Great title to attract readers: A new BCF dynasty in 2015!

Paatero · May 14, 2015

Fight card announcement:

BCF: Potter vs Alois 2

Saturday Week 2 April, 2001 in London

Broadcast by United Kingdom Choice on pay-pew-view

Heavyweight Championship Bout: Carter Potter (19-4) vs Stafford Alois (28-9)

The former champ Stafford Alois is a fan favorite, a massive 6’5 kickboxer with a solid clinch game and takedown defense to boot. The current champion, Kiwi Carter Potter, is a versatile heavyweight performer who mixes solid boxing and submissions with exceptional cardio and toughness. This should be a good one, and commercially it’s probably my most intriguing fight right now. Whoever wins will be my #2 star after Curt Kitson. Alois has beat Potter before, in December of 1996 via third round head kick KO. Will history repeat itself almost five years later or will the new champion redeem himself in his first defense? Tune in to find out <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/cool.png.f00d2562b2c1d873a09323753efdb041.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> !

Lightweight Bout: Tim Oldacres (8-0) vs William Powell (11-8)

The 30-year old Leeds-based Powell gets a different match up than he was anticipating as Lukas Mellberg sustained a major neck injury in a training accident. All too happy to take his place is 25-year old prospect Tim Oldacres, whose new affiliation with Rob Baines Fighting team I’m eager to test out. Having trained there since February, Oldacres will need the grappling know-how to deal with the submission fighter in Powell.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Daniel Hornsby (13-4) vs Danny Akabaro (7-0)

A prospect versus veteran match up, the Nigerian born Akabaro is one of the most devastating punchers at any weight, and also has a head shaped like a cinderblock. Daniel Hornsby will need to use ring smarts and wrestle Akabaro if he wants to keep his brains unrattled. A good win for Hornsby may make him a headliner at high level regional, especially if he can score a positive point of momentum. Akabaro’s win would establish him as a top prospect for the division, though I think at 21 he is that win or lose.

Heavyweight Bout: Percy Catcher (11-3) vs Jesse Singh (17-5)

These two heavyweights may replace one of the main eventers in the case of an accident (fingers crossed that it stays together). Catcher is a solid name and fighter, but needs momentum. Singh has momentum, but needs a chance to prove himself. Everything is right here for both guys, but only one will take it. This should be a striking centered battle, though Catcher’s wrestling may come into play as well.

Heavyweight Bout: Basil McCrystle (8-6) vs Ozzy Bintley (5-0)

Ozzy Bintley returns from his first round submission of Howard Pursglove in January against Boxin’ Basil McCrystle who scored a quick knock out at a local show in February. The most interesting thing here is what Bintley plans to do and how quickly he can dispose of the 32-year old Boltoner.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Crow Leddy (6-1) vs Priti Manek (6-3)

This is a replacement fight for the original Leddy vs Granville bout. Manek isn’t a high level talent, while Leddy could be. This will test whether the Englishman has a chance to become that.

Prelims:

Middleweight Bout: Snuffy Fontana (7-0) vs Rhys Buck (6-0)

Two undefeated middleweight prospects, probably in different stages of their career. Buck is someone that can turn into a fun KO machine later on, as he is just 22. Fontana, 24, is someone I’m looking to turn himself into a contender in the next few years. He is well rounded but needs to join one of the big camps to bring some aspects of his game to the next level.

Light Heavyweight bout: Andoni Olano (6-2) vs Matthew Michael Kirby (6-0)

This should be an explosive fight between two big strikers. Olano has kicks while Kirby has dynamite in his hands.

Lightweight Bout: Xavi Castillejo (6-0) vs Mal Beswick (7-1)

Two lightweights with momentum, Castillejo is making his BCF debut while Beswick is trying to build himself toward the top of the division. Neither of these fighters is much more likely than the other to become a top contender, but they are solid fighters with different styles. Castillejo’s striking or Beswick’s grappling? Who knows!

Middleweight Bout: Augustus Shorrock (7-1) vs Ivor Orr (6-0)

A fight between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Shorrock and Orr are both grapplers with not much striking as far as we know. Both guys are heating up, and a win here will probably push them to the main card next time out. I like Orr in this match up, though either could smother the other (wow, that rhyme).

Middleweight Bout: Robin Catskill (2-0) vs Paul Goodfellow (0-0)

The pro debut of Paul Goodfellow and a fight between the two least experienced fighters on the roster. Goodfellow’s BCF contract came a bit hurried, as at 19 he is the youngest fighter on the roster and has little versatility to his game. Catskill has some boxing and clinch fighting ability, and could grind out the win. Make no mistake though, the 19-year old ”Demolisher” could knock him stiff with a punch or a kick. If Goodfellow loses, I don’t know what to do with him. Either I’ll bring in inexperienced guys for him to fight or I release him so that he can go get experience at local shows.

Prediction Key:

Carter Potter vs Stafford Alois

Tim Oldacres vs William Powell

Daniel Hornsby vs Danny Akabaro

Percy Catcher vs Jesse Singh

Basil McCrystle vs Ozzy Bintley

Crow Leddy vs Priti Manek

Snuffy Fontana vs Rhys Buck

Andoni Olano vs Matthew Michael Kirby

Xavi Castillejo vs Mal Beswick

Augustus Shorrock vs Ivor Orr

Robin Catskill vs Paul Goodfellow

Paatero · May 14, 2015

Monday’s Week Review for week 4 of March, 2001:

Nestor Morozov has tested positive for TRT following his TKO victory (now overturned) against Frankie Burgess. This is a shame as I was looking forward to booking the +3 momentum veteran in my light heavyweight division. He has officially apologized for the breach of rules, but will be looking at a year on the sidelines with the suspension.

SIGMA seems impressed with BCF stars Rob Baines and Sid Morgan, as they sign them to standard contracts. Two more names for me to keep a close eye on, as especially Baines is a key player for me, and SIGMA getting to book him could cost me a main event.

Phil Verdigee, whom I offered a contract to after his local show win, has opted against signing and retired. BCF wishes him all the best. Dennis Gallagher, however, has signed a deal with me.

SIGMA also approaches Curt Kitson and Garry McSweegan. I’ll have to watch my P’s and Q’s with these guys, jeez.

I book Gregory O’Hara (9-0) against Jochen Bellof (9-2) on the main card of BCF: Kane vs Mullally in May. The show in Dublin is set to feature two Irish fighters and two Northern Irish fighters - the two Dubliners O’Breen and Mullally fighting for titles, with O’Hare and O’Hara in main card bouts of their own. I decide to drop Vikram Sithalayan vs Jens Halle to the undercard, as it is the worst rated bout on the main card, and Halle’s debut in the Isles. Sithalayan also won’t be getting a title shot off just one victory, so the exposure of this one isn’t as crucial.

I also book Roope Kuqi (6-0) to fight Reynolds Baer (8-1) on the undercard. Kuqi is coming off an impressive TKO win over Jacco Landeweerd in SIGMA, while Baer edged Michael Bannon in his last outing. This is the 20-year old Finn’s BCF debut.

I look to bring in Frenchman Benni Peyroux (5-1) as an opponent for Jerome Atkins’ (2-0) next fight. Peyroux is coming off a local show TKO win over Guillaume Bertrand and should provide a suitable test for the Londoner.

George Astaire (12-6) is visiting Bulldog Gym, which should help him with his boxing skills. The Scottish Judoka got a narrow victory over Gordon Idle (10-5) in his last outing, and is ready for another fight in the summertime.

Monthly MMA Review for March, 2001:

In addition to BCF, ALPHA-1, FLB, SIGMA and WEFF, XCC and KDM FC hold shows in the third month of the year.

ALPHA-1 Warriors Of The Ring 2 shows the heavyweight strap contested on free TV, as Kunimichi Kikuchi reclaims the title from Terron Cabal via unanimous decision. In the co-main event former middleweight champion Heiji Endo rebuilds momentum with a submission win over Haranobu Oshiro.

FLB puts two titles on the line as Nilton Fantoni submits Marcos Maciel for the vacant light heavyweight title, while Manuel Silva beats Charles Stiles for the third time, going the distance.

