Bulldog MMA - A True Underbulldog Story

Chris2K · April 30, 2020

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Jim Carpenter, Bulldog MMA CEO

Jim: "Did you just find the first picture of a bulldog you could find and stick "Mixed Martial Arts" under it?

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Harry Milne, Bulldog MMA owner

Harry: "Eh, settle down, alright, I'm not some fancy-pants design guy. You're lucky you got anything at all."

Jim: "Well with that level of know-how we can't fail right?"

Harry: "Ha, you know full well that what I'm bringing to this isn't my skills on a computer, if nothing else I'm the one putting all the money into the business."

Jim: "And as a reward you get to name the company after yourself, isn't that every Lancastrian's dream?"

Harry: "Pipe down with your sarcy comments and give us a hand. I've somehow got to use this email thing to contact a load of guys to come and work for us."

It all started on one typically rainy day in the town of Wigan, home of such iconic landmarks as the "Carnegie Library", the "Trencherfield Mill" and the "Donate just £2 to keep Wikipedia free for everyone around the world". Sports-wise it had long been dominated by its successful Rugby League team, Wigan Warriors, and it's also existing football team Wigan Athletic. But in recent times a fresh breed of sportspeople had come out of the town, that being tough, rugged MMA fighters.

Jim Carpenter was the most successful of those, having forged a 49-11-2 record in his long career, and retired as a fan-favourite in the prestigious GAMMA organisation. Also from Lancashire, Bolton to be exact, Harry Milne had been a dominant figure in the British MMA scene and perhaps the most recognisable MMA figure in the country. He had also retired from fighting, although unlike Carpenter he went out with a spectacular victory to finish his career in style. His nickname, "The Bulldog" is the basis of Bulldog MMA's name, mainly because Carpenter didn't ever use a nickname.

Like all people retiring in their 40s the thought of "what to do next" was very much on their mind. Unfortunately for both men, fighting was all they knew having done nothing but compete in MMA since their early years, and when the next step in their lives had to be decided they could only stick to what they knew. So, like most normal people, Milne decided to form an MMA company and brought Carpenter in to be his CEO.

There was no doubting their MMA knowledge, but could either of these middle-aged men run a company with no financial background, organisational experience or even knowing how to send an email?

Even if they had those skills, opening an MMA promotion in the UK is a bold move. The MMA scene is dominated by Milne's former promotion the BCF, currently ranked as the #3 MMA promotion in the world behind only juggernauts GAMMA and ALPHA-1. They are however in the same position as most MMA promotions around the world, in that as soon a potential superstar emerges they are snapped up by one of the aforementioned big gun companies.

It will be a tough road for Milne and Carpenter to make Bulldog MMA profitable, let alone a success in the MMA scene. Let's see how they get on...

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Bulldog MMA

Location: North of England

Initial Budget: $250,000

ROSTER

Lightweight Division

Cullen Skink (1-0)

Graeme Spark (9-1)

Guilherme de Barros (8-0)

Jazz Snide (3-0)

Jefferson Mndawe (7-0)

Jonjo Whiteley (5-0)

Nathan Wyles (1-0)

Neil Entopolski (0-0)

Nigel Collett (6-2)

Ryan Fenniman (5-0)

Scotty Griffiths (1-0)

Shawn McCarthy (2-0)

Stephen Conti (1-0)

Swithens Corcoran (4-0)

Tim Oldacres (9-0)

William Powell (12-9)

Welterweight Division

Brian O'Flaherty (4-0)

Geraint O'Connell (3-0)

Javid Khan (6-5)

Julian Banham (4-5)

Paul Duffell (22-15)

Roger Quince (1-0)

Ron Chuckle (8-2)

Roy Lynch (9-8)

Teco (15-6)

Thomas O'Cann (5-5)

Middleweight Division

Duncan Thistlewood (7-3)

Edu Gattai (8-0)

Humbert Gest (6-5)

Nelson Angelo (8-5)

Omar Calvert (6-1)

Osi Lewis (5-1)

Paxton Brinkal (9-6)

Richard Smith (22-17)

Thom Billings (9-0)

Todd Prenger (2-0)

Light Heavyweight Division

Dennis Gallagher (14-7)

Eoghan Behan (7-4)

Erik Cunniford (0-0)

George Brabazon-Plank (1-0)

Hardy Tristan (3-4)

Liam Spurling (1-0)

Michael Dali (0-0)

Mick Curran (15-11)

Pierce Jeeler (6-5)

Heavyweight Division

Aston Merryman (1-0)

Chris Hollands (1-0)

Fritz Phipps (9-1)

Glen McBeam (0-0)

Graham Goodbody (20-10)

Hayden Ellery (2-0)

Henry Hooper (0-0)

Jesse Singh (18-6)

Kevin Portman (13-8)

Kieran Morgan (3-0)

Lachlan Bowen (12-7)

Laurence Lamping (2-0)

Malcolm Stew (1-0)

Moray McWhirter (0-0)

Nelson Kenney (1-0)

Nimro Wickhammersley (4-0)

Norman MacAskill (3-0)

Simon Youngman (0-0)

Terry Bull (5-2)

Tommy Cowan (0-0)

Analysis

The make-up of BMMA's roster is very much an indictment on the British MMA scene and Harry Milne's way of thinking, load of the Heavyweight division with the vast array of talent that is available at that weight class, some young, some old. In fact Milne's old rivals Graham Goodbody and Kevin Portman are a sign that the BMMA are not aiming to be the youth development company many people expected them to be.

A lack of Light Heavyweight and Middleweight fighters required some reshuffling to balance out the division, but help was also at hand with an influx of fighters from South America moving to the UK to seek out opportunities to fight. The BMMA were quick to snap anyone available up, and their Latin names stand out in the sea of British ones.

Milne's focus on the big men is also evident in the Lightweight division where a number of Featherweight fighters have been brought in, with Milne adamant that a Featherweight division isn't necessary at the moment so has just thrown the 145lbers in with the 155lbers. As for female fighters, let's just saw the concept of that hasn't quite caught up with the two northerners yet...</div>

CageRage · April 30, 2020

This should be a fun ride. Looking forward to seeing how this goes. Good luck.

Chris2K · May 1, 2020

Sunday, Week 2 of January 2002

Jim: "So, what's the plan Milne. We've got all these guys ready to go..."

Harry: "OK, here's what I'm thinking. I know the bloke who runs the St. Peters Pavilion, and he says they're not booked for anything on Saturday nights in February and March. We need shows, we need fights, we need champions."

Jim: "Sure, but what's the plan?"

Harry: "Hold up, I'm getting there. What's the best way to crown a champion?"

Jim: "A title fight?"

Harry: "Alright smart arse. But to get there, I've got three words for you; One. Night. Tournament."

Jim: "Are you joking? It's not 1993 anymore Harry, commissions aren't going to like it, fighters won't want to do it, fans won't even know what's going on..."

Harry: "The commission won't be a problem, I've got some friends there that will greenlight it, and if the fighters are as tough as they say they are they won't back down from a bit of a challenge. Back in our day these tournaments were our bread and butter, it's how we made a name for ourselves. I'm not saying it's a regular thing, just to crown the first champions so we can get off-and-running right away."

Jim: "OK, fine, I'll see what I can do. Getting the fighters on board is going to be tough..."

Harry: "If they want more, give them it. Don't lead with that though obviously, they should be doing it for their..."

Jim: "Wait, did you say February?! That's two weeks away."

Harry: "They should be ready for then, these blokes are going to realise there's no handouts in this game, they've got to work for it."

Jim: "You're not making this easy for me."

Harry: "Well I'll give you a hand, twist the arm of anyone who needs convincing maybe. Also, do you speak Portuguese? We signed all those Brazilian guys and I can't understand a word they're saying..."

Jim: "No Harry, I don't speak Portuguese. Not a lot of need for it in the Greater Manchester area."

Harry: "Fine, find someone that can then. In the meantime, let's start off with the Heavyweight tournament. Get the big names in, Portman, Goodbody, Singh, but leave Fritz Phipps out. Let's set him up to be the first challenger if we can keep him out of the BCF's hands."

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Press Release

BULLDOG MMA ANNOUNCE FIRST SHOW, BRING BACK ONE NIGHT TOURNAMENTS

by Mike Thomson

New British MMA promotion Bulldog MMA have announced their first show for Saturday, Week 2 of February, to be held at the St. Peter's Pavilion in Wigan, and in a controversial move they are bringing back the old-school "One Night Tournament" to crown their first Heavyweight champion. The intention is to run five shows in five consecutive weeks in the same building, all with one-night tournaments to crown champions.

The plan for the first show looks to be the blueprint; the four quarter final matches start the show, then a non-tournament fight to give some rest time. After that it's the semi-finals, followed by another non-tournament fight, before the final of the tournament main events the show.

The first quarter final, and first ever BMMA match, will be veteran Kevin Portman (13-8) taking on newcomer Aston Merryman (1-0). Portman, from nearby Manchester, is nearly twice the age of Merryman, but of course has a huge amount more experience than his young opponent from London. It's very much old-school vs. new-school with Portman a brute force boxer and Merryman a more-rounded fighter. Portman has the body of an Adonis but that hasn't been the key to success during his career, some would point that carrying that muscle is more of a hindrance to his stamina than anything.*

The second quarter final is Terry Bull (5-2) against Kieran Morgan (3-0). This one seems more balanced in terms of experience, but the younger fighter Morgan is many people's favourite to advance. Bull's best chance is from his striking, it's both his major strength and Morgan's biggest weakness, but Morgan has notoriously heavy hands to make up for his lack of technique.

The third quarter final is another youth against experience battle, Jesse Singh (18-6) bring a 12-year age advantage into his fight against 21-year-old Laurence Lamping (2-0). Singh has been around the British MMA scene for many years without any real success, he has also stayed away from the BCF preferring to be the big fish in a smaller pond. Lamping is from Swindon in Wiltshire and many people see him as a future star due to his elite physical gifts, he is however taking a big step up in competition in only his third fight.

The last quarterfinal will be another of the different generation matchups as the ironically named Graham Goodbody (20-10) takes on the horrifically named Nimrod Wickhammersley (4-0). Goodbody has fought, and probably lost to, every major British Heavyweight at some point, however he is moving back into the Heavyweight division after being a Super Heavyweight for many years. Wickhammersley is from Harry Milne's hometown of Bolton who is 6'6" with a huge reach to match, some are looking at him as a dark horse for this tournament due to his improved grappling and ground game.

There will be two non-tournament fights, the first of which sees two Scottish youngsters clash, Glen McBeam (0-0) makes his pro debut against Norman MacAskill (3-0). MacAskill is a well-rounded fighter without any major strengths or weaknesses to note, on the other hand McBeam is an all-out striker known from his amateur fights to come out swinging fists and feet right from the opening bell.*

The second non-tournament fight will be the semi-main event bridging the second semi-final and the final of the tournament, and again it's two youngsters battling as Chris Hollands (1-0) takes on Nelson Kenney (1-0). From a physical standpoint Hollands looks like your typical MMA fighter and Kenney looks like a pub brawler, but Kenney has power in his hands and it will be up to Hollands to either find a way to avoid Kenney's punches, or find a way to get through them to enforce his game plan.

BMMA 1: Heavyweight Tournament Fight Card

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Kevin Portman vs. Aston Merryman

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Terry Bull vs. Kieran Morgan

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Jesse Singh vs. Laurence Lamping

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Graham Goodbody vs. Nimrod Wickhammersley

Non-Tournament Fight

Glen McBeam vs. Norman MacAskill

Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Portman/Merryman vs. Bull/Morgan

Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Singh/Lamping vs. Goodbody/Wickhammersley

Non-Tournament Fight

Chris Hollands vs. Nelson Kenney

Heavyweight Tournament Final

BMMA Heavyweight Title Match

Portman/Merryman/Bull/Morgan vs. Singh/Lamping/Goodbody/Wickhammersley

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CageRage · May 1, 2020

BMMA 1: Heavyweight Tournament Fight Card

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Kevin Portman vs. Aston Merryman

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Terry Bull vs. Kieran Morgan

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Jesse Singh vs. Laurence Lamping

Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Graham Goodbody vs. Nimrod Wickhammersley

Non-Tournament Fight

Glen McBeam vs. Norman MacAskill

Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Portman/Merryman vs. Bull/Morgan

Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Singh/Lamping vs. Goodbody/Wickhammersley

Non-Tournament Fight

Chris Hollands vs. Nelson Kenney

Heavyweight Tournament Final

BMMA Heavyweight Title Match

Portman/Merryman/Bull/Morgan vs. Singh/Lamping/Goodbody/Wickhammersley

Chris2K · May 3, 2020

BMMA 1: HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

Report by Mike Thomson for Blurcat.com

Match #1

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #1

Kevin Portman (13-8) vs. Aston Merryman (1-0)

The first fight in Bulldog MMA is not a long one. The veteran Portman started off well enough, connecting with a couple of jabs, but Merryman was able to bully him back against the cage and soon enough takes him down. From there Portman offered very little defence as Merryman slams down some hard punches, Portman merely turtles up and after the two heaviest shots land on the side of the head the referee pulled Merryman away to stop the fight. It's an anti-climactic way to kick off BMMA's existence, but an impressive win for Merryman nevertheless who goes into the semi-finals after barely drawing a sweat.

Winner: Aston Merryman (2-0) by TKO (Strikes) - 1:43 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #2

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #2

Terry Bull (5-2) vs. Kieran Morgan (3-0)

The first fight in the tournament ended up being an epic compared to the second. Bull came into the fight as two things, 20 pounds heavier than Morgan and a significant betting underdog, and that latter point was made fairly clear within ten seconds when Morgan dodged a left hook and hit a powerful right to knock Bull back against the cage. Bull tried to cover up, but Morgan got two powerful punches through his defences, before a big right uppercut almost took Bull out of his metaphorical boots and on to the mat. The referee stepped in to stop the fight then and there giving Morgan the win in a mere 39 seconds. That sends Morgan through to face Merryman in the first semi-final, with both fighters almost completely unscathed from the opening round.

Winner: Kieran Morgan (4-0) via TKO (Strikes) - 0:39 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #3

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #3

Jesse Singh (18-6) vs. Laurence Lamping (2-0)

After two short fights the third one proved to be a longer contest, however it would be hard to say it was any less one-sided. Lamping was thought to be the much more skilled fighter coming in, and he put that to good use in the first round by controlling the fight, first against the cage and then by taking Singh down. Unable to get the finish we went to the first ever Bulldog MMA second round, again Lamping dominated and with a minute left in the round he was able to knock Singh down with a powerful combination. Singh was able to weather the storm to survive the second round, but the damage was done. 45 seconds into the third and final round Lamping unleashed a vicious right hook which knocked Singh out cold, complete with a proper stiff fall to the mat. Lamping advances to the next round, but he's exerted a lot more energy than the previous two winners.

Winner: Laurence Lamping (3-0) via KO (Punch) - 0:51 of Round 3

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #4

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #4

Graham Goodbody (20-10) vs. Nimrod Wickhammersley (4-0)

Goodbody was the only veteran in this tournament who was considered a favourite by the bookmakers, possibly due to his experience and weight advantage, and possibly because nobody would back a fighter called Nimrod. The first round was fairly even, Wickhammersley landed the most strikes but the shots that Goodbody landed had more power behind them. The lanky Wickhammersley was able to keep Goodbody at range for the most part which was enough for the judges to score the round in his favour. The second round fell more into Goodbody's strategy as he was able to grapple Wickhammersley against the cage for a solid two minutes, landing some good shots on the inside in the process, however you wouldn't know it was Goodbody's round when the bell rang as he stumbled back to his corner with a cut over his eye and completely exhausted. Having to cut down to 265 pounds will do that to you. The final round saw Goodbody's fatigue become a defining factor as he barely had anything to offer, and Wickhammersley came out kicking - literally. A big head kick caught Goodbody and left him on rubbery legs, and a second head kick from Wickhammersley moments later sent Goodbody to the mat. At this point Goodbody was probably relieved for the lie down, and a few shots from Wickhammersley was enough for the referee to stop the fight. Wickhammersley moves through to the semi-finals against Lamping, both having fought for a similar amount of time.

Winner: Nimrod Wickhammersley (5-0) via TKO (Strikes) - 1:17 of Round 3

Fight Rating: Great

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Match #5

Heavyweight Division

Glen McBeam (0-0) vs. Norman McAskill (3-0)

With the tournament fighters having a break before the semi-finals it was a chance for two young Scottish fighters to make their mark. MacAskill came in the favourite, had more experience, and had a weight advantage, so it was perhaps unsurprising that MacAskill was able to dominate the fight from start to finish, albeit in a not particularly exciting fashion. Most of the fight was spent either stood up against the cage or seated against the cage if MacAskill was able to secure a takedown, which he in every round. McBeam never looked to be in much danger of being finished, the closest MacAskill came was from some attempted guillotine chokes which McBeam was able to defend. The fight ended up becoming the first instance of the judges having to make a decision, they all scored in favour of Norman MacAskill, two 30-27s and one 30-28 from a very generous judge who evidently saw more in McBeam's performance than everyone else in attendance.

Winner: Norman MacAskill (4-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-28, 30-27)

Fight Rating: Good

Post-fight: MacAskill spoke to the crowd to celebrate his victory but said nothing of any note.

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Match #6

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #1

Aston Merryman (2-0) vs. Kieran Morgan (3-0)

The two fighters who breezed through their quarter final matches had a much more gruelling time of it when they squared off with each other. The drama of the first round stemmed from a cut that opened up under the left eye of Merryman from a Morgan punch, it was sufficient enough for the referee to have the cage side medical team look at it but Merryman was deemed fit to continue. The first two rounds were both entirely standing and despite the cut Merryman was able to land significantly more strikes than Morgan, but both fighters seemed to be cautious about committing to any big punches. The final round changed things significantly as Morgan was able to secure a takedown and spent most of the round inside Merryman's guard. Despite his best efforts Morgan was unable to get to a more dominant position and had to resort to weak punches from the guard, until the referee eventually stood them back up. Was the final round enough for Morgan to wrestle back the fight? Not quite, as all three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favour of Aston Merryman to send the 19-year-old Londoner into the Heavyweight title fight in the tournament final.

Winner: Aston Merryman (3-0) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x 3)

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #7

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

Laurence Lamping (3-0) vs. Nimrod Wickhammersley (5-0)

Seriously though, if you had the name Nimrod you would just go by your middle name instead, right? Both fighters went into the third round of their quarter finals and the effort they put in previously is evident in the lack of action we see throughout this semi-final. The first round is all Lamping, he secures two takedowns to have control throughout, however a lack of energy meant there was very little action on the ground to the annoyance of the crowd. The second round continued the lack of action but there was a moment of interest when Lamping was cut open on the forehead by a Wickhammersley right hand. There's a fairly large amount of blood but the referee didn't get it checked with the doctor. Other than that the second round is pretty forgettable due to their fatigue, however the third round was more entertaining with both fighters giving their all to try and take the win, as with the previous rounds though it was Lamping that was able to land the most. The judges didn't have much to go on other than Lamping's takedowns and striking advantage, so it was an unsurprising 30-27 scores across the board to the winner, Laurence Lamping, who moves into the final to face Aston Merryman.

Winner: Laurence Lamping (4-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 3)

Fight Rating: Decent

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Match #8

Heavyweight Division

Chris Hollands (1-0) vs. Nelson Kenney (1-0)

The excitement of the tournament was put to one side again as another relief bout was slotted in to give the finalists a breather. Luckily for Merryman and Lamping they got the longest break possible as this fight went the full three rounds, unfortunately for everyone else this fight was not fun to watch. Hollands proceeded to jab the ever-loving goodness out of Kenney throughout the fight, and outside of a failed takedown attempt at the end of the third round there was nothing else to write home about. Hollands got the win with scores of 30-27 from all three judges, but the performance wasn't one that will have people eagerly awaiting his next one.

Winner: Chris Hollands (2-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 3)

Fight Rating: Average

Post-fight: Hollands is very happy with his win, although the crowd don't seem particularly interested in sharing his moment given the lack of excitement.

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Match #9

BMMA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

BMMA Heavyweight Title Tournament - Final

Aston Merryman (3-0) vs. Laurence Lamping (4-0)

One has what looks like a ginger afro with roots that need re-doing, the other is bald, but it's MMA skill that will decide the first BMMA Heavyweight champion, not hair styles. Both fighters had been through a lot this evening but Merryman's quick quarter final win gave him a slight energy advantage, and it appeared to have made the difference. Merryman was able to get a takedown early in the first round and despite Lamping's best efforts he was unable to stop Merryman moving through into a dominant position. In attempting to defend Merryman moving to the mount Lamping gave up his back to the Londoner, and Merryman was able to secure the back mount with both hooks in. The rear naked choke was almost academic at this point, and an exhausted Lamping could do nothing to prevent the submission getting locked in and quickly tapped out, making Aston Merryman the very first BMMA Heavyweight champion!*

Winner, and NEW BMMA Heavyweight Champion: Aston Merryman (4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - 3:43 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: Merryman gave a very good post-fight interview despite working his butt off during the night, his charisma shone through and he looked genuinely delighted at becoming the champion.

