PSE 265lbs+ Grand Prix

[Alfred]

Group D

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.1

(19th Jan 2019)

Roar Dinosuar Jr v Alan Odrobny

(Dinosuar Jr def. Odrobny by Sub, 03:48 Rd 1)

Second seed Roar Dinosuar provided little surprise with a submission win over Polish brawler Alan Odrobny in the first round. It wasn’t entirely straight forward however as Odrobny was able to get a little offence in of his own in the clinch and even opening up a cut on Dinosuar Jr’s face before being taken down.

Roar Dinosuar Jr will now meet Heitor Machado in what could be an extremely tough fight against a superior jiu-jitsu fighter.

Alan Odrobny faces Johannes Boe and that one should also be a very tough fight

Heitor Machado v Bubba Sparxxx

(Machado def. SparXXX by Sub, 03:55 Rd 1)

Heitor Machado was one of the only seeded fighters not predicted a top three spot come the end of this opening round but he managed to get of to a winning start against predicted struggler Bubba Sparxxx. Sparxx threw with power but was unable to land much on the feet before Machado predictably hit the take down and found the submission finish.

Machado will now go into what is likely to be an extremely important clash for Group D’s overall standings as he meets predicted group winner Dinosuar Jr. Machado is slightly favoured in this fight

For Sparxxx, he meets Marcus St Stone and while he will be fresh for the fight, St Stone will be nursing a fairly significant cut that might boost Sparxxx confidence from the start

Marcus St Stone v Prince Thick

(Thick def. St Stone by TKO, 01:15 Rd 1)

Prince Thick took a step towards living up his distinction of being the only non-seeded fighter to finish in a top three spot with a competent display of striking against Marcus St Stone. St Stone pressed for the clinch throughout the short fight but it was in the end his undoing as Thick was able to beat him to the punch inside and picked up the TKO win in a little over a minute of the first round.

Thick now meets Daniel Bradshaw in next weeks fight and that will be definitely be an interesting one while disaster for Marcus St Stone who goes into a tough fight against Bubba Sparxxx with a nasty cut that will not have a chance to heal

Daniel Bradshaw v Johannes Boe

(Bradshaw def. Boe by Dec)

Johannes Boe was expected to triumph in his opening round fight but it was Daniel Bradshaw who managed to pick up the win after a three round clinch fest was ruled in his favour.

Bradshaw now moves into the 4th spot in the group with 2 Points and will face off against Prince Thick in next weeks bout.

Johannes Boe faces a tough match up against brawler Alan Odrobny and that will be made even harder with a niggling injury that he will carry into it.

[ClubberWinger]

This is so good man. Top class from you, KD. I feeel blessed to be part of this tournament either win or loss.

[Monsieur.Camara]

Good job guys !

[Alfred]

Hi all. Just a quick update on the fight schedule.

 

Going to take an extra week in between the first group stage and the second group stage just to give us organisers enough time to sort everything out with new groups draws and fight offers etc. Will probably do it in between the second round and knockout stages too. The extra week also gives us more of a chance of everyone getting over any injuries/cuts as well as a little extra training time which I'm sure no one would object too?

 

Also, betting odds are up for the next round of fights if anyone is interested in that. I will keep them going until the end

[XxxtremeT13]

Good luck to you all in your fights today...For those of you that were less fortunate in round one and having to fight injured or cut...May the great Rocky Balboa be on your side

[XxxtremeT13]

well of the 32 fighters only 10 are undefeated...13 are 1-1 and that leaves 9 sitting with no wins...But, its still early enough to score some big points. So, keep your heads up. Get rested. Get that morale up...remember we are partnered with Drunken Hobo, who not only sells great looking clothes but cheap too. Also, for those sitting on the bottom and not feeling comfortable with their chances to move on...You still have a great chance to earn a big payout still with the losers drawing at the end

[Guest MpJuice]

Steel Penn mother fuckers, Steel Penn!

[XxxtremeT13]

http://mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/15472505101715.png

The Lord, again has granted me the abilities to destroy my enemies. All that stand before me, stand before my Lord and shall be doomed to eternal hell.

