ITFL Season 4 - "Carpe Diem"

[762x39]

Great write up Joe.

[GBK16]

Delighted to have Sully on board with his analysis of The Corporation's fights, and hopefully all the fighters can enjoy a nice cold one at his bar afterwards

 

I am hoping to have the Preview up by tomorrow night, but it will most likely need me pulling an all nighter to get done

 

 

ALSO

 

A reminder to those competing in Team Conquer vs The Corporation that you must be in AMSTERDAM for this event, NOT in London.

 

The following fights in FinnFighters vs The Misfits also apply to to the above:

 

Joey Kocur vs Timur Rubin

 

Algot Von Panzerhosen vs Dante Cross Furia

 

Urho Berserk vs Chris Severn

 

 

 

Last but not least, I am making one slight addition to the Preview which I hope everyone will like. Just a minor addition, but I feel it will give more life to it.

[GBK16]

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TROID PRESENTS

INTERNATIONAL TEAM FIGHTING LEAGUE

SEASON 4

ROUND 1

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the first round of the new season of the ITFL! This season sees the tournament moved over to Troid in London, and there is a real excitement about this season as we will be seeing a number of top managers and top fighters competing for not only the glory of their team, but for their own glory as individuals.

On this weekend, we not only have the beginning of the prestigious ITFL tournament, but it also features the very first PPV card in Troid’s history, and it includes one of the ITFL fights on the card. With this being probably the biggest weekend in Troid’s history,

We have 6 teams competing in this season, with 7 fighters on each team. Those 7 fighters are split into two weight groups: The 170lbs and the 265lbs. Each team has 3 fighters in the 170lbs division and 4 fighters in the 265lbs division. They have made their picks, the teams are good to go, so without further ado, let’s get right into this!

TEAM MATCH 1

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Our first team match of the round sees the notorious FinnFighters face off against The Misfits!

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Our first bout of this fight sees the FinnFighter’s Taisto Perala take on The Misfit’s Johnny Luca.

Taisto Perala is a former fighter of Mannetosen’s before his brief departure from MMA Tycoon, and he was subsequently picked up by Jorma Oltsu following his spell on the FA market. He signed up with Tokyo based org UNFC, and enjoyed a 3-1 run in the org, winning all of his fights via (T)KO before signing up to the ITFL. With a Solid Chin, he has shown finishing ability, with 4 (T)KO’s and 2 Submissions from 7 wins. He has never been knocked out, and now looks to represent his team with pride.

Johnny Luca is a Muay Thai fighter who enjoys striking at range, but it is activeness inside the clinch which is most impressive, even if his strikes from range find the target more. A fighter who has competed under both Insanity and AMS FC in his career, he had found both of his managers gone missing under suspicious circumstances before finding a solid routine under Harry Bagofdonuts. He lost in his last bout to Arturo Atunes, in a fight which saw im knocked out in the last second of the fight, and now he is looking to the ITFL to rebuild himself under his new manager, and is looking to make Taisto Perala his first victim.

It’s going to be a great fight to start us off, but I am going to go with Taisto Perala to win this bout late in the fight.

Prediction: Taisto Perala to win via (T)KO in Round 3

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Continuing on the brawl, the next fight sees Sambo Rambo take on Shintaro Nomo.

Sambo Rambo, despite appearing to be a Sprawl and Brawl style of fighter from his skills, is actually a highly accomplished BJJ fighter who has achieved 4 submission victories in his career, with none via (T)KO. He is currently on a 3 fight losing streak which has dampened his record, and many have pointed to his lack of kicks as being his weak point coming into this fight. He will need to sink in a takedown swiftly in his bout in order to minimise the potential damage he could suffer.

Shintaro Nomo is a very similar style of fighter to Rambo, with a great submission record, but Nomo has the advantage of the record of knocking his opponents out also. While he does possess some kicking ability, I don’t believe it is at a high enough level to trouble Rambo enough. He will be looking to rely on his fists to give him the advantage standing, while his ground game is developed enough that he should be defensively sound while also being able to threaten, although the same can be said for his opponent.

Overall, I think Nomo’s superior striking could be the difference. I don’t believe Rambo will gain a finish, but he could hold the position after gaining a takedown and pull home a Decision win, but I have to go with Nomo for this one.

Prediction: Shintaro Nomo to win via (T)KO in Round 2

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A highly anticipated clash follows here as Helix “Black Heart” Cabrera takes on EP Champion Yaniv “In The Closet” Schulmann!

Helix Cabrera may not have the greatest of fight records, but this tournament is made to change the fortunes of fighters. As he puts it, Cabrera is “bad to the bone” and upon accepting this fight, he told me that “The 0 has got to go”, referencing Schulmann’s undefeated record thus far. Blessed with a Granite Chin, Cabrera has developed his overall MMA game well to limit the weaknesses his opponents can exploit. He will be looking to his striking to get the job done in this bout, and will be looking to avoid allowing Schulmann to control the fight, which he has specialised in throughout his career.

Yaniv Schulmann is currently riding an 11 fight winning streak which has seen him go undefeated in his career so far, although it could have been a different life for him. On the 1st September 2014, he actually retired from MMA, shortly before his 22nd birthday. He would unretire from MMA a mere few days afterwards, but since then, he has a renewed enthusiasm for the sport. He was 6-0 before retiring, and is now 11-0, which included a win in EVO and also a run in Epicity which saw him claim and defend the title there. While not known for his ability to finish, he knows how to use his skills to control the fight and grind his opponents down.

This is going to be a difficult fight for Cabrera, but he has the power and durability to get the job done. I expect Schulmann to control the early stages of the fight before Cabrera surges in the second round to claim the win.

Prediction: Helix Cabrera to win via (T)KO in Round 2

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Midway through this team battle, we now see Algot Van Panzerhosen step into the cage against Dante Cross Furia.

Algot Von Panzerhosen has been described by his own manager as a “Chinless Bastard”, so much so that he adopted it as his nickname. He has been unable to string any sort of form together since a loss to Rung Thrym last August in CEC, as he would win 2 fights before trading wins and losses since. This type of form would indicate he is due a win next, but a tournament setting is a whole different ball game to an org setting. He will be heavily relying on his Muay Thai to get him a KO before his chin gives way, and he could be a potential weak link in an overall strong team.

Dante Cross Furia is a dangerous fighter who has extremely high primaries, but there are questions as to whether his secondaries are up to the same level. Nevertheless, he has 4 (T)KO victories in his career, but also 2 (T)KO losses which have come in his last two fights. There have been questions raised about his chin, but like his opponent, he relies on his KO power to win him fights before his own chin gives way.

2 similar fighters in that their chins are ticking time bombs and it is only a matter of time before they give way. Dante’s superior skills should give him the edge, but I wouldn’t be surprised by either fighter winning inside the first round.

Prediction: Dante Cross Furia to win via (T)KO in Round 1

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One of the youngest fighters in the tournament makes an appearance here now as Urho Berserk takes on Chris Severn.

At the tender age of just 23, Berserk is here to prove himself against older opponents and show he is a highly developed fighter. With dangerous levels of striking, he is another fighter involved in this tournament with previous title credentials, having held a title at both Relativity and Epicity. He relies on his striking from range to damage his opponents, mixing in low kicks with head punches to wear his opponent down and set him up for the (T)KO win.

