James Brum Challenges Brett Johns for Bantamweight Title at Cage Warriors 62

James Brum Challenges Brett Johns for Bantamweight Title at Cage Warriors 62
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Newly crowned Cage Warriors Bantamweight champion Brett Johns will defend with bantamweight title at Cage Warriors 62 on December 7th at Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, against James Brum.

Undefeated, judo black belt Johns (9-0) climbed to the summit of the CWFC 135lb division at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff, when he overcame both David Haggstrom and Jordan Desborough over 8 grueling rounds the same evening to win the promotion’s four-man 135lbs title tournament.

Speaking on his upcoming bout with Brum, the 21 year old Welshman said:

“James Brum has been at the top of this division for a while, he’s someone I’ve watched over and over again,” said Johns. “He’s a sound guy too and a win over him would be huge for me. That’s exactly why I wanted to fight Brum. I can’t wait already.”

His opponent, CWFC Fighter of the Year for 2012 James Brum (13-2) who is the highest ranked European bantamweight not under contract with the UFC, enters the bout undefeated under the Cage Warriors banner with wins over Leandro Gontijo, Thomas Back, James Saville and Moktar Benkaci, Olivier Pastor, and most recently Ruslan Abiltarov, earning the 26 year old GYM01 talent at shot at the 135lb title.

Fighting for Cage Warriors in The UK for the first time, Brum said:

“Brett Johns deserved to win the title at Cage Warriors 59, but now he’s in with the sharks and I’m the biggest shark in the division. After six fights abroad for Cage Warriors, I’m excited by the prospect of returning to the UK to fight for what I believe is my title.

“For me, this has ‘Fight of the Year’ written all over it. I guarantee that on December 7 in Newcastle, I’ll be walking into that cage the challenger and walking out the new Cage Warriors bantamweight champion of the world.”

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for all the latest on Cage Warriors 62.

 

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Is UFC on FOX 9 the Best Free Card Ever?

Is UFC on FOX 9 the Best Free Card Ever?
by Jack Broadey - @j3cK_b

In all my time watching the UFC this is not only the best free card the UFC and Zuffa have produced it is probably the best single card they have produced full stop. It has everything. Title fights, fights with title implications, comeback fights and just generally very good stylistic match ups.

The main event sees Anthony Pettis defend his lightweight strap for the 1st time. With TJ Grant still unavailable the next viable contender steps up to the plate, that man is Josh Thomson. This is a better stylistic fight and should be all out war in a standup battle. On any other card you would expect this fight to be a solid fight of the night contender, it still is but has some serious competition. I will be bold and predict the fight of the year will come from this card.

The only slight criticism if the co main event you can have is that it's only 3 rounds long. When that's the biggest concern you have of a fight then your onto something. The co main event will see Urijah Faber v Michael McDonald battle it out. With Dominic Cruz status still unknown this could very well find the next bantamweight contender. Both men are stuck in the Vitor Belfort position in that they've suffered recent damaging losses to the champion. Barao has pretty much cleaned out his division now so the winner of this fight will more than deserve there rematch.

The next fight on the card is dairy similar to the above. Carlos Condit V Matt Brown has violence written all over it. It can't fail to deliver. This will win something of the night and possibly year. Condit is in a similar position that Faber and McDonald find themselves in. A win over Brown is serious news now though after the tear he's been on. Brown has serious incentives here. A win almost certainly guarantees a title shot. The only shame here again is that it's not a main event and as such will only be 3 rounds. That's 2 fights i am already kicking myself that this isn't a 5 rounder. That's the consequence for building such a fantastic card.

The next fight might not stand out as much or look as thrilling on paper. Lentz-Mendes is however a fantastic fight and had serious title implications. Lentz has looked amazing since his drop to featherweight and both men have been tearing through the division. Mendes is again in that position of having recently lost to the champion and that's still fresh in the mind. He's done everything in his power to set that right though and knocking Clay Guida out is a serious statement. This is very important fight to figure a lot of things out in the featherweight division.

We won't go as in depth into the rest of the card but if we have a glance through you will realise the top end action doesn't end here. Ian McCall snapped his losing streak winning impressively in Brazil. He has an interesting fight on his hands as he takes on Scott Jorgensen making his flyweight debut. Only 1-3 in his last 4 but those losses coming to some of the very best, the same as McCall in a way. The winner moves into contention at flyweight as the division is still very shallow in its early days. 2 lightweight fights next as we have the perennial 'of the night winner Joe Lauzon back in action against Mac Danzig and Danny Castillo v Edson Barboza. Lauzon tends to always be in very exciting fights with his last outing being the anomaly. Barboza has looked fantastic so far in the UFC and looks to keep gaining experience in his quest to win gold.

The latest announced fight is perhaps the closest to call. Both men winning different seasons of TUF we have Court McGee against the youngest ever 'ultimate fighter' Kelvin Gastelum. Both men have amazing heart and have come through as serious underdogs. Can they be any more than gatekeepers. They have to win this to move up I the division and only one man can do that. It's a great fight so low down on a card and it just adds to what should be a fantastic night. I could quite easily see any one of these fights being spectacular enough to earn fight of the year honours. The top 3 fights on the card are as loaded and stacked as you will ever find. What's your prediction for fight of the night? Will it be good enough to earn fight of the year? I can't wait to find out.

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Che Mills Meets Faycal Hucin at Cage Warriors Fight Night 9

Che Mills Meets Faycal Hucin at Cage Warriors Fight Night 9

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

A MIDDLEWEIGHT bout between Che Mills (pictured) and Faycal Hucin will be contested at CWFC Fight Night 9.

The event, which will be Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s eleventh of 2013, is set to take place at King Hussein Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan on Friday, 25 October.

Mills (15-6-0-2) will be fighting at middleweight for the first time since falling short against CWFC welterweight champion Cathal Pendred at Cage Warriors 55 back in June.

Having later announced his intention to switch to the 185lbs division, Mills was then scheduled to face Valentino Petrescu last weekend at Cage Warriors 59 in Cardiff, but the bout was pulled after both fighters took ill.

A native of Gloucester in England, 30-year-old Mills signed exclusively for Cage Warriors earlier this year, following a four-fight stint with the UFC.

“I can’t wait to get back in the cage and entertain the fans,” Mills said. “My opponent is well-rounded and I expect an explosive match. I’m also looking forward to visiting Bahrain and I thank Cage Warriors for the opportunity.”

Hucin (9-3) will be keen to stake a claim for a shot at the vacant CWFC middleweight title as he goes in search of his fourth Cage Warriors win in five outings.

The 25-year-old missed out on a shot at the belt last year after a unanimous-decision loss to Victor Cheng in the semi-finals of Cage Warriors’ title tournament, which was Hucin’s only defeat in his last eight bouts. He booked his semi-final spot after a first-round KO of recent Bellator ‘Fight Master’ contestant Gareth Joseph.

The Frenchman returned to winning ways by overcoming John Michael Sheil last October, before most recently submitting former KSW champion AntonI Chmielewski at CWFC Fight Night 8 this past May.

The charismatic Parisian said: “I’m in great shape for this fight because I’ve been working hard. I’m looking forward to dancing in the sunshine and putting on a good show.”

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Cage Warriors 60 Lightweight tournament pairings set; Kelly vs. Stephens also added

Cage Warriors 60 Lightweight tournament pairings set; Kelly vs. Stephens also added

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

A FOUR-MAN tournament will take place at Cage Warriors 60 to determine a new CWFC lightweight champion, and today officials have revealed details of the semi-final pairings.

Cage Warriors 60 will take place at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, on Saturday, 5 October. Tickets, priced from just £25, are currently on sale HERE.

To be contested on the night, the lightweight tournament will feature Jason Ball (pictured), Ivan Buchinger, Stevie Ray and Mick Sinclair, all of whom will be aiming to pick up the two wins required to clinch a belt that was vacated by Conor McGregor earlier this year.

Buchinger (23-4) will face Sinclair (12-3) in one semi-final, while on the other side of the draw, Ball (20-12) and Ray (12-4) will also clash for a coveted place in the decider.

Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.

The semi-finals will feature on the CWFC 60 preliminary card, with the final scheduled to conclude the night’s action as the main event.

