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Evolution 53 ‘X-mas Super Bash’ Preview
Randy: “Welcome back to a brand new edition of Evolution’s countdown previews as we get ready for Evolution 53 ‘X-mas Super Bash’ preview which comes to you live from the LA Memorial Colossuseum in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday December 25th, 2013. This is going to be one of the best cards of the entire year and is completely stacked from top to bottom with 4 tournament fights which includes the super-heavyweight finals for the Evolution 265lbs+ championship. We also have our heavyweight and light-heavyweight titles on the line as Christopher Samba defends his 265lbs championship against Austin Powers and our light-heavyweight champion Smokodju Womba looks to close the year with a bang with another victory over a talented fighter from the Convicted stable in Elvis Frost whom Chris Karter says has the absolute best chance at beating Womba. I’ve believe that’s not the first time we’ve heard that sentiment out of Mr. Karter however but there is a lot riding on that fight as Womba will likely seal the deal on the ‘Fighter of the Year’ award with a victory in this fight. I’m joined here by my guest now and one of the contestants in our main-event of the evening Elvis Frost. Thanks for joining us here tonight Elvis.”
Frost: "Ay it's my pleasure. I look damn good, y'know the housewives love to see this fine physique on the camera."
Randy: “Before we get right into the fights I’d like to talk a little bit about you. Being a Chris Karter fighter I’m sure that’s something you’re quite used too?”
Frost: "Hahaha fair enough."
Randy: “The first time I can ever remember seeing your name was a long time ago now when you were part of the Convicted Fighter tournament and were of course Mr. Karter’s first pick. What interested you in that tournament?”
Frost: "Las Vegas. Free Booze. Fighting. Sounded like a party I didn't want to miss."
Randy: “Your manager had the faith in you to put you into the first fight against one of the other team’s best fighters in Xiomar Halo, a fight which you lost via 1st round TKO. What do you think went wrong in that fight?”
Frost: "I was 18.5 stones.. or 259 lbs for you americans. Belly full of booze, head filled with illegal substances, I was a mess. You should note that Halo and his cowardly manager went into Protective Custody for years to avoid the revenge beatdown that was coming. But all is fair in love and war, big ole fucker with the man tits caught me slipping."
Randy: “After that loss you reeled off 9 straight wins including capturing the 265lbs championship at LNFC and defending your belt 3 times before finally dropping a super-fight against Johnny Priest. A loss which you later avenged by defeating him via 3rd round TKO. I guess this is a 2 part question. The first is what do you think you did wrong in the first fight or what mistakes you made? The second part is what changes you made going into the 2nd fight that helped you exact your revenge?
Frost: "I had to jump and swing up to hit that fella in the knees. Taller than the trees in me greenhouse. I didn't realize I was in a 10 minute fight but that was me own fault and I just got worked in the clinch, really muscled around in there. Get caught by those big ole fuckers and it aint easy to get back up when they fall a'top a ya. The 2nd fight I just did a lot better pacing me-self. I came in there prepared to beat em up for 3 rounds and you can really see the difference. I hit him with that one-two that knocked him silly in the first, but I was patient and let em get up and shake the cobwebs out. I picked my shots a lot better without getting too sloppy. After I knocked him down again the the 2nd I knew I was gonna end it in the 3rd. His camp did a lot of talking after Priest won so it put a fire in me belly to really give him the business and knock him around."
Randy: “Those two losses we discussed are the only two losses of your career. Since that loss to Priest you’ve reeled of 8 straight fights including defending your heavyweight crown twice more, before a 2 fight stint in Syn. Since then you’ve come back and dropped to light-heavyweight and won the light-heavyweight title at LNFC including one defense of your title before the organization bellied up making you the last champion in two different weight classes. My first question I guess is what prompted the move to light-heavyweight and is that a permanent move?”
Frost: "Aye absolutely permanant it is. I would still go up there to knock some of those gorillas around, kick Halo's arse and maybe a trilogy with Priest, but I prefer to stay at Light Heavyweight for the duration of my career."
Randy: “Well, you’ve won 3 straight fights since dropping in weight including your Evolution debut which was won by a 1st round triangle submission. It’s now time for your crack at Smokodju Womba and the Evolution light-heavyweight championship, how ready are you for this fight?”
