Five Rounds with EMMA is BACK!


We had taken 18 months out of the writing aspect of the sport we cover, MMA. We have branched out into some new opportunities, and we still come together to say NOW IS THE TIME TO GO BACK TO WRITING IN AND ABOUT MMA!

After taking 18 months off the writing aspect of MMA, we have stayed passionate about MMA – well, I started this site in 2012 about MMA and the fighters that were in the sport but as yet not in the UFC, so I have a history of MMA fighters before some would say made it!

I have a new contributing writer on board who is fantastic and amazing with his words, hailing from America we have Terrell Sylvester who has done previous work with Combat Sports UK (Anteriorwright1 on FB) check him out there then make sure to come back to Five Rounds with Emma. As we will be full of content before you can say ‘where the fu*k did she come from and who the fu@k is she’.

That statement is true, though I started writing for other outlets to get my foot in the door, so to speak. After two years, my good friend and the one who believed in me from the start and to this day onwards, Jonathan Millard, you may know him as ‘The voice of the Vale’ since he is a ring announcer for boxing & some MMA shows, if it were not for him, I don’t know what i’d be doing by now. He encouraged me to carry on in the sport even though those early days (5 years worth) were when I had abuse aimed at me via social media platforms, this was by men in other outlets in the industry. Then one male person took it upon himself to write a whole status about me on FB ( he didn’t have the nerve to tag me -pussy), and the amount of abuse from grown men left under that status was appalling and soul-destroying. It wasn’t until my good friend and fighter, who I have watched his career from the start, called me up to say what was going on – in the end, it came down to ME being in a predominantly male space and making more waves than him – jealousy!!! For 5 years, I endured abuse like this daily.

Move on to 2020 that person was not around in fact he was in jail for domestic abuse for the second time so no wonder he thought he could bully me!!

As COVID hit, the whole world had to make changes, and those changes forced us on Five Rounds with Emma to re-evaluate how we could contribute to the MMA scene. TIKTOK found the answer when we were ordered to stay at home, so video content grew massively, and so did Zoom calls.

Today, we will incorporate our writing with videos (if needed) on our YouTube channel, Five Rounds with Emma. Also, we will embed the code in the writing here, so you don’t have to search the Internet for the specific content we have shown.

I thank all my loyal fans who have stayed with me from the beginning and through all the times to now. The sport needs fans, and I love engaging with each and every one of you on social media. You can find me on ‘X’ (although I don’t really post there any more), Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TIKTOK, plus don’t forget this website for news, results, press releases, and exclusive interviews.

THANK YOU

Five Rounds with Emma

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Raged UK MMA: Night of Champions Overview

The ‘Night of Champions’ held by Raged UK MMA on 2 September 2023 at The MECA in Swindon electrified the atmosphere with 20 intense bouts, crowning six new champions. The event highlighted the vibrant local MMA community, spurring interest and potential future collaborations while showcasing thrilling combat sports talent that captivated audiences.



The atmosphere was electric at The MECA in Swindon on 2 September 2023, as Raged UK MMA held its much-anticipated ‘Night of Champions’. This Swindon MMA event was a spectacle of skill and determination, drawing an enthusiastic crowd eager to witness the crowning of six new MMA champions. With a fight card boasting 20 intense MMA bouts, the event was a testament to the high calibre of combat sports talent present, leaving attendees and fans on the edge of their seats. As the night unfolded, the energy in the arena was palpable, showcasing why live MMA events continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Join us as we delve into the highlights and unforgettable moments of this truly electrifying evening.

Electrifying Atmosphere at MECA Swindon

On 2 September 2023, the MECA in Swindon became the epicentre of combat sports excitement. The ‘Night of Champions’ event, organised by Raged UK MMA, transformed the venue into a cauldron of adrenaline and anticipation.

Overview of the Night of Champions

The ‘Night of Champions’ lived up to its name, delivering an unforgettable experience for MMA enthusiasts. The event showcased 20 intense bouts, each contributing to the electric atmosphere.

Raged UK MMA curated a diverse fight card featuring seasoned veterans and promising newcomers. This mix ensured a night of unpredictable and thrilling matchups.

The crowd’s energy was palpable from the opening bell to the final knockout. Cheers, gasps, and thunderous applause punctuated each significant moment in the octagon.

The Buzz Around the Swindon MMA Event

Swindon’s MMA community had been excitedly buzzing in the weeks leading up to the event. Social media platforms were ablaze with discussions, predictions, and fighter interviews.

