Video: Jack Mason Cage Warriors 69 Post Fight Interview

Video: Jack Mason Cage Warriors 69 Post Fight Interview 

Kingdom MMA talks to Jack Mason following his hard-fought decision victory over Bruno Carvalho at Cage Warriors 69 Super Saturday.

Jack Mason ahead of Super Saturday fight "I'm having the time of my life right now fighting for Cage Warriors"

Kingdom MMA talk to Jack Mason ahead of CWFC 69

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

On Saturday night Jack Mason will step foot in to the cage for the third time this year as he takes on Brazilian Bruno Carvalho in a welterweight match up as part of the stacked Cage Warriors 69: Super Saturday card on Saturday night in Kentish Town, London. Before the fight Kingdom MMA caught up with Jack to talk about his upcoming fight.

Sam: Thank you for once again taking the time to do an interview with us Jack – particularly with the proximity to your next fight. In the last interview you did with us you said “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”. How does it feel having your wish come true?
Mason: It feels amazing to be part of something so special as this is such a massive card, it also feels great to finally be back fighting in London!

Sam: At the rate you’re going, you will be set to have around six fights this year. You’ve always been a very active fighter – how do you stay so motivated?
Mason: As long as I’m fit and injury free then there is no reason not to be fighting! Besides I’m 31 now and I want to get as many fights as I can in before I get married and have kids as I’ll have to slow down then!

Sam: With just under a week to go before the big fight on what is a stacked card, how have the preparations for your fight gone?
Mason: Preparations have been great, feel in brilliant shape and the fight camp has been tons of fun. Just looking forward to getting in there now!

Sam: How does it feel to be a part of one of the biggest cards to ever take place in UKMMA. Would you say this was the biggest UK MMA event ever?
Mason: There have been some big events in the past with the likes of Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort fighting at Wembley but yes definitely in recent times this is a huge event, and most certainly the biggest this year. Every fight on the card is very evenly matched and it has some of the best fighters in the world fighting on it.

It’s an absolute privilege to be on the card and I’m having the time of my life right now fighting for Cage Warriors.

Sam: Your next opponent is the solid Brazilian fighter Bruno Carvalho. I believe this will be the third time you have been set to face him in the past year. Is there anything you do not know about this fighter?
Mason: Haha, I’m sure Bruno has some dirty little secrets I don’t know about but in terms of MMA I’ve watched a lot of tape on him and can see that he is world class. The guy has a phenomenal ground and grappling game and is also a really good striker with good reach, so I can tell I have my work cut out in this fight!

Sam: When this fight was offered to you were you concerned that he may pull out leaving no time to prepare for another fighter, it wouldn't be the first time?
Mason: I don’t think Carvalho will pull out this time, it would be highly embarrassing for him if he did.

Sam: What would you say is Carvalho’s most dangerous area?
Mason: Definitely his ground game but he’s good in every area.

Sam: Carvalho has a well-rounded record and has demonstrated both submission skills and powerful hands. How do you see yourself beating him?
Mason: I’m a better wrestler and have powerful ground and pound which I plan on using to finish him.

Sam: He also seems to be a large man for the division. Will you be able to use his size advantage against him?
Mason: I’m a pretty big guy myself and I’ve had 32 fights at Middleweight so I’m used to the big guys. Size won’t be an issue.

Sam: A win on June 7th could see you starting a nice little streak for yourself in Cage Warriors after that razor-close loss to Alloway. Where will this back-to-back win put you in the promotion’s highly talented 170-lbs division?
Mason: To be honest I’m not really thinking about that, Danny Roberts is definitely ahead of me in the title race and until he gets his crack I can’t see me getting a shot so I’ll just keep beating these guys until it’s my turn.

Sam: After most recently fighting in Jordan twice and in Ireland, does it feel good making a return to our capital?
Mason: I work in London every day so it’ll just be another day at work for me. It seems like ages since I fought at home so yes I’m really looking forward to it!

Sam: Is there any added pressure fighting in front of an English crowd or is it just business as usual?
Mason: Definitely no added pressure, if anything it’s a benefit so I’m just looking forward to it.

Sam: Though it will only come into effect at CW70, we have recently heard the big news that Cage Warriors have joined forces with Channel 4. Is this exciting news to hear as one of the most experienced and well respected fighters in UK MMA?
Mason: The deal could potentially be absolutely huge for Cage Warriors and all the fighters involved. It will be interesting to see what type of time slot the show gets given but if they like it and the show makes it onto a prime time slot we could see all of the fighters become household names and people might be able to make a decent living from fighting rather than just scraping by.

Cage Warriors have literally gone from strength to strength over the past few years and I can’t thank Graham Boylan, Paul Dollery and Ian Dean enough for the opportunities they’ve given me and the sport of MMA in the UK.

I think by the time that MMA really becomes a recognised sport in the UK I will be done fighting but I’d like to think that the guys I coach will go on to become big stars.

