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 PREVIEW
WC 23 is going to be one of the most important cards that World Combat is going to present. We have two titles on the line while new lightweight contenders could rise on Saturday. WC has the chance to break into the top 20 organizations in the world with this event!
There is bad blood with these two fighters as Barney Gumble is set to defend his title against Pedro Lazaro for the heavyweight championship!
Tony Bullard will also try to retain his welterweight title and remain the only fighter in World Combat history to hold two titles as he faces off with Oleg Bartowski.
Three lightweight fighters in Papa Shango, Jack Stick and Better Dead look to augment their spots as 155-pound contenders as they hope to beat Garrick Head, Fernando Diaz and Benny Bishop respectively.
There is so much on the line here in WC 23! We have a full lineup and big matches up ahead! It is only right to give a detailed preview to examine the fights ahead. Are there any sure winners? Or will there be upsets? Let's take a look!
MAIN EVENT
TITLE FIGHT
[C] Barney Gumble (19 – 3) vs. #1 Pedro “Pirate” Lazaro (19 – 3)
Heavyweight Division
The third of one of the most exciting rivalries in mma history, this heavyweight title bout is hard to judge. We have the Island overall winner in Pedro Lazaro who is on a 9 fight winning streak, which includes wins over Magnus Cross, Mase Force and our champion, Barney Gumble. On the other side of the spectrum, this is Barney Gumble is one of the most punishing fighters in mma today. He formerly had a 18-fight (T)KO win streak before succumbing to Mase Force about 2 months ago. This fight is the first and probably the biggest test for his career as title holder. Winning here will prove that he is the undisputed World Combat heavyweight champion.
It is difficult to choose who'll win this matchup as they're virtually the same. Both of these fighters are Muai Thai experts so they'll look to slug it out in the clinch. The first to fights are evidence of this. It's more about, who'll get the big shots first in the clinch to determine the winner.
If we go to statistics, Pedro Lazaro wins by virtue of being more aggressive and accurate in the clinch. He hits about 22 head punches for every 27 that he gives and lands 17 body punches out of 29. That's equivalent to 81% and 58 % respectively. Gumble only hits about 51% of his head punches which is 18 out of 35. He also loses out on the body punches where he lands only 8 out of 16, an even 50%.
What Gumble has is better boxing and heavier hands. With all his 19 wins via (T)KO, he has proven himself to be one of the biggest hitters in mma. A good shot is all it takes to erase the numbers and Gumble indeed has that potential.
I predict Lazaro takes this in a very close matchup. I like what I see on the numbers game for Lazaro and even if Gumbe has better boxing he isn't really putting it into good use. He only attempts 6 punches while boxing and that's not enough to exploit that strength. Gumble might change his gameplan, but I expect him to stick to his bread and butter, the clinch game.
CO – MAIN EVENT
TITLE FIGHT
[C] Tony “The Wrecking Ball” Bullard (18 – 2) vs. #1 Oleg Bartkowski (10 – 3)
Welterweight Division
This looks like a one-sided fight for Bullard but it seems to be his toughest fight yet.
Bartkowski has been champion before and after 3 months of waiting he finally gets another title shot. He's one of the most dominant wrestlers in the division and his high work rate adds to that deadly ground game he has. Bartkowski is also not afraid to fight toe to toe standing up as he racked up a few victories by (T)KO. After his stint in the Island, he's has truly improved a lot and he looks to show the fans of World Combat the versatility he's gained.
Tony Bullard is one of the most dominant athletes in mma. But he's never faced a wrestler with really great striking until Bartkowski. Bullard has a deadly Muai Thai game that he's used to finish his opponents. But overall his skills are put to the test as he faces a taller and bigger Bartkowski. It's going to be a question if Bullard can handle things once it gets to the ground and if the size advantage does matter when they're both in the mat.
It's a win for Bullard in my book albeit a close one. Bullard just needs to stay away from the takedown and be intelligent in the clinch. Well, that's easier said that done as you have one of the best wrestlers in the welterweight division but I think Bullard can handle it.
#1 Papa Shango (13 – 6) vs. #4 Garrick “Off His” Head (5 – 2)
Lightweight Division
If there's an upset that's going to happen, I think its going to be Shango vs. Head.
