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Evolution presents
EVO 200: REVELATION NOW
LIVE FROM WOMBLEY ARENA, LONDON!
LIVE FROM 6PM ON THE TYCOON NETWORK!
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
PEARSON SPECTER LITT
“Home of the finest threads in Tycoon”
Good evening ladies and gentlemen and it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the official preview for one of the most historic events in MMA Tycoon history: EVO 200: Revelation Now! The management team of EVO have been hard at work getting some of the biggest names in the world to compete on this event, and quite frankly, they have not disappointed. Champions from across the world have gathered to compete against each other, and this event is being headlined by the conclusion in the epic trilogy between the two biggest stars in the world, Rinky Spider and Leonardo Ferreira! Those two men headline a card absolutely stacked with talent in what will surely go down as a contender for Event of the Year. The excitement for this event has been brewing for weeks, with call outs on Buzz, and the tension of who would face Ferreira on the card going down. I have babbled on enough, so without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, I give to you: EVO 200!
UNDERCARD
FIGHT #1 - Heavyweight Division!
Rocky McColgan vs Apollo Gutz
Kicking off our monster card are two widely respected fighters in the Heavyweight division as “Cocky” Rocky McColgan takes on Apollo Gutz!
“Cocky” Rocky McColgan has been experiencing an upturn in his fortunes lately, which will make him feeling confident of continuing his good form in this bout. Since his loss to Leonardo Ferreira, he lost the following fight to Brick Tires, before returning to Troid EP to defend his belt successfully against Lexington Snape. Returning to EVO, he would lose to Varg Veide at EVO 189, but that would be where his fortunes would turn. Competing against Kylla Ei, he would dominate him with a first round KO victory to bring him back into the attention of the higher ups. Returning to Troid EP once more to defend his belt, he would defeat Artur Levchenko with a second round KO to show he was on the rise once more. With Elite striking and age on his side, he has the potential to become one of the biggest stars in MMA, but will need to continue with winning his fights and turning in impressive performances to continue his rise.
Apollo Gutz is another guy rising up lately, as he bounced back from a 2 fight losing streak to win his last three in impressive fashion. Following a loss to Moyses Mattos, Gutz would take on Shane Luger and surprised everyone by claiming the first Submission win of his career with a first round Guillotine win at EVO 190. He would take on Hans Dietrich at EVO 194 but there would be no surprise finishes here as he defeated him with a first round TKO to get the momentum back on his side. He would then face Moyses Mattos once more at EVO 198 and would gain a small measure of revenge here by defeating Mattos with a second round TKO to put himself in prime position to compete on this historic card. He has Elite striking, and as he proved, his grappling game shouldn’t be underestimated either.
A fantastic bout to kick things off. Both fighters carry power in their hands, so it’s a case of who hits hardest and earliest. Tough one to call, but I will plump for a McColgan win.
Prediction: Rocky McColgan to win via (T)KO in Round 2
FIGHT #2 - Bantamweight Division!
Yoko Gushiken vs Ice Drago
Our second fight of the night is a superfight between EVO and TTFC as the EVO Bantamweight champion Yoko Gushiken takes on the TTFC Bantamweight Champion Ice Drago.
“Fierce Eagle” Yoko Gushiken recently saw his 8 fight win streak snapped with a loss to Richmond Finch at EVO 195 for the Featherweight title which would have seen him become a two division champion simultaneously for the first time in his career. He would earn that fight after a great run of wins over the likes of Oompa Loompa, Rafa Silva, and a win in a superfight with MFN champion Eugene Judd. Unfortunately, “Fierce Eagle” would lose the bout but he is ready to get back in the cage and prove himself against a high class opponent as he look to secure his reputation as the best lighter weight fighter in the world.
Ice Drago has a coloured history to say the least, but we won’t be getting into that in this preview. He started off his career with a huge 13 fight win streak which was snapped by a loss to Eugene Judd. He has gone on a 6 fight winning streak since then with his last win seeing him avenge his loss to Eugene Judd with a Majority Decision win. Drago may not have as much historical achievements as Gushiken, but he is a well seasoned fighter who can provide one of the tougher challenges of his career.
A tough fight between two of the world’s best. Both fighters have the power to put each other away, but I feel this will go the distance with a Decision.
Prediction: Ice Drago to win via Unanimous Decision
FIGHT #3 - Light Heavyweight Division!
Hans Thor vs Jesse Custer
Our double header of Light Heavyweight action on the undercard kicks off here as “The Viking” Hans Thor takes on “Preacher” Jesse Custer.
Hans Thor is currently on a two fight winning streak, having defeated Funky Punch at EVO 192 and Eli Crowe at EVO 195. He is somewhat of an EVO veteran, with this being his 18th fight with the org. Blessed with a Granite Chin and big KO Power, he is a force against any opponent at Light Heavyweight, and will look to prove that against another of the world’s best.
