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VFF 40: TIMO JUTILA vs McCLANE

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PREVIEW

by Rodrigo Oliveira

 

The 40^th installment of Vigor Fighting brings fans a lightheavyweight main event involving two of the division’s markee fighters in Vilkkuva Timo Jutila and John “Cowboy” McClane. Debutants António Maia and Sevak Magakian get co-main event gigs. Wrapping up the main card action, Mauricio Silva faces Skeet Reece and Blink Deathgrip battles Paul Sutherland.

Below is the preview for your Friday MMA fix.

 

MAIN EVENT

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

“Ny Ryllataan” Vilkkuva Timo Jutila (6-2-0) vs John “Cowboy” McClane (7-3-0)

 

FIGHTER FACTS Vilkkuva Timo Jutila

- Finished all of his opponents

- 3 wins by KO/TKO, 3 by submission

- Never been to decision

 

FIGHTER FACTS John McClane

- Won 5 of last 6 fights

- 6 out of 7 wins by KO/TKO

- Fast hands

 

The night’s main event pits two of VF’s most recognizable figures in the 205-pounds division. On one side, you got Vilkkuva Timo Jutila, who fought 7 of his 8 fights inside the Vigor Fighting cage. On the opposite side is McClane, who fought 8 of his 10 bouts under TMMA/Vigor Fighting banners. Both guys have picked up numerous wins over the course of their run with the promotion(s), most of them in exciting fashion, so a win here could mean a crack at the division’s top 10.

 

Timo Jutila last competed at VFF 36, where he defeated Blink Deathgrip by TKO early in the second round. The 21-year-old Finnish has a muay thai background coupled with a purple belt in BJJ. He likes to mix up jabs and single punches with kicks to the legs and body of his opponents. Although he rarely initiates grappling exchanges, he has a dangerous guard and is dangerous with submissions off his back.

 

McClane’s last trip to the VF cage also occurred at VFF 36. In the occasion, he defeated lanky kickboxer Jeff Speakman by TKO, shortly after the 4-minute mark of the opening frame. McClane’s offense consists basically of stringing together his lightning-fast punches, targeting his opponent’s head and body. “Cowboy” occasionally throws a leg kick or a takedown into the mix, but his boxing remains his go-to weapon.

 

ANALYSIS:

Although Timo Jutila is not known for his takedowns, he does have the wrestling advantage and he should try to score a takedown as soon as possible, not because he’s an absurdly inferior striker than McClane, but because he’s a much better grappler. All of McClane’s losses came by way of submission.

 

On the other hand, all of Timo Jutila’s losses came by way of KO/TKO. Underestimating the power of a man who scored 85% of his wins by stoppages due to strikes is foolish, to say the least. Scoring the takedown would also get that part covered.

 

“Ny Ryllataan” might want to use his muay thai advantage to score with leg kicks before shooting in. Boxing McClane is not advised, as the American has the advantage in both skill and speed in that department.

 

As for the “Cowboy”, keys to victory are keeping the fight standing, close the distance and tee off with his hands.

 

THE PICK:

Although a McClane knockout is possible, Timo Jutila is a better-rounded fighter. On the feet, he can hurt his opponent with kicks, and on the ground, his dangerous submission game will give McClane fits. Timo Jutila takes it by 2

^nd

round submission.

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

António “The Magician” Maia (11-6-0) vs Sevak “Silverback” Magakian (7-13-0)

 

Two veteran welterweights make their VF debuts in the co-main event of the evening.

 

In the red corner, is 27-year-old Brazilian António Maia. A BJJ specialist, Maia uses a well-rounded game to impose his grappling skills. 6 of his 11 career wins came by way of submission.

 

In the blue corner is Sevak Magakian. The 31-year-old Armenian is a veteran of 20 mixed martial arts fights. Also a well-rounded fighter, the BJJ purple belt obtained 4 out of his 7 triumphs by tapout.

 

ANALYSIS:

Both guys are fairly evenly matched and have well-rounded skillsets that allow them to be competitive everywhere the fight goes, but both guys favor a grappling approach, using their standup skills mostly to set up takedowns.

 

Both fighters are even on wrestling, with Maia holding an advantage in BJJ and Magakian being the better striker. Game plans should be clear: Maia will pursue the takedown while Magakian should be content to trade strikes on the feet. He will need to be careful and not leave himself open, however, as his suspect chin has failed him numerous times.

 

THE PICK:

Maia eventually gets a takedown and takes it by submission or TKO due to ground strikes.

 

MAIN CARD

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Mauricio “Shogun” Silva (6-3-0) vs Skeet Reece (2-0-0)

 

Fans are in for a treat as lightheavyweight sluggers Mauricio Silva and Skeet Reece step up into the cage looking to take each other’s head off.

 

Silva is riding a two-fight win streak. He beat Abe Lincon in his last outing, going the distance for the first time in his career. The Polish brawler has obtained 5 out of his 6 wins by KO or TKO.

 

Reece is making his VF debut. The 22-year-old American started his career out strong, winning his first two fights by stoppage due to strikes.

 

ANALYSIS:

Both guys are basically carbon copies of each other: Two very skilled boxers with heavy hands and a will to throw punches in bunches. Neither man is particularly proficient in Brazilian jiu jitsu and they’re even on the wrestling department, so expect this one to be a barn burner. This will basically come down to who hits harder and who can absorb more punishment before falling unconscious.

 

PICK:

Reece’s more measured and technical approach will ensure him to get the better of exchanges en route to a late first round knockout.

 

MAIN CARD

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Blink “Berzerker” Deathgrip (9-9-0) vs Paul “Chunkie” Sutherland (10-11-0)

 

The main card kicks off with a battle between two veteran lightheavyweights.

 

Deathgrip last saw action at VFF 36, where he suffered a TKO loss to main event contestant Vilkkuva Timo Jutila. “Berzerker” has lost 4 out of his last 5 and is in desperate need of a win.

 

Sutherland, much like his opponent, is on a losing skid. He also lost 4 out of his last 5 bouts, including his VF debut, where he was stopped by Rantis Gaumpe early in the first round.

 

ANALYSIS:

Deathgrip usually comes in looking for the takedown early and often. A BJJ brown belt with 8 submissions to his credit, he is certainly at an advantage on the ground. Sutherland, however, has fairly good wrestling credentials, and is the better striker of the two.

 

Although both men are prone to being knocked out, “Chunkie” has displayed better standup skills than Deathgrip, and he also has the power advantage on his side.

 

THE PICK:

Sutherland stuffs Deathgrip’s takedowns and peppers him with kicks and punches en route to a 2

^nd

round TKO.

 

UNDERCARD BOUTS

 

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

Hord “The Real Deal” Hirmuinen (12-7-0) vs Andrew Golota (6-2-0)

 

Golota thwarts Hirmuinen’s attempts of taking the fight to the ground and blasts him with his superior boxing, scoring a late first round knockout.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT

Helder Dias (1-0-0) vs Virtutto “Oregano” Savanibi (1-0-0)

 

Both fighters will have their moments in the bout, with Savanibi getting the better of the ground game and Dias enjoying success on the feet. Ultimately, the bout will stay upright for the most part and Dias will rack up more points en route to a unanimous decision.

 

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

David Marcos (6-4-0) vs Bob “Alfa” Laskownik (3-2-1)

 

Marcos will get top position and work his ground n’ pound, staying out of Laskownik’s dangerous submissions. He takes it by unanimous decision.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (1-2-0) vs Sozu Arghei (0-0-1)

 

Cerrone utilizes his superior striking and gets his first win under the promotion via second round KO.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT

Carlos “Tae” Ogasip (0-1-1) vs Wranch Hammer (1-6-0)

 

Ogasip outboxes Hammer and takes it by decision.

And that’s it for our preview guys!

 

This is Rodrigo Oliveira, VFF’s official writer!

[Guest]

VFF 40: TIMO JUTILA vs McCLANE

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REVIEW

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

The Hard Knocks Arena was bursting with MMA fans looking forward to Vigor Fighting’s 40th installment and they left the building with a smile on their faces, as none of the 9 scheduled bouts went the distance. In the main bout of the night, Vilkkuva Timo Jutila picked up his 6^th win inside Vigor Fighting by submitting fellow lightheavyweight slugger John McClane in the first round. Submission wizard António Maia got the W in his debut and VF veterans Mauricio Silva and Blink Deathgrip also added another win for their records.

Here’s a detailed look at what took place last Friday.

 

TIMO JUTILA CHOKE SUBMITS McCLANE EARLY

 

Vilkkuva Timo Jutila officially cracked the upper echelon of VF’s lightheavyweight division. The young Finnish was denied twice by power punchers Mike Tyson Jr. and Apollo Jackson, but wins over Blink Deathgrip and now over John McClane officially leaped him into the division’s top 10.

“Ny Ryllataan” wanted none of McClane’s boxing, immediately forcing a tie-up. Both guys worked aggressively in close quarters, digging body shots at each other, but eventually Timo Jutila grabbed hold of “Cowboy” and jumped guard.

Once on the ground, he quickly threw his legs up looking for a triangle, which was promptly defended by McClane. Timo Jutila took advantage of the scramble and wrapped his arm around McClane’s neck, squeezing the guillotine tight until the tapout inevitably came, at 1:55 of the very first round.

 

Official result: Timo Jutila / Submission (Guillotine) / Round 1 (1:55)

 

ANTÓNIO MAIA SUBMITS OVERWEIGHT SEVAK MAGAKIAN IN THE CO-MAIN EVENT

 

António Maia showcased his class throughout one-and-a-half rounds before securing a submission and picking up his first win under the Vigor Fighting franchise.

Magakian, who struggled to make weight for the bout, couldn’t capitalize on the brief standup exchanges, winging wide, looping punches at Maia, who just avoided them all easily. Maia countered with a picture perfect takedown straight into mount and proceeded to pound his helpless opponent for the remaining of the round, eventually threatening with submissions.

Magakian survived the onslaught and made it to the second round, but his fortuned didn’t change. Maia was the crisper striker and landed a good shot or two before taking his opponent down again. He utilized his ground n’ pound effectively until an exhausted Magakian eventually gave up his back. “The Magician” sank his hooks in, softened him up with a couple of strikes , got his arm under and applied the fight-ending rear naked choke. The tapout came at 2:38 of the second round.

 

Official result: Maia / Submission (Rear Naked Choke) / Round 2 (2:38)

 

SILVA ENDS REECE’S UNBEATEN STREAK

 

Skeet Reece is no longer undefeated, courtesy of Mauricio Silva.

Both fighters met at the center of the cage and proceeded to swing away at each other, violently attacking the air around both men. Silva, however, had his moments of technical offense, slipping punches and countering with crisp shots of his own, while Reece pretty much missed everything he threw. “Shogun” saw an opening and blitzed his opponent with a flurry, backing him against the cage and dropping him to the canvas right after. The referee decided he saw enough and intervened, declaring the TKO.

 

Official result: Silva / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:14)

 

DEATHGRIP STRANGLES SUTHERLAND IN MAIN CARD ACTION

Blink Deathgrip ended a 4-fight losing skid in dominant fashion, as he choked Paul Sutherland in the first main card bout of the evening.

Deathgrip got the takedown as soon as the bell rang, and Sutherland simply had no answer for “Berzerker”s grappling. The 23-year-old Philippines-native pursued the submission actively, creating opportunities for guard passes in the process. With just 10 seconds left on the first round, Sutherland tried an escape, but Deathgrip took his back and proceeded to sink in the rear naked choke, coaxing the tapout at 4:55 of the opening frame.

 

Official result: Deathgrip / Submission (Rear Naked Choke) / Round 1 (4:55)

 

UNDERCARD RESULTS

 

Heavyweight bout – Hord Hirmuinem vs Andrew Golota

 

Golota utilized great dirty boxing to soften up Hirmuinem before connecting with a hard right hand that sent him stumbling against the cage. More punches followed and eventually the ref stepped in to call an end to the bout.

Result: Golota / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (1:13)

 

Lightweight bout – Virtutto Savanibi vs Helder Dias

Savanibi gave Dias no room to work his muay thai, taking him down early in the bout. He dominated his opponent with superior grappling, eventually locking in on an arm and cranking a painful-looking kimura, forcing the tap.

Result: Savanibi / Submission (Kimura) / Round 1 (4:57)

 

Middleweight bout – David Marcos vs Bob Laskownik

Marcos provided probably the most spectacular finish of the card in his bout against Bob Laskownik. He shot for a takedown, picked up his man in a fireman’s lift and spiked him to the mat right on his head. A clearly hurt Laskownik waved his arms in front of him trying to survive, but Marcos mercilessly pounded away until the referee stopped the fight. Just brutal!

Result: Marcos / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (1:24)

Lightweight bout – Sozu Arghei vs Donald Cerrone

Cerrone started the bout strong, landing punches and kicks to the body with great effectiveness, but Arghei made sure to halt his momentum, scoring with takedowns throughout the bout. Once on the canvas, the superior grappler hurt Cerrone with a big shot and pounded away for the finish.

Result: Arghei / TKO (Strikes) / Round 3 (4:56)

 

Lightweight bout – Wranch Hammer vs Carlos Ogasip

Hammer shrugged off Ogasip’s shots until he finally got the clinch he wanted. Once on close quarters, he brutalized his opponent with knees and elbows, opening a monstrous, blood-streaming cut in his face. The doctors couldn’t help but to call the bout.

Result: Hammer / TKO (Cut) / Round 2 (4:53)

 

And that’s it for our review guys!

 

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer.

 

See ya’ll later.

[Guest]

VFF 41: ONDRUS vs JURRI

 

REVIEW

Written by: Rodrigo Oliveira

The venue was filled and the fighters delivered it once again. It has become routine for Vigor Fighting as the Dutch promotion continues to rise through the rankings. The card was nothing short of electrifying with just 3 out of 10 fights going the judges’ scorecards. Led by a middleweight title fight, the card featured 6 (T)KOs and a single submission.

 

Here’s a detailed look at what took place last Friday.

 

JURRI STOPS ONDRUS, CAPTURES MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

 

Kari Jurri has become the 4^th man to hold VF’s middleweight belt following a dominant performance over promotional veteran Petr Ondrus.

 

“6Pac” denied all of Ondrus’ takedowns, scoring with punches to the body and head until he engaged in a clinch shortly before the 1-minute mark. Once against the fence, Ondrus was victimized by a blitz of punches and elbows that staggered him. Jurri created space and unleashed a vicious elbow that dropped Ondrus to the canvas. A couple follow-up punches later, Jurri was declared the winner by the referee.

