Slice

I agree, would also be good to see previous top org in the game

CM: Hello to everybody in MMA. We’re back for another edition of ICON Interviews with one of the most exciting prospects in the game today. He was the last champion of Rio Chain Gang at 170lb; he has recently signed with highly rated London organisation Generation. He is coming to us today out of the ICON Alliance, “Prince” Yngve Stolt. http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/14478526934125.jpg CM: Yngve; you recently left the organisation in which you made your name, Rio Chain Gang. Obviously the organisation closed, but was there a chance you would have left anyway? You seemed to be finding it pretty easy there? Stolt: I cleaned out the whole division and I did it with class and style and i were never threatened once. I had nothing more to prove at RCG. I needed a change of environment and some new arses to kick so the break up with RCG would have happened eventually. CM: You certainly did that sir, if you don’t mind me asking; what actually happened with the organisation? It seems to have been kept under wraps, were you told anything about why it was closed? Stolt: The owner Alan Maynard had some problems and ended up in the hospital and that's the last thing anybody heard from him. I hope he's alright I really liked the guy, one of the nicest guys in Tycoon MMA. CM: I’m very sorry to hear that; it really is a shame. We hope he gets well soon. So you’re now signed with Generation. They are gaining a reputation as a pretty fast growing org, and for that logo of theirs. What are your thoughts on them and the next chapter of your career? Stolt: Dale Mac has done a very good job with Generation, it is a well-run organisation packed with great talent and whooping all that talent will bring me closer to my ultimate goal, to become the best fighter in the world. CM: Out of the people in your division; who would you like your first fight in the org to be? Stolt: Of course David Marvin the current Generation champ he's wearing my belt. Parker Allen is also someone I would love to whoop. He is the former KOTB champ and to whoop those guys arses would sort of unify all 3 belts and would separate greatness from talent. CM: Well then I guess we have ourselves a callout; David Marvin is undefeated just like you; so somebody’s 0 would have to go, is being undefeated a big deal to you? Would you like to retire undefeated? Or do you believe that great fighters must have losses in order to fulfil their potential? Stolt: Having a 0 on my record is nice to look at but nothing more. I don't care about the number 0 the only number that matters to me is to become number 1. CM: An interesting story as well; in your bio there is talk of an ancient prophecy of somebody who will pretty much take over and dominate MMA for years to come; is it true that you met with some sort of soothsayer who has told you that you are this man? If this is true; does being part of an urban legend put extra pressure on your career? Stolt: When I were a kid my father did take me to see the oracle in Delfi. The Oracle told me that my destiny were written in stars a long time ago and it can’t be changed. I am the crown Prince of Tycoon and one day I will be king. Knowing that I will be the greatest fighter of all time only keeps me focused on fulfilling my destiny. CM: My phone is blowing up. Social media is going wild! It seems that you; Yngve Stolt have been matched up with none other than David Marvin himself! You’ll be fighting for the Welterweight Championship in your debut at Generation. Describe your emotions right now… Stolt: I'm so psyched about this fight. David Marvin is a very dangerous opponent with a solid ground game. It's the biggest fight in my career so far and I’m going to bring some fireworks to introduce myself to the Generation fans. CM: So on an immediate reaction to this matchup; have you seen any particular areas in Marvin’s game that you think you can exploit? Or is it too hard to tell? Stolt: I'm sure that Marvin doesn't want to stand up and fight. He knows that he wouldn't survive the first round banging with me. He will try to take this fight to the ground to try to submit me. I’m not afraid to roll with him, if he manage to take me down then I get a great opportunity to show my grappling skills and he better hold on tight to he's arm or I will take it as a souvenir. CM: There is a growing perception that could stand with almost anyone in the world at your weight class. What do you think of that notion? And is your focus now shifting to the grappling side of the game at all? Stolt: If I’m standing I am a nightmare to every living creature standing in my way to become who I was born to be, and that's where I want to be with my grappling as well. CM: You are obviously still quite young. Out of the fighters you’ve seen compete; who would be a dream fight for you when you make it to the top of the game? Who would be somebody you would love to compete against? Stolt: It doesn't matter to me, they are all the same but with different faces and different names. When I'm in that cage it's all about me. It’s me against myself. I know I can get in there and perform and it’s up to me to do it. CM: Awesome, ok so let’s wrap this up; what is your prediction for the big fight between you and David Marvin? And what is next for you after this fight? Stolt: I'll turn the lights out for Marvin in the fourth round and send him to Neverland. And what's next for me after this fight, Celebration and after Party of course. Then a certain Parker will get my attention. CM: Yngve thank you so much for joining us, it’s been another fantastic edition of ICON Interviews. Big words from the former RCG champ; we better hope David Marvin and co are ready for this man. Thank you to everybody for joining us on a superb edition of ICON Interviews. Make sure you tune in to G #24 on 18th June, only on Pay per View, to see this rising star in action. I’ve been Chael Mir and I bid you goodbye until next time. As always; if you want an interview for your fighter; contact myself; Steel Penn, or Justin Credible at Steel Penn – ICON to book an interview for your fighter on ICON Interviews.

I am all for grappling orgs; or more to the point, more grappling rules matchups inside normal orgs. Helps to mix things up a bit

ICON: 1. Chael Mir 2. Steel Penn 3. The Philosopher 4. Ed Minasian 5. Bronko Buster

ICON: 1. Steel Penn 2. Mr Peanut (DanielRufus) 3. Chael Mir We will have the other two soon

Reserve a spot for ICON, pretty sure a couple of our guys will be down

Hey guys; it’s me Chael Mir hosting another edition of ICON Interviews! I’m extremely sorry for the wait but it’s definitely worth your while. Today we have the no.2 ranked Middleweight in the world; who is no.8 in the pound for pound list and he will be fighting at Steel Penn – ICON on May 21st against our very own middleweight Champion Lester Jangles in something of a super fight. CM: Hey Viv what’s up? How is training going? Are you looking forward to the fight? VR: Sup Chael? How’s the family? Training has gone down great! I’m getting a little bit old so it’s hard to keep up the pace of the young ones. But I still kick their ass on a daily basis. They know I’m still the boss! I’m looking for it like crazy! There’s been a while since my last fight and I’m going nuts. I want to pound someone so hard! I miss the taste of blood. CM: What is your opinion of Steel Penn – ICON as an organisation and what is your opinion of Lester Jangles as an opponent? VR: One of my former partners used to fight there. Pullo, remember him? He used to be SPI’s HW champion. It was a long time ago though. I don’t think you worked there by the time. Anyway, although he is no longer with us, I gave him a call the other day asking stuff about the org and he only told great things about it. This will be a great experience. Lester will be a tough dude to crack. I know he was handpicked to fight me and I can’t let down the fans. I’m the favourite and I know the pressure is all on me. I hope I can do a great fight and come out victorious from this battle! CM: I have heard of Pullo but unfortunately you are correct. I was not around whilst he was there. We are looking to bring other top talent to the org. What would you tell other top guys such as say… Donny Donowitz about SP-ICON? Richards: Are you eyeing Donny? That would be a hell of an acquisition! But the guy is old. With so many merges going on, SPI has the potential to get a regular spot in the top 10. You should focus on guys who can make a name in the org and rise with them. So, if you are a guy looking to make a name for yourself, SPI is a great place to be! CM: There have been talks; but I can’t go into detail about anything until we’ve got something concrete in place. Recruiting and developing young talent is something we like to do; however we are now at the stage where we want to recruit more marquee names such as yourself to the company. Alliances are now a big part of MMA, how does it feel to be representing a massive alliance like LOD as one of their greatest fighters? And how is old Mentor doing these days? Richards: Too many people, can’t know everyone. Every now and then I face some other alliance member. I know a lot of them look up to me and I try to be an example to them. There is a lot of potential out there. Regarding Mentor, never met him. I’ve seen him a couple of times in the gym talking to my manager but never stopped to talk to him. He is the one pulling us together and as it seems, he hasn’t slowed even a bit. Things are going great at LOD right now and that’s all up to the big boss. CM: That’s good to know; it is one hell of an alliance, credit to Mentor to keep it going so long. With MMA, age is always a big question when it comes to top fighters, how much more damage can you take etc. You are a unique case because at 36 years old; not exactly young for a fighter, you haven’t had a whole lot of fights, so in fight years you may still be quite young. What’s your take on this? How much longer do you see yourself fighting for? What is left to accomplish in the career of Viv Richards? Richards: I dropped my career for some time after my previous manager decided to leave. It was quite a bummer. But then Whymer invited me to join him. I took the challenge and have no regrets! I’m glad I could move on and I think I’m proving I’m capable. Yet, unfortunately I’m not a kid anymore. Age brings wisdom but a lot of pain too. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of bed and spar with the rookies in the morning. It’s hard to keep up the pace. I have a big stack of painkillers at home and I need it quite frequently. I won’t lie, retirement is not that far. I think I can push to 40 but it will depend on how much my body can take until then. The next generation is coming. My buddy Wein just won Syn’s MW tournament and become their champion. He will be carry on the torch for us one day. There is a lot of buzz going around from the fans and the media wondering about a match between me and Todd. We have been swapping places as the best MW out there for a while. Is this fight will ever happen? Who knows? CM: Let’s finish on a good one then so last question; you vs Lester Jangles. What’s the outcome? What method? What round? Let’s have a prediction from you. Richards: (laughs) My friend, no spoilers here. My gameplan is between me and my manager. All can I say is that I see another win coming at my way. Lester is a great fighter and I’ll bet he will make it hard for me but at the end, the referee will be raising my hand! CM: Ok Viv that concludes our time in this interview; thank you for your time and good luck on May 21st. Thank you to everybody who tuned in to this awesome edition. I’ve been Chael Mir interviewing the great Viv Richards. Make sure you tune in to his fight on May 21st at 6pm in HILO only at Steel Penn – ICON.

