On Episode 2 of UFC Fight Pass Embedded, UFC lightweight Sage Northcutt makes the media rounds in Houston and bowls some frames with his family. As fight week draws near, his opponent Cody Pfister tapers down the physical training and turns up his mental intensity. Headlining strawweight Paige VanZant stays primed with a combination of chiropractic’s and coffee, while her opponent Rose Namajunas plays with dogs before unleashing her full power in the gym.
On Episode 2 of UFC Fight Pass Embedded, UFC lightweight Sage Northcutt makes the media rounds in Houston and bowls some frames with his family. As fight week draws near, his opponent Cody Pfister tapers down the physical training and turns up his mental intensity. Headlining strawweight Paige VanZant stays primed with a combination of chiropractic’s and coffee, while her opponent Rose Namajunas plays with dogs before unleashing her full power in the gym.
On Episode 1 of UFC Fight Pass Embedded, UFC strawweight headliner Paige VanZant trains alongside UFC fighters Urijah Faber and Andre Fili. Her opponent Rose Namajunas also lets cameras inside her “peak week” of preparation for the Las Vegas main event. Dallas lightweight Cody Pfister takes a ruthless approach to game planning for his upcoming co-main event against much-hyped prospect Sage Northcutt. Just a few hours to the south, Northcutt shows off some family photos… and their accompanying trophies.
On Episode 1 of UFC Fight Pass Embedded, UFC strawweight headliner Paige VanZant trains alongside UFC fighters Urijah Faber and Andre Fili. Her opponent Rose Namajunas also lets cameras inside her “peak week” of preparation for the Las Vegas main event. Dallas lightweight Cody Pfister takes a ruthless approach to game planning for his upcoming co-main event against much-hyped prospect Sage Northcutt. Just a few hours to the south, Northcutt shows off some family photos… and their accompanying trophies.
The UFC returns to London on February 27, 2016. Tickets go on general sale today, December 4th.
So far confirmed is:
Michael Bisping vs. Gegard Mousasi
Mike Wilkinson vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Norman Parke vs. Rustam Khabilov
Tickets are available for purchase WWW.Ticketmaster.co.uk.
For further details please visit the UFC.com.
UFC Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video series going inside the lives and training camps of four past and present champions preparing for their world title bouts at UFC 194. Featherweight champion Jose Aldo trains his sights on nasty rival and interim king Conor McGregor. And former Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold focuses on his long-awaited UFC title shot against defending undefeated middleweight Chris Weidman.
Tonight’s Media call and it was the tun of Main & co-main headliners competing on December 12th in Las Vegas.
Jose Aldo
Conor McGregor
Chris Weidman
Luke Rockhold
The UFC 194 Media conference call
London, UK – UFC® today announced the first three bouts to feature on the UFC FIGHT NIGHT® LONDON card, the organisation’s eagerly awaited return to the capital after a two year absence.
No. 7 middleweight Michael Bisping (27-7, fighting out of Orange County, CA, USA) will return to fight on home soil for the first time since 2010 as he takes on No.8 Gegard Mousasi (37-6 -2, fighting our of Leiden, Holland) at the O2 Arena on February 27.
Bisping’s last fight at the iconic O2 Arena saw him walk away not only with a victory but also the Fight of the Night bonus for his performance. “The Count” will be looking for history to repeat itself in London this February. Standing in his way is former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi who will be no easy competitor with notable wins over Dan Henderson and Costas Philippou. One thing that can be guaranteed is there will be fireworks when these two strikers collide.
Two rising UFC talents will also battle inside the Octagon® as England’s Mike Wilkinson (9-1, fighting out of Manchester, England) takes on Finland’s Makwan Amirkhani (12-2, fighting out of Stockholm, Sweden).
Wilkinson last defeated Niklas Backstrom in devastating fashion within 2 minutes of the first round, earning him the Performance of the Night bonus, before injury forced him out of competition for over a year. Amirkhani also likes to keep his battles short, ending both his UFC victories in the first round. A win for either athlete will certainly put the featherweight division on notice and show Europe continues to be a hotbed of emerging talent.
Tenacious warrior Norman Parke (22-4-1 fighting out of Bushmills, Northern Ireland) will take on a tough test in Russian Rustam Khabilov (17-3, fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico). Following a win in Dublin last month over Reza Madadi, Parke will be looking to put on a show stopping performance and climb the lightweight ladder while Khabilov hopes to prove he remains a force at 155 pounds.
Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT® LONDON go on sale Friday, December 4 at 12 p.m. GMT and are priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £125 and £150 (prices do not include any applicable service charges and handling fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/35004F7ED13483B9 and www.axs.com/uk.
UFC FIGHT CLUB member have the opportunity to purchase tickets early on Wednesday, December 2 at 10 a.m. GMT via www.ufcfightclub.com.
UFC newsletter subscribers will also have priority access starting on Thursday at 10 a.m. GMT, to sign up for the UFC newsletter please visit UFC.com.
