2014-02-17
Price: Free
Edition: #
Previous Issues
Submit Article
Tycoon Times - MMA Magazine
Tycoon Times - The World's Premier Weekly Mixed Martial Arts Newspaper
Corner

FNPFC Tournament Round 1 part 1

Event Preview: FNPFC Opening Class Act R1-1
UNFC Tokyo [ID 229K+]
2014-02-14, Tokyo, Hard Knocks - Tokyo
Author:Master Floppzzy

 After months of anticipation and hype the Opening Class Act 155 pound tournament is about to start. If you don’t know about the Flocorp New Players Fight Club Class Act tournament then allow me to enlighten you. There will be thirty two participants and they will be put into groups of eight. The first phase will be a knockout style as we will eliminate twenty four fighters over two rounds. The remaining eight fighters will be put into groups of four and they will face each other. Once all the fighters in each group have their fights we will move on to the last phase. We will have cross fights to determine third place and fourth place. As the top two fighters in each group face each other to see who will win. The opening event for the knockout rounds will be on February 14th in Tokyo at Hard Knocks. Part two of the first round will take place on the 15th of February and it will also be at Hard Knocks.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number One







Ace Cunningham (0-1) {0-0} versus Dean Cassidy (0-0) {0-0}







Cunningham could be in a bit of some legal trouble, but all signs point that he will be at the event. Obviously that is great news as his manager is a great guy, and someone who I think has a very bright future in the MMA world. Cunningham is a well-rounded fighter while Cassidy seems more like a one trick pony. Cunningham just needs to avoid the clinch and he should have this fight in the bag. I will assume Ace will use his wrestling to get the fight to the ground where he will be able to dominate this fight. I am going to predict Ace Cunningham to advance in this tournament by submission in the second round.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Two







Ric Borden (0-0) {0-0} versus Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri (0-0) {0-0}







This is that classic matchup with a striker facing a wrestler. Borden is the striker having been trained in the art of muay thai while Kawajiri is a wrestler with a good pedigree. Borden will want to take this fight to the clinch where he can rough up Kawajiri but that could play to the strength of Kawajiri. Since Tatsuya wants to get the takedown he may allow Borden to clinch since he can drop down for a single, shoot for a double, or even get a trip while in the clinch. I know Borden has been working hard on his takedown defence and if he can prevent that he should win this fight. Do to the circumstances of Borden’s manager being me I cannot make a prediction on who will win this fight.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Three







Hishi Yamato (0-0) {0-0} versus "Satsujinsha" Jeffrey Miller (1-1) {1-1}







Yamato is all one sided. He is a striker and that’s about it. Obviously he will want to keep the fight standing at all costs but I am not so sure that will guarantee his victory. Miller is more of a striker but he does have some skills on the mat, and he should use them in this one. If he can exploit Yamato’s lack of jiu jitsu and wrestling training it should be an easy win for him. Out of his two fights the one that did go to the ground he lost, but I don’t think Miller should have any concerns of Yamato trying to submit him. I am going to pick Miller to win this fight by tko in the first round.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Four







Mars "The Short-Fuze" Brawl Jr (0-0) {0-0} versus Connall Chulainn (0-0) {0-0}







Mars could be the best striker in the tournament, and I have heard several media members talking about it. I would rank him second or maybe third but not first. Still when you are talking about thirty two fighters being in the top ten percent is prestigious. He also has been training in wrestling, but that will not help him much against Chulainn. Chulainn is a world class wrestler that will be looking to nullify Mars’s striking by putting him on his back. Now I have not seen Connall’s chin yet, but I have this felling we will not get to see his wrestling ability in this one. I am going to make a bold prediction and say Mars wins by knockout in the first minute of the fight.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Five







Anti Hero (0-1) {0-0} versus Luc "Luki" Van Der Vaart (1-0) {0-0}







We go from one of the best strikers in the tournament to one of the best grapplers in the tournament. Anti Hero is a top notch wrestler and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. His striking is a major gap in his game, but if the fight goes to the mat its over in my opinion. Vaart is not much better when it comes to striking but on the ground he is completely outclassed. I have no idea how Vaart can pull off a win in this one, as this might be the most one sided fight in the tournament. Hero will need to mix in some submission attempts in his game to try and finish but I see Hero winning by decision in this fight.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Six