Englishwoman Pamela O’Neill beats American Michelle Addams in a five rounder in the main event for WEFF, keeping her undefeated status and cementing herself as a potential contender for the bantamweight title.

XCC’s event sees some of its biggest stars come through as Willy Bassett, Philip Ziskie and Lamont Banner all score victories on the main card.

Veronika Sablikova smashes Kit Sakamoto in three minutes at KDM FC to retain her title. Li-Kong Ho decisions Kenji Akita, and Yoshiro Makamori submits Greg Chiang via armbar.

Going into April, all of the major promotions around the world have held shows in 2001 with more to come in the second quarter.

Paatero · May 15, 2015

Monday’s Week Review for Week 1 of April:

A fairly quiet week for BCF - some re-signings, as I ink deals with Will Kane, Christopher Drew and Mal Beswick.

I book Benni Peyroux (5-1) to fight Jerome Atkins (2-0) in what promises a striking battle to open up the prelims at BCF: Kane vs Mullally.

Some drama takes place, as recent BCF competitors Garry McSweegan and Eddie Whelan have had a falling out, prompting McSweegan to leave Bulldog Gym to find a better environment to prepare for his potential title fight later. We’ll see where he ends up, or if he opts to train on his own.

SIGMA book their next event, SIGMA: Gunnarsson vs Marazzina for the featherweight title, and luckily the card doesn’t feature any of my fighters.

I ink the date Saturday Week 3 of July for my next Scotland pay-per-view, which I expect to be headlined by a light heavyweight championship showdown. The first fight I can announce for this card is Scottish lightweight George Astaire (12-6) taking on Liverpool’s Ron Chuckle (7-2).

There will hopefully be at least one unannounced event between the announced May and July dates, likely continuing our Euro Cable Sports deal and building the subscription base. There’s a chance that the roster doesn’t have enough to fill out a card, in which case we’ll be forced to take June off.

It is former SIGMA prospect against former BCF champion in GAMMA as the American company books Rav Kapur (11-0) against Kurt McDonald (8-0) for June.

Fight week begins for BCF: Potter vs Alois 2!

Paatero · May 15, 2015

BCF: Potter vs Alois 2

Saturday Week 2, April 2001 in London

Broadcast by United Kingdom Choice on PPV

Prelims:

Robin Catskill (2-0) vs Paul Goodfellow (0-0) at middleweight

Catskill draws some heat for not wanting to touch gloves, perhaps looking to rattle the 19-year old debutant. The two strike for most of the round rather evenly, with a head kick from Goodfellow prompting Catskill to grapple. The 24-year old Scot pushes Goodfellow to the fence and controls the rest of the round with dirty boxing. The second round is very similar, with hard shots from Goodfellow forcing Catskill to get close and dirty box him. A beautiful right uppercut drops Catskill in the third round, but Goodfellow isn’t able to finish him. The Scot gets back to his feet and pushes Goodfellow to the fence, landing good shots up close to end the round. Good fight.

Jimmy Drever scores the contest 29-28 for Goodfellow

Archibald Cohen has given it 29-28 for Catskill

Bobby Serocke scores it 29-28 for the winner by split decision: Robin Catskill!

I can see the argument for either guy as Catskill’s grappling could be seen as defensive, but he landed effective strikes from the clinch and controlled most of the bout. He showed good ring smarts to avoid the dangerous Goodfellow.

Result: Robin Catskill (3-0) defeats Paul Goodfellow (0-1) by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29).

Augustus Shorrock (7-1) vs Ivor Orr (6-0) at middleweight

The two grapplers exchange a few punches before Orr takes Shorrock down with impressive ease, taking the back and securing the choke before Shorrock had a chance to escape. Good performance for ’The Engine’.

Result: Ivor Orr (7-0) defeats Augustus Shorrock (7-2) by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:39 of round 1.

Xavi Castillejo (6-0) vs Mal Beswick (7-1) at lightweight

Beswick tries to grapple the Spaniard without much success, taking some good shots in the process. In the second round the Englishman starts to get some control, pushing Castillejo around and landing some knees and short punches. He never gets close to a takedown or any significant offense, but he may have neutralized Castillejo enough in most of the rounds. Decent fight, but nothing spectacular.

Result: Mal Beswick (8-1) defeats Xavi Castillejo (6-1) by unanimous decision (29-28 x3).

Beswick calls out Tim Oldacres after the fight, but Oldacres has work to do in the night’s co-main event. We’ll see what happens, if the timing works out it may happen.

Andoni Olano (6-2) vs Matthew Michael Kirby (6-0) at light heavyweight

As expected, Olano tries to land kicks to the body and legs to slow the Scot down, but MMK is a bruiser and whoops the Spaniard in about two minutes. Great finish for Kirby.

Result: Matthew Michael Kirby (7-0) defeats Andoni Olano (6-3) by TKO (punches) at 2:21 of round 1.

Snuffy Fontana (7-0) vs Rhys Buck (6-0) at middleweight

Buck does well in the first frame, landing some big punches, and while Fontana controls him along the fence for a time and lands some good shots of his own, the Welshman probably wins the round. Fontana comes out hard in the second, taking Buck down and ground and pounding him from the half guard. He gets the mount shortly thereafter and finishes with strikes in a fantastic performance, fight of the night material.

Result: Snuffy Fontana (8-0) defeats Rhys Buck (6-1) by TKO (punches) at 1:52 of round 2.

Main card:

Crow Leddy (6-1) vs Priti Manek (6-3) at light heavyweight

Leddy lands good punching combinations, while the Slovenian counters with body kicks. Leddy drops Manek in round 1 and pounds on him, but cannot finish. Manek gets to his feet but Leddy controls him against the cage and cuts him open with elbows and dirty boxing. Fifteen seconds into the second round Leddy lands a stunning right hook that puts Manek away.

Result: Crow Leddy (7-1) defeats Priti Manek (6-4) by KO (punch) at 0:15 of round 2.

Leddy calls out Danny Akabaro post fight, but that is once again a fight that needs a lot to happen before it. Let’s see how Akabaro does against Hornsby first, at least.

Basil McCrystle (8-6) vs Ozzy Bintley (5-0) at heavyweight

The boxing of McCrystle proves to be enough to survive almost eighty seconds as the 32-year old avoids a couple of Bintley’s right haymakers. Eventually he gets caught though, and Bintley puts him away. Good job by Bintley, who shows his bread and butter here.

Result: Ozzy Bintley (6-0) defeats Basil McCrystle (8-7) by TKO (punches) at 1:18 of round 1.

Bintley called out Fritz Phipps post fight, which could happen but would represent a big step for Bintley. Phipps could work his wrestling to win that fight, or Bintley could completely derail him with a KO. I think it’s a risky move for two of my better young heavyweights.

Percy Catcher (11-3) vs Jesse Singh (17-5) at heavyweight

A fun scrap in the first stanza, as Catcher lands the more meaningful punches while Singh goes to the body more. Catcher lands a huge right hand at the bell, and we’ll see how Singh recovers. For about four minutes he seems to be holding his own, but then Catcher rocks him again with the big right, and this time he finishes the job. Great fight, and a great finish for Catcher.

Result: Percy Catcher (12-3) defeats Jesse Singh (17-6) by KO (punches) at 4:06 of round 2.

A lot of call outs tonight, as Catcher calls out Dave Lennon. My decision will be based on the main event. If the winner is hurt, Catcher vs Lennon could make for a good title eliminator in the meantime.

Daniel Hornsby (13-4) vs Danny Akabaro (7-0) at light heavyweight

Hornsby looks a bit scared of Akabaro’s power, being extremely tentative on the feet. Despite that he gets a takedown and controls the first round in the half guard, landing some digs. In the second round his fears come true as Akabaro comes forward, sets him up with the jab and clobbers him with a vicious right cross.

Result: Danny Akabaro (8-0) defeats Daniel Hornsby (13-5) by KO (punches) at 0:14 of round 2.