[TheRogue89]

Interviewer: "Daniel, after this last fight you're now 1-1 in the tournament. Not the best or worst place to be in. What are your thoughts on where you stand and how your last fight went?"

Bradshaw: "I think I'm in an alright standing right now but it's still early and I could either rise or fall. As for the fight, I knew it was going to be a tough one. Thick is no joke. We had a great fight that I personally think could have very easily gone either way. I'm definitely hurting after that one. Kudos to him for the win."

Interviewer: "Hurting in what way? Did you sustain any injuries during the fight?"

Bradshaw: "Other than hurting my pride?" Daniel chuckles. "Yeah, actually. I've got some damage. I won't disclose what's exactly wrong, because I'm pretty sure it's not going to heal before the next fight. Rather my next opponent not know."

Interviewer: "That's unfortunate! Do you have a gameplan going into your next fight? My notes say it's against Bubba SparXXX, sitting with a record of 0-2 currently."

Bradshaw: "We're forming one. Of course I can't disclose that either, you understand. It's going to be... different, considering my injury. I'm not going to underestimate Bubba for one second. I can't."

Interviewer: "I see I see. On a slightly more positive note, in the two fights you've had in the tournament thus far, you've won the Fight of the Night bonus award in both of them. How does that feel - and do you think you can snag three in a row?"

Bradshaw: "It feels great actually. I think it speaks to the fact that I've been putting my very best into my fights, trying to give the fans a great show each time. The extra cash in my pocket feels pretty good also. I don't know about three in a row, I just know that I'm going to fight my heart out like I have been.. it'd be pretty cool, though."

Interviewer: "Alright Daniel, that's all I have for you tonight. Thank you for your time and good luck in your upcoming matches! I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I can't wait to see you fight again."

[Alfred]

Superb stuff Kris! Love to see stuff like this.

 

Well done all. Quite a lot of injuries this time around though.

 

Tables and results have been updated and post week review will be coming within the next day!

[Hitman96]

In standings it shows Cruz with a win this week and points ...I thought that fighter was Dq

[TheRogue89]

It appears he's finally got his weight up to qualify. 266 lbs.

[Hitman96]

I thought min weight ever cld be 265

[Alfred]

Group A

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.2

(27th Jan 2019)

Serj Khak v Mongali Samsom

(Khak def. Samsom by Dec)

A rather lacklustre affair between Serj Khak and Mogali Samson with both fighters putting on forgettable performances. Neither were able to mount much of an offence at all giving the judges very little to go on at the end of three rounds. On this occasion it was likely Khak’s cage control and activity in the clinch that earned him the two points and able to put a halt to Samson’s opening week momentum.

With the victory Khak now moves clear of the bottom of group A and just outside of a qualifying spot though he does face a 2-0 Okino Naruhiko next. A fight that will be difficult for him at best.

Samson drops one place down to third though still well within qualifying. He will face bottom placed Harry Tournament next and is likely to feel confident of getting back to winning ways.

Harry Tournament v Diego Columbo

(Columbo def. Tournament by TKO, 03:55 Rd 1)

Harry Tournament looked incredible for the first minute or so of this fight managing to both cut open his opponent Diego Columbo and drop him to the ground before Columbo was able to turn everything around with a powerful combination of punches that knocked Tournament out cold.

With the victory, Columbo can put his opening week result behind him as he moves into a qualifying spot separated only by virtue of time difference. Obviously a big result for him though it may be short lived as he will be going into a tough battle against a struggling Michael Dobson with both a pretty significant cut and injury sustained during this war today. Dobson on the other hand will be fit and fresh.

Harry Tournament drops into bottom place with two finish losses to his name. He really can’t afford another loss and is going to have to come up with something rather special. Tournament will face Mongali Samson next and will likely be nursing a small injury on the day.

Michael Dobson v Regis Petrozuli

(Petrozuli def. Dobson by Sub, 03:56 Rd 1)

Another dominant performance from Regis Petrozuli who now moves into the top spot in Group A. He raised a few eyebrows as he took down the superior wrestler Michael Dobson seemingly with ease and clearly sticking to his strengths was able to pick up his second submission win of the tournament. Dobson, who was predicted to finish in a qualifying spot has so far not lived up to expectation and some are now wondering if he will be able to turn things around from here?

