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 Crucible Fights: London 4 - No Pain, No Gain Preview
At the Underground in London on June 23rd
Next Sunday the Crucible cage trembles as over 500 pounds of professional heavyweight enter to find out which of the two men is the champion. Also, the latest Immortals Playground lightweight champion makes his Crucible Fights debut against one of the tallest 155-pounders in the world.
The predictions are no more than opinions of the writer and do not reflect the views of the company in any way, and are not meant to offend anyone involved.
Main card:
Lightweight bout:
”Big Shot” Ben Williams (4-0) vs. Kevin ”Big King” Smith (1-0)
In the final bout of the evening former Immortals Playground lightweight champion Ben Williams takes on the 6’4 rookie Kevin Smith. The booking of this fight as the main event may be viewed as controversial by some, but it seems like Ben Williams is somebody the Crucible Fights brass has high hopes for, and could be looking at a potential title fight in the near future - if he gets past Smith.
The two versatile competitors are fairly similar on paper, with Williams holding an edge in the technical department in virtually all areas of the fight game, but he will have to overcome the enormous reach of his opponent.
In Smith’s professional debut he showed a varied game, mixing kicks with takedowns and good ground technique. Williams is mostly known for his submissions, but has also shown competence in the striking game with powerful kicks at his disposal. It will be interesting to see whether Smith’s huge reach and length carry him through this fight, or will it be Williams’ technical superiority that will prevail.
Prediction: Williams by submission. Smith’s build will make it interesting, but ultimately Williams technical edge will prove too much on the ground.
Heavyweight championship bout:
Aster ”Doomday” Roid (4-0) vs. Vincent ”ViGo” Gompka (3-1)
In the unofficial main event of the evening the first heavyweight champion will be crowned as striking specialist Aster Roid returns after a KO of the night performance just two weeks ago to take on Vincent Gompka, who is riding a three-fight winning streak since losing his pro debut.
Roid, a knock out artist, is known for his solid take down defense and finishing ability, but Gompka has made his career out of beating striking specialists, so the fighter who gets to dictate the fight will likely come out the victor. Gompka, an incredibly tall athlete at over 7 feet tall, is a grappling specialists known for his slick and powerful take downs, having showcased crowd-pleasing slams and suplexes in his young career so far.
Five of the fighters’ seven combined victories have come by way of knock out, so a full five rounder seems unlikely. However many minutes it goes, it should be entertaining and at the end we will have our first Crucible Fights: London heavyweight champion.
Prediction: Roid by (T)KO to become the first ever CF:L heavyweight champion. Gompka has good take downs, but Roid knows this, and will have little else to worry about on the feet.
Featherweight bout:
Nils ”Peukaloinen” Holgersson (4-1) vs. Ash Lizard (1-0)
At 145 pounds two rising stars face off to determine the pecking order in the division. Nils Holgersson, a 25-year old Finn, is a well rounded fighter who has impressed fans and pundits with his punching power and toughness, but also possesses some take down and ground and pound abilities. Ash Lizard on the other hand is a pure jiu-jitsu fighter who showed great composure and finishing instincts in his professional debut, submitting his opponent in less than a minute.
Prediction: Holgersson by (T)KO. It would be very intriguing to see the fight hit the mat with the great grappling skills of both fighters, but I think Holgersson’s striking power and experience will see him win before that happens.
Lightweight bout:
Ivan ”The First Channel” Urgant (3-0) vs. Ivan ”The Last King” Emelianenko (4-3)
In the battle of the Ivans, the ”First Channel” faces the ”Last King” in a fight that will catapult the winner into the mix of top prospects in the CF:L’s stacked lightweight division. The undefeated Urgant is a versatile fighter who has shown great ability to get off the bottom if he does end up there, and is feared for his finishing power, an attribute backed by his three first round finishes. Emelianenko is also well-rounded, but seems to prefer grappling and mixing up his attacks.
