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Legacy! 6 Event Preview
Prepared by Russ T. Shackleford.
Legacy welcomes mmaniancs back to our home at the Expo in gorgeous Montreal where our 2nd title fight will take place. If you haven’t read the PBP of the Legacy! 5 title fight between Terrell Grant and Johnny Cage. I would advise that you do that now because, It was one helluva shocker and spoilers will follow. Johnny Cage came out looking to put Grant on his ass early with an insane pace that saw him throw 65 head shots alone. 45 of these head shots connected but, Terrell Grant displayed an excellent chin and took the shots in stride. He was able to score with a handful of takedowns but, Johnny proved too agile and flexible to submit. Terrell bided his time and weathered the assault that went on for nearly 25 minutes before employing the classic Rope and Dope strategy. Terrell had allowed Johnny to punch himself into near exhaustion and then he slipped a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match. Knowing that he needed to sub Johnny for the win Terrell faked a triangle and isolated Johnny’s arm. With only 1 second to spare in the last round Johnny Cage submitted to Terrell Grant who is our new 265 lbs. Champion. The 58th ranked 205 pounder Patrick Brody will look to add another belt to his collection at the cost of the 103rd ranked 205 pounder Ravi Shankoli. These two fighters are about as entertaining as it gets and hopefully they will a tough act to follow after Legacy! 5. In this weeks co-main Geralt of Rivia will engage in some good ole’ smash mouth boxing against William Blake. Veterans are starting to make their names known and this Saturday we will witness many seasoned fighter’s as they make their return to the cage. Front runners have emerged and title fights will become a somewhat regular event from here on out. Enough talk, let’s get on with the previews!
205lbs title fight - Patrick Brody vs Ravi Shankoli
The famous Battered Buckshot Brody has proven that he’s hungry for a title and Legacy! will look to feed to Immortal’s Superstar. Ravi Shankoli has other ideas though, he likes to remove teeth and Brody will have a tough time eating without those. Patrick Brody took command after his debut with the recently closed Immortals and became known for a tendency to cut or quickly submit just about anyone standing in the opposite corner. These feats made Brody the man to beat and he quickly rose through the ranks, skyrocketing in popularity. It’s been five years since Brody took that first Immortals fight and he’s shown the same raw determination and confidence that secured him two titles and 3 defences. Patrick literally came into Legacy swinging and has racked up one KO and one TKO in his first two fights. This momentum has propelled him into the top spot within the organization and tonight he’ll seek to improve upon an impressive 11-2 record. Shortly after his immaculate conception in the Himalayan mountains Ravi Shankoli was given a mission from the creator to destroy darkness from the hearts of all opponents. Ravi took this revelation very seriously and spent much of his life meditating in caves with his parents and guru. Prepared for the battles to come, Shankoli set out to transmutate the darkness of the collective present and convert it into the gold of pure intention. After much meditation Shankoli decided the best way to convert the darkness would be to become a dentist... In spite of discovering how much he enjoyed pulling teeth Ravi knew that he was converting minimal darkness in the dentist’s office and decided that his skills were being squandered. It was around this time that Shankoli wandered into a local QFC and signed himself up with the intention of fighting darkness with his fists. He took a beating but, his years of yoga training paid off and he had his hand raised at the end of three and became hooked. After racking up 4 more QFC wins in rapid succession Shankoli caught the eye of NEX on one of it’s world tour stops. Ravi performed well but, three fights into his career there he was pitted against Stu “The Grim Reaper” Grimson. Shankoli fought a good fight but, was overwhelmed in the face of such powerful darkness. Shankoli succumbed near the end of the first round and had a very long talk with the Creator. We’ll never know for certain what was said but, it worked and Ravi racked up 3 KO wins in a row and then won in a decision. He had come full circle and would face his still undefeated rival Stu Grimson in his first title shot. This time around Ravi’s chin held up for a 25 minute barrage and although he lost in a narrow decision he’s still the only fighter to go the distance with the undefeated Stu Grimson. In the post fight interview Ravi stated that Grimson smelled of death and during the fight he vomited in his mouth and wasn’t the same afterwards. It was shortly after this fight that Shankoli decided to make a change and transition his skills to a more natural weight in the 205 lbs. division. He quickly captured the title and defended it once. After surrendering the belt in a unanimous decision loss Ravi knew that it was time to broaden his horizons. He left NEX with a 15-6 professional record in search of an opportunity to test himself against a strong fighter and Patrick Brody is more than willing to oblige. Ravi loves to throw head shots and has accrued 7 KO’s, 4 TKO’s and 5 decision victories throughout his 5 year career. Brody will come in to this fight with a slight edge over Ravi in all