In order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals, the previously-announced meeting of Sean Carter and Richard Griffin will act as a reserve bout.

Meanwhile, a women’s bout has also been added to the CWFC 60 card, which will be the promotion’s 10th of 2013.

Former Muay Thai world champion Amanda Kelly (0-0) will make her professional MMA debut in a bantamweight bout against fellow Brit and Muay Thai practicioner Hannah Stephens (2-1).

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CWFC Fight Night 9 Moves to The King Hussein Boxing Arena in Jordan

CWFC Fight Night 9 Moves to Jordan

photo: cagewarriors.com

CWFC Fight Night 9, which is set for Friday, 25 October 2013, will now take place at the King Hussein Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan.

The event had originally been scheduled for Isa Town in Bahrain on the same date, but several logistical issues have caused CWFC officials to decide on a change of destination for the promotion’s eleventh event of 2013.

“We were extremely excited about bringing Cage Warriors back to Bahrain again but a few logistical problems have unfortunately arisen, which meant that staging the event to Cage Warriors’ usual high standards wasn’t going to be possible,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.

“As a result, rather than cancelling the event entirely and leaving our athletes on the card without fights to prepare for, we’ve been able to organise - despite the short notice - for CWFC Fight Night 9 to take place in Jordan instead.

“We’ve had some fantastic shows there already and this one will be no different. I want to offer my apologies to the Cage Warriors fans in Bahrain but we’ll do everything we can to get back there as early as possible in 2014.”

CWFC Fight Night 9 will be Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s fifth event in Amman, the first of which was back in June 2011.

The promotion’s most recent event in the Jordanian capital, CWFC Fight Night 7 in September of last year, saw Chris Fields defeat Pavel Kusch in the final of CWFC middleweight title tournament, as well as victories for CWFC featherweight champion Jim Alers and current UFC star Leo Santos.

Next month’s event will feature a host of Cage Warriors’ top names, such as Bruno Carvalho, Gael Grimaud, Che Mills, Faycal Hucin, Paul Redmond and many more.

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Craig Turner Meets Phil Flynn at Fight UK 10

Craig Turner Meets Phil Flynn at Fight UK 10

A Welter Weight bout between Craig Turner (6-0-0) and Phil Flynn (7-9-1) is the latest addition to the FIGHT UK 10 card held at the Athena, Leicester, England on November 16th.

Turner makes his return to the ring after recovering from a shoulder injury that has seen him out of action for over 14 months. The Rough House fighter is looking at a winning return to the FIGHT UK promotion where he made is debut amongst the amateur ranks in 2010.

Turner faces the experienced Manchester Predators athlete Flynn who steps up from the lightweight division to challenge Turner at welterweight, with wins on his record over the likes of Leeroy Barnes, Flynn is a dangerous customer for Turner. However coming off the back of 3 consecutive losses, Flynn will be looking at taking the scalp of Turner to get him back amongst the rankings. 

This is an intriguing match up for both fighters with implications surely to affect the FIGHT UK title credentials of both men.

The latest FIGHT UK 10 card now includes:

• Chris Miah (c) vs. Josh Foster - FLYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
• Joe Rice vs. Mike Berry
• Max Cotton vs. Asim Hul-Haq
• Martin Sheridan vs. Gaz Pilot
• Dan Watkins vs. James Burrows

Tickets for FIGHT UK 10 are available from £30 and can be purchased here

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Press Release: Samsung Links up with Cage Warriors

Samsung Links up with Cage Warriors 

CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to announce that it has agreed an exciting new partnership with Samsung.

The deal will see all Cage Warriors video content made available on demand via Samsung’s new SportsFlow application, which is currently available across South-East Asia.

Over 25 million Samsung mobile devices are in operation in the region, which covers Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand.

By downloading the SportsFlow app, Samsung customers in these territories will be able to access a whole host of CWFC video content via their mobile device, including features, interviews, promos and an extensive archive of Cage Warriors bouts.

“This content distribution partnership with a company of Samsung’s stature is further evidence of how rapidly Cage Warriors Fighting Championship continues to progress, and I’m looking forward to seeing this partnership flourish,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.

“I’d like to thank Maurizio Barbieri, Samsung’s Head of Sports, for his help in putting this deal in place, and also for thinking outside the box and embracing mixed martial arts.

“I’m currently in the process of finalising two very significant deals, which will ensure that 2014 will be the biggest year in the history of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship. Fighters will no longer need to look to the USA to carve out successful careers.”

According to Samsung, SportsFlow aggregates content from the most respected sports sources in the world, providing users with the chance to stay up to date with what is going on in one single glance.

As a SportsFlow user, you can personalise your experience, arranging content according to your own preferences. Content is easy to share, so friends will know what you’re commenting on or bragging about. Optimised for tablets, SportsFlow is the perfect companion if you want to catch up on the latest news or check the latest scores.

Having just recently launched SportsFlow, the app is currently available exclusively to Samsung mobile device users in the aforementioned South-East Asian territories, but the company aims to eventually launch SportsFlow as its official sports service across the globe.

For more information, check out the Samsung SportsFlow website HERE.

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UFC 165 - UK Betting Odds

UFC 165 - UK Betting Odds

With UFC 165 approaching on Saturday, 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
21/10 Nandor Guelmino v Daniel Omielanczuk 4/11
11/10 Roland Delorme v Alex Caceres 8/11
4/7 Jesse Ronson v Michael Prazeres 11/8
2/5 John Makdessi v Renee Forte 19/10 
11/8 Mitch Gagnon v Dustin Kimura 4/7
5/2 Chris Clements v Stephen Thompson 3/10
4/7 Ivan Menjivar v Wilson Reis 11/8
3/1 Mike Ricci v Myles Jury 1/4

Main  Card
19/10 Pat Healy v Khabib Nurmagomedov 2/5
8/15 Costa Philippou v Francis Carmont 6/4
EVS Brendan Schaub v Matt Mitrione 4/5
1/6 Renan Barao v Eddie Wineland 4/1
1/6 Jon Jones v Alexander Gustafsson 4/1

*Blue denotes Favourite

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Video: Jim Wallhead 'My Will to Win'

Video: Jim Wallhead 'My Will to Win'
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday September 14th 'Judo' Jim Wallhead takes on Eddie 'Fast' Ellis for the Bamma Welterweight World Title - and you best believe he is ready!

Big shout out to the guys at Performance PR for sending us this video - if you guys weren't excited for Bamma before, you definately will be nbe sure to check out out interview with Jim Wallhead

Be sure to also check out our interview with Jim Wallhead ahead of Bamma 13

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Jim Alers ahead of Cage Warriors 59 "I fight for more than just myself now"

Kingdom MMA catch up with Jim Alers ahead of Cage Warriors 59

by Chris Houten @mrhouts



Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

 On Saturday night Jim Alers will put his Cage Warriors featherweight title on the line against Martin Svensson as the pair clash at the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales. However today he took some time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. The last time we spoke to Jim he took part in our Fighter vs Writer predictions challenge and became the first Fighter to beat one of the Kingdom MMA guys. However that is in the past and now the main focus is all about his fight.

Chris: On Saturday you will be taking on Martin Svensson at Cage Warriors 59, have you spent much time studying Svennson and what do you know about you opponent?
Alers: Yes I like to go over video with my coaches as soon as I find out who it is I am fighting. Luckily for me Svensson had just fought in June and it was almost a full 3 rounds. I got to see a lot of his fighting style. I know he is tall and likes to try and bully his opponents. I feel this will be a very dynamic fight.

Chris: Svennson is a tall guy for 145 standing 6’1, do you think he will look to keep you on the outside – stick and move?
Alers: I don't think that is his style from most videos I have seen. He actually is probably going to try to use his size to grab me and clinch with me. He has a lot of submission wins so I see him trying to take the fight in that direction

Chris: How has you training camp gone for your fight with Svensson?
Alers: I feel as good as ever. I just recently checked my pulse and it was at 37bpm. So I must be in amazing shape. I am injury free and also have worked to improve all of my weaknesses that I have seen over previous fights. If this fight turns into a sword fight I will be ready. I'm ready for anything.

