Vigor Fighting - Amsterdam

February 12, 2012

Hey guys, I've finally set up an official Smack Talk thread for anyone in the Org to use! I'm going to be putting all new news, pre-views, reviews, and hopefully much more in this thread. Feel free to start smack talking and/or cutting promos for your upcoming fights, or throw out challenges and you just may see the fight you want on the next card!

--Johnny Canuck

--Vigor Fighting CEO

February 16, 2012

Title fight format change, 205 title plans, and more...

Hey guys, thought I'd lay out some of the new changes for you that will come in to play very soon. First off, starting with VFF 5 at the end of March, all title fights will be 5 rounders. I was thinking about making all main events in the same format, but decided it was best at least for now while we still have lots of young fighters to stick to only championship bouts.

In light of that, I'm happy to announce that we have a main event already set for that card, where we will be treated to a rematch of Coton vs Alighieri. These guys put on an epic title fight that was a back and forth battle the whole time, and it's gonna be a heated re-match.

As I'm sure some of you have noticed, we have not yet crowned a 205 champ. This is going to change very soon. I've taken the top 4 fighters by rank in the LHW division and they've all been set to fight at VFF 4: Li vs Pokraniac on March 9th. The fights will be:

Michael Tyson Jr Ii v Thomas Pokraniac

Hymen Hunter v Bertus Eppinga

The winners of these bouts will face off against each other at a currently not set date for the Vigor Fighting Light Heavyweight Title! Good luck to you gentlemen.

On another note, I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Adobe Suite so I can start getting more graphics done. I feel that graphic presentation is a huge part of most things that are fun, haha, so I really want to try to get some show posters done. I've got a bit of a background in graphic design but I've been itching to do more lately.

I will being trying my best to get frequent event previews and reviews rolling out as well. Again, as I say in the opening post on this thread, you guys are more than welcome to get in here and hype your fights any way you'd like. It's much more fun when we get into it and actually get excited for our match-ups, and I'm always going to be trying to set up the best fights I can.

That's it for now guys, feel free to comment here or send me a PM for anything!

--Johnny Canuck

--Vigor CEO

April 19, 2012

VFF 7: Overslam vs Weston Preview

Emanating from the 1,000-seat Underground in Amsterdam, Netherlands, VFF 7 brings us a 10-fight card, headlined by heavyweights Dante Overslam and Dakota Weston. Filling the co-main event spot is a clash between light heavyweights Bertus Eppinga and Boris Novachkov. Middleweights Santiago Koubra and Devan Little along with Light-Heavies Jermania Quinton and Rex Zingster Jr wrap up our main card.

Here’s a closer look at our main card, with prediction and picks:

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Overslam (3-2-0) vs "The Whirlwind" Dakota Weston (2-2-0)

Fighter Facts: Dante Overslam

- Excellent wrestler

- Solid boxer

- 2 wins by (T)KO

Fighter Facts: Dakota Weston

- Well-rounded

- Never been finished

- BJJ Blue Belt

THE MATCHUP: Hailing from the cold country of Poland is Dante Overslam, an imposing 6’4”, 262 lbs figure with a boxing and wrestling background. He will receive a warm welcome straight from the sunny beaches of Miami in the form of "The Whirlwind" Dakota Weston, a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt with a very well-rounded skill set. Both guys have similar approaches, keeping the fight very high paced, and seamlessly transitioning from striking to grappling and back again. The similarities stop there. On the ground, Overslam prefers to work the ground n' pound, while Weston uses a wider variety of moves, often fishing for the submission. Weston also seems to work the clinch better than his massive opponent.

THE PREDICTION: Overslam's best shot is to keep the fight vertical, where his superior boxing and heavy hands will give him the advantage over his opponent. Weston will be wanting to close the distance as fast as he can and put Overslam's back against the cage, and then to the mat, where his superior jiu-jitsu might turn the tide in his favour.

THE PICK: Overslam is a better wrestler than Weston and should be able to keep the fight standing. There, as long as he avoids the clinch, he should be able to work his boxing en route to a unanimous decision or a late stoppage.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Bertus Eppinga (3-3-0) vs "Shogun" Boris Novachkov (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: A very even matchup awaits us in our co-main attraction of the night. Both guys are well-rounded fighters, with Eppinga holding a slight edge in the wrestling department while Novachkov gets the nod in the striking area. Having a 3-fight winning streak snapped by the hands (and feet) of Hymen Hunter, the VFF veteran Eppinga will try to halt Novachkov's uprising momentum. Novachkov made his MMA debut at VFF 4, where he dominated Rex Zingster Jr with his grappling before securing a fight-ending choke.

THE PREDICTION: Eppinga, although having no wins by knockout or technical knockout, possesses decent power on his kicks, as he scored some knockdowns with high kicks in the past. That should be his weapon of choice against Novachkov, who's yet to show us some of his striking. Novachkov seems to have better takedowns than his opponent, and will probably be looking to plant him on his back while he works for submissions.

THE PICK: The more experienced Eppinga will out-strike "Shogun", often closing the distance and clinching, to get a unanimous verdict from the judges.

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Santiago "Tiago" Koubra (1-2-0) vs Devan "Toothpick" Little (1-1-0)

THE MATCHUP: Another very equal matchup. Coming off back-to-back (T)KO losses, brazilian middleweight Santiago Koubra will be looking to get back on track against Devan Little. The man they call "Toothpick" will look to stretch his winning streak to 2 after rebounding from a TKO loss himself.

THE PREDICTION: Little has previously displayed some decent power in his hands and he should certainly let his hands fly, as the chin seems to be the chink in Koubra's armor. Possessing a higher degree in BJJ, Koubra might look to the ground game as a viable option if things start to get dangerous on the feet.

THE PICK: Little should keep the fight upright and exploit the holes in Koubra's defense, landing some big shots and boxing his way to a unanimous decision or a late (T)KO.

MAIN CARD

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Jermania "Gangsta" Quinton (0-1-0) vs Rex Zingster Jr (0-2-0)

THE MATCHUP: Here we have two guys on the down side of the hill. These two young strikers have fairly similar styles, both well versed in the Sweet Science of Boxing and the Eight Weapons Art of Muay Thai. None of the guys should be going a lot further in terms of title contention with a win, but a striker vs striker match is certainly fireworks for the fans.

THE PREDICTION: Despite having similar styles, Zingster comes in with far more confidence into this battle, as sources close to "Gangsta" tell us stories of him feeling a little bit of pressure for the win. Rex should make the most of his lanky frame to capitalize with counter strikes while his smaller opponent tries to close the distance.

THE PICK: Zingster obtains his first professional win by way of decision after using his distance to neutralize any offense mounted by Quinton.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Frederic "Bazooka" Robitaille (1-4-0) vs Muhammad Ali (0-3-0)

Another pair of strikers colliding, both guys are boxers, and both are in desperate need of a win. Very even fight, I'll be bold and predict a draw in this one!

Pick: Draw!

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Steven "The King" Gordon (1-1-0) vs Gimli Gloin (0-0-0)

Gloin making his pro debut against Gordon, and yet again we see boxers locking horns inside the Vigor Fighting cage. Gordon can really break a fighter's will as he made Muhammad Ali tap out to strikes in his last outing. I'll take him over Gloin due to experience.

Pick: Gordon squeezes a decision in a hotly contested match.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Ebeng "In" Ami (0-0-0) vs Josepg "GunGun" Gun (0-1-0)

Gun will try to get his first pro win after being halted in the first minute of his pro MMA career. Ami is making his debut, and holds an advantage in wrestling, while Gun is a more complete fighter. I'll bet on the newcomer Ami.

Pick: Ami by decision.

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) – Stephen "The Sentinal" Learmont (0-0-0) vs "Boss" Miran Fabjan (0-1-0)

Learmont is set to make his debut against Fabjan, who's yet to get a W after losing in his pro debut. A highly skilled boxer and a BJJ blue belt, much like his opponent. Fabjan is a slightly better wrestler and will insist with the takedown. Mixing it up a bit wouldn't be a bad idea.

Pick: Learmont by TKO.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Wolfgang "A.Mozart" Lindemann (0-0-0) vs Don "Teenage Mutant" Ninja Turtle (0-0-0)

Both guys are stepping inside the cage for the first time. They both have a similar skillset, with bases in muay thai and wrestling, so I'm picking Turtle because he's better than his opponent in his own game.

Pick: Turtle by TKO.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Ruud Van Graaf (0-0-0) vs Anthony "DJ Madnezz" Madnezz (1-2-0)

Madnezz is an agressive striker with considerable power in his shots, and he is taking on a promising fighter in Ruud Van Graaf. A good background in dutch muay thai and a purple belt in BJJ makes Graaf a menacing prospect, and he has more tools to win the fight.

Pick: Graaf by TKO or submission.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Stay tuned for the preview right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

April 20, 2012

VFF 7: Overslam vs Weston Preview

Emanating from the 1,000-seat Underground in Amsterdam, Netherlands, VFF 7 brings us a 10-fight card, headlined by heavyweights Dante Overslam and Dakota Weston. Filling the co-main event spot is a clash between light heavyweights Bertus Eppinga and Boris Novachkov. Middleweights Santiago Koubra and Devan Little along with Light-Heavies Jermania Quinton and Rex Zingster Jr wrap up our main card.

Here’s a closer look at our main card, with prediction and picks:

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Overslam (3-2-0) vs "The Whirlwind" Dakota Weston (2-2-0)

Fighter Facts: Dante Overslam

- Excellent wrestler

- Solid boxer

- 2 wins by (T)KO

Fighter Facts: Dakota Weston

- Well-rounded

- Never been finished

- BJJ Blue Belt

THE MATCHUP: Hailing from the cold country of Poland is Dante Overslam, an imposing 6’4”, 262 lbs figure with a boxing and wrestling background. He will receive a warm welcome straight from the sunny beaches of Miami in the form of "The Whirlwind" Dakota Weston, a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt with a very well-rounded skill set. Both guys have similar approaches, keeping the fight very high paced, and seamlessly transitioning from striking to grappling and back again. The similarities stop there. On the ground, Overslam prefers to work the ground n' pound, while Weston uses a wider variety of moves, often fishing for the submission. Weston also seems to work the clinch better than his massive opponent.

THE PREDICTION: Overslam's best shot is to keep the fight vertical, where his superior boxing and heavy hands will give him the advantage over his opponent. Weston will be wanting to close the distance as fast as he can and put Overslam's back against the cage, and then to the mat, where his superior jiu-jitsu might turn the tide in his favour.

THE PICK: Overslam is a better wrestler than Weston and should be able to keep the fight standing. There, as long as he avoids the clinch, he should be able to work his boxing en route to a unanimous decision or a late stoppage.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Bertus Eppinga (3-3-0) vs "Shogun" Boris Novachkov (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: A very even matchup awaits us in our co-main attraction of the night. Both guys are well-rounded fighters, with Eppinga holding a slight edge in the wrestling department while Novachkov gets the nod in the striking area. Having a 3-fight winning streak snapped by the hands (and feet) of Hymen Hunter, the VFF veteran Eppinga will try to halt Novachkov's uprising momentum. Novachkov made his MMA debut at VFF 4, where he dominated Rex Zingster Jr with his grappling before securing a fight-ending choke.

THE PREDICTION: Eppinga, although having no wins by knockout or technical knockout, possesses decent power on his kicks, as he scored some knockdowns with high kicks in the past. That should be his weapon of choice against Novachkov, who's yet to show us some of his striking. Novachkov seems to have better takedowns than his opponent, and will probably be looking to plant him on his back while he works for submissions.

THE PICK: The more experienced Eppinga will out-strike "Shogun", often closing the distance and clinching, to get a unanimous verdict from the judges.

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Santiago "Tiago" Koubra (1-2-0) vs Devan "Toothpick" Little (1-1-0)

THE MATCHUP: Another very equal matchup. Coming off back-to-back (T)KO losses, brazilian middleweight Santiago Koubra will be looking to get back on track against Devan Little. The man they call "Toothpick" will look to stretch his winning streak to 2 after rebounding from a TKO loss himself.

THE PREDICTION: Little has previously displayed some decent power in his hands and he should certainly let his hands fly, as the chin seems to be the chink in Koubra's armor. Possessing a higher degree in BJJ, Koubra might look to the ground game as a viable option if things start to get dangerous on the feet.

THE PICK: Little should keep the fight upright and exploit the holes in Koubra's defense, landing some big shots and boxing his way to a unanimous decision or a late (T)KO.

MAIN CARD

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Jermania "Gangsta" Quinton (0-1-0) vs Rex Zingster Jr (0-2-0)

THE MATCHUP: Here we have two guys on the down side of the hill. These two young strikers have fairly similar styles, both well versed in the Sweet Science of Boxing and the Eight Weapons Art of Muay Thai. None of the guys should be going a lot further in terms of title contention with a win, but a striker vs striker match is certainly fireworks for the fans.

THE PREDICTION: Despite having similar styles, Zingster comes in with far more confidence into this battle, as sources close to "Gangsta" tell us stories of him feeling a little bit of pressure for the win. Rex should make the most of his lanky frame to capitalize with counter strikes while his smaller opponent tries to close the distance.

THE PICK: Zingster obtains his first professional win by way of decision after using his distance to neutralize any offense mounted by Quinton.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Frederic "Bazooka" Robitaille (1-4-0) vs Muhammad Ali (0-3-0)

Another pair of strikers colliding, both guys are boxers, and both are in desperate need of a win. Very even fight, I'll be bold and predict a draw in this one!

Pick: Draw!

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Steven "The King" Gordon (1-1-0) vs Gimli Gloin (0-0-0)

Gloin making his pro debut against Gordon, and yet again we see boxers locking horns inside the Vigor Fighting cage. Gordon can really break a fighter's will as he made Muhammad Ali tap out to strikes in his last outing. I'll take him over Gloin due to experience.

Pick: Gordon squeezes a decision in a hotly contested match.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Ebeng "In" Ami (0-0-0) vs Josepg "GunGun" Gun (0-1-0)

Gun will try to get his first pro win after being halted in the first minute of his pro MMA career. Ami is making his debut, and holds an advantage in wrestling, while Gun is a more complete fighter. I'll bet on the newcomer Ami.

Pick: Ami by decision.

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) – Stephen "The Sentinal" Learmont (0-0-0) vs "Boss" Miran Fabjan (0-1-0)

Learmont is set to make his debut against Fabjan, who's yet to get a W after losing in his pro debut. A highly skilled boxer and a BJJ blue belt, much like his opponent. Fabjan is a slightly better wrestler and will insist with the takedown. Mixing it up a bit wouldn't be a bad idea.

Pick: Learmont by TKO.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Wolfgang "A.Mozart" Lindemann (0-0-0) vs Don "Teenage Mutant" Ninja Turtle (0-0-0)

Both guys are stepping inside the cage for the first time. They both have a similar skillset, with bases in muay thai and wrestling, so I'm picking Turtle because he's better than his opponent in his own game.

Pick: Turtle by TKO.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Ruud Van Graaf (0-0-0) vs Anthony "DJ Madnezz" Madnezz (1-2-0)

Madnezz is an agressive striker with considerable power in his shots, and he is taking on a promising fighter in Ruud Van Graaf. A good background in dutch muay thai and a purple belt in BJJ makes Graaf a menacing prospect, and he has more tools to win the fight.

Pick: Graaf by TKO or submission.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Stay tuned for the preview right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

Don't be surprised if Stephen Learmont takes the KOTN award.

April 21, 2012

VFF 7: Overslam vs Weston Review

In a night of fights that delivered less than expected, the favourites reigned supreme. Here’s a detailed look at what the 535 fight fans that bought a ticket to VFF 7 saw...

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Overslam (3-2-0) vs "The Whirlwind" Dakota Weston (2-2-0)

THE FIGHT: It started, and soon as that, it was over. The bell rang and Weston wasted no time, shooting for a takedown, only to be countered by a flurry of shots that sent him tumbling to the canvas. Overslam swarmed on his half-conscious foe and forced the referee to intervene.

THE RESULT: Overslam / TKO / Round 1 (0:05)

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Bertus Eppinga (3-3-0) vs "Shogun" Boris Novachkov (1-0-0)

THE FIGHT: Bertus Eppinga dictated the action from start to finish. He softened his opponent with kicks to the leg and body, often mixing it up with high kicks, and then took the fight to the ground at will. "Shogun" wasn't able to mount any offense, standing or on his back (where he spent a lot of time in this fight). Eppinga also had a few submission attempts to his credit, and that was more than enough to sweep the scorecards of all the three judges, in what was a very uneventful match.

THE RESULT: Eppinga / Decision (Unanimous) – Scorecards: 30:27 – 30:27 – 30:27

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Santiago "Tiago" Koubra (1-2-0) vs Devan "Toothpick" Little (1-1-0)

THE FIGHT: This is one of the few fights of the night where the underdog came out on top. Displaying some good jiu-jitsu skills, Koubra reversed Little after being planted on his back in the opening seconds. Although he wasn’t able to do any damage with ground n’ pound, he threatened Little with a Kimura and an Americana, but “Toothpick” defended well. The fight gets back up and both fighters exchange some good shots, Little scores with a stylish spinning back fist and “Tiago” returns the favor by clipping him with a big right hand. After the 1 minute rest, Santiago shoots for a takedown and almost immediately gets the mount. He then goes for an armbar and after a scramble, he ends up on Little’s back. Koubra flattens his helpless opponent and rain down punches before clinching a fight-ending rear-naked choke.

