2013-10-12
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Night of Champions Main Card Preview

Event Preview: Night of Champions 2013
What used to be Feral Combat
2013-10-05, London, Wombley Arena
Author:Ernie White

    This is the event Feral Combat fans have been foaming at the mouth in anticipation for. This is the card of the ages. Featuring 3 title fights and stacked with former champions up and down the card, The Night Of Champions is soon upon us. Celebrating one year since it’s inception, Feral Combat is proud to present the greatest card we’ve ever had, as we look to fill the Wombley Arena.


 


    Diving right into our main card, we start with a bout between former lightweight champion Piotr Rasputin (12-3 MMA, 7-1 FC) and company man Tommy Thompson (8-5 MMA, 7-4 FC). After going 5-1 in a stint away from Feral Combat, Rasputin to a big challenge - literally. His opponent, Thompson, is nearly 50 pounds heavier, and has a large reach advantage. Rasputin is a superior grappler and has very good Muay Thai, but Thompson is a solid striker in his own right, and has scored 7 out of his 8 wins by KO or TKO. He is coming off a KOTN performance last time around, and looks to add a big name to his resume moving forward.


 


Prediction: Piotr Rasuptin via TKO, round 3.


 


    Up next we have the first title fight of the evening, as Kogata Munoz (10-2-1 MMA, 5-1 FC) looks to defend his title for the second time against resurgent Dan Smith (11-7-1 MMA, 8-5-1 FC). After a failed title bid led to a five fight skid, Smith has bounced back in a big way, going 4-0-1 in his last 5. The submission specialist meets an equally talented grappler in Munoz, although how they make use of their BJJ brown belts vastly differs. Smith attempts nearly three times as many submissions as Munoz, who prefers to use his jiu-jitsu in combination with his wrestling to get himself in position to rain down heavy strikes. It may be a stalemate on the ground, and could be decided on who has superior striking. That edge goes to Smith.


 


Prediction: Dan Smith via split decision.


 


    Up next we have a light heavyweight match-up between one of Feral Combat’s longest staying fighters, Frederick Barbarossa (20-12 MMA, 13-9 FC) and the wonderfully talented but woefully inconsistent Fiodor Jemelianko (12-13-1 MMA, 3-3 FC). Barbarossa has proven that he can hit hard; he has recorded 17 KOs in 20 professional victories. Jemelianko, on the other hand, has finished 10 of his 12 wins via submission. Both men are polar opposites when it comes to their approach, but both men always look for the finish. Jemelianko has shown at times that he can strike and grapple with the best of them, and it would seem he is the more talented fighter of the two. However, he has never been consistent enough to win more than two in a row, and the wildcard factor in this bout is “Which Jemelianko will show up?” We shall see.


 


Prediction: Frederick Barbarossa via KO, round 1.


 


    Our co-main event features middleweight champion Hironobu Uematsu (7-1 MMA, 7-1 FC) as he makes his second attempt at a successful title defense, meeting challenger Black Belt (9-4 MMA, 4-0 FC). Despite his name, Belt is only a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, but that hasn’t stopped him from scoring 3 submission wins in Feral Combat. However, he may have trouble submitting Uematsu, who is also a brown belt in BJJ, and also boasts some very high level striking credentials. The champ has scored all of his wins by KO or TKO, and he will look to do the same against this dangerous grappler. If Belt can get the fight to the mat, he will have a solid chance at winning. If he cannot, he will have little more than a puncher’s chance, and that isn’t much to depend on. Look for him to be very aggressive with the takedown attempts.


 


Prediction: Hironobu Uematsu via KO, round 2.


 


    Now, it’s time for the main event of the evening! Five rounds for the Feral Combat light heavyweight title, as champ James Avalon (15-7 MMA, 1-0 FC) looks to defend his title against longtime FC resident Eildon Heap (13-7 MMA, 8-4 FC). Avalon’s striking was heavily hyped coming into his debut, a title fight against Frederick Barbarossa. He surprised many when he scored a submission victory instead. He should get no surprises in this fight, as he meets a sensational Muay Thai fighter who loves to stand and trade in Heap. Both men are exceptional wrestlers, but Avalon is much more learned in jiu-jitsu, matching his brown belt against Heap’s blue belt. Avalon is also a more well-rounded striker, and will look to use his elite boxing skills to give himself an edge on the feet. This fight should be closely contested and wildly entertaining, as both men like to go for the finish.




Prediction: James Avalon via TKO, round 4.

 

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