Event Title: Cage Warriors: Enter the Rough House
Event Date: 09 December 2006
Event Venue: Harvey Haddon Sports Centre
Event Location: Nottingham
Date submitted: 11 December 2006
Submitted by: Matthew Finney
Enter the Rough House December 9th 2006.
Tonight was the first time CWFC set their stall out in Nottingham's Harvey Haddon Sports complex. This venue would see the vacant Middleweight champion crowned along with the newly formed CWFC Light Welterweight position.
Keeping with the succesful team of Ian Freeman as the MC, and Mark Goddard as the chief referee, the night was scheduled for 11 bouts. I got a chance to have a few words with Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy before the doors opened who was pacing the arena looking clam and relaxed in preperation for his championship bout against Brazil's Alexandre Izidro. He managed to cut 12kg's to make the weigh-in at 73kg's and had been concentrating on his cardio and stand-up. His game plan was to stand up with Izidro, as he was fully aware of the danger he posed on the ground. Not wanting to distract him from his job in hand I wished him well and off he went.
Kicking off slightly later than expected was the first of the Class B fights which saw Dean Amasinger against Wayne Murray. Dean, the local favourite from the Rough House gym fighting in his first pro MMA bout opened the evening's action with a huge slam sending Wayne to the mat. After scrambling to their feet Dean slams Wayne yet again landing in his guard. Dean makes the most of his dazed opponent and grounds and pounds. With a slight pause in the action prompting a restart the bell saves Wayne from further damage.
Round Two
After loosing the first round Wayne needed a good start the round and does so with a big overhand shot right on the button of Dean who drops to the mat. Following him down Wayne mounts and grounds and pounds forcing a referee intervention and the fight is stopped after only 11 seconds of Round 2. Unlucky not to win his debut fight, Dean Amasinger i'm sure will be invited back.
Next up was to be Tamai 'Big T' Harding against Dave Campos. Following on from his succesful debut against Wesley Scarrett at CWFC Showdown in September, Big T from the local Rough House gym towered above his opponent in the staredown. The two fighters spend the opening seconds of the round feeling each other out with a few shots before Big T trips Campos to the mat and fires in shot after unanswered shot which sees the end of the fight at 2:27 of the first round due to ground and pound. Big T makes it 2-0 in his pro career.
First of the evening's heavyweight matches saw Rob Askew against Victor Aniolek. Fighting out of Mansfield's Tap or Snap gym, he brought along many supporters who gave their fighter a deafening welcome to his pro MMA career.
With Victor wanting to take the fight to the mat early, Rob lands in his guard and immediately starts the ground and pound fest which forced a referee stoppage at only 1:23 of the first round. An excellent way to start your MMA career with a home win in front of his fans.
Making yet another pro debut for the evening was Steve Tetley against Denas Bonevkgicius. Denas took this fight on short notice after Samy Burton failed to show. Steve opens the fight with a low kick to take Denas to the ground. Denas barely catches his breathe and Steve cranks on what can only be described as a reverse guillotine which has Denas tapping. After Denas has tapped, Steve keeps the choke on which has Mark Goddard not to happy at compromising the fighter's safety. Obviously keen to insure the victory, and with first fight nerves it can be seen as to why he kept on the choke, but thanks to Mark's professionalism and keen eye Denas was saved from further damage.
Fist of the full pro rules bouts was a Light Heavyweight match-up between Tap or Snap's Christian Smith against Sunderland Ju-Jitsu's Michael Turner. Michael gets stuck in with a choke against the cage, which Christian evades, sees his oppurtunity and unloads on his downed opponent. Referee jumps in to stopk the fight at 1:51 of the first round with Christian the victor.
Last of the CWFC Class B fights (no heel hooks or elbows) was Matt Hasland against Clifford Hall.
This fight proved to be Cliff Hall all the way, opening the fight with some Thai kicks and knees dropping Matt to the ground. He made the fatal mistake of giving Cliff his back, and he sinks in the hooks and wraps his arms around his throat to win by rear naked choke in 2:01 of the first round.
In the interval I managed to grab some words with Ian "M16" Butlin and his M.C. from Showdown. Both planned to use the same format for Ian's next fight, with the MC intro which stirred up the crowd no end. Ian was enjoying watching the action from the other side of the cage and I have to say what a decent guy who went out of his way to speak to me!
In aid of local kid's charities an auction was held for signed fight wear by Michael Bisping. Also a signed 1966 England top which went for well over £1,000. Ian Freeman was entertaining as always announcing he had been invited to be the coach for the UK team for the I.F.L.
