TycoonHec

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Incredible @clydebankblitz! You never needed me to begin with haha. It is also very cool to see your own fighter previewed for a fight. great work Callum!

FREE AGENT UPDATE! MARCO SOSA to SYN!? In a post fight press conference we heard from @Icon73 share that the fighter known as Marco "Hurricane" Sosa, the Featherweight Champion of Hardcore FC is now a free agent and they are in talks of signing the 26 year old. Well, for those who are interested in this and the potential contender for the SYN BELT lets just get into who actually is Marco Sosa! A lot is speculated about the upbringing of the young Medellin fighter. Growing up around the cartels in Columbia certainly made him a bit aggressive and good with his hands. At some point the 26 year old decided that Columbia was not the place he wanted to reside any more and he made the transition to the city of Angels where he joined the Convicted Fight Club. A private gym with sixteen coaches and seventeen fighters. Combates Chris Steve and Synchronicities Kilo Maluga are well known names that also train there. Its safe to say, he has been on the Orgs watchlist for a while. @Rambo aka Chris Karter signed Marcello Sosa just over two years ago. Karter, widely recognized by many in the MMA world as one of the very best managers, continues to develop some of the very best fighters in the world. In signing the Colombian and bringing him out to the states, he has worked with this young guy in making him an absolute force and continue to make the very best choices for his fighter to succeed! The 5'7 Featherweight is known for his striking prowess often outscoring his opponents on the feet and sometimes putting them altogether out of the fight. Sosa holds a record of 18 victories, 2 defeats, and 1 draw. Out of those 18 victories ten of them are by knockout. The two defeats he holds are almost insignificant as one was in his second ever fight and the other was a vexed split decision against a guy he later avenged that loss to, twice. The draw he holds was also quite controversial but that too was later avenged by Sosa, twice as well. The ten time Hardcore Fighting Champion has recently become a free agent on the market and multiple orgs are looking to bring him into the fold. But there are two very interesting matchups that could happen in SYN that I would love to point out for our viewers the first is with Yodswan Sitsongrit and the second with Brayden Point. Considered to be pound for pound #25 in the world, the 8 time fight of the night winner will certainly make his presence felt to the entire roster if he indeed signs. The potential collision between Yodswan Sitsongrit has me feeling all sorts of excitement. Back in February, Yodswans younger brother and Bantamweight champion of HFC took on the rising star Marcello and was dominated in every round. From the clinch game to the range, Petchuanglek Sitsongrit was outpointed and left disappointed at the one sided contest. Rumors circulated that Yodswan desperately wanted to avenge his brother from the moment the fight was over. Hopefully making his entrance into Syn, we may very well see the guy who could finally dethrone one of the best to ever do it in Yodswan Sitsongrit or could we see the older brother avenge his younger brother and derail the hype behind Marcello?! A champion vs champion match that is to die for! @RegularJohn will be anxiously awaiting news to break on where Marcello goes! Another exciting matchup for Marcello would be against Brayden Point (24-3) close friend and training partner to Ed Ford the Lightweight champion of HFC. Shortly after his technical knockout loss to Marcello, his manager had let him go and had to find a new gym. Igor Peixoto picked up the young prodigy and brought him to train at Memento Mori where Ford and Point became the top two sparring partners for one another. From the sources I have, Point hopes to avenge the loss of his friend and with only three defeats to his name eighteen knockouts the 31 year old may prove to be too much for Marcello! However, should Marcello take on one of the best in the division and put him away a clear and terrifying statement will be made to the entire division across Synchronicity. @igorspb77 the manager of ED and Brayden will no doubt be watching this closely. Critics of Marcello claim he is too young and doesn't have the natural knockout power to really make it at this level. Opponents of the Marcello also believe that his submission game is quite weak and if he gets matched up with a guy of great grappling quality he will eventually lose. These same critics have also admitted that they feel Marcello will one day be a champion for Syn but now is not the time. Proponents of Sosa are reminding everyone that this young guy has knocked out ten of his opponents and avenged a loss and a draw that were on his record proving them to be flukes. They have repeated his relentless personal training with Pluto Palhares, one of the best to ever do it, in developing his ground game and is expected to soon become a Brown Belt under the legendary grappler. With fighters like getting to their mid thirties and approaching their forties, they believe it is time for new blood to take over the Featherweight division. There is a lot of reason to believe that should he come to SYN he will be a dangerous opponent for anyone he matches up with. And, there are multiple matchups that would undoubtedly prove to be far too exciting for fight fans to miss. Fighters like Do Ho Joy or Dick Caunt would prove to make another fight of the night with Marcello! Even Barbosa and Sari could allow us to see if Marcello is really up to the caliber of Synchronicity fighters. Regardless, @Rambo will have a lot to consider when he signs his fighter to a new org but hopefully he signs him to SYN!

SYNCHRONCITY 821 & 822 POST FIGHT INTERVIEW with Kishion Matthew! Q: Kishion, in an almost surprising victory, fight fans witnessed Krison defeat Crosby winning almost each round. What did you make of the matchup and what do you foresee in Krisons future? A: I thought it was a great contest and I thought Krison put on an amazing performance. Krison will be fighting the winner of Nti vs. Duranto. Q. Crosby already has another fight lined up in 19 days for the Middleweight title. Do you think he wants to stay at middleweight or eventually come down and grab that 17olbs strap once more? A: I'm not sure of Crosby's plans but u do know he is a competitor and he'll be looking to get his win back against Krison. Q. Girard vs Karpo was a highly anticipated matchup for the weekend. Surprisingly, we saw Girard get a most dominant victory. Is he next in line for a title shot or does he have to get another victory in his resume? A: Girard is in negotiations to fight Odchigin Khadan right now. The winner of Reilly vs. Mfer will be #1 contender and fight the winner of Latrobe vs Crosby Q. We saw the former Syn featherweight champion, put into unconscious mode when Barbosa threw his only combination of the night. Barbosa just took out the former champion and is now on a three fight win streak. When do we see him take on Sitsongrit? A: I think he will need a win or two before that happens. We have Wayne Williams waiting in the wings and he is top 20 and Pulse 135 champion so he is deserving of a shot. We are also in negotiations with a another potential contender. SYN 822 Q. Perhaps one of the fights that created a lot of frustration with fight fans was the split decision for the LHW title. What did you make of that fight and do you think the Judges had it correct? A: I think it was a great fight. I also think they made the correct call but I also think it was close enough that I can see an argument for why some fans thought Whymer won. Q. Whymer looked to be the more terrifying fighter of the two going into that matchup with a series of recent knockout victories. Were you at all surprised that "2 Champ" pulled it off? A: No, DeSilva is a absolute monster and i never expected less from him. Fans may have been sleeping on him but i think its time they finally woke up. Q. There are rumors circulating that there was a rematch clause and both fighters are scheduled to run it back in the near future. Is there any truth to this? A: Yes there was a rematch clause. The Rematch will take place on august 22nd. Winner shall fight the winner of Garuda vs. Po Q. Tantor vs Slayin was a total non stop action fight. From the knockdown to the cut. Did you think Slayin had it in him to knockout Papi? A: I didnt know what would happen in that fight but I was extremely impressed but Slayin's performance. Q. In his last 7 matches, Papi Tantor has suffered 4 defeats and 1 draw. Is the level of competition of Syn too much for the 27 year old at this point in his career? A: I personally feel 185 is a better fit for Papi than 205, i think a move back down would lead to more success. Q. Slayin is now on a three fight win streak knocking out his last two opponents. Rumor has it he is going to face Shabazz. Can you shed light on this one and if its true, why? A: No 0 truth to that. Shabazz is barley ranked top 1000 p4p while Slayin is a top 50 guy. No way we would ever make that fight. Q. A great back and forth between Experiment and McQuirre lead to one of the best matchups over the weekend. Going into the third, did you have the match even? A: Yes I did, it was a great and pretty even contest. By PRIDE scoring at that point I would have Harry as the winner though. Q. Were you surprised at all that Experiment suffered his second knockout loss in his career to McQuirre who has been on a wild on again off again streak as of late? A: No I'm not surprised at all, Harry is a one of the best 145ers in the world and can beat anybody on any night. Q. Finally, there are reports that you have signed some top talent to enter into the org. Are these reports true and if so, how soon could we potentially hear about this big signing? A: Yes was are negotiating with HFC 145 champion Marcello Sosa and we are hoping to bring him in to fight for the 145 championship Thank you

I hate QFC. I regularly lose those fights.

@skull I apologize. This is why it is so vital for me to proofread. This is what I intended to say. " Maro Pjetlic is long considered the best heavyweight on the Island by many ..." Allow me to defend my reasoning: The only loss Pjetlic has is to the one we know as Needle Dick who did knock him out in the second round. However, to be fair, Pjetlic did win the first round. So, one it should not be ignored that Dick did knock him out but it should be recognized that Dick lost the first round to Pjetlic, the only full round there was. Now that all shared, it is also vital to remember that 3 days before Dick won the title Maro had made his debut in what was nearly a perfect performance. He was on no ones radar when Dick became champion and was living in the limelight. But just one month after Dick lost the title is when Maro had taken it. Finally, this will sting for Needle Dick, seven days before Dick and Maro had fought, Maro went five rounds with Slabhead. So there was exhaustion and lack of preparation that could be blamed as to why he lost. Now that is his managers fault for accepting that fight and Dick was certainly the best man that night. Dick himself had to recover after being cut open, BUT, he had ten days and was not in a 25 minute fight, just a two minute fight. Out of the 5 opponents these two fighters share Pjetlic defeated all of them, 3 of them faster than Dick and 1 of them only seven seconds behind. It is also interesting for me that Pjetlic was the man who took the title from "Slabhead", Adriak Mihaylov who, prior to their first match, was riding a four fight first round win streak knocking out Titus Lesnar, the fighter who knocked Dick out to take the title. And more recently Maro took the title directly from the man who just knocked out Needle Dick I hope both guys win on the sixth because in my opinion there is no better heavyweight matchup in Highland, than these two guys getting back in the cage, with adequate time to prepare, to fight for the title. But of course, if we were to expand the dream fights throughout the Island... Then maybe look no further than Vunipola Veainu (9-1) @Alfred's own who has 8 first round knockouts to his name. 7 of which were under a minute.

