Headlining Friday's IFL event in Connecticut is a heavyweight matchup as fun as any you'll see in the sport. It's a story of two fighters from different ends of the body spectrum.
Roy Nelson (Pictures) (12-2) is much shorter and more rotund, but he fights as if he were 6-foot-7 and is no stranger to tangling with giants. Whether people are paying attention or not, he is a rising star. He also loves to trade punches, but Imes will be very difficult to box.
Heath Herring (Pictures) couldn't put Imes away. With all due respect to Ben Rothwell (Pictures), the "Hillbilly Heartthrob" may be Nelson's biggest challenge to date, both literally and figuratively. Kudos to Imes for filling in for an injured Branden Lee Hinkle (Pictures) on such short notice, but with a title belt on the line, the decision was too golden to pass up.
Nelson may want to actually take an IFL opponent to the ground, where his ground skills can be put to use. Plus, Big Country's jiu-jitsu is just too good to get caught in any kind of gogoplata business.
Ryan McGivern (Pictures) (12-5) vs. Dan Miller (Pictures) (7-1)
Ryan McGivern (Pictures) recently took the middleweight belt from Matt Horwich (Pictures) in a war, and now he'll have a chance to defend it against the growing threat that is Dan Miller (Pictures).
IFL fans will best remember Miller for sinking perhaps the nastiest standing guillotine in MMA history against Dave Phillips (Pictures) last year. As good as Miller has looked in his career so far, he will really have to step up his game against McGivern.
Ryan's toughness and stamina are second to none. With his knockout last year of Fabio Leopoldo (Pictures), he's become more than just a great wrestler with big lungs.
The bad news for Miller is that a great wrestler with big lungs can be very difficult to beat, but the upside is that McGivern has shown that he can be submitted. The key to winning for Miller is to attack and look for that submission early because as the fight wears on, McGivern's motor will never quit. That standing guillotine won't be available in the third round.
Ryan Schultz (Pictures) (19-9-1) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Pictures) (9-2)
The fight of the night in Connecticut may be the lightweights.
Schultz has been on a tear, winning all of his fights in 2007, capped off with an upset of phenom Chris Horodecki (Pictures) in the grand prix finals. After a successful defense of his title in February against John Gunderson (Pictures), he will now face an even bigger challenge against Taurosevicius.
Taurosevicius' last loss was in 2006 against UFC vet Frank Edgar (Pictures), and since then he's proven to be a very athletic and skilled opponent. His submission of Bart Palaszewski (Pictures) also heightened his awareness in the IFL's lightweight division.
Fortunately for Schultz, Taurosevicius has been inactive since last September and entering the ring rusty could put the mojo in Schultz's favor. Schultz is a solid wrestler coming out of Team Quest, but his hands are lethal. With the always present danger of a Taurosevicius submission, he may want to just keep the fight standing.
Aaron Stark (Pictures) (5-4) vs. Lamont Lister (Pictures) (5-3)
The "Philly Badass" Lamont Lister (Pictures) is fresh off a quick win in the Yamma pit, and now he makes his IFL debut against a seasoned IFL vet in Aaron Stark (Pictures).
Stark's wrestling is solid thanks to his D-1 background, but he's shown a weakness in the standup game that will be tested against Lister's knockout power. Stark will need to close the distance early in order to impose his will and make this a submission battle on the ground.
Stuffing the takedown and swinging away will be Lister's best bet.
Danillo Villefort (6-2) vs. Mike Massenzio (10-1)
IFL fans will get a treat in this undercard matchup between two IFL newcomers who have proven their worth outside the league.
Massenzio's stock is definitely on the rise. With his stellar record and victories over the IFL's Dan Miller (Pictures) and Dante Rivera (Pictures) from "The Ultimate Fighter," he's poised for a breakout. It won't be a walk in the park, however, with American Top Team fighter "Indio" Villefort.
Massenzio has good submissions, but Villefort's style is nightmarish, coupling submissions with knockout power. Massenzio will want to get this fight on the ground, though getting there could be difficult with Villefort's constant pressing attack with his fists.
The big winner in this fight will be the IFL because whoever wins could be poised to be another name in their list of rising stars.
Joey Guel (Pictures) (12-5) vs. Matt Horwich (Pictures) (21-10-1)
The bad news for Guel is that he's facing "El Suave" in his IFL introduction. The good news is that he knows what he's up against, having trained with Team Quest in the past.
While Horwich's style of refusing to get knocked out and his never-say-die attitude usually confounds opponents, Guel may have some insider info on how to beat the former middleweight champ. On the flip side, Guel may not truly know whom he is fighting on Friday.
Horwich has improved leaps and bounds in the past two years and has become very dangerous on his feet. He also happens to be coming off a hard-fought and close loss to Ryan McGivern (Pictures). After working so many years for a belt only to lose it so quickly, he will be very motivated and a motivated Horwich is a scary thought.
John Howard (8-3) vs. Nick Calandrino (4-0)
Calandrino comes into the fight with a flawless record, but his opponent is a salty dog. Howard's background is strong in standup, yet he's no stranger to submissions.
While "Doomsday" is more than comfortable on the ground, it might behoove him to keep the fight standing as long as he can use his muay Thai to confound Calandrino and put him in a scenario that might expose his inexperience.
Josh Souder (6-2-1) vs. Zac George (Pictures) (12-2)
Zac George (Pictures) enters this fight with a great record and a solid background with Team Quest. His opponent, Josh Souder, is getting an opportunity to step up into the big leagues with this fight.
While Souder has been working on his standup, his strengths are on the ground, but getting George there could be harder than he thinks. Working at TQ should bolster George's takedown defense, and with his power and hand speed, he could be sending Souder back to the minors very quickly.
Frank Latina (Pictures) (4-1) vs. John Franchi (Pictures) (3-0)
Not a ton of fights between these two fighters, who are making their way into the IFL. There shouldn't be too much pressure other than to come out and deliver their best shot.
Both men are well rounded while Latina may have the edge on the ground. The opportunity to make a name for themselves should have both fighters motivated, especially the older Latina.