disciplines except boxing. Ravi’s boxing will be paramount in this fight if he is to have success and landing punishing blows early on will be critical. Brody sees this coming and knows that he has options, with the foremost being a superior grasp of BJJ. He loves a good ole’ brawl and will exchange strikes with Shankoli with glee. Brody might be a bit conservative this time around and look to exploit any visible weaknesses. If Shankoli gets the better of the standup game Brody might clinch and posture up for a some big elbows but, the knowledge that this fight could be won on the ground will never be far from his mind. Both of these fighters have the ability to get to each others chins but, Brody will decide if he wants to give Shinkoli the chance. After a shocking title fight in last weeks main event, fans won’t want to miss this one.
Co-main event 135 lbs division - Geralt of Rivia vs. William Blake
Geralt of Rivia and William Blake will return to the Expo after both of them received losses in their debuts. Geralt had sought to avenge one of the few losses besmirching his 12-3 record against TNTF third place winner Jimmy Doyle. It became apparent that Geralt held a vendetta against Doyle early in the fight after he landed what some are calling an intentional strike to the groin. Up until then Doyle had been somewhat aggressive but, the blow had done it’s damage and Doyle wasn’t the same after. Geralt knew that Doyle was hurting and proceeded to beat him like he owed him money for the next three rounds. It wasn’t until the last round that Doyle finally regained his composure and pulled guard. With only 3 seconds to spare in the final round Rivia couldn’t hold on any longer and was forced to tap in lieu of a broken arm. Geralt was furious in his post fight commentary after the end of his 8 fight win streak. With the exception of one fight, all of Geralt’s losses have come by way of submission but, he feels confident tonight in the midst of another grappler. William Blake had similar success in his debut and things seemed to be going well in the first round but they rapidly took a turn for the worst. A very defensive strategy paid off well for Blake who had slightly begun to take the momentum at the start of the first round. Brown was having little luck striking and looked instead to work a takedown. Almost immediately Blake landed a sweep and took up his preferential position in top guard going to work with some GNP. Brown was able to evade these strikes effectively and frustrate Blake into punching the canvas and fracturing his hand. Enraged, Blake continued to throw punches in bunches and succeeded in only worsening his hand and frustration. A lull in the action forced a referee stand up and Blake walked to his corner confident that he has taken the first round, It was at this point that Blake’s adrenaline began wearing off and he realized just how bad his hand was. All aggression had left Blake and he ended up getting rocked at the end of the second round. He displayed true heart and come into the third round looking to deal some damage. Brown was able to work his way into guard and GNP Blake for a decision win. With hand healed and spirits high, Blake is feeling confident that he’ll be able to have more success against Geralt on the ground tonight. He is after all, a submission specialist with 7 in that fashion as well as another 2 decision wins throughout his 9-3 record. Geralt of Rivia is a pure brawl and sprawler and has gathered up 3 KO’s and 8 TKO’s throughout his 12-4 record. Although Geralt comes into this fight a year older at 22, Blake’s career began at 16 and he will have the benefit of some additional training. All things considered Geralt has fought a few more fights and his opponents posted a pre fight combined record of 76-51. Growing up in TNTF amidst fierce competition must have been tough on Geralt but, Blake was forged in the fires of Immortals and faced a tough schedule that saw him capture the 135 lbs belt and defend it 5 times, his opponents posted a PFCR of 56-11. It doesn’t end there though throughout 16 fights Geralt has spent a total of 2 hours and 44 seconds in the cage and average 7 minutes and 33 seconds in each fight. Blake has only had 12 fights and still managed to post a total of 2 hours 55 minutes and 45 secs in the cage which averages out to an unheard of 14 minutes 39 seconds due to his numerous title defenses at Immortals. At a glance these two men appear equal in the vertical but, Geralt has shown much more eagerness to strike than Blake has in the past. Both of these men have excellent chins and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one goes the distance. No doubt that Geralt has sought to improve his grappling in the build up to this fight and we’ll see if he’s able to take advantage of a slight wrestling edge. If his training went well Geralt will try to keep Blake busy with some GNP and try to transition back to his feet where he will be most comfortable. It will be interesting to see what Blake has cooked up after hurting his hand in his last fight. Blake has relied heavily upon his chin in the past and has shown little motivation to shoot takedowns unless he sees a great chance. He prefers instead to let his opponents score with takedowns and make them regret it once they do. That will likely change tonight with Rivia and it’s suspected that Blake has been training takedowns in preparations to this fight. Both of these fighters have outstanding chins and this fight will most likely go the distance.
