|
 HIGHLAND 62 PREVIEW BY BILLY JONESSON
Good evening all and welcome to the preview of Highland 62 on the Island at Hard Knocks Arena, it’s sure to be a sellout crowd. Boy do we have a lot to look out for in this one. Fans will not want to miss out on the action as 10 fights are set for the event with the welterweight and heavyweight titles up for grabs. I’m Billy Jonesson, here to take a look at the top 5 fights on the night and give my predictions, let’s jump right into this.
Maro “Roar” Pjetlic (4-0-1) vs. Adrik “Slabhead” Mihaylov (5-0-1)
Heavyweight Title
This is the match all fans are here to see: defending champion Mihaylov and his challenger Pjetlic square off once again to find out who the true heavyweight champ is. These two heavyweights are KO kings with all of their wins coming from knockouts, and after their last bout in Highland 54 ended in a draw, fans took to Buzz to demand they go one more round and settle it once and for all, and I’ve got to say, who wasn’t disappointed with a draw in a title match? I, for one, am pumped to see these guys get back after it and determine who is the true Highland heavyweight champion. In their last matchup, Mihaylov looked to keep Pjetlic in close in the clinch and give Pjetlic knees relentlessly, while Pjetlic looked to stay on the outside and strike when the time was right. For both fighters, this was an unordinary matchup. This was Mihaylov’s first bout that went past the first round, and the first to go longer than 2 minutes. Similarly for Pjetlic, this was his first fight that went to decision. Both fighters seem to have met their matches against each other, and have been working hard with coaches to get their stamina up ahead of their rematch. Let’s take a look at Mihaylov first. The 25 year old Romanian stands at a towering 202 cm and uses his long legs to get good knees in and boasts what many regard as the strongest knees on the Island. I’m excited to see if he plans to shake things up this time around or stick to what he knows he can dominate with: the clinch. Mihaylov is currently sitting at the number 4 spot in the Highland p4p rankings, dropping 2 spots after the draw with Pjetlic. Mihaylov needs to secure a win in this event to get back to the top of the totem pole. Looking now at Pjetlic, the 26 year old Croatian does have the weight advantage in this one, and throws every pound he has into his punches. He will surely look to stay on the outside and avoid the clinch. I’m looking forward to seeing how Pjetlic stays out of the clinch; he’s been working with his coaches on this one and has got to know it’s coming.
Keys to Victory:
Mihaylov needs to control the match in the clinch as he’s been proven to do time and again in his matches. If he can keep Pjetlic in close and hammer in the knees, it will be tough for Pjetlic to stay in it.
Pjetlic knows the clinch is coming and should be well prepared to defend it. If he can stay on the outside, avoid the clinch, and get his heavy hand in when he can, Mihaylov may have trouble controlling the match.
Prediction: Overall, this is a must-see match between two future heavyweight greats. I think in their last matchup, Mihaylov was unprepared to go the distance with Pjetlic and it caught him by surprise. My pick here is Pjetlic by decision. I think he’ll be ready to defend the clinch and there will be a new heavyweight champ for Highland. That being said, this fight can really go either way depending on who takes control. I’m excited to see where this one takes us.
