Cage Warriors Press Release: Cage Warriors Signs TV Deal with Premier Sports & Setanta Sports

Cage Warriors Press Release: Cage Warriors Signs TV Deal with Premier Sports & Setanta Sports

CAGE WARRIORS Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has penned deals with Premier Sports and Setanta Sports, which will see the broadcasters carry all CWFC events for the remainder of 2013.

Cage Warriors main cards, featuring stars like Jim Alers, Ronnie Mann and Che Mills, will air live throughout the UK exclusively on Premier Sports, the subscription channel available on the Sky platform.

For non-Sky subscribers, Premier Sports is also available to watch online at a cost of £9.99 per month. More details can be found HERE.

Setanta Sports, which is also accessible via subscription on the Sky platform, will have exclusive television rights to the action in Ireland, with events airing live on Setanta Sports 1, followed by delayed coverage on Setanta Ireland.

Cage Warriors fans in Ireland can also continue to stream events via our online partners JOE.ie.
Prelims will continue to stream worldwide and free of charge on Facebook, while event replays will be available for the world to watch on the Monday after each event on MMAjunkie.com.

The agreement with Premier Sports and Setanta Sports launches a week on Saturday, July 6, when Cage Warriors 56 will be broadcast from The Forum in London.

Richard Webb, COO of Premier Sports, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back Cage Warriors to the channel. The mixed martial arts promotion is widely regarded to have the best fighters and production values of any in Europe and we look forward to bringing viewers live action every month on Saturday evenings.”

In addition to broadcasting future events, both Premier Sports and Setanta Sports will have access to the Cage Warriors archives, allowing the broadcasters to screen replays of the best action from past events.

Cage Warriors has already confirmed a further six events for its 2013 schedule for the coming months, with more still to be announced.

“Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is the leading and most consistent MMA product in Europe, so I’m pleased that we’ll be back on TV screens in the UK and Ireland again,” Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said.

“We have a high-quality product and networks should have to meet our valuation of that product if they wish to broadcast it. Premier Sports and Setanta Sports are committed to the growth of MMA so I’m glad that they’ve decided to do so.

“With the exception of the UFC, Cage Warriors hosts more international events than any other promotion, making us one of the busiest in the world. More than half of the best fighters in the UK and Ireland are also signed to Cage Warriors, so with the backing of Premier Sports and Setanta Sports we can continue to progress.”

UK MMA Expo Press Release

UK MMA Expo Press Release 

The UK MMA Expo is the UK’s first Mixed Martial Arts Expo and is being hosted at Event City in Manchester July 20-21^st from 10am-6pm daily and an evening show on the Saturday night. EventCity is the UK's second largest exhibition space outside of London and is adjacent to the famous Trafford Centre shopping complex. It’s going to be a major event in the UK Mixed Martial Arts calendar.

The Expo aims to help raise the profile of the world’s fastest growing sport and it’s fighters in the UK. Those involved in the sport will know that MMA training offers many benefits such as fitness, discipline and self-confidence as well as being an exciting spectator sport. As well as a yearly get together for those already involved the Expo will also be a showcase for the sport helping shatter some of the misconceptions that the general public may have. It will help raise the profile of our UK fighters and get more people involved in the sport; whether as fans or actually training in MMA. We are also keen to push the health, fitness, knowledge and participation aspects of the sport.

This showcase weekend includes exhibition stands from companies in the industry, with spaces being taken up by businesses from all facets of the MMA world sampling & selling their products. There are plenty of things for visitors to see such as training seminars, star photo/signing sessions, open workouts and live events.

Another important area of the Expo will be the KnowledgeBase Theatre/Forum. In here we will be hosting free talks on all aspects of health, fitness, wellness and competition. These are to include nutrition, hydration, psychology, media interaction, Strength & Conditioning, injury management, injury prevention etc. It will also host a number of free Q&A sessions such as: "Pioneers of UK MMA" with a panel including Mark Weir, Ian Freeman, Lee Hasdall, Leigh Remedios, "Women in Combat" with Rosi Sexton (to be UK's first female UFC fighter), Helen Currie (first female in Europe to hold a black belt in Jiu Jitsu), Jojo Calderwood (Ex high lever Thai boxer now undefeated in MMA fighting for US based Invitca promotion) and Julie Kitchen (14 times World Champions, and undisputed queen of Muay Thai), “It’s a TUFF life” (about life in the TUFF house) and much more. UFC Referee Marc Goddard is hosting an "Understand the judges for fans & fighters" talk in here also, then running his official Judges and Referees full days training course on the Sunday.

Competitions including the Open British Grappling Championships, Kickboxing tournament, Muay Thai Interclub and the Ring Girl of the Year 2013 Competition will all be free to watch inside. We also have an interactive gym zone in operation over the weekend where the 2013 Male Fight Fit Awards will partly be conducted too.

We will be hosting training seminars & professional instant photo/signing sessions over the whole weekend with top level UK fighters & coaches. Seminars we have booked so far include Wolfslair Coach Dave Jackson (who has coached Chieck Kongo, Rampage Jackson, Michael Bisping), Rob Sinclair (BAMMA Champion recently signed to Bellator), Che Mills, Ian Freeman, John Maguire, Jimi Manuwa and there are still more to be announced.

In the adjoining hall we have a full professional evening promotion with some great pro fights as well as some unified amateur rules fights on the undercard. The show will be one of the best the UK has seen (outside of the UFC) in terms of entrances, effects, set up, production and of course fights too. It will be a great evening out even for those without a keen interest in MMA. The award winning "Fight Ikon" brand is returning after two years away and will really raise the bar for UK shows, becoming a highly anticipated, once yearly MMA extravaganza. For the event we have UFC Referee Leon Roberts as well as UFC official doctors, hand wrapping and cut men. It will be held in a full sized 32ft cage with walk around platform. We also have the team responsible for the X Factor Live running the sound, lighting, lasers, Co2, pyrotechnics, etc. The same set up (possibly minus the pyros) will be used during the daytime for an amateur event continuing to showcase the rising talent we have in the UK.

Entry cost to the Expo is just £10 per day or £15 for the weekend, available from www.ticketline.co.uk . Further discounts are also available on this already incredibly low price for gym owners and British Forces. Children under 14 also get free entry with paying adults.

Seminars start at just £20, evening show standard tickets start at £30 with cage side seats also available as well VIP tables with 3 course meal.

Please visit our website for more details or Follow us on Twitter and Facebook under UKMMAEXPO.

Global Warrior Challenge: British Invasion Results

Global Warrior Challenge: British Invasion Results 

Bobby Lashley def. Matt Larson by submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd 1 (1:40)
Marcin Lazarz def. Ricco Rodriguez by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
Andre Winner def. Drew Fickett by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Kendall Grove def. Danny Mitchell by TKO (strikes) Rd 1 (4:53)
Oli Thompson def. Kevin Asplund by TKO (strikes) Rd 1 (3:21)
LC Davis def. James Saville by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Dayman Lake def. Jake Heun by submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd (4:34)
Jack Marshman def. Wayne Cole by TKO (punches) Rd 1 (1:26)
Michael Johnson def. Jerome Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Jake Murphy def. Tony Hervey by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3) 
Swing bout: Max Nunes def. Justin Davis by TKO (strikes) Rd 1 (2:39)

Sarah Kaufman vs Sara McMann Offical for UFC on Fox Sports 1

Sarah Kaufman vs Sara McMann Offical for UFC on Fox Sports 1

by Tommy Strong - @strong_Tea

Its been a very busy week for fight announcements , and the latest to be confirmed is 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver medalist Sara Mcmann (7-0) taking on former Strikeforce Bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman (16-2) at UFC on Fox Sports 1. The event will take place on August 28th 2013 in Indianapolis. 

