The Island Tournament Round 1 Preview

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BANTAMWEIGHT

Serge Ibaka (14-0) Vs Ramsey Garner (2-3)
Ibaka is a top 3 fighter on The Island, with 6 defences of the Highland Games 135 belt and one defence of the Attack Fight League belt, Ibaka is as good as it gets.
Ramsey Garner had an early start in HG, but an unimpressive 1-3 record in the org saw him get cut. He has yet to be stopped by means other than submission, but he is a huge underdog here.
Serge Ibaka by KO/TKO.

Nikolai Medvedev (8-8) Vs Zakari Moss (9-4)
When these two last met, it was for the UltimateXC Bantamweight title, where Moss submitted Medvedev in the second round.
Medvedev has been in these with some of the best, even being the World Combat BW champion for some time, but losing his last two fights have dropped him down the rankings as of late.
Since Moss won the UltimateXC title, he’s not really had the same success. Losing his next two UltimateXC fights and an average 2-2 record in HG, Moss has a chance but is an outsider to win the season.
Zakari Moss by Submission.

Renato Laranja (10-3) Vs Johnny Whiteside (5-1)
Renato is coming off of a career low after being submitted by Neil Drake in his last outing. The former AFL Bantamweight Champion and one time HG contender has a lot to prove in this tournament, and will certainly be one of the top picks.
With his last 3 fights being wins over Hoody Hooty, Whiteside hasn’t been in there with a lot of people. An early loss to Darth Vader in UXC is his only loss, but he’ll be a massive underdog for this contest.
Renato Laranja by Submission.

Jet Hemi (7-6) Vs Thaddeus Fitzgerald (7-4)
Hemi has had a storied Island career. Once being 6-0 and the AFL Champion, he’s fallen an unexpected 1-6 since, and if his current luck continues, he won’t be walking out as the victor in this tournament.
Fitzgerald has mixed it up with a few good people and has competed in Chaos, Island Champions, Attack Fight League and World Combat. It’s unexpected that he’ll take the season, but he would well take this fight.
Fitzgerald by Decision.

Darth Vader (10-3) Vs Miguel Ortega (3-4)
Darth Vader is a big competitor in this tournament. A two time AFL Champion who has had 6 championship fights throughout the season, Darth Vader will certainly be a threat to anyone.
Although he’s had a decent few fights in more recent times, Miguel hasn’t really faced anybody worthwhile and he’s a gigantic underdog for this fight.
Darth Vader by Decision.

Jacob Naankuse (4-3) Vs Devin Jaqquard (6-1)
Jacob was once a promising up and comer, but a three fight losing streak saw him released from Highland Games after 5 fights in the org. He hasn’t fought since the start of February, so it’s expected that he’s been training hard for a comeback.
Devin Jaqquard is devastated that he doesn’t get the opportunity to challenge for the title on The Island, but this can be his redemption. One upset loss to Lee Kagawa is the only mark on his record, and Devin is a definite dark horse in this Bantamweight tournament.
Jaqquard by KO/TKO.

Tom Franks (8-7) Vs Dominance Zelditeez (8-3)
Another very experienced guy with mixed results is Tom Franks. All 7 of his losses came to some solid competition, and the AFL veteran will be planning to show that he’s learned from ever experience he’s encountered throughout the season.
Dominance is a one time HG Bantamweight Challenger who recently got back on winnings ways after his first two fight slip. Although he hasn’t defeated the best guys around, he has been fairly dominant against the lower level of competitor offered to him.
Tom Franks by KO/TKO.

Milky Socks (3-5) Vs Neil Drake (11-4)
Milky Socks once went on a 3 fight winning streak in Highland Games and was touted as quite a name to look out for, but in recent times he’s lost his last three and he’s really going to struggle to make some headway in this contest.
Neil Drake is probably second to Ibaka in the favourites to win this. A former AFL Champion, he’s coming off one of the biggest wins of his career and he vows that when him and Ibaka clash for a third time, this time it’ll be Drake who walks home with the spoils.
Neil Drake by Submission

Bobby Bob Bob (9-3) Vs Ian McCall (1-0)
Bobby Bob is the former World Combat Bantamweight Champion, which he won with a huge upset win over Darth Vader. He could go quite far in this competition, but it’ll be all up against him.
Ian McCall, well what can I saw? He is probably the least experienced guy in the entire tournament, in any weight class. If he could go deep, it’d be an incredible story, but you can’t really see it happening.
Bobby Bob Bob by KO/TKO.

Ville Ahokas (4-0) Vs Lee Kagawa (7-5)
Ville has been going under the radar, but it’s undeniable that this early start in his career has been impressive. He holds no big victories, but going 4 fights undefeated is never easy.
On record alone, Kagawa’s record doesn’t look too impressive, but he’s been out there working hard and having some fantastic fights for a long time. His manager is determined to have a good tournament, and it’ll all start in this contest.
Lee Kagawa by KO/TKO.

Kip Ruell (6-3) Vs Kusi Amuo (5-2)
After an unimpressive early career, Kip turned it all around with a great 5 fight winning streak with some fairly solid wins and stoppages. He recently challenged Serge Ibaka for his belt but came up unsuccessfully.
Kusi competed in HG early but some inactivity saw him released. Recently, he’s had a solid career in World Combat, but doesn’t have any notable victories.
Kip Ruell by KO/TKO.

Kofi Amankwah (6-8) Vs Jomlong Kiapoity (8-2)
Both of these men have been members of the Highland Games bantamweight division for some time.
A bad start to his MMA career was evened up by Kofi Amankwah at Highland Games 29, but he’s never been able to fully capitalize and his unimpressive record shows his up and down results.
It would have been expected that Jomlong would have next competed for the Highland Games title had the season not ended. Some big wins over some solid guys have demonstrated the high level of jiu jitsu Jomglong holds several times, and he goes into this as the favourite.
Jomlong Kiapoity by Submission.

Dan Sten (6-1) Vs Yaazi Qyzan (4-4)
Someone who may have contested Jomlong’s title shot hopes is Dan Sten. All of his fights have taken place under the HG banner, and with his only loss being made up for, Dan Sten is looking to be a major player in this tournament.
Yaazi Qyzan has fought in UXC, HG, KOTC and WC, so he’s been around the block. A career highlight is his victory over Eff Man by KO, but he’s never really had any long periods of success to note.
Dan Sten by KO/TKO.

Jimmy Snuka (4-4) Vs Dan Small (6-1)
Jimmy had a disastrous start to his career, at one stage going 1-4, but a 3 fight comeback in the independent circuit has him carrying some good momentum into this contest.
Dan Small is yet another man to fall to Serge Ibaka in a title contest. A submission expert, Small has defeated some highly talented competitors and could be one to watch in the upcoming fights.
Dan Small by Submission.

Ronald Raygun (7-5) Vs Josh Miller (8-4)
Ronald Raygun has really had a career of split results, but he has proven simple times that he can get the fight done on occasion. He might struggle with some bigger names, but no one can overlook him.
Josh Miller was once 8-1, so it’s fairly insane to imagine that he’s lost his last three fights. His moral will have to be low in entering this competition, but by stringing together a few wins, he might well upset some people.
Josh Miller by Submission.

Rob Mills (1-1) Vs BJ Arnold (9-1)
This fight is set to be an absolute slaughter. Rob Mills is a newcomer with only two fights under his belt, both in WC.
BJ Arnold is 9-1 and the reigning WC Champion. A big favourite going into this tournament, an accolade which is easily overlooked is Arnold’s Executioner Bantamweight Title win over Alphonso Bobo.
BJ Arnold by KO/TKO.

