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Empire: XI was another card full of short fights. In that spirit, this will be a short recap. Vito Golami dominated Janiz Krylov. The “Sicilian Stalker” needed just 43 seconds to get the TKO, as “The Constrictor” was constricted to just boxing the whole match. Golami sounded confident in the interview after the match, and he should be. He looked back to his best. Abdul Koalev defeated Artis Freibergs by an armbar just 37 seconds into the second round. Koalev spent the whole match trying to take his opponent down, and he was successful in earning two in the first and the decisive one in the second. Freibergs had no chance. That strategy was less successful for Glenn Ruiz, who was stopped by Simon Slade in 24 seconds. Slade landed all four of his head punches and his lone body punch. That was all it took to defeat the then undefeated grappling specialist out of San Juan. Trevor Barnes defeated fellow 19 year old Khizri Aliyev by TKO 2:59 into the match. Aliyev kept furiously attacking the head of Barnes, while the Jamaican mixed it up. It worked. While Aliyev had mixed results, Barnes landed every one of his strikes and walked out the victor. Dude McWrestler got his first win in Empire with a ground and pound TKO on Freddie McDowe 3:44 into the first round. “The Outlaw King” landed a couple shots, but could not keep on his feet, as he was taken down by “El Duderino” McWrestler. Bo Garrett improved to 6-0-0 by taking it to Frankie Silva, scoring another ground and pound TKO at 3:59 into the fight. Garrett looked dominant, as he smacked Silva around on his feet and on the ground. Garrett looks like he could be a top contender at this weight class. Silva, on the other hand, may need to go back to the drawing board. Ryoto Takahashi of Japan won by armbar in the longest fight of the night, ending three seconds shy of the second round bell. Brady Jean Baptiste, a former undefeated boxer, failed to land a single punch on his feet and only landed two in the clinch. Takahashi was impressive, pummeling Jean Baptiste in the clinch and earning a submission. In the post-fight interview, he tried to gain followers on Twitter. He deserves some after that performance. Frank Morrison landed all six of his punches in 26 seconds and walked out the winner by submission on strikes. His opponent, the similarly highly touted Elam “Apprime” Armis, failed to attempt a single strike, takedown, clinch, or anything of note in the short fight. Morrison was the third straight undefeated prospect to come out on top in dominant fashion and similarly pointed fans to his Twitter after the fight. Armis, meanwhile, looked like a shell of himself. In the Grand Prix losers bracket, Myke Bonner was throttled by Ergun Cerrahoglu in a match which ended in 84 seconds with a ground and pound TKO. “All Stiff” was laying all stiff on the ground after getting the snot knocked out of him. The Turk, meanwhile, moves forward in the bracket in dominating fashion, thus backing up my assertion that the real title fight was his match with Morra Jr. in the semi-finals. He could get a Grand Finale rematch, but first, he’ll have to defeat Hukkleberry Flint. In the main event, the heavyweight title was on the line as Buster Gruff, under a new manager, produced the same result: a quick knockout punch, this time in 38 seconds. Cu Chulainn was pretty confident heading into this one, but “The Hound” from Ireland had to head back with his tail between his legs. “The Bully Goat” cemented his spot as the heavyweight champ and a possible challenger on the world stage, improving 9-1-0 in his career. The Aussie, now managed by Roger Jones, is the current king of Empire, and that may not change for a long time.

