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 December 12th is set to be the biggest night in the history of Highland Games. The Hayashi Lounge will be sold out as 2000 fans scream for the FOUR title fights on offer.
Starting with the prelims:-
Jason Barrett (3-0) Vs Jordan Jack (2-1) – Heavyweight
It has taken little time for knockout specialist Jason Barrett to head back into the cage. After a third straight knockout win, this time over Matthew MacDonald, Barrett is entering the cage just 7 days later on the next card, this time facing a slightly less proven opponent in Jordan Jack.
Barrett’s power in the clinch is almost unrivalled. While he doesn’t possess quite the control of the Barney Gumbles or LightHeavy Weights of the promotion, Barrett has proven to hold some of the most devastating dirty boxing since his debut at HG 7.
The opponent for this fight is underdog Jordan Jack. After an impressive 2 round knockout in his debut, Jordan Jack made his first start for Highland Games by knockout out Mark Nelson, again in the second. At Highland Games 22, the Minneapolis native clashed with Benny skren who has been highly impressive as of late. Jack is capable of landing good shots at range and also has a fantastic wrestling game with vicious ground and pound. If he can avoid the clinch, he has a great chance in this one.
Craig Ekart (4-1) Vs Sindri Haraldsson (4-2) – Bantamweight
These Bantamweight contenders will collide to stand out from the pack and make their case for the 135 title.
Craig Ekart has had experienced some of the top level organisations thus far on The Island. Starting in Chaos, Ekart impressed with 2 stoppages by vicious and effective ground and pound. He would go on to fight future UltimateXC Bantamweight Champion and current AFL Contender Renato Laranja, in a fight he lost by guillotine. Following this defeat, Ekart joined Highland Games, stopping Tedy Watis and Neil Seraphim with his dominant ground game.
The Topeka native, Craig Ekart could make a claim for the title with a win in this fight, earning a 3-0 streak in his current promotion.
Sindri Haraldsson is an Icelandic Islander making his Highland Games debut. After a win in debut over Patick ODochaty in Choas, Haraldson would go 3-2 in AFL, earning Kncokout of the Night after his 44 second destruction over Mitch Mike. Utilizing a strong kickboxing stance is the key to success for Haraldsson, and so far in his career he has showed strong boxing and hard leg kicks to chop his opponents down. A win in this fight will put the Bantamweight division on alert, telling them that Sindri Haraldsson is here for one reason; to hold Highland Games gold.
Scooby Ali (5-1) Vs Jack Stick (6-1) – Lightweight
Moving up to 155, we see a classic striker Vs grappler match up.
Scooby Ali is fighting out of the ever-evolving stable of fighters headed by ZyD XyD. Just one submission loss to Vladimir Bednyakov stains his record, while the rest of his fights have ended in devastating knockout fashion in the very first round. In his last fight, Scooby awared Hideki Higkiko his first professional loss, in an effort that ended Ali knockout of the night. A win for Scooby here would guarantee him a title shot, depending on whether or not Don Killuminati is able to defeat Ali’s teammate Short Fuse.
Speaking of Short Fuse, Jack Stick is bouncing back after a loss to Fuse in his last fight. Stick was able to go 6-0 in his MMA career, defeating Callum McGregor ace Anatoly Petkrovic with an easy first round stoppage. The rivalry is fierce between Jack Stick and ZyD’s camp, as Short Fuse only defeated Stick after an accidentally eye poke. Jack has a point to prove here, and vengeance will be sweat if he is able to get past Scooby Ali and once again establish himself as the best Lightweight fighter on the roster.
Skunk Asap (4-1) Vs Joel Nicola (5-2) – Light Heavyweight
Skunk Asap is making his Highland Games debut after the collapse of UltimateXC. Skunk is the brother of former AFL Welterweight champion Ska Asap, and brings an outstanding striking game to the Light Heavyweight division. In his last outing, Skunk managed to win by knockout in just 32 seconds, perfectly demonstrating how dangerous a striker he is. Skunk’s only professional loss was at the hands of Michael Coleman, who managed to grapple him against the cage to a boring decision victory.
