Kingdom MMA's FCC 10 Post Event Round Up

FCC 10 - Final thoughts and fighters to look out for

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

Kingdom MMA bonuses:
Submission of the Night: Aaron Robinson
Knockout of the Night: Chris Humphreys & Mick Stanton
Fight of the Night: Reece Ackers vs Morgan Starkey
Performance of the Night: Ashley Reece

FCC 10 was exceptional. Superbly run by Adam Teh & family as well as all of his staff. Some of the fights were spectacular for amateur level and the pro fights certainly lived up to their bill.

FCC really provides a good platform for up and coming fighters as well as pro’s who are looking to establish themselves.

I witnessed one of the amateur fights of the year in Ackers vs Starkey, it was non-stop throughout the whole fight and that’s what you want to see at amateur level. The belts on the line and neither wants to give up it’s what you would call a proper MMA fight.   

Dominic Wooding is another fighter who impressed me in his victory over Coner Hignett. Wooding is now 7-0 in his amateur career but you wouldn’t even think he’s an amateur with the way he fights. So relaxed and confident in his skill reminding me of fighters like Conor Mcgregor and Gunnar Nelson. At amateur level you see a lot of fighters rush in as soon as they’re tagged but Wooding didn’t seem fazed by anything Hignett had for him and really showcased his talent.

Aaron Robinson from Next Generation in Liverpool is another amateur who’s skill set is exemplary. The way he dispatched a very talented fighter in Javonne Morrison was superb. The technical side of his submission was top quality. Robinson and Wooding will meet at the next FCC event for the flyweight title in which promises to be a contender for fight of the year, trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

Another fighter who has gone under the radar is Craig Humphreys, he is now 3-0 in his last 3 fights and quickly knocked out a very good fighter coming out of SBG Mainline in Manchester which as you know breeds excellent fighters itself.

Ashley Reece again and again seems to turn up at FCC and put on absolute clinics, the ticket price for FCC is worth paying alone to watch this guy fight. As I said before, I’d seen him online through FCC’s you tube page and he’s had some excellent fights on the show before. He’s one of them fighters that comes to fight and the longer the fight goes on the better he gets. You could say he’s the Carl Froch of FCC and it wouldn’t be a silly statement. He’s easily one of the UK’s best amateur lightweights and I’m looking forward to watching in action again soon.

Paul Craig’s submission victory over Jon Ferguson meant he went 3-0 as a pro with all wins coming via triangle choke, he’s definitely one to look out for on the domestic pro circuit considering his finishing rate so far.

Kane Mousah was the fighter I was most looking forward to see fight. I’d heard a lot about him and watched videos and found it crazy how every time he got the chance to punch someone on the ground it was game over. It was like he had cement in his hands and so I was eager to see what he was like when tested. This fight tested him, his opponent Stoyanov attempted RNC’s and arm bars before Mousah weathered it and again won via TKO ground and pound, really impressive. Mousah is a legitmate prospect on the UK lightweight pro scene.

Martin Stapleton had gone 0-2 since signing for Bellator over in the USA so this fight obviously meant a lot to him being in front of a home crowd. He told me in an interview before hand that he was going to put on a show and that was in fact what he did. Straight out of the blocks and Stapleton was landing on his opponent Enchev at will and looking good whilst doing it, great movement and striking combined before he got the standing Guillotine choke finish.

Overall, FCC 10 was a great occasion and if you’re in the north west get down to FCC 11 18th October at the Bolton Macron Stadium, it’s well worth it.

Kingdom MMA Review FCC 10 - Professional Main Card

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

For the final installment of the FCC 10 review we move on to the professional fights which finished the event. If you have not yet read our review of the amateur fights and the amateur title fights then click on the links.

Professional Fights

The professional part of the fight card was made up of four quality fights.

Paul Craig vs Jon Ferguson 

Straight from the off Ferguson shoots and gets the takedown up against the cage, Craig catches Ferguson in a triangle and Ferguson manages to get out but somehow ends back in, takes some hard punches from the bottom and gets submitted via triangle which is now Craig’s third straight pro victory by triangle choke.

