The 8th edition of the Cagewarriors Fighting Championships was a landmark event in the history of Cagewarriors. As the CWFC owner Dougie Truman managed to present a solid 8 bout fight card under a tremendous amount of adversity. He also managed to debut a 32ft titanium Octagon which had special guest Eddie Bravo name it as the best Octagon in the world. With flashy neon lights at the side as well as an impressive custom canvas it made for an impressive spectacle, with more the promise of more to come.
On top of that Cagewarriors 8 held the very first 61.2kg/Batamwight title fight in the UK, again this innovate move showed that although Cagewarriors may not be leading the way in terms of big money and TV deals like other UK promotions, it is the innovator in ideas.
As the countdown to the event unfolded a near sell out crowd greeted the fighters as hardcore, casual and new fans alike packed the Octagon Centre in Sheffield, which is new home of Cagewarriors.
However the atmosphere was tempered slightly when promoter Dougie Truman addressed the crowd and informed them that the Main Event of the evening had been changed due to US star Gerald Strebendt being assaulted the day before the event. Strebendt was hit with a brick to the face, and although he was ok it opened a nasty cut on his forehead which could have opened at any time and wisely he chose not to fight.
However in true Cagewarriors style Dougie Truman announced to the crowd that the much revered star from Wales, Paul Jenkins will take Strebendt’s place in the main event against Paul Daley who made his first MMA appearance at Welterweight and was unbeaten throughout 2004 in MMA/kickboxing bouts.
The event then begins in earnest as Ring Announcer for the night (The famous adult entertainment actor and director) “Ben Dover” introduced the 1st match up of the night.
Fight 1 - Cage Kickboxing (CK-1) Rules
Dan Hardy vs Ressa Moradi
An evil staredown takes place as Referee Grant Waterman explains the rules, before Moradi provokes a reaction from the pro-Roughouse crowd to my right as he refused to touch gloves. The first round was a rugged affair with both men swapping and exchanging nasty looking shin kicks. Both men seemed prepared to take each other shots as their flashy unconventional styles resulted in both men taking punishment from leg kicks and counter strikes.
However as the round went on Hardy started to take the advantage and floored Moradi by countering his offence with a solid kick and following it up with knees in the clinch. Moradi was able to make the count and quickly gave Hardy to think about by landing a low blow which briefly stopped the action. The round ended with Moradi once again waiting on the counter attack before Hardy walked straight through his Moradi’s defence and landed two solid shots to the head.
Round 2 started with Hardy as the aggressor whilst Moradi bated him in, before Hardy engaged in a bit of showboating of his own as both men engaged in mind games with minimal offence until Moradi threw another wild TKD style kick. Hardy retaliated with a solid strike and Moradi went down to the canvas again via a leg trip. As Moradi stood up both men traded from the outside before Hardy closed the distance and got a Thai clinch and landed some more solid knees and punches which hurt Moradi. The round ended with Hardy charging in with a series of punches, which alerted Referee Grant Waterman before the air horn signalled the end of the round.
During the interval Moradi’s corner & referee Grant Waterman were in discussion and Moradi fails to come out for round 3 which gives Hardy an impressive CK-1 debut win and gives him the first step in his attempt to be a winner in both CK-1 and MMA action at CWFC 8.
Winner – Dan Hardy via Corner Stoppage at the end of round 2.
Oliver Ellis Vs Mark Spencer
Welterweight
Ollie Ellis from “Team Savage” faced his 2nd Northern Cartel opponent in the form of Mark “Spenna” Spencer. Ellis defeated Spencer’s teammate Matt Thorpe at Cagewarriors 6 by submission and at the Cagewarriors 8 weigh-in looked psychically stronger and more imposing of the two and this was more evident as the fight progressed. Despite this Spencer started off brightly and looked confident on his feet before both fighters clinched against the fence and as Spencer drove in knees, Ellis managed to pull guard and started his domination on the mat, as he controlled and bullied Spencer on the ground. Ellis who proceeded to land some stiff ground shots at Spencer towards the end of round 1, and although Spencer did recover slightly, Ellis ended the round dominantly with his ground and pound attack which left noticeable marks on Spencer’s face as he walked back to his corner.