Daron Acemoglu (5-2-0) vs. Maurice “The Crusher” Tillet (7-1-0)
Welterweight Title
For the welterweight title, we have two studs going at it in Acemoglu and defending welterweight champion Tillet and I can’t wait to get into this one. Both of these guys are coming off win streaks and certainly won’t want them to end when they walk out of that cage. Tillet, currently the 2nd p4p fighter in Highland, is coming into the cage with confidence having knocked off then number 1 Adam Shalashaska in his last fight at Highland 55. Tillet has to be eyeing that number 1 spot in the rankings coming into the cage. Meanwhile Acemoglu, currently sitting at the 20th spot in the Highland rankings, knocked out Nolan Diaz in his last fight. Let’s take a closer look at each of these fighters. For Tillet, the 26 year old has been fighting on islands his whole life, having been born in the Caribbean, so the Island isn’t far from home for him. With a record of 7 wins and 1 loss, this man can fight. All seven of his wins have come by KO and I’m sure he’ll be looking to add one more to that category in this fight. The wrestling counter fighter punishes his opponents' mistakes early and has a nice ground and pound game. Tillet keeps his opponents close and controls the fight from the ground until he finds the right moment to deliver the final blow. With the top spot on the rankings and welterweight title within reach, Tillet will be coming out ready to deliver a decisive win. Taking a look at Acemoglu now, the 26 year old hailing from Turkey has traveled far from home to be fighting on the Island. With a record of 5 wins and 2 losses, he has 4 knockouts to his name and 1 decision victory, proving he can go the distance in a fight. Also a wrestling counter fighter, Acemoglu has taken a few pages from Tillet’s book. However in this fight he should be wary of trying to control the ground game. Tillet is a superior BJJ fighter and might be able to out-maneuver Acemoglu on the ground. This will be the first title Acemoglu has fought for so you know he will be hungry to be crowned the next welterweight champ.
Keys to Victory:
Tillet needs to stay where he is comfortable and keep Acemoglu on the ground. If Tillet can control the position and wait for his opponent to make a mistake, he has a good shot at taking this one back home with him.
For Acemoglu, he needs to stay patient. As both fighters prefer counterplay, it can be tempting to get aggressive early. If Acemoglu lets Tillet come at him first, he’ll be comfortable reacting to what comes his way.
Prediction: I am excited to see what's to come of this fight, and see if Acemoglu can hang in with the current champ. For me, as both fighters like to stay on the ground, I’m picking Tillet by KO. Yes, Acemoglu has the advantage in boxing and muay thai, but I think if Tillet can keep this one on the ground he’ll minimize Acemoglu’s advantages.
Schlunckr Diesel (6-2-0) vs. Sean Martin (4-2-0)
Heavyweight Bout
What’s better than a couple of heavyweight knockout artists going at it? I know I can’t think of anything to top it. Diesel currently sits at the 16th spot in the Highland rankings and will be looking to climb up the ladder after this fight. Martin, currently under new management, looks to notch his first win with fresh supervision. Despite being the exact same height (an impressive 202 cm), Diesel has more than a 20 lb advantage over Martin, and I’ll be looking to see how this affects the fight. Taking a further look at Diesel, the 26 year old is looking to join elite company as one of the few famous Bhutanese people. He is surely a hometown hero. With a record of 6 wins and 2 losses, he’s managed to secure knockouts in each of his 6 wins, and hasn’t let a fight go on past the first round. Diesel adapts well to his competition, and plays to his advantages in each fight individually, keeping the fight on his terms. On to Martin now, the 26 year old from the Czech Republic is hoping to climb the ranks under new management. Currently sitting at the 35th spot on the Highland p4p rankings, I’d watch for him to creep up a little higher. This guy may be a little light by heavyweight standards, but don’t count him out. He uses his height advantage to punish his opponents with high flying kicks. All 4 of his wins were by a head kick knockout, and like Diesel hasn’t had a fight last longer than the first round. I’m interested to see how this fight will play out.
Keys to Victory:
Diesel needs to take advantage of some of Martin’s passive play and keep the fight on his terms. If Diesel can stay on his feet and control the fight, he’ll come out on top.
For Martin, I’d like to see him be a bit more aggressive this time around and try to take Diesel to the ground and let his BJJ advantage shine. Diesel has lost before by submission, and if Martin can get an early takedown and control from the floor, it’s sure to be a good night for him.
Prediction: In this matchup, I’ve got Diesel by knockout. Yes, Martin does have a sizable BJJ advantage, but I don’t see Diesel allowing himself to be taken to the ground. Diesel fights where he feels comfortable and he’s not going anywhere he doesn’t. He knows that Martin has an advantage on the ground and will be sure to prepare for that.