Local businesses joined in the hype, with gyms offering special training sessions and restaurants creating fight-night specials. This community involvement amplified the event’s significance beyond just a sporting spectacle.

The ‘Night of Champions’ also attracted attention from MMA fans across the UK. Many travelled to Swindon, turning the event into a celebration of British combat sports.

Highlights from the Fight Card

The ‘Night of Champions’ delivered on its promise of high-octane action. From technical grappling exchanges to explosive knockouts, the event had it all. Let’s dive into some standout moments with fans on their feet.

Six New MMA Champions Crowned

The ‘Night of Champions’ lived up to its name, with six new champions emerging victorious. Each title fight delivered intense action and unforgettable moments.

Ryan Southern defeated Laszio Berecki via rear-naked choke at 1:35 of round one to become the Raged UK Amateur Featherweight Champion.

Avarias ‘Chowie’ Gaciauskas defeated Stephen Todman via Guillotine at 2:29 of round one to become the Raged UK Amateur Middleweight Champion.

Ryan Lockyer defeated Sam Cooper via rear-naked choke 1:41 of round one to become the Raged UK Amateur Welterweight Champion.

John Watson defeated Jamal Vincent via Unanimous Decision to become the Raged UK Amateur Lightweight Champion.

Lewis ‘The Foot’ Long defeated Ashley Griffiths via Rear naked choke 0:31 of round one to become the Raged UK Welterweight Champion.

Craig Rawlins defeated Matt Holland via Guillotine 2:15 of round one to become the Raged UK Middleweight Champion.

The Impact of Live MMA Events

Live MMA events like the ‘Night of Champions’ are crucial to the sport’s growth and development. They provide a platform for athletes to showcase their skills, inspire the next generation of fighters, and unite communities through shared passion.

Engaging the Local Combat Sports Community


The ‘Night of Champions’ event significantly impacted Swindon’s combat sports community. Local gyms reported a surge in new memberships in the days following the event, with many citing the inspirational performances they witnessed.

The event also provided valuable exposure for local fighters. Several Swindon-based athletes were featured on the card, giving them a chance to compete in front of their hometown crowd and gain recognition.

Promoting Future Swindon MMA Events

The success of the ‘Night of Champions’ set the stage for future MMA events in Swindon. Raged UK MMA has already hinted at plans to return to The MECA in early 2024.

Local businesses have expressed interest in increased sponsorship opportunities, recognising the economic boost such events bring to the area. This support could lead to even bigger and better events in the future.

The buzz generated by the ‘Night of Champions’ has also caught the attention of larger MMA promotions. There are whispers of potential collaborations that could bring international talent to Swindon, further elevating the town’s status in the MMA world.

UFC 278: Leon Edwards shocks the world!

Photo credit: UFC


Leon Edwards became only the second British UFC fighter to win a title in the promotion last night at UFC 278, knocking out Kamaru Usman with a head kick in the final minute of the fifth round.

Edwards came into Salt Lake City as an underdog and knowing that Usman had beat him in their first encounter in 2015, but brushed that off, winning the first round by securing a takedown and threatening the champion with a rear naked choke attempt.

Usman would recover through rounds two, three and four, taking Edwards down repeatedly and grinding on the Brit, keeping Edwards’ back on the mat or the cage while throwing nasty little shots.

The fifth round is where the real story is though. Between rounds four and five, UFC analyst Din Thomas told the commentary booth that Edwards had lost the fight mentally as he was unable to look his corner team in the eyes, before commentators Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier starter talking about Edwards resigning himself to a decision loss and that that outcome would be in a win in it’s self for the Brit.

But as if on cue, “Rocky” would throw a left straight cross at Usman, hiding a big left roundhouse behind it that connected perfectly on the Nigerian’s chin to send him to the mat.

With that KO win, Edwards becomes the second Brit to hold UFC gold, the last British champ being Michael Bisping at middleweight.

In terms of what is next for Edwards, there seem to be two clear options. If Khamzat Chimaev beats Nate Diaz later this year, the UFC would surely have to book him in a title bout with Edwards.

The second option would be for a trilogy fight between Edwards and Usman, and with the UFC’s popularity in the UK being at an all time high with two sold out London cards this year, a first UK based PPV since UFC 204 back in 2016, which was held in Manchester.

In the co-main event, Paulo Costa took a unanimous decision win over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.

