Vaughan Lee added to UFC Fight Night Berlin

Alcantara vs Lee announced for UFC Fight Night 41

by Ben Heather @benheather

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

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

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

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

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

Vaughan Lee talks to Kingdom MMA after victory against Nam Phan in Macao

Vaughan Lee: UFC Fight Night Macao Post Fight Interview

by Ben Heather @benheather

 Last weekend in Macao Vaughan Lee squared off against Nam Phan, going in to the fight it was thought the fight would be a very closely contested bout. However, what happened in Macao could be described as the best performance of Lee's career as he outclassed Phan from start to finish. Now back in the UK Kingdom MMA caught up with Vaughan to talk about his fight and look to the future.

Ben: Firstly congratulations on what must be described as a near perfect performance. When did you fly back to the UK and did you have chance to do some sightseeing in Macao?
Lee: I flew back the day after the fight, and yeah I got to sight see quite a bit, I loved it.

Ben: Have you had chance to watch the fight back and if so, how did you rate your performance?
Lee: Yeah I've watched it 100 times lol, I'd rate my performance 8-9/10

Ben: How far ahead of your fight did you fly out to China to acclimatise?
Lee: We flew out one week before mainly to get over the jet lag and acclimatise.

Ben: Going in to the fight, what was the game plan and were you worried at all about any part of Phan's game?
Lee: I wasn't worried about anything, I wasn't thinking about winning or losing, I was just in the moment of the fight.

Ben: You started out in the first round with your hands really low and stayed like this for most of the fight, was this a psychological move to show Phan that you were not worried about his punches?
Lee: I kept my hands low so that I could use my head movement and just feel loose, not really a psychological tactic but more for comfort.

Ben: Your head and foot movement in the first round was immaculate it left Phan looking second rate and meant you were able to close the 4" reach advantage with ease and work your shots. Did you find it easier than expected to work from close range and get in and out without taking any punishment?
Lee: well anyone that trains with me knows that that's the way that I spar in the gym. I love to stay in the pocket and slip, dodge and counter punches and kicks from close quarters. So doing it in the UFC made me happy.

Ben: You also mixed up all your strikes working punches to the head/ body and legs as well as your kicks was this to constantly keep Phan from guessing where the next attack was coming from?
Lee: Yes to keep him guessing but also to make him hesitant and desperate at the same time. This exposed the holes in his game.

Ben: Would you say that first round was the best round of your MMA career? Complete dominance from you from start to finish.
Lee: Yes I would say it was my best performance to date.

Ben: Did it matter to you at all that you couldn't find the finish which would have been the cherry on the top for this performance?
Lee: It would have been great to get the finish and maybe I would have rated my performance a 10/10 if I had.

Ben: We recently interviewed Phil Harris and he said "Vaughan performed like he does in training, for me it was the performance of the night" how does it feel to receive such great compliments from a fellow fighter?
Lee: Naturally it feels great hearing stuff like that because it's the truth, like he said that's how I perform in training it's just having the confidence to do it in the octagon in front of the world.

Ben: Headlining the event was another UK fighter, John Hathaway. Did you manage to catch up with him while you was in Macao before and/ or after the fights? If after what did you say to him and did he seem ok? After all, after being knocked out like that our first thought was for his health and we all hoped that he was ok.
Lee: Yeah I caught up with John a few times and had chats but they weren't really related to our fights but more about what we're going to eat and drink after we weigh-in and how we think our boys are going to get on in London.. I caught up with him after the fight also and he seemed fine to be in high spirits.

Ben: You have now had 6 fights in the UFC bouncing between wins and losses. Do you think now you are in a good position to push for a win streak of the back of this performance?
Lee: If I can step into the Octagon with the same mentality as I did in Macau then I believe I can beat anybody.

Ben: Since joining the UFC you have fought in your home town of Birmingham, Japan, USA, London, Brazil and now China. What's it like to travel the world and do the job you love doing?
Lee: I'm living my dream, but sometimes living your dream is the hardest and scariest thing to do.

Ben: It could be said that two of your best performances in the UFC have been on events in Asia. First submitting Yamamoto in Japan and now outclassing Phan in Macao. Do you know what it is about fighting in Asia that seems to help your performance?
Lee: I believe it stems from being a little boy dreaming about fighting in Asia, the birth place of martial arts.

Ben: What's next for you, are you still planning to drop to 125 which was talked about before the fight? Or after such a dominant display can we see you sticking about at 135??
Lee: I'm still considering it.

Ben: If you could pick your next fight, who would it be and why?
Lee: To be honest I don't "want" to fight anyone in particular, but I'll fight anyone.

Ben: Did you come away from the fight injury free, if so when would you like to get back in to the octagon?
Lee: I'd love to get a win on the Ireland card being half Irish myself.

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors??
Lee: I'd like to thank Bad Boy, USN, The mouth guard shop, Jamie Reynolds and everyone at the UTC, Gym01 and Triquest gym

Thank you for your time Vaughan, we hope you get your wish and we see you next in Ireland.

