TJMitchell Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 Got rng'd right in the dickhole. 2 attempted clinches in a 5 round fight with clinch set to 10%. Not a single attempt after the 2nd minute of round 2. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 INFERNO COMBAT SERIES 35 PREVIEW LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM Xavier: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Inferno Combat Series and specifically, welcome to ICS 35! In the booth with me tonight is the discontent Furious Styles! Styles: That’s a very accurate assessment, Xavier! I know you’ve seen what’s occurring in numerous cities in the United States, let alone the number of protests and arrests that have occurred just a couple of miles from here! The entire situation with Mr. Floyd is very disturbing and I’m obviously not the only one who feels that way! Xavier: Yes, Furious, the entire situation is deeply disturbing, to say the least. An arrest has been made and I’m certain further actions will be taken against the perpetrators. However, as broadcasters for mixed martial arts, it’s our responsibility to bring the focus here during the time we’re here. I know that’s not easy to do with the troubles in the world, Styles, but that’s our duty as agreed upon. Styles: I know you’re right, X. It just seriously pisses me off! Xavier: Yes, I can tell and though I’m not as vehement about it, please know that I, too, am very upset. This job enables us to escape some of the crap in the world, at least for a while, and quite frankly, I think seeing some controlled violence will do us all some good! There’s been enough death and destruction for long enough, so let’s turn our attention to the combatants tonight. LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: SAMUEL KRAVAC (27-25; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSTHOR “THE KNOCKOUT GOD” HAMMER (20-13; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS) Xavier: Kravac steps into this battle representing the LEGION OF DOOM, an alliance that tends to have rather busy evenings in this organization. Hailing from Athens, Greece, the 34-year-old warrior has been the definition of struggling to maintain an above .500 record. There’s no doubt he’s skilled but those skills just haven’t translated as well as he hoped they would through his career. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of his career is the four times he has been placed in front of the championship opportunity door but was unable to completely open it. No matter how mentally and physically strong a warrior is, having those missed opportunities haunt you is very difficult to deal with. Give this man a great deal of credit for sticking it out and trying to persevere because there aren’t many people willing to stick with it to that degree, let alone for the period of time that he has. A 4-fight win streak has been the best he’s been able to string together so he does know what to do with momentum when he has it, but it’s just inconsistent, unfortunately. On the flip side, his longest losing streak has also been 4 in a row so the momentum slips just as easily. Known to be a submission specialist, he’s definitely had the most success taking the fight to the horizontal plane and keeping it there. The major struggle has been in the standup due to various reasons, one of which is a suspect chin. Kravac has suffered a good number of knockouts and that, obviously, doesn’t help in the standup portion of combat. In fact, by my count, he’s been knocked out 14 times, Styles, and taking that much damage is absolutely a factor. Using his Golden Gloves boxing and respectable Muay Thai to get his shots in before going for the takedown to use his outstanding grappling and black belt is paramount. Kravac wins this battle by submission! Styles: The 32-year-old Visthus, Norway, product represents UnderGround Fights Enterprises tonight, and “The Knockout God” does bring world class boxing, very good Muay Thai, Olympic-level grappling and brown belt to the battle. However, what’s interesting to me, X, is that in his last two fights specifically, he’s won those by submission! Is the “Knockout God” now going for the title of “Tapout God” instead? Inquiring minds want to know. Now, make no mistake about it. This man brings some heavy steel in his punches as evidenced in the early stages of his career, especially. He’s had a few management teams over the course of his career and has only been presented the opportunity to win a championship one time. Unfortunately for him, he was dropped in the fourth round by a nasty punch delivered by Wilson Brooks. That didn’t stop Visthus from being very aggressive in all of his fights and that aggression has brought him more success than failure, so expect that to be the formula in this battle! A 3-fight win streak has been the best he’s been able to put together while he’s lost 3-fights in a row as well, so he does share that pattern with his opponent tonight. Despite his recent success on the ground, I truly don’t think Visthus wants to try and outgrapple Kravac here because that would put unnecessary pressure on him when, in my opinion, he has a distinct advantage staying in the vertical plane as long as possible. As long as this fight stays in the standup, Visthus can do his best work and go to town on dropping bombs that Kravac won’t be able to withstand! Visthus takes this fight by knockout! PREDICTIONS: Styles – Visthus by KO; Xavier – Kravac by Submission LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: HUGH HONEY (22-7; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES)VERSUSDEMETRIUS TEKTAS (21-16-2; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: Oh hell yeah! You know I’m lovin’ this matchup, X, because we have to LEGION OF DOOM members battling it out for bragging rights as well as, of course, the opportunity to improve their record! I don’t care who says what, there’s always an extra bit of motivation when fighting an alliance member because no one wants to be the one who has to clean the dishes, do the laundry and wash other alliance members’ cars while alliance mates mock you and put it on social media. We all know that Hugh Honey’s disposition is a very gregarious one because he’s always smiling and laughing while wearing brightly colored suits and ties. That’s just who he is, and I respect that because he’s not changing for anyone. People who haven’t seen Honey fight will be potentially surprised by his aggressiveness despite his happy demeanor and big smile! Backed up by world class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt, he absolutely knows how to get the job done no matter the situation. His preference, however, as proven through the numerous managers that he’s had, is to try and drop the opponent like a sack of rocks as quickly as possible with devastating striking power! He’s tallied a good number of knockouts while pursuing that mission so Tektas definitely knows he better be sharp on defense tonight or this could turn very ugly and painful before he knows it. Prior to his current 2-fight losing streak, he went on a 10-fight win streak tear! That streak allowed him to earn the right and honor to be called a champion when he defeated Nomor Gai by unanimous decision at BCS 14. He defended that title twice more so he definitely knows that extra something that’s needed to become a champion and defend that distinction, and that knowledge is absolutely a major advantage, or, in the very least, a big help. That help will lead him to defeat Tektas by knockout! Xavier: The 33-year-old Greece fighter from Athens brings his multitude of colorful tattoos and affinity for his cool cat into this fight with Golden Gloves boxing skills, very good Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a black belt. Before I continue, however, I must say, Styles, that when I saw Tektas in the locker room area warming up for tonight, he just didn’t quite seem to have the same energy and fire in the belly as he normally does! I don’t know if something is wrong with him or maybe something happened to his beloved cat, but whatever it is, he’s just not quite the same ball of anxious energy that we’ve seen him be, and that could prove to be very costly in this fight against Honey, especially since Honey could very well have some insight about this man and his abilities in the cage! Tektas obviously brings much more combat experience into this battle and that will definitely carry with it a certain edge, but the fact that Honey has one more win than Tektas despite that combat edge could prove to be unsettling to Tektas if he allows it to. Looking at this fight from a technical lens, getting this fight down to the mat and keeping it there is of the utmost importance to Tektas, not only because that’s where I think he’ll be able to be most effective against Honey, but he also avoids being locked into a potential clinching situation that he may not be able to take advantage of and while in said clinch, he’d miss out on opportunities to control the space and pace of this fight like he’ll need to if he wants to emerge victorious! A 7-fight win streak has been his best run and he’ll need to find that winning formula to overcome his most recent loss plus keep himself in the potential title hunt. He, too, is a multi-time champion and can rely on that experience if he finds himself in the standup longer than he wants to be. Tektas wins this match by submission! PREDICTIONS: Xavier- Tektas by Submission; Styles – Honey by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: CROWN “THE ASCENDED ONE” HALO (9-9; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES)VERSUSGABRIEL ARONES (22-15; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES) Xavier: The standup specialist who calls himself “The Ascended One”, though I’m still trying to figure out exactly where it is he has ascended to with a respectful KT record and average MMA record, but that’s for him to know, brings in world class boxing and Muay Thai, so he still has to be respected. The 37-year-old Jamaican product from Awake represents Heritage in this fight and, as his skill set reflects, he’s all about layin’ the wood on his opponents, and Styles, don’t say a word! Styles: Damn! That’s just too easy a setup! Xavier: He earned a championship during his KT tenure by defeating Duke McStoner at GAMT 62 McStoner versus Halo but, unfortunately, lost the title in his very next fight against Alexander Berkman by unanimous decision as well. His longest win streak of 3-fights in a row also occurred during his KT time and, ironically enough, his longest losing streak of 3-fights in a row also occurred during his KT tenure. After transitioning out of KT and into the MMA circuit, he started off with a bang by scoring a TKO in the first round against Dhalio Yogalaflame. He continued that momentum by defeating his next two opponents by using brutal knee strikes until they couldn’t stand up anymore and his knees are still dangerous enough to be taken into consideration, especially if he’s able to lock Arones into a clinch! Obviously, his KT experience also taught him how to use his kicking range very effectively and tonight, although he’s basically the same height as Arones, he’s much lighter and the assumed speed gain he’ll have due to that fact will bode very well with his kicking abilities. He can definitely look to wear down the heavier Arones with repeated kicks to the legs then possibly catch him looking down with a feint that leads into a head kick! Halo makes Arones see a halo while staring up at the ceiling by knocking him out! Styles: The LEGION OF DOOM is up to bat again with Arones representing them in this fight. The Brazilian brawler, like many highly skilled Brazilian fighters we’ve seen in mixed martial arts, is tremendous in the grappling aspect of combat, and you better believe that’s the meal ticket for him in this fight tonight! Don’t get it twisted though, ladies and gents, Arones knows how to get the job done vertically as well and has world class boxing and excellent Muay Thai skills to back up that claim. Of course, his Olympic-level grappling and black belt are a deadly combination for any opponent as well, but he can do some damage against the standup-favored Halo before attempting to shoot in for any takedowns. Naturally, he could opt to try for trip takedowns from the clinch but I think he’d be more effective shooting in rom distance because a clinch battle with Halo could result in unnecessary struggles as well as lost opportunities to control the action on the ground. The 34-year-old knows that he’s three years younger and outweighs Halo by enough to make a difference when getting this fight onto the ground and making the older fighter support that weight in addition to his own. Taxing the tank is always a good idea for a fighter looking to win the grappling battle because a fatigued opponent is much more susceptible to takedowns and being controlled on the ground. Arones does have a championship to his name when he defeated Brett Taylor by Triangle at DFC 26: Taylor versus Arones with literally one second left to go in the fifth and final round of that fight! He lost the title to Simone Milanesi in his very next fight but that doesn’t take away the fact he’s a champion! A 6-fight win streak and 3-fight losing streak are his high and low, but tonight he secures the win by making Halo tap out! PREDICTIONS: Styles – Arones by Submission; Xavier – Halo by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: “THE POWER” GEORDIE POWER (24-10; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSANDY BANGSIT (27-23-2; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: I find it ironic, X, that both of these men step into the cage having recently snapped a 3-fight win streak by losing their most recent fight! How often does that happen? Power is a well-rounded fighter representing Vendetta tonight out off Stanhope, England, and the 33-year-old wants to get back to his winning ways as soon as possible! With Golden Gloves boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt, he absolutely has the tools at his disposal to find that winning path tonight! A little shorter and a bit heavier, Power does have options in this fight. However, as I see it, his best option is to stay the hell away from the mat as if there was a bunch of dog crap down there because allowing Bangsit to drag him to the mat will put him in a world of crap! It’s of the utmost importance that Power use his power, I had to take it there, to keep this fight in the standup, even if he has to lock Bangsit into a clinch and lean his weight on him there. Yes, that’s not a thrilling way to achieve victory in the eyes of the fans, but a win is a win in this business, and fighters will do what’s necessary to secure that victory. I was trying to figure out what the hell Power is wearing for this fight tonight, X. Xavier: What do you mean? He’s not wearing clothes for combat? Styles: He is, well, sort of. Have you seen the shirt dude’s wearing? Xavier: No, actually, I haven’t. What shirt is he wearing? Styles: It’s a shirt that straight up looks like a washing machine! Xavier: A washing machine? That’s certainly unique! Styles: That’s one word for it, yeah! Anyway, when Power began his career, he established that he could win fights by dragging them out for the long haul but he then figured some things out when he transitioned into MMA, and he put together a 6-fight win streak, technically 7 if you count his last fight in the KT circuit, and in doing so, he became a champion when he dropped Riki Shi with a thunderous head kick in the first round at TD 3: Marveux versus Woodley. His best streak is 8-wins in a row while he’s dropped 3-fights in a row on the other side of the column. Simply put, Power keeps this fight in the standup, and he wins by knockout! Xavier: Once again the LEGION OF DOOM are in the cage as Bangsit brings his ground-based expertise and rare red belt in BJJ to the cage! Styles: Ain’t too many red belts runnin’ around these days! Xavier: That’s correct and Bangsit has undoubtedly worked very hard to earn that rank! The Swede from Malmoe brings a lot of experience, to say the least, and the 38-year-old does have the edge there. Will he be able to outthink the five-year younger opponent and figure out a way to get this fight grounded as soon as possible so that incredible skill on the ground can be used to its fullest extent? That’s the question that hangs high over this particular right, Styles, and Bangsit definitely wants to answer that question with a resounding yes! There’s not much else to say about a man who has earned a red belt because that’s an incredible distinction in and of itself which resonates very loudly in this industry as someone who can put another human being into precarious positions that really shouldn’t be achieved! Even the most flexible warriors can be forced to tap out from the extensive knowledge and ability that Bangsit brings into the cage! He’s the poster child for consistency in terms of having an extensive career with one management team from what I see, Styles, and that, in itself, is advantageous because his team will be able to determine what can and can’t be done in this fight and they’ll be able to determine that much faster than not. He’s earned two streaks of winning 7-fights in a row, so the man knows how to take hold of momentum and keep it rolling quite well. His worst showing has been a 5-fight losing streak and, as I’m sure the vast majority of you have guessed, he kissed canvas the hard way more times than not. Surprisingly, at least to me, he even lost one of those fight by submission, but I suspect that’s an occurrence that’s not common by any means. Getting this fight to the mat is imperative for Bangsit because I don’t believe he has the chin to withstand the punching power that Power will have stored up for this fight, and Bangsit will be able to outthink the younger warrior and make him tap out tonight! PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Bangsit by Submission; Styles – Power by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: STEPHAN LETTER (20-14; CURRENT STREAK: 5 LOSSES)VERSUSMOSHIN “PURE POWER” ZAIDI (17-16; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: We’re seeing a phenomenal athlete tonight in the form of the German named Letter. Styles: Stephan let her do what? See what I did there, X!? Xavier: How did I know you’d manage to say something like that? Styles: I can’t pass up opportunities like that, X! That’s like seeing a $20 on the ground and not picking it up! Xavier: It certainly seems that way. As I was saying, Letter, for only being 29 years old, is very highly skilled all the way around! It’s not often a man can be classified as having world class skills in boxing, Muay Thai and grappling, but that’s what we’re seeing tonight. Toss in his brown belt and the Herdecke product is very technically sound and the FinnFighters are definitely proud of his achievements! I’m truly surprised he doesn’t have more championships to his credit though he does have two different times he’s worn gold around his waist, and a man of his skill and desire absolutely should be a champion. Looking at the entirety of the body of his work, he has laid waste to a good many men in that cage but that aggression an one-gear approach to combat has cost him as well. A 5-fight win streak is the best that he’s been able to put together while a 5-fight losing streak has been his worst slide. Unfortunately for him, that 5-fight slide has occurred over his past 5 fights, so to say that he’s really struggling as of late is like saying Shaquille O’Neal is a big ass dude! What’s worse? All five of those losses have been by knockout or TKO so it’s not a good look here, Styles. To say Letter’s chin is questionable at best is being charitable as I see it. When he has things rolling, he can drop the likes of the very respected Tank Ispa, whom he defeated at NJMMA #56 to obtain his first taste of gold. On the flip side, the man has kept his head held too high, literally, at the wrong times and has been cold clocked with nasty head kicks that undoubtedly gave him concussions and I’m sure some severe headaches as well. Giving credit where it’s due, he picks himself up and keeps on battling but how much more punishment can he take? I say Letter goes balls out in this fight and catches Zaidi off guard and drops him for the knockout! Styles: Zaidi recently snapped a 2-fight losing streak by making Shoei Braz bleed like he got tagged by a predator blast when they battled at ICS 26. Zaidi was very dominant in that squabble and had the ring looking like Jason Vorhees went the hell off until the referee and the ringside doctor saw enough at the 2:49 mark of the first round! It’s that type of dominant performance that makes people wonder why Zaidi hasn’t had more success and, ultimately, why he doesn’t have a championship to his name. He’s proven time and again that he’s one hell of a heavy hitter and he’s made four men bleed out so badly that the ringside doc and the ref stopped the fight before it looked like a Freddie Kreuger party! Zaidi established himself as a heavy hitter pretty much from day one but he also showed despite having plenty of wallop in his strikes, his chin wasn’t designed too well to withstand that type of physicality and thus, he’s been brutally dropped in quite a few battles himself! You better believe Letter is fully aware that Zaidi’s chin is just as suspect as his so I expect both of these men to go for the gusto early and often because the longer this drags out, the more at risk both of these men are for having their lights turned out quickly and painfully. The winner of 5-fights in a row and, on the other end, the loser of 4-fights in a row, Zaidi could very well try to throw Letter completely off his game by banging with him on his feet for a while then dragging this fight to the ground where Zaidi’s incredible grappling skills can sway any momentum away from Letter that he potentially created for himself. I don’t think Zaidi wants to try to score takedowns from the clinch because he could very well end up pressed against the cage for minutes at a time without being able to make any headway, and all that will do is increase the amount of pressure on him to try and finish the fight before times runs out. The 29-year-old Georgian from Peachtree City could very well try and knock Letter out with counterattacks to the head, but I expect Zaidi to score the counter takedown he needs to lock Letter into a submission for the win! PREDICTIONS: Styles – Zaidi by Submission; Xavier – Letter by KO WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: MARCO ALVADO (18-9-2; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS)VERSUSBRANDON “BAD BOY” MARSDEN JR. (12-2-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: We immediately see that Alvado has the combat experience advantage in this fight, which isn’t all too surprising seeing that he’s two years older than Marsden Jr. However, he has nearly double the amount of overall fights and that could very well be a factor in this fight because he could make Marsden Jr. make mistakes he typically doesn’t make in combat by outthinking him, especially if Alvado isn’t as fleet of foot as Marsden Jr. is. The man who looks like he should be in a Lord of the Rings movie represents YABAI in this fight, and Alvado’s skills are definitely among the best! World class on his feet in boxing and Muay Thai, he’s also Olympic-level with his grappling and that’s supported by a brown belt, so his comfort level in any given situation is definitely established. As