Archive for the ‘OMMAC’ Category
OMMAC 14: Bring the Pain
Martin Stapleton defeated Jason Cooledge by unanimous decision in the main event of OMMAC 14: Bring the Pain at the Liverpool Olympia. For three hard rounds, Stapleton pushed the pace but he was unable to put his indomitable opponent away. Southpaw Cooledge has a tendency to lunge in and drop his left hand, but he was able to soak up all the punishment that came his way. Unable to overcome Cooledge’s solid takedown defence, Stapes settled for pushing his man against the fence and roughing him up. Briefly, in the final stanza, the legendary Stapleton energy reserves looked to be flagging, but Cooledge was unable to capitalise.
All the judges saw it in favour of Stapleton and he remains undefeated since returning from his long lay-off. Even though it wasn’t pretty, the man they call 50 Cal was in control throughout.
As Artem Lobov yelled:“The Prospect Killer is Back” at the crowd, the dazed figure of Shay Walsh on the canvas paid testament to his victory cry. For two rounds, Walsh had done everything right. Wary of Lobov’s Wincobank style boxing, he closed the distance, took the SBG man to the floor and put the grind on him. Ten minutes of conservative violence looked to have put the Lancastrian in an impregnable position, then a split second of inspiration turned the contest on its head. In the early exchanges of the final round, Lobov leaned back and let go one of his trademark uppercuts. Walsh stumbled and fell, Lobov swarmed on him and the fight was over.
A fight that shows the cruelty of MMA and reminds us why we love it. Shay Walsh did everything right then ate one shot. Artem Lobov adds another scalp to his impressive collection. Never in a bad fight, the Russian Dubliner is fast becoming the cult hero of UK MMA.
Uche Ihiekwe made short work of David Round. The Kaobon fighter, slapped a guillotine on David Round, went to the ground and waited for the inevitable tap.
Olympia regular Lee Chadwick dropped a series of fearsome elbows from the guard of Stu Tyrie. A cut opened and the doctor decided that the Welshman could not continue.
Gary Kelly and Brian Moore pushed each other to the limit in the fight of the night. Kelly took centre ring early on and and looked sharp, before pushing Moore against the fence to unload spectacular knees in the opening round. In the second, Kelly was unable to convert his take down attempts and it was Moore who found success on the feet later in the round. In the third, Kelly looked for submissions, including a prolonged Rear Naked Choke attempt. Both fighters had their moments, but the judges delivered a majority decision in favour of Kelly.
Next Generation’s Mick Kay scored a TKO win over Brett Healey after 1:17 of the first round.
In amateur action, the ground and pound assault of Darren Till overwhelmed Rich Taylor inside two minutes.
Anthony O’Connor laid the foundations for a 5/5 Kaobon clean sweep with 31 second Arm Triangle win over Lee Threlfall.
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From the hurtbusiness:
Bloody Revolution
A Journey into UK MMA.
Brought to you by the man behind the hurtbusiness, Bloody Revolution takes you to the heart of the UK MMA scene.
Dedication, skulduggery, bravery, loyalty and stupidity- all are front and centre in this no holds barred examination of the sport we all love.
Paperbacks from Amazon.co.uk
Kindle editon Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
OMMAC 10: The Fab Four
The monster 17 fight OMMAC card had a bit of everything. The Liverpool promotion (and Cage Gladiators before it) has a proud history of showcasing rising stars and Saturday night was no exception. Due to the hurtbusiness going all digital age and live blogging from the venue– there was not the usual space to acknowledge the truly special displays put on by some of the fighters. To make amends; here is a short appreciation of four men who had your correspondent reaching for his notebook last Saturday night.
Jack Marshman throws every shot like his life depends on it, but there’s so much more to his game than raw power. A neat reversal put him on top of the fearsome Lee Chadwick and the Welshman made maximum use of the position- precisely targeting the smart bombs that ended the fight. On paper, this promised to be a tough test but the unbeaten Marshman sailed through. Middleweight is becoming a hot division so there are plenty of big domestic fights out there for the 21 year old.
Richie Downes has been a fixture on Olympia cards since the Cage Gladiators days. He lost his debut against Rob Sinclair in August 2007 after pouring all his gas into a guillotine attempt. Since then, he has put in a series of tidy undercard turns. Despite a five fight winning run- he was best remembered for a no contest. Richie’s shin crushing the nuts of Leeroy Barnes at Cage Gladiators 8 redefined the term eye watering for a new generation. Even as I write about it, the memory is causing involuntary teeth grinding and shivering.