155 lb division - Charles Bronson vs. Reyki Rhino
Two fighters who share a common enemy with look to pound each other to a pulp in the third event of Legacy! 6. Charles Bronson faced the first loss of his career at the hands of the violent Lorne Malvo. Knowing that Malvo was an excellent boxer Bronson had sought to improve his hands and striking defense before the fight. He covered up intelligently and was able to score with a few counter strikes as well but, Malvo began throwing fancy kicks that were slipping Bronson’s guard. It wasn’t long before Malvo had taken the lead and demoralized Bronson. Malvo got the better of an exchange and sensed that Bronson was close to going down. He advanced and landed a flurry of punches that left a bloodied Bronson sprawled on the canvas. When Bronson came to and realized what had happened a broad smile formed on his face. He had known the risks of fighting Malvo and relished the opportunity to test himself against a fellow EVO KT tournament winner. Bronson might have lost the fight but, he gained the knowledge of where his chin lies and that will be crucial for the duration of his career. This knowledge will likely re-shape Bronson’s past strategies and we’ll see him be a little more cautious against Reyki Rhino who went the distance with Lorne Malvo in our inaugural event. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland Reyki was drawn to his local metal scene from a young age. Unlike most professional fighters, Rhino’s career began not in gyms or tournaments but, instead in mosh pits and back alleys. It was here that his claim to fame began in a wall of death. After killing a man at a local metal show, Reyki became known as the white rhino for the way he had charged head first into the wall of death. For years Rhino had been brawling for respect and he decided it was time that he got paid for it. At the age of 18 he stepped into the cage for the first time and began his 7-4 career. While he needs money to survive, it has never been about the prize for Reyki. He honed his skills in QFC’s just because he enjoyed knocking people out as his 1 KO and 6 TKO’s wins show. Reyki had always relied on striking throughout his life and KT a natural choice when he considered fighting professionally. After winning one and losing on though Rhino switched back to MMA where he has been ever since. This could quite possibly be the toughest night of his career to as he faces off against the accomplished Charles Bronson. These two fighters are very evenly matched and this fight will be a hard one to call. There’s no doubt in my mind that this one will be a slug fest. Charles will seek to edge ahead in the score cards with clean and accurate striking. The Rhino might seek to counter this threat by moving into the clinch with the intention of getting off some headshots. The clinch could be very dangerous if Bronson tries to take this fight to the ground and utilize his brown belt against Reykis blue belt. Being the kickboxer and gentleman that he is I doubt Bronson has any intentions regarding the ground but, there’s a chance that he could get his first submission win against Reyki. He too will have to be cautious as Reyki looks to control and GNP from the top. This is all just speculation of course, These two men are Kickboxers and we’re sure to see that reflected in Saturday’s bout. This one could go the distance but, I think we’ll see it come to a bloody end midway through the second as the chins on one of these fighters gives way. Regardless of who wins this will be a good fight to watch between two former KT fighters.