 

 

 

FEATHERWEIGHT

Mamad Mouba (8-2) Vs Edwin Skoglund (1-0)
Mamad is the reigning WC Lightweight Champion, defending the belt 4 times now. He also holds a big win over the former Highland Games Lightweight Champion Derrick Jon. Edwin has one fight which went all 3 rounds, but I doubt this one will.
Mamad Mouba by KO/TKO

Reem Khalid (5-3) Vs Anthony Placencia (3-2)
Khalid has been around for a while which okay success, and has utilized his high level jiu jitsu to submit several opponents.
With a similar story, Anthony Placencia is a jiu itsu player who’s been back and forth on wins.
I think Khalid’s level is a little higher though, so I edge to him.
Reem Khalid by Decision

Eryk Bartnik (5-1) Vs Im Hwoarang (2-3)
Eryk has some really top notch jiu jitsu and has been a fear for anyone on the ground for some time now. Hwoarang’s lack of wrestling and jiu jitsu training will be his downfall I imagine.
Eryk Bartnik by Submission

Azamat Gashimov (3-2) Vs Ryan Williams (6-6)
A decent wrestler, Azamat has been unable to score a win since signing for WC. Williams has fought for UXC, AFL and now WC, and seems to have somewhat hit hide stride recently.
Ryan Williams by Submission

Ryan Beltshazar (5-3) Vs Sean Doyle (2-2)
Beltshazar spent most of his time fighting for Highland Games at 155, but recently dropped down in a losing effort to take Mamad Mouba’s featherweight title. He’s expected to be a favourite to cause some trouble in this tournament. Sean Doyle is more at home at BW, so the size different I think will be a big difference here.
Ryan Beltshazar by KO/TKO

Julio Cesar Neves Jr (2-0) Vs Kyle Monroe (3-0)
Neves is an accomplished BJJ athlete who moved to The Island to perfect his striking. He’d have liked some more time to do so, but he’ll want to fall back on his jitz for this.
Monroe is a striker, and has won three fights by KO now. I think the age difference will led Monroe more experience, ultimately allowing him to win the fight.
Kyle Monroe by KO/TKO

Cho King Fang (4-2) Vs Benny Bishop (5-2)
Fang has some nice submission wins, but recently to a loss to Alphonso Bobo who for a while was a major player in world combat. He’ll want this fight to hit the floor.
Letting him do that will be Benny Bishop, another jiu jitsu player with a purple belt in the discipline. My instinct is saying Bishop, so I’ll go with him.
Benny Bishop by Submission

Alexander Sarnavskiy (2-1) Vs Ali Roumani (7-2)
The Russian 20 year old Sarnavskiy has a tough task here. Due to all the BJJ players in this tournament, it appears that much of it is there for the taking for Ali Roumani, who’s expected to win this fight to kick it all off.
Ali Roumani by Submission

 

LIGHTWEIGHT

George Moshington (8-0) Vs Oscar Timanee (4-2)
Moshington came out of nowhere when he rose to fame in Highland Games. Victories over some top contenders like Derrick Jon, JJ Lycka and Bhola Djin Djin have really shown his abilities, both in striking and submissions, and has used these to win the title.
Timanee is a considerable underdog here, having only competed against unknown guys in the independents, but he has been a solid competitor and should put up a fight.
George Moshington by KO/TKO

Jack Stick (9-3)Vs Jeffery Lebowski (9-7)
It’s been a long time since these guys have competed against each other. In their professional debuts, they fought against each other, with Jack Stick coming out the winner. They had an instant rematch with the same result, so the smart money has to go on it being three in a row for Jack Stick.
Jack Stick by KO/TKO

Mustafa Shabazz (6-3) Vs Elliot Stabler (5-1)
Shabazz is one of four men to hold the title at 155 for Highland Games, but a two fight losing streak has set him down a bad road.
Stabler has utilized a tremendous run 5-1 record, utilizing a great submission game, but is also bouncing back from a loss.
Mustafa Shabazz by Submission

Lord Seraphim (1-7) Vs Calvin Brooks (9-5)
Seraphim is a journeyman, losing almost all of his fight to some low level opponents.
Brooks has 3 title fights under his belt, briefly holding the AFL Championship.
Calvin Brooks by Submission

Papa Shango (9-4) Vs Pat Sharp (4-3)
Shango has mixed it up with some solid guys and had an up and down career in Attack Fight League. Winning both of his WC fights thus far, things are looking fairly good for the Somalian submissionist.
Pat Sharp is also a submission fighter. Although has failed to capture the crowd’s favour, he kicked off his career by main eventing for Island Champions. This is a great fight for him and a solid opportunity.
Papa Shango by Submission

Jimmy Etherington (3-2) Vs Jordan Ellis (4-0)
Another submission fighter, Jimmy Etherington has had mixed results but has proven to be very capable when he can make it a grappling contest.
Undefeated with 3 wins in WC, Jordan Ellis is certainly a rising contender within the organisation and in general. He’ll want to keep this fight standing and I reckon he can do so.
Jordan Ellis by KO/TKO

Better Dead (7-5) Vs Kurt Wisdom (6-5)
When he went 4-0 in Highland Games, it was a huge surprise to everyone. He’s proven to be a very dangerous knockout specialist, and his record does not accurately reflect this skills.
It’s been a hard run for Wisdom. Every time he puts some momentum together, it is taken away from him. The tournament would be a great place to turn things around, but I don’t see it happening.
Better Dead by KO/TKO

Budak Poyo (4-3) Vs Gottlieb Hiebknecht (12-3)
At one stage, it appeared as though Poyo was going to be a real Island contender, but back to back losses have shown a considerable weakness in the striking department.
Despite a shock upset loss in his last outing, Gottlieb is one of the Island’s most experienced and distinguished fighters. With wins over almost all his competition, there’s some money to be won voting on this final AFL champion and former HG kingpin.
Gottlieb Hiebknecht by KO/TKO

Carl Sheppards (10-4) Vs Francois Boullion (8-3)
After a spotty career in AFL, an amazing 4 fight winning streak had Sheppards as a star in Highland Games. Although he lost his last fight, the quality is there, and Sheppards has an outside chance of taking this.
It is very interesting that Francois has decided to join MMA. A longtime top contender in PRIDE KT and two time title contender, his high level kickboxing has been a star attraction for some time. Joining MMA, it’ll be interesting to see how he does, and I think he can pull off the upset.
Francois Boullion by KO/TKO

Terrell Miller (3-3)Vs Einar Enkeltmann (4-1)
Although unsuccessful in his HG run, Terrell Miller is highly capable with submissions and isn’t someone to take lightly.
Another high level submission competitor is Eniar Enkeltman. With his only loss being to George Moshington, he’s a very accomplished grappler who could give some big names some trouble.
Eniar Enkeltmann by Submission

Jason Smith (8-4) Vs Lil Homie (4-2)
At one stage, Jason Smith was considered the best Island Lightweight. Wins over Papa Shango and Gottlieb Hiebknecht had him as the kind of the mountain, but mixed success since then have kept him from title opportunities.
Lil Homie has heart, and he knows the grappling game well, but I’m afraid he’s outmatched here.
Jason Smith by Submission

Detangelo Harmeski (2-1) Vs Don Killuminati (7-1)
Detangelo has potential, and he’s got some all round abilities, but in this contest he’s going against a once-dominant Don Killuminati who has been putting his absolute all into his training since losing his Highland Games title in his last fight.
Don Killuminati by KO/TKO

Hideki Higkiko (9-2) Vs Kunar Lckenor (4-1)
While Higkiko isn’t the most exciting fighter on The Island, he’s been extremely effective at beating opponents over the distance with some superb kickboxing. Higkiko is easily one of the best fighters in this tournament and he’ll want to perform as usual. With a good run in this tournament, Hideki could once again be a title challenger after the season.
Kunar Lckenor has been fairly devastating with his power since his debut, but a decision loss to Zoran Jolevi in his last outing broke the streak. He may be able to get the upset, but he isn’t the favourite here.
Hideki Higkiko by Decision

Pablo Antoine (1-2) Vs JJ Lycka (8-3)
Pablo has some boxing skills, but with two decision losses and the inability to stop Lord Seraphim, a notoriously unskilled fighter, Antoine isn’t looking like a contender here.
JJ Lycka, a former title holder in AFL, has been a very solid wrestler and jiu jitsu player for quite some time. With some great fights under his belt, including a recent Fight of the Night with George Moshington, JJ Lycka will look to keep all eyes on him when he heads out there.
JJ Lycka by Submission

