SIGMA - Rise of European MMA

batsnumbereleven · December 16, 2013

Event report SIGMA 26: Chekhov v van der Moot Friday 26th July 1999 Bremerhaven Stadthalle, Bremerhaven, Germany. Attendance: 1767 for a gate of $88,350 PPV Buys: N/A Luka Hajek (1-1) v Branko Alilovic (1-1) <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, 'Filthy' Luka Hajek fights Branko Alilovic in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >There's the opening bell! >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >Alilovic steps back to avoid a left jab. >Hajek throws a barrage of big right hands after using a feint to trick Alilovic into committing to a strike, but he moves out of range just in time. >Alilovic looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Alilovic can't get near enough to engage, Hajek uses strikes to keep him out of range. >Alilovic looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Alilovic can't close the distance, Hajek keeps him away with strikes. >Hajek counters a left jab with a straight left. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Alilovic looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Hajek. >Hajek counters with a left jab that catches Alilovic hard. >An errant jab sets Hajek up to counter-strike with a straight left. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >A jab misses, allowing Hajek to counter-strike with a stinging left jab. >Hajek feints rushing in, but withdraws. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >That round goes to Hajek, 10-9 on my card. >We are back underway! >Alilovic moves in closer but takes a crisp jab to the face. >There's a short stalemate as both fighters advance and throw strikes, but neither hits. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Alilovic looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Hajek. >Keen to maintain some distance, Hajek uses strikes to keep Alilovic away. >Alilovic is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Alilovic can't get near enough to engage, Hajek uses strikes to keep him out of range. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Alilovic looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Hajek. >A counter left hand catches Alilovic above the eye. >Both fighters come toe-to-toe and strike, but none of the strikes result in significant damage being done. >Hajek tries for a left jab but Alilovic moves out of range. >Alilovic comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Alilovic can't get near enough to engage, Hajek uses strikes to keep him out of range. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Alilovic looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Alilovic is in the pocket, ready to attack Hajek. >A big right misses, giving Hajek the chance to counter with a crisp left hook to the body. >Hajek throws a flurry of punches but Alilovic covers up well. >The time runs out on round two. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Hajek. >And here we go, round three! >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Alilovic is trying to push Hajek so that his back is up against the cage. >Alilovic achieves it, pinning Hajek to the cage. >Alilovic moves back from the grapple and looks ready to strike. >Hajek ducks under a huge right cross and counter-strikes with a nice jab. >An exchange of blows doesn't really produce any damage or a clear advantage. >Hajek circles away, creating some distance between them. >Alilovic glances a strike off the side of the shoulder. >Time slips away as Hajek doesn't press Alilovic, allowing him to circle. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Alilovic comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Hajek uses his strikes to stop Alilovic from getting too close. >Both fighters come toe-to-toe and strike, but none of the strikes result in significant damage being done. >Using head movement to slip past a left jab, Hajek hits a left jab to the cheek. >Alilovic uses head movement to cause a left jab to sail harmlessly by. >Hajek dodges a jab, and fires back with a crisp left jab. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Alilovic uses head movement to avoid a left jab. >Hajek slips past a big right and hits a punch. >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 Hajek. >The judges have given their scores, which are about to be announced. >All three judges give a score of 30-27. >Making 'Filthy' Luka Hajek the winner by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Filthy' Luka Hajek defeats Branko Alilovic (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Good work by Hajek, who clearly outboxed Alilovic here, whilst making sure the fight stayed in his comfort zone. Alilovic also prefers the stand-up, but his skills were outmatched by Hajek here, and I'm not sure he'd fair well if he got taken down, either, so his career may be strictly limited. Hajek asks me if he can fight Guilherme Faure next, but that's not likely to happen immediately, as Faure is coming off a loss and is more likely to be facing Alilovic than Hajek. Gregory O'Hara (4-0) v Klaus Greis (2-1) <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; Gregory 'Chief' O'Hara battles Klaus Greis in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Greis just slips out of the way of a flurry of strikes, having been off balance after falling for a feint. >O'Hara avoids a jab. >Greis slips out of the way of a flurry of punches. >Greis throws a left jab but O'Hara avoids it. >O'Hara is getting in closer to Greis, perhaps looking for a clinch. >Not wanting to get too close, Greis uses strikes to keep O'Hara at a distance. >Greis slips out of the way of a leg kick, having been suckered in with a feint. >Backing out of range, Greis circles tentatively. >O'Hara quickly gets in closer, looking to attack. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >O'Hara looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >O'Hara is in the pocket, ready to attack Greis. >There's a double leg attempt from O'Hara, from the pocket. >The takedown is completed, Greis is on his back and pulls guard. >In guard, O'Hara begins working to pass to side control. >O'Hara gets past the guard with a certain degree of ease and gains side control. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >O'Hara looks to get a mount. >Greis can't fend off his opponent and is mounted. >O'Hara pounds away with elbows from the mount, hitting several big shots. >Time expires and we come to the end of round one. >I think O'Hara took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >We are back underway! >Judging from what we heard from his corner, Greis is looking to avoid takedowns as much as possible in this round. >O'Hara slips out of the way of a jab. >Greis moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a nice jab. >Greis looks to be trying to close the distance between them. >Greis grabs O'Hara and pulls him into a grapple. >Using his wrestling skills, Greis is trying to push O'Hara up against the cage. >Greis doesn't manage it though, as O'Hara slips out of the grapple and gets away. >O'Hara hops around from foot to foot, looking for an opening. >Time slips away as Greis doesn't press O'Hara, allowing him to circle. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Greis throws a left jab but O'Hara avoids it. >O'Hara comes in closer, looking to clinch with Greis. >O'Hara ends up grabbing Greis in a Muay Thai clinch. >Greis partially blocks a knee strike, enough to allow him to wrestle free of the clinch. >Greis comes in closer, looking to wrestle with O'Hara. >O'Hara strikes first and manages to rock Greis with a solid left! >We're into the final minute of the round. >O'Hara looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Greis. >Greis keeps himself moving out of range. >Greis steps in but an exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >O'Hara doesn't press the issue, allowing Greis to circle. >The time runs out on round two. >Not a lot happened in that round and the fans are getting a bit restless as a result. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to O'Hara. >And here we go, round three! >O'Hara slips past a left jab and fires back with a crisp jab. >Advancing, O'Hara counters a left jab by using a flurry of small strikes. >O'Hara chooses to shoot in on Greis. >The takedown is successful, he almost gets side control but has to settle for half guard. >O'Hara looks to get past the half guard. >Greis finds his opponent too skilled, and O'Hara passes half guard into a full mount. >O'Hara pounds away on Greis with elbows, but few of the shots lands clean. >It looks like Greis has been cut above the eye by that strike. >O'Hara pounds away from the mount with elbows, but is unable to land many clean shots on Greis. >O'Hara pounds away from the mount with elbows, but is unable to land many clean shots on Greis. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >O'Hara pounds away from the mount with elbows, but Greis covers up and defends them well. >Greis tries to turn over and sweep O'Hara, but rolls too far and gives up his back! >O'Hara tries to set up Greis for an armbar. >Greis fights off the armbar attempt. >Gregory O'Hara is breathing very hard. >Greis tries a roll, but doesn't budge O'Hara. >We're into the final minute of the round. >O'Hara gets both hooks in, and is now in a really dominant position. >O'Hara attempts to complete a rear naked choke, having both hooks fully in. >Greis doesn't allow the arm to go under his chin. >O'Hara keeps both hooks, despite Greis trying to pull them apart. >Time runs out and that's the end of the fight. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of O'Hara. >The ring announcer is now giving the official scores. >All three judges have scored it 30-27. >So the winner, by unanimous decision, is Gregory 'Chief' O'Hara! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Gregory 'Chief' O'Hara defeats Klaus Greis (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Good performance from O'Hara – he looked to be the better fighter all-round here, but you could see from Greis's corner that they were rightly concerned about the Irishman's takedowns. O'Hara will probably be disappointed not to have gotten the finish here, but other than a slightly dull second round I think this one was a good debut for him. Greis might be outclassed in SIGMA, but I expect he'll get at least one more opportunity for redemption. Filip Hristov (2-0) v Benni Peyroux (2-1) <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, Filip Hristov will battle Benni 'The X Man' Peyroux in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >The fight begins! >Hristov catches an attempted body kick and shows his judo background by going straight for a trip, getting it! Peyroux pulls half guard. >Hristov reaches over and tries to lock Peyroux in an americana. >Peyroux stops Hristov from applying it. >Peyroux tries to sweep Hristov but doesn't get anywhere. >Hristov looks to pass half guard and get side control. >He does brilliantly, getting out of half guard straight into a mount. >Hristov tries to ensnare Peyroux in an armbar. >Hristov gets the armbar, sinks it in deeply, and Peyroux has to tap! >The winner, by submission; Filip Hristov! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Filip Hristov defeats Benni 'The X Man' Peyroux (Submission (Armbar) in 2:05 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Top work from Hristov, wasting no time at all in getting the takedown and passing then getting the submission. Looks like he might get a step up next time. Peyroux has dropped two of his last three to submission, but has a win in between that keeps him relevant to a degree. Whether he's got it against a wrestler, I'm not sure. Kurt McDonald (4-2) v Ozzy Bintley (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>>Moving on, Kurt 'Chopper' McDonald will battle Ozzy Bintley in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >And here we go! >Bintley bobs and weaves, trying to get McDonald to commit. >Bintley avoids a leg kick and scores with a superb combination of three quick punches to the body and a great right cross. >Bintley feints left and throws an excellent combination but McDonald is just able to cover up in time. >Bintley bobs and weaves. >Not letting up, McDonald quickly steps in closer to attack Bintley. >McDonald steps in, feints a kick, then darts back out. >Bintley feints rushing in, but withdraws. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes, but neither scores. >From the missed strikes they clinch. >We move into the second half of this round. >Bintley finds his dirty boxing smothered, and McDonald gains the dominant position in the grapple. >McDonald uses dirty boxing and gets in a few crisp punches on Bintley as they grapple. >McDonald uses some dirty boxing as he grapples with Bintley. >McDonald is trying to muscle Bintley up against the cage. >McDonald manages it, and controls Bintley up against the cage. >We're into the final minute of the round. >McDonald takes a short step back and prepares to strike. >A left jab misses, giving McDonald the chance to hit back with a straight right. >Bintley sees a low kick being set up and strikes first with a left hook to the body. >Bintley throws a right jab but McDonald uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. >Time expires and we come to the end of round one. >That was a close round, but I'm giving it to Bintley, 10-9. >And here we go, round two! >A feint sets up a body kick from McDonald, but Bintley is able to move out of range in time. >Bintley isn't drawn in by McDonald feinting to his left. >McDonald has to cover up to absorb a nice one-two combination, having been off balance after falling for a feint. >Bintley side-steps an attempted knock out left and hits a couple of jabs and a beautiful right hook to the body. >They both meet with strikes, but neither does any damage. >Bintley throws a left jab but McDonald avoids it. >Bintley comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Bintley moves into the pocket. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >McDonald covers up to safely defend against a flurry of rights and lefts. >Bintley sees a kick being set up and so strikes first with a solid left jab. >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >Not comfortable in the pocket, Bintley steps back and creates some space. >McDonald comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Keen to maintain some distance, Bintley uses strikes to keep McDonald away. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Both fighters exchange strikes, but neither hits anything significant. >McDonald slips out of the way of a leg kick, having been suckered in with a feint. >The time runs out on round two. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Bintley. >There's the bell and round number three begins! >McDonald feints to the right, trying to draw Bintley into throwing a strike. >A nice combination fails to land, allowing McDonald to hit back with a kick to the body. >A quick exchange of strikes produces nothing worth mentioning. >Bintley steps in, feints a kick, then darts back out. >McDonald feints stepping in. >Bintley looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with McDonald. >McDonald now has Bintley standing in the pocket. >Bintley uses good head movement to avoid a huge left hook and counters with a stinging jab. >Bintley avoids a scorching uppercut and come back with a nice left. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Good head movement allows Bintley to roll past an attempted knock out punch and counter with a great right hook which staggers McDonald backward, who then trips and goes down! >Kurt McDonald is looking really tired. >Bintley moves in quickly, kneeling beside McDonald and starting to hammer down with punches! >Bintley pounds away on McDonald, landing several great shots that threaten to knock him out! >The referee jumps in and saves McDonald from taking any more shots! >The winner, by TKO; Ozzy Bintley! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Ozzy Bintley defeats Kurt 'Chopper' McDonald (TKO (Strikes) in 3:12 of round 3). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: I thought this one was going to go the distance, and it didn't really get going until the final round. Bintley finished nicely, but he might not have done, and if the first two rounds had been conducted in the same manner it could have been an epic. McDonald's lost three of his last four and is vulnerable if his contract comes up, but I'd like to see him have at least one more fight. Co-main Manish Khan (#11, 10-2) v Snorri Gunnarsson (21-6-1NC) <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. 'Kid Britain' Manish Khan squares off with Snorri Gunnarsson in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >Round one begins! >Moving forward, Khan counters a left jab with a lightning fast couple of jabs and a right cross. >Both throw strikes at each other, both easily defend the other's attempt. >Gunnarsson moves out of range of a tidy combination of punches. >Khan slips past a left jab and counters with a couple of jabs and a beautiful right hook to the body. >A nicely executed one-two combination sets up a takedown attempt from Gunnarsson. >A counter right hook catches Gunnarsson hard, almost putting him down! >Gunnarsson avoids a jab. >Gunnarsson avoids a nice combination. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >They come together and strike, but neither can land a clean shot. >Gunnarsson uses a nice combination as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Khan counters with a left jab that catches Gunnarsson hard. >Gunnarsson avoids a jab. >Gunnarsson avoids a quick jab and hits a left. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Gunnarsson slips out of the way of a jab. >Gunnarsson throws three punches in quick succession, but Khan was out of range. >Not letting Gunnarsson settle at all, Khan comes in closer. >The time runs out on round one. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Khan. >Round two begins! >A jab doesn't find its intended target, allowing Khan to fire back with a solid left. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Khan throws a left jab but Gunnarsson avoids it. >Gunnarsson uses a smart combination to get Khan to cover up, then shoots in looking for a takedown. >A counter right cross is too slow to catch Gunnarsson. >Khan cannot stop the takedown, and has to pull guard. >Gunnarsson smothers Khan with his body by pushing forward and down. >Gunnarsson starts trying to work to get past the guard. >He passes guard fairly easily, getting to side control. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Stuck under side control, Khan takes a knee to the ribs. >Gunnarsson starts trying to work to go from side control to mount. >He easily gets the mount. >Gunnarsson pounds away on Khan with elbows, but few of the shots lands clean. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Gunnarsson pounds away from the mount, and Khan struggles to deal with them. >Gunnarsson fires away with elbows, but Khan deals with them fairly well. >Gunnarsson pounds away with elbows from the mount, but doesn't really do a great deal of damage. >The time is up, and that's the end of round two. >Good round, that's the sort of action we like to see. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Gunnarsson. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Both throw strikes at each other, both easily defend the other's attempt. >Khan throws a nice sequence of punches, but Gunnarsson covers up and absorbs them. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up grappling. >Gunnarsson hits Khan with some short strikes to the side of the head while grappling. >Getting underhooks, Gunnarsson looks for a takedown. >Khan cannot stop being lifted up and blasted with a Greco-Roman slam, he can only pull guard! >Gunnarsson tries to pass the guard. >Gunnarsson gets past the guard with a certain degree of ease and gains side control. >Gunnarsson tries to get into the mount position. >Gunnarsson shows his ground skills and slips to mount. >We move into the second half of this round. >Gunnarsson fires away with punches, and Khan is stung by several big shots. >The referee jumps in and stops the match! >That's an extremely controversial call, Khan didn't look in too much danger! He looks absolutely furious! >The winner, by TKO; Snorri Gunnarsson! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Snorri Gunnarsson defeats 'Kid Britain' Manish Khan (TKO (Strikes) in 3:02 of round 3). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Got to agree with the commentators here, this was much too kick a stoppage by the ref – Khan had shown in the second round that he could cope with Gunnarsson's ground and pound, and he didn't look like he needed to be saved here at all. Other than that, I think Gunnarsson would have taken a decision on the scorecards had it reached the end of the round, so probably the right winner, as he was able to control the fight much better than Khan, especially after the first round, and his chin looked like it was holding up nicely. A re-match might be on the cards at some point, just to settle the issue, but for now, Gunnarsson moves on, and Khan will have an opportunity to bounce back. Main Event Aleksei Chekhov (#15, 20-4) v Rafael van der Moot (9-0) <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! Aleksei 'Fists Of Death' Chekhov goes head to head with Rafael van der Moot in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >The fight begins! >There's a short stalemate as both fighters advance and throw strikes, but neither hits. >Chekhov slips past an attempted big right hand and counters with a nice left hand. >Moving forward, van der Moot counters a left jab with a barrage of hard punches! >Chekhov might be in real trouble here, he is backing off but looks really unsteady on his feet! >van der Moot tries to capitalise with a barrage of big rights, but Chekhov has the sense to cover up. >van der Moot comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >He gets into range. >A left jab misses the mark and allows van der Moot to counter with a clean punch. >There's a stalemate as both fighters throw strikes but neither hits. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Stepping back, Chekhov creates a bit of distance. >Chekhov counters a one-two combination with a straight left. >Chekhov looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with van der Moot. >Chekhov is now standing in the pocket. >van der Moot lets a jab sail wide and counter-strikes with a hard inside leg kick. >Using head movement, van der Moot slips past a left jab and counters with a barrage of big right hands! >Chekhov collapses to the ground and is still getting pounded on! >With Chekhov taking a lot of big punches, the referee has to stop the match! >By TKO, the winner is Rafael van der Moot! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Rafael van der Moot defeats Aleksei 'Fists Of Death' Chekhov (TKO (Strikes) in 3:56 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Big win here for van der Moot, who moves into the upper echelon of the Light-Heavyweights in SIGMA now, and is likely to get another big name opponent next time out. Chekhov will be very disappointed at this performance, and will need to bounce back big time in his next fight if he wants to stay relevant. Show summary Critical rating: Great Commercial success: Decent Fight of the Night: Rafael van der Moot v Aleksei Chekhov Knockout of the Night: Rafael van der Moot Submission of the Night: Filip Hristov Comments: Two fine bouts to conclude the evening leaves everyone feeling happy except the defeated fighters. Van der Moot demonstrating that he is ready for the big time is great, because we took a gamble here in putting him up against a veteran that we expected to give him a real test. The undercard was solid if not spectacular, and helps set things up down the line, particularly with the win for Hristov.

