2015-05-30
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Highland Games 78 Review

Event Review: Highland Games 78
Highland Games
2015-05-24, London, Hard Knocks - London
Attendance:2,519, Event Rating:176
Author:Callum McGregor

For the first time in a while, Highland Games goes back to Hard Knocks in London to showcase the next generation of Highland Games superstars. We’ve got a lot of up and comers on the card tonight, knocking on the door of championship gold. With a few more wins under their belts, they will compete against the legends but first, they have to get through Highland Games 78!

Light Heavyweight

Marcelo Strazas (3-2) def. Skhu Dan (2-2) by Unanimous Decision Dan was trying to make this a grappling match as quickly as possible but he was unable to do much in the clinch of on the ground. Marcelo managed to land his shots from the outside, mixing up kicks and punches which led to the judges giving him the victory unanimously.

Heavyweight Renato Sobral (2-0) def. Ray Dinkledorff (2-1) by TKO (Strikes) at 1:58 of Round 1 This was quite a decisive victory for Sobral, who quickly took the fight to the floor and knocked his opponent out with two impactful shots from the top position. A large statement was made by the heavyweight here.

Light Heavyweight

Walter Mattos (4-2) def. MT Roberts (4-0) by Unanimous Decision We saw absolutely nothing out of Roberts who was passive since the very beginning. He shot in for the takedown a few times but did absolutely nothing else. Walter Mattos was able to land shots from the outside, showcasing some hard low kicks along the way.

Bantamweight Tyreese Thomson (3-0) def. Yukiteru Miyamoto (2-0) by TKO (Strikes) at 1:33 of Round 1 Thomson joined the ranks of impressive Highland Games clinchers by instantly closing down the range and beating his Asian foe up against the cage with shots to the head. Tyreese wants to take some time out to train but if he is able to have a repeat performance in his next fight I reckon the top contenders will start looking at their heels if he can be as dominant as this in every outing. Light Heavyweight

Pawel Grucha (3-0) def. Joe Castillo (4-0) by Submission (Arm Triangle) at 1:22 of Round 1 A very impressive display of wrestling jiu jitsu from Pawel here. He scored a takedown into half guard very quickly and began attacking with submissions quite quickly. By scaring Joe with some ground and po

Lightweight

Kaemon Fujiwara (6-0) def. Javier Sanchez (5-1) by TKO (Strikes) at 3:53 of Round 1 Both of these men came into the fight with solid records. We’d saw Sanchez be clinical with submitting opponents with armlocks while Fujiwara had knocked all 6 of his foes out in the opening round. Unfortunately for Sanchez, he just became number 7. We saw the submission fighter take the fight to the ground but surprisingly Fujiwara was more than capable of defending and sweeping off of his back. With some outstanding boxing skills, Kaemon managed to get a first round technical knockout on the feet, propelling him towards the top of the Lightweight division. We’re now approaching the stage where Fujiwara will be wanting some bigger and tougher names within the division.

Lightweight

Joe Hogan (8-1) Vs Michal Grabowski (4-1) – NO CONTEST It’s surprising to see a highly touted prospect like Joe Hogan fail to hit the scales. We’re being told that he was ill coming into this fight and didn’t have his weight cut down correctly. It’s a real shame to see this fight go to waste.

Middleweight

Ty Semerad (9-1) def. Ney Schincariol (5-0) by Submission (RNC) at 1:57 of Round 1 Both were 1-0 in Highland Games, and both had taken Submission of the Night bonuses from their fights. We’d seen masterful control from Schincariol while Ty was coming off of a win over a grizzly veteran in Jack Sock. It was Ty whose star was shining brightest in this outing. He quickly managed to engage in a clinch and pulled guard. Ney, a fellow submission specialist, was content to allow this to happen and take the top position, but before long Ty had managed to worm his way out and take Schincariol’s back. From there, with a submission practitioner of this level, it was set in stone that the Rear Naked Choke finish was imminent. Ty has emerged as a top contender at Middleweight and might be eyeing up a top 5 opponent in his next fight.

Bantamweight

Renato Laranja (14-5) def. Zakari Moss (10-7) by Submission (RNC) at 4:26 of Round 1 Two submission guys here, but one a clear favourite. Laranja had competed at the top of the division several times while Moss seems to crumble under the pressure of contendership. This was also the case tonight. This fight was quite similar to that which came before it. Laranja was taken down by Moss, but before long he had been able to switch position and take Zakari’s back. Yet again, the RNC was right there for the taking and an experienced submission finisher like Renato Laranja doesn’t need to be asked twice to take a choke. On a three fight winning streak, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Laranja taking on the winner of Vader and Arnold.

Heavyweight Thresh Whiteman (7-1) def. Mitchel Thompson (11-5) by TKO (Cut) at 1:13 of Round 2 And our main event was upon us. This was a gigantic opportunity for both men in their inaugural HG main events. Mitchel Thompson has established himself as a top knockout boxer within the heavyweight division, while Thresh has shown throughout his career that he has a dangerous clinch, just like our champion Pedro Lazaro and hall of famer Barney Gumble. It was fairly simple as to which fighter would adopt which gameplan. Whiteman needed to clinch, Thompson needed range. It was the underdog however which managed to impose his will. Thresh quickly clichéd up and with a high volume of elbows and knees, the muay thai fighter cut Mitchel opened badly. Thompson’s fate hung in the referee’s hands who opted to save him from any more damage, calling an end to the contest.

This card has catapulted fighters such as Kaemon Fujiwara, Ty Semerad and Thresh Whiteman right up there in the top of their divisions. It’s really exciting to see a new generation begin to grow because for so long we’ve seen veterans of The Island take over. Who knows how far these guys will go, but if what we’ve seen to date is anything to go by, they will take Highland Games by storm.

 

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