EPL - Week 4 Preview

[YerMaw]

EPL Season 9

Week 4 Preview

Four weeks in and we are starting to get a vague semblance of who the early leaders might be: Newmark and Harrington have been in good form as of late but there is still much to play for and with a number of challengers hot on their heels the going is only going to get tougher from here as we approach into the mid-season. This week features a number of intriguing matchups ranging from Alexandersson vs. Hoi (a fight which could have potential playoff implications come the end of the season) and the rematch between Carlton and Maslow; as has been the case throughout the season we should be in for knockouts galore - with some of the hardest hitting heavyweights competing in the most grueling tournament of the year it should be a great night for the fans.

 

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Gymer Alexandersson vs Akamai Hoi

 

Alexandersson put on a counter-punching clinic in his EPL debut last week, stopping James Bomb in just under three minutes to put his first points on the board. He will need to maintain that form if he wants to fulfil his ambitions of success in the post-season and a win against tough standup fighter Akamai Hoi would undoubtedly serve him well in that goal. Hoi will be pleased to get back to winning ways following a domineering performance over Mike Tyson; the young Hawaiin rocked Tyson with a highlight reel headkick but that shouldn't gloss over what was a thoroughly one-sided performance by Hoi as he used his Muay Thai skills to great effect. Make no mistake: Hoi has been looking sharp as of late, he has yet to be knocked out and even in his loss to McLauglin he kept it competitive right the way through to the final bell. A potentially tough matchup awaits him here, but another win would put him in great shape as he heads into week 5 and 6 clashes with early tournament leaders Newmark and Harrington.

Alexandersson is more of an unknown quantity at this point; he possesses tremendous knockout power but we have yet to really get a firm grasp of his prospects in this competition. Hoi also has a knack for finding the finish but his primary intangibles are the quality of his chin and a big heart; two factors which will be essential when coming up against the likes of Alexandersson. I can't help but see the parallels between this matchup and Hoi's last fight against Tyson; like Tyson, Alexandersson is primarily a boxer and a very dangerous one at that, however, Hoi is the more versatile standup fighter and has the mental and physical toughness to withstand the sort of punishment the Swede is capable of dishing out. I made the mistake of betting against Hoi last week, but I won't do that here: Hoi put on a very convincing performance against Tyson and given the stylistic similarities between the two I see Alexandersson being slowed down with Hoi's use of kicks to the legs and body and, eventually, succumbing to a KO late in the round. Of course Hoi will need to be very careful to avoid the big shots Alexandersson likes to throw, but if he can do that his in with a good chance of going two in a row and maintaining the pressure on the top of the table. Hoi will have some slight niggling injury problems going into this bout but given that appeared to have little impact on his performance against Tyson I don't see that being a significant factor here.

Prediction: Hoi by KO.

 

Ricardo Griezmann vs Bobby Newmark

 

Does it get any better for Ricardo Griezmann? Short answer: no. It has been a nightmare tournament from start to finish for Griezmann: three appearances, three losses – all by way of doctor stoppage. It's hardly going to be any easier here with a matchup against in-form Bobby Newmark who currently stands tied at the top of the league table. Newmark has just dispatched former P4P #1 Kyle Carlton in just over a minute (without eating a single punch in the process) and is looking very dangerous indeed. Meanwhile Griezmann was on the wrong end of a beating from Edward McLauglin, the fight inevitably stopped due to cuts but the 32-year old struggled throughout against the youngster and managed to land a grand total of just four strikes over the three and a half minutes.

Prediction? What do you think? Newmark is in excellent form and with a favourable schedule coming up over the next few weeks looks set to strengthen his lead at the top of the table. By contrast Griezmann is probably looking at a finish near the bottom of the table unless he can do something drastic to turn around his fortunes. Somehow I don't see that happening here; it won't take much for Newmark to secure another early finish and barring an act of divine intervention Griezmann going 0-4 seems to be a matter of inevitability. If you want a sure bet to add to your accumulators this weekend this is the fight to put your money on.

