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 StrikeForce Union #3
20/02/2016
Paddy O’Malleys Bar
London
This is my first time writing a preview and it is an honour to do so because ladies and gentlemen, we have a great event lined up for you. Without further ado:
Marcus Pereira vs Davie Joyce
Botond Robert vs Harry Winston
Dmitry Boitsov vs Akoni Gray
Magnus Looped vs John Winkle
Djin Kvasir vs Henry Collins
Dre Gore vs Vincenzo Crescenzo
Angus Bryant vs Jacob Frye
Jeff Roberts vs Jose Hernandez
Rodney Smith vs Nathan Griffin
Jeremy Hammond vs Remus Sala
Jeremy Hammond (MMA 0-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Remus Sala (MMA 1-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0)
We kick off proceedings with the lightest division and two SFU debut fighters looking to make an impression. These fighters experienced very different starts to their careers with Hammond losing via a unanimous decision and Sala destroying his opponent in the first round via TKO.
It is Hammond however that is clearly the better boxer here and needs to stamp his authority from the onset. He has the power. More power than Snap! But his opponent from Romania has a significant height advantage that cannot be overlooked. Sala's 172cm to Hammond's 160cm could very well affect the outcome of this fight. Since his MMA debut loss, Hammond has been seen training at the illustrious London MMA Club as he pushes on, looking for that first win. We don't think he gets it here though. Remus Sala has shown a level of technique far beyond his 18 years. This kid is going places but to get there he will have to go through Jeremy Hammond first.
Dave's Prediction: Remus Sala via Unanimous Decision
Rodney Smith (MMA 5-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Nathan Griffin (MMA 2-0-1 , SFU 1-0-1)
It is always exciting when an undefeated fighter steps into the cage and even more exciting when #1 meets #2 in the weight division. The signing of Rodney Smith is a great coup for SFU but there will be no honeymoon period as he will come face to face with Fight of the Night winner and SFU veteran Nathan Griffin.
This will be Griffin's third fight with SFU in as many events. He has been here since the beginning and has established his dominance in the 155lbs division. Critics suggest that Rodney Smith has only fought "bums" up to this point but you can only beat what is put in front of you. And Smith has done just that. Each and every time. The crowd may prove to be a major factor in this one as Smith fights in front of his hometown. He is a submission specialist winning four out of his five wins in such a manner and we believe the streak will continue at SFU #3.
Dave's Prediction: Rodney Smith via Submission
Jeff Roberts (MMA 7-2-0 , SFU 1-1-0) vs Jose Hernandez (MMA 4-4-0 , SFU 1-1-0)
Jeff Roberts loves to fight. He is a wrestler and a former champion in the Elite Canadian Fighting Championship. It remains to be seen whether he can recapture past glories here at StrikeForce Union. Not only did he become a champion but he went on to defend his belt twice and never lost it, only for the company to close down. Both of these fighters lost at SFU #2 to a submission and will be looking to get back on track with a win here. In a stacked 170lbs division, Roberts can propel himself towards a title shot with a victory over Hernandez. This is Portugal vs. Spain folks. A bitter rivalry since the 18th century. Rumours have it that thousands of Spaniards will be making the trip to London in support of Hernandez and most of which will be women. Jose "Womanizer" Hernandez will be hoping that they will find their way to his hotel room and he can fight his way to a victory.
Dave's Prediction: Jeff Roberts via TKO
Angus Bryant (MMA 2-1-0 , SFU 1-1-0) vs Jacob Frye (MMA 0-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0)
It's muay thai vs. boxing. It's Scotland vs. England. Two fighters with very good chins in what is going to be an all out war. Angus Bryant will be looking to move on from the humiliating first round loss to inaugural champ Botond Robert in his last fight. He talked the talk but he certainly did not walk the walk. If he is looking for an easy comeback fight, he doesn't have one here. Jacob Frye is a remarkable boxer and has been training hard since he decided to become a fighter at just eighteen years old. Now nineteen, Frye has a chance to continue his learning curve against a former title challenger. It will be interesting to see how the 38 second KO affected Bryant going forward. When you get knocked out that fast that brutally, something changes within you. You hesitate. And that may just be enough for Frye to pull off the win.
Dave's Prediction: Jacob Frye via Unanimous Decision
Dre Gore (MMA 2-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Vincenzo Crescenzo (MMA 3-1-0 , SFU 1-1-0)
Dre Gore was never supposed to be here. Ten years ago he was on the streets of London, looking for a job. And now ten years later he will be fighting an important, meaningful fight at SFU #3. A fight that will have repercussions for the 205lbs division. Everyone told him he wouldn't make it as a fighter. He has fought in car parks. Basements. But he has never fought Vincenzo Crescenzo. All three of Crescenzo's wins have come via TKO and the Italian superb wrestling skills should see him through this fight in similar fashion.
