WSOF-NYC: Fight Breakdown
The UFC will not be the only MMA promotion putting on a high-profile New Year’s show this year. The World Series of Fighting presents its December 31st card this weekend, featuring a slate of fights that showcase the best talent the organization has to offer. WSOF 34 will take place at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, in the heart of New York City. Needless to say, New York Fighting is taking the time to break down the major fights on the card.
Main Event Lightweight Championship: Justin Gaethje (16-0) vs. Luiz Firmino (19-7)
To say that reigning Lightweight Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje has made his name inside the WSOF cage would be an understatement. The Grudge Training Center product and former collegiate wrestler has amassed a spotless record as a professional, including a record of 9-0 within the promotion. His record is anchored by notable wins over Melvin Guillard and Gesias Cavalcante, while his slugfests with Luis Palomino stand out as his most memorable fights. Despite his wrestling background, Gaethje is a fighter who prefers to do his work on the feet, with a full complement of strikes at his disposal. He has been challenged in many of his fights, but always finds a way to win.
Justin Gaethje after open workouts
Luiz “Buscape” Firmino, on the other hand, is a tried and true veteran of the game who leans heavily on his grappling, and will take an ugly victory over a thrilling defeat. The 34-year-old employs a grinding Jiu Jitsu-based style that has carried him around the world for brief stints in various promotions. Anchored at the Blackzillians camp, Buscape has likely seen it all over his 16-plus years as a professional. He is coming off a submission loss to the resurgent Brian Foster in his last WSOF appearance, and is a late replacement in this fight for Gaethje’s original opponent, Joao Zeferino.
The style matchup favors the champion here, as Gaethje should be able to use his wrestling to keep the fight on the feet and employ his marked advantage in striking at range. Moreover, Gaethje is a man on the rise in the sport, and Firmino occupies more of the journeyman role. The shortened preparation time does not help Buscape either. Expect Gaethje to earn a TKO victory.
Welterweight Championship: Jon Fitch (28-7-1) vs. Jake Shields (31-8-1)
Two of the Welterweight division’s most respected veterans clash in the co-main event as former UFC title challenger, and current WSOF champion Jon Fitch takes on former multi-divisional Strikeforce champ and also former UFC title challenger, Jake Shields. Little needs to be said about the talents of these two fighters, as their games are well-established and well-scouted – their weaknesses, well-known. Both fighters are strong wrestlers, both are grinders with exceptional submission defense, and both do their best work on the ground. Fitch may be a bit more confident on the feet, while Shields remains one of the best submission grapplers in the world even at 37 years of age.
Jon Fitch doing media
After being cut from the UFC in 2013 after a loss to Demian Maia, Fitch has had mixed success in the WSOF, falling victim to submissions on two occasions (Rousimar Palhares and Josh Burkman), but posting notable victories over Yushin Okami and Joao Zeferino among others. These two wins earned him the Welterweight title, which was vacated by grappling menace Rousimar Palhares. And on that note….
Shields is coming off a dispiriting submission loss to Rousimar Palhares, who was suspended and stripped of his title after his antics during the bout. In a match that he was winning, Shields suffered repeated unpenalized eye gouges from Palhares, causing damage to his eyes and ultimately hospitalizing him, before succumbing to a kimura in the third round. Shields took time off to reevaluate his career and competed in some well-publicized no-gi BJJ matches, but rediscovered his passion and now returns to MMA.
Jake Shields after open workouts
Fitch is no slouch, but Shields has a similar style to Demian Maia, who effectively neutralized Fitch for three rounds. Fitch has been more vulnerable in grappling exchanges than he ever seemed to be in the UFC, and Shields seems to have kept his tools sharper. Never mistaken for a big finisher, Shields should be able to keep the pressure on Fitch in order to claim a decision, and the Welterweight title, in an important if unspectacular affair.