THE RESULT: Koubra / Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) / Round 2 (3:32)

MAIN CARD

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Jermania "Gangsta" Quinton (0-1-0) vs Rex Zingster Jr (0-2-0)

THE FIGHT: Zingster Jr took a page out of Eppinga’s book and cruised his way to a unanimous decision against Quinton, punctuating the fight with tie-ups and taking his opponent down at will. He did little, however, with his dominant positions, forcing the referee to stand the fight back up constantly. To his credit, he did try a few submissions. To Quinton’s credit, he defended them all.

THE RESULT: Zingster Jr / Decisioun (Unanimous) / Scorecards: 30:27 – 30:27 – 30:27

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Frederic "Bazooka" Robitaille (1-4-0) vs Muhammad Ali (0-3-0)

The fight starts with both guys swinging wildly until “Bazooka” clips Ali with a jab-cross combination that put his on his butt. Robitaille follows his hurt opponent to the mat, where he puts a halt to the contest with a huge elbow and follow up punches.

Result: Robitaille / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (1:18)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Steven "The King" Gordon (1-1-0) vs Gimli Gloin (0-0-0)

Gordon slips a 1-2 by Gloin and makes the mistake of tripping him to the mat. He takes a moment to rest in his guard and Gimli swift wraps his legs around his opponent’s neck, forcing a tap out. The end came just 35 seconds of the opening frame.

Result: Gloin / Submission (Triangle Choke) / Round 1 (0:35)

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Ebeng "In" Ami (0-0-0) vs Josepg "GunGun" Gun (0-1-0)

Ami takes Gun down but is quickly swept while in his opponent’s butterfly guard. “GunGun” advances to full mount but decides to stand up, in a very unusual situation. Unfortunately for him, Ami drags him to the floor again. Unfortunately for Ami, Gun throws his legs up and finishes the fight with a triangle choke.

Result: Gun / Submission (Triangle Choke) / Round 1 (1:59)

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) – Stephen "The Sentinal" Learmont (0-0-0) vs "Boss" Miran Fabjan (0-1-0)

Learmont stuffed all three takedown attempts by Fabjan while peppering him with the jab. Learmont catches his opponent cleanly on the jaw, and Miran decides to clinch. "The Sentinel" works a couple of short punches over his opponent’s body before reversing him. Pinned against the cage, Fabjan is assaulted by punches. He stumbles to one knee, and the ref decides it’s enough, saving him from an unnecessary beating.

Result: Learmont / TKO (Punches) / Round 1 (0:56)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Wolfgang "A.Mozart" Lindemann (0-0-0) vs Don "Teenage Mutant" Ninja Turtle (0-0-0)

Turle shut down all of Lindemann’s takedowns and slowed him down with a bunch of leg kicks before going up and dropping him with a vicious high kick. He waited for "A.Mozart" to get back to his feet, only to brutalize him with another head kick followed by ground n’ pound, forcing the ref to jump in and call the fight.

Result: Turtle / TKO (Head Kick and Punches) / Round 1 (1:18)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Ruud Van Graaf (0-0-0) vs Anthony "DJ Madnezz" Madnezz (1-2-0)

Van Graaf showed good offense from his back, and constantly worked for submissions after Madnezz scored an early takedown. After escaping a Triangle and an Armbar attempt, Madnezz succumbed to a very tight guillotine choke at just about the 2-minute mark.

Result: Van Graaf / Submission (Guillotine Choke) / Round 1 (1:58)

And that’s it for our card, guys! Don’t miss VFF 8, we’ll be back soon with my predictions and picks for the next Vigor Fighting show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

April 26, 2012

VFF 8: Dabrowski vs Tuilagi Preview

The Underground is once again the stage set to receive another Vigor Fighting show. Middleweights Tomasz Dabrowski and Losefa Tuilagi will lock horns in the main event of the evening. Anticipating the clash, is a light heavyweight showdown between Robin Van Laere and Diogo Casca.

MAIN EVENT

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Tomasz Dabrowski (3-0-0) vs "Lumberjack" Losefa Tuilagi (8-10-0)

Fighter Facts: Tomasz Dabrowski

- Undefeated

- Knockout power

- BJJ Purple Belt

Fighter Facts: Losefa Tuilagi

- Well-rounded

- Finishing rate of 75% (4 KO, 2 Submissions)

- Solid boxer

THE MATCHUP: The veteran Losefa Tuilagi will be looking to halt fast-rising prospect Tomasz Dabrowski in the VFF 8 headliner. A solid boxer with thunderous hands, Tuilagi is the kind of fighter that maybe never was as successful as he could be due to a natural cause. Some fighters lack a solid chin, others have pillow hands. In Tuilagi’s case, it’s a tendency to cut rather easily. He lost a few fights due to cuts, and was cut open in several occasions throughout his 18-fight career. He enters the cage against polish prospect Tomasz Dabrowski, an undefeated BJJ purple belt with finishing power. Dabrowski dominated all of his previous opponent. Good takedowns, and even better ground n’ pound sealed the fate of his first 2 victims, the 3rd being forced to tap out due to a kimura.

THE PREDICTION: Dabrowski’s intentions should be pretty clear: get the fight to the mat ASAP. From top position, he can punish "Lumberjack" with his vicious ground n’ pound (possibly opening a huge gash on Tuilagi in the process) or secure a submission. This will be no easy task, however. Tuilagi has displayed solid takedown defense before, and will have a height and reach advantage over Tomasz. Should the fight unfold standing, his crisp boxing and heavy hands will certainly put him ahead.

THE PICK: Tuilagi will shut down Dabrowski’s takedowns and force a standup battle. Dabrowski will eventually eat a big shot, and then, it’s lights out. Tuilagi by KO in the second round.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Robin "Smurf" Van Laere (2-0-1) vs Diogo "Alan" Casca (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: Classic striker vs grappler matchup. Van Laere obtained both of his wins by way of submission and should have the ground advantage over Muay Thai purist Diogo Casca. The Brazilian comes off of a TKO win where he displayed all his prowess in the clinch, Chute Boxe style.

THE PREDICTION: Both guys are pretty one-dimensional, so the key to victory will be dictating where the fight will take place. Look for Van Laere to be spamming takedowns while Casca tries to get a hold of his neck in the thai clinch.

THE PICK: Very hard fight to call. It’s a coin toss, but I’ll go with Casca. He will eventually get his clinch and knee his way to a unanimous decision or a late stoppage.

MAIN CARD

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Yente "Uufd" Welvaert (1-2-0) vs Duncan Trussell (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: Welvaert should have his toughest test to date, as he faces welterweight powerhouse Duncan Trussell, an excellent boxer and wrestler with iron clad fists. Welvaert constantly shifts the fights momentum, timing tie-ups in the clinch with takedowns to his advantage.

THE PREDICTION: Welvaert doesn’t have the wrestling or jiu jitsu to outgrapple Trussell nor the boxing or muay thai to outstrike him. His best bet is to clinch often and work his opponent’s body with some dirty boxing hoping to tire him out. A highly unlikely scenario if you ask me.

THE PICK: Trussell blasts Welvaert in the opening seconds.

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Zag "Animal" Luis (3-2-0) vs David Marcos (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: A clash of middleweight wrestlers wraps up our main card. Both guys are adepts of the ground n’ pound way of living, with Luis possessing slightly better wrestling credentials. In a fight where both guys have similar styles, it will come down to who manages to land on top position.

THE PREDICTION: Despite having similar styles, Zingster comes in with far more confidence into this battle, as sources close to "Gangsta" tell us stories of him feeling a little bit of pressure for the win. Rex should make the most of his lanky frame to capitalize with counter strikes while his smaller opponent tries to close the distance.

THE PICK: It can really go either way, but, as I have to pick one, I’ll go with the more experienced Luis, by decision.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – "The Divine Tragedy" Tristan Alighieri (3-3-0) vs Mariusz "Big Python" Pudzianowski (6-13-0)

Alighieri is the better wrestler and should be able to keep the fight standing, where he will exploit Big Phyton’s chin and force the ref to stop the fight.

Pick: Alighieri by TKO in the 2nd.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Venom Vortex (1-1-0) vs "O’Neal" Shaq Mister T (3-8-0)

Both guys are grapplers, and Mister T should be able to capitalize on one of Vortex’s mistakes to improve his losing record with a submission victory in the opening frame.

Pick: Mister T by submission, 1st round.

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) – Brian "Wow" Searing (1-1-0) vs Benny "The Jet" Urquidez (0-3-0)

Despite the fancy nickname, The Jet is yet to takeover. He has an opportunity to get his first win against boxer Brian Searing. Should the fight stay standing, Urquidez will get his much wanted thai clinch and work his way to a unanimous verdict.

Pick: Urquidez by decision.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Mauricio "Shogun" Silva (0-1-0) vs Ricardo Aguiar (0-0-0)

The lanky “Shogun” must keep the fight vertical to work his good muay thai, but it will be no easy task. The Portuguese Ricardo Aguiar will be bringing a solid wrestling pedigree to the cage. Look for him to use takedowns and stiffling top control to get the nod from the judges.

Pick: Aguiar wrestles his way to a decision victory.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Joe "Killa" Mahone (0-1-0) vs Maiquel "Legionarius" Jose (0-2-0)

Both guys will be looking to taste victory for the first time in their careers. I’ll favor BJJ purple belt Mahone in this one, despite Jose being the more well-rounded fighter between them.

Pick: Mahone locks up a submission in the later rounds.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Wrestling "Throwaway" Dolls (0-2-0) vs Karel Varhola (0-2-0)

Dolls will come in highly overtrained and his gas tank will fail him early in the fight. Varhola will surely make him pay, peppering him with punches while standing, and cruise to a unanimous decision.

Pick: Varhola by decision.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the review right after the show!

April 30, 2012

VFF 8: Dabrowski vs Tuilagi Review

575 MMA fans crowded The Underground, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for VFF 8: Dabrowski vs Tuilagi. If you missed it, here’s a detailed look at what happened last night...

MAIN EVENT

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Tomasz Dabrowski (3-0-0) vs “Lumberjack” Losefa Tuilagi (8-10-0)

THE FIGHT: The fight began with Tuilagi getting the better of the early exchanges, scoring with hooks, crosses and kicks. Dabrowski scored his much wanted takedown sooner than I expected, and worked for submissions, but he found no success there. The pace dropped considerably, forcing the ref to reset the fight standing. This time, Losefa Tuilagi shut down all of Dabrowski’s takedowns and peppered him with shots. After the 1-minute break, we saw basically a replay of the second half of the previous frame. This time, however, Tuilagi landed a beautiful combination that sent Dabrowski tumbling to the canvas. He followed him to the ground and punched away until the referee decided he saw enough. You heard it first at our preview!

THE RESULT: Tuilagi / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (3:59)

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Robin “Smurf” Van Laere (2-0-1) vs Diogo “Alan” Casca (1-0-0)

THE FIGHT: If you’ve read the preview, you must be thinking while watching this fight that our writer Rodrigo Oliveira has some kind of psychic power or something. The fight was going exactly as previewed, with Casca dominating “Smurf” in the thai clinch and battering him with knees to the head and body. It seemed that Van Laere’s fate was pretty much sealed when he ate a big knee that opened a nasty cut on his forehead. Yeah, it seemed. Shortly after the 3-minute mark of the second round, Robin scored a takedown. He then advanced to side control and started unleashing his revenge in the form of big punches. He then proceeded to finish the fight in dramatic fashion, choking Casca unconscious with an arm triangle! Beautiful come-from-behind victory by Van Laere.

THE RESULT: Van Laere / Submission (Arm Triangle) / Round 2 (4:57)

MAIN CARD

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Yente “Uufd” Welvaert (1-2-0) vs Duncan Trussell (1-0-0)

THE FIGHT: Trussell displayed a varied attack by landing leg kicks, body shots and crisp punches all over the clueless Welvaert. A right uppercut got Welvaert’s head spinning and a second uppercut sent him to oblivion, knocking him out cold. Honorable mention to Trussell’s accuracy as he landed all the shots he threw.

THE RESULT: Trussell / KO (Punch) / Round 1 (0:56)

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Zag “Animal” Luis (3-2-0) vs David Marcos (1-0-0)

THE FIGHT: Luis utilized good wrestling and cardio to sweep the scorecards, and was awarded a 30-27 by all three judges. In a grappling-heavy match, Luis constantly disrupted Marcos’ tempo by taking him down and wrapping him up in the clinch. On the ground, he defended Marcos’ submissions and worked some conservative ground n’ pound until the final bell rang.

THE RESULT: Luis / Decisioun (Unanimous) / Scorecards: 30:27 – 30:27 – 30:27

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – “The Divine Tragedy” Tristan Alighieri (3-3-0) vs Mariusz “Big Python” Pudzianowski (6-13-0)

“Big Python” was holding himself decently as the fight started, but Alighieri eventually got his timing right and started softening him up with body punches that constantly found their home. “The Divine Tragedy” cracked his opponent with an uppercut and pounced to earn a TKO victory.

Result: Alighieri / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (3:51)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Venom Vortex (1-1-0) vs “O’Neal” Shaq Mister T (3-8-0)

Vortex showed crisp striking and punished Mister T right from the bell. Landing hooks, straights and body punches a plenty, he set up a beautiful punch that sent Mister T unconscious to the canvas.

Result: Vortex / KO (Punch) / Round 1 (1:26)

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) – Brian “Wow” Searing (1-1-0) vs Benny “The Jet” Urquidez (0-3-0)

And “The Jet” is yet to take flight. Searing dominated 2 of the 3 rounds with superior wrestling to earn himself a unanimous decision victory.

Result: Searing / Decision (Unanimous)

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Mauricio “Shogun” Silva (0-1-0) vs Ricardo Aguiar (0-0-0)

Silva came out swinging, but he hit nothing but thin air. Aguiar managed to plant him on his back with a nice takedown and landed right into full mount. He worked a little to open “Shogun’s” defense and attacked his arm, forcing a tap out due to an armbar.

Result: Aguiar / Submission (Armbar) / Round 1 (2:37)

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Joe “Killa” Mahone (0-1-0) vs Maiquel “Legionarius” Jose (0-2-0)

Jose’s accurate counter striking and solid takedown defense led him to a unanimous decision victory after 3 rounds of fighting against Joe Mahone. He avoided the clinch and takedowns nicely while constantly scoring with jabs and straight punches.

Result: Jose / Decision (Unanimous)

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Wrestling “Throwaway” Dolls (0-2-0) vs Karel Varhola (0-2-0)

Suffocating top control and submission defense carried Dolls to a hard-fought unanimous verdict. All three judges saw it 30-27 in his favor. After surviving a first-round submission onslaught by Varhola, “Throwaway” took his opponent down for the remaining 10 minutes, and got his first pro win.

Result: Dolls / Decision (Unanimous)

And that’s it for our card, guys!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

May 17, 2012

VFF 11: Boro vs Abdelrashid II Preview

More than a month ago, Boro and Abdelrashid squared off for the Vigor Fighting Middleweight crown, and Boro came out on top. Now, they will do it all over again. Will the outcome be different this time? Find this and much more in the VFF 11 preview, with predictions and picks.

MAIN EVENT

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Middleweight Championship Fight

Spark Boro (9-3-0, 3 NC) vs Khadar "al-Kabws" Abdelrashid (7-3-0)

Fighter Facts: Spark Boro

- All wins by KO or TKO

- Never went to decision

- Well rounded

Fighter Facts: Khadar Abdelrashid

- Majority of wins by KO or TKO (57%)

- 3-time “Of the Night” award winner

- Excellent boxer

THE MATCHUP: Their previous encounter did not ended as expected, as the fight had to be called by the cageside doctors due to a horrendous cut above Abdelrashid's eye. Both guys are strikers, and both guys possess heaps of knockout power: Combined, they hold 13 (T)KOs among their 16 wins. Before "al-Kabws" was cut, Boro was tooling him on the feet. A mix of speed, precision, punches and high kicks was setting the tone of the beatdown, while Abdelrashid was failing to land his combinations. Perhaps he should tighten his defenses this time, and look for the counter.

THE PREDICTION: Unless Abdelrashid has improved his training and his strategy, he's in for a world of pain yet again, as his boxing proved ineffective against Boro's muay thai onslaught.

THE PICK: Boro softens his opponent with jabs and kicks in the first and scores his 10th win by knockout in the second round.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Nicholas Sathanasios (6-2-0) vs Franz Weimar (1-4-0)

THE MATCHUP: Former title challenger Nicholas Sathanasios is in against VFF debutant Franz Weimar in a middleweight attraction as our Co-Main Event of the evening. Sathanasios is a complete striker with knockout power to go with, and all but one of his wins were by knockout or technical knockout. Staring at him from across the cage is Weimar, a well-rounded fighter and a Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt who's in desperate need of a win here. He currently rides a 4-fight losing streak and all of them ended with him being rendered unconscious.

