Ironman Fight Club - Official Thread

[Cobra7]

It is close to his debut I hope his first victim doesn't take the loss to hard

[Judobill]

Just finishing up this fight camp and 100% ready for the New Blood Tournament. See you in a couple of days Xing Pugberg. I hope youre ready to go and ready for some surprises coming your way. Cant wait!

[Judobill]

 

Ironman Fight Club – Mid Week 7 (25^th October 2017 - Hyashi’s Lounge, Los Angeles)

Tonights card features a great mix of action from all across the board. From those trying to climb their way up from the bottom and out of mid roster obscurity all the way to the Top 10 and those pushing for a shot at the Ironman crown.

Fight 1) Shigeru Miyamoto (2-3, 160lbs) vs. Boyd “The Vanilla Og” Clark (2-7, 170lbs)

Opening tonights event we have Muay Thai fighter Shigeru Miyamoto taking on all rounder Boyd Clark. Clark has been on a terrible run lately and has managed to lose his last five in a row and now sits firmly at the bottom of the IFC roster. In seven career losses he has been finished six times and only managed to go the distance once. Though still young and with time to turn things around, Clarks career so far has been any but exceptional. His opponent Shigeru Miyamoto is also coming into this fight off the back of a loss but will no doubt be confident of taking advantage of Boyd Clarks recent form and getting back to winning ways. Stylistically Clark matches up favorably against Miyamoto if only due to his advantage on the ground. Miyamoto has literally no training in either wrestling or BJJ and this will leave him vulnerable should Clark find a way to take this fight to the floor. Something that Clark would be very wise to do.

Fight 2) Dreamer Panda (0-1, 300lbs) vs. Chong “The Star Fish” Tay (4-4, 210lbs)

Next up, another fighter that has found himself languishing at the bottom of the IFC roster, is Chong “The Star Fish” Tay. Tay sports a 4-4 record but is currently on a two fight losing streak. All of his wins have come by KO or TKO in the first round indicating that Tay is most dangerous early on in the fight. His opponent is rookie wrestler Dreamer Panda who had a disappointing entrance into MMA in his debut losing to Trey Daniels in only 31 seconds. Chong Tay is the more experienced fighter in this bout and with his wild brawling style stands more than a fair chance of catching Dreamer Panda early on. With no discernible striking skills to speak of Panda will really only have one game plan coming into this fight and that will be to take Tay off of his feet and control the fight on the ground. Of course Tay will be aware of this but whether he will adjust his own game to counter the incoming take down attempts we will have to see.

Fight 3) Terje “Nightmare” Warholm (1-2-1, 221lbs) vs. Heath “Lizard Arms” Bace (2-6, 300lbs)

Heath “Lizard Arms” Bace is from the same camp as Boyd Clark and Chong Tay and just like them both has managed to find himself on quite a run without a win. Though big and strong and capable of knocking out his opponents if he catches them, Bace has developed a bit of a reputation for being easy to finish standing. He has a respectable level of wrestling and a purple belt in BJJ but so far has been unable to survive long enough to be able to get the fight on the ground where he can use his wrestling and 300lb frame to his advantage. His opponent is Terje “Nightmare” Warholm who has moved back to the main division after being knocked out of the New Blood tournament by Micky Kirby. His last fight against Andy Bogard ended in a draw after a close three round fight that earned them both fight of the night honours. Terje fought well against a more experienced opponent and that will give him confidence going into this fight. Bace is the more experienced fighter and much like the majority of his fights so far is the more skilled ground fighter. Terje is a stand up fighter with a strong Muay Thai base and respectable boxing. Both fighters are even in the wrestling. At this point in Bace’s career this really is a fight he should be able to handle but judging purely by past efforts Warholm will have a great chance of ending this fight within the first round. Of course he will have to be careful to avoid any stray haymakers coming his way but unless Bace has made efforts to change his game plan or ability to get the fight to the floor, that will be his only concern.

Fight 4) Ivan “Russian Hulk” Shtirko (1-4, 275lbs) vs. Yoshihiro Sexyama (1-1, 190lbs)

Next up we have Ivan “Russian Hulk” Shtirko making his first appearance in the IFC against Yoshihiro Sexyama. Ivan Shtirko comes to the IFC with a slightly underwhelming record of 1-4 though three of those fights have been against a much, much older opponent in QFC. At only 19 years of age Shtirko has plenty of time to make a name for himself and has a great opportunity to begin here with a victory over Japanese fighter Yoshihiro Sexyama. Sexyama will be making his third appearance in the IFC and currently has a record of 1-1. More of a submission wrestler than anything else Sexyama will hold a sizeable advantage should the fight hit the ground though he is coming into this fight off the back of a submission loss. Shtirko’s last fight was a TKO win against a 32 year old fighter and that is most definitely impressive at this stage. If he is to carry on in the same manner coming into this fight stands a good chance of catching Sexyama. This fight is truly anybody’s to win and it will be interesting to see the outcome.

Fight 5) Dirty WhiteBoy (3-3, 196lbs) vs. Dieter “The Sheep” Schaafs (3-2, 190lbs)

This fight could possibly be Dirty WhiteBoy’s last fight as I’ve been informed that the 26 year old fighter is contemplating retirement pending the result of the bout. Fight’s like this are both easy to call and hard to predict. Dieter “The Sheep” Schaaf has wonderful Muay Thai and uses the clinch as his means to win fights. WhiteBoy is a Brown Belt level Jui-Jitsu fighter with respectable wrestling to help him get the fight to the floor. Usually these types of fights come down to whether the striker can take out the wrestler before the wrestler can get his hands on the striker. This fight will be no different and, due to some inept matchmaking, is actually a rematch from not so long ago in which Dirty WhiteBoy was able to get the submission win on that occasion. Based on that WhiteBoy has to be the favourite going into this fight but knowing that perhaps his heart isn’t in the fight game anymore, we will have to wonder how motivated he is coming into this fight. Perhaps an opportunity for Schaafs to get his revenge?

