Wallhead, currently ranked as one of the UK’s top two welterweights, will compete exclusively for CWFC for a minimum period of 18 months after inking a five-fight deal with the promotion.
The 29-year-old began his career with Cage Warriors back in 2005, going on to compete under the CWFC banner on 15 occasions, more than any other fighter in the promotion’s 12-year history.
The latest addition to CWFC’s highly competitive welterweight stable, Wallhead will be aiming to stake a claim for a shot at championship gold when he makes his Cage Warriors return at CWFC 68 in Liverpool on May 3 against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
“I’m extremely excited about my homecoming to Cage Warriors,” said Wallhead. “Cage Warriors was where I started and where I have some of the fondest memories from my career so far.
“I’m in the best mental and physical shape of my life, so to come back to Cage warriors to compete in a great talent-pool is an inspirational opportunity for me.
“My respect goes out to Graham Boylan and Ian Dean for creating an incredibly organised and focused promotion that continues to evolve and improve, making Cage Warriors an exciting prospect for any serious athlete.”
A judo black belt and veteran of 25 professional victories, 18 of which have come via stoppage, Wallhead holds notable wins over several fighters with UFC experience, including Igor Araujo, Matt Veach, Che Mills and Frank Trigg.
The Leicester native, who competed for Bellator on three occasions between 2010 and 2012, hasn’t been stopped in his last 20 outings, with his last loss inside the distance coming at the hands of current UFC star Dennis Siver back in 2006.
Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said: “We’re very pleased to be welcoming Jimmy Wallhead back to the promotion. At 29, he’s in the prime of his career so he needs to be competing regularly against high-calibre opposition. That’s exactly what he’ll do here at Cage Warriors.”
See Jimmy Wallhead make his Cage Warriors Fighting Championship return on Saturday, May 3, at CWFC 68at Liverpool’s Echo Arena! Tickets, priced from £30 plus booking fee, are available HERE.
March 5th, 2014 – Fighter Jim Wallhead has decided not to renew his contract with BAMMA ahead of BAMMA 15. Fans had hoped there would be a re-match for the BAMMA World Welterweight title, but this now means new opportunities are on the horizon.
Since former team mates Jim Wallhead and Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley had vowed never to fight each other, Daley was excluded from title contendership. As Wallhead moves on, there are set be some exciting developments in the BAMMA Welterweight division.
Wallhead and Daley previously trained together at Rough House, but Daley now fights out of his own Spirit Dojo gym.
BAMMA’s manager, Ashley Bothwell, said:
“We are sorry to see Jim go, as he was well loved at BAMMA as a true BAMMA icon. We wish him all the best in his future.”
Marshman one of the UK’s top middleweights, has taken all but two of his 14 wins inside the distance, 10 of which have come via (T)KO.
An active serviceman with parachute regiment 3 Para, Marshman is a former middleweight champion for domestic British promotion BAMMA and holds notable wins over the likes of Lee Chadwick and Andrew Punshon.
“I’m very happy to have signed with Cage Warriors and I’m looking forward to some really interesting match-ups with Europe’s premier promotion,” said the 24-year-old Welshman.
“I want to thank my superiors at 3 Para for supporting me in my MMA career and allowing me the opportunity to train full-time. Also thanks to Graham Boylan for giving me this fantastic opportunity.”
It has just been announced that Europe’s flagship Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce a British Welterweighttitle fight to the BAMMA 15 card, as Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards challenges reigning champion, Wayne Murrie.
BAMMA 15 takes place at the Copper Box in London’s Olympic Park on 5th April.
