Valor Fighting Championship - NY - Offical Thread.

October 18, 2010

Preview of VFC 61 ‘Get out of My Way’

205: Johnny “Cold Steel” Klatchen (0-0-0) v “Wildchild” Robert Hurt (2-2-0)

From the Arabian Desert, Oman, Johnny Klatchen makes his debut in Valor FC here at VFC 61 as this Wonderful Muay Thai striker faces off against BJJ Brown grade Robert Hurt in the classic clash of styles fight, “Cold Steel” concedes the experience advantage for sure but can he take out “Wildchild” on his debut here?

205: Vincent “Mayhem” Marconi (5-3-0) v Ian “Unfinished Monkey Business” Brown (3-1-0)

Exceptional Boxer Vincent “Mayhem” Marconi is back is action here at VFC 61 and this dangerous individual who can boast all 5 career wins coming by way of (T) KO faces off against relative newcomer to Valor FC Ian Brown. Brown boasts Superb Boxing and Wrestling and is a formidable opponent for Marconi with his Wrestling game, but it would be a bad idea to try and trade with “Mayhem” here. This one is a contender for ‘Fight of the Night’.

155: Apachai Hopachai (6-5-0) v Mike Hunt (8-4-0)

Having lost his last two, Proficient Boxer and Wonderful Muay Thai striker Apachai Hopachai needs a win here but Mike Hunt is a formidable opponent for anyone with his good all round game. Hunt holds Respectable rank in Boxing, Muay Thai and Wrestling along with Blue grade BJJ and his will be an interesting matchup for both men. You have to believe that Hunt will try and smother Hopachai up, but has Hopachai improved his Wrestling game sufficiently? Hunt will be confident in taking the win here I feel but every fight starts standing and Hopachai will hope he can catch Hunt early.

205: Don The Fist (3-0-0) v Pesho Talpata (6-4-0)

Exceptional Muay Thai striker Don The Fist holds a perfect professional record, with 3 wins from 3 appearances but finds himself in a very tough fight here at Light-Heavyweight. Pesho Talpata holds Remarkable Boxing and more dangerously Wonderful Wrestling, and on a run of two successive wins this is a bout with two men in very good form and promises to be a superb matchup. Don The Fist certainly makes a big step up in competition for sure and it will be very interesting to see how he reacts to his. He does have nothing to lose however and that could lead to him really going after Talpata, which could mean that he either scores a massive early KO win, or gets taken down and bossed by the vastly superior grappler Talpata.

205: Dante Jones (5-3-1) v Julius “Rubicon” Kaiser (8-3-0)

Superb Boxer and Proficient Wrestler Dante Jones is back in action here at VFC 61, coming off a win at VFC 54 Jones will be hoping he can extend this here at VFC 61 but he faces a big ask here in the more experienced Julius Kaiser. Kaiser is one year older than Jones but has squeezed in a lot more fights although he did pick up a loss last time out at VFC 54 unlike his opponent. Primae Facie “Rubicon” is the better fighter boasting Proficient Boxing, Strong Muay Thai and Competent Wrestling but I expect both men to keep this one standing so it will really come down to tactics here and how both men approach this one, Kaiser seems to be the more explosive striker and that could be the difference if he can get close enough to Dante Jones.

185: Logan Evans (7-3-0) v Felix Smith (5-3-0)

Big Middleweight matchup here as Logan Evans with his Strong Boxing, Respectable Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ faces off against Superb Boxer, Wonderful Wrestler and equal Purple grade BJJ fighter Felix Smith. It is surprising that both these men haven’t crossed paths as yet, both have been in Valor FC some time and both have also been knocking on the door too for some time. Felix Smith has won his last two via decision and with 4 of 5 career wins via this method, Smith will certainly look to neutralise Evans by taking him to the mat and controlling him. With 4 of 7 career wins via (T) KO, Evans is certainly a dangerous stand-up fighter for anyone to face and he hits hard, Smith will certainly try and take him down and control him but he will also know that Evans is very dangerous too, with 3 submission wins to his name. This promises to be an intriguing matchup, Felix Smith is the more talented fighter, but Logan Evans is the more dangerous this isn’t one to miss.

265: “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz (9-4-0) v Chrissy “Boom Boom” Lad (4-2-0)

Joell Ortiz has lost two in a row now, and this fight takes on big significance as he really should be picking up a win against young up and comer, Chrissy Lad here at Heavyweight. With Strong Boxing and Superb Wrestling “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” is a dangerous proposition for anyone but the fact that he has won 6 of his 9 career wins by way of decision tells its own tale. He doesn’t seem to be overly aggressive but that is like waving a red rag to a bull because “Boom Boom” needs no invitation to throw bombs and with all 4 of his career wins coming by way of (T) KO in Round 1, Chrissy Lad will come right out looking to get himself right in a fight. Chrissy Lad, win or lose has never been out of Round 1 and this man is very entertaining to watch, the fans love him and if Ortiz doesn’t take him seriously he’ll regret it because the intensity Chrissy Lad brings is pretty much unequalled in Valor FC with his Superb Boxing and Respectable Wrestling game.

265: Javier Martinez (5-3-0) v Andrus “Fabolous” Nuut (7-5-0)

Interesting Heavyweight battle here between Javier Martinez and Andrus Nuut here, with both these men known for their attacking styles, this promises to be one of the fights of the night with a good subplot. With Proficient Boxing, Exceptional Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ, Javier Martinez has taken down and grounded and pounded his way to all 5 of his career wins, but tonight he faces an interesting task in Respectable Boxer, Competent Wrestler and Purple grade BJJ Andrus Nuut. Nuut has won 5 of his 7 career wins via submission which means both these men will want to go to the mat, but who will gain dominance in this area? Both men seem to have weak chins, so it will be interesting to see how the stand up portion goes, but I expect to see both men trying to get this to the mat as soon as possible and try and get that top position. This one has two of the best up and coming guys at Heavyweight meeting, so this should equal fireworks.

205: Co Main Event: “Lights Out” Brave Heart (8-2-0) v “The Terminator” Manuel Padilla (7-2-0)[/b]

The Co Main Event of the Evening, and the Main Event of the Evening feature four men right at the top of the pile at Light-Heavyweight in Valor FC, and all four know that a big win here could instantly propel them into the immediate title picture. That being said, first up is Brave Heart and Manuel Padilla in what promises to be a great fight between two of the most aggressive guys in Valor FC. With three wins in a row, Brave Heart is looking like he can do no wrong in Valor FC at present, with Superb Boxing and Respectable Wrestling; he looks very dangerous at present and has shown he is willing to mix up his game, using his Wrestling to secure decision wins when needed. Perhaps he might need that at VFC 61 as he faces off against dangerous Remarkable Boxer and former Champion, Manuel Padilla. With 6 wins out of 7 via (T) KO Padilla really needs no introduction and his famous KO victory over Milan Lucic to claim the Light-Heavyweight title at VFC 48 will forever go down as one of the great upsets in Valor history. Interestingly, Padilla I am told has really been working on his Wrestling and I believe we might see some of this in the cage come Tuesday night. I have a real good feeling about this one, both men don’t really like to clinch up or go to the mat; this one has all the traits of a stand up war. Who will prevail? I think this one comes down to tactics as both men are very evenly matched.

205: Main Event: Bob Barker (13-6-0) v Milan Lucic (11-4-0)

The Main Event of the Evening certainly features two of the best all round fighters in Valor FC, and we can expect a massive clash here between Bob Barker and Milan Lucic who between them, have had over 34 contests in their careers. Both fighters’ skills read like a wish list and are supremely talented. Barker will hold the experience edge here, only just as he will attempt to get over his loss last time out at VFC 53 to the now Light-Heavyweight Champion, Brad Charyak. Perhaps for the first time in his career here Barker will be coming up against a superior striker and I am interested to see the tactics from both men here. They are so fluid and flexible this fight can really go any direction but I feel that Sensational Boxer Milan Lucic will be very happy if this fight stays standing. Barker knows he has the superior grappling but will he be able to navigate his way around Lucic’s concrete hands long enough? This is a great Main Event and this is two of the best in all of NYC meeting here. These men leave their words to the cage and I can’t wait to see both them go at it, can Barker get over the heartbreaking loss to Charyak or will Lucic (T) KO yet another Valor FC Light-Heavyweight.

October 21, 2010

Review of VFC 61 ‘Get out of My Way’

First of all, VFC 61 certainly has to hold a Tycoon record; there was not one fight that went the distance and thanks to everyone for putting on a hell of a show. 9 (T) KO finishes and 1 submission. Great stuff.

205: Johnny “Cold Steel” Klatchen v “Wildchild” Robert Hurt

Well Johnny Klatchen is for real, after being bossed by Robert Hurt for best part of Round 1, taking some shots and surviving the submission attempts after been almost instantly taken down. It didn’t look good for “Cold Steel”, however a referee stand up and instant head kick later this one is all over, unbelievable, “Cold Steel” improves to 1-0-0 with a KO win after 3:41 of Round 1.

205: Vincent “Mayhem” Marconi v Ian “Unfinished Monkey Business” Brown

After 0:46 this one was over, Marconi got cut with the first punch here, he attempted to rush Ian Brown but Brown was far too savvy and sidestepped him into a big left which knocked “Mayhem” to the mat. Brown showed his teeth from here and reigned down horrible shots from the mount – The referee probably should have stopped this one before half of them landed. Brown impressive and improves to 4-1-0 with a big win over dangerous opposition.

155: Apachai Hopachai v Mike Hunt

A change of pace here, but still a very quick finish as Mike Hunt instantly takes down the helpless Apachai Hopachai, works him over until after 2:09 when Hopachai finally succumbed to a Kimura. Hopachai didn’t get a chance to do anything, and he really must work on his takedown defence and Wrestling because he needs to keep fights standing. It’s Mike Hunt with the win however, and earns himself the ‘Submission of the Night’ bonus.

205: Don The Fist v Pesho Talpata

A harsh lesson for Bulgarian Pesho Talpata here at VFC 61, instantly taking down the dangerous Don The Fist – Talpata was really working him over, I thought anyway, The Fist certainly could do nothing from this position that would hurt Talpata but the referee stood this one up and put Talpata in jeopardy again. Talpata tried to instantly take this one back down but failed, and once he took a big breath Don The Fist unloaded with a series of strikes before finishing Talpata via Head Kick KO. This was a harsh one on Talpata I thought, had this one not been stood up he could have feasibly won this one.

205: Dante Jones v Julius “Rubicon” Kaiser

The real difference in this fight that lasted all of 0:51 of Round 1 was that Julius Kaiser couldn’t hit Dante Jones at all, whereas Jones tagged Kaiser with quite a few shots culminating in a massive right hand that ended this fight effectively, just for good measure Jones however poured some more strikes on top of the helpless Kaiser before the referee finally dragged the rabid Jones off him.

185: Logan Evans v Felix Smith

I really thought that Felix Smith would want to take this one to the mat, instead he came out swinging and missing, and he unfortunately for him wore himself out and promptly got knocked out by Logan Evans who impressively waited for his time before unleashing the pain upon Smith. I was slightly puzzled by Smith; he tried to mix it up but was tagged too many times by Evans. Logan Evans moves to 8-3-0 and is rewarded here with a shot at Corey McKennedy now for the Middleweight title at VFC 65.

265: “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz v Chrissy “Boom Boom” Lad

Chrissy Lad was taught a big lesson here in Wrestling as “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz impresses massively here with a big win, right from the start Ortiz took this fight to the mat and really gave Chrissy Lad a bad beating landing some serious strikes before this fight was ended at 2:04 of Round 1. Ortiz improved his position on the mat with ease and once he got into side control it was all over as Chrissy Lad was helpless and the referee had to end this one in the interest of his safety. Ortiz is back, great win and now stands at 10-4-0, Ortiz also took home the ‘Knock Out of the Night’ bonus for his efforts here.

265: Javier Martinez v Andrus “Fabolous” Nuut

Andrus Nuut tried to take this fight to the mat here right away, but found he couldn’t shift Martinez at all, then Martinez took this fight to the mat before really working over Nuut in Round 1 here, Nuut was very active off his back, looking for all manner of submissions but Martinez’s pace was relentless and he kept throwing shots onto Nuut who was glad to hear the end of Round 1. Round 2 was much the same, Nuut failed with the takedown, only to be himself taken down but from here Martinez was much more aggressive and ended this fight after 1:05 of Round 2 via strikes, Martinez has nasty ground and pound and improves to 6-3-0 with this win.

205: Co Main Event: “Lights Out” Brave Heart v “The Terminator” Manuel Padilla

‘Fight of the Night’ honours here for both Manuel Padilla and Brave Heart as these two men went right after each other here, this was a war and both men really hurt the other, as evidence by the blood on both men at the end of Round 1. However it was Brave Heart who got the better of the exchanges as he knocked down Padilla twice in the opening round. Brave Heart impressed me with his use of the clinch in Round one and shows just how much of an evolving character he is. Into Round 2 and both men went back to war, Padilla seemed to be getting the better of the action this time with his impressive combinations only to run into a massive right hand that once again hurt “The Terminator”. Brave Heart followed up with more punches and even got a knee strike in there as this fight came to an end at 1:15 of Round 2. Brave Heart impresses as he improves to 9-2-0 and this man comes to get in a fight, nobody will relish having to get in the cage with him at this rate.

205: Main Event: Bob Barker v Milan Lucic

The Main Event of the Evening at VFC 61 was just as closely a fought affair as predicted as Bob Barker and Milan Lucic faced off here. As expect Barker was always looking to take this fight to the mat but Lucic displayed good BJJ and Defensive grappling to paw away the advances of the dangerous Barker. Whilst standing up it was quite a curious affair, both men didn’t really want to engage that often showing the big respect they had for the other’s game but Milan Lucic was the more versatile throwing in some kicks with the punches to really get Barker thinking. This fight had the honour of going the longest distance of any the whole night, and even this one was finished at 4:11 of Round 3 as Milan Lucic caught Barker sleeping with a big uppercut just as it seemed both men had gave everything to the other and this one was destined for the judges. Milan Lucic extends his record to 12-4-0 with a huge win over very experienced opposition. VFC 61 was a very successful event for the organisation and with action like this, ten fights, ten finishes, who could complain? I just had a hard time picking the ‘of the Night’ awards. Milan Lucic however looms menacingly in the background over the Light-Heavyweight title spectre at the conclusion of this event.

October 21, 2010

VFC 62 ‘The HellHounds’ Preview.

205: Maximus Decimus Meridius (0-0-0) v Hristo Vazov (0-0-0)

The opening fight of VFC 62 features two men making their debuts as 22 year old Spaniard; Maximus Decimus Meridius faces off against 20 year old Bulgarian Hristo Vazov. Meridius can call upon Wonderful Boxing here and this promises to be a war as he faces off against Wonderful Muay Thai expert, Hristo Vazov. Both men will be happy to have secured a stand up fighter for their first bout and I think we can expect the opening fight of the night to be a real war. A loss wouldn’t break either man, but it is nice to start with a win.

205: “El Cigano” Jose Laundoes (1-2-0) v Corey Sanchez (5-2-0)

Having won his last four consecutive bouts, Corey Sanchez comes into Valor FC with some serious momentum and this Proficient Boxer and Competent Muay Thai fighter will certainly be looking to extend his record here as he attempts to move to five undefeated here at the expense of Jose Laundoes. “El Cigano” however is a Wonderful Boxer and will relish a stand up battle, but having lost his last two in a row due to (T) KO questions are being asked of his chin? On the other hand, Sanchez is the much better rounded fighter and don’t rule out the possibility of him taking this one to the mat either. This should be a nice stern test however for Sanchez on his Valor FC debut.

265: Joe Lanza (5-3-0) v Kurt Johnson (5-3-0)

This Heavyweight battle features Joe Lanza with his dangerous ground game including Proficient Wrestling combined with Purple grade BJJ face off against Remarkable Boxer Kurt Johnson. Having met recently at VFC 55 both men will know what to do here in order to get the win. In that bout I had Kurt Johnson winning before he was submitted in the final round. Johnson knows if he can stop the takedowns this time around he’ll force Joe Lanza to stand with him, something Lanza has no intention of doing. Who will be able to get the win this time? Johnson will certainly have to have improved his Wrestling for this one, and that will be the key to the fight, more specifically his takedown defence.

170: Philip Olsen (4-1-0) v Santana “Slick” Fritz (1-2-0)

Santana Fritz is certainly a very talented guy, with Remarkable Boxing and Strong Muay Thai in a dangerous stand up game, he also boasts Proficient Wrestling. But Fritz has lost his last two, including a loss to his opponent tonight Philip Olsen way back at VFC 47. Can “Slick” avenge that loss here and get back on track? In the first fight Olsen was too clever for Fritz as he was able to takedown “Slick” early on and wear him out before Fritz got wise to him. Coming into this fight, Olsen’s Strong Boxing and Purple grade BJJ game is again a very bad matchup for Fritz, and with all 4 of his career wins coming by way of decision, he certainly knows how to grind out the win. I suspect Olsen will try much the same tactic this time out, what can Santana Fritz change?

185: Sarge “Thunder Boy” Dela (10-10-0) v Travis “Juggernaut” Jaeger (9-5-0)

A Middleweight clash here between two vastly experienced men here as Travis Jaeger faces off against Sarge Dela in what promises to be a very interesting affair. Both men have exceptionally well rounded skill sets and neither appears to be really better than the other in any aspect of the game so it will be interesting to see how both men go about this fight. Sarge Dela has won 6 of his 10 career bouts by way of (T) KO and tends to stand, but Jaeger has wins by both submission and (T) KO so I think he has a lot more to bring to the table here, I think this fight could get very interesting if “Juggernaut” gets the fight to the mat, but standing perhaps Sarge Dela will have too much Jaeger. Dela will almost certainly know the takedowns are coming, but can Jaeger set them up efficiently?

155: “Redneck” Cottoneye Joe (3-2-0) v Anderson “Eisenhower” Sharpe (7-2-0)

Cottoneye Joe is a very talented young man, and with Exceptional Boxing with Strong Muay Thai, not to mention Superb Wrestling along with Purple grade BJJ he certainly is one of the best rounded fighters we have. But coming into this bout, “Redneck” finds himself in real trouble, he’s had a falling out with his camp and comes into this bout manager less, and will he be able to block out the personal troubles as he takes on without doubt, one of the most dangerous men at Lightweight in Valor FC? Anderson Sharpe comes to bang, with Remarkable Boxing and Strong Muay Thai, his Proficient Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ are only for defence as make no mistake, Sharpe is either knocking you out, or being knocked out and it’s this type of attitude that certainly makes him one of the most popular guys in all of Valor FC. I think Anderson Sharpe can really inflict more misery on the relatively inexperienced Cottoneye Joe here.

155: “The Terror” Gabe Shade (9-3-0) v Jason “X” Vorhees (6-4-0)

Gabe Shade is one fight off title contention in Valor FC, this is a man who has now won his last four consecutive fights and is a massive danger to anyone he faces with his Proficient Boxing, ever improving Muay Thai and dangerous Superb Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ game. Shade is a very dangerous submission specialist and he’ll certainly be looking to take this fight to the mat at every opportunity and with his last three victories, all via submission, he certainly knows what to do if you’re unfortunate enough to find yourself in a grappling contest with this man. Across the cage Jason Vorhee’s maybe have dropped a loss at VFC 56 but that was a title eliminator, make no mistake, “X” is a very real threat at Lightweight and this is another big matchup in a huge night for Valor FC. Vorhee’s brings Superb Boxing to the cage Saturday night, with 3 of 6 career wins coming by way of (T) KO or submission he is a finisher and also boasts Competent Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ to compliment what is already a very dangerous man. But will Vorhee’s be able to live with Gabe Shade on the mat despite both holding equal rank grappling officially? Shade has to take down Vorhee’s to win this one I feel, but Vorhee’s is more than capable of ending it in any position. Fascinating encounter ahead, impossible to second guess this one in my opinion, but the winner will certainly be at the top of the tree at Lightweight in Valor FC.

265: “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle (6-2-0) v Waldo “W” Whip (6-1-0)

Another massive bout here with title reverberations here as Richtor Schkayle takes on Waldo Whip in a fight that could produce the next Heavyweight Challenger for John J Rambo. Waldo Whip has now won four straight in Valor FC and this efficient Proficient Boxer, Strong Wrestler and Purple grade BJJ fighter has won 4 of 6 career wins by way of submission, Whip isn’t the most on the face of it, talented guy in our Heavyweight division looking at his skill set, but scratch a little deeper and you see a man who has just won his last four in Round 1 add in the fact that Whip is explosively quick in countering into takedowns and you get a very good idea of where this man is coming from. “W” is certainly very dangerous to anyone he faces and with a very good management team behind him with exceptional game plans, Whip could very well just go five undefeated and stride into title contention here. On Saturday night he’ll face off against “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle, who suffered a defeat at VFC 54 at the hands of Main Eventer, Ernesto Guevara. But before that set back, Schkayle had won five straight with four by way of (T) KO. If Waldo Whip’s strength is the mat, undoubtedly the opposite is true for “Earthquake” as he has won 5 of 6 career bouts by way of (T) KO as this 20 year Latvian attempts to kick down the door to a title shot, with Remarkable Muay Thai, Respectable Wrestling and improved Purple grade BJJ Schkayle has certainly improved his grappling game especially for this contest and by just how much we will soon find out. I anticipate this being one of the fights of the night and the winner, yet again is impossible to second guess.

155: Co Main Event: Clayton Daniels (7-0-0) v Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith (12-5-0)

This fight normally should be the Main Event of the Evening but showing just what a stacked card we have here at VFC 62 we find the Lightweight title of Valor FC being decided in the Co Main Event as unbeaten Clayton Daniels who is on an absolute tear, takes on reigning Champion, Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith in what promises to be a real test for the young superstar Clayton Daniels. With Valor FC since VFC 28 it is a very proud moment for everyone at the Company here to see a young man get this shot like Daniels, it just goes to show that Valor FC believes in producing fighters and I think Clayton Daniels is an example to everyone. But tonight surely Clayton Daniels will not be able to take the next step, Daniels is just a kid, 22 years of age and I have no doubt he’ll be back but is it unthinkable that he’ll be able to shut out Kenneth Smith like he has done to everyone else in Valor FC? Daniels is something of a master of the decision win though, all bar one of his career wins have come this way and this hard working young man loves to get the fight into the clinch – he absolutely cut Jason Vorhee’s to pieces in the clinch in their fight and can score with fist, elbow or knee in this position to the body or head seemingly at will. If Clayton Daniels can get himself into this position against the bigger man Saturday night, we might just have an upset of Manuel Padilla v Milan Lucic proportions here. Daniels’ Remarkable Muay Thai game for sure is his strong point, he’ll want to keep this fight standing but this is where the problem lies for him, he’ll have to be very cautious whilst standing because “Boa Kahn” didn’t get his nickname for nothing, 7 of his 12 career wins have come via submission and Kenneth Smith holds very high level Brown grade BJJ not to mention Remarkable Wrestling. The mat is really Smith’s bread and butter, he’ll want to get it there as soon as he can, but if he can’t do this, Clayton Daniels has a real chance, Smith’s stand up is nothing special, he’ll be the first to admit that but with five straight wins now, Kenneth Smith is a worthy Champion and is the favourite to put away Clayton Daniels. I feel this is a true case of David and Goliath, but everyone we have put in front of Clayton Daniels has been favourite and he has beat them. Can he yet again defy the odds? This promises to be a great fight, and with Mike “The Maniac” Martin waiting in the wings, the winner won’t get much time to rest on their laurels. You can be sure “The Maniac” wants a “Boa Kahn” win to set up what would be a massive rematch after their hugely contentious split decision verdict fight at VFC 56.

