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April 25, 2014

C.E.S. XXIII Teaser: Who made the cut?


So as the title to this post suggests we have a few names missing from tonight's roster.  I wasn't at the weigh-in's and my media pack form Mr. Michael Parente wasn't so detailed as to include any explanations for the missing bouts but we hope that it was all for good reasons and that no one was ill or seriously injured. However, there are still nine bouts that are sure to thrill.  In my humble opinion as a media person, a fighter, and a fan any card with nine or ten bouts is a perfect night of fights.  The first match is scheduled to enter the cage at 7pm so finish up your work week, head home, get your Axe Cologne, slick back your hair, and go pick up your entourage because the fights and the ladies aren't going to wait around for you all night.
Photo courtesy of www.CityWeekly.net

CES MMA XXIII

Tundee Odumuso Vs Robert "Bobby" Flynn
Catch Weight

Quitt Vs Odumuso at C.E.S. MMA: XXI 
Flynn Vs Bakonowski  at Cage TItans: Victorious 









Tundee is returning to the cage for his fifth pro match with a record of 2-2.  Two losses via submission and two wins awarded from the judges.  He's coming into the fight with a good deal of weight as the weigh-in's indicate that he was nearly ten full pounds heavier than Bobby as of yesterday afternoon.  No doubt both men have gone back to eating and drinking a bit closer to normal portions and that will most likely close that gap a bit.  I'd like to think that this was prearranged and that neither man missed the mark so badly that they had to give up a portion of their purse tonight.  Bobby is also coming to the cage for the fifth time as a pro.  His one loss came to him back in 2012 at the hands of Jay Bakonowski in the form of an Arm Triangle.  He's a finisher though through and through.  If he sees an opening he's going to exploit it.  I see this fight going to the into the second round and ending with a Flynn finish.  Both men have been into the deep water and the later rounds and prevailed.  Where Bobby and Tundee are decidedly different is that Tundee has been very active taking all four of his pro matches in just under a year and Bobby is a bit more reserved in his fight schedule only taking two fights in 2012 and again in 2013.  With so much time off you'd think he'd be looking to fight a guy with a bit softer record, but that isn't how CES MMA works.  You get in the cage and you fight like your life depends on it.  Both men know that and love it.  We'll be looking for Flynn to try and catch Odumuso off guard and we'll hope that Odumuso has been working hard to find his Finishing move since January.



Ralph Johnson Vs Robert Chagnon
Middleweight

Johnson Vs Ward at RFC: Nov, 2013
Chagnon Vs Fillipone at PFC 5








Ralph Johnson just keeps pushing forward and finding himself in some of New England's best cages.  Pro's in the area should take some notes because "The Killa" is writing the book on earning a living as a professional mixed martial arts fighter.  Apparently there is no one he won't fight and that is incredibly rare and exciting these days.  Ralph has not won a fight in the C.E.S. MMA cage, but that hasn't stopped him from trying and hasn't stopped him from being invited to fight either.  Jimmy Jr. and Sr can see his value.  Ralph is an eccentric for sure and you can always count on him to be ready at a moments notice, but one thing that has us hooked is his punching power.  With all six pro wins coming via the K.O. he defines himself in a very strict context of being a stand-up fighter.  This has been his greatest asset and his greatest weakness.  He's been stopped on the ground via a variety of submissions eight times.  His opponent is coming from the prestigious Sityodtong Academy where they train a very well rounded program.  Robert has two wins coming from submissions, but has been submitted three times.  Considering the fact that he has a ground game at all means we may be looking at a scenario we've seen many times before.  Ralph will look to stand and trade and Robert will look to get it to the ground.   Hopefully Ralph has had an opportunity to work with someone that may have shown him some BJJ defense.  It's unlikely as there aren't many reputable schools offering classes in the greater Worcester area and Ralph isn't the most mobile person around in terms of transportation.  Undoubtedly Johnson will be looking to K.O. a seventh man tonight and we wish him all the luck in the world since there is almost nothing more in this world that we love than underdogs coming out on top.  Chagnon will be looking to impress his world class trainers and continue the tradition of winning that Sityodtong has established in the C.E.S. MMA cage.  I see this ending in the first round either by Johnson K.O. or Chagnon Submission.  No way we get to see a stand-up battle because that would be a risky move and Sityodtong fighters aren't taught to take risks.  Could it be the secret to their success? Absolutely, because you don't teach what won't work. World Class, remember that!

