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 Welcome to the Liberty Dome, New York, where SPNY brings you a 10 fight MMA card headlined by Zachery Rey taking on Light Heavyweight contender Oscar Salcedo, with a co-main event pitting No. 1 Heavyweight contender Earnest Abe against rising star Matt Matthews.
Main Event: Light Heavyweight
Zachery Rey 25-13-1 (4-3 SPNY) vs Oscar Salcedo 24-15 (6-3 SPNY)
Veteran kick boxer and former SPNY Light Heavyweight Title challenger Rey looks to improve his standing in one of the strongest divisions in SPNY with a win over Salcedo. Rey has somewhat unfairly developed a reputation from local fans for being a dull fighter, with all but one of his seven fights in SPNY going the distance, but hopefully tonight he will regain the form that has seen him record 16 career knockout wins.
Salcedo has fought his entire career to date as an undersized Heavyweight, and tonight finally makes the move down to Light Heavyweight that was predicted much earlier in his career. Primarily a boxer and a wrestler, we may see Salcedo attempt to take this one to the ground early to get it out of Rey’s comfort zone. Sacledo can expect to have the crowd on his side tonight with his amazing record of only 2 fights out a 39 fight career having ever gone the distance. Having lost an attempt at the Heavyweight title, Salcedo is hoping that a win here will see him confirmed as the No. 1 contender to face the winner of Toby Le Rone’s upcoming defence against Richie McCaw.
This fight will be decided by where it takes place, if Rey gets his way and forces it into the clinch he will dominate Salcedo and possibly look for a rare finish based on recent form. Salcedo will dominate if he can take the fight to ground. If they stand at distance and bang, Rey will outscore with his higher work rate, but Salcedo has the heavier hands and may well rock Rey. This one is a tough call, but I like Salcedo by KO in the 2nd.
Co-Main Event: Heavyweight
Earnest Abe 16-4 (6-2 SPNY) vs Matt Matthews 7-1 (1-0 SPNY)
Former Heavyweight champion Earnest Abe is looking to prove he deserves a 4th encounter with Shane Waitzel after losing the last two title fights between them. Abe is a powerful boxer, with accurate and heavy handed punches backed up with solid kick boxing. Ominously 5 of his last 6 wins have been one punch knockouts. Despite losing his title and the rematch, Abe remains the highest ranked challenger for the Heavyweight Title.
Matthews, a former USA Olympic wrestling representative, is a rising star in this sport and will be looking to become the first fighter to submit Abe and to move himself up the rankings from future star to current contender. Matthews also has a rare aptitude for the Kimura lock, with all 5 of his submission wins to date coming by way of Kimura and leaving a wake of hyper extended elbows and dislocated shoulders behind him. While Abe is not an easy fighter to take down Matthews has shown in the past that he has very powerful takedowns, and that once an opponent is down he is able to finish them quickly. Matthews’ only loss to date was a 10 second TKO against a boxer, and he will have to be very careful against the dangerous striking of Abe.
Matthews on the ground looks unstoppable, but remembering his 10 second loss and looking at Abe who is an even more powerful striker makes me think this one won’t make it to the ground. Unless by some miracle Matthews gets the takedown before he takes a punch this will be Abe by KO in the 1st.
3: Welterweight
Ronaldo Silva 21-10 (0-1 SPNY) vs Toby Jay Wadenah 18-7-2 (SPNY Debut)
Silva is a top class grappler and boxer who returns to SPNY after a second round exit at the 1st Division qualifiers for the TWGC. The classy veteran is best known for his submissions but also has the ability to KO opponents with his boxing skills. He takes on Wadenah, an SPNY newcomer and top level striker who has hit a poor run of form in recent months. Wadenah may have a huge advantage in this fight given that Silva has struggled in the past against quality kick boxing, and Wadenah is accomplished in Muay Thai.
This one could be close, but I like Silva to get the fight to the ground and use his superior grappling to find a decision.