A man no stranger to striking is veteran Highland Games enforcer Joel Nicola. Nicola, another member of the ZyD clan, is 5-2 in his career, with wins over Akau Umaga, Eirikur Adalsteinn, Matheus Dubin and Saintly Fish to name a few. In his 5th Highland Games fight, Nicola was stopped by clinch master LightHeavy Weight. His only other loss comes to 4-0 Jake Theodorou who is also fighting on the card tonight. With two Knockout of the Night bonuses to his name, Nicola is a striker who evokes fear in the hearts of all of his opponents, but has he met his match in this one?
Rodrigo Gracie (6-1) Vs Jake Theodorou (4-0) – Light Heavyweight
I can’t wait for this one. You don’t get many more worthy contender fights than this contest, between absolute superstars at LHW.
Rodrigo is essentially an undefeated fighter. In the independent circuit, Gracie took a decision loss to Canela Elbow in his second fight. Later, after winning his next 3 by submission in the first round, Gracie stopped Cenela with his trademark kimura, wiping the slate clean for him to continue with his career. At Highland Games 21, Gracie proved superior over previously undefeated submission expert Alfonso Bebeto. Perhaps even more impressive, is that Gracie defeated the BJJ Brown Belt by Triangle Armbar in just 1 minute 59 seconds. A win in this fight would put Rodrigo Gracie at 7-1, and it’s hard to argue that he wouldn’t be deserving of a title shot.
Jake Theodorou was the early Highland Games kingpin. Jake went 4-0 in his career, easily dominating Jaymz Hetfield and Joel Nicola in in Highland Games 1 and 4 respectively. Despite being primed for a title shot, Theodorou went MIA and had some stuff to work out in his personal life. Now returning to the cage for the first time since mid-October, Jake plans to pick up right where he left off, in dominant and impressive fashion. Jake has one gameplan, take the fight to the ground and beat his opponent until the referee drags him off. Going up against a submission specialist with the skills of Rodrigo Gracie might see Jake biting off more than he can chew in this one however.
Massa Hurmaaja (6-1) Vs Grant Morrison (7-2) – Middleweight
This is a rematch of their UltimateXC Middleweight title match, in which Grant Morrison was only able to win by cuts. The fight say Massa struggle to get the takedown, while Morrison hurt him badly on the feet early. The blood thickened and eventually the fight was called, and Massa Hurmaaja is not entirely convinced that he deserved to lose the fight.
Massa is 6-1 with notable wins over Jace Phillips, Irchie Kast, Ben Pulse, Piotr Wyspianski and The Fighter. With 3 knockouts, 2 submissions and 1 decision under his belt, it’s evident that Hurmaaja is a well-rounded competitor who is capable of fighting wherever he wants. In this fight, the question is whether or not his striking has improved enough for him to compete with Grant Morrison, and whether or not he will be able to take the fight to the ground.
Grant Morrison is the only UltimateXC Middleweight Champion, holding his title until the end of the organisation’s lifespan. An early career blemish was to Massimo Benvenuti, in which he was knocked out in just 20 seconds. His impressive 5 fight stoppage and win streak, including his title reign, put Grant back in the title picture, this time in Highland Games. His opponent was none of than the 1 on his record, Massimo Benvenuti. After dominating the first round, Morrison was clipped by Benvenuti and rocked. He tried to go toe to toe, but a well timed left hook counter say Massimo walk away with the Highland Games gold while Morrison was once again left to pick up the pieces.
This could easily be a title fight in any organisation, but what’s really interesting is that Massa Hurmaaja has the opportunity to succeed where Morrison failed. He has his shot at redemption, and he vows to take chance and walk away as the victor.
Short Fuse (6-0) Vs Don Killuminati (3-0) – Lightweight Title
This fight is for the inaugural Highland Games Lightweight Championship.
