The IFL’s official web site is reporting that middleweight fighter Ryan McGivern will not be able to compete for Pat Miletich’s Iowa Silverbacks in the IFL semifinals scheduled for August 2 in East Rutherford, NJ.
McGivern’s replacement is former collegiate wrestler Gerald Harris, who previously competed in the IFL for Matt Lindland’s Portland Wolfpack.
The move is interesting because Harris trains full-time with Team Quest. In the past when there’s been an injury to the Silverbacks, Miletich has brought in his own fighters such as Josh Neer and Sam Hoeger.
The site does not make it clear whether McGivern will be out due to injury.
Middleweight Kaz Hamanaka has also been ruled out of the semifinals for the Tokyo Sabers. Dave Phillips has been chosen to fight in place of Hamanaka by head coach Ken Yasuda. I’m not too familiar with Phillips, but in watching Hamanaka compete this past season I can say that he was a weak area on the team.
It had been previously announced that lightweight fighter Chris Horodecki would be unable to compete for the LA Anacondas.
The semifinal matchups include the Anacondas vs. the Silverbacks and the Sabers vs. Renzo Gracie’s New York Dragons.
Five Ounces of Pain! 