Frost: "As ready as I'll ever be. I'm ready to go any time, any place, any day of the year. I back down from no man, win, lose, or draw."
Randy: “Many of your teammates of tried to derail the Womba train and have come up short so I have to ask you what makes this time any different? Why do you think you’re the guy who’s finally going to be able to stop this runaway train?”
Frost: "No offense to those fellas, those lads are great fighters and better friends... but I'm a different animal. There's no one that can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious."
Randy: “If you win the title I would assume it’s obvious you’ll be sticking around in Evolution post Womba but what happens if you lose? I know that you put your future in the public’s hands with a poll to choose the organization you’d fight in next. Would you go back to that poll to decide your future or are you in Evolution for the long haul?”
Frost: "I'm currently signed with EVO. When I win the title I'll continue kickin' ass here, I think. Leonidas Katsaros has agreed to go to TTFC in my place because an offer was made by Megajug that was too good to refuse."
Randy: “Well I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming fight and on your future win or lose post Womba. If Womba wins I’d say he secures the FOTY award but I must say Frost a win for you would have to put you as one of the top nominees.”
Frost: "I'm a bad mother fucker but I don't think a win over Womba puts me at the top of that list. Y'know, I haven't fought on the big stage all year long like some other guys, only 4 or 5 of my fights were on PPV, so there's more deserving fighters out there. I would tell the fans to throw my name in upset of the year, but it aint an upset when you know you're gonna win."
Randy: “Well Elvis, we’re a little short on time and due to the magnitude of this event will be needing to do a full event preview so I hope you don’t mind if we move on to breaking down the match-ups on this excellent card?”
Frost: "I like to be professional, but I'm here to party. Kick it off mate."
Jatlier Smokeleaf (17-5) vs. Michael Tritter (12-8)
We kick off the under-card with a 3 round fight in the welterweight division as Jatlier Smokeleaf looks to turn-around an 0-3 start in Evolution when he takes on an Michael Tritter who is an elite boxer with devastating power in his hands. Smokeleaf is a talented kick-boxer who uses his low kicks to help close the distance and grapple with opponents either against the cage in the clinch position or with his wrestling to get the fight to the mat. Smokeleaf is excellent against the cage and unleashes an assault of punches to the body and head while mixing in nasty elbows to the face. On the ground Smokeleaf prefers to gain the dominant position and look for the submission. Tritter has excellent hands and isn’t afraid to mix in the occasional kick but he’s most known for his devastating power finishing 11 of his 12 wins by TKO or knock-out in his career. He has excellent takedown defense and has stuffed 85% of his opponent’s attempts during his career but if he has 1 hole it’s that he’ll sometimes get caught while in search of the finish and has 8 TKO losses in his career as well. Smokeleaf doesn’t appear to have the greatest power in the world so it may not be a concern for Tritter in this fight.
Randy: “Interesting fight to kick off this amazing card. I think I am going to take Smokeleaf in this fight. I think he has a good enough chin to withstand the early power of Tritter and I think his well-rounded game pays off for him over the long haul of this fight. He’s fought and lost to some of the best guys in the division to this point and I don’t include Tritter among that same class of fighter. Smokeleaf by decision.”
Frost: "Both of these fellas are on losing streaks, but Tritter's been finished in four consecutive fights in a row. That streak's going to continue. Smokeleaf by knockout."
Alexander Valentine (36-12) vs. Barry Scott (29-15-2)
The 2nd fight on our under-card is a big one as Alexander Valentine looks to take on natural featherweight Barry Scott in this FOTY tournament semi-final match-up in the middleweight bracket. Alexander Valentine is a former EVO middle-weight champion and has won 4 of his 5 fights since dropping the belt back at EVO 12 including an upset victory over Pluto Palhares in the first round of our tournament. Valentine is an aggressive kick-boxer with excellent wrestling skills and uses his strikes to close the distance and try to get the fight to the mat. Once on the ground Valentine is excellent at passing the guard and dropping down strikes from a dominant position. Barry Scott is no stranger to upsets and holds upset victories over Waru Kuzuri, Sly Randolph and Otso Jokinen already this year. After being left out of the bracket at his normal weight Scott demanded he be let in the middleweight bracket and after a draw, won his first round fight by decision last time out. Scott will be giving up a significant amount of reach on the feet so I would expect he’ll try to get this fight to the ground and win it via his wrestling game. The winner of this fight moves on to the finals of the tournament to face the winner of Hickock vs. Beck on the 27th.
