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 P { margin-bottom: 0.21cmSLAUGHTERHOUSE 11 PREVIEW
UNDERCARD
Silvio Crespo v Mashrafe Mortaza – 145 lbs
Undefeated Argentinian clinch fighter, Silvio Crespo, faces off against Jiu Jitsu brown belt, Mashrafe Mortaza, in our first fight of the evening. Crespo is 6-0 so far in his career and the former ECFC title holder will be making his Slaughterhouse debut here. Mortaza is 7-4 and comes into this bout off the back of a decision victory over Jimi Aldo in Slaughterhouse 8. This is an interesting matchup from a tactical perspective due to the contrasting styles of these two fighters. Crespo has a solid background in wrestling but prefers to spend most of his time operating out of the clinch. He almost definitely has the edge when it comes to standup, but on the ground things are a lot less clear. Mortaza is extremely well versed in Jiu Jitsu and the Island semi-finalist has demonstrated a wide array of submissions over the course of his career. Mortaza's Jiu Jitsu is no doubt superior to the Argentinian's, however will it be enough to find the finish in this instance? Crespo has faced grapplers before but none of the quality of Mortaza making this a difficult fight to call. I think the Argentinian has what it takes to win this one and maintain his undefeated record, however Mortaza certainly isn't going to make it easy for him. This will be a big test of Mortaza's ability to take the fight down from within the clinch as well as Crespo's ability to avoid submissions should the Bangladeshi succeed in taking the fight to the floor. A great matchup and we should find out a lot more about both of these fighters over the course of this bout.
Prediction: Crespo by second round KO.
Vincenzo Stohr v Segundo Garcia – 145 lbs
Italian Muay Thai specialist Vicenzo Stohr looks to bounce back from defeat on his Slaughterhouse debut with a win over the previously untested US Wrestler Segundo Garcia. 18 year old Garcia has a strong background in high school wrestling but this will be his first ever appearance in an MMA fight and it will be intriguing to see how the youngster approaches this bout. As there is no tape on Garcia to speak of it's difficult to see how this fight will unfold – I would predict that he will stick to what he knows best and try to wrestle the Italian to the floor but aside from that who knows what the American might have in store. With Stohr we at least have his previous fights to work with, he suffered a quick loss the last time out as he found himself on the wrong end of a rear naked choke but in his previous fight the 19 year old showed some excellent standup as he connected with 93.7% of strikes thrown. The Muay Thai specialist will undoubtedly be looking to keep Garcia at a distance where he can use his wide range of strikes to full effect. The winner of this fight is anyone's guess but in this instance I'd hesitantly pick Stohr to take this one, simply because we know a little bit more about him.
Prediction: Stohr by first round KO.
Eli Frankham v Dante Collins – 265+ lbs
Two fighters from either side of the Atlantic meet in this super heavyweight contest. Frankham hails from Lincolnshire, England and is well versed in fighting within the clinch, although he has shown accurate striking on the outside, in particular his kicking. Collins is a boxer who is not averse to taking his opponents to the ground when the occasion suits him – the American is making his debut here at Slaughterhouse having previously fought at EMMA (and indeed winning a title belt during his time there). Frankham suffered an unfortunate defeat in his last Slaughterhouse appearance as the referee called that particular bout to an early halt due to a cut he sustained early in the first round, he will no doubt be eager to show everyone what he is capable of having been denied the opportunity last time, perhaps due to a slightly over zealous doctor. Both of these opponents are more than capable of knocking each other out, of their combined twelve victories all of them have come via knockout. This is not an easy fight to predict: Collins could easily choose to work on the outside or try to take Frankham down, it's difficult to say which approach he will favour in this instance; meanwhile Frankham will almost certainly be looking to work out of the clinch. Much of this fight will be determined by Frankham's ability to keep the fight locked up against the cage and while he is particularly skilled in this area whether he can manage to keep Collins there for enough time to find the finish remains to be seen. Collins has appeared vulnerable in the clinch before so for that reason I'll put down Frankham as the pre-fight favourite, but if the American can break free of Frankham's grip he may well be able to cause him some serious problems.
Prediction: Frankham by second round KO.
Bruce Hardman v Imperiex Prime – 265 lbs
A heavyweight matchup between two hard hitting fighters. Both of these warriors excel at knocking opponents out and we could be in for one very entertaining fight as these two come together to wage war. There seems to be little danger of this fight going to the floor, both Hardman and Prime love to trade shots on the outside and over a combined forty nine appearances between the two of them not once have either attempted the takedown. Of the two Prime is the more accurate striker but what Hardman lacks in accuracy he makes up for in the sheer power behind his punches. Hardman is also quite adept at mixing in leg kicks to slow opponents down so keep an eye out as this could be a deciding factor in this bout. Prime does possess a five and half inch height advantage which could well be a factor in a pure standup battle. For either fighter one lucky punch could dramatically alter the course of this bout so maintaining focus throughout will be crucial. A very difficult matchup to predict, especially considering how quickly fights can turn around at heavyweight level. If I had to put money on the line it would be for Hardman to win this fight with a first round KO – most of Prime's fights don't tend to go past the five minute mark and, as dangerous as his right hand is, his chin has looked vulnerable in the past . Either way stay tuned for this one because we should be in for a fantastic fight.
