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(Lightweight Championship bout) Cholo Van Gaal (12-4) versus Papa Shango(c) (21-9)
(Preview)
Cholo Van Gaal started his caerer in professional fisticuffs back in Spain, where he fought as an amateur boxer, going 10-0 before deciding that he wanted to get paid for his work. At the age of eighteen, Cholo made his debut a professional boxer, taking the world of the sweet science by storm. By the age of twenty, with an undefeated record, Van Gaal became the featherweight world champion in boxing.
With pugilism conquered, Cholo Van Gaal set his sights on the rising sport of mixed martial arts. He retired his featherweight belt and began training with collegiate wrestlers, as well as training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, all to prepare for his inevitable MMA debut.
CVG made his mixed martial arts debut in the QFC arena, but he had a contract lined up with Tradition Fight Club. There was a lot of hype surrounding the debut of Van Gaal; boxing and MMA fans alike tuned in to watch the former featherweight champion put on the 4oz gloves.
In the QFC, Van Gaal was paired up with undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt named Anthony Smith in a highly touted style-versus-style clash. After surviving two early takedowns, and actually reversing the submission grappler on the ground, Van Gaal got to his feet and went to work; with less than a minute left on the clock, Van Gaal hammered Smith with punches on the feet, rocking him badly before finishing him with a leaping left hook.
In his Tradition FC debut, Cholo Van Gaal stopped Paulo Vilasboas with a barrage of strikes, winning Fight of the Night honors in the process. In his next bout, Van Gaal faced off against rising contender Chester Emerson. In the pre-fight buildup, Emerson made the trash talk personal, denouncing the boxing champion's MMA skill set and honor. In the fight, Emerson would overwhelm the young slugger in the clinch, pinning him against the cage and hammering him with short punches. Early into the second round, Emerson rocked Van Gaal with heavy hooks and uppercuts, dropping him and forcing the stoppage.
Cholo Van Gaal rebounded with a first round knockout victory over Julian Eduardo Demaestri and was given a chance to avenge his only professional defeat in a championship clash against Chester Emerson. With the vacant lightweight championship on the line, the two warriors met for the second time.
Say what you will about Cholo Van Gaal, but he works to improve his weaknesses; this time, he came prepared to clinch against the Greco Roman wrestler. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough; Chester Emerson dominated the fight whenever the men clinched up against the cage, which they did for the vast majority of the bout.
Cholo Van Gaal won three consecutive bouts via knockout, tearing his way through the lightweight division, and proving that he was among the greatest that the Tradition FC lightweight division had ever witnessed. At Tradition XLIV, Van Gaal challenged Carl Jamison for the lightweight title. Once again, Van Gaal struggled against against another heavy handed clinch fighter, and eventually succumbed to strikes before Jamison just seconds into the final round.
Cholo Van Gaal knocked out Oscar Orling and Victor Estima, but lost a majority decision against BYFC and Tradition FC lightweight veteran Where Yo Girl. Cholo only fought once more for Tradition FC, knocking out Caleb Smith late in the opening round.
Following his last fight for Tradition FC, Cholo Van Gaal signed with Highland Games, smashing Highland veteran Warren Parker in his debut performance. Next, Van Gaal knocked out former Highland Games lightweight champion Mustafa Shabazz.
In his most recent fight, Van Gaal defeated former two time Highland Games lightweight champion Zoran Jolevi via unanimous decision.
Papa Shango has practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since he was four years old, training daily in a family operated school. Even as a young kid, Papa Shango was believed to be the “next big thing” in the sport of mixed martial arts. At the age of sixteen, Papa obtained his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and began to compete on the world stage.
In mixed martial arts, there has only been one real criticism for Papa: if he can't get the fight to the ground, he becomes frustrated and has very little striking to fall back on. Despite this flaw, Shango has been a dominant force in MMA.
He made his debut at Season 3 of The Island, dominating his way through the QFC before signing to fight for the Attack Fight League. Papa's first major setback hit when he faced off against Jason Smith, another world class Jiu-Jitsu competitor; Shango would fall into a guillotine during a scramble and would be forced to submit in the opening round.
Shango submitted two foes to get within striking distance of the reigning lightweight champion, Gottlieb Hiebknect. The fight would take place at AFL – Choke On This, an aptly named event, as Shango went into the match with the intention of getting Hieb. In a strangle hold. Things would not go this way, however, as Hiebknect would survive on the ground, get to his feet, and work Shango over with three minutes to go in the match; Shango would eventually wilt under the strikes of the lightweight champion.