we’ve spoken of before concerning Alvado, he’s not known for being a devastating force with his strikes but that’s all right because he’s obviously figured out the approaches he needs to take to secure the victory while putting together a solid overall record. As we’ve alluded to previously, Alvado’s lack of championship experience could very well be a highly motivational factor for him because no one can question his technical ability to get the job done. Again, his sole opportunity to wear gold fell to the wayside when he lost by unanimous decision to Domingo Chavez at GPG: 45. He and Marsden Jr. are the exact same height but Alvado’s a bit heavier so Alvado has a chance to land more powerful strikes against Marsden Jr. in an effort to slow him down. If this fight were earlier in Marsden Jr.’s career then I’d say Alvado has to be concerned about his power, but it seems to me that Marsden Jr. has slowed down in terms of his knockout power and, as such, Alvado can opt to be very aggressive in the standup and pummel Marsden Jr. with quick, accurate strikes. If Alvado feels that’s not being effective enough then he can look to clinch with Marsden Jr. and frustrate him by leaning him against the cage while scoring points and sapping any potential power striking advantage he has over Alvado. I think Alvado uses high energy output combined with accuracy and good footwork to win this fight by unanimous decision! Xavier: Elite Punishment Inc. is up in the spotlight tonight in this fight as Marsden Jr. brings his very good record into this fight with Golden Gloves boxing, world class Muay Thai, respectable grappling and a purple belt. As you mentioned, Styles, Marsden Jr. had been dropping opponents left and right with megaton blasts from his strikes in the majority of his fights, but as of late, either he’s lost that touch or opponents have figured out how to slow him down and avoid his power because after he put together a very impressive 12-fight win streak, he hasn’t won a fight beyond that! His last three fights have resulted in two losses and one draw, so that’s obviously an issue that Marsden Jr. is going to have to address as quickly as possible. From what I can ascertain, if he’s going to silence his critics who question his ability to bring the heat and knock opponents off their feet then Alvado is the opponent he’ll be able to prove it against! No disrespect to Alvado whatsoever, but he’s definitely not known as a lead-fisted puncher or steel-shinned kicker, so Marsden Jr. has a prime opportunity laid out here to show that aggression that brought him much early success. One thing that can’t be taken away from him is his championship success, and he earned that by defeating Gideon Navarro at ICS 5 by unanimous decision. He defended that title successfully once before losing it to Nick Graves by KO at ICS 15. Since that loss, the struggles have been very prominent and if he’s going to turn his fortunes around, tonight is the time to do it! He’s never lost two fights in a row so if he can keep that pattern up then things are looking very good for him in this contest. He’s going to have to stick-and-move in this fight if he’s going to pull it off because clinching with Alvado will be a major mistake and being taken to the ground may prove to be just as fatal, so counterattacks in the standup is the name of the game and I think Marsden Jr. will be able to pull it off and score the knockout tonight! PREDICTIONS; Xavier – Marsden Jr. by KO; Styles – Alvado by Unanimous Decision LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: TUD “THE DIDDLER” STODDLER (23-7; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES)VERSUSANTI HALF ASSED (17-9-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: Stoddler hails from Manila… Styles: “The Diddler” Thriller from Manila! Xavier: Sure, you can call him that if you want, Styles. Styles: I just did! Hey, what do you think a diddler is!? Xavier: I have no clue, Styles. Styles: Maybe diddler means that he sleeps with a lot of women! Xavier: Again, Styles, why do you ask me questions that can easily be answered if you ask the fighter? Styles: I don’t know, man! You’re pretty smart at times and you may have some insight into some of these things. I’m giving you some leeway here! Xavier: Thanks, I suppose. Styles: You’re welcome. Xavier: Continuing, Stoddler represents himself in this fight and steps into combat with world class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt. Looking at his record and body of work, he’s proven that he’s tough and capable, and usually those two attributes combine to make one solid fighter, and solid is exactly what this man is. Despite him being with his third management team now, he obviously knows how to get the job done as is evidenced by his multitude of championships won in different organizations. There were two times he put together an 8-fight win streak, so the man knows how to utilize momentum to its fullest extent when he gets a hold of it. His longest losing streak is 2-fights in a row and, unfortunately for him, the timing of those two losses isn’t the best because those were the last two fights that he’s had! He lost by unanimous decision to Min-Sik Song at ICS 25 and by TKO to Enitan Arendse at CEC END GAME prior to that fight. Many were surprised, myself included, that he lost to Enitan Arendse because he carried in an 8-fight win streak into that contest and was making a very bad habit of putting men to sleep early and often. Despite the recent struggles, I guarantee you that he won’t stop being his aggressive self, seeking the knockout as quickly as possible, and with the power he still brings to the cage, you better not underestimate his ability to do just that! He’s suffered some very tough losses, specifically to Nick Morris who beat him four times, two by TKO, one by submission, and one by KO. Granted, Nick Morris is one very tough customer so there’s no shame in losing to him but still, those losses did their damage. Still, Assed can expect to have a very aggressive opponent on is hands in this fight, and Stoddler will unleash the heavy artillery to win this by knockout! Styles: The enigmatic Assed steps into combat and he definitely was ahead of the game in terms of having a quarantine haircut, or lack thereof, because the 27-year-old fighter from Bay Pines has proven that his priority is not complete grooming practice. Each man lives as he will and I’m not knockin’ that because hell, to each their own, but I do wonder if Assed has had a haircut and shave within the last century. This member of YABAI only has three fewer fights than Stoddler despite being two years younger, so, technically speaking, the combat experience is basically even. Assed is a hair shorter and four pounds heavier so they’re basically the same size. Judging what we’ve seen from both men, Assed may need to take the counterattacking approach to this fight to try and catch Stoddler with an unexpected strike that he doesn’t see coming. If Assed can manage to do that then he may be able to stun him long enough to get him to the ground where he can go to town with his black belt and really make Stoddler work hard to avoid being controlled and potentially tapped out! One distinct disadvantage that Assed faces in this fight is the lack of championship mettle. It’s not that he doesn’t posses the skills to win a title because that would be completely asinine to say, but that lack of particular experience does carry a certain amount of weight with it. How much weight is yet to be determined but Assed may very well have to dig deeper than he’s used to in order to put away a multi-time champion the caliber of Stoddler. Assed does have some knockout wins on his resume but he, too, has lost by knockout or TKO a few times as well. Still, he could take a big risk and look to unload on Stoddler with counterstrikes in hopes of tagging him hard enough to either drop him where he stands or stun him enough to shoot in, score the takedown, and immediately go into dominant position where he can choose which submission hold he wants to use to make Stoddler tap out! PREDICTIONS: Styles – Assed by Submission; Xavier – Stoddler by KO FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: IKER RAMIREZ (24-5-2; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS)VERSUSBED INTRUDER (28-15-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: Currently with his third management team, the highly skilled warrior from Malaga, Spain, represents La Familia in this contest. Another multi-time champion we’ll be seeing tonight, Ramirez first brought home some gold when he defeated Mark Lopez by unanimous decision at Pride FC 3. He defeated the next challenger then lost to Thomas Power by KO afterwards. However, he bounced back to become a champion once again when he defeated Sambulo Yeboah by TKO in the second round Pride FC 20. Ramirez begin sort of slowly at first but once he figured some things out, he was knocking out more opponents more consistently and put together a run of 5-fights in a row twice throughout his career. Those flashes of consistent winning made his fans realize he had the “it” factor to be a very good champion and they were right. To this point in time, he’s never lost more than one fight and that speaks volumes to his desire, training and skill set. He has a balance of knockout, TKO and unanimous decision wins so he can adapt to the situation at any point in time, but my assumption is he wants to establish himself as quickly as possible to at least get ahead on the scorecards in case the fight does get stretched out for the entire time limit. There are some concerns about his chin due to the fact that he’s been knocked out five times. Considering how many battles he’s been involved with, I don’t see that as a major concern and solid footwork and striking defense can obviously help mask any potential issues there. Additionally, I think Intruder will want to try and avoid standing toe-to-toe with Ramirez for too long and if that’s the case then Ramirez can better his chances of keeping this fight on its feet by locking Intruder into a clinch and using his very slight height advantage to try and land punches to the side of the head that are more difficult to block. Additionally, staying in the clinch means he stays off the ground, and that’s the first order off the menu for him in this fight. Ramirez wins this fight by knockout! Xavier: The man with the unusual name steps into this fight having lost to Cole Reynolds for a championship opportunity by TKO early in the fourth round of ICS 25. Prior to that, he had a 3-fight win streak and definitely had momentum on his side, but it just wasn’t quite enough to overcome Reynolds so Intruder has to go back to the drawing board to try and figure out the best path back having championship opportunities once again. He’s had a good number of opportunities throughout his career and he’s earned each and every one of them, there’s no denying that. It took him three tries, but he finally conquered that championship demon by defeating Gary Tonon by unanimous decision at OFC 355: Jones versus Puno. He defended the title twice until losing it to Max Barathian early in the 2nd round at OFC 367: Grimson versus Montezuma. He later defeated Barathian by TKO in the 2nd round of OFC 374: Barathian versus Bed III then lost the title to Nick Shamrock by unanimous decision in the next fight. He captured more gold later on his career and the bottom line is he knows what he has to do to take his skills to the next level and deal with the pressure of being in the limelight of a title fight. Recently, Intruder has had a multitude of unanimous decision battles so he can obviously handle a battle of attrition of that’s what it boils down to, but in this fight, I think he’d be better served going for the knockout because, in the very least, he can apply major pressure on Ramirez and make him adjust to Intruder’s approach to the fight. If Ramirez is able to adapt but leaves an opening for Intruder to propel himself into for a takedown, you can bet money that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Intruder is as aggressive as he can be as soon as the bell rings and he’ll pressure Ramirez into making the one mistake Intruder needs to get this fight to the ground for the submission win! PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Intruder by Submission; Styles – Ramirez by KO HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE CLASH: KVAME “BRAHMA” ZULU (27-8; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS)VERSUSHEAVY RAIN (27-11; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) Xavier: The timing of this fight is excellent because the combatants are a combined 5-fight win streak, so momentum is rolling very nicely in this one. The champion represents YABAI in this fight tonight and, along with the title, he brings world class boxing, Muay Thai and grappling, and that’s backed up by a brown belt. Zulu’s proven himself time and again, so Rain knows what he’s stepping into the cage against. Needless to say, this fight is going to be intense and the crowd will absolutely eat it up! The tattooed warrior from New Xade, Botswana, has established himself as a heavy hitter and there’s no denying that. Whatever this man sinks his weight into in terms of a strike, you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s going to be damage done! We’ve chronicled the other side of his explosive style very well but we need to make mention that Zulu, for all of his outstanding skills and scary power, is also rather susceptible to bleeding heavily, and that very fact has cost him a total of eight fights so far. Compared to his overall 35 fights, losing six doesn’t seem that big an impact, but that’s only by way of bleeding too much. He’s been knocked out the more traditional way as well but bleeding too much has been his primary weakness. Sometimes, folks, it’s just like that. There are reasons why tattoo parlors have clients sign waivers because there are some people in the world who just don’t hold their blood inside as well as others. That aside, he’s been able to attain every type of knockout victory there is so look for his continued aggression to be coupled with his immense striking power and Rain will have to survive the early onslaught if he’s to have any chance of relieving Zulu of his title! Zulu also has a psychological edge of Rain because he’s beaten him before. Yes, that was a while ago but the fact remains, he knocked out Rain early in the 2nd round at EMP Zulu versus Rain and he’ll do the same tonight! Styles: The Syndicate makes their only appearance of the night as Heavy Rain steps into the cage and brings much of Hong Kong’s support with him. One year older with five more fights to his experience, Rain brings heavy artillery with him as well! World class boxing, Muay Thai and grappling is supported by a brown belt, so technically speaking, these men are mirrors of one another. However, as you mentioned, X, Rain has tasted the missile blasts that Zulu brings with him and he knows he absolutely can’t allow his chin to be exposed for too long or he’ll get his bell rung once again and will have his momentum halted! Although he’s not quite the overwhelming force that Zulu is, make no mistake, Rain can bring the heavy impact. Yes, he’s had many more unanimous decision fights than Zulu has but that only means he’s figured out a way to not absorb so many clean strikes that he crumbles under the pressure. It took Rain a while to get his footing in terms of stepping up when the heat was burning at its hottest, but he finally cracked that code when he defeated Brad Lansar by KO at CEC 662. He defended the title twice before losing it to Richard Kuklinsky at CEC 674 by TKO early in the 2nd round. Similar to Zulu, he’s cracked some skulls with brutality but has suffered his fair share of knockout losses as well. He’s tasted the canvas eight times and that’s a pretty high number, even with the number of fights that he’s had overall. One thing that’s never happened to him is he hasn’t lost too much blood to make the referee and ringside doctor stop the fight. Rain knows what he needs to do and, in my opinion, he could very well have success if he stays outside and uses his substantial reach advantage to throw jabs and crosses to keep Zulu at a distance, and if Zulu manages to get past his punches then he can pop him with snapping kicks to make him pay for it! Rain is the lighter man as well so he should at least be able to move with equal speed to Zulu, and if that proves to be the case then he can definitely let the fists fly and try to back Zulu into a corner where Rain can just let the speed and accurate punches overwhelm Zulu and maybe even make the man bleed too badly for the fight to continue! Rain lightens Zulu’s championship load tonight by knocking him out! PREDICTIONS: Styles – Rain by KO; Xavier – Zulu by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE CLASH: HAROLD NICOLAS (31-15; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSMELEK TAUS “THE RECKONING” (12-3; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS) Styles: The final fight of the night is for the Light Heavyweight title, and the sharp-dressed man known as Nicolas is up front and center. The 35-year-old from London lost a very hard-fought battle against Bryer McGuire at ICS 31, ending in a TO early in the third round. Prior to that, Nicolas was rollin’ as smooth as a female model’s booty with a 7-fight win streak nut now he obviously has to start another streak, but if anyone can turn their fortunes around with the quickness, it’s this man right here. After all, this is the guy who made Akoni Gray bleed like he was the victim of Murder Hornets, so there’s still plenty of sharp power and brutality in Nicolas’ fists to at least give caution to Taus! As expected, Nicolas is a multi-time champion and that began in the first battle with his second management team when he scored a TKO on Robert Lukaszewicz at AFL: Fight at the flats in the first round. Fast forward to his victory over Gray with his fourth management team and the bottom line is this man knows how to get the job done. Yes, there was a point in time when he lost 4-fights in a row and his situation wasn’t looking too good, but he then turned that around and went on the 8-fight win streak I spoke about. If that’s not turning things around then I don’t know what is! He’s basically seen and done it all with the exception of scoring a series of submissions but, obviously, that hasn’t been an issue. I don’t think he’ll start looking to be a submission machine at this point in his career and he obviously knows how to adapt any opponent and situation he’s involved in, so let the man do what he does best! World class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, very good grappling and a purple belt are what he brings with those powerful strikes. Nicolas stays aggressive from start to finish and manages to get to Taus’ chin for the knockout win! Xavier: Taus, who looks like he’s an elf fantasy soldier or something like that with his armor, plus there always seems to be some kind of snowstorm or something around him no matter what weather there is, but that’s neither here nor there because the most important facet is he handles business! Representing YABAI, this Syrian from Homs has a total combined record of 28-5, including his KT accomplishments, and that’s one hell of a record! There’s a reason this man has accomplished what he has and he’s looking to add to his list of accomplishments by defeating a highly respected and capable opponent tonight! A 9-fight win streak has been his best and he had an instance where he won 7-fights in a row as well. If not for one loss between those streaks, he potentially would have had a 16-fight winning streak, so momentum is this man’s calling card. Obviously, a champion just as Nicolas is, this battle should boil down to will and intellect as opposed to sheer brutality. The fans an expect to see a standup war because, like Nicolas, Taus isn’t one to try and go for the submission or ground-and-pound victory. He’d prefer to drop an opponent where they stand, and he’s proven that he’s fully capable of achieving that. This could very well turn into one massive toe-to-toe brawl with the winner being the one who, plain and simple, can take the brunt of the striking power of his opponent better than his opponent can. What bodes well for Taus in this fight is his height advantage. Any advantage when the contestants are of this level can only help. Taus does have some options here, however, because he could opt to try and lock Nicolas into a clinch and see if he can unleash more damage than Nicolas up close and personal, or if he feels at any time that the momentum is slipping away from him, he can go for trip takedowns or shoot in from a feint an go right into dominant position and try to wear down Nicolas until he feels he can try and secure the submission win or move ahead on the scorecards. Either way, the man with the personal storm will emerge victorious by knocking Nicolas out! PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Taus by KO; Styles – Nicolas by KO Xavier: We’ve reached the conclusion of our broadcast tonight, ladies and gentlemen, and both Styles and I are very grateful for you taking the time to join us. To everyone who is protesting, please, for your safety, protest safely because we want to see you back here with us. Styles: Well said, X. Trust us, we understand being angry and wanting to kick ass for a travesty and we absolutely hope justice will be served once all is said and done. However, please, people, looting does not do anyone any favors! Don’t take advantage of hard-working people who have a business located in a particular area. They’re not the ones who committed that heinous act. Lastly, we hope all of you join us ringside and are able to enjoy the fights as much as we will. Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing continue to create fantastic and entertaining designs and we’re proud to have them as a merchandise partner. Everyone be safe, be well, and we’ll see you at the fights! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator001 Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 The Ma Balls Is Hot "Hottest fighter" award for ICS 35 is Anti Half Assed https://www.mmatycoo....php?FID=329617 This is Half Asseds 3rd win in the Inferno organization. Half Assed dominated Stoddler in the first round getting the TKO in 2 minutes of the 1st round. This takes him to a 18-9-1 record, # 129 P4P and number 16 155 lb fighter in the world 20000 dollars has been sent to Half Assed's manager Psycho Psych from the Yabai alliance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 INFERNO COMBAT SERIES 37 PREVIEW LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM Xavier: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Inferno Combat Series and specifically, welcome to ICS 37! In the booth with me tonight is the brooding Furious Styles! Styles: That’s definitely the deal with me tonight, Xavier! I really thought by now the protests that turned to violence would have ceased, but it seems the joke is on me because there’s still a lot of violence occurring out there! Oh yeah, to top it off, Commissioner Goodell said the NFL should have paid attention to their athletes. Really!? Let’s see. Without the players…yeah, there’s nothing to watch! That’s like ICS having an event with no fighters! Come on, man! Xavier: I understand your perspective, Styles, and It’s definitely not a good look, especially with the Colin Kaepernick situation being brought to the forefront yet again. Let’s not forget that Dana White made some headlines with his thoughts on Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum! Styles: I dig White’s style! There’s no time for bullcrap and he says exactly what’s on his mind! If people don’t like it then that’s too damned bad because he’s not going to change. He reminds me of me! I keep the language cleaner because this is a family broadcast, yes, but this is also the fight game and the rules here are a bit different because this is pure and raw combat! Xavier: I’ve definitely seen some rather foul language tossed around in various forums from fighters so it wouldn’t be shocking if profanity were to be used during a broadcast. Styles: Does that mean I can just go off!? Xavier: I didn’t say that! You’ll need to have a meeting with HR about that. In the meanwhile, just do what you’ve been doing unless told otherwise. Styles: Damn, man, you take all the fun out of the job! Xavier: Me!? It’s not my decision! Personally, you can say whatever you want because you’re going to express yourself one way or the other so it may as well be in a way that you’re accustomed to doing plus it wouldn’t be shocking. Styles: Well, in that case, all right, you don’t sap the fun out of this job. Xavier: Thank you for that. Let’s get down to business, shall we? FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: STUPID TATTOO GUY (12-5; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSVASILIOS “CAESAR” MEGALOS (22-11; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS) Styles: I’m not sure why this man calls himself stupid because, at 12-5, it’s obvious to me he’s not stupid at all and knows how to handle himself in combat. That being said, maybe he’s seriously referring to his various designs and writings tattooed on his face. If that’s the case then I feel for him because he’s either going to hate looking at himself for a very long time, or he’s going to have to endure some not too gentle laser tattoo removal procedures! Representing the FinnFighters, and maybe one of his tattoos is a direct reference to being a member of that alliance, he hails from…Who Cares? Well, this dude definitely lets his disposition be known right up front, doesn’t he? Hell, I can respect that because who has time for the fluff or to sugar coat anything? Just say and do what you mean, and the rest will take care of itself. The 32-year-old fan of ink is a Golden Gloves boxer, very good Muay Thai practitioner, outstanding grappler and black belt skilled BJJ fighter, so he obviously has weapons at his disposal! Currently with his third management team, he’s another example of an older fighter who doesn’t have a lot of combat experience as compared to other peers who are his age or close to it. As you touched upon, X, that can be a benefit because he hasn’t taken a whole lot of damage and that translates to him possibly taking more chances than he normally would because he knows Megalos has been involved in some tough battles. Over the course of his career, Guy has not developed a reputation for being a heavy hitter so there won’t be any surprises if he manages to stretch this fight out its entire length. He does have one knockout to his credit and that’s over John Nordquist in the second round of NSCC 41: Glatt versus Shorton. He’s also only been knocked out once so he’s the type of fighter that frustrates opponents because they can land their shots on him and he’ll keep moving right along as if nothing happened, and then he scores vital points while avoiding having the momentum taken away from him. I expect much of the same tonight and Guy will win this fight by unanimous decision! Xavier: The Keyboard Warriors representative, Megalos, who hails from Athens and likens himself to a former Caesar, has the substantial experience advantage despite being one year younger than Guy, as you mentioned previously, Styles. It’s not often that occurs thus why I referred to it again. Megalos has developed a reputation for being a very highly skilled fighter all around and from what we’ve seen, that can’t be denied. Golden Gloves boxing, world class Muay Thai, Olympic skill in grappling and a black belt round out the skillset that Guy will be dealing with tonight. Megalos is shorter and a little heavier than Guy so he does have the advantage of options. I think Megalos will look to test Guy’s ability to stay vertical with him and not wither under Megalos’ pressure, because Megalos will more than likely look to use his fantastic standup skills to sway the outcome of this fight! If Guy can’t prevent Megalos from pressing the action or, worse, he begins to crumble under the striking power that Megalos possesses, then he’s going to be in a world of hurt. Megalos has only had one previous management team so he’s accustomed to consistency in his corner. Despite his successes, there are no championship battles that I see on his record and that’s definitely surprising because he’s proven himself in the cage. One aspect that can’t be ignored is that he and Guy have crossed paths previously at Pride 50 LA. The result of that encounter was Megalos winning by unanimous decision. Guy was obviously disappointed by that result but Megalos felt it wasn’t good enough despite earning the victory. Megalos has definitely shown some striking power throughout his career and that’s absolutely a factor to be considered by Guy. If he underestimates Megalos’ striking ability, then he’s going to lose to him again. If Megalos can avoid an early storm and not be overwhelmed, then he emerges the winner of this battle by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Megalos by KO; Styles – Guy by Unanimous Decision HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: “METHYR OUTLAW DALL” MILKTOAST DIDDLYBOTTOM (29-26; CURRENT STREAK: 5 LOSSES)VERSUSRYAN RIGGS (22-13-2; CURRENT STREAK: 3 LOSSES) Xavier: Well, ladies and gentlemen, to be straight up about everything, it’s not difficult at all to surmise why these two fighters are a combined loser of 8 fights in a row. To say that Diddlybottom has been struggling as of late is an understatement! Add in the fact that when I saw him backstage, although he looked to be in a very good mood, surprising for a man struggling as badly as he has been, he absolutely looks winded. Maybe having his fellow UnderGround Fights Enterprise members here will inspire him to dig deep enough to find the energy to win this fight. Overtraining, perhaps, due to the fact that he’s lost the last five fights, sure, but there may be just a lack of managerial direction as well. He is a Golden Gloves boxer, very good Muay Thai practitioner, a world class grappler and a black belt in BJJ, so the capability is there. The mindset is what comes into question and that’s always a concern for any fighter. Throughout the numerous management teams he’s had, the championship he won by defeating Bunny Anstey at CEFC 333 by armbar can’t be denied nor the one he won when he defeated Tong Po at Pride FC 28 by unanimous decision! I think that experience is what earns him a tapout win tonight! Styles: It’s very rare that we have two fighters who are struggling mightily face off in the same fight, let alone in ICS. That being said, X, you nailed it right on the head! The mindset is the concern tonight for both of these fighters, and when I saw Riggs backstage, not only did he look incredibly disinterested in fighting, but he also looked like he had an all-night drink fest on Las Vegas Boulevard! Dude probably hasn’t slept in the last three days and it’s evident that his current management team doesn’t expect much at all from him! None of them could look me in the eye and tell me they think he’s going to win tonight. That, in and of itself, tells the entire story. Hell, by the way he looks if someone farts hard enough, he’ll tip over! This is a far cry from the man who put together two separate 6-fight win streaks and has won two different titles just like Diddlybottom has! It’s truly shameful he doesn’t want to represent himself or his team better but that’s on them. If they’re fortunate, Diddlybottom will put Riggs out of his misery fast and clean, though I highly doubt it won’t be without some pain! In a rarity, I agree with you, X, that Riggs loses this fight tonight by tapout!PREDICTIONS: Styles and Xavier – Diddlybottom by Submission WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: JESUS MALVERDE (13-5-1; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS)VERSUSSPEVA KOSO (24-12-3; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: Here you go, Styles! We have a YABAI versus YABAI inter-alliance battle! Styles: Now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about! Bragging rights and crap talking for the winner while the loser probably has to wash the winner’s car for a month and wear some degrading outfit at the next YABAI barbecue! Xavier: That could very well be the case. Malverde hails from Mexico, and the 34-year-old has a very good record here, but looking at the number of battles he’s had as compared to Koso, granted, Koso is three years older, but there’s a substantial experience difference between the two so Malverde is going to have to adapt to that. As we typically outline, when there are two alliance mates battling against one another, the nuances that make them unique to other fighters are generally known because there are times when alliance mates train together, be it a sparring session or just being in the same gym. Obviously, there’s technology and there’s no doubt both of these men study their opponents in depth before stepping into the cage, but it’s just a bit different when it’s someone you confer with and maybe see very often. The respect is there, undoubtedly, especially since both of these men are approaching the conclusions of their solid careers. Malverde steps into this fight with world class standup skills, outstanding grappling and a black belt, so the man knows what to do, where to do it and when to do it! The flip side of not having as much experience is there’s also not as much wear and tear on the body, especially if the fighter with more experience has been in many brutal battles that have taken their toll in various ways. The human body can only take so much before it begins to break down, not even taking time into factor because we all age. Malverde has had previous managers and he does know the sweet taste of being a champion! That occurred when he defeated Blue Kandle, interesting name, by Kimura at Friday Night Fight 2 late in the first round. That’s his only championship but a victory tonight could very well propel him into a championship opportunity because he’s looked solid in his last three fights. A 4-fight win streak has been his best while he’s not lost two fights in a row, so the timing of this fight is very good for him. I think Malverde takes his chances in the standup and lets his world class skills do the talking for him and eventually score the knockout victory! Styles: The seasoned veteran from London brings world class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, Olympic-level grappling and a black belt, so needless to say, dude knows how to handle business anywhere and in any type of fight. Koso is a bit shorter and lighter than Malverde and that leads me to believe he’ll utilize the assumed speed advantage in the standup to score points and do some damage with counterattacks that will be used to setup takedowns. Smart money says Koso is willing to take the risk of having a grappling battle against Malverde because, after all, Koso has absorbed more damage than Malverde due to the number of fights he’s had. Similar to Malverde, Koso has had numerous management teams and like Malverde, he, too, has tasted what it’s like to be a champion. He had his first dip of that sweet nectar when he defeated Sala Barbo at RS 165 All Out War by a split decision! Since that point in time, he’s only had one other opportunity to win a championship and that surprises me because he’s had strings of victories time and again. His best showing has been 5-fights in a row while his worst showing has been 2-fights in a row. Taking an overall look at his career, he’s been involved in very many decision victories so he not only has proven he has the necessary gas in the tank to have fights last the entire time, but he also knows how to stay ahead on the scorecards, an indication of both ability and intelligence. My assumption is earlier in his career, Koso may have had some knockout power but I can’t say for certain. He doesn’t have any knockouts from what I see but he also has only been knocked out once and that’s a major testament to his toughness, especially when you consider the number of battles he’s been involved in. I think Koso will be able to rely on his experience to drag Malverde to the ground and finish this fight with the tapout!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Koso by Submission; Xavier – Malverde by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: YACOB NILSEN (20-12; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES)VERSUSMIKHAIL “OREL” ORLOV (24-8; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: The LEGION OF DOOM makes their first appearance on the night in the form of the 32-year-old Swede from Oxelosund who steps into battle with Golden Gloves boxing, solid Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a black belt. Currently working with his third management team, Nilsen is the owner of a 9-fight losing streak as his best run so far while he’s dropped 2-fights in a row a few times, including his most recent streak, but never has he lost three fights in a row so that pattern bodes very well for him here tonight. He obviously needs to get momentum back on his side, especially from his most recent battle where he lost by knockout to a nasty head kick from Sione Feti at ICS 29! Nilsen can lean on his experience as being a champion from early in his career when he bested Anthony Johnson by TKO in the first round at The Beatdown: CHAMPIONSHIP. Also, early in his career, Nilsen established himself as a man who possessed some nasty knockout power because he cracked many a skull until his last eight fights. There have been questions as to whether or not he still possesses dynamite in his knuckles and he obviously has an opportunity answer some of those questions here tonight if he can land clean shots on Orlov. Due to his aggressive, straight-forward style he has been cracked seven times so he does have to exercise some caution here because Orlov could very well carry enough impact in is strikes to end this fight early if Nilsen isn’t careful and keeps his head and feet moving during this entire fight. Naturally, he could opt to take his chances on the ground but from what we’ve seen, both of these men are basically evenly skilled in that aspect and that may prove to be a futile endeavor unless Nilsen’s able to rock Orlov’s world then taking him down and looking for the takedown and finish. Counterstriking will be the key for Nilsen to get this fight horizontal for the tapout! Styles: The 31-year-old Russian from St. Petersburg brings his outstanding record, nasty disposition and fantastic overall skills into this fight looking to get back into the win column after dropping a tough fight to Jeremy Jones by TKO at ICS 31! Prior to that loss, he stepped into that battle with a 5-fight win streak, so the timing wasn’t the issue. Jones was just the better man that night and landed the more damaging strikes, plain and simple. Golden Gloves boxing, world class Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a black belt are a part of the arsenal that Orlov carries but he’s a momentum fighter, if you will. A 9-fight win streak has been his best and during that impressive run, he captured gold by outlasting DJ Giannis by unanimous decision at GPG 35! He defended the title three additional times before losing an opportunity to become a champion in a different organization to Pekka Toivonen by TKO at EMP Mma versus Divac. Still, that doesn’t take away from that experience and proven championship mettle and he can lean on that if and when a fight isn’t going his way. That will come in handy against a hard-hitting opponent such as Nilsen because any momentum Nilsen gains, along with confidence, is obviously detrimental to Orlov’s health and chances of winning this fight! Throughout his career, Orlov has suffered some brutal TKO losses and there’s no doubting the damage accumulated from those fights have taken their toll on him, especially his ability to absorb power strikes to his jaw. Since he’s a Golden Gloves boxer, world class Muay Thai player, outstanding grappler with a black belt, I think the smart approach tonight is for him to apply as much pressure as he can with quick, accurate strikes to move ahead on the scorecards while keeping himself out of harm’s way. He could mix in some power strikes to see if he can land them cleanly and if so, he can gauge how Nilsen responds. If he’s able to rock Nilsen then he can go for the finish in the standup, but I think Orlov plays this safe and fights for the long game to win by unanimous decision!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Orlov by Unanimous Decision; Xavier – Nilsen by Submission HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: FRANK GRANGER (15-7; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSTONY “BLACK MAMBA” MONTEIRO (23-18; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: The Syndicate steps into the spotlight with Granger’s entrance into this fight. The 29-year-old from Switzerland knows full well he’s seven years younger than Monteiro and despite the discrepancy in combat experience, Granger also knows he hasn’t been put through the grinder nearly as much as Monteiro has! That means Granger can take more risks, in my opinion, than not because he’s aware of Monteiro’s history of brutal wars and the damage has been done over an extended period of time. With world class boxing, solid Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt, it seems to me that Granger’s best bet of bringing home the win tonight is to keep this fight in the standup. Not only does that allow him to test Monteiro’s damaged chin but it also prevents Monteiro from potentially controlling the pace and space of this fight plus it keeps Granger from possibly being tapped out! Granger is quite a bit shorter and lighter than Monteiro so speed will be his best ally in scoring points and damage in the standup with fast strikes while counterattacking. Granger, while not having the extensive number of knockouts that Monteiro has, does have a good number of knockouts and TKO’s to his credit so he has enough power to make Monteiro take an early nap! Granger has managed to twice put together win streaks of 3-fights in a row while losing 2-fights in a row just one time. He also has momentum heading into this fight due to his unanimous decision victory over Ryan Riggs at ICS 30. Let’s not forget that he’s a champion from his knockout victory over Rich Silva Jr. at RFL 44.5 Silva Jr. versus Granger 2! I think Granger executes an excellent stick-and-move strategy to wear down the taller, heavier Monteiro before landing that one knockout strike he needs for the win! Xavier: “Black Mamba” and his green beard, which is a bit ironic if you ask me, puts The Evil Empire on the board for the first time tonight as he brings world class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, Olympic-class grappling and a black belt in his luggage for this fight. The 36-year-old Togo product from Barneveld is very aggressive, very straight forward, and very impactful! A mere glance at his career stats shows the viewer that, in a nutshell, he either knocks his opponent the hell out or he gets knocked the hell out, plain and simple, that is it! There’s no discussion or disputing surrounding that because his first fight is literally the only fight that didn’t end in a knockout or TKO! Adoration from the crowd and numerous highlights are the best of that approach. The worst, however, is having to pick your jaw up off the mat time and again because as many people as he has blasted through, he’s woken up staring at the arena lights many times himself! Some could even call him reckless with his approach to battle, but his results can’t be denied. When he defeated Randy Springs by TKO at UVC 5, no one questioned his approach or power with that result and championship! He knows full well that Granger is going to try and push the pace to be very fast because he’s the younger lion in this fight but Monteiro has the experience and intelligence to use the younger fighter’s aggression against him. A 6-fight win streak has been his best mark while his worst has been a 5-fight losing streak. During that losing streak, his management team, as well as numerous other fighters, began to question his ability to stand up to striking power that was near the power he possesses. He shook off that talk by winning three fights in a row before fluctuating, basically, between winning and losing. He had a two-fight winning streak before losing to Super Heavyweight, so I expect him to do what he does best and go for the knockout and score it against Granger!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Monteiro by KO; Styles – Granger by KO MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: ANANADA “MULTI ALEX K” BUNYASARN (21-7; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSCIRO “THE ARTICHOKE KING” TERRANOVA 22-8; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) Xavier: The Thailand warrior from Bangkok, Styles, don’t say a word, brings his solid skill set and rather unique nickname into this fight representing YABAI. Currently with his fourth management team, he recently snapped a 3-fight losing streak by earning a TKO victory over PutinYa OnYerKiester in the second round at ICS 31. During his tenure in AEW, he became a champion there when he scored a second round TKO win over Steven Cold at AEW 15! He defended the title twice more afterwards then, under the direction of a new management team, he won another title while being in a different organization. Defeating Ibrahim Camara by TKO at TR1: BOAGRIUS versus MULLER secured that title and he defended the title during the next fight then lost it to Arthur Menezes at TR9: BUNYASARN versus MENEZES by rear naked choke late in the fourth round. A 9-fight win streak has been his best run while a 3-fight losing streak has been his worst. Bunyasarn has proven to be a streaky fighter so it’s quite possible his recent victory has gotten him over his recent slump and he’s ready to go on another win streak and squarely place himself in the championship title opportunity conversation! He’s had stretches of battles where he’s defeated opponents by knockout or TKO and I suspect he still has plenty of striking power in those hands, especially with how he handled business the last time out. World class boxing, very good Muay Thai, strong grapping and a brown belt is what he has earned on the technical side of fighting and I fully expect him to utilize his striking power against Terranova in this fight. Bunyasarn will use power and aggression to take this fight by knockout! Styles: I’m not sure if being an “Artichoke King” is intimidating or not, but I do know that Terranova puts The Evil Empire into the mix for the first time tonight and his impressive record speaks volumes about what he’s able to do in the cage. The 32-year-old Swede from Stockholm has world class boxing ability, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt. He’s proven he can handle himself in any given situation and he’s not easily overwhelmed. Terranova has proven that he can deliver quite the concussion blasts from his strikes and his striking power has served him very well throughout his career, so expect this to be one brutal standup war, X! The only thing this man hasn’t accomplished as of yet is to be a champion. He had two opportunities to change that narrative but lost both opportunities by decision, the most recent being a split decision that many will argue one way or the other to this very day. With his current management team, the knockouts have been fewer and father between, but he’s 5-3 overall with this team and does have a two-fight winning streak heading into this contest, so the momentum appears to be on Terranova’s side, and the timing of that momentum is great for him. He began his career with a 5-fight win streak and that has been his longest to date, which he managed to accomplish on two separate occasions. A 2-fight losing streak has been his worst so his ability to bounce back from defeat is impressive. I think Terranova will be more than happy to go toe-to-toe with Bunyasarn because he’s a no-nonsense fighter who just wants to get the job done and get back to other things. Taking the confidence earned from his most recent victory, Terranova will let fists fly and score the knockout win tonight!