Prediction: Hardman by first round KO.
John Armiger v Fenton Hilton – 155 lbs
18 year old boxer John Armiger comes up against 25 year old clinch fighter Fenton Hilton in this lightweight matchup. Armiger is 2-1 in Slaughterhouse so far having just come off a gruelling three round battle with Iain Anderson, he lost that fight due to judges decision and will be eager to set the record straight here. Hilton is returning to the Slaughterhouse arena following a debut victory over Jiu Jitsu brown belt Luan Oliveira, he will be looking for another early stoppage here as he seeks to mark his fifth MMA appearance with a victory. Much of this fight will be determined by Armiger's ability to evade Hilton's dangerous striking from within the clinch, Armiger was perhaps guilty of over-aggression in his last fight so toning it down a little and working on the counter will help considerably in avoiding the older American's grasp. Hilton has yet to come up against an outside fighter of Armiger's quality so it will be interesting to see how he copes with the youngsters' boxing skills. This isn't an easy fight to call but I would put Hilton as a slight favourite – it's hard to see how Armiger can evade the clinch for fifteen minutes straight, although if he comes up with a knockout first that won't be a problem. That said Armiger's boxing background should help him if (or rather, as I suspect, when) he finds himself in the clinch, but whether this is enough to turn this tide in this bout remains to be seen.
Prediction: Hilton by second round KO.
Armen Aharonian v Miguel Fernandez – 185 lbs
Armen Aharonian is an extremely talented and multi-faceted standup fighter who has recently signed for Slaughterhouse following brief stints with IMA, EP and PQFL. He is making his debut here tonight and we hope to see much more of him as he is an extremely exciting fighter to watch. Miguel Fernandez is likewise a very talented and versatile fighter, he can either stand and trade blows or take fights to the floor all depending on what sort of mood he is in on any given night. Like Aharonian, Fernandez is a new signing for Slaughterhouse having previously plied his trade in EVO and Ascension, he is also a former Omega Light-Heavyweight champion and has an extensive MMA record which currently stands at 26-17. However, Fernandez is 39 and is now approaching the limelight of his career – the future Hall of Famer has a tremendous understanding of the game but this will be a tough test of his physical abilities as he takes on the young Armenian. Aharonian is very technically well rounded fighter however the one thing that seems to be holding him back is a slightly suspect chin, the Armenian has only suffered five losses in his career but all of them have been via knockout. In terms of tactical approaches to this matchup we would expect Aharonian to stay true to form and try to keep this fight standing; Fernandez however is a complete wildcard. He could choose to stand and test Aharonian's chin or he could just as easily opt to try for the takedown and test Aharonian's grappling – at this stage only Fernandez and his coaching team know for sure. This is also Fernandez's first fight under new management which further complicates matters. This is an extremely difficult fight to call, both of these fighters are immensely talented but at the same time there are still question marks – how well is Fernandez holding up physically? And does Aharonian have the chin to take the sort of punishment Fernandez has previously shown himself capable of dishing out? We will find out soon enough...
Prediction: Aharonian by second round KO.
Cappy Christian v Johann Kessler – 170 lbs
Australian Muay Thai specialist Cappy Christian is a fighter I always enjoy watching – the 37 year old is an accurate striker who has a particular knack for delivering vicious elbows in the clinch. However, this might be a tough matchup for the veteran – Johann Kessler is only 25 but has already notched up an impressive MMA record of 11-3. Kessler's background is in wrestling but he too has shown himself to be a dangerous customer when it comes to the clinch – the Dane prefers to mix it up with knees and a variety of punches to keep opponents guessing, he also possesses a potent combination of speed and power which could be a deciding factor in this bout. That said, of the two Christian has looked the more impressive in previous Slaughterhouse outings; he suffered a late loss via triangle submission in his matchup with Kezz “Thorn” but was thoroughly dominant throughout that fight, he bounced back from that loss with an early stoppage of Jared Tillion as he cleverly exploited Tillion's propensity to cut with some pinpoint accuracy strikes. Meanwhile Kessler is returning from a morale sapping loss against Franklin Jackson – he caused Jackson some problems with his kicking but ultimately found himself outworked over the course of the bout, although he did put on a great show for the fans. This will be a big test for both fighters, in particular their clinchwork – chances are the two will get locked up against the cage at some point and it will interesting to see who emerges victorious in this particular area. If this fight is anything like the previous bouts these two have featured in we should be in for a great show. Prediction? Christian to come out top – Kessler is a talented opponent but may be short on confidence following that three round battle with Franklin, Christian might be slowing with age but we have seen no signs to suggest that as of yet and I fancy the Australian to take this one although Kessler certainly isn't going to make it easy for him.
Prediction: Christian by decision.
