REVO 10 - Review

Editorial by Jolon Williams

                                                                                      REVO 10 - Review

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us here at REVO Access, where we present to you, the rundown for each and every REVO card before anybody else! Now, if you're here, it's because you either missed REVO - 10 live ... terrible loss, or else, you saw it, but still wanted to get our own personal analysis' on the fights. Whichever it is, we won't keep you from it. Let's have a look ..

ROBINSON CAMP - Fight One

Sargent Nelson vs Agafon Bufon

In the opener fight of the night, Bufon was looking for a bit of redemption to his name ... but it looks like that's just going to have to wait. Right from the get go, Nelson had Bufon's number, closing the distance almost immediately after the first round started, clinching up with Bufon and wasting no time in pulling guard, knowing full well that the mat was where he wanted to fight. Of course, during the fight, he did appear to suffer from numerous bouts of what was either utter confusion, or downright arrogance as he proceeded to stand right back up again following a takedown, only to then attempt yet another takedown following that. In the span of two and a half minutes, Nelson scored four out of four takedowns. We don't know if he just got bored of it after that, or if common sense finally kicked in, but after the fourth attempt, he would finally lock in a Kimura and score an ultimately one sided victory.

Owner Gradings

Sargent Nelson - D-

Wasted no time getting the fight to the mat ... good start. He didn't want to stand and bang with Bufon, or even stay in the clinch with the guy too long, so taking the fight down to the ground was a good idea. However, standing up and leaving himself potentially open for a quick knockout blow? That could have been disastrous. All it takes is one well aimed blow to turn the lights off, and Nelson gave Bufon way too many opportunities for that considering he was basically grappling with a rag doll out there. The win saves him from getting an 'F' grading, but if he had ended up getting knocked out, he would have had nobody to blame but himself.

Agafon Bufon - F

Don't know why Bufon wasted what little time he had on his feet, trying to take down a superior grappler when he could have been trying to score the knockout .... but his failure to play to his strengths and the fact that he was utterly defenceless against Nelson's wrestling does no favours for his grading in this fight. With his second consecutive loss in REVO, Bufon's future isn't looking too bright.

WILLIAMS CAMP - Fight One

Bob Bimp vs Matty Canagan

Bob Bimp entered the cage at REVO - 10 with one intention. Redemption. And unlike Agafon Bufon in the opener, Bimp's attempt to claim it was .. if not exactly a smooth ride, certainly a successful one. Canagan appeared to have a clear strategy in mind entering the fight, even with the lack of managerial guidance, and for a while, it even seemed to be working! Utilising his wrestling prowess, Canagan would score a takedown early on and attempt to control Bimp on the mat, showing very little actual offense. And when it seemed as though Bimp was collecting himself and putting together a bit of offense of his own? Canagan would stand up, preferring to avoid Bimp's dangerous jiu jitsu stylings. And even while Bimp was the superior striker on paper, Canagan would still manage to avoid any strikes thrown his way, scoring yet another takedown later on in the round and once again opting to simply control Bimp, scoring a couple of strikes but otherwise remaining on the defensive. Unfortunately, Bimp would not fall prey to the same tactics a second time. Commence the second round, and Canagan would again score a takedown ... but this time, Bimp was prepared. Actively seeking submissions from his back, it would be right before the third minute that Bimp would suddenly cinch in a guillotine chokehold on a stalling Canagan, surprising his opponent. Canagan would attempt to hold on, but would eventually pass out rather than tap, giving the victory, via submission, to a triumphant Bimp.

Owner Gradings

Bob Bimp - B

Bimp gets a 'B' due to his lack of efficient game-planning on his feet. Being the superior striker, I expected him to land a few blows at least before Canagan's wrestling came into play, but Bimp kept coming up with nothing but air as he overzealously threw combination after combination and just praying they landed somewhere significant. As a result, Canagan was able to get away scott-free and engage in his own gameplan without interruption. However, with that being said, Bimp was able to work past and neutralise Canagan on the ground in a highly effective manner, overcoming a clear deficiency in overall grappling ability and score a bout winning submission. A well deserved victory overall.