THE PREDICTION: You can train hard and improve your skills, but there are some things you can't pick up in the gym, like a rock-hard chin or heavy hands. Unfortunately for Weimar, his physical "gifts" seem to halt his progress as a fighter. Against a tough competitor like Sathanasios this could very well be the deciding factor.

THE PICK: Look for Sathanasios to impose his striking game right from the start. He cracks Weimar with a big punch midway into the first stanza and gets yet another knockout victory for his highlight reel.

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Mike Kroon (1-0-0) vs Wrestling “Throwaway” Dolls (1-1-0)

THE MATCHUP: Mike Kroon makes his VFF debut after snatching a submission victory in the QFC cage. A well rounded fighter with a wrestling background, he will have a tough nut to crack in Dolls, a phenomenal wrestler, with a not-so-well-rounded skillset.

THE PREDICTION: Dolls is a much better wrestler so he should be able to dictate where the fight will take place in this bout. His best shot is to use his overwhelming takedowns to dominate Kroon while avoiding being submitted. If the fight stays upright, Kroon is the better striker and should have the upper hand.

THE PICK: Kroon's striking and jiu jitsu will pose enough problems to Dolls to convince the judges, as he grabs a hard-fought unanimous decision.

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Don "Teenage Mutant" Ninja Turtle (1-0-0) vs Ruud Van Graaf (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: A pair of heavyweight prospects collide in the final main card bout of VFF 11. Both guys are coming off the heels of spectacular and quick finishes: Turtle stopped his last opponent with a head kick and follow up punches, while Van Graaf tapped out Anthony Madnezz at VFF 7.

THE PREDICTION: This match can go either way. Both guys are well-versed in muay thai, Turtle has the advantage in the wrestling department and Van Graaf is the superior BJJ player. Van Graaf will probably try to work knees in the clinch should the fight stay on the feet, while Turtle will mix up punches and kicks.

THE PICK: Really hard to call, but I'm going with Van Graaf by decision.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Frederic "Bazooka" Robitaille (2-4-0) vs Gimli Gloin (1-0-0)

Robitaille should use his wrestling skills to keep the fight standing and avoid Gloin’s dangerous guard. He uses his boxing to pick up a decision.

Pick: Robitaille by decision.

Middleweight Bout (265 lbs) – Knut Van Meerwegen (1-0-0) vs Christer "The Astronaut" Fugelsang (0-0-0)

Van Meerwegen is a more well rounded fighter, but he should avoiding staying in the pocket against a much better boxer in Fugelsang. His jiu jitsu is better, but I don't think he has the wrestling to take "The Astronaut" down. Fugelsang peppers his opponent en route to a decision or a 3rd round stoppage.

Pick: Fugelsang by decision or TKO in the 3rd.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Maiquel "Legionarius" Jose (1-2-0) vs Mitchell "Pitbull" Lamzak (1-3-0)

Both guys recently got some breathing room after snapping losing streaks. One of them is going to return to the losing column though. Both guys are very evenly matched in every aspect of the game, but I think "Pitbull" has heavier hands, and his power punches will carry him to a unanimous decision victory.

Pick: Lamzak by decision.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Anthony “Dj Madnezz” Madnezz (1-3-0) vs Steven “The King” Gordon (1-2-0)

Both guys were submitted in their last outings and will surely be coming in aggressive looking for the W. I think Gordon utilizes his superior boxing to stop Madnezz via strikes in the opening frame.

Pick: Gordon by 1st round TKO.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Wolfgang “A. Mozart” Lindemann (0-1-0) vs Ronny “Kickhead” Pistole (0-4-0)

"Kickhead" is yet to taste victory after 4 professional fights. If he sticks to what his nickname suggests, kicking heads, he can do it, at last. I'll give him a vote of confidence.

Pick: Pistole by TKO.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the preview right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

weedballs · May 18, 2012

I might obviously be biased, but I don't think the summary of the first Boro - Abdelrashid fight was very accurate. But then again, I guess neither was the prediction so I guess it doesn't matter. New champ! :winner: I guess that'll teach Boro not to try to duck people.

May 21, 2012

VFF 11: Boro vs Abdelrashid II Review

542 MMA fans saw the VFF Middleweight Title change hands for the first time since Spark Boro got it around his waist. The full breakdown of the event you can check below, as this is the review for VFF 11: Boro vs Abdelrashid II...

MAIN EVENT

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Middleweight Championship Fight

Spark Boro (9-3-0, 3 NC) vs Khadar "al-Kabws" Abdelrashid (7-3-0)

THE FIGHT: Boro opened up a cut on Abdelrashid's face in the opening seconds of the bout and it seemed things would go wrong yet again for "al-Kabws". They won't. Displaying improved defense and crisp counter striking, Khadar protected his wounds nicely while making Boro pay for every strike he threw. A steady diet of punches to the midsection set the tone of the fight as Boro's pace slowed down as the fight progressed. In the end, 2 out of the 3 judges saw it 49-46 in favor of Abdelrashid, and one saw it a 50-45.

THE RESULT: Abdelrashid / Decision (Unanimous)

CO-MAIN EVENT

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Nicholas Sathanasios (6-2-0) vs Franz Weimar (1-4-0)

THE FIGHT: Franz Weimar utilized a solid gameplan and avoided Sathanasios’ striking power to pull off the upset in our co-main event attraction. Sathanasios came out swinging, but Weimar quickly tied him up in the clinch and tripped him to the ground. After threatening his opponent with a guillotine choke and an armbar, he passed to side control and started raining down punches and elbows all over the defenseless Sathanasios. Weimar eventually got the full mount and uncorked a vicious elbow that opened up a cut on Sathanasios’ forehead. Weimar pushed the pace and almost locked in an armbar, but after a brief scramble, Sathanasios managed to free his arm. He wasn't out of trouble, however, as Weimar cracked him with a big strike that got him dazed, his face a bloody mess. He didn’t had time to swarm though, as the referee paused the fight to check on Sathanasios’ cut. The cageside doctors called an end to the contest at 4:56 of the 1st round.

THE RESULT: Weimar / TKO (Cut) / Round 1 (4:56)

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Mike Kroon (1-0-0) vs Wrestling "Throwaway" Dolls (1-1-0)

THE FIGHT: Surprisingly, Kroon was the first to get the fight to the mat, scoring an early trip takedown. He didn’t do much with it, though, as Dolls escaped from a loose guillotine. The pace slowed down and the ref had to reset the fighters standing. Dolls forced a clinch and took Kroon down, landing in his half-guard. He got sloppy while on top and allowed his opponent to hit a beautiful sweep from the butterfly guard. This time, Kroon capitalized and clinched in a tight arm triangle choke. The tapout came at just 3:25 of the very first round.

THE RESULT: Kroon / Submission (Arm Triangle) / Round 1 (3:25)

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Don "Teenage Mutant" Ninja Turtle (1-0-0) vs Ruud Van Graaf (1-0-0)

THE FIGHT: Van Graaf had no answer for Turtle's muay thai onslaught. Thudding kicks to the body and legs of his opponent, combined with accurate punching carried Turtle to a one-sided decision victory. He successfully defended all 16 takedowns attempted by Van Graaf and made him pay by landing his kicks when both guys separated from clinch attempts.

THE RESULT: Turtle / Decision (Unanimous)

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Frederic "Bazooka" Robitaille (2-4-0) vs Gimli Gloin (1-0-0)

In an awesome-yet-quick heavyweight affair, Gimli Gloin came out on top with a spectacular submission. Both guys came out swinging. Gimli smacked Robitaille with a clubbing overhand counter and busted his face open. He kept coming forward and Robitaille returned the favor, dropping Gloin with a vicious head kick! He lunged in to finish his downed opponent, but was careless and Gloin seized the opportunity to latch on a triangle, but "Bazooka" defended it well. Gloin then attacked his arm and forced the tapout.

Result: Gloin / Submission (Triangle Armbar) / Round 1 (0:43)

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Knut Van Meerwegen (1-0-0) vs Christer “The Astronaut” Fugelsang (0-0-0)

Accurate punching and superb grappling were the keys to Fugelsang’s victory over Van Meerwegen. "The Astronaut" completed all of his 5 takedowns attempted and worked diligently to secure a submission, but Van Meerwegen defended them all. Fugelsang gave him no room to mount any offense of his own, sweeping the scorecards: all three judges ruled it 30-27 in his favor.

Result: Fugelsang / Decision (Unanimous)

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – Maiquel "Legionarius" Jose (1-2-0) vs Mitchell "Pitbull" Lamzak (1-3-0)

Jose kept offensive throughout the whole fight, swinging power punches in Lamzak’s direction. Both guys scored points in exchanges, but ultimately it was the aggression of "Legionarius" that made the difference in the judge’s eyes.

Result: Jose / Decision (Unanimous)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Anthony "Dj Madnezz" Madnezz (1-3-0) vs Steven "The King" Gordon (1-2-0)

Madnezz imposed his grappling skills right from the start, taking Gordon down and constantly looking for guard passes and submissions. The first round came to an end, and after the 1-minute break, it was more of the same, another quick takedown and Madnezz putting the pressure on "The King". He eventually got the mount and clinched an arm triangle, Gordon defended it, and he transitioned beautifully into an Anaconda choke! He tightened his squeeze and the choked the helpless Gordon unconscious just before the 3-minute mark. Awesome finish.

Result: Madnezz / Submission (Anaconda Choke) / Round 2 (2:59)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – Wolfgang "A. Mozart" Lindemann (0-1-0) vs Ronny "Kickhead" Pistole (0-4-0)

Lindemann wasted no time and shot for the takedown right after the bell rang. He punished Pistole with ground n’ pound and opened up a cut on his face. He proceeded with his offense, dragging "Kickhead" towards the fence, pinning his head there and viciously beating him with punches. The ref took a look and Pistole’s cut was absolutely horrible. The doctors entered the cage, and decided it was better to call it quits.

Result: Lindemann / TKO (Cut) / Round 1 (1:56)

And that’s it for our card, guys!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

May 24, 2012

VFF 12: 170 Title Tourney Round 1 Preview

Eight men enter the tournament, one man leaves with the Vigor Fighting welterweight belt. The card that brings us the first round of the welterweight tournament is also topped by a heavyweight collision between Dante Overslam and Maxi Alonso. Here’s a closer look, with previews and picks, at VFF 12.

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Overslam (4-2-0) vs Maxi “Matador” Alonso (4-2-0)

Fighter Facts: Dante Overslam

- 3 out of 4 wins by KO or TKO

- Powerful

- Solid wrestling and boxing

Fighter Facts: Maxi Alonso

- High finishing rate (75%)

- Well-rounded

- BJJ Purple Belt

THE MATCHUP: Coming off the heels of a 5-seconds TKO win at VFF 7 is Overslam, a powerhouse wrestler with knockout power in his hands. Starting at him across the cage is Alonso, a crafty grappler with a very well-rounded skillset. Alonso is coming off a decision loss and will do everything is his power to get back on the winning track.

THE PREDICTION: Despite having excellent takedowns, Overslam should probably stick with his boxing against Alonso, as the man they call “Matador” is a better BJJ player than him. That being said, standing with him will be no easy task, as the man fighting out of the blue corner possess good boxing and muay thai skills and he has shown in the past the power to put people away standing.

THE PICK: Overslam’s superior wrestling will allow him to dictate where the fight unfolds, and he should probably look for a standup war. He’s a better boxer and hits harder than Alonso, but make no mistake about it: “Matador” will give him a run for his money. Overslam takes it by decision or a 3rd stoppage.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Tayron “The Iceman” Naar (3-0-0) vs “Andersson” Krille Big (2-2-0)

THE MATCHUP: Naar is tearing through VFF’s welterweight division: 3 fights, 3 knockouts, 3 Knockout of the Night bonuses. In the first round of the tournament, he draws a familiar foe, Krille Big. They’ve faced each other at VFF 6. In their first meeting, Big handled Naar easily in the first round, utilizing his wrestling and ground n’ pound until the bell rang. He gasses himself out, however, and allowed Naar to give him a sample of his striking: Thudding kicks to legs and body softened him up and a vicious right hand sent him unconscious to the canvas.

THE PREDICTION: “The Iceman” certainly comes in more confident after how their first fight played out. However, if Big improved his conditioning, he may very well be able to extend the dominance displayed in the opening round to the third. Strategies should be pretty clear here: Naar will be looking to sprawl n’ brawl, while Big must pursue the takedown.

THE PICK: Big might make the fight even more competitive than it was back at VFF 6, but Naar surely sees the tournament as his ticket into stardom. Once he gets Big’s timing and start to stuff his takedowns, it’s all over. Naar earns his passport into the next stage of the tourney.

MAIN CARD

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Duncan Trussell (2-0-0) vs “Boss” Miran Fabjan (0-2-0)

THE MATCHUP: Trussell is cut from the same cloth of Naar: 2 fights inside the VFF cage, 2 knockouts and 2 Knockout of the Night bonuses. A very well-rounded fighter, he was last seen in action dispatching Yente Welvaert in just 56 seconds with an uppercut. His opponent, Fabjan is yet to taste victory in his pro MMA career. He made his VFF debut against Stephen Learmont, succumbing to punches in the first round.

THE PREDICTION: Fabjan doesn’t seem to react well to being hit and should avoid exchanges at all costs. He will certainly be looking for the clinch and takedowns, but Trussell has the edge in wrestling and should make this a very difficult test.

THE PICK: Look for Trussell to display his superiority early on. He stops Fabjan via strikes in the opening frame.

MAIN CARD

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Rocco “The” Destroyer (0-0-0) vs Brian “Wow” Searing (2-1-0)

THE MATCHUP: Destroyer is making his pro debut against Searing in the tournament’s first round. The more experienced Searing has to avoid the ground game at all costs. Standing, he has a slight edge in the boxing department. However, Destroyer is the better wrestler of the two, and holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. If he manages to take it to ground, the white belt Searing will be in a world of trouble.

THE PREDICTION: Searing’s edge is his experience, and I don’t think that will be enough against a good prospect like Destroyer. He might struggle to get the takedown, but once he gets it, “Wow” will be in a serious trouble.

THE PICK: Destroyer by submission.

MAIN CARD

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Braden Rush (3-4-0) vs Stephen “The Sentinel” Learmont (1-0-0)

THE MATCHUP: Closing the tournament bracket is a clash between veteran Braden Rush and up-and-comer Stephen Learmont. Classic striker vs grappler match: Rush is Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt while Learmont heavily favors a boxing oriented attack.

THE PREDICTION: Learmont is the better wrestler and will need to keep the fight upright as Rush has previously displayed a wide array of submissions. On the ground, there’s nowhere you can be sage against him, as he finished opponents with kneebars, triangles and the traditional rear-naked choke. Learmont brings firepower of his own, though. He made quick work of another tournament entrant, Miran Fabjan, with his heavy hands.

THE PICK: Learmont manages to keep the fight standing for enough time to earn himself a decision victory or a late stoppage.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Bertus Eppinga (4-3-0) vs Fabricio “Ninja” Neguera (4-4-0)

Both guys play the same game, only Neguera plays it at a higher level. Look for the brown belt to close the gap, take Eppinga down and submit him.

Pick: Neguera by submission.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – “Lumberjack” Losefa Tuilagi (9-10-0) vs Wayne “Iceman” Brown (8-9-0)

Tuilagi should probably be able to keep the fight standing, where he will exploit Brown’s chin en route to a 2nd round knockout.

Pick: Tuilagi by knockout.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – “Big Greek” Mike Twice (1-1-0) vs Demon “Light” Burn (1-0-0)

Both guys are very evenly matched. Twice has the edge in the grappling department, but Burn is a heavy hitter, limping his previous foe just 5 seconds as a MMA pro. I think “Light” should be able to keep it standing and score a TKO.

Pick: Burn by TKO in the 2nd round.

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) – “The Whirlwind” Dakota Weston (2-3-0) Venom Vortex (2-1-0)

Both guys coming off of quick knockouts: Vortex delivering one and Weston on the receiving one of another. Vortex is a more complete fighter and that will play a factor in this match. I pick him to outpoint Weston in a hard-fought decision.

Pick: Vortex by decision.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Ricardo Aguiar (1-0-0) vs Diogo “Alan” Casca (1-1-0)

Aguiar’s wrestling should get him out of trouble against Casca, a muay thai specialist. If he gets the fight to the mat, he’s more than capable of pulling out the sub.

Pick: Aguiar gets another submission win for his record.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the review right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

May 29, 2012

VFF 12: 170 Title Tourney Round 1 Review

The fans in attendance certainly got they share of violence tonight, as 5 out of 10 fights ended by brutal knockout. A detailed view on those knockouts plus the breakdown of the welterweight tournament first round you can see here, at the VFF 12 review...

