BCF: The Butterfield Era

[InsatiableInsanity]

[center][b]BCF – British Cage Fighting Newsletter – 01/07/1996[/center] WELCOME![/b] Well, it’s been a hectic summer here at British Cage Fighting – and we recently we made an announcement that sent shockwaves throughout the entire company! Last week, BCF announced that it had instated a new President in the shape of Jon Butterfield, and Mr. Butterfield gave a brief press conference stating his intentions for the future. Mr. Butterfield said that his vision for BCF was not only to use it as a platform for making British mixed martial arts more popular in the UK, but throughout Europe as well. To quote the man himself, “first Britain, then Europe – and after that, [i]the world[/i]!” [b]RESULTS/RANKINGS:[/b] Speaking of changes, our most recent card, BCF: Rush vs. Laurent, had major implications on the current rankings! [b]BCF: Rush vs. Laurent Results:[/b] Rav Kapur df. Perry Barr (**) by T.K.O. in 0:45 of Round 1 Scott Gillespie df. Jeremy Sproule (*) by Knock Out in 2:41 of Round 3 Will Kane df. Uwe Maier (**) by Knock Out in 4:02 of Round 2 Andrew Rush © df. George Laurent (***) by T.K.O. in 1:20 of Round 4 [b]Heavyweight Rankings:[/b] 1. Garry McSweegan © (12-2) 2. Stafford Alois (18-7) 3. Eddie Whelan (10-2) 4. Perry Barr (13-4) 5. Daniel Hornsby (9-2) 6. Curt Kitson (10-3) 7. Mark Bicknell (8-3) 8. Brian Barnes (9-6) 9. Michael Bannon (5-4) 10. Rav Kapur (5-0) Unranked: Bob Dozier (4-2) Graham Goodbody (2-0) Jesse Singh (4-3) Changes: Rav Kapur’s hugely impressive win over Perry Barr sees him climb into the top ten in the Heavyweight Division for the first time, displacing ‘The Spartan’ Jesse Singh. Barr, meanwhile, drops one place to fourth, and will need to get back on track if he’s to challenge for McSweegan’s title in the near future – and hopefully this time the fight will last a little longer than 45 seconds! [b]Middleweight Rankings:[/b] 1. Andrew Rush © (12-0) 2. Tucker Plumm (13-7) 3. George Laurent (12-1) 4. Davis Spyrou (11-4) 5. Rob Baines (10-2) 6. Richard Smith (10-5) 7. Will Kane (7-0) 8. Travis Jones (7-7) 9. Robert Darrell (7-2) 10. Hans-Peter Schneider (8-3) Unranked: Dennis Gallagher (3-1) Grant Capelli (16-38-2) Henning Olsen (3-2) Uwe Maier (5-1) Changes: The BCF: Rush vs. Laurent card had massive implications for the Middleweight rankings, given that two previously undefeated fighters went head to head in Kane vs. Maier, and another put not only his streak, but his title on the line in Rush vs. Laurent. Both fighters were sporting pristine 12-0 records. As luck would have it, Andrew Rush was successful in his first title defence, maintaining his spot at the top of the Lightweight ladder, while Will Kane made it 7 in a row with a Knock Out win over Maier. Maier and Laurent will need to react to defeat well if they are to improve their current standings – sadly for Maier in particular, he doesn’t even make this month’s top ten! [b]Lightweight Rankings:[/b] 1. Doug Hansen (14-3) 2. Rudolphe Gygax (16-7) 3. Lukas Mellberg (10-0) 4. Jason Dalglish © (9-2) 5. Dominykas Jankovic (8-4) 6. Paul Duffell (7-4-2) 7. William Powell (7-3) 8. Milenko Rudonja (7-3) 9. Gordon Idle (6-2) 10. Jeremy Sproule (6-4) Unranked: Jay Dorridge (1-0) Scott Gillespie (2-0) Steven Griffin (3-1) Changes: No changes to this month’s Lightweight rankings despite Scott Gillespie’s impressive win over the more experienced Jeremy Sproule, given Gillespie’s ineligibility having fought only 2 fights – still, the young Glaswegian has made a very impressive start to life in mixed martial arts, and we’ll see where he can take it from here. As for Sproule, it’s back to the drawing board, and hopefully back to winning ways before he knows it. [b]NEW SIGNINGS:[/b] British Cage Fighting are delighted to have unveiled four new fighters this month – Parisian Bixente Fontaine (9-3) and ‘Made in Germany’ Ralph Kohl (4-1) will join the BCF Middleweight division, whilst ‘Anarchy’ Juozas Skerla (1-0) from Lithuania will join the BCF Heavyweight division along with Moldovan fighter ‘The Crusher’ Mugur Boc. BCF wish all four fighters the best of British! [b]NEW CARD:[/b] Butterfield’s first job as BCF President was to announce the next card – BCF: Dalglish vs. Hansen, which will feature not just one, but [i]two[/i] title fights! This ought to be a great show... [b]BCF: Dalglish vs. Hansen[/b] Lightweight Title Fight: 'The Miniature Killer' Jason Dalglish © (9-2) vs. 'The Nightmare' Doug Hansen (14-3) - When 'The Miniature Killer' beat Tucker Plumm by unanimous decision in April of this year, he gained more than just the Lightweight title - he gained the chance to become the number one Lightweight fighter in BCF. Well, if he's going to get there, he's got to go through 'The Nightmare' that is Doug Hansen. Hansen may not be the champion, but he is the number one Lightweight in the division according to many experts - and that's what this fight is all about: it's about titles, it's about respect - but more than that, it's about finding out who is [i]the[/i] man in the BCF Lightweight division! Heavyweight Title Fight: Garry McSweegan © (12-2) vs. 