Prediction: Newmark by (T)KO (doctor stoppage)

 

Mike Tyson vs Ashley Harrington

 

To the surprise of many Harrington was rocked by a massive uppercut in the early exchanges with Maslow in last weeks matchup, however the Englishman showed great heart as he came back to put the lights out on the Russian thanks to a big uppercut of his own. Meanwhile Tyson found himself outworked by Hawaii's Akamai Hoi as he suffered his first loss of the competition. For both opponents this fight represents a chance to erase any doubts from last weeks performances. Harrington still remains unbeaten in his last six appearances and a win here would further help to solidify his lead at the top of the table. Tyson will no doubt be keen to prevent that from happening: it's still early days but, with Harrington looking a firm favourite to earn a spot in the playoffs, Tyson will be aware of the magnitude of the occasion – victory here would greatly boost his credentials as well as securing another vital two points against a potential post-season rival.

Tactically I anticipate Harrington might try to take this fight inside where Tyson has, at times, appeared vulnerable. He can also use body/leg kicks to great effect as Maslow found out, much to his dismay. Tyson will be looking to outbox Harrington first and foremost; he did have Hoi dazed at one point but the youngster came back to send Tyson tumbling to the canvas – he can't afford to let Harrington off the hook in a similar manner; if the Englishman shows signs of vulnerability, as he did against Maslow, it is imperative that Tyson capitalises on the opportunity lest Harrington produce the sort of comeback we know he is capable of. Balanced pressure will be the order of the day for Tyson: aggressive enough to make Harrington feel uncomfortable but not to the point where he leaves large enough openings for the man from across the pond to exploit. If Harrington can tie the American up against the cage I predict he will make swift work of him; on the outside Tyson has a punchers chance but in the clinch I see only one victor.

Prediction: Harrington by KO.

 

Edward McLauglin vs Arthur Curry

 

Curry was on the end of a shock defeat last week as he looked to be dominating the early exchanges with Rasputin; the Russian landed just four punches but put the lights out with a huge overhand right to the temple and that was all she wrote for the Irishman. Curry will be hoping for a better performance here against another tough opponent – Edward McLauglin. McLauglin cruised to a somewhat predictable finish against Griezmann but has been looking in great shape regardless of the opposition as of late. The Boston fighter is 32 and, while he might not have quite such an extensive as some of his more illustrious opponents, McLauglin appears to be approaching his peak and the results seem to be following suit. He bounced back from his week 1 loss against Bobby Newmark and now stands at 2-1; he also holds the merit of appearing in the only fight so far in the competition to actually go the distance – McLauglin is a tough customer and will presumably be hoping that his recent upsurge in form will help him secure the victory over the hard-hitting Irishman tonight.

McLauglin has two keys to victory here: firstly, his work in clinch can be phenomenal and given Curry was recently exposed on the inside in his week 2 matchup against Harrington I'm anticipating the American will try to close the distance here; secondly, his outstanding durability – Curry hits like a sledgehammer so the ability to at least absorb a few shots will stand him in good stead, although I'm sure McLauglin would much prefer to avoid being hit at all if he can possibly help it. Curry will be at a bit of a loss as to why wasn't able to emerge from his last fight without the victory – he had Rasputin fighting him at his own game and was looking very impressive indeed until the Mad Monk came out of nowhere with the knockout. Did the Russian just get lucky or is this perhaps indicative of a slightly suspect chin? It's too early to say but certainly McLauglin will be looking for the finish here – with Tyson and Hoi facing tough matchups this week he has the opportunity to potentially leapfrog his way into the upper half of the table but a loss tonight would be a significant setback to any playoff ambitions. McLauglin will need to be cautious however; he will want to take the fight inside but can't afford to be too predictable in doing so – Curry is more than capable of dishing out some nasty power punches on the counter. Although I would put McLauglin as a slight favourite going into this fight don't count out the Irishman: his strength is his most obvious asset but Curry is also a very technically gifted striker – McLauglin can underestimate him at his own risk.

Prediction: McLauglin by KO.

