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WALKER: Preview for Friday's XFO 47 event in Chicago, Ill.
Mar 27, 2013 - 2:45:22 PM
WALKER: Preview for Friday's XFO 47 event in Chicago, Ill.
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By: Brad Walker MMATorch Columnist

This Friday, March 29, XFO 47 will be coming live and direct from the Copernicus Center in Chicago, Illinois with a fantastic and incredibly stacked card. Dan Lardy owner and promoter has gone to great lengths once again to bring us the best in Chicagoland MMA and remind us why he runs the premier organization in Illinois. Although this card has gone through lost fights and some fighters pulling out it remains a top notch card of MMA entertainment ready to be enjoyed by all. As always I will be cageside bringing you the call as well as posting fight results on twitter. Here is the lineup:

Main Event Bantamweight Bout - Cory Galloway (2-1) vs. Chris Haney (3-3)

This fight deserves the main event slot for more reasons than I have the time to list. Galloway is also somewhat of a special feature fighter since he is fighting on loan from Resurrection Fighting Alliance during his lay off between fights. Galloway is a Bellator vet from Team Curran with a strong chin and one of the best jiu-jitsu games I've ever seen, and is coming off of a huge knockout win in RFA. Haney, on the other hand, is a 3-3 veteran who has knockout power in his hands and is also capable of some amazing submissions. This is a dream fight for those of us who follow XFO closely, as two of its best veterans will square off in a main event that's likely to be packed with fireworks. In the end, picking a winner to this fight is every bit as difficult as contemplating the chance of seeing Brian Urlacher in a Vikings jersey next year.

Brad's Pick: I have absolutely no idea.

Welterweight Bout – Rafal Skibinski (2-2) vs. Jon Kennedy (4-11)

This is a bout that puts two guys in need of a big win against each other and guarantees a barn burner in the process. Skibinski is a Bellator veteran who most recently fought Jason Graves in October, while Kennedy is coming in hot on a two fight win streak. Kennedy's Achilles heel is submissions, lucky for him Skibinski is more known for his powerful hands, and the fact that he's a natural light heavyweight. I believe we will see a standing battle between these two that results in a possible knockout, but with neither man having a less than stellar chin we could see a decision come out of this. Kennedy's win streak may give him an edge, but Skibinski coming in hot off a fight in Bellator probably evens the field.

Brad's Pick: Rafal Skibinski by TKO in Round 1

Heavyweight Bout: Erick Correa (1-0) Vs. Khuzaymah Al-Nubu'at (0-1)

Sure, if you look at these guys records you think, well, this fight isn't that spectacular; but that's not the case at all. As soon as I saw Erick Correa successful debut at heavyweight, I reminisced about the young Cain Velasquez we saw appear in Strikeforce. Khuzaymah is a gamer who hangs in really well, although he is yet to pick up a win in his career, he could change the tune on this card. Correa is a former super heavyweight Golden Gloves winner with hands that land like sticks of dynamite impacting a mountain. I believe we will see this fight start and finish on the feet, and quickly.

Brad's Pick: Erick Correa by KO in Round 1

Flyweight Bout: Andre Feliciano (2-0) vs. Dexter Wright (2-3)

This bout matches up two of everyone's favorite types of fighter; a wild striker against a powerful wrestler who likes to slam. Feliciano has created a fantastic highlight reel full of slams in his career thus far, and Wright has become one of the most dangerous standing flyweights in the area. Feliciano comes into this bout legitimately undefeated as an amateur or pro, and Wright comes in looking to change that fact. Fighting out of Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg, IL Feliciano has been sharpening his skills for this fight, as it could be his key to a step up in competition, while Wright from Team Colon wants to prove he has a lucrative future in the division. This fight could very well be the sleeper of the night.

Brad's Pick: Feliciano by submission in Round 1

Bantamweight Bout: Phil Williams (2-2) vs. Corey Simmons (3-3)

This fight brings us what we all like to see; two guys who love to finish the fight. Williams fights out of Team Curran and is one of the most dangerous strikers to grace the XFO cage, I still will never forget his brutal knockout of Brandon Wood at Outdoor War last year. Simmons is a jiu-jitsu specialist who likes to submit opponents, but first he will need to get Williams to the ground. This fight is going to go one of two ways, Williams will either stuff the takedown and force Simmons to bang, or Simmons will grind Williams out. I think what we wind up with here is a fight capable of producing submission of the night or knockout of the night in a flash. Simmons also has a three inch height difference which could play a part in this fight as well.

Brad's Pick: Williams via TKO in Round 2

Quick picks for the rest of the card

Featherweight: Jake Constant (2-2) vs. Oliver Vazquez (5-3) : Vazquez via Submission
Welterweight: Evian Rodriguez (1-11) vs. Lawrence Dunning (1-3) : Dunning via KO
Lightweight: Anthony Goodwin (2-1) vs. Pedro Velasco (2-5) : Goodwin via Decision
Light Heavyweight: Eddie Smith (6-5) vs. Robert Morrow (7-13) : Smith via KO
Middleweight: Devon Morris (1-0) vs. Kent Rexford JR (2-2) : Morris via Decision

Also scheduled to fight is Christian Reynoso who is presently awaiting an opponent. If you still want to get tickets to this event they are on the brink of a sellout but you can get them starting as low as $33 at LocalMMATickets.com

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all out there!
Follow me on Twitter @BradMMATorch


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