Fight 6) Evgeni Lomachenko (5-3, 152lbs) vs. Rober Garfield (2-1, 260lbs)

Next up, another debut in the IFC main division with 17 year old Rober Garfield taking on Evgeni Lomachenko. Rober Garfield comes to the IFC with a record of 2-1 and despite his young age has been training in MMA for a little while now. A remarkable boxer, Garfield is also fairly well rounded elsewhere with perhaps only his wrestling being slightly feeble. His last two fights have been stoppage victories and there will no doubt be many eyes on this young man as he makes his first appearance for the Ironman org. His first test is a fighter that has had a mixed success so far during his time here. Evgeni Lomachenko came to the IFC a solid 3-0 and looked to have a bright future when he took out submission machine Klaus Chugman in his debut and entered the rankings at #8. Since then however things have taken a turn for the worse and Lomachenko has managed only 1 win out of 4 and is currently on a two loss streak. This fight looks on paper to be very much a striker versus grappler situation and Garfield has over 100lbs on Lomachenko, meaning the Russian will want to avoid getting hit at all costs. Evgeni does posses the ability to get the fight to the floor and has a decent advantage in the grappling department should he be able to do it. Lomachenko is known for his ground and pound skills and while Garfield has not yet had to deal with the type of style that he brings, a 100lb weight difference could make controlling the fight tricky. Lomachenko really needs a win here if he is to gain back any of the momemtum from when he arrived and climb back into the Top 10. Rober Garfield is definitely a fighter that has been signed for his potential rather than expecting an immeditate impact but I’m sure Garfield will be keen to make his presence felt sooner rather than later.

Fight 7) Daniel “The Unsanitary” Sainty (6-3, 150lbs) vs. Klaus “The House” Chugman (7-2, 130lbs)

Next up we have a much anticipated fight between two very acomplished submission fighters. Both Daniel “The Unsanitary” Sainty and Klaus “The House” Chugman sit just outside of the Top 10 and are both tied for most submission finishes at six apiece. Sainty has spent the majority of his career at the top of the IFC roster and as such could definitely claim to have fought the tougher competition. Chugman comes into this fight with a record of 7-2 and on a streak of three wins. His last fight was his best performance so far when he managed to overcome an early knock down and go on to finish the highly regarded prospect Soul Shadow. This fight will be especially important for Chugman as he has already once built up a good run and come close to breaking into the Top 10 before falling short and having to start over again. Both hold brown belts in BJJ but Chugman’s wrestling is quite a bit better than Sainty’s. Chugman however has absolutely zero striking pedigree while Sainty, though only modest, does have a small understanding of the striking arts. It’s possible that on this occasion Sainty will look to keep this fight on the feet and Chugman out of his comfort zone. He will know that Chugman really only has one way to go in this fight and that is to take it to the ground. If the fight does end up on the ground Chugman would in no way be a heavy favorite to win as Sainty has a little size over him and just like Chugman, a proven track record of submission finishes. Overall, this fight is very difficult to predict but with king of the submission bragging rights on the table, you just know that it’s going to be intense!

Fight 8) (#10) Steven “The Steamroller” Kennedy (5-4, 178lbs) vs. Schmorgen Biscuit (5-2, 210lbs)

Coming close to the end of the evening we have the former IFC champion Steven “The Steamroller” Kennedy taking on young prospect Schmorgen Biscuit. Steven Kennedy has had a rocky time since losing his Ironman belt to Mew Choo back at IFC X. Dropping three in a row to Top 10 competition has gone some way to validating those who believed his title reign was something of a fluke. Still, due to his popularity and standing within the IFC he has been able to remain in the Top 10 all this time and picked up a win during his last outing when he defeated up and comer Damien Demento with an arm bar. Now once again he finds himself playing gatekeeper to the upper ranks of the IFC roster and he takes on yet another young star in Schmorgen Biscuit. Biscuit’s last fight was mired in controversy as he lost a decision to top 5 ranked Tommy Walcott and many believed it was a decision that should have gone the opposite way. Previous to that loss Biscuit had amassed a five fight winning streak and looked like he was about to finally break out into title contention. This fight is equally important to both fighters and for the opposite reasons. A loss for Kennedy would surely mean dropping out of the Top 10 for the first time since the organisations inception where as a win for Biscuit would no doubt be his ticket into the big time. Kennedy needs to win this fight if he wishes to remain relevant when discussing the title and you get the impression that this could be his last opportunity to do so before the Top 10 becomes overrun with hungry, young talent. Of course Kennedy is a former champion and cannot be counted out. He matches up well with Biscuit in most areas and could probably be considered the favorite should the fight hit the floor. Biscuit has been working hard to improve his stand up of late and that could be the first time in his career where that could be the right game plan for him but his bread and butter is truly his submission wrestling skills. Kennedy has shown that he willing to mix things up on the feet before putting his brown belt in BJJ to use and will not likely be intimidated in any area of this fight. An intriguing fight with a lot on the line but perhaps Schmorgan Biscuit would be the slight betting favourite for this one?