No one wants to be famous for testicle bursting and OMMAC 10 gave us all a more positive image of the Kaobon product. From start to finish, his performance was flawless. Dan James spent ten minutes trapped between the fence and a tsunami of violence. Clinch work like it should be- total control of an opponent facilitating his systematic destruction. Downes relentlessly alternated between elbows and sickening knees to the body and leaking head. Truly awe inspiring stuff which should guarantee Richie Downes a spot up close to the of the bill next time out.
Shay Walsh made the wise of move of getting a bunch of amateur and semi pro experience before joining the pro’s and that strategy is paying off now. With a 7-0 record, he is all business in the cage. Last time, he grinded out a decision over the tough as old boots Pete McGurk. Against Ryan Phelps, he got the job done fast, with a devastatingly efficient display of ground and pound. The Lancastrian never looks ruffled and appears ready to take on the best of British.
In six weeks, Artem Lobov has gone from unknown to break out star. The Dublin based Russian shocked red hot prospect Dave Hill on Cage Warriors at the end of April then repeated the trick on Saturday; finishing Uche Ihiekwe with a third round Triangle. It is impossible not to love Artem. The guy fights hands down, relying on his reflexes and throwing outrageous lead uppercuts and hooks. Aside from his Ingle influenced switch-hitting, he has out grappled two of the UK’s best up and coming fighters. There are obvious flaws in his game- Uche’s leg kicks, teeps and straight punches were causing him severe problems, but he comes through and gets it done. Lobov is putting on bravura performances that demand respect and admiration. In short- if someone makes an Artem Lobov T-shirt; I want one.
“Longtime MMA reporter Mick Bower uses his inimitable style and wit to craft a picture of the British fight scene rarely covered in the mainstream media. From his first hand, insider perspective of the fights, rumours and stories behind the last few years of the sport, Mick cuts straight to the chase and paints an intriguing picture. Bloody Revolution opens the door into the world of MMA and is a thrilling read for both the uninitiated and the hardcore fan.” Fighting Fit Magazine
“If you love MMA this is one of the best books written about it. Highly recommended”Christian O’Connell
“Bower … knows his stuff. When he delves into the history of the sport, he does so succinctly, with verve, and with penetrating insight..He’s also a wonderful story teller. In each of the book’s chapters, Bower makes sure to put you in the audience with him. You can practically see the punters, the birds, and the chavs and taste the beer as he takes in his surroundings”. Bloody Elbow
For further info, extract and vids- go to
www.bloodyrevolution.wordpress.com
OMMAC 10 Live
Coverage as it happens- live from the Olympia in Liverpool.
OMMAC liveblog is sponsored by
“Longtime MMA reporter Mick Bower uses his inimitable style and wit to craft a picture of the British fight scene rarely covered in the mainstream media. From his first hand, insider perspective of the fights, rumours and stories behind the last few years of the sport, Mick cuts straight to the chase and paints an intriguing picture. Bloody Revolution opens the door into the world of MMA and is a thrilling read for both the uninitiated and the hardcore fan.” Fighting Fit Magazine
“If you love MMA this is one of the best books written about it. Highly recommended”Christian O’Connell
“Bower … knows his stuff. When he delves into the history of the sport, he does so succinctly, with verve, and with penetrating insight..He’s also a wonderful story teller. In each of the book’s chapters, Bower makes sure to put you in the audience with him. You can practically see the punters, the birds, and the chavs and taste the beer as he takes in his surroundings”. Bloody Elbow
For further info, extract and vids- go to
www.bloodyrevolution.wordpress.com
OMMAC 10 Live
We are live from sun drenched Liverpool. Nice and cool in the Olympia, but a bit foggy due to testing the smoke machine.
A nice looking card tonight. A Wayne Murrie win in the main event would push him closer to the big show and plenty of old faves and up and comers from some of the best camps in the country also feature.
19.35 Slight delay getting started. Dangerous, as it is giving me too much time to think of Britain’s Got Talent and weak English defence gags to put into the fight reports.
19.38
We’re off. The first two fighters make their entrances.