Akabaro calls out Tikhon Diev, but I don’t think that is a good idea for him. While he may be able to KO Diev, I want the Russian to build himself back to a rematch with Kitson, or a fight with whoever holds the title down the line.

Tim Oldacres (8-0) vs William Powell (11-8) at lightweight

Oldacres doesn’t touch gloves with Powell, going right to work with jabs and leg kicks. Powell lands some counters as Oldacres comes forward, but not with very much power. Powell clinches and pulls guard, going for the armbar off his back. Oldacres defends and spends the rest of the round landing some ground and pound.

The second round starts similarly, but this time a big right from Oldacres forces Powell to grapple. He tries to pull guard, but Oldacres instead takes him down into half guard of his own volition. Oldacres gets side control as Powell tries to scramble and controls the round on top.

Oldacres dominates the striking in the third round, landing kicks and punches to Powell, who pulls guard and tries to work his way to a submission or scramble on top. Oldacres wins the scramble though, taking north south position and elbowing the body to close out the round. A good, well rounded fight.

Result: Tim Oldacres (9-0) defeats William Powell (11-9) by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28 x2)

Interesting scores, but the right winner.

Main Event:

Carter Potter (19-4) vs Stafford Alois (28-9) for the Heavyweight championship

A close first round is perhaps edged by Potter, who is more active as expected with his notorious conditioning. Both men land punches, but Alois is unable to land his patented kicks.

In the second round the fans are out of their seats as the two heavyweights trade punches, mostly disregarding defense. Alois pulls Potter into the clinch at the end, perhaps looking to catch his breath or recover from the assault.

Alois begins the third round by clinching, perhaps looking to change strategies. He pushes Potter to the fence, landing knees to the body and thighs until Potter turns him and breaks away at the halfway point of the round. They are both starting to miss more, perhaps taking enough punishment to turn more methodical, or maybe fatigue is playing a factor. Both men land jabs, and Potter lands a pretty one-two to close out the round.

The fighters seem rejuvenated for the first of the championship rounds, as they continue trading punches. Potter probably gets the better of Alois, landing his cross behind the jab on most occasions. Alois clinches with a couple of minutes left and controls Potter against the cage. The Brixton Butcher lands some good knees and dirty boxing, but Potter breaks away at the end and lands another good boxing combination. Alois probably took this round.

The commentary team seems to think that Potter needs a stoppage going into the last round, and while I’m not so sure I also don’t think anyone should be banking on a decision. Luckily they don’t, as Potter comes forward with a nice jab and big right hand. Alois’ chin holds up well for a 37-year old. He clinches once again, defends a trip from Potter, and utilizes his dirty boxing once again, ending the round in control. Great five rounder between heavyweights.

Result: Stafford Alois (29-9) defeats Carter Potter (19-5) by unanimous decision (48-47 x2, 49-46) to win the BCF heavyweight championship.

Post Show Thoughts:

Bonuses: $500

FotN: Alois & Potter (deservedly so! Fontana & Buck also deserve one, though)

KOtN: Catcher

SotN: Orr

588 people showed up live for a gate of $51,744. The show made $608,000 on PPV, with a commercial rating of 38% and a critical of 77%.

I gain 1.2% popularity in the British Isles.

The fights were excellent, with the main event being a particularly fun war. Alois, the kickboxer, used his second toolkit in the clinch to edge it out. A fight with Dave Lennon or Percy Catcher will be a brawl. Speaking of which, Alois wants almost three months to recuperate, while Catcher wants 49 days. Lennon is ready now, which means I don’t really have an obvious choice. We’ll see what happens .

Oldacres showed good all around skills in his victory over Powell, but didn’t finish the journeyman with a notoriously weak chin. Could have been that Powell fought smarter than usual, pulling guard as he probably would’ve had a tough time wrestling Oldacres down. It seems Oldacres needs a bit more time to get ready for a big name like O’Breen.

Akabaro brutalized poor Daniel Hornsby, who falls further away from title talks. Akabaro isn’t ready for hell or high water just yet, but solidified himself as a top prospect at light heavyweight.

Percy Catcher’s KO of the Night came in an entertaining scrap, putting him at +1 momentum and almost high level regional. I like Catcher, and though he is limited, he will be an useful asset for sure.

Bintley and Leddy got sweet finishes to kick off the main card, though their opposition wasn’t very stiff yet. Bintley is 2-0 this year and at 51% regional name value in the Isles. Hopefully this win puts him in talks with some of the major British camps.

Crow Leddy called out Akabaro, and now that both are coming off victories on the same card, it may well happen. They will return a week apart, so it makes sense timing-wise, too. That should be a pretty awesome battle, with both guys being KO artists with very strong chins.

The prelims were middleweight-centered with Fontana, Orr and Catskill all impressing in their own ways. Fontana wants a while off due to taking some heavy shots from Buck, while Catskill wants three months. Ivor Orr is ready to return the quickest, and looked the most dominant.

Beswick wants to fight Oldacres after edging Xavi Castillejo, but also wants two months off. I have a feeling the BCF cowboy Oldacres wants something quicker than that, but we’ll keep that in the reserve.

Finally, Matthew Michael Kirby, or MMK for short, made quick work of Andoni Olano - not a great night for the Spaniards. Kirby is 21, and someone to look out for in the future. A hometown performance in Scotland in July may be something to look at for him next.

I’m still undecided whether or not to build Goodfellow up myself or let him go work local shows for experience and skill building. If anybody has any preferences, shout it out!

Quick results:

Stafford Alois def. Carter Potter by unanimous decision.

Tim Oldacres def. William Powell by unanimous decision.

Danny Akabaro def. Daniel Hornsby by KO (punches) in R2.

Percy Catcher def. Jesse Singh by KO (punches) in R2.

Ozzy Bintley def. Basil McCrystle by TKO (punches) in R1.

Crow Leddy def. Priti Manek by KO (punch) in R2.

Snuffy Fontana def. Rhys Buck by TKO (punches) in R2.

Matthew Michael Kirby def. Andoni Olano by TKO (punches) in R1.

Mal Beswick def. Xavi Castillejo by unanimous decision.

Ivor Orr def. Augustus Shorrock by submission (rear-naked choke) in R1.

Robin Catskill def. Paul Goodfellow by split decision.

Paatero · May 15, 2015

Monday’s Week Review for week 2 April, 2001:

GAMMA approach Martin Cupples (11-0) for contract talks, but I bump up the offer. A $4850 base pay is not too much for our #6 welterweight with +5 momentum and huge upside.

I book the next installment of BCF TV, as light heavyweights George Laurent (39-12) and Lenny McFadden (13-1) clash in the Midlands main event for a chance at a rematch against Curt Kitson in the future. The card will also feature Faas Smit (37-17) making his BCF debut in a catchweight bout against Ram Phookan (11-5).

Monday’s Week Review for week 3 April, 2001:

Ginger Beaumont (8-0) and Hans-Peter Schneider (17-7) have been booked for Scotland’s pay-per-view main card in July. Both Beaumont and Schneider are coming off BCF victories earlier this year, and being ranked #3 and #5, the winner could be looking at a title shot after Rob Baines.

Another interesting pairing is Iain Fussell (8-2) and Timothy Latchkey (9-1). Fussell called out Latchkey after submitting Scott Gillespie in Scotland in February, while Latchkey knocked out Caragh Green in the following fight. The two welterweights are top 15 ranked: #12 for Fussell and #8 for Latchkey. The welterweight bout is scheduled for the main card of BCF TV: McFadden vs Laurent in late June.

Following his submission victory just over a month ago, Sid Morgan (8-0) has joined Rob Baines Fighting in Norwich. The move should help the 22-year old in regards of experienced training partners and with honing his technique.

Monday’s Week Review for week 4 April, 2001:

Christopher Drew (6-0) is out of his fight against Mark Bicknell (10-3) on May’s BCF: Kane vs Mullally. The 24-year old from Wigan is out for about 10 weeks with a stomach injury. Taking his place is Reynolds Baer (8-1), who was scheduled to face Roope Kuqi on the preliminary portion of the card. Kuqi’s new opponent is Michael Bannon (8-6), who steps in on three weeks’ notice.