'The Brixton Butcher' Stafford Alois (18-7) - What more needs to be said about Garry McSweegan? The man is a machine. Just two months after beating his number one rival, Eddie Whelan, he's agreed to put his belt on the line again, this time against the dangerous Stafford Alois. Last time Alois fought, he stopped Daniel Hornsby in only Hornsby's second professional defeat. Will the 'Brixton Butcher' be able to end McSweegan's reign? Or will the Scotsman send yet another challenger packing? Lightweight Division: 'Rock Steady' Gordon Idle (6-2) vs. 'The Baby-Faced Assassin' Steven Griffin (3-1) Gordon Idle hasn't been seen since his Round One submission defeat at the hands of Lukas Mellberg, but you can rest assured that he's has been training voraciously for his next fight - and it comes against another fighter also trying to get back to winning ways following a loss to Doug Hansen - Steven Griffin. Many had Griffin pegged as the future of the Lightweight division - but another defeat here could put paid to that. Both men need a win very badly if they are to climb up the rankings - and both have a whole lot to lose! Hans-Peter Schneider (8-3) vs. 'Made in Germany' Ralph Kohl (4-1) Wrestler Hans-Peter Schneider debuted for BCF in April, and made veteran fighter Grant Capelli tap out in just over 2 minutes of the very first round. Will he be able to repeat that feat against fellow German Ralph Kohl? Kohl, a former boxer, was eager to follow in Schneider's footsteps by making the transition to British Cage Fighting - will he make a similar impact in his debut? Time will tell! (Predictions welcome!)

[BIGJOSH]

Good luck with BCF...normally GAMMA and Alpha-1 steal all of your stars.

[InsatiableInsanity]

OTR: Thanks BigJosh, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Always love a challenge! ;) [center][b][COLOR="blue"]BCF – British Cage Fighting Presents...[/color] From the 02 Wireless Arena in London... [COLOR="red"]BCF: Dalglish vs. Hansen[/COLOR][/b] [i]BCF President Jon Butterfield welcomes us to the show, and also to the new BCF Dynasty – the Butterfield era! Butterfield thanks us for our support, and says all the fighters are ready, willing and able to put on a fantastic show – all we have to do now is sat back, put our feet up, and enjoy the action![/i] [b][u]Middleweight Division Fight[/u][/b] Hans-Peter Schneider (8-3) vs. ‘Made in Germany’ Ralph Kohl (4-1)[/center] Age: [center]25 - 24[/center] Height: [center]5’9 - 5’11[/center] Weight: [center]175 lbs - 182 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Wrestling - Boxing[/center] Round 1 Kohl doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Schneider was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Schneider hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Kohl hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Schneider. Kohl is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Schneider glances at the referee, not sure why. Time ticks away, and Schneider offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Kohl by 10-8. Round 2 The two fighters circle. Schneider flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Kohl easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Schneider could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Kohl moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Schneider is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Schneider forces Kohl back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Kohl in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Schneider does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Kohl saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Schneider turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Schneider is up quickly, causing Kohl, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Schneider was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Schneider throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Kohl to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. End of round 2. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Kohl. Round 3 Schneider starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Kohl checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Schneider doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Schneider cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Kohl with a beauty of a right hook. Kohl stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Schneider presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Kohl clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Kohl scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Schneider in the gut. Schneider uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Schneider gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Kohl reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Schneider has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Kohl has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Schneider from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Schneider tries to step over and fully apply it, but Kohl breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Schneider steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Kohl hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Schneider will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Schneider. The official