265: Main Event: Ernesto “Che” Guevara (7-2-0) v Constantine I the Great (8-3-0)

How long will this one last? At VFC 43 Ernesto Guevara met Constantine I the Great for the first time and destroyed the Italian, cutting open Constantine quite a few times, before the clearly damaged Constantine I the Great curiously pulled guard, out of desperation and promptly got knocked unconscious from the vicious ground and pound of Guevara. Constantine has long since lobbied for a rematch and now Valor FC has been left with no choice but to make it as both men fight over the right to be number one contender in our Heavyweight division. It is Constantine I the Great with the point to prove here, this Exceptional Boxer and BJJ Purple grade was annihilated last time out and will be looking to set the record straight here at VFC 61 as he attempts to build on his record of two straight Round 1 KO finishes but if Constantine sticks to what he is good at he’s a real handful for anyone. With 7 of 8 career wins by way of (T) KO that kind of statistic speaks for itself and Guevara knows that Constantine can hurt him if he is allowed to, never in a boring fight, Constantine comes to get in a brawl and VFC 43 aside, and he usually comes out on top of such occurrences. But again, Constantine has everything to prove and if he keeps this a Boxing contest, it is in his interests but you can never second guess this man. What we do know however is that Ernesto Guevara is will become the next Heavyweight challenger with a win here, and this dangerous 21 year old has now won three straight in Round 1, including his dismantling of Constantine and is very much on course for a huge showdown with John J Rambo. An Exceptional Boxer and Remarkable Wrestler, it probably wouldn’t be a far left statement to suggest that Guevara might attempt to take Constantine to the mat, but Constantine has much better BJJ so I suspect once again these men are going to meet right in the middle of the cage and throw down. If that happens I expect it to be over in the first round as both these men are far too explosive and powerful for this one to be a three rounded slugfest. Guevara certainly holds the mental advantage; he doesn’t have to change a thing. Constantine has to change a lot. Can the Italian make good now he has finally got his rematch?

October 27, 2010

VFC 62 ‘The HellHounds’ Review

205: Maximus Decimus Meridius v Hristo Vazov

Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Wonderful Boxer, only lands one punch in three rounds here as Hristo Vazov really destroys him in the clinch showing some really punishing knee’s, in fact landing 72 of 97 according to post fight stats, that really was the story of this fight with Meridius unable to break his way out of the dangerous Muay Thai clinch of Vazov who moves to 1-0-0 with the win.

205: “El Cigano” Jose Laundoes v Corey Sanchez

Corey Sanchez was desperate to land the takedown in this one; he failed after two attempts and completely wore himself out shooting in too quickly, before “El Cigano” ended this one after just 0:30 of Round 1 via (T) KO. Massive win for Laundoes who improved to 2-2-0 with the Round 1 finish.

265: Joe Lanza v Kurt Johnson

This fight went unanimously to Kurt Johnson 27:30 as he profited from Joe Lanza not mixing his game up whatsoever and just attempting takedowns, in which he only secured 4 of 11. Kurt Johnson wasn’t overly accurate from the stand up himself but he did get some shots in and was generally the better fighter in a poor contest as the judges really punished Joe Lanza for his consistent takedowns and failures with the majority of those.

170: Philip Olsen v Santana “Slick” Fritz

What a fight here between Philip Olsen and Santana Fritz as these two went the distance, eventually Santana Fritz gets his revenge on Philip Olsen moving the series between these two to one each. What odds a rubber match after this fantastic action? “Slick” lifts the decision 28:29 eventually but this was after being really rocked in Round 1 and cut and really hanging on. Olsen sent Fritz to the mat, tried to get a submission and then curiously stood up, perhaps looking for the KO. But it wasn’t to come as Fritz made it out of Round 1 barely and went on to take the next two rounds displaying fantastic heart. Well done to both men and I think we’ll be seeing the third fight at some stage to be honest, these guys are just too closely matched as they share ‘Fight of the Night’ honours here.

185: Sarge “Thunder Boy” Dela v Travis “Juggernaut” Jaeger

Things started out well for Travis Jaeger here, he shot in and took down Sarge Dela twice in Round 1 and did a good job neutralising his stand up, but into Round 2 and he really must have forgot the game plan because he stood with Dela, who used his long reach to good advantage stunning Jaeger and rocking him as he walked right into a jab before being crumpled over by a seriously damaging hook after 2:19 of Round 2.

155: “Redneck” Cottoneye Joe v Anderson “Eisenhower” Sharpe

Cottoneye Joe and Anderson Sharpe play out another classic here at VFC 62 as both men really went for the jugular with both being rocked and very nearly finished in Round 1, both men were bloodying up the cage before Cottoneye Joe sent Anderson Sharpe to the mat with an overhand right. That only helped the entertainment however with Sharpe immediately reversing the position and Cottoneye Joe going to work trying to secure multiple submissions as by the end of Round 1 both these men had nothing left in the tank. This was evident as after 0:17 of Round 2 this one was over with Cottoneye Joe ending this one swinging wildly to take the (T) KO win. Fantastic action and a great fight, one of a number of fights that really could have won fight of the night here at VFC 62.

155: “The Terror” Gabe Shade v Jason “X” Vorhees

Gabe Shade took down Jason Vorhee’s immediately here, and really just beat him up until the referee stopped this one after 1:05 of Round 1 with “The Terror” improving to 10-3-0, straight after this bout however Valor FC sensed the opportunity and set up Gabe Shade and Cottoneye Joe to go at VFC 67, Guevara v Rambo at the 7,000 seated credit card centre. That will be a massive event and that is a massive number one contender fight for the Lightweight title to boot. VFC 67 promises to have some of the biggest names in Valor FC and “The Terror” Gabe Shade is certainly one of those, picking up ‘Knockout of the Night’ for his efforts here.

265: “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle v Waldo “W” Whip

“Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle gets back on track here with a really big win over Waldo Whip here at VFC 62, this one went to the judges but there was no real need as it was clear Schkayle took this one but not by the method we thought. Whip managed to take down “Earthquake”, but was surprised, much like we all were with just how good Schkayle was on the ground, often reversing Whip and really improving position at will. The judges scored this fight 30:27 as Richtor Schkayle improves to 7-2-0 and awaits his next opponent.

155: Co Main Event: Clayton Daniels v Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith

Clayton Daniels does the impossible at VFC 62 as he defeats Kenneth Smith via unanimous decision, 49:44 to claim the Lightweight title of Valor FC. Smith managed to get Daniels to the mat on Round 1 when both men were very dry, but couldn’t get anything in as the longer this fight went on, the harder Clayton Daniels crushing leg kicks and body kicks really affected Kenneth Smith, this was the difference as once Daniels really started to connect with them “Boa Kahn” could do nothing and really was helpless to be honest, Smith was only ever interested in taking this fight to the mat, and when he couldn’t do that anymore due to the leg kicks of Daniels neutralising his explosiveness, it was plain sailing to the end of the bout really as Daniels began to tag Smith with his hands too and this was a huge upset. At VFC 67 at The Credit Card Centre, Clayton Daniels will take on Mike Martin who will be an entirely different proposition to Smith in his first title defence. Clayton Daniels with this win moves to 8-0-0 and is now firmly established as one of the best Lightweights in all of NYC.

265: Main Event: Ernesto “Che” Guevara v Constantine I the Great

Constantine I the Great comes out, the biggest fight of his career with a new tactic, kicking Ernesto Guevara, who promptly, again, knocks out Constantine and just what was the Italian thinking? We promoted his punching power before this fight but he didn’t even throw one as Ernesto Guevara yet again destroys Constantine and moves on to VFC 67 himself to a title shot against undefeated Heavyweight king pin, John J Rambo. Guevara moves to 8-2-0 with the win here and he hardly broke a sweat as he dismantled his opposition again tonight. John J Rambo won’t be such an easy task however and Ernesto Guevara has about a month to get himself in shape for what will be the biggest test of his career, and the biggest night in the history of Valor FC. That promises to be a night of action and Valor FC will yet again make its mark in NYC with that event for sure. Constantine was disappointing tonight and he knows he can do better, the change of tactics was curious, but he’ll bounce back signing a new contract with Valor FC just yesterday.

October 27, 2010

VFC 63 ‘Why’ Preview.

205: Vince “Knuckles” Klaustner (1-0-0) v Andrea “The Executioner” Gatti (0-2-0)

I expect the opening fight of VFC 63 to be a keenly contested affair between Vince Klaustner with his Respectable Muay Thai, and Andrea Gatti with his better all round game. Gatti however is yet to pick up a career win so the emphasis is really with “Knuckles” Klaustner to come out and take the will from his opponent early who is riding high from a debut win via submission.

205: Gabriel “Zone Keeper” La Fleur (2-1-0) v Papa “Bouba” Diop (4-2-0)

Competent Boxer and Respectable Wrestler, Papa “Bouba” Diop was on the end of a big win at VFC 58 as he finished Joe Hanner via (T) KO early in Round 2 with punches. But recently Diop’s all round game has been improving and I think we shall see the next step of that evolution here at VFC 63. “Bouba” will have the experience advantage on Gabriel La Fleur tonight, but “Zone Keeper” isn’t coming to the cage empty handed with Remarkable Boxing, La Fleur will want to get himself involved in a stand up war with Diop and I am very interested to see how “Bouba” approaches this fight with a better Boxer on paper. With both of his career wins coming via his hands, Gabriel La Fleur is surely the favourite in this one, it remains to be seen who can impose themselves in the Wrestling aspect of this fight as both men are rated Respectable in this area.

170: Alaric “The” Visigoth (2-1-0) v Gene “The Executioner” Paolo Mac (4-3-0)

The First of our Welterweight tournament matches tonight pits Alaric Visigoth known for his Exceptional Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ against Gene “The Executioner” Paolo Mac, a former title contender with Remarkable Muay Thai and Respectable Boxing. We know Visigoth is going to want this one on the floor, and Paolo Mac isn’t known for his outstanding takedown defence. If Visigoth gets him down this one could be over pretty quickly, but “The Executioner” possesses a stand up game not to be taken lightly – however this is a man on a run of three straight losses and one wonders if he will be able to keep the relentless Visigoth on his feet here. All signs point to a Visigoth advancement, shall be interesting to see how he copes with the pressure.

170: John “Blood Hound” Doe (4-5-0) v Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (3-0-0)

Having fought as far back as VFC 2, John “Blood Hound” Doe asked to be in this tourney and Valor FC wasn’t going to say no as Doe has being going through something of a purple patch recently winning his last two on the trot via unanimous decision. With Respectable Boxing and Muay Thai “Blood Hound” will be looking to stand with Anthony Johnson tonight, but one has to question that wisdom taking into account that Superb Boxer, “Rumble” has won two of his three career wins via (T) KO. This fight is certainly not unwinnable for John Doe, but he’ll have to really stifle young Anthony Johnson who is yet to face defeat in his career.

170: “The American Assassin” David Shields (2-0-0) v Bud “Silver” Haze (1-0-0)

Next up is “The American Assassin” David Shields, one of the early favourites to be the new Welterweight Champion with his Superb Wrestling and Black grade BJJ, not to mention Proficient Boxing and Respectable Muay Thai. David Shields is yet to taste defeat in his career as he has won the opening two of his career via one sided decision and he certainly looks to be one of the front runners here despite his relative inexperience in the cage. Tonight he faces a man with only one fight to his name as Bud Haze comes from Amsterdam to take part in the tourney, with Wonderful Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling, he really is a bad matchup for Shields who one would assume will try and take this one to the floor. This fight starts standing up, and “Silver” loves to punish in the clinch, so what can Shields do in the stand up? Both men are very much aware of what the other is going to do here so I expect this to be one of the most cautious fights of the night.

170: Jesus “From Hell” Tabs (5-1-0) v Wong "红龙" Ling (3-1-0)

Valor FC loves a scrapper, and that is exactly what Wong Ling is as this 20 year old native of Beijing, China is moving up from his natural Lightweight to try and claim Valor FC Welterweight gold. With Superb Boxing and Wonderful Wrestling, combined with ever improving Muay Thai and Purple grade BJJ Wong Ling certainly is to be taken seriously and went three undefeated before his last bout at VFC 56. Wong Ling certainly isn’t coming to the cage to be bullied and you feel that Jesus Tabs is going to have his hands full here with this aggressive young Chinese national. Jesus Tabs is an interesting character, at just 19 years old he has won four of five career wins via submission with his Purple grade BJJ. “From Hell” doesn’t seem to have the tools to get involved in a stand up fight, he’ll have to get this fight to the mat and if he can’t get this one down he’ll be given a harsh lesson here at VFC 63 you feel. Jesus Tabs will be coming to the cage about 25 lbs heavier than Wong Ling, will this have any bearing on the fight?

170: Joonas Kolstela (1-0-0) v “King of the Mount” Hutch Gibson (8-4-0)

With Remarkable Boxing, Exceptional Muay Thai, Strong Wrestling and Blue grade BJJ, Joonas Kolstela has come to Valor FC to win the vacant Welterweight title make no mistake about it and this is a man with very little holes in his game already, as this confident 19 year old from Finland attempts to advance here at the expense of the vastly experienced Hutch Gibson. But whilst Kolstela has some unbelievable attributes already, he is coming up against a man much more experienced than he is and it will be of paramount importance for the Fin to stay away from a grappling contest that “King of the Mount” will want to start up. Hutch Gibson boasts Wonderful Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ. He can call upon Respectable Boxing but make no mistake; Gibson will want this one on the mat as soon as he can and he is more than capable of doing so. In my estimation this is an early meeting of two of the favourites and someone is going to crash out early here, if this fight does go to the mat Kolstela might find the dangerous ground and pound of Gibson too much, but if he can keep it standing, we’ll certainly be in the Fin’s world and Hutch Gibson will know he can’t win from there. This is a nightmare meeting for both men straight off the bat, but the winner will be very confident in taking home the gold, picking a winner or a favourite here is impossible, but I do believe the winner will fear nobody here.

170: “Sneaky” Pete Greco (8-2-1) v “The Whirlwind” John Adams (5-4-1)

We know all about Pete Greco, the first man ever to hold our Welterweight title desperately wants his belt back and has won two in a row in preparation for this bout. With Competent Muay Thai, Respectable Wrestling and that dangerous Brown grade BJJ which has seen six of eight career wins come by way of submission “Sneaky” will be seriously coming to make a statement here tonight. With his last two wins coming by way of decision, Greco has been curbing his aggressive instincts recently and this I believe shows an improvement as before he would have sometimes got himself in trouble chasing submissions that weren’t on. Across the cage he’ll face John Adams, a Strong Boxer and Competent Wrestler, but lost at his last outing at VFC 53 by submission, an interesting statistic for Greco. Adams certainly has the tools to get to Greco, who traditionally has problems with Stand up guys with good takedown defence, it remains to be seen if “The Whirlwind” can stuff the powerful takedowns of Greco. If he can’t Greco will pass his guard like a knife through butter I believe. Adams is an outsider in this one in my estimation, but I’ve also said that before about this man to be humbled, Greco gets a very tentative nod from me to advance.

170: Co Main Event: Jay White (8-2-1) v Baldrick “The Bandit” Breitner (6-1-0)

We’ve seen this one before, our Co Main Event is a rematch of VFC 56 when these men met and were separated by a split decision that went Jay White’s way. Looking back at that fight to be honest I felt that “The Bandit” was dealt with quite harshly by the judges, it was him who really took down Jay White at ease, but in the dying seconds White brushed off Breitner and got to his feet from bottom position and I think swayed one of the judges into making this a split decision. White did look okay on the mat, he improved his position but with different judges would he have taken home the decision? Jay White will certainly have had to work on his Wrestling for this fight, with Superb Boxing and Respectable Muay Thai he has the better stand up of the two, but White now can call upon Strong Wrestling with Purple grade BJJ, will that have any bearing on how this fight goes down? With seven of eight career wins, indeed everyone but his last win have come by way of (T) KO. He’ll want to keep this one standing, but can he? Breitner really bossed him in this aspect last time out and tonight Proficient Muay Thai striker and Wrestler, Baldrick “The Bandit” Breitner will be out for revenge and a pass to the next round at the expense of Jay White here at VFC 63. Last time out was Breitner’s first defeat and what better way to take your revenge than dumping out the man who just split decision’d you? I see this fight going pretty much the same way, “The Bandit’s” takedown’s last time out were immense, he’ll know he can take down Jay White, he knows what he has to change, just minor things. The hard task is that of White’s, what can he change? Another massive meeting between two of my early picks for this tournament.

205: Main Event: Marius “The Terminator” Budawalski (8-2-0) v “Dragon” Bruce Lee (7-4-0)

In a change of pace, the Main Event has us move to our Light-Heavyweight Division where we have Marius Budawalski and Bruce Lee face off in a big bout in one of our deepest divisions. The fact that these men haven’t met before is a bit of a mystery as both men have been with Valor FC since the inception, VFC 2 for Budawalski and VFC 1 for Bruce Lee and both have been very successful, indeed Budawalski holding the 205 gold for some months after being the first ever Champion in Light-Heavyweight. But tonight for both men it is all about getting to the point where they can fight for that gold, both men aren’t far, a big win here would really push them very much in contention and both will be all out to achieve this is a fight that either man will believe they can win. Former Champion Budawalski has faced the toughest Valor FC has had to offer, he won’t fear the challenge of Bruce Lee at all here at VFC 63 as this Remarkable Boxer and Purple grade BJJ fighter has finished all the fights in his career, indeed win or lose, Budawalski has never went the distance and it is for this reason he remains easily one of the most popular fighters in Valor FC. Budawalski has a real talented for submission wins, but if this one goes to the mat, Bruce Lee is known to have better BJJ, will he be able to out grapple Lee? That is certainly going to be one of the most interesting aspects of this fight. Bruce Lee is just 21 years old, but seems to have been around forever and the fact that this young man holds the skills he does doesn’t bode well for the rest of our Light-Heavyweight division, outranking Budawalski in every department for this fight, Wonderful Boxing, Competent Wrestling with Strong Wrestling and Brown grade BJJ Bruce Lee brings a formidable game here. With six of seven career wins by way of submission, I think everyone is anticipating a real grappling contest here to end the evening between two proven dangerous men on the mat. But Bruce Lee is more than capable of keeping this one standing; indeed it might be in his interest as Bruce Lee attempts to put up back to back wins for the first time since VFC 3 and 5, it is this inconsistency costing this man dearly, and he’ll never get that title shot he craves unless he really starts a run up. Tonight he has the chance to walk over a former Champion, possibly to a straight title shot. How will he handle it? For Budawalski, this is just another fight, for Bruce Lee, it might just well be a career defining fight.

November 2, 2010

VFC 63 ‘Why’ Review.

205: Vince “Knuckles” Klaustner v Andrea “The Executioner” Gatti

Vince Klaustner only took 34 seconds to KO Gatti via Head kick here to start off VFC 63, Gatti barely made this fight with a horrible weight cut and “Knuckles” made him wish he didn’t with this vicious finish.

205: Gabriel “Zone Keeper” La Fleur v Papa “Bouba” Diop

Gabriel La Fleur absolutely dominated Papa Diop in this Light-Heavyweight clash here, Diop was always trying to clinch up or get a takedown, but wasn’t able to secure any of these positions as “Zone Keeper” gave an exhibition in Boxing here scoring with a massive majority of his shots on the way to this unanimous decision win. Gabriel La Fleur is becoming one of the most promising prospects in any weight class in Valor FC and this is a man on the up for sure.

170: Alaric “The” Visigoth v Gene “The Executioner” Paolo Mac

Within one minute this fight was over, 0:58 to be exact as Alaric Visigoth took down Gene Paolo Mac and beat him repeatedly until the doctors put “The Executioner” out of his misery with a TKO stoppage due to cuts sustained. Alaric Visigoth was the first man to advance to the Quarter Finals of the Welterweight tourney where he’ll now face Bud Haze.

170: John “Blood Hound” Doe v Anthony “Rumble” Johnson

John Doe pulls off a relative upset here as he inflicts a first defeat on Anthony Johnson here in this Welterweight tourney fight. Doe looked like an outsider here in this one to be honest but used the clinch game superbly to wear out the enthusiastic, but relatively inexperienced “Rumble”. This fight made it to the final round but “Rumble” finally was finished after Doe landed a big right hand which sent his foe to the mat, Doe didn’t follow and picked off “Rumble” seconds later with an uppercut KO finish after 2:31 of Round 3. It is Doe facing off against Jay White next where he’ll be an underdog again, not that this will bother him one bit. Great performance from “Blood Hound”.

170: “The American Assassin” David Shields v Bud “Silver” Haze

Well this one was razor close, it went the distance and Abu Dhabi Champion, David Shields surely paid for his lack of efficiency in the takedown here, and he went for 13 during the three rounds here and only scored with 2 with the judges surely using this to separate two men very closely matched. Haze stood on the outside the whole time taking kicks at Shields, eventually taking the explosiveness from his legs but he’ll know he was extremely lucky to take the decision here. The judges scored this one 28:29 across the board to advance Haze into a meeting with Alaric Visigoth.

170: Jesus “From Hell” Tabs v Wong "红龙" Ling

Jesus Tabs got absolutely mauled here at VFC 63 by Wong Ling who was moving up a class to take part in the Welterweight tourney, “From Hell” Tabs tried in vain to take this fight to the mat but he simply wasn’t skilled enough to do this as Wong Ling literally beat the face off him landing a massive 100 % of all shots thrown in this fight. Sensational stuff from Wong Ling as he sent out a big warning shot here with this win eventually ending it after knocking down Tabs with a head kick and then just rushing him with multiple shots before the referee stepped in at 4:05 of Round 3. Wong Ling faces off against Pete Greco next in what promises to be a really keenly fought contest.

170: Joonas Kolstela v “King of the Mount” Hutch Gibson

The story of this fight was that Hutch Gibson took down Joonas Kolstela whenever he wanted and landed some big ground and pound before eventually putting away Kolstela early in Round 2. Kolstela was absolutely unprepared for the level of Wrestling that Gibson possessed and was taught a very harsh lesson here at VFC 63. Gibson looked fantastic here and moves onto the Quarter Finals with an interesting fight against Baldrick Breitner who was reinstated following visa problems with one of the original entrants which meant he could not capitalise on his early luck in gaining a bye via the first round. That contest should be interesting and Breitner is a very dangerous individual, how will he react to his second chance at this tourney?

170: “Sneaky” Pete Greco v “The Whirlwind” John Adams

It wasn’t pretty, but Pete Greco did what he had here to shut out John Adams, taking this fight to the mat as often as he could in the opening two rounds and thus neutralising the better stand up of his opponent. Greco was given a bit of a scare in the final round with Adams brushing aside his takedowns but he couldn’t really connect with anything telling and Greco survived to take a unanimous 29:28 decision across the board, but with Wong Ling waiting in just three short weeks, he’ll really have to improve and he knows that. But what a contest that promises to be, Greco is hungry to get his title back and he’s going to have to do it the hard way for sure.

170: Co Main Event: Jay White v Baldrick “The Bandit” Breitner

No matter what Jay White and Baldrick Breitner do, they are destined to never have a classic as these two men are just stylistically awful for the other man resulting in absolute wars of attrition like here at VFC 63 and 56. This is the second time Jay White has defeated Baldrick Breitner in a row but he has been less than convincing in both fights and I believe that “The Bandit” should have taken the decision in at least one of these meetings. Alas, the judges didn’t agree and Jay White moves to the Quarter Finals with a 29:28 decision here. However, Baldrick Breitner is back in the tourney after Valor FC experienced a late drop out as our 15th entrant, and the winner of the bye dropped out of the running leaving Baldrick to step up and take our offer of reinstatement. This is a man with two losses in a row, but will remain a tough task for anyone and Hutch Gibson is sure to find that out over the coming weeks. Jay White is left to take on rank outsider John Doe in what should be a relatively straight forward task for a man on a three win streak.

205: Main Event: Marius “The Terminator” Budawalski v “Dragon” Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee wins ‘Submission of the Night’ here in his Main Event win at VFC 63, as upon being cut in the opening seconds Lee’s grappling instinct kicked in and he responded with a big takedown of Budawalski. This fight was spent on the mat as both men really went after the submission on the floor before “Dragon” secured the arm bar submission win after 2:24 in Round 2. Lee took down Budawalski with ease, but with both men being very able submission grapplers it was inevitable that this fight would end up this way. Bruce Lee now finds himself one fight away from a shot at the Valor FC Light-Heavyweight title, in his way, one Milan Lucic. With that fight going down at VFC 68 the next few weeks is going to be crucial for Lee as he attempts to claw his way to a title shot. That should be a war at VFC 68 ‘Progress’ and with the quarter final matchups in our Welterweight Tourney also going down that night, I can promise a night of really tough contests for sure.