The story of the fight was Rockhold’s gas tank, or lack of one, as he looked visibly tired after just one round, and between rounds two and three, had to be dragged by his team to the stool as he seemed two gassed to walk over.

Costa had broken Rockhold’s nose early on, and with it being full of blood, forced the former champ to breathe through his mouth the entire fight, and even wobbled him at one point.

Rockhold didn’t help himself though by continually loading up on his shots, throwing each one with the intent to end the fight without any real set-up.

The bad blood between the pair had been visible throughout fight week, and that spilled over into the fight, with Rockfold audibly telling Costa “f**k you” in the second round before hitting him with a left hook, and in a ground exchange in the third round the pair could be heard to be swearing at one another.

The judges scorecards would read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for Costa, who picks up his first win since 2019.

Merab Dvalishvili secured a huge decision win for himself against Jose Aldo in the bantamweight division.

The Georgian fighter was relentless in his attempts to get Aldo to the floor, but while the “King of Rio” was able to stay upright, he would end up with his back to the cage and being held there.

With the two landing similar numbers in the striking, Dvalishvili’s control time would give him the edge, and all three judges would award him the fight 30-27.

The night would also see one of MMA’s biggest rarities, with a split draw between Sean Woodson and Luis Saldana.

Full Results

Leon Edwards def. Kamaru Usman by KO in 4:04 of round five for the welterweight title

Paulo Costa def. Luke Rockhold by unanimous decision

Merab Dvaloshvili def. Jose Aldo by unanimous decision

Lucie Pudilova def. Yanan Wu via KO in 4:04 of round two

Tyson Pedro def. Harry Hunsucker via KO in 1:05 of round one

Marcin Tybura def. Alexandr Romanov via majority decision

Jared Gordon def. Leonardo Santos by unanimous decision

Sean Woodson vs Luis Saldana ended in a split draw

Ange Loosa def. A.J. Fletcher by unanimous decision

Amir Alabzi def.Francisco Figueiredo by submission in 4:34 of round one

Aoriqiling def. Jay Perrin by unanimous decision

Victor Altamirano def. Daniel da Silva by KO in 3:39 of round one

5 Fighters To Look Out For In the last quarter of 2022

Nearing the end of 2022, we’ve had exciting fight cards, we’ve had some big knockouts, and we’ve had some big upsets. The UFC has a massive roster and is home to some of the greatest mixed martial artists. In my opinion, I have come up with 5 fighters that we should watch out for in the last part of 2022.


Nearing the end of 2022, we’ve had exciting fight cards, we’ve had some big knockouts, and we’ve had some big upsets. The UFC has a massive roster and is home to some of the greatest mixed martial artists. In my opinion, I have come up with 5 fighters that we should watch out for in the last part of 2022.

Paddy Pimblett is a British UFC Lightweight fighter who’s burst onto the scene and taken the division by storm with all 3 of his fights resulting in finishes in the early rounds. Within a short time, ‘Paddy the Baddy’ has picked up a massive following, some even suggesting it mirrors Mcgregor’s starting UFC featherweight run. He holds a record of 19 wins and 3 losses, with almost half of his wins coming via Submission, which clearly reflects his 1st-degree black belt achievement. His dominating arrival in the division has seen him awarded Performance of the Night in each fight in the UFC. He also has taken a stand on promoting mental health awareness, as it is something he holds close to his heart, and upholding a “teenage” aesthetic to appeal to and essentially influence the younger generation. He has displayed great skill in his fights. He has overcome a lot of adversity in the fight world, with his ability to drop and gain weight, weighing as much as 205lbs almost a month after his last fight, gaining notoriety and attracting trolls. Paddy has a strong friendship with Molly McCann, also a British UFC fighter in the Women’s Flyweight division, and they are admired massively by the UK UFC scene.

My next fighter is Jiri Prochazka, a Czech Light Heavyweight UFC fighter, and after a win against former LHW Champion Glover Texeira, Jiri is now the current LHW champion. Jiri has a record of 29-3-1 and has dominated all his MMA fights, with 81% of his wins coming from the 1st round. He currently sits on an 11 fight win streak in MMA and dominates his first two UFC fights against two warriors, Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir, winning by KO in the 2nd round on both occasions. He has won Performance of the Night twice in both UFC fights and Fight of the Night against Reyes. He has had 25 KO’s to his name and 3 submission victories throughout his career. His main fight style is Muay Thai, and he highlights this massively as a creative fighter within the Octagon, and his record precedes him with numerous KO victories.

