Lost in all the UFC 79: “Nemesis” and “Fedor Returns” end of the year madness was the International Fight League (IFL) 2007 World Grand Prix Finals at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., on December 29.
The big story coming out of the event was the savage beating that undefeated promotion poster boy, Chris Horodecki, received from late replacement, Ryan Schultz.
In fact, Shultz (I believe) was the fourth choice to face the “Polish Hammer” — Waggney Fabiano, Shad Lierley and John Gunderson were all scratched for one reason or another.
That chain of events led to this (comes in at about the 2:30 mark):
Cripes, the was jaw-dropping destruction from the most unlikely opponent. Ouch.
For more highlights of the event click here. Thanks to the IFL for actually sending us the vids … can’t beat that viral thinking.
51 Comments »
Not a bad fight, didn’t know any of those fighters though.
its ridiculous how prolonged that knockout was…horodecki had no way to defend himself with his arm trapped like that….ref screwed up big time
[quote comment=”252769″]its ridiculous how prolonged that knockout was…horodecki had no way to defend himself with his arm trapped like that….ref screwed up big time[/quote]
Yep..he took like 3 or 34 more blows..That was nice what Ryan did..I´m surprised it`s not done often..great GnP…the fight was done a day before the ref stopped it.
Ryan has a victory over Roger Huerta!!!
guess the quality of refs in the IFL is the same as the quality of fighters.
I’m surprised to see so people bagging on the ref. He gave the guy a few seconds to try to escape, then jumped in and stopped.
I think he did fine.
I was at this event, and it was disturbing to watch him get punched some many times after he was already out.
WE SEE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN…
DOMINATE fighters never think they will end up on the back…they don’t prep enough for that eventuality.
I truly think that Chris needed to take this beating to grow as a fighter just like it did got GSP both times. Sal Costello is correct in his assumption above me.
wow! that was kinda nasty man…eekkk…
Horodecki is so well known for his kicks that I’m surprised to see him not throw any.
Ryan had a nice little blow to the back of the head, too. Go figure.
[quote comment=”252785″]guess the quality of refs in the IFL is the same as the quality of fighters.[/quote]
I don’t know about that… I’ve been watching the IFL since it started, and the quality of fighters ‘easily’ rival the WEC.. NOW that referee should be reviewed an supended! about 12 unanswered punches square in the face!!! UGLY DISTURBING… stupid fucken’ REF.
jesus. two men agree to fight and put it in the hands of a ref. if you’re not prepared to take a beating, don’t get involved in mma. have you ever heard of “throwing in the towel”? he does have a corner that can do just that if he is taking serious punishment. the ref was giving him the botd. calling for the refs head on a platter because someone got their ass kicked is silly. don’t let the wierd visual of a guy getting punched in the face with his arm trapped behind his back send you into a crying fit.
i saw this fight a couple nights ago
i wanted chris to lose, but i felt badly after i saw that
yea, id have to agree with a couple others of you, it was a tad too late, id say 4 or 5 punches too late.. the guy looked limp after the first couple of shots and wasnt doing anything with his free arm…
its seein things like that, that make me weary to go into training to become a fighter.. plus im incredibly lazy haha
[quote comment=”252788″]I’m surprised to see so people bagging on the ref. He gave the guy a few seconds to try to escape, then jumped in and stopped.
I think he did fine.[/quote]
Gave the guy a few seconds to escape? You can clearly see his head slump back down on the first big shot after the arm was pinned and then he eats a half dozen more shots. I was saying to myself while watching it, “Isn’t he (the ref) going to stop it?” Brutal KO and very impressive of Schultz.
[quote comment=”252788″]I’m surprised to see so people bagging on the ref. He gave the guy a few seconds to try to escape, then jumped in and stopped.
I think he did fine.[/quote]
id say it was about 7 big punches to late. that even with a extra 3 from what looked like he was knocked out the first time. Just plain and simple it was a way to late of a stop.
The “Polish Hammer”? What kind of name is that? I’m going to wait until the “Irish Bottle” fights the “Canadian Ham” or when the “French Bread” takes on the “English Muffin” until then I’m not buying into this IFL League, make these dream match ups happen and the I’ll watch in 2008!
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.
who are these guys?
This ain’t surprising. Horodecki is what, 20? For all that talent, he’s gonna have some big holes in his game, and he’s gonna stumble occasionally.
Putting that stardom label on him was well premature, but its not like the IFL has anybody else.
