The first in the world series of CageWarriors Fighting Championships took place in the Portsmouth Guildhall on the 27th July. It turned out to be a highly successful show, jam-packed with some great action and some truly memorable fights.
Promoter and matchmaker Dougie Truman put together a highly exciting card featuring the some of the top names on the UK circuit, a handful of France’s top reps and the best of the young blood in the UK.
With non-stop action from the word go, we were given an evening of drama and passion like no other that CageWarriors has seen before. It marked a turning point in CageWarriors’ fortunes, that of the ability to take the sport to a new level in the UK.
Ross Pettifer vs. Matt Ewin
CWFC Middleweight Title Fight
Pettifer wanted this fight badly, seeing it as his first true test as a professional fighter. At only 18 years old many see him as “the next big thing” and he was eager to prove this to be true. He faced Gloucester fighter and Mark Weir protégé Matt Ewin, a tough middleweight who has been quietly making a name for himself by despatching some of the top names at his weight. Some months ago he ended Alex Evans’ 11 fight winning streak and followed that up by beating the highly ranked Suley Mahmoud. With two fighters of this calibre in the ring, there was only one way it could go, and that was out with a bang.
The two men came out very tentatively, showing a great deal of respect in each other’s abilities by not giving the other any openings. They clinched before managing to throw any strikes, and constantly reversed each other against the fence; all the while throwing short knees and punches. They remained this way for some time before Pettifer scored the takedown with a nice outside trip, landing in mount.
Pettifer turned up the heat and threw down a copious amount of punches to the stricken Ewing, pinning him near the fence and cutting off any chance of escape. Ewing covered well, hardly allowing any shots to get through but unable to escape from his back.
Pettifer ended up trying for an armbar close to the end of the first round, but was to close to the fence and gave Ewing the opportunity to slip out from the bottom. Pinning Pettifer against the cage, Ewing threw around 7 or 8 hard shots to his head before the bell sounded. After much of the round on his back, Ewing looked angry and was out to redress the balance.
Round two saw Ewin do exactly this- a tiring Pettifer narrowly avoided a huge slam by Ewing but succumbed to the pressure of fatigue and a relentless assault of punches as he turtled on the ground, leaving Ewing the opening he needed to catch a face bar and force the tap. After a dominant first round from Pettifer it was a huge turnaround from Ewing, and another belt to add to his collection.
This fight had to be seen to be believed. The energy and emotion was unreal, with both fighters giving 110% throughout. Nobody can deny being shocked at the reversal in fortunes of the young Pettifer, but everyone will commend the heart and tenacity of Ewing. Ewing has shown that he is truly a force to be reckoned with, showing the qualities that make a true champion. However disappointed Pettifer may be from this result, you can guarantee that he will be back in a future CageWarriors show as soon as possible.
Paul Jenkins vs. Adrian Degorski
CWFC Welterweight Title Fight
This fight promised to be a corker, and it didn’t disappoint. Jenkins came into the ring the top welterweight in the UK, with four titles to his name (CageWarriors, Cage Rage, Ultimate Combat and Extreme Brawl). Degorski is an international level amateur boxer who is a member of the Polish National Team but a student of vale tudo and BJJ in Dublin under John Kavanagh.
With two renowned strikers facing off this promised to be a war and everyone expected a flash finish, but not many people expected it to go the way it did.
With both fighters working clinch evenly against the fence, it was around two minutes that Degorski found his range, intercepting a kick from Jenkins with a hard right cross that put the Welshman on his rear. Diving on to finish, he managed to land one or two shots before the referee dragged him off. Jenkins lay on his back for a moment before flipping up onto his feet- surprising everyone but too late as the fight had been called off and the title had changed hands.
Degorski showed why he is now be one of the most dangerous strikers in UK MMA- it may have been only his second vale tudo fight but he has shown his ability in clear fashion, ending both his matches in style. What about Jenkins? Well as usual he wasn’t too bothered- after all he’s got another three belts to look after.
Paul Sutherland vs. Ozzy Haluk
CWFC Lightweight Title Fight
In the battle of the lightweights two seasoned warriors faced off. Gloucester Roughhouse fighter Paul Sutherland, who is not the tallest of figures but very muscular, immensely powerful and extremely well conditioned met Team Manchester Ground n Pound rep Ozzy Haluk. Haluk had a reach advantage, but didn’t get chance to use it as Sutherland quickly closed the distance, rushing into Haluk and forcing the fight to the floor early on.
