Cage Warriors 56: Weigh in results

Cage Warriors 56 weigh in results

(Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)

The fighters are set for tomorrow night’s Cage Warriors 56 action at The Forum in London following this afternoon’s weigh-ins.
Headliners Bola Omoyele and Vincent del Guerra both made weight for their welterweight tussle, although Omoyele needed a second attempt before tipping the scales at the 171lbs limit.

Denniston Sutherland also had to make use of the additional two hours before he was on weight for his middleweight clash with Brett Bassett, but Andy Green and Aymard Guih both failed to make the contracted weight for their respective bouts.

Green was 0.8lb too heavy and surrendered 25 percent of his purse to opponent Arnold Allen, while Guih - who accepted the fight just yesterday - came in 3.4lbs over the limit for his 165lbs catchweight bout against Brad Wheeler. However, having stepped in at such short notice, no deduction was made from Guih’s purse.

MAIN CARD
Welterweight: Vincent del Guerra (170.8lbs) v Bola Omoyele (171lbs)*
150lbs catchweight: Patrik Berisha (150.5lbs) v Robbie Olivier (149.3lbs)
Middleweight: Brett Bassett (182.9lbs) v Denniston Sutherland (185.9lbs)**
Featherweight: Nad Narimani (145.8lbs) v Graham Turner (146lbs)
160lbs catchweight: Warren Kee (160.5lbs) v Philip Mulpeter (160.4lbs)
Middleweight: Fabio Ferrari (185.3lbs) v Brett Sizeland (185.7lbs)

FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Lightweight: Adam Boussif (154.4lbs) v Sean Carter (155.2lbs)
Featherweight: Arnold Allen (144.8lbs) v Andy Green (146.8lbs)***
165lbs catchweight: Aymard Guih (169.4lbs)**** v Brad Wheeler (165.2lbs)

NON-STREAMED PRELIM
Bantamweight: Florian Calin (135.8lbs) v Paddy Pimblett (135.8lbs)

*Omoyele initially weighed in at 171.2lbs
**Sutherland initially weighed in at 187.7lbs
***Green initially weighed in at 148.2lbs; surrenders 25 percent of purse to Allen having also failed on second attempt.
****Guih failed to make weight but, having taken the fight on a day’s notice, no purse deduction occurred.

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 162 Main Card Picks Challenge - Phil Harris vs Jack Broadey

UFC Fighter Phil Harris challenges Kingdom MMA in a picks challenge

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the big names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged Luke Barnatt twice and Jim Alers. Last time out at UFC 161 Jim Alers was the first fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

For this event I will be challenging Phil Harris, who is set to fight at UFC 163 will be predicting the fight outcomes from UFC 162 which is headlined by Chris Weidman challenging Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship. 

Before we go in to the details of the competition we caught up with Phil Harris this week and spoke about his fight at UFC 163.

You are fighting at UFC 163 in Brazil and we all know the Brazilian crowd back their fighters more than any other fight fan in the world, how have you been preparing yourself mentally to enter the 'lions den'?
The Brazilian fans are well known for backing their fighters but once the cage door closes its me vs him so no matter who the crowd are cheering for this wont change my focus to win.

You are fighting John Lineker, who is considered a top 10 flyweight in the world. Do you think a win over Lineker cements your place in the top 10 rankings?
Beating John Lineker will definitely put me in the top 10, he's one of the best 125lb fighters in the world.

How has your training camp been for the fight, have you been working on improving any part of your game going into the bout?
Training has been great for this fight camp, just about all of my camp is done at gym01 in Portsmouth we have great coaches and a gym full of small guys so its ideal for me.

I believe you have also been out in Thailand training at Tiger Muay Thai ahead of this fight, is that something you do during most fight camps, or is your striking game something you have specifically worked on for this fight?
I went to Tiger Muay Thai before I knew about the fight, just to improve on my all round game but specifically my striking.

What areas do you feel you have an advantage over John Lineker?
John is obviously a good striker but I'm happy to trade with him but I think my advantage will be against the cage in the clinch and on the ground.

Are you hoping to fight again this year after UFC 163, would the Manchester event be a card you'd like to fight on?
I've not thought about fighting again this year, I want to get this fight done then make plans. It would be good to spend some time with the family after this fight.

Thank you for answering our questions Phil, now its time to start the competition.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The predictions:

Main Event: Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman

Harris: Anyone who bets against Anderson is insane.