Hey guys; it’s me Chael Mir hosting another edition of ICON Interviews! I’m extremely sorry for the wait but it’s definitely worth your while. Today we have the no.2 ranked Middleweight in the world; who is no.8 in the pound for pound list and he will be fighting at Steel Penn – ICON on May 21st against our very own middleweight Champion Lester Jangles in something of a super fight. CM: Hey Viv what’s up? How is training going? Are you looking forward to the fight? VR: Sup Chael? How’s the family? Training has gone down great! I’m getting a little bit old so it’s hard to keep up the pace of the young ones. But I still kick their ass on a daily basis. They know I’m still the boss! I’m looking for it like crazy! There’s been a while since my last fight and I’m going nuts. I want to pound someone so hard! I miss the taste of blood. CM: What is your opinion of Steel Penn – ICON as an organisation and what is your opinion of Lester Jangles as an opponent? VR: One of my former partners used to fight there. Pullo, remember him? He used to be SPI’s HW champion. It was a long time ago though. I don’t think you worked there by the time. Anyway, although he is no longer with us, I gave him a call the other day asking stuff about the org and he only told great things about it. This will be a great experience. Lester will be a tough dude to crack. I know he was handpicked to fight me and I can’t let down the fans. I’m the favourite and I know the pressure is all on me. I hope I can do a great fight and come out victorious from this battle! CM: I have heard of Pullo but unfortunately you are correct. I was not around whilst he was there. We are looking to bring other top talent to the org. What would you tell other top guys such as say… Donny Donowitz about SP-ICON? Richards: Are you eyeing Donny? That would be a hell of an acquisition! But the guy is old. With so many merges going on, SPI has the potential to get a regular spot in the top 10. You should focus on guys who can make a name in the org and rise with them. So, if you are a guy looking to make a name for yourself, SPI is a great place to be! CM: There have been talks; but I can’t go into detail about anything until we’ve got something concrete in place. Recruiting and developing young talent is something we like to do; however we are now at the stage where we want to recruit more marquee names such as yourself to the company. Alliances are now a big part of MMA, how does it feel to be representing a massive alliance like LOD as one of their greatest fighters? And how is old Mentor doing these days? Richards: Too many people, can’t know everyone. Every now and then I face some other alliance member. I know a lot of them look up to me and I try to be an example to them. There is a lot of potential out there. Regarding Mentor, never met him. I’ve seen him a couple of times in the gym talking to my manager but never stopped to talk to him. He is the one pulling us together and as it seems, he hasn’t slowed even a bit. Things are going great at LOD right now and that’s all up to the big boss. CM: That’s good to know; it is one hell of an alliance, credit to Mentor to keep it going so long. With MMA, age is always a big question when it comes to top fighters, how much more damage can you take etc. You are a unique case because at 36 years old; not exactly young for a fighter, you haven’t had a whole lot of fights, so in fight years you may still be quite young. What’s your take on this? How much longer do you see yourself fighting for? What is left to accomplish in the career of Viv Richards? Richards: I dropped my career for some time after my previous manager decided to leave. It was quite a bummer. But then Whymer invited me to join him. I took the challenge and have no regrets! I’m glad I could move on and I think I’m proving I’m capable. Yet, unfortunately I’m not a kid anymore. Age brings wisdom but a lot of pain too. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of bed and spar with the rookies in the morning. It’s hard to keep up the pace. I have a big stack of painkillers at home and I need it quite frequently. I won’t lie, retirement is not that far. I think I can push to 40 but it will depend on how much my body can take until then. The next generation is coming. My buddy Wein just won Syn’s MW tournament and become their champion. He will be carry on the torch for us one day. There is a lot of buzz going around from the fans and the media wondering about a match between me and Todd. We have been swapping places as the best MW out there for a while. Is this fight will ever happen? Who knows? CM: Let’s finish on a good one then so last question; you vs Lester Jangles. What’s the outcome? What method? What round? Let’s have a prediction from you. Richards: (laughs) My friend, no spoilers here. My gameplan is between me and my manager. All can I say is that I see another win coming at my way. Lester is a great fighter and I’ll bet he will make it hard for me but at the end, the referee will be raising my hand! CM: Ok Viv that concludes our time in this interview; thank you for your time and good luck on May 21st. Thank you to everybody who tuned in to this awesome edition. I’ve been Chael Mir interviewing the great Viv Richards. Make sure you tune in to his fight on May 21st at 6pm in HILO only at Steel Penn – ICON.

SP-ICON: Kingdom Come Preview and Predictions: Full fight card here: http://www.mmatycoon.com/orgupcomingeventpublic.php?EvID=859364 Prelims: Bob Backlund vs Hendo Riggs Riggs via TKO (Round 1) Malachi Leatherwood vs Heinz Doofenshmirtz Doofenshmirtz via Submission (Round 2) Nick Evans vs Ceasar Morgan Evans via Unanimous Decision Ruarc Harris vs Edwin Jordan Jordan via TKO (Round 3) Alexandr Kuznetsov vs Asa Sharp Kuznetsov via Unanimous Decision Main Card: Gerard Esqueda vs Ryan Hopkins Analysis: A close fight on paper between two guys whose very best days may well be behind them; however both have something left in the tank still. Esqueda is currently on a four fight winning streak since arriving at SP – ICON; using his versatility to mix his striking with takedowns nicely. Ryan Hopkins is a very solid fighter as well; even at 35 years old. He has excellent striking and decent anti-wrestling abilities. He has beaten former SP-ICON Lightweight Champion Bear Stevenson twice; and Bear has only tended to lose to very good fighters. Prediction: Interesting stylistic matchup and a tough one to call. Hopkins is on a decent run but I don’t see him beating Esqueda here. It will be competitive but Esqueda will score points on the feet and will mix this up with landing the odd takedown. Ultimately I am picking Esqueda because his game is just a little more well-rounded; and neither fighter has massive finishing ability, nor are they easy to finish, so it will go the distance in a tensely close affair. Esqueda via Unanimous Decision Mark Coleman Jr vs Sean Richards Analysis: This is a matchup between two Bantamweights trying to really put a stamp on the division. Sean Richards won the first fight between the two; where Coleman tapped out to strikes. It may be smart money to say that a similar outcome happens again. Sean Richards is younger and he is by far the better striker. Coleman must adapt and use his wrestling more efficiently if he is to win this fight. It will be interesting to see how the fight plays out; with most people expecting to see Coleman blown out the water again, however he has the advantage of losing the first fight; he knows he must do something differently. Prediction: There is a big temptation to go with Sean Richards here; based on the age difference and how quickly and decisively he won the first fight. He does have vastly better striking. However; there is one key factor. Coleman didn’t shoot in for a single takedown in their last fight; surely this will not happen again. His takedowns and ground and pound are his bread and butter; and takedown defence also happens to be a weakness for Sean Richards. Look for Coleman to try to drag the fight to the ground at all costs. He will score three takedowns; he will win three rounds. Coleman via Unanimous Decision Bruce Armstrong vs Steven Stark Analysis: A matchup in the infamous Featherweight Division of SP-ICON between two fighters in the upper mid-tier of the division. Armstrong is a one dimensional submission artist; where Stark is a pretty versatile fighter; winning fights in many different ways. Armstrong is coming off of two losses; however they were to the top fighters in the division, so he still has plenty to offer the sport as a fighter. Steven Stark is coming off of an impressive knockout of Caesar Morgan. He has a couple of submission wins; but he will be looking to keep this one standing; as striking is his opponent’s weakest area. Prediction: Quite tough to pick, but I will go with Stark as he is just a slightly better fighter, it is quite simple. Stark will light Armstrong up on the feet. It will not be close. Armstrong may get the odd takedown along the way, but Stark is a black belt; he will not get submitted by Armstrong, he will use his own ground game to threaten from the bottom and escape back to his feet. He will finish Bruce Armstrong late on. Steven Stark via TKO (Round 3) Dom Diego vs William King Analysis: This is quite a sad rematch; and one that speaks volumes to the depth or lack thereof in the Heavyweight Division of SP-ICON. Unfortunately there are not too many fighters who are available and willing in the current state of MMA. SP ICON will be hoping they can use their recent acquisitions at lower weights to spur some movement at Heavyweight where they are now short. This rematch is mildly interesting because Dom Diego is such a savvy veteran, although he did not fare too well last time out. William King is a beast; he has striking skills and knockout power. He will be looking to repeat his performance against Dom Diego the first time, where he stopped him in the second round in a dominant showing. Prediction: Dom Diego just has to do something differently this time. Whether it’s swing for the fences, go for relentless takedowns or even pull guard. He has been a great fighter, but at his age; his once great chin simply won’t hold up to King’s savage power. I don’t see any other outcome than another violent stoppage, but it will be sooner this time. King via KO (Round 1) Ian Smith vs David Wuzz Analysis: A striker vs grappler matchup to decide who will be the next champion at 205lb. The title is vacant and has left SP-ICON with another thin division. Both of these men have alternated wins since arriving at SP-ICON. It is not an awe-inspiring matchup name wise. But it is intriguing stylistically; can Ian Smith score another knockout win or can Wuzz find a way to force this one to the ground, and submit his less mat-skilled opponent. Prediction: The smart money is on Smith here, and for good reason. He has proven capable of anti-wrestling and is a very prolific knockout artist. This on paper would spell trouble for Wuzz’s jiu jitsu reliant style. However; I’m going with the underdog here; Wuzz knows he has no chance standing, and I think he will be so relentless in his pursuit of the ground game, that Smith will have no means of stopping it. If Wuzz has to pull guard he will, but his ground game is on another level and he will get the tap early in this one. Wuzz via Submission (Round 1)

