If styles make fights then mark down the middleweight battle between fierce Russian striker Arthur Guseinov and Tyson ‘The Anti-Hero’ Jeffries as one you don’t want to miss on M-1 Global’s sophomore outing on Showtime live from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, CA on July 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).
Jeffries’s last outing was one he would like to soon forget, enduring a round-and-a-half of pure punishment from newly crowned Middleweight Champion Magomed ‘The White Wolf’ Sultanakhmedov as his title dreams quickly turned into a nightmare. The Oregon native and Team Quest fighter has done all he can to prepare himself this time out, calling in some favours to train with Rampage in Las Vegas and at the Wolfslair MMA Academy in England; under the tutelage of some of the sport’s greats, Jeffries is be ready to draw first blood on his opponent.
Standing in the opposing corner come fight night and eager to make his North American debut is Action-Force Fight Team’s feared Russian striker Arthur Guseinov, who’s known for his tight clinch work, deadly spinning back-kicks and head-hunting high kicks. Making a worldwide trek, Guseinov will be ready to go head-to-head with Jeffries.
Guseinov’s 14-2 combined amateur and professional record is littered with KO / TKO victories thanks to a lightning-quick striking arsenal but the crafty Russian is coming to California riding a two-fight skid after losses to submission specialist Beslan Esaev and American scrapper Luigi Fioravanti. But don’t expect this to affect his aggressive, explosive fighting style; Jeffries should anticipate facing a high powered offensive right from the sound of the first bell.
In contrast to Guseinov, Jeffries holds a 7-5 record and most of his battles have been epic marathons; he’s no stranger to being the main character in Fight of the Night award-winning wars. Jeffries is a fighter with a relentless, never-say-die fighting style who simply doesn’t quit; he would rather have his arm broken than to ever admit an opponent has broken his will. It’s unlikely to see Guseinov lock on a submission but the Matt Lindland protégé needs to stay true to his steadfast defense to ensure he keeps his head on his shoulders – literally.
2010 was an exceptional year for Jeffries, winning the M-1 Selections Americas tournament middleweight brackets with a solid combination of submission skills and striking abilities as he dismantled Mike Johnson, Plinio Cruz and Mike Geurin; it was in his Finals bout where he truly matured as a fighter. The middleweight finals battle with Team Bombsquad’s Mike Geurin took the card’s Fight of the Night honour, Submission of the Night award, is regarded as the highlight bout of the tournament and was also cemented as M-1 Global’s #3 fight of 2010.
Since making his professional debut in October 2005, all of Guseinov’s victories have ended in the first round except for one; the lone decision victory came against Magomed Sultanakhmedov in the opening round of the 2009 M-1 Selection European tournament. Holding this coveted win, the ‘what-if’ implications of a Guseinov victory on July 8th can be hashed out but it’s easy to predict the matchmaker’s plan of sliding Guseinov into a future title bout.
Guseinov returned to the ring of Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion in 2010 after being summoned to step in on short notice to face Fioravanti; the talented striker with a formidable karate background gave his all in a dramatic back and forth affair that captured the cards Fight of the Night top-honour, losing via RNC submission in the overtime round.
Considered a small 185’er by North American standards, Guseinov will have to rely on his striking arsenal and open the bout with a blitzkrieg attack to overwhelm Jeffries; the punishment needs to come fast and unrelenting as ‘The Anti-Hero’ has proven to possess an iron chin and an unbreakable will.
Jeffries’ keys to victory are to rely on his veteran’s patience and effectively counter off of Guseinov’s combinations and look to unleash his takedown threat; if he can get the fight to the ground, he can leverage his size advantage and wear Guseinov out and lock in one of his repertoire’s submissions.
This is a big fight for both fighters. For Guseinov, a win sets the story for a future title fight against Sultanakhmedov while a loss would mark his third straight defeat. For Jeffries, a wins shakes off his last loss and starts him on the path for another future title shot; a loss marks him as a +500 journeyman fighter to be used as a stepping stone for other rising prospects.
Whoever wins, it’s going to be one entertaining fight!
