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 SLAUGHTERHOUSE 10 REVIEW
UNDERCARD
Fedor Hunt v Brix Lopez – 265 lbs
Lopez started this bout by immediately clinching with Hunt; it looked to be going pretty well for the “Wonder Boy” as he started pounding Hunt with a variety of knees and elbows. However, Lopez's decision to pull guard backfired spectacularly – within a minute Hunt had locked in an arm triangle and was soon jumping on top of the cage to celebrate his victory. In all fairness Lopez could not have anticipated the Swedish mixed martial artist being much of a submission threat for this bout, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt only has one prior MMA appearance and up until now his ground skills have not been on display. Lopez is an accomplished wrestler so pulling guard in this situation was only natural although in hindsight he would probably have been better off remaining in the clinch. Future opponents will be a lot more wary of the “Last Samoan”, we still don't have a clear picture of everything the Swede is capable of but certainly we now know he is proficient in submissions. Hunt now goes 1-1 in his career and we look forward to seeing a lot more of the unpredictable 19 year old in the near future.
Result: Hunt by first round submission.
Ricky Sharpe v Cody Garbrandt – 145 lbs
Garbrandt was unable to find the KO here but dismissed pre-fight predictions that he was only a “slight favourite” with a thoroughly dominant performance. Sharpe struggled to find takedowns throughout and as it turned out it was actually Garbrandt who had the better success taking the fight to the floor. Likewise on the ground Sharpe found himself outworked and his attempts to find a finish using a triangle were evaded with ease. And finally, during the standup phases it was all one way with Garbrandt showing an effective combination of timing and accuracy with his punches. All in all there was no questions whatsoever when we went to the judges scorecards – Garbrandt had shown his superiority in every single phase of the game and it was no surprise to see all three judges score this fight 30:27 in the US boxer/wrestlers favour. This was perhaps a fight which was more appreciated by the technical purists, but nonetheless this versatile display by the American will have pleased his coaching staff. Sharpe was unable to find an advantage in any aspect of the fight, although perhaps could have benefitted from upping his activity in the clinch – his repeated takedown attempts were clearly not working and the Australian might have had a better time of it had he been more willing to slow Garbrandt down with some body shots. Regardless, this was a thoroughly dominant performance by the American as he celebrates victory on his Slaughterhouse debut and he will be keen to make it two in a row as he approaches his tenth MMA appearance.
Result: Garbrandt by decision.
Kristopher Tommen v John Bulger – 265+ lbs
This was not an easy matchup for John Bulger to come into, Tommen had only one MMA appearance before (a victory via a spectacular spinning backfist) so the Nevadan only had a limited idea of what he might be coming up against. But as it turned out Bulger delivered a truly commanding performance – most of this fight took place either in the clinch or on the floor (which suited Bulger down to the ground, pun completely intentional) and in both phases it was the wrestler who produced the goods. He battered Tommen with punches from within the clinch and used trip takedowns to good effect as he worked the ground and pound. Tommen struggled to cover up – Bulger's strikes found their mark time and time again and it seemed the longer the fight dragged on the more likely a KO would be forthcoming. And sure enough, two minutes into the final round Bulger unloaded a sensational hook that knocked Tommen out cold. The knockout itself was truly something else (and Bulger deservedly picked up a KO of the night bonus for his efforts) but make no mistake Bulger was well ahead on the scorecards by this point and realistically could well have been looking at a 10-8 round or two. Tommen will seek to rebound from this loss as he takes on Joe Johnson at Slaughterhouse 12, meanwhile (once he's done celebrating this well deserved victory) Bulger will face Jiu Jitsu brown belt Carlos Machado in the Slaughterhouse New Year fixture. A victory over the Brazilian would put Bulger at 5-0, however the submission specialist could well present the US wrestler a few problems... a great matchup for all you MMA enthusiasts so be sure to get tickets while they are still available (currently on sale at the Slaughterhouse box office and from The Parisian).
Result: Bulger by third round KO.
