DarK_RaideR's BattlE_LoG

[DarK_RaideR]

Tuesday 20 March

Weakness Workshop (Shoulders)

 

Overhead Press

44 lb x 10 reps

64 lb x 8 reps

74 lb x 8 reps

94 lb x 5 reps

114 lb x 3 reps <- Former 1RM PR

114 lb x 3 reps

114 lb x 3 reps

114 lb x 3 reps

114 lb x 3 reps

125 lb x 1 rep

125 lb x 1 rep

125 lb x 1 rep <- New 1RM PR

136 lb x 1 rep <- Fail

 

3' of Double Unders

 

5 sets of 3 Strict Ring Pullups

 

10/8/8 Pushups

[WhiteGhost]

41 minutes ago, DarK_RaideR said:

New 1RM PR

Nice! That's a pretty big jump

[DarK_RaideR]

Just now, WhiteGhost said:

Nice! That's a pretty big jump

Thanks. Haven't shoulderpressed in a while so I originally went for strength building, not testing my max. Then I realized I was (rather comfortably) doing sets with my 1RM so I decided to see how far up I could push it.

[DarK_RaideR]

Friday 23 March

18.5 Scaled

3-6-9-12-15-18-21 and so on until the 7' time cap of

Thrusters (64lb)

Jumping Pullups

Score: 97 reps, made it 7 reps into the round of 18

[DarK_RaideR]

Tuesday 27 March

Crossfit Games Open 16.5 (Rx)

For time, with no time cap:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Thrusters (95lb)

Burpees over bar

Score: 36'25"

2016 Score: 33'34"

[DarK_RaideR]

Wednesday 11 April

Back to the grind after a week of Easter holidays

3 rounds for reps

1' Push Press (74lb)

1' Lunges

1' Plank

1' KB Swings (16kg)

1' Rest

Score: 372 reps. Got to 150+ in the first round, dropped to 120+ in the second and barely crossed the 100 threshold in the last one

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

14 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

1' Lunges

That's 60 seconds of NOPE for me.

14 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

1' Plank

How does scoring work here? You get 1 point for planking the whole minute? Or is it one point per second?

[DarK_RaideR]

Point per second

[DarK_RaideR]

Tuesday 17 April

Back to the gym after quite a while for Weightlifting 101 class

 

Warmup + Burgener Warmup

 

Burgener Warmup complex, with weights: Snatch Grip behind the neck Push Press, Overhead Squat, Wide Stance Kipping Snatch Balance, Snatch Drop, Snatch Balance

33lb (unloaded women's bar)

44lb (unloaded men's bar)

74lb

94lb <- Previous performance/PR

105lb

114lb

125lb <- New PR by 35lb

144lb <- Fail

 

1RM Snatch

114lb

124lb

134lb <- Fail at my 1RM PR weight

[DarK_RaideR]

Tuesday 24 April

Otis (Hero WOD)

15' for rounds and reps

1 BW Back Squat, 1 50%BW Shoulder Press, 1 BW Deadlift

2 BW Back Squats, 2 50%BW Shoulder Presses, 2 BW Deadlifts

3 BW Back Squats, 3 50%BW Shoulder Presses, 3 BW Deadlifts

...and so forth

 

Score: 7 full rounds and 3 bonus squats at a BW of 85kg. In case you were wondering, bars for squats and OHPs were pre-set on racks. Given my numbers, I knew the OHPs would be the tough part since my 1RM is pretty much half of my current bodyweight anyway.

[Mr_Willes]

This sounds like SO.MUCH.FUN

 

Even though OHP usualy is my strong suit i think the fatigue in my arms would be the thing that would restrict my score.

[DarK_RaideR]

37 minutes ago, Mr_Willes said:

This sounds like SO.MUCH.FUN

 

Even though OHP usualy is my strong suit i think the fatigue in my arms would be the thing that would restrict my score.

Theoretically, if you keep a proper form on the other two, they should only push your legs and core, leaving your arms fresh for the OHP. I think the biggest challenge is pacing yourself and not having your heart rate skyrocket. It's also a great WOD to motivate you towards weight loss

[Mr_Willes]

1 hour ago, DarK_RaideR said:

I think the biggest challenge is pacing yourself and not having your heart rate skyrocket.

 

 

As this is beneficial to all the exercises!

 

1 hour ago, DarK_RaideR said:

It's also a great WOD to motivate you towards weight loss

 

Unfortunately, practically, the motivation of weight loss is outweighed by the NOMNOMness of crap food ...

[DarK_RaideR]

Thursday 26 April

Yoga class, some much needed stretching and flexibility work that had me sweating like a racehorse.

[DarK_RaideR]

Saturday 12 May

Weightlifting 101 class:

• Burgener warmup + Junkyard warmup
• Muscle Snatch (4 sets of 2-4 reps with ascending weights, made it to 70lb)
• Behind-the-neck press with a wide snatch grip while in a full squat (4 sets of 3-5 reps with ascending weight, made it to 70lb)
• 1RM in a complex of High Hang Snatch+Hang Snatch+Snatch. Made it to 114lb
• 1RM  in a complex of Hang Snatch+Snatch. Made it to 120lb
• 1RM Snatch. Made it to a good 127lb, the 130lb was done but too "pressy" and not that technical, so not counting it

[DarK_RaideR]

May 12 since the last workout. Wow, it's been a while...

 

As mentioned in my latest (Sept18) challenge in case you weren't around, I've been thinking about returning to Muay Thai. The school right next to my home is pretty awesome and I loved it two years ago when I spent a couple of months there, before work issues made it impossible to continue. Recently, a friend brought up thinking about wanting to enroll and I let his enthusiasm carry me away. I knew what it's like, just needed to sort out the financial part to make sure I could afford it long-term; he's just tired from years of kickboxing at schools filled with right-wing extremists, nazis, bouncers, riot cops etc so given the atmosphere of this school, it's a completely different thing. Openly antifascist, outspoken against racism and sexism, the "local white male" archetype that dominates most schools is less than half the students; place is full of women, thai migrants, near-eastern refugees, gupsies, you name it. Zero machismo, most of the times we use sign language to communicate and the amount of respect towards each other at that place is unreal.

 

=>

As a bonus, they got a pretty awesome logo and recently updated it to be even more awesome

 

Long story short, I've already completed my two trainings for this first week (2 hours each) and didn't die. I did throw up (in controlled fashion, not suddenly on the mat) during the first one, but recovered and kept on training. My body's in a better state than I expected and the shock was actually much less than two years ago when I immediately switched from Crossfit to Muay Thai. Or maybe I was just too arrogant back then, whereas now I knew what to expect. Anyway, enough Muay Thai talk for now.

 

Feel free to post Sagat gifs though

 

So this is actually the third Battle Log I've started, after the Warhammer and WoW Orc themed ones. It's been devoid of any theme, more of a Fitocracy-style thing where I'd log my trainings. Of course, that can't work since I made the switch from Crossfit to Muay Thai. Also, I've decided to take a break from doing challenges, the 4 week duration and schedule of dates just aren't working for me. Instead of starting another new Battle Log though, I'll just keep updating this one. Updates will be irregular, not daily BUT! I do have a set of goals I'd like to work towards.

