2016-08-08
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Bravado 4: Gracie v Krustofski - Official Preview

Event Preview: Bravado 4: Gracie v Krustofski
Bravado Productions (280k +)
2016-08-07, Las Vegas, The Underground - Las Vegas
Author:

Bravado 4: Gracie v Krustofski is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by Bravado Productions, in conjunction with the Kore Fight Nutrition [TG], Hoarseplay Writing Productions, and Bet-X [TG] Bookmaker. This event will take place on August 7, 2016 at The Underground arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Fully Formatted version: http://www.mmatycoon.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55272&page=4#entry773813


[Preliminary Bouts]


[A message flashes on the in-house television screen, announcing that these preliminary fights are brought to you by the Bet-X [TG] sports betting hub, which features betting lines for all Bravado Productions action.]


[Light-heavyweight Division] Wally Fenderson (0-0) (nr) versus Bongbong Digong (0-0) (nr)

Wally Fenderson is a newcomer to MMA; this longtime Jiu-Jitsu practitioner has a brown belt in BJJ. Disconcerting is his lack of official training thus far.


Bongbong Digong, owner of “one of those names”, is a former boxer that has fallen into the MMA craze. Much like his opponent, Bongbong is making his MMA debut here, and ALSO lacks any official training.


 


[Light-heavyweight Division] Dillon Weber (0-1) (nr) versus Gerry Pounder () (nr)


Dillon Weber is a virtual newcomer to the sport of MMA. This one fight veteran made his debut in the QFC, where you could face any opponent without notice. This competent boxer found himself in a world of trouble when he faced Abel Popham, a talented BJJ purple belt. Weber survived the relentless ground assault, however, and was merely defeated via unanimous decision.


Gerry Pounder is a powerful Australian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt. In his lone QFC appearance, Gerry faced off against Domingo Underwood, a blue belt submission fighter. Gerry, the Iron Palace student, won the fight via second round rear naked choke.


[Undercard Bouts]


[Welterweight Division] Tung Surano (0-0) (nr) versus Jarred Sullivan (1-0) (nr)


Tung Surano is a newcomer to the sport of mixed martial arts; reportedly of a Muay Thai background, Surano also possesses a high level of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.


Jarred Sullivan is a freestyle fighter, known for his crisp boxing and powerful takedowns. Jarred has undergone one fight in his mixed martial arts career thus far, dominating Frank Walsh en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory.


 


[Heavyweight Division] Brock The Beast (5-10) (nr) versus Pillow Hands (2-1) (nr)


Brock The Beast brings an early storm that can be very difficult for opponents to overcome. A longtime QFC competitor, Brock The Beast's best days seem to be behind him, as he is currently riding a four fight losing streak, and was last seen in training with zero energy.


 

In his Bravado debut, Brock was quickly knocked out by Mickey Darmody.


Pillow Hands, much like Brock, is known for being a bit of a front-runner; he brings an early storm that is difficult for opponents to survive, let alone overcome. In both of his early QFC appearances, Pillow Hands scored lightning fast stoppages, including a TKO victory, as well as a submission due to strikes.


However, in his Bravado Productions debut, Pillow Hands faced an opponent that he could not overcome with ease, when he met Jeff Benjamin. Pillow came out strong in the early moments, battering Jeff with power punches from all angles, but as Pillow Hands began to slow down, Jeff Benjamin sensed his fatigue and pushed for a finish. The fight would go the distance, with Benjamin dominating the latter rounds.


What is curious is: how will Pillow Hands deal with the early ferocity of Brock The Beast?


 

[Middleweight Division] Shouma Nishida (0-0) (nr) versus Yang Lei (2-4) (nr)


Shouma Nishida is a popular Japanese born kick boxer and former pro wrestler. Little is known about his MMA prowess, except that he is a dangerous opponent for any man to stand and trade strikes with.


 


Yang Lei is a very competent brawler, but his main strength is that he loves to mix up his attack, starting with punches, then shooting for a takedown. Born and raised in China, Yang Lei has declared that he wants to become the first Chinese mixed martial arts champion.