Mikey Wallace (9-1) and Jayden Karp (6-0) have agreed to fight on June’s BCF TV show main card. Wallace beat Buzzy Tuttle by decision in March, while Karp submitted Paddy McNamara on the same show. This is a bigger step for Karp than I planned for, but a manageable one and the card needs fights.

Another prospect steps up as Heath Kaladaris (6-0) faces Dennis Gallagher (13-7) in the co-main event slot. Kaladaris submitted Wayne McKellen without trouble in March, while Gallagher makes his BCF debut after a local show KO victory.

Paatero · May 15, 2015

Monthly MMA Review for April, 2001:

GAMMA 41: Foster vs Boyer II sees a big upset as Tim Boyer edges out James Foster in the rematch. Nathan Chambers TKO’d Jack Humphreys in the co-main event, and Stuart Strange finished Osmosis Benn by strikes.

ALPHA-1: Sukarno vs Ramos was ALPHA-1’s first PPV of the year, in which Sukarno won a decision over a tough Davi Carlos Ramos. In the co-headliner, Roberto Aldez made his ALPHA-1 debut successfully with a TKO over Ryosei Sakamoto.

KDM FC 17 took place in China, where Indonesian Sophan Sastrowardoya defended his title with an armbar submission over Pipob Jakkuprasat. Chan Kim Huat also got an armbar over Taufik Wijaya in the penultimate fight.

Paatero · May 15, 2015

Fortnight Review for Weeks 1 & 2 of May

I decide to debut the Fortnight Review instead of Monday’s weekly review, as doing every week doesn’t seem useful in all instances, and it’s a lot of work for something that isn’t always necessary.

Booked Linton Renn (9-2) vs Fritz Phipps (8-1) as the fifth main card fight for the June show.

Signed Kevin Portman (13-8) to fight Eddie Whelan (14-5). I planned to let Portman fight some more at local shows but at 37 time is ticking, and Whelan needs a rebound from his controversial loss to Linton Renn. The fight will happen on the undercard in June.

It is amateur hour at the British local scene as a small show takes place with no fighter having a professional record. It’s of course good to have up and coming competitors, but there is little of note to say about them yet. The debutants included national level wrestling competitor Vincent Henderson, Birmingham-based championship boxer Anthony Perez as well as promising judo competitor Roger Quince.

July’s BCF pay-per-view gets a pair of match ups as Curt Kitson (14-0) and Garry McSweegan (24-8) agree for the all-Scottish light heavyweight title main event, and David Webb (18-5) and Malloy Mahoney (7-0) face off in a welterweight main card showdown.

Fight week begins for BCF: Kane vs Mullally in Ireland, and I pray for no big injuries. SIGMA: Gunnarsson vs Marazzina is on the same night, so we’ll have a friendly little rivalry with the German company. I’m not worried.

WCW Mark · May 15, 2015

I'm enjoying this, it's good to see why someone else books the fights they do and it's good that you're getting through it at pace. Keep up the good work

gingerdilligaf · May 15, 2015

Its funny to see Stafford Alois become champion i set him up to fight Harry Milne on my 1st card with BCF.He lost & promptly retired.Just shows how one fight can make such a difference :-D

Paatero · May 15, 2015

Its funny to see Stafford Alois become champion i set him up to fight Harry Milne on my 1st card with BCF.He lost & promptly retired.Just shows how one fight can make such a difference :-D

Yeah, Alois is a fun factor at heavyweight. He's a big name and pretty old when the game begins, so it's always risky booking him, and I've seen him lose to Potter, too. I'm hoping he sticks around a little longer, as my heavyweight division can use all the names we've got.

Milne is a tough out for either of the other top three. He can smother Potter to defeat, and outgrapple Alois. I'm trying a different approach with him right now, but he'll eventually get to the title if he keeps winning.

Paatero · May 15, 2015

I'm enjoying this, it's good to see why someone else books the fights they do and it's good that you're getting through it at pace. Keep up the good work

Thanks a lot! Your GAMMA dynasty is one of the main inspirations for this one, so likewise!

gingerdilligaf · May 15, 2015

Any tips for holding onto your stars when GAMMA starts poaching them with exclusive contract offers?I've got high hopes for Ozzy Bintley but a few good wins & he could be off.

Paatero · May 15, 2015

If you run your finances right, similarly or better as I have here, you can hold onto most of your talent. I just offer a much, much more lucrative base pay than GAMMA for the chosen talent I really want to keep. Bintley is definitely one of those guys. You might end up paying really big sums for a couple of guys but if they are potential main events for you, they will bring it back. That's the thinking I employ, for example Curt Kitson always brings in close to $1 million if he main events a PPV, and I only have to pay him in the tens of thousands or so. It's really a bargain, to be honest.

gingerdilligaf · May 15, 2015

Ok cheers.Its definitely more interesting running a smaller company rather than churning out the shows with GAMMA & losing track of your roster.I'll follow this thread closely as a comparison :-D

Paatero · May 16, 2015

BCF: Kane vs Mullally

Saturday Week 3 May, 2001 in Ireland

Broadcast by United Kingdom Choice on PPV

Prelims:

Benni Peyroux (5-1) vs Jerome Atkins (2-0) at welterweight

Atkins is the crisper striker and mixes up his punches and kicks well. Although the Brit gets hit with a big head kick midway into the first round, he drops Peyroux at the end of the round with one of his own and finishes the job impressively. Great performance by Atkins.

Result: Jerome Atkins (3-0) defeats Benni Peyroux (5-2) by TKO (head kick & punches) at 4:57 of round 1.

Jeremy Sproule (7-4) vs Cyril Kamoze (7-0) at lightweight

I anticipate this to be a good one. These are two lightweights with the biggest height differential in the division, as Sproule stands at 5’5 and Kamoze at 6 foot. There’s a 9 inch reach advantage too. As I ramble, the fighters exchange strikes. Neither hits well initially, as both guys are known for their movement. Kamoze lands a big head kick at the midway point of the round, and another at the end that drops Sproule. The Jamaican mixes up his kicks to the legs and to the head, keeping his man guessing. Kamoze finishes the fight in the second round in a great performance.

Result: Cyril Kamoze (8-0) defeats Jeremy Sproule (7-5) by TKO (punches) at 2:11 of round 2.

Roope Kuqi (6-0) vs Michael Bannon (8-6) at heavyweight

Bannon does a decent job countering on the feet, but then gets tagged and dropped by the Finn who spends the rest of the round on top, ground and pounding and forcing the Brit to turn his back. Bannon survives the round, but I don’t know if that’s good for him long term. In the second round Kuqi grapples right away, pushes Bannon to the fence and knocks him down with a short uppercut. The pounding continues, but Bannon holds on. Kuqi is content to rest and control the third round with his clinch. Very dominant by Kuqi, but no finish, which is rather surprising.

Result: Roope Kuqi (7-0) defeats Michael Bannon (8-7) by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26).

Jens Halle (16-3) vs Vikram Sithalayan (18-3) at welterweight

This is a big one for the undercard with two world ranked welterweights and certainly some of Europe’s best. Sithalayan gets an early takedown despite Halle sprawling the initial shot, transitions and soon has an arm for the first round submission. Good performance by the Pakistani punisher.

Result: Vikram Sithalayan (19-3) defeats Jens Halle (16-4) by submission (americana) at 3:00 of round 1.

Main card:

Murray O’Hare (7-2) vs Adrian Majoram (9-1) at light heavyweight

It’s an exciting scrap to open up the main card as O’Hare and Majoram go to war on the feet. O’Hare’s technical deficiencies come to the fore as he has trouble connecting, while Majoram has no such difficulty, picking shots at will with kicks and punches. It’s a little bit of a surprise how many head kicks O’Hare can eat without wobbling. Majoram controls the whole fight with his superior kickboxing, and finally drops O’Hare near the final buzzer, but couldn’t finish. A good fight that puts Majoram perhaps one fight away from a title shot.

Result: Adrian Majoram (10-1) defeats Murray O’Hare (7-3) by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26).