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Terranova by KO; Xavier – Bunyasarn by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: SIONE “THUMPER” FETI (18-11; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSTONG PO (21-12; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: I’m truly hoping his “Thumper” nickname refers to knocking out an opponent as opposed to the Disney character, because if he’s referring to the cartoon rabbit then we definitely need to have a discussion! The 30-year-old New Yorker steps into battle having won the last five out of six battles he’s had, so he’s definitely feelin’ good and groovin’ well in the cage. Feti is definitely an aggressive fighter who only has one speed. He either knocks out his opponent or he get knocked out, in general, though he does have some losses by submission. Something tells me this fight will not be going to the mat unless one of these fighters is stunned because both of them are right at home in the standup and that’s where their bread and butter is. Feti’s had one management team and that consistency has assisted him in overcoming some very talented fighters who put the hurtin’ on him, but he dug deep and walked out of the cage as the winner. A 5-fight win streak has been his best so far while his worst slide has been 3-fights in a row. I have no doubt he’s looking to place himself right into the picture for the championship contenders because that’s the only thing missing on his resume. Aside from that, the only type of victory is winning by making the opponent bleed out and who knows, that may change tonight! He and Po are basically the same height and weight so there are no physical advantages there and both are highly skilled, so this fight will be a battle of wills and chess, if you will. I think Feti is going to have to test Po’s chin early and often by using counterstrikes so Po uses more energy trying to land power strikes on Feti while Feti positions himself for the best point of attack after he’s made Po miss any strikes. I think Feti will be able to pull off this fight using good footwork, great head movement and serious aggression combined with power striking to win this fight by knockout! Xavier: The Stepdads step into the spotlight through Po, and the Thailand warrior from Chang Mai brings his long braid and glass-eating habits into the cage with world class boxing and Muay Thai, Olympic-level grappling and a purple belt! Po is two years older and has just a little more combat experience than Feti so I don’t think that’s going to be much of a factor in this match. One distinct advantage Po has is his championship knowledge and experience from the time he defeated HL Mencken by knockout in the first round at Pride FC 24! He did lose that title in his next fight by unanimous decision to Milktoast Diddlybottom, the same man we’ll see tonight in the second fight on the card tonight. As expected by his appearance and joy of trying to intimidate his opponents by occasionally licking glass before he fights, aggression and striking power are the name of the game with Po! Similar to Feti, Po is full throttle and straight ahead, and this style is very provocative for the fans but it does cost some pain and damage against opponents who hit just as hard, if not harder, than he does! There have been seven occasions where his opponent beat him to the punch and had him kissing canvas. Po is definitely one tough dude and he keeps getting up and fighting, so respect for that. However, the damage done to his chin has been costly and Feti is surely aware of that. One fact is Po has never lost due to bleeding out so there is that, but he’s lost in every way possible, and his most recent loss to Thiago Thiago by knockout at ICS 28 in the first round definitely had people wondering aloud if Po’s chin has reached a point where it can be called glass. However, glass jaw or not, Po is going to launch his full energy, aggression and power at Feti and if Feti doesn’t adapt early, Po will make short work of him in this fight and step out of the cage with the knockout victory!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Po by KO; Styles – Feti by KO MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: ARCHIBALD KNOX (26-16; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUS“PAPER MOON” JAMES DARREN (22-17-1; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES) Xavier: Knox puts Convicted Inc. into the spotlight for this battle, and the 33-year-old from Manhattan, New York, brings his Gangs of New York style of dress and very good balance of skills into this fight. As we’ve referenced previously with Knox, his having been with one management team during his entire career has given him excellent opportunities to become a champion. Specifically, he’s had four battles for a championship but just hasn’t managed how to figure out a way to get over that hump and due to that, he hasn’t grasped a title just yet. His championship opportunity against Russell Tyrone Jones ended in a split decision and to this day, there are arguments on both sides as to why that judgment is incorrect. Be that as it may, he’s still seeking a path to another championship opportunity before there are too many people in front of his path and he’s forced to wait a lot more time before being presented that potential opportunity. Early in his career, he established himself as a man who could crush a chin with one clean shot and against Starling Silva, he put that punching power on display by knocking him out early in the first round at CEC 690 Vilson versus Grande. In his last battle against Matteo Boretti, he didn’t see a kick coming and that cost him because that leg wound up popping him upside his head and turning out his lights! You better believe Knox will keep his chin tucked and head moving so that doesn’t happen again while looking for his own openings to take advantage of when Darren presents them. Knox is going to have to counterattack Darren to try and land that one shot that rocks Darren enough for Knox to step up the level of aggression and go for the finish. Knox scores the knockout tonight! Styles: The well-dressed man from Philly represents The Evil Empire and just like Knox, Darren has been with one management team for his entire career and that consistency has provided him championship success. His first championship was earned when he defeated Petter Norlin by TKO early in the third round at Helsinki Fighting League: 45. His second taste of championship gold came when he defeated Matteo Boretti by TKO late in the second round of their fight at ICS 2. That championship experience is something he can definitely lean on and have a distinct advantage in this fight over Knox because, as you said, X, Knox hasn’t quite conquered that particular part of the mixed martial arts mountain. A 7-fight win streak has been his best run of momentum while a 5-fight losing streak has been his biggest struggle. Earlier in his career, he began to show flashes of being a knockout artist but that slowed a bit and became more sporadic as time wore on. He does have a recent knockout win over Ispa Murhaa at ICS 11, but his last two fights have been painful losses, both by TKO, one in the first round and the other in the second round. Darren’s skillset is outstanding, and he’s earned world class boxing, Muay Thai and grappling, while also having a brown belt, so he can handle himself in any given situation. Since he’s been involved in every type of fight with the exception of making an opponent bleed too heavily, but there’s a chance he, too, could make this happen tonight, especially since I expect this fight to be a toe-to-toe battle to see which man still has the thunder in their strikes that can turn out the lights on the other man! I think Darren uses his championship experience and patience to tag Knox with the one clean shot Knox doesn’t see coming that ends this fight right then and there by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Darren by KO; Xavier – Knox by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: HARALD “BLUETOOTH” GORMSSON (24-7; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUS“SLENDERMAN” SCOTTY BAPP (13-6; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: I really hope “Bluetooth” refers to the technology and some type of dental situation, because having a blue tooth would indicate some serious issues that he should see a dentist about. Just sayin’. The LEGION OF DOOM representative from Jelling, Denmark, has earned an excellent overall record and is a very popular fighter! Currently with his second management team, Gormsson enjoyed early success by knocking out a good number of fighters and he finally tasted championship gold the third time around. He first lost an opportunity to Voodoo Daddy by knockout in the third round at KOFC 41 – Jones versus Sionis. He then lost a second opportunity when he lost to Foot Fungus, a rather interesting name for a fighter, by knockout in the second round at KOFC 67 – Force versus Leonidas. He finally cracked the championship code by defeating his nemesis, Foot Fungus, by unanimous decision at KOFC 76 – Leonidas versus Sionis. After winning that title, he and his management team at that point in time parted ways, which was surprising seeing that he just finally added hardware to his legacy. Under his current management, he’s had four opportunities to add to his championship coffers, but he’s been thwarted each time! Granted, he’s lost to some of the best in the business but I have no doubt he’s frustrated by his lack of success in those battles and uses that as motivation to keep fighting for another opportunity. Three of those losses have been at the hands of the future Hall of Fame member, Akoni Gray, so people can let that slide because Gray is one of the best to ever step into a frickin’ cage! The majority decision loss to Three Dog is one that perturbed him more because he felt he could have taken that fight if he had made adjustments earlier in the fight. I expect him to use the momentum from his most recent victory over Andy Bangsit and go for, and score, a knockout victory tonight over Bapp! Xavier: “Slenderman”, the odd horror movie character, apparently has shown up and possessed the body of one Scotty Bapp and has turned into a formidable opponent. The Stepdads representative from Atlanta has a solid skill set, and since he’s only 27-years-old, there’s a lot of room to grow and pursue even greater heights. Speaking of heights, Bapp has a considerable height advantage in this fight, Styles, and I fully expect him to rely on that reach advantage to make things very uncomfortable and difficult for Gormsson! One aspect Bapp has to be wary of is being dragged to the ground because his height will be used against him despite both of these men being basically even in their ground-fighting abilities. Bapp can use the comfort of his Golden Gloves boxing and very good Muay Thai skills to keep this fight vertical and make Gormsson pay each and every time he gets in striking distance, especially kicking distance since Bapp obviously has the longer legs. Bapp will definitely have to use that seven years the youth of Gormsson to his advantage by pushing the pace of this fight as soon as the bell rings because sapping Gormsson’s energy is definitely a path towards more strikes landing, and the more strikes that land, the better the chances Bapp drops him where he stands! A 9-fight win streak has been his best momentum run while losing 2-fights in a row has been his biggest hurdle. He had that nice nine-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Akoni Gray, but let’s be honest. Gray has a penchant for snapping people’s win streaks. Losing to Gray, however, may be a blessing in disguise because he lost that fight with eight seconds left in the third round. Being able to hang with a future Hall of Fame member may very well have given Bapp the confidence he needs to step his game up and secure a title shot in the near future. Bapp takes this fight with a knockout!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Bapp by KO; Styles – Gormsson by KO MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE; LATROBE “BLAST” ARUNDEL (19-2; CURRENT STREAK: 16 WINS)VERSUSMATTEO “THE WEREWOLF” BORETTI (21-8; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS) Xavier: And we’ve reached the final fight of the night, and we’ll all be treated to seeing an absolute future Hall of Famer in the form of one Latrobe Arundel! This member of YABAI is on an absolute tear, plain and simple, and what more can really be said? The man has won 16-fights in a row! Momentum? Check. Confidence? Check. Power? Check. Intelligence? Check. Toughness? Check. Multi-time champion who hasn’t lost a title defense yet? Check and check. His motto should be, “If the clock don’t stop ya’ then I’ll drop ya’” because he either cracks his opponent’s jaw so badly that he takes a nap or he plays the long game and wins the fight by unanimous decision while showing incredible skills! Fighting Arundel is like taking your pick of poison. World class boxing and Muay Thai are supported by Olympic-level grappling and a black belt. What do you do!? You go balls to the wall and hope like hell you crack him with clean shots that he can’t withstand or manage to drag him to the ground because he does have two losses by submission. However, that’s absolutely easier said than done. Arundel is just a bit shorter than Boretti but he’s lighter and that could spell trouble for Boretti because Arundel knows how to utilize any advantage, let alone a speed advantage. The Baltimore Bomber, who probably enjoyed watching that show The Wire since we know a little about his past criminal history, will absolutely look to end this fight as soon as possible because Boretti is an excellent standup fighter who could very well do some damage in the vertical game. Now, Arundel could very well surprise all of us and take this fight to the ground where he could control the space and pace while softening Boretti up for submissions or just to frustrate him and make him take risks he doesn’t want to take. However, I think Arundel sticks with what’s worked best for him and goes for the bone-crushing knockout! Styles: For Boretti’s sake, as well as for Vendetta’s sake, I hope he’s able to connect to his inner werewolf because he’s facing an animal tonight in Arundel and Boretti’s going to have to bring all of his passion, skill and will to give himself the best chance at defeating a legend in the making! The 28-year-old Italian from Catania is outstanding in the standup with Golden Gloves boxing and world class Muay Thai. He’s solid in grappling and has a brown belt but I know there are concerns that, potentially, Arundel could opt to try and take this fight to the ground where he technically has superior skills, but Boretti is the heavier man and therefore he can sink his weight into his strikes as well as into his hips if an when Arundel makes an attempt at a takedown and he can prevent the takedown with weight and strength. Currently with his second management team, Boretti is also a multi-time champion so he knows what it takes to climb to the top of the mountain, so to speak. He defeated Cody Brinks by knockout in the second round at RISE 84 – Boretti versus Brinks but lost the title in the very next fight to Anthony Falcone. However, he got right back on track and defeated John Puller by TKO at Pride FC 66 late in the first round. The good news is Boretti has put together a win streak of 4-fights in a row and has done that twice while he’s put together a few three-fight win streaks, including the current one he’s on, so the confidence and momentum is very good for him to have this fight. His worst slide is 3-fights in a row and that occurred prior to his current win streak, so he’s definitely turned things around at the right time as well. The bad news is he’s facing a destructive force and can’t make any mistakes that Arundel can capitalize on. I think Boretti digs down very deep and uses sharp, fast, accurate strikes to set Arundel up for the one clean strike Boretti needs to change the momentum of this fight and that leads him to the path of victory by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Boretti by KO; Xavier – Arundel by KO Styles: All right good people, that’s our time and that’s our show! Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your busy, adventurous and challenging lives to join us here tonight. We hope you feel enlightened and entertained enough to take your minds off of various troubles in the world. Xavier: Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing continues to provide us excellent and stylish gear and they reward the fighters who kick the most ass at ICS events, so step your game up and get hooked up with awesome threads! Everyone take care of yourselves, be safe, be vocal and be loving. On behalf of Styles, I’m Esiah Xavier, signing off. See you at the fights. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rei Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Man, I wish I checked the forums more often because these previews are killer. Thanks for the kind words to Min-Sik Song, the Champ appreciates it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin10 Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 The main thing to look out for here, is Xavier, doesn't just stick to the same quality of writing, as the quality of his writeups just keep getting better and better. Hence, the new writers like us, should not even try, cause this person will just keep sweeping away all the writer of the year awards for a long, long time now. But apart from that, this was a top class preview yet again mate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HareRumpler Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Fantastic stuff as always Xavier!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Man, I wish I checked the forums more often because these previews are killer. Thanks for the kind words to Min-Sik Song, the Champ appreciates it! Thank you for your kind words, Rei, I truly appreciate them and am glad you're enjoying the previews. Also, thank you, Min-Sik Song haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 The main thing to look out for here, is Xavier, doesn't just stick to the same quality of writing, as the quality of his writeups just keep getting better and better. Hence, the new writers like us, should not even try, cause this person will just keep sweeping away all the writer of the year awards for a long, long time now. But apart from that, this was a top class preview yet again mate. You're too kind, robin10, and I greatly appreciate your kind words. I try to provide as much insight and entertainment as I can in a particular fashion but there are other outstanding writers who contribute excellent work to their respective organizations time and again. I hope they, as well as I, motivate other writers to continue to contribute great work on a weekly basis and for writers to cultivate their creativity. There's no right or wrong way to create a preview and I have no doubt your creativity allows you to create outstanding content. I truly hope new writers continue to put forth the concerted effort they have been putting forth because that will only improve the overall quality of this game for everyone involved, from the casual fan to the very devoted fan. Please be encouraged by the work I do and believe me, my write-ups are not about vying for an award. If people appreciate my work and effort, that is enough for me. If people see me as a candidate for an award then I greatly appreciate that level of recognition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Fantastic stuff as always Xavier!!! Thank you as always, HareRumpler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator001 Posted June 8, 2020 Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 The Inferno- Ma Balls Is Hot "Hottest fighter" award for ICS 37 in Los ANgeles is Latrobe Arundel http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/15367124323353.gif http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/belt/20191226213158Belt%20ICS%202.pnghttp://www.mmatycoon.com/images/belt/2020011717223475EBGJU(2).png http://www.mmatycoon....php?FID=332123 Former Budokai Fighting Federation Middleweight ChampionFormer Eternity Middleweight ChampionKing of the Mountain Tournament ChampionFormer Claymore Elite Combat Middleweight ChampionCurrent Inferno Combat Series Middleweight Champion Inferno Combat Series 37 winner is none other than MMAT royalty, Latrobe Blast Arundel. Latrobe is currently the MMAT P4P Number 1, which makes Inferno and Ma Balls Is Hot very proud of our long association with this great fighter This is Blasts 3rd title fight and title win in the Inferno organization, since joining Inferno as champ from CEC This was a great fight by two exceptional fighters. Blast started well as always in a firefight of a first round where both fighters were landing telling strikes. Blast just got the points but picked up a nasty cut at the same time The second round was just a fraction less violent but still all action with Blast managing to protect his cut but Boretti just shading it to take the round Round three was another very aggressive round from both fighters although neither fighter was landing clean shots. This was likely due to excellent physical attributes and sound defensive skills of both fighters. Boretti shaded the 3rd round is up 29-28 Round 4 opened with Blast dropping Boretti with a vicious head kick. Boretti got back to his feet visibly shaken and Blast landed a highlight reel KKO to finish this brutal war What we really like here is not just the skills and the sheer violence but the heart. Hottest fighter doesnt always get the win but he keeps going to the end. Excellent heart and guts shown by Latrobe and Mario 20000 dollars has been sent to Blasts manager Action Jackson from the Yabai alliance (another Yabai fighter ?? ) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actionjackson Posted June 10, 2020 Report Share Posted June 10, 2020 http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/15367124323353.gif Hot damn ma balls is hot! Not only that I'm sponsored by Hells Balls, fight in Inferno Combat Series and carry a sawed off shotgun! Hot f**king tamales! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseppe Posted June 14, 2020 Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 BREAKING NEWS: Camara is currently building a wall around Trump after his L 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJMitchell Posted June 14, 2020 Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 Poor Trump man. He was so shaken up at the post fight press conference he couldn't even drink his water properly. I think this one affected him. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted June 14, 2020 Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 INFERNO COMBAT SERIES 39 PREVIEW LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM Xavier: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Inferno Combat Series and specifically, welcome to ICS 39! In the booth with me tonight is the mercurial Furious Styles! Styles: Mercurial! I like the sound of that, Xavier! Thank you for that. Xavier: You’re welcome, Styles. Styles: That’s an excellent descriptor of who I am because I can focus on something for a certain amount of time and feel one way about it, then suddenly, boom! I change my mind because of whatever and I roll with that. That’s just how I am, and I don’t apologize for that. Xavier: Nor should you! That’s who and how you are and that’s the way it is. Styles: Damn right, X! I dig the support and I’m glad you are who you are because you help balance out my mood, especially when I’m infuriated by some idiocy in the world! Xavier: Thank you, as well. I certainly do what I can to extol you when possible. I’m certain many members of our rambunctious audience feel the anxious energy in the air as California begins to reopen towards establishing a quasi-normal progression of life. It will take some time, certainly, for daily life to fully return to normal because we still are dealing with COVID-19 as well as impassioned protesters of all types. Styles: There’s no doubt there are pleas and lamentations of change in the air, Xavier, and I certainly hope the masses will at least pay attention! Xavier: As do I, my friend. Now, let’s take our minds off of that and let’s get down to combat business! LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: OUTLAW HARDY (“2464 AND DEPOPPING BADLY”; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSJACK WILDER (22-17-1; CURRENT STREAK: 3 LOSSES) Xavier: The 37-year-old warrior from Flagstone, which I assume is in Arizona, steps into this battle with Golden Gloves boxing, solid Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt. Before I continue, Styles, I have to admit that when I spoke Hardy’s training team, they didn’t look too confident about Hardy in this fight. When I asked them why they’re concerned, they hesitantly told me they’re concerned with his morale for this fight. They said Hardy has been training pretty steadily and well but his attitude hasn’t been as vigorous as they’d hoped. That’s potentially dangerous because stepping into the cage with questionable morale could cause any fighter to question themselves and any trepidation or lack of confidence can cause them to miss opportunities to finish off an opponent in trouble. He’s managed to put together a 7-fight win streak despite having had numerous management team changes and he’s managed to only have a 2-fight losing streak as his worst. Despite the various changes and having had to deal with levels of diversity, he’s still a champion, Styles, and that’s an indelible accomplishment! He earned his first championship by defeating Boris Ysengrin by knockout in the first round at Primal 49 Plisskin versus Nelson. He became a multi-time champion when he defeated Karl Denke by TKO at Aspire 72: Denke versus Hardy in the third round. That experience is a major advantage under duress as Hardy has figured out a way to overcome the pressure and stress at being the best in a particular weight division. In this particular fight, I think Hardy’s best chance is to drag Wilder to the ground to control the action there and move ahead on the scorecards in case this fight goes the distance. From what we’ve seen, these two are basically evenly skilled in the standup so the ground is the difference maker, and I think Hardy has enough desire to control the fight to score the unanimous decision! Styles: This is incredulous, X, because I, too, have major concerns for Wilder after speaking with his training team! Very much like Hardy, apparently, Wilder also doesn’t look like he’s mentally ready for this fight! That’s unbelievable to me because this is a fighter’s livelihood on the line, never mind the physical potential of having serious damage done to them in that cage! Seeing as both men aren’t where they should be in terms of their confidence, this is most definitely a crapshoot. Whoever shows up first will win this fight because neither of these men has the confidence to overcome a slow start. The 35-year-old fighter from Sin City steps into battle with Golden Gloves and solid Muay Thai as well, but his grappling is respectable and he has a brown belt, so as you touched upon, X, I think Wilder’s best chance is to keep this fight in the standup where he can put in his best work! He’s shorter than Hardy but outweighs him by enough for it to be a factor. If Wilder can manage to sink his weight into his strikes while the fight remains in the standup, he absolutely has a chance of putting Hardy to beddy bye with a few clean shots at his jaw. Similar to his opponent, Wilder has experienced the diversity of having various managers and fight philosophies, but he, too, earned the right to be called a champion. His breakthrough occurred when he defeated Ouje Bougoumou by TKO at AFC #4 First Champion in the fourth round! His best win streak has been 5-fights in a row while his worst slide has been 3-fights in a row. The bad news for him is the three-fight slide is what his current losing streak is so he’s going to have to dig deep to keep this fight standing and drop Hardy where he stands. Wilder halts his losing streak here tonight with a knockout victory!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Wilder by KO; Xavier – Hardy by Unanimous Decision WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: ABNER APPLEGATE (27-13-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSBUDDY BARNETT (17-9-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: The 36-year-old Englishman from Birmingham puts the LEGION OF DOOM on the board for the first time tonight and you know I’m lovin’ the fact this is an inter-alliance battle, Xavier! This highly skilled warrior brings world class boxing and Muay Thai into this fight as well as outstanding grappling and a brown belt to round out his skill set. For this fight against Barnett, I absolutely expect Applegate to avoid going to the ground like it was an ex-girlfriend trying to say a baby she had with another dude is yours and you do anything to avoid being pinned with paying alimony! Applegate has managed to put together various win streaks, especially earlier in his career, and the best he’s done in terms of that is 6-fights in a row while dropping 2-fights in a row on four separate occasions! He is a multi-time champion, however, achieving his first taste of gold when he defeated Kim Jong Guk at CEFC 312 by TKO in the fourth round with a mere five seconds left in the fight! He tasted championship success a second time by defeating Dean Corll by TKO in the fourth round at CEFC 331 and a third time by besting Gideon Navarro by unanimous decision at Pride FC 46! Having the ability lean on that experience, especially as an older fighter is invaluable and could very well be the difference maker in this fight tonight. Looking at the overall picture of his career, especially early in his career, he established himself as a powerful striker who could turn out the lights suddenly and brutally! He’s definitely tasted harsh stoppages on the flip side of that so he’s learned to ease back on the aggression if and when his opponent is able to withstand his striking power and aggression, thus why he has a number of fights that have been decided by the judges’ scorecards. I think he’ll be able to muster up the striking power to put this fight to rest early by knocking Barnett out! Xavier: Barnett is nine years younger than Applegate and I immediately think that is a factor due to the level of energy that Barnett can push into this fight to force the issue of pacing and cause the elder Applegate to either push himself to equal Barnett’s intensity or be overwhelmed by it! Obviously, Barnett is at a disadvantage in terms of his in-cage combat but to make matters worse, Styles, despite him being a member of the LEGION OF DOOM and having this fight against an alliance mate, Barnett doesn’t have the same level of vigor that a fighter nine years older than him does! That’s unfortunate for Barnett because one would assume having an opportunity to unseat an old established dog, so to speak, would be an opportunity that Barnett would be excited over, but that seems to not be the case. His management team is rather concerned by that lackadaisical attitude because Applegate is far too experienced to not take advantage of that situation, so Barnett is going to have to figure out a way to fire himself up and increase his confidence or he’s going to place himself in potentially dangerous waters! His best winning streak has been 5-fights in a row and that was how he kick started his career! During that winning streak, he won his only championship by making Moe Lester, a terrible name, by the way, to a guillotine early in the second round at KONFLIKT FC IX! Though his championship experience isn’t as extensive as Applegate’s, it still counts for something and he may be able to surprise Applegate when he gets this fight on the mat. Barnett is fully aware that he’s going to have to try and land some vicious strikes while in the standup by counterattacking because trying to shoot in and score a takedown against a veteran of Applegate’s caliber is a very tall task! However, making Applegate tap won’t be too tall a task and that’s what he’ll do!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Barnett by Submission; Styles – Applegate by KO FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: FINNISH EXPERIMENT II (20-11; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUS“THE SAMOAN SCRAPPER” MALAKI FISO (16-9; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: The FinnFighters are on the board as their experiment that hails from a secret lab in Finland steps into combat with an impressive skill set! World class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, Olympic-class grappling and a brown belt are the weapons in his arsenal, and the slight height advantage along with decent weight advantage will allow him to exploit those impressive skills, especially in the standup of this fight! One interesting and impressive aspect of Experiment’s career is the fact that his only title occurred in the only title fight of his career up to this point! Additionally, this title was earned in his second fight in the KT circuit when he defeated Bjorn Valor by TKO in the fourth round at YL 43: Valor versus Experiment. Beyond that, he’s been involved in six Fight of the Night battles and five KO of the Night battles! There’s a legitimate reason for his hype and popularity, ladies and gentlemen. His aggressive approach has endeared him to numerous MMA fans, and he’s executed some beautiful knockouts at various points in his career. Prior to losing to Futoshi Matsunaga at ICS 26, Experiment had won his previous three of four fights by knockout or TKO! He was feeling the groove and his confidence was soaring. When he lost to Matsunaga, there were concerns about how he’d recover from that loss and return to form. He answered those concerns by defeating Yodsawan Sitsongrit in a very tightly contested battle that ended in a split decision win. The question tonight is can he return to his dominating ways he recently experienced during that three-fight win streak where he stopped opponents cold in their tracks! Sinking that extra ten pounds he has over Fiso will help if he can anticipate Fiso’s head movement and pierce through his striking defense. If Experiment gets that done, then he’ll end this fight by knocking out Fiso! Styles: Fiso, the 28-year-old Samoan from Manono Island (Apai Village) brings a very solidly balanced skill set that has obviously been successful for him! From what we’ve seen, X, this is going to be a tough fight for Fiso! He’s four years younger and isn’t at too much of a disadvantage in terms of combat experience, but he’s going to have to be patient and pick his spots wisely in terms of counterattacking and avoiding suffering unnecessary damage while he sticks and moves until he’s able to position Experiment the way he wants that enables him to shoot in and score the takedown he needs to change the course of this fight and keep it where he has his best opportunity at victory tonight! Trying to stun and knockdown Experiment is the name of the game because that absolutely gives him his best chance of getting inside of Experiment’s guard and controlling him on the ground so he can use that black belt to the best of his ability. Fiso has Golden Gloves boxing ability, excellent Muay Thai, very good grappling and, of course, the black belt I previously mentioned, so despite his impressive set of skills, he has to utilize intelligent striking, excellent timing and very solid striking defense to avoid taking massive damage from Experiment while trying to tag Experiment with power strikes and he may opt to focus on wearing Experiment down with body strikes. Fiso became a champion in only his third fight and that’s quite an accomplishment! Winning a unanimous decision over Mike Hunt, and I won’t take it there because this is a family show, was an excellent way to cap off his undefeated streak to begin his career. Later in his career, he captured gold yet again forcing Ivan Volkov to tapout to an armbar. Lastly, his third championship taste occurred when he defeated Lincoln Storm by split decision at Eternity 3: Storm versus Fiso. I think Fiso manages to make this a horizontal fight and keeps it on the ground where he can make Experiment frustrated and err with his movements and defense, opening the door for Fiso to make him tap!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Fiso by Submission; Xavier – Experiment by KO LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: SASHA “ALEX K IS GAY” BELIY (21-14; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS)VERSUSVALERIO “WARHEAD” BARTOLI (18-5; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: The purple-haired flap top sporting 31-year-old member of LEGION OF DOOM, who are quite busy tonight already, hails from San Bernardino, which isn’t too far from here, and his unique nickname makes this fight a bit more interesting because it adds a flavor of potential vengeance, if you will. Bartoli is a proud member of The Stepdads and Beliy’s nickname is a direct shot at a member of The Stepdads, so don’t be surprised, X, if the level of aggression from both of these fighters is at full tilt! Personally, I hope that both of these guys come out with fists and feet flying and damn the attempts to make this a submission battle! See who’s jaw can take the damage and then talk crap after you lay out the opponent! That seems simple enough to me, X, but we’ll see what transpires. What’s amusingly ironic is Alex K. was the original manager of Beliy and it was with him that Beliy enjoyed championship success. In only his second match of his career, he became a champion by defeating Jax Thomas by knockout in the first round at WFC 11: Crusher versus Marston. He defended that title an additional three times afterwards then traveled to a new organization where he won one of three fights, prompting a change of management. Fast forward to today and he’s currently on a 2-fight winning streak after suffering a 4-fight losing streak, the worst of his career. The 5-fight winning streak that began his career has still been his best so far in his career but, obviously, Beliy is looking to push his winning streak to 3-fights in a row against Bartoli tonight! Since Bartoli has the height and weight advantage, I expect Beliy to counterattack his strikes with power and ferocity to try and score the knockout so he can talk crap after all is said and done! Beliy wins this battle by knockout! Xavier: The 29-year-old Italian from Firenze representing The Stepdads, obviously, looks to knock Beliy down a notch and halt his 2-fight win streak tonight. Bartoli definitely has extra motivation in this fight to either knock Beliy out or force the referee to step in and halt the carnage for obvious reasons. As previously mentioned on a different preview we broadcasted, Bartoli established himself as a knockout artist who relentlessly laid out one opponent after another! His career began with quite the explosion of destruction with a 12-fight win streak, a very impressive streak from anyone’s perspective. Unsurprisingly, he became a champion relatively quickly, and it was exactly his fifth fight where he defeated Stable Genius by unanimous decision at RISE 27 Barnaby versus Bartoli to have that first distinction added to his name. His second taste of gold came when he knocked out Henry Aron in the second round at RFL-59 Aron versus Bartoli. His final taste of gold occurred when he defeated William Snowdon by unanimous decision at RFLFN-26 Snowdon versus Bartoli 2. Bartoli hasn’t been able to make many opponents go to sleep early in his recent battles. In fact, the last time he ended a fight early was a TKO victory over Jason Stackhouse at Demolition 1 – Falcone versus Mffer in the third round. Needless to say, Bartoli is looking to not only avoid losing two fights in a row but he’s also looking to reestablish himself as a threat to knock out his opponents! 2-losses in a row has been his worst slide so he knows how to turn things around when need be and tonight, it needs to be. Using his height and weight advantage to its utmost is paramount because he doesn’t want to test Beliy’s Olympic-class grappling and brown belt abilities if he absolutely doesn’t need to. Bartoli takes this fight by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Bartoli by KO; Styles – Beliy by KO HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: SUPER “DOMINATOR” HEAVYWEIGHT (39-12; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSSAMSON FORTIER (12-8; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: Ten years the elder of his opponent tonight, Heavyweight has a major combat experience advantage in this fight, and when it comes to the big boys who bring dense striking power and devastation, any advantage is a major benefit! Very good boxing, decent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a purple belt are what he brings into this battle tonight, and the man from Drago Lab, wherever that is, is a multi-time champion who has been involved in some absolutely monstrous wars! He kicked off his career with a 10-fight win streak, a very impressive feat in this division filled with semi-trucks and wrecking balls. He became a champion in his third battle when he defeated Elton Stein by TKO in the first round at IFC Wednesday Night Fights #3. His second championship was earned when he defeated Lain Tower by TKO late in the third round at IFC 50 Tower versus Heavyweight. His third taste of championship gold happened when he defeated Ri Zaadha by knockout at IFC 71: Murha versus S. Heavyweight with one second left in the first round. As expected in the big man division, Heavyweight has suffered some painful damage including excessive bleeding. The good news for him is he obviously has overwhelmed more opponents than they’ve overwhelmed him, and since this is the division where literally it only takes one clean shot to end the night, anything is possible! Win or lose, Heavyweight brings the pain and the lumber, and the crowd loves his aggression and, naturally, the number of bodies he’s laid out in his path of destruction. His worst losing streak has been 4-fights in a row, but he turned that around by winning five fights in a row. Since he’s the shorter, heavier man, I prognosticate that he’ll opt to counterattack Fortier, especially with punches, because I’m not sure he has the speed or skill to be effective in the kicking game. I don’t see this fight going to the ground so a standup war it shall be and Heavyweight knows how to handle business in that area quite well. As long as he stays clear of Fortier’s devastating kicks, Heavyweight brings this fight home by knockout! Styles: Convicted Inc. make their first appearance in the form of the 28-year-old brawler from Lome, Togo. With the obvious disadvantage in terms of combat experience, Fortier has an opportunity to best a very respected heavyweight fighter in this industry! Being ten years younger will absolutely be of help to Fortier in terms of the steady pressure he can apply on Heavyweight to try and gas him out while landing various leg kicks that can and will slow him down enough to setup the knockout strike he wants to land on a proven knockout artist. Fortier does have a couple of options at his disposal in this fight that could prove to make things very uncomfortable for Heavyweight. Fortier could opt to turn this into a clinch war where he can tie Heavyweight into a clinch and work him over with a multitude of knees and elbows, along with body strikes, to really sap Heavyweight of his energy while looking to slice open some of those old wounds he’s suffered over the extra ten years he’s been fighting! World class boxing, very good Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt are at Fortier’s disposal, and the ground fighting skills could also be an option he takes to make Heavyweight support his weight on the ground while working to win the position battle and, ultimately, set Heavyweight up for various submissions. Fortier has pieced together a 3-fight win streak twice in his career and has lost 2-fights in a row twice, so momentum is the name of the game with him. If he can establish himself early and often with strikes, especially kicks or lock Heavyweight into a clinch early and unleashes a lot of heavy damage in brief spurts of time, Fortier will position himself to score a big win here tonight!