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CEC 700.5 Good friends and ugly neighbors, welcome along to another Elite preview, brought to you by the good people at Arcticus University: London. Arcticus University, so you can put more back into your teams. Claymore Elite Combat takes a break from London this November 14th and heads to lovely St Petersburgh for CEC 700.5. One of the most culturally important and beautiful cities in the world, St Petersburgh has seen its share of battles, but none like tonight. Not one, not two, but three title fights! We have another CEC Hall of Famer in attendance this week, local legend Sergey "loh" Beznisko, who we saw joking with fellow Russian, Boris Orlov, earlier this evening. CEC TOP 3 135 lbs Gunnar Tuft (13-3) v Seamus MacNamara (23-4-1) The Bantamweight title is in new hands as new champion, Gunnar "Outlaw" Tuft heads to the Ice Box to defend his title for the first time. It was a thrilling title win for the man from Oslo and the first in his MMA career. He’s now the top ranked P4P fighter in the organization and all will be gunning for him. Get it? Gunning? Gunnar? Ehem. His opponent is a familiar one, it’s former champ and CEC 697 opponent, "The Gypsy Prince" Seamus MacNamara. Their first fight was as good as everyone expected. MacNamara tried to keep things at arms length so he could use his amazing boxing skills to keep Tuft at-bay, and it was a flawless game plan for the first three rounds. Whether it was concern over his cut or fatigue, MacNamara threw a lazy shot early in the fourth and Tuft took full advantage, countering with a heavy kick to the head that signaled the end of the bout. There is lots of respect between the two fighters, but no love loss in the ring. Will this live up to the first fight? Is Tuft the real-deal? 155 lbs DeMario Valdez (20-12-1) v Harvey Stallion (17-6) You can’t get "El Castigador De Juárez" DeMario Valdez off the ceiling. The 29 year old from Juarez won the CEC lightweight title at CEC 696 with an incredibly tough unanimous decision over Pascal Henry. Unlike his win at New Era, Valdez didn’t have to fight to keep it off the ground, and chose instead to stay standing and box it out. It was a gutsy decision, all the more impressive after he was cut early in the first round and had to defend against that for the next nineteen minutes. His first title defense will be against Harvey "Horse Meat" Stallion, a newcomer to CEC who instantly became the number on contender after winning the Limitless lightweight belt in his last match with the company. Rumors are that he brought the belt with him from London where he has been seen showing it off in the locker room. The BJJ black belt has won his last three fights and looks to continue riding the horse at CEC 700.5. 205 lbs Harold Nicolas (33-16) v Ibrahim Camara (12-3-1) The 205 lb title is on the line at the Ice Box as the numbers one and two ranked in the division battle to see who comes away with the belt. Former model and current Synch hall of famer, Harold Nicolas earned his half of the title fight with two straight wins. The first was a second round TKO of former #1 ranked Fedor Shabanov and then a much more brutal TKO of James McGuire three weeks later. Nicolas cut McGuire with the first punch at CEC 697 and continued working on it throughout the fight, opening it so badly that the fight had to be called. Ibrahim "Dishonest as Fuck" Camara is on a three fight winning streak and he earned the title shot the hard way; a nail-biting unanimous decision against Solomon Kahn at CEC 696. Camara had the fight under control through the first two rounds and endured a ferocious onslaught in the third using great striking defense to pull it out. It’s going to be a great stand-em-up, knock-em-down title fight. Undercard 265 lbs Gyukosho Fujimoto (28-13) v Like Boss (18-12) Numbers one and three ranked in the 265 division sees Gyukosho "Fujizilla" Fujimoto take on Like "A" Boss. Fujimoto, the former #2 ranked in the world, made short work of his opponent at CEC 698.5, sending Leagatius to the mat with a brutal right hand. In the process, he put an end to that ugly three fight losing streak and showed the others in his division that he’s a force to be reckoned with. Boss earned his bonus cheque with a hard-fought three round unanimous decision against Jerome Steel. Boss impressed the judges enough to win, using a solid ground game that kept Steel on his toes. It’s that type of offensive combination that he’ll need to bring to keep Fujimoto from knocking his block off. 27 of Fujimoto’s 28 wins have been by way of knockout, 83% of Boss’s losses have ended the same way. Not a good recipe. 