Gregory O’Hara (9-0) vs Jochen Bellof (9-2) at lightweight

A convincing performance from O’Hara, who wastes no time getting the clinch, the takedown, mounting Bellof and tapping him out. There’s a dude on a mission. A call out of the champ would have been nice, but the performance will have to do.

Result: Gregory O’Hara (10-0) defeats Jochen Bellof (9-3) by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:30 of round 1.

Reynolds Baer (8-1) vs Mark Bicknell (10-3) at heavyweight

Baer impresses in the first round, showing improving striking skills as he lands hard shots on Bicknell, who tries and fails with several takedown attempts. It is Baer who ends up slamming him down into side control and taking the round. He does the same in the second, but a scramble leaves Bicknell on top. Bicknell makes a big mistake in going for the armbar from the mount, giving up top position to the bigger man again. Baer ends the round with some ground strikes from side control. Baer again counters Bicknell’s unsuccessful takedown with one of his own in the third. He goes for a kimura, but as Bicknell defends he switches to the arm triangle and finishes it. Lopsided win for Baer and a decently entertaining stoppage.

Result: Reynolds Baer (9-1) defeats Mark Bicknell (10-4) by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:42 of round 3.

Seth O’Breen (16-1) vs Doug Hansen (18-5) for the BCF lightweight championship

Hansen works his way in through O’Breen’s strikes and takes the champion down with an impressive hip toss. O’Breen manages to reclaim half guard and scrambles on top from there as Hansen is forced to turtle up. The champion lands some good shots and takes the back, but Hansen scrambles. The leg lock specialist O’Breen dives after a leg, but has to go to his back as Hansen reclaims top position. The Scottish challenger lands some ground strikes to close out the fun opening round.

The Irish champion gets to utilize his boxing more in the second frame, as he goes forward with combination after combination. After a jab and a body shot Hansen clinches again and goes for a judo throw, but O’Breen counters it by taking control and tossing the challenger down, getting side control. O’Breen looks for the submission but doesn’t find it before the round ends.

The third round opens with a battle in the clinch, with Hansen struggling to get another takedown. He gets it after two minutes, an inside trip to full guard. Hansen controls on top with some strikes, while O’Breen goes for punches from the bottom.

The challenger seems to be resting in the fourth round as O’Breen picks his shots with quick boxing combinations. Hansen initiates the clinch, but it is O’Breen that gets the takedown once more. Some ground strikes from the champion seal the round. Hansen is looking completely drained in the corner.

O’Breen is aggressive in the final round and lands punches, but Hansen gets another trip in the latter half of the round. O’Breen keeps attacking from the bottom with triangles and armbars, and even has Hansen’s arm fully locked at the end just as the buzzer sounds. Good fight!

Result: Seth O’Breen (17-1) defeats Doug Hansen (18-6) by unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 50-45) to defend the BCF lightweight championship.

Will Kane (18-3) vs Mills Mullally (18-5) for the BCF welterweight championship

Mullally opens strongly with jabs and right hands, and is particularly effective with the left hook to the body. Kane responds with some jabs and body kicks and starts to claim control of the fight late in the round.

Mullally is having trouble in the second round finding Kane, who keeps landing hard body kicks behind the jab. The champion mixes it up, going to the head with his right cross and even throwing the spinning kick in there for good measure. Most of the Irish challenger’s success comes with jabs in this round, and he seems to be wearing the effects of Kane’s kicks. He lands a couple of right hands at the end of the round, but looks utterly broken down as the buzzer sounds.

Mullally is virtually a stationary target as the third round begins. The champion hurts him with a head kick right away, and a right hand behind the ear sends him reeling to the canvas! Kane follows him to the mat and lands a lot of solid ground strikes, but Mullally manages to reclaim guard and survive, for better or worse.

The champion picks his shots freely in the fourth round and Mullally has no answer. A jab, right hook combination rocks the challenger and Kane moves in to punish him with elbows from up close. A massive knee to the chest lands just as the dominant round ends. Mullally is bruised and bleeding, and I’d like to see the towel fly in. Instead, we go to the fifth round.

Mullally still throws punches, but doesn’t seem to land any, while Kane mixes things up upstairs and downstairs, punches and kicks. Another right hook lands that wobbles Mullally, and again Kane closes the distance and uses his elbows and knees to batter the challenger. He mercifully lets Mullally go at the end and lands one last left straight to close out the round. I use the word ’mercifully’ quite loosely.

Result: Will Kane (19-3) defeats Mills Mullally (18-6) by unanimous decision (50-45 x3) to retain the BCF welterweight championship.

Post Show Thoughts:

Bonuses: $500

FotN: Kamoze & Sproule

KOtN: Atkins

SotN: O’Hara

608 people turned up to watch live for a gate of $45,722. That’s more people but fewer dollars than Potter and Alois, so I’m guessing the prices are lower in Ireland. The PPV made $568,000. I got a commercial rating of 36%, which is fine, though I expected more from the double header, and a critical of 64%. Popularity went up by 0.2%.

Kane really whooped Mullally in the main event, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Irishman takes more than half a year off (checked and sure enough, 7 months recuperation). On another note, what does it take to get some 10-8 rounds over here? Kane's next match should be an entertaining one against Martin Cupples.

O'Breen showed a good, versatile performance against Hansen with strikes, wrestling and submission ability. The Scot was able to throw him a couple of times but had no big offense outside of that.

Baer and O'Hara announced themselves as contenders in different ways - Baer wore Mark Bicknell around like a hat for almost three rounds, while O'Hara made a short night out of submitting Bellof. Adrian Majoram also dominated Murray O'Hare to get to the precipice of another title shot.

In the prelims Vikram Sithalayan scored a big win over a tough Jens Halle in dominant fashion. The Pakistani is most likely one fight away from fighting for the title at 51% regional and +1 momentum.

Roope Kuqi dominated Michael Bannon in his BCF debut and showed why he is a highly regarded prospect. Cyril Kamoze made a great debut effort, while Jerome Atkins got another KO over the Frenchman Peyroux. All in all, a great night with a lot of key performances. Kane reasserted himself as a dominant force in European welterweights, while O'Breen turned back perhaps his biggest challenge to date.

Michael Bannon (8-7) gets his release. While his fights have been tough (Baer and Kuqi), I think some local show wins will do him good. He may yet get back down the line.

Paatero · May 16, 2015

Fortnight Review for weeks 3 & 4 of May

BCF TV: McFadden vs Laurent in June undergoes some changes, but no bad news as of yet. Scottish Irving Braun (6-0) makes his BCF debut against Tim Oldacres (9-0) who gets a quick turnaround. This is a fight I’ve made just to fill the card, as it was booked on quite short notice for most of my fighters. The lightweight bout takes co-main event, as Kaladaris vs Gallagher becomes the third feature bout. The card will feature six televised main card bouts, as the heavyweights Linton Renn and Fritz Phipps need the exposure in their pursuit of mid level regional status. The fight card seems to be finalized, and will be announced soon.

Paatero · May 16, 2015

BCF TV: McFadden vs Laurent announcement

BCF TV: McFadden vs Laurent

Friday Week 4 June, 2001 in Midlands

Broadcast by Euro Cable Sports 1

Light Heavyweight Bout: Lenny McFadden (13-1) vs George Laurent (39-12)

This one is for the next shot at the light heavyweight title late this year or early next, depending on injuries and suspensions. McFadden, at 28, is closing in on his prime while Laurent could call it quits at any time, being 39 years old and the oldest fighter on the roster. Either guy winning would be a rematch for Kitson, but Laurent’s fights with the champ have been extremely entertaining (1996 Fight of the Year), and McFadden is one of the more talented and marketable light heavyweights I have. The Scot could become a big star with a win over the former champion here, which is what I’m expecting.

Lightweight Bout: Irving Braun (6-0) vs Tim Oldacres (9-0)

Coventry’s Tim Oldacres gets the co-main event slot in his home turf as he faces promotional newcomer and undefeated Scot Braun. Both of the top fights on the card feature Scotland vs West Midlands, and while the Scot is the favorite up top, the Englishman Oldacres is heavily favored here. I booked this fight mostly to fill out the card, as the fight card was put together quite late and there were few fighters willing to go. Of course Oldacres was one of them, and a win here can be a solid showcase for him.