1. Nutrition: I've never been great with tracking apps because I couldn't find one that has local products and dishes I usually consume. Somehow I did find one a while back though and it's helped me stay on track, even lose some weight at times, so I'm sticking with that. If nothing else, having to weigh food and keep a set caloric budget per day has kept me from eating massive amounts of food like I used to (as in, two full plates at lunch and dinner). I need to make sure I fuel my body for my workouts but don't go off track either, as pot-workout hunger is a pitfall I'm vulnerable to.
2. Workouts: When I first tried out Muay Thai two years ago, I had that Crossfit mentality of 3 workouts per week. It just couldn't work and you know what, CF WODs last an hour, MT ones last two. At 3 per week, I'd get 3h of CF or twice as much workout time in Muay Thai. Two trainings for 4h of MT a week is enough and still more than CF. That aside, most of my classmates are in their teens and twenties. I am not. Neither am I looking to take any official fights, I'm way past my prime for that before you even factor the bonus time I need to get up to competitive levels. Twice a week is fine and at a level that's still intense, but not getting carried away or comparing myself to others around me.
3. "Quid pro quo" for housekeeping: Forcing myself to do unpleasant but necessary things before I would allow myself to kick back and chill has been effective in the past, so I'm bringing it back for keeping the house in order. It's me, the girlfriend and a cat in a 50sq.m. flat with both of us being away most of the day. Now that Muay Thai is taking up more of my spare time, I need to pick up my game. No kicking back, fooling around on my phone or playing videogames if there's anything that can be done first to keep the house clean.
4. Bullet Journal (BuJo): I'm terrible with remembering and/or accomplishing minor every day things so keeping a "Bullet Journal" agenda has been massively helpful.
5. Mental training: This is a little game I'd like to play with myself, but I suspect it will help with nutritional, financial and work issues. Whether it's taking a moment to think before deciding or changing the way I post about it here, I want to reframe things as "I chose to...". Conscious choices instead of mindless action will hopefully increase my accountability and lead to better performance.

As a side note, I'm a well known pro-wrestling fan and have kept an on-and-off narrative based on Grey Dog Software's "Total Extreme Wrestling 2016" manager game. With my switch to Muay Thai and GDS' "World of Mixed Martial Arts 5" released this past January, think I'll do a spin-off for the Battle Log. Having fights with unpredictable outcomes is a welcome change, as is the freedom to post updates whenever instead of daily.

[DarK_RaideR]

"You are not a warrior. You're a beginner."

 

My dedication (or lack thereof) would indeed make Sagat laugh. Nutrition has been hit and miss, but then again, so are most weekends. At least I didn't go way off the tracks. Weighed in at 81,9kg on Monday and 82,3kg this morning, so I better get in line again. No workouts as of yet, but the DOMS are gone and I plan to return today for this week's first training. Quid pro quo has been working wonders on the housekeeping front, with the notable exception of Friday evening when I did some prep for Sunday's D&d session while the SRLF was asleep, instead of, say, iron the laundry. Bullet Journalling too has been on the sidelines, as is the case with weekends and days off, to the point where I forgot to bring my agenda to work today. As for the mental training part, let me break it down to each day...

 

Friday I left work and headed straight to the supermarket for post movie festival groceries as part of the QpQ housekeeping. I then got home around 21:00 to receive a call from the SRLF who was out downtown with her sister after work that they'd be having dinner out. I chose to stay home instead, saving money and getting more of the house in order, which was a good choice. Turned some leftover okra chicken into gumbo, which I haven't cooked for quite some time, before finally spending an hour or so playing Mordheim before the SRLF got back and we went to sleep.

 

Woke up early on Saturday morning for my scheduled haircut (choosing to grab my morning coffee from a small local shop instead of some big franchise) then drove the SRLF and her sister to the local McArthurGlen for shopping. I stuck to checking out only things I might need, as finances aside, wardrobe space is limited. Tried a few bordeaux chino pants but didn't grab any, settled instead for a second pair of sports trousers (I only own one decent pair) to use inside the home and perhaps as PJs. We then drove across town to a fancy south american restaurant the SRLF wanted to take her sister to and enjoyed lunch, before taking a rest break home and going out again at night to meet with the SRLF's best friend for a drink. I made the best nutritional choices I could given the circumstances, though I'm not sure if drinking beer instead of raki was better or worse.

 

Sunday I drove the girls to their home to for some housekeeping of their own, then met the gang for our Tal Dorei based campaign I'm running. In case those words don't ring any bells, it's Matt Mercer's custom world for the Critical Role series on YouTube. Can't say I was excited and part of it was my overall mood, part was us having over a month to play (and part of it was my poor prep, despite Friday's efforts). I also made a poor choice of rolling a cigarette or two from a player's tobacco pouch. Ending the session short due to prior arrangements, I picked up the SRLF and her sister to grab some dinner and visit a friend's house for a movie, Terrence Malik's "Tree of Life". Wasn't excited, but artsy movies are like that and that was the overall theme of the night's "movie marathon" with 1928's "Passion of Joan of Arc" and Tarkovsky's 1975 "Mirror" shown prior to our arrival.

 

Had taken the day off on Monday as had the SRLF, since it was the day we had originally planned to visit McArthurGlen. Drove her and her sister to the jewelry shop of a friend from our old Crossfit box, as they have some old scarab "living" stones they'd like to turn into custom rings. We then took the car to a scheduled appointment for a checkup and had lunch with the girls' mom, which means we also got to see the two baby black kittens, now officially named Yiannis and Thanasis, inspired by the "Antetokoun-bros"

 

Notice the second one in the background. Mad stealth skillz

[Heidi]

14 minutes ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Mad stealth skillz

Sooooooooon.

[DarK_RaideR]

In the aftermath of UFC 299 and Khabib-McGregor, it feels like the time is right to kick off the WMMA5 narrative...

 

The World of Mixed Martial Arts 5

The (in-game) date is January 2002. ALPHA-1: Japanese Mixed Martial Arts is still the global leader when it comes to MMA, though the rise of GAMMA (which stands for Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts) in America has given them a worthy rival. The two big companies are in a league of their own, with everyone else still more or less stuck on a regional level. British Cage Fighting (BCF) is the leader of the 'minor leagues' with German-based Signature Martial Arts (SIGMA) close behind. Women's Extreme Fighting Federation (WEFF) in Canada is the world's #5 promotion after the merger of three smaller all-female organizations, while two smaller promotions have risen to challenge, or at least fill the void left by, the two major promotions; Kadena De Mano Fighting Circuit (KDM FC) in Eastern Asia and Xtreme Cage Combat in California focus on the lower weight classes, putting together fast paced, technical and exciting shows. Worth a mention too is the defunct Fight League Brazil (FLB) established in late 1995 as an attempt to provide something better than local shows for South American talent, but closed in mid-2001 due to a combination of an unstable financial market and constant talent raids, in turn causing a mass exodus of fighters who moved elsewhere in hopes of signing with one of the other major promotions.

 

Based in Germany, SIGMA are mainland Europe's first major MMA company. Completely eliminating the showmanship that is a part of the major companies in Japan and America, SIGMA are the very definition of a no-frills organisation, a fact that really resonates with their fans. Many of Europe's leading fighters have made their name in SIGMA, but are usual stolen pretty swiftly thanks to constant talent raids from ALPHA-1, GAMMA and BCF. By default, SIGMA have 6 weight classes (Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight) and allow only male fighters, with 110 on their starting roster. Their fights take place within the confines of a cage and the standard format of their bouts is 3 rounds of 5 minutes each, with title bouts stretched to 5 rounds. Fights that go to a time limit are handled by three cageside judges.