Empire Grand Prix has finally reached the finals, and wow, did it live up to the hype. It was a milestone for the organization, which has now gone from a complete laughing stock to a bad joke that does not quite hit the mark. Trust me, I know a lot about bad jokes that do not get laughs. Anyways, every match except the main event was finished in just one round. Even the main event lasted a mere 57 seconds into the second round, so none of the events lasted very long. And trust me, I know something about… never mind. Anyways, onto the fights. Chechen 170 Khabib Chimaev dominated the Finnish Eetu Hyypia, getting the win by TKO with four seconds left in the first round. Chimaev was awfully braggadocious in the post-fight interview, which, while irritating, was backed up by the ground-and-pound performance he put on in the fight. At 205, Hiski Grang won by KO over Dennis Wagner in just 10 seconds. For context, this sentence will likely take about 10 seconds for you to read. It was that fast. After the match, Grand called out Jerome Biggs. As a wise man once said, “Bold move, Cotton. We’ll see if it pays off for him.” Back to the 170 weight class, where Dublin native Jimmy Murphy defeated Android Seventeen by armbar 4:36 into the first match. Murphy landed strike after strike on the ground until submitting the American. After the win, Murphy mentioned his website in the post-fight interview. Hah, nerd! In the heavyweight division, Tavaris Fulton needed just four punch attempts to the head and 24 seconds to get the KO against Lucas Ardin. Ardin had no answers for Fulton’s attack, and found himself on the mat quickly. Fulton also praised the denizens of the internet after the fight. He is also a huge nerd. In an all African showdown at 170, Moroccan Hadr Bari got the KO on Nigerian Damian Mia in just 3:31. “Sparry” Mia got the takedown he needed early on in the match, but he inexplicably stood up, thus negating his advantage on the ground. He deserved to receive a face-full of fist for that decision alone. Queens native Jerome Biggs took Russian Petr Tchaikowski to town at 205, ending the match by KO in just 4:20. Tchaikowski attempted an astounding 13 takedowns in this one, but every single one ended up stuffed like a teddy bear at Build-a-Bear Workshop. Biggs showed why he is a top contender at 205. In the loser’s bracket, Myke Bonner continued the Irish run of wins with a head kick KO win over Danny Peterson. Peterson got wrecked by Bonner’s kicks, and he took just 1:55 to end it via KO. The crowd appreciated this one and the humble, yet determined attitude Bonner showed in his interview. In the other loser’s bracket showdown, Turkish fighter Ergun Cerrahoglu needed only 47 seconds to KO Akihiro Imanari. Cerrahoglu knocked the Tokyo native to the mat early on, and he did it again right after Imanari got back to his feet. Cerrahoglu looked much sharper than he did in the semi-finals. In the co-main event, 19 year old heavyweight contenders squared off, but it was another Irish fighter, Cu Chulainn, who came out with the KO in just 31 seconds over Estonian Arnold Kallas. This fight went quickly, with “The Hound” dominating. After the match, Chulainn asked for a title shot, one he will get at Empire XI on a short turnaround. In the Empire Grand Prix finals, Thai fighter and pre-tournament favorite Ricardo Morra Jr. dominated Hukkleberry Flint in a match that somehow went into the second round. The Belgian was cut early on in the clinch and never had a chance after that. Morra Jr. stuffed seven takedown attempts from the wrestling specialist Flint. Meanwhile, “Monkey Style” landed an astounding 34 punches to the head and 10 punches to the body, all of which in the clinch. The fact that Flint lasted that long is a testament to his chin, but Morra Jr. has all the makings of not only a future Empire champion, but a future top dog in the 145 division on the global stage.

Empire Grand Prix has finally reached the finals, and wow, did it live up to the hype. It was a milestone for the organization, which has now gone from a complete laughing stock to a bad joke that does not quite hit the mark. Trust me, I know a lot about bad jokes that do not get laughs. Anyways, every match except the main event was finished in just one round. Even the main event lasted a mere 57 seconds into the second round, so none of the events lasted very long. And trust me, I know something about… never mind. Anyways, onto the fights. Chechen 170 Khabib Chimaev dominated the Finnish Eetu Hyypia, getting the win by TKO with four seconds left in the first round. Chimaev was awfully braggadocious in the post-fight interview, which, while irritating, was backed up by the ground-and-pound performance he put on in the fight. At 205, Hiski Grang won by KO over Dennis Wagner in just 10 seconds. For context, this sentence will likely take about 10 seconds for you to read. It was