Crash Course: Shark Fights 14 "Horwich vs. Villefort" Edition

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with the first of today’s “Crash Course” double-feature, featuring Shark Fights 14: “Horwich vs. Villefort”

The Event: “Shark Fights 14”, currently scheduled for March 11, 2011 at the Fair Park Coliseum in Lubbock, Texas. The main card will be televised on HDNet starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: It’s more free fights on TV, so who can really complain? This is also an important show for Shark Fights, since it’s their debut on HDNet and it’s likely as important a step up the ladder as their last event was, which marked the first time the promotion was on Pay-Per-View. Although it’s a fight card filled with local talent, there are some familiar faces in both the main and co-main events.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: The main event of the night sees Matt Horwich take on Danillo Villefort. It’s a classic “veteran vs. prospect” match, with Horwich having more than twice the fights of Villefort. Both men have spent time inside the UFC, so expect this fight to be an all-out war between two very tough opponents.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: It will be the females of Shark Fights that take the co-main event slot, with Tara LaRosa taking on Carina Damm. Interestingly enough, this will be both women’s debut in Shark Fights. Both women made their marks in the short-lived bodogFIGHT promotion. Damm has fought in Strikeforce before, but LaRosa has the far better record. Simply put, this is a smartly-booked women’s match that seems almost guaranteed to steal the show.

Why You Should Watch This Card: What have you got to lose, really? There’s a reason I keep taking chances on these smaller promotions: they keep impressing me. The WEC? That promotion, and my fandom of it, needs no introduction. Shine Fights? Pleasantly surprising. Bellator? Had lots of fun watching it. Considering that, and considering that the last Shark Fights event was a load of fun as well, this is one card that really does deserve a chance.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Other than the main and co-main events, this is a card comprised exclusively of no-name talent. This is not to say that those fighters aren’t talented, I simply mean that no one has heard of them and that’s a difficult obstacle to overcome when you’re trying to attract a new audience. Plus, a lot of people simply don’t have access to HDNet. I’m always in favor of giving the smaller shows a chance, but a show like this just isn’t for everyone.

Closing Thoughts: There’s been a whole lot of MMA to watch in March 2011, and I’m trying to sink my teeth into as much of it as I can. I’m not doing this out of any particular boredom, I think the UFC and Strikeforce have both been off to an incredible start in 2011. But still, I want to broaden my horizons. The last time I gave Shark Fights a chance, I found myself pleasantly surprised time and time again. I’ll definitely be tuning in to watch this one.

And what about you, fans and friends? Anybody out there looking forward to Shark Fights 14?