November 3, 2010

VFC 64 ‘Redemption’ Review.

185: Scipio Africanus v Henery Dangerfield

Scipio Africanus put on an absolute clinic in Wrestling here, taking down Dangerfield at will and keeping him down during the majority of each round as he attempted to finish off his opponent. Africanus was simply nasty on the mat landing a sensational 98 of 101 strikes thrown. If he is being highly critical of himself, he’ll want to have got the finish. But this was a good win and a great way to get back on track with a very one sided victory. Dangerfield showed incredible heart to see this one to the judges but there was only ever one winner here. Africanus moves on to meet Shawn Hawkings next at VFC 69 in an attempt to gain revenge for Hawkings KO win in the first fight between the two at VFC 58.

155: Manchild Warsaw v Neils Bohr

Neils Bohr started this fight very well, taking Warsaw into the clinch but then was really rocked and cut following a series of bad intentioned uppercuts that really put Bohr in trouble. After 1:06 of Round 1 this was all over as Warsaw connected with the retreating Bohr trapping him up against the cage and connecting with a big right cross as Bohr rebounded from the cage. Simply a nasty finish from a man on a rich vein of form as Warsaw improves to 4-1-0 with this big win.

170: Martin Riggs v Jose Thomas

Martin Riggs and Jose Thomas came to fight at VFC 64 as these two men just came out head hunting the other, this fight went the distance but how it did was anyone’s guess as these two put on a real show here. Martin Riggs however showed better versatility with his leg kicks especially prevalent here in this one really taking a lot of the power away from Jose Thomas repeatedly punishing him for his aggression. This fight ended up with the judges scoring this one unanimously for Martin Riggs who takes a very impressive win moving to 5-1-0 with it.

265: Martin Sanchez v Mister Clutch

These two men shared ‘Fight of the Night’ honours here at VFC 64 as Martin Sanchez and Mister Clutch served up a real classic encounter for us, this fight was a battle between the seriously damaging clinch work of Mister Clutch and the dangerous BJJ of Martin Sanchez and this one went very much like I expected. Clutch was easily able to outwork Sanchez on the feet getting into his favoured clinch position at will, but Clutch was really unable to land anything during the course of the three rounds as Martin Sanchez was able to take the fight to the mat at will using Clutch’s own strength against him. This was a hell of a see-saw battle but the judges viewed Sanchez as the winner with his takedowns and ground control most likely gaining him the win but it was a great battle. Martin Sanchez now moves up the rankings and is rumoured to be facing Vlad Tepes next.

265: Ales Zhandunka v Thomas Conway

What a fight as Zhandunka and Conway come right out of the blocks here, Conway was more impressive early on, taking down Zhandunka and doing some damage in the clinch as he looked to be the better prepared of the two, however later in the round Conway really looked to have gassed himself out with too many failed takedowns but the bell at the end of the round was most likely a blessing for Zhandunka. Into Round 2 and Conway looked again to take the fight to the mat dodging the strikes of Zhandunka with relative ease, however Conway couldn’t get his foe to the mat and Zhandunka began to get his timing as he began to land some shots culminating in the stoppage of Conway early in Round 2 following an over hand right from nowhere that caught Conway sleeping. Zhandunka started slow but this was a great finish and shows once again just how dangerous his stand up is, another win for Zhandunka to extend his win streak to two now.

205: Jagger Cyde v Otto Karalexis

Jagger Cyde did what he had to do to take the decision win here, but didn’t win too many fans with his counter attacking style here at VFC 64. This fight was essentially all about Cyde taking down Karalexis and holding the position until the end of the round. He performed his game plan to a tee here and gets the win. Karalexis cut a very frustrated figure during the course of this bout, but Cyde takes the win and moves on to 7-2-0 with a methodical display showing he isn’t afraid to dig deep and get the win when needed.

185: Wes Morris v Shawn Hawkins

Wes Morris wins ‘Knockout of the Night’ here with a superb win over Shawn Hawkings to put himself right at the top of the tree in Valor FC’s Middleweight division. Morris now stands at 7-3-0 and has earned himself a title shot for sure with his really laser accurate, and heavy hands. This was classic Wes Morris and long may it continue as he can look forward to another shot at the VFC Middleweight title.

205: Mr T v Rampage Penn

Mr T came right out here, took this fight into the clinch, just beat up a shocked Rampage Penn before releasing the clinch when Penn was softened up adequately, then knocked out Rampage Penn after 2:52 of Round 1 to the surprise of everyone at cage side. Mr T scores a highlight reel victory and an absolute domination with some seriously improved skills, I have to admit I had no idea that Mr T was capable of that, and what else has he been hiding from us? Mr T yet again brings the pain to move to an impressive 7-4-0 and yet again has the Light-Heavyweight elite in his sights.

155: Co Main Event: Urinus Limberdinkle v Jimmy Jones

Urinus Limberdinkle takes the Co Main Event win here, but this was all about his ability to grind, nothing flashy or entertaining, Limberdinkle took down Jimmy Jones and held him to the mat, controlling him every round. The crowd were disgusted by his style, but you can’t knock the win as Limberdinkle improves to 8-1-0 and is now very much in the elite of our Lightweight division. Jimmy Jones shouldn’t be too disheartened; he was able to spring up to his feet a few times. Limberdinkle is just a bad matchup for him at this stage of his career, but I think he’ll want another crack at him in the future for sure. Valor FC must now find Limberdinkle a big test as he has now decision’d three men in a row to become the Valor FC Lightweight ‘uber grinder’.

265: Main Event: Vlad Tepes v Kzarik Nahrul

Vlad Tepes was taught a lesson in the value of clinch work here at the Main Event VFC 64 ‘Redemption’ as Kzarik Nahrul absolutely walks through legitimate competition to put himself right back into contention at Heavyweight in Valor FC. Tepes didn’t really get anything off as Nahrul restricted the space that Tepes needed expertly really putting in some big shots whilst in the clinch as Tepes tried in vain to get back to the striking. When we did get back to striking, Nahrul was happy to kick the legs of the aggressive Tepes and this was a great game plan with the execution to match. Nahrul has already stated to Valor FC he wants John J Rambo again – Rambo has his hands full at the moment with Ernesto Guevara, but Nahrul and Rambo are sure to cross paths again at some stage in Valor FC. In the end, the judges scored this one 25:30 for the winner by unanimous decision, “King” Kzarik Nahrul, whoever he gets next will have to plan for this very dangerous Muay Thai game, this is one punishing man. Vlad Tepes won’t suffer too much from a loss here, this was a meeting between two of the ranked, best Heavyweights in NYC so he’ll just have to pick himself up and get back on the horse, at VFC 69 it is rumoured you will see him back in action against Martin Sanchez who had a big win here tonight as well. It should be an interesting few weeks ahead in Valor FC with all these prospective fights being banded about.

November 5, 2010

Preview of VFC 65 ‘Evans v McKennedy’

185: Jeremy “The Lion” Walters (2-2-0) v Brando Weiss (2-3-0)

Making his debut in Valor FC Jeremy Walters is a high level Brown grade BJJ grappler, he doesn’t really have any other apparent skills so bother Brando Weiss so he’ll certainly be looking to take this fight to the mat, can he take down Competent Wrestler Weiss? Brando Weiss also holds Competent Boxing and Purple grade BJJ and is the much better rounded fighter and that will most likely be the difference here.

205: “Cabernelli” Everth Cabaret (1-1-0) v Shelton Scott (1-3-0)

With Wonderful Wrestling and Proficient Boxing, alongside Competent Muay Thai Everth Cabaret is quickly becoming a very dangerously well rounded young up and coming fighter. Fresh off a (T) KO win at VFC 53 he’ll certainly want to keep that form going here at VFC 65. Shelton Scott awaits with his Exceptional Muay Thai and Proficient Boxing, but dangerously for Scott he has really no Wrestling whatsoever and he looks to be prime pickings for “Cabernelli”, if he goes to the mat early, this one could be short lived.

205: Juancho “First River” Rivera (2-1-0) v Randy Mantell (3-2-0)

With Superb Boxing and Respectable Wrestling, Juancho “First River” Rivera has now won two in a row by way of (T) KO and this man’s power is fast becoming common knowledge, Randy Mantell with his Respectable Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ will certainly want to take him to the mat I feel and this sets up the classic striker / grappler matchup here at VFC 65. Last time out Mantell suffered a KO loss via head kick and I think this will certainly ensure he’ll want to take down Rivera, he’ll have to be clever about it however – because “First River” holds some real power and could end this in a second.

205: Apachai “Death God” Hopachai (3-5-0) v Jagger Cyde (7-2-0)

Apachai Hopachai comes into this fight in a real mess, he has recently lost his management team, and for a man with two consecutive losses, this doesn’t bode well for this upcoming Light-Heavyweight bout. Jagger Cyde has no such problems and this very determined and well rounded fighter is fast becoming a master of the unanimous decision win, with 5 of 7 career wins coming by this method I expect him to rack up another one here as he really impresses me with his tactics.

265: Oscar “Opa” Perez (3-3-0) v Tony “Meatball” Rizzo (3-3-0)

Oscar Perez makes his Valor FC debut here and he’ll be looking to mark his change of scenery with a change in fortune as this Competent Boxer and BJJ Brown grade grappler has lost his last two bouts in another organisation. Perez has all 3 of his career wins by way of submission, so one assumes he’ll want to take this fight to the mat at any opportunity. Tony Rizzo holds superior Proficient Boxing to Perez, but is a less talented grappler with Purple grade BJJ to his name and this fight is set up to be a really keenly contested Heavyweight bout between two men with very little between them. I can see this one going the distance, but I am interested to see how Perez approaches this one considering his recent form.

170: “Scramz” Fresh Hamz (3-0-0) v Pedro “Sweetness” Omar (5-4-0)

Three career fights, three career wins all in Round 1 via his Heavy hands as Remarkable Boxer Fresh Hamz really has exploded onto the scene here in Valor FC. Hamz is a Respectable Wrestler and he uses this solely to keep fights standing where he is just nasty, Hamz power at Welterweight is plain scary and he’ll certainly have the advantage over Pedro Omar in this bout in the stand up. But Omar isn’t without his own talents, a very high level BJJ Black belt Omar has 4 of 5 career wins by way of submission and he’ll want to get Hamz to the mat, off his feet into his world. This is the classic clash of styles, but its advantage “Scramz” because the fight starts standing. Can Omar take this to the mat? That will be the key, if he can’t Hamz will finish him, I suspect adding another Round 1 finish.

170: Jeff Grant (5-2-0) v Santana “Slick” Fritz (2-2-0)

Jeff Grant makes his Valor FC debut here in this Welterweight bout against Santana Fritz and we are proud to have secured the signature of a very dangerous fighter like Grant, who recently went on a streak of four straight wins. Grant adds big depth into the division and this Brown grade BJJ grappler will look to get himself into the hunt at 170 right away here. All of Grant’s career wins have come by way of submission, so certainly this is something Fritz will have to watch out for during the course of this bout. Across the cage, Fritz is a Remarkable Boxer with Strong Muay Thai and Wrestling in what is a very dangerous game already for one so young and he seems to have the type of style that will really bother Grant, but Grant knows if he can take this to the mat he holds all the aces, the question is, can he take down Fritz who appears to have the better Wrestling on paper? This is a very tough opening assignment for Grant but he is the more experienced fighter here and he’ll have a game plan for this one for sure.

185: Christian Gracie (4-3-0) v Abel “The Holy One” Silva (5-1-0)

Christian Gracie has lost two in a row, but this Competent Boxer, Respectable Wrestler and dangerous BJJ Brown grade has bagged himself a big opportunity to get himself back in the hunt at Middleweight here in this bout with Abel Silva, should he win he’ll be catapulted up the rankings but Abel Silva is a real up and coming star in Valor FC and “The Holy One” has won his last two via strikes in Round 1. With Competent Boxing and Proficient Muay Thai and Wrestling Abel Silva has a very good skill set and really does have KO power which will be a real concern to Christian Gracie. Silvia only holds Blue grade BJJ but Christian Gracie must get him to the mat, something which is easier said than done, but should he do this, he really will see his chances of winning improve dramatically. I am not sure who will take this one, Gracie is a tough guy and is very dangerous, but Abel Silva has been impressive recently and only a fool would back against him here I believe.

265: Co Main Event: Karter “Cuter” Duxx (5-2-0) v “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz (10-4-0)

With Strong Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and Superb Wrestling, Joell Ortiz is attempting to put together back to back wins for the first time in some time here at VFC 65at the expense of Karter Duxx in this big Heavyweight bout. “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” has been around the block and seen and done it all, holding titles in other organisations before and fighting for them in others there isn’t anything that Karter Duxx has that will be new to Ortiz, and will the experience advantage he holds manifest itself during the course of this bout? Ortiz is not adverse to going the distance with 6 of 10 career wins coming by this method, something that Karter Duxx has never done because win or lose, this man has never went into Round 3 in any of his career fights. With Exceptional Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and Strong Wrestling, Duxx had gone four undefeated before losing last time out at VFC 58 to Waldo Whip. But Whip is a real contender and that hasn’t set back Duxx too much, he knows if he can get the early finish which he loves, he’ll be right back in the hunt. Karter Duxx is a real predator, and it will be interesting to see what Joell Ortiz does in this fight because we know “Cuter” is going head hunting. This one should be a great test for both men, and I wonder if the more experienced Joell Ortiz can shut out the explosive Duxx to get another one of those patented decision wins.

185: Main Event: Logan Evans (8-3-0) v Corey “Skully” McKennedy (9-0-0)

The Main Event of the Evening has our Middleweight Champion, Corey “Skully” McKennedy once again defending his title, and his perfect career record as he attempts to move to an incredible ten undefeated. The Challenge at VFC 65 comes from Logan Evans, and it isn’t the first time these men’s paths have crossed with Corey McKennedy taking this title from the then Champion Logan Evans way back at VFC 23. Both men know the other and back then McKennedy came from nowhere to take the title via his dominant clinch game. Since then he has defended his title five times with each win via very comfortable unanimous decision win. McKennedy isn’t a secret anymore though and has developed into one of the fiercest Middleweights in all of NYC, with Respectable Boxing and Wrestling, Strong Muay Thai and Purple grade BJJ the Champion really has very few holes, unlike when these men first met. However we all know McKennedy is going to try and take the fight into the clinch and just boss Logan Evans for the five rounds, much like he did way back at VFC 23. Can Evans do anything to avoid this same fate once more? Logan Evans is well known for his KO power, with 5 of 8 career wins coming from the ends of his hands he certainly will worry McKennedy, and his Superb Boxing game, with Respectable Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ isn’t too far removed from McKennedy’s. These men are very well matched, and I think that Evans certainly has the hands to bother anyone – but this fight will be won and lost on the details, Logan Evans must swat away the early clinch efforts of McKennedy and force him backwards, he’ll leave himself open to kicks for sure but Evans must get to the Champion out of his comfort zone because otherwise we could be in for another five round domination by “Skully”. I think we know how McKennedy will come to fight at VFC 65, but the big question is how Evans will come out; the fight will be won and lost on this detail. It promises to be a keenly contested fight between two men who know what the other has to offer. This previous knowledge could prove vital in the end up, can Evans shock us? Or will McKennedy once again prove why he is the most dominant Middleweight Champion in the history of Valor FC?

November 14, 2010

Preview of VFC 66 Riddle v Charyak

170: Brook Bonix (2-1-0) v Alex “Prototype” Mercer (2-2-0)

Opening up an important nights action here at VFC 66, Brook Bonix makes his Valor FC debut here and this Strong Boxer will want to get back on track following his first ever career loss last time out. Tonight he’ll face Alex Mercer with his effective BJJ game, holding a brown grade Mercer has won both of his career wins via submission setting up an intriguing striker versus grappler contest. This fight will be won and lost on the issue of Wrestling, with both men on paper not really excelling in this area.

265: “The Bear” Sergey Onatopp (1-1-0) v “Amazing” AJ Matthews (2-3-0)

AJ Matthews is coming into this fight a mess, his management team has left him, Matthews has verbally retired and there seems to be no way possible that he can take this fight against “The Bear”. Sergey Onatopp is a Superb Boxer and Wonderful Wrestler and is basically superior in every area and this should translate into a very easy nights work for the Russian.

265: Billy “Bob” Thornton (3-2-0) v Jon Rhodes (2-0-0)

On a streak of two consecutive wins, Superb Wrestler and Proficient Muay Thai striker Billy Thornton will be looking to keep his hot streak going here as he faces off against undefeated debutant Jon Rhodes at VFC 66. Wonderful Muay Thai fighter Jon Rhodes makes his first appearance here with an organisation and will be looking to put on a show for us and improve his perfect career start so far. This fight will be won and lost on the Wrestling of Rhodes; can he keep this fight standing?

155: Paul Macho (2-0-0) v “Mcphatten” Bubz Phatz (2-0-0)

Battle of undefeated fighters here at Lightweight as Paul Macho makes his Valor FC debut, armed with Superb Boxing, Competent Wrestling and an ever improving Blue grade BJJ game this up and coming star has finished both his fights to date inside Round 1 via strikes, Macho looks to be a real prospect but for sure this will be his sternest test to date as he takes on Bubz Phatz. Boasting Competent Boxing, Proficient Muay Thai and Respectable Wrestling I get the feeling this fight could be a real war between two men who love to stand. I don’t think Phatz will want to go to the mat with Macho, who’ll be more than happy to throw down with his two KO victories to date as proof of that. Intriguing contest here and I think both men will really fancy their chances in this one.

185: Brad “The Man” Cunningham (2-3-0) v Eric Sutter (5-2-0)

Brad Cunningham is easily the most improved fighter in our Middleweight division, with Strong Boxing, Wonderful Muay Thai, ever improving Wrestling along with a Purple grand BJJ game. “The Man” looks to be priming himself for a run at the title here, and with a win last time out at VFC 58 he’ll want to extend this good form at the expense of Eric Sutter here. Sutter is the more experienced fighter in this one, he has more fights to date than Cunningham and is older, but concedes the talent advantage here on paper, with his Superb Boxing, Respectable Wrestling and Blue grade BJJ. This could be a massive scalp for Brad Cunningham and he’ll be really up for this one, I don’t know if he can take the win, but he’ll certainly come in here as the favourite – however Eric Sutter has not lost in four, and will be more than happy to extend his run to five at the expense of the hyped Cunningham.

265: PJ “El Toro” Jones (4-4-0) v Justin “Sane” Travis (5-1-0)

With Proficient Boxing and Wrestling as well as being armed with Brown grade BJJ, PJ Jones is a very dangerous fighter however his stint in Valor FC hasn’t reaped the rewards he’d have liked and at VFC 66 here he’ll try to get back on track once again. It’s worth noting however that Jones is a very young man, and sooner or later he will click and really put together a strong run, can he start that by taking the big scalp of Justin Travis? Travis holds Remarkable Boxing, along with Competent Wrestling and Blue grade BJJ making this a very even fight, “Sane” will want to keep this one standing for sure and with 4 of 5 career wins via (T) KO he knows what to do to end fights. Undefeated in his last three, Justin “Sane” Travis will be confident in extending that record; can “El Toro” put a spanner in the works? It will be interesting to see how Travis reacts however if Jones manages to get this fight to the mat, I think this fight could be a dark horse for fight of the night.

205: Kurt “The Real Deal” Manningham (4-1-0) v Otto Karalexis (5-2-0)

“The Real Deal” has now won three in a row and this Proficient Boxer and Wrestler with Purple grade BJJ is making great strides already in his young career. Kurt Manningham is just 20 years old but has shown a very effective all round game already and with 3 of his 4 career wins coming by way of decision, he is a new breed of martial artist, he is more than able of switching styles in order to grind out a win and that makes him potentially a future star in our Light-Heavyweight division. Across the cage tonight he’ll face Otto Karalexis, with his Remarkable Muay Thai game he is strongest where Manningham appears the weakest, but Karalexis is nowhere as near rounded as “The Real Deal” and that could well manifest itself during the bout. On a win of three before a reverse at VFC 64 Karalexis has stepped in to help out here at VFC 66 and will fortune favour the bold here at VFC 66? This fight is almost a certainty to go the distance with both men being very tough and nearly all their fights combined going the distance only a fool would back against that outcome.

205: “Lights Out” Brave Heart (9-2-0) v JT Carter (6-2-0)

A battle next at Light-Heavyweight between two men really near the top of our Light-Heavyweight division, especially “Lights Out” who has won four in a row to really stand a win away from title contention. With the 205 crown being decided tonight, both men know a big win would nearly catapult them into an immediate title shot which sets this fight up perfectly for either a boring career wise excellent grinding decision fight, or an absolute slug fest. Brave Heart boasts Superb Boxing, Respectable Wrestling and Blue Grade BJJ game. But with 3 of his last 4 career wins coming via (T) KO “Lights Out” is quickly establishing himself as a very dangerous stand up fighter with a very impressive nine career wins at just 23 years of age. With only 1 loss in his last 7 fights, JT Carter is not used to losing and this Proficient Muay Thai striker and Wrestler has now won two in a row propelling himself well up the Valor FC rankings. This fight promises to be an epic between two very evenly matched fighters and I can’t wait to see how this one goes. With both men poised to keep this one standing I think this one could well go on and become the fight of the night. I anticipate big things from this fight and someone has to lose, but trying to choose the winner here is just not advisable for your bank balance.

265: Co Main Event: “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle (7-2-0) v Javier Martinez (6-3-0)

Coming to the business end of VFC 66 this is a massive Heavyweight clash between two men well capable of going on to fight for the Heavyweight title of Valor FC as Richtor Schkayle and Javier Martinez clash in a battle two very contrasting styles. “Earthquake” holds Remarkable Muay Thai, Proficient Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ and has a very impressive resume already despite only being 20 years of age. With only 1 loss in his last 7 outings, Schkayle is for real and that loss was to Ernesto Guevara at VFC 54 when a win would have really pushed him to a title shot already in his career. Richtor Schkayle will certainly want to keep this one standing and I expect him to try and use those really damaging kicks of his to try and slow down the impact of the explosiveness of Javier Martinez and his smothering Wrestling game. Schkayle is just off a win over a Wrestler at VFC 62 in the form of Waldo Whip, whilst he was taken down a fair amount of times, he did manage to get the win and show that his BJJ just wasn’t for show as he reversed Whip with relative ease in a warning shot to Martinez. Javier Martinez will be conceding a massive reach and weight advantage here to “Earthquake” but this Sensational Wrestler will only be looking for the takedown for sure here. Despite holding Strong Boxing Martinez has shown traditionally he doesn’t do well against strikers and with Schkayle wanting to keep this one standing, I am unsure just how Martinez will go about the takedown here. But if he does get it to the mat, he’ll finish it with his relentless ground and pound as this is a man who doesn’t believe in controlling the action, only bringing the pain. This fight starts standing up, so it’s advantage Schkayle, but if it goes to the mat this fight could be won and lost on “Earthquake’s” BJJ game, he’s proven it isn’t mundane, but it will need to be pretty sharp as Martinez loves to beat people up. A big win here for either man puts them immediately in title contention and it’s all to play for here.