205 lbs James McGuire (20-15) v Yacob Nilsen (21-15) James McGuire set himself back a bit at CEC 697, suffering a severe cut at the hands of Harold Nicolas which required the better part of two weeks to heal. That’s two weeks of recuperation, two weeks away from the gym, two weeks of sitting at home playing it over in his mind. McGuire shrugged off the concern, but insiders doubt whether the eye will ever completely heal. The knockout specialist may have to adjust his aggressive gameplan accordingly, not something that any fighter is comfortable with as he heads into the light heavyweight fight against Yacob Nilsen. The Swede had his own setback at CEC 697, a fight he had completely in hand before missing with a ground-n-pound and submitted to a triangle. The momentary lapse of concentration cost him an easy win and raised some eyebrows, with pundits wondering if the 34 year-old’s best days are firmly behind him. We doubt it and he’ll have a chance to prove it on November 14th. 145 lbs Tim Anton (1-1) v Boris Orlov (20-11-1) Tim Anton stepped away from TWGC, where he spent all of 2020, and returns to the MMA cage for the first time in over a year. The 33 year old Belgian had moderate success in the grapping world, accumulating a 7-5 record and earning a title shot. His manager, Slobo Dragovic, has little worries that Anton’s skills won’t translate to CEC, but his opponent, "The Boyar Bully" Boris Orlov disagrees. The #6th ranked 145 pounder has slid down the rankings over the past month, losing back-to-back fights and four of his last five. His last fight, CEC 697 against Shi Fu Tu, went the distance and Orlov landed on the wrong side of the decision as he just couldn’t get through Fu Tu’s defenses late. He’s also developed a cut problem lately and he’s hoping his corner has it solved before this bout in his home country. 155 lbs Eric Draven (21-10-2) v Gianni Castellana (7-4) Two fighters sitting in the middle ranks of the lightweight division, Eric Draven takes on CEC newcomer, Gianni Castellana. Draven’s debut at CEC 697 went about as-expected, a three-round unanimous decision win over Samuel Cooke. Although Draven would have preferred ending the match in style, he’s happy to get back to winning after a long time away from the MMA cage. It was a good opportunity to get his feet back underneath him and work on the new gameplan he and his manager are hoping to expand on November 14th. Standing on the other side of the ring, CEC rookie Gianni Castellana and his long-time manager, Mike Hunt, appear vastly overwhelmed in terms of cage experience, but Hunt warns not to overlook his fighter. Castellana is on a modest two-fight win streak and although his last MMA fight was in June, he was happy enough with his JAG experience to take the time off, train, and wait for the bright lights of CEC to call. 205 lbs Buster McDiggle (13-11) v Floyd Maybetter (20-15-1) Two fighters at the bottom of the light heavyweight division start us off. Everyone’s favorite farmer, "The Sioux City Strangler" Buster McDiggle started his CEC career on the right foot, surprising Yacob Nilsen at CEC 697 with a first round submission and earning Sub of the Night in the process. It was a major win for McDiggle who’ll look to jump over his opponent in the rankings with another win. Floyd Maybetter is one of the hottest fighters in MMA, pushing his winning streak to seven after a unanimous decision win at CEC 696. It took a strong final round to sway the judges’ decision, a round he dominated with some great takedowns and ground work. Critics will point to Maybetter’s poor opponent record during his streak, but as his manager told us recently, a win is better than a loss in everyone’s books. One thing to watch out for; McDiggle has been cut in four straight fights, something that can’t be brushed off. 135 lbs Albert Ricci (22-13) v Emeritus Forge (2-8-1) Albert "The All American Italian" Ricci has done a lot in his 40 years. A two-time Primal champion, 20 career wins, card-carrying member of The Guardians. He comes into CEC 700.5 on a two-win fight streak after two impressive first round beatdowns and really wants to put another notch on his belt. This is his swan song, as the New York native announced earlier this week that he will retire after this fight; win, lose, or draw. His final opponent will be Emeritus "The Ghost" Forge, former singer, former Grunge FC member. It wasn’t the greatest of Grunge careers (he lost three of four), but Papa Emeritus believes that this move to CEC against stronger competition will give him the challenge he needs to succeed. He isn’t difficult to plan against at this stage, and we suspect a veteran like Ricci won’t have an issue stuffing the multiple takedown attempts. 170 lbs Troy Hooper (37-22-2) v Vito Scaletta (25-17-1) A welterweight fight between Troy "Super" Hooper and Vito "Gangster" Scaletta is the first fight on the card. Hooper is .500 so far in his CEC career after splitting his first two fights. He opened with a disappointing majority win against cellar dweller Dick Diaz, only to lose a split decision at CEC 697 against Dylan Peterson. Despite the loss, a much stronger and focused Hooper showed up and displayed some great defensive skills against a superior opponent. If he hadn’t let Peterson sweep early in the first round, he would have won the round and been on the other side of the decision, something positive he can take away from the fight. Nothing positive is showing up on Vito Scaletta’s scorecard lately. He is now riding a 7-fight losing streak, easily the worst of his once-great career, after losing a unanimous decision to Heribert Bosch at CEC 697. Scaletta was the much busier fighter, wrestling Bosch to the ground out of the clinch at every opportunity. He just couldn’t sustain any type of offense at any level, something he is going to have to overcome to have any success against Hooper.