Round 2 started with Ellis going for a single leg takedown, after a strugle Spencer turns managed to get top position into Ellis’ guard, however Ellis remained active in the guard is constantly looked for an opening and found one after sweeping Spencer who peppered him with some shots whilst on top. As Ellis got the advantage on the ground he passed into side mount and again fired down a barrage of shots which forced Spencer to cover up and seek the temporary sanctuary of half guard, as the rest of the ground turned into a see-saw technical battle.
Round 3 started with Spencer’s teammates (who were sat behind me) screaming at him to keep the action standing as both men looked fatigued. Spencer did look sharper and more confident standing; however Ellis eventually took him down with a single leg and again took control of the subsequently ground battle as he landed more punishing elbows to the already bruised face of Spencer, before the action faded and Grant Waterman standing both fighters up for inactively
Again Spencer’s team mates and corner urge him to keep it standing and although at times it looked promising for Spencer on his feet as fatigue crept up on Ellis, he was taken down again and the round ended with Ellis in Spencer’s guard.
The fight went to the Judges scorecard where Ollie Ellis gets a well deserved Unanimous Judges decision win in what was a good technical fight that would have pleased purists and casual fans alike and also sents Ellis 2-0 against the Cartel.
Winner – Oliver Ellis (Via Points)
Tom Blackledge Vs Neil Hall
Light-Heavyweight
Neil Hall from the Fighting Chance Gym in nearby Batley took on the former Ultimate Combat and Grapple and Strike veteran Tom Blackledge. Blackledge seemed very confident throughout the weekend and looked in the best condition of his career, and showed that his 10 month sabbatical from MMA had no ill-effects, as he showed little sign of rust when the air horn signalled the start of the contest. Blackledge fired a solid low kick as both men traded from the start with Blackledge getting the advantage and taking his opponent to the ground. Blackledge quickly gained side position and slowly dominated Hall, firstly with some power based submission attempts which were nicely thwarted by Hall at first. However Blackledge changed tact and released the big guns as he started to unleash a powerful Ground and Pound attack on Hall.
To his credit Hall tried to defence against the bombardment of strikes from the powerful Blackledge and showed a great deal on tenacity in during so, however eventually the bombardment was too much and as Blackledge mounted Hall he landed some solid elbow shots which cut Hall and eventually forced Referee Grant Waterman to stop the fight as Hall was unable to intelligent defend himself after 2 minute and 30 seconds of round 1. This was an impressive comeback win for Tom Blackledge who will no doubt be looking to step up in his quest to claim the vacant Cagewarriors light-Heavyweight Title very soon.
Winner – Tom Blackledge via Ref Stoppage (strikes from GnP) Round 1
Paul McVeigh vs. Chin Weakasingh
Vacant CWFC Bantamweight title match
The final fight before the break was a rematch from Cagewarriors 3 in Southampton, in the first ever Featherweight (65.8kg) title match. Back then Paul McVeigh recovered from a quick knockdown to win the title after controlling the ground game en route to a Judges Decision. However 18 months later both men face off once more and yet again it is for a title. However this time they meet in the first legitimate Bantamweight contest to be held in the UK, with the CWFC Bantamweight (61.2kg) title up for grabs. Would Weerasinghe settle the score, or would the wiry McVeigh go 2-0 against the Ronin Vale Tudo fighter?
Weerasinghe (the striker) started off by trying to keep McVeigh away with some kicks, some of which connected as McVeigh in turn tried to close the distance before ultimately getting a takedown. This was the pattern for the rest of the fight as McVeigh looked to play a patient ground game, peppering Weakersingh with forearm blows. To his credit Weerasinghe stayed active and defended well leaving McVeigh to continue his slow and patient ground assault, which involved changing positions whilst avoiding the odd submission counter attempt from the touch and durable Weerasinghe.
As the fight continued into round 2, McVeigh was still controlling the fight on the ground without being overly dominate or threatening due to Weerasinghe’s ground defence being tight. This left McVeigh to work position and pound away patiently. McVeigh would occasionally switch to standing and punching down, but still Weerasinghe defended well and would have frustrated many an opponent at this point and he even looked to return shots whilst he was on his back and continued looking for a counter submission attempt.
Round 3 started with McVeigh eventually getting the takedown despite a flurry from Weerasinghe and landed in side mount. As in their first fight, McVeigh started to find more success in this position and landed a mix of forearm/elbow strikes and even a shoulder strike too as Weerasinghe started to show signs of wear and tear as the battle in the octagon creap up towards the 15 minute mark. However as this was a CWFC title fight, both men were facing the possibly of the fight going the full 5 rounds/25 minutes, and as the end of round 3 came, McVeigh was really starting to open up Weerasinghe with effective strikes with relative ease.
Round 4 initially continued the theme with McVeigh in Weerasinghe’s guard trying to work and improve his position although the resilient Weerasinghe showed why he should not be underestimated as he attempted an armbar from guard, however a mix of fatigue and McVeigh’s ground smarts meant he was able to work out of it and he soon passes Weerasinghe’s guard as a result. For the first time the real danger signs are out for the Ronin and City fighter, as McVeigh opened him up with a series of crushing hammerfists and elbows from side mount which eventually forced Weerasinghe to tap out after a gallant display of bravery and rugged resilience.
So after a real war of attrition with showed how far both men have come seen their initial clash 18 months ago McVeigh yet again emerges victorious and becomes the 1st CWFC Bantamweight champion, whilst Weerasinghe goes home battered and bruised but also seals his status as one of the most toughest and resilient pound of pound fighters in the UK Scene. But ultimately it was a very impressive display by McVeigh who could be very difficult to beat in this new weight division
Winner - Paul McVeigh via tapout from Strikes (Ground and Pound from side position) round 3.
Paul McVeigh wins the CWFC Bantamweight Title
Chris Rice vs. Ian Jones
On paper it looked like this bout was going to be a classic striker vs. striker match up, as both men put their small unbeaten records on the line in this middleweight encounter. Rice came to the Octagon first and it was soon apparently that he was the taller man with a lean frame, compared to the smaller and slightly less toned Jones, who made his debut at Cagewarriors 6 where he beat the tough Paratrooper Sandy Geddes in convincing fashion both standing and on the floor to win via Rear Naked Choke.
As can often happen in MMA this striker vs. striker clash had a tentative start with the rangier Rice fresh off a win just 2 weeks previously at UK Storm in Birmingham looked to close down the Andy Cooper trained, Ian “Mongoose” Jones, who’s support could be heard throughout the Octagon Centre. Jones fired some Thai Kicks to keep the distance before he duck and shot in and grabbed the taller man by the waist. A battle for leverage occurred as Rice tried to avoid the takedown by the fence and looked to do so by illegally grabbing the fence.
However as Rice was warned by referee Grant Waterman, Jones went for a Leg Trip/Hip Throw by the fence which was initially blocked well by Rice who seemingly hovered in the air, before Jones surprised him and those in attendance by rolling forward which made Rice roll with him and in a lightening fast move, Jones found himself behind Rice and took the taller man’s back and he quickly sunk in the hooks as they were by the side of the cage and latched on a Rear Naked choke for his second successive submission win.
Another good win for Jones who goes 2-0-0 in MMA and shows that although he is far from the finished article he is one to watch out for in the middleweight division and is quickly living up to the hype.
Winner – Ian Jones via Rear Naked Choke round 1
Dan Hardy vs. Andy Melia
Welterweight
Dan Hardy made his 2nd appearance of the night, this time in MMA action against Andy Melia, who came to CWFC as a veteran of Pride and Glory 1 in Wales where he lost to Danny Jacobs via TKO in a tough 3 round encounter. Hardy of the Roughouse Gym had a weight and size advantage over Melia who is a natural Lightweight, but stepped up to the challenge in this his first caged show appearance.
Hardy’s shins showed some damage from his earlier fight but he seemed fine as he circled his opponent using his unorthodox style and kicks to keep Melia on his toes, before eventually closing Melia down to the fence where he hurts Meila with a sweet right hook that buckled his knees before both men clinch by the cage. Meila recovered quick by getting the takedown but was unable to capitalise as he was quickly reversed on the ground by Hardy who moved into Meila’s guard and dropped a series of elbows before being reversed by Melia who showed a lot of fighting sprit.
Hardy tried to get up by crawling on the floor as Meila laid on top of him spawling before both men got up and resumed their earlier stand-up conflict, and although Hardy landed a knee he was unable to capitalise before the horn went for the end of the round.
Round 2 saw Hardy opening things up with 2 probing low leg kicks before Meila went on the offensive and seemed more confident as he exchanged blows with the Roughouse fighter. However Hardy countered with a short 3 punch combo and landed one of his speciality high kicks which troubled Lee Doski and Paul Jenkins throughout his previous MMA contests and as Melia hit the canvas Hardy stepped in and stood over Meila and began to strike down with fury.
However yet again Meila showed a lot of courage and fast reactions and recovery skills as he grabbed onto one of Hardy’s legs and looked for a kneebar/heel hook which send Hardy down and made him look to his corner for advise as he realised the potential danger that could of occurred. Hardy eventually manages to step out of it showing some patience as well as natural strength and power and ends up taking Meila down once more.
Meila tried to sprawl out of it but eventually Hardy ended up in side position by the cage. Hardy grinded Meila to the cage limiting his defensive options and proceeded to land some painful knees to the ribs which hurt Melia and in turn opened up his defences, and as Hardy switched to strikes to a short burst of Ground and Pound to the head, Melia had nowhere to go and tapped out, giving Hardy the win in round 2, and ended another fan friendly fight which was both entertaining and skilful.
Credit again goes out to both men as Melia gave up a lot of weight and strength whilst Hardy walks away with wins in both CK-1 and MMA action 1 night (which must be a UK MMA first) and becomes a fan favourite overnight with these 2 impressive victories and becomes a fighter to watch out for in the future.
Winner – Dan Hardy via Tapout from strikes in round 2
(Champion) Tengiz Tedoradze vs Craig Amer
CWFC Heavyweight Title Match
The Cagewarriors Heavyweight Champion Tengiz Tedoradze made his 3rd CWFC appearance at “Brutal Force” and was coming off a huge win over James Thompson in June. Tengiz nicknamed “The Barnsley Gladiator” is a former World Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion and had a big 7 KH weight advantage and a fair height advantage, over his shorter, stockier opponent from Dover, Craig Amer. However Amer on paper was no lamb to the slaughter as this former K-1 UK and Millennium Brawl Veteran has genuine Knockout power and is famous for Knocking out the granite-jawed Londoner Mark Epstein.
However Tengiz was not about to let his 10 fight win streak go that easily and came in with a stunning blink-and-you’ll-miss-it display, as from the outset both men came in swinging with Amer landing a kick to the body and followed it up with a big hook, however this sprung Tengiz into action and he charged forward and easily took Amer to the ground. Unfortunately for Amer he was now deep in Tengiz’s territory and although Amer bravely defended Tengiz’s brand of brutal Ground and Pound, he was eventually forced to tap as Tengiz rained in blows from side position and after 20 seconds of round 1, Amer was added to the list of UK MMA stars to be “Tengizzed”
However Amer did mention cutting to Light-Heavyweight before this fight and I believe he would be a very dangerous contender for the vacant CWFC crown and many other UK titles at -93KG
Winner – Tengiz Tedoradze via Tapout from strikes in round 1
Tedoradze retains the CWFC Heavyweight title
Main Event
Paul Daley vs. Paul Jenkins
Due to circumstances beyond the control of Cagewarriors, Gerald Strebendt was unable to fight. However Paul Jenkins showed et again why he is 1 of the most reliable and gutsy UK stars as he took on Paul “Semtex” Daley with less than 12 hours notice.
Daley came to the Octagon with an unbeaten MMA/Kickboxing streak of 8 fights which has lasted since December 03, whilst Jenkins has had a typically inconsistent year, which has seen him lose 3 straight fights (including a narrow point’s loss to Daley’s teammate Dan Hardy) since claiming the Cage Rage Welterweight Title in July and having a good 2004 fight record until July. However Daley was fighting for the first time at Welterweight and was giving up a lot of experience to the UK MMA gatekeeper and a lot of octagonside oberser ers had this fight too close to call.
