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OMEGA FIGHTING – WIND OF CHANGE PREVIEW
By Alika Webb
Epic accomplishments from mere mortal men have shattered the foundations of Omega and they have already created historical moments that will echo through time. This is the place where prospects come to test their strength and some may become legends while others have to face reality. Will the new wind that is blowing through the Omega ranks cause a storm of a magnitude we have never seen before or has the storm already reached it’s peak?
Welcome to a new era of Omega! The Omega fighters are fired up and are looking to take Omega Fighting and it’s sponsor Urban Fighter to another level. Headlining the event is the newly crowned light heavyweight champion. The JR superstar will be taking on an undefeated prospect. The featherweight title might not be on the line but the champion is set to compete in a superfight that will knock your socks off. The bully is looking to make a statement that he is the ruler of the Omega campus before graduation. And further down the card, DJ Thunda looks to keep riding the wave after making history by pulling off the single biggest upset ever under the Omega banner.
Main event:
205 lbs - Ja Wuan Robinson (11-3) Vs Oswald Cobblepot (4-0)
The new blood taking over the Omega ranks is personified in the main event as the JR superstar comes face to face with the penguin of doom. Ja Wuan Robinson came in like a wrecking ball and is currently smashing his way through the competition. Now reigning supreme at the top of his division, he is set to defend his light heavyweight strap for the very first time. The first hurdle on his title run is the undefeated prospect, the penguin of doom.
Ja Wuan Robinson is a potential million dollar prospect at the top of his game. He exploded to the Omega scene when he dominated grappling expert Sergey Beznisko. He manhandled the durable Beznisko and made it look easy. Don’t forget his previous accomplishments before coming to Omega Fighting either as those two things combined made him an interesting challenger for the former champion Zeph Frazier. On paper both fighters looked like they were pretty even and the fight we all anticipated definitely did not disappoint. The first two rounds were closely contested and could have gone either way. Frazier had a small advantage in the first round while Robinson took over the lead in the second round and ended up cutting Frazier at the end of that round. The slight edge in the second round gave Robinson the courage to keep moving forward and he kept pushing the champion’s buttons. Robinson rocked Frazier in the third round and like a shark in the water he smelled the blood and kept the pressure on Frazier until he crumbled under it. A talented striker with a fearsome clinch game to top it off, the new champion is the undeniable favorite in his first title defense.
The challenger Oswald Cobblepot is another prospect who made a statement in his promotional debut and took Omega Fighting by storm as this title shot will be just the third time he’s entering the Omega Fighting cage. The first three fights of his career didn’t last very long as the penguin managed to finish his opponents in the very first round. That gave him an aura of mystery and fans were wondering if this prospect could be the real deal. In his last fight the penguin had his fate in the hands of the judges for the first time in his career and rumor has it that he didn’t like it. That fight showed the fans that he isn’t a one dimensional fighter, while he does love to throw bombs he can do more than just boxing and he has got enough cardio to keep up the pace for three five minute rounds. Will the cardio of the penguin be able to last for five five minute rounds is the question now or will it not be necessary as the penguin packs a punch that could end the reign of the newly crowned champion before it can even begin.
Co-main event:
145 lbs - Ahsan Hamed (10-5) Vs Albert Ricci (6-0)
Superfight? I guess so. Everybody who follows Omega Fighting closely knows that Ahsan Hamed loves his social media. He does it well too as he was nominated for the fight character of the year 2016 award. While he didn’t get the award it didn’t stop him from celebrating his last victory online and that got the attention of undefeated prospect Albert Ricci. Hamed wrote that he was exhausted from his last fight and the training leading up to it and he said he looked forward to taking a long vacation. This ticked off the New York native Albert Ricci who took a personal jab at Hamed by stating he should not go on vacation that long as that could be the reason he’s lost five times already. Things heated up and the war of words created enough buzz to make this superfight possible.
