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British MMA was on the agenda again as Cage Wars returned to the Extreme Sports channel here in Britain this past Wednesday night with two one hour highlight shows, featuring former UFC stars Jeff Monson and Dan “The Beast” Severn.

The first show featured fights from their Decade show from March 2009, beginning with Jordy Puete against Gary Morris. Morris began this one in somewhat controversial fashion, sucker punching Puete just after they’d touched gloves. The Dutchman had the last laugh though as he locked in an arm bar, with Morris verbally tapping a minute or so later. A good performance by Puete, and serves Morris right for his disrespectful show!

It was up to the middleweight division for the next fight as Lee McKibbin took on Karolis Liukaitis. A fast past back and forth fight saw both men going all out from the bell, with Karolis scoring with the first take down before McKibbin came back strongly with a take down of his own. From there he worked into a position where he could take Karolis’ back, but not even two back slams could shake him off. Indeed, the second one proved to be Karolis’ undoing as McKibbin was finally able to synch in the rear naked choke he’d been working for, quickly getting the submission victory.

Then it was back down to the lightweight division as Daniel Abrol went up against J.C. Pennington. Another of those back and forth affairs that looked quite ragged at times but was enjoyable nonetheless. Abrol put on some good work in the first round, while the second round was a bit of a war, with Abrol on top early on with his wayward striking, before Pennington took the fight to the ground and controlled things from there, eventually getting the submission win with a rear naked choke.

The lightweight action continued as Peter Duncan took on Bryan Goldsby. This proved to be a highly entertaining encounter, with two very good performances. From the moment Goldsby scored with the early take down we saw a great display of ground work from both men. Duncan was able to match the American in this very tight contest, and it looked like it could go either way until Duncan locked in a kimura for a second round submission win.

The main event saw Jeff Monson against Sergej Maslobojev in the heavyweight division. Lots of feeling out at the beginning of this one, but when the fight went to the ground Monson all but dominated. Sergej had his moments with a couple of submission attempts, but it wasn’t enough as Monson locked in an anaconda choke for the second round submission win. A great performance from Monson, who used his experience advantage to good effect here.

The second show featured fights from the Staredown show in March 2008, beginning with Tim Estes against Chris Stringer in the lightweight division. A nice little back and forth affair here saw a rather frantic first round in which both men went all out. However, by the time the second round started the pace slowed down considerably, and even though there wasn’t overly flashy the striking and the ground work looked sound. The judges were called upon to render a decision here, with all three scoring in favour of Stringer.

Middleweight action in the form of Lee McKibbin against James Head followed. This was another of those enjoyable back and forth encounters, with two good performances from those concerned. The first round saw some great ground work, with Head in particular looking pretty impressive. The second saw McKibbin connect with a good shot, only to find himself tapping out to Head’s triangle choke shortly after the fight went to the ground. Some good work from the American here.

It was up a division to light heavyweight for the next fight as Jimmy Mills faced Michael Nichol. A slow paced fight here which went to the ground early saw Mills in the dominant position throughout. There were a few times when it looked like the referee was going to stand the fighters up for inactivity, but these moments were followed by Mills suddenly springing to life, either transitioning to another position or going for a spot of ground and pound, Then, just as the first round was entering it’s final thirty seconds Mills locked in an anaconda choke which Nichol soon tapped out to. Nothing too spectacular here, and the best way to describe Mills’ performance would be workmanlike.

The main event saw Colin Robinson face Dan Severn in the heavyweight division. Now while I admit that I’m a huge fan of the Beast, especially of his professional wrestling work, I haven’t exactly been too impressed his MMA fights over the past few years or so, and while this fight didn’t feature any flashy moves, Severn dominated for the most part, taking Robinson down at will and controlling him on the ground, just doing enough to keep him out of commission using the guard, half guard and side control, delivering a series of fists and knees. It wasn’t flashy, but it was highly effective, and earned the veteran the unanimous decision.

In conclusion – two very enjoyable shows from the Cage Wars crew here, with Decade the best of the two for me. The fights featured all varied from good to great, and it was good to see familiar faces in the form of Monson and Severn. So in all another good advertisement for British mixed martial arts, one I hope that the powers that be at Extreme Sports will repeat soon with other promotions.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

It was meant to be the biggest fight in British MA history, but the darling of the tabloid press, Alex Reid, got himself injured. But thankfully a new opponent for Tom “Kong” Watson was found in the form of Matt Horwich for BAMMA 3, shown on Bravo this past weekend here in Britain, with Christian O’Connell, Malcolm Martin and Pierre Guillet handing commentary duties.

The show began with welterweight action as Zach Light faced War Machine. I’m assuming that this is just a nickname, unless he’s changed his name legally. Anyway, the Machine certainly lived up to his name here. Light got the only take down of the fight, but the Machine quickly reversed, took Light’s back, and synched in a rear naked choke, which Light soon passed out to, with all of this taking just seventy seconds. Some great action to start the show with.

After highlights of some of the earlier fights it was on to the Lightweight title fight as Rob Sinclair took on Daniel Weichel. Scheduled for five rounds, this one didn’t make it past the first. Sinclair showed some good defensive work when Weichel tried to take him down, and when the fight did go to the ground Sinclair’s good work continued, and it wasn’t long before his ground and pound was too much for the German to handle, with the referee calling a halt to proceedings, giving Sinclair the impressive title retaining TKO win.