CEC 699 Good friends and neighbors, welcome along to another Elite preview, brought to you by the good people at Arcticus University: London. Arcticus University, so you can put more back into your teams. Claymore Elite Combat is back at Knights Court, London, this lovely November 7th for CEC 699. CEC Hall of Famer, Magni Turisas, is sitting front row tonight; great to see him in the back chatting with some of the current CEC fighters. Let’s see if they learned anything from him. We have two title matches tonight, some exciting new talent, and the best fans in the world. Let’s get to it. CEC Top 3 185 lbs Donald Trump (23-6) v Desmond Glass (36-18-2) The 185 pound title is on the line as "President Elect" Donald Trump squares off against "Super Fast" Desmond Glass in the Main Even at CEC 699. Trump is the #1 ranked fighter in the division and earned the title shot outright. He opened up his CEC career at New Era by mopping the floor with Barry McCockiner, cutting him with a nasty elbow mid-way through the second round and following that up with an even nastier elbow a minute later. How McCockiner even had the ability to tap out after that is amazing. His opponent is 4th ranked Desmond Glass. We talked glowingly about Glass in our 697 preview and the CEC hall of famer didn’t disappoint, crushing the same McCockiner in the first round after some vicious right hands and cut work. They’ve now faced the same opponent and earned the same results; who will prevail at CEC 699 and become the 185 pound champion? 155 lbs Mario Benedetti (19-5) v Pascal Henry (22-11-2) The top of the 155 division faces off as #1 ranked Mario Benedetti looks to turn things around against #3 ranked Pascal Henry. Benedetti finished off his 5-fight contract with Gamma and joins CEC on a three-fight losing streak, easily the worst such streak of his career. Member of the JAG Battle hall of fame, belt-holder in five companies, the 28 year-old from Uruguay’s accolades are proof of his prowess. He can’t rest on his laurels, however, the 33 year-old Henry has far more experience and spent the better part of his career alongside Benedetti at Gamma. He was given first shot at the lightweight title at CEC 696 and although it didn’t end the way he would have liked, his corner had a lot to be happy about. It was a toss-up heading into the final round and he lost by the narrowest of decisions. He’s facing a similar opponent this week so we’ll see what Henry learned. 145 lbs Finnish Experiment II (24-14) v Heartless Jesus (11-5) The 145 pound title is on the line as the two top-ranked fighters in the division find out who walks out with the belt, and who goes home crying. Experiment II earned his title shot at New Era when he knocked Boris Orlov’s head off with seconds left in the second round. It was a great fight by Experiment II who kept Orlov at bay with some devastating kicks and controlling the inside game with some aggressive clinching. Heartless Jesus, as mentioned above, controlled Tiger Grandpa in his first CEC fight at CEC 696. It was a dominating three rounds for Jesus, a fighter who hadn’t fought in seven months, a testament to his hard work and determination. His new manager, Pablo Spezziale, has created a stable of worldclass fighters and expects nothing less from Jesus. Undercard 265 lbs Gary Sparxx (14-4-1) v Scott Minerva (19-11) Another CEC newcomer, "The Rave" Gary Sparxx was signed in early October and hasn’t fought since February. His manager, CEC’s very own Johnny D, says that won’t matter since Sparxx has been staying in shape in underground fighting. He’ll look to make a big jump in the 265 division with a win over 6th ranked Scott Minerva. The Toronto native is yet another newcomer to CEC, moving over from Pulse where he was recently inducted into its Hall of Fame. His last fight was in June, an embarrassing and disgraceful first round knockout loss to a far inferior opponent, a fight his current manager says is no indication of his declining skills. We’ll see if he’s telling the truth soon enough. 145 lbs Tempe Gorge (6-1-1) v Ryan Keenan (7-2-1) Battle of the newbies in the 145 lb division, it’s #6 ranked Tempe Gorge stepping into the ring against #8 ranked "Irish" Ryan Keenan. Gorge is fresh off back to back fights against Jack Hanna in the Limitless organization, the one and only organization Gorge has been a part of. The 30 year-old doesn’t have a lot of experience MMA fighting, but a 2-1-1 record is nothing to sneeze at. Limitless is no CEC, friends, but Gorge held his own against better opponents. Ryan Keenan is joining CEC directly from Eight Limbs kickboxing. Like Gorge, he enjoyed a good record, but only had one win in his last four fights. Could be a reason why manager Sam Fairfax decided to move him back to MMA. 265 lbs Wolfgang Muller (15-9) v Hulk Butane (23-17) The numbers eight and ten ranked fighters in the 265 division are up next. Wolfgang "Black Wolf" Muller hit the CEC ground running with a third round knockout of Terje Warholm at New Era. Muller was cut early in that bout, but kept his focus, winning the second round on points and wearing Warholm down with some vicious kicks before sending him to the canvas. His opponent, Hulk Butane, is back for a second run at CEC. The Beast of Bodmin started in CEC at 591, only stepping down at 693 to try his luck at that second-rate organization, Synchronicity. He’s only had four fights since February, likely a good thing for the man who ages 9 times as fast as an average human. 