DIAKIESE AND SHAH SIGN TO BAMMA

Flagship Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce two new signings to its roster in the form of Lightweight, Marc "Bonecrusher" Diakiese, and Featherweight, Zi Shah.

Both prospects fight out of Ludus Magnus Training Centre in Doncaster under Old Skool Fight Management. They train out of the same stable as former BAMMA World champion, Scott Askham and recent BAMMA Lonsdale British champion, Wayne Murrie.

Entering a 4 fight deal with BAMMA, Zi Shah holds a 6-1 Professional record and the UCFC Featherweight title. He has finished all his winning fights within the first round. Shah's only loss took place at BAMMA 14 where he capitulated to Andy Craven.

Shah said: "I'm looking forward to winning my next four fights and paving my way to a BAMMA title shot in the future."

Marc Diakiese was unbeaten at Amateur, over 9 fights, and has remained undefeated at Professional level with a record of 4-0. Inking a 5 fight deal with BAMMA, Diakiese also has his eyes set on the BAMMA belts.

Manager, Carl Messan, said: "Marc is really excited about fighting on BAMMA. He is one of the hottest upcoming prospects in UKMMA. He is determined to be the BAMMA champ, first the British champ and then the World."

Other recent signings to BAMMA include Lee Chadwick, Ashleigh Grimshaw, Shaun Taylor, Jody Collins, Andy Craven and Jefferson George.

STATEMENT FROM CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship (CWFC) can this evening confirm that it has reluctantly taken the decision to move next month's CWFC 71 event to Amman, Jordan.

Originally scheduled to take place in Stockholm on Saturday, August 23, CWFC 71 was due to be another historic Cage Warriors event, with Sweden set to become the thirteenth country to play host to Europe's leading mixed martial arts promotion.

However, issues outside of CWFC's control have forced officials to move the event to Jordan, with CWFC 71 now booked to go ahead at Amman's King Hussein Boxing Arena on Friday, August 22.

CWFC 71 will be Cage Warriors Fighting Championship's tenth event of 2014. Bouts and further details will be announced in due course.

The decision to move CWFC 71 from Sweden to Jordan has come as a result of the nonsensical refusal of the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF) to approve several bouts to be contested under full unified rules.

Of the initial five bouts that were submitted for approval, only one - a featherweight bout between Martin Svensson (13-5) and Dave Hill (12-3) - received permission to be contested under full unified rules.

The remaining four did not receive the necessary approval, with the SMMAF claiming in a statement: "The committee has found that several matches applied for by Cage Warriors have not made the required level."

In addition to referring to "unequal matching", the SMMAF stated its belief that the fighters involved do not possess enough experience to compete under full unified rules.

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has been at the core of the global MMA community since its inception in 2002 but, in particular, the significant growth of the promotion since 2010 has been built on a foundation laid by the ability of its fighters and the quality of its matching, courtesy of our exceptional matchmaker Ian Dean.

As a promotion, CWFC is shocked and bemused by the SMMAF's apparent reasoning for preventing these bouts from taking place, given that Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has developed into one of the world's leading promotions based largely on these very qualities.

This has led CWFC officials to question the motives of the SMMAF in this instance, as up until this issue arose, both parties had co-operated effortlessly to lay the platform for CWFC to stage an event in Sweden.

From the outset, CWFC officials assured the SMMAF that their protocol would be followed throughout each step in the process, and even agreed to allow the CWFC 71 undercard bouts to be contested under the SMMAF's 'Swedish rules' i.e. with elbows and up-kicks prohibited.

"Moving this event out of Sweden is a decision we really wanted to avoid, but because of the actions of the SMMAF, we have unfortunately been left with no choice in the matter," said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.

"To ask our elite fighters, who are among the best in Europe and the world as a whole, to compete under a diluted set of rules to what they have been doing throughout their professional careers is an abhorrent insult to these outstanding athletes and their abilities.

"Jack Hermansson is our middleweight champion and Jack Mason is probably the most experienced fighter in the UK, but their respective bouts were not approved. It's absolutely absurd.

"Suggesting that such fighters are not capable of competing under full unified rules is ludicrous beyond belief and I would never even consider asking them to compete under anything other than full unified rules.

"The SMMAF have left us in an impossible, and very sad, situation here, and unfortunately our only option is to take our athletes elsewhere for this event."

The four bouts which did not receive SMMAF approval for full unified rules are: Jack Hermansson (8-2) versus Cheick Kone (11-3) - CWFC agreed to this title bout being contested over three five-minute rounds; Pannie Kianzad (5-0) versus Alexandra Buch (8-3); Jack Mason (28-13) versus Jonatan Westin (6-2); Liam James (8-6) versus Frantz Slioa (4-0). Applications for further bouts were in the process of being submitted until today's decision to move the event from Sweden.

Furthermore, the SMMAF's pro-committee has claimed publicly that there was no conflict of interest involved in their decisions, despite one committee member being the current manager and coach of Martin Svensson, one of the fighters involved in the only CWFC 71 bout that was approved for full unified rules.

Nevertheless, while the SMMAF has ultimately prevented Cage Warriors from staging this event in Sweden, the promotion is extremely appreciative of the widespread support it has received from the Swedish MMA community, particularly from former SMMAF and IMMAF president August Wallen.

"I'm very sad about this situation," August Wallen said. "Many have worked hard to get Cage Warriors to Sweden and, as someone who helped to build MMA here, I'm concerned as I believe this could be a major setback for the development of MMA in the whole region.

"As a coach, I have looked forward to taking part in this great Cage Warriors event and I feel bad for all the fighters who have worked hard but will now be denied the chance to fight here in Sweden in front of a global audience."

Those sentiments have been echoed by Tue Trnka, CWFC's Head of Operations in Scandinavia, who has worked tirelessly to put the framework in place for the first ever Cage Warriors event in Sweden.

He said: “I'm shocked and appalled by the ridiculous actions of the SMMAF’s pro-committee. This is hurting so many local fighters, as well as the entire Nordic MMA scene, which has now taken a massive hit.

“I strongly disagree with the SMMAF’s negative decisions and I find their lack of dialogue both disrespectful and arrogant, considering the vast impact their decisions will have on so many people.

“We've done everything that was asked of us, and yet it seemingly comes down to just two people on the pro-committee, who for some reason have decided to vote against these fights.

“If you look at some of the UFC’s undercard fights in Sweden, all of which have been approved for full unified rules by the SMMAF, and compare them to the fights we applied for, I find it hard not to wonder if there is some bias involved.

