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 HFC 9 -Tonissaar vs Rocca
Event Preview
3-14-2020 - Montreal - Hayashi's Lounge
MMA - 10 point must - Cage Fight
Hello HARDCORE MMA fans! Riding on the heels of our first ever Friday 13th event comes HFC 9 - Tonissaar vs Rocca!
A loaded card with fights from all across the divisions showcasing a lot of up and coming talant! There is on amatuer fight on the card to kick things off between two young first time fighters who won the chance to fight infront of the HFC fans by way of thier gym, HARDCORE MMA.
So lets get this party started and take a look into this card as we head into the final week before the event.
Seth Sanders vs Luka Marka
This is a 3 minute single round fight between two young fighters out of HARDCORE MMA gym. These two displayed excellence in training and are having a sparring match in front of the entire HFC world. What a big moment for these two young fighters. Good luck boys!
Tourney Guy vs Barry Jameson
Our first fight of the evening after our warm out sparring bout features two fighters from the Bantamweight division squaring off as Guy (5-1) looks to bounce back from his only loss as he faces Jameson (2-2).
Jameson is a wonderful wrestler who also holds a blue belt in BJJ. He's no stranger to the ground game and said he loves to spend time on his knees beating other men... ok, a little too far with that one, I know. He was with HFC before the merger and is 1-1 in his first two HFC events, losing his last fight in a title shot against then champion Jack Waller.
Jameson was eliminated in round two of the QFC rookie tournament, but bounced back when he hit the HFC. Now, he will be looking to bounce back once again but it will not be easy as he faces a strong opponent.
Guy also was a QFC rookie tournament standout as he won QFC tournament 947 with some impressive ground and pound. At 5-0, he was riding high and entered the HFC looking to continue his dominance. Unexpectedly, Guy found himself being called out by another HFC newcomer who had just won QFC tournament 953. In the battle of tourny champs, Guy found himself on the losing end of an arm triangle and tasted the bitterness of defeat for the first time.
As if setting the stage, these two warriors both will be looking to bounce back from a loss in a rebound match against each other. One will suffer consecutive losses for the first time, the other will bounce back and be on top of the world again.
This should be an exciting match, indeed.
(JW's prediction: Tourney Guy via TKO)
Rogerio Duarte vs Jason Royce
Duarte (3-1) enters this fight as a wonderful wrestler with a blue belt in BJJ. He's also shown some basic striking ability giving him a somewhat balanced skill set which allows for more versatility. So far, it's been working for him as he's served up 3 strait wins.
His first time ever stepping into a cage in the HFC, the lights will be shining bright and he will look to rise to the occasion to keep at his winning ways.
His opponent, Royce (1-1) is a wonderful boxer and a very solid wrestler. He never wasted time with the QFC and jumped strait into SMASH where he won his debut fight against Carter Lynch. He followed that up with an early stoppage loss due to a cut which left a bitter taste in his mouth. He's looking to show that his previous loss was a fluke, and a little blood won't stop him this time around.
(JW's pick: Duarte via TKO)
Pierre Bonin vs Mikey Ace
Bonin (1-0) is a new fighter to the HFC with only one amateur win under his belt in the QFC. He showed some nice grappling skills and set in a kimura for a well earned victory. He's a ground specialist with extensive training in wrestling and holding a blue belt in BJJ, he's also started working on his stand up game mixing in a little boxing and MT.
A virtual unknown to the HFC, but Bonin will be looking to change that as he steps into the cage against his opponent, Mikey Ace (1-1).
Unlike Bonin, Ace is a striker through and through. He's a superb boxer with a little training in MT and even less in wrestling. I think he just sat in a WWE rehearsal and picked up a few shoulder slap moves.
Fortunately, Ace isn't worried about wrestling as he will be looking to use his boxing advantage and keep this fight standing. His last bout, in his HFC debut, was a devastating loss to Nelson Nicky by a kimura submission, and he wants no part of that happening again.
This fight will be determined on how well Ace can defend the takedown. If Bonin gets the fight to the ground, it could be an early ending for Ace. However, if Ace can stay standing, there's a good chance Bonin will be going to sleep this fight. I look forward to seeing this one!
(JWs pick: Bonin via submission)
Sammy Bongo vs Manu Tau
Bongo (0-2) is in a tailspin to start his MMA career. Jumping strait into the big leagues having never tested himself in the amateur ranks, Bongo is finding out that the HARDCORE men hit a hell of a lot harder than anything he's used to. Rumors from his camp say that his moral is at an all time low after losing these first two fights, but that he's determined to keep working and grinding it out.
His opponent will not make that easy for him as he will be facing Tau (2-2). Tau and Bongo both are ground specialist, but Tau is the more polised grappler of the two. Tau is a better wrestler, and a brown belt in BJJ where Bongo is only a blue belt.
(JWs pick: Tau via submission)
Luke Vader vs Syd Sydney
And now we are getting into the fights people came to see! This bout from our welterweight division features two veteran fighters looking to duke it out for supremacy. Vader (6-4) has been around the block a few times and will be looking to utilize his MT striking to score another KO victory in this bout. He will need his wrestling skill to keep this fight standing as his opponent will surely look to take the fight to the ground.