Bhola Djin Djin (5-2) Vs Dillen Aspen (7-3)
These two competed against one another before, Djin mixing up his trademark stand up skills and scoring a rare submission.
Bhola is an incredibly talented striker who has been tearing through some top opponents in Highland Games for a while. A recent loss to Moshington stole a potential title shot from him, and you know Djin has to be hoping to meet his foe in the cage in the finale.
After making It 6 in a row, Dillen Aspen dropped down the ranks a bit with a three fight losing streak. A recent KO over Budak Poyo has turned it all around, and revenge is on Aspen’s mind tonight. A close fight, but I edge Bhola.
Bhola Djin Djin by KO/TKO

Shino Ohio (4-1) Vs Zoran Jolevi (10-1)
After a first career loss to Eniar Enkeltmann, Ohio has been begging for the opportunity at a rematch. The tactical boxer has some skills with his hands, but Zoran Jolevi, a submission master on a highly impressive winning streak, is a shoe in to walk away as the winner in this fight.
Zoran Jolevi by Submission

 

 

 

WELTERWEIGHT

Tony Bullard (12-1) Vs Boss Howard (0-1)
Tony “The Wrecking Ball” Bullard has certainly lived up to his name. Not too many people get 12 stoppages in their Island careers, let alone having all of them by way of KO/TKO. Bullard has made up for his debut loss, twice, and was the last reigning AFL champ before winning and defending the WC title.
With one fight, a loss, for Howard, a hail mary KO is his best bet.
Tony Bullard by KO/TKO

Cfany Cfaniak (5-4) Vs Stanley Kowalski (3-0)
Man that’s a hard name to type. Cfany has been a capable guy in the independents for a while, but without ever really facing top level competition, the part time Middleweight needs a hell of a performance to get him through the first two rounds.
Stanley is a decent submission guy, retaining his undefeated record after 3 fights. We’ll have to wait and see how he performs when he steps it up, but he should have this one on paper.
Stanley Kowalski by Submission

Archie Nelson (5-4) Vs Buff Crow (3-3)
After improving on his early losses, Nelson has had a decent comeback, going 4-1 in his last five, all of which being by way of armlock submissions.
Only fighting in AFL, Buff Crow steps into the cage without the banner behind him in this one. A near 4 month hiatus doesn’t bode well for Crow though, so we’ll have to see if rust has overcame him.
Archie Nelson by Submission

Martin Garcia (2-1) Vs RJ Cherubim (9-5)
With his first professional loss coming in his last fight, Garcia isn’t exactly riding a wave of momentum walking into this fight. He needs to use his kickboxing to have any sort of headway here tonight.
It’s been an up and down career for RJ. It seems that he’s been able to defeat almost everyone he’s faced up until the time when he competes against a recognizable name. With Garcia not being a recognizable face, Cherubim should walk out with this one.
RJ Cherubim by Submission

Quin Kenobi (7-4) Vs Irshaad Sayed (2-4-2)
Quin’s a talented submissionist with fights in AFL and World Combat. In the latter, he was a onetime 170 Champion before dropping the title to tournament favourite Tony Bullard.
A former kickboxer, Irshaad Sayed went 1-1-2 in PRIDE KT. He then moved to MMA, but seems to have a notable weakness to subs, something that doesn’t bode well for him in this fight.
Quin Kenobi by Submission

Denis Stevenson (2-1) Vs Mike Jones (5-2)
Denis Stevenson is an accomplished submission player, winning both of his professional victories by Rear Naked Choke.
Mike Jones has been utilizing his boxing and has an all-round mixed martial arts game. Going 5-2 is a good start, but we’ll have to see some big improvements if Jones wants to make a serious run at this.
Mike Jones by Decision

Shane Wilkins (2-4) Vs Rick Grimes (6-4)
Shane Wilkins has been struggling with ground fighters since his debut, and to move forward as a competitor it’s a facet of the game which he’ll have to get down.
Rick Grimes cann handle himself on the ground and can submit you from any position. With chokes mixed with both arm and leg lock, Grimes knows how to tap people effectively.
Rick Grimes by Submission


Darius Miller (1-0) Vs Ska Asap (11-4-1)
Darius is going to try to bring this to the ground for a submission, but the 19 year old is yet to establish the wrestling skills to do that. Ska Asap, two time AFL Welterweight Champ, has taken on some absolute killers in his career and he is expected to be a main threat throughout this contest.
Ska Asap by Submission

Lou Hole (7-6) Vs Severus Riv (2-2)
Lou’s been around the block a few times now. An early unsuccessful HG career was transformed into a championship reign in World Combat. Hole can bring it, but needs to watch out for subs. Riv doesn’t have that aspect to his game and has very little background in wrestling. He’ll go out swinging, but he’ll go down swinging too.
Lou Hole by KO/TKO

Hell Filipovic (10-5) Vs JC Seraphim (3-7)
This fight is absolutely HILARIOUS. As an org owner, I kept an eye on Hell for a while as he went a fantastic 7-0. After dropping 3, he had back to back wins over JC Seraphim, both by kimura. They would fight a third time, ending the same but by kneebar, then out of nowhere JC won their last fight by decision. It’s INSANE that they are going to be doing this a 5^th time, but I think it’s a 4^th for Hell.
Hell Filipovic by Submission

Preuss Skura (5-5) Vs Antonio Silva (2-2)
Skura was a kickboxer for a while but only amassed a record of 2-4. He’s had more success in MMA, with two wins over Hell Filipovic, which proves that when dealing with inferior strikers, he knows what he’s doing. Antonio is an all-rounder, but as a jack of all trades he’s at a major disadvantage against a striker like Skura.
Preuss Skura by KO/TKO

Nathan Summers (2-2) Vs Arnolf Karstark (10-8)
Nathan Lucifer Summers is an alright jiu jitsu guy, but he’s certainly more content to control the action in a typical wrestling format instead of pushing to submit an opponent with his purple belt in the art. Karstark, a one time WC champ, has fought some difficult opponents in his time and has always held his head high. I think he has the ability to upset one or two guys here.
Arnolf Karstark by KO/TKO

Saan Shlamel (5-2) Vs Deimon Fjronson (1-0)
Saan is another holder of the unretainable World Combat 170 belt. He has some skills, but the right gameplan will stop him in his tracks. Unfortunately, I don’t feel Deimon will do that, and this will finish in Shlamel’s favour.
Saan Shlamel by KO/TKO

Duke Hazzard (4-2) Vs Mario Barontini (1-0)
Duke is alright on the ground but can struggle to have the abilities to take it there. I think Mario will keep this standing, and they’ll be back and forth will the final bell.
Mario Barontini by Decision

Leo Katona (8-6) Vs Bryan Danielson (2-1)
Katona is a well travelled and experienced submission veteran with some solid wins behind him. His submission style has been both a blessing and curse, but his 8 fight streak including wins over Cocaine Panda and Shoddy Body was certainly impressive.
Bryan can throw shows, but he’s more tactical and devises a more intelligent gameplan. If he can keep this on the feet, he might well take it. I’m going to go for a major upset here.
Bryan Danielson by Decision

Jim Bones (0-1) Vs Oleg Bartowski (7-2)
JJimmy Bones is tailor made for any opponent. Young, inexperienced and with no foundation skills, he’s going to have a hard time winning fights. Oleg is, you guessed it, a former WC WW Champ, and with wins over both guys that have defeated him, he’ll be looking for a third match with both throughout the duration of the tournament.
Oleg Bartowski by KO/TKO

 

 

 

 

MIDDLEWEIGHT
Grant Morrison (13-3) Vs Khalid Haji (4-7)
Morrison’s amazing story only picks up from here on out. The HG Champion has defeated the only men to best him in back to back wins, and on a 6 fight win streak Morrison’s only ever getting better. Khalid has avoided the big leagues for his entire career and hasn’t been able to have some big results. Mixing up strikes and ground game, he’s not sure what kind of fighter he wants to be.
Grant Morrison by KO/TKO

Hani Haji (6-5) Vs Borhan Khan (6-4)
Khalid’s brother Hani is a tough guy, having went to a decision 8 times in his 11 fight career. He seems to have a slight weakness to submissions but he’s certainly a durable foe. Bull Khan had a rough start but being 4-1 in his recent run, with all 4 victories by submission.
Borhan Khan by Submission

