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 July 2017 recap part 2
By Alika Webb
GAMMA#648 Bryant v Grumption – July 22
265+ title - Gerbert Bryant (c) Vs Bubba Gumption
"President" Gerbert Bryant cemented his place in GAMMA history when he conquered the GAMMA heavyweight title and in doing so became a two division champion but there is no rest for the wicked as another super heavyweight collision was already in the works. Considering the domination of the global phenomenon, throwing some new blood into the mix was more than welcome. A product of GAMMA’s developmental organization GAMMA Kids in New York, Bubba "Shrimpin" Gumption is a dangerous kickboxer with a killer instinct. He is no stranger to title fights either, capturing the heavyweight title in his promotional debut for GAMMA Kids put him on the map and the title picture was never far removed from the experienced striker during his entire run. He got promoted to GAMMA after successfully defending his title against his rival HL Mencken in a barnburner that ended with an explosive finale. Since arriving on the biggest stage of them all, Bubba "Shrimpin" Gumption has been on a tear, taking out two GAMMA veterans on his path to title contention. The blast of youth looked ready to take the world by storm but one of the most dangerous fighters in the MMATycoon universe still stood in his way.
Bubba Gumption started throwing leather with ruthless aggression but was quickly swept off his feet by the champion. The challenger did show some remarkable defensive grappling skills and was able to get back up to his feet without taking too much damage. Once again Bubba Gumption didn’t hesitate to strike as he started throwing bombs and Gerbert Bryant was not far behind as he traded in kind and threw back some haymakers of his own to keep the challenger guessing. It worked like a charm and the challenger ended up on his back, not for long though as Bubba Gumption got up with incredible ease. The battling brutes both started swinging for the fences at the end of the first round and the crowd gave them a standing ovation for their efforts. The second round started and Bubba Gumption could smell an upset victory in the air and stormed out of his corner with a finish in mind. Again the champion was quick to shoot for a takedown, bewildering Gumption once again. They played cat and mouse for a while until the challenger – looking pretty confident in his standing supremacy - got caught by surprise as a stunning left hand landed right to the temple and dropped him on his back. Gerbert Bryant immediately followed it up with a vicious slaughtering of ground and pound strikes until the referee mercifully ended the onslaught.
Winner: Gerbert Bryant by TKO (strikes) after 4 minutes and 57 seconds in the second round.
GAMMA#649 Defoe v Verama – July 22
205 title - Menace Defoe (c) Vs Hector Verama
It was another close fight but Menace Defoe edged out a very narrow victory over his rival Divock Origi to retain his light heavyweight title. Once again a finish eluded the knockout kings of the light heavyweight division and a conclusion to their rivalry is yet to be found. Next on the hit list for Defoe is "The Event Horizon" Hector Verama. A dangerous opponent with a firm grasp of all the aspects the sport that is mixed martial arts entails.
Hector Verama entered the fight with a clear goal in mind and got straight to work. The tone was set from the start of the fight as Verama connected with a blazing right hook and Defoe swung back in kind with a cross punch that landed right on the button. They continued brawling but their follow-up strikes hit nothing but air as both elite fighters quickly got their head in the fight. No warm-up period required, Verama got the fight back on track with a body punch that even sent the crowd gasping for air. Defoe responded with a body blow of his own but Verama anticipated and countered it with a straight right hand. Defoe – not taken aback by the dominance established by the challenger – launched a combination in anger that was mostly blocked by Verama but kept the challenger on his toes. Defoe threw a punch that was hitting nothing but air and Verama stopped the champion’s advance with a bulldozer of a body kick that nearly folded Defoe in half. Verama threw a speedy leg kick that fueled the champion’s anger even more and Menace Defoe launched a missile of a head kick in response that would have sent his opponent’s head to the moon had it connected but Verama was quick to move out of harm’s way. Another leg kick landed for Verama and the champion once again failed to retaliate with a ferocious haymaker. A flickering jab to the body by Menace Defoe finally found its target but before he could follow up, a snapping jab by Verama landed flush on the mush. The crowd was roaring with excitement as the relatively unknown challenger kept the champion guessing. They kept exchanging clobbering blows and the cage was thundering with rapturous delight as no fan was left standing at the end of the first round.
Frustrations building in the champion’s mind, Menace Defoe looked flustered but never stopped his hot blooded assault. The clearheaded challenger’s accuracy was undeniably getting the better of the haymaker-swinging champion. On a few occasions Menace Defoe was on the verge of gaining the upper hand but Hector Verama was always there to stop momentum from changing sides, occasionally even trying to close the distance or shooting for a takedown to keep the champion on his toes.