Syn 822 Syn 822 is stacked like pancakes. Delicious mma goodness for fight fans to enjoy. Ladies and gentleman you will not want to miss this night of fights as it is sure to be an absolute war from fight to fight. Fighters looking to become considered for title shots and take the title are all out here. LETS GET INTO IT! Just Whymer vs "2 Champ" Antonio Maurice DeSilva Light Heavyweight Title Oh My Goodness! Is the main event of Syn 822 going to be wild. Just Whymer (33-11-4) defends his coveted Light Heavyweight title against none other than the 6'6 Monster that is "2 Champ" Antonio Maurice DeSilva (29-10) For months fight fans have been begging for this fight and finally it is here! Before his most recent match, Whymer was riding an 8 fight win streak knocking out five of those contenders to showcase why he is the most dangerous man on the planet. In welcoming DeSilva an opportunity to roll the dice on a title shot he knows that the chances of him knocking him out are slim and that this fight will most likely go the distance. Striking accuracy is going to be the story of this fight and undoubtedly both men are talented in that area. DeSilva has gone the distance with some top level competition and looks to continue that showcasing why he is literally a monster in the Light heavyweight division when he outpoints the champion. Fight fans are going not only going to be on the edge of their seat but they will be with eyes wide open the entire time gawking at the incredible war that will be taking place. Prediction: DeSilva shocks the world and becomes the new champion! Rhymin "N" Slayin vs Papi Tantor Light Heavyweight Match Rhymin "N" Slayin (23-15-1) is planning on extending his win streak to 3 when he battles Papi Tantor (16-3-1) this weekend in a fight that is being dubbed as FOTY potential! Tantor who has gotten on the winning side of things after his stumbling a bit has been seen more motivated than ever before. There have been no pictures of him partying and his social media absence has been widely noticed. Once considered the next big thing, Tantor had faced some competition that were quite relentless. Now he battles Slayin who is undoubtedly a true test of skill and grit. Slayin is primarily known as a knockout star who has stopped 19 of his opponents in viscous fashion, that is to say he has knocked out almost as many guys as Papi has fought. Tantor knows the chances of him scoring a knocokout are going to be minimal while at the same time does not want to fall victim to what he has recently experienced. The former Champion of Syn believes that is his destiny to reclimb the ladder and become widely recognized by the world once again as the best Light Heavyweight in the world. This fight has all the makings of a slug fest and I think fight fans may not wish to blink because with a fighter like Slayin it could be over in seconds. Prediction: Tantor out maneuvers and scores on Slayin getting a unanimous decision victory. Finnish Experiment II vs "Goose" Harry McQuirre Featherweight Match A personal favorite fighter of Syn for me is Finnish Experiment II (28-17) a fighter who by all accounts is a fighters fighter. With more than half of his victories coming by way of knockout this guy knows how to finish a fight and in stunning fashion to say the least. His opponent in "Goose: Harry McQuirre (25-9) is not only going to be a test but probably one of the toughest tests of his entire career. Goose has only suffered 9 defeats but is also known as a knockout artist. He plans on putting his opponent away and away early proving him to be too old to be competing at this level. This undoubtedly my personal fight of the weekend and could very well be the knockout of the night. Fight fans will be seeing a wide display of skill from start to finish and hopefully fight fans will certainly be in awe of the masterclass that will be showcased. Recent reports out of Experiments gym are that he has been bulking up quite a bit to stop the dangerous McQuirre, and considering that McQuirre just suffered his last fight by knockout it would not be a surprise to see that from a knockout artist like Finnish! Prediction: Goose gets the job done in two.

SYN 821 Preview Synchronicity 821 sees one of the greatest fighters on the planet in Dany Crosby look to unify the title against the PFC champion Krison! This match is going to be fireworks! We see top contenders duel it out for their chance at becoming the next in line for a title shot and guys who are trying to get back on the winning side of things. SYNCHRONICITY 821... LETS GET INTO IT! Crosby vs Krison Welterweight Title Dany Crosby (29-16-1) the two title holder for Syn defends the welterweight title against the incoming PFC welterweight champion, Herb Krison "The Bison" (36-19-1) in a match that is sure to be watched all over the world with eyes wide open. The two champions are known for their elite level talent all over the mat and have undoubtedly surpassed expectations of even themselves being considered the top two welterweights in the world. Crosby is riding a 9 fight winning streak and is looking to improve that when unifies the belt against Krison. Despite the confidence that Crosby's supporters have, there were some serious moments of weakness in his last outing that made some question if the Champion still has that fire. Welcoming in "The Bison" may be something where Dany is almost overlooking his opponent considering him of lesser competition but Krison is a martial artist with more grit than many others we have seen. Krison who is on a five fight win streak himself sees that this is an opportunity to prove to the world that he has always been the best just wasn't recognized as that. Since the Synchronicity acquisition of Pulse we have seen many champions move on over and this is certainly one of the biggest competitions to date. Prediction: Crosby defends the title and stops Krison in the second via tko. Gaultier "Le Commandant" Girard vs "Toimittaja" Hannu Karpo Middleweight Match One of the best middleweights around in Gaultier "Le Commandant" Girard (31-8) Makes his return to the octagon when he takes on "Toimittaja" Hannu Karpo (17-9-1). Mainly known for his knockout abilities this man has, Le Commandant has stopped twenty two of his opponents in violent fashion and believes that Hannu will undoubtedly suffer his first knockout when they square off. Le Commandant is coming off one of the most difficult losses of his career when he fought for the middleweight title but came up just short against Dany Crosby. His teammates have shared with me they have seen a more motivated Girard than before and that Karpo. Karpo who is considerably less experienced than his opponent, is confident that his grappling game will prove to be the reason his hand is raised at the end. Noting that Karpo has not been finished in his career as stated earlier, he certainly has all the skills to go on and defeat Girard and eventually get a shot at the coveted middleweight title. Karpo, five years younger than Girard, is slightly smaller in stature so expectations of him fighting at closer range being more assertive and limiting the reach of Girard have surfaced amongst fans. Whatever happens we can almost guarantee that this match will be having fight fans on the edge of their seat. Prediction: Girard has too much experience and skill and will prove to be too much for his opponent taking the victory by decision. Max Captain Chaos vs Ri Zaadha Welterweight Match One of the more interesting fights on this card for me is none other than Max "Captain" Chaos (24-11) vs Ri Zaadha (29-18-1)! Chaos is regularly known by his competition as being a dangerous and game opponent, someone who is regularly at the top of the mix. Zaadha has had several managers over the years and has found success with his new one and believes that he can keep his win streak alive and provide for fight fans a shocking upset. Chaos who has only been stopped by knockout three times before in his career considers Zaadha to have enough power to knockout an ordinary fighter but will find little to no success in trying to do so against him. Zaadha on the other hand is one of those fighters who regularly looks to go out on his shield and after causing quite the disturbance in the welterweight division is starting to see a potential rise in stock for himself, and should he beat Zaadha he will truly put himself on the mat. I think this match up will end up becoming the fight of the night for everyone and fully expect these two guys to put on a showcase of what MMA is really all about! Prediction: Max Chaos is sure to get the job done!

HIGHLAND 85 August 6th 2021 Preview A night of champions sees Highland have four title fights for their fans with some very interesting matchups. Fight fans can expect a lot of action as The Welterweight, Heavyweight, Bantamweight, and Middleweight titles are all up for grabs! To kick off the card, top contender Murtaz Vatsadze makes his return against Biscuit Oliva in what should see either an all out slugfest or a knockout of the night. Fight fans, lets get into it! "Revolver Ocelot" Adam Shalashaska vs Vanna "My Mat" Phommathep Welterweight Title Fight Newly crowned welterweight champion, Adam Shalashaka (12-1) looks to make his very first title defense against a fellow submission superstar in Vanna Phommathep (7-3). Immediately what is important for fight fans to know is that this is a rematch, so with that in mind it is important to know that these two grappling gorillas know each other well. They went a full five rounds against each other in a match that was mostly performed in the clinch, all three judges saw Shalashaska win each round giving him a 50:45. Now being that these two guys have had quite the time since their previous matchup, I can not imagine that the fight will go the same way. Within the clinch, we witnessed Vanna attempted a few takedowns but was never able to once get one. Fight fans will hope to see this prove who the better ground game fighter really is but there is a strong possibility this fight never ends up on the ground. Both men have indeed submitted purple belts and below so we know they are quite skilled to roll against each other but submitting a fellow brown belt may be out of the question. So personally, I dont think Phommathep is comfortable on the feet at all where as Revolver Ocelot will be comfortable wherever this fight takes him. I believe he will prefer to stay up and dominate this fight via striking. Prediction: Adam Shalashaska via TKO Marko Kerr vs Maro "roar" Pjetlic Heavyweight Title Match The Heavyweight Champion of the world, Maro "roar" Pjetlic (9-1-1) looks to defend his title against the first round finisher, Marko Kerr (6-3). These two heavyweights hold a combined 14 knockouts to their name. When the world watches these two monsters everyone will be on their feet as we all know, one of these two guys will be getting knocked out. Both men have the strongest desire to strike whether on the ground or standing up with their opponent so it will be fireworks from start to finish. Maro Pjetlic is long considered the best heavyweight on the Island with a record that proves he is certainly going to end up a Highland HOF. Pjetlic who has knocked out 8 of his opponents knows a thing or two about landing shots with precision as he barely misses a single shot he throws. Kerr will have the toughest test in front of him and honestly one that may prove to be too much. Although Kerr is riding a three fight win streak, two of those wins were stopped by a doctor for his opponent being cut open. I believe Pjetlic will know Kerr will want that takedown but given his high ability of stuffing takedowns I am not sure if Kerr should be so aggressive as much as he should set up a counter takedown off of a strike from Pjetlic. Whatever the case, I believe that Pjetlic will look to keep this fight standing and if Kerr is properly trained for that he may surprise a lot of spectators. Prediction: Pjetlic with a one punch knockout. Keke Kivi vs Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa Heavyweight Title Match The most anticipated fight for me on this card is for the Middleweight championship of the world. Keke Kivi (9-1) defends his strap against the formidable Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa (7-1)! In this beauty of a matchup we are witnessing a rematch that fight fans have been begging for since the first time these two met. Keke Kivi, a dominant striker and knockout artist met his first and only defeat at the hands of the "Hulk" who caught him in a wild kimura. Barbosa had been cut twice within 90 seconds of the first round and the referee was growing nervy as to whether or not he should be stepping in. Finally a counter takedown lands for Barbosa and with ease transitions until he locked in that arm wrenching lock. Despite cutting Barbosa open so quickly, the aggressive Kivi was throwing bombs and was not so accurate missing 70% of his punches against Barbosa. Fight fans will have to wonder if we will see a more precise Kivi a less aggressive Kivi or will the game plan remain the same? Barbosa may be completely waiting to counter any and all strikes with a takedown but knowing he has some level of striking defense we may see him be more assertive and shoot in for those takedowns from the get go. It is such an interesting match up and at this level, anything is bound to happen. Prediction: I think we see Kivi stop Barbosa! I think we see Kivi catch him with a shot as Barbosa fails a takedown and rushes in to tko him. Kazuo Takashi vs Harry "Bigfoot" Henderson Bantamweight Title Match Kazuo Takashi (12-0) has wiped the division clean, not just in Highland but in IXF as well. Taking the titles from champions and defending them, he literally is one of the greatest to do it, and in some peoples opinion, he is the greatest to do it. With 8 first round finishes by submission, he is one of the most dangerous grapplers to date. In just a few days, Harry "Bigfoot" Henderson (5-3) looks to dismantle the giant name that is known as Takashi and take the title from the undefeated champion. Henderson, who is riding a two fight winning streak has been more aggressive in his fights since switching over to his new manager. Fight fans are a little unsure what Bigfoot could do that is different in this match up than what other opponents have done in the past. I think we will see Bigfoot look to get on top and focus almost entirely on control and countering Takashi. I think we see him rarely go for a submission and instead try to employ a few punches and try to just get a decision victory, and honestly if he does that against arguably the best fighter in Highland, who can blame him? Now, Kazuo Takashi may not be that easy of an opponent to do that with. I have heard rumors from his gym mates that we see Kazuo, for really what would be the first time in his career, work his striking game a little before eventually pulling guard and throwing submissions. Prediction: Takashi 1st round submission. Murtaz Vatsadze vs "Unchained" Biscuit Olivia Light Heavyweight Match Murtaz Vatsadze (9-3) is one of the most remarkable fighters in all of Highland. His only three losses come by way of the champion, but outside of that Murtaz could be considered undefeated. In his fight against "Unchained" Biscuit Olivia (6-3) we will be seeing two power punchers collide in what could very well be a knockout in the first round. Despite Biscuit Olivia having two tko losses on his career he has never actually been knocked out or stopped by the referee, infact, both of those losses were due to a cut. On the other hand, Murtaz has been tko'd three times by the champion. This fight has the potential to end within the very first minute or go the entire distance and be an absolute slug fest. I imagine what we will see as fight fans is an all out brawl between two great light heavyweights that end up being one of the better fights of the night. Prediction: Murtaz scores a stunning knockout early.

