Wednesday, September 12, 2012

ROC 42 and Why You Should Care

Like that old, dependable horse you can count on to carry you over the finish line, Ring of Combat returns for its forty-second installment on Friday - and with it comes all the usual strangulation and face-smashing goodness you've come to expect from one of the Northeast's top regional shows.  So what bouts should you be excited about and glued to your Twitter feed for?  Please, allow me to tell you.
  • Ed Gordon vs. Anton Talamantes - Gordon, a.k.a. "Truck" (so named for his sweet ride, which is actually a tricked out Honda Civic - oh the irony), is the closest thing Team Serra/Longo has come to replicating the X-Men villian "The Juggernaut", and he's thus far been unstoppable since donning four-ounce MMA gloves.  Talamantes is some cat from the Midwest who went the distance with UFC vet Joey Beltran earlier this year, but none of the thousand or so people who will be there live for this particular fight are there for him - they're there for Truck.  So yeah, a lot of folks will be screaming and cheering and having spittle shoot out of their mouths for this one.  Should be fun.
  • Deividas Taurosvicius vs. Mike Santiago - DT fought in the IFL and WEC, and though he's getting up there in years and mileage, he's still brings the excitement.  Santiago is flying in from the Midwest for this bout, and judging by his mottled record, the dude might be fighting above his pay grade.  We'll see, though.  DT's tough as nails on the feet and ultra-dangerous on the ground, but Father Time has got to become a factor at some point, so maybe Santiago has a chance.  Or maybe not.  I dunno.  DT is so beloved for his accomplishments and personality, it's for me to write him off as "too old".  How's that for impartial journalism? Yeah, fuck you.
  • Jimmie Rivera vs. Joel Roberts - Roberts is a Bellator vet who hasn't lost in two years; Rivera is the ROC bantamweight champ who should be kicking ass in the UFC right now, and would be if not for the indomitable Dennis Bermudez and their clash on a recent season of TUF.  I'm picking Rivera to deliver the beatdown.  Easily.
  • Andy Main vs. Pat DeFranco - Main is another TUF vet, and thanks to some heavy hands and a smooth triangle, he rose up the Northeast ranks a few years ago and now sits in the clouds of Mount Olympus with the other gods who only occasionally meddle in the affairs of humans.  DeFranco is a solid up-and-comer, but he might be biting off more than he can chew with Main.
  • Jamal Patterson vs. Chris Sutton - Patterson was one of Team Renzo's hottest prospects a few years ago, and went head to head with dudes like Vladimir Matyushenko and Matt Horwich.  Plus, his guillotine is killer.  Sutton is coming up from the Carolinas to take him on, and though it's hard to gauge where Sutton is at in terms of ability, one thing is for sure: bro better protect his neck.

TUF 16 Debuts on Friday - Why You Should Tune In

...Sorry.  I got nothing.