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SPNY 149: McCall vs Mosaddegh Preview
Good evening and welcome to the Hard Knocks Arena here in New York where tonight we will see SPNY 149 featuring 10 MMA rules fights. Tonight’s card is headlined by the Lightweight Title clash between the champion Winston McCall who will be making his second defence, this time against Mohsen Mosaddegh. Earlier in the night several up and coming fighters will showcase their talents in the Featherweight and Welterweight divisions.
Main Event: Lightweight Title
Winston McCall (c) 13-3-1 (2-0 SPNY) vs Mohsen Mosaddegh 9-3-1 (1-0 SPNY)
Submission specialist McCall looks to keep his undefeated record intact as he defends his title against the wrestler Mosaddegh who impressed on his SPNY debut. McCall will have an edge in the striking in this fight, but doesn’t have a lot of experience with fighters who are as effective in the clinch as Mosaddegh so he will have to be cautious not to let Mosaddegh too close. Once this fight hits the ground it will be a battle for position as both are effective grapplers, McCall’s submission skills from the bottom should make him the bigger threat, but he will know that gaining and holding onto the top position should see him successfully defend his title.
Mosaddegh managed to dispatch crowd favourite Christian Jacobs late in the first round of his professional debut and will be looking to do a similar amount of damage against the champion tonight. While he probably lacks the striking skills of McCall, his ability to dirty box in the clinch could be a very useful weapon tonight. While his best performances often come on the deck with his solid ground & pound, taking down a submission grappler is always a risk. Mosaddegh probably does not have the grappling skills to win this off his back.
McCall is simply too versatile for me to be able to back the challenger tonight; McCall by decision.
2: Welterweight
Abaka Khan 17-10-1 (4-1 SPNY) vs Darrell Miles 13-14-1 (9-10-1 SPNY)
Khan has won 3 on the trot and would be beginning to make waves about a title challenge if it wasn’t for the shock upset loss to Miles at SPNY 116. As such he has his chance to avenge that decision tonight and move forward. Khan has a brutal Muay Thai clinch and solid submission skills if his opponents take him to ground to avoid those knees which makes him a threat just about anywhere, although he struggled to close the distance against Miles in their last meeting as Miles used his 5 inch reach advantage to score points early. Miles is probably at his best from the top position throwing his ground & pound but look for him to keep this one on its feet from a distance to avoid the submission attempts from Khan.
Khan is in great form and I expect a big performance from him here as he looks to stake his claim as a title contender; Khan by KO.
3: Light Heavyweight
Mason Archer 42-14 (1-1 SPNY) vs Mike Tyson 11-5 (SPNY Debut)
These two fighters are almost guaranteed to stay on their feet for the duration, the most obvious comment to make here is the experience advantage of Archer who has won almost triple the number of Tyson’s total fights. Some of you will no doubt remember Archer when he was one of the pound for pound champions of the world in his younger days at 185lbs, he has lost some of the sparkle he once had but his boxing and kickboxing are still both good enough to make him one of the most dangerous strikers in SPNY. Tyson is a boxing convert who throws a very heavy punch, but there are some major questions over his ability to take a hit himself, his struggles to defend leg kicks especially have seen him attempt to fight almost exclusively in the clinch.
Tyson could be a future champ, but I don’t think he has the ability to overcome the striking abilities of Archer; Archer by KO.
4: Welterweight
Bradley Boston 16-11-2 (4-3 SPNY) vs Glenn Benton 22-13 (3-2 SPNY)
These two Welterweights remain dangerous opponents to face but lack the consistency to prove themselves to be contenders at the moment. Boston is a very hard working boxer and kick boxer who lacks the power to finish fights early on a regular basis, Benton a brilliant boxer with good power whose lack of versatility has left him exposed on many occasions. Benton will have the better of it early where his 3 inch reach advantage should help but if he doesn’t find a big shot early the longer the fight goes the more I fancy Boston. Boston will attempt to counteract Benton’s reach by chopping away with leg kicks, then once he has slowed Benton down he will move in and work him over.
