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 The Countdown to Immortality begins here…..
I’m Richie Ciapelli of MMAUSofA and on the 6th of May the big apple hosts arguably the greatest night in MMA history, as the finest practitioners of mixed martial arts congregate upon the Hard Knocks Venue for the inaugural Immortals Supercard – Armageddon.
The Immortals fight organization boasts the finest 150k id martial artists on the planet, as word has spread throughout the fight fraternity that New York’s Immortals is now the hub, the pinnacle, the ultimate test for fighters who truly desire to be considered, a genuine (150kid+) World Champion.
The card has been finalized, and it is truly sensational with two of the Immortals finest champions and its greatest talents showcasing their incredible skills in front of 3,000 rabid fans.
There isn’t just a primus, no, Armageddon plays host to three of the most eagerly anticipated World Title fights for years. Champion versus champion, champion versus number one contender, and two of the most talented, undefeated 185lb superstars, with a combined record of 11-0, in the world, contesting for the right to be called ‘the’ (150kid) World Champion.
So ladies and gentlemen, fight fans around the world, its time to run through the combatants in the three main events:
The one and only Derric ‘Shimmy’ Styles, 8-0 with all of his wins by 1st round knockout, will defend his World Heavyweight Title against number one contender, Yuri ‘Titan’ Lebedev 5-1 with all of wins by stoppage. Pound for pound superstar, Styles, carries wrecking balls for fists, and this exceptional boxer hasn’t set foot outside of the first round in his 8 fight pro career. His incredible power has led to comparisons with the great Joe Louis as fight pundits have likened his opponents to a bum of the month club. In his way stands the ‘Titan’ Yuri Lebedev a Muay Thai destroyer, with blades for elbows and the most ferocious and devastating clinch game in the Immortals organization. Can the Titan take the fight to the clinch, which is his only hope? Can he withstand the demonic punching power of Styles as he rushes to clinch? Styles will want to keep this fight on the outside, where he is immensely strong. Yuri has to take the risk to get the fight where he can win it but no one to date has been able to withstand Styles’ power.
Styles will start as firm favorite but there is a mutual respect between the fight camps of Jon Boogie (Lebedev) and Troy Melton (Styles) who are considered among the crème de la crème of managers in the Immortals.
Are we going to see Shimmy finally taken into deep water? Lets hope so, but don’t blink, it will either end quickly with a Styles victory, or there will be a painful and systematic slice and dice in the clinch forcing a doctors stoppage and the crowning of a new world champion.
We wait with bated breath….
Tari ‘Anaconda’ Cunha has pulverized his way through the ranks of firstly the VFC, and now the Immortals, demolishing the best each orginization has had to offer. On paper Cunha has never had an easy fight, having beaten Bennett, Santa Cruz, Hudock and Stewart on his way to capturing the Immortals 170lb World Title. His camp have asked for the best opposition and this exceptional wrestler with a BJJ brown belt and the persona of a rabid dog, has spat, swore, punched and pounded his way to stardom, earning himself a fearsome reputation as the baddest man in Immortals. But this Brazilian firecracker faces arguably his biggest challenge in the undefeated and former Steel Penn Evolution 170lb champion Georges St. Pierre. With wonderful wrestling and a BJJ purple belt, Georges arrived in New York with a big reputation. Locals questioned the quality of his wins, citing corruption and can crushing being prevalent throughout Tycoon. So Georges faced a Mike Melton fighter, a camp that doesn’t do defeat, considers perfection insufficient, and hates copy cat fighters. What happened? A first round submission win, and two middle fingers to those that questioned whether Georges was the real deal.
Georges has the edge here in stand up, being a strong boxer, and I think he will counter punch Cunha, who will stick with his career plan to date, of takedown and pound them out. Neither of these guys look to have a serious weakness that the other can exploit, so my hunch is this will go into the championship rounds and more than likely be decided by the judges. If Georges hadn’t so impressively submitted Stewart, he would be the heavy underdog but he coolly outclassed the Melton charge, and now it’s a 50/50 fight in my book.
Contesting the vacant 185lb world title are two undefeated superstars of 150k id MMA. Archie Fallon born and raised in the steel city, Sheffield, England is as hard a man as you will find in the Immortals. Growing up in a deprived area in Sheffield that suffered at the hands of the Conservative governments war with the unions 20 years ago, Fallon found solace in his local boxing gym where he won Junior ABA titles before being spotted by English born manager Jon Boogie. Fallon carries the steel of his ancestors in his fists and in his 6 wins to date has only been into the 2nd round once. His opponent on that day now carries this distinction on his CV, such is the reputation Fallon has established since he crossed the Atlantic. No one, has been able to take Fallon’s power, but Mike Melton’s eldest son (Melton Snr) and protégé steps forward to challenge the Man of Steel for the right to be called ‘the’ undisputed undefeated Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Melton Snr fights out of Del City USA and has a record of 5-0 with wins in the Dawg Pound and VFC prior to gracing the Immortals cage with his combination of proficient boxing, and remarkable wrestling. Melton Snr is a complete fighter, versatile in both stand up and the ground game, he comes into the cage after shutting out the previously undefeated BJJ standout Jeremy ‘The Engine’ Voda, in a final eliminator. That night Melton utilized his boxing skills to keep his opponent at bay, but with Fallon he will surely revert back to his wrestling base and look to be the first man to stick Fallon on his back.
Both these fighters come from genuine top draw camps that don’t duck, collude or cherry pick fights to pad records. Both Jon Boogie and Mike Melton are held in the highest regard within the Immortals, and their excellent records bare credence to their status.
Has Melton Snr got the chin to hang with Fallon, or will he just be another fighter resembling a corpse after he tastes Fallon’s unquestionable power? If he has the chin, then Fallon is in trouble, because he not fought the caliber of opponent that Melton Snr has, and so he has not fought anyone close to the having the same technical ability or camp that Melton Snr brings to this fight.
So much is known about these two warriors, and yet there is so much more we will find out when they clash in May, and I for one cannot wait…!
(the rest of the card is stacked with talent, so visit the Immortals New York where previews of the full card will appear as this incredible card on the 6th May draws nearer)
The countdown to Armageddon has begun…..
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