[Main Card]


[Welterweight Division] Helder Dias (1-3) versus Jon Snitch (4-1)


Helder Dias, on paper, is the last name that you would expect to see opening up the main card of a Bravado Productions fight card- especially against an opponent as dangerous as Jon Snitch. However, if you look beyond the record, you would see a dangerously talented and world class former professional boxer with power in his hands. Helder is a former protege of the Yump Dunger stable, and actively trains in the Westside Martial Arts academy.


Helder Dias fought three times for the Extreme Mixed Martial Arts promotion of New York, winning only once during his tenure there. After changing management, Helder was put away by Lugh Blackburn in the QFC show.

Despite his setbacks, I believe that Helder Dias has the capability of putting it all together and shocking the world.


Jon Snitch is the victim of one of the greatest upsets in the short history of Bravado Productions; he was a heavy favorite both with the fans and the betting lines when he squared off against Mladen Tomasevic. With a world class wrestling background, Jon was expected to run through the powerful striker with ease, but was floored by the vastly improved takedown defense of the man.


 


A four fight veteran of the GAMMA Butt Stompers league, Jon was responsible sending world class slugger Alistair Sangster to the hospital two times, as well as scoring dominant unanimous decision victories over Leandro Palazzolo and Holly Shiet.


 

[Light-heavyweight Division] Princess Penny (4-0) (nr) versus Alexander Taran (6-7) (nr)


Princess Penny is a talented amateur boxer that made the transition to mixed martial arts to pay his bills. Opponents tend to overlook him due to his feminine name, but his career is a testament to the phrase: “gender stereotypes are bullshit”.


 

A true front-runner, Princess has fought exclusively in the smaller regional shows, taking home four lightning fast first round finishes in his short career. No opponent has seen the three minute mark without falling unconscious, as Princess Penny has thunderous one-punch knock out power.

Alexander Taran is, sadly, a free agent at the time of this writing, and is contemplating a permanent relocation to the Bahamas to enjoy a post-career relaxation. Rumor has it that Alexander has put money into a Time Share, but this claim has yet to be substantiated.

Alexander Taran is a former high school wrestler and active Jiu-Jitsu competitor. A longtime veteran of the sport, Alexander participated in Season 5 of The Island, fighting almost exclusively in the regional shows, looking for fast action. In thirteen appearances, Taran only went the distance four times; this made every Alexander Taran fight a must-see performance for the paying fans.


 


Alexander participated in the season finale tournament, but was quickly dispatched by David Hojackin.


 


[Welterweight Division] Mladen Tomasevic (3-2) (1) versus Jonath Masvidal (5-2) (nr)


Born and raised in Serbia, Mladen Tomasevic is a world class Muay Thai stylist. Mladen Tomasevic currently holds the honor of being the number one ranked welterweight fighter within Bravado Productions, following his impressive victory over Jon Snitch at Bravado 1. Should Mladen defeat Jonath Masvidal here, he will become the first fighter within company history to win back-to-back fights.


Mladen Tomasevic started his career in the GAMMA Stomp-a-thon promotion, at their forty-ninth event. His opponent was Robert The Sponge, a world class Jiu-Jitsu black belt. The Sponge took Tomasevic down immediately and controlled from the top position while practicing a little submission spam on him. Tomasevic attempted a submission of his own from the bottom, but eventually settled on a well timed escape instead, only to get promptly taken down and submitted late in the round.


Tomasevic rebounded with a last minute TKO victory over Chico Greyjoy, but was defeated via unanimous decision when he faced Winslow Berhardt.


In his final appearance under the Stomp-a-thon banners, Mladen Tomasevic faced John Lennon, a technical brawler and virtual newcomer to the sport. Although Lennon showed that he was able to hold his own in a pure punching display, Tomasevic dominated the fight from within the clinch, rocking Lennon with an uppercut, and finishing with an overhand right.


 


Following the end of his GAMMA contract, Mladen Tomasevic signed with Bravado Productions, and was given the unfavorable task of being the first man to face powerhouse wrestler Jon Snitch. Despite being a considerable underdog going into the match, Tomasevic clearly dominated the fight with his defensive wrestling and high level of striking; he kept Snitch on the outside, and made him pay each time Snitch would draw too close. Midway through the second round, Tomasevic caught Snitch with a right hand from inside the clinch. Snitch went into survival mode with the heavy handed slugger pouring on the strikes and finishing with a beautiful spinning head kick that knocked Jon Snitch out cold.