batsnumbereleven · December 17, 2013

Prediction results

CageRage 5/6 (105/145)

Jingo 5/6 (59/86)

Injury report

No injuries reported by the doctors after tonight's fights, but the athletic commission have imposed precautionary suspensions of a month on Aleksei Chekhov and three months each on Benni Peyroux and Kurt McDonald.

End of month finances

A loss of $3700 – nothing to be concerned about

SIGMA signings

The scouts have been busy again this month, and have recommended the following fighters, which have been signed to 5 fight contracts:

teenage French judoka Philipe Marceaux (Welterweight)
French Middleweight debutant Luc Lagrange
Middleweight English jiu-jitsu practitioner Brandon Naess (24)

batsnumbereleven · December 17, 2013

Monday 1st August 1999 <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 are pleased to announce that they will be bringing SIGMA to yet another new venue, as SIGMA 27: Van Der Capellen v Dabrowski will be held at the Eissportzentrum Chemnitz on Sunday 14th August. The main event of the evening will feature a Welterweight Championship fight between Noach Van Der Capellen (#3, 23-3), who has sat waiting for a worthy opponent since winning the title from Evgeni Medtner at SIGMA 6 last year, and 31-year-old Polish hybrid fighter Piotr Dabrowski (#24, 19-5), who has three straight wins to his name, including a submission win over Jens Halle at SIGMA 20 last time out. Two young lions will face off in the co-main, as 20-year-old Portuguese jiu-jitsu prodigy Nuno Valentino (#23, 5-0) takes on Hamburg's 21-year-old wrestling superstar Heiko Pander (#20, 3-0), with a Featherweight title shot in the sights of both men with a win here. At the other end of the scale, both in size and experience, veteran Heavyweights Stanislaw Lipnicki (14-7) and Stratos Papaioannou (26-8) will square off with both looking to reverse their recent run of defeats. At Middleweight, Sweden's Isaac Jacobsen (#22, 5-1) steps up a level after his convincing KO victory over Antoine Corvoisier, and will face Norwegian kick boxer Thorbjorn Rekdal (8-1), whilst Australian wrestler Shane Gilchrist (13-6) and Russian kick boxer Daniil Skala (19-7) will do battle in the Light-Heavyweight division. In the opener, Hanoverian Jochen Bellof (3-3) will fight Sweden's Folke Dalen (1-2) in a Lightweight bout.</div></blockquote> Card for picks: SIGMA 27 Noach Van Der Capellen © v Piotr Dabrowski Nuno Valentino v Heiko Pander Stanislaw Lipnicki v Stratos Papaioannou Isaac Jacobsen v Thorbjorn Rekdal Shane Gilchrist v Daniil Skala Jochen Bellof v Folke Dalen

CageRage · December 17, 2013

SIGMA 27

Noach Van Der Capellen © v Piotr Dabrowski

Nuno Valentino v Heiko Pander

Stanislaw Lipnicki v Stratos Papaioannou

Isaac Jacobsen v Thorbjorn Rekdal

Shane Gilchrist v Daniil Skala

Jochen Bellof v Folke Dalen

batsnumbereleven · December 18, 2013

News and Notes from around the MMA world: 1st - 14th August 1999

Signings

ALPHA-1: Flavio Alberto, Adrian Swall,

GAMMA: Tarcisio Dantas, Manoel Cabral,

OMEGA: -

BCF: Neville Granville,

FLB: -

XCC: -

WEFF: -

KDMFC: -

Events

GAMMA 38: Mack v Darling took place on Saturday 6th August in Alabama, and Petey Mack (#3, 13-2) retained his GAMMA Middleweight title with a second round guillotine victory over Dexter Darling (#6, 21-4-1). Also on the card, veteran Heavyweight Jeff Carlton (33-8) defeated former pro-footballer Norbert Vinkus (2-1) by arm triangle submission in the first round, and Patrick Thomas (#12, 19-4) pressed his claims for a Middleweight title chance with victory over Sutton Ripley (14-5) by decision.

Saturday 13th August saw ALPHA-1's latest event in Chugoku, where the World's two top ranked Light-Heavyweights fought for the ALPHA-1 Light-Heavyweight championship. The fight lasted into the seventh minute of the first round, before defending champion Tadamasa Yamada (#1, 24-1) was able to lock on a rear naked choke to take the submission victory over Croatia's Zvonimir Asanovic (#2, 29-3). In the co-headliner, the Lightweight picture appeared to be taking some form of shape before a cut required the stoppage of the match between Go Yamamoto (#9, 28-9) and Motoki Hojo (#11, 18-5), with the former being awarded the win.