scores are in; two judges give 29-27, the other 30-26, all for Ralph Kohl. [i]Ralph Kohl gives us a run down of the three rounds, saying he always felt like he had Schneider on the run ever since the opening shot of the first round rocked him. Kohl admits that he was disappointed not to have finished his opponent, but says a win’s a win, and even though he faded a bit in the third round, all he had to do was avoid getting submitted, and that’s exactly what he did![/i] [center][b][u]Lightweight Division Fight[/b][/u] ‘Rock Steady’ Gordon Idle (6-2) vs. ‘The Baby-Faced Assassin’ Steven Griffin (3-1)[/center] Age: [center]22 - 23[/center] Height: [center]5’6 - 5’8[/center] Weight: [center]162 lbs - 164 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Wrestling - Wrestling[/center] Round 1 There's a few minor exchanges of punches to start the round, and Idle gets the better of them. Neither fighter is throwing any bombs, but Idle is showing the better technique, and has hit a few nice body shots. They come together again, and Idle shows quick hands to get in three nice shots. Griffin definitely felt them. Neither fighter seems interested in taking this to the ground, they're just circling, throwing a few punches, then regrouping. Griffin is struggling to inflict much damage. He may need to switch tactics, as so far Idle is looking very comfortable. Griffin comes in with left, but Idle saw it coming and slipped in a great right hand counter punch. Griffin is getting frustrated. The remainder of the round is no different, as the occasional exchanges of strikes are clearly go the way of Idle's superior technique. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Idle. Round 2 Idle doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Griffin was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Griffin hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Idle narrowly misses a right cross. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Idle hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Griffin. Idle is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Idle looks to be working an angle. Time ticks away, and Griffin offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The round is over. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Idle. Round 3 The round begins with Griffin taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Idle replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Griffin goes for the takedown, but Idle sprawls. Griffin tries to power through, but Idle uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Griffin defend this. Idle is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Griffin isn't allowing it. Griffin pulls Idle in tight, locking up both his arms. Idle pulls free and again tries to pass guard. This has turned into a bit of a stalemate, the referee may be thinking of standing them up if nothing happens soon. Idle tries a big right hand, which Griffin defends well. He has quite a high guard, Idle has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Griffin once again drags Idle down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Idle easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Idle trying to pass guard. Griffin tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Idle, but he realises the danger in time and manages to recover. The referee finally gets them back to their feet due to the lack of progress that has been made. Idle scores with a jab, then a second. Griffin goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Idle enough time to take him down again. Idle quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Griffin once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Idle on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Idle. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Gordon Idle. [i]Gordon Idle says Steven Griffin was a tough opponent, and the he believes he has a great future ahead of him in mixed martial arts, but that today was not his day. Idle says it was tough preparing to face a fellow wrestler, but was always confident that his greater experience would come in handy, and it did![/i] [center][b][u]Heavyweight Title Fight[/b][/u] Garry McSweegan © (12-2) vs. ‘The Brixton Butcher’ Stafford Alois (18-7)[/center] Age: [center]26 - 31[/center] Height: [center]6’1 – 6’4[/center] Weight: [center]206 lbs – 239 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Striker – Kick Boxing[/center] Round 1 The round begins, and it is McSweegan who starts better, energetically bounding straight into action by throwing a three-punch combination and a scything leg kick. Alois defended all four blows well, but is forced to be on the backfoot right from the word go. McSweegan works for an angle, coming in from the left hand side with a high right hand. Alois ducks under it and nestles a stiff jab in the solar plexus. It doesn't seem to slow McSweegan down much though, as he swiftly turns and hits a crisp left to the side of the head, followed almost instantly by a mid-level kick that smacks above the hip of Alois. Interesting first minute of action, McSweegan is looking particularly sharp. Alois tries to turn the momentum by advancing quickly and driving McSweegan back