Fighting out of Doncaster’s Ludus Magnus, Wayne ‘The Caveman’ Murrieboasts a record of 17-5-1 and the BAMMA British Welterweight belt. BAMMA 13 saw Murrie win the championship against Michael Johnson via Rear Naked Choke in just 3:23, gaining him his 13th 1st round victory. 59% of his wins have come via Submission and 29% by TKO/ KO, while Murrie has also proved he can go the distance against some of the best. Murrie comes from a decorated Thai-boxing background
Rising talent Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards has never been beaten. With a professional MMA record of 5-1-0 achieved since 2011 and an Amateur record of 7-0-0, Edwards’ sole loss came via disqualification for an illegal knee. Edwards debuted at BAMMA for BAMMA 11 with a victory over Jonathan Bilton via TKO, just 1:11 in to round 2. He then clinched a Submission win at BAMMA 13 when he defeated Adam Bousif via Arm-Triangle choke. Edwards returned for BAMMA 14 where he notably devastated striker Wendle Lewis at 1:20 into the 1st round. With a 60% KO/TKO victory rate, Rocky Edwards has been cited among British talent to watch in 2014 by Fighters Only magazine. Edwards fights out of Birmingham’s UTC.
It was announced yesterday that Europe’s flagship Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce that BAMMA 15 will take place at the Copper Box in London on 5th April. Located in London’s Olympic Park in Hackney Wick, the iconic Copper Box Arena is a multi-sport venue which was famously used for the Summer Olympics in 2012. The fight card is to be announced shortly and tickets go on sale this week.
BAMMA’s Director, Ashley Bothwell said:
“It’s exciting for BAMMA to be holding an event in the Olympic Park at the Copper Box, as it carries a huge sporting legacy. 5th April will see the coming together of months of preparation for the fighters as all their hard work and sacrifice boils down to a few explosive, intense minutes. It is fitting that these crucial minutes should share a home with so many elite and aspirational sporting memories.”
BAMMA IS ALSO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE:
OLI THOMPSON VS GZIM ‘ALBANIAN PSYCHO’ SELMANI WILL HEADLINE FOR BAMMA 15 AT THE COPPER BOX ARENA, LONDON (UK) 5TH APRIL 2014
Europe’s flagship Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA, is proud to announce Oli Thompson vs Gzim Selmani as the Heavyweightheadliner for BAMMA 15 at the Copper Box in London’s Olympic Park on 5th April.
Oli Thompsonoriginally made his name as a strongman, peaking in 2006 when he won the TWI Britain’s Strongest Man contest and reached the finals of the IFSA World Championships, in which he came 8th. Thompson also notably attained 2nd and 3rd places in IFSA British Championship contests. The 34 year old debuted professionally in Mixed Martial Arts in 2009, and went on to become UCMMA’s Heavyweight Champion in 2011, before competing in the UFC then KSW. Training out of 1st Generation in Sussex with a professional record of 12-5, Thompson has gone 3-1 since fighting in the UFC and has won his last two bouts via TKO in the first and second rounds. 50% of Thompson’s wins have come via Submission and 42% via KO or TKO. Thompson weighs 248lbs at 6ft1.
Gzim ‘The Albanian Psycho’ Selmani fights out of Golden Glory and Tatsujin Dojo in the Netherlands with a MMA record of 5-1* and a kickboxing record of 1-0, the victory scored via a flying knee KO. The Kosovo Albanian stands at 6ft 3 and weighs 263 pounds. He started training in Judo at the age of 5, then started kickboxing at the age of 12 before taking up MMA at the age of 15 with his older brother Egzon Selmani. Gzim debuted professionally in MMA at the age of 18.
BAMMA‘s matchmaker, Jude Samuel, said: “Selmani is mainly considered a striker. However at 19 years of age he has not yet had his patterns laid down which makes him unpredictable, dangerous and exciting to watch.”
Indeed, 2 of his MMA victories have come via TKO and 3 via Submission. The ‘Albanian Psycho’ is also the Dutch Heavyweight Grappling Champion 2013, and the Rough Diamonds Kickboxing Champion 2013 in Germany. None of his fights to date have cleared the 2nd round.