For a full list of bouts and the latest news, please visit UFC.com
UFC Fight Night Las Vegas and Ultimate Fighter Finale Media Conference with the Rose Namajunas, Paige VanZant, Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes.
UFC Fight Night 80 takes place on December 10th and The Ultimate Fighter Finale takes place on December 11th.
Born and raised in Aldershot, Hampshire in the UK and having spent a few years living and competing in Phuket under Phuket Top Team, Helen is now firmly back where she started at home in Farnham, Surrey.
With her only loss coming by the way of controversial stoppage due to a Groin Strike against Strawweight UFC Athlete Cortney Casey, the 28-year-old has only been competing in mixed martial arts for four years and holds an impressive record of 4-1 inside the cage.
Not content with simply applying herself to the world of mixed martial arts, Helen has also competed in several Muay Thai events successfully including winning her pro kickboxing bout.
The pound for pound ranked #4 in UK & Ireland and #1 in Southeast Asia on Tapology does not take anything for granted in this forever evolving sport and has been working hard over the last few months by competing in many Gi and No Gi Competitions. So much so that Helen has picked up 7 Golds, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze, placing in every competition she has entered.
Having recently competed in a Muay Thai event at ‘The Road to Main Event’ on November 21st against Kat Holden, Helen took the fight on 2 weeks’ notice due to some prior pull-outs with her own schedule of fights in mixed martial arts. After three hard fought rounds, Helen was the one to walk away victorious with a decision win, although it was no easy feat.
“I’d had a few pull outs in a row and the only fight that I could have had was up in Sunderland, which would have meant I wouldn’t have had a corner. It was very frustrating. My coach at Shinkick (Jesse Saunders) told me he already had a few guys fighting on this show and they’d had a pull out – did I want to fight? Of course I said yes, that’s equivalent to asking a fat kid if they want cake…
“It was incredible! Kat is no walkover, she’s a seriously tough girl and as you said, it was by no means easy. I absolutely loved it though, and would do it again tomorrow if I could!”
Having decided to sharpen up her forever growing arsenal of tools in her tool box, Helen has been focusing more on becoming more specialised and dedicated to the whole of her MMA game. Having spent some time down at Legacy BJJ/Urban Kings under the tutelage of BAMMA‘s Head Match-Maker Jude Samuel, who was in Helen’s corner for her last MMA fight against Sophie Langsford where Helen picked up a win via decision over three hard fought rounds.
“I’m sharpening up my technique. I can brawl amongst the best of them but when it comes to technique I do struggle to keep things tight. My Muay Thai is the main thing I can see a big improvement in, and that’s thanks to the guys at Shinkick – especially Jesse and Rob. Strength and conditioning is done at Andy’s with the resident S&C coach, James Hardy. Wrestling is also at Andy’s, with Csaba who is an absolute beast – fantastic teacher and all round nice guy. I couldn’t ask for a better set of guys. Having spent a few months’ worth of training up at Jude’s in London, it is a fantastic gym, but I just couldn’t afford to keep travelling up there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who does find themselves in the Kings Cross area though.”
Having recently been over to Phuket in Thailand to see her good friend and UFC flyweight athlete Ben Nguyen get married, which must of been amazing. Helen went over to AKA to train and then competed in a Muay Thai fight.
“I went over to witness Ben’s wedding, and had the opportunity to fight, so I grabbed it. Unfortunately, I also got very sick that week so it wasn’t my best fight but I made it to the end without throwing up so I was kind of happy about that!“
Now back in the UK, Helen is set to face one of her biggest goals to date – the TUF 23 Trials out in Las Vegas on December 14th. This is not the first time Helen has gone to try out for The Ultimate Fighter, back in April 2014 for season 20, Helen made it through to the final 20 athletes which is a great accomplishment in itself.
“I came home on Monday evening to 8 messages telling me about the trials. I wasn’t going to go, purely through lack of funds, but then Andy had a long chat with me and told me to get there any way I could. He reminded me that this is what I have been aiming for all this time so it would be stupid not to go.
“UFC is an organisation where anything could happen. Yes, I know the general expectation of me, but what they are looking for in a person for each series varies from show to show. The real bonus having been to Vegas before, is that there are a number of friendly faces I can count on to cheer me on!”
With costs from the UK to Las Vegas being expensive, especially on a massive UFC fight card week, yet alone near Christmas, Helen has decided to set up a ‘MAKEACHAMP‘ page to try to assist with the costs associated with getting to Las Vegas for the TUF 23 Trials.
“Andy encouraged me to get to the trials any way I can. I am a Teaching assistant who’s been living in my overdraft since I can remember. Realistically the only way, even though I absolutely hate asking people, is to ask for help. I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support. The way I look at it is people are not only giving me their hard earned cash to achieve my own dream, which is incredible in itself, but they are believing in me. For that I am extremely lucky.”
Helen is also holding a grapplethon at the gym she trains at, Andy Roberts BJJ, on December 6th to also help raise funds for herself to get to the TUF 23 Trials.