Peter Rogers, Jr Vs Franklin Isabel
Lightweight
Bellator 63 Rogers Jr. Vs Fleming
Isabel Vs Paiva Jr. at C.E.S. MMA: XXI









Ten fight veteran Franklin Isabel takes on relative new comer Peter Rogers Jr. tonight.  Franklin has been in the cage as a pro since 2008 and has a record that runs the gamete from decisions to submissions.  Most recently he's been stopped via strikes in the C.E.S. MMA cage.  A K.O. and T.K.O. respectively.  Rogers Jr. is no stranger to combat sports though and has been a student of his father, Peter Rogers, Sr. his whole life.  Rogers, Jr. has one loss coming from Brandon Fleming back in 2012 at Bellator 63.  Speculation would be that Pete will be comfortable on his feet.  His father has taught him the arts of Karate and Kickboxing from a very early age which will help him to find flow and create some opportunities to surprise Franklin.  I don't see it being a real issue for Isabel as this isn't his first rodeo.  He'll probably take a round and feel out the new kid before moving in to punish him until he quits.  I see this going at least two rounds and Franklin earning a win via submission.  

Rico Disciullo Vs Jordan Espinosa
Featherweight
Rico's last victim, Glenn Allaire, strapped
to a gurney.  (click to enlarge)
Espinosa (Blue) Vs Mazzotta (Red)
from a Dec, 2013 bout











Rico DiSciullo is a local phenom who's looking to get the wind back beneath his wings and get back to the heights that put him on trajectory for fighting in some of the most visible cages in the world.  With a stellar eleven fight amateur career he's been one of the most talked about new pro's for months.  Getting a K.O. over Glenn Allaire in his pro debut on the un-televised undercard portion of Bellator 93 was huge.  Unfortunately he found himself in a no contest at Bellator 110.  Rico is tough as nails and C.E.S. MMA knows it that is why they found him an opponent with the requisite skills necessary to be a hell of a match up.  Jordan Espinosa is obviously an unknown to us here in the Baystate and the New England area as he hails from Ohio, but he's well traveled and well versed in this game of blood and tears we hold so close to our hearts.  Espinosa had an unblemished amateur record of five victories.  He's won three of his pro fights via submission, but also fallen twice to submissions.  He's slated to be on two more cards after this match and is looking to stay very busy as a pro.  Something for our local fighters to think about that I myself have looked into for my team and I is the fact that we can fight anywhere we get a license to.  Spreading out isn't a bad thing and fighting away from home is pretty exciting in my mind.  You get to see the world around you from a different perspective than that of a vacationer.  It's all about the work you have to put in and the team you surround yourself with.  Rico knew this and went to Florida and made a name for himself and Sityodtong there.  Espinosa knows this and is going to get some real value out of this fight.  I think it is going to be a war of attrition.  I think we will see this finished and we will see it happen in the later rounds when gas tanks have been emptied and little mistakes become disastrous.  Two rounds of all out war and then someones going to sleep or be nearly killed, whatever way you want to look at it.  This is my pick for Fight of The Night.

Matthew Thompson Vs Eric Bedard
Heavyweight
Two men with heavy hands and a love for fighting.
Photo courtesy of C.E.S. MMA/ CrossFace Prod.

C.E.S. MMA matchmaker, Pat Sullivan, is pulling out all the stops for us which feels kind of insane since we've been saying how great every card is since we started covering C.E.S. MMA events back in 2010.  How the man is able to put every card in the "Event of the Year" category is beyond my understanding.  Keep up the great work, Pat.
"Lucky Strikes" is kind of a misleading nickname for a fighter who has no problem landing them K.O. inducing fists.  We last saw Bedard fight T.U.F. hopeful Tyler King at an obscure little event held in the Mohegan Sun Ballroom.  A.S.A.P. a Peter Rogers, Sr. operation brought the two heavy's in to the cage with little fanfare and the fight was anything but forgettable.  Eric knocked out King twice in the first round.  I know you can say that is impossible, but it really happened.  Tyler was not right in the head after that match until quite sometime after, I would wager.  He looked completely lost during the official announcement and if you had asked him his name I doubt he would have been able to think of it.  Was brutal for sure. Bedard showed he's versatile and able to keep calm when things get tough.  King had the size advantage, but Eric had a plan and he executed it flawlessly.  Thompson is making the trip from Texas to add some tonnage to the C.E.S. cage tonight.  Both men are in the mid two-hundred pound range and both are towering at over six feet in height.  Bedard's 6'2" and Thompson is 6'9".  Thompson comes into the cage for the twenty-eighth time.  He's got eighteen pro wins and nine losses.  He's seen it all and been the victor more times than Bedard has even been in the cage and then some.  Currently Matt is on a four fight win streak.  Taking a look at his record reveals that this is the norm for him.  He's the kind of guy that runs in streaks.  Longest one was six fights.  He's been in the cage as a pro since 2006.  Before that he went four in a row as an undefeated amateur. Both men have the power to K.O. and both have a ground game.  Eric had Tyler locked up tight as a drum with a guillotine choke at one point in their match-up but I feel that that pales in comparison to the number of actual submission finishes that have been handed out by Thompson.  I see this ending in the first round with Thompson tapping out Bedard.  It will be exciting though as Eric is known for being lucky with his strikes.