Matty Canagan - B-

There wasn't really anything wrong with Canagan's gameplan at all on paper. He didn't want to over-engage a superior jiu jitsu practitioner on the mat, so stayed on the defensive. The problem was, he wasn't fighting to win, only fighting to survive, and that's what ultimately cost him. If he'd perhaps launched a little more offense, some strikes to soften Bimp up, he might have been looking at a different result. As it stands, while I can't fault Canagan for his gameplan, this will no doubt serve as a valuable learning experience. You know, if his manager ever comes back.

ROBINSON CAMP - Fight Two

Claudio Demaestri vs Andre Luther

A 1-4 and 0-1 fighter going at it, it definitely doesn't really scream 'excitement'. However, for these two men, there was a lot on the line in this fight, and for one man, surely a new start. Right? So ... which man was able to earn said new start?

Well, funnily enough .. neither.

Luther would come out strong, a well placed blow immediately busting Demaestri open and, for a second, it seemed as though that might be a sign of how the fight was going to go. But then, for some reason, seeing the success of his attempt at striking, Luther decided to then ... change tacks and take the fight to the ground. Where he was, while not significantly so, still outclassed by Demaestri. Even funnier still though, was watching Demaestri squirm as, instead of taking advantage of this opportunity handed to him, he instead continued to, unsuccessfully, one might add, try and stand up. Ultimately, it would be the ref who would stand the two back up, and the fight would continue. For Luther, the fight would continue throughout the three rounds in much the same manner, and if Demaestri had managed to do something a little more substantial ... or, well, anything at all on the mat, we might have been looking at a different result. As it stands, it would be Demaestri's offence in the clinch that would save him from looking at a defeat. In the second and third rounds of the fight, when the two fighters weren't busy squirming on the mat, trying to see who could manage the better impression of a beached trout, Demaestri's striking aptitude would come into play, with knees flying in all directions. At the end of the third round, the judges would confer, and while they would unanimously agree that Demaestri's impression of a trout won hands-down, the fight itself would be scored a draw, meaning that both men have been given a second chance at a first impression here at REVO.

Owner Gradings

Andre Luther - D-

Honestly, I see it all the time, and I don't understand it. Just because it's an MMA fight, doesn't mean that you absolutely have to attempt a takedown, especially if you're better off on your feet. Luther did exactly that ... constantly, I might add, and if he hadn't wasted so much energy with all the failed takedowns, he might have even managed to launch some counter offence in the clinch and score enough points for the victory. As it is, his sloppy wrestling wasn't nearly as effective as I'm sure he was hoping, and was what ultimately cost him a 'W' next to his name.

Claudio Demaestri - D-

Same story here, just in a different aspect of the fight. Demaestri was so keen on playing only to his main strengths, that he failed to take advantage of his opponent's weaknesses. When Luther took the fight to the mat, Demaestri should have been all over him. What good is the blue belt, if you don't use it on unsuspecting white belts? Instead though, all Demaestri did was flop about on his back, wasting a lot ... and I mean, a LOT of energy trying to get up from a position where even a chimpanzee with attention deficit disorder could have held him down. If Demaestri had tried to improve his position, maybe thrown a couple submission attempts or ground and pound in there, he would have scored enough points to win that fight. Instead, he's stuck with a draw that has to be extremely unsatisfying for both men.