Middleweight Championship: David Branch (19-3) vs. Louis Taylor (13-3)
It is almost a crime that David Branch does not receive more attention for his exploits in the WSOF cage. Not only did the New York City native attain championship status in the Light Heavyweight division after already snatching the Middleweight belt by winning a tournament for the vacant title, he has taken on all comers in defending both titles at the same time. The 35-year-old Renzo Gracie BJJ black belt has put together a 9-0 record in WSOF where he handily defeated UFC veterans Jesse Taylor, Yushin Okami, and Vinny Magalhaes, among others. Originally a Jiu Jitsu-based fighter, Branch has shown a confident and developed boxing game in his recent fights that he has leaned on as his primary means of attack.
Taylor, at age 37, is taking his first step up against a fighter the caliber of Branch. The Chicago native, nicknamed “Put The Guns Down,” is something of a local community activist who looks to set a positive example for neighborhood youth. With a 2-0 record inside the WSOF cage, Taylor has astoundingly finished his last five fights by guillotine choke, though he is more than competent on the feet. Branch, however, has vastly more experience against high level competition, and is unlikely to get caught in a guillotine choke or let his guard down to get overwhelmed by strikes. Branch should be able to set the pace on the feet, and rely on his ever-improving wrestling if things get too dicey. David Branch by third round stoppage is the pick.
Bantamweight Championship: Marlon Moraes (17-4-1) vs. Josenaldo Silva (25-4)
Marlon Moraes is easily one of the top Bantamweights currently not signed to the UFC. The 28-year-old Brazilian Muay Thai machine has been on a tear over the past few years, dispatching all ten WSOF opponents he has faced with his kicking game. The reigning champ’s fighting style bears a strong resemblance to that of his teammate, top UFC Lightweight Edson Barboza. Based out of the Ricardo Almeida camp in New Jersey, Moraes employs a cautious but devastating Muay Thai offensive, doing much of his damage with frequent heavy leg kicks. He avoids grappling exchanges like the plague, but has shown a respectable Jiu Jitsu game when he needs to use it.
Silva, on the other hand, has done most of his work on the Brazilian regional circuit, defeating lesser-known fighters in reputable promotions such as Jungle Fight and Shooto Brazil. Making his WSOF debut against Moraes, little information is available about this Brazilian, who rides an impressive 17-fight winning streak into this bout. It is always hard to pick a fight involving a relatively unknown Brazilian fighter with a gaudy record, but Moraes is the more proven commodity and should have the tools to hang on to his title. Moraes will likely play it safe and smart, avoiding reckless exchanges and looking to maintain distance on his feet with constant movement and probing kicks. Expect this one to go the distance with Moraes taking a clear-cut decision victory.
Josenaldo Silva during open workouts
Featherweight Bout: Andre Harrison (14-0) vs. Bruce Boyington (14-9)
Unfortunately buried on the undercard is a fight showcasing rising Featherweight star and New York native Andre “The Bull” Harrison. A recent WSOF signee, Harrison has made his name in Titan FC and Ring of Combat, amassing an undefeated 14-0 record that includes wins over UFC veterans like Steven Siler, Kurt Holobaugh, and Bellator veteran Alexandre Bezerra in his most recent outing. A former collegiate wrestling standout at Fort Hays State University, The Bull has run through the best that the regional circuits have to offer, and now looks to make his name on the national and world stage.
Boyington comes into this fight with a loss in his most recent bout to Musa Khamanaev, but had posted five consecutive victories before that loss. The 37-year-old fighter nicknamed “Pretty Boy” has been fighting professionally since 2009, but has really stepped up his game over recent years to improve his overall record.
Boyington is no slouch, but Harrison has the makings of a future star and seems primed for a major run at the WSOF title in the immediate future. The Bull has fought and beaten fighters with more impressive pedigrees than the “Pretty Boy” and should be able to fall back on his wrestling whenever needed. Look for Andre Harrison to take a TKO stoppage or a commanding decision victory, and expect him to receive a WSOF Featherweight title shot in short order.
Writer: Kyle Antonelli
Photo/Video: You Bin