More highlights from earlier fights followed, before we moved on to the main event, with Matt Horwich challenging Tom Watson for the Middleweight title. This was the first fight I’ve seen from a British promotion that went five rounds, and it proved to be a very interesting battle, although early on it looked like it wasn’t going to get past the first round. When the fight went to the ground Horwich took Watson’s back and synched in a rear naked choke. Horwich had the hold in for what seemed like an eternity, but Watson didn’t give up, eventually escaping. From there the action progressed nicely into a back and forth affair in which both men had their moments, with the fifth round ending with Watson going for the ground and pound. So with the fight going the distance the judges were called upon to render a decision, with everyone scoring in favour of Watson, ending what was a very good fight.

In conclusion – as Pierre Guillet said on commentary, BAMMA delivered another good show. The past paced action of the two undercard fights made for great viewing, and the Watson/Horwich fight certainly delivered.

However, although I enjoyed the show, I was disappointed that only three fights were shown in full. Maybe next time BAMMA can give us less chat and a little more action.

And maybe next time Alex Reid will train properly, instead of injuring himself on another reality show.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

British MMA was back on the agenda this past Wednesday night as Ultimate Challenge presented their latest show, Never Back Down, on Sky Sports, hosted by Dave O’Donnell and Jason Barrett, with Rob Nutley and Pierre Guillet handling commentary duties.

The show began with welterweight action, as Dyson Roberts faced Jamaine Facey. This was certainly an explosive encounter. Both guys went at it full tilt from the opening bell, both swinging for the trees, and when the fight went to the ground it was just as frantic. The second round was just as good, and after Roberts scored with another take down, Facey quickly reversed, took his man’s back, and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win. An explosive and highly enjoyable way to start the show.

It was down to the lightweight division for the next fight, with Djo Lema taking on Scott Jansen. The second fight in a row to be contested at a frantic pace saw both fighters trading blows early on. Lema almost got the submission with an arm bar, which Jansen managed to escape from. Moments later Jansen went for a standing guillotine. Then, he made his mistake, pulling guard. Lema’s head popped out, and seconds later he finally got the arm bar submission he was looking for, ending another great fight.

Then it was on to UK1 kickboxing action, with Luke Sines taking on Mark Epstein in the middleweight division. Interesting to note the change in rules here as the fighters are now allowed to wear MMA-style gloves, instead of the traditional boxing gloves. This was probably the best UK1 fight I’ve seen so far. Epstein did a good job of defending Sines’ kicks early on, but early in the third round Sines connected with a kick to Epstein’s ribs that sent the Beast down. From there it was all Sines, and Epstein looked like a beaten man as Sines earned the unanimous decision.

It was back to MMA action for the next fight, as Reza Meldavian challenged Jimi Manuwa for the Light Heavyweight title. Meldavian did a lot of showboating at the beginning of this one, but a Manuwa left hook to the side of his face put him on his backside and put paid to all of that. From there the fight belonged to the Poster Boy, and a left hook/right uppercut combination sent Meldavian down again, with the referee stepping in when Manuwa went for the ground and pound, keeping Manuwa’s unbeaten record intact with another highly impressive performance.

The main event saw Stav Economu challenge Neil Grove for the Heavyweight title. If ever an MMA fight reminded me of King Kong versus Godzilla then it’s this one. Early in the first Economu knocked Grove down and went for the rear naked choke, and he probably would have got the win had he managed to get the hooks in. From there the two big men unloaded with the heavy artillery, neither unable to put the other away. The fatigue began to show on both fighters as the fight progressed, and it really could have gone either way, but with the fight going the distance the judges were called on to render a decision. One went in favour of Economu, one went in favour of Grove, while the third couldn’t separate them, meaning that the official decision was a split draw, with Grove retaining his title. An exhausting and entertaining fight, but surely these two will be matched up together again.

In conclusion – it’s another strong outing for Dave O’Donnell and his crew. Their latest television offering delivered in spades, with the main event brawl the best spectacle of the night. So this definitely gets the thumbs up as another example of British MMA at it’s best.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

When EliteXC went belly up in October 2008, Dave O’Donnell, head of their British affiliate Cage Rage, quickly went into action, dissolving the Cage Rage brand and forming an entirely new company – Ultimate Challenge. Now, having held numerous events, they’ve released their first DVD – Cage Fighting: The Best of Ultimate Challenge. Basically it’s a compilation of what are meant to be their best fights. So what are these fights like then?

Simon Gill v John Joe Ellis (Featherweight)
This one featured some nice ground work from both men, with Gill in particular looking good as he secured the submission win.

Mark Brown v Dominic Plumb (Middleweight)
A blink and you’ll miss it affair sees Plumb getting the quick take down, and going for the ground and pound, soon earning the knockout win with an impressive display.

David Urquhart v Adam Gould (Light Heavyweight)
Gould dropped his man early with a big left, but Urquhart soon reversed positions on the ground. Both fighters were soon back on their feet, where Gould soon secured the knockout win.

