With all the preparation surrounding the IFL Finals on September 20, the Quad City Silverbacks and the New York Pitbulls aren’t the only fighters preparing for battle. The top four fighters in each of the five IFL weight classes will compete in a two-round, single elimination tournament called The World Grand Prix. There will also be an alternate fighter in each weight class if needed.The semi-finals will be held on November 3rd at the Sears Center in Chicago, IL and the finals will be at the Mohegan Sun Arena on
December 29 in Uncasville, Conn.
Throughout the season, fighters have acquired points from matches they have won. At the end of the season, points were tallied and the combatants chosen. Some of these fights will be rematches from earlier this season. One of those rematches has Quad City Heavyweight sensation Ben Rothwell facing the Lions’ Roy Nelson. They last met in April at The Mark of the Quad Cities in Moline, Ill. Rothwell got the split decision win but some would later say that he won because he was in his home town. So expect a bloody and explosive fight.
On the other end of the scale, there will be a lightweight rematch between the 19 year old Los Angeles Anaconda phenom, Chris ”The Polish Hammer” Horodecki and Silverback Bart Palaszewski. Although Palaszewski put a standing guillotine on Horodecki in the first round, the bell would save him and would eventually win over the judges to get the win. Fans and fighters would later name that the fight of the decade. That was February in Houston and this time the lightweight belt is on the line.
IFL is the first mixed martial arts team league. But in Chicago on November 3rd, 2007, it will be some of the best one on one fight that the IFL has seen yet. Check back with Hola America in our next issue where Quad Cities own, “Big” Ben Rothwell gives an exclusive interview.
Lightweight (155 lb.)
No. 1 Wagnney Fabiano, Dragons (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-0 IFL 2007, 3-0 IFL career, 7-1 overall) vs. No. 4 John Gunderson, Lions (Medford, Ore.) (2-1, 2-1, 15-4)
No. 2 Chris Horodecki, Anacondas (London, Ontario) (3-0, 6-0, 10-0) vs. No. 3 Bart Palaszewski, Silverbacks (Wonder Lake, Ill.) (2-1, 7-1, 27-8) Alternate: Shad Lierley, Tiger Sharks (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1, 2-1)
Welterweight (170 lb.)
No. 1 Delson Heleno, Pitbulls (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-0, 4-1, 11-2) vs. No. 4 Mark Miller, Red Bears (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2, 2-1) No. 2 Antonio McKee, Sabres (Lakewood, Calif.) (3-0, 3-0, 20-3-2) vs. No. 3 Jay Hieron, Anacondas (Las Vegas) (2-1, 4-2, 12-4) Alternate: Pat Healy, Lions (St. Louis) (2-1, 2-1. 18-12)
Middleweight (185 lb.)
No. 1 Benji Radach, Anacondas (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (3-0, 3-0, 15-3) vs. No. 4 Brent Beauparlant, Dragons (Ottawa, Ontario) (2-1, 3-3, 6-4) No. 2 Matt Horwich, Wolfpack (Portland, Ore.) (2-1, 4-3, 19-9-1) vs. No. 3 Brian Foster, Razorclaws (Moreno Valley, Calif.) (2-1, 3-2, 9-11) Alternate: Fabio Leopoldo, Pitbulls (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (2-1, 3-1, 5-2)
Light Heavyweight (205 lb.)
No. 1 Vladimir Matyushenko, Sabres (El Segundo, Calif.) (3-0, 3-0, 18-3) vs. No. 4 Alex Schoenauer, Anacondas (Las Vegas) (2-1, 4-3, 12-7) No. 2 Mike Whitehead, Scorpions (Central Point, Ore.) (2-0, 4-0, 19-4) vs. No. 3 Mike Ciesnolevicz, Silverbacks (Williamstown, Pa.) (2-0, 4-2, 12-2) Alternate: Jamal Patterson, Pitbulls (Hoboken, N.J.) (1-0, 3-1, 3-1)
Heavyweight (265 lb.)
No. 1 Ben Rothwell, Silverbacks (Milwaukee, Wis.) (3-0, 7-0, 22-5) vs. No. 4 Roy Nelson, Lions (Las Vegas) (2-1, 2-1, 8-2) No. 2 Antoine Jaoude, Condors (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-0, 3-0, 7-2) vs. No. 3 Reese Andy, Tiger Sharks (Billings, Mont.) (3-0, 5-1, 7-1) Alternate: Bryan Vetell, Pitbulls (Jamaica, N.Y.) (1-1, 1-2, 2-2)