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Fortier by KO; Xavier – Heavyweight by KO WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: JAMES NOIR (14-5; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS)VERSUSCHARLES “SUPERFLY” HAWTRY (21-14-1; CURRENT STREAK: 4 WINS) Styles: Now this fight should make a little separation between two solid fighters who have a combined seven wins in a row between them! The 30-year-old New Yorker represents the LEGION OF DOOM, who are quite busy tonight, and Noir is feelin’ himself with his current win streak. His confidence is solid, his energy very good and his technique over the past three fights has been right on the money! Despite having quite the disadvantage in terms of combat experience, I think his ability in the cage makes that advantage much more slight than it appears on paper! Looking at his entire career so far in this industry, he’s had a pretty even balance of unanimous decision battles as well as finishes. Noir has been able to mix up the results well by scoring sporadic TKO wins as well as outright submissions. Looking at his last three fights, two of them ended in a TKO victory so you know he’s looking to stretch that momentum here tonight plus extend that streak to four fights in a row! The good news for Noir is he scored those TKO’s both from the standup as well as from taking his opponent down and finishing him off with ground and pound! Noir is all about establishing and carrying momentum as evidenced by his 5-fight win streak being his best but he also an instance of having had won four fights in a row and he may equal that before the night is finished. He’s only lost 2-fights in a row once, so he’s managed to avoid the taboo of losing three fights in a row. He’s slightly taller than Hawtry but I think he’ll approach this fight with a counterattack approach in the standup and look to flat out score a knockout there, or, in the very least, land some damaging strikes that enable him to daze Hawtry enough to score the takedown he wants in order to use his world class grappling ability to outmaneuver Hawtry on the ground and try and ground and pound him out before he can regain his senses! It’s a calculated risk but Noir is solid with boxing and respectable with Muay Thai, so his bread and butter will be his grappling and his brown belt. I think Noir scores the TKO by grounding and pounding Hawtry into submission! Xavier: The UnderGround Fights Enterprise arrives on the scene in the form of the Polish hammer from Warsaw! The 32-year-old “Superfly” steps into this battle with Golden Gloves boxing skills, solid Muay Thai, Olympic-level grappling and a black belt. What that means immediately is Hawtry has a distinct combat experience edge plus he’s very comfortable with fights that go to the horizontal plane, so he could very well take the chance of letting his guard down enough for Noir to take him down to the mat then Hawtry surprise him with his equally tremendous grappling ability and even lock in a submission that Noir doesn’t expect because as sound as he is on the ground, his BJJ isn’t quite as skilled as Hawtry’s has shown to be! Hawtry has options in this fight and that can definitely lead to this fight being very uncomfortable for Noir! Hawtry can absolutely opt to keep this fight vertical and rely on his striking defense and superior striking skills to land the timely and effective strikes that either frustrate Noir to the point where he takes many more risks in search of knocking Hawtry out, or Hawtry can set Noir up for a takedown and submission attempt by landing thunderous and accurate strikes that penetrate Noir’s defenses and cause enough damage to where Hawtry can safely protect himself while unloading substantial damage on Noir! Hawtry has had a few management teams and some believe that course of events caused him to not quite be prepared for the biggest moments of his career to date, and the two chances he had to become a champion fell to the wayside. His best body of work has been 5-fights in a row while his worst showing has been a 3-fight losing streak, which has occurred twice in his career. The timing of his current four-fight win streak is excellent because momentum and confidence are right there to be had. Hawtry wins this fight by TKO in the standup by overwhelming Noir with a flurry of strikes!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Hawtry by TKO; Styles – Noir by TKO MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: ISPA MURHAA (25-7; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS)VERSUS“COOL HAND” LUC GAGNON (25-10; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) Xavier: Styles, you’re in for yet another inter-alliance battle treat as The Stepdads have two warriors in this fight who are looking to not only stretch their current win streak to three wins in a row, but they’re also looking for the chance to win bragging rights in The Stepdads rankings! The combat experience between these two is nearly identical so, in my opinion, there’s only a slight disadvantage there for Murhaa, but he’s two years younger than Murhaa and hasn’t absorbed quite as much damage, so, again, I don’t see much of a disadvantage at all for Murhaa in this battle. Also, with the skill level that Murhaa has, whatever scenarios he faces in the cage, he’s very comfortable, capable, effective and focused! World class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, World-class grappling and a black belt are the technical accolades he brings into this fight. Murhaa also brings an outstanding body of evidence in terms of momentum. It’s not often at all a fighter begins his career with a 17-fight winning streak! That’s absolutely incredible and that accomplishment sent strong waves throughout this industry that he was not to be fooled with! He had that very impressive win streak snapped by Luc Gagnon via unanimous decision at EMP Gagnon versus Murhaa but that was long after he defeated Roman Divac by unanimous decision at IFC 46 Divac versus Murhaa. Ever since losing that title to Gagnon, Murhaa hasn’t positioned himself for another title shot, at least not as of yet. With the form he’s exhibited over his last two fights, he could very well end up putting himself in position for another one before too long. There have been two separate occasions where he’s lost 2-fights in a row, so he knows how to swing momentum back on his side before a losing skid extends too far. I think he plays the patient game with Gagnon tonight and hits him with continual strikes using accuracy until he can either set him up for the knockout blow or for the takedown and submission battle. Since he’s thirteen pounds heavier, I think he scores the knockout and wins his bragging rights within The Stepdads as well as for his hometown of Sjk in Finland! Styles: The calm and collected 32-year-old warrior from Gatineau, Quebec Canada is a very well-rounded fighter who has proven time and again he knows how to get the job done! What I love about these inter-alliance battles, X, is that the opponent has more insight than the average opponent because they at least know their opponent on a personal level since they run in the same alliance circle, and any little nuance that can be exploited will definitely be a difference maker in this fight! Gagnon has endured quite a bit of diversity with different management teams and training philosophies, but he’s been able to accomplish quite a bit, and that’s a testament to his focus and discipline. In his sixth fight, he became a champion when he made the referee stop his onslaught on Jason Montgomery at PFF 12W – Montgomery versus Gagnon in the second round! He defended that title two more times before losing it to Jesse Pinkman by unanimous decision at PFF 21w Gagnon versus Pinkman. Three fights later, he added his name to another title in a new organization by defeating Gennady Mikhasevich by unanimous decision at TFC 56: Mikhasevich versus Gagnon. He would go on to win an additional four titles. Needless to say, the man knows how to get the job done and that multiple time championship experience is invaluable! He’s done it all except win by making an opponent bleed out but that’s of little consequence. There’s no doubt he’s had his share of being leveled by various opponent’s so there’s no question his ability take a power strike has diminished over time, but that basically happens to everyone and I wouldn’t put too much into that. I think Gagnon relies on powerful counterattacks to test Murhaa’s chin and, eventually, lands the one big shot he needs to ice the victory tonight!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Gagnon by KO; Xavier – Murhaa by KO HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: CONOR “HITMAN” DALEY (19-10; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS)VERSUSALBERT VAN ROOY (19-13; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: The colorfully tattooed warrior from Belfast, Ireland, steps into the cage tonight and brings a very impressive skillset with him. A world class boxer, excellent Muay Thai practitioner, outstanding grappler and brown belt holder has proven over his career that he can turn the tide of battle in the blink of an eye! The 38-year-old has had a multitude of management teams throughout his career and some believe that diversity caused him some issues with being able to focus enough to take advantage of his most recent opportunity to become a champion. He fought bravely against Link Gaetz at Pride FC 49, but he was bested by TKO early in the first round and he went on to lose two more fights after that. However, he kept pushing and managed to turn things around for himself and over his past two fights, he looks like he found the form he had earlier in his career that helped him establish a 5-fight win streak, his longest of his career and a number he’s been able to achieve twice in his career. His longest skid has been 3-fights in a row but that’s only happened once, so he’s been able to avoid a major losing streak to this point. His fists have been flying and finding their mark as of late and he’s looked aggressive and confident in those fights, so he’s going to have to carry that into this battle and force that on Rooy early and often! If he can establish himself early on, then he has an excellent opportunity to gain the upper hand and give himself the best opportunity to win this fight. As expected in this division, he’s unleashed some severe beatdowns on some opponents and has been the victim of some rather nasty thrashings as well. He’ll need to ensure his striking defense is on point and since he’s a little shorter and slightly heavier, there’s no real physical advantage that I see for either man, really. Daley could very well see if he’s able to land power strikes on Rooy in the early stages of this fight, and if that doesn’t seen to be as effective as he feels it should be, he can surprise Rooy with a quick takedown and immediately battle for superior position where he can control the pace and space of the fight while trying to maneuver Rooy into a submission. However, I think Daley scores the knockout tonight! Xavier: The Evil Empire make their debut on this card in the form of Van Rooy, and the 29-year-old fighter from Eindhoven, Netherlands, knows this is a big opportunity for him tonight! Although he obviously doesn’t have the same amount of experience as Daley, I see it as an advantage that he’s nine years younger than Daley. That alone will enable Rooy to push the pace from the outset and look to slow down the older, more damaged fighter and exploit that as best and as quickly as possible. Rooy has the power to cause Daley some damage and he can definitely make him bleed because Daley’s shown that he’s willing to spill rivulets of blood if he gets hit hard enough! If that’s the route Rooy is going to take, I think he’d be better off being patient and tagging Daley with timely counterstrikes, especially if he can make Daley miss enough strikes to where he tires himself out long before Rooy launches his assault. I don’t think Rooy wants to run the risk of having this fight go to the ground because one, he could obviously end up being twisted up in a submission he doesn’t even want to feel in the first place, or he could lose precious time and opportunities to land damaging blows on Daley in the standup unless Rooy is able to gain the upper hand on the ground and land some ground and pound to soften Daley up for potential submission attempts! Rooy has had two different instances of winning 3-fights in a row while losing 2-fights in a row on three separate occasions. His career has definitely been the definition of up and down but that’s the way it goes sometimes. His recent victory over Leonis Martinyuk by head kick showed everyone at ICS 33 he’s still quite capable of turning out an opponent’s lights and Daley can’t underestimate that fact or he could very well end up getting caught by an unexpected strike that causes him to kiss canvas! Rooy wins this fight by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Rooy by KO; Styles – Daley by KO FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE: COLE REYNOLDS (24-6-1; CURRENT STREAK: 8 WINS) VERSUSPABLO “EL LOCO” NORIEGA (18-5-1; CURRENT STREAK: 6 WINS) Xavier: This promises to be one hell of a title fight, ladies and gentlemen, because these men step into the cage with mass amounts of momentum on both sides and a combined fourteen wins in a row! The Stepdads continue their busy evening as the 32-year-old warrior from this state’s capital, Sacramento, and Reynolds brings devastation like a California wildfire or major earthquake when he steps into the cage! It’s still very surprising to me that a man of Reynolds’ capabilities has had a few management teams. Typically, when a man has this type of success and ability, a management team holds onto that fighter like he’s a rare, precious stone because in some regards, that’s exactly what he is! Obviously, Reynolds is a multi-time champion. That distinction began with his defeat of Usko Matonen by unanimous decision at ABW 177 Matonen versus Reynolds. Reynolds would lose that title in his very next fight but not long afterwards, he got himself together and fought his way to another title opportunity. He bested Iker Ramirez by knockout in the first round at ICS 3 and since then, the man has been a possessed champion! He’s successfully defended his title three times in a row, but even more impressive is the fact he’s won all three of those battles by TKO! To say the champ is feelin’ it is an understatement, especially with his confidence soaring as high as it is. A 10-fight win streak has been his best and he’s obviously riding an 8-fight win streak right now, so momentum is a major factor in this fight, for both men really, but Reynolds has held onto momentum longer than Noriega as I see it. His worst losing streak has been the taboo 3-fights in a row but that only happened once and that’s obviously a distant memory, so I don’t think Reynolds and his team have any concerns here tonight in terms of that. World class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, world class grappling and a brown belt are at Reynolds’ disposal but I think he does his best to keep this fight vertical because causing mass amounts of damage in as little time as possible is the bread and butter for this man. Reynolds continues his major roll and lands the knockout victory over Noriega! Styles: The Keyboard Warriors step into the light in this championship battle, and the 34-year-old tattooed warrior from San Salvador, El Salvador, brings plenty of firepower with him into that cage! He’s two years older than Reynolds but has less in-cage combat experience than Reynolds. However, I don’t put too much into that because, as you can see, Noriega knows how to get the job done or he wouldn’t even be in this situation to win a title! The 6-fight win streak he’s currently on is perfectly timed because that’s the best he’s been able to accomplish in his career, and meeting a devastating force like Reynolds head on with a great amount of momentum and confidence undoubtedly bodes well for him! Although Noriega isn’t quite the explosive damaging threat that Reynolds is, he’s a very patient and tactical fighter who can frustrate the champion with excellent striking defense, great timing with his strikes, and changing up angles and levels of attack to keep the champion guessing as to what Noriega will try next. Keeping the champion from building up a full head of steam is the name of the game tonight for Noriega. He absolutely does not want to go straight up head-to-head, toe-to-toe with Reynolds because that will prove very costly and very painful! Outthinking the champion and constant movement will open the door of opportunity for Noriega in this contest. Golden Gloves boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a black belt are what back him up, and don’t be surprised if he opts to land quick, light strikes on Reynolds to move ahead on the scorecards while keeping his head down and chin tucked so he doesn’t taste the brutal power that Reynolds brings with him! Noriega is the taller and heavier fighter, so trying to use that weight on the ground is probably the better approach because he can slow down the champion and even look to win this fight by submission, which is exactly what I predict will occur!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Noriega by Submission; Xavier – Reynolds by KO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: AKONI “KING OF KINGSTON” GRAY (43-6-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSTHIAGO “PITBULL ASSASSIN” THIAGO (24-14; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) Styles: And for the final squabble of the night, we have another myth and legend, and this one is named Akoni Gray! Everyone knows what this man is about! Just look at his damn record and you’ll see that he’s about winning, plain and simple. To have had fifty fights and only lost six of those fights is nearly incredulous, X! We all see his accomplishments but it’s just absolutely incredible to truly understand and appreciate. Of course, The Stepdads are extremely proud of this man and despite being 38 years old, he still rolls right along like a well-oiled engine! It’s still very difficult to imagine that his original management team is fully happy that they decided to part ways with this man because look at what he’s been able to get done! He won his first title when he defeated Rich Piana by Superman Punch at StrikeForce Union #33. His next title was when he joined the OFC and defeated Benjamin BK by knockout late in the third round at OFC 357: BK versus Gray. His next title was when he joined Pride and defeated Three Dog by knockout in the first round at Pride FC 26 Dog versus Gray. He then came to ICS and became a champion here by defeating Art Brock with a very nasty head kick late in the second round at ICS 11. Now, let’s be honest. Shockwaves were sent throughout the land when he lost to Harold Nicolas by bleeding like a stuck hog at ICS 23! He nearly made it through that fight, but the referee called it with sixteen seconds left in the fight. Whispers immediately began to circulate that maybe Gray has lost a step and it’s time for him to consider hanging up the gloves. Well, he shot that theory right in the ass when he dropped Scotty Bapp by knockout late in the third round at ICS 32! He’s ready to prove he’s still one hell of a devastating force and he has a prime opportunity to do just that against Thiago. I think Gray is very motivated to win this fight because he wants to silence any critics plus position himself for another title opportunity in the near future. Gray takes this fight by knockout! Xavier: The “Pitbull Assassin” puts Convicted Inc. in the spotlight again tonight by facing off against one of the very best in the business. The 33-year-old Brazilian brawler from Curitiba knows what’s on the line tonight! This is an outstanding opportunity for Thiago to put himself squarely in the discussion of having a title opportunity in the near future plus he gets the chance to prove himself against one of the very best to ever step into that cage! He knows full well he’s going to have to use his five years younger physical status to try and press Gray into a faster fight than he may want to have because Thiago won’t be able to trick Gray at all, despite Thiago’s incredible skill set! It’s not often at all that a fighter is basically world class in every regard but that’s what we see here in Thiago, so if anyone is capable of besting Gray, it’s this man here! Slightly taller and heavier, Thiago can see if he can get the better of Gray in the standup by being very aggressive and, again, pushing the pace using his energy and less wear and tear on his body. One potential situation that Thiago can put Gray into is making this a ground battle. However, Thiago knows Gray’s chin is a bit susceptible to power and Gray does have scar tissue from that TKO loss due to bleeding, so Thiago could absolutely try and target that eye and make Gray bleed once again. Thiago has proven to be a rather aggressive fighter and I don’t think he changes that approach at all against Gray. He’s definitely rocked a good number of opponents but he, too, has been lambasted by strikes so he can’t completely throw caution to the wind against Gray because Gray has proven he still has plenty of dynamite in his fists! Thiago does have championship experience from when he defeated Enzo Perez by knockout in the fourth round at ABW 187 Perez versus Thiago. He lost the title in his next fight and, let’s be honest. A championship is indelible, of course, but Gray has accomplished that tine and again, so Thiago is going to have to be intelligently aggressive and give it all he has when he’s able to catch Gray with clean strikes. Thiago lets it all hang out when the time is right, and hands Gray a rare defeat by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Thiago by KO; Styles – Gray by KO Xavier: There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Another broadcast by yours truly and my very reliable partner in the booth, Furious Styles. Styles: Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to join us yet again for another preview of an exciting and very telling night of action in the ICS! We hope all of you stay safe and well, and as always, we give a huge thank you to Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing for providing outstanding merchandise! Be well, take care, be safe and we’ll see you at the fights. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJMitchell Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 The morning after his devastating loss Donald seems like he's struggling to walk. Every time he tried to cuddle up with Jones he got a swift kick to leg. Eventually they'll add up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monsieur.Camara Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I died: LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: SASHA “ALEX K IS GAY” BELIY (21-14; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) HAHHAHA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imcool Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I died: LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: SASHA “ALEX K IS GAY” BELIY (21-14; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) HAHHAHA Yours and Grumpys humor is about as weak as your MMAT prowess. You 2 imbeciles spent about 3 hours as #1 managers, cumulatively. Brb Miss Miracles taco... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexManiatakos Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 First round KO against the ''funny guy''.. Lmao. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monsieur.Camara Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 that`s Grumpy`s fighter? EVEN FUNNIER LOLOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator001 Posted June 18, 2020 Report Share Posted June 18, 2020 The Inferno- Ma Balls Is Hot "Hottest fighter" award for ICS 38 in Tokyo is Ryan Rodriguez managed by John Daugherty https://www.mmatycoon.com/fighterprofilepublic.php?FID=330410 This is Ryans 2nd win in the Inferno organization. This is also Ryans 15th win by KO. This takes him to a 15-7 record, # 230 P4P and number 32 145 lb fighter in the world 20000 dollars has been sent to Ryan's manager John Daugherty from the GBU alliance The Inferno- Ma Balls Is Hot "Hottest fighter" award for ICS 39 in Los ANneles is Valerio Bartoli managed by Alex Mantiakos https://www.mmatycoon.com/fighterprofilepublic.php?FID=325010 This KO is Valerio's 2nd win in the Inferno organization. This takes him to a 19-5 record, # 204 P4P and number 24 155 lb fighter in the world 20000 dollars has been sent to Valerio's manager Alex Mantiakos from the Stepdads alliance 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaolinVenom Posted June 21, 2020 Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 INFERNO COMBAT SERIES 40 PREVIEW LA MEMORIAL COLOSSUSEUM Xavier: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Inferno Combat Series and specifically, welcome to ICS 40! In the booth with me tonight is the furtive Furious Styles! Styles: Haha! Yes, I definitely can be furtive, X, and when I am, it’s for a damn good reason! Not everyone needs to be up in my business! Xavier: No doubt about that, Styles! Everyone needs their space and privacy, I understand. Lately, it seems that privacy is a bit of a struggle with the explosion of social media as of late due to various occurrences in the world, obviously, but we do what we can to sustain ourselves regardless of current events. Styles: There’s no doubt that people have a great deal to express, especially about various social issues, and it’s both a blessing and a curse. There are some very enlightening and love-filled bits of content as well as some rather ignorant, hateful and disgusting content, but it’s still educational because people reveal their true selves and others learn about them and from them to whatever extent. Xavier: That’s a very good point. Even if we don’t concur with a particular perspective, philosophy, belief system, etc., we can still learn from those to further expand our minds. Humans come in all shapes, forms, colors, creeds, etc. and that’s just the way it is. Look at the diversity of the fighters we have here in MMATycoon! There are counties and cities I’ve not even heard of and they have warriors proudly representing their respective homes, cities and countries, and it’s a beautiful thing! Speaking of a beautiful thing, the lineup tonight is awesome to behold! Styles: Yeah it is! We have two titles on the line tonight in what promise to be some seriously bad ass battles, so as you say, X, let’s get down to business! FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: QUAN “CHIEN BINH” LE (26-9-1; CURRENT STREAK: 4 WINS)VERSUSTHOMAS “THE WARRIOR” POWER (28-19-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: It’s about time I kicked off a show and changed up the usual pattern, X! Xavier: By all means! I have no preference, Styles. As long as we deliver the content then that’s all that matters to me. Styles: Cool, I can roll with that! Le steps into the cage representing the Keyboard Warriors and brings with him Golden Gloves boxing, world class Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a black belt. In other words, dude ain’t no joke! This man knows how to get the job done and like the hair on top of his head, he’s as sharp as a Hattori Hanzo sword! The 31-year-old Hanoi, Vietnam warrior is riding a cool 4-fight win streak and the timing of this fight is right up his alley because he has momentum and confidence flowing well. While it’s a fact that the vast majority of his fights have ended in decision, winning is winning, and once fighters reach a certain level of skill, it’s very difficult to finish an opponent who is just as skilled, if not more, and those who have enough experience know how to get themselves out of any difficulties they may face! As it stands, Le is undefeated in ICS and that’s the bottom line until an opponent changes that narrative. One key component of his skill set is he knows how to utilize his abilities to achieve top-level results and that was proven when he defeated Vika Partio by unanimous decision to win a championship at NSC 42: Wolf versus Boston. From what we see of his career information, that was his only championship but that doesn’t take away the fact he earned it and thus, he has championship experience and mettle that can be interjected when the time is right. He does have sporadic victories by TKO, three to be exact, and one knockout on his record from body slamming Welington Silva damn near through the cage, so he may be able to score with some deceptive power against Power, pun intended, if Power isn’t moving well or allows himself to underestimate Le’s abilities! Tonight, I think Le looks to score points by counterattacking power until he can position himself for a takedown, be it shooting in or from the clinch, and he locks Power into a submission and forces the tap! Xavier: The man with an elongated scar upon his face that’s always covered with remnants of blood steps into combat representing Vendetta. The Englishman from Stanhope absolutely loves the standup battle and he’ll do his absolute best to keep this fight vertical at all costs! There’s no doubt Power is highly skilled but I don’t think he wants to risk being dragged to the ground and possibly losing points, time and energy because he has to wriggle his way out of various submission attempts by Le. Power would prefer to stand and bang toe-to-toe to see if Le is able to withstand the power strikes that Power is capable of delivering! With twelve more battles under his belt as compared to Le, Power will rely on that combat experience to keep himself out of harm’s way or get out of harm’s way should he end up in precarious positions. Like his counterpart, Power is a former champion with one more championship win than Le, so it’s quite possible he holds the edge in championship experience and mettle, as you mentioned, Styles, and could lean on that in times of heavy duress! His world class boxing and Muay Thai, along with his outstanding grappling and brown belt have allowed him to enjoy some successes. Recently, he had a good 4-figth winning streak going but had it snapped at the hands of Cole Reynolds who defeated Power by TKO in the second round at ICS 33! Power, obviously, wants to rebound from that loss and recapture the form that put him on that streak to begin with. Similar to Le, most of his battles have been wars of attrition so there’s no question he has the ability and wherewithal to stretch out a fight and keep himself on the scorecards. However, especially early in his career, he won a good number of battles by way of TKO so it’s quite possible he has more knockout power in his arsenal than Le does. If that’s the case and Power is able to obtain a sense of that early in the fight, look for him to step up his level of aggression in an attempt to make Le uncomfortable as well as test Le’s chin early and often! Power wins this battle by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Power by KO; Styles – Le by Submission MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: EMIL “FUTURE” MARINOV (6-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSNIGEL BENN JR. (25-17; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: Hitokiri-13 step into the spotlight represented by Marinov, and it seems he and Le go to the same barber, but that’s neither here nor there. The Bulgarian brawler from Plovdiv is unusual in the sense that he’s quite inexperienced in terms of MMA combat with this being only his eighth fight. However, he had a long stint in the KT circuits and amassed a record of 21-16-1, a solid career and a winning one! Granted, he absolutely wanted to be more dominant, but every fighter does, but he obviously has been quite successful during his focus on mixed martial arts. Throughout his extensive KT run, he had five different management teams and is currently with his most recent team. Despite those changes, Marinov was able to establish himself as a fierce striker who put every opponent on notice and caused many a man to be trepid about stepping into the cage against him! As time progressed, Marinov’s ability to knock people out early and often waned a bit and this can absolutely be attributed to the toughness and excellent skills of his opponents, but a part of that is also due to his training struggles in terms of maintaining dominance. An unfortunate shortcoming that Marinov has been weighed down by for many years are the shortcomings of his performances when the heat is on and the attention is at its highest when battling for a championship. The two opportunities that I see where he had an opportunity to cement his legacy as a champion both slipped through his grasp, and while not taking anything away from Mike Dimelo or Dwan Diego, respectively, those shortcomings have haunted Marinov but I think he’s found a way to use that as inspiration and motivation to make a major push for a championship opportunity in the near future because he strung together a 7-fight win streak recently before having that snapped by a rather brutal dismantling by Luc Gagnon at ICS 32 by being dropped in the first round! Marinov has to figure out a way to push the pain of that loss into the back of his mind and focus on the task at hand. If he’s able to do that then I think he wins this battle by knockout! Styles: Speaking of highly skilled, they don’t get much more skilled than Benn Jr.! The LEGION OF DOOM representative hailing from Mayfair in the UK has world class boxing and Muay Thai along with outstanding grappling and a black belt, so he typically can pick his poison, so to speak, against any of his opponents. He’s shorter and heavier than Marinov in this battle so he could obviously choose to try and sink his weight into each strike he throws in the standup because, on paper, he and Marinov are quite evenly matched, or, and my money goes here in terms of predicting is tactics for this fight, he’ll try and drag Marinov to the mat as soon as he can so he can frustrate Marinov while winning the battle for positioning and definitely looking to catch Marinov slipping so he can lock in any number of submissions and ending this fight right there and there. I think that’s the way to go because it obviously severely decreases his chances of potentially getting knocked out by Marinov while he goes for the shoot in takedown or pulls guard from the clinch, plus he can control the space and pace of the battle and he obviously has enough combat experience to know how to keep Marinov right where he wants him. Even if he can’t get the tap out, he can still safely move ahead on the judges’ scorecards and force Marinov’s hand, especially if the feeling is Benn Jr. is ahead on points heading into the final round. Similar to Marinov, Benn Jr. has had a good number of different management teams and that may have caused the difficulty later in his career of earning championship battles. Looking at this latest scope of work, it has been some time since he’s had such an opportunity and that could possibly be detrimental to his psyche and confidence. We’ll have to see how much passion he brings into this fight to better determine where his mental state is. However, I think he rides the momentum of his most recent victory into this fight and wins by submission!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Benn Jr. by Submission; Xavier – Marinov by KO LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: HUGH HONEY (22-7-1; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSDEMETRIUS TEKTAS (21-16-3; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Styles: Give me a hell yeah! You know I love the inter-alliance battles the most, X, because bragging rights and humiliation are on the line each and every time members of same alliance square off! There’s that extra incentive to fuels these fights and it makes it that much more intriguing. The man who smiles like he just got laid by the prom queen is back into the cage for the LEGION OF DOOM! Xavier: Styles! I’m not sure you can say that! Styles: Oh, lighten up, man! Good lord! Worse things are said on daytime TV so pipe down and just let me do my thing! As I was saying, Honey, who also sells real estate on the side, brings his world class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and brown belt into this fight, along with his bright mustard-colored blazer, yellow-and-blue striped tie, and phosphorous white teeth! He definitely should be in toothpaste commercials to say the least, but I digress. Like him or not, the man is a former champion having captured gold late in his career during a stint with his second management team. When he defeated Nomor Gai by unanimous decision at BCS 14, he had won his previous seven fights in a row and he went on to defend that title twice before making the move to ICS where he had a rude introduction into this organization by losing via TKO to Anti Half Assed late in the first round at ICS 23! With his current management team, he’s looking to find his stride after starting off with a loss to Johannes Brahms by unanimous decision and battling to a draw against Demetrius Tektas the last time these two faced one another at ICS 35. Both men look for redemption tonight because neither of them could talk crap to the other when they trained together or saw one another at various LEGION OF DOOM events. Since they’re familiar with one another and have battled before, I’ll just roll with Honey winning this fight by unanimous decision because he’s just too damned happy to be fighting! Xavier: This fight will definitely be a struggle at times for both of these men due to their familiarity with one another, let alone the fact they battled to that draw conclusion as you just mentioned, Styles. Being in the same alliance definitely makes this tough because they know one another too well and their skill levels, at least technically, are very similar. The tattooed cat lover has Golden Gloves boxing, very good Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a black belt, and as we’ve discussed before when they first crossed one another’s paths, Tektas wants to get this fight into the horizontal plane as soon as possible because standing toe-to-toe with Honey may prove to be a very difficult endeavor, plus it places unnecessary risk on Tektas because he doesn’t want to risk testing his chin’s ability to absorb strikes from Honey! Do keep in mind though, ladies and gentlemen, that Tektas hangs his hat on the fact that he’s never been knocked out in his entire career, and that, in and of itself, is very impressive, especially when you consider the number of brawls he’s been involved in! That toughness has allowed him to overcome some rather difficult odds and overcome them and there’s no doubt that Honey is fully aware of that fact. Like Honey, Tektas is also a former champion and he earned that distinction when he defeated John Neil by rear naked choke at ABW 58 Niel versus Tektas in the first round. He brought in a four-fight winning streak into that fight, so it wasn’t a surprise he won that quickly. Like Honey, he defended the title twice more before losing it, and he’s not won another championship since. I think Tektas will be able to figure out how to get this fight to the ground quickly and keep it there for the majority of the fight, therefore winning by unanimous decision!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Tektas by Unanimous Decision; Styles – Honey by Unanimous Decision HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: “KING DON” DOMINIC GOTTTI (8-8; CURRENT STREAK: NONE)VERSUSMICHAEL “THE WOLF” BRAKELEY (30-18; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS) Xavier: The volatile Gotti, with his gun-toting ways, steps into the cage tonight representing himself, and with those sunglasses and that bowling shirt, perhaps that is best. Gotti had an outstanding KT career, amassing a very impressive 13-2 record during his stint in the KT ranks as well as winning his first championship by defeating Freddie Schmall Jr. via TKO at Young Lions Schmall versus Sobchak in the second round! He had won his previous seven fights before that title victory, so no one was surprised by the outcome, but it didn’t take away from his impressive performance, nonetheless! He would lose that title to Dick Doss after winning it, but he later captured another championship by defeating Dick Doss the second time they crossed paths by unanimous decision at YL 47: Doss versus Sobchak 2! During his MMA stint, in which has literally battle to an even .500 record, he won another title by defeating Simon Udovich by knockout early in the first round at XF 17! He would win one more title by defeating John Riverson early in the first round at XF 36, so the bottom line with Gotti is if he starts off the fight quickly and in dominant form, it can be finished before it really gets started! The power, aggression and determination he brings is a dangerous combination and he’s hoping to find that dominant form here tonight against Brakeley, especially after being forced to tap out early in the first round of ICS 36 against Rich Silva Jr. Gotti knows that wasn’t his best performance and he wants to silence any critics while breaking his even record and moving the win column up by one, obviously. The winning formula tonight is very simple for Gotti: keep this fight vertical and make Brakeley go to sleep early. That’s exactly what will happen and Gotti wins this fight by knockout! Styles: The double bird-flipping brawler from The Compost of Kent, England, steps into this right with solid all-around skills. Very good boxing and Muay Thai supported by solid grappling and a purple belt are his technical skills, but as his record indicates, there’s more to him than just his somewhat measurable achievements in the technical aspect of combat! Despite enduring multiple management team changes, Brakeley has established himself as a feared and respected striker and that was proven early and often in his career. However, he really hit his stride when he made his way into the CEFC. After enduring some very tough and punishing battles, he finally tasted championship gold when he dropped Tee Nah by knockout late in the first round at XF 30. Many people feel the excruciating losses he suffered while in CEFC and the PFC made him even better because he was driven by the fact that he had five opportunities to win championships and lost each and every one of them. That’s very taxing on any fighter’s psyche and the fact he picked himself right back up and jumped into the fray speaks volumes about his warrior spirit and fighting heart! Very similar to Gotti, Brakeley likes to put it all on the line as soon as the bell rings and very often that means the fight will end long before the final bell rings. Brakeley has only been involved in six fights that went the distance so that tells the story right then and there. He either puts someone out or they put him out! I don’t think Brakeley knows no other way to fight than to go straight ahead with full force and danger be damned. This very aggressive style of combat has earned him many fans and a great deal of respect, and I expect nothing less than a toe-to-toe war in this fight as well! Brakeley will be able to drop the bigger and taller Gotti with brutality and desire!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Brakeley by KO; Xavier – Gotti by KO FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: “THE MACCHINE” GEMELLUS AXIUS (16-12-1; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES)VERSUSYODSAWAN SITSONGRIT (21-10; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES) Styles: The Evil Empire steps into the limelight with Axius representing them, and the man from Imperial City, which is either in California or in the Elder Scrolls, apparently, brings a very good skill set into this fight against a man who he physically matches up with very well. Golden Gloves boxing, world class Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt are the tools of his trade and he knows how to use them well! He’s been able to string together a 5-fight win streak though, technically, we can call it six in a row because he battled Justin Magnum to a draw and that, obviously, is not a loss, but for the sake of aesthetics on his record, we’ll roll with the five. His worst slide has been 3-fights in a row but the bad news for him is he’s close to matching that losing streak in this fight so he has to get his business together or he’ll be staring yet another three fight losing streak right in the face. During that solid winning streak, he was a TKO machine! He earned TKO wins in four straight fights and his very first fight resulted in him knocking out John Moon, so his power was unquestioned. He’s had some impressive knockout victories but as of late, his struggles have been obvious, and he has to solve the conundrum of winning the battles of attrition. He does have a recent victory by way of submission when he locked a triangle on Yoshihiro Asai at RS1 early in the first round, so Sitsongrit will have to be wary of that despite the fact he also has a brown belt. For Axius, I think the best approach to this fight is to try and counterattack Sitsongrit with fast, accurate strikes so he can find his range and after he does, he can revert to trying to knock Sitsongrit out, but if Axius wants to play the percentages, he’ll try and drag this fight to the ground where he may have a better chance of controlling the pace while looking to force the tapout. Worse comes to worse, he can try and outscore Sitsongrit in the grappling game and avoid the standup all together if he feels he can’t get the best of Sitsongrit early. Axius wins this battle by unanimous decision! Xavier: YABAI is on the scene in the form of Yodsawan, and the highly skilled warrior from Buriram, Isaan, Thailand, brings his sharp elbows, nasty kicks and aggressive disposition into the cage tonight where he looks to snap a two-fight losing skid just like his opponent! We immediately see one major advantage that Sitsongrit has, at least in my opinion, is championship know how and achievement! He won a championship by defeating Daichi Kishimoto by TKO at SyFi82 late in the first round and he defended that title six times after that! That’s very impressive by any account, Styles, and he knows he can perform when necessary in the spotlight when the pressure is turned all the way up! Finding that form and confidence is what he’s searching for and obviously he’s struggled to do so in his last two fights so it’s going to take some hard work tonight to rectify that struggle, especially against an opponent who is vying to accomplish that very same task! His worst losing streak has been 2-fights in a row so he’s been able to avoid the taboo three losses situation, but he’s lost two fights in a row three separate times and that’s troublesome for a fighter of this caliber. World class in the standup as well as in grappling, along with a brown belt, makes one tend to think that struggling to find successful form wouldn’t be a struggle, but the toll of battle, along with other highly skilled opponents, leads to various struggles and difficulties. That’s just the nature of the beast in this business! Sitsongrit has endured a great many decision battles over his recent stretch of fights so a battle of attrition is nothing new. However, we all know he’d prefer to let fists and feet fly and it’s been ten fights since his last TKO or KO victory, so he’s itching to crack that streak! Tonight, I think Sitsongrit gets the knockout he’s been seeking for a while now!