Short Fuse went 3-0 at Featherweight before earning a Lightweight title shot in UltimateXC. He took full advantage of the opportunity, knockout out 4-0 challenger Arnolf Karstark in just 35 seconds. This victory earned Fuse both Fight of the Night and Knockout of the night honours, but more importantly it earned him his 4th straight victory. Since then, Fuse has maintained a perfect record. He defended his title with a 4th round stoppage in his next outing, and then signed for Highland Games. In this fight, Fuse would fight 6-0 powerhouse Jack Stick in a fight which very well could have been for the Lightweight title. It would take the ZyD fighter just 2 minutes to take the W, impressing everyone and establishing himself as one of the greats at 155 on The Island.
Perhaps the biggest underdog on the card, Don Killuminati is well aware of the challenge he faces on December 25th. Don is also undefeated, and his last two outings have been stoppage victories under the Highland Games banner. Highlighted with an 11 second knockout of Kenichi Mighty, Don Killuminati has made an impact since he joined the promotion. With lethal boxing and a strong clinch game, Don wants to keep every fight standing so he can get the opportunity to land his heavy hands on the adversary’s chin. Don’s goal since joining MMA has to become a champion, and although some might say this opportunity has come slightly prematurely, Don is ready to upset those doubting him and walk away as the new Highland Games Lightweight Champion.
Serge Ibaka (7-0) Vs Frank Pravola (7-1) – Bantamweight Title
This is the moment everyone has been waiting for, the #1 pound for pound king on The Island is making his Highland Games debut!
Serge is as good as it gets in Bantamweight competition. His 7-0 record is impressive enough alone, but when you consider that some of his victories include names like 6-1 Neil Drake and 6-1 Darth Vader, you gain a lot more respect for this knockout specialist. At the time of his victories, his opponent’s combined record is 31-16, so Serge Ibaka has been in there with some experienced athletes and still hasn’t been challenged in his professional career. His second round knockout of the night over Darth Vader earned “Two Guns” the Attack Fighting League Bantamweight title. He defended the strap in his last outing before cutting ties with the promotion. It is believed that Ibaka felt that the competition wasn’t stiff enough for him, and he wants to prove himself all over The Island, defeating everyone before the end of the season tournament even begins. Now he has joined Highland Games, and with a massive reputation and following, he is looking to show everyone why he deserves every single ounce of the hype he has gained.
Once of the few men with the same experience in the promotion as Serge Ibaka, Frank Pravola comes into this fight as a considerable underdog, but a hungry challenger. With HG knockouts of Chandaka Mahajan and Artem Ikonnikov, Frank is familiar with Highland Games and could be considered to be fighting on home soil in this inaugural 135 title showcase. Fravola’s only professional defeat was in his second fight, when he lost to current top AFL fighter Josh Miller by triangle armbar. Frank would overcome that setback by tearing through the Bantamweight ranks with a 6 fight win streak. Despite this impressive run, Frank has still struggled to get his name out there amongst the top Island contenders. This is perhaps down to the level of competition Frank has faced, but everything will change with a victory over a name like Serge Ibaka and Frank will fire up the P4P rankings and establish himself as a true Bantamweight great.
LightHeavy Weight (5-1) Vs Rice Aroni (5-0) – Light Heavyweight Title
This is a stunning fight with two products of Highland Games.
Debuting at Highland Games 1, it was obvious that LHW was always going to be a top contender. He allowed Billy Benson just 1 minute of action before stopping the fight due to cuts. This is a trend that LHW would go on to repeat several times. Every single opponent this man has ever faced have been cut seriously bad. Three of those opponents suffered lacerations so gruesome, that the referee was called to put an end to the contest. After three straight wins, all inside Highland Games, LightHeavy Weight had earned himself a number 1 contender fight. He would take on 4-1 knockout specialist Eirikur Adalsteinn. In the fight, LHW did what he always does, getting the clinch and ripping Eirikur’s face to shreds. The referee warned Adalsteinn to protect his injury three times in just two rounds, but he was unable to stop his opponent, LHW, from doing what he does best. Instead, Adalsteinn did what he does best, and landed some huge shots early in the second to earn the shot. LightHeavy Weight was distraught. His chances at going for the title were gone, and he was back down to the bottom of the division. Some fighters would see the descent as the first sign of an unsuccessful career, and would either retire or split from their manager. LHW is not one of these fighters. He rebounded by stopping Joel Nicola and Wo Fi, two of ZyD’s best performers, and put himself in the position he finds himself in now; challenging for the title.
