Lucien Sanchez Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Grey Dog MMA Based In: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Founder: Richard Ryland CEO: Lance Decker Weight Classes: Featherweight –Heavyweight Rule Set - Fights take place in a cage - Main and Rookie fights are 3 x 5 minute rounds, Super Bowl fights are 5 x 5 minute rounds - Three judges use a 10 point must system - Striking and grappling restrictions follow the recently developed Unified Rules of MMA Trophies and Achievements Grey Dog Super Bowl: The big prize, the winners of the two main divisions (Premier League MMA & Major League MMA) face off at the end of the season for the Super Bowl. Premier League MMA: One of the two main divisions of four teams. Each team faces off over the course of a season. The League winners compete with their Major League MMA counterpart for the Super Bowl. The team finishing second rotates with the runners-up in the Major League. The team finishing fourth is relegated to the feeder league, the Liga Segunda in Mexico. Major League MMA: The other main division of four teams. Each team faces off over the course of a season. The League winners compete with their Premier League MMA counterpart for the Super Bowl. The team finishing second rotates with the runners-up in the Premier League. The team finishing fourth is relegated to the feeder league, the Liga Segunda in Mexico. MVF: The Most Valuable Fighter award is given to the fighter who has exceeded all others. It is awarded for each weight class. MVR: The Most Valuable Rookie award is given to the fighter who has exceeded all others. It is not awarded to each weight class. Liga Segunda: The Liga Segunda is GDMMA’s feeder division. Based in Mexico (although it has hosted shows in North America), it is comprised of four teams who compete over the course of a season. The top two teams earn promotion to the main leagues for the next season, with the leagues champions able to choose their division. Liga Segunda Fighter of the Year: The best fighter in Liga Segunda that year. It is not awarded to each weight class. Liga Segunda Rookie of the Year: The best rookie in Liga Segunda that year. It is not awarded to each weight class. Season 1 Camps Premier League MMA Name: New York Hitmen Based: New York, USA Head Coach: Mickey Mathers Assistant Coach: Shane Wickham (Striking), Johnnie Greene (Strength & Conditioning), Vitor Hermenigildo (Grappling) Name: Denver Rush Based: Denver, Colorado Head Coach: Ben Devine Assistant Coach: Conrad Kane (Wrestling & Boxing), Darius Dunn (Jiu Jitsu) Name: Texan Titans Based: Texas, USA Head Coach: Ryan Garrett Name: Vancouver Vultures Based: Vancouver, Canada Head Coach: Wayne de Rosario Major League MMA Name: Sydney Xtreme Based: Sydney , Australia Head Coach: Steven ‘Griffo’ Griffin Name: London Stingrays Based: London, England Head Coach: Gary Spencer Name: Mississippi Hellfires Based: Mississippi, USA Head Coach: Frank Lawler Name: Tokyo Sunrise Based: Tokyo, Japan Head Coach: Kazushi Kagawa Liga Segunda Name: Mexican Maulers Based: Mexico City, Mexico Head Coach: Esteban Oviedo Name: LA Lions Based: Los Angeles, California Head Coach: Nick Ramirez Name: Samba Superstars Based: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Head Coach: Vinicious Alberto Name: Shanghai Knights Based: Shanghai, China Head Coach: Quang Pao Up next: The Season 1 Grey Dog MMA Draft - Live on Combat Sports TV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Sanchez Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Earlier today, both the Premier League and Major League MMA divisions comprising GDMMA took part in the augural draft, live on Combat Sports TV. Also participating were the four teams selected for the Liga Segunda. The draft held few surprises, with all 25 of Blurcat’s pound for pound list drafted to teams. Additionally, the rookies for Season One were also drafted. The teams were then unveiled in their completed form at a press conference, where information packs were also distributed to the media detailing the ins and outs of the competition. The teams are detailed below, with the FAQ to follow in an update: PREMIER LEAGUE MMA NEW YORK HITMEN Based: New York, USA Head Coach: Mickey Mathers Assistant Coach: Shane Wickham (Striking), Johnnie Greene (Strength & Conditioning), Vitor Hermenigildo (Grappling) Main Draft Heavyweight: Terron Cabal (11-0) Light Heavyweight: Pedro Sousa (19-3) Middleweight: Dexter Darling (17-2-1) Welterweight: Carlos da Guia (15-0) Lightweight: Lukas Mellberg (16-3) Featherweight: Sammy Gaffigan (10-1) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Ozzy Bintley (0-0) Light Heavyweight: Rafael van der Moot (7-0) Middleweight: Julio Gutierrez (1-0) Welterweight: Evan Gardner (3-0) Lightweight: Gregory O’Hara (1-0) Featherweight: Lamont Banner (1-0) Analysis: The team that kicked off the draft, there’s no doubt that they’ve picked well, with solid fighters across the board, although there was some surprise they opted to ignore Hassan Fezzik as their number one pick. While Dexter Darling and Lukas Mellberg are resolute fighters who’ll be tough to beat, much will depend on Terron Cabal and Sammy Gaffigan, who have questionable ground games. There is no doubt who the star of the team is, with coach Mickey Mathers hoping he’ll be a star for a long time to come. Their rookies are certainly tough to judge, with only featherweight wonderkid Lamont Banner and Rafael van der Moot known prospects. A lot of faith is being put in English fighter Ozzy Bintley having no