 

It was the young Finnish’s 6^th straight win (the 5^th by KO/TKO). Ondrus, on the other hand, suffered his 7^th defeat in 18 professional outings.

 

Official result: Jurri / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:57)

 

SURGING ORTON OUTDUELS SUMRALL

 

Randy Orton emerged as a viable contender at 205 pounds with a convincing win over former lightheavyweight champion Jonah Sumrall.

 

The 25-year-old Knoxville-native waded through Sumrall’s punches and kicks in order to score with takedowns in all three rounds. Once he found himself in top position, he worked away with ground n’ pound, and, although he wasn’t capable of inflicting significant damage, it was enough to sway the judges in his favor.

 

It was Orton’s second consecutive win in as many outings since signing with Vigor Fighting. He now boasts a 13-3-1 professional record.

Once the king sitting atop the 205-pound mountain, Jonah Sumrall now drops to 7-2, suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.

 

Official result: Orton / Decision (Unanimous)

 

THIRD STRAIGHT WIN FOR SARUWATARI

 

Kaito Saruwatari kept his VF unbeaten streak alive following his main card bout against rugged veteran Arthur Rexum.

 

“Katana” was as sharp as ever, serving Rexum a steady diet of leg kicks and jabs while thwarting his takedowns. “The King” scored with a single takedown late in the first round, but Saruwatari quickly regained guard and forced a referee standup.

 

Second round saw more of the same, as the 27-year-old Japanese striker continued to chop away with leg kicks. A worn out Rexum was wobbled by a quick shot shortly after the 1-minute mark and subsequently dropped by a huge overhand right. Saruwatari followed him to the mat, and landed shots from full mount until the referee stepped in to call a stop the contest.

 

It was Saruwatari’s 5^th straight win, as he moves to 12-4 overall, 3-0 under the Vigor Fighting banner.

 

Rexum drops to 12-10 overall, 2-3 inside VF.

 

Official result: Saruwatari / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (1:16)

 

BOYKIY STOPS GAGE IN MAIN CARD FEAT

 

Dimas Boykiy posted the 11^th loss in Stan Gage’s record in a featured heavyweight main card bout.

 

The end came 2:07 of the very first round, as a searing head kick and follow-up punches forced the referee to intervene in Gage’s favor. Prior to that, the 23-year-old Russian export controlled most of the action with leg kicks and punch combinations, all while denying Gage’s attempts to grapple.

 

It was Boykiy’s 4^th win by KO/TKO, as he now moves to 8-6 in his career.

Gage suffered his 3^rd defeat in 4 appearances inside the VF cage, now sporting a 12-11 professional record.

 

Official result: Boykiy / TKO (Kick and Punches) / Round 1 (2:07)

 

UNDERCARD RESULTS

 

Heavyweight bout – William Burns vs Turk Madden

 

William Burns obtained his 6^th win (also the 6^th by knockout) in an undercard bout against Turk Madden. Madden met his demise 2 minutes and 45 seconds into round one, as right straight followed by a salvo of punches sent him unconscious.

 

Result: Burns / KO (Punches) / Round 1 (2:45)

 

Middleweight bout – Jon Jonson vs Rocco Marchegiano

 

Muay thai machine Jon Jonson made quick work out of Rocco Marchegiano, battering him with elbows and knees in the clinch before knocking him out cold with a brutal head kick just 2:17 into the first round.

 

Result: Jonson / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (2:17)

 

Heavyweight bout – Daniel McFadden vs Wolfgang Lindemann

 

McFadden followed the night’s knockout trend with a brutal finish of Lindemann in a heavyweight undercard attraction. Lindemann scored a trip takedown and threatened with submissions, but McFadden turned the tides, sweeping him and landing punishing shots from the mount until eventually cleaning his clock with a vicious punch.

 

Result: McFadden / KO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:57)

 

Heavyweight bout – Ants Milnes vs Ruud Van Graaf

 

Clinchwork and a steady diet of knees to the body and head carried Ants Milnes to a unanimous decision over Ruud Van Graaf. Van Graaf failed with most of his attempts at taking the fight to the mat and spent most of the fight being bullied against the cage.

 

Result: Milnes /Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout – Don Donaldson vs Helder Dias

 

Dias notched his first VF win with a one-sided unanimous decision over Don Donaldson. Donaldson wore himself out flailing wild punches at the more technical Dias, who made him pay by landing thudding kicks to the legs and body over the course of three rounds.

 

Result: Dias / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Middleweight bout – Milos Jonak vs Slurms McKenzie

 

Jonak got the best of the grappling exchanges and ended up authoring the only submission of the night. After pulling guard, the 23-year-old Polish attacked with a triangle choke, later transitioning to the fight-ending armbar. McKenzie was forced to tap at 2 minutes, 54 seconds of the opening frame.

Result: Jonak / Submission (Armbar) / Round 1 (2:54)

 

And that’s it for our review guys!

 

I’m Rodrigo Oliveira, VF’s official writer.

 

See ya’ll later.

[Guest]

VFF 45: RURIKOV vs COTON

 

REVIEW

 

VF 45 was another blockbuster put together by the Dutch promotion, and as always, the fighters delivered. As a result,

the 3,000 rabid MMA fans packing the Hard Knocks Arena went nuts over the course of 10 competitive and action-packed fights.

 

Here's a closer look at the action that took place inside the fenced walls of our cage.

 

RURIKOV UPSETS, SUBMITS COTON

 

Submission ace Pavel Rurikov picked up probably the biggest win of his career - the 3rd in 4 VF appearances - as he submitted

Vigor Fighting legend Jamie Coton in the evening's main event.

 

The long-time heavyweight champion started out stronger, bullying Rurikov in the clinch with knees and razor-sharp elbows.

It all changed when Rurikov got double underhooks and scored a neat trip takedown into side control. Coton quickly

regained half-guard, but the BJJ brown belt weaved his magic once again, locking onto one of Coton's arms and torquing

it for the finish. It was over just 1 minute, 33 seconds into the fight.

 

Rurikov, now 13-5, with 13 submissions and riding a 3-fight win streak, solidifies his status as a top-shelf heavyweight

inside VF.

 

Coton, once a feared and nearly unbeatable juggernaut, finds himself struggling, having dropped 3 out of his last 4

fights, two of them title bids.

 

RESULT: Rurikov / Submission (Kimura) / Round 1 (1:33)

 

 

LAWSON BLITZES ONDRUS IN CO-MAIN EVENT

 

For co-main event, we had an interesting tussle involving the always entertaining Eric Lawson and former 185-pound kingpin

Petr Ondrus.

 

Lawson was the more agressive fighter right off the bell, taking the center of the cage and landing far more shots than

Ondrus, who came in looking to counter. He suceeded at times, taking advantage of Lawson's agressiveness to score with

stiff punches and leg kicks.

 

After a scrappy first round, Lawson imposed his will early, cracking Ondrus with a right hand that sent him stumbling

against the cage. The "Young Hunter" blitzed and a series of unanswered blows forced the referee to step in and call

a stop to the bout.

 

It was Lawson's 2nd straight win, and he now sports a 15-8 record, 2-1 inside the VF cage.

 

Ondrus drops to 11-8 overall, and is now on a 2-fight losing streak.

 

RESULT: Lawson / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (0:40)

 

 

 

NAAR EDGES OUT DIBIASE

 

Former welterweight titlist Tayron Naar edged fellow muay thai striker Sid DiBiase in a featured main event clash at

170 pounds.

 

Solid punches and kicks to the body carried the "Iceman" to a unanimous, yet close, decision win over the Canadian.

 

"Vicious" got the better of the clinch, but failed to obtain it with enough consistency to sway the judges in his favor.

 

In the end, judges scored it 29-28, 30-28 and 29-28 in Naar's favor.

 

RESULT: Naar / Decision (Unanimous)

 

 

 

MELENDEZ OUTGRAPPLES YY

 

In a lightweight main card match, Gilbert Melendez put on a workmanlike performance against Ty Yy and came out on top.

The cageside judges scored it 30-27, 30-28 and 30-28, all in favor of "El Nino".

 

Melendez fiercelesly struck for takedowns through all three rounds. Once on the mat, both fighters went all out looking

for the submission but both failed to secure a tapout. In the end, the judges decided Melendez was more deserving of

the win.

 

It was his 3rd win in 3 fights since joining Vigor Fighting.

 

RESULT: Melendez / Decision (Unanimous)

 

 

UNDERCARD RESULTS

 

Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Jonah Sumrall vs Jake Rodrigues

 

Hard kicks to the head, body, legs and an overwhelming clinch game carried Jonah Sumrall to a unanimous decision

over Jake Rodrigues. Rodrigues started out strong, landing the better punches, but quickly was sucked into Sumrall's

clinch and faded as the bout unfolded.

 

RESULT: Sumrall / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lighweight bout (155 lbs) - Rayce Gracie vs Bernard Nyamondi

 

Gracie flash submitted Nyamondi, squeezing a guillotine choke after being taken down. It was over just 34 seconds

after it begun.

 

RESULT: Gracie / Submission (Guillotine) / Round 1 (0:34)

 

Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Jon Jonson vs Kaarlo Soninen

 

Jonson and Soninen were dead even at striking and clinching range, and none was able to mount significant offense on

the ground. As a result, the judges declared the entertaining bout a draw.

 

RESULT: Draw (Majority)

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Pagpilon Bawkor vs Wranch Hammer

 

BawKor put on a dominant effort, rouhging Hammer up in the clinch and taking him down to rack up points. He even put his

man on rubber legs after landing a searing head kick. All three judges scored 29-28 in his favor.

 

RESULT: BawKor / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Helder Dias vs Rodrigo Palacio

 

Leg kicks and a punishing clinch won the fight for Dias. He swept the scorecards, as all three judges saw it 30-27 in

his favor. From a distance, he chopped away at Palacio's legs but he did his best work on the clinch, where he landed

elbows and soul-sapping knees to the body at will.

 

RESULT: Dias / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Temppa Turkulainen vs Alistair Overeem

 

Overeem instigated a clinch and he paid dearly for it. After scoring with a couple of short punches, Turkulainen pulled

guard and began hunting for submissions, eventually locking in a fight-ending guillotine at 1 minute, 28 seconds of

the very first round.

 

RESULT: Turkulainen / Submission (Guillotine) / Round 1 (1:28)

[DavyJones]

NAAR EDGES OUT DIBIASE

 

Former welterweight titlist Tayron Naar edged fellow muay thai striker Sid DiBiase in a featured main event clash at

170 pounds.

 

Solid punches and kicks to the body carried the "Iceman" to a unanimous, yet close, decision win over the Canadian.

 

"Vicious" got the better of the clinch, but failed to obtain it with enough consistency to sway the judges in his favor.

 

In the end, judges scored it 29-28, 30-28 and 29-28 in Naar's favor.

 

RESULT: Naar / Decision (Unanimous)

 

DiBiase: Good fight Naar, it was very close! If I kept you in the clinch just a little bit more maybe I could have gotten the nod. Not to take away from your well deserved win though, maybe we will do it again some time in the future. I will have to work my way back up the rankings first!

[Guest]

VFF 46: NOWAK vs ORTON

 

PREVIEW

 

Vigor Fighting owner and matchmaker Johnny Canuck made a habit of putting together stacked, exciting cards, but he really

raised the bar for this one. VFF 46 treats fans with not one, but two title fights as champions Jan Nowak and Kari Jurri

put their belts on the line against Randy Orton and Mark Schulz, respectively. Obviously, all the other 8 fights are

also very intriguing, and we'll take a closer look at those, as...

 

This is the preview for VFF 46, with analysis and picks.

 

MAIN EVENT

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Jan Nowak (6-1) vs Randy Orton (14-3-1)

 

Two leviathans collide in the most anticipated bout of the night, as Nowak and Orton fight for the lightheavyweight belt.

 

Jan Nowak, who spent all of his career fighting for VF, obtained 4 wins by TKO to earn the right to challenge

then-champion Jonah Sumrall. He captured the belt and defended it once, against Rantis Gaumpe. Both wins came by the hands

of the judges.

 

Orton is undefeated since joining VF. The massive lightheavyweight has posted 3 consecutive wins since then, throttling the likes

of Jonah Sumrall and Mitka Boycheck on the way. The Knoxville, Tennessee-native has obtained 10 out of his 14 career wins by

way of KO or TKO.

 

ANALYSIS: Skill-wise, both fighters are virtually identical, but a few stats pop up while taking a closer look at this matchup.

 

Neither fighter is adept at striking their way to a takedown, although Nowak certainly made improvements in this area, as

evidenced especially by his title bid against Jonah Sumrall. While both shoot for takedowns a lot, they have a fairly

low success rate, with Orton having a slight advantage over Nowak.

 

Once on the mat, they are adept at punching out their opponents, and both have pretty high finishing rates. The fighter on the

bottom is certainly at a disavantage here, as both are brown belts, making an escape/sweep/submission difficult and unlikely.

It's safe to say that Orton hits harder, but Nowak, who's never been finished, probably has the better chin.

 

PICK: Orton will be VERY game and will give Nowak a run for his money. However, the champion has shown in past bouts that

he is smoother in transitioning from striking to grappling. Look for Nowak to land his punches before swiftly scoring with

takedowns en route to unanimous decision.

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Kari "6Pac" Jurri (6-0) vs Mark "Slystarr" Schulz (8-2)

 

For our second title fight of the night, Kari Jurri puts his middleweight belt and his undefeated record on the line against

fellow knockout artist Mark Schulz.

 

The volatile Jurri has knocked out all but one of his opponents and his violence has already graced the VF cage three times, as he

felled Dante Vredenburg, Eric Lawson and Petr Ondrus on his way to the championship. "6Pac" threatens his opponents in a number

of ways, attacking with punches, kicks, elbows and knees with equal prowess.

 

Mark Schulz obtained 100% of his wins by KO or TKO. He is 4-1 since joining VF, his only setback being a submission defeat to

former #1 contender Franz Weimar. Since then, he has rattled 3 consecutive wins, stopping Maniek Czarnecki, Kaarlo Sonninen and

Dante Vredenburg with strikes.

 

ANALYSIS: It will sound cliche, but this promises to be fireworks. Jurri and Schulz made a career out of knocking

people out. Both have game-changing power to make this a very, very intriguing matchup.