Randy: “Another interesting fight on the under-card that I am very anxious to watch. Barry Scott is the man and while I’ll be rooting for him in this fight I have to pick Valentine. He looked excellent last fight against Palhares who is one of the best fighters in the world right now. Valentine takes this by unanimous decision.”
Frost: "Valentine got lucky with Pluto, but it was an impressive win none-the-less. Scott's going to be too fast for Valentine to keep up with in the striking department, but I think he'll find a way to neutralize his speed and grind out a decision. It'll be close, but I agree that Valentine takes it by UD."
John Bunting (18-4) vs. Declan Sweeney (20-6)
The third fight on the card is an important fight in the super-heavyweight division as John Bunting looks to stop his 2 fight losing streak when he takes on the dangerous Irishman Declan Sweeney in a 3 round fight. John Bunting was on a tear for most of the year but has since dropped his last two fights against undefeated phenom Neo Kable and grizzled veteran Iro Tolonen which was in the first round of our tournament. Bunting mixes up his strikes well on the feet throwing a lot of leg kicks as he tries to slow down opponents so he can use his wrestling to get the fight to the ground. Bunting has landed on 45% of his career takedown attempts and looks to gain the dominant position and brutalize opponents with ground strikes. Declan Sweeney is an elite boxer who has some of the most devastating 1 punch power in the division. He’s finished all but 1 of his career victories by TKO or knock-out and will be looking to put Bunting to sleep before he’s able to get his wrestling going. Bunting is known for being very durable for the weight class and has only been finished by strikes once in his career by Neo Kable.
Randy: “I’m really looking forward to this fight. Both of these fighters are extremely dangerous and this one could end at any time which always creates a great atmosphere for a fight. This is a really tough fight to call but I think Bunting will find a way to pull this one out. That guy can really eat a punch and he’ll need that ability against a guy as dangerous as Declan. I just think he’ll be able to survive long enough to start landing his takedowns and it’ll be a tough fight for the Irishman after that.”
Frost: "Bloody hell, that's what the first fight looked between the two. Declan's most recognized for being the tallest man in the homeland. He should of stuck to basketball but like all Irishmen, he enjoys a good scrap and punching lads in the face. Bunting's a damn good wrestler in his own right, and really took the fight to Declan the first go around, but I've got to go with the rowdy fighting Irish in this one mate, I think Declan comes into this one with the pride of the Island on his back and turns Bunting's lights out. The only body gettin' put in a barrell that night is John's. I've got Sweeney by TKO in the 1st round."
Danny Power (31-12-2) vs. Richard Dawkins (28-14-1)
The next fight on the card is our 2nd FOTY tournament fight as Evolution 145lbs champion Danny Power takes on Richard Dawkins in a semi-final match-up in the featherweight bracket. It took Power two fights to advance from the first round as his fight against Jason Griffin ended in a majority draw. Danny came out in the rematch and dominated all facets of the game en route to a 50-45 unanimous decision. Power is an aggressive boxer who likes to come forward behind his jab while mixing in lots of leg kicks as he tries to slow guys down before he starts utilizing his wrestling to get the fight to the mat. Power is a black-belt in BJJ but prefers to work his ground strikes from the top while looking for dominant positions. Richard Dawkins is an elite boxer but mixes his strikes up very well by attacking with lots of low kicks to the leg and body. He’s also an Olympic caliber wrestler and will likely be looking to get this fight to the mat where he can try to slow Power down with ground strikes while looking for the submission. Dawkins has 12 submission victories in his career and may have the advantage over Power if he can turn this into a ground battle. The winner of this one will advance to the finals of our tournament to take on the winner of our other semi-final fight later in the card.