pro fights to date. DENVER RUSH Based: Denver, Colorado Head Coach: Ben Devine Assistant Coach: Conrad Kane (Wrestling & Boxing), Darius Dunn (Jiu Jitsu) Main Draft Heavyweight: Lefter Oktay (12-0) Light Heavyweight: Marlon John (11-0) Middleweight: Buddy Garner (13-0) Welterweight: Julio Regueiro (20-0) Lightweight: Fiyero Lermontov (11-0) Featherweight: Kenji Akita (10-1) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Rav Kapur (6-0) Light Heavyweight: Mike Watson (9-0) Middleweight: Danny Akabaro (1-0) Welterweight: Fukusaburu Hirano (10-0-1) Lightweight: Coltrane Aaronson (4-0) Featherweight: Hans Christian Bloch (2-0) Analysis: Already the bookmakers favourites for the Premier League, Ben Devine has no doubt picked well with his team. Buddy Garner and Julio Regueiro are proven fight finishers, while Marlon John and Fiyero Lermontov are hugely promising competitors. Lefter Oktay might also prove he belongs in the heavyweight rankings. Perhaps the only weak link is Kenji Akita, who’s grappling orientated game might struggle against well rounded featherweights. At the rookie level they have also picked well, Rav Kapur and Mike Watson being excellent prospects for the future. TEXAS TITANS Based: Texas, USA Head Coach: Ryan Garrett Main Draft Heavyweight: Jeff Carlton (32-7) Light Heavyweight: Affonso Villar (22-2) Middleweight: Patrick Thomas (16-3) Welterweight: Manuel Silva (13-0) Lightweight: Brandon Sugar (24-4) Featherweight: Li Kong Ho (18-0) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Steve Mason (5-0) Light Heavyweight: William Harrison (3-0) Middleweight: Vivinho (6-1) Welterweight: Datuk on ka Ting (5-0) Lightweight: Atep of Indonesia (8-0) Featherweight: Alejandro Laguera (1-0) Analysis: A very tough team to beat if not the favourites for the league, the Texas Titans will be looking massively to Affonso Villar and Li Kong Ho to finish fights and get serious points on the board. Manuel Silva has also been described by team coach Ryan Garrett as ‘a galaxy of MMA talent’. At the rookie level there are several bright prospects, but questions hang over Steve Mason and Vivinho. VANCOUVER VULTURES Based: Vancouver, Canada Head Coach: Wayne de Rosario Main Draft Heavyweight: Ari Peltonen (23-7) Light Heavyweight: Niko Soldo (14-1-1) Middleweight: JJ Reid (24-5) Welterweight: Claudio Palacios (22-6) Lightweight: Luis Basora (19-3) Featherweight: Phillip Ziskie (14-1-1) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Gerson Mauricio (8-0) Light Heavyweight: Valentin Taneyev (5-0) Middleweight: Drazen Gabelich (6-1) Welterweight: Gideon Navarro (1-0) Lightweight: Marco Bernacci (4-1) Featherweight: Milovan Ajetovic (4-0) Analysis: Predicted by many to be the whipping boys of the Premier League, Coach Wayne de Rosario has certainly gone for experience over youth. That said, their fighters will be tough to finish and Phillip Ziskie will be aiming to prove he is the best featherweight in the world. Perhaps as worryingly, they look short of depth at the rookie level, with Drazen Gabelich, Marco Bernacci and Milovan Ajetovic in particular likely to struggle. Expect serious rebuilding before Season 2. MAJOR LEAGUE MMA SYDNEY XTREME Based: Sydney, Australia Head Coach: Chris ‘Griffo’ Griffin Main Draft Heavyweight: Hassan Fezzik (25-0) Light Heavyweight: Spencer Rubenstein (13-4) Middleweight: Matthew Dean (31-5) Welterweight: Nathan Chambers (16-1) Lightweight: Jake Keane (22-4) Featherweight: Azor Portela Nunes (21-3) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Wilson Franklyn (5-1) Light Heavyweight: Toby Sorkin (3-0) Middleweight: Isaiah Monroe (3-0) Welterweight: Diego Arteta (1-0) Lightweight: Manoel Cabral (3-0) Featherweight: Nuno Valentino (2-0) Analysis: Publically stated by many experts as the best team in any of the leagues on paper, Xtreme Sydney MMA boast no fewer than five former champions in their starting line up. Clearly their star man will be Turkish icon Hassan Fezzik, with the team looking to him to lead the line and finish all of his fights. Additionally, they also look very strong at the rookie level. Isaiah Monroe was the prospect in the rookie draft and all other divisions look incredibly strong too, although there is something to be sad for the attitude of light heavyweight Toby Sorkin. LONDON STINGRAYS Based: London, England Head Coach: Gary Spencer Main Draft Heavyweight: Mason Archer (15-3) Light Heavyweight: Tadamasa Yamada (21-1) Middleweight: Maarten de Vries (15-6) Welterweight: Noach van der Capellan (22-3) Lightweight: Branco (16-5) Featherweight: Lars Bohlin (48-6) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Julio Correa (6-0) Light Heavyweight: Matti Kurri (7-0-1) Middleweight: Esteban Vega (2-0) Welterweight: Martin Cupples (6-0) Lightweight: Tarcisio Dantas (2-0) Featherweight: Manish Khan (8-1) Analysis: Most certainly a striking orientated team, head coach Gary Spencer has picked five recognised stand up fighters out of his six divisions. At featherweight Lars Bohlin will be tough to beat too, and could pick up valuable points by holding out against top competitors like Ho and Ziskie. Tadamasa Yamada is their star man, and all eyes will be on how well he copes against western opposition. The rookies don’t look too bad either, with only 1 loss in 31 professional fights. Many will fancy Manish Khan and Esteban Vega to replace Bohlin and Maarten de Vries respectively ahead of Season 2. MISSISSIPPI HELLFIRES Based: Mississippi, USA Head Coach: Frank Lawler Main Draft Heavyweight: Raul Hughes (14-2) Light Heavyweight: