SIGMA - Rise of European MMA

Paatero · February 4, 2014

Awesome! I'm excited to see Asanovic transfer over. I'm still following, I just haven't been picking fights lately. Got my own SIGMA game going.

batsnumbereleven · February 4, 2014

Event Report SIGMA 52: Crumb v Dabrowski Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany Friday 26th April 2001 Attendance: 3308 for a gate of $264,640 PPV Buys: 144,720 for revenue of $868,320 Preliminary matches Aldous Zwygart (1-0) v Badog Laszlo (1-0) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Next up is a match in which 'Crash' Aldous Zwygart battles 'The Hungarian Hippo' Bádog László in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Stepping in, Zwygart hits László with a flurry of jabs and straight punches. >Zwygart stings László with a series of quick lefts. >A feint puts him off balance, but László is still able to slip out of the way of a body kick. >László throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >László walks into a big jab, landing right on the cheek. >László slips out of the way of a leg kick, having been suckered in with a feint. >Zwygart counters a left jab with a series of quick lefts. >Zwygart comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >László tries to counter with a takedown, but Zwygart defended it well. >We move into the second half of this round. >Zwygart glances a strike off the side of the shoulder. >László comes in closer to press the issue. >László shoots in, looking for a takedown. >László walks into a big jab, landing right on the cheek. >There's under a minute left in this round. >A feinted high kick gets a reaction, and László is lucky to avoid the follow-up inside leg kick. >Zwygart feints throwing a jab. >Zwygart throws out a quick left jab. >László steps in to put some pressure on. >The time runs out on round one. >I think Zwygart took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >We are back underway! >Between rounds, his corner told László to watch for strikes but to be aware of takedown opportunities. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >Zwygart catches László with a scything inside leg kick. >László throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >László gets caught out and eats a stiff left jab. >Zwygart moves in after a nice feint and uses a flurry of quick punches to sting László. >A left hand misses, allowing Zwygart to counter with a right body kick. >Zwygart fakes as if going for a single leg, causing László to drop his hands and prepare to sprawl. >Zwygart follows up by moving in fast and hitting a flurry of quick lefts. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores. >A couple of quick punches are used to set up a takedown attempt from László. >A counter left hand catches László above the eye. >Zwygart comes in closer, looking to clinch with László. >Seeing an opportunity, László avoids the clinch and goes straight for a takedown, but Zwygart is equal to it. >László shoots in for a takedown. >Zwygart sprawls, stopping the takedown and forcing László down to the ground into a type of turtle position. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Zwygart pounds away with rights, hitting several big shots to the body and side of the head. >László springs back to his feet, albeit at the expense of a few punches to the body and head. >Zwygart fakes coming in for a takedown, and László gets ready to sprawl. >Moving in to capitalise, Zwygart catches László with a barrage of punches! >Round two is brought to an end as time runs out. >Good round, that's the sort of action we like to see. >I think Zwygart took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >His corner are pumping him up with encouragement, and László looks ready to come out and go for broke. >We are back underway! >A feinted high kick gets a reaction, and László is lucky to avoid the follow-up inside leg kick. >Zwygart counters an errant left jab with a series of quick punches. >Zwygart throws a feint. >Zwygart is getting in closer to László, perhaps looking for a clinch. >Not keen on getting too close to Zwygart, László uses movement to keep out of reach. >Bádog László is looking really tired. >Zwygart comes in quick and hits a quick series of punches. >László shakes off the effects. >Zwygart throws a speculative right, but it is nowhere near hitting. >Not letting Zwygart settle at all, László comes in closer. >We move into the second half of this round. >Although visibly tired, László looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Zwygart counters with a left jab that catches László hard. >Moving in closer, Zwygart looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >Zwygart cannot get close enough to the elusive László. >Zwygart counters a left jab by using a quick series of punches. >Aldous Zwygart looks very tired out there. >Zwygart comes in closer, despite his tiredness, looking to attack from the pocket. >Zwygart is now standing in the pocket. >A left jab misses the mark and allows Zwygart to counter with a swift leg kick. >Strikes to the leg like that will take their toll. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Zwygart scores with an inside leg kick from the pocket. >An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >They wind up in a tight clinch. >Zwygart finds his dirty boxing smothered, and László gains the dominant position in the grapple. >László is trying to muscle Zwygart up against the cage. >László does it, Zwygart is stuck with his back to the cage. >Bádog László looks like he doesn't have a lot left to give. >Time runs out and that's the end of the fight. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Zwygart. >The judges have given their scores, which are about to be announced. >All three judges have scored it 30-27. >'Crash' Aldous Zwygart wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Crash' Aldous Zwygart defeats 'The Hungarian Hippo' Bádog László (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Competent performance here from Zwygart, who seemed to have answers for anything that Laszlo could bring. Harald Hubner (7-4) v Klaus Greis (3-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>In the last of the preliminary matches, Harald 'Hammer' Hubner will battle Klaus Greis in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Hubner moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a couple of jabs and a beautiful right hook to the body. >Hubner slips out of the way of a jab. >A tidy combination doesn't find a home, giving Greis the opportunity to counter with a straight left. >A right kick to the legs misses and Greis fires back with a clean jab. >Greis counters a one-two combination with a left jab to the cheek. >Greis feints left, then right. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Hubner chooses to shoot in on Greis. >Greis sees the takedown coming and tries to move. >Hubner doesn't get the takedown, Greis avoided it. >Hubner tries for a left jab but Greis moves out of range. >Hubner is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Hubner is now standing in the pocket. >There's a double leg attempt from Hubner, from the pocket. >He has the takedown! It's a single leg, and Greis has to pull guard. >Hubner lies on top of Greis, basically smothering him. >There's under a minute left in this round. >In guard, Hubner throws a couple of punches designed to keep Greis guessing. >Hubner looks to pass guard and get side control. >He passes guard fairly easily, getting to side control. >The time is up, and that's the end of round one. >I have to give that round to Hubner, but only a 10-9. >Round two begins! >Greis steps back to avoid a tight combination of punches after falling for a clever feint. >Hubner throws a left jab but Greis avoids it. >Hubner counters a left jab with a tasty jab - right cross combination. >Hubner steps back to avoid a left jab. >There's a short stalemate as both fighters advance and throw strikes, but neither hits. >Hubner goes to the body and then to the head with a tidy combination to get Greis to cover up, then shoots in. >Greis tries to avoid Hubner. >The takedown is successful, Greis pulls guard. >Greis is controlled against the ground, unable to shift Hubner off of him. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Hubner lies on top of Greis, basically smothering him. >Hubner lies on top of Greis, basically smothering him. >Time slips away as Hubner successfully keeps Greis stuck against the ground. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Hubner smothers Greis with his body by pushing forward and down. >In guard, Hubner begins working to pass to side control. >Greis finds his opponent too skilled, and Hubner passes guard into side control. >Round two ends as time expires. >I think Hubner took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >We are back underway! >Greis counters a left jab with a crisp left hand punch. >Hubner steps back to avoid a left jab. >There's a short stalemate as both fighters advance and throw strikes, but neither hits. >Hubner goes to the body and then to the head with a tidy combination to get Greis to cover up, then shoots in. >Greis tries to avoid Hubner. >The takedown is successful, Greis pulls guard. >Greis is controlled against the ground, unable to shift Hubner off of him. >Hubner lies on top of Greis, basically smothering him. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Hubner lies on top of Greis, basically smothering him. >Time slips away as Hubner successfully keeps Greis stuck against the ground. >Hubner smothers Greis with his body by pushing forward and down. >We're into the final minute of the round. >In guard, Hubner begins working to pass to side control. >Greis finds his opponent too skilled, and Hubner passes guard into side control. >Hubner throws a few right hands to the body. >We reach the time limit and this fight is over. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Hubner. >Here come the official scores. >All three judges have given 30-27. >So the winner, by unanimous decision, is Harald 'Hammer' Hubner! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Harald 'Hammer' Hubner defeats Klaus Greis (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Very Poor. Comments: No doubt that Hubner won this, but given how easily he was able to pass Greis's guard when he tried, the question has to be asked why he didn't try earlier instead of using his smothering tactics. Main card Freddy Lomax (6-0) v Vaclav Reitsma (8-4) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; Freddy 'The Ax' Lomax goes head to head with 'Violent' Vaclav Reitsma in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >Round one begins! >Lomax steps in, feints a kick, then darts back out. >Reitsma avoids a nice combination. >Lomax tries for a right body kick but Reitsma moves out of range. >Lomax slams a crisp right into the gloves of Reitsma, but can't follow up. >Not letting Lomax settle at all, Reitsma comes in closer. >Reitsma slips past a barrage of big punches and fires back with a solid left jab. >Lomax is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Reitsma lets Lomax get closer. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Using head movement, Lomax slips past a left jab and counters with a quick series of punches. >Reitsma uses head movement to avoid a combination of short sharp punches, then fires back with a left jab to the cheek. >Reitsma slips past a tidy combination of punches and then hits a straight left. >Good head movement allows Reitsma to roll past an attempted knock out punch and counter with a punch. >A left jab misses, giving Lomax the chance to hit back with a straight left. >Reitsma sees a low kick being set up and strikes first with a stinging jab. >There's under a minute left in this round. >A left jab misses, giving Lomax the chance to hit back with a sequence of quick punches. >Showing good head movement, Reitsma slips past a flurry of strikes. >Reitsma is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Lomax. >Lomax throws a big right hand as a counter, but it misses the target. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >Incredibly close round, but Reitsma came out just ahead on my score card. >And here we go, round two! >From what we could hear of his corner, it sounds like Lomax has been instructed to look to finish it in this round. >Reitsma steps back to avoid a barrage of big punches. >They come together and throw strikes, both miss. >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >In close proximity from the strikes they threw, they fall into a messy clinch. >Reitsma tries to wrestle Lomax backward and up against the cage. >Reitsma does it, Lomax is stuck with his back to the cage. >Reitsma smothers Lomax up against the cage while using the occasional short sharp punch to the body, keeping him stuck there for a full minute. >Reitsma looks to set up a judo throw. >He executes an outside leg trip, sweeping Lomax to the mat where he pulls guard! >We move into the second half of this round. >Reitsma begins trying to pass guard and get a better position. >Lomax is ready for the attempt though, and keeps Reitsma firmly in guard. >Lomax brings his legs up and tries to lock Reitsma in a triangle choke. >Reitsma doesn't let Lomax get it. >Reitsma fires off a handful of punches, each easily being blocked with gloves. >Reitsma begins trying to pass guard and get a better position. >He finds himself unable to pass guard on this attempt. >Lomax attempts a triangle choke on Reitsma from the bottom of the guard. >Reitsma pulls free before the triangle can be locked in. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Reitsma attempts to pass guard and gain a better position. >Lomax keeps Reitsma in guard. >Round two ends as time expires. >I have to give that round to Reitsma, but only a 10-9. >There's the bell and round number three begins! >Reitsma steps back to avoid a flurry of punches. >Freddy Lomax is looking really tired. >Reitsma catches an attempted body kick and shows his judo background by going straight for a trip, down goes Lomax! He pulls guard though. >Reitsma begins trying to pass guard and get a better position. >Reitsma gets past, but Lomax stops him at half guard. >Reitsma looks to get past the half guard. >Lomax keeps his half guard secure. >Lomax attempts to secure an arm. >Lomax cannot secure the arm. >We move into the second half of this round. >Reitsma attempts to pass half guard. >Lomax doesn't let Reitsma get his leg free, and so half guard remains in place. >Lomax tries to lock onto an arm from the bottom of half guard. >Lomax cannot secure the arm. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Reitsma attempts an arm triangle. >The arm triangle is locked in tight, but Lomax refuses to tap out! >Reitsma loses the hold! Somehow Lomax got himself free. That was incredibly close to a finish though. >Lomax attempts to guillotine Reitsma from the bottom of half guard. >Reitsma pulls free before the guillotine can be applied. >Freddy Lomax seems to be fighting against exhaustion. >The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Reitsma. >The judges' scores are now being announced. >The judges give scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27. >'Violent' Vaclav Reitsma wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Violent' Vaclav Reitsma defeats Freddy 'The Ax' Lomax (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Poor. Comments: Lomax clearly needs to work on his takedown defense if he's not going to be able to do anything from bottom position. Reitsma never really looked like finishing the fight, but he didn't need to, as he certainly controlled it on the ground. Augustus Shorrock (7-0) v Chaim Alexievich (5-0) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Next up, Augustus Shorrock will take on Chaim Alexievich in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >The fight begins! >Both fighters come toe-to-toe and strike, but none of the strikes result in significant damage being done. >Standing in the pocket, Alexievich throws an inside leg kick but Shorrock shows good footwork to avoid it. >Moving in closer, Shorrock looks like he may want to wrestle Alexievich. >He pulls Alexievich into a grapple. >Shorrock is looking to muscle Alexievich back against the cage. >Alexievich ends up backed against the cage. >Shorrock tries to maintain control, but Alexievich wrestles his way out of trouble and turns it so that Shorrock ends up backed against the cage. >Alexievich has gotten underhooks in and is looking to take Shorrock to the ground. >The takedown doesn't work, Shorrock blocked it and then turns it so that Alexievich is the one against the cage. >Shorrock tries a foot stomp, but Alexievich avoids it. >We move into the second half of this round. >Alexievich gets caught with a knee to the inside of the thigh. >Alexievich wrestles back against Shorrock, turning him around so that he now has his back to the cage. >Alexievich smothers Shorrock against the cage, then uses his dirty boxing skills to his advantage. >Alexievich uses underhooks to gain solid control, and is looking for a takedown. >The underhooks allow Alexievich to easily trip Shorrock and send him to the ground. >Shorrock winds up seated, his back to the cage, with Alexievich pressing onto him. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Alexievich tries to improve his position. >He does brilliantly, and manages to get full mount on Shorrock! >Alexievich fires away with huge elbow strikes, and Shorrock is taking powerful shot after powerful shot! >The referee jumps in and saves Shorrock from taking any more shots! >By TKO, the winner is Chaim Alexievich! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Chaim Alexievich defeats Augustus Shorrock (TKO (Strikes) in 4:52 of round 1). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: Perhaps a tactical error by Shorrock to engage in the clinch, which allowed Alexievich to take control of the grapple. Smart finish by Alexievich once he got the takedown and excellent position. Alexievich wants to face Snuffy Fontana next – we'll see. Dag Kreuger (7-2) v Andoni Olano (4-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Moving on to the next match, in which Dag 'The Viking' Kreuger battles Andoni Olano in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >The fight begins! >Kreuger avoids a quick jab and hits a nice right hand. >A barrage of punches miss and Olano strikes back with a superb combination of left hook to the body and a big right cross. >Olano tries for a left jab but Kreuger moves out of range. >Both fighters fire off strikes, neither produces any significant damage. >In close proximity from the strikes they threw, they fall into a messy clinch. >With underhooks giving him solid control over Olano, Kreuger looks for a takedown. >The underhooks are used to set up a trip, Olano is left on his back and has to pull guard. >Kreuger looks to get past the guard. >He does excellently, getting past the guard and into side control. >Kreuger attempts to arm triangle Olano from side control. >Olano blocks it. >Olano tries to move to guard, but Kreuger doesn't allow it. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Kreuger uses side control to hit a knee just above the hip. >Kreuger attempts to move to mount. >Advancing his position, he gets mount. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Kreuger pounds away with elbows from the mount and Olano is having trouble doing anything about it! >The referee is forced to jump in and stop the match! >The winner, by TKO; Dag Kreuger! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Dag 'The Viking' Kreuger defeats Andoni Olano (TKO (Strikes) in 4:26 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Slick work from Kreuger in grappling, takedown and ground and pound to get the finish. Co-main Jens Halle (16-4) v Pavel Radulov (6-1) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>The co-main event is up next. Jens 'Battery' Halle squares off with 'Red Fury' Pavel Radulov in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >Round one begins! >Radulov counters a flurry of punches with a jab. >Radulov throws a left jab but Halle avoids it. >Both fighters throw strikes, no significant damage is inflicted by either. >They wind up in a tight clinch. >Wanting to take it to the ground, Radulov attempts to drag Halle down into his guard. >The attempt is successful, Halle is sucked down into his guard. >Radulov attempts to lock on a triangle choke. >Halle blocks the attempt. >Radulov fires off a few punches, but they aren't thrown with any great force. >Radulov brings his legs up and tries to lock Halle in a triangle choke. >Halle blocks the triangle attempt. >Halle starts trying to work to get past the guard. >He finds himself unable to pass guard on this attempt. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Radulov brings his legs up and tries to lock Halle in a triangle choke. >Halle doesn't let Radulov get it. >Halle pounds away with punches, but doesn't do much damage, if any, Radulov is comfortable holding guard. >Radulov tries to ensnare Halle in a triangle. >Halle defends well against it. >Halle tries to control Radulov against the ground, but finds it a struggle. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Radulov tries to ensnare Halle in a triangle. >Halle pulls his arm free before the triangle can be locked in. >Halle pounds away with punches, but doesn't do much damage, if any, Radulov is comfortable holding guard. >The time runs out on round one. >That was a close round, but I'm giving it to Halle, 10-9. >And here we go, round two! >Halle feints stepping in. >Radulov avoids a flurry of rights and lefts. >Radulov steps back to avoid a barrage of big punches. >Radulov avoids a flurry of punches. >After a flurry of punches miss, Radulov is able to strike back with a straight left. >Radulov avoids a quick jab and hits a vicious leg kick. >Halle is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >The two fighters move closer, ready to strike. >Radulov slips past a jab and scores with a kick to the inside of the left thigh. >There's only so many of those strikes to the legs that can be taken before they become an issue. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Using head movement to slip past a left jab, Radulov hits a crisp left. >Radulov throws a left jab but Halle uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. >Checking a leg kick, Halle counters back immediately with a quick right hook, catching Radulov perfectly and putting him down! >Halle dives in quickly and secures mount on the dazed Radulov! >Halle pounds away on Radulov, landing several great shots that threaten to knock him out! >The referee pulls Halle away, stopping the match! >By TKO, the winner is Jens Halle! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Jens 'Battery' Halle defeats 'Red Fury' Pavel Radulov (TKO (Strikes) in 4:02 of round 2). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Decisive win for Halle, who rebounds well from his loss to Iain Fussell. Radulov's tactics seemed a little desperate, pulling guard inside the first minute of the fight – either that or he was vastly over-estimating his skills at finishing the fight from the bottom, which Halle seemed quite comfortable in preventing. Halle calls out Alberto Basora in the post-fight interview, which might be a match-up we could make. Main Event SIGMA Welterweight Championship Templeton Crumb (#5, 20-4) © v Piotr Dabrowski (#16, 22-6) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>It's time for the main event of the evening! Templeton 'The Body' Crumb takes on Piotr Dabrowski in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >This contest is for the SIGMA Welterweight title. >Round one begins! >Both fighters fire off strikes, but neither does any significant damage. >An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >Moving in closer, Dabrowski looks like he may want to wrestle Crumb. >He pulls Crumb into a grapple. >Dabrowski tries to wrestle Crumb backward and up against the cage. >Crumb out-wrestles him though. >Crumb can't keep control, and Dabrowski gets himself away from the grapple. >Dabrowski catches a weak left kick to the legs and uses it to go for a takedown, but it is blocked. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Crumb throws a barrage of big lefts but Dabrowski is quick to move out of range. >Dabrowski steps back to avoid a leg kick. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >An exchange of strikes doesn't really lead to anything. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Dabrowski uses a flurry of lefts and rights to get Crumb to cover up, then shoots in looking for a takedown. >Dabrowski eats a stiff counter left hand and almost goes down! >Crumb tries for a leg kick but Dabrowski moves out of range. >Dabrowski feints to the right, trying to draw Crumb into throwing a strike. >The time runs out on round one. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Crumb. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >It sounded like his corner told Crumb to stand and try to use counter striking against Dabrowski in this round. >A feint tricks Dabrowski into dropping his hands lower, and he is almost caught out by a quick head kick. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores. >Both fighters come toe-to-toe and strike, but none of the strikes result in significant damage being done. >Dabrowski chooses to shoot in on Crumb. >Crumb tries to avoid Dabrowski. >The takedown doesn't work, Crumb saw it coming and got out of range. >Crumb moves in and stings Dabrowski with an excellent combination. >Crumb looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Dabrowski counters with a takedown, and Crumb is forced to pull guard. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Dabrowski smothers Crumb with his body by pushing forward and down. >Dabrowski starts trying to work to get past the guard. >He finds himself unable to pass guard on this attempt. >Crumb works some separation, then tries to quickly scramble his way into a better position. >It's a bad choice though, as Dabrowski seizes the opportunity to leap forward and secure side control. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Dabrowski tries to slip behind and take the back. >Crumb is in big trouble as he is forced to give up his back! >Dabrowski tries to get Crumb locked in a rear naked choke. >Dabrowski gets rolled onto his back, and Crumb spins over so that he is now in guard. >Dabrowski should have gotten hooks in first before attempting a rear naked choke, and Crumb has capitalised on the mistake. >Round two ends as time expires. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Dabrowski. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Between rounds we could hear the corner of Crumb telling him to swing for the fences. >Dabrowski bobs and weaves, trying to get Crumb to commit. >Crumb catches Dabrowski with a barrage of big left hands and puts him down on the ground! >Crumb doesn't have time to capitalise though, as Dabrowski recovers his wits quickly. >Dabrowski wraps Crumb up in guard after he dived in with an attempted huge punch. >In guard, Crumb catches his breath, content just to throw a couple of punches to the body. >Dabrowski tries to ensnare Crumb in a guillotine. >Crumb defends it well. >Crumb keeps Dabrowski guessing with a few quick strikes. >Crumb fires off a handful of punches, each easily being blocked with gloves. >Crumb postures up, stopping Dabrowski from throwing elbows from the bottom. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Crumb throws a few strikes, but is clearly slowing things down so that he can catch his breath. >Crumb unloads with some big left hands, but Dabrowski deals with them comfortably. >Templeton Crumb is looking really tired. >Dabrowski grabs hold of an arm and attempts a triangle choke on Crumb from the bottom of the guard. >Crumb defends well against it. >Crumb throws a few left hands to the body. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Crumb attempts to pass guard. >Dabrowski is ready for the attempt though, and keeps Crumb firmly in guard. >Time expires and we come to the end of round three. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Crumb. >We are back underway! >Between rounds we could hear the corner of Crumb telling him to lure Dabrowski in and catch him on the counter. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >Dabrowski comes in with a couple of jabs, using them as cover so that he can shoot in. >Crumb counters with a left hand that catches Dabrowski flush, rocking him! >Templeton Crumb looks like he is on the verge of exhaustion. >Crumb comes in closer, despite his tiredness, looking to attack from the pocket. >Standing his ground, Dabrowski looks happy to engage Crumb in the pocket. >Dabrowski circles away, creating some distance between them. >Dabrowski slips out of the way of a combination of short sharp punches. >Crumb fakes a lunge. >Dabrowski presses in closer to attack. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Dabrowski feints going high and then throws a barrage of big rights, with Crumb only just able to evade them. >There's a takedown attempt from Dabrowski. >Crumb tries to avoid the takedown. >The takedown is unsuccessful, Crumb avoided Dabrowski. >Crumb slips past a left jab and counters with a series of rights. >Crumb slams a crisp left into the gloves of Dabrowski, but can't follow up. >Dabrowski quickly gets in closer, looking to attack. >Templeton Crumb looks totally gassed. >We're into the final minute of the round. >There's a takedown attempt from Dabrowski. >The takedown is completed, Crumb is on his back and pulls guard. >The clock runs down as Crumb is being smothered against the ground by Dabrowski. >Round four ends as time expires. >That was a close round, but I'm giving it to Dabrowski, 10-9. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Dabrowski feints stepping in. >A couple of quick punches are used to set up a takedown attempt from Dabrowski. >Crumb tries to avoid Dabrowski. >Dabrowski can't get the takedown, Crumb was too quick to back away. >Dabrowski is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Crumb. >Crumb ends up grappling for supremacy with Dabrowski. >Piotr Dabrowski doesn't look like he has much left in the tank. >Dabrowski has worked in the underhooks and looks to take Crumb down. >Dabrowski gets the takedown by using the underhooks for control and working a trip! Crumb pulls half guard. >Dabrowski attempts to kimura Crumb from the top of half guard. >Crumb blocks it. >Crumb tries to sweep Dabrowski but doesn't get anywhere. >Dabrowski starts trying to work to get out of half guard and into a better position. >Crumb can't keep half guard secure and gives up side control. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Dabrowski looks to get a mount. >He does it, and has the mount on Crumb. >Dabrowski fires away with big elbows, but Crumb covers up and doesn't take any undue damage. >From the looks of things, I don't think Piotr Dabrowski has much energy left. >Dabrowski controls Crumb, who was trying to wriggle to half guard. >Dabrowski unloads with some big punches, but Crumb deals with them comfortably. >Dabrowski maintains control, despite Crumb trying to wriggle free. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Dabrowski pounds away from the mount with elbows, but Crumb covers up and defends them well. >Crumb tries to roll Dabrowski, but only succeeds in giving up his back! >Dabrowski attempts an armbar. >Dabrowski gets the armbar, but the round ends before he can force the submission! >The time runs out and that round is over, and so is the fight. >I think Dabrowski took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >The judges' scores are now being announced. >Judge #1 gives a score of 48-47 in favour of Dabrowski. >Judge #2 gives a score of 48-47 in favour of Crumb. >Judge #3 has given 48-47 to Crumb. >Templeton 'The Body' Crumb wins by split decision! >Official Result: Templeton 'The Body' Crumb defeats Piotr Dabrowski (Split Decision in 5:00 of round 5). The match was rated as being Decent. </div></blockquote> Comments: Very tight call this. I had the fight 48-47 Dabrowski by way of his success with the takedowns and ground control, but I can see how it could be scored the other way, so no complaints about the judges from me. Not quite sure who gets the next shot at Crumb at the moment, but the likes of Iain Fussell and Noach Van Der Capellen are among the visible candidates. Show summary Critical rating: Decent Commercial success: Decent Fight of the Night: Dag Kreuger v Andoni Olano Knockout of the Night: Dag Kreuger Submission of the Night: - Comments: A solid card in the end, even if the early bouts suggested we were in for something of a long, boring night. The ME was adequate enough, and had plenty of melodrama around the result as it was announced.

batsnumbereleven · February 4, 2014

Prediction results

6/7 – BigRedMachine (50/71)

2/7 – CageRage (249/330) – unlucky with your picks this time!

