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 My friend told me my New Year's resolution should be to be more organised. I said "I'm so organised that I made my resolutions like a year ago!" Saturday night, fight night!
Lightweight: Clint Pereira (0-0) vs Paging "Dr" Faggot (3-3)
Portugal is not exactly a hotbed of top MMA talent but Clint Pereira gets the chance to start the long journey towards changing that when he debuts against Paging. With a strong Muay Thai background Pereira should offer little by way of suprises for his more experienced foe who posseses solid boxing and dangerous power. This one looks set to be a stand up affair but don't be suprised if Paging looks for the takedown after eating a few long range shots from the far taller Pereira.
Prediction: Pereira is an unknown, this could be a highlight reel flying knee, a workman like leg kick clinic or an embarassing capitulation under the bright lights. But his opponent is .500 and has failed to really impress in any of his 6 pro bouts. Pereira by decision.
Featherweight: "The Ironman" Cedric Steele (14-8) vs "El Muro de Escudo" Esteban Delgado (1-0)
Their respective records may make for a major mismatch but their skills make for an exciting battle. Delgado debuted in an openweight contest with lightheavyweight Brian Caldwell, taking the clear nod in their one round affair. Whether taking that fight makes him brave or stupid I'm not entirely sure but after 1 fight his record is perfect and that is all that matters to Delgado. In Steele he faces a well rounded and hard nosed competitor who will provide an excellent measuring stick of just how good Delgado is. Steele is a boxer with good submissions and Delgado is a wrestler with good hands which makes for an intriguing affair at 145lbs.
Prediction: Delgado is just too good a wrestler for Steele, taking the fight where he wants at will. Delgado takes a big scalp early in his TTFC career here.
Lightweight: Big Nasty (1-7) vs "Senor Sexy" Giorgio Valentino (0-0-1)
Big Nasty is still fighting!? 1 and 7! Valentino is too good everywhere for Big Nasty in a one sided contest that takes Nasty to 1-8. That's the kind of throw away prediction that will make me look stupid when Nasty lands a flying triangle in the opening 10 seconds but Valentino is just too talented.
Prediction: Valentino by TKO in round 1.
Lightheavyweight: Parfait "Le Saoulon" Hilton (3-3) vs "Temujin" Genghis Khan (13-8-1)
Muay Thai monster Parfait Hilton was in a hurry last time out, dispatching Rice Gayce with a picture perfect head kick in just 5 seconds! With all 3 wins coming by way of KO the message to Genghis is clear, when looks like he might just think about considering possibly deciding to throwing the head kick - duck! Genghis is as offensive a fighter as his moniker suggests with excellent hands and effective submissions but standing and trading with Hilton is more dangerous than the may know. Khan wants this down and on the mat and he has the wrestling to make sure it is. Hilton possesses solid wrestling but his kick heavy offense leaves him vulnerable to the counter takedown and Khan is excellent on the mat, as evidence by his 7 submission victories.
Prediction: This is by no means an easy fight for Genghis Khan but he has the required tools to win this fight, dragging his man down and coaxing out the tap in round 3.
Bantamweight: "Spider Rico" Dave Carpio (15-8) vs Erwin "The Base Pair" Chargaff (7-4)
This is a hardcore fans delight as Carpio and Chargaff are two of the best bantamweights in TTFC even if their records suggest otherwise. Both of these boys have excellent stand up, fantastic wrestling and slick ground games and the chances of this one going the distance look slim. Carpio possesses a minor edge standing but not big enough to make Chargaff uncomfortable, and the reverse is true of their submission skills. Carpio relies on outworking his opponents with his speed and mixing in elbow strikes with his punches. He looks to score rather than demolish but his clinchwork masterclass last time out was a reminder that he can finish fights when he needs to. For Erwin this is stern test following two straight decision losses but his jiujitsu is as good as anyone fighter in TTFC and his striking is ever improving.
Prediction: This is a huge fight for both men and it should be an edge of your seat war until Chargaff grabs a limb and steals the win in round two.
Lightweight: "Sexy" Steve Starkweather (8-2) vs Stan "The Shark" Richard (10-7)
Steve Starkweather has more strings to his bow than he knows what to do with. Talented technical boxing, phenomenal wrestling and an underrated ground game not to mention clinchwork to transition between all three. His shock defeat to Blaise Lamont will have left a bad taste in his mouth and he will want to earn that rubber match with his old enemy by defeating Stan Richard in as dominant a fashion as possible. Richard himself is an extremely well rounded fighter but his stand and trade philosophy is what has garnered him such respect from those who know MMA. 6 KO wins and 5KO losses show how this man feels about putting on a show but in Starkweather he may find his kryptonite.