 

James Bomb vs Grigori Rasputin

 

0-3 for James Bomb and sadly it's not looking too good for the EPL veteran. While the schedule hasn't been too kind on him it's hardly going to get any easier here with a matchup against the Mad Monk of Pokrovskoye. The Russian waved aside pre-match concerns about his durability as he sustained a five minute hammering from Ireland's Arthur Curry only to dramatically turn the tables with an outstanding KO finish to take the win. Bomb did look better against Alexandersson than some of his previous matchups but this is still a far cry from the legend of old: this will be his 124^th MMA appearance and you do start to wonder if all those blows sustained over the years have irreversibly sealed his fate, at least as far as this tournament is concerned.

Rasputin just needs to keep his wits about him and this should be another win in the books; he has the experience the old tricks of the trade Bomb is so well versed in and physically is in much better shape than the forty year old. He has options here as well: choose to stand and trade as he did in his last fight, banking on his knockout power to seal the deal, or use the versatile array of strikes from within the clinch which have served him so well over the years. Never say never but it's going to take a herculean effort from Bomb to cause an upset here: I don't see any aspect of his game which would give him an edge over the Russian. The Mad Monk has some tough fights coming up on the schedule but will be happy to take the victory tonight without exerting himself too much. His biggest enemy here may actually be the risk of complacency rather than Bomb himself.

Prediction: Rasputin by KO.

 

Kyle Carlton vs Vladislav Maslow

 

Round 2 of the Cold War. These two opponents have met before and not that long ago: UPG set up an Amsterdam clash between the pair with Carlton walking away with the eventual victor. Maslow was able to successfully take Carlton down but a tremendous defensive guard from the American allowed him to secure the referee standup and finish the Russian off with a spectacular combination which is now a staple of the already extensive Carlton KO highlight reel. According to manager Bradley Burns, Carlton likes his chances here and will be looking for a repeat performance. Meanwhile Maslow is planning his revenge and the Russian has promised that this time he will find the submission. Plenty of extra incentive for both fighters to back their words up with a dominant performance tonight.

Maslow will go into this bout with some injury problems, although he assures us they will have no impact on his desire to set the record straight. Invariably he will be looking to take the fight to the ground and, if he can avoid getting clipped early by Carlton's fists of steel, he is in with a good chance of doing so. What is more questionable is whether he will be able to keep the American on the floor: Maslow was unable to do any meaningful damage in the first matchup between the pair and although Carlton has inevitability declined somewhat since his glory days he is still a very solid wrestler. I expect Maslow to up the ante with his activity on the floor should he get the takedown, even if that means expending energy with ground and pound which misses more often than not – the last thing he will want to see is another referee standup and there is no question that the Russian will make the necessary adjustments to avoid this eventuality. Whether that is enough however is another question, Carlton hasn't been tested on the ground recently but his manager is well versed in coaching grapplers and if Carlton's defensive guard is still as good as it was last year he may well be able to use that ability to stall and secure the standup yet again. At which point it's back to the striking exchanges and the ever looming threat of that big right hand.

Very tough fight to call: Maslow might struggle to find the submission but he is quite capable of grinding out a decision victory if he can take Carlton down and, more importantly, keep him there. In the standup phases you have to favour Carlton however, he just needs to be careful not to let his aggressive tendencies get the better of him. This fight could easily go either way; a cliché but in this case very true – anything might happen.

Prediction: Carlton by KO.

[bjornmma1]

Supermaaaaaaaan, tadadadaaaa!!!

[YerMaw]

Daaaamn... Harrington just got Tyson'd - I was not anticipating that. Newmark now in pole position.

 

Supermaaaaaaaan, tadadadaaaa!!!

Nice finish might want to change your post-fight speech though, I don't think McLauglin has been anywhere near P4P #1

[bjornmma1]

Daaaamn... Harrington just got Tyson'd - I was not anticipating that. Newmark now in pole position.

 

Nice finish might want to change your post-fight speech though, I don't think McLauglin has been anywhere near P4P #1

Yeah, forgot to change it

[Mario.Jay]

Daaaamn... Harrington just got Tyson'd - I was not anticipating that. Newmark now in pole position.

 

:thumbup: