British public transport sucks!
I am on a train bound for Liverpool. I have a screaming kid in one ear and someone repeatedly cycling through their mobile phone ring tone options in the other. This has continued unabated for the past four hours and I feel ready to snap at any second.
Needless to say, I am relieved to finally arrive at Liverpool Lime Street station (all be it forty-five minutes later than I had expected) and I get my first proper glimpse of the North.
It was this soft southerner’s first trip north of the invisible border that splits England in two and I was very pleasantly surprised. As I walked in to Liverpool City Centre I found it bright, bustling and vibrant.
Liverpool was recently awarded European Capital of Culture status for 2008. The City is shedding its retro 1960s Beatle-Mania image and is replacing it with a fresh forward thinking ethos to take it in to the next decade.
The sites could wait for another day. The only culture I am here for is, Cage Fighting Championships: Dogs of War… Quality!
All of the locals I speak to know about the event, so it seems that the promotions team are doing an excellent job. I ask my taxi driver ‘How did you find out about the event?’ he replies “It’s a big fight. Everyone in Liverpool likes a good fight”. I make a mental note to give him a generous tip.
We pull up outside The Liverpool Olympia venue which is unassuming from the outside but stunning inside. It is a big old theatre, complete with balconies, chandeliers and ornate décor. It is The Proms meets MMA.
A small twenty foot Octagon is situated in the centre of the hall with a runway leading up to it from the stage area. There are two big screens either side of the stage and big flame effect lights marking the fighter’s entrance. There about thirty VIP tables positioned around the Cage, flat level seats behind the VIP tables and additional seating up in the stalls. The venue is large without loosing intimacy. I am met and warmly welcomed by the event’s co-promoter, Danny Taylor, who shows me around. Overall impression, Spot on
The event starts at seven o’clock and the venue is rammed. The fighters are called in one by one to the Octagon for the fighter’s parade. The local fighters get a massive ovation. Then it is the turn of tonight’s ring girls to make an appearance. You can hear the collective jaw drop from the male spectators at the site of the girls from Angel’s Paradise, a lap dancing club and one of the event’s sponsors.
Six pneumatic, Jennifer Ellison-type Scouse babes, dressed in very little, prance to the ring and begin to grind sensually to the Khia tune, My neck, my back, lick my…. etc.
If this is not culture then I want to know what is!
The event begins with a bang. First up are the novice fighters who warm up the crowd with anything but novice skills. Every single fighter on this card is the real deal. There is not one fighter who does not deserve to be inside that Octagon. Speaking of the Octagon, I love the smaller size (20 foot approx) because it prevents fighters keeping too much of a distance, and this really keeps the intensity alive in every single bout. It looks a bit worn round the edges though.
There are some top scraps tonight but these are my highlights:
Rob Broughton vs Akim Assenne. When Rob is introduced the crowd go crazy for their home town favourite. The two men exchange big strikes and wrestling techniques. The fight is nearly brought to an abrupt end when Broughton sustains a cut lip. The slightly over vigilant medical staff want to stop it but Broughton insists he is OK. It is a very tough and exhausting fight for both parties and the event is eventually called a draw by the Judges when the two rounds are up.
I have heard a lot about Paul Taylor. He beat Jess Liaudin in his first Professional MMA bout and then drew with Matt Ewin in his second. To do that, the man has to be a cut above. Tonight would be the first time I would see him fight, and I am not disappointed. The fight is mostly a lively stand-up battle. Taylor and his opponent go in to turbo mode and seem to disappear in a cloud of Thai boxing strikes. At one point it is difficult to tell which man has the upper-hand. Taylor cracks his opponent with a quick combo, which leaves his opponent’s eyes rolling and then piles in to finish him off. The referee steps in and declares Taylor the winner.