Gosuke Del Valle vs Noel Diaz $50,000 is up for grabs for fans who come the closest to predicting the result of this Sundays Matchup! Be the closest manager to predict: Who wins, When they Win, How they Win, and Time they win and you can win $50,000. This post will be posted in both the Highland and Island Forum. To enter, put your prediction under the post in one of the two companies smack talk thread. Message TycoonHec for any questions. Disclaimer: IXF & Highland did not ask me to write this article or create a contest. I am doing this on my own free will. Two of the absolute best mixed martial artists on the Island this season come to a head on collision as Highlands own Noel Diaz (11-0) takes on the undisputed lightweight champion of Island Xtreme Fighting, Gosuke Del Valle (9-1). These two top ten pound for pound fighters on the Island are putting their organization and their own reputation on the line when they collide this weekend August first. Hosted by IXF at the Hard Knocks, over 3,000 people are expected to be in attendance for this clash of submission sensations. My name is TycoonHec. I have been around this game a long time and have made a recent return to it. I have always been known as a writer and upon my return have worked for Highland, Catchweight Wrestling, and Synchronicity. Now that you know who I am, lets get into this fight preview! To really get into this match up let's do a little dive into each fighter. Gosuke, the IXF lightweight champion, is on a winning streak of 3 fights against some very tough opponents submitting each of them via kimura. Altogether, Gosuke’s last six fights have all been title matchups so this guy certainly understands the hype that comes with big fights. With all but two of his victories coming by submission in the first round, the purple belt in Gosuke is one of the most dangerous grapplers we have seen on the Island. Noel Diaz is synonymous with the acronym GOAT. Highlands own has won not only the 135lbs and 145lbs titles but he has also gone on to claim the 155lbs title as well. With a high preference for choking out his opponents, Diaz strongly prefers to lock them up via Guillotine or Triangle but has settled for snatching an arm before as well. Diaz shocked the world in his latest matchup with a majority of spectators believing that his matchup with Ed Green would turn into a grappling fest, he put Ed Green out cold with a stunning knockout proving that it's not just his ground game you have to watch out for. In this matchup we see two of the best in the game today step inside a locked cage. Very real threats to one another the matchup should not shock us if it goes the distance due to how resilient and talented these two individuals are. Fight fans can expect Del Valle will look to shoot in for a takedown from the moment the bell will ring and improve his position to the point where he can gain side control. Now, multiple times his opponents had great defensive grappling and stopped him from transitioning so from half guard he has locked in submissions, being on his back he postured up and took out an opponent via guillotine, and twice he swung around an opponent and took their back. This guy is aggressively active whether he is on his back or on top and plunges all of his energy into submitting his opponents, and this is why he has walked away safely with so many first round finishes. Noel Diaz is quite different from any opponent Gosuke has ever faced. The brown belt out of Stockton has started his career with a shocking 35 second armbar victory. Where Gosuke looks to shoot in for takedowns, Diaz aims to clinch and pull guard without any sort of hesitancy. Diaz has won almost each of his fights off of his back via submission so facing a dangerous threat is really nothing new. Diaz has submitted not only one purple belt but three brown belts, has two more fights than Gosuke, and has faced arguably a higher level of competition so his confidence going into this fight is at an all time high. I connected with a few fans on the Island who favored one fighter over the other to get their take. “Diaz has never faced anyone with this kind of pace. He will be smothered and submitted by the second!” The nice level of alliteration there made my skin tingle. Another fan had retorted, “Gosuke only fought white belts and blue belts, never even faced a purple or higher, imagine what it's like when he faces someone like Diaz! '' Despite that also being a fair critique, that does not discount the possibility of Gosuke submitting Diaz. The two camps have been longtime rivals, and both seem very sure that their fighter will be the one to walk away with the win. Reports are that Diaz has been focusing on his boxing on Mondays and rolling with his teammates twice a week. With only one grappling coach in Castillo, we caught up with him and he shared with us that he had never seen anything like Diaz and fully expects Diaz to submit Gosuke. Vernon Collier, a coach at Island Gym, laughed in my face when he had heard what Island Projects coaches predicted and told me, “Diaz has never faced an opponent as talented as Gosuke. You watch, he will cry and so will his fans. His arm will be snapped by kimura.” Island fans, the rivalry between these two gyms is very real, at least in my mind. The fight goes down this Sunday, August 1st. This is a matchup you will not want to miss. Put it on your PBP now and make your predictions to win $50,000. Good luck to both managers, gym owners, Org owners, and of course to both fighters who are the ones putting everything on the line!

Gosuke Del Valle vs Noel Diaz $50,000 is up for grabs for fans who come the closest to predicting the result of this Sundays Matchup! Be the closest manager to predict: Who wins, When they Win, How they Win, and Time they win and you can win $50,000. This post will be posted in both the Highland and Island Forum. To enter, put your prediction under the post in one of the two companies smack talk thread. Message TycoonHec for any questions. Disclaimer: IXF & Highland did not ask me to write this article or create a contest. I am doing this on my own free will. Two of the absolute best mixed martial artists on the Island this season come to a head on collision as Highlands own Noel Diaz (11-0) takes on the undisputed lightweight champion of Island Xtreme Fighting, Gosuke Del Valle (9-1). These two top ten pound for pound fighters on the Island are putting their organization and their own reputation on the line when they collide this weekend August first. Hosted by IXF at the Hard Knocks, over 3,000 people are expected to be in attendance for this clash of submission sensations. My name is TycoonHec. I have been around this game a long time and have made a recent return to it. I have always been known as a writer and upon my return have worked for Highland, Catchweight Wrestling, and Synchronicity. Now that you know who I am, lets get into this fight preview! To really get into this match up let's do a little dive into each fighter. Gosuke, the IXF lightweight champion, is on a winning streak of 3 fights against some very tough opponents submitting each of them via kimura. Altogether, Gosuke’s last six fights have all been title matchups so this guy certainly understands the hype that comes with big fights. With all but two of his victories coming by submission in the first round, the purple belt in Gosuke is one of the most dangerous grapplers we have seen on the Island. Noel Diaz is synonymous with the acronym GOAT. Highlands own has won not only the 135lbs and 145lbs titles but he has also gone on to claim the 155lbs title as well. With a high preference for choking out his opponents, Diaz strongly prefers to lock them up via Guillotine or Triangle but has settled for snatching an arm before as well. Diaz shocked the world in his latest matchup with a majority of spectators believing that his matchup with Ed Green would turn into a grappling fest, he put Ed Green out cold with a stunning knockout proving that it's not just his ground game you have to watch out for. In this matchup we see two of the best in the game today step inside a locked cage. Very real threats to one another the matchup should not shock us if it goes the distance due to how resilient and talented these two individuals are. Fight fans can expect Del Valle will look to shoot in for a takedown from the moment the bell will ring and improve his position to the point where he can gain side control. Now, multiple times his opponents had great defensive grappling and stopped him from transitioning so from half guard he has locked in submissions, being on his back he postured up and took out an opponent via guillotine, and twice he swung around an opponent and took their back. This guy is aggressively active whether he is on his back or on top and plunges all of his energy into submitting his opponents, and this is why he has walked away safely with so many first round finishes. Noel Diaz is quite different from any opponent Gosuke has ever faced. The brown belt out of Stockton has started his career with a shocking 35 second armbar victory. Where Gosuke looks to shoot in for takedowns, Diaz aims to clinch and pull guard without any sort of hesitancy. Diaz has won almost each of his fights off of his back via submission so facing a dangerous threat is really nothing new. Diaz has submitted not only one purple belt but three brown belts, has two more fights than Gosuke, and has faced arguably a higher level of competition so his confidence going into this fight is at an all time high. I connected with a few fans on the Island who favored one fighter over the other to get their take. “Diaz has never faced anyone with this kind of pace. He will be smothered and submitted by the second!” The nice level of alliteration there made my skin tingle. Another fan had retorted, “Gosuke only fought white belts and blue belts, never even faced a purple or higher, imagine what it's like when he faces someone like Diaz! '' Despite that also being a fair critique, that does not discount the possibility of Gosuke submitting Diaz. The two camps have been longtime rivals, and both seem very sure that their fighter will be the one to walk away with the win. Reports are that Diaz has been focusing on his boxing on Mondays and rolling with his teammates twice a week. With only one grappling coach in Castillo, we caught up with him and he shared with us that he had never seen anything like Diaz and fully expects Diaz to submit Gosuke. Vernon Collier, a coach at Island Gym, laughed in my face when he had heard what Island Projects coaches predicted and told me, “Diaz has never faced an opponent as talented as Gosuke. You watch, he will cry and so will his fans. His arm will be snapped by kimura.” Island fans, the rivalry between these two gyms is very real, at least in my mind. The fight goes down this Sunday, August 1st. This is a matchup you will not want to miss. Put it on your PBP now and make your predictions to win $50,000. Good luck to both managers, gym owners, Org owners, and of course to both fighters who are the ones putting everything on the line!