Phil Harris UFC Fight Night London Pre Fight Interview

Phil Harris talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his fight in London

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

On Saturday night in London's O2 arena the UFC will return to England for UFC Fight Night London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa. Opening up the event on Saturday night will be Phil Harris who will face off against Louis Gaudinot in a flyweight battle. Phil returns to fight in London where last February he picked up his first win in the Octagon and will be looking to add to that this weekend. Today Phil took some time out of his schedule to talk to Kingdom MMA about his fight and a few more topics such as John Lineker, Vaughan Lee and Davey Grant.

Sam: Thanks again for the interview ahead of your fight in London, we really appreciate your time.
How are you feeling with just under a week to go before the big fight? Has the training camp gone well?
Harris: Training camp has been very good, I'm feeling great and ready to fight.

Sam: Gaudinot clearly represents a completely different challenge to John Lineker, but are there any adjustments you will be making from your last fight?
Harris: We've worked on a few things for this fight that I'll be putting into action come Saturday.

Sam: At 1-2 in the UFC do you see this fight as all or nothing for your UFC career?
Harris: Pretty much, but I don't think about it.

Sam: Let's take a look back to your last fight, How did you feel when Lineker once again failed to make weight last October? Do you feel it put you at a disadvantage?
Harris: Being heavier is definitely an advantage it's annoying, I knew it was likely that he would miss weight.

Sam: Would you agree that in your last fight after getting caught with some heavy punches early on you forgot about your game plan and tried to compete with Lineker at his own game?
Harris: Yeah I made the mistake of wanting to get into a war and get FOTN I've learnt a lot from fight.

Sam: Do you think if you were given the opportunity to fight Lineker and stuck to the plan you had trained it would have been a different outcome?
Harris: Definitely I'd love to fight him again at some point.

Sam: The man who beat Gaudinot in his last fight is now scheduled to fight rank #2 Joseph Benavidez. Where do you hope a win over Gaudinot would put you in the division?
Harris: Just as long as I'm moving up closer to that title I'm happy, I think that's a way off ATM though. I've got to get some solid wins first.

Sam: You’ve fought in some of the biggest venues around the country from Wembley to the Phones 4U arena and will soon be throwing down in the O2 arena. Would you say it’s preferential to fight in London, closer to your hometown in Portsmouth, over Manchester or does it not really factor in?
Harris: I like fighting in London it feels like home to me, the fans will be behind me, it will give me that little edge.

Sam: With a win in London, would you like your next fight to still be on a UK UFC event or would you like to travel the world and fight like your fellow UFC fighter and occasional training partner Vaughan Lee?
Harris: I do prefer fighting in the UK but I'd like a fight in Vegas the home of fighting!

Sam: Have you had chance to see Vaughan Lee's fight yet and if so what did you think to Vaughan's performance in Macau?
Harris: I've just seen it, Vaughan performed like he does in training, for me it was the performance of the night. I was very impressed and very happy for him.

Sam: What has it been like experiencing the growth of MMA in the UK having been one of the early pioneers in the UK?
Harris: It's come along way from the days of training in garages and fighting in tiny clubs full of smoke. It's a great sport and I can't wait to see how it continues to evolve over the next 10 years.

Sam: Also on the same card as you is the guy you have been training with for this event, Davey Grant. What's it been like training with Davey and have you picked up any skills from him that you will be using in this fight?
Harris: Davey is a top guy it was great having him at the gym, we both got a lot out of training together and I will for sure be doing it again. I'm looking forward to seeing him win his fight.

Sam: Would you like to thank any one?
Harris: Thanks to all my sponsors and all at gym01 Portsmouth.

Best of luck with your fight on March 8th, thank you so much for your time Phil, we really appreciate it.

Vaughan Lee Meets Nam Phan at TUF China Finale

Vaughan Lee Meets Nam Phan at TUF China Finale
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

A bantamweight bout between The UK's Vaughan lee (13-9-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Nam Phan  18-12 MMA, 2-5 UFC) has been added to the finale of TUF China.

The Finale of TUF: China will take place on March 1st, at The Venetian Macao’s CotaiArena and streams on UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s recently launched digital network which is currently unavailable in The UK. A launch date for the service in the UK is yet to be confirmed.

Vaughan Lee fights for the 6th time under the UFC banner having alternated wins and losses since making his UFC debut at UFC 138 in his hometown of Birmingham. In his most recent bout Lee was submitted by Raphael Assuncao at UFC on Fuel 10 in Brazil, the 31-year-olds 3rd fight outside of his native England since his debut. Lee, who's signature victory came over Kid Yamamoto at UFC 144 in Japan recently pulled out of a planned UFC 167 bout with Sergio Pettis due to an injury.

At 2-5 in his UFC career, Phan enters the bout most likely needing to win to save his job with the promotion. A game competitor, the Ultimate Fighter 12 cast member has dropped 2 straight fights to Dennis Siver, and Takeya Mizugaki. Of Phan's 13 victories only 2 have come by way of decision.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on the TUF China Finale