Mcmann who is undefeated in her MMA career,  made easy work of her last opponent Sheila Gaff (10-5-1NC) with a TKO inside the 1st round at UFC 159 in April. 

With lots of talk on Mcmann being the best equipped woman fighter to challenge the current UFC bantamweight Ronda Rousey , this fight with Kaufman should show us if she is ready to challenge for the belt! 

Kaufmann a former Strikeforce bantamweight champion, has yet to debut for the UFC since signing with them. Her last fight was a debut fight for Invicta where she fought and defeated Leslie Smith in a split decision which was voted fight of the night! 

Another women's fight announced this week is a bantamweight bout that see's Sheila Gaff vs Amanda Nunes at UFC 163 on August 3rd in Rio de Janeiro . Nunes (7-3) with an impressive 6 of her 7 wins coming via knockout will be making her UFC debut after her last 2 fights being with Invicta. Nunes is coming into the bout on the back of a unanimous decision loss to Sarah D'Alelio at Invicta 4.

Gaff (10-5-1NC) lost her last fight inside the 1st round via TKO, at the hands of Sara Mcmann at UFC 159. With both fighters having a very impressive knock out record between, them Im sure we will be in for a fun fight!!

And lastly and by no means least, Liz Carmouche will now be facing the newcomer Jessica Andrade at UFC on Fox 8 on July 28th. Liz was scheduled to fight Miesha Tate , but Tate was called upon by the UFC to step up and replace the injured Cat Zingano and be coach for the TUF 18 series, and to face the current bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. 

Liz (8-3) became the first woman in the UFC to headline a PPV event when she fought UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 157 in February. In what proved to be Ronda's hardest test to date. Coming very close to snatching the belt away from Ronda before having to tap to the arm bar specialist. 

Liz will now face Jessica Andrade (9-2) at UFC on Fox 8, and in doing so will become the first women again to fight on Fox. Her opponent Andrade still only a young fighter at 21 years of age, will have a big step up in class having to fight Liz. Though the young brazilian will be looking to make a name for herself come July.

Pettis Injured, Korean Zombie now Meets Jose Aldo at UFC 163

Pettis Injured, Korean Zombie now Meets Jose Aldo at UFC 163
 by Jack Broadey - @j3ck_b

Dana White today revealed the big title fight between Antony Pettis and Jose Aldo has had to be called off. A knee injury has forced Pettis to pull out of UFC 163. It's a massive shame for Pettis who has claims to being the number 1 contender at Lightweight before deciding to chance his arm at Aldo at Featherweight.

It was a dream matchup for fans and a legitimate super-fight. There styles clashed perfectly and the fight was bound to be fireworks with both men capable of landing multiple ridiculous strikes from all angles. Kicks, punches, knees, both men have the full arsenal of striking talents. We can only hope this match is made later on this year but many cards would have to fall into place for that to happen.

The next step for Aldo is still to headline UFC 163. Dana White managed to replace Pettis straight away and we still get a Featherweight title clash. Fan favourite Chan Sung Jung or "the Korean Zombie" as he's affectionately called answered the call.

He last fought in May of 2012 winning a fight of the night and submission of the night award with a superb performance over Dustin Poirier. His last fight before was a 7 second knockout win over Mark Hominik. Before that? The 1st ever win by twister submission. The man knows how to finish fights and how to win in style. He's coming off an injury lay off and was originally scheduled for a UFC 162 return against Ricardo Lamas.

There are bound to be some complaints questioning if The Zombie deserves this fight. There are plenty of candidates at Featherweight. Chad Mendes is on a rebuilding effort at the moment and its too close to his KO loss to Aldo to be considered. Cub Swanson is rolling through thought opponents but the vivid image of Aldo's flying knee to KO him sticks in the mind still.

That leaves Zombies original opponent Lamas. As a good a roll he is on at the moment the decision ultimately came down to name recognition. Zombie has won fights and won them in style. That sends out a good positive message from Zuffa. Win fights and win them in style and you will get your reward. Aldo v Korean Zombie is no Aldo v Pettis but its a relevant featherweight title defense none the less. Injuries can't be helped and this is an intriguing match up in its place.

Darren Elkins Meets Hatsu Hioki at UFC on Fox 1 2 in Indianapolis

Darren Elkins Meets Hatsu Hioki at UFC on Fox 1 2 in Indianapolis 
by Jack Broadey - @j3ck_b

A featherweight battle between Darren Elkins and Hatsu Hioki has been added to UFC on Fox Sports 1 #2 in Indianapolis

This fight is a winner stay relevant kind of contest with both men coming off tough losses for different reasons. Hioki should of got the nod over Clay Guida in his last fight and Elkins was dramatically stopped by Chad Mendes in the 1st round.

Elkins had a 5 fight win streak snapped with the Mendes loss. He will hope to regain some of that momentum he built up and a win over Hioki would be a great start.

Hioki had a lot of hype behind him when he made his UFC debut and he got straight out of the blocks with 2 early wins. He's since hit a bit of a skid losing 2 straight fights in controversial fashion. This has all the potential to be a great fight and both men will be desperate to get back in that win column.

Bader vs Teixeira, Okami vs Jacare, & Benavidez vs Formiga set for UFC on Fox Sports 1 3

Bader vs Teixeira, Okami vs Jacare, & Benavidez vs Formiga set for UFC on Fox Sports 1 3 
by Tommy Strong - @Strong_Tea

UFC light heavyweight star Glover Teixeira has been handed his next challenge to shoot himself closer to that light heavyweight title shot. He is set to face former season 8 winner of 'The ultimate fighter' Ryan Bader. The fight will take place on September 4th in Belo Horizonte, Brazil at UFC on Fox Sports 1 :3

This fight was original scheduled for UFC 160, Bader had to withdraw due to an injury and was replaced with James Te-Huna.

Glover (21-2) is fast becoming a fans favourite with his exciting fighting style. His last loss was over 8 years ago coming at the hands of Ed Herman back in March 2005 via a unanimous decision. Since then he has won 19 fights in a row (4-0 in the UFC) with his latest win submitting the very tough James Te-Huna at UFC 160 back in May.

Ryan Bader (15-3) is currently ranked number 10 in the division has had a mixed bag of results since winning season 8 of the ultimate fighter. And maybe fortunate to be facing Glover who is ranked number 3.

Bader bounced back from devastating 2nd round KO defeat to Lyoto Machida at UFC on Fox 4 back in August 2012.  He took no time at all, 50 seconds in fact submitting Vladimir Matyushenko inside the 1st round in January and a nice healthy cheque for 'submission of the night' .

Also confirmed for this fight card we will see top middleweights Yushin Okami vs Ronaldo Souza battle it out to put one of them in touching distance to fight for the UFC middleweight belt.