Emelianenko is a determined, rugged competitor with plenty of ability, but Urgant’s technical prowess and killer instinct have proven too much for opponents to handle so far. Emelianenko will need to use all his tools to get the job done, and avoid the early onslaught from Urgant’s punches.
Prediction: Urgant by (T)KO. Urgant is a little better in every area in my opinion, and has the finishing ability to make this quick.
Preliminary card:
Featherweight bout:
Tom ”Henry” Dyson (1-0) vs Nathan Donald ”Nate Diaz” Diaz (1-0)
In a fight where two fighters are looking for their first professional winning streak, Tom Dyson fights Nathan Diaz. Both fighters showed the determination and heart to go the full 15-minute distance in their debuts, and both seemed to prefer wrestling as their tool of choice. Diaz is the more technical fighter, while Dyson relies a lot on his physical strength.
Prediction: Diaz by decision. Dyson’s debut victory over Fred Mason seemed questionable, and I don’t think his strength will win him another fight against a more technical Diaz.
Featherweight bout:
Riku ”Curry” Kurikka (2-2) vs. Fred ”Nightmare” Mason (1-1)
In another fight that promises a fast pace and plenty of action, featherweights Riku Kurikka and Fred Mason do battle. Mason is a competent striker who likes to mix a lot of take downs into his attacks, which is something he will have to do against Kurikka, an excellent striker who has finished his last two fights in a combined total of three and a half minutes.
Prediction: Kurikka by (T)KO. I don’t feel like Mason’s wrestling will be good enough to control Kurikka, who is a rapid starter with killer instinct.
Lightweight bout:
Derrick Rose (3-1) vs Dennis Teller (2-3)
In the lightweight division grappling specialist Derrick Rose faces off against cross-trained boxer Dennis Teller in what promises to be a quick finish. Both fighters have a pronounced strength where the other has a weakness, with Teller’s boxing and Rose’s grappling.
Prediction: Rose by submission. Teller is decent in every area, but not strong enough in the striking to take Rose out quickly, and will likely fall victim to his jiu-jitsu game.
Welterweight bout:
Leo Bambaleo Jr (1-0) vs. Ian ”The Hitman” McDunn (0-1)
In a welterweight clash that promises fireworks, heavy hitters Leo Bambaleo and Ian McDunn compete and undoubtedly look to add their names to the KO of the night bonus hat. The stocky Scot McDunn is known for his powerful punching and Gaelic wrestling background and Bambaleo’s strengths also lie in finishing power, as shown in his 54-second pro debut victory.
Prediction: Bambaleo Jr by (T)KO. This is a coin flip, but Bambaleo’s technical skills seem superior, and McDunn’s pro debut showed that while he is tough, he can be finished.
Lightweight bout:
Akosii Gajo (1-3) vs. Arana ”Shark” Davies (1-2)
Two fighters look to get back on track after disappointing starts to their pro careers as New Zealander Arana Davies fights Filipino Akosii Gajo. Both men are primarily strikers, Davies preferring a power kick-heavy offense, while Gajo is a confident puncher who is tough to finish.
Prediction: Gajo by decision. Though we haven’t seen a terrible lot from either fighter so far, I think Gajo’s confidence and toughness will get him through Davies - he will likely use his punches to get inside, mix up his game and outwork his opponent.
Welterweight bout:
Josh ”Go2Sleep” Sleep (0-1) vs. Dexter ”Serial Killer” Morgan (0-2-1)
While at the outset a match up between the worst nickname in MMA and a notorious serial killer seems one-sided, the welterweight bout between Josh Sleep and Dexter Morgan could be competitive. Morgan is primarily a striker who has struggled against grapplers in the past, while Sleep is a wrestler who reportedly has a granite chin.
Prediction: Sleep by decision. The serial killer hasn’t been able to translate his success killing criminals into the cage that well yet, and it seems he might have found another tough target in Sleep. Sleep’s wrestling skills will likely be enough to take Morgan off his feet and keep him there - hopefully the crowd won’t ”Go2Sleep” after the first bout of the evening.
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