UGP#2 WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT?

WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT?

That’s two shows down and things in Union Grand Prix are starting to take shape. From the tournaments for the cruiserweight and junior heavyweight titles, to the round robins in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, we’re seeing winners and losers, future champions and perennial runner ups, favorites and...the not so popular.

So without further ado, here’s a definitive list of what’s hot and what’s not on UGP #2.

HOT

• Derrick La’Bell - Another dominant performance for the man who some are already calling the ‘King of the Heavyweights’. In a division where many were struggling to pick a favorite, Long Island Strong has taken the lead early on and is almost a certainty to be in line for a heavyweight title shot soon.

• Christian Bonanno - Few questioned the THRONE fighter after his victory over Aeron Roberts on UGP #1, but nobody can question him after another commanding performance. A first round knockout against Kira Izumi has put Christian Bonanno at the top of the light heavyweight division, and he’s definitely one to watch going forward.

• Annie Zellor - We all know that Kenzi Grey vs. Kaelan Laughlin was the fight to watch on UGP #1. And that late submission victory made Kenzi a favorite to go on and become the first cruiserweight champion. But she ran into a roadblock this time. The THRONE fighter controlled the fight for large portions and showed why she’s one to watch. No doubt it was an impressive debut, but with Jordan Parker-Kane up next will Annie be on the next list? Probably not since the next list will be for Boss Fight...

NOT

• Donnie Calabrese - Another first round defeat for Dog Face, and he’s practically already slipped out of title contention in the heavyweight division. It’ll take a miracle for Donnie to bounce back from this one, but he has that chance coming up in a few weeks against Ferdinand Diao. Can he scrape at least one victory before the first champion is crowned? We’ll find out on UGP #3.

• Kira Izumi - Some said he was unlucky to get caught with that kimura on the first show, but after a first round knockout defeat at the hands of Christian Bonanno, people are beginning to question Kira Izumi’s credibility. We expected better from him, hopefully he’ll start to deliver soon. But an 0-2 start can’t be sitting well with The Prince of Darkness.

• Aeron Roberts - You might be noticing a trend here...Aeron Roberts had a tough night on UGP #1, suffering a knockout defeat at the hands of Christian Bonanno. At least she managed to make it through all three rounds this time, even if she lost by unanimous decision. The Bullfrog pummelled her on his way to a victory on UGP #2, and it’s going to take something special for Aeron Roberts to get back into contention if she wants to be the light heavyweight champion.

That’s all for now, but I’ll be back next week after Boss Fight with another edition of What’s Hot And What’s Not. - Danica McDaniel