Okami (29-7) has fought his way back up the rankings since losing to Anderson Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 134 and then losing to Tim Boestch 6 months later at UFC 144, both losses coming via TKO. Having now put a string of results together with victories over Buddy Roberts, Alan Belcher and more recently a split decision win over the hyped Hector Lombard at UFC on Fuel in March he has moved himself back into title contention.

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion, Ronaldo Souza (18-3) made his debut with the UFC since moving over from Strikeforce when he fought Chris Camozzi in May, and in impressive fashion he submitted Camozzi inside the 1st round and in the process earning himself 'submission of the night' bonus for his troubles.

With both fighters ranked 3 (Okami) & 5 (Souza) in the division, its a fight that has everything up for stake especially for the winner!


Another fight confirmed for the night, will see two flyweights Joseph Benavidez vs Jussier Formiga.

Benavidez (18-3) who is currently ranked Number 1 in the official UFC flyweight rankings. Will be entering the octagon on the back of two wins since losing a split decision to Demetrious Johnson for the vacant flyweight title at UFC 152 in Sept 2012.

Formiga (15-2) & (1-1) since signing for the UFC. Lost his debut fight to 'The Ultimate Fighter' season 14 winner John Dodson in a title eliminator losing via TKO. After the defeat his was matched up against Chris Cariasso in May this year, which Formiga battled to a unanimous decision victory. He's still ranked in the top 5 of the division, in what is probably the weakest in the UFC.

Paul Redmond is in no Rush for the Future

Paul Redmond is in no Rush for the Future
by Tom Rooney - @oldmanrooney

Unbeaten in his Cage Warriors career to date, Irish lightweight Paul ‘Redser’ Redmond is rapidly distinguishing himself as one of Europe’s best, but as he tells Tom Rooney, he never thinks too far ahead.

At Cage Warriors 55 in front of a home town crowd in the Helix, Dublin, Paul Redmond (8-3) submitted Marc Allen via toe hold to win his fifth consecutive fight almost a year to the day since his promotional debut. The 26-year-old Team Ryano MMA export was at the epee-centre of what proved a banner night for Irish MMA, with Cathal Pendred taking out Che Mills in the main event and teammate Neil Seery submitting Mikael Silander to capture the inaugural fly-weight title in the penultimate bout.

Redmond was, of course, delighted to be part of such a momentous event, but it was the convenience of fighting in Ireland that made it all the more sweet. “It was a great night for everyone involved in Irish MMA, I like fighting in Dublin; get to sleep in my own bed, cut weight in my own house and there’s no dehydrating sitting on a plane for hours.”

This sort of lese fare attitude is one of the most striking aspects of the genial Dubliner’s personality. Hardly surprising for a guy that only got into MMA five years ago to shed some extra beer weight. The Team Ryano facility is only a stone’s throw from his home, and he has been under the tutelage of Head Coach/Founder Andy Ryan from day one ,a man for who he carries the upmost respect.

“Andy’s been in the sport all his life, over 30 years. Himself and John Kavanagh were the first MMA guys on the scene in Ireland. I don’t think Andy gets the credit he deserves in Irish MMA. You can ask him anything and if he can’t find it on the spot he’ll go and find out for you. The way he works is brilliant.”

Redmond is both refreshingly humble and admirably cerebral in his approach to fighting, as well as being cognisant of the detrimental effect ego can have on  one’s mind-set.

“I was chuffed when Chris Fields said to me on the MMA Review (Irish podcast) that I’m an intellectual fighter. Some people like to bite down on the gum shield and swing for the fences, why?
“ It’s not a fight in the street, it’s a sport. There’s ways of winning, if I’m better than a guy somewhere, I’m going to take advantage of it. I have no problems standing up with anybody, it’s just in some fights, like the Lewis Long fight last year, he’s a world champion in Muay Thai, so I’m not going to stand up with him because I’m not there yet.”

Redser was on a two-fight losing streak prior to signing with Cage Warriors, the second of which was at the hands of Tom Maguire back in March 2012, compelling him to go back to the drawing board and augment his training, particularly in strength and conditioning.

“I got beaten fair and square by Tom Maguire. Wasn’t my night, I got caught in a crucifix late in the first round and just got hammered. I hooked up with Dave McConkey from South Dublin Strength and Conditioning then, I had been doing horrible weight cuts. Since then I’ve been having easy cuts and I feel much stronger, my technique has got better ,too.  It’s just a combination of everything.”

Since then not only is he unbeaten, but yet to go the distance . Strikingly, all his Cage Warrior fights have ended in the second round, is there something he’s not telling us?

“I don’t know, things just come off in the second round. I try to put fellas away in the first, I seem to come to life in the second and third, I feel like my cardio is that bit higher. Sometimes in fights I need to be woken up with a punch or two. I’ll have to put money on myself in the next fight.”

With little white smoke emanating from Cage Warriors regarding how they plan to fill the lightweight title vacated by Connor McGregor, it’s difficult to know who is or isn’t in the mix, which doesn’t concern Redser in the slightest.

“I never read too much into it, to be honest. I fight because I enjoy it, obviously if belts come I’ll take them, but it’s not about anyone else.”

 As it stands Redmond has no date or opponent for his next fight, but having fought five times in the space of a year, he’d be forgiven for taking a step back from the cage. “I feel great. It’s not about racking up the numbers, if the call comes in and as long as I’m not injured I’ll take the fight, you’ve got to do it when you can. As soon as I hear something I’ll get cracking.”

Glory World Series Signs TV Deal with Spike TV

Glory World Series Signs TV Deal with Spike TV

Spike TV will expand its sports line-up with the addition of GLORY Sports International's (GSI) brand of kickboxing premiering in Fall, 2013.  The action-packed LIVE sports programming, part of an overall GSI content initiative, will air 2-hour events in primetime on select Saturday nights from around the world as part of a multi-year partnership was announced today by Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Multiplatform Programming, Spike TV, and Andrew Whitaker, Chief Executive GLORY Sports International, Pte Ltd.

“We are thrilled to partner with GSI in bringing Spike TV's audience the incredible action and intensity of GLORY’s fight league, which feature the best kickboxers in the world,” said Slusser. “Viewers will quickly see this as the perfect complement to our coverage of Bellator, the world’s leading tournament-based MMA promotion.”

"Spike has established itself as the home of combat sports in a way that is unique. Its audience will expect the most exciting ring action and we promise to deliver it," said Whitaker. "Glory kickboxing is the next big thing and Spike clearly knows something about spotting aces in the sports programming space."

GLORY Sports International is the world's premier stand-up fighting league, staging events across the globe. The fight series includes multi-man tournaments, along with traditional, single bouts.  The most elite kickboxers in the world fight for GLORY including Tyrone Spong, Gokhan Saki, Semmy Schilt, Nieky Holzken, Yuta Kubo, Giorgio Petrosyan, Daniel Ghita, Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky and Albert Kraus.

Spike TV has a long tradition of telecasting the best in action sports, and is currently the home of the emerging mixed martial arts league, Bellator MMA.  

Ronnie Mann Meets Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57

Ronnie Mann Meets Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57
by Chris Houten - @kingdomMMAChris

Top 5 UK bantamweight Ronnie Mann will make his Cage Warriors debut against Spanish star Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57.