Fight 9 - Co-Main Event) (#3) Eldar Tskhadaia (7-1, 243lbs) vs. (#9) Dave “Tightass” Brooksbank (5-4, 160lbs)

For the Co-Main event we have another important fight for the Top 10 when #3 ranked Eldar Tskadaia takes on #9 Dave Brooksbank. Yet another fight that is most likely to be contested on the ground but between two very different fighting styles. Eldar Tskhadaia is currently on a three fight winning streak against some very solid competition and another win for him here would put him in dangerously close to a title shot. His style isn’t the most pleasing to watch and usually involves taking his opponent down and grinding them down with strikes. His opponent Dave Brooksbank is on a remarkable run of form that has resulted in himself rubbing shoulders with the top fighters of the IFC. In his last three fights he has mananged to submit Boss Yonic and Cattan Engoria, two very good ground fighters who were highly predicted to win and then dismantled dangerous striker Terry Bogard with ease. Without being rude to Brooksbank, it would be dishonest to say that his recent form hasn’t been surprising and with his previous history of results, his fighting style and age, you find yourself wondering if this is just a run of luck that could come to an end at anytime or whether Brooksbank has truly turned a corner and has things figured out. It is said styles make fights and Brooksbank’s BJJ based submission styles matches up very well against Tskhadaia’s top heavy ground and pound style. Tskhadaia has a significant weight advantage and he will likely be looking to make it business as usual but he will need to be very wary as he has suffered at the hands of someone very similar to Brooksbank before. Daniel Sainty, who is actually from the same management team, is a smaller, lighter BJJ fighter who managed to exploit a whole in the wrestlers game. Sainty laid out the blueprint for Brooksbank to follow and that will no doubt embolden Brooksbank should he find himself on his back in this fight. The pressure is definitely on Eldar Tskhadaia who has much more to lose from a loss than Brooksbank and that too could be a factor going into the co-main event fight.

Fight 10 - Main Event) (#2) Ricky “Big Tex” Hughes (8-3, 264lbs) vs. “Corpse Making Cowboy” Don Joe (5-2, 190lbs)

The main event of the evening features one of the most popular and longest serving fighters in the IFC, the very first Ironman champion Ricky “Big Tex” Hughes butting heads with the “Corpse Making Cowboy” Don Joe, who is fighting for the first time under new management.

“Big Tex” Hughes is an absolute wrecking ball of a man and is currently tied with Steve Butabi for most KO’s in the org. His last fight was a return to form when he scored a big KO over featherweight Wolfgang Lee Roth. That win halted a two fight losing streak that included a title fight with current champion Mew Choo and a showdown with “Big” Steve Butabi. His opponent for the evening is former Empire Grind middleweight champion Don Joe who came into the IFC with a perfect 5-0 record and was given an immediate title shot against Mew Choo. That fight lasted only 23 seconds and Don Joe tasted defeat for the first time. In his next showing he dropped a decision loss to the Brooklyn Brawler and it was there that his current management lost faith in him and parted ways. His free agency period didnt last long however as he was picked up by the same camp as Tommy Walcott and Eldar Tskhadaia. Their management obviously feeling that old Don Joe wasn’t finished yet.

This fight is guaranteed to be fireworks as both are geared towards striking. Joe has the slight edge technically in that department but is a complete novice in BJJ whereas Hughes is a blue belt and has shown previously that he has no problem changing tactics to take advantage of weakness when he can. Ricky Hughes will have a 70lb advantage going into this fight and that will make trading shots difficult for Don Joe. Joe will have to rely on speed and precision instead and employ a hit and run tactic if he is to have any chance of victory. He will also have to avoid being taken down as Hughes is definitely more capable there.

This is a big fight for Ricky Hughes and one he will really needs to be winning if he is serious about getting his belt back. Despite being so highly ranked at #2 he is still a couple of fights away from being able to challenge for the title and in the mean time the division gets more and more skilled with each passing week.

 

Great write-up!

[Alfred]

Ironman Fight Club Mid Week 7 (25th October 2017, Hyashi's Lounge) - Post Fight Recap

Some truly great fights tonight featuring plenty of fighters from the top of the IFC food chain and yielding some very surprising results indeed. Tonight's show also followed in the steps of previous midweek events and gave the org it's second highest rating yet.

Of course an event's rating comes directly from the fighters putting it on the line so credit must be given where it's due!

Tonight's main event featured former IFC champion Ricky "Big Tex" Hughes and former Empire Grind middleweight champion "Corpse Making Cowboy" Don Joe and the result was a disappointing one for favorite Ricky Hughes.

Don Joe, in his first outing under new management, managed to employ a successful "hit and run" style and largely avoid the huge KO power that Hughes is known for. Hughes did try to mix things up and attempted to take the fight to the floor and while successful on a couple of occasions was either unable to capitalize or was thwarted by the end of round bell. In the end it was the accumulation of precision strikes that won the day for Don Joe and with it a TKO victory at 2:55 of Round 3.

In the Co-Main event heavyweight wrestler Eldar Tskhadaia decided that the time was right to show of his newly acquired competent Muay Thai skills and made it a shorts nights work against BJJ fighter Dave "Tightass" Brooksbank. Brooksbank had been performing superbly and well above what was expected. He was also on a three fight winning streak so it will be disappointing to lose in such a way.

With this win Eldar Tskhadaia would have moved into the #2 ranking and most likely into a title shot after Steve Butabi gets his attempt first but instead has decided to go back to Russia.

