash a wave of destruction on Chavez, and Chavez definitely knows he has a hellacious fight on his hands tonight! It’s shocking to me that this is the first meeting between these two because they’re obviously at the top of their game so this will be a very interesting battle due to that simple fact, let alone the level of skill and ability they both possess! Graves has been knocked out five times, X, and you better believe Chavez is fully aware of that fact! Also, Graves has never tapped out in any of his thirty-four fights! That, in itself, is an incredible achievement and he’s renowned for his toughness and will to win!

Xavier: “Ding” Chavez is the shorter and lighter man in this championship fight, Styles, and quite frankly, that’s just the way he’d prefer it to be! I say that because the Los Angeles native and member of the Keyboard Warriors takes great joy in making opponents lose by unanimous decision while he avoids their best efforts at knocking him out or making him tap out! Chavez has a 23-9 record so he basically has the same combat experience as Graves does. Admittedly, Chavez doesn’t have nearly the knockout rate of winning that Graves does so don’t expect him to try and come out with strikes that will overwhelm Graves with power! Instead, expect Chavez to be very methodical in his approach to this fight and do his best to be technically sound with accuracy, agility and counterstriking while avoiding the jaw-crushing power that Graves will try and unload on him tonight! Chavez has had two different times of establishing a 5-fight win streak so be it by knockout, tapout or winning the battle of attrition, Chavez can adapt to the situation he faces and that’s key in this fight tonight, Styles! Like Graves, Chavez is a champion and that can’t be denied by anyone! That championship moxie and mettle allows certain fighters to push past their limits while embroiled in combat, and Chavez has demonstrated that just as much as Graves has, in my opinion! Chavez has been knocked out five times in his career so he has absorbed some damage, though by the looks of it, he’s suffered just as much damage as Graves has, so that may not be as much of a factor as people may suspect! Chavez has the patience and ability to control the pace of battle and over his last three fights, that’s exactly how he has won!

Styles: You know, X, there’s no way I can’t ride with the champion in this fight! No disrespect to Chavez because he’s obviously in this position to win a title for a reason! Tonight, however, I just think Graves has the physical advantage with his height because that will make Chavez have to step into his striking range, and that’s a very risky endeavor! The longer Chavez stays in Graves’ range, especially his punches, the greater the risk that Chavez will be tasting blood in his mouth while becoming acquainted with the canvas! I think Graves is just rolling too well and his confidence is too strong for Chavez to break, plus I don’t think Graves is overly worried about Chavez’s power! If Chavez manages to get inside of Graves’ defenses, I don’t think Graves will have a problem with clinching with Chavez because he can still unleash great power in the short range and wear Chavez down enough to open his defenses for the knockout! Graves wins this title fight by knockout!

Xavier: Chavez knows this is his opportunity to silence many critics who say he doesn’t have the power or ability to slow down a knockout artist such as Graves is! Chavez also knows that he absolutely has to utilize his smaller stature to be the faster, sharper and wittier man to take the title home tonight! Counterattacking, taking the angles and using his age experience over Graves are the keys to victory tonight! Chavez is fully aware that he needs to drag this fight to the ground and keep it there as soon as possible because he doesn’t want to risk absorbing punishment from Graves’ kicks or fists unnecessarily! Chavez could very well opt to rush Graves in an attempt to cinch a clinch early in the fight and wear him down with body strikes and sporadic punches and elbows to the head to make Graves cover up long enough for Chavez to score the trip takedown and float right into side control! From there, Chavez can take advantage of Graves’ longer limbs and look to make the champion tapout for the championship win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Chavez by Submission; Styles – Graves by KO

 

Xavier: Completing this night of incredible action and blood-letting will be Will Rock and Kagekatsu Uesugi!

Styles: Wow, that’s a mouthful! Kagekatsu Uesugi? Damn, talk about sounding like an SAT question!