Jonath Masvidal is a Texas born Greco Roman wrestler, known equally for being unstoppable, as he is for his horrible green beard. Jonath is a former world title challenger that has never been stopped by a striker in active competition; for the first time in his career, he finds himself playing the role of the underdog against the venerable Mladen Tomasevic.


Jonath first appeared on the regional scene, knocking out Roy Kannemeyer in the third round. Next, Jonath signed with APEX, a Los Angeles based promotion; in his debut, he stopped Julius Orange with a devastating barrage of strikes late in the second round.


Next, Jonath faced talented Jiu-Jitsu purple belt Jason Weber, who was coming off an impressive first round submission victory. Jonath dominated the opening minutes of the fight from inside the clinch, but Weber pulled guard and caught Jonath with a tight armbar, forcing the tap.


Unshaken from his tenure in the jaws of defeat, Masvidal rebounded with a brutal knee to the jaw knockout over Wiwanyang Wachipi- a name that I never hope to type again. This would be Masvidal's final fight under the APEX banner, as he next signed a contract with the StrikeForce Union of London.


 


For whatever reason, Jonath faced Jasper Jones twice in a row; in both encounters, Jonath stopped Jasper with knees from the clinch in the opening round each time.


 


In his most recent fight, which would end his tenure with StrikeForce, Jonath Masvidal faced Rodney Smith for the lightweight championship. Masvidal clinched immediately, looking to score with his patented knee assault, but the champion was more than ready for his attempts, and immediately pulled guard. On top, in guard, Masvidal attempted to stand, but fell into a tight guillotine choke from Smith, and submitted in just thirty-nine seconds.


 

[Co-Main Event]

[Welterweight Division] Manny Pacquiao (3-2) (nr) versus James Kicker (4-3) (nr)


Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino mixed martial arts fighter; unlike his namesake, Manny is a Muay Thai specialist that, in two of his three victories, has scored brutal knockouts. Unafraid to go anywhere the fight may take him, Manny has opted to bring the fight to the ground on various occasions- not always to his benefit.


After an unsuccessful beginning, which took place in the regional shows, Manny was signed by the Rumble On The Rock Island promotion. In his promotional debut, Manny made short work of Danny Rand, stopping him late in the opening round. Manny followed this up with another lightning fast victory, this time over Jason Gevoenez. In his final ROTR performance, Manny Pacquaio won a unanimous decision over Bob Wakosky.


Manny's most recent fight took place in the Island Season 5 welterweight tournament, where Manny was caught and rocked early by power puncher Tobious Khan. Manny was dropped from the tournament and sent to the main land in shame, but he remained one of the more popular fighters to come from The Island this season.

James Kicker is a former Greco Roman wrestler; originally from London, England, James followed the career path of his opponent, signing with the ROTR promotion on The Island.

James Kicker became a fan favorite early, knocking out Justin Credible, Kravmaga McGregor, and Burning Flame, all within the opening round. After knocking out the always dangerous Bob Wakosky, James Kicker challenged the reigning welterweight champion, Teiden Ritari, for his title. Kicker came out strong, landing strikes, but was caught early by a head kick that put him in all out of sorts. As Kicker attempted to regain his senses, he went on the offensive; Kicker clinched with Ritari, and a relatively even dirty boxing battle ensued.


James Kicker, confident that he was more apt to stand toe-to-toe in the second round, came out landing shots, but ran into another head kick that put him down! Teiden Ritari poured on the strikes and forced the finish just twenty seconds into the second round.


Apparently the ROTR management was fond of concussions, as they booked an immediate rematch just four days later. This time, Ritari initiated an early clinch, and hurt Kicker to the body early in the fight; Ritari would go on to score a finish early in the second round once again.

After changing management, James Kicker participated in the finale tournament, where he was defeated by Pippo Zippo in the opening tier of the tourney.


 


 


[Main Event]


 


[Welterweight Division] Lucio Gracie (11-4) (nr) versus Hyman Krustofski (11-3) (nr)


Lucio Gracie earned the nickname of “Deathrow” due to his propensity for bringing sparring partners to the brink of death while rolling. This Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt is a nightmare both for friends in the gym, and even more so for opponents in the cage, as he is a relentless finisher that has submitted so many men that he was the original pick to star in the porn parody “50 Shades of Gay”. However, Lucio turned down the starring role, quoting the brilliant vernacular of Yoel Romero, stating “no for gay Jesus”.