Injury report

Templeton Crumb suffered a groin injury during his title defence and will be away from training for around 5 weeks.

The athletic commission have imposed precautionary suspensions of a month on Andoni Olano and Jens Halle, two months on Badog Laszlo and three months on Augustus Shorrock.

SIGMA signings/contracts

We think we've picked up a future star in Rokas Novak*, a Heavyweight brawler from Sofia, Bulgaria, who is reputed to be something of a feared striker. At 23, and as yet untested in the MMA cage, we look forward to seeing if this is true, and whether he can ally other facets of MMA to his great striking. Also joining the SIGMA roster is Welterweight Gerhard Kreutzberg (2-0), a boxer from Berlin who has cross-trained in a variety of other disciplines. Finally, 23-year-old Polish Middleweight wrestler Mariusz Novak (3-0) brings both wrestling and striking skills to the cage, but has yet to be really tested.

Jens Halle has been offered a further 5 fights with SIGMA, whilst Harald Hubner gets a 4-fight extension to his contract after a 3-3 run.

* re-gen of Manol Sirakov

In other news, we have agreed a 6 show extension with EuroNet to televise our shows on pay-per-view.

batsnumbereleven · February 4, 2014

Monday 1st May 2001 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Blurcat.com Middleweight rankings 1. Thais Antonio Taffarel, FLB 2. TJ Fitzgerald, UCFF 3. Heiji Endo, ALPHA-1 4. JJ Reid, GAMMA 5. Fjodor Kanchelskis, SIGMA 6. Braulio Moura, FLB 7. Rob Baines, BCF 8. Fernando Amaro, SIGMA 9. Buddy Garner, GAMMA 10. Andrey Kizilashvili, SIGMA </div></blockquote>

batsnumbereleven · February 4, 2014

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Paatero" data-cite="Paatero" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Awesome! I'm excited to see Asanovic transfer over. I'm still following, I just haven't been picking fights lately. Got my own SIGMA game going.</div></blockquote> No worries Paatero. I tried to get Asanovic when his contract came up first time around, but at that point I was barely breaking even and it wouldn't have been realistic to be offering him 3 times what the next highest paid fighter was on, so ALPHA-1 got to outbid me for him. Now that I'm making a huge profit though... <img alt=":)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BigRedMachine" data-cite="BigRedMachine" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> Hopefully a good debut could be Asanovic vs. Chekhov </div></blockquote> It was something I considered, but went down a separate route, for now in any case...

batsnumbereleven · February 4, 2014

Tuesday 2nd May

Press Release

Signature Martial Arts brings you the latest instalment of SIGMA Gefecht TV, from the Rheinlandhalle in Krefeld on Saturday 13th May, and live on Euro Cable Sports 4 from 2245 CET.

Headlining the TV special will be veteran Heavyweight Stanislaw Lipnicki (15-10) as he takes on New Zealand all-rounder Kurt McDonald (5-4). Lipnicki has lost his last three fights, and must be desperate to return to winning ways, whilst McDonald has fought a tough slate of opponents including former SIGMA Heavyweight champion Lefter Oktay, back at SIGMA 15.

Also on the card, dynamic Georgian Middleweight Vladoslav Medvedev (#23, 3-1) looks to re-build his reputation as one of the future stars of MMA after his surprising first round defeat to Snuffy Fontana at SIGMA 49. He's faced with a tough opponent in veteran Czech wrestler Jaromir Grygera (20-8), who lost to Andrey Kizilashvili in his last outing.

At Featherweight, burgeoning wrestler Ryan Gustafsson (#19, 2-0) will take on Polish kick boxer Krzysztof Bujnicki (2-3) and Belgian wrestler Koenraad Belien (10-6) goes up against Slovenian wrestler Priti Manek (5-3) in a Light-Heavyweight fight.

Don't forget to tune in at 2245 CET on Euro Cable Sports 4

Card for picks

SIGMA Gefecht TV

Stanislaw Lipnicki v Kurt McDonald

Vladoslav Medvedev v Jaromir Grygera

Ryan Gustafsson v Krzysztof Bujnicki

Koenraad Belien v Priti Manek

funkyzafara · February 4, 2014

Sorry I've been inactive. Had lots of other stuff going on

SIGMA Gefecht TV

Stanislaw Lipnicki v Kurt McDonald

Vladoslav Medvedev v Jaromir Grygera

Ryan Gustafsson v Krzysztof Bujnicki

Koenraad Belien v Priti Manek

CageRage · February 4, 2014

SIGMA Gefecht TV

Stanislaw Lipnicki v Kurt McDonald

Vladoslav Medvedev v Jaromir Grygera

Ryan Gustafsson v Krzysztof Bujnicki

Koenraad Belien v Priti Manek

BigRedMachine · February 5, 2014

SIGMA Gefecht TV

Stanislaw Lipnicki v Kurt McDonald

Vladoslav Medvedev v Jaromir Grygera

Ryan Gustafsson v Krzysztof Bujnicki

Koenraad Belien v Priti Manek

batsnumbereleven · February 5, 2014

Event report SIGMA Gefecht TV As-live from Krefeld, Germany. Attendance: 1341 for a gate of $107,280 Koenraad Belien (10-6) v Priti Manek (5-3) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; Koenraad Belien takes on Priti Manek in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >The fight begins! >A jab doesn't find its intended target, allowing Manek to fire back with two hard right hands! >Belien gets hit with a crisp jab to the jaw, rocking his head back. >A barrage of big right hands are thrown but Belien covers up well. >Stepping back, Manek creates a bit of distance. >Manek looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Belien lets Manek get closer. >Good head movement allows Belien to slip past a vicious right hand, and he counters with a stinging jab. >Manek dodges a jab, and fires back with a sequence of quick punches. >Manek snaps off a nice left jab from the pocket. >Manek lets a jab sail wide and counter-strikes with a quick series of punches. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Standing in the pocket, Belien catches an attempted body kick and goes for a takedown, getting it! Manek manages to pull guard. >Belien looks to get past the guard. >Manek can't fend off the effort, and can only stop Belien at half guard. >Belien begins trying to get his leg free of the half guard. >He can't quite manage to get past half guard on this attempt. >Manek tries to sweep Belien but doesn't get anywhere. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Belien looks to pass half guard and get side control. >Belien struggles but cannot find a way past and remains stuck in half guard. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >I think Manek took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >Round two begins! >It sounded like his corner told Belien to attempt to get Manek to the floor in this round. >Belien slips out of the way of a flurry of punches. >A jab doesn't find its intended target, allowing Manek to fire back with a left. >Belien swiftly avoids a barrage of big punches. >Manek circles as he plans his next move. >Not letting up, Belien quickly steps in closer to attack Manek. >Belien chooses to shoot in on Manek. >Manek tries to step away from the takedown. >The takedown is unsuccessful, Manek avoided Belien. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Belien steps back to avoid a barrage of big punches. >Manek looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Belien. >The two fighters move closer, ready to strike. >Manek throws a barrage of big punches but Belien bobs and weaves, not letting any of them find a home. >Belien covers up, absorbing a flurry of punches. >Stepping back, Manek creates a bit of distance. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Manek avoids a jab and scores with a series of quick jabs. >Belien throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Belien walks into a big jab, landing right on the cheek. >Moving in closer, Manek looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >The two fighters move closer, ready to strike. >Belien looks like he might be trying to get in close and wrestle with Manek. >Not wanting to grapple, Manek uses strikes to keep Belien at a distance. >Round two ends as time expires. >I have to give that round to Manek, but only a 10-9. >Round three begins! >A left jab misses and Manek strikes back with a body kick. >Belien shoots in, looking for a takedown. >Belien goes under an attempted counter right hand. >The takedown is completed, it was a single leg and Manek is left on his back pulling guard. >Belien is trying to pass guard. >He manages to pass, but only to half guard. >Belien pounds away with brutal elbows from half guard, Manek is barely able to offer any defence at all! >The referee jumps in and saves Manek from taking any more shots! >The winner, by TKO, is Koenraad Belien! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Koenraad Belien defeats Priti Manek (TKO (Strikes) in 1:43 of round 3). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: This might have been a bit of a quick stoppage, but Manek wasn't complaining afterwards. Belien seemed reliant on his takedowns, as Manek was the better in the striking game and probably won the first two rounds. Ryan Gustafsson (#19, 2-0) v Krzysztof Bujnicki (2-3) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; Ryan 'Argy Bargy' Gustafsson competes against Krzysztof 'The Pole Cat' Bujnicki in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >The fight begins! >Gustafsson catches an attempted body kick and goes for a takedown, getting it! Bujnicki pulls guard. >Gustafsson throws a few right hands as he takes a moment to plan ahead. >Bujnicki tries to catch Gustafsson with a punch, but it is not on target. >Time slips away as Gustafsson successfully keeps Bujnicki stuck against the ground. >Gustafsson lies on top of Bujnicki, basically smothering him. >Gustafsson looks to pass guard and get side control. >Advancing his position fairly easily, he passes to side control. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Gustafsson tries to lock Bujnicki into an armbar. >A straight armbar is applied, Bujnicki is in danger of having his arm hyper-extended! >Gustafsson loses the hold! Somehow Bujnicki got his arm free. That was incredibly close to a finish though. >Bujnicki tries to pull guard on Gustafsson but doesn't get anywhere with the attempt. >Gustafsson attempts to move to mount. >He doesn't get the mount, but only because Bujnicki rolled over and gave up his back instead. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Gustafsson gets both hooks in, and is now in a really dominant position. >Gustafsson, with both hooks in, attempts to get a rear naked choke fully applied. >Bujnicki defends himself well against the choke. >Bujnicki struggles against Gustafsson but cannot get himself free from the hooks. >The time is up, and that's the end of round one. >That round goes to Gustafsson, 10-9 on my card. >There's the bell and round number two begins! >Between rounds we could hear the corner of Gustafsson telling him to watch for strikes but to look for takedown opportunities. >A left jab misses and Bujnicki strikes back with a superb combination of three quick punches to the body and a great right cross. >Bujnicki throws a barrage of big right hands but Gustafsson moves out of range. >Gustafsson throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Bujnicki tries to avoid Gustafsson. >Gustafsson doesn't get the takedown, Bujnicki avoided it. >Gustafsson is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Gustafsson moves into the pocket. >Gustafsson comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Bujnicki. >Gustafsson can't get close enough to grapple, Bujnicki makes sure to keep out of range. >Gustafsson avoids a jab. >A quick exchange of strikes produces nothing worth mentioning. >In close proximity from the strikes they threw, they fall into a messy clinch. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Bujnicki gets caught with a couple of nice short punches as Gustafsson uses his dirty boxing to inflict some punishment. >Gustafsson uses underhooks to gain solid control, and is looking for a takedown. >The underhooks are used to set up a trip, Bujnicki is left on his back and has to pull guard. >In guard, Gustafsson begins working to pass to side control. >He passes guard fairly easily, getting to side control. >Gustafsson begins trying to get himself into a mount. >Gustafsson shifts to mount. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Gustafsson unloads with big elbows from the mount, and Bujnicki is struggling to cope! >Gustafsson fires away with elbow strikes, and Bujnicki takes several shots that threaten to end the fight! >Round two is brought to an end as time runs out. >Good effort there, that was a very exciting round to watch. More please! >I have to give that round to Gustafsson, but only a 10-9. >Round three begins! >Gustafsson slips out of the way of a jab. >An exchange of strikes doesn't really lead to anything. >They wind up in a tight clinch. >Gustafsson is trying to muscle Bujnicki up against the cage. >He does so, and now has Bujnicki pinned to the cage. >Ryan Gustafsson is looking really tired. >Gustafsson has worked in the underhooks and looks to take Bujnicki down. >Gustafsson gets the takedown by using the underhooks for control and working a trip! Bujnicki pulls guard. >Gustafsson throws a few right hands as he takes a moment to plan ahead. >Bujnicki tries to break free and scramble for position, but Gustafsson keeps him trapped. >Gustafsson starts trying to work to get past the guard. >Gustafsson isn't able to pass guard on this attempt. >Gustafsson blocks an attempted sweep. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Gustafsson begins trying to pass the guard. >Bujnicki can't fend off the effort, and can only stop Gustafsson at half guard. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Gustafsson attempts to kimura Bujnicki from the top of half guard. >Bujnicki defends it well. >Ryan Gustafsson looks very, very tired. >Gustafsson blocks Bujnicki as he tries to get enough separation to scramble up. >Gustafsson looks to get past the half guard. >He can't find a way past half guard. >We reach the time limit and this fight is over. >That round goes to Gustafsson, 10-9 on my card. >The judges' scores are now being announced. >All three judges score the contest as 30-27. >Ryan Gustafsson wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Ryan 'Argy Bargy' Gustafsson defeats Krzysztof 'The Pole Cat' Bujnicki (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Gustafsson's third appearance on Gefecht TV, and his third decision victory. If he expects to go in there against better guys, he's going to need to develop some more skills to be able to finish fights though. Bujnicki has struggled of late and will certainly need to up his performance next time out. Vladoslav Medvedev (#23, 3-1) v Jaromir Grygera (20-8) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>The co-main event is up next. 'Red Army Renegade' Vladoslav Medvedev takes on Jaromir Grygera in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >And here we go! >Grygera throws a feint. >Grygera avoids a nice combination and hits a jab. >Grygera chooses to shoot in on Medvedev. >Medvedev sprawls well, and Grygera is forced down to his knees, almost turtled up. >Rolled over from turtle position Grygera is left caught in side control. >Medvedev punches down at Grygera, but they are easily taken on the gloves. >Medvedev blocks an attempt to pull guard. >Medvedev looks to roll Grygera slightly and slip behind. >Grygera tries to escape but only succeeds in giving up his back! >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Medvedev gets both hooks in, and is now in a really dominant position. >Medvedev, with both hooks fully in, tries to get the rear naked choke applied. >Grygera fights off the rear naked choke attempt. >Grygera tries to improve his chances of survival by breaking free of the hooks, but they're too tight. >Medvedev attempts to complete a rear naked choke, having both hooks fully in. >Grygera stops Medvedev from getting his arm under the chin and completing the choke. >Grygera tries to improve his chances of survival by breaking free of the hooks, but they're too tight. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Medvedev attempts to complete a rear naked choke, having both hooks fully in. >Grygera stops Medvedev from getting his arm under the chin and completing the choke. >The time is up, and that's the end of round one. >I have to give that round to Medvedev, but only a 10-9. >There's the bell and round number two begins! >Grygera feints to the right, trying to draw Medvedev into throwing a strike. >Grygera avoids a nice combination. >Medvedev comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Grygera. >They start grappling, Grygera looks happy to engage Medvedev at close quarters. >Medvedev has gotten underhooks in and is looking to take Grygera to the ground. >Grygera stops the takedown attempt, then uses his wrestling to take control of the grapple. >Grygera tries to pick Medvedev up for a slam. >Grygera gets it! Medvedev manages to pull guard upon impact. >In guard, Grygera begins working to pass to side control. >He can't find a way past the guard. >Medvedev works some separation, then tries to quickly scramble his way into a better position. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Medvedev ends up pushing down on Grygera who is facing him in turtle position. >Grygera takes a few punches on the way, but manages to get back to standing. >Medvedev feints rushing in, but withdraws. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Grygera circles, looking for an opening. >It seems that Medvedev is happy to let Grygera circle for the moment. >Grygera fakes a lunge. >It seems that Medvedev is happy to let Grygera circle for the moment. >Round two ends as time expires. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Grygera. >We are back underway! >It sounded like his corner told Medvedev to push for takedowns in this round. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >Medvedev shoots in, looking for a close range double leg. >He has the takedown! Grygera pulls guard. >In guard, Medvedev throws a couple of punches designed to keep Grygera guessing. >Grygera tries to catch Medvedev with a punch, but it is not on target. >Medvedev tries to pound on Grygera with elbow strikes, but all the blows are comfortably dealt with. >Grygera tries to catch Medvedev with a punch, but it is not on target. >Medvedev begins trying to pass guard and get a better position. >He does excellently, getting past the guard and into side control. >Medvedev hits a knee strike to the ribs. >We move into the second half of this round. >Medvedev attempts an arm triangle. >The arm triangle is locked in, tight enough that Grygera has to tap out! >By submission, the winner is Vladoslav Medvedev! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Red Army Renegade' Vladoslav Medvedev defeats Jaromir Grygera (Submission (Arm Triangle) in 3:07 of round 3). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: Close call this, with the takedowns proving crucial in each round. Grygera did well with his submission defense in the first before getting a lovely slam in the second, but Medvedev was able to finish things off before the final buzzer. Main Event Stanislaw Lipnicki (15-10) v Kurt McDonald (5-4) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>It's time for the main event of the evening! Stanislaw 'Big Daddy' Lipnicki battles Kurt 'Chopper' McDonald in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >There's the opening bell! >An exchange of blows doesn't really produce any damage or a clear advantage. >Slipping past a left jab, McDonald hits a straight right. >McDonald dodges a jab, and fires back with a series of quick, sharp punches. >Showing good head movement, Lipnicki slips past a flurry of strikes. >They both meet with strikes, but neither does any damage. >McDonald throws rights and lefts, but Lipnicki covers up well and none of the shots find a home. >Both fighters fire off strikes, neither produces any significant damage. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >McDonald throws a flurry of rights and lefts, but Lipnicki covers up well. >A left jab misses, giving McDonald the chance to hit back with a swift leg kick. >McDonald throws a left jab but Lipnicki uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. >Standing in the pocket, McDonald throws an inside leg kick but Lipnicki shows good footwork to avoid it. >McDonald tries for a left jab but Lipnicki uses head movement to avoid it. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Lipnicki covers up to absorb a flurry of punches. >There's a short stalemate as both fighters advance and throw strikes, but neither hits. >The time runs out on round one. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of McDonald. >There's the bell and round number two begins! >A feinted low kick sets up a left high kick attempt, and Lipnicki is lucky to avoid it. >They both meet with strikes, but neither does any damage. >Lipnicki just slips out of the way of a flurry of strikes, having been off balance after falling for a feint. >A feint sets up a kick to the body, but Lipnicki manages to just avoid it. >McDonald looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Lipnicki tries to counter by dropping down and going for a single leg, but McDonald defended it well. >Lipnicki slips out of the way of a body kick. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Moving in closer, McDonald looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >Seeing a takedown opportunity, Lipnicki goes for a single leg, but McDonald is equal to it. >McDonald looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Lipnicki tries to single leg McDonald as he steps in, but he is too quick to step away. >McDonald is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Seeing a takedown opportunity, Lipnicki goes for a single leg, but McDonald is equal to it. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >McDonald counters a wayward left jab with a series of rights. >Moving in closer, Lipnicki looks like he may want to wrestle McDonald. >Lipnicki gets caught with a left hook though, and he is momentarily wobbly! >Kurt McDonald doesn't look like he has much left in the tank. >Time expires and we come to the end of round two. >I have to give that round to McDonald, but only a 10-9. >Round three begins! >McDonald scores with a left body kick. >Lipnicki shoots in, looking for a takedown. >A countering left hand catches Lipnicki off guard and knocks him down...and out! >Kurt McDonald takes the victory by way of Knock Out! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Kurt 'Chopper' McDonald defeats Stanislaw 'Big Daddy' Lipnicki (Knock Out (Punch) in 0:40 of round 3). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: A definite lack of excitement for the most part of the first two rounds, but a devastating finish for McDonald, whose takedown defense kept the fight where he was comfortable, throughout. Lipnicki has come out on the wrong end of four in a row and he won't be getting the contract renewal that a win might have bought him. Show summary Critical rating: Good Commercial success: Good Fight of the Night: Koenraad Belien v Priti Manek Knockout of the Night: Kurt McDonald Submission of the Night: Vladoslav Medvedev Comments: The critics were generous with their ratings this time, as I didn't think any of the fights was special. We continue to make slow but steady progress towards Mid Level National.

