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 I've got a lot of respect for Chael Sonnen, he has done well for a guy who failed kindergarten.
He failed kindergarten?
Yeah, the poor guy still doesn't know what a triangle is.
Saturday night, fight night.
Bantamweight: Raje Malapitan (5-5) vs Texas Trash (12-6)
Raje Malapitan tests his useful submission game against the hard hitting Texas Trash. Malapitan fights seem to always end painfully with him coaxing the tap or hitting the deck unconcious and that makes him a popular fighter on the TTFC undercards. His opponent is the dangerous Trash who will want to show off the striking skills that have earnt him 8 TKO wins and banish the memories of his TTFC debut when he was beatdown by Castaneda Krishnanuevo. Having gone 4-6 in his last 10 Texas Trash will be looking to piece together the kind of run that saw him start his career with a stellar 8-0. Looking at their records and their skillsets Trash has to be the favourite here. Malapitan has only ever lossed by TKO and Trash has the jab-centric boxing game to set up the big finish punch.
Prediction: Texas Trash by early KO.
Heavyweight: Ilya Murometz (6-4) vs Chris Leben (6-6)
Russian all rounder Ilya Murometz has made a solid start to his TTFC career with impressive finishes of Chris Carwin and compatriot Kirill Kolushev. Known for his fast hands Murometz showed off his ground game in defeating Chris Carwin at TTFC Maddox vs Slick by first round rear naked choke. If the Russian is wise he will look to make it two straight submission wins and avoid the heavy hands of Chris Leben. Leben isn't pretty and he isn't technical but when he connects flush, the lights go out more often than not. Murometz is no slouch standing himself with 4 TKO wins and his speed may match that of Leben but why take the risk against a guy who's number you have on the mat?
Prediction: Both men could KO the other with relative ease but Leben would lose a grappling contest between the two 99 times out of a 100. With that in mind Look for Murometz to coax the tap sometime in the second.
Middleweight: Jake Rosholt (5-3) vs "Purple" Alexander Krush (3-2)
Wrestling phenom Jake Rosholt's work in the gym paid dividends in his last fight, when he locked in a painful looking 1st round kneebar on David Cox. Whilst Rosholt had long been respected for his takedowns and top control he had been derided for his failure to finish fights. With that albatross firmly gone from around his neck, Rosholt will look to put together a run of results that will take him into the top half of the middleweight roster. Rosholt will need to make his takedowns as clean and smooth as possible though because Alexander Krush likes nothing more than a close quarters clinch battle. The muay thai and dirty boxing specialist works the body and the head with an array of clinch strikes that wear down foes until they make that crucial mistake and he can put them away.
Prediction: Rosholt's wrestling takes this. He can take Krush down with limited difficulty and once there he has the top game to ride out the decision if he cant' find the submission.
Light Heavyweight: "Temujin" Genghis Khan (14-9-1) vs "The Angolan Assassin" Diangi Makiavala (8-6)
The Mongolia versus Angola sporting rivalry may not be the most intense, some might even say it doesn't exist....OK most would say it doesn't but let's start it here. Dangerous TTFC veteran Genghis Khan has established himself as one of the most exciting light heavyweights in New York with an impressive collection of 8 "Of The Night" awards split neatly with 4 FOTN, 2 SOTN and 2 KOTN. A dangerous guard, efficient striking and brutal ground and pound make Khan the kind of pick your poison fighter than can defeat you anywhere. In Makiavala he faces a man with freak show strength and an eye for the spectacular. The Angolan Assassin can be outworked and caught flat footed at times but his sheer strength and boxing mean he is not to be taken lightly, not even by a man of Khan's skills.
Prediction: Genghis just has too many tools here. Expect him to take it by decision or ground and pound late in the 3rd.
Heavyweight: Hurba Derba (8-1) vs Dsdsds "Sdsdsd" Sdsdsd (16-14)
Exciting knockout specialist Hurba Derba takes the next step on the road to hanging with the top heavyweights by squaring off with curiously named journeyman Sdsdsd. Derba's footwork is as good as anyone's in TTFC and its this he uses to attack the body and get out of range quickly. He rarely gets caught clean and although his accuracy can go missing sometimes his cardio and gameplanning never do. For Sdsdsd to take home the victory he needs to put Derba on his back for as long as possible, but catching the mongoosical (yes I just invented a word, feel free to use it) Derba will be his first tough task. Whether Sdsdsd has the chin or the cardio to keep up with Derba's hit and run style will be the deciding factor here.
Prediction: Experience is a great thing to have but quality beats experience more often than not. I expect Derba to score a clear cut decision victory.
