Monday Morning Matchmaker: Palaszewski v French

Sometimes rivalries are turf wars for hometown bragging rights.  Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le (6-0) versus “Legend” Frank Shamrock (23-9-2) comes to mind.

Sometimes there’s a culture clash, like between brash Long Islander and Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) and cocky farm boy seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7).

Sometimes styles make fights.

Adrenaline MMA has lightweight rivalry in the making that covers home turf and pits cultures and styles.

Tatt’ed skater from Chi-town “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (29-11) versus clean-cut Illinois country boy Clay French (16-2) is a classic match-up and perfect to determine Adrenaline’s first titlist.

Though Adrenaline MMA’s debut in Hoffman Estates, west of Chicago, was attended by about 2,500, it was a raucous hometown crowd.

Close your eyes and you would’ve thought the Sears Center was sold out, especially when the Jason Guida (17-16) and Michael Russow (10-1) factions battled for sound supremacy.

There’s a Strikeforce-like regional market to be built by Adrenaline MMA with the deep Midwest talent Adrenaline MMA President Monte Cox has ties to.

A lightweight championship between the Illinois rivals can anchor the big match-ups with third-ranked heavyweight “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (29-5), who’ll be rotating in and out of the Adrenaline lineup.

“I think it would be a great fight,” Palaszewski told Fighters.com.

At Adrenaline’s debut, the exciting former IFL standout electrified the night with roundhouse kick KO of Jeffrey Cox (9-6), but not before struggling with Cox’s strong wrestling.

French’s wrestling is stronger, as he displayed earlier that same night while wearing down BJJ player “Sergeant” Jameel Massouh (16-4) to a rear naked choke submission.

“Clay hung out with the Hughes boys in the wrestling circuit when they were younger and he is fighting out of [Hughes's] H.I.T. Squad camp,” Adrenaline MMA Veep Brian Patton said.  “My hope is to have Clay fight for us as many times as we can.”

Palaszewski fought through a three-fight slump before the breakout kayo, losing his final three IFL fights to Jim Miller (11-1) by UD, Chris Horodecki (12-1) by SD, and Deividas Taurosevicius (9-3) by armbar, but registered a knockout victory of the final IFL Lightweight Champion “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-9-1) in 2006.

French has split decision victory versus TUF Champ Mac Danzig (18-4-1) in 2007 and last lost in 2006 to Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (16-2) by flying triangle choke.

Both fighters have serious cred’.

The rivalry embodying such a style and culture clash within the region Adrenaline makes it’s home will put local asses in the seats, and, no it’s not the top of the division, but it’s a damn good fight that will encourage MMA faithful to tune in to HDNet.

Make this fight!

Want to play matchmaker?  Send me your match-ups and 100 words why it’s a good fight to make.  Include your name, city, and country and e-mail chad@fighters.com.  I’ll publish some of them next Monday morning.