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 Back to the Micro Arena for Highland Challenge 6. We have some of our lower ranked up and comers here in what is somewhat of a prequel to the gigantic Highland Challenge 7 event later in the week. These guys will he hoping to get their names off of build-up cards like this and onto the big show, and the only way to do that is with an impressive performance.
Light Heavyweight
Steel Island (0-1) def. Bryan Magamedov (0-0) by TKO (Cut) at 0:57 of Round 2
Island comes from experienced manager Steel Penn’s stable of fighters, so it was surprising that he was KOed in just 46 seconds in his debut. In this fight, Magamedov was desperate to make it a grappling contest but Island kept his cool and worked his kickboxing from a distance before the referee stepped in and called the action due to a cut.
Light Heavyweight
Mati Gengala (0-1) def. Xavier Oliva (0-1) by Unanimous Decision
Two guys who fought in Highland Challengers before but were unsuccessful. Mati lost on cuts to Antero Teeri while Xavier went the distance with the current champion Charles Crawley. This was quite an interesting one. Both seemed to want to make it a wrestling match but neither wanted to allow the other to be the one to bring it there. They both worked with their striking but only used it to set something else up. Not a lot of action took place, a pattern we’re beginning to see from Oliva, but the judges scored it three rounds to none for Mati Gengala.
Welterweight
Perry Hughes (0-1) def. Floyd Juneweather (0-1) by Unanimous Decision
Hughes making his HC debut while Juneweather fought at Highland Challenge 3 in a losing effort to knockout artist Alexander Stubb. What was instantly visible in this fight is that Hughes was the more effective at tying up. Juneweather seemed happy to try and work in close but Hughes was the much better cinch clinch fighter, landing strikes from absolutely everywhere when in close. In fact, Perry Hughes might be the most versatile clinch fighter I’ve seen yet, with guys like Dan Sten focusing on knees or LightHeavy Weight focusing on elbows, not many can mix it up like Perry can and that’s what got him a decision in this fight.
Middleweight
Vincente Nunes (0-1) def. Johnny Peso (0-1) by Unanimous Decision
Nunes lost on the inaugural Highland Challengers card when he was out wrestled by Takakazu Nakamoto. This was Johnny “Cash” Peso’s first fight in the promotion after being submitted in an independent circuit fight. After learning a lesson against Takakazu, Vincente Nunes seemed to want to adopt a similar style. He took the fight down repeatedly and was active in searching for ground and pound. Peso managed to land a big hook which knocked his opponent to the canvas, but his lack of takedown defence cost him this fight convincingly.
Light Heavyweight
Erick Hull (1-0) def. Shronky Macdougal (1-1) by TKO (Strikes) at 0:38 of Round 1
Erick Hull joins us after the demise of Extreme MMA, in which he picked up a submission loss to Phil Brooks. Shronky Macdougal might have one of the most interesting stories of all of our competitors, but that didn’t help him when he lost to the beautifully named Day Rapin Party by TKO at HC 2. This fight didn’t go on for long enough for us to get in depth. Hull clinched up immediately and landed punches to the head and body because unleashing a huge uppercut which sent Shronky crumbling to the canvas. An impressive quick victory for the Rockport native.
Featherweight
Cale Downes (1-1) def. Andy Yearns (0-1) by Submission (Guillotine) at 1:59 of Round 1
Both of these guys had similar promotional debuts. Downes, a BJJ Brown Belt, pulled guard and was hurt badly by the solid ground and pound of Nucky McPharson. Yearns didn’t pull guard, but was also quickly put on his back and GnPed by Juan Gomez. Now, both were looking for a little bit of redemption to right the wrongs they made last time out. It was Cale Downes who has able to do as such. Yet again Andy was taken down almost instantly. This time, he managed to sweep onto he top position quickly but this only opened him up to be caught in a guillotine choke. Downes will be really happy to show off his technique this time.
Heavyweight
Sal Wertviy (1-1) def. Erick Preuss (0-1) by Submission (Armbar) at 1:43 of Round 1
With both coming off of disappointing TKO losses, it would be a disastrous slip for either man if they didn’t get their arm raised. It is Erick Preuss who is now facing that fate. Sal was able to avoid the clinch well and shot in for a double leg which got him half guard. From there, he shot straight into mount and swiftly secured an armbar. Preuss barely even got an opportunity to defend as he was clearly out matched in jiu jitsu.
Heavyweight
Jo Smo (1-0) def. Urban Chaos (0-0) by KO (Punch) at 1:19 of Round 1
Former bareknuckle boxer and “King of the Streets” Jo Smo scored a Knockout of the Night bonus at Highland Challenge 4 when he TKOed Crazy Legs. He was coming into this one as a favourite as we didn’t know what to expect from Chaos’ arsenal. To be honest, we still don’t. Jo’s power was completely evident once again as he instantly dropped his opponent and scored the finish not too long after, picking up his second bonus. What was interesting is that we saw a little bit of the kicking game from Smo as well, so this could be an interesting extra faucet of his game.
Featherweight
Patrick Seery (1-0) def. White Chocolate (0-0) by TKO (Punches) at 1:09 of Round 1
Although we hadn’t seen either of these men compete under the HC banner before, we were told that they were both boxers who’d love to go toe to toe until the end. That’s exactly what we got, but to be fair the end came about just beyond the first minute. Patrick Seery was the much more accurate and effective striker. Chocolate only landed one grazing punch while the Dublin fighter barely missed a shot. In the end, it was a combination of straight punches and hooks which saw Chocolate collapse to the floor, allowing Seery to earn his second straight win.
Featherweight
Roger Bennett (0-1) def. Andy Florence (1-0) by Unanimous Decision
If you were expecting some of the most familiar guys for our main event, then you’ll be a bit disappointed. This event was more about building contenders as opposed to showcasing them, which is why neither of these men are big names within the organisation. Roger Bennett challenged Hugh Janus at HC 1 but the fight was quickly dragged to the floor where he was submitted. Florence is a BJJ White Belt, and although Woody Forrest has displayed some talent in submissions at this rank, it’s not common at all so Bennett was confident enough that he would work this time. The fight saw its way into the clinch repeatedly where Roger completely controlled. He utilized a combination of knees to the head and body to wear Florence down over the distance, and although the finish eluded him for the duration, he still managed to dominate fully which will bring a lot to Roger for his future affairs.
KNOCKOUT OF THE NIGHT
Jo Smo
SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT
Sal Wertviy
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Mati Gengala Vs Xavier Oliva
This wasn’t winning any awards for event of the year, but we had a lot of guys here that may have dropped their first fight or were making their promotional debuts. These early stages of The Island are all about developing talent and bringing new names out of the woodwork. You never know what level of opponent these guys might have had in their debuts as only time will tell how successful everyone could become, so don’t count anyone out just yet. With two straight KOTN bonuses, Jo Smo is certainly the name to watch out for.
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