The Fight Report: RFA 8
A driver in Crystal Lake, Illinois owes us a RFA 8 main event! With the marquee set as Sergio Pettis vs. “The Big Frog” Jeff Curran, Curran was forced to pull out of this title bout when someone struck and nearly killed his faithful hound. With Curran pulled from the gym for emergency surgery and assistance to his pooch, Pettis faces a new threat in Dillard Pegg in the new RFA 8 main event, along with a strong cast of Wisconsin fighters filling out the main card.
So, let’s all wish Curran’s hound a swift recovery and check out all that’s in store for us at RFA 8.
125 lbs. Title Fight: Sergio Pettis vs. Dillard Pegg: The younger brother of UFC elite Anthony Pettis, Sergio has a huge shadow cast over him, and will be looking for a breakout performance in this title fight. Using the same hybrid striking style as the elder Pettis, Sergio spends most of his fights on the feet, lashing out with rapid kicks at multiple levels, smooth boxing and fluid footwork. While he lacks the crushing power and swagger of Anthony, Pettis makes for a nice chance of pace from the boxer/wrestlers dominating the Wisconsin scene, and at 19 years old, has plenty of upside as a fighter.
Pegg comes into this on short notice and with few fights to his name. A TKD specialist with some power, he will engage the Roufusport prodigy on his home turf, and shows serious gumption in the attempt. Guts or no, Pegg is just not equipped to deal with Pettis, whom brings all the same attributes as Pegg with the benefit of a championship fight camp under his belt. This won’t be pretty, as Pegg finds himself badly outgunned and definitely beaten by the wunderkind midway through the fight.
145 lbs. Title Fight: Jared Downing vs. Lance Palmer: A multi-faceted terror of the Featherweight division, Jared Downing will bring his belt to Wisconsin for his first title defense, taking on Team Alpha Male’s Lance Palmer. Downing is an impressive battler, bringing an Iowa wrestling pedigree, championship cardio, heavy hands and deceptively smooth submission defense to the cage. Having beaten Royce Gracie project Jordan Rinaldi in a five round marathon of grappling, Downing looks positively fantastic against nearly all-comers.
That is, nearly all but Lance Palmer. A four-time All-American, Palmer made waves when he decided to try his hand at MMA, and has thus far looked like a future star. Fighting similarly to stable mate Chad Mendes, Palmer uses fast and aggressive striking to set up his takedowns, where he’s developing a sticky top game and the submission Alpha Male is known for. I think Downing is a great fighter with a great career, but Palmer is perhaps the worst possible match for a wrestling-centric fighter, especially considering the majority of Palmer’s training partners are simply better versions of Downing. Palmer isn’t as good at Downing everywhere, but he is better at wrestling and will showcase this across five rounds, snatching his first major title.
Mike Rhodes vs. Benjamin Smith: Two athletes take wildly divergent paths to MMA, as basketball player Mike Rhodes faces Wisconsin wrestler Benjamin Smith in a Welterweight tilt. Rhodes has developed a nice MMA game in his career thus far, training under Roufusport, but picking up skills that are seldom seen from that gym. With a boxing-oriented game and a surprising knack for wrestling, Rhodes will face a former wrestling start in Benjamin Smith, whose looking to get back into the game. This is a case of Smith having far more combat sports experience, but Rhodes being a better natural talent overall, and with a bit of youth on his side as well. While Smith is the stronger of the two, almost every other factor favors Rhodes in this fight, giving him the green light to dish out an ass kicking for Roufusport. A close first round turns into a rout in the second, with Rhodes backing Smith up with strikes and finishing on the mat with ground and pound.
Category: Featured, MMA, Resurrection Fighting Alliance
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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