Quote

As a European myself, SIGMA was the obvious pick. However, I made an important change by introducing a new Super Heavyweight and three Womens divisions (Featherweight, Bantamweight and Flyweight). This should add variety, help against talent raids (BCF lack a Super Heavyweight division and none of the 3 big opponents employ female fighters at all) and it's also a nod of respect to the outspoken anti-sexism direction of my Muay Thai school. As for presentation, I'm taking a two stage approach. Once a show card is finalized, it will be posted and run down by the promotion's announcing duo of Paul Falk and Robbie Hesthenal as a pre-show discussion. Then, the actual show will be a thing of its own, with the preliminary fights included but a short summary of each round instead of the full log of how the fight went down.

 

Falk: Hello everyone and welcome to our preview analysis of Signature Mixed Martial Arts' first show of this year, scheduled for the last Saturday of February. My name is Paul Falk and I'm joined by Robbie Hesthenal to break down the card for you.

Hesthenal: Hello Paul, hello fans of MMA, we've got ourselves a real handful to go through so I'll get straight to it. A stacked 10 match card for the main part of the show with 4 preliminary fights to warm up the fans, Italy's never hosted a SIGMA show to date but local fans will be compensated for it with a stacked card!

Spoiler

Falk: Headlining the show is finally the showdown between "The Gladiator" Niko Soldo and "The Hand Grenade" Valentin Taneyev! As if that wasn't enough on its own, as SIGMA Light Heavyweight champion, Soldo will be putting his title on the line in this match! Robbie, tell our new fans about the champion.

Hesenthal: A high level kick boxer, Croatia's ultra-powerful Niko Soldo has been the dominant Light Heavyweight in Europe for several years - with the exception of a short spell when Matti Kurri took the belt from him, he has been our champion at that weight class since SIGMA's very first show in October 1996. With the excellent striking you'd expect from a kick boxer, "The Gladiator" has also shown himself to be surprisingly adept at grappling and even has a few submission victories to his name. And let me throw in some numbers for all our metrics nerds out there, Soldo is 33 years old and currently the world's #2 ranked Light Heavyweight and #10 Pound-for-pound fighter, with 19 wins on his career record, just 2 losses and 1 draw, his SIGMA record standing at 8 wins and a single loss so far.

Falk: Quite impressive, but so is the man he's up against, one of the hottest prospects in MMA, the Russian Light Heavyweight Valentin "The Hand Grenade" Taneyev, who mixes elite-level grappling skills with explosive striking, particularly his deadly fast big right hand, and dangerous submissions. He has been a regular with SIGMA since 1997 and has torn through the Light Heavyweight division, leading to this inevitable showdown with Niko Soldo. His metrics, for the sake of comparison, are an undefeated record of 7-0 with SIGMA and 11-0 throughout his career, quite impressive for a 27 year old man who's already made it into The St. Petersburg Elite, a rugged, hard-working team of fighters based out of Russia. So Robbie what are your predictions for this fight? What are each fighter's strong and weak points?

Hesental: Really Paul, it could go either way, which is another reason it's so exciting. Both men are evenly matched in terms of size, weight and height so it might even come down to sheer luck. Soldo is known for his kicking game so I expect him to use that, whether he gets lucky with a big head kick or just chops down his opponent. His only weak spot, if there is one, is takedowns. Soldo can defend himself quite well against them and keep things standing, but he's not the best when it comes to being the aggressor and taking his rivals on the mat, so it's not very likely for him to start combat on the mat from an advantageous position. That's probably the best strategy for Taneyev, given his mastery of the Kimura too. Whether he can actually do that remains to be seen, because his inexperience might cost him the match, especially if Soldo can use the reach of his kicks to keep him at bay. The challenger has everything to prove and an undefeated record to maintain as well, so the pressure's on him, meaning betting odds have Soldo as a very slight favorite in the match.

Spoiler

Falk: There's more than the main event though and there's also another title fight happening right before it, with the Middleweight champion Oleg Tariverdiev from Russia taking on Spain's "Traveller", Fernando Amaro. Let's switch roles now, Robbie, you tell us a few things about the challenger in this one.

Hesental: At age 36, Madrid's Fernando Amaro is a veteran of Mixed Martial Arts and is almost ridiculously prolific, with 75 professional fights to his name and a pro record of 56 wins, 13 losses, 4 draws and 2 no contests, of which 5 wins and 2 losses happened while under contract with SIGMA. A solid professional, Amaro has built up a versatile skill set over the years and doesn't really have any weaknesses that can be exploited. Ranked #22 Middleweight in the world and #3 in SIGMA, Amaro is affiliated with Euro Team Thunder, a large, loosely-affiliated group of fighters from around Europe originally set up by SIGMA regulars, the Basora brothers in 1995.

Falk: The man he's up against, Oleg Tariverdiev, is a Jiu-Jitsu student from Russia. Extremely dangerous on the ground thanks to his submission skills, Tariverdiev also has competent boxing and grappling games at his disposal that led him to become Middleweight champion in 2001 when he beat the rugged Jaromir Grygera in a tough contest. A master of the Armbar, the 26 year old champion boasts a professional record of 10 wins and 2 losses, of which 5 and 1 respectively were done fighting for SIGMA. Robbie, break down this fight for us if you will.

Hesental: To me, Paul, it all comes down to whether this will be a standing contest of strikes or a grappling competition on the mat. Betting odds favor Amaro and that's because he's a more well-rounded competitor. Things will be easiest for him if he keeps the fight standing, but he also can handle himself is he's the one to take the champion to the mat first.

Spoiler

Falk: Right under that fight is a pretty interesting one in the Heavyweight division, with Greek veteran Stratos "Atlas" Papaioannou facing off against Poland's Stanislaw "Big Daddy" Lipnicki. The two 35 year old fighters have never faced each other before, yet Papaioannou is the clear favorite in this fight already.

Hesental: Indeed, Stratos Papaioannou is a tough competitor, and a good wrestler who has surprisingly impressive submission skills at his disposal. He has racked up an excellent win-loss record of 28 wins and 8 losses over the years, though his 4-3 SIGMA record shows most of his victories were over journeymen and weak opponents on the independent European circuit. It also shows he spent the better part of his career there before joining SIGMA, meaning by that time his age had already begun catching up with him.

Falk: It's worth noting that Papaioannou is a pretty small man for a Heavyweight and this will most likely come into play against the massive "Big Daddy" Stanislaw Lipnicki, who likes to use the combination of his smothering wrestling and physical bulk to control opponents on the ground or against the ropes, getting most of his victories via the judges' scorecards. That said, I hope Papaioannou avoids that and the fight is kept exciting.

Spoiler

Hesental: Moving down the card and down the smallest weight category for males, it's "Kid Britain" Manish Khan against "Bulldozer" Benedikt Streit in the Featherweight division. Paul?

Falk: These two are no strangers, they've fought back in April 1999 with Khan knocking Streit out. It's been nearly three years since then yet Khan is once again the favorite in this fight. #21 Featherweight in the world and #6 in SIGMA, Sheffield's boxer Manish Khan boasts fast hands and excellent head movement, his elusive counter-punching style quickly established him as a major force and took him all the way to a SIGMA Featherweight title shot. Unfortunately he lost that bout to Snorri Gunnarsson and the defeat seems to have sent his career into a tailspin, from which he seeks to recover here and improve his 11-4 pro record as well as his 4-4 one with SIGMA.