A massive fight for Petrozuli next as he takes on group favourite Patrick O’Phoenix although it looks as though O’Phoenix might not be completely fit from injury come fight day. Coupled with a tough loss today, Petrozuli might just have a big chance to further cement his top spot.

For Michael Dobson, the loss puts him joint bottom separated only by virtue of having spent more time in the cage during his losses. He may have a big opportunity coming up in his next fight as he takes on a somewhat battered Diego Columbo but he will definitely have to step it up a gear if he has any chance of qualifying further.

Patrick O'Phoenix v Okino Naruhiko

(Naruhiko def. O'Phoenix by KO, 02:59 Rd 1)

There was a definite feeling that this fight would be significant come the end of the first round and if that is to be the case then the result will not definitely not please Patrick O’Phoenix and his camp. Naruhiko was willing to engage a little on the feet early on but O’Phoenix was clearly only interested in getting this fight to the floor and it was perhaps this impetuousness that allowed Naruhiko to hit the counter takedown and gain top position from the start. Generally, this shouldn’t have been a problem for a submission fighter like O’Phoenix but against a heavy ground and pound wrestler such as Naruhiko, it was a dangerous place to be indeed. Naruhiko battered his way through O’Phoenix’s submission attempts and picked up his second finish win in a row.

He faces Serj Khak next and would likely be considered the favourite going into it. Both fighters should be fit and healthy.

For Patrick O’Phoenix this loss, while not necessarily something that would stop him qualifying, has left him with a fairly serious injury that he will likely be carrying into his next fight against Regis Petrozulli. This was always going to be an extremely difficult and important fight between two seeded fighters already but the injury might just leave O’Phoenix at the mercy of the 2-0 Petrozuli.

[Alfred]

Group B

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.2

(27th Jan 2019)

Jon Bones v Thom Tharrier

(Bones def. Tharrier by Dec)

After an impressive performance in his opening round fight, Thom Tharrier surprised many by dropping a lopsided decision to Jon Bones who himself was looking to overcome a loss previously. Bones was the more productive of the two during the three rounds but it was in the clinch where he really did the most work.

Tharrier now finds himself in the fourth spot down from an early lead at number one. Luckily a decision loss doesn’t incur a minus point so technically hasn’t lost or gained anything but still, this was a big fight to lose and one that might come back to haunt him. He will next face 2-0 Tommy Du Mahss in what is sure to be a tough fight.

A good result for Bones who actually moves up into a qualifying spot with the two point win and has now matched his expected predictions in the first round. He now faces seeded fighter Victor Slaughter and though at the start of the tournament would have been the overwhelming underdog, may actually be considered to have a chance after his opponents dreadful start to proceedings.

Tommy Du Mahss v Carlos Junior

(Du Mahss def. Junior by TKO, 00:41 Rd 3)

A gritty performance from BJJ specialist Carlos Junior wasn’t enough to overcome opponent Tommy Du Mahss on this occasion might feel as though he missed a big opportunity to pick up his first win of the tournament after controlling the first two rounds. Junior, who had ample opportunity to finish the fight on the ground, found himself on the receiving end of a monster uppercut early in round three and TKO’d for the second time in a row.

With the victory Tommy De Mahss now finds himself tied at the top of the table with a maximum 6 out of 6 points and separated only by time. He will now go into his next fight injury and cut free and likely confident of victory against Thom Tharrier.

The loss marks the second in a row for Carlos Junior who will really need to find a way to turn things around if he is to have any chance of moving on further in the tournament

Sven Eklund v Rick Gallowgate

(Eklund def. Gallowgate by TKO, 01:51 Rd 1)

What can be said about Sven “The Executioner” Eklund so far? Predicted early to little more than cannon fodder for the more established teams in the group, Eklund has now taken out two top seeded fighters in a row and now finds himself top of Group B with a maximum 6 out of 6 points. Gallowgate, who was perhaps hampered by a niggling injury sustained in his last fight, was no match on the night for the musical loving Eklund who was able to take the fight to the ground and ground and pound his way to victory.

