Pro Picks: UK MMA's Finest Weigh In on Wallhead vs Roberts

Pro Picks: UK MMA's Finest Weigh In on Wallhead vs Roberts

by  Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday night two of the best Welterweights in the UK will meet in the cage in a bout that will likely determine who is the number one contender in a ridiculously stacked Cage Warriors welterweight division. One, is one of the best welterweights the UK has ever known with over 10 years of professional MMA experience, the other a game newcomer tipped for the top. The two men in question are Jim Wallhead and Danny Roberts, and Saturday night will see both men go toe-to-toe in one of the biggest fights the UK sees this year.

So who wins? We caught up with over 25 of the finest fighters from the UK and Ireland to ask them how they see the big fight going. From Cage Warriors champions, to Bamma stars, to UFC standouts and even a couple of Bellator fighters. We have got their opinions on Wallhead vs Roberts, who wins, how they win, and exactly why you need to watch it.

Brett Johns
Cage Warriors Bantamweight, Former Cage Warriors Champion | Twitter: @36johns
I genuinely dont know how that fight is going to go down, im a big fan of both of these guys! I really like Danny, he's a sound guy and im a big fan of his fighting style, but I think Jimmy has an edge on the experience side of things, fighting for a world title and his time in Bellator. I think this will be an edge in this fight! I dont want to pick a winner but I got Jimmy wallhead by decision! Although im not counting "Hot Chocolate" out - Good luck lads!

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Phil Harris
UFC Flyweight | Twitter: @Philharrismma
I would say Wallhead by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Benny Alloway
Cage Warriors Welterweight, Former UFC Welterweight | Twitter: @bennyblancomma
Tough one to call, it could be fight of the year or it could fizzle out. I'd say Wallhead by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Colin Fletcher
Bamma Lightweight, Former UFC Lightweight | Twitter: @dr_freakshow
Im gonna go Jimmy via 2nd round ground n poudskius maximus

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO RD 2

Jack Mason
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @JackStoneMason
This is a great fight, probably one of the biggest domestic fights this year to be honest. I’m a fan of both and they are both great guys but I’m not going to sit on the fence on this one; I think Roberts takes this fight, he’s solid in all areas, his stand up is great, his wrestling is good and his grappling is very underrated. Wallhead is very well rounded too and has big fight experience, I just think the X factor here is Roberts athleticism and will to win. I see Roberts taking this by decision beating Wallhead to the punch standing and taking Wallhead down synching the rounds on the judge’s scorecards.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Walter Gahadza
UWC Welterweight Champion | Twitter: @WalterGahadza
This will bee a very good fight. I'll go with Wallhead, experience and versatile style.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Curt Warburton
Cage Warriors Lightweight, Former Bamma Lightweight Champion | Twitter: @curtwarburton
That's a tough one. Wallhead is one of the best WW in Europe and Roberts has not fought anyone like Wallhead before, but saying that Roberts is growing with each fight and we have not seen the best of his striking just yet.... I Am just concerned the Wallhead fight will come to soon. If Wallhead turns it into a wrestling fight with G&P I see him winning. If not it could go either way.

Prediction: None Given 

Jimi Manuwa
UFC Light-Heavyweight | Twitter: @posterboyjm
Wallhead stoppage

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO or Submission

Rob Sinclair
Bellator Lightweight, Former Bamma Lightweight Champion | Twitter: @robc4sinclair
I think Wallhead will win a decision. I think he will find away to use his experience to nullify Roberts boxing speed. Wallhead, decision win.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Ryan Scope
Bamma & Made 4 the Cage Welterweight | Twitter: @ryanscope1
I've trained with Jimmy a few times so gotta go with him. Roberts is really good but I think Jimmys experience and toughness will win him the fight.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Lewis Long
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @lew_long
It's a fucking cracking fight !! I can see wallhead taking the UD.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Paul Redmond
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @RedserMma
Seen Danny's last few fights and he's looked really impressive, his standup is really crisp. As everyone knows Jimmys got some tasty throws and serious submissions. Roberts did well with the last grappler he faced but Jim's on the next level. If he can avoid the takedowns and keep it on the outside with strikes, plus its in his hometown it will defo give him an advantage. I got Roberts by Decision

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Michael Page
Bellator Welterweight | Twitter: @michaelpage247
Well Jimmy has done his training camp here with me at London Shoot so I’ve seen first hand what he’s going to do to Roberts. He’s going to man handle him plan and simple and if he’s feeling friendly end his night early with a KO

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO

Spencer Hewitt
Cage Warriors Flyweight | Twitter: @hewittmma
Bro, I think its going to be a war. Could go either way as both are top fighters. I can't predict who will win but think its not going 3 rounds.

Prediction: None Given 

Alex Enlund
Cage Warriors Featherweight | Twitter: @alexenlund
I actually don't have a clue,  that' why I am so excited to see it. Both guys could win but I expect it to be a decision.

Prediction: None Given

Shajidul Haque
Cage Warriors Flyweight | Twitter: @supermanshaj
I haven't seen too much either fighter, but from what I have, I think the fight will go the distance, and Roberts will win the decision.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Chi Lewis-Perry
ONE FC Heavyweight | Twitter:  @ThebossmanCLP
I like Wallhead for this match up. I like his aggressive one pace style - never afraid to go forward even when hurt, that's tough to deal with. I see his constant pressure going the distance but winning him a unanimous decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Benny Carr
Bamma Welterweight | Twitter: @BennyCarrMMA
I predict Wallhead wins via that left hook in 2nd round.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO RD 2

Matt Inman
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @mattinman86
I'm siding with the underdog on this one, most people I've talked to about this are saying Jimmy but I think Danny has a really tricky and fast southpaw style and he can grind it out when he needs to, I think he goes in as the hungrier fighter with more to gain, and the home crowd factor shouldn't be underestimated. Very hard fight to call though.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Jason Cooledge
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @theanimaljac
I think Roberts takes the fight on a close decision, he will stay on the outside and out point to win.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Lee Chadwick
OMMAC & FCC Middleweight Champion | Twitter: @Lee_the_butcher
I think Danny will win via TKO or decision. It'll be a tough fight for both fighters.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - TKO or Decision

Jordan Desborough
Cage Warriors Bantamweight | Twitter: @TeamHandsomeMMA
The match up between Wallhead and Roberts is undoubtedly one if the best domestic MMA fights we will see this year. Roberts is a top Contender in the Cage Warriors welterweight division and in my opinion a future champion. Having said that I think Wallhead's experience and fighting style will be too much of a problem for Roberts at the present time and can see him winning a decision. The experience in big fights could be a deciding factor. Whoever wins on May 3rd will cement their place as the Number one contender to the welterweight title.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Jake Bostwick
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @jakebostwick
It's a very tough fight for them both but think Wallhead could grind the fight and take a decision! If it's a striking game then it’s Roberts fight! A very interesting match up

Prediction: None Given

Jason Ball
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @Daddycoolmma
Wallhead has the experience, Roberts has the record. I'm going Judo Jimmy by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Neil Seery
UFC Flyweight, Former Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion | Twitter: @NeilSeeryMMA
Think it will be a cracking fight. If Wallhead turns up to fight the way he can its all his

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Tim Newman
Bamma Lightweight | Twitter: @timnewman9
Wallhead wins! He's too experienced in all areas of the game. He'll get the TKO in RD 3.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO RD 3

Charlie Watts
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @watts_charlie
I'm with Danny Roberts

Prediction: Danny Roberts - No Method Given

Thats what the pro's think, let us know who you think will win in the comments section.