Following on from Prochazka, we move to Swedish UFC welterweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev 12-0, a wrestler who has amazingly burst onto the scene. Firstly, winning 3 fights in 66 days earned him his first award in the UFC; secondly, within his first 4 UFC fights, he showed the world how dominant and skilled he was as a fighter, as he threw 254 strikes and only absorbed two. He knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds. He won numerous breakthrough fighter awards in 2020 from different fight reporters. He also won the award for quickest consecutive wins in modern UFC history, set at 10 days. Chimaev was scheduled to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 279 on September 10th 2022; however, come weigh-in day, chimaev came in 7lbs overweight, so his fight with Diaz was scrapped, and Kevin Holland took Nate Diaz’s place. Chimaev went on to win in dominant fashion finishing Holland via a D’Arce Choke at two minutes thirteen seconds in the first round. His previous fight against Gilbert Burns, that is what set the standard for fans watching to see how Chimaev deals with pressure during a fight. Khamzat delivered perfectly, winning via unanimous decision against Burns, scoring 29-28. He trains alongside Gustafsson in Stockholm, where Gustafsson has stated that he hasn’t met such a tough fighter as Chimaev. Most recently, Chimaev has paired up with Darren Till, which was a big shock to the MMA world, but from what it seems, they are both trainings well and learning from each other. 

The next fighter is none other than Islam Makhachev. This Russian lightweight UFC fighter has annihilated his competition, holding a 10-fight win streak, with most of the fights lasting going into the later rounds, proving his durability and having 10 submission victories in total. Training with Khabib and the Dagestani team, they all prove their durability through their intense training methods up in the mountains. Islam trains at AKA, with notable fighters such as Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier and Khabib. Overall in his UFC fights and in UFC history, he has the least absorbed significant strike rate per minute at 0.77, meaning his defence and skillset is top level, and the next lowest rate is 1.04 per minute. He has won Submission of the Month twice and won Fight of the Night once. He is the potential next contender for a title fight, facing Charles Oliveira. However, Dana White wants Islam to face Beneil Dariush to cement his confidence in giving him the title shot. [Although Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveria has been slated for October 22nd 2022, at UFC 280].

Talking of Oliveira, he is my last fighter to keep an eye on in 2022. Charles Oliveira, a Brazilian Lightweight fighter, has just come off a big submission victory over Justin Gaethje; however, it didn’t come without controversy, as Charles missed weight and relinquished the belt. However, he remains in the championship picture as the No1 contender. He holds a 33-8, with an 11-fight win streak. He has the record for the most submissions in UFC at 16 victories via Submission. He also has numerous other records, such as the most finishes set at 19, the 3rd longest LW winning streak set at 11 fights, and he holds 12 Performance of the Night awards, and the list continues. His last 3 fights have been against the top 3 LW ranked fighters, and they have grandly dominated them, submitting two and winning via TKO with the other. However, he shows great determination as he recovers quickly from knockdowns or wobbles and manages to clutch the win. He fights out of Chute Boxe in Curitiba, with previous notable fighters such as Anderson Silva, Cris Cyborg and Mauricio Rua, who will go down in the history books. His next fight has been confirmed against Islam Makhachev on October 22nd 2022, at UFC 280.

This concludes my article, and we shall see how the rest of 2022 plays out and see if any of the hype continues.

What is your thought?

The Ultimate Fighter Returns! New Episodes Every Week Starting June 1

After a 2 year hiatus The Ultimate Fighter Returns on June 1.


After a 2 year hiatus The Ultimate Fighter Returns on June 1.

The 29th season will feature featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski  and top contender, Brian Ortega as opposing coaches on the show. Both men will be responsible for training 16 of the chosen bantamweight and middleweight prospects in their quest for a UFC contract.

TUF was built for up and coming fighters to jumpstart their careers.

Since its start in 2005, the show has produced 11 champions, with two of them currently reigning at the top of their respective weight classes. Currently, Rose Namajunas and Kamaru Usman hold the belts at the top of their division.

Check out the promo ahead of the first episode to get a look into how season 29 fairs with the other seasons of TUF.

UFC ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH ‘FREETRAIN’ FOR LEON EDWARDS IN HIS UPCOMING FIGHT WITH NATE DIAZ

British athlete Leon Edwards will be using Freetrain products ahead of his blockbuster fight with Nate Diaz next month, June 12, 2021.

