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StrikeForce Union #9
16/04/2016
Hard Knocks
London
WE. ARE. BACK. Dave Ashbourne here. Coming to you from Bali, Indonesia for this one. On the night of the 16th we will be in London and so should you folks. Machine Fight Gear is here. Champions and contenders are here. We are counting down to SFU #9 which will see the Middleweight Championship on the line for the first time since the defeat of its inaugural champion. We also have a lot of new faces with us that will be entering the SFU cage for the first time. Welcome to StrikeForce Union. And without further ado, let's take a look at the card:
Harry Winston vs Sergey Sklemin
Jonath Masvidal vs Jasper Jones
Karol Biernat vs Orjan Ank
Rory MacAskill vs Botond Robert
Bill Grady vs Angus Bryant
Jose Hernandez vs Juan Salazar
Crusher Breaker vs Spike Reaper
Ling Manchu vs Kenneth Ank
Norman Crowley vs Darren Crowley
Jacob Frye vs Roger Jackson
Jacob Frye (MMA 2-1-0 , SFU 2-0-0) vs Roger Jackson (MMA 1-2-0 , SFU 1-0-0)
Jacob Frye has the winning record. Roger Jackson has the losing record. But both fighters are yet to lose in StrikeForce Union competition. What's interesting about this fight is that Jacob Frye is dropping down a weight class. Both of his SFU fights have been at 185 but this fight will take place at 170lbs. We reached out to Frye's management team for an explanation on the change:
"Well the StrikeForce management reached out to me about Frye's future when he was closing in on the end of his current contract and talked about the lack of characters and star quality in the 170lbs division. The idea was for Frye to be the one to bring new life and hype in to the division the same way Peter Larsson has done at 205lbs. And after discussing it with my client we agreed. He doesn't care which weight class he takes the belt in first because he believes he will have both before the end of this year anyway"
A bold statement but not unachievable. However, Roger Jackson might have something to say about that. He came through his SFU debut in impressive fashion. He talked the talk before the fight and backed it up in the cage. We are only just beginning to see how nasty "Nasty" Roger Jackson can be. This is a great fight to start the night with and it really could go either way. We have Jackson with a late finish.
Dave's Prediction: Roger Jackson via Submission
Norman Crowley (MMA 1-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Darren Crowley (MMA 2-3-0 , SFU 2-2-0)
It's an all-Crowley affair. Norman from Derby. Darren from Manchester. The names may be similar but the fighting styles couldn't be more different as this is essentially a stand-up vs. ground fight with Darren likely to shoot for takedowns early. This will be Norman Crowley's first fight with the company and we have breaking news just coming in. This is Darren Crowley's last fight on his current contract deal and he has revealed that it will in fact be his last fight before retiring from mixed martial arts. Wow. We'll look to get a statement from him soon enough but for now, this fight is the beginning of an era and the end of an era. No doubt Darren Crowley will want to go out with a bang and a finish. Norman will be looking to spoil the party. He caught our scout's eye with a first round KO win in his debut. Darren was on the other end of a first round KO last time out at SFU #8. It is going to be an explosive fight and definitely one you will not want to miss.
Dave's Prediction: Norman Crowley via KO
Ling Manchu (MMA 9-24-0 , SFU 1-3-0) vs Kenneth Ank (MMA 4-7-0 , SFU 2-1-0)
It's Manchu vs. Ank III. The first two fights ended with an Ank victory but don't let that fool you, they were two very different fights. Manchu vs. Ank I was a blowout. Ank knocked out Manchu in the first round with a devastating head kick fit for the highlight reel. Two weeks later they did it again at SFU #6 and put on a performance of the night for the crowd that night. It looked like Kenneth Ank was on his way to a comfortable victory with a 10-8 round in the second. But then in the third and final round Ling Manchu got that all important takedown and with thirty seconds left in the fight, he was so close to having the kimura locked in and when it was clear the submission wasn't there, he became relentless with the ground and pound. But Kenneth Ank held on. And walked away a winner again. Maybe we will see a change in gameplan this time and we're not sure how they can live up to their last fight but there is a history here that has made this rivalry one of the most heated.
Dave's Prediction: Kenneth Ank via Decision
Crusher Breaker (MMA 9-14-0 , SFU 3-2-0) vs Spike Reaper (MMA 6-20-0 , SFU 0-4-0)
Spike Reaper hasn't won a fight for a very long time and has lost all four of his fights at SFU. In all four fights he did not make it past the first round. He's not fighting for glory any more, he is fighting to keep his job. It's the harsh reality of the fight business. Winners attract crowds and crowds attract money and money attracts owners and investors. If Reaper wants to continue to be a part of that then he needs to prove that he belongs on the big stage. He can draw inspiration from his opponent on this night. Crusher Breaker has lost more fights than he has won. He has had his share of losing streaks along the way. But he has incredible jiu-jitsu that has propelled him to nine submission wins over his career. His last such victory was his sweetest yet, picking up Submission of the Night at SFU #8. His opponent? None other than Spike Reaper. These two lie at the bottom of the Light Heavyweight division but Breaker is miles ahead of Reaper and we fully expect "Destroyer" to destroy his opponent here.
Dave's Prediction: Crusher Breaker via Submission
Jose Hernandez (MMA 4-6-0 , SFU 1-3-0) vs Juan Salazar (MMA 1-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0)
A late addition to the card but a very welcome addition. It's Spain vs. Mexico as Jose "Womanizer" Hernandez takes on SFU newcomer Juan "Revolution" Salazar. Hernandez is a great fighter but has just been lacking the cardio needed to hang with best. We saw this in his last fight where he dominated the first round but let it slowly slip away down the stretch. Salazar is one to watch. He is a wonderful wrestler and a great addition to the SFU roster. One fight. One first round knockout. There is plenty to see yet from the Mexican. Hernandez has been up against some of the the best fighters in the division in Magnus Looped and Jeff Roberts. We think he faces a superior opponent again here tonight. Credit to the Spaniard for not backing down but he may be biting off a little more than he can chew. Salazar is a bad man.