1. WW JACK GRANT VS COLIN FARICKER
FIGHT MINISTRY HULL KAOBON
After a hard clinch exchange, the pair went to the mat. Grant grabbed a leg and earnt the tap with a toe hold.
2. WW DARIUS KUNEVICIUS VS JAMES BURROWS
ANTANAS GYM 1-4-0 QUIGLEYS GYM 0-0-0
36 seconds in, in the first serious action, James Burrows takes the Lithuanian’s back and applies a Rear Naked Choke. Game over.
3. WW STEVE BEHAN VS STEVE DINSDALE
GODS OF WAR 0-2-0 NEXT GENERATION 1-0-0
Steve Dinsdale worked from side control and half guard. Although not too many damaging strike were landed- they started to add up and Behan rolled over for relief. Dinsdale gratefully accepted the Rear Naked Choke to finish the fight in the first round.
4. 73Kg EDVARDAS PETRUSIS VS CHRIS STRINGER
ANTANAS GYM 1-3-0 KAOBON 8-8-1
Before the fight, Petrusis had the demenour of a kid who’d been forced into an interview by the jobcentre. As soon as the bell rang, he came to life, windmilling and going for broke. On the ground, he launched a couple of illegal knees to Stringer’s head. Referee Roberts called time and gave him a quick rules lesson. Stringer declined time to recover. Instead, he opted to keep his position and quickly slapped on a Rear Naked Choke. Petrusis tapped hard. Instant justice.
5. WW TAUTVUYDAS LILEIKIS VS CHRIS HOBAN
ANTANAS GYM 1-3-0 ATHERTON 4-4-0
Hoban threw multiple left hands from side control, then transitioned seamlessly to pull of another win by way of North/South choke. Another quickie- clocking in at 84 secs.
6. WW DAI JENKINS VS STE HODGSON
TILLERY COMBAT 0-3-0 NEXT GENERATION 1-1-0
Dai Jenkins looks like Wayne Rooney after a successful hair transplant. The Welshman put on a relentless display of agressive grappling for to take a split decision win over Ste Hodgson. Hodgson took the third and had an argument for owning a share of the first, but Jenkins’ more convincing submission attempts and sustained periods of control meant he deserved to get the verdict.
7. WW ARUNAS KLIMAVICIUS VS NEIL DUTSON
ANTANAS GYM 1-5-0 BLACKLEDGE MMA 0-1-0
Fight put back to after the interval. The Lithuanian had gone heavy on the Thai oil and has been sent for a bath.
8. LW DAN JAMES VS RICHIE DOWNES
SWANSEA PREDATORS 4-3-0 KAOBON 5-1-0
Richie Downes stuck Dan James up against the fence and let him have it. In the clinch, he switched between elbows and knees to bust up his game opponent. After a couple of restarts, James had flashes of hope, but Downes was simply too good on the night. Swansea mauled on Merseyside- it’s a headline you’re probably going to hear a couple of times this coming football season. Dan James; corner pulled their man out at the end of the second to save him from taking further punishment. A good performance from all concerned. Bravery beyond the call of duty from James and pure class from Downes.
Interval
Atmosphere warming up nicely. The pick of the main card is the ARTEM LOBOV VS UCHE IHIEKWE clash. Uche was everyone’s top prospect till he came unstuck last time out. He needs a convincing performance to regain his momentum. Opposing him is the Dublin based Lithuanian who pulled off the UK MMA shock of the decade when he beat Dave Hill at Cage Warriors the other week, With his Naseem Hamed affectations on the feet and a functional ground game- he is not the ideal fight for a youngster with any self doubt. Uche to win, but it’s not a formality.
21.42- We’re back on.
9. MW AURILIUS KERPE VS JOHN GILLIES
ANTANAS GYM 9-13-0 L4 FIGHTCLUB 0-2-0
As you’d expect, both wanted to make this a pure kickboxing bout. Kerpe held centre cage and pushed the pace, but Gillies gave as good as he got and dropped the Lithuuanian with a right hand. The fight was called on a Doctor’s stoppage at the end of the first. In an early exchange, Gillies had sustained foot damage and was unable to go on.
10. FW BRETT HEALY VS DANNY SWEENEY
COVENTRY M.M.A.F.I.A 0-0-0 NEXT GENERATION 2-0-0
Danny Sweeney intertwined his legs behind Brett Healy’s neck and went for a triangle. Over the next few minutes, he struggled to finish his man, supplementing his sub attempt with some nasty elbows. Eventually, enough was enough and the Next Generation fighter secured the sub win.