Jack Mason "The guys i help coach will go on to achieve more than i could ever dream of in MMA"

Jack Mason talks to Kingdom MMA after win at Cage Warriors Fight Night 11

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Copyright Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

On Good Friday in Amman, Jordan Jack Stone Mason went to work for the 8th time in just over 15 months. That alone is a truly inpressive stat but this fight also marked the 40th fight of Jack's career and he wanted to make it clear who the winner was by the end of the fight. Mason came in to this fight off the back of a very close, some would say controversal loss to Benny Alloway at Cage Warriors 65 which snapped a two fight streak and he made sure he came away from Jordan with the win. Yesterday we caught up with Jack to discuss that fight, his team at BKK Fighters and whats next for Jack.

Sam: Congratulations on your recent victory against Patrick Vallee in your 40th pro fight. Have you had chance to watch the fight back yet and if so how would you rate your performance?
Mason: Thanks very much! Yeah I’ve had a chance to watch it back and there are definitely some things I could have done better or more of but I’m happy with the result against a very tough and tricky opponent.

Sam: Did fighting a former training partner have any effect on your mind-set going into this fight? Did you do anything differently for this fight because you have previously trained together?
Mason: Having trained with Patrick before I knew when I accepted this fight that I had my work cut out as I know that he poses me a genuine threat skill wise in all areas and especially in the grappling exchanges. The guy is exceptionally strong and is very quick in scrambles and possesses a very high level ground game. I knew that this was a 50/50 fight and that to take the win I had to implement my game plan perfectly and that’s what I tried to do.

It was quite strange standing across the cage from a friend knowing we were about to fight!

Sam: When did you last train with Patrick and how much had he improved since you last trained with him?
Mason: Probably about a year ago I think. Patrick is in contact with Luke Barnatt a lot as I know Luke was planning to get him over to the UK to help him prepare for his upcoming bout at UFC Berlin so he may be back over very soon training with us!

Patrick is legit and if he fights again on Cage Warriors he’s going to cause a lot of guys in the WW division problems.

Sam: Did fighting at a catchweight make the weight cut easier for this fight or did the short timeframe between agreeing to fight and the fight make it harder?
Mason: I was hoping to get on the Liverpool show in May and was dieting down to Welterweight for that, when the opportunity came up to fight again in Jordan I jumped at the chance but to make Welterweight on that short notice isn’t possible for me so we agreed a catch-weight for this bout.

I’d love their to be a 175lb division in MMA as that’s definitely the best weight for me, hopefully they’ll implement that weight class while I’m still fighting!

Sam: You were able to showcase both your wrestling and striking skills on multiple occasions throughout the fight. Do you feel like this convincing performance was enough to warrant your name being back in title contention?
Mason: I think the win over a legit opponent in Vallee definitely puts me back in the mix, however I think I need a decent finish over another top Welterweight to really push my case for a shot at the title.

Sam: In your second most recent fight you lost a close decision against Benny Alloway. After the fight you took to twitter for the first time that I can remember stating that the judges had incorrectly scored the fight. Now some time has passed do you still feel the same way?
Mason: To be completely honest during the fight I was absolutely sure I was winning and thought I had it won hands down through jabs I landed on the feet, takedowns and control. When the decision got read out I was genuinely shocked.

When I got a chance to watch it back however I saw the fight from a wholly different perspective and can see it was far closer than I originally thought. I think the fight was so close that the decision could have gone either way and to be honest I can’t really complain about the result as I should’ve done a whole lot more in that fight to take the win. I have to take responsibility for that loss and in my next bouts ensure that they always finish on my terms.

Sam: Did you push CW for a rematch with Alloway or is that a fight you would like again in the future?
Mason: I haven’t pushed for a rematch no. The Cage Warriors Welterweight division is so stacked full of talent that there are so many tough guys to fight that rematches really don’t make sense.

That being said of course I would rematch Alloway if that fight made sense for Cage Warriors again and it put me closer to a title shot.

Sam: Did suffering a close loss on the judges’ scorecards influence your game-plan going into this fight and how nervous were you prior to Joe Martinez announcing the good news this time around?
Mason: To be honest the match against Vallee was such a tough one that I didn’t put any extra pressure on myself about trying to win anything on the judge’s scorecards, I just went out there and fought the fight I needed to. I knew that if I caught Vallee with a clean punch on the feet I could finish the fight and that’s what I was trying to do. He was tricky and it was difficult to land anything clean so the finish never came unfortunately.

When the judge’s decision was read out I did think I’d won the fight but from previous experiences you can never quite tell about how the fight is interpreted from an outside perspective so yes I was pretty nervous as to whether I’d get the nod!

Sam: You fought in Jordan again for the third time in about a year. Do you ask to be on the foreign shows or would you like to fight in the UK again soon? There looks to be a massive event in June, will you want to be a part of that?
Mason: I don’t ask to fight on the foreign shows specifically however I definitely enjoy fighting on them, especially in Jordan as the crowd out there are absolutely unbelievable!

The June show looks incredible and yes if Cage Warriors can get me on it’s definitely something I want to be a part of!

Sam: In the past couple of weeks some of your BKK fighters picked up some very impressive wins, what is better for you: Seeing your guys win or picking up the wins yourself?
Mason: The guys I help coach will go on to achieve more than I could ever dream of in MMA I am sure. Seeing them starting from scratch at BKK Fighters to go on and win world titles is a goal of mine and we will make it happen as a team.

Sam: What did you make of Arnold Allen's impressive performance earlier in the night? He certainly lived up to the award of "One to watch in '14" that we awarded him in our end of year awards.
Mason: Arnold made short work of Huber that’s for sure. Arnold’s been fighting tough competition in both Amateur and Professional MMA since he was 16 and he continues to put these grown men away really quickly. Given Huber’s ground credentials we thought he would be a tough opponent for Arnold but Arnold hits so hard and so fast that when he touches someone they just change their mind and want out of the fight.

Arnold will be a world champion before he is 23 I have no doubt.

Sam: As always You were back fighting very regularly, Did you consider taking a break from fighting for a few months to work more on your game after the loss or were you eager to get your name back in the Win column?
Mason: I started MMA in 2005 when I was 23 years old. I’m 31 now and have had over 40 fights, I’m at my physical peak and am always learning and improving so I just want to continue fighting regularly and gaining all the experiences I can from fighting at a high level for one of the MMA best organizations in the world. I’m having the time of my life fighting for Cage Warriors right now.

In terms of the decision loss to Alloway, the thing I needed to change was not so much my skill set, it was more the mental approach and game plan I took into that fight. A slightly different approach and that fight would’ve been mine I’m sure, it’s definitely an experienced I’ve learnt from.

Sam: Would you like to thank anyone?
Mason: Thanks very much for the interview and thanks to my management, coaches, team mates, family and friends and to everyone for all the support for this fight and my career so far!