205: Main Event: Justin “The Unsolved” Riddle (8-1-0) v Brad Charyak (8-2-0)

The Main Event of the Evening is for our Light-Heavyweight title as after weeks of a build up and talking; Justin “The Unsolved” Riddle and Brad Charyak finally will get it on here at VFC 66 in a blockbuster main event for Valor FC. This promises to be one of the biggest events in Valor FC history and it is finally upon us and two very closely talented men meet off here. The Challenger Justin Riddle is in his second stint with Valor FC but has won his last 5 fights to get here, with 4 of them coming via highlight reel (T) KO and the last 3 all in Round 1 highlighting just what a danger this man is. Riddle has 3 KO of the Night awards which says it all as this Exceptional Boxer and Proficient Muay Thai striker combines this with Superb Wrestling and Blue grade BJJ in what is a very effective all round game. “The Unsolved” will almost certainly want to keep this one standing and as stated, he is more than able to end it with his hands and Brad Charyak knows that Riddle is a very real and ominous challenge. However, the Champion is there for a reason and having won his last four fights against very real competition Remarkable Boxer and Muay Thai fighter Brad Charyak will welcome the stand up game of Riddle as he is more than capable of holding his own. Combine this with equally Superb Wrestling and Purple grade I think the latter of both men is just for window dressing as I expect this fight to remain standing until one man is finished before the fifth round. Charyak will almost certainly want to use his clinch work to dominate Riddle and after watching his last outing at VFC 60 when he bossed Chrissy Boy to take the 205 crown, Riddle will know he’ll want to get close and smother his hands but it remains to be seen if he can punish with the hits on the way in and out. This fight hangs in the balance, Riddle will be expecting Charyak to rush and clinch but what kind of offence will he mount? Riddle is naturally aggressive and I think that could be the key to fight – there is a chance that he could rock Charyak early, but there is also the chance that the Champion can get in and neutralise the stand up of Riddle by smothering him against the cage. Just a final word, the 205 Championship hasn’t been defended successfully since Marius Budawalski last did so way back at VFC 35. Can Charyak buck the recent trend? What a fight in prospect we have and you’ll have to get it tonight here at Hard Knocks New York City.

November 18, 2010

Review of VFC 65 ‘Evans v McKennedy’

185: Jeremy “The Lion” Walters v Brando Weiss

Brando Weiss improves to 3-3-0 here after a Round 1 stoppage over Jeremy Walters at VFC 66. Weiss dominated this fight and his clinch work was the basis for this destruction, Walters was caught wanting on an important part of his game but he’ll be back for sure.

205: “Cabernelli” Everth Cabaret v Shelton Scott

Everth Cabaret showed his superior grappling here, taking down Shelton Scott with relative ease whenever he wanted here during the course of this bout. Having spent the best part of Round 1 defending, Scott was hoping for better into the second, only to be stopped by “Cabernelli” with shots from the mount before the referee stopped this one at 0:56 of Round 2. With this win Cabaret moves to 2-1-0 and is progressing nicely for Valor FC.

205: Juancho “First River” Rivera v Randy Mantell

What a win here for Juancho “First River” Rivera, over after 0:45 of Round 1 this was a real shock to me, Rivera took this fight immediately into the clinch and really messed up Mantell who seemed to be in shock with that was happening. Rivera showed a real aggression here and this fight for sure was his coming out party, “First River” is looking to be a great addition to Valor FC with a superb win. Rivera will now face off against another up and coming star in Gabriel La Fleur at VFC 71 and that promises to be a fantastic tussle.

205: Apachai “Death God” Hopachai v Jagger Cyde

Jagger Cyde once again proves himself to be the king of the grinders as he squeezes out yet another decision win here at VFC 65, In truth, this was the worst we’ve ever seen “Death God” and he has since retired from MMA but this is to take nothing away from Cyde who once again showed great versatility this time showing just how effective his top position ground game was. Cyde now stands at an ominous 8-2-0 and whilst some might point to the fact he hasn’t fought top ten competition, Valor FC will surely throw him in now and see how he reacts. Jagger Cyde has a very intelligent management team and this is a young man primed for the top I believe.

265: Oscar “Opa” Perez v Tony “Meatball” Rizzo

Winning ‘Submission of the Night’ here for his troubles, Oscar Perez makes a great start to life in Valor FC earning the submission win at VFC 65 in under two minutes. This was very impressive BJJ and Perez improves to 4-3-0 with a very impressive win. He now moves on to a massive test against Karter Duxx, but a win there would be the biggest of his career – Perez has caught the eye in Valor FC already and his fight with Duxx is a clash between two of the most dangerous young men already in the Heavyweight division.

170: “Scramz” Fresh Hamz v Pedro “Sweetness” Omar

Pedro Omar tried in vain to get this fight to the mat as quick as he could, he failed and Fresh Hamz punished him with a Round 1 KO here in a sensational finish. Hamz knew exactly what Omar was going to do, waiting out his time, Omar gassed himself chasing the takedown then Hamz really began to loosen up and hurt Omar. Fresh Hamz with a very impressive win and moves to 4-0-0, next up he’ll face Valor FC new boy “Razor” Ray Williams with a winning record of 6-1-0, Hamz won’t be one bit afraid however as this is one game fighter.

170: Jeff Grant v Santana “Slick” Fritz

Jeff Grant was making his Valor FC debut here under much fanfare; however that was quickly stopped as Santana Fritz came from nowhere here to hijack the party. Fritz won this fight in Round 1 via the help of the doctors, but he really did land some serious shots to a bloodied Grant who couldn’t see a thing. “Slick” Fritz moves to 3-2-0 with the win here and this was undoubtedly the best of his career, the loss won’t upset Grant as much as the fact his Wrestling was really rendered useless against the evasive Fritz and that will be something he has to look at in the coming weeks.

185: Christian Gracie v Abel “The Holy One” Silva

Winning ‘Knockout of the Night’ Abel Silva again proves why he is one of the most dangerous in all of our Middleweight division, Abel Silvia knocked down a helpless and defenceless almost Christian Gracie a total of 6 times in this fight before eventually ending it in Round 3. Gracie was like a fish out of water here as Silva bossed in the clinch and battered with his kicks, the latter eventually ending this fight with a highlight reel KO head kick finish. “The Holy One” moves to 6-1-0 and with a potential Valor FC Middleweight tourney happening, this is one dangerous man primed to make his mark here.

265: Co Main Event: Karter “Cuter” v “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz

The Co Main Event of the Evening was to be our ‘Fight of the Night’ here at VFC 65 but it was a pretty one sided affair as the dust settled with Karter Duxx showing another stage in his evolution against Joell Ortiz with a superb display of clinch work leading to a big win. I wasn’t aware Duxx had this to his game and clearly neither was “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” because he looked just as surprised at what was happening as was I. Ortiz was the superior Wrestler coming into this bout but we saw no evidence of this as “Cuter” really brushed everything he came up with aside. This is another big win for Duxx who as always remains very high up the division. He now stands at 6-2-0 and with a fight upcoming against fellow stand out Oscar Perez, the win there could surely send him back into the title mix. “Cuter” will be the favourite for that bout, but this too was the case when he dropped a loss at VFC 58 which cost him a title shot. “Cuter” scored an amazing 172 shots in the clinch in this fight and statistics like that don’t come around very often. Duxx seems like a man really ready to take his title shot now, just Oscar Perez in his way. At VFC 69 we’ll see if he can grab the opportunity before him.

185: Main Event: Logan Evans (8-3-0) v Corey “Skully” McKennedy (9-0-0)

Logan Evans had the crowd going wild early in our Main Event, scoring with a few shots which cut the elusive Middleweight Champion, Corey McKennedy wide open. This was as good as it got however as the cut seemed to wake up the beast and McKennedy the proceeded to put Evans on the mat with three massive knockdowns in Round 1. This fight, as with all of McKennedy’s went the distance, it’s almost of as if he punishes you for getting into the cage with him and Evans after his initial burst really ran out of gas as McKennedy took this fight into the clinch, time after time and took the heart from the Challenger. Corey McKennedy’s Muay Thai game is fearsome, but now leaves Valor FC to pursue an opportunity in St Petersburg. The result is, Valor FC must now find a new Middleweight Champion – McKennedy divided opinion here with his inability to finish fights – We have some men here more than capable of making that happen, Abel Silva, Logan Evans and Wes Morris must now all believe that now is their time. The upcoming weeks at Middleweight in Valor FC will be very interesting, who can take advantage of the void left in Valor FC?

November 18, 2010

Review of VFC 66 Riddle v Charyak

170: Brook Bonix v Alex “Prototype” Mercer

A winner by KO after just 1:47 of Round 1 Brook Bonix announces his arrival in Valor FC in spectacular style, Bonix is a very aggressive and confident striker and not only that, but he brushed off all takedown attempts that came his way from Alex Mercer here. Bonix improves to 3-1-0 with a great Valor FC debut win here and kicked off VFC 66 in fantastic style.

265: “The Bear” Sergey Onatopp v “Amazing” AJ Matthews

AJ Matthews barely got the chance to throw anything here as “The Bear” Sergey Onatopp was relentless in taking this one to the ground straight away, Onatopp’s ground and pound was fierce and he ended this fight pretty quickly after 3:32 in the very first round. After the fight AJ Matthews was a bloodied mess but this was a big win for the Russian. Onatopp now moves to 2-1-0 with this win and he’ll be in action again pretty soon you feel.

265: Billy “Bob” Thornton v Jon Rhodes

A superb battle next at Heavyweight between Billy Thornton and Jon Rhodes which went the distance, both men had much the same idea, keep this fight to the outside and try and get into the clinch but it was Rhodes who was the more clinical of the two. Thornton took to kicking and attempting to takedown Rhodes but wasn’t really successful in either of these forays. The best of the action for Thornton was pretty much in Round 1 when he was the better at taking the fight to the mat, but this was a pretty close fight and the fact that Round 3 ended with Thornton rocked and Rhodes the aggressor trying to finish in the clinch was huge. This was a great bout and earned both men ‘Fight of the Night’ honours for their efforts here but its Rhodes that takes the win and moves to 3-0-0 with it.

155: Paul Macho v “Mcphatten” Bubz Phatz

It was Bubz Phatz who took the victory in this one, it was an entertaining Lightweight bout here but Paul Macho had no answer for the dangerous and effective clinch work of Bubz Phatz, Macho wanted to keep the fight at a distance but Phatz was never going to allow that and it is him who is rewarded with the unanimous decision win with his perfect record still intact, Phatz now stands at 3-0-0 with the win at the expense of Macho.

185: Brad “The Man” Cunningham v Eric Sutter

Brad Cunningham and Eric Sutter met in the centre of the cage and punched this one out, after 1:57 Eric Sutter was your winner with a KO victory, this was a barnstorming affair that had the crowd on their feet the whole way through – Eric Sutter improves to 6-2-0 now and has won five in a row, superb form going into the Valor FC Middleweight tourney and he’ll be looking to continue this for sure.

265: PJ “El Toro” Jones v Justin “Sane” Travis

PJ Jones and his management team were less than happy with how this contest went, and in particular some of the decisions made by the referee who stood up “El Toro” twice in Round 1 when Justin Travis was still very much dry and ripe for submission. As it transpired Justin “Sane” Travis took full advantage of this good fortune to record a Round 2 (T) KO stoppage of PJ Jones after twice countering with his hands when “El Toro” was a bit too predictable with his takedown attempts. PJ Jones had Travis where he needed him but it wasn’t to be and his management team were less than impressed at the conclusion of this one. Will we see a rematch? Justin Travis now stands at 6-1-0 following a massive win for him here at VFC 66 – Travis has now won his last four, three of which have been via strikes and he is emerging as a real contender at Heavyweight in Valor FC.

205: Kurt “The Real Deal” Manningham v Otto Karalexis

Otto Karalexis was doing pretty well here into Round 1 scoring with some nasty leg kicks and generally looking the better fighter, however Kurt “The Real Deal” Manningham found his way through with a superb combination to render Karalexis unconscious after he lost his concentration inexplicably. After 2:44 of Round 1 this one was over, but Karalexis will be fuming at having lost this way and he’ll no doubt be wanting a rematch but Kurt Manningham ended this one superbly and now stands at 5-1-0. Kurt Manningham has a big date now with Chrissy Boy in what will be a career defining bout for both men that takes place at VFC 71 and it will be interesting to see how “The Real Deal” approaches coming up against a better striker.

205: “Lights Out” Brave Heart v JT Carter

Moving to 10-2-0 with the win here at VFC 66, “Lights Out” Brave Heart finds himself one fight now away from a shot at the Light-Heavyweight title, he will face Jagger Cyde at VFC 71 and Brave Heart knows he is so close. Brave Heart has won five in a row and here at VFC 66 he took JT Carter to a decision winning unanimously 29:28 across the board. This was a pretty close fight however and JT Carter wasn’t very far away from getting the draw or even the win I would suggest. With both men being so evenly matched I would like to see a rematch at some stage down the road. But for now, Brave Heart continues on his path towards 205 gold and who is backing against him getting his shot?

265: Co Main Event: “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle v Javier Martinez

The Co Main Event of the evening was a one sided beating, Sensational Wrestler Javier Martinez had to get “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle to the mat however he waited a bit too long in attempting his shot because after just 1:36 of Round 1 this one was over, Martinez was sent to the mat very early on by a big head kick and that should have sent out the warning shot but it didn’t register because Schkayle repeated the trick to end this one, using the old look low, head kick trick and in doing so he took home ‘Knockout of the Night’ honours. This was an absolutely massive win for Schkayle who improved to 8-2-0 and interestingly Valor FC has immediately set up a fight between Kzarik Nahrul and Richtor Schkayle, with the winner of that fight surely will go on to fight for the Valor FC Heavyweight title, that fight goes down at VFC 70 in what will be a not to be missed event. Richtor Schkayle has really pushed himself into the very elite of Valor FC Heavyweights with this win and I am very interested to see what way he gets on against a man who has fought for the Valor FC title, it will be a step up for sure – But the way “Earthquake” brushed aside a seasoned veteran like Martinez surely will fill him full of confidence for the war ahead.

205: Main Event: Justin “The Unsolved” Riddle v Brad Charyak

The Main Event of the Evening was the much awaited bout between Justin Riddle and Brad Charyak, this one was a meeting between two of the most legitimate highly rated Light-Heavyweights in all of NYC and it conspired to go the distance, but it was the infallible Brad Charyak who took home the win here with a convincing 45:49 unanimous decision. Round 1 was dominated by the challenger who really came storming out the blocks looking to take the head clean off the Champion and he pursued Charyak very aggressively but he missed more often than he connected and didn’t really cause much damage in what was to be his best round of the fight because from Round 2 onwards Charyak really began to open up and get this fight where he wanted to, into the clinch and this is usually the basis for his wins and so it proved here again. Brad Charyak defended his Light-Heavyweight title and became the first man to do so in some time but Justin Riddle will surely look upon this as an opportunity lost because these men are very evenly matched I still feel. With both men’s schedule clear at the moment we have no idea what is next, but Riddle surely will be looking to get back on track as soon as possible. For Charyak he might want to catch VFC 68 ‘Progress’ where former Champion Milan Lucic takes on Bruce Lee in what will be a fight that might well just determine his next challenger.

November 20, 2010

VFC 67 Guevara v Rambo Preview.

265: Nikos “The Greek” Schortsanitis (1-0-0) v Janek “High Voltage” Grzmot (2-2-0)

The opening bout of a massive night’s action in Valor FC is a Heavyweight bout between Remarkable Boxer Nikos “The Greek” Schortsanitis, who is making his first appearance in the Valor FC cages against the durable and dangerous Proficient Muay Thai striker Janek Grzmot. Grzmot also holds high level Purple grade BJJ and seems to have more outs in this contest than “The Greek”. But the longer this fight is kept standing, you have to believe that isn’t in the interests of “High Voltage”. This one will be decided on just how good Nikos Schortsanitis’ takedown defence is.

185: Felix Smith (5-4-0) v Aiden Jackson (6-4-0)

Next up two Valor FC stalwarts face off against each other, as Remarkable Boxer and Wonderful Wrestler Felix Smith takes on the heavy handed and ever dangerous Aiden Jackson. This fight has got a brawl written all over it, both men love to bang and despite Aiden Jackson being the less talented fighter, on paper – he certainly comes into this fight as the most dangerous as he has finished all his opponents in career wins either via (T) KO or Submission. Felix Smith has got a superior Wrestling game and may look to implement that but it remains to be seen what direction he’ll take against the dangerous Jackson. I think this fight has the potential to be fight of the night and with both these men being hugely popular, this one promises to be a spectacle.

185: Dave “Pit Bull” Bower (7-4-0) v Travis “Juggernaut” Jaeger (9-6-0)

Another Middleweight contest here with two of the most experienced and talented men in Valor FC meeting off as both attempt to get losses out of their system here at VFC 67. Travis Jaeger has now lost four in a row, and really needs a win here to be perfectly honest because despite holding a world of talent – he just isn’t doing it in the cage with serious questions about his heart now being raised. Can he buck this worrying recent trend here? This is possibly the worse fight for him to do so with Dave Bower just coming off his first loss in some time for the Middleweight title and the “Pit Bull” will almost certainly want to prove his bark is worse than his bite here. I expect Jaeger to try and get this fight to the floor, because worryingly for him his chin seems to have betrayed him recently – everyone bar his corner is writing off “Juggernaut”. Can Bower compound his misery here and get himself back on track in the process?

170: Philip Olsen (4-2-0) v Jon “Lethal” Lyle (6-1-0)

Making his debut in Valor FC tonight, Jon “Lethal” Lyle is coming off his first career loss after a streak that previously saw him win six impressively on the trot. “Lethal” boasts Competent Muay Thai and Respectable Wrestling with Brown grade BJJ in a formidable ground game that has seen him get 4 of 6 career wins by way of submission. I expect Lyle not to deviate too much from his usual style in his Valor FC debut here but this is a real solid addition to our Welterweight division and a man that big things are expected from. How will he react to his first career loss though? Across the cage he faces a real warrior in Philip Olsen and a man who by no means is a walkover. Olsen has lost two in a row now, but he has faced some of the best in Valor FC and indeed only being outpointed, never stopped. Olsen likes to go the distance and I think he’ll try to use his Superb Boxing to keep Lyle at bay. This is an intriguing matchup and one I will be specifically interested in seeing how both men cope with the other.

205: “The Terminator” Manuel Padilla (7-3-0) v Dante Jones (6-3-1)

“The Terminator” Manuel Padilla is certainly one of my favoured fighters in Valor FC, we will always be a debt to this man for taking a long shot title fight on very short notice – A title shot he took and won in easily one of my top ten moments in this organisation. But even without the history, Padilla comes to fight, “The Terminator” has Remarkable Boxing and this man is able to finish anyone he gets in the cage with, make no mistake about it Padilla is for real and he’ll want to get himself in a brawl here for sure. Padilla is no lover of the ground and that won’t be a problem against Dante Jones who basically is a carbon copy of Padilla. Jones will come to the cage tonight armed with Superb Boxing but the real difference here is the fact that Jones has now won two in a row and has some serious form behind him, can he extend this record at the expense of “The Terminator”?

155: “Say No More” Ezra Pound (8-2-0) v Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith (12-6-0)

Two of the best Lightweights in all of NYC face off now in a fight that really would be higher up on any other Valor FC card bar tonight, showing just how much of a stacked card we have on as Ezra Pound and Kenneth Smith finally collide in Valor FC. Both these men are vastly talented and they need no introduction, the big issue in this one is just how will “Boa Kahn” approach this one having lost his Lightweight title last time out at VFC 62. Will he come out aggressive knowing that later tonight that same Lightweight title is on the line and he could almost immediately leapfrog into a title shot with the right combination of victories? Or will his performance be that of a hangover and something “Say No More” will certainly be hoping for? This is a real pick ‘em contest because Smith will certainly want to get Pound to the floor, but that is not an easy achievement to be honest and Smith knows that Pound has ferocious Muay Thai which is more than capable of overwhelming him. The added pressure is on this one because both men lost last time out, but both know that loss will be forgotten about with a win tonight. This one sits on a knife-edge for me, but the onus I believe is on Smith to get the win, perhaps this will spur him on.

205: Don The Fist (4-0-0) v Ian “Unfinished Monkey Business” Brown (4-1-0)

A Light-Heavyweight contest here between two young men who have been creating real news headings thus far in their careers as Don The Fist, with his perfect professional record and Exceptional Muay Thai collides with Ian Brown and his Remarkable Boxing / Superb Wrestling brawl and sprawl style. This one promises to be over before we worry the judges, both men have scored 7 of 8 combined wins by way of (T) KO thus far in their careers but tonight I think both will agree that this is their sternest test to date. All that remains to be seen in this one is how both approach it tactically, The Fist will relish the stand up fight for sure, but it is Brown who could pull the master stroke – he is the much better Wrestler and whilst we haven’t seen a great deal of him taking men down – He has shown thus far in his career he prefers the knockdown to the takedown he still could perhaps attempt to turn this into a grappling match. Something that his opponent will want nothing to do with. I have this one ending in Round 1, but who will really cement themselves as a contender at Light-Heavyweight here, the winner of this one rockets up the rankings in my opinion.

155: “The Terror” Gabe Shade (10-3-0) v “Redneck” Cottoneye Joe (4-2-0)

Having won his last five fights, two of which in Valor FC, “The Terror” Gabe Shade knows a win here will earn him a shot at the title which is to be decided he is finished here tonight. Shade cannot be denied anymore by Valor FC with a sensational recent run and this fantastic all round fighter just needs to get his nose over the finish line, with his dangerous Brown grade BJJ game owing to 5 of 10 career wins, he’ll b most confident in gaining the win he needs here at the expense of Cottoneye Joe. Can he hold his nerve and get the job done? Cottoneye Joe isn’t here to make up numbers however and this is a man with aspirations of a title run himself – Joe has won his last two fights against very legitimate competition with some nasty (T) KO finishes. This one really depends on if Shade can get Joe off his feet – Should he do this he’ll be a prime position for a crack at the Lightweight title.

155: Co Main Event: Mike “The Maniac” Martin (9-4-0) v Clayton Daniels (8-0-0)

“After two Months of hard training. Mike Martin is back to take his take his title. Split decisions won’t happen anymore” This is mantra of Mike Martin coming into this bout as the former Champion has taken some time to get back to a position to fight for the title he calls his own after a really controversial end to his fight at VFC 56 which saw him lose his title to Kenneth Smith. Mike Martin is certainly the more talented and dangerous fighter coming into this Lightweight Championship bout which is our Co Main Event, but he’ll have to think of a way to outfox the elusive and undefeated now Lightweight Champion, Clayton Daniels who has really come from nowhere to become the man at 155 lbs. This fight really hinges on if Mike “The Maniac” Martin can find a way to shut out Clayton Daniels and his grinding style of fighting. Daniels has been with Valor FC from as far back as VFC 28 and this is a man who has now won all 8 of his career bouts, with 7 of these coming by way of decision. Clayton Daniels was an underdog at VFC 62 but he shocked us all taking out Kenneth Smith, this time I shall not be backing against this young thoroughbred but he knows for sure Mike Martin is as tough as it will get for him at Lightweight in New York City. Should Daniels get past this challenge, he’ll certainly be regarded as one of the best in NYC, for Martin, should he get the win, he’ll get back the title he feels he should have never lost. This will be a classic, don’t miss it.

265: Main Event: Ernesto “Che” Guevara (8-2-0) v John J Rambo (10-0-0)

The Main Event of the Evening needs very little analysis; two of the best Heavyweights in NYC are meeting to find out who is the baddest man in all of Valor FC, both these men are feared strikers and this one could be over as quick as it starts as Ernesto “Che” Guevara with his Exceptional Boxing and Remarkable Wrestling takes on the incomparable and undefeated, undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Valor FC, John J Rambo. Guevara is coming into this one in a rich vein of form, he’s won his last four all in Round 1 and all via nasty (T) KO and this is a man that has really come out of nowhere to stake his claim against John J Rambo. Can he upset the odds and do what so many have failed to do? A very important fact here is that Ernesto Guevara has been defeated, but never been stopped and this man has fought some of the most dangerous men Valor FC has to offer – But tonight he faces a threat to his chin like never before because the Champion, love him or hate him brings the pain, ten fights, ten wins and seven of those wins have come via his hands as Wonderful Boxer and Respectable Wrestler and undisputed Valor FC Champion, John J Rambo once again comes to town. Like him or love him, when Rambo fights, Valor FC does very well in the ratings and with these two men going at it we expect some of the best ratings to date, perhaps even smashing a few of our own records in the process. I expect this fight to remain standing for the duration it lasts, but I don’t think it will go the distance; these men have ended their last nine combined, with eight of these in Round 1. This fight has all of NYC looking in and Valor FC is proud to promote an event with such renowned superstars. Who is your money on? Only a fool would back against Rambo, but Ernesto Guevara has come into this title bout relatively quiet, and what is it they say about the quiet men? I really don’t know what way this one will go – but I do expect a cagey affair to start off with because either can end this at any time, or will this turn into a bring the house down brawl? This fight goes down soon, don’t miss it.