SYNCHRONCITY 817 Review Q. Abdel Mumu 3.0 proved that he is a dangerous champion throwing well over 100 strikes against his opponent. What did you make of his performance last night, and what could we expect be next for MUMU 3.0? Kishion: I was extremely impressed but honestly I expected nothing less. Mumu is a legend, he just made history becoming the first Lightweight to win AND defend the SYN Lightweight championship 3 seperate times. I talked his manager into one more SYN run and it has turned ito something magical. We are hoping to get a fight working out with Artturi Reinikainen but we are still trying to workout contract details. Q. Sitsongrit proved once again why he is one of the very best to ever do it. Word is he just agreed to a bout against the Pulse Fighting Championship Do Ho Joy, how do you think this fight plays out? Kishion: Well Sit and I go way back, he was a champion for me back when I ran Smash/ALPHA-1 and honestly i always knew he had this in him, I this this run hes on right now could go down as one of the best ever if hes able to take out a legend like Joy. Its a pickem fight thats for sure. Q. Yardbird Knox and Paw Paw Udomprecha both scored an insane knockout against their opponent. Which knockout surprised you more? Kishion: neither, both are beasts q. Tapani Kansalainen executed a sickening armbar. I think many people believed he was looking to break his opponents arm. Submitting a fellow brown belt did you foresee that as a possibility of how this fight would end? Kishion: 100% this was a sub of get subbed contest from the moment it was booked. Q. Tokyo has another fight card coming up this weekend. Do you think the attendance will be greater or less than this past weekend? Kishion: More or the same, its basically a sellout every week, any no shows are just resellers who got stuck holding the bag. SYNCHRONCITY 818 Review Q. Undoubtedly the closest fight of the weekend and probably people are still debating it like Sandhangen and Dillishaw, who did you see winning between Crosby and Monkey? Kishion: I felt Crosby did enough to win but i think they are both amazing warriors and i wouldn't be mad if one day in the future we saw them fight again. Q. Jack Bonds scored the fight 46 to 49 while the others had it 48 to 47. What do you think of Bonds scoring and where does this put Demon Monkey at? Kishion: I think to see the fight 49-46 either way is poor judging. As for Monkey he is in the final run of his career, this may have been his last shot at gold. Q. In just 35 seconds, Brutus knocked out Crotch in a violent way. He is currently riding a two fight knockout winning streak, with his experience and position in the top ten, do we see him get matched up with someone like Sparxx next? Kishion: i would need to discuss with his management on what his future is. Q. Anton and Manhandler fought to a draw. It appeared that neither fighter really went for the win as much as they fought to survive. Do you agree with that or do you think their game plan was just unable to be executed effectively? Kishion: I think Manhandler clearly won. Disappointed in the judging. Q. Our co main saw Reilly and Bronson. This was one of my favorite fights of the weekend and scored a 80% rating by those who judge the action. Do you think this a fight we see run back in the future? Kishion: no very unlikely, Brunson is moving up to 205 and also I like to keep matchups fresh. All right guys thank you for your questions and I look forward to see you at the next presser.

Catchweight Wrestling Championship Grand Prix NORTH AMERICAN BRACKET Ladies and Gentleman, the CWC Grand Prix will finally end up in North America where 8 more competitors will look to best their opponents and become the next CWC Grand Prix champion. New York City is host to this awesome event and we can expect there to be over five thousand to be in attendance in this jaw dropping event. Lets get into it! 1. Antonio "Glimmer" Brown The proud American, Antonio Brown (21-17) is the bantamweight champion of CWC and a red belt in BJJ. Brown is entering the tournament being considered by many the favorite in the American bracket and expected to go quite the distance. Brown who has competed in TWGC before went to the finals in the 32nd TWGC and was just shy of coming home with the gold. Now, hellbent on victory, Brown has made it his mission to defeat any opponent who gets in his way and chances are, he will end up doing it by submission. 2. Steel Grappler A late addition to the tournament, Steel Grappler (17-11) is a former TWGC champion and a red belt in BJJ. Perhaps one of the more fearsome grapplers in all of the tournament Steel Grappler foresees himself putting his competition away with aggression unmatched. Grappler who trains at Area 51 allowed me to come in and watch him prepare for this upcoming tournament on late notice and after connecting with his coaches, I do believe he will be one of the finalists in the N. American bracket if not the winner of it all. 3. Able Archer Sometimes a lightweight. Sometimes a Featherweight. Sometimes a Bantamweight. Able "83" Archer (20-10) has no problem mixing it up and bouncing around the weight classes to get matchups against different levels of competition. With a winning record and his eyes set on the title, Able Archer is expected by many to give grappling fans their monies worth. With all likelihood of seeking out submissions, Archer is by all accounts a seek and destroy type of grappler, a type the Gracie family would love. 4. Moldy Jello Perhaps one of the most notorious names on the tournament roster is none other than Moldy Jello (13-16). Jello was a former champion in CWC but lost his title in scary fashion to Dido back in March. Since then, Moldy Jello has been on an on again off again record. Since his transition with his new manager Dean Sutherland, Moldy Jello has a record of (7-3). Perhaps the new Jello is not fully known by his competition but certainly by the end of this tournament, Dean Sutherland expects the whole world to recognize the Moldy one. 5. Reijo Halli Despite his smaller size in weight, Reijo Halli is (7-3) has become a new craze in the grappling world after dethroning the former champion and laying claim to the Featherweight title. Halli switched managers and is now under Judo Beau has seen massive success with a (6-1) record together. Reijo expects to be considered an underdog against some of his opponents but in all actuality has a very real possibility of taking the tournament by storm and becoming the Grand Prix champion. 6. Cajun Puto "The GO A T" Cajun Puto (22-17) is a very experienced grappler completely elite in every department of grappling. His switch over to his new manager Paul Priest has seen him gaining momentum as a real contender in the grappling rankings. Puto is one of those guys fans love as he comes to kill or be killed, and with that mentality not many can keep up with him. Puto has a lot of talent on his side and so the 32 year old is expected to be putting on some spectacular submission finishes! 7. Harry Hirsch Although not being on his best of form lately, Harry Hirsch (17-12) believes he has it in him to not only win the North American Bracket but beat the remaining competitors after he does so eventually winning the Grand Prix title. The grappler based out of New York will be looking forward to performing in front of his hometown and hopes that many of his supporters will be there cheering him on. The black belt in BJJ is considered to be our seventh in the North American bracket so hopefully for his sake, he puts on some victories that amaze us all! 8. Bart Cubbedge Bart Cubbedge (7-7) has been dubbed "Smart" for a reason. Although losing his last five grappling matches, we dont know that reason. Bart was once a title holder of CWC and looks forward to one day reclaiming that title but desires to take on the Grand Prix and win the tournament showcasing his talented grappling skills once more. With a high tendency of going for submissions, fight fans will hope to see the smart one actively looking to finish his opponents but that may not always be we cant blame him if he looks to play it safe and go for points. One of our biggest underdogs, I will be personally rooting for Bart the whole way hoping he surprises the lot of us.

Catchweight Wrestling Championship Grand Prix EUROPEAN BRACKET Ladies and Gentleman, the CWC Grand Prix eventually finds its way into the great city of London where the best European grapplers will continue the competition in eliminating each other in the Open weight Grand Prix. If you have not yet taken a moment to look into it, check out our other two fighter previews above. For now, lets get take a look at our European competitors! 1. Shane MacGowan Perhaps one of the most dangerous grapplers in the entire competition is none other than "The Pogue" Shane MacGowan! (31-5) he literally has 31 victories to his name and only five defeats! The talented superstar grappler MacGowan has beaten some of the very best names in the sport of Grappling and now looks to assert himself at the Grand Prix that begins this weekend. Shane, who holds both a TWGC belt and the Middleweight title for CWC is expected to pile on win after win like a kid stacks oreos. MacGowan is our favorite to win the European bracket and certainly a real threat to anyone who matches up with him. 2. Rico "Red Hot" Cole Rico Cole (9-3) is a CWC champion and talented grappler by all accounts. The sensational wrestler and Black belt in BJJ is on a five fight grappling win streak removing some of the toughest competition at the lightweight weight class. Red Hot, is not the most experienced grappler but is certainly a well rounded grappler that has proven to be too much for top level competition in the past. As he enters the European bracket, Rico will be matched up against some very tough and dangerous opponents and the popular grappler will certainly gain a lot of new fans should he come out with the new belt around his waist. 3. Matevy "The Gymnast" Pavlov Perhaps one of the more experienced competitors in the tournament is none other than Matevy "The Gymnast" Pavlov (47-24). Pavlov, who by all accounts is a living legend in the grappling world has entered this tournament at just 36 years old feeling both in his prime and ready to shock the world in stunning fashion. After bowing out of the TWGC tournament a while back, Pavlov has been focused more than ever in the gym and his teammates are confident that their man gets it done and brings home the Gold no matter who the Russian takes on. 4. Tyrone Lugz Sparxx Former CWC Grand Prix champion Tyrone Lugz Sparxx (34-26) looks to become a two time Grand Prix Champion. Tyrone, who trains out of Los Angeles has entered into the European bracket and believes that his all around elite level of grappling will prove to be the reason why he takes home the gold once more. Tyrone is certainly expected to go far in this competition by many grappling fans and personally, he is one of my favorites to get to the final four of this entire competition. 5. David Allan Coe Perhaps one of the most intimidating grapplers in all of Catchweight is the American outlaw, David Allan Coe (21-15). Recently coming off a loss to the legendary Dragan Hozdic, Coe is hoping that he will be able to smash his competition. The red belt BJJ fighter and Elite wrestler is considered to be a viable threat to anyone on the mat and is for many, the favorite to win this entire tournament. His first match in the tournament is against Sparxx, who he has already beaten so a level of confidence he has coming into this tournament is almost unmatched. 6. Dido Vicini Dido Vicini (49-25) is the definition of dangerous. Former CWC title holder and a TWGC finalist, Vicini has been around the grappling world a long time. As a light heavyweight competitor Dido is undoubtedly going to be more stronger than many of his opponents able to control them and outmaneuver a great deal of many of them. Vicini's coaches have claimed that they believe their black belt warrior will have no trouble advancing past the European bracket and on to the second round of the tournament. Pope Francis has personally reached out to Dido Vicini telling the Vatican born grappler to win it for their church and prayers will never cease for him. 7. Marc Read Marc Read (7-2) is a thirty year old grappler who regularly outworks his opponents to get the decisive victory he needs to be victorious. With one submission victory on his record against a fellow Black Belt, it is safe to say that Read is not someone you want to take lightly. Read lost his last matchup against Joey Simone in a matchup that saw Read winning a majority of that match, now looking to get back on the winning side of things, he has entered a tournament where many believe him to be a dark horse in the competition capable of going the distance. 8. Rap Tori Rap Tori (8-4) is most certainly a crowd pleasing mad man on the mats. Having lost to Shane MacGowan in the TWGC finals in what was a very close match (5-4 on points), Tori looks to exact revenge by providing grappling enthusiasts with a stunning stoppage by submitting one of the leading favorites. Not many are giving Tori the light of day but looking on his previous match and how his record has gone in the past, I think it is safe to say that no one should sleep on Tori or they may be put to sleep.

