On 4 April 2014, the seventh installment of The Badlands Combat Sports Radio Show - Dream Match will feature former EFC Africa middleweight title contender, Jacques Joubert against former KOTC and XMMA Australia light heavyweight champion, Mike Kyle. Jacques “Law & Order” Joubert started training in kickboxing and Muay Thai at an early age with his brother JP. He would go on to have a very successful career in K-1 and Muay Thai before making the transition to MMA. He worked on his ground game right away with Mark Robinson before his first MMA bout against Wade Henderson and his training paid off as he won that fight in the first round by guillotine choke. Joubert made his debut with EFC Africa in 2010 at EFC Africa 2 and would lose by TKO to Darren Daniel in the first round. Joubert would return against Lance Ceronio at EFC Africa 3 and showed that he had rejuvenated himself by knocking out Ceronio in the first round. He would follow up that performance with a first round triangle choke submission victory over Gina Ifuki and another first round knock out in a rematch with Wade Henderson. Joubert would go on to compete for the vacant EFC Africa middleweight title against Garreth “Soldierboy” McLellan at EFC Africa 8. It was an epic battle that McLellan would dominate the majority of but many were surprised to see that Joubert was able to avoid many submission attempts and get himself out of trouble. In the end, McLellan would successfully the guillotine choke in the forth round and win the title but it is considered to be one of the greatest fights in the history of EFC Africa. Joubert would go on to fight two more times for EFC Africa. He would defeat Mawande Vapi and lose to Tyron Rightford. Due to contract issues or injuries, Joubert has not fought since 2011 but he might be returning to MMA later in 2014. Mike “MAK” Kyle made his professional debut on March 10, 2001 when he was 18 years old and won by TKO only 90 seconds into the fight. He then won his next two fights, also by punches before debuting in the King of the Cage promotion. Kyle made his King of the Cage debut in a fight for the King of the Cage Super Heavyweight Championship against then King of the Cage Super Heavyweight Champion Dan Bobish. Kyle, who then weighed 275 lbs. was outweighed by Bobish, who was 55 lbs. bigger than Kyle. Kyle was handed his first career loss after he submitted due to punches. In his next KOTC bout, Kyle made his Heavyweight debut against future King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion Paul Buentello. Kyle lost after he was knocked out from punches. After losing to Buentello, the San Jose-based American Kickboxing Academyinvited Kyle to train. He accepted and has been training with AKA ever since. In his next fight, Kyle made his debut in the WEC, and snapped his two-fight losing streak with a knockout win. The 4-2 Kyle then made his IFC debut and again won by strikes as his opponent tapped out due to punches. Kyle then won his next two fights, the later being his second fight for the WEC. Kyle made his UFC debut against Wes Sims winning via KO at 4:59 of round 1. Sims took the fight a days notice notice after Kyles original opponent filled into the main event after Tim Sylvia failed a drug test. Kyle dominated the entire first round and knocked Sims out at 4:59. Sims protested after the fight that Kyle had bitten him on the chest. During the post fight interview, a bite mark could clearly be seen on Sims left pectoral muscle. This marks the first time a bite has ever happened in a UFC fight since its UFC 1 in 1993, when Gerard Gordeau bit Royce Gracie in the championship match. Kyle still denies any wrongdoing. Kyle then fought the late Justin Eilers in a Heavyweight bout. This was a significant match up as Eilers was a friend of Kyles who had actually introduced Kyle to the sport of mixed martial arts. Kyle lost the fight when he was knocked out from a punch 74 seconds into the first round. He then fought former WEC Heavyweight Champion James Irvin at UFC 51: Super Saturday winning via knockout in the first round. After leaving the UFC, Kyle had planned to fight in the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. However, the plan fell through and in his next bout he fought in Japans Pancrase where he defeated Japanese legend Tsuyoshi Kohsaka after executing a flying knee as Kohsaka went in for a takedown. Kyle won the fight via (Technical) Decision in round 3 after ringside doctors ruled Kohsaka unable to continue. Kyle had cut down from 245 lbs. to 230 lbs. for the fight. He then fought against Devin Cole at WEC 18, and lost by TKO. This was Kyles first defeat in the WEC. He then signed with Strikeforce, making his debut against Krzysztof Soszynski in a Heavyweight bout at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie. The fight was declared a technical draw after Soszynski was accidentally poked in the eye by Kyle. Kyle then fought Brian Olsen for the WEC Heavyweight Championship and was disqualified after he hit Olsen with illegal strikes, for which he was placed on the national suspension list, and given an 18-month ban. After throwing Olsen over his shoulder, Kyle hit Olsen, who was on his knees and therefore a grounded opponent, with a soccer kick and then repeatedly hit him with strikes. The 9-6-1 Kyle then fought at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le against former All-American wrestler Wayne Cole in a Heavyweight bout and lost after he was submitted from an armbar. Kyle then returned to the IFC and won his bout via knockout, and followed this up with another win, this time via unanimous decision, his first career decision win. Kyle then returned to Strikeforce to fight Rafael Calvacante in a light heavyweight bout at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields. Kyle picked up one of the biggest victories of his career, winning by knockout against the future Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. After his huge win over Calvacante, Kyle fought against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum in a Heavyweight bout at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg in San Jose, California. He lost the bout via guillotine choke submission. Kyle faced Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at WSOF 8.Kyle lost via KO in the first round. How would these two match up if they did meet in the cage? Odds maker Steven James of Stunner Wrestling INC has Joubert a slight favorite at -175 and Kyle the underdog at +210. Bad Billy and Grant Oliff of SmackTalk MMA will be discussing this and you can catch it by going to blogtalkradio/aow_productions/2014/04/04/the-badlands-combat-sports-radio-show--april-4-2014
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 06:19:49 +0000
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