Ricky Bobby v Stanley Kimmons – 265+ lbs
As predicted almost all of this fight took place on the ground, what I didn't predict was that this bout would go the distance as both fighters struggled to find the finish. Bobby initiated the takedowns in this instance which put him at an instant advantage and the wrestler was able to land crunching ground strikes throughout the fifteen minutes. Kimmons did well to improve position but failed to lock in the submission; an armbar in the second round looked particularly dangerous but Bobby showed good Jiu Jitsu to escape from the clutches of the purple belt. Kimmons' best chance of winning the bout was always going to be via submission so when we went to the judges scorecards it was hardly a surprise to see the Bobby emerge as clear victor (with all three judges scoring the contest 30-27). Kimmons will be disappointed at the consummate ease in which Bobby landed the ground and pound throughout; the wrestler attempted forty two strikes over the course of this fight and all forty landed. While the fans may not have appreciated this particular matchup realistically this fight had about as much activity as you could expect with two skilled grapplers coming head to head. Bobby was also active with submission attempts of his own, but invariably he was likely to struggle to find a finish in this manner given Kimmons' proficiency in Jiu Jitsu. Ultimately it's hard to see how Kimmons could have approached this fight differently; it wasn't due to a lack of submission attempts that he lost the fight, he simply found himself out-grappled by the wrestler and accordingly the judges favoured the fighter who had inflicted the more damage. An important win for Bobby as celebrates victory on his Slaughterhouse debut and maintains his unbeaten record.
Result: Bobby by decision.
Verner Stolt v Andri Gunawan – 155 lbs
For four minutes and six seconds we were treated to a very entertaining period of action as these two youngsters sought to beat the living daylights out of each other. Gunawan was the marginally more aggressive fighter in this bout but no one could accuse Verner Stolt of a lack of activity as he threw out kicks and punches aplenty throughout. And for the brief duration of the fight it was Stolt who was the more accurate of the two, his punches tended to miss the mark more often than not but it was his leg kicks which really stood out as he connected time and time again. However, for what Gunawan lacked in accuracy he made up in the damage – he landed twelve times despite throwing out thirty three strikes but in the end that was all he needed; at just over four minutes gone a big left hand connected to put Stolt on wobbly feet and Gunawan wasted no time in following up with a flurry of punches that dropped the Swede to the floor and this one was all over. A short fight but a great period of action which earned both opponents a fight of the night bonus. Next up for Gunawan is a tough matchup against Muay Thai specialist Gareth Keenan and we look forward to what should be another very entertaining fight. Stolt's next opponent is yet to be confirmed but this fight will have been a valuable experience for the youngster and at only 21 years of age the Swede still has ample time to make improvements.
Result: Gunawan by first round (T)KO.
Chang Ru v Prince The – 135 lbs
Well tonight was certainly the night for quick finishes and we were treated to another early knockout here as Prince triumphed in a three minute striking bonanza. Prince took the fight into the clinch early and both fighters started unloading shots like there was no tomorrow. All things were looking comparatively equal until the three minute mark when Prince connected with a smooth uppercut which jolted Ru. He tried to respond with a knee but Prince landed flush with an elbow followed up by an uppercut / right straight combination which sent the youngster spiralling to the mat. Prince jumped in with more strikes and the referee was soon forced to step in. I had honestly expected this one to go the distance, both fighters have shown great durability in their previous matchups so it was a surprise to see this one end early, but nonetheless a very entertaining fight. Prince will be pleased to record a win on his Slaughterhouse debut, he now goes 8-5-1 in his career and the 27 year old will be keen to maintain his winning streak as he approaches his fifteenth MMA appearance. Ru will be disappointed that he couldn't make it to 5-0 but the youngster didn't seem to disheartened by the defeat and we look forward to seeing him back in the cage in the future.
Result: Prince by first round (T)KO.
Juan Sebastien Veron v Neil Murray – 205 lbs
Murray was not a favourite coming into this bout so imagine the shock of the Argentinian veteran to see himself getting schooled by the younger Ulster man. Veron started the bout out the more aggressive fighter but as soon as Murray started connected with shots he quickly toned it back and started working on the counter. Less than a minute into the first round a well timed liver shot followed by a hard straight left put Veron on the canvas. Murray immediately sprung into mount and tried to unload some ground and pound but credit to the Argentinian because he showed good awareness to progress into guard and, despite Murray working from top positions, Veron was able to avoid sustaining any meaningful damage for the remainder of the round thanks to his defensive grappling. Round two got underway and immediately Murray was again on the offensive; a left / right combination put Veron on his back for the second time and Murray quickly dived into side control. This time the Ulster man got straight to the point: as Veron tried to reach up to control Murray's posture he latched onto the Argentinian's arm and quickly pivoted to secure the armbar and this one was all over. A big victory for Murray and his first win via submission – he now goes 2-1 in Slaughterhouse and will be looking to make it three in a row as he takes on Lou Marx on the 9th of January. Veron, a Jiu Jitsu brown belt, will be annoyed that Murray was able to find the submission so easily but truth be told he was thoroughly outclassed in every aspect of this fight.
