The aptly dubbed 'March to War,' by me, continues as prominent Australian MMA promotions unintentionally align their schedules for the month of March. While this convergence may not have been meticulously orchestrated, it appears that key entities such as Eternal MMA, Beatdown Promotions, Hex Fight Series, and others are concurrently presenting their offerings, spotlighting the region's top-tier talent.
This weekend features the brain child of UFC veteran Damien ‘Beatdown’ Brown, Beatdown Promotions 6. A fight show that really encapsulates a high-end live show experience with a fighter friendly apporach. The PPV worthy bouts are shown for FREE on YouTube and the entire vibe of the event gives off a welcoming nature to potential sponsors. Damien Brown might just be a better businessman and prompter than he was a fighter, and he was pretty bloody good at that. Emphasis on the word bloody…
Now with that elite level glazing out the way, let me present to you, Beatdown Promotions 6…
Stewart Nicoll vs Issei Kitano:
There’s a 3-man weave happening in the flyweight division, with recently ventured bantamweights, Anthony Drilich & Sean Gauci, returning to the division. There’s been one man that’s hung at the top of that division however, unblemished at 7-0, Stewart Nicoll.
Now we’ve talked about Nicoll before (see ‘How Much Is A Nicoll Worth’), when debating just where the man sits in the flyweight division. Since taking out Dansheel Moodley (8-4), quite convincingly, and signing with Ruby Sports (athletes: Dricus De Plessis, Justin Tafa & Petr Yan), Nicoll has been a when, not if he gets signed to the UFC.
On March 9th, he takes on a very dangerous Issei Kitano (5-0), but like most internationals flown in, this won’t get perhaps the respect it deserves. Kitano is on a 5 fight TKO streak with ZERO fights making it out of the first round. Regardless, Nicoll, the Tapology #1 125er in Australia, needs to take him out. It’s almost unfair at times but when you are fighting an international, you need to dominate. When big things are expected, big things need to be achieved. Look for this one to be an impressive display by Nicoll. The pressure is on. Will he get the credit he deserves for his performance, probably not, especially not until we witness the inevitable Anthony Drillich or Sean Gauci match up. But hey, they are also in the same boat…
Jamie Sporne vs Jack James:
The co-main event is my fight to watch on March 9th at Eatons Hill Tavern, Jack James and Jamie Sporne’s most recent loss comes at the hands of a distance fight with the only recently former Hex Fight Series welterweight champion, Jono Micallef. ‘Bricktop’ (Jack James), and ‘The Wutang Oranutan’ (Jamie Sporne), are both well rounded fighters. Both with positive records, the 4-2 Jack James, looks to get back on top (quite literally) and continue his pace to contenderhsip.
Sporne (2-1) is a bit of an under the radar entity. He’s widely regarded as a super tough fight for anyone in the division with little to no fan fare. That can and I believe will change on Saturday night. Look for both of these men to come out with future title shots on their mind and the winner of this could very well be expecting a performance of the night…
Alfred Stoddart vs Nick Kepu:
The middleweight division is as thin as most wish they were. The top of table, your Mat Myers, John Martin Fraser’s and Ben Johnston’s are some of the best fighters are country has to offer. Alfred Stoddart and Nick Kepu are very much next in line for that… The winner of this has been dubbed by promoter Damien Brown as:
“The hottest 185lb prospect in Australia”,
and he might very well be right. Take the fact that he’s selling tickets away, Nick Kepu and Alfred Stoddart is a real career making fight. If Nick Kepu, who trains out of The Fight Centre in Brisbane, ironically under Eternal MMA middleweight title challenger Ben Johnson, can beat Stoddart, he could find himself as next in line for a shot, or at least a shot at a shot for the title. Which could prove interesting if his coach/training partner takes home the gold come March 16th. Kepu has strong wrestling with a growing excellence in standup. He’s been scheduled to fight the former 185lb Eternal champion Mat Myers multiple times and could very well see himself in a similar situation, granting a win.
Alfred Stoddart on the other hand has gone from a feared amateur striker, to getting starched in under a minute in his pro debut, to becoming once again, a feared striker again, but this time as a professional. His standup is elite, his understanding of timing and footwork is almost second to none. He may have what seem to be a forgotten ground game that is often under utilised. A regular on Australian MMA, Stoddart has picked his shot since his amateur days. The one speed bump heading into the bout is his fractured, not fractured, broken, not broke, injured nose. Analysing fighters health heading into a bout is always tricky. No fighter ever enters battle unscathed. But according to Stoddart, this fight very nearly didn’t happen…
Regardless of the hurdles (of which I enjoy pointing out), this fight could very much be a clinic on either side. I anticipate Kepu to initiate the grappling, I envision Stoddart comes out looking to snipe. If you’ve got kids, looking to fight one day, this might be the match up to have them watch. It should be a chess match with of course, dire consequences.
Matt Kindness vs Max Kelly:
This next fight is my hands down fight of the night. Almost literally. Max Kelly vs Matt Kindness will be a bar brawling, swing for the fence type of affair. The technique will be way higher than I’ve just implied but honestly, if there isn’t a knock out or a blood bath, I’ll eat my hat. Both of these boys, Max Kelly (1-2) and Matt Kindness (0-1), will always be on any card in the country.
Don’t let their records fool you. They are both early in the game. But both men are more keen for a scrap than your pet dog.
There’s not much I really want to analyse in this fight other than, don’t blink. There is definitely consequences for the man without his hand raised. Don’t get me wrong. But the show means a lot more than the ‘0’ with these guys and that’s what we love about the fight game.
Honourable Mentions:
The rest of the card is going to be a huge insight into who will make a splash and who’s just there for the cash in 2024. You’ve got the likes of Australian MMA vet Jesse Medina in his 30th pro fight. You’ve got the violent brother of Paul Loga, Mario Loga, who throws hand grenades like it’s World War II. Caleb Miller vs Brody Dee is a real sleeper, that should be widely entertaining.
I’ll put the rest of the card underneath, but I just wanted to highlight some of the main fights I’ll have my eyes glued on. The best thing about Beatdown Promotions 6, is even thought it’s SOLD OUT, you can check it out absolutely FREE, by subscribing to Beatdown Promotions on YouTube.
As always, send your death threats to @mitchelltinley on Instagram and I’ll see you at the fight!.. Virtually, I’ll be in Perth…
- Mitchell Tinley