From here, Sutherland displayed some great GnP of his own- stuck in guard but stacking Haluk against the cage he threw everything he could at Haluk. Haluk took a few shots but constantly hunted for armbars and triangles, however the sheer ferocity and relentless assault started to take its toll. Only a quick break for inactivity saw the two fighters back on their feet before Sutherland bulled his way forward again, finishing the round with some more heavy shots.
Sutherland wasted no time at the start of the second, again rushing forward into Haluk to take a front body lock, running him into the fence before using the momentum to toss him over with a sweet-as-can-be chest-to-chest suplex. Haluk rode the slam well, getting guard immediately but again finding himself stacked against the cage. After a few shots Sutherland started to rain down Elbows, opening up a cut on top of Haluk’s forehead and forcing Haluk to submit due to strikes at 2 minutes 34 seconds.
Sutherland showed true class throughout his fight, with an awesome display of wrestling and GnP you would normally find in the UFC- he didn’t allow Haluk to get into his game at all which was especially impressive against such a tough fighter. In the end, it proved to be Sutherlands night and a triumphant moment for him as he adds a second UK title to his name. He now faces a tough prospect in the form of Irish fighter Dave Roache, who many are tipping to clear up the u70kg division. Sutherland will not want to roll over for him though, so keep your eyes open as we see them get it on at CageWarriors Northern this autumn.
Paul McVeigh vs. Dave McLaughlin
CWFC u65kg Title
McVeigh has come from literally nowhere to take the u65kg division by storm- in only his fourth pro fight he was fighting a UFC veteran, lasting two rounds against someone who many thought would wipe the floor with him. A gutsy performance against tough fighter Neil McLeod secured his rep as one tough mofo, and tonight he was out to defend his CWFC u65kg title against one of the top lightweights in the country.
Dave McLaughlin is known as “the thinking-mans fighter”, a cold and calculating warrior who has fought in events in Germany and Russia. Keen to prove himself after a tough loss against Ricky Moore it proved to be another dynamic match from the outset.
McVeigh came out launching a huge left hook, opening up a cut above McLaughlin’s eyebrow almost immediately. Going to clinch against the fence, McVeigh scored a lovely trip and went down to side mount position. Taking a few short elbows, McLaughlin tried to bridge him off, but McVeigh sensed the movement and transitioned with lovely timing to take mount.
With McVeigh throwing a seemingly endless flurry of very precise punches a dazed and bloody McLaughlin had no choice but to tap out, prompting a jubilant McVeigh to jump onto the top of the cage and scream and point at himself on the big screen.
McVeigh showed why he’s one of the best of the new breed of fighter in the UK right now, with a classy performance that left no doubt as to why he is the u65kg title holder in two events. It is interesting to note how much he has improved in each of his fights, showing off new skills every time he sets foot in the ring. If there is on guy to look out for in the future, it is certainly McVeigh.
UK vs France Series
Well, CageWarriors makes history again by being the first show to stage a Mixed Martial Arts World Series. This new concept sees guest nations come to the UK and battle us at our own game- fighting!
Five French fighters came to Portsmouth to face off with five of our boys- unfortunately a number of last minute replacements had to be drafted in due to a number of UK fighters being ill. Ronin fighters Ricky Moore and Andy Lagden stepped up on around 8 hours notice to face off two of France’s finest, and Paul Daley took his fight against Amorim on three days notice. Hats off to these guys, they are true professionals who are prepared to take a tough fight on such short notice. Well they saved our skins and gave us some great fights in the process.
Ricky Moore V Guillaume Monod
Moore had been training the morning when he got the phone call asking him to fight. Taking the fight without hesitation, he replaced the awesome Neil McLeod to face one of France’s best (yet unorthodox) grapplers. Monod lacked experience compared to Moore, with only one MMA contest to his name.
In the end, it was Monod’s grappling ability that sealed this match- Moore (slightly bigger) came out hard trading punches before landing a good knee to Monod’s head, forcing Monod to reconsider his options and jump guard. Moore tried his hardest to get through the slippery Frenchman’s guard but to no avail, eventually giving Monod the opening he needed to catch a triangle. Picking him up and slamming him, Moore only made the choke deeper and tapped out a few minutes into the first round.
Winner: Monod, 1-0 to France.
Monod showed some great grappling skills against the perennial toughman that is Moore, but he may possibly need to work on his stand up if he were to repeat the feat against a fully prepared adversary. A great UK debut for him though, and one nil to France.
Mohamed Khacha V Andy Cooper
Ahhhhh, words cannot begin to describe the drama in this fight. Shakespeare himself didn’t come close to producing drama on this epic scale.
Cooper; Yorkshire toughnut, and the lone ranger of UK MMA. He fights anyone, anywhere, and knocks people out left right and centre. Slightly vulnerable to good grapplers, he has a record that dwarves that of 19 year old prodigy Mohamed Khacha.