 

Schulz, despite having a well-rounded skillset, attacks more with his fists. An excellent boxer on the outside and on

the inside, he can hurt his opponents from a distance or dirty boxing in the clinch. Jurri mix up punches and kicks

at various levels to close the distance and ultimately secure a clinch, where he does his best work, unleashing a

devastating mix of elbows, knees and punches.

 

Schulz would probably get the upper hand at kickboxing range and Jurri has more weapons in the clinch.

 

As for the ground game? Not happening.

 

PICK: Schulz has the punching power to upset the champion and can very well win some of the exchanges on the outisde. But,

ultimately, Jurri's multi-pronged attack will prove too much for the challenger. Look for "6Pac" to dish out damage in

the clinch en route to a 2nd round TKO in a hotly contested fight.

 

 

MAIN CARD

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

 

"Poe" Emmanuel Zsorats (6-3) vs Hubert Godfrey (4-1)

 

Emmanusel Zsorats competes for the first time since relinquishing his belt to Zbynek Taticzek at VFF 44. Zsorats is a

capable grappler, sporting good wrestling and a Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt. Once on the ground, he will mix up

strikes to set up guard passes and submission attempts. He has obtained 50% of his wins by submission.

 

Godfrey couples good boxing with even better muay thai. A precise striker who likes to throw head kicks, Godfrey

has obtained half of his wins by knockout or technical knockout. In his last outing, he stopped Jon Moti on first-round

strikes.

 

ANALYSIS: Zsorats relies on a solid leg kick to set up his takedowns, and he has obtained a fair share of those.

 

While Godfrey doesn't possess high level grappling, his BJJ purple belt indicates he should be able to hold his own

if he finds himself on his back. Of course, a prolonged grappling bout is unadvised. Instead, he should focus on

sweeping Zsorats or getting back to his feet, where he will be at a distinct advantage.

 

PICK: Look for Zsorats to get the takedown and dominate Godfrey on the ground. He takes it by unanimous decision or

3rd round submission.

 

 

MAIN CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

 

"The Bay Harbout Butcher" Dexter Morgan (3-0) vs Charobi Mac D (6-5)

 

Up next, we have a middleweight contest involving undefeated prospect Dexter Morgan and VF veteran Charobi Mac D.

 

Morgan, a wonderful wrestler and BJJ purple belt, is currently 3-0 as a pro, with wins over Murphy MacManus,

Sergio Moraes and Bryce Niles in his resume. He has stopped all three of his opponents with strikes.

 

Mac D, an established competitor at 185 lbs, is coming off of a loss to Eric Lawson. Previously, he had carved a

nice 3-fight win streak, all of those obtained by knockout.

 

ANALYSIS: Gameplanning should be clear for both sides here.

 

Morgan will need to get the fight to the ground as soon as possible, both to impose his vicious ground n' pound and

to avoid Mac D's numbing power.

 

Mac D will need to keep his composure if he gets taken down, but most importantly, he needs to pick his shots and not

get overagressive with his combinations, as a missed shot could easily turn into a takedown opportunity for Morgan.

 

PICK: As long as he avoids Mac D's haymakers, Morgan should be able to score a takedown and overwhelm him with strikes

on the ground, scoring a first round TKO.

 

 

 

UNDERCARD BOUTS

 

Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Milan "Doctor" Diprivan (10-8) vs Paul "Chunkie" Sutherland (10-13)

 

Sutherland gets the better of the standup exchanges and mix timely takedowns in order to take a unanimous decision.

 

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Wolfgang "A. Mozart" Lindemann (6-5) vs Ruud Van Graaf (4-7)

 

Lindemann imposes his wrestling and takes it by decision.

 

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Andry Drapes (1-2) vs Mike "Muscles" Spott (1-1)

 

Drapes uses his superior BJJ to snatch a first round submission.

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (1-3) vs Lance "The Hercules" Ngeimai (3-3)

 

Ngeimai's wrestling will be too much for "Cowboy" to handle. He takes it by decision or 3rd round TKO.

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Don Donaldson (1-2) vs "The Mothman" Indrid Cold (1-2)

 

As long as he stays out of the clinch, Donaldson takes it. He punches his way to a 2nd round TKO.

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Sevak "Silverback" Magakian (7-15) vs Riad "Barrage" Belhanda (2-3)

 

Belhanda keeps it standing and outboxes Magakian, taking the win by decision or late stoppage.

[Guest]

VFF 46: NOWAK vs ORTON

 

REVIEW

 

 

 

 

Wow. There's nothing much i can say except that simple, 3-leterred word. Vigor Fighting's 46th installment

broke both the event rating and gate revenue records by a considerable margin. Discover why in the preview

below.

 

__________________________

 

NOWAK RETAINS LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BELT

 

Jan Nowak reassured his dominance over the 205-pound division, notably one of VFF's most competitive, with a win

over fellow wrestling juggernaut Randy Orton in the evening's main event.

 

Nowak's improved striking was a key element throughout the fight as he attacked, countered takedowns and set up

his own shots behind his punches. The champion struck for takedowns in all rounds but the 5th, but the course of

the bout had already been settled by that time.

 

The challenger had his own takedowns stuffed over and over again, and found himself under Nowak for the majority

of the fight. To his credit, he managed to sweep Nowak a couple of times, and kept his composure throughout the

25-minute affair, even after spending almost the entirety of the 2nd round under Nowak's mount. Orton ultimately

scored a takedown of his own and won the 5th and final round. Still, it was already too late.

 

Nowak obtained his 6th consecutive win, the 7th as pro overall.

 

Orton was handed his 4th loss, and now sports a 14-4-1 record.

 

RESULT: Nowak / Decision (Unanimous)

 

JURRI DEFENDS MIDDLEWEIGHT CROWN

 

Middleweight champion Kari Jurri came out of his first title defense victorious, but not unscathed.

 

A combination from the heavy-handed Schulz put the champion on wobbly legs late in the first round.

The challenger failed to capitalize, however, and from that moment on it was all Jurri.

 

Feeding Schulz a steady diet of punches and leg kicks, the Amsterdamage product secured his coveted

Thai plumm multiple times throughout the bout, dishing out punishment in the form of knees, elbows

and dirty boxing all over a defenseless yet sturdy Schulz.

 

In the end, all three cageside judges scored it 50-45 in favor of Jurri.

 

RESULT: Jurri / Decision (Unanimous)

 

ZSORATS SLIPS PAST GODFREY

 

Former VFF welterweight champion Emmanuel Zsorats got back to his winning ways in a featured

main card contest at 170 lbs.

 

Zsorats landed takedowns in all three rounds but struggled to keep Godfrey under control, which led

to numerous referee standups.

 

On the feet, neither man was particularly effective. Godfrey was more accurate, but barely outlanded

the far inferior striker: 14 to 11 in total strikes landed.

 

After 15 grueling minutes, the referees awarded Zsorats the split decision.

 

RESULT: Zsorats / Decision (Split)

 

MORGAN BLUDGEONS MAC D

 

Dexter Morgan, still undefeated, now moves to 4-0. In the first main card fight of the night, he

went toe-to-toe against the iron-fisted Charobi Mac D and came out on top.

 

Morgan bull-rushed Mac D out of the gate, chaining takedown attempts. Mac D succesfully defended the

first three, but gave up the forth and from that moment on, it was all Morgan.

 

"The Bay Harbour Butcher" landed strikes at will and passed guard effectively, ultimately securing

full mount and lashing out with punches and elbows. Under heavy fire, Mac D decided it was best

to concede defeat.

 

RESULT: Morgan / Submission (Strikes) / Round 1 (3:26)

 

UNDERCARD RESULTS

 

Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Paul Sutherland vs Milan Diprivan

 

Sutherland showcased his grappling skills in this fight, threatening Diprivan with submissions, scoring takedowns

and ultimately utilizing his ground n' pound to get a late stoppage.

 

RESULT: Sutherland / TKO (Strikes) / Round 3 (1:37)

 

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Ruud Van Graaf vs Wolfgang Lindemann

 

Both fighters exchanged takedowns and submission attempts in the opening round. Van Graaf came in to the second

round looking to strike, and he did so masterfully, landing a brutal head kick in the opening seconds that

forced the referee to stop the bout.

 

RESULT: Van Graaf / TKO (Head Kick) / Round 2 (0:35)

 

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Mike Spott vs Andy Drapes

 

A strong clinch, takedowns and suffocating top control carried Spott to a unanimous decision over Drapes.

 

RESULT: Spott / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Donald Cerrone vs Lance Ngeimai

 

Cerrone put on a sprawl n' brawl exhibition against Ngeimai, thwarting all of his 11 takedowns and scoring with ALL

of his strikes. He served punches and kicks aplenty, until finally finishing Ngeimai with a straight left hand

and follow-up ground punches.

 

RESULT: Cerrone / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:58)

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Indrid Cold vs Don Donaldson

 

In a closely contested bout at 155 pounds, Cold rallied after getting rocked and swayed the judges in his favor by

forcing tie-ups and scoring with multiple kicks to the legs and body.

 

RESULT: Cold / Decision (Split)

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Riad Belhanda vs Sevak Magakian

 

In an incredible yet short lived fight, Riad Belhanda clinched a win out of the jaws of defeat. Magakian dropped him silly

with a 1-2 in the opening seconds of the bout, but Riad survived and turned the tides in his favor by rocking Magakian

with a hook. He followed it up with a picture perfect head kick that knocked Magakian out cold. Awesome finish to an

awesome fight.

 

RESULT: Belhanda / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (2:35)

[Guest]

VIGOR LIVE! VI

 

PREVIEW

 

 

 

This Wednesday, Amsterdam-based Vigor Fighting runs its 6th show in the "LIVE!" series.

Headlined by a heavyweight fight between surging prospects Daniel McFadden and Ants Milnes,

the show kicks off at 6 p.m local time, emanating from the Hard Knocks Arena.

 

Below is a detailed analysis on the fight card, with picks.

 

 

MAIN EVENT

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

 

Daniel McFadden (7-4) vs "Standup" Ants Milnes (6-4-1)

 

The top fight of the night pits two heavyweights riding winning streaks.

 

McFadden is undefeated since joining VF, posting 3 first-round finishes. In his most recent outing,

the Seattle-native battered Dante Velasquez on the ground, forcing a doctor stoppage.

 

Milnes is coming off 4 straight wins - a trio of decision with a TKO via doctor stoppage sandwiched in

the middle. Most recently, he bullied Ivan Junkovic in the clinch to earn a lopsided unanimous decision.

 

ANALYSIS: A wrestler by trade and a BJJ purple belt, McFadden shoots for takedowns and advances position while

pouring strikes over his trapped foes. However, taking his lack of standup skills into account, it's safe to

say that Milnes' Muay thai based attack is going to present a series of problems for him.

 

Already the better wrestler of the two, he can also take the steam out of McFadden's takedowns with his good kicks.

 

McFadden's path to victory is to time an incoming kick and dive in, as he has a distinct advantage on the ground.

 

PICK: Look for Milnes to slow down McFadden with kicks and bully him in the clinch en route to a unanimous decision.

 

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

 

Chad "Show-Stopper" Griggs (7-6) vs "The King" Arthur Rexum (13-11)

 

Coming up next, is a lightheavyweight bout between Chad Griggs and Arthur Rexum.

 

Griggs bounced back from a loss in his VF debut by stopping touted boxer John McClane with a volley of

ground strikes at Vigor Live! V. He has won 2 out of his last 3 bouts.

 

Rexum, on the other hand has dropped 3 out of his last 4. In his most recent outing, he was Anaconda choked

by Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Sanex Lewis in a featured bout also at Vigor Live! V.

 

ANALYSIS: Griggs is an exceptional wrestler with firepower who has obtained all of his 7 wins by KO or TKO due to

the ground strikes. Rexum is a well-rounded fighter and a BJJ purple belt. 9 out of his 13 wins came by way of

submission.

 

While both fighters are timid with their stand up,Rexum is the more polished striker of the two, and he should try

to keep the fight standing as long as possible, racking up points with his punches.

 

Griggs should be able to score a takedown at some point, and Rexum will need to keep his poise in order

to work his submission grappling under the heavy artillery employed by Griggs.

 

PICK: Rexum has the tools to secure a submission, but the more likely scenario saws Griggs keeping top position

and pounding him out. Griggs takes it by TKO late in the first round.

 

MAIN CARD

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

 

Alexander Nevsky (14-8) vs Franz Weimar (6-7)

 

Alexander Nevsky makes his Vigor Fighting debut against Franz Weimar in a main card bout at 205-pounds.

 

Nevsky is coming off 3 straight wins, with one TKO and two submissions. He's a capable grappler as evidenced

by the 6 TKOs and 5 submission wins on his record.

 

Once a hot commodity in VF's middleweight division, Franz Weimar went up on a weight class after two failed

attempts to take Petr Ondrus' title. Since moving up to 205, he lost to former number one contender Randy Orton but

bounced back by stopping former champ Mitka Boycheck with strikes. In his most recent outing, he struggled to make

weight and his bout against Jonah Sumrall was ruled a No Contest.

 

ANALYSIS: Both fighters are primarily top-positional grapplers, coming from a wrestling background. It's safe to

assume that the fighter getting the first takedown will be at an advantage.

 

Both are BJJ brown belts, with Nevsky displaying more submission ability, which indicates he can still put

on a decent challenge even if he ends up on his back.

 

Weimar holds the edge in striking, but he rarely uses his hands other than to set up his own takedowns.

 

PICK: Nevsky is the better wrestler and should be able to get the takedown first. From there, look for him

to score a TKO via ground n' pound.

 

MAIN CARD

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT

 

Pagpilon Bawkor (7-4) vs Sozu Arghei (2-0-1)

 

Getting the main card started, we have a lightweight battle involving Pagpilon Bawkor and Sozu Arghei.

 

Bawkor is muay thai savant with a 3-2 record in professional kickboxing competition. He is a prolific striker

but does his finest job in the clinch, where he attacks with punches, elbows and knees. After going 0-2

since joining VF, he picked up his first win with the promotion following a 3-round dismantling of Wranch Hammer.

 

Arghei is undefeated so far in his career, with two wins and a draw in three fights. A volume puncher both on the

feet and on the ground, he's coming off a TKO win over Donald Cerrone and a decision win over Bernard Nyamondi.

 

ANALYSIS: Pagpilon Bawkor should definetely look to keep his fight standing. He packs considerable power in his

strikes and the best route for him would be to soften Arghei up with kicks to the body and legs before securing

a clinch. From there, he can look to finish the fight with his multi-pronged offense.