Catchweight Wrestling Championship Grand Prix SOUTH AMERICAN BRACKET Ladies and Gentleman, the CWC Grand Prix continues in the city of the Gigantic statue of Christ, Rio De Janiro! Rio will be hosting some ridiculous matchups featuring 8 grapplers at the peak of their game. In this CWC:GP we will cover each of the grapplers competing and provide a snippet of a preview for their upcoming match. I am stoked to be continuing this process with all of you. Lets get into it! 1. Dragan Hozdic 26-4...Legitimately my favorite grappler in all the land. If my previews or reviews feature him in it, you can almost guarantee I am considering him the winner. This guy is the definition of grappler. A champion for CWC for about 15 fights, this guy is been the best for a very long time. Dragan Hozdic, originally from Serbia, was training out in Las Vegas up until a month ago where he and his camp moved to Rio to live a life more geared towards the Jiu Jitsu culture. Some considered the move to have played a part in his loss from the TWGC while others have seen him become more aggressive in his matchups. Dragan who is a 38 year old Red Belt knows what it means to get the job done and does so against the very best on a regular basis. He is my prediction to win this entire event or at least make it to the final four. 2. Prana Halo Prana Halo who originally had an opponent for the tournament, is now waiting to see who steps up to the plate. We will come back and edit this when he has one but the idea that this guy is willing to take on anyone is incredible! Prana Halo is the Light Heavyweight champion of CWC and has both Elite wrestling and a red belt in BJJ. This guy is fearsome by every definition and could be the person who takes the entire tournament by storm. Halo, who has fought some of the very best, will be much heavier than many of his opponents and more skilled than most. Due to his current win streak fight fans can almost 100 percent certain that he will look for submissions regularly in his matchups. 3. Jay Simon Jay "Dog" Simon (1-1), the former champion of Stoners Fight League, is now looking to immerse himself in the Grappling competition of the century. Simon, who is a lightweight in his fighting game, may be too small for some of his competition. Simon, who is by all accounts a dangerous fighter may be looking to showcase his submission skills against some of the top grappler in the game. Despite his low amount of engagement in grappling competitions he has scored 14 submission victories in his mixed martial arts matchups and fully expects to land some before this competition is all over. 4. Paul Hunt A former TWGC champion Paul Hunt is excited about getting his name in the competition. Paul Smile Hunt (23-15) Is one of those guys who will be active and aggressive in every area of this match. His five fight win streak is getting him the confidence he needs to put away the opponents who stand in his way. Hunt, who is now 43 years of age, has shown no signs of slowing down or getting rusty in competition, honestly he has been looking better than ever. The Black Belt in BJJ relies on the submission game he has to choke opponents or put their arms in dastardly locks and end the fight. No doubt, Paul is going to be a huge favorite in this competition. 5. Raul Gracie Raul Gracie (11-8), a red belt in jiu jitsu believes that he has what it takes to win this tournament and put away all opponents who stand in his way. Gracie who has not had much success in his grappling competition as of late has grown to be a bit frustrated and hopes that this tournament will put him on the track to success once again. many grappling enthusiasts believe his last three losses were mostly due to him losing the desire to compete. It certainly appears that he has regained that fire and will probably look to make the Gracie name proud once again. 6. David Morrison David Morrison (42-23) is undoubtedly going to be one of the major fan favorites to win not only the south American bracket but the entire competition. Morrison, who is a former TWGC world champion, believes that not only his experience but his expertise will be be such a vital factor in each of his matchups that he is barely concerned about being a smaller grappler in the overall competition. Former CWC champion hopes that this will be his time to shine and get the recognition he fully deserves. 7. Hidden Challenger. 8. Ernesto Llosa Competing in his third ever grappling match, the Peruvian Black Belt Ernesto Llosa (1-1) was matched up against the number one grappler in the world in Dragan Hozdic. This matchup is a lot for Llosa but should the Black Belt from Peru pull it off, it will be one people wont stop talking about for a long time. Ernesto was a former Mixed Martial Arts fighter who competed in Smash, even fighting for the title before making the full transition over to BJJ fighter. Ernesto has some of the most elite level of wrestling in the competition and at only 31 years of age may prove to be very quick for his competition.

Catchweight Wrestling Championship Grand Prix AUSTRAILIA BRACKET Ladies and Gentleman, the CWC Grand Prix begins all the way from the land down under, Australia. Sydney will be hosting the very beginning of this insane tournament featuring 8 grapplers at the highest level of skill. In this CWC:GP we will cover each of the grapplers competing and provide a snippet of a preview for their upcoming match. I am so excited to be beginning this process with you all lets dive in to the very beginnings of the Grand Prix. 1. Claudio Ty Largely considered by many to be a leading favorite in this tournament is #3 P4P grappler, Claudio Ty (27-6). He is the former CACC champion and an absolute legend in the grappling realm. The former Bronze Medalist believes that he has what it takes to go the distance and defeat the competitors who get in his way. Managed by one of the best in Arcalimon, Claduio Ty has found major success with him and at his new weight class as a middleweight. Being that this is an open weight grand prix, most critics are considering Ty to win the whole thing if not get to the very near finals considering that he himself has bounced around different weight classes. At one time, Claudio was nasty with catching people in armbars and forcing them to tap, as he has aged, transitions have become more of his melody as he controls his opponents outscoring them from bell to bell. Claudio Ty is my pick for the Australia Winner. 2. "The Riddler" Ibbe Ribbler Ibbe Ribbler (15-11-1) stands in the tournament as one of the grapplers very few guys want to find themselves against. Ribbler, who holds his Red Belt from Fenrir MMA considers that grappling is the purest sport. Recently, Ribbler defeated Rodrizinho Chai to become the CWC welterweight champion. Regularly working for submissions in all of his matches, Ribbler is phenomenal in any position and will relentlessly work to catch his opponents in a lock that will see them surrender. One of the key factors about Ribbler going into this tournament is that he falls directly in the middle of the open weight matchups, meaning this could be both advantageous or disadvantageous depending on who he is against. Ribbler is certainly a favorite by many to do well in this competition and considered by his team to eventually be dubbed the Champion. 3. "MRFR Coach" Aedan Declan After over a dozen years in mixed martial arts, Aedan Declan (25-11) hung up the gloves and put on the rash guards. Shortly after entering the greatest grappling promotion on the planet, Declan found himself as both a middleweight and light heavyweight champion in grappling. The talented Irishman is 42 years old and still moves as if he is a twenty year old on the mat. Holder of a Black Belt to go along with his elite level wrestling, Aedan has been a tough match for anyone he has come up against. This tournament should provide him with a shot at redemption against two of the toughest matches he has had in recent times against Dragan Hozdic and Claudio Ty. Declan is a favorite by many to win the Australia bracket. 4. Shanti Anatta One of our youngest competitors and fastest rising stars in the world of grappling is none other than the prayerful one, Shanti Anatta (22-16). The Indian born grappler transitioned out of the buddhist lifestyle to a more contemplative life in putting people to sleep. Many would have considered this guy to be one of the more peaceful type especially on the mat, but we have seen Anatta break arms in the past and may very well see that happen once again. At just 134lbs he is our smallest competitor and may have an extraordinary amount of difficulty as this competition goes on. His willingness to compete against the best of the best speaks volumes about his dedication to self-mastery and focus on becoming the greatest grappler in the world. Shanti Anatta should be able to put on some stunning submissions before all is said and done. 5. "The Gladiator" Hero Galanos Former TWGC champion Hero Galanos looks to cement his legacy by capturing the CWC Grand Prix winner. Hero, who at one time was one of the hottest Light Heavyweight prospects on the mma scene, transitioned to grappling where he has seen unbelievable success. Galanos has focused diligently on becoming the most dangerous grappler and running through the Australian bracket will see him become just that. Prior to his two most recent losses, Galanos was riding a ten fight winning streak defeating some top talent in the heavyweight division. He will begin the competition against one of the smallest competitors on the bracket. The Gladiator is a massive fan favorite and considered by a good amount of folks to win the Grand Prix. 6. David Morrison Jr. 37 Year old David Morrison Jr. is undoubtedly going to become a hall of famer when all is said and done. Former TWGC champion and remarkably well rounded martial artist is holding on to the belief that he will become the Grand Prix champion by storming through his opponents in the Australia bracket. His coaches at Mello MMa spoke to us about the talented red belt saying, "look how he puts these MF'ers out! Hes going to clear out this Grand Prix and win the whole thing. All these other guys are sponsored by who knows who, but sponsors are lining up at his door because he's a BAMF! His work ethic is insane, they cant match him." Actually, we arent sure if that was his coach or just a random guy in the gym but the reality is, David Morrison Jr. is a very very serious contender to win this Grand Prix! 7. Felipe Ferreira-Alves Not many are giving Felipe Ferreira-Alves (3-1) a chance in this competition. Perhaps one of our biggest underdogs, the sensational grappler has switched managers recently and is relatively inexperienced to many of his opponents that he would be matched up against. Alves, who has two of his wins by submission, believes that his Black Belt is going to shine through for him and he will be tapping his opponents left and right. Despite him not having the hardest level of competition before, his coaches and teammates believe he has a real shot at winning this thing provided that he grapples how he grapples and not plays into any of his opponents games or tricks. 8. Alexey "Andreich" Andreev Being considered the lowest of the rank in the Australia bracket is Alexey Andreev (2-1). A grappler with such little grappling experience fight fans are wondering why he signed up for the Grand Prix to begin with. The 38 year old black belt from Russia normally fights between welterweight and middleweight and finds that he will have advantages in these areas and be able to employ a lot of his strength on his opponents controlling them from each transition they intend to make. We do not actually expect Andreev to get past Ty but his teammates are holding out hope that he will shock the world and submit Claudio Ty and should he be able to do that, he will certainly be the name everyone remembers from this competition.

@Arcalimon WHO IS NOEL DIAZ!? I am 100 percent ready to do another interview with the ISLANDS GOAT! Who does he fight next? What happens after this season of the Island? How did he feel getting his first knockout victory? ALL THE QUESTIONS I need all the answers!