A veteran of Cage Rage, Sengoku, and most recently Bellator, Mann (21-6-1) recently signed an exclusive 5 fight deal with Cage Warriors, having had his contract bought by Cage Warriors from  Bellator, where he amassed a 3-3 record, with all 3 losses coming by decision including a loss to Featherweight Champion Pat Curran.

“This fight means a lot to me as I’m fighting at home in the UK again for the first time in five years. I’m excited to be back in front of the British fans and I want to do UK MMA proud,” said Mann.

“Like myself, my opponent brings a lot of experience to the table so I think it will be an excellent fight. He’s a good all-rounder but I don’t think his skills will match my technical ability.”

His opponent, 36-year old Zapater (17-9) will also be making his Cage Warriors debut at Cage Warriors 57. Having fought on the European MMA scene for over 10 years, Zapater has an impressive 11 finishes in 17 wins (7 by submission, 4 by TKO) and has a 9-2 record in his last 11 fights.

Zapater said: “I’m very excited about fighting on this show in such a magnificent arena. My opponent is very tough and skilled but I’m looking forward to the challenge it will bring.”

Cage Warriors 57 takes place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on the 20th of July and is headline by Paul Daley vs Lukasz Chlewicki. Tickets are still available though Cagewarriors.com

Stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Cage Warriors 57

Press Release: Bamma Announce Two Title Fight for Bamma 13

The UK’s Premier Mixed Martial Arts promotion, BAMMA is back on 14th September to bring another stunning night of fights to Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena with BAMMA 13.

BAMMA is proud to announce two title bouts to the BAMMA 13 main card, as Jason Jones meets Max Nunes in a long awaited Light Heavyweight clash for the BAMMA World title; and Britain’s iconic Jimmy Wallhead faces US Welterweight, “Fast” Eddy Ellis for the BAMMA World Welterweight belt.

Brutal athlete, Jason “The Villain” Jones, hails from Holland with a record of 19-10-0.  Debuting in 2004, the Judo black belt carved his reputation across promotions that included M-1 Global, Shooto, K-1, King of the Cage, Deep and United Glory.  Jones first entered the BAMMA cage at BAMMA 9 where he terrorised Przemyslaw Mysiala, stopping him with cuts in the first round.  Lauded London based Swede, Max “Power” Nunes, remains undefeated with an MMA record of 10-0-0.  Demolishing Kevin Thompson via TKO at 1:40 into round 1 at BAMMA 11, Nunes achieved the 8th 1st round finish of his career and made waves internationally. He went on to face unorthodox Marcin Lazarz at BAMMA 12, in a tricky bout that was his first to stretch to the third round. This mouth-watering tear-up is the one that fans have been waiting for.

Leicester’s “Judo” Jimmy Wallhead (24-7-0) stands among the elite of UK Middleweights and Welterweights, but was often snubbed in his career because of his fierce talent. This included being knocked back when he applied for “The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom” in 2008 on the grounds of being ‘too experienced’. Wallhead’s victory over the legendary Frank Trigg at BAMMA 7 finally put his star on the map; while his demolition of Villasenor at BAMMA 8 with flying knees and a spectacular KO remains unforgettable.

Wallhead signed up to an exclusive UK multi-fight deal with BAMMA earlier this year and went on to defeat former UFC contender Matt Veach at BAMMA 12 in a typically explosive performance. “Fast” Eddy  Ellis hails from Washington, USA with a record of 18 wins and 15 losses. The veteran is on a six fight win streak and has lost just one bout in his last ten. With 13 years of professional MMA fights under his belt, Ellis has scored victories in promotions such as Strikeforce, King of the Cage, IFC, WEC and Sportfight; and has 15 championship belts to his name.  Ellis is a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter, Season 16 on which he represented Team Carwin.  He is current head coach at United Training Centre in Washington.

BAMMA’s Managing Director, Ashley Bothwell, said:

“Jones versus Nunes, and Wallhead versus Ellis kick the BAMMA 13 card off to a sharp start and give a flavour of what can be expected from the rest of the night. BAMMA 13 has been some time in the works and we promise another exciting and entertaining night of fights. BAMMA 14 is also in motion for later in the year and following renewed broadcast conversations we can assure fans of a stable events schedule running into 2014. We’d like to thank BAMMA fans for their support.”

BAMMA 13 will feature live on 5* with highlights on Channel 5 in the UK;  and will be televised on AXS-TV in the US, The Fight Network in Canada, Red Media in Russia, TV Esporte Interativo in Brazil and Setanta in Africa.

Karlos Vemola vs Denniston Sutherland Set for UCMMA 35

Karlos Vemola vs Denniston Sutherland Set for UCMMA 35
By Chris Houten - @KingdomMMAChris

Officials at UCMMA have today confirmed Karlos Vemola will challenge Denniston Sutherland for his UCMMA Middleweight title at UCMMA 35 on the 3rd of August.

Vemola (9-4) was recently released from the UFC following a 2-4 run in the octagon. Prior to joining the UFC, Vemola - who holds notable wins over Seth Petruzelli, Mike Massenzio, and Stav Economou was went 7-0 on the UK scene, with all of his wins coming by TKO or submission in the first round. Having previously fought for UCMMA where he defeated Peter Yendall, Vemola who will be fighting for UCMMA the second at UCMMA said:

"It is my duty to warn all 84kg fighters that I am back. I will be taking every belt from all the UK shows, firstly starting with UCMMA".

A veteran of the UK MMA scene, Denniston Sutherland (19-10) has fought for likes of Bamma, OMMAC, Cage Warriors, and UCMMA, the latter most recently in April where defeat Ben Callum by split decision to win the UCMMA Middleweight Title.

Speaking on the upcoming bout against Vemola, Sutherland said:

"Good Luck Karlos in your venture in getting all the belts. There are some good fighters including me. I am not saying you won't win nor am I saying you will, but you should concentrate on your next fight which is against me instead of making such sweeping statements". 

UCMMA 35 will go down on the 3rd of August form The Troxy, London. Tickets are on sale here, with price starting at £25.

For more on UCMMA 35 stay tune to KingdomMMA.co.uk

Meet RFA's Latest Signings Including Justin Lawrence, Chris Spang, and Kevin Casey

In most European countries, the summer transfer window is the busiest time of year for premier soccer leagues looking to sign top free agent talent. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is no different and tends to get very busy during the summer months. Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) has been very busy entering its second summer in the business.

RFA's key acquisitions last summer included Sergio Pettis, Lance Palmer, Chris Holdsworth, Gregor Gillespie, and Steve Mocco just to name a few. This summer's signees show just as much promise. Meet the RFA summer class of 2013!


Kevin Casey   

Record: 5-3   Division: Middleweight   Hometown: Los Angeles, California   
Team: Black House MMA and Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

How You Know Him: UFC, TUF 17, Strikeforce, and K-1 HERO's. Kevin "King" Casey started training jiu-jitsu in 1999 after befriending Rockson Gracie during childhood. Rockson is the late son of MMA and jiu-jitsu legend Rickson Gracie. After Rockson died a year later, Rickson took a young Casey under his wing and Casey became a standout athlete on the competitive jiu-jitsu scene. Casey is perhaps best known for his time fighting on the most recent seventeenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Before the show, Casey's only losses came in his pro debut to the incredibly experienced Ikuhisa Minowa (K-1 HERO's) and former UFC star Matt Lindland (Strikeforce). On TUF 17, Casey submitted Hawaiian fighter Eldon Sproat to gain entry into the house, but Casey's performance on the show was affected by acute renal failure (kidney failure) from the drastic weight cut he made after being selected for a wild card match. Casey nearly submitted Josh Samman early in his UFC debut in April, but again lingering conditioning ailments affected his performance. This has prompted Casey to revamp his entire health, nutirition, and conditioning program heading into his RFA debut.