His opponent Chris Severn meanwhile doesn’t hit often, but when he does, he hits hard. He has sensational levels of Muay Thai and is a very determined fighter, who also has a Submission win on his record to show he ain’t no one trick pony. He has 3 (T)KO losses on his record as well, with further analysis showing he may have a weakness in his durability against heavy shots, but his opponents will still need to be careful for his strikes as they can do the damage he needs if they land.

I feel that Urho Berserk will last long enough in the fight to see his strikes take effect and wear Severn down. I don’t expect him to go in with too much damage, and instead pick Severn apart en route to a victory.

Prediction: Urho Berserk to win via (T)KO in Round 3

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We now move to what many have called the biggest fight in this battle as former Insanity champion Joey Kocur takes on current CEC Super Heavyweight Champion Timur Rubin.

Joey Kocur is one of the elite fighters in this tournament, and many have claimed he is the man the FinnFighters will be looking to bring home the wins every week. An Elite boxer, he has an impressive record with 12 (T)KO’s from 13 wins, with the one extra being a Submission win. He is difficult to finish, with only one (T)KO loss in his career which came in his second fight. He has developed his defences since, and more often than not, he ends up knocking the opponent out before they can get their strikes through.

Timur Rubin is a fighter with a similar reputation, having never been finished in his career while enjoying 11 (T)KO’s from his 13 career wins. An elite ground and pound wrestler, his game plan in simple. Get the takedown, work into a good position and unleash hell onto his helpless opponents. That isn’t to say he is a slouch when striking however, as he throws a good quantity of punches and kicks to keep his opponent guessing when the takedown will come, and it works to good effect as he lands 50% of his takedowns from range, while being slightly less effective in the clinch at a 47% success rate.

We discussed this fight on the podcast, and the general consensus being that it all hinges on whether Rubin can secure that takedown. If he does, it could well be curtains for Kocur, but Kocur could easily get a win also. This fight will be a good test of the new engine changes, and the manager who adapts the best will win.

Prediction: Timur Rubin to win via (T)KO in Round 2

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Our final fight of FinnFighters vs The Misfits sees Antonio Jose De Sucre (Say that 5 times fast) take on William King.

Antonio Jose De Sucre is no stranger to Troid, having competed in 5 fights in the org and amassing a 3-2 record. Antonio is a Granite Chinned fighter who has taken time out to train his skills up, and now he feels the ITFL is his opportunity to launch himself onto the world stage with a great showing in the tournament. A highly talented Striker, he has the power to hurt his opponents, but will need to be sly enough to avoid his opponent’s strikes in order to win this comfortably.

William King is a recent FA pick up by Scott Davies, specifically for this tournament, and will be competing in his first fight in an org outside of Insanity where he has spent the majority of his career. He obviously possesses KO power, but his ability to take a punch is of concern, and he will need to be wary of Antonio’s ability to hit hard. Dino predicted King to go 0-10 throughout this tournament, so it is up to King to really prove him wrong and get off to a winning start.

Honestly, I feel De Sucre will take this fight with relative ease. With a Granite Chin, he has really developed his game to new levels, and I feel he will just have too much for King.

Prediction: Antonio Jose De Sucre to win via (T)KO in Round 2

So after counting them up, I predict the FinnFighters to just edge this contest 4-3 overall to get off to a winning start, but there are some close bouts in this, so don’t be surprised to see the results go the opposite way.

[GBK16]

TEAM MATCH 2

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The second team matchup sees ITFL veterans Team Conquer take on The Corporation!

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We kick off the team match up with one of the biggest fights of the round, as Jamal Jackson takes on Pablo Escobar.

“Jacked” Jamal Jackson is no stranger to a tournament setting, having won the Murderer’s Row Light Heavyweight tournament already in his career. He has displayed some good striking which has seen him claim 4 (T)KO wins, while he has yet to be finished with his one loss coming via Decision. He relies heavily on his punches to win fights, and he appears to lack kicks which his opponent can exploit. Despite this, he has shown solid strategy in his career, and can easily finish a fight with a punch at any moment, something his opponents in the tournament will need to be wary of.

Pablo “The King” Escobar is a recent FA pick up Bob Vendarra signed following his release from the roster of Bragi Ragnarson. He has only had one fight under his current manager, but it was a solid showing in a win in Syn over Hans Beijer. He has only had two losses in his career, with one of those actually coming in a fight with another ITFL competitor, Timur Rubin. His game has vastly improved since then, as he attacks with a barrage of punches and kicks, which will come into effect against the more one dimensional opponent.

I feel the kicks of Escobar are what will come into effect in this fight. If he can use them effectively, he should see a win as an easier goal to achieve, but he will still need to be careful of Jackson’s gameplan.

Prediction: Pablo Escobar to win via (T)KO in Round 1

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Old school vs new school match up here as ITFL Season 3 competitor Pernell Whitaker Jr returns to the tournament to take on newcomer Bret Hartlock.

Pernell Whitaker Jr entered the ITFL Season 3 last year as a hot prospect. He was 7-0 going into the tournament, and lived up to the hype by defeating Daniel O’Sullivan and Ronin Mori in his first two fights of the tournament, but then it all went wrong. Successive losses to Jack Daniels and Peter Stumpp came before a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a win against Selestion Mudisbarov. However, that would be a fleeting moment as he would lose his next three fights to Karate Kid, Carlos Hulk (Now called Ricky Icky) and Oliver Queen. He wouldn’t leave the ITFL cards on a downer however, as he would be previous opponent Daniel O’Sullivan once more on an ITFL card before leaving. After briefly being signed to Troid, he would leave the org without fighting once and sign with Syn, where he went 1-1 before joining the ITFL Season 4, looking for redemption from last time. A striker who throws a mixture of punches and kicks, he has shown he is no slouch on the ground as he has secured two submission wins in his career, something his opponent will need to be wary of here.

Brett Hartlock is currently on a 5 fight winning streak, having suffered a loss in his debut MMA fight, he would rack up his win streak competing in orgs such as WarZone, NYFN and Insanity. He is a dangerous BJJ fighter, having attained a Black Belt while also developing his striking as a support tool for his fights. He shoots for the takedown often, but also throws an occasional strike. However, his last fight was all the way back in March, so he has had plenty of time to develop his striking, and it isn’t clear how he will be planning on approaching this fight. You have to believe a takedown is involved, but you never know if he will go straight for the takedown or go for strikes to throw his opponent off before landing a takedown. He will need a takedown, but it may be a case of him just trying to control the fight down there and grinding out a decision.

I feel that Whitaker Jr will be dangerous with his striking, however, Hartlock should be able to land a takedown in the bout. Whether he can do it often enough to gain a decision is unclear, however, I feel Whitaker Jr has a decent enough ground game to survive and will get a (T)KO in a later round.

Prediction: Pernell Whitaker Jr to win via (T)KO in Round 3

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Heavyweight clash now as former KT fighter Itse Perkele takes on Diego “The Gladiator” Bustamante.

Itse Perkele is under his third manager in his career, having been formerly managed by Agent Dee and Joe Kingpin before finding himself with current manager The Antidote. Popping a Solid Chin in his debut fight, he had never been finished in a fight, suffering 5 decision losses. He is currently riding a 2 fight win streak, having defeated both of his opponents via (T)KO within 2 rounds. His striking is at a very high level, but his grappling is a weak point in his game that he will need to avoid being exploited.

Diego Bustamante is a very similar fighter to Perkele in that he is primarily a striker who has a visible weakness in his grappling. He had three losses in his career, losing once via each different way, but has shown KO Power with 4 (T)KO’s from 7 wins. A dangerous clinch fighter, he strikes with punches and kicks from range while unleashing a barrage of knees inside to gas his opponent and finish their nights early.

