10 June Tussles Worth Watching
Tim Leidecker Jun 4, 2010
Skimming through these pages not only entertains and provides food
for thought, but it also gives one an edge at the mixed martial
arts cracker barrel.
Those who have followed the “10 Tussles” column have heard of more than a dozen fine prospects long before they made it to the big stage. It has proven particularly prolific in exposing heavyweight and featherweight talent. Fighters like Stefan Struve, Karlos Vemola, Jose Aldo, Brad Pickett and Brandon Visher have been championed months before they were snapped up by major promotions.
As always, the list does not focus on the well-promoted main
event bouts you already know to watch but rather on fights from all
over the planet that are worth seeing. The UFC, WEC, Strikeforce,
Dream and Sengoku Raiden Championship are excluded by design.
10. Renato Velame vs. Arivaldo Lima
Demo Fight 4, June 5 -- Salvador, Brazil
9. Marcelo Giudici vs. Edson Barboza
Ring of Combat 30, June 11 -- Atlantic City, N.J.
Venerable East Coast promotion Ring of Combat has a knack for putting together compelling Brazilian-versus-Brazilian matchups in the heart of New Jersey. Some past featured bouts have included Rafael Natal vs. Alexandre Moreno and Andre Gusmao vs. Vagner Curio. For his 30th event, promoter Lou Neglia has signed seven-time Brazilian kung fu champion and Ryan Gracie black belt Marcelo Giudici to take on undefeated muay Thai champion Edson Barboza. While it may be too early to compare Barboza to someone like Jose Aldo, he has fantastic talent and major upside.
8. Naoko Omuro vs. Yasuko Tamada
Valkyrie 6, June 19 -- Tokyo
In the main event of the sixth Valkyrie show, Wajutsu Keishukai’s Omuro will finally face off against AACC’s Tamada for the promotion’s flyweight championship. The bout had to be postponed several times due to injuries to Omuro, but both women are fit and ready to go. Omuro and Tamada already faced each other once before. In November 2008, they fought to a draw in a fight in which most observers felt Tamada had done enough to win. This time, they promise another fireworks display at 105 pounds, as both of them will enter the rematch on three-fight winning streaks.
7. Marcin Held vs. Jean Silva
Pro Fight 5, June 18 -- Wroclaw, Poland
It had to happen eventually. Following eight straight wins, Held’s unbeaten streak was stopped by fellow prospect Lukasz Sajewski, who shut down his submission game and won a unanimous decision under the Angels of Fire banner. Agreed to before the Sajewski fight was a mind-boggling encounter between Held and former Cage Rage star Jean Silva. Held, 18 years old with two years of MMA experience, will be matched against Silva, 32, who has been in the game for 11 years.
6. Antonio Carvalho vs. Juan Barrantes
W-1 MMA 5 “Judgment Day,” June 19 -- Montreal
Following wins over Shooto stars Takeshi Inoue, Rumina Sato and Hatsu Hioki, Toronto’s Antonio Carvalho was regarded as one of the best featherweights in the world. However, back-to-back defeats to Hiroyuki Takaya and Yuji Hoshino saw him drop off the mat and out of the rankings. Taking a 21-month break from fighting, the 31-year-old returned in March with a win over Eddie Fyvie in his native Canada. The fight against Costa Rica’s Barrantes is supposed to mark the second step on his road back to the top.
5. Un Sik Song vs. Yasuaki Kishimoto
Deep “Cage Impact 2010,” June 6 -- Osaka, Japan
Military commitments kept Song, one of Korea’s brightest prospects, away from fighting professionally for 33 months. The “Tornado” returned in April, winning a unanimous decision over Zst veteran Atsushi Ueda. Now, Deep raises the difficulty level for the 24-year-old submission fighter. Facing him in his first-ever cage fight will be Deep’s 2008 Future King tournament winner Yasuaki Kishimoto. With twice the experience of Song and a well-rounded set of skills, the Cobra Kai product will be an excellent touchstone for the young Korean.