Twitter: @KevinKOCasey

Keoni Koch   

Record: 5-0   Division: Bantamweight   Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa   Team: Hard Drive MMA
How You Know Him: Keoni "Evil Genius" Koch is the older brother of UFC star Erik "New Breed" Koch. After making his pro debut in 2007, he took 3 years off to focus on training his teammates at Hard Drive MMA. This is the gym in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that he co-founded with Dave Sherzer. The older Koch brother returned to action briefly in 2010 before taking another 3 years off. In April, Koch returned to competition once again. He picked up where he left off with another win. Koch then signed with the RFA to fight fellow unbeaten bantamweight Pedro Munhoz at RFA 8. Unfortunately, he broke his hand and was forced off the card. Koch expects to be ready to fight later this summer and in the meantime he inked a new multi-fight deal with the RFA. Now it's just a matter of time before RFA fans get to witness one of his epic entrances. His Major League themed "Wild Thing" walkout would have made Charlie Sheen proud.

Twitter: @HardDriveMMA

 




Justin Lawrence

Record: 4-2   Division: Featherweight   Hometown: Pacific, Missouri (Now in Los Angeles, California)   Team: Black House MMA

How You Know Him: UFC, TUF 15, and Strikeforce. Justin "The American Kid" Lawrence dove into the deep end when he decided to fight professionally. He made his pro debut in late 2010 on the undercard of Strikeforce - Henderson vs. Babalu II. After extending his record to 3-0, Lawrence decided to fight as a lightweight on the fifteenth season of the UFC's hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter. Lawrence made a name for himself worldwide as the #1 overall pick on the show due to his lethal striking ability. These are skills that helped make Lawrence a six-time IKF kickboxing national champion, two-time IKF kickboxing Pan-American champion, two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion, and two-time Diamond Gloves boxing champion. These striking skills also earned Lawrence stoppage victories of James Krause and Cristiano Marcello on TUF 15 and a brutal KO of John Cofer at the UFC - TUF 15 Finale. The win over Cofer earned Lawrence the UFC "KO of the Night" Award as well as the UFC "Fight of the Night" Award.


Twitter: @AmericanKiddMMA

Alan Jouban    

Record: 6-1   Division: Welterweight   Hometown: Los Angeles, California   
Team: Legends MMA and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu

How You Know Him: Shark Fights and Tachi Palace Fights. Alan Jouban made a name for himself in the now defunct Shark Fights and Tachi Palace Fights promotions. He competed twice for each organization in his first four fights. Jouban now sports an impressive 6-1 professional MMA record with his lone setback being against current RFA star Chidi Njoukani. Jouban won his pro debut in 2011 over UFC and RFA veteran Tyson Griffin's younger brother Kyle Griffin, who is a former NCAA Division I wrestler and ADCC veteran. Jouban supplements his powerful striking ability by training jiu-jitsu under the innovative Eddie Bravo. The professional fighter, who moonlights in Los Angeles as a professional model and actor, became a hot commodity and was heavily coveted on the MMA free agent market this summer. Needless to say, the RFA is pleased to add Jouban to its talented welterweight roster.

Twitter: @AlanJouban




Chris Spång

   Record: 5-2   Division: Welterweight   Hometown: Växjö, Sweden (Now in Las Vegas, Nevada)
Team: Fight Capital and One Kick's Gym

How You Know Him: UFC and Strikeforce. In a sentence: Chris "The Kiss" Spång was born to bang. His father was a professional Boxer in Sweden and his older brother Andreas is a fellow professional Mixed Martial Artist, who was a finalist in the Bellator season 6 middleweight tournament. Spång trains under the esteemed tutelage of Skipper Kelp in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kelp's influence via "Left Hook Productions" was on full display last spring. From March to May of 2012, Gilbert Yvel (RFA 2), Andreas Spång (Bellator 66), and Chris Spång (Strikeforce - Barnett vs. Cormier) all won high-profile bouts with devastating left hook KO victories. The younger Spång brother was then brought over to the UFC during the UFC-Strikeforce merger, but he dropped his lone bout for the promotion in his native Sweden via decision to the decorated Russian grappler Adlan Amagov who was making his welterweight debut. Spång is looking to build off of that experience, now that he is in the RFA, and has time to develop and add to his already impressive skill set.

Twitter: @ChrisTheKiss
 
Casey Ryan   
 
Record: 5-0   Division: Middleweight   Hometown: San Diego, California   Team: Alliance MMA

How You Know Him: Strikeforce. Casey Ryan has finished all five opponents he has faced in professional MMA. That includes a Triangle Choke submission win over the well-traveled MMA veteran Jesse Juarez in his pro debut in late 2007. Ryan would return to the sport three and a half years later on the undercard of Strikeforce - Diaz vs. Daley, where he submitted Paul Song with another Triangle Choke. Ryan has gone on to pick up three more wins, two via Arm-Triangle Choke and one via TKO. He currently trains alongside UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, UFC light-heavyweight contenders Phil Davis and Brandon Vera, as well as several other UFC stars at Alliance MMA in Chula Vista, California. Ryan is a black belt in jiu-jitsu and also teaches "the gentle art" at Alliance MMA.

Twitter: @CaseyRyanMMA




 

Video: RF8 Flyweight Titlefight - Sergio Pettis vs Dillard Pegg (Full Fight)

Video: RF8 Flyweight Titlefight - Sergio Pettis vs Dillard Pegg (Full Fight)

RFA 8 went down last night from a packed out The Rave / Eagles Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who were all there to see the Headline fight between 19-year old Sergio Pettis (7-0) and Dillard Pegg (5-1) who meet for the RFA Flyweight title

We wont spoil it for you if you don't know the result yet....... this one finishes quick!

Cage Warriors 58 to Take Place in Chechnya

Cage Warriors 58 to Take Place in Chechnya

Cage Warriors 8th show of 2013 will take place in the Chechen capital of Grozny on August 28th.

Chechnya, an autonomous republic in south-western Russia, is the birthplace of well-known middleweight Mamed Khalidov and current UFC welterweight Adlan Amagov.

Cage Warriors will make its historic first visit to the republic thanks to the support of the Chechen leader, President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is a keen advocate of mixed martial arts and a talented boxer himself.

“We’re very excited to be bringing Cage Warriors to Chechnya for the first time,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. “MMA is hugely popular there and the people of Chechnya will have something special to look forward to."

“Without the full support of President Ramzan Kadyrov, we would not have been able to finalise the deal for this event and, on behalf of the Cage Warriors team, I want to thank the President for his support to Cage Warriors.”

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for more on Cage Warriors 58

Cage Warriors Add 4 Prospects to its Roster

Cage Warriors Add 4 Prospects to its Roster
by Chris Houten - @KingdomMMAChris

Europe's leading MMA promotions Cage Warriors has added talented prospects Brian Moore (pictured), Jordan Desborough, Dave Graham and Mario Saeed to its ever expanding roster, all signed exclusive 5 fights deals with the promotion.