“This was a massive opportunity for Swedish and Nordic MMA, but bureaucracy has won out here and Swedish MMA has suffered an enormous blow.”

In spite of these developments, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship will not abandon its plans to expand in Scandinavia, with the promotion more determined than ever to stage an inaugural event in Sweden.

“Our first event in Denmark was a huge success last March and I have no doubt that the same would have been the case in Sweden on August 23,” said Graham Boylan.

“That will now have to wait slightly longer than we had initially hoped for, but I can assure our Swedish fans that it’ll be worth the wait when CWFC finally gets there.

“The actions of the SMMAF have set a worrying precedent for MMA in Sweden, but this has not deterred us at all. Between fighters and fans, Sweden has played a major role in the growth of Cage Warriors and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so.”
 

CWFC 72: DALBY vs. GRIMAUD

Nicolas Dalby (12-0), the reigning CWFC welterweight world champion, make his inaugural title defence against former champion Gael Grimaud (19-6) at Cage Warriors 72 in Newport, Wales, on September 13.

The undefeated Dane is set to take on Gael Grimaud when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship heads to the Welsh city of Newport for CWFC 72. Tickets for Europe’s leading promotion’s eleventh event of 2014, which is to be staged at the Newport Centre, will go on sale shortly.

Following his spectacular fourth-round KO of Sergei Churilov at CWFC 66 in Copenhagen this past March, Dalby (12-0) will be making his inaugural title defence in Newport on September 13.

His thirteenth professional outing will provide a new challenge for Dalby, as he competes outside of his native Denmark for the first time in his career.

The 29-year-old, who succeeded Cathal Pendred as the CWFC champion, holds other notable wins over Ivica Truscek, Morten Djursaa and Glenn Sparv.

“I’m very much looking forward to squaring off against Gael Grimaud as he was the latest fighter currently on the CWFC roster to hold the welterweight title,” said Dalby.

“He has a very dynamic style that I find quite interesting, so I’m looking forward to showing off how I will dismantle him and get the win.”

Grimaud (19-6) will be aiming to regain the CWFC welterweight world title, which he relinquished in March of last year following a unanimous-decision loss to Cathal Pendred at CWFC 52 in London.

A 34-year-old Frenchman who has dropped just one loss in his last 11 fights, Grimaud has taken fifteen of his nineteen professional wins by stoppage, including 12 submissions.

However, Grimaud’s most recent CWFC outing saw him score a KO win against Bruno Carvalho after just 45 seconds of their main-event clash at CWFC Fight Night 9 in Amman last October.

Grimaud clinched the CWFC welterweight world title back in September 2011 when he overcame Arni Isaksson, before going on to make a successful defence against Jesse Taylor.

“To have the opportunity to get the Cage Warriors belt back is very exciting for me and I am determined to succeed,” said Grimaud, who has been stopped just once in 25 professional bouts.

“My opponent brings a strong challenge but I believe I am a better fighter than him. I will be ready on September 13 to take that belt back home again.”

Dalby and Grimaud were originally scheduled to meet for Cage Warriors’ 170lbs strap at CWFC 66 but an injury to Grimaud resulted in the title shot passing to Sergei Churilov.

CWFC 72 will also feature a bantamweight world title tussle, as Cory Tait and Toni Tauru clash for the vacant 135lbs strap. Meanwhile, a lightweight bout between Tim Newman (10-4) and Tim Wilde (5-0) has also been added to the CWFC 72 bill, as well as a featherweight contest involving Nad Narimani (7-1) and Daniel Thomas (20-9-1).

Cage Warriors 72 (more bouts to be announced)

Nicolas Dalby (c) vs. Gael Grimaud - CWFC welterweight world title bout
Cory Tait vs. Toni Tauru - vacant CWFC bantamweight world title bout
Jack Marshman vs. Che Mills
Tim Newman vs. Tim Wilde
Nad Narimani vs. Daniel Thomas
Steve Dinsdale vs. Lewis Long
Jordan Desborough vs. Kris Edwards
Jamie Rogers vs. Mario Saeed
Nick Nembhard vs. Simas Norkus
Paulina Bonkowska vs. Kate Jackson

CWFC 72: TAIT vs. TAURU

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship will crown a new bantamweight world champion on Saturday, September 13, when England's Cory Tait (8-2-0) and Finland's Toni Tauru (9-1-1) clash for the vacant title at Cage Warriors 72 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales.

A new CWFC bantamweight world champion will be crowned when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship makes its inaugural visit to Newport, Wales, on Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Cage Warriors 72, which is set to take place at the Newport Centre, will see Cory Tait and Toni Tauru collide for Europe’s leading promotion’s vacant 135lbs title.

The eleventh Cage Warriors event of 2014, Newport will become the third Welsh city to play host to CWFC, following a trio of shows in Cardiff from October 2012 to September 2013, in addition to a debut in Swansea earlier this year.

Tait (8-2-0), a 26-year-old Englishman who has taken all of his career wins inside the distance, is one of the UK’s top bantamweights and earns his shot at the CWFC gold on the back of a four-fight win-streak. Following a number of impressive victories on the British domestic circuit, Tait was signed exclusively by Cage Warriors last year and announced his arrival on the international scene with a superb first-round submission of the hotly-favoured James Pennington in the main event at CWFC 64 in London back in February.

Despite hailing from a kickboxing background, Tait has as an equal number of (T)KO and submission wins - four each - with five of his victories coming in the very first round.

“I’m truly excited to be fighting for the Cage Warriors title,” said Tait, who holds other notable wins over fellow Cage Warriors veterans Spencer Hewitt, Dino Gambatesa and Nathan Beer.

“The fights keep on getting bigger and bigger for me. Winning this belt will prove that I’m the top bantamweight in the UK, and I’m looking forward to being recognised as just that.”

A 29-year-old Finn, Tauru (9-1-1) hasn’t tasted defeat since losing to former CWFC title challenger Mikael Silander in his second professional bout back in August 2011.

Since then, Tauru has embarked on a run of nine successive wins - the last six of which have come via submission - which has seen him climb to second place in the Nordic bantamweight rankings.

After submitting TUF 18 contestant Emil Hartsner via first-round gogoplata last November, Tauru was snapped up by Cage Warriors and picked up another first-round submission win over Martin Akhtar in his promotional debut at CWFC 66 in Copenhagen this past March.

Tauru said: “I’m very confident coming into this fight. It’s going to be my tenth straight win and I’m going to be the Cage Warriors champion, so I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity. But I also believe I have earned this title shot and I’m looking forward to becoming Finland’s first MMA world champion.”

