BlurayMMA.com

The second of my British MMA double bill sees us going back to Wembley Arena in London this past Saturday as Murilo “Ninja” Rua challenged Tom “Kong” Watson for the Middleweight title at BAMMA 6, shown live on Syfy here in Britain.

The broadcast began with action from the middleweight division as Matt Ewin faced Ivan Salaverry.

Salaverry took this fight at two week’s notice after a three year absence from the fight game, and he certainly looked like a man who’d been out of it for a few years.

Ewin, one year old than Salaverry at 41, looked in great form as he stalked his man around the cage, connecting with a series of crisp blows.

Ewin fought the perfect fight, taking his time as Salaverry looked to get rid of the rust.

The only real ground action came in the third when Ewin took the take down. They didn’t stay there for long though, and although Salaverry upped his game a little towards the end of the fight it wasn’t enough as all three judges scored in favour of Ewin.

The middleweight action continued as John Phillips took on Frank Trigg.

Trigg was looking to make a big statement after being cut by the UFC last year, and make that statement he did, scoring with the early take down and going for the ground and pound immediately.

It was a brutal performance from Trigg as he quickly opened up three deep cuts on Phillips’ head. The red stuff was soon flowing into Phillips’ eyes, so the referee stepped in, checked with the doctor, and called the fight off, giving Trigg the TKO win.

The main event saw Murilo Rua challenging Tom Watson for the Middleweight title.

This proved to be a tremendous fight. As soon as the action began Watson went to work, rolling off a series of combinations and devastating kicks to Rua’s lead leg.

It was brutal watching Kong going to work like this. Rua scored with only one take down but didn’t have much time to go to work.

The end came in the third round. Rua’s left knee and face were swelling up badly, and as a flurry sent Rua crashing to the mat his corner threw in the towel as the referee stopped the fight, both coming to the same conclusion at the same time, giving Watson the tremendous TKO win.

Filler material rounded out the show as Che Mills faced Marcio Cesar in the welterweight division.

This one featured some nice grappling from both men, first from Mills and then from Cesar.

The Brazilian looked the stronger when on the ground, but when Mills re-established control a sustained period of ground and pound saw the referee stepping in to give Mills the TKO win.

In conclusion – another strong and very enjoyable show from the BAMMA crew here, with four very good fights show, topped off nicely by the excellent main event.

Tom Watson’s demolition job was certainly the highlight of the night and must certainly put the Kong man up with the likes of Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy as Britain’s top MMA fighters.

So in all BAMMA 6 gets the big thumbs up from me.

It was billed as the biggest fight in British MMA history as Tom “Kong” Watson defended his Middleweight title against the darling of the tabloid press Alex Reid in the main event of BAMMA 4, shown this past Friday night on Bravo here in Britain.

The broadcast began with three fights in the lightweight division, beginning with David Round against Harvey Harra.

Fast paced back and forth action was the order of the day here. Both men went for numerous submission attempts in the first round.

They continued the pace into the second, only this time Harra had some success after Round took him down, securing the win with a guillotine to end a very entertaining affair.

Then it was on to Scott Jansen against Stuart Davies.

Another nice back and forth battle saw Jansen going for the ground and pound early on, but Davies wasn’t put off one bit, always working with his legs, always looking to escape.

Halfway through the first round his work paid off as Jansen left himself open for an arm bar, giving Davies the submission win.

A.J. Wenn against Tim Newman followed.

This was another good fight which saw both men put in some good work in the first round. Newman in particular looked very good.

But as the Welshman began to up his game in the second Wenn  suddenly countered, turning a rubber guard into a triangle choke for the very impressive submission win.

Welterweight action in the form of Gunnar Nelson against Eugene Fadiora followed.

Both fighters came into this one undefeated, and the highly regarded Nelson put on another good display of ground fighting, overwhelming Fadiora as soon as they went down.

Fadiora tried to fight back, but it wasn’t enough as the Icelander took his back. Fadiora tried to stand up, but as he did Nelson synched in a neck crank for the great submission win.

It was up to the middleweight division for the next encounter as John Phillips went up against James Zikic.

Given that the majority pf Phillips’ wins had come by TKO it was pretty obvious how this was going to play out.

Phillips went to work with the heavy leather early on, and although Zikic was able to counter with some shots on the inside it was a body shot from Phillips that sent Zikic down. The referee quickly stepped in and called a halt to proceedings as Phillips took home another TKO win.

The highly publicised main event saw Alex Reid challenging Tom Watson for the Middleweight title.

This fight certainly lived up to the hype. Nobody, myself included, thought that Reid had a chance against someone as skilled as Watson.

Reid came forward from the opening bell and rocked the champion a number of times in the first, opening up a cut above Watson’s right eye.

But Kong was able to fight back and as the fight progressed it became clear that Reid wasn’t going to back down.