 

Arghei should look to impose his wrestling superiority early. He's a more capable grappler than his counterpart,

and will be at an advantage if the fight ends up on the ground.

 

PICK: Bawkor gets the better of the standup exchanges, but unless he scores a big knockout early, Arghei will

force a takedown and use positional control and ground n' pound to eke out a decision.

 

UNDERCARD BOUTS

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Kanki Onki (7-4) vs Jonas Sakalas (8-9)

 

Onki is the superior wrestler and should be able to thwart Sakalas' takedowns. On the feet, he peppers

him with punches to the head and body, earning a unanimous decision.

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Mya Nich (4-2) vs Jackie Can (1-0)

 

Nich's volatile hands will be too much for Can to handle. Nich takes it by first-round KO.

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - "Supremo" Mikey Vallentino (1-1) vs Eduardo "Destruidor" Silva (2-5)

 

Vallentino gets the better of the clinch game, imposing his will on Silva. He takes it by decision.

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Alexandre "Sicário" Preuss (2-3) vs "The Son" Deivison Santos (0-2)

 

Santos is unlikely to get a takedown and will come up short on the striking exchanges with the better boxer.

Preuss takes a unanimous decision.

 

Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Alexander "Wielki" Mickiewicz (3-7) vs Slurms Mckenzie (0-1)

 

"Wielki" has better submission skills, but he will struggle to take Mckenzie down consistently.

Mckenzie outstrikes him on the feet and takes the decision.

[Guest]

VIGOR LIVE VI

 

REVIEW

 

Vigor Live! VI is in the books. The event drew 3.000 fans to the Hard Knocks Arena in Amsterdam this Wednesday

evening and the fights were disappointing. Below is a detailed look at the action that took place inside the

VF cage.

 

MILNES TRAMPLES McFADDEN IN THE FIRST

 

Daniel McFadden is no longer undefeated in Vigor Fighting, courtesy of knee strikes by Ants Milnes.

 

Milnes (7-4-1, 5-2-1 VF) wasted no time in rushing his opponent against the cage. Once in his clutches,

McFadden had no answer, failing to drag the fight to the mat, and eating knees to the head and midsection

for his troubles. Just 1:10 into the first round, he was a beaten man.

 

A series of unanswered knee strikes to the head crumpled McFadden, forcing the referee to step in and

call a halt to the bout.

 

RESULT: Milnes / TKO (Kness) / Round 1 (1:10)

 

REXUM DOMINATES, STRANGLES GRIGGS IN CO-MAIN EVENT

 

Arthur Rexum showcased his class, dominating dangerous ground n' pounder Chad Griggs, en route to a first round

submission win in a featured light heavyweight co-main event.

 

Griggs wasted no time in scoring the takedown, but that was basically the only moment he spent on the

offensive end of actions. Rexum (14-11, 4-4 VF) put his jiu jitsu to good use, immediately landing

a butterfly sweep and mounting Griggs.

 

"The King" punched his way to Griggs' back, and from there, he patiently fished for the rear-naked choke.

He finally got the hold in place at the 2:23-mark, coaxing a tapout from his helpless opponent.

 

RESULT: Rexum / Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) / Round 1 (2:23)

 

NEVSKY STOPS WEIMAR, PICKS UP FIRST VF WIN

 

Alexander Nevsky (15-8, 1-0 VF) had a succesful Vigor Fighting debut, forcing former middleweight

contender Franz Weimar to submit from strikes.

 

Both fighters scored takedowns and battled for position the opening frame, exchanging submission

attempts.

 

In the second round, Nevsky scored a couple of takedowns, and eventually started to land his

shots. He rocked Weimar with hammerfists from full mount and turned up the heat, pouring elbows

and punches all over his trapped foe.

 

In serious pain, Weimar tapped out to strikes at 2:36 of the second round.

 

RESULT: Nevsky / Submission (Strikes) / Round 2 (2:36)

 

 

ARGHEI EDGES BAWKOR

 

Sozu Arghei (3-0-1, 3-0-1 VF) kept his undefeated record intact following a spirited effort against

Pagpilon Bawkor in a lightweight scrap.

 

Both fighters went back and forth over the course of three rounds, but Arghei kept control of the pace

of the fight, either by forcing tie-ups, scoring takedowns or stalking Bawkor across the cage with

swinging punch combinations.

 

Though he was unable to inflict any serious damage, it steered the judges in his favor, as all

three scored the fight in his favor (30-27, 30-27 and 30-28).

 

RESULT: Arghei / Decision (Unanimous)

 

UNDERCARD RESULTS

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Kanki Onki vs Jonas Sakalas

 

Konki imposed his grappling throughout the bout, finally latching up a triangle choke and

finishing the fight with just 2 seconds left in the second round.

 

RESULT: Onki / Submission (Triangle Choke) / Round 2 (4:58)

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Jackie Can vs Mya Nich

 

A steady diet of leg kicks, takedowns and a punishing clinch game led Jackie Can to a unanimous decision

over Mya Nich. The highlight of the fight came in the first round, as Can slammed Nich to the mat with

a takedown, rocking him badly in the process.

 

RESULT: Can / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Eduardo Silva vs Mikey Vallentino

 

Superior clinchwork was the key factor in Silva's win over Vallentino, as the Brazilian

constantly pressed and smothered him against the cage over the course of three rounds.

 

RESULT: Silva / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Alexandre Preuss vs Deivison Santos

 

Preuss stuffed a staggering 36 Santos takedowns and beat him to the punch during all three rounds

to earn a unanimous decision. He outlanded his opponent by a 35 to 4 mark on the feet.

 

RESULT: Preuss / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Slurms McKenzie vs Alexander Mickiewicz

 

Mickiewicz had a tough time making weight for this fight, but that was just the beginning of his troubles.

McKenzie scored with two head kicks shortly after the 2-minute mark, one of which knocked him out

cold.

 

RESULT: McKenzie / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (2:20)

[Guest]

VFF 47: TATICZEK vs MAIA

 

PREVIEW

 

Vigor Fighting's welterweight title is up for grabs this Friday, as reigning champion Zbynek Taticzek battles

submission wizard António Maia in the headliner of VF's 47th endeavor. In the co-main event of the evening,

Japanese karateka Kaito Saruwatari puts his 6-fight win streak on the line against Muay thai juggernaut

Rantis Gaumpe. In the main card, former VF middleweight kingpin Petr Ondrus tries to snap a 2-fight

losing streak against Sergei Patrushev, and heavyweight debutant Ludo Kopper takes on Leon Galat.

 

Without further ado, here's the preview for VFF 47: Taticzek vs Maia.

 

MAIN EVENT

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Zbynek "Rumcajs" Taticzek (8-0) vs António "The Magician" Maia (13-6)

 

In the main event of the evening, Zbynek Taticzek puts his belt on the line for the first time

since capturing it at VFF 44, following his 5th round knockout of Emmanuel Zsorats. Taticzek is

undefeated is 8 professional MMA fights, and obtained 7 of his wins by KO or TKO.

 

Challenging for his title is Brazilian grappling expert António Maia. "The Magician" was fast-tracked

into title contention following impressive submission wins over Sevak Magakian and Stephen Learmont.

Amongst Maia's 13 career wins, 8 have come by way of submission, including 5 by chokeholds.

 

ANALYSIS: One of VF's most explosive finishers, Taticzek relies on an excellent wrestling base to

keep the fight standing, where he can put his dangerous hands to good use. "Rumcajs" is also

a threat on close-quarters, where he is adept at uncorking punches and knees with bad intentions.

 

Maia has his work cut out for him. A modest striker at best, he doesn't commit to exchanges on the feet

longer than the necessary to set up his takedowns. Although a decent wrestler, he will be at a

disavantage in that department against the champion, and will need to keep his poise even under heavy-artillery

to not wear himself out spamming takedowns.

 

If the fight hits the mat, the Curitiba-native will hold a distinct advantage. Although he has never been

submitted before, Taticzek should avoid grappling exchanges at all costs, as Maia is capable of finishing

the fight on the ground with strikes and submissions.

 

PICK: This fight turns interesting if Maia can score a takedown and test the champion's defensive grappling.

The most likely outcome, however, sees Taticzek stuffing takedowns while picking shots, ultimately stopping

Maia under a barrage of strikes in the second round.

 

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

 

Kaito "Katana" Saruwatari (13-4) vs "The Demolition Man" Rantis Gaumpe (8-4)

 

In the co-main event, two of VF's best light heavyweight strikers go toe-to-toe.

 

Since joining Vigor Fighting, Kaito Saruwatari has amassed four wins, with two TKOs and two decisions. In his

most recent outing, Kaito fought off takedowns and sistematically kicked Paul Sutherland's legs and torso

en route to a unanimous decision.

 

Rantis Gaumpe recently saw his title hopes, alongside a 3-fight winning streak, snapped by current divisional

ruler Jan Nowak at VFF 43's main event. The towering Dutchman is currently 4-3 under the Vigor Fighting banner.

 

ANALYSIS: Fans of the striking game are in for a treat as both fighters are pretty straight-forward with their

approaches: Stuff takedowns, punch, kick.

 

The two contentasts have displayed knockout power throughout their careers: Saruwatari has posted 8 of 13 wins by

KO/TKO, and Gaumpe has felled 6 of his 8 opponents with strikes.

 

Saruwatari's go-to offense consists basically of his chopping leg kicks, which he follows with punches to the head

or high kicks. A physically imposing figure, he is also adept at forcing clinches, from where he can can work short,

quick punches to great effect.

 

Gaumpe is also a proficient kicker, but he aims mostly at his opponents midsection. In punching range,

the 6'3", 217-pounds behemoth mixes up headshots and blows to the beltline with great effectiveness.

 

PICK: Gaumpe has struggled with grapplers in the past, but a ground fight is unlikely here. As long as he

keeps his back away from the cage, he puts his superior kickboxing to good use and takes a decision or late stoppage.

 

MAIN CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT

 

Petr "Pino" Ondrus (11-8) vs Sergei "Patrushonock" Patrushev (8-3)

 

Former middleweight champion Petr Ondrus returns to action in a main card fight against Sergei Patrushev.

Ondrus saw a 5-fight winning streak snapped by Kari Jurri at VFF 35. In his most recent appearance, he

lost to Eric Lawson by TKO. Ondrus hadn't suffered back-to-back losses in the last 5 years.

 

Sergei Patrushev, on the other hand, has carved a nice 5-fight winning streak for himself, two of those

obtained inside the VF cage. In his most recent outing, he submitted Rocco Marchegiano with a gruesome,

"Submission of the Night"-award winner kneebar in the opening minute of their VFF 44 bout.

 

ANALYSIS: Patrushev has a tough task ahead of him.

 

As an expert - and fairly one-dimensional - grappler, he will try to drag the fight down with all his might.

Even then, he might not have an easy time scoring a win over the very well-rounded Ondrus.

 

Ondrus' standup is coming along nicely, and he was always one of VF's best middleweight grapplers. Although

not as agressive as Patrushev, who obtained all but one of his wins by submission, Ondrus is also a brown belt

and is a capable submission grappler.

 

The key factor here is Ondrus' wrestling and his striking superiority, both of which should guard him well

against Patrushev's takedown blitz.

 

PICK: Patrushev is good, but he's a one trick pony. Ondrus will fend off most of his shots while peppering him

on the feet, scoring a unanimous decision.

 

MAIN CARD

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

 

"Killa" Ludo Kopper (5-0) vs Leon "The Lion" Galat (3-3)

 

Ludo Kopper draws Leon Galat for his VF debut.

 

An undefeated heavyweight prospect who obtained all of his five wins by KO or TKO, "Killa" Ludo Kopper is set

to make his Vigor Fighting debut. A power puncher with decent boxing technique, he also has good wrestling

accolades.

 

Galat, a BJJ purple belt who obtained all of his wins by submission, had mixed results so far in his VF tenure:

He defeated Ivan Junkovic with a triangle choke in his debut, only to drop his next bout against Ruud Van Graaf.

 

ANALYSIS: Leon Galat has a distinct advantage in the submission grappling deparment.

 

But he will probably have a tough time getting Kopper to the mat. Working his boxing could also prove a dangerous

endeaver, as Kopper has displayed accurate and very powerful hands in the past.

 

PICK: Kopper is just a bad matchup for Galat. He takes it by 1st round TKO.

 

UNDERCARD BOUTS

 

Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Arthmael Hardstyle (5-5) vs "Bear" Marcus Macino (5-4)

 

Macino has the power and wrestling to thwart Hardstyle's takedowns and hurt him on the feet in the process.

He takes it by 2nd round TKO.

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Jose "Siekator" Aldos (1-0) vs Bob "Taurus" Santos (0-1)

 

Aldos imposes his wrestling, repeatedly taking Santos down to get a lopsided decision.

 

Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Danny "The Hitman" Clark (7-8) vs "Prince" Baal Zebub (1-0)

 

The fight will be competitive, but Clark will land the harder shots to capture the unanimous decision.

 

Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Don Donaldson (1-3) vs Lance "The Hercules" Ngeimai (3-4)

 

Ngeimai's wrestling will be too much for Donaldson. "The Hercules" takes it by decision or

late stoppage due to ground strikes.

 

Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Drago Lister (0-2) vs Tomi "Tamala" Jarzynka (4-7-1)

 

Jarzynka will eventually get the takedown. Once on the ground, look for him to secure a submission late in

the 2nd round.

[Guest]

Fantastic write-ups Roddy! Some interesting matchups coming up which certainly may shake up some divisions!

[Guest]

VFF 49: Bertane vs Rurikov

 

 

REVIEW

 

Every Friday, the Hard Knocks Arena is the stage set to receive Vigor Fighting's face-smashing festivities, and this one was no different.

The venue was crowded and the fighters delivered. Usual Vigor Fighting stuff. Without further ado, here's the review for VFF 49.

 

 

BERTANE BLUDGEONS, DENIES RURIKOV'S TITLE HOPES

 

Earl Bertane became the first man to succesfuly defend the VF Heavyweight belt since Jamie Coton's reign came to an end.

 

Bertane displayed confidence in his grappling skills: He shot for a takedown against an acomplished BJJ black belt in the opening seconds of the fight. Not only that, he secured side control immediately after landing.

 

Rurikov tried desperately to improve his position, but Bertane stiffled him with excelent top control, ground n' pound and even submission attempts. Unable to work for his own submissions, Rurikov was a sitting duck for Bertane's onslaught of hammerfists and

elbows.

 

At 2:39 of the opening frame, Rurikov was a beaten man.