Dave's Prediction: Juan Salazar via KO
Bill Grady (MMA 2-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Angus Bryant (MMA 4-2-0 , SFU 3-2-0)
Bill Grady is first and foremost a wrestler, something he has been doing since his high school days. Then came the boxing. And then after watching his first MMA even on television, he made the decision there and then to pursue a career in the sport. Angus Bryant has been doing this for longer. The Scot recently made the move to a private gym nearer to SFU's base, reaffirming his commitment to the organisation. We heard that a third fight with Steve Lucas fell through and he finds himself up against a more formidable opponent instead. If he could make it three wins in a row here, he may just be able to put himself back into the title picture once more. But Bill Grady is also on a two fight win streak. And has never lost. And will do everything he can to win in his SFU debut. Grady jumped at this opportunity and will be looking to prove that he's not simply here to make up the numbers. But ultimately we believe Bryant's experience will be the difference in this one.
Dave's Prediction: Angus Bryant via Decision
Rory MacAskill (MMA 2-0-0 , SFU 1-0-0) vs Botond Robert (MMA 5-2-0 , SFU 2-2-0)
This is great matchmaking. Former champ Botond Robert has seen a little of his shine wear off recently with back-to-back losses but the Hungarian still demands a lot of respect within the MMA community. His two losses have come to the very two fighters fighting for the title tonight. So that's nothing to be ashamed about. But a third loss in a row would be the start of a big fall from the dizzying heights of being SFU's first ever champion. Rory MacAskill is what we call a sleeper. This kid is going places. Sleep on him and you may just miss one of the most talented young fighters in SFU today. Here he finds himself up against his toughest competition yet. Sometimes when a champion loses a few in a row, they find they become the gatekeeper. A test that the young up-and-comers need to go through before going on to bigger and better things with the title. A rite of passage. Well try telling Botond Robert that. He is going to try and stop MacAskill in his tracks. Stop the hype train. But that is easier said than done. This train is full steam ahead.
Dave's Prediction: Rory MacAskill via KO
Karol Beirnat (MMA 5-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Orjan Ank (MMA 5-6-0 , SFU 3-2-0)
Six fights in less than a month, Karol Beirnat is an absolute warrior. In a world where many fighters can be pampered and overprotected by their managers, Beirnat bucks the trend. Making his SFU debut, this will surely be a step up in competition for "The Phenomenal" from Poland. His sole loss came via submission. His opponent here has five victories to his name, all via submission. It's not an ideal match-up of styles but remember this is Karol Beirnat we are talking about, he just wants to fight.
Dave's Prediction: Karol Beirnat via KO
Jonath Masvidal (MMA 4-1-0 , SFU 1-0-0) vs Jasper Jones (MMA 4-1-0 , SFU 0-1-0)
Jasper Jones walked into SFU #8 as an undefeated contender. Humbled and knocked out in the first round, now some critics are calling him another victim of the hype brigade. The man that beat him? Jonath Masvidal. The man that he will face here at SFU #9? Jonath Masvidal. Jonath "The Truth" Masvidal is just that - the truth. It is true that he is remarkable at wrestling. It is true that he is on a two fight win streak. It is true that he won both of his fights in the famous APEX Cage Fighting organisation. It is true that all four of his wins have come via knockout. But it is also true that Jasper Jones has something that Masvidal does not and that is wonderful boxing skills. If Jones can take advantage of this, find his range and stay on the outside then we may have a different outcome this time round. Masvidal has the best knees in the business. Look it up, that's a real thing. And if he has his way in the clinch, Jasper Jones will find himself on the receiving end of another loss by the hands of Jonath Masivdal.
Dave's Prediction: Jonath Masvidal via KO
Harry Winston (MMA 4-0-0 , SFU 2-0-0) vs Sergey Sklemin (MMA 4-0-0 , SFU 2-0-0)
Quite simply put, this is the biggest fight in the history of StrikeForce Union. Just when you think SFU can't outdo itself, it brings together a fight like this. Fans went crazy when the news broke. There is no ducking here. Credit to the managers. No preferential treatment. Credit to the organisation owner Mr. Cambridge. What we have is the best putting on his gloves to fight the best. To determine who is truly the best after all. There can only be one folks. There have been rumours that the champion Winston is experiencing some financial difficulties. We have been told that at this time of writing, he owes a debt of $199.80 and cannot pay his bills at the gym. It's unbelievable to think that this kind of thing can happen today. Luckily for Winston, this fight is huge and so is the payday and opportunity that comes with it. This is the first defense of his belt and it's not going to be easy. Sergey Sklemin is a sensational boxer on his way to the top. Four fights. Four wins. Four knockouts. Four knockouts in the first round. It's perfection from the Russian. He knows what it takes to be a champion, having been so at the Red Star Fighting organisation. But he never had to go through Harry Winston before. One of these fighters is going to become a star here tonight. The other may face a downwards spiral the likes of former champion Botond Robert is up against. With so many other contenders looking to take your position at the top, this really is a do or die moment for both fighters. Celebrities will be cageside. Medics will be cageside. And so will the 185lbs Championship belt that they will put it all on the line for here tonight. The champ Harry "Opie" Winston. The contender Sergey "Sklema" Sklemin. WHO WINS?
Dave's Prediction: Sergey Sklemin via KO
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