A massive result for Eklund who must now surely be taken seriously as a threat in the group. He faces a tough match up in BJJ fighter Carlos Junior next however and will need to tread very carefully indeed if he is to keep his perfect record going.

For Gallowgate, it was another dreadful result for one of the predicted qualifiers and who now faces an uphill battle to climb back into contention. It can be done though much will be riding on the result of his next fight against 2-0 second seed Hugues Dupont. Thankfully, Gallowgate should be back to full fitness on the night

Hugues Dupont v Victor Slaughter

(Dupont def. Slaughter by Sub, 03:38 Rd 3

Another pivotal clash between top seeded fighters and predicted qualifiers Victory Slaughter and Hugues Dupont ended up being a highly entertaining ground war that on this occasion went to Hugues Dupont. Victor Slaughter, who was looking to overcome a disappointing loss in his opening first round fight, was just about able to keep up with Dupont through rounds one and two but around three and a half minutes into round three was caught in a kimura from half guard and forced to tap. The result bore an interesting divide between the two as Dupont cements his second place spot with a 2-0 record and group favourite Slaughter moves into minus points and lingers near the bottom and outside of qualifying position.

Dupont will now look forward to taking on fellow seeded fighter Rick Gallowgate who yet to pick up his first win. Dupont will enter that bout as the clear favourite to pick up points.

Victor Slaughter will no doubt be wondering what he can do to turn things around from this point and he might just dare to eye a good result against brawler Jon Bones in his next fight

[Alfred]

Group C

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.2

(27th Jan 2019)

Legend Broly v Alf Konrad

(Konrad def. Broly by KO, 01:50 Rd 1)

Kicking off things in Group C, Alf Konrad managed to pick up his first win of the tournament with a entertaining rock em’ sock em’ clinch brawl victory over Legend Broly. Both fighters certainly came to fight and though proceedings didn’t last that long in the end, both fighters were able to inflict nasty cuts on each other before coming together in the clinch. Konrad kept things nice and simple and mainly hunted for the head while Broly threw everything but the kitchen sink. In the end it was Konrad’s precision that helped secure the KO finish.

Maximum points for Konrad takes him out of minus points and up from six place into third and a qualifying spot. With five fights still to go Konrad will need more of the same to cement a spot in the next round and he just might get that chance when he faces struggling JT Rolli in next weeks fights.

A strange predicament for Legend Broly who though hasn't yet managed to pick up a win, was awarded maximum points last week as forfeit for fighting an underweight Kyle Cruz and is still very much in the game as far as progression goes. Of course, he will need to find a way to win and soon if he is to move on and his next opponent Amadeo Camara is going to be extremely difficult to beat despite being in poor form himself

JT Rolli v Bishop Heahmund

(Heahmund def. Rolli by Sub, 0:18 Rd 1)

At the beginning of the tournament, BJJ specialist Bishop Heahmund wasn’t amongst those expected to qualify with his development touted as being a key factor in his potential. The general consensus was that he lacked the wrestling to get the fight where he needed it. Now, just after two weeks, that opinion has been firmly brushed aside as Heahmund picks up his second win in a row and with his wrestling and take downs looking better each time we see him. It was always going to be a big ask for JT Rolli if the fight took place anywhere other than on the outside and he will no doubt be frustrated at both his performance in this fight and overall so far in this tournament.

Bishop Heahmund now finds himself in a good spot. Sitting comfortably in second place on a joint maximum six points, he will be fresh and fit going into his next group showdown against Amanda Nunes with the winner guaranteed the top spot of Group C.

JT Rolli finds himself in quite the opposite position. Bottom of the group with two finish losses, a niggling injury is now likely to follow him into his next fight against Alf Konrad, a fight that should have otherwise been a good, competitive and not to mention important fight in Rolli’s qualification campaign. Can he overcome from here and find a way to the next round?

