BOSS FIGHT #1: WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT?

What's Hot And What's Not?

Saturday night saw Union Grand Prix descend upon Long Beach, California for the first ever Boss Fight show - and what a show! In a break from what was seemingly becoming the norm, we didn't see any first round knock outs. Instead we were treated to fight after fight of heart-stopping action that left us on the edge of our seats. But who came out of Boss Fight #1 smelling like roses? Lets find out.

HOT

• Edan McLeod - What can you say about a debut like that? Edan McLeod wanted to make an impact in his first fight here in Union Grand Prix - and he certainly did that! From start to finish he controlled the fight, laying into Sang-Hyun Lee with those overhand rights that I think might have been capable of breaking a brick wall. Impressive? Definitely. And the light heavyweight division has been put on notice now.

• Jeremiah Ford - Jeremiah was a bullfrog! DUN! DUN! DUN! A week after his dominant performance against Aeron Roberts, some might have thought Jeremiah Ford might have been struggled on Saturday night. But those doubts were quickly dismissed as he went hold for hold with Simon Bishop. And another impressive victory for the light heavyweight, keeping him at the top of the division. Next week he'll be looking to carry on this winning streak against THRONE's Christian Bonanno (who was on the last hot list!) in a fight that's sure to delight us all.

• Kaelan Laughlin - On UGP #1 we all saw Kaelan Laughlin put on the fight of the night against Kenzi Grey, only to unfortunately come up short. On Boss Fight #1 she was just as formidable, but this time she picked up the victory. Four gruelling rounds that had us all on tenterhooks as the two cruiserweights traded blows and left each other bloodied. She may not be in title contention anymore, but Kaelan Laughlin sent a message to whoever wins the cruiserweight tournament. She means business.

NOT

• Kira Izumi - This entry brings me no joy at all. Kira Izumi entered Boss Fight #1 knowing he had to pick up the victory against Aeron Roberts. Both fighters were 0-2 coming into this one, and someone had to come out the other end with an 0-3 record to start their UGP career. Unfortunately that person was Kira Izumi. And right before the final bell too. If it had gone to the judges maybe Kira stood a chance. He showed the aggression and initiative he'd been missing in previous fights. But the Demon Queen locked that armbar in and it proved too much. Hopefully we'll see Kira bounce back soon.

• Sang-Hyun Lee - Much like his opponent on the night, Sang-Hyun Lee was coming into Union Grand Prix looking to make an impact. But the impression we got from him? Well, it wasn't great. He seemed overwhelmed from the first bell. Ate way too many punches for his own good. And he just didn't seem to have an answer for whatever Edan threw in his direction. If you're Sang-Hyun Lee's next opponent you're probably feeling confident after watching that performance. But can he prove me wrong?

• Xabier Belazco - Another fighter finding himself with a losing record. Xabier is now 0-2 in the cruiserweight division, but lets not count him out completely. On UGP #1 we saw him succumb to a unanimous decision against Lux Forte. This time it was a fourth round submission defeat against Kaelan Laughlin. By no means were they unimpressive performances, but two defeats in a row can't be sitting well with Xabier right about now. He has to bounce back and in a big way, so we'll have to see how he does come Boss Fight #2.

That's all for now. Be sure to tune in to UGP #3 this coming Saturday, live from Daytona Beach! The cruiserweight and junior heavyweight tournaments have reached their semi-final stages, plus the heavyweights are in action again. Can any of them make it past the first round this time? And we'll see Jeremiah Ford and Christian Bonanno fight it out to see who goes 3-0 in the light heavyweight division. Don't miss it.

- Danica McDaniel