“Preacher” Jesse Custer is on his best run of form in EVO so far, racking up three consecutive wins to patch up his rocky start to life in the org. After going 2-4, he would defeat both Thomas Boothe and Ada Reyes via Unanimous Decision before turning in arguably his finest performance so far in EVO with a first round KO victory over Tat Moh. He packs a punch with his power, and will be looking to test Thor’s durability in this bout.
Both of these fighters are highly impressive and like most of the fights on the card, both have their strengths which can win them the fight. However, I feel Hans Thor’s durability could help him to survive Custer’s onslaught while using his own power to get the fight on his side.
Prediction: Hans Thor to win via (T)KO in Round 4
FIGHT #4 - Light Heavyweight Division!
Vagner Love vs Flagon Sackett
Our second Light Heavyweight bout of the night now as Vagner Love takes on Flagon Sackett.
Vagner Love recently lost his championship in his first title defence against Colin Croft, but bounced back from that with a late stoppage victory over MC Wisk. Prior to that loss against Croft, he had a hugely impressive 16 fight win streak which launched his career and put him in the limelight. He will be looking to gain that attention again by winning against one of the fastest rising Light Heavyweight stars around.
Flagon Sackett comes from one of the most respected fighting families in the history of MMA, rivaled by only the Kersikovs. Sackett is currently enjoying a 4 fight winning streak, a run that saw him finish his last fight at SFC before moving to Troid EP and claiming their Light Heavyweight championship. After claiming and defending the title twice, he got the offer to compete against one of the most well known names in the world and he jumped at the chance to prove himself.
Both fighters are top class, and while Love may be more tested at the higher levels, I am giving my backing to Flagon Sackett to upset the apple cart and walk away with the win.
Prediction: Flagon Sackett to win via (T)KO in Round 4
FIGHT #5 - Middleweight Division! - Title Fight!
Lucas Bishop vs Esquiva Falcao
Spider vs Ferreira isn’t the only rivalry coming to a head on this event as the final undercard fight of the night sees “Bishop” Lucas Bishop take on Esquiva Falcao for the EVO Middleweight Championship!
Lucas Bishop may not have a major winning streak to dominate his career, but he is a highly touted fighter with a legendary manager backing him. Since signing for EVO, he would lose his debut fight before firing back to win 5 in a row including winning the title and defending it three times successfully. His rivalry with Falcao would then begin as he took part in a superfight with MFN which would see him lose to a fifth round KO. Another superfight, this time with CEC, would follow which saw him Draw against Taisto Murkula. Returning to EVO, he would score consecutive decision wins against Arial Jones and Jaska Jalovaara. A rematch with Esquiva Falcao would follow, and Bishop would suffer a TKO loss in the third round to lose his championship. A third fight would be scheduled at EVO 196, and it would see Bishop finally get his revenge by defeating Falcao via Unanimous Decision. With the scores currently 1-2 for Falcao, Bishop has the momentum going into this bout but will need to gameplan as well as he did in the last fight to come away with the win and the championship.
Esquiva Falcao kicked off his career with an 11 fight win streak which saw him capture the Umbrella and MFN titles before Umbrella closed. He would see his winning streak broken with a loss to Johnny Reach, but with two wins following that he would challenge Reach for the title and regain the belt with a first round KO win. This would lead on to the first fight against Bishop, and following that, he would defeat Topi Takala before moving on to EVO permanently. His first two EVO fights were his subsequent fights against Bishop, which leaves Falcao wanting to gain revenge as well as the lucrative prize of being the champion of the world. He will need to use his devastating KO power to break through Bishop, as leaving it to the judges leaves it to chance of another decision heartbreak.
A fantastic and storied title fight to get people pumped for the main card, and both fighters have proven they can beat the other, but for me, Falcao will be out for blood in this bout which can either work for or against him.
Prediction: Esquiva Falcao to win via (T)KO in Round 3
MAIN CARD
FIGHT #6 - Super Heavyweight Division!
Scott Norton vs Stack Shillings
Kicking off the Main Card is a Super Heavyweight clash as “Flash” Scott Norton takes on “The SouthSide Swanger” Stack Shillings.
Scott Norton is one of the best fighters in the world to have never held a world championship. Currently ranked as the #1 Super Heavyweight in the world, although due to the overlap between Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight, he is also #37 P4P in the world. After a fantastic run in MFN in which he only lost one fight to the champion Zell Griever, he signed over to EVO and would lose his debut title shot to Rinky Spider. Since then however, he has bounced back with big first round KO wins over Jay Jay Mutombo and Kyle Carlton. He will be looking to solidify his case for a rematch with Rinky by winning here and in convincing fashion.