Sam: Would you like to thank anybody?
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

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.

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.

Alloway vs Mason set to battle at Cage Warriors 65 in Dublin

Ben Alloway vs Jack Mason confirmed for Cage Warriors 65

by Chris Houten @mrhouts



Photo Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors


Originally reported earlier this month, Cage Warriors officials have today confirmed Ben Alloway will take on Jack Mason at Cage Warriors 65.

Cage Warriors 65, which will be the promotion’s second event of 2014, is set to take place at The Helix in the Irish capital on Saturday, March 1.

Alloway (12-5) will be returning to Cage Warriors action for the first time since February 2012 following a 3 fight stint in the UFC, which saw the Gold Cost fighter defeat Manuel Rodriguez with Knockout of the Night front kick at the TUF Smashes finale, before losing to Ryan LaFlare by decision, and Zak Cummings by d'arce choke.

10 of Alloway's 12 victories have come by either TKO or submission, with his most recent decision victory coming to Mauro Chimento Jr in a Cage Warriors bout which took place prior to joining The UFC.

“I’m excited, I’m hungry and I’m healthy again for the first time in 12 months,” said Alloway. “This is Jack Mason’s ‘big fight’ and I hope he brings his A-game because I’m coming hard.”

One of Cage Warriors stand out fighters of 2013, BKK Fighters welterweight Jack Mason (26-12) is on possibly the greatest run of his career going 6-1 in his last 7 fights, with the only loss coming against Ali Arish who was a last minute change of opponent for Mason.

A top 5 UK welterweight, 31-year-old Mason could likely stake a claim as the number 1 contender with a win over Alloway after picking up four CWFC wins including stoppages of Matt Inman and Vladimir Opanasenko.

Mason said: “As soon as I heard that Ben Alloway had signed for Cage Warriors, it was a fight I was interested in. He’s fun to watch and I like his aggressive style so I’m looking forward to getting in there and taking a dominant win.”

Stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk for the latest on Cage Warriors 65.

Jack Mason Hints at Cage Warriors 65 bout Against Benny Alloway

Will Jack Mason fight Benny Alloway at Cage Warriors 65?
by Ben Heather @benheather

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

 Cage Warriors welterweight contender Jack Mason took to twitter Tuesday evening to hint that a bout between himself and for UFC Fighter Ben Alloway is in the works for Cage Warriors 65 in Dublin:

Looks like it could be me versus @Bennyblancomma 1st March in Dublin @CageWarriors 65 :-) #CWFC65
— Jack Mason (@JackStoneMason) January 14, 2014

First reported earlier in the day by IrishMMA.com, it's believed Mason vs Alloway will feature on the main card of Cage Warriors 65 which is set to take place on March 1st at The Helix, Dublin, however Cage Warriors officials have yet to officially announce the bout.

One of Cage Warriors stand out fighters of 2013, BKK Fighters welterweight Jack Mason (26-12) is on possibly the greatest run of his career going 6-1 in his last 7 fights, with the only loss coming against Ali Arish who was a last minute change of opponent for Mason.

A win over Alloway, if the fight does happen would likely put Mason at the front of the line as far as a title shot is concerned,.
His opponent TUF Smashes contestant Benny Alloway (13-5), recently signed an exclusive 5 fight deal with Cage Warriors in November following a 3 fight stint in the UFC, which saw the Gold Cost fighter defeat Manuel Rodriguez with Knockout of the Night front kick at the TUF Smashes finale, before losing to Ryan LaFlare by decision, and Zak Cummings by d'arce choke.

12 of Alloway's 13 victories have come by either TKO or submission, with the only decision victory of his career coming to Mauro Chimento Jr in a Cage Warriors bout which took place prior to joining The UFC.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all your latest Cage Warriors Rumours

Kingdom MMA 2013 Awards: Fighter to Watch in 2014

Kingdom MMA Awards Fighter to watch in 2014: Arnold Allen
by Ben Heather @benheather

As well as taking a look back and recognising the achievements of 2013 we would also like to take a look forward to who we believe will be the fighter to watch in 2014. We wanted to give the award to a fighter who some of the casual fans may not have heard of or knew much about, but trust me by the end of 2014 you will all know this fighters name.

Unlike all of the other awards which between our writers we had numerous contenders to pick the winner from there was only one name that came to mind for this category and everyone agreed, that name was Arnold "Almighty" Allen.

Arnold Allen is the 19 year old rising star fighting out of BKK Fighters and has a record of 6-0. Arnold has only been fighting professionally since April 2012. In 2013 Arnold went 4-0, including three wins fighting for Cage Warriors in which he never had to go in to the third round. Since fighting for Cage Warriors Arnold has really showcased his skills with two victories by submission and a TKO win over Doni Miller at Cage Warriors 61.