Huge thanks also to Matt Walton who has given me some excellent guidance in the past couple of months and really changed my approach to fighting.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to my sponsors, please check out their websites and follow them on Twitter:

         www.britishfighter.co.uk                        @BritishF1ghter
         www.chelmsfordphysio.co.uk                 @ChelmsforPhysio
         www.blankmmauk.com                         @BlankMMAUK
         www.qntuk.com                                    @QNTUK
         www.funkygums.com                             @FUNKYGUMS
         www.ignitept.co.uk                                @LI_Strength
         www.coconoil.co.uk                              @Coconoil

Is Cage Warriors 170lb division the most stacked division in European MMA

Kingdom MMA Review the Cage Warriors Welterweight Division

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

May 3rd will see some of Europe’s most promising MMA talents throw down as part of the stacked Cage Warriors 68 card, hosted in Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Though we will see several bouts take place which will have a profound impact on their respective weight divisions, this event is particularly geared towards the Welterweight class. In recent months the always-strong 170-lb division of Europe’s leading MMA promotion has become increasingly stacked with an array of both new and returning fighters. Since former champions Cathal Pendred (13-2 MMA, 6-0 CWFC) made the decision to relinquish his belt and enter TUF 19 with the chance to eventually fight in the UFC, Cage Warrior’s Welterweight division has become extremely open with many potential challengers to the belt. Here is Kingdom MMA’s breakdown of arguably the most stacked division in European MMA:

Nicolas Dalby (12-0 MMA, 1-0 CWFC)

Currently the man with the target on his back and the Cage Warriors gold around his waist, the unbeaten Danish fighter looked venomous in his last bout as he dispatched Sergei Churilov midway through the third round with a beautiful head kick which lead to the TKO victory by ground strikes. Getting a finish this late in the fight highlights not only the 29-year-olds impressive cardio but also how dangerous he remains throughout the fight. Dalby’s fight for the Welterweight belt was also his debut for the promotion, demonstrating just how highly rated this fighter is – it will be interesting to see how he performs against the long list of potential challengers queuing up in Cage Warrior’s 170-lb Division. 

Jimmy “Judo” Wallhead (25-8 MMA, 10-5 CWFC)

The first half of Saturday’s main event, Wallhead – who launched his career at Cage Warriors in 2005 – makes his promotional return after racking up a wealth of experience at M-1, Bellator and BAMMA. Jimmy uses his high level black belt in judo to dominate his opponents with heavy hands and a crippling submission game; of his 25 wins only 7 have hit the judges’ scorecards. Most recently Wallhead proved his judo base to be just as effective as a fighter with a background in amateur wrestling as he knocked out Florent Betorangal with a huge slam 20-seconds into the third round. Wallhead has been victorious over UFC-calibre opponents like Igor Araujo, Matt Veach and two-time title contender Frank Trigg. Now having once again joined Cage Warrior’s ranks, Wallhead will be a force to be reckoned with.

Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts (10-1 MMA, 5-0 CWFC)

The man who will be stood across the cage from Jimmy Wallhead at Cage Warriors 68, Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts has the difficult task of welcoming the Leicester-native back to the promotion. While the superior experience of Wallhead makes him the favourite going into Saturday’s main event, Danny has been fighting about as hot as his nickname suggests, currently riding an impressive 4-fight win steak which includes an Armbar victory over Jack Mason. Mason – who is every bit as experienced as Wallhead – is another Welterweight contender and Danny’s victory over him proved that experience really isn’t everything. “Hot Chocolate” is a well-rounded fighter and will look to employ his length and speed advantages to ruin Wallhead’s homecoming party. Liverpool is Danny’s adoptive home city and the natives will be vocal in their support of the young fighter. The winner of this bout looks likely to be next in line to face Nicholas Dalby.

Matt Inman (13-5 MMA, 4-1 CWFC)

After a faulty start in Cage Warriors with a loss to the incredibly tough Jack Mason, Inman has been tearing through every 170-lber unlucky enough to find himself opposing the Manchester-based fighter. Matt is a big fellow for the weight-class measuring a lengthy 6’1” and uses his long frame to his advantage for his killer striking arsenal and equally skilled submission-game. Of Inman’s 13 wins 6 have come via KO/TKO and 6 via submissions – Inman has pulled off a wide array of submissions including Guillotines, Triangles and even a Heel-Hook! On Saturday Inman will face a tough opponent in Mauro “Xuxa” Chimento Jr (15-10 MMA, 1-1 CWFC) who, in keeping with his Brazillian roots, is primarily a BJJ specialist who fought his first pro-MMA fight in 2001. If he overcomes this veteran of the sport Inman will be on a five fight streak and should be nearing a title shot.

Benny “Benny Blanco” Alloway (13-5 MMA, 2-0 CWFC)

A veteran of The Ultimate fighter and the UFC, Benny Alloway bounced back from being prematurely cut from the UFC with a closely-fought decision victory over Jack Mason. The outspoken Aussie is known for his dangerous striking, advancing to the quarter finals of the TUF: Smashes tournament with a second round knockout of the far larger Valentino Petrescu and also knocking out Manuel Rodriguez in the first round with a devastating front kick and strikes. In his two stints at Cage Warriors Benny has remained unbeaten against some of the toughest opponents the division has to offer. Alloway will be watching the two crucial welterweight bouts on this Saturday’s card which could potentially determine who his next opponent in the promotion will be.

Jack “Stone” Mason (27-13 MMA, 9-6 CWFC)

A fighter which has already been mentioned several times during this examination of Cage Warriors’ Welterweight division, Jack Mason always seems to be involved in the upper-end of the division’s activity. Having lost a close some may say controversial decision to Benny Alloway in March, Jack bounced back just over one month later with a victory over former training partner Patrick Vallee. This desire to immediately get back on the horse after a loss is typical of Jack Mason’s grit. What is not so typical of Jack Mason is that his past 3 fights have gone to a decision – since his debut all the way back in 2005 Jack has been a proven finisher, with a particular tendency towards getting a hold of the throat of his opponent and using his remarkable strength to choke them out.

Sergei Churilov (15-2 MMA, 1-1 CWFC)

Though his most recent bout saw him losing to Nicholas Dalby for the vacant Welterweight belt, it would be unwise to rule the young Ukrainian out of making another run at the title. The fight against Dalby was remarkably close coming into the fourth and many actually had Churilov winning on their scorecards. It was all the more devastating therefore when he ate that big head kick and was eventually knocked out to the joy of the pro-Dalby Dannish crowd. This was only Churilov’s second loss however and it would be crazy to think he couldn’t bounce back. The 28-year-old has a mean submission game and went into the title fight having won his preceding three bouts via submission. This was his first bout in Cage Warriors since early-2012 – in his other fight for the promotion he beat Anatoly Starodubtsev via first round Achilles Lock.

Gael Grimaud (19-6 MMA, 3-1 CWFC)

The man who originally lost his belt to Cathal Pendred, Gael Grimaud will certainly be seeking to regain his lost championship gold. The Frenchman was riding an eight fight unbeaten streak until the Irishman came and defeated him. Since then Gael has bounced back with a brace of wins, most recently with a brutal first round KO over Bruno Carvalho. Though we knew Grimaud packed a punch, the 24-year-old was primarily known for being able to submit his opponents with 12 of his 19 wins coming in this way. Gael has a wealth of high-level MMA experience, having picked up wins both in M-1 and Pancrace. With the aforementioned KO victory coming back in October, we hope to see Grimaud continue his winning ways soon.

Jake “Brutal” Bostwick (14-8 MMA, 2-0 CWFC) 

Yet another contender in the welterweight division to have once tangoed with Jack Mason, Jake Bostwick’s fighting career started slow but has gathered a great deal of momentum in recent years. Indeed, by the end of 2008 Bostwick’s record was a disappointing 3-7. However, since 2010 Bostwick has really earned his nickname of “Brutal”, stringing together seven impressive victories (four of which came via KO/TKO). Though he is yet to pick up a stoppage in his Cage Warriors career, he has looked extremely impressive picking up two one-sided unanimous decision victories. The man who was once blasted with a KO from the knee of one Alex Reid has certainly come a long way since the early days in his MMA career. With the momentum he has built up since 2010 there is no sign of Bostwick slowing down.