Welterweight: "The Tornado" Tucker Thomas (9-3) vs "Merfolk" Chico Corrales (16-7-1)
Recent editions to the 170lb division here in TTFC have seen it become one of the most ruthless king of the hill situations around. Tucker Thomas and Chico Corrales are two of the new boys causing a stir. Tucker Thomas looked sensational in dispatching Hector Hernadez and Fresh Hamz in his first two outings and he will need to look so again if he is to defeat the well rounded and well travelled Corrales. Both bring top level boxing and useful ground games as well as excellent cardio. This fight is balanced on a knife edge as both fighters are capable of throwing down non-stop for 15 minutes, as well as possessing the 'one and done' kill shots that take fans breath away. Headkicks, knees, short uppercuts, either one can knock the other out cold in a matter of seconds.
Prediction: This is a coin flip situation. After a 5 minute feeling out process, Thomas will unleash the head kicks and when one lands, game over man.
Light Heavyweight: "Big Daddy" James William (10-3) vs Randy Moss (15-6)
Both fighters come into this one riding on momentum from minor upsets, over Konstantin Kalyagin and Trent Masters respectively. Whilst Kalyagin and Masters were touted as near future title contenders it is William and Moss who find themselves in that boat. James Williams is that rarest of fighter; an expert grappler who has excellent striking and the wrestling to marry the two. His showing versus Tyson Gauge was disappointing and he will want to remind the TTFC 205ers why he was so feared prior to his debut. Moss is a fighter with a big bag of tricks but seemingly only goes to one of them; the high kick. Randy looks for his favoured strike a dozen or so times a round and when it lands it is "goodnight Irene" more often than not. Whilst his head kicks can be lethal his predictability is often his downfall and William will be well prepared.
Prediction: William is too smart and too strong a grappler for Moss. Hail Mary head kicks aside William should take his man down and submit him early.
Heavyweight: "The Highlander" Angus McLoughlin (9-2) vs "The Eye" Robert Baratheon (12-5)
The sting of back to back defeats seemed to fire up Angus McLoughlin who smashed Optimus Prime to pieces with brutal knees to halt his skid. To get back in contention for his lost gold The Highlander must get passed tough as nails Robert Baratheon. The Eye possesses excellent hands but it is his wrestling, cardio and grinding style than means he brings home the bacon more often than not. Against grapplers he likes to use the clinch and hang heavy on them, against strikers he likes to throw them down and work them over and in between the two he throws heavy leather. What game plan he brings to deal with the supremely well rounded McLoughlin may well decide this one.
Prediction: Baratheon is tough and a victory would be no great surprise but McLoughlin is still a super prospect with a huge future ahead of him. McLoughlin by decision.
Light Heavyweight: Tyson Gauge (20-7) vs Malcolm "Tree" Stumps (10-6)
A perfect three and zero inside the TTFC cage Tyson Gauge defends his title against inconsistent but heavy handed grappler Malcolm Stumps. Chicago's finest "Tree" Stumps has a reputation as something of a nearly man, never putting together the necessary string of results to put him on top of the pile. Against Gauge he finally has that chance. He works the body well and his boxing is good enough to mean he is only outclassed by the best in that department. But it his ground game where he excels. His ground and pound is as good as anyone for opening up the submission opportunity, and if you don't give him that it's probably because you are unconscious. The champion would do well to put his excellent counter wrestling to use here and punish Stumps in the standing exchanges before Stumps ducks under looking for the takedown. Gauge is a vicious striker with punch heavy combinations that take fights from in the balance to over in the blink of an eye.
Prediction: Gauge has the hands, the speed, the wrestling and the flexibility to stop everything Stumps has to offer. Expect Gauge to turn the lights out on Stumps before round 2 is over.
Super Heavyweight: Chris Cook (14-3) vs Igor "Rat-a-tat" Tatov (15-6)
Pobody's nerfect but Chris Cook is pretty close to it when it comes to winning fights. 13 1st Round KO's in his 14 wins is a frightening statistic. So who better to make him defend his title against than brutal Belarussian KO artist Igor Tatov. The brilliantly nick named Tatov has a lethal ground game but likes nothing more than to put fist to face with thunderous hooks a specialty of his. His wrestling scores the points when it looks like his quarry may survive the round but the art of smashing a man in the face is his bread and butter. Cook will oblige with his aggressive style that sees him chase down and corner unfortunate foes before flattening them with nightmarish combinations. If you live by the sword you die by the sword and it only takes one big counter strike to break through his offensive barrage to turn the fight in an instant. Can Tatov do just that?
Prediction: This will be brutal and short, Tatov can KO Cook but the more likely outcome is the reverse. Cook retains the gold with yet another first round TKO.
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