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 Lebowski Island Achievers 1: This Isn't Vietnam
Event Preview
145 lbs
The inaugural fight for the Lebowski Island Achievers will feature one of the promotion's youngest fighters as undefeated 19-year-old submission wizard Bobby Sands takes on Japanese striker Masa "Tiger" Hattori. Hattori was crowned a champion in his professional debut, taking a hard-fought decision under the banner of the now closed Deserted Fighting promotion.
A strong dirty boxer, Hattori was nearly finished by punches in the dying moments of his debut but should have the advantage on the feet against his less-experienced opponent. Sands' most likely method to victory will be to collect his third submission - "Tiger" is a capable wrestler but has thus far shown a penchant for close-quarters combat, which could make it more difficult to elude takedowns.
Hattori, meanwhile, will have to be exceedingly careful throughout, avoiding any solicitations to engage in a grappling fight and biding his time to a decision victory.
145 lbs
True to his nickname, "Tiny" Coxsmall will be the smaller man in this featherweight bout as he takes on enigmatic Greco-Roman stylist Javier Jammer.
That could be a problem if the Hawaiian Jammer can get ahold of Coxsmall as his preference has been to use his strength and technical ability to stifle his opponents in the clinch where he uses all his limbs to strike effectively, if not exceptionally powerfully.
He has also proven prone to mental lapses however, inexplicably pulling guard in his MMA debut against a much more experienced ground fighter and quickly being mounted and submitted as a result. Coxsmall, meanwhile, displayed a varied and accurate striking attack on the feet in his successful debut, perhaps more impressively stuffing 15 out of 16 of his opponent's takedowns. Expect a grinding and hard-fought decision here.
170 lbs
Our first welterweight affair will pit two undefeated strikers more accustomed to snow than sun against each other as Minneapolis native Buzz McGillicutty takes on Swedish striking sensation Richard Rakell. Both men are veterans of the defunct Deserted Fighting promotion with McGillicutty taking a somewhat sloppy decision over Fabricio Werdum in his debut and Rakell looking rather more impressive in stopping Sylvio Nicostrato with brutal knees from the Thai clinch less than a minute into their bout. With McGillicutty having done his best work in the clinch he'll be playing with fire if he chooses to continue that trend against Rakell, although his abysmal accuracy at long range in his first bout makes that a questionable route to victory as well.
Rakell, meanwhile, we certainly want to use his power in close quarters to make it a short night for the American.
185 lbs
The climb up the weight class ladder continues with a middleweight bout between a pair of undefeated 25-year-old Island imports. Boxer Kash Kwicklee is another fighter signed from the ashes of Deserted Fighting where he was declared that promotion's middleweight champion after a stifling three-round decision over Scott "Cowboy" Miller. His opponent this time out will be Dutch knockout artist Max Gamble, a skilled boxer who is also capable of ending fights with fearsome ground and pound from top position thanks to his high-level wrestling background. His combination of strength and technique up close will likely force Kwicklee to adopt a run-and-gun approach rather than the up-and-close and personal dirty boxing he utilized in his debut, or perhaps "Special K" has the confidence to take his opponent head on.
185 lbs
The card remains in the middleweight division for the next fight, a clash between two men who tasted both victory and defeat in their brief time so far on The Island. An amateur boxer known for his big right hand, the American Rick Sharpshooter has really committed to cross-training with his dedication on the mats showing through in that his only pro MMA finish has come by way of anaconda choke.
His commitment to throwing combinations on the feet and mixing in takedowns and submissions has made him dangerous thus far, with his only setback coming by decision to the physically imposing Clay Moore, a recent signee with the Lighthouse promotion.
Fitzgerald meanwhile is a dangerous Muay Thai competitor from Antigua known for his deadly kicking game and aggressive approach on the feet. The latter has been key for him in both victory and defeat as he blitzed through his first two opponents on the feet before being knocked down by a counter left early in his recent fight against current title contender Omar Harrak and being unable to recover, succumbing to strikes before the end of the round. He showed a lot of heart in that fight, returning from two knockdowns, but a more measured approach might be the best option here against the technically sound Sharpshooter.