Jingo · December 18, 2013

SIGMA 27

Noach Van Der Capellen © v Piotr Dabrowski

Nuno Valentino v Heiko Pander

Stanislaw Lipnicki v Stratos Papaioannou

Isaac Jacobsen v Thorbjorn Rekdal

Shane Gilchrist v Daniil Skala

Jochen Bellof v Folke Dalen

batsnumbereleven · December 20, 2013

Event report SIGMA 27: Van Der Capellen v Dabrowski Sunday 14th August 1999 Eissportzentrum, Chemnitz, Germany. Attendance: 1634 for a gate of $81,700 PPV Buys: N/A Jochen Bellof (3-3) v Folke Dalen (1-2) <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, Jochen 'The Barrage' Bellof will take on Folke Dalen in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Bellof steps back to avoid a leg kick. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Dalen slips past a left jab and counters with a left kick to the thigh. >Dalen counters a tight combination by hitting some big left hands! >Checking a leg kick, Bellof counters back immediately with a flurry of jabs and straight punches. >Good head movement allows Bellof to go under a vicious left hand and immediately counter with a massive uppercut, knocking Dalen down to the ground! >Bellof quickly gets on top of his dazed opponent, but is stopped at half guard. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Bellof pounds away with rights, but doesn't do much damage, if any, Dalen is comfortable holding half guard. >Dalen tries to lock onto an arm from the bottom of half guard. >Bellof defends it. >Bellof stands up and backs off, letting Dalen stand up as well. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Dalen slips past a left jab and counters with a left kick to the thigh. >Jochen Bellof won't want to take too many unchecked strikes to the legs like that. >Dalen counters a one-two combination with a hard left kick to the legs. >Round one ends as time expires. >That was an exciting round, hopefully the fighters will continue with that pace in the next. >That round goes to Bellof, 10-9 on my card. >And here we go, round two! >Dalen has to cover up to absorb a nice one-two combination, having been off balance after falling for a feint. >Bellof sees a body kick coming and hits a left jab to the cheek. >Bellof counters a left kick to the body by hitting a couple of nice rights. >Bellof moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a pair of jabs and a big right hook. >Dalen avoids a nice combination and hits a kick to the ribs. >Dalen covers up to absorb a tidy combination of punches and then hits a nasty-looking kick to the inside of the left knee. >There is no doubt that the damage has added up and Jochen Bellof has an injured leg. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Both fighters throw strikes, no significant damage is inflicted by either. >Bellof circles around Dalen. >Not letting up, Dalen quickly steps in closer to attack Bellof. >Dalen slips past a left jab and fires back with a clean right. >Bellof fakes a lunge. >Not letting up, Dalen quickly steps in closer to attack Bellof. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Bellof avoids a kick to the leg and hits a thudding right hook to the body. >Dalen just avoids a combination of short sharp punches and hits a barrage of big left hands, forcing Bellof back! >Round two ends as time expires. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to Bellof. >Round three begins! >Judging from what we heard from his corner, Dalen is looking to push the pace with strikes in this round. >Dalen steps back to avoid a left jab. >A left kick to the legs misses and Bellof fires back with a couple of shots to the body and a nice right uppercut. >Bellof avoids several big left hands and counters with a clean jab. >Moving in closer, Bellof looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >Bellof moves into the pocket. >Dalen slips past a jab and scores with a nasty-looking kick to the inside of the knee. >Bellof falls to the ground, that kick looks like it may have been an accidental low blow! >From the looks of things, he will be able to continue. >The referee gives him a minute to recover, stopping the clock in the meantime. >Dalen comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Dalen moves into the pocket. >A left jab misses, giving Dalen the chance to hit back with a sharp kick just above the hip. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >They come together and throw strikes, both miss. >From the missed strikes they clinch. >Dalen is trying to push Bellof so that his back is up against the cage. >Bellof ends up backed against the cage. >Dalen tries to use his dirty boxing skills, but Bellof uses wrestling to prevent any strikes from being launched. >Bellof throws a few short punches to the ribs. >Bellof is controlled up against the cage and takes an elbow to the face from the clinch. >Folke Dalen is looking really tired. >Dalen moves back from the grapple and looks ready to strike. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >A left jab misses the mark and allows Dalen to counter with a kick to the ribs. >Bellof lets a jab sail wide and counter-strikes with a nice jab. >Dalen gets caught with a barrage of big right hands from the pocket, and despite covering up is eventually knocked to the ground! >Bellof starts pounding away on Dalen, looking to finish him off! >Bellof pounds away on Dalen, landing several great shots that rock Dalen! >Bellof is only stopped by Dalen pulling him down into side control. >The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Bellof. >Here come the official scores. >All three judges give a score of 29-28. >So the winner, by unanimous decision, is Jochen 'The Barrage' Bellof! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Jochen 'The Barrage' Bellof defeats Folke Dalen (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Super performance here from Bellof, who really looked as though he enjoyed the fight. He took a bit of pain from Dalen's fierce leg-kicks but used his punching power well, and was unfortunate in the timing that he wasn't able to get a finish. There has to be a little doubt over the referee's pausing the fight in the third, as Dalen's kick was nowhere near illegal, and it took a little impetus away from him and gave Bellof time to recover from the strikes to the legs, but I don't think it significantly influenced the result, and in fact I scored all three rounds to Bellof. Dalen drops his third in a row, which makes him very vulnerable to getting cut if there are no appropriate fights for him. Shane Gilchrist (13-6) v Daniil Skala (19-7) <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; Shane 'The Butcher' Gilchrist goes up against Daniil 'Skull Crusher' Skala in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >Round one begins! >Both fighters come toe-to-toe and strike, but none of the strikes result in significant damage being done. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Gilchrist, controlling the grapple with Skala, tries to scoop him up for a slam. >He gets Skala up! Gilchrist slams him down, ending up in half guard. >In half guard, Gilchrist begins working to get side control. >He can't find a way past half guard. >Gilchrist blocks Skala as he tries a transition to full guard. >Gilchrist looks to get past the half guard. >Skala keeps Gilchrist in half guard. >Skala tries to move from half guard to full guard, but Gilchrist doesn't allow it. >Gilchrist unloads with some big right hands, but Skala deals with them comfortably. >Skala tries to get full guard on Gilchrist but doesn't get anywhere. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Gilchrist looks to pass half guard and get side control. >Gilchrist struggles but cannot find a way past and remains stuck in half guard. >Skala tries to move from half guard to full guard, but Gilchrist doesn't allow it. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Gilchrist looks to get past the half guard. >Skala keeps Gilchrist in half guard. >Gilchrist blocks an attempted move from half guard to full guard. >Gilchrist begins trying to get his leg free of half guard and get a better position. >Skala keeps his half guard secure. >The time runs out on round one. >That was a horrible round to watch, and the fans are booing quite loudly. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Gilchrist. >Round two begins! >Gilchrist avoids a nice combination. >Gilchrist moves out of range of a tidy combination of punches. >Gilchrist moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a clean left. >Skala misses with an attempted right hook to the body. >The fight slows as Gilchrist sits back and allows Skala to circle. >Skala feints left and tries to get Gilchrist to commit to a strike, but gets no joy. >A couple of quick punches are used to set up a takedown attempt from Gilchrist. >Skala attempts to avoid Gilchrist as he shoots in. >Gilchrist can't get the takedown, Skala was too quick to back away. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Skala comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Gilchrist tries to counter with a takedown, but Skala defended it well. >Gilchrist sneaks a glance at his corner. >Skala quickly gets in closer, looking to attack. >Moving in closer, Skala looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >Gilchrist lets Skala get closer. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Skala throws rights and lefts, but Gilchrist covers up well and none of the shots find a home. >Gilchrist covers up, absorbing a flurry of punches. >From the pocket, Gilchrist shoots in for a double leg. >A counter right hook catches Gilchrist hard, almost putting him down! >Round two ends as time expires. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Skala. >Round three begins! >Judging from what we heard from his corner, Gilchrist is looking to avoid strikes and take it to the ground in this round. >Both fighters fire off strikes, neither produces any significant damage. >Gilchrist just slips out of the way of a flurry of strikes, having been off balance after falling for a feint. >Skala tries for a left jab but Gilchrist moves out of range. >Skala slips past a left jab and fires back with a jab. >Gilchrist steps back to avoid a leg kick. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Gilchrist tries to wrestle Skala backward and up against the cage. >Gilchrist does it, Skala is stuck with his back to the cage. >Breathing very hard, Shane Gilchrist is looking ragged. >We move into the second half of this round. >Gilchrist uses underhooks to gain solid control, and is looking for a takedown. >A Greco-Roman slam floors Skala, Gilchrist executed it well. >Gilchrist ends up holding a seated Skala around the waist, pressing him up against the cage. >Gilchrist tries to improve his position. >Skala keeps Gilchrist close in, not letting the mount happen. >Skala hits Gilchrist with a few weak strikes to the back. >Gilchrist unloads with some right hands, but Skala deals with them comfortably. >Skala hits several frustrated punches to the back, but they're not going to do any damage. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Not liking his options, Gilchrist looks to get a better position over Skala. >Gilchrist isn't able to mount Skala this time around. >Shane Gilchrist looks like he is on the verge of exhaustion. >Skala hits several frustrated punches to the back, but they're not going to do any damage. >The time runs out and that round is over, and so is the fight. >That round goes to Gilchrist, 10-9 on my card. >Here come the official scores. >All three judges give a score of 29-28. >Making Shane 'The Butcher' Gilchrist the winner by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Shane 'The Butcher' Gilchrist defeats Daniil 'Skull Crusher' Skala (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Not really the best of match-ups here – Gilchrist looked like he wanted to have the fight on the ground, but then couldn't do much when he got it there, and Skala's stand-up wasn't anything special either. Big questions now for Skala, who is another who has lost his third consecutive bout. Isaac Jacobsen (#22, 5-1) v Thorbjorn Rekdal (8-1) <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 'Ice Cold' Isaac Jacobsen takes on 'Brickhouse' Thorbjorn Rekdal 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. >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >Jacobsen backs away to create some more space. >Jacobsen feints an attack, keeping Rekdal on his toes. >Jacobsen glances a strike off the side of the shoulder. >Not letting Jacobsen settle at all, Rekdal comes in closer. >Rekdal darts in and out of range quickly, trying to get Jacobsen to commit to throwing a strike. >Rekdal bobs and weaves. >Jacobsen presses in closer to attack. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >A jab misses, allowing Rekdal to counter-strike with a solid left. >Rekdal throws a feint. >Jacobsen throws a swift jab but doesn't do any damage. >Not letting Jacobsen settle at all, Rekdal comes in closer. >Rekdal looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Backing off, Jacobsen makes sure to keep out of range. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Backing out of range, Jacobsen circles tentatively. >Rekdal steps in closer to force the issue. >Rekdal is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Jacobsen now has Rekdal standing in the pocket. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >The fans are booing loudly after a dire round that featured little in the way of action. >I think Rekdal took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >And here we go, round two! >Jacobsen steps back to avoid a leg kick. >Jacobsen throws a feint. >Jacobsen darts in and out of range quickly, trying to get Rekdal to commit to throwing a strike. >Countering a wild off-target spinning back fist, Rekdal hits a nice left hand. >Rekdal counters a wayward left jab with a barrage of big right hands! >Getting destroyed, Jacobsen falls to the ground...but the blows keep on landing! >The referee jumps in and saves Jacobsen from taking any more shots! >The winner, by TKO; Thorbjorn Rekdal! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Brickhouse' Thorbjorn Rekdal defeats 'Ice Cold' Isaac Jacobsen (TKO (Strikes) in 1:47 of round 2). The match was rated as being Very Poor. Comments: Very tentative here from Jacobsen, which I wouldn't have expected after his excellent KO victory last time out. Round 1 was a real snoozer, but at least Rekdal did the business and put him away with good shots at his first real opportunity. In a weak division, Rekdal might now be a title contender, given his three wins on the bounce. Jacobsen needs a re-think. Stanislaw Lipnicki (14-7) v Stratos Papaioannou (26-8) <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 Stanislaw 'Big Daddy' Lipnicki will take on Stratos 'Atlas' Papaioannou in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >And here we go! >Lipnicki eats a jab as he steps in. >An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >Lipnicki comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Papaioannou. >Papaioannou ends up grappling for supremacy with Lipnicki. >Lipnicki is trying to push Papaioannou so that his back is up against the cage. >Papaioannou ends up backed against the cage. >Smothered against the cage, Papaioannou is stuck there, unable to do anything, for more than sixty seconds. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Lipnicki smothers Papaioannou against the cage, then scores with a left to the side of the stomach. >Papaioannou is trapped up against the cage and takes repeated small punches to the body from that position. This goes on for roughly a minute. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Lipnicki looks to try and maintain control via his wrestling skills, but Papaioannou proves too good and manages to turn them around so that he is in the dominant position. >Papaioannou looks to try and maintain control via his wrestling skills, but Lipnicki fights it every inch of the way. >Papaioannou goes for a foot stomp, but Lipnicki senses the shift in balance and reverses so that he is the one in control. >Stanislaw Lipnicki looks very tired out there. >The time runs out on round one. >Hopefully we'll get a little more action in the next round, as there certainly wasn't any in this one. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Lipnicki. >Round two begins! >Papaioannou feints left, then right. >Papaioannou counters a left jab by hitting a flurry of quick punches to sting Lipnicki. >Papaioannou counters a left jab by using a flurry of jabs and straight punches. >An exchange of blows doesn't really produce any damage or a clear advantage. >Papaioannou throws a left jab but Lipnicki uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. >A left jab misses the mark and allows Papaioannou to counter with a barrage of punches on Lipnicki! >Always alert, Lipnicki uses good head movement to avoid a barrage of big right hands. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Slipping past a left jab, Papaioannou hits a series of hard rights! >Lipnicki might be in real trouble here, he is backing off but looks really unsteady on his feet! >Papaioannou tries to capitalise with a barrage of big rights, but Lipnicki has the sense to cover up. >Papaioannou looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Lipnicki. >Keen to keep space between them, Lipnicki backs away. >Lipnicki throws three punches in quick succession, but Papaioannou was out of range. >Papaioannou presses in closer to attack. >There's under a minute left in this round. >A left jab misses and Papaioannou counters with a series of quick punches. >Papaioannou looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Lipnicki. >Papaioannou is in the pocket, ready to attack Lipnicki. >Good head movement allows Lipnicki to avoid a wildly thrown right hand. >Time expires and we come to the end of round two. >I have to give that round to Papaioannou, but only a 10-9. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Advancing, Papaioannou counters a left jab by using some big right hands! >From the pocket, Papaioannou shoots in for a double leg. >Papaioannou is stopped by a good sprawl, and is pulled down to the ground in a loose front facelock until he is on his knees. >Lipnicki looks to unload with some big right hands, but Papaioannou gets back to his feet before too many land. >Lipnicki throws a left jab but Papaioannou avoids it. >Stanislaw Lipnicki looks like he is on the verge of exhaustion. >Papaioannou throws out a quick left jab. >The fight slows as Lipnicki sits back and allows Papaioannou to circle. >Breathing very hard, Stratos Papaioannou is looking ragged. >Papaioannou throws a speculative right, but it is nowhere near hitting. >The fight slows as Lipnicki sits back and allows Papaioannou to circle. >We move into the second half of this round. >A tired Papaioannou moves forward, looking for a takedown. >Lipnicki stuffs the takedown attempt and then pulls Papaioannou into a clinch. >Lipnicki is trying to push Papaioannou so that his back is up against the cage. >Papaioannou ends up backed against the cage. >Stanislaw Lipnicki looks like he is almost out on his feet with exhaustion. >Lipnicki keeps Papaioannou up against the cage with wrestling, then uses a hard foot stomp. >Lipnicki keeps Papaioannou up against the cage with wrestling, then uses a hard foot stomp. >Stratos Papaioannou looks like he doesn't have a lot left to give. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Papaioannou is controlled up against the cage and eats a sharp right to the ear. >Lipnicki smothers Papaioannou against the cage, then scores with a left to the side of the stomach. >Papaioannou is trapped against the cage and takes a sharp stomp to the foot. >Lipnicki attempts to hit a knee strike, but Papaioannou tightens the clinch, preventing the blow from being launched. >The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Lipnicki. >The judges have given their scores, which are about to be announced. >All three judges score the contest as 29-28. >Making Stanislaw 'Big Daddy' Lipnicki the winner by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Stanislaw 'Big Daddy' Lipnicki defeats Stratos 'Atlas' Papaioannou (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Average. Comments: Lipnicki looked in trouble in the second round but did well to hang on in there, and probably just about deserved the 29-28 decision, but he didn't look particularly entertaining in doing so. Papaioannou loses his fourth in a row, against a wide variety of opponents, and hasn't had an especially entertaining fight yet, with all four being decided by the judges. If the Light-heavyweight division was weaker there might be an argument for extending his stay by dropping him down a weight class, but I think it's time for us to say goodbye to him. Co-main Nuno Valentino (#23, 5-0) v Heiko Pander (#20, 3-0) <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. Nuno 'The Idol' Valentino fights 'Mighty Mouse' Heiko Pander in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >Round one begins! >Pander feints an attack, keeping Valentino on his toes. >Pander comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Valentino. >He pulls Valentino into a grapple. >Pander is looking to muscle Valentino back against the cage. >Pander does it, Valentino is stuck with his back to the cage. >Pander nails Valentino with a hard right hand to the side of the head, stunning him. >Pander shows great control, keeping Valentino pressed against the cage while punishing him with sharp strikes to the body for roughly a minute. >Valentino gets caught with a knee to the inside of the thigh. >Valentino uses his wrestling skills to prevent Pander from attacking with dirty boxing. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Showing his ability to exert control, Pander smothers Valentino up against the cage for a minute or so, wearing him down with occasional sharp punches to the ribs. >Pander smothers Valentino against the cage and stomps down on his foot. >Valentino is trapped against the cage and Pander punishes him with some dirty boxing. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Pander smothers Valentino up against the cage while using the occasional short sharp punch to the body, keeping him stuck there for a full minute. >Valentino is pressed up against the cage and held there, taking the occasional short punch to the ribs and stomach, until the round ends. >Round one ends as time expires. >Hopefully the next round will produce a little more in the way of action. >I have to give that round to Pander, but only a 10-9. >We are back underway! >Suddenly, Valentino dives forward and tries to grab a leg! >Pander gets his leg trapped, but is able to block a heel hook from being applied. >Unable to stop falling backward as a result of the submission attempt, Pander has to pull half guard. >In half guard, Valentino begins working to get side control. >He gets past half guard, gaining side control. >Valentino tries to lock Pander in an armbar. >Pander gets caught by the armbar, and it's deep enough that he has to tap! >The winner, by submission; Nuno Valentino! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Nuno 'The Idol' Valentino defeats 'Mighty Mouse' Heiko Pander (Submission (Armbar) in 1:18 of round 2). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Excellent change of gameplan by Valentino in the second, after Pander had thoroughly dominated him in the stand-up and clinch in the first. There's definitely a big match or two on the horizon for the Portuguese, and he calls out Benedikt Streit for a title shot, which is certainly an option, even if I'd prefer to see him get more experience first. Pander will be a little disappointed to have given up the submission so easily. Main Event SIGMA Welterweight Championship Noach Van Der Capellen (#3, 23-3) © v Piotr Dabrowski (#24, 19-5) <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 Super Animal' Noach Van Der Capellen fights Piotr Dabrowski in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >This match is for the SIGMA Welterweight title. >There's the opening bell! >A left jab misses and Van Der Capellen counters with a kick to the side of the ribs. >Dabrowski darts in and out of range quickly, trying to get Van Der Capellen to commit to throwing a strike. >Dabrowski chooses to shoot in on Van Der Capellen. >Van Der Capellen attempts to avoid Dabrowski as he shoots in. >Dabrowski can't get the takedown, Van Der Capellen was too quick to back away. >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >Dabrowski feints rushing in, but Van Der Capellen doesn't fall for it. >Dabrowski steps back to avoid a tight combination of punches after falling for a clever feint. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >They both meet with strikes, but neither does any damage. >Both fighters go to exchange blows, but neither hits a telling strike. >A left jab misses and Van Der Capellen counters with a kick to the side of the ribs. >Dabrowski comes in with a couple of jabs, using them as cover so that he can shoot in. >Dabrowski gets caught with a right hand though, and his wobbly legs can't support him...down he goes! >There's under a minute left in this round. >Van Der Capellen senses victory and starts to unload with punches! >Van Der Capellen pounds away on Dabrowski, landing several great shots that threaten to knock him out! >The referee pulls Van Der Capellen away, stopping the match! >The winner, by TKO, is 'The Super Animal' Noach Van Der Capellen!</div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Super Animal' Noach Van Der Capellen defeats Piotr Dabrowski (TKO (Strikes) in 4:13 of round 1). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: I thought this was a bit of a sharp stoppage by the ref, but Van Der Capellen was likely to finish it off anyway, and he saved Dabrowski from more damage, so can't complain too much. A good first defence from the champ, who didn't look troubled. Back to the drawing board for Dabrowski, who'll slip down the pecking order. Show summary Critical rating: Good Commercial success: Decent Fight of the Night: Jochen Bellof v Folke Dalen Knockout of the Night: Thorbjorn Rekdal Submission of the Night: Nuno Valentino Comments: The card started off with a bang, and finished with two good bouts. No real surprises, though Isaac Jacobsen's tame defeat was an unwelcome sight. Next man up for Van Der Capellen could be Kenneth Toadspew, who faces former champ Evgeni Medtner, but I'd like to see something special from either man to really seal that deal.