batsnumbereleven · February 5, 2014

Prediction results

4/ 4 – funkyzafara (69/94) – welcome back!

3/ 4 – CageRage (252/334)

2/ 4 – BigRedMachine (52/75)

Injury report

Ryan Gustafsson will be out of the cage for at least 4 months with a serious ankle injury, which he says hindered his performance in his UD victory over Bujnicki. In addition, Koenraad Belien has torn groin muscles and will be out of action for 6 months or longer, though that will be a blight on his ability to find a new employer, rather than to SIGMA, since his contract has now expired.

The athletic commission imposed precautionary suspensions of one month on Jaromir Grygera, two on Stanislaw Lipnicki, and three on Priti Manek, though the latter two will be served elsewhere.

batsnumbereleven · February 5, 2014

Monday 15th May 2001 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Press Release Signature Martial Arts is delighted to be returning to Eissportzentrum Chemnitz, where SIGMA 53 will take place on Friday 26th May. Headlining this event will be a huge Heavyweight clash that is being billed as a #1 contender's match to face the SIGMA Heavyweight champion. German-born Russian Wolfgang Taktarov (4-0) is being billed by Blurcat.com as the #2 ranked Heavyweight in the world, behind only MMA legend Hassan Fezzik, and the hype-machine is fully behind the all-rounder as he is set to take on monstrous Ivorian kick boxer Souleyman Ya Konan (12-2) who is on a three-fight winning streak. In co-main event will be another high profile contest, as veteran Spaniard Fernando Amaro (#10, 56-13-4-2NC) and 30-year-old Norwegian kick boxer Thorbjorn Rekdal (11-1) vie for a position to be able to challenge Middleweight champion Fjodor Kanchelskis. Amaro is coming off landmark wins over Tore Herlovsen, Jaromir Grygera and Drazen Gabelich in the last 18 months, whilst Rekdal is running a five-fight winning streak. Veteran Russian former SIGMA Welterweight champion Evgeni Medtner (23-7) will be the next opponent for burgeoning English talent Jayden Karp (7-0) whose unbeaten record includes SIGMA victories over Dominykas Jankovic, Jean-Jacques Levaseur and Stian Agdenstein. Medtner was last in action with a KO victory over Andre Coton at SIGMA 41. Two more veterans will be seeking a return to victory to ensure their future status on the card, as Serbian kick boxer Andranik Paletilolu (17-8) takes on Hamburg wrestler Jacob Matthaus (16-10) in the Light-Heavyweight division, and Swedish Featherweight striker Ruben Ericsson (9-5-1) comes off the back of three losses as he faces Polish brawler Jan Ilic (3-2), who has had a lay off of around a year since his last outing, which saw him lose by submission to Hans Christian Bloch on SIGMA Gefecht TV. Opening up the main card, which will be screened on Pay-per-View by EuroNet, live from the arena, will be a Lightweight contest between French kick boxer Maurice Braudel (7-5) and Scottish ground-and-pound threat Irving Braun (4-2). Before all that, there will also be two preliminary bouts, as English judoka Jay Dorridge (8-1) will be a tough opponent in the Featherweight division for Hamburg's Elias Leiter (1-0) who debuted at SIGMA 46 with a split decision victory over Milovan Ajetovic, and Hamburg's sambo fighter Roland Furtwangler (2-3) will be the first opponent for the debuting Italian Welterweight Fabrizio Asti.</div></blockquote> Card for picks SIGMA 53 Wolfgang Taktarov v Souleyman Ya Konan Fernando Amaro v Thorbjorn Rekdal Evgeni Medtner v Jayden Karp Andranik Paletilolu v Jacob Matthaus Ruben Ericsson v Jan Ilic Maurice Braudel v Irving Braun (prelim) Jay Dorridge v Elias Leiter (prelim) Roland Furtwangler v Fabrizio Asti

CageRage · February 5, 2014

SIGMA 53

Wolfgang Taktarov v Souleyman Ya Konan

Fernando Amaro v Thorbjorn Rekdal

Evgeni Medtner v Jayden Karp

Andranik Paletilolu v Jacob Matthaus

Ruben Ericsson v Jan Ilic

Maurice Braudel v Irving Braun

(prelim) Jay Dorridge v Elias Leiter

(prelim) Roland Furtwangler v Fabrizio Asti

iverbure · February 5, 2014

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="batsnumbereleven" data-cite="batsnumbereleven" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Prediction results 4/ 4 – funkyzafara (69/94) – welcome back! 3/ 4 – CageRage (252/334) 2/ 4 – BigRedMachine (52/75) Injury report Ryan Gustafsson will be out of the cage for at least 4 months with a serious ability to find a new employer, rather than to SIGMA, since his contract has ankle injury, which he says hindered his performance in his UD victory over Bujnicki. In addition, Koenraad Belien has torn groin muscles and will be out of action for 6 months or longer, though that will be a blight on his now expired. The athletic commission imposed precautionary suspensions of one month on Jaromir Grygera, two on Stanislaw Lipnicki, and three on Priti Manek, though the latter two will be served elsewhere.</div></blockquote> so does that mean you cut Gustafsson despite the 3-0 record? i had trouble understand what the bold part meant. with asanovic joining the lhw division does that make lhw the deepest division you have? if not which division do you think is your deepest? great thread, i read everyday

batsnumbereleven · February 5, 2014

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="iverbure" data-cite="iverbure" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>so does that mean you cut Gustafsson despite the 3-0 record? i had trouble understand what the bold part meant.</div></blockquote> Umm, no there's a mix up in the middle there - something's got dragged into the wrong place. I'll go back and fix it. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="iverbure" data-cite="iverbure" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>with asanovic joining the lhw division does that make lhw the deepest division you have? if not which division do you think is your deepest? great thread, i read everyday.</div></blockquote> Light-Heavyweight is definitely my strongest division in my opinion. It has a ranking strength of 36% (as of about 3 months down the line from this point). Oddly Featherweight has a slightly higher ranking (37%) but in my view this is because there are far fewer organisations with a Featherweight division, and the talent pool isn't as deep across the game.

batsnumbereleven · February 6, 2014

News and Notes from around the MMA world: May 2001

Signings

ALPHA-1: Grigory Kabalevsky,

GAMMA: -

OMEGA: Osamu Dan (2-3 ALPHA-1), Jiroemon Hasegawa (1-2 ALPHA-1), Linfield Ballard (1-3 GAMMA, 0-2 ALPHA-1), Derek South (1-4 GAMMA), Kleber Pereira (0-1 FLB),

BCF: -

FLB: Samuel Arinos, Marcio do Amor Lima, Luis Furtado,

XCC: -

WEFF: -

WARRIORS: former BCF Welterweight champion Will Kane (1-3 BCF), Hikozaemon Arakida, James Jerome (1-2 OMEGA), Conor Houghton (1-2 BCF across two stints), Geraint O'Connell, George Astaire (3-3 BCF), Xiao Ling-Hu, Alan Kendall (2-3 GAMMA), Haranobu Oshiro (3-3 ALPHA-1), Sylvester Collins (1-2 GAMMA), Milenko Rudonja (0-5 SIGMA), Gavriil Sviridov (0-2 SIGMA), Bret Clement (1-2 BCF), former ALPHA-1 Lightweight champion Motoki Hojo (4-4 ALPHA-1), Ronald Morton, Rashad Kimmons (1-1 KDMFC),

UCFF: -

Events

ALPHA-1: Endo v Miyazaki took place on Saturday 20th May in front of more than 13,000 in Chubu, with ALPHA-1 Middleweight champion Heiji Endo (#3, 19-2) retaining his title with a third round rear naked choke submission of Tadao Miyazaki (#15, 15-2) in a great bout that picked up Fight of the Night honors. On the undercard, Masato Wai (7-1) upset #21 Lightweight Fumiaki Hayashi (19-7) in another good bout that went to the judges, who unanimously gave their verdict to Wai.