Khacha exploded onto the UK scene at UK MMAC earlier this year, destroying veteran Paul Jenkins in double quick time, then repeating the feat on BJJ Brown Belt Alex De Souza at CageWarriors 3!
Well Cooper would have wanted to show that this young upstart was nothing more than a flash in the pan, but as the fight began all the cards seemed in Khacha’s favour.
Dropping for a double leg before Copper had chance to fire one off, Khacha soon got mount and rained down punches to the trapped Cooper.
Cooper tried everything, bucking, bridging, rolling, but nothing would budge the youngster. Coopers’ face began to swell as the punches took their toll, but Khacha slowed his assault as time went on, attempting numerous submissions but not managing to lock anything on.
Cooper hung on throughout to the second round, looking beat up but slightly fresher than the unmarked Khacha. After a brief trade Khacha again gets the fight to the floor but Copper shows a little more savvy, although how he managed to survive a horrendous looking heel hook I have no idea. He didn’t tap, and escaped to take a turtled Khacha’s back, getting his hooks in and laying down some furious retribution for the beating he took earlier on. Repeatedly punching to Khacha’s head, he managed to stretch him out before grabbing the rear naked choke and getting a hard won submission in the second round.
Khacha was severely fatigued, and was dominating his match before Cooper managed to steal victory. This young lad left the ring with nary a mark on his face and was seen grinning for the rest of the night, a sign he enjoyed himself no matter the outcome. He showed some great skill, but suffered from a lack of conditioning that will need to be addressed- he’s already fighting some of the top UK fighters, if he were to raise his game how high could he go?
Cooper slunk off into the night once again, pulling a hard fought win out of the bag. The phrase “True Grit” springs to mind.
Winner: Andy Cooper. France 1, UK 1
Laurent Bonafoux V Andy Lagden
Lagden was another fighter to take this on ultra-short notice. A Ronin fighter with wins over people such as Dexter Casey, he replaced Dinky Ninja John Nicholson. Shame really, cause Nicholson is tipped by many to be a real tough cookie who may be one to tear up the MW scene.
Bonafoux is a victim of terrible luck. He’s had two quick losses here on UK soil to tough opponents James Zikic and Shain Tovell. A no contest in Japan put his fight to an end, so he was certainly out for some blood.
Coming out carefully (Bonnafoux gave up around 5 inches to the towering Lagden) the Frenchman shot in immediately, gaining side mount and securing position. Lagden showed great awareness, using the fence to get guard. A brief tête-à-tête ensued with both fighters looking so evenly matched I was settling down for a long balanced match, but out of nowhere Lagden grabbed a Thai-style clinch around Bonnafoux’s neck, sending a huge knee right under his chin and scoring a huge KO. The crowd went wild, Bonnafoux fell down flat like a Bernard Manning joke at an anti-Nazi league annual meeting, and Lagden strolled away with a neat little win under his belt.
After some attention from the ring girls (I thought it was the winners who got the girls?) he was fine, and shaking Lagden’s hand in congratulations.
Winner: Andy Lagden, 2-1 to England.
Florentin Amorim V Paul Daley
Daley took over from superb grappler Mark Day, out with a throat infection. Amorim is also a shit-hot ground technician, but now he faced a miniature Kevin Randleman in Paul Daley. Daley, a young up-and-comer from Nottingham, he is a blistering explosion of energy directed at whoever is across the ring from him. Out of the cage, he is one coooool dude, chilled out to the max, and all those other hip funky youngster sayings about someone who is “fresh”, “safe”, etc etc. Man. Anyway… Sorry. He’s a really nice guy.
So out comes Daley off the bell, launching a Thai kick but slipping slightly. Amorim literally dives on him, taking his back and hanging on like a baby monkey. Daley tried shaking him off but Amorim managed to ride it out and sunk in the rear naked early in round one.
Bad fortune for Daley and an easy night’s work for Amorim. Neither fighter was truly tested but hey, that’s the nature of our wonderful sport- anything can happen. And does.
Winner: Florentin Amorim, 2 all!
Emmanuel Fernandez V Robbie Olivier
So in the last of the World series, a cliff hanger ensued- 2 fights apiece, and we were left with a corker of a scrap as the finisher.
Robbie Olivier, one of the best LWs in the country faced France’s most decorated grappler. A BJJ Brown Belt, Judo Dan-grade and holder of innumerable grappler honours, Fernandez was making his MMA debut here on CageWarriors.
A brief stand-up exchange took place with neither fighter coming off the better before Fernandez wanted the fight on the mat. Taking Olivier down but stuck in guard, an even looking ground battle went on for while before Fernandez backed off and allowed Olivier to stand.