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Sitsongrit by KO; Styles – Axius by Unanimous Decision HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: CHRISTOPHE DUPREE (19-15; CURRENT STREAK: 2 LOSSES)VERSUSULYSSES “THE GOLDEN BEAR” BLAZKOV (11-5; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) Xavier: The Syndicate make their debut in tonight’s action as Dupree steps into the cage. This man has quite a bit of experience because we can’t overlook the fact he had eight KT fights before stepping into mixed martial arts action, and he has thirty-four fights alone there! Ever since he stepped foot into ICS, he’s admittedly had his struggles. He won his very first fight against Liam Gallagher by split decision at ICS 15 but after that, he’s lost by TKO and knockout to Link Gaetz in the second round at ICS 33 and to Gyukosho Fujimoto by head kick at ICS 26 late in the third round. Those aren’t auspicious results by any means and Dupree surely knows the clock is ticking in terms of his chances to right the ship and get back into victory row where he could give himself an opportunity to once again become a champion! Despite enduring multiple management changes, Dupree managed to become a champion when he defeated Howlin Wolf, cool name by the way, by knockout early in the fourth round at NSC 47 PPV! Granted, he lost the title in his very next battle against Johnny Bizihwaeile but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Earlier in his career he had an opportunity to become a champion when he squared off against Jet Jenson Jr., or JJJ, at EMMA 1 but he tapped out to a guillotine late in the first round of that battle. One thing that impresses me about Dupree is the number of knockout wins he’s earned by head kicking his opponents into the front row of the stands! I’d be interested to see how many warriors have been able to knock out many opponents using a head kick because to me, that’s the most difficult way to knock an opponent out since it’s a strike that, technically, is much easier to see coming as compared to a punch. Tonight, I think Dupree ramps up the aggression and scores the knockout he desperately wants to turn things around! Styles: The slightly taller and good amount heavier Blazkov, with his distinct appearance and style, especially his large tattooed belly, brings attitude and aggression into the cage on behalf of YABAI tonight! Making the people of Macedonia proud, the Kriva Krusha Crusher, see what I did there, brings his world class boxing and Muay Thai into the cage along with outstanding grappling and a brown belt. It’s not too often you see a behemoth like Blazkov try to get a tapout but this is mixed martial arts folks so you should learn to expect the unexpected! Blazkov doesn’t have the combat experience that Dupree does, not even close, and he’s going to have to try and outwork the more experienced warrior that Dupree is because I don’t think Blazkov will be able to surprise the veteran. During his brief career, Blazkov has become a champion in the past, specifically when he bested Frank Greene early in the second round at MMAHelsinki-9 by TKO and he defended the title once against Nin Ja Tendo by TO in the first round at MMAHelsinki-15. After that, he changed management teams to his current one and has been back and forth with wins and losses, basically fluctuating between winning and losing two fights in a row. His best streak has been 7-fights in a row while his worst has been 3-fights in a row. His last title opportunity was squandered against Galtero El Toro at Skrap Fights 38 and he absolutely wants to use the momentum he’s gained from winning his last two fights to put himself back into the title hunt as soon as possible. Blazkov will look to bring the same form and fury he brought against Kristian Johansson in his last fight and Blazkov will steamroll Dupree for the knockout!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Blazkov by KO; Xavier – Dupre by KO LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: DIETER SCHMIDT (34-23-3; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS)VERSUSTUD “THE DIDDLER” STODDLER (23-8; CURRENT STREAK: 3 LOSSES) Styles: The German warrior from Dusseldorf represents Hitokiri-13 in this battle and looking at the scope of work for this man, it’s immediately obvious that he loves to fight, plain and simple! Yes, he’s 39-years-old but that doesn’t take away the fact that he has battled extensively throughout his entire career! There are plenty of fighters who are close to his age who have half of the number of battles he’s been in, if not less, so props to this man for putting himself at risk time and again in an effort to achieve greatness and be recognized and respected as a man without fear. He began his MMA career with quite a bang as he ran out of the gates and strung together a 7-fight win streak! That’s an excellent way to start a career and make heads turn and that’s exactly what he did. His first taste of championship gold came when he defeated Joe Dirt by TKO at CCR11 early in the first round. He went on to defend that title three more times before eventually losing it to Great Gonzo by unanimous decision at CCR 28. He’d go on to eventually get the best of Great Gonzo and recapture that title at CCR 39 by way of unanimous decision and defend it two more times beyond that. Since losing that title to Aharon Sarkisyan at CCR 50 by a head kick, he hasn’t worn championship gold and that has lingered with him for quite some time. He earned two more opportunities to win more championships against Derek Harris and Nick Shamrock, respectively, but he, unfortunately, came up short in both battles, losing both by unanimous decision. Those losses didn’t deter him at all, and he’s been battling steadily from that point forward. He’s looking to carry the momentum from his two most recent victories into this battle to capture a third win in a row, and I think he does exactly that by TKO! Xavier: “The Diddler”, which I’m still not certain that means, steps into this fight with world class boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt, so he definitely knows how to get the job done and that’s reflected by his impressive record! The Manila, Philippines, product has had his share of diversity as well as championships. He established himself early as a future champion and a warrior to be reckoned with by starting off his career with an 8-fight win streak and championship gold by defeating Randy Kelly by knockout early in the first round at RISE 26 – Kelly versus Gervais. He defended that title twice more before losing it to Nick Morris by TKO at RISE 37 in a very brutal and damaging battle he lost in the first round! He would recapture that title by defeating Wale Ammond by knockout at RISE 42 early in the fourth round then, once again, lose it to Nick Morris, this time by submission at RFL-51 Stoddler versus Morris in the first round. He would then become a champion again by defeating Ernest Graves by TKO at RFL – 74 FE versus UTH 2. DeMario Valdez would defeat him in the very next battle by TKO at RFL – 76 Paa versus Middle Weight. Lastly, he would become a champion again by defeating Pentti Pentele by TKO in the fifth round at RISE 07 Pentele versus Stoddler and defend that title four times before losing it to Enitan Arendse by TKO at CEC END GAME. As you can see, the man knows how to win under pressure and that’s an invaluable quality that isn’t very common, in my opinion. His current 3-fight losing streak is the longest of his career and that’s obviously disconcerting for his management team because they don’t want him to lose all of the momentum he built during the 8-fight winning streak he had prior to that, so tonight will be very telling about where Stoddler stands in terms of the precipice of his career as I see it. Stoddler steps up the aggression and determination which leads him to a knockout win tonight!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Stoddler by KO; Styles – Schmidt by TKO LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: YORMOMZA BUILT (16-5-1; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS)VERSUSANDY BANGSIT (28-23-2; CURRENT STREAK: NONE) Xavier: If you combine the last names of these two warriors, they sound like a law firm: Built and Bangsit. Styles: Or, if you call them Bangsit Built, you’ve got yourself a very unique adult movie star name right there! Xavier: Styles! What did I tell you about this being a family show!? Styles: Relax, chief! Don’t get your panties in a bunch! Believe me, there are plenty of younger people who know about adult movies and have probably created their own unique adult movie star names at some point in time! Xavier: We’re going to get called into HR for sure over this one! Moving on, YABAI is back in focus as Built steps into the cage for combat. Golden Gloves boxing, excellent Muay Thai, outstanding grappling and a brown belt are what he brings to the table and with his very good record, he obviously knows what to do in that cage! It’s still surprising to me that a man of this talent level and skill has had four management teams guiding his career. What’s just as surprising is that he hasn’t won a championship as of yet, and now that he’s 29-years-old, as far as I see it, he’s going to have to make a serious push to put himself into the title shot conversation. Now, there’s no denying that he’s doing his absolute best to make a case for himself in that regard because his current three-fight win streak has given him the momentum and confidence he needs to take that next step, and if he has a very good showing here against Bangsit then he could likely propel himself to the front of the line for title shot opportunities! A 5-fight win streak has been his best showing to date while he’s never lost two in a row, so that ability to bounce back from defeat is an outstanding trait to have! One area of concern with him, however, is his ability to keep his life juice, or blood, inside of his body. He does have a couple of losses due to rivulets of blood pouring out of him and the battle having to be halted. However, he’s also shown that he has bulldozer power in his strikes and has caused many a man to lament their decision to fight him once they realized they were staring at the arena lights for a reason! Despite his last two victories being by way of unanimous decision, I think Built gets the knockout finish he seeks tonight! Styles: Bangsit – what is it that he bangs? You know I had to get that in there! – steps into this battle representing the LEGION OF DOOM and brings a major combat experience advantage with him over Built! Bangsit will be able to rely heavily on that combat experience no matter what he faces from Built tonight, so that is a major x factor that Built can’t underestimate by any means. The Swede from Malmoe has very good boxing and Muay Thai, Olympic-level grappling and a red belt, so let’s just get the obvious out of the way here! Bangsit wants to get this fight horizontal as fast as possible so he can use that red belt, a rarity in this profession, to wrap himself around Built like an anaconda and control the space and pace of this battle while preventing Built from building up any momentum while potentially causing Bangsit quite a bit of damage. Since Built is slightly taller, Bangsit definitely wants to take advantage of that plus use his heavier weight to lean on Built in an effort to slow him down, make him expend energy while defending himself, plus potentially open him up to a slew of submission holds that Bangsit is obviously well versed in! To no surprise, Bangsit is a former champion, having earned the right to be called that when he defeated Pena Pulkkinen at HFC 61: Pulkkinen versus Bangsit in the second round. He turned around and lost the title to that very same man in their next battle by knockout early in the second round at HFC 67: Bangsit versus Pulkkinen. He would capture gold once again by defeating Antonio Mauricio DeSilva by kimura at EFC DeSilva versus Bangsit late in the second round. That fight was so popular that they fought soon after that at EFC Bangsit versus De Silva 2 and, once again, Bangsit defeated him by kimura a bit faster in the second round! Bangsit then lost that title to Boo Lee by unanimous decision at EFC Bangsit versus Lee. He recently used a kimura to earn a victory over Geordie Power at ICS 35 and looks to do the same against Built. Tonight, he’s going to make Built tapout!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Bangsit by Submission; Xavier – Built by KO LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE: MIN-SIK SONG (32-9-1; CURRENT STREAK: 4 WINS)VERSUSTEODORS OZOLINSH (30-14; CURRENT STREAK: 3 WINS) Styles: La Familia is in the house with Song representing them as the current Lightweight champion! The last time we saw the baby-faced South Korean from Busan, he defeated Teke Bamalog by unanimous decision at ICS 34, earning Fight of the Night honors as well, and rightfully so! That was one hell of a battle and decision battles are this man’s forte. Again, I know that’s not the most popular way of winning but it works for him, obviously, and it doesn’t erase the fact that he’s a multi-time champion and that’s the bottom line of that. Being able to output a high level of energy and intensity over numerous rounds is not easy to do folks so appreciate what you’re seeing with this man. That takes a great deal of conditioning, determination and mental strength and I give props where they’re due. His first championship experience was earned when he defeated Derek Harris by unanimous decision – I know, big surprise – at Pride FC 28! He defended that title twice more before losing it to Bed Intruder, then regained championship form when he defeated Teodors Ozolinsh at Pride FC 63. You better believe that victory, as well as the one he had over Ozolinsh at ICS 11 gives him a great deal of confidence in this fight because he has no doubt that he can defeat this man and until proven otherwise, he has no reason to not believe that. Song does have some sporadic TKO victories so, as we’ve addressed previously, opponents can’t just assume he’s only going for the decision win because he could surprise an opponent by landing sharper strikes than expected. Ozolinsh will need to be on the lookout for that. Song will stick with his bread and butter in this fight because it’s what works for him while keeping him out of harm’s way, and to me, that’s just damn smart! Song by unanimous decision! Xavier: The Keyboard Warriors are on the scene in this title fight and they’re represented by a veteran of many a battle! Since Song has basically the same number of fights, there will be very little chance that Ozolinsh will be able to surprise or fool Song with any of his tactics so Ozolinsh will have to try and solve the riddle that is Song! It would be foolish to think that the previous three losses Ozolinsh has suffered at the hands of Song aren’t in the back of his head and have zero influence. You better believe he’s studied the footage from those fights time and again in an effort to figure out what approach to battle he needs to change or improve upon so he can get the best of this battle and not go down 0-3 overall against Song! Ozolinsh brings Golden Gloves boxing, excellent Muay Thai, world class grappling and a brown belt into this fray so there are obviously options available to him. Imposing his will on Song will be absolutely paramount if he is to finally defeat this man and battle of wills is what many veterans use to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Since he’s much shorter than Song, Ozolinsh could opt to try and lock him into a clinch because he’d have a much easier time taxing Song’s energy level with a multitude of body strikes plus he could use his lower center of gravity to get Song to the mat much easier than he would with trying for a shoot in takedown. Additionally, he could frustrate Song in the clinch because he could potentially score more points on the judges’ scorecards since he’d be able to defend against head strikes far better and potentially control the action. Ozolinsh, too, is a multi-time champion, first earning his right to be called a champion when he defeated Tommy Gavin by unanimous decision at DARE 91 then later defeating Bed Intruder by unanimous decision at Pride FC 57. His last title was when he defeated Diego Escobar by unanimous decision at ICS 7. Tonight, he goes balls out – that’s right, I said balls – and finally gets over the hump that Song is to his career by unanimous decision!PREDICTIONS: Xavier – Ozolinsh by Unanimous Decision; Styles – Song by Unanimous Decision WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE: “DR. KNEEVIL” NICK GRAVES (34-6; CURRENT STREAK: 10 WINS)VERSUSMICK “MONEY WEIGHT” MURPHY (32-11; CURRENT STREAK: 2 WINS) Xavier: Let me give you a little history before anyone gets shocked by the alliance name that Graves is associated with. Recently, there was a tournament held in the Alliance World Championship organization. YABAI, The Stepdads, The FinnFighters and The Evil Empire squared off in a battle of alliances. When the finals rolled around, Furious Styles and I received a phone call from Alfred Winterbottom II and he invited us to specifically broadcast a special preview of that event. Of course, we accepted because it was an incredible opportunity to see some of the best in the business battle it out on very even grounds. The Stepdads were up on YABAI and YABAI stormed back to win the tournament. Afterwards, respect and props were given to all involved and then, as a result, The Stepdads altered the name of their alliance to The Fuckups. Now, I’ve been given express permission from ICS administration to use that explicit word because it is, in fact, their current name, so it is what it is. Styles: So, we can say The Fuckups and not get busted for it!? Xavier: Lord, I knew I shouldn’t have said anything! Styles: The Fuckups! The Fuckups! The Fuckups! Xavier: Stop it! Styles: All right! Geez, you’re such a Buzz Killington! Xavier: A what!? Styles: You know, the dude in Family Guy that ruins parties!? Xavier: Whatever! Continuing, Graves is a wrecking machine, ladies and gentlemen! World class in the standup with outstanding grappling and a purple belt, this man is in a serious groove and is feeling extremely confident, and he has every reason to feel that major surge of confidence! 10-fight win streaks aren’t blasé by any means so give this man his respect! The fans love him, and he’s earned every bit of hype thrown his way! I said it before, and I’ll say it again. How his first management team let this man walk away from them is beyond my comprehension! Starting a career by winning 13 fights in a row is incredible! How do you walk away from that level of talent, especially after he won his first title in his seventh fight by flooring Cal Klos late in the second round at NJMMA #32: Klos versus Graves! I won’t review his history because we’ve done that already but I’ll just say that it’s frankly shocking that he’s lost at all, especially by TKO, because he just seems to overwhelm his opponents like a torrential downpour and before they know it, they’re on the mat being pummeled into defeat! Aggression and power are his calling cards and that won’t change at all tonight. I could go on and on with highlighting his accolades but, like Graves, I’ll let him do his talking in the cage. With all due respect to Murphy, because he deserves respect for earning this title shot and crossing Graves’ path again for the second time in a short period of time, Graves is just too explosive and brutal for Murphy to completely and abruptly halt. Graves wins by knockout! Styles: The pipe-smoking member of LEGION OF DOOM is presented a second opportunity to defeat the excellent fighter known as Graves, and Murphy is undoubtedly up to the challenge! He knows full well what Graves is capable of in the cage because he tasted that ferocity and power when he locked horns with him the first time at ICS 21! Obviously, the results of that battle didn’t go Murphy’s way, but he picked himself right up and got right back at it, and he’s won his last two fights by unanimous decision and submission, respectively. Like Graves, Murphy believes in flooding the opponent with aggression, determination and power, and it has worked quite well for the Irishman from Dublin! He began his career on fire, very much like Graves, and amassed a stupendous 15-fight winning streak! That’s a torrid beginning to an outstanding career! As expected, during that incredible run, he earned his first title by defeating Mister Bean by unanimous decision at KOFC 30 – Diehard versus Rackham 2. He then defended that title a very impressive eight times before being bested by Evaristo Jesus at Gladiators 74 Snot versus Murphy by unanimous decision. Defeating Derek Trucks by TKO late in the first round at EFA 56 Trucks versus Murphy brought that title back into his fold to only have it taken away by Cedric Lancaster by unanimous decision at EFA 66 Murphy versus Lancaster. He’d win two more titles while battling his way to his current record and status, and he seeks to return to that championship form as soon as possible. He has his work cut out for him tonight, without question, and Murphy is going to have to equal the intensity that Graves starts this fight off with. If Murphy can dig deep and find that extra level of aggression and land that one clean shot he needs to change the course of this battle, he’ll walk away with another championship and cement his legacy by defeating a future Hall of Fame inductee! Murphy wins by knockout!PREDICTIONS: Styles – Murphy by KO: Xavier – Graves by KO Styles: All right good people, that’s a wrap! Thank you as always for joining Xavier and I, we truly appreciate it! Xavier: We very much do, and we also appreciate the excellent clothing provided by Ma Balls Is Hot Clothing. We hope you enjoyed this segment, ladies and gentlemen, and we’re going to head down to cage side so we can get an up close and personal view of these outstanding fights. Take care, be well and we’ll see you at the fights! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator001 Posted June 22, 2020 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 The Inferno- Ma Balls Is Hot "Hottest fighter" award for ICS 40 at the Coilsseum in LA is Teodors Ozolinsh managed by Silent Bob https://www.mmatycoo....php?FID=290286 Firstly what a sensational fight between two of Ma Balls and Infernos favourite sons, Number 1 contender Teodors Ozolonish and the current champ Min-Sik Song. This was both a tactical and a techical contest with both fighters showing a very high skill level. Teodors got the nod in the first two very close rounds. Third and fourth round were more of the same, high level output matched by high level defensive skills by both fighters. Third goes to Min-Sik and the fourth to Teodors. The last round was a technical showpiece with the judges giving the nod to Min-Sik. The crowd was very excited while waiting for the scorecards to be read................ Ladies and gentlemen, after 5 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 47:49Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 49:47Judge Jack Bonds scores the fight 46:49In favor of your winner, by split decision... Teodors Ozolinsh! This is Teodors' 6th win in the Inferno organization and his 3rd title fight. Teodors has a total of 8 title fights in various top tier organisations in MMAT. Very impressive! This takes him to a 31-14 record, # 16 P4P and the clear number 2 155 fighter in the world (will there be a super fight in the future?) I mean what hasnt Teodor's done in his career?? Dare 155 champ, Pride 155 champ and Inferno 155 champ. Definitely a very worthy winner of this award. 20000 dollars has been sent to Teodors' manager Silent Bob from the Keyboard Warriors alliance 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rei Posted June 22, 2020 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 Fluke 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stpierrecanada Posted June 22, 2020 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 Still 3-1 series for Song. Song should get an immediate rematch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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