batsnumbereleven · December 20, 2013

Prediction results

Jingo 5/6 (64/92)

CageRage 4/6 (109/151)

Injury report

The doctors are reporting a clean bill of health following tonight's fights, though the athletic commission have put Heiko Pander, Isaac Jacobsen and Piotr Dabrowski on the shelf for a month each, and Jochen Bellof for three, after they examined his knee.

batsnumbereleven · December 20, 2013

Monday 15th August 1999 <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 announce that they will be bringing SIGMA 28: Boniek v Ivanov to the hot tourist destination of the Sauerland on Friday 26th August, with their latest MMA card being held at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn. The top billing goes to a Heavyweight encounter between two Sambo artists, with the veteran former SIGMA champion Grzegorz Boniek (#16, 35-5) taking on the prodigiously talented and unbeaten Aleksander Ivanov (#17, 9-0) with a shot at the Heavyweight title likely to go to the winner. The co-main will see Australian judoka Kenneth Toadspew (#24, 12-2) face former SIGMA Welterweight champion Evgeni Medtner (21-6) in an effort to impress the bosses into giving him a title match. Toadspew's last outing was a dubious split-decision victory over Alberto Basora, who has since lost again, and SIGMA management want to see whether Toadspew really is as good as he claims. At Lightweight, undefeated Xavi Castillejo (3-0) puts his striking to the test against Belorussian wrestler Franak Pavilchenko (13-5), TKO victor over Harald Hubner in his last bout, and Moldovan Mugur Boc (7-1) looks to rebound with a fight against Jean-Pierre Richelleau (23-9) in the Heavyweight division. French Middleweight Antoine Corvoisier (4-1) has Italian kick boxer Ezio Gnocchi (5-2) as his next opponent, with both fighters coming off tough defeats, and in the opener, Belgian Light-Heavyweight wrestler Koenraad Belien (9-4) will fight the debuting Matthew Michael Kirby (4-0), a boxer out of Edinburgh, Scotland.</div></blockquote> Card for picks SIGMA 28 Grzegorz Boniek v Aleksander Ivanov Kenneth Toadspew v Evgeni Medtner Xavi Castillejo v Franak Pavilchenko Mugur Boc v Jean-Pierre Richelleau Antoine Corvoisier v Ezio Gnocchi Koenraad Belien v Matthew Michael Kirby

CageRage · December 20, 2013

SIGMA 28

Grzegorz Boniek v Aleksander Ivanov

Kenneth Toadspew v Evgeni Medtner

Xavi Castillejo v Franak Pavilchenko

Mugur Boc v Jean-Pierre Richelleau

Antoine Corvoisier v Ezio Gnocchi

Koenraad Belien v Matthew Michael Kirby

Jingo · December 20, 2013

SIGMA 28

Grzegorz Boniek v Aleksander Ivanov

Kenneth Toadspew v Evgeni Medtner

Xavi Castillejo v Franak Pavilchenko

Mugur Boc v Jean-Pierre Richelleau

Antoine Corvoisier v Ezio Gnocchi

Koenraad Belien v Matthew Michael Kirby

batsnumbereleven · December 21, 2013

News and Notes from around the MMA world: 15th-28th August 1999

Signings

None.

Events

XCC: Vaughan v Watson took place on Friday 19th August and saw World ranked #1 Womens Featherweight Sarah Vaughan retain her XCC Womens title and extend her undefeated record to 11-0 with a first round rear naked choke submission victory over April Watson (#19, 5-2). Also on the card, #24 Elvis Millisis went to 7-0, with a first round KO of journeyman Duane Wetherley (14-10).

batsnumbereleven · December 21, 2013

Wednesday 24th August 1999 <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 Signature Martial Arts made a big move this week when they snapped up unbeaten Heavyweight kick boxer Rav Kapur (9-0) from under the noses of British promotion BCF. Kapur, who Blurcat.com ranks as the world's #9 Heavyweight, has had his last three fights in BCF, racking up KO wins over Eddie Whelan, Jesse Singh and Dave Lennon, and was rumoured to be next in line for a shot at BCF Heavyweight champion Carter Potter in the next few months. Sources from inside BCF tell us that this was one of the main sticking points with Kapur during contract negotiations with his former promotion, as they were apparently unwilling to make any definite commitment about a title shot, and instead of signing an extension with the London-based organisation, he has thrown in his lot with rising German promotion SIGMA, either in the expectation of a championship run there, or possibly with the expectation that it will help him draw attention from American market-leaders GAMMA. Either way, Blurcat sees this as a step in the right direction for both Kapur and SIGMA, who have plenty to offer one another. Kapur's no-nonsense, bulldozing style is likely to win fans on the continent, and he looks well matched up with some of their top stars, whilst the promotion itself should have no problem procuring interest in his fights. Further rumours suggest that a TV deal for SIGMA could also soon be in the works. The promotion has relied to date on getting numbers through the turnstiles at the basketball and ice hockey arenas they have recently been (half-)filling to remain profitable, and it is likely that they see TV as a means of raising their profile across Europe as they seek to expand. Don't forget to come back to us on a regular basis as we keep you up to date with all the latest MMA news here at Blurcat.com!</div></blockquote>