Hesental: This is the first matchup where the two fighters aren't equal in age and size, Paul, I think this is worth a mention. Khan stands 5'6" at 27 years old, whereas Streit is 4" taller and 6 years older. That's also thanks to Streit dropping in weight from his original Lightweight class after a disappointing start, which is reflected in his 19-8 career and 3-3 SIGMA records.

Falk: Clearly both men are looking for a win here that will get them back on track, but it's interesting to note that this match could play out in very different ways. As a boxer, Khan likes to keep things standing and lure his opponent in so he can retaliate with thunderous body shots, whereas Streit likes to start slow and feel out his rival before shooting in for a takedown that will allow him to maul them on the mat. Khan will either seek to end things quick with a knockout punch while Streit is still slow, or dodge him through the match in order to counterattack. Streit's best shot is to successfully take Khan to the mat and eliminate most of his offense.

Spoiler

Hesental: It's a similar story in the Welterweight division, where Viacheslav Chaliapin squares off against Christakis Boutzikos. Paul?

Falk: Not generally one of the most exciting fighters in the world, Russia's "Winter Soldier" Viacheslav Chaliapin takes the safety-first approach of utlising his smothering grappling at all times to shut down his opponent's offense and win fights via the judges. Both men stand at 5'9" with Chaliapin aged 28 against 29 year old Boutzikos, a tough customer from Greece. Able to box and grapple equally well Boutzikos has a versatile style of attack but the one criticism against him is that he's often content to simply lie on top of his opponent and ride his way to a decision.

Hesental: Looks like it'll be a slow grind through all three rounds, unless Boutzikos scores a lucky knockout punch before they get to the mat, which is why he's also the slight favorite. Metrics again, Chaliapin's career record stands at 10-5 and 4-3 with SIGMA, whereas Boutzikos is at 7-2 and 5-2 since joining SIGMA.

Spoiler

Falk: Lightweights Lukas Mueller and Rodolphe Gygax will be trading blows in the prior fight and Robbie, take us through this one.

Hesental: Germany's Lucas Mueller has been nicknamed "The Wrecking Ball" and that's because he's a hard-hitter who likes to take opponents to the ground and batter them with big fists and elbows. With heavy hands, he is always dangerous when striking too. At 30 years of age and standing at 5'10", the Hamburg native has a 9-4 career record and an even 3-3 with SIGMA. His opponent is Switzerland's main contribution to the world of MMA thus far, "G-Force" Rodolphe Gygax, a deadly puncher able to knock out just about anyone if he can connect properly. The rest of his game doesn't even come close to matching the level of his striking however, and so most of his fights revolve around him head-hunting for a big knockout punch while trying to not get taken down, which is probably how this one is going to play out too. Add his age of 35 and size disadvantage of 5'6" and you can understand why Mueller is the favorite in this one by a pretty large margin.

Spoiler

Falk: Right before that, what better way to showcase SIGMA's brand new Super Heavyweight division than with the return of the Finnish folkstyle legend "The Gut Buster" Veeti Kuqi. A huge hulk of a man, Kuqi has big canned hams for fists and if he can connect them to someone's face then he can do a lot of damage. A former Heavyweight, since 1998 he has been competing at Super Heavyweight while his son Roope Kuqi followed in his footsteps, eventually joining SIGMA in 2000. With a career record of 34-19, Kuqi's greatest danger in this fight is his 42 years of age and Robbie, I wouldn't be surprised if he retired after this bout.

Hesental: Odds for that are even greater given his opponent, Paul, Poland's Matas "The Beard" Fialkowska. At 24 years of age and with only 3 fights under his belt, Fialkowska is still a scary, scary opponent to face in the cage and would like nothing more than to beat the legendary Kuqi in his SIGMA debut. If Kuqi's weak spot is his physical condition, Fialkowska's is inexperience.

Falk: Also, Robbie, Fialkowska's background is Krav Maga, which is a big risk transitioning into MMA. While brutal, Krav Maga is at heart a self defense system; take away the knives, guns and low blows, you take away a huge chunk of it and it might not translate that well in a cage fight.

Hesental: True, but on the other hand, Krav Maga is all about being practical and unorthodox. That means Fialkowska could be extremely unpredictable, as he isn't following a set pattern of rules and styles like most martial arts teach.

Spoiler

Falk: Super Heavyweights are but one of the sides SIGMA is expanding though, the final three fights in the card will be showcasing the three brand new female categories and in the heaviest of three, Vasya Kaczmarek faces Regina de Avila in their debut. Coming from a Sambo background, the Russian Featherweight Vasya Kaczmarek is at her best when she can grab hold of her opponent and use grappling to control them or apply her trademark Rear Naked Choke. Standing at 5'9", this is usually an easy case for the big 26 year old who already boasts an undefeated 6-0 record on the local scene. Portugal's 18 year old "Spectre" Regina de Avila is only 3" shorter and more inexperienced at a 2-0 record, yet she comes into this fight as the favorite thanks to her great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu submission skill and her nearly impossible to stop sweeps. The triangle choke is he greatest weapon and already she's proven she can rise to the occasion when faced with extreme pressure, just like the one she's bound to get fighting Kaczmarek.

Spoiler

Hesental: I'm looking forward to that fight, Paul, as I'm looking forward to the Bantamweight one before it, in which Norway's Henrietta "Hell Cat" Stein takes on Estonia's "Tigress" Tiiu Kass.

Falk: 33 years old, 5'10" and carrying an 8-2 record, Henrietta Stein is a kick boxer who has been a regular on the European circuit since 1995. Her weak ground game is an obvious flaw that opponents will aim to exploit, but anybody who decides to stand and trade with her will have to be wary. Lucky for her, Kass is a boxer so we're looking at a stand-up trade of blows. The 29 year old Estonian is just 3" shorter, but combines speed with power in an explosive package.

Hesental: It'll be a good test for both of them and the betting lines have no favorite in that matchup.

Spoiler

Falk: Opening the show in the lightest female category of Flyweight, 25 year old Indian Daljit Samir will pit her Karate skills and perfect 10-0 record against Croatia's Tatjana Vinick. Samir is noted for her highly technical approach to striking and elusiveness, her stick and move tactics make her a frustrating opponent to face. If Sambo-trained Vinick can drop her to the mat so she can work her over with some ground and pound, she has a good chance of winning the fight but that's easier said than done.

Spoiler

Hesental: Right, now moving on to the preliminary part of the card, topping that part of the show is a bout between Heavyweights Alexandre Montador and Zhenya Golob

Falk: Straight out of Grenoble, Frenchman Alexandre Montador is a physically powerful wrestler who specialises in using 'wall and stall' tactics to wear down opponents and dominate his way to decision victories. It's a very risk-adverse style, but a hard one to counter effectively, which accounts for his 4-1 career record and 1-1 with SIGMA. Golob is as big and as old as him at 20 years and 6'2" with a 4-0 record until he joined SIGMA to suffer his first loss at the hands of Josef Jankowski. A heavy-handed Bulgarian, Zhenya Golob doesn't look particularly intimidating, especially not in the land of the killers that is the Heavyweight weight class, but his power, grappling ability, and sheer heart mean he's a big challenge for anyone to overcome.

Hesental: Let's hope Golob can stay mobile and provide us with an exciting fight. Should things end up on the mat, look out for his deadly North-South Choke.