The CWFC bantamweight belt was last held by Brett Johns until this past April, when his failure to make weight ahead of his CWFC 67 title bout against James Brum saw him relinquish the strap, despite picking up a unanimous-decision win.

Officials have also confirmed several other bouts today for September 13’s CWFC 72 bill in Newport, including a welterweight clash between Lewis Long and Steve Dinsdale. Check out the updated fight card below, with many more bouts and ticket news to be announced shortly.
 
Cage Warriors 72 (more bouts to be announced)
Cory Tait vs. Toni Tauru - vacant CWFC bantamweight world title bout
Jack Marshman vs. Che Mills
Steve Dinsdale vs. Lewis Long
Jordan Desborough vs. Kris Edwards
Jamie Rogers vs. Mario Saeed
Nick Nembherd vs. Simas Norkus
Paulina Bonkowska vs. Kate Jackson

Phil Harris talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of UFC Dublin

by Chris Houten @mrhouts

On Saturday night Phil Harris steps foot back in the octagon. For some, his return may be surprising since it was only a couple of months since he was released. However in MMA the scene changes very quickly and Harris has benefited from this and will return to square off once again against Neil Seery, who Harris previously beat. This time the advantage of the third man is firmly with Seery as the fight is in his own backyard at the O2 Arena, Dublin. Before that fight Harris took time out of his schedule to talk to Kingdom MMA and discuss his last fight, his return to the UFC and of course a look ahead to the fight this weekend.

Chris: So you're back in the UFC fighting Neil Seery, how has your camp gone for this fight?
Harris: It's gone very well, it's been a long camp and I'm more than ready.

Chris: Other than the usual Gym 01 guys who are there week in week out, Brum, Pennington, Caswell etc. who have you worked with for this camp? Has Lee or Grant been down over the last few months?
Harris: Brad Pickett has been down at the start of my camp, also Mark Handley has been down, and Sam Creasy has been down for sparring. I've also been up to Poole martial arts and they've lots of good Thai fighters.

Chris: You were pulled from a fight in the Middle East for Cage Warriors just before you resigned with the UFC, have you essentially been in camp since April?
Harris: I'm always training so I'm never actually out of a camp! After this fight I'll be slowing down my training for a few weeks.

Chris: You originally lost your last fight to Gaudinot, however the bout has now been overturned due to Gaudinot failing a drug test. Was the fact Gaudinot failed a drug test instrumental in you being brought back into the UFC?
Harris: No the UFC asked my manager if he had any UK/ Euro guys at flyweight and he said that I deserve another shot and they listened to him and gave me another shot. A plus side of having an awesome manager (Graham Boylan)

Chris: You were caught early in the Gaudinot fight and you almost looked out of sorts. Talk us through the fight, how did your preparation and build up to the fight go, and where did you feel you went wrong in the fight?
Harris: I had no excuses for that fight I made a mistake rushed a take down and left my neck open. Louis jumped on it!

Chris: With the failed drug test, the loss to Gaudinot has been changed to a no contest. How are you treating this fight, is it bittersweet to have the loss overturned or are you still treating it as a loss?
Harris: It's still a loss in my eyes.

Chris: When the news broke that Ian McCall was out of UFC London in March you were pretty supportive of the UFC signing Neil Seery, it felt like you both seemed friendly. How would you describe your relationship with Neil and what is it like to fight someone you know, respect and maybe even like?
Harris: I've a lot of respect for Neil he's a top guy, he deserved his shot in the UFC so I supported him and was pleased when he got the call up.
We'll definitely have a drink after the fight.

Chris: How much better do you think Neil Seery has become since the first time you fought?
Harris: He's probably going to be more well rounded now but I'm pretty sure his come forward throwing punches style won't change.

Chris: How do you feel about fighting Seery in his back yard? Are you expecting the most hostile environment you've ever fought in?
Harris: Yeah I'm expecting to be the bad guy but it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Chris: There are 2 other flyweight battles on the card along side your bout with Seery. You have Pickett vs McCall, and Holohan vs Sampo, how do you see those fights playing out?
Harris: Pickett has a tough fight but will come through the winner, haven't a clue how. Holohan vs sampo will be a great fight holohan will win via submission in round 1, maybe a triangle.

Chris: Finally we are half way through the year now, what can we expect from the Gym 01 guys in the second part of 2014?
Harris: Brett Caswell will finish the year with a massive win along with a few others Scott Pooley has a big fight in the pipe line
Also the next generation of fighters are coming through, watch out for Ollie Davidson and Alan Talis both big talents!

Chris: Would you like to thank anyone ahead of the fight for helping you prepare?
Harris: I'd like to thank Bri Adams, Head gym01 coach. Mok Rahman, my striking coach/pad man. All of my training partners at gym01.

Also my sponsors Smuggling duds, JY nutrition, Sweet sweat and Funky gums.

Also my lovely wife Debbie.
Thanks again for your time Phil and we wish you all the best for the fight on Saturday night.

Ronnie Mann signs for Spiked Athletics

SPIKED Athletics continue their push to becoming one of the premier management companies within UK MMA.

Most recent signing is Ronnie Mann, the Cage Warriors, Bellator Veteran who has competed on a global scale and has some huge scalps to his name.

Ronnie joins the likes of Brad Pickett, Jimmy Wallhead, Che Mills, Matt Hallam, Aaron Blackwell and great up and coming talent including recent signings Mario Saeed and Dean Trueman.

Matt Walton says “I am delighted to have Ronnie Mann join the team.  I have watched Ronnie for many years and he has always been a bundle of talent and a fighter I have admired. We have talked in depth and I am really excited to be working closely with Ronnie to help support him reach his full potential.  I’m very confident that you will see some big results from the whole SPIKED Athletics team this year.”

Ronnie Mann “I am so pleased to be working with Matt and the SPIKED Athletics team. I am very excited about this new chapter in my career and look forward to them supporting me to reach my full potential. Matt really cares about his fighters and he fills me with great confidence in my abilities.”

For further information on SPIKED Athletics check out www.spikedathletics.com

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.

Kingdom MMA Review FCC 10 - Amateur Title Fights

by Alex Dillon @_alexdillon_

We continue with our review of FCC 10 by now moving on to the Amateur Title fights. Our review of the earlier amateur fights can be found here.

Vacant FCC Flyweight amateur title

Aaron Robinson vs  Javonne Morrison

This fight was another eagerly anticipated bout with both fighters being very well regarded in the UK amateur flyweight scene.