Chris: Have you spent any of this camp with Duke Rufus at all, or did you do all of your camp in Florida this time?
Alers: This time I did not go to Dukes. I decided to stay at home close to family and friends. There are a ton of great schools in Florida so I took advantage of the talent in my own backyard. Most of my training was done at Alliance Orlando but I also trained at The Jungle MMA, Vagner Rocha Martial Arts, Pichis boxing Pit and my strength and conditioning at Crossfit Tough as Nails

Chris: Svensson has made reference to trying out for TUF 14 in the past, and I know you have also tried out for The Ultimate Fighter as well. Did you tryout for TUF 14 also, and if so do you remember crossing paths with Svennson or what his performance was like?
Alers: There was about 300 people there so if he was there I don't think I saw him. If I did see him I probably didn't think he was there to try out to be on the show. There aren't many 145ers that walk around as big as him.

Chris: I believe your wife has been heavily pregnant for this fight camp (Congratulations by the way!), with your child due within weeks of the fight. Do you feel this has affected your training camp at all?
Alers: Thanks a million I am so excited to see my little Beast already. It has affected me a lot with her being pregnant and so close to giving birth. It has lit a fire in me to try harder than ever every single practice. I fight for more than just myself now.

Chris: Cage warriors 59 will be you 5th fight in a row outside of the US, are you still happy with the travel aboard, or are you getting to the stage where you'd like to start fighting closer to home?
Alers: I say this tons of times. "If I get nothing else out of my MMA career at least I can say that I have see the world." Fighting abroad is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Would I like to fight at home again one day and have my family there, well of course but for now I'm enjoying the world.

Chris: I take it with all the travelling abroad to fight making you an expert at making weight comfortably under any circumstance now?
Alers: I pride myself in being very professional and doing my best to make my contracted weight. I think its from my wrestling background that I am so strict with my diet and weight cut. I've been cutting weight for 10 years now. I wrestled at 145lbs in high school also.

Chris: Last time we spoke you told me the dream was to fight in the UFC. At this stage would you consider any offers from Bellator, or are you holding out for the UFC?
Alers: Yes I am holding out for the UFC. That has been the dream since day 1. Right now however I am going to be the best Cage Warriors champ ever. If UFC doesn't call you will see me defending my title plenty of times under the CW banner.

Chris: Do you feel an impressive win over Svennson will put you in ‘ the shop window’ for the UFC, and have you had any indication you might be on the UFCs radar?
Alers: That's the plan. I Want to won decisively and show why I am the number 1 featherweight out there. Not only do I feel that I am the top featherweight in Florida or in Cage Warriors that is outside the UFC but I feel that I am number 1 in the world and should be next in line for a shot in the big show. Its seems to me that you don't know if you are on their radar until you get a call saying that you are fighting in the UFC.

Chris: Should the UFC, or any other promotion come in for you are you able to discuss a deal with said promotion or are you under contract obligations to Cage Warriors?
Alers: I am under contracted obligations with Cage Warriors which I don't mind because they are such a great company. There is however a zuffa clause in my contract that will allow me to fight for the UFC if they are knocking on my door. Other than that I don't want to fight for any other company. CW has given me so many amazing opportunities

Chris: A couple of months ago there was a bit of back and forth between you and Chris Fishgold. For the fans that might of missed it, can you explain what actually happened there?
Alers: Fishgold??? Oh yea that's that kid on twitter who is pretty cocky and thinks he deserves the next shot at my title. I am not sure what happened there I think he tried to Chael Sonnen his way into a title shot but I am very skilled in the art of trash talk. That stuff is not going to work on me.

Chris: Do you feel like Fishgold is the number 1 contender in the CW featherweight division at this stage?
Alers: I know he thinks he is but do I? No I don't think he is quite ready. He should have to fight a more experienced fighter with 10 wins or so before he gets a chance. There are a few more guys within the organisation who I feel deserve it before he does. He is tough though and is definitely on the radar to get a shot.

Chris: Finally Jim, give us a prediction on how you see the fight going on Saturday – how do you see yourself winning this fight?
Alers: Predictions are hard. I like to focus on one thing and that's getting my hand raised at the end and that strap being put kept around my waist. I will do whatever it takes to keep my belt so I am prepared for a nice long 5 round battle.

All the guys at Kingdom MMA would like to wish Jim all the best for the fight on Saturday night and thank you so much for your time ahead of defending your title.

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Frank Mir vs Alistair Overeem Added To UFC 167

UFC 167 MIR VS OVEREEM , EVERYTHING TO LOSE?

By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

There seems to be no signs of slowing up as the UFC continue to add big names and fights to the UFC's 20th anniversary show, UFC 167 which will take place at the MGM Grand on November 16th in Las Vegas. 

With the recent announcement that former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir will face former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem. With more than just a win or loss on their records this fight could determine whether its the end of the line in their UFC career for the loser. 

Mir (16-8) currently ranked 8th in the official UFC rankings has seen himself slide down the ladder since losing to Junior De Santos for the UFC heavyweight championship belt at UFC 146. Mir has since gone onto lose his next two fights, firstly to Daniel Cormier and more recently being stopped by Josh Barnett via first round TKO less than 2 weeks ago. With 3 straight losses on his record , Mir will know a loss to Overeem could well see his 12 year fight career in the UFC come to an abrupt end!

Overeem (36-13-1) came to the UFC as the Strikeforce heavyweight champion and on an 8 fight winning streak. Proving in his debut fight against Brock Lesnar putting on a clinical display defeating him inside the first round at UFC 141 and earning himself a shot at then heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

This is where Overeem's career has rapidly gone downhill. Firstly testing positive in a random pre fight drugs test for elevated levels of testosterone forcing the UFC to pull him from the fight and Overeem being handed a 9 month suspension. 

On his return from suspension at UFC 156 in February , he faced Antonio Silva dominating the first two rounds Overeem became over confident and showed a lack of respect for 'Big Foot's' punching power and in doing so paid the ultimate price by being knocked out in the third round.

Then against Travis Browne only last month, Overeem started out the better of the two fighters and on the verge of victory, only to gas himself out within the first round. Browne somehow recovered from the onslaught and took full advantage of Overeem gassing, to land a front kick and punches to win via TKO. 

Could the loser of this fight be heading for pastures new?

Already confirmed for UFC 167:

Welterweight:           Georges St. Pierre  vs  Johny Hendricks

Light Heavyweight:  Rashad Evans        vs  Chael Sonnen

Welterweight:           Rory MacDonald   vs  Robbie Lawler

Welterweight:           Josh Koshcheck     vs  Tyron Woodley

Lightweight:             Donald Cerrone     vs  Evan Dunham

Welterweight:           Brian Ebersole       vs  Rick Story

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Chael Sonnen vs Rashad Evan Confirmed For UFC 167

SONNEN VS EVANS TO CO-MAIN UFC 167 IN LAS VEGAS

By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

If UFC 167 wasn't wetting your appetite enough already, then news of Chael Sonnen vs Rashad Evans being the co-main event of the evening, will surely have the desired effect?!

The bout will be at light heavyweight (205lbs) and take place on November 16th in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Sonnen (29-13-1) found himself fighting at light heavyweight after being the only fighter to step up at short notice to fight Jon Jones after Dan Henderson had to pull out due to an injury. Though it was Jones who refused to take the fight on such short notice forcing the UFC to cancel UFC 151.

With a heavy first round loss to Jon Jones at UFC 159 in April, when the pair met after being 'TUF' 17 coaches. Sonnen looked like he was fighting in the wrong division. Though a very impressive win over 'Shogun' Rua last month at UFC Fight Night 26, Sonnen managed to pull off a first round submission victory that earn't himself a top contender in Evans.

Though defeat for him here would more than likely see him return to the middleweight division, where he will be seeking to get another crack at the title or just possibly Anderson Silva!

Former light heavyweight Rashad Evans (18-3-1) has looked very poor since his defeat to Jon Jones in April 2012 when the pair squared off at UFC 145 for the light heavyweight title, losing via unanimous decision after 5 rounds.

Then going onto lose his next fight to Antionio Nogueira in a woeful performance and more recently getting back to winning ways with a split decision win over Dan Henderson at UFC 161 in June which wasn't easy to digest.

This could be just the type of fight Rashad needs to find his mojo, and climb his way back up to the top of the division where he belongs.