Spoiler

Falk: Next up, Manchester's Osi Lewis enters the cage as favorite to defeat Croatia's Branko Alilovic. 20 year old Lewis is a dynamic kick boxer who is known for his great movement and lightning fast strikes. Brought in after an impressive 5-0 record in the British local shows, Lewis suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Norway's Thai Kickboxer Tore Herlovsen. Alilovic has had a similar trajectory after dropping his two first fights with SIGMA, but the 26 year old fighter from Split is always happy to stand and bang it out.

Hesental: Feels like a standing trade of blows is at hand and I bet both men have a strong chin to take the hits, so it might go to the judges after all.

Spoiler

Falk: Right under that on the card is certainly the night's most evenly split matchup, Danish Mixed Martial Artist Thorvald Axelsson fights Londoner Nod Palli. Both men are age 20, standing at around 5'8" and come from a boxing background but where Palli added kicks to his repertoire, Axelsson worked on his submission game, so we may be seeing a surprise change of pace here.

Hesental: Palli likes to use scything kicks to destroy his opponents' legs, Paul, but I think this fight comes down to who will dictate the pace. Both men are known to crumble once things don't go their way so it's up to whoever takes the initiative to be aggressive.

Spoiler

Falk: Well said, Robbie. Last match of the card and the one to open the show for fans in attendance, Polish brawler Jan "Thunderbolt" Ilic goes up against "The Serbian Psycho" Milovan Ajetovic. You take this one, Robbie.

Hesental: 24 year old Polish Featherweight Jan Ilic got the nickname "Thunderbolt" thanks to his devastating right hand which contains enormous power. He tends to use Sprawl And Brawl tactics and is always on the look out for an opportunity to throw his main weapon. Serbia's Milovan Ajetovic on the other hand is a Muay Thai fighter with vicious kicks and nasty knees from the clinch and isn't shy about using either to inflict major damage. It's down to who will score the big blow here, I'm betting this will end via knockout.

Falk: So there you have it, folks, a detailed analysis of all the fights booked for SIGMA's first 2002 show on the final Saturday of February. Join us then for all the action!

[Xena]

Sounds all good! Nice streamlined set of goals. And thanks for mentioning the gumbo...it's been a long time since I've made any. Good solid idea for next week :-)

[Jarric]

Nice goals man, I'm already plotting to steal at least one for my next challenge.

 

Also, those kittens you rescued are freaking adorable. That was a really good thing to do.

[DarK_RaideR]

11 hours ago, Xena said:

thanks for mentioning the gumbo...it's been a long time since I've made any. Good solid idea for next week :-)

Gumbo is always a good idea. If you have the time for it, that is, though I did whip it up pretty fast to be honest. It's great for combining all sorts of leftover food, super tasty and can feed an army, especially if combined with some type of starchy carb like rice or couscous.

 

2 hours ago, Jarric said:

Nice goals man, I'm already plotting to steal at least one for my next challenge.

Glad as always to have you around, mate. Steal away.

 

P.S. That quote of Don't say "I don't have enough time", say instead "that's not a priority right now" and see how that makes you feel on your signature is pretty much the same as my mental re-framing one, now that I see it

 

Also, shout-out to the usual suspects @Tanktimus the Encourager, @EricMN and @WhiteGhost. Don't think I failed to notice you gang liking the MMA narrative post

 

 

Plot twist: It's an Adon gif this time!

 

Nutrition has been a blast, I wrapped up Tuesday with an intake below the target goal, before even factoring in bonus calories from physical activity. That was largely due to me being wary with my food in order to avoid another stomach incident during training, so I only packed 150gr of pasta with chicken that I ate before 12:00. I also suspect coffee is to blame, so I was mindful not to drink any during the 3+ hours before training. Between that and repeated visits to the bathroom due to repeated punches to the (armored) belly during training, I weighed in at 81,2kg this morning, a full 1,1kg lower than the day prior.

 

First Muay Thai training of the week is in the books and it's strength week this time. Not that we skipped the usual warmup and conditioning work, try jumping (heavy) rope to the beat of Darude's "Sandstorm" and you'll know what I'm talking about. We then put on gloves for work on the heavy punchbags with 5 minute rounds of full power, first just punches and gradually adding kicks, knees and elbows with each round. That was when we were on the bags, because we'd been split into pairs and while one person was on the bag, the other was improvising strength work. I did a lot of classic and paralette pushups to work on my weakness, some planks and sit ups for "rest" and anything I know that involves a kettlebell and isn't a swing (deadlifts, lunges, snatches, clean&presses etc). The final part was "proper" ab work, meaning we paired up and while a person was standing with waist protection on, the other was hitting full-on punches. Taking the shots was the easier part, even if I flirted with regurgitation again, because I totally suck at throwing punches. More than once I hurt my wrists; before going to bed, I noticed my knuckles were red and this morning my wrists hurt. On the bright side, coach is bringing in new gear. I have the mandatory mouth guard and wraps, but now gloves have been added to the minimum gear, so I skipped dreams of thai shorts, t-shirts with the camp's logo on etc for the sake of necessity. Since I had the money to spare and there was a pair of black gloves on standby anyway, I paid up and grabbed them, meaning I'm all set to return on Thursday.

 

ETA: Forgot to mention, I need to improve the distancing of my strikes. That means fully stretch out my arm or leg during a punch or kick, respectively. Not only do I prevent the limb from transferring the full force to the strike, I also end up exposing myself to counterstrikes. If my striking limb isn't fully extended at the time of impact, I end up punching at elbow distance and kicking at punch/knee distance, if it makes sense.

 

Housekeeping has been limited due to little time at home, but while there, I'm helping out instead of wasting time. Forgot to bring the agenda to work on Tuesday, but still updated it before going to bed at night. The reason for all that is a surprise job offer I got that kept me busy: on Monday, a friend of mine called in, the one that recently quit his job, also the one who lured me back into Muay Thai and a fellow DM/player (sheesh I gotta find a code name for the guy. His usual handles are either Beleg or Anomander Rake, let me know which one's easier for you peeps). Anyway, he called me and said a colleague had a court case for Wednesday, one that's been settled out of court but since the "victim" can't take back the charge and the court is obliged to look into the matter. Dude wanted to show up on his own and explain things to the judges, but he also wanted a lawyer on standby to feel safe. His original one couldn't attend, she asked my friend and he suggested me. Long story short, we ran out of time before the court could look into our case, meaning it got postponed for February. I got paid for looking into the case papers, preparing for everything just in case, showing up there early this morning (it's near my old Crossfit box in Pireaus, so about 45' ride on my motorcycle) advising the guy what to say if they'd get on his case and waiting for 6 hours. Easy money, one would say, but knowing what's behind it (and how little I got paid for it) you'd think twice. At least I had my laptop with me and got to do some work on the MMA narrative to pass the time. Plus, it's a job and a paying one. My friend's shown trust in passing me a case and it looks like both the client and his original lawyer are looking to me for the February date as well.

[DarK_RaideR]

Falk: Ladies and gentlemen, fans of MMA in Europe and across the world, welcome to SIGMA's first show of the year, headlined tonight by the much anticipated face-off between "The Gladiator" Niko Soldo and "The Hand Grenade" Valentin Taneyev! My name is Paul Falk and I'm here with my usual partner in Robbie Hesenthal to call the action throughout the show.

