EVENT: Boss Fight #2 Press Conference
VENUE: Merrill Auditorium
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon
DATE: Friday October 19, 2018 @ 5:00 PM PT
[The scene opens up inside the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Oregon; the city where Union Grand Prix will host Boss Fight #2. The room is dimly lit while the main stage is lit brightly to give the sense that this is why we’re all here. The music is loud, but the crowd is louder as Dante Reed enters from the left. Behind him are the competitors scheduled for this fight, with the main eventing Cristian Bonanno and Simon Bishop taking a seat on either side of the center podium where Dante takes his stance. As the fighters find their reserved seats and get settled in, the crowd slowly dies down waiting ever so patiently for this event to kickoff. Dante stands silently for a moment, adjusting his tie and grinning as the music finally fades out and he takes his cue.]
DANTE REED
Thank you, ladies and gents for being here at the beautiful Merrill Auditorium for the official Boss Fight #2 pre-fight Press Conference. As you can see, we have several fighters with us tonight; some who are making their Union GP debuts, some looking for redemption, and some looking to breakthrough to the elite class. Before I turn it over to the reporters, let’s breakdown tomorrow night’s card.
In our opening fight, we have the debut of Real Killas MMA “The Primarch” Robert Guilliman taking on “The Technical Wizard” Sang-Hyun Lee. Although these guys aren’t fighting in the Championship Round Robin, these fights are important for their stock, as every fight is. Guilliman has that old school, no nonsense mentality, something we love to see in the octagon. He’s a brutal striker and we scheduled this fight as another test for Lee. Lee was obviously overpowered against Edan McLeod, and we want to see if he’s made some adjustments to his stand up.
Our second fight has the Union GP debut of “The Reaver” Jakko Wirman taking on “Mad” Maxine. Maxine is surely trying to rebound after getting starched by Daniel Fisk in the opening seconds of their fight, and we believe this will be a powerful bout. We’ve seen tape of Wirman in his native Finland, and the guy can strike with the best of them, specifically his kicks. Both of these fighters have some imposing strengths, and this has some great potential in store.
Our third fight featured two guys looking to rebound after suffering first round losses, as Viktor Volkov takes on Kevin Van Damne. Another fight where both guys have superior striking capabilities and could wind up being Fight of the Night. Don’t sleep on this fight, guys.
Then our Headline fight is the first of the final two round robin fights before heading into UGP #4. Kira Izumi at this point is playing spoiler to his opponent Jeremiah Ford, but they say misery loves company, so I think Izumi will be coming in this one with the sake focus and drive as his debut fight. Ford has a “win and you’re in” situation, having the win over Simon Bishop. Ford has talked about his desire to become the first champion in his weight class, so let’s see what he’s made of.
And finally, our main event of the evening, Simon Bishop versus Cristian Bonanno. As just previously stated, Bishop has to win here and needs Ford to lose in order to get in the title fight. Some have referred to this as “the final grind” and it’s all truth. Bonanno has essentially been untested so far in this round robin, but I think Bishop is on another level, and can really give Uccisore some problems on the ground. It’d certainly make for a compelling story to have these guys in back-to-back events, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
[Dante pauses for a moment as he watches the sea of reporters grow anxious to spring up and fire off their questions.]
DANTE REED
Before I turn it over to the media, I do want to announce one thing. When we first started developing Union Grand Prix, we had no idea what kind of interest and reception we’d receive. We had in mind to initially run five events to determine some tournament and round robin winners.
But as each event rolls through, we have been flooded with more and more contract talks, partnerships, and sponsorship deals. So we feel like there is big potential for us to expand into a full scheduled promotion and in turn, create more weight classes and Championship opportunities.
But before we can even do that, we want to make good and abide by the unified rules set in place by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation. So as of now, we have renamed three of our current four divisions. Our 225 pound division, which was formerly the Junior Heavyweight, will now be the Cruiserweight Division. Our 185 pound division, formerly the Light Heavyweight, will now be the Middleweight Division. And finally our 155 pound division, formerly the Cruiserweight, will now become the Lightweight Division.
We feel like with us renaming and marketing our divisions to the proper and unified classes, it will help give us more opportunities to expand. So with that, I will now turn it over to the media for questions for our fighters.
[After the floor is given for the fighters to speak, one of the journalists looks to one of the new signings in Union GP, kickboxer and BJJ purple belt Robert Guilliman, the newest acquisition of the Long Beach-based REAL Killas MMA team. Guilliman sought to make an impression in his debut, choosing to dress formally in a dark blue suit, a white shirt with a matching dark blue tie - nothing gaudy, yet distinctive enough.]
THE GLADIUS | CALEB FORD:
Caleb Ford with The Gladius, this question is for Robert Guilliman.
[As the reporter calls his name, the Primarch turns to face him with an affable look.]
THE GLADIUS | CALEB FORD:
You are making a debut in a major promotion, and caught the attention of REAL Killas MMA. Could you tell us how this came to be?
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
Upon announcing my intention to join a top promotion and look for a new training camp, I received several offers in the span of a single weekend. Real Killas came to me first and told me that they would be willing to give me a tryout right away. It wasn’t long before I went to Long Beach for this tryout, and I would be untruthful if I didn’t say it was a challenging trial. But they seemed very satisfied with what I could show them, and I in turn was fascinated by the kinship and familial spirit that they showed between themselves. And so I knew I had found the camp to be.