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Overslam (4-2-0) vs Maxi “Matador” Alonso (4-2-0)

THE FIGHT: Overslam increased his winning streak to 3 after quickly dispatching Maxi Alonso in our main attraction. Alonso had all of his takedowns stuffed and had no answer for Overslam’s standup. After failing a takedown, “Matador” was dropped silly by a clean 1-2 combo. Overslam waved him back to his feet and unleashed a series of punches and a knee that dropped Alonso again. The hulking Polish pounced and dropped the hammer on Alonso’s jaw, forcing the ref to call a stop to this bout.

THE RESULT: Overslam / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (1:57)

CO-MAIN EVENT

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Tayron “The Iceman” Naar (3-0-0) vs “Andersson” Krille Big (2-2-0)

THE FIGHT: Naar did a nice job in keeping the fight upright, as he stuffed all of Big’s takedowns easily while battering him with kicks to the legs and torso. “Andersson” kept diving desperately into Naar’s legs, but couldn’t finish his takedowns. After barely one minute into the fight, he was already breathing heavily. Naar took his time and landed a clean jab that snapped Big’s head backwards. “The Iceman” followed it up with a vicious uppercut that turned Big’s lights out. The stoppage came just at 1:48 of the very first round.

THE RESULT: Naar / KO (Punch) / Round 1 (1:48)

MAIN CARD

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Duncan Trussell (2-0-0) vs “Boss” Miran Fabjan (0-2-0)

THE FIGHT: Trussell imposed his game early on, mixing up kicks and punches nicely. He followed a leg kick nicely with a left hook that stunned Fabjan. Before “Boss” could regain his wits, Trussell unleashed a nasty high kick that hit Fabjan’s head like a baseball bat, as he was left unconscious and folded over himself in a pile against the cage. Just brutal.

THE RESULT: Trussell / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (0:20)

MAIN CARD

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Rocco “The” Destroyer (0-0-0) vs Brian “Wow” Searing (2-1-0)

THE FIGHT: Searing made a mistake and paid the price for it. He took Destroyer down right from the bell, only to be reversed and mounted almost as fast. It spelled doom for “Wow”, as his opponent swiftly transitioned into an armbar. Destroyer earns his ticket to next tournament round as Searing is forced to tap to the submission.

THE RESULT: Destroyer / Submission (Armbar) / Round 1 (1:57)

MAIN CARD

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Welterweight Tournament Bout

Braden Rush (3-4-0) vs Stephen “The Sentinel” Learmont (1-0-0)

THE FIGHT: Learmont displayed polished striking in his quick outing against Rush. He kept pushing his jab against Rush, and it landed over and over. “The Sentinel” then mixed shots to the ribcage with shots to the head, flooring Rush with a big right hand. Bloodied and battered, Rush stood up only to be dropped again by a monstrous hook. This time, he didn’t raised again.

THE RESULT: Learmont / KO (Punches) / Round 1 (0:57)

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Bertus Eppinga (4-3-0) vs Fabricio “Ninja” Neguera (4-4-0)

“Ninja” quickly got the fight into his realm, as he scored a neat takedown straight into full mount. From there, he worked for submissions diligently. He clinched and arm triangle and switched it into a beautiful Anaconda choke. Eppinga’s face started to turn purple as he refused to tap. The ref had to separate Neguera from his unconscious foe at 1:45 of the very first round.

Result: Neguera / Submission (Anaconda Choke) / Round 1 (1:45)

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs) – “Lumberjack” Losefa Tuilagi (9-10-0) vs Wayne “Iceman” Brown (8-9-0)

Tuilagi was doing a great job at keeping the fight standing while punishing Brown with body shots and right hands, but “Iceman” finally got the clinch, followed by a nice trip takedown into side control. He got a hold of Tuilagi’s arm and cranked it, forcing “Lumberjack” to tap.

Result: Brown / Submission (Kimura) / Round 1 (0:45)

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) – “Big Greek” Mike Twice (1-1-0) vs Demon “Light” Burn (1-0-0)

Twice chased Burn across the cage, trying to get the takedown, but no joy. “Big Greek” rushed in looking to clinch, only to walk right into a powerful right hook from Burn, getting knocked out silly.

Result: Burn / KO (Punch) / Round 1 (0:30)

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) – “The Whirlwind” Dakota Weston (2-3-0) Venom Vortex (2-1-0)

Weston couldn’t find a home for his strikes and Vortex made him pay by constantly putting him on his back. On the mat, Vortex put the pressure on “The Whirlwind”, attacking him with a myriad of submissions throughout the 15 minutes. Weston defended all of them, but he spent more time defending than attacking and ended up on the wrong side of the decision.

Result: Vortex / Decision (Unanimous)

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs) – Ricardo Aguiar (1-0-0) vs Diogo “Alan” Casca (1-1-0)

Casca made good use of the clinch to pin Aguiar against the cage and work him with knees while preventing the takedown. Aguiar occasionally got the fight to the mat but both fighters were already tired and slippery by the time, so he couldn’t do much with his takedowns.

Result: Casca / Decision (Unanimous)

And that’s it for our review, guys!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

July 2, 2012

VFF 18: Learmont vs Destroyer Preview

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

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Amsterdam’s The Underground will be setting the stage for yet another Vigor Fighting show, as welterweight rising star Stephen “The Sentinel” Learmont battles grappling sensation Rocco Destroyer for the vacant Welterweight Title in our main event of the evening. Co-starring the card are light heavyweights Fabricio “Ninja” Neguera and Jonah Sumrall in what promises to be a very entertaining fight. A welterweight clash between Tayron “The Iceman” Naar and Rob “The Demolition Man” McKenzie and a middleweight bout featuring “Animal” Zag Luis and Wayne Brown wraps up our main card of fights.

Below is a detailed a view of the night’s fights, with analysis and picks.

MAIN EVENT

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) - Welterweight Championship

Stephen “The Sentinel” Learmont (3-0-0) vs Rocco “The” Destroyer (2-0-0)

Fighter Facts: Stephen Learmont

- Undefeated

- All wins by (T)KO

- Finished all opponents in the first round

Fighter Facts: Rocco Destroyer

- BJJ Brown Belt

- All wins by submission

- Undefeated

These Welterweight Tournament finalists will face each other at last. Hailing from the red corner is Learmont. An outstanding boxer with dynamite in both fists, the undefeated 19-year old Detroit also showed heart and resolve in his last fight against Duncan Trussell. Rocked early by his opponent, “The Sentinel” kept his poise and fired back with murderous intent, ultimately stopping Trussell with an uppercut and follow up punches on the mat.

Staring at him from across the cage will be Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace Rocco Destroyer, who earned his ticket to the finals after submitting the previously undefeated Tayron Naar with a Submission of the Night award winner armbar in the second round.

THE MATCHUP: Destroyer survived a first round assault of leg kicks and power punches from Naar to get his submission win with just 4 seconds left on the clock in the second round, and he will need to show the same sturdiness against the very dangerous Learmont if he wants to win this fight. Naar was undoubtedly trying to chop his legs away, making his takedowns less effective as the fight progressed but Learmont won’t be willing to play this game; he will headhunt, and he will shoot to kill. This can make it easier for Destroyer to get it to ground, but it also means he needs to be extra careful: Learmont’s power is a game changer and he only needs one well placed punch to turn the tide in his favor.

That being said, the only time “The Sentinel” had his takedown defense tested was against Braden Rush, a fighter with much inferior wrestling than Destroyer. He will need to use his reach advantage early and catch Destroyer with a big punch. The longer the fight goes, the more likely it is that Rocco will be able to get a trip or takedown.

THE PICK: In the end, it’s a classic striker vs grappler match. The winner will be the one that is able to dictate where the fight takes place. It’s a coin toss, really. I can see Destroyer enduring an early assault and getting a “Minotauro”-like submission in the end, but I can also see Learmont connecting with the power needed to put his lights out. Since I have to pick a winner, I’ll go with Destroyer by submission.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Fabricio “Ninja” Neguera (6-4-0) vs Jonah Sumrall (2-0-0)

BJJ Brown belt Neguera welcomes Muay Thai powerhouse Jonah Sumrall into the Vigor Fighting cage in our co-main attraction. A 10-fight veteran, Neguera will have to use all his experience against his promising opponent. Sumrall scored 2 knockouts in two fights, and he possesses finishing power in both his hands and his feet.

Neguera was last seen in action in a winning effort against Johan Stryker, where the tall Polish fighter forced his opponent to tap after locking in a tight arm triangle choke. He managed to get the takedown early, but it might not work as easily against a better wrestler. Mixing up a few strikes to set the shot would be a good idea, but Neguera lacks the skillset to do so while not getting in trouble against a superior striker.

Sumrall makes his debut with 2 fights under his belt, and 2 vicious knockouts. A high kick from the American separated Rubin Kersikov from his senses in his last outing. He set the finishing blow with a nice mix of punches and low kicks, and he should do no different in this bout.

THE MATCHUP: “Ninja” will need to close the gap quickly and get it to the mat, where his superior Jiu-Jitsu will certainly give him the advantage. This will be no easy task, however, as Sumrall is a good wrestler himself, and will no doubt be looking to fire kicks from long range.

THE PICK: Look for Sumrall to feed Neguera a steady diet of kicks to the legs and body, weakening his takedown ability and setting up a power punch or high kick that will end the bout in the first or second round.

MAIN CARD

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Tayron “The Iceman” Naar (4-1-0) vs Rob “The Demolition Man” McKenzie (4-2-0)

Naar saw his 4-fight winning streak snapped by Tournament finalist Rocco Destroyer and now looks to get back on the winning track. One of the division’s finest strikers, “The Iceman” scored all of his 4 wins by way of knockout or technical knockout. To put his outstanding striking skill to good use, however, he will need to keep the fight standing, a task that won’t be easy by any means, as he faces a solid wrestler and BJJ purple belt in the form of Rob McKenzie.

The fighter known as “The Demolition Man” is a versatile grappler with powerful takedowns. Once on the ground, he’s adept at working a very aggressive ground n’ pound-oriented attack, but will go for submissions if the opportunity presents itself.

THE MATCHUP: McKenzie has his work cut out for him: Get the fight to the ground as soon as possible. If it turns into a grappling contest, he should probably get an easy win. But the opposite is true, too. If Naar utilizes his leg kicks to slow McKenzie’s takedowns and keep the fight standing, he has the power and technique to put him away.

THE PICK: McKenzie gets the takedown at some point and pounds away, earning the TKO victory.

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

“Animal” Zag Luis (5-2-0) vs Wayne “Iceman” Brown (9-10-0)

Middleweights Luis and Brown locks horns in our last main card bout in a what seems to be (at least on paper) a very competitive match. Both guys are well rounded fighters, Luis’ forte being wrestling while Brown’s bread and butter is Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Luis is an extremely well conditioned fighter with outstanding takedowns. He uses constant pressure to draw his opponents to the canvas. Once there, he will attack with ground n’ pound, and 2 of his 5 career wins came by TKO via strikes on the ground.

8 out of Brown’s 9 wins came by way of submission. The Bristol native is especially proficient with arm locks, with the vast majority of his wins coming by some variation of it. His chin seems to be the chink in his armor; Brown has been stopped by strikes 7 times in his career.

THE MATCHUP: Luis is the superior wrestler and he should be able to dictate where the fight takes place. The big question mark here is whether he will keep it standing or if he will take his chances and dive into Brown’s guard. Despite not having a single win by KO, Brown is reportedly a heavy handed fighter, so he can get Luis in trouble standing too.

THE PICK: Luis takes Brown down and hurts him with strikes, finishing the fight before his opponent traps him into a submission hold.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Mike Kroon (2-1-0) vs Gniewomir “Polish Horror” Kowalek (0-3-0)

THE PICK: Both guys are in need of a win. Kowalek utilizes superior BJJ to edge Kroon in a decision and finally gets his first win as a pro.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Filip “Chibs” Telford (1-0-0) vs Ruud Van Graaf (1-2-0)

THE PICK: Telford keeps the fight standing and gets the stoppage on first round punches.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Ingmir “Icke” Fischson (2-3-0) vs “Squatch” Juan Carlos Stormer (0-0-0)

THE PICK: Stormer puts his muay thai to good use here and makes a perfect debut, winning the fight by decision.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Mikael Eriksson (5-4-0) vs “The Whirlwind” Dakota Weston (2-5-0)

THE PICK: Both guys on losing streaks here and in desperate need of a win. Eriksson uses superior wrestling to get the fight to the ground and submits Weston.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Merval Jacobson (0-1-0) vs David Marcos (2-2-0)

THE PICK: Marcos utilizes his wrestling and ground n’ pound to earn himself a unanimous decision from the judges.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the review right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

July 10, 2012

VFF 18 – Learmont vs Destroyer Review

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

Learmont stays unbeaten, claims Welterweight Title...

For the first time in his promising and young career, Stephen Learmont got into deep waters. When the welterweight standout was scheduled to meet grappling ace Rocco Destroyer, few expected it to go to the judge's scorecards. One thing remained the same, though: Learmont had his hand raised at the end of the fight.

Utilizing sheer strength, “The Sentinel” trapped Destroyer in the clinch and worked him over with dirty boxing for the majority of their 25-minute tangle. It wasn’t easy, however, as, especially as the rounds came to an end, Destroyer finally managed to get the takedowns he wanted. Learmont kept his cool, and managed to slip out of his submission attempts.

Rocco’s best moment came at the start of the 5th round, when he achieved full mount and committed to an armbar. Learmont defended it well and managed to reverse the position, ultimately earning a unanimous decision from the judges.

Official result: Learmont / Decision (Unanimous) / Fight of the Night

Sumrall blasts “Ninja” in the first round...

Light Heavyweight prospect Jonah Sumrall made quick work of VF veteran Fabricio Neguera in the co-main event of the night. He landed at will with various kicks and avoided his opponent’s takedowns throughout their brief encounter.

The Ashland native put the pressure early, feeding “Ninja” a steady diet of leg kicks. A beautiful left-right combination followed and leveled the huge Polish man. Sumrall waved him back to his feet and stalked. As Neguera circled, he landed a vicious head kick that dropped him out cold to the canvas. The stoppage came at 3:12 of the first round.

Sumrall now extends his perfect record to 3-0 (1-0 VF), while Neguera (6-5, 2-2 VF) had a 2-fight winning streak snapped.

Official result: Sumrall / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (3:12)

Naar dominates, stops McKenzie...

Welterweight GP semi-finalist Tayron Naar bounced back from his first professional loss in dominant fashion against Rob McKenzie. “The Iceman” displayed sharp Muay Thai, brutally chopping his opponent’s legs and torso from a distance.

The shots slowly hindered McKenzie’s takedowns, and the Scotsman had no answer for his opponent’s striking. Naar continued his blitz, mixing punches and kicks with perfection.

Briefly after the 4-minute mark, Naar saw his opening and capitalized, connecting flush with a high kick that dropped “The Demolition Man” where he stood. A flurry of punches on the canvas followed and forced the ref to step in and rescue the badly hurt McKenzie from further punishment.

Naar, now 5-1 (5-1 VF), with all his wins coming by way of (T)KO, has agreed to be the first challenger to Stephen Learmont’s newly obtained crown. McKenzie, (4-3, 2-1 VF) on the other hand, lost his first fight within Vigor Fighting and saw his 2-fight winning streak come to an end.

Official result: Naar / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (4:32)

Luis outworks Brown, notches decision win...

Zag Luis climbed another step in the Middleweight ladder as he edged Wayne Brown after 3 rounds of fighting. He now moves to 6-2 (5-2 VF) and gets a 3-fight winning streak going. Brown gets the 11th blemish on his record, moving to 9-11 overall, 1-2 inside the Vigor Fighting cage.

Luis set his relentless pace right from the start, scoring takedowns and working Brown with his ground n’ pound throughout the bout. Brown stood active from his guard, though, chaining together submission attempts, but the BJJ purple belt failed to trap his opponent and ultimately ended on the wrong side of the unanimous decision.

Official result: Luis / Decision (Unanimous)

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Light Heavyweight bout – Mikael Eriksson vs Dakota Weston

Eriksson submits Weston via armbar in the second round (1:20) and earns the Submission of the Night bonus.

Heavyweight bout – William Burns vs Schnvekolai Gryznvynvovyshknzki

Burns knocks out Gryznvynvovyshknzki with an uppercut at 4:59 of the very first round.

Middleweight bout – Mike Kroon vs Gniewomir Kovalek

Kroon swept the scorecards and got the unanimous decision victory.

Heavyweight bout – Juan Carlos Stormer vs Ingmir Fischson

Stormer stops Fischson on first round strikes at the 03:33 mark.

Heavyweight bout – Filip Telford vs Ruud Van Graaf

Telford wins by TKO in the opening frame. Official stoppage came at 1:28.

Middleweight bout – David Marcos vs Merval Jacobson

Marcos outworked Jacobson and took home the unanimous verdict from the judges.

And that’s it for VFF 18 review, guys!

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer, and I’ll be back soon with VFF 19’s preview.