Paul Craig def. Jon Ferguson via Submission (arm triangle) at 1:50 of Round 1

Aaron Aby vs Scott Gregory

Round One
Aby starts off the action by driving for the takedown against the cage and getting Gregory down. From the bottom Gregory manages to reverse the position and end up on top. It does little for him though as Aby manages to get an arm bar in and finish the fight from the bottom. Great submission.

Aaron Aby def. Scott Gregory via Submission (arm bar) at 3:23 of Round 1

Kane Mousah vs Martin Stoyanov

This was the fight I was most looking forward to watching. I had seen Mousah before through FCC’s you tube page and heard plenty about him. Prior to this he had smashed his previous opponents through ground and pound so he definitely brings the excitement factor and he had a strong support as he came out for this fight.

Round One
The fight starts off with Mousah taking the centre and Stoyanov attempting a speculative superman punch which doesn’t come off. Both fighters then take turns to exchange kicks before Mousah tries a spinning kick that just misses. More strikes follow but then Stoyanov gets the fight to the ground and is straight on Mousah’s back. Stoyanov has the hooks in and is looking for the RNC but Mousah does well to defend by staying on his knees, he turns out but Stoyanov looks for the arm bar before Mousah survives again and then begins to open up with his ground and pound. His fans chant ‘smash him’ numerous times and Mousah duly obliges by hammering down on Stoyanov and the referee steps in to stop the fight. Mousah again winning by ground and pound. Formidable when he gets anyone in that position so far in his career.

Kane Mousah def. Martin Stoyanov via TKO (ground and pound) Round 1

Main Event

Martin Stapleton vs Stanislav Enchev

It’s the fight the fans have been waiting for all night and Stapleton comes out to a rapturous reception from the home crowd being a local lad.

Round One
Both fighters start of by swinging and letting their intentions known in this one. Stapleton then lands a thud of punch on Enchev that gets the crowd going, Stapleton continues to use his distance well, dodging anything that Enchev attempts to throw and Stapes is looking solid here. He suddenly throws a few strikes and gets Enchev against the cage in a standing guillotine and finishes it. Great performance from Martin Stapleton.

Martin Stapleton def. Stanislav Enchev via Submission (Standing Guillotine) Round 1

Thank you for reading my review of FCC 10.

FCC 10 Image Gallery

FCC 10 Image Gallery 

by Thomas Young - @ThomBomb17 

FCC 10 took place on Saturday night, and our man Thomas Young was on hand to bring you the finest shots of the evening.

Kingdom MMA speak to Bellator Fighter Martin Stapleton ahead of his fight at FCC 10

Martin Stapleton talks about FCC10, his time in Bellator and the future

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

Yesterday Kingdom MMA caught up with Bellator fighter Martin Stapleton to discuss his upcoming fight where he will make his "homecoming" as he returns to fight at FCC 10 this weekend. We talk about how the fight came about and also, we discuss what the future holds for Martin and when he will likely return to Bellator.

Alex: Hello Martin, cheers for taking the time out to chat to us before FCC 10, how is your preparation going so far?
Stapleton: Preparation has been awesome for this fight, I've taken things to a new level! I've just been out at Mjulnir MMA in Iceland for the final week with Karl Tanswell and Matt Inman so that has really capped everything off.

Alex: Given that this is your homecoming fight on FCC, a show in which you won their first ever pro MMA fight, how excited are you to be back for such a big occasion?
Stapleton: Yeah I'm just excited to fight full stop!! It's great that it's gonna be a home crowd etc but that's just an extra plus point. The real thing is that i get to go out and show how much my game has raised and i get to do what i love.

Alex: After signing for Bellator, things haven’t quite gone your way. What’s the reason behind coming back to FCC for one fight only? Do you feel as if you need to regain the confidence and form you had in the fights that lead to you being signed by Bellator?
Stapleton: No, i have no need for that. I know wholeheartedly what I'm capable of and I've gone out and made adjustments that will now show the world what I'm capable of. I'm gonna be a World Champion and every fight is just one lesson closer!!
The reason I'm fighting in FCC is pretty simple in that Bellator are allowing me to stay busy before my next fight in the states which is looking like September. I want to get 3/4 fights in this year so this keeps me on that track.