Prediction: Silva by TKO Round 2 

Jack: I'm torn on this one. Anderson can't go on forever and he will eventually lose to a top wrestler. I just don't know if that top wrestler will be Weidman. He certainly will take Silva down but can he rinse and repeat for 5 rounds? That's the big question for me. I'm just insane enough to believe he can do it.

Prediction: Weidman by Decision

Frankie Edgar vs Charles Oliveira

Harris: Frankie will comfortably win every round.

Prediction: Edgar by Decision

Jack: This is an awesome fight. Oliveira is no joke but he's no Frankie Edgar. I expect Edgar to stamp his authority on this one and get the finish.

Prediction: Edgar by TKO Round 3

Tim Kennedy vs Roger Gracie

Harris: I am not sure about this fight but I'm going for Gracie.

Prediction: Gracie by Submission Round 1

Jack: I like Gracie as well here. Could look very similar to Maia-Fitch but I also see Gracie eventually locking onto some sort of choke.

Prediction: Gracie by Submission Round 2

Mark Munoz vs Tim Boetsch

Harris: Tim Boetsch will take this fight. 

Prediction: Boetsch by Decision 

Jack: Difficult one to read. Munoz has been inactive for so long but Boetsch isn't all that great either. I think Munoz if he's anywhere near what he used to be should be able to take this down and use his G&P to win this.

Prediction: Munoz by TKO Round 2

Cub Swanson vs Dennis Siver

Harris: Cub will take this, he will out wrestle Siver.

Prediction: Swanson by Decision 

Jack: I Like Siver in the upset here. Siver has looked great since dropping down to Featherweight. I think he's the better technical striker and should be able to keep it up long enough to win a decision.

Prediction: Siver by Decision

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Phil for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

UFC 162 - UK Betting Odds

UFC 162 - UK Betting Odds

With UFC 162 approaching at a rapid pace, we team up with partners William Hill to bring those who fancy a little flutter the latest clear cut, betting odds - Good Luck, and don't miss out on your free £25 bet below!

Preliminary Card
1/5 Mike Pierce v David Mitchell 7/2
2/5 Seth Baczynski v Brian Melancon 19/10
1/5 Edson Barboza v Rafaello Oliverira 7/2
2/5 Gabriel Gonzaga v Dave Herman 19/10
8/15 Norman Parke v Kazuki Tokudome 6/4
11/10 Chris Leben v Andrew Craig 8/11
 Main Card
19/10 Dennis Siver v Cub Swanson 2/5
8/13 Tim Kennedy v Roger Gracie 13/10
8/11 Mark Munoz v Tim Boetsch 11/10
1/5 Frankie Edgar v Charles Oliveira 7/2
4/11 Anderson Silva v Chris Weidman

* Blue denotes The Favourite

Brett Bassett "I Feel I'm Better Than Denniston in All Areas"

Brett Bassett "I Feel I'm Better Than Denniston in All Areas"
by Chris Houten - @kingdomMMAChris

Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

On Saturday night at The HMV Forum in London, 27 year old Brett Bassett (8-3) will meet UK Veteran Denniston Sutherland on the main card of Cage Warriors 56, in arguably the biggest fight of his career.

Bassett, who is 3-1 in has last 4 fights including a 38 second KO over Mike Ling has never been the distance, finishing all of his 8 victories, by submission on TKO.

On Wedensday, I caught up with Bassett to talk about his upcoming bout with Sutherland.

Houten: For those that don't really know Brett Bassett or might be checking out Cage Warriors for the first time on Saturday, can you tell us a little about yourself, and what the people can expect? 
Bassett: I'm 27, I'm from SE London and fight out of London Valhalla, Valhalla is my main team, it's just a small group of tough guys, we get together and get work done, iam associated with other gyms though, I go to team VN at dfc for some jui jitsu with valmyr neto and I go to UK warriors for my Thai boxing with lee Whittington aka the war chief. I consider myself an all rounder, I think my strength comes in my ability to put everything together, I think that is what makes a true mix martial artist.

On Saturday you fight vet Denniston Sutherland, is this the biggest fight of your career to date, and how have you coped with the additional pressure of fighting such a big name on the UK scene?
Denniston is definitely my biggest fight so far, he's very experienced, very tough and has heart. I don't really feel more pressure with big names, it makes me more excited, when offered this fight, straight away it was yes let's do it, I don't want to fight bums, all the big names in the UK I'm going for their scalp.