Be sure to check it out!

See ya’ll later.

July 17, 2012

VFF 19 – Abdelrashid vs Ondrus Review

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

ONDRUS DETHRONES ABDELRASHID!

The middleweight title changes hands once again. In the night’s main event, Petr Ondrus (9-6, 3-0 VF) got the better of now former champion Khadar Abdelrashid pretty much everywhere the fight went to claim Vigor Fighting’s belt. Abdelrashid’s record now drops to 8-4 overall, 3-2 inside the VF cage.

“Pino” engaged early and got the better of the exchanges on the feet, especially with body shots. His strikes paved the way for the clinch, which he made good use of. From close quarters, he battered the champ with punches to the head and body, drawing blood from him with a glancing blow to the forehead. A takedown followed by a few submission attempts and guard passes cemented a dominant first round for the challenger.

Ondrus’ work resumed in the second round, as he quickly closed the distance with combinations and forced another clinch. His dirty boxing attack continued, and an old ghost came back to haunt Abdelrashid: his tendency to cut. “Al-Kabws” already fell victim twice to doctor stoppages and Ondrus’ constant pressure in the clinch was only making things worse. By the end of the second round, the champion was a bloody mess.

The third round started, and the champ came out swinging, but his wild punches failed to hit their intended target. Ondrus slowly got his timing and started to land with volume. A pair of left hands got Abdelrashid’s cut absolutely horrific, the canvas painted red with his blood. The ref stopped the fight and the doctor called it.

Petr Ondrus is the new middleweight champion!

Official result: Ondrus / TKO (Cut) / Round 3 (1:28)

Rodrigues outboxes Hunter in light heavyweight showdown...

Volume punching and strength carried Rodrigues (3-0, 2-0 VF) to a decision win against the dangerous Hymen Hunter in the co-main event of the evening. Both guys also pocketed a nice $2,000 bonus for their Fight of the Night performance.

Known for his sharp muay thai and knockout prowess, Hunter (5-3-1, 4-2 VF) tried to chop Rodrigues with kicks to the legs and midsection but “The Snake” was just too fast for him, countering his strikes and clinch attempts with punches to the head and body.

Rodrigues was clearly superior in the first two rounds, taking the center of the cage and being the aggressor for the most of the first ten minutes. He faded in the third, however, and Hunter tried to mount some offense of his own, finally managing to get the clinch and cutting him open with a wicked elbow. He struggled to control Rodrigues in close though, and couldn’t do much more to turn the tide in his favour.

In the ended, judges Paulsen Ambrosius and Paul Aken saw it 30-27 and judge Wagner Zegers saw it 30-28, all in favor of Jake Rodrigues.

Official result: Rodrigues / Decision (Unanimous)

Turtle edges Vortex...

Don Ninja Turtle got his 4th straight win inside the VF cage, moving to 4-0 in his career and possibly breaking into the title mix with a hard-fought decision win over Venom Vortex.

Vortex, now 4-2, had no answer for his opponent’s varied striking, as he was fed a steady diet of kicks to the legs and body while failing to land with most of his punches. The Dark Horse MMA Academy representative scored takedowns in all three rounds, but Turtle defended all of his submission attempts and eventually got back to his feet, resuming his assault.

In the end, all three cage side judges scored the bout 29-28 to Turtle.

Official result: Turtle / Decision (Unanimous)

Payet stops Sumiala in lightweight thriller...

Lightweights Jonathan Payet and Antti Sumiala went to war in the opening main card bout. Payet gets his second straight win, now moving to 3-1, while Sumiala gets the first blemish on his previously perfect record, also moving to 3-1.

The Nantes, France-native negated Sumiala’s outstanding boxing with brute power, forcing him against the cage and dirty boxing his helpless foe for the majority of their encounter. Unable to break free of Payet’s grip, Sumiala was battered with punches to the head and body for two full rounds.

The third and final bell rang, and Payet wasted no time in moving the fight into close quarters yet again. Just before the 4-minute mark, he landed a vicious right hand that dazed Sumiala and followed with a vicious uppercut that bumped him against the cage. More punches got through the defenses of the badly hurt Sumiala and dropped him to the canvas, forcing the referee to step in and rescue him from further punishment.

Official result: Payet / TKO (Strikes) / Round 3 (3:58)

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Heavyweight bout – Dante Velasquez vs DJ Campbell

The heavyweight clash between Velasquez and Campbell was ruled a majority draw after 3 rounds of fighting.

Lightweight bout – Goro Shokan vs Gerry Fighter

Shokan gets a unanimous decision win over Fighter.

Welterweight bout – Shael Connen vs Duncan Trussell

Connen outwrestles Trusell and earns himself a unanimous decision.

Welterweight bout – Joakim Broden vs Harold Tabacco

Broden blasts Tabacco early and gets the TKO win in just 32 seconds.

Welterweight bout – Bob Laskownik vs Tommy Jarzynka

Laskownik outgrapples Jarzynk for the majority of their fight and walks away with the unanimous decision.

Middleweight bout – Jimmy Hoffer vs Leandro Padilha

Hoffer comes back from the brink of defeat to stop Padilha by TKO via elbows and follow-up punches on the ground at 4:28 of the opening frame.

And that’s it for VFF 19 review, guys!

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer, and I’ll be back soon with VFF 20’s preview.

Be sure to check it out!

See ya’ll later.

July 20, 2012

VFF 20 : BOYCHECK vs JONES

http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/posters/1342384033vff20.jpg

PREVIEW

by Rodrigo Oliveira

Vigor Fighting reaches a milestone of 20 events next Friday, and to celebrate the occasion, nothing better than see two of the promotion’s finest go at it for the light heavyweight crown.

In this preview, you’ll get analysis and picks for VFF 20, headlined by a light heavyweight title fight involving two TOP 10 fighters in the org, and co-headlined by a pivotal lightweight clash between Lorenzo Von Matterhorn and Metal Ripper. A pair of light heavyweight clashes topples our main card of fights.

Without further delay, here’s the preview for VFF 20.

MAIN EVENT

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Mitka “Meph” Boycheck (8-2-0) vs Peter “PJ” Jones (6-1-0)

FIGHTER FACTS Mitka Boycheck

- Finished all of his opponents in the first round

- 3 wins by (T)KO, 5 by submission

- BJJ Brown Belt

FIGHTER FACTS Peter Jones

- 4 wins by submission

- Won 6 of last 7 fights

- BJJ Brown Belt

Number 1 ranked Mitka Boycheck returns to the VFF cage for the first time since capturing the light heavyweight strap from Hymen Hunter with a first round kimura at VFF 14. The St. Petersburg-native brings a 2-fight winning streak to his first title defense against Peter Jones. An outstanding grappler with a penchant for the finish, Boycheck is adept at taking his opponents down and pounding them, either looking for the TKO or an opening for a submission. He also has a solid striking base and knockout power in his hands.

The challenger Jones, currently ranked 6th in the VFF ladder, is also riding a 2-fight winning streak. The Dutchman also has grappling as his forte, and he’ll look for the takedown right from the start. Once the action hits the canvas, he will fish for submissions often. Against the champion, he will hunt for his first finish inside the VFF cage, after taking decision wins over Jan Nowak and Dante Veles in his previous outings.

ANALYSIS: “PJ” will look to utilize his good takedowns right after the bell, as his best bet relies on out grappling the champion. Things would get even better for him if he could take the fight to the championship rounds, as his amazing cardio would certainly give him the edge against a probably fading Boycheck in the later rounds. Even if he manages to do so, a win is far from granted, as Boycheck is also a Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt, and possesses numerous submission wins to his credit.

The champ has more tools in his shed. His striking is particularly superior to that of Jones’, and if “Meph” can successfully dictate where the fight unfolds and keep it standing, he is undoubtedly a heavy favorite. His superior wrestling credentials indicate he could possible do so.

THE PICK: Even if Jones scores a takedown or two, Boycheck has the ability to scramble back to his feet or sweep him. While standing, look for Boycheck to crack the challenger with punches and score a TKO in the second round.

CO-MAIN EVENT

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT

“No Nickname Needed” Lorenzo Von Matterhorn (2-0-0) vs Metal Ripper (1-1-0)

The co-main event of the evening features a pair of young lightweights battling for a nice spot within VFF’s ladder. Von Matterhorn is undefeated in his career at 2-0, both of his triumphs took place inside the VFF cage and both came by way of submission. He was last seen in action at VFF 17, when he guillotine-choked Amethyst Ashe in just 54 seconds. Ripper is coming off the heels of his first loss, a losing effort against Antti Sumiala.

Both guys are good grapplers, sporting brown belts in Brazilian jiu jitsu and good wrestling to go with it. Ripper is a slightly better striker, and he spends more time on the feet than his opponent. His hands aren’t particularly deadly, but they allow him to set up his shots, since he’s not a takedown machine. When on the mat, he utilizes ground n’ pound nicely to open up opportunities for guard passes and submission attempts.

Von Matterhorn approach varies a bit from that of Ripper’s. He’s not afraid of being takedown, and even allowed his opponents do so in his previous outings. He is offensive off his back, always looking to sweep his opponents and stringing together submission attempts.

ANALYSIS: Ripper might want to tune his style of fighting for this particular bout. Shooting for takedowns often might not be the best course of action to follow: Von Matterhorn is at his best with his back on the canvas, and is a dangerous submission artist. Even though he has good ground n’ pound, his best bet would be to keep it standing and utilize his superior boxing to rack up points throughout the bout. Von Matterhorn, on the other hand, should try to get it to ground early and often, whether by pulling guard or taking Ripper down.

THE PICK: This bout will inevitably hit the ground, the key factor is for how long it stays there and who lands on top position. I’d give the edge to Von Matterhorn in a prolonged grappling match, but if Ripper can keep it upright for most of the time, his boxing will allow him to score more often than his opponent. I pick Von Matterhorn by decision.

MAIN CARD

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

“Ny Rillataan” Vikkuva Timo Jutila (2-1-0) vs Diogo “Alan” Casca (2-1-1)

Timo Jutila draws Diogo Casca for his returning bout after his first professional defeat, a 8-second TKO loss to Tyson Jr. in the headlining bout of VFF 17. Casca also looks to get back to the winners’ pack after a disappointing draw against Bertus Eppinga at VFF 16.

The 19-year old Finnish is an accurate striker, and he mixes his kicks and punches well, constantly changing levels. Despite having less-than-stellar wrestling credentials, he makes up for it with decent jiu-jitsu, his first pro win coming via a 50-second armbar. The veteran Brazilian “Alan” Casca is a muay thai expert, and he’s at his best in the clinch, where he works his opponents with knees to the body and head. His solid wrestling allow him to dictate where the fight goes most of the time: Casca’s previous opponents only succeeded with 16% of their takedown attempts.

ANALYSIS: Casca’s one dimensional approach might prove to be his undoing against a solid prospect like Timo Jutila, who can pick him apart on the outside with leg/body kicks. If he manages to close the gap, though, he’s capable of inflicting serious damage with his knees. Both guys should walk into the cage with pretty obvious game plans.

PICK: Timo Jutila utilizes his striking arsenal to keep the fight on the outside and takes a hard-fought unanimous decision over Casca.

MAIN CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

Bertus Eppinga (4-4-1) vs Mauricio “Shogun” Silva (2-2-0)

Vigor Fighting veteran Bertus Eppinga returns to action in our first main card bout, and he has a tough task ahead of him in the form of Mauricio Silva. After a bad start in his career, the man they call “Shogun” scored two quick knockouts inside VFF territory, and a win over Eppinga would certainly give him a ticket to a high profile match.

Eppinga is a well-rounded that can hold his own wherever it goes, but is not particularly dangerous anywhere. The Dutchman is in need of a win: The last time he had his hand raised by the ref was at VFF 7, after a unanimous verdict over Boris Novachkov. Eppinga will take the fight everywhere, mixing up punches, kicks, clinches and takedowns while standing. On the ground, he makes good use of strikes to set up guard passes and submissions.

Silva is the exact opposite of Eppinga. The towering 6’4” light heavyweight is an outstanding striker with mediocre grappling. He started his VFF run with a pair of submission losses, but has recently bounced back in vicious fashion, dispatching Jack Mcclane and Randy Royale in the first round of their respective bouts. “Shogun” is adept at throwing heavy leather all over his opponents.

ANALYSIS: Eppinga should make this an ugly, grinding affair. Mixing up tie-ups and takedowns to wear out the explosive Silva remains his bet at a win. Silva should keep the fight on the outside and pick his shots, his usual flailing will only get him tired faster and give Eppinga the opportunity to back him against the cage or drag him to the canvas.

THE PICK: Silva keeps it standing long enough to hurt Eppinga with punches, finishing the fight by way of knockout or technical knockout in the opening frame.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Gimli Gloin (2-1-0) vs Thijs Van Diep (0-3-0)

Gloing is the superior boxer and BJJ player, and he takes the fight by (T)KO or submission in the 1st round.

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

Christer “The Astronaut” Fugelsang (2-0-0) vs Maiquel “Legionarius” Jose (2-3-0)

Fugelsang outstrikes Jose and takes home a unanimous decision.

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

“Lumberjack” Losefa Tuilagi (9-12-0) vs Charobi Mac D (1-3-0)

The more experienced Tuilagi edges out Mac D, scoring his 10th professional win.

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

Jonny “Zombie” Chapman (10-14-0) vs Theodor “Golden” Maresio (4-8-0)

The “Zombie” takes it by TKO in the second round.

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Ricardo Aguiar (2-1-0) vs Randy “KasinO” Royale (2-5-1)

Aguiar takes it by 3rd round TKO due to ground strikes.

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

Tyler “Hangtime” Hall (0-1-0) vs Henrik “Potter” Andersen (0-3-0)

Hall gets his first pro win via unanimous decision.

And that’s it for our preview guys!

Be sure to check the review after the event.

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, VFF’s official writer!

July 22, 2012

VFF 20 – Boycheck vs Jones Review

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

Wow. Vigor Fighting celebrated it’s milestone of 20 events in stunning fashion. One thousand ecstatic MMA fans packed Amsterdam’s The Underground and witnessed one of the best events in the promotion’s history. Mitka Boycheck and Peter Jones took part in an instant classic in their main event bout that culminated with a spectacular finish. The present is bright, but the future looks even brighter for Vigor Fighting.

Without further delay, here’s the report on VFF 20: Boycheck vs Jones.

Jones Upsets Boycheck In Thriller!

In one of the most memorable battles in VF’s history, Peter Jones upset #1 ranked light heavyweight kingpin Mitka Boycheck to capture the promotion’s 205-pound title.

The challenger timed his takedowns perfectly, even mounting Boycheck on one occasion. A grappling battle unfolded, with the two fighters working for sweeps and submissions. Jones kept his poise even inside Boycheck’s guard, and remained in top position for the majority of the time.

The then-champion had his best moments on the feet, scoring with kicks to the legs and the ribs of Jones. He failed to keep the fight upright, however, and with each passing round, he got further behind on the scorecards.

Jones didn’t fade, however. The fourth round began, and Jones quickly took Boycheck down. Ground strikes followed, and enabled guard passes, with Jones eventually advancing to full mount. The champ was in a bad spot, strikes raining all over him, unable to escape the position. The challenger took his chances and committed to an armbar! Boycheck couldn’t get out of the hold and tapped out as the crowd erupted to congratulate Jones on a brilliant performance!

Official result: Jones / Submission (Armbar) / Round 4 (4:59)

Von Matterhorn Gets 3rd Straight Submission Win!

Lorenzo Von Matterhorn displayed his class in a lightweight showdown against Metal Ripper in the co-main event of the evening. The Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt forced a tapout after clinching an armbar just before the 2-minute mark.

Ripper started out strong. A couple of wild punches found their mark, and he followed with a takedown into half guard. Von Matterhorn put his BJJ to good use and switched positions with an awesome reversal, taking Ripper’s back in the process. The Swede survived the rear naked choke and turned his opponent, sitting in his guard.

He was far from being out of danger, though. Von Matterhorn swiveled his hips and latched on armbar, eliciting the aforementioned tapout at 1:59 of the very first round.

Official result: Von Matterhorn / Submission (Armbar) / Round 1 (1:59)

Timo Jutila Knocks Out Casca In 47 Seconds

Vilkkuva Timo Jutila (3-1, 2-1 VF) bounced back from his first professional loss in stunning fashion by dispatching the tough Diogo Casca in less than 50 seconds in a light heavyweight main card affair.

The Finn kept the fight on the outside and softened “Alan” with body shots before going upstairs with a stinging jab that dazed his opponent. He seized the opportunity, slinging a picture-perfect overhand right that connected clean to Casca’s jaw, dropping him face-first to the canvas.

Official result: Timo Jutila / KO (Punch) / Round 1 (0:47)

Silva Stops Veteran Eppinga On Strikes

Mauricio Silva, now 3-2 in his career, scored an important win in our first main card attraction. A brutal stoppage over Eppinga now has him hovering with the division’s top 10 fighters.