Amanda Nunes v Abdufatto Zamanov

(Nunes def. Zamanov by TKO, 01:50 Rd 1)

Amanda Nunes is another fighter that has so far confounded early predictions and continues to impress, this time with a first round TKO victory over Group C top seed Abdufatto Zamanov. As a stand up fighter, Zamanov was expected to struggle against the wrestlers of the group but most betting men would have put money on him to beat Nunes here tonight. Sporting an injury coming into this fight, Zamanov was unable to mount any offence what so ever and Nunes took full advantage by moving straight into the clinch and finishing the fight early with some solid shots inside the clinch.

The win marks the second in a row for Nunes who now surprisingly sits at the top of Group C after two weeks of action. You should definitely mark next weeks fight in the calendar however as Nunes goes head to head with fellow group leader Bishop Heahmund in a fight that will guarantee the sole place at the top of the Group C table.

For Zamanov, this loss drops him down a spot from third to fourth though not out of qualification as yet. Thankfully he should be injury free going into next weeks fight against seeded fighter Kyle Cruz though that is going to be an incredibly tough one for him to win.

Kyle Cruz v Amadeo Camara

(Cruz def. Camara by TKO, 02:24 Rd 2)

Previously suffering from some kind of exotic intestinal parasite, Kyle Cruz was handed a forfeit loss due to weighing in underweight for his previous fight, a fight he technically won. Now, miraculously, Cruz has managed to gain an unprecedented 25lbs in three days and just in time too as he faced group favourite Amadeo Camara. Camara, who had a disappointing result in his first match up tried his best to control Cruz on the ground but Cruz, no doubt infused with the new found power of his weight gain 4000, shrugged aside the submission attempts of his opponent and was able to finish the fight with brutal ground and pound in the second round.

A big win for Cruz who gets started in overcoming his opening week forfeit loss and actually moves straight up into a qualifying spot at number five. Cruz, who previous to his tapeworm problems, was fully expected to move on into the next round, is beginning to look like a solid threat overall and not just in Group C. Of course it is early days yet and he will need to face top seed and solid striker Abdufatto Zamanov in his next fight though many predict he will enter the cage as the firm favourite.

If the opening week result wasn’t quite panic stations for team Camara, then this second loss in a row will certainly send ripples around base camp. Strongly predicted to top the group at the end of the first round, Amadeo is in possible danger of falling too far behind and will need to make sure he is able to pick up his first win of the tournament next time round. He faces Legend Broly and though he may feel confident of victory against his alliance mate, he will likely be sporting an unhealed cut on fight night that could prove troublesome against striker Broly.

[Alfred]

Group D

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.2

(27th Jan 2019)

Alan Odrobny v Johannes Boe

(Odrobny def. Boe by Dec)

A dominant performance in the clinch from Polish fighter Alan Odrobny was enough to get him the nod over Johannes Boe after three rounds of action. Odrobny was by far the most active in the fight and in fact, was able to dodge everything that Boe fired his way. Boe will no doubt be disappointed in his performance but perhaps relieved not to have lost any points nor picked up any major injuries for his next fight.

Odrobny will now face undefeated Heitor Machado and though not likely to be the favourite going into that fight, will have done his chances no harm at all after tonight's performance.

Johannes Boe is still without a win after two fights and as a fighter that was predicted to be moving on into the next round, this surely will not be acceptable to him. As if to make the current situation worse, he will now face 2-0 Prince Thick in his next fight though rumours are circulating the Thick shouldn’t even really be fighting next week due to a serious injury sustained in this evenings bout. An opportunity for Boe to shine could definitely be on the cards

Prince Thick v Daniel Bradshaw

(Thick def. Bradshaw by Dec)

Prince Thick, the only non seeded fighter to be predicted a top three finish in any of the groups keeps his momentum going once more after a highly entertaining three round war with Daniel Bradshaw but it certainly came at a price and one has to wonder if it was worth it? Bradshaw took the first round and control of the fight, dictating the clinch and putting in some solid work. Thick came back in the second after starting to find his range and landing stinging shots from distance. Thick was able to maintain that game plan in the third round and it seemed to be paying off as he wobbled Bradshaw early and dropped him to the mat briefly. Wining two of the three rounds on all of the judges scorecards, both fighters need to be helped back to their dressing rooms having both sustained major injuries in the fight

An impressive performance for Thick who, though winning his fight, drops down into the second spot one point behind group leader Heitor Machado but still very much in qualifying position. He faces Johannes Boe in the next round but will likely be lucky to get away with a decision loss such is the extent of his injury.