batsnumbereleven · December 22, 2013

Event report SIGMA 28: Boniek v Ivanov Friday 26th August 1999 Eissporthalle, Iserlohn, Germany. Attendance: 2029 for a gate of $101,450 PPV Buys: N/A Koenraad Belien (9-4) v Matthew Michael Kirby (4-0) <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, Koenraad Belien fights Matthew Michael Kirby in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >And here we go! >There is an exchange of strikes, but neither fighter does any damage. >Kirby unloads with a couple of shots to the body and a nice right uppercut. >Belien gets clipped by a winged punch and stumbles backward before falling to the ground! >Almost as soon as he hits the ground, Belien has recovered his wits and is ready to defend himself. >Kirby comes in and drops a bomb that catches Belien flush! >Kirby doesn't even bother continuing, Belien is out like a light! >By Knock Out, the winner is Matthew Michael Kirby! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Matthew Michael Kirby defeats Koenraad Belien (Knock Out (Punch) in 1:26 of round 1). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Well that's one way to make people notice you on your debut! Belien looked like he might have recovered from the initial shot that put him down, but a great punch from Kirby put it beyond any doubt. Belien has lost three in a row now and must be under some scrutiny. Antoine Corvoisier (4-1) v Ezio Gnocchi (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 Antoine 'Le Grand Chien' Corvoisier battles 'The Centurion' Ezio Gnocchi in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >We are underway! >Corvoisier counters a left jab with a solid left. >Moving forward, Corvoisier counters a series of wayward big punches with a nice jab. >Gnocchi waits for a flurry of punches to stop, then hits a barrage of big right hands, knocking Corvoisier down! >Gnocchi quickly pounces, looking to rain down punches on the stunned Corvoisier! >Gnocchi pounds away with punches and Corvoisier is in big trouble! >With punches raining down, Corvoisier can only pull Gnocchi down into side control to survive. >Gnocchi gets up, releasing side control, and backs off, allowing Corvoisier time to stand too. >Corvoisier gets suckered in by a feint, and is lucky to avoid a wildly thrown right hand. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Gnocchi drops his shoulder and feints to step in, but Corvoisier isn't buying it. >Gnocchi is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >He gets into range. >Corvoisier uses head movement to avoid a left jab. >Gnocchi tries for a left jab but Corvoisier uses head movement to avoid it. >A left jab misses, Gnocchi counters with a barrage of rights! >Getting destroyed, Corvoisier falls to the ground...but the blows keep on landing! >Corvoisier is taking a lot of shots, the referee has no option but to leap in and stop the fight! >Ezio Gnocchi takes the victory by way of TKO! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Centurion' Ezio Gnocchi defeats Antoine 'Le Grand Chien' Corvoisier (TKO (Strikes) in 3:56 of round 1). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: No let-up here from Gnocchi after the first set of shots makes this a good, professional finish from him. Corvoisier has gone down hard twice now, and must surely be looking at taking on a grappling-based opponent next time. Mugur Boc (7-1) v Jean-Pierre Richelleau (23-9) <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 'The Crusher' Mugur Boc will take on 'The Count' Jean-Pierre Richelleau in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >And here we go! >Both throw strikes at each other, both easily defend the other's attempt. >Richelleau backs away to create some more space. >Richelleau counters a right jab by hitting a clean jab. >Richelleau looks to be trying to close the distance between them. >Boc sees a chance for a takedown attempt, but Richelleau is able to defend it. >Richelleau moves in quickly after a wayward punch and hits a crisp left hand punch. >Richelleau sneaks a glance at his corner. >Not letting Richelleau settle, Boc moves in closer. >Boc comes in swinging wildly, using the strikes as cover so that he can shoot in. >Richelleau attempts to avoid Boc as he shoots in. >The takedown is unsuccessful, Richelleau avoided Boc. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >A jab misses, allowing Richelleau to counter-strike with a left. >Richelleau counters a right jab with a kick to the ribs. >Boc comes in, looking for a quick takedown. >Richelleau attempts to avoid Boc as he shoots in. >Boc can't get the takedown, Richelleau was too quick to back away. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Richelleau comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Boc sees a chance to dive for a single leg, but Richelleau is able to defend against it. >Richelleau looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Richelleau is in the pocket, ready to attack Boc. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >I think Richelleau took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >There's the bell and round number two begins! >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Boc moves out of range of a tidy combination of punches. >Richelleau keeps Boc from advancing with a crisp left jab. >Richelleau is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Boc sees a chance to dive for a single leg, but Richelleau is able to defend against it. >Richelleau comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >Boc tries to catch him by surprise with a takedown attempt, but it is blocked. >Mugur Boc looks very tired out there. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Boc, who looks drained, comes forward looking for a takedown. >Richelleau sees the takedown coming and tries to move. >Boc can't get the takedown, Richelleau was too quick to back away. >Richelleau avoids a quick jab and hits a leg kick. >Boc suddenly dives at the feet of Richelleau, trying to grab a leg! >Able to secure a leg, Boc tries to lock in a kneebar but Richelleau is able to defend against it. >Unable to prevent a trip however, Richelleau does have to pull guard. >Boc begins trying to pass the guard. >He can't find a way past the guard. >Richelleau raises his legs and tries to get Boc into a triangle choke. >Boc blocks the attempt. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Boc lies on top of Richelleau, basically smothering him. >The time runs out on round two. >An extremely close round, could have gone either way, but personally I'll give it to Boc 10-9. >There's the bell and round number three begins! >Both fighters exchange strikes, but neither hits anything significant. >Jean-Pierre Richelleau looks very tired out there. >Boc avoids a jab. >Boc, who is visibly tired, looks like he might want to get in close and wrestle with Richelleau. >Boc cannot get close enough to the elusive Richelleau to grapple. >Mugur Boc looks like he doesn't have a lot left to give. >Richelleau counters a right jab by hitting a kick to the body. >Richelleau slips past a right jab and fires back with a crisp left hand punch. >A tired-looking Boc throws some ragged looping punches to get Richelleau to cover up, then shoots in looking 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. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >A visibly tired Boc is looking to turn this into a wrestling match, and is getting in closer to Richelleau. >Not wanting to grapple, Richelleau uses strikes to keep Boc at a distance. >Jean-Pierre Richelleau looks very, very tired. >Although visibly tired, Richelleau looks to move in and stand in the pocket. >Standing his ground, Boc looks happy to engage Richelleau in the pocket. >Boc, who is visibly tired, looks like he might want to get in close and wrestle with Richelleau. >Richelleau counters with a right hand that catches Boc flush...and he goes down! >Boc recovers his wits quickly, and waits for Richelleau to make a move. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Richelleau stands back and allows Boc to stand back up. >Boc slips out of the way of a jab. >Boc gets Richelleau with a punch to the ribs, but it lacked power. >It seems that Richelleau is happy to let Boc circle for the moment. >The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Richelleau. >The official scores are being reported now. >The judges have given 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. >Making 'The Count' Jean-Pierre Richelleau the winner by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Count' Jean-Pierre Richelleau defeats 'The Crusher' Mugur Boc (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: Richelleau repaid the faith SIGMA had in him after two tough losses to former champions by being far the classier fighter here. He kept Boc at range and did well in stuffing the numerous takedown attempts, only going down under threat of a kneebar submission. Boc never got close enough to use his grappling prowess, and takes a second loss on the spin. Xavi Castillejo (3-0) v Franak Pavilchenko (13-5) <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 Xavi Castillejo battles Franak Pavilchenko in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >We are underway! >A feint puts him off balance, but Pavilchenko is still able to slip out of the way of a body kick. >Pavilchenko grabs a body kick and goes for the takedown, getting it! Castillejo pulls guard. >In guard, Pavilchenko begins working to pass to side control. >He can't quite manage to get past guard on this attempt. >Pavilchenko deflects a couple of punches that Castillejo threw from below. >Looking to catch his breath, Pavilchenko is content to just throw a couple of punches to the body. >Castillejo tries a sweep from the bottom of the guard, but doesn't budge Pavilchenko. >Pavilchenko pounds away from the guard, but Castillejo isn't troubled by the strikes. >Castillejo throws out some punches, but Pavilchenko leans back to avoid them. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Pavilchenko pounds away from the guard, but Castillejo isn't troubled by the strikes. >Castillejo tries to catch Pavilchenko with a punch, but it is not on target. >Pavilchenko looks to get past the guard. >Castillejo keeps his guard secure. >Castillejo tries to smother Pavilchenko by holding him, but can't keep control. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Pavilchenko tries to pass the guard. >Castillejo comfortably blocks the attempt and keeps Pavilchenko in guard. >The time is up, and that's the end of round one. >The fans are booing after a really poor round. >I have to give that round to Pavilchenko, but only a 10-9. >We are back underway! >Pavilchenko avoids a tight combination. >Castillejo tries for a left jab but Pavilchenko moves out of range. >Pavilchenko avoids a jab. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Pavilchenko has to cover up to absorb a nice one-two combination, having been off balance after falling for a feint. >Castillejo throws three punches in quick succession, but Pavilchenko was out of range. >Not letting Castillejo settle, Pavilchenko moves in closer. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Pavilchenko throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Castillejo tries to step away from the takedown. >Castillejo avoids the takedown attempt. >Pavilchenko steps in but an exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >Castillejo quickly gets in closer, looking to attack. >Pavilchenko counters a leg kick by grabbing it and attempting a takedown, getting it! Castillejo pulls half guard. >Pavilchenko unloads with some big elbows, but Castillejo deals with them comfortably. >Castillejo tries to sweep Pavilchenko but doesn't get anywhere. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Pavilchenko attempts to pass half guard. >He finds himself unable to get past the half guard on this attempt. >The time runs out on round two. >That round goes to Pavilchenko, 10-9 on my card. >There's the bell and round number three begins! >Castillejo tries for a left jab but Pavilchenko moves out of range. >Moving forward, Castillejo counters a left jab with a nice jab. >Pavilchenko isn't drawn in by Castillejo feinting to his left. >Castillejo is looking to get in close and strike from the pocket. >Pavilchenko sees a chance and dives down for a single leg. Castillejo, caught by surprise, can only pull guard. >Pavilchenko throws a few weak-looking punches as he decides on his next move. >Castillejo tries to catch Pavilchenko with a punch, but it is not on target. >Pavilchenko looks to get past the guard. >Castillejo keeps his guard secure. >Franak Pavilchenko is looking really tired. >Castillejo attempts to grab an arm of Pavilchenko from the bottom of the guard. >Pavilchenko defends it. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Castillejo doesn't allow Pavilchenko to smother him against the ground. >Castillejo smothers Pavilchenko with close control, stopping him from posturing up. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Pavilchenko begins trying to pass the guard. >He can't find a way past the guard. >Castillejo tries to pull Pavilchenko into a guillotine choke from the bottom of the guard. >Pavilchenko blocks it. >The fight comes to an end as the time limit expires. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to Pavilchenko. >The ring announcer is now giving the official scores. >The judges give scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27. >Franak Pavilchenko wins by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Franak Pavilchenko defeats Xavi Castillejo (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Awful. Comments: One for the purists only, this – Castillejo couldn't keep the fight standing and had a decent guard, preventing Pavilchenko from doing anything on the ground. A bit more action in the ground game might have made this worth watching, but for my money it was fifteen minutes I'd quite like back. I scored all three rounds to Pavilchenko, who announces at the post-fight press conference that he fancies a crack at Georges Nouri next time out. Co-main Kenneth Toadspew (#24, 12-2) v Evgeni Medtner (21-6) <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. 'The Spew Monkey' Kenneth Toadspew goes head to head with Evgeni Medtner in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >We are underway! >An exchange of strikes goes nowhere. >They come together and throw strikes, both miss. >Both fighters throw strikes at the same time, both miss. >A left jab misses, giving Medtner the chance to hit back with a perfectly timed right hook which catches Toadspew flush and knocks him down! >Toadspew recovers his wits quickly, and waits for Medtner to make a move. >Medtner steps in to throw a punch, but takes an up-kick to the side of the stomach and retreats. >Medtner kicks Toadspew to the thigh. >Medtner leaps in and throws a bomb, but Toadspew safely pulls him into guard. >Medtner throws a few strikes, but is clearly slowing things down so that he can catch his breath. >Toadspew brings his legs up and tries to lock Medtner in a triangle choke. >Medtner pulls free before the triangle can be locked in. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Medtner looks to pass guard and get side control. >Medtner struggles but cannot find a way past and remains stuck in guard. >Toadspew brings his legs up and tries to lock Medtner in a triangle choke. >Medtner pulls free before the triangle can be locked in. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Medtner attempts to pass guard and gain a better position. >Toadspew is ready for the attempt though, and keeps Medtner firmly in guard. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >I have to give that round to Medtner, but only a 10-9. >Round two begins! >Medtner slips past a left jab and counters with a series of big punches, putting Toadspew down on the ground! >Medtner knows that this is a golden opportunity, and quickly pounces on Toadspew, looking to finish him off by raining down punches! >Medtner fires away with punches, Toadspew is taking powerful shot after powerful shot! >The referee jumps in and saves Toadspew from taking any more shots! >Evgeni Medtner takes the win by TKO! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Evgeni Medtner defeats 'The Spew Monkey' Kenneth Toadspew (TKO (Strikes) in 0:40 of round 2). The match was rated as being Good. Comments: Medtner looked like the champ he once was here, ensuring that he didn't make the mistake of getting sucked into guard once he'd put Toadspew down for the second time. Welterweight's a real mess at the moment, so it might be a while before Noach Van Der Capellen gets a challenger, even though Medtner put his case forward here. Main Event Grzegorz Boniek (#16, 35-5) v Aleksander Ivanov (#17, 9-0) <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! 'Polish Power' Grzegorz Boniek takes on 'The Great Bear' Aleksander Ivanov in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >And here we go! >A straight left fails to land and Ivanov is able to fire back with a series of quick lefts. >Boniek moves out of range of a flurry of punches. >Ivanov comes in, looking for a quick takedown. >Ivanov gets a single leg takedown! Boniek pulls guard off it. >Ivanov starts trying to work to get past the guard. >Ivanov passes to side control with ease. >Ivanov starts hammering away at Boniek with right hands. >Unless he finds a way out of this position soon, Boniek is going to lose this fight! >The referee stops the fight, he didn't feel Boniek was intelligently defending himself! >'The Great Bear' Aleksander Ivanov takes the win by TKO! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Great Bear' Aleksander Ivanov defeats 'Polish Power' Grzegorz Boniek (TKO (Strikes) in 2:02 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Ivanov demonstrates here why he's one of the top contenders at Heavyweight, with a precision performance against the former champ. The only question is whether we can mesh his schedule with the title holder soon or whether he fights again in the interim. Boniek looks like he may be past his prime, and drops out of the top tier of fighters after this. He says he wants to take on Ari Peltonen next, which might be good box office, but isn't currently on my radar. Show summary Critical rating: Good Commercial success: Good Fight of the Night: Aleksander Ivanov v Grzegorz Boniek Knockout of the Night: Matthew Michael Kirby Submission of the Night: Comments: Our best take at the door for a while, which shows the drawing power of the top two fights here, particularly the Main Event, and it was good to see a largely good card of fights, with the exception of the Castillejo/Pavilchenko mess. Kirby looks like one to watch.

batsnumbereleven · December 22, 2013

Prediction results

Jingo 4/6 (68/98)

CageRage 2/6 (111/157)

Injury report

The doctor reports that Kenneth Toadspew will need around 5 weeks to recover from an ankle injury suffered during his match (really??) but that's made redundant by the fact that the athletic commission have sat him out for three months in any case after being TKO'd. They've also imposed a three month hiatus on Koenraad Belien, and a month each for Grzegorz Boniek and Mugur Boc.

