Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UK)13 (6/6/2010)

For the first time in awhile, its time to watch MMA from the UK! Yay! From the Tennis and Leisure Centre in Garon Park, Essex, we have this lineup of fights featuring people I have likely never heard of for my amusement. Ian Freeman is the ring announcer, which means that there are good odds that organized crime could be involved. Yay again! Josh Palmer and Pierre Guillett announcing. Lots of dudes from Storm Gym and Evolution Gym.

1) Andy Wilson vs. Chris Phillips: "Semi Pro MMA" is the billing for this with two four minute rounds at 77KG. Oh god. Apparently since this isn't a real pro fight, there are RINGS style rules.

FIGHT: Phillips Submission Rnd 1. Gets on top a couple times, eventually gets a sort of ugly mount position and has a head/arm choke against the cage that forces Wilson to tap. There was a bit of a weird standup in this fight by the ref as Phillips was in top control fresh out of looking for something from the mount. (0)

2) Will Butler vs. Sam Yinka Redin: Redin is 0-1 and Butler is 3-0. This is at least full blown "Pro MMA". Little guys.

FIGHT: Butler Submission Rnd 1. Technical submission as the ref stops it before Redin's arm explodes in a straight armbar. Butler had shot in and was stuffed, but then pulled guard and immediately went to the armbar, sweeping Redin over and getting full extension on it. (0)

3) Mathew Walker vs. Sean Childs: 73KG guys from schools I don't know in the UK. Childs has dyed red hair that is downright fluorescent.

FIGHT: Childs Submission Rnd 1. Clearly from the get go Childs is gonna dominate. He slams Walker twice, even holding him up, spinning 360 degrees, then dropping him at one point. Childs goes for a heel hook without thinking twice, because apparently its illegal in semi pro MMA here. Childs eventually locks a guillotine in standing on Walker and then like pulls guard and rolls backwards over into mount, which was pretty sweet. Fun domination. (1)

4) Tom Webb vs. Chris Stebbads: More semi pro action at 82KG. Webb is supposedly an ex boxer of some sort.

FIGHT: Stebbads Submission Rnd 2. Stebbads screws up an easy armbar from mount and transitions to a triangle at least to save face by winning soon afterwards. Webb keeps going for guillotines and ends up mounted after pulling guard for leverage. Horrible game plan. Nothing to be excited for here. (0)

5) Joe Boobyer vs. Iian Martel: Boobyer. Really. REALLY. 93KG semi pro bout. What the hell am I watching this for again?

FIGHT: Martel TKO Rnd 1. They throw out the semi pro rules as Martel drops Boobyer early in the fight as he lets him up from a takedown against the cage and then smashes him on the mat. Boobyer is like, "Hey, that's a DQ!" and no one cares. The announcer and the color guy both are from the same gym as Martel, so I'm guessing this isn't an even playing field. (0)

6) Murrey Fullerton vs. Jefferson George: Semi pro bout at 83KG. Jesus can I see someone that doesn't suck and is worthy of being paid?

FIGHT: Fullerton Submission Rnd 1. Fullerton rolls on George with the classic KOTC special and RNC finish. (0)

7) Stuart Davies vs. Dave Hardiman: 70KG fight in the PRO DIVISION. Phew. Thank god.

FIGHT: Hardiman Submission Rnd 2. Davies wears thai shorts but doesn't really kickbox. Instead dudes grapple. Davies has great position for an armbar in the first from the bottom but keeps crossing his feet and doesn't extend. He then goes to kick himself off the fence and he loses the grip and ends up having to roll for a desperation leg lock to try and save face. Hardiman gets the takedowns throughout the fight, fends off the submissions, and eventually moves to mount and gets an armbar in the second round. (0)

8) Matteo Piran vs. Alfie Slade: Pro MMA with 6-6 Italian vs. a debuting Brit.

