SFF 24 Preview

Hi again, my name is as you all know, Jack Walian AKA Precicted, and I'm here to bring you the Preview of today's SFF 24: Destiny.

As always we will feature my 120% accurate predictions plus our god and savoir Marcus Reynold's excellent analysis of the main and co main events.

Welterweight title fight – Main event: Captain Evil (6-2, 4-1 SFF) vs. Tony Grey (5-0, 1-0 SFF)

As the returning champion, SFF’s very own super villain just reclaimed his title and avenged his loss to George St Pierre. The well rounded fighter has developing standup skills as he showed in his last fight, where he dominated in the clinch, but he is primarily a grappler, and it is on the ground that Evil has the edge when he squares off against the incredible striker Tony Grey. Grey is an excellent clinch fighter, and if he gets you tied up his elbows are second to none, he also has one of the best high kicks in the division which can end the fight at any point. If Evil tries to bang with Grey, who has finished all his opponents in the first round, this fight will not end well for him. But if he gets a takedown and is able to use his ground and pound and maybe go for a submission, he can still win. Predicted’s prediction: Grey is as dangerous as any on his feet, and is a good enough wrestler to sprawl and brawl his way through Captain Evil. Grey by first round knockout.

Reynolds analysis: After that minor setback against George (sic) St. Pierre, Captain Evil regained his title in a rematch by effectively controlling St. Pierre in the clinch, landing ALL of his 400 something strikes in the clinch. It is something that shocked most fans since Evil was pretty much said to be a ground and pound type of fighter. Tony Grey on the other hand, is a devastating striker. He has finished all his fights in the first round via TKO or KO. Evil may look to take the fight to the ground where he may have the advantage. I see Grey finally fulfilling his destiny and taking the belt in round 2 via stoppage due to strikes.

Lightweight – Co main event: John Kicker (6-4, 3-1 SFF) vs. Sulevi Sammalharju (3-1, 1-0 SFF)

Sulevi Sammalharju is one of the most well rounded fighters in the SFF lightweight division, and combined with brutal knockout power any opponent who enters the cage with this man will learn to respect, and fear his right hand. Kicker on the other hand relies on his Muay Thai kicks to end his fights for him, and since he is blessed with a decent chin, the striker can absorb punishment while going for the knockout. The two has seven knockouts between them, Sammalharju has ended all his victories in the first round, while Kicker has two decisions to his name as well. Predicted’s prediction: It is obvious that if the fight goes to the ground, Sammalharju would kick Kicker’s ass, but I have a feeling that neither fighter wants to fight on the mat, and would rather go for the KO, which I think Sulevi Sammalharju will get at some point in the fight.

John Kicker vs. Sulevi Sammalharju

Reynolds anaylsis: This will definitely be in the running for fight of the night honors as it will prove to be a striking affair between two lightweight contenders. Kicker obviously is more kick-oriented while Sulevi has shown an inclination to punches despite his more than average muay thai. I say Sulevi knocks out Kicker in the first round and puts his stamp on the 155 lbs. division.

Light heavyweight: Lentti "Yrmeä" Pindegren (3-1, 1-0 SFF) vs. Tenho "Mud Mountain" Hagert (6-6, SFF debut)

Hagert is indeed a finisher, as he has ended all his six fights via first round knockouts, but now however the mixed career of this CEC veteran is coming to an end, as he announced earlier this month that he would retire after his fight against Pndegren. Pindegren is a ground fighter with a background from wrestling, he delved into submission wrestling as his specialty when he started competing in MMA, as evident by his two finishes by submission, he also has decent striking, but it is most likely only a tool to set up a takedown. Predicted’s prediction: Hagert’s last fight doesn’t look to be a happy one for the Finnish boxer as he will surely lose by submission.

Heavyweight: Gary "The Motor" Indiana (1-1, SFF debut) vs. Marko "Crusher" Virtanen (1-2, 0-2 SFF)

Being on a two fight losing streak, the journeyman Marko Virtanen is looking to turn his career around with a victory over Gary Indiana in Indiana’s SFF debut, Virtanen is an all round decent fighter, who doesn’t excel at anything, his game plan is to take his opponents out of their strong sides and grind out a decision. But against Indiana finding a weakness to exploit is going to be hard, he is a great boxer, with some training in wrestling and BJJ to help him on the way, he has a good chin and accurate striking, and is coming into this fight the favorite. Predicted’s prediction: I’m willing to bet a lot of money on Indiana winning this one by KO or TKO.

