265+ title - Charles DaCoca (c) Vs Gunnar Steigelmann
Newly crowned champion Charles DaCoca simply walked all over Gamma’s 2016 fighter of the year and then some. Gunnar Steigelmann started strong as he sliced open the champion with a sharp left but Charles DaCoca was enraged at the sight of his own blood and like a bull seeing red, he went berserk on the legendary challenger. It didn’t take long for the champion to bust open the challenger and after a blitzkrieg of an offensive swarm of kicks and punches, Gunnar Steigelmann had his light switched off with a destructive overhand right.
Winner: Charles DaCoca by KO (punch) after 1 minute and 47 seconds in the first round.
Gareth Keenan’s last two attempt at securing a superfight win under his belt did not go the way he had anticipated, now many wondered if the third time would be the charm. Meet Sergey Panikov, Aggressive Damage’s featherweight champion. With a recent quick knockout over former Gamma bantamweight champion Underestimated "Snake In The Grass" Dillashaw Junior, Gareth Keenan and fans around the globe were warned that Sergey Panikov still brings the pain.
What a intriguing chess battle this turned out to be. Sergey Panikov definitely took hold of the reins at the start of the fight. Mighty aggressive he was, kicks with brute force were mixed in between an armada of explosive punches. A finish he craved but the cunning wit of Gareth Keenan slowly but surely took control of the fight. A splendid festival of near-magical vanishing punches and flashy kicks found their target more often than not, while Sergey Panikov had a lot of trouble hitting meat and bone.
Winner: Gareth Keenan by unanimous decision.
GAMMA#681 Mason vs Shin – 23 december
185 title - Matt Quin (c) Vs Russian Obama
Their first fight was an amazing sight to behold but unfortunately it ended without a clear victor. A draw does not offer anything to gain for either man. Like Schrödinger's cat they lived in limbo since their last fight as neither man could move forward or even backward until their rivalry finally gets a real conclusion.
The third one was indeed the charm for MMATycoon’s Cinderella man as Matt Quin dominated the first three rounds. With an abundance of razor sharp punches and always dangerous takedowns, the champion had the challenger’s number for the first three rounds. In the fourth round Russian Obama started to get back in the game despite the champion’s tenaciousness but even a close fifth and final round proved it was too little too late as the champion retained in a perfect ending to the trilogy that has captured the hearts of Gamma’s fans for so many months.
The undeniable favorite for the 170lbs Fighter Of The Year 2017 award is Lao Shin. He has had quite an amazing year but losing his last fight of the year would leave quite a sour taste in his mouth and might even put his spot of top runner in jeopardy. Party pooper Zane Mason looked quite ready to blast Lao Shin from his throne but the killjoy needed to get past a motivated Lao Shin at the top of his game.
Both elite strikers are known for their knockout ability but the difference in their last couple of fights is most certainly worth noting. Lao Shin "To Chin" has not been able to put his dukes to work in the chase for a finish since being finished himself not long after last summer’s end. Zane Mason on the other hand does not like to leave his victory to chance and has not neglected to finish people left and right, three out of his last five fights were quite exhilarating finishes the fans have adored him for. Fans were hopeful to see a knockout and they were not shy about letting it be known to these caged warriors.
Fans around the world were delighted to see that both men came to dance and what a tango of death this fight turned out to be! A true battlefield it was. An terrifyingly brutal mess of suffering, chaos, ugliness and mayhem as these brutes collided in the middle of the unforgiving steel cage. They swung for the fences, pulling no punches as they drew in the crowd in their brawl for bragging rights and for Lao Shin the possibility of losing the icing on the cake as his yearlong achievements could be rendered mute in the end of the year awards.
Zane Mason was quite adamant in taking this fight to the clinch but he soon came to regret it as Gamma’s welterweight champion proved himself quite the expert in close distance combat. The damage was done and Lao Shin could smell the sweet taste of victory. A crisp right hand countered Mason’s destructive left hook and dropped him on his backside. A relentless Lao Shin did not let him get off the hook as Lao Shin absolutely blasted Zane Mason with a nasty barrage of deadly blows until the grim reaper put on a referee’s attire and stepped in to end the fight.
Winner: Lao Shin by TKO (strikes) after 32 seconds in the fourth round.
UGD 93:Kenway Vs Keenan – 29 December
155 superfight - Edward Kenway (Underground) Vs Gareth Keenan (GAMMA)
After finally gaining some modicum of success in the realm of superfights, Gamma’s featherweight champion Gareth Keenan jumped back into the deep end faster than his own shadow. What an opponent he was given as the shark on duty was none other than Underground’s lightweight champion Edward Kenway, an undefeated force of mass destruction since signing with Underground.
They struck with nasty precision and expert timing. Not a gruesome brawl but an enticing chess match this was, between two masters of their craft and the tension could be cut with a knife as even the slightest error could prove the difference maker. The crowd kept holding their breath in anticipation and what a nifty battle for control this proved to be as Gamma’s featherweight champion more than held his own deep in enemy territory.
Winner: Gareth Keenan by unanimous decision.
GAMMA#682 Churchill v Ridgeway – 30 December
155 title - Mathew Ridgeway (c) Vs Winston Churchill
It took him quite a while to get there, but Winston Churchill let it be known that he was here to stay. The newly crowned lightweight champion on the other hand needed a victory to solidify his latest title reign and nothing was going to stop Mathew Ridgeway from walking away victorious.
In a whirlwind of strikes, only one man was the Tasmanian Devil in this fight and that was the champion. The challenger got blasted with an overwhelming amount of thunderous strikes. Like meteors passing through the atmosphere, the champion’s strikes were burning with a red hot desire and when they found their target, it was not a pretty sight. The impact of the champion’s strikes was so brutal that the challenger rushed his way into the clinch, only to find more misfortune there as the champion mercilessly continued his path of destruction.
Winner: Mathew Ridgeway by TKO (strikes) after 4 minutes and 46 seconds in the third round.