Middleweight Bout: Dennis Gallagher (13-7) vs Heath Kaladaris (6-0)

This is a step up for the 22-year old Kaladaris, but one I expect him to manage. Gallagher is above average in a number of things, but I think Kaladaris has more tools and slightly sharper ones.

Welterweight Bout: Iain Fussell (8-2) vs Timothy Latchkey (9-1)

This is a fight put together by request as Fussell called out Latchkey after both men’s stoppage victories in February. It’s a pick ’em in my book, Latchkey could use his grappling to smother Fussell’s striking, though Fussell has more threats in both realms of the fight game. A win here puts either guy in the title chase and comfortably over mid level regional. A loss will mean a step back in the ladder and some easier competition, since they are just 26 and 25 years old, Fussell the slightly older man.

Welterweight Bout: Jayden Karp (6-0) vs Mikey Wallace (9-1)

Another welterweight showcase, this being one where a young prospect faces a more established BCF fighter. Karp is 25, so he still has some time to grow, but I feel like Wallace is a manageable test. The undefeated Blackpool fighter might lose the fight if he decides to stand with the kickboxer in Wallace, while grappling should be fairly one sided in his favor. If Wallace wins, he’ll be well on the way to another title affair after two solid wins. For Karp, this is a chance to build a name as his first main card opportunity in BCF.

Heavyweight Bout: Linton Renn (9-2) vs Fritz Phipps (8-1)

A pivotal battle of heavyweights opens the main card: pivotal in the sense that the winner moves to mid level regional and consistent main card basis, while the loser has to take a step back. Renn is coming off a controversial decision over Eddie Whelan, while Phipps stopped Terry Bull in his last outing. This is a fight between the two big British teams as Rob Baines Fighting’s Renn takes on the London Kickboxing Academy’s Phipps - whether the styles of the camps will determine the fight remains to be seen. Phipps and Renn are fairly similar - physically bruising sluggers with solid grappling backgrounds, and this one could be decided by who gets on top.

Prelims:

Heavyweight Bout: Kevin Portman (13-8) vs Eddie Whelan (14-5)

The 32-year old Whelan will be looking to rebound from his controversial decision loss to Linton Renn in March. Facing him will be promotional newcomer Kevin Portman, who at 37 needs this win as badly if he wants to make a career in BCF. Portman is a boxer and former bodybuilder, while Whelan’s experience and technical striking are unquestionably advantages in his corner.

Catchweight Bout: Ram Phookan (11-5) vs Faas Smith (37-17)

Light heavyweight Faas Smit makes his BCF debut after losing by decision to top SIGMA light heavyweight Aleksei Chekhov in January. The 30-year old Dutchman is known as a versatile and hardworking competitor, while in Phookan he faces an excellent boxer with tremendous takedown defense. Smit will need to show his experience and craftsmanship if he wants to get around the hometown fighter in Phookan.

Paatero · May 16, 2015

Monthly MMA Review for May, 2001:

The month of May sees six major MMA shows around the world including BCF. The other promotions holding events are GAMMA, SIGMA, FLB, XCC and WEFF.

GAMMA Battle Lines sees former lightweight champion Sean Morrison submit Canadian Bruce Steven in the fourth round via rear naked choke. This will almost certainly solidify Morrison as the number one contender in the lightweight division. Hawaiian Darin Blood submitted New Yorker Dana Delaney by kneebar in the co-main event.

SIGMA went head to head with BCF in May, and while there were more people in attendance for the German company, they could not secure any broadcast deals. Icelandic Snorri Gunnarsson kept his tear going in submitting the surging Italian Francesco Marazzina in the third round by RNC. In the co-main event Belarussian Nicolai Mickiewicz got a decision win over Russian Aleksei Chekhov, while the third feature bout saw Evgeni Medtner edge Dominykas Jankovic. At 30 years old with +2 momentum, Medtner (24-6) is one of the SIGMA fighters I might be looking at bringing in.

FLB Black and White, a new TV installment for the company, made a successful debut with Zaco defeating Thais Antonio Taffarel in the main event by five round decision for the title. Caca de Andrade KO’d Selton de Oliveira in the co-headliner. Televisao Esporte will be happy with the Brazilian company’s showing, as the card scored a 41% commercial and 69% critical rating.

XCC: Smith vs Baldwin took place in California, with Smith beating Baldwin by unanimous decision. Former champion Jamie Hewitt fell to Kyle Sagal in the co-main event. The best finish of the night came in Wallace Everett’s second round KO of James Busfield.

WEFF 21 was headlined by women’s featherweight champion Hope Lehane defending her title by first round armbar over Anna Thompson in Quebec. Roz Wareing got a title-winning TKO win over Daniel Sadorra in the co-main event, scoring an Excellent rating in the upset win. This makes Wareing the consensus top flyweight in the world.

Paatero · May 16, 2015

Fortnight Review for weeks 1 & 2 of June:

I book BCF: Spyrou vs Baines for early September in North of England. Other fights confirmed include Andrew Rush (18-9) against Tucker Plumm (17-10), Robert Darrell (14-6) versus Steven Griffin (15-9), Xavi Castillejo (6-1) facing Rupert Lennox (7-1). Crow Leddy (7-1) also gets his wish in facing Danny Akabaro (8-0) in the co-main event. Heavyweights Ozzy Bintley (6-0) and Vic Millican (19-6) have verbally agreed to meet at the event.

Kurt McDonald and Rav Kapur go to battle at GAMMA Battle Lines 5: Brubaker vs Aldarisio on Saturday Week 2 of June in Florida. Kapur (12-0) emerges victorious, beating the New Zealander (8-1) to the punch in all three rounds. Kapur’s kickboxing was proven superior, setting up his head strikes with body kicks that seemed to land at will. Kapur floored McDonald in the second round with a big right cross, but didn’t get the finish. The 28-year old from Birmingham has about 9 months left in his contract before he is open for negotiations from other companies. I wonder if I’ll be financially ready to compete for his services when the time comes.

I sign Daniil Skala (22-8), fresh off his second round TKO victory over the tough German Volker Herzog in Poland. The 32-year old light heavyweight has competed for SIGMA, but was let go after a narrow defeat to Dmytro Dargomyzhsky in March. The stoppage win puts the Russian at +1 momentum, and his style is a perfect fit to fight someone like Matthew Michael Kirby or Adrian Majoram.

Paatero · May 16, 2015

BCF TV: McFadden vs Laurent

Friday Week 4 of June, 2001

Broadcast by Euro Cable Sports 1

In unfortunate news, Iain Fussell (8-2) has suffered a minor hand injury on Wednesday morning which forces him out of his bout with Timothy Latchkey (9-1) in the weekend. I will look to rebook the fight very soon. The BCF TV: McFadden vs Laurent card proceeds with seven total fights. Hopefully the viewers aren’t too dissatisfied.

Prelims:

Ram Phookan (11-5) vs Faas Smith (37-17) at a catchweight of 191

The Dutchman gets a surprisingly quick slam takedown on Phookan, who is known for his takedown defense. He advances to mount and goes for the armbar, but gets reversed by the Englishman. A beautiful sweep from Smit gets him back in control, and the second time’s the charm for the 55-fight veteran. Good debut for Smit.

Result: Faas Smit (38-17) defeats Ram Phookan (11-6) by submission (armbar) at 3:59 of round 1.

Kevin Portman (13-8) vs Eddie Whelan (14-5) at heavyweight

As expected, Whelan is the superior striker, slipping Portman’s wide punches and landing strikes of his own. Portman tries to use his strength to grapple Whelan, and gets a takedown at the end of the first round. Whelan keeps up the pressure though, outworking Portman with crisp kickboxing skills. He doesn’t manage to significantly hurt the 37-year old, but takes a good, comfortable win.

Result: Eddie Whelan (15-5) defeats Kevin Portman (13-9) by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28).