Zvonimir Asanovic (27-2) Middleweight: Stuart Strange (16-2) Welterweight: Ichisake Miyagi (21-3) Lightweight: Go Yamamoto (26-9) Featherweight: Luiz Machado (22-4) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Nate MacReary (2-0) Light Heavyweight: Matthew Michael Kirkby (1-0) Middleweight: Adam White (7-0) Welterweight: Tyler Lass (5-0) Lightweight: Benny Danare (8-0) Featherweight: Fernando Peragon (8-2) Analysis: A team which seems to value experience greatly, Mississippi Hellfire’s fighter’s will be hard to finish, but may find them hard to come by themselves. With retirement looming for both Raul Hughes and Go Yamamoto in the coming seasons, much will be expected of Nate MacReary and Benny Danare to fill their legendary boots. Rookie Matthew Michael Kirkby from England will have plenty of time to learn from Zvonimir Asanovic, with only one fight on his resume so far. TOKYO SUNRISE Based: Tokyo, Japan Head Coach: Kazushi Kagawa Main Draft Heavyweight: James Foster (32-4-1) Light Heavyweight: Linfield Ballard (20-7) Middleweight: Braulio Moura (19-2-1) Welterweight: Gabriel Gallego (15-4) Lightweight: Fumiaki Hayashi (16-4) Featherweight: Snorri Gunnarsson (20-4-1) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Renato (3-0) Light Heavyweight: Jiroemon Hasegawa (3-0) Middleweight: Eriverton Laurentino (8-1) Welterweight: Delroy Rhodes (6-1) Lightweight: Naizen Hamacho (7-0) Featherweight: Yoshiro Makamori (9-0) Analysis: A team of fighters who’ve all tasted success in their careers, particularly James Foster and Fumiaki Hayashi, Kazushi Kagawa will be hoping his fighters aren’t past their sell by date. That said, they have some bright looking rookies to come into the fold over the coming years, particularly Jiroemon Hasegawa and Yoshiro Makamori, although their are big question marks over Eriverton Laurentino. LIGA SEGUNDA MEXICAN MAULERS Based: Mexico City, Mexico Head Coach: Esteban Oviedo Main Draft Heavyweight: Tim Boyer (24-3-2) Light Heavyweight: Elgar (25-7) Middleweight: Bambang Sriyanto (22-6-2) Welterweight: Vikram Sithalayan (16-2) Lightweight: Truck Gleeson (21-4-1) Featherweight: Tomohiro Takeuchi (16-2) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Sylvester Collins (3-0) Light Heavyweight: Magno Peres Arruda (8-1) Middleweight: Marinho Gomes (6-1) Welterweight: Felix Mattherson Jnr (2-0) Lightweight: Francisco Jimenez (4-0) Featherweight: Wallace Everett (5-0) Analysis: The first team looking for promotion from the Liga Segunda, there’s no question that the Mexican Maulers will have a shot at doing so. Their weak link may turn out to be veteran Brazilian Elgar however, with Magno Peres Arruda at rookie level perhaps not strong enough to replace him. If they manage to hang on for promotion though, look for extensive rebuilding before Season 2, with Tim Boyer and Elgar both on the wrong side of their prime. There are also question marks over Vikram Sithalayans striking, although Felix Mattherson Jnr is a hot prospect for the future. LA LIONS Based: Los Angeles, California Head Coach: Nick Ramirez Main Draft Heavyweight: Stafford Alois (26-8) Light Heavyweight: Jin Katou (17-0) Middleweight: Joaquim Fontes (21-3) Welterweight: Xie Ming (20-4) Lightweight: Motoki Hojo (15-3) Featherweight: Easton Frye (13-4) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Aleksander Ivanov (6-0) Light Heavyweight: Silvio Leite (3-0) Middleweight: Oleg Tariverdiev (6-1) Welterweight: Rich Robinson (2-0) Lightweight: Luke Hilton (7-0) Featherweight: Ivan Bokhour (4-0) Analysis: Said by some to be a one man team, there is no doubt that the Lions will be looking to Jin Katou to deliver some finishes in Liga Segunda this year. That said, Joaquim Fontes and Motoki Hojo are both highly regarded in their own native countries, so a lot will depend on how well they adjust. Regardless of this season, the future looks incredibly bright for the Lions, with five of their six divisions featuring undefeated rookies who many top flight camps would love to have. Aleksander Ivanov in particular looks promising, with some describing as ‘the next Hassan Fezzik’. SAMBA SUPERSTARS Based: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Head Coach: Vinicious Alberto Main Draft Heavyweight: Armen Sarkisian (22-2) Light Heavyweight: Roberto Aldez (42-11) Middleweight: Heiji Endo (12-1) Welterweight: Templeton Crumb (17-3) Lightweight: Sukarno (23-0) Featherweight: Masahiro Maeno (17-3) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Murilo Satinho (7-0) Light Heavyweight: Rupert Dreck (4-0) Middleweight: Ethan Sutton (4-0) Welterweight: Evan Pizarro (3-0) Lightweight: Jamie Hewitt (8-2) Featherweight: Yagi Jokichi (4-0) Analysis: Another team that has divided expert opinion down the middle, the Samba Superstars from Rio have massive talents in Armen Sarkisian, Heiji Endo and the living legend Sukarno, but doubts hang over whether Roberto Aldez can still be useful and Templeton Crumbs ground game. While it could easily be enough for promotion, changes may be needed to compete at a higher level. The gem in the Samba crown comes in the Rookie division however, where they managed to snap up undefeated Brazilian heavyweight Murilo Satinho. A goliath of a 265lber with technique to boot, no doubt Vinicious Alberto can’t wait to unleash him on rival heavyweights. SHANGHAI KNIGHTS Based: Shanghai, China Head Coach: Quang Pao Main Draft Heavyweight: Kunimichi Kikuchi (25-3) Light Heavyweight: Aleksei Chekov (19-3) Middleweight: Neil Napier (15-0) Welterweight: Rufus Stephens (16-1) Lightweight: Sean Morrison (27-3) Featherweight: Norberto (27-5) Rookie Draft Heavyweight: Pai Cheng (3-0) Light Heavyweight: Nilton Fantoni (4-0) Middleweight: Tadao Miyazaki (7-0) Welterweight: Hamilton Fonseca Junior (4-1) Lightweight: Bud Brockett (7-0) Featherweight: Chan Wan Wah (6-0) Analysis: Last but not certainly not least are the hot tips for promotion, the Shanghai Knights. An astonishing 129 professional fights with only 15 losses between them, it’s incredible how fighters like Neil Napier, Rufus Stephens and longtime lightweight ruler Sean Morrison were skipped over by the top flight teams. While their rookies look decent too, you would imagine not too much needs to be tinkered with to compete at a higher level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Ha wow... Great draft for me ahha all that extra time spent on my orders worked! Also .. the team is purely Sydney Xtreme and the coach is Chris Griffin.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Sanchez Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Grey Dog MMA today released an information pack to the press. Within it are the confirmed listings for the inaugural season of the competition. The pack also confirmed the rumour that the ‘Super Bowl’ of MMA would be the season finale where the top two teams will compete. The prize for the winner will be the Platinum Chip, in keeping with the companies Las Vegas headquarters. The season fixtures are as follows: Round 1 Premier MMA: New York Hitmen vs. Texas Titans Premier MMA: Denver Rush vs. Vancouver Vultures Major League MMA: Sydney Xtreme vs. Mississippi Hellfire’s Major League MMA: London Stingrays vs. Tokyo Sunrise Liga Segunda: Mexican Maulers vs. Samba Superstars Liga Segunda: LA Lions vs. Shanghai Knights Round 2 Premier MMA: New York Hitmen vs. Vancouver Vultures Premier MMA: Denver Rush vs. Texas Titans Major League MMA: Sydney Xtreme vs. Tokyo Sunrise Major League MMA: London Stingrays vs. Mississippi Hellfire’s Liga Segunda: Mexican Maulers vs. Shanghai Knights Liga Segunda: Samba Superstars vs. LA Lions Round 3 Premier MMA: New York Hitmen vs. Denver Rush Premier MMA: Vancouver Vultures vs. Texas Titans Major League MMA: Sydney Xtreme vs. London Stingrays Major League MMA: Tokyo Sunrise vs. Mississippi Hellfire’s Liga Segunda: Mexican Maulers vs. LA Lions Liga Segunda: Shanghai Knights vs. Samba Superstars Season Finale for the Platinum Chip The pack also commented on the rookie fights which would take place this season. The fights are to take place on the undercard of main fights, however only one team’s rookies will compete per event. All rookies will fight twice per year, with any rookies who are unable to compete on main fight cards appearing in a TV special prior to the Season Finale. The first event is The New York Hitmen vs. Vancouver Vultures. The matches are as follows: Carlos da Guia (15-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. Manuel Silva (13-0) Dexter Darling (17-2-1) vs. Patrick Thomas (16-3) Terron Cabal (11-0) vs. Jeff Carlton (32-7) Pedro Sousa (19-3) vs. Affonso Villar (22-2) Sammy Gaffigan (10-1) vs. Li Kong Ho (18-0) Lukas Mellberg (16-3) vs. Brandon Sugar (24-4) Plus, the New York Hitmen Rookies are in action: Ozzy Bintley, Rafael van der Moot, Julio Gutierrez, Evan Gardner, Gregory O’Hara and Lamont Banner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Carlos da Guia (15-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. Manuel Silva (13-0) Dexter Darling (17-2-1) vs. Patrick Thomas (16-3) Terron Cabal (11-0) vs. Jeff Carlton (32-7) Pedro Sousa (19-3) vs. Affonso Villar (22-2) Sammy Gaffigan (10-1) vs. Li Kong Ho (18-0) Lukas Mellberg (16-3) vs. Brandon Sugar (24-4) All My Rookies vs Everyone Else uhhhhhhh.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psycho Sam Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Carlos da Guia (15-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. Manuel Silva (13-0) Dexter Darling (17-2-1) vs. Patrick Thomas (16-3) Terron Cabal (11-0) vs. Jeff Carlton (32-7) Pedro Sousa (19-3) vs. Affonso Villar (22-2) Sammy Gaffigan (10-1) vs. Li Kong Ho (18-0) Lukas Mellberg (16-3) vs. Brandon Sugar (24-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Sanchez Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------ SILVA STUNS DA GUIA AS TITANS STEAMROLL HITMEN CABAL SHINING LIGHT FOR HITMEN AS EARLY PRESSURE MOUNTS The MMA community was left with open mouths earlier tonight as Brazilian wonder kid Manuel Silva handed his countryman, and red hot match favourite, Carlos da Guia his first ever career loss. In what some had predicted would be a harsh lesson for the undefeated Texas Titans prospect, Silva appeared cool, calm and collected as he handily took home a 29-28 unanimous decision across the board of judges. While the result was certainly unexpected, even more surprising was the manner in which Silva dispatched his opponent. After an uneventful first round, consisting of da Guia trying to threaten with submissions from the bottom and flashy strikes on the feet, Manuel began to frustrate his rival with tricky footwork. Carlos took the bait in the second and threw a spinning heel kick, yet Silva was well placed to counter with a powerful, accurate combination which drew gasps from the crowd as da Guia hit the canvas. After failing to finish with ground strikes, Silva took the back and nearly secured an armbar, with da Guia slipping free to side control and then trying to lock in a rear naked choke. His arrogance again shone through as he didn’t get