Randy: “This is an excellent match-up and one I am really looking forward to seeing. I’ll be honest I really expected to see a Kuzuri vs. Power 2 semi-final match-up but Dawkins pulled of an upset with an excellent game-plan. I’m certainly not counting him out of this fight but I think Power will end up taking this one by TKO in the 2nd round.”
Frost: "Richard Dawkins, managed by that traitorous bastard (spits on ground). I certainly hope you're right on this one. I refuse to pick a traitor's hound-dog to win it so I'll be pulling for Dangerous Danny to knock his block off. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if both these little fellas simultaneously decapitated each other but they're both a wee bit pillow fisted. English fighters just don't have the guts that and will that us Irishmen do. I see this fight ending in a majority draw."
Merik Hunt (29-14) vs. Nai Khanom Tom (33-10-1)
A big fight in the welterweight division closes things out on our under-card as Merik Hunt looks to rebound from his recent loss to Michael Patton at EVO ‘Jungle Fever’ when he takes on Nai Khanom Tom in a 3 round fight. Hunt has been working real hard at getting another crack at the title he once held and was very close but a hiccup in his #1 contender’s match last time out will send him further back in the line. Hunt is a well-rounded striker who looks to use his punches and kicks to set up his takedowns. He is an Olympic caliber wrestler who also holds a black-belt in BJJ so needless to say he is very dangerous on the ground. The wrestler in Hunt has him preferring to gain dominant positions on the top and unleash a brutal assault of ground strikes rather than give up position looking for submissions. Khanom Tom is an aggressive kick-boxer who likes to push the pace behind lots of punches to the body and head while mixing in hard kicks. Khanom Tom also likes to tackle opponents against the cage and utilize an effective dirty-box game to wear on opponents gas tanks. His takedown defense is pretty average only stuffing around 66% of opponent’s attempts but he is very skilled on the ground at retaining guard and avoiding damage in order to get fights stood back up. Khanom Tom is a winner of 4 straight fights so making it 5 in a row especially with a high caliber win over a former champion like Hunt would go a long way to his title aspirations.
Randy: “This is a great fight but I really am unsure who to throw my support behind on this one. Hunt is clearly a world-class fighter and has only lost to some of the toughest guys in the division. It’s hard to say if Khanom Tom belongs among that class of fighter as his recent wins have not been over any of the bigger names in the division. I think the longer this fight drags out the more it will play into the hands of the wrestler so I’ll go with Hunt in a close decision.”
Frost: "Nai Khanom Tom has been on fire lately since his loss to Egyptian, who is one of the best fighters at his weight in his own right. Hunt's last two losses were brutal knockouts and not everybody's capable of recovering from those type of beatings, I think Tom's a safe pick to finish this one early. I'll take Tom via knockout in the 2nd round."
Hector Cabrera (40-18) vs. Sly Randolph (35-14-2)
The main-card portion of our show gets under-way with a rematch between Hector Cabrera and Sly Randolph in this FOTY tournament semi-final match-up. The first fight between these two fighters was for the EVO 145lbs championship and was a back and forth battle that ended in the 4th round when Cabrera cinched up a beautiful arm-bar from the bottom. Randolph lost his next fight as well but has gone 3-0-1 in his last 4 fights to once again be ranked one of the best featherweights on the planet. Randolph is an aggressive kick-boxer with good power in his hands. He likes to move forward and wear guys down while looking to use his wrestling to secure the takedown. I’m not sure if Randolph will feel comfortable on the mat after the way the last fight ended so don’t be surprised to see him try to use his wrestling in reverse in this fight. Cabrera is one of the best finishers in the game and looks to use his striking to close the distance and land a takedown. Cabrera will look for the dominant position from the top and rain down brutal ground strikes but isn’t afraid to dive on submission attempts either because he is equally as dangerous from the bottom as he proved in the first fight between these two. Cabrera is a BJJ black-belt and has 13 submission victories to his credit during his career. Hector should feel fairly confident going into this fight already holding a victory over Randolph but he better not underestimate him because Randolph can turn your lights out on the feet.