Aleksandar Mihaylov (6-3) Vs Judah Seraphim (5-2)
Aleksandar is a former title contender in Highland Games, with two of his losses being to the former champ Razor MuayThai. When he’s not in there with a top contender, Aleksandar is typically the favourite. Judah Seraphim has been looking like an okay prospect, going 2-1 in HG after a similar independent run. Judah has some good striking but is certainly an underdog.
Aleksandar Mihaylov by KO/TKO

Tyron Lawler (3-6) Vs Saladin Hussain (9-4)
Lawler’s had some tough fights, but his run in AFL was largely unsuccessful. After a recent WC win, Tyron could be looking to turn his momentum around. Saladin Hussain is a great submission guy and a formerly contested for the championship un UXC. In HG, he’s had an impressive run and he could take out a few solid guys here.
Saladin Hussain by Submission

Massimo Benvenuti (14-3) Vs Patrick O Riley (3-3)
It’s insane that Massimo B has lost two in a row. The former HG champ has been an absolutely amazing throughout his career, but for the first time he’s been met with back to back losses and he’ll need to compose himself for this tournament. Patrick Oriley has been fairly inactive for a while. His 3 wins are over some fairly unknown people, and he’s proven to be a level below the top contenders.
Massimo Benvenuti by KO/TKO

Krysztof Jotko (3-5) Vs Jonah Sorentino (11-6)
Jotko is a tough striker with a decent wrestling base. He’ll be looking to keep the fight standing and take a decision here. One of the Island’s most experienced veterans, Jonah Sorentino can certainly bring it on fight night. After almost being released from HG after a three fight skid, he returned to winning ways with a first round knockout.
Jonah Sorentino by KO/TKO

Massimo Paterno (10-6) Vs Arthur Carvalho (6-6)
It was a sad fall from grace for Paterno. When he challenged Massimo B for the title, he was considered one of the greatest Island fighters. Losing three straight, in rebound was rough, but losing two fights by submission since then is even worse. Carvalho is a dangerous brown belt, so he could well take this fight. Like Paterno, he suffered an unexpected submission in his last fight which knocked some wind out of his sails.
Arthur Carvalho by Submission

Ali Haji (4-2) Vs Massa Hurmaaja (11-3)
The third Haji, Ali went the distance in all of his fights before being KOed by Brett Hart in his last outing. He has good striking and an underrated ground game. Massa Hurmaaja suffered a big upset loss to Grant Morrison in his last fight. It was a title challenge, and the former champ Massa was unsuccessful. As one of the most talented guys around, he’s a heavy tournament favourite to win.
Massa Hurmaaja by KO/TKO

Billy Tinkl (10-3) Vs Death Ripping (3-1)
Tinkl certainly knows what it’s like to be on the biggest stage. Being a former AFL Champ and the reigning WC one, the long-term Welterweight recently moved up to 185 has been around his fair share of high profile encounters. Rippings took his first loss in his last fight out, but has shown some good striking in his three victories.
Billy Tinkl by Submission

Jan Eckstroem (3-6) Vs Brett Hart (4-0)
Outside of a rare win or two, Jan hasn’t really been successful in his career and isn’t expected to take this fight. Brett Hart on the other hand is an undefeated rising prospect who has stopped all of his opponents with strikes.
Brett Hart by KO/TKO

Jack Sock (6-4) Vs John McEnroe (7-7)
Jack Sock brings it in every fight and has shown that he has an extremely underrated submission game. For what he lacks in striking, he more than makes up for it with his grappling. McEnroe at one time went 1-7 and looked to be a terrible fighter, but suddenly he turned his career around and has won 6 straight. He also recently moved up to MW and has been successful thus far.
Jack Sock by Submission

Aqueel Haji (5-5) Vs Rodrigo Rojas (9-3)
The final Haji brother. Like his brothers, Aqueel looks to brave it out in the fight and take it the full 3 rounds. He is up against it here though as he a fights former HG LHW champion. Rojas didn’t have a great start at MW, but he’s settled in now with back to back impressive submissions. No one will want to tangle with this guy on the mat.
Rodrigo Rojas by Submission

Wu Tang (6-2) Vs Paulo Francisco (2-1)
Being unsuccessful for the first times in his career back to back, Wu Tang’s certainly not feeling too confident about his abilities. Some early impressive wins will be essential for this guy. Pablo has some skills with submissions, even securing a rarely seen Brabo Choke in his professional debut. I think inexperience will get the best of him in this fight.
Wu Tang by KO/TKO

Jerry Williams (2-0) Vs Snafu Mohajib (5-3)
Jerry is undefeated so far and has looked fairly good. He’s won by knockout and submission, demonstrating a good all round game. Snafu is quite an underrated fighter and is 5-2 in Highland Games. He can perform on the night, and could make a decent run here.
Snafu Mohajib by KO/TKO

Charles Floyd (3-1) Vs Renato Gracie (6-3)
Going three straight since a loss in his first fight, Floyd is looking good. He’ll want to take this one to the ground, where things will get very heated. Renato Gracie is also a highly skilful submission artist with his losses being only to Island champions. He knows what he’s doing in that cage and I can’t wait to see how he moves forward in this tournament.
Renato Gracie by Submission

Elton Frederickson (1-0) Vs Arnavut Sevket (8-2)
With only one fight, Elton is going to be a big underdog. Arnavut knows what it’s like to be an underdog and succeeding, recently toppling middleweight giant Massimo Benvenuti. This means the Turkish fighter will be fully aware of his opponent’s underdog status, and he won’t underestimate a single competitor.
Arnavut Sevket by KO/TKO

 

 

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

LightHeavy Weight (13-1) Vs Kimo Kamino (0-3)
LightHeavy Weight, practically undefeated, has been absolutely amazing in destroying everyone he’s faced so far on the entire island with his insane clinch game. His elbows are specifically dangerous. Kimo Kamino, an early HG competitor, is yet to score a win and it seems like mission impossible for him to score a win here.
LightHeavy Weight by KO/TKO

Hulk Hogan (3-4) Vs William Williams (4-1)
Hogan can throw hands, but without the strongest chin in the world it’s going to be tough for him to make a run in this division. William Williams hasn’t competed since world combat 1, where he unsuccessfully challenged for the 205 belt. He may carry some rust into this one but I think he’ll take it.
William Williams by KO/TKO

Axe MeatsFlesh (2-1) Vs Dick Hardy (0-1)
Axe MeatsFlesh, a former inmate at a maximum security sanatorium, is going to be looking to bring it in this tournament. He can knock opponents out with both hands, but lacks experience. He has more than Dick Hardy all the same, who has one loss by armbar in his one contest.
Axe MeatsFlesh by KO/TKO

John Monte (1-0) Vs Chocolate Mousse (4-2)
Monte, a youngster at just 18 years old, has shown that he has skills with submissions in his first fight. He has a lot of arenas to smooth over though, and in this fight he takes on Chocolate Mousse. Mousse CM has wins over some good guys, including a former HG champion, and he is defo going to be the man to watch in this fight.
Chocolate Mousse by KO/TKO

Dieter Von Sprockets (6-2) Vs Domino Jachas (5-4)
Although he’s failed to capture the media’s attention since he floored LHW in a HG title clash, Von Sprockets is still a tremendous wrestler with both solid ground and pound and fantastic submissions. Domino’s been up and down, but he’s just expected to be in this fight to give Dieter some much needed momentum.
Dieter Von Sprockets by KO/TKO

Andrei Nekrasov (1-0) Vs Harry Hate (5-4)
Andrei Nekrasov has knockout power, but so does his opponent Harry Hate. This one should be a stand up war, but I’m going to edge Nekrasov in this fight for the upset.
Andrei Nekrasov by KO/TKO

Sa Pinto (5-2-1) Vs Captain Jack (4-4)
Pinto brings some diverse and unexpected submissions to the table and he could be a difficult guy to figure out in a fight. Captain Jack was a Pride kickboxer, with mixed success so he can definitely bring some trouble on the feet. I reckon he might end up on his back here however, and that’ll end it.
Sa Pinto by Submission

Ulrich Scherer (0-4) Vs Scott Mcginty (7-3)
Ulrich may be familiar to some Highland Games fans as he debuted on the first card, competing until HG 14 when he got released. With no wins, he’s one of the biggest longshots in the entire tournament. Scott Mcginty recently challenged for the title unsuccessfully, but his boxing is tremendous and that’ll be a difficult thing for anyone to get around.
Scott Mcginty by KO/TKO