170 lbs Heribert Bosch (41-20-1) v Brandon Baldwin (25-19-1) Fresh off his win at CEC 697, "The German Sargent " Heribert Bosch heads into CEC 699 hoping to get one win above .500 for his CEC career. It was a comfortable unanimous decision victory for Bosch, and his experience proved the turning point as he was able to earn points all over the ring with his great wrestling skills. He may need to improve his defense for this one; his opponent, Brandon "The Bastard" Baldwin is an all-or-nothing fighter and earned another KO for his resume at CEC 697 against Dick Diaz. The 7th ranked Baldwin is a fans dream, win or lose, but this is a tough task. Bosch will look to grind him down and wear him out. 135 lbs Rob $tone (4-3-1) v Long Schlong (9-8-1) Rob $tone isn’t the worst fighter in the world, but he is at the bottom of his weight class looking up at the rest of the division. A fantastic grappler who had good success (7-2) in the grappling world, he recently came back to MMA and is looking to make a mark. Schlong also had great success with grappling, compiling a 9-2 record and winning the bantamweight title. These two met at CEC 696 and fought to a draw, an outcome neither was happy about, which triggered this rematch. It was a fight spent mostly on the ground, a spot $tone dominated from and where he earned all his points. Schlong doesn’t mind taking it to the ground, but he scored an equal amount of points on his feet and he may decide to change his game plan up this time to accommodate. 145 lbs Tiger Grandpa (12-13) v Jimmy Doyle (31-19-1) #7 ranked Tiger Grandpa steps back into the ring after an opening CEC loss at CEC 696 to now #2 ranked Heartless Jesus. It was a unanimous loss, but a morale victory for Grandpa who wasn’t expected to pose any type of challenge heading into the fight. He survived a late first round knockdown and kept it close the rest of the fight, mixing in some solid groundwork along the way. #10 ranked Jimmy "Jazz" Doyle is better than his ranking shows. A one-time CEC member in the middle of his career, the 44 year old has spent the last dozen fights in Synchronicity. He’s on a four-fight losing streak entering his second CEC career, the last a tough majority loss on October 11th. 185 lbs Ralphie White (3-6) v Roy Benavidez (16-15) The two lowest ranked fighters in the 185 pound division may be the same age, but are worlds apart in experience. White has nine fights under his belt and his last fight was back in April in the WFPA organization under a different manager. Gunner Pleysa picked him up from the garbage dump on October 14th, giving him only a little bit of time to train and come up with a game plan. It may be tough for his opponent, Roy Benavidez, because of the lack of videotape and scouting opportunities, but he’s confident he can come through. He had Desmond Glass, his opponent at New Era, on the ropes in the second round, only to be knocked out unconscious.

135 lbs Dwayne King (8-7) v Philip Ziskie (19-15) A late contract signed for CEC 698.5, 4th ranked Philip "The Kid" Ziskie steps into the ring against 11th ranked Dwayne "The 52 Blocks" King. We have to tell you, if the bottom of your weight class looks like Dwayne King, your organization is in great shape. He comes to CEC after a quick fight warmup in August and no prior fights since June of 2019. Rust? You bet, but manager Meyer Lansky knows fighters and he liked what he saw in King. The Kid Ziskie has been a lot more active, fighting in PFC right up until late September, but he’s also on a three fight losing streak. His morale is high, which is a great sign, and sponsor Altitude Clothing told us that he’s sweated through a dozen shirts a day getting in fighting shape for this one. 265 lbs Gyukosho Fujimoto (27-13) v Brutus Leagatius (25-15) A second late fight signed, #1 ranked Gyukosho "Fujizilla" Fujimoto meets up with #2 ranked Brutus Leagatius. Two fighters headed in the wrong direction, looking to turn things around and claim early bragging right in the 265 division. Fujimoto is on a three fight losing streak and they were ugly. Capital Fug ugly. Lasting just a combined 5 minutes and 33 seconds, all three losses ended in knockouts, including an amazing 5 TKO just 5 seconds into his last fight. Not the way he wanted to make a CEC impression. Brutus Leagatius is on a two fight losing streak, ending his Synch career in a three-round unanimous decision loss. The 35 year old Greek thinks he’s found his opponent’s weakness. We’ll find out soon enough.