Stack Shillings recently changed management teams, with Torrelio Saccana leaving as his manager before Shillings signed up with Nick Force. Going 3-2 under his old management in EVO, Shillings is now 2-0 with his new manager, claiming first round (T)KO wins over Baas Baako and Ernesto Oliveira. He will be looking to make himself the #1 contender for Spider’s crown by using his power to break through Norton.
Both fighters have big power, and while Shillings may have the better chin, that won’t save you at Super Heavyweight. I am going to be going for Norton to win the bout, but this bout is gonna be ending early regardless of who wins.
Prediction: Scott Norton to win via (T)KO in Round 1
FIGHT #7 - Light Heavyweight Division! - Title Fight!
Colin Croft vs Leonidas Katsaros
Continuing on the card now we have a highly anticipated Light Heavyweight championship fight now as reigning champion Colin Croft makes his first title defence against Leonidas Katsaros.
Colin Croft is currently undefeated in his career, having gone undefeated throughout Season 2 of the ITFL. He had that achievement under the management of Matt Cave, and was tipped for retirement following this. However, he was picked up by Dean Sutherland who wanted to see how Croft could do at the top level. Since then, he has signed with EVO and gone 3-0, defeating Doctor Doolittle, Ada Reyes and Vagner Love to capture the Light Heavyweight championship. He has been called out by a lot of fighters coming into this event, and it is Katsaros who has been offered the challenge, so it’s time to see if Croft can continue his undefeated streak or will fall to his first loss.
Leonidas Katsaros moves over from Ascension to take on this challenge, and is currently on a 4 fight win streak. With wins over Barry Allen, Miguel Camacho and two over Almu Tantor, he is full of momentum going into this bout. He has a good record of getting the finish against his opponents, and will consider taking the 0 from Croft to be a high point on route to capturing the championship.
One of the more highly anticipated fights on the card, everyone will be looking to see if Croft can continue to remain undefeated, or if Katsaros will conquer it. I am going to saying Katsaros gets the win, but don’t be surprised if Croft walks away victorious also.
Prediction: Leonidas Katsaros to win via (T)KO in Round 4
FIGHT #8 - Featherweight Division!
Jameson Connemara vs James Robertson
Our final fight before the Main Events is a Superfight between CEC and Syn as CEC Featherweight champion Jameson Connemara takes on Syn Featherweight champion James Robertson.
Jameson Connemara is one of the biggest stars in MMA right now, sitting top of his weight class and #2 in the P4P rankings. Hailing from Kilkenny in Ireland, he has picked up 15 wins in his last 16 bouts, with his solitary loss coming to Vanilla Ice Cold, but Connemara would defeat him twice during that one to assert his dominance. His last win came in his debut for CEC as he defeated Jupiter Jones to become the Featherweight champion.
James Robertson will be representing Syn in this fight, who he signed for after leaving his old manager to sign with Michael Knight. Since joining Syn, he has gone 9-1 with his sole loss being a loss in a superfight with Raymond Finch. He would win the title from Luis Carlos Linhares before defending the title successfully against Linhares, Bucky The Badger, Venum Tree Knee Dad and Alberto Lopez.
I feel pretty confident in predicting that Jameson Connemara will take home the win from this bout. Both fighters are top class, but in my opinion, Connemara has more about him to bring to the fight.
Prediction: Jameson Connemara to win via Unanimous Decision
CO-MAIN EVENT
FIGHT #9 - Heavyweight Division!
Brick Tires vs Rockford Knight
Our Co-Main event of the evening is a Heavyweight bout that sees Brick “No Air” Tires take on “Rock Em Sock Em” Rockford Knight.
Brick Tires may not be on a long running winning streak, but there is no questioning his pedigree. 23 wins in his last 29 fights, including one draw, has kept him in the upper echelons of the division. With a Granite Chin and high power, he has provided a challenge for almost anyone who competed against him, and he will be looking to beat Rockford Knight to protect the Heavyweight championships and keep them in the Bowser BigDog camp.
Rockford Knight has never won a championship, but apart from a mid career blip, has constantly been a top contender for his entire career. With 12 wins from his last 14 fights, he is looking to become the next title challenger following tonight’s title fight. With 26 (T)KO wins from his career, he has the power to get to anybodies chin, but will need to come into the fight confident in order to win.
Both fighters have power, there is no doubting that, while Tires has a chin advantage, that could easily be nullified due to the state of how Heavyweight fights happen. Tough call, but I will say Brick Tires come off with the win.
Prediction: Brick Tires to win via (T)KO in Round 1
MAIN EVENT
FIGHT #10 - HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION! - TITLE FIGHT!