When asked why he opted to compete in the growing sport of mixed martial arts, Lucio Gracie stated simply that MMA has less rules than a Jiu-Jitsu tournament- this would allow him to dominate opponents more fluently than if he were simply participating in a submission competition.


Lucio Gracie made his fighting debut on The Island during its fifth season; he was immediately signed to Island FC, due in no small part to his world class experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Considering his long standing reputation for wanting to hurt foes, rather than allow them to submit in a timely manner, it's no wonder that so many men have tapped out within seconds of having a submission applied to their extremities.

In his MMA debut, Lucio faced Red Stork, an awkwardly named Jiu-Jitsu blue belt known for his famous quote, “bwaaaak: winter is coming”. (I really need to start getting some sun, I found that way too funny...) Although Stork flapped his way into an immediate takedown, it was Gracie that dominated the positional battle, locking in a first round guillotine choke on the long neck of Stork, forcing the tap not two minutes in.


Next, Gracie submitted longtime star karateka Jesse Enkamp, catching the technical striker with a mid-round triangle choke to force the tap.


For his third professional fight, Gracie faced defeat for the first time in his professional career, when he took on Gabriel Munoz, a talented up-and-coming purple belt. Gracie would go to the ground aggressively, his overconfidence on display; he seemed to expect Munoz to give up, as so many others had before him, but the man stayed firm and locked in a fight ending Kimura, becoming the only man to ever submit Lucio Gracie in professional or amateur combat.


 

The loss only seemed to fuel a fire under Gracie, who violently submitted both Count Foo and Luis Machado; the former fell to a kneebar that put him out of competition for several months, and the latter submitted to a tight arm-in guillotine choke.


Next, Lucio Gracie faced heavy handed ground and pound stylist Jake Belcher. With the game plan seemingly involving a lot of knees from the clinch, Gracie seemed to be well on his way to establishing a new page in his playbook; unfortunately, a well timed takedown from Belcher put Gracie in a world of trouble, as Belcher immediately started loading up with heavy ground and pound from above.

Lucio Gracie attempted to roll for a submission, attempted to escape to his feet, but was completely trapped beneath the All American wrestler. Rather than risk shortening his career, Gracie did what he had only done once before in his life: he tapped out.

After Island FC didn't renew his contract, Gracie moved on to Highland Island, submitting Feisal Aabi Hassan and Arkadiusz Bzura, two names that my brain refuses to type correctly on the first go around. However, in his third bout with Highland Island, Gracie was paired up with famed submission specialist Silvio Preovenza, who would go on to win the fight on points, dominating in the battle for position across all three rounds.

Having tasted the bitter, salty flavor of defeat for the third time in his career, Lucio Gracie decided that it was time to make a change; he hadn't been taking his training as seriously as he could have, and he finally admitted it to himself after the Provenza loss.


Refocused and ready for war, Gracie smashed Tom Sloan and Gustavo Coelho, finishing out his Highland Island career on back-to-back victories.


With the fifth season of The Island coming to a close, Gracie was invited to participate in the season finale tournament; his first fight would be a rematch with Coelho. Although Coelho would manage to survive four more minutes in this encounter, the ending would be a near duplication of their first battle, with Gracie taking home a first round armbar once again.

Next, Lucio faced dangerous Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Carlos Diego Ferreira, who would go on to compete in Highland Games. Lucio dominated Ferreira before submitting him with an opening round arm triangle choke.

As fate would have it, his third round opponent in the tournament would be none other than reigning Highland Island welterweight champion: Hyman Krustofski, who was on an incredible eight fight winning streak at the time.

The two grapplers met in the middle of the cage and clinched up, with Krustofski holding Gracie against the fence. With Gracie trapped, Krustofski landed uppercuts up the middle before pushing away and returning to the center of the cage.

Gracie began stalking forward, looking to get within grappling distance; meanwhile, Krustofski was throwing long strikes, trying to keep his opponent at bay. Krustofski landed a few nice jabs, opening a small cut over Gracie's face. Two minutes into the fight, Gracie scored a double leg takedown into guard.