against the cage with a series of jabs and hooks, and they end up clinched. Alois tries a knee from that position, but it is blocked. McSweegan scores with two sharp blows to the ribs, and then they break away from each other. They both seem to be looking for an opening, and it's creating a stalemate at the moment. They square up to each other in the center. McSweegan throws a head fake and comes in from low down to hit a rising shot that catches Alois on the side of the head. Alois got a shot in too though, although it hit the shoulder rather than the head. Time is running down; McSweegan has probably done enough to win the round, but it has turned quite scrappy since the clinch against the cage, both will probably be slightly unhappy with that. Alois tries a late surge, coming in hard and fast with a leading left, but McSweegan defends it well and scores the only meaningful shot of the exchange with a crisp left hand. The first round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to McSweegan by 10-9. Round 2 The fighters touch gloves, then circle. McSweegan throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Alois from coming inside. McSweegan works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Alois responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. McSweegan backs off slightly, maybe a bit relieved not to have taken that one on the chin. Neither fighter appears to be looking for any sort of takedown or grapple, this is all about the striking. Alois circles and throws a series of high jabs, but McSweegan blocked them with ease, using the gloves. McSweegan fakes a high kick, then storms in with a wild looking right hand and a series of body shots. Alois covers up and rides out the storm, clinching to stop any further blows. It was a nice attack from McSweegan though, best action of the round. They stay clinched for a while, exchanging occasional punches to the ribs, then are separated by the referee. It looks like this round is going to the judges though, as there's only a few seconds remaining. McSweegan throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. The round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 McSweegan. Round 3 McSweegan starts fast, coming out almost immediately with a three punch combination. None of them get through, and Alois manages to squeeze a jab of his own through and score just above the left cheek. They exchange a flurry of blows right in the center, it's difficult to see who got the best of it, and both of them retreat a few steps to recover. Good start to the round, early indications are that this is going to be all about the striking, neither fighter has even hinted at going for a takedown. Alois uses a low kick to set up a nice right hand, and McSweegan is forced back against the cage. Alois picks his shots and gets a big punch to the body in. McSweegan uses a couple of looping punches to make Alois keep back, but it doesn't last for long, as Alois bursts forward and hits two big right hands, taking a counter punch to the body though, and they wind up in a clinch. They exchange weak-looking blows from that position, before the referee grows tired of the inactivity and breaks them apart. McSweegan scores with a low kick. Alois is looking the slightly more fit of the two fighters. Alois unwinds a right hook that narrowly misses. That will be the last action of the round though. The third round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Alois. Round 4 They are circling, then come in close. Both fighters are tentatively looking for the chance to strike. McSweegan is the first to go for it, throwing a three-punch combination. Alois covered up well, taking very little damage. McSweegan goes to throw a bomb, but gets clipped with a right hand before it can connect. He felt that. Alois steps in and throws a bomb of his own, and it crunches into the side of the cheek of McSweegan, who goes down! Replays show the shock wave passing through his entire body as that powerful punch connected. What a strike! Alois wins this by a brutally clean knock out. Official time of the knock out is 1:28 of the fourth. Stafford Alois is now the BCF Heavyweight champion! [i]Stafford Alois is overjoyed after winning the BCF Heavyweight Title, saying McSweegan is probably the best opponent he’s ever faced. Alois admitted he had struggled to find his feet in the first two rounds, but didn’t feel like McSweegan had the power to really hurt him. When round three came around, Alois said he felt McSweegan’s confidence start to depart, and that’s when he picked it up a notch. Alois runs us through the knock out, saying it was important to get that first shot in before McSweegan nailed him, and that after that, it was just a straight, clean shot to the face! Alois thanks the crowd, and says he’s sure McSweegan will bounce back! McSweegan is tended to by the paramedics.