Rinky Spider vs Leonardo Ferreira
Ladies and gentlemen, this fight is not just the Main Event of this evening’s card. This fight is the main event of the entire MMA year. Two of the world’s most recognisable names compete in a rubber match to decide who truly is the best Heavyweight, and possibly overall fighter, in the world today. Tied at 1-1, we know find the winner of the trilogy, in a fight which contains so much backstory it is hard to know where to start, but I will try to walk you through the historical bout that is Rinky Spider vs Leonardo Ferreira.
Kicking off, let’s discuss Rinky Spider. He is currently a 2 division champion in EVO, and has had numerous accolades throughout his career. His finest run however came in 2014. Although he kicked off the yea with 2 defeats, he would avenge both of those defeats over his next 5 fights en route to capturing the Super Heavyweight championship. He would then enter the Tycoon Olympics, earning a Silver Medal, however this would leave sour taste as he would lose to Genghis Congo who would eventually retire with Spider having a first loss on his career he would be unable to avenge. Following the Olympics, he would have a 13 fight win streak, including a victory over Leonardo Ferreira when he was under the management of Mannetosen. However, that date would come when the historic Dinooo vs Bowser event would happen, and the rematch between Spider and Ferreira would go down. With his new management, Ferreira would claim a Unanimous Decision win, with Spider’s streak broken, and his title lost. He would look to take his anger out on others in the next 5 fights, defending his Super Heavyweight championship successfully against Tiny McGee, Rau Utu and Rockford night, while also defeating Rocky Tyson and Cinder Smaug in superfights. He would then be given an opportunity to earn vengeance, as he took on Varg Veide with the winner earning a shot at Ferreira for the Heavyweight championship. With emotions clearly running high, Spider would lose to Veide via Head Kick in the first round. It was back to redemption again for Spider, with Ferreira moving on to take other challenges, he would defeat Scott Norton and Andrei Kersikov, before defeating Hans Beck for the then vacant Heavyweight championship. Now he is looking to gain the upperhand before Ferreira retires, and cement his own legacy simultaneously.
Leonardo Ferreira has been the other fighter who has asserted dominance throughout his career. Starting off with Mannetosen, he built his career in EMMA, before then joining HEROIC and continuing to rack up wins. With the creation of EVO, Ferreira’s first appearance in the org was the first bout with Spider, while his second, a victory against Shavo Odin, would be his last under the management of Mannetosen who would then leave the MMA management scene. With Ferreira looking for a new home, he would sign with Tosen’s closest friend in Dean Sutherland, and his dominance has only grown since then. Three consecutive wins in EVO, over Constantine Titanus, Simon Williams and Wei Pei would see Ferreira get to know his new management. A short spell at CEC would follow, with wins over Brick Tires and Daniel Silva being followed by a loss to Rocky Tyson for his first, and only, loss under Dean Sutherland. His return to EVO saw him defeat Thor Skarsgar before competing in the Dinooo vs Bowser event as the captured the gold against Spider. Vengeance was on the agenda in his next bout as he defeated Rocky Tyson with a first round KO. He would go on to defeat big names in Doctor Doolittle, Rocky McColgan and Varg Veide as he kept an iron grip on his title reign. It was then that Dean would announce the plans for Leo before his retirement, as he wished to defeat the Syn and Ascension champions as well as making one last EVO fight, essentially establishing himself as the undisputed champion. He wouldn’t get the chance to claim Ascension, as they would close before he had the chance, but he would compete against Syn champion Chick Bowdrie and defeat him with a first round KO. Now the time has come for Ferreira to go into the MMA cage one last time, against his greatest rival, and prove that while he may not be the GOAT, he damn sure is one of the best of all time.
Lots of emotions going into this fight, with one of the most colourful modern rivalries. Both fighters have their strong points that everybody knows about, and both guys deserve to be the champion. This is going to be the fight that everybody wants to see. Will Rinky be able to redeem himself? Or will Ferreira be able to claim a fairytale ending to his career? Personally, I am going to predict Leonardo Ferreira to win this and go out on a high.
Prediction: Leonardo Ferreira to win via (T)KO in Round 3
So there we have it, EVO 200 in all of it’s glory. Some of the biggest fights of the year are taking place on this card, and it is certainly going to be a frontrunner for Event of the Year in the annual awards.
Special thanks has to go to the owners of the orgs who allowed their fighters to compete on this card, as well as all the managers involved. Credit also to John Hetfield for the amazing poster he created for this event, and it truly is the cherry on top of the cake that is this amazing card.
Be sure to look up the results following the event, and if you have time, be sure to pop in chat where I am sure there will be people discussing the event.
That’s all from me, and thank you all for reading
Grant Brophy (GBK16)
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