Xavier: “The Lion” steps into this fight with an outstanding 26-8-3 record, and The Evil Empire associate from Athens, Greece, is the definition of intensity! Among his impressive accomplishments, a 6-fight win streak is the longest of his career, which is surprising because I thought he’d have more wins in a row than that! Not knocking that streak because that’s still damned good but a man of his caliber and capability can easily win more than that in a row! Surprisingly, this is the first time that these two fighters will meet in the cage so there’ll be a feeling out process while they figure out how to beat the other man into oblivion! Rock has done it all with the exception of winning or losing by TKO due to cuts so there’s always that, but you never know, Styles! This might be the night where he adds that to his record! The skill level of this man is so good that it’s ridiculous! He can do it all, period, end of story! He’s only tasted the canvas once and that was from a head kick but lately he’s had some close call victories, and one loss, by way of split decision. Is that a sign that his incredibly skilled and talented warrior is finally beginning to slow!? Only time will tell! The championship experience this man possesses is also a very favorable advantage he may have over Uesugi tonight so don’t overlook that factor!

Styles: Uesugi, the quiet but very effective warrior from Niigata, Japan, steps into this fight with a 23-8 record! He’s basically just as experienced and accomplished as Rock so there won’t be any surprises between these men in terms of approach to combat! What impresses me about Uesugi is he’s signed to both Empyrean and Claymore Elite Combat! Numerous fighters have a hard enough time keeping themselves together and making a successful career in one organization at a time, but this man is among those very special fighters who can handle being in two fight organizations at the same time and not being broken like a weak stone! He’s very slightly taller than Rock but he does have ten pounds on him, and may try to use that weight advantage to either lean it against Rock in the clinch or try to establish dominant position on the ground and force Rock to support that extra weight while they engage in a grappling and BJJ war! Uesugi knows that Rock is in a very select group of men who have earned a red belt in BJJ a feat that, in and of itself, is incredibly impressive and is to be respected by any man who steps into combat! A 5-fight win streak is the longest of his career but he’s had a couple of four-wins in a row as well so when he gets on a roll and his confidence is strong, the man is effective in the cage! Add his championship experience and he’s as solid as they come, X!

Xavier: This may surprise many people, yourself included, Styles, but I think Uesugi will emerge victorious tonight, and here’s why! There’s no doubt Rock is extremely skilled and outstanding in whatever situation he faces, but he may be suspect with his confidence, and if Uesugi can convince Rock that he’s far more superior to Uesugi, he could very well take an uncalculated risk and Uesugi can pounce on that! Feints, counterattacks and deceptive power could very well be the keys to victory for Uesugi tonight! Utilizing his weight advantage is vital in slowing Rock down enough to land effective, accurate strikes mixed with power strikes that may very well catch Rock off guard and be the beginning of his energy level slowing enough to diminish his defensive skills! Once Uesugi is able to achieve that goal, he can pour on the pressure and lock Rock into a clinch where he can lean that weight on him while sapping his strength and energy with body strikes until he’s able to sneak a punch between Rock’s hands and turn his lights out!

Styles: Rock is, pardon the pun, as solid as a rock, X! There’s no situation he can’t handle and he knows how to get out of trouble once he’s in it, if he even gets into trouble! I think Rock has the confidence in his standup abilities to keep this fight on a vertical plane where he can counterattack Uesugi with power and precision until he feels he’s ready to take this fight to the ground where his advanced BJJ skills can and will be the difference maker! In addition, Rock has learned how to avoid being knocked out, and if he feels Uesugi is applying too much pressure for his liking, he can lock him into a clinch and see how he handles that! In the clinch, he may very well have the striking speed advantage because he’s lighter on his feet and can beat Uesugi to the punch, literally, in close quarters! Once he wears Uesugi down, Rock will get the takedown and win the battle of positioning until he can get the angle he wants on Uesugi and locks in the submission for the win!

 

PREDICTIONS: Styles – Rock by Submission; Xavier – Uesugi by KO

 

Styles: All right good people, that’s another wrap to a preview brought to you by myself, Furious Styles, my esteemed colleague, Esiah Xavier, and our kick ass sponsor, HELLBENT!

Xavier: Styles and I have enjoyed bringing you the information that we have as usual, ladies and gentlemen, and we appreciate you joining us once again for an Empyrean preview! We know the action tonight will be hellacious, intense and will leave an indelible mark on all of our minds! Take care, be well, and we’ll see you at the fights!

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