The Combat Sports Open Trials held it's National Championships yesterday.

The Nationals played host to three Four Man Grand-Prix Eliminators and two gruelling Eight Man Grand Prix Eliminators.

The winners of these Grand Prix' were crowned Combat Sports National Champion 2005.

Neil Broadbent
Combat Sports Lightweight (-70.5kg) National Champion 2005

Undefeated at 4-0-0, Neil Broadbent was one of the hot tips to win the Lightweight Title, but he was up against extremely stiff competition.

Neil’s most daunting rivals in the Lightweight Division were TT UK’s Spencer Dummer and Impact Martial Arts Simon McGovern, who also held undefeated records coming in to the 2005 National Championships.

Two of those three would loose their undefeated records that afternoon.

Spencer Dummer defeated Simon McGovern via Judge’s decision in the Semi Finals, then Neil Broadbent defeated Spencer Dummer by a close decision in the Finals.

Neil has developed so much as a fighter in the past year and wowed everyone at the final leg of the Open Trials in August.

An awesome end to an awesome year for Team Iron Orr’s Neil Broadbent.


Michael Beckett
Combat Sports Welterweight (-77kg) National Champion 2005

Michael Beckett is an Open Trials veteran and has consistently remained at the top of his division all year.

Beckett looked at the absolute peak of physical condition for The Nationals. He whipped through the tournament like a hurricane. In the Semi Finals, he disposed of Team Iron Wolves’ Liam Cronin in only twenty-five seconds and took home the gold after only twenty six seconds in the Finals.

The Combat Sports National Championships has never seen such a dominant display!


Chris Simpson
Combat Sports Middleweight (-84kg) National Champion 2005

Chris Simpson was the dark horse of the championships. He was placed mid-table in the 2005 Open Trials rankings and actually ranked eighth out of the eight Middleweight competitors in the National Championships.

But Simpson brought it big-time at the Nationals. He swept aside Jack Tesseyman and Ritchie Dixon in the qualifying rounds before finishing Number One seed, Aaron Baum in the finals.

Chris Simpson went from under-dog to top-dog in one afternoon.


Simon Phillips
Combat Sports Light-Heavyweight (-93kg) National Champion 2005

Simon Phillips is a core member of SDCS Exeter's formiddable fight team.

Phillips stamped his authority all over the Light-Heavyweight division in 2005 and jumped at the chance to fight in the 2005 Nationals. He had a tough draw in the form of Scott Taylor in the Semi Finals. He defeated Taylor and proceeded to the Finals where he faced Somerset Jiu Jitsu Alliance’s Paul Kelly.

The match went down as one of the most exciting of the afternoon and Simon Phillips emerged the victor.


Matt Male
Combat Sports Heavyweight (-120kg) National Champion 2005

”Big Matt” was 2004’s only returning champion, as all of the others have already begun forging Professional MMA Careers.

Male vowed to defend his title, and at 6’ 4” and 120kg not many people would argue with him. He had a very rough ride though...

Male inched a split decision victory against the tough Tom Booth in the Semi Finals and fought tooth and nail until the last bell in the Finals.

Mark Timberlake dominated Matt Male throughout the first round of the Finals. It looked as though the Title was about to change hands.

Male was frustrated and fuming after the second round and his nose had been smashed by two accidental illegal knees. Being an Amateur event no shots were allowed to the head, and the Judge’s had marked the rounds accordingly.

Male fought a belting over-time round. He remained, undeterred even after a third knee to the face. Timberlake had fought a very good fight, but the THREE illegal knees and a solid showing by Male had put victory way out of his grasp when it came to the Judge’s Decision.

Matt Male retained the Combat Sports Heavyweight Championship Title for the second year running and has already said, he will return to defend it next year.