Syd Sydney (4-2), who's dad was on a business trip when his mom gave birth and was over medicated and thought she was filling out the location on his birth certificate, has been fighting off bullies his whole life making fun of his name. Growing up in Sydney with a a name of Syd Sydney didn't garner him much respect as a child. He used that fighting to develop himself into a pretty respectable fighter in the MMA today and will be looking to earn some more respect Saturday night when he takes on Vader.
(JWs pick: Sydney wins via submission)
Frederick Hornfellow III vs Colby Ortiz
In a lightweight showdown between Hornfellow (5-2) and Ortiz (3-1) expect there to be fireworks. Both fighters have impressive records and each will be looking to build upon their winning ways.
Hornfellow is an excellent MT striker with some very solid defensive wrestling skills. He will surely be looking to score a quick KO victory and never let this one get to the mat. He's riding a two fight win streak and has no intention of losing Saturday as he claws his way up the rankings in hopes of earning the gold one day.
His opponent, Ortiz, is also full of confidence despite losing his last fight to Martin Alexander. Alexander, a contender for the gold, was the toughest opponent to date for Ortiz, and that would include Hornfellow. Ortiz has proven he's not afraid to step into the cage with anyone, and he'll be looking to get this fight to the ground and wear down his opponent. Despite his BJJ training, Ortiz has been known to use the ground and pound to finish his fights, and he's promised once this fight goes to the ground, he'll dish out some more GnP punishment on Hornfellow as he rebounds in his own personal quest for the gold.
(JWs pick: Ortiz via TKO)
David Dilbrandt vs Chad Repine
In a high profile bantamweight fight we have Dilbrandt (2-0) facing off against Repine (5-3).
Dilbrandt has been training hard and after a short 2-0 stint in WCKD, he has his eyes set on the HFC champ and change orgs to earn a chance to face him. With a very well rounded game, Dilbrandt is a well known striker who's not afraid to take a fight to the ground. Being a newcomer to the HFC, he will be stepping into face an established fighter in Chad Repine who after coming off a loss in his last bout against champion Cody Garbrandt called out the entire bantamweight division saying he was the most HARDCORE mofo on the block and dared someone to challenge him.
With a HARDCORE mentality like that, Repine will definitely try to knock Dilbrandts head off to avenge his two recent defeats. Not quite as prolific of a striker as Dilbrandt, Repine can hold his own with a good blend of boxing and MT, but his most skilled training is in his wrestling background which he'll likely need as Dilbrandt is a solid wrestler himself, but also a purple belt BJJ artist.
This fight has all the makings of a main event on a card that is loaded with great fights at the top. Will Repine get back to his winning ways and back on track towards the belt, or will the newcomer live up to his own self hype and start his journey to challenge the champ off on the right foot.
(JWs pick: Dilbrandt wins via TKO)
Henri Kirchen vs Keon Douglas
Our co-main event of the evening comes from the heavyweight division where Kirchen (3-1) squares off against division foe Douglas (4-0). Though both fighters are young in their career, both have shown the ability to finish fights and know how to win.
Kirchen comes into this fight with a 3-1 record from his time on the islands, but is now under new management here on the mainlands and has landed himself in the HFC to start his professional career. A ground specialist, Kirchen is a wonderful wrestler and holds a purple belt in BJJ. He started his career with three strait wins, but a loss in his last fight blemished his otherwise flawless record. He will be looking to avenge that loss and get back to his winning ways in a big way by defeating Douglas.
Douglas has popped off three strait wins in his professional career in SMASH and later HFC. He also has won his only amature fight in the QFC, and puts his 4-0 record on the line against a good fighter in Kirchen.
Douglas relies on his superb boxing and some strong wrestling skills to dominate fights where he has finished all four of his fights by way of (T)KO. For Douglas, Kirchen will be a nice notch in the belt, he just better not look past this opponent or he might find himself on the wrong side of an upset.
(JWs pick: Douglas via TKO)
Baruto Tonissaar vs Reno Rocca
And now, our main event from the Lightweight division, Tonissaar vs Rocca!
Tonissaar has a way with words, that much has been established within the MMA community and he loves to give his opponents fair warning of what he plans to do to them in a way only he could do. At a perfect 4-0 in MMA, Tonissaar diced his way through the HFC tournament and came out on top as the HARDCORE BMF of the 185 class. His tournament win would have offered him a shot at the title, but during the tournament the merger with SMASH took place and the roster has changed so much that we might have to wait a little while to see that fight.
He's well on his way now, and a victory over Rocca will put him one step closer to fighting for that belt. I can't imagine what he has in store for that fight, once it comes around. And no, I do not doubt he will get his title shot in the not so distant future. With exceptional striking skills from extensive boxing and MT training, and some training in wrestling to help him keep the fight standing, Tonnissaar is more than capable of KOing Rocca.
His opponent, Reno Rocca, sports an 8-2 record and is a former champion from his days back on the island. He fell short in the island final tournament, but bounced back with a beautiful armbar over IvanRilski in HFC 5. Now, he's looking to use his well balanced skill set to confuse and steal a win from the confident Tonissaar. At a disadvantage standing, he'll most likely look to take the fight to the ground where he's an equal wrestler, but holds a purple belt in BJJ which is a clear advantage over Tonissaar, the only advantage he has.
(JWs pick: Tonissaar via KO)
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