After being choked out in his next bout, Shango would end his time on The Island with two consecutive submission victories, getting the former AFL title challenger invited to the finale tournament. Papa Shango dominated his way through three rounds of the tournament, submitting every man placed before him, but was ultimately out pointed by Calvin Brooks (whom Shango had defeated en route to his title shot).
In his post-Island career, Papa Shango returned to Executioner FC, who he had fought for briefly on The Island. In his first EFC bout on the mainland, Shango was defeated by Better Dead in a bid for the EFC lightweight championship. Ironically, Papa Shango had previously submitted Dead in the third round of the finale tournament not long before.
Papa Shango would win two and lose one inbetween before being matched up against Fernando Diaz for the vacant lightweight title. This time, at long last, the stars aligned for Shango, who caught Diaz in an early arm triangle choke, forcing the Jiu-Jitsu ace to submit. Papa Shango had claimed a championship on the world stage.
With his contract up, Papa Shango played to the free agency market and was offered a lucrative contract to fight for Highland Games, which featured talent from Season 3 and Season 4 of The Island. Although he would go an abysmal 1-2 in his first three bouts, including rematches against Zoran Jolevi and Calvin Brooks, Shango would go on a three fight winning streak.
Papa Shango once again found himself knocking on the door of a seemingly unstoppable world champion; Roberto Silva was the former two time Highland Games lightweight champion of the world, as well as the former Ring of Violence featherweight champion, and was on a three fight winning streak as well. Silva was 5-3 in championship fights, compared to Shango's much more humble title fight record of 2-2.
The match took place at Highland Games 164; with much hype and to-do surrounding the event, it was expected to be a grappling display for the ages. Instead, we saw Papa Shango make the reigning lightweight champion look like he was standing still. Shango clinched and pulled guard almost immediately, giving Silva the dominant position on top. Silva responded by going for a high risk heel hook against the former EFC champion- Shango nullified the attempt and retained full guard, locking Silva in tight. Silva tried to pass the guard, but in the process let his own guard down, and Papa Shango knew what to do next: he wrapped his legs around the head and arm of Roberto Silva and squeezed down with everything that he had. Shango put every ounce of energy that he had into the hold, letting every loss he had suffered fuel him in his monumental effort; Silva tried not to tap, fought the choke with expert precision, but ultimately submitted just before the lights shut out.
An emotional Papa Shango comforted his opponent before celebrating with his corner. As Highland Games president Callum McGregor wrapped the gold belt around the waist of Papa Shango, a true sense of being at home washed over the new lightweight champion of the world.
To truly be a champion, you have to do more than win a belt: you have to defend the belt. This is a feat that had thus far escaped the new champion, as he never renewed his contract with Executioner FC. In his first title defense attempt, Shango was paired up with George Moshington, whom he had submitted in his Highland debut.
To hype the event, Moshington spoke of the changes he had made to his fighting style since their first meeting; indeed, he was not the same man as he had been prior. He had improved his wrestling base, and obtained a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. To prepare for this match, Moshington trained with elite Jiu-Jitsu players at the LOD private training facility. Although Moshington would hurt Shango with punches in the third round, the wrestling-intensive strategy of the lightweight champion would wear on Moshington, who would eventually succumb to a fifth round kimura.
[A Closer Look]
(Cholo Van Gaal)
Nickname: “CVG”
Age: 27
Started Fighting At: 22
Record: 12-4
Knockouts: 11
Submissions: 0
Highland Record: 3-0
Total Opponent Record: 128-70-4
Rank (Division): 3
Rank (Organization): 21
Style: Boxing, Muay Thai
Height: 5'8
Weight: 162 lbs
Accolades or accomplishments:
-Tradition FC Hall of Fame Inductee
-Tradition FC Lightweight Title Challenger (x2)
-Fight of the Night (x3)
-Knockout of the Night (x1)
(Papa Shango)
Nickname: “”
Age: 32
Started Fighting At: 25
Record: 21-9
Knockouts: 0
Submissions: 20
Highland Record: 6-2
Rank (Division): 1
Rank (Organization): 8
Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Black Belt)
Height: 5'8
Weight: 166 lbs
Accolades or accomplishments:
-Reigning Highland Games Lightweight Champion (x1, 1 Defense)
-Former Executioner FC Lightweight Champion (x1, No Defenses)
-Island S3 155lb Semi-Finalist
-Submission of the Night (x6)
-Fight of the Night (x1)
To read more, visit the Highland Games Smack Talk Thread at: http://www.mmatycoon.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46027&page=28
Or view the organization at: http://www.mmatycoon.com/orgpublic.php?oid=4423
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