CEC 698.5 Good friends and deadly neighbors, welcome along to another Elite preview, brought to you by the good people at Arcticus University: London. Arcticus University, so you can put more back into your teams. Claymore Elite Combat heads back to Knights Court, London, on this most hallowed of all eves for CEC 698.5. THE CEC TOP 3 135 lbs Slammy Neckbreaker (19-9) v Dulles Bush (22-8) Slammy Neckbreaker opened his CEC career in the main event of New Era, earning Fight of the Night in the process. It wasn’t the opening Neckbreaker was hoping for, despite the accolades, as he was dominated in all five rounds by 135 champ, Sean MacNamara. He started slow, content with keeping MacNamara on the ground and controlling the pace , looking for an opening, but it got more and more difficult to get through MacNamara’s defense as the fight went on. Ranked 3rd in the bantamweight division, the current JAG bantamweight champion will look for another CEC title shot, but he’ll have to get through Dulles Bush first. Ranked 4th after CEC 696, Dulles Bush fought tooth and nail for three rounds against Distant Thunder, squeaking out the closest of wins thanks to some great third round boxing skills. A long-time TGC champion and hall of fame member, he’s an intelligent fighter who will wear you down and then knock you out. 170 lbs Thorvald Espensen (8-5-1) v Oliver Hedman Karlsson (26-16-1) The 170 title is up for grabs again when these two square off in the cage for the second time in two weeks. The first and second ranked fighters in the division, their first fight at CEC 696 ended in a draw and the shiny new CEC title was left unclaimed. The Norweigan Espensen was riding a three fight win streak heading into CEC 696 and came out on fire, attacking Hedman Karlsson and avoiding the counterattacks with his speed. It got away from him a little as the fight went on as Hedman Karlsson was able to time his counters better and slow Espensen down. Will he change his gameplan for this rematch? Hedman Karlsson’s superior experience paid off as he was able to wait out Espensen’s initial charge and bring the bout to him. After his New Era victory against Heribert Bosch, a fight stuck almost exclusively in the clinch, Karlsson was able to open up at 696, making use of his incredible defensive skills and remain active enough to earn this rematch. 205 lbs Fedor Shabanov (18-9) v Solomon Kahn (31-15-3) What a ride for Fedor Shabanov. The Oral native was embarrassed at CEC New Era after getting knocked out early in the second round by Harold Nicolas. He was promptly fired by his manager and then signed by new manager, Giuseppe Folioli, a couple of days later. He’s back in CEC and brings his low IQ and two-loss streak into the cage to face Solomon Kahn. Kahn also lost his opening CEC Return match, a three-round decision to Ibrahim Camara. This one will be personal with a lot of pride on the line. Shabanov’s current manager once managed Kahn, back when Solomon was on top of the world. In fact, Folioli was singularly instrumental in Kahn being elected to the CEC Hall of Fame … a fact overlooked at his induction ceremony when Kahn failed to mention his name even once. Undercard 155 lbs Carlos Arnoldo Perda Segurio (2-9) v Mac Moore (3-7-1) Newcomer Carlos Arnoldo Perda Segurio is at the bottom of the division looking up. It’s a tough situation for the Alligator, a loser of two straight who has never been able to get on track in his MMA career. Could be his time spent in prison or his life on the streets, but something is preventing him from creating the right gameplan and finding momentum. Looking at the bright side, all nine of his losses were by decision so he clearly has the skills to stay in the fights. He just has to start winning. Mac Mochessemo Moore was the lowest ranked 155 before Segurio signed with CEC, and, like the Alligator, he has struggled with consistency. He has not won a fight in one full non-MMA calendar year and is winless in his last eight fights. He prefers working out of the clinch if he can, but he’s susceptible to the takedown and will tap out if pushed too far. 265 lbs Michael Brakeley (32-22) v Terje Warholm (19-15-1) The second 265 lb match on the card, Michael "The Wolf" Brakeley battles Terje Warholm. Both began their CEC careers on the wrong foot: Brakeley was outclassed and got beat around by Yhorm Giant, being knocked down, rocked, cut, and KO’d all before the clock hit 60 seconds. It was a disastrous fight for the one-time XF champ and he’ll look to get things on track against Terje Warholm. Warholm had a better outing than Brakeley, but the outcome was the same. He cut Wolfgang Muller early at New Era, but couldn’t hold on as Muller worked him over in the second round, eventually knocking him out late in the third. We’ve seen better defense from the Ukrainian native and expect a better outing. 265 lbs Yhorm Giant (19-13) v Paul Starker (27-21) The first 265 lb match on the card, Yhorm Giant travels to London after a great CEC opening fight (see above). He dominated Michael Brakeley, knocking him out in 57 seconds and earning a well-deserved KO of the night at CEC 696. Paul "BAD GORILLA" Starker won’t be nearly as easy to knockout. We didn’t see all Starker could do at CEC 696. He knocked out Jose Conseco with relative ease, barely breaking a sweat in the process. He comes into 698.5 well rested, a fact that shouldn’t be overlooked considering the Welsh native is 45 years old. 135 lbs Desmond Fairbanks (29-26) v Oshan Jackson (19-13) Desmond Fairbanks is on a four-fight losing streak heading into his CEC debut. He spent a year in Pulse Fighting Championship, losing more than winning, but still putting on a hell of a show and now sits mid-pack in the 135 rankings. The Birmingham native has to find a way to work all three rounds to come out on top. Oshan "Red" Jackson is near the bottom of the 135 rankings after an embarrassing New Era loss to Albert Ricci. He was cut, knocked-down, rocked, and knocked-down a second time before before the fight was called. His championship days are well in the rear-view mirror, but you can’t underestimate his power. One wrong move by Fairbanks and that will be all she wrote. 145 lbs Carter Jose De La Cus (21-20-2) v Albert Ricci (21-13) Starting off the night, we have Carter "Papi Chulo" Jose De La Cus looking to make a positive CEC debut against Albert "The All American Italian" Ricci. De La Cus hasn’t fought MMA style in a long while, only stepping into the ring once in 2020. Instead, he took a step away to focus on his kickboxing, enjoying some moderate success in Eight Limbs. It’s anyone’s guess how his time away will affect his MMA gameplan, but he’s experienced, savvy, and can stand and bang with the best of them. The aforementioned Albert Ricci beat up Oshan Jackson at New Era and decided to pack on some weight and join the 145 lb division. We’ll see if it’s the right choice, but Jackson indicated he was looking for a bigger challenge. He’ll try to knock some of the shine off Papi Chulo’s limelight.