GAMMA 57: Watson v Patinkin occurred on the same night, in Denver Colorado, where nearly 9000 were in attendance to see a GAMMA Light-Heavyweight title battle that went into the 4th round before challenger Junior Patinkin (#6, 21-2) got Mike Watson (#12, 14-2) to the floor and unleashed enough of his brutal ground-and-pound for the referee to call a stop to the contest. In a highly anticipated, but ultimately poor co-main, Nathan Chambers (#15, 18-2) took a unanimous decision victory over Rufus Stephens (#18, 20-3) to set up another shot at the GAMMA Welterweight title.

WEFF 23 was held in Quebec on Monday 22nd May, and saw Piper Evergood (#3, 10-1) become WEFF Heavyweight champion for a second time with a fourth round TKO victory over Stella Massey (#2, 11-2) who she beat to earn her first title last year.

Thursday 25th May saw UCFF 7: Silvers v Wybock in Northern Africa, with the main event being for the UCFF Light-Heavyweight title. The fight lasted just 41 seconds, with defending champion Jon Silvers (10-0) taking Zane Wybock (7-2) to the mat almost instantly, and pounding away, leaving the referee with no option but to call a halt to the contest.

Other Notable news

At the start of the month, ALPHA-1 returned to Mid Level National, but it is GAMMA CEO Lance Decker who has left the company by mutual consent, after a very brief flirtation with High Level National, and recent poor performance being cited as the principle reason for his departure.

Following their events this month, both promotions returned to High Level National!

Subsequent to this, GAMMA announced their new CEO as JK Stallings,.

batsnumbereleven · February 6, 2014

Event Report SIGMA 53: Taktarov v Ya Konan Eissportzentrum Chemnitz, Germany. Friday 26th May 2001 Attendance: 3825 for a gate of $306,000 PPV Buys: 146,295 for revenue of $877,770 Preliminary fights Roland Furtwangler (2-3) v Fabrizio Asti (0-0) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; Roland Furtwangler goes up against 'Sparkling' Fabrizio Asti in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >And here we go! >Furtwangler avoids a jab. >Asti snaps off a left jab that catches Furtwangler stepping in. >An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >A left jab misses and Asti counters with a clean left. >Asti sneaks a glance at his corner. >Not letting up, Furtwangler quickly steps in closer to attack Asti. >Furtwangler comes in with a couple of jabs, using them as cover so that he can shoot in. >Asti sees the takedown coming and tries to move. >The takedown doesn't work, Asti saw it coming and got out of range. >We move into the second half of this round. >Moving forward, Furtwangler counters a left jab with a kick to the inside of the left leg. >Asti narrowly misses Furtwangler with a right uppercut. >Furtwangler steps in closer to force the issue. >Asti avoids a flurry of punches. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Advancing, Furtwangler counters a left jab by using a big right kick to the outside of the thigh. >Strikes to the leg like that will take their toll. >Asti sneaks a glance at his corner. >Not letting Asti settle at all, Furtwangler comes in closer. >Round one ends as time expires. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Furtwangler. >And here we go, round two! >A flurry of punches fail to land, giving Asti the opportunity to counter with a nice jab. >Furtwangler moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a swift right kick to the leg. >Backing out of range, Asti circles tentatively. >Furtwangler seems to be waiting for Asti to make a move. >Asti narrowly misses Furtwangler with a right uppercut. >Furtwangler doesn't press the issue, allowing Asti to circle. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >They come together and strike, but neither can land a clean shot. >Furtwangler counters a left jab by hitting a big right kick to the outside of the thigh. >Fabrizio Asti is finding it hard to put any weight on his injured leg. >A showdown where they both exchange strikes only results in a stalemate. >Asti circles around looking for an opening, limping badly. >The fight slows as Furtwangler sits back and allows Asti to circle. >There's under a minute left in this round. >A wayward low right kick allows Asti to hit a solid left. >Round two is brought to an end as time runs out. >That was a horrible round to watch, and the fans are booing quite loudly. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to Furtwangler. >Round three begins! >Furtwangler avoids a couple of wild punches. >Asti slips out of the way of a jab. >Asti throws a left jab but Furtwangler avoids it. >Moving in closer, Furtwangler looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >Asti keeps himself moving out of range. >Furtwangler shoots in for a takedown. >Furtwangler goes under an attempted counter right hand. >Furtwangler gets the takedown! Asti pulls guard. >Asti is controlled against the ground, unable to shift Furtwangler off of him. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Time slips away as Furtwangler successfully keeps Asti stuck against the ground. >Roland Furtwangler doesn't look like he has much left in the tank. >Furtwangler attempts to pass guard and gain a better position. >Asti finds his opponent too skilled, and Furtwangler passes guard into side control. >Furtwangler begins trying to get himself into a mount. >Furtwangler mounts Asti. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Furtwangler pounds away with elbows, but doesn't do much damage, if any, Asti covers up well. >Asti tries a sweep from the bottom of the mount, but gets rolled and Furtwangler has his back! >The time expires on round three, and that is the end of the fight. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Furtwangler. >The judges' scores are now being announced. >All three judges give 30-27. >So the winner, by unanimous decision, is Roland Furtwangler! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Roland Furtwangler defeats 'Sparkling' Fabrizio Asti (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Very Poor. Comments: Bit of a tepid start, but I didn't think it was as bad as the critics did. Furtwangler controlled things fairly easily, and neither man seemed overly enthusiastic about pushing the pace, but I've seen much worse, and when Furtwangler got his takedown he was active in improving position and looking for a way to finish things. Jay Dorridge (8-1) v Elias Leiter (1-0) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>In the last of the preliminary matches, 'Black Belt' Jay Dorridge goes head to head with Elias Leiter in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >The fight begins! >Dorridge avoids a flurry of punches. >Dorridge swiftly avoids a barrage of big punches, having fallen for a feint. >Moving forward, Leiter counters a left jab with a barrage of hard right hands, enough to put Dorridge down! >Leiter moves in quickly, kneeling beside Dorridge and starting to hammer down with punches! >Leiter pounds away on Dorridge, landing several great shots that threaten to knock him out! >The referee is forced to jump in and stop the match! >Elias Leiter takes the win by TKO! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Elias Leiter defeats 'Black Belt' Jay Dorridge (TKO (Strikes) in 1:34 of round 1). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Big TKO from Leiter, as Dorridge's chin fails to hold out here. Got to ask where this dynamism was in Leiter's first fight though, which went to the judges. Main card Maurice Braudel (7-5) v Irving Braun (4-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; Maurice Braudel takes on Irving Braun in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >And here we go! >Braun moves in closer but takes a crisp jab to the face. >A quick exchange of strikes produces nothing worth mentioning. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Braun attempts to pick Braudel up for a slam. >Braun has him! Slams him down! Braudel pulls guard. >Braun starts trying to work to get past the guard. >Braun is too much for Braudel, passing guard and gaining side control. >Braun holds Braudel in position with side control and hits a knee into the ribs. >Braun pounds away from side control, Braudel is barely able to offer any defence at all! >The referee jumps in and saves Braudel from taking any more shots! >The winner, by TKO; Irving Braun! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Irving Braun defeats Maurice Braudel (TKO (Strikes) in 2:08 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Nice way to start off the main card, and Braun just gave Braudel no chance to do anything here as soon as he got the clinch. Ruben Ericsson (9-5-1) v Jan Ilic (3-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Moving on to the next match, in which Ruben Ericsson will take on Jan 'Thunderbolt' Ilic in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >The fight begins! >A tidy combination doesn't find a home, giving Ilic the opportunity to counter with a jab. >Ilic just avoids a combination of short sharp punches and hits a hard right kick to the legs. >Ericsson gets suckered in by a feint, and is lucky to avoid the combination that follows. >Ilic throws a leg kick but Ericsson avoids it. >Ericsson slams a crisp left into the gloves of Ilic, but can't follow up. >Ilic presses in closer to attack. >Ilic counters a one-two combination with a series of heavy punches, each one landing hard on Ericsson who is desperately trying to cover up! >Ericsson collapses, hurt, and Ilic looks to finish by unleashing a barrage of strikes to his downed opponent! >The referee pulls Ilic away, stopping the match! >The winner, by TKO; Jan Ilic! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Jan 'Thunderbolt' Ilic defeats Ruben Ericsson (TKO (Strikes) in 2:38 of round 1). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: I'm liking the clean finishes tonight, and Ilic shows off his propensity for throwing those heavy hands, which was more than Ericsson's jaw could cope with. Ilic and Leiter might just get to face one another, in due course. Andranik Paletilolu (17-8) v Jacob Matthaus (16-10) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; 'The Battering Ram' Andranik Paletilolu goes up against 'The Hamburg Hammer' Jacob Matthaus in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Matthaus counters a wayward low kick by catching it and shooting in for a takedown, and gets it! Paletilolu pulls guard. >Time slips away as Matthaus successfully keeps Paletilolu stuck against the ground. >Time slips away as Matthaus successfully keeps Paletilolu stuck against the ground. >Matthaus punches down at Paletilolu, but they are easily taken on the gloves. >Paletilolu tries to catch Matthaus with a punch, but it is not on target. >Matthaus looks to pass guard and get side control. >Paletilolu is ready for the attempt though, and keeps Matthaus firmly in guard. >Paletilolu tries to catch Matthaus with a punch, but it is not on target. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Matthaus throws a few strikes, but they are without venom. >Matthaus smothers Paletilolu with his body by pushing forward and down. >Matthaus starts trying to work to get past the guard. >Paletilolu keeps his guard secure. >Paletilolu tries to pull Matthaus in close and pepper him with short strikes, but can't. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Paletilolu is controlled against the ground, unable to shift Matthaus off of him. >Matthaus is trying to pass guard. >Paletilolu comfortably blocks the attempt and keeps Matthaus in guard. >Time expires and we come to the end of round one. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Matthaus. >We are back underway! >Matthaus avoids a tight combination. >An errant jab sets Paletilolu up to counter-strike with a powerful right hook to the body. >A couple of quick punches are used to set up a takedown attempt from Matthaus. >Paletilolu is too quick, and manages to hit Matthaus with a good clean left jab. >Paletilolu throws a barrage of big rights but Matthaus is quick to move out of range. >A jab doesn't find its intended target, allowing Paletilolu to fire back with a hard kick across the side. >Matthaus is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Paletilolu. >Matthaus grabs Paletilolu and pulls him into a grapple. >Matthaus has worked in the underhooks and looks to take Paletilolu down. >Paletilolu blocks the takedown attempt. >Paletilolu tries to uses a whizzer to turn Matthaus, but is blocked from doing so. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Matthaus is looking to muscle Paletilolu back against the cage. >Matthaus achieves it, pinning Paletilolu to the cage. >Matthaus misses with a foot stomp. >Jacob Matthaus is looking really tired. >Matthaus has gotten underhooks in and is looking to take Paletilolu to the ground. >Paletilolu keeps his composure, and Matthaus cannot get past his takedown defence. >Paletilolu wrestles free of Matthaus and backs off to the center. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Paletilolu circles, looking for an opening. >Matthaus comes in closer to press the issue. >The time is up, and that's the end of round two. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Paletilolu. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Paletilolu puts everything into a scorching right cross, Matthaus takes it full in the face and is flattened! He is out! >By Knock Out, the winner is Andranik Paletilolu! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Battering Ram' Andranik Paletilolu defeats 'The Hamburg Hammer' Jacob Matthaus (Knock Out (Punch) in 0:23 of round 3). The match was rated as being Poor. Comments: Can't complain at all about the finish, but the previous ten minutes was a waste of precious time. If this had stayed as a grappling contest, Matthaus might have eked out a decision win of some form, so Paletilolu was right to swing for the fences. Matthaus looks like he's finished with SIGMA after a 1-4 run. Paletilolu is thinking big, post-fight, as he calls out SIGMA newcomer Zvonimir Asanovic. It would be an interesting start for him, but not sure it would rate the headlining spot that the Croatian Sensation demands... we'll see. Evgeni Medtner (23-7) v Jayden Karp (7-0) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Next up, Evgeni Medtner battles Jayden Karp in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >Round one begins! >Karp isn't drawn in by Medtner feinting to his left. >They both meet with strikes, but neither does any damage. >Medtner feints left and throws an excellent combination but Karp is just able to cover up in time. >Moving in closer, Medtner looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >He gets into range. >Using head movement to slip past a left jab, Medtner hits a nice sequence of jabs. >Medtner tries for a left jab but Karp uses head movement to avoid it. >Karp comes in, looking for a quick double leg takedown from close range. >Medtner tries to counter with a right hand, but is too slow. >Karp drives forward, and despite the best efforts of Medtner to stay upright, the takedown is completed! >Medtner ends up sitting, his legs trapped under Karp, with his back pressed against the cage. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Medtner is controlled against the cage wall, unable to shift Karp off of him. >Karp begins trying to get himself into a more dominant position. >Medtner gets turned onto his back, and is left under side control. >Karp tries to ensnare Medtner in an armbar. >A straight armbar is applied, Medtner is in danger of having his arm hyper-extended! >No! Medtner manages to get his arm free. Clearly the hold couldn't have been as tight as it looked. >Medtner looks ready to try and scramble, but Karp is quick to move to prevent that. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Karp attempts to arm triangle Medtner from side control. >Medtner gets caught by the arm triangle, and it's deep enough that he has to tap! >By submission, the winner is Jayden Karp! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Jayden Karp defeats Evgeni Medtner (Submission (Arm Triangle) in 4:59 of round 1). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: Statement win here from Karp against the former champ, in a fight he really needed to take if he was to be considered as a possible title contender. You have to question Medtner's heart, tapping inside the last ten seconds of the round, but he's a valuable gatekeeper in the division, so he's always likely to get further opportunities. Co-main Fernando Amaro (#10, 53-13-4-2NC) v Thorbjorn Rekdal (11-1) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>The co-main event is up next. Fernando 'The Traveller' Amaro competes against 'Brickhouse' Thorbjorn Rekdal in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Amaro avoids a low kick. >Amaro slips out of the way of a leg kick. >A left hand misses, allowing Rekdal to counter with a crisp left hand punch. >Amaro slips out of the way of a body kick. >Advancing, Amaro counters a left jab by using a stinging left jab. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >Both fighters fire off strikes, neither produces any significant damage. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Amaro uses head movement to avoid a left jab. >Both throw strikes at each other, both easily defend the other's attempt. >The time runs out on round one. >Incredibly close round, but Rekdal came out just ahead on my score card. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Both fighters go to exchange blows, but neither hits a telling strike. >They come together and throw strikes, both miss. >Both fighters go to exchange blows, but neither hits a telling strike. >From the missed strikes they clinch. >Amaro uses some dirty boxing as he grapples with Rekdal. >Amaro uses some dirty boxing as he grapples with Rekdal. >Amaro is trying to push Rekdal so that his back is up against the cage. >Amaro manages it, and controls Rekdal up against the cage. >Amaro steps back from Rekdal and looks to unleash some strikes. >Both fighters throw strikes, no significant damage is inflicted by either. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Amaro backs away to create some more space. >Rekdal keeps his cool as Amaro throws a feint to the left. >Amaro sneaks a glance at his corner. >Rekdal comes in closer to press the issue. >Amaro doesn't get drawn in as Rekdal feints a kick. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Rekdal avoids a quick jab and hits a solid left. >Amaro throws a speculative right, but it is nowhere near hitting. >Rekdal steps in closer to force the issue. >Round two ends as time expires. >That was a close round, but I'm giving it to Rekdal, 10-9. >And here we go, round three! >Rekdal slips out of the way of a jab. >Amaro gets caught with a nice one-two combination. >Rekdal counters a left jab by using a crisp left hand punch. >Rekdal throws a left jab but Amaro avoids it. >A flicked jab from Amaro only finds gloves. >Rekdal doesn't let Amaro settle, stepping in closer to impose himself. >Rekdal moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a straight left. >Amaro throws a speculative right, but it is nowhere near hitting. >Rekdal doesn't let Amaro settle, stepping in closer to impose himself. >We move into the second half of this round. >Rekdal uses a feint to get Amaro off balance, but the nice sequence of punches that follow don't find their mark. >Amaro sneaks a glance at his corner. >Not letting up, Rekdal quickly steps in closer to attack Amaro. >Both fighters exchange strikes, but neither hits anything significant. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Rekdal feints to the right, trying to draw Amaro into throwing a strike. >A straight left from Amaro fails to land. >Not letting Amaro settle at all, Rekdal comes in closer. >Amaro moves out of range of a tidy combination of punches. >The time runs out and that round is over, and so is the fight. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Rekdal. >The official scores are being reported now. >Judge #1 scores the contest as 29-28 to Rekdal. >Judge #2 has scored it 29-28 Amaro. >Judge #3: 29-28 Rekdal. >So the winner, by split decision, is 'Brickhouse' Thorbjorn Rekdal! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Brickhouse' Thorbjorn Rekdal defeats Fernando 'The Traveller' Amaro (Split Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Awful. Comments: A fight that was characterised more by what missed (most of it) than what actually made contact made it very difficult for the judges to score. I had it 29-28 to Rekdal, but I can see how it might have gone the other way, and no complaints. Both he and Amaro had openings, but both men moved well to avoid any really significant strikes. Not intrinsically all that bad a contest, and certainly not “awful”, but not especially noteworthy, and far more intriguing than one of those fights where one guy gets a takedown and then sits in the other guy's guard not doing anything. Rekdal probably gets a title shot next, with nobody else quite in position for it, though I suspect he'll have to get more strikes on target against Kanchelskis than he did here. Main Event Wolfgang Taktarov (#2, 4-0) v Souleyman Ya Konan (12-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>It's time for the main event of the evening! Wolfgang 'Tik-Tok' Taktarov competes against 'The African Dream' Souleymane Ya Konan in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >The fight begins! >Ya Konan darts in and out of range quickly, trying to get Taktarov to commit to throwing a strike. >Taktarov counters a left jab by using a nasty-looking kick to the inside of the left knee. >Moving in closer, Ya Konan looks like he may want to wrestle Taktarov. >Not wanting to grapple, Taktarov uses strikes to keep Ya Konan at a distance. >Ya Konan looks like he might be trying to get in close and wrestle with Taktarov. >Taktarov ends up grappling for supremacy with Ya Konan. >Ya Konan tries to wrestle Taktarov backward and up against the cage. >Ya Konan doesn't manage it though, as Taktarov slips out of the grapple and gets away. >Taktarov counters a left jab by using a left. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Taktarov comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Taktarov is now standing in the pocket. >Slipping past a one-two combination, Ya Konan counters with a quick right that lands right on the button, sending Taktarov crumpling to the ground out cold! >Souleymane Ya Konan takes the victory by way of Knock Out! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The African Dream' Souleymane Ya Konan defeats Wolfgang 'Tik-Tok' Taktarov (Knock Out (Punch) in 3:13 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Super finish to the night, and this one really took me by surprise with the way that Ya Konan was looking for the takedown – I thought it much more likely that a big KO finish would come the other way! After a 1-2 start under the new regime, Ya Konan has now won his last four, and is sure to feature in the Top 25 when the new rankings come out on Monday. Taktarov looked fine until the pivotal moment, and it will be interesting to see how he recovers from the defeat. Orthodox logic suggests he will get an easier match-up before returning to challenge the top Heavyweights, but then the betting money was on him despatching of Ya Konan relatively easily, given the amount of build-up he's had from outside sources. Show summary Critical rating: Decent Commercial success: Good Fight of the Night: Irving Braun v Maurice Braudel Knockout of the Night: Souleyman Ya Konan Submission of the Night: Jayden Karp Comments: At the post-fight press conference, Scott Avatar announces that Souleyman Ya Konan will be the next challenger for Aleksander Ivanov's SIGMA Heavyweight title, regardless of where Blurcat.com rank him. The main event made up for the co-main in terms of critical appraisal, the shock win erasing the journalists memories of the previous fight fairly quickly. Karp looks likely to get a big push next time out against another top opponent.