"I want to fight real man. Big man, not puny man like this one"

Former champ Steven "The Steamroller" Kennedy put on a truly great performance and gave young up and comer Schmorgen Biscuit a lesson he'll likely not forget in a while. Kennedy who had been on a bit of a slide after losing his IFC title to Mew Choo was able to stay composed and dealt with Biscuits ground and pound style perfectly eventually taking home a submission victory 1:22 through Round 3.

Biscuit has been very close to a Top 10 spot for a little while now and this loss, his second in a row, will set him back quite a bit. Kennedy, who like any good champion will be aiming to recapture his title, now moves back up to #3 but will need another good performance before being considered truly in the running.

Two fighters tied for most submission in the org, Klaus "The House" Chugman and Daniel "The Unsanitary" Sainty did battle in what was perhaps closer to a grappling match than an actual MMA fight. Both fighters made attempts to finish but it was Chugman who pressed the action and landed the take downs and thus earned a unanimous decision victory.

With this win Chugman has now gone four fights without losing and improves his record to 8-2 earning him his first Top 10 ranking and coming in at #5.

The battle for King of the Submission however is still undecided.

Featherweight submission wrestler Evgeni Lomachenko put on his best performance to date winning by submission over hot prospect Rober Garfield who was making his IFC debut.

Revenge for Dieter Schaafs who managed to avoid a repeat of their previous bout and got the KO over Dirty WhiteBoy early in Round 3.

And lastly a unsuccessful debut for Ivan Shtirko who lost to Yoshihiro Sexyama by kneebar at 1:59 of Round 1.

That just about wraps up tonight's event. Hope everyone will join us on Saturday with the Semi-Final of the New Blood Tournament taking place AND the IFC title on the line with undefeated champion Mew Choo taking on undefeated challenger Louis C K who is fresh off the back of a 16 man tournament win at Marty Robbins Fight Ranch.

Fight Of The Night goes to Steven Kennedy vs. Schmorgen Biscuit

KO Of The Night goes to Don Joe

Sub Of The Night goes Yoshihiro Sexyama

After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this...

#Champion (1) Mew Choo (8-0, 191lbs)

#1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs)

#2 (4) Tommy Walcott (7-1, 140lbs)

#3 (10) Steven Kennedy (6-4, 178lbs)

#4 (RE) Don Joe (6-2, 190lbs)

#5 (NE) Klaus Chugman (8-2, 130lbs)

#6 (5) Wolfgang Lee Roth (5-2, 154lbs)

# 7 (6) Brooklyn Brawler (6-2, 190lbs)

#8 (7) Android Seventeen (7-3, 283lbs)

#9 (8) Taz Bandichoo (5-3, 240lbs)

#10 (3) Ricky Hughes (8-4, 264lbs)

Just Outside (in no order): Evgeni Lomachenko, Dave Brooksbank, Daniel Sainty, Damien Demento, Iain Tower

Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event

[mudguts16]

Things haven't gone according to plan for Ricky Hughes lately. But we are humble in victory and in loss. Its time we change a few things up and start our road to redemption

[nousley]

Ребята, вы говорите очень умные вещи! Я бы сказал вы гении!

[Alfred]

Ребята, вы говорите очень умные вещи! Я бы сказал вы гении!

 

I concur!

[Affekonig]

My sentiments exactly.

[Judobill]

Ребята, вы говорите очень умные вещи! Я бы сказал вы гении!

Мой коэффициент интеллекта чрезвычайно высок. Большое спасибо.

[Affekonig]

Мой коэффициент интеллекта чрезвычайно высок. Большое спасибо.

 

showoff

[Alfred]

Ironman Fight Club XXII – New Blood Tournament Semi-Final

(28^th October 2017 – Hard Knocks, Los Angeles)

Fight 1 – New Blood Division

Terry Crew (1-1, 200lbs) vs. Kenny “The Follower” Tchusuk (0-2, 265lbs)

Kicking off the evening we have a bout in the New Blood division and two previous entrants from the ongoing New Blood tournament.

Terry Crew was one of the last to confirm entry into the tournament and the least experienced out of the sixteen participating. Despite that he was able to defy the odds and make it past the first round with a submission victory over Thierry Paulin which then set up a show down with one of the most experienced fighters in the group Jonathan Davis. This time he was unable to get the win and instead suffered a first round KO loss. While likely disappointing for Crew and his management there was most definitely no shame in the result especially when not expected to make it past the first round.

His opponent is striker Kenny Tchusuk who was eliminated from the tournament in the first round by current semi-finalist Micky Kirby. Since then he has fought once more and while showing some improvement in his skills still came away with a loss, this time at the hands of Thierry Paulin. This fight could be considered something of a grappler versus striker affair except for the fact the Tchusuk has a blue belt in BJJ and has shown an interest in fighting off of his back. Whether that will deter Crew from his usual game plan we will have to wait and see but personally I find it doubtful. Tchusuk is the bigger man but as yet we are in the dark to what kind of power he possesses with his striking abilities. He is said to have a granite chin but with two quick KO losses on record we might have to question that. Overall it might look like Tchusuk matches up favorably against Crew but based on past results and the fact that Crew holds a win over a fighter that Tchusuk lost handily to we would have to give the edge to Crew in this one.