Two similarly skilled fighters, but Bustamante will be dangerous should the fight enter the clinch. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Perkele come away with the win, but it will be a tough fight for both fighters.

Prediction: Diego Bustamante to win via (T)KO in Round 2

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A clash of two Troid fighters here as regular Lightweight fighters Durlag Trollkiller and Paul Landen clash now in the ITFL tournament.

Durlag Trollkiller is a former championship contender in Troid and a former champion in Dark Soul Combat. After being sacked by former manager Lock Down, he was signed up by Sean McDonnel and signed to Dark Soul Combat. He would win the title in his debut fight, a split decision victory over Freddy Quincy which also saw him pick up Fight of the Night honours. He would defend the title successfully against Harald Hillgrund before losing the title to Fernando Pardo in his last fight in DSC. He would then sign to Troid, making an immediate impact in the org with two successive wins against Nate Diaz and Ricardo Mendes to earn a shot against the champion. He would fail to capture the title with a 3rd round loss, and would continue the poor form with another loss to Ossilus Chiarmanda. Before joining up to the tournament however, he would claim a win over Thomas Neidhart to lift his spirits. A dangerous Muay Thai striker, he throws a large quantity of leg kicks and head punches, but mixes in other striking techniques to keep his opponent guessing. Question marks remain over his chances, but he will be feeling this is a good chance for him to showcase himself.

Paul “Scrap” Landen is another fighter from Troid’s Lightweight division, and he is another fighter looking to showcase himself. Starting his career with a win, he would sign with FNPFC (Now known as UNFC) and go 1-1 in the org before signing to Impact MMA with a record of 2-1. He would go 4-0 in Impact MMA to bring his record up to 6-1, with his last fight seeing him capture the title from Pale Monster, before the orgs merger into Troid. A champion vs champion match was set up with the winner unifying the titles and claiming the division championship, and Landen would defeat Matt Green’s one dimensional style with a second round (T)KO to become champion again. He would lose his title in his first defence to Sam Urai, and then go on a tear in the division, winning 4 in a row with wins over Kasper Koltun, Ken Masters, Theodore Ruxpin and Tonnie Mazloum. This would earn him a shot at the title against new champ Hilton Teimosia, but he would lose the fight in the 5th round, suffering a (T)KO loss. A win over Ossilus Chiarmanda would follow, before his final two losses against Demetri Borschtanoff and Hilton Teimosia. He is a well rounded fighter, able to fight in all areas while constantly attacking in different ways to keep his opponent guessing. He maintains a good accuracy ratio with his striking, and will be relying on that, along with his superior wrestling, to get the win.

A pretty good matchup that both managers will be fancying their chances in. I feel Landen will control the position enough in the fight in order to pick up the Decision win.

Prediction: Paul Landen to win via Unanimous Decision

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Two accomplished knockout specialists clash here now as Jay “The Great” Gatsby takes on Bjorn “Ironside” Lodbrok.

Jay Gatsby is making his first appearance in an org outside of Insanity here, as all but one of his career fight have been in the LA Based org. Showing a Solid Chin in his first fight, he tasted defeat on that occasion, but showed potential. He would spend the next 3 years of his life training, and when he felt ready to compete, he signed with Insanity and got his first fight booked. He would enjoy a great 2014 in Insanity, going 5-0 in the org and earning a title shot in the new year. He would lose that fight against Norman Parke, and subsequently lose the fight following that against Jingle Jingle. A win would follow over Mike Allen, but he was looking at his losses column again following a second round submission loss against current Mad Cash finalist Mateus Gracie. He has recovered recently however, with a 2 fight win streak seeing him defeat Harald Hildetand and Jeremy Dunham. He has developed his striking, but it is still his Clinch game which is best known, as he ups the tempo of his output when he gets the fight there and lands heavy shots. He will be looking to this strategy here as he looks to avoid having Lodbrok dictate the pace, and tieing up his opponent while working the dirty boxing seems to be his best chance.

Bjorn Lodbrok makes his return to Troid in this fight, having taken time out to train before signing up to compete in the ITFL. Going 2-0 in QFC’s before signing to an org, he displayed KO Power as he finished both of his opponents in the second round with strikes. He would then sign to WarZone in Amsterdam and continue his good form with another two wins, again, with both coming via TKO within 2 rounds. He would then sign with Troid and continue his impressive form with two more (T)KO wins within 2 rounds. He would suffer the first loss of his career in his next bout however, as he was taken down and suffered vicious ground and pound from Gustav Ragnarson which saw him lose in the first round. He would bounce back from that defeat with a win over Theodore Ruxpin, again a TKO victory within 2 rounds. Another defeat would follow in his next bout however as he lost to Travis Bickle before leaving Troid in order to work on his game. He now feels confident in getting his career back on track, and feels this is an opportunity for him to face and defeat some tough competition. He is a dangerous striker with a kill or be killed attitude, with all of his fights being won within 2 rounds and always via (T)KO. He will need to use his striking from range to good effect in this bout, as being tied up in the clinch will prevent him from using his power to full effect.

I feel Jay Gatsby’s ability to fight in the clinch and also from range will be the winner here. He should be able to survive from range long enough to gain the clinch, and from there, he should be able to prevent Lodbrok from landing the heavy shots while working him over.

Prediction: Jay Gatsby to win via (T)KO in Round 2

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A highly anticipated fight here now as “Prodigy” Anakoni Kai takes on Frank Damozzi.

My anakoni don’t want no..Oh, wait, wrong name, nevermind. Anakoni Kai is a fighter many believe can be one of the most successful entrants in the tournament this season, and looking at his record, it’s no surprise why. A former fighter of Mannetosen, he had a 2-1 record before his manager quit the MMA scene and left him without a team. He was signed up by Louie DePalma who felt he had potential, but even then, he had him compete in 2 QFC’s to ensure he wasn’t wasting his time, and two first round (T)KO victories convinced Louie sufficiently. A brief spell in CFC saw him go 1-1, before he took a one fight deal with Cornell Cage Fighting which saw him defeat Cosmo Oarsman with a first round KO. A trip to New York followed, as he competed in two fights in NYFN which saw him go 2-0 with wins over Indigo Starseed and Benjamin BK. He moved to MFN as part of the merger, and in his one fight before the ITFL, he defeated Aleksey Zulughanov. Blessed with a Granite Chin, he is a well skilled fighter with a penchant for landing the damaging strikes and dominating his opponents. He has no major weakness in his game, but should look to avoid the ground in order to win this bout.

Frank Damozzi is a lot more experienced than his opponent, and he will need that experience to overcome the challenge. Starting off his career in Sisu Fights, he went 1-1 in the org before signing to the modern day UNFC, then known as FNPFC, and going 2-0 in the org. He signed with Evil Empire: Amsterdam then, again going unbeaten in the org at 3-0 before moving on to Barbarian Fight Club. He would win his first fight in the org, bringing his record to 7-1-0 and have him on a 6 fight winning streak before seeing that halted by a loss to Aderbal Maia for the title. He would take a one fight deal in HFC, in a fight which saw him gain a first round TKO victory over the aptly named “Chinless cbomb”. Following that, he would sign to Troid and enjoy his longest tenure in any org. Starting off with a loss to Lance Legstrong, he would go undefeated in his next 5 fights, with 3 wins and 2 draws, including a draw with the champion Jackob Johansson. He wouldn’t get his rematch, as he signed up to the Tycoon MMA championships to represent Troid. He would have a great showing, claiming a Silver medal with the loss in the finals being a Split Decision loss that many felt he won. He would return to Troid following this, but has suffered losses in both of his fights since, with losses to both Bary Allen and Flavius Odoacer. He is primarily a wrestler, as he uses his striking to buy him time to land a takedown before going to town with the Ground and Pound. He has a Granite Chin which helps in this, but he will need to be careful for Kai’s diverse offense.