Ahsan Hamed never backs down from a challenge. That is the least you can say about the current Omega featherweight champion. When he won the title, he didn’t sit back and relax to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He boldly took a giant leap forward as he went up a weight class to challenge Omega hall of famer Morrison Lee. The dangerous striker is a showman and the crowd loves him for it but he needs to face facts, one third of the fights he’s been into were losses. It’s a statistic that doesn’t show all the facts but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. He might have faced some really tough opponents and he is the current Omega featherweight champion but he only won two times in his last four fights. That is a fact and that gives him a credibility problem which Ricci more than picked up on. But what Ricci failed to see was that the champion has been in the cage with the best opposition he could find and went to war multiple times. The experience edge goes to the Omega champion and if he can turn this into a slugfest that could be enough to tip the scales in his favor. Hamed needs another win to establish once and for all that he is worth standing in the spotlights as the best his division has to offer.
Albert Ricci didn’t just see a champion from another organization boasting with a record that doesn’t exactly jump off the page. He saw an opportunity to get an easy victory that could elevate his own reputation and he took it. That is a smart move and should he be able to win, I dare say a brilliant move. If Ricci can pull this off, he should thank his manager for making this happen. His manager in this case isn’t just a knight on a white horse for this talented kid, he is the king, queen and the rest of the royal family riding a purple frigging unicorn on a rainbow leading to a big pot of gold. But he hasn’t made it to the finish line yet, to do that he still needs to overcome the obstacle that is Ahsan Hamed. And that obstacle won’t be so easy to overcome as Hamed has experience fighting under enormous pressure and going to war while Ricci simply has not. The All American Italian hasn’t been battle tested yet but Hamed could be just the opponent he needs to show off his true skills. Will Ricci be able to keep his head above water when he faces the aggressive Ahsan Hamed or will the Omega featherweight champion be able to teach the outsider a lesson in cage warfare?
170 lbs - Russell Northrop (8-0) Vs Dan Howson (5-5)
Change is coming to the welterweight division it seems as the bully has set his sights higher and will be looking to graduate from Omega Fighting summa cum laude. The bully will be looking at his last fight in Omega as a mere tune-up fight before moving up to the big leagues. Should that be the case the Omega welterweight title will be up for grabs but there is still one man standing in the way of the bully.
Russell Northrop came into Omega Fighting undefeated and he will be looking to leave the same way. The champion has dominated in the short period of time he was in Omega and we hope that he’ll be able to look back with joy at the time he had in Omega. He has given the fans some memorable moments during his visit so let’s take a trip down memory lane. He dominated in his debut fight against Arthur Raudrson, he toyed with Raudrson like a cat plays with its food before eating it as he proved superior no matter where the fight took place. In his second fight he took on fellow undefeated prospect Bosco Iwoba, it was a close back and forth battle but the bully managed to outwork Iwoba to get the win. In his third fight the bully dominated Patrick Cleary to win the vacant Omega welterweight title but it wasn’t a flawless victory as the bully did get caught at the end of the fifth and final round. In his last fight the bully showed his absolute superiority over the veteran Mike Freitag. The well rounded bully has one more victim left to pick on before leaving. Will he be able to give the Omega fans one more memorable victory before leaving or will his Omega run end with a shocking defeat?
Dan "The Degenerate" Howson is on a two fight winning streak and should he be able to defeat the bully he will be instantly catapulted to fame as it would be an even bigger upset than DJ Thunda defeating the legendary Omega hall of famer Morrison Lee. Howson has lethal high kicks and knows how to use them. The bully seemingly has no weaknesses but he hasn’t fought a kickboxer sporting kicks as high level as Howson’s. Could those kicks be the answer to solving the puzzle that is Russell Northrop?
155 lbs - DJ Thunda (7-4-1) Vs Timothy Wilkinson (5-3)
Can DJ Thunda prove that he isn’t a one-hit wonder after his incredible upset victory over the living legend Morrison Lee or is it Timothy Wilkinson’s time to shine?
Fresh off one of the most memorable upsets in recent MMA history, DJ Thunda will need to prove that beating Morrison Lee wasn’t just a fluke and that he is deserving of one of the most coveted belts in Omega Fighting. After a lackadaisical first round, the heavy-handed brawler rattled Lee in the second round and quickly finished the fight with a big overhand right. The question needs to be asked if DJ is ready to carry the division as a rematch with Morrison Lee is bound to happen soon should he be victorious.