 

RESULT: Bertane / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (2:39)

 

NEVSKY STOPS BOYCHECK ON LAST SECOND PUNCHES

 

Alexander Nevsky (16-8, 2-0 VF) picked up arguably the biggest win of his career as he defeated former divisional ruler Mitka Boycheck on third-round ground strikes.

 

Nevsky imposed his superior wrestling early and often, though he struggled to hold the slippery Boycheck in place, often having to defend submissions, often allowing "Meph" to scramble back up. Still, he dazed Boycheck with ground n' pound late in the first frame. Although he was unable to finish him, it was a preview of what was yet to come.

 

The second round was perhaps the most competitive in the entire fight, with Boycheck controlling the first half of the round on the feet, and Nevsky scoring a trip takedown shortly after. From the bottom, Boycheck worked restlessly for the submission, but couldn't finish.

 

In the third and final round, Nevsky took down Boycheck and immediately mounted him. Boycheck rallied and reversed the position, but Nevsky escaped from his clutches, only to take him down for a second time. The Novgorod, Russia-native, who landed 36 of 38 attempted ground strikes, began to let go with his hands once he found himself mounting Boycheck again. A couple of body shots set up a monstrous jackhammer punch that put Boycheck away in the last second of the bout! Amazing fight!

 

RESULT: Nevsky / TKO (Strikes) / Round 3 (4:59)

 

 

EVURTS VICTORIOUS IN BATTLE OF DEBUTANTS

 

Towering heavyweights Stephan Evurts and Wscieckle Piesci made their Vigor Fighting debuts in a featured main card bout, and it was Evurts who came out on top.

 

The first round saw Evurts dominating the fight and displaying an impressive array of tools. He outstruck and bloodied Piesci on the feet, softened him up in the clinch and took him down in the final stages of the round.

 

The second round was short-lived, as Evurts sent Piesci crashing to the mat with a devastating left hook-right hook combination. He followed him to the mat and secured side control, but Piesci was able to regain guard. Still, he couldn't stop Evurts from posturing up and landing a salvo of unanswered ground strikes that ultimately forced the referee to stop the fight.

 

RESULT: Evurts / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (0:40)

 

ARGHEI WIPES OUT YY

 

 

Sozu Arghei battled Ty Yy in a main card lightweight bout and emerged as a viable contender to Rayce Gracie's crown.

 

The Pahuyuth Muay Thai product took Yy down in the opening minutes of the fight and had to defend from a relentless submission assault from his grounded opponent.

 

Yy - clearly spent after going for so many submission attempts - started to dangerously drop his hands time and time again, allowing Arghei free shots at his unprotected chin. Seconds later a stinging jab followed by a vicious right hook separated Yy from his senses.

 

Arghei is undefeated in 5 professional fights, with 4 wins and 1 draw.

 

RESULT: Arghei / KO (Punches) / Round 2 (0:42)

 

 

UNDERCARD RESULTS

 

Middleweight bout - Kaarlo Sonninen vs Jon Jonson

 

Sonninen was as dominant as a fighter can be in a fight that lasts less than 4 minutes. He beat Jonson to the punch in the opening seconds of the fight before taking him down with ease. A few unanswered ground strikes later, the referee was ordering Sonninen to let go his battered opponent.

 

 

 

 

 

RESULT: Sonninen / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (3:59)

 

Lightweight bout - Bernard Nyamondi vs Helder Dias

 

Nyamondi showcased top-notch grappling in dominating Helder Dias with takedowns and suffocating top control. In the third frame, he found his opening, took Dias' back and choked him out cold with a rear-naked.

 

RESULT: Nyamondi / Submission (Rear Naked Choke) / Round 3 (2:54)

 

Welterweight bout - Thane Krios vs Kanki Onki

 

Krios denied 22 out of Onki's 23 attempted takedowns and outstruck him over the course of three rounds to take a unanimous decision.

 

RESULT: Krios / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout - Shane Chojacki vs Wrench Hammer

 

Chojacki struck for takedowns and held top position in all three rounds and claimed a lopsided unanimous decision.

 

RESULT: Chojacki / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightheavyweight bout - Kyle Branson vs Jake Rodrigues

 

Kyle Branson put on an impressive showing as he took on hot prospect Jake Rodrigues in his very first professional bout. Both guys went back and forth on the feet but Branson's timely takedowns swayed the judges in his favor and he managed to walk away with a hard-fought - and deserved - unanimous decision under his belt.

 

RESULT: Branson / Decision (Unanimous)

 

Lightweight bout - Indrid Cold vs Alexander Preuss

 

Indrid Cold never gave Alexander Preuss room to breathe. Cold took control of the fight early, with a heavy clinch-game and solid knees, he cut Preuss' open and later dropped him to the canvas, finishing the fight with a volley of standing-to-ground punches.

 

RESULT: Cold / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (3:41)

[Guest]

Preview

VFF 50: McFADDEN vs KOPPER

Vigor Fighting reaches its marquee 50th edition, and, to do it justice, has moved the show to the wider Beer Garden.

 

More than 5,000 MMA fans are expected to attend the show, headlined by a heavyweight bout between Daniel McFadden and

Ludo Kopper. Arthur Rexum and Paul Sutherland collide at 205-pounds and former welterweight ruler Emmanuel Zsorats

takes on promising debutant Appo Kalypsi. Another welterweight clash closes up the main card, as Mya Nich takes on

William Jackson.



This is the preview for VFF 50: McFadden vs Kopper, with analysis and picks.

​

MAIN EVENT

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

#9 Daniel McFadden (7-5) vs #8 "Killa" Ludo Kopper (6-0)

The main event event of the evening pits the more experienced McFadden against red-hot prospect Ludo Kopper.

McFadden started his VF run tearing through competition, notching stoppages over Ruud Van Graaf, Wolfgang

Lidemann and Dante Velasquez. His rise to the top was halted by a salvo of knees, signed by top 5 heavyweight

Ants Milnes.



Kopper is fresh off his Vigor Fighting debut, a first-round knockout of Leon Galat at VFF 47. It was Kopper's

6th (T)KO win in as many professional appearances.



ANALYSIS: McFadden doesn't stray from his bread n' butter: He will shoot for takedowns as soon as the bell rings,

get on top of his opponents and pound them out.



That will be a tall task to accomplish against Kopper. "Killa" is your regular "sprawl n' brawler", making good use

of his good wrestling to keep fights standing, where he can pop his opponents with hard, accurate punches. The

Sould Supremacy Fight Club product has only allowed 13% of the takedowns attempted against.



THE PICK: This bout will be determined by McFadden's ability to get the fight to the ground. If he can't hit double-legs

consinstently, he is in for a short night, in the bad way. That being said, Kopper is the better wrestler and should

be able to keep the fight standing long enough to land his shots. Kopper takes it by 1st round knockout.

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

"The King" Arthur Rexum (14-11) vs Paul "Chunkie" Sutherland (11-13)

Two long-time Vigor Fighting competitors go toe-to-toe in the night's co-main event.



Arthur Rexum has recorded 8 appearances in the Vigor Fighting cage, compiling a 4-4 record. In his most recent outing,

"The King" submitted Chad Griggs with a rear-naked choke in under 3 minutes.



Paul Sutherland got his first win under the VF banner in his last outing, snapping a 3-fight losing skid. "Chunkie" got

back on the winning track scoring a technical knockout of Milan Diprivan in the 3rd round.



ANALYSIS: Given both fighters' well-rounded skillsets, it's safe to assume that this bout can go many ways.

Sutherland has a particularly multi-pronged attack, as evidenced by his record, notching 4 wins by (T)KO, 4 by

submission and 3 by decision.



Rexum is more straight-forward to his approach, utilizing decent boxing to set up his takedowns and work for submissions.

The Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt obtained 10 of his wins by tapout.



Sutherland's ability to sprawl will be pivotal for the outcome of the fight, as he has a more diverse kickboxing arsenal

that will probably see him winning the standup exchange, while Rexum will be at an advantage on the ground.



THE PICK: Look for 15 minutes of competitive MMA in this one. Rexum will put up a good fight everywhere it goes, but

ultimately Sutherland will keep it standing long enough to score more points with his striking, earning a unanimous decision.



MAIN CARD

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

#5 "Poe" Emmanuel Zsorats (7-3) vs #10 "The End of All" Appo Kalypsi (5-5)

Top 5 welterweight and former champion Emmanuel Zsorats welcomes Appo Kalypsi to the VF cage in a featured main card bout.

This will be Zsorats' second appearance after losing his belt to Zbynek Tacticzek at VFF 44. In his last outing, "Poe"

earned a hard-fought split decision over Hubert Godfrey.



Kalypsi makes his much anticipated Vigor Fighting debut. The 22-year-old Finnish prospect is has lost 2 out of his last 3

fights, and a win over a top-flight welterweight is exactly what he needs to turn the tides in his favor.



ANALYSIS: Both fighters are capable grapplers and mainly use their strikes to set up takedowns - Zsorats being particularly

fond of the leg kick, which he will use often, both to keep his distance and score points.



Once on the ground, they'll split ways: Kalypsi is more agressive, focusing on landing strikes and going for submissions,

while Zsorats is more methodical, working for guard passes while softening his adversaries with ground n' pound and

ultimately looking to secure a submission hold.



THE PICK: Zsorats is the better wrestler and is more likely to end up in top position. While he's not particularly volatile

with his ground n' pround, Kalypsi doesn't seem to handle being hit too well. Look for "Poe" to secure a dominant position

and work away in order to score a 2nd round TKO or submission.



MAIN CARD

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT

Mya Nich (4-3) vs William "Junior" Jackson (2-0)

Kicking off the main card is a welterweight clash involving Mya Nich and William Jackson.



Since joining Vigor Fighting, Nich posted a TKO win over Tomy Jarzynka, sandwiched by two losses (1 decision, 1 submission).

He will look to get back on his winning ways against newcomer Jackson.



Jackson is an undefeated young fighter, making his big league debut. He holds an armbar submission win over former VF

talent Mike Lie.



ANALYSIS: Nich likes to swing for the fences right off the bat, backed up by that confidence that comes with having

knockout power.



Jackson uses combinations to get into range for takedowns and tie-ups. In close quarters, he will set a relentless pace,

working elbows, knees and trips. On the ground, he has a high output of strikes, and, if the opportunity presents itself,

submissions.



THE PICK: Jackson has more tools at his disposal, and as long as he can avoid Nich's monstrous right hand, he can wear

him out in the clinch, drag him to the mat and score a late TKO or submission.



UNDERCARD BOUTS



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Jose "Siekator" Aldos (2-0) vs Jackie Can (2-0)

Can outworks Aldos with leg kicks and elbows en route to a decision.



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (2-3) vs "HH" Henrik Hendriks (2-2)

Hendriks will struggle with Cerrone's reach, but as long as he avoids his power punches, he should be able to

secure a takedown and a submission at some point.



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Christian Dudek (2-2) vs Riad "Barrage" Belhanda (3-3)

Dudek imposes his Muay thai and takes it by 1st round TKO.



LightHeavyweight (205 lbs) - Pablo "Ultimate Fighter" Pablo (2-4) vs "Rus" Radomir Jareszczuk (0-3)

Pablo scores a couple of takedowns to win a decision.



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Lance "The Hercules" Ngeimai (3-5) vs Gianni "The Word" Visnadi (0-0)

Ngeimai imposes his wrestling skills and cruises to a decision.

[Guest]

VFF 50: McFadden vs Kopper

 

 

More than 4,500 MMA fans attended Vigor Fighting's first trip to the Beer Garden arena in a night filled with fun, competitive fights. The only stain in Vigor's pristine show was William Jackson's lack of professionalism which led to his fight against Mya Nich being turned into a No Contest. Jackson came in almost 7 pounds above the estabilshed 170-pound limit. Promotion's officials have not yet spoke about Jackson's future.

 

McFADDEN DERAILS KOPPER HYPE TRAIN IN GORY FASHION

Daniel McFadden stained both the canvas and Ludo Kopper's record in a single effort.



Kopper (6-1, 1-1 VFF) walked into the cage as an undefeated agressive striker, but was gun shy throughout the evening's brief main event. McFadden took advantage of his opponent's hesitation and secured a clinch, subsequently pulling guard. While surprising, the move did its job: Take the fight to the mat.



Once there, McFadden (8-5, 4-1 VFF) displayed excellent jiu jitsu skills as he beautifuly swept Kopper. From top position, the 29-year-old Washington-native unleashed his trademark ground n' pound, cutting Kopper open with an elbow. With blood flowing from his open wound, "Killa" couldn't do much to defend himself, eating punches and elbows for his troubles. The following strikes opened up the cut even more, and the cageside doctors were forced to call a stop to the bout at 4:43 of the opening round.



RESULT: McFadden / TKO (Cut) / Round 1 (4:43)



SUTHERLAND DETHRONES "THE KING" IN CO-MAIN EVENT

Paul Sutherland (12-13, 2-3 VFF) is finally breaking even.



After a rough start in his VF career that saw him go 0-3 in as many fights, Paul Sutherland has notched back-to-back wins, with two finishes.



"Chunkie" put forth a dominant performance against savvy veteran Arthur Rexum in the evening's co-main event, culminating with a crowd-pleasing technical knockout.



Rexum (14-12, 4-5 VFF) never found his rhythm in the fight. After a brief exchange, Sutherland scored a takedown and peppered "The King" with ground n' pound from the guard. Aside from a few submission attempts that never came close to a finish, Rexum couldn't do much to disrupt Sutherland's offense.



In the opening seconds of the round, Sutherland followed a leg kick with a stinging left-right combiantion that caught Rexum off guard. He followed his dazed opponent to the canvas, taking side control and pounding away. A couple of unanswered shots later, the referee stepped in to declare the winner.



RESULT: Sutherland / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (0:56)

 

KALYPSI ARMBARS ZSORATS

What a way to start your VF career.



Appo Kalypsi (6-5, 1-0 VFF) took on fomer champion and top 5 ranked welterweight Emmanuel Zsorats (7-4, 4-2 VFF) in his promotional debut and he passed the test with flying colors.



The first round saw the former champion impose his will over the newcomer, scoring a takedown and taking his back in the final stages. He couldn't find the choke, however, and thus we had the second round.



Kalipsy turned the tides in his favor in the 2nd stanza, utilizing a Zsorats armbar attempt to reverse position. Once on top, he methodically worked his ground n' pound and passed guard, twice mounting his fellow BJJ brown belt.



