Three Stand out at MFC 39
Tonight’s MFC 39 was a reasonably exciting card that had a few rough patches, MFC attempted to put two belts on the line, but the athletic commission’s odd weigh-in rules forced one to become a sort of non-title affair. Even still we had a handful of strong performances, with three that stuck out.
Gilbert Smith: The first big show bout for Smith since leaving the UFC, he was given a ruthless opponent in Jason South and came out looking stellar. Smith’s main issues in his time in both the TUF house and UFC were a lack of endurance and a poor build for MMA. While the build isn’t something he can readily fix, he showed he’s learned to stay safe and active on the inside and put up a fast pace without wilting. South is no slouch on the mat, but Smith was always a step ahead, and survived a bottle cap guillotine scare for nearly a minute in the last round before pulling off the decision. A feather in his cap and a bright picture of things to come.
Tom Gallicchio: A perfect example of what coaching and a strong mind will do, Gallicchio was in trouble for much of the fight, gaining no respect from the swarming Southern. With his takedown game coming up short and losing inside the pocket, Gallicchio went back to the drawing board between rounds and came out smartly in the second, changing to extreme angles on his strikes. A tight half-overhand clipped Southern and set up the takedown Gallicchio needed to work his magic on the mat, and he was sure not to waste the opportunity. A tight RNC sealed the deal and Gallicchio, though beltless, still pulled off a victory by using his mind where brawn failed.
Darrill Schoonover: Hamilton kept his belt, but my hat goes off to Schoonover tonight for a serious effort to win against a monster of a heavyweight. Schoonover is the fighter Roy Nelson thinks he is, being an overly heavy fighter who is still athletic and clearly a hard worker in the gym. Five rounds in a grueling fight, and Schoonover was still fit and ready to go, though he simply couldn’t make anything work against the hard-charging Hamilton. The best punch of the fight and a few attacks off his back couldn’t win him the title, but a solid performance here just the same.
Check out some of the MFC 39 highlights below.
Category: Maximum Fighting Championship, MMA
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
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