It is a massive improvement on the first EA UFC; that game was garbage, but it still needs a major overhaul next time. I have a love/hate relationship with that game; as it can be tactical and fun but also infuriating at the same time.

That was actually mentioned twice; in Randy's admission which I included in the post and at our offer of resolution; where it was mentioned again.

Hello to everybody roaming the forum, I am making this statement on the behalf of ICON Alliance in light of the recent events involving one of our managers; Randy Richards. First of all; as an Alliance would like to apologise to all the managers that were working very hard to keep Highland Kickboxing afloat before all of this happened. ICON Alliance apologises to El Tico Stefan; Callum McGregor (Clydebankblitz) and also Joe Lang of Sully’s Bar and Grill (jhinh) as all your hard work to keep the org afloat has been wasted and we are very sorry for this. We would also like to apologise to the managers who have had fighters signed to this organisation and now have nowhere else to go as their fighter is stuck on the Island with no other active orgs; we are truly sorry for your inconveniences. Randy is somebody we trusted; suffice to say we are all deeply upset and disappointed that this has happened. When asked for his side of the story Randy said; “I don’t have much to say, I've done some stupid shit and I regret it. But I can’t fix it. I have done multi accounting and have stolen tycoon cash from Highland Kickboxing. But the fact that someone bought me VIP and I didn’t pay them back is not true, its bullshit but I've flushed my reputation down the toilet so bad that even if I show people proof they will say I’m lying/photo-shopping. There is nothing that can be done.” We subsequently gave Randy two options going forward; as we believe in second chances and we believed he was genuinely sorry for his actions, we offered him this resolution in a personal message: “Number 1. You leave the ICON Alliance and settle whatever you need to settle in your own way. Number 2. We keep hold of you; subject to a vote by all of our members, and on the basis that you delete all of your multi-accounts (You must disclose all of them to the Alliance so we know when it has been done) on top of that any businesses/orgs/gyms that you have opened/created with your multi-accounts must also be closed. A lot of people got fucked over here, there's no way we can make it right with everyone, but we can offer some resolution/compensation to the three people who got fucked over most. Callum McGregor is the main one. Pay him 50% of what you stole: $343,162.38 El Tico Stefan is another. Pay him 25% of what you stole: $171,581.19 Joe Lang of Sully's bar and Grill, another supporting figure in the org. Pay him also 25%: $171,581.19 You may not have all these funds available to you right now but you could pay in installments, we can do the maths and work this out properly. If you can meet these conditions we will have a vote and see what we can work out. What's it gonna be Randy? Number 1 or Number 2?” These were the options that Randy was offered, subject to a vote of confidence from all of our Alliance members; as they would also have the right to ask him to leave as all of them work very hard on their businesses and fight-management, and may have felt the reputation of ICON was tarnished. However; the latest update is that Randy Richards has now left the ICON Alliance of his own accord. He said this before leaving; “I would want to stay; but I think leaving ICON would be best because I don’t want to ruin its reputation as well. So I will leave ICON. But I will pay these 3 people back, one way or another, I have to slowly start earning the cash and start doing it.” Whilst remorse does not excuse his actions; as our former friend and alliance member, we would like you to see that his words are words of just that; remorse. Nobody is asking anybody to forgive Randy for what he has done, however we would ask you to understand that he is already undergoing punishment; · He has left his Alliance; where he was pretty well liked, out of respect for their reputation. · He clearly regrets his actions and he cannot make it right. · He is being chastised by the forum. · His reputation is compromised pretty much forever. (If Mentor is anything to go by) · He must now find a way to pay everyone back. The point is; Randy was our friend, and he has let everybody down in a horrendously bad way. What he did was inexcusable and we are not trying to defend it, we are letting people know that he is paying the price for it. There is no need to add salt to the wound, he can’t fix it, but he is trying to redeem himself according to his words, so we feel he should be given the chance to do that. We also believe that the Real life cash allegation is relatively baseless without evidence and this needs to be looked into further, as it is a struggle to see why Randy would deny this if it’s true; it’s not like he had anything to lose by admitting it. Once again; we are extremely sorry for the extreme upset, inconvenience and anger that Randy Richards’ actions have caused so many people, now he must rebuild and ICON must move on. We are sorry Chael Mir (On behalf of ICON Alliance)