Oli Thompson said:
“I have been looking to fight on BAMMA for a long time. The show always has a great look. I am bringing an intensity and athleticism that is not seen in many heavyweights, and I will put my body on the line to get the win at all costs. I want to become the first BAMMA Heavyweight champion”
You can Follow @OliThompson_Fit and @GzimSelmani on Twitter
*Gzim Selmani – MMA Fight Record
1: Gzin Selmani def. Kaan Postaci
KO, 1st RND
July 8th 2012, Shaolin Ryu – Fight Club Den Haag 2012
Video: http://youtu.be/EItC4crmcLs
2: Gzim Selmani def. Jorrit Leemans
Armbar, 2nd RND, 2:32
13th October 2012, Shooto Holland
Video: http://youtu.be/XXgGNs4qrWI
3: Gzim Selmani def. Tolea Ciumac
TKO (Corner stoppage), 2ND RND
24th November 2012, Super Pro Romania: “KLASH – Road to Glory”
Video: http://youtu.be/ZpJywRz3Oyo
4: Ante Delija def. Gzim Selmani
TKO (punches), 1st RND, 3:09
24th May 2013, FFC – Final Fight Championship 5
5: Gzim Selmani vs. Mario Milosavljevic
Guilotine Choke, 1st RND, 0:35
9th November 2013, BFC – Bosnia Fight Championship 1
Video: http://youtu.be/PaRWKXIVYLw
6: Gzim Selmani def. Thomaz Simonic
Arm Triangle Choke, 1st ROUND, 1:54
13th December 2013, FFC – Final Fight Championship 10
Video: http://youtu.be/-Q3w-JeFPsE
Please see below for the BAMMA 15 Teaser Trailer [VIDEO]: ” He is Coming”:
BAMMA IS BROADCAST ON 5* IN THE UK, AXS-TV IN THE US, KIX IN ASIA, ABU DHABI TV IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE FIGHT NETWORK IN CANADA, EXTREME SPORTS CHANNEL IN EUROPE, SETANTA IN AFRICA, SONY IN RUSSIA & TRANSYLVANIA MEDIA IN ROMANIA.
BAMMA is brought to you in Association with: Lonsdale & Sports Direct – The Official Equipment Partners of BAMMA Safe MMA – Independent British Medical Organisation
`Ultimate Impact 11 held their first event of 2014 Benskin VS Cook 2 at their new location of GL1 Leisure Centre in Gloucester on Saturday 22nd February to an electrified, pumped up full house.
With six K1 fights on the card including four female K1 fights and seven MMA fights, Paul Sutherland and Dan Richards had definitely pulled this one out of the bag yet again with each show just getting better and better.
The main event was all about the Middleweight Title re-match between Lenny Benskin and Tommy Cook, after the first outing ended in a DQ for Lenny Benskin in which Tommy Cook gained The Middleweight Title; it was there in the centre of the cage both men agreed to an instant re-match and tonight was the night.
Referee’s Ron Frith and Leon Roberts were the third men in the cage and MC for the night was Darren Rees.
It was time to get the first fight underway and the atmosphere of the crowd in the new home of UIC, you could already start to feel the warm, electric vibe.
UNIFIED AMATEUR MMA 70kg 3X3 MINS
JACK PRICE FURY MMA 0-1 JACK ‘THE LORD’SHORE TILLERY COMBAT 2-0
Rnd 1 Both men are straight of out the cage but it’s Shore who gains the TD and quickly moves into side control and then top position raining blows on Price who is trying to defend the flurry of shots and whilst doing so turns onto his stomach. Shore is controlling the action from the outset, and then sealing Price’s fate with a RNC at the 2min 3sec mark of Round 1.
Rnd 1 Elkova straight in with kicks in this fast paced opening few seconds. Malina pushing forward as the aggressor and drops Elkova, then Malina comes in with a lovely superman punch using her clean timed punches well. Elkova moving forward using her punches and making good use of her sidekicks.
Rnd 2 Both women come out fast, Malina coming forward with her punches and starting to use more of her leg kicks, Elkova Is starting to come into her own as both women trade alike, Malina with a great spinning back fist, Elkova moving forward and making this a two-sided affair.