Michael Coleman (10-3) Vs Liam McGeary (0-1)
Michael Coleman was considered the second best 205 fighter, behind LHW, for a long time when he was in AFL. Back to back upset losses brought him down a peg or two, but he’s came back since then and will be a major player throughout this contest. Liam McGeary, is that you man? A nostalgic name for me considering he was a member of my original fighters upon my return to fight promoting. He hasn’t fought since back then, but I hope he’s been training cause I like the guy and hope he does well, but Coleman has this.
Michael Coleman by KO/TKO

Luis Garcia (2-2) Vs Alfonso Bebeto (4-3)
Luis Garcia’s nickname, sub, tells the story of what he plans to do. This won’t bode well for him imo because Alfonso Bebeto is the more experienced and accomplished jiu jitsu player and should take this fight as a result.
Alfonso Bebeto by Submission

Hanjong Mc Vetrol (5-6) Vs Jerry Legend (3-3)
A long time HG competitor, Hanjong has really good knockout power but at the same time is equally open to taking shots. He’s really a 50/50 guy, but this should be his fight for the taking. Jerry Legend has no wrestling game but will want the submission, which is a match made in hell.
Hanjong Mc Vetrol by KO/TKO

Petit Kulischeck (0-1) Vs Louis Gordon (7-3)
Louis Gordon is highly expected to put some work on the rookie here and will win this fight in very convincing fashion.
Louis Gordon by KO/TKO

Hughtavious Mingo (6-2) Vs Crusher Breaker (1-3)
Hughtavious Mingo comes straight out of the blocks looking for a knockout. He doesn’t always achieve his goal but he’s certainly going to be fixated on achieving it. Being stopped three times by fairly unknown fighters, I don’t see how Breaker will make it through this one.
Hughtavious Mingo by KO/TKO

Albert Alberts (4-2) Vs Vyacheslav Vasilevskiy (3-0)
Alberts can handle himself everywhere, but I think the 19 year old will be a little bit too green going up against Vyacheslav Vasilevskiy, a talented and undefeated Serbian judoka.
Vyacheslav Vasilevskiy by Decision

Akau Umaga (4-3) Vs Johannes Witenberg (3-2)
Umaga’s career turnaround has been good thus far. Two straight wins, including a knockout of the night in his last outing, he’s carrying some legitimate hype into the cage. German Witenberg brings some solid BJJ into the cage, but if he doesn’t keep his hands up here it’ll be lights out for him.
Akau Umaga by KO/TKO

James Esteban (0-2) Vs Jake Theodorou (9-2)
Esteban was a kickboxer in PRIDE, achieving very little success. This tournament has pitted him against Jake Theodorou, one of the most devastating and dominant wrestlers and ground and pound practitioners in the game today. Esteban has no chance.
Jake Theodorou by KO/TKO

Ben Pulse (9-5) Vs Spike Reaper (1-3)
Ben has a wealth of experience behind him, fighting for most of his career at middleweight until recent times. He briefly held the 205 WC belt, and brings a lot of solid striking to his game. Spike has been stopped by strikes, across all three rounds and by submission. He has struggled to find his niche, and I’m starting to think MMA is just not for him.
Ben Pulse by KO/TKO

Rimario Gracie (2-1) Vs John Reese (10-10)
Gracie is a submission guy, seems like I’ve been typing this a lot, but I think he has a considerable weakness to striking and his recent change in management will only confuse his strategy. What can you saw about John Reese. 20 professional fighters for an Islander is almost unheard of, but Reese just wants to fight all the time and he’s now an experienced vet as a result.
John Reese by Decision

Saintly Fish (5-5) Vs Andre Moss (2-1)
Take fish to the ground and you’re going to lose by kimura. That’s just definitive. Keep it standing and you stand a very strong chance of scoring the KO. Fish needs this fight on the floor. Moss has no real show off skills and as all three of his fights have spilled to the mat, I see Saintly winning this.
Saintly Fish by Submission

Panzer Zero (1-0) Vs Eirikur Adalsteinn (8-5)
Panzer doesn’t really have much experience behind him, and this really makes me fear for his wellbeing in this fight. Almost at this point infamous for being the guy who knocked LHW out, Eirikur’s power has been shown time and time again. He’s going to win this, and he’ll win by KO.
Eirikur Adalsteinn by KO/TKO

Egon Ekkehard (3-0) Vs Johnny Nap Time (4-2)
3-0 and undefeated in WC with two SOTN bonuses, Egon has shown himself to be one to watch for the future. He’s going to be taking on Johnny Nap Time, a very talented striker who once took on Mike Green for the PRIDE kickboxing light heavyweight title. I’m going to root for the upset here
Johnny Nap Time by KO/TKO

Marcin Strzelba (2-5) Vs Helio Gracie (4-2)
We haven’t really seen anything from Marcin that tells us that he’ll be successful in this fight, while Helio Gracie has proven to be an okay competitor. I think it’ll be an uneventful fight with Gracie edging it.
Helio Gracie by Decision

Rice Aroni (5-4) Vs Elinaftali Nascimento (5-3)
Rice Aroni, 5-0, Highland Games Light Heavyweight title. Now he’s lost 4 in a row, some of the opponents he really should have defeated. He needs this desperately, because if not, it could be time to hang it up. Nascimento destroys low level fighters, but struggles when they are solid. I think this is Aroni’s fight to lose, but sadly he’ll probably find a way to do just that.
Rice Aroni by KO/TKO

Xora Brady (1-2) Vs James Helm (8-3)
If you’re going to try and go into a cage to fight James Helm, you’d better have a gameplan. Brady wont, and he won’t make it out of the first round by my prediction.
James Helm by KO/TKO

Ludko Struja (7-4) Vs Carlos Clusos (0-1)
Although not as extreme, Struja has also failed to have much success since he lost to LHW and like Aroni, he’s struggles to maintain his former reputation. Against rookie Carlos, this is a great opportunity for Ludko to step out there and enjoy himself, getting back into his flow and rhythm.
Ludko Struja by KO/TKO

David Wilson (1-1) Vs Momo La Brute (8-7)
When he lost his debut in just 5 seconds, David Wilson’s career looked over already. He was able to bounce back with a victory, but there are still plenty of question marks above his head. Momo has went back and forth in his career, scoring some wins against average opponents and losing to some talented guys. He should take this fight but I don’t see him going too far in the tournament.
Momo La Brute by KO/TKO

Landry Watson (3-1) Vs Ahmed Aljad (2-2)
There’s not too much to talk about with these guys. Landy looked fairly good in his early career but was shut down by Dieter Von Sprockets. Off his first loss, time will tell how he’s developed his game. Ahmed has had some submissions in his short career, but he’s not been shown us enough to really talk about him yet.
Landry Watson by KO/TKO

Justin Kell (0-1) Vs Eduardo Massa Alcantara (7-3)
Kell hasn’t fought since September, and he’s stepping in there with a great striker and knockout artist. Enough said.
Eduardo Massa Alcantara by KO/TKO

Sergey Vasilyev (6-5) Vs Tom Henry (6-2)
Sergey is a long time AFL fighter who’s recently made his debut for WC. He is good with submissions but he can’t get over confident in his ground game. Henry had an extremely impressive run in the independent circuit, but when he took on Juhani Tuomiola and was on the receiving end of a loss. He’s still a strong contender, and I reckon he should steal this.
Tom Henry by Submission

Matheus Dubin (2-1) Vs Matt Couture (4-1-1)
It’s cool to see Matheus Dubin back in action. He looked solid back in the early Highland Games days but he took a lot of time off, switched his management and has been working to develop his skills. Couture looks like an alright fighter. He can beat a lot of people who aren’t quite there yet, and although he’s fairly lowly ranked, he is a great test for rising contenders.
Matt Couture by Decision

Cameron Hicks (3-3) Vs Roy Agua (1-1)
Hicks, a Sambo practitioner from Russia, is going to try to bring his diverse skills to the table here. With a suspect chin, he really needs to work on his striking defence to go far. We haven’t really seen too much from Agua so far, so there are certainly some questions, but I don’t expect him to bring too much to the game here.
Cameron Hicks by Decision