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Show Details

Attendance: 58 (Yikes)

Critical Rating: 69%

Commercial Rating: 31%

Popularity Change: UK +0.7%

Fight of the Night: Nimrod Wickhammersley vs. Graham Goodbody

Knock Out of the Night: Laurence Lamping

Submission of the Night: Aston Merryman

Income

Gate: $2,726 (which covers 2 fighters)

Sponsorship: $969

Expenditure

Fighters: $34,894

Drug Tests: $4,800

Production: $500

Overall - -$36,499

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Post Show News

- BMMA rose in size, from "Nothing" to "Low Level Regional". Maybe that will bring in more than 58 people next week.

- Jesse Singh suffered a broken jaw when he got knocked the F out, so will be out of action for the next six months.

- Lots have new signings have been made, many of whom are new to the MMA world, others are some experienced fighters from South America and Canada.

* = New to MMA

Evan Pizzarro

Danny Gibson*

Eric Riggs*

Vincent Cooper*

Clarence Gibson*

Earl Turnbull*

Oldano Kalil

Tuck Durdell

Vitor de Mello

Thom Billings

Edu Gattai

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OTHER MAIN CARD RESULTS

GAMMA Battle Lines 6: Keane vs. Lermontov

Fiyero Lermontov def. Jake Keane to win the GAMMA Lightweight title

Spencer Rubenstein def. Raul Hughes

Gabriel Gallego def. Yevgeni Sipatov

Sutton Ripley def. Adam White

Bruce Steven def. Bud Brockett

OTHER NEWS

BCF sign SIGMA Light Heavyweight champion Niko Soldo to an exclusive deal, causing the title to be vacated and giving the BCF a top-level fighter to replace the departed Curt Kitson.

Woody Fierstein, having lost to youngster Ethan Sutton at the aforementioned GAMMA show, fails his post-fight drug test for good measure. Fierstein denies the allegations but must still serve a year-long suspension.

Other bad news for SIGMA came when their Lightweight champion Luis Basora was poached by GAMMA. GAMMA were obviously interested in champions as they also signed Bosco Curbeam, the now former XCC Lightweight champion.

Chris2K · May 5, 2020

Sunday, Week 2 of February 2002

Harry: "WE LOST HOW MUCH?!"

Jim: "Nearly 40 grand. Weren't you expecting that?"

Harry: "No! And I wasn't expecting only 58 people to show up!"

Jim: "Well there were more than 58 people, it's just 58 people that paid."

Harry: "Oh well that's much better. Thank you for reassuring me."

Jim: "OK, settle down. Look, it was the first show, it was to be expected. The greater MMA world knows we exist now, something that couldn't be said before, and our next show will attract much more attention. Plus we have Fritz Phipps on the card so he will bring some more people through the door."

Harry: "Yeah, about that... I had a call from Fritz this morning. He's pulling out of the show. Injury, not some kind of BCF power play. He was riding his bike and fell off, popped out his collar bone."

Jim: "You're kidding me. Well that's buggered up things good and proper. Can't be helped I suppose, it could have been worse in fact."

Harry: "Well it was an exercise bike, not an actual bike, so it probably could have been helped. See if you can find someone to replace him, we've marketed him as appearing so we're already going to be in the bad graces of those people who bother to show up."

Jim: "I doubt anyone's going to want a fight on six days notice, but maybe one of the young lads will want a shot. I'll let you know. Any other surprises for me before I go?"

Harry: "No, but we can't keep losing money like that. We won't survive the year if we do, and all those chumps who were laughing at me for trying this will never let me here the end of it. Is there any way of cutting costs?"

Jim: "Not really. Everyone's on a $1,200 per show contract, the only way to keep the costs down is to get rid of the buffer fights between the tournament matches."

Harry: "I don't think we can. We both know how hard tournaments are, and even youngsters like Merryman and Lamping were struggling to get through three fights. Any break they can get is desperately needed. And we can't just have nothing happening for half an hour or the fans'll go mad."

Jim: "So... you want us to cut costs, but don't want to cut any fights from the card."

Harry: "Correct. I'll be honest with you Jim, running an MMA company isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be."

Jim: "You're telling me. I'll speak to you later Harry."

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Press Release

BULLDOG MMA'S SECOND SHOW TO CROWN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION

by Mike Thomson

Coming hot on the heels of their first show last week, Bulldog MMA return with another one night tournament to crown their first Light Heavyweight champion. Aston Merryman and Laurence Lamping showed last week that it's the younger generation of British fighters who are making a name for themselves in this tournament format, whilst the veterans struggle.

The show is the same format as before with the tournament taking centre stage; the four quarter final matches start the show, then a non-tournament fight to give some rest time. After that it's the semi-finals, followed by another non-tournament fight, before the final of the tournament main events the show.

The first quarter final sees Hardy Tristan (3-4) take on Liam Spurling (1-0). It's another example of the foundation of MMA, a brawler taking on a grappler, Tristan being the brawler who knows little more than how to throw punches and hope for the best, whereas Spurling is a student of "hooking", having trained with BMMA CEO Jim Carpenter in the past and being especially dangerous on the ground. This match is likely to come down to either Tristan scoring a knockout, or Spurling working his way to a submission.

The second quarter final is George Brabazon-Plank (1-0), who we'll be calling GBP, taking on Michael Dali (0-0). Not a whole lot of experience in this one. GBP is as posh as his name sounds and is certainly not someone who falls into the stereotypical MMA fighter mold. He's a decent kick boxer, and his 6'4" inch frame gives him a reach advantage over most opponents. Michael Dali is a real character, nicknamed Salvadore for his surname, he is a former prison inmate known for his violence against prison guards on the inside, a trait which saw him sent to solitary confinement where he exercised intensely and now holds world records in many strength and fitness disciplines. Outside of prison he was known for bare-knuckle boxing fights, but now moves into the more legalised form of fighting.

The third quarter final has another MMA debutant in Erik Cunniford (0-0) as he goes up against veteran Mick Curran (15-11), with both fighters coming from the town of Swansea in Wales. Cunniford is a student of catch wrestling who will be looking to get the fight to the ground ASAP. Curran has 26 fights under his belt, many of which are in the BCF where he still holds a non-exclusive contract, and it's unclear if the BCF know about him fighting for this upstart promotion. Curran is very much a brawler and a hard-hitter but isn't nearly as useful if the fight goes to the ground.

The last quarter-final sees two veterans collide as Dennis Gallagher (14-7) from Ireland takes on Pierce Jeeler (6-5). Gallagher comes into the fight a significant favourite, although he hasn't set the world on fire during his career so that may say more about Jeeler than Gallagher. He is a well-rounded fighter but much prefers brawling than trying to do anything technical. Jeeler is a one-dimensional kick boxer recently released from the BCF after three successive losses, he will be hoping this is the opportunity he needs to get back into the win column.

There will be two non-tournament fights in the Heavyweight division, the first of which sees two more fighters making their MMA debut, Moray McWhirter (0-0) and Henry Hooper (0-0). McWhirter from Edinburgh is one of the new breed of fighters who has come into MMA learning every facet of the game, in addition to that he is said to have a very tough chin making him a tough challenge for anyone. Henry Hooper, not Henry Cooper, or Hank Hooper from 30 Rock, is a young man from Manchester who is known to be a very jovial character outside of the cage, but still has the killer instinct to throw hands and utlilise his training in shoot wrestling.

The second non-tournament fight was due to feature Fritz Phipps, one of Britain's premier heavyweight fighters and a BCF mainstay, however a collarbone injury following what we are told was an horrific bike accident that he was lucky to only suffer the injury he did. Replacing him is Hayden Ellery (2-0), an 18 year old who is never short of a word or two, or willingness to step up on short notice it seems. His opponent, Lachlan Brown (12-7) is a Canadian who recently moved to the UK due to the lack of opportunities in his homeland. Bowen is a powerhouse wrestler whilst Ellery is a kick boxer, so it's another grappler/striker battle, however given the massive experience advantage and the fact Ellery wasn't even scheduled to fight until last Sunday, you have to think Bowen is a strong favourite.

BMMA 2: Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight Card

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Hardy Tristan vs. Liam Spurling

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

George Brabazon-Plank vs. Michael Dali

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Erik Cunniford vs. Mick Curran

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Dennis Gallagher vs. Pierce Jeeler

Non-Tournament Fight - Heavyweight Division

Moray McWhirter vs. Henry Hooper

Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Tristan/Spurling vs. Brabzon-Plank/Dali

Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Cunniford/Curran vs. Gallagher/Jeeler

Non-Tournament Fight - Heavyweight Division

Hayden Ellery vs. Lachlan Bowen

Light Heavyweight Tournament Final

Tristan/Spurling/Brabazon-Plank/Dali vs. Cunniford/Curran/Gallagher/Jeeler

CageRage · May 5, 2020

Loving the background, and story elements of the dynasty. Good work.

BMMA 2: Light Heavyweight Tournament Fight Card

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Hardy Tristan vs. Liam Spurling

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

George Brabazon-Plank vs. Michael Dali

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Erik Cunniford vs. Mick Curran

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Dennis Gallagher vs. Pierce Jeeler

Non-Tournament Fight - Heavyweight Division

Moray McWhirter vs. Henry Hooper

Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Tristan/Spurling vs. Brabzon-Plank/Dali

Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Cunniford/Curran vs. Gallagher/Jeeler

Non-Tournament Fight - Heavyweight Division

Hayden Ellery vs. Lachlan Bowen

Light Heavyweight Tournament Final

Tristan/Spurling/Brabazon-Plank/Dali vs. Cunniford/Curran/Gallagher/Jeeler

Chris2K · May 7, 2020

BMMA 2: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

Match #1

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #1

Hardy Tristan (4-5) vs. Liam Spurling (1-0)

If lessons were there to be learned from the Heavyweight tournament then these two were evidently not paying attention, as instead of the quickfire opening round win that helped Aston Merryman march to the title, they opt for the more "waste lots of time and energy jabbing and not engaging" approach. Spurling, despite having a significant advantage on the ground, only attempts one takedown in the fight which works without much effort. Spurling does very little on the ground though with the referee eventually deciding to stand them up. Other than that, it's three rounds of jabs, jabs and more jabs with Spurling landing the most throughout. The small crowd aren't particularly happy about the lack of action but seem to cheer up a bit when the judges scores are announced, all three scoring it 30-27 to the youngster Liam Spurling. At least the show can only get better after this, and Spurling will have at least one more chance to impress.

Winner: Liam Spurling (2-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 3)

Fight Rating: Poor

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Match #2

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #2

George Brabazon-Plank (1-0) vs. Michael Dali (0-0)

Only one fight of professional experience between them, although Dali has more amateur/illegal fighting experience than every MMA fighter in Britain combined. This was a similar story to the first fight in that neither fighter was willing to go all out with big shots looking for the early victory, but thankfully both fighters worked a bit harder than Tristan and Spurling did. GBP was the favourite coming in but it's Dali who uses his more unorthodox style of striking to do the most damage. The final round was where the most action was as both fighters stepped it up looking for a finish, GBP's low kicks started doing some damage to the left leg of Dali, and GBP is also eventually able to land some knees to the body against the cage, but whenever the fight is in the centre it's Dali in control, including the accidental eye poke that stops the action for a bit. The judges concluded that Dali won every round with a 30-27 score, Dali advances but it remains to be seen if the damage to his legs causes him trouble in the next round.

Winner: Michael Dali (2-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 3)

Fight Rating: Poor

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Match #3

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #3

Erik Cunniford (0-0) vs. Mick Curran (15-11)

It's the battle of Swansea, taking place in Wigan, and Cunniford debuting against someone he openly admits to being a fan of must be a bit weird. What is probably even more weird is getting punched in the face by your hero, Curran caught Cunniford with a straight right just over thirty seconds into the fight and went crashing to the mat, Curran was soon to join him and nailed some powerful shots before the referee stepped in to stop it. Curran is the first veteran fighter to have won in the tournaments so far, probably showing why the BCF still keep him around.

Winner: Mick Curran (16-11) via TKO (Strikes) - 0:47 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #4

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #4

Dennis Gallagher (14-7) vs. Pierce Jeeler (6-5)

These two guys are no strangers to a cage, but despite Jeeler being the one to have fought in the BCF he came into this fight as a major underdog. Gallagher proved why that was the case as he dominated the fight from the start, hitting Jeeler with big shots which stunned the Englishman, and seemingly being able to get takedowns whenever he felt like it. What Gallagher couldn’t do was finish the fight as quickly as he wanted, as Jeeler dragged himself through the first two rounds, merely surviving more than anything else. He couldn't hold on forever though, as in the final round Gallagher nailed a right hook that stuns Jeeler before an uppercut knocked him down. Jeeler was probably out before he hit the ground, but Gallagher got a few more shots in to be on the safe side before the referee pulled him away. Gallagher advances to face Curran, but he probably wishes he had been able to finish off Jeeler a lot sooner to conserve some energy.

Winner: Dennis Gallagher (14-7) via TKO (Strikes) - 0:59 of Round 3

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #5

Heavyweight Division

Moray McWhirter (0-0) vs. Henry Hooper (0-0)

Two debuting fighters squared off to give the tournament fighters a break, and everyone in attendance was thankful that McWhirter had a slight goatee to differentiate the two of them. As with both the non-tournament fights in the first show this one also went the distance, much to the relief of the semi-finalists, and throughout the fight it was Hooper's grappling advantage that made the difference. Whilst Hooper couldn’t get McWhirter to the ground at any point, he was able to control the fight by tying him up in a clinch or keeping the Scot trapped against the cage. Hooper was able to land some decent knee strikes in the clinches, one of which was able to open a cut under the eye of McWhirter, but nothing too serious. McWhirter was able to land a couple of decent shots during the fight, apparently enough for one to judge to give him a round, but the others both gave it 30-27 to Cooper for a win in his first MMA fight.

Winner: Henry Hooper (1-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #6

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #1

Liam Spurling (2-0) vs. Michael Dali (1-0)

Both fighters went the distance in their quarterfinals, so energy was at a premium, and it showed from the speed the fighters were moving at. Spurling was able to get a takedown in the first round which certainly gave him the advantage, even if he couldn’t move out of Dali's guard at any point. The second round was all on the feet and Dali showed his striking advantage throughout, some decent shots land thanks to some quick hands and tight combinations, and that left us with a third round where the fight was very much in the balance. Dali continued on the feet with some more good shots, but just over a minute into the round it's a brutal uppercut that lands flush under the jaw of Spurling that sends the man from Newcastle crashing to the mat and crashing out of the tournament. Dali came into the fight a surprisingly big underdog, so I guess this has to be classed as an upset, and he moves through into the tournament final.

Winner: Michael Dali (2-0) via Knock Out (Punch) - 1:25 of Round 3

Fight Rating: Great

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Match #7

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

Mick Curran (16-11) vs. Dennis Gallagher (15-7)

The two veterans collided to see who would take the second spot in the final where they would be favoured to win. Evidently being over 30 isn't great for your conditioning as both fighters struggled to get through the fight as we went to another decision. Perhaps the most noteworthy event was in the opening round when a left cross from Gallagher opened up a cut over Curran's right eye. It seemed to effect Curran throughout the remainder of the fight as Gallagher had no issue getting in close to clinch with him and wearing Curran down with punches and knees. This is the pattern for the second and third rounds and given that Gallagher was able to out-strike Curran in the first round as well it was little surprise when the judges all scored the fight 30-27 to Dennis Gallagher. The Irishman moves into the final, an impressive feat given that he's usually a Middleweight and is only fighting up due to BMMA's lack of Light Heavyweight.

Winner: Dennis Gallagher (16-7) via Unanimous Decision

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #8

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

Hayden Ellery (2-0) vs. Lachlen Bowen (12-7)

You must admire Ellery's courage for stepping in with six days’ notice, against someone with 17 more professional fights than him. Bowen started the fight going in for a takedown, bit I don't think anyone expected what happened next. Ellery was able to block the takedown with a sprawl, and Bowen foolishly left himself exposed on his knees with Ellery able to land some hard shots to the side of his head. One of the shots was hard enough to drop Bowen fully to the mat, and Ellery landed a few more punches before the referee stopped the fight! Ellery was ecstatic at his victory and ran straight out of the cage and into a group of people, believed to be his family and friends. I'm not sure the commission is going to like that very much, but oh well.

Winner: Hayden Ellery (3-0) via TKO (Strikes) - 0:53 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: They wrangled Ellery back into the cage for a post-fight interview and he very emotionally thanked his training partners for getting him ready in such short time. This guy could be a star if his talent is able to match his personality.

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Match #9

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Tournament - Final

BMMA Light Heavyweight Title Match

Michael Dali (2-0) vs. Dennis Gallagher (16-7)

To think, Dali started the evening with no professional fights and now he's fighting for the title. Of course, the previous fight only going 53 seconds meant that Gallagher had very little time to rest after his semi-final. That didn't seem to matter in the first round as Gallagher was able to secure a quick takedown, he got into side control and almost got an arm triangle secured, but Dali was able to survive. The second round was a lot closer with Dali able to get some of his striking game working, however Gallagher took control of a clinch in the latter half and landed a big elbow strike which opened up a cut under Dali's left eye. The third round was similar to the second with Dali landing some strikes, but Gallagher's grappling again made the difference as he was able to control the action.

Into the championship rounds we went for the first time in Bulldog MMA history, and it really looked like Dali needed a finish at this point. Both fighters are gassed at this point and not able to do anything other than clinch up which gives the advantage to Gallagher once again. And you'd never guess it, but the final round was the same again, Dali just could not keep out of the grasp of Gallagher, and the experience of the Irishman was too much for the newcomer to handle. The judges score the fight 50-45, 49-46 and 50-45, with one judge giving Round 2 to Dali, however the winner and the very first BMMA Light Heavyweight Champion is Dennis Gallagher.

Winner, and NEW BMMA Light Heavyweight Champion: Dennis Gallagher (17-7) via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45)

Fight Rating: Great

Post-Fight: Dennis Gallagher gives an interview after being crowned with the championship belt, he calls it the best moment of his life which is concerning given that he has a wife and family, obviously this cheap piece of metal and fake leather means a lot to him.

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Show Details

Attendance: 112

Critical Rating: 72%

Commercial Rating: 35%

Popularity Change: UK +0.5%

Fight of the Night: Dennis Gallagher vs. Michael Dali

Knock Out of the Night: Hayden Ellery

Submission of the Night: N/A

Income

Gate: $7,896

Sponsorship: $5,476

Merchandise $1,922

Expenditure

Fighters: $31,755

Drug Tests: $4,800

Production: $2,659

Overall: -$23,920

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Post Show News

- Liam Spurling broke his jaw during one of his two fights, but he doesn't know when it was or how it happened. Most people think it was when Michael Dali knocked him into the next continent.

- Two more signings, Owen Hyde and Rich Robinson, both moving from Canada where there are no active MMA companies.

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OTHER MAIN CARD RESULTS

No other major shows since BMMA 1.

OTHER NEWS

- GAMMA have made some signings for their fledgling Super Heavyweight division, MA Parker, August Pennell, Jethro Munter, all the big names. They also cut some fighters after their last show, most notably Nicholas Bretton, Kendall Tracey and Bud Brockett. They've also signed international jiu-jitsu star Jonathan Huang.

Chris2K · May 9, 2020

Sunday, Week 3 of February 2002

Harry: "Another big money loser then."

Jim: "Again it's to be expected, we're paying a lot to these fighters with so many fights on the card. But let's look on the bright side too, we lost a lot less than last time."

Harry: "I'm sure the bank will love to hear that."

Jim: "OK, fine, but the attendance was also up, we were able to secure more sponsorship and we started to sell some merchandise. Give it time and I think we'll be OK."

Harry: "Time? We don't have a lot of time here. Most MMA companies that aren't making money within their first six months are done for. And let's not forget, this is all my money invested in here."

Jim: "We'll get there, but if we want to save some more money, we're going to have to cut the buffer fights from the next few tournament cards. By my reckoning that will save at least $5,000."

Harry: "*Sigh*... fine, if we have to. It's really not ideal though."

Jim: "Maybe it will encourage the tournament fighters to be more urgent. I've been really surprised at how laid back they're being about the fights, very few of them are going for an early finish. It's like they're trying to show off their conditioning or something."

Harry: "I don't know, new generation or something. Speaking of that, how about that Hayden Ellery guy? Were you expecting him to come out and win like that?"

Jim: "Not really, no. He actually rang me before I had a chance to contact anyone about being Phipps' replacement and desperately wanted the shot. I guess Bowen underestimated him and paid for it. The guy's very entertaining so I hope he can score some more victories."

Harry: "Yeah, he seems like a character. Anyway, you've got some fighters to tell they're not on the next shows anymore. Make sure you book them on a future card by way of an apology."