Rnd 3 Elkova straight in with a one, two combination followed by Malina landing a spinning back fist and a flying knee in this fast paced round. Both women have a sense of urgency about them in this final round with neither giving an inch as the sound of clappers go for the last ten seconds Malina drops Elkova. WINNER VIA DECISION PAULINA MALINA
(c) NJFPhotography.com
K1 AMATEUR FEMALE 55KG 3X2MINS
ZOWIE TREVENA REVOULTION GYM 0-2 LEA FENDT EAST WEST MUAY THAI 0-1
RND 1 Both women come out fast; Trevena making use of angles whilst Fendt is stalking down her opponent, Trevena is in and out, circling off to the side as Fendt is still finding her range and rhythm but also landing some awesome kicks and punches in the process. Trevena has landed her own shots this first round and it is definitely not a one sided affair.
Rnd 2 Trevena is out first and lands with a front kick for which Fendt replies with a brutal sidekick, Trevena drops to her knees in agony. Referee Ron Frith checks Trevena is able to carry on – all the while Fendt’s corner are shouting at the ref for allowing ‘too much time’ and Trevena’s corner are telling her to ‘suck it up’ but the look on Trevena’s face tells a different story! With Fendt knowing she had done damage, she finds her rhythm coming forward landing brutal knees and kicks just as it signals for the end of the round.
Rnd 3 Fendt having found her earlier momentum and rhythm she is straight back where she left off throwing some brutal leg kicks and knees then threw an awesome head kick which KO’d Trevena at 1min 01 sec Rnd 3. WINNER LEA FENDT VIA KO
UNIFIED AMATEUR MMA 72KG 3X3MINS
CADRE ‘CJ’ ABDULAFUR GLOUCESTER MARTIAL ARTS 0-1 MATT FIGLAK TROJAN FREE FIGHTERS 2-1
Rnd1 Abulafur is straight out with punches, Figlak attempts an TD but Abdulafur pulls guard, Figlak in side control then gains top position where both men are working battling it out, Figlak being the dominant one with top position but Abulafur also working hard from bottom position.
Rnd 2 Figlak straight out and gains the TD, working hard from mount only for Abulafur to get back to his feet briefly and Figlak take him down again although whilst doing so Abulafur has made the error in leaving his arm out and Figlak capilatizes on this but to no avail. Figlak gains another TD and continues to control Abulafur from mount.
Rnd 3 Figlak comes out punching and gets the TD, working from mount controlling Abdulafur this is far by means a one sided affair as Abdulafur is holding his own in this well evenly matched fight.
WINNER MATT FIGLAK VIA UD
K1 MENS 68KG 3X2MINS
MATT HARTHILL FURY MMA 1-0 MATT SANSOM EAST WEST MUAY THAI 0-1
Rnd 1 Both men come out fast and are going for this like there is no tomorrow, it is constant action from the beginning with neither man not backing down. Both men are looking fierce but i’m sensing Harthill is just wanting it a bit more in this very even first round.
Rnd 2 Sansom comes out and lands an awesome high kick but its Harthill that is like a man possessed, then at 1min 16 secs Harthill KO’s Sansom. WINNER MATT HARTHILL VIA KO
UNIFIED AMATEUR MMA 59KG 3X3MINS
DARYL GRANT LIONS DENS MMA 4-1 EUAN WALLACE TROJAN FREE FIGHTERS 1-0
Rnd 1 Both men opened up with exchanges of kicks, Wallace gains the TD whilst Grant is working of his back looking for a submission, sees a small opening for an arm triangle and attempts to secure the position but to no avail.
Rnd 2 Grant opens the round with kicks and Wallace returns the favour an awesome sidekick as he does Grant comes rushing forward, there is a scramble of some sorts, I am yelling Wallace watch for the guillotine, next you know, Grant seals the deal with the Guillotine at 0.25 secs Rnd 2.
WINNER DARYL GRANT VIA GUILLOTINE
K1 AMATEUR FEMALE 55KG 3X2MINS
SAMMY DONNELLY COMBAT WARRIORS 2-2 HELEN HARPER ANDY ROBERTS BJJ DEBUT
Rnd 1 Both women come our fierce, with pure intention, working there kicks and solid knees whilst in the clinch position, Donnelly lands a lovely spinning back fist whilst Harper appears to be keeping it basic and trying to find her range in this first round.