Round One
The fight gets underway and both fighters are looking to exchange, Morrison lands a few aggressive kicks upstairs before Robinson seems to drop him and immediately take his back before getting in the hooks for a rear naked choke attempt. Morrison trying his hardest to defend and weather it but eventually taps.

Aaron Robinson def. Javonne Morrison via Submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:54 of Round 1 and is the new FCC Flyweight Amateur champion.

Vacant FCC Featherweight amateur title

Reece Ackers vs Morgan Starkey

Round One
The fight gets underway and both fighters start off by swinging hard before Starkey gets the takedown. Starkey takes the back of Ackers and has the hooks in attempting the rear naked choke. For a while, it looks like it’s only a matter of time before Ackers taps as the choke is really tight but backed with a huge support it seems to spur Ackers into hanging on and he manages to defend the choke. Ackers ends up on top but Starkey goes for the leg of Ackers and looks to submit but Ackers escapes again and the round comes to an end.

Round Two
The round starts and Ackers eye looks in a bit of bother after round one but he lands a good head kick and then takes the fight to the ground. The fight makes its way back up to the feet but Ackers is in again pushing the action towards the cage fence before landing some big knees. Ackers gets it down and gets the hooks in but looks to cause some damage to Starkey as he throws down punch after punch as the round goes to an end.

Round Three
Round three begins with both fighters meeting in the centre and exchanging, Ackers throws successive kicks that look to be doing some damage early on to Starkey. Starkey returns but Ackers again throws a good leg kick. The crowd are all pro Ackers, repeatedly chanting his name as the round progresses. Ackers lands another good leg kick before Starkey responds with a decent combo, The fight then turns into a bit of war as both fighters trade knees and good shots of their own. Ackers then takes it upon himself to go for the takedown, gets it and looks to throw some strikes as the round ends.

Round Four
Into the championship rounds and both fighters come out of their corners swinging and going for it, each landing good combos of their own before Ackers takes control and gets the fight to the ground. Ackers gets into half guard and looks to wear down Starkey as he throws shot after shot. The fight is back to the feet and both fighters engage again with Ackers coming off better as he lands a nice head kick which seems to stumble Starkey. Ackers rushes in and gets the takedown and is in the guard looking to work the body of Starkey with some decent shots as the round ends.

Round Five
Great atmosphere at FCC as both fighters come out and touch gloves for the final round, it’s Starkey now who looks for the takedown against the cage but Ackers manages to trip him and lands in side control. Ackers gets his hooks in and lands a few punches before Starkey flips him over and the fight returns back to the feet with a knee landing for Starkey but Ackers responds with a head kick and gets the takedown. The round ends with Ackers reigning down punches on Starkey. Excellent fight that, both didn’t give up and Ackers showed real grit to come through the first round and dominate the rest of the bout.

Reece Ackers def. Morgan Starkey via Unanimous Decision 49-46 (x3) and is the new FCC Featherweight Amateur champion to the delight of the massive support he brought with him.

FCC Lightweight Amateur title

Ashley Reece (c) vs Daryl Golding

I was really looking forward to this one, I've seen Reece fight before through FCC’s youtube channel and he always brings it. Both fighters have previously won FOTN honours at FCC so it promised to be a barn burner.

Round One
The fight starts with Golding coming out super aggressive catching Reece in the process before Reece manages to get the takedown. Reece has top position and starts to hammer down fists, and the rest of the round is more or less the same as Reece dominates from the top.

Round Two
The crowd for this fight is split evenly creating a fantastic atmosphere. Reece comes out and gets the takedown from the off. His wrestling seems to be a real weapon for him so far in the fight. Again Reece looks to throw punches down on Golding, the fight gets back up to the feet momentarily before Reece gets another takedown. The fight ends up back on the feet and both fighters exchange but Reece comes off better with a series of heavy knees to Golding.

Round Three
Reece comes out with a front kick to open the round; Golding answers back but Reece ducks under and takes him down. Reece landing some shots again but Golding lands some of his own from the bottom before Reece postures up and continues to land more punches. Golding tries his best to tie up but Reece is relentless at this point still reigning down heavy blows. Reece gets into half guard and starts throwing down some hard hammer fists which Golding has no answer for at all. Golding lands a few more strikes from the bottom but it’s all Reece who just powers through. The round ends with Reece dominant as he helps Golding to his feet as the bell sounds.

Round Four
Reece comes out with a BANG in the 4th, landing heavy shots on Golding and it looks like the finish is in sight. The crowd certainly sense it too, Reece gets the fight to the ground and starts working some more ground and pound, he’s in half guard and really enforcing his strikes now. Heavy left hammer fists followed by successive rights as the crowd roars him on and with Golding not being able to defend himself, Reece finishes it. Ashley Reece is an excellent amateur talent, always turns up and performs.

Ashley Reece (c) def. Daryl Golding via TKO (ground and pound) at 1:52 of Round 4 and retains his FCC Lightweight Amateur title

Please read our Main Card review for a review of all of the professional fights from FCC 10, which can be found here.

Kingdom MMA review FCC 10 - Amateur Prelims

by Alex Dillon @_alexdillon_

This past weekend I attended Full Contact Contender 10 over in Bolton at the newly named Macron Stadium. For those of you who don’t know about FCC, it’s one of the biggest domestic shows in the UK, hosting both amateur and pro bouts throughout the night with fighters coming from all over the UK and Europe to compete.

Highly regarded UK talents Brendan Loughnane and Pietro Menga hold the shows pro Lightweight and Flyweight title’s respectively and other UK names such as Matt Inman and Martin Stapleton have fought on the show before. It’s also the breeding ground for many of the north west’s up and coming amateur fighters.

Amateur Fights

Ben Singleton vs Mike McGowon

Ben Singleton def. Mike McGowon via TKO (ground and pound) at 1:20 of Round 1

Paul Maverick Orr vs Maciej Dankowski

Maciej Dankowski def. Paul Maverick Orr via TKO (ground and pound) at 1:57 of Round 1

Mick Stanton vs Tom Tynan

This one was probably the fastest knockout I’ve ever seen. I had literally just finished a tweet for the play by play and Tynan had come down crashing right infront of me in six seconds from a massive punch from Stanton.

Mick Stanton def. Tom Tynan via KO (punch) at 0:06 of Round 1

Marcin Bystron vs Chris Thomas

This fight was delayed slightly because of Thomas not having a cup when he came out to the cage I believe. Both fighters started off by swinging hard before Bystron got the fight to the ground. He landed some heavy strikes with Thomas turning to his side before sinking in an arm triangle and getting the win. It looked like Thomas lost half a tooth somewhere during that fight too!