Freetrain, the innovative fitness and running brand, are proud to announce UFC fighter Leon Edwards as their next athlete ambassador.


British athlete Leon Edwards will be using Freetrain products ahead of his blockbuster fight with Nate Diaz next month, June 12, 2021

Freetrain, the innovative fitness and running brand, are proud to announce UFC fighter Leon Edwards as their next athlete ambassador.

As part of a new initiative to work with exciting sporting talent, Edwards has signed a partnership with Freetrain to see him use Freetrain products in his training camp to prepare for his next fight against American Nate Diaz on June 12 at UFC 263 in Arizona.

The fight was initially due on UFC 262 but was moved to UFC 263 on June 12 after Diaz suffered an injury. The contest will be the first five-round non-title co-main event in UFC history.

The current Freetrain product range includes the Freetrain V1 Vest and the Freetrain VR Vest, which offers an innovative alternative to phone holder armbands.

29-year-old Edwards, based in Birmingham, is the number-three ranked fighter in the UFC 170lbs Welterweight division and is currently riding an eight-fight win streak.

Edwards will be seeking a high-profile win to add to his record after being forced out of action for over a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was then due to fight Khamzat Chimaev on three different occasions, but the fight was then cancelled due to Chimaev’s COVID-19 issues.

Edwards ended up facing Belal Muhammad as a late-notice replacement in March at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad but an accidental eye poke to Muhammad in the second round ended the fight. The bout was ruled a no contest.

Now Leon “Rocky” Edwards moves on from that fight looking to build on an eight-fight win streak (excluding the no contest), and a win over the 36-year-old American Nate Diaz, who hasn’t fought inside the Octagon in almost 18 months, will put him within touching distance of a shot at the 170lbs title.

James Wren, a co-founder of Freetrain, said: “Being based in Birmingham, we’ve followed Leon’s journey closely over the last few years, and we are extremely excited to be partnering with him and helping him as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career.”

He added: “He is one of the most recognisable names in British MMA and is now within touching distance of a title shot and becoming a UFC champion.”

Edwards said: I’ve been a fan of Freetrain for some time now and have been using the V1 for a while, it’s a pretty simple product, but it does the job for me. Teaming up with the guys seemed like a no brainer, both based in Birmingham, so it was as simple as it gets.”

Last month, Freetrain announced their first athlete partnership with British boxer Conor Benn.

To keep up to date with Leon Edwards and to find out more about http://www.freetrain.co.uk/, visit: http://www.freetrain.co.uk

About Freetrain

The Birmingham based fitness company set up by former Aston Villa youth player Jack Dyer and former Walsall FC goalkeeper James Wren. The pair has created an innovative alternative to phone holder armbands to allow fitness enthusiasts to train smart and train free. Since 2015 when the business launched, they have experienced significant growth, increased their product range, and sold over 150,000 units worldwide in 12 different countries. The product range currently includes the Freetrain V1 Vest and the Freetrain VR Vest, along with other running accessories such as rechargeable illuminate LEDs, water-resistant gloves, reflective gloves and therma hats. To find out more about Freetrain, visit: http://www.freetrain.co.uk/

Felice Herrig vs Michelle Waterson ‘10 Years In The Making – Fight Girls’


Originally posted on 6th October 2018

Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herrig
Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herrig

Tonight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Michelle Waterson and Felice Herrig will finally get the chance to meet in the centre of the octagon for their strawweight battle at UFC 229.

To some, this will be another showcase of the talented females in the strawweight division getting to show why women should be on the main card within the UFC, to others (like myself) this has been a fight 10 years in the making.

Back in 2007, an oxygen original tv show, similar in spirit to The Ultimate Fighter TV series had ten female fighters live together and train together with Muay Thai instructor – Master Toddy, in Las Vegas for six weeks to win a Muay Thai championship in Thailand.

Fight Girls cast picture
Fight Girls cast picture

The group of women were then narrowed down to five via a three-round fight between the housemates, the winners got to go to Thailand and the losing fighter was eliminated from the house and the competition.

Felice Herrig and Michelle Waterson were two of the original ten women to compete to try to go over to Thailand and were mentored by Lisa “The black widow” King, who was the original shows winner back in 2006, when there was a one-off documentary with seven female fighters and female Muay Thai & MMA legend Gina Carano.