Daley started the fight looking very comfortable ducking and weaving, whilst avoiding Jenkins’ kicks, eventually both men clinched by the cage, and Daley saw an opening as he stepped back and dropped Jenkins briefly with a left hook and although Jenkins isn’t too stunned by it, Daley follows it up with a left and a right cross before both men clinch again. Daley again tags Jenkins with a short left and right combo which sends Jenkins down again briefly for a 2nd time. Although yet again Jenkins does not seem too concerned and looked happy to keep his distance as Daley launched in again with his “superman” punch before both men see the first round out by patient circling each other and biding their time.
It was definitely Daley’s round but Jenkins is a slow starter and in typical fashion he laughed as he walked back to his corner and splashed those at octagonside with water. Daley seemed confident with his 100 strong support cheering him on and chanting loudly throughout the contest.
Round 2 saw both men briefly exchange strikes with no damage before Jenkins shot in and Daley exhibits the sprawl and takedown defence that he was working on to counteract the grappling skills of his original opponents. (Who both pulled out through injury.) Even Gerald Strebendt who was in the commentary booth, seemed surprised by the takedown defence of the Nottingham based fighter. Although Daley’s all-round game has visibly improved so much this year and his determination matched it as Jenkins fired a kick to the head which missed, but as Jenkins slipped Daley rushed in, and was caught with a thumb to the eye. An injury like this would have finished some fighters, but Daley got medical assistance and was able to carry on much to the delight of his passionate and loud support to my far right.
As the fight restarted Jenkins lands a kick to the body as the tempo started to increased, Daley tried to response with a Bonasky like flying knee which he aborted in motion but still managed to defend another takedown attempt by Jenkins and the continues to stalk a defensive Jenkins around the impressive CWFC Octagon. Daley then starts to let the fists fly causing Jenkins to turn and run but ultimately he ends up with his back to the cage. As Daley narrows the angle Jenkins fires a powerhouse of a hook, however Daley sees it and using his superior boxing skills to weave and land his own patented left hook sent the Welshman crashing to the canvas and Daley throws a bomb to the downed Jenkins, referee Grant Waterman to jump in and stop the fight. As Daley celebrates Jenkins (true to form) laughs and goes to congratulate the victor.
All in all it was another impressive display by Paul Daley who, looked very dangerous and professional in this controlled and slow tempo fight. Daley showed his evolution as a fighter both defensively with his sprawl and takedown defensive, but also with a more controlled offensive, which meant he was not open to the kind of shot he took from Xavier Foupa-Pokam at Cage Rage 7.
With a clash against the CWFC Champion Abdul Mohamed scheduled for December, Paul Daley has the chance to be a champion and crown a terrific year from himself and the Roughouse team.
Winner – Paul Daley beat Paul Jenkins via KO in round 2
My Thoughts
Well despite the setbacks Cagewarriors has faced over the past months with a stolen cage, moving to a new arena, multiple fighter withdrawals, last minute freak occurrences and big money competitors it would be fair to say that there were a few questions surrounding this event. However at the end of the day, it is the fights on the night that ultimately counts, as promotions can create dream cards, but f the fighters on the night don’t perform it can make a lacklustre event. Fortunately for the fans in attendance at the Sheffield Octagon Centre they were treated to a series of fantastic fights which varied from stand-up brawls to skilful submission mat work featuring some up-and-coming and top British talent.
In a fragmented and divided UK scene with niche sub-sections (or markets) increasing all the time, Cagewarriors have nailed its colours firmly to the mask but are also creating a platform for the fighters to get the recognition they deserve in an arena suited to MMA action. Cagewarriors also delivers a varied product which can appeal to all fans of the sport, whilst still keeping the balance of MMA being a legitimate sporting event, which still contains an entertainment factor which appeals to the mainstream and non-hardcore audience.
Lastly this Cagewarriors also showed how it can create home grown stars, with fighters such as Dan Hardy, Paul Daley and Tengiz Tedoraze being talked about all over the internet since the event, and with fighters like Ian Jones pushing their way through, the future looks bright, not only for Cagewarriors, but for the UK Scene as a whole.
Next Show is Cagewarriors 9: Xtreme Xmas 18th December at the Octagon Centre, Sheffield. Don’t miss it.
Report edited by Ian Dean, also thanks to Godders for help with parts of this report and thanks to the guys who supplied me with a very rough master copy tape which contained a few of the fights.
