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Evolution 23 ‘Narushima vs. Womba 3’ Preview
Randy: “Welcome back for the latest edition of Evolution’s countdown previews as we get ready for Evolution 23 ‘Narushima vs. Womba 3’ which comes to you live from the Wombley arena in London, England on Saturday September 21st, 2013. This is the rubber match between these two great fighters with Womba finishing the first fight with a guillotine choke in the 5th round in the first bout and Narushima coming out and putting Womba away with strikes in the very first round in the rematch. This epic battle is 5 rounds for Evolution’s light-heavyweight championship and it should be a very entertaining fight with this striker vs. grappler match-up and both fighters possessing the ability to finish the fight in their domain at any given time. It will have fight fans sitting on the edge of their seat for the entirety of this fight. That fight is the main event of the evening and not the only exciting fight for the fans on this card as our main-card also includes two terrific match-ups at heavyweight when Renzo Machida takes on Arnie Ironz in a 5 round fight in the co-main event slot and right before that on the card J. Breaker takes on Kane Williams in another heavyweight fight scheduled to go 5 rounds. Lex Logic against John L. Sullivan IV and WMK takes Laz Icarus to round out the rest of the main-card. I’m joined here by my guest tonight Sean McDonnell, thanks for coming back on the show Sean. With the amount of events in Evolution it’s not always easy to schedule guests in time so I want to thank you for bailing us out and joining us on the show once again. We do have some great guests scheduled for some upcoming shows including Alexi Zaitev and Sinuhe Egyptian among others but for tonight Sean joins us to help break down these great fights. Thanks for coming buddy.”
Sean: “No sweat Randy. You know I always come through for guys in a bind.”
Randy: “Let’s start with what happened on the last Evolution event when Otso Jokinen avenged his loss against Danny Power knocking him out in the 1st round. How devastating of a loss was that for you and Danny?”
Sean: “Um…it was a pretty tough loss to be honest. I can’t say it was completely unexpected because guys think they’ve exposed something in Danny and we knew full well going into the fight that Jokinen would try to put him away this time so the outcome isn’t a complete shock on one hand but on the other dropping 3 fights in a row after being the #1 p4p guy is a tough pill to swallow.”
Randy: “What was the game-plan going into the fight? Was Danny not following or implementing the game-plan or do you think maybe you guys didn’t have the fight game-plan for the fight?? I guess I’m trying to ask what you think went wrong?”
Sean: “Well going into the fight we figured Otso would try to counter a little bit and throw his strikes with bad intentions this time around. The last fight he tried to be the aggressor and just out-point us because it’d worked so well for him against some of the heavier guys he was fighting and he was a little bit predictable coming into the fight. The game-plan was to force him backwards and throw a little bit of pepper on our own strikes in order to slow him down a little bit and hopefully take away some of his knock-out power while setting up the takedowns. Danny implemented the plan really well honestly he came out landing a lot of his strikes early in the fight and just got clipped man. That kinda shit happens in this business. Whether the game-plan was the right one I’d have to say clearly it wasn’t since Otso won the fight but we felt that was our best chance going into the fight.”
Randy: “What’s next for Danny Power? Is he going to stay at lightweight or move back down and try to get his featherweight title?”
Sean: “We haven’t really made a decision on Danny’s future right now. I’m trying to talk him into retiring and enjoying himself in the Bahamas. He’s won world titles in Ascension, Empire and Evolution. He’s been the #1 p4p fighter on the planet. I’m not sure what else he has left to accomplish and as a friend it’s hard to watch him go out and take the shots he’s taken the last 3 fights. Danny is obviously fighting me tooth and nail on the situation but we don’t want to make any decisions this close to a loss. We’ll take a little bit of time off and assess the situation when deemed appropriate.”
Randy: “Retirement?? You’re joking right? That’d be a damn shame to see him hang it up when he still has so much left in the tank.”
Sean: “Sometimes going out to 3 legendary fighters like Randolph, Kuzuri and Jokinen is better than trying to hang on too long and ruining your legacy by trying to hang on for too long.”