Jim: "Will do. Speak soon."

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Press Release

BULLDOG MMA'S THIRD TOURNAMENT IN AS MANY WEEKS, THIS ONE FOR THE MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE

by Mike Thomson

Hi, I'm Bulldog MMA. You may remember be from such shows as "BMMA 1: Heavyweight Tournament" and "BMMA 2: Light Heavyweight Tournament". At least you should remember them as they were on the last two Saturdays, and this week we are back in Wigan again, this time the Middleweights are in the spotlight as they battle to be the first BMMA Middleweight champion.

The third show will be slightly different to the previous two in that there are only tournament matches on the card, with no buffer fights between the quarterfinals and semifinals, or the semifinals and final. It's going to be a tough time for the fighters who get through to the final, and for the fans who will likely be experiencing some delays between fights.

Introducing the tournament competitors, and in the first quarter final we will see two of the favourites for the tournament collide when Omar Calvert (6-1) takes on Richard Smith (22-17). Calvert made his name in the British scene by scoring 6 consecutive knockout victories, all of them by knockout. That record caused SIGMA to offer him a contract, but things didn't go to plan when Ezio Gnocchi knocked him out. Or Gnocchied him out. Smith is a good friend of BMMA owner Harry Milne and has been fighting for a long, long time, just never on anything resembling a big stage having left the BCF before they became televised. He is a grappler predominantly but has been known to struggle to finish a fight after getting it to the ground.

The second quarter final is Osi Lewis (5-1) against Todd Prenger (2-0), two young English fighters looking to take a big step in their careers. Lewis has followed a very similar career progression to Omar Calvert, he won lots of fights in the UK, got signed by SIGMA, and lost decisively in his first SIGMA fight. He is a very quick striker with a lot of stamina but doesn't have a whole lot of power behind his punches. Prenger is a karate practitioner, a martial art that hasn't exactly covered itself in glory in MMA so far, and Prenger is perhaps a good example of why. His technique is flawless, but power strikes are rare and he's likely to struggle to finish fights.

The third quarter final has two fighters who could best be described as "journeymen" as Humbert Gest (6-5) takes on Paxton Brinkal (9-6). Both actual names, apparently. Gest is another karate fighter, although not the 90s toys by Milton Bradley, who has shown very little in his 11 fights so far. He is very one-dimensional relying on his striking, with no grappling or ground game to speak of. Speaking of one-dimensional, Brinkal may not actually qualify for the "one" as his only game plan is to come out swinging and hope that one of his power punches connects. I think it's fair to say that if these two are taking part in the tournament then the BMMA were desperate for numbers.

The last quarterfinal will be Duncan Thistlewood (7-3) taking on Brazilian import Nelson Angelo (8-5). Thistlewood is from the Peak District, which I think passes for high altitude training conditions in the UK, his game plan is very much wrestling based and he is very good at keeping control of a fight if he can get the fight to the ground. Nelson Angelo only arrived in the UK a few weeks ago and has already been coerced into taking part in this tournament, he's yet another karate practitioner as well because apparently this is what we do now. There's not a lot known about Angelo other than his record doesn't speak of someone who has been a dominant force in Brazilian MMA.

BMMA 3: Middleweight Tournament Fight Card

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Omar Calvert vs. Richard Smith

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Osi Lewis vs. Todd Prenger

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Humbert Gest vs. Paxton Brinkal

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Duncan Thistlewood vs. Nelson Angelo

Middleweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Calvert/Smith vs. Lewis/Prenger

Middleweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Gest/Brinkal vs. Thistlewood/Angelo

Middleweight Tournament Final

Calvert/Smith/Lewis/Prenger vs. Gest/Brinkal/Thistlewood/Angelo

CageRage · May 9, 2020

BMMA 3: Middleweight Tournament Fight Card

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Omar Calvert vs. Richard Smith

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Osi Lewis vs. Todd Prenger

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Humbert Gest vs. Paxton Brinkal

Middleweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Duncan Thistlewood vs. Nelson Angelo

Middleweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Calvert/Smith vs. Lewis/Prenger

Middleweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Gest/Brinkal vs. Thistlewood/Angelo

Middleweight Tournament Final

Calvert/Smith/Lewis/Prenger vs. Gest/Brinkal/Thistlewood/Angelo

Chris2K · May 11, 2020

BMMA 3: MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

Match #1

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #1

Omar Calvert (6-1) vs. Richard Smith (22-17)

Striker against grappler, you know the drill. Calvert had the early advantage due to his striking skills and immediately landed a straight right, a left jab and a right hook before Smith could even get his bearings. Smith's plan to grapple meant that he had to get in close, but that only meant he found himself on the receiving end of a powerful right head kick from Calvert. That staggered Smith and as he stumbled back towards the cage Calvert followed up with a second head kick that sent Smith to the mat! Calvert unloads some hard punches on the ground but Smith was already done for, after a few landed the referee stepped in to stop the fight! Calvert was the underdog coming in but his stock must have risen significantly now.

Winner: Omar Calvert (7-1) via TKO (Strikes) - 1:56 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #2

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #2

Osi Lewis (5-1) vs. Todd Prenger (2-0)

Prenger is naturally a Welterweight and came into the fight 20lbs lighter than Lewis, however that didn't seem to be much of an issue as being so much lighter gave him a very handy speed advantage which he put to good use in the early rounds. Lewis came out very aggressively but his wild punches couldn't find a home, Prenger on the other hand was able to counter effectively and managed to out-strike Lewis in the first round as a result despite Lewis being more active. Maybe there's something in this karate after all. The second round was similar but with the added drama of Prenger landing a shot which opens up a cut under Lewis' eye, it even brings the doctor in to check it out but he was fine to carry on. Again the round went to Prenger purely by avoiding Lewis' big strikes and landing quick strikes of his own. The final round saw Lewis have to adapt a new strategy and he chose to grapple with Prenger, it nearly worked as he went for a takedown, but Prenger grabbed the cage to prevent that happening which drew the ire of the referee. Lewis kept Prenger against the cage for a while afterwards before eventually getting an ugly takedown to get the fight to the floor. Prenger had no clue what to do from there and although Lewis is no expert on the mat he easily took Prenger's back and applied a rear naked choke, Prenger only had to hold on to the end of the round to probably take the win via decision... but he couldn't, and had to tap out with 12 seconds left. A very dramatic finish, and a surprising method of victory for kick boxer Lewis.

Winner: Osi Lewis (6-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - 4:48 of Round 3

Fight Rating: Decent

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Match #3

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #3

Humbert Gest (6-5) vs. Paxton Briscal (9-6)

Briscal refused to touch gloves at the start of the fight which was enough to get the crowd behind Gest for the remainder of the fight. Manners cost nothing kids. This wasn't the most spectacular of fights, emphasised by the first round where only 14 strikes connected. Instead they spent most of the time clinched up and grappling for position, looking more like a foxtrot than the striking battle we had expected. Gest seemed to have more control than Briscal in the first, and that continued in the second as we got more clinching with Gest mainly in control of the grapple. After the first two rounds it appears to be Gest's round through the process of elimination, but you'd think Briscal would only be one big punch away from turning it around. Strangely though his tactic in the third round was to go for takedowns, something he is not particularly skilled in, and unsurprisingly they didn't work. What did work was a big right hand which sent Gest stumbling to the mat, but Brinkal's lack of stamina and ground skill actually resulted in Gest managing to take control on the ground as well, but he wasn't able to do much either. In the end the judges saw the opening rounds differently as we ended with a split decision, 29-28 to Brinkal, 29-28 to Gest, and 29-28 to... Humbert Gest, who moves into the semifinal. Should've touched gloves Paxton.

Winner: Humbert Gest (7-5) via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Fight Rating: Average

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Match #4

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #4

Duncan Thistlewood (7-3) vs. Nelson Angelo (8-5)

It's a long way from Brazil to the UK, so this fight was to see whether Angelo had made the right decision. The first round was an indication that it wasn't, as Thistlewood took Angelo down on two occasions without much in the way of defence from the Brazilian. Unfortunately for Thistlewood he wasn't able to do much despite his dominant position, and after both takedowns the referee was forced to stand the fighters back up again. The second round saw Thistlewood get another takedown, with them again eventually being stood back up again, and if they weren't grappling on the ground they were clinched on the feet with Thistlewood in control as always. No takedowns in Round 3 but a lot more clinching, when they're not in a grapple it's Angelo doing better in the striking department, and that is seemingly enough to earn him the round in the eyes of two of the judges. It's nowhere near enough though as the scores come in as 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 to Duncan Thistlewood He did what he had to for the win but it was far from pretty.

Winner: Duncan Thistlewood (8-3) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Fight Rating: Average

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Match #5

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #1

Omar Calvert (7-1) vs. Osi Lewis (6-1)

Calvert/Lewis? Sounds incredibly close to a footballer. These two are bizarrely similar in terms of background, style and career-trajectory, and there was only a slight edge to Lewis in the odds before the fight. With two kick boxers you'd be hoping for fireworks, and Calvert provides some with another big head kick which staggers Lewis, but Lewis is able to recover before Calvert can follow up. After fighting once already both fighters were tired, that results in some clinching and it's Lewis who holds the advantage in that regard, but that head kick was enough for Calvert to be given the first round. The second round was quite bizarre as Lewis made the decision to pull guard on Calvert, given that neither man has much of a ground game it seemed more of a tactic for them both to have a rest more than anything. Unsurprisingly they were stood up after a period of inactivity, however the grappling continued as Lewis was able to smother Calvert against the cage for most of the remainder of the round. That continues into the final round, although throughout it both fighters try and fail at takedowns, neither having the wrestling skill to get their opponent of their feet. It was a tough one to judge, but three people are paid to do it, and their verdict is that it's 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 to... Osi Lewis. Apparently that first round head kick wasn't as noteworthy as it looked.

Winner: Osi Lewis (7-1) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Fight Rating: Decent

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Match #6

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

Duncan Thistlewood (8-3) vs. Humbert Gest (7-5)

Thistlewood was a huge betting favourite coming into this fight, in fact finding anyone who thought Gest had a chance was difficult. As you'd expect Thistlewood immediately uses his wrestling skills and secured a takedown early in the first round, Thistlewood transitioned into a rear mount and lands some hard shots, but in doing so it gave Gest the chance to get out and back to his feet. In the second round Thistlewood gets another takedown, only at the second time of asking though after Gest illegally prevents the first one from succeeding by grabbing the cage. Thistlewood was able to land a couple of shots which opened a slight gash on Gest's cheek, but nothing more. The final round was highlighted by, you guessed it, a takedown by Thistlewood, but again he did very little on the ground other than control Gest, perhaps at this point conserving his energy for the inevitable final he was about to enter. The fight went the distance again, and Thistlewood took a decisive unanimous decision victory, 30-27 across the board.

Winner: Duncan Thistlewood (9-3) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #7

BMMA Middleweight Title Tournament - Final

BMMA MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

Osi Lewis (7-1) vs. Duncan Thistlewood (9-3)

Two very tired fighters walked back into the cage, Thistlewood may as well have never left given the quick turnaround. Perhaps unsurprisingly the fighters were clinching almost immediately, and Thistlewood was able to secure a takedown within the first minute. On the ground Thistlewood got through to half guard but no further and they were stood up after a couple of minutes. On the feet both fighters looked utterly exhausted and barely able to stand which made the striking utterly ineffective, and soon they were clinched against the cage for the remainder of the opening round. The opening half of the second round was all on the feet and Lewis was able to put his striking advantage to good use with some good punches and kicks landing, however the second half saw Thistlewood get another takedown and back into Lewis' half guard, which is how it stayed until the round ended.

I can't stress enough how much Round 3 was like Round 2, I wouldn't be surprised if the strikes that were thrown were identical as well. As before it's Lewis who dominated the striking, but halfway through the round Thistlewood scored a takedown despite Lewis' best efforts to stop it. Lewis tried to scramble back to his feet but only succeeded in giving up his back to Thistlewood, however despite having side control Thistelwwod wasn't able to do anything meaningful. Into the championship rounds we went and within seconds the fighters were clinching due to their lack of energy, but once they were separated we were treated to an exciting round of action with both fighters throwing everything they had left into their strikes. That gave the advantage to Lewis who certainly landed the better strikes throughout the round including a hard kick to the ribs and some good straight right punches.

That left us at Round 5 with a likely scorecard of 38-38, so the winner of the final round would take home the title. Thistlewood immediately went of a takedown but had to settle for a clinch, not that it mattered much as he soon was able to get Lewis down to the mat from that position instead. Lewis however showed some impressive technique to reverse Thistlewood's attempt to improve his position to take the top position himself, and then even moved through into side control. The striker was out-grappling the grappler. Lewis landed some punches from side control, Thistlewood took the opportunity to try and escape but could only end up turtled up with Lewis on top of him, Lewis then landed a series of hard punches to Thistlewood, some only connecting with the shoulder but a lot catching him on the side of the head. Thistlewood was able to escape back to his feet but absorbed a few more punches in the process. With a minute left Thistlewood secured another takedown and spent the remainder of the fight landing some small punches from the guard. I wouldn't have liked to have scored that fight, but evidently my belief of how close it was wasn't shared by the judges. Two scored it 49-46 and one even 50-45 all to the winner, and first BMMA Middleweight Champion.... Osi Lewis. I have no idea how they got those scores but I think the right man still won.

Winner: Osi Lewis (8-1) via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46)

Fight Rating: Good

----------------------

SHOW DETAILS

Critical Rating: 69%

Commercial Rating: 30%

Attendance: 102 (-10)

Popularity Change: UK +0.3%

Fight of the Night: Osi Lewis vs. Duncan Thistlewood

Submission of the Night: Osi Lewis

Knock Out of the Night: Omar Calvert

Income

Gate: $7,191

Sponsorship: $5,337

Merchandise: $1,938

Expenditure

Fighters: $30,989

Drug Tests $3,200

Production: $2,496

Overall: -$22,219

--------------------

Post Show News

- Lots of cuts from other companies following their latest shows, major names gone from GAMMA include Jack Humphreys, Lloyd McAllister, Moss Gilbert, Carl Ratcliffe and Eric Hughes.

- Meanwhile the BCF have had a major clearout, former Light Heavyweight champion Garry McSweegan is gone, as are Perry Barr, Tucker Plumm, Vic Millican, Linton Renn, Scott Gillespie, Keith Jolly and Cyril Kamoze.

- In nicer news, Armen Sarkisian and Jaromir Grygera have come good friends. D'aww.

Other Shows

Sunday, Week 3 of February

XCC: Bassett vs. Wickham

Willy Bassett def. Roddy Wickham to retain the XCC Bantamweight title

Lemont Banner def. Sammy Gaffigan

David James Diggle def. Luiz Machado

Aubrey Bassington-Bassington def. Brian Claremont

Shuler Eigenberg def. Ivan Bokhour

WEFF 28: Sadoraa vs. Due II

Daniela Sadorra def. Honey Due to retain the WEFF Flyweight title

Pamela O'Neill def. Michelle Addams

Sandy Oliver def. Jenny DeNeuve

Alyson Aroway def. Rachel McGuiness

Tabitha Cameron def. Anna Thompson

KDM FC 21: Takeuchi vs. Akita II

Tomohiro Takeuchi def. Kenji Akita to retain the KDM FC Featherweight title

Veronika Sablikova def. Saya Ikegami to retain the KDM Women's Featherweight title

Chan Kim Huat def. Taufik Wijaya

Norberto def. Greg Chiang

Masahiro Maeno def. Chan Wan Wah

Saturday Week 4 of February

GAMMA 50: Watson vs. LeToussier

Anthony LeToussier def. Mike Watson to win the GAMMA Light Heavyweight title

Nathan Chambers def. Jack Humphreys

Petey Mack def. Carl Ratcliffe

Josh Aldarisio def. Alan Kendall

Kel Ryan def. Lucius M Banks

BCF: Baines vs. Olsen

Rob Baines def. Henning Olsen to retain the BCF Middleweight title

Percy Catcher def. Stafford Alois

Danny Akabaro def. Garry McSweegan

Dave Lennon def. Perry Barr

Mark Bicknell def. Vic Millican

Chris2K · May 13, 2020

*ring ring*

*ring ring*

Harry: "Yeah, Milne."

<img alt="KVL4vmN.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/KVL4vmN.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Jerome T. McCallum - BCF Owner.

Jerome: "Harry, good to talk to you squire, been a long time."

Harry: "Jerome, what can I do for you? No, I'm not coming out of retirement. Stop asking."

Jerome: "Don't worry, it's not your past I'm interested in mate, it's your present. I hear you're running shows now?"

Harry: "Word travels fast 'round this business don't it. Yes, I am, Bulldog MMA it's called. We're doing alright."

Jerome: "Not from what I hear, word is that you guys lose money just by breathing in and out. Done by the summer were the exact words in fact."

Harry: "Not all about money son you know that, we're establishing a fan base, getting the foundations in place, then we'll be all set."

Jerome: "Fan base? 100 guys and some friends and family? You're havin' a laugh ain't ya? Nobody wants what your selling, tournaments, washed-up has-beens or kids just out of school that nobody knows. Face it Harry, you're in over your head. You've got Jim booking shows and hiring guys, he's not got a clue either."

Harry: "Pleasant as this is Jerome, was there a point your heading towards sometime soon?"

Jerome: "My point? I'm offering you a lifeline mate. You keep running your shows, we'll take on some of the costs, and when we think you've got a good one, we'll bring him up to the big leagues. In wrestling they'd call you a developmental territory. Face it, it's the only chance you have to survive."

Harry: "Thanks for the offer Jerome, but it's a no. We'll be alright. But we're deeply touched by your concern for our well-being. I always knew you were a sweetheart."

Jerome: "Fine, have it your way, but you're a fool. You want to run against us, you'll fail. We've got our TV deal, our PPV, our fighters are actually talented and people know who they are. All just pipe dreams for you sunshine. Let me know when you throw the towel in and we'll talk about that comeback fight we both know you're going to have, and it'll be in the BCF."

Harry: "Wind your neck in. Bulldog MMA is here to stay, and we'll be up against you properly before you know it."

Jerome: "Ha! Get real Harry. 'Night Harry, have a nice chat with the bank tomorrow when they call about your debts."

*click*

Harry: ... "Tosser."

*ring ring*

Jim: "*yawn*... Harry, what is it?"

Harry: "Right Jim, listen up. We've got to sort this mess out. Keep the costs down, put on the best shows you can. And no more bloody tournaments after the Lightweight one is done, alright? It's making a mockery of what we're trying to accomplish here. See you tomorrow."

*click*

Jim: "... But the tournaments were his idea..."

-------------------------------

<div style="text-align:center;">Press Release

<img alt="utuqXXn.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/utuqXXn.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

MORE BULLDOG MMA, FOURTH WEEK IN A ROW, TO CROWN WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION

by Mike Thomson

Bulldog MMA's relentless show running continues, this the fourth of their five-week extravaganza as they crown new champions in all their weight classes. This time up it's the Welterweights in actions vying to be the first man to get the Welterweight title around their waist.

As with the Middleweight tournament this will be a tournament-only show with no other fights on the card. We saw last time just how tired the finalists were during the championship fight, and with six of the seven fights going to three rounds it was still a long night.

In the first quarter final of the evening we will see Julian Banham (4-5) against Paul Duffell (22-15). The fact that Banham is here with a losing record should tell you all you need to know about the level of competition in the tournament. Banham calls himself a ground-and-pound specialist but based on previous fights he struggles with getting fighters to the ground in the first place. He's really, really bad, and his participation here appears to be because an 8th body was needed. Paul Duffell is a very experienced competitor who has fought all around the UK against young and old, his talent mainly lies in kick boxing and he has some powerful kicks at his disposal. He may be a veteran, but he comes into this tournament as the favourite, plus his opponent is really, really bad.

The second quarter final will be between Javid Khan (6-5) and Roy Lynch (9-8). Well, they have winning records at least. Khan is something of an all-rounder, and that is to say he has no specific skill he is good at, more that he is distinctly average at most aspects. His lack of power and technique make it unlikely he will ever trouble the top fighters. Lynch is an Irish boxer who is more about technique than power, he'll jab you over and over until you just wish he'd stop. It's not a technique that stops many fights, but oh well. He doesn’t have many other skills under his belt but is usually entertaining to watch.

The third quarter final sees two fighters who would usually compete at Lightweight collide, have we mentioned this tournament is thin on the ground recently? Geraint O'Connell (3-0) will take on Ron Chuckle (8-2). Irishman O'Connell is a tall fighter, 6'2" for someone who is usually a Lightweight and uses his reach advantage to keep opponents at bay whilst landing shots. He doesn't have a lot of power to work with, but his height does allow him to prevent being taken down by wrestlers. Speaking of wrestlers, Ron Chuckle, believed to be a distant relative of Barry and Paul, cites Greco-Roman wrestling as his preferred style. He has good takedowns and once in a strong position he is very difficult to shake off on the ground.