265 lbs division - Frank Barbosa vs. The RocknRolla
Frank “Operation” Barbosa will commence a sneak attack of his own against the Russian RocknRolla this Saturday. Barbosa grew up boxing under the tutelage of a gruff grandfather who was a former Brigade Boxing Champion in the Navy. His grandfather would often regale a young Frank with tales of combat on the high seas. Frank was obsessed and became well versed in the strategy of that tumultuous decade. This translated well when Frank began his professional fighting career at the age of 18 and Frank showed a knack for out thinking and out striking any opponent he has come across. Due to numerous disagreements, Frank had trouble with his first manager and organization. He broke with the two and found a new manager and organization where he won another fight. Now 3-0 with 3 TKO’s Frank was finally able to fly his aging grandfather to a fight. Frank fought his heart out and his grandfather cheered his heart out literally. 47 seconds into the first round Frank knocked his opponent unconscious and his grandfather’s heart finally gave out due to the excitement. Frank was devastated and spent the next two years roaming the earth alone. During his travels he encountered manager Gwad who convinced him to get back in the gym and earn a title that his grandfather would be proud of. An opportunity presented itself when Legacy! opened it’s doors to the public and Gwad flew Frank to Montreal to compete. Barbosa found a home on Gwad’s roster after winning his first two Legacy fights in the 2nd round. Now he will seek to advance his career and position for a title shot in memory of his late grandfather. You’d never be able to tell from his smug grin and witty remarks but, Johnny Quid has also lost everyone he once held dear. His mind became steel after his mother committed suicide and he suffered years of boarding school and abuse at the hand of his wealthy but mean spirited step father. Johnny was a rather angsty youth and would often get into playground scuffles and raise hell in class. It wasn’t long before Quid was expelled from school and he began a life of bar fights, petty crimes, drugs, woman and music. This changed after Johnny’s father died under mysterious circumstances in a reservoir full of hungry crawfish. His mentor Archie checked him into rehab and when he made his return to the real world Johnny changed his name to The RocknRolla in light of his recent misdeeds. The RocknRolla used all his newly found free time training for a debut in MMA. A mysterious underground network of people formed around The RocknRolla he used these contacts to set up his first professional fight in Immortals. He won his first four fights with ease and was able to acquire the Super Heavyweight title for a short time. After a pair of losses the RocknRolla returned to Russia to ensure that his affairs were in order and train for a move into a different org. He parted ways with manager Bjorn O’Donnel and was snatched up by Damien Washington. The two decided that Legacy! would be the next logical step in his career and it wasn’t long before they signed a contract. Although he lost in his debut against the now heavyweight champion Terrell Grant, The RocknRolla has never sought to improve and was able to KO his next opponent in Legacy! 3. With 4 KOs and 2 KO’s on his 7-3 record it would be no surprise if The RocknRolla looked to snatch another TKO out of this fight. Frank will be happy to stay vertical where he will hold a strong boxing advantage. He loves to KO out opponents as well and has gathered up 2 KO wins in addition to his 4 TKOs throughout his undefeated career. Barbosa loves to finish quickly and finished his first four fights in under a minute so it’s no surprise that he averages only 2 minutes and 53 secs in his fights compared to RocknRollas average of 9 mins and 35 secs in the cage. The RocknRolla has the privilege of entering this fight with over 5 times as much in fight experience as Barbosa who has spent a meager 17 minutes and 20 secs fighting compared to RocknRolla’s total of 1 hour 35 minutes and 53 seconds. Although he has shown a capacity to knock out opponent’s quickly Barbosa has been a bit more cautious under Gwad. The ground ground advantage will go to Barbosa and he might be able to submit RocknRolla if he tried but, it would cost him some damage and stamina and he’s never once shot for a takedown in his life. If Frank wants to takedown RocknRolla he might have to look to the clinch which will be nerve racking against RocknRolla’s powerful elbows. These two are strikers though this one will stay in the vertical as RocknRolla works his superior MT against Barbossa’s boxing. This will be the ultimate test for Barbosa’s chin and I for one look forward to seeing how it holds up