Rice Aroni shares something in common with his opponent; both men made their professional debuts in Highland Games. For Aroni, the climb was just as devastating but made less noise. Although Aroni defeated his first three obstacles in under two minutes, he found himself further from a title shot than his opponent. His hype wasn’t climbing at quite the same rate, and it is something Aroni was far from happy about. None the less, he went out in his next fight against Jeff Jones and did what he does best, knocked him out. Finally Aroni had made his mark, and the victory caught the attention of Highland Games promoter Callum McGregor. Going 4 straight in the first round is always impressive, and Aroni had achieved his dream of fighting for the Light Heavyweight title. The belt was now owned by Rodrigo Rojas, a small 205er who used his speed advantage to drag opponents to the floor where he would slap on a submission. Despite Rojas being perfect in his career, Aroni was positive that the fight was his for the taking. He was not wrong. Aroni walked into the cage and finished Rojas quicker than he had finished anyone previously, showing that he is improving every single time he enters the cage. With the belt now firmly on his shoulder, Rice Aroni vows to prevent LightHeavy Weight’s stellar clinch game and instead pick up another first round knockout.
Massimo Paterno (8-2) Vs Massimo Benvenuti (9-0) - Middleweight Title
I have never heard the name Massimo before in my life, so the odds of The Island’s two best middleweight fighters being the exact same is an extremely ironic coincidence. What isn’t a coincidence is that these two great warriors are going to clash for the first time in Highland Games.
Massimo Paterno’s start in mixed martial arts didn’t give us the look of a future champion. He went 2-2 in his first four contests, losing by submission to Ron Dirac and knockout by Jermaine Pedigrew. While this didn’t seem impressive, it’s not taking into account that his wins include top unsigned fighter Ben Pulse, who was 0-1 at the time, and highly ranked Highland Games competitor Jonah Sorentino, who was 0-0 at the time but has extended his record to 9-3 since. Despite the set backs, Massimo would destroy every other man who contended against him, submitting every single one of them with a different move every time. At Highland Games 4, Paterno took on undefeated fighter Ramulus Artemis. This co-main event fight say Paterno earn Submission of the Night with a highly rare Brabo Choke which stunned the fans. He would pick up another post fight bonus by beating 4-0 contender George Alvarez Jr, and in his last fight he stopped Matthew Michaels with a guillotine choke. Massimo’s turnaround in his career has been amazing, and his ability to refine his submission skills after the early armbar loss to Ron Dirac has been amazing. When Paterno heard that Benvenuti and Grant Morrisson were going to fight for the title, he was outraged. Paterno had went 2 straight in Highland Games and felt he was the rightful competitor, and most importantly that he was better than the other two fighters. Now, he gets the chance to prove himself.
Defending his Middleweight title for the first time is Massimo Benvenuti. With perhaps the best record on The Island, Massimo B has been defeated elite fighters since debuting inside the cage. In his third professional fight, “The Italian Brawler” beat Grant Morrison by knockout in just 20 seconds. Both men would then be signed by UltimateXC, and despite still being undefeated, Massimo B was passed over for the title shot in favour of the man he had previously defeated; Morrisson. Benvenuti was furious at this, and he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t worthy of the shot. When he signed to Highland Games, Massimo was 6-0 and had just went the distance with Jonah Sorentino. He would fight 4-1 Renato Gracie and won by TKO in the 5th. His next foe was Nestor Shufrich, a 5-0 best who suffered the same fate as Gracie. After these victories, Massimo Benvenuti was given the opportunity to do what he wished he could have done in UltimateXC; fight Grant Morrisson for the title. Benvenuti had done it before, and after missing his shot at the belt in the other organisation, he had the perfect opponent for the perfect fight. It took him just 2 rounds to prove that lighting can strike twice, TKOing Morrison and earning the championship belt.