SP-ICON: MARSHAL VS ONCHOOTO Preview and Predictions The full fight card can be found here: http://www.mmatycoon.com/orgupcomingeventpublic.php?EvID=858832 Welcome to the preview of an incredible event. Since I joined Steel Penn – ICON two months ago as the interview writer, this is by far the best, most stacked event they have produced and I would like to produce a preview worthy of that billing. It will be the same structure as always; with the result predictions for the prelims, and then a little bit of analysis followed by what I think will happen in the fight. This main event is sure to produce fireworks; the rest of the card will do likewise. Here we go with some quick-fire Prelim predictions: Prelims: Red Belt vs Kuula Natsi Natsi via Submission (Round 1) Brett Helix vs Greg Dellaria Helix via TKO (Round 2) Gordan Lamond vs Giovanni Muratore Lamond via Unanimous Decision Dave Klincko vs Nir Sosa Sosa via Unanimous Decision Danjie Mercado vs Jeremy Pettis Pettis via TKO (Round 1) Main Card: K.J Choi vs Tural Agaev Analysis: We kick off the main card with an exciting battle of two of the top heavyweights in the organisation, great matchmaking to start the card with a bang here. K.J Choi; at 40 years of age, is considered by many to be past his prime. These arguments have weight as he hasn’t fought for a belt in any organisation in years. However, he is coming off of two impressive first round stoppages, and with a win over former two time championship contender Tural Agaev, his stock could rise higher than it has in years, and he could put his name right in the mix as a contender in an exciting but shallow Heavyweight Division. Tural Agaev is a stud; unfortunately, he is a stud that gets cut a hell of a lot. If he could stop getting cut, he could well have been a two time champion rather than contender. He will be out to make a statement here; he is frustrated as he just fought for the title, and probably feels he could have continued despite being stopped on his cut, he will look to win this fight decisively and ferociously. Prediction: K.J Choi’s best chance here is the same route to victory which he pretty much always tries to take. If he can take Agaev down and open up a cut with his ground and pound, he may be able to force a stoppage by way of cut; a proven path to victory against Agaev. However; Agaev has power; he is angry and he is out to prove a point. All of this spells trouble for Choi; whose chin has never looked particularly convincing, even in his prime. Tural Agaev will come out swinging and will finish Choi with a barrage of vicious strikes. It will be quick; it will be brutal and it will be awesome! Agaev via TKO (Round 1) Bach Schtrappe vs Ingemar Anders Analysis: Our next fight features a former two division champion; as Ingemar Anders looks to continue his forward momentum at 155lb after narrowly edging fellow veteran Alexandr Kuznetsov in a close decision last time out. Looking like he still has it, Anders will look to take one more step in his climb back to the summit of SP – ICON, with another workmanlike performance. Bach Schtrappe is looking really dangerous recently; going 4-1 from his last 5; and all four of those fights were finishes. He is starting to make his mark on SP – ICON, and has the opportunity to do it in quite possibly the biggest challenge of his career. If he can find a way to finish; or even defeat Ingemar Anders; his career will be set alight in a huge way. He must create chaos in the cage if he wants to win this fight; with his opponent a scrappy matador with a penchant for winning decisions. Prediction: Not the most even fight in the world on paper, but it should make for a fun little scrap; with both fighters carrying confidence and momentum into the bout. Bach Schtrappe has a real opportunity here, beating a two division champion would be great for his career, and he does have finishing ability; but unfortunately Ingemar Anders is very tough to finish. Bach Shctrapppe will give as good as he gets in this fight; forcing his way into the pocket and landing big shots, however, Anders will be able to control the pace of the fight for the most part. His volume will ensure he wins the majority of exchanges, and proves just how much title experience counts for in a clear cut decision win. Ingemar Anders via Unanimous Decision Cletus Landry vs Johnny Unkown Analysis: This fight is a very interesting striker vs grappler matchup. Johnny Unkown is all about Jiu Jitsu; whereas Landry is a striker with both power and point fighting abilities. Unkown is a former world champion at SP-ICON and would likely be the bookmakers’ favourite. His submissions are straight up deadly; he submitted Danjie Mercado, an excellent grappler in his own right; on two separate occasions, once to defend his Bantamweight Title when he was the champion. He will definitely be looking to make it a quick night against Landry, with an early takedown and submission to put himself back in title contention. Landry on the other hand; is a talented fighter by all accounts. He has only just joined SP-ICON; defeating Mercado by Unanimous Decision. He will be looking to finally hit his stride with some consistency; in a career where he has often alternated wins and losses going from the sublime to the ridiculous. He will be looking to thwart the takedowns of Unkown and escape to his feet when he is taken down, as he has a very clear advantage in the striking here. It is a great opportunity for Landry to score arguably the most significant win of his career. Prediction: It may be a bold move; but I will go with the perceived underdog in this fight. Johnny Unkown is a great grappler and a very relevant fighter in the 135lb division. However; stylistically this is a very tough fight for him. Cletus Landry has excellent takedown defence and very strong escapes, this will make it tough for Johnny Unknown to take him down, and hold him down long enough to submit him. Cletus Landry will play it safe on the feet; landing accurate shots; slamming leg kicks into Unknowns thighs, and he will make himself very hard to takedown and submit. He will win a dominant decision and put himself right up there in the Bantamweight Division. Landry via Unanimous Decision Noel Contemprato vs Lamont Sanford Analysis: A title fight here between two guys in completely different places. An innovative way for SP-ICON to get Lamont Sanford into a fight in a big event before lining up a possible super fight. We will see what happens. Sanford is an incredible champion and one of the best P4P fighters at SP-ICON who always finds a way to hold onto his belt. He has not lost for 8 fights and has basically cleared the division. He will be a big favourite in this matchup; he will look to use his striking and his gas tank to go hard and dominate the fight for as long as he needs to. Contemprato has not fought at Lightweight for quite some time. He has been fighting at Openweight; where he did actually win the belt, and has fought fighters who have outweighed him considerably. He has been put back to Lightweight in light of the recent changes to the SP-ICON organisation. His style is similar to Sanford’s; he is an anti-wrestler, although he puts slightly more emphasis on the finish; having finished some guys that are quite a lot bigger than him. He will look to use this to his advantage and try to test the chin of his opponent. Prediction: Both men have phenomenal chins; Lamont Sanford has only lost by TKO once, and that was in his first ever MMA fight. Noel Contemprato has taken shots from heavier men and managed to come out with his consciousness intact; Sanford’s power will not trouble him. However; this fight is a mismatch skill-wise. Contemprato has not won a fight at Lightweight since before he was 40 years old. This will not be close. Lamont Sanford will put the volume on Contemprato and will win dominantly; he will not lose a round. He will not get caught by a big shot, he has an excellent chin and will not get hit much. Another dominant win for the champion; let’s hope an interesting super fight can be found for him afterwards. Sanford via Unanimous Decision Eliah Marshal vs Moses Onchooto Analysis: What a fight! Our main event is a fight which could truly go either way, a true super fight within the organisation, of which there will hopefully be many more. Both the champions of their respective divisions; Marshal will look to make his most impressive title defence yet; where Moses Onchooto will be looking to unify the belts and become a two division champion. Moses Onchooto is the smaller man coming in; however, he has serious power in his hands; feet elbows and knees. He has shown some vulnerability to submissions; however that probably won’t be a factor in this fight as Marshal is more interested in the striking game. Onchooto’s game is fast and explosive; he is very dangerous both from distance and in the clinch; where his knees and elbows really do a number on opponents. His striking defence has also improved exponentially as of late and his gas tank should allow him to go five rounds without a problem. Eliah Marshal has established himself as one of the most dominant champions at SP-ICON; and you sense he may be on the cusp of being world renowned for his performances as a Featherweight; already ranked in the top ten of his weight class. He has been undefeated in all but one fight in SP-ICON; which was a contentious decision against Andr De Fran; a top class fighter in his heyday. Marshal seems to really have come into his own recently; his style is a little more straight forward than Onchooto’s, as he relies on strong takedown defence and excellent boxing, combined with good work in the clinch to dismantle his opposition. Marshal will be trying to use his size advantage, which will almost certainly give him an advantage in the clinch, a big area in this fight. Prediction: This is so evenly matched that I have been flip-flopping between both for quite some time, I feel like I may eat my words whoever I pick here. Marshal has to be the slight favourite due to his size and superior record in SP-ICON, however Onchooto is a slightly more creative fighter with his strikes; he throws more kicks and may have a slight speed advantage, which will give him the advantage at range. I think Marshal will be trying to wear Onchooto down in the clinch; won’t be landing a whole lot of clean shots but will be controlling, which will win a couple of rounds. However I believe Onchooto’s striking will come into play; he will rock Marshal late on, and whilst he won’t finish him; he will do enough to make an impression on the judges over Marshal’s likely more controlling game plan. It will be controversial, but the belts will be unified in a tremendous fight, and there will likely be calls for a rematch. Onchooto via Split Decision to become the new Featherweight Champion Thank you all for reading; and I look forward to providing more previews like this one once we are done with this mega event, feel free to let me know your thoughts. And PM me if you would like an interview for your fighter(s). Chael Mir