Alex: Obviously, moving into tougher organisations like Bellator come with bigger challenges, how do you balance full time coaching whilst having a training camp for such big fights?
Stapleton: Yeah its hard, and last year i took on way too much. This year, like i say I've made adjustments, brought more balance into my life and re-organised things so my training now has a level of structure i honestly don't think many guys in the World can match. I don't wanna go into too much id rather let my performance do the talking so you'll see what i mean next week!

Alex: Onto your opponent, Stanislav Enchev, a seasoned pro in his own right, have you seen much of him as of yet? If so, are they any weaknesses you are going to look to exploit?
Stapleton: I've seen little bits but honestly I'm not thinking about his game or anyone else's game etc.. I'm aware of what he can do but I'm 100% focused on what i am going to do and i don't think there are many Lightweights out there that can match that.

Alex: What’s your game plan for this fight? Your record boasts a good mix of ko’s, sub’s and decisions where do you think the fight will be won?
Stapleton: My game plan is to finish him! Its that simple! There are no expectations or no predictions, its an MMA Fight and it could end anywhere at anytime. My preparation will allow me to take the finish when it comes and I'll be pressing for that from the start.

Alex: With you being a local lad, a strong crowd is expected to be cheering you on, do you see this as motivation to come out and put on an unforgettable performance?
Stapleton: I'm gonna go out and put on an unforgettable performance regardless!! Where ever the fight is, because i want to. But obviously the home support is gonna be a nice push.

Alex: Back at FCC 9, your gym had a successful night with five out of six wins. Are you going to be looking to get these guys on FCC 10 and make it a real night to remember for the Full Contact Performance Centre team?
Stapleton: There is just one young lad from FCPC making his debut at FCC 10, Adam Hussein. A guy I've got a lot of faith in and I'm very confident he will take the Win home. These amateur guys we've got at FCPC are so dedicated I'm confident in all of them. Its an honour to Coach them.

Alex: What are you looking to do after FCC 10? Straight back to Bellator or is there a chance you’ll stick around for a while and possibly fight on FCC 11 as well?
Stapleton: Well Bellator are talking about a September fight over in the states, after that it just depends. If they get me back in a Tournament I'll be pretty busy over there but if not there is every chance I'll fight again in the UK between my Bellator match ups so I'll have to weigh up my options and take the best route available. Its all down to Bellator really, they call the shots!!

Thank you again for your time Martin, we wish you all the best this weekend and look forward to seeing you in action on Saturday night.

Video: FCC 10 Final Line Up Promo

Video: FCC 10 Final Line Up Promo
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

FCC is back on 21st of June with the 10th installment, and this one is not to be missed. Featuring the UK return of Bellator lightweight Martin Stapleton, this is definitely one not to be missed.

Martin Stapleton to Fight at FCC 10

Martin Stapleton Fights at FCC 10

by Alex Dillon - @_alexdillon_

One of Greater Manchester’s well regarded pro MMA fighters and coaches, Martin ‘50.cal’ Stapleton makes his return to the UK scene at Full Contact Contender 10 at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton on June 21st facing Bulgaria’s Stanislav Enchev.

Although currently contracted to Bellator, FCC have managed to secure Stapleton's services on loan for one fight only for a special ‘homecoming’ fight. The last time he featured on an FCC card was back in June 2012 where he submitted Shahid Hussain and this time round he will certainly be hoping for a similar feat as he looks to get a win back on his record after riding a 2 fight losing streak since joining Bellator. His last fight on FCC was momentous as it was the first pro fight the promotion had ever held so this announcement proposes a massive occasion this time round which is sure to delight the local crowd in attendance come fight night.

The signing of Stapleton, even just for one fight represents a huge coup for FCC as it is no doubt going to attract even more attention to their shows which are already highly regarded throughout the UK MMA scene both at amateur and pro level.

His opponent Enchev, has finished all of his five wins with four TKO’s and one submission but is also on a two fight losing streak so it creates an intriguing match for both fighters as they look to get back in the win column in their MMA careers.

Stay tuned for further information on amateur and pro bouts to be announced for FCC 10 in the coming weeks which will surely prove to be a great night of fights on June 21st.