Timothy "Xtreme" Wilkinson is no stranger to the new champion as they have faced off before and it was Wilkinson who had his hand raised in the end. Last time they fought, neither managed to really impress and both had a hard time getting something going. This is a typical Wilkinson game plan. Wilkinson loves to dictate the pace by throwing fast and sharp strikes that keep his opponents guessing which throws off their timing.
DJ has shown time and time again that he possesses the power needed to put fellow lightweights to sleep, but will he be able to dictate the pace of this bout without falling into a Wilkinson style fight?
205 lbs - Harry Sachz (9-8) Vs Aaron Alvarez (5-4)
You only get one chance to make a first impression, but one chance is all you need. Promotional newcomer Harry Sachz will face a lot of pressure in his fight with Aaron Alvarez as he is currently on a three fight losing streak. The submission standout will be looking to take this fight to the ground where he has the advantage. Looking to keep the promotional newcomer off the winning track is Aaron Alvarez. Alvarez is a well rounded martial artist and he likes to show off his resourcefulness by switching game plans often. While Sachz will be looking for the takedowns, Alvarez would be better off standing and trading so expect this to be a classic striker Vs grappler matchup.
185 lbs - Kenji Sato (5-5) Vs James Bean (4-3)
Don’t mistake their undercard status as a sign that this will be a boring fight, this is a rematch that could end up stealing the thunder from the entire main card if they are willing to go to war like they did last time. The last time these two clashed the fight went all over the place, it was a fight where neither had a significant advantage wherever the fight ended up and the fans loved it. They are well rounded and both are scrappy fighters that put their heart and soul out there when they step into that cage.
265 lbs - Ray Stuckey (3-1) Vs Quetzal Montezuma (3-3)
"Rampaging" Ray Stuckey has a simple but very effective game plan, he just keeps punching you until you go down. Stuckey throws hard shots, constantly advances and isn’t afraid to take one to give one. He is a headhunter and even if you know what’s coming, one punch is all he needs to end the fight. Should he beat Montezuma, we could be looking at a future heavyweight title contender. Former champion Quetzal Montezuma was unsuccessful in capturing the belt for a second time and is now looking to get back in title contention, a win over prospect on the rise Ray Stuckey should do just that. Both heavyweights are known for their striking so expect this to be a standup war that could end by every single strike thrown.
170 lbs - Peaky Blinder (9-8) Vs Chinggis Khaan (2-0)
Peaky Blinder just had an impressive career-resurrecting five fight winning streak snapped but a change of scenery could be just what he needs as he is set to make his promotional debut. Blinder is a dangerous fighter perpetually looking for an opening to finish the fight. He does have power in his hands but he doesn’t let it limit himself by focusing on one aspect of the game instead he has chosen to incorporate multiple aspects of as many martial art forms as possible in his skill set. Also making his promotional debut is the Spanish undefeated prospect Chinggis Khaan. Both his fights went by swiftly and we haven’t been able to really see the whole picture of what Khaan brings to the cage. We know that he can knock people out but a lot still remains a mystery in terms of MMA capabilities.
155 lbs - Whitey O Whitersson (7-7) Vs Stevie Franchise (7-7)
Zimbabwean boxer Whitey O Whitersson didn’t do so well in his promotional debut to say the least. He got finished halfway through the first round in a brawl against Dick Pound. He needs to step up his game to end his current two fight losing streak. Fellow striker Stevie "The Hugmaster" Franchise had a great two fight winning streak snapped when he lost to Boris Zhivago but the hugmaster is still ranked high in the Omega cup standings and a solid win could be enough to get himself back in the number one position.
155 lbs - Boris Zhivago (3-1) Vs Otavio Martins (0-2)
Fresh off an impressive performance, Boris "Ice Cold Killer" Zhivago didn’t just fight against Stevie Franchise. He made it a display of his well roundedness. Zhivago didn’t just want to win, he wanted to show the world that he was better than his opponent in every single possible way and did just that. If he can keep raking in the wins he could be poised for a higher ranked opponent soon. New signee Otavio Martins is looking to finally get his career started as he has yet to taste the sweet smell of victory. He hasn’t been able to impress and therefore not much is known about the Brazilian jiu jitsu brown belt.
Will the new wind blowing through Omega take the current establishment by storm? Will the bully graduate with highest honors? This and more, find out on February twelfth.
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