Named Kalibob (0-1) Vs Rodrigo Gracie (11-3)
A submission practitioner, 19 years old, one fight with one loss, sorry Kalibob but you’re going up against Rodrigo Gracie, a submission expert who was the reigning AFL 205 champion upon the closure of the organisation.
Rodrigo Gracie by Submission

 

 

 

HEAVYWEIGHT

Barney Gumble (15-0) Vs James Faith (0-1)
Holy mismatch Batman. If Barney Gumble walks out of this tournament as the champion, there is no one who will be able to claim anything other than Gumble as the Island’s greatest export. He’s just one win away from evening up with the current streak, and every win will count.
James Faith has one fight, a loss to future HG fighter Elias Page, back in October. He has no chance.
Barney Gumble by KO/TKO

Dikembe Mutombo (4-2) Vs Mateusz Puszke (3-2)
Two long time HG fighters here.
Mutumbo is a solid striker and can knock opponents out effectively. Puszke likes the clinch and will look to stop Dikemebe in there. I think this will take place at range, with Mutombo getting the win.
Dikembe Mutombo by KO/TKO

Taufiqul Haq (4-1) Vs Barbie Bloonkers (0-1)
Haq is a new guy on the scene, recently scoring a massive victory over an experienced one-time contender in Gunnar McGregor. Barbie really doesn’t have much of a chance here and Haq will use this win for some much needed experience.
Taufiqul Haq by KO/TKO

Raad McGregor (1-1) Vs Benny Asrken (6-3)
It’s quite unlikely that Raad is going to bring anything to the table that Askren hasn’t come across before. Benny was one fight off of a title shot in Highland Games recently, and the inexperienced of Raad should cost him this fight.
Benny Askren by KO/TKO.

Mase Force (9-3) Vs Chris Watson (0-1)
Mase Force is the man who beat Askren for that title shot, but despite one of the greatest Island fights of all time, Force was ultimately halted in the final round by Gumble.
Watson took on Highland Games legend Diamond Andy back in September, falling to his trademark Head Kick KO. Stepping in again was a mistake imo, as Force is way beyond his skill level.
Mase Force by KO/TKO

Kyler Maiden (1-6) Vs Shy Boy (4-3)
Kyler is a long time journeyman on The Island, and any form of victory in this tournament will be classed as a major upset.
Although Shy Boy’s record appears unimpressive, he’s on a 3 fight winning streak in the Island’s top org, and we haven’t really seen him peak on this current run.
Shy Boy by KO/TKO

Andrei Alexeyev Vs Grey Blanchard
Alexeyev, at one point, was one of the scariest foes on The Island. A couple of slip ups in recent fights saw him change management, but mark my words, he can cause a storm in this tournament with the right strategy.
Blanchard may be recognizable from the early HG days, showing up way out of shape for his fights. A tour of the independents has had mixed results, and it’s unexpected he can cause a stir here.
Andrei Alexeyev by KO/TKO

Bob Mikeson (0-1) Vs Maki Pulu (12-4)
I have a feeling Bob’s one fight experience isn’t going to hold up here. Maki Pulu is an Island veteran and submission expert. After a loss to Matt Punisher at SHW, he considered retiring, but a huge 3 fight win streak has revitalized the 20 year old, and he feels this tournament is his for the taking.
Maki Pulu by Submission

Jimmie Craig (9-3) Vs Beefad Johnson (0-1)
Craig wanted a shot at LightHeavy Weight, at LHW, so it’s unfortunate he got caught in a HW contract for this tournament. Johnson has one loss (to Pulu), and really won’t have anything for Craig, the World Combat 205 Champ, in this one.
Jimmie Craig by KO/TKO

Slavy Lost (2-1) Vs Michael Kamara (4-3)
Lost tries to adopt a clinch and elbow style, and although he can’t hurt opponents too much, he’s done relatively okay in his short career.
After a disappointing early start to Kamara’s career in HG, he’s found a home in World Combat and is now 3 straight.
Michael Kamara by KO/TKO

Barol Kedorf (4-4) Vs Jan Palony (1-0)
Barol Kedorf is a longtime vet in Highland Games, and as of late is appears that he’s somewhat hit his stride.
Jan Palony hasn’t fought since the start of January, and I think ringrust will get the better of him in this encounter.
Barol Kedorf by KO/TKO

Zabber Demon (1-0) Vs Dick Wad (7-2)
Having not fought since early December, it was a brave move for Zabber to accept the tournament invitation. Unfortunately, he faces former World Combat HW Champion Dick Wad, who is specifically furious after losing the first two fights of his career, back to back as well.
Dick Wad by KO/TKO

Chiyono Fuji (6-2) Vs Clay Morrow (1-0)
Fuji is one of the Island’s most exciting fighters, and he’s been showing superb striking ability since Highland Games’ first event.
Clay Morrow has very little experience in the cage, and with no real gameplan, he can’t win this one.
Chiyono Fuji by KO/TKO

Heldon Donvito (1-0) Vs Doyle Hawk (5-2)
While Donvito has just one win, it was a win over a capable opponent in Yo Mama by submission. The Purple Belt might be able to pull off something crazy if he can get this to the floor.
Doyle Hawk might have lost his last fight, but he did just win “smack talker of the season” for World Combat. Hawk will no doubt be talking about that one non stop.
Doyle Hawk by Submission

Bubba Jenkins (5-1) Vs Robert Cierzniak (3-6)
Jenkins is a solid wrestler who’s turned in an okay career thus far. Losing his only big test doesn’t bode too well for his future, but he’s proven he can get it done against lower level opposition.
Despite 6 of his pro fights taking place in HG, Cierzniak has had little success in his career. Perhaps his biggest moment was retiring Ceth Isle, who had a fairly experienced manager and trainer.
Bubba Jenkins by KO/TKO

Bryan Martin (1-0) Vs Keijo Virtanen (8-1)
Bryan Martin is a capable submission artist, Keijo Virtanen is an expert submission master. No more has to be said really. This tournament might be Virtanen’s for the taking.
Keijo Virtanen by Submission

Clinton Offley (11-2) Vs Karl Arsch (0-1)
Offley’s only professional losses have been title fights, and his wins have been over some of the Island’s greatest heavyweights. He’s the real deal, opponents must watch out.
Karl Arsch has no chance.
Clinton Offley by Submission

Magnus Cross (8-7) Vs Garcia Vega (8-2)
Magnus Cross is a tried and tested solid striker who’s got a whole list of experience. He’s hit a snag in his career as of late and will need this tournament to turn things around.
Garcia Vega has completely flown under the radar as a HW competitor, fighting mostly in the independents. As of late, he’s appeared in World Combat and recently scored a big win over Adonis King.
Garcia Vega by KO/TKO

Mitchel Thompson (7-4) Vs Andreas Moore (1-3)
Mitchel Thompson, a tournament where fights happen rapidly, this guy was made for this environment. Thompson can strike with the best of them, and to even survive this fight Moore will have to bring this one to the ground asap.
Mitchel Thompson by KO/TKO

Ling Manchu (1-2) Vs Yoshimitzu Sakuraba (5-1)
Being the only guy ever to lose to Kyler Maiden, I don’t see Ling lasting too long in this one.
Sakuraba is 5 straight in World Combat and would have been chasing a title shot had Gumble not taken it to Highland Games.
Yoshimitzu Sakuraba by KO/TKO

Alexey Juralev (7-3) Vs Marius Wienke (3-3)
Juralev’s hands are as dangerous as they come, and at one stage he was razor close to a HG title shot. This tournament might be his chance to prove to everyone that he can be that good once again.
Wienke went 3-0 in Highland Games, with a nice win over ranked Viktor Flik, but then dropped 3 and was released. We haven’t seen him since, and I doubt he causes an upset tonight.
Alexey Juralev by KO/TKO

Wilson Rebound (2-0) Vs Sailele Lealofi (6-2)
Rebound is looking like a solid youngster at 265. He knows how to fight and has skills all round, but this will likely come a little too soon for him.
Lealofi was a really good gatekeeper in HG. His only losses are to Mase Force and Keijo Virtanen, and I expect him to be a tough opponent to overcome for many.
Sailele Lealofi by KO/TKO