The fourth and last quarter final will see Brian O'Flaherty (4-0) take on Roger Quince (1-0). O'Flaherty, the third Irishman in the tournament, is seen as having the potential to be a big name in Irish MMA, following in the footsteps on countryman Seth O'Breen as a future member of one of the big organisations. He is a kick boxer by trade with vicious strikes, but also has a decent wrestling game as he continues to develop the remainder of his MMA game. What may be his weakness is grappling, and Roger Quince can exploit that due to his skill in judo? Quince is known for being able to execute trips and throws on even the most skilled opponents and has a good submission game to finish the fight once it gets to the ground. Considering some of the other names in this tournament it's criminal that one of these two won't make the semifinals, but that's the nature of a random draw.

BMMA 4: Welterweight Tournament

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Julian Banham vs. Paul Duffell

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Javid Khan vs. Roy Lynch

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Geraint O'Connell vs. Roy Chuckle

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Brian O'Flaherty vs. Roger Quince

Welterweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Banham/Duffell vs. Khan/Lynch

Welterweight Tournament Semi Final #2

O'Connell/Chuckle vs. O'Flaherty/Quince

Welterweight Tournament Final

Banham/Duffell/Khan/Lynch vs. O'Connell/Chuckle/O'Flaherty/Quince</div>

CageRage · May 14, 2020

BMMA 4: Welterweight Tournament

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Julian Banham vs. Paul Duffell

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Javid Khan vs. Roy Lynch

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Geraint O'Connell vs. Roy Chuckle

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Brian O'Flaherty vs. Roger Quince

Welterweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Banham/Duffell vs. Khan/Lynch

Welterweight Tournament Semi Final #2

O'Connell/Chuckle vs. O'Flaherty/Quince

Welterweight Tournament Final

Banham/Duffell/Khan/Lynch vs. O'Connell/Chuckle/O'Flaherty/Quince

Chris2K · May 15, 2020

BMMA 4: WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

Match #1

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #1

Julian Banham (4-5) vs. Paul Duffell (22-15)

Duffell is a decent favourite for this fight, understandable because Banham is really, really bad. The first round showed Duffell's striking advantage in full effect as the Welshman landed a significant number of good strikes, Banham to his credit wasn't too bothered by them and landed some jabs of his own, but nothing close to the level of Duffell. Things really stepped up in the second round as Duffell continued his onslaught, this time a big right hand caught Banham and sent him staggering towards the cage, Duffell then connected with another big right to the jaw. How Banham survived that I'm not sure, but he even avoided the next follow-up from Duffell and got back to the centre of the cage. Things got worse as a cut opened on Banham's forehead after another combination from Duffell landed, and heading back to his stool at the end of the round Banham cut a defeated figure. This fight wasn't over yet though as Banham showed great spirit and managed to secure a takedown early in the final round, and he completely outclassed Duffell on the ground and got through into the mount without any trouble. Some big shots landed by Banham forcing Duffell to give up his back, Banham tried to lock in a rear naked choke but Duffell was able to defend it. For the rest of the fight Banham tried to get a choke locked in but he couldn't do so. We went to the judges who scored it 30-26, which is ridiculous, 29-28 and 29-27, all to Paul Duffell. Probably the right winner given the first two rounds, but Banham did far better than I was expecting.

Winner: Paul Duffell (23-15) via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27)

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #2

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #2

Javid Khan (6-5) vs. Roy Lynch (9-8)

The first round of the second quarter final was spent entirely on the feet and that gave Lynch the distinct advantage, the Irishman landed a total of 20 strikes during the round whereas Khan only registered 6. These Fight Metrics are great, I wish they'd been around five years ago. Anyway, Lynch continued his striking dominance in Round 2, that was until just over halfway through the round when Khan went in for a takedown and successfully got Lynch down to the ground. That was Khan's domain and went through into the mount quite quickly, he landed some good shots from there and forced Lynch to roll over and give up his back. Khan tried to get a rear naked choke locked in, but the round ended before it could be fully secured. The game plan was clear for Khan now but for some reason the final round is a striking battle for the first four minutes, until finally with a minute left in the fight Khan saw sense and executed a perfect outside leg trip on Lynch to get him to the ground. Khan was able to move into side control and land some strikes but didn't leave himself anywhere near enough time to go for a finish. It was another decision, and the judges were unanimous this time in scoring it 29-28 to... Javid Khan. The takedown in the final round seemingly made the difference, and to be fair Lynch did very little in the final round, perhaps fearing getting too close and getting taken down, which is what happened anyway.

Winner: Javid Khan (7-5) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Fight Rating: Great (that's a bit generous)

--------------------

Match #3

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #3

Geraint O'Connell (3-0) vs. Ron Chuckle (8-2)

O'Connell has a huge height and reach advantage over Chuckle, but that doesn't make a whole lot of difference in the first round as Chuckle's grappling is just too much for him, getting three takedowns at various points in the round. The one positive for O'Connell is that he doesn't allow himself to be dominated on the ground by Chuckle and escapes back to his feet on every occasion. The second round was spent mainly in a clinch with Chuckle in control, he lands some ineffective shots on the inside but doesn't go for a takedown until there's 90 seconds left in the round. Chuckle can keep O'Connell on the ground this time but didn't look for a finish, settling to merely keep control of the fight instead. The final round sees Chuckle score two more takedowns, making it six in total for the fight, and there was simply nothing O'Connell could do to stop them. Despite all of this control Chuckle never looked interested in finishing the fight, despite the fact that if he had been able to do so then he would have conserved energy for the rest of the tournament. I guess he also saved energy by not actually doing anything, it's just the first way is more entertaining. The judges all score the fight 30-27 for Chuckle who advances in the tournament, and hopefully he will be more impressive in the next round.

Winner: Ron Chuckle (9-2) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Fight Rating: Average

--------------------

Match #4

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #4

Brian O'Flaherty (4-0) vs. Roger Quince (1-0)

These two may be the most talented in the tournament and here they are battling to avoid going out in the first round. Quince wants to grapple with O'Flaherty, someone who is known for his striking ability, but O'Flaherty manages to keep his distance in the early going. That is until a jab from O'Flaherty sets up a brutal straight left to the jaw of Quince, the jab looks like it broke Quince's nose but the left hand goes one step further and knocks Quince out cold! O'Flaherty walks away triumphant with a 68 second victory, giving him a stamina advantage over everyone else left in the tournament, and ending a seven-fight run of decision finishes in the BMMA.

Winner: Brian O'Flaherty (5-0) via Knock Out (Punch) - 1:08 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #5

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #1

Paul Duffell (23-15) vs. Javid Khan (7-5)

Both fighters have gone the distance in their first fight and have just witnessed Brian O'Flaherty shatter Roger Quince's face, so their physical and mental states probably aren't great. The first round was all on the feet, with Khan apparently still not leaning that his ground game doesn't work very well if he doesn't take his opponent down. Both fighters seem content in firing off jabs instead of anything meaningful, Duffell landed slightly more so I guess that was enough to give him the edge. it takes another two minutes of the second round before Khan finally attempts his first takedown of the fight, and perhaps unsurprisingly it works and Duffell is taken to the mat. Khan's advantage on the ground was immediately evident and he had no trouble transitioning from the guard into side control and eventually the mount. In an attempt to escape the situation Duffell went for a sweep but ended up giving his back to Khan, and unlike in his quarter final Khan was this time able to secure a rear naked choke. With fifteen seconds left in the round the choke was sunk in and Duffell was forced to tap out, giving Khan the victory and the first spot in the final. It's amazing what can happen when you fight to your strengths.

Winner: Javid Khan (8-5) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - 4:45 of Round 2

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #6

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

Ron Chuckle (9-2) vs. Brian O'Flaherty (5-0)

Chuckle was a big favourite here, but after O'Flaherty's performance in the quarter final it would also be foolish to bet against him. Don't bet on this fight is the lesson here, I guess. Chuckle knows he has to get the fight to the ground whilst somehow avoiding O'Flaherty's brutal strikes, in the end he had to move in and hope for the best, taking a couple of shots to the body but driving down and grappling with O'Flaherty before eventually getting him down to the mat. This put the fight very much in Chuckle's hands, and the Liverpudlian moved through into side control, and then the mount. O'Flaherty does well to avoid taking too much damage initially, however an attempt to escape allows Chuckle the opportunity to land some hard punches to the head, some of which land flush on the Irishman's temple. A few more punches connected, and the referee deemed that enough to stop the fight, much to the protest of O'Flaherty's corner who believed he still had a chance to get out of the position. The crowd don't seem to mind though as they were firmly on Chuckle's side, and Chuckle himself will be thankful for a quick win. O'Flaherty still looks like he has a lot of potential, I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him in the future.

Winner: Ron Chuckle (10-2) via TKO (Strikes) - 3:50 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Great

--------------------

Match #7

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Final

BMMA WELTERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

Javid Khan (8-5) vs. Ron Chuckle (10-2)

Straight into the final we go; these tournaments are brutal on the competitors since the buffer fights were taken away to save money. Unfortunately for everyone in attendance this was one of the worst fights that I can remember seeing live, both fighters were tired and with neither one of them wanting to engage in a striking battle we were left with a stalemate on the feet until one of them, almost always Chuckle, made a move for a takedown. I won't break down each round here because all five of them were the same, Chuckle scored a takedown, couldn't advance his position on the ground because Khan's defensive skills were on point, so Chuckle just lay on top of him for a couple of minutes until the referee stood them up. Over the course of the 25 minutes this happened on 9 occasions, with a total number of strikes on the feet that landed coming in at 7. Chuckle did connect with 75 meaningless strikes on the ground though. It was not fun to watch, nor write about afterwards, but at the end of the nightmare we were left with a definitive champion as scores of 50-45 across the board gave the decision victory and the BMMA Welterweight title to Ron Chuckle. Let's hope we never have to go through something like that again.

Winner: Ron Chuckle (10-2) via TKO (Strikes) - 3:50 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Great

Post-Fight: Chuckle gave a quick speech thanking his friends and family for their support, but after that fight they were also the only fans left to hear him say anything.

----------------------

SHOW DETAILS

Critical Rating: 70%

Commercial Rating: 33%

Attendance: 124 (+22)

Popularity Change: UK +0.4%

Fight of the Night: Paul Duffell vs. Julian Banham

Submission of the Night: Javid Khan

Knock Out of the Night: Brian O'Flaherty

Income

Gate: $8,742

Sponsorship: $5,374

Merchandise: $2,133

Expenditure

Fighters: $25,838

Drug Tests $3,200

Production: $2,602

Overall: -$15,391

--------------------

Post Show News

- Li-Kong Ho made an appearance in the Submission Grappling World Championship but was knocked out in the first round. Well, submitted in the first round. It is widely considered that he has let down both himself and the entire sport of MMA with this embarrassing performance.

- The BMMA have made some signings, veteran Heavyweight Bob Dozier has signed, most likely due to his friendship with Harry Milne, whilst two newcomers to the sport, Karl Whitehead and Duane Kyle, have been signed based on their credentials and nothing else.

- Stafford Alois and Ram Phookan, two BCF fighters who had been linked to joining BMMA, have instead re-signed deals with the leading British MMA company. It is thought that Alois appearing on a BMMA show would have likely bankrupted the promotion given his pay expectations.

- Roger Quince did indeed have his nose broken by Brian O'Flaherty and will miss two months while that heals up. His modelling career has also taken a hit.

Other Shows

Sunday, Week 4 of February

SIGMA: Basora vs. Halle

Alberto Basora def. Jens Halle to retain the SIGMA Welterweight title

Georges Nouri def. Lukas Mellberg

Nicolai Mickiewicz def. Shane Gilchrist

Evgeni Medtner def. Dominykas Jankovic

Fernando Amaro def. Thorbjorn Rekdal

Chris2K · May 15, 2020

Thanks for your continued reading CageRage

BMMA 4: WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

Match #1

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #1

Julian Banham (4-5) vs. Paul Duffell (22-15)

Duffell is a decent favourite for this fight, understandable because Banham is really, really bad. The first round showed Duffell's striking advantage in full effect as the Welshman landed a significant number of good strikes, Banham to his credit wasn't too bothered by them and landed some jabs of his own, but nothing close to the level of Duffell. Things really stepped up in the second round as Duffell continued his onslaught, this time a big right hand caught Banham and sent him staggering towards the cage, Duffell then connected with another big right to the jaw. How Banham survived that I'm not sure, but he even avoided the next follow-up from Duffell and got back to the centre of the cage. Things got worse as a cut opened on Banham's forehead after another combination from Duffell landed, and heading back to his stool at the end of the round Banham cut a defeated figure. This fight wasn't over yet though as Banham showed great spirit and managed to secure a takedown early in the final round, and he completely outclassed Duffell on the ground and got through into the mount without any trouble. Some big shots landed by Banham forcing Duffell to give up his back, Banham tried to lock in a rear naked choke but Duffell was able to defend it. For the rest of the fight Banham tried to get a choke locked in but he couldn't do so. We went to the judges who scored it 30-26, which is ridiculous, 29-28 and 29-27, all to Paul Duffell. Probably the right winner given the first two rounds, but Banham did far better than I was expecting.

Winner: Paul Duffell (23-15) via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27)

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #2

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #2

Javid Khan (6-5) vs. Roy Lynch (9-8)

The first round of the second quarter final was spent entirely on the feet and that gave Lynch the distinct advantage, the Irishman landed a total of 20 strikes during the round whereas Khan only registered 6. These Fight Metrics are great, I wish they'd been around five years ago. Anyway, Lynch continued his striking dominance in Round 2, that was until just over halfway through the round when Khan went in for a takedown and successfully got Lynch down to the ground. That was Khan's domain and went through into the mount quite quickly, he landed some good shots from there and forced Lynch to roll over and give up his back. Khan tried to get a rear naked choke locked in, but the round ended before it could be fully secured. The game plan was clear for Khan now but for some reason the final round is a striking battle for the first four minutes, until finally with a minute left in the fight Khan saw sense and executed a perfect outside leg trip on Lynch to get him to the ground. Khan was able to move into side control and land some strikes but didn't leave himself anywhere near enough time to go for a finish. It was another decision, and the judges were unanimous this time in scoring it 29-28 to... Javid Khan. The takedown in the final round seemingly made the difference, and to be fair Lynch did very little in the final round, perhaps fearing getting too close and getting taken down, which is what happened anyway.

Winner: Javid Khan (7-5) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Fight Rating: Great (that's a bit generous)

--------------------

Match #3

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #3

Geraint O'Connell (3-0) vs. Ron Chuckle (8-2)

O'Connell has a huge height and reach advantage over Chuckle, but that doesn't make a whole lot of difference in the first round as Chuckle's grappling is just too much for him, getting three takedowns at various points in the round. The one positive for O'Connell is that he doesn't allow himself to be dominated on the ground by Chuckle and escapes back to his feet on every occasion. The second round was spent mainly in a clinch with Chuckle in control, he lands some ineffective shots on the inside but doesn't go for a takedown until there's 90 seconds left in the round. Chuckle can keep O'Connell on the ground this time but didn't look for a finish, settling to merely keep control of the fight instead. The final round sees Chuckle score two more takedowns, making it six in total for the fight, and there was simply nothing O'Connell could do to stop them. Despite all of this control Chuckle never looked interested in finishing the fight, despite the fact that if he had been able to do so then he would have conserved energy for the rest of the tournament. I guess he also saved energy by not actually doing anything, it's just the first way is more entertaining. The judges all score the fight 30-27 for Chuckle who advances in the tournament, and hopefully he will be more impressive in the next round.

Winner: Ron Chuckle (9-2) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Fight Rating: Average

--------------------

Match #4

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #4

Brian O'Flaherty (4-0) vs. Roger Quince (1-0)

These two may be the most talented in the tournament and here they are battling to avoid going out in the first round. Quince wants to grapple with O'Flaherty, someone who is known for his striking ability, but O'Flaherty manages to keep his distance in the early going. That is until a jab from O'Flaherty sets up a brutal straight left to the jaw of Quince, the jab looks like it broke Quince's nose but the left hand goes one step further and knocks Quince out cold! O'Flaherty walks away triumphant with a 68 second victory, giving him a stamina advantage over everyone else left in the tournament, and ending a seven-fight run of decision finishes in the BMMA.

Winner: Brian O'Flaherty (5-0) via Knock Out (Punch) - 1:08 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #5

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #1

Paul Duffell (23-15) vs. Javid Khan (7-5)

Both fighters have gone the distance in their first fight and have just witnessed Brian O'Flaherty shatter Roger Quince's face, so their physical and mental states probably aren't great. The first round was all on the feet, with Khan apparently still not leaning that his ground game doesn't work very well if he doesn't take his opponent down. Both fighters seem content in firing off jabs instead of anything meaningful, Duffell landed slightly more so I guess that was enough to give him the edge. it takes another two minutes of the second round before Khan finally attempts his first takedown of the fight, and perhaps unsurprisingly it works and Duffell is taken to the mat. Khan's advantage on the ground was immediately evident and he had no trouble transitioning from the guard into side control and eventually the mount. In an attempt to escape the situation Duffell went for a sweep but ended up giving his back to Khan, and unlike in his quarter final Khan was this time able to secure a rear naked choke. With fifteen seconds left in the round the choke was sunk in and Duffell was forced to tap out, giving Khan the victory and the first spot in the final. It's amazing what can happen when you fight to your strengths.

Winner: Javid Khan (8-5) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - 4:45 of Round 2

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #6

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

Ron Chuckle (9-2) vs. Brian O'Flaherty (5-0)

Chuckle was a big favourite here, but after O'Flaherty's performance in the quarter final it would also be foolish to bet against him. Don't bet on this fight is the lesson here, I guess. Chuckle knows he has to get the fight to the ground whilst somehow avoiding O'Flaherty's brutal strikes, in the end he had to move in and hope for the best, taking a couple of shots to the body but driving down and grappling with O'Flaherty before eventually getting him down to the mat. This put the fight very much in Chuckle's hands, and the Liverpudlian moved through into side control, and then the mount. O'Flaherty does well to avoid taking too much damage initially, however an attempt to escape allows Chuckle the opportunity to land some hard punches to the head, some of which land flush on the Irishman's temple. A few more punches connected, and the referee deemed that enough to stop the fight, much to the protest of O'Flaherty's corner who believed he still had a chance to get out of the position. The crowd don't seem to mind though as they were firmly on Chuckle's side, and Chuckle himself will be thankful for a quick win. O'Flaherty still looks like he has a lot of potential, I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him in the future.

Winner: Ron Chuckle (10-2) via TKO (Strikes) - 3:50 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Great

--------------------

Match #7

BMMA Welterweight Title Tournament - Final

BMMA WELTERWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

Javid Khan (8-5) vs. Ron Chuckle (10-2)

Straight into the final we go; these tournaments are brutal on the competitors since the buffer fights were taken away to save money. Unfortunately for everyone in attendance this was one of the worst fights that I can remember seeing live, both fighters were tired and with neither one of them wanting to engage in a striking battle we were left with a stalemate on the feet until one of them, almost always Chuckle, made a move for a takedown. I won't break down each round here because all five of them were the same, Chuckle scored a takedown, couldn't advance his position on the ground because Khan's defensive skills were on point, so Chuckle just lay on top of him for a couple of minutes until the referee stood them up. Over the course of the 25 minutes this happened on 9 occasions, with a total number of strikes on the feet that landed coming in at 7. Chuckle did connect with 75 meaningless strikes on the ground though. It was not fun to watch, nor write about afterwards, but at the end of the nightmare we were left with a definitive champion as scores of 50-45 across the board gave the decision victory and the BMMA Welterweight title to Ron Chuckle. Let's hope we never have to go through something like that again.

Winner: Ron Chuckle (10-2) via TKO (Strikes) - 3:50 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Great

Post-Fight: Chuckle gave a quick speech thanking his friends and family for their support, but after that fight they were also the only fans left to hear him say anything.

----------------------

SHOW DETAILS

Critical Rating: 70%

Commercial Rating: 33%

Attendance: 124 (+22)

Popularity Change: UK +0.4%

Fight of the Night: Paul Duffell vs. Julian Banham

Submission of the Night: Javid Khan

Knock Out of the Night: Brian O'Flaherty

Income

Gate: $8,742

Sponsorship: $5,374

Merchandise: $2,133

Expenditure

Fighters: $25,838

Drug Tests $3,200

Production: $2,602

Overall: -$15,391

--------------------

Post Show News

- Li-Kong Ho made an appearance in the Submission Grappling World Championship but was knocked out in the first round. Well, submitted in the first round. It is widely considered that he has let down both himself and the entire sport of MMA with this embarrassing performance.

- The BMMA have made some signings, veteran Heavyweight Bob Dozier has signed, most likely due to his friendship with Harry Milne, whilst two newcomers to the sport, Karl Whitehead and Duane Kyle, have been signed based on their credentials and nothing else.