November 22, 2010

VFC 67 Guevara v Rambo Review.

265: Nikos “The Greek” Schortsanitis v Janek “High Voltage” Grzmot

The opening to VFC 67 was a pretty one sided victory for Janek “High Voltage” Grzmot, with his opponent having the much better stand up, it was pretty predictable that Grzmot would try and take this to the ground. He did so with impressive efficiency completely neutralising the stand up of “The Greek” and in doing so teaching this young striker a harsh lesson. It wasn’t the best fight of the night for sure, but I was impressed with “High Voltage”, but I am being a bit critical, despite dominating Schortsanitis he couldn’t finish. Not that Grzmot will worry one bit, he improves to 3-2-0 with this win via 27:30 unanimous decision.

185: Felix Smith v Aiden Jackson

I promised fireworks in this fight, and that is exactly what we got for the 0:38 seconds it lasted, Felix Smith came out strong, landing a big shot that puts Jackson against the cage, the momentum coming back off the cage see’s Felix Smith landing the takedown and you think that Jackson is in a world of trouble, only for Aiden Jackson to instantly snap in a triangle. Unbelievable stuff from Jackson but Smith will be fuming at losing this one somehow. Jackson gets a sensational come from behind submission win highlighting further his credentials and in doing so moves to 7-4-0, Aiden Jackson also picked up ‘Submission of the Night’ for his efforts here too.

185: Dave “Pit Bull” Bower v Travis “Juggernaut” Jaeger

Dave “Pit Bull” Bower will not be happy, he was bossing this one, I had him clearly winning Round 1 and 2, taking down Jaeger and working for the submission with relative ease. Into Round 3 Jaeger looked a little more offensive, he had to be scoring a takedown into half guard but was stood up, perhaps a little prematurely from the referee. From there Bower again seized the moment taking down Jaeger and I thought he was just going to see this one out. “Juggernaut” had other ideas and with less than a minute to go in the fight, Jaeger went for a Hail Mary triangle, only to fail but Bower landed perfectly for Jaeger to sink in a guillotine and the rest is history. Taking the submission win in a real smash and grab job after 4:04 of Round 3 is Travis Jaeger moving to 10-6-0 with his first win in five bouts, he needed that for sure.

170: Philip Olsen v Jon “Lethal” Lyle

This was one close fight, Jon “Lethal” Lyle gets the win moving to 7-1-0 but he really got his eyes opened here to just how hard life is going to be in Valor FC as Philip Olsen can count himself very unlucky to go home with the loss here. As expected Lyle went to his grappling, he had no intention of trading with Olsen instead taking the fight to the mat whenever he could, perhaps acknowledging Olsen’s BJJ talent, Lyle wasn’t overly aggressive despite being in some good spots and this nearly cost him I believe in the eyes of the judges. This fight went the distance in a real grappling contest with “Lethal” getting the win here as the judges scored this one, 29:29, 28:29 and 28:29. Jon Lyle gets the win on his Valor FC debut and it will be interesting to see just who we put him up against next.

205: “The Terminator” Manuel Padilla v Dante Jones

Manuel Padilla confirms himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in Valor FC here with a Round 1, 1:08 win over the formidable challenge of Dante Jones. Padilla cut Jones early on with a good looking right hand, and there wasn’t long left to the finish as Padilla poured on the pressure to rock Jones with another big right hand before ending this one a short time after via (T) KO strikes as Padilla’s relentless attacks finally broke Jones resistance. Padilla is no longer officially affiliated with Valor FC due to the expiration of his contract; however we are actively working to correct that as Padilla moves to 8-3-0 with yet another big finish with his hands.

155: “Say No More” Ezra Pound v Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith

Kenneth Smith was getting this fight to the ground no matter what, shooting out three times in the opening moments of this fight it proved to be third time lucky as he took Ezra Pound to the mat before quickly wrapping up the win with via Kimura after just 0:55 of Round 1. Ezra Pound won’t be happy with this whatsoever but he knew that “Boa Kahn” would be looking for the takedown straight away. Kenneth Smith has taken full advantage of circumstances, and now can look forward to yet another battle with Mike Martin at VFC 73 ‘Season’s Beatings’. With Kenneth Smith winning the first fight between these two at VFC 56 in controversial circumstances, this is going to be a real grudge match for the Valor FC Lightweight Championship. Martin will be hoping lightening doesn’t strike twice, but neither man will want to go the distance again – This should be a war in little over a month.

205: Don The Fist v Ian “Unfinished Monkey Business” Brown

Don The Fist took this battle of the upcoming stars here at VFC 67, in fact he dominated this one with his kicks proving to be especially effective as he really bossed a timid enough challenge from Ian Brown who I expected much more from. Don The Fist with this win moves to 5-0-0 and is really knocking on the door of the best at Light-Heavyweight now; he finished Ian Brown here at VFC 67 via (T) KO Strikes after 1:01 of Round 2 in a very convincing display, with 4 of 5 career wins via (T) KO Don The Fist now moves very much into the reckoning at Light-Heavyweight and we must search out a fight for him now that will prove to us he is ready for a title shot, already at just 20 years of age. This man could really be the next big thing in Valor FC, but we’ll not be rushing him.

155: “The Terror” Gabe Shade v “Redneck” Cottoneye Joe

“The Terror” Gabe Shade was set up for a big fall here, knowing he was just one fight away from a certain title shot – And that is just what happened as he lost what had to be a razor close decision. I thought Gabe Shade had done enough to win, just keep out of trouble but instantly at the start of Round 3 Cottoneye Joe put him straight to the mat with a vicious combo, before spending most of the final round in bottom position which I feel really cost him this fight. Not to take anything away from Cottoneye Joe though, he was certainly the more aggressive stand up fighter and did remain very dangerous off his back and this surely stood by him too as the judges scores were tallied up. Cottoneye Joe takes a superb win, and with that moves to 5-2-0, next up for him is a big battle with dangerous up and comer, Zach Allan at VFC 72 – That will really be a big battle between two potential stars of Valor FC. Gabe Shade profits from Valor FC’s stance on losses in an eliminator bout, he will now face former Lightweight Champion Clayton Daniels on Christmas Day at VFC 73 and that bout could very well determine the next challenger at Lightweight following the meeting due between Mike Martin and Kenneth Smith. There are very interesting times ahead in our Lightweight division and I get the feeling both these men will certainly be in the mix for a long time to come.

155: Co Main Event: Mike “The Maniac” Martin v Clayton Daniels

‘Fight of the Night’ honours were shared here as Mike Martin and Clayton Daniels met to decide the destiny of our Lightweight Championship, this one went the distance as Mike Martin recovers his Lightweight title that he believes was stolen from him way back at VFC 56, for Clayton Daniels the award will not take away the pain of losing this one. This fight was to be honest, extremely close but I always felt that “The Maniac” had an element of control. In going the distance we found out that two of the judges scored this fight 48:47 to Martin, whereas another scored it 50:47, there was no doubt that this fight was close but Mike Martin, whilst missing with a lot of his takedowns ended four of the five rounds on top of Daniels following takedowns and this undoubtedly won him the bout. Daniels to his credit was pretty dangerous with his kicks, but Martin was always able to find his range with his punches and he landed with quite a few in comparison to Daniels in this respect. Taking into consideration the experience Martin held over the young Champion, this was a superb bout and I really think that this one will go down again at some stage in the future. Mike “The Maniac” Martin inflicts a first defeat upon Clayton Daniels, but this is one dangerous and game kid – He’ll certainly be back and Clayton Daniels has only lost to one of the very most premier Lightweights in all of NYC – I see no reason why he won’t be back again. Mike Martin is once again the man at 155 in Valor FC, and he finally gets his chance for retribution against Kenneth Smith at VFC 73 on Christmas Day, the only man to have defeated him in Valor FC and indeed his last eight bouts. Interestingly, this chance of revenge comes at a time Smith has lost the title to the man that Martin just defeated and these men go into the revenge match in exactly the same circumstances as they did back at VFC 56 – I can guarantee fireworks for this one on Christmas Day, don’t miss Martin v Smith II.

265: Main Event: Ernesto “Che” Guevara v John J Rambo

Picking up ‘Knockout of the Night’ and the small matter of the Valor FC Heavyweight title, Ernesto Guevara smashes his way past the previously undefeated John J Rambo to become the new Valor FC Heavyweight Champion and officially the best Heavyweight in all of NYC. Guevara knocked down Rambo with a big overhand right that had the crowd going wild, Rambo was cut and immediately Guevara swarmed all over him looking to finish, before Rambo managed to somehow get to his feet – Unfortunately for him that wasn’t the best idea as Rambo was shortly knocked out afterwards with a sickening uppercut as Guevara clinched the Heavyweight crown after 1:45 of Round 1. Guevara celebrated wildly as he inflicted a first defeat on Rambo and became the man at Heavyweight in Valor FC. Not to make excuses for Rambo, but he didn’t look right at all on the night, and the normally super aggressive Rambo never even threw a punch in this fight – On Christmas Day at VFC 73 these two are going to rematch, it is the least Rambo deserves and he’ll have the chance to get something off against the new Champion here as he failed to do so in this fight. What he’ll change, I am not sure, but with the winner of Richtor Schkayle and Kzarik Nahrul waiting in the wings for their title shot, the future of the Heavyweight division is going to be owned by strikers for the foreseeable future. Ernesto Guevara moves to 9-2-0 with this dominant win, but Rambo doesn’t have to wait long to try and regain his title. That fight will again break Valor FC records and I anticipate it being the biggest event in Valor FC history – breaking the record set by this event no less.

November 24, 2010

VFC 68 ‘Progress’ Preview.

155: Apachai Hopachai (6-6-0) v Ben Williams (5-6-0)

Having lost his last three bouts in Valor FC, opening up VFC 68 we are expecting a much improved performance from Apachai Hopachai. However with unconfirmed reports of a bad training camp for this fight, and lack of respect towards Ben Williams it looks like Hopachai is going to have to rely on his Proficient Boxing and Wonderful Muay Thai to keep this fight standing and out strike the fresher Ben Williams. Ben Williams boasts Proficient Muay Thai and Wrestling in what is a formidable skill set to take on Hopachai, I expect a very close contest to open up VFC 68 here but in my estimation, Ben Williams looks to have taken Hopachai more serious, than vice versa unfortunately.

170: “Dynamite” Doug Harden (3-1-0) v George “Stomp” Richardson (3-1-0)

Recent Valor FC signing and on the crest of a three win streak, Doug Harden joins Valor FC in a time when our Welterweight crown is unclaimed. This is an excellent opportunity for this man to stake a claim at Welterweight considering his rivals are taking the limelight tonight in the quarter final matchups and this Proficient Boxer and Respectable Wrestler loves taking fights the distance, he’s won all his 3 career wins via unanimous decision and looks to be a real tough nut to crack, I believe “Dynamite” will be a superb addition to Valor FC but tonight he faces another man who has come into Valor FC under the radar so to speak and another man I firmly believe is destined to cause serious upheaval at Welterweight, as George “Stomp” Richardson makes his Valor FC debut boasting his Competent Boxing and Wrestling, not to mention Proficient Muay Thai in what looks to be superb matchup. I signed both these guys at the same sort of time but this fight just made sense, it’s their first appearances in Valor FC and they have absolutely nothing to lose – I like both men and I think this could be a superb fight.

265: William Cunha (5-2-0) v Joe Lanza (5-4-0)

Wonderful Boxer William Cunha is back in action here at VFC 68 as he attempts to get back on track following a loss last time out, Cunha is a very popular guy in Valor FC and always puts on a great show but tonight he comes up against a fighter who’s style really seems to cause him trouble, it will be interesting to see how Cunha approaches the challenge of Proficient Wrestler and BJJ Purple grade Joe Lanza here in this Heavyweight bout. Lanza also lost last time out and this fight is a really important one for the future of both men, I think both will fancy their chances but this fight hinges on Cunha’s ability to keep it standing, if he can do that, he’ll certainly win this fight. If he can’t it will be Joe Lanza who takes the win. It’s pretty much that down the middle here.

205: Vince “Knuckles” Klaustner (2-0-0) v Johnny “Cold Steel” Klatchen (1-0-0)

This is a fight I am looking forward to, Vince “Knuckles” Klaustner with his Strong Muay Thai and Purple grade BJJ takes on Johnny “Cold Steel” Klatchen with his Wonderful Muay Thai striking in a fight at Light-Heavyweight between two men as yet undefeated in their careers. Well, tonight for one, that statistic ends and it could go in brutal fashion, I think this my contender for ‘Fight of the Night’ and I am really expecting big things from two guys who’ll think nothing of going out there and putting it all on the line, Klaustner is a bit more versatile, but “Cold Steel” raised his profile with a superb Round 1 debut KO head kick highlight reel finish at VFC 61. Both men have superb futures ahead of themselves for sure, and a loss to either man will not set him back in my estimation one bit – This is just one of these fights that has to be made to see where these guys are at.

265: Mister Clutch (7-5-0) v Kurt Johnson (6-3-0)

Mister Clutch is now something of a Valor FC stalwart having been with us since way back, making his debut at VFC 18 and this is a guy I had real high hopes for, but for whatever reason he remains something of an enigma. We all know his game, and what he does he does well using his Wonderful Wrestling to superb effect but the Lithuanian has himself expressed disappointment at how his career has went thus far, but he has promised us a marked improvement and tonight we’ll see just how that goes as Clutch takes on Kurt Johnson in our Heavyweight division. Remarkable Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and Respectable Wrestling is what Johnson can call upon in the cage – However it is curious that 4 of his 6 career wins have come via submission as his Blue grade BJJ is clearly a lot better than what is officially ranked. Kurt Johnson can claim to be the more superior all round fighter in this bout, but he concedes a lot of weight to Mister Clutch, with Clutch’s Wrestling that could well be the difference if he can impose his will like he loves to do.

170: Welterweight Tourney: Bud “Silver” Haze (2-0-0) v Alaric “The” Visigoth (3-1-0)

Into the Quarter Finals of our Welterweight Tournament, and Bud Haze takes on Alaric Visigoth in the first fight of the night and Alaric Visigoth’s manager has already publicly stated that Haze shouldn’t bother turning up in the pre fight build up, but I think that is nonsense considering Haze has already beat one of the pre tourney favourites in David Shields, “Silver” boasts Wonderful Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling and is, as yet undefeated in his career but we still don’t know a great deal about this man. Tonight he’ll have to work out a way to stop relentless Exceptional Wrestler and BJJ Purple grade grappler Alaric Visigoth who is really going through anyone we put in his path. This looks a bad fight for “Silver” but so did last time out when he defeated a BJJ Black belt to progress, he won’t be worried and I anticipate a great bout here.

170: Welterweight Tourney: Baldrick “The Bandit” Breitner (6-2-0) v “King of the Mount” Hutch Gibson (9-4-0)

Getting a second shot in the tourney due to a late pull out, Baldrick “The Bandit” Breitner will be doing everything in his power to take full advantage of this good fortune that has come his way. In truth Breitner has recently lost two in a row, but I don’t consider these as losses because I personally feel that the fights were scored incorrectly, but never the less, statistically speaking, Breitner needs a win here for sure as this Proficient Muay Thai striker and Wrestler can also call upon his Purple grade BJJ and Competent Boxing in what is a formidable all around game for anyone. Across the cage tonight, Hutch Gibson has won three in a row now including disposing of the much fancied Joonas Kolstela in the previous round as this Wonderful Wrestler and BJJ Brown grade will for sure want to ensure he is once again “King of the Mount” and take the win here. Baldrick Breitner comes from a superb camp and management team, but he’ll need to come up with a game plan for sure to stop Gibson, who on the face of it holds the better game. This has the potential to be a superb tactical battle and both men are not adverse to going the distance – I think that has to be the best bet of the evening, this one going the distance, as for the winner I can’t choose at all.

170: Welterweight Tourney: John “Blood Hound” Doe (5-5-0) v Jay White (9-2-1)

When the draw for the Quarter Finals was made, I think most people were in agreement that it pitted the favourite to take the Welterweight crown in Jay White, against the rank outsider John Doe. Tonight these two clash and can Doe shock Valor FC with a win here? Doe has now won three on the trot, and especially with a shock KO finish in the last round but surely this is a step too far for this Proficient Boxer and Respectable Muay Thai striker, Doe is all about the stand up and he knows he has the power to finish anyone – Will Jay White trade with a slugger? With 7 of 9 career wins via (T) KO Jay White comes to fight, he is superbly well rounded, Superb Boxing, Respectable Muay Thai, Strong Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ but White loves to trade, this fight has all the makings of a real stand up war and I think White will want to really walk over Doe on his path to the semi’s, but Doe can take this one – He’ll need a lot of luck, and White to fight his kind of fight, but after writing him off at VFC 63, I won’t be doing the same again. All the signs point to Jay White, but then again, no matter who he fights that, would most likely be the same thing. Doe knows there is no pressure on him; it’s White who must impress in victory here.

170: Welterweight Tourney: Co Main Event: “Sneaky” Pete Greco (9-2-1) v Wong “Ox” Ling (4-1-0)

The Co Main Event of the Evening is our final Quarter final matchup between “Sneaky” Pete Greco and Wong “Ox” Ling, in a fight that will put a lot of people’s favourites out of tourney no matter which way the result goes here. Former Champion Pete Greco is on a three fight win streak and this dangerous BJJ Brown grade’s submission game is much known but recently has improved his all round game now holding Competent Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling, Greco is on a mission to get his title back that he held for so long, but he’ll really have to go about it as another favourite is poised to fall in this one. Across the cage tonight, Wong “Ox” Ling seems to have a perfect game for Greco, he holds Superb Boxing with Wonderful Wrestling, he holds Purple grade BJJ too but the Chinese National likes to stand and trade. Greco traditionally has problems against brawl and sprawl fighters, and it remains to be seen how he goes about taking down “Ox” but Greco is much more experienced than his 20 year old opponent, perhaps Greco can exploit this fact during the course of the bout? I think this one is finely balanced, I couldn’t second guess who’ll take this one – But I do know the winner will be carrying some serious momentum into the Semi Finals. It’s the Co Main Event of the night and it’s been two of the best in Valor FC at Welterweight – I expect a titanic clash between two of, in my estimation, the best pound for pound talents Valor FC has to offer.

205: Main Event: “Dragon” Bruce Lee (8-4-0) v Milan Lucic (12-4-0)

The Preview of the Main Event to VFC 68 was submitted by Dave F who has a few fighters with us and a friend of Valor FC, thank you for this Dave and watch out for his guys at Lightweight and Light-Heavyweight, they are turning into real beasts.

Headlining VFC Progress is a light heavyweight battle between two fighters who both have title aspirations. The more experienced Milan Lucic is clearly the favourite in this fight, having previously held not only the belt in Valor, but also in District Extreme Fighting. Lucic lost the belt to Manuel Padilla in his first attempt to defend it, but has won both of his last two fights by TKO to set him up in position for another potential shot at the title. Bruce Lee, on the other hand, has been rather inconsistent in his career. The last time he won two in a row was at the start of his career where he won his first three. Since then he had alternated between winning and losing before winning his last two fights. A win tonight would match his career best of a three fight win streak. As far as over-skills go, Lucic comes in looking a bit better with Sensational boxing, Remarkable wrestling and a purple belt. Bruce Lee is no pushover though, as he also has solid boxing skills at Wonderful, but he also has a BJJ advantage with a solid brown belt. His wrestling, though, is a level lower than Lucic's at Superb, and that could hurt him in this fight since he will likely need to take this one to the ground as he is not the favourite to win in a stand up battle. Neither fighter has very prominent Muay Thai skills, but the slight edge goes to Lucic. Neither fighter likes to sit back and let the judges decide things, so this one definitely has the potential to be the fight of the night, or win one of the other awards. A great main event for VFC 68. You won't want to miss it!

December 3, 2010

VFC 70 ‘Bad Religion’ Preview.

185: Christian Gracie (4-4-0) v Henry Dangerfield (3-4-0)

The opening bout of VFC 70 promises to be a real dogfight, with both Christian Gracie and Henry Dangerfield losing their last three consecutively this really is a ‘fight for your job’ contest. I suspect Christian Gracie however will pull this one out of the bag, Gracie is a very talented guy – he sometimes just doesn’t appear that committed. We’ll have to see how he gets on come fight night, but I think is Competent Boxing, Respectable Wrestling and formidable Brown grade BJJ should prove too much here.

155: John “French Toast” Schultz (3-0-0) v Niels Bohr (3-5-0)

Recent Valor FC signing, John Schultz makes his debut here at Lightweight in this contest and with a perfect career record thus far, he comes into Valor FC with high hopes as this Competent Boxer, Strong Wrestler and Purple grade BJJ grappler looks to be quite the prospect – At VFC 70 he faces the more experienced Niels Bohr, who has exactly the same credentials as Schultz on paper, bar his Blue grade BJJ. Bohr has been knocked out three times in a row now though, and you have to wonder if that will come into his mind. In my opinion, Bohr has nothing to lose and the pressure will be on “French Toast” to make an impression, not the ideal way to start your career anywhere.

205: Papa “Bouba” Diop (4-3-0) v Corey Sanchez (5-3-0)

Competent Boxer and Respectable Wrestler, Papa Diop is a fairly inconsistent fighter, a win usually follows a loss recently in his career, and if that holds true – He will pick up the win here tonight in this Light-Heavyweight battle. I like “Bouba” though, he comes to get himself in a fight and his style certainly is eye pleasing but I wonder will he change his usual style as he comes up against a superior striker here in Corey Sanchez, with Strong Boxing and Respectable Muay Thai. The tactical approach will be key here, Diop is the better grappler on paper, but will he look to use that at some stage in this fight or will he come to brawl?

170: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (3-1-0) v Jesus “From Hell” Tabs (5-2-0)

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is a firm favourite already in Valor FC, his attacking style perhaps cost him last time out in a big upset loss to John Doe – but he is still a young man, Doe used his cunning to outfox “Rumble” but look for him to really bounce back here at VFC 70 as this Superb Boxer looks to get himself back on track. He faces a formidable task however as the more experienced Jesus Tabs is his opponent here on Sunday night. With 4 of 5 career wins coming by way of submission, there is no secret that “From Hell” is going to have to get this to the mat to win, so this fight comes down to who is the better Wrestler, there is nothing in this one, but its advantage “Rumble” as the fight starts standing. This one is a pick of mine for fight of the night and it will be interesting to see how both men respond to losing last time out, this is a fight I really like and I am certain it will be a good one.

265: Chrissy “Boom Boom” Lad (4-3-0) v Jon Rhodes (3-0-0)

Chrissy “Boom Boom” Lad has lost three on the bounce, but hasn’t fought from VFC 61 and this will be the first time he fights under his new management banner and to me, those losses are forgotten about. Sunday night he starts a fresh and this Superb Boxer with 4 of 4 career wins via (T) KO will look to get back to those days as he faces a stern examination here at VFC 70 from Jon Rhodes who comes into this bout with a perfect career record thus far. Chrissy Lad I am told has been putting serious time in at the gym and I am interested to see what new skills we’ll see from him come fight night. This fight might just suit Jon Rhodes as much as Chrissy Boy – I don’t think either of these men are thinking about going to the mat as Rhodes’ Wonderful Muay Thai has been very good to him during the course of his career. This one has the potential to find us a ‘Knockout of the Night’ for sure.

170: Jeff Grant (5-3-0) v Santana “Slick” Fritz (3-2-0)

With 5 career wins, 5 via submission, Jeff Grant and his Brown grade BJJ are becoming very well known in Valor FC. Despite losing on his Valor FC debut, I think the sky is the limit for a man who brings great depth to the Valor FC Welterweight division and come fight night, gets a chance for revenge for that loss at VFC 65 to Santana Fritz. Grant knows he has to avoid the hands of Fritz, he knows what happened last time but he also did take down “Slick” and that will give him a lot of heart coming into this rematch. On the other hand, Fritz has everything to lose here, what can he change? Boasting Remarkable Boxing, Strong Muay Thai and Wrestling he knows he is the red hot favourite, but if he goes to the mat, Grant can catch him. I think this one is going to be a bit of a cat and mouse encounter early on, but Grant isn’t the underdog everyone thinks – This could get interesting.