batsnumbereleven · February 6, 2014

Prediction results

Just the one set of predictions for this event and 4/8 for CageRage (256/342)

Injury report

Jan Ilic picked up a pelvic injury during his fight, and the athletic commission have imposed the following suspensions:

2 months: Evgeni Medtner, Jay Dorridge, Maurice Braudel, Ruben Ericsson, Wolfgang Taktarov

3 months: Fabrizio Asti, Jacob Matthaus

SIGMA signings/contracts

Another Gunnar Nilsson protégé has joined the SIGMA roster: Goran Karlsson is a 20-year-old Welterweight “pit fighter” from Gothenborg, Sweden. We also offer a deal to English Welterweight judoka Roger Quince, who has a strong wrestling background.

As noted after SIGMA Gefecht TV earlier in the month, the contract of Stanislaw Lipnicki isn't going to be renewed, and in fact both fighters from the opener, Koenraad Belien (who was only seeing out his final fight) and Priti Manek (who has gone 0-4 in SIGMA) are both out of the company – Manek's contract has been terminated early. Also going are Maurice Braudel (1-5) and Jacob Matthaus (1-4), whose records just haven't been good enough to justify their continued employment, and have had their contracts terminated with a fight still remaining to give opportunities to others.

New contracts have, however, been awarded to Jayden Karp, Thorbjorn Rekdal (both for 6 fights), Evgeni Medtner (5) and Jay Dorridge (4).

batsnumbereleven · February 6, 2014

Monday 1st June 2001 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Press Release Signature Martial Arts is proud to announce that it will be returning to its previous schedule of three events per two months for the next few months, but also that it will be retaining Gefecht TV, which will air in the months when there is only one Pay-per-View. To kick off the new schedule, SIGMA 54 will take place on Sunday 14th June, and will hail from the Scania Arena in Duisberg. The headline fight will see two-time former SIGMA Light-Heavyweight champion Niko Soldo (#9, 19-3-1) trying to earn another shot at the title in a tough encounter against 23-year-old Swede Emil Karlsson (5-1), who has impressed in SIGMA to date. Soldo is coming off a knockout victory over veteran Russian Dmytro Dargomyzhsky, whilst Karlsson has recently defeated Daniil Skala and Lothar Weissman, with the one blemish on his record coming against talented Russian Mikel Tupolov at SIGMA 32. SIGMA 54: Soldo v Karlsson will be co-headlined by a Featherweight clash that might turn into a title eliminator. 30-year-old Icelandic grappler Snorri Gunnarsson (#21, 23-8-1NC) looks to to build upon his victory over former champ Benedikt Streit at SIGMA Gefecht TV back in September with a dominant performance against rising Hamburg wrestler Heiko Pander (#15, 5-1), who has wins over Fernando Marazzina and Milovan Ajetovic on his resume. At Middleweight, Norwegian thai boxer Tore Herlovsen (8-2) will see action against Croatian submissions expert Drazen Gabelich (9-4), as both fighters look to return to winning ways. Herlovsen was last in the cage back at SIGMA 44, where he lost a decision to Thorbjorn Rekdal, whilst Gabelich saw action in the co-main at SIGMA 45, where he was stopped in the first round by perennial title contender Fernando Amaro. A pair of Heavyweight fights will fill the middle of the card, as underperforming Finn Ari Peltonen (27-10) comes up against French kick boxer Jean-Pierre Richelleau (27-12) with very similar levels of experience, and the less veteran Austrian Otto Renner (5-1) makes his SIGMA debut against Hamburg's Bastian Neske (4-2). In preliminary action, Belorussian ground-and-pound merchant Franak Pavilchenko (14-7) will oppose English brawler Clive Cruiser (2-0) who makes his SIGMA bow at Lightweight, whilst another debutant, flashy karate exponent Tuure Varjo from Finland, will be faced with muay thai practitioner Jean-Jacques Levasseur (5-2) in the Welterweight division. As usual, we'll be live on EuroNet across Europe, Russia and the UK from 2000 CET, so don't miss out! </div></blockquote> Card for picks SIGMA 54 Niko Soldo v Emil Karlsson Snorri Gunnarsson v Heiko Pander Tore Herlovsen v Drazen Gabelich Ari Peltonen v Jean-Pierre Richelleau Otto Renner v Bastian Neske (prelim) Franak Pavilchenko v Clive Cruiser (prelim) Tuure Varjo v Jean-Jacques Levasseur