Papa Shango is a top notch contender and his ranking proves that point but Head outclasses Shango in a lot of areas.
Shango is a great wrestler in the division but looks to one-dimensional. And even on the ground he can still be beaten by great jiu jitsu.
Garrick Head is full of promise. He has great wrestling and grappling plus his standup game can compete with other hard-hitting fighters in lightweight. Head would probably use his advantage standing up since it is Shango's weakness. He'll also try to look into an early finish via (T)KO.
I'll go Garrick Head here via (T)KO. He's looks to skillful when standing up that Shango won't be able to get past it. Head can also neutralize the ground game with his own wrestling and jiu jitsu so I don't see any other option for Papa Shango than to fight Garrick Head standing up.
#2 Jack “StickDeath” Stick (13 – 4) vs. Fernando “Lover Boy” Diaz (4 – 0)
Lightweight Division
This fight is going to be decided on who controls the mat. Stick and Diaz are both ground specialist although they differ in style.
Fernando Diaz was a TWGC contender that showed his skill with his jiu jitsu. He's won 4 in a row now all via submissions and he look to add another one here. He's a very quick fighter that can exploit a slight loss of focus from his opponents to deal the tap out victory. He should be able to evade Stick's vicious ground and pound with that natural talent of his.
Jack Stick is scary on the ground. His wrestling base is superb but more importantly, his ground and pound is beautiful. He hits a whopping 82% of his strikes on the ground and that is just a monstrous number of hits that he can dish out. Stick passes guard almost 62% percent of the time and that shows what a quality wrestler he is.
I vote Stick in a close match against his opponent. He's experience will be the key to his victory.
#3 Better “Off” Dead (10 – 7) vs. #8 Benny “Brick Breaker” Bishop (8 – 4)
Lightweight Division
Benny Bishop has a mountain to climb as he faces off with former champio Better Dead. Skillwise, Dead is just leaps ahead of Bishop.
Better Dead is a beast with his striking. All of his 10 wins come via (T)KO and if a miracle doesn't come on WC 23, It'll just increase to 11. Dead has also competent Muai Thai and he might try to change angles with his kicks when standing up. Of course, his main weapon is his excellent boxing and its hard to stop a striker like him since his wrestling can stuff down most takedown attempts.
Benny Bishop's only chance is if he can put Dead on the ground. Bishop's jiu jitsu expertise can and will take over. But first things first, how can he get Better Dead on the ground? He can get tagged by Dead's boxing if he goes forward for the attempt. It's also dangerous to try the clinch since Dead has some skill there too. It's going to be really tough for Bishop on all angles and he needs a flawless gameplan to come out with the win here.
Prediction? Better Dead via (T)KO.
#3 “Raging” Roger Rabago (10 – 3) vs. #4 Joe Durham (5 – 0)
Lightheavyweight Division
A ranked battle for Rabago and Durham here. We have two fighters that wants to prove they are solid contenders of the lightheavyweight title. To do that, they have to face each other first!
Rabago is a solid wrestler but his gameplan is to go on the offensive standing up. Curiously, he likes the clinch game even with a low proficiency in Muai Thai. This is the kind of threat that Durham faces. An all-around game that makes unpredictable attacks.
On the other hand, Joe Durham knows what he wants and that is to submit his opponents. He is currently undefeated with all of his 5 wins come via stoppage on tap outs. His respectable wrestling and jiu jitsu brown belts makes him a very tough opponent to beat on the ground. The fact that he has solid boxing too means he's no pushover in the standup game as well.
I go for Joe Durham here to take the win. There has been talk that Rabago's management is mishandling him as a fighter and he is believed to be overtrained. Skillwise, Rabago is superior but too many problems outside the ring will be a big factor in his performance once WC 23 starts.
#5 Touku “Hupsu” Pouku (4 – 0) vs. #7 Jesus Montalban (6 – 0)
Bantamweight Division
These two fighters have dominant starts in their budding careers and the clash between these two fighters will serve as the first test for both of them.