 

Fight 2 – New Blood Division

David Brent (0-0, 195lbs) vs. “I Weigh” One Fortytwo (0-2, 142lbs)

Next up, more action from the New Blood division and a fighter making his first appearance in the MMA world. David Brent is a natural middleweight and looks to be a solid boxer but not much else apart from that is known at this time. For his first test he will be facing another eliminated tournament fighter in One Fortytwo. Fortywho hasn’t had the best of starts to his MMA career and currently holds a record of 0-2 with both losses coming by way of TKO. He comes from the same camp as IFC veteran Boss Yonic but has been so far unable to emulate the relative successes of his stable mate. Knocked out in the tournaments first round by current semi-finalist Jonathan Davis he then went on to face first timer Ivashin Dmitrevich and once again came up short. This is a hard fight to predict. With both fighters favoring the stand up we might look to the heavier man as having the better odds although that isn’t always the case. Fortytwo has a little bit more experience and that might help him somewhat but without knowing what he is up against formulating a game plan will be most difficult. The only prediction for this fight is that it is highly doubtful that it will hit the floor

 

Fight 3 – New Blood Division

Ivashin Dmitrievich (1-0, 240lbs) vs. Hank “Hill” Jones (1-0, 212lbs)

Keeping with the New Blood division once more and two returning fighters both fresh from successful MMA debuts. Ivashin Dmitrievich is a muay thai fighter who showed that he has some decent power in his hands when he beat Two Fortytwo in his debut back at IFC Midweek 5. His opponent Hank “Hill” Jones also had an impressive start to his career and displayed some equally jaw shattering KO power when he beat Eobard Thawne also at IFC Midweek 5. Since that time it looks as though Jones has been working on his improving his ground skills to supplement his wonderful muay thai abilities and for that reason alone gives him the edge in the bout. Of course, with both fighters favoring the stand up side of things it’s just as likely that this fight remains on the feet and in that area both fighters are equal. If this fight does stay in striking range then it is anybody's to win. Dmitrievich has a slight height and weight advantage which could help if he chooses to fight from the outside but Jones is noted as having KO power and coupled with the Russians reputation for cutting easily could spell disaster. If the fight hits the mat then it is likely an easy night for Jones.

 

Fight 4 – New Blood Division

“The Monster of Montmartre” Thierry Paulin (1-1, 240lbs) vs. Craig “The Reborn” Marduk (1-1, 225lbs)

Two more eliminated fighters from the ongoing New Blood tournament with 1-1 Thierry Paulin taking on 1-1 Craig Marduk. Thierry Paulin was highly expected to win his first round fight against Terry Crew but instead was caught with a quick take down by the submission wrestler and unable to withstand the barrage of submissions thrown at him shockingly exited the tournament at its first stage. Paulin has since redeemed himself however with a good performance against Kenny Tchusuk at IFC XVIII and is now beginning to look like a very solid young fighter. His opponent is Craig Marduk who came through the opening round with a real bang beating slightly favored Kurnenai Galneryus in just 22 seconds of the first round. A loss of management almost straight afterwards however went some ways to derailing any momentum Marduk had and a shock submission loss to natural flyweight Xing Pugberg in the next round sent him crashing out of the tournament.

One fight ago Craig Marduk would have been the heavy favorite going into this bout but Paulin has made some remarkable improvements to his overall game to the point that it almost looks to be a forgone conclusion. It’s possible Marduk has been busy improving things that are harder to see initially but, on paper at least, it seems that Thierry Paulin holds all the cards in this fight

 

Fight 5) Bricks “Parpaing” Thrower (7-5, 204lbs) vs. Lenny “Fagan Blaster” Manelito (2-6, 185lbs)

Our first fight of the evening from the Main Division and two IFC veterans face off against each other. Bricks “Parpaing” Thrower is still only 19 years old and yet he will be making his thirteenth appearance in the cage already which goes to show just how active he has been in just a short time. It’s not completely fair to say that he is becoming a solid journeyman at this point as he is still so young and has plenty of time to reach his full potential. Bricks has been slowly improving and no longer sits among the very bottom of the IFC roster but inconsistency in his results have hindered the speed at which he climbed the roster. Still, he currently holds a winning record and is a firm favorite with the IFC having been one of the first fighters to sign with the org. His opponent is another tough fighter of whom is known for being active and never refusing a fight, Lenny “Fagan Blaster” Manelito. Manelito is making his eighth appearance in the IFC but so far has managed only one victory in that time. He has fought a steady mix of solid opponents that has included former ranked fighters however his best performance came against Victor Belfort at IFC Midweek 4 where he put on an absolute clinch clinic and won a unanimous 30:26 victory. Both fighters are fairly equal standing and on the ground but Bricks is the larger fighter. He is also evidently the more dedicated professional and most definitely the more prepared when it comes to training. Insiders say that Manelito is something of a gym rat who never rests and that will surely be a huge factor come fight day.

 

 

Fight 6 – New Blood Tournament Semi-Final 1

“The Hyper Stealer” Fay Gott (2-1, 190lbs) vs. Xing “Rufus” Pugberg (2-0, 130lbs)

The first of our New Blood tournament semi-finals that will decide who moves into the final and the chance to become the New Blood champion. “The Hype Stealer” Fay Gott earned his name when he defeated the next knee hero “The Hunk” Jack Dawson in the last round of competition. In truth Gott had been slightly favored going into that fight but you would never have guessed that due to Dawson’s confidence in the run up of the tournament. Gott has had arguably the hardest path so far after being matched with one of the tournament favorites Kyle Ryan in the first round and then Jack Dawson in the second. Both wins have come via decision where Gott has showed his preference for fighting in the clinch. Both times Gott has been the smaller fighter but on this occasion Fay Gott will seem like a giant. His opponent is natural bantamweight Xing “Rufus” Pugberg. Pugberg stands 150cm tall and can get as low as 118lbs. It would be easy to write Pugberg off in this bout if it wasn’t for the fact that he just took out the promising Craig Murduk who outweighed him by almost 100lbs. Pugberg began his MMA career in the tournament is a currently a perfect 2-0. Both his opponents so far have been strikers and while Gott still fits that description the difference is Gott doesn’t seem interested in striking at a distance and instead looks to win his fight up close in the clinch. That could be either be a blessing or a curse for the small submission wrestler as he might not have to worry about getting tagged on the outside when looking for take downs. At this point of the tournament Gott is arguably the favorite to win it all and, though far from impossible, it would take a phenomenal effort from Pugberg to pull off the upset here.

