Introduction to European MMA: The UK

Date submitted: 16 November 2006

Submitted by: Dino Fuoco

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MMA was made popular in the UK at the latter end of the 90's by pioneers like Lee Hasdell and Andy Jardine. The British Mixed Martial Arts community has especially flourished in the last three years. The catalyst for this explosion came on 13th July 2002 when the UFC came to The Royal Albert Hall in London for UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall.

Nowadays there are a plethora of MMA events in the UK. The two biggest organisations are Cage Warriors, promoted by Dougie Truman with the great support of Ian Dean, and Cage Rage which is run by Dave O’Donnell and Andy Greer.

The competition between these two organisations is fierce, and sometimes amusing, but at the end of the day it benefits both by each having to constantly raise the bar. Cage Rage and Cage Warriors both enjoy increased recognition and popularity all across Europe and the World.

Cage Warriors’ golden boy is Michael Bisping, who has now moved on to the big UFC arena. After winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 3, Bisping is scheduled to fight on UFC 66 in December. Cage Warriors are also fostering the development of their Welterweight Champion Dan Hardy. Other fighters who Cage Warriors have springboarded to one of the "Big Three" include Antonio "Pezao" Silva, Martin Kampmann and Wagner da Conceicao Martins A.K.A. Zuluzinho

Cage Rage have an established stable of fighters, which is largely comprised of popular fighters from in and around London. These fan favourites are often matched with some fearsome names from the major leagues, like Melvin Manhoef. Matt Lindland, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, Anderson Silva and Murilo "Ninja" Rua, to name a few.

Thanks to major sponsorship backing, Cage Rage has become the biggest event in Europe. Cage Rage is the event that attracts the biggest names and, in any of their shows, you are always guaranteed to see UFC and Pride veterans on the card.

Both Cage Rage and Cage Warriors pay their fighters good money; especially in the case of their head-liners, who probably get as much as they would in the UFC or Pride.

To get a better idea of these two organisations, you can check out their sites:

CageWarriors.com hosts the UK’s most active Forum, where many of the UK's major players meet to chat.

CageRage.com has all the latest news and info on the shows, along with galleries of promo videos.

The top British fighters of the moment are the young Michael "The Count" Bisping, who is undefeated after 11 fights. Ultimate Combat fighter James "The Colossus" Thompson has fought five times in Pride. Mark Weir is a UFC veteran who is still very active, mostly in Cage Rage; as is the UK’s best known fighter Ian Freeman who has recently returned to the Octagon. Ian Freeman’s popularity exploded when he Ground and Pounded former UFC Champ Frank Mir in front of the English crowd at UFC 38. Ian Freeman has also recently been named as captain of the IFL’s new British Team.

Other well known fighters include Paul "Hands of Stone" Jenkins, who has fought in over eighty MMA matches. Paul Cahoon, Paul McVeigh, Matt Ewin, Alex Reid, Paul Daley and Abdul Mohamed. There are also MANY new and promising fighters currently coming through the ranks.

Perhaps the most famous gyms in the UK is London Shootfighters, where the likes of Lee Murray, James Zikic, Alex Reid, Sol Gilbert, Mark Epstein, Gaz Roriston, Jean Silva and Mustapha al Turk train.

The Wolfslair Academy is a new and successful gym that is headed by Brazilian Vale Tudo legend Mario "Sucata" Netto. The Wolfslair is Cage Warriors Official Fight Team and the home of Mike Bisping.

Plus there is The Northern Cartel, which is comprised of a cluster of gyms in the North of England. Members include Ian "M16" Butlin, Matt Thorpe, Mark "Spenna" Spencer, Aaron Chatfield, David Butlin and Steven "Widge" Milward. The Northern Cartel is managed by another British UFC veteran, Leigh Remedios.

In the wings, there are many new promotions which have a lot of potential. These include, Ultimate Force (run by Paul Murphy), Ultimate Warrior Challenge (promoted by Alex and Daniel Burzotta), FX3 (promoted by brothers, Simon and Paul James) and Cage Gladiators, which showcases the strong pool of talent developing in the North West of England

The UK is currently leading the way in the European MMA scene. There are many shows at all levels giving plenty of chances and opportunities for new and veteran fighters alike.