the hooks in and Silva easily escaped to survive the round. The warning signs were there, and perhaps Carlos should have been content to control the round and settle for a decision. Instead, he opted to throw a highlight reel flying head kick, yet Silva was wise to it and sidestepped to the left before putting him down with double leg. A weak, desperate scramble attempt from da Guia allowed Manuel to claim side control and, after more strikes and punishing knees, again take the back. Learning from his opponent’s mistake, Silva eventually got the hooks in and looked primed to finish with his own choke attempt. The final bell saved da Guia from almost certainly being finished, but not his blushes. The win for Silva earned four points for his team and capped a superb night for the Texas Titans, who earlier in the show were able to secure 15 points thanks to three stoppages. Affonso Villar made short work of Brazilian rival Pedro Sousa, softening him up from the Muay Thai clinch in the first round, before delivering a knock out knee in the second, earning five points and a KO of the Night bonus with it. Asian megastar Li Kong Ho survived an early shock from Sammy Gaffigan to cinch in an Americana in the third round and pick up the fight of the night award. In spite of the loss, the Stealth Shark looks a decent signing for the Titans, having dropped Ho in the first and rocked him in the second, without being able to quite end his night. If he doesn’t let his head drop, Gaffigan could pick up some much needed points for the Titans against what you would have to call difficult opposition. Finally, Brandon Sugar opened the evening with a submission of the night victory as he put on a very composed performance to outclass the always resolute Lukas Mellberg. While Mellberg stole the first round with a takedown, he never really threatened, yet Sugar was like a hot knife through butter as he worked his way to mount clinically before applying an armbar. Those results put the Titans on 19 points, but there was more to come, as Patrick Thomas upset the odds to take home a razor thin split decision over Dexter Darling and claims 3 points to Dexter’s 2. While split decisions are often controversial affairs, neither man could really have too many complaints after a dull encounter, with Thomas’ takedown defence perhaps the deciding factor. There was some light at the end of the tunnel for the New York Hitmen, who despite heavy losses throughout, look to have an instant contender in the form of France’s Terron Cabal, as the power puncher took a dominant victory over perennial heavyweight contender, Jeff Carlton. An entertaining first round saw Cabal soften up his opponent with some crunching body blows, which never really allowed Carlton to get off with any of his trademark takedowns. By the second round they had taken their toll and Jeff was gassing hard, happy to clinch when possible, but his low hands provided little defence. Eventually the onslaught from Cabal proved too much, as the American collapsed against the cage following a particularly nasty combination, and the referee had no option but to step in. That secured 5 vital points for the Hitmen and, provided Darling and da Guia can both dominate like they’ve shown in the past, there may be life in their season yet. As for the Titans, head coach Ryan Garrett can’t be much happier. 22 points from a possible 30 is unlikely to be beaten in this first round of fixtures and they look good value for their total. Finally, if this season isn’t going to be their best, there appears to be hope on the horizon for the Hitmen, who saw all six rookies pick up dominant wins in the pre-show. While they all looked promising, it was the (T)KO victories for Lamont Banner, Rafael van der Moot and Ozzy Bintley that have gotten tongues wagging, having all come inside 90 seconds of the very first round. The full results and Season Table following tonight’s event are as follows: Manuel Silva (14-0) d. Carlos da Guia (15-1) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) Patrick Thomas (17-3) d. Dexter Darling (17-3-1) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Terron Cabal (12-0) d. Jeff Carlton (32-8) via TKO in 4:45 of RD2 Affonso Villar (23-2) d. Pedro Sousa (19-4) via KO (Knee) in 3:21 of RD2 Li Kong Ho (19-0) d. Sammy Gaffigan (10-2) via submission (Americana) in 2:48 of RD3 Brandon Sugar (25-4) d. Lukas Mellberg (16-4) via (Armbar) in 3:13 of RD2 Ozzy Bintley (1-0) d. Ariano Craveiro (10-8) via TKO in 0:46 of RD1 Rafael van der Moot (8-0) d. Petey Barnum (21-14) via KO (Punch) in 1:26 of RD1 Julio Gutierrez (2-0) d. Bradley Dixon (17-10) via TKO in 1:51 of RD1 Evan Gardner (4-0) d. Lee Bould (16-10) via submission (RNC) in 2:45 of RD1 Gregory O’Hara (2-0) d. Indriyanto Setyo Nugroho (22-19-5) via submission (Americana) in 4:25 of RD1 Lamont Banner (2-0) d. Seigo Tsuda (38-28-2) via TKO in 0:40 of RD1 TITANS WIN THE EVENT SCORING 22 POINTS, HITMEN SCORE 8 POINTS TEXAS TITANS – 22 POINTS DENVER RUSH – 0 POINTS VANCOUVER VULTURES – 0 POINTS NEW YORK HITMEN – 8 POINTS Carlton in League Dispute, Boniek In for Titans After a sterling opening to the Grey Dog MMA season, the Texas Titans have their first real issue to contend with as their main draft pick heavyweight, Jeff Carlton (32-8, 0-1), has withdrawn from the Premier League over a pay dispute. Carlton, whose previous GAMMA contract was up for renewal, has allegedly asked for a substantial pay increase. His reasoning is that, as a big name in North America, he should be ‘getting James Foster