Sad news, MMA fans. Ultimate Combat has decided to shut up shop after three years of ever increasing business. After producing and developing some of the top fighters in the UK, and bringing over countless high quality foreign fighters, Ultimate Combat is to be no more.

Unfortunately for us, promoter Dale Adams has decided to take a back seat from the murky world of promoting professional mixed martial arts events, and has decided to concentrate on other businesses within the sport. Whatever the future holds for those behind Ultimate Combat, you can be assured they won’t be too far away from the MMA scene.

Only announcing the news halfway through tonight’s show, it is fitting yet sad that this turned out to be one of their best events, with a sell out crowd and a number of high-octane fights that had the spectators in a near frenzy.

Niels Schaegel vs Phil MacCall
European Welterweight Bout

In this opening fight, UC veteran MacCall looked far more at ease than the, to be frank, scared-looking Schaegal. After a few tentative shots by both guys, Schaegal tried some nervous looking kicks, to which MacCall jabbed and shot a double leg in answer. A loose armbar/triangle from Schaegal followed, as the German tried unsuccessfully to attack from his guard, but MacCall took top position, and working light elbows soon followed with some good rights. Schaegal was not hurt, but didn’t like it and returned to hunting for subs as MacCall cannily defended.

Moving out of the foreigner’s guard, MacCall stood and rolled Schaegal backwards, forcing the German to turtle on all fours, and cranked on a tight guillotine for the win.

Winner: Phil MacCall by Guillotine 4.43 Round 1

Mark Beese vs Sami Berik
European Lightweight Bout

A fired-up looking Berik decided to take the fight directly to his opponent tonight, opening with hard left and right hooks, he forced Beese to cover up, but not stopping his attack Berik simply switched to battering Beese’s arms with elbow strikes. Avoiding attempts at a clinch Berik landed a good knee to Beese’s chin before trying a takedown in response to Beese desperate guillotine attempt.

Slipping out from underneath Beese’s sprawl, Berik unleashed a succession of fast punches that dropped Beese against the fence. Pouncing on him, Berik landed 4 or 5 huge shots before the referee could stop the fight. A resounding win for Berik.

Winner: Sami Berik by TKO (Ref Stoppage) 1.23 Round 1

Zelg Galesic vs Jim Bentley
European Middleweight Bout

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it encounter, Tae Kwon Do champ Zelg Galesic scored a huge KO over 44 year old Jim Bentley. Meeting in the centre of the ring, Galesic launched a huge overhand right that connected right on the side of Bentley’s skull. Dropping face first onto the mat, Bentley was clearly out, but a soccer kick to the ribs and a few more punches to the head cast no doubt and Galesic walked away the winner after hardly breaking a sweat.

Winner: Zelg Galesic by TKO (Ref Stoppage) 16 secs Round 1

Franco De Leonardis vs Marcelo Ferreira
International Lightweight Bout

DeLeonardis is an accomplished grappler, having picked up Most Impressive Fighter at the Ultimate Grappling Challenge in Germany, but faced a worthy opponent in the form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Carlson Gracie trained phenom Marcelo Ferreira "Bocao".

DeLeonardis showed his crisp stand-up by running in with a knee and delivering some more from a tight front headlock, but Bocao took most on his arms before slipping out. Narrowly avoiding a high kick, Bocao rushed in and got his man to the mat.

German Top Team fighter DeLeonardis showed his impressive ground skills by almost sweeping Bocao from his guard, but the black belt’s base was too good and before long he had passed to side mount. Dropping some big knees to the ribs of the German, Bocao rode his bucking opponent before catching an arm triangle choke from halfguard. Eventually working his leg free and jumping off to the side to tighten it further, he forced DeLeonardis to tap.

Bocao is a classy, versatile fighter. While this match displayed mostly his grappling ability, the footage I have seen of him sparring in Switzerland with training partner Augusta Frota was a different story. Flying kicks, huge Ground and Pound and awesome takedowns, Bocao is definitely the real deal. There aren’t many u70kg fighters in this country that could match him in an even fight.

Winner: Bocao by Arm-triangle choke 4.19 Round 1

Tony Bentley vs Dion Staring
European Heavyweight Fight

In another short but action packed fight, Dutch fighter Staring brought the Bentley families hopes for redemption to an abrupt end in this contest.

Although Bentley tossed Staring to the mat with a big hip throw, his positioning was off and Staring took his back. Soon Staring had full mount and began dropping big elbows that opened up a gash on Bentley’s forehead, to which the doctor wisely stopped the fight. A one sided affair like this wouldn’t have lasted long, it may be that Bentley saved himself a more serious injury by being stopped by the cut.

Winner: Dion Staring by TKO (Cut Stoppage) 1.41 Round 1

David Ganoa vs Augusto Frota
International Lightweight Superfight

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Augusta Frota is a very exciting fighter. When he’s not hob-nobbing with close pals Minotauro and other BTT members, he’s running his own gym in Switzerland. As I mentioned earlier, Frota showed me some of his closed-door sparring footage- after watching it I doubted anyone at his weight could pose too much of a problem to his dynamic style.

Blitzing Ganoa with a barrage of punches, kicks and knees Frota threw everything he had at the young Spaniard, and Ganoa crumbled under the onslaught.

Pouncing on his fallen foe, Frota defended a single leg attempt with ease while wailing away with punches from top position. Taking a rear naked choke from side ride position, Frota actually ran up the side of the cage to finish the choke! Ganoa had no answer to this matrix style attack and tapped in less than a minute.