Ranked at no.2 in the Irish featherweight ranking second only to Conor McGregor, SBG Dublin fighter Brian Moore (6-1) has finished 4 on his 6 fights by submission or TKO with his only loss coming to UFC fighter Mike Wilkinson.

One of the UK's most promising lightweights, Jordan Desborough (5-2) taken 3 of his 5 professional victories in the first round by way of submission. Fighting out of SBG Manchester, Desborough's two career losses are to Eden Newton, and TUF Smashes semi-finalist Brendan Loughnane.

Also fighting out of SBG Manchester, Dave Graham (3-1) has also signed for Cage Warriors. Heavy hitting Middleweight, Graham rose to prominence earlier this year with two impressive TKO victories on the domestic scene, one of which came in just 12 seconds of the first round.

Finally Cage Warriors have also added Tojan Feefighters lightweight Mario Saeed. Since Making his professional debut Saeed has finished all 4 of his wins by submission.

“I’d like to welcome Brian, Jordan, Dave and Mario to the roster,” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan. “They’re all great prospects.
“We’re always keen to sign top established fighters but bringing in talent for the future is equally as important. That’s what we’ve done here and it’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Debuts for Moore, Desborough, Graham, and Saeed are yet to be confirmed. 

Chris Weidman's UFC 162 Badboy Walkout Shirt Available from Fearless Fightwear June 28th

Chris Weidman's UFC 162 Badboy Walkout Shirt Available from Fearless Fightwear June 28th
By Chris Houten - @kingdomMMAChris

Chris Weidman's UFC 162 Badboy Walkout Shirt will be available from Fearless Fightwear on the 28th of June.

Weidman will wear the black and blue Bad boy shirt, when he walks out to meet Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight title on the 6th of July in the biggest fight of his career.

Available in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large, you can order your Chris Weidman UFC 162 Badboy Walkout Shirt now - Price £27.99

Fearless Fightwear specialise in all the major Mixed Martial Arts Brands for Clothing, Fan Gear, Supplements and Accessories such as: UFC, Venum, MusclePharm, Affliction, Dethrone, Hayabusa, Xtreme Couture and many more. They also stock all the Professional Fightwear, Training Gear and Professional Protective Equipment from all the leading manufactures such as: Bad Boy, Booster, Punch Town, Rival, Twins, Tri-Coasta, and Punishment Athletics.

Press Release: Invicta FC 6 to Broadcast Live on PPV in The US

Invicta FC 6 to Broadcast Live on PPV in The US

Two of the premier women mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg (11-1) and Marloes Coenen (21-5), headline the July 13^th Invicta Fighting Championships 6 pay-per-view event, airing live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.Brazilian KO artist Cyborg, arguably the top pound-for-pound fighters in women’s MMA, and equally dangerous Dutch submission specialist Coenen, will battle in a five, five-minute round rematch for the inaugural Invicta FC World Featherweight (145-pounds) title. “Cyborg” won their first meeting on January 30, 2010, in an action-packed fight that ended on a technical knockout (punches) in the final round. 
“We are excited about bringing the Invicta FC brand of women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts to television for the first time with this tremendous rematch between two of the world’s top women fighters,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “This is yet another step forward for women’s MMA and we are extremely proud to be leading the charge.”
 
“Invicta FC 6,” presented by Invicta Fighting Championships, is being distributed in  North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET – 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH,  Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.

“We’re excited to be distributing Invicta FC 6 to MMA fans in the U.S.,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said.  ”Women’s MMA has exploded and Invicta Fighting Championships has led the charge.  Fighting stars from all over the world are coming out July 13^th for Invicta FC 6. Cyborg is one of the most recognizable and entertaining superstars in women’s MMA.  Fans really enjoy watching her fight and she’s in tough again with another bonafide star, Coenen.  It’s our pleasure to be part of this great top-to-bottom women’s MMA show on July 13^th.”

The co-main event showcases a pair of undefeated strawweights (115 lbs.) sporting identical 9-0 professional records, Japanese invader and JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki and Brazilian sensation Claudia Gadelha, in a three-by-five-minute-rounds match.

Three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3), fighting out of San Jose (CA), takes on unbeaten Texas bantamweight (135 lbs.) prospect Lauren Taylor (6-0), while California (Pleasant Hills) striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) shoots for her third “Fight of the Night” performance, dropping down from bantamweight to flyweight (125 lbs.)for a throw-down with another gifted Brazilian, Jennifer Maia (7-2).

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard are atomweight (105 lbs.) Jessica Penne (10-2, California) vs. Nicdali “The Queen Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6, Oklahoma), strawweight (Joanne Calderwood (6-0, Scotland) vs. Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-6, Missouri), featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2, Florida) vs. Julia Budd (5-2, Canada), strawweight “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2, Australia) vs. Mizuki Inaoue (5-1, Japan), bantamweight Miriam Nakamoto (2-0), California) vs. Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1, Brazil), strawweight Rose Namajunas (2-0, Minnesota) vs. Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0, Florida), strawweight Ashley Cummins (3-1, Missouri) vs.Emily Kagan (2-1, New Mexico), featherweight Mollie Estes (1-2, Missouri) vs. Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausier (1-0, California), and atomweight Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1, Austria) vs. Cassie Robb (0-1, Colorado).

All fights, excluding the main event and co-main event, feature three, five-minute round fights.  All fights and fighters are subject to change.

5 Fights Added to World Series of Fighting 4

5 Fights Added to World Series of Fighting 4

Slated for the live, fight-five NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event is a light heavyweight (205 pounds) showdown between world kickboxing champion turned unbeaten MMA upstart Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (1-0) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname and fellow hard-hitting KO artist Angel “The Dream” DeAnda (11-2).

The 27-year-old Spong is a veteran of 77 professional kickboxing bouts while DeAnda has scored (T)KOs in 10 of his 11 career MMA victories, including his last four starts

Red-hot Marlon Moraes (10-4) of Jupiter, Fla. will battle fellow streaking bantamweight (135 pounds) Brandon “Hot Rod” Hempleman (9-1) of Boise, Idaho. The 25-year-old Moraes is coming off his fourth consecutive victory – a stunning first round (2:55) KO of rival star Tyson Nam by way of head kick at the World Series of Fighting event on March 23 – while Hempleman is a winner of six consecutive fights.

In other main card action, World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion Ray Sefo (2-1) of Las Vegas will shed his business attire and put on his fighting trunks and combat gloves to face heavy-handed KO artist Dave Huckaba (20-5) of Sacramento, Calif.
Sefo, also a two-time Hall of Famer, has faced and defeated nearly every major rival of his era in the kickboxing ring, while Huckaba, a dangerous and seasoned power puncher, has earned 16 of his 20 career victories by way of (T)KO.

“This will be, without a doubt, our finest event to date in terms of the talent lined up from top to bottom,” said Sefo. “As a promoter, I am extremely proud of this fight card that our company has assembled for our fourth live event and, as a fighter who still has the burning desire to compete, I am naturally excited to have the opportunity to step in the cage and show what I can do in there against a seasoned opponent.”