 

Hesenthal: Thank you Paul, hello from me as well everyone, it's a beautiful afternoon here in Italy and we have a packed show for you to enjoy.

 

Falk: The preliminary fights are over and they've already raised our excitement and anticipation for the main part of the show. In the first of those, Milovan Ajetovic literally kicked things off in spectacular fashion but ultimately lost to Jan Ilic in the Featherweight division.

 

Hesenthal: That's right Paul, after the opening salvo of punches, Ajetovic rocked his opponent with a roundhouse kick to the head that opened him up for the Muay Thai clinch. "The Serbian Psychopath" has a record for being a dangerous man in the clinch and Ilic felt it, first with a crunching knee to the sternum, then another to the ribs, but he stayed in the fight, somehow even blocking the third knee and forcing Ajetovic to let go and change his strategy. That may have been a mistake though, as after dodging a right hook from his opponent, Ilic brought his own big weapon into the match and knocked him down with a wicked right uppercut, then showed his killer instinct by raining down blows that forced the TKO just 3:58 into the first round.

 

Falk: A minor change to preliminary fight number two, with Germany's Eberhard Dahm replacing Nod Palli who ruptured his spleen preparing for this match against Thorvald Axelsson.

 

Hesenthal: Dahm comes from a boxing background and he brought punches in bunches, blitzkrieg-ing his way through all three rounds with four and five punch combos, as well as a brutal straight right hand that gave Axelsson a cut above his eye in the first round and re-opened it in the second.

 

Falk: All Axelsson could do was try to grapple but Dahm kept the distance, only falling into a clinch in the last 10 seconds of the final round, taking the win via unanimous decision.

 

Hesenthal: Apparently Dahm lacked the stopping power to end the match sooner, but even via the judges, a win is still a win.

 

Falk: He didn't seem to mind much, Robbie, as he even called out Johan Kavli when interviewed after the match, saying -and I quote- he will "kick his ass".

 

Hesenthal: It will be interesting to see if and when how that match happens.

 

Falk: Next fight was a similar story, with Osi Lewis taking the win by judge decision over Branko Alilovic after three rounds of strikes. Again, it was a one-sided deal for Lewis, who showed versatility meshing kicks and punches, but he just couldn't end it there and then.

 

Hesenthal: It was so similar, Paul, it even had a cut on Alilovic and the same cut re-opened a round later, as well as a grapple in the last half minute or so of the fight, with neither man managing to take their opponent to the ground.

 

Falk: Osi Lewis doesn't seem to share our viewpoint though, he called out Mogens Leerback in his post-fight interview, promising, nay, guaranteeing to defeat him in under five minutes.

 

Hesenthal: He wasn't the only one though, Alexandre Montador made similar statements after an unimpressive victory over Zhenya Golob in the final preliminary fight.

 

Falk: Indeed, he may not have managed to take down a much heavier Golob but he did smother him against the cage long enough to take the win on the judges' scorecards and the next man he said he'll defeat is Bastian Neske.

 

Hesenthal: Now let's sink our teeth into the main part of the show, opening with SIGMA's brand new female signings!

 

Spoiler

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Women's Flyweight division fight

Daljit Samir (India) vs Tatjana Vinick (Croatia)

R1: The two fighters trade blows and Vinick's first attempt at a grapple only opens her up for a roundhouse kick from Samir. Pressing her advantage, Samir eventually connects with another roundhouse and the two trade punches until Vinick successfully shoots for a takedown, forcing Samir to pull guard. From there it's a standstill to the end of the roung, as Vinick can't land any really damaging blows and Samir isn't able to sweep her.
R2: Another exchange of blows and a missed leg kick leads Samir to switch to a Southpaw stance. This lets her score a kick, but also allows Vinick to complete a single leg takedown. Between blows and a scramble for position, Samir reverses on the mat but Vinick not only deals with the blows, she even attempts to lock up her opponent with double underhooks before she's caught by the bell that ends round two.
R3: Pressed for a finish, Vinick looks for a takedown but Samir keeps her at bay with strikes. Sporting a nasty cut above her eye now, Vinick finally shoots and completes the takedown, but with only 4 seconds left, there is nothing she can do with it.
Official Result: Daljit Samir defeats Tatjana Vinick (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3).
Post match interview: Daljit Samir thanks all of her sponsors for backing her and then also thanks her family, friends and supporters. She is then asked who she'd like to face next and she responds by calling out Trish Biel, saying she will kick her ass.

 

Falk: A tremendous fight, exciting and very close but at the end it's Samir who maintains her undefeated streak in both women's SIGMA debut while Vinick tastes defeat for the very first time. They now stand at 11-0 for Samir and 7-1 for Vinick.

 

Hesenthal: Samir did what she had to do, her hit and run tactics prevented Vinick from her usual ground and pound game. A tactical win for the New Delhi fighter, well played.

 

Falk: Samir ripped into Vinick on social media prior to this match, predicting a 'devastating' performance and victory when they go head to head, to which Vinick responded. That would explain why Samir was pacing like a caged animal during introductions and it certainily explains her attitude in the post-match interview.

 

Hesenthal: Can't say her performance was 'devastating' though, it was a pretty even match that went all the way to the judges.

 

Spoiler

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Women's Bantamweight division fight

Henrietta "Hell Cat" Stein (Norway) vs Tiiu "Tigress" Kass (Estonia)

R1: The two fighters trade punches until Stein goes for a kick that misses, exposing her to a big right hook from Kass. The following exchanges until the end of the first round end in similar fashion, with Kass slipping between Stein's defenses at first, then retaliating after Stein swings wide and ultimately opening her up with feints. Stein is not able to compete with Kass in a striking battle, she is getting badly out-struck and suffers a cut above her eyebrow because of it.
R2: More of the same, though Kass is slowing just a little as she starts to get into the gas tank a bit. By the middle of the round though, Stein scores with a left hook and Kass returns the favor with a missed left jab that's followed by a powerful right hook, good enough to knock Stein down! Kass quickly pounces, looking to rain down punches and Stein is eating powerful shot after powerful shot until Referee Leandre André pulls Kass away, stopping the fight!
Official Result: Tiiu 'Tigress' Kass defeats Henrietta 'Hell Cat' Stein (TKO (Strikes) in 2:45 of round 2).
Post-match interview: Tiiu Kass thanks her sponsors and all of her fans. She says she is very happy to have won on her SIGMA debut and that she's very happy here.

 

Falk: Two world ranked Bantamweights in this match and Kass gets the win, despite coming in as the slight underdog, both in odds and two slots lower in the global rankings. That makes her record a perfect 11-0, keeping her undefeated streak alive.

 

Hesenthal: Stein's Achilles heel is her ground game but Kass didn't even try to take her down.

 

Spoiler

 

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Women's Featherweight division fight

Vasya Kaczmarek (Russia) vs "The Spectre" Regina de Avila (Portugal)

R1: Kaczmarek steps in, willing to take a few hits in order to grapple and pushes de Avila back first into the cage. Between smothering and some close strikes, de Avila only manages to escape with a minute and a half left in the round. The two clinch and de Avila refuses to be pushed back again, instead returning the favor to Kaczmarek who blocks it by grabbing the cage, earning herself a verbal warning from the referee, before de Avila contains her for the remainder of the round.
R2: Again, Kaczmarek recklessly closes in for the grapple. De Avila defends, but can't sweep her opponent to the mat either and Kaczmarek finally gets her way, smothering her opponent against the cage for the rest of the round.
R3: A repeat of the first round, Kaczmarek traps de Avila against the cage until a minute and a half before the end of the round. De Avila wrestles her way out of trouble and circles back to the center, but Kacmarek is again able to muscle her back into the cage and keep her there until the end.
Official Result: Vasya Kaczmarek defeats 'The Spectre' Regina de Avila (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3).
Post-match interview: Vasya Kaczmarek name-checks all her sponsors, then thanks all of her fans to turned up to support her. Visibly delighted, Vasya Kaczmarek celebrates starting her SIGMA career with a win.