Touku Pouku is a submission expert that was the 155 lbs grappling champion on Combat Purist. He hopes to come down to this division to dominate it as he did on his last organization. His has good takedowns that is key for setting up his grappling. Trainers have also said that he's a brawler too and he's working to improve his striking. This is a timely coincidence as he needs to at least defend himself against a smart fighter like Montalban.
Montalban is a great stand up fighter not because of his heavy hands but how he can score points and use the cage to his advantage. He's a great all around fighter that is also proficient with Muai Thai. His resdtling is strong enough to stuff down opponent's takedown attepts and sufficient grappling to at least see if he is being set up for the submission.
Jesus Montalban will win here because he is a step or two advanced than Pouku. Montalban is a more well-rounded fighter and the fact that he can change levels will be the edge against Pouku who's shown to be a grappler first and foremost.
#10 Bio Hazard (1 – 0) vs. #4 Otto Hauser (4 – 0)
Superheavyweight Division
This is a matchup to see whether they have what it takes to be in the top of their division, or if their ranking are merely inflated. We've got Hazard and Hauser, two very different types of fighters.
Bio Hazard is an up and coming superheavyweight with lots of room for potential. We haven't seen much of him since he only has 2 fights. What we do know is that he has an exceptional wrestling background. He's still working on his striking which is basic to say the least. One thing to take note though is that Hazard is actually very quick for his weight. It might be a game changer as this could surprise his opponents once the bout starts.
Meanwhile, Otto Hauser has been steady in his mma career. He's already accumulated 4 wins with no losses and all of those victories came via (T)KO. Hauser prefers the stand up game more than anything and he uses his strong Muai Thai to deal damage. He can land dangerous knees on the clinch that can wobble you up.
This fight is a toss up. I've got little info about Bio Hazard and Hauser to form a solid prediction. Both of these guys have still a lot to prove and they also have some untested skills that they'll show during the fight. This hopes to be an exciting view to the future of Word Combat's superheavyweight division!
“Terror” Trev Allen (3 – 2) vs. “Candyman” David Robitaille (3 – 1)
Heavyweight Division
This fight is one of those opportunities to separate the real prospects from the busts. We have two youngsters here hoping to make a name for themselves.
Trev Allen is one of those youngsters that seem to have it all. He's got a balanced set of tools although his record doesn't reflect the level of skill he really has. Allen is naturally strong which he uses to press advantage wheter standing or on the ground. He has solid boxing and a purple belt in jiu jitsu proves the versatility that he has.
David Robitaille comes down to the heavyweights after a 2-fight stint in the superheavyweight division. He is heavier than Allen which could be a factor since “Candyman” is a wonderful wrestler and he can crush Allen with his weight on the dominant position. His good wrestling is actually supplementary though as he prefers the standup game, especially the clinch, where he can inlict tons of damage with those great elbows.
This one is real tough to predict on. I don't have any choice again. They can pretty much cancel each other out. Skillwise, Allen is better but his morale is a question and that's going to be a plus for Robitaille. Another toss up for sure.
Bad “Homicidal Killer” Karma (0 – 0) vs. Mike “Pounder” Kenner (1 – 3)
Superheavyweight Division
Bad Karma will have to prove he's staying in the division as he gets his first fight as a mixed martial artist here on World Combat. He challenges Mike Kenner who is currently on a 3-loss slump.
There's nothing more to say to Bad Karma but that he's a wonderful wrestler. He balances that with some respectable Muai Thai for the stand up game. After that, I guess its up to his fighting to speak what kind of package he brings into the cage.
The unlucky Mike Kenner does have some versatility in his game. His solid chin can absorb most strikes and his basic boxing can check most of his opponents. The only issue here is how his training has been going on. Talks of overtraining and lack of gameplan plagues Kenner's camp and more likely his losses are due to that. Not his skill as a fighter.
I fancy Bad Karma to win here because he has a better fight camp that Kenner. Mike Kenner seems tired from his training and once judgement day comes, bad cardio leads to losses almost all the time.
Thank you for reading this preview! We hope to see you on Hard Knocks – New York on the 23rd! We'd also like to thank Big Bear Nutrition for helping our fighter to be in top condition! Go Big Bear! WAR WORLD COMBAT!
- M. Maestro
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