- Stafford Alois and Ram Phookan, two BCF fighters who had been linked to joining BMMA, have instead re-signed deals with the leading British MMA company. It is thought that Alois appearing on a BMMA show would have likely bankrupted the promotion given his pay expectations.

- Roger Quince did indeed have his nose broken by Brian O'Flaherty and will miss two months while that heals up. His modelling career has also taken a hit.

Other Shows

Sunday, Week 4 of February

SIGMA: Basora vs. Halle

Alberto Basora def. Jens Halle to retain the SIGMA Welterweight title

Georges Nouri def. Lukas Mellberg

Nicolai Mickiewicz def. Shane Gilchrist

Evgeni Medtner def. Dominykas Jankovic

Fernando Amaro def. Thorbjorn Rekdal

Chris2K · May 17, 2020

Harry: "That main event was atrocious. What were they thinking?"

Jim: "Well they were both tired I suppose, and Chuckle did what he needed to win. There were some positives though, we only made a loss of $15,000, we had a higher attendance so the fans we do have are coming back, and this was the tournament I was most worried about given the lack of names we have in the Welterweight division."

Harry: "That's all well and good, but we're still making losses. How long is it going to be before we turn a profit?"

Jim: "It might be a while still, we need more people in the building but it's not easy to do that without breaking the bank."

Harry: "We both know how much fighters cost, this promotion wouldn't be running at all without the money the BCF paid me over the years. I spoke to Stafford [Alois] the other day and his going rate is $7,500 a fight, that's three matches worth of fighters for us. It's a shame, I would've liked him in, if nothing more than to stick it to that McCallum."

Jim: "Maybe one day we can poach a big name from the BCF, but we're a long way away from that right now. We've brought in some guys with no MMA experience at all but everyone's got to start somewhere, and they come in with a bit of name value from their successes in other disciplines. It'll be interesting to see what they can do."

Harry: "No experience or 40 fights of experience, it doesn't really matter at the moment. We need to get some stars. Aston Merryman looks like he could be something, Ron Chuckle too, the only way we're going to draw in more fans is with fighters that people are willing to pay to see."

Jim: "I agree. Let's get through the Lightweight tournament and re-evaluate how we're going to run the shows. I've got an idea in mind, but it's going to cost you..."

Harry: "Cost me? Aren't I paying you already?"

Jim: "Yes, but I've got a proposition for you. The company needs money if we're going to survive, and I'm willing to put something in, but it would be for part-ownership of Bulldog MMA."

Harry: "Part-ownership? How much are we talking?"

Jim: "I'll put in the $150,000 I've got saved up from my fighting days, you've got $250,000 already invested, so it would be a 60/40 split. You'd still be the majority owner, I'd still operate as CEO, but we'd have more capital to work with and a much better chance of surviving."

Harry: ".... That's a big decision. Give me some time to think it over. In the mean time, you concentrate on getting the show together, and we'll talk again afterwards."

-------------------------------

Press Release

FINAL BULLDOG MMA TOURNAMENT TO CROWN THE FIRST LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION

by Mike Thomson

Bulldog MMA's fifth show in as many weeks culminates their run of tournaments to crown new champions, and we've been told by Bulldog MMA owner that this will be the last tournament Bulldog MMA run having been unpopular with fans, fighters and the BMMA management themselves. The first Lightweight champion will be decided at this show after the standard 8 man tournament plays out.

In the first quarter final of the evening we will see Ryan Fenniman (5-0) take on Graeme Spark (9-1), two fighters who would usually be fighting at Featherweight if such a division existed in the UK MMA scene. Fenniman is only 20 years old but has been kick boxing competitively since the age of 13 so has a lot of fighting experience under his belt. Despite his background he is also part of the new generation of fighters training in all disciplines so is not as one-dimensional as other kick boxers. Graeme Spark is a short fighter at only 5'5" but still packs some decent power, however his main preference is to grapple with opponents using his wrestling background. He also has a decent submission game should he be able to get the fight to the ground.

Two more Featherweights will collide in the second quarter final as Stephen Conti (1-0) takes on Swithens Corcoran (4-0). Conti is a last-minute replacement in the tournament as he took the spot of Guilherme de Barros, the Brazilian fighter suffered a torn rotator cuff in training and is likely to be out for over a year. Conti is considered a potential big name in the sport, maybe a bit of a leap given that he's only had one professional fight, but those who have trained with him cite his strong work ethic and having trained in all areas of MMA before his 19th birthday. Corcoran is a very tough fighter from Northern Ireland who comes from a boxing background, he is know to have significant power behind his punches and has developed a defensive grappling game to prevent opponents taking him down, thus keeping the fight where he wants it for far longer.

The third quarter final will be another usual Featherweight competitor Jefferson Mndawe (7-0) against an actual, honest-to-goodness, Lightweight fighter in William Powell (12-9). See, they do exist. Mndawe is a Nigerian fighter who moved to the UK early on in his MMA career due to lack of opportunities for fights and high-level training in his home country, or in fact the whole continent of Africa. He is a very skilled kick boxer with a devastating head kick which has finished off several of his victims, the rest of his game however may need a bit of work. William Powell has been making his way around the British MMA scene for a while with varied levels of success, if he can execute his game plan which is very much based on grappling and submissions then he does well, if he is forced to stand and strike for any significant stretch of time though he usually ends up on the losing end. He has fought in the BCF before, most notably being a victim of former champion Jake Keane, but this is his first fight in a named promotion in over five years.

The fourth and final quarter final, hopefully forever, will see tournament favourite Tim Oldacres (9-0) take on Nigel Collett (6-2). Oldacres is probably the biggest name in the whole company due to his recent performances in the BCF where he has emerged as a title challenger, however his open contract allows him to fight in the BMMA as well. Currently ranked as the 25th best Lightweight in the world, Oldacres combines devastating striking with a good all-around defensive game meaning opponents may have no choice but to deal with his punches. Nigel Collett might not mind that too much as he is a boxer by trade, he has quick and powerful hands that make him very tough to deal with if the fight remains standing, but he doesn't have a whole lot else going for him in terms of skill. His two losses are against people who no longer even compete in MMA, which may say something about Collett's ability.

BMMA 5: Lightweight Tournament Fight Card

Lightweight Tournament Quarter Final #1

Ryan Fenniman vs. Graeme Spark

Lightweight Tournament Quarter Final #2

Stephen Conti vs. Swithens Corcoran

Lightweight Tournament Quarter Final #3

Jefferson Mndawe vs. William Powell

Lightweight Tournament Quarter Final #4

Tim Oldacres vs. Nigel Collett

Lightweight Tournament Semi Final #1

Fenniman/Spark vs. Conti/Corcoran

Lightweight Tournament Semi Final #2

Mndawe/Powell vs. Oldacres/Collett

Lightweight Tournament Final

Fenniman/Spark/Conti/Corcoran vs. Mndawe/Powell/Oldacres/Collett

Chris2K · May 19, 2020

BMMA 5: LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

Match #1

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #1

Ryan Fenniman (5-0) vs. Graeme Spark (9-1)

The game plan for Fenniman here had to be to keep the fight standing, and it would be a real test of his defensive skills to prevent Spark from getting a takedown. Unfortunately for Fenniman things really didn't go to plan, after landing some good punches he went for a body kick, however Spark caught the kick and used it to take him down. Fenniman did well to scramble back to his feet, however Spark kept hold of him in a grapple and backed him against the cage, and after a few foot stomps a second takedown was attempted and secured by Spark. This time Spark was able to put his ground skills to much better use and managed to transition through from guard to side control and into the mount very nicely, from there he began landing hard elbow shots and punches to the head of Fenniman, and the youngster can't do anything to get out of his predicament. A few more shots land before the referee steps in to stop the fight, giving Spark the victory. Spark moves through to the semi-finals, Fenniman heads home to hopefully learn a lesson from this defeat.

Winner: Graeme Spark (9-1) via TKO (Strikes) - 4:32 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

--------------------

Match #2

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #2

Stephen Conti (1-0) vs. Swithens Corcoran (4-0)

Massive props to Conti for taking not just a fight but an entire tournament on short notice, but it may not be the best of career moves. Corcoran has been training for a different opponent too, but he should at least have his stamina in order. The first round is an all-standing affair with both fighters looking either nervous or unwilling to commit to making a move, as a result we get a round full of jabs, feints and both fighters looking for opening that never arrive. It was close but the metrics show that Corcoran landed 15 punches to Conti's 10, so that's the slight advantage he needed to win the round. Conti showed a much smarter strategy in the second round by going for a takedown and getting it, being a boxer Corcoran was not very comfortable on the ground but did a good job of defending against Conti's attempts to move into a better position. Four and a half minutes of the round were spent on the mat as Conti remained active but couldn't get a dominant position, he did manage to land some powerful shots though. Into the final round, which was again all on the feet, Conti not even attempting a takedown for some reason, however Corcoran began to get reckless with his punches with wild swings leaving him open for Conti to counter with smart jabs. I don't think anyone was expecting Conti to out-box a boxer, but here we are. Corcoran can't work out how this is going wrong, and the fight ends with Conti out striking him 11-4 in the final round. The judges all score the fight 29-28 to Stephen Conti, and he moves into the semi-final despite only 6 days of preparation.

Winner: Stephen Conti (2-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Fight Rating: Decent

--------------------

Match #3

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #3

Jefferson Mndawe (7-0) vs. William Powell (12-9)

Striker, meet grappler. Grappler, meet striker. Mndawe was the favourite given his fierce punching power and Powell's glass jaw, but the Yorkshire Ripper (not the most PC of nicknames) had a specific plan in mind. Mndawe closes in to strike but Powell immediately got him in a clinch and pulls guard to drag Mndawe down to the mat. From there Powell immediately locked in a straight armbar, Mndawe seemed to have no idea how to defend against it and must tap out before his arm got hyper-extended! The local crowd are happy even if it is a Yorkshireman fighting in Lancashire, it's certainly an upset and probably the biggest win of Powell's long career.

Winner: William Powell (13-9) via Submission (Armbar) - 1:08 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

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Match #4

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Quarter Final #4

Tim Oldacres (9-0) vs. Nigel Collett (6-2)

Oldacres was a huge favourite here but the first round is far from conclusive, both men land some good shots, Collett mainly using his boxing and Oldacres using both punches and kicks. I think most people were expecting Oldacres to polish off Collett pretty quickly, instead he probably ends up barely winning the round due to landing 14 shots to Collett's 12. Anyone expecting Oldacres to start dominating from this point on gets a surprise when the second round is very similar to the first, if anything it's more conservative from both fighters with neither one taking the initiative to control the action. The only moment of interest is towards the end of the round when Collett hits a jab and a hard left hand to the jaw of Oldacres, it doesn't stagger Oldacres but purely from a scoring standpoint it might be a difference maker.

Into the final round we went, and things were going along just as evenly as the previous two rounds, when suddenly another big left hand from Collett connects and DOWN WENT OLDACRES! DOWN WENT OLDACRES! DOWN WENT OLDACRES! Collett joined Oldacres on the mat and looked to finish the fight, some hard shots landed but Oldacres was eventually able to regain his senses and pulled Collett in tight to limit his movement. Collett has no ground game to speak of which was evident when Oldacres managed to sweep him and take side control, Oldacres is no ground expert either but he was still able to roll Collett over and take his back. With a minute left Oldacres started trying to apply a rear naked choke but Collett can defend it, and the round ends before Oldacres can get a submission locked in. Well that was unexpected. The judges give their scores and they all score it 29-28, to.... NIGEL COLLETT. It's a massive upset, the tournament favourite goes crashing out in the first round, and a guy who might be considered the 9th seed in an 8-man field is through to the semi-final. Madness.

Winner: Nigel Collett (7-2) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Fight Rating: Great

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Match #5

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #1

Graeme Spark (10-1) vs. Stephen Conti (2-0)

Everyone in attendance is still a bit stunned by what we've just seen, but one person who this unexpected turn of events favours is Graeme Spark who is the new tournament favourite. He must deal with Stephen Conti first though, and in the opening round Spark shows his hand by going for a takedown early on, Conti defended it though and Spark had to settle for trapping Conti against the cage. The next two and a half minutes was spent against the cage with Spark landing short punches, that's not a joke about his height by the way, until the referee separated them. Fighting at a distance favours Conti and he landed some good strikes in the remainder of the round, including the best shot of the round with a hard body kick. That was so close that I'm not even going to try and call it, even if it is my job. The second round saw Spark go for a takedown again, and again Conti blocked it, and again Spark got him against the cage. This time Spark was able to execute a trip and got Conti down to the ground, but Conti doesn't allow him to move out of the guard. The remainder of the round is spent on the mat with Spark trying to improve his position, and when that doesn't work, he throws elbows that don't do a lot of damage.

That round definitely went to Spark, but it's still very much up in the air as we enter the final round, and that starts off with a couple of minutes of striking which Conti was able to dominate, landing two hard punches and a significantly higher number of strikes in general. Spark went for another takedown and we had the same result as before, Conti blocked it, Spark held on to the grapple, and we spent two minutes in a clinch against the cage with Spark in control. With thirty seconds left the referee separated them, and in the remaining time Conti was able to land another couple of shots. To the judges we go, and this one must be interesting as well. The first judge scores it 30-27 to Spark, obviously he's a fan of clinching, and the other two judges score it 29-28... to CONTI. It's another huge upset, by far the biggest win of Stephen Conti's fledgling career, and another tournament favourite falls before reaching the final. WHAT IS GOING ON TONIGHT.

Winner: Stephen Conti (3-0) via Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

Fight Rating: Average

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Match #6

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Semi Final #2

William Powell (13-9) vs. Nigel Collett (7-2)

Right now, if aliens landed in Wigan tonight it would place third in the "most surprising event of the evening" competition. Collett may be on an emotional high after his incredible upset win, whilst Powell only fought 68 seconds compared to Collett's full three rounds so he is by far the more rested. Powell's very first move of the fight is to go for a takedown, and it was successful with Collett having to pull guard. Powell landed some punches from the guard before eventually trying to improve his position and given Collett's lack of grappling skill he was able to move to side control. Collett tried to stop Powell from getting into the mount but gave up his back instead, and that allowed Powell to get the hooks in to secure the position. Powell's first attempt to lock in a choke is defended by Collett, but a few moments later a second attempt sees Powell get his arm under the chin of Collett, and he flattened him out to force Collett to tap out! The story ends here for Collett as Powell moves on into the final and a shot at the BMMA Lightweight title, is he the favourite given his two first round finishes? Even if he is, we all know favourites don't matter anymore.

Winner: William Powell (14-9) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - 4:12 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Great

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Match #7

BMMA Lightweight Title Tournament - Final

BMMA LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE MATCH

Stephen Conti (3-0) vs. William Powell (14-9)

It's been a crazy night, but now we have a title on the line, and I'm not going to even try and predict the outcome. The first round has a decisive winner as Powell isn't able to get his grappling into play allowing Conti to dominate the striking game, a cut opens up on Powell's cheek within the first minute, and with two minutes left in the round Conti knocks Powell down with a left cross! Conti couldn’t finish on the ground though, perhaps a little wary of getting caught by Powell's submissions. A mere 18 seconds into the second round Conti nailed another big left hand which staggered Powell, and Conti followed that with a big left hook which sent Powell crashing down again! This time Powell has nothing left to offer and Conti was able to rain down punches until the referee pulls him away to stop the fight! Stephen Conti, a man who last Saturday wasn't even scheduled to compete in this tournament, has now run the gauntlet and is the first BMMA Lightweight champion. Of his four career victories, three have come tonight, and he has some gold to show for it. What a crazy night this has been. Maybe tournaments are a good thing after all?

No, no they're not.

Winner, and NEW BMMA Lightweight Champion: Stephen Conti (4-0) via TKO (Strikes) - 0:48 of Round 2

Fight Rating: Great

Post-fight: A tired Stephen Conti doesn't have a lot to say afterwards, but he seems happy with his success, as he should be.

----------------------

SHOW DETAILS

Critical Rating: 77%

Commercial Rating: 32%

Attendance: 131 (+7)

Popularity Change: UK +0.4%

Fight of the Night: Tim Oldacres vs. Nigel Collett

Submission of the Night: William Powell (vs. Jefferson Mndawe)

Knock Out of the Night: Stephen Conti

Income

Gate: $9,235

Sponsorship: $5,525

Merchandise: $1,931

Expenditure

Fighters: $27,833

Drug Tests $3,200

Production: $2,540

Overall: -$16,882

--------------------

Post Show News

- Jack Humphreys has tested positive for PEDs, completing a month where he lost a fight, got cut by his employer GAMMA, and now is suspended for a year. Humphreys has admitted he is at fault, so if you want performance enhancing drugs don't ask him as they obviously weren't good enough for him to win the fight.

- OJ Oburst, who fought on the same show as Humphreys, has also tested positive but for recreational drugs. He also accepted he was to blame, and he also lost the fight he tested positive in. Don't do drugs kids.

- It should be noted that all the BMMA shows that have been run so far, not including the Lightweight tournament for which the results have not come back yet, have not had any drug tests failures.

- The BCF have made some signings, mainly from SIGMA who probably won't be pleased that their biggest names are being raided. Georges Nouri, Aleksander Ivanov, Roope Kuqi, Walter May, Fernando Amaro, Basil McCrystle, Patrik Pedersen are all now exclusive to the British promotion.

- GAMMA have also been signing some young talent, Evan Gardner, Gideon Navarro and Jimbo Jakes have all joined the American juggernaut.

- The British economy is scheduled to continue its slump for a while to come, which isn't ideal news for the BCF in their attempt to catch up with GAMMA and ALPHA-1, or BMMA who are merely trying to survive. By comparison, the USA and Canada are expected to have a boom period, so GAMMA's stranglehold is likely to continue.

--------------------

Other Show Results

No other shows since the previous BMMA show.

- I should note I've increased every other company's show activity to Saturation to make things more realistic.

Also this may have been one of the most fun shows I've ever run due to all the upsets and the legit story of Conti being drafted in as a replacement the Sunday before, he had previously been scheduled to fight on the next show.

Dolphin81 · May 20, 2020

Are you going to continue this? It's entertaining.

Chris2K · May 21, 2020

I am indeed, I just aim to post once every two days so as not to put pressure on myself to get things done <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />.

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="7uPcFWq.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/7uPcFWq.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

Harry: "Jim, I've thought about your offer."

Jim: "Good, well what do you think?"

Harry: "First of all you need to understand that this company is my livelihood, everything I've saved since my fighting days is invested in it. If it goes bust, I'm probably going to have to come out retirement, and I don't want to put my family through that. I'm saying this partly because I need you to understand how important it is that we succeed, but also that if you invest, you're going to be in the same position."

Jim: "I understand. It's a risk, especially given that we're losing money every show, but I think we have a chance here to make something of this company. It's going to take some work, and some money, but I want to give it a shot. We've put so much effort in already, I don't see the point in letting it slip away."

Harry: "OK. In that case, I'm happy to accept your offer. $150,000 of investment, for a 40% stake in the company. Welcome aboard, I guess."

Jim: "Thanks Harry. Now let's talk about that idea I had..."

Harry: "Yes, it had better be worth it for the $150,000..."

Jim: "I was chatting to my son, Jordan the other day, well at least as much chatting as you can do with a 14 year old, and he was doing this thing called streaming, watching videos on the internet. Apparently, it's all the rage in 2002."

Harry: "Internet? Isn't that just for looking up stuff that you don't want your wife to see?"

Jim: "Mainly, yeah, but Jordan told me about this thing called SportTube. It's a website where you can watch all kinds of sport highlights, I don't know how aware of it the sports organisations are that they're stuff is on there, but I've spotted a potential gap in the market."

Harry: "On the internet? Is anyone even going to watch shows on the internet?"

Jim: "It's a growing market and if we get in at the ground floor it could pay dividends. I've checked with SportTube and they can put our shows on there live, and it will be broadcast around the world to anyone who wants to watch it."

Harry: "I can see the positives, but how much is it going to cost? They're not doing this for free."

Jim: "It will cost us to put the show on, plus extra money for an announcer. There's a guy called Geoff Thomas-Gray who is a big MMA fan and has lots of experience in broadcasting. And if we need someone with him, I can do it. How hard can it be?"

Harry: "OK, I'll sign this off for the next show as a trial run. If it loses too much money, then we scrap the idea. If it loses money but we get good exposure, then we'll try again. And if it makes money then I'll build a bloody statue of you outside my house."

Jim: "You know I'll hold you to that, right?"

-------------------------------

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="utuqXXn.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/utuqXXn.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Press Release

BULLDOG MMA TO HOLD THEIR FIRST TRADITIONAL SHOW, HEADLINED BY HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH

by Mike Thomson

Bulldog MMA finally move away from the tournament format to the more traditional style of only having their fighters have one match per show. It'll never catch on. We'll have 6 fights on this card, less than the 7 we've been seeing on the tournament shows, however the hope is that with the fighters not having to worry about conserving energy (or running out of it) they will be able to put on better fights. The show is headlined by well-known British Heavyweight Fritz Phipps taking on Brazilian Vitor de Melo.