The Thai Boxing fight was a perfect break in the MMA action. On comes Errol Zimmerman who is taking on fellow countryman, Roodey Troost. MC Phil “Beuuu” Walker put in the way only he can get away with “This is Civil War in The Octagon!” Zimmerman took the fight to his opponent from the get-go. The fight is a little one sided. I heard that it was Troost’s first ever fight. If that is true then he did extremely well against a more experienced opponent. Zimmerman brought out the big guns in Round Two and started scoring with huge flying knees, hacking Thai kicks and boxing combos. Troost was eventually overwhelmed by his opponent’s attack and was knocked down. He shakily got back to his feet but soon found himself on his back again.
Mohamed Khacha’s reputation as a KO master proceeds him. Before the fight I couldn’t help but think that this guy that they had drafted in at four days notice would probably get a beat down. I was wrong. Mohamed Khacha Vs Christos Petroutsos was one of the most entertaining fights of the evening. Petroutsos is from Bob Schrijber’s gym in Holland, so has got very good pedigree. The two trade punches Petroutsos clinches and takes Khascha to the canvass. It is pretty even on the floor before Khasha gets a warning for grinding his hand in to his opponent’s eyes.
Round Two is more Khasa’s. The two fighters immediately go to the ground. Khasha hooks on a rear naked choke. and it looks as though Petroutsos goes to sleep for a second. The bell goes without indication from the referee and some confusion ensues. Did one of the medics see that Petroutsos was in trouble and demanded that the fight should be stopped? I don’t know, but the fight was restarted from standing. Khasha looks fresher and gets a take down. Petroutsos works effectively on the ground but Khasha gets the mount and unleashes some viscous Ground and Pound. Petroutsos tries to flip and reverse by Mohammed gets his hooks in before battering his opponent some more. Mohammed is sunk in to position and takes a rear naked choke which finished this bout.
Marc Goddard vs Tengiz Tedoradze Goddard fought with the heart of a lion in this bout and is on the best form I have ever seen him in. Goddard manages to brilliantly avoid Tengiz’s usual tactic of pin and pound (Tengizzed) The fans are treated to a rare show of Tengiz’s stand up skills. Tengiz did not really look in trouble at any point during the fight but Goddard held his own for over a round. Tengiz cracks his opponent with a sledgehammer combo and Goddard at dropped. The Barnsley Gladiator takes another top level scalp
Alex Cook takes on the reigning M1 Light-Heavyweight Champion Fatih Kocamis. Fatih is solid and methodical, in a style which is reminiscent of Matt Ewin’s. Kocamis dominated the fight, but Cook takes all the punishment that Kochamis dishes out well.
The relentless Ground and Pound goes on for two five minute rounds. Cook looks ready to come out for the overtime round, but the Judges automatically award the win to Kocamis by domination.
The main event of the evening was the man himself. The man who made Cage Fighting Championships happen, Paul Cahoon takes on Holland’s Samir Bourekba. Paul came out swinging, Samir clinches and drives in some knees to Paul’s ribs. Cahoon pushes the action up to the fence before returning with some knees of his own. Cahoon drags Bourekba to the ground and slips in to Bourekba’s half guard Samir catches Cahoon in a Guillotine. Cahoon’s army of fans cheer him on as he hammers away at Bourekba’s head until he lets the hold go of the hold. Cahoon then moves around the mounted position where he lays the G+P on his opponent, thick and fast. Bourekba puts his arms up to defend against the onslaught. Cahoon moves higher up his opponent’s body, hooks an arm lays back, pulling on a strong armbar. Cahoon wins and the crowd go wild.
Atherton Submission Fighting have defiantly landed. Carl Morgan, Rob Broughton and Paul Cahoon are hungry and they look like they will be dangerous contenders for some of the Countries other top show’s titles.
In conclusion, I believe that Cage Fighting Championships will be a one to watch in 2005. If the show can maintain the momentum it has already gained it will become the
of considerable importance to UK MMA. If Cage Rage is the UK’s equivalent of the UFC then Cage Fighting Championships is the UK’s very own 2Hot 2Handle.
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