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 Einar Enkeltmann (2-1) Vs Shino Ohio (3-0) – Lightweight
Enkeltmann is a superb jiu jitsu player and his great wrestling gives him the vehicle to get the fight to where he wants. After leaving his first two fights with submission victories, Enkeltmann succumbed to George Moshington in his last contest, despite dominating the first round.
Shino Ohio toured the independents on The Island, going 3-0 up until this point. Ohio uses his striking to win his fights, landing jabs to keep his opponent at distance, perhaps utilizing some techniques of avoidance. One thing to note is that Ohio is very heavy on combos, which might result in his downfall.
Addict Yo (3-1) Vs Milky Socks (3-3) – Bantamweight
Addict Yo has done the rounds on The Island, fighting in both the short lived Executioner and then Attack Fight League. Addict is a clinch fighter, which we’ve seen be very successful in the higher weight classes in Highland Games already. After losing his first two, wrestler Milky Socks rebounded with 3 straight wins. In his last fight, Socks dominated Lee Kagawa, only to be knocked out in the final round. After being so close to a potential title shot, it’ll be interesting to see how Socks can get back to that level.
Chocolate Mousse (3-1) Vs Saintly Fish (4-4) – Light Heavyweight
Mousse has won three straight now, avenging his debut decision loss to Jason Todd in the process. A streak like that raises some serious eyebrows in the division, and it’s certainly time for him to step up and face someone who has been in there with some of the best. That main is Saintly Fish. Fish has mixed it up with several experienced and talented fights, having mixed results. In his last fight, Fish scored his biggest win to date over Lock Down, scoring his second submission of the night in the process.
Jack Sock (5-3) Vs Snafu Mohajib (4-2) – Middleweight
Sock has been a solid addition to the Middleweight division since Highland Games 4. Losses to former champion Razor MuayThai and top contender Arnavut Sevket are the only blemishes on his HG record, but with 5 wins under his belt, it’s definite that the ground specialist is a threat to everyone.
Snafu is another man who’s been a tough test at 185 for a while. After three straight victories, a third round stoppage loss to Sevket knocked him back down the division. Rebounding with an impressive win over Antonio Gracie, Snafu’s muay thai makes for a dangerous foe.
Diamond Andy (6-4) Vs Chiyono Fuji (4-2) – Heavyweight
I’m not sure if I’ve been more excited about a fight before. Diamond Andy has been the most fringe competitor in HG since its inception. Losing in the inaugural main event to #1 P4P Barney Gumble, it’s been a long road for Andy, littered with cuts and injuries. All 4 of his losses were doctor stoppages, which all 6 of his victories were knockouts. Andy can beat anyone in the world, but the possibility of us all seeing red is constantly getting higher. Fuji is also HG 1 alum where he set the record for fastest knockout, taking Rashid Kurmally out in just 5 seconds. Like Andy, his only two losses were by cuts, while all 4 of his wins were knockouts, including a knockout of one time contender Christian Long at HG 35. Chiyono Fuji is a bonus machine, earning the highest amount of 5 in Highland Games. This fight is being finished. That’s an absolute guarantee. I just hope the stoppage is by the hands of the fighters and not the referee.
Dimentio Boychello (5-4) Vs Thor Heyerdahl (6-2) – Heavyweight
For some time, Dimentio appeared to be somewhat of a journeyman on the Island. He went 2-3, fighting in several organisations. It was then that he refocused himself and has since went 3-1, coming off of a huge victory over Ali Mouba in his last contest. Running off of this win, Dimentio has a shot to propel himself towards the top of the division. Speaking of momentum, Thor Heyerdahl is running with loads of it. The one time title contender suffered a loss to Pedro Lazaro recently, but rebounded by stopping Richard Riddick in a huge upset which nobody expected. With this win behind him, it’s expect that Thor could only be a few wins off of a second title shot and this time he’s positive that he’d walk home with the gold.
Dan Small (5-1) Vs Wid Ing (6-2) – Bantamweight
Dan is a fantastic submission fighter, defeating all 5 of his opponents with locks or chokes. In his last fight, he lost in the biggest opportunity of his career, failing to best Serge Ibaka for the Bantamweight title. Wid Ing is a great kickboxer who went 5-0 before suffering back to back defeats by Kimura. A knockout victory in his last fight has changed the fortunes for the man from the Bahamas, and if he can overcome a former foe in tonights fight, he can once again turn his attention towards the top of the division.
The last time these men fought, Wid Ing easily dominated the opener before Small dragged the fight to the floor and latched on a second round submission. It will be interesting to see if Wid Ing can keep this one on the feet, or if Dan Small can make lightning strike twice.
Rodrigo Rojas (7-3) Vs Jonah Sorentino (10-5) – Middleweight
Rodrigo Rojas is a former Light Heavyweight Champion who’s fortunes have fell since then. Going 2-2 at Middleweight has meant that the trajectory of Rojas’s success has not gone according to plan, but there’s no denying the stunning jiu jitsu abilities this man possesses, currently holding the joint second most Submission of the Night bonuses in the company to date.
Jonah Sorentino is one of the most experienced guys on the entire Island. 15 professional fights with opponents such as Massimo Paterno, Ben Pulse, Razor MuayThai, Massimo Benvenuti, Din Ooo, Grant Morrison and Massao Hurmaaja. Sorentino knows exactly what it takes to win a fight, but time and time again he has fallen at the big show. Now, he must overcome this difficulty to make his case at becoming a Highland Games champion.
Andrei Alexeyev (7-2) Vs Alexey Juralev (6-2) – Heavyweight
Alexeyev was 6-0 when he challenged Barney Gumble for the 265 championship, but like all 12 of Gumble’s other foes, he was stopped in his attempt. A knockout of the night over Potter Dunn was expected, but being stopped by Nelson Frazier Jr was never part of the Russian's plans. Being in this position certainly doesn’t suit Andrei, and he knows that the main event spot should be held by him. A win here, and that dream could come to fruition once again. Alexey Juralev might be one of the most devastating strikers we’ve ever seen in the cage. Troll has an incredible 3 knockout of the night bonuses and until his last fight had made it 5 wins in a row in Highland Games. Unlike his opponent, Juralev has never challenged for the title. After a stunning 5 fight winning streak, Juralev was bested by Mib Louie in his last contest. It would have been completely fair to have seen Juralev fight for the title, but now he finds himself rising the ranks once again. If Juralev can challenge for the title before the end of the season, this fight is pivotal and is somewhat of his last chance.
Barney Gumble (12-0) Vs Nelson Frazier Jr (8-2) – Heavyweight Title Fight
Do I have to say anything about Barney Gumble? The Island’s greatest ever fighter returns to the cage once again and has his sights fully fixed on another effortless victory here tonight. The most devastating clinch artist we’ve ever seen, Gumble has turned back every single competitor without breaking a sweat. An incredible 7 title defences and wins over Clinton Offley, Pedro Lazaro, Richard Riddick, Andrei Alexeyev, Mib Louie, Thor Heyerdahl, Diamond Andy, Christian Long and his very opponent here tonight, it’s hard to see anyone knocking Barney from the top of the mountain. If there is anyone who’s clinch skills deserve to be noticed in the heavyweight division, it’s Nelson Frazier Jr. Unfortunately, Gumble’s skills have eclipsed everyone elses so we don’t talk about the talents of a guy like Nelson Frazier Jr as much as we should. When Nelson lost to Barney Gumble, he took on Richard Riddick in a losing effort. No one thought he would be back here again, but look at it now. Nelson has defeated his last three opponents, stopping them all to be able to bring himself back into the main event, and more importantly, back into title contention.
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