that fast. After the match, Grand called out Jerome Biggs. As a wise man once said, “Bold move, Cotton. We’ll see if it pays off for him.” Back to the 170 weight class, where Dublin native Jimmy Murphy defeated Android Seventeen by armbar 4:36 into the first match. Murphy landed strike after strike on the ground until submitting the American. After the win, Murphy mentioned his website in the post-fight interview. Hah, nerd! In the heavyweight division, Tavaris Fulton needed just four punch attempts to the head and 24 seconds to get the KO against Lucas Ardin. Ardin had no answers for Fulton’s attack, and found himself on the mat quickly. Fulton also praised the denizens of the internet after the fight. He is also a huge nerd. In an all African showdown at 170, Moroccan Hadr Bari got the KO on Nigerian Damian Mia in just 3:31. “Sparry” Mia got the takedown he needed early on in the match, but he inexplicably stood up, thus negating his advantage on the ground. He deserved to receive a face-full of fist for that decision alone. Queens native Jerome Biggs took Russian Petr Tchaikowski to town at 205, ending the match by KO in just 4:20. Tchaikowski attempted an astounding 13 takedowns in this one, but every single one ended up stuffed like a teddy bear at Build-a-Bear Workshop. Biggs showed why he is a top contender at 205. In the loser’s bracket, Myke Bonner continued the Irish run of wins with a head kick KO win over Danny Peterson. Peterson got wrecked by Bonner’s kicks, and he took just 1:55 to end it via KO. The crowd appreciated this one and the humble, yet determined attitude Bonner showed in his interview. In the other loser’s bracket showdown, Turkish fighter Ergun Cerrahoglu needed only 47 seconds to KO Akihiro Imanari. Cerrahoglu knocked the Tokyo native to the mat early on, and he did it again right after Imanari got back to his feet. Cerrahoglu looked much sharper than he did in the semi-finals. In the co-main event, 19 year old heavyweight contenders squared off, but it was another Irish fighter, Cu Chulainn, who came out with the KO in just 31 seconds over Estonian Arnold Kallas. This fight went quickly, with “The Hound” dominating. After the match, Chulainn asked for a title shot, one he will get at Empire XI on a short turnaround. In the Empire Grand Prix finals, Thai fighter and pre-tournament favorite Ricardo Morra Jr. dominated Hukkleberry Flint in a match that somehow went into the second round. The Belgian was cut early on in the clinch and never had a chance after that. Morra Jr. stuffed seven takedown attempts from the wrestling specialist Flint. Meanwhile, “Monkey Style” landed an astounding 34 punches to the head and 10 punches to the body, all of which in the clinch. The fact that Flint lasted that long is a testament to his chin, but Morra Jr. has all the makings of not only a future Empire champion, but a future top dog in the 145 division on the global stage.

How are there 10 undefeated fighters at 145? Jeez, that class is a bloodbath.

Empire MMA Rankings: Record in parentheses is Empire MMA record 145 Rankings: Will be announced upon the completion of Empire Grand Prix. 170 Rankings: Miles © 6-1-0 (5-1-0) 1. Akechi 2-0-0 (2-0-0) +2 2. Howardson 5-3-0 (4-3-0) -1 3. Piskochini 2-1-0 (1-1-0) -1 4. Sanchez 3-0-0 (2-0-0) 5. Gonclaves 4-4-0 (2-3-0) 6. Chiddell 2-1-0 (2-1-0) +2 7. Machado 2-1-0 (2-1-0) -1 8. Mia 2-1-0 (1-1-0) -1 9. Bari 1-0-1 (1-0-1) 10. Barnes 1-1-1 (0-1-1) To watch: Frank Morrison, Bo Garrett, David Core Recap: At Empire: X, Ricardo Miles defended his belt against Vladimir Piskochini, while Jubei Akechi took down former champ Michael Howardson. The other result of note was Luck Chiddell’s win over Enrique Machado. 205 Rankings: Dinapoli © 4-0-0 (3-0-0) +1 1. Rebel 7-2-0 (2-2-0) -1 2. Broderick 5-0-0 (4-0-0) 3. Lanka 6-1-0 (1-1-0) 4. Payne 2-2-0 (2-2-0) 5. Biggs 4-2-0 (4-2-0) 6. Piiice 1-1-0 (1-1-0) 7. Kulvics 2-1-0 (1-0-0) +4 8. Abbot 1-2-0 (1-2-0) +1 9. Green 1-0-0 (1-0-0) +2 10. Lumumba 2-0-0 (0-0-0) +1 To watch: Abasi Amaike, Hinski Grang, Petr Tchaikowski Recap: Joe Dinapoli took over this division with a thunderous victory over Hatebreed Rebel at GP SF. He could face a tough challenger with Hunter Broderick improving to 4-0-0 in Empire, while Christian Kulvics, Herb Green, and Ravana Lanka also scored victories. 265 Rankings: Gruff © 8-1-0 (3-0-0) 1. Kallas 3-1-0 (3-1-0) 2. Chulainn 2-0-0 (1-0-0) 3. Do 1-1-0 (0-1-0) 4. Ruiz 2-0-0 (2-0-0) 5. Big Daddy 2-0-0 (2-0-0) 6. Slade 2-2-0 (0-2-0) 7. Pivo 2-2-0 (1-2-0) +1 8. Ardin 1-1-0 (0-1-0) +1 9. Rodriquez 1-1-0 (1-1-0) +1 10. King 1-0-0 (1-0-0) +1 To watch: Tavaris Fulton, Sokhan Gaki, Small Master Recap: Kallas and Chulainn will face off for the right to face Buster Gruff for the belt. The biggest news in this division was Deon Big Daddy’s win over Simon Slade at Empire: X, which could make the top of this division a little more interesting.

Empire X has been billed as one of the biggest cards in the history of Empire. Unfortunately, that is a lie. Every fight on the card features the same level of mediocre matchups without much in the way of excitement. The first fight is a 170 lbs bout between David Core and Riaan Pierce. Pierce is the stronger boxer, but he will have to keep Core’s Muay Thai and BJJ in Czech (pun intended). I like the Welshman by 1st round KO. In another one between two bad fighters, Steve Barnes faces Ryan Sampson at 145. Barnes is the better fighter and reportedly in better spirits, so I think he will take this one by 1st round TKO. At 265, we get a slightly better fight between Simon Slade and Deon Big Daddy. Slade is the better boxer, but Big Daddy is better at literally everything else. I see Slade losing his second in a row, this time by unanimous decision. Now back to where we started at 170, we see Luck Chiddell against Enrique Machado. Chiddell is better on his feet, so if he can stay on his feet, he will win. This will not go the distance, and it likely will not take more than one round. I like Chiddell by 1st round KO. Next up we have two fights from the losers bracket of the Grand Prix. Myke Bonner has “All Stuff” on his feet, but Jax Sigthorsson is a beast on the ground. This one also will not take long. I think the Icelander wins it by submission in the 1st round. The other matchup in the tournament sees Jung Ho Park face Akihiro Imanari. The Tokyo native Imanari is great on the ground, but “The Korean Wonderkid” is phenomenal everywhere. I like Park to win by 2nd round submission. After those two tourney fights, we go to 205 where Ravana Lanka fights Mauricio “Max” Payne. Payne is dangerous anywhere, but Lanka is lethal in the clinch. Lanka’s wrestling means he will control where the match will be fought, so I think he gets the TKO in the 2nd. Still at 205, we get a mildly more interesting one between possible future title fighter Hunter Broderick and fellow undefeated fighter Chod Piiice. Piiice has fought once and won once, while Broderick is 4-0-0. Broderick is a dominant boxer, and I do not think Piiice has any advantages in this one. I think Broderick cruises to a 2nd round KO. Now we go down to 170 for the last two fights of the night. Former champion Michael Howardson returns to the octagon to face Jubei Akechi. Howardson is seven years older, and he is an incredible fighter in the clinch, as he has shown numerous times on the Empire stage, but Akechi can fight anyone anywhere. I think Akechi gets the win in similar fashion to his victory over Luck Chiddell, by 2nd round submission. The main event sees the champion of this division, Ricardo Miles, make his first title defense against Valentino Piskochini. Piskochini is the challenger, but he is four years the champion’s senior. He is extremely one-dimensional and will look to take this fight to the ground. That being said, his one skill is pretty dang strong. I think he scores an upset and takes the belt by 2nd round submission.

The semi-finals are here! Alas the tournament resumes, and we get to see two intriguing matchups. The first of which sees Danny Peterson and Hukkelberry Flint face off for the right to get pummeled by the winner of the second semi-final. The 19 year old Belgian got here by defeating Ernesto Powers by ground and pound TKO less than three minutes into the match. As if that was not impressive enough, he needed just 49 seconds to land a guillotine on Jung Ho Park. While dominating is the right word to describe Flint’s journey, ugly might be the best way to describe Peterson’s time. Danny Peterson only had to win once, as he advanced in the first round when his opponent missed weight, but his one win was a comfortable unanimous decision over Tyson Abreu. Stylistically, this will be a battle of contrasts. Flint will want to bring the fight to the ground where his BJJ brown belt will serve him well, while Peterson is your standard sprawl and brawl fighter. Peterson may get the better of the early boxing exchanges, but I think Flint breaks through his takedown defense and gets a submission in the first round. The other semi-final is the de-facto final of the tournament. Ricardo Morra Jr. is 5-0-0 with first round TKO wins in both rounds, taking 3:31 to