7. WW ARUNAS KLIMAVICIUS VS NEIL DUTSON
ANTANAS GYM 1-5-0 BLACKLEDGE MMA 0-1-0
Takedown – pass to mount- bash – Armbar- Dutson wins.
11. FW RYAN PHELPS VS SHAY WALSH
TILLERY COMBAT 5-1-0 LANCASTER AND MORCAMBE MMA 6-0-0
Shay Walsh’s level of opposition gets stiffer, but the results remain the same. The unbeaten Lancaster fighter out muscled Phelps early on. Once he was on the hook there was no way out. The end came as Walsh battered his man from back mount. Phelps could do nothing but cover up as body shots followed barrages of punches to either side of the head. Another impressive turn to take him to 7-0 as a pro.
12. LW LOUIS CHAPMAN VS LAWRENCE FITZPATRICK
FIGHT MINISTRY HULL 3-0-0 KAOBON 1-0-0
Louis Chapman impressed early- then he found himself planted in the Kaobon corner.The crowd chanted LOZZA, Terry Etim directed and Fitzpatrick obeyed- unleashing heavy elbows to order. A cut opened, claret flowed freely and the fight was stopped.
13. LHW ROLANDOS CIZUASKAS VS TONY MORAN
ANTANAS GYM 2-2-0 WOLFSLAIR 5-3-0
Tony Moran was poked in the eye- and he was far from happy. After instigating his own time out- he let everyone know that his opponent was going to pay. After the reset- the former pro boxer dropped bombs and had the Lithuanian tapping like he was playing the tom toms. Referee Goddard had to drag the furious Moran off or he’d still be thumping Cizuskas now.
14. LW ARTEM LOBOV VS UCHE IHIEKWE
S.B.G DUBLIN 1-1-0 KAOBON 3-1-0
Artem Lobov is the prospect killer. With his bizarre mix of Wincobank boxing and aggressive jits- he Triangled the highly rated Kaobon fighter early in the third. Uche looked to have solved the puzzle in the first- slowing the unorthodox footwork with leg kicks. Lobov hung in there and went for takedowns- rather than being a sign of desperation- these were the key to his success. Ihiekwe looked uncomfortable on his back and Lobov clearly took the second round. When the end came in the third- Uche screamed with disappointment. Back to the drawing board for an undoubtedly talented fighter. As for Artem Lobov- anything can happen when this guy’s in town.
15. MW JACK MARSHMAN VS LEE CHADWICK
TILLERY COMBAT 6-0-0 HUYTON MMA 10-8-1
Jack Marshman kept calm in a tight spot- that spot being on the canvas underneath legendary Scouse hardman Lee Chadwick. Marshman executed a picture perfect sweep and started to give ‘The Butcher’ some of his own medicine. With nothing coming back- the ref was forced to wave it off. Marshman remains unbeaten and, on this form, a threat to anyone in the UK Middleweight division.
16. LW DANNY WELSH VS CHRIS FISHGOLD
DS PROMOTIONS 2-5-0 NEXT GENERATION 4-0-0
A by the numbers win for Fishgold. As soon as the pair hit the deck it was over. The pass to mount and punches were all leading to the obvious conclusion. Welsh rolled and the Rear Naked Choke followed.
17. WW ALI ARISH VS WAYNE MURRIE
STOCKPORT MMA 11-1-0 KAOBON 12-3-0
Ali Arish stunned the Olympia with a second round one punch KO of Wayne Murrie. Arish had relied on his wrestling- scoring multiple takedowns but never achieving anything further. Murrie wanted to drag him into a fire fight. He finally got his way. Be careful what you wish for. They traded punches. Ali landed a right hand on the button and Murrie was out before he hit the ground. A massive bounceback win for Arish after his recent showing on Cage Warriors.
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OMMAC 8 Preview
While other young upstarts cry off with the cold, OMMAC forge ahead with another hard hitting card.
Up top are two good looking title bouts. Martin Thompson and Neil Wain face off for the British Heavyweight strap. A couple of years ago, Martin Thompson was the consensus UK #1 after consecutive first round wins over Tom Blackledge, Tengiz and Colin Robinson. Followed everywhere by a crew of noisy Cumbrians, ‘The Ox’ was highly touted, but things haven’t quite worked out. His sole outing in the last two years saw him literally lifted of his feet by a single shot from Neil Grove at Ultimate Challenge.
