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HFC 56 - King vs Lachance Preview
Hello MMA fans, I'm Alexei Smirnov here today to give the preview for HFC 56. Looking like another great card tonight, the fans in New York are going to be very excited. In the main event we even have a welterweight title match. This one will not disappoint.
Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner vs Ade Absame
For our opening contest we have Kurt “Nightcrawler” Wagner (5-5-0) taking on Ade Absame (5-9-0). Both of these fighters need a win here as their momentum is in the toilet. This is a more rare fight as we have two fighters who are very skilled on the ground and in BJJ. Wagner especially is impressive with his black belt in BJJ. It’s really a battle for control in this one and who can get the takedown first. Both of these fighters have weak chins as well so going to the ground would be nice. I am normally a fan of striking but seeing a BJJ fight in HFC is more rare and unique and I think that’ll help set this fight apart from the rest. Wagner has an impressive TKO win over Furry and Absame has a win over Ryokale. These are two very skilled fighters with some big weaknesses in their stand up games so this will be an interesting one to see for sure. Now for who I think will win, let’s find out!
My pick: Wagner Via Submission (Triangle)
Despite his mediocre record I think Wagner has a big future in HFC ahead of him. With his unique fighting style and amazing submissions he could really set himself apart from the crowd. As for Absame, I think his time in the spotlight may be over and the losses start the rack up. Wagner will just win almost any fight he gets to the ground, his submission skills may only be matched by fighters like Wanker and ADA. Wagner's great flaw of his chin isn’t exposed in this fight either. Overall looking like a great fight and one we don’t see much!
"The Boss" Don Piano vs Hardrefil Mikli
Up next we have “The Boss” Don Piano (8-5-0) taking on Hardrefil Mikli (3-2-0). Both of these fighters are looking to break their losing streaks, let’s see who can do it. Piano has shown he can put on a show with a Superman punch in his debut fight, I hope he can bring some of that excitement to this one. The main difference between these two is the amount of fights both of them have had, with 13 from Piano and only 5 from Mikli. Mikli showed a lot of dominance early on starting off his career with three straight wins and then lost two straight. The biggest weakness in Mikli’s game is his horrible ground game but he makes up for it with amazing stand up skills and knock out power. Piano will want to take Mikli to the ground as he seems to be outmatched whilst standing. Mikli can have a win here if he just keeps standing and throws out some big punches. These are two big dudes looking to put on a big fight let’s see who I think will win!
My pick: Mikli Via KO (Punch)
Despite his bad ground game I think he can pick up the win for two reasons. Those two being Piano’s chin and Mikli’s power. Piano has only ever lost to KO and it shows that he has a bad chin and we’ve seen Mikli has the power to finish fights. Overall I could really see it going either way but, I think Mikli can pick up the win.
Juodasis Vaiduoklis vs Hans Peter Baxxter "Scooter"
Up next we have two less experienced fighters looking to break big. It’s Juodasis Vaiduoklis (6-3-0) taking on Hans Peter Baxxter “Scooter”. Holy shit I am going to have a tough time saying these names. These are two very even fighters, the matchmaker has amazed me with how even this one is. Both seem to prefer to stand up so I doubt this fight goes to the ground. Vaid is coming off two wins and has a lot of momentum right now while Baxxter is coming off two straight loses. With how even these two are I think that momentum could be a big factor in this one. Vaid’s most recent win over Rodriguez was an impressive won and something I’ll definitely be keeping in mind. Baxxter’s five wins in a row has also impressed me although his transition over to HFC seems to have hurt him a bit. Both don’t really seem to have a big weakness and seem to be jack of all trades preferring stand up as most fighters in HFC do. Let’s see who I think will pick up this coin toss of a fight.
My pick: Vaiduoklis Via Unanimous Decision
This is a really close fight and a hard one to pick but, Vaid has been on a winning streak as of recently. I think he can ride that momentum to win. The reason I chose the decision was because I don’t see either of these fighters getting a finish and I think it’ll be too close to say either will get a finish. Overall an exciting close fight for sure.
Ragnar "The Ultimate Viking" Ragnarsson vs Kirill "Shan" Semenov
Apparently Vikings and MMA together like peanut and jelly as we see Ragnar “The Ultimate Viking” Ragnarsson taking on Kirill “Shan” Semenov. More names for me to misspell during this preview. This is an interesting one as Ragnarsson has great KO power but Semenov seems to have a very good chin. I don’t see this fight lasting long as both these fighters have a way to get a finish. Ragnar is a glass cannon with insane KO power but a weak chin. Semenov is the opposite, having a great chin with some KO power for sure. Both of these fighters have broken their losing streak recently. Semenov has a good win over Qanar last fight and he’ll look to ride the momentum of that. This one is a hard one for me as I think one of these two fighters has a good chance of getting KO'd. It's just a matter of which one. Ragnar has more of a future being only 24 while Semenov is a bit more of veteran at 31. Neither one has a great record but, winning this fight could give either a much needed boost. Now let’s see who I picked.
My pick: Ragnarsson Via KO (Punch)
I can’t wait to eat my words as Ragnarsson’s glass chin backfires on me but, it’s really hard to ignore the power of Ragnarsson’s fists. If he strikes first it’s game over it’s just a fight to see who can hit who first. With a win here Ragnarsson could start climbing the ranks and even go on to pick up some more big wins. He is really a wild card. Overall a great stand up fight and great for people who love finishes.