Reid’s good performance continued throughout the fight, but it wasn’t enough to put Watson away as he slowly asserted his authority, and as the fight entered the fifth and final round Reid’s face was a mess, and his left eye was almost closed.

Watson took control in the firth with a big shot. Brief trips to the ground followed, but neither man could get the job done, especially as the fatigue factor came into play.

So after five outstanding rounds the judges were called into action, with Watson getting the unanimous decision, setting up a future date with John Phillips.

In conclusion – this was British MMA at it’s best, a strong undercard with an outstanding main event between two men who gave their all.

I really can’t speak too highly of this fight, and even though I was critical of Reid getting a title shot, especially has he hasn’t had an MMA fight since 2007 and a win since 2005 he put in a hell of a performance, the best I’ve ever seen from him.

But the main event wasn’t the only big news, as the BAMMA 5 main event for December 4th was announced, with “Crazy Bear” Stav Economu taking on none other than “The Beast” Bob Sapp, and after he pulled out of his last proposed British fight a few years ago let’s hope he actually turns up for this one!

Alex Reid fights back at BAMMA 4.

Alex Reid’s big fight tomorrow, versus Tom ‘Kong’ Watson, live on Bravo, 10pm. I’m staying completely neutral on this one, Reid is from my old manor and Watson is from Southampton just down the road from me.

Weighing it up both fighters have things going against them. Alex Reid: ring rust. Tom ‘Kong’ Watson: coming off a loss.

Reid has the experience advantage I believe, but does he have the stamina required for a 5 round championship contest? All will be answered inside the cage at BAMMA 4, Birmingham NIA, Saturday night.

If you are still undecided which cage-fighter to back, have a shot on The Reidernator’s missus – Jordan walloping Watson herself, according to the Daily Star bookies William Hill are offering odds of 50-1!

Who do they think she is, Scary Sherri? This isn’t WWF pro wrestling!

Don’t forget, later on in the small hours of Sunday morning, UFC 119 live on ESPN. Wow, what a weekend for fight fans.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

Lloyd Clarkson v Tom Watson at AFC 1

We’re going to take another look at British mixed martial arts as I take a final dip into the pile of DVDs that Fight Factory’s Tom Tailford sent me.

This time we’re going to look at the debut (and so far only) show from the Atlas Fighting Championship promotion, held at the Lighthouse in Pool in August 2008, and featuring Tom “Kong” Watson in the main event.

The action began with Lee McKibbin going up against Gareth Burbridge. A fast paced fight saw McKibbin score with the first take down, although Burbridge soon tied him up and immobilised him.

It wasn’t long before Burbridge reversed positions, but McKibbin countered by going for an arm bar, and after Burbridge slammed his way out McKibbin had no answer to his ground and pound, with the referee saving him from further punishment, giving Burbridge the impressive TKO win.

Then it was on to Simon Hull against Dan Edwards. Another fight that began with the quick take down, this time from Edwards. Hull looked a bit lost as Edwards took his back with ease, although he soon managed to escape.

Both fighters soon returned to their feet, and after some wild shots from Hull Edwards unloaded with the big stuff, and a high kick connected to Hull’s head, sending him crashing down to the mat and giving Edwards the nice knockout win. As for Hull he looked very rough around the edges.

The big boys were up next as Jeremy Rowlett faced Pao Zoro. Two very inexperienced fighters here. Rowlett was making his debut, and was giving up seventy pounds to his French opponent.

No ground work here to speak of, just a bit of wild swinging, with Rowlett getting the better of this particular duel as Zoro fell to the ground in stages. Rowlett followed him down, and quickly sealed the deal with a knockout win, with Zoro receiving medical treatment for several minutes afterwards. Well, it was a bit messy, not the most technical fight I’ve seen, but Rowlett got the win nonetheless

Daniel Abrol took on Nayeb Hezam next. The fourth fight in a row not to make it out of the first round saw some good ground work from Hezam, quickly taking Abrol’s back and synching in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Now while Hezam looked great, Abrol looked equally as bad.

Phil Harris against Mourad Benshegir followed, the first fight to make it past the opening round.

This proved to be a very intriguing battle, with good performances from those concerned. Harris looked very crisp with his judo throws and ground work, while Benshegir’s ground work only really came to the fore in the third, by which time both fighters looked exhausted.

The judges were called on to render a decision here, with Harris getting the unanimous vote in one of the highlights of the show.

The second fight in a row to make it past the first round saw Peter Duncan take on Daniel Thomas.

Duncan put on a dominant performance here, controlling the fight on the ground. However, late into the second Thomas was able to gain control, and it wasn’t long before he’d locked in a guillotine choke for the submission win. A very good fight here, and another of the highlights.

Normal service, meaning one round fight action, resumed as Ash Gamble took on Yahya Lalanne.

Gamble, making his debut here, looked like a fish out of water as Lalanne quickly took the fight to the ground. He was able to transition at will, and soon moved into a position where he could apply a kimura for the submission win. A good performance from the Frenchman, although you can only really work with what’s put in front of you.