Randy: “I sure hope you guys decide against that route but I wish Danny the best no matter what he decides. Let’s move on to another topic real quick. Season 3 of ITFL? That’s really gonna happen?”
Sean: “It looks that way. I wasn’t sure what kinda interest there would be so I threw the idea out and have received overwhelming interest. I have talked the great Dane Ford to come back and run the organization for me. Johnny Lee Paris will be going over to work with Dane and be the project manager. Good ole Whirling Dirvish has stepped up to the plate to do a little bit of the event coverage so it seems everything is coming together quickly. Expect sign-ups to begin in the next few days.”
Randy: “Season 3 will be for the old guys as you like to say. Why’d you decide to go with that decision for season 3 and are you ever surprised how popular ITFL has become?”
Sean: “It does amaze me a little bit honestly. I never expected it to get this big or become this popular when I first started it. The first season took a long time to fill and I needed to rely on former friend Dean Sutherland to throw in 4 of his own fighters on a team just to get the damn thing going. So when I was considering doing a season 2 I really didn’t expect it to even fill. I figured it’d probably end up being a 1 and done thing despite how much fun I personally was having with the first season. The 2nd season filled much easier than the first and with all the publicity season 2 has received with the media coverage and such I have had guys beating down my door to get in on the next season. I decided to do an old guys season for the 3rd one because as much fun as I had with season 1 the match-making could get a bit annoying at times for a guy as competitive and wanting to challenge himself as much as Luka Beck. I am not sure this tournament is best for fighters in their prime because it takes a significant commitment with how long the season lasts and the matches don’t always suit the desire to climb the rankings. Season 2 seems like such a perfect fit for some of these super talented young fighters who just haven’t been seen in the cage quite enough for received the hype/exposure. What a perfect platform to establish yourself and get put on the map. If you take the publicity the tournament is receiving and consider where these guys will be by seasons end? I think there are a lot of future p4p stars in this tournament. So I tried to think of another group that I could make this work for and guys in the twilight of their career looking for a way to stay active and have some fun before their careers end seemed like the perfect fit to me. It seems like the MMA community agrees.”
Randy: “Well good luck on with the rest of season 2 and I will be keeping my eyes peeled to see who signs up for season 3 for sure. You ready to get to some of these great fights?”
Sean: “Damn straight I am.”
Laz Icarus (20-8) vs. William Mackenzie King (29-16-1)
Laz Icarus steps into the Evolution cage for the first time tonight when he takes on William Mackenzie King in a 3 round fight in the light-heavyweight division. On paper Icarus is the inferior fighter but his best chance at winning this fight is coming out behind his kicks and using his devastating knock-out power to his advantage to try stopping a man with double digit knock-out losses. Icarus will also want to tackle Mackenzie against the cage into the clinch where he can unleash knees to the body and face as well as an effective dirty-box game. Icarus has some offensive wrestling as well but I wouldn’t play in the guard of a BJJ black-belt if I were him. Keeping this fight standing and landing heavy shots is his best chance at walking away with a win in this fight. Mackenzie King is the more skilled striker but I doubt he’ll want to stand and trade with Icarus for very long. King should instead look to land early to help set up his takedowns and get this fight to the ground where he can wear down his opponent by making him carry his weight while he tries to work his ground strikes. If King can get to a dominant position he has the power to finish this fight so Icarus should look to keep his opponent in his guard when he finds himself on his back. A win in this fight will give 1 of these 2 fighters some momentum moving forward in the division.
Randy: “This should be an entertaining fight as both of these guys have really good knock-out power. I’m gonna take Mackenzie King in this fight because I really like his ability to get fights to the ground landing on 42% of his takedown attempts in his career. King will get this fight to the ground consistently and grind his way to a unanimous decision victory.”