WILLIAMS CAMP - Fight Two

Oleg Kasparov vs Jack Balls

Entering this fight, Kasparov had everything to prove. Having lost his title fight at the first ever Camp Wars, and being benched since, he needed to get his name back out there and prove he was still to be considered a threat to the gold. Balls, on the other hand, was eager to defeat a former contender and put his own name into the mix, but entering the fight, he knew that grappling with the Russian wrestler was no way to go. We wondered prior to the fight, whether Balls had any strategy in mind to neutralise Kasparov in any other way, and as the fight commenced, we could tell that Balls had. Putting his superior striking to use, Balls would aggressively pursue his opponent, throwing kicks and punches across the cage as he tried to connect with the elusive grappler. Unfortunately for him, Kasparov proved to be a slippery customer, eventually scoring a takedown just before the minute mark. Once there though, Kasparov would play it safe, seemingly testing the waters, as though attempting to deem whether Balls was a threat or not on the mat. Come the second round, however, it appeared Kasparov had made up his mind, and unfortunately for Balls ... the verdict was not in his favour. Scoring another early takedown, this time just past the minute mark, Kasparov would aggressively seek the submission, and he wouldn't have to wait long to find it. A little prior to the fourth minute mark, Kasparov would cinch in a tight armbar from which there was simply no escape, despite Balls' efforts to the contrary. With nowhere to go, Balls would be forced to tap, conceding the victory to the triumphant Russian.

Owner Gradings

Oleg Kasparov - A

Kasparov once again keeps it simple. He knows where he's good, knows where he can win the fight, and has no trouble getting it there. He tested Balls on the mat, found him wanting, and punished him for it. A clean-cut, textbook grappler's victory. Kasparov once again throws himself into the mix as a heavyweight to look out for.

Jack Balls - B-

Despite being a natural grappler himself, Balls realised that he couldn't rely on his grappling against Kasparov, and adjusted his gameplan accordingly, choosing instead to rely on his striking, of where it is well documented that Kasparov has a massive hole in his game. Unfortunately, precision would fail Balls, and Kasparov would use Balls' own aggression against him to take the fight down to the mat, where Balls did not want it to go. A little more focus on accuracy and a slightly cautious approach might have saved Balls on this one, but it's hard to say for certain. Either way, his gameplan wasn't a bad one by any means ... it just proved ineffective this time around. Better luck next time.

ROBINSON CAMP - Fight Three

Julisz Michal Kasperski vs Glover Texeira

There is one positive, and one negative for Kasperski coming out of REVO - 10. The positive? He can proudly name himself as the only man to face Texeira and not be defeated via knockout. The negative? Well, he was still defeated.

Alright. Not so much with the positive then.

Entering this fight, we knew it was going to be an all out strikefest. With these two, there appears to be very little technique involved, more reminiscent of those late night pub crawls where you'd pick a fight with your neighbouring alcoholic consumer for breathing the wrong way. What we did get wrong though, was that while we assumed Texeira would prove to be the superior striker overall, it was him who appeared to be the individual who'd consumed one drink too many, whereas Kasperski remained surprisingly on target and precise with his strikes, even scoring a fair amount of combinations which probably would have at least dazed a lesser man. Unfortunately for Kasperski, the drunken metaphor continues, as Texeira would keep on coming with a mindless yet oddly decided goal. Knock Kasperski out. By the end of the second round though, Kasperski appeared to have things well in hand ... until the final minute. Kasperski would be caught off guard by a wild haymaker of a right hand that would leave him noticeably dazed. While he would manage to avoid the final knockout blow, even scoring a couple counter strikes of his own, the effect of that one punch was clear, and the judges seemed to have already made their decision there and then. As the third round came to an end, the judges awared the victory, via unanimous decision, to Texeira, triumphant tonight after a debut defeat here at REVO.

Owner Gradings

Julisz Michal Kasperski - B

Tough break for Kasperski, it really was. Hard to 'grade' per say, as there really wasn't much strategy involved here, just more of an outright slobberknocker. But Kasperski was on point, and had the fight in hand until that one final minute. But then, in MMA ... as I said earlier, one well placed blow is really all it takes, and Kasperski learned that the hard way.