Baruto Tonissaar vs "The Beatnik" Dante Black
Up next we have Baruto Tonissaar (9-3-0) taking on “The Beatnik” Dante Black (4-4-0). This is an interesting one to talk about as the first I notice is the difference in records. Toni is coming off a loss to ADA which was for the belt, so obviously he’s a contender. On the other hand Black is coming off a loss to a porn star so that’s uh… interesting. Although their records may be different I don’t think this is as one sided as one may assume. Black has been overlooked and underrated and he could prove people wrong if he wins this fight. Toni has to win this fight to show he is still one of the best in the division. Toni will want to keep this fight standing as he has great power and an even better chin. If I were Black I’d look to take advantage of Toni’s weak spot, his ground game. If Black manages to land a few takedowns I could see him getting his first ever sub win. This is an interesting fight and a potential upset too. Let’s see who I think will pick up the dub.
My pick: Tonissaar Via TKO (Strikes)
One of the reasons that Black doesn’t have the best record is because of his chin. Which is weird to say as he has a granite chin yet has been KO’d 3 times in his 4 loses. I don’t know what’s up with that but, the only way I see Black getting a win is by taking Toni to the ground. Toni has amazing stand up and great power and I think he has the ability to get the finish and make his wins double digits. I honestly feel bad for Black, I think he’s a great fighter he just has really tough opponents. Overall a super interesting fight!
Chad Repine vs Adim "Lights Out" Bulb
Next we have an interesting fight in the Bantamweight division. It’s Chad Repine (11-5-0) taking on Adim “Lights Out” Bulb (7-3-0). First things first, Bulb is on a huge winning streak right now. He’s just been knocking the lights of his opponents. He’s a big threat in the division and if he wins here he could be setting himself up for a title shot. Repine is coming off a loss but has impressed me with a lot of his earlier fights. It’s a battle of chin vs power as Repine is yet to be KO’d in his career. He has a chin of steel but Bulb lives up to his nickname and knocks the lights off all of his opponents. Repine has great boxing but Bulb's Muay Tai is vastly superior. Repine just challenged for the belt so he is clearly one of the best in the division but Bulb has shown why he is one of the best as well. It’s the immovable object vs the unstoppable force colliding in an epic battle. This one really has the potential to be a great fight so let’s see how I think it will go.
My pick: Bulb Via Unanimous Decision
I don’t think Bulb can pick up the finish here although I do see him getting the win. I expect this to be a standup fight and his Mauy Tai will carry him to a win here. With just how good Repine’s chin is I do see it difficult to KO him. Overall an interesting fight that has great potential!
Manolito Tai Kung vs Sean "The Squid" Dickinson
Next we have Manolito Tai Kung (11-2) taking on Sean “The Squid” Dickinson (10-5). Both of these men have a lot of momentum on their sides tonight. This is a fight that could rock the division as whoever wins here could have a claim to the title. Kung has been especially dominant recently. I do think Dickinson has the better stand up game and both seem to prefer it. However Kung has a pretty decent ground game I could see it coming into play. One of Kung’s most recent wins against Taurus impressed me, finishing the fight in 30 seconds. Dickinson has mostly won his recent fights by decision, still impressive wins but not enough finishes. Kung has great power in his fists and he’s shown it with how he’s rocked his opponents. Dickinson has a pretty good chin only having been KO’d twice. Dickinson’s recent strategy of outlasting his opponents has been working for him but he'll need to find a finish if he wants to win. Overall a super close fight I could see going either way!
My pick: Tai Kung Via TKO (Strikes)
Dickinson has a good chin but I don’t think it’s good enough to withstand Kungs heavy hands. Kung has shown why he has been so dominant and I think he could have a title shot soon after this if he manages to pick up the win. I wouldn’t count Dickinson out but, I think Kung has this. Overall a super fun stand up fight.
Daniel Yonic vs "The Phoenix" Chanthaphone Southanouvong
We have more difficult names as it’s Daniel Yonic (10-6-0) taking on “The Phoenix'' Chanthaphone Southanouvong (10-6-0). Now that is a mouth full, I’ll just call him South as I don’t want to burn my fingers off. Now here is a fighter where Yonic will want to take it to the ground and South will want to stuff any takedown attempt. Yonic is by far more comfortable on the ground. Luckily for South his weak chin won’t be exposed by Yonic’s mediocre stand up game. South’s recent win in just over a minute over Llyod impressed me and showed me the power south has. I really don’t doubt Yonic’s ground game as his submissonfest with ADA has shown me he can wrestle with the best in the division. It really just comes down to if Yonic can get a good takedown. South is yet to lose via submission in his career so that shows that he must be doing something right in that regard. Overall a cool clash of styles with this one and anyone could win.
My pick: Southanouvong Via KO (Punch)
South has the power to just drop Yonic before he can even try a takedown. If South doesn’t get an early finish he could be trouble but, I can see him getting one. Yonic isn’t exactly praised for his chin and I think this is a very tough fight for him to win. South shouldn’t underestimate Yonic but I think he can pick up the win!
CO-MAIN EVENT: Ralph McGuire vs Seelow Heights
This next fight is between two former champions it’s Ralph McGuire (10-3-0) taking on Seelow Heights (7-2-0). Now this is an especially close fight as these two fighters have similar records, physical ability and similar styles. I can almost guarantee you this fight will be no funny business just staying standing and throwing punches. These two both have great chins and a great stand up game. Whoever wins has a good chance to challenge for the belt as well. Now McGuire has more experience but, i don’t think that’ll come into play here. McGuire is coming off a win whilst Heights is coming off of a big loss to Jahouli. Both of these men know what it’s like to be on top of the division as both of them have been champions before. Now these two have fought before with heights picking up the win in the third round. These obviously have some sort of rivalry and it’ll be interesting to see if McGuire can get his revenge on Heights. This is a very high stakes match and a really important one for both of these fighters. Heights has started to show some cracks after his winning streak, can McGuire capitalize? Let’s find out!
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