 

Fight 7 – New Blood Division

“The Hunk” Jack Dawson (3-1, 270lbs) vs. Kyle “Animal” Ryan (1-1, 223lbs)

This is a great fight in the New Blood division with two very good eliminated fighters from the tournament matched up against each other. “The Hunk” Jack Dawson came into the New Blood tournament as an undefeated prospect who’d already racked up two wins in the main division. With a solid win in the first round things were looking good for Dawson until a decision loss to Fay Gott in the second round handed the youngster his first loss and gave us an insight into the fighters psyche. The loss deeply effected The Hunks confidence and that leads us to the question of whether we will see the same Jack Dawson in this fight? His opponent is Kyle “Animal” Ryan. Ryan was the second oldest participant to enter the tournament and one of the initial favorites to take it all. Unfortunately matched up with another very strong opponent in the first round, Ryan lost a decision to current semi-finalist Fay Gott and was eliminated. Since then Ryan has managed a decision win over Sirimongkol Niyotrong and is starting to develop a very strong looking ground game to go with his wonderful boxing abilities. Physically both are big men if not slightly different shapes. Dawson is short and heavier while Ryan is much taller and closer to a light-heavyweight. It’s possible that this could be an equalizer in this match up and actually serve Dawson in the sense that it would be harder for Ryan to take him down where he would be the more skilled fighter. On the feet both fighters are even and if it stays there it could go either way. If Dawson controls this fight then it will be up close and dirty and if Ryan gets his way, he will no doubt be keeping his distance and using speed to his advantage. One thing to consider is that once the New Blood tournament ends and a champion is crowned the first thing that will be needed is a challenger. A win here would surely go a long way to making that a possibility for either fighter

 

 

Fight 8 – New Blood Tournament Semi-Final 2

Jonathan “Money Shot” Davis (4-1, 142lbs) vs. Micky Kirby (2-0, 230lbs)

 

The second semi-final of the New Blood Tournament pits Jonathan “Money Shot” Davis against Micky Kirby and on paper you’d likely bet heavy dollar on Davis winning this with ease. However, things aren’t always what they seem. Jonathan Davis entered the tournament as the oldest and most experienced fighter of the sixteen. Holding a 2-1 record from the bantamweight division of now defunct Empire Grind org, Davis was one of a handful to be considered a likely finalist. So far Davis has looked fantastic and has shown real power for a smaller fighter. Wins over One Fortytwo by TKO in the tournaments opening round and then Terry Crew by KO in the second have earned him a place here tonight. The man standing in his way is wrestler Micky Kirby. Kirby entered the tournament as a complete rookie and at the beginning was paid little attention. With only wrestling credentials to his name, Micky Kirby looked like just another one dimensional grappler who would likely be destroyed by the first striker he came across and while the one dimensional tag could still be argued he has so far been the one doing the destroying. Beating Kenny Tchusuk in the opening round by KO from GnP and then showing serious heart in an absolute war with Terje Warholm, Kirby has shown that he is more than capable of dealing with strikers. With that in mind its absolutely impossible to count Kirby out of this fight. He has the wrestling ability to take down Davis and the kind of size and strength advantage that could equal real damage in the floor. Davis on the other hand has everything else going for him. Experience, proven ability to knock out heavier opponents and better in every department besides wrestling. Perhaps one of the biggest factors going into this fight is that Kirby is no longer an unknown quantity and Davis will know exactly what is coming his way. Kirby has proven that he is to be taken seriously but this could very well be the end of a truly great tournament run for the unfancied wrestler.

 

Co-Main Event: (#8) “Red Ribbon Armys” Android Seventeen (7-3, 283lbs) vs. (#6) Wolfgang Lee Roth (5-2, 154lbs)

Our co-main event of the evening is a fight between two current Top 10 fighters #8 ranked Android Seventeen and #6 ranked Wolfgang Lee Roth. Android Seventeen had a great start in the IFC when he beat Tommy Walcott in his first fight for the company. As an already established hot prospect with a record of 7-1, that fight earned him a shot at Mew Choo’s IFC belt. Seventeen came up short in that fight losing by submission in the first round and afterwards went on to yet another submission loss, this time to Eldar Tskhadaia, a man not entirely regarded for his submission prowess. Currently on a two fight losing streak for the first time in his career Android Seventeen will be roaring to get back to winning ways. His opponent is Wolfgang Lee Roth, a BJJ brown belt and a fighter who has never been out side of the IFC Top 10 since his first fight back at IFC III. Wolfgang has been working hard on his wrestling lately and that will definitely only make him all the more dangerous. With a respectable amount boxing skill he is able to hold his own against all but the very best of strikers, at least long enough to get the fight to the floor where he is most comfortable. This fight brings attention to the biggest defining aspect between the IFC and other orgs and that is Android Seventeen's massive 130lb weight advantage going into this bout. Something that people either love or hate. Wolfgang has dropped losses to larger, heavier hitting opponents but Seventeen has shown weakness to more skilled submission fighters. Both fighters are experienced enough to know what the other will want to do and will likely adjust their game plans accordingly. This is a big fight for both fighters and for the IFC Top 10. Seventeen is still very young but will not want to drop another loss and risk falling behind the rest of the pack and likewise for an older Wolfgang Lee Roth.