Gina Cararo, Lisa kKng and Master Toddy
Gina Cararo, Lisa kKng and Master Toddy

Whilst Michelle lost her fight to get to go to Thailand, Felice won and set off to Thailand with the rest of the other four finalists, winning her fight in Thailand via TKO.
Felice went back to her kickboxing roots for a further two years before transitioning to MMA in 2009 where “The Lil Bulldog” had arrived.

Having competed for XFC, Bellator and Invicta, Felice was finally signed to The Ultimate Fighter season 20 in 2014.

Michelle transitioned to MMA in 2007 with help from Donald Cerrone at the time and “The Karate Hottie” competed at strawweight and atomweight in which she won the Invicta Atomweight Belt before being signed to the UFC in the strawweight division in 2015.

After Felice’s third win in a row against Justine Kish in 2017, she called out Michelle Waterson citing “she had already been offered the fight and accepted it, but it got taken away from her.”

With Felice Herrig being ranked #9 and Michelle Waterson being ranked #8 in the UFC fighter rankings and given both their shared history, this is one fight not to be missed.

“Cage Warriors is the show where I’m going to make my comeback and win the welterweight title.” – Tom ‘Kong’ Watson


Originally posted on 8th April 2019

Tom 'Kong' Watson
Tom ‘Kong’ Watson

Born and raised in Southampton, England, Tom Watson first started in combat sports at the age of 16, when he took up boxing.  A three-time ABA Southern Counties Champion and being awarded ‘Amateur boxing standout of the year’ in 2006 was his introduction into mixed martial arts.

Watson made his professional mixed martial arts debut on 19th February 2006 for a local show at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort in London. On ‘ZT Fight Night 1’ where he won via Guillotine choke in 71 seconds, he returned on the show’s second instalment on June 25th the same year where he won via decision.

In 2007, Watson competed in five fights for UK promotion Cage Rage gaining a record of two wins and three losses.  From 2008 – 2012 Watson fought a further twelve times for promotions Cage Rage, AFC, UCMMA (formerly Cage Rage), MFC and BAMMA.  With his sole loss to Jesse Taylor at MFC 26, Watson picked up the inaugural UCMMA middleweight title along with the BAMMA middleweight title when he fought Jack Marshman at BAMMA 9.

With news that Watson has signed to elite European promotion Cage Warriors and will be facing Aaron ‘King’ Khalid at Cage Warriors 104 on April 27th, 2019 in Cardiff, it was only fitting that I should re-introduce ‘Kong’ to the world.

You’d be forgiven if you are not familiar with Tom ‘Kong’ Watson as of late, with his last competitive fight being on August 8th, 2015 for the UFC.  Spending three years with the world’s number one promotion in the UFC, Watson had two wins and five losses (with those losses coming by way of decisions) for the UFC taking his overall record to 17-9.

Watson was not done with competing and was still actively seeking opportunities to fight in the UFC.  Having no success, Watson was released by the UFC and continued to explore roles outside of the UFC, doing some commentary jobs here and there.  It was at this point that promotion BAMMA contacted Watson regarding doing some presenting and commentary jobs for them. They also wanted Watson (who had been with BAMMA since their first event up until he signed to the UFC) to compete again for them. This news was music to Watson’s ears as he had not hung up his gloves and retired as many people thought due to his 3-year absence from the sport.

Unfortunately, due to issues out of Watson’s control, BAMMA was no longer a viable option as a promotion to make his long-awaited come back on. Instead, elite European promotion Cage Warriors signed Watson in the welterweight division (Watson previously competed in the middleweight division) in January of 2019.

Watson trains predominately at his state of the art gym called ‘Analysis’ which is located right next to him in Southampton, and with the occasional odd trip back to California to train. Watson is already preparing hard for his upcoming bout for his Cage Warriors debut.

Deciding to cut down to welterweight was an easy decision for Watson. He stated that “quite a few people had told me that I should have been a welterweight when I competed in the UFC as I never really cut any weight.  When I look back on my career I do wonder if 170lb was the weight, I should have been competing at, so this is an attempt to test out that theory.”

Not content with winning a UCMMA (formally known as Cage Rage) and BAMMA title, Watson has made it very clear that the aim is to win the Cage Warriors welterweight title stating “I’m not coming here to have a bit of fun or have a couple of fights.  I’m coming here to pick up another title to add to the two other titles I have held.  I don’t know if there is anybody that has all of those titles, so that is my goal.”

With his first love being boxing Watson is in the middle of applying of getting his trainers license as he has a few guys who are looking to make their pro boxing debut so he can be in their corner.