Rnd 2 Both women come straight out firing shots at one another; Donnelly is really mixing it up well, Harper has now found her range and is landing more of her strikes on target but that is not to say Donnelly is not in this fight, quite the opposite. Donnelley is coming back with counter punches and knees of her own, making this a very even fight at this point.
Rnd 3 Harper has found her rhythm and Donnelly appears to have been caught in Harpers clinches and been dealt some of Harpers knees, just when you think Donnelley is backed up against the cage she comes back and dominates the last 15 seconds or so of this very evenly fought fight.
WINNER VIA SPLIT DECISION HELEN HARPER
UNIFIED AMATEUR MMA 60KG 3X3MINS
MICHAEL JONES TILLERY COMBAT 1-1 AMAN SAKHIZEDEH TROJAN FREE FIGHTERS 2-0
Rnd 1 Great opening round for both men, both men are feeling each other out, Sakhizedeh teeps Jones straight in the face but this does not faze Jones, he is still moving forward throughout the first round and neither man is not backing down.
Rnd 2 Sakhizedeh straight in and shoots, gains the TD, working in top position as Jones is moving back to his corner against the cage on his back then is back to his feet. Sakhizedeh shoots in for another TD just before the end of the round finishes.
Rnd 3 Sakhizedeh comes out and get Jones in a great Arm Drag Wrestling move for which the crowd go wild, Jones is straight back to his feet, Sakhizedeh has Jones against the cage working for a position but to no avail. The action moves towards the centre of the cage, Sakhizedeh shows more of his great pedigree background in wrestling. Jones puts up a terrific fight but he was just out wrestled on the night. WINNER AMAN SAKHIZEDEH VIA UD
PRO MMA 68KG 3X5MINS
KARL EVANS FURY MMA DEBUT MARK FINNEY TROJAN FREE FIGHTERS DEBUT
Rnd 1 Finney straightin with a one, two combination and knocks Evans down Finney on top raining blows. Evans manages to get back up and both men are going back at it, there’s a scramble and Evans attempts an guillotine, Finney escapes by cage walking – but you really had to see this ‘technique’ he pulled off to escape back to his feet. As soon as they are back to their feet neither man is backing down, it again goes back to the ground and both men are fighting hard for Top position, Evans sees Finney has his arm out during one of their many ‘roll’s to gain Top position and takes it at 4min 24 secs Rnd 1
WINNER KARL EVANS VIA ARMBAR
K1 MENS 3X2 MINS
STEVE SMITH GLOUCESTER MARTIAL ARTS 2-0 MATT KAUFMAN TROJAN FREE FIGHTERS 2-0
Rnd 1 Both men come out with a striking clinic and neither man is backing down. Kaufman drops Smith in the last seconds of the rounds with a brutal leg kick.
Rnd 2 Smith lands a brutal leg kick that drops Kaufman who does a celebratory jump, which is a bit premature as Kaufman recovers and comes back fighting with a lot more intent.
Rnd 3 Smith lands a great right that dropped Kaufman but Kaufman is not shying away and is still pushing the action forward in this action packed fight.
WINNER STEVE SMITH VIA UD
PRO MMA 77KG WELTERWEIGHT 3X5MINS
ADAM BOUSIFF TEAM FORCE 3-2 CHRIS ASTLEY TROJAN FREE FIGHTER 1-0
Rnd 1 Bousiff straight out and catches Astley with a left hook which drops him, Bousiff is straight on Astley to finish the job in hand, landing several shots before referee Leon Roberts calls a stop to the fight at 0.19secs. WINNER ADAM BOUSIFF VIA TKO
K1 FEMALE 58KG TITLE ELIMIATOR FIGHT 3X2MINS
LAURA HANDY FURY MMA 2-0 ANYA BAKER THE MAT ACADAMEY 2-1
Rnd 1 Both women come out fast, Handy finding her target with her long reach and constant jabs and punches early on. Baker being the more cautious fighter and using her kicks to start with. Handy gets Baker with one of her awesome knees and drops Baker in this opening round.