In the evening's first fight we head to the Lightweight division for a fight between Shawn McCarthy (2-0) and Duane Kyle (making his MMA debut). McCarthy is one of the best submission specialists in Northern Ireland, a wonderful example of a caveat undercutting a compliment, and his strategy will always be to get the fight to the ground no matter what. If he can get it there, he is equally as dangerous on his back as he is from the top, although those skills have never been tested against top opposition. Duane Kyle comes into the fight with no MMA fights, but has done plenty of experience in amateur wrestling and was considered one of the best in the UK (there's that caveat again). He has been training in striking a lot as well, however he is naturally a Featherweight fighter so will likely be giving up some size here.

From two newcomers to MMA to two veterans, in the Welterweight division Teco (15-6) will take on Thomas O'Cann (5-5). Teco is one of the many of fighters to have abandoned South America since the downfall of FLB, with many coming to the UK purely because Bulldog MMA started up. Teco is a fighter who loves to use a spectacular head kick to try and finish a fight, even if a simpler option would be more suitable. As well as the spectacular he tries to overwhelm his opponents with a high volume of kicks, and if you think this makes him sound one-dimensional, then you're right; he has very little in grappling skills. It would be harsh to say that O'Cann's name sounds like the type of fighter he is, but it would also be true. O'Cann is a former amateur boxer who can throw a decent punch, but considering he stopped boxing because of his glass jaw he can't really trade strikes much. Previously O'Cann fought at Lightweight but has since moved up to Welterweight after putting on some weight, and not in the "bulking up muscle mass" sense. In the "pizza is tasty" sense.

The third fight of the evening will be a Middleweight division fight between Edu Gattai (8-0) and Thom Billings (9-0). Gattai is another immigrant from Brazil looking for more regular fights in the UK, he is one of the larger Middleweights around and could probably fight at Light Heavyweight without too much of a problem. He puts his bulk to good use with powerful punches and the ability to smother opponents with his grappling, however the disadvantage he has is that he is often outpaced by his opponents. Thom Billings had a quick rise to prominence in recent years due to his willingness to fight, his entertaining brawling style, and perhaps most importantly the fact he keeps winning. After going undefeated in his early career, he was given offers by both the BCF and SIGMA and surprisingly chose SIGMA, but now also represents Bulldog MMA. He is considered the rising of Irish MMA; however, this is likely to be the toughest test he has faced so far.

The fourth fight on the card will be a veteran taking on an absolute newcomer as Eoghan Behan (7-4) takes on Clarence Gibson (MMA debut) in the Light Heavyweight division. Behan is another Northern Irish fighter on the show who comes from the mold of early day MMA fighters, more like a street fighter than a well-trained and refined martial artist. His game plan will be to brawl and hope he can connect with a big shot; he can certainly take some punishment as well. Don't ask him to grapple though as you may have to explain the concept to him. Clarence Gibson is making his professional debut today and comes to MMA with two things, a strong jiu-jitsu game and a terrible nickname in "Topper". Makes him sound like an Animal Crossing character. His preference will always be to fight on the ground, but his striking game isn't too bad either, him being one of the new generation of fighters wanting to make sure they are covered in all areas of the sport. Gibson is also from Manchester so will have a lot of hometown support on his side.

The fifth fight and co-main event of the show will be a Lightweight division clash between two fighters ranked in the top 10 of Bulldog MMA's Lightweights, #7 ranked Jonjo Whiteley (5-0) takes on #10 ranked Jazz Snide (3-0). Whitely is from the best county in the UK, Wiltshire, and is a kick boxer first and foremost and hasn't really done a whole lot to develop a game outside of that yet, mainly because in his first five fights he hasn't had the need to. His main tactic is to counterstrike with fast, powerful punches and kicks and as yet he hasn't fought anyone who has been able to survive that yet. Jazz Snide is a character, and that term is used in the "nobody likes him" sense. He is brash, cocky, disrespectful, he never shuts up when given the opportunity to speak, not that he waits for an opportunity, and is willing to mock his opponents before, during and after fights. Whilst you wouldn't want to go for a pint with him, he is certainly making a name for himself which is half the battle in MMA, and he has some decent kick boxing skills, although perhaps not to the level to back up his mouth.

Finally, we go to the Main Event of the show, a Heavyweight division clash between Fritz Phipps (9-1) and Vitor de Melo (7-1). Phipps is considered one of the new breed of British Heavyweights in the vein of Harry Milne and Stafford Alois, his strategy is almost always to use his powerful striking, either on his feet or by grounding his opponent and pounding them to oblivion. Considered a future BCF champion, the arrival of Bulldog MMA may have changed his career trajectory as his loyalty may be to his long-time mentor Milne rather than the bigger company. Vitor de Melo is yet another Brazilian now plying his trade in the UK, but he also may be the best of the lot. Despite suffering a surprise loss in the dying days of FLB he is still a dangerous competitor due to his incredibly powerful punches, with that natural strength also transferring to his grappling ability. Based on his abilities and techniques he may in fact be the Brazilian version of Fritz Phipps.

BMMA 6: Phipps vs. de Melo Fight Card

Lightweight Division

Shawn McCarthy vs. Duane Kyle

Welterweight Division

Teco vs. Thomas O'Cann

Middleweight Division

Edu Gattai vs. Thom Billings

Light Heavyweight Division

Eoghan Behan vs. Clarence Gibson

Lightweight Division

Jonjo Whiteley vs. Jazz Snide

Heavyweight Division

Fritz Phipps vs. Vitor de Melo

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Yes, I did give myself a $150,000 boost to stave off what appeared to be a likely bankruptcy if the shows kept losing money. Out of guilt I've given the same bonus to to KDM FC, SIGMA, XCC and WEFF. Screw the BCF, GAMMA and ALPHA-1, they can make do.

Chris2K · May 22, 2020

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="48581" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>SPECIAL BULLETIN: BCF RAIDS BMMA, SIGNS UP THREE CHAMPIONS AND ALSO SHAWN MCCARTHY FOR SOME REASON by Mike Thomson In a developing story, Blurcat have discovered that the biggest MMA company in Britain, British Cage Fighting, have made the first main steps into squashing their new competition Bulldog MMA by signing three of their newly crowned champions to exclusive deals. Heavyweight champion Aston Merryman, Light Heavyweight champion Dennis Gallagher, and Welterweight champion Ron Chuckle have all signed contracts with BCF, Gallagher will join straight away and has immediately vacated the Light Heavyweight title, whilst Merryman and Chuckle will move once they have completed their scheduled fights in the coming months. BCF have also signed Shawn McCarthy for reasons that are as yet unclear. As of this moment only Stephen Conti and Osi Lewis remain as unapproached champions in the BMMA. Merryman defends the title against Norman MacAskill in June, whilst Chuckle defends against Evan Pizzarro in July, so whilst both could lose, it's also possible both could win, and the titles would be vacated. BCF owner Jerome T. McCallum was in an overjoyed mood when giving his thoughts on the situation. "We're over the moon to bring these guys in, they've proved that they're good fighters and now they have the opportunity to fight in a company that matches their talent and provide them with the platform to fight on a much bigger stage than they are used to. It is not our intention to disrupt the plans of Bulldog MMA, they have done what they can to help these fighters, but now our experience and resources will be more of what they can come to expect for their career. We will be looking to offer deals to more Bulldog MMA fighters as and when necessary as the BCF looks to establish itself amongst GAMMA and ALPHA-1 at the top of the MMA tree." BMMA CEO Jim Carpenter was reached out to for comment and gave this statement; "We at Bulldog MMA are obviously disappointed to have lost fighters who represented our company as champions, Aston Merryman, Ron Chuckle and Dennis Gallagher proved their talents by winning their respective tournaments and we had hoped to keep them on board for the foreseeable future. Also, Shawn McCarthy had a fight with us. Despite our disappointment we wish all the fighters the best in their future endeavors, and we are hopeful that we can work together at some point in the future. To the fans of Bulldog MMA, we promise that this setback will not deter us from continuing to bring you exciting fights as we grow our company to challenge BCF and their stronghold of the British MMA scene. We were expecting that the threat of Bulldog MMA's sudden rise to prominence would cause a reaction from our competitors, and we have reacted ourselves accordingly to bring more fighters in. We can assure you that the level of show you have come to expect from Bulldog MMA will not be affected, and look forward to bringing you further good news in the coming weeks regarding the company's future." It is thought that Bulldog MMA made every attempt to keep their champions with offers far exceeding any contracts the currently have, however the BCF were still able to outbid them for the talent. If nothing else, this increasing war between the two British MMA companies is having a positive effect on the fighters' paychecks, and given the amount of fighters flocking from other countries to the UK to get fights it could well be that the UK becomes the epicenter of MMA at some point.</div></blockquote> ---------------------------- <div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="7uPcFWq.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/7uPcFWq.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div> Harry: "Tell me the truth, not the blurb you gave to the press; how bad is it?" Jim: "It's not great, but right now it's manageable. Yes, it's annoying that three of our champions are now gone, well at least one, maybe three if Merryman and Chuckle win their scheduled fight..." Harry: "Any chance we can just scrap those fights and find a replacement to crown a new champion? Just cut our ties with the guys that are leaving rather than go through the awkwardness of them winning and handing the belt straight back to us." Jim: "Not at this short notice, plus the marketing has all been done on SportTube for the fights we already have booked. We're just going to have to hope that MacAskill and Pizzarro can pull off a victory." Harry: "Do you reckon they're stopping at just those five?" Jim: "Probably not. Jerome really has it out for us, and I reckon that anyone who gets the slightest bit of notoriety from fighting for us will be approached by the BCF. Once I heard that Aston, Ron and the rest were being approached I tried my best to keep them, but we're not a big enough company to offer exclusive contracts or guaranteed fights, and the money that the BCF was throwing at them was simply too much for them to turn down." Harry: "Fair enough. It's going to be a bit of a vicious cycle for a while. I'm expecting they'll be in soon for people like Conti and Lewis before too long, and I'm surprised they haven't tied down the guys who we share contracts with to exclusive deals. Anyone who appears on a SportTube show will have the name recognition that BCF will want a piece of, if they'll take Shawn McCarthy then it shows nobody is safe." Jim: "I guess, but I'm hoping that we can get through any more raids they do by bringing in a higher volume of fighters to replace them. If we're going to be in a position where we can keep the fighters, we have then need to get bigger, and to do that we need to run as many shows as we feasibly can. I think we should aim to get as many fighters in as there are available, there are a lot hanging around with all the people coming in from abroad. I can evaluate their talent and try and build-up the good ones where possible and hope they sneak under the BCF's radar. The last show proved we can run a show without breaking the bank, and we haven't used any megastars on the shows to begin with so fighter name recognition isn't going to be a big deal. If I can sneakily keep their pay down a bit then that will help, no more of those guaranteed $1,200 a show contracts for guys who haven't fought anyone decent before." Harry: "You know me Jim, always happy to save a quid or two wherever possible. You've seen what I drive." Jim: "Frankly I'm amazed that thing still passes its MOT. Doesn't it run on leaded petrol?" Harry: "It works, that's what matters. Anyway, I think being under the radar is the main thing. Running on SportTube looks like it’s been a double-edged sword, on one hand we've got a lot of attention for the company, but probably through a combination of sensing an opportunity, and Jerome being vindictive that we had a better idea than he's ever come up with, the BCF are going to be better placed to take advantage of the situation than we are. I guess Jerome outsmarted us a bit, maybe played us for being a bit naive at this whole company ownership lark. He's been doing this a long time and has made a real success out of the BCF, no matter how much of an ingrate he behaves like. Put some of the blame on me for riling him up, but he really gets under my skin, bloody southerner." 　 Jim: "Perhaps we've been victims of shooting for the stars a bit too early. From the money we lost in the early shows to the fighters we're losing now, maybe we're running before we can walk. Certainly I think we were naive to believe that the guys we brought in wouldn't jump We've only run six shows and it's been a rollercoaster of emotions so far, I'm sure there are difficult times to come but we will just have to deal with them as and when they happen." Harry: "Anyway, big week ahead of us, we'd better get prepared for it." Jim: "Wait a minute, if we're trying to stay under the radar then should we really be going ahead with this plan? It's going to put us more on the radar than ever before." Harry: "Absolutely not. We've worked far too hard to get this set up, the deals are signed, and we're sticking to them. In the long run this will be the biggest step we can make, and the sooner we do it, the sooner we won't be looked down on by the BCF and by people wanting to work for them instead of us." Jim: "These chats always leave me feeling more confused afterwards than I was before..." (Yeah, this was far from ideal. Oh well, back to square one we go...)

Chris2K · May 24, 2020

BMMA 6: PHIPPS VS. DE MELO

Match #1

Lightweight Division

Shawn McCarthy (2-0) vs. Duane Kyle (0-0)

Kyle has brought a sizeable contingent of supporters with him to witness his MMA debut, certainly more have made the trip down from Newcastle than came over from Northern Ireland to support McCarthy. The fight started with a striking battle and both fighters were willing to throw punches even if they weren't particularly powerful ones. McCarthy landed the better of the shots, particularly a straight right to the head, but Kyle was matching him with some decent combinations. The entertaining stand-up contest was interrupted when Kyle shot in for a takedown, and despite McCarthy's best efforts he couldn't prevent himself being taken down to the mat. Once on the ground Kyle couldn’t do much, but getting the takedown itself might have bene enough to win the round. The second round began with both fighters engaging with strikes again, however less than a minute in McCarthy connected with a powerful left hook to jaw which staggered Kyle and followed that with another big left hand to knock him down! McCarthy sensed victory and unloaded punches to the head of the fallen Kyle, a few big shots landed before the referee stepped in to save Kyle from taking any further damage. McCarthy takes the victory with his striking despite being a submission specialist, a sign he is more well-rounded than was thought, and Kyle's fan club will be going home disappointed.

Winner: Shawn McCarthy (3-0) via TKO (Strikes) - 1:18 of Round 2

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: McCarthy gets interviewed by Geoff Thomas-Grey after the fight, he confirms that he has been working on his striking game before thanking his sponsors. When asked what he would like to do next, he indicated he wanted a fight with Jonjo Whiteley, regardless of the outcome of his fight with Jazz Snide tonight. Not sure where that hostility has come from.

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Match #2

Welterweight Division

Teco (15-6) vs. Thomas O'Cann (5-5)

Obviously, the UK MMA commission don't spend a lot of time studying Brazilian shows, if they had I doubt they would have allowed a mismatch of this nature to be on the card. Although that could be said for any fighting involving Thomas O'Cann. There are a couple of strike flurries to start the fight, O'Cann survives them alright and even lands a left jab during the exchange. That would be the last positive moment of O'Cann's evening, as Teco fired in a combination of three punches, the third was a right hook which caught O’Cann on the jaw and sent him crashing to the mat. Teco joined O'Cann on the ground and pummeled him with punches until the referee stepped in to stop the very one-sided contest. O'Cann was out before he had hit the floor, so those extra punches weren't necessary really, but you're trained to fight until you're told to stop. A dominant victory for Teco here, but much, much tougher opponents are in the Brazilian's future. I mean, literally, I don't think he could fight anyone worse.

Winner: Teco (16-6) via Knock Out (Punch) - 1:19 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: Teco can't speak English and Geoff Thomas-Grey's Portuguese certainly needs some work, so this interview was confusing to say the least. Teco said the phrase "quero o título" a lot which appears to translate to "I want the title", so I assume he is either calling out Welterweight champion Ron Chuckle, or looking to purchase the title of Lord to become a member of the peerage. Probably the first one, although Lord Teco has a nice ring to it.

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Match #3

Middleweight Division

Edu Gattai (8-0) vs. Thom Billings (9-0)

From a talent standpoint this is probably the best fight of the night, but the first round was as one-sided as you can get without a finish. Billings was utterly dominant with his striking, essentially beating the hell out of Gattai for the full five minutes with punches to the head and body. It looked like he had the fight won when he staggered Gattai with a right hook, but Gattai was somehow able to survive by partially blocking Billings' follow up shots. We then had some controversy when the referee stopped the action shortly afterwards, some in the crowd thought it was over, but in fact they were checking a cut under Gattai's left eye. Billings was very unhappy with this as it effectively gave Gattai the time he needed to recover, and it's hard to argue with him. The numbers tell the story here, with Billings landed 29 punches in the round compared to Gattai's 0. After essentially a 10-8 first round Gattai needed to fight back in the second, but Billings kept on relentlessly landing punches for the first half of the round. Gattai survived and finally got out of harm's way by securing a takedown with 90 seconds left, he didn't do much other than lie on top of Billings to smother hip against the ground, but I imagine at this point any time spent not being punched in the face was like a holiday.

Gattai had to do something similar in the final round to have any chance of winning the fight, but every time he tried to move in closer he was met with more punches from Billings who seemed oblivious to the concept of fatigue. Eventually Billings missed with a right hook and Gattai took the opportunity to shoot in for a takedown which was again successful. Gattai now had to find a way to finish the fight, but the best he could do was to land a few punches and the occasional elbow from the guard, as he was unable to transition into a better position. The referee ended up standing the fighters back up, only for Gattai to immediately take Billings back down again, and that's where the fight ended. In the end only one of the judges gave the first round a 10-8, resulting in scores of 29-28, 29-27 and 29-28, all to the winner Thom Billings. The post-fight numbers showed how one-sided the stand-up was, Billings landing a total of 55 punches and Gattai landing a total of 0.

Winner: Thom Billings (10-0) via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-28)

Fight Rating: Average

Post-Fight: A devout Catholic, Billings' first comment during his interview is to thank God for giving him the strength to win, and his sponsors, the other divine entity, get a mention as well. Billings says he wants to fight Tuck Durdell next, and the undefeated Canadian would make for a pretty good contest.[/b]

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Match #4

Light Heavyweight Division

Eoghan Behan (7-4) vs. Clarence Gibson (0-0)

This is one of those weird fights were one fighter, Behan, is a known quantity and is known to be pretty average, whereas Gibson is completely unknown in MMA and could either be better or worse than him. If you're wondering why I wrote that, it's because I get paid by the line, and this is another first round finish. Gibson is from Manchester, 40 minutes from where tonight's show is taking place in Wigan, so he has a lot of fans. Gibson immediately went for a takedown, but it was stuffed by Behan quite impressively, that gave Behan the chance to land some strikes and he caught Gibson with a straight right that looks to have broken Gibson's nose. Gibson really wanted that takedown but again he couldn't get past the sprawl of Behan who has obviously been training his takedown defence, that allowed Behan to land a vicious straight right which knocked Gibson down to the ground! Behan pounced quickly and hammered down with punches to the head, however he perhaps got a bit over-excited and left himself open to Gibson sweeping him to get out of trouble. Behan left a leg free and Gibson grabbed it to look for a leglock, however Behan was able to avoid the submission attempt and Gibson got stuck back on the bottom with Behan in his guard. Behan would have probably been best suited trying to escape back to his feet, instead he went for some punches but only succeeded in leaving his arm free for Gibson to grab and apply a triangle choke! As soon as it was in deep Behan had no option but to tap out to give Gibson a win on his debut, although to say it was a struggle would be an understatement.

Winner: Clarence Gibson (1-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) - 3:36 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Great

Post-Fight: Gibson, or "Topper" as he for some reason wants his nickname to be, doesn't have much to say, he thanks the people who came to support him and is happy to have won his first professional fight. He says this is just the beginning, which is as much of a cliché as it is a statement of fact.

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Match #5

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Division

Jonjo Whiteley (5-0) vs. Jazz Snide (3-0)

Ever the entertainer, Snide walks out wearing a bald cap and a t-shirt saying "JonJoker". Hilarious. Fitting all that hair under the bald cap might be a more impressive feat than winning the fight. The first round of the fight took place exclusively on their feet with neither fighter looking to grapple at any point, as a result it comes down to who is able to land more strikes and it's Snide who holds the advantage in that regard. Throughout he seemed quicker than Whiteley and was able to land combinations of punches, Whiteley on the other hand had to settle for the occasional punch landing. To make matters worse for the Swindon native he had a cut open up over his left eye which hampered his visibility. The second round followed a similar pattern to the first with Snide again being able to out-strike Whiteley throughout, the volume of strikes was a bit lower but the more meaningful punches landed for Snide, including one which undid all the hard work Whiteley's corner had done to close the cut. That necessitated the referee halting the action to have Whiteley's cut looked at, however it was deemed safe for him to continue fighting.

Whiteley had to pull something special out to get the win now after being two rounds down, but with both fighters now fighting fatigue more than each other the action was starting to drag. Halfway through the round an exhausted Snide almost fell on Whitely to clinch with him, but then was able to wrestle Whiteley down to the ground. Scoring a takedown probably settled the fight, Whiteley tried his best to escape but his attempt to scramble only resulted in him giving up side control to Snide, however despite the strong position Snide didn't try to do more than land some weak-looking punches. To the judges’ scorecards we went, two scored it 30-27 with one scoring it 29-28, but all three gave the victory to Jazz Snide. Not a spectacular win by any means, but he remains undefeated, and I'm sure he'll still have something to say about it...

