“He was aggressive and stopped my shots better than I thought he would, he was one of the hardest opponents I think I’ve ever gone against,” explained Starks in a post-fight interview with MMA Mayhem TV. Starks now advances to the second preliminary round where he faces the Republic of Irelan’s Tyrone Quinn, who fights out of the renowned SBG Ireland Gym. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj2K-5w7cPc It was a difficult day for IMMAF Gold medal holders, as the tremendous pool of talent was clearer than ever before. German Middleweight Marcus Plodek contributed towards another near upset, as he proved to be an incredibly demanding puzzle for Rostem Akman (pictured below in blue), Sweden’s 2015 IMMAF European Open Champion, who was also able to scrape by on the scorecards via a Unanimous Decision. As a German national wrestling standout, Plodek showcased his grappling prowess, frequently anchoring himself to Akman in hunt of a single-leg takedown. Plodek maintained long periods of control that forced Akman to scramble and throw shots when the space was available. Akman now advances to face Bulgarian Valeri Atanasov. 
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2016 World Championships: 2015 Champion Will Starks edges through first round via split-decision