The penultimate fight saw Chris Stringer against Altinezio Neto Minerio. This great fight saw Minerio counter Stringer’s crisp striking with a leg trip. From there we had an exciting ground battle, with plenty of reversals and submission attempts before Stringer was able to take Minerio’s back, locking in a rear naked choke. Impressive stuff.

The main event saw Lloyd Clarkson taking on the Kong man himself, Tom Watson.

This was definitely worth it’s spot on the card, an exciting striking battle with occasional forays into the ground war.

Clarkson put on a good display, but as good as he was Watson was just that much better, and although he suffered a nasty cut himself Watson bloodied Clarkson’s face with some great knees from the muay thai clinch.

Nobody expected Clarkson to survive, but survive he did, and with the fight going the distance the judges were called upon again as they gave Watson the unanimous decision. A great fight, and a fine example of what old Kong is all about.

DVD extras come in the form of a photos section and a musical highlights video.

In conclusion – while there were a few performances that didn’t exactly set my pulse racing, I have to say that this was a good show, and the best one that Tom Tailford gave me to review.

Production-wise it’s you usual standard for a promotion of this size, and unlike Tom’s other DVDs this one contained commentary, from Leigh Remedios and Gareth Piper, although it was difficult to hear what Remedios was saying because his microphone was turned down so low.

The commentary was okay, but I found it annoying when Piper kept referring to some of the fighters as “the Irish guy” or “the French guy”. It was as if he hadn’t learned how to pronounce some of their names.

But overall, while this isn’t up to the standard of a BAMMA or Ultimate Challenge show, it’s still a good spectacle.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. Atlas Fighting Championship 1 can be purchased by contact Tom via his website, www.fight-factory.co.uk.

Reid v Watson: rescheduled for September.

Following the confirmation of Alex Reid pulling out of the scheduled BAMMA middleweight battle in May, the showdown is now booked in for September.

Matt Horwich is the man stepping up to face Tom ‘Kong’ Watson on May 15th, chosen by the BAMMA matchmakers. Good to news hear Watson has an opponent after all the training in preparation for May.

In other Reidernater related news, apparently Mr Jordan missed his own movie premiere, according to Digital Spy Alex and wife Katie Price  did not add the attend the bash for Killer Bitch but were just around the corner from the venue.

Mixed martial arts is on the agenda again as we take a look at the latest offering from Ultimate Challenge UK, Dynamite, held at the Troxy in London and shown on a three day delay on Sky Sports here in Britain. The show was hosted by O.J. Borg and Dave O’Donnell, with Andy Walker and Rob Nutley handling commentary duties.

The broadcast began with welterweight action, and Alberto Mina facing Edgelson Lua for the Welterweight title. Two good performances in this relatively short fight, with Lua looking good as he defending Mina’s early take down attempts. It wasn’t long before Mina got his wish though, as he took Lua down to the ground and showed some great transitions before he locked in an arm bar for the submission victory. Nice way to kick off the show.

The welterweight action continued with former Ultimate Fighter contestant Dean Amasinger taking on Scott Jansen. Amasinger looked tremendous here, quickly taking Jansen down and getting side control. Seconds later he had the win, courtesy of an arm triangle. The time, just forty-four seconds. Very good performance from Amasinger here, even though I forgot to use my blink and you’ll miss it affair line.

Then it was down to the lightweight division as Abdul Mohammad faced Jason Young. This proved to be another enjoyable fight. Both men had their moments in the first fight on the show to make it past the first round, but as time went on Young began to assert himself more. With the fight going the three round distance, the judges were called on to make their decision, and they gave their respective nods to Young. A decision you definitely couldn’t argue with.

The usually watchable Tom “Kong” Watson was up next, defending his middleweight title against Denniston Sutherland. This was the second fight to go the distance, and although it featured some good action, it just seemed to lack that certain something, that little spark that usually make Watson fights great. Both men just seemed to cancel each other out, which was probably why the judges gave a split decision to Watson.

The main event featured the Goliath himself, Neil Grove, defending his Heavyweight title against Martin Thompson. Young Thompson looked dwarfed the massive Grove, and the champion used his size advantage to good effect, dropping Thompson with a big right hand before delivering the coup de grace with the ground and pound, knocking his man out. The referee wisely stepped in, giving Grove the title retaining win in just fifty-three seconds, giving us viewers our second blink and you’ll miss it affair of the night. See, I did manage to get that line in!

In conclusion – four out of five great fights made for a good showing, and another example of how Ultimate Challenge UK is the leading lights in British mixed martial arts at the moment. And you know what the great thing about this show was? Absolutely no mention of Katie Price and Alex Reid, proving that Dave O’Donnell and his crew don’t need to turn their product in a circus sideshow to draw in the punters. Nice work Dave.

Review by Julian Radbourne, courtesy www.twoshedsreview.com