UFC 167 will be headlined by Georges St-Pierre when he puts his Welterweight belt on the line and faces the very dangerous and heavy handed Johny Hendricks.

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'Shogun' Rua vs James Te Huna Announced for Fight Night 33

FIGHT NIGHT 33 GETS A LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE

By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua will get the chance to bounce back from defeat to Chael Sonnen last month, when he takes on New Zealand's light heavyweight, James Te Huna. The fight is scheduled to take place at Fight Night 33 which is being held in Australia on December 7th.

Rua (21-8) will be coming into a fight for the first time ever, with back to back losses on his record with defeats to Alexander Gustafsson and more recently losing to Chael Sonnen via submission inside the first round at last months UFC on FOX Sports 1 launch event.

Te-Huna (16-6) had his four fight winning streak snapped, when he fought top light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira at UFC 160 in May, losing in the first round via submission.

UFC Fight Night 33 will be main headlined in a heavyweight battle that sees Mark Hunt vs Antonio Silva.

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Andy Ogle vs Cole Miller Scheduled For Manchester

FIGHT NIGHT 30 SEE'S THE RETURN OF ANDY OGLE! 

By Tommy Strong @strong_tea

HELS BELS Photography

The UFC has announced a featherweight bout in Manchester England that will see Englishman Andy Ogle pick his wits against American Cole Miller at next months event, Fight Night 30 on Oct 26th.

Ogle (9-2) hasn't fought since February 16th, where he defeated John Grispi via unanimous decision in London, England. He was expected to fight Conor McGregor at UFC Fox Sports 1 in August, but was forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury and was replaced by Max Holloway.

Miller (19-8) a former 'TUF' 5 contestant has been around the UFC a lot longer, making his debut back in 2007 at the finals defeating Andy Wang inside the first round, since then Miller has gone on to have a further 13 fights inside the octagon.

Miller returned to featherweight last year and is now (1-3) , he will coming into the fight on the back of a close decision loss to Manny Gamburyan only last month and will be eager to keep his UFC career alive.

UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester, will be headlined by middleweight title contenders Michael Bisping vs Mark Munoz, with the co-main event which will see a lightweight clash between Ross Pearson vs Melvin Guillard.

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Jimmy Wallhead on BAMMA 13 fight "This is what I've wanted since joining BAMMA"

Kingdom MMA talk to 'Judo' Jimmy Wallhead ahead of BAMMA 13 World Title Fight

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

Yesterday I caught up with Jimmy Wallhead to discuss his BAMMA World Championship fight against Eddy Ellis which takes place this Saturday at BAMMA 13 in Birmingham and the winner will become the first BAMMA World Welterweight Champion. BAMMA 13 is headlined by Max Nunes vs Jason Jones as they battle it out for the 1st BAMMA Light Heavyweight World Championship and also Curt Warburton fight Mansour Barnaoui for the vacant BAMMA World Lightweight Championship.

Jack: First of all how are you Jimmy?
Wallhead: Really good thank you and looking forward to Saturday.

Jack: Everyone knows about your Judo credentials by now, do you still focus on this in camp or is there anything in particular you have focused on in this camp in preparation for Eddie Ellis?
Wallhead: Not at all,I never really work judo on its own at all anymore but have started implementing certain techniques into my mma game. As for preparing for Eddy I've aimed to cover everything.

Jack: You haven't fought for 6 months now, are you raring to go again?
Wallhead: Absolutely

Jack: In the last 18 months you have only spent 4 rounds inside the cage. Do you expect ring rust to play a part at all? What have you done to counter this possibility?
Wallhead: I've not even considered that to be honest I feel great and I'm constantly working hard in the gym so always feel on my game.

Jack: I read that you were told you were too experienced for TUF when you applied. Is this true and what was the experience like?
Wallhead: That is true, it was a long time ago but I enjoyed the trip to Vegas for interviews etc but that's as far as my ultimate fighter dream went.

Jack: There was lots of speculation on previous UFC visits to these shores that you would be signed. You instead chose to sign with Bellator. What made you make that decision and was there ever any contact from the UFC?
Wallhead: There was never contact from the UFC at that time the Bellator thing came about I took it,maybe wish now I didn't but everything is for a reason that's why I am who I am now.

Jack: Are you still signed to Bellator or are you now only fighting for BAMMA?
Wallhead: Only for Bamma.

Jack: You have faced some real top competition so far in your career. What is your best win to date?
Wallhead: I'm not sure, I would have to say my 3 Bamma victories stand well above the rest.

Jack: What do you know about your opponent Eddy Ellis and how do you think your skill sets compare?
Wallhead: I think he is well rounded and very tough, I think we're very similar in that sense so should lead to an exciting bout come Saturday.

Jack: On Saturday you will be fighting Eddy Ellis with the winner becoming the first bamma world welterweight champion, is this the biggest fight of your career?
Wallhead: Yeah without a doubt this is what I've wanted since joining Bamma so its a huge fight for me.

Jack: A win on Saturday night could put you in a position where BAMMA may want you to defend the title against Paul Daley (your long time friend & Rough House training partner) would you fight Paul if asked by BAMMA?
Wallhead: To be honest that's a ridiculous question its not going to happen lol

Jack: How's the weight at the minute, are you on schedule and where you want to be ahead of the weight cut at the end of the week?
Wallhead: Absolutely great if anything slightly ahead so chilled right now.

Jack: Finally Jimmy, give us a prediction of how you see the fight going on Saturday night and how do you see yourself getting the win?
Wallhead: Me becoming champion in anyway I can possibly do so in a fan pleasing entertaining fight.

Jack: Would you like to thank anyone?
Wallhead: All my team team, sponsors and my family.

Thank you to Jimmy Wallhead for his time and answering our questions and we all wish you good luck in your fight on Saturday.

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Lewis Long on Tommy Maguire "I believe I am better in all areas"

Kingdom MMA speak to Lewis Long ahead of Cage Warriors 59 clash with Tommy Maguire

by Ben Heather @benheather



Photo: Cage Warriors

Earlier today Kingdom MMA caught up with Lewis Long to discuss his fight this weekend at Cage Warriors 59, which takes place at the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wales. Lewis fights on the main card and takes on Tommy Maguire, the brother of former UFC fighter John Maguire.

Ben: For those people reading this that haven't heard of Lewis Long yet or seen you fight before can you tell us a little about yourself and what they can expect to see on Saturday night?
Long: I'm Lewis Long, proud Welshman, true martial artist.

Ben: On Saturday night you will be fighting for the third time at a cage warriors event, cage warriors is widely regarded as the number one promotion in Europe. How does it feel fighting for such a well respected organisation?
Long: Oh it feels damn good, if you want to be seen it's the only place to be. The first event i ever went to was Cage Warriors in Nottingham, and since then it has been the only place I've wanted to be and since that show in Nottingham it's grown five times as big but still has the values that drew me to the promotion in the beginning.

Ben: Both of your previous cage warriors fights have been in wales and you will have the home country advantage fighting in Wales again on Saturday night, from past experience does the crowd spur you on as you walk out to the cage?
Long: The home crowd is awesome, the motorpoint arena is a top venue for MMA. Love hearing the crowd chant "Lewis "Lewis" because that's my name.

Ben: You are fighting Tommy Maguire on Saturday night, what do you know about your opponent and how do you think your skill sets compare?
Long: I know he has "2 Gunz" but unfortunately for him under the unified rules of MMA weapons are banned, so unlucky for him. As for skill set, I believe I am better in all areas.

Ben: How has the training camp gone for this fight and have you done anything different to prepare for the fight with Maguire?
Long: My BJJ coach Rob Taylor got his black belt, so i can say I train with a black belt now. I've taken my nutrition more seriously now too so I'm more prepared come fight night.

Ben: I believe both of your loses have come from submissions and Maguire has won nearly a third of his fights by submission have you focused on submission defence at all for this fight?
Long: He'd have to get me to the floor first and if by a miracle he does then I'm more that prepared you know, don't know if I've mentioned this but i do train with a black belt these days.

Ben: Last time out you defeated Mark Glover who was made famous by his appearance on The Ultimate fighter, how did you rate that performance?
Long: The game plan went perfectly, my boxing was crisp and even though he had the range I managed to get on the inside and get my shots off.