[/i] [center][b][u]Lightweight Title Fight[/b][/u] ‘The Miniature Killer’ Jason Dalglish (9-2) vs. ‘The Nightmare’ Doug Hansen (14-3)[/center] Age: [center]26 - 27[/center] Height: [center]5’5 - 5’11[/center] Weight: [center]152 lbs - 164 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Jiu-Jitsu - Judo[/center] Round 1 Hansen is quickest out, and comes at Dalglish with a series of jabs and straight punches. Dalglish covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Dalglish hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Hansen who takes it to the ground. Dalglish pulls guard. There's a lull, as Hansen tries to pass, and Dalglish defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Dalglish almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Hansen, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Hansen. Round 2 The two fighters circle. A series of looping punches from Hansen forces Dalglish back up against the cage, and he has to cover up to withstand the three strikes that follow. No real damage caused, but Hansen is aggressively chasing this match. A hook finds the body and Dalglish clinches. They almost lose their balance as they jockey for position, Dalglish gets in a couple of knees when they regain their footing. Hansen seems to be trying to break the clinch, it's Dalglish who is holding it tight, perhaps hoping to calm the energetic start that Hansen had. The referee finally does break them up, after nearly a full minute of inactivity. Dalglish gets in close and fires off a series of body shots, nicely done. He tries to step back to avoid any counter blows, but Hansen smothers him in a clinch. Dalglish takes a knee to the ribs from the clinch, then gets pushed into the cage. Hansen uses a swift leg sweep to take Dalglish down to the ground. Hansen stands, and uses his arms to push Dalglish's guard apart. Leaning down between the legs, he starts throwing vicious punches. Dalglish tries to bring his legs back in to pull guard again, while simultaneously covering up, but he is having trouble; Hansen is using his body to keep the legs from coming in. More punches rain down, and Dalglish is starting to get really pounded. A big shot lands hard on the nose, then a left hand crunches into his cheek. The referee has seen enough and pulls Hansen away, signalling the end of this match. The official time of the TKO is 3:13 of round 2. Doug Hansen is the new BCF Lightweight champion. [i]Doug Hansen says he is elated, and calls this a ‘big day for British Cage Fighting’. Hansen says he may not have been the Champion coming in, but he was a lot of people’s favourite, and says Dalglish only had one shot to win it – he had to submit him! Hansen says he avoided a guillotine in the first, and after that, he knew he could frustrate Dalglish. He says he didn’t expect to win by ground and pound, but once he was on top of Dalglish, he just had to use his size and weight advantage, and once he was past Dalglish’s guard, it was all over! Hansen says it feels great to be Lightweight Champion, and he intends to hold on to the belt for a very long time![/i] CONCLUSION: The 641 in attendance left the event feeling that it was a good one. Fans loved the title changes, which are always a treat, and two title matches was always going to make for a stellar show.

[InsatiableInsanity]

[center][b]BCF – [COLOR="red"]British[/color] Cage [COLOR="Blue"]Fighting[/color] Newsletter – 01/07/1996[/center] WELCOME![/b] BCF: Dalglish vs. Hansen is in the books, and we have [i]two[/i] new Champions! Everybody here at British Cage Fighting would like to congratulate both Stafford Alois and Doug Hansen on their scintillating victories! There is, however, some less positive news coming out of the show – former BCF Lightweight champion Jason Dalglish has unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury that is expected to keep him out of action for at least 6 weeks. BCF wish Dalglish the speediest of recoveries, and we know he’ll be back and better than ever very soon! Elsewhere, Dominykas Jankovic has declared that he will be moving up in weight to compete in the Middleweight Division. Jankovic, who has been advised by Mantas Andreyev Fighting Camp with whom he is a permanent member to make the move, is hoping that the change in weight will allow him to bounce back from his last defeat against debutant Jay Dorridge. [b]RESULTS/RANKINGS:[/b] [b]BCF: Dalglish vs. Hansen Results:[/b] Ralph Kohl df. Hans-Peter Schneider (*) by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26) Gordon Idle df. Steven Gillespie (*) by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Stafford Alois df. Garry McSweegan © (**) by Knock Out in 1:28 of Round 4 Doug Hansen df. Jason Dalglish © (**) by T.K.O. in 3:13 of Round 2 [b]Heavyweight Rankings:[/b] 1. Stafford Alois © (19-7) ([COLOR="blue"]Up 1[/color]) 2. Eddie Whelan (10-2) (Up 1) 3. Perry Barr (13-4) (Up 1) 4. Daniel Hornsby (9-2) (Up 1) 5. Curt Kitson (10-3) (Up 1) 6. Garry McSweegan (12-3) ([COLOR="red"]Down 5[/color]) 7. Mark Bicknell (8-3) 8. Brian Barnes (9-6) 9. Michael Bannon (5-4) 10. Rav Kapur (5-0) Unranked: Bob Dozier (4-2) Graham Goodbody (2-0) Jesse Singh (4-3) Mugur Boc (2-0) (NEW!) Juozas Skerla (1-0) (NEW!) Changes: Stafford Alois not only claims the Heavyweight title as his own, but moves up to top spot, simultaneously knocking Garry McSweegan all the way down to 6th. McSweegan, who suffered only his third career loss in the fight, will be looking to get back on track once his one month K.O. suspension has been served! Two new faces in Skerla and Boc will have to rack up a few fights in BCF before