The uncharacteristic knockout by Wagnney Fabiano. He's mostly known for his superb grappling, but Shad Lierley found out that Wagnney also has some huge power in his right hand.

These previews have been rather extensive lately due to all of the interesting matchups that have been taking place. If the length of my preview is any indication of the quality of the card, then this preview should be short and to the point. We'll see how it goes, but one thing is for sure... the IFL has failed to make great matchups on paper.

Three championship bouts will take place on Friday night from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Vladimir Matyushenko will defend his light heavyweight title against Jamal Patterson, Wagnney Fabiano will defend the featherweight title against Shad Lierley, and Xtreme Couture fighter Jay Hieron will take on Mark Miller in a Welterweight title bout. The card will feature bouts between Midwest Combat and Renzo Gracie jiu-jitsu out of NYC, American Top Team vs. MFS, and some undercard tussles between TUF contestant Alex Schoenauer and Brendan Barrett, and the return of Chris Horodecki against Nate Lamotte.

Preview/Predictions

I'm going to move through these quickly because I'm honestly not excited about this card. There are a few fights of interest, but the matchups aren't exactly intriguing to the hardcore fanbase. Let's take a look.

• Jay Hieron vs. Mark Miller: This matchup tends to move toward becoming an actual fight than a lopsided affair. Hieron has been rolling in his last two bouts and was able to crush a tough jiu-jitsu fighter in Delson Heleno to win the Welterweight title. He has solid all-around power with a venerable wrestling game to back it up. He's not well-known for ending fights in spectacular fashion, but he does push the pace. He'll need it against Miller.
  
  Miller trains out of Hellhouse in Chicago, the infamous fight camp of Clay “The Carpenter” Guida. There is no doubt that his cardio should be great, but I've seen a few Hellhouse fighters gas out during fights when they hit the 2nd round. Miller has an interesting record because he defeated Brad Blackburn who knocked out Hieron, but he lost unanimously to Delson Heleno earlier in 2007. Miller did manage to knock out Josh Neer in his last battle in May of 2007, an impressive win at this stage in his career. Can Mark Miller get the upset? I think Hieron will be better, but it'll take awhile to get rid of Miller. Jay Hieron via unanimous decision.
  


• Wagnney Fabiano vs. Shad Lierley: I'm not a big fan of this matchup. Sure, Lierley produced a great performance against Chris Horodecki back in June of 2007, but with only 3 total professional fights on his record, he'll likely be heavily outmatched by Fabiano. Fabiano's jiu-jitsu is phenomenal, and he should take care of Lierley after a round of battle. Wagnney Fabiano via submission, Round 2.
  


• Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jamal Patterson: Another semi-interesting matchup. Matyushenko doesn't have finishing power in his hands, but he has great wrestling skills and some sly submissions at his disposal. Patterson is at 4-1 with two big wins over veteran Matt Horwich. He has power, jiu-jitsu skills, and some good striking that could be the key to defeating “The Janitor”. This could be the upset pick of the evening, but Matyushenko is very tough to submit. In fact, he's never been submitted in his 23 fight career. Vladimir Matyushenko via submission, Round 4.
  


• Bart Palaszewski vs. Jim Miller: I'm going to lay down a bet on Miller in this battle, but Palaszewski has good submission defense and his hands are much better than Miller's standup. Miller is a great grappler in his own right, and he holds only one loss in 11 fights, the loss coming from the UFC's Frankie Edgar. Bart has the striking advantage, and he also has some excellent wrestling submission skills. I think his striking will be the big factor in this fight. Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision.
  


• Brad Blackburn vs. Delson Heleno: Heleno will be the heavy favorite here, but Blackburn is always in each battle he's given. Blackburn is tough to submit, and Heleno doesn't possess big power in his hands, so I'm inclined to think this will head to decision. Delson Heleno via unanimous decision.
  