I feel Anakoni Kai will win this bout. He has superior striking, and he seems sound enough on the ground defensively to deal with the threat Damozzi poses.

Prediction: Anakoni Kai to win via Unanimous Decision

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Our final bout of Team Conquer vs The Misfits comes down as the decider for me, as I have them scored at 3-3 so far. The final bout sees former UNFC Middleweight champion Bruce Wayne take on former AMS Light Heavyweight challenger Ivar Lodbrok.

Bruce Wayne is currently 11-3-0 in his career, going 2-1-0 under current manager Gale Hawthorne following a 9-2-0 run under former manager Clark Kent. Under Kent, he would go 2-0 at the beginning of his career in Three Ring Fight Leauge. Following his spell there, he would sign to Ascension: Amsterdam winning his first fight against Daniel Stopframe before losing for the first time against Dee Nice. His final fight in AA would be a TKO victory over Ivan Denisovitch. He would then move to the org where he would make his name, UNFC. After winning his debut fight against Osamu Kido, he earned a title fight against Martinez Eluard which he would win via TKO (Strikes) in the first round to claim the Middleweight championship. After one successful defense against Pete Alexander, he would lose the championship to Arto Bryggare with a KO loss in the 4th round. He would rebound from this with a TKO win over Martine Dincht, before showing a new side to his game with an Armbar submission win over Terry Opdauhl. He would then leave his manager Clark Kent before signing with Gale Hawthorne, and subsequently was given a title shot against Wayde West which he won with a TKO win in just 33 seconds to become a two time champion. He would defend the title successfully against former opponent Terry Opdauhl, before losing the title in his last bout before the tournament to Raise Hell. Wayne lands leg kicks in abundance to weaken his opponent, before swooping in with hard punches which usually ends the fight, apart from the few occasions he has lost. With a submission win, he has shown he has a developed ground game, and that makes him a dangerous fighter for anyone to go against.

Ivar Lodbrok is a true fans favourite, as he uses his Muay Thai to good effect in knocking his opponents out while he himself is prone to suffering a KO loss. It is this kind of style that the fans love, and it is a reputation he has developed in his career. Winning his debut against Chuck Liddell, he subsequently signed to WarZone, and promptly won his debut fight in the org against Patrick Givens. He followed up that win with another over Ajai Hoo, again via TKO as he was building a reputation as a finisher. That reputation would take some damage in the next fight as he suffered a KO loss to Alex Asztalos via KO in the first round. A three fight win streak would follow, as he picked up wins over Julle Hallava, Zoro Fortisimo and Mario Penzer. That run was ended with a loss to Ivan Strashko, and he would go 1-1 in his next two fights with a win over Jaako Merithati followed by a loss to Ron Burgundy. He would earn a title shot with a 3 fight win streak that saw him defeat the likes of Veron Totto, Iso Kaato and Matt Greiner. He would lose the title fight however to Parmalee Sackett in his last bout before joining the ITFL. Throughout his career, he has shown the ability to knock out almost any opponent, but his one big let down is his brittle chin, and that is something that Wayne will be looking to exploit.

I feel this should be a first round win for one of those fighters. Either Lodbrok will come out hitting hard and fast, or Wayne will exploit the chin, but I am going with Wayne for the win.

Prediction: Bruce Wayne to win via (T)KO in Round 1

So there we have it. I predict this fight, like the last one, will end 4-3 with Team Conquer taking the overall win home, but we will have to wait til Saturday to see if these predictions are correct!

[GBK16]

TEAM MATCH 3

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Our last team matchup of the round features two teams new to the ITFL, as Vendino takes on The Stray Dogs!

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Kicking off the action in Vendino vs The Stray Dogs it’s former Evil Empire: Amsterdam and Insanity champion Bosco “CageDawg” Brown against ITFL season 3 competitor Bernhard Adelhard.

Bosco Brown comes into this tournament with a record of 9-7-0 with his last 5 fights all being defeats. He began his career with a loss in a QFC, and showed the crowd his dancing by doing the moonwalk on his way to the cage. He would sign with Evil Empire: Amsterdam following this, and started off well with a Majority Decision win over Kojak Komodo. He would then face another ITFL competitor, Taisto Perala, in his next fight which he would win via Unanimous Decision. A title fight followed this, and he defeated The Steel Penn to win the championship. He would defend the title successfully once against Paul Crown before his last appearance in an EE:A cage came in a non title bout against Jacob Goodacre which stretched his record to 5-1, and Brown would then move on to HFC for one fight. That fight would be against Romulo Barral in his first fight in the Welterweight division, having competed in the Middleweight division up until then. He would gain a TKO victory, and then sign to another org on a one fight deal, DSC. He would suffer a loss in this bout, losing via Submission in the second round before then signing a long term deal with Insanity. He would gain Submission of the Night in his first bout with a slick Triangle submission to defeat Beef Eater, which earned him a title shot. He would defeat Ozzy McKane via Unanimous Decision to claim the second title of his career, and his first at Welterweight. A successful defence against Richard Robinson would follow, before he would lose the title to Victor Loosa in his next bout. He would then go on to represent Insanity in the Tycoon MMA Championships, but was knocked out in the first round by Troid rep Rupert Psmith. He would fight once more in NYFN, the host org of the division, before signing a new contract with them and being released by his manager. The controversy continued as he was then signed up by current manager Ryan Epicity, who negotiated his release from NYFN and resigned with Insanity. He would suffered consecutive losses to Pete Speedy and Ronaldo Souza in the org before signing up for the ITFL. He is currently riding a 5 fight losing streak, and has no outstanding hiddens, which doesn’t make for a bundle of confidence in him, but he does have a well rounded game. Interesting enough, his previous manager Johnny Lee is actually a member of The Stray Dogs, so he will be able to give some insight into Brown which should benefit Adelhard. I would describe Brown as primarily a grappler, but he has been developing his overall MMA game in preparation for this tournament.

Bernhard Adelhard is no stranger to an ITFL season, having competed in Season 3 in the Legion of Pain team. Before that happened however, he had one fight in a QFC which saw him secure a first round Arm Triangle submission victory. He won his first fight in the ITFL S3, gaining a majority decision win over John Dux before losing the following three fights against Juan Koski, Arthur Bishop and Cole Orion. He would redeem himself somewhat with a win over Tuma Krapal before ending the tournament with a Unanimous Decision loss to Callum Pagnozzi. After the season, he would sign to UNFC in Tokyo and enjoy a resurgence in his career. After securing his first career (T)KO win over Tournament Winner, he would revert back to his grappling to gain a Triangle submission win over Jack Mitchelson. Another KO win would follow against Jimmy Johns before he would make it 4 wins in a row with an Armbar submission win over Orange Joe. In his last bout before the tournament, his winning run would come to an end with a Decision loss to Dominik Kokoszka. He returns to the ITFL as he feels he has some unfinished business, feeling he is a much better fighter overall, and coming into this season a lot more prepared. While not blessed with lightning KO power, he has shown he can work around it, showing good survivability and using his takedowns well to get the fight down. His striking is developed enough that he is no slouch, but it is on the ground where he really puts his opponents in danger.