Glover Texeira - C

Heavy handed is an understatement with Texeira. He was downright outclassed for the majority of the fight, Kasperski had his way with him for the most part, but one punch was all it took for Texiera to turn the tide. Texeira needs to work on his accuracy a lot if he wants to be an effective striker against all comers, but that power in his fists is decidedly promising.

WILLIAMS CAMP - Fight Three

Wataru Yatsubuta vs Edmund Dorrance

We knew entering this fight that Dorrance wanted the knockout. We knew entering this fight that Yatsubuta wanted the fight on the mat. We figured that it would be one or the other. We never suspected it'd be both.

Yatsubuta opened the fight strong, dropping the fight down to the mat with a precisely timed counter takedown and gaining an immediate advantage. However, his luck of the draw would not extend to the referee. After Yatsubuta would utilise overly lay and pray style tactics on Dorrance, the referee would step in with a no nonsense attitude, unwilling to tolerate the display and standing the fighters back up ... much to Yatsubuta's chagrin. Yatsubuta would keep on form however, evading Dorrance's strikes and keeping at a distance, attempting to pick his spot. Unfortunately, he would miscalculate, shooting in for a takedown ... failing ... and being greeted in turn by a massive uppercut that would finish his descent to the mat, leaving him completely dazed. However, this was not the end. Yatsubuta would then show the spirit that would give him claim to the honour of representing the Williams' camp some months back, and duck beneath a wildly thrown right to score another takedown and take the fight back to where he held the advantage, to where he could catch a breather. Remembering the referee's no nonsense attitude, however, Yatsubuta would not make the same mistake twice, aggressively seeking to end the fight before the end of the round. Unfortunately for him, he would fail, and the second round would commence. Back on their feet. No good for Yatsubuta. Clearly still feeling the effects of the earlier uppercut, the second round would barely get underway before Dorrance would connect with a massive right hand, knocking the fight out of Yatsubuta once and for all.

Owner Gradings

Wataru Yatsubuta - B-

Yatsubuta not only knew where to take the fight, it was as though he had the gameplan ingrained into his brain. Showing incredible savvy, he managed to score that crucial takedown even after getting rocked like he did. That takes guts, that takes intelligence, that takes heart. It saved him, and could have earned him the win. Unfortunately, it didn't, and I'm forced to deduct points from his grade simply because if he'd been more aggressive in the first place, that referee stand-up might have never happened, and we could be looking at a completely different outcome right now. When you're the superior grappler to such an extent ... don't hesitate. Go for the kill.

Edmund Dorrance - A

There was barely even a minute between the first takedown and the second. The majority of the fight took place in Yatsubuta's comfort zone. On paper, that should have spelt the end for Dorrance. But Dorrance made that one minute count. It was all he needed, and that is definitely something to commend. A fantastic fight, I very much enjoyed watching every it, and look forward to seeing what Dorrance can do for us here at REVO in the future.

ROBINSON CAMP - Fight Four

Bariga Marihuanich vs Sun Shine

As suspected of this fight, Marihuanich and Shine put on a classic striker versus grappler display ... unfortunately for Shine, the tides would simply not swing in his favour this time around, and his fiftieth fight ended in defeat via unanimous decision. Whilst Shine would definitively hold the advantage on his feet, and impose his dominance where possible, these moments were few and far between, as Marihuanich would aggressively seek the takedown, the takedown, and nothing but the takedown. The round in which Shine would manage to trade blows in the clinch with Marihuanich for a few minutes, would decidedly prove to be the latter's worst round, one which would only be remedied once he escaped Shine's grasp and score the takedown once more. Again, as predicted, Shine would prove unable to take advantage of the spaces in which he was able to stay standing and knock Marihuanich out, and as the third round came to an end, the verdict was apparent even before the scorecards were raised. Does Shine have any more fight left in him, or is this second consecutive loss here at REVO to be his final swan song?

ROBINSON CAMP - Fight Five

Ryan Engle vs