Making his pro debut Chris Cooper was lined up against Przemyslaw Mysiala from Poland's Total Dojo club. Opening with some Thai kicks, Chris goes straight for Mysiala from the bell, but his inexperience showed as he was taken to the mat by Przemyslaw and got caught in an arm triangle in only 31 seconds of Round one.
A pro Welterweight match-up saw Jim Wallhead, another fighter from the Rough House stable against Germany's Dennis Siver. Dennis comes flying out of his corner landing some heavy inside leg kicks which echo around the packed out arena. Jimmy watches for his opening and takes down Dennis landing shot after shot. How Denis made it to the end of round one I will never know as Jimmy looked to finish with some heavy elbows, forearms and punches all connecting on his helpless opponent.
Round Two
Second of the scheduled three rounds saw Jimmy sat in Dennis's guard until Mr. Goddard restarted the fighters on their feet to keep the action flowing. Dennis comes staright out with a huge head kick which just misses but connects with a hard low kick. Jimmy in trouble takes Dennis to the mat but is caught in an armbar from the bottom which came from nowhere and ended the fight in style after loosing Round one. Dennis takes it at 3:31.
Fighting for the vacant CWFC Middleweight was Gregory Bouchelaghem against Gegard Mousasi. Both fighters earning experience in the world's premier fighting organisation, Pride - Bushido, this fight was set to be one of the evening's highlights. Scheduled for 5 x 5 minute rounds, Bouchelaghem opens with a takedown, Mousasi shows he isn't one of the best fighters in his class for nothing and sprawls. Attempting a heel hook proved to be the last attempt to bring the belt to France as Gegard drops in some good old fashioned ground and pound to end the fight at 2:20 of the first round. A good ending but this was one fight where it could have done with going the distance.
Making his debut in heavyweight MMA was local favourite from Tap or Snap Wayne Buck against Will Coonie. Receiving a deafening intro, Wayne opens up his promising career with a Judo throw sending his taller opponent crashing to the mat. Will attempts to finish the fight but all Wayne receives is a cut above the eye. Luckily the cut isnt enough to end the fight. The fighters are split and Wayne fires in an overhand right that connects right on the chin, dropping Will to the floor. No need to follow him down and finish it is clear that the fight is over. Mark Goddard steps in and calls the fight at 1:55. With his striking experience earnt in pro boxing Wayne is destined to make a name for himself in MMA with shots like that, working inside his opponent's longer reach and height advantage.
Wayne dedicated the fight to his father who is a Parkinson's sufferer. Bringing his father into the cage following his victory, Wayne broke down in tears. This showed the true flip side to an MMA athlete, under the muscles and aggression there is a real person.
The highlight of the evening, the fight for the newly created 73kg light welterweight belt. After their previous encouter at KOTC in June of last year, Dan was keen to show he was the best fighter in the class and show his last victory against Izidro wasn't a fluke.
In the first of the scheduled 5 rounds Dan set his stall out, stalking Izidro landing shot after shot. Izidro sustained some serious abuse with his only chance in R1 coming from a guillotine attempt which Dan escaped from, dishing out yet more shots. How this fight lasted the first round showed how tough Izidro was. Not many people could sustain the level of abuse that Dan had trained so hard to give.
Round Two
Izidro kicks off R2, picking up Dan and dropping him to the mat off a single leg. Dan looked to be having none of it, dishing out more shots to Izidro's head and body. Dan looked good throughout this round, chin down and guard up hunting down Izidro with some textbook low kicks. It was clear that Dan wanted to stand and Izidro wanted to do battle on the ground. A classic striker v's grappler match up.
Round Three
Dan comes out of his corner with his strikig skills landing some heavy blows. Izidro realising he needs to make up the lost rounds attempts a heel hook which Dan escapes from. Izidro finds his range and starts to trade shots with Dan stood up. Dan closes the round and fight with the popular format of the evening of ground and pound. Izidro deserves a mention as he should have tapped, it was down to Mark Goddard to save him from the punishment being handed down to him.
Dan 'The Outlaw' Hardy is crowned the first ever CWFC Light Welterweight champ in a hard fought and deserving victory agaianst a very tough opponent indeed.
Season's 'beatings' as opposed to greetings from The Outlaw to Xandinho all the way from Nottigham!
And that was that, an excellent evening all round, the Nottigham locals supporting all the fighters regardless of where they were fighting from.
A big mention to CWFC's Media Manager, Ian Dean, who as always was running around seeing everything was running smoothly, who's work behind the scenes can go un-noticed. He made me feel very welcome, ensuring I had all the pre-fight information, and also bought me a drink! Thank you Ian.
Also to MMA Universe for the oppurtunity to cover another CWFC event.
Thanks for reading!
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