You have fought for UCMMA in the past, has the fact that Sutherland is UCMMA’s current Middleweight champion given you extra motivation for your fight on Saturday?
It definitely adds a little extra to it, it's great to take out a big name but to take out a champ as well is even better.

How has your training camp been for this fight, have you focused on any areas which you think will hold the key to victory against Sutherland?
It's been very good, I started it not in the best condition due to a long injury lay off, I pretty much went from lay off to camp, but it's been good, we've seen the holes in Dennistons game and worked on how to capitalise on them, I've also worked hard on my own strengths so I can push my own game.

You have a varied game, with wins by submission and TKO. What areas do you feel you are better than Sutherland?
Honestly I feel I'm better in all areas. Denniston has some good boxing and a good on top game, he's a very smart fighter, he knows how to pace himself and drag you into later rounds and wear you down, but I'm better everywhere, my stand ups sharper, my wrestlings better and my submissions are better, I pose a threat to him wherever the fight is.

Win or lose you have never been the distance, have you put much thought into going the distance in training or do you see yourself stopping the fight early?
I always train with the mindset that this is gonna be a tough 3 rounder, and someone like Denniston has the ability to make that happen, but I will always try for the finish any chance I get.
How do you see yourself winning the fight on Saturday?
I try not to predict fights, because anything can happen, but I believe I can knock him out or sub him, whatever he gives me first, he already has he's next fight lined up for a title defense in August, I hope they remembered that Safe MMA give knockout suspensions.

With Jessie Taylor signing with WSOF recently, does a win over a name like Sutherland put you in the shop window for the middleweight title fight, or do you feel you would need a few more wins?
I don't think I'd go straight in for a title shot, but id be in the mix of the contenders, maybe for an eliminator or If CW decided for another tournament for it, but either way the belt is what I want and what I'm aiming for.

Finally Brett, and we appreciate your time. Is their any one you would like to thank?
Id like to thank all my team and coaches at Valhalla, team VN and uk warriors, and ABA coach tony Pettitt whos been on board helping me with my boxing, thanks to cage warriors for giving me a chance on such a great show and a special thank you to my beautiful girlfriend and my son, no matter how engrossed I become in this sport, my family are what matter most to me and will always come first.

Warren Kee ahead of Cage Warriors 56 "I am getting back in the win column on Saturday night"

Warren Kee talks to Kingdom MMA before his fight at Cage Warriors 56

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Cage Warriors 56 takes place live from The Forum in Kentish Town, London. As part of the main card Warren Kee will be fighting Philip Mulpeter, this will be the first time Kee is fighting in 2013 and comes in to the contest after losing his last two fights. Yesterday Kingdom MMA had the pleasure of catching up with Kee and discussed his recent record, dropping weight class and his fight at Cage Warriors 56.

Ben: Thank you for your time and agreeing to an interview with Kingdom MMA. For those that don't really know Warren Kee or might be checking out Cage Warriors for the first time on Saturday, can you tell us a little about yourself and what the people can expect?
Kee: No problem thanks for the interview, Cage Warriors is one of the top shows in Europe so all fights on there shows are well matched and exciting, I'm just a normal clean guy who works hard at what he does and is always looking to finish, I've just come off 2 very disappointing fights so I intend to rectify that on Saturday night, this will be a great fight.

Ben: This is the second time you have thought for Cage Warriors, what does it mean to you to fight for the biggest European MMA organisation?
Kee: It means a lot to me and I'm grateful for the opportunity, I was matched on previous Cage Warriors shows in the past but had to pull out due to injuries which was incredibly frustrating.

Ben: You are coming in to this fight off the back of two losses and 1 draw, do you feel added pressure is on you to get the win?
Kee: Yes definitely, I have massively under performed in my last 2 fights and that still hurts me personally, I am getting back in the win column on Saturday night.

Ben: Have you made any adjustments to your game after your last defeat?
Kee: Yes mainly by dropping a weight class, I haven't cut weight in last 4 or so fights so have literally walked round at 78kg and you can't do that these days, welterweights now are walking round and fighting at 85 - 90+ kilos where I was still 78kg, this was just too much of a disadvantage and with some fighters using special supplements etc it makes it even a bigger struggle, technique wise I have worked on everything and evolve each session further.