SP-ICON Welterweight Tournament Preview and Predictions: Full fight card can be found at: http://www.mmatycoon.com/orgupcomingeventpublic.php?EvID=858312 Prelims: Crash Course vs Freddy Steel: Prediction: Freddy Steel via KO (Round 1) Joey Nix vs Max Kaz Prediction: Max Kaz via TKO (Round 1) Axl Rose vs Tyson Pain Prediction: Axl Rose via TKO (Round 2) Hugo Lewis vs Allen Robinson Prediction: Allen Robinson via TKO (Round 1) The Steel Penn Alliance vs Guywaun Lopez Lopez Prediction: Lopez Lopez via TKO (Round 2) MAIN CARD: Don Julio vs Tommy Lynch Analysis: Two guys coming off losses; however one needs a win to stay relevant (Lynch) and the other (Julio) needs a win to stay in the mix for a title shot once the Welterweight tournament is over. Lynch has will be looking to use his superior wrestling to win a decision here, whereas Julio will be looking to win convincingly and skyrocket himself right back into the title picture. Both guys have a good gas tank and will be ready to go hard, it should be a very interesting fight. Prediction: Tommy Lynch has a lot of promise, he is talented and still only 26; but he has a very tall order in front of him here. Don Julio has been around for a while; he is very experienced and is one of the better fighters in the division. Don Julio just has a better skillset at this point; Lynch’s only chance is to use his wrestling to grind out a decision; it is hard to imagine him submitting Julio. I think Julio will use his superior boxing to outwork Lynch and will frustrate him by thwarting most of Lynch’s takedown attempts. He will pick Lynch apart and eventually finish him late on. Don Julio via TKO (Round 3) Juan Corrida vs Rami Harris Analysis: Two pretty well rounded fighters who have no particular speciality. Corrida is the “Openweight” champion so to speak and has been fighting and beating some big guys recently. Harris has been fighting the best of the best recently and he has struggled, coming off of a 3 fight win streak. He will feel hard done by not to still be in the welterweight tournament, after dropping a razor thin split decision to semi-finalist Tourney Champ. As the younger fighter; Harris has more of a future in the sport than his opponent, however; Corrida has not lost a step yet and is still in the top 200 in the world. At 40 years of age; he will be looking to make his own mark on his natural weight division. Prediction: This will be well contested in all areas; neither of these guys runs away with the fight in any singular area. I will go with Corrida as he has a slight advantage in all areas. I think the striking will be close with Corrida getting a slight edge. Corrida will then mix up some clinch or some takedowns to solidify his control on the action. Corrida will win all three rounds by a narrow margin. Harris will be competitive, but he just doesn’t have enough in his locker to do something which will swing this in his favour. Corrida has a much better record and slightly better skills, regardless of his age. He takes this in a clean sweep. Juan Corrida via Unanimous decision Salvatore Corozzo vs Juan Cabrillo Analysis: A veteran of SP ICON; Juan Cabrillo looks to test his wits and skills against resurgent Welterweight beast Salvatore Corozzo. Corozzo beat Don Julio in dominant fashion; without a doubt the most impressive performance of the first round; quite possibly making him the odds on favourite to be the next welterweight champion. Cabrillo also had a very impressive performance, taking a clear cut decision in a rematch against Simon Morgan. The grappling in this fight is pretty evenly matched, with Cabrillo more likely to try to turn it into a grappling match, due to Corozzo possessing better power and overall striking ability. Prediction: Cabrillo is a tough fight for anybody, and he will be a tough fight for Salvatore Corozzo. That being said; I just can’t bet against Corozzo here; his win against Don Julio was so impressive, he just looks on another level at the moment. He will pepper Cabrillo with strikes for three rounds, and will defend enough of the takedown attempts to win a clear cut decision. Cabrillo is impressive and will make it competitive; but I don’t see him troubling Corozzo here. Salvatore Corozzo via Unanimous Decision Alex Mercer vs Tourney Champ Analysis: This is an interesting fight; as both guys have only had one fight in SP ICON thus far. This was in the first round of this same Welterweight Tournament; where both guys came away looking pretty good. Alex Mercer knocked out Max Kaz, who is known by SP ICON fans for his ability to both hit hard and to take one hell of a shot. Mercer played a blinder there. Tourney Champ came through by a split decision against SP – ICON veteran Rami Harris. It may have been close; but most people (myself included) expected Harris to outclass Tourney Champ. It is an impressive win for the 26 year old who hopefully has a long and interesting career to look forward to with SP – ICON. Prediction: Tourney Champ is a fresh and exciting prospect in the division; he has many good years in the sport ahead of him as he enters his prime. However; as exciting as he may be; he simply does not have enough to trouble Mercer here. Mercer is better in every area; and will keep the fight standing as he always likes to do. He will dominate the first round of action culminating with a knockout late in that same frame. Alex Mercer via KO (Round 1) Simon Morgan vs Gray Vick Analysis: Very confusing to have this as the main event; it does not have any of the implications of either of the semi-finals of the Welterweight Tournament. Gray Vick is a debutant at SP – ICON; and has been alternating wins with losses in his last few fights. Simon Morgan has a good overall record in SP – ICON and would be considered pretty experienced in the promotion; however he has lost his last two, and has not looked good in either of them, he will be hoping to rebound here. Prediction: This is a simple striker vs grappler matchup. Vick will try to lure the fight into his favourite area; the ground game, where he submits most of the people who end up there with him. Morgan will try to do what he always does; defend takedowns, score strikes, win by decision. In the modern world of MMA, most people give the striker (Morgan) the advantage in this situation. However, I am going to be bold and say that due to Vick being closer to his prime and having a slightly better recent run in MMA, he will pull guard and submit Morgan in the first frame. Gray Vick via Submission (Round 1)

SP ICON: Hoo V.S. Adams Preview and Predictions For full fight card see the Steel Penn - ICON official page: http://www.mmatycoon.com/orgpublic.php?oid=2905 Prelims: Danny Mangold vs Kevin Raybould Prediction: Mangold via Submission (Round 1) Darwin Strapp vs Lionel Santos Prediction: Santos via Unanimous Decision Arvo Laar vs Don T. Bill Prediction: Bill via Submission (Round 2) Ruslan Mstislav Volkov vs Wedge Xiii Prediction: Volkov via Unanimous Decision Wooden Pencil vs Hank Armtrong Prediction: Pencil via KO (Round 1) Main Card: The Steel Penn vs Mr Ward Analysis: Two ground guys who both have the same manager. Steel Penn has the better stand up, but it’d be a shame if this fight didn’t end up on this ground. Steel Penn is more experienced and has been fighting in SP – ICON for longer, however; Mr Ward is an exciting prospect with unbelievably good ground skills. This one depends almost completely on Steel Penn’s strategy. There isn’t a whole load of divisional relevance but it will sure as hell be fun! Prediction: Steel Penn has much better standup and may choose this avenue for victory; however the tendency of both of these guys will lead to a war of jiu jitsu on the ground. As a rare red belt at only 25 years of age; you simply have to give Mr Ward the advantage in those circumstances. After a war of attrition on the ground, he hands Steel Penn a first career loss by submission. Mr Ward via Submission (Round 2) Keni Susi vs Sutter Cane Analysis: The old guard vs the new blood; Sutter Cane; although 28 years of age, should still be regarded as a prospect because of how few fights he has actually had in MMA. He is an excellent anti-wrestler, extremely hard to take down, he is extremely well conditioned and he can punch very hard for a featherweight too. Susi on the other hand; is a veteran of MMA at 45 years of age, this will be his 80th professional MMA fight. He will be hoping to put the upstart Cane in his place; after Cane exploded onto the SP ICON scene with a KO of Wedge Xiii. In order to do so, he has to find a way to put Cane on his back and work his favoured jiu jitsu game against his less experienced opponent. Cane must look to avoid the ground game completely if he wants to keep his impressive undefeated record intact. Prediction: Susi is still a tough out for a lot of fighters and this fight will be all him if it gets to the ground; but I don’t think it will. I think the young gun Cane plays it safe, stays away from the grappling and gets the better of the striking pretty easily, en-route to a comfortable decision win which once again shows Susi’s limitations in the modern MMA world, and puts Cane one more step up the divisional ladder. Cane via Unanimous Decision Pikku Nilkki vs Danny White Analysis: This is a pretty difficult fight to call as both guys are in a pretty good spot in the division. White has just bounced back convincingly from a two fight losing streak and Nilkki is on a nifty little 4 fight winning streak. Stylistically this is a prototypical “Striker vs Grappler” matchup. Nilkki wins most fights by knockout whereas White is a more grappling orientated fighter; although he has improved his striking quite a lot over the years. White is a fair bit more experienced; despite having a worse record than Nilkki so it will be interesting to see how their tactical approaches work against each other. Expect a cat and mouse chess match here. Prediction: I predict a slow tentative first round with each guy trying to figure out what the other one will try to do. Nilkki may be able to frustrate White with his striking early on but I have to go with White here. He has wins over far better competition; including Finn Balor, who is now likely no.1 contender to the belt in a stacked 145lb division. After a close first round; White takes the fight into his abode, gets the tap as he is so accustomed to doing and gives us another hilariously entertaining post fight interview. White via Submission (Round 2) Kyle Collins vs Jimmy James Analysis: A rematch that nobody really understands between Kyle Collins; who is in his prime, and Jimmy James, who is not. Both of their last fights were against each other so we can’t expect that too much has changed in between the time they last fought and now. James is riding a four fight losing streak; and at 39 years old there can’t be a lot left for him in the world of MMA. On the other hand; Collins is on a good run and another win over James should give him a fight of a bit more divisional relevance. Prediction: I don’t see enough major differences from last time to predict a different outcome. The end will happen quicker this time; because Collins will have more of a stand up game plan than last time. Look for Collins to impose his will early and put the old man out without much of an issue. Collins via KO (Round 1) Kimroy Hoo vs JR Adams Analysis: In the 185lb division; we have a potential title contender fight in the main event; between JR Adams; who just fought for the belt and Kimroy Hoo, who is on a two fight win streak and has a penchant for knocking guys out. Adams is more of a ground fighter, a submission artist who is also strong, fast and athletic. Wrestling and anti-wrestling will be key to the outcome of this matchup. JR Adams could put himself right back in the mix with a win; while Hoo will be thinking that if he can win convincingly over the guy who last fought for the belt, that he will get the next crack at Jangles. Prediction: Now most will be thinking that this will either end by knockout or submission, but these are two durable well rounded guys with very good conditioning. Both of them are also competent in the other one’s strongest suit. Adams has pretty decent striking whilst Hoo is a brown belt on the ground who has never been submitted; this is a close fight. I believe it goes the distance. I think they will both take a couple of rounds each with Hoo doing just enough and landing some big shots at the end to score a razor thin decision victory which may be debated for some time. Hoo via Split Decision

