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 6. - Jolon Williams
Some of you may remember last year's issue (*a few months ago) where we named Mr. Williams as the number 49th ranked manager in the world, and a potential up and comer into the big leagues. Well, it appears Mr. Williams has been incredibly busy since then, and we were not mistaken! This year, MMA Universal is proud to announce that Mr. Williams has been chosen as our pick for 6th ranked manager in the business today. Now, a little while after our article was presented to the public, Mr. Williams declared that he would be upping the level of his stable, and trimming any of the loose fat holding his team back. As such, some of the faces you recognised from before may not be present, but on the bright side, that means there's yet another generation being trained beneath this bright young manager's wing. But this is not all Mr. Williams has been up to. Since our last submission regarding this London based business mogul, Mr. Williams has taken up the reigns of yet another MMA organisation, known to the public as REVO. While still new on the scene, REVO has already taken the MMA world by storm, currently housing one of the largest rosters in the world and setting the social media scene on fire with it's highly tense and dramatic verbal confrontations between fighters. But this article is not about REVO, we will save that for another day, another time. We attempted to catch up with Mr. Williams himself to hold a 1 on 1 interview with the man, but apparently, catching this man by surprise, or from behind, is not the best of ideas ...
.... with our reporter knocked out, we decided to save the interview for another day, another time as well. Instead, we now present to you a rundown of his current stable, and a little snippet of what they have been up to since our last article!
Firus Williams _ 32 yo _ 165 lbs _ 23 victories - 17 defeats
As we mentioned in our last submission, Firus Williams was the first competitor to sign under Mr. Williams, way back in the day when the business mogul was nothing more than a cocky up and comer. Last year, this veteran thought he had finally achieved his greatest triumph when he captured the title at a local London organisation ... however, it seems the grizzled grappler still had one final ace up his sleeve. A early replacement in Season Six of the renowned European Premiere League, many experts speculated that Firus stood little to no chance of success against such top tier opponents, given that his glass jaw was, at this point, easily public knowledge. But Firus Williams would shock everyone as he would go on to rack up a 6 - 3 record in the league, with 2 submission victories and a TKO to grab the second place spot and an automatic bye into the semi-finals of the tournament. There, he would face none other than Alexander Geoly, one of the competitors who had managed to knock him out earlier on in the league after a controversial decision by the referee to stand the competitors back up when Williams had been gaining the upper hand on the mat. Eager for the rematch and the prospect of prize money, and a shot at EVO gold to boot, Williams went into the fight with stars in his eyes ... and exited it seeing stars after yet another knockout at the hands of the knockout artist. Unlike the last fight, Williams would accept the defeat gracefully this time, and following the defeat, announce his retirement from the MMA world. Since then, he participated in the TWGC tournament, in an attempt to showcase his grappling skills, but would be defeated in the second round, ending his shortlived aspirations.
Adam Resso _ 28 yo _ 194lbs _ 10 victories - 9 defeats - 1 draw
What a difference a year can make! Within the past year, Resso appears to have doubled his efforts, In our last write-up regarding Resso , we mentioned that, due to his losing record, he was on the verge of being cut from the stable completely, and the only thing staying Mr. Williams' hand was the amount of money he had initially poured into Resso's training. It appears, however, that Adam Resso thrives under pressure. With the full knowledge of his imminent retirement at his back, Resso's performance saw a sudden turn around, improving his record from 5-8-1 to 10-9-1, his only loss coming after a lucky submission following a dominating performance. Having even obtained championship gold in Amsterdam based 'Random Fighting', Resso is on a four fight knockout hot streak, and doesn't appear to be planning a loss any time soon, and seems eager to align his name with some of the top middleweights in the world. Given that most of his defeats came from such names very early on in his career, one has to question his capability in such regards, but to his credit, Resso was young and inexperienced back then ... the same cannot be said for him now. We at MMA Universal look forward now to seeing where Resso's career takes him.