Result: Murray by second round submission.
Alex John Conor Burns v Vahan Karamyenyan – 205 lbs
Burns continued his sensational run with a first round stoppage of Vahan Karamyenyan. For the brief duration of this fight it was Burns' combination of aggression and precision that stood out – the Galway lad was loading up on punches but they found their target time and time again and it was no surprise to see Karamyenyan flat out on his back with just over two minutes gone in this fight. While Karamyenyan is a great fighter it was clear before this bout started that he wasn't on the level of the Irishman. Burns has now notched up ten successive wins and will be looking for a title shot if fellow gym mate Sungwon Jung comes up short in his upcoming championship bout with the current belt holder Kuma Nelson. If Jung wins that fight a potential matchup with Hughtavious Mingo awaits in what should be a cracking fight. Manager Bradley Burns is now in the position of having three of his fighters in the top five Light Heavyweight rankings and given the talent at his disposal it may only be a matter of time before one of them manages to climb to the #1 position.
Result: Burns by first round (T)KO.
CO-MAIN EVENT
Henkka Seppala v Harley Crowe – 185 lbs
Predictably this fight found its way to the ground very quickly as Crowe immediately shot for the takedown. Crowe soon started working for an ankle lock but Seppala showed some good Jiu Jitsu of his own to reverse the position and he began to work the ground an pound. Crowe was active off his back as he continued to look for submissions but Seppala continued to chip away with strikes which began to find their target at an alarming rate. Suddenly at around the three minute mark a particularly vicious forearm strike landed and Crowe's gameplan went out of the window – he resorted to just covering up and Seppala started to load up on shots forcing the referee to step in. This was Seppala's twentieth MMA appearance and he will be delighted to record a victory on this momentous occasion, and his Slaughterhouse debut to boot. He will also no doubt be pleased that the change in management seems to have worked well for him – Crowe, a Jiu Jitsu red belt, was always going to be a constant threat with his submissions but the ease at which Seppala managed to evade his attempts and continue to rain down strikes will be most encouraging for new manager Ryne Woodsmall. A potential matchup with Hideya Kaayi awaits but if Seppala can continue with this sort of performance he could feasibly be mounting a title challenge in the not so distant future. Crowe will be disappointed with this setback but will no doubt be eager to start working his way back up the rankings – the American is a talented ground fighter and I would be confident it will only be a matter of time before he returns to winning ways.
Result: Seppala by first round (T)KO.
MAIN EVENT
Andriy Kuzmenko v Rusty Driver – 265 lbs
Well I had predicted this fight would have an early finish, what I hadn't predicted was that this particular matchup would be so one sided. Kuzmenko thoroughly dominated his opponent in the very brief duration of this bout. I had predicted it might be the Ukranian who would find himself on the canvas, his chin has been slightly suspect in the past but in this instance that mattered for little as Driver failed to land a single punch for the one minute and fifty seven seconds this fight lasted. Kuzmenko immediately launched into the clinch following a failed body shot from Driver and started working him over with a series of punches on the inside mixed in with the occasional elbow. Driver did manage to break the clinch but again a missed hook to the body enabled the Ukranian to counter by taking the fight back up against the cage. Within seconds a huge uppercut had Driver on the floor and Kuzmenko quickly followed up with a series of strikes which forced the referee to jump in. Driver can have no complaints with this stoppage – he was still looking dazed as Kuzmenko ran over to his corner to celebrate and given the amount of damage he sustained over the two minutes he was in the cage should consider himself a little thankful to the referee for stopping the fight when he did. Kuzmenko will be delighted with this performance – Driver was unable to lay a glove upon him and with the sheer speed at which the Ukranian was able to obtain the knockout he will have the rest of the heavyweight division looking behind their shoulders. Kuzmenko is yet to resign but we hope to see him back in the Slaughterhouse arena in the near future – the young Ukranian has an ample amount of talent and at only 25 has room to improve even further, given time to develop he could realistically be thinking about mounting a challenge for the title should he continue to perform like this.
Result: Kuzmenko by first round (T)KO.
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