being eligible for entry into the rankings. [b]Middleweight Rankings:[/b] 1. Andrew Rush © (12-0) 2. Tucker Plumm (13-7) 3. George Laurent (12-1) 4. Davis Spyrou (11-4) 5. Rob Baines (10-2) 6. Dominykas Jankovic (8-4) ([COLOR="blue"]NEW![/color]) 7. Richard Smith (10-5) (Down 1) 8. Will Kane (7-0) (Down 1) 9. Travis Jones (7-7) (Down 1) 10. Ralph Kohl (5-1) ([COLOR="blue"]NEW![/color]) Unranked: Bixente Fontaine (9-3) (NEW!) Dennis Gallagher (3-1) Grant Capelli (16-38-2) Hans-Peter Schneider (8-4) ([COLOR="Red"]Down[/color]) Henning Olsen (3-2) Uwe Maier (5-1) Changes: Dominykas Jankovic jumps straight in at 6th in the Middleweight rankings following his decision to move up in weight. Ralph Kohl replaces Hans-Peter Schneider in 10th spot following his victory over the fellow German fighter. Bixente Fontaine will have to wait to make his debut, after which he will be eligible for the rankings. [b]Lightweight Rankings:[/b] 1. Doug Hansen © (15-3) 2. Rudolphe Gygax (16-7) 3. Lukas Mellberg (10-0) 4. Paul Duffell (7-4-2) (Up 2) 5. Gordon Idle (7-2) ([COLOR="blue"]Up 4[/color]) 6. Milenko Rudonja (7-3) (Up 2) 7. William Powell (7-3) 8. Jeremy Sproule (6-4) (Up 2) 9. Jason Dalglish © (9-3) ([COLOR="red"]Down 5[/color]) 10. Steven Griffin (3-2) ([COLOR="blue"]Up![/color]) Unranked: Jay Dorridge (1-0) Scott Gillespie (2-0) Changes: Doug Hansen remains at the top of the ladder following his Lightweight title victory, and now he has the gold to go with the spot! Jason Dalglish plummets down to 9th, however we know the plucky Scotsman will be back following the shoulder injury he suffered during the fight. Gordon Idle climbs up the rankings to 5th following his victory over Steven Griffin, who features in the rankings for the first time following the weight change of Jankovic. [b]ROSTER CHANGES:[/b] Perhaps unsurprisingly, BCF Heavyweight Champion Stafford Alois has attracted the attention of American MMA giants, GAMMA recently. BCF President Jon Butterfield says he is hopeful of hanging onto ‘The Brixton Butcher’ now that he has the company’s gold around his waist, but admits the decision to stay or leave is completely down to the big man himself. ‘The Nightmare’ Doug Hansen also finds himself highly sought after, and is believed to be fielding offers from both GAMMA and ALPHA-1. Again, BCF are not prepared to let their top talent go without a fight, and Butterfield is believed to be ready to offer an improved deal to Hansen and Alois. [b]NEW CARD:[/b] [b]BCF: Laurent vs. Spyrou[/b] Middleweight Division: ‘Knock ‘Em Out’ George Laurent (12-1) vs. ‘The Spartan’ Davis Spyrou (11-4) - George Laurent had won 12 fights in a row (mostly by Knock Out) before he challenged Middleweight Champion Andrew Rush and lost. Laurent wasn’t happy with the referees third round T.K.O. decision, but if he felt he was especially unlucky, Davis Spyrou will no doubt have something to say to him about that. Last time out, Spyrou lost on a Split Decision verdict to Rob Baines. Many believe that had Spyrou beaten Baines that night, he would be facing Rush for the title on this very card – instead, two men who both feel they shouldn’t have lost will go at it – but only one can get back to winning ways. Lightweight Division: ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’ William Powell (7-3) vs. ‘The Ice Cold Swede’ Lukas Mellberg (10-0) - If you’re not aware of Lukas Mellberg’s rise to prominence in BCF, then we’ve got to wonder where you’ve been hiding! Last time out, Mellberg defeated veteran Rodolphe Gygax by Unanimous Decision – his tenth consecutive win! Mellberg remains undefeated, and another victory here could see him in the number one contender’s spot for Doug Hansen’s Lightweight title! BUT! William Powell is no slouch, and he certainly isn’t here to make up the numbers. Powell rebounded from a controversial Split Decision BCF debut defeat against Steven Griffin with an impressive Round 2 Submission victory over Milenko Rudonja. Both of these men are very handy with their submissions, and this could be a bone fide chess match! Middleweight Division: ‘Quiet Riot’ Tucker Plumm (13-7) vs. Bixente Fontaine (9-3) - After dropping his Lightweight title to Jason Dalglish, Tucker Plumm has decided to jump up in weight and fight in the Middleweight division. His first opponent? Frenchman Bixente Fontaine. Fontaine comes into BCF with a reputation as a very dangerous kickboxer, and sports an impressive 9-3 record. Both men are hoping to make a great start in a new division – who will come out on top? Heavyweight Division: ‘The Muscles from the Midlands’ Mark Bicknell (8-3) vs. ‘The Crusher’ Mugur Boc (2-0) - Mugur Boc. Well one thing’s for sure – that’s not a British name! Boc in fact hails from Tighina, Moldova, and is an exponent of the Moldovan wrestling technique. He currently sport an undefeated 2-0 record in mixed martial arts, and looks to improve that against England’s own Mark Bicknell. Bicknell, who prides himself on his physical appearance, is looking to bounce back from a defeat against the highly-rated Eddie Whelan. He will be wanting to avoid a bullet here against the unknown rookie Heavyweight, but Boc is confident that he can pound Bicknell into submission. Who will win? (Predictions Welcome!)