CageRage · February 7, 2014

SIGMA 54

Niko Soldo v Emil Karlsson

Snorri Gunnarsson v Heiko Pander

Tore Herlovsen v Drazen Gabelich

Ari Peltonen v Jean-Pierre Richelleau

Otto Renner v Bastian Neske

(prelim) Franak Pavilchenko v Clive Cruiser

(prelim) Tuure Varjo v Jean-Jacques Levasseur

batsnumbereleven · February 7, 2014

Event Report SIGMA 54: Soldo v Karlsson Scania Arena, Duisberg, Germany. Sunday 14th June 2001 Attendance: 3526 for a gate of $282,080 PPV Buys: 147,555 for revenue of $855,330 Preliminary fights Tuure Varjo (0-0) v Jean-Jacques Levasseur (5-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Moving on to the next match, in which 'Metalhead' Tuure Varjo competes against Jean-Jacques Levasseur in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >We are underway! >Levasseur avoids a series of wayward big punches and counters with a nice jab. >Levasseur slips past an attempted big right hand and counters with a stinging leg kick. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores. >A left jab misses, giving Levasseur the chance to hit back with a series of quick, sharp punches. >Levasseur slips past a big right and hits a leg kick. >Those strikes to the legs are going to take their toll. >Both fighters throw strikes, no significant damage is inflicted by either. >They wind up in a tight clinch. >Using his wrestling skills, Levasseur is trying to push Varjo up against the cage. >He does so, and now has Varjo pinned to the cage. >Levasseur hits a knee strike to the side of the ribs. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Levasseur moves back from the grapple and looks ready to strike. >Slipping past a one-two combination, Varjo has the angle to counter with a barrage of punches, eventually putting Levasseur down! >Levasseur recovers his wits quickly, and waits for Varjo to make a move. >Apparently unwilling to engage, Varjo lets his opponent stand back up. >A straight left by Levasseur keeps Varjo from advancing. >Not letting up, Varjo quickly steps in closer to attack Levasseur. >Varjo looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Levasseur is too quick, and manages to hit Varjo with a good clean left jab. >We're into the final minute of the round. >A left jab misses and Levasseur counters with a hard kick across the side. >A left jab misses and Levasseur strikes back with a nice jab. >Round one ends as time expires. >That was a fun round to watch. >I have to give that round to Levasseur, but only a 10-9. >And here we go, round two! >There is an exchange of strikes, but neither fighter does any damage. >Having ended up close together from the strikes they threw, a wild exchange of punches begins! >Levasseur gets caught with a close range right hand and is knocked clean out! >Tuure Varjo takes the victory by way of Knock Out! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Metalhead' Tuure Varjo defeats Jean-Jacques Levasseur (Knock Out (Punch) in 0:42 of round 2). The match was rated as being Fantastic. Comments: Great start to the night, though I wasn't quite as impressed as the journos. Varjo looks like he's going to be an exciting prospect if he's prepared to throw like that – you can guarantee that his chin will be tested as well with an approach like that though! Franak Pavilchenko (14-7) v Clive Cruiser (2-0) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>In the last of the preliminary matches, Franak Pavilchenko will battle Clive 'Bruiser' Cruiser in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Pavilchenko avoids a flurry of rights and lefts. >Pavilchenko steps back to avoid a barrage of big punches. >A jab misses and Pavilchenko counters with a stinging left jab. >Pavilchenko throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Cruiser tries to step away from the takedown. >Cruiser avoids the takedown attempt. >There is an exchange of strikes, but neither fighter does any damage. >From the missed strikes they clinch. >Pavilchenko is trying to muscle Cruiser up against the cage. >Pavilchenko manages it, and controls Cruiser up against the cage. >Pavilchenko uses underhooks to gain solid control, and is looking for a takedown. >He lifts his opponent and drives him down with a Greco-Roman slam! Cruiser pulls half guard. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Pavilchenko attempts to americana Cruiser from the top of half guard. >Cruiser blocks it. >Pavilchenko blocks an attempted sweep. >Pavilchenko looks to get past the half guard. >Cruiser keeps his half guard secure. >Cruiser tries to sweep Pavilchenko but doesn't get anywhere. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Pavilchenko tries to ensnare Cruiser in an arm triangle. >Cruiser doesn't allow the arm triangle to be applied. >Round one ends as time expires. >Hopefully the next round will produce a little more in the way of action. >I think Pavilchenko took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >We are back underway! >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Cruiser gets caught with a couple of nice short punches as Pavilchenko uses his dirty boxing to inflict some punishment. >Pavilchenko is trying to push Cruiser so that his back is up against the cage. >He does so, and now has Cruiser pinned to the cage. >Pavilchenko pins Cruiser up against the cage and works him over with small punches to the body for roughly sixty seconds. >Pavilchenko exerts total control, keeping Cruiser smothered against the cage for sixty seconds or so. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Pavilchenko tries to smother Cruiser against the cage with wrestling, but he reverses it and pushes Pavilchenko against the cage instead. >Cruiser catches Pavilchenko with a knee strike to the thigh. >Cruiser looks for a knee strike, but Pavilchenko out-wrestles him and switches them around so that he is in the dominant position. >With the cage trapping Cruiser, Pavilchenko gets the underhooks in and looks for a takedown. >Pavilchenko gets the takedown by using the underhooks for control and working a trip! Cruiser pulls half guard. >Pavilchenko looks to get past the half guard. >He finds himself unable to get past the half guard on this attempt. >Breathing very hard, Franak Pavilchenko is looking ragged. >Cruiser tries to transition to full guard, but can't manage it. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Pavilchenko throws a few strikes, but they are without venom. >Round two ends as time expires. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Pavilchenko. >Round three begins! >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >Cruiser tries for a right jab but Pavilchenko moves out of range. >They exchange strikes, but neither fighter inflicts any real damage. >Cruiser ducks under a huge right hand and returns fire with a flurry of quick punches to sting Pavilchenko. >They exchange strikes, but neither fighter inflicts any real damage. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Pavilchenko is looking to muscle Cruiser back against the cage. >He does so, and now has Cruiser pinned to the cage. >Cruiser is trapped against the cage and Pavilchenko hits him with a short left uppercut. >Franak Pavilchenko seems to be fighting against exhaustion. >Clive Cruiser looks very tired out there. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Cruiser is controlled up against the cage and takes a hard foot stomp. >Cruiser takes a knee strike to the inside of his own knee. >Pavilchenko tries to smother Cruiser against the cage with wrestling, but he reverses it and pushes Pavilchenko against the cage instead. >Cruiser takes a short step back and prepares to strike. >Cruiser hits several heavy left hands, Pavilchenko is backed up against the cage and can do nothing but cover up! >Pavilchenko collapses, hurt, and Cruiser looks to finish by unleashing a barrage of strikes to his downed opponent! >With Pavilchenko taking a lot of big punches, the referee has to stop the match! >Clive 'Bruiser' Cruiser takes the win by TKO! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Clive 'Bruiser' Cruiser defeats Franak Pavilchenko (TKO (Strikes) in 3:39 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: The finish came rather out of nowhere here, as Pavilchenko looked to have controlled the fight all the way through, but it's good to see that someone is willing to go down fighting to take that chance of pulling off a big stoppage. Cruiser didn't show this sort of power in the early rounds! Main card Otto Renner (5-1) v Bastian Neske (4-2) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; 'The Emperor' Otto Renner battles Bastian Neske in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >Round one begins! >Neske tries for a left jab but Renner moves out of range. >They exchange strikes, but neither fighter inflicts any real damage. >Both fighters fire off strikes, but neither does any significant damage. >Renner throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Neske tries to avoid the takedown. >Renner doesn't get the takedown, Neske avoided it. >Neske avoids a quick jab and hits a superb combination of left hook to the body and a big right cross. >Renner covers up in the face of a combination of short sharp punches, then fires back with a left jab to the cheek. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Renner throws a couple of jabs, then chooses to shoot in on Neske. >Renner gets caught out and eats a stiff left jab. >Renner slips out of the way of a combination of short sharp punches. >Renner avoids a jab. >Renner steps back to avoid a left jab. >There's under a minute left in this round. >A couple of quick punches are used to set up a takedown attempt from Renner. >Neske tries to step away from the takedown. >Renner doesn't get the takedown, Neske avoided it. >Renner avoids a nice combination and hits a left jab to the cheek. >The time runs out on round one. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Neske. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >From what we could hear of his corner, it sounds like Neske has been instructed to try and pick Renner off with counter striking in this round. >Neske counters an errant left jab with a crisp left hand punch. >Neske keeps his cool as Renner throws a feint to the left. >Neske moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a crisp left hand punch. >Renner shoots in, looking for a takedown. >Neske tries to step away from the takedown. >Neske avoids the takedown attempt. >Neske looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Seeing an opportunity, Renner goes straight into a takedown, putting Neske down into guard. >Neske is controlled against the ground, unable to shift Renner off of him. >Renner tries to pass the guard. >Renner passes to half guard. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Renner begins trying to get his leg free of half guard and get a better position. >Getting his leg free with ease, he gets to side control. >Renner tries to ensnare Neske in an arm triangle. >Neske fights off the arm triangle attempt. >Renner blocks Neske as he tries a transition to guard. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Neske takes a knee strike to the ribs from under side control. >Renner tries to lock Neske in an armbar. >A straight armbar is applied, Neske is in danger of having his arm hyper-extended! >Out of the blue, Neske pops his arm free! Renner must not have had it locked in as tight as it looked. >Neske tries to pull guard on Renner but doesn't get anywhere with the attempt. >Renner attempts to roll Neske slightly and take his back. >Neske tries to escape but only succeeds in giving up his back! >The time is up, and that's the end of round two. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Renner. >Round three begins! >Neske moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a series of hard rights! >Breathing very hard, Bastian Neske is looking ragged. >Neske tries for a left jab but Renner uses head movement to avoid it. >A left jab misses the mark and allows Neske to counter with a nice left. >Neske throws a flurry of punches but Renner covers up and takes them easily. >Stepping back, Renner creates a bit of distance. >Renner slips out of the way of a flurry of punches. >A left jab misses and Neske strikes back with a flurry of quick punches to sting Renner. >Slowed down by physical tiredness, Neske still looks to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Neske is now standing in the pocket. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Always alert, Renner uses good head movement to avoid a barrage of big right hands. >A left jab misses, Renner counters with a stinging jab. >Renner slips past a jab and scores with a solid left jab. >Using head movement to slip past a left jab, Neske hits a crisp left jab. >Neske throws a flurry of punches but Renner covers up and takes them easily. >Bastian Neske looks very, very tired. >Stepping back, Renner creates a bit of distance. >Renner slips out of the way of a flurry of punches. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >A left jab misses and Neske strikes back with a flurry of quick punches to sting Renner. >Neske uses a right hook to the body, but misses. >Renner steps in to put some pressure on. >Time runs out and that's the end of the fight. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Neske. >The judges have given their scores, which are about to be announced. >All three judges have scored it 29-28. >Bastian Neske wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Bastian Neske defeats 'The Emperor' Otto Renner (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Got to agree with the judges here. Renner took the second round, and I thought he would make more effort to get the fight to the ground in the third, since he had shown good guard passing and would have likely controlled or finished the fight had he been able to. Ari Peltonen (27-10) v Jean-Pierre Richelleau (27-12) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Moving on to the next match, in which Ari 'The Finnisher' Peltonen battles 'The Count' Jean-Pierre Richelleau in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >The fight begins! >Peltonen avoids a quick jab and hits an excellent combination. >A nice combination fails to land, allowing Richelleau to hit back with a sharp body kick. >Richelleau looks like he might be trying to get in close and wrestle with Peltonen. >Peltonen fires off a strike first, but the impact is taken by the gloves of Richelleau. >Peltonen shoots in for a takedown. >Richelleau tries to step away from the takedown. >The takedown doesn't work, Richelleau saw it coming and got out of range. >Richelleau avoids a quick jab and hits a left jab to the cheek. >Peltonen looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Richelleau. >Richelleau now has Peltonen standing in the pocket. >We move into the second half of this round. >Peltonen comes in, looking for a quick double leg takedown from close range. >Richelleau gets taken down by a single leg, and has to pull guard. >Peltonen attempts to pass guard. >Peltonen passes to side control with ease. >Peltonen attempts the mount. >Peltonen shifts to mount. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Peltonen attempts to set up an armbar on Richelleau from the mount. >Richelleau not only defends the armbar, but also stacks up Peltonen and hits several punches before gaining side control. >Richelleau unloads with some big right hands, but Peltonen deals with them comfortably. >Peltonen tries a sweep from the bottom of side control, but doesn't budge Richelleau. >Time expires and we come to the end of round one. >That was a fun round to watch. >Incredibly close round, but Peltonen came out just ahead on my score card. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Between rounds, his corner told Richelleau to take it to Peltonen in this round. >Peltonen slips out of the way of a jab. >Richelleau avoids a quick jab and hits a hard right kick to the legs. >Peltonen slips out of the way of a body kick. >Peltonen is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Peltonen cannot get close enough to the elusive Richelleau. >Peltonen shoots in for a takedown. >Richelleau sprawls, stopping the takedown and forcing Peltonen down to the ground into a type of turtle position. >Richelleau finds his efforts to roll the turtled Peltonen over and secure side control fruitless. >Taking advantage of a pause, Peltonen stands up. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >A left jab misses and Peltonen counters with a pair of nice shots to the body. >A wayward low right kick allows Peltonen to hit a left. >Peltonen sees a right body kick coming, grabs it, shoots in for a takedown, and gets it! Richelleau pulls guard. >Peltonen starts trying to work to get past the guard. >He passes the guard well, gaining side control. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Peltonen tries to put Richelleau into an americana. >Richelleau fights off the americana attempt. >Round two ends as time expires. >That round goes to Peltonen, 10-9 on my card. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Richelleau throws a left jab but Peltonen avoids it. >A left hand misses, allowing Peltonen to counter with a series of lefts. >Peltonen counters a wayward low right kick with a jab. >Richelleau throws a feint. >A straight left from Richelleau fails to land. >Not letting up, Peltonen steps in closer to pressure Richelleau into action. >Peltonen chooses to shoot in on Richelleau. >Peltonen gets caught out and eats a stiff left jab. >Jean-Pierre Richelleau is looking really tired. >We move into the second half of this round. >Richelleau tries for a left jab but Peltonen moves out of range. >Richelleau circles, looking for an opening. >Peltonen doesn't press the issue, allowing Richelleau to circle. >Richelleau steps in but an exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >Time slips away as Peltonen doesn't press Richelleau, allowing him to circle. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Richelleau steps in but an exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >Peltonen doesn't press the issue, allowing Richelleau to circle. >Ari Peltonen is looking really tired. >Moving in closer, a tired-looking Richelleau apparently wants to strike from the pocket. >Richelleau is now standing in the pocket. >The time runs out and that round is over, and so is the fight. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Peltonen. >The ring announcer is now giving the official scores. >All three judges give a score of 29-28. >Ari Peltonen wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Ari 'The Finnisher' Peltonen defeats 'The Count' Jean-Pierre Richelleau (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: Can't argue the scorecards here. Peltonen still hasn't impressed since his signing from ALPHA-1 and even though he's pulled off the win here, it makes it difficult to trust him with a higher profile than the middle of the card. Richelleau was game, but just not good enough on this occasion, and it's been a long time since he last won a fight. Tore Herlovsen (8-2) v Drazen Gabelich (9-4) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>Another match is about to begin; 'The Ice Man' Tore Herlovsen goes up against Drazen Gabelich in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >Round one begins! >A showdown where they both exchange strikes only results in a stalemate. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >With underhooks giving him solid control over Herlovsen, Gabelich looks for a takedown. >He lifts his opponent and drives him down with a Greco-Roman slam! Herlovsen pulls guard. >In guard, Gabelich begins working to pass to side control. >Gabelich is too much for Herlovsen, passing guard and gaining side control. >Gabelich holds Herlovsen in position with side control and hits a knee into the ribs. >Gabelich attempts a kimura. >Herlovsen gets caught by a kimura, it's in deep! >Out of the blue, Herlovsen pops his arm free! Gabelich must not have had it locked in as tight as it looked. >Herlovsen tries to move to guard, but Gabelich doesn't allow it. >Gabelich uses side control to hit a knee just above the hip. >Gabelich starts trying to work to use side control as a way to get behind Herlovsen. >He takes the back! >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Gabelich attempts an armbar. >Gabelich gets the armbar, sinks it in deeply, and Herlovsen has to tap! >By submission, the winner is Drazen Gabelich! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Drazen Gabelich defeats 'The Ice Man' Tore Herlovsen (Submission (Armbar) in 3:05 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: I think this has to be considered a little bit of a surprise given Herlovsen's previous record in SIGMA, but all credit to Gabelich, who worked hard here to get the win, and made it stick. He continues his recent trend of alternating wins and losses. Co-main Snorri Gunnarsson (#21, 23-8-1NC) v Heiko Pander (#15, 5-1) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>The co-main event is up next. Snorri Gunnarsson goes up against 'Mighty Mouse' Heiko Pander in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >There's the opening bell! >A left hand misses, allowing Pander to counter with a left. >Gunnarsson throws a left jab but Pander avoids it. >Pander counters a left jab with a clean left. >Pander uses a nice combination as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >The takedown is completed, it was a single leg and Gunnarsson is left on his back pulling guard. >Pander smothers Gunnarsson with his body by pushing forward and down. >Pander smothers Gunnarsson with his body by pushing forward and down. >The clock runs down as Gunnarsson is being smothered against the ground by Pander. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Pander lies on top of Gunnarsson, basically smothering him. >Pander begins trying to pass the guard. >Gunnarsson is ready for the attempt though, and keeps Pander firmly in guard. >Gunnarsson brings his legs up and tries to lock Pander in a triangle choke. >Pander pulls free of the triangle and brilliantly spins to side control. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Pander looks to get a mount. >He mounts Gunnarsson. >The time runs out on round one. >I have to give that round to Pander, but only a 10-9. >We are back underway! >Both fighters come in and throw strikes, there is no real damage done by either. >Pander slips out of the way of a combination of short sharp punches. >Gunnarsson shoots in, looking for a takedown. >Pander saw the takedown coming, he tries to grab a guillotine. >Pander is unable to apply the guillotine choke. >Gunnarsson gets the takedown! Pander pulls guard. >Gunnarsson tries to pass the guard. >Pander can't block the pass, and is left pulling half guard. >Gunnarsson starts trying to work to get out of half guard and into a better position. >Pander keeps Gunnarsson in half guard. >Pander tries to sweep Gunnarsson but doesn't get anywhere. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Looking to catch his breath, Gunnarsson is content to just throw a couple of punches to the body. >Using an underhook to set it up, Pander looks to scramble for position. >The scramble ends with both fighters standing, facing each other. >We're into the final minute of the round. >There's a takedown attempt from Pander. >Pander gets the takedown! Gunnarsson pulls guard. >Pander fires off a few punches as he catches his breath. >Looking to catch his breath, Pander is content to just throw a couple of punches to the body. >The time runs out on round two. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to Pander. >And here we go, round three! >Pander drops his shoulder and feints to step in, but Gunnarsson isn't buying it. >A left jab misses and Pander counters with a solid left. >Gunnarsson is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Pander. >Gunnarsson grabs Pander and pulls him into a grapple. >Getting underhooks, Gunnarsson looks for a takedown. >Pander blocks the takedown attempt. >Pander tries to get free of the clinch, but is stuck. >Gunnarsson is trying to push Pander so that his back is up against the cage. >Gunnarsson can't move Pander at all though, and finds himself being out-wrestled. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Pander tries to wrestle Gunnarsson backward and up against the cage. >He does so, and now has Gunnarsson pinned to the cage. >With Gunnarsson stuck against the cage, Pander gets the underhooks and looks for a takedown. >Gunnarsson blocks the takedown attempt and turns Pander around so that he has his back to the cage. >With Pander stuck against the cage, Gunnarsson gets the underhooks and looks for a takedown. >He lifts his opponent and drives him down with a Greco-Roman slam! Pander pulls guard. >Snorri Gunnarsson is looking really tired. >Pander fights off Gunnarsson as he tries to smother him against the ground. >Pander tries to sweep Gunnarsson but doesn't get anywhere. >Gunnarsson attempts to pass guard and gain a better position. >Gunnarsson struggles but cannot find a way past and remains stuck in guard. >Pander works some separation, and Gunnarsson ends up standing looking down at him. >The time runs out and that round is over, and so is the fight. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Gunnarsson. >Here come the official scores. >All three judges give a score of 29-28. >Snorri Gunnarsson wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Snorri Gunnarsson defeats 'Mighty Mouse' Heiko Pander (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Another one where I agree with the judges' call, though it was quite a close fight. Gunnarsson showed his abilities to engineer a takedown from the clinch, and probably did a little more overall in terms of pressing for the win, but Pander contributed as well, and will surely come again. Main Event Niko Soldo (#9, 19-3-1) v Emil Karlsson (5-1) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>>It's time for the main event of the evening! 'The Gladiator' Niko Soldo will battle 'The Midnight Killer' Emil Karlsson in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >And here we go! >Soldo counters an errant left jab with a couple of jabs and a beautiful right hook to the body. >Karlsson fakes a shot, trying to get Soldo to drop his hands. >Karlsson throws a couple of jabs, then chooses to shoot in on Soldo. >The takedown is blocked, and the sprawl allows Soldo to wrestle Karlsson down to the ground instead! Soldo takes his back in the process! >Soldo gets both hooks in, and is now in a really dominant position. >Soldo pounds away on Karlsson. >Karlsson is taking lots of shots, and can't seem to find a way out from this position! >The referee gives Karlsson time to do something, but eventually has to come in and stop the fight! >Niko Soldo takes the victory by way of TKO! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Gladiator' Niko Soldo defeats 'The Midnight Killer' Emil Karlsson (TKO (Strikes) in 2:00 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Excellent work by Soldo, who shows he's not just reliant on his stand-up to dominate a fight. He'll be looking for a third SIGMA Light-Heavyweight title on the back of this, and he might just get the opportunity, having already beaten the current champ once, but his first action in the post-fight interview is to call out Curt Kitson, which is also one of the matches we're looking to make, so that could be a goer, too. Show summary Critical rating: Good Commercial success: Decent Fight of the Night: Tuure Varjo v Jean-Jacques Levasseur Knockout of the Night: Tuure Varjo Submission of the Night: Drazen Gabelich Comments: Good underdog wins for Gabelich and Varjo that are well rewarded in the OTN bonuses. Soldo might get another title shot, but it is likely to depend on scheduling, as there are plenty of candidates for it at the moment, not least two new signings.