Matt Doherty Vs Tateki Matsuda

Bantamweight
Doherty Vs Marmas C.E.S. MMA: XXI
Gorman Vs Matsuda NEF XI












Matt Doherty is looking to keep his three fight win streak alive tonight against Sityodtong fighter and Japanese heartthrob  Tateki Matsuda.  Tateki lost a tough fight with Paul Gorman back in November and before that to Matt Tran at Victory.  Both fights went the distance and both saw Tateki as the favored fighter.  Tateki is the subject of an unfinished documentary in Japan being filmed since early 2012 I believe.  He's been to the TUF tryouts, been to Bellator, and fought a handful of New England's top cage fighters.  With the Sityodtong Kru firmly ensconced in his corner he's being given all the opportunities that come with that privilege.   In this most recent opportunity he's been given the chance to show how his skills match up with that of one of Sityodtong's closest martial arts rivals in the Redline fighter known as The Mantis.  Matt is undefeated in his pro and C.E.S. career showing dominance over his competition at an extreme level.  His game is well rounded and he's training with an elite crew of true combat junkies.  I'm sure this will be a test of skill and strength, but don't be surprised if Redline captures yet another win and The Mantis claims another victory once the dust settles and the judges have rendered their decisions. 

Eric Spicely Vs David Jordan
Catchweight

Spicely Vs Rose C.E.S. MMA: XX
Eric Spicely is another C.E.S. product headed into his fourth pro fight as an undefeated fighter.  We last saw him stop one of New England's top prospects, Tyler Rose, with a round three TKO.  Spicely is facing Nevada fighter David Jordan who had all the markings of an amateur beast until he went pro.  Suffering two losses in three bouts he's coming into this with a decision win over tough competitor in Jimmy Spicuzza.  Jordan is a two time amateur title holder has two K.O.'s both in the opening seconds of the first round and has been taken into the deepest waters as a pro having spent nearly twice as much time in the cage as Spicely as a pro.  Spicely is a finisher and Jordan is a survivor with K.O. power.  This looks like the hardest fight so far to call on this card.  If Spicely hasn't trained for everything I feel he'll get caught off guard and end up a victim here.  Then again he's on a roll and is probably ready for any man out there.  I see this being a three round slug fest and we'll see Eric try to snap Jordan's neck or break off his arm if he gets him to the ground in the later rounds. Spicely via submission in round three.

Andre Soukhamthath Vs Joshua Killion
Bantamweight
Soukhamthath Vs Simmons C.E.S. MMA XX
Coming off a loss to Redline's Kin Moy, Andre Soukhamthath is looking for a big win to remove all doubt about his abilities that may be in the minds of his supporters.  The Asian Sensation is a bit further from home these days as he has joined the Florida based Blackzillians team to bring his skills to the next level.  While he's enjoying his new home he is still putting in the work in order to stay at the top of the C.E.S. Bantamweight division.  Joshua Killion comes from Ohio and has a serious record in his favor.  With twenty-four pro fights between them they have a tremendous amount of experience going into this event.  Dre is hoping to get back on track and beat his seven fight win streak.  Josh is looking to come to RI and steal the glory of the C.E.S. signed fighter.  Dre can hang in there with just about anyone as his strength and endurance have shown time and again, but is he going to be able to subdue the submission specialist enough to keep from being his next victim?  I see it a TKO stoppage in the first round for Soukhamthath.

Rob Font Vs Tristan Jordan
Featherweight
Font Vs Abdullah C.E.S. MMA XXI
C.E.S. Featherweight Champion, Rob Font, is going to defend his title for the second time tonight since August.  As the current champ and the leader of the Featherweight pack Font is going to be getting some serious attention as long as he holds that title belt.  A Sityodtong product with years of training under one of the best striking coaches in the world and a crazy old man teaching him BJJ his chances are pretty good that he'll retain that belt a little while longer.  Tristan Jordan a Nova Scotia fighter hopes to beat the odds and take what he came for in front of a packed house.  The gamble is pretty big and the odds are not in his favor, but he has a chance none the less.  With seven wins and only three losses he's matched up pretty closely with Font who is also going into his eleventh pro fight tonight.  However, Font has beaten nine of his ten pro opponents and they've all been A-listers.  C.E.S. lines them up and he tears them limb from limb.  I see this one going to Font and Sityodtong in the first round via submission.

Well I hope you all enjoy the fights tonight and if you can't make it be sure to catch all the action with City Boy's live updates starting at 7.  Refresh often and be sure to let us know what you think of each fight.
Good luck tonight guys.  Leave it all in the cage and make every minute count. ~Joe "The Artist" Leonard