“The plan is to grapple for 8 hours (10am-6pm). I was worried about not having enough people to turn up so I have been trying to book half hour slots – it’s not going that well so far. I hope I will get a few more booked this week! If anyone wants to come, it’s in Farnborough on Sunday and open to anyone!”
Helen would like to thank the following:
Whisky Wolf @TheWhiskyWolf
She cries war @shecrieswar
Str8 Cheer @STR8_CHEER
Xbrain @XbrainUk
Battle Balm @BattleBalm
Pony Club Grappling Gear
Andy Roberts BJJ @AndyRobertsBJJ
Shinkick Muay Thai @ShinkickMDK
And you can follow her on these social media platforms:
Twitter @hhhellraiser
Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/HelenHellraiserHarper/
Instagram – hhhellraiser
Website – www.helenhellraiserharper.com
Thanks for your time Helen. I look forward to seeing you reach your new goal and wish you the best of luck.
Photo Credits: Main Pic Say Uncle Promotions
Photo Credit: Pic 1 Main Event
Photo Credit: Pic 2 Scott Griffiths
YouTube video: Wombat Sports
Team UK had 7 athletes competing today and went 3-4 overall, which will also see both flyweights Jake Bond and Warren Mason face each other in the final.
Here are the official results from day 3.
Day Three #RingOne
155lb Women’s – Leah McCourt (Northern Ireland) def. Sini Koivunen (Finland) via Submission (Armbar) Round 3 – 2:12
155lb Women’s – Mia Isola (Finland) BYE over Aurore Quintin (Frannce) due to missed weight
115lb Women’s – Aleksandra Toncheva (Bulgaria) def. Amy Omara (United Kingdom) via Decision (Unanimous)
115lb Women’s – Raluca Dinescu (Romania) def. Lyudmila Sadirina (Azerbaijan) via Decision (Unanimous)
125lb Women’s – Anja Saxmark (Sweden) def. Inka Auvinen (Finland) via Decision (Unanimous)
125lb Women’s – Sunna Rannveig (Iceland) def. Michaela Dostalova (Czech Republic) via TKO (ground strikes) Round 1 – 2:48
125lb Men’s: Jake Bond (United Kingdom) def. Hussain Haki Mahdi (Bahrain) via Submission (rear naked choke) Round 3 – 1:22
125lb Men’s – Warren Mason (United Kingdom) def. David Forgarty (Ireland) via Decision (Unanimous)
145lb Men’s – Joel Moya Schondorff (Sweden) def. Connor Hitchens (United Kingdom) via Decision (Unanimous)
145lb Men’s: Ross McCorriston (Northern Ireland) def. Ante Ageneby (Sweden) via Decision (Split)
265lb Men’s: Irman Smajic (Sweden) def. Petur Oskarsson (Iceland) via Submission (standing guillotine) Round 1 – 1:56
265lb Men’s: Daniel Galabarov (Bulgaria) def. Ryan Spillane (Ireland) via Submission (Kimura) Round 2 – 1:49
155lb Men’s – Jack Shore (United Kingdom) def. Thomas Martin (Ireland) via Submission (Armbar) Round 1 – 2:15
155lb Men’s – Geir Kare Cemsoylu (Norway) def. Lee Hammond (Ireland) via TKO (Ground strikes) Round 3 – 2:24
Day 3 #RING2
205: Balaze Kiss (Hungary) def. Dillon Murphey (Ireland) via submission (arm-bar), round 2 (0:35).
170: Dorian Dermendzhiev (Bulgaria) def. Jorden Indsetviken (Norway) via submission (Guillotine), round1 (2:16).
170: Bjarki Palsson (Iceland) def. Hardeep Rai (United Kingdom) via TKO, round 2 (1:59)
135: Gabriella Ringblom (Sweden) def. Camilla Mannes (Norway) via unanimous decision.
135: Varpru Rinne (Finland) def. Eloise Picard (Canada) via unanimous decision
145: Cornelia Holm (Sweden) def. Caline Provost (France) via submission (Americana), round 1 (1:59)
145: Sanna Merta (Finland) def. Julia Dorny (Germany) via submission (arm-bar) round 3 (1:58)
135: Marco Zannetti (Italy) def. Alexis Guilleux (France) via submission (Guillotine Choke), round 1 (2:55)
135: Abdul Hussein (Finland) def. Renato Vidovic (Sweden) via unanimous decision
185: Rostem Akman (Sweden) def. James Duckett (United Kingdom) via unanimous decision
185: Marius Hakonsev (Norway) def. Astenio Lucchesini (Italy) via submission (Triangle Choke), round 3 (2:58)
Results courtesy of IMMAF
After yesterdays great start, Team UK carried on the momentum and brought today’s score to a rather impressive 5-3 by the end of the first rounds. With Jack Shore and Hardeep Rai both competing twice today and winning both times also. So you could say 7-3 at the end of the day in total.
Here are the Unofficial results from today:
Results Courtesy of Brandon Collings Team Canada
Five Rounds with Emma 
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