Marcin Bystron def. Chris Thomas via submission (arm triangle) at 1:05 of Round 1

Kyle Keane vs Aaron Dwyer

As soon as the fight started Keane was on the attack with a variety of leg kicks before the fight went to the ground and he finishes it via Guillotine choke.

Kyle Keane def. Aaron Dwyer via submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:35 of Round 1

James Winstanley  vs Reece Street

Street came into this fight as an independent fighter and a late replacement I believe. The fight started off with the two meeting in the centre before Street attempted a spectacular spinning kick to the head of Winstanley which was quite close to making contact. It was all Winstanley then as he got the fight to the ground first attempting a rear naked choke but ultimately finishing Street off with some powerful ground and pound and forcing Street to tap.

James Winstanley def. Reece Street via TKO (ground and pound/strikes) at 0:55 of Round 1

Danny McCloud vs Adam McGann 

Round One
The fight begins and both fighters meet in the centre with McCloud landing three leg kicks before McGann comes in with a combo of his own. McGann goes in again with the combo before McCloud pushes the action against the cage looking for the takedown. McGann does well to defend the takedown and lands a good left but McCloud again attempts to push him against the cage in hope of a takedown. McGann gains the dominant position and looks to land some knees in the clinch before they break into the centre but he’s back in again with a neat combo. He forces the action against the cage but McCloud replies with some knees of his own before McGann ends the round with a decent left followed by a few more shots.

Round Two
The fighters take the centre again as the second round gets underway and its McCloud looking for the first shots but misses as McGann gets in two shots of his own. McCloud goes in for the takedown and this time gets it. McCloud lands two shots on the ground before McGann's guard opens and the fight is back to the feet. The fight is again dictated against the cage as both fighters exchange knees. McGann trips McCloud, gets the takedown and gets a shot off before the second round comes to an end.

Round Three
The final round begins and both fighters meet in the centre of the cage again, McCloud ducks under a right thrown by McGann and drives the fight to the cage before McGann trips McCloud and gets the fight to the ground. McGann now starts to land his strikes with effect, uppercut, right and a leg kick. McCloud attempts to drive McGann towards the cage again but McGann answers back with another strike as he looks to defend the takedown. McCloud briefly gets the fight to the ground but McGann is straight up and the round comes to an end with McGann landing some knees to McCloud up against the cage. Good fight from both debutants.

Adam McGann def. Danny McCloud via Unanimous Decision: 29-28 (x3)

Joe Kennedy vs Mark McGoldrick

Round One
McGoldrick comes out swinging to start this fight off; he then gets the fight to the floor and looks to reign some strikes down on Kennedy. Kennedy uses the cage well to flip over and get back to his feet just as McGoldrick was looking to take the back. Kennedy now lands some decent shots before McGoldrick fires back with some of his own. As the round draws to a close McGoldrick is attempting another takedown against the cage but it doesn’t come.

Round Two
Round two gets underway with Kennedy landing some vicious strikes but McGoldrick weathers it and gets the takedown straight into side control. McGoldrick then goes into mount and looks to throw down some strikes but Kennedy defends well.  All McGoldrick as he continues to try and damage Kennedy from the top as the second round draws to a close.

Round Three
Kennedy starts the round off firing shots but McGoldrick is straight in pushing the action towards the cage before landing the takedown. McGoldrick gets into full mount and starts throwing some shots into Kennedy who tries his best to tie McGoldrick up but he powers out and lands another heavy shot. With little work going on the ref stands them up and the action resumes with Kennedy coming in with shots but McGoldrick gets him back to the cage and gets another takedown and finishes the round with more ground and pound.

Mark McGoldrick def. Joe Kennedy via Unanimous Decision: 30-27 (x3)

Jim Ratcliffe vs Craig Humphreys

The two fighters come out and meet in the centre, Humphreys throws a front kick which pushes Ratcliffe back before stepping in with a huge right hand which drops Ratcliffe, Humphreys charges in to finish with ground and pound as the referee stops the fight.

Craig Humphreys def. Jim Ratcliffe via KO (punch) at 0:09 of Round 1

Robbie Fallon vs Will Cairns

The fight kicks off with Cairns coming forward but Fallon is straight in for the takedown and gets it into side control. Cairns does his best to try and escape using his knees but Fallon is relentless hammering shots down, he then takes the back mount, reigns more shots down and the referee is forced to stop the fight.

Robbie Fallon def. Will Cairns via TKO (ground and pound) at 0:42 of Round 1

Conor Hignett vs Dominic Wooding

This fight was eagerly anticipated on the amateur flyweight scene across the UK. The winner would get a shot at the belt which would be contested in the fight after this.

Round One
The round kicks off with a touch of gloves and Hignett is immediately on the attack and Wooding fires back with a shot of his own. Hignett is lighter on the feet at the beginning where as Wooding seems to be very relaxed in his stance and not too worried about Hignett's movement. Both then fire off shots of their own in the centre with Wooding executing a head kick and Hignett replying before they separate and play the feeling out game again. Hignett lands a hard kick to the body, Wooding replies and the action is then forced against the cage by Hignett. Looking for the takedown, Hignett drops down for the single leg but Wooding defends well and the round comes to an end.

Round Two
The round starts off with both going for kicks before Wooding attempts a flying knee but slipping in the process. He makes it back to his feet with ease before firing off a jab backing Hignett up but Hignett responds and both exchange strikes again. As the round goes on, the two continue to exchange strikes with Hignett looking to land several kicks where as Wooding goes for a combo to the body. Wooding ends the round being the more aggressive fighter this time round and it’s even going into the final round.

Round Three
The final round begins with Wooding taking the centre and Hignett attempting a spinning back fist but narrowly missing. Both engage in the centre and Wooding lands a big shot which pushes Hignett back to the cage fence, Wooding goes in and ties up whilst landing a solid knee. The action separates and both land shots to the body before Wooding goes up high with a kick followed by another which is blocked. Both end the round the best possible way by trading in the final 10 seconds.

Dominic Wooding def. Coner Hignett via Split Decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28   

Thanks for reading part one of Kingdom MMA's FCC 10 post fight review, to read our review of the amateur title fights please click here.

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.

5 Reasons the UFC should re-sign Paul Daley

5 Reasons the UFC should re-sign Paul Daley

by Ben Heather @benheather

Paul Daley's name is once again in the news regarding a possible return to the UFC so Kingdom MMA have come up with 5 reasons why the UFC should re-sign him and forgive him for his controversial past.