Rnd 2 Baker is out first and is using her kicks to reach Handy and it’s clear you can see Baker’s kicks have been damaging as I notice a big red mark on Handy’s left outside thigh. Handy is pushing forward with her awesome punching making Baker work against the cage; this is a great display of who wants this title eliminator the most in this second round.
Rnd 3 Handy straight out and in with a one, two combination followed by her awesome knees and even more punches, making Baker work off the cage. This is not a one sided affair Baker is giving Handy her own share of kicks and punches which seems as Handy is coming under fire a little in the dying seconds of the final round, as she has Baker against the cage wall. Both women give it their all in this all-out war and leave everything in the cage.
WINNER LAURA HANDY VIA UD
PRO MMA 84KG MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
LENNY BENSKIN BROTHERHOOD MMA 0-1 TOMMY COOK IRON MANN GYM 3-0
Rnd 1 Cook shoots in and gets Benskin down, Cook on top and looking for a position all the while Cook is grinding out punches to Benskin, it gets back to their feet and Benskin is raining in some short sharp elbows to Cook’s head. Cook then gets Benskin to the ground and throws his own punches on Benskin, showing just how much this Title fight means to both men. Benskin has managed to stop quite a few of Cook’s TD’s and only two have been successful in this opening, exiting round.
Rnd 2Cook again shoots in and Benskin defends the TD perfectly and replies with short harsh elbows to Cook’s head. Cook has Benskin against the cage and is throwing knees, and for a brief, second it did appear Benskin was in a bit of trouble but Benskin rolled out of it, Cook got straight back on Benskin raining blow after blow and even some nasty elbows. Benskin is covering up at this point and Cook rolls him over and attempts a RNC to no avail. Benskin turtles up and weathers the storm and the remainder of the round.
Rnd 3 Cook comes straight out and in for the TD for which he briefly gets as Benskin is straight out into side control against the cage. Benskin trying to land punches but Cook has hold of his wrist and therefore gains wrist control although a few of Benskin punches manages to get through, Cook gets out and gets Benskins back only for Benskin to roll to his front. Cook now in Top position, both trying to gain punches, Benskin gets Cook rolled over and he is now on Top in this ‘topsey turvey’ last few moments of this exciting Title Fight. It is clear to say that neither man wants to lose this fight. This fight had everything from start to finish and both men left everything in the cage.
WINNER AND STILL UIC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION TOMMY COOK VIA UD
UIC 11 Middleweight Champion – Tommy Cook (c) Emma Bramford
Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis have both been named to coach the female Strawweights on this season’s TUF 20, yes you heard right.
Gilbert Melendez has now accepted a new offer from The UFC and one it appears he just could not refuse (again), exact contract details were not revealed but here is the Press Release from The UFC.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced tonight that No.2 ranked lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez has agreed to a new contract with organization. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Melendez will now coach against UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter. The two will then meet for the UFC lightweight title later this year. The show, which will begin filming in May and premiere on FOX Sports 1 on Sept. 10th features the launch of the UFC women’s 115-pound weight class. The winner of this season of The Ultimate Fighter will be crowned the UFC strawweight division’s inaugural champion.
We last saw Melendez in a toe-to-toe all out war with Diego Sanchez at UFC 166 last October in arguably one of the best fights of 2013, with Melendez coming away with the unanimous decision and ‘Fight of the Night’.
The coaching stint on TUF 20 will more than likely give Pettis the extra time for his injured knee which forced him out of his title defense against Josh Thomson back at UFC on Fox 9.
I’m going to have a guess that Melendez will bring in Nate Diaz somewhere along the line, which will make interesting viewing if you know the history of the two training camps involved!
It’s all about the women come September 10th when we can watch TUF 20 and I for one cannot wait.