Simeon “The Grin” Thoresen (17-4 MMA, 1-0 CWFC)

Since his one Cage Warriors bout way back in 2008, this super-talented submission specialist has been climbing the ladder eventually reaching the heights of the UFC. He even picked up that all-important victory inside the Octagon choking out Besam Yousef on the UFC on Fuel TV 2 card in Sweden. However, back-to-back loses meant that he was cut from the promotion and so now finds himself back with Cage Warriors. Though he may no longer be in the UFC, Thoresen has a legitimate chance of becoming the Cage Warrior’s welterweight champion which would certainly be some consolation. The guy is a legitimate grappler, having picked up 15 of his 17 victories through various different submissions. He is scheduled to fight Jake “Brutal” Bostwick in his first bout back in the promotion, a fighter who certainly has the tools to be a real threat to the Swede.

Cody Donovan vs. Nikita Krylov Set For UFC Dublin

Cody Donovan vs. Nikita Krylov Set For UFC Dublin
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Cody Donovan will meet Nikita Krylov at UFC Dublin in a potential loser goes home match up.

UFC Dublin takes place July 19th at the The O2 Arena. Tickets for will go on sale to the general public at 10am on Friday 6th June and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ie and www.theo2.ie

Fighting for the 4th time in his UFC Career, Cody Donovan (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will be faced with the prospect of needing a win to save his UFC career when he takes on Nikita Krylov in Dublin in July.

A product of Grudge Training Center, and a Brazilian Jui Jitsu black belt under Nate Marquart, Donovan began his UFC career with a knockout victory over Nick Penner at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson as a last minute replacement for injured Eddie Mendez. Taking the bout on just 9 days notice, Donovan was able to despatch of Penner in the first round in an entertaining bout which earned Fight of the Night honors.

Following his victory over Penner, Donovan faced Ovince St. Preux on August 17, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26, to whom he lost by first round TKO. In his most recent outing the 33 year old from Iowa, who has previous competed in Bellator, lost to Gian Villante, again by TKO to extending his losing streak to 2, making it vital he picks up a win in his next bout. 

At Just 22-years old former heavyweight Nikita Krylov (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), is one the youngest fighters on the UFC roster. A native of Ukraine, Krylov has not been short of leaving lasting memories - good and bad, since making his UFC debut in 2013.

Joining the UFC on the back of a 15-2 record, with 2 career losses coming to Vladimir Mishchenko, Krylov made his UFC debut at heavyweight against Australia's Soa Palelei, in a bout which Kingdom MMA staff named the worst fight of 2013 with both men gassing badly, and Krylov eventually losing by TKO in the 3rd round.

Krylov returned in January, in the opening bout of UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson, to face Walter Harris, who he defeated with a highlight reel, 25-second headkick TKO. Following the bout Krylov told journalists he would be dropping to Light-heavyweight.

Krylov made his 205lb debut against Ovince St. Preux - a common opponent to Donovan, at UFC 171 however he was unsuccessful in his new weight division losing by Von Flue Choke in first round.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Dublin

UFC Fight Night 46: McGregor vs Miller (Fight Card)

UFC Fight Night 46: McGregor vs Miller
Date: July 19th, 2014
o2 Arena, Dublin, Ireland


Fight Card
Conor McGregor vs Cole Miller
Ryan LaFlare vs Gunnar Nelson
Ian McCall vs Brad Pickett
Ilir Latifi vs Tom Lawlor
Cody Donovan vs Nikita Krylov
Phil Harris vs Neil Seery

Neil Seery Meets Phil Harris at UFC Dublin

Neil Seery Meets Phil Harris at UFC Dublin
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Copyright Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Irish flyweight Neil Seery has been given a chance at revenge in front of his countrymen when he takes on the UKs Phil Harris at UFC Dublin, who beat Seery by decision at BAMMA 3.

UFC Dublin takes place July 19th at the The O2 Arena. Tickets for will go on sale to the general public at 10am on Friday 6th June and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ie and www.theo2.ie.

Joining the UFC as a last minute replacement when he was defeated by unanimous decision by Brad Pickett at UFC fight Night London in March, Seery fights for the promotion for the first time on the back of a full training camp when he takes on Phil Harris in Dublin.

A former Cage Warrior Champion, Seery (13-10 MMA, 0-1 UFC) who earned praise for his efforts in defeat to Pickett, has put together a 6-2 record since his fight with Harris in 2010, with 4 wins inside the distance, including a devastating body kick KO over Paul Marin. A pro since 2005, the 34 year old has finishes 11 of his 13 victories inside the distance - 6 by TKO, 5 by submission.

Fighting for the 5th time under the UFC banner, Phil Harris (22-12 MMA,  1-3 UFC) returns to the promotion having been briefly released following his loss to Louis Gaurdinot at UFC Fight Night London.

A Judo black belt, Harris who fights out of Gym 01 is on a 2-4 run since he fought Seery at Bamma 3, however he has faced what could be considered a run of death since joining the UFC, facing top 15 guys including Darren Uyenoyama, John Lineker, Louis Gaurdinot, and Ulysses Gomez, the only man Harris has defeated in the UFC. Currently riding a 2 fight losing streak, it's likely Harris will need to defeat Seery to keep his UFC career alive, make the rematch even more intriguing.

Stay tuned to kingdommma.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Dublin.

Jake Bostwick vs Simeon Thoresen set for Cage Warriors Super Saturday

Bostwick vs Thoresen set for Cage Warriors 69

by Ben Heather @benheather

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Cage Warriors 69 has a lot of hype surrounding the event due to the recent announcement that it will have two main cards on one night and is now being named "Super Saturday" up until the past couple of days the only fight which was announced was a lightweight battle for the vacant Cage Warriors title between Stevie Ray and Curt Warburton. Now the fight card is starting to come together as a welterweight battle between two of the top competitors in the division has been added. That fight is Jake Bostwick (14-8-1) vs Simeon Thoresen (17-4).

Jake Bostwick comes in to the fight with a 7 fight win streak, with his most recent win coming at Cage Warriors 64 when he defeated Boubacar Balde. That fight was at middleweight but he is now back down to welterweight for this fight.

We recently caught up with Jake to find out how the fight came about

"My Managment (Infinity Management) got in touch with my coach Kieran Keddle about the Simeon fight and Kieran kind of accepted it before talking to me, knowing what potential it had. My coaches both Kieran Keddle and Mickey papas know I have the tools to take out Simeon and that made me want the fight more."

"I'm really looking forward to the fight also, I hope to get a great KO victory yet again. Simeon's a great opponent but this is my fight! I need this more then he does, I'm younger and more hungry for it."

As for where a win over Thoresen takes him Bostwick was staying grounded.

"I take each fight as it comes, Simeon is definitely my next step forward for sure, can't say if a title is in the picture but let's get this win first then see"

Simeon Thoresen will be fighting for the first time since his release from the UFC after a 1-2 run in the promotion. His last fight was back in January 2013 so I am sure come June 7th he will be ready to go to war as he returns to Cage Warriors. A 51 second KO win against Matt Thorpe in July 2008 was his only other appearance for Cage Warriors. A win over Jake Bostwick, ending his winning streak would show the other contenders in the welterweight division that Thoreson is back and means business.