End of month finances

We lost around $9000 this month, which was a little surprising, but it did include a number of re-signings, as detailed below, which added up to around $36k.

SIGMA signings

Lefter Oktay, Thorbjorn Rekdal, Luis Basora, Templeton Crumb, and Lars Bohlin have all accepted new 5-fight contracts.

As expected, agreement was reached with Stratos Papaioannou for early termination of his contract.

Danish Middleweight wrestler Shaun Dico has been added to the roster, in addition to the major capture of Rav Kapur from BCF, as previously reported.

We put a bid in for “Croatian Sensation” Zvonimir Asanovic, whose ALPHA-1 contract was coming to an end, but he wasn't interested in signing exclusively for SIGMA, and wanted around $25k per fight. He eventually re-signed with ALPHA-1.

batsnumbereleven · December 22, 2013

Monday 1st September 1999 <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. Petey Mack, GAMMA 2. Buddy Garner, GAMMA 3. Andrey Kizilashvili, SIGMA 4. Joaquim Fontes, FLB 5. Thais Antonio Taffarel, FLB 6. Tadao Miyazaki, ALPHA-1 7. Zaco, FLB 8. Vladoslav Medvedev, SIGMA 9. Fjodor Kanchelskis, SIGMA 10. Osmosis Benn, GAMMA</div></blockquote>

batsnumbereleven · December 22, 2013

Tuesday 2nd September 1999 <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 announce a return to Frankfurt, as SIGMA 29 will be hosted by the Ballsporthalle on Friday 26th September. The headlining bout will be a Lightweight encounter for the SIGMA Lightweight Championship, between defending champion, Fiyero Lermontov (#5, 13-0) from Russia and former SIGMA champion Lukas Mellberg (#20, 18-4) from Sweden, who looks to dent the champ's undefeated professional record. This will be a re-match of their encounter at SIGMA 10 last August, where Lermontov took Mellberg's crown with a fourth round knockout. In the #2 fight on the card, Dutch wrestler Faas Smit (36-15) continues to seek the tough match-ups in the division as he takes on recent Light-Heavyweight title contender Valentin Taneyev (7-1) from Russia. Smit lost his last fight against Niko Soldo, whilst Taneyev came up short against Matti Kurri in his title bid. In Welterweight action, Spanish judoka Alberto Basora (18-9) will face Italian grappler Carmelo Rossi (9-4), whilst Featherweight debutant Jay Dorridge (6-0) from England pits his wits against the experienced jiu-jitsu practitioner Pedro Alves (11-6) from Portugal. Georgian Vladoslav Medvedev (1-0) will also be on the bill, hoping to add to his perfect SIGMA start by taking on Greek striker Spiridon Domazos (5-2) at Middleweight, and Heavyweight Czech sambo artist Libor Pudil (2-1) will be the opponent for debuting English striker Christopher Drew (2-0) in a battle of two 22-year-olds.</div></blockquote> Card for picks: SIGMA 29 Fiyero Lermontov © v Lukas Mellberg Faas Smit v Valentin Taneyev Alberto Basora v Carmelo Rossi Jay Dorridge v Pedro Alves Vladoslav Medvedev v Spiridon Domazos Libor Pudil v Christopher Drew

CageRage · December 22, 2013

SIGMA 29

Fiyero Lermontov © v Lukas Mellberg

Faas Smit v Valentin Taneyev

Alberto Basora v Carmelo Rossi

Jay Dorridge v Pedro Alves

Vladoslav Medvedev v Spiridon Domazos

Libor Pudil v Christopher Drew

batsnumbereleven · December 23, 2013

News and Notes from around the MMA world: September 1999

Signings

ALPHA-1: -

GAMMA: -

OMEGA: -

BCF: -

FLB: -

XCC: Gene Oakley, Malcolm O'Hearn, Avery Gleason,

WEFF: -

KDMFC: -

Events

Monday 8th September saw KDMFC 13: Uchiyama v Ebisawa, where Taniko Uchiyama (#5 WBW, 5-1) lost her KDMFC Womens title to the still-undefeated Sayoko Ebisawa by Rear naked choke in the fourth round. On the undercard, a battle between two ranked Featherweights saw Norberto (#18, 28-5) defeat Greg Chiang (#14, 16-5) by triangle submission in the first round.

GAMMA 39: Sugar v Steven took place on Saturday 13th September with a GAMMA Lightweight title fight in the main event that saw victory for defending champion Brandon Sugar (#3, 29-4) over Bruce Steven (#14, 18-8) by TKO in the first round. In the co-main, Jack Humphreys (#18, 24-7) took a Unanimous decision victory over Bobby Brubaker (#15, 13-5) in the Welterweight division and in a Middleweight prelim. match, Quebec's JJ Reid (#22, 26-6) submitted the previously unbeaten Osmosis Benn (#9, 18-1) in the second round with an armbar.

ALPHA-1 had more than 8000 people turn up in Kanto on Sunday 14th September to see Santiago Perez-Sala (#5, 4-0) take the ALPHA-1 Lightweight title from Naizen Hamacho (#11, 7-1) by 1st round knock out and #21 Heavyweight Kunimichi Kikuchi (28-5) put a beating on Taye Burnett (2-1) in a 1st round TKO victory.

OMEGA held their third event in Northern Mexico the following day, and the main event saw Cuban Guillermo Morales (9-0-1) take the OMEGA Light-Heavyweight title from Jerry Bogdonovich (#25, 6-1) with the referee stopping the contest with mere seconds remaining of the first round and Bogdonovich unable to defend himself.

BCF: Spyrou v Baines took place in London on Thursday 18th September, with Wigan veteran Rob Baines (#16, 29-10) taking the BCF Middleweight title from the capital's own Davis Spyrou (18-5) in the very last second of their fight by Kimura. This was the first time in nearly two years that the title had been defended, and the former champ definitely showed some ring-rust. The Fight of the Night saw Henning Olsen (13-5) take a first round TKO victory over Andrew Rush(15-8).

Wednesday 24th September saw FLB 16: Seek and Destroy take place in Brazil in from of 774 paying fans, who saw FLB Light-heavyweight champion Affonso Villar (#3, 24-2) retain his title with a 1st round TKO victory over challenger Elgar (25-8).

ALPHA-1's latest TV show, Warriors of the Ring took place in Kyushu on Thursday 25th September, with #7 Middleweight Tadao Miyazaki stretching his undefeated record to 13-0 by beating Jonathan Huang (4-1) by TKO in the first round and #6 Light-Heavyweight Hyun Shik-Lim go to 14-0 with an impressive second round TKO victory over Ryosei Sakamoto (#12, 11-1).

batsnumbereleven · December 23, 2013

Monday 22nd September <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 announce that in partnership with Euro Cable Sports 4, from November SIGMA will be airing fights on cable TV. The show, to be entitled SIGMA Gefecht TV will feature a mixture of veteran and emerging fighters that will showcase the breadth of the talent on SIGMA's roster to viewers across Europe, and will air as an “as-live” delayed transmission on the night of the show. In addition, as part of the Euro Cable Sports network, the show will also be screened in the United Kingdom and in Russia, giving SIGMA access to those two markets for the first time. We look forward to bringing you fights both live on TV and in person at our live events on an approximately fortnightly basis through our various outlets, and continue to work towards identifying an appropriate PPV supplier for the product. In the meantime, however, the first edition of SIGMA Gefecht TV will air at 0100 CET on the night of Saturday 13th November on Euro Cable Sports 4. Don't miss it!</div></blockquote>

