Top Quality MMA Comes to Germany

For years, German fighters have travelled abroad to showcase their skills. Now, Germany has finally got its own top-level MMA Label: Gorilla Fight Events! The Mannheim based promoter team is hosting its second show on April 5th 2008 in the Multihalle Herzogenried Park in Mannheim with more than 10 international MMA bouts.

The Mannheim card will give top names like Daniel Weichel, Peter Angerer and Mario Stapel the opportunity to show the German public what they have been missing.

In Boxing, German promoters have reputation for picking easy opponents for their fighters. The same can’t be said in MMA, as an impressive cast of fighters from the North of England have been assembled to test the home favourites.

Peter "Yamatodamashii" Angerer has been a trailblazer in German MMA. Over his long career - he has mixed it with most of the big names on the European welterweight scene. He got back to winning ways last time out with a first round submission victory over Nigel Whitear at FX3: Fight Night 6 - England vs Germany. In Mannheim, he will face Jason Ball. Jason’s stunning comeback against Kam Atakuru at Ultimate Force 5: Fight Factory was a contender for UK fight of the year. This will be his first fight outside the UK and, against a veteran like Angerer, he will expect no favours.

Mario Stapel is another experienced campaigner with a stiff task. Stapel is hoping to snap a three fight losing streak against Leslee "Hollywood" Ojugbana. Leslee lives up to his nickname because of his gift for showmanship. The bad news for his opponents is - he can fight too.

Daniel Weichel has been a top ten European Welterweight for a while, earning his ranking with a succession of slick submission wins. Recently, he has been on the wrong end of a couple of crushing defeats. Two of his last three fights have ended with KOs via knee strikes. At FX3: Fight Night 4, Paul Daley took Weichel out in the first round. Jason Jones sent the German to the canvas in a matter of seconds earlier this month at M-1: Slamm. Both were devastating finishes which must put a question mark next to Daniel Weichel. He will face Ian "The Mongoose" Jones at Gorilla Fight Event vol 2. Although it can be argued that Jones is a drop in class for Weichel, he will not be taking him lightly. In his career to date, “The Mongoose” has shown he has the power to take people out and seems to learn from each fight. On past form, Daniel Weichel must be considered the favourite, but it must play on his mind that Ian Jones has been training in Thailand - the home of the knee to the head!

Despite the array of experienced talent on show - the main event features two relative newcomers. The size and reputation of the two guarantees that the evening will end with a bang when the Heavyweights Shawn McKenning and Thorsten "German Oak" Kronz clash. McKenning weighed in at 132 kg for his last fight and showed he power to match his size. That is unlikely to worry Kronz.

The “German Oak” is a former winner of the World Shidokan Open. In that competition, the participants have to fight in a triathlon, consisting of two rounds bare knuckle knock down Karate, two round of vicious Thaiboxing and two rounds of MMA in each match. In interviews - Kronz has stated that he feels winning alone is not enough. He believes in entertaining the crowd and knocking people out. This fight is unlikely to trouble the judges.

The card will also feature ten other fights. The mix of big names in meaningful fights makes this event a mouth watering prospect.