Horodecki is MINT. i bet we’ll see a rematch. he’s not going to let that happen again.
Horodecki is a great tought Team Tompkins fighter, but was obviously not the better fighter here. This fight should have been stopped sooner. Chris will be back. Ryan Shultz looks like a freaking monster though…very good control from the top…cheers all, and here’s to 2008!
*sorry meant “great ‘tough’…fighter”…cheers.
[quote comment=”252776″][quote comment=”252769″]its ridiculous how prolonged that knockout was…horodecki had no way to defend himself with his arm trapped like that….ref screwed up big time[/quote]
Yep..he took like 3 or 34 more blows..That was nice what Ryan did..I´m surprised it`s not done often..great GnP…the fight was done a day before the ref stopped it.[/quote]
Horodecki is the IFL’s golden boy. See if you can find the fight between he and Bart where Bart knocked him out cold, along with out of the ring, and the fight still went on. He was PUSHED back into the ring, and showed no effort to do it. The IFL REALLY protects their poster boys like Horodecki and Rothwell (well, not anymore.)
Horodecki is average at best. He is mostly a combo striker with a big lack of power. How he has as many KOs as he does I dont know. The only good fighters he has faced are Schultz and Palaszewski (who got ganked the second time, first I dont recall seeing.)
Any good well rounded fighter with half a ground game can clean up in almost every aspect of the IFL.
Wow, just watching that fight… Schultz man handled him. That half ass kimora really put Horodecki away… And yeah, he took about 6-7shots too many there. Horodecki really needs to bulk up (as he was clearly the physically weaker of the two) and work on some sort of ground game. Great fight… this is why I still watch IFL.
[quote comment=”252788″]I’m surprised to see so people bagging on the ref. He gave the guy a few seconds to try to escape, then jumped in and stopped.
I think he did fine.[/quote]
Agreed….
Bloody nice GnP!
worst ref ever.
Wow, I can’t believe Shultz beat him. I didn’t even know that Schultz was fighting Chris Horodecki. I had thought that Chris was fighting Shad Lierley, which would have been a rematch of thier 3 round brawl. I might have actually attended this event if UFC 79 and the Giants/Patriots weren’t going on at the same time, since I’m right here in CT and haven’t seen live MMA since UFC 55 Fury.
[quote post=”4364″]The “Polish Hammer”? What kind of name is that? I’m going to wait until the “Irish Bottle” fights the “Canadian Ham” or when the “French Bread” takes on the “English Muffin” until then I’m not buying into this IFL League, make these dream match ups happen and the I’ll watch in 2008!
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. [/quote]
I have seen MANY dumber nicknames than “The Polish Hammer”. And if you were looking for some nicknames to compare his to, perhaps you could have thought of some real ones, such as Marcus Davis “The Irish Hand Grenade” or Sokodjou “The African Assassin”. I mean, if a “Hammer” was a type of food, your post would have been funny. But a hammer is something used to strike things, and so is Chris Horodecki, so I find it a fitting nickname. I would also find Chris “The Pollack with No Ground Game” Horodecki to be fitting as well.
LOL, nah but seriously, I am a fan of Chris and hope to see him back on track, but first - try and become more well rounded. A lot of these strictly standup fighters, with standup fighting background need to switch up thier training. I bet he still spends at least 50% of the time working on his striking, when he should really be concentrating on his wrestling and BJJ.
PS. The ending to that fight was BRUTAL
I didn’t see a big problem, he took a couple extra shots but the ref jumps in and people whine that he didn’t give the fighter a chance.
The IFL sucks though, no elbows to the head? How sissy can you be? Next year they will remove punching and instead have slap fights with kisses at the end.
Maybe Zuffa can find a spot for Chris in the WEC. lol
That was rough. He took some solid shots but you can see him swinging back. I’m sure the stoppage was good but Horodecki seemed to be fighting back.
How late a replacement was this guy to fight. Hordecki prbably trained for someone else and if he didn’t know this guy who knows how trained for him. I know they have to be ready for whatever but it’s still a disadvantage.
[quote comment=”253095″]I didn’t see a big problem, he took a couple extra shots but the ref jumps in and people whine that he didn’t give the fighter a chance.
The IFL sucks though, no elbows to the head? How sissy can you be? Next year they will remove punching and instead have slap fights with kisses at the end.[/quote]
is this wat u think will happen or wat u want to happen
Hordecki was out for about 4 of those shots. Terrible job by the ref.