Looking at Brad Pickett’s Twitter this morning, (UK Time) it was news that he deep down, was expectpting, but probably hoping it would not become a reality.
Today at 14.54pm he tweeted the following :
Although nothing else was stated and ‘Uncle Creepy’ Ian
McCall himself had not put anything at all on Twitter, this still led everyone to believe that the problem lies with McCall.
That has now been confirmed by Dana White that Ian McCall is infact out injured and will NOT be fighting UK’s Brad Pickett who also was making his 125lb debut in the Flyweight divison.
The UFC are still working on a replacment; I mean we do still have time on our side, especially since what has just happend to Daniel Cormier, who’s opponent Rashad Evans also fell injured, with only one week to go, despite DC tweeting ‘Chael.P.Sonnen and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson to fight him; His new opponent is 4-0 fighter Patric Cummins.
Looking forward to see who the UFC bring in to replace ‘Uncle Creepy’.
There is plenty of time for The UFC come up with a suitable replacement to fight Brad Pickett on March 8th at The O2 arena in London.
It will be one year ago to the day on October 5th that Mark Godbeer was due to make his Bellator debut against Ron Sparks, but a Career threatening injury kept his debut waiting. I spoke to Mark about his injury, training and his Debut Bellator Main Event fight against Cheick Kongo one year on.
Keeping myself involved in MMA kept me going.
EB. You have not always been a heavyweight fighter have you?
MG. Early on in my amateur career I was a heavyweight fighter. I also had a few catch weight fights then I started cutting and cutting and dropped down to light heavy then went back up to heavyweight.
EB. We saw your first Pro fight at Heavyweight for the promotion BAMMA 9 back in March 2012, when you fought Catlin Zmarandescu, where you picked up a win in the first round due to TKO (corner stoppage). How was it for you stepping up in weight and gaining the all-important win in the new weight division?
MG. It was great. After coming of a loss at my previous weight division of Light Heavyweight to Anthony Taylor, I felt that I was really cautious in that fight but I kept my cool, picked my shots and got the job done, so to get the Win was great it all paid off.
EB. Was it your intention to move up to Heavyweight for a few fights before Bellator came knocking, or was it a choice made with you and your coach to move up a weight division way before thinking anything big was coming your way?
MG. After my last weight cut at light heavyweight I felt I was skinny as a rake, you see the likes of Max Nunes, they are big and they have a lot of muscle; I also being of a certain age was finding it a bit harder to cut those last few pounds so I had decided it was time to go back to my old days to Heavyweight. I talked it over with my manager and he agreed, but I am still today walking around at 240-242llb.
EB. You train out of Trojan Free Fighters in Cheltenham which is home to a lot of great UK & European talent and it is safe to say it is firmly putting their name on the Map. What helps make Trojan Free Fighters one of the best contended gyms to be a part of today in producing top athletes such as yourself?
MG. Trainers without a doubt Paul Sutherland is one of the best coaches the UK have to offer. Team bonding, there are no egos in the gym, everyone pushes each other and all so competitive, everyone helps one another, were like a family unit.
EB. How did your fighting nickname ‘The Hand of’ come about?
MG. It’s ‘The Hand’ I just tied the rest of it into my name, but after my first professional fight against Sam Hooker a couple of my friends started to call to me ‘The Hand’ after seeing the fight that I landed a couple of monstrous right hands and it’s been that ever since.
EB. You were due to make your Bellator Debut back on October 5th 2012 against Ron Sparks, but due to a career threatening Neck and Back Injury you had to withdraw, how did this injury occur?
MG. I was driving home from wrestling training when I had real bad pains in my neck. I then lost complete feeling in my hand and was rushed in for an emergency MRI, then rushed in for an emergency operation. I cannot pin point how as such it occurred, just accumulation of training which did result in a crack in my vertebrae and herniating the disc.
EB. Going from an all-time Career high, being signed to one of the best organisations in the world Bellator, then to have to deal with something that could off quite easily been the end of everything you had worked so hard for, how was it in those months after your injury for you?