The fourth round over and done with, Hector Verama was sitting pretty in his corner. Confidence at an all-time high for the challenger, unconcerned with the champion’s last stand as Verama’s corner men were already basking in their future champion’s glory. The champion on the other hand was sitting still on his stool in between rounds, his corner men’s shouting didn’t reach his ears as he was on another plain of existence. An ice-cold glare from the champion the crowd saw as he was staring at the challenger across the cage. But if you focused your vision, one could see that his eyes blazed red with fury. His body might have been battered and bruised but his mind was focused and ready to let the challenger feel the heart of the champion. Menace Defoe knew he was too far behind on points to let the judges decide the victor, a finish he craved for that was the only way he would be able to walk away with his belt still around his waist.
The fifth and final round started with a bang as Hector Verama slipped a straight right hand, right through his opponent's guard. Verama’s front leg had taken an incredible amount of punishment and it was clearly showing as a nasty welt enveloped a big chunk of it. Menace Defoe was starting to gain momentum again as he bobbed and weaved out of danger and hit the challenger with a perfectly placed uppercut that had Verama stumbling backwards in surprise. Verama missed with a lazy jab and a slippery body kick, Defoe came back strong as he faked him out. Menace Defoe knows how to feint a punch as he put all his rage into it and changed levels flawlessly as he threw a slapping leg kick right on Verama’s already wounded front leg. Verama wanted to stop momentum from shifting so he dove in for a takedown but his leg was suffering from the effects of those leg kicks, Verama’s speed was lacking and Defoe saw the takedown coming from a mile away. Hector Verama was suffering as the momentum had clearly shifted. Verama threw another poorly executed jab and the champion nearly took Verama’s head off with a counter right hand that hit nothing but air. Quick as a cat, Hector Verama leaped out of harm’s way and landed a hard shot to the body of the champion. Defoe landed a stinger of a jab followed by a slapping inside leg kick.
A grazing head kick saw Verama backing up momentarily but he quickly regained his composure as he landed a jab to the body of the champion, followed by a thudding right hook to the skull. Another hook missed the champion by a hair and Menace Defoe smashed a counter right hand on the button. Verama traded an inside leg kick of his own before another slow jab got countered with a thundering leg kick on the already injured front leg of the challenger. A front kick by the challenger had Menace Defoe stumbling backwards, opening up an opportunity for Hector Verama to rush him against the cage. In the clinch they fought but while the champion was slowly gaining the upper hand, the distance was too short for a lethal blow to be thrown. Luckily for Menace Defoe, the short-range punches were having their effect as it was the instigator himself - Hector Verama – who took the fight back to striking range. Menace Defoe drilled a hook to the wrist into the challenger’s gut. Verama scrambled back in an effort to catch his breath. Defoe missed with a body kick and got caught with a lunging uppercut for his troubles. Menace Defoe snapped back with another painful-looking leg kick. Hector Verama tried to trade back in kind but missed with a leg kick of his own. Another leg kick saw Verama’s leg starting to buckle and the champion heard opportunity knocking. Like a shark he smelled blood in the water and struck with dominating force as a thunderous combination of strikes found its target. Hector Verama was seeing stars but a cornered animal is a dangerous animal and the challenger swung his leg around in a crescent shape but the body of the champion was nowhere to be seen. The challenger was not out of the woods yet as he was still standing on spaghetti legs. Menace Defoe started chopping away on the challenger’s damaged leg and when Hector Verama tried to end the assault with a shot to the body, the champion’s right hand blazed with fire like a comet shooting from the sky. The champion put all his weight in the thundering right hook and the challenger’s jaw was sent flying, his lifeless body crashing to the canvas.
The crowd was roaring with amazement as the arguably greatest light heavyweight on the planet just elevated his stock to a new height. With a fairytale of a come from behind victory the champion regained his hard-earned title.
Winner: Menace Defoe by KO (punch) after 4 minutes and 43 seconds in the fifth round.
GAMMA#650 McTearson v Volkov – July 29
170 title - Rufus McTearson Vs Ilya Mstislav Volkov
"Rip" Rufus McTearson may have beaten the champion in his last appearance but he still had a lot left to prove if he wanted to call himself Gamma’s welterweight champion. In comes Ilya Mstislav Volkov, a former champion who’s been on a path of destruction since losing the belt once more against eternal rival Lao Shin. Since dropping the title, he has won every single fight he’s competed in, not only by knockout but in the very first round as well. Considering his former accomplishments and his current winning streak, he would be the perfect test for the five year older Rufus McTearson to prove himself.
