Interview: Spencer Hewitt on Paul Marin "His Weakness is Me"

Interview: Spencer Hewitt on Paul Marin "His Weakness is Me"
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday Spencer Hewitt will meet Paul Marin at Cage Warriors 61 in a dark horse contender for fight of the night.

Originally scheduled for Iraq, the former UCMMA bantamweight champion will now meet Romanian, Marin in Jordan due to logistic issues which cause Cage Warriors to move the card.

Earlier this week we caught up with Hewitt to discuss his preparations for the fight, and what we can expect from his bout with Marin.

Houten: You were originally meant to be fighting Paul Marin in Baghdad in December but now the event has been moved to Jordan; what were your initial thoughts when you were offered a fight in Iraq?
Hewitt: My reaction was very excited, believing it was a great opportunity to go into unknown territory but a bit  more concerned having to tell the wife due to the location!           

Houten: Cage warriors have now moved your fight from Iraq to Jordan sighting logistical issues, have cage warriors elaborated any further what those logistical issues were?
Hewitt: No, but I will fight wherever they want me to as I know they are the best show in Europe and look after all their fighters.                                                                                                                                      
Houten: How did your friends and family react when you told them you would initially be fighting in Iraq? And were they relieved when the location was changed?
Hewitt: My wife was not happy; she is relieved now.

Houten: Cage warriors are hoping to stage a card in Iraq in 2014,  would you like to be on that card?
Hewitt: Yes it be amazing, I just want to fight all over the world.

Houten: I feel your fight with Marin is a dark horse for fight of the night, how excited are you to be fighting Marin, and would you agree this fight has fight of the night written all over it?
Hewitt: Yes for sure, I'm looking for fight of the night, KO of the night or sub of the night . We will see which one.

Houten: One would say your fight with Marin was announced on pretty late notice, had Cage Warriors given you prior indication that you should be ready to fight in December, or are you essentially going into this fight on the back of a 3 week camp?
Hewitt: I knew I was fighting December, I was just waiting for Cage Warriors to release the details publicly.  I've had good camp and I'm very focused.
Houten: Your fight against Marin will be the first time in your career you have fought outside of the UK, will you approach your weight cut differently for this fight?
Hewitt: I always make weight, I will fly out slightly lighter than usual.

Houten: Will any of your friends and family be making the trip to watch fight in Jordan or just your team?
Hewitt: Just my brother, my pad man.

Houten: How do you see the fight with Marin playing out, do you see the bout mainly being a striking affair or are you looking to get the bout to the ground?
Hewitt: I'm going finish him within 3 rounds.  I think a mixed fight - some stand up and ground.

Houten: What would you say are Marin's strengths and weaknesses?
Hewitt: He's athletic and is a Roman Greco wrestler with striking.  His weakness is me.

Houten: Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you prepare for this fight?
Hewitt: Most definitely and in no particular order, elite mma agency , Lee Perman of Bureaulogic, my Sponsor, Cage Warriors, mma terror squad, all the team, Jez Lord our Thai boxing  coach, Ross Hewitt, boxing coach, Peter the wrestling coach, Marc Walder BJJ coach, Origin mma academy, the house of mma terror squad, Alan Whitton  - fighters mind, and last but not least my beautiful wife, Beelia Hewitt who is always there supporting me on a daily basis.

Interview: Kerry Hughes Ahead of Cage Warriors 62

Interview: Kerry Hughes Ahead of Cage Warriors 62
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

This Saturday BBK's Batamweight Kerry Hughes takes on undefeated Polish fighter Agnieszka Niedzwied.

Hailing from a Muay Thai background, Hughes transitioned into an all out mixed martial artist under the tutelage of UK MMA Veteran Jack Mason, making her pro MMA debut earlier this year.

Undefeated at both amateur and pro level Hughes was signed by Cage Warriors earlier this year as part of the promotion rejuvenation of their women's division; Hughes now makes her debut against Niedzwiedz in what promise to be an exciting contest.

We caught up with Hughes before her fight with Niedzwied to discuss her pro debut, signing for Cage Warriors, and most importantly her upcoming fight with Niedzwied.  

Houten: On December 7th you will be making your Cage Warriors Debut at CW62, for the fans out there who may not have seen your first fight can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what they can expect on Saturday night?
Hughes: I'm Kerry Hughes, I'm a 28 year old MMA fighter from BKK Fighters in sunny Colchester. I have a 1-0 pro record and was undefeated at semi-professional level. I like to punch people in the face.
 