Winner: Jazz Snide (4-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Fight Rating: Decent

Post-Fight: Here we go. Snide starts by telling them to get that "piece of trash" out of the cage which is enough to make Whiteley's cornermen have to hold him back and drag him out before another, less official, fight breaks out. Snide then looks to the future and says he wants to fight Nigel Collett, but he "knows that will never happened because Collett is too much of a coward to get in a cage with him". He then flips off Whiteley one more time and goes on a victory lap around the cage whilst goading the crowd. What a nice guy.

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MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Division

Fritz Phipps (9-1) vs. Vitor de Melo (7-1)

Fritz Phipps is by far the most popular fighter on the card and the BMMA management will no doubt be hoping for a win for him here, not that they would ever publicly admit as much. The two fighters came out swinging as was expected and both fighters land some decent strikes in the opening minutes, however it's de Melo who is landing the harder shots including some big right hands which certainly stop Phipps from wanting to move forward. De Melo was no mood to let Phipps back off though and continued to pressure him, Phipps managed to land some jabs to keep de Melo at bay, but the Brazilian did not seem to be at all phased by them. With two minutes left in the opening round Phipps stepped forward for a big right hook, however it missed and gave de Melo the opening for a huge right uppercut which knocked Phipps down! Before Phipps could regain his senses de Melo had swarmed on him and started raining down hard punches that Phipps couldn't defend, the referee gave Phipps every opportunity to escape but eventually had to pull de Melo away to protect Phipps from any more damage! That's not the result the fans wanted to see, and de Melo gets a fair share of boos as he celebrates, not that it's his fault that he won the fight. This result has probably scuppered some plans for future BMMA matches, and you'd think this win would automatically make de Melo the top contender for the BMMA Heavyweight title.

Winner: Vitor de Melo (8-1) via TKO (Strikes) - 3:14 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: It's Round 2 of Geoff Thomas-Grey against the Portuguese language, good on him for trying but the Geordie accent doesn't mix well with the Iberian language. I assume he asks de Melo how he feels as de Melo splutters out "very good, very good" several times. I think that's about as much as we're going to get.

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Show Details

Attendance: 136

Critical Rating: 69%

Commercial Rating: 31%

Popularity Change:

UK +1.1%

Canada +1.6%

Europe +1.6%

Central America +1.6%

South America +1.6%

Mexico +1.6%

Africa +1.6%

USA + 1.6%

Asia +1.6%

Australia +1.6%

Russia +1.3%

Japan +1.3%

Fight of the Night: Eoghan Behan vs. Clarence Gibson

KO of the Night: Vitor de Melo

Submission of the Night: Clarence Gibson

Income

Gate: $11,985

Sponsorship: $13,696

Merchandise: $1,826

Expenditure

Fighters: $26,348

Drug Testing: $4,800

Production: $2,483

Total: -$6,124

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Post Show News

- Despite not having any concrete numbers on how many people watched the show (seriously, if anyone knows how to find this out please let me know) people have been very interested in BMMA broadcasting their show on the internet site SportTube. The bigger companies have been dismissive of the idea, with BCF president Jerome McCallum happy to state that the internet will never replace traditional PPV, smaller companies have noted how BMMA have now got a foothold on a worldwide level, even if it is a tiny one.

- ALPHA-1 had a big month with their Middleweight Grand Prix, won by Heiji Endo, being a strong enough show to propel them to a Mid Level National level. To celebrate(?) that achievement the Japanese company announced they were opening up a Featherweight division, much to the horror of KDM FC I'm sure.

- That said, KDM FC did rise to Mid Level Regional level which is encouraging for them.

- The BCF cut Adrian Majoram after their last show (more on that in our show report later), with SIGMA cutting Manish Khan. It's still to be seen if Bulldog MMA will be interested in snapping either of them up.

- Despite his win Clarence Gibson suffered a broken nose in his fight with Eoghan Behan, he will be out for a few weeks whilst that heals.

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Other Show Results

(Due to the ongoing battle between BCF and BMMA they're getting a proper show recap out of my own generosity.)

Saturday Week 2 of April

BCF: Webb vs. Sithalayan IV crowns new champion

In the fourth meeting of Britain's premier Welterweight fighters it was Vikram Sithalayan who emerged victorious with a razor-thin split decision victory over David Webb, bringing the series between the two to a 2-2 split. A fifth fight as a rubber match is almost guaranteed at this point.

Elsewhere there were victories for Ginger Beaumont who submitted former Middleweight champion Davis Spyrou, Tikhon Diev blitzed his way through Matthew Michael Kirby to prove himself as their heir apparent to Curt Kitson as the Light Heavyweight kingpin and Gregory O'Hara continued his good run of form by defeating Gordon Idle.

Two more notable victories on the prelims were the debut of Niko Soldo, the world's #3 Light Heavyweight (why on Earth he was shunted down to a prelim fight is beyond understanding) and he duly finished Adrian Majoram in quick time, whilst Heavyweight hopeful Ozzy Bintley defeated Phil Verdigree with a first round stoppage.

Friday Week 4 of March

ALPHA-1 Middleweight Grand Prix 2002

Quarter Finals

Genki Shinashi def. Juro Fuzakawa

Carlos da Guia def. Kyuwa Itou

Tadao Miyazaki def. Bambang Sriyanto

Heiji Endo def. Mal Phe Roby

Semi Finals

Genki Shinashi def. Carlos da Guia

Heiji Endo def. Tadao Miyazaki

Final

Heiji Endo def. Genki Shinashi to win the ALPHA-1 Middleweight Grand Prix 2002

Saturday Week 2 of April

SIGMA: Ivanov vs. Andric II

Aleksander Ivanov def. Stjepan Andric to retain the SIGMA Heavyweight title (and then vacate it due to joining the BCF)

Rodolphe Gygax def. Patrik Pedersen

Snorri Gunnarsson def. Pedro Alves

Marco Bernacci def. Manish Khan

Fernando Peragon def. Jason Dalglish

KDM FC 22: Togo vs. Redondo

Kanji Togo def. Apolonio Redondo Jr to retain the KDM FC Bantamweight Title

Li-Kong Ho def. Cong Dun

Ahmed Mohamed Farag def. Takahiro Nakamura

Sophan Sastrowardoya def. Ang Dong

Supachai Thamsatchanan def. Najib Sri Aziz bin Zai

Chris2K · May 26, 2020

<div style="text-align:center;">(The timeline is going to be a bit off now, my own filing system let me down as the "special announcement" was meant to be after this preview. Ah well.)

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*Ring ring*

Harry: "What?"

Jerome: "Well if it's not the internet superstar himself. Not too busy downloading or uploading or search engineering to speak to me?"

Harry: "What are you talking about?"

Jerome: "Sorry mate, obviously I'm not as down with the lingo as you are. You'll have to teach me sometime, maybe after you're back working in the BCF after your petty little company is finished."

Harry: "Not this again. What do you even want?"

Jerome: "Firstly I wanted to congratulate you for your last show, I hear the five nerds in their mum's basement really loved it. Secondly, I thought I'd give you some good news myself, one of your fighters has made the smart decision to improve their career by joining us at the BCF on an exclusive deal."

Harry: "Michael Dali, I know. Apparently, you threw a load of money at him, so much that he couldn't say no. He did what he had to; I've got no hard feelings."

Jerome: "Oh, so he told you, did he? Specifically asked him not to, but oh well. There's something about him I like, I think he's going to do big things."

Harry: "Probably that he's a criminal."

Jerome: "YOU CAN'T PROVE... I mean, no, his warrior mentality and entertaining style. He's the first, but he won't be the last. We've got the money to drive you out of business, and that developmental gig you turned down will end up being a reality whether you like it or not."

Harry: "We'll see Jerome. It's nice to know that what we're doing is working, looks like we're living rent free in your head at the moment."

Jerome: "Not a chance, you're as insignificant to me as your company is to the MMA industry. And one more thing, this is just the beginning, we're going to take anyone we want from you because we-"

Harry: "Bye Jerome."

*click*

It turns out Jim Carpenter had been in the room listening to the phone call...

Jim: "Didn't fancy telling him about our TV deal then?"

Harry: "Not yet, I'd quite like that to be a surprise for him. Who doesn't like a surprise?"

Jim: "Not sure he will, but fair enough, it's still in the works anyway. Right now, let's focus on what we've got coming up, if we want to run once a month then we might need to bring some new faces in. I take it you're happy to carry on broadcasting on SportTube?"

Harry: "Absolutely, it made a huge impact for us and even gave us the chance at that TV deal. Still lost money, but much less than the other shows so it's a worthwhile investment. I'm actually excited about how things are going at the moment."

Jim: "Only 6 grand away from getting that statue, never mind though. Like I say, we're a bit short on talent at the moment, Dali leaving doesn't help, but I think we can look at bringing in some of the guys the BCF let go. Even if they're not in their prime they've got the name value to get people in through the door."

Harry: "OK, but don't go crazy. Let's not overreact and start throwing money around for the sake of it. Jim, things are going well, I can't see how anything can stop our momentum right now..."

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Press Release

BULLDOG MMA RETURN WITH SHOW HEADLINED BY LIGHTWEIGHT BATTLE, AND MAINLY CONTAINS FIGHTERS YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF

by Mike Thomson

Before all 100 of the Bulldog MMA fans get angry at me for that headline, let's face it, it's true. BMMA have used up most of their more well-known fighters in their tournament shows, with the last ones left used on their sixth show, which makes lucky number seven the weakest in terms of star power. The headliner is Hayden Ellery, fresh off his upset win on the second BMMA show after taking the fight at short notice, and his three career fights make him a veteran of the cage compared to his opponent Henry Hooper has one fight on his record, which was at the same show.

But starting off the six fights on the show will be a Lightweight division clash between Cullen Skink (1-0) and Neil Entopolski (MMA debut). Yes, one fight between them. Cullen Skink, a name that can't be easy to live with, is a hard-hitting Scottish youngster who is known for having a brutal right hand which training partners have been reported as being knocked out by accidentally. Not that Skink gets much time for training as he is still in full-time employment on an oil rig, only coming back to shore for brief training sessions and to fight. Neil Entopolski is making his debut at 23, relatively late in this day and age, from what we're told he is a straight-ahead brawler without much technique to how he does it. For that tactic to work he has to have power in his punches and a chin that can withstand a beating, we're told that those are traits that he has, but having people talk about what you can do in a training gym is very different to what you actually do inside a cage.

From a fight with one combined match between the competitors to a fight where neither fighter has had a professional MMA bout, as in the incredibly shallow Light Heavyweight division Earl Turnbull (MMA debut) takes on Vincent Cooper (MMA debut). Turnbull is someone people see potential in due to his understanding of what it takes to succeed in MMA, whilst he is primarily a boxer, and a good one, he has also cross-trained in other aspects of the sport to make sure he's ready for anything. There are some concerns about his health as he had to take some time off from training after bruising his tailbone, but he has been given the go-ahead to fight. Vincent Cooper is a former kick boxer who saw the extra money being made in MMA and made a quick dart in that direction. He's from nearby Manchester so he'll be guaranteed home support, but he may earn fans in another way due to his entertaining style, both in his willingness to engage and the crazy head kicks he loves to land. Well, try to land. Whilst not as well-rounded as Turnbull, he will always be one kick away from a knockout.

Our third fight of the evening will be, oh come on, seriously? Another fight between two debuting fighters. This time it's the Heavyweight division as Simon Youngman (MMA debut) takes on Tommy Cowan (MMA debut). For Youngman, there's no need to feel down because Youngman, picked himself off the ground, because Youngman is here in a new town and there's no need. To. Be. Un. Happy. Paraphrased that from memory. He is indeed in a new town because he's actually from Melbourne, Australia, and chose to Go West to cold and blustery Wigan. With Australian MMA a dead area he came to the UK to use his amateur boxing skills in a productive environment. Let's hope it's fun to stay at the, B-M-M-A. This is my favourite preview ever. Tommy Cowan is nowhere near as fun to write about but has an interesting backstory in that he had spent most of his teenage years taking part in strongman and grappling contests before taking his strength and athleticism to MMA. And being that strong I guess that makes him a Macho Man. He's also usually a Super Heavyweight who is cutting weight to make the Heavyweight limit of 265 so he'll likely have a weight advantage whoever he is facing off against.

The fourth fight is a contest between two veterans compared to the rest of the fighters, as Malcolm Stew (1-0) takes on Oldano Kalil (1-0) in a Heavyweight division clash. Malcolm Stew has a brilliant nickname in "Beef" but is not the most diverse of fighters, his game plan is very much "move forward, throw punch, maybe take punch, throw another punch". He does have some power behind his strikes thanks to his short, muscular stature. At 24 with only one fight under his belt it may not be too negative to suggest that he's going to have to learn other skills pretty fast if he's going to make an impact. Oldano Kalil is one of the many imports from Brazil looking to fight competitively in a proper company. Kalil is a giant of a man standing at 6'6" and topping the Heavyweight scale at 265lbs, and that weight is mainly muscle for good measure. He is a very good grappler and uses that technique in conjunction with his physical attributes to bully, smother and simply overwhelm is opponents. Many think Kalil could be the future of Brazilian Heavyweights, it's just that if he becomes a big name it probably won't be in South America.

In the fifth fight of the show, which is also the co-Main Event, we will see Nathan Wyles (1-0) take on Scotty Griffiths (1-0) in the Lightweight division. Yes, even the co-main event fighters don't have more than one fight each. Nathan Wyles is a 21-year-old Londoner who frankly looks twice that age, don't tell him I said that though as he is one on the best Muay Thai practitioners the country has produced in a long time. He has vicious kicks and knees at his disposal, and isn't afraid to bust out a crazy, spinning kick if the situation allows it, he also has some incredible conditioning to keep him going long into a fight. If nothing else, he is expected to have some memorable knock outs in his career. Scotty Griffiths is from Cardiff who is best described as a mediocre kickboxer. I somehow have to make an entire paragraph out of that. He has the guts to stand and fight with anyone, a trait which may not be the most sensible against someone like Wyles, but he's not likely to cause too many problems for anyone with either more experience or simply more talent. He doesn't even have a nickname. Or hair. This guy is so bland.

Finally the Main Event of the show will be the return of two fighters to the BMMA cage following their victories on the company's second show, Henry Hooper (1-0) takes on Hayden Ellery (3-0), who has three times more experience than the every other fighter on the card. Hooper started both his Bulldog MMA career and MMA career in February when he defeated Moray McWhirter in a fight put on outside of the Heavyweight tournament, it wasn't the prettiest of victories as Hooper grinded his way to a decision win, but he got the job done. Hooper's grappling is his main strength, with his 6'6" frame allowing him to overpower most opponents. Hayden Ellery was the story of the second show after taking a fight against the experienced Lachlan Bowen on 6 days’ notice, and then finishing the Canadian off in just 53 seconds. The charismatic Scouser also endeared himself with an emotional post-fight interview, although some nay-sayers are saying that Ellery got lucky and a better fighter will expose him at some point. Until then let's all jump aboard the Hayden Hype Train. TOOT TOOT.

BMMA 7: Hooper vs. Ellery Fight Card

Lightweight Division

Cullen Skink vs. Neil Entopolski

Light Heavyweight Division

Earl Turnbull vs. Vincent Cooper

Heavyweight Division

Simon Youngman vs. Tommy Cowan

Heavyweight Division

Malcolm Stew vs. Oldano Kalil

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Division

Nathan Wyles vs. Scotty Griffiths

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Division

Henry Hooper vs. Hayden Ellery</div>

CageRage · May 26, 2020

This continues to be an entertaining diary. Love the backroom story with Harry and Jim. Look forward to each post, keep up the good work.

BMMA 7: Hooper vs. Ellery Fight Card

Lightweight Division

Cullen Skink vs. Neil Entopolski

Light Heavyweight Division

Earl Turnbull vs. Vincent Cooper

Heavyweight Division

Simon Youngman vs. Tommy Cowan

Heavyweight Division

Malcolm Stew vs. Oldano Kalil

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Division

Nathan Wyles vs. Scotty Griffiths

MAIN EVENT

Heavyweight Division

Henry Hooper vs. Hayden Ellery

Chris2K · May 28, 2020

BMMA 7: HOOPER VS. ELLERY

Match #1

Lightweight Division

Cullen Skink (2-0) vs. Neil Entopolski (0-0)

It was a cautious start between these two with a combination of an unwillingness to engage and a general lack of accuracy in the strikes that were being thrown, Entopolski in particular was only ever looking to throw a big right hand at Skink, and whenever he missed (which was often) it allowed Skink to counter with varying degrees of success. It wasn't until halfway through the round that Entopolski landed the big right which Skink was able to endure, and the remainder of the round saw both fighters land nothing more than jabs. The second round was more of the same but with even less strikes being thrown, the ones that were though had a lot more power behind them, even if again their accuracy left a lot to be desired. Skink certainly found his range in this round and connected with more combinations than before, the last strike in the combination usually being the power punch. Skink ended the round with a clean right hand after dodging a big shot from Entopolski, and that might have been enough to take the round. After two rounds we had literally only had a boxing match with no kicks or grappling being attempted by either fighter.

It came down to which fighter was able to maintain their conditioning in the final round, and it soon became evident that Entopolski was tiring a lot quicker than Skink. A series of good shots landed from Skink with Entopolski not able to offer much in response, and halfway through the round Entopolski's gas tank was empty and he ended up desperately clinching with Skink just to get some rest. That didn't work out too well for him as Skink was able to control the clinch and forced Entopolski back against the cage, from there he used dirty boxing and knee strikes to keep landing shots until the end of the fight. We went to the judges for a decision, all three gave Entopolski the first round and Skink the second and third, giving Cullen Skink a unanimous decision victory.

Winner: Cullen Skink (2-0) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: Skink is never short of a word or two and took the opportunity to call out Stephen Conti for a BMMA Lightweight title match in the future. If the rumours are to be believed that doesn't sound like something that is going to happen any time soon.

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Match #2

Light Heavyweight Division

Earl Turnbull (0-0) vs. Vincent Cooper (0-0)

Cooper has the fans behind him but he's a definite underdog here, a lot of people see Turnbull as a good prospect due to his physical attributes alone. The fight started with a couple of brief strike exchanges where nothing meaningful landed, but that all changed on the next exchange when a flurry of strikes are thrown by both fighters. Turnbull landed a three-punch combo, but Cooper was also in there with a jab and then a big right head kick, and that is the difference-maker as it staggered Turnbull! Cooper was quick to follow up on the retreating Turnbull with a hard right hand that sent Turnbull crashing to the canvas, and with his opponent grounded Cooper unloaded a series of punches to the head until the referee stepped in to stop the fight! It's a very impressive win for Cooper in front of his hometown fans, and a surprising one as well.

Winner: Vincent Cooper (1-0) via TKO (Strikes) - 1:23 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: Cooper thanks his sponsors for paying him and the fans for turning out to support him, but nothing more of note. Cooper's not the best talker but he looks like a star at least.

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Match #3

Heavyweight Division

Simon Youngman (0-0) vs. Tommy Cowan (0-0)

Youngman doesn't walk out to YMCA because he's no fun. Maybe it's not his taste in music. The fight started out with a fairly even striking battle, both fighters landed some decent jabs and were sometimes able to follow up with a harder punch, but the striking game wasn't where Cowan was going to be happiest and it didn't take long him for the shoot in for a takedown. The takedown was successful leaving Youngman sat against the cage, Cowan then used his 40-pound weight advantage well to smother Youngman to prevent him escaping, and in between landing some good punches he was able to move through into the mount. Youngman was in deep trouble now and Cowan was relentless in his punches, heavy shots continuously landed on the temple of Youngman, each one looking more and more destructive. At this point we were all expecting the referee to step in, but instead they just stood there watching the onslaught, and it was left to Youngman to finish the fight himself by tapping out. Losing by tapping out to strikes is the most undignified method of defeat, however the fight metrics showed Cowan landed 13 power punches on the ground, many of them undefended, so the referee should have probably stepped in at some point.

Winner: Tommy Cowan (1-0) via Submission (Strikes) - 3:04 of Round 1

Fight Rating: Good

Post-Fight: Cowan gives the usual rhetoric about thanking his sponsors and fans and saying he's happy to have won his BMMA debut. These guys really need to step up their interview game.

