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 Good evening and welcome to the Liberty Dome in New York City for SPNY 128. Tonight’s card features 10 MMA rules fights with an intriguing focus on movements in the Super Heavyweight division following the retirement of reigning champion Jumo Sudo. The main event tonight will feature three time Super Heavyweight title challenger Po Panda against in-form newcomer Matthew Janice. Earlier in the evening Pops Cama will be strutting his credentials against Abdullah Goldenberg. A win tonight for Panda or Cama would make a genuine case to be considered for the vacant title. As always, if you fancy a bet Steel Penn NY Bookmaker has odds on all fights.
Main Event: Super Heavyweight
Po Panda 20-6 (7-4 SPNY) vs Matthew Janice 13-7 (1-0 SPNY)
Po Panda has often been criticised as one of the most one dimensional fighters in world MMA; he takes his opponents down and throws ground strikes until they are unconscious there are no other moves in his arsenal. To his credit he is so good at this tactic that even though all his opponents know it is coming very few can stop him. Despite his predictability Panda has remained very popular with fans based on his all out offensive strategy and his finishing 19 of his 20 career wins.
Muay Thai specialist Janice is on a 3 fight winning streak and knows that with a vacant title about to come up a 4th win in a row would give him a basis for suggesting he deserves a shot at the title. Very good at finishing opponents, 12 of his 13 career wins have been by knockout, Janice does not have a reputation for having a solid chin which will count against him against a knockout specialist like Panda. Watch for Janice to try to clinch up tonight; Panda has never managed a successful takedown from a clinch and will struggle defensively against Janice’s world class Thai plumb.
Tonight I suspect Panda will be too strong for Janice, Panda by KO.
2: Heavyweight
Hoy Nelson 25-19 (1-3 SPNY) vs Roger Freedman 16-7 (1-0 SPNY)
Muay Thai specialist Nelson comes up against boxer Freedman in what you’d be forgiven for expecting to be a stand up clash; I however suspect Nelson will shoot for his underused takedown in an attempt to ambush Freedman and finish this by ground and pound. I can’t see Nelson being happy to stand up and let a heavy handed boxer throw punches at him all night, even if Nelson will outscore Freedman with his low kicks, and Nelson will favour himself to be the stronger ground fighter.
Freedman will look to outwork his opponent on his feet tonight looking to hand Nelson his 16th career knockout loss. Freedman will have to remain aware defensively of the kicking skills of Nelson; throughout his career Freedman has not defended well against leg kicks. The defining factor in this fight might well be the 13 inch reach advantage Freedman enjoys.
Freedman may be in the better form and the bookmakers favourite, but I’m tipping an upset with Nelson by KO in this one.
3: Welterweight
Bradley Boston 15-9-2 (3-1 SPNY) vs Darrell Miles 11-13-1 (7-9-1 SPNY)
Boston won his first 3 SPNY fights to set up a title challenge against Tomi Atomi but lost by armbar submission at SPNY 119. Tonight he will attempt to make amends for that loss and return to his winning ways. Whilst not the hardest puncher in the world, Boston makes up for this by out working his opponents and keeping the fight in the stand up zone where he is more comfortable. Tonight he will have a distinct advantage on his feet despite a 4 inch reach disadvantage, but will hope his shorter stature makes it harder for Miles to take him down.
Despite his last fight being only his 2nd win in his last 8 Miles will be confident he has the fight plan to win this match up. Miles is at his best on the ground throwing strikes which is the one area Boston does not excel. Miles will be willing to risk moving into Boston’s striking zone to get the takedown early given Boston is not known for having a single punch knockout.
I fancy Boston but by a close decision.