Sean: “Gotta disagree with you on this one Randy. King is definitely the more skilled guy on paper and with the right game-plan I could see it playing out the way you predicted but we all know King’s chin is iffy at best and I think Icarus has the knock-out power to catch him early. Icarus puts King to sleep before he gets the chance to get his top-game going.”
Lex Logic (15-1) vs. John L. Sullivan IV (31-11-1)
Lex Logic made an impressive debut in his last fight knocking out the former middleweight champion Igor Glozman early in the 3rd round. He looks to take another giant step up the ladder in the middleweight division by beating recent title challenger “Boston Strong Boy” John L. Sullivan IV. Logic is a talented muay-thai striker with good knock-out power finishing 10 of his 15 wins by TKO or knock-out. Logic leads with his hands but mixes in plenty of kicks into his game-plan as he tries to get his opponents against the cage and in his clinch. Lex likes to throw a lot of punches to the head and body but also mixes in plenty of knees to the body and head as well. Logic is 15-1 in his career and rides a 7 fight win streak including a 6-0 record as a professional MMA fighter. Sullivan IV lost a close decision victory in his recent attempt for the divisions title but rebounded by beating former champion Danza Kuduro by decision. Sullivan will be looking to stop Logic’s streak and try to string a few wins together to get back into title contention. This will be a great striking match between two decent knock-out artists and two guys with good chins.
Randy: “I’m going to go with Sullivan IV here. He had a great fight with the champion and lost a really close decision. I think his chin is tested over a much longer career against a higher level of competition and I think that experience pays off for him in this fight and he takes it by decision.”
Sean: “I agree with the winner but not the method. I see Sullivan IV taking this with a late stoppage somewhere in the 4th round.”
J. Breaker (44-23-1) vs. Kane Williams (23-4)
The third fight on the main-card is scheduled to go 5 rounds in the heavyweight division as former HWP 265lbs and Syn 265+lbs champion J. Breaker takes on long time Versus 265lbs champion Kane Williams. Breaker is on a 4 fight winning streak including 3-0 since joining Evolution’s 265lbs division finishing all 3 of his opponents inside the distance. Breaker could make light-heavyweight but after fighting in HWP for so long he’s used to throwing down with bigger fighters and is never intimidated by bigger opponents. Breaker is a very aggressive striker who possesses devastating knock-out power in his hands finishing 31 of his 44 career victories by TKO or knock-out. If anybody out there has better knock-out power then J. Breaker it’d definitely be his opponent. Kane Williams is an elite kick-boxer who likes to throw a lot of low kicks to the leg and body mixed in with his strikes with his hands. Williams has knock-out power on pretty much everything he throws and has finished 22 of his 23 wins inside the distance. Williams ran into a bit of a hiccup in his Evolution debut against #1 contender Art Vandalay but rebounded with a big win against Maverick Smokeleaf last time out. A win for either of these fighters would have them right up on the list of top contenders and could lead to a potential title eliminator in their next fight.
Randy: “I’m going to go with Breaker in this fight. I think he’s going to be quicker than his opponent and he’ll come out and back Williams up and eventually wear down the big fella and knock him out somewhere in the middle rounds. Breaker has been rolling lately as you and Theo know all too well Sean.”
Sean: “Ya I’d rather not talk about that to be honest. I’m going to take Kane Williams in this fight because I really think he is an elite fighter who just has come up short a couple of times in big fights. Great fighters learn from those experiences and I think Williams time is coming really soon as he starts stringing together some wins by making it 2 in a row by knocking out Breaker.”