In other main card action, Tyson Griffin (16-6) of Santa Rosa, Calif. will face off with fellow lightweight (155 pounds) star J.Z. Cavalcante (17-7-1) of Deerfield Beach, Fla. via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Newly signed, undefeated phenomenon “Notorious” Nick Newell (9-0) of Springfield, Mass. will square off with Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell (9-1) of Moultrie, Ga. in another lightweight scrap. Newell has earned eight of his nine career wins by (T)KO or submission while, similarly, Caldwell has notched eight of his nine career victories by way of (T)KO.

In preliminary card action, welterweight (170 pounds) stars Jorge Santiago (25-11) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Rio de Janeiro and Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (21-5) of Tulsa, Okla. will collide.
Additional preliminary card bouts will be announced soon.

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161 (The Results)

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161 (The Results)

Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion Jim Alers proved himself to be a winner inside and outside of the cage on Saturday night, defeating Kingdom MMA writer Chris Houten in Fighter vs Writer.

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Alers for taking part; we hope one day Jim will give us the opportunity to win our title back!

The Scoring

The scoring was the same as always, if you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point. If you predict the correct method of victory you will get a second point and if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

UFC 161 Results

Shawn Jordan Def. Pat Barry by TKO RD1

• Jim Alers: Shawn Jordan TKO RD1 - Score 3
• Chris Houten: Pat Barry TKO RD 2 - Score 0

Score after 1: Jim Alers - 3 Chris Houten - 0


Alexis Davis Def. Rosi Sexton by Decision

• Jim Alers: Rosi Sexton DECISION - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Alexis Davis SUBMISSION - Score 1

Score after 2: Jim Alers - 3 Chris Houten - 1

Ryan Jimmo Def. Igor Pokrajac by Decision

• Jim Alers: Ryan Jimmo DECISION - Score 2
• Chris Houten: Ryan Jimmo DECISION - Score 2

Score after 3: Jim Alers - 5 Chris Houten - 3

Stipe Miocic Def. Roy Nelson by Decision

• Jim Alers: Roy Nelson TKO RD2 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Roy Nelson TKO RD1 - Score 0

Score after 4: Jim Alers - 5 Chris Houten - 3

Rashad Evans Def. Dan Henderson by Decision

• Jim Alers: Rashad Evans DECISION - Score 2
• Chris Houten: Rashad Evans DECISION - Score 2

Score after 5: Jim Alers - 7 Chris Houten - 5

FINAL SCORE JIM ALERS - 7 CHRIS HOUTEN - 5

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Jim Alers one again for his participation in Fighter vs Writer. For more on Jim Alers, check our www.fightjim.com and follow Alers on Twitter - @fightjim 

Video: Nick Diaz Promotions Release War MMA Promo

Nick Diaz Promotions Release War MMA 

WAR MMA 1 Trailer from Nick Diaz on Vimeo.
Stockton native and UFC headliner Nick Diaz will launch his new promotion, WAR, on Saturday, June 22nd at 5pm at the Stockton Arena. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 29th at 10am.
The card will be headlined by UFC veteran Daniel Roberts (13-4) facing off against Justin Baesman (13-3). The fight card will be co-headlined by Caleb Mitchell (4-3) against Evan Esguerra (7-5). The main card will also feature Roy Boughton vs. Liron Wilson, Mike Persons vs. Clayton “Money Shot” McKinney, Darin Cooley vs. Cody Gibson and Chris Quitiquit vs. Dominic Clark. More bouts will be announced in the upcoming days. (Card subject to change.)

Nick Diaz, a former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight (170 lbs) champion, has headlined three UFC PPV cards (UFC 137, UFC 143, and UFC 158) since his return to the organization in 2011. He has previously fought in Pride and Elite XC (including a fight at the Stockton Arena) amongst other MMA promotions. This experience with multiple organizations gave Nick an interest to start his own promotion.

Bouts in WAR will be fought under the Unified Rules of MMA, modified to use a ring instead of a cage and disallowing elbow strikes to a grounded opponent. These rules are in place to encourage grapplers on top position to advance their position or create space for punching, making fights more dynamic and entertaining. Regular matches will be three, five minute rounds, and future championship matches will five, five minute rounds.

For ticket and other information, please visit www.Stocktonlive.com and www.NickDiazPromotions.com. Fighters interested in competing in upcoming WAR events are encouraged to submit their contact information.

Nike Preview 'Anderson Know' T-Shirt

Nike Preview 'Anderson Know' T-Shirt
by Chris Houten - @KingdomMMAChris

Fight fashion fans around the world will remember Anderson Silva sporting the 'Spider Knows' T-Shirt at UFC 153 just weeks after signing global sponsorship deal with Nike. Now just weeks away from his fight at UFC 162, photos have surfaced of Silva sporting a Nike 'Anderson Knows' T-Shirt.

Although not confirmed, it is possible Silva who will face Chris Weidman on July the 6th, will use the 'Anderson Knows' which maintains the same signature black &yellow colour combination as the 'Spider Knows', as his official walkout t-shirt.

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA - Fight Fashion for more on 'Anderson Knows' and all the latest in Fightwear Fashion

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161
by Chris Houten - @KingdomMMAChris 

Kingdom MMA is back with Fighter vs Writer and this time we going in harder than ever.

Gone is Luke Barnatt. We loved working with Luke but as nice of a guy Bigslow is, he knows and we know, after losing back to back event to our guy Ben Heather, he didn't really want it any more.

So in steps Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion Jim Alers, to take on late replacement for the injured Ben Heather, Chris Houten also coming out of the infamous Kingdom MMA camp.

Currently on a 6 fight win streak, 26 year old Alers (10-1, 5-0 CW) has shown himself to be a real prospect who can finish fights standing or on the ground having finished all his opponents.

A brown belt in BJJ, Alers is one of the best featherweights in the world at this point, and has been tipped to be fighting in The UFC with just a few more wins.

So without further adieu...... it's time!

The Scoring 

One point is scored for predicting the winner of the bout, with an additional point added for predicting the correct method by which the winner takes victory. For all fights which end by stoppage, an additional bonus point can be earned by prediction the round in which the fight will stopped. For fights than go the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points

Rashad Evans vs Dan Henderson

Alers: Not real excited about this fight I think that there is not going to be a lot of excitement to be honest. I see Hendo going for the famous H-Bomb a lot in this fight but it just not finding it's mark. I have Evans taking this fight by playing it smart and using and youth and speed to stay out of the way of the hay maker and grinding out a dec.

Pick: Rashad Evans - Decision

Houten: I actually find this fight kind of intriguing - 2 great wrestler who can knockout any one in the division with one shot.

Realistically Evans is the better fighter. He fights much more intelligently the Hendo, he faster hands than Henderson, and has an excellent wrestling pedigree which Evans uses better in MMA than Dan. That being said, I wouldn't rule out Henderson ending this fight with one big shot, but I think Rashads athleticism, and better overall game wins him this fight by clear cut decision.

Pick: Rashad Evans - Decision

Roy Nelson vs Stipe Miocic 

Alers: Roy Nelson is one of my favorite fighters in the UFC. I can't go against Big Country.  He is going to go for the kill quick and I have him getting the KO in the second round. Miocic is just not ready for his power or for his chin

Pick: Pick Roy Nelson - TKO RD 2  

Houten: As much as I like to watch Roy Nelson, in fact he is probably in my top 3 of of active fighter, I was looking forward to Miocic vs Palelei much more than I am Nelson vs Miocic. Why you ask if Nelson is one of my favourite fighters? Well I just don't see this fight being that competitive.