Jingo · December 23, 2013

SIGMA 29

Faas Smit v Valentin Taneyev

Alberto Basora v Carmelo Rossi

Jay Dorridge v Pedro Alves

Vladoslav Medvedev v Spiridon Domazos

Libor Pudil v Christopher Drew

batsnumbereleven · December 23, 2013

Event report SIGMA 29: Lermontov v Mellberg II Friday 26th September 1999 Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Germany. Attendance: 1785 for a gate of $89,250 PPV Buys: N/A Libor Pudil (2-1) v Christopher Drew (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>>Moving on, 'The Destroyer' Libor Pudil goes up against Christopher Drew in the SIGMA Heavyweight division. >There's the opening bell! >Drew throws a leg kick but Pudil avoids it. >A left jab misses and Drew strikes back with a crisp jab. >An exchange of blows doesn't really produce any damage or a clear advantage. >Having stepped in close to throw their strikes, they end up clinched. >Pudil looks to scoop his opponent up for a slam. >He gets Drew up! Pudil slams him down, ending up in half guard. >Pudil starts trying to work to get out of half guard and into a better position. >Drew doesn't let Pudil get his leg free, and so half guard remains in place. >Drew tries to move from half guard to full guard, but Pudil doesn't allow it. >Pudil reaches over and tries to lock Drew in an arm triangle. >Drew blocks it. >Drew tries to transition to full guard, but can't manage it. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Pudil throws a few strikes, but they are without venom. >Pudil blocks an attempted move from half guard to full guard. >Pudil attempts to pass half guard. >He can't get free of half guard. >Pudil blocks Drew as he tries a transition to full guard. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Pudil attempts to arm triangle Drew from the top of half guard. >Drew blocks it. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >I have to give that round to Pudil, but only a 10-9. >We are back underway! >An exchange of strikes doesn't lead to any real damage. >A straight left fails to land and Drew is able to fire back with a clean jab. >Pudil steps back to avoid a one-two combination. >Drew tries for a left jab but Pudil moves out of range. >Drew glances a strike off the side of the shoulder. >Pudil seems to be waiting for Drew to make a move. >Drew comes in closer, looking to attack from the pocket. >He gets into range. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Pudil slips past a straight punch and hits a crisp left jab. >Pudil uses head movement to avoid a vicious right hand and fire right back with a crisp left jab. >Drew uses head movement to cause a left jab to sail harmlessly by. >Pudil uses head movement to cause a left jab to sail harmlessly by. >Using head movement, Drew slips past a left jab and counters with a crisp left. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Pudil slips past a straight punch and then hits a clean punch. >Using head movement, Pudil slips past a left jab and counters with a clean punch. >A left jab misses, Pudil counters with a stinging jab. >Round two is brought to an end as time runs out. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Pudil. >We are back underway! >Between rounds we could hear the corner of Pudil telling him to watch for strikes but to look for takedown opportunities. >Pudil avoids several big right hands and counters with a crisp left hand punch. >Pudil feints rushing in, but Drew doesn't fall for it. >Pudil avoids a flurry of rights and lefts. >Christopher Drew is looking really tired. >Pudil throws a couple of jabs, then chooses to shoot in on Drew. >Drew sees the takedown coming and tries to move. >Pudil doesn't get the takedown, Drew avoided it. >Drew avoids a jab. >A flicked jab from Drew only finds gloves. >Pudil comes in closer to press the issue. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Pudil comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Drew. >Pudil grabs Drew and pulls him into a grapple. >Pudil attempts to pick Drew up for a slam. >There's the slam! Drew is planted onto his back, and pulls guard. >Pudil throws a few right hands as he takes a moment to plan ahead. >Pudil looks to pass guard and get side control. >Drew comfortably blocks the attempt and keeps Pudil in guard. >Libor Pudil looks very tired out there. >Drew brings his legs up and tries to lock Pudil in a triangle choke. >Pudil defends well against it. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Pudil looks to pass guard and get side control. >Pudil isn't able to pass guard on this attempt. >Time runs out and that's the end of the fight. >That round goes to Pudil, 10-9 on my card. >The official scores are being reported now. >All three judges give 30-27. >The winner, by unanimous decision, is Libor Pudil! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Destroyer' Libor Pudil defeats Christopher Drew (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Poor. Comments: A bit disappointing, but Pudil showed that he's no pushover, even if he'll never make it to the top of the Heavyweight ranks, and remains a solid opponent for debutants like Drew. Drew showed a good tight guard, but didn't do enough to warrant any of the rounds being scored for him, and I expected better out of his stand-up. Vladoslav Medvedev (1-0) v Spiridon Domazos (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>>Another match is about to begin; 'Red Army Renegade' Vladoslav Medvedev fights Spiridon 'Bang' Domazos in the SIGMA Middleweight division. >And here we go! >Domazos feints left, then right. >Domazos tries for a right jab but Medvedev moves out of range. >Medvedev isn't drawn in by Domazos feinting to his left. >A left jab misses and Domazos strikes back with a solid right jab. >Domazos looks like he wants to stand in the pocket and strike with Medvedev. >Seeing an opportunity, Medvedev goes straight into a takedown, putting Domazos down into guard. >Medvedev begins trying to pass guard and get a better position. >He passes to side control. >Domazos takes a knee strike to the ribs from under side control. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Medvedev attempts to armbar Domazos from side control. >Medvedev gets the armbar, sinks it in deeply, and Domazos has to tap! >By submission, the winner is Vladoslav Medvedev! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'Red Army Renegade' Vladoslav Medvedev defeats Spiridon 'Bang' Domazos (Submission (Armbar) in 2:59 of round 1). The match was rated as being Great. Comments: Two good wins now for Medvedev mean that he's likely to get a big match next time out, given the lack of depth at Middleweight. Domazos didn't get any chance to show what he can do here, but he'll be back. Jay Dorridge (6-0) v Pedro Alves (11-6) <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 'Black Belt' Jay Dorridge battles Pedro 'The Wolverine' Alves in the SIGMA Featherweight division. >Round one begins! >Dorridge throws a left jab but Alves avoids it. >Alves avoids a quick jab and hits a left jab to the cheek. >Alves comes in closer, looking to wrestle with Dorridge. >Dorridge uses movement to keep out reach, meaning Alves cannot get close enough to grapple. >Moving in closer, Dorridge looks like he may want to wrestle Alves. >Dorridge grabs Alves and pulls him into a grapple. >Dorridge is trying to push Alves so that his back is up against the cage. >Dorridge achieves it, pinning Alves to the cage. >Dorridge uses a hard foot stomp. >Dorridge tries to smother Alves against the cage with wrestling, but he reverses it and pushes Dorridge against the cage instead. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Alves goes for a foot stomp, but Dorridge senses the shift in balance and reverses so that he is the one in control. >Dorridge moves back from the grapple and looks ready to strike. >Dorridge tries for a left jab but Alves uses head movement to avoid it. >Alves comes in, looking for a quick double leg takedown from close range. >Alves can't get the takedown, Dorridge defends it well and pulls them into a clinch. >Dorridge is looking to muscle Alves back against the cage. >Dorridge manages it, and controls Alves up against the cage. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Alves gets caught with a knee to the inside of the thigh. >Alves gets caught with a knee to the inside of the thigh. >Jay Dorridge looks very tired out there. >Dorridge steps back to achieve some separation from Alves and gets ready to strike. >Dorridge throws a left jab but Alves uses good head movement to make sure it slips by. >The time is up, and that's the end of round one. >I think Dorridge took that round, 10-9 on my score card. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Alves counters a left jab by using a left. >Alves shoots in for a takedown. >The takedown is completed, Dorridge is on his back and pulls guard. >Alves attempts to pass guard and gain a better position. >Dorridge can't do anything about the pass, and is left under side control. >Alves attempts to move to mount. >Dorridge can't fend off his opponent and is mounted. >Alves attempts to set up an americana on Dorridge from the mount. >Dorridge defends himself well. >Alves controls Dorridge, who was trying to wriggle to half guard. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Alves tries to lock Dorridge in an americana. >Dorridge fights off the americana attempt. >Jay Dorridge seems to be fighting against exhaustion. >Dorridge tries to roll Alves, but only succeeds in giving up his back! >Alves tries to ensnare Dorridge in an armbar. >The armbar is fully applied, Dorridge has no option but to tap out! >By submission, the winner is Pedro Alves! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: Pedro 'The Wolverine' Alves defeats 'Black Belt' Jay Dorridge (Submission (Armbar) in 3:54 of round 2). The match was rated as being Fantastic. Comments: Important win for Alves, to get back on a roll, and in good style too, even though I wouldn't have gone as far as calling the match “fantastic” myself – the first round was a bit of a grapple-fest against the cage and we've seen a few of them recently! Tough debut for Dorridge, and I'm not impressed by his conditioning; he looked pretty gassed even in the first, and that's not good enough in SIGMA, so hopefully we'll see an improvement from him in that area next time out. Alberto Basora (18-9) v Carmelo Rossi (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>>Moving on, Alberto Basora goes up against Carmelo Rossi in the SIGMA Welterweight division. >And here we go! >Basora moves out of range of a flurry of punches. >Rossi throws a left jab but Basora avoids it. >Moving in closer, Basora looks like he may want to wrestle Rossi. >Basora grabs Rossi and pulls him into a grapple. >Basora looks to set up a judo throw. >Basora uses a nice inside leg trip and Rossi is forced to pull guard! >Basora looks to pass guard and get side control. >He can't find a way past the guard. >Rossi tries to catch Basora with a punch, but it is not on target. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Basora looks to get past the guard. >He can't get free of the guard. >Basora deflects a couple of punches that Rossi threw from below. >Basora starts trying to work to get past the guard. >Advancing his position fairly easily, he passes to side control. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Basora attempts to roll Rossi slightly and take his back. >He does it, getting behind Rossi. >Basora successfully gets both hooks in, and seems primed to finish. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >I have to give that round to Basora, but only a 10-9. >And here we go, round two! >Rossi counters an errant left jab with a nice left hand. >Rossi throws a left jab but Basora avoids it. >Rossi looks to be trying to close the distance between them. >Basora finds himself pulled into a grappling contest. >Rossi is looking to muscle Basora back against the cage. >Basora doesn't let himself be driven back though, and gains a dominant position in the grapple instead. >Basora looks to set up a judo throw. >Basora uses a nice inside leg trip and Rossi is forced to pull guard! >Basora lies on top of Rossi, basically smothering him. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Basora smothers Rossi with his body by pushing forward and down. >Basora lies on top of Rossi, basically smothering him. >Basora throws a few right hands, but is mainly trying to catch his breath. >Rossi throws out some punches, but Basora leans back to avoid them. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Basora tries to pass the guard. >Rossi finds his opponent too skilled, and Basora passes guard into side control. >Basora tries to lock Rossi in an arm triangle. >Rossi gets caught by the arm triangle! It's deep, but he just won't quit! >Shockingly, Basora loses it! Rossi pops his head free, and has somehow survived! >Round two ends as time expires. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Basora. >Round three begins! >Rossi counters an errant left jab with a solid left jab. >Basora avoids a barrage of big right hands. >Rossi counters a left jab by hitting a series of quick lefts. >Rossi darts in and out of range quickly, trying to get Basora to commit to throwing a strike. >Basora throws a couple of jabs, then chooses to shoot in on Rossi. >The takedown is blocked, and the sprawl allows Rossi to wrestle Basora down to the ground instead! Basora pulls guard. >Basora keeps Rossi, who looked to be trying to stand up, in guard. >Basora tries to lock onto an arm from the bottom of the guard. >Basora gets a kimura and wrenches back, Rossi has to tap out! >The winner, by submission; Alberto Basora!</div></blockquote> >Official Result: Alberto Basora defeats Carmelo Rossi (Submission (Kimura) in 2:49 of round 3). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: Basora's submission skills were the deciding factor here – he looked good in the frst two rounds, but left it too late to try and force the tap, and then was able to secure an excellent hold from bottom position that enabled the kimura. Rossi will be disappointed that he could do more in the stand-up, as he clearly wasn't comfortable grappling with Basora. Co-main Faas Smit (36-15) v Valentin Taneyev (7-1) <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. Faas 'Evolution' Smit will take on 'The Hand Grenade' Valentin Taneyev in the SIGMA Light Heavyweight division. >Round one begins! >A left hand misses, allowing Taneyev to counter with a kick to the inside of the left leg. >A jab doesn't find its intended target, allowing Taneyev to fire back with a kick to the inside of the left thigh. >Those strikes to the legs are going to take their toll. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >From the missed strikes they clinch. >Smit ends up being out-wrestled in the grapple; Taneyev takes control. >With underhooks giving him solid control over Smit, Taneyev looks for a takedown. >Smit blocks the takedown attempt and takes control of the grapple. >Smit and Taneyev separate and we're back to a stand-off. >A feinted high kick gets a reaction, and Taneyev is lucky to avoid the follow-up inside leg kick. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Using head movement to slip past a left jab, Taneyev hits a left hook to the body. >Showing good head movement, Smit weaves out of the way of a nice one-two combination. >Not comfortable in the pocket, Smit steps back and creates some space. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >A left jab misses and Taneyev counters with a scorchingly fast combination. >Smit sneaks a glance at his corner. >Taneyev quickly gets in closer, looking to attack. >Taneyev throws a combination of rights and lefts, using them as cover so that he can shoot in. >The takedown doesn't work, Smit sprawled to defend it and then works into a clinch position. >The time is up, and that's the end of round one. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Taneyev. >Round two begins! >Smit counters an errant left jab with a solid left. >A left jab misses and Taneyev strikes back with a scything low kick to the legs. >There are signs that Faas Smit is definitely feeling the damage done to his legs. >Taneyev is doing the smart thing by targeting the legs. >Smit clearly wants to use a lot of movement in this fight, and it's hard to do that effectively on an injured leg. >Smit drops his shoulder as a feint, trying to draw a strike. >Smit gets Taneyev with a punch to the ribs, but it lacked power. >Not letting up, Taneyev steps in closer to pressure Smit into action. >There's a takedown attempt from Taneyev. >Smit attempts to avoid Taneyev as he shoots in. >The takedown is unsuccessful, Smit avoided Taneyev. >We move into the second half of this round. >Smit bobs and weaves. >Time slips away as Taneyev doesn't press Smit, allowing him to circle. >Smit hops around from foot to foot, looking for an opening. >Taneyev seems to be waiting for Smit to make a move. >Smit steps back to avoid a leg kick, having been suckered in with a feinted high kick. >There's under a minute left in this round. >Taneyev shoots in, looking for a takedown. >Smit attempts to avoid Taneyev as he shoots in. >The takedown doesn't work, Smit saw it coming and got out of range. >Smit gets Taneyev with a punch to the ribs, but it lacked power. >Not letting up, Taneyev steps in closer to pressure Smit into action. >Time expires and we come to the end of round two. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to Taneyev. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >From what we could hear of his corner, it sounds like Smit has been instructed to push the pace and try to overwhelm Taneyev in this round. >A showdown where they both exchange strikes only results in a stalemate. >Smit darts in, feints a jab, darts back out. >Smit tries for a left jab but Taneyev moves out of range. >A left jab misses and Taneyev strikes back with a stinging leg kick. >Taneyev doesn't get drawn in as Smit feints a kick. >A straight left by Smit keeps Taneyev from advancing. >Taneyev doesn't press the issue, allowing Smit to circle. >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Smit throws a left jab but Taneyev avoids it. >Smit feints going high and then throws a barrage of big rights, with Taneyev only just able to evade them. >Advancing, Smit counters a left jab by using a nice jab. >The end of the round is coming quick, there's under a minute left. >Smit uses a right hook to the body, but misses. >Taneyev seems to be waiting for Smit to make a move. >The time expires on round three, and that is the end of the fight. >There was very little to separate them in that round, but I'll give that one 10-9 to Smit. >Here come the official scores. >All three judges have given 29-28. >Making 'The Hand Grenade' Valentin Taneyev the winner by unanimous decision! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Hand Grenade' Valentin Taneyev defeats Faas 'Evolution' Smit (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The match was rated as being Very Poor. Comments: I thought this fight got a bit of a bum deal – the third round was pretty bad, but the first two were decent enough. Taneyev controlled the pace all the way through and had done enough in the first two rounds, even without being able to get Smit to the ground, to be able to make his opponent force the pace in the last if he was going to get a result, and Smit clearly wasn't up to doing it, which was a little disappointing. From here, Smit looks like a gatekeeper at best, and suggests that his surprise win over Aleksei Chekhov at SIGMA 7 was a one-off, but he might get a chance against lesser opposition next time out – he tells me he'd like to face Koenraad Belien next, which is certainly one possibility if their schedules mesh well enough. Taneyev needs to show more explosion if he wants another shot at the SIGMA Light-Heavyweight championship. Main Event SIGMA Lightweight Championship Fiyero Lermontov (#5, 13-0) © v Lukas Mellberg (#20, 18-4) <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! Fiyero Lermontov goes up against 'The Ice Cold Swede' Lukas Mellberg in the SIGMA Lightweight division. >This is a SIGMA Lightweight title fight. >The fight begins! >Both fighters throw strikes, no significant damage is inflicted by either. >Lermontov shoots in, looking for a takedown. >Mellberg tries to step away from the takedown. >Lermontov can't get the takedown, Mellberg was too quick to back away. >Moving in closer, Lermontov looks like he may want to try and clinch with Mellberg. >He pulls Mellberg into a Muay Thai clinch. >Lermontov tries a knee strike, but Mellberg blocks it and wrestles his way out of the Muay Thai clinch. >An exchange of strikes doesn't really lead to anything. >Lermontov throws a combination of rights and lefts, using them as cover so that he can shoot in. >Mellberg tries to avoid the takedown. >The takedown doesn't work, Mellberg saw it coming and got out of range. >We've now passed the halfway mark in this round. >Lermontov slips past a left jab and fires back with a left jab to the cheek. >Moving in closer, Lermontov looks like he may want to try and clinch with Mellberg. >Seeing an opportunity, Mellberg avoids the clinch and goes straight for a takedown, but Lermontov is equal to it. >Moving in closer, Lermontov looks like he may want to wrestle Mellberg. >Mellberg tries to counter with a takedown, but Lermontov defended it well. >We have one minute of the round remaining. >Mellberg misses with an attempted right hook to the body. >Not letting Mellberg settle at all, Lermontov comes in closer. >Lermontov looks to be trying to close the distance between them. >Mellberg ends up grappling for supremacy with Lermontov. >Round one is brought to an end as time runs out. >That round goes to Lermontov, 10-9 on my card. >And here we go, round two! >Mellberg tries for a left jab but Lermontov moves out of range. >Lermontov comes in closer, looking to clinch with Mellberg. >Lermontov can't get close enough to clinch, Mellberg makes sure to keep out of range. >Lermontov is getting in closer to Mellberg, perhaps looking for a clinch. >He pulls Mellberg into a Muay Thai clinch. >Lermontov can't maintain his hold, and Mellberg wrestles his way into a wrestling clinch. >Lermontov is trying to push Mellberg so that his back is up against the cage. >Lermontov does it, Mellberg is stuck with his back to the cage. >Lermontov looks to take Mellberg down by setting up a judo throw. >An outside leg trip sweeps Mellberg down to the ground, where he is left on his back pulling guard! >We are now at the halfway point of the round. >Lermontov attempts to pass guard. >Mellberg comfortably blocks the attempt and keeps Lermontov in guard. >Mellberg tries to sweep Lermontov but doesn't get anywhere. >Lermontov starts trying to work to get past the guard. >Mellberg is ready for the attempt though, and keeps Lermontov firmly in guard. >Securing an arm, Mellberg then brings his legs up and tries to lock Lermontov in a triangle choke. >Lermontov blocks the attempt. >We move into the final sixty seconds of this round. >Lermontov smothers Mellberg with his body by pushing forward and down. >Time expires and we come to the end of round two. >I'd say that was definitely 10-9 in favour of Lermontov. >And here we go, round three! >Mellberg slips out of the way of a combination of short sharp punches. >Both fighters throw strikes, no significant damage is inflicted by either. >Mellberg tries for a left jab but Lermontov moves out of range. >Mellberg slams a crisp right into the gloves of Lermontov, but can't follow up. >Time slips away as Lermontov doesn't press Mellberg, allowing him to circle. >An exchange of strikes doesn't really lead to anything. >Stepping back, Mellberg creates a bit of distance. >Moving in closer, Lermontov looks like he wants to strike from the pocket. >He gets into range. >We move into the second half of this round. >Lermontov slips past a jab and scores with a thudding right hook to the body. >A leg kick gets checked by Mellberg. >Mellberg circles away, creating some distance between them. >A jab misses, allowing Lermontov to counter-strike with a kick to the outside of the left knee. >Mellberg narrowly misses Lermontov with a right uppercut. >Lermontov seems to be waiting for Mellberg to make a move. >We're into the final minute of the round. >Mellberg avoids a body kick. >Fiyero Lermontov is looking really tired. >Mellberg throws a speculative right, but it is nowhere near hitting. >Not letting up, Lermontov steps in closer to pressure Mellberg into action. >Round three is brought to an end as time runs out. >That was a horrible round to watch, and the fans are booing quite loudly. >That has to go down as a 10-9 round to Lermontov. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Both fighters advance and strike, but neither hits anything. >Mellberg throws out a couple of jabs as a set up, then shoots in for a takedown. >Lermontov tries to avoid the takedown. >Mellberg can't get the takedown, Lermontov was too quick to back away. >Mellberg looks to be trying to close the distance between them. >Lermontov finds himself pulled into a grappling contest. >Mellberg tries to wrestle Lermontov backward and up against the cage. >He does so, and now has Lermontov pinned to the cage. >Mellberg looks for a trip takedown. >Lermontov shows stubborn resistance and Mellberg cannot complete the takedown. >Breathing very hard, Lukas Mellberg is looking ragged. >Mellberg loses control of Lermontov, who circles out and returns to the center. >Fiyero Lermontov looks like he is on the verge of exhaustion. >We pass the halfway mark of this round. >Slowly moving in closer, a ragged-looking Mellberg wants to wrestle Lermontov. >Not wanting to grapple, Lermontov uses strikes to keep Mellberg at a distance. >There's a ragged-looking takedown attempt from a visibly tired Mellberg. >Lermontov stuffs the takedown, but gets pushed up against the cage instead. >There's under a minute left in this round. >With Lermontov stuck against the cage, Mellberg tries to complete a takedown. >Mellberg tries hard but cannot get Lermontov off of his feet. >From the looks of things, I don't think Lukas Mellberg has much energy left. >Lermontov wrestles free of Mellberg and backs off to the center. >The time is up, and that's the end of round four. >That was a close round, but I'm giving it to Mellberg, 10-9. >There's the bell for the start of the round! >Lermontov avoids a quick jab and hits a quick series of punches. >A tired-looking Mellberg approaches, looking for a takedown. >Lermontov attempts to snare Mellberg in a guillotine off the takedown. >The takedown is too good, the attempted guillotine is lost. >The takedown is completed, Mellberg came in hard and fast and was too much for Lermontov. >Lermontov winds up seated, his back to the cage, with Mellberg pressing onto him. >Mellberg begins trying to get himself into a more dominant position. >Lermontov gets turned onto his back, and is left under side control. >Mellberg tries to slip behind and take the back. >He does it, getting behind Lermontov. >Lukas Mellberg looks like he is almost out on his feet with exhaustion. >Mellberg successfully gets both hooks in, and seems primed to finish. >With both hooks in, Mellberg tries to flatten Lermontov out for the rear naked choke. >Lermontov doesn't allow the arm to go under his chin. >Fiyero Lermontov looks like he is almost out on his feet with exhaustion. >Lermontov tries to improve his chances of survival by breaking free of the hooks, but they're too tight. >We go past the halfway point of this round. >Mellberg, with both hooks fully in, tries to get the rear naked choke applied. >Mellberg gets the rear naked choke fully applied and Lermontov has to tap out! >'The Ice Cold Swede' Lukas Mellberg takes the win by submission! </div></blockquote> >Official Result: 'The Ice Cold Swede' Lukas Mellberg defeats Fiyero Lermontov (Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:33 of round 5). The match was rated as being Decent. Comments: A couple of dull rounds in the middle, but what started off as though it would be a relatively comfortable contest for Lermontov really changed around once Mellberg finally got him to the ground in the fifth. Good work by Mellberg, who made the most of the one opportunity he had to finish the fight, as I think the judges would have scored it against him, though it would have been close. Lermontov will be very disappointed that he let this one slip away, but there's every chance that we'll complete a trilogy of fights between these two sometime in the next couple of years. Show summary Critical rating: Good Commercial success: Decent Fight of the Night: Pedro Alves v Jay Dorridge Knockout of the Night: - Submission of the Night: Lukas Mellberg Comments: The top two fights disappointed a little in terms of quality, but there was enough to show through the card to keep most fans happy, and Mellberg's comeback to win the title will have pleased quite a few.

