Lumpinee 11
3rd April 2016
The Underground (1000) London
Partner: Perkele!
Lumpinee 11 features a lot of up and coming fighters, eager to prove themselves as the next big contender in their respective divisions. For some fighters on the card a big win in this event will see them put forward their case for a shot at the title.
Main Event
Brooklyn Sismey (1-0) vs Cory McDonnell (0-1)
Both fighters are making their Lumpinee debuts in this main event fight. Don't be fooled, you may have seen a McDonnell fight in Lumpinee before however it's not Cory, it's his twin brother Rory who has taken the decision to switch to MMA instead. Unfortunately for the "Red King" he's 5 years younger than his opponent and I'm expecting Brooklyn to have better technique as a result.
Prediction: Brooklyn Sismey by KO / TKO
Co-Main Event
Thaksin Napapa (1-1) vs Michel Nostredame (1-0)
Former Junior Grand Master of KT MW fighter Thaksin Napapa is coming off the back of a win following his elimination from the tournament in the first round. He won by TKO (punch) in his last fight and looked a lot less nervous in that fight. He dominated his opponent in the clinch in that fight and it is something Michel will have to be aware of heading into this fight. We didn't get to see much of Michel in his last fight as he had finished the fight within 1 minute of the first round with a devastating head kick. Thaksin has never been KO'd before but if he mistimes his attempt to clinch or forgets to keep moving, Michel could very well end up connecting with one of his deadly head kicks. This fight is a big test of Michel's title credential but also a chance for Thaksin to show he's a serious contender in the MW division.
Prediction: Michel Nostredame by KO / TKO
Zion Fuller (1-0) vs Kendric Slager (2-1)
Zion was last seen at Lumpinee 8 when he beat Hipolito Hoplitai Haploi by decision. Hipolito is also on this card tonight. He dominated that fight and even rocked his opponent in that fight. Kendric is making his HW debut having bulked up following the introduction of the 290k ID restriction on the LHW division. Like Fuller, he's a fan of the clinch and so it'll be interesting to see who gets the better of who in the clinch. With Kendric being two years older and having 2 more fights than Zion, I expect him to use his experience to his advantage although this wont be an easy fight for him.
Prediction: Kendric Slager by Decision
Aksel Stenger (1-1) vs Jim Leen (0-1)
Another former Junior Grand Master of KT MW fighter Aksel was eliminated in the second round by Duke McStoner, yes, he was the guy who suffered THAT spinning backfist KO. He'll be looking to bounce back and win like he did in his first fight with another head kick KO. Standing across the cage is Jim Leen who has lost his only MMA bout so far by submission, which probably explains why he's switched to KT. Unfortunately for Jim he only managed to land one kick before he was on his arse being smothered by his opponent in that fight, so we actually don't know how good his stand up is.
Prediction: Aksel Stenger by TKO / KO
Max Teller (1-2) vs Chuck Steel (1-1)
Max Teller is on a two fight losing streak and will be hoping to put an end to that run in the near future. He'll be fighting former Junior Grand Master of KT MW Chuck Steel who was eliminated in the second round. I've heard rumours that Max's boxing is looking very crisp in training and I can see him utilising it effectively in his fight against Chuck.
Prediction: Max Teller by KO / TKO
Kevin Jones (1-0) vs Lil Kim (0-1)
Both these BW fighters are making their KT debuts having had 1 fight in MMA. Kim suffered a submission loss in his fight and so it's easy to understand why he has switched. Kevin on the other hand had a KO win and has proven he has KO power. We don't know much about Kim so this fight will be a test of his stand up and his chin.
Prediction: Kevin Jones by KO / TKO
Michael Henson (3-2) vs Kano Cunningham (1-1)
Michael Henson's two losses have came against two very strong fighters in Lumpinee. Robin Olds is pushing for a title shot whereas Lambert George is fighting for the vacant LW title. If Kano beats Michael he'll be joining an impressive list of fighters who have beaten him and so this will be a big test for him. Kano may be 6 year older but I still expect Michael to get the win.
Prediction: Michael Henson by Decision.
Joels Van Wijnbergen (0-2) vs Julio Jones (1-1)
It took a while for Joels to finally get a fight but he finally got one against Julio Jones who was also finding it hard to find an opponent. Whilst Joels hasn't picked up a win, I know he's been improving a lot in the gym since he last stepped into the ring and so I expect to see a completely different fighter. Julio Jones will be a big test for him and whoever wins this fight will definitely be a big contender in the MW division.
Prediction: Joels Van Wijnbergen by KO / TKO.
Hipolito Hoplitai Haploi (0-1) vs Mc Steel Penn (1-1)
As previously mentioned Hipolito was last seen at Lumpinee 8 against Zion Fuller. He lost a decision but was rocked during the fight. He's going against former Junior Grand Master of KT HW fighter Mc Steel Penn who's only victory came in via decision in the first round of that tournament and ended up being KO'd in the second round. Mc Steel Penn has been KO'd in the past and this should give Hipolito the confidence to go head hunting in search for a KO win.
Prediction: Hipolito Hoplitai Haploi by KO / TKO.
Johnny Dangerous (0-0) vs Bruce Kang (0-1)
Johnny Dangerous is making his debut in this fight however he's already had a lot of interest from a WW fighter called Nick Gonzalez. Both of these guys have been going back and forth on Buzz and there's a real chance they could step into the ring to settle their differences. Bruce Kang has previously fought LHW but has dropped to MW following the introduction of the ID restriction on the LHW division. He lost his first fight by decision and has shown he's durable. Johnny will need to be coming into this fight in good condition otherwise he could find himself in a bit of trouble if this fight goes to the later rounds.
Prediction: Bruce Kang by Decision.
I hope you enjoyed the preview for Lumpinee 11! Odds on the fights will be up later at Lumpinee (KT) Bets so if you're interested in placing a bet, make sure you do so before the fights go down tomorrow!