For Miocic to win this one he needs to use his wrestling and turn the fight into a snoozefest - hold Nelson against the cage, or pin him to the canvas and hope Nelson left BJJ blackbelt at home.

I see this going the completely opposite way, and Nelson blasting Miocic they way only Roy Nelson can.... this one won't go past the first.

Pick: Roy Nelson - TKO RD 1

Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac  

Alers: I think Ryan Jimmo is hungry since he is coming off only his second loss of his career. I see him controlling the whole fight and also get a unanimous decision in this one.

Pick: Ryan Jimmo - Decision

Houten: This fight is a complete pick 'em, I think either guy could win, and I like that.

While I feel both guys sometimes fail to exhibit there true talents in the cage, I do appreciate the way both are willing to stand in the pocket and trade.

Realistically, either guy could win, but I'll got for Jimmo purely as he is the bigger power puncher.

Pick: Ryan Jimmo - Decision

Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton

Alers: This one is a no brainer. I have Rosi Sexton all the way. Cage Warrior Alumni have to stick together. I always think the female fights are far more exciting then many male fights and I have this one going the distance as well but in a very close back and forth fight.  

Pick: Rosi Sexton - Decision

Houten: While I admire Jim for his loyalty to Rosi Sexton, this fight is Alexis Davis' to lose. 

Although its hard to back against a fellow Brit, I think Sexton might be a little small to compete at 135 in the UFC, and I like Davis to drag this fight to the floor fight and submit Sexton.

Pick: Alexis Davis - Submission 

Pat Barry vs Shawn Jordan

Alers: I like Pat Barry but hey what the heck I'm going to say this is my wildcats fight and I'm going to go with Shawn Jordan for the TKO in the first round. I even think fan might think it's an early stoppage and boo at the refs dec. lol that would be great if I call this one to the T.

Pick - Shawn Jordan - TKO RD 1

Houten: I love Pat Barry, as a fighter and as a person. He brings it in every fight, and this fight has got fight of the night written all over it. 

Shawn Jordan is an athletic guy, and a former pro football player has excellent reflexes and power to match, but Barry is by far the better striker, and has added submissions to his game...... atleast when he is doing random BJJ competitions in Colorado.

Can I see Barry losing to a guy with a tongue ring? Sure tongue ring or not you can't count any heavyweight out, but I've got Barry knocking out Jordan for his first back to back victory since entering The UFC.

Pick - Pat Barry - TKO RD 2

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Jim Alers in advance for his participation in Fighter vs Writer. For more on Jim Alers, check our www.fightjim.com and follow Alers on Twitter - @fightjim 

 

Jack Mason's opponent at Cage Warriors 57 now announced

Jack Mason vs Bruno Carvalho added to Cage Warriors 57

by Ben Heather @benheather


(Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors)

After Jack Mason (24-11) defeated Collin Reuter in the main event at Cage Warriors Fight Night 8 last month he told Kingdom MMA he wanted to fight on Cage Warriors 57, the thought of being able to fight at an arena like the Echo Arena in Liverpool really appealed to him.

Now it has been announced he will be fighting on the Cage Warriors 57 fight card and will make his 10th Cage Warriors appearance of his career. Last year he made the decision to drop from middleweight to welterweight and since then has not looked back.

The 30-year-old Englishman has won all of his last four bouts and seven of his last eight, the most recent of which saw him secure a unanimous decision win over Collin Reuter in the main event at CWFC Fight Night 8 last month in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. His only disappointment that night was not being able to finish Reuter.

Mason who is now ranked 11th in the UK rankings and is loving fighting at welterweight recently spoke to Cage Warriors to talk about his upcoming fight.

Mason said: “I’m thrilled to be facing Bruno Carvalho in Liverpool. He’s been highly-ranked on the European scene for a very long time so it’s a hugely exciting match-up for me.

“Beating Carvalho is going to put me right up there in the rankings and vying for title contention. He called me out after my last two fights and he’s now been granted his wish. All I have to say to him is be careful what you wish for.”

Carvalho (15-6) fights for the first time since March, when he rebounded from a loss to Cathal Pendred by seeing off the challenge of Steve Dinsdale by second-round TKO at Cage Warriors 52 in London.
A Brazilian fighter currently based in Sweden, 31-year-old Carvalho is a BJJ black belt who holds victories over former KSW middleweight champion Vitor Nobrega, Dream veteran Tatsuya Mizuno, former Pride middleweight Jean-Francois Lenogue and The Ultimate Fighter 11 contestant Kyacey Uscola.

“I think this is a good match-up for me. I’m looking forward to making a statement and showing everyone that I’m on top of this division,” said Carvalho.

“I won’t need to study my opponent because I train every day with top guys who are stronger than him in all ranges. I’ll stop this fight in the second round at the latest.”

The fact that Jack Mason was in the main event in his last fight for Cage Warriors and is now only the second fight of the main card as it stands shows the level of quality, calibre of fighters and great matchmaking which Cage Warriors are putting on its shows. With recent shows being held in Scotland, Wales, UAE and Ireland it really solidifies that Cage Warriors is not only the best British promotion but in my opinion he best in Europe.

Cage Warriors are still to announce some fights for Cage Warriors 57 so keep checking Kingdom MMA for the latest news on this fight card. The current card can be seen below.

MAIN CARD
Lukasz Chlewicki v Paul Daley
Ronnie Mann v TBA
Mauro Chimento v Danny Roberts
Bruno Carvalho v Jack Mason
Lee Chadwick v Mats Nilsson

PRELIMS
Chris Fishgold v Marcin Wrzosek
Mohsen Bahari v Matt Inman
Lewis Long v Saul Rogers

Paraisy v Barnes Set for Cage Warriors 57

Paraisy v Barnes Set for Cage Warriors 57
by Chris Houten - @KingdomMMAChris

French Middleweight Norman Paraisy will meet new signed Leeroy Barnes at Cage Warriors 57 at Liverpool's Echo Arena in July, in Barnes' Cage Warriors Debut.

Paraisy (11-2-1) a 3 time Bellator vet, and TUF 11 contestant, will be making a swift return to the cage against Barnes having fought on Cage Warriors most recent card, Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin, where he fought former CW Middleweight Champion Chris Fields to a draw.

“I’m really excited to be fighting on this amazing card and in a fantastic venue like the Echo Arena,” said Paraisy.

“Only Cage Warriors can keep fighters busy like this. I’m very much looking forward to putting on a show in Liverpool."

Ranked as one of the UK’s top 15 middleweights Barnes (12-10-1) who recently signed an exclusive five-fight deal with Cage Warriors, has taken all 12 of his victories by stoppage including a submission victory over Matt Ewin.

The 28-year old from Blackpool said "Paraisy is awesome and I know this, but it’s about time people started giving me the credit I’m due as a middleweight.

“Cage Warriors believe in me enough to put this fight on and I’ll prove them right. Paraisy is tailor-made for me so this is a fight I can shine in. I’ll put him away.”

Stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for more on Cage Warriors 57