On Saturday night I make my debut for CageWarriors, I'm incredibly lucky to be given the opportunity to fight for one of the best promotions in the world and, thanks to the awesome match making of Ian Dean, I will be going out against another undefeated fighter - Poland's Agnieskza Niedzwiedz. People should expect to see two athletes going out looking for the win and prepared to put it all on the line to deliver a good show... Lets face it, neither of us are there to look pretty!

How does it feel to be fighting for the number 1 organisation in Europe? The same organisation that a lot of  your BKK team mates fight for.
Fighting for Cage Warriors is a dream come true, albeit a recently discovered dream. The saying goes that one should train until their heroes become their rivals, my team mates will never be my rivals but its amazing to now be considered a peer with so many of the exceptional fighters that I aspire to reach the standard of. Cage Warriors really looks after their fighters well and I've been incredibly impressed with the professionalism of the promotion, I'm looking forward to some tough matches where I can really test myself and prove my abilities because I know that there's no such thing as an easy fight on Cage Warriors, it's really refreshing to represent a promotion with that level of professional integrity.

Now you have got your professional debut out the way do you feel a bit less pressure on you for this fight?
I train for every fight as though it were the biggest, hardest and most important fight of my life - because it is.  I've never taken an easy fight and have always looked to test myself against talented opponents, the pressure is always on for me to perform against such talented athletes. That said, on paper I've been the underdog for almost every fight I've had, so I'm sure my opponents feel the pressure even more :-)

Am I right in thinking your nickname ‘Rocksteady’ was given to you by your BKK teammates as an insult?
Rocksteady came about because my team mates think I bear a striking resemblance to the rhinoceros from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... As far as insults go though it's actually one of the nicer things they call me. Other names recently have included the Samiad and numerous that I wouldn't repeat in polite company... Banter is the lifeblood of the family atmosphere at BKK and nobody gets to choose their nickname!

Agnieszka Niedzwiedz is virtually unknown in the UK, how much do you know about her, and have you had the opportunity to study many of her fights?
I don't really know a great deal about Agnieskza, I don't feel that I need to, I'm going out to fight my fight not hers and whilst I have the greatest respect for her as an opponent I won't be changing my tactical plan to accommodate her. I've seen a 'highlight reel' type thing she has on YouTube, there was nothing in it that fell outside of what I already knew of her/expected to see from her.
She is a young fighter and does seem to have a propensity for 'trash talking', I'm sure she will outgrow that as she matures though.

Watching a few of Agnieszka Niedzwiedz fights she seems likes a little small for 135, how much of a size advantage do you think you will have come fight night?
I have seen some pics of Agnieskza and she doesn't seem to be a big bantamweight, lots of people don't like a heavy weight cut though and you don't have to be big to be dangerous... That said I am a relatively big 135 so there may be a slight size/power advantage there.

Niedzwiedz has taken 3 of her 4 victories by TKO, what do you think of her striking? She looks like a bit of a brawler to me.
Yes, 3 of her 4 victories have come via TKO but that doesn't worry me unduly, I'm not known for having a weak chin! If I can take punches off the pros at BKK then I find it unlikely that she'll be adding a fourth TKO to her record on Saturday!

Studying Niedzwiedz, I noticed she tends to drop her hands quite low is this something you and your coaches had picked up and is it something you intend to exploit using you Muay Thai background?
I never like to rely on watching what people have done previously to predict what they'll do in the future, after every fight I have I get straight back to the gym, watch the video and work on all the weaknesses and areas for improvement - I tend to work on the assumption that others will do the same.

Knowing that you come from a Muay Thai background do you think Niedzwiedz will revert back to here Judo roots where she holds a judo belt and try and get the fight to the ground?
Agnieskza may well decide to try and take the fight to the ground, but then I may very well beat her to it, I'm comfortable wherever this fight goes and a background in Muay Thai shouldn't be confused with a one dimensional skill set.

Cage Wariors announced in June that they were rejuvenating their women’s division, do you think Cage Warriors will crown a 135lb champ in 2014?
Cage Warriors really have rejuvenated their women's division, they've made more of an impact on women's MMA than any other UK organisation, it's also gratifying to see that they have made a long term commitment with the length of the contracts offered and the number of weight divisions they are supporting.