Dimentio Boychello (5-5) Vs Steven Boi (2-0)
Boychello has fought some tough guys, even winning against some hardened veterans. Steven Boi has tasted nothing but success and could well take this, but Boychello will know what it takes to win on an occasion like this.
Dimentio Boychello by KO/TKO

Rick Knorfroff (1-0) Vs Thor Heyerdahl (8-2)
Rick is a good wrestler with some submissions under him, but Thor is one of the most accurate and calculated strikers we have ever seen fight on The Island. Heyderdahl might walk away with the hole thing with a bit of luck.
Thor Heyerdahl by KO/TKO

Pedro Lazaro (10-3) Vs Colin Lloyd (0-1)
Another real mismatch here. Lazaro is a really top notch fighter, and for a long time had lasted the longest against Gumble. Lloyd has one loss, an Anaconda Choke to a decent fighter in Frank Lockhart, but I can’t see him doing a single thing in this.
Pedro Lazary by KO/TKO

Rojo Aldo (3-1) Vs Billy The Kid (4-2)
Two of HG’s rising up and comers. Billy The Kid is actually riding a 4 fight win streak, so this tournament will be the perfect time for him to step up. This could be a close one, but I reckon Billy might catch Aldo coming in.
Billy The Kid by KO/TKO

Mike Tyson (6-2) Vs Dawid Rymarczyk (1-1)
Tyson is a World Combat vet with some extremely dangerous boxing. He actually competed for the inaugural WC title, but came up short and hasn’t got another shot since.
Dawid will desperately want to take this to the floor, but I reckon it’ll only be a matter of time.
Mike Tyson by KO/TKO

Francesco Bozzano (1-1) Vs San Terra (11-4)
Buzz Saw last fought in September, and word is he hasn’t even been training since then. Coming into a fight against a guy with the raw knockout power of San Terra with that background is suicide.
San Terra by KO/TKO

Ali Mouba (6-4) Vs Luke Campion (2-3)
When Ali Mouba first joined HG, defeating Jacek Trzebiaowski, he was one of the biggest prospects on The Island. Unfortunately, he lost his next 4 and was released. Now, he’s back on form in World Combat and this tournament will be a perfect proving ground.
Luke’s rebounded from a 0-3 record well, but his only hope here for me is a hail mary submission attempt.
Ali Mouba by KO/TKO

William Finlay (0-1) Vs Jason Barrett (7-4)
This fight will be absolute slaughter. William can definitely box, but unless you have a master strategy, Jason Barrett’s devastating striking will put you away for good.
Jason Barrett by KO/TKO

Fedor Sambo (3-2) Vs Brad Lee (2-1)
Two relatively new fighters here.
Sambo has spent a lot of time in World Combat while Brad Lee has stuck to remaining unsigned.
This should be a close one, but I think Sambo will have the power to make the difference.
Fedor Sambo by KO/TKO

Miko Blancia (0-3) Vs Mib Louie (10-3)
Another horrible mismatck. Miko has tasted nothing but defeat, while Louie has been a top Island fighter for a long time. With Louie recently having a new manager, adopting a new nickname and joining a new org, let’s hope his good old fighting style stays throughout the tourney and he’ll remain a favourite.
Mib Louie by KO/TKO

 

 

 

SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT

Skunk Asap (10-2) Vs Arnold Swz (1-0)
While Asap’s chances of winning are significantly increased at SHW, it’s unfortunate that he will be fighting in this weight class because he is one of the best Light Heavyweights in the world.
Arnold will be out of shape and out of his game in this fight, not making it out the first.
Skunk Asap by KO/TKO

Sead Macak (3-5-1) Vs Thibault Michel (3-2)
Both men have had fairly back and forth careers, at both HW and SHW. If Sead can keep it standing, he has a shot, but I recon Mitchel can work his jitz on the ground.
Thibault Michel by Submission

Kevin Klobbering Time (5-1) Vs Comcast Guy (5-3)
This is an intriguing fight.
Kevin has been a solid knockout specialist in a weaker division, and his only loss is to the best SHW fighter; Matt Punisher.
Comcast Guy is a kickboxer, fighting this entire season in Pride KT against some solid guys.
I’m giving Comcast an outsiders chance of taking this. I think, since his opponents will all mainly be strikers, he might just upset the season.
Comcast Guy by KO/TKO

Mike Ticom (5-3) Vs Matt Porcelain Punisher (14-1)
Mike was once a promising jiu jitsu player at SHW, but after his first signed fight, in AFL, he has been missing since the losing effort. Here’s hoping he’s been training because he has Matt Punisher next.
The entire Island was frustrated with Punisher for not dropping weight to fight Barney Gumble. His record, as of late, was built off of wins over people at lower weight classes. This went wrong in his last fight, when Skunk Asap upset him. Defeating Asap in the final would be a dream come true for Matt Punisher.
Matt Porcelain Punisher by KO/TKO

[PaleMan]

titanic work!

[clydebankblitz]

Titanic sank, thanks a bunch

[bjornmma1]

Do you still have all your fingers after typing all of that ?

 

Nicely done!

[coton81]

Awesome work and whats more awesome is my island guy hanjong won by ko by slam

 

Which i think is my first ever win by slam in over five years in this game

[clydebankblitz]

Man, check those Bantamweight fights next event. They are absolutely INSANE.

 

Barney Gumble tonight matched Tso's record. I guess I'm going to have to start writing immediately if I want to get everything out by tomorrow eh? haha.

 

I believe if my calculations are correct, I have 71 fights to preview for tomorrow. Shouldn't actually be too bad though. I'll fire out something like 3 divisions tonight now that I've decided I cant be bothered with my assignment.

[Guest]

What about KT?

[Guest]

http://mmatycoon.com/gallery/37/37b37.jpg

Harry Hate

Happily you were wrong, I kicked that boys head into next week.

[KingEpicity]

for fucks sake, one island lose sends me back 80 spots.

 

Hope Kanis' fighter goes far.

[PaleMan]

http://i67.fastpic.ru/big/2014/1217/47/2798efb50ff83e0ad257843592f6fe47.png
http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/belt/20140926172750titlebelt.png
LHW

Hulk Hogan! You are next!

[clydebankblitz]

What about KT?

 

 

....Did you seriously just ask that? lol

 

Besides the ridiculous amount of effort this took, I know NOTHING about KT on Island really and I did this because I enjoy following fighters I know.

[reggie]

You're 4/4 on calling my fighters' fights. Good job, mate!

[Mr.J]

What about KT?

Szczęsny brothers are fucking shit up.That's all it is to Island KT scene now.

P.S

Your guy Carlito should definitely win 170+ Category.

[MMATycoon]

Scooby only beat my scrub by decision.... poor showing!

[Kanis]

QueensProperty Fantastic work, I wish I could give you a plus now, and then another one , Later.

and that was BEFORE you called my fight correctly, A very nice job.

[bazzypants]

That's a bloody epic effort fella, well done

[Tycooner]

great read thank you for your hard work on this it was very entertaining looking forward to the next round of previews.

[skull]

http://www.mmatycoon.com/gallery/29/29w1.jpg

DARTH VADER

That poor guy had no business being in the cage with me. I really fucked him up good. He will probably never be able to hear right out of his right ear again. I'm rooting for Neil Drake in his fight, me and him have to settle the score

[Blindsided]

You picked against Ego Ekkehard? He is "The Wall".

[Guest]

 

 

....Did you seriously just ask that? lol

 

Besides the ridiculous amount of effort this took, I know NOTHING about KT on Island really and I did this because I enjoy following fighters I know.

KT is tycoon. There is no tycoon without KT. There would be no island without KT

[Scooby]

KT this island season was fun, i dont get why people hate it so much

 

 

Scooby only beat my scrub by decision.... poor showing!

Listen sir,i didnt feel it would be right to KO the maker of the game,i had to show some kind of respect or my spin and win credits would limit me to free avatars and lottery tickets lol. Thats why i rocked you and got taken down repeatedly struggling to get anything positive to happen for the remainder of each round... ha

[Guest]

Blew me away! Great job doesn't begin to explain the job you did, it's just all I can think of!