To be honest, I feel that Adelhard will find it best for himself to try to keep the fight standing, where he holds the advantage, while Brown should be looking to take it down and move to a position where he isn’t at risk of being submitted, while he looks for them himself. However, I do feel it will be a tough challenge for both fighters, but I feel Adelhard will get the win.

Prediction: Bernhard Adelhard to win via Submission in Round 2

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Moving onto the Heavyweight portion of his bout now as “Freeborn” John Paul Wani takes on ITFL Season 3 competitor Artie “Beer League” DeVanzo.

John Paul Wani has had a colourful career already, despite only having 7 fights. He was first signed under Cavaleiro Templario and competed in his first fight, displaying he had some form of KO Power before he was sacked and picked up by known cheater Axia Inc, while many have questioned the legitimacy of Cavaleiro himself. Anyway, he would then compete in 3 fights under Axia’s management, two in the QFC’s which saw him gain 2 first round KO’s before signing to UNFC and gaining another first round KO. Then, the massive scandal broke out regarding Axia’s cheating and Wani was again finding himself looking for a manager, and he found one in G Wad, who gave him his current name and signed him to Insanity. He would score a KO victory over Sisa Yfitos in his debut, before following that up with a Submission (Strikes) win over Sharky Shark. In his last fight in Insanity before the tournament, he would suffer a 2nd round TKO loss to Nickey Spillane, but the loss didn’t dishearten Wani. His strategy is pretty straight forward, he is going to punch you as fast, as hard, and as many times as he can. He is an Elite boxer who has over time been developing the other areas of his game in order to support his striking, and he can pose a danger to anybody he steps into the cage with.

Artie DeVanzo is another fighter who is familiar with the ITFL, having been a competitor in Season 3 with Team Reaper. Not only was he a participant in Season 3, but his debut fight actually came on the same card as the Team Finale from the very first season! That fight saw him claim a Unanimous Decision win over Kimroy Hoo. He would participate in two QFC bouts following that, picking up wins against Protr Glazatij and Mohammad Ali, both via (T)KO. His next fight was on another ITFL card, this time it was the Individual Finals of the first season, and it would also see the first loss suffered by “Beer League” as fell via Unanimous Decision to Freddy White. After taking some time off to train, he would then sign his first permanent contract with BEEF, losing his debut to Guil Ty before avenging that loss in his next fight via Submission (Strikes). A TKO win over Ben Breeze was followed by a loss to Aleksander Kamenov, before he competed in his last fight in BEEF with a Unanimous Decision win over Mark Cherry. He would then compete in a solitary fight in ECFC, gaining a win Pierre Gautier. He would return to his roots with the ITFL then, competing in Season 3 and he made a good showing. Defeating the likes of Jacob Koch, Mats Soderlund and Willum Gar in the team rounds before defeating Tanner Pond in the individual round. He would suffer defeat in the next round against Oliver Queen, but his reputation had benefited from a strong tournament run. He would continue that run of tournament appearances by competing in the AMS FC Light Heavyweight Grand Prix, and lost in the first round against Iso Kaato, but had a chance for redemption in the loser’s bracket. He would defeat Veron Totto via TKO in the second round before advancing to the quarter finals of the bracket with a Majority Decision win over Dudley Bradshaw. His run in the tournament would come to an end however with a defeat to Georgy Fokin. Now he enters the third tournament of his career, and he will feel his experience in this kind of format will give him an edge over the other competitors. An elite wrestler with high levels of striking, he is not a natural KO artist but he knows how to score favorably with the judges and wear his opponent down in the later rounds.

I think John Paul Wani’s best hope is to get an early KO, which is quite possibly given his size advantage, but the longer the fight goes on, the more I score it going for DeVanzo, and I feel it will be a late stoppage for “Beer League”.

Prediction: Artie DeVanzo to win via (T)KO in Round 3

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Our next match up sees Lance Legstrong take on Joe Louis.

Lance Legstrong enters this tournament straight after finishing another in the Mad Cash tournament. Beginning his career under Rory Daly, he would start off with a win by gaining a Kimura submission win against Tokyo Whiteman in the second round. He would go one better in his next fight, securing another Kimura submission against Ronny Bruvik (Now known as Arzlan Bathory) in the first round. He would suffer the first loss of his career in his next bout as he lost via TKO to Justin Velemir. A two fight spell in RFN saw him pick up two more submission wins; a Kimura over Paul Frederick and an Arm Triangle over Mikaiah Rynn. His last fight under Rory Daly’s management came in his highly anticipated feud with K Rad in which Legstrong defeated Pauline Hanson via Kimura in the second round. He was dropped by Rory after he decided to take a break from the MMA game, and was signed by Severo Del Bosque, who subsequently signed him to Troid. Starting off successfully, he would defeat Thors Hammer in his first bout via KO in the second round to gain his first stoppage win that wasn’t a submission. He would return back to his bread and butter however in his next bout, gaining a Kimura win over another ITFL competitor in Frank Damozzi. This would earn him a title shot, however he would suffer defeat to the champion Jackob Johansson. His next fight would produce a win as he defeated Forrest Dump via Split decision, but he would go on a bad run of results from then with losses to Ragnar Lothbrok (Now known as Dave McGee), Ajai Hoo, and Flavius Odoacer who is actually a teammate of his this season. He would win the next fight against Shape Shifter via Decision before a loss to Bary Allen in his last Troid fight. He would enter into the Mad Cash tournament following this, winning his first round match against Donnie Felterbush late on with a Kneebar submission. He would be knocked out of the tournament then, losing via TKO to Octavio Saades in the third round. He now enters the ITFL looking to rebuild his career and says he feels he is the best grappler in the tournament. He will be looking for his improving striking and Granite Chin to keep him alive in order to get the fight down and let his BJJ take over.

Joe Louis, like his opponent, didn’t start his career under his current management team. Signed up by Laz Staz, he would make his debut in late 2013, losing a Decision to Deive Pazos. He would rattle off three wins in a row in QFC bouts then, defeating Gabe McFinney, Adam Peri and Hans Gruber, all by (T)KO. He would then sign with Troid, and in his debut, lose to Lexington Snape. Another loss followed, this time to Ruphus Duphus, before he would finally claim his first win in the org against Tyrell Myrell, but unfortunately, it would be his only win. A draw against Jack Bronson then happened, and in the subsequent rematch, he lost via KO in the first round. Leaving Troid and being sacked by his manager, he then signed with Jeremiah Lukker, and accepted a contract from Gamasi Fighting Company. In his debut for the org, he would defeat Jorge Ulrich via TKO in the first round, and followed that up with a first round KO over Sayan Sever. This would earn him a title shot, but he would lose against the champion Jacques Saint-Perrilloux via Unanimous Decision. Following the loss, the org would close and Louis would sign with Epicity Productions in Las Vegas. His debut saw him earn the KO of the night with a KO victory over Softly Weeping, and he would earn another award in the form of the Fight of the night with a third round TKO win over Rutger Snabel. He would face a former foe in Jacques Saint-Perrilloux, but would again suffer defeat as he was TKO’ed in the first round. His last bout before the tournament would see him win via TKO against Akami Hoi via Kimura to claim his first submission win. Louis is primarily a striker, but he has shown a tendency to go in for takedowns and grind his opponents out when he feels the need to.

I feel Louis will need to avoid the takedown in this bout. Both fighters have weak points in their game, and their strengths are their opponent’s weaknesses. I feel Legstrong at some point will get the fight to the ground and can get the submission win.