/With the legalisation of Bare Knuckle Boxing, Watson has a couple of guys that he trains. Watson stated “it is not something that interests me, I do like the idea of fighting without gloves more than with gloves, I think gloves are probably less safe, and bare-knuckle is safer. It’s a big misconception that people think Bare Knuckle Boxing is more dangerous.  I’d say it is a lot safer as you can’t do much damage as you break your hands more and you don’t have this protection and mould on your fist to keep punching the shots away.  I will say though on bare-knuckle when they wear the wraps; I think it’s like wearing gloves and its worse, so to me, bare-knuckle boxing should be basically without wraps or anything.”

Going back to his time with the UFC, Watson stated “ I competed against the best in the world, and I have never got finished by any of them, only losing by decisions. Quite a few were controversial decisions at best for me.  Fighting is fighting and if you are losing a decision sport contest– well I’ve said it before, in the UFC I don’t really see that as losing, just the system and the setup. For instance, if we changed the UFC fight to a no time limit would of I lost any of those fights? I doubt it.  It is what it is, that’s the rules you play by.  Strategy wise I probably didn’t fight too smart. If you look at the earnings of the people in the UFC, I’m still relatively high up there, and I didn’t win many fights, so, on that basis, well it was smart – possibly.”

For those of you that have followed Watson’s career from the beginning, you will recall Watson enters the cage wearing a gorilla mask, hence why he has the nickname ‘Kong’. As Watson made his last appearance for the UFC in 2015, a new British fighter in the name of Darren ‘The Gorilla’ Till was making his debut for the promotion. “I’m not bothered by Darren Till” Watson states, “I believe Dan Hardy gave him the nickname ‘Gorilla’, it is what it is. I think everyone knows ‘Kong’ more than Darren Till’s ‘The Gorilla’.

“Darren Till is a great fighter, but I don’t think he is synonymous with a Gorilla.”

“Cage Warriors is the show where I’m going to make my comeback and win the welterweight title.”

With his debut for his Cage Warriors bout being dubbed ‘King’ vs ‘Kong’, there will only one way to find out if this is the start of a resurgence for Tom ‘Kong’ Watson by tuning into Cage Warriors 104 on April 27th live on UFC Fight Pass.

UFC 224 Full Results


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UFC 224 took place Saturday, May 12th from the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Headlining the events were women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and top contender Raquel Pennington.

Main card results:

Amanda Nunes defeated Raquel Pennington via TKO (strikes) 2:36 Round 5

Kelvin Gastelum defeated Ronaldo Souza via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Mackenzie Dern defeated Amanda Cooper via submission (rear-naked choke) 2:27 Round 1

John Lineker defeated Brian Kelleher via KO (punch) 3:43 Round 3

Lyoto Machida defeated Vitor Belfort via KO (kick) 1:00 Round 2

Preliminary Card results:

Cezar Ferreira defeated Karl Roberson via Technical submission (arm triangle) 4:45 Round 1

Oleksiy Oliynyk defeated Junior Albini via submission (ezekiel choke) 1:45 Round 1

Davi Ramos defeated Nick Hein via submission (rear-naked choke) 4:15 Round 1

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos defeated Sean Strickland via KO (strikes) 3:12 Round 1

Preliminary Card (UFC Fightpass) results:

Warlley Alves defeated Sultan Aliev via TKO (doctor stoppage) 5:00 Round 2

Jack Hermansson defeated Thales Leites via TKO (strikes) 2:10 Round 3

Ramazan Emeev defeated Alberto Mina via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Markus Perez defeated James Bochnovic via submission (rear-naked choke) 4:28 Round 1

Bonuses

Performance of the night – Lyoto Machida

Performance of the night – Oleksiy Oliynyk

Fight of the night – Kelvin Gastelum and Ronaldo Souza

 

Gunnar Nelson has surgery to repair his injured knee – out for 8-10 weeks


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UFC fighter Gunnar Nelson has had surgery to repair his injured knee, which caused him to withdraw from UFC Liverpool on May 27th.

Nelson took to his social media on Sunday and confirmed the news of his injury that he would not be able to compete in the co-main event at UFC Liverpool on May 27th.

The Icelandic fighter who trains out of the gym Mjölnir in Reykjavik Iceland, posted on his social media late last night, the following:

“Surgery went well, 8 weeks of recovery and then straight to the gym again… looking at a fight this year for sure.”

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