4. Paul Cahoon vs. John Phillips
OMMAC 5 “Showdown,” June 5 -- Liverpool, England
Fights between two renowned knockout punchers always bring a special thrill of anticipation with them. This is one of those fights. Do not be fooled by Cahoon’s mediocre record; “Boom Boom” is one of the true pioneers of United Kingdom MMA and one of the heaviest hitters in the game. In Phillips, he faces a younger version of himself. A World Free Fight Challenge and Cage Rage veteran, Phillips can lean on a successful amateur boxing career. The sound of his punches has been described as “pounding a raw piece of meat with a sledgehammer.” Do not expect this one to go the distance.
3. Michal Fijalka vs. Hans Stringer
BOTE “Grabowski vs. Kita,” June 12 -- Gdynia, Poland
The second joint venture between Dutch promotion Beast of the East and Polish clothing manufacturer Pit Bull West Coast features the heavyweight bout between Damian Grabowski and Michal Kita in the main event. Of equal interest is the 205-pound clash between undefeated Fijalka and Stringer. “Sztanga” went to war with Stringer’s countryman, Dave Dalgliesh, at the first BOTE Poland show in November and submitted him in the second round. He will now try to deliver a similar performance against the much-hyped Stringer.
2. Ben Askren vs. Dan Hornbuckle
Bellator 22, June 17 -- Kansas City, Mo.
The opinions on Askren remain divided. Some claim he has the tools to become a dominant welterweight in MMA. Others maintain that his transition from wrestling is nowhere near finished. Thankfully, there is always a ring or cage in which to iron out reality. The fight against Hornbuckle represents a stern test for the 25-year-old 2008 Olympian. A win will yield victory in the 2010 Bellator welterweight tournament, along with a shot at promotional champion Lyman Good.
1. Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Rodrigues
Pancrase “Passion Tour 5,” June 5 -- Tokyo
Pancrase has grown quiet in recent years due to financial problems and the migration of its major stars to Sengoku. To headline the fifth stop of its Passion Tour, the promotion not only managed to bring back former Sengoku lightweight champion Kitaoka but also found him a highly intriguing opponent in Nova Uniao Kimura’s Rodrigues. “Jorjao” trains with Shooto South America 123-pound champion Jussier da Silva, along with fellow super talents Renan Barao and Fabio Bolinho, and has taken 17 of his 20 career wins before the final bell.
Those who have followed the “10 Tussles” column have heard of more than a dozen fine prospects long before they made it to the big stage. It has proven particularly prolific in exposing heavyweight and featherweight talent. Fighters like Stefan Struve, Karlos Vemola, Jose Aldo, Brad Pickett and Brandon Visher have been championed months before they were snapped up by major promotions.
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10. Renato Velame vs. Arivaldo Lima
Demo Fight 4, June 5 -- Salvador, Brazil
Demo Fight has been one of the traditional event series
in northeastern Brazil. It went on hiatus last year but returns
with a strong card in 2010. One of its two aces was Junior dos
Santos; the other is Velame, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
While dos Santos’ skills have already propelled him into the UFC,
Velame returns to headline Demo Fight 4 against Lima. The
once-defeated “Carnica” has the reputation of being a durable
combatant and will drop down from lightweight to challenge
Velame.
9. Marcelo Giudici vs. Edson Barboza
Ring of Combat 30, June 11 -- Atlantic City, N.J.
Venerable East Coast promotion Ring of Combat has a knack for putting together compelling Brazilian-versus-Brazilian matchups in the heart of New Jersey. Some past featured bouts have included Rafael Natal vs. Alexandre Moreno and Andre Gusmao vs. Vagner Curio. For his 30th event, promoter Lou Neglia has signed seven-time Brazilian kung fu champion and Ryan Gracie black belt Marcelo Giudici to take on undefeated muay Thai champion Edson Barboza. While it may be too early to compare Barboza to someone like Jose Aldo, he has fantastic talent and major upside.
8. Naoko Omuro vs. Yasuko Tamada
Valkyrie 6, June 19 -- Tokyo
In the main event of the sixth Valkyrie show, Wajutsu Keishukai’s Omuro will finally face off against AACC’s Tamada for the promotion’s flyweight championship. The bout had to be postponed several times due to injuries to Omuro, but both women are fit and ready to go. Omuro and Tamada already faced each other once before. In November 2008, they fought to a draw in a fight in which most observers felt Tamada had done enough to win. This time, they promise another fireworks display at 105 pounds, as both of them will enter the rematch on three-fight winning streaks.