Daniel Bradshaw drops down one place into fifth after both a decision win and loss. It was a good performance this evening but one that might come back to haunt him as he faces struggling Bubba Sparxxx in his next fight. Bradshaw will not be over his injury and Sparxxx might be able to turn around his own fortunes though he himself will be sporting a small injury.

Bubba Sparxxx v Marcus St Stone

(St Stone def. Sparxxx by TKO, 01:31 Rd 1)

Although still early on in the first round, Marcus St Stone was able to move up from bottom of Group D into a qualifying spot at number three after defeating Bubba Sparxxx by first round TKO. Some viscous elbows inside the clinch managed to open a small cut on Sparxxx and combined with a couple of brain rattling knees was able to put Sparxxx out in around a minute thirty.

It was a good result for St Stone who overcomes his opening week loss to Prince Thick and earns his first win of the tournament. St Stone, who was seeded third in group D, was predicted to be among those moving on into the next round and this win definitely sets him on his way. He now faces Roar Dinosaur Jr in his next fight and that is sure to be a great fight.

Another tough loss for Sparxxx who was always expected to struggle in the group and unless he can find a way to turn things around, looks set to fulfil the prophecy of a last place finish. He faces Daniel Bradshaw next and, while in general would be considered a big underdog, could be in with a big chance of picking up a win as rumour has it Bradshaw will be carrying quite a significant injury with him

Roar Dinosuar Jr v Heitor Machado

(Machado def. Dinosuar Jr by Sub, 04:57 Rd 1)

Always touted as being a bit of a bogey match up for group favourite Roar Dinosuar Jr, the prediction was proven to be spot on as BJJ Brown Belt Heitor Machado was able to use his superior jui-jitsu skills to great effect, working off of his back and neutralising Dinosuar’s wrestling. Both fighters were hunting for submissions but it was Machado who was able to sink in a tight arm bar and claim the victory three seconds before the end of the first round bell.

Dinosuar Jr suffers his first loss of the tournament and drops down to fourth place. He is still expected to do well in this round however but will need to make sure he doesn’t take this loss to heart too much. He next faces seeded fighter Marcus St Stone in what should be a tough, competitive match up with both fully expected to be fit and free from injuries.

Heitor Machado picks up his second first round submission victory in a row and moves clear ahead at the top by a single point. Machado was predicted to be the only seeded fighter not to finish in the top three of any groups with a lack of wrestling or striking being the main reason but so far, Machado has been doing just fine without either. If he can continue this form he stands a good chance of proving the early predictions wrong. He faces Alan Odrobny next of whom should present an interesting challenge for him.

[HareRumpler]

Diego: "The man I fight last, he has big punch. This is true. Perhaps I underestimate him a bit when letting him have turn first. But I get up and get rid of "singing birds" as they say. I take my turn and give him nap. I admit being sore now. But like this fight, I stand up for next fight, sore or no sore."

[HareRumpler]

These write-ups are awesome by the way! Loving them and looking forward to them each time. Thx!

[Guest MpJuice]

Who's next?

http://media.ufc.tv/fighter_images/Amanda_Nunes/NUNES_AMANDA.png

[XxxtremeT13]

http://mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/15472505101715.png

The lord has come to me in this time of darkness...He has shown me the light, given me the chance to end this darkness. I must find glory in defeat. Only then will I be able to find my true path out of this darkness and once again be a triumphant messenger of the lord. I must rid the demons from you Kyle Cruz, this is the only way you are to survive. I have been sent here to save you from the evil path you've begun to walk down. I will shine the light up you and we both shall live gloriously upon this world.

[TheRogue89]

Tessin this is all I think about when I read your fighters words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z-oJTZ1b5Q

[Alfred]

Results and group standings have been updated in the usual place. End of week write up to come soon

[Alfred]

Group A

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.3

(2nd Feb 2019)

Okino Naruhiko v Serj Khak

(Naruhiko def. Khak by TKO, 01:50 Rd 1)

Another big win for Okino Naruhiko, this time over Serj Khak who had just managed to bounce back following his opening week loss to Patrick O’Phoenix. Khak was no match for strong wrestling style of Naruhiko on this occasion and found himself taken down to the floor with ease and battered once there.