145 lbs
Two fighters with the talent to be serious contenders in the featherweight division collide here in a fight that seems certain to produce a fast finish. Though known for boxing acumen, the Cuban Gibbs turned the tables on his grappler opponent in his debut bout, being controlled on the bottom for the first round before venting his frustration by taking his opponent down in the second and beating him senseless with a furious flurry of ground and pound.
Facing off from him this time will be boxing sensation Samy Radjansky, one of the hardest hitters you'll find at 145 pounds. The Surinamese striker has not given the referee a chance to intervene thus far in his pro career, rendering both of his opponents totally unconscious in less than a round, and the fans on Sunday will certainly be hoping for a repeat of those fireworks. Though no slouch in the wrestling department, Radjansky is not quite as accomplished of a ground fighter as his opponent, so expect Gibbs to look for the takedown as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
145 lbs
The display of talent from the lower weight classes continues as this bout seems likely to be a title eliminator for any future featherweight title bout the promotion might put together, given the pedigree of the fighters involved. East Timorese boxer Brandon Steel has rattled off three consecutive victories after falling short in his pro debut, raising eyebrows and his stock around the league with a savage 14 second knockout of Ariane Lipskki his last time out.
Traditionally a bantamweight competitor, "Beast" was huge for that division is will not be the noticeably smaller man even against a natural featherweight in Lykkebjerg. Where the undefeated Danish grappling stylist will have the distinct advantage is on the mat, as the three effortless first-round submission victories thus far in his career amply demonstrate. Steel has a good sprawl, and he will have to put it to use here as Lykkebjerg will want no part of him on the feet and certainly possesses the skills to tap him out swiftly.
265 lbs
The last fight finalized for Sunday's card, this one didn't even make it onto the poster but is nevertheless hotly anticipated by heavyweight fight fans. BaRock Chester will play something of a heel role here; one can't deny his success thus far but his measured and grinding approach from top position has earned occasional jeers from the fans, even as it has eventually softened up both of his previous opponents enough to earn submission finishes.
He'll be the lighter and faster man on Sunday as he takes on the aggressively christened Knock You Out, a hard-hitting boxer who has lived up to his name by punching his way to first-round finishes in his first two career bouts. It should be a classic striker/grappler affair with Chester aggressively hunting takedowns on the feet and then slowing down and being careful not to relinquish top position if he's fortunate enough to land one, while Knock Out patiently hunts that one-punch KO.
265 lbs
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Though he has only competed once, the charming Conan Gracie has the look and charisma to be a star if he can continue his winning ways, already counting among the Island's more popular competitors. A twenty second knockout at Deserted Fighting's second and final event is Gracie's claim to fame thus far, while the more experienced Mike Tycoon has defeated both of his opponents, one via quick knockout and the other by uncontroversial unanimous decision.
Gracie's gameplan is simple - he's a technically-sound standup fighter who prefers to punch while Tycoon is something more of a brawler, relying on his ability to dirty box in close quarters or powerful, looping punches thrown while stepping in. Both men have competed at light heavyweight in the past, so neither should have a significant size or strength advantage in what promises to be a stand-up war.
185 lbs Championship Fight
It's still less than a month into this season of The Island, but both competitors here have already established themselves as names to watch by fighting early and often and winning in almost every case, certainly earning the right to compete for the inaugural LIA middleweight belt in the main event. Built like a tank, Canadian grappler Bobby Brown has been a nearly unstoppable force on the ground, overpowering four of his five opponents on the ground en route to submission wins and coming seconds shy of a decision victory in his fifth before being caught by a shocking last-second guillotine choke by current Revolution Island competitor Alexander Zuev.
That setback is well in his rear view mirror now however and he'll certainly be in little danger on the ground tonight as his opponent is strictly a stand-up fighter... but what a stand-up fighter! The Moroccan-born "Harrakane" is humble and soft-spoken outside the cage but has been one the Island's most fearsome competitors inside it, dispatching all three of his professional opponents by way of first round punches and rarely breaking a sweat while doing it.
Although he boasts a strong wrestling pedigree to support his boxing background, Harrak has definitely not faced a grappler of Brown's caliber, and all it will take is a single lapse in balance or concentration to put him in a world of trouble. On the other hand, Brown will ill afford to be able to be sloppy with the takedowns he will so keenly require for victory, lest he find himself alone on the canvas.
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