Arnold started 2013 fighting at UCMMA 32 in February where he defeated Carl Orris picking up the fighter of the night bonus in what can only be described as a one sided unanimous decision victory. It remains the only time that Arnold has been the distance in a fight but he really showcased his skills that night. Arnold landed head kicks, take downs and when he had his opponent on the ground didn't ease up as he continued with some brutal ground and pound that his coach Jack Mason would have been proud of.

The next time we would see Arnold back in the cage he would make his Cage Warriors debut at Cage Warriors 56 where he defeated Andy Green by rear naked choke in the first round. After that fight he signed a five fight exclusive contract to fight only for Cage Warriors proving that they could also see that he is certainly a star of the future and wanted to keep him on their books.

Next up Arnold fought the most experienced fighter of his career to date as he battled Dec Williams at Cage Warriors 60 in October. If you saw the fight without knowing who was the more experienced fighter you would not have known that it was only Arnold's fifth fight of his professional career as he took Dec Williams down in the first round before posturing up and landing some explosive shots on Williams who just had no answer for it. In the second round Arnold got the victory by submission. After locking in a guillotine choke on the ground but realising he couldn't finish the fight he released it and instantly locked in a triangle choke which this time made Williams tap securing Arnold's fifth win of his career.

Arnold returned to action in December fighting for the first time outside of the UK as Cage Warriors returned to Amman, Jordan for Cage Warriors 61 where he fought Doni Miller. This fight saw Arnold show off his improved boxing skills as he floored Miller in the first with a crisp right hook but was unable to finish the fight then as Miller did a good job locking him up and being unable to get off his normal ground and pound. Within 30 seconds of the second round Arnold found his mark again this time it was the left hand which floored Miller and Arnold was then relentless with his punches on the downed Miller before the referee came in to stop the fight.

If you have not seen any of Arnold Allen's fights then I recommend that you get on YouTube and check them all out. He is a great fighter who can go a very long way in the sport and to think he doesn't turn 20 until the 17th January. Having Jack Mason as his head coach, who has witnessed and been in probably every situation during a fight and guys Luke Barnatt, Sean Carter and Jason Cooledge in his corner is only going to help him achieve whatever he wants to in this sport.

Congratulations Arnold you have been crowned Kingdom MMA’s Fighter to watch in 2014 – Arnold we salute you.

Jack Mason: Cage Warriors 61 post fight interview

Jack Mason speaks to Kingdom MMA after Cage Warriors 61 win

by Ben Heather @benheather

(Photo Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)

Last Friday Cage Warriors returned to a very snowy Amman, Jordan for Cage Warriors 61 for its penultimate show of 2013. The event was disrupted by the show with some fighters not being able to make it and a couple of fights ended up unfortunately being called off. However, the fights that did take place certainly delivered.

The co main event of the night was a welterweight battle between Jack Mason and Seydina Seck which saw one of the most controversial points of the night when the referee stopped the fight thinking Seck had been choked unconscious only for him to be fine and the fight restarted on its feet. Today we caught up with Jack Mason to discuss his win, that controversial moment as well as much more.

Ben: Hi Jack, thanks again for your time. How was the camp going in to this fight?
Mason: Camp couldn’t have been much better to be honest. I’ve been pretty busy with my day job the back end of this year delivering some pretty stressful projects but I’ve managed to work out a training schedule that works for me and around work.

I’ve been working a lot more on my boxing with coaches John Tandy and Adam Brearley of the Tandy Boxing team and also the Tsunami boxing coach Stephen Whitwell. I think this has helped my game tremendously and I think it showed with how comfortable I looked on the feet in my last bout.

I feel like my overall game is improving every time out and that’s thanks to all my coaches and team mates at Tsunami Gym and BKK Fighters and also my wrestling coach Nick Albert.

I actually managed to complete this camp without picking up any significant injuries which is a very rare occurrence and I probably owe this to the work I’ve been doing with my strength coach Laurence Irving and my physiotherapist Jon McCornish.

Ben: How did you feel when you was originally asked to be a part of the Baghdad card? Did you have any worries?
Mason: Originally when I agreed to take part in the event I was just simply excited however the closer we got to the event and the more I googled it I must admit I did start to have a few second thoughts! LOL

Ben: What was the reaction from your friends and family when you told them you was going to fight in Iraq?
Mason: Well my girlfriend forbid me to go and I didn’t even dare tell my mum!

Ben: Since the fight was first announced it got moved to Jordan  in the same arena as your previous fight. Do you believe that gave you an advantage going into this fight because of your experience of fighting in Jordan before?
Mason: Not really, a fight is a fight wherever it is as once the cage door is locked it’s just you and your opponent and the location rarely has an impact. It may have been a slight advantage to me because I was able to visualise how I was going to win the fight in a cage I had been before.