[InsatiableInsanity]

[center][b][COLOR="blue"]BCF – British Cage Fighting[/COLOR] Presents... From the 02 Wireless Arena in London... [COLOR="red"]BCF: Laurent vs. Spyrou[/COLOR][/b] [i]BCF President Jon Butterfield welcomes us to BCF: Laurent vs. Spyrou. Butterfield emphasises that tonight’s show is all about fighters moving up the rankings – any of the winner’s of tonight’s fights could be next in line for a title shot in the coming months![/i] [b][u]Heavyweight Division Fight[/u][/b] ‘The Muscles from the Midlands’ Mark Bicknell (8-3) vs. ‘The Crusher’ Mugur Boc (2-0)[/center] From: [center]Coventry, England – Tighina, Moldova[/center] Age: [center]27 - 27[/center] Height: [center]6’2 – 6’5[/center] Weight: [center]223 lbs - 242 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Submission Fighting – Moldovan Wrestling[/center] Round 1 Boc isn't hanging around, right from the start Bicknell is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Bicknell circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Boc weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Boc, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Bicknell is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Boc really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Bicknell was wide open for a moment there. Boc hits a high kick, catching Bicknell on the shoulder. Jab from Bicknell finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Boc fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Bicknell scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Boc, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. The first round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Boc by 10-9. Round 2 They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Bicknell, providing the first moment of real action. Boc hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Bicknell side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Boc is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Boc. Round 3 Bicknell forces Boc back against the cage and comes in close to try and unload. Boc pushes him away with a shove, palm across the face, and Bicknell loses his balance and is dumped onto the ground. Boc leaps into action to follow up. Bicknell is in trouble, as Boc not only has side control, but he has pinned one of Bicknell's arms down between his legs. Bicknell tries to pull it free, but a couple of punches to the face force him to reprioritise. Boc puts his hand over the mouth of Bicknell, smothering him and breaking his breathing rythm. Bicknell shakes free, but Boc now moves up and gets into crucifix position. Bicknell is wide open, with little to protect his head. Boc starts raining down with elbows and fists, Bicknell is getting pounded. A vicious shot hits above the ear, and that's enough to turn the lights out, Bicknell is out cold. The referee is thankfully in there quickly to pull Boc off and make sure that Bicknell doesn't take any further damage while unconscious. The official time of the knock out is 0:49 of round 3. [i]Mugur Boc is in with a translator, who says Boc was really fired up for this as no doubt everybody could tell. He says Boc knew he had it won when he passed Bicknell’s guard, and the referee should have just stopped it there and then! Boc says he’s prepared to take on any fighter in the Heavyweight division – he doesn’t care. Bicknell is tended to by the paramedics, and he looks absolutely out of it.[/i] [center][b][u]Middlweight Division Fight[/b][/u] ‘Quiet Riot’ Tucker Plumm (13-7) vs. Bixente Fontaine (9-3)[/center] From: [center]London, England – Paris, France [/center] Age: [center]29 - 25[/center] Height: [center]5’10 - 5’11[/center] Weight: [center]195 lbs – 192 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Karate – Kick Boxing[/center] Round 1 They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Plumm, providing the first moment of real action. Fontaine hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Plumm side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Fontaine is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. The first round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Fontaine. Round 2 Fontaine scores with a low kick to the outside of the knee, then backs off. Those will take their toll. Plumm responds with a right hand that hits gloves, a left hook to the body that stings Fontaine, then throws a spectacular head kick that connects! Fontaine was backing off after those two punches and didn't see it coming, he goes sailing backward, his body entirely limp. Plumm has knocked Fontaine out cold with one brutally powerful kick. Plumm wins via second round knock out at 43 seconds. [i]Tucker Plumm says [i]that[/i] is how you prove your critics wrong! Plumm says that kick was for everybody who had written him off even before he moved up in weight, and said there’s plenty more than that to come! The fans were on their feet for the hometown boy! Bixente Fontaine, meanwhile, recovers from the Knock Out and congratulates Plumm.[/i] [center][b][u]Lightweight Division Fight[/b][/u] ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’ William Powell (7-3) vs. ‘The Ice Cold Swede’ Lukas Mellberg (10-0)[/center] From: [center]Leeds, England vs. Stockholm, Sweden[/center] Age: [center]25 - 25[/center] Height: [center]5’8 – 5’10[/center] Weight: [center]165 lbs – 165 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Submissions – Jiu-Jitsu[/center] Round 1 The fighters come together right in the center. Powell throws out a jab, but Mellberg bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Mellberg works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Powell covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Mellberg is making Powell look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Powell hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Powell with a body shot. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Mellberg got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Powell slightly. Powell initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Powell looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Mellberg is clearly winning them. Powell needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Mellberg tries a speculative high kick, but Powell saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Powell tries to work an angle, but Mellberg is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Mellberg, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Mellberg. Round 2 The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Powell starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Mellberg is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Mellberg steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Powell throws a vicious right cross, but Mellberg goes under it and catches Powell with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Mellberg using his excellent movement to 'hit and run', coming in from a variety of angles to score with crisp punches, dodging out of the way of Powell's counters. Powell is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Mellberg has landed in comparison to him is becoming huge. None of them have been particularly big punches, certainly nothing likely to end a fight, but the sheer number of them must be hurting Powell. Powell finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Mellberg coming in with a low kick. Mellberg still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Powell can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Mellberg having dominated. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Mellberg. Round 3 A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Mellberg lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Powell sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Mellberg on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Powell manages to get the better position, pushing Mellberg up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Powell. Mellberg hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Powell tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Mellberg was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Powell down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Powell covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Mellberg hits a big elbow to the ribs, Powell definitely felt that. Mellberg drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Powell brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Mellberg will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Powell defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Mellberg unable to generate any attacks, and Powell unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Mellberg will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. The round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Mellberg by 10-9. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Lukas Mellberg. [i]Lukas Mellberg is upset with himself that he never really looked like finishing Powell, but says he’s still pleased with the win, even if it was by decision. Mellberg says he believes he can be the next Lightweight Champion whether Doug Hansen sticks around or not! Powell looks angry about the way that fight went down, but grits his teeth and raises Mellberg’s hand.[/i] [center][b][u]Middleweight Division Fight[/b][/u] ‘Knock ‘Em Out’ George Laurent (12-1) vs. ‘The Spartan’ Davis Spyrou (11-4)[/center] From: [center]Birmingham, England – London, England[/center] Age: [center]34 - 25[/center] Height: [center]6’ – 6’[/center] Weight: [center]195 lbs - 195 lbs[/center] Fighting Style: [center]Mok Gar Kung Fu – Jiu-Jitsu[/center] Round 1 Laurent throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Spyrou defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. Laurent gets a quick takedown, and is in guard. He is trying to get past into a side mount, but Spyrou is defending it well. Laurent gets slightly off balance with another attempt, and Spyrou capitalises by sweeping him and getting side control. Laurent takes a hard shot to the mouth. And another. Laurent tries to fight back, but Spyrou gets the right arm and applies an armbar for the tap out victory. Spyrou wins via armbar submission at 1:17 of the first round. [i]Davis Spyrou is ecstatic, as he tells us that he did what pretty much nobody gave him a chance to do, and that’s beat someone like Laurent. Spyrou says he’s ready for anybody, and even said he could take on Andrew Rush right now! Spyrou is absolutely pumped! George Laurent was asked how he felt about that defeat, and he said he was embarrassed. Laurent said he knew Spyrou was going to be a tough opponent, but he never expected it to be over so quickly. Laurent said that he’d love to fight Spyrou again, and maybe next time it would be a very different story. Spyrou gave Laurent his word that he’d be ready “anytime, anywhere”![/i] CONCLUSION: The 619 fans in attendance (down 22 from the last event) went home happy having gotten their money’s worth from the show. Many were already discussing a potential Rush vs. Spyrou match, and the general thinking was that Spyrou could win it based on that performance. Most fans are in agreement that Lukas Mellberg is a very talented, if unexciting, fighter. The fans seemed to want to hate Mugur Boc.