Prediction: Lance Legstrong to win via Submission in Round 2

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Midway through this event now and we now see Flavius Odoacer take on Antoni Kristofer Hong.

Flavius Odoacer is a 25 year old German wrestler who has developed his striking in order to round out his overall MMA game. Starting his career at Amsterdam based org WarZone, Odoacer made his debut in August 2014 with a 41 second KO win against Brad Mansfield at WarZone 135. He would follow that up with TKO wins against Jason Shono, Ed Bavelock and, sigh, Seymoure Til Alexandros The Seventeenth. He would lose his next bout against a man he would then consider to be his nemesis in his career, Ajai Hoo, via Unanimous Decision in his last fight in WarZone. He would sign for Troid following this, and in his first fight for the org, he defeated Lance Legstrong via KO in the third round. He would lose his next fight against Ajai Hoo, who also made the move to Troid, again via Unanimous Decision. He would bounce back in his next two fights however, defeating Jeremy Stapleton via TKO in the secound round and also defeating another ITFL contestant in Frank Damozzi via Unanimous Decision. With his high levels of wrestling, he looks to control the fight while using effective striking to work his opponents over.

Antoni Kristofer Hong is a similar fighter to Odoacer, in that he is also primarily a wrestler, and has also developed his striking. Suffering a Submission loss in his first fight to Ali Wasielewski, he would sign with Barbarian Fight Club and defeat Ruarc Harris in his only fight in the org via KO. One more fight in the QFC saw him claim a first round TKO win over Frankie Rock before he signed to UNFC where he has spent his career thus far. He would win his first three fights in the org, defeating the likes of Jose Vovchanchyn, Dark Vengeance and Brian Pereira to earn a shot at the title. He would lose the title shot, suffering a first round KO loss to Mario Karlo. A rematch with Brian Pereira followed, and this time he would go the distance and win via Split Decision. He would get back to getting the finish then, defeating both Billy Bulge and Ragnar Danneskjold via TKO in the second and third rounds respectively. Another Decision would follow, as he claimed the win over Roy-Li Taylor before another one again as he suffered a loss to Brad May in his last fight before the tournament.

This is going to be a very evenly matched fight, as both have the same skill set up. Like a lot of fights, I wouldn’t be surprised to see either fighter win, but I see Odoacer getting a decision win here.

Prediction: Flavius Odoacer to win via Unanimous Decision

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A highly anticipated fighter here now as Ruslan Mstislav Volkov takes on Wilder Wein.

Ruslan Mstislav Volkov is a highly diverse fighter, having submission and KO wins in his career, he has shown a natural instinct for getting the wins. Starting off his career with a fight against his own family, he defeated Ilya Mstislav Volkov via Unanimous Decision. Continuing to fight in Umbrella, he would defeat Jhon Wuzz via TKO and then follow that up with a win over Ronin Mori via Triangle Armbar submission. He would suffer the first loss of his career in his next bout with a loss to Luka Jelavic with a TKO in the 4th round. He would compete in his last fight in Umbrella then, defeating Tormy Skillz with a Rear Naked Choke in the first round. Following his release from Umbrella, he signed with UNFC in Tokyo, and he would suffer the second loss of his career in his org debut against Orange Joe. That loss would only spur Ruslan onto a stunning run in his career. He would have three more fights in UNFC, winning all of them with Unanimous Decision wins over Dominik Kokoszka and Ragnhildur Haraldsson and a Submission of the Night victory with an Armbar over Alexander Fors. Following his departure from UNFC, he would spend the next 6 months training before signing to Epicity Productions, and he would claim a KO victory over Brogan Kearney on his debut. He would make it 5 wins in a row with a Unanimous Decision win over William Henry Bonney, and go 6 unbeaten with a draw against Chico Dicko. That would stretch to 6 wins, and 7 unbeaten, when he defeated Dicko with a Kimura in Round 1 in their rematch in what was his last bout before the tournament. He is exceptionally well rounded, showing no major weaknesses in his game while have a diverse range of attacking options.

His opponent is the larger Wilder Wein. Wein has had a relatively short career so far, training for a long time before testing the waters with some competitive MMA action. He would mark his debut in style, scoring a Superman Punch KO win over Robert Maudsley on his debut His next fight would come 3 months later, and he would gain another win by defeating Ground Guru via KO, and then signed with Epicity Productions. He would make his debut within a month, scoring another KO with his defeat of Paul Crown. He would earn both Fight of the Night and KO of the Night honours as he defeated Dick Stern to earn a shot at the championship. He would win the title following a first round TKO win over Dominick De Struicao, and won via Unanimous Decision in his first defense against Jerry Seinfeld. His last bout saw him lose to Ruslan’s family when he lost his title to Ilya Mstislav Volkov via Unanimous Decision. Elite levels of striking are what he is best known for, and now he will be fighting a man who will challenge him in every way.

Ruslan will have the psychological edge going into this, as his manager Igor is the only manager to have beaten Wein in his career. With a slight variation in styles, I feel Ruslan will be the favourite going into this fight, and most likely will see the judges read out a decision win for him.

Prediction: Ruslan Mstislav Volkov to win via Unanimous Decision

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The penultimate fight of the round features two of the biggest prospects of the season as Dorian “The Terrier” Yates takes on Fabian Hoi.

Dorian Yates is coming into the season on a 6 fight winning streak, and currently undefeated under manager Mike Jursllla. Originally competing under manager Jack Al, he made his debut in mid 2014 in a winning effort as he defeated Jurgen Kohler via TKO in the second round. In his next fight, he defeated Jimi Smokeleaf via Unanimous Decision before signing to Worldwide Fighting Championship. He suffered a Unanimous Decision loss to Haywood Badger for the title in his debut, and recovered from that by defeating Rafal Arsic via Unanimous Decision. In his last fight in WFC, and under manager Jack Al, he would lose via KO to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He would soon be released by his manager and signed by Mike Jursllla. Under his new manager, he would win his first two fights via (T)KO in QFC’s before signing for NYFN. In his debut, he would win via Unanimous Decision against Matt Hughes, before going on to achieve the same result in his next two fights against Jonqw Fray and Shin Dong-Hyuk which brought an end to his NYFN stay. He would sign with EP and manage one fight there before joining the ITFL, as he showed a new side of his game with an Arm Triangle submission win over Jeffrey Miller. He is an Elite level boxer who, while primarily a fighter who wins via Decision, has a high level of striking output and looks to inflict damage on his opponents. With his recent submission win, it is clear he has been adding to his skill range, and that will benefit him in this tournament.

Fabian Hoi is an extremely well skilled fighter who has had a variety of managers in his career. Starting with Ispa Murhapuro, he go 4-0 under him while competing in both a QFC and in three fights in MMA Helsinki, scoring (T)KO wins over John Shortkins, Errol Field, Jonjo Banjo and Janusz Lanus before parting ways with Murhapuro. He would then sign up with Dean Sutherland, and enjoy a winning start as he signed to HERITAGE and defeat Zhan Jiang via KO in the first round. He would suffer the first loss of his career to John Bzdunek via Armbar. Following this, he would be released from HERITAGE and released by Dean Sutherland, and he would find himself signed to his third manager in Jorma Oltsu. He would sign with Dark Soul Combat, and enjoy another unbeaten run there as he secured 5 wins, defeating John Mclovin, Harald Hillgrund and Derek Legion via Unanimous Decision and also defeating Enrique Rold and Kanchai Suya via KO. He would be sacked after his however, and would be signed by current manager Bjorn O’Donnel using an FA dibs. He would sign with his bigest org to date, Syn, and go undefeated in the org before signing up to the ITFL, as he defeated Billy Axe and Don Juan Matus via Unanimous Decision. It’s hard to get a good reading on his consistent game plans, as a result of the number of managers he has had, but his main plan seems to usually be mixing up his leg kicks with head punches which has seen him go on a great run in his career.