Ben: This fight was the first time in a while where you actually got to fight the person you have trained for after your last two fights had a late change of opponent. How frustrating is it to prepare for one guy and have to fight another without training for him?
Mason: Haha, yes that’s a strange circumstance for me fighting the guy I had been training for all camp! Big respect to Seydina Seck for keeping by his word and showing up to the fight well prepared. It’s extremely frustrating to prepare for an opponent all camp only to have him pull out and get a change of opponent last minute. It’s even worse if the guy is a particular specialist in a certain area and the new opponent is very different stylistically, I had that situation when Carvalho pulled out with 5 days to go and I got Ali Arish instead. Hugely frustrating!

Ben: Following on from the last question is it hard to keep focused on a fight when you get a late opponent change?
Mason: Yeah it can be. In the Carvalho/ Arish situation it was literally so close to the fight when the opponent got switched that I had no time to prepare as was just focusing on making weight. I also had Carvalho mouthing off on social media about still wanting to fight me, even though he had failed to show up to the fight because he couldn’t have the corner man he wanted as his passport had expired. That really wound me up and I didn’t focus on the new opponent in Arish like I should have done and I think it showed in my performance. I won’t make that same mistake again and it was a lesson learnt for me.

Ben: Was the plan for this fight to get Seydina Seck to the ground and unload some of your brutal ground and pound which you showcased in the previous fight against Vladimir Opanasenko?
Mason: I had planned to use my boxing more and to try and show my improved hand skills on my feet but yes I ultimately saw the end to the fight via ground and pound. Seck did an amazing job of tying me up, not giving me any space and neutralising my ground and pound so that’s something I have to take away and improve on from this fight.

Ben: Ahead of this fight what did you make of Seck's skills and what did you expect from him? how did your thoughts compare to what he did in the fight?
Mason: The fight panned out very much how I had visualised and rehearsed it over and over except for the lack of finish! I had watched loads of tape on Seck and knew his was very dangerous as he’s knocked out UFC vet Simeon Thorensen, beaten former Cage Warriors champ Gael Grimaud and other top European fighters such as Florent Betorangel who gave Jim Wallhead a run for his money last weekend too.

I knew he’d be looking to kick me to the legs and throw overhands to try and knock me out, I also expected him to be difficult to take down as he’s a short, strong guy and that’s pretty much how the fight went. I was very disappointed that I didn’t get the finish but I’m very glad to end the year with a good win over a very solid opponent.

Ben: There was an incident in the third round where you almost had the fight won, the choke was locked in and the ref stopped the fight only for it to be restarted again but not on the ground where you had control instead back on the feet.

Please can you talk us through what happened and your thoughts on the incident?
Mason: I’ve actually had a chance to watch the fight back and as I am rolling Seck to get the top position with the guillotine it really does look like Seydina goes limp so I perfectly understand why referee Rich Mitchell thought the fight was over right there. It’s a really tough situation because as Rich asked me to let go of the choke it was clear that Seydina was still conscious and he couldn’t give me the win there, the only fair thing to do was to restart it on the feet as with any other restart from a different position would have been debated at length between me and Seydina I am sure as we were mid-submission and mid-roll!

It’s an unfortunate situation but I’d much rather have restarted where we were rather than it be called a no contest or something.

Ben: How worried were you while waiting to hear the judges scorecards after the fight? I believe if the fight wasn't stopped prematurely in the third and restarted you would have won by submission. Did any doubts cross your mind that you were not gonna get the win?
Mason: I knew the 1st round was close but I was absolutely confident that I’d won rounds 2 and 3 so I was very confident that I’d get the unanimous decision but very disappointed in myself that I didn’t get a finish in the fight.

Ben: You are 6-1 in your last 7 fights and 9-2 from your last 11 fights. Do you believe you now deserve a shot at the Cage Warriors welterweight title?
Mason: It’s a fact that I’ve got more wins on Cage Warriors FC than any other Welterweight that is currently on the Cage Warriors roster including the current champ. It’s also a fact that I have won more fights on Cage Warriors FC than any other fighter in 2013 (so far).

I will leave it up to the Cage Warriors bosses to determine when I have earned my shot, I feel am ready for it now though.

Ben: As well as fighting you also coach a lot of up and coming talented fighters. What do you get more enjoyment from, seeing your students win or winning your own fights?
Mason: That’s an easy question to answer! Watching Arnold Allen win by knockout on the same event that I fought on gave me far more enjoyment and satisfaction than my own victory! I hope to be coaching MMA for years after I retire from competing myself and am sure the lads at BKK Fighters will go on to achieve things in the sport I could only dream of!

Ben: This fight was your 6th fight in the space of 12 months,  that must make you one of if not the most active fighter in cage warriors. Would you like to be as active next year?
Mason: Whilst I am still young (sort of), injury free and have no kids I want to fight as often as is possible and enjoy my MMA career as much as I can. As soon as I have kids there is no way I could devote the time to training for fights, coaching and hold down a full time job as well and something will have to give and that is likely to be the competing. Therefore I want to get the most enjoyment from my MMA career as I can in the short period of time I have left!