batsnumbereleven · February 7, 2014

Prediction results

CageRage – just 2/7 this time, for a running total of 258/349

Injury report

No injuries to report from tonight's fights, but as usual the athletic commission have had their say, and have placed suspensions of a month on Emil Karlsson, Franak Pavilchenko, Tore Herlovsen and Tuure Varjo, and given Jean-Jacques Levasseur two months off.

batsnumbereleven · February 7, 2014

Monday 15th June 2001 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="36914" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Press Release Signature Martial Arts is pleased to present its second Event of the month, SIGMA 55: Nouri v O'Hara, on Friday 26th June, airing live on Pay-per-View on EuroNet. The event will feature a bout between top Lightweight contenders Georges Nouri (#18, 13-2) and Gregory O'Hara (#22, 9-0) and to add spice will take place in Nouri's home city of Athens, Greece in the Glyfada Hall. Nouri, a pankration fighter is coming off consecutive submission victories against Franak Pavilchenko and Xavi Castillejo, whilst Irish brawler O'Hara is unbeaten in his nine-fight career, and can boast submission victories over Johan Kavli and Maurice Braudel among his five SIGMA victims. Both men will be eyeing a shot at SIGMA Lightweight champion Fiyero Lermontov if they win impressively. In the Featherweight division, veteran wrestler Lars Bohlin (#13, 52-8) will certainly test the mettle of up-and-coming Norwegian Hans Christian Bloch (5-1). Since losing the SIGMA Featherweight title to Nuno Valentino at SIGMA 43, Bohlin has re-established his credentials with a Guillotine victory over Portuguese jiu-jitsu star Pedro Alves, whilst Bloch impressed in his last outing with second round TKO victory over another former champion Fernando Peragon at SIGMA 48. A battle of British Heavyweights will be next in the line-up, as 28-year-old kick boxer Rav Kapur (#14, 10-1) takes on his 24-year-old compatriot Christopher Drew (5-1). Kapur recovered from a surprising defeat to Kurt McDonald in his SIGMA debut to return to winning ways with a Knockout of Jean-Pierre Richelleau at SIGMA 45, whilst Drew is on a three-fight win streak since his own debut loss, to Libor Pudil, and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over McDonald at SIGMA 48. Rounding out the main card, Danish wrestler Bjarne Bjerre (7-4) will face Norwegian sambo fighter Stian Agdestein (4-2) in the Welterweight division, and veteran Australian Shane Gilchrist (15-7) returns to action for the first time since last July with a Light-heavyweight clash against the unbeaten Scot Matthew Michael Kirby (7-0), who saw off Pierre Chagall earlier this year and makes a swift return to the cage. Preceding the main part of the evening, we will see a Middleweight fight between English muay thai exponent Jerome Atkins (4-0) and Berlin's Ludwig Metzler (1-1), and another Berliner, Falko Herzog (1-1) will take on Russian brawler Ilya Fedorov (1-1) in Featherweight action. </div></blockquote> Card for picks SIGMA 55 Georges Nouri v Gregory O'Hara Lars Bohlin v Hans Christian Bloch Rav Kapur v Christopher Drew Bjarne Bjerre v Stian Agdestein Shane Gilchrist v Matthew Michael Kirby (prelim) Jerome Atkins v Ludwig Metzler (prelim) Falko Herzog v Ilya Fedorov

BigRedMachine · February 7, 2014

Damn looks like i missed a couple of events, i'm shocked by the Taktarov's loss as i feel he has beaten better fighters although i suppose you can never count out someone with that KO power speaking of since neither is a champion anymore i would really like to see the Cabal/Otkay rematch if its possible,

SIGMA 55

Georges Nouri v Gregory O'Hara

Lars Bohlin v Hans Christian Bloch

Rav Kapur v Christopher Drew

Bjarne Bjerre v Stian Agdestein

Shane Gilchrist v Matthew Michael Kirby

(prelim) Jerome Atkins v Ludwig Metzler

(prelim) Falko Herzog v Ilya Fedorov

CageRage · February 8, 2014

SIGMA 55

Georges Nouri v Gregory O'Hara

Lars Bohlin v Hans Christian Bloch

Rav Kapur v Christopher Drew

Bjarne Bjerre v Stian Agdestein

Shane Gilchrist v Matthew Michael Kirby

(prelim) Jerome Atkins v Ludwig Metzler

(prelim) Falko Herzog v Ilya Fedorov

Sign In

SIGMA - Rise of European MMA

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Archived