Sam Marler made a statement in his debut bout at Fight For It IX. After weathering a storm of strikes from Garrett Rosenbaum, Marler turned up the heat in the second, dropping Rosenbaum with heavy leg kicks three times in the round, forcing the ref to call a stop to the bout. A second round TKO is a hell of a way to start a career.
But in his next outing, at Fight For It X in February, Marler lost a decision to the seasoned MMA fighter BillyJack Cupp, and lost his “undefeated” record with it. So looking into Fight For It XI, it seems safe to assume Marler is going to be out for blood, looking to tilt the scales back in his favor.
But Kratz, too, is looking for redemption. His last bout at Fight For It was a champiosnhip shot against Josh Crouch at FFI VIII, which Kratz lost by decision. Coming into his match with Marler with an even record, Kratz has all the same motivation, plus time in the interim to hone his skills and focus his efforts at another shot at the belt.
With two motivated and highly skilled competitors, each looking to avenge a loss and with their eyes on a title shot, this one is definitely one to watch. Kratz brings more experience to the bout, with five fights to Marler’s two, but Marler has proven he’s a dangerous striker and brings more recent in-ring momentum to this bout. While, Kratz’s experience gives him a slight edge on paper, this will be as tough to call as it will be exciting to watch.
Fight For It XI takes place on Oct. 23 in Gaffney, S.C. Purchase your tickets now at fightforitcompany.com.
Be sure to download the Fight For It app on on The App Store or Google Play to pick your fantasy winners at Fight For It XI. The pool is free to play and will award top scorers with their share of a $500 cash prize.
