CES MMA 23 FIGHT PREVIEW

The newest card from Twin River Casino in Licoln Rhode Island is sure to impress. Local superstars, a return to the cage for a local top 10, and a few veterans from the big shows will all be plying their trade for CES MMA come Saturday April, 25th. CES has been putting on some of the best shows with some of the best regional talent in New England for some time now, and as always, it will be a pleasure sitting cage side when it all goes down.

The First fight of the evening will be a sure a KO by someone as Ralph Johnson (6-11) takes on Team Sityodtongs Warlock Brandon Chagnon (4-4). Both guys like to bang out and this one has a serious knockout written all over it. The question is will be Johnsons length or Chagnon’s grittiness that gets the job done tomorrow night?

The second fight of the evening will pit hard hitting heavyweight Eric Bedard out of Tri-Force MMA fresh off his KO victory over former #1 Heavyweight Tyler King locking up with well Rounded Matthew Thompson. Thompson is coming into this fight the much more experienced fighter, boasting an 18-9 record, and going 9-1 in his last 10 fights, all of which came by finish. He has shown a lot of skill on the matt, winning by varied submission holds, which is an area of the game we’ve seen Bedard struggle before. Bedard comes in with a 6-4 record and sledgehammers for hands. When his hands touch your chin, you’d be hard pressed to find a fighter that comes back for more. That said, two recent losses to Pat Walsh have made his ground game something of a question mark, where Thompson seems to excel. What takes home the win? Iron fists, or slick submissions?

Bobby Flynn takes his 4-1 professional record into the cage against the dangerous Tundee Odumuso, who comes into the cage with a 2-2 record. Flynn has proven to be quite the man on the matt, notching three of his four wins by submission. His grappling game is good, but he has hands to compliment that as well, notching a tko as well. Tundee may be in a little bit of trouble here, as submission defense has been something of a Achilles’ heel for the talented RI fighter. That said, he has the gas tank to go the distance and the skill to get the win if he is able to avoid any prolonged engagement with the slick Flynn on the mat.

Next up on the card we have PJ Rodgers, who looks to scoop up his first pro win, against the 4-7 Franklin Isabel. A Bellator veteran, Rodgers comes into the cage having the experience of fighting for one of the biggest promotions in the country. PJ is know for his outstanding kickboxing and has trained with some of the best in the game. Franklin is coming off a TKO loss to Dinis Paiva. So we hope he can shake off that loss and come out and put a strong performance on against PJ. This fight could be a good strike fest. Frankin is slick off his back but PJ is no slouch either.

Next outing features undefeated Eric Spicely, rocking a strong 3-0 record against late replacement David Jordan out of Vegas, NV. Jordan is 0-2 but has fought to both split decision losses. Spicely is still considered the new kid on the block in this fight. However, Eric just received his brown belt from Jiu Jitsu ACE Tim Burrill out of Providence RI and is considered a dangerous submission machine and will be looking to finish this fight wherever it goes. That said, Spicely is undefeated for a reason. Clearly well rounded, Spicely has stopped his opponents with strikes, submissions and sheer will. We expect an excellent fight and gutsy performance from both fighters.

Next up, local standout and human highlight reel Rico Discullo out of Team Sityodtong, looks to sling some leather with Jordan Espinosa. A Bellator veteran, the dangerous Discullo has terrified opponents across the US for years with those thunderous hands. That said, the kid has a top notch ground game to go with those cinder-block hands, and has used both to get the victory when needed. A submission artist with three submission wins to his credit, Espinosa apparently lives by the sword and dies by the sword, finishing or being finished on the mat. A submission artist with a nose for chokes, a power puncher with a well-rounded game, ladies and gentlemen stay in your seats…this one won’t take long.

Finally returning to the cage, Team Sityodtong standout Tateki Matsuda looks to put his 8-4 record on the line against undefeated Matt Dohrety. This bout is going to pit two men with some strong hands in the middle of the cage, as the talented and technical Matsuda will look to implement his top level striking and technique to grab the stoppage. Dohrety is a powerful kid boasting two of his three wins by TKO in the early second round. The two men are going to trade some leather, and if I had to guess, someone is hitting the canvas! In addition, I can’t imagine this fight won’t affect the top ten rankings in some way, as Tateki has found himself a fixture on that list in recent years, and faces a very tough opponent in the undefeated Dohrety. A win for either fighter would be huge.

Andre Soukhamthath has been around for a while now, and the veteran steps into the cage once more to add another scalp to his belt. A winner of four of his last five, Andre has the tools to win a fight wherever it goes, holding wins by submission, strikes and decision. His 7-2 record is a strong one, and the always exciting Soukhamthath will surely be looking for his eighth win and another finish. Across the cage from him will be the always tough and equally savvy Josh Killion. A veteran fighter with a 10-5 record, Killion has proven time and time again to be an absolute terror on the matt, choking out nearly every single opponent he has ever bested. His submission skills will be tested, however, by the skill and well-roundedness of Soukamthath!

In the night’s co-main event, savage striker Josh Deikmann will pit his aggression and power against the dangerous Keith Bell in a heavyweight tilt! Deikmann comes into the cage the more experienced fighter, rocking a 14-5 record littered with KO’s and Tko’s. Bell comes in with a five, three and one record, and throws the big punches himself. Victorious in three of his last four, Bell holds a stunning head kick knockout, and two tko’s against strong competition. When two heavyweights with big-boy power collide, it makes for a short fight. Don’t blink, because someone is going to be yelling timber before the end of the first!

Finally, our main event features local standout and champion Rob Font, out of Team Sityodtong. Rob looks to risk his 9-1 record against the 7-3 Tristan Johnson. You don’t get much more well-rounded than the super-talented Font, who boast knockout power, superior technique, strong wrestling and slick jiu-jitsu. There isn’t really any way Font hasn’t been able to win a fight, and he has proven to be as game as his is talented when it comes to biting down on the mouthpiece and ending the fight. Johnson is a hard hitting lightweight with a good few tko’s to his record. Strong hands and crisp technique make him an interesting match-up for Font, who usually enjoys a stand up advantage. That said, Johnson has the skill and athleticism to compete, so the champion better bring his A game, because the challenger is hungry.

That’s it folks! Another night a quality competition from the best in the region. See you there, support our scholarship, and support your local fighters!

Written By: William Raczkowski and Tom Evans