Manfred "Mini Manfred" Hoeberl (1-0) {0-0} versus Jean Pierre LeBaron (0-0) {0-0}







Hoeberl is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu who in the lead up to the tournament has been working on rounding out his overall game. He will not be able to stand and bang with the best of them, but he is no slouch in the striking department. He will want to get the fight to the ground, but at least he doesn’t have to completely rely on that. LeBaron is a boxer and a wrestler who seems like he will be a sprawl and brawl type of fighter. If he can stay off the ground against Manfred he will have a great chance at winning this fight. If the fight goes to the mat though Jean Pierre will be in for a world of hurt as he will get submitted. Jean Pierre LeBaron I think has enough wrestling to keep this fight standing which spells trouble for Manfred, and I am picking JPL to win by knockout in the second round.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Seven







Meguru Takayanagi (0-0) {0-0} versus "The Borg Zombie" Chan Sung Aoki (0-0) {0-0}







I foresee a one sided affair in this match up. Meguru does not have much in the striking department or wrestling department. Shelves are fully stocked in his jiu jitsu game, but to win on the mat you have to be able to get the fight to the ground. The Borg Zombie is a very dominate wrestler but he obviously will not want to take down the BJJ specialist, so his game plan should be to stand up and box. If he can put enough gloves to Meguru’s face and look for a takedown latter there won’t be so much concern of getting submitted. Then again he could go for the takedown early and try to quickly get to side control where there is never too much worry of a submission. Both strategies will work, and I think Aoki will be able to execute and get the TKO win in the third round.







Class Act 155lbs Tournament Round One Fight Number Eight







Kanchai Suya (2-0) {2-0} versus Johnny "Quick" Silver (2-0) {0-0}







Suya is the reason I could not agree with Mars Brawl Jr being the best striker in the tournament. Castor Rollins has done a fantastic job with the training of Suya and he is my early favorite to win the entire tournament. Please don’t get me wrong in this I think Silver is a great up and coming fighter as well, I just think Suya is better equipped to win this fight and tournament. Silver’s strength comes from his boxing, but how do you box a guy that is kicking you in the head, you don’t! I think Silver beats at least twenty other guys in the first round, but he does not beat Suya. I got Suya winning this fight by knockout in the first round.







135 Pound Fight







Eric "The Bulldog" Bing (18-6) {0-0} versus "Blitzkrieg" Helmut Doerner (13-18) {0-0}







Even though the tournament is over for the night, the fights are not. We have a cardio challenge in out next fight. Two very experienced bantamweights will face off in five ten minute round fight. Bing has fewer fights under his belt but more wins. He is a stand up fighter who has twelve wins by knockout and he will be looking to take Doerner’s head off in this one. Helmut Doerner is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who has thirteen wins, ten of which have come by submission. If he can get Bing to the ground he should be able to submit him. I think Doerner will win via submission and I think it will be very late in the first round.







135 Pound Fight







"Monster" Mamaw Ako (7-3) {0-0} versus "Mr.Bantamweight " Shawn Michaels (34-8) {0-1}







This will be another grueling five ten minute round fight. The experience level is a little one sided as Michaels has over four times the amount of fights that Ako has had. This should be a great fight though as Ako is slightly better with striking while Michaels is slightly better in the grappling department. With their abilities being so close together I am going to have to pick Ako to win. I really feel by the time Michaels has a good opportunity at locking on a submission Ako will be way too sweaty. I think Ako gets the win by TKO after a long fight, as I see this one going to the third round.







That will wrap up the first day of round one of the tournament. I would like to wish luck to all the competitors and managers involved. I would also like to thank Bunny Clothing for their partnership with FNPFC.







The views and opinions in this article are strictly those of the writers and may not reflect the opinions or views of FNPFC. This article is owned by FNPFC and may not be reused or retransmitted without written expressed consent from FNPFC.

 

Article views: 276
» Donate to this author

Editorial Staff
Tycoon Times Discussion
Tycoon Times - MMA Magazine MMA Tycoon
MMA Chat Room
MMA Forum