CEC 697 October 24, 2020 Live from The H20 Arena in London, England, it’s CEC 697. Brought to you by the lovely people at Arcticus University: London, where you can put more back into your teams. Be sure to visit Arcticus for all your merchandise need and tell them we sent you. Fast off the heels of two very successful events, Claymore Elite Combat is officially resurrected, and looks to continue their global rise with another Elite event. We watched CEC reopen its doors at New Era, crowning its first 135 champion in months. CEC 696 was equally successful with two new champions being crowned. Undercard Hooper vs Peterson - Opening up the night in the 170 division, Troy Super Dooper steps into the cage against Dylan Peterson. Hooper opened CEC’s New Era with a majority decision win over Dick Diaz, a very underwhelming performance against an inferior opponent that left his corner wiping their collective brows. It was a close call, he survived a very near late third round knockout, but he DID survive and that’s all that matters in the end. A stand-up fighter and older than the mountains of his home State of Queensland, he’ll look to continue his success against Dylan Peterson. Peterson was unceremoniously dumped by his manager last month, but he’s too good to remain unwanted for long. Signed by current manager Pika Choo, Peterson, his background is in wrestling and he’d prefer to take his opponent to the ground where he can finish him off. At 11-4, he’s ranked fifth in the 170 rankings and wants to put his two-loss streak behind him. Steel vs Boss – Gunnar Pleyaa liked enough of what he saw in Jerome Steel to sign him to a contract. He enters his first CEC 265 division fight as the underdog, but his hands of steel are sneaky and dangerous and he’s capable of one-punching an end to any fight as his 93% knockout percentage shows. The Steel City’s opponent is Like A Boss, the #2 ranked heavyweight, who has his own equally success knockout percentage (88%). It’s not hard to see how this one will be decided, but it’s anyone’s guess who will be delivering the knockout. Nilsen vs McDiggle – Two fighters near the bottom of the 205 division, it’s Yacob Nilsen squaring off against Buster McDiggle. Nilsen has the better record, but his morale is at an all-time new low. Being released by two managers in a month will do that to a fella. Corwin Antsey liked what he saw and will look like a genius if Nilsen puts his poor 2020 behind him. Buster McDiggle, The Sioux City Strangler, turned 35 this week and has never walked the line, despite what his entrance music will have you believe. Inactive since June, he has a history of being susceptible to cuts and we believe he took the time off to heal himself at The Yellow Lotus. Bosch vs Scaletta – Back to the 170 division, it’s "The German Sargent" Heribert Bosch taking on Vito "Gangster" Scaletta. A multiple time champion, OFC legend, and former #1 ranked fighter in his weight class, Bosch’s best days may be behind him, but lord what days they were. He opened CEC New Era with a close split decision to #2 ranked Oliver Hedman Karlsson. It may have cost him a shot at the 170 title, but it was a close enough fight to keep him right in the hunt. Scaletta is slipping and needs to get back on-track as soon as possible. Multiple manager changes haven’t changed the outcomes and he comes into this fight on a 6-fight losing streak. The native of San Martino is ready and needs to bring his best to the cage. Cooke vs Draven – The 155 pound division may be small with only six fighters signed, but that means there is a lot of opportunity for fighters like Samuel "No Gods, No Masters" Cooke to rise the top. With a .500 record and loser of four straight, Cooke needs to regain the form that made him EFA champion. He lost his opening CEC match against DeMario Valdez, losing focus in the third round after a dominant middle round. Eric Draven hasn’t been in an MMA cage in almost a year and was unemployed for much of 2020 until manager Lyle Humphreys picked him up, moved him to London, and told him to get to work. Draven prefers to stand and brawl and he’ll be looking to keep Cooke on his feet to gain the win. Diaz vs Baldwin – The third and final 170 match of the night, Dick "The Stockton Slapper" Diaz looks to avenge his New Era loss against Troy Hooper. It was a close majority loss, and for a moment in the third round, Diaz looked assured of a win after he rocked Hooper with a hard shot. It was a great fight from start to finish, indicative of Diaz’s throw ‘em down style. Which is great for CEC fans because his opponent, Brandon "The Bastard" Baldwin, is an all-or-nothing fighter. 