Jake Bostwick v Rafik Benziada (Light Heavyweight)
Explosive would be the best way to describe this fight. Controversial would be another. Both guys went at it full tilt, but Benziada took it a little further, earning himself two warnings, one for repeated blows to the back of the head, and another for an eye gouge on the ground. All this seemed to do was spur Bostwick on, and it wasn’t long before e big right sent the Algerian crashing to the ground. So impressive would be another way of describing this fight.

Chris Greg v Tony Pasos (Light Heavyweight)
A more technical and slower paced bout saw Pasos get the early take down, showing some good work on the ground before the referee stood the fighters up. Pasos then went to work again, connecting with some good combinations and knees in the clinch before getting the knockout win in a very enjoyable fight.

Dean Bray v Edgelson Lua (Welterweight)
A one-side affair saw some great defensive work from Lua, but when the fight did go to the ground it was all Lua, transitioning at will until he took Bray’s back and synched in a rear naked choke for the impressive submission win.

Dino Gambaseti v Brad Pickett (Featherweight)
One Punch is perhaps best known to American fans for being on the undercard of Brock Lesnar’s MMA debut, and this fight was a great example of his work. Pickett controlled almost every aspect of the first round, and he would surely have got the submission victory win an arm bar, but time was against him. But having broken a rib in the first, Pickett got the win just seconds into the second with a guillotine choke. You know, Pickett is one of those fighters I could watch all day.

John Joe Ellis v Marcus Thomas (Lightweight)
A better performance for Ellis in his second appearance here. Ellis ducked the taller man’s blows, and dropped Thomas with his first punch, a big right, with the referee stopping the fight soon afterwards.

Luke Smith v Dragos Voiculescu (Lightweight)
The debuting Romanian was completely overwhelmed by Smith. Dragos’ only offence of note was a take down attempt that Smith easily defended. When the fight did go to the ground it wasn’t long before Smith took Dragos’ back, getting the win with a rear naked choke.

Scott Jansen v Edgelson Lua (Welterweight)
Lua’s second appearance here proved to be a very tactical battle with some crisp combinations from both fighters in the first round. But when it went to the ground Lua was clearly the superior fighter, and this showed as he secured the submission victory with a rear naked choke early in the second round.

Jamie Hearn v Jimi Manuwa (Light Heavyweight)
A somewhat bizarre fight here. Hearn injured his right ankle just moving around the cage early on, and despite being in great pain he insisted on carrying on, which proved to be a big mistake. Just seconds later Hearn again turned away in pain, and again he carried on. Manuwa then pounced, and soon applied a guillotine, which Hearn quickly tapped out to, not because of the choke, but because of his injured ankle. I’m not sure why this was included here to be honest.

Mark Weir v Mohamed Khacha (Welterweight)
Weir may be best known to UFC fans for his great performance at their first ever British show way back in 2002. Sadly, things didn’t go to plan for him here, with both men showing some good work before Khacha scored with a second knockdown, before his ground and pound secured the knockout win.

Chris Greg v Kevin Ludick (Light Heavyweight)
A better performance by Greg in his second appearance here, controlling the majority of the fight and looking like he could get the ground and pound win in the first round. Instead, the win came in the second, as Greg secured the win with a key lock.

Giorgio Andrews v David Byfield (Featherweight)
Another one-side battle with Andrews putting on a very impressive performance, controlling everything on the ground. Byfield tried to escape, but Andrew took him straight back down again, and it wasn’t long before he got the submission win with a rear naked choke.

Sami Berick v Afnan Saeed (Lightweight)
A fast paced bout both on the ground and in the stand-up saw both fighters having their moments, before a big left from Berick saw Saeed slumping against the cage, giving him the great looking knockout win.

Jake Bostwick v Marvin Arnold (Light Heavyweight)
Another impressive Bostwick performance saw him knocking down his taller opponent with a big right, with the referee stopping the fight after just thirty second because of Bostwick’s relentless ground and pound.

Dillon Whyte v Mark Stroud (Heavyweight)
Another quickie which saw Stroud trying to trade blows from the off, before a right from Whyte sent him crashing down and out of it. Impressive knockout win from Whyte here.

Neil Grove v James McSweeney (Heavyweight)
Some of you may know McSweeney from his recent stint on The Ultimate Fighter, and he looked as if he was from another weight division compared to the massive Grove. The first round was a frantic back and forth affair. Grove looked great as he lifted McSweeney high into the air before slamming him down, while McSweeney’s ground work was highly impressive. But by the time the second round began both fighters were exhausted, although Grove had just enough energy to get the ground and pound stoppage win.

Jean Silva v A.J. Wren (Lightweight)
A very technical battle saw Silva in a dominant position for most of the fight, showing some very good ground work before securing the win with a side choke midway through the second round.

Jimi Manuwa v Ryan Robinson (Light Heavyweight)
No bizarre happenings in Manuwa’s second fight of the collection, just a great display of striking as he rocked Robinson early, opening up a nasty cut near his right eye. There were brief moments on the ground, but it wasn’t long before Manuwa’s punching power came to the fore again, with the referee stopping the fight because of the damage to Robinson’s eye. An awesome display of striking from Manuwa here.