Renzo Machida (27-8) vs. Arnie Ironz (22-8)
Our co-main event of the evening is another fight in the heavyweight division and is also scheduled to go 5 rounds when Renzo Machida looks to make it 3 in a row since joining Evolution when he takes on former Evolution 265lbs champion Arnie Ironz. Machida had a respectable 7-3 record during his time in Empire’s heavyweight division and took a brief detour to Ascension for a fight in which he lost before joining Evolution in the merger. Since coming over he’s defeated Priebko by 1st round TKO and beat Dustin Douglas by unanimous decision. Machida could potentially earn himself a title shot with a big win over former champion Arnie Ironz or atleast find himself in a #1 contender’s match. Ironz dropped his title to Kyle Carlton at EVO 9 and then also lost to Don Marciano by knock-out in his last fight at EVO 15. He really needs a big win here tonight to stop the downward trajectory of his career and try to climb back into the title hunt. Ironz is a heavy handed striker who mixes up his punches and kicks very well. He’s won 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage via strikes and will look to land big shots early in this fight as he searches for the knock-out. Machida also has 22 knock-outs in his career and seems to take a punch better than Ironz so that could be a key factor in this fight.
Randy: “I like Machida in this fight. This one really could go either way because both of these fighters are very talented strikers with good knock-out power but I just have one of those feelings about this fight and Machida is going to win it with a head-kick knock-out.”
Sean: “I tend to agree with you on this one. Even down to the way Machida wins this fight. I see an early 1st or 2nd round stoppage via head-kick knock-out.”
Ryo Narushima (34-8) vs. Smokudju Womba (32-6-1)
It’s time! The main event of the evening is scheduled to go 5 rounds for the Evolution light-heavyweight championship when Ryo Narushima looks to defend his title for the 2nd time against Smokudju Womba in the rubber-match between these two fighters. The first time these two fighters squared off was at Empire 34 for Womba’s light-heavyweight championship after Womba twice defeated Ryo’s teammate Moses Diggs for the belt. Ryo put up a great fight but eventually succumbed to a guillotine choke in the 5th round. The second meeting between these two fighters was in Womba’s Evolution debut and this time it was for Narushima’s light-heavyweight championship. Narushima came out like a bat outta hell and put a beating on Womba like he’s never had before finishing him in the first round. This fight will be about who can force the opponent to fight their fight. Ryo will look to keep this fight on the feet and throw heavy shots as he will try to put Womba away in the early rounds. Womba will look to survive the early onslaught by his opponent and get this fight to the ground where he can lay on top of his opponent and wear him down dragging this fight into the later rounds. Womba will need to do better than his career 30% success rate in landing takedowns in this fight as Ryo will likely try to put him away early knowing that he’ll be in more danger at getting caught in another submission if this fight sees the later rounds. The winner walks away with the Evolution light-heavyweight championship and likely a strong-hold on a spot in the top 10 p4p fighters.
Randy: “I think Womba survives early this time and gets this fight to the ground on several occasions early in this fight. Womba will be very aggressive once the fight hits the mat and will not be afraid to give up the position diving on submission attempts because he has proven in his career he is equally as dangerous from his guard as he is from any other position. I say Womba by 4th round submission victory.”
Sean: “The champion has defended his title in the other two fights between these two guys and I think that trend stays the same as Ryo come out fast and lands big shots early in this fight and once again puts Womba away in the early rounds to retain his light-heavyweight championship and stake his claim on the best light-heavyweight in the business right now.”
Randy: “Another great night of action put on by those at Evolution as they continue to prove why they’re the best fight org in the business today. This card is completely stacked from top to bottom and we finish it off with the end to a great trilogy in the main-event. I want to thank you once again Sean for stepping up and helping us out for this count-down preview.”
Sean: “It’s my pleasure Randy, you know me. I can always sit and break-down film and fight match-ups. I live for this shit dude.”
Randy: “Good luck with the rest of season 2 of ITFL and good luck with the sign-ups for the new season. Who knows maybe you’ll even see me in the ITFL cage eh???”
Sean: “For your sake I hope Walt keeps you on the side lines and just brings you in to occasionally spar with the young guys. You’ve taken far too many shots to the head my friend but I still love ya.”
Randy: “Ya ya ya I hear you. Thanks again Sean. This is Randy Ortiz signing off for now. We’ll be back with another edition of Evolution’s count-down previews for Evolution 24 ‘Wise vs. Hunt’ and our special guest will be Sinuhe Egyptian. Have a good one folks.”
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