money’ for the attention his participation gets the league. CEO Lance Decker was quick to deny the claims, a source stating he has said they won’t pay over the odds for fighters and ‘certainly won’t be held to ransom’, especially after Carlton’s disappointing loss to Terron Cabal. Premier League leaders the Titans have been quick to move in the free agents market, as they secure the services of ranked Polish heavyweight Gregorz Boniek (33-4). While he certainly isn’t a marketers dream like Carlton was, there’s no denying his ability to shut out a fight and grind out points in a very tough division. Head Coach Ryan Garrett is said to have considered utilising league rules to throw rookie Steve Mason into the main draft mix, but instead opted to look elsewhere as he gets more experience. As for Carlton, his future is uncertain, with GDMMA holding the rights to his MMA participation for the foreseeable future. There is of course, the possibility that, with kind words in the right places, he may be able to secure a team and return in Season 2...if someone will have him. Prediction Results Corki – 1/5 Psycho Sam – 2/5 Ben – 3/5 Lord Petyr Belish – 3/5 For those who asked, I haven’t bothered to give the full card as the rookies are generally fighting a much lower standard of opposition, rendering them pretty much pointless for prediction (we’re talking Bence Bodor bad). Upcoming Fixture Denver Rush vs. Vancouver Vultures Buddy Garner (14-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. JJ Reid (24-5) Julio Regueiro (20-0) vs. Claudio Palacios (22-6) Marlon John (11-0) vs. Niko Soldo (14-1-1) Kenji Akita (10-1) vs. Philip Ziskie (17-1-1) Fiyero Lermontov (11-0) vs. Luis Basora (19-3) Lefter Oktay (12-0) vs. Ari Peltonen (32-7) Plus, the Denver Rush rookies will be in action in the pre-show special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Sanchez Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 DENVER RUSH EDGE OUT VULTURES IN CLOSE ENCOUNTER REGUEIRO THE DIFFERENCE ON NIGHT OF EVEN FIGHTS, ZISKIE STEPS UP CAMPAIGN TO BE BEST FEATHERWEIGHT IN THE WORLD Thousands of people turned out tonight on a wet and windy night in Colorado, to witness the second fixture in the Grey Dog MMA calendar. While the Denver Rush fans ultimately went home happy, the Vancouver Vultures supporters will be rueing the chances which could so easily have seen results swing in the other direction. In the end it was the silky skills of Spanish welterweight Julio Regueiro which enabled Denver to escape with a solid lead. The event opened in the heavyweight decision, as unranked Turkish fighter Lefter Oktay battled to a decision against ‘The Finn-isher’, Ari Peltonen. Oktay nullified Peltonens wrestling in the first, reversing a takedown into one of his own and controlling the fight from guard with damaging, if not fight ending strikes. Round two was simply role reversal, as Ari quickly got his opponent to the mat and opted to control rather than finish. With everything left to play for in the final five minutes, it was the Turk who was able to impose himself on the fight, bullying Peltonen around the cage with close quarters grappling and landing short, punishing strikes at will. The Finland native was eventually cut open with a slicing elbow to the bridge of the nose, but it wasn’t a fight ender and Oktay had to settle for a 29-28 win across the board. That win put Denver out in front, but Vancouver were quick to hit back as Luis Basora dominated Fiyero Lermontov without being able to finish to bring things back to level terms. The fight was deemed by insiders as the Russians coming out party, having toiled away in Europe for many years and building a cult following, yet Basora had other plans. While it’s undoubtedly true that Lermontov is tough as nails and can compete in all areas of the cage, he simply had no answer for his opponents Judo skills, as he was taken down time and time again. In both the first and second rounds the judoka was able to catch Lermontovs body kicks and trip him to the mat and from there, content to see out the round. With Fiyero needing a finish in the third, his desperation left an opening for Basora to step in and take him down. This time Basora was able to pass the guard and try for a multitiude of submissions, but Lermontov refused to be beaten and hung on for the draw, rescuing a point for his team. With the scores level after two fights, Philip Ziskie was on his way to an embarrassing upset against the young Kenji Akita, before turning it around to finish strong in the second. Akita looked sharp as he took ‘The Kid’ down twice in quick succession to win the first round, but was caught with two big right hands midway through the next round. Ziskie followed up soon after with a barrage of strikes from mount, which forced the referee to call a halt to the action. That gave the Vultures the lead for the first time, yet it wasn’t to last long as Marlon John secured a finish for the home team. John’s opponent, Niko Soldo, demonstrated his huge talent that had SIGMA fans purring for the last few years, landing some big shots throughout the fight, even dropping the American prospect from California. Ultimately it wasn’t enough though as Johns vastly superior wrestling told as time passed. A scramble left Soldo turtle up in front of Marlon and, moments later, the Croatian found himself taken devastating punches from the mount before the referee stepped in. Once more the scores were level at 10 points apiece, but Denver were about to play their ace in the form of former