Jake Bostwick v Alex Reid (Middleweight)
Bostwick’s third appearance of the collection sees him going up against the darling of the tabloid press in a UK1 kickboxing bout. Bostwick came out with all guns blazing, and Reid looked in trouble until a knee to the face sent Bostwick down, and as the referee made his count, Bostwick pulled himself out of the fight.

Jack Mason v Alex Reid (Middleweight)
Another kickboxing outing for Mr. Katie Price, and this time there’s plenty of shots of his famous future wife, and a little controversy as well. Mason put in a very good performance here, opening up a cut above Reid’s right eye. But with the fight going the distance and many thinking that Mason had got the decision, the judges gave it in favour of Reid.

In conclusion – this is a very good collection from Britain’s best MMA promotion, and it’s filled with great fights and great performances. It’s another good advertisement for British mixed martial arts.

Well, for the most part. While the inclusion of two Alex Reid fights is a canny marketing move, those fights aren’t actually that good. It’s as if he’s only been included because of his current high profile.

Then there’s the slight technical issue. There’s no menu on the DVD, which means that you can’t watch an individual fight. For instance, if you want to watch the Reid/Mason fight, the last fight of the collection, you have to forward through every other fight to get there.

There’s also the slightly misleading packaging. It states that the collection lasts for four hours, when it actually lasts a tad over three. I know, it’s a minor thing for some, but it’s something that really annoys me at times.

So does this get the thumbs up? Yes, yes it does, because it’s an example that British MMA isn’t all about Alex Reid. The majority of the action here should easily satisfy any fight fan’s appetite.

With thanks to the powers that be at Ultimate Challenge for supplying a copy of this release. Cage Fighting: The Best of Ultimate Challenge is available at all major DVD stockists.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews and articles at www.twoshedsreview.com.

British mixed martial arts returned to the Extreme Sports channel here in Britain recently as Cage Wars presented their Nightmare show from last November. The show was split over the past two Saturdays, and featured Jay Adams, Graham Little and Jude Samuels on commentary, with a guy I haven’t seen since my days in the British wrestling business, “Hardcore” John Atkins, as the master of ceremonies.

Part one began with Radek Rychlak taking on Ryan Boyd in the heavyweight division. A somewhat scrappy fight to begin with, with both men swinging for the trees, looking for the knockout. Round two was a much more technical battle as Rychlak first went for a kimura, then a key lock, before finally getting the submission with a rear naked choke. I was really ready to criticise this one, but the Pole’s good ground work in the second turned it for me.

Then it was on to Colin Neeson against Jonny McGillion in the featherweight division. This was a far superior fight, with better stand up and exceptional ground work, with Neeson putting in a great performance, almost getting the win with a kimura on a couple of occasions. The fight went the two round distance, and no surprise with the decision as all the judges scored in favour of Neeson.

Next up, Ali McClean facing Julien Dennis at lightweight. A one-sided fight saw McClean coming forward from the off, quickly flooring Dennis before going to work on the ground. The Frenchman went for a guillotine briefly, but it wasn’t long before McClean applied the d’arce choke for the submission win. McClean looked great here, a really impressive performance from the Irishman. Poor Dennis though didn’t know what hit him!

Next, Ben Boekee against Hugh Brady in the featherweight division. A very good fight saw Boekee putting on a good display of ground work, going for numerous submissions. Brady, in turn, showed some great defensive work as he managed to escape from all of those submission attempts. Brady took control in the final round as his ground and pound opened up a nasty cut under the Dutchman’s right eye. So with the fight going the distance, the decision was split in favour of Boekee. Two good performances here, and a good decision from the judges.

Part two began with Jordy Peute taking on Neil Seery in another featherweight fight. A pretty even first round saw some good ground work from both men, with Seery in particular looking impressive. However, the fight came to a quick end just fifteen seconds into the second as Peute applied the knee bar for the submission win.

Then it was on to Daniel Thomas against Duane van Helvoirt in the lightweight division.  For some reason the introductions and beginning of this fight were missing, although we did see a good performance from Thomas as he secured the submission win with a guillotine.

Colin McKee against Neydson Santos Ferreira at welterweight followed. Another of those one-sided affairs saw McKee coming forward early with some good combinations, with Ferreira turning his back and running away at one point. The end came when a relentless onslaught of blows from McKee saw Ferreira go down to his knees and unable to defend himself, with the referee stepping in and giving McKee the very impressive TKO win.

Up next, Lee McKibbin taking on John Lober in the middleweight division. The proverbial blink and you’ll miss it affair. A sweep from McKibbin caught Lober off guard, and seconds later he applied a standing guillotine for the quick submission win. Impressive stuff from McKibbin.

The main event saw Chris Stringer facing Rich Clementi in a catchweight fight, made at 160. This was the first fight of the two shows that saw any sort of feeling out, as Stringer circled the cage, frustrating his more experienced opponent, especially when Stringer caught one of Clementi’s kicks and took him down. But from there it was all Clementi as he reversed his position and took the mount, going for an arm bar as the first round ended. Clementi cemented his dominance in the second, controlling every aspect on the ground and getting the submission win with a triangle choke, putting the cap on a very good performance.