Prediction: Whilst it's a street fight "The Shark" is firmly in this contest, the more technical it gets the harder it becomes for him to remain in it. Starkweather is too technical and too smart, outpointing Richard after 3 rounds.
Welterweight: Tony Danza (17-8) vs Swag In A Bag (12-5)
As the old saying goes, styles make fights and these two look set to prove it. Knockout machine Swag In A Bag is always looking to remove a sucker from his senses whilst Danza likes nothing more than to make you quit. Bag has had it tought in his first 3 fights here in TTFC but showed a lot in narrow losses to welterweight big dogs Braylon Beswicke and Boston Dean. Tony Danza is the TTFC virgin looking make it 5 straight wins with his smothering top game that crushes those unfortunate enough to prevent the takedown. Not one for hailstone ground and pound Danza is looking to constrict and contort until you beg.
Prediction: Danza is on fire right now but Bag is more than capable of putting Danza to sleep before 30 seconds are up. That said, Bag is far taller and long limbs are a grapplers delight. Danza by submission in round three of hotly contested encounter.
Welterweight: Don Vasyl (16-14) vs "Judges Love" Boston Dean (20-3)
Their records may tell very different stories but this is a fight and anything can happen. Take for example the fact that Dean has put away only 2 of 23 opponents where has Vasyl has ended the nights of 14 in his 16 wins. Vasyl knows how to win, he is just unfortunately equally accustomed to losing. Dean has been submitted twice and that will inspire Vasyl who has repetoire of joint locks that would make a torturer feel squeamish. Dean obvisously has the cardio to go 3 rounds, he could probably go 13 and his boxing is as crisp at the final bell as it is at the 3rd. For Vasyl this would undoubtedly be the biggest win of his career and he comes in riding momentum with back to back finish wins. For Dean this would be another confident step towards the title that was once his.
Prediction: This could be a huge upset but odds are there for a reason and Dean is a classy and intelligent fighter. Dean by decision but over confidence could be his worst enemy here.
Super Heavyweight: Jagdish Rangarajan (10-3) vs Chris Cook (13-3)
Jagdish Rangarajan is on the cusp of elite status in the realm of the giants at 265+lbs. In his way is fellow behemoth Chris Cook. Let's crunch some numbers. At a combined 573 pounds these boys have a collected a staggering 22 KO wins in their combined 23 wins, all of which in round 1. If you discount their single longest fight each (a 3 round decision win for Cook and a 2nd round TKO loss for Rangarajan) the average length of each of their fights combined is 89 seconds. Factor in that all 6 of their losses are by KO and the outcome is pretty clear even to those who suck at maths like me. This is going to be obscene amounts of fun! A skills breakdown is irrelevant, both hit really really really really really really hard. One is going to land that killer blow in round 1 and walk away with the title.
Prediction: KNOCKOUT OF THE NIGHT!
Bantamweight: "Lil Terror " Richard Texeira (19-1) vs King Leonidas (11-3)
Lil Terror is back! After upholding the honour of TTFC with is win against then consensus number 1 Brian Peppers in another organisation he is back home to test himself against the devastating King Leonidas. There is very little to say about Texeira that hasn't already been said. He sits on the bantamweight throne not only in TTFC but across the entire world. Only one man has ever beaten him and that was in a controversial razor thin decision back in his debut. Since then he hasn't looked back and has put a beating on everyone to step in the cage with him. The man who came closest to besting Lil Terror in that time is one of the blots on Leonidas copybook, the resurgent Victor Olsen. That aside Leonidas is a match for just about any bantamweight on his day and will need to bring his A-game to stand a chance with the champion. On paper Leonidas is even better than Texeira but you don't get to the top of the rankings without having a certain je ne sais quoi that makes statistical breakdowns redudant.
Prediction: This is going to be a tough fight for Texeira who can be beaten despite his gaudy CV. Leonidas would propel himself into the top 20 at 135 by fighting and beating just about anyone on the planet not called Richard Texeira. It's going to be tough, it's going to be close but Lil Terror keeps his belt with the decision win.
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