FIVE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE ATHLETES CLAIM WORLD GRAND PRIX TITLES
Schultz Upends Horodecki in Lightweight Final; Nelson, Fabiano, Hieron,
Horwich Also Earn Inaugural Belts in Season-Ending Championship Event
UNCASVILLE, Conn., December 29, 2007 Ryan “The Lion” Schultz
(North Platte, Neb.) knocked out previously undefeated 20-year-old Chris
“The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (London, Ontario), capping an
exciting night of action by winning the lightweight (155-lbs.) championship at the inaugural International Fight League World Grand Prix finals, held
tonight in front of 5,731 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville,
Conn. Four other Championship belts also took place, including victories
by Roy “Big Country” Nelson (Las Vegas) at heavyweight (265-lbs.),
Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at featherweight (145-lbs.),
Jay Hieron (Las Vegas) at welterweight (170-lbs.), and Matt Horwich
(Portland, Ore.) at middleweight (185-lbs.).
The five Championships were the most ever contested on one night in
North American MMA history.
Schultz took control early in the first round and continued to pound
Horodecki before the referee stepped in late in the round to stop the
bout. Schultz had been named a late replacement in the title bout after
injuries to Horodecki’s previous two opponents.
In the first Championship bout of the night, at 265 lbs., Nelson came
out swinging against Antoine Jaoude (Rio de Janeiro), eventually scoring
a TKO seconds into the second round, to win the heavyweight belt.
After nearly finishing off Jaoude near the end of the first round, Nelson
kept up the pressure, landing several uncontested punches, resulting in
the referee stoppage. Next, Fabiano kept his unbeaten (6-0) IFL
record intact by working a submission over L.C. Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) via armbar late in the first round. Long Island, N.Y., native Hieron
scored a TKO at the end of the first round to claim the welterweight bout,
finishing off Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with a
ground-and-pound after knocking him to the mat with a right hand. Horwich stunned Benji Radach (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) in the second round of their middleweight bout, knocking out the previously unbeaten Radach after absorbing several blows in the first round.
In three preliminary bouts held prior to the Championship competition,
Alex Cook (Whitehaven, England) helped introduce the new British IFL
team, coached by Ian Freeman, which will begin competition in 2008,
against Marcello Salazar (Portland, Ore./Brazil), with Salazar taking a
unanimous decision. Brett Cooper (Long Beach, Calif.), who was selected
through the IFL Draft in Los Angeles in October, scored a second-round
TKO over Rory Markham (Chicago), who fights out of Pat Miletich’s camp,
in a welterweight bout. Undefeated military vet Tim Kennedy
(Fayetteville, N.C.), knocked out local standout Elias Rivera (Meriden, Conn.) two minutes into the first round of their middleweight matchup.
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Horwich is now the middleweight champion too, by the way ;)
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Marcello Salazar vs. Alex Cook via unanimous dec. Rd. 3
Brett Cooper vs. Rory Markham via TKO Rd. 2
Elias Rivera vs. Tim Kennedy via TKO Rd. 1
Roy Nelson vs. Antoine Jaoude via TKO Rd. 2
Roy Nelson is the IFL Heavyweight champion
LC Davis vs. Wagnney Fabiano via armbar submission Rd.1
Fabiano is now featherweight champion of the IFL
Jay Hieron vs. Delson Heleno via TKO Rd. 1
Hieron is now the welterweight champion of the IFL
Matt Horwich vs. Benji Radach via TKO Rd. 2
Ryan Schultz vs. Chris Horodecki via TKO Rd. 1
Schultz is now the lightweight IFL champion
Great fights if you get a chance to watch!!
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