batsnumbereleven · December 24, 2013

Prediction results

All tied up at three apiece, with Mellberg's comeback surprising everyone, and Pedro Alves taking a surprise win over Jay Dorridge.

CageRage 3/6 (114/163)

Jingo 3/6 (71/104)

Injury report

No injuries reported by our doctors after the fight, but the athletic commission have imposed precautionary suspensions of 1 month on Carmelo Rossi, 2 months on Faas Smit, Fiyero Lermontov and Spiridon Domazos and 3 months on Jay Dorridge.

End of month finances

A loss of around $15k this month, partly down to just holding the one show and partly because we had a smaller turn out at the show this time around. We're still around $30k above where we started though, so looking fine, financially, for the longer term.

SIGMA signings

We're still scouring Europe for the best available talent and have made some interesting acquisitions this month:

Ollie Castle (5-0), a 22-year old Middleweight boxer from West London, Russian combat sambo specialist Pavel Radulov, Light-heavyweight kick boxer Priti Manek (5-0), from Slovenia, and another kick boxer, 26-year-old Dutch Middleweight Edgar van den Hoogenband (4-1) who left BCF after posting a 1-1 record there over the last eighteen months.

batsnumbereleven · December 24, 2013

Monday 1st October 1999 <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 Welterweight rankings 1. Carlos da Guia, ALPHA-1 2. Tyrone Pinke, OMEGA 3. Vikram Sithalayan, BCF 4. Noach Van Der Capellen, SIGMA 5. Rufus Stephens, GAMMA 6. Julio Regueiro, GAMMA 7. Claudio Palacios, FLB 8. Xie Ming, ALPHA-1 9. Ikku Funaki, ALPHA-1 10. Charles Stiles, FLB</div></blockquote>

batsnumbereleven · December 24, 2013

Tuesday 2nd October 1999

Press Release

Signature Martial Arts are pleased to announce that they will be bringing SIGMA to Ludwigsberg as SIGMA 30 will be held at the Rundsporthalle on Sunday 14th October. SIGMA 30 will be headlined by a Middleweight contest between the experienced Spaniard Fernando Amaro (53-13-4-2NC) and unbeaten Norwegian thai boxer Tore Herlovsen (7-0). Amaro's last outing was a submission victory over Uwe Maier at SIGMA 22 in April, whilst Herlovsen's current winning streak includes a KO victory over Oleg Tariverdiev at SIGMA 23 in May.

In the co-main, former SIGMA Light-Heavyweight champion Nicolai Mickiewicz (#16, 21-5) will take on 22-year-old Swede Dag Kreuger (5-1). Mickiewicz has been promised a step up in competition, and Kreuger is confident he's the man to take victory here. Italian judoka Francesco Marazzina (#16, 21-6) is riding a three-fight winning streak, and aims to put his name in the hat for a SIGMA Featherweight title bout in the near future with victory over Sweden's Ruben Ericsson (9-2-1). Ericsson last appeared at SIGMA 18, when he took a TKO victory over Krzysztof Bujnicki.

Two German Heavyweights feature next on the card, as Hamburg's Bastian Neske (3-1) takes on Gelsenkirchen's Heinz Schroder (1-2). French taekwondo fighter Alan Saul (3-1) will battle Russian submissions expert Vladimir Baskov (6-2) at Lightweight, and debuting Englishman Jayden Karp (4-0) faces off against Norwegian sambo fighter Stian Agdenstein (3-0) in the Welterweight division. Finally, the evening will be opened up with a Light-Heavyweight bout between two veterans, as Greek wrestler Alekos Karabatsos (12-6) fights against 33-year-old Serbian kick boxer Andranik Paletilolu (15-7) with both men looking to end their losing streaks.

Card for picks:

SIGMA 30

Fernando Amaro v Tore Herlovsen

Nicolai Mickiewicz v Dag Kreuger

Francesco Marazzina v Ruben Ericsson

Bastian Neske v Heinz Schroder

Alain Saul v Vladimir Baskov

Jayden Karp v Stian Agdenstein

Alekos Karabatsos v Andranik Paletilolu

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