1. He's Exciting

Paul Daley always has and always will put on exciting fights. He doesn't know how to be in boring fights. If you are ever bored and want to see some of the most exciting knockouts or fights in MMA then get yourself on to YouTube and search for Paul Daley, you will not be disappointed.

Daley has finished his opponents with some of the most brutal knockouts you will ever see and in my opinion was involved in the best one round fight of all time against Nick Diaz. All in all if he made it back to the UFC the fans wouldn't be disappointed and have to witness a guy afraid of losing, instead they will see a warrior who always comes in to finish the fight.

Just look at some of the fights we have seen recently - Luke Barnatt vs Sean Strickland, Andrei Arlovski vs Brendan Schaub and all of the fights so far in TUF 19. I guarantee you this would not happen in a Paul Daley fight.

2. Selling potential for Fight Pass cards

For the past few years the UK fans as well as some others from around the world have been calling for Paul Daley to come back to the UFC. As for members of the press, they bring up Daley's name every few events in one of Dana's scrums. This proves that Paul Daley still has a big name in the MMA world, can you imagine the response from the fans if Daley got added to the upcoming UFC Dublin card.

Although I don't think the UFC would put Daley straight in to a headline role, he certainly has the draw to be capable of selling tickets based on him alone being on the card for a UK or European event. You can't tell me Paul Daley vs anyone in the welterweight division isn't a better, more exciting fight than some of the co-main events EMEA has seen in the last few years, Dollaway vs Carmont, Pearson vs Couture, Stann vs Sakara etc.

In my opinion, Paul Daley returning to the UFC would certainly get fans talking - love him or hate him, he will create a buzz around that event and his name alone will go a long way to selling a lot of tickets.

3. He matches up well with a lot of top guys

I'm just throwing this out there, in my opinion Paul Daley is the best welterweight in the UK and is in the top 3 welterweights in Europe. I would say only the European elite level fighters such as Gunnar Nelson and Tarec Saffiedine are up there with him on the European scene. Can you imagine Saffiedine vs Daley - fireworks.

Thats not all, Matt Brown vs Paul Daley, Carlos Condit vs Paul Daley, Tyron Woodley rematch, Erik Silva vs Paul Daley, all these fights are ridiculously exciting, mouth-watering bouts which are extreme winable fights for someone of Daley's calibre.

Sure Daley has struggled in the past with being taken down by wrestlers and I am sure if he returns he will be tested again, however, but if the fight stay's standing for long enough Daley can finish just about anyone in the UFC welterweight division.

4. He is better than a lot of the guys the UFC has signed lately

Look at all the fighters who have signed for the UFC in the past year. With all due respect tell me, if Dashon Johnson who recent joined the UFC with a 9-0, but against opponents with a combined record of 13-50 is a UFC calibre fighter? If he is, then Paul Daley definitely is.

A quick glance at the fighters section on UFC.com shows a welterweight division with guys like Daniel Sarafian(1-3), Bobby Voelker (0-4), Peter Sobatta (1-3) etc signed to the promotion. I promise you, if you give Paul Daley 4 fights back in the UFC he will have a better record than any of those guys.

With the UFC doing more and more shows, the level of talent being signed by promotion of late is reducing. Global expansion means the addition of more local talent, who in most instances just simply aren't cut out for the UFC. Paul Daley is still an elite level fighter and until he is given the chance in the UFC again will not be able to do anything other than what he is doing of late to prove he can still compete at the top level by beating lower level guys.

5. He is sorry

I do not know how many more times he can say he is sorry or how many different methods he can use to apologise. He has apologised on his Facebook page, in interviews and even recently sent a letter to the UFC to apologise again.

That being said though, ultimately the decision as to whether Daley will ever return to the UFC is going to be made by one person and as of last week Dana White still wouldn't be happy about him returning. I only hope that opinion changes in the near future as if Paul Daley decides to stick to MMA the UFC is the promotion where somebody as skilled as Daley deserves to fight. Life is about living and learning and Daley has done that, at some stage we can only hope Dana White will be willing to forgive and forget.

WFS 1, Was it a Successful First Outing. Interviews and all the results

WFS1, Was it a Successful First Outing. Interviews and all the Results

by Andreas Georgiou - @AGeorgiouMMA

Add caption

Everybody knows that first impressions are important, and none more so in MMA, so if we had to make an immediate judgment of new boys Warrior Fight Series from their first event in Swanley then their sure is a bright future for Harry Shoebridge’s organisation.

Jefferson George captured the WFS Lightweight championship after he beat Jamie Reynolds by unanimous decision in a very hard fought contest, as the promotion’s first champion was crowned.

“It was a good experience fighting on a new show, and it was great to share this with my Morefire Icon BJJ teammate John Shink who also gained a win on the night. It was a good fight, I felt relaxed, decisive in my decisions and composed throughout. I'm really excited to have a second belt, this time in a different weight class and I look forward to defending my new title.”

Mike Neun, although picking up the win in the Light-heavyweight main event, was unable to capture the promotion’s inaugural 205lb title due to him missing weight, however Neun still had positive things to say after his unanimous decision win over Lloyd Clarkson.

“Fighting on WFS was a good experience. All the staff tried extremely hard to make it the best show they could. The fight was the hardest of my career physically and I had to dig deep to get through it. He had a concrete head and the more I beat him the harder he seemed to become. I sort of stuck to a game plan but I cut weight too hard and I was struggling with my cardio as a result.

I could have done a lot of things different but hindsight is a wonderful thing! As for the title, I'm pretty gutted, I worked so hard for that fight, I wished it was different but I just couldn't get the weight off, the first and last time I will ever do it, I like my food too much but it's changing and that's because that title should be mine right now.”