Ben: At 39 years old now would a loss on Saturday night make you think about calling an end to your mma career?
Kee: No, this is the start in my eyes. I improve daily and my hunger to train is always there.

Ben: This fight is at a catchweight of 160lbs. You mentioned before you wanted to drop to lightweight? How did the catchweight fight come about?
Kee: I wanted a catchweight fight to test the waters before the dropping fully to 155, I was fortunate that this was available to have.

Ben: So you see your future as a lightweight after this fight then?
Kee: Yes 155lbs is right for me I feel, I had tests done and all the numbers I got back have proved that too. I'm very disciplined anyway but lightweight will bring out the best in me for sure.

Ben: How is the weight coming down before the weigh ins is everything on plan for Fridays weigh in?
Kee: I feel great, better than ever so really looking forward to fighting, I knew I should have dropped divisions years ago but it wasn't broke so I just kept on at 170lbs.

Ben: You have only gone the distance once in your career which ended in a draw, do you train to be able to fight for the full 15 minutes or do you train to stop the fight ASAP?
Kee: I had points deducted in that fight that cost me the win but I always train for the full fight duration, I can push the pace for 3 rounds at this weight due to better energy levels from a better diet too.

Ben: What do you expect from your opponent Philip Mulpeter?
Kee: A really tough fight, he looks well rounded, tough and he is from from a great camp, the fans will like this one for sure.

Ben: What's your game plan for Saturday night and where do you believe you have an advantage in this fight?
Kee: I don't want to give no plans away but I feel I'm stronger in all areas and at a weight closer to where I need to be fighting, I'm in the best shape ever so just going to fight hard.

Ben: Thank you for your time Warren, lastly would you like to thank anyone?
Kee: Massive thanks to sponsors - Tsunami gym, Relentless MMA, Max office supplies, QNT UK, Setai clinic, Funky gums, Fightwear MK.

Also all my coaches and teammates and my own students too.

My girlfriend Sam and my mate Zane have been amazing as have my parents and friends.

Finally Cage Warriors for the opportunity to fight and yourself for the interview, I hope the fans enjoy my fight and a great stacked card from top to bottom it is stacked with amazing talent.

Thank you to Warren for his time and you can watch his fight at Cage Warriors 56 live on Premier Sports from 9pm on Saturday night. We will be live reporting from the event on our twitter account so if you can't make it live or get chance to watch it on TV, stay posted to those updates.

Cage Warriors 56 is headlined by the return of Bola Omoyele in his first fight since signing his exclusive contract with Cage Warriors. Bola is set to battle Vincent del Guerra in the main event, also on the card are Robbie Olivier, Graham Turner, Denniston Sutherland and Brett Bassett.

UFC 162 Predictions

UFC 162 Predictions
by Tom Rooney - @oldmanrooney

The UFC is back in Las Vegas for what we are being told, not for the first time, is the toughest test of Anderson Silva’s career to date. Is the hype behind Chris Weidman genuinely justified or will he prove to be yet another unworthy pretender fed to the Spider, while the Dana and Co continue to dangle the super fight carrot without the slightest chance of follow through?

Elsewhere, the Featherweight rankings are set to oscillate once more with Frankie Edgar, in desperate need of a W, taking on Charles Oliveira and head hunters Cub Swanson and Denis Siver going toe-to-toe. The main card is completed by two Middleweight bouts between perennial contenders Mark Munoz and Tim Boetsch and octagon debutantes Roger Gracie and Tim Kennedy.


Anderson Silva v Chris Weidman
It’s probably a little redundant to highlight the plethora of ways the champion can win this fight; the man operates on a different plane to any other fighter on the planet and even the most casual of fight fans will have been witness to that. Weidman’s path to victory could not be more academic-get it to mat and be quick about it. At this stage Weidman’s credentials as both a wrestler and grappler have been extolled to the point of saturation and, to be fair, with good reason. He mixes his takedowns between Greco and Free-style intelligently and, when on top, he is equally brutal with ground and pound or submissions. But, herein lays the problem; while he has not put a foot wrong in his time in the UFC, on paper his highest ranked and toughest opponent thus far was a bloated, out of shape Mark Munoz. The jump in competition he will experience on Saturday night is so glaring that it’s near impossible to verbalise.