Eppinga wanted none of Silva’s power, as he pursued the takedown desperately. “Shogun” kept it upright for his troubles. Within striking range, Silva let his hands fly, forcing Eppinga to backpedal away from flurries of strikes. One of those flurries found it’s home just after the 2-minute mark, knocking Eppinga down. Silva waved him back to his feet, looking for the finish.

The damaged Eppinga came forward with a wild hook that Silva promptly ducked under. A vicious uppercut followed, and this time, it was lights out for Eppinga. The referee jumped in to avoid unnecessary punishment.

Official result: Silva / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:30)

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Heavyweight bout – Gimli Gloin vs Thijs Van Diep

Gloin forces Van Diep to submit due to an armbar at 4:58 of the first round.

Middleweight bout – Christer “The Astronaut” Fugelsang vs Maiquel “Legionarius” Jose

Jose scores with ground n’ pound and superior grappling and takes home a unanimous decision.

Middleweight bout – “Lumberjack” Losefa Tuilagi vs Charobi Mac D

Accurate punches cut open Tuilagi’s eyebrow, forcing the doctors to call the fight at 2:59 of the second round.

Welterweight bout – Jonny “Zombie” Chapman vs Theodor “Golden” Maresio

A series of brutal ground strikes separated Chapman from his consciousness at 4:46 of the final round.

Light Heavyweight bout – Ricardo Aguiar vs Randy “KasinO” Royale

Aguiar landed a barrage of strikes from full mount, leaving the referee with no choice but to step in and rescue Royale.

Welterweight bout – Tyler “Hangtime” Hall vs Henrik “Potter” Andersen

Hall mixed up things nicely, taking the fight everywhere and coasting to a unanimous decision over Andersen.

And that’s it for VFF 20 review, guys!

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer, and I’ll be back soon with VFF 21’s preview.

Be sure to check it out!

See ya’ll later.

July 26, 2012

VFF 21: Coton vs Schrute Preview

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

After a memorable event, VFF returns to Amsterdam, this time holding its show at Hayashi’s Lounge. The 2,000-seat arena is expected to be packed, and to ensure it, nothing better than pairing two heavyweight behemoths against each other with a belt in between them.

Here’s a guide on what to expect (or not) from VFF 21: Coton vs Schrute.

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs) - Heavyweight Championship

Jamie “The Afterlife” Coton (8-2-0) vs Dwight Schrute (11-9-0)

Fighter Facts: Jamie Coton

- Longest reigning VFF champion

- 6 out of 8 wins by knockout or technical knockout

- BJJ Purple Belt

Fighter Facts: Dwight Schrute

- 5 wins by (T)KO, 1 by submission

- 9+ years pro MMA experience

- BJJ Blue Belt

Long time heavyweight ruler Jamie Coton returns to the cage this Friday to put his belt on the line for the 5th time after capturing it at Vigor Fights: Proving Grounds. Since then, the massive Norfolk native has compiled a perfect 4-0 record, with wins over Tristan Alighieri (twice), Frenk Schmellengartner and Dante Velasquez. The champion is a well-rounded fighter, but his bread n’ butter is certainly his striking. He’s an accurate, heavy handed fighter and mixes up punches and kicks very well to set up knockout blows.

Coming after his belt is Schrute, a rugged veteran of the cage with 20 professional bouts under his belt. At 31 years of age, the 280-pound Chuck’s gym representative showed that old dogs still learn new tricks with his submission win over Dante Overslam at VFF 17. It was the first time Schrute forced an opponent to tap out in his career. That’s not his usual approach, however. The challenger is adept at swinging wildly for the fences, hopefully catching his adversaries with a haymaker or two.

THE MATCHUP: Schrute will have to put all of his experience to good use against the more talented Coton if he is to win this bout. Coming in over aggressive might not be the best idea against an accurate striker like the champion. His best bet would be to take the center of the cage and set up occasional bursts of punches with single shots. Easier said than done.

The man known as “The Afterlife” is superior in pretty much every aspect of the game. His credentials indicates that he will have the advantage both in the clinch and on the mat. At striking range, anything can happen in a heavyweight brawl, but as long as he remains out of a firefight, he should be the better man there too.

THE PICK: Look for Coton to keep his range with leg kicks and body punches before unleashing his might and halt Schrute on first round strikes.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

“The Demolition Man” Rantis Gaumpe (4-1-0) vs Jan Nowak (1-1-0)

For co-main event, we’ve got the VFF debut of Rantis Gaumpe. The man they call “Demolition Man” brings a 4-1 record with him, 3 of those wins came by way of (T)KO. An outstanding striker with average-at-best grappling, Gaumpe throws often and he’s very accurate. He mixes his boxing and muay thai effortlessly, sapping his foes with thudding body kicks and pounding them out with his fist right after.

He will face a stern test in Nowak, an excellent wrestler and BJJ purple belt. The towering Polish man can hold his own on the feet, but uses his basic striking mostly to set up shots. With a takedown accuracy of 63%, one would think he sets them up nicely.

THE MATCHUP: Classic striker vs grappler match. Gaumpe will have to keep the fight on the outside and put his kicks to good use, chopping away Nowak’s base to reduce the threat of the takedown while looking for the knockout. Nowak is a very well conditioned fighter and should get the upper hand if the fight gets past the first round. He should be able to score a takedown or two in the opening frame, and the sooner he does it, the better. From top position, he is able to rain down powerful punches, and maybe even go for submissions against his white belt opponent.

THE PICK: Gaumpe will start it out strong, landing with a myriad of kicks and punches, especially in the first half of the opening stanza. As the fight progresses, though, Nowak’s conditioning will shine, and he will get his tiring adversary to the ground. From there, he will rain down punches and elbows en route to a 3rd TKO.

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Don “Teenage Mutant” Ninja Turtle (4-0-0) vs Turk Madden (3-1-0)

Ninja Turtle puts his 4-fight winning streak on the line against newcomer Turk Madden in a main card heavyweight clash. Turtle is fresh off the heels of a decision victory over Venom Vortex at VFF 19. The muay thai specialist is yet to taste defeat in his professional career.

Staring at him from across the cage will be debutant Turk Madden. His plan when walking into the cage is plain and simple: Drag the fight to the mat by any means necessary. His shots aren’t all that great, but he has good takedowns and trips from the clinch. He also uses knees and punches to wear his opponents out while in close quarters.

THE MATCHUP: Madden will try to close the distance quickly, either with a double-leg takedown or by forcing a clinch. If he pins Turtle against the cage and drags him to the mat, his chances are good. That one-dimensional approach might cost him, however, as it’s fairly predictable. Turtle has a good wrestling base himself, and taking him down won’t be that easy.

THE PICK: Look for Turtle to use his arsenal of kicks to keep Madden at bay and win a unanimous decision.

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Overslam (5-3-0) vs Frenk “Neck Crank” Schmellengartner (7-5-0)

Vigor Fight veteran Dante Overslam returns to action after having his 3-fight winning streak snapped by title contender Dwight Schrute at VFF 17. The hulking Polish has one of the highest takedown accuracy ratings in the promotion, and he’s also capable of dealing damage while standing. His weapon of choice is mostly ground n’ pound, however. 4 of his 5 wins have come by way of (T)KO.

Schmellengartner is a well-rounded fighter, and a better grappler than his fellow heavyweight Overslam. Sporting good wrestling and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, the Dutchman is also adept at pounding people out on the ground. If the opportunity for the takedown don’t present itself, he will use his muay thai to mount offense, whether with powerful kicks or with knees and elbows in the clinch. “Neck Crank” was last seen in action in a winning effort over Dwight Schrute at VFF 13.

THE MATCHUP: With similar styles, both guys will look to get on top of each other first. If it stays standing, the more powerful Overslam should have the upper hand with his boxing. If it indeed goes to the ground, Schmellengartner has the grappling skills to sweep Overslam and even submit him.

THE PICK: Overslam will find some success with his punches early in the fight, but Schmellengartner will slowly take over with kicks and knees in the clinch. After wearing his opponent out, he will get the takedown and punch his way to a decision.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

“Animal” Zag Luis (6-2-0) vs Franz Weimar (3-4-0)

THE PICK: Luis scores takedowns in each and every round, cruising to a unanimous verdict from the judges.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Mike Kroon (3-1-0) vs David Marcos (3-2-0)

THE PICK: Kroon’s jiu jitsu will carry him to a unanimous decision or late submission.

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Rob “The Demolition Man” McKenzie (4-3-0) vs Rocco “The” Destroyer (2-1-0)

THE PICK: Once the fight hits the mat, Destroyer will work his way to a submission win in the 1st round.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

“Standup” Ants Milnes (2-2-0) vs Wolfgang “A. Mozart” Lindemann (2-2-0)

THE PICK: Milnes gets the stoppage via head kick in the first.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

“Squatch” Juan Carlos Stormer (1-0-0) vs “Millhouse” Ryan Miller (2-2-0)

THE PICK: Stormer gets his 2nd pro win with a TKO win over Miller in the 2nd round.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Mitchell “Pitbull” Lamzak (2-4-0) vs William “The Nuclear Gun” Lowel (0-1-0)

THE PICK: Lowel gets his first pro win by decision.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the review right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

July 30, 2012

VFF 21 – Coton vs Schrute Review

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

VFF made its second venture into the 2.000-seat Hayashi’s Lounge and kept the tone set by the memorable VFF 20: Exciting fights, brutal finishes, and overall, happy fans. The event saw heavyweight kingpin Coton extend his iron fisted rule over the 265-pound division in spectacular fashion. In the co-main event, Jan Nowak spoiled Rantis Gaumpe’s debut and put himself closer to title contention. Without further delay, on to the VFF 21 review!

COTON SUPERMAN PUNCHES SCHRUTE, RETAINS HEAVYWEIGHT BELT!

Jamie Coton kept his unbeaten streak alive, and he did so in vicious fashion. Dwight Schrute fell prey of the champion’s power at just 25 seconds of the opening frame.

Coton unloaded his explosive power early on, cutting Schrute open with a pair of jabs, and putting him on the seat of his pants twice with punches, all that in under 30 seconds. After rising up a second time, the bloodied and battered challenger was baited with a leg kick feint that was followed by a huge superman punch that rendered him unconscious.

Coton now moves to 9-2 in his career, with a perfect 7-0 record inside the VF cage. He holds the record for most consecutive title defenses within the org’s history, accumulating 5 triumphs after capturing the belt at Vigor Fights: Proving Grounds.

Schrute, on the other hand, moves to 11-10, 2-2 inside Vigor Fighting.

Official result: Coton / KO (Superman Punch) / Round 1 (0:25)

Nowak Spoils Gaumpe Debut

Jan Nowak captured his 2nd win in his VF tenure after spoiling the debut of talented kickboxer Rantis Gaumpe.

“The Demolition Man” had little time to showcase his standup, as Nowak struck for a takedown in the opening seconds of the bout and landed into his opponent’s guard. From top position, he fed Gaumpe a steady diet of punches and elbows while creating space for guard passes. Just after the 4-minute mark, the lanky Polish man achieved full mount and began teeing off. Numerous punches caught Gaumpe cleanly, forcing him to cover up. More punches followed and forced the referee to intervene.

The stoppage now improves Nowak’s record to 2-1, all of his fights taking place inside VF territory. Gaumpe was handed his second professional loss, now sporting a 4-2 record.

Official result: Nowak / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (4:29)

Turtle Dominates, Stops Madden In Main Card Attraction

Turtle managed to keep his professional record clean, growing one of the longest winning streaks of Vigor Fighting. His triumph over Madden was his 5th, all of those obtained within the VF fenced octagon.

Madden was simply no match on the feet for Turtle, missing with most of his strikes while being constantly countered by thudding body kicks. In the second round, Turtle came forward with a huge uppercut that clipped the Chuck’s Gym representative. Additional punches on the downed Madden forced the stoppage.

It was the first time Madden was stopped in his professional career. He now holds a 3-2 record.

Official result: Turtle / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (2:30)

Schmellengartner Tops Overslam In Bloodbath

A series of brutal knees in the thai clinch forced the referee to step in and save a bloodied Dante Overslam from unnecessary punishment. The stoppage came at 4:25 of the opening stanza. It was Schmellengartner’s second straight win, and the Dutchman now moves to 8-5, 2-1 VF. Overslam left the cage with a 5-4 record, 5-3 in the Amsterdam-based organization.

Both guys exchanged body punches in the opening seconds, but Schmellengartner quickly forced a clinch. In close quarters, the heavyweights exchanged short punches but “Neck Crank” was more effective, landing with hard knees that busted Overslam’s face open. With only 45 seconds in the first round, Schmellengartner got a tight thai clinch and delivered the aforementioned punishment. Overslam, clearly hurt, just covered up, his face a bloody mess. The ref decided he saw enough and put an end to the bout.

Official result: Schmellengartner / TKO (Knees) / Round 1 (4:25)

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Middleweight bout – Franz Weimar vs Zag Luis

A flurry of punches against the cage granted Weimar the TKO over Luis. Official stoppage came at 3:17 of the very first round.

Middleweight bout – David Marcos vs Mike Kroon

Marcos outgrappled Kroon throughout all 3 rounds and took the unanimous decision victory.

Welterweight bout – Rob McKenzie vs Rocco Destroyer

Rob McKenzie gets the TKO win in the first round via ground strikes.

Heavyweight bout – Wolfgang Lindemann vs Ants Milnes

Lindemann forced Milnes to tapout due to a triangle choke at 3:37 of the first round.

Heavyweight bout – Ryan Miller vs Juan Carlos Stormer

Miller took control of the actions in the clinch and walked away with the unanimous decision victory.

Middleweight bout – Mitchell Lamzak vs William Lowel

Lamzak swatted away all Lowel’s takedown attempts and punched his way to a unanimous decision.

And that’s it for VFF 21 review, guys!

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer, and I’ll be back soon with VFF 22’s preview.

Be sure to check it out!

See ya’ll later.

August 2, 2012

VFF 22: Learmont vs Naar Preview

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

http://mmatycoon.com/images/posters/1343845644vff22poster.jpg

We are barely past two memorable events in Vigor Fighting’s history, but the fans won’t be able to catch a break. Fresh off the event that saw Jamie Coton make his 5th consecutive title defense, VF brings the fans a much anticipated welterweight title fight, as lethal strikers Stephen Learmont and Tayron Naar lock horns. Speaking of strikers, muay thai powerhouse Jonah Sumrall returns to action in the co-main event, as he faces his toughest test to date, in the form of talented grappler and BJJ brown belt Mikael Eriksson.

Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the preview for VFF 22.

MAIN EVENT

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs) - Welterweight Championship

Stephen “The Sentinel” Learmont (4-0-0) vs Tayron “The Iceman” Naar (5-1-0)

Fighter Facts: Stephen Learmont

- Undefeated

- 3 out of 4 wins by (T)KO

- All of 3 finishes inside the first round

Fighter Facts: Tayron Naar

- All wins by (T)KO

- 3-time Knockout of the Night award winner

- Never been to decision

Undefeated champion Stephen Learmont is set to try his first title defense, and he faces a stern test in Dutch kickboxer Tayron Naar. It doesn’t get any easier from here, as Torment MMA welterweight ruler Yusuke Urameshi awaits on the sidelines for a unification bout against the winner of the night’s main attraction.

The champion was last seen in action at VFF 18, where he won the 170-pound tournament final and captured the belt after fighting to a decision for the first time in his young and promising career. Learmont is a well-rounded fighter with excellent striking and a BJJ purple belt. He is a finisher, and obtained 3 of his 4 triumphs by way of knockout or technical knockout.

Enter the challenger, Tayron Naar. An outstanding striker in his own right, “The Iceman” is a knockout machine who made justice to his nickname, as all of his 5 victims left the octagon out cold. Naar came up short on the welterweight tournament semi-finals, losing to Rocco Destroyer by submission, but a TKO win over Rob McKenzie propelled the Dutchman into title contention.

ANALYSIS: A fight with potential for New Year’s Eve-like fireworks is what the fans have for a main event. Learmont, however, has displayed that he can play it safe when needed, as we saw in his 5-round affair against Destroyer. The Detroit native controlled the fight in the clinch throughout the bout, not allowing much offense from his opponent.

Naar always comes to kill. He mixes up punches and kicks with perfection, and is a deadly accurate striker. Everything he throws has ill will in it, and he will need every bit of firepower in his arsenal to crack Learmont’s sturdy chin. His lack of grappling skills might be his undoing in this bout, as he has a clear disadvantage if the fight hits the mat.

THE PICK: Learmont might wish to put his jiu jitsu to good use against the white belt Naar. The champion will play it safe, force clinches and work for takedowns if possible, grinding out a decision win over “The Iceman”.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Mikael Eriksson (6-4-0) vs Jonah Sumrall (3-0-0)

Mikael Eriksson steps into the cage with the intention of blemishing Sumrall’s perfect record in VFF 22’s co-headliner. The Swede is a talented grappler and will look for the takedown right off the bat. He obtained 5 out of his 6 wins by forcing the opposition to tap out, being especially proficient with arm lock variations.