FIGHT: Piran Submission Rnd 1. Basically a KOTC special with some uncomfortable standup, a belly to belly suplex, punching and a RNC finish. (0)

9) Panikos vs. Terry Montgomery: Yes, the dude is named "Panikos". Welterweights. Panikos has shaggy hair. He appears to use a separate conditioner. Or maybe Wen.

FIGHT: Montgomery Submission Rnd 1. You can tell moments in with Montgomery's tight standup and explosive speed that this is not going to go Panikos' way. Montgomery gets this to the mat early on when Panikos is knocked down (sorta) going backwards off balance. Montgomery goes for the mount and then ends up being sort of flipped while going for a kimura. He holds onto it and eventually forces a tap with Panikos inside his full guard. Montgomery is kinda interesting but I think he was using a lot of energy early on. (1)

10) Will Jackson vs. John Hales: 80KG fight, so middleweights I guess?

FIGHT: Hales Submission Rnd 1. Hales rolls this guy - it looks like your standard KOTC special with Hales taking the mount after a successful double leg thanks to Jackson trying to shrimp out and leaving the pass open to do so and then turning over, but Jackson does escape and gets back up. Too bad he is taken down immediately again. Hales is all over him like a wet blanket and Jackson can't even come close to getting this to half guard before a modified head and arm choke is applied. Doesn't even look like much of one - kinda like a head crank where one side of the carotid is closed off by the shoulder blade and the applying fighter's arm does the other side.

11) Tim Wise vs. Colin Macdairmaid: THE BATTLE OF SOUTHEND ON SEA - Revolution Gym vs. TSG Fight School.

FIGHT: Wise TKO Rnd 1. Man, this is ugly stuff. Dudes just throwing wild shots, eventually MacDairmaid (who is OLD) drops and Wise blasts him with punches dead in the face over and over and over again until the ref finally stops it. Just to clarify, MacDairmaid wasn't like "out cold" but more like "mouth agape and sucking wind like an asthmatic" after like 2:30. Not the sport's finest moment. (0)

12) Philly San vs. Shane Omer: San fought at Cage Rage 1. CAGE RAGE 1. But he like never fights and is listed as "independent".

FIGHT: Omer Submission Rnd 1. KOTC special. San is taken down, pounded, cut, turns over, RNC. Omer is still 5 and 0. (1)

13) Shane Kavanah vs. Andrew Tate: 84KG. These guys are debuting. Tate looks HUGE.

FIGHT: Tate TKO Rnd 1. Tate LOVES lead leg high kicks. Sure, they touch, but they do no damage. Tate gets a takedown and does nothing with it, and Kavanah gets out of it. Still, this is a pretty dominant performance. They clinch, Kavanah tries to get some separation and Tate prefers to stay in the pocket. He lands a hard right hand to Kavanah that causes him to fall to the mat and he drives another punch him to a Tate that is laid out on the mat. (0)

14) Ivan Serati vs. Shawn Lomas: Serati got in the UFC once because, hey, they needed someone to lose to Drwal. He beat Lee Hasdell in 2007 during his short lived comeback. Lomas has lost 7 fights in the last TWO MONTHS as of today. Only 2 wins in his last 13 fights and has fought 36 times in a career lasting all of about 17 months.

FIGHT: Serati Submission Rnd 1. Ends with a RNC after yet another KOTC special. Serati actually had the Gary Goodridge/Tatsu position with the wrist control behind the back and apparently decided to not kill Lomas, instead being inactive to the point where there was a standup. Didn't matter since Serati just got another double immediately. (0)

FIGHT OF THE NIGHT: Childs/Walker

KO OF THE NIGHT: Tate/Kavanah

SUBMISSION OF THE NIGHT: Montgomery/Panikos

OVERALL FOR THE EVENT: 2.5 out of 10. So much filler. No really great fights. Nothing even too competitive. Lots of first round finishes. But some kinda interesting prospects very early into careers.

D&R Rating: 4% (3/70)