European MMA 6 Date: September 26, 2013 Arena: Brøndbyhallen City: Brondby, Hovedstaden, Denmark European MMA Heavyweight title bout: Andreas Kraniotakes (+185) vs Christian Colombo (-265) Fight Breakdown: European MMA 6 in Denmark features a fight for the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight title between Germany’s Andreas Kraniotakes and Denmark’s Christian Colombo. Colombo is currently a decent favorite in this contest at -265 ($265 to win $100), while the kickback on the underdog Kraniotakes is +185 ($100 to win $335) at Several Bookmakerss. ANDREAS KRANIOTAKES (17-7-1 MMA, 0-0 European MMA) is making his first appearance in the European MMA promotion riding a two-fight win streak, both wins coming by way of first round submission. Kraniotakes is without a doubt a finisher, as all 17 of his professional mixed martial arts career victories have come inside the distance; 9 by submission and 8 by TKO/KO. The German holds a TKO victory over current UFC heavyweight Nandor Guelmino and has faced two former UFC Heavyweight Champions Ricco Rodriguez and Tim Sylvia in defeat. He is an eight-year veteran of the sport who has had his ups and downs in the European circuit. A year ago, he challenged Mike Hayes for the Cage Warriors heavyweight championship title, losing via Kimura submission in the third round. Kraniotakes is a good wrestler with solid takedowns and a decent top game. He is a powerful fighter who packs power in his punches but prefers to move inside and get dirty rather than strike from a distance. Kraniotakes has made it to the judges’ scorecards only four times in his 26 pro fight career, and he lost all four. He is a tough fighter with heart and decent conditioning and he will be entering this bout looking to build on his current win streak. I think he will look to close the distance on Colombo, beat him up against the cage, take him down, smother him, and look for a submission. CHRISTIAN COLOMBO (6-1 MMA, 0-0 European MMA) is the #1 heavyweight in the Nordic region of God’s green earth. He will be stepping into the European MMA cage to compete for the promotions inaugural heavyweight title in the toughest fight of his career. Colombo is a decent fighter overall. He does well on the feet and on the mat. He has power in his hands and is well-versed in the submission game, although his submission defense could see improvement. His defense on the ground, in general, could use work, but he holds his own for the most part. Colombo will have a size advantage heading into this bout and will be looking to win his first championship title in his second opportunity. Fight Prediction: I envision this fight playing out so many different ways in my head. It really could go a number of ways, more so than usual. That said, I think the most likely outcome is Colombo grinding out a close one and giving Kraniotakes the fifth decision loss of his career. Gabe’s Pick: Christian Colombo by Split-Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Christian Colombo -265 for a small play.