Randy: “This is an excellent rematch between two of the best featherweights on the planet. Cabrera proved last fight that he’s more than capable of pulling out a submission from his back so I truly believe that Randolph will look to keep this one standing and aim for the finish. If Cabrera is able to get the fight to the mat I think he’s got a great chance at once again finishing the fight but I believe that Randolph will do a good job getting back to his feet and he’ll finish this one by TKO in the 3rd round.”
Frost: "One of my favorite matchups on the night. Hector has that latino warrior spirit and truly defies physics. I think he's celebrating his 50th birthday this week, unfortunately Sly Randolph's present is going to be a left right combination that turns his lights off. Me ma's from Belfast, so I got some of that Northern blood in me. I've seen Randolph in a local gym out there many years ago, he's a tough little fucker and a true mixed martial arist. I think age is finally catching up with Cabrera after all these years, and I'll take Randolph by knockout in the 1st round."
Christopher Samba (32-9-2) vs. Austin Powers (27-9)
The next fight on our main-card is for the Evolution 265lbs championship as Christopher Samba takes on a dangerous knock-out artist Austin Powers in a fight scheduled to go 5 rounds. Austin Powers is a former Syndicate 265lbs and 265lbs+ champion and came over as part of the merger with Empire. Since joining Evolution, Powers as rattled off 6 straight wins finishing all but one of those fights inside the distance. His most impressive victory was the one that earned him this shot at the title with a come from behind victory over Victor Creed. Powers is an elite kick-boxer who really mixes his attacks up well mixing in punches and kicks pretty equally as well as his attack to the body and head. Powers has some of the best power in the division and has finished 25 of his 27 career wins by TKO or knock-out. Christopher Samba is an elite boxer who likes to come forward throwing punches to the body and head while mixing in plenty of leg kicks as he tries to wear down opponents to set up his takedowns. Samba is a former Olympic wrestler who is very good at dictating where fights take place landing on 51% of his career takedown attempts and averaging over 2 takedowns per fight during his career. Samba is a decent striker but should be looking to get this fight to the mat as he’s giving up 25cm of reach on the feet which will make it difficult for him to strike from a distance. Once on the mat Samba looks to gain the dominant position and beat guys up with his strikes. The key to this title fight will be who can impose their game-plan and keep the fight where they need it by dictating the wrestling game.
Randy: “This is an excellent fight and one I’m really looking forward too. It’s hard to believe it’s only the 2nd fight on the main-card but only shows how stacked this card is. Samba has been on a roll pretty much all year with his only set-back coming from a Machida head-kick. Powers has been tearing through everyone in the division to earn himself this shot at the title and this is a really hard fight to call. I think I’m going to go with Samba because he’s pretty durable and Powers has never finished anyone in the championship rounds before so for me this one comes down to do I think Samba can out-wrestle Powers early in this fight to drag it into the championship rounds? The answer is yes! Samba will land takedowns early in this fight and take this one by unanimous decision.”
Frost: "Both these fighters have been on a tear as of late, making big noise in the Heavyweight division. Powers has been knockin' blocks off left and right, but Samba's shown the merit to be a true champion. The safe pick would be Samba taking this one by decision, but I think he actually finishes an opponent this time. I don't think Powers can stop the takedowns, when you're that tall, you've got a bit too much leg under you. Samba will take him down, and I think Samba wins via TKO in the 4th round."
Otso Jokinen (52-8) vs. Red Fox (40-14)
The third fight on our main-card is a very exciting match-up between Ascension 145lbs champion Red Fox as he comes to Evolution to take on its 155lbs champion Otso Jokinen in a 5 round super-fight. Red Fox comes into this one having won 6 of his last 7 fights including capturing both the 145lbs and 155lbs championships at Ascension but his lone loss during that stretch was dropping the lightweight title to Vevrin Betlach by split decision. Fox is an aggressive boxer who mixes in the occasional kick but he likes to move forward behind lots of punches to the body and head as he uses the strikes to close the distance and take his opponents against the cage into the clinch position. Once against the cage Fox pushes an aggressive pace and works an extremely effective dirty-box attack with punches to the body and head. Otso Jokinen rebounded from his recent bouncing in the first round of the EVO FOTY tournament with a nice title defense over Hector Cabrera by unanimous decision. Jokinen is a well-rounded striker who likes to use an aggressive striking game to help set up his grappling with either takedowns or clinch attempts. Jokinen is one of the most skilled fighters on the planet and is very capable pretty much any place the fight takes place. These are two of the better finishers in the lower weight classes but both guys are also extremely durable so I would be a little surprised to see this one end inside the distance. The winner of this one will give him and his organization bragging rights to end the year.