With the win, Okino Naruhiko remains undefeated at 3-0 and moves to the top of the table separated by time. He will now face his top spot rival Regis Petrozuli in next weeks round of fighting and what a showdown this should be. Naruhiko’s superior wrestling and ground and pound against Petrozuli’s superior jiu-jitsu and submission game. Barring an unlikely draw, someones “0” has got to go and with it, a clear front runner for the opening round group A top spot

A tough result for Serj Khak who now finds himself at the bottom of the pile at the end of week 3 though in truth he is only a win away from moving right back into a qualifying spot. He faces a tough match up against striker Harry Tournament next and both should be fully fit on the night.

Regis Petrozuli v Patrick O'Phoenix

(Petrozuli def. O'Phoenix by Sub, 04:55 Rd 1)

Number three seed Regis Petrozuli continues his string of submission victories and maintains his undefeated record with a massive win over number one seed Patrick O’Phoenix. O’Phoenix came into the fight with an injury and managed to put on a brave performance, thwarting the relentless submission attempts from Petrozuli but wasn’t able to hold on and succumb to a rear naked choke right at the end of round 1.

Petrozuli loses his top spot in the group but only by virtue of time spent in the cage. He will have the opportunity to take it back however when he faces top spot rival Okino Naruhiko in his next match up. With both fighters currently a clear distance ahead of the rest of the pack, a win would surely guarantee a qualifying spot in the next round at the very least.

For Patrick O’Phoenix, it was his second loss in a row and the number one seed and group A favourite now finds himself perched precariously in fourth spot separated only by time in the cage. He next faces Diego Columbo of whom is one of the fighters he is currently tied with. Phoenix will no doubt be relieved to find himself fit and healthy in that match up whilst Columbo suffered a fairly serious cut in his last fight that isn’t likely to heal in time. A chance for O’Phoenix to get back on track perhaps and put his recent results behind him

Diego Columbo v Michael Dobson

(Dobson def Columbo by TKO, 02:11 Rd 1)

Diego Columbo suffered his first loss of the season with a niggling injury possibly playing a large part in proceedings. Micheal Dobson on the other hand was able to pick up his first. Unable to land anything on the outside, Dobson moved into the clinch where he had much better results and was able to take Columbo out a little after the two minute mark of round one.

A much needed result for Dobson who now moves up into the fifth spot and into qualification. He finds himself in a four-way tie however so more wins will definitely be needed to maintain his current position. He faces third placed Mongali Samson next and will once again have the opportunity to heap misery on an injured and cut opponent.

An up and down ride so far for Diego Columbo who has alternated losses and wins up to this point. He now faces an incredibly tough task to get a result against Patrick O’Phoenix all the while trying to protect a fairly serious cut sustained in his fight today.

Mongali Samsom v Harry Tournament

(Tournament def. Samson, 02:05 Rd 2)

Harry Tournament was able to pick up his first win of the tournament following a two fight losing streak and hand Mongali Samson his second of the season also. It was a fairly one sided affair with Tournament absolutely destroying Samson’s face from the outside and eventually forcing the doctor to call a stop to proceedings two minutes into the second round. A mercy stoppage perhaps for Samson who up until then had struggled to assert any kind of offence in the match.

As mentioned, Tournament’s first win and sorely needed at this point if qualification is to remain on the horizon. He moves out from the bottom spot in group A but not yet currently into a qualifing spot. Separated only by time however, one more win is likely all it would take to get there. He faces Serj Khak in his next fight and both fighters should be fit and healthy on the night. Tournament might be feeling confident after this performance but it will definitely not be an easy fight.

Mongali Samson, though having lost two in a row now, still sits pretty high up in the group with the main determining factor being that he has only been finished once. His other loss of course was by decision and due to that Samson remains an all important point ahead of those currently tied below him. That could be short lived however as he next faces a healthy Michael Dobson and will have to do so with both a cut and injury following him into the cage. It will be almost impossible to pick up points in the face of those obstacles and Samson will do well to simple keep what he has.