beat Akihiro Imanari and just 55 seconds against Jax Sigthorsson. Meanwhile, Ergun Cerrahoglu has dominated his two matches as well, winning by a lopsided unanimous decision over Rony Stark and scoring a first round TKO over Dario Balic. Both have looked fantastic in their first two fights, but only one can make the final. While “Monkey Style” Morra has the edge in the clinch and on the ground, the Turk will be the one deciding where this match is fought. If Cerrahoglu can keep this one as a boxing match, he has a shot, but I think Morra takes him to the woodshed in the clinch and walks out victorious through a second round TKO. The Grand Prix may be exciting, but the main event is the icing on the cake. Hatebreed Rebel is making his return to the octagon after his failed move up to the 265 lbs division against top challenger Joe “Levels” Dinapoli. Rebel may be short on confidence after his last match against Buster Gruff lasted just 30 seconds until he hit with a KO punch. Dinapoli, on the other hand, has breezed through his two fights in Empire thus far, scoring a stunning spinning backfist on Jaco Camden and a submission on strikes over Ravana Lanka, both in the first round. While Rebel is a submission specialist, Dinapoli has to be brimming with confidence, as all he needs to do is land one good punch and it may be all over. This fight may only last a few seconds before he does just that, and I will pick Dinapoli to win the belt by first round KO. Picks for the other matchups: Kulvics over Abbot Imanari over Abreu Park over Molina Bonner over Balic Sigthorsson over Hashima Izanagi over Tested Rodriquez over Frederick

The semi-finals are here! Alas the tournament resumes, and we get to see two intriguing matchups. The first of which sees Danny Peterson and Hukkelberry Flint face off for the right to get pummeled by the winner of the second semi-final. The 19 year old Belgian got here by defeating Ernesto Powers by ground and pound TKO less than three minutes into the match. As if that was not impressive enough, he needed just 49 seconds to land a guillotine on Jung Ho Park. While dominating is the right word to describe Flint’s journey, ugly might be the best way to describe Peterson’s time. Danny Peterson only had to win once, as he advanced in the first round when his opponent missed weight, but his one win was a comfortable unanimous decision over Tyson Abreu. Stylistically, this will be a battle of contrasts. Flint will want to bring the fight to the ground where his BJJ brown belt will serve him well, while Peterson is your standard sprawl and brawl fighter. Peterson may get the better of the early boxing exchanges, but I think Flint breaks through his takedown defense and gets a submission in the first round. The other semi-final is the de-facto final of the tournament. Ricardo Morra Jr. is 5-0-0 with first round TKO wins in both rounds, taking 3:31 to beat Akihiro Imanari and just 55 seconds against Jax Sigthorsson. Meanwhile, Ergun Cerrahoglu has dominated his two matches as well, winning by a lopsided unanimous decision over Rony Stark and scoring a first round TKO over Dario Balic. Both have looked fantastic in their first two fights, but only one can make the final. While “Monkey Style” Morra has the edge in the clinch and on the ground, the Turk will be the one deciding where this match is fought. If Cerrahoglu can keep this one as a boxing match, he has a shot, but I think Morra takes him to the woodshed in the clinch and walks out victorious through a second round TKO. The Grand Prix may be exciting, but the main event is the icing on the cake. Hatebreed Rebel is making his return to the octagon after his failed move up to the 265 lbs division against top challenger Joe “Levels” Dinapoli. Rebel may be short on confidence after his last match against Buster Gruff lasted just 30 seconds until he hit with a KO punch. Dinapoli, on the other hand, has breezed through his two fights in Empire thus far, scoring a stunning spinning backfist on Jaco Camden and a submission on strikes over Ravana Lanka, both in the first round. While Rebel is a submission specialist, Dinapoli has to be brimming with confidence, as all he needs to do is land one good punch and it may be all over. This fight may only last a few seconds before he does just that, and I will pick Dinapoli to win the belt by first round KO. Picks for the other matchups: Kulvics over Abbot Imanari over Abreu Park over Molina Bonner over Balic Sigthorsson over Hashima Izanagi over Tested Rodriquez over Frederick