Don’t expect this fight to go to ground much, as both fighters will be looking to end the other’s night early. I think it will go into the later rounds, and while Yates could easily pull off a win, I am going with Hoi to get the win here.

Prediction: Fabian Hoi to win via (T)KO in Round 3

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The final fight of the excruciatingly long preview sees highly touted former KT champion Giacomo Benvenuti take on Mikaiah Rynn.

Giacomo Benvenuti began his career in fighting in KT, and it is clear what his style is. Originally competing in KT under former manager Furious Styles, he made his debut in Xtreme K1 Kombat and would capture the title within 3 months, defeating Curtis Mayhem, Erv Plower and Mick Mayhem via (T)KO before earning a shot for the belt. He defeated Codin Viperescu via TKO to win the belt. He would move to Extreme Fist Fighting Association for one fight, defeating Tommy Asikainen before returning to his previous org. He would remain undefeated in his tenure in KT, winning all his fights via (T)KO with wins over Reynir Arn x2, Klaas Van Delft, Steel Penn x2 and Shezzo Wicked. Furious Styles would leave the MMA scene, and Benvenuti didn’t have to wait long to find a new manager as he was signed up by Dean Sutherland. Sutherland convinced him to make the change to MMA, winning his first two fights in the QFC via (T)KO over Farrokh Bulsara and Mike Tyson. A brief spell in NYFN saw him defeat Eddie Killer before he moved on and signed with Death Squad MMA. He defeated Ameri CanChopper and Frank Garfunkel via (T)KO, before he would suffer the first loss of his career in a title shot against Seaville Bri, in what was his last fight before the tournament. A heavy hitter who has gained all 16 of his wins via (T)KO, he has been developing the defensive side of his ground game in order to compete, and he has the ability to get to anybody.

Mikaiah Rynn has spent his entire career under manager Uncle Lar, and is one of the dark horses to have a great individual run in the season. He kicked his career off with 2 (T)KO wins in QFC bouts, defeating Mason Scott and NaKai Mariner before joining Montreal Fight Nights for one bout which saw him suffer a loss to Dagoth Ur. His career would really be made with his next move however, joining RFN and going on a 3 fight winning streak as a defeated Silberio ZasZas and Ty Daves via (T)KO before gaining a Unanimous Decision win over Yan Yang. A two fight losing streak would follow, as he lost to ITFL competitor Lance Legstrong and Jace Beleren. He would then go on the best run of his career, winning three fights in a row to earn a shot at the title by beating Kazunori Kouya, Ricardo Delivire and Dave Sherk all via KO. In the title shot, he would defeat Kimo Ovaska to win the championship via TKO. The org would change ownership and be rebranded NYFN, and he would retain the title in his first fight by defeating Louis Delmas via TKO. Further wins against Hector Barbosa and Ben Jonathan would see his stock rise further, before his 7 fight win streak would come to a halt after he was defeated by Billy Beast for the title. He would win his next two fights, defeating Ben Jonathon once more while also beating Mestre Bimba. He would represent NYFN in the Tycoon MMA Championships, but would lose in the first round to Fritz Haarmann. Upon his return to NYFN, he would lose his next bout against Claude LeBlanc via Unanimous Decision, before defeating Arzlan Bathory via TKO in his last fight in NYFN. Following this, NYFN would merge with MFN, and in his last fight before this tournament, Rynn would lose to Noah Puckerman via TKO. Rynn is an Elite boxer, and has a proven record of KO’s, and this will be a good test for him to go up against another Elite striker.

Overall, I think Benvenuti will just have too much for Rynn. He outskills him in the striking game, and that is what Rynn really relies on to get the wins. Barring some hail mary punch, I expect Benvenuti to get the (T)KO win.

Prediction: Giacomo Benvenuti to win via (T)KO in Round 1

Andddddddd finally, that is it for the Preview of the first round of fights in the ITFL Season 4! Be sure to get involved in the Smack Talk if you have a fighter competing, and if you are just a manager looking for some easy cash, why not take part in our Pick Em League where there is a minimum prize pool of 500k up for grabs!

For now, that is all from me, and best of luck to all the fighters!

[762x39]

Looks good.

[bjornmma1]

Yeah , looks great indeed. Too bad that not everyone has a custom avatar. That would have been awesome!

[GBK16]

Adding in each Team as I do their previews, just wanted to make sure I had each part grouped together to make for cleaner viewing

 

Just added the FinnFighters vs The Misfits preview

[bjornmma1]

Adding in each Team as I do their previews, just wanted to make sure I had each part grouped together to make for cleaner viewing

 

Just added the FinnFighters vs The Misfits preview

If you can keep this up for the entire tournament, there will be little discussion for who won the tournament of the year I think. Hopefully you can keep doing this

it's great!

[762x39]

I agree 100% great job man, this is going to be a lot of fun!!!!

[madbob]

Yeah , looks great indeed. Too bad that not everyone has a custom avatar. That would have been awesome!

 

what i am hearing out is that you give out free avatars???

[bjornmma1]

 

what i am hearing out is that you give out free avatars???

Euhm, euhm, ... no

[GBK16]

Team Conquer vs The Corporation preview has been added! I actually wrote the first 3 fights I think before I fell asleep and went with a different angle when doing the rest of them so it is a bit sloppy in that respect, but glad I managed to churn something out.

 

 

Will be doing Vendino vs The Stray Dogs now, going with the style I did the Conquer vs Corporation later fights in where I talk about their previous fights before a comment on their style and a comparison.

[762x39]

Great job so far. You are putting so much work into this I am thinking I may have to send a fighter your way when I have one free. If you put this much effort into Troid it must be a good ORG.

[listerman]

ITFL 4 - The Corporation Public Workout - MMA Hype

 

Only a couple days before ITFL 4 kicks off, and The Corporation decided to do a public workout for their competing fighters. Brett and Jared are on scene, ready to show us a quick glance of the event. Most of the manager from The Corporation are present, to support their fellow alliance buddies.

 

Here’s Brett and Jared.

 

-- -- --

 

Jared Asante: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to The Corporation’s Public Workout! There’s quite a lot of familiar faces here, so we can already say it’s a success, the crowd is cheering the fighters, and the media is everywhere, interviewing managers and fighters.

 

Brett Clarke: That’s right, Jared, too bad our MMA Hype Apparel stand, right there on the left, isn’t doing well, but whatever, we’re not here for that, aren’t we?

 

Jared: Something unusual that I spotted right away, a Lodbrok on his back!

 

Brett: Indeed, Bjorn Lodbrok has been sparring off his back for the last half hour, those Lodbroks are not ground fighters, everyone knows them as brawlers, but you can see how ITFL impacted Bjorn’s training, his BJJ looks very slick. I doubt he will bring the fight to the ground, but he shows he’s not scared to grapple if it comes to that.

 

Jared: Well since he’s facing Jay Gatsby, I don’t really blame him.

 

Brett: On the other hand, we have a matchup that’s the complete opposite here. Brett Hartlock is showing his improved striking, he’s surrounded by a crowd and is just shadowboxing the hell out of his heart. That guy’s got some speed!