MG. Horrible, worst time of my life, I was depressed. I became reliant on painkillers for a brief time it was a real horrible part of my life. I could not do nothing for six months, for five of those months I was in a neck brace. Going from training every day to doing nothing it really got to me as everything I liked doing before I was unable to do, to make matters worse when I had my operation that went wrong so I had to end up having another one!
EB. What kept you going through the darkest days to motivate you, to give you strength and determination, when at some points you could off quite easily given up?
MG. After the initial six months I just couldn’t sit around and do nothing anymore so I started teaching at one of the local clubs, although I could not join in, I was still part of the MMA community, it then progressed from there. I decided to put all my effort and energy into opening my own club in my home town of Brigwater, Sommerset, keeping myself involved in MMA kept me going.
EB. It was announced on Sunday September 9th that you are making your long awaited Debut for Bellator on 4th October against ex UFC Heavyweight fighter Cheick Kongo, not a bad start to Bellator 102, what do you think? (I’m smiling)
MG. It’s a great fight, great main event, and exposure but Bellator know what they are doing. A lot of people have already wrote me off, he is just another man, forget about his UFC career, forget who he has fought, look at him as a fighter, I know I can truly beat him.
EB. Does it usually bother you, who your opponent is when it’s been decided on a fight for you (obviously you agree to the fight as well as your coaches and management team), or is it just a case of getting on with the job in front of you?
MG. I’m at the level now where we don’t turn down fights, we are there to be tested and that’s the good thing with Paul Sutherland we’re professional fighters and if the fight is there we will fight who is put in front of us.
EB. Being out for 18months, does that bother you mentally? Will there be any ‘cage rust’ so say when you step into the cage to face Cheick Kongo? Or will Head Coach, Paul Sutherland will have made sure you have been prepared for this fight 100%, facing the famous ‘Meat Day’ sessions full on every Sunday to make sure you are prepared?
MG. Without a doubt I am ready for this fight, I don’t believe in the term ‘Ring Rust’, the nerves are different on fight day which are good nerves. If I have prepared for every situation in the gym and had the right training for this fight (for which I have), then I am not going to be shocked. I’ve been in with some big guys over my fight career so far and I know what to expect.
EB. You bring an astonishing record of 8-1 into the cage and not only that but you have also never seen the third round in any of your 9 professional fights with 6 of them coming via TKO/KO which again is also impressive. How are you going about preparing for what I imagine is your biggest challenge to date as in Cheick Kongo?
MG. It is going to be the biggest fight of my life, but I cannot look at this fight as it’s ‘Cheick Kongo’ I am looking at it as he is another man who has hole’s in his game and I will exploit them, also being prepared for his strong points, as there will be times when he will be stronger, but also times when I will be stronger.
EB. Although a lot of people would only be looking at your opponent’s name and career record which is 18-8-2 and then looking at your name and career record 8-1, they probably won’t be looking at the bigger picture, which is when you actually break down Cheick Kongo’s win’s, his KO win is 10 and submission is 3, put that together with yours, KO wins 6, submission 2, I call this a very even fight, what can Bellator fans expect to see on October 4th?
MG. It will be an entertaining fight, we have very similar styles, take away his name, who he has fought, look at our styles and how we have fought, we are similar. The fans will get an entertaining fight.
EB. Anyone you would like to thank?
MG. Pound Out, Sci Max, Rolling Big Power, Lexani, Club Rio Brigwater, Smuggling Dudds, Paul Sutherland, all my team mates, coaches, Trojan free fighters.
5 Quick FUN Questions
EB. If you could change 1 rule in MMA what would it be?
When they purposely put their hand down to stop a knee coming
EB. Favourite International Fighter?
Dan Henderson
EB. Favourtie Food?
Anything – I’m a heavyweight now!
EB. What song do you usually sing in the shower?
A bit of Neil Diamond
Mark is fighting live in the Bellator 102 series on Friday October 4th visit http://www.spike.com for more information.
Photo courtesy of Huw Fairclough (c) Short & Round
Five Rounds with Emma 
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