HIGHLAND 82 Highland 82 is one of those events you will not want to miss. In just a few short hours, the entire makeup of Highland could change. The Light heavyweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Featherweight titles are all on the line in what should be a night filled with phenomenal finishes and potentially shocking upsets! My name is Tycoon Hec and because this is a preview just a few moments before the card gets underway, we are going to get going quickly. Murtaz Vatsadze vs Torhte "Gingy Bear" Finlayson Light Heavyweight Title Match It is the third time these two square off. A rivarly unlike many others. The gingy bear, Torhte Finlayson (12-0) is the best Light Heavyweight fighter in the Island and for a third time takes on one of his bitter rivals in Murtaz Vatsadze (9-2). Vatsadze has only two losses and both come from being defeated by Finlayson. After his most recent loss, he parted ways with his manager Optimal MMA Picks and joined Al Van Dals team. Since his transition over with Al Van Dal life has gone arguably better. He has two of his fastest victories in his career with one coming in 37 seconds and another coming just past 90 seconds. It is fair to say that Vatsadze is a different beast under Van Dal, a more hungry and aggressive one with killer instincts. It is vital that Finlayson, who has defeated Vatsadze twice before recognize that this truly is a new and improved fighter and his tactics will most likely be a little different. Given any notice to his previous fights, it may be one where Finlayson may wish to tread with a new perspective on his opponent. That shared, Finlayson has one more fight in experience and has fought the very best light heavyweights every fight for his entire career and knocking each one of them out cold. In preparation for this fight fans, all I can say is one guy is certainly going lights out before the end of the first round. Prediction: Fight ends under two minutes in the first round. Adam Shalashaska vs Auric Gallahad Welterweight Title Match "Revolver Ocelot" Adam Shalashaska (11-1) looks to dethrone the newly crowned champion, Auric Gallahad (6-0) after he caught Maurice Tillet in a most beautiful triangle submission a few weeks back. There is no denying that Adam Shalashaska is one of the absolute best welterweights on the Island and by the end of today, he looks to prove himself to be the best by submitting a man who is also known as a submission specialist in Gallahad. Between the two fighters, there are 15 submission victories between them and a shared 4 submission of the night award. Neither guy has actually been submitted themselves, at least not in competition, so it will be interesting to see what goes down this today and if they choose to grapple or if they choose to strike instead. Shalashaska will see himself as the one with the major advantage given his higher belt rank and even depth of experience doubling the amount of fights Gallahad has had, he also holds a submission victory over one of the best in the Island, Dick Winters. Despite his incredible CV, Auric Gallahad has submitted every opponent he has faced, never lost, and has beaten the guy that beat Shalashaska. With this knowledge going into the bout it is sure to be an intense battle for control as both guys look to prove to be the better grappler. Prediction: Adam Shalashaska gets the win. Submitting his opponent in the championship rounds. Keke Kivi vs Hayato Sakuraba Middleweight Title Match One of the most exciting fights on todays card for me personally is the matchup between two of the Middleweight best in Keke Kivi (8-1) and Hayato Sakuraba (6-1). Sakuraba had recently acquired the belt after stopping one of the most fearsome middleweights in all of Highland, Cathair McKay submitting him via guillotine. Fight fans were in disbelief that the guy who had little experience was able to shut out one of the best champions we have seen in Highland and now eagerly await to see him defend his title. Later today, "Mach" will be taking on Keke Kivi, the knockout artist from Finland. This match is a true mixed martial arts match and honestly, why I love Highland so much. If Sakuraba can get this fight to the ground, which i truly believe he can, he will find it fairly easy to hold Kivi down and submit him. The problem he will have his getting the fight to the ground while not taking too many punches from Kivi. Kivi has been known to stop guys who have not been stopped and the former champion believes that he has it within him to become the champion once more before this season of the Island is finished. I assume we will see both men start off with some serious caution in hopes to not get caught by the other in a situation they do not want to be in. Sakuraba is not as skilled as a wrestler as his opponent Kivi so he will have to disguise his takedown attempt or look to pull guard. Kivi will probably aim to be precise and flurry his opponent with strikes to get the win. Either way, this is one of those matches that fight fans will enjoy from start to finish. MY PREDICTION for fight of the night. Prediction: Sakuraba gets the submission victory late in the first. Remi Chavski vs Miguel Azevedo Souza Featherweight Title Match The Featherweight warriors start our championship fights off! Brown belt vs Brown Belt. Tez's Stand and Bang vs Island Gym! Ladies and Gentleman is this going to be one for the record books. Chavski vs Souza two of the very best grapplers look to submit the other and lay claim to the glorious Featherweight Title. Remi Chavski is considered by many to be an undeniably force on the ground submitting foes as if his life depended on it. With five first round submissions it is clear to see why BJJ fans get so excited every time he steps in. Taking on Miguel Souza will be one of the most difficult challenges of his career. Souza, who has seven first round finishes of his own and has previously held the title looks to bring the belt back to his gym by any means necessary. I got the chance to check out Miguels gym and he trains with numerous champions. One of them, Timur Vasilev, shared with me that despite his weight he hits hard and he would not be surprised to see Souza get a knockout victory over Chavski. This is after all a mixed martial arts matchup one where the martial arts is not limited to one type. Remi Chavski, who has reportedly focused solely on his ground game believes that his ground game is superior to his opponents and if this ends up on the ground it will be him going home with his hand raised. Prediction: Remi Chavski gets the job done! Other Matchups you may wish to see: Vai Crackudo vs Neuzvarams Semyorka Middleweight Match Vai Crackudo makes his return under new manager Kishion Matthew, the owner of Synchronicity. Vai Crackudo is looking to get one more shot at the title before all is said and done. Vai, previously known as the knockout specialist and former champion of Highland was once feared by many of his opponents for how dangerous he was in the cage. He looks to welcome his opponent Neuvarams Semyorka to the cage in a match that is sure to be electrifying. Semyorka has been recently sharing how Crackudo doesnt look the same and has pointed to his morale to be the leading cause of his belief that he will win. Semyorka holds the power to put Vai away and plans to do that before the end of the night. Prediction: Vai Crackudo gets the knockout. Marlin Paschal vs Rashid Elkhan Heavyweight Matchup One of my favorite Highland fighters makes his return after being stopped looking for gold, Rashid Elkhan (5-1) looks to get back on the winning side of things when he takes on an all around martial artist in Marlin Paschal (4-4). Gym mates have claimed that Elkhan should win as his dominating punches will be the reason why Paschal gets his fifth loss. That may certainly be the case but we have never seen Elkhan lose before and bounce back from that, there is a lot of questions to how he will perform and Marlin, who has no fear, will step in there looking to score a knockout over the guy who has just been stopped by Needle Dick. Prediction: Rashid Elkhan brings home the W Good luck to all the fighters and managers as we approach the end of Highland! May the best men win.

CWC 230 Review Reijo Halli vs Able Archer Reijo Halli (7-3) captured the CWC featherweight title the this past weekend in one of the most dominating ways of possible. With a 16-2 final score he defeated the champion Able Archer (20-10) and has shocked the world! His lack of experience proved to be no problem for him as his skill in wrestling proved to be the leading factor in his victory against the talented Able Archer! Recently picked up from Judo Beau, co-owner of CWC, he proved to be one amazing asset to not only CWC but also to the management team of Judo. The 29 year old Finnish grappler is being considered by many to be a long reigning champion and eventually reach the highest levels of the grappling sport. Reijo Halli, shortly after his perfect performance, he decided to go on sharing on the microphone how he will dominate anyone and everyone who steps on the mats with him. It is certainly hard to deny that after watching him out grapple one of the best in the division. Halli looks to take on Moldy Jello on August 1st and defend his title for the first time! Able Archer will return to the mats on the same card in hopes to get a victory and put himself in line to get redemption. Prana Halo vs Hero Galanos Former TWGC champion and finalist, Hero Galanos (24-12) had his first title shot for CWC and despite being considered the favorite by many going into the match, found himself shocked and dismayed at Prana Halos (22-16) spectacular performance. Once the two got to the mat it was clear that Prana Halo was looking to not let this match go to the judges. His skill level was off the charts in executing an armbar. He wrapped his legs up and pulled back and Hero had no choice but to tap out or let the arm break. Since the victory fight fans have been desperate to see Halo make a return and defend his title but as of yet no fight has been offered to the champion. Hero Galanos was so frustrated at the loss especially being considered by many to be the favorite going into it that he immediately accepted a matchup with Anatta. It is undoubtedly a match we will see again in the near future and unless Hero works diligently on his defensive game, we could see Halo and many others capitalize on Galanos weaknesses. Rico Cole vs Ceph Alopodis For grappling enthusiasts around the world, not many names gets them excited to watch as Rico "Red Hot" Cole (9-3) and after this past weekends performance it is clear to see why. Rico defended his title for a second time and did so against one of the more aggressive grapplers in the game today. Ceph Alopodis (9-11) is usually working to get a submission or put an opponent in a submission. Even though Alopodis had went for several submissions against Cole, none of them could be secured and even worse, none of them were even close to catching Cole. Rico Cole, who has been training out at Shao Kahns training facility has been heavily focused on his defensive grappling and setting up his transitions against Alopodis. The judges had seen the fight points scored at a 17-11 with Rico taking the victory. Rico Cole will be defending his title once again against Marc Read (7-2) a very dangerous and very worthy fighter for the title shout. The fight will take place on August 1st! Ceph Alopodis will be matched up with Morrison Lee in a few days, a fighter many believe will succumb to Alopodis aggressive submission ways.

