Archive for the ‘Cage Gladiators’ Category
OMMAC 3: Only the Brave
Next Saturday sees the third helping of MMA goodness from OMMAC. “ Only The Brave” features many of your usual Olympia favourites plus a couple of juicy title fights.
Paul ‘Boom Boom’ Cahoon is the star attraction. Cahoon is a significant figure in the sport. Without him, in the UK in general and Merseyside in particular- MMA would not be as big a deal as it is. No Cahoon – maybe no Wolfslair. No Wolfslair- maybe no Bisping. No Bisping winning TUF: maybe no UFC expansion into Europe. As well as being a historical figure, the good news for those heading to Liverpool is that Paul can still mix it with the best of them. Cahoon looked like he was about to get some long overdue recognition after his destruction of Elvis Sinosic, but it didn’t quite work out. He dropped two decisions in a row. First a rejuvenated Ian Freeman put on career best performance to beat him at Cage Rage then Kazuhiro Nakamura got the nod from the judges at Sengoku – Fifth Battle. After over a year away from the cage- Paul Cahoon will have his work cut out against tough Swede Matt Makela.
Icelander Arni Isaksson takes on Luis “Besouro” Dutra Jr for the vacant world welterweight title.
OMMAC (and Cage Gladiators before it ) is as good as it gets when it comes to domestic MMA. Do yourself a favour and get down to the most majectic venue in combat sport.
MAIN EVENT
PAUL CAHOON V MATTI MAKELA
Tony Moran v Shaun Lomas
Lee Chadwick v Ronan McKay
Arron Wilkinson v Tim Newman
Jay McGuiness v Carl Harrison
WORLD WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
ARNI ISSAKSON (ICE) V LUIS “BESSOURO” DUTRE JR (BRA)
Richie Ryder v Chris Cooper
INTERVAL
Jay Gladden v TBC
Chris Oban v Tom Morris
Jay Manning v Tom Thorneycroft
Mick Solomons v Ash Pollard
David Hill v Afsul Miah
semi pro
Uche Ihiekwe v Ben Eastwood
Dan Abbott v Frazier Opie
Pietro Menga v TBC
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:
Cage Gladiators XI Report
A full report on Cage Gladiators XI is now up on the main site:
Cage Gladiators XI Preview
The UK MMA season gets into full swing with Cage Gladiators XI – Resurrection at the Olympia in Liverpool on Saturday night.
No doubt the attendance will be boosted by TV groupies hoping to catch a glimpse of Emile “Million Dollar Trader” Coleman. Those of us who are going for the fights will also have plenty to keep us going.
Lightweight is arguably the deepest division in UK MMA and CG XI will help us to work out the pecking order of that weight class. In the main event, Harvey Harra will have the chance to confirm he can mix it with the best. Coming up, he has a BFC clash against the rejuvenated Ian Butlin. Before that, he has to face the most dangerous legs in the North West.
(WARNING : MICHAEL WINNER STYLE NAME DROP COMING UP)
I was talking to Greg Jackson recently and the world’s number one trainer/coach was raving about Paul Sass. Sass has been over to Jackson’s in Albuquerque and apparently doesn’t look out of place in that stable of superstars. He has the incredible record of six straight pro wins by triangle (nine including semi and amateur). He will be a strong favourite to continue his unbeaten run- but Harra has some impressive names on his record and is well capable of spoiling the party.
The last man to fall victim to the “Sassangle” was Jason Ball. The result disguises the fact that “Daddy Cool” spent long periods dishing out brutal ground and pound and came within a whisker of a stoppage win. Ball was a top ten Welterweight and showed he has the strength and experience (some gloriously sly fence grabbing to maintain top position) to be a genuine threat to anyone at Lightweight. The Donny David Haye lookalike has already clocked up a win away in Florida this year against ATT’s Glenn Mincer, so he will be full of confidence. He’ll still need to be on the top of his game to get past Mick Sinclair. He has shown off his subs in the past and his last Olympia appearance reminded everyone about his striking. My favourite Mick Sinclair fight was his three round war with Ian Jones at Ultimate Force in October 2007. The final round saw the pair knee lumps out of each other in the clinch before taking it turns to look for last minute head kick KOs. Both of these lads have got big futures- but the one who gets his arm raised on Saturday night will be making a real statement.
There is quality down the card- including a few hurtbusiness faves. Lucasz Les looks to have all the tools to be a genuine star. On the last card I saw he is matched against the wily old campaigner TBC- but you have to fancy him get the W.
Les Ojugabana had a disappointing 2008. He went 0-3 and also went to Mannheim to fight Mario Stapel, only to discover the German had pulled out when he was waiting for him in the cage. As is often the case- the stat’s only tell half the story. His to and fro war with Wayne Murray was one of the fights of the year and he has the physical tools to compete with anyone at Welterweight. On a superficial level- we love the matching tracksuits of “Team Hollywood” and the high jumps. Julian “Jabba” Soares looks a tough cookie on paper- but Leslee will be hoping to get the job done.
Kam Atakuru has the most deceiving record in UK MMA. 1-3 doesn’t look much until you check the quality of the 3- the aforementioned Jason Ball, Lucasz Les and Les Ojugabana. For proof that Kam is no mug- check out the video of his bout with Jason Ball. It’s one of the most amazing fights you’ll see. For those sheep who have fallen in with the view that Marc Goddard has a tendency to stop fights early- it’s required viewing.
Kam will be hoping his CV makes more respectable reading after his fight with Russel Burns.
If none of that floats your boat; there are another eight fights to enjoy. If that isn’t value for money – I don’t know what is.
For full details, ticket etc go to:
Full report will be available at the main site
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UPDATE
Lucasz Les will fight the legendary Paul “Hands of Stone” Jenkins.