• Alex Schoenauer vs. Brendan Barret: As one friend of mine says, a good bet is always against Schoenauer. I'm not sure I agree here, but Schoenauer does have sporadic losses to subpar competition on his record. Barret is all about power in his hands, but Schoenauer hasn't lost via TKO/KO since his bout with Mike Swick at the Ultimate Fighter first season finale back in 2002. Schoenauer's wrestling should be game enough to get the win. Alex Schoenauer via submission, Round 2
  


• Chris Horodecki vs. Nate Lamotte: The IFL's poster boy should be able to take out Lamotte quickly, but Horodecki will still need to look out for the ground game as Lamotte will still be decent on the ground. Horodecki's Xtreme Couture training should help significantly though. Chris Horodecki via TKO/KO, Round 1
  


• Carmelo Marrero vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz: I think this is a good matchup for Mike Ciesnolevicz. Marrero likes to submit guys on the ground, and Mike has a great submission defense. He'll likely try to sprawl for the knockout, and I think it's possible for him to win here over the former UFC fighter. Mike Ciesnolevicz via TKO/KO, Round 2
  


• Rafael Dias vs. LC Davis: Interesting bout between these two featherweights. I'm actually going to take Dias here by an upset. He's at American Top Team and should have some great training in the submission game. If he can overwhelm Davis, look for him to end it early. Rafael Dias via submission, Round 1
  


• Emyr Bussade vs. Jesse Lennox: I don't know much about either, but I've seen some footage on both. Lennox looks to be a ground guy, but also has the ability to unleash some devastating strikes. Bussade is also good on the ground as well, but he lacks the power to put opponents out. I believe Bussade is going to be very tough to submit since he's only lost via decisions in the five fights that he's lost. ATT training will also be a big factor. Emyr Bussade via submission, Round 2

The IFL has been hammered for many things by fans, and often justifiably so.  The tape delays on the broadcasts made them difficult to become immersed in, and the regional team format never exceeded the exalted rank of ‘cheesy.’  This Grand Prix has answered the call.  Tournaments are the most definitive way to determine who is the best (just ask any LSU or Hawaii Football Fan) and MMA fans get gleefully nostalgic when thinking about the UFC’s early days.

The IFL took a page out of PRIDE’s old playbook and put this one together for us and the final card is solid.  Not only do we see the culmination of the tournament, but there’s five title fights.  Yep, that’s right; five.  Hard to find that anywhere.  In addition to that, it’s free if you got the right cable package!  Good stuff all around and with the exception of the light heavyweights, every division will be active.  Five men will join Vladimir Matyushenko as inaugural IFL champs in their respective weight classes and we can drink it all in without spending any more money than we already have.

The Title Fights
Featherweight: Wagnney Fabiano (8-1) vs. L.C. Davis (9-0)

The two 145lbers both sport a spotless record in the IFL, and only one loss beyond it; combined.  The WEC has proven that the lighter weight classes are exciting as hell, and Fabiano and Davis are no exception. 

Davis brings the patented Miletich offensive, a headstrong approach with a foundation of strong wrestling, good conditioning and judicious hands.  Davis has gone on record saying he can handle Fabiano on the feet and he’ll keep it there. By my estimation, he’d better.  The 5’6” Brazilian has shown surprising strength, and combined with superior jiu-jitsu skills is on a 4-0 tear behind four submissions. 

Aggressive wrestling has played into the hands of the slick jiu-jitsu artists before, and I look for the same to happen here. The Carlos Newton trained fighter will be the strongest opponent Davis has tangled with. Fabiano’s recent move from lightweight down to his natural 145lb world will make him the IFL’s first Featherweight champ.

My Pick:  Fabiano by Armbar, Round 2

Lightweight: Chris Horodecki (11-0) vs. Ryan Schultz (17-9-1)

The entire MMA world is well aware of who Horodecki is by now.  The IFL posterboy possesses that strange cocktail of boyish looks and deadly fighting ability that is tough to resist.  At just 20 years of age, the Polish kickboxer is poised to be an MMA superstar. There’s only one man standing in his way, and that’s Schultz. 