[clydebankblitz]

I intended on doing a predictions thing for each round but I need to do this assignment so badly that I have to cut one short. Heres BW-LW

 

 

BANTAMWEIGHT

Serge Ibaka (15-0) Vs Nikolai Medvedev (9-8)
The more Ibaka fights, the more weaknesses we see. Ramsey Garner was a low level opponent and most likely won the first round against the undefeated champ. Medvedev broke my prediction, TKOing Zakari Moss. I think the way to beat Ibaka is to out wrestle him, and I see Nikolai trying to keep this standing and losing as a result.
Serge Ibaka by KO/TKO

Renato Laranja (11-3) Vs Thaddeus Fitzgerald (8-4)
Laranja’s routine round 1 win over Whiteide told us nothing we didn’t already know. He’s fighting Fitzgerald here, who will want to fight at distance before bringing it into the clinch and keeping it there. I think this could go on for a while, but I feel Laranja will eventually pull it off.
Renato Laranja by Submission

Darth Vader (11-3) Vs Jacob Naankuse (5-3)
Vader stopped his opponent, Miguel Ortega, in just 1 minute 5 seconds. With his power being as present as ever, Jacob Naankuse might have trouble here. Jacob upset Devin Jaqquard with a rapid guillotine, but Vader won’t take this to the floor which will be the difference maker.
Darth Vader by KO/TKO

Dominance Zelditeez (9-3) Vs Neil Drake (12-4)
Dominance has great wrestling and ground and pound, but that strategy is suicide against Neil Drake. Unless he can do something unexpected and different, this fight is very easy to call.
Neil Drake by Submission

Bobby Bob Bob (10-3) Vs Ville Ahokas (5-0)
This fight will be decided on Ville’s ability to avoid the clinch. Ahokas scored a bit upset over Lee Kagawa, knocking him out in the first, but Bobby’s clinch game will be too much for him if he can’t avoid it, which I don’t bet on him doing.
Bobby Bob Bob by KO/TKO

Kip Ruell (7-3) Vs Jomlong Kiapoity (9-2)
Ruell is a very dangerous striker and he has a great ability to keep fights on the feet. Jomlong, who has seen every fight bar his debut finish by submission, either his or his opponents, will be confident that he’s able to bring this one to the floor. I have a feeling Ruell is going to surprise everyone and be able to stand tall as Kiapoity shoots in.
Kip Ruell by KO/TKO

Dan Sten (7-1) Vs Dan Small (7-1)
This fight has been in the making for ages. Both have had extremely similar careers in Highland Games, yet every time the fight was to be made, an injury or something prevented it from happening. This will be Dan Sten’s clinch Vs Dan Small’s submissions. I feel that it will go on for a while, but eventually Small will get it to the floor for a submission.
Dan Small by Submissiion

Josh Miller (9-4) Vs BJ Arnold (10-1)
It was good for Miller to break a 3 fight slump against a tough opponent. Arnold surprised everyone by being inable to finish a mediocre opponent in Rob Mills. When these two fought before, it was three rounds of domination for BJ Arnold before he ultimately got the stoppage. Miller will need to try something big to change that, but I think lightning will strike twice.
BJ Arnold by KO/TKO

 

 

FEATHERWEIGHT

Mamad Mouba (9-2) Vs Reem Khalid (6-3)
Mouba was clinical in his round one fight, proving why he’s the number 1 seed. Khalid had a strong jiu jitsu showing over Placencia, but only took a decision. I feel the favourite will dominate this bout.
Mamad Mouba by KO/TKO

Eryk Bartnik (6-1) Vs Azamat Gashimov (4-2)
Eryk has put together a really impressive streak now, and has already stopped Azamat Gashimov by triangle choke in a recent WC bout. I can’t imagine sambo man Gashimov has improved much since then, so I go for a repeat performance.
Eryk Bartnik by Submission

Ryan Beltshazar (6-3) Vs Kyle Monroe (4-0)
Ryan has a tough time dealing with Sean Doyle’s grappling in round 1, but he pulled off a knockout none the less. Now he faces Kyle Monroe, whom is fresh off a big knockout win in his fight. While this really could be the fight for the upset, I still edge it to Beltshazar.
Ryan Beltshazar by KO/TKO

Cho King Fang (5-2) Vs Ali Roumani (7=8-2)
Cho is a multiple time jiu jitsu world champion, yet wrongfully claims to have been the number 1 fighter on The Island to this point. He’s challenging number 2 seed Ali Romani, a fellow grappling ace who has been totally dominant in most submission battles to date. This really is the fight for the biggest upset in the FW division, yet once again, I’m going with the favourite.
Ali Roumani by Submission

 

 

LIGHTWEIGHT

George Moshington (9-0) Vs Jack Stick (10-3)
It took Moshington just 21 seconds to prove to everyone exactly why he’s here; to dominate this season and become the tournament champion. Jack Stick scored a first round TKO over a tough veteran as well and look to upset the champ. I reckon this one will go to the floor, where it becomes extremely interesting. I’m going to go for a very risky bet here.
George Moshington by Submission

Mustafa Shabazz (7-3) Vs Calvin Brooks (10-5)
Former Highland Games champ Vs former Attack Fight League Champ. This is a complete toss up. Too highly talented submission guys. The real thing to point out is their previous fight. Calvin Brooks submitted Mustafa Shabazz very recently. With that being the only way to split it, you had to go that way.
Calvin Brooks by Submission

Papa Shango (10-4) Vs Jimmy Etherington (4-2)
It’s three straight for submission matser Shango now, and he’s really a major favourite entering this fight. What people aren’t counting is how dangerous Etherington is on the mat. While you can make some big money betting the other way, I think the big name wins.
Papa Shango by Submission

Better Dead (8-5) Vs Gottlieb Hiebknecht (13-3)
A stunning 5 second knockout, the second of his career, brought Better Dead to this moment. This is the biggest fight of his career, taking on big favourite to win the entire tournament; Gottlieb Hiebknecht. Gottlieb submitted Budak Poyo in just 46 seconds to make it to this round. While I would love it if Better Dead made it through, Gottlieb has all the tools to win.
Gottlieb Hiebknecht by Submission

Francois Boullion (10-3) Vs Einar Enkeltmann (5-1)
My upset prediction worked out, with kickboxing ace Francois Boulion being successful in just the second MMA fight of his career. Now he faces an entirely different challenge though, a wrestler which fantastic submissions in Einar Enkeltmann. Seeing Boulion go far would be pretty cool, but he wont be able to keep this on the feet.
Eniar Enkeltmann by Submission

Jason Smith (9-4) Vs Don Killuminati (8-1)
Smith went the distance in a very close fight which many feel he should have dominated in round 1. It was amazing seeing former bantamweight kingpin Don Killuminati back in action after his only loss, this time winning in under two minutes. We have a high level clash here, but I think Killuminati’s counter wrestling and striking will be too good here.
Don Killuminati by KO/TKO

Hideki Higkiko (10-2) Vs JJ Lycka (9-3)
I look down on some fighters who can’t finish fights, but never Higkiko, who utilizing his distance to absolutely dominate opponents whilst taking zero risks. JJ Lycka is a top level BJJ practitioner who wants to take this fight down and land some ground and pound to set up a sub. I don’t think he’ll cut the range to get the takedown though, and it’s another long night’s work for the Asian.
Hideki Higkiko by Decision

Bhola Djin Djin (6-2) Vs Zoran Jolevi (11-1)
Many see this as striker Vs grappler, but a pair of submissions over Dillen Aspen show that Bhola is certainly capable on the mat. This is so hard to split because Zoran Jolevi is so talented at securing a limb or choke that he’s hard to pick against. In a big upset, I think Bhola will be able to keep this on the feet long enough to rock Zoran, but I could be way off here.
Bhola Djin Djin by KO/TKO

[gwad12345]

Well the lightweight tournament just got interesting, Goodbye Moshington and Hiebknecht. Better Dead has got some sick KO power for sure.

 

I would advise against predicting against Zoran in the future.

[Guest]

http://mmatycoon.com/gallery/37/37b37.jpg

Harry Hate

God damned it.. some ground fairy wouldn't fight and submitted me. Damned wanker. Oh well.. off to LA.. wait.. I've been cut.. FUCK YOU MAN.