[Alfred]

Group B

Weekly Round Up – Opening Round 1.3

(2nd Feb 2019)

Victor Slaughter v Jon Bones

(Slaughter def. Bones by Sub, 01:55 Rd 1)

A massive result for Slaughter who was able to put his opening two losses behind him and pick up maximum points against Jon Bones with a submission win though he had to take a nasty cut on the face to get there. Bones was able to inflict a little damage in the clinch before Slaughter hit a nice trip take down and work his way towards an arm bar finish.

With the win, Victor Slaughter squeaks into a qualifying spot at number five though is still a little way off of those above him. For a seeded fighter and one predicted a good run in the tournament this will surely not do however. Slaughter will now face fellow struggling seeded fighter Rick Gallowgate in his next match up and though not for the reason thought at the beginning of this group stage, the result will likely be extremely important to both.

Jon Bones, now 1-2 overall, drops just outside of the qualification zone and will really want to pick up a win in his next match up to make sure it doesn’t become an impossible dream. He faces Tommy Du Mahss in his next fight and on paper looks to be an even contest though it seems as though Du Mahss will not be fully recovered from a cut sustained in this round of action.

Rick Gallowgate v Hugues Dupont

(Dupont def. Gallowgate by Sub, 01:18 Rd 1)

Misery and glory at opposite ends of the spectrum for these two seeded fighters as undefeated Hugues Dupont moves closer to a spot in the next round with a devastating submission win over Rick Gallowgate. Gallowgate was unable to do much to stop Dupont’s superior grappling and now faces a tremendous battle to turn things around from here.

Dupont maintains his second place spot though is technically tied in first place and separated only by time with Sven Eklund. It’s unlikely that Dupont will face much of a struggle in his next bout again as he faces an injured and ailing Carlos Junior.

For Rick Gallowgate, the seeded fighter is in all kinds of trouble. Tied in last place with minus three points, Gallowgate needs a maximum point win desperately if he is to have any chance of qualifying for the next round though he faces an extremely difficult challenge in second seed Victor Slaughter. With both fighters struggling so far, the result of the bout is going to be of the utmost importance and thankfully, both fighters should be fit and ready to give it their all on the night

Carlos Junior v Sven Eklund

(Eklund def. Junior by TKO, 00:50 Rd 1)

Another tough loss for Carlos Junior who had the misfortune to face a rampaging Sven Eklund in his week three bout. Eklund has seemingly come out of nowhere to head up the top of the Group B first round table and has now racked up three KO wins out of three. Eklund gave Junior absolutely no chance to work his jiu-jitsu in this one and went straight to work landing heavy, heavy shots from guard.

Sven Eklund, the Swedish Romeo florist now faces striker Thom Tharrier in the next round of fights and will no doubt feel confident of picking up another victory against such little wrestling opposition.

For Carlos Junior, things probably couldn’t be much worse right now. Currently bottom of the pile and still without a win, Junior will go into his next bout against Hugues Dupont with a very serious injury and very little chance of picking up points from the encounter.

Thom Tharrier v Tommy Du Mahss

(Tharrier def. Du Mahss by TKO, 03:18 Rd 1)

An entertaining stand up slugfest ended in KO victory for Thom Tharrier when he faced Tommy Du Mahss in their week three match up. Both fighters landed some good shots but Tharrier clearly had power on his side as he managed to open up a cut on Du Mahss early in the first round and then finish him with a viscous hook around the three minute mark.

It was Tharrier’s second win of the tournament and with it leapfrogged his opponent into third place. He will face undefeated Sven Eklund in the next round and with such a wrestling disadvantage will definitely need a repeat of tonight's performance to stand a chance.

Du Mahss suffers his first loss so far after a promising start to the tournament. Though still very much in a qualifying position, the cuts sustained in tonight's bout put him in a tough position as he faces Jon Bones next week. Otherwise a likely favorite, Du Mahss will need to be clever if he is to pick up any points there.