Sumrall’s 3-0 perfect record consists entirely of knockouts, two of those being spectacular high kicks. The muay thai expert will look to capture his second win inside the VF cage as he takes a big a step up in competition: a win over Eriksson certainly propels him into welterweights top 10.

ANALYSIS: A classic striker vs grappler matchup, with both fighters having distinct advantage over the other with their specialties. Every fight starts standing, and Sumrall’s decent wrestling might allow him to keep the fight standing long enough to slow Eriksson down with kicks to the legs and midsection. Eriksson must be relentless in his pursuit of the takedown. Setting it up with strikes, despite the risk, might be better than just shooting from a mile away over and over again.

THE PICK: Look for Sumrall to tenderize Eriksson with strikes early on before unleashing a picture-perfect high kick that will end the fight in the first round.

MAIN CARD

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Hymen Hunter (5-3-1) vs Fabricio “Ninja” Neguera (6-5-0)

Former divisional title holder Hymen Hunter looks to rebound from a two-fight losing skid as he faces BJJ brown belt Fabricio “Ninja” Neguera in a main card tussle. Neguera also comes off a loss, as he was knocked out by Jonah Sumrall in his last appearance.

Hunter is a well-rounded fighter, with good wrestling and a jiu jitsu purple belt to compliment his high level muay thai. He packs respectable power, as 80% of his wins came by way of (T)KO. His high kicks are particularly dangerous.

Neguera is a more one-dimensional fighter. The grappler obtained all of his professional wins by way of submission, 2 of those inside the VF cage. He is particularly good with the arm triangle and its variations, as the Anaconda choke he successfully applied on Bertus Eppinga displayed at VFF 12.

ANALYSIS: Neguera has a tough nut to crack here. His predictable approach makes defending easier, especially for a complete athlete like Hunter, who’s also the better wrestler. Unless he somehow manages to catch Hunter off guard with a powerful takedown, he’s in for a world of suffering at his opponent’s hands (and feet).

THE PICK: Hunter avoids the takedowns from Neguera, clipping him with a big shot midway into the opening frame and winning by technical knockout.

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

William Burns (2-0-0) vs Filip “Chibs” Telford (2-0-0)

A pair of heavyweight sluggers gets the main card started, as William Burns and Filip Telford put their perfect records on the line.

Burns is a muay thai prodigy, and he has obtained both of his wins by way of vicious knockout. He was last seen in action at VFF 18, where he pocketed the Knockout of the Night bonus for his dismantling of Schnevkolai.

Telford’s bread n’ butter is his boxing, and he also obtained all of his wins by knockout or technical knockout. His latest victim was Ruud Van Graaf, stopped with strikes just under 1 minute and 30 seconds of the first round.

ANALYSIS: Both guys have displayed no intention of taking fights to the ground in their previous outings, and the fans definitely hope they don’t. In a bout involving 2 hard-hitting heavyweights, anything can happen. The man with the better chin will prevail.

THE PICK: Both guys will meet in the center of the cage and rifle off at each other until only one stays standing. Telford will be that man.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

“Thrash Talk” Shael Connen (8-8-0) vs Tomi “Tamala” Jarzynka (3-3-1)

THE PICK: Connen keeps it standing and wins by TKO in the 2nd round.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Dino Cavalone (1-0-0) vs Jimmy “Toss Hoff” Hoffer (1-1-0)

THE PICK: Cavalone uses crisp boxing and ekes out a unanimous decision.

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Duncan Trussell (3-2-0) vs Johnny “Zombie” Chapman (10-15-0)

THE PICK: Trussell dominates and wins by first round knockout.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

“The Whirlwind” Dakota Weston (2-6-0) vs Johan Stryker (3-5-0)

THE PICK: Weston uses superior grappling and earns a hard-fought decision.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Merval Jacobson (0-2-0) vs Gniewomir “Polish Horror” Kowalek (0-4-0)

THE PICK: Kowalek gets his first pro win in a battle of desperates.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the review right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

August 9, 2012

VFF 22 – Learmont vs Naar Review

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

Hayashi’s Lounge was the stage set to receive Vigor Fighting’s newly crowned champion Stephen Learmont in his first attempt at a title defense. Things didn’t exactly went his way, but it was an amazing night of fights nonetheless. Out of 9 scheduled bouts, only one didn’t ended in a vicious knockout or technical knockout. Better read it for yourself, as this is your review for VFF 22.

NAAR PUTS THE FIRST BLEMISH ON LEARMONT’S RECORD, CAPTURES WELTERWEIGHT BELT!

Stephen Learmont is no longer an unbeaten fighter. A vicious head kick coupled with a flurry of punches, courtesy of Tayron Naar, spelled the end of his short lived reign over the 170-pound division.

“The Iceman” never allowed Learmont to get comfortable on the fight, preventing the then-champion to find his range and implement his boxing. “The Sentinel” was met with hard kicks to body and legs whenever he tried to close the distance on Naar. The bout came to a sudden end at 2:56 of the opening frame, when Learmont couldn’t resist the aforementioned assault delivered by Naar.

It’s the first time that Learmont tastes defeat in his professional career, now moving to 4-1. The new champion now sports a 6-1 record, all of his bouts taking place under the Vigor Fighting banner.

Naar’s first title defense is set to take place at VFF 27, where he will tangle with former TMMA welterweight top dog Yusuke Urameshi in a title unification bout.

Official result: Naar / TKO (Kick & Punches) / Round 1 (2:56)

Sumrall KOs Eriksson in the second round, wins 4th straight…

Jonah Sumrall, now 4-0, established himself as a relevant figure in the light heavyweight division by dispatching veteran grappler Mikael Eriksson on second round punches in the featured co-main event. Eriksson, who dropped to 6-5 in his pro career, met his end at 56 seconds of the second round, when he was caught by a Sumrall blitz and knocked out cold.

Both guys stepped into the cage with clear cut gameplan. Eriksson insisted on the double leg takedown, but a solid sprawl allowed Sumrall to implement his own strategy: Chopping away Eriksson’s base with thumping leg kicks. The Swede’s persistency paid off occasionally, as he scored a takedown midway into the first round. The Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt went to work, but failed to clinch any submissions. As the fighters came back to the second round, Sumrall was the fresher fighter, and frustrated Eriksson’s attempts at dragging him to the mat again. He pressed forward, and a combination, finished with a hook to the temple, earned him his 4th straight win, the fourth by (T)KO.

The stoppage now improves Nowak’s record to 2-1, all of his fights taking place inside VFF territory. Gaumpe was handed his second professional loss, now sporting a 4-2 record.

Official result: Sumrall / KO (Punches) / Round 2 (0:56)

Hunter snaps losing streak, stops Neguera…

Former light heavyweight champion Hymen Hunter got back to his winning ways after back-to-back losses to Jake Rodrigues and Mitka Boycheck.

Hunter, who now moves to 6-3-1, gave absolutely no chance to “Ninja”, battering him repeatedly with kicks to the legs and midsection, often mixing it up with punches.

Things got even worse when a right cross dropped Neguera where he stood, leaving him clearly dazed. He rallied and made it to the second round, his face busted open by a huge gash. The second round was more of the same, as Hunter softened up Neguera until finally sealing the deal with a high kick. Neguera fell to the ground, bloodied and beaten, and the referee decided he saw enough, tackling Hunter and saving his opponent from unnecessary harm.

It was Neguera’s second straight loss. He now sports a 6-6 record.

Official result: Hunter / TKO (Head Kick) / Round 2 (4:06)

Telford stops Burns in Fight of the Night award winner…

Filip Telford and William Burns shared Fight of the Night honors for their 2-round thriller in the main card opening bout. Both fighters exchanged heavy leather in the opening frame, but Telford came back stronger in the second.

Pinned against the cage, Burns ate a series of hard punches. A hook dropped him to his knees, clearly hurt. He tried to get back up, but his knees failed him, and the referee stepped in just as Telford was about to move into range for more shots. Nice stoppage by the referee.

Both guys were awarded $1,000 for their “Fight of the Night” performance.

Official result: Telford / TKO (Punches) / Round 2 (2:09)

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Welterweight bout – Shael Connen vs Tomi Jarzynka

Connen struck for a takedown right after the bell and unloaded with ground n’ pound. Some punches clearly hurt Jarzynka, who was just covering up, so the ref decided to step in and end the bout at 2:44 of the first round.

Middleweight bout – Jimmy Hoffer vs Dino Cavalone

A series of heavy elbows from top position earned Hoffer the TKO win at 4:55 of the opening frame.

Welterweight bout – Duncal Trussell vs Jonny Chapman

Trussell displayed crisp striking in his bout against Chapman. Midway into the first round, a right hand cracked Chapman, who stumbled to the mat, clearly hurt. Trussell dove into side control and pounded away, forcing the referee to stop the fight at 2:08.

Light heavyweight bout – Dakota Weston vs Johan Stryker

Weston followed a double jab with a solid uppercut that knocked Stryker out cold in just 9 seconds!

Middleweight bout – Merval Jacobson vs Gniewomir Kowalek

Jacobson scored with takedowns throughout all three rounds and walked away with the unanimous decision victory. It was the only bout to go the distance in the whole card.

Middleweight bout – Mitchell Lamzak vs William Lowel

And that’s it for VFF 22 review, guys!

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer, and I’ll be back soon with VFF 23’s preview.

Be sure to check it out!

See ya’ll later.

August 9, 2012

VFF 23: Boycheck vs Rodrigues Preview

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

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Vigor Fighting gets the stage set for another show this Friday, with another card full of promising fights, headlined by a light heavyweight clash with serious implications on the division’s pecking order for the next title shot, as former champ Mitka Boycheck tries to bounce back from defeat against the up-and-coming Jake Rodrigues. A welterweight tilt involving Dominic Belstead and Joakim Broden is the featured co-main event, and the winner might take a few steps towards title contention in the 170-pound division. Rounding up the main portion of the card is a heavyweight battle between Dante Velasquez and Venom Vortex, and a middleweight bout between Eric Turner and Wayne Brown. The card also brings the VF debuts of a lot of Rodrigo Oliveira’s extinct org, TMMA Las Vegas, who recently merged with Johnny’s Vigor Fighting.

Here is the analysis of the evening’s bouts, with predictions and picks.

MAIN EVENT

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Mitka “Meph” Boycheck (8-3-0) vs Jake “The Snake” Rodrigues (3-0-0)

Fighter Facts: Mitka Boycheck

- Finished all of his opponents (3 TKOs, 5 submissions)

- Former VF light heavyweight champion

- BJJ brown belt

Fighter Facts: Jake Rodrigues

- Undefeated

- World class boxer

- BJJ purple belt

Mitka Boycheck has been clamoring for another shot at the light heavyweight belt ever since Peter Jones put on a spirited effort and knocked him off the top of the 205-pound mountain. In a bout against the surging Jake Rodrigues, he might just get it. Before losing to Jones, Boycheck had won 6 out of his 7 last fights. The Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt is a finisher: Not a single one of his wins was granted by the judges.

The former champion is adept at using his hands and leg kicks to set up takedowns. He’s at his best on the mat, where he lands ground n’ pound with volume and impact, passing guard and fishing for submissions when the opportunities presents themselves.

Jake Rodrigues, despite having almost a quarter of the professional experience of Boycheck, has compiled an impressive record in his mixed martial arts career, and he holds wins over two former VFF champions in Hymen Hunter and Khadar Abdelrashid. He also knocked out light heavyweight standout Mikael Eriksson in just 44 seconds.

The American is best known for his outstanding boxing, but has developed his jiu jitsu over time, and he possesses solid takedown defense. He’s a volume puncher and always looks to overwhelm his opponents with strikes, pushing the pace and taking the center of the cage.

ANALYSIS: Rodrigues has never been taken down before, and he will need every bit of his wrestling prowess in this bout. His chances are good if he keeps the fight upright and rapid-fire punches all over Boycheck. The Russian prodigy has displayed flaws in his striking defense before, and he might get frustrated if the lankier, rangier Rodrigues keeps him at a distance with jabs and straights.

Boycheck has good enough striking to set up his takedowns, but will need to tighten up his combinations in order to catch Rodrigues flat footed and surprise him with a double or single leg. If the fight hits the canvas, Boycheck’s relentless assault might prove too much for “The Snake” to handle.

THE PICK: Rodrigues will give Boycheck a run for his money, and a decision win in his favor wouldn’t be surprising at all, but as the fight progresses, Boycheck’s wider array of skills will ensure him a trip or takedown. From top position, “Meph” will do his work and take home a hard-fought unanimous decision or a late submission.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

“The Tasmanian Devil” Dominic Belstead (5-1-0) vs Joakim Broden (2-1-0)

Dominic Belstead makes his VF debut in the evening’s co-main event. The BJJ brown belt comes into the cage riding a 2-fight winning streak. He captured 80% of his wins by submission. His standup skills are still a work in progress, but solid wrestling ensures him to get the fight where he needs.

Welcoming him to the VF cage is Joakim Broden, who’s also on a 2-fight tear, with 2 (T)KOs to his name. The Swede excels in boxing and makes use of a decent wrestling base to keep the fight standing. He also sports a BJJ blue belt.

ANALYSIS: Classic striker vs grappler match here. Both guys should come with clear cut game plans to the bout. Look for Belstead to shoot for a takedown as soon as the bell rings, and look for Broden to try and sprawl it as quick as it comes.

Constantly shooting for takedowns is a tiring and predictable weapon to rely on, but has served “The Tasmanian Devil” well so far. Assuming he scores the takedown, Broden should be outmatched in the grappling match. The opposite is also true. Broden has heavy hands, and he can seriously hurt Belstead if he manages to get himself enough time on the feet to do so.

THE PICK: Broden weathers a storm of takedowns early on, and catches Belstead with a flurry of punches, winning the fight by TKO in the first round.

MAIN CARD

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Dante Velasquez (5-4-1) vs Venom Vortex (4-2-0)

A pair of heavyweight grapplers square off in the first main card tussle of the night.

Fighting out of the red corner is Dante Velasquez. An outstanding wrestler and Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt, he uses a grappling-heavy approach, and conquered all of his five triumphs by submission. He was last seen in action at VFF 19, where his bout against DJ Campbell was ruled a majority draw.

Vortex is a more well-rounded fighter, combining good wrestling with decent boxing skills. He’s adept at using punches to set up his takedowns. Once on the ground, he will work diligently looking for guard passes and submissions.

ANALYSIS: Velasquez’s standup game is still a work in progress, and Venom should make good use of his 6’7” frame to keep him at punching range and avoid the takedown. He will need to pick his shots, though, as rushing in wildly will make it easier for Velasquez to score his much wanted takedown. The winner here will probably be determined by the ability of both fighters in dictating where the fight unfolds.

THE PICK: Vortex’s wrestling is good enough to avoid most of Velasquez’s shots. Look for him to keep the fight upright and pick his opponent apart from the outside, winning by unanimous decision.

MAIN CARD

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Eric “Nightmare” Turner (4-1-0) vs Wayne “Iceman” Brown (9-11-0)

The experienced Wayne Brown welcomes TMMA import Eric Turner to the VF cage in our last main card attraction.

Turner is currently on a 3-fight winning streak, and compiled a 2-0 record inside the now extinct Las Vegas-based promotion. “Nightmare” is a well-rounded fighter, and he uses every tool in his shed during his fights, mixing up punches, clinches, knees and takedowns.

Brown is on a 2-fight losing skid. With 20 fights under his belt, the 30-year old Bristol native will try to get back on track with a win over the newcomer.

ANALYSIS: Brown is a BJJ purple belt with a big right hand, and he will need to use those tools effectively if he is to win to this fight. Turner is strong in the clinch, and he can wear Brown down if he pins him against the cage with knees and body punches. Both guys are equivalent in the wrestling department, so it will be interesting to see if Brown implements some striking on his game plan instead of just shooting for takedowns.

THE PICK: Turner will use his superior Muay Thai to control the actions in the clinch, peppering Brown with dirty boxing, knees and elbows en route to a unanimous decision.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Antonio Morales Jr. (2-0-0) vs Mike “Swagg” Lie (0-2-0)

THE PICK: Morales Jr. will utilize superior grappling and score with takedowns, cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

John “Cowboy” McClane (3-2-0) vs Luke “Magic Time” Sanderrs (0-3-0)

THE PICK: McClane’s hands will be too fast and too furious for Sanderrs. “Cowboy” takes it by TKO in the first round.

Heavyweight Bout (265 lbs)

Schnvekolai Gryznvynvovyshknzki (1-1-0) vs Ruud Van Graaf (1-3-0)

THE PICK: Ruud Van Graaf gets back on track, using superior striking to score a knockout in round two.

Light Heavyweight Bout (205 lbs)

Ricardo Aguiar (3-1-0) vs Bertus Eppinga (4-5-1)

THE PICK: Aguiar grinds out his 4th win with takedowns and stifling top control.

Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)

Anthony “Clown Baby” Hanson (0-2-0) vs “Elite” Leandro Padilha (0-2-0)

THE PICK: Leandro Padilha notches his first pro win by decision.

Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

Tommy “Litlle Barry” Barrington (1-1-0) vs Harold “Free” Tabacco (0-5-0)

THE PICK: “Little Barry” serves Tabacco his 6th loss, by way of decision.

And that’s it for our card, guys! Be sure to check out the review right after the show!

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, official writer for Vigor Fighting. See ya’ll later.

August 15, 2012

VFF 23 – Boycheck vs Rodrigues Review

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

Another outstanding night of fights took place at Hayashi’s Lounge this past Friday for VFF 23. In the evening’s main attraction, former light heavyweight title holder Mitka Boycheck got his name back on the mix with a win over surging prospect Jake Rodrigues.

The details on Boycheck’s wins and much more, you can check out below, as this is the review for VFF 23: Boycheck vs Rodrigues.

Boycheck clamors for title shot following stoppage of Rodrigues...

Mitka Boycheck was a man on a mission when he stepped into the cage to take on surging light heavyweight prospect Jake Rodrigues. The man known as “Meph” suffered a cut early on, courtesy of a Rodrigues combination, but didn’t flinch and took him down. He committed to a kneebar that put “The Snake” in serious trouble. Clearly in danger, Rodrigues panicked a little, but after a scramble, he managed to free his limb and got back to his feet. He failed to mount any offense of his own, however, as Boycheck took him down a second time, transitioning almost immediately to side control. From the dominant position, he unleashed with ground n’ pound, opening up the opportunity he needed to get to full mount. Rodrigues tried desperately to free himself from the grip of his opponent, but he couldn’t. A series of heavy strikes dazed him, and the referee had no choice but to stop the fight.

Following the stoppage, Boycheck looked at the cameras and screamed for a title shot. Let’s wait and see, Mr. Boycheck.

Official result: Boycheck / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:36)

Belstead’s debut a success...

Dominic Belstead took a while to get the takedown he needed, but once he got it, it was the end for Joakim Broden. Broden did a nice job of sprawling in the first minute, but eventually got caught and dragged to the mat. Belstead got him in a tight ankle lock that he managed to escape and reverse, landing in top position. He wasn’t out of trouble, however. “The Tasmanian Devil” worked actively off his back, threatening with submissions until finally locking an armbar that ended the fight. Nice jiu jitsu skills displayed by Belstead.

Official result: Belstead / Submission (Armbar)/ Round 1 (4:56)

Velasquez chokes out Vortex...

Dante Velasquez recovered from a terrible first round in order to submit Venom Vortex with a rear naked choke late in the second stanza. The taller Vortex kept Velasquez at punching range for the majority of the first round, peppering him with straight punches, jabs and uppercuts. In the final minute, Velasquez started his rally, tripping Vortex from the clinch and pressing the action on the canvas. He had little time to work, though, and the bell rang before he could secure a submission.

Round 2 started, and Vortex repeated his game plan. It worked for less than a minute this time, as Velasquez scored a takedown and turned on the heat once on the mat. He eventually got Vortex’s back, got both hooks in and applied the rear naked choke. Vortex struggled, trying to survive, but had no choice but to tap out.

Official result: Velasquez / Submission (Rear Naked Choke) / Round 2 (4:57)

Brown gets 10th professional win against newcomer Turner...

TMMA import Eric Turner failed in his VF debut against veteran Wayne Brown in our first main card tussle of the night. Turner controlled the actions in the first round, inside and outside of the clinch, avoiding Brown’s takedowns easily. The “Iceman” came back stronger in the second round, scoring takedowns and fishing for submissions for the rest of the bout. Turner managed to hang on and survive, but after 15 minutes of fighting, he was on the wrong end of the decision.

It was Brown’s 10th professional win, and he now moves to 10-11 in his pro career, 2-2 overall. Turner, on the other hand, dropped to 4-2.

Official result: Brown / Decision (Unanimous)

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Antonio Morales Jr vs Mike Lie

Morales Jr. was landing heavy ground n’ pound over Lie, who tapped out to strikes at 4:57 of the first round.

Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) – John McClane vs Luke Sanderrs

An overhand right and follow up punches from McClane spelled the end of the night for Luke Sanderrs. The ref intervened in his favor at 3:46 of round number 1.

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) – Ruud Van Graaf vs Schnvekolai Grynzvynvovyshknzki

Van Graaf got back on the winning track with a submission win over Schnvekolai. The fighter with VF’s most complicated name ever tapped out to a kimura just before the 2-minute mark of the second stanza.

Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) – Ricardo Aguiar vs Bertus Eppinga

Aguiar keeps the ball rolling, as he notches his 3rd straight win. This time, the Portuguese standout stopped veteran Bertus Eppinga on first round ground strikes.

Middleweight bout (185 lbs) – Leandro Padilha vs Anthony Hanson

One of two fights to go the distance in the card saw Leandro Padilha take a razor-thin split decision over Anthony Hanson after 3 rounds of action.

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) – Tommy Barrington vs Harold Tabacco

The “Fight of the Night” winner ended just before the 2-minute mark of the third and final round, when Barrington choked out Tabacco with an arm triangle.

And that’s it for VFF 23 review, guys!

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer, and I’ll be back soon with VFF 24’s preview.

Be sure to check it out!

See ya’ll later.

August 23, 2012

VFF 25 :ONDRUS vs WEIMAR

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PREVIEW

by Rodrigo Oliveira

Headlining Vigor’s 25th event is an intriguing middleweight championship bout between Petr Ondrus and Franz Weimar. The champion is trying to defend his belt for the first time since capturing it from the waist of Khadar Abdelrashid at VFF 19’s main event. Heavyweight standouts Don Ninja Turtle and Dante Overslam go toe to toe in the co-main event, in a fight with possible title implications. Exciting light heavyweight strikers Rantis Gaumpe and Jeff Speakman go at it in the main card, and rounding the main portion of fights is a middleweight tilt between Zag Luis and Murphy MacManus.

Below is the prediction and picks for VFF 25: Ondrus vs Weimar.

MAIN EVENT

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Petr “Pino” Ondrus (9-6-0) vs Franz Weimar (4-4-0)

FIGHTER FACTS Petr Ondrus

- Undefeated in Vigor Fighting (3-0)

- 4 wins by submission, 2 by (T)KO

- BJJ brown belt

FIGHTER FACTS Franz Weimar

- Undefeated in Vigor Fighting

- 75% of wins by (T)KO

- BJJ brown belt

Middleweight champion Petr Ondrus will try to defend his title for the first time since capturing the strap. “Pino” hasn’t tasted defeat since joining the Amsterdam-based promotion, holding wins over Doug Stanhope, Wayne Brown and former champion Khadar Abdelrashid. He is a well-rounded fighter, but is at his best on the ground, where he’s dangerous with ground n’ pound and submissions. In his last outing, Ondrus also displayed improved striking.

Weimar joined the promotion with an unimpressive 1-4 record and riding a 4-fight losing streak. The change of scenery did good for him, however, as the 24-year old German strung together three straight wins that paved his way to the title bout. Most recently, he was seen in action at VFF 21, dispatching durable middleweight Zag Luis on first round punches. Weimar is also a well-rounded fighter, and he mixes up his attacks well. Despite being a BJJ brown belt, he's more adept at pounding out his opponents once on the canvas than working for submissions.

ANALYSIS: What makes this matchup so interesting is that both fighters are virtually identical, physically and skill-wise. Both are pretty big middleweights, standing at 6’3” and cutting from around 203 lbs. Their skillset is also very similar, but the difference is how they put it to use.

Ondrus’ offense is more grappling-oriented. The champ is comfortable on the feet, but he will look for takedowns more often than the challenger. Once on the canvas, he can do serious damage with ground n’ pound, but will go for submissions if the opportunity is there. Weimar on the other hand prefers to strike, and he has decent power in his hands. He will also mix takedowns every now and then, and he’s usually good at scoring those, but he throws more strikes than the champ instead of looking for guard passes and submissions.

THE PICK:This bout will probably come down to the ability of each guy on keeping the fight where he feels more comfortable. Weimar is no slouch on the ground, but he will have the advantage on the feet. The opposite is true, as Ondrus is a decent striker in his own right, but will have the advantage on the ground. Tough call, but I’ll go with Ondrus by TKO in the 3rd round, via ground strikes.

CO-MAIN EVENT

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Don “Teenage Mutant” Ninja Turtle (5-0-0) vs Dante Overslam (5-4-0)

Ninja Turtle will put his perfect record on the line against VF veteran Dante Overslam in the evening’s co-main event. The towering American is a talented kickboxer with solid takedown defense. In his last bout, he beat Turk Madden by technical knockout in the second round.

Overslam will look to rebound from a 2-fight losing streak and put the first blemish on Turtle’s record. The heavy-handed wrestler is coming off of a loss against heavyweight title contender Frenk Schmellengartner. A barrage of knees forced the ref to step in and rescue him in the first round.

ANALYSIS: Turtle will need to use his reach advantage and punch-kick combinations to pick Overslam apart and keep him at bay. “Teenage Mutant” doesn’t have scary knockout power, but he is capable of hurting people with his high kicks.

Overslam, on the other hand, will need to close the distance and turn this into a boxing match. The Polish has good power in his hands, and he can also keep Turtle guessing with his takedowns, as he also possess good ground n’ pound.

THE PICK:Turtle’s refined kickboxing will be too much for Overslam. He keeps the 28-year old Chuck’s Gym representative at a distance whilst scoring point en route to a unanimous decision.

MAIN CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

“Animal” Zag Luis (6-3-0) vs “The Maniac” Murphy MacManus (7-7-0)

Middleweight wrestler Zag Luis welcomes well-travelled veteran Murphy MacManus to the VF cage.

Luis has been improving his overall game over the years, but his specialty is his wrestling. The “Animal” always looks for the takedown, whether shooting or from the clinch. Once the ground, he uses high volume striking to outpoint his opponents or even score a TKO. As he steps into the cage to fight MacManus, he’ll be looking to bounce back from a TKO loss to middleweight contender Franz Weimar.

The 29-year old MacManus makes his VF debut trying to get back to his winning ways, as the Boston native has lost 4 out of his last 5 bouts. To do so, he will need to use his experience and force a standup battle. He packs decent power in his hands and his boxing skills are much better than those of Luis. He’s at his best when stringing punches together in combinations.

ANALYSIS: Both fighters have their work cut out for them in this fight. Luis, along with being a exceptional wrestler, is also a Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt, and he will undoubtedly be looking to take the fight to the mat. The former Dawg Pound champion will need to do exactly the opposite: Stuff the takedown and lure his opponent into a standup battle. If the fight stays standing long enough, “The Maniac” can even score a knockout.

PICK: Luis’ grappling will prove to be too much for the veteran MacManus, as takedowns, positional control and a steady diet of ground strikes will carry him to a unanimous decision.

MAIN CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

“The Demolition Man” Rantis Gaumpe (4-2-0) vs Jeff Speakman (5-3-0)

Jeff Speakman is making the leap from kickboxing to MMA, but he will hardly feel any difference in his Vigor Fighting debut, as he draws another kickboxer in the form of Rantis Gaumpe.

Gaumpe is coming off a loss in his VF debut against Jan Nowak. Before that, he was on a 2-fight winning streak, and 3 out of his 4 wins came by way of knockout. Gaumpe is almost a pure striker, with outstanding boxing and muay thai.

Speakman is a pure kickboxer. With great hands and high level muay thai, he has dynamite in his hands and feet, and obtained all of his 5 wins by knockout or technical knockout. In his last showing, he knocked out Tom White in a kickboxing event.

ANALYSIS: We will hardly see any ground action in this bout, so fans in attendance are in for a treat. Speakman is enormous even for a heavyweight, let alone a light heavy. Standing at an impressive 7” tall, he will try to use his kicks to tear up Gaumpe at from a distance. “The Demolition Man” , standing at 6’3”, is far from a small light heavy, but he will need to close a huge gap nonetheless. Both guys are powerful, skilled strikers, but two factor might play a huge role in this bout: accuracy and defense. Gaumpe has proven to be a much more accurate assaulter and he also gets tagged much less than his towering opponent. In a bout involving two heavy hitters, that might be the difference between winning and losing.

THE PICK: Gaumpe uses pinpoint striking to exploit the gap in Speakman’s defenses and scores a first round knockout.

UNDERCARD BOUTS

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

“Debeljko” Ivan Junkovic (4-7-0) vs “Millhouse” Ryan Miller (3-2-0)

Junkovic’s superior boxing will carry him to a decision or a late TKO.

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

Jimmy “Toss Hoff” Hoffer (2-1-0) vs Eric “Nightmare” Turner (4-2-0)

Turner dominates the fight in the clinch and gets a unanimous decision.

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

David Marcos (4-2-0) vs Mitchell “Pitbull” Lamzak (3-4-0)

Marcos scores takedowns and keeps top position, earning himself a unanimous decision.

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Dwight Schrute (11-10-0) vs Roderick “The Hammer” Jenkins (2-1-0)

Jenkins takes it by first round KO.

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Wolfgang “A. Mozart” Lindemann (3-2-0) vs Ramon Van Der Gof (0-3-0)

Lindemann takes a decision or scores a late submission.

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

Tyler “Hangtime” Hall (1-1-0) vs “do3b01” Dillon Webber (0-2-0)

Hall uses his reach well and takes home a decision.

And that’s it for our preview guys!

Be sure to check the review after the event.

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, VFF’s official writer!

August 28, 2012

Vigor LIVE! 1

PREVIEW

by Rodrigo Oliveira

Vigor Fighting debuts its mid-week show series “LIVE!” this Wednesday at Amsterdam’s Micro Arena. The 400-seat venue will play host to a 5-fight show, headlined by a heavyweight fight between Filip Telford and Miles Teg. Below is a quick look at the event’s main fight and picks for the rest of the action.

MAIN EVENT

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Filip “Chibs” Telford (3-0-0, 1 NC) vs “Basher” Miles Teg (4-6-0)

Heavyweight slugger Filip Telford will try to capture his 4th consecutive win in the promotion against muay thai specialist Miles Teg in the featured bout of the night.

Telford is an outstanding boxer with loads of power in his hands: All of his three professional wins have come by way of knockout or technical knockout. A good wrestling base allows him to keep the fight where he’s more comfortable.

Teg likes to get up close and personal with his opponents: His favorite technique is the elbow from the clinch. He will do everything in his power to grab hold of his adversary, pin him against the cage and slice him up.

ANALYSIS: The outcome of this fight will depend heavily on whether or not Teg will be able to clinch Telford. “Chibs” tends to swing wildly, but in this bout he will want to use his ridiculous reach advantage and pick his shots, keeping Teg at a safe distance. He also displayed good dirty boxing before, so he’s not particularly helpless if he ends up against the cage.

That being said, he wouldn’t want to risk being in that position for too long. “Basher” unloads a high volume of strikes inside the clinch, and all of his four wins have come by TKO due to cuts.

THE PICK: Telford will enjoy an impressive 28 cm height advantage, making it difficult for Teg to close the distance to clinch without eating a few bombs. Look for “Chibs” to keep the fight on the outside and feed Teg a steady diet of punches, culminating in a 1st round TKO.

MAIN CARD BOUTS

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

Rob “The Demolition Man” McKenzie (5-3-0) vs Tomi “Tamala” Jarzynka (3-4-1)

McKenzie is a wrestler and BJJ purple belt with no standup skills. Jarzynka is a more well rounded fighter, and could exploit McKenzie’s lack of offense on the feet, but “Tamala” lacks the wrestling pedigree needed to stop Rob’s shots. Once on the canvas, McKenzie will rain down punches and elbows, something Jarzynka, even being a BJJ purple belt, clearly dislikes.

PICK: McKenzie wins by TKO due to ground strikes midway into the second frame.

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Turk Madden (3-2-0) vs “Standup” Ants Milnes (2-3-0)

Madden is a well-rounded fighter with a penchant for grappling: He’s at his best in the clinch or on the ground. Even his strikes are meant to close distance or set up takedowns. Milnes, on the other hand, is a muay thai purist that will try to soften up his opponents with kicks and knees inside the clinch. If Madden can drag him to the mat, he is capable of securing a submission or a decision, but “Standup” has displayed solid takedown defense in the past.

PICK: Milnes keeps it on the outside and racks up points with his kicks, earning a unanimous decision.

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

Mike Kroon (3-2-0) vs William “The Nuclear Gun” Lowel (0-2-0)

In a middleweight clash, Lowel, a muay thai specialist, will try to get his first pro win against Kroon. Unfortunately for him, Kroon’s varied skillset and good grappling skills will prove to be too much.

PICK: Kroon by submission.

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

Bob “Alfa” Laskownik (2-1-1) vs Jonny “Zombie” Chapman (10-16-0)

The more experienced Chapman will need to stay away of the ground if he’s to win his bout against “Alfa” Laskownik, using his decent boxing to score points. The young fighter, on the other hand, will have a hard time accomplishing his takedowns against the better wrestler.

PICK: Chapman by decision.

And that’s it for our preview guys!

Be sure to check the review after the event.

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, VFF’s official writer!

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