The scrappy Schultz hails from Team Quest and should look to employ a grinding ground and pound attack.  These two faced off in November ’06 and Horodecki finished the Oregon native early in the second frame.  He no doubt wants that to happen again, and as Shad Lierley proved Chris is at his least dangerous when he’s on his back.

The records of the two fighters are trending in polar opposite directions; Horodecki with eleven straight wins and the ten year elder Schultz posting a 6-5 record.  The discrepancy is a little misleading.  Schultz has fought much tougher competition, notably recent UFC contender Hermes Franca and Rich Clementi over his last eleven.  He also has wins over the UFC’s great Hispanic hope Roger Huerta, Jason Dent and took ‘JZ’ Calvancante to a draw.

All signs point toward The Polish Hammer being another A-Class 145lber, and he’ll hand the Gresham native his tenth loss of his career.  The Hammer’s striking shoots in from all angles, and the especially swift right leg of Horodecki will wear down the wrestler for the first eight minutes, paving the way for a late TKO win.  The IFL will crown its first LW champ, and top-ten lists everywhere will be forced to take notice.

My Pick:  Horodecki by TKO, Round 3

More...

The International Fight League will end their year on Saturday night by putting on their final event as part of the Grand Prix series. The final matches will determine the new divisional titles and set up future title matchups for the IFL, something that is new to the promotion. Unfortunately for the IFL, injuries, contract problems, and overall bad luck have plagued the Grand Prix events and caused a huge gap in the talent pool that the IFL cannot seem to remedy.

The IFL has an even taller task in trying to compete with the UFC's own event, UFC 79. It's evident that the IFL is looking to only grab up a very small portion of viewers and not the mainstream fans that will be tuning into the UFC. Nonetheless, the IFL Grand Prix final has a couple of interesting matchups, and we'll briefly look at the card in its entirety.

Jay Hieron vs. Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno

The most interesting bout of the night by far pits a fairly well-rounded Jay Hieron against a phenomenal grappler in Delson Heleno. Hieron has fought some tough competition in the past, but has lost some battles that were questionable as far as his opponent's talent level. Hieron's main weakness has been his inability to finish opponents, but for the most part, he's well-rounded and is very durable in the ring. He'll use his superior striking abilities to most likely keep this fight standing, and will try to avoid being submitted by using his good wrestling skills.

Heleno will counter the rough ground and pound style of Hieron with an excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. Heleno doesn't have impressive wins over high quality opponents, but he definitely has a submission game that can defeat quality guys that begin to step in front of him. That is what Heleno's goal will be on Saturday.

Prediction: Hieron by decision

Hieron has a much better standup game and has never been submitted in his career. He also has the backing of some solid training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Look for Hieron to pull this win out.
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Chris Horodecki vs. Ryan "The Lion" Schultz

A rematch of a battle that happened in IFL's semifinals last year, this should be a clear cut win for Horodecki. Since nearly all of Horodecki's opponents leading up to this Grand Prix final were injured or moved away from the bout, Schultz will get a chance to redeem a loss.

Fact is, Horodecki is a dynamic striker with excellent takedown defense, and he is only improving with his training at Xtreme Couture. I see no reason why Schultz will be able to win this fight, especially when many of his losses are by way of TKO.

Prediction: Horodecki by second round TKO/KO
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Benji Radach vs. Matt Horwich

Another matchup that has a small amount of intrigue surrounding it. Both Middleweights have solid experience in the cage, but both have styles that are completely opposite of each other. Radach is a devastating striker whereas Horwich is primarily a submission weapon. Radach boasts 13 KO/TKO's in 17 wins and Horwich has 18 submissions in 20 wins, heavy percentage of wins in one area for both fighters.