Dave's Prediction: Vincenzo Crescenzo via TKO
Djin Kvasir (MMA 4-8-0 , SFU 0-1-0) vs Henry Collins (MMA 4-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0)
"...and I will strike you down..." David said to Goliath. The famous story of the underdog. Fast forward to SFU #3 and we have another David vs. Goliath scenario. Henry Collins is meant to win this fight. He is one of the best fighters on the SFU roster and it is surely only a matter of time before he gets his title shot. Sometimes that pressure can be too great for a man. Complacency starts to creep in and you present opportunities to your opponent. Kvasir is no pushover. He recently went on a four fight win-streak winning all four via submission. Both fighters are purple belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so Kvasir "The Snake" may have to find another way to win this time. Collins is a former champion at the now defunct Red Star Fighting picking up two Of The Night awards in the process. Training at one of the best gyms in London, Red Tri-Angle, Collins is ready to stake his claim as the best.
Dave's Prediction: Henry Collins via KO
Magnus Looped (MMA 3-2-0 , SFU 1-1-0) vs John Winkle (MMA 2-0-0 , SFU 2-0-0)
At SFU #1 John Winkle won the Sub of the Night award. At SFU #2 Magnus Looped won the Sub of the Night award. That's right ladies and gentlemen, this will be a fantastic fight. These fighters have a common past opponent in Jeff Roberts but only Winkle managed to win. At 2-0-0 and with both fights coming in SFU, Winkle is off to a great start with the organisation. He may feel slightly aggrieved by being ranked lower than the very fighter he beat not long ago. If he wins this fight, it will be a crushing blow to his critics. But it just feels like Looped has more tools at his disposal. He is the superior boxer and wrestler in this match-up.
Dave's Prediction: Magnus Looped via Submission
Dmitry Boitsov (MMA 0-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Akoni Gray (MMA 0-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0)
In Gray's previous and sole fight, he did not see the spinning backfist coming. And now at SFU #3 he does not know what to look for because Dmitry Boitsov is an unknown quantity. Without a single fight to his name, Boitsov will be looking to explode on the MMA scene. We have to believe that he will want this fight to play out on the ground where his brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will help. Even though Gray has fought before, it was only for thirty seconds. He did not get the chance to showcase his talent and what a talent it is. His muay thai is wonderful. He is a competent boxer. And is even proficient at wrestling. All this at the age of just nineteen years old.
Dave's Prediction: Akoni Gray via Unanimous Decision
Botond Robert (MMA 5-0-0 , SFU 2-0-0) vs Harry Winston (MMA 3-0-0 , SFU 1-0-0)
Yes Botond Robert is the Middleweight Champion but perhaps more importantly, he is the face of StrikeForce Union right now. Our first champion and a great one at that. He has an army of followers that only grew with his devastating knockout of Angus Bryant at SFU #2. The Hungarian is an unlikely champion. He still trains at the relatively inexpensive Cozad Amsterdam and chooses to avoid the flashy clothes that other fighters opt for. His purpose isn't to look good. It's to win. And he has managed to do just that throughout his career thus far. Harry "Opie" Winston can relate. He is also undefeated after three fights winning twice via TKO and once via submission. It's this versatile approach that makes him one of the best fighters in SFU and a genuine threat to the champion's reign. If Robert exudes a relaxed nature, Winston is the polar opposite with his sheer determination to win. He will stop at nothing to win such is his desire to be the best. Somebody's '0' must go folks and whoever has the belt around their waist would have fully deserved it.
Dave's Prediction: Botond Robert via Unanimous Decision
Marcus Pereira (MMA 5-0-0 , SFU 0-0-0) vs Davie Joyce (MMA 1-1-0 , SFU 0-0-0)
Fans have been looking forward to this moment ever since Marcus Pereira signed for StrikeForce Union and now we finally get to see him in action in our Co-Main Event. Pereira is the #1 P4P fighter within the organisation and enters with a lot of hype. Will he live up to it? He is a gigantic hippopotamus of a man weighing in at 324 lbs. We can judge his weight all day long but the fact is, nobody has been able to beat him up to this point. He is surprisingly quick for such a large man and is a pleasure to watch fight. The crowd at Paddy O'Malleys Bar should enjoy it while they can because at one point it looked like we will never see Pereira fight again. Doctors told him he should retire due to high levels of cholesterol. A few years later and a change in manager, Pereira is back. Not only has he won every fight via submission, but his opponent has never made it past the first round. Enter Davie Joyce. This fighter can do it all with competent boxing and muay thai as well as a decent ground game. To be the best you have to beat the best and Joyce will be looking to do just that at SFU #3. Can he write his name in the history books?
Dave's Prediction: Marcus Pereira via Submission.
Dave Ashbourne
StrikeForce Union - Writer
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