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 Gladiator Fighting Championship will make its way back to Hard Knocks Arena with a loaded fight card that will include an epic welterweight battle in the main event and a co-main event that we see the first champion in the history of GFC crowned. Here's an in depth look at the fight card.
The first fight will feature a pair of young fighters who only have three fights of professional experience between them. Shaun Bapp (1-1) lost by decision in his GFC debut and looks to redeem himself and pick up his first win with the organization. Bapp is a solid wrestler who has shown a propensity to go very heavy on takedowns and keep his opponents of balance by relentlessly dumping them to the ground. Clifford Donovan (0-1) lost by first round submission in his GFC debut at GFC III and will also be looking to change the impression of that the fans have of him. Is is said to have strong Muay Thai skills, but he wasn't able to put any of those skills on display in his first fight. Will he be able to reverse his fortunes and impress the crowd or will he once again fail to get out of the starting blocks?
The second fight pits welterweight veteran Dingle Berrian (18-7) against Koby Stott (6-9). Berrian comes in riding a three fight losing streak but did record a decision win over Stott on the QFC circuit back in September. Berrian relies heavily on kicks and is sure to try to pepper his opponent with his feet. Stott is a solid puncher who leans on his boxing skills and has been known to take fights into the clinch. His ground game is good enough that he can take the fight to the canvas if needed. Both fighters are badly in need of a win and are sure to lay it all on the line to get in the win column.
The light heavyweights will be featured in the third fight as Logan Mitchell (11-9-1) takes on Nicolas Karkmananis (2-2). After losing three straight fights, Mitchell comes to GFC hoping that a change of scenery may do him some good. He is a tremendous boxer who prefers to stand and trade leather over and above anything else. He is a sprawl and brawl fighter in every sense of the word and will most definitely be looking for a knockout. Karkmananis is 1-1 in GFC and likes to consider himself to be a versatile and well rounded fighter. He can stand and bang but seems to prefer working in the clinch and mixing in the occasional takedown. He has shown glimpses of power and potential in his brief career. Will the experience of Mitchell prove to be too much for him or will he rise to the occasion?
The fourth fight will be a matchup between two solid lightweights. Ben Harper (20-16-2) enters the cage highly experienced but still seeking his first win in GFC. He is a tremendous Muay Thai practitioner who makes his living in the clinch working his opponents over with knees. His style is somewhat grinding as he will often take fights the distance and his endurance has proven to be excellent. Opposing Harper will be Rocco Kailea (3-2-1). Kailea has shown a tendency in his young career to rely on his striking, specifically his kicks to work his opponents over. Two of his three career wins have come by KO or TKO, so he has shown power in the past. Kailea fought to a draw in his first GFC fight and will most certainly be looking to get over the hump and pick up a win.
Harrison Hansen (6-4) is a BJJ brown belt who has picked up four of his six career wins by submission. His striking leaves much to be desired but when he gets his opponents on the ground, the end is often near. He has seen some success in GFC and would love to add another one to his resume. Stepping into the cage to oppose Hansen will be Johnny Utah (15-18). A veteran with a great deal of experience, Utah is coming off of an impressive win in his last GFC appearance. His preference is to stand and box with his opponents and beat them on points. He is a very accurate striker with an excellent gas tank. This classic striker versus grappler matchup should be interesting.
The sixth fight will be a matchup between welterweights Bruce Leroy (5-2) and Nikira Stag (3-1). Leroy has won two straight fights and will be making his first appearance in GFC. He is a heavy handed striker who comes in swinging his fists and looking for the knockout. Both of his loses have come by KO or TKO, so some questions exist about his chin that he'll need to answer. Stag also enters the cage having won two straight fights. He is a phenomenal wrestler with some wicked ground and pound skills who softens up his opponents for the submission. This will be a battle of wills between two very different competitors. If Leroy can stay on his feet his chances of winning are reasonable, but if Stag gets him on his back, it could be game over for Leroy.
A pair of huge heavyweights will enter the cage for our seventh fight when Christian Cong (24-23) collides with Fred Sanford (14-8). Cong is an incredibly heavy handed fighters who comes in to this fight with an astounding 22 wins by KO or TKO. On the flip side, he has suffered 17 career losses by KO or TKO. With Cong you are sure to get an entertaining fight as he is intent on either knocking out his opponent or being knocked out trying. Sanford is also somewhat of an knockout artist himself. Eleven of Sanfords wins have come by KO or TKO and like Cong, he too has been knocked out his fair share of times. I expect this fight to be an absolute slobber knocker that is going to delight the fans.
Jean Charles (11-8) will be making his fourth appearance in the GFC cage when he meets Paul Bruens (27-19) in the eight fight on the card. Charles won his GFC debut but then dropped two straight fights to a pair of extremely tough opponents. He is looking to bounce back strong with an impressive showing against Bruens. Charles is one of the premier strikers in the division and is comfortable striking both from a distance and in the clinch. He has very good cardio and should be quite the challenge for Bruens. Bruens is a BJJ brown belt who boasts ten career wins by submission. He has also shown himself to be very capable of going the distance in fights and outlasting his opponents. Bruens does very little in the way of striking of focuses primarily on taking his opponents to the ground, working ground and pound, and latching on a submission hold. Bruens is a savvy veteran who hopes to make a strong impression in his first GFC fight.
The first champion in the history of GFC will be crowned in the co-main event when Jesse Wolfe (17-8) meets Rolando Garcia (27-14-2) for the lightweight title. Wolfe was the first fighter to be signed to a GFC contract and has reeled of three impressive wins in his time here and the ink just dried on a new contract extension for Wolfe. Wolfe is a very accomplished boxer who does a remarkable job of blending accuracy and power in his punches. He is not shy about throwing he occasional leg kick to keep his opponents guessing. He has won championship gold in the past and is highly experienced, so he will most certainly not be phased by the bright lights of a title fight. Like Wolfe, Garcia is no stranger to title fights and would love to add one more championship to his resume before his fighting days are through. As a BJJ black belt, Garcia is an extremely proficient submission artist who has honed his skills to perfection. Garcia has enough striking skills to hold his own on his feet and has had enough career fights that nothing will surprise him. This historical fight could become an instant classic.
The main event will pair of two highly successful fighters who will be making their first appearances in GFC. Jonathan Desjardins (14-3) comes in with a three fight winning streak in tow. He has shown flashes of power and has proven to be especially dangerous on the ground where his ground and pound is excellent and his submission skills are hard to combat. Opposing Desjardins will be Tomasz Szczerek (12-4-1). Szczerek has traditionally also been a submission artist who prefers grappling to standing up and trading blows. Nine of Szczerek's twelve career wins have been by submission. With both fighters having such success on the ground, it will be interesting to see if they decide to see who the best man is on the ground or if strategies will change and different approaches will be taken. This fight promises to be action packed and is very evenly matched. This fight will be the icing on the cake for this stacked fight card.
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