10 wins, all by KO; 11 losses, 10 by KO. New manager, Lyles Humphreys, has been trying to get him to work on his defense leading up to this fight, but the man from the suburb’s of Glasgow said “best defense is a superior offense”. This has fight of the night written all over it. Glass vs McCockiner – We get our first look at the 185 division when "Super Fast" Desmond Glass steps into the cage against Barry McCockiner. How fast is Glass? He bobbed and weaved his way to a second round knockout at New Era, a fight he was able to keep off the ground after a frustrating first round. A member of CEC’s vaunted Hall of Fame, former #1 ranked PVP in the world, not enough can be said about Glass’s accolades, but he can’t rest on his laurels in this one. McCockiner may not have the experience or the trophy case to show off, but he was picked up by an experienced manager who will help him reach his potential. He had Donald Trump in trouble at New Era until an elbow busted up his forehead. It was downhill from there and he took his first loss in CEC. He’ll look to bounce back and impress in a big way. Orlov vs Fu Tu - #2 against #4, a great way to highlight the 145 division. "The Boyar Bully" Boris Orlov cut #1 ranked Finnish Experiment at New Era, but it was too little too late as he was outclassed and ended up on the wrong side of a vicious head kick. He’s been on a little bit of a slide since leaving Catch Wrestling, but the talent and heart are clearly there. Shi Fu Tu spent nearly two years in CEC, won the 145 title, and is back to cement his name in the annals of CEC history. He’s getting a bit long in the teeth, but is in great shape and will work his opponent around the ring if an easy knockout doesn’t show itself. Main Event Harold Nicolas vs James McGuire #1 ranked 205 pounder in CEC and SynCity hall of famer, Harold Nicholas is still as good looking a man as the day he quit modelling. He won his opening CEC match at New Era against Fedor Shabanov, cutting him in the early seconds of their fight and eventually knocking him out a minute into the second round. Shabanov was dumped shortly thereafter. James McGuire is a different sort of an animal, deadly accurate and extremely powerful. He comes over from Synchronicity, winning his last two bouts via knockout and will hope his concrete fists carry him to the next level. "The Gypsy Prince" Seamus MacNamara vs Gunnar "Outlaw" Tuft New bantamweight champion, "The Gypsy Prince" Seamus MacNamara headlined CEC New Era and will do so again at CEC 697. MacNamara dominated the five-round title fight, winning on all cards despite being cut early. His ground defensive skills frustrated Neckbreaker all night long and he was never in any real trouble. It was an impressive win, one that made all contenders take notice. #1 contender Gunnar "Outlaw" Tuft won’t look to take to the ground, but that could be a bad thing. He backed out of his retirement talk and will look to bang MacNamara around with his world class boxing skills. Fast, smart, and tough, he works his opponents over and will knock anybody out once he finds the weakness … which he usually does.

http://www.mmatycoon.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65644&p=931960 CEC 697 October 24, 2020 Live from The H20 Arena in London, England, it’s CEC 697. Brought to you by the lovely people at Arcticus University: London, where you can put more back into your teams. Be sure to visit Arcticus for all your merchandise need and tell them we sent you. Fast off the heels of two very successful events, Claymore Elite Combat is officially resurrected, and looks to continue their global rise with another Elite event. We watched CEC reopen its doors at New Era, crowning its first 135 champion in months. CEC 696 was equally successful with two new champions being crowned. Undercard Hooper vs Peterson - Opening up the night in the 170 division, Troy Super Dooper steps into the cage against Dylan Peterson. Hooper opened CEC’s New Era with a majority decision win over Dick Diaz, a very underwhelming performance against an inferior opponent that left his corner wiping their collective brows. It was a close call, he survived a very near late third round knockout, but he DID survive and that’s all that matters in the end. A stand-up fighter and older than the mountains of his home State of Queensland, he’ll look to continue his success against Dylan Peterson. Peterson was unceremoniously dumped by his manager last month, but he’s too good to remain unwanted for long. Signed by current manager Pika Choo, Peterson, his background is in wrestling and he’d prefer to take his opponent to the ground where he can finish him off. At 11-4, he’s ranked fifth in the 170 rankings and wants to put his two-loss streak behind him. Steel vs Boss – Gunnar Pleyaa liked enough of what he saw in Jerome Steel to sign him to a contract. He enters his first CEC 265 division fight as the underdog, but his hands of steel are sneaky and dangerous and he’s capable of one-punching an end to any fight as his 93% knockout percentage shows. The Steel City’s opponent is Like A Boss, the #2 ranked heavyweight, who has his own equally success knockout percentage (88%). It’s not hard to see how this one will be decided, but it’s anyone’s guess who will be delivering the knockout. Nilsen vs McDiggle – Two fighters near the bottom of the 205 division, it’s Yacob Nilsen squaring off against Buster McDiggle. Nilsen has the better record, but his morale is at an all-time new low. Being released by two managers in a month will do that to a fella. Corwin Antsey liked what he saw and will look like a genius if Nilsen puts his poor 2020 behind him. Buster McDiggle, The Sioux City Strangler, turned 35 this week and has never