Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Through the Crystal Ball

Ring of Combat may be on summer hiatus, but MMA Journalist has gazed into a crystal ball – okay, really I just checked out ROC’s Facebook page – and glimpsed matchups both epic and glorious for its September 24th show.  On tap for ROC 31 is:

    • Gian Villante vs. Demetrius Richards – This is a rematch, with the first one ending when Richards attempted a throw and Villante posted and messed up his arm.  Villante is considered the “next big thing” around these parts, so this is definitely one to watch.
    • Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman – A classic striker/grappler matchup, with Hall playing the role of killer TSMMA striker and Weidman the monster Serra/Longo wrestler.
    • Ryan LaFlare vs. Doug Gordon – LaFlare, the ROC welterweight champ, has proven to be unstoppable.  Gordon, meanwhile, has been in there with everyone and is capable of winning via sub or knockout.  The chances of this one turning into a lay-and-pray festival are about slim to none.
    • Nick Pace vs. Chase Beebe – A ROC bantamweight champ who’s aiming to fight in the WEC vs. a former WEC bantamweight champ.  Both men are ace grapplers, but what Beebe has going for him is experience, as he’s fought in everything from the WEC to DREAM to King of the Cage.  On the other hand, Pace is the epitome of rising star, and he may be too hot for Beebe to handle.
    • Tom DeBlass vs. Tom Velasquez – DeBlass is a Ricardo Almeida-trained jiu-jitsu black belt and would seemingly have the edge in grappling.  However, Velasquez is a crafty submission specialist known for pulling heelhooks out of nowhere.  Expect fireworks for this one.

Take these pairings with a grain of salt, as anything can happen to shake the card up between now and then.  But if even only a few of these bouts go off… whoo-wee, ROC 31 should be fun.