Ben: Finally, with it coming to the end of the year what has been your highlight of 2013 and what is your main goal in 2014?
Mason: I’ve had a great 2013 and my highlights of the year so far are headlining a Cage Warriors card in the UAE, getting a great TKO finish over a tough Russian in front of an insane capacity crowd on Cage Warriors in Jordan, watching Arnold Allen and Sean Carter make their impact on their respective Cage Warriors divisions and seeing Luke Barnatt demolish the highly ranked Andrew Craig at the UFC in Manchester. I hope we end the year on an even bigger high with a John Maguire and Sean Carter double victory on New Years Eve.

Cage Warriors FC welterweight gold is my only personal MMA goal in 2014. I also plan to help the BKK Fighters and Tsunami Gym teams go unbeaten next year.

Ben: 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!

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

Thank you very much for your time Jack, we all wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you fight again in 2014 and hopefully we will see you achieve your goals.

Cage Warriors 61: Arnold Allen Post Fight Interview

Arnold Allen speaks to Kingdom MMA after Cage Warriors 61 victory

by Ben Heather @benheather

At Cage Warriors 61 on Friday afternoon, Arnold Allen opened up the prelims with a great performance against Doni Miller. It was a fight in which Arnold showcased his ever improving skills and kept his undefeated record intact taking it now to 6-0, proving once again that he is a star of the future and certainly a fighter to keep track of in 2014. Today Kingdom MMA caught up with Arnold to discuss that fight at Cage Warriors 61.

Ben: Firstly, what a great performance you put on Friday night, how did you feel the fight went?
Allen: I was happy with the fight I did what I wanted to do which is to use my boxing more and get comfortable on my feet!

Ben: Did Doni do anything in the fight which surprised you or that you were not prepared for?
Allen: I didn't know Doni would fight as a southpaw and I thought he would try take me down so I had to make a few changes in the fight

Ben: Half way through round 1 it looked like you may have got caught with a couple of shots before coming back swinging and flooring Miller, were you hurt at all?
Allen: I was winded with the knee that he landed which I'm convinced was a one week death knee.

Ben: Then while on the floor Doni was landing some big elbows to the top of your head did any of those do any damage or did you manage to block those with your hands?
Allen: They all hit my gloves so they did no damage, my head is fine haha.

Ben: Do you feel when the fight hit the floor you could have gone for the finish in round 1?
Allen: Definitely I just fell into his guard and he did a great job of tying me up and recovering.

Ben: Were you sick between rounds 1 and 2? The camera was on you to begin with then it looked like you were before the camera quickly changed to the other corner. If you were sick do you have any idea what caused it?
Allen: Haha maybe a little bit and I was feeling a little bit funny before. I think just a bug as I'm still feeling sick now.

Ben: You finished the fight in the second round, talk us through those closing stages before the ref stopped the fight.
Allen: Yeah I dropped Doni with a left hand and started landing shots and he went limp for a second and I woke him up with another punch but the ref had stopped it already.

Ben: Do you think the referee stopped the fight early? As Doni Miller seemed very upset by the decision, even pushing the referee after the fight which no matter how he felt the decision went should never happen. A fighter should never lay his hands on the officials.
Allen: I think it was good stoppage he went limp, fair enough he came back round quick but I wasn't going to stop punching him after he woke up.

Ben: After the fight what did you say to Doni as he seemed to keep confronting you and talking about something after complaining about the decision?
Allen: I just asked him to watch the fight back.

Ben: You told us last week that you would love to finish the fight with a knock out and then delivered on Saturday night, how did that feel?
Allen: It's great to back up what you've said your going to do, I'm just happy I used my hands more as all people have seen is my ko win on my debut.

Ben: You had a very experienced corner for this fight with Luke Barnatt, Jack mason and Jason Cooledge in your corner. How much confidence did you gain from that?
Allen: It's an awesome corner Jason Cooledge and Luke Barnatt were so helpful for me and Jack from the minute we landed to getting our hands raised, they helped every step of the way. It's awesome having such a powerful corner, especially Jack who's seen every situation in a fight possible.

Ben: What's next for Arnold Allen?
Allen: 7-0.

Ben: Would you like to say thank you to anyone?
Allen: I'd like to thank all my sponsors below, my friends and family and team mates at BKK Fighters for all of their help:

www.ValorFightWear.com
www.funkygums.com
www.uksportstraining.com
www.RevGear.com
www.powering-through.com
www.katana-clothing.com
www.blankmmauk.com
www.sportsinjuryspecialist.com
www.almightyfightwear.com
www.mmaxfit.co.uk

Thanks again for your time Arnold, we can't wait to see you get back in to the cage in 2014.