4: Lightweight
Mac Hansen 24-17-1 (10-7 SPNY) vs Reza Katebi 6-6 (4-5 SPNY)
In this rematch from SPNY 71 where Hansen earned a majority decision over Katebi, we see Hansen attempting to stake his claim to be No. 1 contender in the Lightweight division by claiming his 4th consecutive win. Hansen is well balanced without any obvious strengths which makes it surprising that he has such an accomplished record. Katebi on the other hand is very much a grappler who relies on submissions as his path to victory.
Katebi has the talent to avenge the previous result between these two and tonight I think he can do it. Katebi by submission and the Lightweight rankings will show a very different order by morning.
5: Welterweight
Abaka Khan 14-9-1 (1-0 SPNY) vs Darrell Miles 10-13-1 (6-9-1 SPNY)
Kick boxer Khan has the chance to build on his solid start to his SPNY career against org veteran wrestler Miles. Watch for Khan to clinch the fight early and do some damage with vicious knees and elbows, while Miles will be desperate to get the fight to the ground. The deciding factor will possibly be that Khan will be able to counter on the ground far more effectively than Miles on the feet, which means getting the takedown won’t ensure a win for Miles.
Khan to win by KO.
6: Bantamweight
Akira Ishikawa 28-14 (SPNY Debut) vs Andrey Tutov 6-5 (SPNY Debut)
Two SPNY debutants meet in the Bantamweight fight with experienced grappler Ishikawa meeting in form striker Tutov. Ishikawa transferred his Judo skills into jujitsu to create a successful MMA career that has yielded 17 submission finishes and will be looking to add another tonight. Tutov is a boxer who can wrestle and will look to keep this fight standing to avoid going at it on the ground against a grappler of Ishikawa’s reputation.
I think Tutov’s recent good form will see him able to keep the fight standing and get the KO over Ishikawa.
7: Heavyweight
Al Al Kaholic 33-18 (0-2 SPNY) vs Roger Freedman 15-7 (SPNY Debut)
Kaholic has not had the start to his SPNY career that the veteran was hoping for, tonight he sees org debutant Freedman who is also coming off a poor recent form run as a chance to get his first SPNY win. Both fighters are strikers and I feel that in terms of skills and experience Kaholic will have the edge. The question is whether the 38 year old veteran has the physical ability to match it with the younger 27 year old Freedman.
Kaholic was once one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound, but his recent record shows 1-7 and I think he is done, Freedman to find some form tonight with a strong KO win.
8: Bantamweight
Jack Clark 19-16 (5-4 SPNY) vs Ronald Rousey 7-4 (0-1 SPNY)
Clark to me is a sprawl and brawl fighter who never quite rounded out his technique to meet his potential, he has in some part made up for that with his toughness allowing him a successful career. Rousey is a quality wrestler, and although he has developed his boxing skills and throws and lands a lot of punches, he lacks the knockout power he will need if he is to dominate at the top level; his knockouts to date have been attrition based rather than power based.
Rousey will outscore Clark in this fight, of that I have no doubt. I don’t expect him to have the power to take Clark down early, and I feel that he lacks the power to stop Clark from landing a big shot. Clark to take this by KO.
9: Featherweight
Dae Su Oh 2-0 (1-0 SPNY) vs Samuel Bernard 0-1 (SPNY Debut)
This one screams mismatch at me, Oh is a quality wrestler who is rapidly improving his striking skills at one of the best gyms in New York. Bernard is an undersized jujitsu specialist who has a much weaker training camp. Oh will get the top position and dominate, it’s a question of testing his killer instinct as to how quickly he can claim his KO.
Oh by KO in the 1st.
10: Featherweight
Jonny Black 1-1 (0-1 SPNY) vs Kyle Hulse 1-2 (1-1 SPNY)
Two sprawl and brawl rookies meet in our opening fight suggesting we will see a stand up match. Whilst Black hasn’t yet shown knockout power in his hands, Hulse has yet to show that he has a chin, so Black will be hoping for his first career knockout tonight. Expect Black to out score Hulse early, and build up to a late KO finish in the 3rd.
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