In conclusion – my first experience of a Cage Wars show has been a good one. Apart from the slightly disappointing opener, every fight delivered, and although there were no real stand out performances, that didn’t really matter.

Production-wise it was very good. The commentators knew their stuff and did a good job of putting the fighters over. The production values were what you’d expect from a British promotion getting exposure on television.

So in all a very good and a very enjoyable show, and I hope that Extreme Sports show more of the Cage Wars product in the future, instead of relying on old Cage Rage repeats.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews and articles @ www.twoshedsreview.com

I’m going to stick with mixed martial arts action for my next review as I once again dip into the pile of DVD’s sent to me by Tom Tailford of A1 Productions. This time we’re going back to February 2008 and Pride & Glory’s Battle in the Boro show, held at the Eston Sports Academy in Middlesbrough.

The show began with Roy Tasker taking on Sean Pierra. This one went to the ground quickly, with Pierra quickly taking the mount. Tasker seemed completely lost as Pierra quickly moved into position for the arm bar, with Tasker quickly tapping. Pierra looked good, but Tasker looked very weak.

Stuart Chase against another Pierra, Gina, was up next. The proverbial blink and you’ll miss it affair. Pierra knocked Chase down, quickly took his back and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Quick, explosive and impressive stuff from Pierra here.

Maran Polczyk against Ben Wakefield was next. Another fight that quickly went to the ground saw some good work from Polczyk as he quickly moved to the guard. Wakefield tried to escape, but Polczyk quickly took him back down again. Polczyk showed some more great work, almost getting the win with an arm bar, before finally putting his man away with a rear naked choke. This was a really impressive performance from Polczyk, and also very enjoyable.

Then it was on to Richard Taylor taking on Mac McCaughey. The longest fight of the show so far saw both fighters coming out swinging. A couple of clinches against the cage followed before Taylor pulled guard, although it wasn’t long before the referee stood them up. After a third clinch the fight went to the ground again, with Taylor securing the win with a kimura. This was a little messy at times, and their stand up sills left a lot to be desired.

Jason Muldoon against Aaron Nesbitt was next. A nice little back and forth encounter saw Nesbitt come out with all guns blazing, rocking Muldoon with a torrent of blows. It looked as if he was going to get the ground and pound win until Muldoon managed to reverse his position. The back and forth action continued for a few more minutes until Muldoon locked in an arm bar for the submission win. Now this was more like it. A very exciting fight with two good performances. Nice stuff.

Will Brookes against Ernesto Adao followed. Brookes went for the take down straight away here, with Adao defending well until he pulled guard and went for a guillotine. Brookes eventually managed to escape, but he soon found himself in Adao’s triangle, unable to escape and tapping out, giving Adao the impressive submission win.

Then it was on to Peter Wilson taking on David Smyth. The only fight of the show to go into the second round proved to be a very tactical affair. There was no rushing into things here as both guys looked good throughout with their striking and ground work. The end came towards the end of the second when Smyth took Wilson’s back, eventually locking in a rear naked choke for the submission win, ending a very good back and forth encounter.

Then it was on to Pawel Morawski and Grant Hocking. This was another of those fights that featured some wild swinging, both in and stand up and with Morawski’s ground and pound. Hocking floundered around on the mat like a fish out of water as Morawski  went for the win, so it came as no surprise when Morawski was able to take his back so he could synch in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Well, I’ve seen better.

Zbigniew Kroll against Simon Phillips was next. The all round action here was a lot better than in the previous fight, especially on the ground, where Phillips was able to reverse his position before locking in an arm bar for the submission win. Good performances from both fighters here, and it was a shame that there could be only one winner.

Up next was Stephen Moore against Steve Dawson. Another blink and you’ll miss it affair saw the fight go to the ground straight away. Moore tried to control Dawson’s body, but Dawson managed to get in a few punches, and one punch to the eye was too much for Moore as he tapped out. Well, it was okay I suppose, but I have to wonder how long it would have gone without that eye punch.

Then it was on to Liam Shannon taking on Konrad Norwacki. A very good fight here, which saw Shannon coming forward early with some well placed punches and kicks, before the fight went to the ground, where Shannon’s control continued. Try as he might, Norwacki just couldn’t escape from Shannon’s relentless ground and pound, and as he turtled up the referee stepped in, giving Shannon the impressive stoppage win.

Martin Stapleton took on Ingolf Nelson next. This was a pretty one side fight. As soon as the action went to the ground Stapleton went to work with the ground and pound, and it wasn’t long before Nelson’s face was a red and bloody mess, and when it became obvious that Nelson couldn’t handle the attack his corner spared him any more damage by throwing in the towel. Good work from Stapleton, although Nelson looked lost from the outset.

The penultimate fight saw Krysztof Anuszewski take on Kevin Thompson. This was another fight that featured some wild blows, but Thompson’s were connecting. Anuszewski was actually running away at one point, but they soon went to the ground where Thompson took Anuszewski’s back, raining down a torrent of blows until the referee put an end to Anuszewski’s defenceless suffering as Thompson earned the impressive stoppage win. Remember folks – running away during an MMA fight is not the sign of a winner.