Cage Warriors 69 takes place on June 7th as Cage Warriors returns to London once again with the event being staged at The Forum, Kentish Town. If these two fights are anything to go by it will certainly be a Super Saturday in June. Stay tuned for more news once it has been announced.

Kingdom MMA chat to Matt Inman ahead of Cage Warriors 68

Matt Inman: Cage Warriors 68 Pre Fight Interview

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

On Saturday night Cage Warriors returns to Liverpool for Cage Warriors 68. One of the stars who will be competing on the night is Matt Inman (13-5), Matt is currently on a four fight win streak and will be looking to improve his streak and his chances of pushing towards a shot at the title on Saturday night. Before his big fight Kingdom MMA caught up with Matt to talk about his fight.

Alex: Hi Matt, cheers for taking the time out to talk to us about your upcoming fight at Cage Warriors 68 in Liverpool. With less than a week until your fight with Mauro Chimento, how have your preparations been for this camp and how is your weight looking?
Inman: No Problem, thanks for the interview.

Preparations have gone really well, I feel very fit and strong, and I've effectively rehabbed a few little injuries I was carrying for the last few months, so I'll be going into the fight as injury free as you can hope to be after a long, hard fight camp.

My weight is fine, I've been making this same weight for the last six years or so now so I've really got the whole process nailed down. It's never easy and its definitely my least favourite part of the job but there are some really big cutters in my division (to be fair there are in every division) so its a necessary evil.

Alex: Are you excited about fighting in Liverpool given its close to Manchester?
Inman: Yes, I fought in the Echo when Cage Warriors were there last year, it's a cracking venue. It's also nice to be able to stay at home before the fight which is not very common for me as I'm normally on the road. It's just easier at home as you know where everything is, you can sleep in your own bed and you don't have to wander round obscure foreign cities looking for food to refuel on that's not going to batter your already delicate system post weight cut! Having said that I love fighting abroad and experiencing new places as well.

Alex: Does fighting so close to home create extra pressure, or does it make it more enjoyable, to fight in front for friends and family, as well as having that support from the crowd?
Inman: There's definitely that excitement factor and I'm really fortunate that I get some good support even though I'm not actually from Manchester. I've been blown away by the amount of people who have got tickets and are making the trip to show their support.

The pressure is always there because the Cage Warriors fights go out to so many people on the telly and the internet that everyone is going to see the fight regardless of how far away it is. I think at the end of the day when you're in there you know a lot of people are watching it just gives you that little bit of extra determination to bite down on your gummy and get the job done.

Alex: On May 3rd your facing Mauro Chimento, do you know much about him?
Inman: Yes, he's a Brazilian who has been competing for a long time and has a lot of experience. I always feel the more experienced a fighter is the more dangerous they are. It's totally different in that sense to my last fight against Wiebel who was a comparatively new guy riding a good streak but lacking some of that big fight experience.

Alex: I've found it difficult to find much footage on Chimento, is it fair to say you have had the same problem and how does preparing for a fight differ when you can't find that much on a guy?
Inman: A lot of his fights have been in Brazil so naturally footage is tricky to come by, I've watched his more recent fights, particularly his Cage Warriors appearances.

I don't think it does make a huge amount of difference to me, I like to watch a little bit of footage to get a sense of a fighter but I don't do a lot of in depth study. My coach Karl does a lot of work on that side, he has a really good eye for picking up little areas where we can exploit a weakness, or recognising a particular strength that a guy might have that we need to be wary of so I take a lot of my cues from the work he does.

Alex: What would you say his strengths and weaknesses are and where do you see your self having the advantage over Chimento?
Inman: To be fair I think he's not bad all round, obviously he has a really good grappling calibre but at the same time he's no mug on his feet. I won't divulge on what I feel his weaknesses are at this point but hopefully that will come out in the fight!

Alex: In the footage I did manage to find of Chimento I’ve noticed he can get a little wild with his striking, sometimes he drops his hands when he shoots in. Is this something you have picked up on in your preparations at all?
Inman: Yeah, wildness is a strange thing. It can work either way, when a guy has developed a style like that after a long time fighting its generally because it works for him. A good example would be the fight in Chechnya where my opponent had a really unorthodox, off-the-wall striking style that you wouldn't hope to teach anyone, but he caused me problems just because I wasn't used to it, it's hard to train for that kind of thing or get your sparring partners to replicate it, so there is very much the element of the unknown.

On the other hand though there's a reason why the best strikers all work from similar fundamentals, it's because they work, sometimes when a guy is just loading up on his shots and swinging for the fences you can pick them apart. Of course you can never really tell which will happen until you're in there though, fingers crossed it's the later!

If you're looking to catch a guy as they shoot your timing has to be bang on, so it's something I'm always looking to do but It's difficult to say if I'll have any success.

Alex: Do you think Chimento will want this fight to go to the ground, and have you trained more on your ground game and defensive wrestling than you would do normally in preparation for this fight?
Inman: I'm always working to improve my defensive wrestling because its no secret that that's one of the worst aspects of my game. I'm really fortunate to count some of the best MMA wrestlers in the UK as training partners now, Including Saul Rogers and Aaron Wilkinson, so I definitely feel that that aspect is improving quickly.

As to whether Chimento will look to take me down its difficult to say, maybe he'll fancy his chances on the feet. I have a lot of faith in my ground game though, and I feel I have really strong Jiu Jitsu for MMA, so I certainly won't be afraid to fight on the ground if that's where the fight ends up.

Alex: One could make the argument that on paper Chimento who is coming into the fight 2-3 in his last 5 is maybe a step back compared to your last few fights - Bahari, Sharaputdinov, Weibel, etc, would you agree?
Inman: I don't really feel that way at all, I think Chimento is just as dangerous as any of those guys and I think the fact that he is coming off mixed results will make him determined to get the win and steal some of the momentum I have built up. In my mind this is a real 50/50 fight and I'm expecting, and ready, for it to be really tough.

Alex: Do you feel after putting together a 4 fight win streak you should be in the mix with the likes of Roberts, Mason, Alloway, Wallhead etc.
Inman: I feel like I'm maybe half a step behind those guys at the minute, but I'm just taking things one fight at a time and seeing how far I can take things.

Alex: Am I right in saying you're studying towards a degree as well as coaching at the SBG gym? How do you balance these commitments when you have a fight coming up?
Inman: Yes, i am studying a fairly intensive post graduate law conversion course, called a GDL, and I work full time in SBG as a coach and personal trainer. I have my final exams starting not long after this fight so I have been balancing my time between training, revising and working. It makes for quite long days but I'm used to it now and I work a lot better when the pressure is on anyway.

Alex: Who would you like next with a win and do you think it should be for that no. 1 contender spot? A rematch with Jack Mason maybe?
Inman: I don't know really I'm just focusing on the fight in front of me. There's a lot of good guys in the division and I certainly need to win this and then beat one of the top guys before I'm looking at a title shot (easier said than done!).

I would like a Mason rematch as I feel I'd do better this time, even though stylistically it's not a good fight for me, but I can't see that happening and, outside of a title fight or a possible number one contender spot, objectively I don't think it makes great sense as a fight.

Alex: Finally, how do you see yourself beating Chimento on the 3rd?
Inman: I think I'll grind him down with good consistent pressure and stop him late in the fight.

Alex: Would you like to thank anyone ahead of your fight?
Inman: Thanks to my coaches Karl and Jon and all my training partners.

