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 March Madness is usually a term associated with College Basketball. This year, it will more commonly associated with the action inside the cage at SPFT. Everyone is geared up and ready for the long awaited SPFT 100, which will undoubtedly be a massive show celebrating the longevity of our beloved organization, however, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we should not overlook the start studded event ahead of us at SPFT 98.
As you're all well aware, SPFT 98 will be headlined by the rematch that everyone has been clamoring for, when Severi Turpaansaaja will challenge Randolph Turpin again for the Lightweight belt only one short month after their last fight. Before we talk about that match, though, let's look at the preliminary card.
In the first fight of the night, two Featherweights will enter the cage, Sameer Hamadoui and Murat Orgun. Hamadoui has had problems since joining the SPFT family, losing all three fights by first round submission, bringing a once impressive 9-6 record down to a mediocre 9-10. Some question the thirty year old Egyptian's ability to continue fighting top tier competition. Orgun, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, suffered a loss in his first outing since moving up to SPFT. Known for his heavy hands, both standing, and in the ground and pound, the older Orgun is a likely favorite to improve to 13-9 in this fight, unless Hamadoui can snap out of this funk he has been in lately.
While the Lightweight championship bout will take place later in the night, two familiar, yet lower ranked, Lightweights will square off in the second bout of the night. Many of you remember Keith Keystone's controversially close decision loss last month to El Guapo, with that in mind, the 28 year old BJJ Black Belt will attempt to prevent this fight from going to the judges scorecards. The 34 year old Tommy McDonald might not be too willing to oblige Keystone's desires, himself also a Black Belt who has logged eleven wins by submission. Thus far in his career, Keystone has yet to be submitted. Will this still be the case after Saturday night? This should be an excellent match for you grappling fans to watch.
Former two time Bantamweight champion, Grimly Fiendish, will attempt to end his first career losing streak Saturday night in our third fight, against relative newcomer, Billy Mitchell. Fiendish, in his sixteenth appearance fighting for SPFT, will be seeking his seventeeth career victory. Known for his ground and pound style, he will likely seek to use his superior wrestling skills to bring Mitchell to the ground and exact his gameplan. Fiendish will need to be careful, though, as Mitchell, himself a BJJ Black Belt, has three submission victories thusfar in his career, and boasts a superior ground game to Fiendish. It should be interesting to see who is more capable in exerting their will.
Kimbo Nelson, the experienced 31 year old English fighter, based out of Helsinki, will be making his 42nd professional appearance Saturday night, his first in the SPFT cage. Kalash Nikov, on the other hand, who happens to have been born in Helsinki, is based here in Hilo, and will be making his 16th appearance under the SPFT banner. While the younger Nikov (28), boasts more raw skill entering the cage, as well as more experience fighting at the highest level, having spent most of his career fighting for SPFT, once cannot discount the experience that 42 fights can bring, and the crafty veteran may be able to outsmart his younger opponent. Either way, it is likely this fight will be a war until the final bell, which will be decided by the judges scorecards.
In the fifth fight of the night, the big boys come out and play. After challenging Naoto Sugawara for the Super Heavyweight title back in December, Tallak Hrolf, the monstorous Russian, has dropped his last two fights by decision. Known for entering SPFT with an 11-3 record, having never had a fight go past the first round, Hrolf has struggled a bit with the top level competition offered by SPFT. He will likely try to use his overwhelming size and power to try to knock out his opponent, John Matrix. Matrix will be making his debut with SPFT, and obviously did not draw an easy start with the company. The wily 29 year old veteran will likely simply take this situation in stride, though. With 31 total fights thusfar under his belt, the equally skilled, equally large big man will give Hrolf all he can handle. This fight should be interesting if it makes it out of the first round. Considering all but one of Hrolf's victories have come in the first round, and his last two losses have come via decision, his gas tank may be a bit of a question mark, when it definitely is not for Matrix.
Alexander Lansing has only lost twice in the SPFT, once during his fight of the night performance against Tycho Brahe, and the other in a title fight against 145 lbs champion, Meat Loaf. This is an impressive resume, and many hint at the fact that he may be scratching at the door of another title shot. However, he must first beat the new young hotshot, Muuli Potku. Potku, since joining SPFT has won his first two bouts, and currently is nursing a three fight professional win streak. While both fighters appear evenly matched, one glaring difference appears to be the BJJ background of each. Lansing, a long time Black Belt has two submission victories so far in his career, something Potku would be wise to make note of, considering he only has a purple belt, and has lost via submission in the past. This is a fight fans should take note of, as it will likely be important for the future of the Featherweight division.
After losing back to back title shots, former Middleweight champion and Hall of Fame member, Cajun Xander, will look to return to his winning ways in a fight against top level contender DJ Crabby Jef. Xander, who has fought nine title fights in his SPFT career, is one of the best known faces in the organization, known for his devastating striking and power. Some concerns have be expressed, though, that he may be past his prime. Having lost his last two fights, Xander will attempt to prove doubters wrong, and get back to his winning ways. Jef, on the other hand, will look to do what many have tried to do, but failed, submit Xander. Some of you may point out that Xander submitted to Eric Cartman back in July of last year, however, that was a submission to strikes, not jiu-jitsu. While Jef also has a quality striking background, with a few knockout victories under his belt, there is no question his ground game is his strength, and a weakness in Xander's game he will attempt to exploit. Can Xander prove these last two fights have been a fluke, or can Jef raise his own stock by beating a legend in the sport? This question we will have to wait until Saturday to do have answered.
The Dutch kickboxer, Paco Da Man, is a serious powerhouse. He proved so when he entered the SPFT cage for the first time a couple weeks ago against Barbara Boxer, knocking him out cold 17 seconds into the second round. This is good, since many argue that he may be undersized in his current weight division. It seems crazy to think that any man who walks around at 261 lbs would be considered undersized, but compared to his 220 cm, 290 lbs opponent, Sergei Bautin, he is. Bautin, while technically inferior to his opponent, will likely use his known power, strong chin, and decisive size advantage to test Da Man's suspect chin. If you have a taste for watching two overgrown men throwing everything they have at each other in the ring while staying on their feet, this fight is a fight to watch.
The Co-Main Event promises to be an exciting afair between two of the top contenders in the Bantamweight division. Braden Turk enters the fight with a three fight winning streak, Eriku Landstrimma enters having just had his three fight winning streak broken by 135 lbs champion Sergiy Skylar. Both fighters have their eyes on one thing, winning the championship. This fight will be their stepping stone to that fight. Turk has been very impressive since joining SPFT, having not yet lost a single round, bringing him to the top tier of the Bantamweight rankings. Landstrimma, a long time veteran of SPFT, will look to be the first to defeat Turk under the SPFT banner. Many believe he gained a lot of valuable experience in his disappointing knockout loss to Skylar, and will use this knowledge to his advantage against the younger, less tested, Turk.
They say a champion is not a champion until he defends his championship. Severi Turpaansaaja failed at this, and he is undoubtedly angry about it. Losing a fight that many believe was closer than the scorecards show, Turpaansaaja lost the title he so desparately fought to earn with four previous fight of the night appearances for SPFT. This, his fourth championship fight with the company, could be a very important event in his career. Can he prove he really is a champion, or will the champion accomplish what he was incapable of doing?
After five months away from the organization, the champion, Randolph Turpin, proved that not only did he deserve to fight for SPFT, he was the best in the world at 155. The question is, does the 26 year old striker have the ability to maintain at the top of his weight class? Can he decisively beat his opponent, silencing any potential doubters to his deserving to reign atop the division? Tune in Saturday night and find out.
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