155: Urinus Limberdinkle (8-1-0) v Henery “Thunder” McLovin (9-3-0)

Urinus Limberdinkle is a formidable foe for anyone at Lightweight in Valor FC, bringing Proficient Muay Thai with improving Boxing, Strong Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ Limberdinkle can take any fighter to a place they aren’t comfortable with his menacing all around game and he is someone coming to the very top of the Lightweight food chain, especially with a win here. Limberdinkle has took 6 of his 8 wins by way of decision and this is a man who breaks you mentally during the course of a bout, he is very dangerous and is someone really I expect to challenge for the Lightweight strap at some stage for sure. That being said, at VFC 70 he is due to face Henery “Thunder” McLovin who possesses a dangerous game himself, with Respectable Wrestling and Boxing combined with Purple grade BJJ of his own this is a battle that could take place anywhere in the cage, I don’t know what to expect here at all, but what I do know is that McLovin is a finisher, with 7 of 9 career wins via submission, can Limberdinkle control him like he has everyone else? My own preference is the finisher, but Limberdinkle is a very intelligent fighter and won’t go anywhere that will put him in trouble – I expect a war here and this is one fight I’ll be looking out for.

205: Tomislav “Gravedigger” Vukovic (5-1-0) v Marcus “Maniac” Foster (4-2-0)

Valor FC would like to thank Marcus “Maniac” Foster and his management team, especially Brian Robertson for making this fight happen. This is a fight set up at extremely short notice and it features Tomislav Vukovic making his first and likely only Valor FC appearance against the ever hungry and combative Marcus Foster. When Valor FC needed a fight for this event, it was Foster who stepped up minutes after we sent out the SOS call and for that we owe this man a huge debt. Come VFC 70 he faces Vukovic and has a quick way to the top set up perfectly for himself, Vukovic is a decorated fighter in other NYC organisations and “Maniac” knows that a win here would be massive for his career. Can he take advantage? Fresh off a win at VFC 69 not any longer than a week ago, Foster is back again and this Remarkable Boxer, Respectable Muay Thai striker and Wonderful Wrestler with Purple grade BJJ is looking to rack up two in a week here, with 2 career wins via strikes, 1 via submission and another by decision, Foster seems to be able to do it all, but fight night he arguably faces his biggest test in the “Gravedigger”. Tomislav Vukovic has now won three on the bounce and this man is a finisher, boasting Sensational Boxing with Competent Muay Thai and Superb Wrestling with Purple grade BJJ I think this fight has all the ingredients to be a war. On the face of it, Foster will most likely want to get this fight to the mat, whereas Vukovic will be looking to stand and trade, but these men are very flexible and nothing will surprise me in this one but nothing less than a crowd pleaser is in store here I think. The pressure is all on Vukovic; Foster is in a superb position and will rocket up the rankings with a big win.

170: Co Main Event: “Razor” Ray Williams (6-1-0) v “Scramz” Fresh Hamz (4-0-0)

Big recent signing to Valor FC, “Razor” Ray Williams finds himself thrust right into the Co Main Event slot on his debut with our organisation, but this isn’t without merit, Williams is here to take Valor FC gold and this man knows how to win. With Wonderful Boxing, Respectable Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling and Blue grade BJJ Williams appears weakest on the mat but with 5 of 6 career wins via (T) KO he clearly knows how to keep fights standing but I don’t think either man here will be looking to go to the mat as “Scramz” Fresh Hamz with his perfect career record of 4 fights, 4 Round 1 stoppages due to strikes will relish testing himself against someone of reputed bigger ‘fame’ than himself. This is a legitimate fight between two men who could very well go on and fight for the Welterweight crown, and the winner will be setting himself up perfectly with the semi finals of our Welterweight tourney taking place in the month of December. Fresh Hamz has really come from nowhere, but this man hasn’t got out of Round 1 in his career and clearly possesses something special, with Remarkable Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling with Blue grade BJJ both men have extremely similar games and this one is a certainty to end early I feel. A loss here won’t harm anyone, these men both have serious power, so something has to give – but the winner knows he’ll rocket up the rankings and I think that will see both men getting involved in a good old fashioned fight here. Ray Williams is the more revered fighter, but Fresh Hamz is by far the more explosive, this one really has me excited.

265: Main Event: “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle (8-2-0) v “King” Kzarik Nahrul (8-1-0)

The Main Event of the Evening is going to be an absolute war, and since Valor FC can’t separate “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle and “King” Kzarik Nahrul into who is next for a shot at the Heavyweight crown, we’re going to have them make the decision for us as these monsters collide here at VFC 70. With sixteen wins combined between these men, thirteen by way of (T) KO this one can only really end one way can’t it? “Earthquake” boasts Remarkable Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling combined with Purple grade BJJ but also displays ever improved Boxing, and after his annihilation of Javier Martinez at VFC 66 he has put himself right into a play off with Nahrul for that elusive title shot. The only loss of Schkayle’s career modernly thus far has been to the Champion, Ernesto Guevara and with the men at the top of Valor FC’s Heavyweight division career’s seemingly intertwined it wouldn’t surprise me if he was to get his chance at revenge – but that will require a run of results in his favour and I have no doubts that Schkayle has not thought past Nahrul at all. Richtor Schkayle might just have the deadliest kicks I’ve ever seen anywhere, and with a number of highlight reel head kick finishes, this is certainly a weapon in his arsenal that Nahrul surely must try and neutralise but it is Schkayle’s all round aggression that is the most formidable thing about this man and he knows with one strike this one could be over. The same, of course can be said about “King” Kzarik Nahrul, and this Superb Boxer, Remarkable Muay Thai fighter and Strong Wrestling and Blue grade BJJ monster shares an equally impressive list of wins during the course of his career, himself only suffering one loss, to the then Champion, John J Rambo so both these men are driven by the same sense of ‘loss’ that a win here would grant them the chance of redemption. In my opinion, Schkayle is the more dangerous and ferocious of the two, but Nahrul is the better rounded and seemingly has more talent, there is no way I could pick a winner here, but I would lay money down on this one ending in Round 1. This fight to me centres around if Nahrul can dodge those punishing kicks of Schkayle and get the fight into the clinch, I think if he can do this and get Schkayle’s timing he could be onto a winner, but to get the timing you have to stand in the pocket – anyone who has done that with Schkayle recently hasn’t fared out too well, this one is going to be explosive.

December 8, 2010

VFC 70 ‘Bad Religion’ Review

185: Christian Gracie v Henry Dangerfield

Henry Dangerfield came right out here with a big takedown into the guard of Christian Gracie, who then instantly snapped in a triangle and after 0:26 of Round 1 this one was over due to a sensational submission by Christian Gracie. This win just shows what Gracie is capable of and this is a man who will now look to put together a run improving to 5-4-0 with this instant win.

155: John “French Toast” Schultz v Niels Bohr

John “French Toast” Schultz was relentless in taking this fight to the mat absolutely smothering Niels Bohr in this Lightweight bout. This fight was over after 4:22 of Round 1 as finally Schultz broke through the defences of Bohr locking in the Americana submission to take a win on his Valor FC debut and improving to 4-0-0 with it. Schultz looks to be a really solid addition to our Lightweight roster and I cannot wait to see him in action next.

205: Papa “Bouba” Diop v Corey Sanchez

Papa Diop displayed just how effective BJJ can be in the cage as he pulled guard effortlessly here against Corey Sanchez, giving up the dominant position, then used Sanchez’s own momentum against him to gain that dominant position and from then probed for a few submissions before advancing his way to full mount and finishing this one with strikes for a (T) KO win after 1:58 of Round 1. This was an absolutely sensational victory for “Bouba” and with it he took ‘Knockout of the Night’ for his work, probably the biggest win of Diop’s career here.

170: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson v Jesus “From Hell” Tabs

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has the power to hurt anyone, but he really needs to work on his Wrestling and takedown defence in particular because Jesus Tabs really exposed a big whole in a very talented young man’s game here. “From Hell” was only ever interested in taking this one to the mat and did so twice before submitting Johnson after just 2:02 of Round 1 here in this Welterweight bout.

265: Chrissy “Boom Boom” Lad v Jon Rhodes

Over nearly as quick as it started, Chrissy Lad absolutely destroyed Jon Rhodes here in this Heavyweight bout scoring the KO finish after just 0:54 of Round 1, Rhodes couldn’t live with the power and accuracy of “Boom Boom” and it told with a big overhand right which ended this one as a contest, but just for good measure Chrissy Lad followed up with some ground and pound.

170: Jeff Grant v Santana “Slick” Fritz

In another slick Round 1 win, Jeff Grant showed just how dangerous he is and announced his arrival onto the scene in our Welterweight division with a Kimura win after just 2:03 of the opening round. This was a win over a very legitimate talent and impressed me greatly; Grant also lifted ‘Submission of the Night’ here with this one and now stands at a formidable 6-3-0.

155: Urinus Limberdinkle v Henery “Thunder” McLovin

There was only ever one way this fight was going from the opening seconds when Urinus Limberdinkle took down Henery “Thunder” McLovin here in this Lightweight bout, McLovin had no answer for the smothering ground game of Limberdinkle. When this fight was vertical, which wasn’t very long admittedly, Limberdinkle also showed us some really crushing leg kicks and to be honest, Limberdinkle just shut out the ineffective McLovin to really propel himself up the Lightweight rankings into serious title contention.

205: Tomislav “Gravedigger” Vukovic v Marcus “Maniac” Foster

It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t the fight it could have been, but Tomislav Vukovic managed to scrape the unanimous decision win here at VFC 70. Both fighters came out with a counter attacking style and it didn’t really make for much of a spectacle, but Fosters best moments came in Round 1 when he generally out struck Vukovic and did land a takedown. But Vukovic proved a more elusive proposition in Round 2 and 3 as Foster couldn’t take him down again and Vukovic was happy to score with leg kicks. This fight was pretty poor to be honest considering the talent involved it should have been a better fight, but Vukovic improves to 6-1-0 with the 29:28 decision win across the board.

170: Co Main Event: “Razor” Ray Williams v “Scramz” Fresh Hamz

Fresh Hamz is for real, after 0:43 he’d walked over Ray Williams with a superb KO finish due to a knee to the aggressive Williams who was trying to clinch up. Fresh Hamz is one nasty man and now stands with a perfect record of 5-0-0, with our Welterweight tourney nearly at its conclusion “Scramz” is sitting perfectly to pounce and I would not bet against this man at all. With five first round finishes to his name, Fresh Hamz is rumoured to be facing off against the impressive Jeff Grant next, the winner of that prospective fight will surely be lined up to be the first to challenge our new Welterweight Champion, whoever that may be. Interesting times ahead for everyone concerned at Welterweight I think.

265: Main Event: “Earthquake” Richtor Schkayle v “King” Kzarik Nahrul

The Main Event of the Evening was our ‘Fight of the Night’ as this one started with a bang, right from the off Nahrul was cut by Schkayle with a semi blocked head kick, only for Nahrul to return the favour with an elbow to the forehead moments later as this one burst into life. Schkayle was always looking to use his kicks to get to Nahrul, but Nahrul was well ready for this often countering into the clinch and being the aggressor neutralising Schkayle’s kicks completely, at the end of Round 1 Nahrul had really taken it to “Earthquake” who didn’t know what to do with his kicks being taken out of the fight and Nahrul had opened up his opponent once more before time was called on Round 1. Round 2 began much the same, Schkayle looking more dangerous with his kicks this time but it wasn’t to be for much longer as Nahrul landed a finish of Gabriel Gonzaga proportions, showing Schkayle just how to do it with a (T) KO Head Kick finish after just 0:39 of Round 2. This was a really nasty finish to Schkayle and his own weapon of choice really killed him here, “King” Nahrul now lies in wait for whoever comes out of Rambo v Guevara II on Christmas Day. Nahrul now boasts a record of 9-1-0 and is really one of the top Heavyweights in all of NYC, he has done his bit – he can relax and enjoy the festive period knowing that he’ll get a chance for revenge against Rambo, or a fresh shot at Heavyweight gold against the official best Heavyweight in NYC, Ernesto Guevara.

December 10, 2010

VFC 71 Constantine v Martinez Preview.

205: “Wildchild” Robert Hurt (2-3-0) v Randy Mantell (3-3-0)

This could be a tough one for BJJ Brown grade Robert Hurt; he must get this one to the mat to have any chance it seems against Randy Mantell who boasts a superior all round game with his Competent Boxing, Respectable Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ. This may prove to be too much of an ask for Hurt, but Mantell has lost his last two in a row, so this is no forgone conclusion.

265: Oscar “Opa” Perez (4-4-0) v Billy “Bob” Thornton (3-3-0)

Oscar Perez suffered a knockout defeat on his Valor FC debut and this BJJ Brown grade will be looking to put that right here at VFC 71 against Billy Thornton. With all 4 of his career wins via submission, we know Perez is going to want to take this one to the mat but will he be able to takedown Superb Wrestler Billy “Bob” Thornton? Thornton will be looking to frustrate Perez here I would imagine and try and out strike “Opa” standing, with his Proficient Muay Thai he certainly seems to have the tools to employ this type of tactic, it will be interesting to see how this one goes should it remain standing.

205: Pesho Talpata (6-5-0) v Otto “Brain Dead” Karalexis (5-3-0)

Otto Karalexis has lost his last two, and this Remarkable Muay Thai striker will want to get back on track here at VFC 71 – With his improving all round game there is still plenty of time for Karalexis to become a big player in our Light-Heavyweight division and Saturday could see the start of that, but he’ll have to really try and keep the distance from relentless Wonderful Wrestler and Boxer Pesho Talpata who is something of a Valor FC veteran now and we know will try and take this to the mat as soon as he can – Karalexis must try and keep this one standing, because all five of Talpata’s defeats have come by way of (T) KO, something which “Brain Dead” is more than able of adding to.

170: Alaric “The” Visigoth (3-2-0) v “Dynamite” Doug Hardin (4-1-0)

Alaric “The” Visigoth took his eye off the ball at VFC 68 and has admitted that it was his own fault he got eliminated from the Welterweight tourney due to over confidence, Saturday night is his chance to put it right as this dangerous Exceptional Wrestler looks to get back on track – Visigoth has all the right tools to be a major player at Welterweight but this will be a stern challenge for him as Doug Hardin made quite a name for himself on his Valor FC debut with a (T) KO win at VFC 68. With Strong Boxing and Respectable Wrestling I would imagine that Hardin will look to keep this one standing and employ a sprawl and brawl type strategy, but Alaric is nothing if not relentless and he tends to be over aggressive in trying to secure the takedown. Both men know what the other is going to do, but I wonder how Visigoth will cope if he cannot get this one to the mat. Interesting to note, Hardin has won 3 of 4 career wins via decision and certainly knows how to grind out the win, I am not sure Visigoth knows how to do the same.

185: “Deep Dish” Frank Pizetti (4-2-0) v Brando Weiss (3-3-0)

With four wins in a row, Frank Pizetti comes into Valor FC with great fanfare and I cannot wait to see this man make his debut here at VFC 71, with a great all round game, leading with his Competent Boxing this is a true mixed martial artist and I think the only way is up for this young man, however in a very tough opening assignment, he is faced with Brando Weiss across the cage on Saturday night, a man who on the face of it – holds much better skills in his Respectable Boxing and Wrestling along with Purple grade BJJ. This is a battle of two very well rounded young men and there is no way to predict how both will go after this one, but with both men being well versed in going the distance, I think we have the potential for a real see saw battle at Middleweight in this one.

265: Thomas “Kid Gyro” Conway (9-7-0) v “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz (10-5-0)

This Heavyweight battle is between certainly two of the most seasoned and talented men in Valor FC who for whatever reasons, haven’t made good on their talent just yet in the organisation. With both men coming off losses I expect this to be a really keenly fought contest as both Thomas Conway and Joell Ortiz are both vastly experienced enough to take this fight anywhere. “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” has won 6 of 10 career wins via decision, so he knows how to get the job done and with his Superb Boxing and Wrestling game he is more than able to implement a number of game plans but just what will he have in store of “Kid Gyro” who holds reputedly less Wrestling talent but equal Boxing and with a much better all round game to boot? Thomas Conway has fought the better competition in Valor FC, and I think that might just get him through this bout – But, Ortiz cannot be written off at the same time. I think this one could be the outside bet for ‘Fight of the Night’ honours.

205: Gabriel “Zone Keeper” La Fleur (3-1-0) v Juancho “First River” Rivera (3-1-0)

This is the fight that could really capture the imagination of everyone in attendance Saturday night as two of the best young talents in all of Valor FC let alone our Light-Heavyweight division are set to cross swords as Gabriel La Fleur will face off against Juancho “First River” Rivera. With La Fleur boasting Wonderful Boxing and a decent Wrestling game, and Rivera holding Remarkable Boxing with similar Wrestling, I think we are going to see a stand up war here. “Zone Keeper” holds the superior Boxing, that is true, but it is “First River” who has been finishing men, namely his last three opponents in a little over one minute combined time in what is a hugely explosive stand up game. This one has the potential to launch a star, but these are two men that are going to be around the top sooner rather than later – This one can’t get out of Round 1.

205: “Scooby” Chrissy Boy (7-2-0) v Kurt “The Real Deal” Manningham (5-1-0)

Former Valor FC Light-Heavyweight Champion, Chrissy Boy makes his return to the cage here at VFC 71 having lost his title back at VFC 60 to the now Champion, Brad Charyak. How will be cope on his return? We are told that “Scooby” has made serious changes to his game since that loss, namely improving his grappling, something that has really never been tested as this Exceptional Boxer has all 7 career wins via (T) KO. Will we see any evidence of these new improvements in this fight? Or will they merely supplement what is probably the best knockout power in the division? Chrissy Boy had won six in a row before VFC 60 and I think he’ll be expecting to get back on track here for sure but “The Real Deal” Kurt Manningham is on a bit of a streak of his own at the moment and will take some stopping I believe. With four wins on the bounce now, Proficient Boxer and Wrestler, Kurt Manningham seems to have the type of game that will really test out Chrissy Boy’s recent training, supplement this with Purple grade BJJ and I think Manningham will really fancy his chances in securing what would be an upset here. I believe Manningham must get this fight to the mat in order to get that win, but if he doesn’t, Chrissy Boy won a title on finishing people who gassed themselves out trying to take him down right away only to gas themselves out, you have to fight smart to defeat “Scooby”. Can “The Real Deal” do this?

205: Co Main Event: Jagger Cyde (8-2-0) v “Lights Out” Brave Heart (10-2-0)

With 6 of 8 career wins via decision, Jagger Cyde has found himself propelled into the spotlight here in our Co Main event where he will face off against the dangerous Brave Heart. This will be a big surprise I think to Cyde because he hasn’t really defeated anyone thus far in what I would consider top ten opposition but we are going to find out very soon just how well he’ll do against a genuine top ten ranked Light-Heavyweight. Jagger Cyde doesn’t really possess the talents that his opponents have been graced with, but that hasn’t stopped him really smothering the life out of them thus far as this extremely effective all round fighter will stop at nothing to grind out the wins, Cyde loves going the distance and this is a man who has effectively shut out everyone he’s faced in Valor FC. However on Saturday night he’ll face a man unlucky not to be fighting for a title as undefeated in five, Brave Heart is once again in action – With his Remarkable Boxing and Respectable Wrestling “Lights Out” has been pretty much destroying whoever we put in front of him at Light-Heavyweight here and I think if he can secure a win over uber-grinder Jagger Cyde he’ll be well on his way to that title shot he craves. So who will take this one? The grinder or the punisher? I think Brabe Heart has to be the favourite but Jagger Cyde has been pretty much the underdog in every fight he’s had in Valor FC and he loves this role, can he upset the odds once again? With Brave Heart being so close to a shot at the 205 crown, I wonder if he’ll come out less aggressive, that could be dangerous because he’ll most likely get tangled in Cyde web in that instance. This promises to be a very intriguing fight and I can’t wait to see who prevails here.

265: Main Event: Constantine I the Great (9-4-0) v Javier Martinez (6-4-0)

The Main Event of the Night is also the most straight forward one to call as Constantine I the Great boasts Exceptional Boxing and has 7 of 9 career wins via (T) KO, and whatever he hits he pretty much destroys and across the cage, Sensational Wrestler Javier Martinez has shown that he can’t take too many shots and must get this fight to the mat before he gets hit, if he does that he’ll finish for sure as he holds the most effective ground and pound in Valor FC. So it’s perfectly poised, can Martinez dodge Constantine’s bombs to get this one to the mat where he must get it to win? Or will Constantine catch Martinez early and confirm the suspicions about his chin? Both these men have enjoyed fairly inconsistent careers, often following a win with a loss and so on, but they have never been too far away from the top. This is the classic grappler faces striker and its advantage Constantine you feel as this fight starts standing up. If Martinez tries to stand like he did last time, he’ll be knocked out again you feel, but, if he gets you to the mat, this is a man who will make you pay big time. The Main Event is one between two ‘one trick pony’s’ but also, two very effective at what they do pony’s. Whenever Constantine and Martinez get in the cage though, you know, win or lose, someone is getting finished and this is two of the most aggressive Heavyweights in NYC colliding here in a fight that could well spell the end of the road for the loser, I promise fireworks in this one.

December 15, 2010

VFC 71 Constantine v Martinez Review

205: “Wildchild” Robert Hurt v Randy Mantell

Losing this fight has to hurt Randy Mantell as he absolutely dominated “Wildchild” Robert Hurt here in the opening of VFC 71, taking down his opponent at will and generally dominating Hurt into the final round, only for “Wildchild” to pull out the Kimura submission win from nowhere and take the win at 1:55 of Round 3. Remarkable stuff from Hurt who with this win improves to 3-3-0 overall in his career.

265: Oscar “Opa” Perez v Billy “Bob” Thornton

What a battle took place here in this Heavyweight bout between Oscar Perez and Billy Thornton as these men conspired to serve up an instant classic at VFC 71 with a back and forth battle. Yet again this fight went against the man who made all the running as I felt that “Bob” was doing enough to take the decision win had this one seen out the final minutes of the final round. This fight was a ground war for the majority, with Billy Thornton really grounding and pounding out “Opa” before he fell victim to a superb out of nowhere Hail Mary Arm Bar from Perez, this was a slick finish and really knocked the stuffing out of the more impressive Billy Thornton here. But nevertheless, Oscar Perez gets the win and now moves to 5-4-0 thanks to the help of his very effective and dangerous BJJ game and also takes home ‘Submission of the Night’ for his efforts here too.

205: Pesho Talpata v Otto “Brain Dead” Karalexis

Pesho Talpata instantly takes this one to the mat, landing straight into the mount and from here finishes the fight after just 0:27 of Round 1, this was a nasty loss for Karalexis but Talpata brutally exposed the holes in his game here with a nasty KO finish due to ground and pound moving to 7-5-0 with it and he’ll certainly be looking to make his way back up the standings now having gotten back on form here at VFC 71. Talpata has always had the talent to cause anyone in the division trouble, perhaps we’ll see him make another run now at Light-Heavyweight.

170: Alaric “The” Visigoth v “Dynamite” Doug Hardin

Alaric Visigoth got an early takedown here and I thought that he would be able to go on from there and secure the win, however his work in top position wasn’t to the liking of the referee, who stood up the action and from here, rather foolishly, Visigoth tried to get the fight back to the mat only to gas himself out and get finished at 3:44 of Round 1 due to (T) KO strikes from the resilient and dangerous Doug Hardin, this was an impressive finish from Hardin in my opinion and he moves to 5-1-0 with some really laser accurate striking but really, Visigoth made life so much easier for him with his one dimensional efforts.

185: “Deep Dish” Frank Pizetti v Brando Weiss

Frank Pizetti was making his Valor FC debut here and he came in to much hype due to his winning record at Middleweight, however a massive hole in his game was exposed here by Brando Weiss showing all his experience to absolutely teach “Deep Dish” a valuable lesson in the necessity for clinch work in the game. Pizetti was never in this fight whatsoever as Weiss was pretty much able to dominate his opponent and landed 100 % of punches from the clinch, which was 133 just to show how effective this game plan was. Weiss is back on form with a great win, but I believe that Pizetti will be back for revenge at some stage in his career here after this one – “Deep Dish” is a very talented young man and won’t be happy with what happened here whatsoever.

