The Triangle Choke: ICF Breakout Preview & Predictions

ICF Breakout invades US Bank Arena on April 11th with a stacked card which includes three of The Triangle Choke's top MMA future stars. Jens Pulver and Rich Franklin will be on hand to sign autographs. It will be an exciting night filled with great matchups. Following is the card and how we see it playing out.

Matt Egnar vs. Steve Muldrow

A tremendous matchup. Egnar is very skilled and shows tremendous heart. Muldrow, another Team Vision member, has incredible strength for a 155lber. These two will battle till the final bell.

Prediction: Muldrow via unanimous decision.

Chris Curtis vs. Taylor Rusicin

A good matchup.

Prediction: Curtis will use his athleticism and experience with Team Vision to pull out a victory via split decision.

Marcus Finch vs. Tyler Johnson

Great matchup. Finch is a physical specimen who shows great athleticism. Johnson has a big heart and is very dangerous on the ground. The winner will go to whichever fighter can dictate their style.

Prediction: Marcus Finch via referee stoppage in the 3rd round.

Ron Mitchell vs. Rob Galloway

This will be a slug fest. This bout will be filled with haymakers and aggressive action.

Prediction: Mitchell’s chin and punching power will prove to be too much. Mitchell wins via a 2nd round KO

TJ Ball vs. Kevin Barton

Prediction: Ball’s strength will prove to be too much. Ball wins via referee stoppage due to strikes in the 2nd round

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ICF Breakout Professional Bouts

Carson Gainey vs. Jeremy Pender

Gainey’s style is reminiscent of Clay Guida. Gainey is extremely quick but Pender’s reach should be difficult to withstand. Pender is a very talented fighter with great ground skills.

Prediction: Pender defeats Gainey via RNC in round 3.

Daniel Straus vs. Mike Baskis

Staus is a good athlete with strong wrestling skills. Baskis has a very good ground game. This fight will take place on the ground with Baskis attempting submissions and Straus using his wrestling skills to gain leverage.

Prediction: Straus wins via split decision. Straus’ strength proves to be too much as he will escape submission attempts

Luke Zachrich vs. Robert Thompson

Zachrich brings considerable experience to the cage. He is a member of the famed Team Extreme in Cincinnati, Ohio which includes Rich Franklin and Jorge Gurgel. Thompson possesses strength and athletic ability.

Prediction: Zachrich wins via submission in the 2nd round.

Chad Hinton vs. Jeff Cox

Cox has tremendous experience competing against the likes of Thiago Alves, Gleison Tibau, and Manny Gamburyan. He has competed in UFC, King of the Cage and EliteXC. Hinton owns his own gym and has had a tremendous impact on the MMA community in the Cincy area. No doubt Hinton will have the “home cage” advantage with thousands pulling for him.

Prediction: Chad Hinton’s strength and tactical skills prove to be too much. Hinton wins via tapout.

Dan “The Sandman” Christison vs. Marcio Cruz

Both fighters have tremendous experience including UFC appearances. Cruz has fought the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Monson and holds a victory over Frank Mir. He is a legendary jiu-jitsu performer holding a grappling victory over Fabricio Werdum. “The Sandman” has fought in both the IFL and UFC. Christision holds an equally impressive resume with losses against UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn and Frank Mir and victories over Ben Rothwell and Brad Imes. This is a big time matchup with contradicting styles. Dan will try to keep the fight in the stand up and use his extensive height and reach advantage to keep Cruz at bay. Cruz will attempt to get the fight to the ground and pull a submission out of his bag of tricks.

Prediction: A very tough fight to call. Both are experienced talented fighters. Cruz pulls out the win via submission late in the 2nd round.

Main Event: Victor O’Donnell vs. Forest Petz

Petz holds victories over the likes of Sam Morgan, Luigi Fioravanti and Dan Hardy. He has competed against Marcus Davis, Josh Burkman and Josh Neer. Petz brings a distinct experience advantage to the fight. Many MMA fans have not heard of Victor O’Donnell, they soon will. Victor is very good standing up and on the ground. He has explosive one punch power and loves to fight an aggressive pressure filled fight.

Prediction: Petz’ experience cannot discounted. He has competed in front of big crowds before. In fact he fought at US Bank Arena in UFC 77 losing by a split decision to Josh Burkman. This is by far the biggest fight in O’Donnell’s career as he fights in front of the home ground. O’Donnell doesn’t disappoint as his star continues to rise with an impressive victory via TKO due to strikes in the 2nd round.

Article & Photos by Scott Dryden
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer & Editor-in-Chief