Portman announces that he will no longer be fighting upon losing his BCF debut at 37 years of age.

Main card:

Linton Renn (9-2) vs Fritz Phipps (8-1) at heavyweight

Phipps throws a lot of heat in this one, while Renn tries to grapple him. It is Phipps that gets the takedown in the first round, however, and mounts Renn. A few hard shots aren’t enough to stop the fight, but he sends a clear message. Renn briefly gets the takedown in the second, but Phipps hustles on top right away, getting back control on the turtled Renn. A number of huge ground strikes later the referee is forced to rescue Renn, who wasn’t moving for a while.

Result: Fritz Phipps (9-1) defeats Linton Renn (9-3) by TKO (punches) at 2:20 of round 2.

Jayden Karp (6-0) vs Mikey Wallace (9-1) at welterweight

Karp makes a lasting impression as he manages to take Wallace down on the second attempt, only eating a single kick to the legs in the process. He lands in the back mount, from where he locks in the body triangle after a few good strikes from the top. A few seconds later the choke is in tight and Wallace is done. Great performance by Karp, who at 25 is in good company as the only man to have beat Wallace with champion Will Kane, and becoming the sole fighter to finish the Cockney Rebel.

Result: Jayden Karp (7-0) defeats Mikey Wallace (9-2) by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:54 of round 1.

Dennis Gallagher (13-7) vs Heath Kaladaris (6-0) at middleweight

Kaladaris looks perfectly comfortable against the 20-fight veteran, outstriking the Irishman and taking him down twice in the first two rounds. It looks like the two are heading toward a judges’ decision and a comfortable win for Kaladaris, but the 22-year old lands a vicious head kick to close the show in the third. Great showing from yet another up and coming fighter taking the step up.

Result: Heath Kaladaris (7-0) defeats Dennis Gallagher (13-8) by KO (head kick) at 0:50 of round 3.

Kaladaris calls out the returning Edgar van den Hoogenband for his next fight, and while it would almost certainly be exciting, it might be too much too soon for the Australian middleweight prospect.

Irving Braun (6-0) vs Tim Oldacres (9-0) at lightweight

Oldacres is putting on a show in the first round, landing big shots on the feet. A head kick rocks Braun who manages to take Oldacres down to survive the first five minutes. The second round is over quickly as Oldacres sets his man up with the jab and knocks Braun out with a right uppercut. A third win this year for Oldacres, who is in the lead in fights taken in 2001.

Result: Tim Oldacres (10-0) defeats Irving Braun (6-1) by KO (punches) at 0:17 of round 2.

Main event:

George Laurent (39-12) vs Lenny McFadden (13-1) at light heavyweight

McFadden shows superior hands in the first frame, landing two punch combinations as Laurent hunts for the big left hand, mostly unsuccessfully. McFadden hurts his opponent at the end of an exciting, dominant first round.

The beating continues in the second as Laurent doesn’t really get a break from McFadden’s boxing assault, and cannot land a significant blow to back him off. A nice right hook rocks Laurent, and a smashing right cross closes the show. Great showing for McFadden, who has to be looking at a title shot next.

Result: Lenny McFadden (14-1) defeats George Laurent (39-13) by KO (punches) at 2:51 of round 2.

Upon getting his feet Laurent announces his retirement from the sport, which was to be expected.

Post Show Thoughts:

Bonuses: $500

FotN: McFadden & Laurent

KOtN: Kaladaris

SotN: Karp

228 people showed up live in the Midlands for a gate of $16,051. The commercial rating was a solid 36%, while critical rating was at 63%, the combination of which should make our broadcaster ECS happy. We get a slight bump in popularity everywhere despite only having 7 fights, 0.1% in the Isles, 0.7% in Europe and 0.6% in Russia. We’re lacking a bit of Russian flavor on the cards, I assume.

A lot of statements were made tonight. McFadden announces himself as the next big star from Scotland and the rightful contender for Kitson’s title should we emerge from the McSweegan fight in July. Perhaps ”Lethal” Lenny will be in attendance.

Tim Oldacres puts in work again, finishing Irving Braun in impressive fashion. Oldacres is only 25, and working with Rob Baines I’m hoping his grappling improves at a steady pace as I keep building towards a fight with the lightweight champion. Another challenge might be awaiting Oldacres near the end of the year as Mal Beswick’s call out still intrigues some people.

Heath Kaladaris showed why he is one of the top middleweight prospects in the sport with a brutal head kick finish. He even showed a more well rounded game, kickboxing the tar out of Gallagher and landing a pair of takedowns. He is still not affiliated with a major team and only 22 years old, so his call out of van den Hoogenband is likely not something I’ll be looking at. If I can’t find an opponent for the Dutch striker, I’ll probably let SIGMA use him next. There are few people outside Kanchelskis and Grygera they can throw at him I wouldn’t favor him against.

Karp and Phipps both announced themselves as contenders with impressive stoppages over legit opponents. Both have good momentum and mid level regional name value now, so they can co-headline a show against the right opponent next time out. Both are still young, too, so I’m not in a hurry to challenge them unduly.

The two prelims were good, establishing Faas Smit as a force in the light heavyweight division (though this was at catchweight) and getting him +1 momentum, and rehabilitating Eddie Whelan to neutral momentum. Whelan is an entertaining guy, and a win on the main card next time would make him high level regional. The problem is I don’t know if he can beat the guys he could be matched against. Phipps could be a logical next fight for him, which I don’t favor him to win.

Paatero · May 16, 2015

Fortnight Review for weeks 3 & 4 of June:

German heavyweight Reinhardt Rhett (7-3) gets a BCF contract. I need a fighter with momentum to fight Christopher Drew (6-0) when he returns from injury, and Rhett should make for an exciting stylistic match up. I have booked the fight for the undercard of BCF: Spyrou vs Baines in September, the Wigan-based Drew should be a crowd favorite in the North.

Reynolds Baer (9-1) has been seen visiting Rob Baines Fighting in June. The 24-year old Bristol heavyweight is 2-0 in 2001 and looking for a third fight before the end of the year. Best known for his decision victory over top European heavyweight Harry Milne, the two are some of BCF’s top heavyweights without an obvious fight to be booked in the future.

Former champion Carter Potter (19-5) is out of his scheduled co-main event clash with Percy Catcher (12-3) in Scotland in July. The 33-year old Kiwi suffered a moderate leg injury that is said to keep him out of action for just under four months. Stepping in the former champion’s place is Ozzy Bintley (6-0), who is 2-0 with two first round stoppages in 2001. Catcher represents a big step up in competition for the 26-year old, but stylistically the bout should be an entertaining one. Bintley was training for a September showdown with Vic Millican, who is now left without an opponent. As a result, Christopher Drew (6-0) vs Reinhardt Rhett (7-3) is bumped up to the main card.

Paatero · May 17, 2015

Monthly MMA review for June, 2001:

June saw a number of major MMA shows take place as GAMMA, ALPHA-1, XCC, KDM FC and WEFF all held shows.

ALPHA-1 opened the month with Lette vs. Abukara on PPV for the Super Heavyweight title. Lette defended the strap with a fairly dominant unanimous decision victory. The Dragon Tamadasa Yamada soared in the co-main event, submitting the Korean Hyun-Shik Lim by leglock at the eight minute mark.

GAMMA Battle Lines 5 saw the welterweight title change hands as American Josh Aldarisio claimed the belt from Canadian Bobby Brubaker. The Michigan-native’s wrestling was too much for the taekwondo black belt from Calgary. Patrick Thomas, Junior Patinkin and Anthony Letoussier all got impressive stoppage wins on the main card underneath. BCF-connected heavyweight Rav Kapur dominated Kurt McDonald on the undercard in a showdown of European heavyweight stars.

XCC’s event in California saw hometown star Philip Ziskie take back his featherweight title in a decision over Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Luiz Machado. Easton Frye defeated the rising Lamont Banner in the co-main event, derailing the world class boxer’s rise toward a match with Ziskie. Ziskie and Frye are teammates at Halvorsen’s so we’ll see if the company pulls the trigger on that title fight.