 

Falk: Not the most exciting of matches, but you can't argue with the effectivenes of Kaczmarek's wall and stall approach.

 

Hesenthal: They now stand at 7-0 and 2-1 respectively, I think Kaczmarek's experience saw her through this one.

 

Falk: A valid point, Robbie. Hesenthal looked lost there, her opponent dictated the pace in such dominant fashion, she never even attempted a takedown. Given her Brazilian Jiu Jitsu foundation, that takes away most of her offense.

 

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Super Heavyweight division fight

Veeti "The Gut Buster" Kuqi (Finland) vs Matas "The Beard" Fialkowska (Poland)

R1: Fialkowska confidently steps up, initiating the opening trade of blows and coming up with a minor win out of it when he feints to leave Kuqi off balance, landing two jabs and a low kick to the front leg of the veteran. In the reset, Kuqi misses a right cross that leaves him wide open to the counter. Fialkowska comes in with a jab and a quick kick, a good example of how Fialkowska can use his huge reach advantage to win striking battles. The two fighters meet again in the center and Fialkowska slips past a right hook to counter with a jab and a massive right hook to the jaw that knocks Kuqi down! Pouncing on top to end the fight, Fialkowska pounds away with right hands and Kuqi is having trouble doing anything about it until the referee pulls Fialkowska away, stopping the fight!
Official Result: Matas 'The Beard' Fialkowska defeats Veeti 'The Gut Buster' Kuqi (TKO (Strikes) in 2:36 of round 1).
Post-match interview: Matas Fialkowska thanks his sponsors and all of his fans. He says that he is very happy to have won on his SIGMA debut and that he's very happy here.

 

Falk: No surprises there, Fialkowska was the favorite by a large margin and he made the most of his terrifying power an 6" reach advantage to its fullest. A quick, dominant win over the legendary Kuqi, what better way to kick off his career with SIGMA.

 

Hesenthal: The writing's on the wall for Fialkowska to have a great career in MMA, the question is can he rise up to par with the competition in time.

 

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Lightweight division fight
"The Wrecking Ball" Lucas Mueller (Germany) vs "G-Force" Rodolphe Gygax (Switzerland)

R1: Gygax aggressively closes the distance, striking Muller with a straight right before he can initiate a grapple. The shot rocks Mueller, sending him to cover up with his back against the cage. Gygax lands a big right hook and referee Lauri Hämäläinen finally pulls him away, stoppping the fight as Mueller is left slumped against the cage, dazed and wobbling.
Official Result: 'G-Force' Rodolphe Gygax defeats 'The Wrecking Ball' Lucas Mueller (TKO (Strikes) in 0:26 of round 1).
Post-match interview: Rodolphe Gygax name-checks all of his sponsors, then thanks all of his fans who turned out to support him.

 

Falk: Gygax takes the match in quick fashion, storming in with a few knockout punches, what a performance against the big favorite Mueller!

 

Hesenthal: Think the ref was a little late to call it there, Paul, it could have ended after the first strike. Mueller took some unnecessary damage.

 

Falk: Bit of fair criticism there and look at how happy Gygax is! Mueller had a 6 inch reach advantage but couldn't make use of it, a big underdog win for "G-Force"!

 

Spoiler

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Welterweight division fight
Viacheslav "The Winter Soldier" Chaliapin (Russia) vs Christakis Boutzikos (Greece)

R1: Chaliapin initiates a grappple and after some struggle, backs Boutzikos against the cage and trips him with a double leg takedown. From there, Chaliapin controls him, taking his weak strikes of frustration, only trying unsuccessfully for a guillotine choke a minute before the end of the round.
R2: Boutzikos returns strong, keeping his opponent at bay with punches before he shoots for the takedown. A great sprawl from Chaliapin though turns it into a reversal, forcing Boutzikos onto his hands and knees. Chaliapin makes his opponent pay for his mistake, pounding away until the referee stops the match.
Official Result: Viacheslav 'The Winter Soldier' Chaliapin defeats Christakis Boutzikos (TKO (Strikes) in 1:40 of round 2).
Post-match interview: Viacheslav Chaliapin gives a name-check to everyone at St. Petersburg Elite, all his various sponsors, then all of his friends, family and supporters. He praises Boutzikos for a tough fight.

 

Falk: A great show of respect from Chaliapin there, towards his team and his opponent. Boutzikos made the wrong call trying to take things to the mat and paid for it.

 

Hesenthal: Boutzikos made a tactical mistake, Chaliapin was picture perfect in making the best of it.

 

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Featherweight division fight

"Kid Britain" Manish Khan (UK) vs "Bulldozer" Benedikt Streit (Germany)

R1: Khan is the punching aggressor for the first minute and half. Streit only retaliates with weak flicked jabs, until he he shoots for a takedown. Kahn defends it, preventing the fall but hopping back first against the cage as the two trade short range blows until the end of the round.
R2: Again, Khan brings the punches, causing a cut above Streit's eyebrow, until Streit drives him against the cage once more for a smother and some dirty boxing until the end of the round.
R3: Khan starts off with punches again, but this time Streit manages to drive him to the ground pulling guard. Trying to pass from there to side control, Streit allows Khan to escape and get back on his feet. Once again, the rest of the round sees Streit smothering Khan against the cage until the final bell.
The judges have given their scores, which are about to be announced.
Guillaume Vidal: 29-28 Khan.
Quintrell Dubois has scored it 30-27 Streit.
Matteus Bengtsson has scored it 29-28 Khan.
Official Result: 'Kid Britain' Manish Khan defeats 'Bulldozer' Benedikt Streit (Split Decision in 5:00 of round 3). The fight was rated as being Average.
Post-match interview: Giving thanks, Manish Khan praises his team at Bulldog Gym, his various sponsors and the fans who came out to support him. He says that he isn't happy about the result and that he felt that it should have been a clear unanimous decision victory.

 

Falk: Khan was hoping for another clean win, but Streit took him to the judges and even then, it was a split decision. I'm not sure Khan has a right to complain, he was contained and held in place for all three rounds by Streit.

 

Hesenthal: I was hoping for a more exciting fight and so were the fans in attendance, their disapproval is audible.

 

Falk: Still, Khan gets his first victory since late 1998, finally breaking his losing streak.