The tale of the tape showed a significant advantage in both height and weight for "Rip" Rufus McTearson but the age difference could definitely cancel those advantages out. Both men are primarily known as strikers but there is more than meets the eye as they are both as well-rounded as can be. Rufus McTearson waltzed in with a house full of fury and with a sound strategy in mind. Taking the fight to the clinch was McTearson’s priority and while he did his best to achieve his goal, Ilya Mstislav Volkov proved a tricky competitor as he eluded many of these blind rushes in an attempt to close the distance. While Rufus McTearson aimed to close the distance, he never stopped striking. The thing was that Ilya Mstislav Volkov also proved he still had an unlimited source of energy for he never took pause in his quest for regaining the belt. The failed clinch attempts eventually proved the difference maker for that was the only thing that truly set them apart in a neck and neck race for the finish.
Winner: Ilya Mstislav Volkov by split decision.
GAMMA#651 Goodman v Hanolla – July 29
185 title - Saul Goodman (c) Vs Jutta Hanolla
Newly crowned middleweight champion - Saul "Slip The Jab" Goodman - had a tough first challenger to meet when former champion Jutta "Hammer" Hanolla stepped up to the plate. Saul Goodman took Jimmy Dias Jimenez by surprise to win the title, he completely overwhelmed the former champion and he looked to do the same against another former champion. Jutta "Hammer" Hanolla lost his title to Jimmy Dias Jimenez and he was looking forward to meeting him once again in the cage for a title opportunity, destiny decided otherwise. He completely steamrolled over Yoshihiro Asai to earn the number one contender spot and while the wearer of the title might not have been his first choice, regaining the title was still his priority.
Both men are kickboxers by trade but that’s where the similarities end. Saul "Slip The Jab" Goodman is known for his pinpoint accuracy and his unforgiving clinch game while Jutta "Hammer" Hanolla’s methods of destruction tend to be less subtle. While in subtlety he may lack, the raw explosive talent of Jutta "Hammer" Hanolla cannot be denied. Many have tried to capture the essence of the challenger but Jutta Hanolla’s fists made of bricks and his pure animalistic instinct that tears his opponents apart combined with years of experience and masterful levels of techniques makes him a tough nut to crack for any foe he might encounter.
These two warriors met for the very first time but a feeling-out process was not required as both men started exchanging strikes from the first bell’s ring. A tit for tat battle this was, technical striking reigning supreme. A torrent of blows wreaked havoc as they both came out guns blazing. The first round was an absolute blast to sit through as neither man was pulling punches but the first round did see a winner in the challenger, who had a small advantage in the striking department. The champion came back strong in the second round, taking over the lead by a very small margin. The third round came and went with Jutta Hanolla once more seemingly back in control of the fight but the final two rounds were up for debate. Many felt the champion had done enough to be rewarded with victory but others saw merit in the challenger’s claims to declare him the new middleweight champion. Dissension there was, even in the eyes of the judges for they did not reach a unanimous decision. While in advance the more accurate striker was perceived to be champion Saul Goodman, the facts however speak volumes about the way this fight was fought. They both went all out in trying to out strike the other, each throwing over a baffling 200 strikes during the course of the fight. While the difference is barely worth mentioning as they were almost mirror images of each other, it came as a surprise to see that the slight edge in both volume and accuracy of strikes went to Jutta Hanolla. The champion however filled the gap by occasionally picking his time to strike and the majority of the judges granted him the victory.
Winner: Saul Goodman by split decision.
145 - Lukasz Wolek (c) Vs Gareth Keenan
Lukasz "Wally" Wolek is the number two pound for pound fighter in the whole wide world, that also makes him one of the biggest targets in the world. He has been such a brutalizing force in the featherweight division that he even dropped a weight class to conquer the bantamweight division as well and he did so successfully in his last fight. Now he’s back to defend his featherweight belt but the challenger he now faced was not a familiar one. Making his promotional debut is the undefeated Gareth Keenan, a kickboxer primarily known for his trilogy with Chris Karter and his successful run in the now defunct Evolution organization that brought him to the attention of Gamma’s powers that be and got him the opportunity of a lifetime as he made his promotional debut against one of the best fighters in the world with one of the most prestigious titles in the world on the line. But what can this promotional newcomer bring to the table against one of the most dominant fighters in the world-renowned Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts?
Lukasz "Wally" Wolek came storming out of the gates and laid down the law on the challenger, once more establishing himself as one of the best in the world. A world-class boxing exhibition started out the fight and the champion was clearly in control. But if there is one thing the challenger is known for, it is his patience. It took Gareth Keenan two five round fights to find a weakness to exploit in his trilogy with Chris Karter so while his sleuth skills might need some polishing, you know he has the patience to ride out the storm and capitalize on any weakness that might reveal itself during the initial onslaught. That was indeed the case in this fight as the challenger’s confidence truly rose round by round. By the third round he had more than caught up with the champion and really started controlling the fight and letting the champion give chase. Another close five round fight, both competitors went toe to toe and never gave each other a second to breathe as they went full throttle from start to finish.
Winner: Nobody as the fight was ruled a draw.
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