Old Skool Wain made it all the way to the big show after a string of brutal KO wins. After a 90 second pounding at the hands of Shane Carwin at UFC 89, he was cut loose and has since plied his trade in venues ranging from Abu Dhabi to Rotherham.
Both men built their early success on having heavy hands and there could be fireworks. It remains to be seen how the Grove KO has affected Thompson’s confidence. In the past, the takedown followed by ground and pound has been his back up plan and he may decide this is the best policy against a known slugger like Wain. However, the new, improved Neil Wain has more to his game these days and recent outings have shown he is capable of going the distance. The winner of this well balanced contest will have a claim to be the best unsigned UK heavy (although both should be at 205 really).
With the UFC shopping for little British guys to staff their new weight classes, James Doolan and Vaughn Harvey will be hoping to impress. The fight was originally scheduled for early snow casualty Kudegra and Doolan must start as clear favourite as he returns to his happy hunting ground. His last trip to Liverpool saw him TKO the legend that is Leigh Remedios and previously he put in bravura performance before submitting James McGuinness on the final Cage Gladiators show. Between those fights, he dropped a decision to Greg Knapp, showed off some of his killer stand up to beat Hugo Leonardo and fell victim to the sub of the year against Artemij Sitenkovat Bushido Challenge (another show that suffered from terminal frostbite).
Vaughn Harvey snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when he took on Ash Grimshaw for the vacant Cage Gladiators Featherweight belt last year. Now operating at the Bantam, he is sure to be a force to be reckoned with. As well as owning some of the smartest tatts in the biz, the Dragon Boy has class and has only slipped up against the very best. Doolan will need to be on his game to get by Vaughn.
The Olympia has produced a wealth of talent for the big shows and there are plenty of highly tipped lads down the card. It should be another cracker.
Further info tickets etc go to: OMMAC website
FULL CARD
BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Martin Thompson (champ) v Neil Wain
BRITISH BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE
James Doolan (champ) v Vaughn Harvey
lhw Mick Solomons v Fraser Opie
mw John Gillies v Aurijius Kerpe
ww Mike Hughes v Daniel Park
bw Dean Garnett v Nathan Thompson
ww Ste Hodgeson v Steve Behan
lw Uche Ihiekwe v Keiron Malone
lw Danny Sweeney v Dave Straughton
lw Greg Severs v Tim Close
ww Danny Roberts v tbc
bw Pietro Menga v Keith Coady
hw Adam Parkes v Deivydas Banaitais
mw Lee Chadwick v Cathal Pendred
For a full report, visit the main site after the event.
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and then
and then
OMMAC 4 Preview
OMMAC just keeps getting better.
Even with the loss of the intriguing Makhonin v Cahoon clash, we’re left with two title fights at the top of the card that are worth the price of a ticket on their own.
Paul Sass is a genuine local hero. All his pro fights (AKA wins) have come at the Olympia. Mostly in the first round, mostly by triangle. Talk to Sass’s opponents afterwards and they tend to have a shell-shocked: ‘What happened?’ look. Rather than working relentlessly, the Scouser cleverly draws his victims in before snaring them. Every step up in class has seen him rise to the challenge, culminating in his points win over Rob Sinclair in the 2009 UK fight of the year. Many see Sass as being ready for the big time, but first he must deal with Jason Young.
Sass will be an overwhelming favourite, but there is a case to be made for ‘Shotgun’ Young. Last time out, Young showed real improvement to out point Abdul Mohammed at Ultimate Challenge. If you have the ability to stay on your feet against Abdul- you can stay on your feet against anyone. Young’s last loss was against Tim Radcliffe when he recklessly took down the sub specialist- a mistake he will surely have learned from. The closest Sass has come to tasting defeat was in his epic battle with Jason Ball. Daddy Cool clearly had the advantage on the feet and landed some bombs, almost forcing a stoppage on more than one occasion. Young has a good stand up game and must be given a chance if he can stay upright.