The final encounter saw Sandy Geddes going up against Matt Howard. Another one sided affair saw Howard take Geddes down early, quickly getting the win with his relentless ground and pound, the referee stepping in once again to end the onslaught. Another example of a one guy looking great while the other looked poor.

In conclusion – normally these A1 Production DVDs take me two nights to review, but seeing as how only one fight made it past the first round I was in for an early night. This DVD was another example of the good and the bad. Some of the fighters here looked great, but others were definitely less so, looking decidedly undercooked as it were with their poor boxing skills and their inability to mount any sort of offence. But then again, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Production wise, it’s okay, nothing overly flashy here, but the lack of ring introductions and on screen graphics telling you who was who as they entered the cage could make this rather confusing and annoying for some. Once again I was forced to use the MMA Universe archive to find out who was who.

So does this get the thumbs up? Well, just about. It’s okay I suppose but there are certainly better shows from A1 available.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. If you would like to purchase a copy of Pride & Glory: Battle in the Boro, Tom can be contacted via www.fight-factory.co.uk.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews and articles @ www.twoshedsreview.com.

This past week saw the return of mixed martial arts to Sky Sports here in Britain with Adrenaline Rush, the latest offering from Ultimate Challenge, hosted by O.J. Borg and Dave O’Donnell, with Rob Nutley, Pierre Guillet and Malcolm Martin handling commentary duties.

The show began with Jake Bostwick facing Denniston Sutherland in the light heavyweight division. Coverage of this fight began in the second round. This proved to be a nice back and forth encounter, with Sutherland putting in some good ground and pound work in the second before Bostwick managed to get to his feet. The third looked more even with both men putting in some good work on the ground, before an inadvertent low blow late on. Then, in the dying seconds, a hard blow by Sutherland dropped Bostwick. The decision went in favour Bostwick, although it really could have gone either way.

The big boys were up next, heavyweight action featuring Jamie Hearn and Ben Smith. This one promised much, but was ended early because of injury. Hearn did well to avoid a couple of take downs early on before Smith eventually got the move he wanted. Hearn then showed some great defensive work, but a shoulder injury ended his night, giving Smith the win. An unfortunate ending, so hopefully we’ll see these two matched up again in the future.

Then it was on to the first title fight of the evening, with James Saville taking on Dave Lee for the vacant Featherweight title. This one went to the ground straight away and saw some great reversals and transitions from both men, before Lee locked in a triangle choke. Saville didn’t tap, and the referee stopped the fight when Saville passed out, giving Lee the impressive title win.

The title action continued as Michael Pastou challenge Francis Heagney for the Lightweight title. The second fight of the show to be clipped was a great technical battle. Pastou looked great until he began to tire in the middle of the third, when Heagney was able to assert control by taking his man’s back. Pastou’s earlier work was enough to earn him the decision, and the title, ending a very good fight.

The main event saw Mark Weir tackling Jack Mason for the vacant Middleweight title. This was the complete opposite of Weir’s last Ultimate Challenge performance. He more or less dominated the fight, showing great take down defence and some good work on the ground. Mason’s best moment was when he went for a guillotine in the second, but Weir managed to escape, and as the round entered it’s last minute Weir took Mason’s back, and got the win and the title when the referee stopped the fight with Mason failing to defend himself against Weir’s ground and pound. This was a really impressive performance from Weir.

In conclusion – I seem to have been spoiled for MMA action in the past couple of days. After watching the great Strikeforce Challengers show, Ultimate Challenge’s latest offering proved to be just as good. The only downside was the edits, which really could have been avoided with a longer time slot. So if you’re reading this anyone at Sky Sports, give us what we want, a two hour time slot for Britain’s best mixed martial arts promotion.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews @ www.twoshedsreview.com

Once again I’m going to delve into the pile of DVDs sent to me by A1 Productions, and this time we’re going back to last May, and the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh for Absolute Combat 1: Proving Ground.

The show began with Bobby McVitie taking on Robert Whiteford. This proved to be an exciting opener, a back and forth affair in which both guys showed some good work on the ground. But during the fight Whiteford suffered a nasty cut to the top of the head, probably the result of an elbow which was obscured by the camera angle, and the ringside doctor pulled him out of the fight immediately when he began to feel woozy. Good fight, but a shame that it had to end this way.

Up next were Ash Illingworth and Bryan Thompson. A quick one here. After Thompson got the take down, there were a couple of reversals until Thompson moved into a position so he could apply an arm bar, with Illingworth tapping seconds later. Some nice, smooth action here. Very enjoyable.

Then it was on to Craig Thomson against Bearden Ogunyemi. The first fight to go past the first round was an entertaining affair. Thomson looked really strong in the first round, especially when using the muay thai clinch to deliver a series of knees. But Ogunyemi looked even better in the second, and after some good work on the ground he stood up. Thompson remained seated against the ropes, unsure as to his next move, and this hesitation led to his downfall as Ogunyemi applied a guillotine, taking the fight down to the mat and getting the submission win, ending a nice back and forth affair.

James Miller against Steven Sutherland was next on the agenda. A somewhat cagey start from both fighters here before they suddenly exploded into action with the heavy leather, with Sutherland knocking Miller onto his backside, following him down for some brief ground and pound, before synching in a guillotine choke for the impressive submission win.