I hope that Cage Warriors do announce women's titles, that would give me something to aim toward as a long term goal. Winning that really would be a dream come true!

Finally, is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you get ready for your fight with Niedzwiedz?
Firstly and foremost I would like to thank the wonderful Jack Mason, everything we are at BKK started with him and is driven by his relentless passion, work ethic and team spirit. From there the amazing team of coaches, fighters and non fighters at BKK, Unique Results, Tsunami and Tsunami Norfolk - with special thanks to Lee Catling, Stuart Barlegs, Arran Burton, Sean Carter, Arnold Allen, Jason Cooledge, Tim Stokes, Dean Simmonds, Craig Powell, Joe Harding, Cory McKenna, Nick Albert, John Maguire, Steve Byerley, Lee Doski, Andre Goncalves and Michael Russell, I've probably forgotten lads of people there, so sorry but I wanted to try and list just some of my team mates who are always there supporting me!

Thank you to Cage Warriors for the wonderful opportunity and for providing such a great platform for WMMA in Europe to grow - the whole team there are awesome.

My amazing sponsors make training and competing possible by removing much of the financial and practical burden:
British Fighter - who manufacture my awesome fight clothing and supporters tees!
Octagonwear - who provide my training clothing
Lockdown Fightwear - who supply me with top quality kit
eProtein - who provide me with the very best in supplements
Dave Bond - the best S&C coach I could possibly ask for
Katie Mitchell - fantastic sports nutritionist
London Bike Training - turning me into a biker chick!
Pound out - fab Polish MMA clothing brand providing my weigh in kit for this fight

I would also like to say thank you to the WMMA fans out there who work tirelessly to promote the sport - Roger, Jeff, Neil, Elias, Mark, Rob, Rene, Mike, Luca and so many others - thank you!

Craig Powell chats to Kingdom MMA ahead of ECFF Night of Champions 4

Kingdom MMA focus on the UK amateur MMA scene with Craig Powell

by Ben Heather @benheather

Kingdom MMA again are focusing on interviewing some of the top amateur talent within UK MMA and this time we take a look at Craig Powell. On Saturday night Craig Powell (@craigpowell46) will be fighting at East Coast Fight Factory Night of Champions 4 from the Epic Studios in Norwich. Ahead of that fight he took time out of his schedule to have a chat with us about his upcoming fight, how he got in to MMA and how he went from a successful musician to an amateur MMA fighter.

Ben: Hi Craig, thanks for your time. Firstly can you remember the first time you came across MMA? and what is your first memory of MMA?
Powell: I remember it well! Watching one of the early UFC'S when the Gracie's were dominating! I had been doing karate, jiu jitsu and Kickboxing and was amazed at the idea of putting it all together in competition!

Ben: I believe you train at BKK, how did you first hear about this gym and what made you decide to go train at BKK?
Powell: I decided to begin training at BKK when I was recovering from back surgery. I was told I would never be able to compete again after a bad back injury but after surgery things went well and i got strong quickly! I decided i wanted to give competing a real go so looked for the best gym i could find.

I could see there were some excellent fighters at BKK, fighters who were a similar weight to myself. Since I've trained at BKK i have not looked back. 

Ben: How long have you been training in MMA?
Powell: I have been training in MMA for a good few years but have done martial arts since the age of 7.

Ben: When did you first decide that you wanted to take the training to the next level and actually have a amateur fight?
Powell: After watching the UFC i knew i wanted to compete in the cage... mainly to test myself against other good fighters.

Ben: People may know you from your time in Uniting Nations and your songs but how did the transition from pop star to fighter come about?
Powell: After my time touring in Uniting Nations I could get back to a bit of normality and could get back into my training again. Then I really got the bug for MMA!!

Ben: Is fighting now your main goal or do you still have the desire to carry on in the music industry or both?
Powell: Fighting in MMA is my current main goal, although I still song write and still gig regularly each week.

Ben: For the fans out there who may not have seen you fight before can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what they can expect on Saturday night?
Powell: They can expect to see The Pop Sensation at his best. I'm happy to fight where ever it goes BUT I'm the dictator... so it will go where i want it to go.

Ben: On Saturday night you will be fighting at ECFF and this will be your 8th amateur fight, do you see this as a stepping stone in the progression for your transition to ultimately going pro?
Powell: I do indeed. The main goal in my head is to go pro and make an impact on the pro bantamweight division.