The third round began and Kalypsi was getting the better of the standup exchanges, finding a home for his leg kicks and right hand counters. Zsorats appeared to have shifted momentum by scoring another takedown shortly after the two-minute mark but "The End of All" lived up to his monicker and locked an armbar out of nowhere, forcing "Poe" to concede defeat.



Kalypsi became only the second man to finish Zsorats inside the VF cage, current title holder Znybek Tactictezk being the first. 



RESULT: Kalypsi / Submission (Armbar) / Round 3 (3:54)



CAN RALLIES, DEFEATS ALDOS

As a result of the cancelletion of Nych vs Jackson, Can vs Aldo got main card treatment.



Jackie Can (3-0, 2-0, 1 NC VFF) is slowly climbing the weltweight ladder. The MK Beatdown Gym representative took on Jose Aldos (2-1, 1-1 VFF) in a 3-round affair and emerged victorious.



After scoring a takedown, Can found himself in a bad spot and Aldos reversed position and eventually mounted him. He survived the round, and Aldos' tough weight cut (he initially weighed in at 173 and had to spend two addiotinal hours in the sauna) came back to haunt him.



Clearly spent, "Siekator" found himself trapped in Can's Thai clinch, eating elbows and knees for the next two rounds. To his credit, he survived the onslaught, but clearly lost the fight.



RESULT: Can / Decision (Unanimous)

 

​

UNDERCARD RESULTS



Lightweight bout - Donald Cerrone vs Henrik Hendriks

Cerrone spoiled Hendriks' debut in brutal fashion, as he knocked him out cold with a thunderous kick to the head. That makes it two consecutive (T)KO wins for the "Cowboy", who also pocketed an extra $2000 for the "Knockout of the Night".

​

RESULT: Cerrone / KO (Head Kick) / Round 3 (0:38)



Welterweight bout - Christian Dudek vs Riad Belhanda

Dudek took the wind out of Belhanda, as he battered him with a multitude of kicks and knees to the body over the course of their 15-minute fight. The 23-year-old German Muay Thai expert landed a whopping total of 49 strikes to Belhanda's torso (26 knees, 19 kicks and 3 punches)



RESULT: Dudek / Decision (Unanimous)



Lightheavyweight bout - Radomir Jarezsczuk vs Pablo Pablo

Radomir secured all of his attempted takedowns and controlled Pablo from the top, cruising to a unanimous decision.



RESULT: Jarezsczuk / Decision (Unanimous)



Lightweight bout - Gianni Visnadi vs Lance Ngeimai

Ngeimai took Visnadi down in the opening seconds of the bout and he paid dearly for it, as the young Italian quickly locked into one of his arms and torqued it to force the tap.



RESULT: Visnadi / Submission (Armbar) / Round 1 (0:47)



[Guest]

VFF 50 The Aftermath: What's next for...



​​​In the wake of VFF 50: McFadden vs Kopper, Vigor Fighting's VP and producer Rodrigo Oliveira dabbles into the matchmaking department with his takes on who the event's winners should fight next. Fighters who already have a fight lined up will not be included.



Daniel McFadden vs Marcus Macino/Ruud Van Graaf winner: ​McFadden got back into the winning column by derailing Kopper's hype train. A case can be made for both Macino and Van Graaf: Macino would take his first top 10 heavyweight in the promotion and Van Graaf would be riding a 3-fight winning streak, making a rematch between him and McFadden perfectly reasonable.



Paul Sutherland vs Franz Weimar/Kyle Branson winner: ​ Sutherland snapped his 3-fight losing streak and is now coming off back-to-back wins. The winner of Weimar vs Branson would also be coming off of wins (especially if it's Branson, matching Sutherland's 2-fight win streak) and would provide a entertaining scrap with "Chunkie".



Appo Kalypsi vs SidDibiase/Samuel Rowan winner: ​ Kalypsi sky-rocketed through the welterweight rankings following his 3rd round submission of former champ Emmanuel Zsorats. The winner of DiBiase vs Rowan makes perfect sense for his next bout.



​Jackie Can vs Shael Connen: ​Can has quietly put together 3 wins in a row. It's time for him to take a step up in competition and an established competitor such as Connen fits the bill perfectly.



Donald Cerrone vs Indrid Cold/Ty Yy winner: ​Cerrone's brutal head kick knockout earned him the right to face a top 5 lightweight. Give him the winner of Indrid Cold vs Ty Yy.



Rodomir Jareszczuk vs Abe Lincon: ​With most welterweights already booked, Abe Lincon is a viable matchup for Jarezczuk's next trip to the VF cage.



[Guest]

VFF 51: Mills vs Cartman

 

 

The house was full, and Vigor Fighting yet again made the fans' money worthy. VFF 51 will go down in the books as the

second most highly-rated show the organization had to date. Only three fights went the distance, and the card was filled

up spectacular knockouts. Got curious? Here's a closer look at VFF 51: Mills vs Cartman.



MILLS OUTGUNS CARTMAN IN MAIN EVENT

Carl Mills soon might be knocking on the door of heavyweight champion Earl Bertane.



Mills (19-4, 1-0 VF) extended his winning streak to 3 following his Vigor Fighting debut win over #3 ranked Eric Cartman.



Cartman (7-4, 2-2 VF) spent much of the bout swinging and missing with his punch combinations. Mills picked his shots and connected with single punches to the head and body, and even caught his opponent by surprise with a couple of takedowns in rounds two and three.



In the end, all three judges sided with Mills, unanimously scoring it 30-27 in his favor.



RESULT: Mills / Decision (Unanimous)



GRIGGS POUNDS OUT PUTNAM

Ronnie Putnam had (5-4, 0-1 VF) a rude welcome to the Vigor Fighting cage.



The debutant found himself under the heavy artillery employed by Chad Griggs for the majority of their light heavyweight bout.



Griggs (8-7, 2-2 VF) quickly struck for a takedown and shut down Putnam's vaunted submission game while peppering him with his trademark ground n' pound. "Tap or Die" managed to reverse position after being mounted and survived the round, though.



The bell rang for round 2 and Griggs immediately puts Putnam on his back. "Show Stopper" then proceeded to crack him with punches from top position, slowly advancing to side control and eventually obtaining a second full mount. This time, there was no escape for Putnam, as Griggs hurt him with a big punch and pounded away for the finish.



RESULT: Griggs / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (4:46)



MILNES CLOCKS GAGE WITH SPECTACULAR HEAD KICK

Ants Milnes is on a roll.



"Standup" notched his 6th consecutive win in a featured main card bout, as he knocked out Stan Gage with a picture-perfect kick to the head just under a minute.



Milnes (8-4-1, 7-2-1 VF) flashed his weapon of choice early, throwing three consecutive head kicks at Gage. "Pistolero" looked for the takedown desperately, but was stuffed time and time again. Milnes then feinted a low kick and came over the top, slamming his shin against Gage's temple for the instantaneous knockout.



Gage (12-13, 1-4 VF) suffered his third knockout loss in as many fights since besting Hord Hirmuinem at VFF 33.



RESULT: Milnes / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (0:56)



MACINO BESTS VAN GRAAF IN FIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Marcus Macino and Ruud Van Graaf put on a show.



Van Graaf quickly pulled guard and threatened Macino with an onslaught of submission attempts. "Bear" kept his poise, stood back up and took the fight to his confort zone.



His best moment came in the second round, as he bloodied the Rotterdam-native and later knocked him down with a combination.

Van Graaf survived and made it to the third and final round, but he failed to score takedowns consinstently and ended up eating more punches than he should.



Following three hard-fought rounds, the judges declared Macino the winner (30-27 in all three scorecards).



RESULT: Macino / Decision (Unanimous)



UNDERCARD RESULTS



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - #7 Sid DiBiase vs # 6 Samuel Rowan

Both fighters put forth a valiant effort. Sid DiBiase did not shy away from the ground game, as he worked actively off his back against ADCC gold medalist Samuel Rowan. Rowan also didn't limited himself to spamming takedowns, as he landed some good shots standing. In the end, the fight was so close that two referees scored it 29-29, declaring it a majority draw.



RESULT: Draw (Majority)



Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Dante Vredenburg vs #8 Sergei Patrushev

Dante Vredenburg probably pulled out the biggest upset on the card, as he knocked ranked middleweight Sergei Patrushev out cold with a cross followed by a vicious head kick.



RESULT: Vredenburg / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (2:09)



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Roman Strugalsky vs Drago Lister

Strugalsky kept Lister on his clutches for the majority of the bout, as he pressed him against the cage and landed over and over again with elbow strikes. In the end, he was awarded a unanimous decision.



RESULT: Strugalsky / Decision (Unanimous)



Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Wolfgang Lidemann vs Leon Galat

Lindemann showed no respect for Leon Galat's ground game and jumped into his guard as soon as the bell rang. He quickly progressed to full mount and unloaded heavy shots, ultimately forcing Galat to tapout due to strikes.



RESULT: Lindemann / Submission (Strikes) / Round 1 (3:23)



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Hubert Godfrey vs Jonas Sakalas

Hubert Godfrey put on a striking clinic in his short lived bout against Jonas Sakalas, twice dropping him with counter strikes. Sakalas didn't adjust his gameplan and was dropped a third time after missing with a head kick. This time, Godfrey pounced and the referee was forced to stop the bout just 23 seconds into the first round.



RESULT: Godfrey / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (0:23)



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Don Donaldson vs Leo Luccas

Don Donaldson scored an amazing knockout in the opening fight of the night. He used Luccas' agression against him, as

he dodged his punches and stopped him dead in his tracks with a jab, Anderson Silva style. Highlight reel stuff.



RESULT: Donaldson / KO (Punch) / Round 1 (0:43)

[Guest]

VFF 51 The Aftermath: What's next for...



​​​Vigor Fighting's 51st installment is in the books, and once again, Vice President of Operations and show producer Rodrigo Oliveira gives his takes on who the show's winners should get next. Remember, if the fighter already has a fight booked, he will not be included in this article. Here's "What's next for...", VFF 51 edition.



Sid DiBiase vs António Maia: ​The most logical matchup would be Samuel Rowan, as they have unfinished businness following their draw at VFF 51's undercard. However, Rowan's future with the promotion is still unclear. Maia is fresh off a failed title bid against reigning champ Tactizek and needs a well-ranked opponent to get back in the title picture. DiBiase fits the bill perfectly.



Dante Vredenburg vs David Marcos/Slurms McKenzie winner: ​ As impressive as his upset knockout over Sergei Patrushev was, Vredenburg is not yet eligible to fight the upper echelon of the division. David Marcos and Slurms McKenzie are booked to a VFF 52 showdown. Give Vredenburg the winner, as the timing is perfect and the matchup makes sense.



Roman Strugalsky vs Kolambi Sukabo: ​ Sukabo is also coming off of a win and is a good matchup on paper for the surging Strugalsky.



​Wolfgang Lindemann vs Luddo Kopper: ​Lindemann just made it to the Contenders list - the next logical step would be matching him against a lower top 10 fighter. Kopper recently saw a 6-fight win streak snapped and finds himself on the bottom of heavyweight's top 10. The fight makes sense and has the potential to be a crowd-pleaser.

[Guest]

An unbeaten record is hard to keep at the higher level of MMA, and VFF 52 is proof of it, as many rising prospects were shut down by VF old timers in thrilling fights. Still, all that talent isn't going anywhere. Those guys will be right back at the title picture, given the time to heal and improve even more.



Here's the review for VFF 52: Gracie vs Arghei.

GRACIE KIMURA SUBMITS ARGHEI, RETAINS LIGHTWEIGHT BELT

Rayce Gracie simply didn't gave Sozu Arghei any room to breathe.



The champion immediately slimmed the challenger's chances by scoring a takedown followed by a guard pass into side control.

 

Gracie (11-4, 3-1 VFF) almost finished businnes right after, as he clinched a very tight arm triangle choke that got Arghei into serious trouble.



Arghei (4-1-1, 4-1-1 VFF) resisted, but spent the rest of the bout defending submission after submission, as Gracie constantly switched between the kimura and the aforementioned choke.



Despite valiantly fending off Gracie's attacks, Arghei couldn't defend a textbook kimura locked in by the champion, and conceded defeat for the first time in his career at the 3:27-mark of the very first round.



RESULT: Gracie / Submission (Kimura) / Round 1 (3:27)



YANAR OUTGRAPPLES MORGAN IN THRILLING FIGHT

Undefeated and with a title fight looming on the horizon. The outcome couldn't be better for Kendo Yanar.



The 21-year-old Finnish had his hands full with fellow middleweight standout Dexter Morgan, but he managed to get the win in the evening's co-main event.



The story of this fight was Morgan imposing his superior wrestling and Yanar imposing his superior jiu jitsu. "The Bay Harbour Butcher" struck for takedowns in all three rounds, only to get reversed by his BJJ brown belt counterpart.



Heated grappling exchanges took place on the mat, as both guys went back and forth with guard passes and sweeps while landing strikes at each other.



The highlight of the bout came late in the 3rd round. Behind on the scorecards, Morgan escaped Yanar's mount, got half-guard and landed a beautiful sweep, taking his opponent's back with a little more than a minute left on the clock. He couldn't find neither a fight-ending choke nor land enought strikes to score the TKO, and as a result ended up on the wrong end of a unanimous decision.



The win moves Yanar to 6-0 inside the VF cage, 8-0 overall.



Morgan loses for the first time in his career, dropping to 5-1, with all of his fights taking place under the Vigor Fighting banner.



RESULT: Yanar / Decision (Unanimous)



"THE ICEMAN" FREEZES URAHARA'S TITLE HOPES

Tayron Naar (12-3, 12-3 VFF) will get his shot at revenge.



"The Iceman" earned the right to face the man who tooks his belt back at Vigor Live! 3 following his decision win over touted prospect Kisuke Urahara in a featured main card bout at 170 pounds.



Soul-sapping kicks to the legs and body slowly took the fight out of Urahara, as he struggled to get into range in order to unleash his devastating boxing arsenal. In the end, all three cageside judges scored it 30-27 in favor of Naar.



Urahara (4-1, 2-1 VFF) tasted defeat for the first time in his career.



RESULT: Naar / Decision (Unanimous)



SARUWATARI KNOCKS "COWBOY" OFF HIS HORSE

Kicking off the main card was a lightheavyweight tilt between veterans Kaito Saruwatari and John McClane.