4: Super Heavyweight
Abdullah Goldenberg 9-12 (2-1 SPNY) vs Pops Cama 9-4 (8-2 SPNY)
Goldenberg throws a heavy punch but his shot selection and showboating desire to throw combinations with no emphasis on accuracy makes me hesitate to call him a boxer. While probably only 1 in 10 of his combinations lands, when they do he has pulled off some highlight reel knockouts; however, his lack of accuracy sees him wide open for counters and is almost useless if taken to ground. His opponent tonight, Cama, is also primarily a boxer. Cama tonight will focus on landing crisp and counter more than perhaps he usually would, to exploit the lack of balance and defence Goldenberg takes into the cage with him.
For me, Cama by KO seems the likely outcome, although if Goldenberg lands one of those big combinations early it could be lights out.
5: Welterweight
Sonny Boom 8-5 (SPNY Debut) vs Phan Tran Le 13-6 (3-2 SPNY)
After losing 4 of his last 5 fights, Boom had a layoff from fighting, changed managers, moved to a new gym, and tonight will return to fighting against fellow Muay Thai specialist Le. When two similar fighters are matched up it can be difficult to separate them, however, given neither of these fighters are known for being big shot knockout specialists tonight will probably be decided by accuracy of striking and control in the clinch. To me that means Le has the edge.
Le to win with a grinding knockout late in the fight.
6: Middleweight
Bon Joy 19-7-1 (0-0-1 SPNY) vs Jonathan Moxon 20-17-2 (2-0-1 SPNY)
Joy is a Muay Thai fighter who despite his clear talent and versatility has struggled to regularly finish his opponents. Moxon is submission grappler with a solid chin, but when he can’t find the submission almost always loses by decision. This fight follows the predictable striker vs grappler theme, if Moxon takes the fight to ground he wins, if Joy keeps it standing he has an easy decision coming.
The bookmakers have Joy as the favourite, but I would back Moxon to become the first to submit Joy and continue his unbeaten run in SPNY.
7: Welterweight
Abaka Khan 14-10-1 (1-1 SPNY) vs Calvin McCork 11-15-1 (0-2 SPNY)
Khan is known for his clinch fighting and grappling, but against submission specialist McCork expect to see Khan only use his clinch offence tonight. McCork lacks the versatility to strike with Khan on the feet, and I can’t see him getting an early enough takedown to prevent Khan forcing the clinch. Once Khan gets McCork into the clinch it will be a fast finish.
Khan by KO in my mind is such a certainty I’d back this to be the shortest fight of the night.
8: Light Heavyweight
Rocky Granite 12-9 (0-4 SPNY) vs Jason Gambit 13-12 (0-3 SPNY)
Tonight one of these fighters will finally have their first win in SPNY. Granite is a wrestler who likes to use his ground & pound, gambit a more versatile fighter who looks great in the clinch. Gambit has a history of being taken down easily which will be good news for Granite, but given he is capable of sweeps and submissions from the bottom; perhaps this has been a deliberate tactic. I expect if Gambit can tie Granite up in a clinch it will be goodnight.
Gambit by KO in the 1st.
9: Featherweight
Joaquim Antunes 2-0 (2-0 SPNY) vs Daithi MacThomais 1-2 (0-1 SPNY)
Antunes won his SPNY debut with the rare distinction of winning a shut out decision without landing a strike. Repeatedly taking down and controlling his opponent without attempting to finish the fight. Tonight he enters this fight as the shortest priced favourite of the evening against fellow wrestler MacThomais. The great striking defence shown by MacThomais is unlikely to favour him tonight given this fight will almost certainly be a wrestling match on the ground, and given the improvement shown by Antunes between his first and second fights I’d suspect he deserves to be the favourite tonight.
Antunes by decision.
10: Featherweight
William Harrison 1-1 (0-1 SPNY) vs Nicholas Diaz 0-2 (0-2 SPNY)
Harrison is a Muay Thai specialist who has show great accuracy with his striking and vicious clinch work in his opening fights. Diaz lacks a real specialty but has attempted to fight as a grappler in both his fights to date, and given that Harrison is a stand up fighter I expect him to continue with that plan tonight. I would expect Harrison to keep this one standing long enough to get the scorecards.
Harrison to win by decision.
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