 

Jared: He’s going to need that speed against Pernell Whitaker Jr. He’s a ITFL veteran, since he was participating in season 3. I heard that Hartlock has been spending a lot of time in the gym with Daniel O’Sullivan, who’s faced Pernell twice during the ITFL season 3.

 

Brett: He’s beat him twice, so he knows all about his style for sure.

 

Jared: Walking a little further, we have a nice heavyweight grappling spar, where Diego Bustamante is defending some sub attempts quite nicely.

 

Brett: Bustamante likes to punch though. The brazilian has an excellent Muay Thai background, and you can expect nothing less than a slug fest in his fight versus Itse Perkele. I was talking to Diego earlier, he just can’t wait to start the season.

 

Jared: He’s a big dude with power, and to be honest, he’s the guy that I can’t wait to see in action at ITFL. He’s been kind of a jobber for a while, fighting for different organizations, but I can totally see him make a name of himself in ITFL.

 

-=BREAK=-

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James "Sully" McGuiness (237725)

You know, with ITFL's first round fast approaching, tickets are running out.

"But Sully, what about us fans who can't make it to Amsterdam?"

Well, I have just the place for you!!! Grab yourself some official Corporation ITFL merchandise fromMMA Hype Apparel and make your way down to Sully's Bar & Grill where we will be showing all the fights LIVE on our HD screens!

Pull up a chair and order yourself a nice bucket of chicken and wash it down with an ice cold beer from our friendly wait staff as you cheer on your favourite fighter from The Corporation. What are you waiting for? Come one, come all!!

Sully's Bar & Grill, official supporters of ITFL Season 4

Remember to drink responsibly

And most importantly, Stay classy!

-=End Break=-

 

Brett: Look at that Jared! That’s quite unexpected. Frank Damozzi sparring with the much smaller Paul Landen! Those guys have been good buddies for a long time, since they’ve been training together ever since they were kids.

 

Jared: Boy oh boy, Landen is quite surprising, he’s getting those takedowns and making a fool out of Damozzi.

 

Brett: I doubt Damozzi is going all out, but still, he’s one strong kid that’s for sure.

 

Jared: Another Lodbrok on our right, look at the power of this guy.

 

Brett: That’s Ivar Lodbrok for yah. There’s quite a lot of padding on the pads he’s hitting, his training must be glad of that.

 

Jared: I’m surprised he hasn’t punched a hole through someone’s face.

 

Brett: Yet.

 

Jared: Well I know I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of those punches. Bruce Wayne will have to make a Batman of himself if he wants to be able to compete with that beast.

 

Brett: Last on the list is newcomer Pablo Escobar. He joined The Corporation a couple months ago and already made a name of himself be being picked to compete in ITFL.

 

Jared: He said he wanted to prove himself, and wanted to become an elite fighter sooner than later. He also told me that he’s been feeling really good in training, and thinks he has what it takes to make a bang in ITFL.

 

Brett: I’m sure he will succeed, he has a lot of potential. I think he’s adjusted pretty well to his new team, so we’ll see what he can provide for The Corporation.

 

Jared: That’s all for us, folks. We have to head back to our MMA Hype Apparel stand, which by the looks of it, still hasn’t generated much attention. I think I’m gonna have to crank up some techno and dance like it’s my last day on earth.

Brett: If you do that, it will be your last day on earth. Have a good one guys!

[markyosullivan]

Loving the quality of the write ups being produced for this tournament. GBK has done an excellent job with the previews for every fight and I've used that to help guide me in my picks for the pick 'em contest. Listerman doing a write up once again which is excellent to see

[GBK16]

Awesome to see MMA Hype back in business, wasn't around when you did it mostly previously, but read quite a few of them and always found them entertaining.

 

And yes, we can confirm that Sully's Bar & Grill is the Official partner for the ITFL along with MMA Hype Apparel.

 

Not gonna lie though, the amount of writing I have done for this week makes me wanna never look at a font type or document table ever again.

[rac2]

awesome wrte up!!!

[Beck]

Good stuff GBK. I am going to call it already, ITFL for tournament of the year

[madbob]

Good stuff GBK. I am going to call it already, ITFL for tournament of the year

 

second that.

 

GBK i loving those write ups. man your all nighters pulled really off

[762x39]

All of the write ups have been great, keep them coming guys, just pumping me up even more!

[bjornmma1]

Interview with Joe River, the team captain of The Stray Dogs:

http://i.imgur.com/RhHJmLW.jpg

- How confident are you in your fighter?

 

I am very confident in Bernhard, or Bernie as some people call him. He is looking for revenge after the last ITFL. He joined last time to help the alliance fill a team, he was still very young and not really ready for that level of competition yet. But now look out, he is going to surprise a few people this time around. Starting with Brown, he is still pissed about losing his last fight before ITFL started and I am afraid he is going to take it out on Brown. I already told him not to break anything on Brown just to choke him out, Brown has to compete in the rest of the rounds, and I would hate for Vendino to have to replace him because he only has one arm.

 

 

-What do you think of your team?

 

I think we have a very good shot at winning ITFL. We have some great managers on board with us and some talented fighters competing. I know most people don't have us ranked at the top but I like that, count us out and see what happens.

-Who is the favorite team to win ITFL you think?

 

What kind of question is that? You are kidding right? The Stray Dogs are going to win this. No question about it. Just look at our team, at 265 we have Rynn who is a beast of a boxer, I am calling it now he is going to KO Benvenuti, that will be the upset of the year but I can already picture it. Louis is a great wrestler and his striking is coming along very well. Artie is a great fighter and can win it anyway he choses too. Hong is about as well rounded of a fighter as I have seen. Then at 170 Hoi has killer striking, I don't think anyone can keep up with him at 170. Wein is another boxing freak, reminds me of Sugar Ray Lenard in his prime, only he is a good all around MMA fighter. Then you have Bernie, he may not look like much on paper but he is going to shock the MMA world!

 

 

-What do you think will be the result of the first round?

 

The Stray Dogs will win big, I figure 5-2 maybe better. I haven't even looked at the other teams as far as their matchups go, just the individual fighters. So not sure how they will end up, but they will all get their turn for a beating when they face us.

- what fighters do you think have a good chance of competing in the individual tournament later?

I think any of our guys have a shot, but most likely will be Artie and Hong at 265, and at least 2 of our 170 fighters if not all 3. Not many teams can match our 170 guys. It will suck if Bernie has to beat Hoi and Wein to win the whole thing but if it has to happen I am sure he will make it fast for them.

 

-How did you guys meet each other?

 

Most of us are alliance mates, The Dogs of War! The other 3 guys are friends we have made in the MMA Tycoon world!

 

 

-Is the group cohesion good?

Yes we game plan everything together, we talk training, fight tactics, fight picks. We plan everything together, we are going to win this thing as a team! It is not just a bunch of guys thrown together like some teams are.

 

-Thank you for the interview Joe!

[GBK16]

The all nighters, the amount of caffeine, and the pillow and blanket on my sofa have paid off as I have finally completed the ITFL Round 1 Preview. Just updated the post with the Vendino vs Stray Dogs preview.

[Beck]

The all nighters, the amount of caffeine, and the pillow and blanket on my sofa have paid off as I have finally completed the ITFL Round 1 Preview. Just updated the post with the Vendino vs Stray Dogs preview.

 

http://prettycoolpics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sleepmeme.jpg

 

Haha Great stuff man Sorry to be a distraction with Dota2

[762x39]

Great job with the write up! I am really looking forward to getting this started!