Randy: “Another great match-up and one of these two will give its organization bragging rights, which is always fun. Fox is a great fighter but I have a difficult time seeing him get past Jokinen in this fight. I guess if he can keep the fight against the cage he might stand a chance cause he’s out-clinched some really good fighters in the past but Jokinen is so durable and well-rounded I think he’ll mix in some takedowns and then dictate the striking in the latter part of the fight to win by decision.”
Frost: "Aye, two tough fighters, some of the best in their divisions, and a legend of this sport in Otso. Red Fox is as tough as it gets, but how do you pick against Otso Jokinen with a nickname like Spartacus? Impossible! I think it's possible that Otso faces some early diversity, but I have no doubt he will adjust and win a dominant decision victory."
Neo Kable (21-0) vs. Willy Stoppers (32-12)
Our co-main event of the evening is the finals of the super-heavyweight bracket in the Evolution ‘Fighter of the Year’ tournament and will be 5 round for the Evolution 265lbs+ championship as our champion Neo Kable looks to defend his title against a dangerous boxer Willy Stoppers who is a winner of 7 of last 8 fights. Stoppers is the former SPFT 265lbs champion and the only two losses in his last 13 fights are both to Ernesto Oliveira and were for the title. Stoppers is an elite boxer who mixes up his punches to the body and head while mixing in the occasional leg kick. He is one of the most dangerous guys in the division with 30 career wins by TKO or knock-out including both of his tournament fights on the way to the finals. Neo Kable has taken the MMA world by storm this past year and is a young striking phenom who is only 26 years old. Kable holds a perfect 21-0 record with all of his career wins coming by TKO or knock-out. He is one of the most dangerous guys this sport has ever seen and is certainly going to be one of the lead candidates for the Fighter of the Year award. Kable has made short work of most of his opponents finishing 18 of his wins in the very first round. The winner of this one will be able to call themselves the Evolution FOTY 265lbs+ tournament winner as well as the Evolution super-heavyweight champion.
Randy: “What a great match-up in the finals of our tournament and how exciting that the title is on the line. Stoppers looked excellent in his first fight but was having some problems with the wrestling of his opponent last fight out but came out in the 3rd knowing he was behind on the scorecards and finished the fight in brutal fashion. Stoppers has excellent knock-out power and a big heart but I have a difficult time seeing him pulling off this upset. Kable has been so dominant pretty much all year long and I think it’ll be an accomplishment just getting out of the first round with this guy. Unfortunately I don’t even see Stoppers managing to do that as Kable finishes this fight between the 2 and 3 minute mark of the first round to retain his title.”
Frost: "Neo fucking Kable lad, Neo fucking Kable. Remember that. I know a lot of fight fans are like 'Stoppers who?' And to be honest I don't know who this Willy Stoppers is, and I don't even think the fella will know his own name after Neo comes in there and knocks his mouth piece into the nose-bleed seats. Neo's a genetically modified human being, how can you compete with that? No doubt a bit of Irish in him. Kable hits like a fucking frieght train, and he's the only guy on the card that has more power in his punch than the human highlight reel, Elvis Frost. I've got Neo Kable by first round destruction, sorry Willy Stoppers, you're gettin stopped that night."
Smokodju Womba (38-6-1) vs. Elvis Frost (23-2)
Finally it’s time for the main event of the evening and this fight will be for the Evolution 205lbs championship as our champion Smokodju Womba looks to once again thwart the attempts to take his title by a Chris Karter fighter when he takes on former LNFC light-heavyweight and heavyweight champions in a 5 round match-up. The challenger is a very talented kick-boxer who likes to brutalize his opponent’s bodies with lots of low kicks to the leg and body as well as mixing in plenty of body punches. Frost has excelle
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