[quote comment=”253122″][quote comment=”253095″]I didn’t see a big problem, he took a couple extra shots but the ref jumps in and people whine that he didn’t give the fighter a chance.
The IFL sucks though, no elbows to the head? How sissy can you be? Next year they will remove punching and instead have slap fights with kisses at the end.[/quote]
is this wat u think will happen or wat u want to happen[/quote]
there is big difference from giving a fighter a chance and being out cold.
[quote comment=”253095″]I didn’t see a big problem, he took a couple extra shots but the ref jumps in and people whine that he didn’t give the fighter a chance.
The IFL sucks though, no elbows to the head? How sissy can you be? Next year they will remove punching and instead have slap fights with kisses at the end.[/quote]
They’re not sissies. Say that again and i’ll scratch your eyes out. Lol. Sorry guys.
Ive always liked shultz. Mainly because of his tat and his beard.
[quote comment=”253088″]Wow, I can’t believe Shultz beat him. I didn’t even know that Schultz was fighting Chris Horodecki. I had thought that Chris was fighting Shad Lierley, which would have been a rematch of thier 3 round brawl. I might have actually attended this event if UFC 79 and the Giants/Patriots weren’t going on at the same time, since I’m right here in CT and haven’t seen live MMA since UFC 55 Fury.
[quote post=”4364″]The “Polish Hammer”? What kind of name is that? I’m going to wait until the “Irish Bottle” fights the “Canadian Ham” or when the “French Bread” takes on the “English Muffin” until then I’m not buying into this IFL League, make these dream match ups happen and the I’ll watch in 2008!
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. [/quote]
I have seen MANY dumber nicknames than “The Polish Hammer”. And if you were looking for some nicknames to compare his to, perhaps you could have thought of some real ones, such as Marcus Davis “The Irish Hand Grenade” or Sokodjou “The African Assassin”. I mean, if a “Hammer” was a type of food, your post would have been funny. But a hammer is something used to strike things, and so is Chris Horodecki, so I find it a fitting nickname. I would also find Chris “The Pollack with No Ground Game” Horodecki to be fitting as well.
LOL, nah but seriously, I am a fan of Chris and hope to see him back on track, but first - try and become more well rounded. A lot of these strictly standup fighters, with standup fighting background need to switch up thier training. I bet he still spends at least 50% of the time working on his striking, when he should really be concentrating on his wrestling and BJJ.[/quote]
The kid Chris really has a bright future ahead of him, and I also think he needs to work his ground game a lot more than his striking. VM pointed out that dominant strikers dont work enough off there backs, just like wrestlers dont work much off there backs. Its the same way with many dominant grapplers who dont work enough on there stand up.
In today’s mma, being GREAT at one aspect just doesnt cut it any more. Fighters need to train more in uncomfortable positions because they will not be able to compete with the well rounded fighters until they become well rounded.
Look at the Evolution of Couture for example. He started off as a wrestler, then learned submissions, and now at the age of 44 has become a pretty good stiker. If Randy could turn his weaknesses into strengths at the age of 44 then there isnt any excuses for one trick ponies.
I like Horedecki a lot, and at 19 years old he has the most potential out of anyone to become special….But I hope he becomes well rounded before making the jump to the UFC. I see real Big things in his future…..and what the hell is wrong with “the Polish Hammer” as a nickname…personally I like it a lot and it really fits him.
Chris looks like a 12 yr old kid. I kind of want to hear his comments about the fight.
A website full of MMA fans and nobody knows who these guys are?
That’s as suprising to me as Horodecki losing.
Shultz is a great fighter too, though, and obviously deserved the win.
To all those who don’t know, there are a lot of top quality fighters in the IFL, and sooner than you think they’ll be making the jump to the UFC. Mark my words.
[quote post=”4364″]To all those who don’t know, there are a lot of top quality fighters in the IFL, and sooner than you think they’ll be making the jump to the UFC. Mark my words. [/quote]
YEAH, you could have “markham’d those words” if Rory Markham didn’t lose that one fight in the IFL. He is a serious knock out artist with serious strength behind his punches.
Ever since I saw Chris’s first couple fights in the IFL when he was 18 years old, I thought that he’d be a serious competitor in the UFC once he reached like 24 years of age and became more well rounded.
Seriously surprised to see people asking who these fighters are; and saddened to see people knocking the IFL. There’s good, budding fighters in just about every org, and skilled journey man who skip around.
If the IFL sucked, I don’t think Bas Rutten would be part of it. (But you probably don’t know who he is either.)