Mark Comiskey and Adam Stevenson followed, in the first fight on the show to go the distance. This certainly was an interesting fight. Comiskey, for the most part, controlled the fight on the ground, although he seemed to lack that killer edge. Stevenson always seemed to leave his best work to the closing stages of each road, such as when he went for a heel hook in the first. As far as the judges were concerned, this obviously wasn’t enough, as they gave Comiskey the unanimous decision for his workmanlike performance.

So after that three round it was on to Chris Carmichael against Jordan Smith. This was a very good fight with good performances from both guys. Fought mainly on the ground it featured some nice reversals and transitions before Carmichael got the upper hand, applying an arm bar for the submission win.

So following that good battle it was on to Peter Wilson against Michael Wiseman. This one began with a nice exchange of kicks, before it went down to the ground where Wiseman had an unsuccessful guillotine attempt. Moments later Wilson began to work for a triangle choke. Wiseman managed to fight the attempt for quite a while before he bowed to the inevitable, ending a good fight that could have gone either way.

Then it was on to Rob Mills against Joe Nugent. The first blink and you’ll miss it affair of the evening saw Mills quickly knock Nugent to the ground. Nugent tried to go for what looked like an arm bar when Mills followed him down, but Mills quickly took his back and synched in a rear naked choke for the quick submission win. Impressive stuff.

After that quick fight we saw Kenny Dugay taking on Alan Love. Fought mainly on the ground, Dugay went for an early guillotine choke, and held it for some time until Love managed to escape. It was then Love all the way as he asserted his control on the ground, soon getting the mount for some ground and pound before moving to get the arm bar for the submission win. A very good performance from Love here, and ironic that I’m writing about Love’s victory on Valentine’s Day!

Then it was on to Matt Inman, taking on Colin Baxter. This was another quickie, which began with some quick exchanges, then a clinch against the ropes, before Inman locked in a standing guillotine for the submission win. This was a fast and frantic fight which could have gone either way.

Up next, Paul Jenkins against John Quinn. Interesting to note here that Jenkins came to the ring without any corner men, the first time I’ve ever seen that in any combat sport. A bit of feeling out at the beginning here, before Jenkins took the fight to the ground. However, it was Quinn who ended up in the dominant position, quickly moving to side control so he could apply a kimura for the submission win. Nice work by Quinn in this one, but the lack of corner men for Jenkins has left me a little baffled!

Ronan McKay against James Mair followed. A good ground battle here, with McKay on top in the early stages before Mair suddenly exploded into action and took control with some brief ground and pound from the mount, until he moved into position to apply an arm bar, with McKay quickly tapping.

The penultimate fight saw Frederic Fernandez take on Paul Reed. The quickest fight on the show saw Fernandez drop Reed with a big right, with the referee quickly stepping in after a brief period of ground and pound, giving Fernandez the TKO win with an explosive and impressive display.

The final fight of the evening saw Marcelo Costa going up against Paul McVeigh. This was only the second fight on the show to go the distance, and it was also the best. McVeigh looked in top form on the ground, especially in the third when it looked like he could get the win with an ankle lock. Costa, for his part, put on a good fight, but it just wasn’t enough as McVeigh’s performance earned him the unanimous decision.

In conclusion – out of all the A1 Productions DVDs I’ve reviewed recently, this may well be the best so far. The fight action was top notch, no flailing fighters looking like they’ve just walked in off the street here. Absolute Combat’s set-up also impressed me. The venue was sizeable with a large and very knowledgeable crowd, with not a drunken yob in sight. Production-wise it was great. The three camera set-up was perfect, there were on screen graphics for the fighters, and we also got to see the ring introductions, which is something that’s been lacking in some of the other A1 Productions stuff. So in all Proving Ground gets the seal of approval. It’s definitely worth getting if you want to explore the world of British mixed martial outs outside of television stalwarts BAMMA and Ultimate Challenge.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. To obtain a copy of Absolute Combat 1: Proving Ground, contact Tom via www.fight-factory.co.uk. You can also find out more information on the Absolute Combat promotion by visiting www.absolute-combat.co.uk.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
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A relatively new MMA debut made their television debut on Sky Sports here in Britain this past Wednesday night as Knuckle Up presented their Origin show, hosted by Lisa Nash and Dane Bowers.

The show began with amateur middleweight action between Matt Holmes and Aston Kehoe. An enjoyable encounter between two debuting fighters with both putting on a good show in the first round. Holmes sustained a nasty cut above his right eye at the beginning of the second, and after some brief ground work Kehoe connected with a left hook that sent Holmes crashing to the ground, with the referee stopping the fight as Kehoe earned the KO win with a very good performance.

Then it was down to the lightweight division as Daniel Thomas faced Stuart Davies. Fought mainly on the ground, Thomas dominated as soon as he got the take down, controlling Davies throughout. There just didn’t seem anything that Davies could do, and his one escape attempt was easily foiled. Thomas kept up his attack, and with Davies unable to withstand the ground and pound the referee stepped in with just ten seconds left in the first round. It may not have been flashy, but it was a good solid performance from Thomas here.