GAMMA welterweight champion Regueiro. The Spaniard didn’t disappoint, as he put Claudio Palacios to the sword inside the first round with an armbar submission after quickly getting full mount position. With Regueiro in this kind of form, Denver have to be confident of securing plenty of welterweight points. Palacios on the other hand, looked somewhat sluggish and may struggle to do anything of note this year. The final fight of the night left the Vultures requiring a stoppage to tie the scores, so the chips really were down as JJ Reid met the undefeated Buddy Garner. Despite Reid consistently pushing to create opportunities, Garner was clearly under strict orders to get the shut out and the end result was a disappointing affair, with Buddy using his size advantage to negate any offence coming his way. While it secured 4 points, and the event, for Denver, both main event participants didn’t show much of where they’re at in the division, so it will be interesting to see how each fighter’s season pans out. The event also concluded the first round of fixtures in the Premier League, next up is the first Major League fixture, as Sydney Xtreme take on the Mississippi Hellfire’s in Australia. Prior to the main show, the Denver Rush rookies were also on show and, as with the Hitmen, all six secured victories. Most impressive were Coltrane Aaronson and Hans Christian Bloch, with Mike Watson almost certainly giving his coach a dilemma with regards to who will have the light heavyweight slot between him and Marlon John, as his rookie eligibility expires next season. Not so impressive was Fukusaburu Hirano, who laboured to a decision win over the unfancied Bakin Sakimoto. The full results and Season Table following tonight’s event are as follows: Buddy Garner (15-0) d. JJ Reid (24-6) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) Julio Regueiro (20-0) d. Claudio Palacios (22-7) via submission (Armbar) in 4:37 of RD1 Marlon John (12-0) d. Niko Soldo (14-2-1) via TKO in 4:36 of RD2 Philip Ziskie (18-1-1) d. Kenji Akita (10-2) via TKO in 2:33 of RD2 Luis Basora (20-3) d. Fiyero Lermontov (11-1) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3) Lefter Oktay (13-0) d. Ari Peltonen (32-8) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) Mike Watson (10-0) d. Edward Zahn (8-7) via TKO in 1:08 of RD1 Rav Kapur (7-0) d. Bence Bodor (34-19) via KO (Punch) in 3:46 of RD3 Danny Akabaro (2-0) d. Alceu de Castro (19-14) via TKO in 3:46 of RD1 Fukusaburu Hirano (11-0-1) d. Bakin Sakimoto (19-10) via unanimous decision (30-27) Coltrane Aaronson (5-0) d. Luigi Kolasinski (1-1) via TKO in 2:42 of RD1 Hans Christian Bloch (3-0) d. Duey Rickert (4-3) via submission (Kimura) in 3:13 of RD1 DENVER RUSH WIN THE EVENT SCORING 19 POINTS, VULTURES SCORE 11 POINTS TEXAS TITANS – 22 POINTS DENVER RUSH – 19 POINTS VANCOUVER VULTURES – 11 POINTS NEW YORK HITMEN – 8 POINTS Upcoming Fixture Sydney Xtreme vs. Mississippi Hellfire’s Hassan Fezzik (25-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. Raul Hughes (14-2) Spencer Rubenstein (13-4) vs. Zvonimir Asanovic (27-2) Matthew Dean (31-5) vs. Stuart Strange (16-2) Nathan Chambers (16-1) vs. Ichisake Miyagi (21-3) Azor Portela Nunes (21-3) vs. Luiz Machado (22-4) Jake Keane (22-4) vs. Go Yamamoto (26-9) Plus, the Sydney Xtreme rookies will be in action in the pre-show special. 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Psycho Sam Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Sydney Xtreme vs. Mississippi Hellfire’s Hassan Fezzik (25-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. Raul Hughes (14-2) Spencer Rubenstein (13-4) vs. Zvonimir Asanovic (27-2) Matthew Dean (31-5) vs. Stuart Strange (16-2) Nathan Chambers (16-1) vs. Ichisake Miyagi (21-3) Azor Portela Nunes (21-3) vs. Luiz Machado (22-4) Jake Keane (22-4) vs. Go Yamamoto (26-9) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oregano Jensen Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Hassan Fezzik (25-0 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. Raul Hughes (14-2) Spencer Rubenstein (13-4) vs. Zvonimir Asanovic (27-2) Matthew Dean (31-5) vs. Stuart Strange (16-2) Nathan Chambers (16-1) vs. Ichisake Miyagi (21-3) Azor Portela Nunes (21-3) vs. Luiz Machado (22-4) Jake Keane (22-4) vs. Go Yamamoto (26-9) Plus, the Sydney Xtreme rookies will be in action in the pre-show special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Sanchez Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 FEZZIK SILENCES CRITICS IN SYDNEY TURKISH ICON DEFIANT AS SYDNEY BRUSH ASIDE MISSISSIPPI Since the early 90s the debate has raged, lines have been drawn and sides have been taken. Many felt he’d fall at the first hurdle, but tonight in Australia, Hassan Fezzik beat down his doubters almost as quickly as heavyweight contender Raul Hughes. The argument was always that Fezzik had never taken on a truly top western heavyweight, and done so inside a cage to boot. But the formation of Major League MMA has allowed that to happen, and Fezzik took care of the task in some style. Despite Hughes’ fast combinations early on, Hassan was able to secure the takedown, move to mount and finish with a Kimura. While not the flashiest performance you will ever see, it’s proof that to be successful in MMA, all you need is to do the basics well and possibly no-one on the planet does them better than Hassan Fezzik. Perhaps the sad part is that while the original argument now lies in tatters, blown away on a sweet Aussie breeze, there will no doubt be many who refuse to believe, at least