Arnold Allen talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his fight at Cage Warriors 61

Kingdom MMA catch up with Arnold Allen ahead of his fight with Doni Miller

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Friday Cage Warriors finally gets to hold Cage Warriors 61. The event that was originally announced to take place in Dagestan in November then moved to Iraq before ultimately taking place this weekend in Amman, Jordan. The event is was supposed to be headlined by Matt Inman (12-5 MMA 3-1 CW) vs Bruno Carvalho (15-7 MMA 1-2 CW) but now Inman will face Hakon Foss (2-2 MMA) who has stepped in as a late notice replacement for Carvalho, who had to pull out due to an injury. As of writing this the replacement main event is likely to be James Brum (13-2 MMA 6-0 CW) vs Marat Pekov (10-4 MMA 0-1 CW).

Also on the card in Jordan is the young undefeated rising talent from BKK Fighters Arnold Allen (5-0 MMA 2-0 CW) who continues to impress in his career. On Friday he looks to continue that run as he meets Doni Miller (5-1 MMA) who will make his Cage Warriors debut. Earlier this week we caught up with Arnold ahead of his fight.

Ben: Hi Arnold, thanks again for taking the time out of your schedule to talk to us so close to your fight. How has this camp gone for you and has it been a bonus to work to the same schedule as your coach Jack Mason?
Allen: Training has gone good as usual, and it's great to be fighting on the same card as my coach for the first time!

Ben: This will be the first time you have fought abroad. Will you be getting tips from Jack Mason, who has done it many times now to make it as easy as possible for you?
Allen: Not really a fights a fight whatever country it might be in so just the usual tips and advice.

Ben: When do you fly out to Jordan?
Allen: We fly out early Tuesday morning.

Ben: What were your thoughts when it was announced the location of the fight had changed from Iraq to Jordan?
Allen: I was happy with the change mainly after what I've heard about the last show in Jordan, everyone said how good it was so I'm really looking forward to being a part of it this time.

Ben: A constant in all of your previous fights has been Jack Mason in your corner. Will he still be able to corner you on Saturday night even though he fights afterwards?
Allen: I don't think he will be able to corner me this time but we've got a great team at BKK and I'll have Jason Cooledge in my corner whose cornered me before.

Ben: Last year you made your pro debut, this year you are living up to the hype and certainly look like a star of the future and only 19 years old. A win on Saturday night will be the perfect way to end the year. What has your highlight of 2013 been and what are your goals for 2014?
Allen: My highlight of 2013 is definitely winning my Cage Warriors Debut in July! Next year I'd like to do more of the same and work closer to a shot at the title!

Ben: Last time out you finished Dec Williams with a brilliant triangle choke and transitioned to that after releasing a guillotine. Is that something you train or was it a split second thought?
Allen: I've drilled it a couple of times but it was just something I watched before and just went for it when I knew I'd lost the guillotine.

Ben: One of the key words I would use to describe you is Explosive. You certainly showed why people say that in your last fight while on the ground by posturing up and landing some heavy shots on Dec Williams. Do you pride yourself in the fast paced game you bring to the cage?
Allen: I do like setting a fast paced fight it just makes for an exciting fight, that's why the smaller guys are so exciting to watch!

Ben: Was that last victory the biggest win of your career to date over a fighter much more experienced than yourself?
Allen: For sure he was the most experienced person I've fought so it was good to beat someone with that experience and get my first finish by triangle choke.

Ben: You have shown in your previous fights that you have a well rounded skill set finishing some fights with submissions but also have one punch knock out power. What would your ideal method of victory be on Saturday night?
Allen: I do love to finish a fight! But my favourite way to finish is by Knock out it's an amazing feeling!

Ben: Your opponent has changed for Saturday night, originally it was announced you were due to fight Taylor Lapilus but will now fight Doni Miller. How long have you had to prepare for the new opponent and what do you know about him?
Allen: I've been preparing to fight someone for long enough so the change isn't an issue.

Ben: How do you see yourself winning the fight on Saturday night?
Allen: I see myself winning an exciting fight

Ben: Thank you for your time. Would you like to thank anyone?
Allen: Thank you for the interview, all my coaches, my management team, my team mates and sponsors for all there support!

Joe Harding talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of ECFF Night of Champions 4

Kingdom MMA focus on the UK amateur MMA scene with Joe Harding

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Joe Harding (@JoeNittro) will be fighting at East Coast Fight Factory Night of Champions 4 from the Epic Studios in Norwich and ahead of that fight he took time out of his schedule to have a chat with us about his upcoming fight and life as an amateur MMA fighter.

Ben: For the fans out there who may not have seen you fight before, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what they can expect on Saturday night? 
Harding: With me you can always expect me to explode early with some big take downs. I execute my shots with explosive power to control the pace of the fight either on the feet or grappling, people can expect to see crazy escapes, take downs and unorthodox moves its just how I fight. I like to have fun!

Ben: I believe your amateur record currently stands at 5-1, how do you feel your career has progressed so far?
Harding: I feel it's going at a smooth pace I've had some great fights, my last fight at Fury MMA I broke my arm in the first round and still managed to grind out the decision win. It seemed a bit surreal afterwards, but I'm happy with my progress so far but I still have many more to look forward to!