Ben: Is TUF something that would interest you or are you focused on working your way up the ranks within cage warriors and trying to earn a CW title shot?
Long: I applied for the Smashes but didn't hear anything back so didn't attend the trials in London. Then a few of the lads who went up said they called my name out and i wasn't there. If i had been there I would of made the final for certain. But things happen for a reason, my time will come.

Ben: How's the weight at the minute, are you on schedule and where you want to be ahead of the weight cut at the end of the week.
Long: I would like to be at 155lbs by the end of the week and I am on target at present so all good in the hood.

Ben: Finally Lewis, give us a prediction of how you see the fight going on Saturday night and how do you see yourself getting the win?
Long: My prediction would be to stop Tommy making the fight a snooze fest by dishing out my own brand of Lew-jitsu then being announced the winner by Joe Martinez.

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone?
Long: I always forget people but those who have helped me know who they are. Thanks for the interview. Follow my twitter @Lew_Long

Thank you very much to Lewis for taking the time to answer our questions and all the guys at Kingdom MMA wish you all the best on Saturday night.

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Nate Diaz vs Gray Maynard III set for TUF 18 Finale

Diaz and Maynard Square Off For The Third Time!!

by Tommy Strong @strong_tea
 

The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale, will see top lightweights Nate Diaz take on Gray Maynard for the third time of asking.

Though only officially the second time on record, as the first encounter was in 'TUF' 5 where both men would meet in the semi-finals with Nate Diaz submitting Maynard and then going onto be the winner of "TUF" season 5.

The pair would meet again in January 2010, at UFC Fight Night 20, but this time it would be Maynard who would take the win via split decision.

Maynard (11-2-1) went onto to beat Kenny Florian to earn himself a title shot at the Lightweight belt at UFC 125 when he took on Frankie Edgar, in what would end up being the fight of the night and year! In an epic back and forth battle the judges couldn't split the pair with the outcome being a draw (48-46, 46-48, 47-47) The pair would meet again 9 months later in a rematch that didn't disappoint. Though this time it was Edgar that managed to take the win via an emphatic 4th round KO.

Since then Maynard is (1-1) beating Clay Guida via split decision, and then losing to TJ Grant inside the first round in a lightweight title eliminator fight.

Diaz (16-9) since his loss to Maynard, decided to move back up to Welterweight which he had mixed fortunes going 2-2.

At UFC 135 Diaz returned back to Lightweight and went on to win three fights in a row beating Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone and then handing Jim Miller his first ever submission loss to earn himself a title shot against Benson Henderson.

Diaz is currently on a two fight losing streak, having lost a one sided fight in his title shot against Benson Henderson and more recently losing to Josh Thomson via TKO. In that fight Josh Thomson became the first fighter to knockout Diaz.

With so much on the line and the way both fighters like to fight, we could be in for a real treat! (touching wood)

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Rob Sinclair Out Of Lightweight Tournament, Ricardo Tirloni Now Set To Face Rich Clementi

Rob Sinclair Out Of Lightweight Tournament with Knee Injury 

A knee injury has forced England’s Rob Sinclair out of the Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament, which takes place September 27th from Portland’s Moda Center on September 27th live on Spike. Sinclair will now be replaced by Bellator veteran Ricardo Tirloni. The Brazilian submission ace was originally scheduled to face Marcin Held in a lightweight feature fight, but will now move into the tournament, while Held will take on Portland native Ryan Healy.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Bellator.com, as well as the Moda Center Box Office. The event will broadcast LIVE starting at 6 p.m. PST on Spike, as well as in Spanish language on mun2. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE on Spike.com starting at 4 p.m. PST.

The full fight card can be found below:

MAIN CARD:

Bellator Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal: Mark Godbeer (8-1) vs. Cheick Kongo (18-8-2)
Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Marcus Davis (22-9) vs. Tiger Sarnavskiy (23-1)
Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: John Alessio (34-16) vs. Will Brooks (10-1)
Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Martin Stapleton (12-1) vs. Saad Awad (14-5)
Bellator Lightweight Tournament Opening Round: Ricardo Tirloni (15-4) vs. Rich Clementi (45-22-1)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Lightweight Feature Fight: Scott Thometz (6-2) vs. Brent Primus (2-0)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Andy Uhrich (9-3) vs. Nathan Coy (12-4)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Pacheco (6-0) vs. Tyson Jeffries (10-7)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Marcin Held (15-3) vs. Ryan Healy (23-12-1)
Middleweight Feature Fight: Jeremiah Riggs (7-7) vs. Peter Aspinwall (3-3)
Bantamweight Feature Fight: Austin Springer (3-0) vs. Brent Alvarez (1-1)

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Bellator Signs Featherweight Daniel Weichel

Bellator Signs Featherweight Daniel Weichel 

In a division currently featuring Bellator Champion Pat Curran, Daniel Straus, Patricio Pitbull, Diego Nunes, and Frodo Khasbulaev, the featherweight ranks in Bellator just got deeper with the addition of German powerhouse Daniel Weichel. Only 28, the 31-8 submission ace becomes an instant threat within the division, and has his sights set on the next Bellator Featherweight Tournament.

“It´s like a dream come true fighting for Bellator MMA,” Weichel said. “I can´t wait to enter the cage and begin the toughest tournament out there. Fighting in the US and live on Spike TV is a thrill; so I will go out there to make my team at MMA Spirit and the greatest fans in the world as proud. I always wanted to compete with the best fighters and I can do just that at Bellator. My hard work has paid off and you will get to see another beast at featherweight, I can promise that.”

Already a fan favorite in Europe, the former lightweight standout is ready to make his presence felt stateside, and continue his winning ways inside the Bellator cage. After moving from welterweight to lightweight in 2009, Weichel has gone 13-2, including victories over Khasbulaev, Georgi Stoyanov, and Jose Figueroa.

“Since our inception, we’ve strived to bring in the best talent from around the world, and Daniel certainly fits that bill,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “We’ve had our eye on Daniel for quite some time so we’re all excited to get Daniel into our next Featherweight Tournament.”

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all your Bellator news.

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Paul Daley vs. Alexander Yakovlev at the Legend

Paul Daley vs. Alexander Yakovlev at the Legend

This is the second officially announced bout of the event, the first being the fight between the scandalous Russian heavyweight Alexander Emelianenko and the Croatian MMA legend Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

Alexander Yakovlev (19-4-1) is well known to Russian fans for his M-1 league performance. Yakovlev, who has certificates of mastery in hand-to-hand fighting, freestyle wrestling, sambo, and combat sambo, clinched the win in 16 of his fights, with 8 knockouts and 8 submissions.

Last November, with 5 wins in a run and a tie in hard confrontation with Shamil Zavurod, Yakovlev had a title fight with the M-1 Challenge champion Rashid Magomedov, but lost by the judges' decision. Having drawn the right conclusions from this experience, the Bad Boy came back to the ring last April defeating Murad Abdulaev in a close fight.

His opponent, Paul Daley (33-12-2), British knockout artist has fought in the 10 years of his professional career in almost all major MMA promotions, including Strikeforce, Bellator и UFC. Semtex, famous for his quick temper and lethal left hook, has already knocked out 24 fighters, with MMA stars Duane Ludwig, Martin Kampmann, and Scott Smith among them.

Now Daley is on the rise again: he has to his credit 4 wins in a run and a free hand (Daley has recently parted with Bellator). He had his latest fight in Liverpool, having knocked out Lukasz Chlewicki in the first round.

Russian MMA fans will have to wait until November to find out who is more explosive - the Bad Boy or Semtex.

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Jon “Bones” Jones Previews Nike UFC 165 Training Camp T-Shirt

Jon “Bones” Jones Nike UFC 165 Training Camp T-Shirt
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones took took to instagram this week to preview his signature walkout t-shirt for his up coming UFC 165 title defense against Alexander Gustaffason.

Produced by Nike, Jones' new signature t-shirt features his name and training camp tag on the back, while the front finds a reflective flip on his nickname which appears to switch from “Bones” to “Jones” depending on the lighting conditions.

No official release date has been set although it is expect the Jon Jones UFC 165 signature T-shirt will be available from Nike in the days leading up to the fight.

