A pair of highly anticipated title fights await Maryland fans at the 14th installment of Shogun Fights on Saturday, April 16, at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.
The headlining contest the rescheduled, inaugural lightweight title bout between submission specialist Dan Root and the young up-and-comer Rob Watley.
The co-main event features welterweight champion Micah Terrill, who will be making his first title defense in a classic striker-vs.-grappler match-up against Jon Delbrugge.
Root and Watley were supposed to battle over the lightweight title at Shogun Fights 13 last year, but Watley had to drop out after a late injury.
Root is one of the fast-rising stars in regional MMA. He boasts a nine-fight winning streak and a dominant ground and submission game. Watley is an exciting young fighter with a four-fight winning streak of his own.
The experience of Root will be the deciding factor. When he takes his opponent to the mat, the fight is effectively over. Root’s tenacity will get Watley to the ground early and result in yet another early submission victory for Root, who will claim the inaugural Shogun Fights lightweight championship.
Terrill’s devastating striking ability netted him the Shogun Fights welterweight title last year when he defeated Jeremy Carper in just 46 seconds. Now, he faces a world-class grappler in Delbrugge, who has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has competed against some of the best grapplers in the world.
Delbrugge has received some attention from the UFC. Terrill’s first shot at a title last year against Cole Presley resulted in one of the greatest mixed martial arts fights that only people in Royal Farms Arena had the privilege to see.
Terrill must use his height and reach advantage to keep Delbrugge from closing the distance and taking the fight to the ground. Both guys have been in hard-fought wars in their careers, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if this one ends early. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if their skills cancel each other out and results in a bout that goes the distance.
Terrill’s reach and striking power will make the difference and allow him to secure a TKO victory.
| Fight | Prediction |
| FW: Rob Sullivan (6-3) vs. Myron Baker (4-6) | Sullivan |
| LW: De’Alonzio Jackson (2-0) vs. Stacey Anderson (0-2) | Jackson |
| 150 pounds: James “Binky” Jones (14-14) vs. Mike Pope (5-1) | Jones |
| FlyW: Greg Fischer (3-0) vs. Martin Davila (3-1) | Fischer |
| BW: Jesse Stirn (2-0) vs. Dave Pope (1-1) | Stirn |
| WW: Stephen Moleski (0-2) vs. Marcello Ferrante (0-1) | Ferrante |
| FW: Mike Otwell (2-0) vs. Darnell Murphy (1-1) | Murphy |
| FW: Sodiq Yusuff (0-0) vs. Alvin Mercer (2-1) | Mercer |
| FW: Tucker Lutz (0-1) vs. Irving Nicolas (1-1) | Lutz |
| BW: Cheyden Leialoha (1-0) vs. Nathan Jaime (0-0) | Leialoha |
| 130 pounds: Greg Saumenig (1-3) vs. Josh Trainor (0-2) | Trainor |