“Grazy Irish” Archie Laird (6-1-0) vs. Space Jesus (5-1-0)
Light Heavyweight Bout
This matchup features a couple of light heavyweights with different playstyles. Physically, they match up well weight wise, but Jesus has a massive height and reach advantage which will come into play. Laird currently sits at the 22nd spot in the Highland rankings, whereas Jesus is looking to climb up from the 57th spot with a decisive win here in this event. Taking a look at Laird, the 26 year old KO specialist from Ireland is no leprechaun. Laird has been bulking up at the gym to improve his superb ground and pound game. Laird is patient in fights, waiting for the right opportunity to take his opponents to ground and strike relentlessly. Jesus, however, plays a different game in the cage. Coming from the Bahamas, this caribbean kid loves the ground game. An aggressive submission specialist, Jesus is always looking for a takedown and sub. Jesus takes his time for the right takedown chance to come across, and as such fans find his fights to be rather anticlimactic. However, once he gets his takedown, he is relentless with sub attempts. His reach advantage gives him a huge help in BJJ, and he capitalizes on that in all of his fights.
Keys to Victory:
Laird should be cautious on the ground against Jesus. I know he’s a ground and pound specialist, but a strong BJJ fighter like Jesus is most comfortable on the ground. If Laird can maintain control and strike hard, he should come out on top.
Similarly, Jesus should be wary of letting Laird take control on the ground. If Jesus can keep Laird where he wants him and use his length to his advantage, he’s got a good shot of walking out victorious.
Prediction: My pick here is Laird by KO. Laird has shown no difficulties dominating the ground game in the past and I don’t expect that to change for this fight. Both fighters train at the same gym, so I wonder how they’ll hide their preparation from each other.
Amaru “Tank” Kawiwasulu (3-1-0) vs. Rashid Elkhan (4-0-0)
Heavyweight Bout
For the last fight set for preview we have another exciting heavyweight matchup on tap for the event between two impressive fighters. Kawiwasulu boasts a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, with all three of his wins coming by KO. This guy is scary big. Standing an impressive 185 cm and weighing in at just under 275 lbs, it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out where the Sudanese beast got his nickname from. Kawiwasulu has been working hard with his coaches to make weight for this fight, but don’t expect him to be any bit weaker than at full weight. Kawiwasulu loves to swing hard and will dominate opponents in the clinch if given the opportunity. This guy is a knockout machine, and will surely be looking for a quick one up against Elkhan. Meanwhile, Elkhan is every bit as big as Kawiwasulu. Standing at a towering 193 cm and the scales reading just over 265, Elkhan fills any room he is in. The 26 year old Russian will look to extend his unbeaten streak here against Kawiwasulu. Kawiwasulu is aggressive at the start, but Elkhan prefers a more reactionary game. His boxing background and height advantage should help him out in this one.
Keys to Victory:
Kawiwasulu needs to come out of the gates assertively and take control of Elkhan in the clinch early. I’d like to see if he can implement some leg work in his muay thai game and have that help him in the clinch. If he can keep Elkhan in close, it won’t be a long fight.
Elkhan needs to do just the opposite: stay on the outside and wait for the right time to strike. If he can catch Kawiwasulu on a mistake and punish him quickly, I think Elkhan has the ability to keep his unbeaten streak alive.
Prediction: My pick here is Elkhan by KO. As long as he can stay on the outside, I think Elkhan has got this one. Kawiwasulu tends to rely on his raw power a little too much, and Elkhan should be prepared to punish his mistakes. Overall, I’m excited to see this matchup and how it unfolds.
That’s all I’ve got for this preview of Highland 62. Thanks for tuning in, I hope you all enjoyed it. As always, let me know what you think. If you think my predictions were shit, let me know! Thanks to all who worked to get this together, and best of luck to all fighters competing! Until next time!
Article views:
27
» Donate to this author |
