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 CEC 222: Altercation Preview
145lbs : Le Petit Criss v Kenneth Lucas
Cris makes his debut here against a fighter that is 0-1 in CEC. He arrives with a good record but the majority of his career has been spent in Canada, he knows how to finish a fight and can do so by knockout or submission. Lucas had a disappointing start to his CEC run, knocked out in under half a minute, he knows he needs to improve on that and now is as good a time as any. Criss has the advantage standing and is also slightly better on the ground, Lucas will need to use his wrestling superiority wisely and ensure if it goes to ground he defends well.
155lbs : Balu Baluu v Gerard Mullins
Baluu has looked good in his two outings since his arrival here as he has earned solid decision wins in each, this may prove to be a trickier fight though when he goes up against a wrestler that has the ability to get him to the ground and keep it there. Mullins has had mixed success going 2-2 in CEC, he is a decision machine with 13 of his 16 overall record wins going the distance. Baluu obviously knows how to earn a decision too and this one could go to the wire.
170lbs : Surfer Dude v Tony Tombstone
Dude likes to knock people out and so far in his career has shown he is pretty good at it, his only CEC fight to date ended with his hand raised and a knockout added to his 'W' column. Tombstone is 1-1 here, he lost his debut fight when he was knocked out towards the end of the second round but he bounced back with a solid decision win in a fight that many doubted he could win. He has a clear advantage on the ground where his bjj skills may come in handy, getting it there may be the hard part and if he can't then Dude may just add to his ko record.
170lbs : Cappadonna Frappuccino v Joe Garelli
Twice a former 170lbs CEC champion, Frappuccino has lost his way a little of late, being knocked out in his last three fights. Let's not count him out though as these guys are some of the best guys we have at CEC. He will want to rectify this situation quickly though before it really gets out of control, a losing streak is tough to break. Garelli started poorly and lost his only fight to date here, again it was against top of the tree opposition so no shame in it. He will look to use his advantages in wrestling and bjj to earn a win while Frappuccino will probably need to look to win this one via ko.
170lbs : Seppo Susikasi v Groomph Baenre
Susikasi is a good all round fighter making his debut here. Doesn't matter where the fight takes place, he has proven he knows how to win from there. Baenre lost his first three fights via a ko of some sort and was probably looking to find new employment elsewhere but a ko of his own brought about another chance for him to prove he has what it takes at this level of competition. He will want to make this a stand up war and avoid it going to the mat if he stands a chance of making it two in a row.
265lbs : Clyde Turner v Alexey Rykov
This fight could be one of the greatest stand up fights seen in the cage. Two guys that love nothing better than to put someones lights out for them face off against each other. Turner opened his CEC account with an exceptional knockout and would love to go on a run from here. Rykov looks dangerous at all times but his career since joining us has taken a bit of a downturn, 2-5 is not a record anyone wants and it is time for him to show us all again why he was once considered one of the most feared strikers in mma.
265lbs : Lewis Creed v Richard Vargtass
More excitement guaranteed in the 265lbs division when another two big hitters come head to head. Again we have knockout power from both sides with a massive 23 ko stoppages between them. Creed is 2-0 since signing with us, Vargtass started slowly but we have definitely witnessed flashes of his exceptional talent he possesses. I can't see this one going anywhere near the ground but maybe that is where one guy can shock the other?
205lbs : Viiksi Tolonen v Tommi Hartola
What can you say about these two fighters really? Tolonen dominated 205lbs and 265lbs for some time winning bot titles, Hartola took over at 205lbs for a while also becoming champion there. This is going to be their fifth time facing off and they currently hold two wins apiece. Three of the four have went the distance with Hartola the only winner by stoppage, this will be the first time it has not been for a title and also the first three round fight between them. Both lost their last fight so a win is a must, I expect yet another fantastic fight between two true legends of the sport.
265lbs : Kaarlo Vihtala v Stu Ungar
Vihtala is basically the "almost man". He goes on good solid winning streaks and just when it looks like greatness beckons something goes wrong. Well this is the ideal time to set it right, a win here equals his best run in CEC and would finally put him where he should be which is at the top of the pile in this division. The problem is that he is facing Stu Ungar, 4-1 in CEC and is like a wounded animal after recently losing his title, a win takes him right back to that title you would think and a chance of avenging his only loss here in CEC. Are we looking at anything other than a stand up fight here? Maybe, but if it goes anywhere else I imagine it would be Vihtala that instigates it.
205lbs Title : Harri Mulqvist v Cy Coe
Eventually Harri Mulqvist appeared from the shadows of his great training partners and won the title he had failed to take on four previous occasions, now that he has it I don't think he will ever want to let it go. Coe took a bit of time away from CEC to win the UMMA TUUF tournament and has looked good since his return, earning a title shot when he defeated Hartola. It is amazing that these two guys where in the same division for so long without crossing swords until now but it could be well worth the wait. Both fighters know how to win from any position you could find yourself in this sport. I kind of want to see it go to ground and watch two black belts battle it out there. Fans however will probably want to see a knockout in the main event.
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