KDM FC also showcased some of the best featherweights in the world as Tomohiro Takeuchi took a decision over Li-Kong Ho in the main event, retaining his title for the fifth consecutive time. Jiu-jitsu black belt Yoshiro Makamori made Kenji Akita pay for his takedown with a first round triangle choke.

Birmingham, England-born Pamela O’Neill took the WEFF bantamweight main event by third round heel hook submission over Olivia Sweet, but for some reason the vacant title was not on the line. O’Neill is now ranked #1 in the division without a title. Featherweight Rachel McGuiness won the co-main event over Tabitha Cameron by unanimous decision.

Paatero · May 17, 2015

BCF: Kitson vs McSweegan announcement

Saturday Week 3 of July, 2001

Broadcast by United Kingdom Choice on PPV

Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: Curt Kitson (14-0) vs Garry McSweegan (24-8)

It’s all Scotland again for the strap, as it has become a custom (3 of Kitson’s last 5 opponents have been from Scotland). The high level regional McSweegan is a legit challenger, but probably not much of a challenge for Kitson, who is far more well rounded, a better athlete, and known for being tough as nails. It should be entertaining while it lasts.

Heavyweight Bout: Percy Catcher (12-3) vs Ozzy Bintley (6-0)

Young Ozzy Bintley steps in on three weeks’ notice to face the veteran heavyweight competitor Percy Catcher who was expecting to face Carter Potter at this event. It’s a big step up for Bintley, but he holds some advantages over his 30-year old opponent. Namely, he is faster and more athletic, maybe more powerful and equipped with a better gas tank. Catcher’s ’the Edge’ (heh) comes in experience, though he is also a heavy hitter himself.

Welterweight Bout: David Webb (18-5) vs Malloy Mahoney (7-0)

24-year old undefeated Malloy Mahoney gets his biggest test to date in former champ Webb who is looking to build momentum on his submission victory over Steven Griffin in March. Mahoney has the striking advantage, but Webb’s grappling and experience make him the favorite.

Middleweight Bout: Ginger Beaumont (8-0) vs Hans-Peter Schneider (17-7)

Scottish middleweight mainstay Beaumont tries to keep his undefeated streak going against German vet Hans-Peter Schneider. Both men are coming off good BCF victories, and the winner could definitely be looking at a title shot with a win.

Lightweight Bout: George Astaire (12-6) vs Ron Chuckle (7-2)

A tough lightweight bout to open up the main card, Scotland’s George Astaire looks to put the crowd in the mood for a Scotland sweep as he faces Liverpool’s Ron Chuckle. Both men are known for their grappling acumen, though Astaire has been working with the boxers at Bulldog Gym in preparation for this fight. The winner will likely emerge as one of the top lightweights on the roster, though perhaps not quite ready for a championship tilt.

Prelims:

Lightweight Bout: Sid Morgan (8-0) vs Gordon Idle (10-5)

22-year old Londoner Morgan tries to keep his roll going after making quick work of Rupert Lennox in March. This time he steps in the BCF cage against 15-fight veteran and former welterweight contender Gordon Idle, who comes off a narrow defeat to George Astaire. Idle is the man who needs to establish himself with a win to stay relevant in the division, while a Morgan victory would go further in cementing him as a top prospect.

Lightweight Bout: Gerrard Kneeling (6-1) vs Dom Yorke (5-2)

A striker versus grappler fight between two young lightweights in need of a win, Kneeling and Yorke are both coming off defeats and looking to erase the disappointment here. Neither is a top level talent, but this is the kind of developmental fight we need to have every now and then.

Welterweight Bout: Scott Gillespie (5-3) vs Paddy McNamara (7-2)

A potentially entertaining scrap to open the night, Scotland’s Gillespie is at -2 momentum and really needs to win if he wants to say on the roster. A hometown victory would be just what the doctor ordered, while Ireland’s McNamara has a slightly longer leash, having only lost to Jayden Karp in his BCF debut. The significant length advantage and kicks of Gillespie could give him the needed edge against the 5’6 boxer in McNamara.

Predictions? Methods? Comments?

Curt Kitson vs Garry McSweegan

Percy Catcher vs Ozzy Bintley

David Webb vs Malloy Mahoney

Ginger Beaumont vs Hans-Peter Schneider

George Astaire vs Ron Chuckle

Sid Morgan vs Gordon Idle

Gerrard Kneeling vs Dom Yorke

Paddy McNamara vs Scott Gillespie

CageRage · May 17, 2015

Curt Kitson vs Garry McSweegan

Percy Catcher vs Ozzy Bintley

David Webb vs Malloy Mahoney

Ginger Beaumont vs Hans-Peter Schneider

George Astaire vs Ron Chuckle

Sid Morgan vs Gordon Idle

Gerrard Kneeling vs Dom Yorke

Paddy McNamara vs Scott Gillespie

Paatero · May 17, 2015

Fortnight Review for weeks 1 & 2 of July

I book BCF TV: Baer vs Milne 2 in North of England in mid-October. Beloved 38-year old fighter Harry Milne (44-8) attempts to avenge his most recent loss against the 24-year old colossus Reynolds Baer (9-1) on home turf. The winner of this fight could be fighting for the BCF heavyweight title some time in 2002, as the #9 ranked Baer tries to prove the first win wasn’t just a fluke against the #2 ranked Milne.

Other bouts confirmed to be on the card include rising middleweights clashing in Snuffy Fontana (8-0) and Ivor Orr (7-0), light heavyweight contender Tikhon Diev (9-1) versus the divisional debutant and former heavyweight contender Perry Barr (15-7) and heavyweights Terry Bull (5-1) taking on Basil McCrystle (8-7).

Jake Keane (25-5) is free to negotiate. I try to make him a couple of offers, but it seems that the price to bring him back to BCF would be too high at this point. Perhaps at a later time when the rematch between him and O’Breen is a more lucrative prospect. Keane is currently coming off a loss to Bud Brockett and scheduled to face H.M. Menzel in the third week of July.

Heath Kaladaris is visiting Leamington Spa Muay thai, a team known for their versatile striking instruction. The team houses other BCF mainstays such as Vic Millican, Tucker Plumm, Dave Lennon and Mark Bicknell.

I bring in European welterweights Piotr Dabrowski (19-8) and Vjekoslav Sarich (7-0). Both men are coming off two stoppage victories on the European local circuit and I look to add them on the BCF TV card in October to get some extra European flavor for the broadcaster.

Edgar van den Hoogenband (6-0) has agreed to face Robin Catskill (3-0) at the event. The 28-year old Dutch striker has been out of action since January with a hand injury. Catskill showed his ability to deal with high level strikers in his decision victory of Paul Goodfellow in April, but Hoogenband is a next level striker in comparison.

Scouting report on British Large Local Show in July:

26-year old welterweight Duncan Thistlewood (7-3) gets a quick submission victory over local fighter Roy Crash on the undercard. Thistlewood is somebody I could bring in to my welterweight or lightweight division down the line, but I plan on giving some time unless I need him suddenly.

Lightweights Roy Lynch (10-8) and Nigel Collett (6-2) went to war to open the main card, and Collett emerged victorious with a great first round TKO. Collett, 23, is an exciting, if limited fighter and someone I’ll definitely be looking to add to my lightweight division later.

In the penultimate bout of the evening Welsh veteran Paul Duffell (24-14) stopped Julian Banham (4-5) with a head kick and some punches, and gets a contract offer from me. The 35-year old is not at a level to threaten the championship at welterweight, but he can definitely serve as a test for some of my other 170-pounders. His +1 momentum and mid level regional make him someone that has some pull on the main card.

In the main event between big boys, the Bulldozer Bob Dozier TKO’d Brian Barnes at the end of the first round. Dozier is 17-10 with +2 momentum, and I throw him an offer. The 34-year old is another mid level regional name on momentum that can serve as a gatekeeper for some of my more polished talent.

Fight week begins for BCF: Kitson vs McSweegan in Scotland!

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Great title to attract readers: A new BCF dynasty in 2015!

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