Brits Rob Silnclair & Martin Stapleton Included in Belllator Season 9 Tournament

Brits Rob Silnclair & Martin Stapleton Included in Belllator Season 9 Tournament

The Toughest Tournament In Sports continues as Portland’s Rose Garden Arena plays hosts to Bellator MMA on Friday, September 27^th. The night will showcase the opening round of the Bellator Lightweight Tournament, as well as stacked preliminary card.

No stranger to the MMA game, Marcus Davis will use his veteran talent as he faces Russian submission artist Tiger Sarnavskiy. Davis is well aware of the opportunity at stake for his future, but will have to hold off Sarnavskiy, who holds an impressive 24-1 professional record.

After spending only 74 seconds in the cage with two first round knockouts last season, but falling to David Rickels in the Season 8 Tournament Final, Saad Awad is ready for redemption. Awad will face UK striker Martin Stapleton, who enters the fight riding an eight fight win streak and brings an impressive 12-1 record to the cage.   

“Bellator always brings top tier athletes from around the world and I'm excited that I get to be a part of this upcoming tournament again,” Awad said. “I’ve added a few things to my arsenal and I can't wait to showcase them and put on a great show.”

Fan favorite Will Brooks will also return to the big stage and battle MMA veteran John Alessio. After suffering just the first loss of his professional career in the Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Semifinal to Saad Awad, Brooks is ready to get back under the bright lights.

“I just want to get back in the winner circle,” Brooks said. “I have some unfinished business from last season and I am going to keep it simple, to the point and devastating for every fight. I need and want the belt and I am going to take it from whoever has it, but I am hoping it will be Michael Chandler.”

Making his Bellator debut, England’s own Rob Sinclair will battle long time veteran Rich Clementi on September 27th. With 27 submission wins in his professional career, Clementi will look to his experience in the cage to take down Sinclair, and put it all on the line for a last tournament run.  

“I am so excited to have the chance to compete again,” Clementi said. “For those who have been following me, I made an official retirement a few months ago and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. The last few years of competing, I’ve been running on four flat tires, but after being under treatment for the last three months and my body is responding well. Fighting is who I am and the thought of not being able to do that was devastating. I am so excited to get back in the cage and show people what I am made of.”

Bellator MMA Main Card:

Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Marcus Davis (22-9) vs. Tiger Sarnavskiy (23-1)

Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Will Brooks (10-1) vs. John Alessio (34-16)

Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Saad Awad (14-5) vs. Martin Stapelton (12-1)

Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Rob Sinclair (12-2) vs. Rich Clementi (45-22-1)

Rob Sinclair, Paul Sass and Martin Stapleton sign for Bellator

Bellator sign up three British lightweights

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

Bellator has today released some very exciting news for UK fans. The promotion already boasts Brit fighters Paul Daley, Ronnie Mann and Michael Page in its ranks. Today it swells those numbers to 6. That's right they have signed 3 new British fighters to long term promotional contacts.

Rob Sinclair the current BAMMA lightweight champion. Paul Sass the ex UFC fighter with two submission of the night awards and Martin Stapleton the Ultimate Fighter contestant will all fight in the lightweight division. This news will hopefully help to get Bellator on our TV screens as with 6 British fighters now in the promotion there is a demand to see the live show. A TV deal is needed to help progress the promotion here in the UK and these latest signing will certainly help that.

Sinclair was the Lightweight champion in British promotion BAMMA and it's of great credit to them that they have released Sinclair from his contract with one fight left on it so he can go and fulfil his dream. They have both served each other well and part on good terms. Sinclair was the first ever Lightweight champion and went on to defend his belt 3 times.

Sass was released from his UFC contract in February after losing to Danny Castillo at UFC on fuel 7. He is an exciting Jiu Jitsu fighter who has beaten top competition and holds 2 submission of the night awards to his name.

Martin Stapleton was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter-UK v USA.  Stapleton had a break from MMA shortly after the series due to his commitment with The Royal Marines. In December of 2012 Stapleton entered a Cage Contenders Lightweight tournament. He won all 3 fights on the same night to be crowded winner of the Lightweight competition.