The variety and accuracy in Silva’s striking arsenal is breath-taking, he also possesses a stealth of movement and appreciation of space and angles that is truly unique. If Weidman can take Chael Sonnen’s game-plan from UFC 117 and appropriately modify it, at the very least, we’re in for an interesting night. In all honesty, since that night in August 2010, the champion has not been offered a challenge equating to more than a mid-tempo sparring session. If Weidman loses, but does so competitively, it will at the very least legitimise a division that no longer has anything to offer its champion, bar pay cheques.

My Prediction: Silva by TKO/KO in Round 3.

Frankie Edgar v Charles Oliveira
Frankie Edgar goes into his first non-title fight in over three years, knowing a loss against the dangerous Charles Oliveira could send him into MMA purgatory. His career since capturing the lightweight crown form BJ Penn, has been a litany of draws, re-matches and razor-thin decision losses. He debatably lost his last three fights because he was unable to assert himself in the opening two and-a-half rounds. A return to the three round time limit should compel him to make things happen from the off. He has better boxing and wrestling than Oliveira and has also fought a much higher calibre of opponent-the guy is also impossible to finish. Oliveira has a sound submission game and competent Maui Thai in which he utilises his long limbs to keep opponents at bay. But he has a questionable chin and heart as his fights with Cub Swanson and Jim Miller demonstrated respectively. In the end, Frankie needs it more.

My Prediction: Edgar by unanimous decision.

Roger Gracie v Tim Kennedy
There shouldn’t be too much pressure on Roger Gracie for his UFC debut; he’s only representing the name of a familial dynasty responsible for the entire sport’s existence! Beaten only once in his professional career, he and fellow Strikeforce ex-pat Tim Kennedy know a loss on Saturday means they could be on the chopping block with one more slip up. Kennedy is a powerful striker and decent wrestler, but Gracie’s BJJ is so refined that even the slightest error on Kennedy’s part could signal the end.

My Prediction:  Gracie by submission in Round 2.

Mark Munoz v Tim Boetsch
Mark Munoz looked to be on his way to a title shot until he was unceremoniously knocked out by Chris Weidman at UFC on Fuel TV in June of last year, since then he has overcome both mental and physical demons to make his UFC return against Tim Boetsch, also rendered unconscious in his last fight by Costa Philippou. Both guys are strong wrestlers, with seriously powerful, if uncouth striking. Munoz has the better wrestling pedigree and that should prove decisive.

My Prediction: Munoz by split decision.

Cub Swanson v Denis Siver
There is a credible argument to made, considering his last four fights that Cub Swanson should be facing Jose Aldo at UFC 163 and not the Korean Zombie, but the powers that be think otherwise and only time will tell. This one has fight of the night and/or knockout of night written all over it. Swanson is a pure beast and is one of the most destructive stand-up fighters in the division; he combines this ballast with a tapered technique. Siver is an outstanding kick-boxer and loves to brawl and his spinning back kick is always a sight to behold, yet Swanson is just a little better everywhere and will be out to prove a point after being overlooked for a title shot. Fireworks all round!

My Prediction: Swanson by KO/TKO in Round 2.

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for the latest on UFC 162

Colin 'Freakshow' Fletcher Signs with Bamma

Colin 'Freakshow' Fletcher Signs with Bamma
by Chris Houten - @kingdomMMAChris

 
Colin 'Freakshow' Fletcher has signed a four fight deal with Bamma, the promotion where he made a name for himself.

A finalist on TUF: Smashes, where he was beaten by fellow Brit Norman Parke, Sunderland born Fletcher fought one further time, where he drop a decision to Mike Ricci, at UFC 158 in Montreal.

Prior to Join the UFC, Freakshow put together an impressive 8-1 record including victories over Jason Ball & Matt Inman. Speaking on the deal, Freakshow said:

"From the darkest recesses of your mind, that place you fear to go, is from where I return to BAMMA. For too long now, the Lightweights have been having too much fun while I've been away. It may be fun for you now, but I will become the stuff of nightmares for any opponent that stands in my way. The BAMMA Lightweight title is my mission & nothing will stop me. I am back to declare an new era of The Freakshow on BAMMA"

Bamma 13 is headlined by 2 title fights where Jason Jones will take on Max Nunes for the Bamma Light-heavyweight Title, with Jim Wallhead taking on Eddy Ellis for the Bamma Welterweight Title. Bamma 13 takes place on the 14th of September at The NIA, Birmingham; no opponent has been confirmed yet for Fletcher's return.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest of Bamma 13.