I see Boston by decision as the likely outcome.
5: Welterweight
Tiao Macale 59-19-1 (1-1 SPNY) vs Fabio Del Mar 11-10 (0-2 SPNY)
This late into his distinguished career Macale remains one of the hardest men to stop in MMA. Well past his prime he showed in his two SPNY fights to date that he still has enough in his tank to be a genuine threat to anyone not on their game. Del Mar on the other hand has found the step up in class at SPNY too much to date, where his Muay Thai and submission skills were previously enough, the versatile and well rounded opponents he has faced have taken advantage of his weaknesses easily. Del Mar will possibly have the better of the fight if he can initiate a clinch but will struggle otherwise.
Macale by KO.
6: Welterweight
Tony Hendricks 14-13-2 (8-6-2 SPNY) vs Pappy Roofie 9-8 (SPNY Debut)
Hendricks remains a sentimental favourite at SPNY but his lack of consistency and fading performances suggests his star is most definitely on the wane. Hendricks will have a 5 inch reach advantage on the feet but lacks the skills to exploit that advantage having never developed anything more than his submission skills to an elite level. Roofie went through a poor patch of form that ended with a parting of company with his management, since linking up with his new training camp he has recorded an exhibition win but this will be a big step up. Hendricks does not want to end up on his back with the quality of Roofie’s ground & pound.
Hendrick’s should have the experience to find his way to a submission win here.
7: Featherweight
Peter Smith 2-0 (2-0 SPNY) vs Kam Ba 1-5 (0-1 SPNY)
Peter Smith has shown enough to suggest he may the real deal, a high school wrestling champion his takedowns have been more than his opponents have been able to handle in his 2 fights to date. This combines with solid submission skills makes him a very real theat. Ba is a fighter I don’t see a big future for unless he rounds out some massive technique flaws; a submission grappler without takedown skills. Tonight Ba won’t have to worry about being unable to get the fight to ground as that is what Smith wants as well, but I feel Smith’s ability to win the position will see him easily win the fight.
Smith by submission.
8: Featherweight
Kent Krafth 2-2 (SPNY Debut) vs Thomas Untaka 2-0 (1-0 SPNY)
Krafth perhaps is yet to really learn how best to fight his fights being far too reliant on flashy combinations that left him exposed to takedowns attempts, while he defended most of them without too much difficulty he looked helpless once he was on the ground. What he has shown however, is just how dangerous he is if one of those combos lands. Untaka has shown that once a fight goes to ground his ability to advance to a dominant position and brutalise his opponent may make him one of the most dangerous prospects in SPNY, the issue is that he is yet to show he is able to iniaite a takedown successfully.
Krafth should be able to keep this standing but if he doesn’t he is in real trouble and won’t be able to compete; that makes me call Untaka by KO.
9: Featherweight
Nicky Pesci 2-1 (2-1 SPNY) vs Brian Williams 3-2 (1-1 SPNY)
Pesci is looking for his 3rd straight win which will move him into a position to demand a title contender as his next opponent. A very successful wrestler at the high school level he is yet to develop the rest of his game but is a difficult prospect for anyone in SPNY’s Featherweight division on the ground. Williams’ boxing will have Pesci out of his depth while ever this fight remains standing, but if he can’t find an early finish the takedown will come and Pesci will dominate.
Pesci by submission is the obvious pick.
10: Featherweight
Moe Biscapoe 1-3 (1-3 SPNY) vs Tomas Alderbaran 0-3 (0-2 SPNY)
In a classic grappler vs striker match up Biscapoe is looking to shrug off a 3 fight losing streak while Alderbaran looks for his maiden win. Biscapoe will see this as a real chance given the struggles Alderbaran has had when he is taken down. Alderbaran will be looking to use his solid takedown defence to expose the massive flaws in Biscapoe’s technique.
This one will come down to confidence which I feel Biscapoe has more of coming into tonight; Biscapoe by submission.
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