CWC 227 Review Ibbe Ribbler vs Rodrizinho Chai The long time catchweight wrestling champion at lightweight, successfully defended his title yet again when he pulled off a submission victory that not one person in the audience anticipated. "The Riddler" Ibbe Ribbler (33-10) is perhaps the single best lightweight grappler in the world today, and he proved that as he successfully defended his title for the 8th time. His opponent, Rodrizinho Chai (20-13) was considered by many to be the one to stop Ribbler and take his title. Showing no signs of aging or resignation from his top spot, Ribbler stopped his opponent from improving his position multiple times and eventually capitalized on a stunning armbar that saw Chai tap out with five minutes to go. The match started off with an almost deafening silence as fans eagerly awaited the first grappler to take control. Ribbler failed his takedown attempt and Chai immediately maximized on the opportunity bringing his opponent to the mat. Ribbler who was then on his back had adjusted his mindset and focused on looking for a submission victory. It came within several minutes to the shock of many as it was the second time we seen the Red Belt Chai tap in his career. The future is still quite promising for Rodrizinho Chai, as he looks to take on the Joey Simone (14-6) in a few days and put his name right back at the top of contention. We will see the champion, Ibbe Ribbler defend his title on August first against Felipe Ferreira-Alves (3-1) a grappler who has previously bested Chai and believes he can stop Ribbler as well. Dragan Hozdic vs "Outlaw" David Allan Coe The Dragan was unleashed again in CWC and he once again showcased why he is literally the greatest grappler of our generation. Dragan Hozdic (26-4) took on a fearsome submission specialist in David Allan Coe (21-15). Coe who has an almost instinctual desire to work for submissions was not able to secure a anything against the Dragan Hozdic. Dragan had literally stunned the world with how skilled he was in comparison to his opponent stomping him to earn a 17 to 2 score at the end of the bout. Dragan, who by many is considered the goat of grapplers, focused almost entirely on control and patience, countering of each Coes wild movements to land the scores he needed to win. Coe, who before his bout with Dragan was looking quite dangerous was exhausted at the end of the bout and looked visibly defeated. The two red belts showed massive respect for one another when the final bell went off. At the start of the matchup the speed Coe possessed in shooting in for that takedown made him look like a speeding bullet. He rushed in secured the takedown and from there, it was downhill. It almost came across as if Dragan wanted him to be the one to shoot in and he would safely work off of his back. While working for a submission, Coe found himself swept and Dragan evened the score. From passing guard to taking his back, Dragan proved to the world why he is on another level. We are now anxiously awaiting the next matchup for Dragan and we are hearing rumors that it may be Ispa Murhapuro. We will have to wait and see if that is true. Coe takes on his next opponent, Tyrone Sparxx, on August 1st a challenger unlike many others and a matchup we are dying to see! Rodney Holzken vs Roman Boesku a matchup you may want to see is a two minute one where Rodney Holzken put on a clinic on securing a guillotine on his opponents. He locked it up so fast against Roman that even I was having a hard time breathing! Anyway shoutout to Rodney Holzken and I look forward to your next matchup in a few days! Will Rock vs Culcahn Dravezesdi One of the nastiest armbar finishes you will ever see was WIll Rocks armbar win over Culcahn Dravezesdi. The submission was so tight I thought the arm was literally going to snap off. Will Rock was certainly losing that matchup by five points so maybe if Dravezesdi worked on his defensive grappling a little more, we will see him come through on the next time they meet!

Syn 818 Preview CROSBY vs MONKEY Dany Crosby vs Demon Monkey The two division champion makes his return to the cage this weekend as he looks to ascertain his position as the greatest fighter in the world when he stomps out his opponent. Dany Crosby (28-16-1) is undoubtedly the pound for pound goat in everyone's minds. He has beaten the whos who of the welterweight division and moved up fifteen pounds to take the title in the middleweight division from one of the very best in Pekka Toivonen. Crosby, who has found himself perched up at the top now looks to drop back down to the welterweight division to defend his title against a man who displayed massive technique in their first fight. In one of the closest fights of Crosbys career, Demon Monkey (31-19-1) battled the champion to the brink. Eventually succumbing to a technical knockout, Monkey had won a few rounds over the champion and had made many people wonder if he would have won that fight if it was not stopped. Monkey ended up showing his champion like grit after his loss to Crosby by going on a three fight winning streak against some of the very best in the welterweight division winning 8 of the 9 rounds that were judged. Since climbing back to the number one spot, Monkey has been anxiously awaiting a shot at redemption and plans on taking the title in violent fashion against the devastating Dany Crosby. This fight will most likely turn out to be an all out brawl, Monkey has to be careful not to be too aggressive and get caught slipping while at the same time ensuring he is landing effective strikes against the champion. Crosby knows that his opponent will be susceptible to getting cut open and may look to employ a barrage of combos with deadly precision to let the blood flow. Prediction: Dany Crosby will be too big for his opening and the punches wont feel the same when he lands them. I think we see Crosby actually knockout Monkey late in the fourth! John C Reilly vs Don Bronson "The Third" In a matchup likely to have the fans on the edge of our seat, fight fans witness the knockout phenomenon John C Reilly (21-4) look to gain his 18th knockout victory when he takes on one of the most physically imposing middleweights in Don Bronson (13-5). Don Bronson, who many know as the man who landed the hellacious head kick on Bosch a few months back in Alpha-1, has been riding a four fight winning streak. Despite his last two fights being called a victory, fight fans were not so sure about "The Third" considering him to be not as dynamic as he was promoted to be. Now, his match up with Synchronicity super star John C Reilly will test him in a way he has yet to be tested and is surely the highest level of fighter he has ever fought. Reilly, a 32 year old out of Hilo, is recognized all over as an expert level grappler with elite technique. Even though his grappling prowess is off the charts, he prefers to just drop his opponents from the clinch but if desirable will go to the ground and utilize is grueling ground and pound. The fight will likely be found in the clinch where both men will test each others metal. I think Bronson has to play this fight smarter and with more caution than his other match ups knowing fully how dangerous of a striker Reilly is. If Bronson tries to win this fight in exciting fashion I think he will be caught by a thunderous haymaker and put to sleep ending his winning streak. Prediction: I think the experience of John C Reilly will be too much for Bronson and he will get the job done early. Arturo Caldeira vs Jason Stackhouse Undoubtedly for me, one of the most exciting fights to watch will be Caldeira vs Stackhouse! I can not wait to watch Arturo Caldeira (9-0) put his undefeated record on the line in what is undoubtedly going to be a very intense match. He is taking on one of the best in the division with Officer Jason Stackhouse (21-9-2) a fighter who has knocked out 19 of his opponents and is on a four fight winning streak. The sensational wrestler Caldeira believes that his grappling will prove to be too much for officer Stackhouse and will not only get him to the mat but hold him there and force him to tap out as well. The black belt in BJJ has only five wins in his career by submission and his last two matches did not end the way he expected it to. Despite that his resume is still freaking phenomenal. This guy has submitted a purple, brown, and black belt and freely rolled with a dangerous red belt. He also submitted the TWGC champion Hanzo. I had a moment to head over to Officer Stackhouses gym, The Jungle Room. His training partners laughed about the possibility of Caldeira submitting Stackhouse, "Try submitting someone with a broken jaw." The point his sparring partners were making was that it was clear what Caldeira will attempt but what isn't clear to them is how he will do it when he gets battered in the face with punches from the knockout sensation that is Stackhouse. There is certainly levels to BJJ and in this case the gap is quite real, but what is also real is this is a mixed martial arts fight and in that Jason Stackhouse has proven to be one of the most well rounded fighters in all the land and continues to improve by leaps and bounds. Truthfully, this fight can go either way and wherever this fight goes I think both fighters will have a tough time defeating the other. Prediction: No clue. Not a freaking clue and that is why this is one of the most exciting fights on the card. I have been going back and forth, but truthfully, I hope how ever this turns out we see a rematch between these two by the end of the year because I imagine it will be that good of a first fight.

Syn 817 Preview Mumu 3.0 vs Simon Abdel Mumu 3.0 vs Jay "Dog" Simon Two Lightweight Champions collide this weekend as Abdel Mumu 3.0 (34-13-2) defends his belt against the Stoner League Champion, Jay "Dog" Simon (21-2). In a match up that will be closely watched by the MMA world fight fans can rest assured that these two warriors will be putting it all on the line, literally. The reputation of themselves and their career stands still in the center of that cage and neither guy wants to be the one who has to go home knowing they lost. Abdel, who is on a seven fight win streak, has recently begun to train under a new manager in Rick Steiner. Under his new manager Mumu has been a much more visibly aggressive fighter. After recently reclaiming the lightweight title, the number 3 lightweight in the world, Abdel, believes that not only is he the best in the world but that it is necessary to prove that and this is why he takes on one of the most fearsome Lightweight fighters we have seen in a long time with Jay "dog" Simon. Jay, who has 14 of his 21 wins coming by way of submission, is regarded as the best grappler in his weight division and in mma, considered the 7th best fighter on the planet in his weight class. Jay SImon is on a four fight win streak with two of those wins coming by an armbar submission victory. What we will be seeing is a classic grappler versus striker matchup that will go down in the books to confirm who the best Lightweight is on the planet! Jay will look to get this fight to the ground where he will utilize his submission skills and transition to the point where he can force Mumu 3.0 into tapping out. Mumu 3.0 however will look to outpoint and out strike Jay at every turn stuffing each takedown attempt and putting fist to skull aiming for a knockout or a unanimous decision victory over one of the best lightweights. Prediction: I think the 28 year old Jay "Dog" Simon is able to pull this off. Despite Abdel Mumu 3.0 only being submitted once in his career, I think he will have a difficult time stopping "Dog" and may find himself tapping out by the third round. Yodsawan Sitsongrit vs Mike McLaughlin Yodsawan Sitsongrit (33-12) is defending his newly acquired featherweight title for the very first time against "Magic" Mike McLaughlin (34-13-2) a fighter who has been under the Synchronicity banner for a long time and is finally getting his shot at the coveted silver belt. Sitsongrit is on a thunderous eleven fight win streak in the worlds greatest mixed martial arts organization, defeating some of the very best talent there is and even laying claim to two titles. For whatever reason, the MMATycoon rankings do not even consider him in the top ten p4p but he surely should be in the top three. SItsongrit is not primarily known for his striking power as much as he is known by his striking output and accuracy. The efficient Muay Thai fighter tends to have overwhelming success in the stand up department. In taking on McLaughlin, he is taking a guy who has been there through it all and has shared his highs and lows in the sport. A true veteran to the MMA game and an absolute warrior in Synchronicity. McLaughlin is not the kind of guy who shies away from a match up and knows that when he goes in, he is going in for five rounds of hell. Primarily a fan of the clinch game, McLaughlin looks to devastate his opponents with a barrage of strikes forcing them into a daze state of mind. McLaughlin fans are hoping that this may be the moment the veteran pulls off a win unlike any other. The 39 year old has been looking a little slower in his most recent outings and more suspect to strikes. Despite that being the case, McLaughlin has still been defeating some of the very best and if he can do that this weekend, it will be one of the best Cinderella stories in MMATycoon history. Prediction: Sitsongrit will capitalize on the aging McLaughlin and put him away before the fourth. We will see a war for the first few rounds, but Yodsawan Sitsongrit is literally one of the best we have ever seen and he will prove that once more this weekend. Juhani Mustonen vs Antonio Mauricio DeSilva Two very dangerous Light Heavyweights square off this weekend in a matchup that is sure to be a knockout, potentially that may be literal. Juhani Mustonen (16-5) is the holder of the Odense MMA Light heavyweight Title. Despite him not defending his title, he definitely will be hoping to display why he certainly is the champion. His opponent across the cage is a veteran of the sport fighting all over from Gamma to Alpha to Syn. He is by far the heaviest favorite on the card and his record of experience should be enough to justify that. Antonio Mauricio DeSilva (28-10) is not just another fighter who Mustonen can just walk through knocking him out, DeSilva, is a phenomenal athlete and martial artist who puts it all on the line. With his insane cardio, his gym mates have compared him to a welterweight in the gym and that is no wonder why he goes the distance so frequently. Juhani Mustonen will certainly have his hands full with this matchup. When comparing the two fighters skill wise, DeSilva is certainly the more favorable fighter to root for and is undoubtedly going to display his experience in that cage but he should not be too cocky and get aggressive otherwise hey may find himself lying on his back wondering what hit him. Prediction: Antonio Mauricio DeSilva gets the win on this.