Radach does have some excellent wrestling ability and has never been submitted. His takedown defense is excellent, and it will be a tough task for Horwich to avoid Radach's power striking if he's stuffed during a shoot. This would be the ideal situation for Radach, but Horwich has never been knocked out. Will Radach's wrestling be enough to avoid the submissions and stop Horwich's own takedown attempts?

Prediction: Radach by TKO, second round.

Radach is a very strong striker and has the wrestling skills to back up his standup style. Horwich has lost some big fights by submission, but has never been knocked out or stopped. Look for Horwich to be stopped by Radach's power.
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Antoine Jaoude vs. Roy Nelson

The battle of the heavyweights in the IFL has never really been an interesting prospect. Rothwell blew through the division, then had contract issues with the IFL and the Grand Prix event at the end of the year. This fight does, however, feature Antoine Jaoude, who narrowly lost to Rothwell.

The most significant difference between both fighters is the weight factor. Nelson will most likely have 20-30 lbs. on Jaoude, but Jaoude has shown better skill in his most recent contests. Nelson may have some serious trouble with Jaoude's skills in general.

Prediction: Jaoude by decision.

I think Jaoude can outlast Nelson and also show off some better wrestling skills in the process.
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Wagnney Fabiano vs. LC Davis

After the IFL ruined the potential matchup of Fabiano vs. Horodecki, he was relegated to a lower weight division and now has to face a tough LC Davis who is 9-0. Both men are primarily jiu-jitsu fighters with some decent standup skills. Davis has an impressive win over Jay Estrada, but most of his competition hasn't been on a world class level. He combined decent power in his hands with an excellent ground game. Fabiano will be a very tough test.

Fabiano comes straight out of Rio and will be looking to extend his four fight win streak. His only loss is to the veteran grappler in Jeff Curran by decision. Fabiano has had an easy cakewalk through the IFL's competition, and Davis may possibly be in for a rude awakening.

Prediction: Fabiano via second round submission

Fabiano's jiu-jitsu should be able to exploit the fact that Davis hasn't fought competition that is on his level, but we could be in a surprise if Davis brings the type of game he used on Estrada.
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Tim Kennedy vs. Elias Rivera

It's hard to dislike Tim Kennedy at all in this fight and in everyday life. He's an enlisted soldier, and also a fighter who embodies everything that is a class act to this sport. He has very good wrestling skills and some good power in his hands. He has a much more well-rounded game than his opponent Rivera, who is very susceptible to the knockout. Look for Kennedy to end this in by TKO/KO.

Prediction: Kennedy via KO, 1st round
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Rory Markham vs. Brett Cooper

Markham is coming off two big wins over Chris Clements and Pat Healy. He has dynamite in his hands, and an excellent takedown defense from fighting out of the Miletich camp. With primarily a wrestling and striking background that is proven in the cage, Markham will be a tough task for Brett Cooper.

I'm not privy to much of Brett Cooper's recent work in the MMA. He does have a good win over Jason Von Flue as recently as December 1st. If anyone has seen Cooper's fight with Ed Ratcliff, he was straight knocked out cold by a spinning back kick that was out of a Chuck Norris movie. Cooper has seemed to improve since those battles early in his career. He has some decent power in his hands and also some good wrestling skills. I think Markham will put Cooper down fairly easily regardless of Cooper's renewed drive.

Prediction: Markham via TKO/KO, 2nd round

Shawn Tompkins revealed this weekend that the International Fight League's Grand Prix Final has undergone some significant changes to the fight card. The IFL will be holding the finals on December 29th from the Mohegan Sun from Uncasville, Connecticut, but without the Wagnney Fabiano vs. Chris Horodecki matchup for the lightweight title. Instead, we will see an exciting rematch between Horodecki and Shad Lierley. This move will opens up the newest division to the IFL, the featherweight division. Wagnney will drop to 145 lbs. and fight for a vacant featherweight title for the IFL. It seems that the IFL is now making a claim to produce an exciting featherweight division much like what the WEC seems to be pushing as well. This might seem like a snag to most fans, but I present this question, does this benefit the IFL Grand Prix Finals and the IFL in general?