Empire MMA Rankings: Record in parentheses is Empire MMA record 145 Rankings: Will be announced upon the completion of Empire Grand Prix. 170 Rankings: Miles © 5-1-0 (4-1-0) 1. Howardson 5-2-0 (4-2-0) 2. Piskochini 2-0-0 (1-0-0) 3. Sanchez 3-0-0 (2-0-0) 4. Gonclaves 4-4-0 (2-3-0) 5. Akechi 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 6. Machado 2-0-0 (2-0-0) 7. Mia 2-1-0 (1-1-0) 8. Chiddell 1-1-0 (1-1-0) 9. Bari 1-0-1 (1-0-1) 10. Barnes 1-1-1 (0-1-1) To watch: Elam Armis, Freddie McDowe, Jimmy Murphy Recap: #9 Hadr Bari won his rematch against #10 Trevor Barnes at the bottom of the rankings. At Empire: 9, Freddie McDowe, Jimmy Murphy, and Elam Armis each had big wins, but the story belonged to #3 Samuel Sanchez’s 23 second KO of #4 Pedro Gonclaves. He definitely has earned a big matchup in the future. Empire: X will be a big one for this division. Upcoming Fights: Empire X: © Miles vs. #2 Piskochini, #1 Howardson vs. #5 Akechi, #6 Machado vs. #8 Chiddell, Pierce vs. Core 205 Rankings: Rebel © 7-1-0 (2-1-0) 1. Dinapoli 3-0-0 (2-0-0) 2. Broderick 4-0-0 (3-0-0) 3. Lanka 5-1-0 (0-1-0) 4. Payne 2-1-0 (2-1-0) 5. Biggs 4-2-0 (4-2-0) 6. Piiice 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 7. Chico 1-2-0 (1-2-0) 8. Turner 2-1-0 (2-1-0) 9. Abbot 1-1-0 (1-1-0) 10. Mokoto 2-1-0 (2-1-0) To watch: Christian Kulvics, Maximillian Powers, Karl Van Horn Recap: No changes here, but GP SF will have a title fight, while Empire: X will have another massive fight for this division. Upcoming fights: Empire GP SF: © Rebel vs. #1 Dinapoli, #9 Abbot vs. Kulvics Empire X: #2 Broderick vs. #6 Piiice 265 Rankings: Gruff © 8-1-0 (3-0-0) 1. Kallas 3-1-0 (3-1-0) 2. Chulainn 2-0-0 (1-0-0) 3. Do 1-1-0 (0-1-0) 4. Ruiz 2-0-0 (2-0-0) 5. Big Daddy 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 6. Slade 2-1-0 (0-1-0) 7. Howard 3-2-0 (2-2-0) 8. Pivo 2-2-0 (1-2-0) 9. Ardin 1-2-0 (0-2-0) 10. Rodriquez 0-1-0 (0-1-0) To watch: Hinski Grang, Artis Freibergs, Jimmy King Recap: Jimmy King and Artis Freibergs each had exciting wins at Empire: 9. The biggest news out of this division was #4 Glenn Ruiz’s submission of #7 Michael Howard, but that hardly seems to qualify as news. Empire: X should be exciting though. Upcoming Fights: Empire X: #4 Ruiz vs. #7 Howard, Spong vs. Green, King vs. Barron

Empire: 9 is right around the corner, and it should be full of intriguing matchups to say the least. While some experts would suggest the card is quite a bit weaker than past cards, the main event is still a title bout, and the co-main should pack enough to get people excited. The two one-round matches to kick things off should be interesting. The first one is pretty much a coin flip between a pair of nearly identical fighters. The second is a fight between young grapplers. I like Spong and Project each by unanimous decision. The next pair of fights features heavyweight Empire debuts. While Jimmy King is a wonderful wrestler, Bob Barron is a strong Muay Thai artist who will look to take the fight to the clinch early and often. I like Bob “The Builder” by 2nd round TKO. The other fight sees Artis Freibergs face off against Kason Rose. Freibergs has lost to Lucas Ardin in QFC, so that gives us some info on his skills or lack thereof. Kason Rose sucks slightly less, and he should be able to do damage on the ground. I like Rose by 1st round submission due to his advantage on the ground. The third pair of fights see underwhelming 170 lbs fighters face off against each other in a battle to see who is truly at the bottom of the division. Manny Duran’s nickname is “Hands of Stone” for a reason: his hands turned stone-cold just 22 seconds into his last match while being choked out by Damian Mia. Jimmy Murphy is making his Empire debut after going 1-2 in the developmental FFS. Murphy is moving up to a stronger organization, but at least he gets a cakewalk in his debut. I like the Irishman by 1st round submission. The other bad 170 lbs fight features “The Outlaw King” Freddie McDowe, who got clobbered in his last