Official results:

Light Heavyweight Title - Mike Neun def. Lloyd Clarkson via Unanimous Decision*

Lightweight Title - Jefferson George def. Jamie Reynolds via Unanimous Decision

Heavyweight -Pelu Adetola def. Jay Oliver via TKO (Strikes) – 0.50 Round 1

Featherweight - Dean Trueman def. Dan Shortman via Submission (Strikes) – 3.33 Round 1

Welterweight - Manuel Pais def. Jonny Donoghue via Submission (Armbar) – 1.34 Round 1

Unified Amateur Rules Undercard

Welterweight - Zeki Faulds def. John Reid via TKO (Strikes) – 2.07 Round 1

Featherweight - Kane Charig def. Oliver Jones via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) – 2.27 Round 1

Bantamweight - John Shink def. Ben Hughes via Submission (Triangle Choke) – 2.08 Round 1

Featherweight - Gregor Jurcic def. Bradley Morris via TKO (in between rounds) – 3.00 Round 1

Catchweight (90kg) - Steve Minns def. Steve Batty via KO – 0.17 Round 1

*Mike Neun failed to make weight so was unable to win the title

UFC Sign Sam Alvey, Meets Tom Watson at UFC Fight Night 47

UFC Sign Sam Alvey, Meets Tom Watson at UFC Fight Night 47

by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

MFC champion and former TUF contestant Sam Alvey has signed for the UFC and will make his debut against, the UK's Tom Watson at UFC Fight Night 47 in August. UFC officials announced the new booking on Monday.

UFC Fight Night 47 takes place August 16 at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine, and will be the UFC's debut in the state. 

A cast member on season 16 of The Ultimate fighter, Canada's Alvey (22-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) made an impression on coach Shane Carwin when he knocked out Leo Kuntz in 47 second to earn his place in the house, a display which printed Carwin to pick Alvey as his number one pick overall. Once on the show however Alvey was unable to replication his success in the fight to get into the house, dropping a unanimous decision to Joey Rivera. 

Following his stink in the TUF house, Alvey joined MFC where he went 3-1 with three straight wins including knockouts of Jay Silva, Jason South and Wes Swofford. His victory over South earned him MFC’s middleweight title, which he later defended against Swofford at MFC 40 in May.

A former middleweight champion with UK promotion BAMMA, Tom Watson has had a tough time since joining the UFC 2 years ago, and will likely need a win over Alvey to keep his job. 

Originally from Southampton, but now fights out of Reign MMA alongside Mark Munoz, Watson made his UFC debut against Brad Tavares at UFC on Fuel 5, which he lost by split decision. He returned at UFC on Fuel 7 to face Stanislov Nedkov who he defeated by second round TKO after being dropped himself in the first round. In his only win of his UFC career Watson earned $100,000 bonus for fight of the night and knockout of the night. 

Following his victory over Nedkov, Watson dropped back-to-back decision losses to Thales Leites, and Nick Cantone in his two most recent outings, which will leave the 32-year-old pretty desperate for a win in his upcoming bout with Alvey.

Following the addition of Watson vs Alvey, UFC Fight Night 47 now includes:
Tim Boetsch vs. Brad Tavares
Shawn Jordan vs. Jack May
Sam Alvey vs. Tom Watson  

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.

UFC Sign Paddy Holohan, Meets Josh Sampo in Dublin

UFC Sign Paddy Holohan, Meets Josh Sampo in Dublin

by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

UFC officials have today confirmed Irish prospect Paddy Holohan has signed with the promotion and will meet Josh Sampo at UFC Fight Night 46 in Dublin.

UFC Fight Night 46 takes place July 19th at The O2 in Dublin, and is headline by Conor McGregor vs Diego Brandao. The event will stream live on UFC Fight Pass, and will also be broadcasted on BT Sports in the UK. It is not known yet if Holohan vs Sampo will feature on the preliminary card or the main card.

Fighting out of SBG Ireland alongside top Irish fighters such as UFC Fight Night 46 headliner Conor McGregor and TUF 19 stars, Cathal Pendred and Chris Field, 26-year-old Paddy Holohan is currently riding a 10 fight unbeaten streak, enough to earn the Irishman a contract with the UFC.

Formerly a bantamweight, Paddy Holohan (9-0-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) tried out for season 18 of the Ultimate Fighter but was knocked out of the fight to get into the house by Josh Hill. A veteran of top Irish promotion Cage Contenders, it will be 2 years since Holohan last fought professionally when he steps into the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 46.

A pro since 2009, Sampo (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) made his UFC debut at Novembers TUF 18 finale defeating Ryan Benoit by Rear Naked Choke while putting on a fight of the night winning performance. However as Sampo missing weight before the bout, he forfeited his £50,000 bonus cheque to Benoit. Following the victory over Benoit, Sampo then went on to fight former Bellator champion Zak Makovsky, who he lost to by unanimous decision at UFC 170. The lost to Makovsky snapped a five fight win streak for the 29-year-old who has 6 submissions in 11 victories.

With the addition of Holohan vs Sampo, UFC Fight Night 46 card includes:

    Conor McGregor vs. Diego Brandao
    Zak Cummings vs. Gunnar Nelson
    Ian McCall vs. Brad Pickett
    Ilir Latifi vs. Tom Lawlor
    Cody Donovan vs. Nikita Krylov
    Phil Harris vs. Neil Seery
    Trevor Smith vs. Tor Troeng
    Naoyuki Kotani vs. Norman Parke
    Patrick Holohan vs. Josh Sampo

Stay Tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Fight Night 46

WFS: Warrior Fight Series 1 Weigh in Results

WFS: Warrior Fight Series 1 Weigh in Results

Thomas Young - KingdomMMA.co.uk

The fighters stepped onto the scales this afternoon for the debut WFS: Warrior Fight Series show with only one fighter failing to make weight.

Mike Neun failed to make the weight for the light heavyweight title fight, meaning he is ineligible to win the belt should he win. Lloyd Clarkson made weight and can win the title should he win. The fight remains as the main event.

Jefferson George and Jamie Reynolds both made weight and will contest the lightweight title in the co-main event.

All other fighters weighed in correctly, with one weighing in via video link and 3 weighing in on the day.

Professional Rules Main Card

Mike Neun* (93.8kg / 206lb) Vs Lloyd Clarkson (93kg / 205lb) - For the WFS Light Heavyweight Title
Jamie Reynolds (70.25kg / 155lb) Vs Jefferson George (70.25kg / 155lb) - For the WFS Lightweight Title
Jay Oliver (113.5kg / 250lb) Vs Pelu Adetola (OTD)
Dean Trueman (66.15kg / 146lb) Vs Dan Shortman (65.6kg)
Manuel Pais (77kg / 170lb) Vs Jonny Donoghue (OTD)

Unified Amateur Rules Undercard
John Reid (77.15kg / 170lb) Vs Zeki Faulds (77.45kg / 171lb)
Kane Charig (65.7kg / 145lb) Vs Oliver Jones (65.6kg / 145lb)
Ben Hughes (58.45kg / 128lb) Vs John Shink (56.5kg / 125lb)
Daniel Comer (88kg / 194lb) Vs Ben Canney (85.55kg / 195lb) - 88kg Catchweight Bout
Bradley Morris (OTD) Vs Gregor Jurcic** (66kg / 145lb)
Steve Minns (89.5kg / 197lb) Vs Steve Batty (88kg / 194lb) - 90kg Catchweight Bout

*Mike Neun failed to make weight and is therefore ineligible to win the title should he win, Clarkson can win the title should he win.