walked the line, despite what his entrance music will have you believe. Inactive since June, he has a history of being susceptible to cuts and we believe he took the time off to heal himself at The Yellow Lotus. Bosch vs Scaletta – Back to the 170 division, it’s "The German Sargent" Heribert Bosch taking on Vito "Gangster" Scaletta. A multiple time champion, OFC legend, and former #1 ranked fighter in his weight class, Bosch’s best days may be behind him, but lord what days they were. He opened CEC New Era with a close split decision to #2 ranked Oliver Hedman Karlsson. It may have cost him a shot at the 170 title, but it was a close enough fight to keep him right in the hunt. Scaletta is slipping and needs to get back on-track as soon as possible. Multiple manager changes haven’t changed the outcomes and he comes into this fight on a 6-fight losing streak. The native of San Martino is ready and needs to bring his best to the cage. Cooke vs Draven – The 155 pound division may be small with only six fighters signed, but that means there is a lot of opportunity for fighters like Samuel "No Gods, No Masters" Cooke to rise the top. With a .500 record and loser of four straight, Cooke needs to regain the form that made him EFA champion. He lost his opening CEC match against DeMario Valdez, losing focus in the third round after a dominant middle round. Eric Draven hasn’t been in an MMA cage in almost a year and was unemployed for much of 2020 until manager Lyle Humphreys picked him up, moved him to London, and told him to get to work. Draven prefers to stand and brawl and he’ll be looking to keep Cooke on his feet to gain the win. Diaz vs Baldwin – The third and final 170 match of the night, Dick "The Stockton Slapper" Diaz looks to avenge his New Era loss against Troy Hooper. It was a close majority loss, and for a moment in the third round, Diaz looked assured of a win after he rocked Hooper with a hard shot. It was a great fight from start to finish, indicative of Diaz’s throw ‘em down style. Which is great for CEC fans because his opponent, Brandon "The Bastard" Baldwin, is an all-or-nothing fighter. 10 wins, all by KO; 11 losses, 10 by KO. New manager, Lyles Humphreys, has been trying to get him to work on his defense leading up to this fight, but the man from the suburb’s of Glasgow said “best defense is a superior offense”. This has fight of the night written all over it. Glass vs McCockiner – We get our first look at the 185 division when "Super Fast" Desmond Glass steps into the cage against Barry McCockiner. How fast is Glass? He bobbed and weaved his way to a second round knockout at New Era, a fight he was able to keep off the ground after a frustrating first round. A member of CEC’s vaunted Hall of Fame, former #1 ranked PVP in the world, not enough can be said about Glass’s accolades, but he can’t rest on his laurels in this one. McCockiner may not have the experience or the trophy case to show off, but he was picked up by an experienced manager who will help him reach his potential. He had Donald Trump in trouble at New Era until an elbow busted up his forehead. It was downhill from there and he took his first loss in CEC. He’ll look to bounce back and impress in a big way. Orlov vs Fu Tu - #2 against #4, a great way to highlight the 145 division. "The Boyar Bully" Boris Orlov cut #1 ranked Finnish Experiment at New Era, but it was too little too late as he was outclassed and ended up on the wrong side of a vicious head kick. He’s been on a little bit of a slide since leaving Catch Wrestling, but the talent and heart are clearly there. Shi Fu Tu spent nearly two years in CEC, won the 145 title, and is back to cement his name in the annals of CEC history. He’s getting a bit long in the teeth, but is in great shape and will work his opponent around the ring if an easy knockout doesn’t show itself. Main Event Nicholas vs McGuire - #1 ranked 205 pounder in CEC and SynCity hall of famer, Harold Nicholas is still as good looking a man as the day he quit modelling. He won his opening CEC match at New Era against Fedor Shabanov, cutting him in the early seconds of their fight and eventually knocking him out a minute into the second round. Shabanov was dumped shortly thereafter. James McGuire is a different sort of an animal, deadly accurate and extremely powerful. He comes over from Synchronicity, winning his last two bouts via knockout and will hope his concrete fists carry him to the next level. MacNamara vs Tuft – New bantamweight champion, "The Gypsy Prince" Seamus MacNamara headlined CEC New Era and will do so again at CEC 697. MacNamara dominated the five-round title fight, winning on all cards despite being cut early. His ground defensive skills frustrated Neckbreaker all night long and he was never in any real trouble. It was an impressive win, one that made all contenders take notice. #1 contender Gunnar "Outlaw" Tuft won’t look to take to the ground, but that could be a bad thing. He backed out of his retirement talk and will look to bang MacNamara around with his world class boxing skills. Fast, smart, and tough, he works his opponents over and will knock anybody out once he finds the weakness … which he usually does.