Jay Copeland _ 28 yo _ 217lbs _ 14 victories - 5 defeats
The afore mentioned Adam Resso's best friend growing up, Copeland started his career off as the golden boy of the two. Five consecutive victories, followed by a successful stint in MLC, Copeland was making a name for himself. In the past year, Resso appears to have overtaken Copeland altogether, what with obtaining championship gold and being ranked amongst the top 100 middleweights in the world, but Copeland is still plodding along at his own pace, still striking fear into the hearts of any who step in the cage with him. Still fighting beneath the GAMMA banner, Copeland has since improved his record there from 2-1 to 6-2. Given GAMMA's reputation as one of the forefront organisations of the world in regards to competition, this record is no joke, and given Copeland's own status as an underdog in at least half of his fights, this makes his run at GAMMA all the more impressive. Copeland still has a ways yet to go until he can challenge for championship gold himself, a privilege which has thus eluded him throughout his career ... but we at MMA Universal believe that Copeland will see his day in the cage. One day.
Zane Peltier _ 27 yo _ 154lbs _ 20 victories - 6 defeats
Widely considered as the Williams camp's most successful fighter to date, Peltier recently celebrated his 20th victory via submission after a successful run in Steel Penn New York. So successful, in fact, that in the year it has taken for us to revisit him, he has won the gold, defended it twice, engaged in and emerged victorious in a superfight over at Vicious Fights, and since left the Steel Penn organisation due to his contract running out. It is even rumoured that the organisation never offered him another contract to keep him on, which is perhaps understandable, due to the fact that there was simply no competition at Peltier's level by that time. And while Peltier was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid at the ICON project hosted by Steel Penn, that loss remains his only defeat in the past year. Peltier has since signed with world renowned Las Vegas organisation, Synchronicity, where his first fight has since been announced against McDonnel camp's own Chauncy Silvestre. This is a definite step up in competition, even for Peltier, despite his current status as one of Synchronicity's top featherweight fighters. Can Peltier handle it, or will the hype simply fade in his wake? Synchronicity is no joke, but then again, neither is Peltier.
Gabriel McGowen _ 27 yo _ 300lbs _ 9 victories - 1 defeat
With only two fights under his belt in the past year, McGowen has struggled to find steady employment where he can fairly compete at his own level. He did, however, make those two fights count, obtaining championship gold in what is now a near defunct org based in London. Having only just recently signed on now with VERSUS over in London, it is only now that we shall see whether McGowen is truly the beast that he appears, or if he is nothing more than an overbloated can of hype with no real significance. Harsh? Perhaps, but McGowen has not fought at a top tier level as of yet. This is all about to change, however, with VERSUS being the forefront organisation in London, McGowen's career will either be made ... or broken.
Bowman Rook _ 26yo _ 190 lbs _ 11 victories - 6 defeats
One of the most promising young faces in an early Williams' stable at one point, Rook began his ascent steadily enough, with what was initially a highly successful run at Immortals New York. As the organisation grew, however, so did the competition, and at the higher tiers of such competition, Rook's chin, or lack thereof, was exposed. Since then, Rook had found it difficult to string together consecutive victories, and has since ended up leaving the organisation after Mr. Williams cited that he was simply not at the level of competition being provided anymore. Since then, Rook has signed on with the forefront Russian organisation, based in St. Petersburg, New Generation Fighters, where he has been met with immediate success, stringing together two consecutive victories and looking for a third in the coming month. Whether Rook can get his career fully back on track remains to be seen, and whether Rook's chin will once again prove to be a problem once he hits the higher tiers of competition over at New Generation Fighters, again, remains to be seen, but for the time being, it appears that Lady Luck once again favours the fiery competitor.