265: Thomas “Kid Gyro” Conway v “The Brooklyn Bad Ass” Joell Ortiz

Thomas Conway picks up a Round 2 submission win here over Joell Ortiz in what was a keenly contested Heavyweight affair. Conway was the better of the two standing up here but failed with his takedowns and I thought this could hamper his game plan, which clearly was to get Ortiz off his feet. However Conway showed us just another glimpse of his evolution as to end this one he got into the clinch, effortlessly pulled guard on Ortiz and promptly snapped in an arm bar for a fantastic submission win after 2:34 of Round 2. I was very impressed with Conway here and I think this man could have turned the corner with this win over a very credible opponent.

205: Gabriel “Zone Keeper” La Fleur v Juancho “First River” Rivera

This one ended in some controversy, with Gabriel La Fleur appearing to hold his eye after a poke, Juancho “First River” Rivera showed no mercy and went right after La Fleur almost instantly finishing the retreating “Zone Keeper”, take nothing away from “First River” he only did what was asked of him, but Le Fleur might well be fuming at how this one ended. Over after only 0:29 of Round 1, Rivera now makes a big step up in competition as he takes on Chrissy Boy next at VFC 76 hoping to extend his impressive resume, which now stands at 4-1-0. I get the feeling we’ll be seeing this one again however at some point, Gabriel La Fleur and Juancho Rivera are part of a new breed of Light-Heavyweight in Valor FC and they are already making waves.

205: “Scooby” Chrissy Boy v Kurt “The Real Deal” Manningham

Kurt Manningham started this fight like a house on fire, taking down Chrissy Boy instantly and really had the crowd on their feet expectant of a quick finish. Well, we got the quick finish but it wasn’t quite the way we expected as inexplicably the referee stood this one up after very little time to manoeuvre from the dominant positioned Manningham. “The Real Deal” tried to repeat and get Chrissy Boy to the mat again, but he was wise to it this time and began to stuff the attempts with relative ease and begin to score with body shots before ending this fight shortly after with a straight right, into a combination that knocked out Kurt Manningham. This was a harsh decision to stand the fight up at that stage, but, Chrissy Boy won’t give one thought to it and now moves on to face the impressive Juancho Rivera at VFC 76.

205: Co Main Event: Jagger Cyde v “Lights Out” Brave Heart

The Co Main Event of the Evening was also our ‘Fight of the Night’ as Jagger Cyde and Brave Heart decided to have themselves something of a war here in this Light-Heavyweight bout. This fight was a stand up affair but both men took to really going after this one in the clinch with Brave Heart coming out tactically looking to dirty box Cyde it looked like, but found that Jagger Cyde was well up for that often cracking Brave Heart in the clinch much to his surprise in Round 1. But slowly and surely, Brave Heart’s experience began to tell and he began to take control of this fight, without ever bossing it but he did condemn Cyde to the mat twice in Round 2 as the writing looked to be on the wall at that stage after a very plucky start from Cyde. Into the final round and it really was only a matter of time but again Cyde came out very bold, looking to trade and get right in the pocket with Brave Heart as both men once again went to war. Cyde was the more successful fighter in the clinch I thought, but it was at close distance Brave Heart was doing the damage as he wrapped this fight up from a similar position after breaking a clinch and connecting on the way out, landing a crisp one two counter, which knocked down Cyde yet again – Brave Heart knew the end was near and applied some more pressure to wrap up the (T) KO win after 2:45 of Round 3. This was a hell of a battle and Jagger Cyde performed admirably against a much more experienced opponent, I have no doubts he’ll be back but for Brave Heart, it would appear a big fight with former Light-Heavyweight Champion, Marius Budawalski, is on the horizon.

265: Main Event: Constantine I the Great v Javier Martinez

The Main Event of the Evening was the easiest to call, and it happened exactly like we thought it would as Constantine I the Great managed to crack Javier Martinez on his chin right from the start and put him on the mat. Constantine knew Martinez would try and take him down and admirably stuffed his following takedowns before ending this one after a huge left in what was a sensational win for Constantine. Martinez was destroyed here and really needs some time to think about what he is going to do from here because he cannot take a punch – admittedly from one of the most dangerous men in Valor FC albeit. As for Constantine, he now moves to 10-4-0, picks up ‘Knockout of the Night’ and will welcome Valor FC new boy “The Prophet” Mordechai Marx at VFC 75 in what will be a very big fight for our Heavyweight division. The winner of that fight will propel themselves instantly into the title picture I imagine but tonight was undoubtedly Constantine’s night as he took down a dominating win.

December 15, 2010

VFC 72 ‘Annihilation’ Preview.

205: Mike “Do It Right” Holmes (1-0-0) v “El Cigano” Jose Laundoes (2-2-0)

What a war we have in prospect here to open up VFC 72 as two young Light-Heavyweight’s with Wonderful Boxing are poised to meet, with both these men displaying knock out power in previous outings – There is no doubt that this one will most likely end early as Mike Holmes faces off against the more experienced Jose Laundoes. I expect this fight to remain standing as this is both men’s bread and butter really; however “Do It Right” Holmes does hold superior Competent Wrestling so it will be interesting to see if he attempts to utilise that at any stage – This is a real blink and you’ll miss it affair to open up the action on Saturday night.

170: Brook Bonix (3-1-0) v Pedro “Sweetness” Omar (5-5-0)

With Strong Boxing and Competent Wrestling, Brook Bonix has the type of game that Pedro Omar traditionally struggles with so it will be interesting to see if he can take down the win here at VFC 72. Bonix had an impressive Valor FC debut with a Round 1 KO win at VFC 66 and he’ll be looking to continue that kind of form here for sure. However Saturday night he faces the toughest test of his career in dangerous high level BJJ Black belt Pedro Omar. Omar boasts equal Competent Wrestling to Bonix and this fight really hinges on this issue, can Omar get it to the mat because his stand up really is not on the level just yet of Bonix, if he can I expect him to pick up the submission win, if he doesn’t it could be a long night for him. Bonix knows what Omar will want to do, it’s just about getting the tactics right for him.

265: “The Bear” Sergei Onatopp (2-1-0) v Justin “Sane” Travis (6-1-0)

Back in action Saturday night, Justin “Sane” Travis with his Remarkable Boxing game and impressive record with (T) KO finishes faces off against the Russian, Sergey Onatopp. This fight pretty much hinges on just how good Travis will be at stuffing the relentless takedowns of Onatopp, while Onatopp holds Remarkable Boxing of his own, he is a Wonderful Wrestler and he’ll look to revert to that against a striker as dangerous as “Sane” I believe. This one could be a contender for fight of the night I believe, should Onatopp win he’ll pick up a big upset win – If Travis picks up the win here he’ll really be looking at top competition.

155: “Bust ‘em up” Zack Allan (3-0-0) v “Redneck” Cottoneye Joe (5-2-0)

A very interesting Lightweight bout in prospect between young Zack Allan and Cottoneye Joe here at VFC 72. Boasting a Wonderful Boxing and Muay Thai game, there is no doubt that Zack Allan holds the striking of a future Champion, he made his Valor FC debut back at VFC 60 with a decision win, then left for a bit to continue his development – He now finds his way back to Valor FC on the back of two straight (T) KO finishes and with his Superb Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ prompting us to put him in a bout with another very impressive Lightweight recently, Cottoneye Joe, Can Allan extend his perfect career record at the expense of the more experienced “Redneck”? Cottoneye Joe holds superior Exceptional Boxing to Allan, but concedes the Muay Thai game with his Strong rank in this suite – With both these men’s Wrestling and BJJ ranked equal on paper this should be a superb close fought contest – I think this one ends on its feet to be honest, I don’t see either man attempting to grapple but Allan does seem to have a very dangerous clinch game – If “Redneck” can work out a tactic for this, he might be half way to a win, but that is a big if from what I have seen of “Bust ‘em up” thus far. Cottoneye Joe however is on a three win streak over serious competition – Allan has never fought anyone at this standard and it may come a bit too quick for him. I think Cottoneye takes this one, but Allan is here to stay and while I think Cottoneye can take it, I won’t be putting any money on it as Allan is more than capable of taking this one down and announcing his entrance to Valor FC with a massive scalp.

185: Logan Evans (8-4-0) v Travis “Juggernaut” Jaeger (10-6-0)

Making his debut with Valor FC way back at VFC 8, Logan Evans is a former Valor FC Middleweight Champion and failed at VFC 65 to take back his crown as Corey McKennedy yet again took another decision win to remain Champion. This Superb Boxer, Respectable Wrestler and BJJ Purple grade is back in action here at VFC 72 against formidable competition as he attempts to get back on track as he squares off against Travis Jaeger in this Middleweight clash. Jaeger is easily one of the most talented men at Middleweight in Valor FC; however he went four without a win only to banish that streak at VFC 67 with his first win in some time. So this Respectable Boxer and Proficient Wrestler will be looking to use his Wonderful Muay Thai and Brown grade BJJ in order to go two in a row here. Travis Jaeger is immensely well rounded, he can take fight anywhere and be dangerous from it but he doesn’t always appear interested – if he takes Logan Evans lightly he will get finished because Evans has some serious power and it is for this reason I expect “Juggernaut” to employ a grappling tactic in this one, Evans will need to be ready for this and I think this could be another really interesting bout.

170: Baldrick “The Bandit” Brietner (6-3-0) v “Sneaky” Pete Greco (9-3-1)

This is a massive fight at Welterweight for a few reasons, firstly because this is a fight between two of the very best not left in our on-going tourney, and secondly, because Baldrick Breitner is fighting to save his career here in this one as this man has now lost three in a row so this is a fight I cannot wait for. Baldrick Breitner started his career superbly, winning six on the trot, before losing his last three – I’ve already said I don’t consider two of them losses because the scoring was less than fair in my opinion, but Breitner has said this is it for him should he fail to be victorious here so I expect to see the best out of the German here at VFC 72. With Proficient Muay Thai and Wrestling, along with Competent Boxing and Purple grade BJJ “The Bandit” is exceptionally well rounded and it is always a treat to see him in action and with his own words hanging over him, perhaps we’ll see Breitner intent on going for the finish rather than controlling? Across the cage come fight night is undoubtedly one of the best in Valor FC history, the longest reigning ever Welterweight Champion, indeed our first ever Champion “Sneaky” Pete Greco is back in action and this dangerous Brown grade BJJ grappler has been steadily improving recently – with now Proficient Wrestling and Competent Muay Thai. With both these men coming off losses I expect a real war to be honest, I think this one might well go the distance too because neither of these men have any quit in them. I can’t call this one but if “The Bandit” can keep Greco standing, he will certainly be more than half way to victory – Should be a fascinating tactical battle.

170: Jason “The Burner” Turner (7-2-1) v Jon “Lethal” Lyle (7-1-0)

In his last bout, Jon “Lethal” Lyle was the new boy, now he welcomes Jason Turner in what is a superb bout in prospect in the Welterweight division. This is a meeting between two men I really have big hopes for and I think we could see the winner here immediately being catapulted into contention. Jon “Lethal” Lyle took a narrow majority decision at VFC 67 in a fight he was touted as a comfortable favourite for showing him just how big a step up the competition was at Valor FC. Saturday night is another serious step up because Jason “The Burner” Turner comes to Valor FC with a big reputation and we are expecting big things from that man. Lyle comes into this bout with Respectable Muay Thai and Wrestling, but his Brown grade BJJ is really what makes this man dangerous, with 4 of 7 career wins by way of submission, going to the mat with “Lethal” is not a good idea but he doesn’t pose much of a threat standing, which can be exposed as Philip Olsen did as he gave Lyle a big scare at VFC 67. A former Champion in another NYC org though, Jon Lyle will be hoping to get himself another crack at gold in Valor FC and if he wins this one I can’t say he’ll be that far away when we come to deciding who is first in line for a crack at the soon to be crowned, new Welterweight Champion. But before he can even think of that he must negotiate his way past “The Burner”, with Superb Boxing and Proficient Wrestling, Turner is a nightmare matchup for Lyle as he not only holds better striking, but is also considered a better Wrestler, so just how will Lyle go about taking down this man? Turner will know exactly what Lyle wants to do, and vice versa and I think that could lead to this fight being something of a cat and mouse affair – I am interested to see who comes out on top here, but I really think this is a tough matchup for both men.

170: Welterweight Tournament Semi Final: Wong “Ox” Ling (5-1-0) v Bud “Silver” Haze (3-0-0)

Wong Ling started life in Valor FC as a Lightweight, but I think that Welterweight suites him much better as recent performances can testify to, with two straight wins now in our Welterweight tourney, Wong Ling now finds himself one fight away for a title fight, with Superb Boxing and Wonderful Wrestling combined with ever improving Muay Thai and Purple grade BJJ this is a man more than capable of taking down anyone and recently he’s looking very menacing. The Chinese national has only been defeated once in his career, and he’s very hard to beat and he’ll really fancy his chances against the relatively inexperienced Bud Haze. Bud Haze fights with his Wonderful Muay Thai game and Proficient Wrestling but doesn’t really has anything else in his locker – this is something that Wong Ling can really take advantage of and I think that this fight might just have come a bit early for Bud Haze, but, we at Valor FC said that before and Haze proved us wrong and this one could be a lot closer than most people think, I expect fireworks with a title shot on the line, “Ox” is considered the favourite by most, but anything can happen and Haze has shown himself to be more than capable of grinding out a decision win.

205: Co Main Event: “The Terminator” Manuel Padilla (8-3-0) v Don The Fist (5-0-0)

The Co Main Event of the Evening is going to be a war, I can promise you that for sure as “The Terminator” Manuel Padilla with his Wonderful Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and much improved Proficient Wrestling takes on the explosive Don The First with his Competent Boxing game combined with Exceptional Muay Thai with Respectable Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ to boot. This one has knockout written all over it as two of the most aggressive and dangerous men at Light-Heavyweight in Valor FC are on a collision course. Holding a perfect career record thus far, Don The Fist has finished all but one of his fights before the distance, similarly, win or lose, Manuel Padilla has been the distance once in eleven outings as this vastly popular striker comes to finish. I don’t think too much needs to be said here about this one, it’s going to finish via strikes and it won’t go the distance. It is just a matter of who hits who first, on the face of it Don The Fist may be considered the favourite, but you have to be wary about betting against Manuel Padilla as this man can finish anyone – as always we just have to look back at VFC 48 when Padilla knocked out the then, dominant Champion Milan Lucic. This fight is nearly a certainty to win one, if not two of the ‘of the Night’ awards and I can’t wait to see who prevails here, this is certainly a fight for the fans and both these men are vastly popular, it could only take a main part of the card a fight like this.

170: Main Event and Welterweight Tournament Semi Final: “King of the Mount” Hutch Gibson (10-4-0) v Jay White (10-2-1)

The Main Event of VFC 72 is the final Semi Final of our Welterweight tourney; with a title shot on the line to the winner I think it’s fair we can anticipate a war here between Hutch Gibson and Jay White. With eight wins between these men in their last eight outings, four of these by way of (T) KO it is understandable to have the anticipation rising for this bout, some may have called for this to be the final itself, but neither man can even dream of the final just yet as they both face their sternest career tests in just a few short days. “King of the Mount” Hutch Gibson boasts a dangerous grappling game, with Wonderful Wrestling and Brown grade BJJ this is a man at the very highest level of grappling, combine that with his Proficient Boxing and ever improving Muay Thai, Gibson is a very dangerous individual and certainly one of the favourites to take down the Welterweight tourney. Gibson prefers to go the distance, with 5 of 10 career wins via decision he is a man not afraid to grind it out however across the cage on Saturday night he faces a man who doesn’t believe in working his body for the 15 minutes as Jay White with his Superb Boxing and Respectable Muay Thai has finished 8 of 10 opponents thus far in his career via (T) KO. Combine this with Strong Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ, White certainly is the more explosive of the two and this man has seemed destined to hold Valor FC gold for some time – With four clear wins on the trot, Gibson certainly represents his toughest task yet, but White won’t be worried one bit because he knows he holds heavy hands that can put anyone away. This is the second Semi Final and I expect both men to leave it all in the cage, however comes away with the win here will certainly deserve their spot in the final and I think that this one is going to be razor close – Jay White will certainly want to keep it standing, but how can you stop a grappler the level of Hutch Gibson taking you down? We are going to see either way if he can do it come fight night – This one promises to be a war.

December 20, 2010

Preview of VFC 73 ‘Middleweight Dawn’

185: Brad “The Man” Cunningham (2-4-0) v Bosco O’Neill (0-0-0)

A stand up war in proposition here as Superb Boxer and Exceptional Muay Thai striker Brad Cunningham faces off against debutant Bosco O’Neill with his Exceptional Muay Thai. We don’t know a great deal about O’Neill and this is the first outing in his career, he is making his debut in the opening of VFC 73 and the first bout in our Middleweight tourney, of which, the first series of matches is taking place tonight. Cunningham displays superb skills, but has yet to transfer this into results – You would have to fancy him to take the win here against the very inexperienced O’Neill here though, can O’Neill upset the odds?

185: James “KO” Cyde (0-0-0) v Tyson “Massacre” Mitchell (1-0-0)

Another Middleweight tourney fight taking place now with another debutant in James “KO” Cyde, boasting Wonderful Boxing Cyde will certainly have the striking to bother anyone, but just how well will his overall MMA game be? He will almost certainly be tested in the extreme tonight by Tyson Mitchell, who has just got his own debut out of the way not so long ago. With Strong Muay Thai and Respectable Wrestling, “Massacre” might well just look to use his superior grappling in order to progress here, however if Cyde can keep this one standing, it could well be a serious fight between two men very dangerous on their feet. The crowd I suspect will be hoping this scenario plays out, this one will be razor close.

155: Paul Macho (2-1-0) v Ben Williams (6-6-0)

In a slight change of pace now, to Lightweight we go and to Paul Macho with his Superb Boxing and Respectable Wrestling hoping to get back on track here at VFC 73 at the expense of very experienced Ben Williams. Macho won the opening two fights of his career via (T) KO and he’ll look to go back to his striking here I feel against Proficient Muay Thai fighter and Wrestler Ben Williams. Macho will have to keep this fight standing I feel, and just how good his Respectable Wrestling is will go a long way to decide the winner of this fight.

185: Vagner Love (1-0-0) v Joonas Kolstela (2-1-0)

Back to our Middleweight tourney now and Vagner Love with his Proficient Muay Thai and effective Purple grade BJJ will be hoping to advance at the expense of Joonas Kolstela here at VFC 73. Vagner Love won the only fight of his career via Submission and from what we’ve seen thus far of this man he seems to be very versatile – This could be the key for him in this one as he takes on a very dangerous man in Joonas Kolstela. Boasting Exceptional Muay Thai, Wonderful Boxing and Superb Wrestling is one of the early favourites for the tourney, but he’ll have to come of age here during the course of this competition as he seems to be on course to go far. A word of note on this one however, I’ll be very interested in seeing how Kolstela copes if this fight goes to the mat – Love has shown himself to be well versed in the ground game and this is clearly one of the very few weaknesses Kolstela appears to have. This one could get interesting should it become a grappling contest, but Love will have a lot of work to before he gets into a position like that, all the pressure is on Kolstela here, how will he cope?

185: Dwight Ansalon (6-2-0) v Eric Sutter (6-2-0)

Eric Sutter’s manager has promised us a first round KO here in this Middleweight bout, and with this Superb Boxer and Proficient Wrestler in great form recently, winning his last five on the trot – it will be very hard to argue with his confidence in his man. But tonight he faces off against Dwight Ansalon who will be his toughest opponent in some time, with Proficient Boxing and a Superb Wrestling game along with a Purple grade BJJ game Ansalon seems to have a game tailor made for Sutter and it will be interesting to see how Sutter copes coming up against a fighter with much the same style of himself. This one should be a cracking contest between two of the dark horses in this Middleweight tourney, I think both will let it hang out tonight and this one could well be a ‘Fight of the Night’ contender.

185: Shawn “Bullet” Hawkings (7-3-1) v Abel “The Holy One” Silva (6-1-0)

What a fight this promises to be, both these men are Valor FC stalwarts and this is a bout I cannot wait for as Shawn Hawkings and Abel Silva are going to lock horns here at VFC 73. Shawn Hawkings, with Superb Boxing and Respectable Wrestling, has won 6 of 7 career bouts via decision and he is becoming quite a master at this, I expect him to try and frustrate Abel Silva here tonight too, but with Abel Silva scoring 5 of 6 career wins via (T) KO that might be easier said than done. Shawn Hawkings has shut out some really talented guys before, but he’s going to have to put on a real performance here tonight I feel against Strong Muay Thai striker and Respectable Boxer “The Holy One”. I will be very interested to see how both men approach this one, especially Hawkings as I feel he’ll have to try and keep Silva away from him and how he goes about this, and how successfully, will be the key to this bout.

185: Boba “The Bounty Hunter” Fett (5-0-0) v Mark “The Absolute” Trent (0-1-0)

Boba Fett started off his career in Valor FC but left to pursue other avenues, he finds himself back in our Organisation now at VFC 73 with a reputation as one of the best and most dangerous Middleweights in NYC already in only 5 career bouts to date. This is a man who is easily most peoples favourite to take down the Middleweight tourney, with 5 of 5 career wins all via Round 1 KO, “The Bounty Hunter” has barely been tested in his career so far and we haven’t even seen the full range of his Sensational Boxing and Superb Muay Thai game. Fett also call upon Exceptional Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ in what is easily one of the most formidable skill sets I have ever seen. A Champion with another NYC org, Fett is coming to Valor FC to make himself a two time Champion but Mark Trent stands in his way tonight, and this Exceptional Wrestler and Brown grade BJJ grappler does possess a very dangerous game for Fett. “The Absolute” is more than capable of upsetting the odds here I feel and this is a very early meeting between two men destined for greatness, I think the key to Trent is really keeping the distance before shooting in, but can he avoid the bombs of a man who has finished everyone in his way within Round 1? Mark Trent also holds Superb Boxing but I really doubt he’ll want to trade with the crushing Fett. This is a fight, in which both men can really set down a marker, and the winner will become a big favourite after this one for sure, this is going to be a fight for the ages I believe.

185: Wes Morris (7-3-0) v Alexander “The Great” III (6-2-0)

Coming all the way from his usual base of Amsterdam, Alexander “The Great” III with his Exceptional Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and Respectable Wrestling combined with Purple grade BJJ has really flown in under the radar so to speak, with a lot of talk about other fighters in this Middleweight tourney, Alexander will be looking to advance at the expense of tough teak Valor FC favourite, Wes Morris. With 4 of 6 career wins via (T) KO there is no doubt “The Great” will want to keep this one standing and that will suit Remarkable Boxer, Wes Morris down the mat as this man comes to get in a fight. Also able to call upon Competent Muay Thai, Proficient Wrestling and a Purple grade BJJ game this one is no doubt going to be a stand up war between two warriors I feel have the ability to go a long way should they manage to get past their tough initial assignment. I would start Wes Morris as the favourite here, this is a man I know all about and he brings the pain, has “The Great” came up against anyone with as much heart as Morris before? I doubt that.

265: Co Main Event: Andrus “Fabolous” Nuut (7-7-0) v Karter “Cuter” Duxx (7-2-0)

The Co Main Event of the Evening is pretty straight forward, If Andrus Nuut cannot get Karter Duxx to the mat, he’ll be knocked out and that’s pretty much it. With 7 career wins, 6 via (T) KO, Karter Duxx is really priming himself for a shot at Valor FC gold, he’s probably about one or two big wins away from it right now and tonight he could seize the opportunity with the Heavyweight title being up for decision next week. Having been at Valor FC his entire career, since way back at VFC 13 Duxx is certainly deserving of a shot and this Exceptional Boxer and Respectable Muay Thai finisher will look to really secure himself a position at the top of the ranks here. Andrus Nuut however is something of an anomaly, he has the ability to defeat anyone – and with 5 of 7 career wins via submission he can really take advantage of the complete lack of ground game that Karter Duxx has. Nuut boasts a good all round game, with Proficient Boxing, Purple grade BJJ and Competent Wrestling without really excelling anywhere and that seems to be the problem as if “Fabolous” cannot use his counter game, he doesn’t really seem to have a back-up plan. There is absolutely nothing for Nuut to lose in this one, and he can really catapult himself back into contention with a big upset here, how will Duxx go about business here? All the pressure is on Duxx, will he be able to take this one down?