New division, new matchup

I'll be the first person to say that I was looking forward to Fabiano-Horodecki for a number of reasons. We haven't seen Horodecki against a super slick ground tactician like Fabiano and I was hoping to get a glimpse as to how Horodecki's takedown defense could withstand Fabiano's shoots. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing that fight. Is this an IFL protection tactic? It seems like it to me, but from what Tompkins seems to have stated in the article, he believes Fabiano is a 145 lb. fighter and should become champion of the new division in the IFL.

Is the IFL protecting its undefeated lightweight from being beaten and being exposed? Considering Chris Horodecki is the face of the IFL in many ways, I wouldn't put it past the IFL to do such a thing. Shad Lierley is no joke, but Chris was able to squeak out a victory over him, much like Bart Palaszewski. The Lierley fight is highly regarded as the best IFL fight of the year, and that may be the sole reason why this fight will happen again. It'll be an explosive standup battle of two strikers, something the IFL seems to want to be seen on national television. If the Matyushenko-Schoenauer fight was any indication, the referees also seem to be under the impression that there is no ground game in the IFL. Lierley vs. Horodecki will fulfill the standup war that the IFL wants.

Will a featherweight division actually benefit the IFL? I believe it will. It is well known that many of the best fights during the year were in the lower weights. The 155 lb. division had an unbelievable year in mixed martial arts. Adding another low weight class to the list may produce some more of those great standup striking battles that the IFL seems to adamant on showing. Wagnney Fabiano will move down to the weight class, but hasn't got an opponent yet. I've already stated that the IFL has a talent problem. They don't seem to have enough fighters to grab in case of injuries. That is exactly what hurt the first Grand Prix event and caused the LHW title bout to be determined in the preliminary event instead of through the tournament. How can they suddenly add a new division?

It seems that either the talent camps that the IFL is holding are causing a bunch of small 155'ers or 145'ers to show up for a contract or they will be trying to bring in some small guys from around the country in other promotions and possibly trying to tap into the Asian market, where small weight classes thrive. It's an interesting proposition for the IFL to be taking on. I look forward to seeing who the IFL will bring in to pump up the new division. The other interesting aspect to all of this is that it makes five main card fights for the IFL Grand Prix Final, adding one to the initial card. For a two hour live event broadcast, five fights seems to be sufficient although it may be short if any of the fights ends quickly.

Does this end up benefiting the IFL?

I want to ask the simple question as to whether the new division will actually benefit the IFL. Will the extra matchup and potential standup war for the lightweight title provide a better Grand Prix event? In my opinion, I think the addition of a 145 lb. division will add some excitement to some of the horrible matchups that they've had in the past that didn't produce great results. I have doubts as to how they will fill it up though, as I still have doubts about the other divisions in the IFL. We haven't heard much as far as the tryouts have been going. There were many fighters who were well known throughout the sport at those events so we could see some veteran fighters stepping over to the IFL from organizations like Bodog.

For the Grand Prix Final, it has been said that the event will be televised live once again except we will get to see two hours of coverage in the States. Good move by the IFL. They added a fifth fight to the mix with the featherweight title. I'm not sure if the IFL will add some other fights at different weights to pad the event with undercard battles. If not, a fifth fight was needed and it's at an exciting weight.

In the long run, I doubt this will help the struggling MMA promotion get out from under the bus but for the short term, it presents some quality fights for the IFL Grand Prix Final. At least for the end of the year, we will have more than one MMA promotion presenting a decent card. The UFC's card will definitely be the headliner of events during that weekend, but the IFL GP will still present a viable option for viewing as well. I don't think it will break rating numbers or surprise many of us as the best card of the IFL season. I think the new weight class can only benefit the sinking ship that is the IFL.