Heavyweight: Joe "Lighting" Quick (9-8, SFF debut) vs. "Beautiful" Bo Lynn (1-1, 0-1 SFF)

Joe Quick has had a difficult career, the twenty-seven year old veteran has been knocked out five times, his chin seems to be suspect when pressured, in this fight however it doesn’t seem like he will experience much pressure at all, Quick has always had a great Muay Thai base, and a majority of his victories has come from his strikes, either in the clinch or standing toe to toe. Bo Lynn is still only starting out his MMA career, and the 18 year old seems to be in trouble as the eighteen year old faces the biggest test of his career. Outmatched on his, Lynn’s only hope is to get the fight down to the ground, but Quick is a great wrestler which will make him difficult to take down for anyone, let alone a rookie like Lynn. Predicted’s prediction: Quick is so good on his feet that he has to win by KO.

Super heavyweight: Michael Watson (2-0, 1-0 SFF) vs. Gustav "Bubi" Scholz (2-1, 1-1 SFF)

In his last fight, Scholz lost a close decision to Robert Green, now the vicious Muay Thai striker is looking to return to the winning ways against world class boxer, Michael Watson. Watson doesn’t have the most dangerous KO power, but he is a great striker who with his size, strength and technical ability can surely set his mark on the 265+ division. Look for Scholz to try to initiate a battle in the clinch, while Watsen would most likely want to strike from a distance. Predicted’s prediction: A though fight to call, but I think that Scholz will take this one via decision.

Welterweight: Niko "Nakuttaja" Nakkeli (2-3, 1-1 SFF) vs. Timo "Die Kugel" Soini (5-0, 1-0 SFF)

Having a horrible chin and no KO power is most likely a bad idea if you’re going to be a striker, Nakkeli however has made it his career to hit his sniping strikes and score points on the judges’ scorecards, he has had limited success though, and tonight he looks to revive his career with a win over undefeated Muay Thai striker, Timo Soini. Soini came into the SFF with four decisions to his name, but crushed Tauno Puukko in the clinch landing devastating knees to the face, Nakkeli doesn’t appear to be storng in the clinch either, and this will surely be Soini’s gameplan coming into this fight. Predicted’s prediction: They are both decision grinders, but I have a feeling that the well roundedness of Soini is going to earn him the victory.

Welterweight: Tauno "Bambi" Puukko (3-5, 0-2 SFF) Tonto "T-Mac" MacTavish (2-0, 1-0 SFF)

Probably the best boxer in SFF, the twenty-one year old MacTavish has a wealth of experience from his boxing background, and having worked hard on the other skills required to become successful in MMA, the sky is the limit for this younger. Puukko has become sort of the first gatekeeper for the welterweight division, he has lost two in a row now and needs a win badly, so a fight against one of the most dangerous boxers on the planet might not be the most clever idea he has ever had, but it shows that he has stones and doesn’t afraid of anyone, but it will most likely be bad for his career. Predicted’s prediction: MacTavish is a future title contender, and Puukkio is standing in his way, expect this fight to end violently, MacTavish will win via KO.

Welterweight: "Steve's" boo moo (8-3, 1-0 SFF) vs. "Kylän Kyrpä" Urho Mulkku (2-0, 1-0 SFF)

If Mulkku is able to take Moo down, he is able to grind anyone to a pulp with his hard hitting ground and pound, Moo’s job is to not get taken down and to work his strong suit, the striking. Having ended all, but one of his victories with a knockout or TKO, Moo proved he is a legitimate contender when he fought in Japan, and he showed us once again why he is fighting for the SFF after he knocked out Ara Virta in only one minute. Predicted’s prediction: The classic striker vs. grappler scenario, while Moo might have a stronger BJJ base, I think that Mulkku makes up for it with his background in wrestling, and if the fight hits the ground I favor Mulkku to win, but with KO power and the ability to take a beating, Moo is still my favorite to win, and win violently.

PS: Steve is incredibly handsome.

Welterweight: "SawZall" Tim Chesser (0-2, 0-1 SFF) vs. "The Baby Face Killer" Gabriel Key (0-1, 0-1 SFF)

Here we will see the first win of somebody’s career, as both fighters has yet to taste the sweet taste of victory. They are similar fighters, they are both decent strikers, but Chesser favors boxing, while Key is a clinch fighter who likes to use dirty boxing. Predicted’s prediction: I think that Gabriel Key will take the win by decision in this fight.