Thanks for the feedback MasterLeader; Hasashi is very good; I think his morale is low because he lost; in a fight which I don't really understand how he lost. I will definitely keep an eye on that though. Bitchping is alright but I need to train his striking defense It's funny you should say that about Stone and Grinder, I have a three and out rule; they are both close to the chopping block. If they lose their next fights I'll be releasing them. I've actually never had a prior account, I was fresh and new to this game in January

Least favourite: Probably Jacob Koch. I know he still has a winning record and his primaries actually make him look pretty awesome. I just don't like the fact he has had a five fight losing streak just before you signed him. I don't think he's necessarily past the point of no return but at 29 he should be entering the prime of his career but his best rank was a long way fro where he is now. He obviously has some skills standing however there must be something wrong with him. He seems to get taken down pretty easily by the level of guys he is facing; and despite having the hidden of a granite chin, he has been knocked out 5 times and beaten in all sorts of other ways. He can turn it around but has not done his primaries justice at this point, for whatever reason that may be. Favourite: Definitely Davie Brophy! Whilst he may not be the best fighter on your roster; he is definitely the most interesting. he has proven capable of winning fights in all sorts of ways. He can knock people out and win by decision. Not to mention he started as a white belt and turned into a brown belt that proved to be capable of submitting other brown belts, phenomenal management there. Also he has one of the best comeback wins I have seen on this game against Anton Altair; where the commentary had Brophy 3 rounds down and he comes back and finishes Altair in the fourth. He has a lot of potential and holds a really cool looking DX belt at the moment. Must work on his wrestling but that's besides the point, really exciting fighter. Worst: Garrett Bukovsky. He is not the worst fighter on the roster. But he is the first fighter I would sack. He has only fought the same guy in the last nine months and has gone 5-6 against him. Has a habit of being submitted through most of his career. He does have good boxing but he is 36 years old. His biggest upside is his granite chin; which will soon be gone at his age, he will never get to the level he once was so I would get rid (I know he is used as a spar bot though) Best: Robert Barentheon. I don't always agree with who the rankings say are a manager's best fighter but I feel like Barentheon's style is really well suited for MMA Tycoon as it stands at the moment. He is an anti-wrestler with great TDD and hits very hard. I know he has been knocked out a couple of times recently; but he is still very young at 24 and has a fair bit of time to still improve. I see he is currently unsigned so i'm sure you will be maxing out on his striking defense. He has the potential to be a top 25 in the world heavyweight I believe.

SP ICON: The King is Back Preview and Predictions: (Full fight card on company website) Prelims: Mark Coleman vs Erkki Elastinen: Prediction: Elastinen via Submission (Round 2) Sean Juan vs Asa Sharp: Prediction: Sharp via unanimous decision Ceasar Morgan vs Steven Stark: Prediction: Stark via KO (Round 1) David Wuzz vs Onizuka Streseman: Prediction: Streseman via Unanimous Decision Bear Stephenson vs Ryan Hopkins: Hopkins via Unanimous Decision Main Card: Heinz Doofenshmirtz vs Mark Avreli Analysis: This is a rematch of two fighters who both have the capability to step up to heavyweight contention with a win; it has not been an easy ride for either of them as of late. Avreli; despite his talents, has not yet registered a win under the Steel Penn – ICON banner despite his talents. Meanwhile Doofenshmirtz has gone 1-1 since the last meeting between the pair; meaning that on paper there is not an awful lot to gain from fighting Avreli who is on a 3 fight losing streak. This fight is likely to be contested mainly on the feet; with Doofenshmirtz taking a submission win last time; but Avreli being the better wrestler, so he will likely choose the sprawl and brawl approach here, as he is also the more powerful striker of the two. Prediction: Doofenshmirtz’s win last time by triangle choke; whilst quite possibly being an anomaly; will deter Avreli; from his favoured takedown-heavy approach. Avreli may mix in the odd takedown, but Doofenshmirtz will defend well enough on the ground to avoid being finished there. On the feet, look for a tactical chess match, with Doofenshmirtz’s higher mobility and volume eventually winning out against Avreli’s superior power. Doofenshmirtz via Unanimous Decision Zoe Harris vs Cameron Poe Analysis: Two exciting debutants of Steel Penn – ICON will go up against each other in this Welterweight bout. Both are looking to add a new chapter to their career in the organisation, and this fight is a great opportunity for both of them to make a start on that. For Zoe Harris; formerly ranked in the top 500 P4P in the world, he could catapult back up the rankings and open up some great opportunities with a win. For Cameron Poe; it is a chance to make an impression in a new organisation with what would be the biggest win of his career. Prediction: These two both prefer the stand up over the ground game so this one will be contested at kickboxing range. Poe’s best chance is to take this to the clinch; where his punching power may be most damaging, Harris has lost fights there before. Harris will be looking to do what he does best; out strike his opponent and avoid any serious damage. Harris’ chin is questionable at this point, and Poe has a real puncher’s chance, but he just hasn’t beaten anyone of a high enough calibre to convince me he takes this fight. Poe will get his licks in, landing a few good shots; but in the end the more experienced Harris will jab, cross, stick and move his way to a relatively comfortable decision. Harris via Unanimous Decision Gerard Esqueda vs Alexandr Kusnetsov Analysis: It looked like it was the end for Gerard Esqueda; he was released by Synchronicity and by his manager after dropping three fights in a row. However; he has turned it around, rattling off 3 wins consecutively in his time with SP ICON so far. Alexandr Kusnetsov; whilst his level of competition has been higher; his results have been underwhelming winning only one of his last 5 since joining the organisation. At 27 years old; he will believe he has many good years left in him and will believe himself capable of beating his 38 year old opponent. Kusnetov has been a knockout or bust type of fighter for most of his career; while Esqueda tends to grind opponents out with his defensive striking and potent wrestling game. Prediction: Now whilst Esqueda is older; he has also faced better competition, not in SP ICON, but over the course of his career. Being 38, his best days may be slightly behind him; but he has not reached the point where his chin evaporates every time he gets hit; and it will serve him well here. Kusnetsov will come out looking for the KO, and the young bull will connect with some good shots, but it will not be enough. In the second frame; having weathered a bit of a storm, the savvy fox will outsmart the young bull and will take the fight to where he is more comfortable, the ground game. From here Esqueda will proceed to ground and pound Kusnetov out to prove he still has something left in the tank. Ezqueda via TKO (Round 2) Finn Balor vs Bruce Armstrong Analysis: Finn Balor has really hit his stride lately since losing to now champion in the division Eliah Marshal. He has won six of his last seven since that loss, and now attempts to avenge a loss to an old foe in submission machine Bruce Armstrong, who has just suffered a defeat to Marshal himself. In the first fight; in a surprising turn of events, Balor initiated the grappling exchange that ultimately led to his defeat, taking Armstrong down and tapping out just over a minute later. It will be interesting to see what both men do differently this time round. Armstrong faces limbo at the moment having suffered two losses to the current champion, so therefore must win to stay relevant in the division. Finn Balor will likely have done enough to earn a rematch with Marshal and a title shot in the process should he be victorious. Prediction: Armstrong is perhaps the best pure grappler in the division; his penchant for submission victories is refreshing in a world seemingly increasingly revolving around anti-wrestling. However; I don’t see him getting it done here; it is simply not his time, Finn Balor is finding his groove and at 36 years of age this may be his last run at winning a major belt. Bruce Armstrong is not under those kind of time constraints at 29 years old, which will mean that Balor just wants it a just that little bit more on fight night, and it will show. He will fight smarter; stuff the takedowns and get Armstrong out of there a couple of minutes in. Balor via KO (Round 1) Main Event: William King vs Dom Diego Analysis: Steel Penn – ICON have tried to generate more interest in their heavyweight division by moving established Light Heavyweight Dom Diego up a weight to challenge the newly crowned champion William King. It is certainly an interesting matchup, King is still a bundle of unfulfilled potential who has the heart and the punching power to be one of the most exciting and marketable heavyweight champions in the game. Dom Diego has got an extremely impressive record and it is a shame that he has not fought more. Due to some strange management early in his career, he was only fighting twice in a year which robbed him of an amazing career which he may have had. Championship gold has so far eluded Diego and he will be hungry to snatch it from the younger King’s grasp. King on the other hand will be equally as hungry to prove that he is deserving of the bout after he won the belt because of a cut to his opponent; unfortunate. Both these guys can crack; with Dom Diego also liking his takedowns and ground and pound. Prediction: Both of these guys have power; but most of Diego’s knockouts have come at Light heavyweight; King’s chin should be able to hold up. Diego will most likely get takedowns and get the better of a couple of rounds, but King’s cardio and finishing ability will eventually be the difference. King is no stranger to winning fights he has been dominated in, and I’m gonna say he continues the trend here. After losing a couple of rounds, he will start to test Diego’s chin as the older man starts to tire. He will catch him late on in the fight to put a feather in his cap and a will add a very credible first title defence to his championship reign. King via TKO (Round 4) By Chael Mir