Winner: Augusto Frota by Rear Naked Choke 47 secs Round 1

Peter Angerer vs Rafles la Rose
European Welterweight Superfight

Angerer is noticed for his awesome striking skills, some of which he demonstrated last time out at UC X. La Rose had obviously done his homework, and the grappler wasted no time in taking Angerer to the mat. An even grappling matched followed, but soon La Rose had managed to get mount and began punching down at the German. Attempting an armbar, he rolled off to finish it but Angerer managed to stack his weight upon him, before slipping his arm out. Taking side mount, he worked short hard elbows to La Rose’s skull, but the crafty Dutch fighter regained his guard and began attacking for submissions, one of which was the winning move- a tight guillotine choke that left Angerer no choice but to tap.

Winner: Rafles la Rose by Guillotine 4.30 Round 1

Nathan Schouteren vs Ross Mason
World Middleweight Title

Apart from being huge, mean looking and a devastating fighter, Ross Mason is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Humble, friendly and only slightly mean-looking he has lots of friends, and many of them were in residence tonight, as the support from the crowd was deafening.

Schouteren is a dangerous all rounder from the Netherlands, as he dismantled Ultimate Combat regular Lars Besand in his eliminator with seemingly little effort.

Unfazed, the ripped Mason came out firing on all cylinders and forced Schouteren to clinch to avoid having his head taken off.

A very even clinch battle followed, with both men landing big knee strikes to the body and legs while reversing each other against the cage. As the two danced this dangerous number, Mason bullied his man to the floor, where he attacked with short hard punches only inches from my ringside seat. The wet slap of Mason’s shots were audible even over the din of the crowd, but Schouteren hung on, even avoiding a guillotine/neck crank move.

Going back to their feet, the two traded punch for punch and kick for kick, but upon attempting a high kick Schouteren slipped and Mason dived on with more elbows to the head as the bell sounded for the first time that night.

Upon starting the second round, Mason took it up a gear and dropped the Dutchman with a left hook, but slipped before he could capitalise on it. Going back to a clinch, the two swapped knees before Schouteren found his distance and began letting off his own punches. Mason countered well, but Schouteren seemed to be getting the better slightly, repeatedly landing more shots on the break of each clinch.

A huge left hook from Mason saw him off balance and get tagged, sending him to the mat. Diving on him, Schouteren took advantage of Mason’s fatigue and pounded away from side mount, mount and back-mount until the referee decided Mason could defend himself no more.

Winner: Nathan Schouteren by TKO (Ref Stoppage) 4.40 Round 2

Javier Garcia vs Fabricio Nascimento
World Welterweight Title

Tonight was certainly the night of quick finishes, and Brazilian Fabricio Nascimento joined in the action in thrilling fashion by calmly controlling the game Garcia before taking an armbar victory.

Although Garcia defended admirably, he was no match for the slick jiu-jitsu of Nascimento as the Brazilian took him down, transitioned from side control to knee ride and spun off for a textbook armbar. Nascimento’s fights are an inspiring performance of clean technique.

Winner: Fabricio Nascimento by Armbar 1.46 Round 1

James Thompson vs Dan Severn
World Heavyweight Title

Finally the big one had arrived. Two of the largest men to step foot in the Ultimate Combat octagon took centre stage for the next 25 minutes, and the crowd hit fever-pitch as Thompson entered the arena. Coming out to his trademark mix of eerie-choral music and blistering hip-hop, Thomson looked cool as a cucumber in his corner, calmly surveying the ageing yet physically imposing Severn.

Pressing forward throughout, Thompson controlled his entire fight with the legend that is Severn. Easily defending the repeated takedown attempts of Severn, Thompson displayed a mean sprawl and managed to put the multi-world titleholder Severn on his back for much of the fight. Working shots from inside the guard of Severn, he often let Severn up as if to show him how easily he could control where the fight went.

Although he found himself caught by a number of swatting right hooks from southpaw Severn, Thompson’s youth and energy saw him press the pace and eventually take the mount position in round 4. Although he was reversed late in the round, Severn could do nothing from inside Thompson’s guard and they returned to their corners for the last time knowing exactly how the decision would be declared unless something drastic happened.

Trading in Severn’s corner, Thompson half-punched half-pushed Severn to the mat, and even threw him down to the canvas from the clinch. Towering over him, he worked Severn’s body before allowing Severn to slowly stand.

Off balance, Severn fell to the mat once more as Thompson charged him, but shooting a single leg he almost managed to lever the Colossus over. Thompson’s weight distribution was too good though, and his sprawl forced Severn to pull guard in a desperate attempt at safety.

Mounting Severn once again, Thompson finished the final round in total control and without doubt as to who the winner was.

Winner: James Thompson by Unanimous Judges Decision (50-46, 49-47, 49-47)

Pride Fighting Championships beckons for Thompson, having secured a deal to fight in the biggest MMA show on Earth. His fight with Tengiz has taught him well, as he has polished his wrestling ability and showed good defence against a one-time world-class wrestler. An opponent has yet to named although a few names have been bandied about- whatever happens, be assured Thompson will take this seriously and train accordingly. He’ll have to, as he certainly won’t be the biggest boy about at Pride FC. Either way, I say best of luck to him- a UK fighter in a show like Pride is quite an achievement.