185 lbs division - Liam Davidson vs Kim II Sung
Opening up our main card for the evening two up and comers will look to absolve themselves after losses in their previous matches. Liam Davidson squared off against Matt Kroblur in his Legacy debut with a different strategy than he has previously shown. Coming into the fight Liam was faced with a dilemma, throughout most of his career Liam was able to use his superior grappling and judo against taller and heavier opponents. This time around though Liam was justified in fearing takedowns against the wrestler Matt Kroblur. Liam sought to score as many points as he could at the start of the rounds but, Kroblur had other ideas and was able to score takedowns with ease. Kroblur dominated the ground game and rained strikes on Liam from the top, Liam worked hard on the ground to escape either to his feet or a more advantageous position but, Kroblur was able to defend these transitions rather well. After having little success in his escape attempts Liam resolved to instead try submission but was unable to lock anything in. At the end of 3 round a demoralized Liam Davidson limped home with the first first defeat at 185 lbs. It was only the 3rd loss in his 10 fight career and Liam didn’t consider this a defeat at all. At weigh in’s he quoted the great Vince Lombardi saying, “I didn’t lose fights, occasionally I just run out of time” It will take quite a bit of work to avoid going the distance with Kim II Sung who has seen more decisions than most fighters ever will during his 9-5 record. In his most recent fight with Sam Hall, Sung also took a different approach than he has in the past. Instead of working a sneaky takedown and quick submission Sung instead looked to punch his way to a decision with body shots. Sam Hall was much more aggressive and threw strikes almost exclusively at Sung’s head. Alot of these strikes were able to land home and succeded in only frustrating Sung. He stuck to his guns though and faced a defeat by unanimous decision. It’s rumored that Sung was so furious after that loss that he returned home to North Korea and declared that anyone wearing a hairstyle similar to Sam Hall’s fauxhawk will be incinerated by a flamethrower squad. Shortly thereafter North Korean officials released a pamphlet outlining 28 acceptable hairstyles. It’s unknown how many civilians lost their lives after this recent defeat but, it is obvious that fighters should just let Kim II Sung win. That loss brought Kim II Sung’s pro record to 9-5 depending on which country you live in. North Korean’s believe that Sung has won 267 fights in a row all within seconds of the first round. This will be Sung’s first fight at 185 lbs and fans can’t wait to see how he holds the extra weight. Liam Davidson will no doubt adapt his strategy once again against Sung who holds a black belt in addition to vastly superior wrestling. Liam might be best off swinging away at Sung’s legs and body to better enable him to defend the takedown. Sung has never showed any trouble taking down anyone and he will likely be eager to get back to grappling tonight where he is at his strongest. Sung’s powerful takedown could spell trouble for Liam who hasn’t had the need to train takedown defense much in the past. That has surely changed as he knows that stuffing even one takedown will go a loong way in this fight. Liam has never really tried for a knockout and that won’t change here. It’s unknown how much punishment Sung can take since he’s never received a knockout but it’s become apparent that he can take a substantial amount of abuse. Wise money is on Liam trying to snatch Sung’s body with strikes and cut the legs out from under him with some leg kicks. When Sung scores his takedown he will work any submission he can as Liam struggles to get top guard. If Liam makes his way to the top of the dogpile he will need to transition to his feet with a quickness because, Sung will land a sweep if he’s not careful.
...and that that will finish up this weeks main card and we will move on to the undercard which hosts a gamut of talented fighters looking to advance in the ranks. If you have an undercard fighter in Legacy! feel free to shoot me (Russ T. Shackleford) a message with a brief statement from your fighter.
170 lbs division George Palmer vs. Dark Terror
155 lbs divison Pernell Karl vs. Gerry Khan
265 lbs divison Brodie Grundy vs. Jojiro Yamanak
185lbs divison Robb Stark vs. Conor Harris
155 lbs division Mac McNulty vs. Vanilla Ice
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