Lee Wilson _ 25 yo _ 165lbs _ 12 victories - 5 defeats
Unlike his fellow stablemates, Wilson's career has not seen a marked improvement in the past year ... if anything, it has taken a decided turn for the worse. While his career record remains at a respectable 12 - 5, his record in the past year is a lot less flattering, at 2 - 3. At the top of the world in our last little snippet regarding this young fighter, Wilson has since met his ultimate nemesis in current Galaxy lightweight champion, Renzo Alves. Losing his lightweight title to Alves soon after our submission last year, Wilson would work his way back up to title contention, only to suffer yet another defeat at the hands of Alves. To make things worse, Wilson would then even suffer an upset at the hands of Luke Couture in a surprise submission defeat, continuing his downward spiral. Wilson is set to face off against Napoleon Dynamite for his next fight at Galaxy, but if he doesn't pick up his game soon, Wilson could be looking at a third consecutive loss ... and we all know that the Williams stable does not look kindly upon such streaks.
Bison Bradley _ 24 yo _ 270lbs _ 13 victories - 6 defeats
Bison Bradley remains an Immortal soul, true and through. His entire career has spanned within the Immortals cage, where Bradley maintains a status as one of the organisations premiere super-heavyweights. Recently, however, one of his fights sparked controversy when an outing that could have very well proved to be a title eliminator ended in a controversial knockout after his opponent at the time, Irving Brown, would knee him illegally in the groin early on in the second round, after a disadvantageous first round. Now, this alone, it wouldn't be deemed as controversial. These things happen. What Bradley would cry foul at would be what would take place next. The five minutes of recovery time barely up, Brown would immediately launch himself across the cage and unload a massive superman punch that would catch Bradley completely off guard, knocking him out and effectively ending the fight. Furious, Bradley has since defeated Brown's stablemate, Ben Dobson in a dominating display that saw Dobson tapping out due to strikes. Bradley followed this by issuing a public statement to Brown, stating, and I quote,
'
I'm looking at you Brown. I'm coming for you. One way or the other. Might be a few weeks down the line, might be a few months. But I'm coming for you, and when I get there ... you're gonna be tapping too'
The big man has never been known for his easy going nature, and it appears that Irving Brown has caught the big man's ire. What will happen next is anybody's guess, as Immortals management are yet to speak on the matter, but whatever is the case ... we at MMA Universal are definitely eager to find out.
Jaques Du Coudray _ 23 yo _ 270 lbs _ 9 victories - 3 defeats
The forefront of the Williams' camp's recently introduced youth generation, Du Coudray has quickly been making a name for himself over at Galaxy. Currently riding a four fight winning streak, Du Coudray seems to have recently discovered the knockout artist within himself, having dispatched his two last opponents via first round KO, both within the span of two minutes. His upcoming fight against Rank Rox looks to be his biggest challenge to date, an undefeated prospect fighter who appears to favour the stand and bang side of MMA himself. If Du Coudray were to defeat Rox, he would place himself at the forefront of the Galaxy heavyweight division and could very well put himself in line for a title shot, but can he pull it off? Whatever the case, Du Coudray appears to be on the rise, and is definitely panning out to be a man to watch within the Williams stable.
Icarus Ritter _ 23 yo _ 300lbs _ 8 victories - 1 defeats
Speaking of KO artists to watch, Ritter has proven himself to be a force to reckon with for anyone he steps into the cage with. While having suffered his first loss at the hands of Jukka Omena in the last year, Ritter nevertheless continues his knockout ways, with all of his victories coming via a speedy KO. The heavy favourite in his upcoming bout for the super-heavyweight title of Hilo based Fallen Champions, Ritter's career appears to be speedily on the rise as well, the power in his fists as well as his defined chin and heart diminished only by his tendency to be somewhat distracted during training. Given that MMA is a performance based sport, however, this appears a small price to pay, and Icarus is quickly making a name for himself in the MMA world.