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The Bradley Scott Blog - Episode 2

My life training at The MMA Lab

by Bradley Scott @Bradleyscott89

The MMA Lab

Last week was a tough week, it was probably one of the harder weeks we have done. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it, absolutely fucked. The strength and conditioning was probably the reason for it. We did three solid strength and conditioning sessions, they were really long winded as well.

To keep you all up to date with my routine for the past couple of weeks, this is what I have been doing.

Last Monday (26th August)
Kickboxing - working on our technique so it was quite tame but focused on specific techniques.

Tuesday
Wrestling and Grappling - which was pretty difficult

Wednesday - It was tough we did a really hard conditioning session and then after that we had stand up sparring.

Thursday
In the morning I did Jui Jitsu, then in the afternoon we just rolled for like an hour and a half. It absolutely killed me.

Friday Morning ON MY DAY OFF
I had to do conditioning again which absolutely annihilated me, but I had the rest of Friday off.

Then on Saturday I had sparring, proper MMA sparring which is the hard sparring session at The MMA Lab but I was so fucked I could hardly spar, I still managed to get four good five minute rounds in. I was destroyed mentally by the end of the week.

Monday (2nd Sept)
This week, conditioning has been upped a notch as the Americans have had a day off on Monday called Labor Day which is like one of our bank holidays back home. So we had an hour and half to two hour MMA practise doing Kickboxing drills. Lots and lots of kicks and lots of defence from kicks obviously this was as a result of Anthony Pettis and how his fight with Benson turned out.

Tuesday
We had a fucking horrible conditioning session, it was the worst conditioning session ever. Oh my god, it was fucking hell. I had to leave early as I had to have my eyes tested and so he just crammed as much shit in to an hour and half session as he could and it just fucking killed me. Loads and loads of biometric stuff, the vertimax machine which ties you to the floor with all the elastics. It was a fucking nightmare it caught me off guard massively and completely destroyed my soul and my will to live.

Then on Tuesday night I was hoping for some technique work, we did wrestling mixed with a little bit of jui jitsu and then we rolled at the end for another thirty minutes or so. It was another hour and half workout by the end so that was pretty savage as well but it was really good.


All the guys are so good and I am learning so much. Ive been working a lot with a brown belt in Jui Jitsu called Ishmael (I cant remember his second name) but he is really good and is kicking my arse on the floor. I'm currently a blue belt, second degree not that makes any difference. So I need to hurry up and get to a purple belt otherwise I cant compete.... you got to be a high belt in Jui Jitsu its like the law so I think I'll get my black belt in a couple of months I expect. Do a couple of backward rolls, couple of forward rolls, a couple of triangles and that should get me my black belt..... god if only it was that easy!!

I have been getting destroyed on the floor here they are so good. Its the ones that look like nothing who are the most dangerous ones, well except for Ishmael who is shredded. He is really athletic and has good stand up, good wrestling in fact he is good at MMA. He is also a pro but I don't know what organisation he fights for, but he is really good.

We also have Augusto Mendes he is a 4x World Brazilian Jui Jitsu champion and a ADCC winner so he is really good and so fast but he is only little so he can help and he is a damn sight better than me. He is quick on the floor, not so good stand up or wrestling but great on the floor.

That's is literally all I have been doing so far and I am hanging out of my arse. Everyday I come home and drink this special water "Essentia Water" Its super hydrating water and is quite expensive but it tastes quite good as water goes. Its fucking lovely, them and chocolate almonds they get me through.

I weighed myself yesterday and I'm 200lbs so that's well ahead of schedule. Its where I want to be a week out so I will just try and stick to it now if I can. It was after training though so I was probably a little dehydrated so I'd probably say I was more like 203lbs I expect.

Hanging out with the guys from The MMA Lab
On Saturday night I didn't actually get to see the Benson fight as we all got together for a local event which was about an hour away, still in Arizona. We had three wins out of three fights all of them really quick. Two of them were guillotines, one in about 30 seconds the other in a minute and a half. Then the other fight was a third round TKO but it was a massacre so that was really good and it proved what a real winning attitude The MMA Lab has.

As for the UFC fights I know Jamie Varner didn't win but I haven't seen the fight yet but I would have liked to see Jamie Varner win, he is a really cool guy.

I know Benson will be back as well and will hopefully get another shot at Pettis to earn revenge, he will probably have to take a couple of fights before but then hopefully get another shot. He walks around deceivingly close to weight and is still in good shape now. He is fucking shredded.

In the next blog I will continue to give more details of my training and touch on my game plan and some specifics that I have been training on ready for the fight so stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for the next instalment.

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Belfort vs Henderson set for UFC Fight Night 32

Vitor Belfort agrees Dan Henderson rematch

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

Vitor Belfort has not seemed to need Joe Silva's help in matching him recently. He's gone from calling out Chris Weidman, on to Chael Sonnen and finally settled on a Dan Henderson rematch.

Logically the fight makes no sense. He didn't want to fight Tim Kennedy as he wasn't ranked in the top 10. He didn't want Sonnen as he wanted a shot at Weidman's Middleweight belt. As soon as Sonnen found a matchup with Wanderlei Silva he suddenly became interested again. In short Belfort is a hard man to read. If the reason for avoiding the Kennedy fight was fair and logical the Henderson fight should surely fall under the same banner.

Henderson is obviously a danger and we all know what he's capable of on a good day. Are those good days behind him now? He's not ranked at Middleweight or Light Heavyweight, he doesn't fight very often, he's lost two fights in a row and Belfort has already beaten him, albeit 7 years ago. The fight smacks of Belfort taking the biggest name available willing to travel to Brazil. He keeps saying he's not hiding in Brazil to get away with his TRT usage but the fights in Brazil keep coming. The longer fights like this one spring up the more questions will be asked.

From Dan Henderson's point of view it must of been an easy decision to make to accept the fight. From being on the cusp of a title shot to being on a two fight skid is an extreme in itself. Neither loss was particularly damaging, infact there is an argument Henderson could of got the nod in both the Machida and Evans fights. The fact he didn't puts him right to the back of the que and makes him irrelevant again. A win over a Vitor Belfort jacked up on TRT  in Brazil is quite possibly the best win Dan Henderson could get right now.

Belfort is the standout middleweight contender and should Henderson beat him he probably catapults himself into that one last title fight he desperately craves. A win for Belfort again does nothing for him realistically. He's expected to win. He has beat another unranked opponent and won't earn a title shot with a win. Matchmaking has been very curious with Belfort lately. It's almost as if they want him to lose as they have no idea what to do with him.

The rematch will headline UFC Fight Night 32 in Golania, Brazil on November 9th. No other contests have yet been announced.

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Hunt vs Bigfoot rumoured to headline UFC's return to Australia

Mark Hunt vs. Bigfoot Silva Rumoured To Be Headlining Next UFC Fight Night Event in Australia

by John Haigh @JohnBJayHaigh

It’s been reported that a heavyweight clash between Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has reportedly been set as the main event for a possible UFC Fight Night event on Dec. 7 in Australia, according to a report by Brazilian site Combate.com.

No venue has been announced for the fight, but with the UFC style events banned in both Victoria and Western Australia, Sydney and Brisbane are the leading chances to host the reported show.
Hunt (9-8) is coming of a KO loss to the former UFC champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, which ended his four-fight winning streak. The New Zealand born fighter has been in and out of hospital after the bout with a gaping hole in his leg caused by a serious staph infection.

Silva (18-5) also fought at UFC 160, where he challenged Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, losing in less than 90 seconds via TKO.

Both fighters will be looking to get back to the top of the division as soon as possible and with both men having recent wins over some top level opponents, neither can be far away from title contention with a win.

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Kingdom MMA speak to Mike Wilkinson ahead of his UFC fight in Manchester

Kingdom MMA catch up with Mike Wilkinson to speak about his fight at UFC Fight Night 30

by Ben Heather @benheather

Last week Kingdom MMA caught up with Mike Wilkinson. It has recently been announced that Mike will be fighting on the UFC's return to the UK, this will be Mike's first appearance in the octagon on home soil after his first two fights were in Australia and then Brazil. Not only is it home soil, its pretty much Mike's home town as he lives about 30 minutes drive from the arena he will be fighting in on October 26th.