The co- feature is an even more enticing prospect- Pete Irving v Wayne Murrie. Neither is ever in a boring fight. Irving, as you’d expect from a guy who demonstrates techniques in the training section of Fighters Only, has a good all round game. His star was in the ascendancy, establishing himself as the king of Strike n Submit with an imperious Muay Thai schooling of Lee Doski and a rear naked choke victory over German BJJ ace Danny Weichel. The wheels came off the wagon when he decided to slug it out with Jess Liaudin at 10th Legion. Irving returned with a decision victory over David Rosman, bossing the stand up but almost falling victim to a killer Kimura in the final round.
Like Irving, Wayne Murrie has a solid Thai pedigree. The pair have some of the most vicious leg licks in the biz and aren’t afraid to use them. ‘Mayhem’ feels ready to take on the big guns domestically, especially since his first round win on his international debut at the Real Fighting Championships in Florida last December. With stablemate Lanus Jones making waves at Light Heavy, Murrie’s Manvers Fight Factory team are becoming a force. Despite his striking background, Murrie has ended most of his contests by way of submission. On past form and quality of opposition faced, Irving would be fancied but the fight game ain’t like that. Wayne Murrie is on a roll. Last week in Barnsley, he only had to push Sami Berik over and he broke his ribs. He will enter the cage full of confidence while Irving still has the spectre of the Jess ‘The Joker’ pasting at the back of his mind. A crossroads fight for both men.
As usual, the OMMAC card is stacked from top to bottom. Jay McGuiness v Declan Williams and Jay Gladden v Ronan McKay look tasty and Pietro Menga v Brent Crawley is the best looking semi pro fight you’re gonna get and real test for the high rated Menga. Better make sure you get in early.
BRITISH LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
PAUL SASS (champ) v JASON YOUNG
VACANT BRITISH WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
PETER IRVING V WAYNE MURRIE
UNDERCARD:
61.8kg Jay McGuiness v Declan Williams
77kg Jay Gladden v Ronan McKay
77kg Jay Manning v Jason Muldoon
70kg Danny Sweeney v Nij Wright
70kg Mike Wilkinson v tbc
70kg Richie Downes v tbc
65.8kg Chris Fishgold v Danny Welsh
77kg Neil Dutson v tbc
SEMI PRO
61.8KG Pietro Menga v Brent Crawley
70kg Louis Jenkins v Ronnie Corbett
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
Sass v Sinclair Preview
Rob Sinclair and Paul Sass finally meet on Saturday. No need for hype- this is a fight everyone really has been waiting for. The two lightweight princes duelling to see who is the king of the Olympia.
Sass has plenty in his favour. Forget the record breaking triangle run- just check the names on his record: Jason Ball, Ian Jones, Harvey Harra, Martin Stapleton. With a CV like that, you have officially graduated from promising youngster to player. Obviously, he is exceptional off his back and people keep falling for it. You have to be pretty smart to get lucky that often.
The closest he has come to defeat was against Jason Ball last November. Ball kept the fight standing with some neat footwork and sly fence holding. Daddy Cool was on his way to a decision victory before his discipline slipped. Unloading from half guard and looking for the finish, he was the last person in the Olympia to know he was the latest victim of the Sass triangle. Everyone knows what Sass has got, but it seems he is unstoppable.
Rob Sinclair is the toughest challenge Sass has faced. Like Sass, his win column is full of top names, but it’s his solitary defeat that made Rob Sinclair the fighter he is. At Cage Gladiators 8, Sinclair and Greg Loughran fought a war of attrition. On my card, Sinclair was edging a gruelling clinch and ground war against one of the best guys in the domestic game. One slip, Kimura on and the old fox Loughran is volleying his mouthpiece into the crowd in celebration while Sinclair kicked himself.
To quote from the hurtbusiness report:
A good learning fight for Rob Sinclair and confirmation that there’s no substitute for experience.
Wise words if I say so myself. Before that fight, Sinclair was good. Since then- he looks on another level. He dictated the shape and pace of his fight against Tim Radcliffe to earn a unanimous decision. Next, he relentlessly pounded the tougher than your toughest pair of old boots Aidan Marron then played a mature waiting game before clinically taking out Alexandre Izidro.
Whatever the result; Sass and Sinclair are both on the way up. Both are improving and should be making waves on the international scene shortly. Right now, I think that Sinclair is the more complete package, with a definite edge standing. With his mature attitude- I don’t see him making the fatal mistakes that others have when facing Sass. Taking into consideration his power, hurtbusiness picks Rob Sinclair to win by stoppage.
hurtbusiness 