A lot of people don't invest in many grapplers; often sacking them too early for the to get to maximum skill; there are so few grapplers in the top 10 P4P but that might well be because there just isn't as many grapplers as there are strikers as I have said previously in this thread

I would've thought Santiago Colon would've been up there for GOAT; as he retired as #1 P4P. Can't be too many others who've done that

I think Donny takes it by split decision and then retires; don't know how a 42 year old fighter has stayed atop the rankings this long; but it can't last forever and will most likely never happen again

I had this happen as well; it was frustrating; because my guy was on top and dominated the whole fight

For full fight card see SPFT Official page: http://www.mmatycoon.com/orgpublic.php?oid=2905 Tyson Pain (201722) vs Tommy Lynch (237110) Analysis: A welterweight bout between two fighters at drastically different stages of their careers. Tommy Lynch is just 25 years of age with an already impressive record of 5-1-1. He is still in the stage of rapid improvement and is getting better with every fight. Tyson Pain is currently in the worst run of his career with a 7 fight losing streak making him look a shadow of the fighter he once was. It is an interesting matchup; where both fighters tend to prefer the ground game, however you have to give Pain the advantage if it goes there. Lynch has much better striking; and Pain’s chin has never looked convincing; particularly of late, so this has to be the best path to victory. This matchup will be decided completely by the wrestling; who will decide where the fight ends up, and by Lynch’s decision making; as he has a tendency to take fights to the floor despite showing he has some excellent boxing skills. Prediction: Tyson Pain’s only chance in this matchup is if Lynch decides he wants to take him down; a very bad idea against a lethal submission artist. However; this will not happen; as Tommy Lynch now has an extremely tactically savvy manager. The younger man will thwart Pain’s takedowns at every turn and gradually wear him down with superior boxing. He will stop Pain late in the second round. Lynch by TKO (Round 2) The Steel Penn Alliance (203912) vs Dave Klincko (192819) Analysis: A good matchup which allows one of two fighters on losing streaks to bounce back and start a run. None of them are near the title at the moment but it is a fun fight to analyse nonetheless. It is a rematch of their fight in January; a competitive fight where SPA used his superior grappling to eventually submit Klincko. Not much has changed since then; Klincko has a slight advantage standing; SPA has a slight advantage in the wrestling, and SPA has the jiu jitsu advantage by a landslide. It is pretty much the same fight as last time; with them both on losing streaks. The fight will show whether or not Dave Klincko has made improvements in the necessary areas since the first fight. Prediction: Not enough has changed here to think it will go any differently than the first fight; SPA has always shown the ability to take his opponents down; and is a wizard on the ground; Klincko simply doesn’t have the tools to force a different result. Look for SPA to take this one to the ground and finish get him out of there early. The Steel Penn Alliance by Sub (Round 1) Freddy Steel (113791) vs Crash Course (126891) Analysis: A fun fight between two golden oldies of the MMA Tycoon world; this has the potential to bring fireworks; and everyone knows it. These guys will never recapture their past glory; but they both hit really hard, so who cares! Crash was once the best Light Heavyweight on the planet and despite falling on hard times of late; can still bang, albeit whilst being considerably less elusive. Freddy Steel has always been a huge guy and will hold a significant weight advantage come fight night. He will look to pin Crash down in a spot where he can tee off on him. Crash must look to stick and move more being the smaller guy; but should still look to test the chin of his opponent as often as he can. Both are terrific wrestlers who don’t really like to wrestle so we can be assured this will be a standup war. Prediction: Had his fight happened a few years ago; Crash would’ve put on an absolute masterclass which would have ended in a first round finish and mass hysteria from everybody watching. However; this is far from the case now, and the size will make a big difference. Freddy Steel will control the cage in this fight; and after a feeling out process will find Crash’s chin early and hurt him late in the first round. Crash will survive the first flurry, but will then be finished in short order after they come out for the second round. Freddy Steel KO (Round 2) Nick Evans (246961) vs Rukah Padero (219639) Analysis: An intriguing Featherweight battle between two solid fighters who are both struggling a little at the moment. They both have plenty of ability all over the cage; but don’t seem to be able to put any kind of consistent run together, hence this is a very difficult fight to analyse. The striking game is hard to call; Nick Evans will bring a slightly higher output of strikes whilst Padero will bring slightly more power. Nick Evans has never been knocked out though; so headhunting will be unlikely to get it done against him. Padero is the slightly better grappler on paper; but Evans is very effective off of his back; especially at stifling offence; so he will be no walk in the park on the ground. It will be relatively entertaining; but Nick Evans has a style that lends itself to going to close decisions; and this fight will be no different. Prediction: This will be a back and forth fight that has got decision written all over it; it will be a close one as well. At kickboxing distance; the fight will be close, with Evans working on high output and Padero landing big shots every so often. Padero will score the occasional takedown; and whilst he may not be able to do anything with Evans when he gets him down; it will be enough to earn the decision win. Padero by Split Decision (Round 3) K.J. Choi (127918) vs Guywaun Lopez Lopez (87201) Analysis: Another fight between two elder statesmen which has got very little divisional relevance; as one outweighs the other by almost 100 pounds. K.J. Choi has just rebounded from a tough streak with a mauling of Mateusz Puszke; while Lopez Lopez has lost three in a row since re-emerging following a three year break from fighting. This one will depend on whether Choi can force Lopez into a ground fight; because if he can; his weight will give him a huge helping hand. It will be interesting to see if Lopez can tap into his striking ability to defeat the oft knocked out Super heavyweight. Prediction: Not easy to call but strength of opposition is the decider here; Lopez may have lost three in a row; but they were all against younger; better opposition than he will face here. Lopez snaps the losing streak in a slow paced fight where he eventually finds the big man’s chin and puts the crowd out of their misery. Guywaun Lopez Lopez by TKO (Round 3) Max Kaz (183478) vs Alex Mercer (194718) Analysis: The first fight of the long awaited Welterweight Tournament! It’s a very exciting matchup too with both fighters preferring to stay vertical for the most part. They are also both on relatively good runs in their careers with Mercer coming off a KO victory; and Kaz coming off a competitive loss to Don Julio which was preceded by a 3 fight win streak. Kaz will fancy his chances of landing a big shot here; he has the better chin and does have the power to hurt Mercer as well. It’ll be interesting to see whether Kaz goes to the clinch or not here. Mercer is the superior technical striker; but also packs some serious power, so don’t be surprised to see him look for the finish here either. Mercer will be looking to make this a boxing match; whereas Kaz may look to chop his opponent’s legs down before lulling him to sleep. Both of them will want to make a statement that they are among the favourites to be the next Welterweight Champion. Prediction: Kaz is capable of getting the knockout victory here; but it won’t happen on this occasion. Mercer will control the distance and the pace of the fight, Kaz’s clinch will prove futile against Mercer’s excellent defence. Although Kaz will have his moments; Mercer will get the victory the safe way; being alert to Kaz’s power and leg kicks. Kaz has been stopped before, but his chin will hold up in this one; as Mercer takes a competitive; put clear decision. Mercer by Unanimous Decision (Round 3) Rami Harris (220474) vs Tourney Champ (249193) Analysis: This is a fight between a guy who was signed for this tournament; Tourney Champ and an already established Welterweight in Steel Penn – ICON; Rami Harris. Tourney Champ will be looking to make an impression by knocking the more experienced fighter out. Harris will be looking to get his career back on track after a rough patch and will be looking to set up possible rematches by advancing into the next round. Tactically; Tourney Champ will be looking to land a big KO in order to nullify his opponents more well-rounded game; whilst Rami Harris will most likely be looking to keep it simple and effective; avoid getting hit and control the pace of the fight wherever it goes. Prediction: Tourney Champ cannot knock Rami Harris out; Harris’s striking and chin are far too advanced for that. He cannot submit him; and even if he could, he cannot get the fight to the ground. Harris will control the fight in the stand up; he will clinch, he will land takedowns, he will win this fight everywhere. He will eventually submit Harris late on as this seems to be the area that the biggest difference in skill lies. Rami Harris by Submission (Round 3) Salvatore Corozzo (153386) vs Don Julio (194699) Analysis: If you pay attention to the world rankings; Don Julio is the favourite to win this whole thing and become the next Welterweight Champion. He is the highest ranked and has been with Steel Penn – ICON for a while as well. He has beaten some of the best the division has to offer; but make no mistake; this is a tough matchup for him. Salvatore Corozzo has beaten some of the best of the best in a stacked Welterweight Division at the recently defunct Cornell Cage Fighting. His relative inactivity also means that at 37; whilst his very best years may be behind him, he has not taken much damage and has never been knocked out. Don Julio has a lot of heart and can really scrap; so this one is the favourite for Fight of the Night for me. Prediction: They will go at it in the first round and they will both land big shots; neither fighter having a significant advantage. It is a very tough one to call but Corozzo has the edge; he has only ever lost twice and it is hard to see a way that Don Julio can convincingly win the fight. Corozzo also has a highly touted new manager, who will bring him back to his winning ways. He will keep Julio at the end of his punches and will land big shots towards the back end of the second round. He will not hesitate and will give Julio his first stoppage loss at SPFT. Corozzo by TKO (Round 2) Simon Morgan (177080) vs Juan Cabrillo (146585) Analysis: Another rematch here between two of the better Welterweights in the division; Juan Cabrillo and Simon Morgan are quite evenly matched. Even though Morgan won the first fight with his superior stand up; Cabrillo had his moments and was able to take Morgan down; he just wasn’t able to hold him there for very long. The next fight will be similar tactically with Morgan trying to repeat the anti-wrestling; escape-based performance of last time and Cabrillo trying to adjust in a way that allows him to make those takedowns count. It will be a very hotly contested fight; it won’t be the most exciting fight on the card but it will be so close that you won’t be able to take your eyes off of it. Prediction: As with a lot of rematches; the guy who lost the first fight has the advantage; Juan Cabrillo knows what he has to do differently to win this fight; and Morgan does not know what Cabrillo will be doing differently. Cabrillo will pace himself better; getting a few shots in in the striking portion of the fight. His pace will be more consistent and this will allow himself to score takedowns consistently. Morgan will escape a few but not all. Cabrillo will use his wrestling to grind out a razor thin split decision here; with Morgan still getting slightly the better of the stand up. Cabrillo by Split Decision (Round 3) WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: William King (235719) vs Tural Agaev (242780) Analysis: The highly anticipated bout for the vacant heavyweight belt is finally coming to fruition in a matchup between two warriors. Tural Agaev is a fighter still in his prime and has had numerous experience in SPFT. He deserves this shot and he is rightfully getting it. Putting William King in this matchup was questionable, especially considering that he is on a 4 fight losing streak; however the strange thing is, he does have a very good chance of winning this matchup. Both guys are knockout artists primarily; so it should be a stand up affair; with Agaev looking to mix in the odd takedown or two. King used to be an excellent wrestler in his own right, but his recent performances lead me to believe he will be trying to keep the fight standing here. Prediction: These two both have phenomenal gas tanks; so how long the fight goes will not play a particularly big part in how these two perform. Despite King having a black belt in BJJ there will be no submission here; neither man has ever been submitted. This leaves us with a much closer fight than people might think; but don’t be misled by King’s shambolic recent record or the fact that he didn’t particularly deserve the title shot. Recent fights show Agaev as the more versatile fighter; and that’s what we will see, he will be more willing to mix it up and he will use strikes and takedowns to take the first two rounds. He will need to watch for King’s sweeps on the ground but I don’t see them being too much of a problem here. What is a problem though; is King’s proven ability to come from behind and Agaev having been knocked out 5 times. After being controlled in the first 2 rounds. The former Meth Cook will catch Agaev with a big shot in the third frame before following up with some big ground and pound to snap his losing streak and win a title in the process; can’t be bad! King by TKO (Round 3) Thanks for reading my predictions; don’t forget to look at the review where we find out how right (or wrong) I was. By Chael Mir