 

Main Event - IFC Title: (Champion) Mew Choo (8-0, 191lbs) vs. Louis C K (9-0, 202lbs)

 

Without wanting to sound like hyperbole, this fight is the biggest so far in the Ironman Fight Club’s short history. When fighters were jostling for control at the top of the mountain Mew Choo was the first fighter to truly cement his place as champion. Up until then no fighter had actually managed to make a successful first defense. Taking the title from Steven Kennedy at IFC X, Mew Choo has since gone on to defend against IFC’s first champion Ricky Hughes, an undefeated Empire Grind middleweight champion Don Joe and lastly heavy hitting super heavyweight and then 7-1 Android Seventeen. Now standing a perfect 8-0 with none having ever gone the distance he will be making his fourth title defense here tonight and the competition just doesn’t get any easier.

Making his first appearance for the IFC is undefeated natural middleweight Louis C K, who is fresh off of winning the Marty Robbins Fight Ranch 16 man tournament. With a perfect record of 9-0 and a total of 7 KO victories, C K could very well be the toughest opponent champion Mew Choo has faced. This is truly a huge fight for this level of the fight game.

Both fighters are capable either standing or on the ground and both are proven finishers. C K is the slightly heavier fighter but not by any significant margin. With neither fighter having ever tasted defeat picking a favorite is tricky. Louis C K seems to be the more precise striker of the two and doesn’t seem to throw unless he knows he will land. He seems to favor striking from the outside at a distance with his wrestling and blue belt in BJJ more for defensive purposes. Mew Choo on the other hand, while not particularly aggressive, likes to throw big shots and doesn’t fear being taken down as he is equally as comfortable hunting for submissions off his back.

It’s likely this fight remains on the feet though as both fighters seem most comfortable there. Based on each others records it’s unlikely that this fight goes the distance. Both fighters will be well prepared and so there’s really not much else to say at this point except that this is going to be a truly great moment for one of these undefeated warriors.

One man who is definitely going to be ringside playing close attention to this is undefeated number one contender "Big" Steve Butabi

[mudguts16]

Awesome main event

[Cobra7]

Co-main will blow the roof off

[Judobill]

If the little guy wants to take it to the ground, Im fine with that. If he does manage to take me down, no easy task by the way, someones getting submitted, and it aint me! -Fay Gott

[Judobill]

Well that was violent.-Fay Gott

[Cobra7]

So 17 falls to another sub. No biggie now I see his weak points and it's mass training time.

 

Back to the drawing board?

[Sassano]

To the final, Micky Kirby goes!

[mudguts16]

Is anyone going to be able to beat Mew Choo

[Cobra7]

After a loss that not many saw coming Jack got back to his winning ways. Although it wasn't how he wanted to win he got the job done

[Judobill]

Is anyone going to be able to beat Mew Choo

Yeah, but right now, I gotta deal with Micky Kirby first.-Fay Gott

[Cobra7]

Is anyone going to be able to beat Mew Choo

I can see dawson beating him as well so for now keep that belt nice and shiny for me

[Alfred]

Ironman Fight Club XXII - New Blood Round 3 (28th October 2017, Hard Knocks - Los Angeles) - Post Fight Recap

It was a huge night for the IFC with some truly memorable performances on display and our highest rated show so far.

In the main event of the evening the Ironman Fight Club title was on the line. Undefeated champion Mew Choo was making his fourth title defense against undefeated challenger Louis C K.

The bell rang for the opening round and the challenger went straight to work. Keeping a good distance and sending out stinging jabs and solid leg kicks while managing to avoid anything coming his way, Louis C K looked to have the measure of champion Mew Choo early. Just after the two minute mark a nice uppercut by C K followed up with a outside leg kick and then BOOM! Mew Choo dropped C K to the mat with a combination and then followed him straight down to the mat where a dazed Louis C K managed to fend off submission attempts and find his composure to hold on for the end of round bell.

The second round C K came back to even the judges score card 1-1. This time managing to stay out the way of any big shots from the champion the challenger peppered Choo with jabs to the head and body and landed some strikes in the clinch. Choo was missing a lot of shots and that could only be good for C K going into the later rounds.

The third round sounded and it was more of the same. C K landing kicks and punches but taking the odd shot here and there until just over a minute gone when another big combination from the champion sent C K down to the mat where he found himself once again fighting for position and fending off submission threats. This time there was a stalemate and the referee stood them up. Perhaps still dazed from the earlier knockdown Louis C K was starting to take heavier shots and then a big straight left close to the end of the round sent him down for the last time and the referee forced to stop the fight as the champion landed unanswered strikes to the very game challenger.

Mew Choo defeats Louis C K by TKO at 4:25 of Round 3 and retains his IFC belt.

A good performance from both fighters but especially from Mew Choo who is looking absolutely unstoppable at the moment. Now undefeated in nine fights he will once again begin the studious task of preparing to take on the next hungry challenger of which the IFC has plenty. Undefeated "Big" Steve Butabi is next in line and that fight will be announced very soon

The Co-Main event was between #6 ranked Wolfgang Lee Roth and #8 ranked Android Seventeen. This was a dangerous fight for the much smaller fighter Lee Roth who had in the past struggled against bigger, heavier strikers and that is exactly what Android Seventeen is. Lee Roth has never been outside the Top 10 of the IFC before but has quite possibly been overlooked by most others but not anymore. This was Lee Roth's best performance so far.