fight by #8 Samuel Sanchez. He faces Puerto Rican Jerry Ruiz, who got clobbered by current belt holder Ricardo Miles. The Scot is a strong boxer, but I do not think he will be able to stay on his feet long, as Ruiz is stronger at everything else. I like Ruiz by submission in the 1st. Up next, we are treated to a fight between two guys who have waited roughly 6 weeks to fight. All the way back at Empire: 6, #6 Glenn Ruiz scored a submission on #9 Nico I Pivo, while #8 Michael Howard defeated Francisco Danconia Jr. by unanimous decision. “The Butcher” is stronger on his feet, but I think Ruiz’s wrestling will get the better of him. For the second match in a row, I like Ruiz by submission in the 1st. Now onto the exciting matches, or at least the ones least likely to make you fall asleep. Khizri Aliyev is a highly touted newcomer, having won all three of his fights at FFS. He faces a test in fellow grappling specialist Elam “Apprime” Armis. Both young fighters are making their Empire debuts, and they are similar in many ways. However, while both are wrestlers at heart, the Russian is at least a competent boxer. In what could be one of the ugliest fights of the night from a stylistic standpoint, I like Aliyev by majority decision. In the fourth straight 170 lbs matchup of the night, former champion #5 Pedro Gonclaves faces #8 Samuel Sanchez. “The Rebel” Gonclaves is one of the most popular fighters in the organization due to his stunning upset over #1 Michael Howardson. Unfortunately, Gonclaves gave the belt right back to Howardson afterwards in the rematch. Samuel Sanchez has only one fight under his belt in Empire, but that was an impressive stoppage of Freddie McDowe at Empire: 7. “The Unwanted Assassin” is a wonderful boxer, but he will need to stay on his feet to avoid the Angolan’s deadly ground game. Sanchez needs an early stoppage to get the win, and I think he does just that with a TKO in the second. The main event is a 145 lbs title bout with the winner to face the Grand Prix champion up next. Vito Golami showed impressive power in his 2nd round KO of Vince Richardson, but he may have found a match in the boxing department with Irish fighter Aiden Trapp. Trapp went 3-0-0 in QFC, but while other fighters have struggled in the move up to the big leagues, Trapp’s boxing and wrestling should translate well to the higher levels. “The Sicilian Stalker” is the same age as Trapp, but only has one fight under his belt. I think experience may be the difference, and I like Trapp by 1st round KO in what will pretty much be a pure boxing match.

Really great wrap up! Congrats and good luck to the other managers who made the semi-finals.

Great preview, Dave. Really excited to have my first fight in A&E. Good luck to all who are competing!

Glad you enjoyed my writing

Empire MMA Rankings 7/12/20: Record in parentheses is Empire MMA record 145 Rankings: Will be announced upon the completion of Empire Grand Prix. 170 Rankings: Miles © 5-1-0 (4-1-0) 1. Howardson 5-2-0 (4-2-0) 2. Piskochini 2-0-0 (1-0-0) 3. Gonclaves 4-3-0 (2-2-0) 4. Sanchez 2-0-0 (1-0-0) 5. Akechi 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 6. Machado 2-0-0 (2-0-0) 7. Mia 2-1-0 (1-1-0) 8. Chiddell 1-1-0 (1-1-0) 9. Barnes 1-0-1 (0-0-1) 10. Bari 0-0-1 (0-0-1) To watch: Dude McWrestler, Khizri Aliyev, Freddie McDowe Recap: Ricardo Miles is the new champion after a first round submission of Michael Howardson at Empire: 8. Piskochini gets the next title shot after winning a grappling battle against Damien Mia. Rising star Jubei Akechi won his last fight and looks the part of a future champion, while Luck Chiddell and Enrique Machado have each defeated Dude McWrestler. Upcoming Fights: Empire GP2: #9 Barnes vs. McWrestler Empire 9: #3 Gonclaves vs. #4 Sanchez, McDowe vs. Ruiz, Duran vs. Murphy 205 Rankings: Rebel © 7-1-0 (2-1-0) 1. Dinapoli 3-0-0 (2-0-0) 2. Broderick 4-0-0 (3-0-0) 3. Lanka 5-1-0 (0-1-0) 4. Payne 2-1-0 (2-1-0) 5. Biggs 4-2-0 (4-2-0) 6. Piiice 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 7. Chico 1-2-0 (1-2-0) 8. Turner 2-1-0 (2-1-0) 9. Abbot 1-1-0 (1-1-0) 10. Mokoto 2-1-0 (2-1-0) To watch: Christian Kulvics, Maximillian Powers, Karl Van Horn Recap: Hatebreed Rebel lost in his attempt to go up to 265+, but the 205 division looks stronger than