Franklin Jackson v Sweet Jones – 170 lbs Title Fight
Sweet Jones seeks to maintain his position at the top of the welterweight division as he features in his first title defence against Franklin Jackson. Jones battled through a five round contest to win the belt in his last Slaughterhouse appearance and, although he wasn't able to find a finishing knockout blow, was thoroughly dominant throughout the fight, winning all five rounds on the judges scorecards. Jackson comes into this bout on a five fight winning streak and recorded back to back fight of the night awards in his last two appearances. The American is a versatile mixed martial artist – he is capable of knocking opponents out both on his feet and with his ground and pound. Jones prefers to stay standing where he can use his boxing to good effect both on the inside and out, he is also an intelligent ground fighter and has shown himself to be proficient in submissions. For this bout he will most likely try to keep the fight standing, but if Jackson does opt to shoot for the takedown don't be surprised if the Bahaman tries to make life uncomfortable for him with his Jiu Jitsu skills. Neither of these fighters like to lose: 28 year old Jackson has only ever been defeated twice over the course of his career while Jones' chin is truly something to behold – the Bahaman has never been knocked out before despite coming up against some tough opposition. Jackson has been very vocal in his desire for a shot at the title and considering the recent fight of the night awards these two have been accumulating we could be in for one hell of a show. Both of these fighters are tough as nails so don't be surprised if this one goes the distance. I'll tentatively predict Jones to emerge victorious here but again this is another fight which could easily go either way – another great matchup and we look forward to seeing how things unfold on the night.
Prediction: Jones by decision.
CO-MAIN EVENT
Otocanin Zmija v Paulo Lazaro – 265+ lbs Title Fight
A clash of the caribbean – Barbados' Otocanin Zmija comes face to face with Panama's Paulo Lazaro in this five round super heavyweight matchup. Zmija, a submission specialist by trade, comes into this bout fresh off a win against Roger Machado. That particular fight was brought to a halt early due to the doctor stoppage, but in the brief period we got to see Zmija in action he looked impressive indeed both with his ground work and standup. Lazaro however is a very different sort of opponent, the 27 year old is deadly in the clinch and shows excellent ability to block and evade strikes. Zmija is unlikely to want to trade shots with him as he approaches his first title defence. This fight will rest more or less solely on Zmija's ability to take the fight to the floor. Lazaro's Jiu Jitsu is no where near the level of Zmija's and if the champion can succeed in his takedown attempts he stands a good chance here; although it is worth noting that in seventeen MMA appearances the man from Panama has never been submitted. Likewise Lazaro is not the easiest opponent to take down – he has shown good technique with his sprawl in the past and with his clinch abilities may be able to prevent Zmija from pulling guard by keeping him locked up against the cage. This is a true battle of styles and whoever can impose their will on the other will surely emerge victorious. My prediction for this fight? Lazaro to inflict some serious damage on Zmija from the clinch but at some stage Zmija will be able to pull guard or find the takedown and come up with a submission.
Prediction: Zmija by second round submission.
MAIN EVENT
RP McMurphy v Magnus Cross – 265 lbs Title Fight
The big one. Heavyweight champion Magnus Cross is on a nine fight winning streak and just can't seem to stop knocking out opponents. Former TTFC title holder “Machine Gun” RP McMurphy has recorded back to back victories in Slaughterhouse having recently stunned Imperiex Prime with a first round TKO to earn himself a well deserved shot at the belt. This is a huge matchup for both fighters. Cross would love to mark this occasion with a tenth consecutive victory and another knockout to boot. Meanwhile McMurphy is eager to show the world yet again what he is capable of and has promised fans: “I will have my Championship Belt; I will knock Cross out cold." Of course Cross wasted no time in shooting back with some trash talk of his own: “You wish old man... I would feel more threatened if you had a bit more experience and were able to turn up to a fight 100% fit.” Get hyped because this is one matchup you don't want to miss.
In addition to their clear dislike for each other these two also have dramatically different fighting styles. Cross is a pure standup striker who has caused more concussions than a crate of stun grenades; the man is the knockout personified – with one fist of iron and the other of steel, if the left one don't get you then the right one will. But McMurphy knows a thing or two about dealing with kings of the KO – the ground and pounding phenomenon demolished Prime (who is also famed for his powerful right hand) in his last outing and would have no complaints whatsoever if he repeated that performance here. This fight has the potential for all sorts of madness: Cross has the potential to end this bout with a single punch, but at the same time one successful takedown attempt might be all McMurphy needs to wrest the heavyweight belt from the champions' control. I actually quite like McMurphy's chances here, Cross hasn't had to defend against the takedown much in previous outings but, in the occasions where he has, his success rate isn't particularly impressive (44% of takedowns defended); McMurphy by contrast is particularly skilled in this area (with a takedown success rate of 57%) and this could well be a key factor to consider in this bout. Regardless of the outcome I predict this fight will be decided by an early finish – Cross has fought in thirty four MMA appearances so far and only one of them has gone past the second round.
Prediction: McMurphy by second round KO.
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