Seventeen just didn't manage to get going. Missing a couple of early head kicks early in the fight he was then bullied into the cage by Lee Roth who after a couple of missed shots in the clinch successfully pulled guard on the huge super heavyweight and instantly clamped onto an arm forcing the tap in just under two minutes.

Wolfgang Lee Roth defeats Android Seventeen by Submission (Armbar) at 1:56 of Round 1

With this superb win Lee Roth moves up into the #3 position and is likely just a win away from being granted a shot at the title.

For Android Seventeen this loss marks his third in a row and serves to highlight a glaring hole in his game. Something he will have to address now that other fighters will be aware. Seventeen also drops out of the Top 10 for the first time since arriving in the IFC

NEW BLOOD TOURNAMENT - SEMI FINAL

Xing "Rufus" Pugberg vs. "The Hype Stealer" Fay Gott

The first fight in the New Blood Tournament bracket and it was a brutal one. Up to this point natural bantamweight Xing Pugberg had managed to withstand the heavy punishment dished out by his larger opponents before taking the fight to the ground and getting the submission victory. It was always going to be a rough fight but no one knew quite how horrific it would be. Fay Gott, who has developed a very well rounded skill set for a such young fighter, brutalized the smaller Pugberg from opening bell until the very last second of the fight. A huge right hand and then an uppercut knocked Pugberg down in quick succession leaving him barely any opportunity to mount an offence. A final monster hook dropped him once more and this time out he was out cold ending the tournament run for the Chinese submission wrestler. Fay Gott now moves into the tournament final and after a performance like that will no doubt be very confident in his chances to take it all.

Fay Gott defeats Xing Pugberg by KO (Punch) at 1:18 of Round 1

Jonathan "Money Shot" Davis vs. Micky Kirby

The second and final fight from the New Blood Tournament Semi-Final and what an upset it was.

On paper this fight looked like a mismatch. Jonathan Davis was the older, more experience and much more well rounded looking fighter and also the heavy betting favorite to move into the final but it just goes to show that things can be deceiving.

In his last fight with Terje Warholm, Micky Kirby had to wade through a lot of punishment and many times seemed to just bite down on his gum shield and march onward. His grit, determination and unstoppable take down ability is what earned him that victory and it was my opinion that he would be unlikley to do the same against Davis, who had a much higher striking pedigree than Warholm. The fight followed a similar path with Kirby able to take down Davis at will but not keep him down. Davis was able to land whatever Kirby gave him the opportunity to throw and suffered a cut early in the first round. Whenever Kirby did get the take down Davis was able to reverse him and escape without taking any damage.

Winning the first round handily, Davis was looking good for place in the final but in the second round however, an early take down from Kirby put Davis in trouble and then a huge elbow from side control was all it took to get the underdog victory and continue on into the final of the tournament.

Micky Kirby defeats Jonathan Davis by TKO (Strikes) at 0:25 of Round 2

Now "The Hype Stealer" Fay Gott and Micky Kirby meet in the New Blood Tournament Final and will battle to be crowned New Blood champion and win some other non comparable stuff like a year's VIP and some Tycoon $$$.

Kirby is no longer an underdog and Fay Gott will know exactly what is coming. Will Kirby change his approach or will he continue with his tried and battle tested ground and pound style? Both fighters will have four weeks to prepare themselves for the challenge.

Jonathan Davis and Xing Pugberg will also face off for third and forth place in four weeks where there are still VIP prizes and Tycoon $$$ up for grabs.

Fight Of The Night goes to Micky Kirby vs. Jonathan Davis

KO Of The Night goes to Thierry Paulin

Sub Of The Night goes Wolfgang Lee Roth

With so many great performances tonight the awards were VERY hard to decide and the following fighters received small performances bonuses..

Jack Dawson, Kyle Ryan, Bricks Thrower, Hank Jones, One Fortytwo and Terry Crew

 

 

After today's event the Road to the Gold is currently looking a little like this...

 

#Champion (1) Mew Choo (9-0, 191lbs)

#1 (1) Steve Butabi (6-0, 290lbs)

#2 (2) Tommy Walcott (7-1, 140lbs)

#3 (6) Wolfgang Lee Roth (6-2, 154lbs)

#4 (NE) Louis C K (9-1, 202lbs)

#5 (3) Steven Kennedy (6-4, 178lbs)

#6 (4) Don Joe (6-2, 190lbs)

#7 (5) Klaus Chugman (8-2, 130lbs)

# 8 (7) Brooklyn Brawler (6-2, 190lbs)

#9 (9) Taz Bandichoo (5-3, 240lbs)

#10 (10) Ricky Hughes (8-4, 264lbs)

Just Outside (in no order): Android Seventeen, Evgeni Lomachenko, Dave Brooksbank, Daniel Sainty, Iain Tower

 

 

Rankings are determined by hype/pop, p4p rank, win/loss record and a few company internal criteria. Rankings can and will change frequently after each event

[Judobill]

Great write-up, great event!

[Humble]

I absolutely love IFC! Keep up the great work!!

[Alfred]

I absolutely love IFC! Keep up the great work!!

 

Thank you mate.

 

When are we going to see Jeff Green in the IFC avenging his brother Lukas?