7. Marcin Held vs. Jean Silva
Pro Fight 5, June 18 -- Wroclaw, Poland
It had to happen eventually. Following eight straight wins, Held’s unbeaten streak was stopped by fellow prospect Lukasz Sajewski, who shut down his submission game and won a unanimous decision under the Angels of Fire banner. Agreed to before the Sajewski fight was a mind-boggling encounter between Held and former Cage Rage star Jean Silva. Held, 18 years old with two years of MMA experience, will be matched against Silva, 32, who has been in the game for 11 years.
6. Antonio Carvalho vs. Juan Barrantes
W-1 MMA 5 “Judgment Day,” June 19 -- Montreal
Following wins over Shooto stars Takeshi Inoue, Rumina Sato and Hatsu Hioki, Toronto’s Antonio Carvalho was regarded as one of the best featherweights in the world. However, back-to-back defeats to Hiroyuki Takaya and Yuji Hoshino saw him drop off the mat and out of the rankings. Taking a 21-month break from fighting, the 31-year-old returned in March with a win over Eddie Fyvie in his native Canada. The fight against Costa Rica’s Barrantes is supposed to mark the second step on his road back to the top.
5. Un Sik Song vs. Yasuaki Kishimoto
Deep “Cage Impact 2010,” June 6 -- Osaka, Japan
Military commitments kept Song, one of Korea’s brightest prospects, away from fighting professionally for 33 months. The “Tornado” returned in April, winning a unanimous decision over Zst veteran Atsushi Ueda. Now, Deep raises the difficulty level for the 24-year-old submission fighter. Facing him in his first-ever cage fight will be Deep’s 2008 Future King tournament winner Yasuaki Kishimoto. With twice the experience of Song and a well-rounded set of skills, the Cobra Kai product will be an excellent touchstone for the young Korean.
4. Paul Cahoon vs. John Phillips
OMMAC 5 “Showdown,” June 5 -- Liverpool, England
Fights between two renowned knockout punchers always bring a special thrill of anticipation with them. This is one of those fights. Do not be fooled by Cahoon’s mediocre record; “Boom Boom” is one of the true pioneers of United Kingdom MMA and one of the heaviest hitters in the game. In Phillips, he faces a younger version of himself. A World Free Fight Challenge and Cage Rage veteran, Phillips can lean on a successful amateur boxing career. The sound of his punches has been described as “pounding a raw piece of meat with a sledgehammer.” Do not expect this one to go the distance.
3. Michal Fijalka vs. Hans Stringer
BOTE “Grabowski vs. Kita,” June 12 -- Gdynia, Poland
The second joint venture between Dutch promotion Beast of the East and Polish clothing manufacturer Pit Bull West Coast features the heavyweight bout between Damian Grabowski and Michal Kita in the main event. Of equal interest is the 205-pound clash between undefeated Fijalka and Stringer. “Sztanga” went to war with Stringer’s countryman, Dave Dalgliesh, at the first BOTE Poland show in November and submitted him in the second round. He will now try to deliver a similar performance against the much-hyped Stringer.
2. Ben Askren vs. Dan Hornbuckle
Bellator 22, June 17 -- Kansas City, Mo.
The opinions on Askren remain divided. Some claim he has the tools to become a dominant welterweight in MMA. Others maintain that his transition from wrestling is nowhere near finished. Thankfully, there is always a ring or cage in which to iron out reality. The fight against Hornbuckle represents a stern test for the 25-year-old 2008 Olympian. A win will yield victory in the 2010 Bellator welterweight tournament, along with a shot at promotional champion Lyman Good.
1. Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Rodrigues
Pancrase “Passion Tour 5,” June 5 -- Tokyo
Pancrase has grown quiet in recent years due to financial problems and the migration of its major stars to Sengoku. To headline the fifth stop of its Passion Tour, the promotion not only managed to bring back former Sengoku lightweight champion Kitaoka but also found him a highly intriguing opponent in Nova Uniao Kimura’s Rodrigues. “Jorjao” trains with Shooto South America 123-pound champion Jussier da Silva, along with fellow super talents Renan Barao and Fabio Bolinho, and has taken 17 of his 20 career wins before the final bell.