205: Main Event: “Dragon” Bruce Lee (9-4-0) v Brad Charyak (9-2-0)

The Main Event of VFC 73 is for our Light-Heavyweight title as “Dragon” Bruce Lee takes on Brad Charyak in a massive fight to end the night. This is another pretty straight forward fight, essentially the classic grappler versus striker matchup despite these two men being two of the best well rounded fighters in all of Valor FC. Bruce Lee is a true Valor FC man, and nothing would make me happier than to see this man crowned Champion tonight, because having been with us since VFC 1, our very first show, Bruce Lee has been consistently one of the best here at 205 and it is quite an achievement to have someone with one org that long, and still remain in contention. With Wonderful Boxing, Competent Muay Thai and Remarkable Wrestling along with dangerous Brown grade BJJ not to mention a seriously impressive chin; “Dragon” has all the attributes to become Champion; however he does face the fight of his life against the defending Champion, Brad Charyak. Bruce Lee has won 8 of his 9 career wins via Submission, and this is certainly something he’ll be looking to take advantage of tonight. Will Bruce Lee be able to take down the Champion though? He’ll have to go about this in a smart fashion because the Champion is looking pretty much unbeatable at the moment, with Remarkable Boxing and Muay Thai and a Superb Wrestling game not to mention Purple grade BJJ Charyak is a real punisher having won his last four fights via unanimous decision victory with relative ease mostly due to his clinch work where he just dominates, Bruce Lee presumably will have something in place for that. I expect a real game of cat and mouse here because both these men know the other will be able to capitalise on any error. While Charyak tends to dominate via the five rounds, one wonders if he will be able to keep “Dragon” at bay for the entire twenty five minutes. This promises to be a superb contest with the winner undoubtedly becoming one of the very best in NYC at Light-Heavyweight, picking the winner in this one is not going to be easy – But I will be extremely interested in seeing how Charyak copes with Lee should this one go to the mat, that will be what most of the neutrals will want to see too, but Charyak knows it is coming.

December 21, 2010

Harsh Luck to Vagner big challenge. Congrats Joonas

December 23, 2010

Preview of VFC 74 Rambo v Guevara II

170: George “Stomp” Richardson (3-2-0) v “The Whirlwind” John Adams (6-5-1)

Competent Boxer and Wrestler, George “Stomp” Richardson will be looking to bounce back here in the opening of a massive night’s action here at VFC 74, boasting Strong Muay Thai also, this young man has the potential to be a real star here in our Welterweight division but he really needs to buck the two losses in a row streak he has at the moment. He’ll fancy his chances here at VFC 74 but John Adams is a very experienced competitor, indeed Adams is one of our longest serving guys having been with the organisation since way back at VFC 4. With Strong Boxing, Competent Wrestling along with Purple grade BJJ a win over “The Whirlwind” is no give me, showing just how competitive Welterweight is here at Valor FC. Both these men are pretty versatile, so this fight could really go anywhere and I don’t think one man holds the advantage over the other here – Richardson is the more inexperienced of the two, but I don’t think the occasion will get to him at all. The one could go the distance in a close fought contest.

265: Mister Clutch (8-5-0) v William Cunha (6-2-0)

Coming off a win at VFC 68, Mister Clutch still remains one of the most dangerous fighters in our Heavyweight division, however if you can dodge his Wonderful Wrestling game and especially his nasty clinch work – this man doesn’t really seem to have a backup plan and this is exactly what William Cunha will look to do here in a really intriguing battle here at Heavyweight. Cunha’s Wonderful Boxing means he can look to pick off Clutch and maybe keep the distance, however Cunha doesn’t really boast much else himself to ward off Clutch and this fight will really come down to tactics, Clutch might well look to counter into the clinch, but if he gets caught – Cunha does have knock out power. It would be a dangerous game for Clutch to play but the Lithuanian holds some of the most deadly knees I’ve ever saw and if he gets that clinch Cunha is in big trouble – This fight is sure to be kept standing and we know the crowd will love that.

205: “Cabernelli” Everth Cabaret (2-1-0) v JT Carter (6-3-0)

“Cabernelli” is another exciting prospect coming out of the Jake Waldren camp based out of Montreal and this dangerous young Wonderful Wrestler displays a very envious skill set already with his dangerous Purple grade BJJ to compliment his dominant Wrestling. Cabaret is no slouch in the stand-up either with Superb Boxing and Respectable Muay Thai showing just how dangerous this man is, furthermore, “Cabernelli” has ended his last two fights via early (T) KO and that elevates him already into a meeting with JT Carter. Carter has fought the much better competition of these two men and there is some speculation as to how that will manifest itself during the course of the bout. With Strong Muay Thai and Proficient Wrestling Carter isn’t really known for his finishing so that means he will have to find a way to neutralise the dangerous ground game of Cabaret – If he can keep this fight standing he certainly will be well on his way to a win, but Cabaret is relentless with his takedowns and certainly will be confident in taking down Carter.

155: James “The Ninja Bunny” Carrow (5-3-0) v “The Second Coming”” Manchild Warsaw (5-1-0)

James Carrow lost on his first outing in Valor FC at VFC 69 to Chris Jones, and he’ll be looking to bounce back here at VFC 74 but he faces a formidable test in the shape of Manchild Warsaw who’s been making quite the name for himself in our Lightweight division. Carrow holds Respectable Boxing, but it is his Superb Wrestling and dangerous Brown grade BJJ that really is his strong point, this man is a high level grappler and with 4 of 5 career wins via Submission, it’s evident he knows how to finish once he puts you on your back and the fact he is facing a Remarkable Boxer on a four fight win streak, means this is going to be the classic grappler faces striker matchup. “The Second Coming” however has improved his Wrestling by all accounts, it now stands at Respectable but will that be enough for him to keep the fight standing? Warsaw has been on an absolute tear over the past few months, but this is the first time he will have faced a fighter like Carrow and I think this fight will go a long way about telling us just how far Warsaw has come in these past few months.

155: Clayton Daniels (8-1-0) v “The Terror” Gabe Shade (10-4-0)

Former Valor FC Lightweight Champion, Clayton Daniels is making his first appearance since surrendering his title at VFC 67 to Mike Martin and tonight we could see the first step towards regaining his title as he takes on the dangerous Gabe Shade here at VFC 74. With his ever improving Boxing, Remarkable Muay Thai combined with Strong Wrestling and possible the best clinch game in Valor FC Clayton Daniels might not strike you as the most dangerous guy at Lightweight, but there is no doubt that he is certainly the most effective and with only one loss in his career, in what was a razor close decision, I get the feeling we might just see Daniels back on top before long. Across the cage, Gabe Shade is certainly the more talented fighter, with Proficient Boxing and Competent Muay Thai his real strength is in his Superb Wrestling and dangerous Brown grade BJJ with half of his wins coming via Submission he’ll certainly want to get this fight to the mat – But that might well be easier said than done. Both these men are coming off losses, but both also know that with a win here that will more than erase that loss and I cannot wait for these men to get at it on Christmas Night. Daniels tends to go the distance in his bouts, but will he be able to keep “The Terror” at bay for the three rounds? A lot is at stake for both these men here, but the winner really will catapult himself back into title contention.

265: Vlad “The Impaler” Tepes (8-4-0) v Waldo “W” Whip (6-3-0)

Vlad Tepes finds himself at a cross roads in his career right now, for the first time in his career, Tepes is coming into a fight on the back of two losses and that will certainly hurt the Romanian destroyer who has fought for the Valor FC title on two occasions. However he’ll feel he has an excellent chance to get back on form here at VFC 74 at the expense of Waldo Whip I believe as it is against grapplers that Tepes usually delivers his best performances and most brutal of finishes. With Exceptional Boxing and Remarkable Muay Thai Tepes is a finisher with a superb record of 7 of 8 wins via (T) KO and is easily one of the most dangerous men in all of NYC let alone Valor FC, judging by Tepes record of 3 ‘Knockout of the Night’ awards, this is a man more than able to taking down anyone and it looks like Tepes has really improved recently – I can’t wait to see this man in action again. Waldo Whip is a formidable character, with Strong Boxing and Wrestling, not to mention effective Purple grade BJJ - he owes 4 of 6 career wins via Submission. Whip also finds himself on the back of two losses, and this is a huge fight for the future of both men’s careers. It is very interesting in my view that Whip lost his last two fights to feared strikers by way of decision, so it is clear in my estimation that Whip is a very durable character who can take the best that those men had thrown at him, will that stand him in good stead against another striker in Tepes? Whip has pretty much been able to takedown anyone he’s faced thus far in Valor FC – The problem from here is, Whip doesn’t really go for the jugular, he will get Tepes to the mat at some stage in this fight I think, but he must go for the finish because he seems to get easily picked apart on his feet. Will that play out here? This fight and how it plays out could really go a long way into shaping the future career, or lack thereof for the loser.

265: Joel “The Hobo Clown” Angelini (4-0-0) v “El Patron” Martin Sanchez (7-4-0)

Valor FC dipped into the market and signed them a real potential star of the future here, and at VFC 74 you all get to see the first appearance of the undefeated Joel Angelini. With four career wins and four via Round 1(T) KO “The Hobo Clown” looks to be the real thing. This man hasn’t even gone over two minutes in any of his fights thus far and comes to Valor FC amid much hype and fanfare and I am proud to have him fight under our banner. With Remarkable Boxing and Respectable Wrestling, Angelini is a typical striker and is, from what I’ve seen, very aggressive and explosive. His first opponent in Valor FC is no fool though, because “El Patron” Martin Sanchez is himself on a four fight win streak, boasting Superb Boxing, Competent Muay Thai along with Strong Wrestling and very dangerous Brown grade BJJ Sanchez has won 6 of 7 career wins via Submission and this will certainly be an avenue he’ll want to explore. Despite Martin Sanchez being a more developed fighter, Angelini certainly will fancy his chances because every loss of his career has come via strikes and if “The Hobo Clown” can keep this fight standing I suspect he might well take this one down. This is a very tough opening task for Angelini, but if he takes down this win though, we might well have found a very real contender already in his young career. “The Hobo Clown” has nothing to lose here but I can’t wait to see him in action here at VFC 74.

205: Milan Lucic (12-5-0) v Justin “The Unsolved” Riddle (8-2-0)

This fight at Light-Heavyweight is what we call a fight for the fans, however it also features two of the baddest men in Valor FC at 205 and this is a fight with serious title implications as Milan Lucic and Justin Riddle face off here at VFC 74. With Sensational Boxing, Proficient Muay Thai combined with Remarkable Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ, Milan Lucic is easily one of the most feared strikers in all of NYC, he’s ended 9 of his 12 career wins via (T) KO and Lucic is a former Valor FC Light-Heavyweight Champion. Lucic hasn’t gone the distance in a long time; this man is a finisher and is more than capable of ending this fight at any time with either one of those stone like hands of his. Milan Lucic lost last time out at VFC 68 to a Hail Mary last minute knee bar to Bruce Lee and Christmas night is his chance to put that right. It won’t quite be that easy however as Exceptional Boxer and Strong Muay Thai striker, Justin “The Unsolved” Riddle is his opponent here at VFC 74, along with Superb Wrestling and Purple grade BJJ Riddle is another one of those punishing stand out strikers in our Light-Heavyweight and come fight night our fans are sure to be in for a treat – for the length that this one lasts, because for me this one ends pretty quickly and it is a matter of however lands first here in my estimation, I don’t expect either man to try and grappler however Riddle can use his clinch work to good effect should he be allowed. With both men coming off losses I think we’ll see two determined warriors go at it on fight night, and the winner here is a coin toss, I have no idea who takes this one – But I do know the winner will be sitting pretty right at the top of the list the next time Valor FC looks for a title challenger to the incomparable, Brad Charyak.

155: Co Main Event: Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith (13-6-0) v Mike “The Maniac” Martin (10-4-0)

This one has got personal, back at VFC 56 Kenneth “Boa Kahn” Smith took a highly contentious split decision over the Champion, Mike Martin to take his Lightweight crown, Martin was furious after the fight and there never was a rematch, until now. At VFC 74 these two men will go at it once again in our Co Main Event, in identical circumstances with Smith the Challenger and Martin the Champion. Kenneth Smith has been labelling “The Maniac” ‘Pillow Hands’ in the build up to this fight seemingly to try and taunt the Champion into losing his focus, with Proficient Boxing and more dangerously, his Wonderful Wrestling and highly effective Brown grade BJJ “Boa Kahn” has taken down 8 of his 13 career wins via Submission, Smith has called himself ‘Ambien’ to Martin and this fight has really become a war of words, we know that Smith will want to take this fight to the mat and there is no doubt he is more than capable of doing this as he proved in the first fight between these men but Smith knows he needs a decisive win over Martin this time, if not for the fans, but himself. The Champion has already declared there will be no ‘Pillow Hands’ this time and he is going to put Smith to sleep, Mike Martin is not one for trash talk without the means to do so and with his Exceptional Boxing and Strong Muay Thai he certainly has the striking to do this but the key to this bout might well be in his Superb Wrestling and improved Brown grade BJJ. In the first bout between these men, Kenneth Smith was relentless in his takedowns, he had no intention of standing with Martin as this is all he really did during the stand-up portion of the bout, I think we are due to see a repeat of this tactic to be honest and considering the mood Mike Martin has been in it might be better he gets this one to the mat where Martin appears less dangerous. In my estimation, I doubt that Martin will want to go to the mat quite as much as he did in the first bout between these men, to be honest it’s probably what cost him the fight and I know he’d like nothing better than to end this one early but recently Martin has been going the distance with his last four going down this path. It is strange we find ourselves back in this situation but I know that Mike Martin will not want to lose twice to Kenneth Smith, let alone lost his title twice and I think we are going to see one of the best fights in Valor FC history here as our Lightweight title is once again on the line.

265: Main Event: John J Rambo (10-1-0) v Ernesto “Che” Guevara (9-2-0)

And on the theme of rematches, here we go again as the two biggest hitters in Valor FC literally, square off once again to find out who is truly the undisputed Valor FC Heavyweight Champion. There was no controversy in the first bout between these men though, Guevara dominated Rambo last time out handing him not only his first loss, but a knockout loss in Round 1 as Rambo didn’t even get to throw a punch at the express train that was Ernesto Guevara. Over after 1:45 of Round 1 Guevara became our new Champion and the biggest Heavyweight in NYC along with the win. Fast forward to VFC 74 and I get the feeling that Guevara won’t quite be as untested this time, Rambo is angry and Valor FC felt obliged to give Rambo a rematch considering he’s been with the company since VFC 2 and our Champion since VFC 9. Guevara didn’t mind going after Rambo again – In his eyes he wanted this legitimacy anyway so here we are. John J Rambo was devastated after the loss, especially considering he was unable to mount any offence; I don’t expect that to be the case this time out though as this Exceptional Boxer and Respectable Wrestler will be looking to assert his dominance once again over our Heavyweight division he once ruled with an iron fist, literally. What can Rambo change this time out? Pretty much everything, he must come out and put Guevara under pressure – Rambo has knockout power and has 7 of 10 career wins via this method so he really must let his hands go this time out, albeit in a technical manner. Rambo must get back to what made him nearly unbeatable, Rambo had 9 title defences and 6 of those were wins via his Heavy hands and another one due to Submission because he literally beat a man to submission. However this is all good in theory considering Ernesto Guevara has now won five on the trot all via his hands as this Sensational Boxer and Remarkable Wrestler really seems to be a new breed of fighter, our Heavyweight Champion has 8 of 9 career wins via (T) KO and the only losses of his career came a long time ago. Guevara is looking pretty much unbeatable at present and Rambo really does face a big challenge to try and get his title back, Guevara doesn’t really have to change much in this bout to be honest – It was his superior positioning and movement that made him elusive, but I am interested in seeing how he rides out the opening few minutes, he has to be bracing himself for Rambo coming out all guns blazing and I think everyone in attendance at VFC 74 would expect no less from Rambo. This one has instant classic written all over it and this is the final fight in a night that will surely set Valor FC records – This promises to be a historic night for Valor FC as we promote our biggest card to date, don’t miss it, live Christmas Night at the Credit Card Arena.

December 24, 2010

Where are the Reviews for the tournament(s)? =(

December 24, 2010

Where are the Reviews for the tournament(s)? =(

sorry came in a bit late, because of the holiday rush work...

will be posting, vfc 72 max 30mins....

and vfc 73 max 1 day...

thanks for you patience...

December 24, 2010

VFC 72 ANNIHILATION REVIEW

MAIN EVENT

170 : JAY WHITE defeated HUTCH GIBSON

via TKO (Strikes) 3rd round 1:45

Jay started early scoring with a punch as it prompted Hutch to bring the game to the ground. Jay showed good control as not much damage done which prompted the referee to standup. Jay White then increased the level of his play and became much more aggressive as he utilize his standup skills to the max by scoring at will with his punches and kicks to end the 1st round. Hutch then tried to be more aggressive by attempting a couple of takedowns but Jay showed very good takedown defense to frustrate his opponent, at the same time, he got busy by throwing more punches and kicks executing his gameplan to a T. Jay White unrelentless attacks softened up Hutch as he bombarded his opponent with strikes which prompted the referee to stop the fight.

With this dominating performance, Jay White continues to move up the ladder with an 11-2-1 w/l/d card while Hutch Gibson dropped to 10-5 w/l record.

CO-MAIN EVENT

205 : DON THE FIST defeated MANUEL PADILLA

via TKO (Strikes) 1st round 35secs

Manuel wanted to come out smoking and dictate the tempo of the fight, rushing towards Don and was aggressive throwing strikes. But Don have other plan in mind, as he showed very good striking defense. Don then shifted gear and decided it was his time to move forward as he executed a perfect headkick which dropped Manuel to the mat, Don followed him to the ground and unload a flurry of punches til the referee have seen enough and decided to step in to stop the fight.

Don The Fist continued with his streak improving to 6-0 w/l card while Manuel Padilla dropped down to 8-4 w/l mark.

UNDERCARD

170 : WONG LING defeated BUD HAZE

via Unanimous Decision

1st round proved to be a preview of what to expect for the whole fight, after an early takedown by Wong, Bud was able to reverse by making a sweep going back to standup. These two fighters battled evenly both scoring with punches. 2nd round once again, saw Wong for an early takedown after not much action on the ground, the referee ordered the fighter to standup. Wong mixing things up as he scores with punches and kicks, not to be outdone is Bud who was able to initiate a clinch and was scoring well on his side with knees using his MT skills to the hilt. Wong ended the round with a takedown. After 2 rounds, scores were about even. Then came round 3, Bud showed some aggressiveness but Wong showed some good striking defense while scoring with some kicks and punches coming from his end. Wong had a successful takedown and was even looking to finish attempting a couple of submissions.

Wong was rewarded with a victory in a very close match to improve to 6-1 w/l record while Bud Haze suffered his 1st loss in his career for a 3-1 w/l card.

170 : JASON TURNER defeated JON LYLE

via Unanimous Decision

Jon Lyle came into this fight with a lot of expectation, determined to put on a good show, he was aggressive trying to mix things up with his striking and/or attempting for a takedown but Jason proved to be a tough customer as he exhibited good takedown defense and striking defense to put his opponent at bay. Jason was putting on a show scoring at will with combos as he continued to frustrate his opponent. Finally a successful takedown by Jon, but Jason gamely controlled any offensive plans from Jon and showed good wrestling skills by sweeping his opponent to end on top. After a referee standup, Jason once again displayed his exceptional striking skills as he unloaded combos one after another til the end of the fight.

Jason Turner won on all cards and continues to move up with an 8-2-1 w/l/d card while Jon Lyle dropped to 7-2 w/l record.

170 : BALDRICK BREITNER defeated PETE GRECO

via Unanimous Decision

Baldrick diligently studied Pete style of play as he was able to control the fight in the 1st 2 rounds, he was the busier fighter scoring a bit on standup. Inspite of the 2 takedowns on each of the 1st 2 rounds by Pete, Baldrick were able to do well controlling his opponent to prevent any damage that can be done on his side as he exhibited good ground defense. Pete Greco knew he had to increase his level of play coming in to the 3rd round, as he finally showed good striking defense and taking his opponent down 3 times trying to score on the ground or by submission which gets the nod of the judges in the final round.

Baldrick Breitner were able to withstand the last round attempt of his opponent to turn the game around improved to 7-3 w/l card while Pete went down to 9-4-1 w/l/d mark.

185 : TRAVIS JAEGER defeated LOGAN EVANS

via Unanimous Decision

If there is an off-night in MMA, this could be a very good example from Logan Evans, as he failed to make any headway in this fight. Travis completely dominated this fight as he were able to score more on the standup game at the same time showing some decent striking defense. Travis were able to score a couple of takedowns and was able to score with strikes, displaying some good ground and pound skills and looking to finish with a couple of submission attempts.

There was no doubt on the judges scorecard as Travis Jaeger improved his record to 11-6 w/l mark while Logan Evans dropped to 8-5 w/l record.

155 : ZACK ALLAN defeated COTTONEYE JOE

via Unanimous Decision

Both fighters showed aggressiveness as they both willingly tried to exchange strikes on standup, these 2 fighters were scoring a bit, connecting some and missing some, displaying either poor striking defense or good standup skills. Once Zack brought the game to ground, it became once sided as he continues to score with some good ground and pound to the head and body or attempting to finish the fight via submission. The same story for the 2nd and 3rd round as Zack showing the way with some very good takedown skills while exhibiting good takedown defense to bring the game to the ground to pound his way victory til the end of the last round.

Zack Allan continues to preserved his unblemished record with a 4-0 w/l card while Cottoneye Joe dropped to 5-3 w/l card.

265 : JUSTIN TRAVIS defeated SERGEI ONATOPP

via KO (Punch) 3nd round 4:32

Sergei came out aggressive, persistent with a takedown inspite unsuccessful tries early in the round, he was able to score well with some ground and pound to finish the opening round with a flurry. The next round prove to be a disaster for Sergei as Justin finally getting comfortable and started to connect with his punches even inflicting a cut on Sergei. Justin showed takedown defense as well in the 2nd round to prevent his opponent from making a headway. A big uppercut from Justin drops Sergei to the mat and after waving to his opponent to standup, Justing followed it up with a big right hand to finish Sergei out cold.

Justin Travis punches his way to an impressive 5th straight win and a 7-1 w/l record while Sergei Onatopp dropped to 2-2 w/l card.

170 : PEDRO OMAR defeated BROOK BONIX

via Submission (Triangle) 2nd 3:46

Brook Bonix came out aggressive as he looks to clinch on every opportunity, scoring well either with a shot to the head or to the body of Pedro. On the ground, Brook continued to be active, trying to score on strikes even on his back as he got rewarded to get the opening round. Pedro Omar finally settling to the pace of the fight, this time gets his turn to be aggressive to score an early takedown, Pedro showed some good ground and pound as he scored over Brook. Pedro was determined to finish the fight looking for submission and finally gets the chance to seal the win after a couple of tries with a Triangle.

Pedro Omar improved his record to 6-5 w/l record while Brook Bonix dropped to 3-2 w/l card.

205 : MIKE HOLMES defeated JOSE LAUNDOES

via KO (Punch) 1st round 1:10

Opening the round, this fight promises to be an exciting one as both fighters willingly traded blows and is turning out to be a brawl. After all the exchanges, Mike sends Jose to the mat with a perfectly timed punch. Mike then motioned Jose to standup, but as both fighters prepare to brawl once again, Mike seizes the opportunity after seeing an opening on Jose with an uppercut that sends Jose to the ground for good as the referee steps in to stop the fight.

Mike Holmes impressed everyone in his debut for VFC org for an unbeaten 2-0 w/l card while Jose Laundoes continues to struggle dropping to a 2-3 w/l mark.

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