Owen Glyde _ 23 yo _ 210lbs _ 9 victories - 3 defeats
The source of some controversy in the Williams stable, due to his current status as the REVO light heavyweight champion, an organisation co-owned by Mr. Williams himself, Glyde's accomplishments have often been overlooked as a result. Whether the claims of favouritism are true or not, Glyde's performance in the cage simply cannot be ignored. With none of his victories going the distance, Glyde is well versed in both the art of knockout and submission, but it is his submission prowess that puts most of his opponents on notice. With an astounding 57% of his submission attempts ending in success, Glyde's brown belt is more than just for show, and this young light heavyweight is a tricky fighter for the most accomplished competitor to deal with. Currently fighting with a 100k bounty and his REVO career hanging on the line, it remains to be seen how long this young fighter's success will continue, but for the time being, Glyde appears to be yet another success story for the Williams stable's 'Youth Generation' efforts.
Reginald Francis Colon _ 23 yo _ 143lbs _ 9 victories - 2 defeats
When it comes to the 'Youth Generation' efforts, however, nobody has proven to be a bigger surprise than young Francis Colon. Kicking his career off to an iffy start, being the only one to suffer a defeat amongst his peers on his debut, Colon has since gone 9 and 1, most recently defeated Dan Swanson in a superfight which required him to go up not one, not two, but three weightclasses in order to take the fight. Giving up nearly thirty pounds and over twenty-five centimetres of height to his opponent, Colon would not be intimidated, swiftly nailing his opponent with two takedowns and, towards the end of the first round, a bout ending submission that would see Colon's stock rise to the top of both the Galaxy organisation, and the Williams stable as well, even beating out veteran Zane Peltier in his efforts. If young Francis Colon can achieve this at only 23 years of age, one can only imagine what he will achieve at his peak.
Jack Bruin _ 23 yo _ 175lbs _ 6 victories - 2 defeats
In our last article, we wondered whether or not Bruin was destined to be the Resso of his generation. And while, looking at it now, that may not technically be deemed a terrible thing anymore, at the time, it was less that desirable. Bruin has managed to shake off any such notions though, managing a relatively successful year at 3 - 2. Certainly not to the extent of his fellow 'Youth Generation' fighters, but Bruin appears to be riding a hot streak now with three consecutive victories. Oddly enough, it appears as though Bruin has more trouble with fighters he appears to be, on paper, a favourable match against, while thriving instead against opponents who should, in every right, give him trouble. How successful Bruin can be remains to be seen, but as of this moment in time, he places himself as one of the top welterweights over in Galaxy, and another victory could very well see him towards title aspirations.
Jun Moroba _ 23 yo _ 157lbs _ 8 victories - 3 defeats
Moroba has had a questionable year. Not his record, persay, although he certainly lost his undefeated status in the process. A participant in the Season Five EPL - Junior Edition, Moroba, with a 4-0 record at the time, entered as a heavy favourite. Since entering, however, his performance has suffered, and his abilities appear to have been exposed as somewhat overhyped. While still respectable, his failure to finish Alpa Chino in the opening fight was a telltale sign of things to come. Losing his cage virginity to Karl Socha in his second fight at EPL via second round KO after failing to finish him in the first round, despite obtaining mount position for the better part of two minutes, Moroba would suffer two more upset defeats at the hands of Nate Ross and Barry Allen before finally re-discovering his groove at dispatching his final two opponents, one via third round submission and the other with a twenty second KO. Finishing in his half of the league in fourth place, Moroba now must face Aikawa in an eliminator to earn his right into the final tournament. Whether Moroba can shake off his past lackluster performances and bring his all to the cage is still up in the air, but if he can channel the Moroba that we have seen in his past two fights, we at MMA Universal believe he stands more than a fighting chance.
Stu Mercer _ 20yo _ 252 lbs _ 3 victory - 0 defeats
Stu Mercer was the youngest fighter on the Williams stable roster as of last year, but it appears as though he has wasted absolutely no time at all in starting his career off. Signing on to participate in premiere organisation, Synchronicity's SHW Youth Tournament, Mercer has beaten back all opposition sent his way via KO, and now heads into the finals against Jason Smith stable's own Shane Ripgut. If Mercer were to defeat Ripgut and win a tournament hosted by Synchronicity this early on in this career, then he would be off to an extremely promising start. Knowing the management stylings of Jason Smith, however, Mercer could very well be in for a tough fight.
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