Ben: How did it feel the first time you got in to the cage and the door was shut?
Harding: It was a very strange feeling like "ok I'm in a cage fight now" but fell in love instantly with the sport it gave me a rush that Ive never experienced before so it was a instant connection!

Ben: Do you have any plans to turn professional and if so would that be soon?
Harding: I'd love to join the pro ranks one day for sure, I'd leave that decision to Jack Mason and the rest of my team if he feels I'm ready I'd be happy to make that jump most definitely, you have to go the distance In this sport!

Ben: At ECFF in Norwich on Saturday night BKK will be taking a few fighters along, will this extra support help spur you on to get the win?
Harding: 100% with BKK there it gives you even more drive and confidence to make them proud and bring home the W not just for yourself but for them! So yes even bigger advantage on Saturday night for me I feel.

Ben: At BKK you have UFC fighters and guys that have been in the big shows training with you. Do you have the dream that one day you will be in the big shows?
Harding: I can't see it any other way really. I think the big shows are amazing, makes you dream that one day I can be in there competing at the highest level in the world, so it's in my head quite a lot.

Ben: What are your keys to victory on Saturday night at ECFF
Harding: My keys to victory are to push the pace, explode all over my opponent with a barrage of unorthodox strikes and take downs. you might even see my version of a super kick only I jump much higher than Anthony Pettis!

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone ahead of your fight this weekend?
Harding: Id like to thank Jack Mason, all of my team mates and coaches at BKK FIGHTERS. Unique Results and my Tae Kwon Do sparing partners. Also to you, thanks for this interview guys. Much love and don't blink Saturday night!

Thanks again to Joe for his giving up his time to answer our questions and remember if you want to watch Joe fight, he will be fighting at ECFF Night of Champions 4 in Norwich this Saturday night. If you want to find out more about Joe or follow him on twitter his twitter name is @JoeNittro.

UFC 167 Pro Picks: Twitter Weighs In

UFC 167 Pro Picks: Twitter Weighs In
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Everyone from fans to fighter are buzzing for tonight's 20 year anniversary UFC show - UFC 167, and there seems to be a mixed bag of predictions coming out from MMA's elite - GSP or Hendricks, Sonnen or Evans - who you got?

The pros take to twitter and weigh in:

Really looking forward to the fights today.Im going with gsp, sonnen, lawler, koscheck, cerrone. Who you got?
— dean amasinger (@deanamasinger) November 16, 2013

Got my coffee on the ready for tonight. Staying up to watch UFC 167! My picks - GSP, Sonnen, McDonald, Koscheck and Cerrone.
— Brendan Loughnane (@Brendan264) November 16, 2013

My #UFC167 picks: Hendricks (but don't count GSP out), Sonnen, Lawler(I hope), Woodley, Elliott, Cerrone, Leites, Ebersole, Perez.
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) November 16, 2013

Going to try pull an all nighter to watch the fights!! Who u got winning? My picks Kos,McDonald,Sugar,GSP
— Ross Pearson (@RossTheRealDeal) November 16, 2013

@DanHazlehurst GSP, lawyer , rashad
— curt warburton (@curtwarburton) November 16, 2013

Gsp has gota stay away from JH and try control him for 25mins, JH has 25mind to land one punch, I'm goin Hendricks
— Brett Bassett (@Brettbass_MMA) November 16, 2013

@fraz1001 chael and gsp
— Robert Whiteford (@Flyinjudoka) November 16, 2013

@JamesH3aton I think GSP mate
— Davey Grant (@DaveyGrantMMA) November 16, 2013

@CarolinePearce @GeorgesStPierre @JohnyHendricks @ufc @btsport @btsportufc I can't see Gsp getting beat but Hendricks is his biggest threat
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) November 16, 2013

@Mmanarchy GSP, Lawler, Woodley, Evans are my picks mate, not necessarily who I want to win but who I think will.
— Jack Mason (@JackStoneMason) November 16, 2013

@RichieKinsella Big Rig Hendricks - sonnen - and Robbie Lawler :-D why not ha
— Paul Redmond (@RedserMma) November 16, 2013

Think Gsp tonight, (peds will b the diff) wants sonnen but going Evans, McDonald and kos
— rob sinclair (@robc4sinclair) November 16, 2013

“@Garyhop: @bisping who's going to win Hendricks or GSP? #votebisping”Hendricks
— michael (@bisping) November 16, 2013

"@CaptainPlanck: @KelvinGastelum who do you have for this fight? I'm guessing you have sonnen but for the GSP fight"GSP
— Kelvin Gastelum (@KelvinGastelum) November 16, 2013

@TheMMaRanter GSP ,Evans,MacDonald,Woodley,Elliott.