McClane (7-6, 4-4 VFF) had a head start, drawing blood from his opponent early in the bout with a hook. The strikers exchanged in the middle of the cage during the opening minute, before Kaito trapped McClane in a clinch, working his body and head with short, snapping punches. With a little more than a minute left on the first round, the 29-year-old Japanese veteran showcased his experience by scoring a round-stealing takedown and controlling the action from the top.



In the second round, Saruwatari (14-5, 5-1 VFF) quickly got the fight back where he wanted, pressing "Cowboy" against the cage and slowly draining his energy with short punches to the body. An uppercut at point blank buckled McClane's knees and a few unanswered

shots later, the referee was forced to step in and call the TKO.

 

RESULT: Saruwatari / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (2:56)



UNDERCARD RESULTS



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Sanex Lewis vs James Mitchell

Lewis made quick work of Mitchell, dispatching the newcomer with a "Submission of the Night"-award winner Americana just before the 3-minute mark. It was his second "Submission of the Night" award in as many VF wins.



RESULT: Lewis / Submission (Americana) / Round 1 (2:49)



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Jose Barboza vs Thane Krios

Solid dirty boxing and elbows from the clinch carried Jose Barboza to a unanimous decision win over Thane Krios in their "Fight of the Night"-award winner contest. Both fighters banked an extra $2000 for their showing.



RESULT: Barboza / Decision (Unanimous)



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Indrid Cold vs Ty Yy

Cold could soon be knocking on the doors of lightweight champ Rayce Gracie, as he notched his 3rd straight win since losing to Barney Ross back at Vigor Live! 4. Yy looked to be out on his feet after being smacked by a vicious head kick. Cold followed up with a salvo of punches and got the TKO win at 1:56 of the opening stanza.



RESULT: Cold / TKO (Kick and Punches) / Round 1 (1:56)

Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Slurms McKenzie vs David Marcos

McKenzie picked up the biggest win of his career as he handed VF veteran David Marcos his first TKO loss. After being knocked down multiple times, Marcos eventually couldn't recover from a big head kick and a follow-up flurry of punches and the referee was forced to call a stop to the contest.



RESULT: McKenzie / TKO (Strikes) / Round 2 (1:27)



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Baal Zebub vs Danny Clark

Baal Zebub scored his second win over Danny Clark. This time, the Muay thai expert received "Knockout of the Night" honors for his fight-ending head kick, landed at 4:58 of the opening frame.



RESULT: Zebub / KO (Head Kick) / Round 1 (4:58)



Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Alexander Mickiewicz vs Keph Zagra

Mickiewicz showcased all of his professionalism by coming in at almost 192 pounds for this middleweight fight. As a result, the bout was ruled a No Contest.



RESULT: No Contest

[Guest]

If you're a fight fan and you happen to be in Amsterdam for next couple of weeks, consider yourself lucky. Vigor Fighting has put together two blockbusters for the upcoming weeks, and we get things started with VFF 52, headlined by the a lightweight title fight between Rayce Gracie and number one contender Sozu Arghei. The main card also hosts high-profile bouts, such as title eliminators in both the middleweight and welterweight divisions. To wrap it up, lightheavyweight sluggers Kaito Saruwatari and John McClane duke it out for the crowd's delight.



Without further ado, here's the preview for VFF 52.



MAIN EVENT

LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP



#1 Rayce Gracie (10-4) vs #2 Sozu Arghei (4-0-1)

Lightweight champion Rayce Gracie puts his belt on the line against talented contender Sozu Arghei in the main event of

the evening.



Gracie is a Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt, and has obtained all 10 of his professional wins by way of submission. In his most recent appearance, he choked out Gilbert Melendez early in the third round with a guillotine to capture the promotion's inaugural lightweight belt.



Arghei walks into the cage undefeated, with 4 wins and a draw in his resume. The heavy-handed wrestle-boxer is coming off of a dominant performance against #6 ranked Ty Yy, culminating in an early second round knockout.



ANALYSIS: Gracie knows what he's good at and he sticks to it. The 23-year-old Brazilian uses his rudimentay striking to punch his way into takedown range. While not a wrestling powerhouse, he accomplishes 50% of his attempted takedowns, a fairly good success rate. Once on the mat, he will look to pass guard while hunting for submissions.



Arghei will pick his shots on the outside, landing to the head and midsection, before stepping in into phone-booth range to unload blistering combinations. He's also adept at mixing up kicks into his striking arsenal, which helps in keeping his offense unpredictable. Arghei is not one to shy away from the ground game, as he will shoot for takedowns if given the opportunity, proceeding to work diligently with dangerous ground n' pound.



There are two key factors to determine the outcome of this bout: Gracie's chin and Arghei's wrestling.



Arghei is a slightly better wrestler, and one has to wonder how much Gracie will have to work to get the takedown and how long can he take Arghei's punches if he fails to do so early - 3 out of his 4 losses came by way of (T)KO.



THE PICK: If Arghei takes a more measured approach and chooses to attack with straight punches on the outside instead of wild, flailing combos, while making Gracie wear himself out working for the takedown, he has a serious shot at dethroning our champion. On the other hand, if he finds himself with his back on the mat, can he scramble back to his feet or will he fall prey to Gracie's superior submission grappling? These two outcomes are fairly possible, but i'm siding with the more well-rounded Arghei here. He takes it by late 1st round TKO.

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT



#2 Kendo Yanar (7-0) vs #3 "The Bay Harbour Butcher" Dexter Morgan (5-0)

Two undefeated middleweight rising stars collide in the co-main event - and there's a lot more on the line than keeping a clean record, as the winner is bound to challenge Kari Jurri for his belt.



Yanar has stormed through Vigor Fighting's middleweight division, going 5-0 since joining the promotion. The 21-year-old Finnish export has obtained 5 out of his 7 wins by way of TKO, mostly recently outpointing divisional standout Jimmy Hoffer at Vigor Live! 5.



Morgan, who had all of his 5 pro bouts inside the Vigor Fighting cage, shares his opponent's flair for the ground oriented attack, stopping all but one of his opponents via ground strikes, 3 of which ended up tapping out under his vicious assault. Like Yanar, he's also coming off of a decision win over Jimmy Hoffer.



ANALYSIS: Here we have two fighter who are at their best on the ground, in top position, landing strikes. The difference is the means they use to get to that end.



While Yanar is a capable wrestler, he is not limited to shooting double-legs from the outisde, despite being very good at it. Instead, he will flash out a jab or a straight and move into the clinch, where he does his best work. In close quarters, he uses excellent dirty boxing to wear out his adversaries before transitioning to trips and throws, which he lands 75% of the time. Once on the mat, his BJJ brown belt allows him to slice through the opposition's guard and unleash a high-volume offense, averaging almost 24 attempted ground strikes per fight.



Morgan is much more predictable, thanks to his confidence in his excellent wrestling background. He's your more traditional wrestler-turned-MMA fighter, flicking token punches to mask takedown attempts. He averages 8 takedown attempts per bout, landing 30% of them. With his excelent top control, couple with a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, however, one takedown is all he needs to sway a fight in his favor. Morgan takes more time trying to pass guard, and often fishes for submissions, but his bread n' butter tool is still his ground n' pound, as he evidenced by his 18 strikes per fight ratio.



THE PICK: While Morgan can definetly get the takedown first, based on his wrestling skills alone and be very difficult to shook off from the top, Yanar has more tools to win this bout, either by working his punches in the clinch or scoring trips into a dominat position. His superior jiu jitsu will allow him to retain and advance position if he finds himself atop "The Bay Harbout Butcher" and he gets the better of grappling exchanges en route to unanimous decision.



MAIN CARD

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT



#2 Tayron "The Iceman" Naar (11-3) vs #3 Kisuke Urahara (4-0)

Another title eliminator - this time in the welterweight division - takes place in the main card.



A win over Urahara would make 3 in a row for former titlist Tayron Naar. One of the most feared strikers in the division, "The Iceman" went the distance for the first time in his storied career in his last appearance, as he took a unanimous decision over ranked welterweight Sid DiBiase.



Kisuke Urahara has looked downright unstoppable so far. The 21-year-old The Void product has knocked out everyone put in front of him, including a pair of wins inside the VF cage, over highly touted opposition in Samuel Rowan and Sid DiBiase.



ANALYSIS: Tayron Naar became known for his dangerous kickboxing game. The 29-year-old Dutchman will have a Muay thai - as well as a wealth of big-fight experience - advantage over his younger counterpart. Naar picks his opponents apart with thumping kicks to the legs and torso before going upstairs with his finishing moves: the uppercut and the high kick.



Urahara possess sensational boxing skills coupled with scary power. He's a technical striker who doesn't wind himself out swinging wild combinations, instead, he picks his shots, works the body and often ties up, sucking the air out of his foes with punches and knees to the body.



Urahara's ability to close the distance and turn this into a boxing match will be pivotal if he's to win this fight. Naar's kicks are brutal and a couple of well-placed leg kicks can easily take the spring out Kisuke's punches. The opposite works for Naar as well: Allowing the better boxer to close the distance on him will be fatal, as evidenced by his knockout loss to boxing-based champion Zbynek Tacticzek.



THE PICK: Naar is a threath to every man weighing in at 170 pounds in a standup bout. However, Urahara's power and boxing acumen are just to big of a factor not to take into account. He absorbs his fair share of kicks early on, but turns the tides midway into round one, scoring a TKO over the Vigor Fighting legend.



MAIN CARD

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT



#5 Kaito "Katana" Saruwatari (13-5) vs #10 John "Cowboy" McClane (7-5)

Getting the fans pumped into the more meaningful fights of the night is a lightheavyweight striking extravanganza between Kaito Saruwatari and John McClane.



Saruwatari, who sports a black belt in Kyokushin karate, compiled a 4-0 record under the VF banner. In his last outing, however, he was on the receiving end of a Rantis Gaumpe "Knockout of the Night"-award winner head kick.



McClane - who obtained all 4 of his VF triumphs by knockout or technical knockout - is coming off of his first TKO loss, a late 3rd round defeat against Chad Griggs. Prior to that, he lost 3 out of his last 4.



ANALYSIS: Saruwatari is a kickboxer who relies heavily on leg kicks. He usually follows those with punches to the head, but is also adept at mixing up kicks to the head and body. If threatened, the 28-year-old Japanese striker forces tie-ups, where he can do serious damage with punches or score trips.



Owner of some of the fastest hands in the division, McClane has obtained all but of one of his wins by (T)KO. "Cowboy" recently added some leg kicks to his tool box, but he remains a boxer for the most part. A headhunter by default, McClane stalks his opponents with flurries until either a big punch lands or he gets taken down.



Saruwatari has a solid understanding of footwork and distance, and can be very hard to hit - maybe that's way he doesn't react well when actually being struck. In the past, the Millions Top Team product has struggled with big punchers, and 4 out his 5 losses came by way of knockout or technical knockout.



McClane must be the agressor and not give his opponent room to work his kicks or he's in for a long, painful night. While closing the distance, he must be smart to avoid getting sucked into a clinch or a takedown, as Kaito holds the wrestling advantage over him.



THE PICK: McClane will have his moments and the crowd will stay on its feet as both fighters bring solid striking and finishing ability to the cage, but Saruwatari will make use of his deeper tool box to walk away with a decision win.



UNDERCARD BOUTS



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - #6 Sanex "Spartan" Lewis (7-6) vs James Mitchell (2-0)

Debutant James Mitchell keeps this one standing long enough to clip Lewis with one of his haymakers, scoring a first-round knockout.



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - #9 Thane Krios (5-5) vs Jose "Lightning" Barboza (5-5)

Another fighter making his VF debut here - only this time he will not walk away victorious, as Krios uses his daunting power to score a knockout in what promises to be a very entertaining slugfest.



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - #6 "Beast" Ty Yy (4-3) vs #5 "The Mothman" Indrid Cold (3-2)

Cold uses his superior Muay thai, wearing out Yy with kicks and clinchwork to eke out a workmanlike decision.



Middleweight (185 lbs) - David Marcos (8-5) vs Slurms McKenzie (1-1)

McKenzie has a shot if he can use his superior striking to land something meaningful early, otherwise Marcos will eventually get a takedown and grind his way to unanimous decision.



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Danny "The Hitman" Clark (7-9) vs "Prince" Baal Zebub (2-0)

A battle tested veteran faces a promising prospect in a rematch. Lightning strikes twice and Zebub takes it by TKO.



Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Keph Zagra (3-0) vs Alexander "Wielki" Mickiewicz (3-8)

Zagra adds another one to the highlight reel, stopping Mickiewicz on first-round punches.

[Guest]

Following VFF 52, Vigor Fighting brings a monster blockbuster this Friday in the form of VFF 53: Nowak vs Nevsky. Headlined by a lightheavyweight title fight between reigning champ Jan Nowak and number one contender Alexander Nevsky, the card also features a pivotal bouts in the heavyweight and lightheavyweight divisions, as former long-time rulers Jamie Coton and Jonah Sumrall toe the line against Stephan Evurts and Rantis Gaumpe, respectively. Rounding up the main card is a middleweight clash between Bryce Niles and Charobi Mac D. The undercard features marquee VF names such as Petr Ondrus, Mitka Boycheck, Fraz Weimar and Frenk chmellengartner. Excited?



Below is the preview for VFF 53: Nowak vs Nevsky.



MAIN EVENT

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

 



#1 Jan Nowak (7-1) vs #2 Alexander Nevsky (16-8)



Champion Jan Nowak will look to make a record-breaking 3rd title defense of his lightheavyweight belt as he faces Alexander Nevsky.



Since suffering a split decision loss to former champion Peter Jones, Nowak piled six consecutive victories inside the VF cage, capturing the division's title and defending it twice in the process. Known early for his brutal ground n' pound, Nowak hasn't finished an opponent since he stopped Blink Deathgrip on first-round ground strikes back at VFF 29. In his last three outings, he bested Jonah Sumrall, Rantis Gaumpe and Randy Orton, all by unanimous decision.



Nevsky, a 31-year-old veteran with 24 pro bouts under his belt, got his title shot following a last second stoppage of former champion Mitka Boycheck at VFF 49. The Russian, who finished his opponents in 13 of his 16 wins (8 KO/TKO, 5 submissions) is riding a 5-fight winning streak.

 



ANALYSIS: Much like his opponent, Nowak stopped being a one-dimensional, takedown spamming wrestler and has been steadily

improving his striking skills. Now much more confortable on the feet, the towering 6'5" Polish can make use of his long reach to rack up points with his boxing and better set up his takedowns. Nevsky, one of the shortest lightheavyweights out there, standing at 5'10", will have to be fast and explosive in order to close the gap and land his own strikes - punches and leg kicks for the most part.