Thanks again for your time ahead of the fight and we are all looking forward to another exciting performance on Saturday night.

Jimmy Wallhead talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his Cage Warriors return

Jimmy Wallhead Cage Warriors 68 Pre Fight Interview

by Chris Houten @mrhouts

Picture by Mark Blundell

On Saturday night, Jimmy Wallhead will make his return to Cage Warriors and headline Cage Warriors 68. In the main event Jimmy will square off against the highly regarded Danny Roberts, who will be fighting in his home town. Before that Kingdom MMA caught up with Jimmy to find talk about that fight, his decision to leave BAMMA and much more.

Chris: I won't be the first to ask this and no doubt I won't be the last but what was it that made you leave BAMMA? It felt as if you were the poster boy of the promotion.
Wallhead: Well basically it came down to me wanting to be more active in my career and with Cage Warriors I will be. They are a great promotion with a stacked roster and regular shows.

Chris: Last time we talked, we discussed plans BAMMA had to put on more fights this year, and in turn give you more fights. When you were weighing up your options was the fact that Cage Warriors put on so many shows a year and can offer you several fights a year one of the major deciding factors?
Wallhead: yeah as above for sure.

Chris: Did you feel that BAMMA would struggle with the proposal of doing 6 cards this year, did they give you any indication that the proposal might not be possible?
Wallhead: I just felt a better career path laid with Cage Warriors for me at this point in my career.

Chris: How does it feel being back with Cage Warriors where it all started for you, does it feel like you are coming home?
Wallhead: It feels very special obviously and the promotion has evolved into something very big and special as I keep saying it felt like the right move.

Chris: Has joining Cage Warriors had any effect on you sponsorship wise with the thought that their product or logo won't be seen on channel 5 / 5 star?
Wallhead: No none at all

Chris: On May 3rd you're fighting a young, hungry up and comer in Danny Roberts, how would you say he compares to some of your recent opponents, and do you think the fact that he's at a point in his career where he's still trying to establish a name for himself makes him more dangerous than some of the guys you've fought recently?
Wallhead: 100% very dangerous opponent and it's gave me the kick up the arse I needed to step my training up and get that hunger going for myself.

Chris: There have been talks amongst fans in the lead up to this fight that you might be the underdog in this fight. What would you say to those fans who are installing Roberts as the favourite and are you embracing this underdog status you're being given?
Wallhead: I can understand people saying that I don't believe it though and I am very confident in my abilities.

Chris: In our last interview we discussed how you were 'looking for your inner aggression' and it kinda felt there was a period of time where you weren't as into your fight as you were say when you first started out. Has signing for Cage Warriors and being given a hungry, up and comer in Roberts helped you find your enjoyment for fighting and made you excited to fight again?
Wallhead: Absolutely more than I can explain.

Chris: How has your training camp for this fight been fight? Am I right in saying you have spent some time with London Shootfighters helping Hathaway prepare for his fight with Kim but also your fight with Roberts?
Wallhead: That's correct I originally went down to help John and to be honest I was very very impressed with the whole set up there and so I spent time there every week in this camp with Alexis and Paul and feel very well prepared for my fight.

Chris: How has working with London Shootfighters improved you as a fighter? What elements of your game have improved by being down there?
Wallhead: All areas from mental to fitness to my technical areas.

Chris: Going back to the inner aggression question, where do London Shootfighters fit in with this? Has being in London helped you find what you were looking for?
Wallhead: It's something I wish I had done 9 years ago.

Chris: You're fighting Roberts in his backyard of Liverpool. What's it like fighting on enemy territory so to speak? Is it something you notice or sense during the fight?
Wallhead: I've done it many times before, it is what it is.

Chris: Roberts is a good pretty well rounded fighter. Where would you say you have the advantage in this fight?
Wallhead: all I know is he hasn't fought or beaten anyone of my ability to date.

Chris: Roberts last few fights have been wars, are you preparing for a violent one?
Wallhead: Absolutely I expect nothing less to be honest.

Chris: Have Cage Warriors given you any indications that the winner of this fight gets a shot at Dalby?
Wallhead: no none at all

Chris: With a lot of the top Cage Warriors guys moving over to the UFC, are you seeing this contract you have as a stepping stone or opportunity for something bigger or is this something you're not really focused on at this stage of your career?
Wallhead: Right now all I'm focused on is Danny Roberts

Chris: If you could predict the outcome of the fight on Saturday, how do you see yourself winning?
Wallhead: No idea, I can finish a fight in more than one area.

Chris: We are now a week away from the fight, what's the plan for the next week?
Wallhead: Finally recover and cut the last bit of weight.

Chris: Finally is there any sponsors you would like to thank ahead of your fight next Saturday?
Wallhead: Gray Ridgeway at QAV
Booster Fight Gear
Positiv Energy Drink
Ian Cox at CSS
Steve Almighty Fightwear
Funky gums
Paul White massage
Blueberry nutrition
Forca Luta
Matt Walton at Spiked
4dmma
Wayne at Pain Fightwear

Thanks again for the time ahead of your fight and we can't wait to see you in action on Saturday night.

Arnold Allen talks to Kingdom MMA about his victory at Cage Warriors Fight Night 11

Arnold Allen CWFC FN 11 Post Fight Interview

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Copyright Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Kingdom MMA recently caught up with Arnold Allen after he made quick work of Tobias Huber at Cage Warriors Fight Night 11. Arnold went in to the fight trying to protect his unbeaten record and walked out the cage less than a minute later. What happened in that time was a dominating and very one sided performance by a true prospect and rising star of UK MMA.

Sam: Congratulations on your recent dominant victory against Tobias Huber. Had a first round TKO been the result you were expecting?
Allen: Thank you, and yeah I was expecting to finish it quick with strikes.

Sam: What was going through your mind when Huber had hold of your ankle?
Allen: I was just thinking about getting him off my foot and keeping up on my feet.

Sam: You yourself have a well-documented proficiency with submissions. How comfortable would you have felt on the ground with Huber?
Allen: I would have been happy if the fight was on the ground, I was happy wherever. 

Sam: This was the first time this year we had seen you fight and you seem to be perpetually improving. What had you been working on leading up to this most recent outing?
Allen: I was working a little bit of counter wrestling to go against Huber trying to get the fight to the ground, but as usual I focused on improving my skills all round rather than worrying about my opponents strengths.

Sam: I’m sure it must have been pleasant seeing off your opponent so quickly, When do you hope to fight next?
Allen: Yeah for sure it was nice to get a nice quick win, and also whenever! I'm looking to have around 4 or 5 fights this year.

Sam: Was it a relief to see your head coach, Jack Mason get his name back in the W column with a controlling win over Patrick Vallee later that night after such a close loss for him in his last fight?
Allen: It's always good to see your team mates/ coaches win, but it was great to see Jack get a good win over a tough opponent!

Sam: This was the second time in a row that you had fought in Jordan. Do you have a preference either fighting abroad or in the UK or are you unaffected?
Allen: I'm not too fussed about where i fight but the fans in Jordan are awesome they get behind everyone, the public weigh in was crazy I don't think there would be enough interest in the UK for something like that.

Sam: The fans in Jordan really took to you, how do you think the fans in Amman compare to the other cities you have fought in?
Allen: I'm not to sure why they have taken to me but it's really cool to have that kind of support miles away from home.

Sam: Since joining Cage Warriors you have finished all four of your opponents in the distance. After such a one-sided performance, how far do you think you are away from getting a shot at the vacant title?
Allen: I think a few good wins over tougher opposition would put me in the mix for a title for sure.