ever with two undefeated challengers leading the way. At Empire: 8, Joe Dinapoli beat highly touted newcomer Ravana Lanka, while Hunter Broderick took care of Jerome Biggs. Dinapoli gets the first shot at the title, but Broderick is lurking behind him. Upcoming fights: Empire 9: Camden vs. Boxer Empire GP3: © Rebel vs. #1 Dinapoli, #8 Turner vs. Kulvics 265 Rankings: Gruff © 8-1-0 (3-0-0) 1. Kallas 3-1-0 (3-1-0) 2. Chulainn 2-0-0 (1-0-0) 3. Do 1-1-0 (0-1-0) 4. Ruiz 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 5. Big Daddy 1-0-0 (1-0-0) 6. Slade 2-1-0 (0-1-0) 7. Howard 3-2-0 (2-2-0) 8. Pivo 2-2-0 (1-2-0) 9. Ardin 1-1-0 (0-1-0) 10. Rondirquez 0-1-0 (0-1-0) To watch: Kason Rose, Hinski Grang, Artis Freibergs Recap: Buster Gruff is the undisputed king of this division, having beaten Hatebreed Rebel and Just Do by absurdly fast KOs. His nearest competitor is Arnold Kallas, who is coming off a big win over Simon Slade. Cu Chulainn, Deon Big Daddy, and Glenn Ruiz each won their first fight, so they could be challengers in the future. For now, it’s just Gruff at the top, though. Upcoming Fights: Empire 9: #4 Ruiz vs. #7 Howard, Spong vs. Green, King vs. Barron

Empire Grand Prix’s Super 8 round is on Saturday, and it should be an exciting card. The four matchups will not only decide who will move onto the Four Horseman stage, but they will also greatly impact the 145 lbs rankings, which are in flux following Corsair Light’s title being stripped due to inactivity and declining fights. Here are the four matchups. Danny Peterson vs. Tyson Abreu: This is the least exciting matchup on the card, and for good reason. Tyson Abreu is an incredibly one-dimensional fighter, as his only skill is wrestling. That being said, he was able to use his one skill to submit Rounin Hashima in the first round. He will face a tougher test in Danny Peterson, who is a much stronger wrestler than Hashima. Peterson had a NC in his first round fight because Darius Rucker missed weight. Peterson is the stronger fighter, but he is making his debut in this one. I think talent wins out and Peterson gets the first round TKO. Huckleberry Flint vs. Jung Ho Park: The Belgian Flint is a strong fighter on the ground, as he won his previous two fights by submission and ground and pound TKO. He is a big threat to win his side of the bracket, but Park is nicknamed “The Korean Wonderkid” for a reason, and he showed why in his domination of Myke Bonner in his first fight. He may not be as good on the ground, but if he takes the fight into the clinch, he will not take long to end it. If Flint cannot take down Park, who is no slouch of a wrestler, Flint might be in trouble. I think Park will win by second round TKO. Ergun Cerrahoglu vs. Dario Balic: Cerrahoglu is one of the most talented fighters in the field, but these fights are not fought on paper for a reason. The Turk is an exceptional wrestler, meaning that he will decide where the match is fought. He has enough boxing skill to bring the pain while standing and a BJJ blue belt to outmatch his opponent Dario “Dragi” Balic. Balic is a respectable muay thai fighter, but Cerrahoglu’s advantages in both wrestling and BJJ pretty much negate the Croatian's best attribute. Cerrahoglu should be able to cruise through this one to a second round submission. Ricardo Morra Jr. vs. Jax Sigthorsson: Ricardo “Monkey Style” Morra Jr., the pre-tournament favorite, improved to 4-0-0 with his first round TKO victory over Akihiro Imanari. The Finland native is not nearly as proficient of a boxer or muay thai fighter, but he presents a unique matchup for the Thai Morra Jr. Sigthorsson is almost solely a BJJ specialist, while Morra Jr.’s one weakness is on the ground. For that reason, I think Sigthorsson will be able to score a takedown and pull off the shocking upset in the same fashion as his first round matchup, by first round submission. Here are my predictions for the other matchups: Reuben Ruckus over Luke Maddox by first round TKO Trevor Barnes over Hadr Bari by majority decision Rounin Hashima over Sterling Draper by first round TKO Myke Bonner over Ernesto Powers by unanimous decision Rony Stark over Damian Molina by unanimous decision Jim Reefer over Akihiro Imanari by majority decision It should be a fun one here in New York!