In the grappling department, both fighters are dead even, sporting a solid background in wrestling as well as brown belts in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Nowak averages almost 10 takedown attempts per fight, landing 30% of those, while Nevsky shoots for an average of 5 and succeeds 36% of the time. Once on the mat, both men are super agressive: Nowak throws an average of 36 ground strikes - 15 more than Nevsky, who sports a 21 ground strikes thrown pert match ratio. Nevsky, however,also mixes up submission attempts to his offense, averaging 4 attempts per fight. He's particularly proficient with armlocks as 3 out of his 5 submission victims tapped out to armbars. Defense-wise, the advantage goes to Nowak, who's much more adeptat defending strikes and submissions from the bottom as well as denying his opponents guard passes. To better illustratethat, Nowak has only been hit by 8% of the average 4.5 strikes attempted against him - Nevsky has allowed 57% of the strikes thrown against him to penetrate his defenses. Opponents also have a harder time passing Nowak's guard, succeeding just 39% of the time as opposed to 43% against Nevsky.

 

​

THE PICK: Nowak has a clear advantage standing, but both fighters are such excellent wrestlers that eventually this fight will end up on the ground. Past fights tell us that Nowak is very hard to deal with no matter if on top or on the bottom. While Nevsky will be a very game challenger, he will ultimately come up short in just enough grappling exchanges to sway the judges in Nowak's favor. Nowak becomes the only man to defend the lightheavyweight belt 3 times as he takes this by unanimous decision.

 

CO-MAIN EVENT

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT

 



#2 Jamie "The Afterlife" Coton (12-5) vs #6 Stephan "Toe Tapper" Evurts (16-7)



Preceding the main event is a heavyweight bout with serious title implications, as Jamie Coton battles Stephan Evurts.

 



Once the most feared competitor of Vigor Fighting's heavyweight division, Jamie Coton went 2-2 since dropping his belt to journeyman Roderick Jenkins at VFF 30. However, "The Afterlife" now finds himself close to getting a shot at the belt he once held for 6 consecutive fights. In his most recent outing, Coton outpointed Eric Cartman in a "Fight of the Night"-award winner scrap at VFF 48.



Coton's ultimate obstacle on his way to a title shot is shaped as 6'7", 276-pounds Dutch fighter Stephan Evurts. Evurts is fresh off of his VF debut, where he outclassed Wscieckle Piesci before putting him away with punches just 40 seconds into the second round of their VFF 49 bout. It was Evurts' third consecutive win.

 

​

ANALYSIS: Here we have a fan-favorite: Two well-rounded, freakish powerful heavyweights.



Coton is famous for his boxing skills and numbinh punching power. The former heavyweight titleholder is adept at slinging punches to the head and body before forcing the fight into the clinch, where he softens his opponents with elbows and knees to the body.

 



Evurts, as evidenced by his last fight against Piesci, is capable of putting together a multi-pronged attack, mixing punches, kicks and takedowns seamlessly. The towering Dutchman is also pretty capable in the clinch, where he will slide short punches through his opponent's defenses and work for trips.



Coton's wrestling and BJJ brown belt are used mainly for defensive purposes, but he has good ground n' pound and a submission win to his credit. Evurts looks for takedowns much more frequently than Coton. Once on the mat, "Toe Tapper" is adept at advancing positions while fishing for submissions - 2 of his wins came by tapout.

 



THE PICK: Evurts is a well-rounded fighter but Coton is just an inch above him in every aspect of the game. The Dutchman packs a tremendous punch but that's his best chance. Coton takes it by TKO or decision.



MAIN CARD

LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT BOUT



#4 "The Demolition Man" Rantis Gaumpe (9-4) vs #3 "God's Worker" Jonah Sumrall (9-2, 1 NC)



A possible title eliminator graces the main card as "The Demolition Man" takes on "God's Worker".



Rantis Gaumpe might be getting his second VF title shot with a win over fellow Muay thai expert Jonah Sumrall. "The Demolition Man" last saw action at VFF 47, where he knocked #5 ranked Kaito Saruwatari out with a "Knockout of the Night"-award winner head kick in under a minute.



A win over Gaumpe would make it 3 straight for Jonah Sumrall, a former champion at 205-pounds. In his most recent outings, Sumrall

bested Jake Rodrigues in a 3-round fight and scored a 2nd round knockout of Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Sanex Lewis.



ANALYSIS: Jonah Sumrall and Rants Gaumpe know just one way to fight: Sprawl, punch, kick. There will probably be no sprawling in this one, though.



Both guys are excellent kickboxers with loads of knockout power. Sumrall throws less strikes, but also lands more often, favoring single shots to the head and body, as well as constantly going upstair with kicks to the head and body. Gaumpe's go-to offense consists of crippling kicks to the legs and torso, but he also has wicked punches and head kicks - look no further than his last bout with Saruwatari.



THE PICK: A bout between two kickboxing powerhouses is often a toss-up. While both men are capable of turning the other's lights out, Sumrall is a slightly better striker and his defense tighter. He scores a 2nd round TKO.



MAIN CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT



#6 "Tapout Kid" Bryce Niles (9-7) vs Charobi Mac D (5-7)



Two entertaining middleweight scrappers collide in the first main card bout of the evening.



Niles snapped a two-fight losing skid with a triangle choke submission win over VF veteran David Marcos in a minute and a half at VFF 48.



The heavy-handed Mac D hasn't tasted victory since his VFF 38 TKO win over Jon Jonson. In his last two outings, he suffered back-to-back TKO losses top middleweights Eric Lawson and Dexter Morgan.



ANALYSIS: A contrast of styles sets the tone of this bout.



8 out of Niles' 9 wins came by way of submission. A Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt, the 30-year-old Las Vegas-native comes forward flailing power punches before changing levels to shoot for takedowns. Once on the mat, he will chain submission attempts looking for the tapout. His wrestling is serviceable at best and Niles will struggle if forced to fight standing for extended periods of time.



The opposite is true for Mac D. A high-level striker, the 22-year-old Rotterdam-native has difficulty dealing with grapplers. If given room to trade punches, however, Mac D can be lethal. Although he tends to get wild and sloppy with his combinations, he has thunder in both hands, and all but one of his wins came by way of KO/TKO. He can also mix in a couple of kicks to his game.



Wrestling will be pivotal in determining the outcome of the bout. If Niles gets the takedown, he a good shot at submitting or even pounding out Mac D. If the bout stays upright, however, Mac D's boxing and power will give him a distinct advantage.



THE PICK: This one can go either way, but the slightly more likely outcome sees Mac D keeping it standing long enough to

land his equalizer. He takes it by 1st round knockout.



UNDERCARD BOUTS



Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - #5 Petr "Pino" Ondrus (12-8) vs "The Undertaker" Boa Constrictor (11-12)



While this will be a competitive for as long as it stays standing, it's likely that Ondrus will get it to the ground at some point, and will take over from there. "Pino" takes it by 2nd TKO or submission.



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - #8 Mitka "Meph" Boycheck (10-7) vs "The Jester" Jesse Dirk (8-8)



Both guys could use a win, and they'll have to fight hard for one here. If Dirk forces Boycheck to tire himself out looking for takedowns, he can get a win with his superior boxing. If Boycheck gets a takedown, however, he's more than capable of grinding "The Jester" and even finish him off with ground n' pound or with a submission. After 3 hard fought rounds, Dirk takes it by decision.



Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - #9 Frenk "Neck Crank" Schmellengartner (11-9) vs Wsciekle Piesci (3-3)



Top 10 heavyweight Frenk Schmellengartner returns to action in the undercard against Piesci. Look for "Neck Crank" to secure the Thai clinch and finish businness with a barrage of knees in the 3rd round.



Middleweight (185 lbs) - David Marcos (8-5) vs Slurms McKenzie (1-1)



McKenzie has a shot if he can use his superior striking to land something meaningful early, otherwise Marcos will eventually get a takedown and grind his way to unanimous decision.



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Franz Weimar (6-8) vs Kyle "Slick" Branson (1-0)



Promising prospect Kyle Branson gets another tough outing as he draws the experienced VF veteran Franz Weimar as just his second opponent. Both men will fight tooth-and-nail for any advantage they can have, but Branson's slightly superior wrestling will earn him the nod from the judges.



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Wranch Hammer (3-8) vs Alexandre "Sicário" Preuss (3-4)

​

Look for Preuss to overwhelm Hammer with his volume punching en route to a unanimous decision.

[Guest]

IN A SPLIT SECOND



Alexander Nevsky was down 4 rounds to none coming into the final frame of his lightheavyweight title bout against Jan Nowak.



The bell rang for the 5th and final round and it looked a lot like the previous four: Nowak peppering the challenger with punches from across the cage then closing the (huge) gap and taking Nevsky to takedown land. While the 31-year-old Russian never looked out of it, things were looking dire for him as time was running out and Nowak was, yet again, landing punches inside his guard.



Still, despite the looks of it, the MMA gods' trickery was on full display that night. As were Nevsky's skills and determination.

 

Refusing to give up, the underdog swiveled his hips and commited to an armbar with just seconds left on the bout. Nevsky went belly down and cranked on the arm. Nowak, who defended all of Nevsky's previous nineteen submission attempts, couldn't defend the last one. It was tap or snap at the point, and, with 3 seconds left on the clock, Nowak relinquished his lightheavyweight title, declaring the end of one of VF's most memorable battles and awe-inspiring comebacks.



And the curse of the 3rd title defense in the lightheavyweight division lives on.



Can Nevsky be the one to dispell it?



RESULT: Nevsky / Submission (Armbar) / Round 5 (4:57)



EVURTS OUTDUELS COTON



In the evening's co-main event, surging Stephan Evurts (17-7, 2-0 VFF) showcased a wide array of skills in taking a unanimous decision over former long-time divisional champion Jamie Coton (12-6, 10-4 VFF). All three judges scored it 29-28 in favor of the towering Dutchman.



Evurts turned Coton's trademark agressiveness against him as he punished the man known as "The Afterlife" for the better part of the first two rounds. Evurts even managed to score a nice trip into side control and land a few good punches to wrap up the opening frame.



Both fighters slowed down considerably in the third frame, but Coton poured offense more constantly, taking the final round in all scorecards. Still, it wasn't enough and he had to settle for the unanimous decision loss.



RESULT: Evurts / Decision (Unanimous)



SUMRALL GRINDS OUT GAUMPE



Jonah Sumrall (10-2, 8-2 VFF) climbed another step towards the top of the 205-pounds division, as he bested fellow Muay thai juggernaut Rantis Gaumpe (9-5, 5-3 VFF) in a featured main card bout.



Sumrall came in looking to counter, but Gaumpe proved a tough costumer early on. Making good use of his height and reach advantage (6'3" vs 5'11"), Gaumpe scored with long kicks and punches from the outside as Sumrall struggled to get into range to land his counters and force tie-ups.



As the bout progressed however, Sumrall managed to figure out his opponent's striking, constantly forcing the fight into draining clinches, landing short punches and forcing the bigger Gaumpe to spend a lot of energy trying to get back to the center of the cage.



Clearly spent, "The Demolition Man" couldn't get back at striking range in round 3, being held against the cage for the most part of the 5 scheduled minutes by the stronger Sumrall. In the end, all three judges sided with Sumrall, for 29-28 accounts.



RESULT: Sumrall / Decision (Unanimous)



MAC D TRAMPLES NILES



Charobi Mac D (6-7, 6-5 VFF) made quick work of ranked middleweight Bryce Niles (9-8, 4-4 VFF) in the opening main card bout of the night.



Clipped cleanly in the chin by a blistering 3-punch combination, Niles was rendered unconscious just 36 seconds into the bout.



Mac D buckled his man with thudding low kicks in their brief encounter before decking him with a left-right combination. It was a taste of what was yet to come. Just seconds later, Mac D lunged forward with the fight-ending combination and picked up his 6th Vigor Fighting win.

 

RESULT: Mac D / KO (Punches) / Round 1 (0:36)



UNDERCARD RESULTS



Middleweight bout (185 lbs) - Petr Ondrus vs Boa Constrictor



Petr Ondrus dominated Boa Constrictor in an undercard bout at 185-lbs. Ondrus quickly scored a takedown, bloodied his opponent with punches and steadily advanced position, ultimately secuing Constrictor's back and finishing the fight with a rear naked choke at 3:12 of the first round.



RESULT: Ondrus / Submission (Rear Naked Choke) / Round 1 (3:12)



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Jesse Dirk vs Mitka Boycheck



It has been a rough ride for Boycheck lately. The former champion started out good, cutting Dirk open with punches, but conceded a takedown straight into side control. Dirk went to work with brutal ground n' pound, eventually getting the stoppage at 1:20 of the opening frame. It was Boycheck's 5th consecutive loss due to strikes.



RESULT: Dirk / TKO (Strikes) / Round 1 (1:20)



Heavyweight bout (265 lbs) - Wsciekle Piesci vs Frenk Schmellengartner



Piesci's excellent hands were on full display Friday night. He managed to stay out of Schmell's dangerous clinch and blitzed him with power punches, finally sealing the deal with a wicked overhand right early in the second round.



RESULT: Piesci / KO (Punch) / Round 2 (1:50)



Lightheavyweight bout (205 lbs) - Kyle Branson vs Franz Weimar



Branson finished what was an crazy grappling battle with style as he cranked on an exquisite Americana, coaxing a tapout from Weimar at the 3:20-mark of the second round.



RESULT: Branson / Submission (Americana) / Round 2 (3:20)



Welterweight bout (170 lbs) - Kanki Onki vs Sevak Magakian



Magakian scored a quick takedown and Onki countered by scoring an even quicker submission: He locked an fight-ending armbar just 22 seconds into the bout.



RESULT: Onki / Submission (Armbar) / Round 1 (0:22)



Lightweight bout (155 lbs) - Wranch Hammer vs Alexandre Preuss



Constant pressure earned Wranch Hammer a controversial unanimous decision in an undercard lightweight bout against Alexandre Preuss.



RESULT: Hammer / Decision (Unanimous)

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

keep up the good work bro and My fighter will be ready to bring the pain in his next fight. Hope the fans are ready for this.

[Guest]

The HW emperior Earl "The Nightmare" Bertane has a mesage to delivery while listening to above the law . Welcome to the new era of my nightmare. This is my div and nothing noone can do about it. Ask my last 4 victims of the nightmare hall of pain. Carl "W" Mills you are next.

[Guest]

u should continue this thread ....