A high roundhouse kick (unusual for a BJJ’er?!) from Fernandez landed but lacked any real sting- having tried out his little bit of striking he jumped guard to get back to the mat, constantly hunting for a sub before catching an armbar. Olivier stacked and slammed but Fernandez switched to a triangle, and even though he defended well and hung on for some time, the tap came and Fernandez secured the victory for himself and for France.
Winner: Emmanuel Fernandez, France win overall 3-2.
Well the first of the CageWarriors FC World Series was spectacular and has proved to be a great formula for success.
Rumours abound as to who the next guest country will be- remember you can always post your suggestions and comments on the www.cagewarriors.com forums.
Next up, the undercard.
Graham Connelly V Peter Irvine
Connolly is one of the CageWarriors stalwarts- he comes to fight, he’s got bucket-loads of heart and he always puts on a good show. A member of Team CW due to his great in-the-ring attitude and never say die fighting style- he may have a few losses on his record but they all came in true warrior stylee.
Irvine, making his debut in CageWarriors, is a colourful character from the North East. You would have thought he’d get an easier fight for his first professional outing but he wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
Trying some leg kicks to judge his distance Irvine manage to land one or two decent shots, but Connolly soon took the fight to the floor with a takedown from clinch. Unflustered, Irvine patiently set up a triangle choke from guard, and even though Connolly defended well with strikes and positioning he couldn’t get out and had to tap.
Winner: Peter Irvine, triangle choke round one.
Chris Freebourne V Ian Butlin
Local boy Freebourne is another member of Team CW and is a national champ in the Russian grappling art of sombo. His opponent Ian Butlin has a extensive background in boxing, holding numerous regional titles as an amateur in a career that span the best part of 12 years. Was this a classic striker vs. grappler match? You would have thought so, but no…
Freebourne wisely shot in straight away, looking to get Butlin away from his comfort zone, but Butlin fought well from his back using his guard well. Freebourne predictably went for a few leg locks attempts and the two managed to scramble away from each other. Looking to take Butlin down again, Freebourne shot in but was rolled and landed on his back with Butlin in mount. A few seconds later and Butlin had rolled off for a perfect armbar finish.
Winner: Ian Butlin, armbar round one.
Robert Mitchell V Glen Appleby
Applebey holds the dubious honour of being on the receiving end of a 17 second KO by Ross Angry Pettifer. Looking to redeem himself since, he put in a strong showing at Cage Rage, so tonight we could expect a little more fight from him.
Mitchell is a very tall flamboyant fighter equally happy striking or on the mat, and we knew he would want to use his height and reach advantage as much as possible.
Mitchell came out throwing some good hard punches, driving Applebey onto the fence where he tried to cover before sensibly rushing forward and taking Mitchell down to the mat. Stacking him on the cage he tried some GnP but Mitchell looked very happy to fight from his back, using his guard to hunt for sweeps and submissions. Spending some time in mount after a reversal, Mitchell looked calm compared to Applebey, who seemed to be tiring by the second. At the end of the first round Mitchell sprightly skipped back to his corner, and in contrast Applebey could barely crawl back. Giving up between rounds due to exhaustion, Mitchell was declared winner by default.
Winner: Robert Mitchell (Applebey unable to continue).
Gavin Bradley vs. Graham Day
Bradley is another fighter from the Northeast, and having travelled the length of the country he came up against the man with the most vocal supports of the night, Southampton resident Graham Day. Day is a JKD/BJJ fighter, and straight away his ground game was tested as Bradley took the fight to the floor. Both fighters worked well on the ground, reversing each other and neither fighter coming off the better.
They stood trading knees for a while before they go back to the floor with Day stacking Bradley against the cage and looking to score some shots. Bradley kept his wits about him the whole time and hunted for the armbar but couldn’t quite find it. In the end Bradley was looking for a leglock and ended up turtled- Day slowly worked in as guillotine choke and managed to submit him at just under the four-minute mark. A true stormer of a fight from two evenly matched tough lads.
Winner: Graham Day, guillotine choke round one.
Andy Butlin vs. Dave Elliot
In the final fight of the undercard, BJJ and kickboxing fighter Dave “Speedy” Elliot once again lived up to his nickname by getting rid of highly touted Andy Butlin (yes another of the fighting Butlin clan) in just 47 secs.
Picking up Butlin and landing in halfguard, Elliot found himself reversed on his back but took full guard back immediately and began climbing for an armbar, locking it out and getting the tap in the quickest match of the evening.
Winner: Dave Elliot, armbar round one.