Sam: Were you offered the opportunity, would you be interested in taking part in a featherweight one night tournament for the title as this is how some of the other CW titles have been won in the past year?
Allen: I'd be all over it, I would jump at any opportunity to fight for the Cage warriors title, that's what we're all fighting for!

Sam: While we’re on the topic of the vacant title, just before this fight Jim Alers made a winning start to his UFC career with a win in Abu Dhabi while clearly Conor McGregor is making waves despite a recent injury. Does the transition these fighters have made give you confidence that CW is the best platform to ultimately make the step up to the UFC?
Allen: Definitely it's goes even deeper than a couple of champions though it's proven that Cage Warriors go on to do big things in the UFC.

Sam: At the start of the year we awarded you the title of ‘One to watch in 2014’. Luke Barnatt is also documented as saying you will be a future champ. How does it feel to receive praise and awards like this from MMA media, fans and other fighters?
Allen: It's great to get praise from other fighters and media it makes me feel like I'm heading in the right direction.

Sam: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors?
Allen: I'd like to thank all of my sponsors for the help Almighty Fightwear, Efectiv nutrition, Valor Fightwear, Funky gums, Revgear, Whip Street Motors, Rosewood and everyone else for the help :)

Thank you for your time. We appreciate it very much and all the best in your up-and-coming endeavours.

Bellator 120: Alvarez vs. Chandler III (Fight Card)

Bellator 120: Alvarez vs. Chandler III
Date: May 17th, 2014
Landers Center, Southaven, Mississippi, USA

Main Card
Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler - For the Bellator Lightweight Title
Quinton Jackson vs. Muhammed Lawal - Bellator Light-Heavyweight Tournament Final
Tito Ortiz vs. Alexander Shlemenko - Nontitle Fight
Will Brooks vs. Nate Jolly
Michael Page vs. Ricky Rainey

Preliminary Card
Cheick Kongo vs. Eric Smith
Blagoi Ivanov vs. Alexander Volkov - Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Final
Marcin Held vs. Patricky Freire - Bellator Lightweight Tournament Final
Mike Richman vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Austin Lyons vs. Zach Underwood
Justin Frazier vs. Mike Wessel
Ben Brewer vs. Andy Uhrich
Anthony Lemon vs. Codie Shuffield
Brian Hall vs. Cortez Phelia

Titan FC 28: Brilz vs Davis (Fight Card)

Titan FC 28: Brilz vs Davis
Date: May 16th, 2014
First Council Casino Hotel, Newkirk, Oklahoma

Main Card
Jason Brilz vs. Raphael Davis
Dave Herman vs. Kalib Starnes
Walt Harris vs. D.J. Linderman
Brian Foster vs. Gilbert Smith
Brock Jardine vs. Daniel Roberts
Ricky Legere vs. Todd Moore

Preliminary Card
Alvin Robinson vs. Gleristone Santos
Pedro Nobre vs. Dan O'Connor
William Joplin vs. Walel Watson
David Nelson vs. Gaston Reyno
John Bryant vs. Matt Foster
Archie Lowe vs. Robert Madrid

UFC Fight Night 40: Brown vs Silva (Fight Card)

UFC Fight Night 40: Brown vs Silva
Date: May 10th, 2014
U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio

Main Card
Matt Brown vs. Erick Silva
Lorenz Larkin vs. Constantinos Philippou
Daron Cruickshank vs. Erik Koch
Neil Magny vs. Tim Means
Soa Palelei vs. Ruan Potts
Chris Cariaso vs. Louis Smolka

Preliminary Card
Ed Herman vs. Rafael Natal
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Darrell Montague
Yan Cabral vs. Zak Cummings
Johnny Eduardo vs. Eddie Wineland
Manny Gamburyan vs. Nik Lentz
Justin Salas vs. Ben Wall
Anthony Lapsley vs. Albert Tumenov

Bellator 119: Cooper vs Halsay (Fight Card)

Bellator 119: Cooper vs Halsay
Date: May 9th, 2014
Casino Rama Rama, Ontario, Canada

Main Card
Brett Cooper vs. Brandon Halsey - Bellator Middleweight Tournament Final
Desmond Green vs. Daniel Weichel
featherweight tournament final
Chris Horodecki vs. Marlon Sandro
Raphael Butler vs. opponent TBA

Preliminary Card
Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev
Vaughn Anderson vs. Marius Zaromskis
John Alessio vs. Guillaume DeLorenzi
Brian Rogers vs. Johan Romming
Stuart Austin vs. Craig Hudson
Remy Bussieres vs. Jason Meisel

MFC 40: Crowned Kings (Fight Card)

MFC 40: Crowned Kings
Date: May 9th, 2014
Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Fight Card
 Anthony Birchak vs. Kevin Croom - for the MFC bantamweight title
Sam Alvey vs. Wes Swofford - for the MFC middleweight title
Tom Gallicchio vs. Kurt Southern for the MFC lightweight title
Sean O'Connell vs. Victor Valimaki
Andrew McInnes vs. Jonatas Novaes
Marcus Edwards vs. Aaron Gallant 

Cage Warriors 69 (Fight Card)

Cage Warriors 69
Date: June 7th, 2014
The Forum, Kentish Town, London, England

Fight Card
Stevie Ray vs Curt Warburton - For the Vacant Cage Warriors Lightweight Title
Jack Hermansson vs Norman Paraisy - - For the Vacant Cage Warriors Middleweight Title
Jack Mashman vs Bola Omoyele
Jack Bostwick vs Simeon Thoresen
Benny Alloway vs Mohsen Bahari
Bruno Carvalho vs Jack Mason
Liam James vs Nad Narimani
Brett Caswell vs Spencer Hewitt
Jason Cooledge vs Brad Wheeler

Cage Warriors 70 (Fight Card)

Cage Warriors 70
Date: August 16th, 2014
The Helix, Dublin, Ireland

Fight Card
Joseph Duffy vs TBA

Eduardo Dantas Injured, Joe Warren Meets Rafael Silva at Bellator 118

Eduardo Dantas Injured, Joe Warren Meets Rafael Silva at Bellator 118

Reigning Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a head injury in training. Originally scheduled to face Joe Warren on Friday, May 2nd, the Brazilian phenom will be replaced by 21-3 Bellator Bantamweight Tournament winner Rafael Silva, as he battles “The Baddest Man On The Planet” Joe Warren for the Bellator Interim Bantamweight World title live on Spike.

“We take head injuries very seriously, and when we were notified that Eduardo was dealing with a head injury, we immediately flew him from Brazil to California to be examined by some of the leading specialists in the field. We are hopeful Eduardo will be able to resume his career later this year, but in the interim we have two incredible tournament winners ready to challenge for the Bellator World Title.  Two of the best on the planet in Joe Warren and Rafael Silva will fight for the title and when Dantas is able to return, he will challenge the winner for the undisputed Bellator World Title.”

“This is setback for me,” Dantas said. “I’m not feeling right at the moment, but I am a fighter and have been a fighter since my childhood and I promise that I will be back stronger than ever. I want to thank Bjorn and Bellator for taking care of me during this process, for flying me across the world to get top specialists to see me. And, when I am ready to fight, I will show everyone once again why the belt has been wrapped around my waist.”

No stranger to championships fights, Warren looks to capture his second World Title as the former Featherweight Champion looks to dominate the 21-3 Silva. Warren punched his ticket to a title shot with his Season 9 Tournament run that included two dominate finishes, and will be looking to make quick work of Silva.