Ben: How do you see yourself winning the fight on Saturday night?
Powell: I predict a win via GnP!

Ben: Would you like to say thank you to anyone?
Powell: I'd like to thank my coach Jack Mason and all my training partners. We all push each other forward. I'd like to thank my wife Lisa for her help while I weight cut... eating ice creams in front of me! Also, thanks to you too for helping give us fighters some exposure. It means a lot.

Thank you again to Craig for giving up his time for this interview and we all wish him all the best going in to his fight this weekend. To follow Craig on twitter his twitter name is @craigpowell46.

Paul Daley on the Verge of Major Kickboxing Deal

Paul Daley on the Verge of Major Kickboxing Deal
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Paul 'Semtex' Daley took to Facebook earlier today to announce he is on the verge of signing with a major European kickboxing promotion:

Close to signing a 3 fight deal with a Major, European KICKBOXING PROMOTION, starting 2014.

Our focus is on BAMMA 14 right now, but 2014 will see Team Semtex/Spirit Dojo, competing in KICKBOXING AND MMA rules fights. 

One of the finest knockout artist in all of MMA, Nottingham's Daley has fought for MMA promotions all over the world including, The UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, Cage Warriors, and Elite XC earning an impressive 33-13-2 record with 24 of his victories coming by TKO including notable victories over highly decorated kickboxers Martin Kampmann and Duane Ludwig.

Currently signed to a 3 fight UK exclusive deal with Bamma, Paul Daley with take on Romario Manoel Da Silva in the main event at Bamma 14 December 14 at the LG Arena in Birmingham.  

Earlier in the year Daley was rumoured to have been offer a fight on Glory 5 which took place in London, however nothing came to fruition. Daley is now expected to fight for both Bamma and the as yet unnamed promotion in 2014, however it is unknown if Daley, a former King of The Ring European Muay Thai Champion will continue to fight both MMA and kickboxing once his 3 fight deal with Bamma is up, or if he will have a change of career paths and concentrate just on kickboxing.

Kingdom MMA caught up with Dean Simmonds ahead of his fight at ECFF Night of Champions 4

Kingdom MMA focus on the UK amateur MMA scene with Dean Simmonds

by Ben Heather @benheather

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

Ben: When did you first start training in MMA and how old were you then?
Simmonds: I first started training MMA when i was 18 years old, i went to a class at unique results and met the coach, Jack Mason and its just gone on from there.

Ben: Did you have any previous experience in martial arts before taking up MMA?
Simmonds: I think I did boxing for about 3 weeks when i was 12 and karate for about 2 and a half years when i was 7-10 years old but apart from that i spent 14 years of my life playing football. I wish i could have discovered and trained at a gym such as BKK when I was younger with a coach like Jack around to push me and the rest of the guys on to better things.

Ben: For the fans out there who may not have seen you fight before can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what they can expect on Saturday night?
Simmonds: I'm the number 1 cage fighter in Chelmsford. The hardest part of my training camp is 9 minutes on a sunbed 3 times a week and I'm brilliant with the ladies as well, ask em! 

On Saturday I'm going to bring it like I've never done before, I feel even though I won my last fight I had an awful preparation leading up to it and it showed in my performance so I want to prove to everybody what I can do on Saturday.

Ben: I believe you have a 6-3 record, how do you feel your career has gone so far, are you happy with the progress?
Simmonds: That is correct. I'm very happy with how its progressed so far, even though I've got 3 losses on my record I have learnt so much from each one. The first loss I learnt not to be a melt, the second loss was against Jack Mezzetti and I realised where I need to improve my game and that I had some tools in my arsenal I didn't know i had. That fight was without a doubt the toughest fight I've ever had! and the third loss i just froze and didn't do anything at all, and I've learnt from that as well.

Ben: How did it feel getting your hand raised for the first time after winning a fight?
Simmonds: I'm not just saying this because everybody who has won a fight will know, its the best feeling in the world knowing you've lived up to expectations and made your team proud. Having guys like Jack Mason, Arnold Allen, Sean Carter, Jason Cooledge and Craig Powell to train with me each and every day I can only improve in all areas! (sorry to everybody i didn't mention there!)

Ben: How do you expect the fight at ECFF on Saturday night to go?
Simmonds: This fight will go where i want it to go, my opponent isn't anywhere near my level on the wrestling front so I'll decide whether we fight on the ground or we stand. I don't ever have a gameplan for a fight because as soon as you get hit the gameplan goes out the window anyway.

