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Saturday night will mark the sixth fight card in GFC's brief history and they are poised to delight what is expected to be a capacity crowd at the Hard Knocks Arena with one of their most impressive lineup of fights to date. Some of the top contenders at various weight classes will square off and the title picture will begin to clear and come into focus as the winner's emerge.
The first fight on the card will be a lightweight contest between Anthony Kiedis (17-9-2) and Elvin Ruez (15-9). In two appearances in the GFC octagon, Kiedis has lost one fight and fought to a draw in the other. He feels like he has yet to show the GFC fans what he's really made of a desperately wants to get in the win column. Kiedis is a fantastic Muay Thai practitioner and frequently unleashes an array of kicks on his opponents. His ground game is quite respectable and he can certainly hold his own when the fight goes to the canvas. Ruez will be making his GFC debut and has proven himself to be a very well rounded fighter throughout his career. He is a very good boxer but he will often look to take his opponents to the ground and work them over with ground and pound and his brown belt level BJJ. This should be a compelling matchup and a great way to kick off the night of fights.
The second fight will feature middleweight fighters Cris Dorh (14-9) and Maek Houzo (25-21). Dorh has been unsuccessful in two trips into the GFC cage so far, having been stopped in the first round both times. He is determined to reverse his fortunes and pick up his first GFC win. Dorh is a solid dirty boxer who also boasts an underrated BJJ game. He has picked up nine wins by way of submission and is definitely most comfortable on the ground. Houzo is an extremely experienced veteran fighter with an excellent ground game. Houzo has shown very little standing in his career and has shown himself to have a very vulnerable chin. Will Dorh move out of his comfort zone and attempt to make the fight a standup engagement, or will this fight go to the ground where we will see which man is the most proficient grappler?
A pair of light heavyweights will be making their first GFC appearances in our thrid fight when Rafael Oliveira (5-3) matches up against Chris Christofi (2-0). Oliveira is a well rounded fighter with excellent Muay Thai skills. He is known for this clinchwork where he assaults his opponents with violent knees and elbows. Christofi is a pure ground fighter who has clearly shown his preference to do battle on the ground. He relies heavily on takedowns and ground work and I would anticipate more of the same in this battle.
Cru Jones (19-27) will be making his second GFC appearance when he locks horns with Gorge Junior (17-9) in the fourth fight. Jones was knocked out in just 36 seconds in his GFC debut and is determined to redeem himself against Junior. Jones is an excellent BJJ practitioner with fifteen submission wins to his credit in his career. He has shown little standup skill and will most certainly want to get Junior to the ground sooner than later. Junior could not be a more different fighter thn Jones. He is a pure boxer who has never attempted a takedown or even thrown a kick. His mission is to stalk his opponent and throw fists, looking for the knockout blow. He has picked up twelve career wins by KO or TKO and will seek to make Jones number thirteen.
Veteran fighter Bada Bada (19-17) will greet GFC newcomer Pvt. Palmer (10-5) in the fifth fight. Bada is a submission specialist who boasts a black belt in BJJ. Fourteen of his nineteen career wins have come by way of submission and he has been accussed at times of being somewhat one dimensional. Bada has decent boxing skills to hold his own on his feet, but he is most certainly in his element when the fight goes to the ground. Palmer is a very talented fighter with very few holes in his game. He is a very proficient and accurate striker who peppers his opponents with a heavy dose of head and body punches. Palmer's ground and pound is underrated and is a tremendous weapon in his arsenal that is often overlooked.
In another ligthweight contest, the undefeated Keha Anoki (4-0) will make his GFC debut against Sergei Korobkov (5-4-1). Anoki has shown virtually no standup skills. All four of his wins have come by way of submission. In all four of his fights he has taken his opponent down and unleashed a chain of submission attempts until successful. Will his lack of standup prowess come back to haunt him or will he continue his reign of terror. Korobkov is looking to get over the hump after being part of a majory draw in his first fight in GFC. Korobkov traditionally goes very heavy on the takedowns and blankets his opponents while working occasional strikes and submission attempts. His stand up skills are far superior to those of Anoki and he may find himself to be best served trying to stay on his feet.
The seventh fight will be a light heavyweight contest between two of the most talented fighters in the division. Sam Anderson (21-11) turned in a Fight Of The Night performance in a five round classic against Tony Masters in his last apperance. Anderson is a tremendous striker with a very dangerous clinch game. Muay Thai is clearly his specialty but his boxing skills are not too shabby. Opposing Anderson will be Xavier Bastarrachea (20-10). Like Anderson, he is a striker by trade and has awesome Muay Thai skills. He relies heavily on debilitating kicks and elbows and knees from the clinch. This fight is clearly a fight of the night canddtate as neither fighter is afraid to let loose and exchange blows.
The middleweights will be on display in the eigth fight when Machidan Lyoton (29-18) and Doc Holliday (10-6) square off. Lyoton is one of the most gifted and well rounded fighters in the division. He is a phenomenal striker who varies his attack nicely between punches and kicks. He is comfortable in the clinch and on the ground and could prove to be the man to beat in the middleweight division. Holliday is a solid puncher who is likely to want the fight to take place on the ground. He is a BJJ black belt with very impressive ground and pound skills. Both fighters will be stepping into the GFC cage for the first time and fans and GFC management are eagerly anticipating this battle.
The co-main event will be a welterweight fight between two of the best that the division has to offer. Luke Skywalker (19-6) will be in search of his third GFC win when he steps into the cage to oppose Onni Jokinen (13-7-1). Skywalker is a very accomplished boxer who punishes his opponents with heavy, well placed punches. He throws the occasional leg kick to keep his opponents off balance and has been known to pull of a rare submission when needed. Jokinen is an absolutley lethan striker who leans heavily on his boxing, which is second to none. His dirty boxing is equally good and he has shown flashes of power throughout his career. Grappling is not on Jokinen's to do list, but his wrestling and BJJ are good enough to keep him in the fight in case the fight goes to the ground.
The main event is a lightheavyweight battle that will serve as a title eliminator. Tony Masters (10-3) is coming off of a five round war with Sam Anderson in his last fight. Masters is riding a three fight win streak and will be out to finish his opponent and leave no doubt that he is the top fighter in the division. Masters does his best work in the clinch but is also a very impressive striker from a distance. Half of his wins have come by KO or TKO, so he can certainly end a fight in the blink of an eye. Dick Tanner (12-5) comes in hoping that a change of scenery will be good for him. He is on a three fight losing streak and desperatly wants to get back on track. Like Masters, Tanner likes to do his fighting standing up and loves to battle in the clinch. Muay Thai is Tanner's strong suite and he throws vicious knees and elbows when he gets his opponent locked in the clinch. The winner of this fight will be in line to compete for the light heavyweight title in their next fight and has plenty of motivation to come away with an impressive win.
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