Ben: How does it feel knowing that you will be walking out in front of possibly 21,000 in Manchester at an arena which is pretty much in your home town?
Wilkinson: Fighting at the MEN is a dream come true and to be putting on a show in front of all them people is just an added bonus. I cannot fuckin wait.

Ben: Does this fight with Jim excite you?
Wilkinson: Any fight in the UFC excites me, it doesn't matter who the opponent is.

Ben: You are coming in to this fight off the back of your first loss, are you using this to motivate you going in to the fight?
Wilkinson: Dead right, I've learnt a lot from that loss and to get my next win in my backyard is extra motivation.

Ben: Do you feel you have earned the chance to fight in the UK after fighting in Australia and then Brazil before?
Wilkinson: What do you think lol

It makes sense putting me on the Manchester card and I appreciate that the UFC have given me this shot, like I've said before I'll fight anyone, anywhere and will never pull out of a fight and let the UFC down.

Ben: What was your first reaction when you were offered this fight? Did you sign the contract instantly or have a think about it?
Wilkinson: I was chuffed to bits, I didn't even look who the opponent was I just replied to Sean Shelby "your a legend, yes I'm ready" haha

Ben: When I spoke to you at the Expo in Manchester, we spoke about your loss in Brazil and it seemed that you had come to terms with it and wanted to use it as a learning experience to help improve your career.
Would you say that was a fair comment and is this the attitude you live by?
Wilkinson: Obviously I was hurt that I had my first loss and yeah I was badly gutted and still am but it's how you comeback that counts and Oct 26th I'll be putting a fuckin SHOW on!!!!

Ben: When did you properly start your camp for this fight?
Wilkinson: I'm always training and keeping fit as its my job but when I get an email from the UFC it's fight mode and time to step things up.

Ben: Will you be bringing in anyone to help specifically for this fight or training on anything specifically based on Hettes skill set?
Wilkinson: Yeah slight adjustments have been made and I'll be more than ready come fight night.

Thank you to Mike for his time and for all the latest news regarding Mike be sure to check out his twitter account @M_WilkinsonMMA. If you have not already got your tickets for UFC Manchester they are still available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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Martin McDonough out of Cage Warriors 59 injured, Kris Edwards now part of Bantamweight tournament

McDonough forced out of title tilt

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Martin McDonough’s hopes of being crowned CWFC bantamweight champion in Wales on Saturday have unfortunately been dashed, after the Welshman sustained a hand injury during a sparring session last week.

An initial medical examination has revealed that McDonough (11-4) suffered a fracture which will rule him out of Cage Warriors 59‘s four-man bantamweight grand prix, which is now just nine days away. The 24-year-old, who has clocked up a 3-0 Cage Warriors record since making his promotional debut last year, is due to undergo an MRI scan shortly, so an accurate time-frame for his return to action has yet to be given.

McDonough’s place in the CWFC bantamweight tournament, which is set for Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, September 14, will now be taken by his Tillery Combat team-mate Kris Edwards (pictured).
Edwards (8-5) was scheduled to face Aaron Blackwell in a tournament alternate bout at Cage Warriors 59, but the 23-year-old has now been promoted to fill the void and face James Pennington in the semi-finals, with Brett Johns and David Haggstrom still set to clash on the other side of the draw.

Cage Warriors officials hope to re-match Blackwell on an upcoming card, while the winner of the Cage Warriors 59 prelim between Timur Mercanoglu and Jordan Desborough will be placed on standby should a vacancy arise in the tournament on the night.

Edwards recently made the decision to return to the bantamweight division following a disappointing stint at flyweight, during which he suffered back-to-back losses in his two most recent bouts.

After signing an exclusive contract with the promotion, the Abertillery native made his CWFC debut with an impressive win over Janne Elonen-Kulmala at CWFC Fight Night 5 in Jordan in April of last year, after which he opted to make the move to 125lbs.

Life in his new weight class began well for Edwards, as he submitted Brian Hyslop in the second round of their meeting at Cage Warriors 48 in London in July 2012, a win that saw him jump straight into the top-three in the UK’s flyweight rankings, having previously occupied fifth spot at bantamweight.

Next up for Edwards was Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff last October, but an injury picked up by opponent Mark Platts just a week out from the fight saw Alan Philpott called in as a replacement, with the bout being contested at 135lbs due to the late notice. But it was Philpott who emerged victorious, as Edwards dropped a loss for the first time since July 2011.

Edwards, who holds wins over CWFC’s James Brum and Spencer Hewitt, returned to action back in May at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff, but again he was forced to deal with a late change of opponent, with Shaj Haque drafted in at the eleventh hour to replace the injured Karl Harrison.

After enduring a difficult weight-cut which saw him miss the mark by 0.7lb, an uncharacteristically languid Edwards was edged out by Haque via split decision, leaving him with consecutive defeats for the first time in his career.

As Edwards returns to the bantamweight division a week on Saturday, the Welshman says he’s keen to return to top-form by putting in the type of performance which saw him regarded as one of the top young prospects in Europe last year.

“I’m absolutely gutted for Martin,” said Edwards. “I’ve seen first-hand how hard he’s prepared for this tournament and he’s devastated to have picked up an injury. But I’m thrilled with the chance to replace him and I’ll do my best to bring that title back to Tillery Combat.”

Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan added: “Everyone involved with Cage Warriors is extremely disappointed for Martin McDonough. He deserves his place in the tournament but I’m sure he’ll come back stronger and earn another title shot in the near future. I wish him well in his recovery.

“I want to say best of luck to Kris Edwards in the tournament. I know he’s been disappointed with his last couple of performances, but were it not for a difficult cut to flyweight, he probably would have been in contention for this anyway. It’s all set up for a very exciting tournament in Cardiff next week.”

Meanwhile, Owain Parry has also sustained an injury which has ruled him out of his CWFC 59 lightweight prelim against Jamie Rogers, so 21-year-old Englishman Sam Gilbert has been called in as a replacement.
Tickets for Cage Warriors 59 at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, September 14, are still available, priced from just £25.

MAIN CARD
Edwards/Pennington vs. Haggstrom/Johns (Bantamweight tournament final)
Jim Alers (champion) vs. Martin Svensson (Featherweight title bout)
Mats Nilsson vs. Denniston Sutherland
Lew Long vs. Tommy Maguire
Dave Hill vs. Brian Moore
Lee Caers vs. Aaron Thomas

FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Sam Gilbert vs. Jamie Rogers
David Haggstrom vs. Brett Johns (Bantamweight tournament semi-final)
Kris Edwards vs. James Pennington (Bantamweight tournament semi-final)

NON-STREAMED PRELIMS
Jordan Desborough vs. Timur Mercanoglu
Brett Caswell vs. Paul Rogers

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Cage Warriors announces four more Dublin dates

Four Dublin dates confirmed for CWFC

(Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)

The Helix has penned a deal with Cage Warriors Fighting Championship to host the promotion’s next quartet of Dublin events.

The deal will see Cage Warriors hit Ireland’s capital on four occasions between 31 December, 2013, and the corresponding date in 2014, giving Dublin three consecutive New Year’s Eve events following the enormous success of last December’s Cage Warriors 51.

In addition to the New Year’s Eve events of 2013 and 2014, The Helix will also play host to Cage Warriors on Saturday, March 8, and Saturday, July 26, next year.

“We’re delighted to be making such a strong commitment to the Irish market over a 12-month period, particularly at a such a fantastic venue,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.

“After selling out our previous shows there, the huge demand and interest from the Irish fans could have convinced us to choose a bigger venue, but the intimate nature of The Helix has contributed to making our previous Dublin shows so special.

“We’ve had some very memorable Cage Warriors moments at The Helix already and I’m looking forward to seeing more of those with this next batch of events, starting with CWFC 63 this New Year’s Eve.”

Cage Warriors’ dates for The Helix, Dublin:

Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Saturday, 8 March, 2014
Saturday, 26 July, 2014
Wednesday, 31 December, 2014

CWFC first came to The Helix in June of last year when Conor McGregor defeated Dave Hill to capture the promotion’s vacant featherweight title at Cage Warriors 47.