SFF 22: Go Large

Heavyweight title fight – Main event: Patch Garcia (4-0, 1-0 SFF) vs. "Crazy Honkey" Billy Plavsic (4-1, 3-1 SFF)

Having finished his three last opponents by KO or TKO, Garcia’s hands cannot be questioned, as the well rounded striker takes on the twenty-one year old submission machine, Billy Plavsic. Plavsic has finished all his victories by submission, but the BJJ Blue belt faces a difficult task in his upcoming fight, as Garcia has shown his ability to defend off his back, add the fact that he is a difficult man to take down, and Plavsic is going to struggle to get this fight to his element. Garcia who has trained in both Muay Thai and boxing, made a successful return to the cage after a two month layoff in October, and the striker has continued to improve his skills since then proving to be a fearful challenge for anyone in the SFF heavyweight division. Predicted’s prediction: Garcia will keep this fight on the feet and land one of his vicious high kicks to end the fight.

Reynolds analysis: Heavyweight championship! The SFF heavyweight division is arguably the toughest division in this org and the champion Patch Garcia is an indicator of how tough it is. He will be up against Plavsic, who has 4 wins by submission in his record despite less than admirable skills. I say the fairy tale journey ends here for Billy. Garcia by TKO in round 1.

Wlterweight – Co main event: Ara "Hannu" Virta (4-2, 0-1 SFF) vs. Maximus Scott (3-1, 1-0 SFF)

Coming into this fight, Ara Virta is on a two fight losing streak, he came into SFF after going one for one in Duel, he was not however given an easy fight in his SFF debut, as the veteran Boo Moo hit Virta with a huge uppercut ending the fight after just one minute. He has however, managed to keep parts of his fanbase, and now the devastating striker looks to turn his career around when he faces off against another knockout artist in Maximus Scott. Scott is a vicious Muay Thai striker, who has added to his skills by training boxing and wrestling, after the loss in his first fight he took some time off to hone his skills, and as his record shows, this was the winning recipe which has put him on a three fight winning streak. Either the streaks continue or they end, as the two fighters in completely different places in their careers look to add another victim to their list. Predicted’s prediction: A hard fight to call, they are both world class in their respective category, and both have some vicious knockouts on their resume. But Scott haven’t fought anyone at the level of Virta, and the step up in competition might be a little too hard for him, Virta by decision.

Reynolds analysis: Maximus Scott (please resign with the org), is a striking ace! He also has decent wrestling to keep his fights standing. His only weakness is his white belt but it won't be most likely exploited by Virta who himself is also a great striker. This will surely be a candidate for fight of the night and this could go either way with one lucky punch ending the night for either of these two. Scott via KO round 1

Super heavyweight title fight: "Paalu" Henry Saari (3-0, 1-0 SFF) vs. David "The Danger" Green (1-0, 1-0 SFF)

Saari is arguably the best striker SFF has ever seen, as he has been walking through his competition using his wrestling to keep the fight standing. Green is a jack of all trades who was able to surprise all fight fans in Helsinki as he grinded down his opponent in his professional fights, this time he also comes into the fight the underdog, and nothing will be taken away from the young fighter if he loses. But he has a granite chin, and could use that to survive the punishment surely coming his way as he tries to take the fight to the ground, what he can do once on the g round, remains to be seen. Predicted’s prediction: Saari comes in the huge favorite and has all the tools to win the fight, either by KO or decision depending on Green’s chin.

Reynolds analysis: These two warriors will face off to determine the inaugural SHW champion of the org. Saari comes in with insane boxing and knockout power while Green comes in with a so-so skill set but could upset anyone. Saari via TKO round 1

Lightweight: Jean Sibelius (3-0, SFF debut) vs. Kolya Morozov (5-1, SFF debut)

Kolya Morozov is not unfamiliar with fighting opposition that on paper should be able to beat him, but he has nearly always prevailed, earning the fighter a growing reputation as a brilliant fighter, and one for the future. Now the wrestler is about to take on the biggest challenge of his career in Jean Sibelius. Sibelius is clearly a dangerous fighter, he is a top level wrestler and has a brown belt in BJJ, to top it off his striking has improved drastically to nearly match his skills on the ground. But even if he is one of the biggest talents in the 155 pounds division, he has never been able to finish an opponent, Marozov however, has shown his ability to end the fight once he gets his opponents on his back. Predicted’s prediction: While Sibelius is the favorite to win this fight, Morozov has been in this position before, and knows how to deal with it, and if he gets the takedown he could end the fight quickly. But I will have to predict another decision for Sibelius.