“It doesn’t matter which Brazilian they throw at me, I’m going to destroy who is ever across the cage from me,” Warren said. “It sucks Dantas got injured as I was focused on destroying him and taking his belt.  But, now I’ll destroy Silva and Dantas can try to come and take my belt.”

Riding a dominant 13 fight win streak stretching over four years, Silva has his sights set on moving his record to 22-3 with the biggest victory of his career when he faces Warren. The Brazilian finisher recently suffered a setback after dealing with a knee injury that required surgery, but now healthy, Silva is looking to take the next step in his career with a World title win over Warren.

“I’m healthy, and I’m ready to fight,” Silva proclaimed. “I know Warren always likes to talk, but this fight isn’t going to be about talking, it’s going to be about who is the better fighter, and everyone is going to see who that is on May 2nd. I’ve always wanted to face Dantas, and now Joe Warren is in my way. I’ll take care of that shortly.”

The full fight card for Bellator 118 is listed below: 

Main Card
Eduardo Dantas vs Joe Warren - For the Bellator Bantamweight Title
Andrey Koreshkov vs Sam Oropeza - Welterweight Semi-Final Bout
Marcos Galvao vs Thomas Vasquez - Welterweight Semi-Final Bout
Liam McGeary vs Mike Mucitelli

Preliminary Card
Dante Rivera vs Tim Woods
Ryan Cotaldi vs Jesus Martinez
Darrion Caldwell vs Joe Pingitore
Lester Caslow vs Jay Haas
Julian Lane vs Anthony Morrison
Pat Bennett vs John Fain
Mike Bannon vs Sidney Outlaw
Amran Aliyev vs Kevin Roddy

Dan Henderson vs Daniel Cormier announced for UFC 173

Henderson vs Cormier set to decide the future number 1 contender

by Ben Heather @benheather

The UFC twitter account got everyone excited this afternoon when it tweeted that Dana White would today announce some "Breaking News" on Sports Center on ESPN in the states. As always this started all kinds of rumours being posted on Twitter but not long after all was revealed as Dana announced that Dan Henderson would meet Daniel Cormier as the Co Main Event of UFC 173.

Both men come in to the fight off the back of knockout victories, Dan Henderson knocked out Shogun Rua one month ago today and Daniel Cormier easily finished Pat Cummins back at UFC 170 in February.

Henderson (30-11 MMA 7-5 UFC) ended a three fight losing streak when he came back from the brink to knock out Shogun Rua in a fight he was easily losing. However, when you have the power Henderson does in his fists and manage to land a H-Bomb in a fight it changes everything.

Can Henderson get back to a title shot, which he already had until he had to pull out of the fight with Jones at the ill fated UFC 151, the event which never actually took place. The big thing to remember for this fight though is it will be the first time in a few years where Henderson will not have TRT to help him. What impact will this have on his game, only time will tell.

Cormier (14-0 MMA 3-0 UFC) comes in to this fight knowing a win will get him a shot at Jon Jones, who he has been chasing to fight ever since he came over to the UFC.

Since joining the UFC Cormier has improved in every performance. His first fight wasn't the best for the fans to watch but he got the better of Frank Mir. Next up for Cormier was a potentially tricky fight with Roy Nelson, again it may not have been the best performance for the fans but Cormier easily won the fight.

His most recent fight should have been against Rashad Evans as Cormier dropped down to light heavyweight for the first time, unfortunately Evans got injured and on short notice the fight was scrapped. That was when Pat Cummings stepped in, a former wrestling partner of Cormier who had talked his way in to the UFC to fight on about a weeks notice. Cormier however didn't ease up and cruise in the fight, he destroyed Cummings in just over a minute.

Fighting Henderson will be a first test for Cormier at light heavyweight and will be the name he needs to help justify a title shot.

With Gustafsson next in line for the winner of Jones vs Teixeira I think the more realistic option will be a fight between the winner of this fight and the winner of the Phil Davis vs Anthony Johnson fight this weekend at UFC 172. I know Dana said that the winner of this will be the next number one contender but that will involve sitting on the sidelines for a good 6 months, so I think one more fight will be required for either man before they get a shot at the title.

Vaughan Lee added to UFC Fight Night Berlin

Alcantara vs Lee announced for UFC Fight Night 41

by Ben Heather @benheather

Vaughan Lee is set to return to action on May 31st as the UFC returns to Germany and he will meet Iuri Alcantara, the number 7 ranked bantamweight in Berlin.

Lee (14-9-1 MMA 3-3 UFC) comes in to this fight after his best performance in the Octagon in March at the TUF China Finale where he picked apart Nam Phan for three rounds and showed off his incredible striking skills. Vaughan Lee has been very inconsistent in the Octagon, alternating between losses and wins but will be looking to string together wins for the first time in the UFC.

If he does pull it off it should catapult Lee in to the rankings especially if he does it in the fashion which he did against Nam Phan however, Alcantara is certainly a step up from Phan. I don't think Lee will be phased though having already fought both TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao within the past two years. Although those fights didn't go the way Vaughan would have liked, he will have improved as a result of them and I believe this helped him put on the performance he did last time out.

Alcantara (29-5-1 MMA 4-2-1 UFC) comes in to the fight having defeated Wilson Reis back in February, this was the first time we had seen Alcantara back in the Octagon after his battle with Urijah Faber. The fight in Berlin will see Alcantara fight in Europe for the first time having only fought in North and South America previously. Could this play a factor in the fight only time will tell.

UFC Fight Night 41 is headlined by a middleweight clash between Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi. Also on the main card are a couple more middleweight match ups as Francis Carmont takes on CB Dollaway and England's own Luke Barnatt battles Sean Strickland.

Joseph Duffy Returns to Cage Warriors

Joseph Duffy Returns to Cage Warriors
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Photo: Tommy Lakes

Former Cage Warriors title contender Joseph Duffy, has signed a 5 fight deal which will see the Irishman return to the promotions lightweight division.

Having previously fought for Cage Warriors on 5 previous occasions, the 26-year-old hasn't fought in an MMA bout since 2011, having decided to try his hand at professional boxing, following his CWFC 44 submission loss to Ivan Musardo, a bout which was for the lightweight title.

Duffy debuted as a professional boxer in March of last year, going on to put together an undefeated 7-0 record, which included two wins by TKO, however Duffy said his love of mixed martial arts has given him a desire to return to the cage: 

“It’s been a hard few weeks and I’ve had some huge decisions to make, but I’ve decided to make a return to the cage,”

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to train under a world-class boxing trainer in John Tandy, but it’s hard to escape the fact that my heart will always be in MMA.

“I’m really excited about competing for Cage Warriors again, and my plans are to add a few KOs to my record and then mix it up with the guys at the top.”

10-1 in for professional MMA career, Duffy, a black belt in BJJ, has finished 9 of his 10 victories - 2 by TKO, 7 by submission, and is the last man to defeat UFC high-flyers Norman Parke and Conor McGregor, both which he defeated by submission. Duffy will be back in Cage Warriors action later this year, with his return scheduled for CWFC 70 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, August 16.

Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said:

“Joe went 7-0 as a professional boxer in the space of a year, having worked under John Tandy, one of the best trainers in the world of boxing.

“Adding that to the fact that he is a jujitsu black belt and already has a 10-1 MMA record, this has been a huge decision for Joe but it’s a very exciting development for CWFC fans.”

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA for all the latest on Cage Warriors 70