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Match #4

Heavyweight Division

Malcolm Stew (1-0) vs. Oldano Kalil (1-0)

I still believe that "Stew" is his real last name, it must be shortened from something. Kalil had a 20lb weight advantage so the was no surprise when his first move was to move in and clinch with Stew, he was able to get him trapped against the cage and that was where we spent most of the first round. Kalil kept tight body-to-body control on Stew for the whole time but did nothing damaging other than potentially draining Stew of his energy, and eventually the referee separated them. Stew landed some decent punches in the brief interlude between grapples but soon Kalil was shooting in for a takedown, he couldn't quite get it but still kept hold of Stew, and it was back to the cage for the remainder of the round. The first minute of the second round gave Stew the chance to demonstrate his striking advantage and he landed some very nice right hooks and right crosses during that time, however Kalil avoided one of them and took advantage of the situation to clinch and then slam Stew down to the ground in spectacular fashion. Everyone likes a good slam. On the ground Kalil was able to get into side control and from there looked to apply a kimura, however Stew was able to defend it. Kalil couldn’t do much more on the ground after that, but it was still surprising when the referee decided to stand them back up considering Kalil was in a dominant position. Stew was able to land a couple of shots back on the feet but soon Kalil had him grappled and against the cage again, which is where the round ended.

The final round started with some more good striking from Stew despite him certainly looking more and more fatigued, Kalil was hardly fresh as a daisy either but he still went in for a takedown, however this time Stew not only defended the takedown but also got away from the grapple too. That turned out to be a major turning point in the fight as soon after that Stew connected with a jab/right hook combination which caught Kalil flush and knocked him down! Stew tried to finish the fight with powerful shots on the ground, but Kalil recovered enough to wrap Stew up and sweep him so that Kalil was now on top of Stew once again. This time Kalil couldn't advance his position but the referee still only gave him 45 seconds on the ground before standing them back up again. Both fighters had nothing left to give and the fight ended with little movement from either one of them, so we went to the judges. All three judges scored the fight 29-28, giving it to... Malcolm Stew. In my opinion Kalil got screwed by pretty much everyone there, I had him winning rounds 1 and 2, plus the referee standing him up from side control shortly after nearly getting a submission was just ridiculous.

Winner: Malcolm Stew (2-0) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Fight Rating: Decent

Post-Fight: Malcolm Stew joins the club of people merely thanking their sponsors and being happy to win. Geoff Thomas-Grey doesn't ask any questions about the judging or refereeing so we get no insight into whether Stew feels he deserved the win.

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Match #5

Co-Main Event

Lightweight Division

Nathan Wyles (1-0) vs. Scotty Griffiths (1-0)

Wyles looks like such a badass, not that Griffiths doesn't, but nobody does compare to Wyles. The intent was clear straight away as Wyles swung out a big right head kick to start the fight, Griffiths avoided that and continued to do well to stay out of the way of Wyles' aggression and land counters here and there. He couldn’t avoid a big roundhouse kick to the ribs though which look like it stung, Wyles continued to pressure Griffiths but a missed combination gave Griffiths the opportunity to go for a takedown. Whilst it was unsuccessful initially, he maintained the grapple and forced Wyles against the cage, and from there he used the case for an assist to get Wyles to the ground, even taking side control in the process. From there Griffiths was able to land some good punches with Wyles unable to do much to defend them, however with two minutes left Griffiths stopped throwing punches with his right hand. Griffiths tried to move through to the mount, but instead he ended up with a scrambling Wyles managing to get out from underneath him and took top position instead, also in side control. Wyles is no ground striker and even in a strong position he couldn't do much damage, but he maintained control until the round ended. In between rounds it was evident that Griffiths had problems with his hand, possibly a break, which was going to make striking much more difficult. With the fight back on the feet to start the second round Wyles went back to his high pressure offense but wasn't finding his range particularly well, but then with two minutes gone in the round he delivered a vicious right high kick out of nowhere, his shin connecting with the jaw of Griffiths, and the Welshman was out cold! Wyles wheeled away victorious not even needing to follow up with any further strikes, and we had ourselves a highlight reel knock out after a very entertaining back-and-forth contest.

Winner: Nathan Wyles (2-0) via Knock Out (Kick) - 2:05 of Round 2

Fight Rating: Fantastic

Post-Fight: Wyles gives the usual gratitude, but at least has the decency to call out Jazz Snide as a future opponent. There's a lot of people who want to silence Snide, and Wyles might have the best chance given his brutal offense.

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Match #6

Heavyweight Division

Henry Hooper (1-0) vs. Hayden Ellery (3-0)

Both fighters are from nearby areas, but Ellery certainly seems to have the more fans after his huge underdog win in his last fight. This fight unfortunately brings us back to the days of terrible Bulldog MMA main events, and these two don't even have the excuse of having gone through a tournament to fall back on. The issue is more the game plan both fighters decide to adopt, in the first round a clinch forms almost before the bell has sounded, and they're against the cage for the entire first half of the round. Hooper has control to begin with, but he didn't even really bother trying many strikes, settling to just control the position. After the referee unsurprisingly separated them, they immediately went back into another clinch, this time Ellery had control and actually bothered to use some dirty boxing to inflict a bit of damage. To be fair to Hooper it's more a case that Ellery was shutting down his attempts to strike. The second round began with Hooper shooting in for a takedown, he didn't get it but settled for a clinch, only for Ellery to out-grapple him and take control of the clinch to get Hooper trapped against the cage. Three minutes later we were still there until the referee decided to separate them, and yet again they clinched up right away again until the end of the round.

The crowd, once so vociferously cheering both men, were now giving them a chorus of boos, and they only amplified at the start of the final round when, you guessed it, they started clinching again. Ellery controlled the grapple for the next three minutes landing the occasional punch on the inside, the referee separated them, they clinched again, you know the drill by now. By the time the bell sounded to end the third round the only thought going through anyone's mind was how glad they were that this wasn't a five round main event. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27 to Hayden Ellery, although all the good will he gained from his first Bulldog MMA fight will likely have been worn away by this performance.

Winner: Hayden Ellery (4-0) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Fight Rating: Very Poor

Post-Fight: Ellery doesn't have much to say this time, mainly because I think he wants to get out of there as soon as possible before the crowd start throwing things. He thanks his sponsors, fans, family and all that boring stuff and makes a swift exit.

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Show Details

Attendance: 146 (+10)

Critical Rating: 70%

Commercial Rating: 31%

Popularity Change:

UK +1.3%

Canada -0.1%

Europe -0.1%

Central America -0.1%

South America -0.1%

Mexico -0.1%

Africa -0.1%

USA -0.1%

Asia -0.1%

Australia -0.1%

Russia -0.1%

Japan -0.1%

Apparently, the show very slightly offended every nation on the planet except the UK. A bit like Prince Phillip.

Fight of the Night: Nathan Wyles vs. Scotty Griffiths

KO of the Night: Vincent Cooper

Submission of the Night: Tommy Cowan

Income

Gate: $12,866 (+$881)

Sponsorship: $13,995 (+$299)

Merchandise: $2,033 (+$207)

Expenditure

Fighters: $19,201 (-$7,147)

Drug Testing: $4,800 (NC)

Production: $2,483 (-$319)

Total: +$2,091

PROFIT. ACTUAL, HONEST TO GOODNESS PROFIT.

Other News

Whilst the BCF/BMMA feud has been talked about on Blurcat UK, it is not the most dramatic of events to hit the World of MMA in recent weeks, that would be ALPHA-1's decision to open their Featherweight division, and the subsequent hiring spree they went on to fill their new division's roster. Every major Featherweight in the world was not under an exclusive contract with their current organisation and were therefore ripe for the picking, that included champions Philip Zizkie (XCC), Tomohiro Takeuchi (KDM FC) and Lars Bohlin (SIGMA). In addition to that ALPHA-1 snapped up the other major Featherweight names such as Li-Kong Ho, Lamont Banner, David James Diggle, Kenji Akita, Snorri Gunnarsson and Masahiro Maeno, so the division is pretty much the Top 25 Featherweights in the world all in one place. It's a major blow to GAMMA who will now find themselves very much in second place if they opt to start a Featherweight division.

As discussed in our breaking news report the BCF made the move to start taking the main talent away from Bulldog MMA in what appears to be an attempt to cut the legs off the fledgling company before they can make a dent on the BCF's stranglehold of the UK scene. We have reported the signings of Aston Merryman, Shawn McCarthy, Michael Dali, Ron Chuckle and Dennis Gallagher, however the belief is that the BCF will be looking to acquire more talent from BMMA rather than looking at unemployed fighters or even SIGMA.

It's thought that Bulldog MMA, despite their financial uncertainty, have made attempts to steal talent from the BCF whose contracts are expiring, however the BCF are now throwing significant money at the fighters they want to keep and pricing BMMA out of the negotiations. Fighters are seeing their wages at least double, so they are certainly doing well from this scuffle.

In order to try and compete on a more level playing field Bulldog MMA have been on a hiring spree of their own, picking up more fighters who have moved over from other countries to the UK and anyone cut by the BCF and SIGMA who might be of use to them. Listed below are the names to have signed:

Adrian Majoram

Tucker Plumm

Perry Barr

Linton Renn

Manish Khan

Esteban Vega

Datsakorn Pratoomwong

Tommy Ray

Jay Dorridge

Maurico de Terreros

After their most recent show the BCF cut Andrew Rush, Daniel Hornsby ** and at least a few of those names are likely to be brought straight into Bulldog MMA.

Bulldog MMA are set to make a major announcement next week and as yet have been unclear as to what it might be. Some are thinking it may be the introduction of a new division at Featherweight or Super Heavyweight, something which would differentiate them from the BCF even in a slight way. A television deal has also been rumoured, but it is unlikely that a company that has only run seven shows would be able to get interest from a television network.

Recent Shows

Saturday Week 4 of April

BCF crown new Lightweight champion in Manchester

There was immediate success for a newcomer to the BCF as Georges Nouri dominated his way to the BCF Lightweight title with a submission victory over former champion Doug Hansen. Nouri, recently signed on an exclusive deal from SIGMA, never held the SIGMA title due to the dominance of Luis Basora but walked through Hansen to take victory in the third round. It makes Nouri the first ever Greek BCF Lightweight champion don't you know.

Elsewhere on the show Martin Cupples continued his impressive run by defeating Mills Mullally, youngster Christopher Drew maintained his ascent by knocking out Michael Bannon, Timothy Latchkey scraped past Steven Griffin despite a significant weight advantage, and Sid Morgan submitted Dominick Oppenheimer in the first round.

On the prelims there was a rare victory for Howard Pursglove against Basil McCrystle, and some young fighters all scored wins in Jerome Atkins, Snuffy Fontana, Iain Fussell and Morgan Wakarewarewa.

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SIGMA: Tariverdiev vs. Gnocchi

Oleg Tariverdiev def. Ezio Gnocchi to retain the SIGMA Middleweight title

Matti Kurri def. Shane Gilchrist

Nestor Morozov def. Jacob Matthaus

Gerrit Dudok def. Alvaro Negredo

Daniil Skala def. Gavriil Sviridov

KDM FC 24: Puangchan vs. Kayem

Tossapol Puangchan def. Kawin Kayem

Naora Kikuchi def. Echiko Watanabe

Shen Kang def. Bunrakuken Abe

Seka Mutsu def. Feng Chung

Yaji Jokichi def. Josuke Hino

Saturday Week 1 of May

SIGMA: Papaioannu vs. Richelleau

Stratos Papaioannu def. Jean-Pierre Richelleau

Stephan de Winter def. Nicolai Mickiewicz

Souleymane Ya Konen def. Reinhardt Rhett

Casim Yenkini def. Jaromir Grygera

Kenneth Toadspew def. Bjarne Bjerre

Sunday Week 1 of May

WEFF: Micklewhite vs. Page

Kirsten Page def. Idina Micklewhite

Diana Marr def. Lula Baker

Laura Adair def. Lynda Epsom

Hester Maclean def. Simone King

Grace Hughes def. Kerry Silverman

XCC: Baldwin vs. Skinner

Henry Baldwin def. Junmal Skinner

Rafael Tavares def. Lucky Lyman

Campbell Crane def. Sammy Newton

Chad Zoff def. Cory Brewer

Frank Romita def. Rory McEnterry

Chris2K · May 30, 2020

Harry: "I guess your last couple of weeks has been as busy as mine?"

Jim: "Yeah, I don't know where to start. The bad news I guess."

Harry: "Yeah, the departure of our Middleweight champion, and so many others."

Jim: "Osi Lewis gone, Thom Billings gone, Clarence Gibson, Javid Khan, Mick Curran, Cullen Skink. More offers on the table that I'm expecting to lose, Chris Hollands for example. We were both expecting it though."

Harry: "We were, but it doesn't lessen the disappointment when your champion and probably the actual best fighter in a division is gone. The others are inconvenient, but I know you've been busy signing replacements."

Jim: "Absolutely, we've got enough people on board now that we can expand the number of fights on a card to 7, that will help us get more credibility as well as giving the fans more for their money."

Harry: "What about our money though?"

Jim: "It might cause us to make a loss again, the profit we made on the last show was a wonderful feeling but I fear it was a one-off for a good while."

Harry: "This seems to be flying in the face of our "under the radar" approach. We've got a big deal coming that could blow up in our faces, we're running more shows with more fighters on them, we're spending more on fighters than ever before. I see we've brought in Garry McSweegan, he won't be cheap. This all looks like it's going to make us far easier for other companies to see us as a threat and poach our talent all over again."

Jim: "You're right, it's risky, but if we don't do something bold we'll just fade away. The reason we've got all these Brazilians, Mexicans and Canadians moving to the UK is because their MMA scene is dwindling because their companies have either folded or never got off the ground in the first place. SportTube is a way of growing the company not just in the UK, but internationally. And yes, it might come at a cost, but that's where the extra fighters come in, if we always have the capacity to run a show there's nothing to stop us carrying on."

Harry: "Except running out of money, which is a massive possibility. I don't need to remind you of what we both have invested in here. Don't let that one profitable show give you grand ideas just yet, there's a lot more pain to come before we can call this a successful business."

Jim: "I understand, but we're also going to only ever get one shot at this, and I'll be damned if we go down without putting up a fight. Besides, I've got some good news for you as well."

Harry: "Oh do enlighten me."

Jim: "Well firstly Aston Merryman has cracked his ribs, so he won't be 100% going into this fight before he leaves us. And speaking of leaving us, Norman MacAskill got an offer from the BCF as well."

Harry: "Wait, so both the fighters in our next show's main event are going to be going to the BCF, and we're guaranteed to lose our champion? How on Earth is that good news?"

Jim: "I said he got on offer, but he hasn't taken it. I've convinced him to stay. We actually beat the BCF in a negotiation."

Harry: "And just how much exactly are we paying him for that?"

Jim: ".... That's not the point, the main thing is that we stuck one to them. Even if it's only one win out of God knows how many, it's a start."

Harry: "Start of our bankruptcy more like..."

-------------------------------------------------

Press Release

BMMA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE CLASH HEADLINES JUNE SHOW

by Mike Thomson

Bulldog MMA are back for the first time in a month and they're back with a show dominated by the very best in their Heavyweight division. With four Heavyweight fights in total, including the top three fights on the card, if you're a fan of big guys battling this may be the show for you. The highlight will be the BMMA Heavyweight Title fight between Aston Merryman and Norman MacAskill, it's a big fight for the company too with Merryman leaving for the BCF and MacAskill staying put it seems fairly obvious who BMMA management will want to win.

Kicking us off in the Heavyweight division will be two fighters coming off losses at the very first BMMA show, as Glen McBeam (0-1) takes on Nelson Kenney (1-1). It was McBeam's professional debut the last time he fought but things didn't go to plan, as Norman MacAskill spent almost an entire 15 minutes out-grappling him on his way to a decision victory. McBeam will have to prove he has learned something from that defeat as his kick boxing skills were easily nullified, and he will need to figure out how to avoid that again. Kenney's defeat came at the hands of Chris Hollands in a fight that wasn't fun to watch, but probably less fun getting continuously jabbed like Kenney was. Kenney showed his toughness by lasting the full fight, but based on what we saw during the fight, mainly the lack of intensity and offense. Kenney is going to have to step his game up to be successful here. McBeam is the bookies favourite for the fight, but Kenney will likely come in with a weight advantage.

The second fight of the night is a clash in the Middleweight division between two losers from the Middleweight title tournament, not the best way of advertising them I'm sure, Nelson Angelo (8-6) takes on Omar Calvert (7-2). Angelo only made it to the quarter final stage before Duncan Thistlewood, it was however a close fight, perhaps closer than most people expected going in. Angelo is a karate fighter, but don't let that fact make you think he's terrible, he has some good speed and conditioning, and according to his scout report he is above average at weight cutting. So, there's that. Omar Calvert destroyed veteran Richard Smith in his first-round tournament match but fell in the semifinal to eventual champion Osi Lewis when his vicious striking power was nullified. That striking power is Calvert's main weapon and worked very nicely for him during his early career, in fact all seven of his career victories have come via knock out. He has however lost 2 of his last 3 fights, showing that he does have weaknesses that opponents can exploit.

The next fight on the card is a Welterweight fight between two newcomers not just to Bulldog MMA, but to the UK itself, Canadian Rich Robinson (9-0) takes on Mauricio de Terreros (6-0) from Mexico. Robinson is considered one of the brightest prospects in Canadian MMA, he is incredibly well-rounded with powerful striking, highly technical wrestling and can put those two together to deliver some destructive ground-and-pound. It could be that Robinson's career has been hampered by Canada's lack of regular MMA schedule, at 27 he has only fought 9 times and has had to leave him homeland to get some action. Mauricio de Terreros, a name which literally translates to "Maurice of the Terreros", is a former amateur boxer from Monterrey who has explosive power in his hands, making him a dangerous competitor who is always one shot away from either changing or winning a fight. Now the rest of his game is very much a work-in-progress, so he has to rely on his striking game for the time being, something that seems to be working given his undefeated record.

The fourth fight will see two participants in the Heavyweight title tournament, the two defeated semifinalists in fact, Kieran Morgan (4-1) will square off against the hilariously named Nimrod Wickhammersley (5-1). Morgan was able to advance in the tournament to the semi-final stage by defeating veteran Terry Bull in just 39 seconds, however he came undone against eventual winner Aston Merryman. Morgan is a traditional British catch wrestler and that shows in his grappling talents, however his stand-up skills are still in their infancy. What he lacks in technique he makes up for with his power though, just ask Terry Bull how powerful his uppercut is. Although he may not be able to remember. Nimrod Wickhammersley is a 6'6” and has a lankier frame than a lot of the fighters of that height in the company which makes his reach a valuable weapon. Wickhammersley hasn't got a lot of power in his hands, but that reach stops grapplers from getting hold of him, and power punchers from getting close to land their bombs. That helped him defeat Graham Goodbody by TKO in the quarter final of the Heavyweight tournament, but Laurence Lamping was able to get past him via decision.

Speaking of Laurence Lamping (4-1) he will be in the co-Main Event of the show in another Heavyweight division clash, he takes on Bob Dozier (17-10), a veteran of British MMA making his Bulldog MMA debut here. Lamping was one of the favourites for the Heavyweight title tournament and lived up to that by getting through to the final, coming up short to Aston Merryman in the title match having already gone six rounds that evening. Lamping is incredibly strong and uses that power to bully his opponents around the cage, it also helps with his punching and one clean shot can be enough to end an opponent's night. If he can get his technique to match his physical attributes there may be no stopping him. It feels like Bob Dozier has been around since MMA began but he's only 35, he's also a very large man who is slimming down to 265 pounds to make the Heavyweight cut. In his 27 fights he has never faced any major names, opting to stay away from promotions to earn his keep independently, but with his career likely drawing to a close he has finally decided to make the step up in competition.

In the Main Event of the evening we have one of the more intriguing fights in memory, in a scene reminiscent of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in Montreal we have the Heavyweight champion Aston Merryman (4-0), who leaves Bulldog MMA as soon as the fight is over, defending against Norman MacAskill (4-0) who has recently passed up the opportunity to move to the BCF to remain with BMMA. Hopefully, there won't be any screwjobs afoot. Aston Merryman had a star-making performance at the Heavyweight title tournament, not only by winning the whole thing by submitting Laurence Lamping in the final, having defeated Kevin Portman and Kieran Morgan previously, but also through his entertaining personality. He showed how versatile he is by winning a fight by KO, submission and decision on the same evening, and he will no doubt be a future British superstar. There's a rumour he has a documentary crew filming his build-up to the fight too. Norman MacAskill has an entire company's hopes resting on his shoulders which is a lot of pressure for a 19-year-old who hasn't exactly set the world on fire in his career so far. MacAskill has "some" boxing talent and "some" wrestling skills, but he is nowhere near what he is likely to become once he has had time to develop. MacAskill earned this title opportunity by defeating Glen McBeam at the first show, but it was a close fight including a rare 10-10 round so it would be hard to call it a decisive win.

BMMA 8: Merryman vs. MacAskill Fight Card

Heavyweight Division

Glen McBeam vs. Nelson Kenny

Middleweight Division

Nelson Angelo vs. Omar Calvert

Welterweight Division

Rich Robinson vs. Mauricio de Terreros

Heavyweight Division

Kieran Morgan vs. Nimrod Wickhammersley

Heavyweight Division

Laurence Lamping vs. Bob Dozier

BMMA Heavyweight Title Match

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