Welterweight: Brad Bombada (3-0, SFF debut) vs. Larry "Diesel" Grant (2-0, 1-0 SFF)

Two quite similar fighters, good boxers with not much else to offer, Bombada has ended all his fights early in the first round, but Grant can take a punch, and throw down as well, which he proved in his professional debut, where he stopped his opponent early. Neither fighter will look to take this fight down, and as they both have knockout power it won’t go to a decision, potential knockout of the night candidate in the making. Predicted’s prediction: Bombada comes out of a quality gym, and I think it will show in the fight, I have Bombada winning by KO, but anything can happen.

Bantamweight: Pierre Silverhielm (Professional debut) vs. "Sadistic Threat" Mike Allen (3-3, 1-1 SFF)

Coming off the disastrous title fight against Sly Randolph, Mike Allen looks to get back to the wining ways, as he faces off against the enigma Pierre Silverhielm. Little is known about this man, but rumors have it that he has trained in various striking based martial arts, now he is looking to apply his standup skills against Allen’s face. The real test will boil down to Silverhielm’s ability to sprawl, vs. Allen’s ability to take him down, as Allen is completely helpless if forced to strike, something Silverhielm will look to take advantage of. Predicted’s prediction: A hard fight to predict, Allen has a weak chin and no striking skills, but the former title contender has the ability to submit Silverhielm who reportedly has close to no skills on the ground, whoever determines where the fight takes place, wins the fight.

Featherweight: Cocka Suarus (6-3, 1-1 SFF) vs. Tomi Isokoski (0-1, 0-1 SFF)

Tomi Isokoski did clearly not enjoy being punched in the face in his first fight, and after a disastrous performance he announced his retirement from MMA. The person who gets the honor to end Isokoski’s career is the well rounded veteran Cocka Suarus. Suarus should be able to hang with Isokoski on the ground, and is clearly the superior standing up, and can surely win this fight wherever it goes. Predicted’s prediction: Cocka Suarus by TKO.

Middleweight: Jere "Luttinen" Ruutikainen (1-0, SFF debut) vs. "The Monster" Zanner Stulken (0-1, 0-1 SFF)

Jere Ruutikainen has an excellent wrestling background, and combined with an improving set of BJJ and standup skills, he is clearly a threat to anyone in the middleweight division. Stulken is clearly the weaker of the two, and obviously can’t compete with Ruutikainen on any level. It looks like Stulken might have to wait a little longer before he wins his first professional fight. Predicted’s prediction: If Ruutikainen does not win this I will eat my shorts.

Heavyweight: Jin Dhaliwal (Professional debut) vs. Hakkon "The Norwegian Gigant" Iversen (1-1, 0-1 SFF)

Little is known about Dhaliwal, but he comes into MMA from the British amateur boxing scene, the thwenty-three year old will supposedly look to strike against the Norwegian ground fighter, Hakkon Iversen. Iversen earned the nickname “The Norwegian Gigant” in his early days, sprouting up to 209 cm, the BJJ purple belt is a threatening individual to step into the cage with, and if he gets on top of you, he can tire you out quickly, his striking is subpar, but it’s only a tool to distract his opponent and set up a takedown. Predicted’s prediction: It all depends on Dhaliwal’s power, if Iversen is able to land a takedown, his superior grappling ability will be his key to victory, but if all Dhaliwal needs is to connect once, Iversen is in a world of trouble.

Middleweight: Valtteri "Nahkakuula" Tammi (1-2, 1-2 SFF) vs. Spike "The Dork" Saunders (1-1, 0-1 SFF)

Saunders is clearly a great wrestler, but he hasn’t been able to make it big in MMA yet, while able to land a takedown, he has had mixed success in his two professional fights. In his professional debut he dominated the fight, scoring 150 punches on the ground through the three rounds, but in his last fight, his predictability proved to be his downfall, as BJJ blue belt Jerry Fitzergald was able to stand on his feet and press the action, and when taken down land beautiful sweeps. If Valtteri Tammi is able to do the same, remains to be seen. But Tammi has a clear advantage, as he is an experienced BJJ practitioner, it will be interesting to see if Saunders goes to his bread and butter, the ground and pound, and risking getting submitted by Valtteri Tammi. Predicted’s prediction: It’s a tough fight to predict, but I think Tammi’s BJJ background can serve him well and earn him a decision victory.