Anyhow, I agree that it was late stoppage. That’s definitely rematch material right there. Not anytime soon, but a year or two down the road, I hope.
I definetly know who Chris is being that he’s from my home town just about and I can’t believe he lost. That looked brutal.
This to me really sucks but I guess maybe it’s bound to happen sooner or later, I still think Chris will find himself in the UFC eventually.
The score is 1 to 1 for these 2
[quote post=”4364″]Cripes, the was jaw-dropping destruction from the most unlikely opponent. Ouch.[/quote]
I hardly find Schultz to be “the most unlikely” to GNP Horodecki. Plus, Schultz was stopped by Horodecki in a previous fight? so this was sweet revenge. It only takes one slip and any of these skilled fighters can manhandle another. Horodecki is young and somewhat one-dimensional, so although I picked him to TKO Ryan, I was not that surprised by the outcome.
The IFL video looks chopped or fast forwarded at the end to skip some of the brutal beating. The video I saw a few days ago did not have the skip in it. From the video, I initially thought the fight went a few seconds too long, but Horodecki kept pawing with his right hand and it is for the IFL LW GP title so you wouldn’t want to have an early stoppage. The ref was in perfect position throughout the beating, so I think the stoppage was fine.
[quote comment=”252782″]Ryan has a victory over Roger Huerta!!![/quote]
thats is the only loss on huerta’s record.
[quote comment=”253168″][quote comment=”253122″][quote comment=”253095″]I didn’t see a big problem, he took a couple extra shots but the ref jumps in and people whine that he didn’t give the fighter a chance.
The IFL sucks though, no elbows to the head? How sissy can you be? Next year they will remove punching and instead have slap fights with kisses at the end.[/quote]
is this wat u think will happen or wat u want to happen[/quote]
there is big difference from giving a fighter a chance and being out cold.[/quote]
I agree chris’ arm were just flailing by the 4th shot and the other was trpaped under him. he wasnt protecting or responding at all. he took way more shots than he needed. that ref should be fired..horrible stoppage. retards like himr remind me of the time in ufc 59 were andrei rocked sylvia and sylvia came back with an uppercut and rocked andrei and andrie put his palm up from under his neck to protect his face from more shots and some dumb drunk was whaling about how that stop was unfair and he was bloacking the shots with his face so i asked the guy to put his hand on his face like andrei and i punched his face thru his hand…lol good times
[quote comment=”253354″]To all those who don’t know, there are a lot of top quality fighters in the IFL,[/quote]Bart is out of the IFL isnt he? You got Schultz, Gunderson (who is young and building), Horodecki, and that crazy ass guy that fights with Team Quest. Im sorry, but the IFL doesnt have ‘a lot of top quality fighters.’ Rothwell is/will be a joke in any other organization. Roy Nelson is a good fighter, but needs to stop with the fried chicken and beer… Tiger White cant win against anyone with more then 5 fights. The IFL has some talent… but as far as quality fighters there might be a handful.
[quote comment=”253902″][quote comment=”253354″]To all those who don’t know, there are a lot of top quality fighters in the IFL,[/quote]Bart is out of the IFL isnt he? You got Schultz, Gunderson (who is young and building), Horodecki, and that crazy ass guy that fights with Team Quest. Im sorry, but the IFL doesnt have ‘a lot of top quality fighters.’ Rothwell is/will be a joke in any other organization. Roy Nelson is a good fighter, but needs to stop with the fried chicken and beer… Tiger White cant win against anyone with more then 5 fights. The IFL has some talent… but as far as quality fighters there might be a handful.[/quote]
I have to agree in the past two years ive seen some talent in the IFL but it was either in the form of newcomers or older fighters that cant cut it in other organizations anymore. While i like Bart Palaszewski few others would probably do well against top competition as of now. Maybe we will see some of the stars of the IFL make the move to the UFC in the future that would be cool. As for this fight i think the stoppage time was appropriate. People that are disgusted or disturbed by seeing someone hit whilst knockedout shouldnt be watching MMA. Boxing might be a better choice or maybe better yet wrestling. Im not saying the sport should turn into gladiator games and two men enter one man leaves. This fight was a good fight the lion trapped chris’s arm and pounded him out he was given time to fight back he didnt the fight was stopped. To many fights have been stopped early by the ref when the guy looked Ko’ed then he gets pissed and says he wasnt out. Theres no doubt here who won this fight and thats the way it should be if it bothers you to see something like this then maybe ADCC is a better fit for you.