until he squares off with the top American 265lber, James Foster. The stoppage was one of two on a great debut night for Sydney, who climbed to the top of the Major League table and did it, if not with style then with great resolve. The finish came at the hands of Nathan Chambers. The former GAMMA welterweight champion looked better than ever as he easily took down Ichisake Miyagi and pounded him into oblivion. Chambers is no doubt a favourite throughout the welterweight division and Gabriel Gallego and Noach van der Capellen should hold no fears for him. As for Miyagi, the Japanese veteran is no doubt as disappointed as his opponent is delighted. Still, as his coach said, “he’s a tough old bastard” so don’t be surprised to see him return in round two with a point to prove. The rest of tonight’s main draw fights went the distance and there were still many points to be won for the home team. First of all Jake Keane continued to build his name on the lightweight scene with a one-sided unanimous decision against the iconic Go Yamamoto. Keane is very impressive as an all-rounder, and rarely looked in any kinds of trouble against the Japanese. There is however question marks over whether or not his skills will hold up against specialists like Brandon Sugar, should his team reach the final for the Platinum Chip. Yamamoto seems to be continuing on his downward spiral, again he looked a step slower and even older. While we’re hopeful of him rolling back the years for some highlight reel moments, the reality is that he may even struggle against oft-criticised opponents like Branco and Fumiaki Hayashi. The other man to score four points for Sydney tonight was Matthew Dean, the former GAMMA middleweight champion picking up a unanimous decision win (29-28 x3) over Stuart Strange. It could have been much different however, as Strange dropped Dean in the first with a hard combination and followed up with ground and pound and a failed arm triangle. Dean recovered during the rest period though and rallied back to barely take the next two rounds with some disappointingly tedious lay and pray. While Strange has nothing to be ashamed of, he’ll be frustrated that he couldn’t force at least a split decision. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the visitors however, as the Hellfire’s were able to pick up two unanimous decisions themselves to add to their paltry two points, ending their night on 10 points, a low but not season ruining tally. Zvonimir Asanovic put in the best performance of the two, as he smashed his way to a win over Spencer Rubenstein. The Croatian was able to get his timing very early on and put down The Reaper in all three rounds. Credit has to go to Rubenstein though, he withstood the beating for fifteen minutes despite not getting any of his own offence in, earning his team what may end up a vital point and taking one away from the Hellfire’s. The other bout involved Azor Portela Nunes taking on Luiz Machado, with Machado coming out with the win. A scrappy affair, Nunes took the first round with some efficient if not particularly damaging Muay Thai clinch work. After some words of advice from his coaches, Machado soon got back into the fight, reversing the clinch by dropping immediately to guard. From there Machado was able to work for submissions which, although not enough to finish the fight, helped him pick up enough points for the win. A more accurate assessment of both fighters will come against featherweight wrestlers Lars Bohlin and Snorri Gunnarsson, the next two fights for both men in the Major League. Finally Sydney’s rookies were in action in the pre-show and all picked up decisive victories. Benny Danare and Tyler Lass looked bizarrely short of finding a finish in their fights against outmatched opponents, while Matthew Michael Kirkby, Adam White and Nate MacReary all blew away their rivals with style. The full results and Season Table following tonight’s event are as follows: Hassan Fezzik (26-0) d. Raul Hughes (14-3) via submission (Kimura) Zvonimir Asanovic (28-2) d. Spencer Rubenstein (13-5) via unanimous decision Nathan Chambers (17-1) d. Ichisake Miyagi (21-4) via TKO Matthew Dean (32-5) d. Stuart Strange (16-3) via unanimous decision Jake Keane (23-4 d. Go Yamamoto (26-10) via unanimous decision Luiz Machado (23-4) d. Azor Portela Nunes (21-4) via unanimous decision Nate MacReary (3-0) d. Claude Lerond (19-13) via submission (RNC) Matthew Michael Kirkby (2-0) d. Conor Houghton (4-4) via TKO Adam White (8-0) d. Andrew Rush (13-7) via submission (Americana) Tyler Lass (6-0) d. Cooper Richardson (10-6) via unanimous decision Benny Danare (9-0) d. Bunrauken Abe (9-5) via unanimous decision Fernando Peragon (9-2) d. Mino Reale (3-4) via TKO SYDNEY XTREME WIN THE EVENT SCORING 20 POINTS, HELLFIRES SCORE 10 POINTS SYDNEY XTREME – 20 POINTS LONDON STRINGRAYS – 0 POINTS TOKYO SUNRISE – 0 POINTS MISSISSIPPI HELLFIRES – 10 POINTS Upcoming Fixture London Stingrays vs. Tokyo Sunrise Mason Archer (15-3 MMA, 0-0 Season One) vs. James Foster (32-4-1) Tadamasa Yamada (21-1) vs. Linfield Ballard (20-7) Maarten de Vries (15-6) vs. Braulio Moura (19-2-1) Noach van der Capellen (22-3) vs. Gabriel Gallego (15-4) Branco (16-5) vs. Fumiaki Hayashi (16-4) Lars Bohlin (48-6) vs. Snorri Gunnarson (20-4-1) Plus, the London Stingrays rookies will be in action in the pre-show special. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Psycho Sam - 3/5 Oregano Jensen - 4/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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