**Gregor Jurcic weighed in via video link

OTD = On the day weigh ins

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.

Lee Chadwick Signs 4 Fight Bamma Head, Headlines Bamma Fight Night 2 Against Ion Pascu

Lee Chadwick Signs 4 Fight Bamma Head, Headlines Bamma Fight Night 2 Against Ion Pascu

BAMMA Fight Night: Chadwick vs Pascu" sees local veteran Lee Chadwick against Romanian Ion Pascu in a Middleweight bout.

The prestigious Liverpool Olympia is an iconic fight venue steeped in history having hosted some world greats of both the boxing and MMA world. The 1600 capacity amphitheatre has been referred to as a “mini Albert Hall“ and produces an electric atmosphere when full of the knowledgeable Liverpool fight crowd. Tickets are to be available shortly from 0151 263 6633 and www.liverpoololympia.com

The BAMMA Fight Night series brings the show to more local areas and creates the opportunity for people to experience BAMMA on their doorstep. The nights are also intended as a proving ground for upcoming fighters on a BAMMA platform, providing further fight opportunities for contracted talent.
Liverpool Olympia's Managing Director, Chris Zorba, said:

"I am looking forward to working with BAMMA as a consultant on this forthcoming show in Liverpool. I have promoted over 60 MMA shows to date and I hope my vast experience can help make this show a great success for BAMMA and help MMA grow in the North West of England".

LEE CHADWICK VS. ION PASCU: MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT

Veteran local, Lee 'The Butcher' Chadwick, holds a record of 19-10-1 with 13 first round victories; and fights out of Atherton Submission Wrestling. The 29 year old has faced a host of professional MMA talent since 2006, with notable wins over the likes of Cathal Pendred and 'TUF Smashes' competitor Valentino Petrescu. He is currently on an 8 fight win streak. In 2013 Chadwick defeated Denniston Sutherland at OMMAC 13 for the OMMAC British Middleweight title and Alex Minogue at FCC 8 for the FCC British Middleweight title. The majority of Chadwick's victories have come by way of Submission. Lee Chadwick has just signed to an exclusive 4 fight deal with BAMMA.

"I'm made up for my first fight on BAMMA. It's a great privilege. Signing to BAMMA means I get to fight more top opponents and be part of a great promotion. My opponent is a tough kid with decent kickboxing, so it'll be a good test for my striking/wrestling! I will win on the 2nd of August!!!"

Ion Pascu debuted at BAMMA on BAMMA 13 to glean a stunning first round knock out win over Jack Marshman. He returned and impressed fans again at BAMMA 14 when he went toe to toe with Max Nunes, taking the fight to the judges score cards. Hailing from Bucharest in Romania, Pascu fights out of the Ministry of Martial Arts and Golden Glory with a professional record of 8-5-0. Renowned for his dangerous knock outs, 5 of his MMA victories have been attained by KO/TKO. Pascu has fought across various European and British promotions.

Stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma Fight Night 2

Kingdom MMA speak to Max Nunes ahead of BAMMA Fight Night: Askham vs Nunes

Max Nunes talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his title shot against Scott Askham

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Max Nunes will headline the first BAMMA Fight Night event when he challenges Scott Askham for his BAMMA Middlewight World Title. The fight between Askham and Nunes pits two of the best Middleweights in European MMA against each other in a fight which may attract the attention of the UFC. Before that though Max Nunes took time out of his camp to speak to Kingdom MMA about his upcoming title fight.

Ben: Last time out you fought in Russia, how was the experience? How did the Russian fans compare to the Brits?
Nunes: It was a really cool experience and I'm very happy I went there. Everyone was very nice over there and i was treated very well but nothing compares to the British fans :)

Ben: Have you been working on any specific areas of your game since you last fought in England?
Nunes: Everything. I'm always trying to get better at every aspect of MMA.

Ben: How has the camp gone? Where have you been training for this fight and who with?
Nunes: Camp has gone really well. I've been training at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm.  Some of the people I've been training with are Magnus Cedenblad, Alex Gustafsson, Ilir Latifi. A lot of different people.

Ben: When did you find out that you would be fighting Askham? I know there were some tweets back and forth between the two of you around the time of BAMMA 15. Did you know before then you would be fighting Askham?
Nunes: I found out not too long ago. I wanted to fight him at the last BAMMA but he was injured then.

Ben: In the past Bamma have allowed you to go and fight for other promotions to keep you active. Are you hoping that now BAMMA have announced more shows with the Fight Nights that you will be able to keep more active fighting only for BAMMA?
Nunes: BAMMA is a great promotion and I love fighting for them so I'll fight every chance they give me.

Ben: In your last appearance for BAMMA you stepped in for Scott on less than a months notice. Was the reason for taking that fight to step in, defeat Pascu and then replace him as the number one contender?
Nunes: Yes.

Ben: Scott Askham will be coming in to this fight unbeaten. What do you think you will bring to the fight that his 11 previous opponents couldn't?
Nunes: We will have to wait and find out.

Ben: Askham has not fought since Sept last year. In that time you have fought and won twice. In your opinion will staying active work to your advantage?
Nunes: I don't think so. I'm sure he has been training really hard so there should not be any ring rust.

Ben: In your opinion what does Scott Askham do well and do you think he has any areas you can target?
Nunes: He's very well rounded and a great fighter, but we have been working on some stuff.

Ben: This will be the second time you have fought for a BAMMA world title, after coming up short in your first attempt. What did you learn from that experience?
Nunes: A lot of things.

Ben: What would it mean to you to become the BAMMA World Middleweight Champion?
Nunes: I would be very happy as BAMMA is a great promotion  to be a champion in.

Ben: Do you think the winner of this fight stands a good chance of getting the attention of the UFC, especially in your case with a show announced for Sweden later this year?
Nunes: Time will tell.

Ben: How do you see yourself winning the fight on June 7th?
Nunes: Stoppage in the 1st or 2nd round

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors ahead of the fight?
Nunes: All of my fans and my sponsors.

Thank you for your time and good luck in your fight we are all looking forward to what is anticipated to be a great fight between two of the best Middleweight fighters not in the UFC.