 

Spoiler

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Heavyweight division fight

Stratos "Atlas" Papaioannou (Greece) vs Stanislaw "Big Daddy" Lipnicki (Poland)

R1: Lipnicki is wary of his opponent's striking and keeps his distance. Papaioannou proves him right, keeping Lipnicki at bay with strikes and preventing any takedown attempts for the entire round. Things get worse for Lipnicki mid-round, when a crunching right hook lands on his nose, breaking it. By the end of the round, his eye is so swolllen it is completely shut.
R2: Papaioannou maintains the aggression with punches, until Lipnicki manages a desperate takedown. Papaioannou allows him to pass guard, but it's just a ploy to allow him to try and scramble back on his feet. With Lipnicki turtled up, Papaioannou attempt a D'Arce choke, then an armbar but somehow Lipnicki pops free, spending the rest of the round bullied around by Papaioannou.
R3: Papaioannou looks exhausted, but he still opens the round with a combo that knocks Lipnicki down. The attempt at a TKO is unsuccessful and so are Papaioannou's following submission attempts as he looks to end the match. First a failed arm triangle, then a failed armbar and a failed americana, Papaioannou changes tactics and manages to take Lipnicki's back, sinking in underhooks for the rear naked choke that finally earns him a tap out!
Official Result: Stratos 'Atlas' Papaioannou defeats Stanislaw 'Big Daddy' Lipnicki (Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:29 of round 3).
Post-match interview: Stratos Papaioannou thanks everyone connected to Euro Team Thunder for helping him prepare for this fight, then his sponsors for supporting him financially. He praises Lipnicki for a tough fight.

 

Falk: Praise well earned for Lipnicki there, he fought nearly all three rounds with a broken nose and a swollen eye against an opponent that was nearly 40lbs heavier than him!

 

Hesenthal: Very well rounded game for Papaioannou, first with strikes and then on the ground. That's his experience coming into play.

 

Falk: He certainly stuck to a great strategy, wearing down Lipnicki with strikes before grounding him with the odds already in his favor. Still, Lipnicki fought real hard and stayed in the fight, he made Papaioannou work really hard for that win.

 

Hesenthal: And it's surprising how Papaioannou showed up as the heavier man here, theoretically Lipnicki was the one expected to come into this fight with a weight advantage.

 

Falk: Just goes to show Papaioannou's strategy and weight cutting skills. If you saw him here tonight for the first time, you'd never guess he hasn't won a fight since August 1998!

 

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Middleweight division fight

Oleg Tariverdiev (Russia) vs Fernando "The Traveller" Amaro (Spain)
for the SIGMA Middleweight title

R1: The two fighters trade blows to a standoff. Amaro's defenses give him a minor advantage, but it should only affect the judges' scorecards.
R2: Another striking standoff, though most of the punches are counters after someone swings wide. Amaro shows the first signs of running out of gas.
R3: Tariverdiev too looks like he's getting tired and Amaro takes advantage, first cutting him above the eye and then scoring a powerful straight right that knocks his opponent down. Amaro knows that this is a golden opportunity and quickly pounces on Tariverdiev, looking to finish him off by raining down punches! Amaro pounds away on Tariverdiev, who is getting destroyed by repeated heavy shots to the head! Referee Sander Nemec is forced to jump in and stop the fight!
Official Result: Fernando 'The Traveller' Amaro defeats Oleg Tariverdiev (TKO (Strikes) in 2:09 of round 3) and wins the SIGMA Middleweight title.
Post-match interview: Fernando Amaro gives a name-check to everyone at Euro Team Thunder, all his various sponsors, then all of his friends, family and supporters. He is then asked who he'd like to face next, and answers that Jaromir Grygera would be someone he'd like to compete against.

 

 

Falk: Amaro wins the title! He kept the fight standing and eliminated Tariverdiev's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu arsenal, a great approach that brought him victory!

 

Hesenthal: He's already named his first challenger too.

 

Falk: It'll be interesting to hear Grygera's response, but for now we still have one fight left and it's our main event!

 

Hesenthal: Few facts and numbers regarding this one, Soldo is making his third defence of the SIGMA Lightweight title and this may be his greatest challenge yet!

 

Falk: The numbers do favor the champion, Robbie, he's finished 4 out of his 5 last opponents, he'll enjoy a 6 inch advantage and this is his tenth time main eventing a show for SIGMA. Pressure's all on the challenger to prove himself against the world's #2 ranked Light Heavyweight.

 

Hesenthal: Taneyev is #19 but that might change if he wins tonight and Paul, Taneyev's been pretty confident as during a recent interview, he dismissed Soldo as any sort of challenge, predicting a dominant victory.

 

Falk: We have yet to get a response from the defending champion, but what we do know is he's signed to join British Cage Fighting after this fight. Taneyev was also offered a contract to which he hasn't answered yet, meaning these two may meet again in BCF, but their first time ever fighting each other is tonight and it's next!

 

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Light Heavyweight division fight

"The Gladiator" Niko Soldo (Croatia) vs "The Hand Grenade" Valentin Taneyev (Russia)
for the SIGMA Light Heavyweight title

R1: Soldo opens with a spinning back kick that misses, throwing him off balance and allowing Taneyev to react with one of his own. The rest of the round is an extremely close exchange of punches and kicks from both fighters.
R2: The first minute and half is another exchange of strikes, until Taneyev shoots for a takedown that Soldo defends against to stay standing. He presses Taneyev with constant movement as the two trade blows until the end of the round, but this tactic is starting to cost Soldo in terms of stamina.
R3: Taneyev is starting to look tired as well and thus misses a kick to the head when he goes for one. The two men trade strikes until the end of the round and Soldo looks like he's starting to feel the damage to his legs, as he's limping slightly. So far Taneyev looks to be ahead on points, meaning Soldo needs a finish if he wants to win this.
R4: Taneyev focuses his offense on Soldo's hurt legs with scything kicks. Between that and his own kicks, Soldo ends up limping around, his leg virtually useless after all the damage it's taken. Seeing his opponent tired and hurt, Taneyev closes in for the clinch and sweep takedown, but his elbows do little damage and he ends up smothering Soldo while he tries to think of a strategy. A pass attempt is allowed by Soldo, who played possum in order to scramble, yet Taneyev comes out on top again with Soldo pulling guard, throwing well-defended against elbow strikes until the end of the round.
R5: Exhausted, the two fighters trade a few blows and then fall into a sloppy clinch. Taneyev wrestles Soldo to the ground and tries for the mount, but a scramble sees them end up in the north-south position. Soldo defends against an arm triangle, but an unsuccessful sweep attempt ends up giving his back to Taneyev. Pounding away, Taneyev can't get a TKO, nor can he lock in the rear naked choke and time finally runs out, taking the match to the judges.
The official scores are being reported now.
Matteus Bengtsson scores the contest as 48-47 to Soldo.
Quintrell Dubois gives a score of 49-46 in favour of Taneyev.
Miguel Leopoldo has scored it 50-45 Taneyev.
Official Result: 'The Hand Grenade' Valentin Taneyev defeats 'The Gladiator' Niko Soldo (Split Decision in 5:00 of round 5). Valentin Taneyev wins the SIGMA Light Heavyweight title.
Post-match interview: Valentin Taneyev thanks everyone connected to St. Petersburg Elite for helping him prepare for this fight, then his sponsors for supporting him financially. Holding the SIGMA Lightweight title aloft, he celebrates being the new champion.

 

[Xena]

Glad you got some work. And I imagine that doing good work, even on a not very profitable case, could lead to good referrals.

Wow, muay thai is intense! It sounds like you have to kind of beat up your body to get into condition for it. Be careful!

[WhiteGhost]

12 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Also, shout-out to the usual suspects @Tanktimus the Encourager, @EricMN and @WhiteGhost. Don't think I failed to notice you gang liking the MMA narrative post

You know it  

 

It is going to take a bit of watching to figure out who I want to support, but I am enjoying everything so far.