Which Massimo will reign supreme? Tune in to find out.
Nelson Frazier Jr (5-0) Vs Barney Gumble (7-0) – Heavyweight Title
I feel like I’ve been writing forever, but all of it was worth it to get to this point. The Heavyweight title is on the line as undefeated clinch masters butt heads, both eager to show that they have the most lethal muay thai in the game.
Big Daddy V is represented by Grant Brophy, a highly experienced manager who recently said goodbye to his original fighter by the same name. Brophy’s retirement has left a hole in his promoter’s heart, and one Nelson Frazier Jr can fill by taking home the 265 title. Nelson won his debut unimpressively by going the distance with a weak fighter named Blaine Baratheon. This unimpressive start to his career didn’t bode well for New Yorker’s future. Joining Highland Games, Frazier put down 1-0 Jonah Takalua inside the opener. He would step up in quality against 3-1 fighter Mitchel Thompson, a boxer who has plenty of experience inside the clinch also. Frazier would trade shots with Thompson at close range, but he proved dominant throughout and managed to get the victory in the final round of the fight. Nelson was looking good, but didn’t look like anything special. He had to beat another top fighter to prove that he was ready to be in championship talks. This came about when he was given the opportunity to fight Keith Harvy. Harvy was 3-0 and had stopped everyone he had faced in the very first round. Harvy would only last 3 minutes inside the cage with Frazier, as Big Daddy V proved to the world that he was the real deal. The only thing standing between Nelson and the opportunity to challenge for the gold was Christian Long. Long has already challenged for the title, losing to Gumble in the first round. Despite this, wins over Alexey Juralev, Diamond Andy and Elias Page, all by knockout, proved that outside of the champion, Long was the best around. At least, this was before the cage door closed. Nelson was going into the fight as the striking underdog, who needed the clinch or else he was done for. He left the fight as an elite striker who outboxed Christian Long and knocked him out with an outstanding superman punch. This knockout of the night victory put the spotlight on Frazier, and now, after 5 straight victories, Nelson Frazier Jr is going to fight for the championship belt in Highland Games and assures everyone that he IS going to become the new kingpin in the company.
When you talk about dominance, when you talk about imposing your gameplan, when you talk about stopping opponents, it gets no better than Barney Gumble. Since joining Highland Games, Gumble has been faced with a murders row of fighters. Diamond Andy, 3-0. Christian Long, 3-0. Thor Heyerdahl, 3-0. Mib Louie, 5-0. Gumble has not only turned these contenders away every single time, but he’s done so by stopping them all in the very first round. How does he do this? He does this by possessing the most deadly and dangerous clinch that The Island has ever seen. Once he gets a hold of you, the fight is essentially over and opponents all but quit once caught in the predicament. If this isn’t impressive enough, Gumble has only actually been hit just 9 times in Highland Games. This is outstanding when you consider that Gumble has hit the target 131 times. This is almost 15 times more than his opponents have landed. That kind of absolute destruction is why Gumble is ranked #2 on The Island, only behind Serge Ibaka, and has been the best heavyweight around since his HG debut. Gumble is also the only man to defend his title thus far in Highland Games, doing so twice, and really it’s hard to see him ever losing going off of his current form.
What’s so exciting about this fight is that Gumble isn’t taking his opponent out of his comfort zone. Nelson Frazier Jr WANTS to clinch with Barney Gumble. He WANTS the fight to take place at close range, and that’s really not something that Barney Gumble has been faced with before. This fight is set to be an absolutely incredible affair, and I suggest everyone on The Island tunes in to see just how good the thai clinch can be when utilized correctly.
Highland Games 25 is set to be The Island’s greatest event to date, and will put Highland Games down in the history books for years to come. 5 titles are on the line, 2 titles will be defended, and 20 of The Island’s greatest fighters will do what they do best. Tune in for a night of absolutely amazing fights.
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