After careful consideration, I have decided that I will gladly enter this tournament.

Highland 74 {6} Mara Tantor vs Torthe Finlayson {C} Light Heavyweight Title In regards to Finlayson and Tantor Highland fans are in for what may very well be the fight of the night. These two knockout artists will collide later this evening in a spectacle that is sure to bring down the house. Torthe Gingy Bear Finlayson (10-0) has hands down the best record in all of Highland. His impressive undefeated run shows an incredible ten martial artists who have all suffered a disastrous knockout finish by the Scottish 205lber. His opponent for the Light Heavyweight crown holds some unique similarities to himself with an impressive knockout run of his own. Undefeated Mara Tantor (5-0) has knocked out all five of his opponents as well. Although significantly less experienced in his career than the sitting champion, Tantor has an impeccable percentage of first round knockout wins. Fight fans are in for an absolute clash of fists with both hellbent on putting the other to sleep violently. As a fight fan, the main two fights we should look to are Tantor vs Ruiha and Finlayson vs Lachmann. It was in both of these matches that we saw the fighters of this evenings co-main event get truly tested. We watched Tantor display high accuracy against his opponent to unleash a devilish cut that would stop the fight. Although dragged to the third round, his opponent was able to land strikes of his own and have some success mainly outside of the clinch. When it came to the Finlayson fight against Lachmann, we witnessed Lachmann score a takedown from the clinch. Now this begs the question, does Tantor have ground and pound ability? If he does, we may see the champion succumb to a heavy handed challenger. If he doesnt and he stays on the feet, will his inexperience prove to be his downfall in this matchup? Undoubtedly for Finlayson, Tantor is the toughest challenge of his career and one strike from Tantor can end the fight and see him lift the belt. Prediction: Finlayson. It is hard to bet against the champ. {1} Diesel vs Ixtlan {7} heavyweight matchup In a match up that is less known about, but truly should not be, we see two of the sports biggest step into the cage with the intention of putting the other out cold. Schlunckr Diesel (8-3) who is related to tonights defending champion, steps in to display his aggressive knockout striking against Obel "Menhir" Ixtlan (5-1) an opponent who burries his fist into his opponents skull. These two powerful hitters are the very defintion of strikers. When they step into the ring, fight fans know they are looking to put their opponent away and rapidly. Between the two fighters we have a safe bet that this fight ends in the first round. Both of these men have also been tko'd before as well leaving it to question who walks away from this match unscathed, and my answer is neither. Being that Diesel is the number one ranked guy in the division, it will be interesting to see if he pulls this victory off and solidifies a title shot for himself in the coming weeks against the champion. I believe we will see both of these guys stand infront of each other and violently swing until the other collapses. I do not see this match going past the first minute by any means. Prediction: Diesel scores the victory. {1} Vatsadze vs Veainu {2} Light heavyweight Fight The top two contenders in the Light heavyweight division go head to head later this evening in what is expected to be an electrifying occasion. Since Vatsadze has lost his title shot opportunity to Finlayson on June 4th, he has been anxious to get back in there. Now under new management with Al Van Dal, Vatsadze is looking like a killer every time he steps in the ring. Infact, he scored two of his fastest victories under Al Dal, five days apart. Vatsadze is an aggressive machine and despite his skill set improving he is truly a different fighter. He looks forward on welcoming the IXF champion Veainu into the ring in what should be a compelling matchup to say the least. Veainu, a knockout artist in his own right, has brought down every fighter apart from one, Finlayson. Now the champion of IXF looks to get back in the conversation with taking on the GOAT Finlayson but he would have to wreck his opponent before him to do that. This match will be hard to choose one over the other, Veainu who is on a seven fight win streak has knocked out all of his opponents and most in the first round. His unbeaten run may come to an end as the recently over aggressive Vatsadze stands across from him. As fight fans we can expect a slugfest and potentially a knockout of the night. According to recent reports, Veainu seems to be looking past Vatsadze which i feel is the most dangerous thing he can do. Vatsadze has recently been compared to a young mike tyson and that his fire in fighting is back. Both of these men will step in with something to prove and tonight we will see who gets the win. Veainus coaches have expressed the reality that there are multiple holes in Vatsadzes game that he has yet to correct. Prediction: I think Veainu proves why he is the champ and gets the win. Ludwig Lachmann vs Jermaine Ferret Light heavyweight Match Lachmannn vs Ferret sees two talented martial artists collide later this evening. Lachmann (7-3), who just recently had a matchup against the title holder in Finlayson, is looking to get back on the winning side by stopping a veteran in Jermaine Ferret (3-5). Lachmann holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu and is very active with it submitting seven opponents with his nasty armbars and one rear naked. Ferret who has never been submitted holds a white belt and will look to keep this fight standing at all costs. Knowing that Lachmann will want to get this fight to the ground and preventing him to do that will be the major battle for Ferret. If Ferret can keep this fight standing we can safely assume that he will box his way to a decision victory or stunning tko stoppage. Ludwigs experience plays a critical role in this matchup and his ability to read the game and adapt his game plan to solidify the win is enough to put my money on him. Prediction: Lachmann with the submission of the night.

Highland 74 Kings of the Island The moment we have all been anxiously awaiting with eager anticipation.... Noel Diaz vs Kranckx Diesel for the lightweight title is finally upon us. In a turn of events very few saw coming, Noel Diaz captured the Bantamweight Title on April 4th, a few weeks later he moved up to Featherweight to capture the crown on May 9th. Now July second, Noel Diaz moves up once again in hopes to capture the coveted lightweight title tomorrow night against one of the most terrifying knockout artists in the freaking game, Karnckx Diesel who holds seven first round victories in his nine wins. Who has avenged his one defeat. Who has jumped to the number five spot in the rankings p4p. and in our Co-main event we get to witness two fighters who only know how to win by knocking their opponent out unconscious. One of my favorite fighters, Torhte Gingy Bear Finlayson defends his light heavyweight champion status against the dangerous Mara Tantor! This is history...This is Highland! } {24} Diaz vs Diesel {c} HIGHLAND Lightweight Title On the Island, these two hold very different rankings than what is shown above. Diaz is ranked 4th pound for pound on the Island and Diesel is ranked 6th. I just want to say that before we begin but now that the disclaimer is out the way...LETS GO! Noel Diaz (8-0) vs Karnxkx Diesel (9-1) has every single fight fan on the edge of their seat. The weigh-ins were intense today and the crowd was going berserk. A few fights broke out in the crowd as the fans of these two legends are aggressive. Reports that Callum McGregor had to calm down even some of his Highland Staff on their opinions reminding them that this is a fight and not some sort of religious war have surfaced. Noel Diaz is known by literally every MMATycoon fan out there. The Islands own bad boy has done the unthinkable in winning a title in two divisions and plans on making it a third when he goes up in weight against the dangerous Diesel. The question on everyone's mind is, can Diaz take the punches Diesel offers? The reality of this is Diaz is moving up a whopping ten pounds in weight against a guy who has knocked out opponents in his lightweight weight class prior. Reports are that Diesel will be weighing around 165 on the night of the fight while Diaz weight may sink under 155 due to his natural size. So naturally speaking, Diesel is the heavier handed and heavier opponent which makes this the most dangerous fight of Noel Diaz's career. I am so into this fight I am making paragraphs. Diesel who has recently won the hearts of many a fan, stole the title from Ed Green through a hellacious knockout. It was a rematch he had earned after being submitted in their first match. Reports were that Green was planning on defending his title against Diaz next but when Green was stopped his rematch clause against Diesel prevented that and gave Diaz more time to bulk up and prepare for his eventual matchup. In the second match up we witnessed Diesel put an exclamation mark on the trilogy and certified to everyone that he was the true lightweight champion and demanded respect be put on his name. It wont take you long to check out the buzz behind this fight. Fight fans of both camps believe their fighter wins and wins remarkably easy. It is no secret that Diesel has been submitted before against Green. In fact, it only took Green the fourth attempt before he locked in a nasty Kimura, a type of arm lock that can actually break the arm of a person. On the other of the coin, it is no secret that Diaz has taken many punches and lost rounds in previous fights due to the striking of some of his opponents. The key to victory for both men is simple, for Diesel, he has to keep the fight standing and mix strikes together to land that knockout blow, not to rush in and get himself caught in a submission but to be patient with his strikes. The key for Diaz is get the fight to the ground advance position and secure the arm. Diaz moving up to his third weight class while Diesel defending his newly acquired title against the best Island fighter of all time. I had a chance to check out the training regimes of both these fighters and have safely ascertained that they are working equally hard to bring home the W. The coaches of both the Island Project believe that with Diaz training with Maurice Tillet that he will easily take the punches Diesel throws. Over at Tez's Stand and Bang, the long time gym Diaz started at, the coaches seem to have a personal vendetta against the Island King hoping that there new champion puts him away for good. In all of Diesels fights, only one takedown has landed against him. So many opponents tried with complete desperation to secure one but he stopped them time and time again. Some believe that he was slipping and his opponent locked in the takedown at that moment and moved on to score the kimura. Not only does Diesel have outstanding takedown defense but inside the clinch he consistently outworks his opponents and damages him with insanely accurate striking. He punches the body and the head and leaves his opponents wobbling in the cage delirious. Training at Tez's Stand and Bang may prove to be futile in retaining the title for the lightweight champion. They have no ground game or stopping of a takedown. Instead, Diesel will have to rely on prior knowledge and experience in keeping this fight standing and hope that he will land the knockout shot as soon as his opponent lunges in for a takedown. Diaz who is no Floyd Mayweather Jr, has shown solid striking defense before and knowing that his opponent will be looking for damaging shots may have the ability to secure that takedown quicker than we realize. I do not consider it wishful thinking that Diaz wins this lightweight belt. I remember how he took punches on the chin from heavy handed opponents such as Jobber Joe and Calvin Shields, I remember how he too trained at Tez's Stand and Bang, and I consider that with all of this on the table Diaz who, unlike his opponent works his grappling, will bring the win home. Prediction: Noel Diaz. Regardless of who you are pulling for in this fight, you have to have respect for both of these warriors and their managers. Good Luck to both fighters tomorrow night! I have this saved on my PBP