After brief highlights of some of the other fights on the show, welterweight action followed as Simon Phillips faced Danny Mitchell. A nice back and forth encounter saw Mitchell drop Phillips early on, but as the round progressed Phillips began to assert his authority on the ground. The action continued in the same vein in the second, with both fighters having their moments, but it was early in the third where Mitchell hurt the M-1 veteran with some knees in the muay thai clinch, and as Phillips slumped to the ground Mitchell quickly took his back to deliver some ground and pound, and with Phillips failing to defend himself, the referee stopped the fight, giving Mitchell the TKO win in a fight where both guys put in impressive performances.

The first title fight of the night followed, with Kevin Reed challenging Jake Blyth for the British Welterweight title. This proved to be a very interesting encounter. An unfortunate slip early on saw Reed take the guard, but a lack of action saw the referee stand the fighters up. Blyth then scored with a take down of his own, and put in some good work on the ground. Round two saw some nice back and forth action, until Blyth got Reed up against the cage and locked in a side choke for the submission win. Some nice action throughout here, and two good performances.

The man event saw John Phillips facing Matt Thorpe for the vacant British Middleweight title. This one lasted less than a minute. Both guys were swinging for the trees early on, and after Thorpe failed with his take down attempt, Phillips’ ground and pound hurt him quickly, and it wasn’t long before the referee called a halt to the proceedings giving Phillips the win and the title with a very good effort.

In conclusion – my first experience of the Knuckle Up promotion was a good one, as this proved to be a very entertaining show. The five fights that were shown in full certainly delivered. Production-wise things were very good. Messrs Bowers and Nash proved to be amiable hosts, although Nash was lacking in her MMA knowledge a little, as was evident in her interview. I was a slightly disappointed that we weren’t introduced to the commentators. They could have been two blokes who just walked in off the street for all we knew! But in all a very enjoyable show, and kudos to Sky Sports for giving us more MMA action.

Review courtesy Julian Radbourne @ www.twoshedsreview.com

British mixed martial arts is on the agenda again as we take a look back at Ultimate Challenge’s first show of 2010, Resurrection, shown on Sky Sports this past Wednesday here in Britain, and hosted by O.J. Borg and Dave O’Donnell, with Rob Nutley, Pierre Guillet and Malcolm Martin handling commentary duties.

The broadcast began with lightweight action as Azran Quasid took on Scott Jansen. This certainly proved to be an interesting and explosive battle. The early parts of this fight will be remembered for it’s rule infringements. Jansen was poked in the eye, Quasid was hit in the ground, and Jansen then elbowed Quasid right in the spine. Then we got the stand up battle. Quasid bloodied Jansen’s nose, before a vicious elbow opened up a nasty cut on Quasid’s head. Then, when we all thought we’d get a knockout, Jansen got the submission win with a textbook kimura, and all of  this in the first round! An explosive start to the show, and a great fight as well.

The big boys were up next, as Peter Yendell faced Karlos Vemola at heavyweight. This one was quick. Vemola came out straight away with a barrage of blows before getting a big take down. A few seconds later a series of big rights did for Yendell with the referee quickly stepping in, giving Vemola the knockout victory with a very impressive performance.

The heavyweight action continued with Shola Adeniran and Stav Economu. This one began with some wild shots from both men, before Economu got the big take down. The big man quickly moved to the full mount for some ground and pound. Seconds alter he took Adeniran’s back, and with his opponent flat out on the ground, Economu synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win. You know, if you look at Economu you’d think he’s just a big fat guy, but this guy has some impressive skills.

Kickboxing action was up next, with Mark Weir facing Mark Epstein for the vacant UK1 Middleweight title, a title recently held by a certain Alex Reid. Fought over three two minute rounds, it saw mixed fortunes for these MMA standouts. While Weir seemed to get more and more comfortable as the fight went on, Epstein seemed to struggle somewhat as he was put on his backside twice, taking two eight counts. The fight went the distance, with Weir getting the unanimous decision. While Weir’s performance was okay, Epstein was very disappointing.

The main event saw former Ultimate Fighter contestant Dean Amasinger challenge Alberto Mina for the Welterweight title. This was definitely the best fight on the show. Both fighters paced themselves brilliantly throughout, and showed some tremendous skills as well. Mina looked very comfortable on the ground with his submission attempts, with Amasinger showing great defensive work as he made his escapes. Both men looked fresh as the third round began, and halfway through Mina scored with a take down, getting the mount and taking Amasinger’s back moments later. Amasinger was flat out and offering no defence as Mina unleashed with the ground and pound, with the referee eventually stepping in and giving Mina the title retaining TKO victory. It’s a good job that this fight ended with a stoppage as the judges would have had a hard time separating these two, it was that close.

In conclusion – Ultimate Challenge’s first show of the year certainly delivered. While I wasn’t exactly impressed with the Weir/Epstein kickboxing fight, the four MMA fights were certainly worth watching, with the Amasinger/Mina main event worth the price of admission alone. Dave O’Donnell and his crew once again proved that they are the top MMA promotion in Britain at the moment, although I do wish Sky would give them a longer time slot, as they did in the old Cage Rage days.

Review courtesy Julian Radbourne @ http://www.twoshedsreview.com