McGregor stole the show again last New Year’s Eve at CWFC 51, when a first-round KO of Ivan Buchinger saw the Irishman become the first fighter to simultaneously hold CWFC titles in two unified weight classes.

More history was made when CWFC most recently visited The Helix for Cage Warriors 55 this past June, when Dublin’s own Neil Seery submitted Mikael Silander to become the first ever CWFC flyweight champion.

Tickets for Cage Warriors 63 this New Year’s Eve will go on sale shortly. For fight announcements and ticket news, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: Conor McGregor with the CWFC featherweight and lightweight belts in the aftermath of his historic win over Ivan Buchinger at The Helix last December.

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Cage Warriors 62 set for Newcastle in December

CWFC set for Newcastle

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship will hit Newcastle, England, in December for the promotion’s penultimate event of the year.

Officials can today confirm that Saturday, December 7, will see the city’s Metro Radio Arena will play host to CWFC’s eighth UK show of 2013, which is currently scheduled as Cage Warriors 62.

The venue, which can cater for up to 11,000 fans, will open ticket sales shortly for an event that’s set to attract huge attention in the north-east of England.

Cage Warriors 62 will be the first CWFC event to be held in the region since November 2003, when Cage Warriors 5 took place in nearby South Shields.

“The Cage Warriors fans in the north-east have been begging me to bring the show up there for a long time so we’re delighted to be doing that on December 7,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.

“Based on the number of requests I’ve had, we’ve obviously got a huge following in Newcastle and the surrounding area, so I think this has the potential to be our biggest event of the year.

“We’ve got some excellent local talent on our roster, such as Alex Enlund, Liam James, Shaj Haque and Chris Scott, and I’m sure they - along with the big national and international names we’ll bring in - will be keen to put on a show.

“We’ve had successful arena shows in Cardiff and Liverpool already this year, but I’m really looking forward to this one. I think Cage Warriors in Newcastle will be something special.”

Cage Warriors 62 will be the first of two CWFC events in the month of December, with another visit to The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, booked for New Year’s Eve.

For Cage Warriors 62 ticket news and fight announcements, keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter.

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CWFC Fight Night 9: Carvalho vs Grimaud announced to fight in Bahrain

Cage Warriors returns to Bahrain with CWFC Fight Night 9: Carvalho v Grimaud



Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Two of the top welterweights on the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship roster will collide when the promotion makes its return to Bahrain later this year.

Khalifa Sports City will play host to the meeting of Bruno Carvalho and former CWFC welterweight champion Gael Grimaud (pictured) on Friday, October 25, at CWFC Fight Night 9, which will be the promotion’s 11th event of 2013.

Carvalho (15-6) will be aiming for his second successive CWFC win, having overcome Steve Dinsdale - who was a late replacement for the injured Mohsen Bahari - at Cage Warriors 52 in March.

That victory saw the 31-year-old BJJ black belt rebound from a narrow decision loss to current CWFC welterweight title-holder Cathal Pendred last October at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff.

A Brazilian currently based in Sweden, Carvalho holds victories over former KSW middleweight champion Vitor Nobrega, Dream veteran Tatsuya Mizuno, former Pride middleweight Jean-Francois Lenogue and The Ultimate Fighter 11 contestant Kyacey Uscola.

Grimaud (17-6) also returns to Cage Warriors action for the first time since last March’s CWFC 52, when he relinquished the welterweight title via a unanimous decision defeat to Cathal Pendred.

The 33-year-old Frenchman was victorious when Cage Warriors last visited Bahrain, submitting Jesse Taylor to retain the belt in the third round of the CWFC Fight Night 6 headliner in May of last year.

Grimaud, who has 13 stoppage wins - 11 by submission - on his record, was crowned CWFC welterweight champion in September 2011 thanks to a second-round TKO triumph against Arni Isaksson at CWFC Fight Night 2 in Jordan.

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4 Man Lightweight Tournement Set for Cage Warriors 60

4 Man Lightweight Tournement Set for Cage Warriors 60

A FOUR-MAN tournament will be contested at Cage Warriors 60 to determine a new CWFC lightweight champion.The title, which was vacated by Conor McGregor earlier this year, will be up for grabs when Cage Warriors returns to The Forum in London on Saturday, 5 October, 2013.

Scotland’s Stevie Ray, Slovakian Ivan Buchinger and English pair Mick Sinclair and Jason Ball will battle it out in pursuit of the promotion’s lightweight crown.

The victorious fighter will need to overcome two opponents in one night for the right to be crowned Cage Warriors’ 155lbs champion, with semi-final pairings to be announced in due course.

Each semi-final bout will consist of two five-minute rounds and an additional overtime round will be contested in the event of a draw. Five five-minute rounds will be scheduled for the final.

The semi-finals will feature on the night’s preliminary card, with the final concluding the Cage Warriors 60 bill as the main event. A reserve bout will also be added to the card in order to facilitate any enforced withdrawals.

THE CONTENDERS

JASON BALL (20-12) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

The most experienced participant in the tournament, Jason Ball will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fifth time in his career and the third time in 2013.

The 29-year-old is a well-rounded fighter, taking nine (T)KO and nine submission wins since making his professional debut in January 2005.

Ball is likely to be on a revenge mission on October 5, having previously suffered decision losses to two of his three tournament rivals - Mick Sinclair and Ivan Buchinger.

The Doncaster native hasn’t been stopped in his last 14 outings, with his most recent stoppage defeat coming via submission against UFC veteran Paul Sass in November 2008.

“This opportunity has been my target since returning to Cage Warriors,” said Ball. “I said then that I wanted to be the champion and this is my chance to get the belt.

“The tournament format adds an extra challenge and excitement. Four tough guys will be aiming to win the belt but I plan on putting on a show and bringing it back to Doncaster.”

IVAN BUCHINGER (23-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

Ranked as one of Europe’s top lightweights, Ivan Buchinger gets his second shot at the CWFC lightweight title on October 5 in London.

Defeated by Conor McGregor in the main event at Cage Warriors 51 in Dublin last New Year’s Eve, the Slovakian has rebounded in impressive fashion in 2013.

Buchinger edged out Jason Ball by unanimous decision at Cage Warriors 54 in Cardiff back in May, before submitting Jamal Magomedov last month at Cage Warriors 58 in Chechnya.

Still just 27, Buchinger has notched 20 career wins inside the distance and counts Diego Gonzalez, Jarkko Latomaki and Bellator tournament winner Magomedrasul Khasbulaev among his notable victories.

Three of Buchinger’s four losses have come at the hands of UFC veterans, in Conor McGregor, Akira Corassani and Anton Kuivanen.

He said: “I’m very happy to have another chance to fight for this title. I have worked hard to get it and I’m very determined to make the most of this chance.”

STEVIE RAY (12-4) | Photo: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors

A member of Scotland’s renowned Dinky Ninjas camp, Stevie Ray is the tournament’s youngest participant at 23 years of age.

Three of Ray’s four career losses came at welterweight, with his only defeat at 155lbs coming via decision against three-time UFC veteran Curt Warburton.

Holding wins over CWFC veterans Dale Hardiman, Merv Mulholland and Vincent del Guerra, Ray has taken 10 of his 12 victories by stoppage - six via submission, four by (T)KO.

“I’m really excited and grateful to Cage Warriors for giving me the chance to fight for their lightweight title in London on October 5,” said Ray.

“I believe I’m better than I’ve ever been right now, I’ll be ready for whoever is in front of me and I’m determined to bring that belt back to Scotland.”

MICK SINCLAIR (12-3) | Photo: MMAPics.com

The tournament’s elder statesman at 31, Englishman Mick Sinclair will be competing for Cage Warriors for the fourth time in his career.

The younger brother of Bellator lightweight Rob Sinclair, Mick holds wins over fellow CWFC veterans Jason Ball, Oriol Gaset and Ashleigh Grimshaw.

With 10 of his 12 victories coming inside the distance, Mick Sinclair was signed to an exclusive Cage Warriors contract earlier this year.

“I’m delighted Cage Warriors have given me this chance and I’m really looking forward to getting in there on October 5,” he said.

“I’m in there with three other top fighters who’ll also be looking to put on a show. This is a very exciting challenge and it’s one I can’t wait for.”

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