 

Gracie attempted to drop back for a leg lock, but slipped and lost his position; Krustofski dove into top guard, and almost fell into a guillotine choke, but managed to stay out of danger for the moment. Gracie began a bit of tried and true submission spam from the bottom, repeatedly threatening for a triangle choke or a guillotine choke, and Krustofski seemed to be well on his way to claiming the round for himself; however, he got complacent from within the high guard of Gracie, didn't notice that a triangle choke was being applied until it was too late. Krustofski submitted to avoid going to sleep, and Lucio Gracie advanced into the tournament semi-finals.


Lucio Gracie's most recent fight took place within the tournament semi-final round, where he faced Rick James, bitch. James was a strong wrestler but was also very competent on his feet as well. The two fighters would trade blows from within the clinch, although Rick James would maintain a clear advantage with dirty boxing.

James broke free from the clinch, and attempted to tie Gracie up again, but instead tagged him with a right hand that sent him spiraling to the floor! Gracie was badly hurt, and James clinched once more, seeming content to finish the fight against the cage; Gracie pulled guard and held onto a loose guillotine choke, which allowed him to survive the first round.

In the second round, Rick James landed a crisp right hand and clinched up again, tagging the still shaken Gracie with blow after blow before dropping him with another powerful shot on the button. Gracie, in all sorts of trouble, began trying to force his way into takedown range, but ran into an uppercut as came forward! Gracie went down, knocked out cold for the first time in his career.


Hyman Krustofski, affectionately known as “Krusty” to friends and fans, is an Israeli mixed martial arts fighter. Following a rough childhood, Hyman turned to martial arts for solace. An avid fan of Muay Thai, Hyman's dream was to become a world champion; however, he would make the transition to MMA long before this goal was realized.


Hyman, much like his esteemed opponent Gracie, made his MMA debut on Season 5 of The Island, and followed a very similar path to the man as well. Hyman started out in the Island FC promotion, besting Thomas Kirkland via unanimous decision.


It was quickly realized that, while Krusty may have lacked in raw power, he was a technical wizard on the feet. However, his lack of a ground game soon became a problem; Hyman would lose two of his next four bouts, which led to him being cut by Island FC.


After brutally knocking out Anthony Ramirez in the QFC, Hyman signed with Highland Island, defeating King Diamond via unanimous decision and winning fight of the night honors for his troubles.


Hyman Krustofski would go on a tear through the Highland Island welterweight division, stopping Tobious Khan and Robbie Lawler before facing the venerable welterweight champion, Rick James, for the title. Although Krustofski would land the majority of the strikes in this fight, Rick James was clearly the heavier hitter throughout the exchanges

 In the end, the scorecards would reflect the true closeness of the fight, with two judges declaring different rounds to be a draw; Krusty walked away with a close majority decision victory, and the welterweight championship.


 


Due to the dominance of former champion Rick James, an immediate rematch between the two was booked; this time, Krustofski would come very close to finishing James in the final round, but would ultimately have to settle for a unanimous decision victory.


 


After solidifying his hold on the championship, Hyman Krustofski was invited to the Season 5 Finale Tournament, where he faced a Donald Trump clone in the opening tier. Krustofski would do what many Americans dream of, when he beat the life out of Trump, finishing him in the opening round. Next, Krusty dominated Tobious Khan, defeating him in a one-sided unanimous decision.


In his most recent bout, Hyman Krustofski was submitted by Lucio Gracie in the third tier of the tournament.


Consequently, both men were dropped by their management following their tournament loss.


[A closer look](Lucio Gracie)

Age: 27

Started Fighting At: 25

Record: 11-4 Knockouts: 0 Submissions: 11

Bravado Record: N/A

Total Opponent Record: 114-63-0

Division Ranking: N/A

Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Brown Belt)


Accolades or Accomplishments:-Submission of the Night (x3)-Island S5 Semi-Finalist


 

(Hyman Krustofski)

Age: 27  Started Fighting At: 25

Record: 11-3  Knockouts: 4 Submissions: 0 Bravado Record: N/A   Total Opponent Record: 95-53-1

Division Ranking: N/A

Style: Muay Thai 

Accolades or Accomplishments:

-Former Highland Island Welterweight Champion (1 Defense)-Fight of the Night (x2) -Knockout of the Night (x1)-Island S5 Quarter-Finalist

 

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