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Given up on your resolutions? Got the January Blues? Need cheering up? Then you are in the right place. Steel Penn ICON Las Vegas brings it's 3rd show and its full from top to bottom with fascinating and finely poised duels between some of the toughest sons of guns around. Brought to you as always by the good people at Meet the Future – Saturday night, fight night!
Light Heavyweight: Tim Tupy (0-0) vs Cullen Bohannen (0-0)
Kicking things off is a good old fashioned mystery fight between two men about to step into the cage for the very first time. Tim Tupy's camp are making a lot of noise about this guy, who at 19 looks set for a bright future in MMA. They say he has excellent hands, solid grappling and near limitless potential. Standing opposite him will be Cullen Bohannen and he is no lamb to the slaughter. Impressive on the pads and with a strong wrestling pedigree he is only short of seasoning. This one all comes down to game planning, and wisdom is supposed to come with age so is Bohannen the man to pick?
Prediction: There are too many unknowns to make an even reasoned guess here so Bohannen by flying gogoplata (is that even possible?) in the dying seconds of round 3. Or not.
Middleweight: Corner 'Alley Cat' Bum (1-1, 1-0 ICON) vs Dkflhdfirhd Kdjfldierhshdf (0-1)
The scourge of ring announcers everywhere, Dkflhdfirhd Kdjfldierhshdf, makes his ICON:LV debut against returning brawler Corner Bum. This one has brawl written all over it as two fighters throwdown hungry to show they are better than their last performance suggested. Neither will be happy with their last fights as they were second to every punch and were controlled all too easily. Both likes to stand and bang and we should get a rock'em sock'em robots impression from both guys until the gas tanks run dry and who ever has the larger one can stumble across the finish line first.
Prediction: This is another coin flip of a fight between two guys eager to impress. That said as a writer I cannot forgive any man named Dkflhdfirhd Kdjfldierhshdf. Corner Bum to pick up his first ICON:LV win by decision.
Middleweight: Dante 'Inferno' Mishima (1-1, 0-1 ICON) vs Tonitsu ' Wizard' Jiujitsu (1-1, 0-1 ICON)
Dante Mishima earned a lot of plaudits when he stood up to take on the vastly more experienced Dmitry Belov on Christmas day, but the Russian was just too experienced and took a comfortable victory. Now Mishima returns to show he has more than bravery. Dante is a hulk of a middleweight and would love to connect with a clean punch and show off his huge power. His stand up is rudimentary but with a little tightening up he could be a real threat to anyone in ICON:LV's middleweight division. Looking to avoid the power shots and pick up a first promotional victory of his own is Tonitsu Jiujitsu who has better hands but less power than Mishima.. Jiujitsu is a volume striker who mixes up shots to the head and and body well. He will need this punches in bunches style to keep Inferno back pedalling and avoid being separated from his senses by an aggressive Mishima.
Prediction: The raw power that he posses means that Dante Mishima has to land less to end this one but if Jiujitsu is smart he can keep Inferno on the back foot and outscore his foe. Tonitsu Jiujitsu by decision.
Light Heavyweight: Reginald Leslie (2-1) vs Dave 'D' Davisdon (3-4)
Proud Irishman Reginald Leslie utilises his height and limb length so well in the clinch and Davisdon must make sure his shoot takedowns are perfect because he does not want to get wrapped up in a clinch battle. Leslie can pulverise opponents with nasty knees to the body and head but can be frustrated when opponents won't play his game. As careful as Davisdon needs to be coming in Leslie must be equally cautious when looking to tie D up, as he will be vulnerable to the counter takedown and submission stylings of his foe. Davisdon has been something of an arm collector so far in his career and the long limbs of Leslie will look like a T-Bone to a junkyard dog.
Prediction: One of the hallmarks of ICON:LV so far has been close fights and this one is balanced on a knife edge too. Both will be confident going into this one but Leslie's armoury contains the more devastating weaponry, look for him to set the tone in round one and finish the job in round two with those brutal knee strikes.
Bantamweight: Joe' The Pitch' Castro (1-0-1, 0-0-1 ICON) vs Coors 'Silver Bullet' Light (1-0-1, 0-0-1 ICON)
When these two first met I predicted a close affair but no one could have predicted just how tight it would be, as both men left the cage disappointed with the draw. I had Light as the winner on my scorecard, for as little as it is worth, based purely on takedown maths. It was inactivity that cost both men though as the opportunities to put to fist to face were there but neither seemed inclined to take them. So unimpressive was Light in top control that Castro was happy to pull guard repeatedly and more action may well be enough to convince the judges this time around that Light deserves the nod. Both fighters had areas to work on and now it comes down to who put in more time in the gym.
Prediction: Please Lord give us more action. Light cost himself with periods of inactivity last time, change that and he takes the win. Only an unlikely Castro submission off his back can deny Light this time around.