CM: Hello there to everyone tuning in to ICON Interviews; welcome to yet another edition. I am your host Chael Mir and today we will be welcoming our first ever current World Champion. He fights for MMA Helsinki in Finland; he belongs to the ICON Alliance, and he is currently the World Middleweight Champion for MMA Helsinki and he will be defending that title on April 9thagainst Evgenii Mamchenko. May I present to you; “The Left Elbow of Doom” Hillevi Javri. http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/0/14515935121264.png CM: Hillevi; you are the champ at the moment at MMA Helsinki; you managed to get to the belt quite quickly in a relatively short MMA career so far; talk to us about your journey upwards and what it means to have that belt and to have already defended it twice? HJ: Honestly, having the belt is a great feeling, having defending it twice is even better! For the future I’m going to keep defending my belt until some higher ranked organisations are interested in me. I'll be here until then and I will not fall short against anyone. CM: It’s good to know you are confident; so you mentioned higher organisations; obviously MMA Helsinki is incredibly respectable for its large roster and ability to develop younger fighters, what is the organisation you’d be looking to go to if things go your way? Is there a dream organisation which you’d love to be a part of? HJ: My dream organisation is EVOLUTION.I Have massive respect for Mega Jug and how he's been managing everything. I also have a great amount of respect for Ispa; he is also a very good manager. However I know I still have a hell of a lot of work to do before any of those elite organisations consider me. But we will have to see what happens next. CM: They certainly do have a good thing going down there; a very popular location for super fights; Evolution certainly seems like the place to go if you want to fight the best of the best. Let’s talk about your next fight; you are defending your belt for the third time against “Baby” Mamchenko. Obviously he is a dangerous fighter; very skilled on the ground. However; you fought him before not too long ago; you shut his game down completely; has it been hard to motivate yourself for this fight? HJ: I Have to admit, I have a lot of respect for Evgenii. But I am looking to have the same outcome as the last fight, if possible I'll even try to knock him out. Motivating myself for this fight was pretty easy. My fight camp is also great. I'm training on a new skill that Evgenii will have to look out for. It'll be worse than my razor elbows. CM: He has his weapons as an opponent; so what do you think he will try to do differently this time; if anything, to avoid exactly the same outcome again? HJ: I Feel like he will be doing the same thing last time, only thing is that he'll probably mix in some more punches. CM: So as far as the middleweight division in MMA Helsinki; is there anyone in there that presents an interesting challenge to you or who you would like to defend the belt against after Evgenii? HF: Kenny Ramsey seems to be in good form, I’d also say the same For Monty Orellana. I'd like to have a match with them and break their winning streaks. CM: You have made a career out of ending winning streaks; have you ever thought about making that part of your nickname? HJ: I've been thinking about making that as a part of my nickname, but I am not exactly sure about that yet. I'll have to see what my manager has to say. CM: We’re gonna wrap this up; just a couple more questions; out of the top fighters in the world at the moment; is there any one guy that you look up to? Anybody that you can see yourself emulating at all? HJ: The person I look up to is Jameson Connamera and Donny Donnowitz. These two are an absolute legend and I hope I can become like them soon. Thank you for having me for this interview. It was a true pleasure to be here. CM: Ok; one last question can we get a prediction for 9th April from you? What’s the outcome of the fight and what round will it be? HJ: I'm not the type to predict what round I might win in. But since you asked, I will make it a 4th round TKO via my new technique. CM: Well we look very much forward to the fight and seeing the new technique; Hillevi, it’s been awesome to have you here on ICON Interviews my friend; good luck with the fight, and I’m sure next time we see you you’ll still have the belt. HJ: Thank you for having me. It was a true pleasure to be here. CM: Well that does it for this edition of ICON Interviews ladies and gentleman; remember to tune into MMA Helsinki 30 on the 9th April to see Hillevi Javri defend his Middleweight Championship against Evgenii Mamchenko at Hayashi’s lounge at 6pm Finland time; 4pm London time; 8am in the morning in Los Angeles; and 9am in Las Vegas. I’ve been Chael Mir and as always if you are a member of the ICON Alliance or The Steel Penn – ICON org, then we are always ready to get your fighters the promotion they deserve; only on ICON Interviews. For more information message me; Chael Mir at the ID: 108468. See you next time!

I think at the top level of this game there is a problem with too much anti wrestling. Everyone creates anti wrestlers that just strike and escape. However the fact that ground fighters are at a massive disadvantage is a self fulfilling prophecy. There is a perception that anti wrestling builds are better than grappling builds; therefore most people choose to make anti wrestling builds rather than grappling/submission orientated ones. I'm not saying that there isn't a problem with escapes; but there are many more stand up fighters on the game than submission artists; so by the law of averages, more of the fighters who do well and get ranked top 10 P4P are going to be stand up fighters