In our continuing look at the individual fights that make up the M-1 Selection: Americas Finals, we will now dissect the welterweights.  Many pundits are of the opinion that the fight between Tom “Da Tank” Gallicchio and Len “The Liger” Bentley is an odds on favorite for “Fight of the Night.”

Gallicchio, a New Jersey native, has been a part of two stellar battles leading up to this point.  In the quarterfinals, he won a hard fought split decision win over Reggie Pena, and the semi finals were not any easier as Gallicchio defeated highly touted prospect Aaron Meisner by rear naked choke in the final frame.

Gallicchio is a dangerous fight for anyone; he’s a well rounded fighter who is never out of a fight.  As he displayed against Meisner, “Da Tank” is simply double tough and brings a  14-5 professional record into this tournament championship fight.

Len Bentley (9-3) enters the finals on the heels of a very impressive performance against Colin Schrader in the semi finals.  Bentley, who took the fight on short notice as a late replacement, floored Schrader in the second round of their contest.  Observers at the event remarked that it was easily one of the more brutal knockouts of the entire tournament.

Bentley is a confident fighter who knows what he wants and how to get it. His team at Victory Athletics has been training intensely with the welterweight and we look to see Len Bentley at his best on September 18.

The new cliché is to say styles make fights, in the case of Bentley and Gallicchio it may be a case of who wants it more.  Both men are well rounded and experienced. The areas that stand out would be Bentley’s brutal  left hand, and  Gallicchio’s ‘never say die’ approach to winning fights.

This fight on paper shows the potential to be a pivotal moment in both men’s careers.

Leave a Reply