Ben: What do you know about your opponent heading in to this fight?
Simmonds: His name is PK Zadeh but apart from that not a lot. I prefer to not look too much into what my opponents can do, i try to focus on what I'm going to do to him.

Ben: Where do you think you will have the advantage on Saturday night?
Simmonds: In all areas, my wrestling is on a completly different level to his and I'm confident I'll be better than him standing and on the ground so I'll just see how it plays out

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone?
Simmonds: I'd like to thank my coaches Jack Mason, Stephen Byerley, Russ and Stuart Barlegs. All of my training partners who no doubt I'm going to get a punch from if I miss one of them off, so here goes, Arnold Allen, Sean Carter, Jason Cooledge, Craig Powell, Matt Hughes, Joe Harding, Justin Bodj, Kerry Hughes and Tim Stokes. Also a big shoutout to Tim Stoke who without him none of the success would be possible.

My Awesome Sponsors as well:
Attack Fighter who produce the best walkout tshirts you'll ever see
(Twitter: @attackfightwear) (Wesbite: www.Attackfightwear.com)
Funkygums for keeping my teeth looking super sharp
(Twitter: @funkygums) (website: www.Funkygums.com)
There is always room on my walkout tshirts for more sponsors aswell guys :)

Thanks again to Dean for speaking to Kingdom MMA ahead of his fight and everyone at Kingdom MMA wish him all the best going in to the fight. If you would like to find out more about Dean or follow him on twitter his twitter name is @DeanoAKAbn.

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

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

by Ben Heather @benheather

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interview: Ulysses Gomez 'I'll Put Him Away in the 3rd"

Interview: Ulysses Gomez 'I'll Put Him Away in the 3rd"
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

This Saturday Uysses Gomez meets Cage Warriors inaugural Flyweight champion Neil Seery in on of the biggest flyweight fights this country has ever seen.

A former Tachi Palace Fights Champion at both Flyweight and Bantamweight Gomez is an accomplished grappler having finished 7 of his 9 victories by submission.

Kingdom MMA's Chris Houten caught up with Gomez shortly after he arrived in Newcastle, to discuss why he signed with Cage Warriors, Neil Seery, and possibly returning to the UFC.

Houten: On December 7th you will fight Neil Seery for the Cage Warriors Flyweight title, when do you fly over for the fight?
Gomez: Just landed a few hours ago. Feeling pretty good.

There are some excellent promotions back home putting on some great fights, why did you decide to fight for Cage Warriors in the UK?
They have a great show with a huge fan base that allows me to travel the world. Was a fairly easy choice for me.

Your last fight was in the UK against Phil Harris, how did cutting weight in the UK compare to cutting it back home in the states, and do you plan do to anything differently this time now you have experienced a cut abroad?
Cutting weight always sucks but it's part of the game.

How much did you know about Neil Seery before accepting this fight?
He's scrappy, [he] throws hard and [is] decent off his back. Oh and he's Irish too.

How much do you know about Neil Seery now you are fighting him on December 7th? Have you studied much footage on Seery?
I've seen a few of his fights but I don't study my opponents too much, I focus on my gameplan instead of what they try plan on doing.

How has the camp gone for this fight and when did you start training specifically for this fight?
Camp went well. Some days I was the hammer some days I was the nail.

Have you done anything specifically to prepare for this fight?
[It's] Just another fight - hard sparring and hard work man.

What do you think of Neil Seerys submission game?
It's decent but not on my level.

How would you say your striking matches up to Seery?
I think he throws hard but I feel that I'm more technical on my feet.

Based on your previous experience do you feel you’re more equipped for a 5 round fight?
I'm confident going 5 rounds, I put the work in.

How do you envision the fight going on Saturday, and how do you see yourself winning?
In the 3rd round. Gonna be a tough fight but I'll put him away.

Win or lose do you plan to continue fighting for Cage Warriors?
Yeah man [they are] threat me well.

Do you see winning the Cage Warrior title as a stepping-stone to getting back to the UFC or for now are you taking it one fight at a time?
I have to win first.

How will winning the Cage Warriors title compare to the 2 TPF titles you have won?
It's my road back to the top.

Finally, is there anyone you would like to thank for help getting you prepared for this fight?
All my coaches and team mates at Cobra Kai Jiu Mitsubishi and gil Martinez.