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This past week was a rough one for the sport of MMA, it was nice to see a drama free card take place Sunday night at NLFL 12- Sheherazade (obviously, I am aware this is not reality, oh well). Two champions were crowned and the title pictures became a little clearer after all of these great fights. So, here goes my review for Northern Lights Fight League 12- Sheherazade.
JB Costa vs. Steven Stout
Coming into this fight both men knew their jobs were most likely on the line. So, it is no surprise that JB Costa came out in the first round ready to finish the fight early. For Steven Stout his weak ground game was once again highlighted with a submission loss. Costa got a very quick takedown and tried numerous times to get control of Stout’s arms. It was obvious Stout wasn’t going to last long if he couldn’t get back to his feet. At 1:55 of round one JB Costa forced his opponent to tap via Kimura submission. After this one Costa can breathe a sigh of relief as he now has his first NLFL victory.
Diego Brandao vs. Xavier Gagne
This was a fight in the NLFL bantamweight division. Diego Brandao joined the NLFL having lost his last four fights and his only win came in his professional MMA debut. He should have enjoyed an experience advantage but tonight Gagne looked to be the guy with more fights on his resume. Diego had a couple of opportunities to turn up his offence when he was on top in Gagne’s guard. Instead he was so inactive he forced the referee to restart the fight standing. On the feet Brandao was getting beat up inside of Gagne’s clinch, he just couldn’t break free. Xavier Gagne made a great pro debut and wins this one by Unanimous Decision.
Sho Kitabatake vs. Rictras Shard
A featherweight matchup between two fighters making their pro debuts was up next. The first round was back and forth with the fighters trading dominant positions on the ground. There was no real damage done by either guy. Rounds two and three were much of the same. It seemed as though neither of the fighters were in any rush to finish the fight. Truthfully I think nerves got the better of these two and next time out we will see a little more action. Sho Kitabatake won by Unanimous Decision and in the process may have put a few people to sleep because of boredom.
Alex Murphy vs. Randall Johnson
In the bantamweight division Alex Murphy took on Randall Johnson. Alex Murphy pulled guard in the first and was able to get in top position, although he wasn’t very effective in causing much damage to Randall Johnson. I’m not a fighter myself but in my opinion Alex Murphy won the second round along with the first. I don’t think the judges shared my point of view. The third was a different story, Randall Johnson dominated the round. One judge called the fight a draw; the other two gave Randall Johnson the victory. I hate seeing guys get screwed on a decision and I hope Alex Murphy is able to bounce back in his next bout. Randall Johnson by Majority Decision.
Craken Skulls vs. Jack Jackson
Craken Skulls made it clear from the beginning of the fight that he wanted it on the mat, where he was the stronger fighter. In the first round Jack Jackson was able to defend Skulls’ takedown attempts and he landed several good knees inside the clinch. In the second round it was Jackson with a successful takedown, although he didn’t do much with the position. Skulls got sick of being trapped inside of his opponent’s clinch and he jumped guard. From there he secured an armbar and forced the tapout. Craken Skulls wins via armbar submission at 3:55 of round 2. That was a great fight!
Mark Makovsky vs. Gerard Drogba
A lightweight battle between Mark Makovsky and Gerard Drogba was next on tap. Makovsky was busted open very early in the fight and Drogba worsened it with knees to the head. The only bright moment for Makovsky is when he scored a switch into full mount right at the end of the first. In the second Drogba was still effective in the clinch and he controlled much of the round from there. Throughout this fight it was obvious that the only way Makovsky could get the fight on the ground where he wanted it, he needed to pull guard. The problem is he didn’t do too much once the fight was down and it made for a less than extraordinary bout. Gerard Drogba won this one by Unanimous Decision.
Wrestling Beast vs. Samart Payakaroon
This fight featured two undefeated lightweights who had very different game plans. Wrestling Beast wanted the fight on the ground while Samart Payakaroon wished to keep this one on the feet. Beast scored a takedown early and it appeared he was in control until Samart kicked him off and got back to his feet. When standing there was no doubt that Payakaroon was the more effective fighter as he landed some great punches. It was a big right hook that started everything, Beast was stunned and Payakaroon stormed in and landed a series of vicious strikes that brought an end to the fight. Samart Payakaroon wins by KO at 1:14 of round one. He remains undefeated and will be looking for a step up in competition for his next fight.
Eli Crowe vs. Oscar Payne
Eli Crowe wanted to send a message to the rest of the NLFL light heavyweight division. He did just that. His clinch looked like a death trap; once he tied up Oscar Payne he started landing knees. Three big knees to the head put an end to this fight. Payne was not very effective at all and at the end he still looked like his brains were a bit scrambled. Eli Crowe has now won four straight fights and he may be close to getting a title shot. Eli Crowe by TKO at 4:40 of the very first round.
NLFL Heavyweight Championship
Marko Fedor vs. Stanton Crowe
This was the first of two title fights that took place at NLFL 12- Sheherazade and this one was contested in the NLFL heavyweight division. Stanton Crowe had a game plan and he followed it with expert precision. He got a takedown, landing in Fedor’s guard, from there Crowe landed some nasty ground and pound. Marko Fedor did not want to be fighting off of his back but that is what happened. The poor guy couldn’t shake Crowe who displayed great ground control. Crowe landed a huge shot from top position that hurt Fedor and had him turning over to block any more shots. But that one punch was all that the ref needed to see to jump in and save Fedor from any further damage. We now have a champion in the NLFL Heavyweight division and that man is Stanton Crowe. Crowe wasted no time finishing this one at 4:59 of round one.
NLFL Light Heavyweight Championship
John Lachance vs. Mark Machida
Wow, what a fight, that is all I can say! John Lachance dominated rounds one through four. He scored takedowns and landed some great ground and pound. Going into the fifth and final round it looked as though Lachance would just have to escape the round without being finished. On the other hand Mark Machida knew that he was down on all scorecards and the only way he’d get a victory was with a finish. Lachance was less than 3 minutes away from becoming the NLFL’s first Light Heavyweight champion when disaster struck. Mark Machida got ahold of Lachance’s neck and squeezed as hard as he could. Lachance tried to survive but in the end he was forced to tap. Mark Machida wins by submission at 2:35 of round five. I can’t wait to see Machida in his first title defense, this guy proved to be a warrior.
NLFL 12- Sheherazade turned out to be a fantastic night of fights. Mark Machida vs. John Lachance was the fight of the night. Craken Skulls won submission of the night and Samart Payakaroon earned himself KO of the night. With each passing fight card the Northern Lights Fight League is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Montreal MMA scene. I hope you enjoyed the fights and don’t forget NLFL 13- Manitoba Poison will be happening on August 29th at the Underground.
Until next time,
Brent Haugh
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