— Mauro Ranallo (@mauroranallo) November 16, 2013

Jack Mason "I’m training for this fight like this is the best guy in the world I am fighting"

Kingdom MMA talk to Jack Mason ahead of his fight at Cage Warriors Fight Night 9

by Ben Heather @benheather

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Kingdom MMA caught up with Jack Mason to discuss his next fight for Cage Warriors which is now only a little over a week away. Jack is fighting on the Fight Night 9 card which takes place in Jordan, this will be the second time this year that he has fought on the international Cage Warrior cards and he is proving that he can compete with the top guys in the game. This time out he is taking on the relatively unknown (in the UK) Abusupiyan Magomedov. Also fighting on the card next week are the likes of Che Mills and Ronnie Mann.

Ben: Magomedov has a bit of a reputation on the continent but not so much in the UK. Had you heard of him before this fight was announced?
Mason: To be honest I hadn’t heard about him at all before the fight was offered to me but Ian Dean is the best matchmaker in the business and he has a knowledge of MMA that surpasses anyone else I’ve met. Ian knows all about the talented fighters in countries all over the world and that’s how he’s able to put on such interesting fights. Really looking forward to this match up now and fighting another top international fighter.

Ben: What do you now know of him after the fight announcement was made?
Mason: I’ve done some research and can see he’s originally from Dagestan and is now living and training in Germany, I believe he’s currently ranked the 3rd best Welterweight in Germany. I can see is tall, has long limbs and has good striking, he’s also an experienced wrestler and have watched a number of his wrestling competitions on Youtube. Magomedov is aggressive and very well rounded and this is another tough test that Cage Warriors have put on for me which I am looking forward to passing with flying colours!

Ben: Do you think he is taking a massive step up in competition fighting yourself (a 10 fight CW veteran) in his debut for Cage Warriors? The promotion who many believe to be the number 1 promotion in Europe.
Mason: Cage Warriors is without a doubt the best promotion in Europe and I can see that he’s had lots of experience fighting on big shows in Germany and holds a number of promotional belts already so I don’t think that the thought of fighting on Cage Warriors will phase him. Magomedov has already fought and beat some of the best that Europe has to offer so I see this as a very tough fight for me and I’m training my ass off for it. I’m training for this fight like this is the best guy in the world I am fighting.

Ben: Last time out the result didn't go your way but It's been two months since that night in Liverpool, have you been working on any specifics as a result of that fight?
Mason: It was change of opponent about five days out from the fight where I had already stopped training and was focusing on making weight. I’d done a full camp training specifics to fight Bruno Carvalho and then last minute I got a change of opponent to fight Ali Arish who is completely different stylistically, one of the best wrestlers in Europe and ranked in the Top 10 with no time to prepare.

I accepted this change in opponent so last minute because I didn’t want to waste my fight camp, all the money spent and ruin people’s weekends that were coming up to see me fight. The fight was very close and I think it could’ve gone either way, the main things I took away from the fight were that I now know for a fact that wrestling wise I can live with the best that Europe has to offer, also I need to throw more combinations on my feet.

I now know that accepting a last minute change of opponent of such a high calibre probably isn’t the sensible thing to do at this stage of my career. I was probably on track to fight for the Cage Warriors title pretty soon and this error in judgement has probably set me back a few fights now.

I’ll be looking to make amends and get back into title contention with a big win in Jordan.

Ben: How does it feel to get to travel the world with Cage Warriors having already fought in the UAE this year and now fighting in Amman, Jordan?
Mason: It feels amazing. I feel so privileged to be able to travel and see the world doing what I love. I couldn’t ask for anything more, it’s a dream come true!

Ben: This fight is the day before a big UFC event in the UK where your good friend and training partner Luke Barnatt is fighting. Will you be flying straight back to make it back for his fight?
Mason: I will be flying back from Jordan to watch Luke claim his second UFC win in Manchester for sure, I wouldn’t miss it for the world! I flew out to Vegas earlier this year to see him win on the UFC finale and I’ll be flying half way across the world again to see him fight this time too!

Ben: Luke recently announced that Chael Sonnen will be cornering him in Manchester, do you know if you will get the chance to train with him before your fight?
Mason: I’ve managed to do a couple of training sessions with Chael and his team over in Vegas when Luke fought the first time. This time I think Chael will just be flying in for the weekend to corner Luke and probably won’t have time for training.

One of the guys that was also in the TUF house with Luke called Jimmy Quinlan is over here right now helping Luke with his camp and he’s a phenomenal Division 1 All American wrestler who is also a grappling ace so we’ve both had some great training partners for this camp anyway!

Ben: Thanks for your time Jack and lastly do you have anything you would like to say to your fans about how you the fight will go in 4 weeks?
Mason: Thanks very much for the interview and thanks to everyone for all the support for this fight and my career so far! I’m planning to put on an exciting fight in Jordan and am itching to get back in the cage and get the job done!

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

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