Featherweight: Lee 'Big' Bang (1-0-1, 1-0 ICON) vs Craig 'Warrior' Wardlaw (1-1, 1-0 ICON)
Lee Bang is one of the stand out talents in a deep division, and someone earmarked for great things. He possesses one of the single most dangerous weapons in all of ICON:LV in his Sagat-esque uppercuts. If you lose focus for a second you will find his fist rising towards your face in no time and then the canvas rising to meet your face not long after that. But Craig Wardlaw is not called Warrior for no reason, and he will give Bang a real rest if he can close the distance. Isaiah Martinez will vouch for how little you want to be on the receiving end of Wardlaws ground and pound and if he gets top position on Bang the upset becomes more and more likely.
Prediction: These two are both dangerous men in the featherweight division but all fights start standing and Bang will have an uppercut primed and ready for the first imperfect takedown from Wardlaw. It might not turn out the lights but it will mark the beginning of the end. Bang by TKO late in round 1.
Bantamweight: Chierehdk Cknlaskhr (4-0) vs Ethan 'Captain Insaneo' Harris (5-2-1)
This fight has all the makings of a classic as arguably the two best prospects in the 135lbs division look to continue their rise to the top. QFC tournament winner Cknlaskhr has finished every man to step in front of him so far in his career displaying impressive diversity with arm, head and leg submissions and a picture perfect TKO win in his 4 outings. Harris has looked equally promising, utilising his height to slash opponents to ribbons with elbows in the clinch. Where he has looked vulnerable however is on the canvas where his grappling inexperience has been exposed. Whenever Cknlaskhr does find himself in the clinch he will look to pull guard immediately as every moment locked in the clinch is a moment he could be busted open in. Whether he has the wrestling chops to plant Harris on his back remains to be seen in this fascinatingly poised duel.
Prediction: This fight should be magic! Cknlaskhr has proven he only needs one opportunity to end a fight but will Harris give him it? The longer this goes on the harder it will be for Cknlaskhr, if it makes it out of round one then Harris can put on another clinch clinic and KO a tiring Cknlaskhr.
Middleweight: Tito 'Island Killer' Jackson (4-1, 1-0 ICON) vs Homer Jaysimpson (4-4)
Homer Jaysimpson is at a crossroads in his career, at 4-4 he can either push on from here and impose himself here in ICON:LV or he continue hovering at the .500 mark and find himself consigned to a gatekeeper role. He undeniably has the tools to make an impact in the division but Tito Jackson will not be in a generous mood. Island Killer is a constricting ground and pounder who expertly softens up his quarry before moving in for the kill. His style is the mirror image of Jaysimpson but his rewards thus far have been greater. The first fighter to score the takedown will pick up all the momentum and both have the tools to stay in control.
Prediction: Just like every other fight on this card, this fight is finely poised but it's impossible to ignore the 4 losses on Homer's record, 2 TKO's and 2 subs show he can be victim to smart fighters who know how to beat him, fighters like Tito Jackson. Jackson by ground and pound in round two.
Light Heavyweight: Diego Russell (7-4) vs Bud 'King of Beers' Weiser (2-0, 1-0 ICON)
Bud Weiser entered the main event of ICON:LV's debut event as a huge underdog, turns out that Weiser isn't much of a believer in such labels. His second round TKO of Agnar Gorm sent shockwaves around Las Vegas and put a target on his back. Entering the 205lber shark tank for the first time will be 11 fight veteran Diego Russell, a powerful wrestler who is by no means some lay and pray blanket, with all but one of his 7 victories coming by way of the finish. On paper he seems like the second coming of Agnar Gorm and we all know how that ended last time.
Prediction: Russell is dangerous and experienced, with all the tools to win this one comfortably, but I know better than to write off Weiser a second time. King of Beers by decision or late TKO.
Middleweight: 'The Crippler' Fancy Mcghee (14-11) vs Alex Jones (12-10)
Here at ICON:LV we are blessed with divisions stacked full of potential superstars but the dog eat dog prospects filled cards can only get you so far, sooner rather than later you will need two battle forged veterans to throwdown and give the young guns something to aspire too. Step forward Jones and Mcghee. These guys have seen it all in their long careers and will be relishing this opportunity for different reasons. Dangerous kickboxer Alex Jones is on a tear right now, searching for a 4th win on the bounce against a desperate Mcghee who wants to halt a two fight skid and prove he still has what it takes to compete at the top. This is going to be a stand up battle pure and simple for as long as it lasts and a joy to watch.
Prediction: Mcghee just has too many miles on the clock and momentum matters. These two will trade leather until The Crippler drops his hands just enough for Jones to strike with his patented explosive headkicks in round two.
Preview written by Halam Walker
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