THE GLADIUS | CALEB FORD:
And from there the contract offer came from Union GP, is that correct?
[Guilliman nods]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
That is the truth of it indeed. I was expecting it to arrive sooner or later, but after having been accepted as a member of the camp, there was no way I was going to wait around to start training until it came, so I got to work immediately.
THE GLADIUS | CALEB FORD:
I hope you will acknowledge that by the way you behave and speak, as well as what footage we have seen of you in the REAL Killas Vlog, you seem to stand out from the rest of the fighters in REAL Killas MMA. You seem to be something of an oddity.
[Far from being affected by the reporter’s remark, Guilliman gives a political smile.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
Who says Real Killas fighters HAVE to be a certain way or another? This is not a mass-producing factory, this is a mixed martial arts training camp. The important thing about REAL Killas is that its members come to fight the hardest, and the toughest and simply the BEST, at any fight they have, in any promotion they have. That’s the symbol, the status, of excellence that REAL Killas is striving for. And I know that’s the excellence I will attempt to achieve. Perhaps that’s what made them interested in me, and I can say without boast that that exact same quality is what drew me to them.
[His answer stated, Guilliman’s smile fades away, as he expects the next question with narrowed eyes.]
THE GLADIUS | CALEB FORD:
But surely it cannot have escaped you that we have seen a controversy between REAL Killas and the head of SLAUGHTA Oahu, Jason Jackson. One of your own Pax Mayson was also involved in a scuffle with Roscoe Robinson. What are your thoughts on that?
[Imperturbable, Guilliman gives the journalist a straight stare, before he answers the question.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
Let me ask YOU something. If the head and owner of a training camp picks a fight on social media, then finds out the hard way he got way over his head, and proceeds to deactivate his account, what statement does it make for the camp and the fighters training in it? It’s not in doubt that SLAUGHTA has produced great fighters, see for example Kaelan Laughlin. But the head of this camp has done a huge disservice to the people that train in it. I will tell you one thing. I don’t care what caused this fight. I don’t care how it escalated. But I do know I won’t have my camp insulted, and I also know what I saw.
[Guilliman pauses for a breath, and before he resumes speaking, he gives another stare, his face looking like it could have been sculpted from stone. Dignity incarnate.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
I saw that it WASN’T Daniel Fisk who started throwing words demeaning other gyms. I saw that it WASN’T any of the people in REAL Killas MMA that started this fight. But every REAL Killa member out there is very well prepared to finish a fight that they haven’t started, and in my eyes, that is what happened here. As for Pax Mayson, suffice to say when I joined REAL Killas, I made sure I joined REAL Killas. Not SLAUGHTA. And after this fight, and for all the fights to come, I will be training at the REAL Killas gym. With the REAL Killas people. As it’s the RIGHT way to be.
[With the Gladius reporter seeming satisfied - or at the very least at a loss for words, another journalist addresses the Primarch.]
INSIDE THE CAGE | KIRSTEN WU:
Kirsten Wu with insidethecage.com. Mr. Guilliman-
[Guilliman raises a hand.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
Please, Robert is fine.
INSIDE THE CAGE | KIRSTEN WU:
Thank you. Robert, then, your opponent Sang-Hyun Lee is described as “The Technical Wizard”, and as a traditional-style wrestler, is known for his submission skills. Since you seem to be primarily a striker, are you concerned by his technical skills coming into play?
[Unfazed, Guilliman tilts his head to the side.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
To be able to counter a strike or submission involves a certain measure of speed and awareness - seeing the blow coming before it’s even launched, knowing the appropriate way to counter and being fortunate enough that the combination of both apply. My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training is enough to defend myself on the ground, but I assure you, Ms. Wu, trying to get me to go down will certainly be a hard task. But as if that were not enough, there’s a fundamental difference maker in this fight: Sang-Hyun Lee may know a lot of counters to holds and strikes - but he won’t know what he will see until AFTER it connects.
INSIDE THE CAGE | KIRSTEN WU:
Spoken with confidence, Robert, but I take it you must be aware that Sang-Hyun Lee will likely attempt to avoid going into striking range.
[Guilliman opens his hands, showing a methodical, calculated indifference.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
Then we’ll be having a cat and mouse game, Ms. Wu - and I can be very good at chasing mice. First he will have to avoid me, then he will have to get me on the ground.
[The smile on his lips appears once again.]
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
That is, IF he’s able to. Two things to note here, Ms. Wu: Information is victory, and there is no such thing as a minor detail.
We’ve seen from his last fight with Edan McLeod that once he’s rushed, he’s barely able to defend himself before he’s eventually overcome. Just as it was for him, this is my debut. I do hope for his sake that he’s taking a crash course on how to defend himself from striking, because I for one, know one thing:
I don’t intend for this fight to be any different than his last.
[Having penned notes of Guilliman’s answers, the reporter seems finally satisfied.]
INSIDE THE CAGE | KIRSTEN WU:
Thank you very much, Robert, that will be all.
“THE PRIMARCH” ROBERT GUILLIMAN:
You’re most welcome.
[With no more questions left, the Primarch turns his gaze into the other fighters answering their respective questions.]