Archive for June 2009
Cage Gladiators Vids
The videos of the fights from Cage Gladiators XII: Immortals are now available at:
Rob Sinclair on his CG Fight and Paul Sass
hurtbusiness caught up with Rob Sinclair after his second round TKO win over Alexandre Izidro at Cage Gladiators XII: Immortals. (report on main site)
The CG champ had been due to fight Paul Sass, but injury caused the unbeaten up and comer to pullout. The two outstanding lightweights are now due to meet later in the year.
Can you talk me through the fight from your point of view?
When I came out, I wanted to take a few shots because I haven’t really taken many shots in my career. I just wanted to feel him out first, get into the fight a little bit. As soon as I got into it; I realised that he probably didn’t have as much power as I expected. Then I stepped it up a bit and went in for the kill.
Was it difficult for you that your opponent got changed?
Yes and no. He was a submission guy. The same sort of thing; probably wants it on the ground, but Izidro’s the kind of person who jumps for submissions so you’ve got to be a bit more aware. Paul Sass sets things up a little bit and he creeps for submissions. Nothing really changed in training though.
As well as taking a few shots, you spent a bit of time on your back in the first. It’s a position we don’t see you in very often; were you happy with the way you handled it?
Yeah- I nearly caught him didn’t I. I’m actually decent off my back- it’s just I never seem to end up there. I nearly caught him but he got out of it.
In the second round- you really stepped it up and hunted him down. Were you happy about the way it finished?
I knew I could catch him. He drops the left hand quite a lot and we worked on that. I watched him do it recently- he got caught with an overhand right. I caught him with the overhand right and I dropped him. I don’t remember throwing the shot to honest. I just saw him on the floor and unloaded from there and fortunately I finished him.
Now Sass is on the horizon. Everybody who has fought him has been watching for the triangle. What are you going to do that’s different to everyone else he’s ever fought?
I think the thing is: everyone has an idea of what he wants to do so people defend the triangle choke. When it’s half coming on- people let it come on then try and escape it instead of not getting there in the first place. I’m pretty difficult to sub anyway. It’ll be a good fight.
Excluding those fighting on international shows; would you say that this is the unofficial British lightweight championship?
We’ve got to get it on haven’t we. He’s walked through everyone he’s fought to be fair. Beaten them in the first round, except for Jason Ball who was a bit unlucky. It should be a good fight.
Many people would look at it as: will you be able to pound him out before he gets a triangle. Is that the way you see it?
Yeah. He’s got to take a shot to get close in. Can he take a shot? I don’t know.
Cage Gladiators XII: Immortals
Fantastic to see a major UK show headlined by a Bantamweight bout. The match between James Doolan and James McGuinness is for the vacant British Title.
James Doolan is best known for his Muay Thai but pulls off enough sub’s to show he is the biz. He fights out of the Griphouse in Glasgow, home of European #1 Muff Buzz McVeigh, and is unbeaten since coming unstuck in the Japanese GCM tournament last year. McGuinness has performed well in his previous Olympia fights, but this represents a step up in class for the Glimmer Man. A win here for Doolan would bring the inevitable Dinky Ninja invasion of the WEC a step closer.
Read James Doolan MMA Unlimited Interview here
Rob Sinclair has to be fancied to beat Alexandre Izidro. Sinclair has ground and pounded the stuffing out of everyone in his path lately and will want to put in a big performance before his mega fight with Paul Sass on August 1st.
As usual on a Cage Gladiators’ show, there are quality match ups down the card. Ronnie Mann has vacated his British title due to his commitments in Sengoku. Ashleigh Grimshaw and Vaughn Harvey will battle for the crown. With a solid supporting cast featuring a plenty of Scouse crowd faves, it promises to be another good un.V
Vacant British Bantamweight Title
James Doolan v James McGuiness
Vacant British Featherweight Title
Ashleigh Grimshaw and Vaughn Harvey
73kg Rob Sinclair v Alexandre Izidro
70kg Luke Smith v Aaron Wilkinson
84kg Kev Axworthy v Alex Makonin
70kg Richie Downes v Colm Gillane
77kg James Gladden v Lee Doski
73kg Danny Withington v tbc
90kg Richie Ryder v Mike Edwards
61kg Chris Garry v Antony Murphy
77kg James Manning v Tom Morris
HW Sean Jones v Ashley Pollard
For further details and tickets visit:
M-1 Challenge: England vs France
Team England take on France in the next round of the M-1 Challenge on Friday Night at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. Our boys made a real statement on their debut, smashing Japan 4-1 on their home turf, and will be looking to keep the momentum going.
This time, injury means that glamour boy light heavyweight Tom Blackledge will be replaced by Danny Giblin.
The excellent M-1 website has full coverage- including interviews with some of the UK guys.
Check www.cagewarriors.com for news on the UK team and (hopefully) for a live stream of the event.
England vs France
Lightweight- Ian Butlin (England) vs. Makhtar Gueye (France)
Welterweight- Simon Phillips (England) vs. Gael Grimaud (France)
Middleweight- Matt Thorpe (England) vs. Christophe Dafreville (France)
Light Heavyweight- Danny Giblin (England) vs. Johan Romming (France)
Heavyweight- Rob Broughton (England) vs. Soufian Elgarne (France)
